SPIN

Bob,
Excellent characterization, beautiful, richly detailed descriptions, suspense-building revelation of details and connections, and a smooth and wonderfully readable writing style! Point of view changes are clear and keep the story moving, introducing all of the players and giving us their perspective and understanding of the story as it unfolds.
I can see the characters and their surroundings, smell the dust and the old books, hear the hum of computer banks, and imagine what is going to happen next. I will have to come back to find out, but I will probably find myself thinking about it until I do. Now that's a mark of a good story.
Spin is well deserving of its high ranking, and I hope it will continue to rise. In fact, I'm putting it on my bookshelf to give it a boost.

Mardeen
NowHere

Funnily enough, I was just musing about the role of imagination in a writer's work. I had come to the conclusion that the successful writer, especially of thrillers, has to allow his imagination to run riot. I don't mean in the Dan Brown sense (although I am told he is reasonably successful). But the author mustn't feel held back from letting the story take control, even if, in sober moments, he thinks it a little far fetched.

Then I came to Spin. Surely, I thought, this proves my point. It is beautifully written, by which I mean that it flows effortlessly. At the beginning, one is not told very much, but one gets the feeling that something very odd is going on. Then, gradually, the extraordinary story unfolds. The author, one can tell, has a wonderful imagination. And, importantly, he has allowed that imagination a free rein.

I predict that Spin will be published and will be very successful.

Sorry, I know most people want all that jargon about POV and show/tell. But, when I read a good book, I just can't analyse it in that rather tedious way.

Charles

Well, Bob, this is great writing. Interesting premise. Location: check plus. And your characters are appealing. I skipped around some to get a look at some of the later chapters since I knew I wouldn't have time to read the whole thing and was pleased to see the story holds up all the way through--you didn't make the mistake here of polishing the front and letting the rest lag. You do a great job of making your story realistic without letting your research show too much. Good luck with the ed's--you certainly should be there. Shelved.

~ Nicole

Pace and detail - these are the two ingredients which make a thriller work. People like Jeffrey Archer and Dan Brown know how to use them to produce page turning books which can't be put down. And now Bob Steele's name can be added to the list. If ever there was a page turner, this is it. From the very intelligent ending to the prologue onwards, chapter by chapter, there is always something to force us to go on reading. Of course, it's important in any work of fiction that the characters, as well as the plot, hold our interest; and here again Bob Steele succeeds. Peter is a real person, someone easy to relate to, while Jack; Peter's father; Anna; Simon; and the Directer of Security, Sam Garvey, are all well drawn and seem like people we know right from the start. I like the style of this book, too. Easy to read, the occasional touch of humour, smart and entertaining. If this doesn't go far I'll be amazed. Only one complaint, as a female reader. Why doesn't the love interest, Chloe, another interesting character, appear a lot sooner? But I dare say the average male reader wouldn't mind that. All in all, a brilliant book, which I've greatly enjoyed reading.
Gerry McCullough,
Belfast Girls.

Spin-

This is great writing. You have a flair for narrative description and for interweaving dialog and description so it appears seamless. I sense a deep, complicated plot here, one that will thrill to the very last page. I'm eager to read the review of this one! -Brad

Loving it

Love this I am a man if short words

Terrific job and no wonder that you won a medal. Not that it matters, but 6 stars. Very enjoyable and hope you get published.
Dina of Halo of the Damned and Last Degree

I came to this not knowing it had made the desk, so I presume it has had a spit and polish after the HC review which I could not find. Are you still waiting or was it a shocker? Whatever, I liked chapter 1 because it feels like you are holding a bucking bull in it's pen at the rodeo, and the will he won't he phone call is going to let the thing out. I discovered a word a little while ago for the finger tapping on the table. Thrumbed. Drummed is fine also. Whatever their plan was, though, it was about.... do you need though? or lose the first comma. No big deal but I though it tripped up the flow of that sentence. Great work on making the desk and coming up with a title and pitch that drew me straight in from the new book listing.

