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Featured Story: Morningstar: The Malaise

Renee Stevens

Entry posted by Renee Stevens in Featured Stories

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First off, Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian members. I hope you have a wonderful holiday! Now, it's time for a story review! Let's take a look at what we have for you on this Monday morning. Wicked Witch provided us with this great review on our newest Signature Author, Headstall. We hope you enjoy the review on Morningstar: The Malaise, and if you haven't already read it, hopefully this review will inspire you to do so.

 

Morningstar: The Malaise 

by Headstall

Reviewer : Wicked Witch

Status : Complete

Word Count :  227,645

 

When Kellar found out he was a wolf shifter, he was alone in the world. After every one of his kind he met refused to talk to him, he became an island. Estranged from all, Kellar retreated to his little piece of the world, and lived a lonely but peaceful existence. Then he met Tobyn, the first shifter who answered his questions. And the peaceful existence was subsumed in following the mystery of the malaise and finding love and somewhere to belong along the way. With a few surprises.

 

Headstall’s recently completed Morningstar: The Malaise quickly became one of my favourite stories as I followed the journey of the characters. And such a journey it was! Headstall provided more than a few twists along the way as the characters and the world grew. Action, romance and adventure spread out ahead of Kellar and Tobyn.

 

The Morningstar world is interesting and well thought out, however this story's shining light are the characters. They’re interesting, they have troubles and conflicts, they grow as people throughout the story. And just when you think their journey is complete, they prove to you that they have many more interesting things to show you, the reader. You get to follow them through ups and downs and heart stopping moments, and sweet happiness at times that makes you smile with them.

 

I commend Headstall for managing to avoid many of the pitfalls of werewolf stories and provide an intrigue twist on the usual fare. If you enjoy the paranormal/supernatural, you’ll love this one. Or if you haven’t had a chance to get your toes wet in the realm of fantasy stories, here is a perfect place to start.

 

Category: Fiction   Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Mystery   Tags: young adults, were creatures, gay, first time, anal, oral    Rating: Mature

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Caz Pedroso
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I loved this story and have reread it several times. It was brilliant to see a different take on the usual shifter stories. 

 

@Headstall Congrats on the feature story :hug: 

 

 @Wicked Witch Great review :) 

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Headstall
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Wow... this was a surprise! Thank you, @Wicked Witch for your wonderful review of Morningstar: The Malaise. It's a story I am really proud of, and I believe it is my best work to date. Again, thank you! :) 

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Headstall
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32 minutes ago, Caz Pedroso said:

I loved this story and have reread it several times. It was brilliant to see a different take on the usual shifter stories. 

 

@Headstall Congrats on the feature story :hug: 

 

 @Wicked Witch Great review :) 

Thank you, Caz! This was quite a surprise, and I appreciate your kind comments. Morningstar came out of the blue and was a labor of love for a year and a half of my life. I'm so pleased to hear you've reread it several times. :D 

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mogwhy
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This was one of the first stories I've read on the site. It is a story that I have read and reread many times (i've lost track, 4+) and will again. It is not the usual shifter story and the love story. Great job, Gary! :2thumbs:

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Timothy M.
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Morningstar: The Malaise placed you right in the top five of the select group of perhaps thirty GA authors who excel in the shifter genre. It is full of rich details, beauty and love. :wub: 

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Headstall
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1 hour ago, mogwhy said:

This was one of the first stories I've read on the site. It is a story that I have read and reread many times (i've lost track, 4+) and will again. It is not the usual shifter story and the love story. Great job, Gary! :2thumbs:

Thanks so much, moggy! I don't think there can be anything better for an author than to hear people are rereading our stories. :D  :hug: 

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Headstall
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1 hour ago, Timothy M. said:

Morningstar: The Malaise placed you right in the top five of the select group of perhaps thirty GA authors who excel in the shifter genre. It is full of rich details, beauty and love. :wub: 

Wow! Thanks, Tim! You, of all people, knew how much this story meant to me, with week after week of me fine tuning each chapter. Thank you so much for being such an important part of the process. It was a scary undertaking at the beginning, but we pulled it off. :D  :heart: 

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LitLover

This is one of my favourite shifter stories out there. It’s so easy to get trapped in the cliche with shifter storylines, but @Headstall did a fine job of writing a tale that was unique and interesting.  Gary also managed to create another two men who were completely swoon worthy :wub: 

 

a wonderful review of a great story.  Excellent job @Wicked Witch

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ColumbusGuy

I've discovered some of the readers Tim says number around thirty, and can't help but wonder who I've missed.... :)

I had been fairly sure the 'werewolf' part was well-covered, then you started publishing this--boy was I wrong!  Week after week you had me hanging on the edge of my seat for the next part--I envy those who come along now because they won't have that agony of agonies...but I'm still hanging on my seat waiting and imploring this Headstall guy to give us a sequel which is so badly desired.  Wonder when he'll give in to the hue and cry? 

