My name is Bonnie Kaye. I am the organizer of the Airleaf Victims group and the Jones Harvest Publishing Group.Please read my websites at www.AirleafVictims.com and www.JonesHarvestFraudVictims.com.
I have started this blog as an additional way to warn people about the fraudulence of Jones Harvest Publishing as well as a way to respond daily to the vicious attacks on my integrity. As of late, there are some horrible stories going around the Internet about me from the Jones Harvest staff--or shall I say family--Brien, his wife Brandy, their mothers, sisters, cousins, best buds, and other relatives who run the business out of their exclusive basement office in the Jones's home in Bloomington, Indiana.
Authors who have published with Jones Harvest have been told by the staff that I am trying to "destroy" the business because of numerous reasons including starting my own publishing company.
So, to set the record straight, let me say that this is not the case at all. I started this group due to the increasing number of Jones Harvest author victims (now at 48 who have contacted me) most of whom originally were members of my Airleaf Victims group, one of the most horrific predatory publishing scandals ever in this country. Together, we successfully forced Airleaf Publishing to close down in December 2007 after the company robbed us of over two million dollars. A judgment was handed down by the Attorney General in May, and criminal charges are now being investigated against the owner Carl Lau.
These authors are now being victimized a second time by the former Executive Vice President of Airleaf, Brien Jones, in his new company Jones Harvest Publishing, who promised "he would be different than Airleaf." He claimed that he, too, was a victim and never received the monies due to him. All he wanted to do was run an honest business and sell books in bookstores for authors. He had no interest in publicity schemes that didn't sell books. He laughed at the Airleaf trips to Hollywood claiming they were worthless--at least until he started doing the same thing at Jones Harvest. And as a top king of con, he was able to convince many of us that he left Airleaf because he was disgusted with the fraudulence there.
When he sent me a letter in February of 2007 asking me to republish my book "Straight Wives Shattered Lives" which was Airleaf property, he said he'd be happy to do it for free if I would allow myself to appear on his many numerous websites such as Author Celebrities. I agreed to allow him to do this because of my anger with Airleaf which refused to pay me my royalties even after my attorney threatened legal action. In return, I helped him with marketing and editing because I believed in him. When I started my Airleaf Victims group on the Internet, Brien Jones was most helpful to me in my campaign to bring down Airleaf, making me believed that this man would be the publisher he promised to be. I never knew him at Airleaf, so I had no reason to doubt him.
When I first started my Airleaf Victims group, dozens of letters came to me weekly wanting to join my battle against the company. Almost all of them were blaming Brien Jones. Quite frankly, I didn't understand why. Whenever I told Brien about the accusations, he convinced me that he was the fall guy. He only made the sales--it wasn't his job to see they were done. That was the owner's job, Carl Lau. And I believed him because I wanted to believe him. I couldn't believe that I would be conned twice. I defended him to authors explaining his plight. I edited their stories on the Airleaf Victims website removing his name and just said "employees."
Authors told me I was naive. They warned me that one day I would learn the truth about Brien Jones. Sadly, I did.
When the first victims came to me claiming that they paid $4,000 for two books to be published in April and it was now November and there was no galley to be seen, I was quite shocked. They had it in writing that their books would be published within 90 days. These were senior citizens in the ministry who didn't have money to lose. I told them to write and get their money back. Most of it was returned. And so it went for the next six people who sent me complaints. I told them to ask for their money back, and it was returned. But then the money stopped being returned after another senior citizen asked for her $5,000.00 back after being promised a television interview, weekly follow up with the news media, and all other kinds of bogus publicity promises. That's when I started my Jones Harvest Fraud Victims campaign.
You see, it would be very uncaring of me to represent over 500 victims from Airleaf and then ignore the fact that many of them are being re-victimized again by Jones Harvest. I felt compelled to do something when the authors no longer received their money back for failed services, even though Jones Harvest "guarantees" this on their website. Well, actually they used to guarantee it. Interestingly enough, the so called “guarantee” has been erased from the front of the website since I’ve encouraged so many people to call Jones Harvest on that guarantee—one they refuse to honor. In fact, they have now started threatening to “take legal action” against authors who want their money back. However, if you look quickly, you’ll still see that guarantee in the Jones Harvest blog. In case Jones removes it after I let people know where it is hidden, this is what the guarantee states:
Money-back Guarantee
July 22nd, 2008
We now offer all new clients a money-back guarantee on our publishing, promotional and bookselling services. We were already unique, but that guarantee puts us in a class by ourselves.
If you have had a pleasant experience with Jones Harvest, as a few authors have, I am very happy for you. Every author should have that experience. There were also authors at Airleaf Publishing who had "pleasant experiences"; however, that didn't stop hundreds of others from getting screwed out of their money. And now, once again, this is happening to many of the Jones Harvest authors who were promised and "guaranteed" services that are fraudulent. And yes, I have verified this through reliable sources at Jones Harvest who came forth in disgust at what was going on there. And is it any coincidence that 80% of the victims are senior citizens, authors with disabilities, or people with limited English ability? I think not. Why not go after the most vulnerable of all people when you're a con man.
