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Monday, October 1, 2018

Burning Thorns: Snippets + A Call for Beta-Readers [Closed]



Happy October!!! Am I the only one in shock it’s already October? Because like…WUT??? But, at the same time, I’M SO EXCITED. The last three months of the year are my faaaave. Between the weather cooling down, NaNoWriMo approaching, and holidays upon us, there is so much excitement to be had during October/November/December.


I am in fact getting geared up to start doing some serious NaNo plotting, and will be talking about all that soon (seriously, get ready, it’s getting that time of year where all the talk around here is NaNo #sorrynotsorry). BUT, I’m also still doing some finishing touches to the very thing I’ve been pouring basically all my time and energy into this year. You guessed it…


BURNING THORNS.


I feel like at the point you all groan at the mention of that story, since I’ve been talking about it for literally years now. Buuut hopefully you’re not too tired of it??? Because today I’ve got an exciting announcement (which you all already know what is if you read the title of this post and paid attention to the giant banner above but we’re pretending that’s not there for dramatic effect).


*drumroll*


I’m looking for beta-readers!!!


After doing a major edit to it earlier this year, and then some more polishing and tweaks just this last month, I am officially ready for others to look at it!



Buuut before I throw a sign-up form at you, you may want some info to see if you’re interested in investing your precious time into it. Annnd I’m also sharing SNIPPETS. Because it’s been a while, and I always tend to share snippets after I’ve finished a draft.

 


BURNING THORNS INFO



. . . BLURB . . .

The Dragon’s shadow is spreading, and only a terrible sacrifice can stop it.

Since childhood, Rose has shivered at the tales of a beast known as the Dragon—he who cursed the once beautiful fae world into a land of shadows. But when her sisters’ betrayal sends her fleeing from a slave trader, Rose escapes to the one place no one would dare follow: the Forest, home of these fae.

The stories quickly prove to be far more than myths when Rose is attacked by a horde of dark fae. Thanks to a young masked man, she finds a safe haven inside his enchanted castle surrounded by roses, where candles light themselves, food magically appears in the dining hall, and a kind elven woman is mysteriously trapped in the mirrors.

But who is this quiet man who shrouds himself in robes and masks and lives in such a strange place?

Rose is determined to seek answers and bring joy back to the lonely castle. But her hope of finding a new home has blinded her to the shadows growing under the man’s mask and the truth of the Forest’s curse. And only an unthinkable sacrifice can end it all.



Wordcount: 113,500 words (but don’t worry it’s a standalone, with potential for sequels about other characters, but this story it still totally complete on its own)


Genre: Young Adult Fantasy, Beauty and the Beast retelling


Content: Being a Beauty and the Beast retelling, there’s some romance, but it’s actually not super heavy. Most of the story is more focused on the characters trying to stay alive and break curses and not be eaten by creepy fae and fun stuff like that. With that said, it is rather dark, and there’s sooorta magic in it. There’s not exactly a magical system, but the fae do have otherworldly powers, so if magic is not your thing, you may not like this, which is perfectly fine. But other than a touch of magic and dark creepiness and normal fantasy violence (some blood, sword fights, evil beasts terrorizing people, etc.), it’s all clean.

 


SNIPPETS

You can find the Pinterest Board HERE for more visuals.

Bare feet pattered just behind him, and only a few seconds of silence followed before she spoke again.

“What is he like?”

“Who?”

“The beast that haunts the Forest.”

Muscles tensing, he ducked his head deeper into the hood. “What do the humans these days say about him?”

“That the Forest wasn’t always this way. It used to be a happy and bright place, but not long ago a terrible creature took reign over it and spread his shadow, tainting it. The fae fed off his shadow and became the dark, wicked things they are now. Some call the beast a”—her words halted before she whispered the name—“dragon.”

He clenched and unclenched his fingers. “They’re not far from the mark.”

 

He was so pale against his black clothing. Pale hair, pale skin—what little was visible past the half mask. His curly, shaggy hair dropped over his eyes down to the nape of his neck. To her surprise, he hardly appeared much older than her. Really, he could almost be handsome if not for the strange mask covering half his features.

“Why do you wear it?”

His body tensed. The gloved hand resting by his plate curled into a fist. “Wear what?”

“The mask, the gloves. Everything. Why do you cover yourself like that?”

Like daggers, his eyes shot toward her, freezing her in place. They were an unnatural green. Bright and sharp.

She swallowed. Why couldn’t she just be quiet for more than half a moment?

