The unexpected magic of beta readers

I learned something powerful while writing The Champagne Cartel: the importance of beta readers… of all ages. Beta readers are magic.

This book didn’t begin as a book at all. It started as a screenplay ... an idea I chatted about with friends over coffee. They were the first to say, “Make it a book.” My daughter chimed in with, “I’d read that,” while my son shrugged and said, “I’ll watch it when it comes out on TV.” Equal parts encouragement and realism.

From there, I invited people into the process at every stage. When I had only three chapters (mostly dialogue) I shared them just to see whether the tone landed or if I was being a little too blasé. When the first draft was finished, I handed it to a small group to test whether the story felt believable… in its intentionally unbelievable way. They were wonderfully candid, even pointing out where I needed to increase the cost of certain things because, well, this is the North Shore.

I gave it to young adult readers to see if the story crossed generations. I gave it to my nearly 90‑year‑old mother‑in‑law, who told me the first few pages drew her straight in and she wanted more. That meant the world.

Then came the moment of truth: reading a printed sample myself, not as the author, but as a reader. And that’s when the feedback converged. A handful of readers were overwhelmed meeting all five core characters at once. I’d thrown them into a room full of strong personalities, rapid‑fire dialogue, and high energy. It was confusing. They couldn’t tell who was who.

Cue my panic. I thought I’d stuffed it.

But after a couple of days of breathing (and maybe some chocolate), the solution arrived: a prologue. A moment to meet each woman individually as she prepares for the afternoon champagne session. I wrote it, sent it to a few trusted readers, and the response was unanimous.

YES. Nailed it.

When I wrote my Cheer Chick Charlie series, I didn’t use beta readers. It was just me and my lovely editor. Luckily, those books worked. But adult fiction is different. If you don’t get it right from the very first page, you lose your reader instantly. And there’s no coming back from that.

So now I say this with absolute conviction: Beta readers are a godsend.

And thanks to them, I am now very, very, VERY happy with the final version of The Champagne Cartel. I cannot wait to share my first ever adult fiction novel with you.