Rndmrunner

Nicely nuanced story. The characters are great and believable. Great family dynamics on both sides

Talk about embracing your inner cliffhanger. We barely got safely down from last weeks cliff and whoops, slide, and here we are dangling again. Oh the slow sweet torture. You are a total control freak!

Yes, didn't see that coming but sort of glad it did. The plot has not been predictable so far and i wouldn't want that to change. that said, the outburst is reasonable given the characters to date. It would be a pretty short and mundane story if Michael simply curbs his drinking, comes out and finds true love with Ash. That only happens on gay fictions sites

Another wonderful chapter. Just to be clear though, even if it doesn't occur in the last paragraph, this was still a major cliffhanger. I'm glad i came to this story late and don't have to stew in the suspense. I'll just start the next chapter.

just luvin the story. I like what is happening with the coach and JT but it was weakened by having the coach's perspective provided rapidly by the narrator. It makes it all seem a little too easy. Neither JT nor the coach are particularly challenged by the situation but just move forward smoothly. It seems that JT's biggest problems will be at home and that knowledge would likely make it harder for him to move forward.

Another great chapter. I like how you wove the dream into the background about Andy's mother form the last chapter. I guess he has inherited a little something from her. He's a little too young to be a granny though

Anothergreat chapter. A nice balance between the serious issues and a little humour to ease and contrast the tension. One small critique: "the you had me at hello" is a great line but its not yours and sounds hackneyed when it is not Rene Zellweger saying the line but Joey.

a very poignant chapter. Definitely hard to read but none of it gratuitous. I like the way you have introduced a number of significant issues but have not forced things by dealing with them all simultaneously. Joey's abuse takes center stage and Andy's actions which telegraph his feelings for joey to his father are allowed to be dealt with later. This type of nuance which works for the believability of the plot and contributes to the effectiveness of the story is what sets this writing apart from the norm. Thanks and keep it coming.

great chapter, As before i really like the pacing. You are giving me a chance to get to know the characters and the localle before the plot explodes. I think i just heard the first explosion!

i love the story. It has a great pace that is developing while letting me get to know the characters. Is good to see that both the mail characters have some dark corners to be mined as the plot proceeds. Thanks KC

sorry, this plot has lost all credibility. Too bad, the characters are good.

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

icicle

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.

Short works of Fiction or non-fiction

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

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..