Okay, maybe it's complete and a sequel isn't necessary--but ye Gods how I want one!

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Headstall
1 hour ago, LitLover said:

This is one of my favourite shifter stories out there. It’s so easy to get trapped in the cliche with shifter storylines, but @Headstall did a fine job of writing a tale that was unique and interesting.  Gary also managed to create another two men who were completely swoon worthy :wub: 

 

a wonderful review of a great story.  Excellent job @Wicked Witch

Thanks, Lit, and I agree it is an excellent review by @Wicked Witch. I had a great time writing this, and I'm so pleased with how it was received. :hug: 

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Headstall
38 minutes ago, ColumbusGuy said:

I've discovered some of the readers Tim says number around thirty, and can't help but wonder who I've missed.... :)

I had been fairly sure the 'werewolf' part was well-covered, then you started publishing this--boy was I wrong!  Week after week you had me hanging on the edge of my seat for the next part--I envy those who come along now because they won't have that agony of agonies...but I'm still hanging on my seat waiting and imploring this Headstall guy to give us a sequel which is so badly desired.  Wonder when he'll give in to the hue and cry? 

Okay, maybe it's complete and a sequel isn't necessary--but ye Gods how I want one!

Thanks, CG! Morningstar Mondays were fun, weren't they? ;)  There is another  Morningstar story in my head... but there are a few other stories as well... we'll see, but thanks for asking in such an awesome way! :D 

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Geron Kees

You got a lot of well-deserved praise for this story, which was gripping in plot and about as well-executed as anything I've ever read. The last five books I bought from the bookstore did not satisfy like this story did.

 

I hope you will  consider more of this story. Book Two will be enough for now, while you are thinking about Book Three! :)

 

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Headstall
13 minutes ago, Geron Kees said:

You got a lot of well-deserved praise for this story, which was gripping in plot and about as well-executed as anything I've ever read. The last five books I bought from the bookstore did not satisfy like this story did.

 

I hope you will  consider more of this story. Book Two will be enough for now, while you are thinking about Book Three! :)

 

Wow, Geron... thank you so much!! I'm pleased you felt this way about Morningstar. Book Two is pretty much written in my head, but it would be another massive undertaking to put it to page/screen, so bear with me if I can't possibly think about a Book Three. :unsure: . Still, I appreciate the kind words and the thought.... :hug: 

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Timothy M.
6 hours ago, ColumbusGuy said:

I've discovered some of the writers Tim says number around thirty, and can't help but wonder who I've missed.... :)

 

Go to the Advances Search page. Chose the tag were-creatures by removing tick in the Any box and then selecting from the drop-down menu. Press search - and voila 10 pages of shifter story results pop up. :) 

Edited by Timothy M.
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ColumbusGuy

I think I've read some stories by four, wolfwriter was the first, I think.  I'll see who comes up--I'll recognize other names when i see them.  Maybe Fantasyboy, Rob Colton...My memory sucks when I demand info because it sorts through decades of crap I've got up there that won't go away, so useful stuff gets lost.  I mean, who needs to know the name of Theodore Cleaver's Aunt Martha?  :)

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mogwhy
Just now, ColumbusGuy said:

I think I've read some stories by four, wolfwriter was the first, I think.  I'll see who comes up--I'll recognize other names when i see them.  Maybe Fantasyboy, Rob Colton...My memory sucks when I demand info because it sorts through decades of crap I've got up there that won't go away, so useful stuff gets lost.  I mean, who needs to know the name of Theodore Cleaver's Aunt Martha?  :)

you are remembering some good ones! heyham88, Sasha Distan, WolfM, Fantasyboy69, and HinderToyBL(his aren't complete yet). both Rambling Robin and metajinx had good starts, but have not updated or finished their stories.

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ColumbusGuy

I just finished the list called up by Tim's suggestion, and I forgot to mention Cia's Carthera stories which I have to finish.  Also had read and loved WolfM's.  Unfortunately, I saw more than a few with very interesting descriptions that were by authors I've not read--but nearly every single one is In Process for at least four years, or On Hold.  Sorry, I'm not gonna strain my eyes on stories which are abandoned, however good they might be.  That left some I will read, and reminded me of some I'd begun but got lost in my 'Following' list--sorry Cia!  I love yours, I just got distracted some years back and then forgot to go back and finish.

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