Cynus

And thank you for the review! I didn't actually plan for this to be released right before Halloween, it just worked out that way.

Ah, well, you can't blame me for wanting to be a bit unique, eh? I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the review.

You're welcome. It wasn't Jacob's time yet, which is pretty much the story of his undeath. This was an important chapter for a lot of reasons, but I really enjoyed showing the other side of a lot of these characters. People act differently when their loved ones are threatened, and this is no exception. Thank you for the review.

Magic is an important tool in storytelling. Fantasy creates a platform upon which our minds can entertain abstract ideas which we would normally have difficulty considering. It is similar to asking a rhetorical question, but extending the philosophy to a storytelling setting. I don't think I have any vampires, actually... hmmm... maybe they're all dead? Plenty of mythology creeps up in Ashes of Fate, however. I enjoyed playing with the indigenous people of Canada. Fun stuff. India's always had an allure for me as well, and clearly for Nevala, too. There's a good reason for every single death or disappearance which occurs in A of F, except possibly one... I warn you, if death of characters is a turnoff you might not want to continue with season 2... Thank you for the review.

I spent a few hours deliberating whether or not I was going to join in here, and I think I have to, now. First things first, warrior1 made it clear that he was already seeing someone. I don't see why everyone is being insistent that he see someone when he already is, especially since he also made it clear that he's had no major downs lately. And then, on another point, talking about depression and anxiety is exactly what needs to be done in order for it to be addressed. This forum post, created for this purpose, is exactly what people like warrior1 and I need in order to get some of our feelings out there. The alternative, especially for asocial people, is to bottle it up. Having the open forum of the internet as a place to address these issues is not only great for those of us who aren't comfortable talking face to face, it also opens up to a wider pool of experience for us to pull from on addressing our issues. How could that possibly be a bad thing? It needs to be discussed, and it needs to be discussed more often. We like to sweep depression under the rug and pretend there's no validity to it when there are so many people who suffer from it. I'm sorry if I sound aggressive right now, but I am extremely passionate about this subject, because I was taught my entire life to hide my unhappiness because no one wanted to see it. How can we possibly expect to overcome it if we're told to keep it behind closed doors? I'm depressed because I feel confined, so how would more confinement be the answer? I once officially came out as gay(and then bisexual once I learned more about myself), and I am now officially coming out as depressed. I don't want to live a secret life of unhappiness while showing a fake smile to the world, because I want to bring it to the forefront. I want to overcome it, and find out what is causing my happiness. I can't afford to spend time addressing symptoms and ignoring the cause. And so, warrior1, I will definitely answer your questions. Depression: I have never been officially diagnosed, but I'd say I've been dealing with it since I was very young. Probably around six. Even without the official diagnosis, it's not hard to know I have it. I'd say it's relatively constant, though I do go through long periods of mild lows, and short bursts of extreme highs. I have been to one before, and he helped me put some things into perspective. I have very openminded friends who listen to me when I'm at my worst, and my support network is kind of awesome. Can't afford a counselor normally, but they do the trick. They keep me from hurting myself, anyway, and help me find reasons to continue. Has it taken a toll? Yes, however open and honest communication has healed a number of those rifts. Most people who genuinely care about you are understanding when you take the time to explain your feelings. We often feel that people don't care when we're depressed, and that makes it more difficult to trust others, but if people care, they listen. Yes, I have. And it's not the right way to go. For fear of being yelled at, however, I won't list my full opinion on this subject. Addiction to treat depression creates a cycle which will lead to more problems. It's addressing the symptoms, not the cause, by helping you feel better in the moment rather than to feel better overall. Artistic expression helps a lot. Talking about it and hunting down the cause helps me more than anything else. I treat my own depression the way I treat bullies, and I fight back with everything I have. Sometimes it's stronger than me and it wins, but as long as i keep fighting it I usually stay on top. Being able to express my emotions in writing, however, has been a necessary release. Suicide: Yes, I've had suicidal thoughts before, though they've become less common ever since I started talking about my depression openly. I used to get them everyday(My depression was very bad), but now I have them perhaps once a month at the most? Once every two? It's somewhat hard to judge, because my depression is affected by the seasons. I'm more depressed in summer than in winter, and so I had more this past summer than I'm having right now, or did in the Spring. I'd say it's probably once a month or so in the summer, and once every few months the rest of the year. I have attempted it. I am obviously still here. I haven't attempted it in the last four years, which corresponds to when I started being open about it. I only cut myself once, ever. It wasn't something for me. Social Anxiety Disorder: Yes. I do have social anxiety disorder. I had it when I was younger, and for some reason it became much milder during my late teens to around twenty. I think it resurfaced when I started addressing my sexuality and how it pertained to my faith, not to mention I was stuck in a religious situation with no way out, and I had to keep pretending to be something I wasn't. It began to make me neurotic. Most days are good with my SAD, and I don't have a terrible issue making friends (I'm normally quite good at it, actually) but I suffer in professional settings. When there's something on the line, it freaks me out. It definitely affects me romantically, but that's a whole different can of worms, and this post is already way too long...

