Stellar

I love this song! An American friend of mine first referred it to me; her mother is a lesbian, so the themes in it are something that's close to her heart. I hadn't seen the music video before though, it's beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

Yeah, I added a new beta to the story as a whole, which, similar to editing even a spelling mistake in a single chapter sends out a notification to everyone who has them turned on Honestly, it doesn't make me happy that I can't touch it at all without sending out a seismic wave of 'this story has been updated!' to all subscribers, but that's just the way the system goes. HOWEVER ... I added that beta because Chapter 11 is in the final stages as we speak! So .. do not fear, it's not far off

Thank you Distracting anyone from sleep = success!

I get accused of cliffhanging an awful lot! Of all the chapter endings, I think maybe 4 or 5 I'd put in that category .. which .. uh .. actually is about half. Okay, so maybe there *is* some truth to that after all Shay was very much an introvert before all this took place; both by his personality type and the circumstances in his life that forced him into a self-contained shell. Incidentally, I don't cover it in the text, but I envision that he didn't just read fiction either, but pretty much anything he could get his hands on that caught his eye.

haha, I love your reviews, they're very full of descriptive words There will be a reason for almost everything that gets written, although random lucky events and chance do play a role here and there of course. Miles is certainly nothing to be taken lightly. Thank you for reviewing me.

Miles Hartley is quite an .. interesting .. man. Thank you.

yes, the fork. Destroyer of worlds, killer of perverts You never did find out just how badly beaten up he got, btw. It was actually worse than it appeared, only mitigated by the fact he healed so fast.

aww thank you I make no apologies for cliffhanging though Dramatic suspension, it needs to be injected here and there. Mira is just so enjoyable to me and I think out of anything I've written so far (I have a number unpublished) his characterisation and relationship with Shay are to me the most fulfilling and genuine thing. It is thrilling to not find serious fault, as I am my own worst critic.

hey Rob. What you say is very flattering! A lot of work went into this one but I think I'm very satisfied. It represents a milestone really and concentrated effort. It's progressing how I want it to at the moment and I'm happy with that. I'm glad you enjoyed it -- don't forget to like any/all parts of the story you enjoyed

As a little boy, I'd had a very active imagination. While my life developed the way it did, lapsing into fantasy that encompassed all manner of things was common, a symptom of my isolation that flourished into a refuge of the mind. Anything that brought with it a sense of being part of something grand, adventurous, something magical, was craved and absorbed. Maybe it was pirates and treasure hunting, maybe it was an alien invasion, maybe it was sorcery and dragon-slaying. My love affair with

Hey paren. Thanks for dropping by. Glad you're enjoying Hidden Sunlight The original concept for the story was a bit different from how it ended up being written, and if people get curious enough, I may share that. Probably after I have finished the series though, or it would, unfortunately, spoil it. I will say though: Lucere has grown and evolved from what I thought it would. I'm a very details-oriented person, so it's important to have my mind au-fait with factual consistency. That's to say: I *need* what I write to be as realistic as possible, because I want to immerse my readers in the world. There's a lot to explore with a planet like this, especially this one being in the sorry state that it has landed .. and that gives me creative fodder as an author. It's exciting and I am enjoying the process an awful lot.

Thank you Reading that actually made me smile on what was otherwise a rather crappy day. Chapter 10 is just around the corner so there will be more to read shortly. Had a bit of writer's block getting it from notes to prose, but I think I'm over the worst of it now.

Terrifying to think that I was first at The Shack when I was I think still 17 years old. It seems like forever ago and I guess close to half my lifetime counts as fairly significant .. but my word! How it - and you - have evolved! It's been a long long journey, a lot of ups and downs through it all and still going strong. You are the reason I am on GA, like many others, so here is to many more for you and the community that is shared in. Much love, Hamish.

Don't worry, Konstantin becomes more involved again in 10. He certainly hasn't been idle in the meanwhile, he's just been 'off-camera' Everyone loves Mira! I can't get over it, and each time I see a review or comment that reaffirms it, it makes me smile (and usually laugh as well.) Indeed, considering how new humanity is to him, he has developed a sense of identity remarkably fast. He knows exactly who he is, and he's 100% certain in his beliefs. Quite right, how did they capture that sharpeling? More to the point .. *why*? What possible use could they have for a biological menace like that inside their own base? Hmmmmmmmm ....