Short first chapter and no dialogue so read on.. Must say though i really got into it short but quite captivating.I can see why it has made it to the desk. I'm here to boost some interest in my mother's book Illusions of Comfort.
Always J

Dear Bob, I love that Peter is a survivor. :) Before I began to read your book, I was prepared by your pitch, which was very well done. :) Your story is good because you create interest by having short paragraphs & lots of dialogue, which makes me want to keep reading to find out what's going to happen next. I'm "backing" your book: When you back a book, it only improves the ranking of that book, not yours. However, the author whose book you are backing may decide to back your book also, in which case yes, your ranking would be improved...authonomy. :) Please "back" my TWO memoir books, "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not" & my completed memoir unedited version? "Tell Me True Love Stories," which tells at the end, my illness now & 6th abusive marriage." Thanks, Susie :)
p.s. Remember: Every time you place a book on your bookshelf, your recommendation pushes the book up the rankings. And while that book sits on your bookshelf, your reputation as a talent spotter increases depending on how well that book performs. :)

I didn't notice this story had a star until I started to write this review so I'm guessing you don't want any more backings or comments, but as long as I read this, I'll add a comment. The premise is what pulled me in to read this. I like the idea that there is only a thin line between obsession and insanity. It gives Peter unusual depth as a character as he worris about that. And makes this a good read. I'll add it to my shelf. Burgio (Grain of Salt).

Bob,
thanks for the comments on Catch the Cat. I've backed spin and look forward to reading it.
warm regards,
Aaron

I read the first two chapters, and thpought it was quite well done. Being a neophyte to this site, and since my major was not creative writing, I find it difficult to understand H.C.'s comments. I always assumed the job of an editor was to 'tweek' a promising story, not expect it to be perfect from the get-go. Live and learn, I guess.

The response form harper Collins was very thorough.What did you think?JNDay

Ch 3 The author is delving into an area that is rather difficult one to maneover which is the area of mental and psychological manipulation on a grand scale. Let's hope he can pull it off. Still, in this chapter there is a sense of hopelessness that the reader feels for the victims and the sense of surety on the part of the villains. It will be interested to see how this is played out. I'd have to question the use of the word obsession though and perhaps I shall have a private discussion with the author. Other than that, this chapter sets the atmosphere for the book and gives us an outline of what will happen in the chapters to come. The writing does not disappoint.

Ch 2 Publishable, quality writing. The author presents his characters clearly and sketches the dilema they face. Excellent start.

Ch 1 Exhilarating beginning and the descriptions are imaginative.

This book is WRITE up my alley. THOROUGHLY enjoying it, I see the comments from HarperCollins and hope that the revisions you make launch this into bookstores. when you get a chance take a peek at Teetering On Disaster http://authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=16606

I can see that you are an experienced writer. I hope to be half as good as you are. You really get your reader involved in the first paragraph. Great work. In regards to what HarperCollins wrote, remember several great writers have been rejected several times in the past. I am just a beginner, but find this business to be very subjective. Keep writing and never give up! I pray for your success! Sincerely. Marie

Happy to back your book it is wel written - it has a nice tight feel to it and the descriptions are good. Best of luck on the Ed desk

Hi Bob,
I have read a couple of chapters of your book and backed it. It is not actually my type of book but I think it is well written with some good descriptive passages and I wish you every success.
Jennifer Powick
The Shrawley Rabbit - if you have time to take a look.