Please take a moment to read my website by clicking into this link: www.JonesHarvestFraudVictims.com This way, you can get the whole truth in an accurate manner. Maybe after you learn the truth, you'll realize that you, too, are a victim. Please feel free to contact me if that is the case so I can help you get your money back through the appropriate government channels who are now investigating the company.
On the Jones Harvest blog site, I have been accused of owning a publishing company which is why I'm trying to take away their business. Nothing is farther from the truth. By profession, I am a counselor and educator. I have no interest in the publishing business other than helping fellow authors whose hopes, dreams, and money has been lost to crooks who treat them with contempt.
In the days ahead, I will start discussing some of these cases with you so you can make up your own mind. I will be happy to address his few fans who are attacking me on his blog site and respond to their attacks here since I am not able to post on the Jones blog site.
Please feel free to contact me at Bonkaye@aol.com if you have any questions or feel that you are a victim. While Jones Harvest still is in business, I can help you contact the government officials who will fight on your behalf.
Don't allow yourself to be a victim. Stand up like dozens of others and fight back.
Bonnie Kaye, M.Ed.
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I was unaware a person named Brien Jones existed until one day out of the blue I received a call from a Mr. Brien Jones. He said he was the vice-president of this book publishing company, and the wife of the companies owner had read my book and insisted he call me.
ReplyDeleteIt's a great, polished, smooth opening line, a good hook for an accomplished con man.
I was skeptical and yet he had disarmed me by going on to say how enthusiastic the owners wife was about my book, how she told her husband, the owner of Airleaf Publishing they were lacking in young adult and children's fiction and they just had to have me on board.
Skepticism fades when hot air is injected into the ego. Especially for an unknown struggling writer. When dreams come to mind and balance and rational and reason go out the window.
Brien Jones, being so adept and skilled at conceiving and operating con games that give the air of legitimacy knew this.
I did resist. I did question what he was saying. I'm naturally a bit cynical and a little more skeptical after living for 56 years and seeing what people are capable of commiting against their fellow humans - especially when the Almighty American dollar is involved.
Sensing my hesitation and being leary Brien Jones offered up the names, emails, and telephone numbers of some selected authors that he said would vouch for the legitimacy of the company he represented.
These people are called "shills" in the grifter world, the con artist world. People that appear to be on the outside and have benefited from what the con man is offering up. Shills knock down the remaining walls of suspicion and loosen up the mark to take the bait.
If over 300 people had not begun a network of sharing their tragic experiences in dealing with Airleaf Publishing, and had not the concerted efforts of over 100 people that filed formal complaints either with the FBI, IRS, U.S. Postal Service, the Indiana Attorney Generals Office, or local law enforcement in Indiana stepped up I feel safe in saying Brien Jones would still be working for Carl Lau at Airleaf and fleecing countless others out of hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars.
Brien Jones is about as much a victim as Bernard Madoff is a victim.
Brien Jones is about as much a victim as a rapist is.
Brien Jones has and continues to commit the crimes. He originates the crimes. He builds elaborate webs in which to operate his crimes.
Crimes of fraud. Stealing money from people.
Selling lies and promises never intended to be fullfilled, and NEVER fullfiled.
The ONLY contact I originally had and maintained at Airleaf Publishing for a good period of time was Brien Jones. It was Brien Jones that made all the promises. It was Brien Jones that pursued me. The hunter pursueing his prey.
Brien Jones and Carl Lau preyed upon people.
Once found out and exposed to the light they then attempt to turn the direction of the exposure from themselves, to all of a sudden make the claim they are the real victims.
Don't fall for this smooth delusional malarkey.
These are con men pure and simple.
They refuse to admit the words accountability or responsibility into their vocabulary.
I know it may be difficult to resist their cunning words, their promises.
They are slick and smooth. It's how they succeed.
Do not be mislead. Do not go through life believing people are basically good and have your best interests at heart.
It's thinking like this that makes con games possible.
Do not be enticed by the likes of Brien Jones. For you religious people out there, think of Brien Jones as the serpent in the Garden of Eden, enticing, lovely, cunning. The thing that lead to the downfall of man. And if you read Genesis you know that serpents were beautiful before being cursed by God. They were enticing, convincing.
If you are not religious you can still draw upon that tale because all its trths and lessons still apply.
Brien Jones is anything but a victim, but he is highly skilled at creating victims.
Do not under any circumstances part with so much as one thin dime and send or give it to Brien Jones.
You will lose.
I guarantee you will lose and you will then join the growing ranks of other victims.
Spare yourself. Spare your family of such a fate. Really think before acting. You are fortunate. You have access to all this information, all this truth, all this firsthand experience from over 300 victims of Brien Jones and Carl Lau. I did not. The other original victims did not have the information you have available. Do not fail prey to cunning con men such as Brien Jones with all this invaluable information present that can spare you. I'm out over $8,000 I cannot ever recover. I live on a small fixed income. Do not end up like me. Take advantage of the information, the truth made available to you. Resist the urge so cunningly coming alive in your mind of great future success, of dreams realized. Brien Jones is not a humanitarian, he is not an artist, he does not care one bit about your dreams and your life. All he cares about is having you take his bait and he then getting his hands on your money. You will have much less AFTER dealing with Brien Jones than you had before ever hearing his name or falling for his con. Believe me. I know.
