Stellar

The holiday sale is an absolute &^%$#. I've bought so many games, it's sickening .. and I still haven't installed them all

Hey Mann! Thanks for reviewing me You know, it's funny because this piece came from so long ago when I was not really very focused/organised with my writing, but the detail around the smithing seems to shine through anyhow. I own a katana (always prepared for a zombie apocalypse! ) and the artistry that goes into Japanese swordmaking is amazing. It is an intricate process for a truly elegant weapon. I'd love for you to read Hidden Sunlight, though I would be the first to admit that my writing is not for everyone. I am well aware my style is quite different and may not be to everyone's taste, which is why I'm not offended if some aren't interested. Ultimately though, I'd like to think the writing will speak for itself and resonate with readers if given half a chance! I do hope you will give it a try.

I forgot I never replied to this review! I have never planned to continue this, but maybe some day after Hidden Sunlight and the sequel are done, I will. It was always a favourite short story of mine.

I'm not sure whether people assume the average or just simply fill in the blanks with what they would *like* to see. Perhaps a combination of the two. I did touch on his physical build here and there in third person, but as to what he looks like, facial shape, hair and eye colour, etc; you would have a much clearer view of Shay's personality than his looks. I refuse to be one of those writers who inserts self-descriptive character references to physical attributes. I'm positive I've said this before multiple times but what Shay looks like has little-to-no impact on the story. Apart from serving as a point of reference to what Mira finds attractive, which so far can be summarised as: a shorter, slighter build with dark brown hair, a somewhat 'pretty-boy' face as considered by others ... and a really nice ass. A comparison to Daniel Radcliffe in Goblet of Fire wouldn't be completely off, though I would say Shay has a softer slightly-feminine androgynous quality to him. If you recall Carlos and what he said of his brother Esteban (who was 'delicate' and looked like his mother, contrasted with Carlos' genes drawing on his father's masculinity), that description was transferred to Shay and very much cements the 'pretty' image. It is something that tends to bother him when other people notice it because he doesn't like being considered 'girly' or that he's less of a male because of how he looks. During his earlier life on Earth and due to his introspective nature, he never really understood how others viewed him though. It only became noticed during the plot of Hidden Sunlight when he was forced out of his shell (and catapulted head-first into romance.) Of course, Mira managed to counter that gender-sex insecurity in his own typical way. With reference to the chamber, the physical alterations that took place were mostly *not* visible things; they were cellular/molecular or things within the body's deeper structure; i.e. Shay didn't look that much different after it was done. Internally, a lot of things were fixed/changed and his body was strengthened too, but on the outside, he still appeared (more or less) the same. I've tried to avoid the discussion over arbiters-sharpelings as knotme requested, but I will say this: you've got it fairly accurate. The relationship between them is probably closest described as a master to slave situation. In chapter 16 when he encounters an arbiter, Mira retrospectively considers that when he was a sharpeling, he was a slave. As a sharpeling, any individual willingly does what the arbiter tells it to do, though this willingness is artificially compelled. The sharpelings want to serve and it is their purpose to do so, but this is brought about by the Sharpe virus. The mutation itself is the bond of slavery, the means by which manipulation and control is enforced.

Well, that's a shame, I was just about to actually answer your first question ... but if you were kidding. Nevermind then On GA, when I'm looking for some fiction with gay characters in it, I've always had a weakness for Comicality's brand of teen angst, which is strange because it's so at odds with the kind of fiction I write myself. Part of that may be nostalgia though. I don't know, I pick and choose what I like from GA, it's so very hard to choose favourites. In general outside of GA, I read science fiction mostly and fantasy sometimes - I love a good bit of epic fiction. I've occasionally delved into historical fiction based in places like ancient Rome/Greece and Asia. See Cassie's question above for a few authors! The author that has influenced my thinking most would also be Tolkien. The man was a genius as far as I'm concerned. He had this amazing complex and hugely detailed world, full of beautiful concepts and characters. He's the grandmaster and originator of modern high-fantasy. Peter Hamilton and Dan Simmons both created vast scenarios and history surrounding their respective fictions and that is truly impressive to me. Personal likes for a story comes down to believability and emotion. It needs to seem real and it needs to invest me, the reader, in it. That's why when a reader says that to me about *my* fiction, I am extraordinarily pleased because I feel like I've hit my goal as an author. Disliking would be when something has poor spelling/grammar, a lack of context and inaccuracies, excessive dialogue or description ... I don't know! There are a lot of things one can nitpick about! As to your last question: yes. I would.

I'm a Tolkien geek, amongst other things, so I have an enduring fondness for his work. In the past though I've greatly enjoyed Peter Hamilton, Dan Simmons, Neil Asher, Douglas Adams (RIP ) and the venerable George R R Martin (back in 2003 before most of the world knew what Game of Thrones was!) I'm quite fickle about what I enjoy and what I don't, so it's hard to find interesting fiction.

Also: other?!

Boxers *AND* briefs. Seriously, I own and wear both. Er, just not at the same time, of course. Though during winter ... hmmm, there's an idea.

Feedback means a *lot* to me. In the end I'd be writing regardless of reader feedback, because it's my chosen art form. However, regardless, that engagement with people is so helpful to put me in the right headspace. I suppose it's more of a motivational boost than anything, but it's healthy mentally!

