Former Author

This is a great feature, thank youse!

I was last in California nearly three years ago to the day. Besides the old nugget of "show us your ID, it is not legal to drink if you are 19" but my Aussie drivers license confused most including the managers that would inspect it, I found being in the area challenging as nobody could or bothered to try to understand me. It is an interesting place where it took six hours to drive from Sherman Oaks to San Diego where I thought I was going to go berserk and have a heart attack shouting in traffic, to be annoying that I have to tip for everything. Never carrying cash in England (or Oz) is a thing to prevent the black market from flourishing and the vagrants hearing coins rattling, which was bemusing. However, I loved the amazing Mexican food and service-oriented mentality (thus tips) I spent a few years in Malibu as a tween and can understand the dilemma of the local eucalytus sans koalas) but still remain in awe of the grapes and what are produced in Santa Barbara. So much so, that I disgraced myself there where my accent made up for suitable ID to prove my age to taste the wonderful wine. Oh, those are the days... Chez

I gained 5kg whilst driving Europe during the summer. I blame Sicily - hot days, sitting by the pool and eating too much amazing pizza. Since returning to England, I went keto and lost the 5kg in five weeks. I substituted beer and wine (sadly) for gin. Lattes for Americano. No bread, rice or sugar. Besides acting like a maniac the first week, my energy returned and my body adapted. I would much rather alter my diet instead of languish at the gym or try to get motivated to run on uneven payment in near freezing temperatures. The butcher and fishie know me now because I am always buying fresh stuff. It seems, win-win. Gin is much better than beer too!

What an interesting thread to find given that I just had words with my boyfriend. I taught him a life lesson that if you use the hoover to suck up food from the kitchen floor that it would be wise to empty the dust trap when the task is complete. It sounds reasonable don't you reckon? I found rotting food (cauliflower) in the filter from when he last tried to help out and clean up. I wasn't this naive when moving out of home when I was 18, when I ended up relocating overseas. I made heaps of mistakes since I was not properly inducted into the world of Adults. I can't iron clothes to save my life. If I try (despite the iron) I end up wrecking the clothes. The dry cleaner is getting rich off my hard work. I also suppose my Aussie sense of humour isn't as funny as I think it is. Cracking jokes on the underground or to the butcher tend to be misunderstood. It is hard to keep calm and carry on in this wonderful country. Also, the lost art of writing a complaint. I perfected in Australia when I was dissatisfied and it usually led to a positive response. Here though, perhaps it is the Aussie humour I inject into the diatribe that I will send on occasion has led to suggestions that I will get my buttocks kicked if I return and my commerce is no longer welcomed. Like learning that clothes do not like languishing in a damp state in the washing machine for a week, like with the rotting food in the hoover, lessons learned.

I think it is good that this movie was made and I am happy that it entered the mainstream has created not only an impact but is a support mechanism for questioning teens in the community. What I didn't like is that the character who blackmails Simon seemingly gets away with it. Sure, he is "embarrassed" but what he did is technically a crime and it is glossed over in order to progress the plot of forcing Simon out of the closet. In reality, Simon needed to headbutt that character and then deny anything was going on. He was using an alias, as was the other boy, so there was technically no material to blackmail old Simon with. I thought it was a poor catalyst to move the story along and was very unrealistic.

RIP Dolores O'Riordan.

RIP MLK. Legend! Here in the UK you only discover that it is, in fact, MLK Day when you e-mail someone in the US and receive the out of office reply saying so.

I read that Bring Me The Horizon will be playing in Manchester on a day that I am scheduled to be there. I looked up tickets and I ended up on the Natalie Imbruglia page. I am absolutely Torn as what to do. I really don't want to see the ex of the lead singer of silverchair perform, I want BMTH. 30 Seconds to Mars and Fall Out Boy are also touring so their respective albums have been in heavy rotation whilst I work.

I spent two hours chilling out in the Richard III museum in the York tower. It was great. Driving back, I was refused when I asked to stop at the site where the Battle of Bosworth was fought so I didn't bother trying to see the car park in Leicester where poor old Richard III was originally buried. Poor bloke! He deserves heaps more respect compared to the do-nothing youngest generation of Windsor Royals. Good on ya mate for defending the best monarch to ever rule this fine country.

