In love with the Meq
01/04/2005 . Source: Betsy Mitchell 

As editor-in-chief at Del Rey, Betsy Mitchell says she approaches submissions of first novels as the porcupine approaches its mate: gingerly, very gingerly.

A first-time writer can create a manuscript that's anywhere from awful to enchanting. Many newbies commit standard mistakes such as not providing enough detail (or too much detail); not pacing the story correctly; or not building up to a strong story climax. These errors are understandable and forgivable, and good editors will help their authors correct them so that the best possible manuscript reaches print.

But once in a while, a manuscript impresses an editor on first read, and needs very little work to be ready for book form. That was the case with THE MEQ, by Steve Cash.

THE MEQ starts in 1881, with the scene of a violent train crash in the Colorado mountains. On that day that Zianno Zezen—Z, for short—turns twelve, and glimpses the first truth about himself: that he is not human, but instead a member of a race called the Meq, who have lost all memory of their origins.

Z's hunt for more information takes decades; he travels from St. Louis to China to England as the 19th century fades into the 20th. THE MEQ is the first of three books that will chart The Meq's search for understanding about themselves.

The author has been a writer of another kind for many years. Steve Cash was the lyricist for the Ozark Mountain Daredevils. The seeds of THE MEQ arose during his travels with the band, and he took many years to bring the book to fruition.

We just received feedback on THE MEQ from a San Diego bookseller who received an advance copy—the kind of feedback that warms the cockles of an editorial heart. Here's what he had to say:

"This is the most amazing fantasy debut of the past two years. I lost myself in the novel. When I read Cash's bio, I was a bit prejudiced toward the novel, but decided to give it a chance. Surely, I thought, he can't be a popular singer/songwriter, and a talented author as well. My GOD, I was wrong! This is the best contribution to the fantasy genre since China Miévelle's world of New Crobuzon."

And there you have it. I hope you choose to enter the mystical, lyrical world of Steve Cash and THE MEQ.

The following material is being reprinted from the Del Rey Internet Newsletter. To subscribe to this free, monthly e-newsletter, visit http://www.delreybooks.com