Liz Zelvin said that about me last night. How great is that? I want it on my books from now on. (She elaborated: "Nothing extra, nothing wasted." So see, it WAS a compliment.) Liz was in a workshop I did at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in FL, and her first novel came out yesterday. So think about this: if you come to Assisi and be in a workshop with me, your book might come out too! I actually can't take credit for St. Martin's picking up Liz's book; it was on the desk of an editor there long before the workshop started. I'm taking credit for kicking the quality of the finished product up a notch, though, based on how hard Liz worked in the weeks in FL and how her writing, already damn good, tightened and sharpened during that time. Well done, Liz!