Heart of the Tree by Graeme

[TalonRider]

Umm... I'm sure I mentioned him in chapter 19 as well. He got awfully flustered when Bobby casually let it slip that Jamie's gay....

It took me a bit to figure out who he was. I couldn't remember the name but I did remember the location they met.

 

Jan

[C James]

Excellent chapter!

Well, there goes my theory that Bobby and Jamie would become boyfriends!

 

Poor Shane, hope things work out there... :

 

Interesting parable there; Jamie found Alex, who had been under Vince's nose for years, due to being out.

[Conner]

Ok, why am I the last to know that Graeme had resumed writing this story???

 

Alright, I suppose it's my own fault; but my first preference is to delegate blame. That's my management style. It works for me!

 

Graeme, this story just keeps getting better and better.

 

Has anyone noticed that there are now 3 'hearts'? Vince, Mia and Alex - they're all in relationship with dudes from out of town. Actually, I should go back and re-read the tree legend for the 'criteria'. Or, I could wait for Graeme to respond to this post.

 

Thank god for Jamie and Alex hearing Mia's screams. That would have been horrific. I have just barely gotten over the last chapter of Jack Scribe's story "Life's a Grind". The only other way out would have been discovering that Shane or Mia had a black belt in kung-fu or something.

 

Back to Jamie and Alex, now they know how to party!!! Only goes to show you that you can have a pool party without the pool. Thanks for that, Grame.

 

I do have one criticism, though, Grame. There hasn't been any character development for Alex!!!

 

Conner

[Graeme]

Ok, why am I the last to know that Graeme had resumed writing this story???

Because I'm really bad at advertising? :wacko: I don't usually push my stories -- I'm content to let people find them through word-of-mouth.

 

Has anyone noticed that there are now 3 'hearts'? Vince, Mia and Alex - they're all in relationship with dudes from out of town. Actually, I should go back and re-read the tree legend for the 'criteria'. Or, I could wait for Graeme to respond to this post.

There will be more on this in future chapters, but if you go back to the (highly implausible) premise of the story, The Tree got sick because of the severe pain caused by the lack of or loss of love. People are still falling in love around it, but who are the ones that will allow The Tree to recover? I think the answer is reasonably obvious, but are the other relationships a reflection of a recovering Tree?

 

Thank god for Jamie and Alex hearing Mia's screams. That would have been horrific. I have just barely gotten over the last chapter of Jack Scribe's story "Life's a Grind". The only other way out would have been discovering that Shane or Mia had a black belt in kung-fu or something.

I deliberately decided against a cliffhanger ending. I thought the situation was too important and needed a resolution. Equally, I didn't want to leave any suspense about who was Jamie's date. The tension beforehand was enough -- I didn't need to string it out.

 

Back to Jamie and Alex, now they know how to party!!! Only goes to show you that you can have a pool party without the pool. Thanks for that, Grame.

I have no idea what you are talking about

 

I do have one criticism, though, Grame. There hasn't been any character development for Alex!!!

There's more on Alex over the next couple of chapters. He and Jamie continue to play a part in this story for quite a while. If they don't make an appearance, it's probably because they've snuck off somewhere private....

 

Thanks everyone for the comments! I really appreciate them.

 

Graeme

[Centaur]

Great chapter Graeme!!

 

This story continues to impress me

 

I'm concentrated on Vince and Matt as the main characters of interest, but the other characters you have woven in definitely make it interesting!

 

Awesome job!

 

Centaur

[Graeme]

Just on the off chance that someone is interested, chapter 21 is now online....

[Centaur]

Interested? Are you kidding me?

 

I ALWAYS check Saturday mornings - and I read that chapter right away!

 

Awesome job, as always Graeme!

 

I don't like Karen - I want to SMACK her, but I understand what she's doing with Shane (I think). I growl anyway.

 

I like the complexity - 3 different couples at one time - and the interwoven storylines. You do a nice job of keeping the reader guessing, although we all have our theories as to who the heart really is.

 

So, nice job as always Graeme! Thanks for the great story!

 

Centaur

[BeaStKid]

Awesome chapter graeme....I am glad that Bobby vented his feelings...also loved the advice Vince gave him...I would have said the same thing...

 

Although i don't like the way Karen handled the situation, but her comments made sense and i think Shane has a sense of direction now as to what to do....

 

And as far as the illegal wedding is concerned...i feel that Vince should think things out....coming out in a small town requires a lot of it and i wouldn't want anything to happen to the hero of one of my favorite stories...right?

 

 

hot_bsk aka BeaStKid

[Graeme]

Thanks, guys!

 

I've been on a roll over the last couple of weeks with writing, and I now believe that the story is likely to go to 32 or 33 chapters. Subject to change without notice

[C James]

Awesome chapter graeme....I am glad that Bobby vented his feelings...also loved the advice Vince gave him...I would have said the same thing...

 

Although i don't like the way Karen handled the situation, but her comments made sense and i think Shane has a sense of direction now as to what to do....