You aren't Richard III, are you? He is my favourite monarch. So misunderstood and the subject of the Tudor propaganda machine. RIP. Cheers mate! Chez

Hey Everybody! G'gay from London. No, not from Earls Court or the back of a poorly decorated Australian bar that serves Fosters and chocolate-covered crickets. I am an Aussie that lives in London now and I am here to stay. How can I prove it? I took the plunge and sent my Aussie drivers license to DVLA today. In a few weeks when I am still without a license, I will start whining about this agency and combined with my early morning complaining about the poor weather, lack of sunshine and crowds on the tube, I will hopefully be considered a true Aussie-Brit, even though I also have a US passport in my bag. Figure that one out. Needless to say, I don't share that trivia with just anyone and everyone for fear of being drawn into a conversation or asked my opinion about anything going on the good old U S of A. But, I digress. I share that trivia because the membership of this site are highly evolved and I can trust that you aren't going to dob me into the Ministry of Love, or whatever agency is hunting my other fellow countryman that is holed-up in Knightsbridge, Mr Assange. What about me? You are thinking it as when I am not drinking wine and I have my wits about me, I can read minds. Fortunately for you, I always have a glass of wine in my hand so you don't have to be worried. I love Cricket but hate the Australian national team. I was really hoping Root, Broad, Anderson and Cook would prove that Australian team is indeed poor during the Ashes, but my predictions and big talk that worked up my mates down under made me a social outcast. It is another reason why I sent my Aussie drivers license to the DVLA as I gave up. I can't support our national football team as they are a joke. Much like Arsenal, but I have adopted the mighty Spurs as my team. I might be the only fan that still has all of his natural teeth. They are glistening white too. In between having fun, trying new restaurants, drinking heavily, working 9-7, I have a few other interests. I like to run (bloody cold and limited sun force me into the loud gym running on the treadmill, where I take the opportunity to watch television I have downloaded on my phone) but since I sweat like Jimmy Saville at Paris Disneyland, I find no joy walking home. I collect coins from the 1940's, Bill Henson books and anything that has been banned or caused some sort of outrage. Stuff like this always goes down well when I throw parties. I also like going to gigs, but at smaller venues which still feature indie/alternative bands. The first time I went to the O2 Brixton was to see Linkin Park last year. RIP Chester. I am going to see The Cure and Interpol at BST. I have a ticket that has access to "all you can drink bar" so I am not sure I will be able to stay awake until the end and will end up dreaming of being lost in a forest, all alone. Sometimes I write also. I prefer to write letters of complaint (like a true Aussie!) to airlines, shops and whoever is giving bad service. As there is no such thing as "good service" in England, I am always typing. So much, in fact, the 'Z' key broke off my keyboard. It wouldn't bother most people but when you have a name like mine, it gets rather tedious signing off. A few years ago during the Easter 2015 break, I decided to write a short story called "Innocence Waning" and after a few people tapped me on the back(side) and said "good on ya, mate" I decided to turn it into a long-form book. It took me over two years to finish it. For various reasons after that, I shoved it into storage on my private cloud and didn't think about it much until I was getting drunk in Copenhagen a few months ago. I decided that it should get a final edit and be thrust back on to the Interwebs for the world to see. That is what led me to this place. No, not to dispel the myth that Australians eat deep fried crickets (I NEVER EVER have seen them served anywhere in Australia, but yet some Aussie-themed bar in Vienna insisted they were a thing...) or drink Fosters (brewed in Melbourne, but nobody drinks that cat pee) but to contribute, fit in and have a laugh. When I am done with my next letter of complaint (I need to evolve into just whining so I can be a true Brit albeit with a dodgy accent) I will post chapters from my book from time to time and post what I hope to be interesting thoughts in the forums. Always a pleasure and never a chore. Chezdon

Peterson makes me sad because I know guys like him. So uptight. So repressed. So unhappy. I hope he is able to find happiness within his new friendship with Chad. A cliffhanger. You do cliffhangers so well! Cannot wait to read!

Sonfonda Dix ... very clever, sir. This chapter reminds me of my first foray into the gay night life my junior year of college. It was quite disastrous and comical at the same time. Roy's mother is one classy, crass and sassy broad. I love her! Justin is amazing. The relationship he has with Chad is like the male version of Gilmore Girls. His unwavering support and unconditional love astounds me especially with the pressures of being a teenager looming over his head. Another great chapter. You are so great at weaving a story that leaves me wanting more and more. Happy writing, Bryce

I really enjoyed this chapter because it forced me to step outside of the reading and do some research. I had heard of Billie Jean King prior to reading your story but I regret saying I didn't know much about her. I googled her and I read a lot about her. What a courageous woman. I feel like my generatioh is lacking the knowledge of indiviuals like her and Greg Louganis and John Amaechi. We have come so far and yet we have so far to go and we can never get complacent. I am happy that Roy and Chad are becoming friends. I most enjoy your dialogue. You are truly a great writer with a great command of language.

Pardon my naughtiness but I will never tire of picturing our Little Man on top of the hulking Ogre. What a beautiful image! Everything has come full circle and everything is right in the world! Little Man is on the mend and has his men! Ogre is pursuing his passion. And Eric ... is Eric! Haha. Heidi and Eric! Could our threesome become a foursome? Little Man who slept with Ogre who slept with Heidi who slept with Eric who tried to sleep with Little Man. Wow ... six degrees of separation! WHAT A GREAT STORY! Definitely going to reread this! I wish it was in epub version so I can always have it on my Nook HD. I think I'll even let my mom read this. Thanks for sharing your writing! I am truly a fan!

