Aditus

I love the story, Parker! I read much about Nigeria, saw some videos. How lucky are we to live where we do, even though it's not perfect it's so much better. I liked that Daniel insisted he didn't understand, it was very brave. Of course I also liked the end. Now I can go to work with a light heart. Thank you so much!.

I definitely start with 'A' this time... Nice Wednesday surprise! Thank you to the anthology team!

Zaidu The fire crackles in the background, but its warmth doesn’t reach him. Standing in the cave’s entrance, his gaze wanders unseeingly over dense forest. Long-forgotten memories have assaulted him: a walled garden, green leaves whispering in the early morning breeze, and the cries and giggles of his siblings somewhere in the house. But not the name his mother called him. Not her face. Just a faint scent...jasmine? His hand involuntarily clenches into a fist, and he turns his face toward the

He was the price his mother paid to protect her family from evil. At the age of seven she brought him to the temple to become a priest.

Happy Birthday!!!!

Short stories are perfect. I can squeeze them in although I have little time right now.

Thanks again for the feature and the interesting discussion. If you have any more questions just PM me or visit the King's Mate discussion thread.

Yep. Two hairy legs are enough.

Jousting? I don't know how you got this idea, lol. Very nice! Love it!

I forgot to answer the most important question: My favorite cheese is Appenzeller cheese and the cream cheese I make with my elementary school science class. Cole, you really made me think about my writing and I think I not only bend the plot, I build it around my characters. There are a few fix points I plan to reach in my story, but if the characters demand it, I change those too. Very bad form, huh? @Northern Dutch Guy: Thank you! For liking my story and being a member of the chaos sock club. Nope, not surprised at all. I worked in a lab with highly infectious substances. That means rational and calculated thinking was required. There are people behind the blood samples. I learned to reign in my feelings and emotions. To answer your question: I have immense fun to let my characters act in ways I'd like, sometimes. @Def: 'what was most remarkable was Noel's evolution and mine as a reader because of it' Wow! Just wow. Thank you so much! That's really not a little comment. @Val: I'm glad you think so to all of what you said. *hug* Thank you! You, Zombie and Val are part of it. Why am I not entirely convinced? lol I'm terrible with commas. Socks without their mate? Just make them one big tribe! *blush* That's because you never heard me butchering your language. lol Thank you! *hug* @Headstall: Gary, as always I am looking forward to your amazing comments.

@Cole:Definitely character driven. When Tim said my characters are solid that's one of the greatest things someone can say IMO. I don't know if I bend the story line sometimes to keep true to them, but you're probably right. Something has to give, lol. If I do it, I do it unknowingly, though. Sometimes I think I see the story through their eyes and that affects me. What do you mean you struggle? When it happens with your own stories or when you have to fight through my drafts. I can't thank you enough for that, btw. @Puppi: We both learned something today. It certainly was a burden, and a way to show his strength. And he had you on his side.

First: Thank you, Puppi! Second: @Cia: Thank you for the CSR feature and the nice questions. @Val: Good. I'm not alone. Do you have emergency pairs too? lol @Tim: Thank you, Tim! That's high praise. In German I would be on cloud seven now. Sorting nightmare indeed.

lol Gary! A little bite here and there... Anyway, yes Noël gets bombarded, part of being the king's mate? Thank you for your comment.

Speaking as an author, I don't think science fiction writers write better stories than fantasy writers. But some of my friends had a heated discussion a few weeks ago about fantasy being unrealistic crap while science fiction is about things that will be possible some day. I personally found the discussion hilarious. The main argument was that 'beaming' can be done soon, telekinesis never. I write fantasy stories and science fiction. I like to tie fantastic/futuristic things like having certain powers or instant space travel to 'realistic' facts, because I always go from there and then start to fantasize when I write. I have a book about alternate evolution, which is a perfect source for what other life forms are possible and another with drawing from Ernst Haeckel 'Art Forms in Nature' . Even so, writing fantasy for me is letting go of reality at some point, think about what could be without the pesky facts and put a muzzle on some part in my brain that screams 'unrealistic'.

Congratulation!

I had to pick up the pace a little and Noël got a glimpse at what he's getting into besides having to make peace with his 'passengers'. Nice choice of word. Thanks, Gary.

Don't you have something better to do? Yuck! I need a shower.

So, I guess we should wait to the last minute to post our stories. Right Val?

I would think Carly's character is totally exaggerated if I wouldn't know people like her, not in what she did, but how she thinks. It's scary. I'm so ready for Craig and Jared to get closer again.

Thank you for featuring my poems, Renee!

Happy Birthday, Peter! This has been written for Duke Christian of Saxe-Weissenfels' birthday, as you know of course. I selfishly chose a piano version of 'Sheep may safely graze'b to give it a personal note.

Thank you, Gary! I'm glad you see Noel evolving, that's what I wanted to show. Everything is complicated and difficult for him. We just have to try fate it chose well.

Great! I'm happy you think so. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment, Tim.

Thank you, Tim!

Haha, sorry. The perks of reading a completed story. Thanks, Tim!