Hi Bob. I have read the opening chapter and have watchlisted it. I found your writing style to be almost poetic. You seem to have a knack for description. I want to read more and will as soon as I can clear my shelf. Good luck. Gerry

Hi Bob. I have read the opening chapter and have watchlisted it. I found your writing style to be almost poetic. You seem to have a knack for description. I want to read more and will as soon as I can clear my shelf. Good luck. Gerry

Bob,

I read the prologue, and chapters 1, 5, and 10. I think you're writing is as clean and clear as anything I've seen on authonomy. With most stories here, I have to stop regularly and figure out what's going on. Your writing is very clear and technically solid. Bravo for that. Unfortunately, at times I found it a little dense. I never found the pages just flying past. I wish I could give you some specific suggestions on lightening it up, making it race forward, but I have none. Like I said earier, it's very solid writing. Much better than the norm here. Still, when I read a thriller, I want it to blaze forward. Somehow, this didn't race away.

On a happier note, I really enjoyed everything you wrote about photography. Especially when it got somewhat technical. I felt I was learning something, much like when I read a Dick Francis book. Come to think of it, he would be a good man to read if you want to see light, face-paced writing. His books fly.

Congrats on the solid writing. Good luck polishing it into something that flies.

C.I. DeMann
Writing Home

I am going to be brutally honest with you. The first couple of chapters were too much of an attempt to explain the story. I got lost and scanned over a few paragraphs in attempt to be immersed in the storyline....having said that however, I must say that the plot and story line is quite good...if not excellent... I really got into the story after a while...but in the future, try not to be so expressive and detailed...let the story flow with a bit more rhythm...hats off for writing a great story

This is a taught and compelling beginning, three chapters in. I shall certainly be reading more. Backed.

Thanks for contacting me. I've been reading your book and enjoyed the story. Sorry I missed the first but I'm new here. Certainly backed!
Kop
The Lucky Bean Tree

Hi Bob,
I said I'd read Spin when I got to where Conflict of Interest would have been & I have - all of it in one hit. I think that possibly the HC ed must have been reading a different book from me - though I must say I tend to agree about the prologue not being quite right and possibly opening with Frank's death would be a better way forward.
But otherwise it drew me in and kept me there right from the start, the action certainly does take off half way through but there is plenty of gripping material building the plot prior to that to keep the reader hooked. I can't back you as you've been starred but I most certainly would & I would buy this if it were in a bookshop. I really hope you get someone to take it on.
Best of luck, Fi. :-)

I appreciate you posting the HC Review. I hope you are taking their critique to improve your novel and not using it to bury it. With re-write, all things are possible.

Bob - Thank you for your backing and for your thoughtful comments. I appreciate that it would not appeal to a thriller lover - it is definitely intended for the Literary Fiction fraternity. However, I shall take your comments on board for the next edit. I'll look at your book soon. Tacitus

hullo again bob. Very interesting story. will continue my read and will 'watch' carefully and back.
Linda Lou Long
Southern dis-Comfort

Bob, "organization" is the correct spelling I believe.
Linda Lou Long
Southern dis-Comfort

Hi Bob

Well, I did complete my promise to read on with 'Spin'.

After you asked me to continue with the second chapter, I tried to get into it. You really didn't know who you were asking. I am a poor excuse for a reviewer.

I write as I like to read, - simply with little descriptions except to place my readers directly into each scene a la Sidney Sheldon.

You have bushels of great reviews and you certainly don't need my input.

As I read on, I discovered that your writing and mine writing style are diametrical. I try to be more stingy with words , which result in pushing the plot forward at a faster clip than yours.

The only suggestions I have about your writing is for you to cut down on the overuse of 'did' and 'was'. There are many other words you can substitute to eliminate them. Also, 'OK' is prose should be 'okay'. That is unless there is mention of re: The boss OK'd the invoice.

Best regards - optimista - Bernard Schwartzberg - 'The Careless Spy'.

Hey Bob,

Sorry for the delay in returning the read... I got massively busy. Anyhow, I just started reading your book and quickly got hooked into it. So much so that I lost track of time and have to leave for work. I'll come back to it asap and try to give you a better review, but until then I'm backing it and wishing you the best.

Bradford

Bob,

I typed out a comment a few minutes ago and before I could hit save, the power went out in my home. So here I go again.