Cassie that's very sweet I think you are biased though

Well I'm naturally a bit of a cynic and not terribly social, so there has to be a good reason for me to stick around I first found gay fiction when I was 18, discovering Comicality and Iomfats during a bout of self-questioning. When Comsie migrated to GA, I had been through quite a weird patch in my life and was avoiding the related forums and community (for a number of years.) I eventually got over that bump and began lurking here for a long while and then made an account in 2010. This is all a very roundabout way of saying: the community was welcoming and for a person like me that does not tend to fit in anywhere, I didn't feel excluded! So you might say, I came for the fiction, but I stayed for the company.

Everyone wants to know about our beloved young heroes and all I can do is repeat the mantra: patience! You'll be rewarded! I cannot jump to their circumstances early or the buildup will be ruined I imagine Konstantin feels like a football that's being kicked around the pitch right about now. He's living in the moment until he can find some stable ground. Lucas 'Nikko' Thessaloniki rightly views him as a valuable person because he is one of only THREE people in recorded history to have returned from a ruined infested world only for the Yakutsk incident to happen. Nikko doesn't want to place all the eggs in one basket by letting Konstantin travel with Ayize and his merry men who are pursuing Shay and Mira's abductors. All I will say at this point about Yugan's role is that it will be *much* better understood after chapter 4. Uh, and, as for Mira's height! Check out my response to the Veil of Shadow thread (the link is in the end notes for chapter 3) where I have elaborated a little on my reasons for the question. While I did say that Mira was uh, "Significantly-Larger-Than-Average but slightly less than Porn-Star-Ridiculous" I believe the phrase was, it's been my (somewhat limited) experience that tall skinny guys are often built that way! So maybe there's some truth to your speculation

While I can't promise any interspecies loving going on (the Mishith really do NOT swing that way), what I can promise is that you are going to see them *soon*. Will that mean the very next chapter? Maybe, maybe not! The plot needs to reach the correct point before they can appear, but I do believe you will enjoy the results

Haha! Continuum! I know of it, but I haven't really watched it. Well, in this scenario there aren't really any innocent parties out of the three major ideological forces. Everyone is pushing in different directions. Shay and Mira are getting closer to appearing. I know readers are getting antsy about it, but I still caution patience. You'll see them at the right time, I promise you!

Politics never really changes, does it? Just like human nature. That same old crap. Bare in mind, he is taking Ayize at face value. The man could be trouble as far as Konstantin is aware, though at this point he has no clearer option and is willing to just go with it if there is a chance.

I've given some hints about Yugan here and there, but it is certainly clear that they are not human at all. He is Mishith, a very old alien race on a world somewhere else in our galaxy. Konstantin is having a rough time of things. More of his story is covered in chapter three. We will get to the boys!

Happy birthday Johnathan

So you all think he's probably 5'9 -- interesting. Incidentally, the average height for adult men in most countries is in the range 5'8 to 5'10. Naturally there's a bit of variation there dependent on ethnicity; i.e. Asian countries average on the shorter side, while northern Europe breeds them tall. Also worth noting is that this is for adults. Mira is physically around 15 years old, so he would probably end up taller than that. Granted, this could be accounted for by his Norweigan blood, as the Scandinavian countries fit on the higher end of the scale. The reason I asked this question was because of curiosity about reader perception. It was either that or to ask something equally ill-defined like: 'what colour is Shay's hair?' because I am fairly certain I did not mention it even once in Hidden Sunlight. I think it was only in the third chapter of Veil of Shadow that I even gave a hint. I was (and still am) fascinated by how people's minds connect information over the longer term; essentially how they fill the gaps when left with inconclusive data. The only reference for Mira's height is comparative; he's taller than Shay, but not as tall as Konstantin (who is definitely over six feet) or Carlos. However, given that Shay doesn't say much about his own height - and why on earth would he? - other than that he considers himself to be short, this is left quite open. There are several times in Hidden Sunlight where Shay notices physical differences between the two, and also where the text implies certain limitations one way or another. All in all, I know I leave details on some aspects of the story quite indistinct. That's often by design, but it has made me wonder just how the imaginations of other people see what I have written - and how that differs from the 'canon' in my head. You know what, I'm not even going to say the number. Well, maybe I will, but not yet. I'll see how many other people reply.

The atomic fireball flowered over Siberia, a deadly artificial bloom in the frigid darkness of the Russian night. It was far away, maybe dozens of kilometres from where they were. It seemed to Konstantin that it was close enough to touch, a giant symbol of invasive destruction. He stood staring, unable to process the sight. There was only a cruel knowledge that he had just witnessed a city of more than half a million people turned to dust. Yakutsk was no more. He could not comprehend it. All

Happy birthday!

Well that's lovely, but I hadn't read any news articles where Daley discussed his sexuality prior to this, so why wouldn't I be surprised? Heterosexuality is the 'assumed default' for most people. How is that amazing?

Just saw this on Facebook too and I want to say, in no particular order of importance: a] this is surprising! b] he is *damn* gorgeous and c] I'm really jealous of his boyfriend.

Happy birthday!!

As requested, I'll leave this to any other reader(s) who may care to explain. The floor is indeed open.

Of course, it is all interconnected The significance of the opening CS-Space expedition may not be obvious for quite some time. Konstantin is certainly having a rough time of things, too - poor Dimi's life has been full of dramatic happenings since he met Shay. Then, the Dagenith. Certainly their current culture lives a much more mundane existence than long ago. Their life has been the same, with those traditions and rustic simplicity being repeated indefinitely -- but then there's Yugan!