Washington, Feb 19 : An unauthorized biography of Sarah Palin, written by a People magazine Assistant Editor, has been criticized by Alaska Governor's spokeswoman, who said that it can't be trusted.

The newly released `Trailblazer: An Intimate Biography of Sarah Palin', written by Lorenzo Benet, contains an intriguing claim that runs counter to previously published reports about how Palin ended up as GOP presidential nominee John McCain's running mate, reports Politico. com.

The book states that Palin learned that she was on the vice-presidential shortlist at a February 2008 governors' meeting in Washington - six months earlier than recounted in a statement released in August by the McCain campaign.

An advance copy of the book states, "She had spent the previous few weeks increasing her national profile. She had traveled to Washington, D. C., for the National Governors' Conference, where she met privately with John McCain and learned she was on the short list as a running mate,"

However, Benet's account has been disputed by Palin, whose camp is accusing the author of writing `fantasies' and practicing `bad journalism.'

In a statement, Palin spokeswoman Meghan Stapleton said there was no movement on the vice presidential selection until August, a story corroborated by accounts from within the McCain campaign.

According to several sources familiar with the February meeting, it marked the first time Palin met McCain in person.

"The author has his facts wrong on this one. Nothing happened on the VP selection until August. Getting such an important fact wrong casts doubts on whatever else might be in the book. And attributing his conjecture to the governor is bad journalism. The governor did not authorize this book and is not responsible for whatever fantasies the author might conjure up," Politico. com quoted Stapleton, as saying.

Benet said that his account of the exchange between Palin and McCain was not based on information provided by the governor.

"It's my belief that was when she knew she was in the game. I can't say whether that's what she was told or if that's what she wanted," Benet said.

Benet added that the line was `based off my own sourcing' and that `it's my own gut instinct; she