Austin Beta Reading

Beta Reading Details:

First off, thank you for your interest in my writing and in the characters of Clovis: Callie, Mariah, the new and exciting Cadence, even Roddie! They have more of a story to share ... if you're ready to listen. Austin is 116k words, ~ 350 pages as a paperback book. It will be delivered to you as a PDF that you can read on any e-Reader or smart device (or you're welcome to print it). Ideally, I would like your feedback within one (1) month, starting July 1st so you have time —while Phillip and I are off on our grand African safari (don't worry I'll share plenty of pics and videos on my author socials 🦒). I have a list of questions below simply to guide you (and help you give me feedback), but, primarily, I would simply like your honest feedback, constructive criticism, and a 1-3 sentence review I can share after you read to build hype around Austin. While it would be my extreme honor if you purchased a few Austins when she comes out later in the fall, that's not required. I'm grateful and honored for your willingness to read and give candid feedback. Thank you.

Available Slots:

As I mentioned, I've decided to keep this limited. 10 slots total. I want feedback from folks who have read Clovis and those who haven't. As promised, this request comes with an offer for a free copy of Clovis if you need it. Just say the word! As slots below are taken, I will fill them in so you will know.

Are You Ready to Commit?

If all that Austin goodness sounds good to you (and there are still available slots above), let's do this. Email me — annie@anniedikeauthor.com — to reserve your spot as a Beta Reader for Austin. I'm excited to have you on board!

Once the Slots Above Are Full ⬆:

Don't worry, my friends, there will be other opportunities. If this was finally your prompt to read Clovis, you still have that opportunity as I offer anyone a free eCopy in exchange for an honest review. Here you go my friend, my gift 🎁 to you:

I've also added some really cool new gifts to my author home page: 1) the Prologue of Clovis—Dirtcastles—read by Yours Truly; 2) a new video on Why I Wrote Clovis (Six Reasons); and 3) a free Preview (first 5 chapters) of Clovis for download. Check those out at any time.

Austin Synopsis:

Austin weaves together two powerful timelines centered on women shaped by hardship, resilience, and the complicated bonds of family. In present-day Austin, fierce plaintiff’s attorney, Callie, and her law partner, Mariah, fight a dangerous legal fraud where the corporate defendant is after gore and greed. In a dual narrative, fourteen-year-old Cadence, Callie’s niece, a brilliant, lonely girl searches for the truth about the father she never knew, the brother Callie is desperate to infuse her with, and the sacrifices her mother made to protect her. As past and present and these two narratives collide, Austin explodes with themes of identity, chosen family, buried secrets, and the courage it takes to leap toward love and purpose even after devastating loss.

Austin Reader's Guide:

These questions are just meant to provoke thought and get ideas stirring that you can share with me. You are not required —in any way —to answer these questions. Also, I will send them to you again once you've finished Austin so don't feel like you have to save them anywhere (unless you're like me and an over-achiever : ). This is just fodder for thought.

Most importantly: Did you enjoy reading it? A simple question. Would you recommend it to others? If so, how would you sum up the book in a sentence or two?
Did anything about the plot or characters feel disingenuous, unrealistic, or just cheesy?
Were there any topics or plot twists you just didn't like? [Revyve, the rape, the threesome]?
Did anything feel repetitive - like if she says that one more time I'm gonna puke? In the same vein, were there times you felt you needed a lot more context (history, background) to make things make sense?
Were there any glaring sequencing issues or plot/character development problems that really irked you?
Did you find yourself feeling any of the emotions the character were feeling at any point?
Do you have a favorite, or least favorite, character and why?
Did I tie everything back together well enough for you or did you find some irksome loose ends remaining? Or did it tie back together too neatly or unrealistically?
Did you ever find yourself bored/not caring what happened next? If the book lagged at all, where?
If you were to give Austin a short review right now, what would it be?

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