Diane Oliver, Don Willard, Bosley Gravel — all published and professional authors, all excellent writers, with the perk that one’s an excellent editor, as well.  Then there’s Patrick, Viola, Max, Laura, and, maybe, if I’m lucky, Wayne, real world people, some of whom read fiction, some of whom prefer non-fiction, rarely cracking the cover of any but the best fiction published.  These are my beta readers. 

Right out of the gate, Diane, who is not only a professional editor, but writes alternately terrifying and absolutely hilarious fiction in two related genres, provided meticulous copyediting notes, line-by-line.  Then she added her thoughts about the story, scene-by-scene or chapter-by-chapter.  That kind of help is invaluable.  Plus she understands my work.  Thank you, Diane.

Next comes Don Willard who writes top quality fiction with a paranormal twist — scary, disturbing stuff.  While he and I work in different styles and genres, Don provided more line-by notes, and a running commentary on the story.  This was immeasurably helpful.

Bosley.  Bosley Gravel, a pen name, is the 21st century’s runaway literary genius.  He writes powerful fiction that startles and touches deep into the soul.  Bosley’s main complaints concerning the manuscript were logistic…like: How did the cops get into the house?  His efforts permitted me that window that all writer’s lack in that they forget that the audience doesn’t know what they do.

Viola: This woman reads.  A lot.  She mostly reads excellent literary fiction, biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, and non-fiction historicals.  She’s also a mother. Her nits were accurate, but her insights into the book allowed me the compliment of seeing where I needed to provide just a word or two more of justification.

Patrick:  Now here we have someone who does NOT read fiction, at all.  He reads non-fiction early Americana historicals — David Thompson, Lewis and Clark, historic diaries of the pioneers….  He picked up my book and, where usually a non-fiction book will take him a week to read, he read The Ward in three days flat.  And raved about it.  Plus, he gave me pointers on plumbing details and psychological evaluations according to modern psych that would make the book more accurate to up-to-the-minute diagnoses.  Thanks to Patrick, I know the book not only works, but is, in fact, a tense, riveting read that will and does capture the attention of the most discerning and resistant eye and mind. 

Max: Max reads commercial fiction and how-to books.  Exclusively.  He doesn’t have a lot of time to read, but he managed this one at a rate of thirteen to fifteen thousand words a night.  On a Mac, no less, and he despises reading on a screen.  What says Max?  “Wow.  This is good!”  An author can ask for no more.

Laura and Wayne?  I have yet to hear from them.  I’m not holding my breath.  Laura has been terribly sick, and, on top of that, so have her kids.  She’s a mom of two young children, so even getting a chance to sit down and read is a real luxury for her, and her preference is for Fantasy.  But what about Wayne?  Well, Wayne is, again, exclusively a non-fiction reader, his preference being, mostly, religious argument as well as how-to books.

So those are my beta readers this time around, and, to every one of them, I extend the warmest and most heart-felt thank you. 

Why did I choose these unique and respected individuals specifically?  Well, the peers should be obvious.  The non-authors, though, that’s another thing entirely.  Here were my thoughts: If my work is good enough that they’ll even crack the first page, then manage to read on without dropping out, then the book works.  …And it does.  All the way around.

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