C James

Congratulations, Luc!!! I love your work!!

I'm glad this got bumped, as I'd never seen it before. Thanks, Vic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did a search for Tom welling, and didn't see any pics of him blond? I thought Cody was blond, but that might be just my bias (I like blonds). I certainly second that!

That has indeed been in the news lately. The most recent case involves the Palme case, where it's under debate as to whether or not a Vice-President can de-clasiffy something. If it's the Palme case that you are thinking of, a very rough synopsis would be that a CIA agent had her identity revealed, and it looks like someone in the administration did it. An investigation followed, and the Vice-President's chief of staff is under indictment (charges) as a result. However, he's charged with perjury, not the actual leak. I suspect there will be a lot more to come out of that case. I was trying for a quadruple... Does Davey jump to his death to save the kids? Do the two kids survive? And what happened to Brian? :wacko: (if anyone doesn't know what I'm babbling about here, read my prior post in this thread ) As for my story, I've been slacking. That ends in about two minutes. I'm working on it tonight, and as motivation I'm not going to allow myself to read Ch 17 of DIR until I'm done! (I'm saying that publicly to hold myself to it).

I'm definitely wondering what will happen with Ben now that he's discovered that he likes kissing boys. I'm also wondering what will happen when Ryan finds out. That's a quandary: Ryan was fine with Connor and Cody's first kiss, but was not fine about the later ones. So, one has to wonder how he will react. I'd guess that much will depend on HOW he finds out. I hope we get to see more of Cody and his mother. And, I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again: Cody in a loincloth was hot! Even without the whole Toby sub-plot, I've had the impression that things have been "building up" for a few chapters now, towards some major happenings. Anyone else feel that way?

I thought your first attempt was a fantastic story. For what it's worth, I'm wrestling with my own submission, so I feel your pain.

Would DK do that? The mind that created Vampire Jarred? The writer who has killed Brian three times? I see it something like this: The relaxing family outing had been wonderful: An idyllic picnic followed by a scenic drive. It was, they thought, a great way to celebrate the end of the recent trial. All was well with the world, and the only slight fly in the ointment had been the oncoming 18-wheeler in their lane. Even that wouldn't have been so bad, had they managed to avoid the head-on collision. The creaking sound of tortured metal was the first thing Davey heard as he slowly regained consciousness. A soft whimper bought him fully awake, and agony from his broken ribs was his reward as he turned to see the kids in the rear seat, still in their carseats, shaken but alive. Davey tried desperately to clear his head, and finally looked out through the shattered, blood-stained windshield. Davey shuddered at the sight before him: a spectacular view of the Pacific. Davey felt the car move slightly, shattered metal groaning in protest, as he glanced down from the driver's side window. Below him, he could see the surf crashing against the rocks, hundreds of feet below. Again the car moved slightly, slipping over the cliff edge on which it was so precariously balanced. Davey knew, then, that time was running out. He glanced at the passenger seat, as he realized for the first time that Brian was no longer there. The soft crunch of rock on metal reminded Davey that he had even more immediate concerns. The car was slipping towards the precipice. Davey knew that he had moments to act, for if he did not lighten the front of the car, it would tip further and slide over the precipice. The only course of action that he could think of was to open the driver's side door, and heave his body into the abyss. Glancing about as he opened the door and removed his seat belt, Davey wondered what had happened to his beloved Brian. The end. (see? I did say a CLIFFhanger... ). Apologies to DK for misusing his characters. Who? Me?

