There were loads of things about Special Forces that bugged me - mistakes, style issues, formatting. I'm currently working on creating a version I'm actually happy with. I always need about a year or more before I can look at a text dispassionately, with an editor's hat on.

Why am I doing this?

So it stops bugging me. Those issues are a constant itch between my shoulder blades, and the only way to scratch it is to sit down and do the work. Which I'm doing in between writing. I'm also doing this so I can put the book(s) on my shelf and maybe read them again without a constant voice telling me "this is wrong", and "that's out of character".

I'm a perfectionist, I can't let it lie.

Anyway, the first chapters are now online here:

Chapter 1: http://community.livejournal.com/militar...
Chapter 2: http://community.livejournal.com/militar...

I'm happy to discuss why I made certain editing choices.

Best,
Vashtan/Aleksandr Voinov

I just downloaded the 2 chapters. I'm a masochist.

Like Hooch.

But yes, there were lots of mistakes in the text of the original, some were typo errors but some were just the wrong word though it the error didn't make the sentence unintelligible. I could guess easily what the correct word was. Sorry, I can't recall off-hand but if I come across any in your edited version, will drop you a line.

Two questions:

1) who's running the Sex, Guns & Camo blog now? When I read the first entry and downloaded your 2 chapters, I was under the impression it was YOUR blog for your edited version of SF. Then I came across Marquesate's posts earlier and am now confused. What's the situation here? It was your joint blog but you've taken it over?

2) You wrote: Since the other author's version is on her website, I'll focus on making my own version. So the SF I read and reviewed is Marquesate's version? Was there an 'original' one, then?

1) I'm running the blog. As I said, we are no longer on speaking terms; the other writer left the group, which leaves me running it.

2) The SF you read is the original version. The one I'm working on is my "preferred" version. Kind of the "Director's cut".

Ok, thanks. And yes, one of the sites where you were referred to as "she" was um..the-one-that-shall-not-be-named?'s LJ blog where she said you had publicly voiced that you don't trust her to publish the remaining chapters. I'd obviously thought that she, being The Other Author, would know whether you're male or female, hence, my post asking you to verify your gender.

I can't really respond to that - I'd like to keep the dirt-flinging off public forums, for legal and personal reasons. But there are many good reasons reasons why we don't speak anymore.