C James

Sara Bell has long been one of my favorite authors. I am so glad to hear that she is doing well! Thank you for the wonderful stories, Sara!

Ouch! Poor Brian!!! That was not exactly an unexpected occurance, if it occurs, but, still, OUCH. Especially on his birthday! This is very intriguing, seeing things from Brian's point of view.

THREE DAY WEEKEND! That was very nearly the title of the last chapter, or should have been. Emoe posted a question a while back: How many Saturdays in a weekend? I couldn't explain at the time without spoilers but now I can! I'd written chapters 14 and 15 as a 3-day weekend of a somewhat unusual sort. The ORIGINAL TIMELINE went like this: pool party was on Saturday. They stayed overnight, and got up the next morning at Veronica's, had breakfast, lounged around until afternoon, went home, had the awkward family dinner, went to bed that night, and got up the NEXT morning to go to Sunday services. Well, Emoe caught it. (THANK YOU EMOE!!!). So I did a quick change of a few paragraphs to change the timeline, and Emoe fixed a few references that I'd missed. Yep, I'd written a 3-day weekend; either two Saturdays, or two Sundays.

This is an endearing and heartwarming read, and I fully recommend it! I won't give away any spoilers, but it is very realistic, and I think one underlying message is it never too late. Thank you Sinbad! CJ

Well, I knew about Connor's Avatar, but had to keep my mouth shut (Goat code of silence, ya know...) All I can say on the data stick and Eric is that this whole scenario (the major parts) were planned from the start. Things do change as I write though. For example, the pursuit and shooting in "Race with the devil" plus the letter that triggered it all occurred to me while I was writing one sentence: Veronica telling Steve, at the first pool party, "Don't **** it up this time, Blondie". I had no idea the "this time" would be there, it just appeared, but I thought of the rest of it on the spot. Thanks Connor! Hi Graeme!! All i can say on the above is Thanks!!! Good catch on the footprints issue! Thanks Rick!! I'm with Connor: You sure have a way with metaphores there! BTW, keep an eye on Jack's sig line: See "Life's a Grind" there? Keep an eye on it, it's coming soon, and I know a little about it, and it's going to be GREAT! OK, I just want to say that I love reading what you all have to say on this, and I read every bit of every post in this thread. Thank you all so much for being here, as this is a HUGE motivation for writing and I can't thank you all enough! However, I just wanted to warn everyone: If it looks like I'm ignoring what you had to say about the story, I'm not. I often cannot reply without giving away spoilers. (and with the Echidna lurking about, that could be hazardous to my health). This will be especially true over the next few chapters, as many things that have been hinted at in the story all along develop in full. I'll read asl always, and reply if I can, though. Plus, we can always have fun by plotting on how to catch and sell Jack Frost. (hi, Jack! ) Anyway, I just wanted to thank everyone, this means more to me than you can know. And one effect it had is it spurred me to catch up in my writing and get a few chapters ahead, so that now I hope we can avoid any further posting delays (and special thanks go out to Emoe and shdowgod on this!). Thanks again everyone.

"Feedback is an Author's lifeblood". That's a phrase I blatantly stole from dkstories, but it really is true. Seeing this post prompted me to send shdowgod a PM, where I advised him that Plagerisim was a very serious matter, and thus, he should sue himself. I've been a fan of Steve's for a long time (many years), ever since I first read Ch 1 (posted as a short story) of "shot of Bourbon" on a new-closed website. I was surprised to see him turn up here, and didn't recognize his nic, but I sure recognized his story (Shot of Bourbon). LiS is doing great, and I'm looking forward to the next chapter (which I predict with have a 1 in the title). Thanks for all the wonderful stories, Steve!

:king: Happy Birthday Jack!!!! :king: Have a great day, and happy double ducks! BTW, I hope your cake has plenty of Frosting.

What? But... What else would four gay men have to talk about other than the finer points of auto mechanics? I think you will find that the next episode, which will be posted on time, is very different from this one. And the Easter Bunny might have an Easter egg. BTW, this wasn't just a filler chapter, though I know it may look that way now. There is a lot in it that won't be obvious until Ch 16 and 17, and is critical to them. And don't worry, I won't keep everyone in suspense for long about Eric; the truth will come out, one way or another, in the next couple of chapters. Is Eric on the level or not? Or something in between? Hi Bob! I can guarantee you won't be asking that after the next chapter. Actually, over the next two chapters, you will see why much of Ch 15 was required. Hmmmm, maybe I should have a chapter all about the carburetor rebuilding? Would I do such a thing? Well, that fits very well, because the number of this thread is 6666. BTW, Any one have any thoughts about Eric's coming out?

Get well soon, Emoe!! I HATE colds, so I know just how you must be feeling. I hope you feel better soon! BTW, He's back..... Chapter 15, Homecoming, is up.

Unless you link to the story, or at least mention where is it, people are unlikely to be able to find it.

Veronica might just do that, too. Be careful what you say about the Reverend Emoe... He's been known to read this thread, whenever he's not busy trying to take all the fun out of Fundamentalism.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RICK!!!!!!!! :music: :king: :king: :king: :king: :king: :king: :king: :music: I hope you have a great day, my friend!!!

