Rndmrunner

Everyone is thinking that Wally got conned. Boo Hoo he will be working on something that he has talent for and is more challenging than his day to day duties. Mean old Cookie setting him up like that. I love how the story is paced as we watch Wally grow and heal. There will be bumps along the road but it is a heartening tale in spite of its dark beginnings

While I don't wish my own life to be so complicated, I am happy to be a voyeur into your characters lives. Furthermore, your characters don't stay stuck in the same place (for too too long) and eventually grow. That it is sometimes painful is part of the journey. May your characters shout on!

it is interesting that there is not a similar assumption of how difficult it was for Sasha to leave Alix. The problem won't be the initial separation but the co-parenting (possibly in different cities once Tasha returns

Just read Chapter 16 and I am really bothered by the turn of events. This is in part due to the fact that I am raising a now teenager with my partner. First the story doesn't clarify the year (1990s, 2000s, or current time). If the latter, then the words of my Prime Minister a little over a year ago come to mind to get over it; "Because its 2015". I feel we are heading down old tropes here: gay men are believed to abuse children and society and the authorities don't challenge the assumption. A big step backward. At the same time in the real world, I see my kid being "Gay" at school though not in personal attractions because it is supportive and fun and cool. This may not represent the norm but it is currently our norm. As good as your writing is, it is hard to travel back 20-30 years to the widespread prejudices prevelent when I was coming out without a specific time marker. We have come a long way and that hopefully means that we face newer challenges and not simply revisit old ground in current time. Time frame is also important for the plot device of the zipper as I challenge you to find a zipper on a pair pf pants for a child under ten. That said, the writing grabs me - why else would i need to comment (rant)

I love how Wally is growing. It is really hard for an author to have a character grow and change and still remain a unified character. Static characters are in the end predictable but this really makes for great writing. The tape will continue to haunt 'Wally but it becomes an impetus for change keeping Wally in the mind space of his former victims. It is a brilliant plot device.

It is interesting to see Wally's reaction to adolescent exploration and early romance. Little Wally is starting to grow up

Drama: zero to one hundred in one chapter. Great story but everything is all or nothing, acceptance or rejection, love or hate. Where are the moderates somewhere in between: confused but open minded. Allow room for pop,e to grow and adjust. Take the story from good to fantastic

both Daven and your readers went for a wild ride in this last chapter: fun, thrills, chills and the beginnings of a romantic dance - gotta love it little picky detail: the first mention of the Daven's car was a BMW then it morphed into a Mercedes

Drama, suspense and just enough humour - a great start, can't wait for more. hope you are well and enjoying your writing; i certainly am

I love the story but I have a problem with how Lisa is being treated. I respect that people would want to protect someone in her position from stress but as a parent, unless I was in a coma I would be furious if such serious decisions were being made about my child without consulting me. Lisa is conscious and lucid and deserves to be on the loop. I also do not think a court would entertain such a case without her input. ok rant over

The chapters that originally described the video were reminiscent of an action movie, full of violence but not real in the sense that it mirrors most of our life experiences. When Wally confronts the ongoing fallout of the video where he is recognized and feels shame is an experience that is universally relatable (not that we have been raped or are in porn) in that each of us has to confront the repercussions of our past actions at some point. This story really moves me as Wally confronts his demons and grows into a man. Thank you

I love the premise for the story. Part of growing up is finally understanding what we really need in a relationship. I certainly makes finding a good partner easier. I won't offer advice as to what I hope for Liam, I will just sit back and enjoy the journey.

Discomfort regarding sex is not just confined to the rural south. My partner speaks of chicken dinners where you could have a wing, a leg or one of the other parts; thighs and breasts were never mentioned. On the other hand we slept together in her house the first time we visited without an issue. I like how you cover tough issues and never lose the humour in the story.

Just finished chapter 11. It feels like we are heading into more recent writing now. The story has really found its rhythm as new themes are introduced gradually. I love how you capture the learning curve of the two men as they continue their crash course in parenting. Rosalie's wisdom is lovely too. This is a harder topic than say the Leopard series where sports and developing relationships counterpoint the issues of homophobia and acceptance. Here the men are sometimes assaulted on all sides. Thank you for another eager awaited instalment.

I don't think it was a coincidence that you timed this chapter for Christmas. Thank you. Merry Christmas

The gifts just keep on coming. Thank you again and Merry Christmas - or should that be "and to all a good night"

Everything I want to say can be summed up in one word "Namaste"

I appreciated how you had Rosalie intervene. We have been lucky and have never observed homophobia form our kid's school or friend's families. That was partly a result of engaging allies who were supportive and also a result of their efforts with others who may have been more on the fence. Some information comes best from a neutral source. When the neighbours see that other families can accept Alan and Peter, they can have an easier time getting to know and trust them. As always i look forward to the Saturday instalments

The past 24 days have been a treasure. Thank you so much. The biggest treat for me was my discovery of this project somewhere around Dec 5th. Advent calendars have been a tradition in my family for generations. We have passed it on to our child mixing chocolates with little favours, next year at least one story will be added to the mix. I hope this continues as a tradition and that the burdens (joys) of creating the stories are spread a little wider. Thanks again to Aditus, Val and Cole for this very special project. Namaste and Merry Christmas

These daily gifts are truly special. They have capture the spirit of the Advent Calendar in these special offerings: mirth, anticipation, reflection, memories of joy and some sorrow and most of all connections in our lives. Thank you

I know that this has been said many times, many ways, ...... This advent series is just wonderful. For years we have had an advent calendar which gets refilled every year with chocolate or little plastic animals. My kid, now almost grown still checks daily with delight. A lovely tradition and lovely memories

Another excellent story. I hope I don't offend but i do think that your writing skills are improving. Your latest stories have a subtley that the earlier stories can quite match. This story effectively covered many issues of coming out in high school but with the Leopard series I am carried by the characters and their hopes and dreams. Did I miss something but I did not understand what issues that Tremen had in the end and what motivated his hate. It seemed that some events in is past were the underlying factor and I missed.

B-Dee, B-Deea B-Dee - That's all Folks! - After all the build up a double Black Diamond run to the finish. Great story - Thanks

I disagree with Suvitar, it wasn't so much Greg who took his time to say it, I blame it all on Graeme

I am really liking the story. Only one issue,that being the links to the character's thoughts. The format pulls me from the action and yet they become integral to the story. [unwanted suggestion] incorporate these asides into the main story to help flow. - its somuch easier to be a critic rather than a real writer so i will shut it now. As always thanks for the story.