Do you need a volunteer beta reader?

[Sherry]

yes please, That's exactly what I'm looking for. I have written a historical mystery so would love it if you could read the first three chapters and then if you want to continue I can send the rest. Can I have your email to send it to.

Thanks

Sherry

[Shreyonti]

I have a 43000 word multicultural novel. Here's a blurb:

The last two years haven’t been so pretty for S. Her mother killed herself, her dad turned freakishly overprotective and K, the love of her life, gently broke her heart. She thought moving to Kolkata for college would put an end to all the ‘bad’. Not only did it mean a fresh start, but also because news of the big rape case hadn’t yet reached the city.
S couldn’t be more wrong.
The new city is no place for the faint-hearted and definitely no place to start over. It’s a place where people claim to die if they don’t get fish, streets reek of oily food and anybody’s business is everybody’s business. Her roommates are old-fashioned know-it-alls, her landlady’s family tends to have ugly brawls at midnight, her classmates are divided in cliques she can’t fit into and she’s the only girl around who’s never been drunk, never had a real boyfriend and never been kissed.
And the worst part? She still can’t stop thinking about K. S starts writing letters to him, hoping to give him a glimpse of her life without him while still reminding him of what they almost had. But the letters soon take a darker shade, as the ‘big rape case’ slowly grips the city. And the case might just have something to do with S.

If you are interested, please send me an email to shreyonti@gmail.com.

[V.M.]

Hi Willow -- I'm interested in finding a beta-reader. I know the difference between a proofreader, and editor and a reader. I'd describe what I'm looking for as a kind of "market research". I want to better target my readers. I need to know whether or not people can "warm up" to a heroine who does some very bad things.

I am also scared of strangers and imagine my E-ARC winding up all over the internet! Might need to send you an excerpt first to make sure you're real.

Thing is, my book isn't a mystery. It's one of those hard to place things, and it's LONG. Ideally, I'm looking for someone who would be interested enough to attempt the whole thing and either let me know where they got bored and stopped OR finish it and let me know where they think it got slow or could use some trimming.

Here is the briefest of descriptions:

In 1847, Paris mourned the death of Marie Duplessis, the 23 year old queen of the demimonde. Marie inspired her lovers including Franz Liszt and Alexandre Dumas fils who wrote La Dame Aux Camellias based on their brief time together. The book became a play and the play became a Verdi masterwork, and Marie belonged to the ages. But what if she never really died at all? What if when offered a chance at eternal life and youth she was willing to pay the price, even when the price was the regular death of mortals at her lovely hand?

In 2014, Marie wonders if perhaps 165 years of murder, mayhem and debauchery is enough, especially when she meets a rising star who reminds her so much of the only two men she ever really loved. But is it too late for her to change her evil ways? Can a soul be redeemed like a diamond necklace in hock? And even if it can, have men changed since the 1800's? Or does a girl's past still mark her?

Blood Diva is a sometimes humorous, erotic look at love, sex, romance, celebrity, destiny and the art of seduction, that asks a simply question – Can a one hundred ninety year old French courtesan find happiness in 21st century Brooklyn without regular infusions of fresh blood?

Contact me here or via email: vmgauthor@yahoo.com

Thanks in advance. (To sweeten the pot, there would be a small ($25) Amazon gift cert if the job were completed -- hardly a payment if it were "work" but a bonus if it turned out to be fun.

[Sherry]

Thank you Willow. My email is smayes@globalnet.co.uk. Many thanks

[Gillian]

Hi Willow, I 3/4 through writing a memoir and need some response to it. It is about building a dream house, only to have that dream smashed by a rather peculiar person. If interested, my email is tjmckee54@hotmail.com.
Thanks, Gillian.

[Janet]

Hi Willow,

I am hoping to get some feedback on book 2 of a French Renaissance Era historical. There's a little mystery, a little romance, a little paranormal...

The book spans about 20 years and I want to make sure it makes sense. This is fiction, but based on my actual family tree.

Also, I am not sure book 2 could stand on it's own. Because I know what happens in book one it makes perfect sense to me, but I don't know if I explained the events of book 1 well enough.

It's about 80,000 words.

If you can do this, email me at janetpiper1@gmail.com

Thanks.

[Tina]

Please, please consider beta for my work. I have a historical mystery/thriller. How about reading the first 20K and seeing if its something you would be interested in, if you like my writing style, etc.

I would be so appreciative. I have been looking for a Beta reader for very long time.

I do have a professional editor lined up, but before it is sent to her, I would like some beta readers.

Thanks!!

[Madison]

Willow wrote: "As an experienced literary assistant and beta reader with a knowledgeable, critical eye combined with a life-long love of words and ideas, I would like to offer my services as a volunteer Beta Read..."

Willow, I am in need for a beta reader for part one of my short story. I'm more accustomed to novels, but am currently working on a short story to expand my writing. If you could take a look at it that would be wonderful. All critique is helpful. The genre is suspense, mystery.
Thanks! Madison
My email is madisonlawson96@gmail.com

[Tina]

That would be fine. tlray215@gmail.com

[Michelle]

I'd love for you to be able to beta read my YA contemporary novel or the first 50 pages or so. Is this a genre you read?

[Tina]

I do not normally read YA, however if you would like me to read for style and structure, I would be more than happy to read it, and help where I can

[Bob]

Willow,
Hello. I have a Mystery/Thriller set in the 60s/70s.

It's about an elementary school teacher who investigates a strange student who seems to not have a family.
Her investigation uncovers the truth about the boy, who is being chased by a shadowy government committee bent on using his special biology for military purposes.

Mystery. Action. Surprises.
If you want more info, here's the link: http://www.chrysalischronology.com/pa...

Interested in beta-reading?

[C.B.]

Hey Willow,

Would you be interested in a partial read? I really am just looking for some feedback on a few chapters from my suspense novel. Although the chapters lead up to a collective ending, they don't rely on the previous chapters to tell their story.

Here's a summary:

Hundreds of millions of paths cross invariably across the world. Ten paths slightly skid past one another in Death by Numbers. What common ground do these lives have, if any? It’s possible to say there’s none at all, that it’s sheer coincedence that they knew little of a the death behind them or the life loss glinting across the TV screen. Even so, one can’t help but wonder, or rather wander, through the possibility that the aura of the deaths that take place in a stranger’s life, could somehow impact their own.

[Steven]

Hi Willow,

I am approximately one month away from completing a romantic thriller/mystery ("Havoc"). I have completed 59K of the ~65K-70K words of the finished novel.

Would you be interested in reading the first few chapters or the entire work? I would be happy to send you the manuscript (now if partial, in ~ one month of waiting for complete story). Please let me know if you'd rather have PDF instead of Word and to what email address I should send the file.

This work is the fourth in a series. I have written it as a standalone work, and I'm particularly interested in seeing if it works well for those who have not read the previous novels.

To see if my writing style is your cup of tea, below are the two volumes that have been published already (#3 will come out in a month or two):
Nefarious
Ruthless

Thanks,

Steven F. Freeman

[Steven]

Hi Willow,

That would be wonderful - thanks! I'll send them to you later today. To be honest, it's not an urgent rush since I'm still working to finish the first draft.

[Steven]

Hi Willow,

Just wanted to let you know I sent the first few chapters of "Havoc" in PDF. Thanks for taking a look at them!

Steve

[Steven]

Hi Willow,

I wanted to let you know that I just sent the completed manuscript of "Havoc" to the email address you provided.

Thanks to taking time out of your schedule to help me improve this work!

Best Regards,

Steve