Complaint Review: Press-Tige Publishing/ Martha Ivery - Catskill New York

In 1995 I signed a so called contract to have a book published. The person represented herself as being a publishing business and always refered to herself as we. Before I signed anything I drove out to where the address was and saw an advertising agency at that address so I surmised she was what she said she was. I also called the paper she had advertised in and they said she was who she said she was but didn't know how good she was at it. She sent me a partial subsidy contract where I paid half the costs and she paid the other. T

he contract was elaborate and professional looking promising me a publicist and radio interviews etc. I paid her the money. $3000.00. Nothng happened until I started accusing her of fraud for all the lies she'd told me. She kept playcating me until I got pushy. Then she stalled me with excuses.

Finaly after much aggression and many phonecalls and letters The book got done 1/12/98! Very shabby editing if any at all. Not the way it was sent to her. She sent me glowing letters about all the preorders she had and all the media dates forthcoming. All I got was letters from two publicists that couldn't do business with me because she had sent them bad checks.

One of them informed me her name was really Martha Ivery and Kelly O'Donnell was her pen name. I had not known that, and the contract was signed by Kelly O'Donnell. I called her again she told me they are all CON ARTISTS! and she was going to do it herself. I have since had one book signing she arranged. My book is not being marketed at all the way the contract promised. It wasn't until last year I realized her real name was Martha Ivery and the name she used for me was Kelly O'Donnell.

On 12/14/99 I called her and wanted marketing services promised on contract. She said she couldn't afford it and in another one of her bizarre letters invited me to contact a lawyer she says is hers in california. After that I got a letter telling me I would have to do speaking engagements at scholls now and she would be contacting me with media appointments etc. It's to bizzare to describe but I can send all this nonsense to you if need be.

I responded with a letter that stated I'd been waiting and would be happy to do that. It is almost as if she's threatening me with publicity for my book. It's bizarre to say the least. She is now quite nasty. I have not heard from her since this last altercation and of course nothing has materialized. I believe she is taking money from people and doing only what is neccessary to placate them til they go away or are to embarrased to pursue her.

I have alot in writing from her, enough to incriminate her and catch her in her own lies I'm sure. I just don't know how to proceed with something like this or what I should do legally. At this point I would like my money back since she misrepresented herself and I' can' find out really how many books were published at what cost.

I have requested this info and have not heard from her since January 2000. I wrote to the attorney general and got no response. I know she has many other vicitms as she had the nerve early on to have them call me for a reference. I just would tell them she hadn't done anything for me yet so I really couldn't say one way or the other. If you don't want to take this case could you please advise me as to how to pursue something like this? Should I go to the police? I don't know but I would like to stop her from doing this to people and get my money back.

I am not a rich woman. Something is not right that's for sure. All her contacts also seem to be out west and that in itself is odd. Please see if you can do anything about her. She is definately a liar and a fraud! Of course there are many more details than I can put in this letter but it has been very upsetting to go through this for 5 years. I got a few checks for minimal ammounts and that was it. Most from people I had told myself locally and I arranged to have my book in our bookstore here. She told me early on it was on the web and I saw it there at Amazon.com and was very happy. However a week later it was gone.

She was good at playcating me in the beginning. Her phone number and letterhead have changed several times over the years. Please help me and all the people she must be conning. I have a feeling she might have been doing this in another place at one time and maybe came out here to the country to apply her trade.

Thanks for at least giving me a forum for my aggravation. Thanks.