You, beta, take a look: A neo-noir absurdist romp…

You might have heard me celebrating yesterday the completion of the first draft of my manuscript of the comedic thriller “Senseless: Confidential.” Short of hitting the New York Times Bestseller List, it’s a writer’s greatest exhilaration, getting the story completed. It’s a very long birthing process, painful and exhausting at times, but rewarding nonetheless.

Now that it’s out of the womb, it’s time to clean this baby up! Of course, to me it’s already beautiful—I can see past all the blood and amniotic fluids on the surface to the sweet spirit within. That’s why I need your help. In a week or two, after I’ve done a little touching up of my own, I’ll need beta readers who can give me honest feedback on where I’ve missed a few spots: bad grammar, typos, continuity errors such as time lapses and descriptions that don’t mesh from one chapter to another. I know what I meant, but you need to tell me if I’ve thrown the reader for a loop, or failed to put in writing what was clearly displayed in my mind.

For a two-week turnaround I’m offering, meager though it is, a $10 Starbucks card (you Mormons can order an herbal tea like I do!) and a free copy of the final edition, either in print or as an e-book.

So what’s this baby about? Here’s the blurb:

He’s just trying to do his job, but hapless Census worker Nick Prince finds himself facing down everything from guns to pit bulls in this comedic thriller in the tradition of Carl Hiaasen. Nick’s nights are spent pining for Beth, his lost college love. When Beth turns up after a ten-year absence, he’s caught between a rock and a restraining order. When he stumbles upon a band of polygamists deep in the Oregon Cascades town of Elwood, his efforts to disentangle himself only get him in deeper, until he’s running from his past, the law, and an angry husband. Can he save himself and heal his broken heart without doing hard time?

If you’d like to preview the first dozen chapters before committing, check it out here. If you’re interested, shoot me a message here, with a brief introduction, including what kind of fiction you usually read. Thanks!

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