Valkyrie

I can't think of much to say about this... but not in a bad way. It's written with your usual brilliance.

I want a Lakshou when I get anxious and stressed. Kohen seems to be in good hands. I wonder what will happen when he meets Captain again?

I'm intrigued by the motley assortment of aliens on this ship. Lakshou is just what Kohen needed. I can't wait to find out more.

A name and healing and positive sensory experiences. Things are looking up. So what wrench will you throw at us next chapter? LOL

I feel so bad for him. I hope his tormentors get a suit of their own

Why did I decide to start reading this before I have to leave for work? At least I know there's a few more chapters waiting for me before I devour them all and have to wait for every Wednesday. lol

Colorful snapshots capture seasonal changes quite masterfully

I read this and really enjoyed it. Great review, Puppilull!

Ooo a challenge prompt. Time to channel Joker and Knight!

A perfect conversation for cold winter evenings.

Brilliantly written, although I am sorry they had to be penned in the first place.

I don't believe I've read this story. Hopefully I'll have time before the discussion day.

I'm the same way, Northie. When I read stories by non-US authors, I expect to see different spellings, sayings, words, etc. I don't find it off-putting in the slightest. If I'm not sure what a saying or word means, I look it up. To change the dialect would make the story inauthentic. One thing I find jarring is when the dialect doesn't match the area. For example, British equestrian terminology in the Western US. Or American slang being used by a character who's supposed to be British. If you are not familiar with the setting of your story, it shows. I had someone contact me once about "The Hollow Hills" and Vermont. There were aspects I had gotten wrong because I am not from Vermont, nor do I have intimate knowledge of that area. That person now beta reads the chapters that feature aspects of Vermont I'm not familiar with. I'm still not 100% comfortable with some of the dialect, but I use it to maintain the story's authenticity.

I think it's important to note that when I skip sections of stories or stories themselves, it's not the occasional misplaced comma or typo, or paragraph long description of a house or setting. It's the stories riddled with typos, misused words, and grammatical errors that I'll skip--especially if the author hasn't shown an inclination to grow. Not everyone is good at spelling or language use, but that's what we have editors for. Finding a team that is strong in your weak areas is time-consuming, but worth it. If you're weak with verb tenses, find someone strong in that area. If you tend to drone on for pages about technical details, find someone who isn't afraid to call you out on it and help simplify it. While I admit to skipping stories fairly frequently due to too many editing mistakes, it's very rare I skip a story because it's too descriptive. I may skim over the technical parts, but I can't think of any story off the top of my head I've stopped reading for being too descriptive. Descriptions are good... just don't bore the reader with paragraphs when a few sentences will do.

I like detail, but not overly-long, drawn out, technical info dumps. Sometimes technical information is necessary for a story, but paragraphs of it will usually cause me to skip. Like Graeme, I also tend to skip a lot of sex scenes. I don't need to know every little detail of what happened, especially if every single time the characters have sex is described to the minute detail. Sometimes less is more. Bad editing will usually cause me to skip the story altogether, especially if the story description itself is riddled with typos and grammatical errors. If the author can't get the story description right, then I don't hold much hope for the story being any better. Writing is a craft and part of that craft is knowing proper punctuation, spelling, and language usage.

Who knew apples could be sexy?

I love the descriptions here. I can picture everything quite clearly. The more we explore, the more we discover. Nice job. There's one minor typo. "Deapths" should be "depths".

Welcome, Lacuna You'll find quite a few fantasy and sci-fi stories here.

I really like these. I especially relate to the second. Virtual hugs, while not as nice as in-person hugs, can be just as soothing and meaningful.

Wow... this is a very powerful piece, Parker. I had to read it several times, not because I didn't understand, but because it was so good. I understand it all too well, I'm afraid. I love the dichotomy. The line that sticks out to me the most is "sadness mixed with yearning, or possibly murder". I think this is one of your best works. Well done, my friend.

Yay, Addy!!! I'm so happy for you! It was so well-deserved. Congrats to all the winners

Now you know why I creeped myself out so much... Thanks for the comments.

Thanks, Cole I had to go the proper horror route on this one.

Well I'm intrigued. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to read this before today. My reading time has gone down quite a bit, unfortunately. I really enjoyed the interview, though. I'll read this story at some point.