Ack! This used to be the one thread I could keep up in faithfully, but everyone's been so productive! I have to go back and do a lot of reading, I see. But in good news, I finally finished my book -- only eight weeks late! (I will never, ever again agree to anything less than a six-month deadline, especially with a very active, now-walking, into-everything baby in the house.) And we pushed back the next project two months, giving me till April 1, which is a huge, huge relief.

Request (kind of a lame one, but just an FYI for me, I guess): Would anyone like to beta it? No line-editing required, just a basic read-through with reactions, good, bad, and in-between.The first 300 pages are actually already with the copyeditor, and my editor didn't want revisions on that, but I would love some general reactions. I have to polish up the last 80ish pages, but I could send it to anyone who wants to read it on Monday. And feedback could come anytime -- Tuesday or next spring. No rush at all.

It's a romance/mystery, kind of in the Crusie vein -- there's humor (or at least there's supposed to be) and there's a couple doing their romance thing, which gets interrupted/complicated by a dead body. There are also fairly graphic sex scenes -- more fully described than some romances. Anyone who reads NC17 fanfic wouldn't be shocked.

Okay, if the baby naps, I'm going to try and read and comment on some of the stuff in here this afternoon. And I finally have a "First Impressions" drabble brewing.

Edited because I was unclear.

erika, two versions backsent. Your word count is fine; you were counting all the comments, as well. I did a secondary copy (which I've sent) which is nothing but the story, and it comes in at 2,373 words.

Amy, I can do my best, but if you need it by Monday, I'm out; I'm blocked out solid, including a black tie dinner at Nic's company tomorrow night and an all-day literary festival on Sunday.

Amy, I really wish I could, but I'm already way behind on a promised critique or so, plus I need to really push myself to meet my self-imposed 12/31 deadline on the Lucy edit. Next time?

Amy, send it to my profile addy and I'll do my best to get it back to you by Sunday afternoon. I'm going to be offline Sunday evening to Monday noon, but I'll try to read it by the time I have to leave and get back to you.

No, no, I only need feedback whenever anyone gets around to reading it, even if it's months from now -- that's the thing, since it's already in copyediting, I'm not going to be able to use beta remarks for anything other than my own "don't do that next time" edification. I don't have the time to use them to improve this book, but I'd still like to know what readers think, if that makes sense.

Wouldn't send it till Monday at the earliest, and you can provide feedback whenever you like. And no problem if no one can do it -- it's a lot to read, especially on the screen.

Okay, send it then, and I'll read for fun and feedback.

Kewl! Send it on, then.

I've just got to the point where I've introduced Penny's older banker brother Stephen, and his new wife, Tamsin. I love writing surprises. Penny and Ringan are expecting a trophy wife, a leggy blonde in her twenties.

Heheheheheheheheh...

Deb and Bev, thanks so much. I know neither of you are romance readers, but it's got some mild snark, too. The mystery is fairly mild, though, which is what worries me, and while my editor loves the first 300 pages, it's the wrap-up (which she'll get on Monday, too, and send right to the copyeditor after she reads it -- hopefully) that is making me nervous.

Cinnamon poptarts:

Deb, I just saw you mention the Johnny Cash story in Bitches -- could I read it? I don't know if it's too late for beta-ing, but I'd love to read just for enjoyment.

And Susan, no big at all. I know how busy you are!

I had skipped earlier and went back to give people's stuff the time it deserved. I loved Victor's piece and Liese's stuff was gorgeous. Erika, do you need another beta reader? If not, can I read it anyway? Please? I really liked what you posted.

Congratulations, Amy. I know that's a weight off your shoulders. I'd like to take a look at it, although it will probably be several weeks before I could give you any feedback. I'm not really a romance reader, but I am a Crusie and Evanovitch reader, so I have some sense of the genre.