Woo Hoo! I finished a decent draft of The Runner—Book Three in The Devil Particle Series and sent it to my five critical readers. More good news: The Devil Particle and The Vessel — the first two books in the series — are available for 99¢! This week only.

More on the sale later, but what the heck are critical readers and who are they?

First, readers who help writers

Most people assume an author spends all day locked in their office, typing and not talking to anyone. I don’t know any writers who do this, and I know a lot of writers. Authors need a second set of eyes to help them find plot holes, lack of character development and setting, and inconsistencies.

Critique Groups

When I started writing my first manuscript, which would become Carpe Diem, Illinois, I joined a critique group. We called ourselves “Chicks of the Trade” and, to this day, if I write something that I know needs more work, I’ll think, That would never fly with the chicks.

But now I don’t belong to a critique group because I prefer to give someone the entire manuscript rather than one chapter at a time, and that’s just too much to ask of a group.

Expert Readers

I use expert readers to ensure that my novels, while fictional, have a semblance of reality.

I know nothing about being a man, and wouldn’t you know it, Leo Townsend, the protagonist in Carpe Diem, Illinois and God on Mayhem Street, is very much a man. So, three male writers reviewed the manuscripts and gave me feedback from their perspectives. I also talked to a Harley Davidson salesperson and an auto body shop owner to learn the proper clothing a hardcore motorcyclist would wear and what damage a motorcycle going 80 mph would do to a van after plowing into it. Apparently, it’d pick that sucker up and roll it.

In God on Mayhem Street, Leo heads to the family farm. Bummer, because I’m a city girl. I spent several hours on a family farm with friends Jackie and Marcel Batista and had Dr. Bill Stork, a large animal veterinarian, tell me the best way to poison cows. I also talked with the Marquette County Sheriff and found out what a 12-gauge shotgun blast from 200 feet away can do to a man. It’s not good.

For The Devil Particle, I met with Dr. William Banholzer, a professor in chemistry and biological engineering, to discuss what substance evil could be. We came up with the title of the first book/series, but he suggested I talk with a particle physicist. So, I became good friends with Dr. Michael Albrow from the Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois, who reviewed the manuscript and created the idea of agonistons, “devil particles.”

Critical Readers

My five critical readers know what makes a good story and aren’t afraid to point out what’s working and what isn’t in my manuscript. They include:

My younger daughter, Jessica Podemski. She, like her sister, is a gifted writer and a ferocious reader. Jessica is a costume designer who remembers plot holes from movies we watched years ago, movies I don’t even remember having seen. As I write this newsletter in the Steaming Cup in Waukesha, she sits across from me, reading my manuscript and insisting Gaige needs night vision goggles. She’s right, of course, and is searching the web for just the right pair.

My older daughter, Caitlin Armson, can be blunt and to the point, which I appreciate. She’s a music therapist at the VA hospital in Milwaukee and a talented musician, who listens to two or three audiobooks at a time. Her most frequent comment is for me to slow down and dig deeper. When I do, the story sings. She and Mary Lamphere (see below) told me the entire manuscript needed a rewrite. I cursed them for a few days, then admitted they were right.

My good friend and website guru Celeste Anton of Dandelion Web Marketing and Consulting is also a book lover with a talent for pointing out where my story is missing emotional impact. She’s very creative in her own right—just look at my website; she designed it—and has terrific insights. Celeste gives me the perspective of a reader on a journey and tells me how the ride is going.

Award-winning author Silvia Acevedo prefers meeting over lunch to give me her critique, and I thoroughly enjoy these sessions. She is astute in story structure and takes me to task when I fall short. In the last version of The Runner, she questioned whether Gaige would run naked through the woods, which seemed hazardous to various body parts. Now, in the most recent draft, he keeps his clothes on. I had the privilege of critiquing her soon-to-be released middle grade book, Mail-Order Monsters: Crash Course. An incredible book and a top-ten favorite.

Award-winning author Mary Lamphere has been with me on my writing journey since I wrote the first words in Carpe Diem, Illinois back in 2008. We were in Chicks of the Trade and became founding members of the writing organization In Print. She, like Caitlin, isn’t afraid to tell me exactly what’s wrong with my manuscript; her comments often make me laugh. And she is incredibly imaginative. I now have about a dozen ideas for future books in the Devil Particle Series because of her. Check out her new releases, Anni Unbound: Book Two: The Pandoran Legacy and The Bar Keep.

This will be the second time they’ve read a draft of this book, and I’m so thankful for all the time they’ve invested in Gaige’s story.

ARC Readers and 99¢ Novels

If Jessica, Caitlin, Celeste, Silvia, and Mary suggest only minor changes in this latest version of The Runner, then I’m on track to release it early next year. I’ll need ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) readers who will receive a copy of the novel before it’s available to the public in return for an honest review on Amazon.

If you’re interested in being an ARC reader for The Runner, let me know. If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, you’ll want to before you read the third, and now is your chance. Both books are on sale for only 99¢ (ebook version) for a limited time.

Get your The Devil Particle and The Vessel ebooks today! 99¢! One week only!