
5 minute read
Get up Eight
KRIS RENEE
I have a stalker.
Those are four words I never imagined myself writing.
Unfortunately, as much as it seems unbelievable (even now, after dealing with it for nearly two years), it is still very much a reality I’m living with.
If you think this is a story about how I overcame unsurmountable odds, you will be disappointed.
This is a tale of caution and perseverance. Of trusting your gut and being your own biggest, loudest advocate.
In enduring this very unwelcome burden, I was gobsmacked with some hard truths. First and foremost, broaching the subject of stalking is typically met with humor or unseriousness. I assure you that this is a profoundly serious matter. Another is that there appear to be more protections in place for the stalker than there are to protect the victim.
Alas, I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s go back to when it all started.
For me, the signs that someone was lurking in the internet shadows those first few months were not easily identifiable. Busy “mom life” allowed me to brush off situations such as an uptick in reported social media videos, daily spam comments meant to flag my posts, and an increase in random phone calls on my cell from companies stating they were following up on my personal request for more information. When I, in fact, had never inquired about new shingles, plumbing, timeshares, or kitchen remodels (just to name a few).
So submersed in fielding these crazy calls, getting “scheduled” house visits from religious organizations, appealing dozens of inaccurate video and post reports, and emailing Amazon daily regarding an influx of false reviews of my books, I was in panic survival mode.
By the time I realized all these inconvenient, ‘coincidental’ incidents were undeniably intentional and deliberate, the damage had been done. My TikTok account had been banned, my book sales plummeted, and my social media pages were under “warning of removal.”
Naturally, as I feel it would anyone, this took a toll on my mental health (and removed a hefty chunk of my pride). I had worked hard to create the fun, safe, and maybe a bit inappropriate-at-times internet presence that connected me with so many readers and fans. I used my social media as a tether to bridge Kris Renee, the personality, to Kris Renee, the author. To have that taken away due to baseless reports and flags was outlandish.
But he didn’t stop there. He even went so far as to Photoshop my personal pictures and post them on unsavory friend-finding sites along with my full name and hometown.
After discovering the identity of my stalker (due to a few mistakes and paper trails he’d inadvertently left behind), I hired legal aid and sent cease and desist letters. I spent hours documenting every incident and even sought out a protective order for my entire family. But, because of the laws in place to protect the perpetrator, I found myself in a stalemate. Helpless and at the mercy of the person intent on destroying my career.
I did the only thing I could think of doing at the moment. I walked away from everything for the safety of myself and my family. I didn’t quit. But I knew I needed time to sort through the entire ordeal. To get myself in the right headspace, I needed to dive back into the internet world that I had become frightened of.
After months of counseling, and hundreds (I wish this were an exaggeration) of emails to Goodreads, Amazon, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, my accounts are back in good standing, many (but certainly not all) of the reviews have been removed, and I have recently started to post again.
But I would be lying if I said I was not weary. Every time I hit “post,” my heart races, my anxiety shoots through the roof, and I am just plain scared. A few months ago, I released a new book that I barely advertised or talked about because I am no longer confident in what I say or do.
The road to redemption will undoubtedly be long and difficult. And while my stalker is certainly not gone— he has just gone quiet for now—I am optimistic that I will see this through to the end.
I hope to use my story for support and inspiration, to be a beacon of light for anyone who may find themselves in a similar situation. I strive to be living proof that even the worst of intentions can be turned around and used for good.
I aspire to prosper not only in my professional writing career but in my personal life as well.
Because if there is one thing my stalker has taught me. One singular thing he left behind in his wake of destruction. It is that I’m a fighter.
Knock me down seven, and I’ll get up eight, indeed.

Kris Renee is an Amazon All-Star romance author.
She lives in the Midwest.
Kris loves dangly earrings, reading, decorating, and peanut butter.
Oh! And ice cream!
Find out more about her at www.krisrenee.net.