 

And as far as the illegal wedding is concerned...i feel that Vince should think things out....coming out in a small town requires a lot of it and i wouldn't want anything to happen to the hero of one of my favorite stories...right?

hot_bsk aka BeaStKid

 

Great chapter!!!

 

It was great to finally learn (assuming we did) the real story on Bobby. I loved that he found out about Alex when Alex asked him out. LoL!!! That was great!!

 

Alex's "coming out" was very well done; just the right amount of nerves IMHO.

 

Poor Shane... I hope things work out for him.

 

Hrmmm, one thing though... I'm wondering if Vince really is the "heart"? The guy who died was connected to Matt and Shane, so I'm thinking (wild guess here) that Shane might be the heart... Or could there be two hearts?

[BeaStKid]

Hrmmm, one thing though... I'm wondering if Vince really is the "heart"? The guy who died was connected to Matt and Shane, so I'm thinking (wild guess here) that Shane might be the heart... Or could there be two hearts?

 

 

Er, i may be wrong here, but wasn't the Heart supposed to be from within Mourton?

[Jay]

...

Hrmmm, one thing though... I'm wondering if Vince really is the "heart"? The guy who died was connected to Matt and Shane, so I'm thinking (wild guess here) that Shane might be the heart... Or could there be two hearts?

 

There are several possibilities. How about Alex or even Bobby?

[acassimaty]

Chapter 22 is out now.

[BeaStKid]

Hmmm...Vince and Matt need to be careful if Kevin could guess so easily what was up, i.e if they want to remain in the closet.

 

All in all, a nice chapter. Good pace, and all the interesting developments taking place have kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.

 

Thanks for the lovely chapter Graeme...

 

BeaStKid

[C James]

Great chapter!

 

Alex's dad was a very pleasant surprise, as was the officer (Rhy's father).

 

Shane's nicknaming of Rhys was hilarious! The alternative, Rhysie Redneck, made me laugh out loud.

 

Kevin was a surprise, showing that not everyone is against them.

 

Great chapter!

CJ

[Centaur]

I thought it was a nice chapter too!

 

I would have to say my favorite scene was in the hardware store when Alex's dad and Rhys' dad handled things so well.

 

I continue to enjoy this story Graeme.

 

Thank you.

 

Centaur

[Graeme]

Thanks, everyone!

 

I liked that scene in the hardware store, too. It is amazing the difference having supportive parents can make.

[acassimaty]

Chapter 23 is up!

[BeaStKid]

Nice chapter there...I wonder what Mia and Aunt Cynthia said to Shane...

 

Also, The confrontation b/w Felicity and Mama was awesome. It's great to see more and more people coming out (no pun intended) in suport of the gay couples in the town.

 

I don't look forward to Bobby's talk with his parents. It is going to be hard on the poor boy and i can empathize with his situation.

 

Great one at that...Looking forward for more....

 

The BeaStKid

[C James]

Wow, Jamie really got put on the spot. What he did took both guts and maturity; I doubt I'd have had the nerve. Also, it sounds like he's met his ideal match in Alex; I hope the geographical issues can be solved.

 

And Ouch, poor Shane.. But that Kiss from Karen was intriguing!

 

I sure love Mama! What a wonderful lady!

 

Great chapter as always!

[wildone]

Hi Graeme,

 

Believe it or not, I just found your story and started reading it this morning. Well, after 16 hours of continuous reading, I'm definitely looking forward to what will happen next.

 

I am wondering about Warren and Karen, as it seems they are making a exit from the story now. But, it seems that maybe there might be more to that, with Karen staying at Warren's place in Sydney. Could it be another pairing up?

 

There is so maybe couples hooking up (and I guess the threesome is still not resolved), I am wondering about Rhys. He seems to be one of the main characters, but no idea if there is anyone for him. Wait...Bobby is also single .

 

Anyways, I have really enjoyed the story and will be watching for updates.

 

Thanks,

 

Steve

[Graeme]

Nice chapter there...I wonder what Mia and Aunt Cynthia said to Shane...

 

Also, The confrontation b/w Felicity and Mama was awesome. It's great to see more and more people coming out (no pun intended) in suport of the gay couples in the town.

I tried a few times to write Mia and Shane's conversation, but it always came over as stilted. To be honest, I don't really know much about how to tell someone I'm breaking up with them... which I'm really happy about . So, I decided to do it off-camera, so to speak.

 

As for Mama -- she's one of my favourite characters. For some reason, I always picture Italian grandmother's as being feisty, as well as always wanting what's best for their "children".

 

Wow, Jamie really got put on the spot. What he did took both guts and maturity; I doubt I'd have had the nerve. Also, it sounds like he's met his ideal match in Alex; I hope the geographical issues can be solved.

 

And Ouch, poor Shane.. But that Kiss from Karen was intriguing!

 

I sure love Mama! What a wonderful lady!

Jamie has a problem with not being honest. He'd said it earlier. When put on the spot, there wasn't a lot of choice about what he could do -- except tell the truth. At least, the truth as he saw it. Alex and Jamie continue to make an appearance in later chapters, so hopefully your questions will be answered.

