Dear Readers:

I’m reaching the conclusion of writing and editing my first novel. Soon it will be time to dash through the pages a third time, looking for typos, inconsistencies, and weak words. Once that is done, I hope to have a half-dozen beta readers polishing their spectacles ready to start their “virgin” read.  I plan to instruct these trusted confidants to read my manuscript as if it were an over-due library book that they can’t put down and therefore choose to pay the tardiness fine. Hopefully, I have caught the spelling errors and punctuation snafus. I want them to find other overlooked deficiencies: holes in the plot, unbelievable characters, even historical fact checking if necessary. It’s a bit scary handing my baby to a fresh set of eyes. I enjoy my quiet, private life. Now I feel I’m crossing over that blurred line into a new, public persona. I take a deep breath every time I post another blog or refresh my Facebook account. And now I should add Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare? The plot thickens.