LJH

Thanks Joann. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I write in all genres. I just hope I succeed in making my characters memorable, and entertaining.

Thanks for the comment, mate. I guess I'm too busy editing other writers to get on with this. I shall certainly complete it, maybe in a few weeks time. Thanks again Geoff.

Patrick. Ben said he missed you. There is no better way to express the depth of your character in the ordinary world than by interacting with your friends, or confidants, Patrick. You take life seriuosly. This is a good thing, considering that you have recently had a fallout. But i want to see you interact in the extraordinary world. The world where reality is blurred. That will come i know. Im glad to have ecperienced this interaction with Jake and Eric. Ben said he missed you. This has left you confused. You are looking for something that has eluded you far toi long, and this is evident in your frozen dream. and of course you will seek advice. You will need tact when you face Ben. He missed you... These words are key to understanding. As far as i can define these words, they mean that he experienced a profound loss by losing you in the intervening years. Also lets look at how he said it: I missed you, past tense. The past tense indicates that you two are now reunited. It means he thought about you. It means he doesnt want to lose you again. Its a great thing to hear those words from someone you have loved. If you have also missed him you should tell him so he knows that he is wanted in your life. Lets see how you cope at the party. Hugs. Your friend, L J

OOOOOOOOO Xtro you were so close with one of those names but i can't tell cos I googled it. (well, I didn't know in the first place LOL). But then again, even if you get the author you have to get the title to win the round.

She helped make the world laugh. Now she is making the angels laugh... Bye Phyllis

Now see here Ben...I dont like you. Why did you run away to get married and have children when you know thats just running away from who you really are. I can't stomach guys like you. Then years later you contact Pat...why? So you can treat him like a plaything again? Hmmph! And Patrick, neat cowboy hats aside, this Ben obviously had a major impact on your life once upon a time. Your tears tell me how you felt about him. He hurt you. But you r the asshole. You hook up with him to be treated the same way. He's a sweet talking jerk and he's going to pull your strings again but its guys like you that never learn. All you want is punishment. So, here's the deal. I'm gonna watch both of you. Like.A.Hawk. Why? Simple...i like to feel emotional about characters. If you place one step wrong, im gonna remind you - rub it in that its your own damned fault and dont look to me for pity, im just a reader. One. Of. Many. If you guys cant get me to hate or love you, well then you really have a serious problem. Randomness. I love it. Well written and struck an emotional lump inside me. The writing is fresh and elegant. I look forward to following Patrick's journey. I hope every chapter will allow me to express my feelings. Thank you

What an immaculate writer. I am left speechless as I read this. You are one of the finest writers I have had the honour of reading. Your words kind of ...... sing....and each word drew me in to want more and more and more. You weave your tapestry of delight until the last, breathless word. Those key words were not even missed. The word driver did not even register. The desirous contemplation of the sport, the love affair and the aftermath perfectly depicted in your own, inimitable style of great storytelling. This piece rocks. Oh man, it rocks. Great. Now I can take a deep breath and wait for your next coup.

Frikkin delightful. Sheer entertainment. A luxurious bath of beautiful words to lather the mind. I loved it.

We all need to be cut down to size every now and then lad including me but T&T needs TLC

I just wanna say how i feel about you guys: Mark you rock Harc you rock Yettie you rock Bee you rock Joanne you rock Comic you rock too Breeze you rock Roan you rock too Podga you rock and roll Me i roll So lets all get together and have a rock and roll party Hope you guys have a stunning Thursday

i would love to be involved from the African perspective. It's a sad situation that being gay in countries like Malawi and Zimbabwe and even Southern Africa are still stigmatized and devoid of their rightful place in society. African lesbians especially take the brunt of the war against homosexuality. Corrective rape, beatings and even murder have been reported almost on a daily basis. This is not a sign of the times we live in. This is a case of the uneducated taking revenge on a minority whom they feel do not exist because the word Gay, Homosexual, Queer, does not exist in their vocabulary. In the Johannesburg metropolitan area, several young gay men have been murdered. The modus operandii is the same every time, yet the police refuse to believe this could be a serial killer. They have not found anything to link anyone to to the murders, and they believe that the murders have been committed by a different person every time. Why do they refuse to look into the suggestion that it is one person? Maybe this is because we are in the minority and the minority do not deserve the same rights as the majority who are married with families. So yes, if you would like me to contribute, I will be happy to. Regards

Harc is right of course. I only accept one chapter at a time. Self editing can be murder for the writer for they are too close to the work. One piece of advice is that the writer read out loud his chapter and if it sounds wrong then make a change. I play and have fun with sentence structure until it cannot be changed further. All editors are different. I tend to check if every word is required. If not out it goes. I always remind myself: its not length if chapter but quality. Every chapter, according to formula, must consist of fundamental writing principles and i check for that too. Ultimately its the creativity that counts. A bland boring first chapter will garner no readers. However, I digress. I edit for precision and clarity. That means simplicity. Thanks for the shout out, Magneto, you made my day bro Hugs n respect.

