Argyle Argonaut
Hello and welcome. I am currently co-authoring a book with a friend. We are closing in on being 1/4 of the way finished and we are ready to start getting some real feedback from readers in our target market, ages 13-25 - 'Young Adult'. Please read on if you think you'd be interested in participating in a readers panel for this book.
What we're looking for:
A small group of people (5-10) willing to read through what we have and what we will write in the future. This will be a long term 'job', but hopefully enjoyable. We'd like to get feedback on if you like it, what you feel about the characters, etc. We're not necessarily looking for someone to point out sentences they don't like so much as if they're enjoying the book, or not enjoying it. You will need to say why, e.g 'I like this character because ___' or 'I think this scene is out of character because ___'. A general 'I like it' will not really give us insight into what's working or what's not working.
Book Summary
Birchwood, Idaho doesn't warrant much interest for anyone who needs more than an elevator ride to get them excited. Moving to Birchwood was just another disappointment in a string of failed attempts to make life better. Logan and his father have been traveling the country and bouncing from job to job for months now and Logan knew the routine by heart. However, there's one thing about Birchwood that isn't fitting the routine. A paranormal fanatic, likely destined to someday work for a trashy black and white conspiracy magazine, begins to take an unhealthy interest in Logan. The trouble is, he just might be on to something...
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MFCT is primarily a story about two boys who become friends. Both characters are strange in their own way, and a part of the adventure is discovering where Logan is from, his family's past, and even what he is. Through the course of the book the boys become good friends, and eventually take a romantic interest in each other. Romance however is far from the main theme of this story. Genre: Fiction
Writing Samples
Logan's smirk faded as he caught sight of the shoes. Edwin's self control gave in and he finally did start squirming on his milk crate chair. The shoes in question were still dirty, just like he'd found them in the field. Covered in little clumps of dirt and mud, safely encased in a shield of clear plastic ziplock. Logan's frown averted itself and his face melted into a neutral, calm expression. He shrugged, as if it was nothing.
"Just something I like to do," he answered. Edwin caught the slightly frosty edge to his words, and felt a little guilty for digging up the shoes. What if they had some sort of cultural significance to his people? What if he'd interrupted some sort of important ceremony or ritual? Well, it wasn't like he'd done it on purpose, and it was all in the name of research. The truth couldn't wait to be polite.
"'Kay..." Edwin gnawed at his lower lip, looking at Logan nervously. He needed to get back on his good side before asking any more real questions, otherwise he'd just get stonewalled. "What's your favorite kind of meat?"
"Well... I like meatloaf and roast beef."
Edwin nodded enthusiastically, jotting the foods down. Perhaps he could get his mother to make roast beef sandwiches in the future and he could trade it for the name of Logan's home planet. "And are you allergic to anything? You know, steak sauce, mayonnaise, garlic, silver, holy water...?"
Logan stared at him blankly for a few long seconds and Edwin stared back expectantly. They were legitimate questions. He didn't want to accidentally kill Logan by putting mustard and garlic on his roast beef sandwich. How was he supposed to know what Logan was allergic to when he didn't even know what species he was?
"Uh... No, not allergic to anything."
"Fantastic!" Edwin replied excitedly. He took a nosedive back into his lists, scribbling things down furiously with his pen. "That really narrows things down- Well, not really, but you know it rules out some of the more conventional possibilities." Edwin nodded firmly and then sat back, looking at Logan.
"So, Logan, how do you feel about heights?"