For one heartbeat, his pupils changed shapes—two long dark slits piercing into her very being. But the sight was so fleeting she wondered if she imagined it.

 

The boy’s lips slanted to one side as he eyed Marigold up and down. “Today is proving to be very interesting. Girls are popping up every which-away. Who are you, then?”

Marigold quieted her wheezing breaths and stilled under his probing gaze, eyes narrowed. “Marigold,” she answered cautiously. “Who do you think you are?”

“At last, someone is gracious enough to ask. You sister here seemed to have forgotten proper formalities.” He shoved himself from the branch and bowed, one hand spread wide behind his back. “Lark at your service, m’lady.” Once straightened, he pressed two fingers on a branch. Slowly, he raised his hand, and a small crimson flower ascended underneath, as if he were pulling it up from the bark itself. He plucked up the tiny thing and stretched his hand through the branches and thorns toward Marigold. “It’s a pleasure,” he said, every tooth showing in a too-big grin.

Marigold’s cheeks burned as bright as the red petals, her eyes twice their original size. She tentatively reached for the proffered gift. “How did you do that? And— Wait a moment! How did you know we’re sisters?”

“Natural talent,” he said, as if that explained everything.

 

The Dragon tore through the Forest. Clawed past bushes and trees, hurtled up inclines, pounced over rocks and ruins. He did not know where he was running to, or why he was running at all, but he could not stop. Could not face the destruction behind him.

Perhaps that was it. Fear. Fear of what he was becoming…had become.

Murderer.

 

Cacophonic shrieks exploded from the darkness. Rose snagged Father’s arm, clinging to his sleeve. A heavy thump snapped her attention to the window where dark, leathery faces and black eyes peered at her from the outside. The dark fae crawled along the windows, their grotesque shadows dancing across the floor and walls. Winged beasts hurled into the panes over and over. Talons screeched along the glass. Fairies with tattered wings and fingernails mutated to pointed claws, nymphs with shadows wisping around their emaciated forms, sprites who seemed to pull the darkness around their bodies instead of illuminate light. So many creatures consumed in darkness.

And then their whispers came, and Rose’s blood turned cold.

She is ours.”

Give her to us.”

Ours. Ours!”

 

With new resolve coursing through her bloodstream and energizing her from the inside out, Rose backed away from the door. “I’m going to make everything right, Dragon.”

“Rose…” His voice wavered with fear. “What are you planning on doing?”

“I’m going to find Lystraea.” What she did after that needn’t be voiced, not yet. “Although…I don’t actually know the way home.”

A pause, and then, “Head straight north from the castle, it’ll take you to the Forest border into Cantrelle.” Was that amusement in his tone?

She couldn’t help smiling. “Will you escort me there?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t.”

“Please, Dragon. Why won’t you come out?”

“I don’t want to put you in danger.”

 

Have you come to kill us, girlie?” a nymph hissed.

The Dragon’s smile fell away. He crouched low, snarling. Rose’s back was to him, making it impossible to see her expression, but her shoulders rose and fell with heavy breaths. The fae shifted, murder gleaming in their eyes. The Dragon dug his boots into the earth. A deadly silence filled the air.

“No.” That single word, spoken so softly yet with such assuredness, snapped away all the tension. “No,” Rose repeated, louder now, straightening her shoulders, standing a little taller. “Enough with the killing. Enough fighting and murdering and darkness—it has to end.” She held up the dagger, stirring the creatures again, but then she hurled the weapon away, where it disappeared in the shadow of the Forest. “I am not here to harm you. I want to help. But you have to help as well.”

 

No matter what she did, the darkness always won. Where was the light? Where was hope?

“Stop!” she cried again, but her own sob and the dark fae’s shrieks drowned out her futile plea. The agonized screams of the men had stopped, and when the dark fae parted, her defenders’ bodies lay dead at her feet. She threw a hand over her mouth, the tears spilling over her fingers. “No…”

The dark fae turned to her, hunger oozing from their eyes.

With shuddering breaths, she pulled her hand down, bated her tears, and looked to each of them. “Take me. Just do it. Finish this.”



Erm, yes, there’s lots of drama. Just how I like my stories. Bwahahaha. Though there is some lighthearted moments and a touch of snark (namely from a certain Lark *cough, cough*) in between the feels.

 


BETA-READING INFO


Okey doke, to the technical stuff now that I’ve given you a taste of what you’re signing up for.


