Andrew Q Gordon

Once upon a time you and I talked about how much I love your short stories. You said something about how hard you found it to write full length ones. Well now I see you've jumped in with both feet. Great start, looking forward to reading this now. Andy

Bob - thanks I know exactly what you mean. It has gone by SO fast already. I already know I'm going to hate not being here when she gets home from school - like Mike will be. But as you say, I'll have to work to create my own things for us. Cia - I don't need a cliche to tell me how fast it all goes by. The last 16 weeks went faster than any other time I can remember. It seemed forever waiting for her, but since then it has been a blur. I'll see how it goes when I go back to work and have less time with her each day. Dave - I'm rather jealous of Mike because even when he 'goes' back to work, he works at home. He'll get to see so much more of her life than I will. Yes, I know I can make my time count, but I won't be there when she comes home each day excited to tell her daddy something - it will always be him who gets that first excited telling. But it's what happens to most families so I can't be too upset. Just jealous. Anyta - The toddlers at the pre-school were by far the cutest. They were so friendly and happy and curious. The older they got the less interactive with us they seemed. So yeah, I'm guessing that will be the fun age too.

Good idea introducing yourself. If I can make a small suggestion, if you've read a ton, go review a ton as well. Nothing makes other authors take a peek at your work faster than letting them know you read theirs - it also makes people who read a lot see your contributing and they will at a minimum take a look at your work. Other than that - good writing and look forward to reading it. Andy

I was reminded by a certain someone that I hadn't updated this lately. True, the holidays were a real pisser, then with mom getting cancer and the unexpected trip to North Carolina so Grandma could see baby to 'cheer her up' it's been a bit. Sadly I go back to work in 5 days. Can't believe my time off is all gone. It's been worth it for sure, but it was a lot more work than I figured. [i know all you parents out there are laughing at me wondering WTF I thought it would be like. - Shaddup!] The worst part of going back is something I sort of knew at the start - she is just starting to do things like smile at me, laugh, point to things she wants, etc. In short she's got her own personality now, just in time for me to go back to work. Mike is taking the next two months off, then we get the nanny. We visited a daycare/preschool yesterday. The kids were SO cute. I had baby q over my shoulder and talking to the 'toddler' class. Well more like I was saying hi and stuff. When I held out my hand to one of them, he high fived me and that set off the mad rush. All the kids had to follow suit. SO cute. I hope lil Q is that happy in day care. The staff was real nice and the kids all seemed happy so that was good. God, I can't believe we're already thinking about day care - I mean cripes, we just got her. And it wasn't that long ago we were talking about getting her. Sigh, I wasn't prepared for this. The more I speak to people with kids, the more I realize how lucky we are with her. Funny how at times I don't feel lucky, but hearing other peoples stories, we have it so good. She is really a happy baby, rarely cries, unless hungry and we're getting better at anticipating that. She laughs a lot, sleeps well - really well. We put her down at about 10:30 and she gets up at 6:30 a.m. Has since she was about 8 weeks. So we're lucky. Of course then there are mornings like today where we're sitting in our rocker, settling down after eating and she decides it would be fun to see how far she can project her spit up. The answer is pretty far especially on my jeans. Okay so I'll post a few pictures once I'm done with this then I have to do baby laundry. Look for them if you haven't seen them already.

If we go with June Weekend of June 9 &10 or June 16 &17 or June 23 & 24. I'd prefer June too, BUT if it's may avoid the weekend of May 12 & 13 - Mother's day Memorial day might be a good weekend as a lot of locals bolt for the beach so it might be rather empty which would help with room rates. That would be a compromise between may and June. Unless anyone else has another suggestion, why don't we add a poll and let folks votes, most votes wins - Oh Dan and Trebs - If you venture up this way after going to Charlotte, where I'm going next weekend for the parent's 50th wedding anniversary - let us know and we'll meet you for dinner - just be prepared to deal with a 11 month old. Andy

Since you asked for any and all reviews - even the bad ones - oh wait, that wasn't meant for you Being serious for a moment - nice start - ambitious to say the least, world building already is, but I think you did a good job of giving details with out getting bogged down. Don't lose that touch in the rest of the book. My only gripe, if you call it that, is the spirits. I thought it a bit odd that the spirits - who are tens of thousands of years old evidently if they lived 100 millennium - would speak the way they did, it seemed a bit causal. BUT that said, these are your spirits and so long as you keep them consistent, that's all good. I wouldn't suggest you change it, just a stray thought that popped in my head as I was trying to read with the baby squeezing various parts of my face and neck. Andy