Chapter 19 is up!!! This is a must read... Jonah has one hell of a wicked sense of humor!!! That scene was PERFECT! I think it also shows how much Jonah is changing; he's far from the shy and insecure guy he was at first. I'm definitely growing to dislike Sky's parents. I think it is very sweet but misguided of him to be concerned for them as he is.

Hey! I resemble that remark!!! It seems though that you are off to a great start in achieving your goals. I'm unsure though about your methods, as your characters seem to run into knotty problems? And beware of things like brief, tight garments and guys running around shirtless; that can be so exploitive! (BTW, I'm teasing!) So, when can we expect a sequel?

Awww, would I do such a thing as that? Preposterous! The next thing you know, you will be trying to claim that the Piedmont Sheriff's last name (Johnson) has a hidden meaning, such as it being a slang term that might relate in some way to his character. But surely I wouldn't do such a thing as that. OK, the Sheriff wasn;t intentional, but, there are a few names in FTL that are. Piedmont, Arizona, anyone? The name "Piedmont" was used in the movie and book "The andromeda strain" as the small town in Arizona wiped out by the disease from the space probe. However, there is ANOTHER Piedmont, Arizona, a real one, so I felt OK to use the name without fear of plagiarism. (The real Piedmont is a ghost town).

Howdy, Goat! I totally agree about the scenes between Jacob and his mother, they were superb. As for the other line, I loved it.

This is why Goats, unlike sheep, try and stay out of the ra in.

Infrequent nookie? Well, their town is called Lonesome Valley for a reason.

I couldn't agree more. This story would in my opinion be far less without Val as a primary character. Same here; and that Prom scene was superb, and made even better by the totally unexpected situation with Adam! I'm wondering what Jay will do, too. He certainly does seem to have the 'stupid and mean' part down to a T, so, I expect trouble from that quarter. I'm wondering though if Adam might bear the brunt of it? BTW, this is the 200th post in this thread. Congratulations, shdowgod!!

Hi Kawanee!! Welcome, and thank you for joining us!

Thank you Max!! I tried to write something that wasn't typical for gay fiction. I wanted to portray two lead characters, normal guys in their late teens, who happened to be gay. As for Eric, the next chapter is entitled "Homecoming", and he is definitely in it. Thanks!!! Emoe! You don't like poor, misunderstood Eric? I think I can safely say that the rubber hits the road in ever-increasing amounts from here on in. As for the currier issue, all I can say is that situation will become fully known (whatever it might actually be) very soon. Oops!! It's fixed now, thanks!! Goats have trouble with spelling. Just ask Emoe. Wow, Thank you Connor!!! I am flattered and honored to receive the Goat Good Seal of approval! Porcupines? I hope Echidnas are included? Yes, Connor has a new Avatar. Anyone care to speculat e as to what is going on here? Yep, those spines are SHARP! Hi Kojaky! Thank you!!! Thank you for reading!!

I get a few e-mails per chapter, which astounds me, especially as I don't list my personal e-mail addy. Apparently someone who had it posted it plus a link to my story on some sort of list, which flattered the heck out of me. So, I often get e-mail from people who, so far as I know, aren't even GA members. I also occasionally get fan mail at my GA e-mail addy, which means they went to a lot of trouble to find it. I get a few PM's too, and also comments in the story thread in eFiction for the current story I have running. I LOVE feedback, both good and bad, and I really those who take the time to do it. As for what kind I like, I love it all, but thread comments are my favorite, especially as they often spark discussions.

WARNING! Spoilers below: Go read chapter 8 first!~ That opening sequence was GREAT! And now I know why you gave both the dog and one of Steph's friends the same name! Very convincing sequence, BTW! My hunch is that Krist knows, and was trying to show he's supportive (via including Ben, and his statements to Steph). I have a feeling that things are coming to a head; how will Steph react if Ben is outed? And how will Steph's mother react if he is outed? Now, too, we know who was in the bathroom. Very well done! I was expecting a far less pleasant reaction from whomever it was, unless of course Steph's reaction triggers trouble there... Good one, Jack!!! And BTW, I agree with Sharon: Vampire...

It's up now, though, and I can read it tonight. I'm very careful not to antagonize my genitalia-collecting female friends. Troma movie? ROFL!!!!!!!! Well, yes, that would fit, if there really is radioactive waste in the pool. Redneck Zombies, anyone? Sex? Hmmm, I don't have a dictionary handy.. what does that mean? Check your inbox in a few days. Yep, it wasn't/isn't a big problem, and the body modesty is just one reflection of it. I'll be able to say more about this issue in a few chapters. (Your spines worry me, after all). Very true! There is no such thing (in the real world) as an instant fix for a psychological issue. I can't say too much <the goat eyes the spines nervously> but yes, things basically start moving from here on out, so I used this chapter to do some stage setting, much of which won't be noticeable until a couple of chapters down the road. Been as I had to put quite a bit in, I set it against the fun and games of a pool party, basically because I liked the humor involved, and talking about the pool brought back fond memories of leaping off roofs into backyard pools. Thanks Graeme!!