So You're A Star Trek Fan... by E. Michelle Logan, aka Liz the Intrepid Beta... Scarily I can answer 'yes' to many of these.

Regarding the Intrepid Beta, we talked tonight. My plot hole in "Fugue" is not that obnoxious. She doesn't think it needs to be reworked because it makes sense given what has happened in "Lines in the Sand". So I feel better, but I may add a little more to the story in order to "fill" it out more and explain that little plot hole a little more. "Fugue" is back on. But whew, I was sooo afraid that she would make me go back to the drawing board (and she would, you know, she really would...) especially since she's now working on the academic version of "Lines in the Sand" and looking at it very closely...

I also want to mention that this spring makes four years since the Intrepid Beta and I started working together. I remember being so excited when she emailed me years ago and said that despite being a J/J writer, she did like some of my W/D stuff - and believe me, back then, that was praise of titanic proportions.

Anyway, so she was my first beta ever and one of the bravest I've encountered - she's been with me through the good and bad (especially the bad, for those of you who did not know me back in '97, I put out some horrendous stuff and one of those stories, "Demons," is still banned from ever being posted). Anyway, "Fugue" is for Liz, for saving me so many times from making a complete and utter fool of myself...

Now I'm getting all weepy just thinking about it...

I wish Beta Reader Appreciation Day would come back so I can tell my betas just how much I appreciate them. They are wonderful. So publicly, I'm thanking the following people for putting up with me for the last year and offering their kind comments and much support, not to mention gently suggesting when I was going completely the wrong way: Liz the Intrepid Beta, Rocky, Monica, Stace, Bjorn, Rob Morris, Illaria, Annie M and Kim. Mucho gracias.