I finished going through my first editor's suggestions, and while I understand where she was coming from I did disagree a few times on commas to cut. That said, her obsession with them forced me to notice how ofter I use the word again. Jeez...I hadn't even noticed because it's almost a nothing word to me, like the and it, so I got carried away. When I do the next editor's pass I'm cutting out half of them, at least.
There were also a number of typos, including a couple I caught, myself. So on my next read I'm keeping an eye out for those. I did change the ending a little...and am thinking of changing it even more. Nothing major, just a bit of rearrangement to indicate something more than I have...make it more hopeful.
This is still a damn dark story, and Devlin really is a monster who winds up being tamed...somewhat. What's interesting is, my editor thought the only truly decent person in the book was Dev's brother, Colin. She did acknowledge Reg was a good guy...but she didn't like Diana, Colin's wife. Didn't trust her, which is interesting. I thought I'd written her to be a no-bullshit woman in control and very aware. Guess not. I'm not changing her, but it is fun to get a female perspective on how I write women. Maybe I made her too much like a man.
I also did research on stained glass art and really like how this dog turned out. I found what I'm really setting Dair up to be doing is more of a mosaic style, just using translucent glass instead of tiles and lead in place of grout. He wants to use color to build the faces, not paint or ink like so many do. And he's building them like holograms, where the face shifts expression when the light shifts. I honestly don't know if that's even possible...but he's insistent.
I learned a long time ago -- don't argue with your characters unless it's really important...and even then accept you'll probably give in.
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