AmyLiz, what's the timeframe? Delighted to beta, but today is premier of Tim's new series, we leave for LA Sunday morning and are gone until Wednesday, and I have a signing/reading next weekend. If it's a huge rush, I doubt I can do it. If it be done over the span of a week or ten days, send it along: sf_deb@yahoo.com works best, and a word doc is also best (me no speak Mac).

Deb, it's not a rush at all. I'm just craving an outside take on the tone/feel of these chapters, but it's not time sensitive.

Yay for the reading/signing! Will send vibes for a packed house.

I'll send a Word doc in a little bit -- I have to separate the first couple chapters from the rest of the book. And thanks so much for volunteering -- the opinion of a few intelligent people is really going to make a difference to me right now.

I'd be happy to read it as well, AmyLiz.

Thanks, LJ, if it's okay for me to shorten. :-) Email address is in your profile?

Still taking deep breaths. Needing Johnny Depp goodness (but PotC or From Hell, I'm wondering -- that opium-addicted sexiness melted me) and lots of chocolate still.

AmyLiz, someday I will give you the entire story of how, after having four novels published here and abroad in the space of three years, and having had one of them looked at as a Booker candidate, I got so fucking fed up with publishing that I tossed the sequel to my most commercial book in the trash rather than give it to Bantam ("It's not sexy enough! Couldja stick some rapes in it? Our target demographic for this kinda of books, males 18-24, like rapes!", put the one I'd just finished (Still Life) in a drawer, and stopped working on "Weaver".

I stayed away from writing for ten years.

I know from wanting to slam the industry's collective heads against the cement pavement until I see some evidence of brains. Believe me, I know.

I know from wanting to slam the industry's collective heads against the cement pavement until I see some evidence of brains. Believe me, I know.

The smack-my-forehead factor is that I feel like I should know better. I was an acquiring editor for a couple of years, albeit working almost exclusively in romance. Said publisher was a bit odd, in many respects, but the thing about romance is (at least the way we published it there) was that almost everyone who submitted knew what romance was. Either YA is just a whole other ballgame, or series packaged this way are, or something. The "too many chefs" adage never seemed so true to me.

Talking out your ass (and after the fact) about wanting something to be "edgy" and "dark" when you've approved an outline in which the plot events pretty much aren't is just...crazytalk. Gah.

A Booker candidate! I am mightily impressed. Will send the email with file after dinner -- I can hear Princess Stinkypants yowling for attention, and Stephen is cooking (bless him).

A Booker candidate! I am mightily impressed.

Don't be - it was a blink in the book's general direction. Realising I didn't qualify on geographical parameters was only one reason they wandered off in a hurry, I'm sure.

Amyliz, serasempre @cox.net if you want to send it to me. My son was a big animorphs fan, as well as that other series of hers that sold fairly well, and I read all of those. If I can do that, I'm sure I can read anything you've written (It can't be worse *g*). I'd certainly be glad to give you my take on it, if you'd like.

Deena, thanks. Sent the email off just now, in fact.

One newbie-ish question: What's "insent"? I've seen a few of you use it, and can't quite figure out where it came from, although I'm assuming it means "email's been sent."

Deb, I'll take a blink like that any day.

Yeah, that means "I sent you an e-mail." Kind of like "incoming." but with all the Bitches, "coming" tends to mean other things.