Hi Laura,

Sorry I took so long getting back to you, but my account wasn't set up for e-mail message forwarding so I had no idea that you'd responded. Thanks for agreeing to take a look at my novel. As far as what type of response I'm looking for, it's really up to you. I simply want to know what you think, so feel free to be as general or as specific as you like. Would it be okay if I sent the manuscript to you by e-mail (as a pdf file)? Let me know what you'd prefer, and thanks again. By the way, my original message is below:

Hi,

My name is Chris Tusa, and I'm a writer from New Orleans. I noticed one of your reviews, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to read a novel I just completed. The manuscript is currently being circulated among some of the larger NY publishers, and my agent wants to get opinions from a few readers. Let me know if you'd be willing to read the manuscript and give us your opinions. Of course, if you're too busy, I'll understand. Just thought I'd ask:) I’ve included a summary below that we plan to include on the book jacket:

Dirty Little Angels
Set in the fictional town of Jupiter, Louisiana, Dirty Little Angels is the story of sixteen year old Hailey Trosclair. When the Trosclair family suffers a string of financial hardships and a miscarriage, Hailey finds herself looking to God to save her family. When her prayers go unanswered, Hailey puts her faith in Moses Watkins, a failed preacher and ex-con. Fascinated by Moses’ lopsided view of religion, Hailey, and her brother Cyrus, begin spending time down at an abandoned bank that Moses plans to convert into a drive-through church. Gradually, though, Moses’ twisted religious beliefs become increasingly more violent, and Hailey and Cyrus soon find themselves trapped in a world of danger and fear from which there may be no escape.
Thanks so much,

Chris Tusa
mail@christophertusa.com

posted by cmtusa at 10:01 am (EST) on Jul 21, 2008

Thanks so much for your very nice comment! I really appreciate the feedback, and the compliment! Happy reading.

posted by RachelfromSarasota at 8:54 pm (EST) on Jul 11, 2008

Dear Scratch: I think you nailed it. My real problem with some authors may be the poor editing their manuscripts have gotten. Watching our local TV news and reading our local newspapers has made me painfully aware that there is a dreadful dearth of skilled writers out in the world. Gross misspellings, misplaced commas, a super-abundance of commas, in fact; and a number of other, easily corrected mistakes drive me batty. I read and loved EATS, SHOOTS, LEAVES and was relieved to find that there are other people out there who cringe when our language is thoughtlessly mangled.

You said you're an editor yourself. Have you found that hiring skilled proofreaders and editors is difficult these days?

posted by RachelfromSarasota at 2:13 pm (EST) on Jul 10, 2008

Well I guess I found your post about working in The Strand interesting. Your NYC collection is pretty cool too. Plus you seem to have an interesting taste in fiction. I'm Always looking to broaden my horizons.

posted by gradvmedusa at 4:22 am (EST) on Apr 19, 2008

Well hi, Scratch - thanks for the note and kind words. Yup, she really does - mostly - hate the 'Cuse. :)
She blogged about reaction to her new book here:

http://www.nakedauthors.com/

- Sophie
PS - Nice library! :)

posted by swl at 9:00 pm (EST) on Feb 6, 2008

Tsk, tsk, Judy Blume and her controversial books! I'm still recuperating from Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

You might like Forever. I took this American Ethnic Lit class once, and that semester's focus was all on New York authors. I suppose it would be classified as a historical fiction, but Hamill loves New York from the tips of his toes to the ends of his hair, and it shows in the writing.

posted by differentbeat at 7:21 pm (EST) on May 31, 2007

I notice you have a pretty large collection featuring books from/about NYC. Have you ever read Pete Hamill's Forever?

posted by differentbeat at 8:02 pm (EST) on May 30, 2007

I saw your post about "interesting bookmarks" in the Librarians community and thought I would check out your profile. You're one of the few bibliophiles I know who is like me - you actually read every book that's on your shelf. Nice to "meet" you.

posted by differentbeat at 6:00 pm (EST) on May 29, 2007