Thanks for showing up for the pre-pre-release party for Dead Stop.

This story jumped up and took a fair-sized chunk out of this month (March 2000). It was born on a desert highway - probably Highway 58, west of Barstow - about five years ago. I set down the first paragraph, intending to "get around to it later"... and instead was hounded day and night until it was done.

My questions for you (plus an extra bonus challenge!):

• Did I plagarize?
  (There are elements from different authors here, but I tried not to rip 'em off "wholesale". I'm mostly concerned about Angelo. I haven't made it through any of the modern "angel fiction" except Peretti (years ago) and while I imagine any two angel-on-earth characters would share similarities, I really hope I haven't duplicated a reply word-for-word or anything. For that matter, using the name "Angelo" is either so obvious no one's done it (hey, I can dream) or it's been done to death, no pun intended. Let me know what you know or think...
• Were you able to follow what was going on?
  (Where was it confusing? How'd he get from there to here? What happened in between? Who said that particular line?)
• Despite whatever sad things it may reveal about the author, does the story "hold together" as a whole?
  Did you find yourself distracted by incongruities - "B-b-but that's not right" - as you read?
• Where did the dialogue strike you as especially "wrong" or contrived or false?
• Did the story end at a place that made sense?
  Or did you feel like important details were left unresolved?
  (I have two ideas for, uh, "sequels". But I know no one will be as enamored of these people as I am...)
• Smoking is described a lot - but could you tell it's illustrating a few different ideas?
  (If it seems excessive - and fairly obvious rationalizing, don't I know it - I can only shrug and point at every second generation "one-percenter" I've gotten to know.)