I can't imagine what it's like to have two men fighting over who gets to love you the most. Little Man is so lucky to have Eric and Ogre. The three of these very different men don't make sense but they work and they work beautifully, even when they are fussing and fighting and hitting each other. I am saddened by the fact that the story is nearing the end but I feel fortunate having got to get a glimpse of these three individuals at such a pivotal moment in their life.

I didn't need a warning before reading this chapter and I am glad I didn't notice the warning in the chapter description since I was just using the links at the bottom of the previous chapter. I loved this chapter because gay bashings can be so cliche and this was anything but. It tore me up inside watching Little Man get dumped and then beaten and raped and thank God Ogre came back because ... honestly I don't think Eric could've handled losing Little Man and I don't think Ogre could either. I keep telling myself that the three of these men: Eric, Little Man and Ogre will be able to work things out but things keep snowballing out of control. Well there's only a few chapters left so I am expecting some resolution.

And so the proverbial shit hits the fan in this chapter. I knew it was coming. Little Man and Ogre were getting sloppy. I think subconsciously they were wanting to be found out I honestly was not expecting Eric's reaction to be so ... emotional though I feel he is justified in feeling the way he does. I have faith that these three will find happiness with each other. They are truly family.

From the outset I know Little Man, Ogre and Eric are the core characters in this story so I get a bit touchy when other characters insert themselves into this threesome. I take little issue with the arrival of Heidi last chapter and her presence in this chapter. But as far as Steve is concerned ... Steve can kick rocks! I do not like him! He is wreaking havoc on something that is very fragile at the moment. I love that Heidi was savvy enough to find Little Man. I really hope Ogre and Little Man tell Eric sooner rather than later. I'm on pins and needles over here!!!

I should hate Heidi but I don't. Like I mentioned in the previous chapter, it was just a series of unfortunate events that led to Ogre's perceived infidelity. But if he had to cheat on Little Man ... *had to* ... I would rather it be with someone like Heidi. I love how understanding and supportive Heidi is and how instrumental she is in helping Ogre mend things with Little Man. I keep waiting for Eric to walk in ... and I know it's coming ... it's fated I believe. It was so nice to see Ogre being so vulnerable. He is such a sweetie I tell you. I hope he and Little Man can make it past this. I pray Little Man doesn't lord this over his head forever and always.

Mann: I don't cry very easily. But you effectively managed to shatter both me and Little Man's heart simultaneously. And the saddest part is that my heart breaks for Ogre because I knew something like this would happen. It's not cliche. It's just realistic. Very realistic. I wanted to turn my head to avoid the crash ahead but I could not. I'm still holding out for Ogre and Little Man. I know they can power their way through this unfortunate circumstance. Eric is there at the end and that's perhaps the sweetest moment in this chapter. Excellent prose and dialogue! I can see why you have won awards and other accolades. Great job!

I kept wondering to myself during the first couple of chapters - What do Little Man and Ogre really have in common beyond having a mutual friend in Eric? Well that question was answered effectively in this chapter. Their shared passion for art and the fact that Little Man is free to explore his passion freely while Ogre's passion is seen as a potential liability in regards to his athletic career is such a great element to the story. I especially love that his passion is somewhat nurtured by his mother. I love when meek wives find ways to defy their overbearing husbands. It makes me smile. There is so much tension. I keep waiting for them to slip up and get caught by Eric. I wonder how Eric will take the news that the two people closest to him are buggering each other behind his back. Will he be supportive? Will he be jealous? Hurt? Who knows. Great writing!

I think Monty Python serves as the perfect backdrop for the chapter. I am a kind of bracing myself for the moment which I know Ogre will go running from the hills. I pray Little Man's heart doesn't get broken in the process.

Great chapter! Ogre is such a sweetie. The funny thing about the *what is your real name* is that I have been in a situation like that. It was not in a sexual context but it was a guy friend of mine who had gone by his first and middle initials for so long that one day I was like ... "What does A.J. stand for?" I love how comfortable Eric is with his sexuality and it's almost juxtaposed with how uncomfortable Ogre is about his newfound sexual awakening. And Little Man is kind of in the middle. I understand why Ogre and Little Man have to keep their burgeoning romance a secret but the bells and whistles are going off in my head and I don't think keeping this from Eric will bode well for the future. Great writing!

Little Man, Eric and Ogre are quite the trio. I love the relationship between Little Man and Eric. Most straight men would not feel so comfortable having such a close, platonic relationship with a gay man. I also love that the intimate moment between Little Man and Ogre happened so organically without there being some sort of manipulation being used. Great first chapter!