So far 678 readers entered the publisher sponsored contest on GoodReads.com for a chance at one of five free copies of The Last Track. Still four days left in the giveaway. Quite a bit better turnout than I expected.

Much thanks to Cyndy for the suggestion.

I believe the writer has two jobs. First, get out of the way of the story and let the characters do theirs. Second, and more importantly, listen to what readers have to say about the story, because well, they tend to have a lot of great ideas.

More importantly, readers actually pay for books.

Cazy week at work, as everyone temporarily transitions from the standard curriculum to the project-based experiential learning program for the next three weeks. Being my fifth time around the block, by Monday afternoon nearly everything will be humming and very little of the day will be spent putting out fires–freeing me up for the bigger picture strategy planning this summer.

Speaking of the day job, last week a colleague heard about the upcoming book release and let a number of people know about it. Definitely a nice surprise and show of support. Not that I hid writing explicitly, just followed the charter that my only priority during the day was addressing the community’s technical needs. Very few people even knew I wrote. Others in my life did know, but that only partially accounts for the outpouring of good tidings as of late.

Been very surprised at how many longstanding but infrequently seen acquaintances sent texts or email of congratulations in the past week; these missives arrived out of virtual air. Guess a lot more lurkers are out there checking the site than anticipated.

Anyway, The Last Track was nominated for the Best Read of 2010 on GoodReads. To vote, all it takes a is a quick and free registration on GoodReads.com–a really great site for a whole lot of reasons.

So please vote for The Last Track on GoodReads.com. Currently ( as of 11:19 PM EST ), it’s tied for fifth place. My thanks in advance.

If there was anything that could make a birthday better, this four star, verified name and purchase Amazon.com review sure did:

The Last Track: A captivating and fast paced thriller

Over the course of the project, the manuscript evolved a great deal from the first draft to final PDF. My writing, whether intended or not, changed by virtue of the near religious adherence to schedule. While the genesis of a few characters were there from the earliest drafts, the story was definitely not. Feedback, I’ve learned, is almost always valuable, rarely ever critical. Routine check ins with readers after each draft made a huge difference to the finished product, forced me to try harder, and proved the single biggest determinant in the book finding a publisher that got the story.

Because while the manuscript changed over its journey from gestation to slush piles, my intention never did. There was always one clear and irrefutable aim. Write a book that hit hard, early, and never let up. To me, the most important thing is the reader’s attention. The ability to hold that interst is the real currency of an author. Without a real reason to continue, there may be a great idea, but there very little point sharing it with the nightstand a reader placed the book upon, unfinished–unlikely ever to bother finding their place.

And the neatest thing about the review, is that it sounds as if my intentions were actually realized; what I wanted to do, I actually got on the page.

Now back to writing number next . . .