Cole Matthews

Happy Birthday Graeme! Hope you have a wonderful day.

The things we do for love...and for right. It's amazing how you created this scenario and brought it all together. The final vanquishing of the goddess came across beautifully and succinctly. Really well done! I'm so proud of you. Great job!!

I love redemption stories. We all make mistakes, hurt others, and sometimes the consequences are spare, sometimes dire. Regardless, we all have to redeem ourselves to others, but even harder sometimes, making yourself whole. This story is a really good portrayal of Casey being harsher on himself than even his victim was in the end. It's funny how people who want redemption are the ones who most deserve it. Those who don't care, need it the most. Thanks Val for making us think and explore these important ideas and emotions. Awesome job!!!

Okay, let's reveal the two songs which I used as a kind of emotional guide. The first is Brandy, You're a Fine Girl, by Elliott Lurie of the band Looking Glass. It was a number one hit in 1972. It's about a barmaid who fell in love was left by a sailor. Brandon is suffering from the same affliction as Brandy in the song. The other song is more of Elliott's story than Brandon's. Meatloaf had a song entitled Two Out of Three Ain't Bad. Elliott was experiencing the effects of alienation from his first love. That's why there ain't no Coupe de Ville hiding at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box. Elliott thinks he's empty and used up, like the narrator in the Meatloaf song. I think we sometimes forget love isn't all sweetness and light. It can hurt more deeply and longer lasting than hate. It can twist us and make our hearts bitter leaving a sour taste in our mouth. Love is an incredibly important part of life. It is far more than happiness. Love can both give and take away meaning from life. At least, that's what I was trying to accomplish. Thanks for reading!!!

It's a very well-written story with some interesting twists. The characters flow well and the progression is natural. Great job!!!

Patrick is an interesting character. He is several things at once. He's Oliver's best friend, boyfriend, and yet seems to not care about how his actions affect Oliver. He seems, well, clueless more than anything. I thought his return to plead his case changed my first impression he was just a dog. I think in the end, Patrick is a little lost. He liked having Oliver at his beck and call, but felt something draw him to Alyssa. When Oliver confronted Patrick, his 'boyfriend' didn't really try to hide or get rid of the appearance of a date. He seemed to embrace it. I think this is a really good portrayal of a young bisexual teen who is more confused by his feelings than actually a bad person. I'm not sure from your rendering Oliver didn't actually make more of what they had. I don't think Oliver was in the wrong. I think he felt things more acutely and interpreted it as more than Patrick could. Wonderful job making me think and react!!!

I love vignettes because they force a writer to carve out a period of the characters' lives. This does that quite well. We get a distinct impression of both Cyril and Stuart, through Stuart's perspective, and it unfolds quite naturally. The hard candy coating of Cyril's begins to chip as time ticks by. His impatience and churlishness are shields as we begin to learn. Then, we get a glimpse of his tender self, injured and masked beneath his shirt. The end felt a bit rushed. I believe Cyril would have rushed from the scene quickly. However, it was missing something. See how good it was, I suspended my disbelief and began imagining what Stuart must have been thinking and imagining the worst... Great job!!

You did something special in this story. You portrayed conflicted emotions very well. Few of our emotional responses and perceptions of others are cut and dried. You muddled the mix well which gave the characters so much depth. In addition, the story showed how Tristan felt without telling us how he felt. That's another sign of good storytelling. I found myself relishing this tale, as heart-breaking as it is, because of the nuances. Great Job!!!

What is the nature of love and how do we feel about it? Elliott is struggling because he likes a girl, needs her, but he doesn't really love her, not like he loved Claire. Claire was the love of his life. He bumps into another soul who is hurting from the same kind of condition. In the end, the emotions become lyrical and we see how the creative process is sometimes a healing one. Let's see if we can find the Coupe de Ville hiding at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box.

Elliott pushed the door open, embracing the darkness within. His guitar case was dragging him down, tugging at the edges of the entryway, impeding his movement, but he wouldn’t be deterred. As a musician, his guitar was like a pacifier for an infant or heroin for a junkie. It was a necessary extension of him. Sometimes it was a burden he’d rather not bear. Regardless, he needed to sit down, have a drink, and decompress. The sign outside proclaimed the name of the place as Toad Hall

On my to-read list!!!

