THE DRAGON QUESTION and my annual call for NaNoWriMo beta readers

It’s that time of year, when I once again participate in NaNoWriMo. For those of you who don’t know this, I’ve written all of my novels either during NaNo or using the NaNoWriMo model in another month.

This year, I’m writing a project for fun. It’s called The Dragon Question, and I’ve been describing it as “Alfred Hitchcock presents the Dragonriders of Pern.” I like having people read along as I go. Think of it like running clinical trials on a new drug. I’m testing to see if the story is producing the effect on my readers that I want it to. As such, I like having beta-readers who report their symptoms as they go along. Specifically:

• Awesome! (Important, so I don’t ‘fix’ it accidentally)
• Bored
• Confused
• Disbelief

That’s all I need, a report of your symptoms. You don’t have to try to diagnose the problem or provide a prescription to fix it. Just tell me how the story is playing.

Here’s the teaser of the first chapter.

The Dragon Question

Chapter One

A scream cut through the university Dracoviation Center. It echoed through the locker room and drowned out the tinny swing band playing on the transistor radio. Nelanie spun the direction of the sound, one riding boot still in her hand. The arena? Who else would be doing a late night practice ride?
A second scream ripped the air as if a woman were being murdered. Or someone had lost control of their dragon.

“Hellfire.” Nelanie snatched the first aid kit off the wall and sprinted toward the door to the arena. Her bobby sock slipped on the tile of the locker room floor. She slapped her hand against the locker to steady herself as a third wrenching scream echoed. Dropping her boot, Nelanie hurtled out the door onto the sawdust-covered main hall.

Up and down the hall, dragon snouts poked over their stalls, nostrils flared wide. What did they smell? Blood?

Nelanie ran down the hall. One of the fluorescent lights flickered in time with her pulse. Another scream.

A woman shouted, “Stop! Please stop plea–“

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To sign up to be a beta-reader for The Dragon Question, just click on this handy link. 

Thanks! I have enough readers now.

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