We're steadily progressing toward ARCs for "Waking Lazarus" now--early December, I'm told--and I've made quite a bit of progress on possible endorsements from other authors. In fact, I've now had more than 20 authors write back and tell me they're willing to look at an ARC for possible endorsement.

I've said before this has been quite a thrilling exercise, and it has: it's fun to communicate with writers you've enjoyed and admired. Communicating with them is fun. Now comes the tough part. Because after they've said, "Yes, I'll read the book," I actually have to send them the book. Then they actually have to read it.

And that's something of a gulp-inducing prospect. What if I send out all these books, a voice inside you says, and the only thing I hear back is crickets? It's one thing for successful, best-selling authors to graciously email you and say they'll read your book. It's another thing entirely for them to actually like the thing.

It's enough to make a guy feel like Woody Allen.