Rndmrunner

This looks like a great story. I really like that it does not look to be a standard coming out fall in love tale. In one chapter you have already created distinct characters that have the promise of depth and complexity as the story evolves. Thanks Great start

A really wonderful story! Certainly a different tone from Lessons Learned but you used the harshness and the pain to deepen our understanding of Dylan. Great pacing too taking the time to follow Dylan through his recovery rather than zipping through it. Hopefully it is all fiction and not tainted with experience. - Great writing.

i won't comment on the plot as i will just sit back and enjoy the ride. I do want to say how impressed i am that you can mature your characters and maintain their essence. I also was not familiar with the books on which this story is based but appreciate that i can enjoy the richness of this world without feeling i am missing half of the context. Thanks. Can't wait for future instalments

You have a natural sense about children. I hope they are in your future if that is in your heart. You catch the gentle rhythms of parenthood, the concerns, the worries and the many moments in between the periodic drama. It is truly the everyday events that grow your heart. With us it is every night at bedtime when our daughter announces that it is time for snuggle position, with her head resting on my shoulder and my arm wrapped around her and we read together. My partner and i are ruthless in insisting that it is our turn though sometimes all 3 of us crowd together. At 8 she sometimes reads to me or on her own but at bedtime, we still read mostly to her because its tradition. We spent a whole year covering all 7 books of Harry Potter. I don't know whether to curse J K Rowling or praise her for while it is not great literature, it has captured the imagination of my girl and millions of other children and showed them the joys of the written word. The characters are brave and fierce and honest, just like our girl. Thanks again for Stronger than Lions, it was a wonderful read

loved the story. It runs so much deeper than i expected and had real meaning. I especially enjoyed how the characters could grow realistically and remain true to their character. They are complex fully formed and flawed as we all are. It is also interesting that some of the best writing i have found lately here deals with homosexuality and the christian church. Those themes can be srchtypically simplistic or nuanced and thoughtful which is what you have managed here. thank you

i really admire the complexity of the characters in this story. Some stories don't get far beyond boys meets boy,sure there are a few obstacles thrown in but the plot and the character development are predictable and well worn. Your characters are fully formed and able to grow and change while maintaining a central consistency. Thanks, i am really enjoying this even if i am too old for teenage romance.

It is terrible for the guy to get a letter like that especially to find out that he never had a father. You can't love your child and write them out of your life. I can understand being mad at your child, upset, not understanding but never not loving them. While this is homophobia, it is also so much more than that punctuated by the cold matter of fact tone of the letter. Painful as it may be, it is better to move on and embrace "family" that accepts and cares for you, biological and otherwise. Having a child myself, this man's actions to his son are inconceivable

My partner and i have a child. Hate the term Gaybies and my kid would too. Why define my child by my sexuality, let them have the chance to define themselves

For Christmas stories, i have to go with How the Grinch stole Christmas and A Charlie Brown Christmas. Watched them both as a child and now we watch them with our kid. For Christmas songs: I like all Christmas carols and on the pop side i love Christmas By Myself This Year by the Waitresses, though Fairytale of New York is a close second

i agree with Cia, infatuation can happen at first sight, so can lust. You can even become besotted at first sight - does anyone still use that word? But i can't love without knowing someone. I almost had to retract when i thought of my daughter, but then again I knew her for 9 months before we met face to face and by then i already loved her.

2011 was a hard year but hard serves as a path to a little wisdom. It was the year that my parents died. They lived full lives and had difficult deaths. As always they set an example for their children. I’ll tell you something right up front: my parents were loud, smart, opinionated, sometimes incredibly narrow minded for such generous people. They were good enough that many times I was hard on them for not always living up to the high expectations that they set for themselves and also for other

Short works of Fiction or non-fiction

alot of attention to the Dr Who series. my vote is Chrispher Eccleston - the ninth Dr. Being the Dr he is not gay or straight but he sure is sexy. He puts all the pretty boys to shame!!. I would add Russell T davis as well as the creator of the original QaF and the creative force behind the Dr Who reboot and Torchwood, both of which has interesting offbeat gay characters. You have to like Mozzie on White Collar - they write him as straight but really..