Thank you for inviting me to read your book. Even though I more into romance and paranormal, especially a combo of the both, I only read the ones that are mysteries or suspense thrillers. Yours, although not romance and/or paranormal, definitely fill the thriller requirement. I also love conspiracies and what better conspiracy is there than mind control.

I have read through to chapter five and will continue to read it until I have finished the story. Your story is well written and flows from one chapter to the next. I am one of those weird people that can spot a misspelled word in other people's writing, but not in my own. With that being said, you did an excellent job of editing. Aside from the differences in the spelling of words like, rationalising and specialised, which I am now just getting used to, nothing popped out at me. I know this is one story that I will enoy reading to the end.

Best Wishes,
Mrs. Parker

Hi Bob, Sorry to be late answering your request. I really like your book all the way from the 'arrogant prick' in chapter 3 to the sound of Klaus Oberberg's distant laughter in Chapter 26. Good Reading! Do you have other novels? Wes Pollet (Icon by pseudo Harold Alvin)

All done now Bob,

Really, really good story. Really well written.

I'm not a writer or a storey teller or an artist of any stripe. My writing doesn't hold a candle to yours. One suggetstion that I would make would be to expand on the details of the collapse and implosion of the Media Associates folks. Detail on who was involved and at what level and so on. Also, I'd expand on the goon guy that was interrogated using pliers.

Consider, the state of the art of chemical interrogation, the Media Associates folks would have/could have found out really quick that they were being set up. One shot, wait about ten minutes and then start asking questions.

Other than those two points in the last three chapters and I think that you have a book worthy of marketing here.

What you need is a keylogger. A keylogger keeps track of all the keys typed on a keyboard, everything, usernames and passwords included. Thing is, keyloggers show up on virus/malware scans. So, what you have to do is to change the profile of the keylogger. There are programs that you can get off of the internet to do just this. When the file profile and sizes are changed it's unlikely that your typical virus/malware software will catch the keylogger. As long as you only use it once. If you try mass e-mailing it the virus/malware suppliers will catch on and update their scanner profiles.

Now, after you've done that what you need to do is to identify some folks inside of your target organization and craft an e-mail that would appeal to their business intrests. Some kind of advertisement or offer of a deal, something along those lines. This practice is called "phishing."

Attached to your phishing e-mail is an attachment that looks legitimate but contains your modified keylogger. The keylogger is "bound" to the attachment with another piece of software that is conveniently available on the internet and is designed specifically for the purpose of binding malware to innocent looking attachments, Microsoft Powerpoint presentations, Excel Spreadsheets, Microsoft Word documants and the like.

When the victim opens the attachment the keylogger gets installed and every time that the victim sends or recieves an e-mail the keylogger transmits it's datafile payload to an e-mail address that you've configured into the keylogger. Make sure to use a bogus gmail or hotmail account so that you can't be traced through the account. Also make sure that you use proxy server(s) to access the bogus e-mail account so you can't be traced that way.

BECAUSE, if the cops catch on to what you're doing you're going to get a spiffy brand new snail mail address that contains "State Department of Corrections" in it.

This technique would work based on the assumption that the drive that they boosted wasn't formatted NTFS or formatted NTFS and encrypted. I wouldn't think that such a sophisticated set of goons would miss a trick like that.

However, if the drive were to be formatted NTFS and encrypted you could brute force the usernames and passwords off of the drive via a test rig box. It would take some experimenting with hardware configurations and the like to get the test rig to boot.

Now, if I were the Goon-In-Charge, I'd set the boss' PC up with a RAID-5, three disk high capacity array, costs about $300.00, not too hard to do. (I can do it.) Open that box up and alla sudden, "oh, sh*t." On top of that you don't get head crashes with a RAID array. That's what I'd do. With a RAID-5 set-up, you store one digit on one disk, a second digit on the second disk and the sum of the two digits on the third disk. If a drive craps out on you, you hot swap the bad drive for a good drive and the RAID controller re-builds the bad disk for you. Easy as falling down.