The title caught my eye. That was the hook for me. SLIDE. Many connotations. I also thought that this work could have been taken from a larger piece. The title, SLIDE, is used as a word to describe something that should be best forgotten. In this tale John, Alex's room mate, sets the lead character, Alex, up for a date. He has been hurt, and still relives the hurt through nightmares. John edges him on to go on a date even tho he doesn't want to. The depth of Alex's character that follows, is something we have all lived. Alex is a round character in that he has a complex nature and complex motives. He's more like a real person because there are things about him the reader doesn't know, there are more facets to him than meets the eye, so the fascination of mystery remains throughout the story. He is interesting because the reader doesn't know or cannot predict how he will behave or react in any given situation. One character I could mention like this is Sherlock Holmes. Having said this, it's important to note that fiction gives the writer the opportunity to place people in situations that will reveal their character and the brevity of the short story calls for simplicity in the rendering of a character and they will essentially be the same at the end of the story as they were in the beginning. Wrath has described Alex's behavior well rather than talking about him. His character is shaped by experience and his destiny by his behavior. And because the character is more central to this story, Alex comes under close scrutiny. Quote: “Sometimes you’ll be taken advantage of,” he continued. “That’s a given. When you put it all out on the line, there are those who will see that immediately and will try to exploit you. That’s when you have to let it slide, man. You have to face the fact that there are some things that aren't in your control. So you let them slide. If you don’t, and you keep dwelling on them, you’ll never be able to move on." Unquote The mystery in this short story is the date itself. Will Alex be swept off his feet? Will he be disappointed? To find out, you'll have to read it yourself. I recommend you do. Slide is a great discourse in revealing character.

Me too lol

There are, according to news reports, 21 or 22 out gay Olympians at the London games: Marilyn Agliotti (Netherlands, field hockey) Judith Arndt (Germany, cycling) Seimone Augustus (U.S., basketball) Natalie Cook (Australia, beach volleyball) Lisa Dahlkvist (Sweden, soccer) Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel (Netherlands, field hockey) Imke Duplitzer (Germany, fencing) Edward Gal (Netherlands, equestrian) Jessica Harrison (France, triathlon)* Carl Hester (Britain, equestrian) Alexandra Lacrabère (France, handball) Jessica Landström (Sweden, soccer) Hedvig Lindahl (Sweden, soccer) Matthew Mitcham (Australia, diving) Maartje Paumen (Netherlands, field hockey) Carole Péon (France, triathlon)* Mayssa Pessoa (Brazil, handball) Megan Rapinoe (U.S. soccer) Lisa Raymond (U.S., doubles tennis) Rikke Skov (Denmark, handball) Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Germany, cycling) *Péon and Harrison are a couple. Interesting to note that most are women. Another South African woman has been added to the list: Swimmer Karen Hultzer. A huge congratulations to the organisers and producers of the opening ceremony, it was spectacular. The song And I will Kiss You by Underworld and featuring Dame Evelyn Glennie was nothing less than brilliant. The drumming was unlike anything I have ever seen. Handing the flame over to the next generation of athletes was a moment of inspired genius. Yes. This was a show stopper. Loved every moment of it.

I agree with you. The spectacle was overwhelming. Some might disagree and say it was a mumble jumble of sound, light and effects, but the production mudt be seen from the greater perspective. Historically, Britain has produced the most memorable personalities, movies and music and in the brief time span given to the producers to stage the spectacle, it was well worth watching. The drumming was just bliss. Rowan atkinson was hilarious. The Mary Poppins drop down was brave and stunning. The American Gymnastics team is stunning. Jacob Dalton, is simply miraculous. The USA seems to have more than they can give. A young team. Japan is looking pensive. Well, looking forward to the swimming tonite. Have yourself a brilliant day bro. Hugs n respect

YES! So Africa awaits! I am moved by Da's character. Da, you understand what your son needs. Adventure. Ma, of-course you will have your doubts, after all, you don't know Africa. You are slightly aware of the dangers. Da is too, but he sees his son maturing. Becoming a man in full. I am enjoying this. Now for the journey.... (if you want, please read my novel Michael Dun, here on GA, also about a young man's African sojourn from England, during the 1886 Gold Rush. I think you might enjoy it....) I enjoyed reading your descriptions of Darlington. Well, even today, nothong changes really, everything stays the same kind of thing. Cool reading