As mentioned, Burning Thorns is a project I’ve been working on for a long, long time. It’s on its 3rd (4th-ish?) draft. I did in fact have a group of beta-readers for it a couple of years back, and have since incorporated all their amazing suggestions and have done a ton of work on it since. But because I’ve done quite a few changes, I would absolutely love for it to be swept over once more by a group of eyes that aren’t mine. I need some fresh brains on this thing! (That sounded creepy…) BUT if you already beta-read it and want to do it again PLEASE DO. I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! And would be totally honored. But nooo pressure on anybody, former beta-readers or not. These days I very, very rarely take on beta-reading projects myself. I just can’t seem to find the time. I know it’s quite an undertaking, so only sign-up if you really want to. Okay? Okay!


I will actually prooobably be querying this project while you guys are reading it, which may be weird. But, like I said, it’s gone through many edits and beta-readers before, I feel mostly ready to start (fiiinally) searching for a literary agent with it. But still, I’d love to have some people look at this newest draft and gather opinions!

 


TYPES OF CRITIQUES
I’M LOOKING FOR
 

  • Typo Sweeps: I’m the #TypoQueen over here, and though I’ve combed through it multiple times, I would not be the least bit surprised if I’ve missed a few.

 

  • Grammatical Errors: Guys, I still get proper uses of lay and lie confused, IT’S BAD. So yeah, if you’re good at grammar, I NEED YOU.

 

  • Line Editing: Sentence structures off? Wording choices weird? Paragraphs strangely placed? You noticed I used the word “just” 347 times? I want ALL suggestions!

 

  • Major Thoughts: Gaping plot holes, awkward character arcs, unbelievability factors, literally ANYTHING you find wrong with the story, I want to hear about it!

 

  • Minor Thoughts: A chapter that feels unemotional, a paragraph that should be cut and changed, some dialogue that seems out of characters, all those little things.

 

  • ANYTHING: Basically, I love any and all thoughts, so let ‘em loose!


IMPORTANT NOTE: This does NOT mean every single beta-reader has to do ALL these things. If just one of these are your specialty, I’d love to have you! Basically what I’m saying is I’m looking for all things in my beta-readers. Finding typos aids me just as much as pointing out plot holes. It’s ALL helpful in making my story the best it can be. But I do ask for honest input. Trust me, I live off critiques. I crave them. How else can I write a good story after all? You will not hurt my feelings. It helps me so, so much when my readers are honest with me. So my one requirement is DON’T HOLD BACK. If you see something off, TELL ME!

 


MANUSCRIPT FORMAT


The first time I had beta-readers, I sent the book in a Google Docs file that everyone could access and make notes on. I absolutely loved that system, because each person could see the other’s notes and bounce off them (plus we just had a lot of fun chatting there and making inside jokes!). I’d love to do that again. Though Google Docs can get laggy when it’s filled up with lots of comments, so I've split the story up into 5 separate Google Docs to avoid that problem.


With that said, if you don’t like Google Docs, or get distracted with other people’s notes, I can send you the manuscript by itself via a separate Google Docs or PDF or another way (like a .doc file?). It’ll be completely up to you! I’m perfectly fine with whatever you’re most comfortable with.

 


DEADLINE


I’d love to have everyone’s notes back by January 7th, 2019. BUT, I absolutely understand people’s lives are crazy (especially this time of year). So if you can’t manage that, it’s perfectly okay. That’s more a loose deadline since I’ll probably be ready to do more work on the story by the new year. (How are we already talking about 2019???) But, again, if your life gets too hectic and you can’t make that deadline, it’s fine! Just me let me. ^_^

 


SIGN-UP SHEET


Alrighty. With all that out of the way, here’s the sign-up sheet! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to send me an email (just click the little green envelope in the top right corner of the blog) or ask in the comments.

 

EDIT: Oh my gracious, guys. You blew. me. away. Within just a day I had over 20 people sign up!!! I guess I should have put a cap on how many I’d take. I just did not expect to get this kind of response. I LOVE YOU GUYS AND FEEL SO BLESS AND HONORED!!! I’m closing the form now since I’ve gotten so many people. I don’t want to completely overwhelm myself here. Haha. But if you were just dyyyying to beta-read or you had asked me to beta-read before and I totally forgot to add your name and/or contact you, shoot me an email! Otherwise, I’m not taking anymore on. But just, YOU GUYS. I can’t even begin to express my thanks. Your enthusiasm for my story makes it all worth it. I just…I can’t. LOVE YOU ALL! <333




Again, there is nooo pressure to be a beta-reader. I know it’s a huge commitment. But for any who did sign up just… THANK YOOOUUU!!!!!



