Bodice ripping black-footed ferrets?

Not quite. But read the Newsweek.com story to learn how freelance nature writer Paul Tolme discovered his description of endangered weasels in the middle of a steamy romance novel.

Apparently, the hunky hero of Shadow Bear, a Lakota chief, waxes poetic about ferret ecology while in post-coital bliss with his forbidden love, pioneer hottie Shiona Bramlett. Tolme recaps part of the scene:

"'They are so named because of their dark legs,' Shadow Bear says, to which Shiona responds: 'They are so small, surely weighing only about two pounds and measuring two feet from tip to tail.'"

Not only is the ensuring dialog awful, the characters use Tolme's words, verbatim. Tolme laments,"Had I known that my text would one day appear in a romance novel, I might have sexed up my story."

In the age of "cut-and-paste plagiarism," you never know where your words will end up.