Friday Book Beginnings & Book Blog Hop

Book Beginnings on Fridays by Rose City Reader -  Share the opening sentence (or so) of the book you are reading this week. You can also share from a book that caught your fancy, even if you are not reading it right now.


"Jake. There is so much I want to tell you, but we've always found it hard to talk to each other, haven't we?" - The Whisper Man by Alex North

This is a thriller that starts with a lot of intrigue... First, a letter from a father to his son and the reader is immediately left wondering what inspired the letter. Soon after, a child goes missing and the feeling of dread creeps in because you just know something bad is about to happen.  

Q: Have you ever wondered why a passionate book blogger might suddenly stop posting or delete their blog without notice? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

A: Yes, and then no.

I imagine there are a lot of reasons why that happens, the first thing that comes to mind is cyber-bullying. There's a lot of that now; people feel big and powerful behind the safety of their keyboard and are all too comfortable at dealing out hateful words. 

Identity theft is another; my identity was stolen and many of my accounts were hacked, including an online forum that I wrote fiction on. When my writing was released to my coworkers it wasn't just embarrassing, they made me feel like I was doing something wrong, and I wound up deleting my account to avoid further in-person harassment. 

And sometimes life just gets in the way and more important things come up, like work or medical conditions or family. 

So while I might wonder at what specific thing caused a blogger to stop blogging, I understand there are valid reasons to have done so.

Comments

  1. ElizabethMay 31, 2025 at 9:27 AM

    Awful about the bullying and especially the account hacks.

    I always worry something happened health wise.

    Thanks for your great answer and for stopping by my blog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Idea-ist @ GetLostinLitJune 7, 2025 at 9:51 AM

      Bullies think they control the world, but i'd like to think karma is real and that it will affect them at some point.

      Delete
  2. Lady In ReadMay 31, 2025 at 11:12 AM

    That must have been tough - getting hacked. And I agree and realize that bullying could have been a reason for some who suddenly stopped blogging or deleted their social media presence. In a couple of cases, the bloggers mentioned that they are doing so before and I knew, which helped me not wonder or worry.
    Your first line (and the title) intrigue!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Idea-ist @ GetLostinLitJune 7, 2025 at 9:49 AM

      i've seen a few goodbye posts since i've been blogging but it looks to me like some people just stop

      Delete
  3. The Fantasy PrincessMay 31, 2025 at 12:34 PM

    Those are awful things to have happen to someone. I have not heard or seen anything about bullying with bloggers though. I do understand that there are so many reasons why someone would stop blogging though. Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jessica @ a GREAT readMay 31, 2025 at 4:46 PM

    Oh wow, that's rough! Having your identity stolen even in spaces like this is just wrong. I mean it's all wrong regardless, but ack. So sorry that happened to you and your personal writings were exposed like that. But yes I can see bullying becoming a bigger issue now too. It feels weird to say it wasn't always like that, but I do remember a time where bullying was at least not as present or at least not in the corner of the blogosphere I existed in.

    Thanks for visiting my BBH!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Idea-ist @ GetLostinLitJune 7, 2025 at 9:43 AM

      It wasn't just my online accounts, they were taking out credit cards in my name and in my bank accounts. i felt so violated.

      Delete
  5. YvonneJune 1, 2025 at 12:15 AM

    That's terrible what you went through. I'm sure there are many reasons people stop blogging.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ashley SappJune 1, 2025 at 11:58 AM

    I really like that opening line!
    That's horrible! I'm so sorry your identity was stolen and your accounts hacked!
    Hope you have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Idea-ist @ GetLostinLitJune 7, 2025 at 9:41 AM

      i'm just glad i have my bank accounts set up to alert me of new activity...i managed to get a handle on it before my accounts were cleaned out.

      Delete
  7. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzJune 2, 2025 at 4:30 PM

    I am so sorry about people who stole your identity. My son says cyber-bullying is terrible among the people he knows who follows sports. I haven't experienced a lot of that, but I don't read wildly popular books, and maybe that's why.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Idea-ist @ GetLostinLitJune 7, 2025 at 9:37 AM

      Oh the book reviews are sometimes so hateful....I mean i've read some bad books, and I tend to leave reviews on why the book wasn't for me, but some people go above and beyond, sometimes even insulting the author.

      Delete
  8. Nordie @ writing about booksJune 3, 2025 at 8:25 AM

    Hi, I never thought about the bullying or the theft. I've managed to avoid the bullying, and the content theft was quickly squashed, thankfully!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Idea-ist @ GetLostinLitJune 7, 2025 at 9:38 AM

      that some one released my writing to my coworkers suggested that someone who knew me had done it and it maked me so paranoid especially since the theft included my bank account...like who in my life would hate me that much?

      Delete
  9. Just Another Girl and Her BooksJune 4, 2025 at 10:50 AM

    The bullying can be absolutely awful. And then you add life getting in the way. I hope you have a wonderful week. - Katie

    Here's my BBH if you wish to visit - https://justanothergirlandherbooks.blogspot.com/2025/06/book-blogger-hop-blogger-hiatuses.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Idea-ist @ GetLostinLitJune 7, 2025 at 9:40 AM

      I know life has stopped me from blogging years at a time, but i always come back to it eventually.

      Delete

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