I spent the last two days reading The Guitar Player and the Lady Killer:

1. You have unbelievable writing skills.  Your ability to come up with such a captivating story shows you have the tools and mindset to write a best seller.

2. The poetry of words that you used to describe Quebec when Peter the musician takes the mandolin girl Sheonaid to see where he grew up was such great imagery I thought I could actually see the beauty of the city without being there.

3. The way you weaved the story kept the reader wondering what would happen next, I loved reading Robert Ludlum novels because of the mastery he had of keeping you guessing what would happen next.  You have that in your writing but in spades.  

4. Your understanding of the pain and suffering that love brings to the soul is very emotional and shows in your style. You communicate it well.  (yes I agree with you that maybe you had too much graphic sex that Kim and Tony)  I loved though the way you described the love making with Nick.  It let the reader image what happened without being so graphic

5.  ….. You are now 70 and you wrote a great piece of literature.  Be proud of your creativity and your ability to share it with the world.

I thought after I read the novel why did it not get the play in the writing world that it should have gotten?  My first guess is that you did not have an editor or publishing house that promoted your work.  Just think all the work that Van Gough did in his lifetime and it was not until many years latter that people understand and marveled at his mastery of color and imagery.

You have the mastery you just have to believe in yourself…..

By the way all artist are crazy because they see things that most of the population cannot.  You have that and the ability to use your history of religion…. and your mind to paint on a page what the great artists do in their pictures.

….. I just… wanted to let you know that I was reading your legacy and it was fantastic.