Minor nit-pick: I think the above should read "that's what a GOOD author does", because that's what LB is. When I made my first attempt at writing a story, I wrote it without any emotional things occurring. It would have made a good cure for insomnia, but little else. IMHO, a sure sign that you have succeeded is the cries of outrage indicating that readers have really grown attached to a character. If the readers weren't drawn in and involved, they wouldn't feel so strongly. IMHO, cliffhangers are great when there isn't a huge wait between chapters. (by huge wait, I mean several months). My view on criticism is that there is a huge difference between constructive and destructive criticism. For example, if I wrote something, I'd be delighted to hear "I think this was horrible because of X" but I wouldn't be so happy to hear it without the reason why. Just my opinion. However, been as you asked for it, I will share one minor bit of nit-picking/constructive criticism: I'd have preferred to see slightly more medical detail regarding Toby's condition and prognosis. The lack of mention of treatment options (stem-cell/marrow transplant in this case) was slightly odd to me. Then again, there may have been good reasons for not doing so. Uhoh... Just a hunch on my part, but I recall LB's response when Toby having Leukemia was first speculated about. It's in my sig. I also note two lines of the song Connor and Cody played. Sleepless child There is so little time I also think that it may not be Toby. There is an opening here for some very tricky misdirection and some surprises. The question is, did LB do so or not? Only Buddha knows (but the rest of us are free to speculate... ) My hunch though is that someone dies. Then again, that was my prediction for chapter 20, too, and no one did.

IMHO, you are dealing with things very well. Whenever I move, even locally, I'm usually far too busy the last two weeks to even think of turning on a computer (or sleeping, or anything else). Just in case you haven't encountered it yet, I'll share one trick I like to do on Trans-pacific flights. I usually get a seat towards the rear of the aircraft, and hope like heck that it's not completely full. When it has empty seats, they are, on most airlines, clustered in the center-rear of the aircraft. I keep a close eye on the empty seats, searching for several in a row. If I see them I wait until the aircraft pulls away from the gate (to be sure no one has them) and ignore the seat-belt sign, making a dash for the seats. I then toss my flight bag, coat, etc on several of them, to "stake them out" as "mine". I then put the arms between the seats up, and scavenge as many blankets and pillows as I can find, and use them to make myself a "bed". It's utter luxury compared to sitting upright, especially on flights over 15 hours. I've done this on a few trans-pacs, and on many trans-atlantic flights. So far, no major hassles from it.

Well said. I'd like to add my own take on this. It might appear to be in opposition to some of your points, but I don't think it is, exactly. There are a couple of parts of this story that hit exceedingly close to home for me. Toby is one of them. It wasn't cancer, and I'm recovered now, but last fall I was in the hospital and the Docs told my family, against my wishes, that I had a less than 50-50 chance of making it through the week. Not only did the news itself stress me out a bit, but I had to try and calm down my mother, who then went through a reaction much like Ryan's (or what I'm assuming is going on with Ryan). It wasn't a fun time. So, does this bring back a few uncomfortable memories for me? Of course. But, let's try and imagine a story that had nothing in it that would make anyone uncomfortable in some way. It would have no drama, no suspense, not much of anything, really. I certainly can understand why someone might need to skip sections of the story, or might decide not to read it, but there is something that I've seen that is bothering me a little. I've seen people say, roughly, "If X happens, then this story sucks". I have no clue how LB or Kitty feel, nor am I pointing a finger at anyone, nor do I have anyone in mind. It just bothers me when I see something like that, though I can also see it as a visceral emotional reaction to having a "nerve" unexpectedly "touched" by something in the story that hits on a sensitive issue for the reader. Just my opinion. Toby is perhaps my favorite character in SOOTB, so of course I don't want to see him die. I even joke around about it here. But the story is the story, and it's IMHO a great story, whatever happens. I think it's amazing just how many people this story has "connected" with in some way.

I think you are really onto something there! The classification/declassification issue is certainly relevant, both in Davey's timeline and in our own current day. I think you are right about the preferred plea being "no contest". Good use might be made of the "nececisty defence" and I could also see this being a classic case of jury nullification. There might also be a chance of a deal of some sort.. Or, will Davey's father pardon him after all, perhaps in the face of overwhelming public demand? One thing that troubles me, though... A trial would take a lot to cover, and there is so much going on here that I just can't see it all happening in ONE chapter. I'm wondering if the last chapter, like many previous ones, "skips ahead" by a few months or years. Or, try this on for a really evil thought... Suppose DK ends the chapter, and the series, with a cliffhanger?

Have a safe trip, and I'm looking forward to the next chapter! HAve fun!

ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Talk about spending too much time at the computer: that thing makes you part of it! Thanks for that Camy, that was hilarious!

