C James

My apologies to those to whom I did not reply; I can't comment on plot points, especially at this stage of the story, but I do read and enjoy them all! Thanks! Hi Trevor and Bondwriter! All I can say is, Eric isn't gone from the story. Ahhh, so this means that anything bad happening in the story is, of course, Shadowgod's fault, right? ROFL!!!!!!!!!! Just a minor story note here. A few minutes ago, I completed the draft of FTL 38, the final chapter. Now all I have to do is touch up the epilogue. The epilogue, incidentally, was the very first thing I wrote for FTL. CJ

Just wanted to add my renewed wishes on the big day itself; Happy Birthday, Steve!!!!!!!!! :king:

Did you go on that indoor-outdoor roller-coaster in stateline? That one was fun. Glad you had fun, except of course for your uncle. Damn, that sucks. I hope he comes around, or was just in a bad mood. That must have really hurt. Glad the rest of your trip went so well!!!

This plot twist is indeed interesting! Hrmmm, just as a bit of speculation, but I'm wondering if this gives them an opening to get rid of Sherveraze? Sean's gas idea for the scientist was a classic, loved it! This Russia situation is very interesting, as is the CIA connection. I have a feeling that there is a huge plot twist on the way. I also loved how Davey figured out Matt, though a bit late. LoL.

Car chase? OKay, I may not have seen any of the Halloween movies, but if this story's got a car chase now, that makes it a must-read for me! I'll start at the beginning again and give this a read! (and BTW, I'm hearing very good things about this story!) I'll be back with comments in a day or so.

It's a little early for this in my time zone, but in Australia it's the 26th already, so I'm jumping the gun a bit here. Thursday the 26th is Shadowgod's Birthday!!! :king: :king: :king: :king: :king: Happy 29th Birthday Steve!!! :king: :king: :king: :king: :music: :music: :music: :music: My best wishes for a great day and a great year!!

Roast pig, or a cooked goose, Thaddeus is not a happy camper. I can't comment on future happenings, or about Chris's parting comment. The legalities are a little complicated (and I must give thanks to Captain Rick for setting me straight on some of the legal issues) but the Sheriff had a warrant, plus he was there in pursuit of a known fugitive who has a definitive connection to the property (as Thaddeus' son) and was seen moments before heading up the tunnel, which leads nowhere else but the church. Chris and Steve didn't touch the computer until after the Sheriff and Mr. Williams were present, so there was no tainting of the evidence. Thaddeus was also clever enough to implicate himself, after being mirandized, for setting the booby trap. Steve and Chris might be technically guilty of trespassing, though. The Piedmont Sheriff is not in jail, and is still in office. He's just under indictment. That might sound far-fetched, but I based it on a similar case less about a decade ago; an Arizona Sheriff was indicted for racketeering, but remained in office throughout his trial. It's a legal gray area whether or not the county supervisors can remove a sheriff, because the Sheriff is an elected official. This put them in a very bad position; their insurance carrier would no longer cover them against wrongdoings by the sheriff or his department due to the indictment, leaving them with an enormous legal liability if the sheriff (or his deputies) did anything wrong. He remained in office all during his trial, until he was convicted. (at which point, he could be easily removed, and was.)

Hrmmmm, well, you know the old saying, something to do with letting a monkey flail away at a keyboard and, given infinite time, eventually he'll write King Lear? Well, put a goat in front of a keyboard for long enough and... Grumble grumble grumble... I'm sorry, but Shadowgod is only to blame for bad things, and as you have already said you liked the story, you can't now say it's bad. Hrmmmm... I shall have to remember this "blame shadowgod" angle for the next time I write a story that flops... Awwww... It's not easy being a goat who writes... usually, when critics decide to decide to roast an author, they mean it figuratively; with me, they start firing up the grill!

You portrayed them all very well, with incredible depth. I think part of the reason I suspected ill tidings for Matt is your penchant for doing nasty, deadly things to your characters. You aren't known as the King of the Cliffhanger for nothing... I love the way you portrayed, well, everyone. Very vivid, and very believable. I love this story, and it's one of my all-time favorites. 28... 28... 28...

Thanks Marty!! Using descriptions is something I've been trying to work on, and Shadowgod has been trying to teach me... I'm glad you liked it, and thanks very much for reading and commenting! It was a fun story to write; it just sort of popped into my head, fully formed (thus proving the old adage that nature abhors a vacuum). CJ

I've been re-reading this (I rarely re-read, but this one is that good!) and it is just so funny, but I think the crowing hilarity just has to be agreeing to the nude pics, for nothing... That one made my side ache!!!

You made me hungry...

Awww, come on, you gotta tell us what the prank was? The situation with Bob is a heart-wrencher. Poor kid, I'm glad you were there for him, though maybe, due to his age, he's confusing "gay" with "want to be friends". I sure hope he doesn't tell the wrong person.

Happy Birthday, James!!!

Today is Tuesday, sooo... Chapter 35, Hell's Fury, is up. Thanks! CJ

"Let the Music Play" Should be out, very soon. Before the end of FTL, too. What? I'm not evil... As for Eric, yes, I will concede that he has a few, ummm, personality problems? It will definitly be a different topic post. The taunts, however, will surely cross over. Definitely not the same characters; it's an entirely different, unrelated story. So, a new thread too.

Yes, we have a winner!! :king: Well now, I'd best get back to... lurking...

You do realize, I hope, that anyone with more than 1000 posts (and less than 4000) is a postaholic? CJ

Well, yes, well enough to posts thousandS of times, and write some wonderful stories too.

Hrmmm, so it's true: France has a frog problem? I really enjoyed "Life's a Grind". However, now that the story is over, I have no choice but to face the fact that my speculation was wrong; it wasn't all about the coffee industry. Great story, Jack!

Hi Steve!! I can't comment on the speculation (The Echidna will turn me into a pincushion if I do) but this is darn good stuff!

Someone had better pass me, quick! Being at the top of the list Bob posted could be seen as perhaps detrimental to my precious reputation as a quiet and shy forum lurker. Seriously though, the forums are a huge part of what makes GA so special, so THANK YOU to all who take part!

Kevin, I don't know what to say,

Oh Sharon, My deepest condolences. Times like these are the hardest of all. Take care, and best wishes, CJ