ColumbusGuy

My issue with the Announcement box showing up on our story entry pages is this: the one for Spring Anthologies was no help at all since it led only to a statement that those stories were now posted, with no link at all to the collection itself. Since my eye surgeries and need for high-contrast browser settings, things at GA are much harder to find with the new updated site, so why not make things a little easier and post a link to the stories in the Announcement? I tried several links including going to the Home page to find them, without success. And I tried posting this on the Announcements thread itself, but there wasn't a button to add a post that I could find either visually or via narration. Thanks for listening.

Hm, I always thought it was better form to moan rather than laugh? 🤨

I wondered if this was related to the Valdemar stories you wrote, but I don't hink it is...it's absolutely wonderful by itself, and of course we'd love to read more of Gil, Tar and Marron! I've loved dragons since high school when I discovered the 'Pern' books...and this story gives us a fresh look into the species that doesn't always show them as anything other than killers. Got more dragons in the wings, min ven?

Grumble, grumble, grumble....what has it got in it's pocketses? Another cliffy! Mike's revelation was definitely a surprise, and I hope in a way, that Kyle doesn't get shot since he is just a follower rather than the purely evil spirit Mike is. Adam's father was definitely a shock...I'd wondered what happened to the worthless slime-ball. So, next one on Monday, yeah? Since Tim's off on vacation.....

I'm thinking that 'Ruins' can be taken as a metaphor for our search for Purpose in life more than anything else--in all the centuries we've searched, we come up empty-handed, especially in the dogmas of organized religions which seek to chain our minds into time-worn channels that lead us to be subservient to others' wills rather than use our own resources. I'm taken with some of the concepts of Eastern philosophies, but am not one to stare at my navel days on end...finding oneself in that way is a path, but to what? Dissatisfaction with ourselves trying to determine the Path to Perfection. Perfection is a sterile and cold reality--we give up the Physical World for a Mental Plane of solitude. In the second poem, I think you answered the question of 'Why?'. The purpose of Life is to live it, savor it with your physical and mental senses--and to try to make it better in whatever way you can. Helping others, caring for them be they human or animal...gives most of us a satisfaction beyond price. No wondering what divides you from others, just the desire to help where you can as you can. The Deed itself is the Goal, not some sense of obligation to a Deity that has most likely set things in motion and then gone off to start over again...or read the comics. Life is simple if you heed your grandma's words to 'Play nice!' Be a friend, a support, and it'll all settle into place in your head and heart.... "And that's the way it is..." to quote Walter Cronkite's close to the nightly news years back.

I'm not a happy reader--leaving us in the lurch like this! Security cameras may or may not see what's needed...and what could happen until someone reviews the footage? I hope Carlos and his mother have gotten the point and are doing what's needed right away. With Tim being away from his site for a while, will you post the next one here first? You'd better or I'll come over there and search every pub and hamlet until I track you down! :P

A wonderful, all-around great ending for this couple my dear! (I'm allowed one of those marks since this isn't one of my chapters, right?) You were such a tease with Jack--I'm sure it was your intention for us to think he was a little boy and it didn't become clear until the animal shelter was mentioned...naughty author. I laughed my head off when you revealed that little tidbit to us, and when the guys began talking about letting him into their bedroom. I hope we get more of their future at some point--but you have to let the Voices guide you. ONce more, the journey was worth all the turmoil and angst until Love Conquered All.

You just know the right words to say to make things come out right...and I may say that, when I needed a ray of sunshine two years ago, it was you who 'squeegeed' my windows so your light could shine in. I'll never forget that, or let anyone else drken your lights if I can help it. My dearest friend, my heat's ease, my fount of wisdom...

Hey Ivor...you aren't the only author who sets things here though you are a 'foreigner'! Believe me, a good story comes across even then, so long as it's well told and even a little proofing is done to make it readable. Believe me, I've seen stories here by American writers that I could barely follow, and some so 'editorially raw' that I threw up my hands and quit reading them. A lot can be overlooked if English isn't your first language, but not when it is, and the writing is still on a par with third grade work. :) I won't name names because I was reading a story with so many grammar and structure and typos that it was often incomprehensible, and when I checked the Editor's work, found the very same errors there also...a story is only as good as it's editors and beta-readers. I'd love to see your 'Seaside' stories here... (hint, hint)

I well know government stupidity in it's agencies from experience with the state's benefits system. They screwed up something for nearly half a year because they missed an entire page on my review and it took ages to sort it out. They should have reimbursed the lost money, nearly 800 dollars, but all I saw was one month's adjustment. So, the possibility that Adam's father might demand him back and be granted it could be very real. Ivor is an amazingly talented writer, and I've read everything he's done at the various sites he's at--a lot of it at IOMFATS. I've heard comments that his work is 'too British' and thus he feels doubts when he posts here since so many of us seem to think writing has to be in our dialect to be popular. For me, a good story can be in any of those English possesses, so long as it's done well. I don't know much about Aussie football, but the various Australian authors here have captivated me with their stories from the moment I discovered them, be they sports-related or not. So I've picked up a few words in other dialects' usage--that makes me a more well-rounded person if not a well-travelled one. So, Ivor my friend...keep 'em coming!

