Former Author

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!

Such a reversal. I thought Justin was the one coming out. But it ended up being his father. What a great relationship between these two men. I am invested in both characters. Great response to prompt.

I never thought of Luke Ramsey as gay. But I guess one could argue that no man could endure such religious dogma and mother issues the way a gay could. I did like how they cultivated this sweet relationship between two very unlikely character. Then again I once read somewhere that even though the actress playing Nan had Down's syndrome, that didn't necessarily mean that the character of Nan had Down's syndrome. If that was the case than that's pretty awesome.

In Chapter Eleven: City Love: Both Casey Beaumont and Lucas Lamontagne drive to Casey's hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee which is coincidentally my hometown and current city. Here is some links to a couple of the places mentioned in the story. The Big River Grille in Downtown, Chattanooga. Coolidge Park. The Walnut Street Bridge. The Southern Belle. Yes! Nothing else says love like a Clorox enema does!

Long story short, there was a fundamentalist Christian played by the wonderful Patti Lupone and her son who moved next door to the witches. She punished her son by giving him a Clorox enema. Yeah ... I can't even began to explain it.

I should've pointed out that the sweetest moments of Madison Montgomery's character was her interactions with Nan. She always called Nan bad names but she was the one always going with her to the hospital or over to see Luke.

I am writing this because I want to give people a little of bit of insight into where Sophia is coming from. As a huge fan of Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story, I fell in love with the third installment Coven. There is an actress named Emma Roberts - niece of Julia and daughter of Eric - who played a witch/actress named Madison Montgomery on the series. Madison and Sophia are quite alike though I would venture to say that Madison is more of a sociopath than Sophia is. Sophia does care about those she chooses to care about but she goes about her life very rarely considering the consequences of her actions. This often gets her into trouble.

I didn't realize I had created such a monster. LoL. Poor Sophia. She's going to have to work hard to get in your good graces.

I am so thankful for all of the feedback from each of you. Seriously I am blown away. It is so wonderful to have my writing validated by a legitimate community. There is so much talent on this site and I am thankful to be in your company.

Thank you so much! Your words flatter me.

It's funny that you mention that. I am black and Casey is loosely based on me but ... this sounds weird ... I have always struggled writing AA male characters. I can write AA female characters with relative ease. I guess it's because I never really had a lot of black men around me growing up. I had plenty of black women. Lots of examples of strong, black women.

Michaela is choosing to take the high road. Breaking up with Chandler sort of threw her for a loop. She moved off campus to avoid him. She's hurt but she's mourning quietly while Sophia is kicking and screaming about it. As you can see, Chandler is a very difficult guy. Sophia probably warned Michaela about him but over time she grew to accept him. It's like when your friend dates someone you don't initially approve of, it stings extra bad when she finally grow to approve of them and then they do the thing you feared they would do from the very start. I think she blames herself.

I think you hit the nail on the head. Sophia basically is someone who feels jilted. She witnessed a relationship she held in high regard implode. She's angry because it's like when someone watches their parents divorce. I think we use our parents and friends as a model when it comes to relationships. When those things fall apart, we question the legitimacy of the world around us. Sophia wants to be in love but right now it's just easier to lose herself in men.

I find it interesting in a way that a lot of people find Sophia to be abrasive or they believe she has ulterior motives. Basically Sophia says and acts the way many straight men do but I wanted to point out that a lot of people aren't comfortable when a woman is very confident and blunt. She's very raw in her language and open about her sexuality. I am loving the feedback. Thank you so much!

Michaela is definitely black. I don't like to come out and say people's race. I try to convery it by their appearance. Plus in Chapter 3, I describe her as channeling a young Aretha Franklin. Fox and Lucas do have curly hair but ultimately the guys I chose represent how I see them. Fox isn't beefy. He has a tall, lean build. Remember he plays soccer. Lucas plays football so he has more of a solid build.

I love writing Sophia and Michaela because they are two very different but very relatable females. I like to think of them as the Charlotte and Samantha of the story. Sophia totally owns her sexuality. I love Hugh. Hugh is everything I wish I had growing up. Thank you for your comments! Hope you continue to enjoy. Chapter 11 should be finished soon.