Me, Bess, Gollum, Ring

You're a fan of all things Tolkien, I imagine? Excellent.

So when I describe myself as Gollum and Bess as The One Ring in the upcoming example, you'll get where I'm going.

Bess Bieluczyk was the very first reader to write me about "Wilfair" and "Redwoodian" (you of course know this charming lady from the comments). I remember the day her email popped up and how I blinked at it, not believing I was getting such a nice note. It was a pretty long note, too, and she ended it by saying she'd told her former roommates, her mother, and her dentist all about the books.

Her dentist! I mean, really. When I go to my dentist I prod him into sharing the weirdest teeth-based stories he'll divulge. And there Bess was, with the little saliva-sucky thing doing its job, talking about some random books about forearms and mint dishes and not being at all prurient about cavities and flossing techniques.

(Bess, I'm sorry I had to be so familiar there. I don't normally picture you with the saliva-sucky thing in your mouth, please know that.)

ANYWAY. Right when I got her wonderful email I experienced a real Gollum-Ring moment. Her notes and her sweetness were Ring-like and magical and I promptly tucked into a corner of my cave and cooed, Gollum-like, over her kind words. I was probably more dressed than Gollum is, and not nearly as squatty, but just painting a picture for you.

So I promptly asked her if she would read "Stay Awhile" when it was finished and she agreed. It was incredibly forward, seeing as how we had just met, but I couldn't let her get away. (Gollum, One Ring, etc.)

Fast-forward many months, to early September. I slunk up to her door, hissy and Gollum-like, with my new book in hand. (Not her literal door; we live on different coasts.) She read "Stay Awhile," gave me some terrific feedback, and was a perfect person in all ways. Like I said, total One Ring material.

I do feel a bit badly, because the book was pretty dang first-draft-y. Some things didn't quite work and a main character disappeared in the middle of a scene. (Bess: "Hey, Alysia, where'd this person go?" Alysia: "Derrrrr. Out for ice cream?")

I'm excited for her to see it again, polished and done and with all characters in their places and some new things, too. She's been a trooper in the comments and she hasn't accidentally spoiled anything (something I've nearly done on a few occasions).

I mention this because I wanted to say thank you to Bess, who is amazing and who read the book twice and was incredibly thorough and thoughtful. She treats Fair and Monty and everyone like friends, but not in a way that isn't questioning or is overly fawny or anything. That meant a lot.

I also feel slightly guilty, in the way I often do, that everyone wasn't reading it. I've said before that Wilfair is an inclusive world. That goes for what's happening with the characters in the books and what's happening here on the blog.

But the timing was such that, very early on, I threw my sharp little "read me! read me!" hooks into Ms. Bieluczyk before anyone was stopping by here. I think it may have been just me and the B.B. back in the day, keeping the tar bubble a-poppin' 'round these parts. (Very soon after that I met Carly, then Erika, and all my ladies. I remember something about meeting each of you or reading an early comment. Don't mean to be creepy, I just do. I'm glad you're here.)

All that said, if you've requested an ARC, you'll have it next week, shiny and new. (And you'll be able to check your name in the acknowledgements, too, while you're at it! Hooray!)

And if you want to talk about beta-reading "Fairwil" next year -- probably next August or September -- we can definitely discuss down the road. I enjoy and value all of your contributions here SO much. You know that, right?

(I'd seriously tape a cupcake or a mini bottle of something stronger to the top of your ARC if I could, even. You know I'm not kidding.)

That's it for delightful secrets. I'm Gollum, Bess played a shiny Ring, I got very hissy and covetous with her, she read an early version of "Stay Awhile," and it is all good.

* And let me add that I do love Gollum and find him to be quite tragic, so I don't mean to make light of his plight. I always want to help him, take him home, feed him warm bread. Also, I have a bit of a highbrow movie crush on the amazing Andy Serkis. Who is going to see "The Hobbit" this weekend? That's my treat for lining up all of these ARCs for shipment. Cannot. Wait.