It means the world to me that you’re interested in my story and want to help make it the best it can be. You guys are helping my dreams come true, and there aren’t enough words to properly express my thanks.


I will hopefully be contacting everyone who signed up within a week or two and sending out the manuscript!

 


Another huge thanks to all who signed up! Feel free to leave questions in the comments! Also, I know this wasn’t much of a blog post, more like shameless self promo. *sheepish grin* But I DO have something super fun in the works for next week, so stayed tuned!

55 comments:

  1. OH MY! I've been waiting for this moment!!!!! Life has been pretty crazy lately, but I'm positive I'll be able to finish reading by the deadline. :) <3

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    1. EEEEEE!!!! I'm so excited to have you reading it for me! Thank you for signing up! But I tooootally understand life being crazy. If for any reason you don't find enough time, don't even sort of sweat it!

      Delete
    2. I CAN'T EITHER!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You're welcome!
      Thank you!

      Delete
    3. When do we start beta-ing?

      Delete
    4. I'm hoping to start sending it out to everyone in just a day or two here! :D

      Delete
  2. I. AM. SCREAMING.

    *signs up so fast I get whiplash*

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  3. *signs up like a tornado* *is not sure how a tornado signs up but whatever*

    YES YES YES. I CANNOT WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTT.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW ECSTATIC I AM TO HAVE YOU ON MY BETA TEAM. THANK YOOOUUU!!!!!!!!!

      Delete
  4. OH MY WORD, TODAY IS A GREAT DAY!!!!! *tries to sign up but can’t see the sign-up shest* Oh well. I sent you an email about the sign-up!

    But in the meantime, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!

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    1. *FLAILS HAPPILY* THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING MY BETA TEAM. I AM THRILLED!!! (Sorry the form didn't show up for you though. Blargh. Technology can be so persnickety. >.>)

      Delete
  5. I'm so excited, Christine!!!!!! Your story sounds amazing, and you did a wonderful job hooking us with the blurb. I'm taking on so many things this year, but I will definitely be able to beta read it before the deadline. My help would probably be targeting line editing and my thoughts on what I read, as grammar isn't exactly my forte. But, I'll help you in any and all the ways that I can. <3

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    1. *SQUEAKS* THANK YOU!!! That makes me so happy you liked the blurb! And I am beyond honored you signed up, despite the craziness of life. If for any reason you're not able to get to it all in time, that is PERFECTLY FINE. I understand completely. But EEEEEEE!!!!!! I AM SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU BETA-ING! And oh my goodness, line editing and general thoughts are beyond helpful. That's gonna be great!

      THANK YOU AGAIN! <333

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  6. CONGRATULATIONS!!

    I can't wait to see your name in a bookstore. <3 :)

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    1. You are so precious, Kara! THANK YOU!!! <333 I don't know if it'll happen, but I'm certainly gonna try for it! ^_^

      Delete
  7. I should sign up
    But I have NaNo prep
    I should sign up
    But my my own next sweep of edits
    I should sign up
    I really don’t need to read anything else at the moment
    But...
    I don’t need anything else on my plate
    But Christine....
    I don’t have any time
    But the book looks amazing...
    Just don’t
    I’m gonna do it

    *panics*

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Apparently the sign up sheet isn’t accessible to me on my phone. So I have time to decide, and I can sign up later via my laptop... to

      Delete
    2. Awww, Julian! You sweet thing. I was actually worried about putting out a beta-call at this time. This is like the WORST time of year for such a thing. Everyone is so busy with school and NaNo and the holidays. I had hoped to do it earlier in September buuut obviously that didn't happen. :-/ There is seriously NO pressure. I'm just honored you want to at all. That's so nice! But I by no means want to make you even more overwhelmed so it is FINE if you don't! Just do whatever you need to do for your own well being. That's what's important. <333

      Delete
    3. (Also the sign up form wasn't showing up for another person as well for some reason. So if you DO decide to do it and the form still isn't working for you, you can just email me and I'll add your name to my list I'm compiling!

      But again NO PRESSURE!)

      Delete
  8. All of this sounds SO WONDERFUL. And those snippets! Ahhh!! You have a gorgeous writing style, and I love the characters already. o.O

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    1. AWWWWW!!!! That MAKES. MY. DAY. Like...I'm floating on air right now. THANK YOU!!! And thank you for signing up! EEP. I'm thrilled to have you! :D

      Delete
  9. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY

    I love this story!!! I can't wait to see what you have!!