The Linyati Strip bugger! Why you have come back to haunt me i will never know. You are a forgotten paradise at the extreme northern reaches of Botswana with the Caprivi on the other side. You were hell. You were beauty. Lightning striking your river is a site to behold. Your sunsets are of a nature divine. My memories of your killing nature are brought to the fore by this tome of well written words. Linyati. Linyanti. No mans land. You devoured ANC and SWAPO landmines. You murdered young men in the prime of their lives. Both sides lost. But, here, under a fine pen, you are hero again. You are Africa. Medimwaka!!!!! Glorious writing.

Hell yes. Well written as usual. I wonder what shawn and colin argued about. Love the end of the chapter. Desirious. But....but....but....oh man things are just too sweet and good. Blatantly so. Something is bound to happen. Cant wait for next chapter. Hugs

Welcome home bro.

Estoy aqui! Firstly, let me say I enjoyed this. I've read hundreds of first chapters and I always read with a discerning eye. I noted the following: as all authors should, you begin closest to the action. Thumbs up on that, lad. I got the feel of Dylan's age by the voice you have given him. I'm guessing here, but a lot of writing comes from experience, especially when the author is young. Then I looked at how you wow the reader by voicing Dylan's internal reflections. It's very clear from the start that something has happened between Dylan and Tanis Keller, and this, to me, is th e hook. Without the hook, the writing is doomed. I am blown away that you cottoned onto the hook so early in the first chapter. The hook hooks. I say that something has happened because of this: Quote " Every memory of him haunts me " Unquote. Then I found some humour among the inverted reflections and I was like.....WOW...that scene where Dylan's cell phone is stuck in his pocket is priceless. Well done, D. ABsolutely amazing.

Dustin is a callous moron and he should be castrated. The last few chapters have been quite emotional right from the time Andrew told Brian of his health problem, to the christmas present, to Andrew coming out to Brian - high emotion. But this chapter was something else for me because when i came out to my parents i got the same treatment. I read it through. Saddened by Dustin's reaction. Believable? Hell yes. Do i feel sorry for Dustin. Yes. He has never taken the time off to understand nor educate himself about sexual freedom. This is a huge problem in broken homes. The emtion is still too alive for me to continue with this, save to say that i was wrong about Elizabeth. In my first review i called her a cow, but i believed she had phoned the guy who was attempting to rape Andrew not realizing it was just a dream thst Andrew was having. A good solid chapter. Well done.

Elizabeth! The cow. I hope she gets what is coming to her. Im not exactly convinced that dad will have a problem if he is told. As for the asshole abiut to rape him well, lets hope this is just a bad dream. Neat introduction chapter. Now i want more...

I thought the poem above is apt for you mark. Caring is not a state of mind. It is a reality. There are not enough good natured, caring people in our realm. Caring is a unique blend of those attributes that make us human. It is true to say that caring has its rewards. It takes a special person to care for strangers. It takes courage and a willingness to hear and to listen and to advise with the risk of becoming involved. A person who cares for another is like a hero: he is not threatened by the risk involved. He is not interested in the reward. He is only interested in another's well being. With it comes the joy of kharma and the beauty of existence. A friend loses a lover. He is down and blue. The caring nature hugs. A loved one loses a friend to death. His grief is imminent. The caring nature absorbs that grief. A business goes bankrupt. The owner is distraught. He will lose everything. The caring nature helps to rebuild. A bully shows no remorse until a caring nature shows him how to cry. A lonely man is on the threshold of giving up. The caring nature gives him guidance. It is the same with a person who has been mocked and scorned for his sexuality his whole life. The caring nature does not judge for it is not perfect. No one is perfect. Therefore no one should judge. These are instances occuring on a daily basis. Lucky are they who find the caring nature. A person who is blessed with this nature is not perfect. He may have problems of his own. But he has the strength of character to help, to show wisdom. To unmask his own fears. Mark you are blessed no matter what your belief is. No matter you have been to hell and back. You are always there. And You have my deepest respect.

Caring is a sweet gift Like a Spring updraft It is a refreshing lift So mysterious and kind It eases the burdens on your mind And touches your heart too you find Just when you think Life is dark and at an end You most feel the sunshine of a friend Caring is the gift they send Gentle cure that helps your heart to mend A soft shoulder on which you can depend Jamest T. Adair 1/21/2010