What's the phrase...'the truth will out' The moral of this one for me, was that honesty is the best policy--it brought Jimmy and Drake together, and it renewed a fractured marriage for Drake's parents. As much, if not more important for Truth, is that it will become public...but it has to be faced and accepted internally as well for it to work its magic. Come on, Epilogue! Dang, Monday's so far away.... :)

It's wonderful to see Michael coming through surgery so well...he's an amazing kid and so are his aunt and far. The idea of Patrick becoming a father would be great...come on Peter, make it happen! 🤭 Are we due for another Angel/Imp story? Loved hearing from them again! Tusind tak min kaereste ven!

I wanted so much for Drake's visit to go well, but his reaction to Victoria only proved that his epiphany wasn't firmly rooted...there's a lot of work Drake needs to do on his issues to be what Jimmy needs. The fact that Jimmy stood watching Drake leave indicates he's still got strong feelings for the man, but he can't let those rule him until he sees Drake make some serious changes in himself. Jimmy is on the right path, but will Drake see that, or resign himself to the status quo and give up on himself and Jimmy? With his record, I'm thinking we're in for a period of despondency and retreating from dealing with his issues. Not giving up on them yet...and Jimmy isn't either. It's up to Drake now, and indeed, it's always been.

What great timing--this comes just a couple weeks since my cable provider started showing the season of Aussie Rules Football. Now I get it on tv and in this great group of guys! I'm sure Mason is right about his parents' reasoning...image over family when it comes down to it, just like most politicians. I hope Robbie can survive once he's discharged from the hospital...from what little I know, gangs can have a long reach with others when it comes to silencing trouble makers.

Prompts seem to have been lucky for me; the first four chapters or so of Jay & Miles began as prompts, and look what happened to that story! This one was an experiment to see if I could put my thoughts together for this task in bite- (or is that byte) size chunks and still be engaging. Science-fiction can do that for short stories, but I don't think I've seen longer works that way.

Well, we have to please our fans... "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille."

I've been reading science-fiction since elementary school when Scholastic Book Services would give their catalogues to our teachers, and I think my first one was 'Runaway Robot'...hooked on it ever since. Today's works seem dark and too busy pushing their points of technological overkill at the cost of fun and adventure. I'm harking back to my favorites from my youth.

My first ideas for this are more than a decade old, and only finding the solar wind under their sails now...it was just too big to tackle as a novel.

I can only think it was here before you, and you don't check other works... Hey, you have a life, so I'm just glad you're here now!

The monorail leaves for the World of Tomorrow in fifteen minutes.

So many consequences of Troy's ordeal--I knew there'd be some sexual ones, so that was no surprise, but Adam's willingness to try to fix it was just great! A lot of guys put great store in having pubes as teens, so his removing them was such a wonderful gesture of support and love. The continuing disappearance of the other two guys is disturbing--when are they going to strike again--because you know they will. Stupidity rules supreme in people like that, and they never learn their lessons. I hope other students will come to the GSA meetings...that is something we think of as normal today, but we can never forget that it doesn't exist in all schools--not in the one I attended forty years ago for sure. The topic isn't even mentioned in my old district's handbook as of 2015. And...'Genders And Sexualities'? Are you fuckin' kiddin' me?! What a load of bollocks, as our author would so colorfully say....Makes me almost wish I were straight!! More please, dear Ivor!

I'm glad you only had to go back one chapter...I had to re-read the whole thing to capture the mood again, and to check some details. Triads main purpose is breeding, but no time limit is set for that to happen, but compatibility is important, so children can take a while, and maybe changes will be made to a final unit.... It's a peculiar thing that mixing species is frowned upon at this point because the 'thals numbers are more than enough to be viable and very diverse...I guess it's easy for customs to turn into traditions that hold almost the same force as law. Do I hear Tevye singing in the background? 'Tradition!...'

Thanks glennish! Nice to see you're still with me. I'm hoping what comes next will be a surprise--

At least it's not my middle school story where aliens land to conquer Earth and get a surprise when they meet our people...the aliens are a canine-type race and just love being petted! What can I say, I was twelve...maybe thirteen. Totally embarrassing!

As much as Drake has hurt Jimmy with the events of the previous night, I don't see him as the type of guy to make the man grovel...but I also don't see him letting Drake get as close as they had been before. That will take an immense amount of rebuilding, not only of trust but love also. I wouldn't trust an 'overnight epiphany' either, however much I might want to. Not quite the same, but I had an 'ex' who broke up with me because we were spending too much time together--not always my idea since he had wheels and I couldn't drive...but two weeks later he came back to ask to get back together again. I had been angry, but more disappointed than anything else, and was willing to give it a try. Surprise--it didn't work out. The connection we'd had just wasn't there for me anymore, and it wasn't coming back. We parted a few weeks later, but even the friendship had suffered and was also left to fade away. I know G-Man likes happy endings, but this one is going to be more than usually bumpy getting to it. While I feel sympathy for Drake, he has to suffer the sorrows of his actions to really appreciate what he has done in order to fully embrace what he knows is right. In this tragedy, it's Jimmy who suffers innocently, having pinned his hopes too soon and too high on an unstable platform....