C James

Thanks Trevor!! Just two more chapters left. Awww, but I'm not evil... And I never use cliffhnagers, so there is only one reasonable explanation; it's all Shadowgod's fault! ROFL! Darth Hornius! I love it! BTW everyone, The ending wasn't easy to write. I grow attached to my characters, so having one in a bad situation wasn't easy.

Poor, misunderstood Beelzebub. For the ending, well, I must admit it's a tad on the tense side. Not a cliffie, though, becuase I never use those.

Don't believe him; it's a trap! He'll come back and see spoilers, then turn us all into pincushions! However, I have a way out of this dilemma; it's not a spoiler once the chapter is posted, and it's just been posted. FTL 36, Sleeping in the Light, is online.

In a normal year, Arizona's Monsoon season (summer thunderstorms) starts in mid-july, and ramps up by mid August, often resulting, here in the high mountians of northern Arizona, thunder daily, but rain once ever few days at most. This year, a years-long drought has broken, and we've had rain daily, over a foot between mid_July and yesterday. Yesterday, I had major damage to my house (wish I was joking on that). A thunderstorm hit, and in the mountains they can be very violent. This one began typically, but seemed to stall out over my area; the rain and hail kept thundering down, for over two hours. We had about a foot of rain (amking two since mid-july), but the hail, whoa. Not huge, just marble-sized, but it kept coming, and I ended up with about five inches of what looked like snow when an hour before it had been in the 80's. The ground is still covered with ice, and it's in the 40's now. There were also hundred-mile-an-hour winds. My roof was asphalt-shingle. I emphasize "was". The hail stripped away all the grit, plus cracked the shingles all over the darn place, allowing some to pull free of the nails when the winds hit. The "zipper effect" took of about a third of my roof shingles, total. But that wasn't the end of it; I've got a wood deck, and wood siding. The hail chewed the hell out of it. it chipped and flaked all the paint, and if I don't get a new coat on soon It will start to peel, and I'll have to sandblast the whole darn house and deck. I've got plastic sheeting covering my roof now, and I had some major water damage inside as well. Insurance will pay for some but not all, and I've got to do a huge amount of work. Oh, to to it off; the dirt road up the mountainside (basically a rough jeep trail at the best of times) to my house is gone in places. Just gone. and in the creekbed that's part of the road, the flash-flood sent what looks to have been a 20ft wall of water through, and I've now got some rocks, one the size of a car, blocking my route. So I've got to fix the road (I can make it passable with a shovel within a day or two) and move the rocks before I can even get out of here. The big rock? it can't be got around. I've got to get rid of it. Fortunately one of my neighbors (about a mile from here, I had to walk it in the mud) is a miner, and can help me blast the sucker Wednesday. So, I should be above to get out of here within a few days, but whoa, I've got a lot of work to do on the rest. Ugh.

I have to agree; things are getting better. The differences between now and twenty years ago are just incredible. I also agree, I'd love to herre more about UTBOS!) That chat convo was profound! Awwww... If you keep saying things like that, Maybe I'll have to stop blaming you for quite so much? Like Global warming?

Sorry to throw a wet blanket (or cold shower) on things, but any nudes are against GA's rules, in a very big way, so no posting them to GA. Thanks! CJ

Ouch!!!!!!!!!!!!! I sure hope it goes better tomorrow with the tech support run-arround!!! Very true! All things bad are Shadowgod's fault. Heck, today I have major damage to my house (wish I was joking on that). A thunderstorm hit, and in the mountains they can be very violent. This one began typically, but seemed to stall out over my area; the rain and hail kept thundering down, for two hours. We had about a foot of rain, but the hail, whoa. Not huge, just marble-sized, but it kept coming, and I ended up with about five inches of what looked like snow when an hour before it had been in the 80's. The gound is still covered with ice, and it's in the 40's now. There were also hundred-mile-an-hour winds. My roof was asphalt-shingle. I emphasize "was". The hail stripped away all the grit, plus cracked the shingles all over the darn place, allowing some to pull free of the nails when the winds hit. The "zipper effect" took of about a third of my roof shingles, total. But that wasn't the end of it; I've got a wood deck, and wood siding. The hail chewed the hell out of it. it chipped and flaked all the paint, and if I don't get a new coat on soon It will start to peel, and I'll have to sandblast the whole darn house and deck. I've got plastic sheeting covering my roof now, and I had some major water damage inside as well. Insurance will pay for some but not all, and I've got to do a huge amount of work. Oh, to to it off; the dirt road up the mountainside (basically a rough jeep trail at the best of times) to my house is gone in places. Just gone. and in the creekbed that's part of the road, the flash-flood sent what looks to have been a 20ft wall of water through, and I've now got some rocks, one the size of a car, blocking my route. So I've got to fix the road (I can make it passable with a shovel within a day or two) and move the rocks before I can even get out of here. The big rock? it can't be got around. I've got to get rid of it. Fortunately one of my neighbors (about a mile from here, I had to walk it in the mud) is a miner, and can help me blast the sucker Wednesday. So, I should be above to get out of here within a few days, but whoa, I've got a lot of work to do on the rest. Eh, I might cross-post this to my blog. LoL. Oh, regarding blaming shadowgod: of course I do! Thunderstorms feed off water vapor. Global warming could cause increased evaporation, so more water vapor in the atmosphere, so this storm may have been "enhanced" by global warming. And, as we know, Global warming is Shadowgod's fault. Due to, and only due to, wonderful, above-and-beyond and short-notice work by Emoe, Shadowgod, Bondwriter, and Capt. Rick, Ch 36 will indeed be posted Tuesday. Thanks!!!!! I've been falling a bit behind lately, because of Category 5 and Let the Music Play being written alongside FTL. However, the last chapters of FTL are now in beta, so I can concentrate of LTMP, and I'm trying to build up a buffer again. Oh, and Bondwriter, baaad spoilers! The Echidna might get you, if he was looking forward to a pictorial chapter.

