albertnothlit

Thanks a bunch, Tim :). I've missed being part of this great community as well. Healing sometimes takes a long time, but I think I'm on the right track at last.

The End of the Beginning by Albert Nothlit Disclaimer: this is a work of fan fiction based on J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books. The young wizard trudged through the snow and tried to keep the sharp bite of the cold at bay. His heavy, fur-lined boots threatened to crunch their way through the tattered wooden lattice of his snowshoes with each and every step. He had seven layers of clothing on, plus mittens, a heavy hood, snow goggles, a scarf, and a heavy pack that s

Reading the HP books as I have done for many times now, I often wondered how two of my favorite characters met for the first time. This story -humbly- attempts to answer this question.

Aw, thank you! I have a weakness for bittersweet stories, as you can probably tell after having read this one.

Awesome, and congrats!! I can personally attest to the amazing professionalism you bring to your work, both as a writer and as an incredible (and really patient) editor!

Heroes don't have to wear capes to be super, as the stories of brave men and women in the military prove. It was awesome to read up on some of the past Medal recipients - and this chapter had me smiling from beginning to end. I'm so glad the letter wasn't something horrible!

What a nice, feel-good chapter. I loved the way your description made me feel as if I were part of the crowd, cheering for The Bar's heroes. At one point I had to look up what 'sage color' was in order to picture the new décor better - I'm hopeless with anything but basic colors! So glad you're feeling better now, too! My best wishes, and I can't wait to read the next chapter.

This is awesome! Can't wait to get started ^^

Hi all! I just ran out of things to play *carefully ignoring the pile of Steam sale uninstalled games on my account* and I'd like to get ideas for what to play next. Most of all, I love a good storyline while playing. I'm thinking something immersive and multifaceted like Mass Effect, or short yet unforgettable like Portal. What do you guys like? Which games made you go, wow, that story blew my mind? -Albert

Glad to know the guys are back together. Having a friend to listen, like Ryan did, is incredibly helpful. I can sympathize with Ryan too - when I get mad, I also take some time out to think things through.

I started out writing M/M romance, so that's definitely something I will always do from time to time. Thank you for reviewing!

thank you for reviewing! There's more where that came from.

I can't even imagine how hard it must have been to grow up knowing that every person who likes you probably has an ulterior motive for doing so. Clayton certainly has decades of past experiences where he trusted someone or opened up, only to later find out that the other person merely wanted to use him or take advantage of him. Like others have pointed out, maybe the protection mechanism he developed was so ingrained in his behavior that he couldn't help it. I seem to remember Clayton thinking to himself that Ryan had passed 'tests' every now and then. I can sympathize with Clayton, but I also understand Ryan's reaction. I would be pissed at finding out someone's been making me jump through hoops just so I can earn the boyfriend badge. These two guys need to sit down and talk after tempers have cooled off. Also, awesome chapter. I expected a juicy secret and you didn't disappoint!

We should never forget those who came before us, and I'm glad this chapter talks about one of the darkest times in our history. I did not experience what Clayton did, but I did grow up in the aftermath of the devastation that HIV left behind. It is a tragedy which no words can ever hope to fully describe. The writing in this chapter is an almost perfect mirror to the mindset which I have read was necessary to survive in those times. On the one hand, you couldn't ignore the awful things happening all around you, every week, every day. But on the other hand you had to still be able to dance to I Will Survive on a night out with what friends you had left and really mean it. Really show the rest of the world that the fire in your soul would not be quenched. Cheerful, fabulous defiance in the face of fear and sadness is one of the things I admire the most about the generation of people who had to live through those awful years. On a more cheerful note, OMG the secret is coming!!

Thank you! I'm glad you found it so

Thank you, northie! This story was a rather impulsive project for me, and I'm glad it mirrored some of the emotions going through my mind as I was writing it.

Thank you for the review! I'm glad you feel that way

Thanks, Riley, and thank you all, really! BTW, I just uploaded the newest chapter to Life Seed: The Mating Dance. In case anyone wants to check it out. Edit: and thank you, A.J., for liking all of these wonderful comments in my stead!

Thank you! I could have used guidance from my future self in the past at one point.

I ran out of likes for you guys, but thank you so much for your kind wishes! It's humbling to have so many people reach out to share this happy day.

Thank you very much! You know, I could use a few of those gifts myself, as reminders every now and then that there's so much more out there

Aw, thanks! And sorry about the teary stuff.

Thank you, everyone!! I'm so happy. I'd like to thank the Academy - no, but seriously, a big thanks to Cia, Renee, A.C, and all the other wonderful people who keep this amazing site running day-to-day, and who kindly promoted me to Promising Author! And, of course, thank you to each and every person who has read what I've written. Here, I've discovered friends, colleagues, and a community I'm proud to be a part of. I look forward to writing here for many years to come. :D

That was so sweet to read. And that plumber is one thoughtful man! I haven't watched a rom-zom-com ever, but after this story, I'm thinking I should hunt around the Internet and give one a try.

Forgiveness Sunday, May 21 It’s evening now. Where did the day go? I’ve heard people saying how sometimes time flies by when you’re thinking about something, but it’s the first time it’s ever happened to me. I look around the small apartment I rent and everything is dark. My laptop is still open where I left it, the battery long dead. I don’t want to turn it on again, because the last thing on the screen were the test results and I can’t bear to look at those again. Instead I look out th