 

Believe it or not, I just found your story and started reading it this morning. Well, after 16 hours of continuous reading, I'm definitely looking forward to what will happen next.

 

I am wondering about Warren and Karen, as it seems they are making a exit from the story now. But, it seems that maybe there might be more to that, with Karen staying at Warren's place in Sydney. Could it be another pairing up?

 

There is so maybe couples hooking up (and I guess the threesome is still not resolved), I am wondering about Rhys. He seems to be one of the main characters, but no idea if there is anyone for him. Wait...Bobby is also single .

Thanks, Steve!

 

Warren and Karen aren't out of the story, but they're no longer in the middle of things. As to what is going on there, you won't have long to wait

 

It's interesting that you picked up on Rhys and Bobby being single. Rhys isn't really ready to settle down -- he's out to enjoy himself, though he's maturing. Bobby has personal issues that need to be resolved. Otherwise, I think they'd make a great a couple

 

I'm trying to maintain a two-weekly posting cycle at AwesomeDude, with the goal to do so until the story is completed. At the moment, I believe that will happen as I've got a number of chapters edited and ready to go (including another two chapters back from the editor today). It looks like the story will conclude with chapter 32.

 

I also have an email list that I use to let readers know about new stories (I sent an email out last weekend about the Summer Anthology here at GA), so if you (or anyone else) wants to be added to that list, just PM me with an email address you'd like the email to go to. The email list is only used for letting readers know about new chapters and stories and I don't give it out to anyone else.

 

Cheers!

 

Graeme

[C James]

IMHO, there is no way you could have shown Mia's break-up with Shane and had it come out better than it did. Leaving it up to the reader's imagination was IMHO perfect in this situation.

 

Rhys is definitely one of my favorite characters. Part of his alure might be the name; I love exotic, unique names like that.

 

And BTW, I think (hope) you have made a typo...

It looks like the story will conclude with chapter 32.

 

I'm hoping that you missed out the middle number typed that?

[Conner]

That had to be one of the best chapters in the story. Just when I think you've peaked as an author, you go and write a chapter like that. It really pisses me off. I hate being wrong.

 

Do you ever get the impression that I have issues with you? :wacko: I do. I really do. Is this the first time I've had issues with a dude? No. I guess you figured that out already. Fortunately (for you ), my past experiences tell me (when this happens) that there's something I need to learn from you. To put it more positively, you have something to teach me / give me. Naturally, my initial reaction is to resist. But that's never worked. It always means that I'm not ready for the learning. I'm a tough nut to crack. It's not important that you are unaware of what it is that you have to give me. I'll get it eventually. It's osmosis or something. But in the meantime, you still piss me off.

 

Ok, whew...I'm glad that's out in the open.

 

Speaking of pissing me off....Karen pisses me off. I do not like that woman. I find her so arrogant. I get that she honestly believes that calling Shane "fairy boy" is helpful to Shane. She honestly believes that she's sacrificing herself, in terms of being a bitch to him, for Shane's benefit. I would bury that woman.

 

What Shane needs is for Matt to confront him with the truth - straight out. "Listen up, Shane, you're defeating yourself. You believe that you'll never find a woman who'll love you for who you are. That's crap. Until you do something about it, nothing will change!"

 

Ok, here's what I want. Warren has a flat tire on the way to Sydney and Karen decides to take charge. Sadly, the car slips from the whatsit and falls on her head. Everyone's sad...yada, yada, yada.

 

 

Conner

[Graeme]

Speaking of pissing me off....Karen pisses me off. I do not like that woman. I find her so arrogant. I get that she honestly believes that calling Shane "fairy boy" is helpful to Shane. She honestly believes that she's sacrificing herself, in terms of being a bitch to him, for Shane's benefit. I would bury that woman.

 

What Shane needs is for Matt to confront him with the truth - straight out. "Listen up, Shane, you're defeating yourself. You believe that you'll never find a woman who'll love you for who you are. That's crap. Until you do something about it, nothing will change!"

 

Ok, here's what I want. Warren has a flat tire on the way to Sydney and Karen decides to take charge. Sadly, the car slips from the whatsit and falls on her head. Everyone's sad...yada, yada, yada.

Conner

Hi, Conner,

 

 

Thanks for your comments. My personal view has always been that people are complex and trying to put them into little boxes doesn't work unless you use a chainsaw....

 

I have a lot of empathy for Karen because in many ways she was what I was like at that age -- a smart person with very little in the way of social skills. She doesn't know how to be polite, how to be hedge around what what she wants to say to make it more palatable. She's not always right, but she's not stupid.

 

As for your comment about what Matt needs to say -- Matt and I both disagree with you We believe that there are people (of both sexes) who will love Shane for who he is -- an empathic and very lovely person who just doesn't fit into societal stereotypes.

 

Oh, and the next chapter should be appearing at AwesomeDude in the next few hours....