I've got to agree with Graeme here; I got fed up with Star Trek when they became so darn heavy-handed with the moralizing. I loved B5, most of it anyway. I could have done without the telepath-centric episodes though. When I was growing up, my favorite sci-fi show was an old British show called Space 1999, that the local PBS station carried. Getting to watch the episodes daily kind of spoiled me I guess, and I'd soon seen them all, but I loved that show. I liked the original Dr. Who, too, though I can't stand the new version. the new Galactica started out great, but one latter story arc turned me off. I won't mention what, in case it's in the season you haven't watched yet. CJ

Thanks Bob!! I had to go with third person in LTMP: there are a few subplots that remain separate for quite some time, and there was no way I could maneuver anyone into "knowing it all" as I would have to do in 1st person, so I had to go 3rd, and I find 3rd a much more flexible way to write. I'm loving it. I am new to it, with only my short story "The Muse" (fall 2006 anthology) as prior experience, but it's not as hard as I'd thought. Ch 3 should be posted fairly soon. Thanks Rad! That's what I was going for. He's in a fix, for sure. Okay, who leaked the plot? Thanks Camy!!! Thanks Conner!!! BTW, for those unfamiliar with my other stories, I do put clues in my stories, often quite a few. But I give fair warning; there may be misdirections, too. Thanks Jan!!! I can't comment on the plot, but thanks!!! Thanks Trevor!! Thanks!! One of the benefits of 3rd person is being able to do both; one storyline won't impact the other much, until much later on. At least, that what I'm trying to do. Ch 3 will be a good example, as it parts from both, even though mainly focusing on the goings-on with the band.

Garam Masala has lots of uses, I'm fond of it in a lot of things. It makes one heck of a good BBQ marinade when combined with italian dressing. One thing I can't get over here; Ghee butter. Thanks! I had to keep Cody a little mysterious; I wanted the reader to pick up that something was wrong there, but not what.

A few story notes... FTL 36 might be late. I was late getting it to Emoe for editing. My next story, "Let the Music Play" has the prologue and first two chapters online. Thanks!!! CJ

Yes, though I didn't know the hocky-mask one was Jason until Trevor told me. LoL I rarely watch movies or TV, so indeed, I'm rather clueless about these things. And yes, cliffies are eeevill... However, I will say this; I was able to understand the story in spite of not having seen the movies.

Excellent chapter! I like the way most things seem heading, and the interplay between some characters is heartwarming and funny too. Rhys and his partying, and maneuvering to get the master bedroom, was hilarious. I hope things come together for Jamie and Alex! That's one lulu of a cliffhanger ending!!! I won't say more about that for fear of spoiling it, but, whoa...

In case you have any trouble with the eFic upload, here are two very easy ways. The first, mentioned in this thread, is to save a word doc in filtered HTML. it also mentions how to turn on the editor in Efic, if it isn't on for you already. The second way is copy and paste from word, but that ofetn gives you the double spacing. What I do is to used the find replace features, and search for ^p^p and replace all with ^P Those are the codes for paragraph spaces, i think, but it works. Then, after doing that, I select all text, got to format, paragraph, and set the spacing before at 18, after, 0. Then save, then copy to the clipboard, then use the W "paste from word" button. Hope this helps! CJ

I'd like to start this off by saying that I have no clue about the Halloween movies at all; as Trevor can attest, I thought the Halloween movies had the guy in the hockey mask. Therefor, due to a lack on my part and not the authors, I found it a bit hard to follow at first. I do like the car scenes, and spooking the one guy into a head-on with a semi was brilliant! And, did I miss it, but who shot Kyle? You're doing great, Trevor! CJ

Thanks LC!!!!!!!!!! It is entirely possible that might occur in future chapters. I hope the Echidna will allow what might be a bit of inside information... What we have here are basically two storylines, which will stay largely separate for quite a few chapters. . I can't say anything more without giving too much away. Thanks!!!! CJ

Congratulations on your 500th! I'm celebrating rain! The area I live in has been having a severe drought, but we've had tons of rain in the last two weeks. I'm no longer in danger from wildfires, so I'm absolutely celebrating that!

