Valkyrie

This was quite the emotional roller coaster. At first, I thought Paul was making the right decision, but as more information was slowly revealed, my sympathies shifted. I think they have a good chance at a future together, as long as they keep communicating with each other. Nice job.

Great interview. I'm sorry I didn't have time to read the story in time for the discussion, but from the answers to the interview questions I'll definitely add it to my list. I tell myself this all the time. Sometimes it's hard to turn off our own inner voice and let the characters' voices take over.

I'm definitely hooked. I could feel the tension and fear, and pictured everything vividly. Now I want to know who destroyed the ship and why, along with what happens to Val afterwards. And you can't go wrong with a main character named Val.

I love stories featuring flawed characters who make mistakes. I'll definitely add this one to the list

I like both of these, but "the trunk" is sparking an idea...

Very well done, Northie. This flows easily and the refrain isn't filler, but relevant to each stanza. Not easy to do. This is a form that suits your style, I think.

Written with your usual style and grace.

I hope you enjoyed your trip over the Falls

This is quite elegantly written, and you've described the feeling well. I can relate to the sense of pervasive restlessness and the questions it shouts in my mind at inopportune hours. Welcome back and I hope the feeling passes soon.

Thank you all for the well wishes You are all why GA is such an amazing place

You transported me to the past, then jarred me back into the present. History leaves indelible markers on some places, and not everyone has the ability to see it. We have to remember the past--the battles and tragedies along with the Alcotts and Thoreaus. This was written with your usual deftness and and finesse. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Thank you, Parker. That's a lovely compliment.

Thanks for reading and commenting I was curious as to how people would interpret "Scattered". I like your interpretation and it's definitely fitting. What I had in mind when I wrote it was someone's ashes scattered to the wind. When I read the FB post that inspired "Afterlife", it immediately brought tears to my eyes. I'd like to think her husband is still looking after her.

On August 9, 2013 I decided to take the plunge and join GA as a member instead of reading stories as a lurker. While I'd dabbled a bit with writing poetry and some creative fiction, I'd never actually finished anything I started writing. The closest I came was a vampire novel I started writing in the early '90s (which I may yet finish ) The atmosphere on GA was so welcoming. It felt like a place where I wanted to interact with others, and one of my favorite things was reading the weekly prompts. There was more participation in the prompts back then, and I felt like they were a good way to ease back into writing. Bolstered by the positive and encouraging responses to those early scribblings, I expanded one of them into my first novella. I then decided to tackle the anthologies, which helped me develop my writing skills even more. I was beyond thrilled to be promoted to Promising Author, and then Signature. I still feel a flash of pride whenever I see the maroon rectangle next to my name. Writing and GA has opened so many doors for me. I love writing and sharing my work with like-minded people. My editing/beta team have become dear, dear friends. @Cole Matthews, @Lisa, @aditus... I can't imagine a life without you all in it There are too many to name, but know everyone on this site holds a special place in my heart. It's hard to believe it's been five years since I de-cloaked and became a member. Yes, I'm a Star Trek nerd Many of you know I have been spending the summer re-doing my house. I bought new appliances, a new recliner, a giant cat tree, and a boatload of other new things for the house. My mom and I moved every piece of furniture, scrubbed the walls and floors, and went through every box downstairs. I threw out a ton of stuff, donated a ton of stuff, and now have a manageable living space. There are a few reasons we did all this. One, it needed to be done. I've done a lot of travelling in the ten years I've lived here, so I let a lot of house stuff go. Two, I had my BFF planning to visit for a week and I wanted a house that didn't look like it was inhabited by trolls. And three... I am having major surgery this week. This has been a summer of reflection for me. I found a lot of things from my past when going through all those boxes. Mostly good memories, but some bittersweet. I don't want to get into all the details of my surgery, since it's rather personal, but I will say I have a pre-cancerous condition which requires the removal of some parts. The risk of cancer is relatively low, but still there. I've had two prior surgeries, and admit to being most nervous about this one. So I will be away from the site briefly while I recover. I'm hoping my absence will be less than a week, but it all depends on how I feel and what they find. I won't have my laptop with me until I'm back home, but I will have my cell phone and will keep Cole updated. He has my permission to post updates here. I am hoping to do a lot of writing while I recover. I'd like to finish "The Hollow Hills" and start my next novel. I have some editing to do, and something exciting in the works for GA. I also hope to be able to do some reading... something I've been neglecting lately. So that's what going on in my life right now. Thank you to all my readers, followers, and friends. You guys are awesome

Scattered Drawn and quartered By competing updrafts, Gray whirlwinds Complete the journey home. Afterlife A year to the day later, The letter you wrote Expressing love not Diminished by decades, Was placed to draw my eyes’ and heart’s attention A month after you answered The call to otherworldly duty.

Unfortunately, I won't have time to read this story before the discussion day, but it sounds intriguing. I'm looking forward to the interview though, since I'm not familiar with Aceinthehole's writing.

Welcome I lurked for a while before deciding to join the site, and I haven't looked back since.

I agree with Fanlit. It doesn't feel finished. Ryan is a doctor, but we don't know what kind of doctor. Still, he's an intelligent, educated man. You'd think he'd see past Darren's BS. Although some highly intelligent people have a lot of book smarts and lack street smarts. The last line has me wondering what Ryan's Plan B is. Will he turn Darren in at the border? Abort their plan altogether? I feel bad for the kids. Their lives are being upheaved and I'm sure they have no idea what's going on. This was a very interesting trilogy. I'd love to see Darren get his comeuppance. Great job!

It's nice to see some authors who haven't been featured before. It's always interesting to read about the creative process. I've read stories by all the featured authors except oat327. I'll have to add his story to my list. I'll add my encouraging voice to support Defiance finishing a longer story. And having met her a few times myself, I can also attest to how wonderful she is in person. Great selection of authors and questions/answers!

Oh I didn't think you were being accusatory. And yes... I definitely drove through the most boring part of the state. OMG The car I was in had no tape deck or CD drive so all I had to listen to was the radio. Or, more correctly, the radio scrolling... trying to find any kind of station. O.o The ones it did find sporadically were all Christian preachers. I don't know how I managed to stay on the road. lol I was so thankful to see the sign for New Mexico! lol Dallas was lovely, though. I think we stayed in Odessa, but honestly, most of the trip is a giant blur. The picture you posted reminds me of the forests north of Tuscon, minus the water.

Thanks, Defiance Yes, there's still a lot of work to be done, but they're finally ready to work together. Thanks for reading!

Galen lived in Houston with Jamie. I'm going by my experience driving across the widest part of Texas and my observations on that drive. I drove south to Dallas, then west across the widest part of the state. It was in the winter, so I'm sure it would have been a different experience if it was summer. Even so, the southwest doesn't come close to the northeast in greenery and denseness of vegetation, which is the main point of Galen's comparison. That's not a criticism, just an observation on two very different parts of our country. Thanks for commenting.

Thanks for your comments and support of this story. You are right that they should be stronger together. We'll see what the future brings

Agreed Thanks for your support of this story. I really appreciate it.

Don't worry... you'll see more of these guys Thanks for the comments. I'm glad you liked the kiss.