Calling All Beta Readers: "Poisoned Plums" is ready for you!

Alright, time to put out another call for beta readers! I’m going to be pretty selective with who gets to give feedback on this one, 1) because it’s a short story, 2) I plan on using this as a freebie story for people who sign up for my mailing list, and 3) I want to prioritize those beta readers who actually read fast and give good feedback. So yeah  Initial round of revisions and tweaks and edits for “Poisoned Plums” is complete, so it’s time to get a set of eyes on it—or a few sets, rather—that aren’t mine.

If you're interested, here's the link to sign up for it.

Here’s a quick blurb about this short story, just so you know what you’re getting yourself into:

Aylin Aga just wants to graduate from the Meral Academy of Arts and Sciences so she can proudly return to Gecekara with a chemistry license in hand, qualifying her to prepare and distribute medicines throughout Karanlik. Well, what she really wants is to become a full apothecary, but that will never be an option for her; she’s the daughter of a khan, and her duty to her khanate will always come first. Thus, she’ll settle for a degree in Chemistry and Medicines, which is a close enough compromise to keep both her and her family happy.

Unfortunately, there are several things standing between Aylin and a successful graduation. First, the Spring Festival of Niroz is in full swing—all thirteen nights of it—and a constant background of thundering drums and dances and parades is not conducive to memorizing conversion tables, reaction charts, and substance ratios for the fifty most common potions. No one parties like the Kutsalans party. Second, there’s the small matter of a potential poisoning she has to investigate, which leads her to a strange encounter with an eerily familiar man.

Then, of course, there’s the licensing exam she has to pass.