Thanks Myr! I'd forgotten about that, and would probably have missed the first episode. Looks like some great eye candy, at the very least.

I had no idea that there were "top 10" lists, but thanks to your post I looked, and found them. (at the bottom of the forum page). Thanks!

And now we have a new DOT forum! Reading DK's blog from the beginning is something that I highly recommend to anyone who hasn't done so. Bob, I certainly second that "thanks" for the opportunity to make so many new friends here, and of course for all the wonderful stories too!

I'm definitly looking foward to reading more of your stories! I see that there are plenty of active threads here about them, but I'm staying away from them until I have read the story being discussed (not an easy thing for me, as I'm a forum addict!) I've just started GFD, and it looks excelent so far! I think one of the many things that impressed me the most (about Savage Moon) was the gradual development of the portrayal of the "Pack", and Cyrus. At first, it seemed to be rather benign, and then slowly grew darker and more sinister. That was my impression anyway, and I loved the way it was done. It didn't seem to be a linear progression, but an even more realistic journey of discovery that left the reader in a quandary as to their nature. Bravo!

I'm going to be re-reading the whole series too, as I'm sure I've forgotten plenty. I'm going to be reading the re-edited version as it's posted, starting today (I see it just went up! Thanks DK and Emoe!) Connections between VJ and DOT? Hmmmm... I think I missed that. Hmmm... I'll take a stab at it though: Could the similarities in the use of "control", especially by the Mormon cult, be very similar to the role Euphoria plays in VJ2? Sort of an analogy about the corruption of power? I'll keep an eye out for any connections while re-reading. Thanks, Emoe!

What a great idea for a thread! I don't think I can select just one favorite moment, as there are many that I especially like but in far different ways. For example, Sean's "death" when he was overwritten was extremely poigniant, and is one of my favorite chapters, though certainly not a happy one. Another favorite was the entire war in DO, especially Davey taking command of the cruiser. But, I have a deep and abiding love of the techno-thriller genre, so that part was bound to be a favorite of mine. Another favorite was the scene in DIR where Papa tells Davey "you're back.." which rattled Davey. I also really loved the part where Davey's father tricked Davey into reading Russian, "outing" him as having his memories. I also loved the scene in DOR where Davey is overheard on the phone to the President. There are just so many.. As soon as the final chapter is posted, I'm going to re-read the whole series, and I'll come back to this thread with some observations. Hmmm.. For now, though, my favorite has got to be the April Fool's chapter. That got me good, and I think there is still a dent in my desk from where my chin hit it.. I too was impressed by the way Davey has changed, but it's the changes (in each timeline) in Davey's Father that impress me the most. That's top-notch character development and maturation, and IMHO the "redemption" of Jones, Sr. Is one of the cornerstones of the DO series.

I love the new look! I'm new to your stories, but I really loved Nick Cringle. I think I'll start Aryn next.

Hi Bob! I think you are right, the fast pace through time really does make it even more exciting. I am still a bit-shell-shocked that this weekend's post will be the last chapter. That means that the next few days are our last chance, EVER, to be able to speculation on what the "next chapter of the series will bring". So, my biggest questions are: How does Davey get out of his legal problem? Or does he? My hunch is that he does. Anyone have any theories as to how? I think we will get to see Davey's father inaugurated! I'm going to re-read the chapter and post detailed quotes and comments about it later on today (or maybe tomorrow, at the latest).

About the only thing that's predictable about LB's writing is that he will be unpredictable! You are right, that would be just too cruel.. But, then again, so was the chapter 20 cliffhanger! I was wondering who would bring that up! I found it at once funny (Conner firmly deciding to say no, then answering "ok") and also the harbinger of major trouble. It's not like Connor hasn't done this before (With Cody, quite a lot) and Ryan was PISSED (not at the first kiss, but at the later ones). I doubt he's going to be overly pleased to find out that Connor is doing it again with Ben. Ryan is clearly under stress from other things, which IMHO is not going to help his reaction. Regarding Ryan's prior reactions: I did think he was out of line for being so furious when he found Connor kissing Toby. Connor and Ryan were not a couple at that time, so Ryan had no justification for that IMHO. However, for the Cody episodes, I think he did have justification. Sooo... It has to be asked.. Why does Connor keep doing this? Is Connor a slut? Hmmmm... Very good points! Maggie is a Doctor, and Doctors have to deal with death quite often. That seems to give many of them an ability to suppress emotions, for at least a short while. I certainly agree regarding your thoughts on Toby still being alive. . Most anyone, especially a Doctor, would avoid saying it in that way due to getting them to hurry (and perhaps face danger) if Toby was already dead. However, every time I've gotten a call like that, the family member it was regarding was dead within hours, so Toby is IMHO still at serious, serious risk. No one has addressed the medical issues yet, so I'll give it a shot. Toby does not have a standard case, as his is a relapse. The prognosis is far worse. The best chance is high-dose chemo to destroy the patent's own bone-marrow cells, all of them, followed by a stem-cell transplant. A compatible tissue donor must be found for this, and Ryan would have the highest probability of a match. For a relapse case, the prognosis is usually terminal if the stem-cell procedure cannot be performed or is ineffective. There are however some cases of remission, so there is hope. However, given that Toby is obviously extreemly weak, and we haven't heard yet that the Chemo was successful, I have my doubts. Poor Toby!!! I had to look up the relapse info above as Leukemia is something I'm only passingly familiar with, but one of the drugs mentioned for the chemo immediately caught my eye: Prednisone. Prednisone is a Steroid, and a very powerful one. When used in Chemo, the doses are massive. One infrequent but not uncommon side-effect is that the patient will develop Type-1 diabetes as a result. Sometimes the patient recovers, but often the diabetes is permanent. So, if Toby recovers, and LB knows about this side effect potential (possible, if he looked it up AND checked the drugs used for known side effects, AND was lucky enough to find the connection , which is something even many Doctors don't know about) we might see Toby having to deal with insulin (either injections or a pump), learning how to do basal and bolus calculations, dealing with hypoglycemia, using a blood glucose meter, etc, etc, etc. But, surely, Toby will have suffered enough if he survives his current crisis?

Etienne started a discussion in his forum about how to get his forum up and running, and then how to grow and maintain it, and how to utilize it to best advantage to promote his work. Some great suggestions were posted there, and I thought it would be appropriate to continue the discussion here. To begin with, all Hosted Authors (including Shared Hosted) should include on their GA hosted website links to the main GA site, as well as to their individual readers' forums here. If you post your stories at the Nifty archive (which is highly recommended -- see the pinned topic Getting Your Stories Noticed! Tips and Discussion for New Authors here at the Writers' Forum ), you should make sure to include a link to your GA website and a link to your GA readers' forum in the story at Nifty. Anybody else with ideas and suggestions, please chime in . Here were some of the ideas people posted in Etienne's thread:

1000!!! WOOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congratulations, Kitty, on 1000 posts!

Ahh, another death threat for LB! I think that this exceeds the number he got for chapter 11 (the attack on Conner). :axeman: Unfortunately, Little Buddha has pointed out that killing a buddha results in much bad karma. So, I can't really participate... However, perhaps Little Buddha just needs enlightening? Surely enlightening a Buddha would not result in bad karma? Soooo... How does one enlighten a Buddha? Lots and lots and lots of light! And, what is one thing that produces a lot of light? Really high temperatures. Anything over thirty million degrees should suffice.... Now, where did I put the supplies that I needed for Little Buddha's highly-enlightening welcome-home present? Let's see... Kryton switches, check! Lithium-6, Check! Plutonium 239, check! I wonder if I could build it into a jukebox.. I could have it play "you light up my life" right before it the area is heated to a nice, uniform, incandescent plasma? :nuke: Or perhaps the Doors classic "Come on baby light my fire!"? :nuke: Nah, "Until we meet again" is just sooooo much more traditional for this sort of thing.. :nuke: My hunch is that Toby survives. As someone else mentioned, it's too close to the end for a main character to perish... I also suspect that the title of chapter 20 was all part of the build-up to one heck of a cliffhanger!