Well thanks for letting me be your first GA post. Actually, his mom doesn't live in Hamerton, she lives close, but not that close. Pete has his own place because he'd have to communte too far otherwise and since he can live on his own, who wouldn't? I suppose it wasn't clear enough that they family home is not right around the corner. In that part of Pennsylvania, school districts can be pretty big. So while Graydon might be the 'local' University, it was - in my mind - about 25 miles or so away. Close enough that he could have commuted, but why give up the on campus part of your college experience. As I said, being on scholarshop, he only had to pay for himself, so that is what he did. Minnesota eh? I went to school there - the Univ. of Mn to be exact. It's snowing here so I'm reminded of Minnesota so the profile image was timely. Andy

Happy BirthdayMatt - enjoy!!!

Dan, Sorry to muddy the waters a bit - but in Chapter 7 when discussing how Lt. Powers secretly wanted to shag with Hereford, he's referred to as General Hereford, then Colonel. In Chapter eight there is Colonel Miller - no idea who that is - and 'the General' Am I confused or this a bit of a name mix up. Is Hereford the General in charge or a Colonel. Who is Colonel Miller and if Hereford isn't the General, who is?

KC, Thanks for reading, glad you liked it. To be honest, I enjoyed writing that story quite a bit. First time doing anything along those lines so it was good for me. Thanks for let me know. Andy

Since there is a better than average chance I'll be whacked tonight by the surviving Mafia, I'll post my thoughts now before night falls. Either way my days are numbered so I wish you fellow townies good luck. If I'm right and Kiltie is Mafia, I suspect I'm dead tonight. If I'm wrong, you'll will wrongly lynch me believing I am mafia. As I've said all along I'm not Mafia, a fact that will become clear when I am dead. Thus I leave you my thoughts since I expect to be dead soon. 1) I came up with my vote for Kiltie as stated above. Anyone he voted for prior to his lynching - assuming we're all right and he is Mafia - is NOT Mafia, he wouldn't vote for his own, not early in the game. If he's a townie, then I'm completely wrong and as Jonathan suggested, I'm lynched next round. 2) I still suspect Nephy well just because she'd be the perfect Mafia. IF Kiltie is Mafia, then her vote didn't matter. JC's vote was #6 and Kiltie was already Lynched. Her vote would not change that. By voting for Kiltie after the deciding vote was cast - she didn't kill a fellow Mafia - he was dead already and she deflects suspicion. If Kiltie is NOT Mafia, same thing. her vote doesn't matter and it makes her look like a townie. Remember this point when I'm dead - because she it was who tried to cast suspicion on me. And since I'm not Mafia and her actions, I suspect her most 3) I've reviewed all the votes and aside from JC switching from Kiltie to Adam twice then from me to Kiltie, what sticks out is that Kiltie has consistently voted for Merlin. IF Kiltie is Mafia, then Merlin is not. IF Kiltie is NOT Mafia, I don't know what to make of it. 4) I was about to give my assessment and why of who I am quite certain is not Mafia, but that paints a bullseye on their back so I'll refrain. BUT once I'm dead - look at the votes - see who voted with me early on - Not Mafia - see who voted against me early on - Mafia. [by voting for or against me I mean who voted for the people I voted for not who voted for me to be lynched.] Okay, that's it. Good luck my fellow townie in case I don't make it. Andy

Two more things. I don't think the Mafia are only the quiet ones - yeah I'm pretty vocal and yet I claim not to be Mafia. Here was my thinking last 'night': I was looking to see who was being targeted, me, Krista and Adam, then I looked at who got killed. The Mafia wouldn't whack someone others where saying were Mafia because the hope is the townies will Lynch them themselves, saving the Mafia the need. Then there are those - Kiltie and Nephylim - who kept suggesting the quiet ones were the Mafia. Like I said before, that's what they want us to do, kill the townies so they can kill another at night making it two dead in one day. So far that hasn't happened. Kiltie's 'mistake' of voting for Cemel by 'accident' not realizing it was night and he couldn't vote makes me suspicious. At night the Mafia need to vote to whack someone. I think this is one of the those 'email' mistakes. You know where you plan to bitch about your boss being a douche but instead of sending it to your friend you email it to the whole company? Given how fast the vote went out - almost immediately after it was night - I think that was him telling his fellow mafia members that was his vote. On the basis of that, and upon review of the email exchange, I'm Changing my vote: Unvote: Nephylim - though I still suspect her, I'm just not as sure of her as I am of Kiltie Vote: Kiltie