Getting into that system would be like trying to drill a hole in a tungsten carbide ball bearing. Good luck.

Take a cell phone, one of the little $40.00 detonators that they sell down to wal-mart, disable the speaker and you've got a very cheap, and very nearly undetectable bug. Set the cell phone on auto-answer and then hide it. When you turn the cell phone on it does it's little handshake thing with the local cell network and that's it, done. Better yet, there's no RF radiation to show up on a bug sweep. Better, better yet if you do happen to catch the phone on a bug sweep, chances are the technician will dismiss the trip as a cell phone conversation.

Next, when the folks that you want top listen in on start their meeting you call the phone and you're as good as in the room with the folks. If you don't know when the meeting starts then call the phone periodically and have a listen.

Better yet if you can put the phone and a charger in place, then the bug will work indefinitely. Modern technology is great.

Hi Bob. Apologies for being so slow. I've backed your book and was realyl getting into it only it needs more time than I have at present. I actually found the first chapter a bit overworked, and felt the writing was more comfortable in the second. You introduce quite a few characters quite quickly, but they are all vastly different, which is great. Best of luck with it. Tom

Bob, you certainly don't need my backing now that you've made the Ed Desk but I promised a return read and I keep my promises. Spin is based on a really neat concept that would gladden the hearts of conspiracy theorists everywhere! Not exactly my usual fare but this is well written and, as I've said, a neat idea. My only criticism would be the amount of descriptive narration in the early chapters but this is just something of a personal prejudice. Look forward to reading the HC review if you choose to publish it. Good luck!

Hi Bob.
I backed this book a couple of days ago and have only just had time to write a comment apologies. I have just finished reading the first four chapters and I am INTRIGUED! All of you're characters you have described well and given me a longing to read on so I can find out more. Well written and I look forward to reading more.
Sarah. T-cup and The Dream Team Fairies

Hiya,

I have (finally) read 'Spin' and can see why it has been so popular - there's a very clever plot behind all the action. I wasn't drawn in by the pitch, and had trouble following the first few chapters; however, once Simon entered the picture and we began to get more of an idea of what was going on, the story took off for me.

I went through the first couple of sections in more detail and then just noted down anything which particularly caught my attention - apologies as I haven't got chapter references for some of the following. I hope I haven't misread/missed anything relevant.

1. In the prologue, it might be more compelling to start with 'Roger Collins clamped his hands together...' where we immediately get some movement and emotion, rather than just narrative.
- The musical chairs analogy took me a moment to understand, but I found it good.
- The phrase 'he thought' occurs a few times. One possibility is to replace this with italics e.g. '//Bloody idiot//. He squeezed his fingers until the knuckles whitened.'
- There are a few sentences which could be reworded slightly, e.g. 'It did not occur to him [that] he had just created a run...' (adding 'that')

2.
- The tenses didn't match up in some sentences. Regardless of whether the grammar is correct, it still sounds awkward. E.g. 'The line...is narrow, and his father had lurched along it...'
Another example: 'It might have been different too,if he was older when it happened' should probably be '...if he had been older'
- One sentence starts with 'In the event' where 'In any event' may be more appropriate.
- Other sentences which were confusing include 'Both affectations were recent innovations...' which I believe refers to Jack stroking his stubble & sucking his teeth - but that was two sentences back, and readers will most likely refer to the sentence immediately before this one.
- I didn't understand the expression 'a full broadside' I take it this is a naval analogy but don't quite understand it.

- 'No mere eye-candy' should probably be 'not mere eye-candy' or 'no mere piece of eye-candy'; I think 'candy' is a plural/general term/

4.
- 'That's won't to...' do you mean 'That's wont to...' (in the sense of 'that's likely to')?

6.
- 'If the share price fell you made a fortune, but if they rose, you lost the same fortune and more.' I know next to nothing about shares and my understanding was that shares rising means the shareholders can sell for a profit. There may be more explanation required for those of us who don't understand the stock market.

