BWAHAHAH! From my publisher, who finally got word of what was going on:

...you must have gotten one of the least desirable copyeditors -- they're all freelancers, chosen by the production editors, and it's hard to know how they all will work out. The worst one I've had worked on a book of mine called "The Shanghai Murders," and the copyeditor (who usually remains quite anonymous, lost no opporltunity -- in fact, made many -- to let us know that she knew everything there was to know about China, her best friend was Chinese and spoke four dialects including Mandarin, her brother was Chinese (I don't know quite how that came about) and the ms. was full of post-its saying, "No, in China they do it this way.." etc. And then we come to a part in the story where the author says "The corpse was found in an alley behind a popular tourist spot -- the apartment of Dr. Sun Yat Sen" and what does this expert on all things Chinese say on her post it? "Why is a doctor's apartment a tourist spot?"

I lurve my publisher. She rocks the house.

shoot.. I could still do it -- got a fax, but I will stop trying to help and just send you ease and success vibes.

I'm likin' your publisher a lot too.

Deena, you rock. I'd better get down to it....

Oh, and bear in mind? My publisher is 83 years old.

Wow, cool. Luck to you.

Thanks. I've also discovered they somehow never got my dedication or my thanks and acknowledgments page....

Well, I guess it could be worse -- say, gone to print without your input. I'm glad you're getting to fix it, even though I'm sure it's a hell job.

Ms. H. I thought about your suggestions and I think I've improved the way the speaker takes control of the girl.

Kudos also to Am-Chau who noticed that I used the word small a lot. I believe it was 13 times, actually. I fixed those too and I added a few details to flesh out some visuals.

It's final, I swear, and posted in my LJ.

I'm rabbiting around for another idea so I don't try to fix again. I may try to edit some old things and see what I can make of them if I don't get a new idea soon.

Deb, if you happen to check in here before checking your email, I sent comments to you.

Anne, Deena, I loves you both with intense muchliness. Answers tomorrow to comments very gratefully received - I'll be hipdeep in the rest of the Weaver edits, though.

I'm going to have to tone down the feng shui surprise (no one knew about it when the damned book was first written, back in 1992).

Good grief, Deb - how thoroughly hideous! You have my futile, but wholehearted, sympathy.

Um. I was wondering whether it would be appropriate to post my porn anthology piece here? I wrote it way the hell back, maybe a year ago now? When we first had the idea of a short story anthology, anyway. Since that does seem to have gone pear-shaped, it's gathering dust - and as it's the only piece of original fiction I've written, I wondered if it might be worth digging it back out and having a wee look at it. I don't know whether I could make use of it at all. Hmm.

Anyway, would that be an appropriate thing to put here? Or not? It's NC17, natch. As per the remit, it's gothic horror/erotica type stuff - we did have a loose Gay Vampire Snuff Porn theme. Pretentious as hell, needless to say - it's sort of based around Coleridge's poem Christobel, and around Little Red Riding Hood too. Some people have read it already.