Thanks folks!

[emlynley]

I haven't been here much lately, except to lurk, but I wanted to post a note of thanks to the people who read and commented/critiqued when I posted last fall. It was "A Heat.Seeking.Missile" and some of you might even remember it.

I didn't do anything with it right away until about two weeks ago I pulled it out again and did another round of re-writing and subbed it. Yesterday I got offered a contract on it by Torquere Press!

I am convinced that I got the contract because of comments I received here that helped me see what didn't work with the storyline and forced me to re-work it and make it much better. So, thanks all!

And while I'm here, I'll also announce that my first novel got released Feb 1. SEX, LIES & WEDDING BELLS, m/m contemporary erotic romance, very loosely based on Runaway Bride. It hit #2 best seller for the publisher on day 1, then was #1 until they released a free story...but we're solid at #2! I'm still pinching myself that it really happened and people are really buying it. It's such a thrill and I have to try to calm down and get revisions done on the next thing to sub...

[SFLP]

Glad to hear it! That excerpt was posted long before I joined, but I did read it...and hated heat.seeking.missile but really liked what there was of the story. There was something about the way Nate figured out what was going on that really appealed to me.

I may pick up that new story. Sounds fun :)

J./SFLP.

[emlynley]

Glad to hear it! That excerpt was posted long before I joined, but I did read it...and hated heat.seeking.missile but really liked what there was of the story. :)



I'm a little confused. You liked it, or you hated it?

The new story has a very different ending, one which works a lot better than the one I had. People didn't seem to like how the one I posted ended.

[SFLP]

I loved it. The only changes I would have made were those already pointed out by more than one reader (the heat seeking missile being the worst of those).

I liked both Cory and Nate, though Cory came across in that scene as a bit of an a$$hole. I'm assuming that if Cory continues to be a main character in your book/series, he doesn't remain *quite* so removed from Nate. If he's not a main character...he's a great minor character.

Yeah, sorry if I was unclear. Liked it a lot.

[emlynley]

I loved it. The only changes I would have made were those already pointed out by more than one reader (the heat seeking missile being the worst of those).

I liked both Cory and Nate, though Cory came across in that scene as a bit of an a$$hole. I'm assuming that if Cory continues to be a main character in your book/series, he doesn't remain *quite* so removed from Nate. If he's not a main character...he's a great minor character.

Yeah, sorry if I was unclear. Liked it a lot.

OK, you meant you didn't like that phrase, rather than the story, because that is the title of the story.

The New and Improved Cory rocks. You'll love him, trust me.
That was the main thing I took away was that what I envisioned as humor didn't seem to work for most readers, so I put the thinking cap back on. That's why posting your work for critique is so vital, even if having everyone tell you part of it sucked... better my follow writers than the editor, right?

[SFLP]

better my follow writers than the editor, right?

Eh, hard to say. lol.

I've been on some writing message boards in the past year (non-erotic) where critiques from writers mostly gutted the story. There's such a thing as too lean, and if I were picking adjectives to describe erotica, one would definitely NOT be lean. (Um...unless you're describing that dark, intense track star with the tight a$$ or...lol)

On the other hand, a lot of the stuff I've paid money for, ebook-wise, could have really benefited from an editor, and it just didn't happen. I'm not talking from strictly a SPaG standpoint, though there's plenty of problems there. I mean, as an example, a favorite sexual metaphor that's repeated over and over in the book. Once is great (well...or OK, depending on the metaphor) but three times is way too much!

I didn't get that impression at all from your writing, and yes, it was mostly that particular phrase that bothered me.

Anyway, I'll probably grab your story while I'm gathering a reading list, and I'll let you know what I think. :)

J/SFLP

Edit: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116467 Adding link to Em's pre-edit excerpt, so people know what we're talking about.

[Darklite]

Hi emlynley - I remember your story and very much enjoyed it. Let us know when it’s released and I’ll buy a copy, it will be interesting to see what’s changed between the draft on SYW and the finished product. And congratulations on the publication of your novel as well, really hoping I’ll get to find out what that feels like one day :)