lomax61

Hello @Jacques. Quebecer or not (I am guessing, as an uneducated Brit, that means your native tongue is a variation of French), I very much appreciate your comments.

Thank you so much. Your words are very kind.

I have no idea how long I'd dozed off when a soft sound woke me. Despite the solid darkness, I sensed someone else in the room and smelled the muddy odour again. I reached a hand for the chain hanging from the wall lamp and switched on the light. Once again, the young man stood there. "Où est Patrick?" Something struck me as odd then, something that had not registered before but had been apparent. This young man pronounced French almost as dreadfully as me and with a regional Engl

With the rucksack dangling heavily from my shoulder, I alternated between walking briskly and trotting to keep up with the surprisingly agile spectre. I followed him through the town centre and out the other side into a lane of solid darkness. Stars twinkled sporadically between the silhouetted branches of tall and elegant trees, like cypresses, but more likely poplars, difficult to determine by night. A good ten minutes later, he halted outside the blanched stone archway to a walled courtyard f

Hi @shifterslover. Thank you, and yes, I need to post the next chapter of Scorched Kingdom. Let me get this short tale out there first of all.

Thank you so much, @Freemantleman.

Thanks, Gary. Been away a while, but I've kept writing. Hope you're keeping well.

Ghostly presence. I had never seriously considered the meaning of the expression. Not until my encounter in the French village of Ripont. Which was nothing like those crass but ever-popular horror films. You know, like the deathly face appearing in the bathroom mirror, or dusty standing lamps flickering inexplicably around the suddenly ice-cold living room, a quilt being drawn from the bed by an invisible hand, or the ominous shadow passing across the window of a long deserted home. Tr

On his way to Lausanne, Switzerland, for a reunion with old university friends, Robert Farrell is hoping, perhaps foolishly, to run into his ex. However, during the journey, when the coach stops in a small village in the northeast of France, Robert feels compelled to disembark and remain behind. Finding lodgings in a remote farmhouse, he encounters Alfie, the ghost of a young English soldier from the Great War, who repeatedly appears in his room at night. Neither of them understands why until Robert begins to do some research. And he soon discovers that their destinies are linked, and only they can help to reconcile each other’s futures.

I am in complete agreement with the comments above. I did think this was going to be a long, drawn-out courtroom drama but during this chapter the case comes to a satisfying end. I’m glad you’re carrying on with the story and we’re finding out more about some of the people you've introduced including Roger, Samantha and, hopefully, the ADA, Radcliffe.

I love how this story is slowly unfolding. Chapter by chapter, you are showing us Roger Cicero’s worth and expertise in how he deals with everyone, including Thomas, the court officials, the DA’s office - and keeps his cool when objecting to Charles Miller’s comments and then being glared at. Wonderful drama. The sudden jump to Sam's viewpoint (Samantha James) threw me for a second. I thought I had missed a character you'd introduced earlier. But having reread the paragraph, her role in this story makes a lot of sense, and I am guessing she is going to be pivotal. Well done again. Compulsive reading.

Not only did I love the way Williams was dismissed and the ADA blindsided, but how Roger’s professionalism completely changed the course and tone of what was clearly going to be a done deal. The whole chapter was beautiful courtroom theatre. My heart breaks a little every time young Thomas makes an appearance. I’m also a little worried about Brendon being called as a witness for the prosecution. Has he agreed to testify against Thomas to avoid being accused of complicity? Maybe I’m just being paranoid. Another great chapter. Well done.

Bravo! Excellent opening chapter revealing just enough to keep the reader intrigued. I am looking forward to reading more.

Thank you @Parker Owens, for a wonderful review. I’d even read this story based on what you wrote! I must admit that a lot of the fun was in trying to stay ahead of the curve and come up with something that the readers, those along for the ride and waiting for new chapters each week, would not guess. But I also enjoyed getting under the skin of Gabriel and giving him some closure on many aspects of his life. lomax61 aka Brian

Very satisfying story. Thanks.

Interesting story, very bizarre and sordid in places but also very readable. Clearly in response to an idea by A Stone and Valkyrie. Pepsi drinking penguin assassins, and the "natural, antagonistic relationship between zombies and dust bunnies". What an imagination.

I really enjoyed episode number twenty of Stirring the Pot about Peter and Victor, and in particular the nice set up for the cake recipe. Can I be honest that I am always mystified by photographs accompanying recipes in recipe books. Mine never turn out anywhere near as good. Maybe it's me or maybe there's an allegory in there somewhere. Lovely story.

Bravo, Bill. I like stories that make me sit up and think. What I took away from this is that the struggle never ends, and we need to keep fighting (and voting and volleying). I know a lot of younger LGBT people who take gay rights for granted, but there are the dark corners of society always looking for a way to reverse decisions and revoke freedom laws. What scares me most is the members of the community who don’t bother to vote on important issues because they believe things will never change. And this is not only a problem for the US (eg: UK Brexit due to voter apathy). I’ve seen laws change restricting freedoms first hand, having recently returned to the UK from Hong Kong, because of a first tier of laws called the National Security Law that effectively stamps on any kind of freedom of speech. No thank you. Thanks for including this.

Heavens, Gary. You certainly know how to dig the emotional depths. I have no doubt this will resonate with everyone. There's a deep sadness in knowing a person loves another but, for one reason or another, they are unable to be together. And I love that your poem expresses this kind of emotion so succinctly. I could write pages and pages of prose and would still not touch the same depth of emotion. Great job.

It's the 'happy anniversary' tag at the end of the poem that grabbed me made me wonder if this was a personal. I love to balance my reading with some poetry and this serving of your Odes to Life, Love, Loss, and Loyalty certainly packs a punch. Love can blindside us. I've seen this with countless couples over the years, both gay and straight, and most often there is one guilty party. "Verification of how you really only loved yourself" says it all and I've often wondered if some people are incapable of love. Nice job, Gary.

Well, sorry I'm a bit late to the party but wanted to add my voice to others who loved this story. Who doesn't remember their first car? Mine was a dark matt green Renault 4 that I called Kermit, but I remember my friend had a power blue Anglia. I love stories where an inanimate object, like a building or a ship or a car, becomes another character, and your Ford Anglia is one of those. I'm a little envious of John and Steve who found lifelong love so early on. This is a wonderful story and perfect for an old softie like me, four short snippets into the lives of these men. Thank you for sharing.

Lovely story. An easy read but packs an emotional punch. Thoroughly recommended.

Bravo. Love your writing style. This is such an easy read but packs so much meaning and emotion. A beautiful modern day fable with a sad but almost inevitable ending. I particularly liked the humanisation of the young bucks and the hare. Great job.

Lol. Thank you so much for that lovely comment. Actually, I’m considering another helping of PROM and making this a series of short stories. Once life issues settle.

I just finished the book. A very thoughtful, emotionally exhausting, but ultimately wonderful story. And I agree with @Mrsgnomie that your review was spot on.