jess30519

Sled dogs have so many different personalities and habits, like other dogs (and people), only sled dogs are all really, really anxious to just get out there and PULL something! Great description of Silas and his operation - I could feel the tension of a yard full of dogs who are anxious to get going! I think Jian is intelligent enough to have read Emmett's confused reluctance for what it really is. And I'm sure he is perfectly capable of subtly controlling the situation from now on, gently steering the big polar bear along the right path and proving to him that there is nothing to fear from committing himself completely. At least, I hope that's the plan! Thanks, Sasha!

Silly bear!! I want to grab him by the fur and shake some sense into that obstinate head! There must be something buried deep in his psyche that is holding him back; he certainly wasn't shy about sex with Zeke. I am feeling so sad for Jian now - he's stuck in Moosonee, in an awkward situation, unless Rye (or the entire family together!) knocks some sense into Emmett's hard head! Sigh. It's going to be a long week! Thanks, Sasha!

Oh, nice when one of *those* dreams turns into reality! What a way to wake up for your birthday! Chuck's plans for a suicide hotline are admirable and it seems he's thought it through completely. But I can't figure out what's behind the name change idea. It does seem to be an integral part of what he's planning to set up for Daleville, but I'm curious to know how it fits in. Which Skinny will reveal very *soon*, right? Right?? Thanks, Skinny!

Whew - just a dream! For a moment there I thought that Emmett's self control had finally snapped! But perhaps the two of them will recreate parts of the dream in a more, er, cooperative manner later on when they both wake up. The small town bar scene and the hockey watching seemed very familiar! You have captured the essence of rural life in Canada very well. And yeah, male mooses are both big and unpredictable! But yummy... ;-) Thanks Sasha!

I'm re-reading 18 Weeks because, as awesome as it was one chapter at a time, I know it will be different the second time around. And it is - it's even better! So many details that make so much more sense now. And I had totally forgotten that Derrich == Erik, and that he was Twoey's first! This is going to be fun - thanks again, Skinny!

I'm glad that Chuck was able to deal with all that anger. Everyone needs a lake to calm them down! He seems to have thought out most of the aspects of his plan to set up the hotline, but I suspect that there's a pipe wrench lurking, waiting to be thrown into the works! Skinny is at the controls, after all! Thanks, Skinny!

A sextant! No fair - I've always wanted a sextant! And it sounds like a beauty, too, if the mahogany box and oxidized numbers are anything to go by. The Garrick family's Christmas sounds wonderful, and not at all unusual as Christmases go out here in the country, at least in some communities. Now to go fry up some orange and bacon bits while waiting patiently for Emmett to FINALLY work things out in his head and do what everyone except Emmett knows perfectly well is inevitable! Unless there's a sharp 90-degree plot twist coming down the pipe! One just never knows... Thanks, Sasha!

I have just one source of gay fiction these days, and that is GA. As a long-time user of Photoshop (since version 4!) and occasional writer of plugins for it, I am offended by the sloppy, thoughtless, thrown-together artwork that is the norm for gay books, and I stopped browsing Amazon and others long ago.

I'm sure that ice fishing is fun for polar bears; I just don't have the patience to sit for hours out on the frozen lake with a north wind whipping across the ice. But I will say that winter-caught fish are the best eating, by far! So, punching Emmett doesn't work; kissing him doesn't work... what does Jian have to do to get Em to realize that the not-tiger wants this relationship as much as he does? They are both so sensitive to what others are thinking and feeling, how can they still be unsure? I'm betting that Rye and his sister come up with a plan to force them together for a night - that oughtta do it!

So that's where the Nikon wound up! Nice that Tommy - oops, Tom - is making good use of it, too. David is about to be the target of Chuck's plans; I hope Chuck's approach isn't as drastic as the one he used when they first got acquainted!

Whew - I was so afraid that Jon would turn up at the convention and do something stupid. I hope he learns to control his anger issues before they consume him entirely. Good on Niels to make it all the way across the Atlantic to cheer on his *boyfriend* (which Kip surely is)! But why is his shoulder bandaged? I must have missed something there. He definitely fits into Sasha's "perfect boyfriend" mold! He seems to be perfect for Kip, if only they can work out the little problem of living on opposite sides of an ocean. I think I know a little more about the world of ink and tattoo shops now, although I'm no closer to wanting to be inked than I was before. But I did very much enjoy visiting! And as I mentioned before: all of the inhabitants came to life and were (mostly) people I'd enjoy being around. Another fine story, Sasha - thanks so much!

C'mon, Emmet!! Jeez. Poor Jian must be wondering what he is doing wrong, at this point. Even Emmett's family can see that those two are meant to be together. How much longer can E. restrain himself from at least giving J. a hint about how he feels? Or will the family take over and start to apply a little external pressure? Have to wait and see - thanks, Sasha!

So very true. A single word can tear your world apart, yet it may require thousands of them to be exchanged to rebuild what was before.