Yes Quonus has has gone quiet because he's got a new born. I vote Nephylim because I know I'm not Mafia and yet she's singling me out on the silly basis that I was quiet for a couple days. What better way to get rid of another townie than for a Mafia person - Nephylim - to suggest my being busy means I'm really Mafia. Also, she is always pointing out different people. It seems to me that her attempts to "help" are attempts to divert attention from herself. Of the group, I think she is one of the more experienced with these type of games - and would be a good choice to be a Mafia member because she'd get how to play. One thing to note, and watch for - how and why do people vote and who gets whacked at night. My votes thus far were not serious. The first one was because Adam picked a name and voted, so I voted for him - no one had anything to go on. The second was Krista simply because she voted for me, I wanted her to see how it felt. But neither of the people killed had votes nor were they 'suggested' to be Mafia members. Why not? My take is this. Mafia will suggest people who are Townie are really Mafia, that way IF the townies buy into it, they'll kill one of their own. If not so be it, they'll still kill a townie that 'night' and they've still got suspicion out there. The Mafia has killed the quiet because they are not voting. They planted the seeds of doubt about folks, but not enough people voted. If they get rid of the non-voting people, that means fewer are needed to lynch someone. Right now I'm convince Krista is NOT Mafia on the basis of her votes and her comments. That mean by my count she and I are not Mafia. I don't think Adam is either, but am not yet convinced. I'm still not sure about anyone else being a townie. I think Nephylim IS Mafia given how she goes around naming townies and casting aspersions on them, exactly how a Mafia would be. Now she'll likely come back and say I'm doing it too. Perhaps. but I have given my reasons and I didn't 'dive in' and suggest someone else was Mafia on the basis of their having gone quiet after being active for at first. As I've said, I have been busy with the baby, something you all know I have. One last point - having read Nephylim's stories, you'd have to admit this is classic her - show you the left hand to distract you then punch you will the right. Like I said, I know I'm not Mafia,, lynch me and you gonna kill another townie and then the Mafia will kill a fourth tonight.

On the issue of sequels, I totally understand. I've got several stories I'd like to write sequels to - or flesh out, but no time to do it, much less tackle the ones I still want to write. Who knew a kid was so much work Just the same, very much enjoying this one. Will take a peek back at some of the others once I get a moment or two Andy

Dan, I take it from the responses or lack of said you don't venture over to the forum topic for your story. I am at chapter 7 but I have a question that you've touched on but didn't explain - sorry, as you know I'm a prosecutor and well my mind is kinda screwed up in that I need answers. I sort of asked them in my review but this might be a better format for asking them The whole hierarchy of Kai - I get that there is but one Ra Kai, on Volna Kai etc and that there are many lessers of the same name, but I don't get how that works. Suppose there was a Q-Kai - (me of course) whose talent was annoying the shit out of people and I begot several new Kais. What would happen? Would the eldest [call him QA Kai] be the one to get the name? Or do all the sons of Q get a name and the sons of those little Qs all take the name of their sire/line? Basically, do all the 'lesser' Kai lines have to be started by a son of a Kai or do they just emerge? The other question is Petey. Supposedly he is a son Ra Kai, but isn't he also a Broma Kai? I mean he's green not red. So how does it work that he gets his name? Does it come from his 'talent'? Just a tad confused. It is also interesting that there are only Red and Green sub Kais in the group, even though there are the head Kais from 3 other affinities among them - Purple, Silver and Gold. Hopefully that answer will shake out in time. Oh yeah nice little twist. The Blue Gre Kais don't much like the Green Borah Kais and yet the Gre Kais are blue with names that start with G(reen) and the Borah Kais are Green but have names that start with B(lue). Did one affinity steal the color name from the other and that is what started the fight?

