A nice lazy Saturday, the perfect time to crank up the way-back machine and look at a GA Newsletter entry from Nov 2006. Here is AFriendlyFace's take on Sequels... Enjoy!

Many people have a love-hate relationship with sequels. Oftentimes, fans are elated to see their favourite characters back in action and there's always the hope that more loose ends will be tied up or more mysteries revealed. For many, however, the sequel contains the threat of "tampering" with the original, of killing a story by playing it to death. So when do sequels work?

The answer is when the characters remain realistic and vivid and when they remain true to themselves and the framework within which they are set. Another key factor is when the storyline remains fresh and the narrative exciting. In Staking My Claim, the sequel to My Jump Off, Nickolasjames certainly manages to accomplish these goals! The characters have never been fresher and the storyline never more intriguing!

Andrew Stout seems to have it all: parents who love an accept him for who he is, a good home, material comforts. What Andrew doesn't have however is a boyfriend of his own; instead Andrew has someone else's boyfriend. In this sequel to My Jump Off Nick shifts the focus from the "cheater" to the "other man". Such a perspective is indeed rare; it's also a great deal of fun to read!

But can Andrew convince Jarred to leave Phillip? Is Andrew truly in love with Jarred or is he simply in love with getting what he wants? Does Jarred love Andrew or Phillip or does he simply love the sex? How will Andrew's parents react when they find out what's going on? Will Phillip ever learn the truth?
Follow Nick as he resolves these questions and, in so doing, proves that sequels can be more than "guilty pleasures", but instead be powerful artistic works in their own right!

AFriendlyFace