Is it me, or do the residents of Daleville seem to not be having as much fun as they did 4 years ago? True, our exposure has only been to a few people, and some of those were very involved in David's traumatic experience. Plus, I'm getting an overall feeling of sadness that Chuck and Don seem to be resigned to an inevitable end of their 4 years of being so deeply in love. These high school seniors seem so much more mature than the gang in David and Gary's class! It will be interesting to see just how Chuck decides to intervene in Shawn's case. The parents will undoubtedly present a big obstacle, but I'm guessing that Martha rallies to Chuck's side. Hard to see how this one will turn out - and I expect that Skinny will have some surprises in store! Thanks, Skinny!

I may not understand much about the world of tattoos and the people who are into them, but the characters in this story are compelling and real, and I want to know what happens to them. Even Jon, who is undoubtedly being set up for something down the pipe - he should know better than to turn up in one of Sasha's plots! As always, Sasha's subtle control of character and how he draws personalities in perfect detail with so few words is impressive. Thanks, Sasha!

An excellent story, and completely satisfying from beginning to end. To watch as Toph and Gary evolve throughout the year has been a pleasure! If there are more characters lurking inside your brain, anxious to get out, I look forward to reading about them. Thanks for this one, Skinny, it has been very much appreciated.

The contents of Emmett's truck sounds very familiar! Not surprising that he's so very well prepared for any eventuality: where they're headed, you're on your own if something happens on the road. Emmett is so thoughtful and considerate - who knew that polar bears were such nice folks? I wish he would just let Jian know how he feels, and get on with it! But J seems to be very patient, and willing to let things unfold at a pace that's comfortable for his target bear. Although Rye may not be quite so patient! Will the other family members put the pressure on? Gotta wait and see! Thanks, Sasha!

Perfectly lovely! Such a cozy, comfortable family scene. As usual, you've drawn complete characters with so few words. Wonderful! Thanks, Sasha!

Not being into tattoos, I had to Google to find out who Kip's uncle is. Everyone at the parlour, except maybe AJ, will be surprised when they find out, despite being super laid-back and cool. I love all of them already, apart from Jon, of course, who reminds me of an unfortunately large segment of the guys I went to school with. Looking forward to the twists and turns as this story unfolds! Thanks, Sasha!

Emmett is so afraid of offending or hurting someone that he just puts off all the important decisions until finally someone else takes the initiative and makes the decision for him. I know how that goes! But in this case I think it will work out better for all concerned. I hope! Can't wait for the trip up north, now - somehow I have a feeling that Jian will be the driving force in that relationship! Thanks, Sasha!

Hehe. Three words out of four in the first three sentences. Got *those* out of the way! Now, years ago, a friend drove an Eagle. So I'm really not sure why Devon's grandfather loved that thing, but it is still nice that Devon is devoted to his memory. And I'm betting there's a repeat of the field activities when D finds out what His present from Jacob is. Or some variations on that theme! Nice one, Sasha, thanks!

Was Tommy and David's dad killed by the same gang that offed the evil pastor and TWWSFRN? Oh, and Burch too? Probably not the same prison, even, but still. Daleville sure isn't the quiet, innocent rural town it first appeared to be! I wonder just how much Tom knows about dear old Dad's extracurricular activities. I wonder if Gary and Mel will be inducted into the family business. So many storylines! Can't wait to see what happens in this one! Thanks, Skinny!

A feeling of warm happiness washed over me while reading this chapter; Toph seemed to feel the same way. So good that his self confidence is soaring ever higher as he deals with the hangups and annoyances of his previous life one by one. He and Gary do appear to be together for the long term, and both of them, Toph in particular, now has a solid support to build upon for the future. Hard to imagine how life could be better, although there's still the parental dinner and Abington reveal to come, and anything could happen there! Thanks, Skinny!

Perfect timing! Just as I was reading the part where Emmett goes out for his nighttime snack, (a) I looked outside my window and there were 2 does munching fallen apples in the orchard and ( a neighbour who I allow to bow hunt on my land rang the bell and handed me 4 beautiful venison tenderloin steaks. But I don't think I'll eat them the same way as Emmett did! Any park warden who happened to witness Emmett swimming across the lake would probably have checked himself into the nearest psychiatric ward for hallucinations! Polar bears around Georgian Bay? Yikes! As the other reviewers have said, Emmett is going to have to deal with this Jian vs Zeke situation, and sooner rather than later. Jian seems to be occupying Emm's thoughts pretty much all the time, now. Is sex the only thing that Emmett has in common with Zeke? Time time to make a decision! Of course, there's every possibility that Zeke will spring a surprise on Emmett and us that changes everything! This is SashaWorld, after all! Thanks, Sasha!

So many questions! About The Person Who Used To Be David's Dad, about Tommy and Liz, about Gary and his family. About how having millions of dollars has affected David, although it doesn't seem to have affected his relationship with Twoey at all. Oh - and about Matty! Is he running a gay video website now? ;-). I have a feeling that we might get some answers in this story, but not all. Which is fine with me - anything from Skinny is very welcome, and especially if it involves Daleville! Thanks, Skinny!