Okay so this was a bit of a yawner as far as racy chapters go, but yes, It does wrap up a few issues before you move on to the climax. With Summers and his large - um member back, what are the odd he and Kerry do a Royal tag team on the indomitable Captain George? - Sorry just channeling my inner Mark for a moment. As for Gaitling,- yes I read the other reviews and responses - does Granger have the authority to transfer him? Doesn't that come from somewhere else? And if he did - wouldn't that seem - IDK fishy? I mean what possible reason could Gaitling have for following a newly minted Commander? I get that Captains take on midshipmen for political reasons - i.e. The Duke of Portland asked Granger, Lady Jersey asked through the Prince of Wales etc, but once assigned can captains simply swap them? When Granger tried to get rid of the Duke of Clarence's kid, he asked the Admiral. Okay too much thought into something this trivial, this early in the morning.

20? Again? Care to share how you do that my dear? Happy belated birthday and yes 26 is SOOOO freaking old - what does that make me - dead?

I forget what it is, but I get Obama slipped in every now and then and I don't know what I'm doing to get it. The funny thing about auto-correct is that it 'learns' from you. My daugther's name is spelled different from the normal, but even though my phone shows it underlined in red to tell me it's not spelled right, it will auto correct me when I don't spell it right. So the person who wrote, Fuck ye instead of study, must have written the fuck ye more than a few times for the phone to sub that in

Welcome CM - not sure what to call you and your screen name is too much to type [says the man who wrote 15 words to avoid typing 11 extra letters] Anyway, thanks for the shout out [i'd have said Hi anyway, but I do appreciate it all the same] If you have questions ask, folks are always more than willing to help. If you have writing, editing, finding a beta reader type questions, the Writers Corner or Editors Corner are good places to go. Welcome again. Andy

So this is cheating responding to both, but you mentioned you read the sequel. That was fun for me to write given it was a bit true to life for me given my work. Again, thanks for taking the time to write me, always appreciated. Now get some sleep Andy

Well not sure I'm glad you didn't get any sleep before work, but thanks for the nice review. Glad you enjoyed it. I did try very hard to make it as real as possible, but what might seem real to me might be farcical to others so hearing your take made me feel good. Thanks Andy

Several things: 1) George is falling big time for Kerry - he always goes for those big dick men doesn't he? Be interesting to see what happens, Calvert is gone - at least in my mind - Frederick is the issue. He and George seemed more compatible - more like equals. Kerry is more like Travers, older, more 'in charge' of the relationship. And of course Phillip is totally in love with George, has been since Izzy raped George all those years ago. Be interesting what happens when they get back to London. 2) Llewellyn seem awed/infatuated with Granger. He definitely didn't seem the out of control midshipman he was portrayed to be when George was told he was coming on board - fight notwithstanding. Now, hard to say. Will he be good or will he 'need' to be bad to get off? Of course he and Gaitling could shack up and they could have a grand old time. 3) So the Romulus thinks Belvederia is a ship of sodomy and vice? Where did that idea come from and is that the prevalent view in the navy? If so, that can't be good for George. 4) Last, where the hell is he going to put all those officers AND still have enough privacy to let Phillip fuck the hell out of him every night?

Dave, I think it's safe to say Ryan is NOT going to be happy when he finds out what's really going on. But then again, neither is Will. As for 100 year floods, well I didn't get the since the purpose wanted to go back even if he could so I'm not sure how Will could 'make' it go if IT didn't want to.

Well it's not 12/31/11 here in DC yet, so I'm gonna wait to say Happy Birthday until tomorrow But in case you read this before it's tomorrow for me, HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLE!!!! Do someone. . . err . . . someTHING fun and take lots of pictures for all of us to see

Well I read it all too and I'm not sure I need a prize - thank you all the same I won't even begin to think about answering all those questions, you're a brave and carefree man. But I've learned a few things about you, so that was nice. Jason Rimbaud obviously is a mix of your FB/BF/person you wish you'd kept and Rimbaud - from your favorite author. I wish my screenname had such meaning - hell I wish it had any meaning One thing I wanted to answer - why would anyone gay guy want a family? IDK why I always wanted to be a dad, but I did. My partner/husband wasn't really on board for probably 13 years or so, but he finally agreed. Now we have baby q - I never use her real name on line - and cliched as it sounds, there is nothing like looking at your child's face when she smiles at you. So all I can say is, while one can't really say, when you experience it, you'd know why. Andy