I've been nervously waiting for the last two months to learn my fate.

The Historical Novel Society is the premier, online gathering place for historical fiction aficionados worldwide; the informed taste-maker for the genre; and they held The Witch. Their reviewers call it like the see it -- no unearned praise; criticism where it's merited. Debut novels notoriously suffer from pacing problems, plot holes and assorted weaknesses, and I'm painfully aware of the many in mine (I primarily write non-fiction). So I held my breath yesterday when I opened the email from the Society's indie reviews managing editor, Helen Hollick, and clicked on the link to Steve Donoghue's review.

Steve can be intimidating. Here’s what greets you when you hand your baby over to him:

"Steve Donoghue is a writer and editor living in Boston with two dogs (one good, one very bad) and uncounted thousands of books (a good many of which are historical novels). He writes regularly for The National, Kirkus Reviews, and The Washington Post, reviews frequently for Open Letters Monthly (where he’s also the Managing Editor), and is the US/Worldwide editor for the Indie branch of the Historical Novels Review, where he’s thrilled to come in contact with a steady stream of promising authors and interesting novels."

In short, he’s a pro. Your literary sins –mortal and venial – will be uncovered. Would Steve still find me a “promising author” with an “interesting novel?” I was about to find out.

Here’s the verdict: http://bit.ly/1GFFd6Z

Thanks, Steve. I might attempt that sequel after all!

P.S. Hope Boston has finally dug out from its winter deep freeze, and you’re happily back walking your basset around Boston Commons.

P.P.S. If you love to read or write historical fiction, join the Society. Membership is only $50 a year; you can access 12,000+ reviews; and I hear they throw a fun conference (in Denver, next month). Click here: http://historicalnovelsociety.org/