Especially in this economy I'm sure you have something better to do with your precious resources than to hand them over to the likes of the highly skilled and accomplsihed con man Brien Jones so that he can rob you of your hope, your dreams, your belief in people, and of your money.
Bonnie Kaye is a dear friend whom I admire, respect and trust. After reading the mental meringues disguised as a blog on Brien Jones' site, only one thought comes to mind - BRIEN JONES IS AFRAID OF BONNIE KAYE - and he has every reason to be shaking in his boots. Brien Jones is a bona fide con artist ala Carl Lau, and he knows it is just a matter of time before he, too, will be crushed by the wheels of justice.
ReplyDeleteBrien Jones reveals his own lack of integrity. He referred to Bonnie Kaye's books as "hateful." If he feels that Bonnie Kaye's books are "hateful," why, oh why, would he even consider doing any business whatsoever with Bonnie Kaye? A reputable publishing house would have rejected Bonnie Kaye and her "hateful" books out of hand, but not Brien Jones. No, not Brien Jones. The Brien Jones's of this world are nothing more than sleazy opportunists seeking to make a buck at the expense of others.
And why is Brien Jones investing so much time and space in Bonnie Kaye anyway? One would think that he would be more productive by serving his clients. That is, if Brien Jones is a legitimate publisher.
Keep screaming "Cease and Desist," Brien. That is what Carl Lau did, and we all know what happened to him.
Bonnie Kaye is a dear friend whom I admire, respect and trust. After reading the mental meringues disguised as a blog on Brien Jones' site, only one thought comes to mind - BRIEN JONES IS AFRAID OF BONNIE KAYE - and he has every reason to be shaking in his boots. Brien Jones is a bona fide con artist ala Carl Lau, and he knows it is just a matter of time before he, too, will be crushed by the wheels of justice.
ReplyDeleteBrien Jones reveals his own lack of integrity. He referred to Bonnie Kaye's books as "hateful." If he feels that Bonnie Kaye's books are "hateful," why, oh why, would he even consider doing any business whatsoever with Bonnie Kaye? A reputable publishing house would have rejected Bonnie Kaye and her "hateful" books out of hand, but not Brien Jones. No, not Brien Jones. The Brien Jones's of this world are nothing more than sleazy opportunists seeking to make a buck at the expense of others.
And why is Brien Jones investing so much time and space in Bonnie Kaye anyway? One would think that he would be more productive by serving his clients. That is, if Brien Jones is a legitimate publisher.
Keep screaming "Cease and Desist," Brien. That is what Carl Lau did, and we all know what happened to him.
Bonnie Kaye is a dear friend whom I admire, respect and trust. After reading the mental meringues disguised as a blog on Brien Jones' site, only one thought comes to mind - BRIEN JONES IS AFRAID OF BONNIE KAYE - and he has every reason to be shaking in his boots. Brien Jones is a bona fide con artist ala Carl Lau, and he knows it is just a matter of time before he, too, will be crushed by the wheels of justice.
ReplyDeleteBrien Jones reveals his own lack of integrity. He referred to Bonnie Kaye's books as "hateful." If he feels that Bonnie Kaye's books are "hateful," why, oh why, would he even consider doing any business whatsoever with Bonnie Kaye? A reputable publishing house would have rejected Bonnie Kaye and her "hateful" books out of hand, but not Brien Jones. No, not Brien Jones. The Brien Jones's of this world are nothing more than sleazy opportunists seeking to make a buck at the expense of others.
And why is Brien Jones investing so much time and space in Bonnie Kaye anyway? One would think that he would be more productive by serving his clients. That is, if Brien Jones is a legitimate publisher.
Keep screaming "Cease and Desist," Brien. That is what Carl Lau did, and we all know what happened to him.
Bonnie Kaye is a dear friend whom I admire, respect and trust. After reading the mental meringues disguised as a blog on Brien Jones' site, only one thought comes to mind - BRIEN JONES IS AFRAID OF BONNIE KAYE - and he has every reason to be shaking in his boots. Brien Jones is a bona fide con artist ala Carl Lau, and he knows it is just a matter of time before he, too, will be crushed by the wheels of justice.
ReplyDeleteBrien Jones reveals his own lack of integrity. He referred to Bonnie Kaye's books as "hateful." If he feels that Bonnie Kaye's books are "hateful," why, oh why, would he even consider doing any business whatsoever with Bonnie Kaye? A reputable publishing house would have rejected Bonnie Kaye and her "hateful" books out of hand, but not Brien Jones. No, not Brien Jones. The Brien Jones's of this world are nothing more than sleazy opportunists seeking to make a buck at the expense of others.
And why is Brien Jones investing so much time and space in Bonnie Kaye anyway? One would think that he would be more productive by serving his clients. That is, if Brien Jones is a legitimate publisher.
Keep screaming "Cease and Desist," Brien. That is what Carl Lau did, and we all know what happened to him.