- The switches in PoV, particularly over the first chapters, was overwhelming. I'm not sure that there is any particular benefit to it, and I found it off-putting to negotiate my way through. My feeling is that the first chapters give us a different impression of 'Spin' to what is in the main body of the story, and that you may be doing yourself a disfavour by starting off with more complex material and multiple PoVs before we have a chance to develop an interest in the protagonist. I was actually relieved that the stock market didn't play as much of a role in the story as the prologue seemed to indicate (and still don't entirely understand that side of things!)

- The possibility of Peter being mad himself doesn't seem to be particularly evident in the book although it's mentioned in the pitch.

- Mark says 'My local society had some of your published work in an exhibition a few months back,' and Peter's reply is 'Good.' This seems a bit standoffish - personally, even though Peter is a professional photographer, I would expect him to take more interest in the fact that Mark has seen some of his photographs.

12.
- Anna says the idea of being manipulated is '...like being raped.' She then elaborates on this, but the analogy doesn't make much sense to me, and struck me as odd. I guess this is stereotyping but it's not an analogy I can imagine most women using in conversation unless it describes the situation particularly well. Are you trying to make a particular point about Anna and the way she talks? If not might be worth looking out for phrases like this that haven't caught your attention before, and examining whether they convey exactly what you were intending.

- I was surprised at Peter being fooled by the waiter pretending to leave through the door, and that he was careless enough to use credit cards. I'm not familiar with this genre and if this occurred to me then I expect it would occur to Peter, who's the one fearing for his life. Similarly, I found it hard to believe that Sam Garvey was fooled by the white van leaving the hotel - it seemed a little too obvious to me. Unfortunately I can't think of any suggestions as to how you could make these events more credible, but other readers may not be bothered by them.

- I found Chloe a bit too 'perfect' and two-dimensional to start with, but I'm not sure I still retain this impression. It might be worth thinking about whether you feel she is realistic the whole way through and doesn't just act as a love interest for Peter (which is what it seemed like when they jumped into bed together so soon after meeting...)

- Peter's injured - a cut deep enough that he could see bone inside - and he has to sleep on the floor? His companions don't strike me as that heartless...

- Peter thinks about the chance of the guards detecting a fake security pass if they send one of Max's agents in, but surely they'd detect or have disabled his pass too, since he left under such strange circumstances
- I could have missed something, but how did Peter get his camera replaced via the insurance company if the police were still seeking to question him?

All of this seems relatively minor in light of 'Spin' having made the Editor's Desk, and I hope you will receive feedback there that will be of more use in getting your book published :)

General comments:
- The pitch seems to contain too much information (unless you meant it to be more of a summary than a blurb).
- If there's any way to make the first few chapters more accessible I think it would be worthwhile, as readers are likely to continue once the action starts, but when the story is still being set up and we have many names and places to deal with it's easy to get lost. One way of doing this could be to rearrange chapters so that those which currently occur first came later as flashbacks, or we had at least one more compelling chapter earlier on, but I realise that this would be a big change.
- Finally, prose generally improves with each edit, and while yours is of a high standard already, I think it could be tightened a little in places - generally, each sentence should be as clear as possible and every word should convey the exact meaning you are thinking of. If each element of the writing is as carefully considered as the premise of this story, I think it could be even better to read.

Best wishes,
elf_friend

Bob
I have got to chapter 5 and I like the way the story is unfolding and the writing. The handling of the possibility of madness is especially well done. If I may make two comments; some of switches in POV jar a little becuase you are telling the story through each characters thoughts. I also longed for a sense of place; I know what is happening but some physical description of the context and the figures in the scene would make it easier to attach to the story.
Mike

Congrats on the success of the novel! I apologize for not having answered back. I have been working (work), and working (writing) and waiting patiently for the editor of a e-book publisher to deliver my edits to me for correction. Congratulations once again on the buzz, etc.
James Garcia Jr.

shelving.

