You're the person who slides into my DMs asking when my next story is coming out.
Asking if I got any words in today.
Asking if that one character you especially dig is ever going to get his own story.
Checking to see when I'll have pages for you to read.
Telling me I should get to work.
Telling me about a generally positive review you saw out there in the wild or a promo opportunity that I should jump on. Come on, girl.
You're the person who remembers back when all my books were kittens, just little furballs of potential, and you helped me nurture them until their wee eyes opened and they took in the world.
You sent me detailed research notes in your field of expertise.
You were patient, educating me when I got it wrong.
You won't ever tell anyone how bananas that ending was before, at your suggestion, I changed it.
You read a chapter that was essentially dialogue with zero layers and honestly, probably zero commas, and you told me it was fun and to keep going.
That is your whole M.O., honestly. You tell me to keep going, don't give up. You swear that if no one else on this planet ever wants to read my words, you always will.
Because you do right now, and you keep saying these amazing, hard-to-believe but critical things.
Because you are awesome and I absolutely could not do this writing thing without you.
I'm not sure what to call you -- alpha reader? beta reader? critique partner? friend? -- but you make this whole effort worthwhile.
Thank you.