Happy Birthday Sasha!!!! And many more...

Awesome!!!!! Congratulations and well-earned tim!!!

You've earned it my friend. Congratulations on your hard work, your efforts to aid others, your humility, and finally, your courage. You represent the best in writing, exposing yourself and also touching others with your truth. I'm so proud of you. Thank you for contributing to our art. I am so thrilled for you. Cole

Congrats Litlover! Well deserved. ?

OMG! I posted this a couple nights ago on Facebook. It's hilarious. Trouble is, some of my favorite works already involve murders! Awesome.

Thanks! I hope this gives people ideas for their writing. I appreciate the post and kind words.

My word! I need to get things moving. I'm thinking about a story based on a man who doesn't know how to love. After all, what is love?

I smiled at the woman before me as she detailed her criticisms. It was something I handled well by now. “These shades of purple are too, well, too...” “Do you want something lighter, airier?” She nodded excitedly. “Yes, that’s it. I want something less drab, not as morose, more lively.” As a premier interior designer, she expected me to read her mind. Luckily, I could. I flicked through the fabric samples with the stiff backings and found a paisley with a beige background that contraste

Happy Birthday Darling! Hope you had a great day.

Such good examples! Max's Garage really packs a punch with characters which keep on giving. Hollow Hills is epic, and I'm sure this will get Valkyrie back to work on it! (Hint, hint, ). Vodka at Midnight is, of course, a favorite because of all the ties it has to us. I'll never forget that fun day. Great stuff people!

Happy birthday buddy! Hope your day is special.

Ray Smith is living a double life. One is conventional and safe and the other is...well, not as mainstream. He misses his lover and that gets him into a pickle. Who exactly is mining for the iron pyrite? Ray or the others?

I loved reading the Bridgemont series from the beginning. The evolution and changes in the fortune of Granger are really amazing along with the detailed research. Mark captures the essence of this era with the perspectives of the scientific era and the vestiges of a more restrictive social moral code. This segment of the story is especially interesting because it shows the beginnings of the modern era in history. Mark lets the cracks show. The transitions in society are the most interesting to me, and Mark shows us how things changed then. We can then see how things struggle to change now and our belief these transitions are clean and clear don't happen. There is an ebb and flow to social mores and it isn't usually pretty. At least, that's my take on it. Thanks Mark.

There are three primary reasons I think this story is a very special one. First of all, the characters are really, really well done, and not just Alan and Peter. The boys had very individual and distinct voices which is tough to do with children. It's easy for them to run together or speak with a single voice. In this story, Bradley and Troy had their own stories to tell and did so with clarity, humor, bluntness, and significance. Second, I appreciate stories that are more than coming-of-age/love-stories. This is a story about a family and about how this couple coped with adversity and survived. I think it was brave and incredibly important you presented Peter with qualms about their role as caregivers and their challenges as a couple. Life gets in the way of things so often. I believe this story stands out because of the questions and problems it presented. Finally, it's a good story overall with solid writing and an interesting theme. Alan giving up his job shows the kinds of sacrifice parents must give for their children. I feel that was an underlying idea throughout the story. Again and again, Alan and Peter had to give something up in order to take care of Bradly and Troy. They almost sacrificed their relationship near the end, though as Peter indicated, he was more committed after the forced separation. Thanks Graeme for sharing with us. I cried during the following scene because it's real and little boys are allowed to say this even when all of us think it sometimes. “Are you God?” Everyone’s attention was drawn to Troy who had slipped away from his grandparents and approached the front of the courtroom unnoticed. Troy continued before anyone could react. “Because if you are, can you give us Uncle Peter back?” “Troy!” Alan slipped out of his seat and gather up the young boy. “I’m sorry, Your Honour.” “It’s okay.” Judge Patterson smiled at Troy, losing most of his mantle of intimidating authority in the process. “Troy, isn’t it?” “That’s me!” “Troy, while there are times that I wish I were… No, I’m not God. Why were you asking?” “Because God took our daddy away, but he gave us Uncle Alan and Uncle Peter to look after us instead. We don’t want to lose Uncle Peter like we lost Daddy. That would be mean.” It would be mean, indeed.