myspace.com has become the new frontier for authors. We're all supposed to be on there with our own pages, talking about our books and collecting "friends" by the hundreds. I used to think it was just for the young crowd, which is why I never created a page for my grown-up books. But then my publisher suggested I create a page for my adult books, and I obliged. So now I have two myspace presences to manage, which is quite a handful. All these requests from strangers to become their new "friend." Must admit, every time I receive one of these requests I hestitate. A lot of times I already know the person requesting my friendship. Other times I don't, but they seem normal enough. And then there are the other other times...and quite frankly they freak me out.

I don't automatically accept every offer of friendship. Maybe I'm reading more into this than I should, but some requesters are so odd, and the ick factor so high, that I can't bring myself to click that little "accept" button and acquire them as a friend. So here's my pretty basic screening criteria when deciding whether or not to become someone's friend:

• If the requester is a 57 year old male who appears to only request "friendship" with a) women who dress like strippers, b) girls who look about 14 and dress like strippers, c) women who post pictures of their unclothed body parts and call themselves Lacey Underalls, or d) girls who use the word HOT in their personal description.

Verdict: This is an automatic no, and makes me feel like I've just been lured into some sort of prostitution ring right out of Law & Order. Am just waiting for Mariska Hartigay to come bursting through my front door looking for a perp.

• If the requester's home page includes: references to Satan, hell or the underworld; a goth black background that appears to have blood streaming down the screen; thrashing metal music with the words, "Die Pig," flashing across the screen.

Verdict: Um, that would be a no, but thanks for asking.

• If the requester is using a photo of a fuzzy gray kitten playing with a spool of yarn under a rainbow as their home page - and turns out to be a 40-something male living in New Hampshire.

Verdict: Love the cat, hate the idea of a grown man using a sweet kitten to gain friends. And the rainbow is just overkill. Gotta pass.

• If the requester is a writer who wants to send me 14 messages about his new book, a musician who invites me to buy his CD, or an astrologer who'd like to read my stars.

Verdict: I have enough books I'd like to read when I have the time, I don't listen to bluegrass music performed on upsidedown paint buckets, and I get my horoscope for free in Glamour. This would be a no.

So, my circle of friends on myspace.com is not growing by leaps and bounds, but at least I don't go to bed at night wondering if my latest "friend" is carving "Die Pig" into the side of some fuzzy little kitten being forced to listen to bluegrass music while she watches a stripper and has her stars read.