There ought to be a law

Or is there?  Against someone taking away your livelihood.  I spent a considerable amount of time writing a book last year.  I poured my whole soul into into and laid myself bear.  I took blame where blame was due, showed my weaknesses, stupidity, and gullibility.  I used my maiden name to publish and changed the names of those who might be offended and didn't actually go into as much detail as I could've, with the premise of keeping my story Christian and charitable.  It did well.  It was up to #1 on the Amazon best-sellers list under divorce, and a couple of other subject areas.  It was on Amazon UK, and Amazon Japan.  Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Thomas Aquinas had it briefly.  I say briefly because within a month of publication, an email to the publisher had my book on suspension.  Tbj's email.  Not a lawyer he hired, just him.  The libel deptartment, i.e. one man named Eugene who talked in slow-motion and told me not to worry, called me after a couple weeks.  At this point Amazon was the only hold-out who didn't immediately pull my book.  They were making money, but not according to my publisher.  Tbj had called them, it seems and used the g.a.l. against them saying (and this is from a voicemail Eugene played for me), Susan, the court-appointed attorney for the children did not give permission for me to use my kids pictures (which was also discussed before publication, hence my need to publish with an alias and call tbj Ted).  So they listened to him, without any proof or real threat

According to Eugene, I sold 46 copies after two months.  My friend's daughter was using it for her college media class, people in many different parishes I new had bought it, all of my friends and family, of course, people I met through my blog, people I ran into at writer's conferences in different states.  46?  Then Eugene stopped interacting with me.  He didn't return my emails, my phone calls, my lawyer's phone calls, my other lawyer's phone calls.  The new publisher did get through to him recently, however, and was told that my book had been print-on-demand.  Bullshiznet!  Amazon was offering twenty-four-hour shipping.  Eugene then emailed me that I would receive a sales and royalty statement and a check the end of August.  Today's September 2nd.  I have repeatedly emailed him and the publisher and left voice mails.  What kind of company doesn't answer their phone?  Ever?

So I have made literally nothing off of my book.  I have it relisted but the only way to get to it is through this blog.  Amazon and Thomas Nelson won't remove their expired listing, for whatever reason.  If one searches for my name or book title, theirs is the one they will come to with a message to sign one's name for notification of when this book becomes available, which it is.  So who is keeping this list of people waiting?  And what about all of the money I have lost from people not being able to find me for the past four months?  Can I times that by the actual number of books I sold the first month?  Which I don't know and can't prove?  Can I sue Thomas Nelson and/or Amazon?  Is there an attorney out there who will do it for me?  Can I sue tbj for lost income?  Can I support my family? 

A couple of weeks ago tbj sent an anonymous call to the food stamp people, I was making a million dollars off of a book I had written, did they know that?   Once again, I was committing welfare fraud and my kids shouldn't eat.  Maybe I went through a western phase lately because justice was real in Dodge.