Hi Bob,

Just read nineteen. Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun.

Wanted to write something to let you know that I was still reading. I've read some of the other comments in regards to the development of characters and the like. Maybe I haven't read far enough along yet but I'm not getting that Impression. The only potential problem that I see so far are the patent "Europeanisms" that the casual American reader probably won't understand. "Taking me piss" for one and calling the floor above the ground floor the first floor. Stuff like that.

Read, loved, backed. Comments coming. Soon, honest!

John
Blackthorne Faire

I enjoy your descriptions. They're unique, and help the plot move forward because there's no unnecessary details. I agree that the POV changes are somewhat abrupt.

I’m always impressed by someone who manages to complete a book-length manuscript, let alone a manuscript that’s readable and entertaining. SPIN caught my interest in two subjects that interest me: 1) the arcana of high-end securities trading and, 2) large and medium format photography. I’m curious about the first because I know so little about it, and as for the second, well, I like antique cameras. (I collect antique lenses--the pride of my collection is a ca. 1850 Holmes, Booth, & Haydens full-plate portrait lens.)

The prologue--in which a stressed-out securities trader starts a market run on biotech instead of simply reacting to one--is written with the authority professional experience. The author knows what he’s talking about. More importantly, he knows how to make it interesting and accessible to a layperson like me.

In the chapter that follows, a young photographer executes s difficult shoot in spite of the distraction of the ominous letter in his pocket. Then, after a POV-shift in the same chapter, a senior executive of a high-concept public relations firm wrestles with how best to conceal the sinister implications of a project involving mind control. As before, the author evokes a corporate environment with unimpeachable authority. He’s been there.

The weight of realism that ballasts these opening scenes is this author’s greatest strength and the source of much of the appeal this novel holds for me. I do, however, have three rather minor suggestions. First, the POV shift in the first chapter seems a bit awkward and would probably work better if it occurred after a chapter break. (I’m guilty of this same offense; the temptation to put a POV shift in the middle of a chapter is very strong!) Second, there needs to be a greater sense of connection between these three scenes; I, as a reader, want to know up front exactly how these people inter relate with each other. And third, I think the inner dialogues go on a little too long, so much so that they slow things down.

Nevertheless, the Prologue and the First chapter provide a great beginning to what seems like a fascinating and compelling story. Thanks!

Bob,

I just read the first few chapters of SPIN, and I must admit I am hooked. The view points of different characters displayed a wider image of what was happening, and I found it helpful getting started. Unfortunately, the first few chapters was all I had time for at the moment, but I am going to continue on reading when I get the chance. All the best,
Midnight.

Hello Bob. I read the first two chapters and I gotta say, your prose is something close to perfect. I can see that every line has been slaved over. For the professionalism alone, I am impressed. I fear you've introduced a few too many characters, though. By the end of chapter two, I'd forgotten all about the bloke in the opening. I know he had a big win on the stock exchange, but it might be asking a bit much for the reader to recall his episode when you reintroduce him later on. That could be just nitpicking on my part, though, because this promises to be a very thoughtful and complex story. One of those rich Russian type novels with many a storyline and cast of characters interweaving. In that case I think the beginning is well paced. And the writing is so damned good I can imagine the reader getting good and lost in it. This is literature, Bob, and I'm probably punching above my weight trying to analyze it. I'm confident it deserves its high status. I'll give it a bump, whatever good it will do. You're certainly slumming here on Authonomy, aren't you? You're too good of a writer to be workshopping this book online. Go get yourself an agent already!

Cheers and good luck

John

Ooh, intriguing premise and jump start in the prologue to get things rolling. I admit I was feeling a bit stressed along with him. And frankly, with this crap economy, Spin is well timed for a breakthrough. Best of luck to you on your HC review.

Wishing you success!
~Cheri
Artemis Rising