    Lilah

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    1. YOUR ENTHUSIASM IS MAKING MY DAY YOU JUST HAVE NO IDEA. THANK YOU FOR SIGNING UP!!!!!! <33333

      Delete
  10. OH MY GOODNESS!!! I signed up right away because I've been waiting for this moment so long!!
    Also, I'm happy to be included in a group Google doc, but I just chose Word doc as I do most of my critiquing offline. :D
    I'm looking forward to this a lot :D

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    1. EEEEE!!! That is so sweet. Thank you so, sooo much for signing up! I'm so happy to have you on the team!

      And that'll be fine! I can send you a word doc and add you to the shared one if you'd like. ^_^

      Delete
  11. I signed up immediately! The premise sounds so interesting! :DD

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  12. EEEEEEEEEEYEAAAAAAH!!

    I've loved the snippets you've shared of your writing for so long - and I signed up in a twinkling!! Way to go, Christine!

    May I also take this moment to salute the perfection of the Beauty and the Beast gifs!

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    1. OH MY GRACIOUS, ALLI. I'M SO THRILLED TO HAVE YOU ON MY BETA TEAM. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!! <333

      *grins* Naturally had to use B&B gifs for this post. ;D

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  13. AAAAAAAAAAAAA I'm so excited!!! I've been wanting to beta-read Burning Thorns FOREVER... now it's happening!!! ^_^ Thank you so much for this opportunity. I am THRILLED! :D

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    1. LIZZY. *GLOMPS* YOU ARE SO PRECIOUS. Thank YOU for signing up!!! I'm beyond ecstatic! :D

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  14. I didn't even have to think about it! I love this story and I can't wait to see how it's grown.
    That snippet of Lark made me so happy XD

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    1. Skyyyyyeeee! *flails happily forever* That is SO. SWEET. I will warn you, it's still VERY much the same as the draft you read. There are a few new scenes and tweaks, but it's still the same story. So do NOT feel pressured to have to read it again. But if you just want to I am thrilled to have you! <33333

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  15. I would LOVE to do this; my only concern is that I may not be able to make the deadline? I mean, I know you said it's not a big deal if we're not able to, but still, I'd feel bad if I were really off. (I mean, I kinda doubt I WOULD be THAT much off, but . . . ) Ack, I don't know. :-P

    I do have a busy next couple of months, but I also really want to do it . . . I think maybe I will? Just so long as it wouldn't be the absolute worst thing ever if I didn't get my notes back to you EXACTLY on the 7th of January.

    Sorry for waffling! ;D I do have one other question, though: Do you want notes on the manuscript/Google doc itself or do you want a separate document of notes/thoughts? (I'm assuming Google docs but assumptions are dangerous things, they say. ;))

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    1. Oh, girl, it is seriously FINE. I know I chose basically the busiest time of the year for this, because I'm just skilled like that. :-/ But seriously, it is noooo problem if you can't make the deadline. Don't even sort of sweat it! I probably won't even touch the story again until late January/early February. So you're fine!

      As far as notes, I'm really fine with whatever is easiest for you. Most people tend to put them in the docs, which makes it easy to see what you're making the notes on. But whatever you want to do!

      Thank you so much for signing up despite your crazy schedule! That means the WORLD to me!!! But if it gets to be too much, it is PERFECTLY fine if you can't make the deadline or have to drop out or whatever. No pressure whatsoever at all! <3

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    2. Thank you so much for all your reassurance, Christine! I'm going through it now (and @_@ IT'S REALLY GOOD), but I definitely don't think I'll be able to get through it by January 7. I HOPE I could finish it up by the end of January/early February (maybe not, but it's definitely possible), but is that okay?

      Delete
    3. Awwww! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! That makes me happy! ^___^

      And don't you worry a thing about the deadline. I tooootally understand! And it's looking like I won't be getting into any serious editing until a bit later this month or early February anyway, so you just take your time. No pressure whatsoever! <3

      Delete
  16. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm SOOOOOOOO happy for you, dear Christine! This is a HUGE step and I'm SO proud of you. Well done!!!

    *flailing* THESE. SNIPPETS. I just -- I CAN'T. I love what I can see of your characters. Rose is perfect! And the DRAGON---and Lark!!! *squeals*

    Again, well done, m'dear. Well done! <3 <3 <3

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    1. *SQUEALS FOREVER AND A DAY* SARAH YOUR MAKE ME SMILE SO BIG!!! Thank you so so so soooo much!!! I can't with you!

