Ozymandias

I don't usually read short stories because they too often seem to have no real plot or "umps" to the story. Yours are the exception. I've read and enjoyed each one as it was posted. Thanks and I look forward to reading more of your stories.

I enjoyed this story even though I usually don't like short stories because they don't really get into a character very deeply. In your story I did feel that I came to understand Sam, and Mark too I guess. I also liked that you just told it like it was without any histrionics, which made it more compelling. Keep up the good work!

Great guys (and dog) and great story! It was wonderful and moving to have a person who the casual observer would call "handicapped" portrayed as completely normal (pun intended) and able to love and be loved. Thanks for such a positive statement.

Would you please get rid of the thesaurus and write In your own words! I think the story might be interesting, but I can't stand the pretentious language so I'm quitting reading it.

What a great chapter - one awful surprise after another. At least Maidstone is "sleeping with the fishes" as he so richly deserves. And thanks for your tremendous efforts writing this series as well as the Academic Preditor series. I look forward to reading both of them each week (a week without Arbour is week without sunshine!). You set the standard for excellent plotting and excellent writing. Here's to another five years!

I enjoy all the information about China and its people, especially how citizens of the same country can have such differences. I guess I think of China as just a huge country and don't consider how diverse it's people. Thanks!

Way to go, Wade!

This story had a lot of charm, warmth and humor despite the rape episode. And a lot of love, both eros and philia. I hope your next story is already on it way to us.

Great chapter, but it feels too much like the end of the story. I don't know what I'll do without my "Little Man" fix.

I just read all seven chapters of Little Man. It's a gripping story with lots of tension among the players. I agree with the earlier reviewers that it seems like you are setting Eric up to play a pivotal role in Little Man's love life - or is it in Ogre's, perhaps? I'm anxious to find out.

Chapters of Odyssey and Paternity on the same Monday make a great start to a new week. Granger is a marvel - maybe Will can grow up to become such a gentleman in time.

Thanks for another chapter about Will and his amazing ability to get into a fight where ever he goes. He was more drama in a day than I've managed in my entire life! Maybe I'm a sucker for strong-willed (no pun intended) young men, but I look forward to new chapters of Paternity with great anticipation.

I am enjoying the story but as someone who taught writing for over three decades, I am afraid that I have some suggestions for you. I think that you include far too much detail of things that are not important to the narrative. Do we really need to know what kinds of salad dressing were available, for example? Or what the salad itself was made of, for that matter. Do we really need to know every detail of the security system installed at Debbie's house? All this sort of extraneous information just bogs down the story. Think verbs, verbs, verbs! If you were my student (and you should be glad you have been spared!), I would have you read through this chapter and strike out every noun, adjective and adverb that is not absolutely necessary to advance what you want to say. Then you should have the bare bones of the chapter laid out before you so that you can see what your characters are doing, thinking and feeling. Flesh out the bones with a little descriptive detail and see what a difference there is to the pace of the chapter.

This is the first time I've seen this story, that I remember of course. It's gotten off to a good start and I look forward to continuing to read it. I assume that Dean's idealic life will take a dramatic turn or two in the coming chapters. Will John and Dean fall in love? Will the Mob come after? Stay Tuned!

I agree that Amanda is clearly loco, but Daddy Dearest could use a little psychiatic attention too. And Ethan is clearly an idiot driven by teenage testosterone (need I say more). Just curious - you made a point of talking about Gibby's horrible scars in the beginning so I thought that they, or rather Gibby's feelings about them, would play a large role in the story. I assume they will when the love affair develops?

Jonas is not the only one that Jenny is tormenting! I'll be glad to see the next chapter and find out who the guy is.

This is quite a different twist for an opening chapter. There seem to be many different ways that the story could develop from this point, so I look forward to seeing the next chapter soon.

Keep going, please! It's a good beginning that grabs you right off the bat. And you have set up enough interesting settings and characters to make a fine series story.