Not going to have any more, we are too old. We have a lovely daughter who is in grade school now. I know the term is gaybies "cute" in posts like this but like others my daughter wouldn't stand for the label. And seriously, it is a great delight to us that while everyone is aware of us, our family is not an issue and to date we have only encountered positive receptions. In daycare though one of the little boys told his own dad that our kid has 2 dads and he wanted to have 4 dads! He figured he could have his own personal hockey team. The dad laughed but looked a little shaken.

As i said, for me one of the hardest aspects of having a pet is that you will outlive them and have to make end of life decisions. Also don't reproach yourself for the look you got, he may well have just been taking comfort in your attention and company. Dying is certainly a struggle and a caring face gives comfort

Its sucks when your dog is dying. We also have a daughter, now 8. In the last 2 years we have had to deal with both my parents dyiing of cancer and one of the two dogs we inherited getting cancer. This is not to compare or one-up you on grief. I can only say that i relate. Your girl is still to young to understand which can make it easier and harder. Harder as she can not understand why you both are unhappy. Easier because you won't have to explain it to her, for better or worse she will move on better than you. Hopefully her company will give you joy at this time. One of the hardest things about having a pet (i also had 2 dogs previously) is that one of your duties is to manage the end of their lives. Thank god our kids will outlive us. Both my dogs lived long lives (14 and 15) but it their last weeks were still wrenching. Yes it sucks to be an adult sometimes but there is comfort in knowing that you did right by your pet to the end. Maybe your dog can't eat now but it can still get comfort from yuor prescence and your tears as hopefully will you All the best

this is a great story. I particularly like the interactions with the psychologist - lovely!

coming into this story a little late. I love the characters: strong funny f*cked up, a great mix. Your dialogue is quick, sharp and brings the story to life thanks

love the banter with the mom

I didn't say he was pretty, I said he was sexy: the two can be worlds apart

Tennant, Smith and Ecclestone were/are all great Doctors but Ecclestone has a sexual energy about him that is palpable. I love how the Doctors can be so different and yet be consistent. Oh River Song is hot as well and i am 100% focused on men sexually. Its all about a rogue playful quality..

It is totally brilliant. Too bad I had hoped that this would be a discussion of the ninth Doctor - Christopher Ecclestone, who is just so totally hot!! I mean i love science as much as any engineer, but did I mention Christopher Ecclestone

What was a wonderful, sweet tale. Very inventive and touching. The only thing that puzzled me was the anthropomorphic use of homosexuality as different from the norm in the fairy world. It was mentioned a couple of time as highlighted below. Fantasy allows different perspectives and here it seemed so natural. The idea of same sex love as different was not developed as a plot structure so why have it - they were all fay after all. Please don't take this as negative, I repeat a great story Arwen looked a little shocked as she gazed over Teasels sleeping form, “Your true love is male Apple?” She then smiled sweetly, “Love is love Apple I didn’t mean to be rude, this fay is your true love and that is all that matters.”" Thanks Rick

It will all settle hopefully and suddenly Q will be in school and you won't understand how time passed so fast. Our first caregiver was a new immigrant from Pakistan and we figured that we had better be very clear that our being gay was not going to be a problem. Her english wasn't great so when we discussed it her first response to my partner was "you're the brother? the uncle?" but she quickly got the picture and had no problem. Our only complaint was that the umbrella agency took too big a cut of her fee. In the end it was great and we were sorry to leave when our daughter got a place in the daycare that is located in the school she now attends. That is priceless by the way as you get before and after school care through grade 6.

Sorry about the nanny problems. Sounds like you guys are doing great though. We found that verybody feels that it is helpful to show you the error of your ways when it comes to babies. They feel that they are being "helpful" and what worked for them, or their kids,or their sister's gorcer's kids will obviously be correct for your child. Sorry, get used to it and keep holding the line. As gay dads you are also super visible and people you don't recognise will know of you and feel obliged to be "helpful". Many are and many are a pain in the ass. We found on any issue we got the full 360 in terms of advice - at least that gave us the freedom to do what we felt was best for us. Keep having fun. It sounds like Q is adorable and you both love her to peices so that's all that really matters Rick