My main problem is not so much with the limitation on likes per day, though I do think this could be structured differently so it's a little more sensible. It is mostly centred around the conflation of likes from several different places into the 'reputation' number. For example, someone can write a forum post a couple lines long and it would have equal weighting to an artistically brilliant 10,000 word story chapter, because there is no differentiation between the two; the button means the same thing. To me, this renders the meaning of reputation somewhat indecipherable. I recognise that the number has no practical purpose outside of the early stages of an author's moderation but even so, I think there is a perception of sorts - perhaps not shared by everyone - that it is a sort of scoreboard of prestige. I agree with Yettie, it often feels like it is rewarding active forum and community participation more than an author's ability. Don't get me wrong, I think it's good to encourage those things, but I just think that 'reputation' is ambiguous. I think it would be better if it these things weren't considered together as a single number. I also like the idea of things being more feedback oriented, as he suggested. I think that's a great idea and it's what I would be pushing, because it's promoting engagement and thought, and that is more constructive than simply clicking a button that says "I approve of this!"

Do not read these books! They're just ... ugh .. avoid. Please. The writing is uninspired and the content, frankly, is cringe-worthy in more than a few places. There are many far better works out there deserving of your attention; don't be fooled by the "best seller" status. However, if you should really feel the need to experience it, I recommend the following link. It will steal only two minutes of your life instead of your money and your soul. Warning: may contain sexually explicit dialogue and cause severe laughter. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K1RcKJVbHA

It is a coming of age tale for Shay, amongst other things. I don't want to forget though that while he's being forced to grow up by all these horrible events, he is still a boy and sometimes will just want to act like one and to experience life without the depressing seriousness that it demands. Yes! Sharpelings aren't indestructible at all. However they are not at all easy to kill. There is a double threat too; being torn apart is the most scary thing but all it takes is a bite or cut and the victim is as good as done for anyhow. Getting up close and personal is a very bad idea. Thank you for reviewing And yes, if I had a significant other, that would be *exactly* the way I'd make our mornings happen

I won't deny, I only took notice of this story because I saw mention of autism, and that has a very strong personal significance .. but I am glad I did read it. Thank you for writing it, for your portrayal of Luke. There are so many facets to autistic behaviour that most normal 'neurotypical' people have a hard time grasping them all or even recognising how important certain parts are. Your characterisation is simple (NB: I don't mean 'simple' here as a criticism, but rather as a fitting description; that is how it should be on the surface of things) and I think it touches those facets faithfully and appropriately. I very much hope so see more of this and would like to discover what you intend to come next.

Awesome. Glad to have you following the action is fun to write and less time consuming than the more 'talky' bits of the plot.

The wording around that "suspended animation" need not have warranted anything, simply because the suspended animation Shay was to endure was already described as temporary. The amazing part is the length, and no, centuries isn't the natural human expectation; not to mention the more important fact that it is impossible.to stay in stasis indefinitely. So ... *how*? Your assertion about the sharpelings was made implicitly (or explicitly? I don't remember) obvious quite early on. About their lifespan, no comment on that. I will say though that no, there is no chance his parents are alive. This is a fact. They are dead. Lastly: the *emanated warmth .. indeed, what is that!? It's a rather important thing! Information connecting that part of the story will come in the next couple chapters

Oh he had no intention of actually becoming a victim there. Just lucky he turned the only available weapon into a tool of death through sheer determination and a smart knowledge of anatomy. This is his resolve at work. It was necessary to save their lives, so he did it.

Everyone loves that stuff .. hah! Everyone loves him too, it seems. Wow!

my word, you are a demanding reader chapter 10 will be easy, when I get to it. Just in Contemplation Mode atm.

I do! Doesn't everyone? If you're not writing in 3D, I can't imagine how dull that must be. Ah, his mind! What a mind to have.

Thanks!