Allyson, that sounds like the greatest book ever. The mall I worked at for 5 years had a pantyhose man, too. My friend worked at a sock store and he often came in and told the girls there about how he was wearing pantyhose and would stock up on his new pairs.

At Brookstone, it was all about the "massagers." Oh, and people wanting to know about how sex is on a Tempurpedic bed.

Oh, and people wanting to know about how sex is on a Tempurpedic bed.

(grinning) Well, we like ours....

Allyson, breathe. It sounds patronising, but honestly, it's not - breathe breathe, remember to breathe. I'm doing the same thing you are. But goodgoodgood on the second book. I watched Sarah Vowell's bit on the DVD of "The Incredibles" and thought, yep, she reminds me a bit of Allyson, phrasing and whatnot. Slightly dryer snark, but your agent is a wise wise woman.

I'm distracted. I started London calling Saturday afternoon. It's now 61 pages and 12,325 words, and an interesting marital subtheme is beginning to manifest itself.

This sucker is going faster than the first two. And I finished the first two in nine weeks total.

This is totally fucking freaky.

People who work retail can gain more insight into human nature than anyone should have to know.

Which is why my recurring stress nightmare is about having to work retain again.

I didn't deal with phone pervs, but there were an awful lot of guys who would walk up to me, some bit of trashy lingerie clutched to their chest, and say "You look like you're the same size as my girlfriend/wife, could you please try this on so I can make sure it'd ...look right on her?"

I didn't deal with phone pervs, but there were an awful lot of guys who would walk up to me, some bit of trashy lingerie clutched to their chest, and say "You look like you're the same size as my girlfriend/wife, could you please try this on so I can make sure it'd ...look right on her?"

I worked at Victoria's Secret at age 17. 'Nough said.

t hyperventilates

I just emailed my partial and synopsis to Mary Balogh for critique. Maybe half an hour after I sent it, I got an email back saying she was already printing it out, and that she looked forward to reading it, and that she already liked the sound of it from the synopsis.

Total OMG SQUEE! territory for me, because I'm 99% certain the partial reads better than the synopsis. And if Mary Balogh ends up liking my book and/or the way I write, that's just all kinds of huge and flattering.

Susan, that is such exciting news. Sending much fall-in-love-instantly~ma her way.

I can't believe I'm asking this, since I'm usually the kind of person who knows this stuff, but when you send an editor or agent a partial, do you use a binder clip or just leave the pages lose? (This particular partial is going to come in around 70 pages counting the synopsis, so a regular paper clip wouldn't do the job.)

Rubber band, Susan.

Rubber band

Seriously?

Well, you don't want to staple, in case somebody wants to take pages home.