Received this via IM from one of The Eight tonight:

[20:20] renamedforblog: damn dude
[20:20] renamedforblog: you’re such a bastard
[20:20] renamedforblog: I’m flying through your book.

By bastard he meant, can’t put down your manuscript and it’s keeping me from work, sleep and food. Interestingly, he is much further into the story than I expected any reader might be by this point, so far in that we’re meeting Monday morning for feedback review, ahead of schedule. That’s encouraging. Two other readers assured me they will make the 11/23/2005 deadline. And of the rest? Well, they remain at large, free of any pressure or influence from I. Unless they read the blog…