raven1

Poor Dani. It is hard to give up a dream. He knows that Giaco loves him as a best friend, but doesn't feel the about Dani. Marco is a good kid, and his hate for Dani has changed into a crush and maybe more. Marco has hopes that Dani will be willing to do more. Now he feels crushed because Giaco is standing in the way. Dani knows that Giaco can't be in his dream, so he should move on and see what happens with Marco. It is going to be a rough time for all of them as they try to establish new relationships and expectations, while transitioning thru puberty to become young men.

If you need help adding crazy ideas for the list, I would be glad to help. How about a quoka, mongoose, platypus or sloth?

Aww come on @drpaladin, Book twelve? Cernunnos is about a deer mated with a wolf. Anything is possible.

He has, it is grand, three chapters left! No cliffhangers OK???

Hello lovely fairy Clo! However, it is Tuesday here.

Aod's best friend just got a all white cat like this yesterday. He just showed me the picture of his new cat today. Wow! What was your cat's name? It is very beautiful!

Green eyed are sooo seductive!

The tree house is great, but the zipline...Wow!

I agree! Get writing...its either going to change Loren's mind, Jay's mind or send them to bed to sleep it off for a week. I would laugh my ass off the whole time, and that wouldn't include the comments anf fights between you and kbois. OMG! I have to stop before I fall on the floor.

Once again, I’m blown away by the new maturity Loren shows. Every day he proves that he’s in this for forever. Every day I love him more, if that’s even possible. “Let’s go home, Loren.” A beautiful ending to a beautiful chapter. In my mind home is the home they will build together in Denver. Loren's apology was almost a soliloquy of love for Jay. They may not be dads together, but their plan to be professional traveling uncle made me gleefull. Aiden and Carson were a bit of heaven. Then the X rate housekeeper added some hellish heat to cover all bases. Great writing!

Doing great! How are you, Morgan and Max?

Hi drpaladin! You are right of course. I guess in my excitement learning Aaron was working on Corvidae, I got carried away with my favorite western birds. Raven would definitely fit the rest of the supernatural idea, since in Pacific Northwest Coast Cultures, the raven is a shifter, creator and prankster. According to Hilda's Book of Beasts and Spirits the Thunderbird might even be included in the list, since the author claims the Thunderbird is a the giant raven. Personally I think the thunderbird looks more like an eagle. Thanks for setting me straig...on the right track!

Dirk and Ingles together make a very entertaining couple. I love their snarky innuendos and hot action. You have created two great character arcs with these guys. The chapter was both fun and beautiful, except for the Second Turning. I hope they have a great time with the group romping and hunting thru the woods. I wonder if they can keep their animals from getting too out of control in the wilds. They had better, or the stories their friends will tell will haunt them forever. Great chapter Aaron!

Or maybe loons? Loons and lunar seem to go together. I also love ravens. 😄

After Ridley I thought going back to an earlier story might be interesting. I like to explore changes in authors' styles over years. It is a great start and immediately caught me.

@Krista has created a brilliant story in five chapters that will be memorable to the reader long after you have finished the story. Ridley is an enigmatic teen who is trapped in a box he created from a promise made to his beloved father. It is his defense to exclude family and friends from the pain he is suffering when his father is injured. The box leaves him alone with only his thoughts as company. This defenses is threatened by a school newspaper trying to highlight Ridley and expose him to his fellow classmates. When Ridley is challenged by a reporter, he starts to re-evaluate what the promise was based on. The results was both explosive and cathartic. Kirsta is an amazing writer who creates characters to whom you will closely bond. She is a master of details that slowly build up both the layered plot and complex characters efficiently without a packaged feel. This is a character driven story that will take you on an emotional ride as you laugh, cry and love with these characters. It is a very uniquely written story that you will love with a happy ending leaving you wanting for more. Definitely memorable!

A great response to the prompt! I loved the humor of this short. Also, it was nice the Grandpa told the kids that their Mom would be the alpha of the pack. I didn't have a clue about the species, until Astone focused on the name. I've been following To the Weyr so it made a lot of sense to me. Fortunately, coming late, I didn't have to wait for the answer long.

Hi Gary! I hope you all had/have a great time together.

Hey Clo! I agree with Gary! It so wonderful that you have given your grandmother such a thoughtful gift. You'll have to update us on the garden, especially when the garden starts to be ready for harvest.

The eyes, the lips, oh my!

@wildone, you have my respect and admiration. I couldn't do what you are doing. I tried the job on for a good friend here in Chiang Mai who was writing an adventure/international intrigue book based on his knowledge and experiences here in Thailand. I fired myself after the first 10 chapters, and became a cheerleader for him instead. Much better, since the beta/editor that replaced me was excellent. I loved Ed's book when he finally published it on Amazon. Betas and editors are rarely acknowledged, but vital to good stories. I am glad you are on the job for Krista.

First I want to assure you this story by itself is beautiful and I loved the ending. I fully understand how you feel about HEA endings. That you didn't give it a HEA actually makes this story more remarkable. Two of my favorite stories, Morningstar: The Malaise and Cards on the Table by @Headstall also ended without a HEA. Both are powerfully written with characters and plots that are very memorable for me. To me the difference between HEA and an ending that is happy, is the closure. Since there is no closure, you will get many, many requests for sequels. I know I hounded poor Gary for them on his books. Of course he resisted my efforts, and I have realized that if there is closure the readers and writer are free to leave the story and character behind. That is sad, because these stories need to be remember. I know I will remember Ridley as well as Gary's books for a very long time, and probably read them many times again.

Here you have stated some of the ways in which you could easily write a sequel. A character driven plot simply can change the main character while updating what is happening to Ridley and Gabe. You don't need a villain to have conflict. The conflict in this story was Ridley and his promise. Ridley's dad could be the main character in a sequel and the conflict is his struggle to establish a new life outside of the military, or PTSD, survivors guilt (maybe he loved James as more than a friend), or even a struggle to accept Ridley and Gabe as a gay couple. These are off the wall ideas and not requests or suggestions. You do have the talent to make a new story like this with a totally different spin. My only hope is that you might continue writing stories like this one, and hopefully include updates on these characters even if they are only marginal in new stories. I did like how this story ends even if it was on a happy note, and not a HEA ending.

This is about a 2 hour drive directly north of Chiang Mai about 70 km through twist mountain roads for half the trip. That's why it takes so long. It is beautiful there.

To me, this is the key moment to the chapter. It occurs after Ridley has read the article. Gabe's and Ridley's conversation repeatedly demonstrates Ridley's ongoing defense against anyone who tries to get to know Ridley. It's a habit he has used in the years since his father's injury. Gabe's response demonstrates that Gabe is aware of Ridley's defensive stance, so Gabe challenges Ridley with the question. “Just tell me if the kiss was for me or the gift I gave you.” Ridley's answer is a three pointer for Gabe. I don't think Gabe will give up now. He will make sure he wins. Ridley is his goal and reward all package together. I am hoping that he gets some support from both of Ridley's parents.