Thanks Steve! Yes, the old prologue in sneak peeks became Ch 01. There were some issues with the story, mainly that the genre wasn't clear, so I gave us a peek at what some as-yet unseen characters are up to via the prologue. The name "Eric" has nothing to do with the one in FTL, I promise! LoL. There are entirely separate universes. Thanks Jack!!! We do find out why he has it in for Brandon soon. With me as the author? What about a lighthearted comedy where everyone does a gruesome death at the end? Or a cliche mushy romance, that just happens to have nukes? Or maybe the nukes aren't bad... Ever seen "Doctor Strangelove"? Stop worrying and learn to love the bomb... Thanks Graeme!!

In the UK, the most common explanation for the nickname is that they eat froglegs, but then again, they are also noted for eating snails, and they aren't called snails. The nickname does long pre-date WWII, though. I've seen it used in print in things predating that war. Hrmmm, I wonder if there is a different explanation... Bondwriter, how often do you ribbit? I think you might be onto something there, Bondwriter... Wow, that does fit, and very well at that. Subliminal advertising? I'm just glad that things worked out for Jeremy, and he had a good (and caffeinated ) "happily ever after".

Welcome to the "Let the Music Play" Discussion thread. Brandon's dreams had been crushed far too often for him to ever believe, especially in himself. Follow along as he experiances some massive changes in his life, along with a few bumps in the road, and a few high-pressure situations. "Let the Music Play" is an action/adventure, with a touch of romance and humor, set against the background of the rock music industry. Please take a look and let me know what you think. I also want to invite all forms of criticism: Don't be shy. If you feel more comfortable doing so you can PM me, but feel free to criticize in the thread. Thanks! CJ

Lol! I love Tandori! I also love Indian food; I spend a lot of time in the UK, and the Indian food there is superb. Hrmmm, I'm craving a good curry, some Naan bread, and a side of Samosas right about now... Indeed; I couldn't exist without New Mexico chili powder, or Arbol salsa. And why oh why have recipies for goat become so popular around here? Thanks!!! You're right, I did write Cody as he'd appear through Drake's eyes. I kept the descriptions of Cody to a minimum, wording it so that the reader would pick up that something was amiss, but not quite what. The jump into the ocean was based on seeing surfers do just that off a rocky point; timing the waves so the backreflection pulls them clear once they jump in from a height. It wasn't that much of a height and no hurricane, though, but I think it's at lease marginally possible, at least that was my hope.

I've been having thunderstorms every day for the past two weeks, over a foot of rain in the last week alone (but we needed it!) Oh, but Jack, I should point out that this is likly due to global warming; increased sea-surface temps mean more evaporation, hence higher rainfall in some areas. Therefor, it's Shadowgod's fault. (He's to blame for global warming). Good catch. I was worried about that too. This is one of the problems with a 1st person POV: How to cover things the protagonist doesn't see. I couldn't figure out how to get an explanation for this into the narration: The tunnel is a long one; it's a city block from the bookstore to the church. There would be no problem with fire at that distance, just smoke and vapors. The fire found itself an exit in Thaddeus' church. Much like the draft of a chimney, Betty's entrance would haver served as an air intake once the fire broke through into the church, with the air heading towards the fire, so no smoke or vapor issues for her bookstore. LoL! Wow, Steve, that's some thesis! You have a superb memory! I can't comment on whether you are right or not (becuase that would be commenting on the plot, and the Echidna would get me) but wow, that's a detailed set of supporting points, What? Me, Evil? I'm not evil. I'm a sweet, quite, and shy goat! I'm not familiar with Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, what happened? Minor correction: Shadowgod is, more correctly, too blame for everything, rather than gets blamed. (the latter leaves room for him to claim innocence, and we simply can't have that!) Eric could have been trying to help Chris and Steve... The blackmail did get them to come out to each other. The web cameras... Hmmm, he could have thought they'd like being famous? He knew that Steve isn't shy... The Stake-out? Well, hmmm, he knew Steve liked to work on his tan... And he was very polite, he even said "Have a nice day." Maybe he just wanted to give them something to do so they didn't get bored on their camping trip? As for the money stuff, well, he's industrious! Poor, misunderstood Eric...

IMHO, there is no way you could have shown Mia's break-up with Shane and had it come out better than it did. Leaving it up to the reader's imagination was IMHO perfect in this situation. Rhys is definitely one of my favorite characters. Part of his alure might be the name; I love exotic, unique names like that. And BTW, I think (hope) you have made a typo... I'm hoping that you missed out the middle number typed that?

ACK!!! Now, now, you wouldn't want to do that to poor, innocent me, now would ya, old pal, old, buddy? (or is that just plain old old, given that today is your birthday? ) A luau sounds good, provided I'm not on the menu! I'm allergic to hot rocks, ya know... ACK! Talk about turning up the heat! :fire: