Headstall

You wouldn't know sweet if you sucked on a honeybee's ass.

Stay cool, bro.

Hey, all!

Thanks, Jeffrey. I'm so pleased you enjoyed the experience. Stay tuned for another story... don't know when, but I'm pretty sure there will be something more before I put away my pen for good. Cheers! G.

I did! Thank you. Encore? Well, I am working on something, but no promises. I've set this story aside a couple of times when other stories pushed forward, but a lot of it is written, so we'll see. It's not a western, though. The seventies were amazing, weren't they? A time like no other... certainly not anything like today.

Lol. Me too... Already missing you folks...

Hey, all!

Two days of no nose bleeds. Still coughing and short of breath, but I'm on the mend.

I want comments that make me think, so no, your words weren't too harsh. And I always want readers to be honest with me... I really do, so thank you for that. I've done a lot of thinking, and thanks for verifying not knowing that it was an epilogue might have contributed. I spend way too much time with comments trying to steer readers away from what's coming, denying and ing. That doesn't happen when we are reading a book. I do it for what I thought was reader's better enjoyment, but I think I've been missing the mark by doing so. In other words, it could be that doing so affects the flow for readers, influencing instead of preparing for what's coming, and the eventual wrap up. Anyway, I wasn't upset so much as disappointed for you and the letdown you were feeling. I know I can't please everyone, but I still want to. So, no worries, my friend. Keep being straight (you know what I mean ) with me. It's great to hear you still loved the story. I'm already reexamining and working on a story(not a western) that has been pushed aside and sat on too damn long. So maybe something new is coming. It's hard to get out of western speak, though. Cheers! Gary.

Loved it, J J. In an ideal world, yeah, you can't keep a good man down... but... there are ways. I can dance to anything, but I'm too old for it, at least in public. No one wants to see us old farts dancing.

Thank you, Les! I truly enjoyed writing Mitch's story. He's a fascinating character for sure. Lots of old pain in this chapter that seems to have fired back up again. I hope you like what's coming, my friend. Cheers!

Aloha, Albert.

Hello, all! No nosebleeds so far today.

That's fair, but I'm really sorry you feel this way about Bearpaw. Slighted? That is a sobering thought for me, but I appreciate the input. I reread the entire story over the last couple of days, and I can tell you chapter 24 was actually the final chapter in my mind, and at the time I wrote it, the culmination of their personal journeys... and in essence and by design, this chapter was the bonus epilogue where I took care of the business needed. Maybe my thinking's wrong, and I should call a spade a spade. I don't follow every rule per se, and for Bearpaw I tried to keep readers from realizing there were reading the final chapter until they were in it. So I didn't post it as an epilogue... my choice... and maybe that was a huge mistake? Maybe you and other readers would have been better served not being caught by surprise? I'm not sure, but I will be thinking about it. This story was completely written before I started posting, and is actually 40,000 words longer than both Sidewinder and Larkspur. All I did was edit and fine tune since the posting began, so there was no actual rushing on my end. I thought the flow worked well, but maybe I'm wrong--it's only received 12 reviews, which is fine but beneath my hopeful expectations--so maybe others felt the same. Anyway, I hope it won't turn you off anything I might write in the future. I'd be interested to know what you think is missing if you figure it out, my friend. I thought I covered everything, and tied all the details and threads together the way I always try to do. If it is about Reid and Billy, I never had any intention of telling their entire story in detail, but I wanted to give readers a good idea of their future. I certainly am not comfortable dragging a story on past its limit, and I do put a lot of thought into that, though I know there are always readers who will want more. It should be enough for me that you liked the ending, but it really isn't. Sorry... very sorry you were disappointed. I promise you I will turn these last couple of chapters over again and again and try to see what I can do better. I hope I don't sound defensive. That's not the point of this response. Cheers, and thanks for your constant support. G.

Hey, all!

Just received the best news. My DIL's thyroid cancer has not spread! She has removal surgery on Feb 2nd, and the surgeon feels very positive about it. No nose bleeds today for the first time in six days. Yesterday I had four.

Sighing, he sat up, his boots still on, and accepted he couldn’t trust his gut on such matters. Thinking he knew what went on in another man’s head was like trusting a rattlesnake… it would get you bit… or worse. Chapter 18-Peace Look how far Jubal has come.

Hey, all!

Hi, Jeffrey! I missed you! Yes, they figured it out finally, and it took some courage on both sides. So nice to hear you think I've gotten better with the cowboy dialogue/dialect. It's been an ongoing process I've tried my damnedest to get right. You are getting close to the end, and I'm so happy you stuck with it. These guys have become favorite characters, and I thought I'd lost you. Cheers and thanks, my friend. Hope all is well with you. G.

Don't feel left out, Craig. I have a little red wine about twice or three times a year.

I NEVER drank that much, Doc. Though I have closed many bars in my younger days. For the social aspect, you understand.

I know right?

Lol... You get me... you really get me.