      And thank you for joining the beta team. *SHRIEKS* I AM SO THRILLED! <333

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  17. I AM SO SIGNING UP. THIS SOUNDS AMAZING. *screams* The snippets!!! <333 I love them!!! It sounds so amazingly awesome!!! XD
    Btw, I've never actually beta read anything like this before, so I hope I will be doing it right. :-Z Can't wait to read it!!! Thank you for sharing!

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    1. AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH! THAT MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME. <333

      Oh, don't worry a bit about it! You can do no wrong! It's all up to you how little or much you want to put input on. You're gonna do great! And I'm honored BT will be your first big beta reading project! It's gonna be a BLAST! :D

      Delete
  18. So, it's registered that it's October. What did not register until just now was that that means next month is NaNo already.

    I would love to beta-read for you again! However, I don't think I can commit to reading all 113k (!) by the beginning of January. Second however: if you want someone to comb through it for grammar and typos post-betaing, pre-paid-editing, I would be glad to do that, and I probably wouldn't charge :). So let me know when it's to that point! I will be out of school by then, so maybe I'll have the time? (Or maybe my life will be getting sucked into the whirlpool that is a full-time job, who knows.)

    https://ofdreamsandswords.wordpress.com

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    1. RIGHT???? I picked literally the worst time of year to ask for beta-readers. :-/ I cannot believe how close NaNo is!

      Don't even sort of worry about it one tiny bit! I, myself, pretty much never have time for beta-reading anymore. It's very sad, but life is what it is. And you've already done SO MUCH for me with Burning Thorns. I'm so grateful for you beta-ing it the first time. <333

      But EEP. Your offer is the nicest thing!!! I will definitely remember that. I'm so honored. Thanks so much, Sophia! <3

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  19. This story sounds so amazing!!! And I live for snippets.
    Also, I appreciate the Beauty and the Beast gifs. xD

    theonesthatreallymatter.blogspot.com

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    1. AWK. THAT IS THE NICEST THING. I can't stop smiling now. THANK YOU!!! <333
      Hehehe. Naturally I had to. ;D

      Delete
  20. Awwww, sadnesses!!! I missed the signup!!! WHAAAT??? That's what I get for not reading blog posts immediately. But that's sooo super awesome that you had so many people sign up to help beta read this story!!! I'll be on the lookout in the future for publishing info and ARC opportunities... or at the very least it's one I know I'll snatch a copy of as soon as I can purchase a paperback :-D :-D

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    1. JENELLE YOU PRECIOUS BEAN. Thank you so much! Publishing info is probably a looong way off, if ever. But your enthusiasm and faith in me just MAKES. MY. DAY. And gives me the drive to keep pushing for it! <333

      Annnd...about beta-ing. I'll shoot you an email. ;)

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  21. These snippets are A-MAZE-ING. I hope the whole thing will be available in book form sometime in the near future so that I may buy it. Seriously. It sounds so good. <3

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    1. Eeeeep!!! Thank you so, SO much! That just makes me grin so big that you think so! And are interested in my story. I don't know if it'll be published in the NEAR future, but I absolutely hope one day!

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  22. I LOVE THESE SNIPPETS! It's clear you've worked hard on this story and crafted it into something enjoyable to read, yet also with deep meaning. Thank you so much for sharing this with us! And I wish, wish, wish I could beta-read this, but I'm still editing and fulfilling other writing-related commitments! But I hope the rest of the revisions/editing goes well! Keep up the good work!

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    1. Aaahhhhh! Thank you so much! :D I am thrilled you think so. That means everything to me!

      And, goodness, I TOTALLY understand not being able to beta-read. Between all my own work and health problems, beta-reading is just something I can barely commit to anymore, so I COMPLETELY get it. And your kind words are so encouraging to me! Just knowing people are interested in this story is such a huge help as is!

      Thanks so much, girl. I hope your own writing is going well! <3

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  23. Christine, I'm soooo excited for this! I've always thought it sounded cool and now the snippets have made me even more excited. AAAH I can't wait for it to be published!! I would totally beta read if I hadn't come to this blog post too late. But since I don't have time anyway that's probably a good thing...

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    1. Aaaahhhhh! THANK YOU SO MUCH, GRACE! Your whole comment is just giving me ALL the warm, fuzzy, happy feels! Like seriously, the support of all of you means the WORLD to me!

      And that's so sweet you wanted to beta-read! You're so precious! <333

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