The gods willing, my next story will release in January, fully edited and ready to post at a rate of one chapter a week for a solid few months. I'm about halfway through chapter four of it now, and it's still going strong, so we'll see what happens. I think it's flowing as well as this story did for me, so there's hope it will be just as good if not better. As mentioned once in an earlier reply, reincarnation is very central to the Celtic theme. Sam may have that opportunity to live that human life, still, but he would have to give up his potential life with Arawn in order to make it happen. I think Sam staying is likely the better of the two options, personally. Thank you for the review.

It was that time of year again. The time that he relived it all. There was nothing like the cold chill running through the complex that reminded him of those days spent wandering the countryside, hiding from everyone. Those had been dark days, worse than any others he had ever experienced. He had been hungry, cold, and had done his best to be forgotten. Ethan sighed and looked away from his computer, his eyes scanning the lab which he now called home. Things were different now. He was no lon

Samhain has always been intriguing to me, and this was the opportunity to finally delve deep into the subject. I found it enthralling, especially when I learned about the Hunt, and Arawn. There was so much depth in the tradition, even with the limited resources I had at my disposal, and I found so much which intrigued me and led me even deeper. It's a subject I highly recommend for others to look into, especially those interested in the realm of fantasy, or writing in general. The Celts knew how to build characters, let me tell you. Thank you for the review.

The good thing is that in the Celtic tradition, reincarnation is still an inevitability. Brenda has a good chance of seeing Sam again at some point, whether it's a brief passing into the Arawn's realm, or whether Sam decides to one day venture into the world to return to the cycle of rebirth. There is a lot which can happen, and the story can be considered far from over, even though this particular piece of it surely is for now. But that concept of eternal love was one of the major driving forces behind this story, and I was glad it worked out so well, both for me and for the readers. Thank you for the review.

Thank you for the review, Gary. I appreciate all the compliments, and I will try to keep them from going to my head. One thing to note is that it isn't just about Sam's pain turning to hope, but that it's Arawn's pain turning to hope as well. To say that the story is about that is absolutely spot on.

You know my writing too well... Yes, I'll admit it now, as soon as I get some other stories out of my queue(Like my current one I'm working on and the sequel to The Navigator) I believe I'm going to start a mini-series of shorter works which follow Arawn and Sam. Thank you for the review.

I experienced some of that same feeling while writing this. I knew a base history of Samhain and how Halloween had come about, but this really gave me the excuse to dig deeper, and now I'm an absolute fan of the original holiday. Thank you for the review.

Thank you for the fabTABulous review. I'm glad you enjoyed the story, it's definitely one of my favorites, too.

'I love you' would fit. The first word has one letter, the second word has four letters, and the third word has three letters. I'd say that's a pretty good bet, Victor.

A very merry existence day to you.

Nope. Usually I sleep indoors, though... The person below me hasn't had any caffeine today and it's driving them bonkers!

The literary world of Inkheart, because then I could get to all of them. Same Q

Fame is not nearly as important to me as influence. I'd rather be able to make things happen and have no one know my name than to have everyone know my name and have no ability to make things happen... Same Q

I just want to tell everyone who is interested that there is a Halloween collection which was released at dabeagle.net today, and it's filled with both some old classics and some new stories. I would have added a link to it in my own interview had they been live before today, but check them out for some more spooky tales.

My adolescence was filled with the sounds of 90's to early 2000's alternative rock. I grew up with Blink 182, Sum 41, 311... All those bands with numbers in them. New Question: How interested are you in fame?

The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the city as Samuel Cleese glanced out the window. Within the hour night would be upon them, the perfect setting for a night full of mischief and fun. It was Halloween, and Sam had always loved the holiday, even if he were now too old for the activities he had enjoyed as a kid. He had turned twenty one only two weeks before, and though he envied the trick-or-treaters to some nostalgic degree, he was glad the awkwardness of his youth was beginni

Sam Cleese hopes to finally find a boyfriend at the Halloween dance, but things don't go as planned, and before he knows what's happening he's drawn into the most magical night he's ever experienced.

You build scenes beautifully. I was instantly transported to the everywhere you took me, and it wasn't hard to picture any of it in my mind. I'm excited to see where this story goes from here. Can't help but wonder what Charles and Sam are like in their daily lives, and what Casey's plan is now.

There's a lot I could answer this with, so I'm going to build a scene for you instead. My favorite scent would be the scent of a crisp autumn day in the mountains, the morning after a cool rainstorm, sitting around a campfire burning cedar and oak, a cup of warm tea in my hand with a blanket wrapped tight around my shoulders. The combination of smells would be all of the contenders rolled together in one, and the atmosphere would enhance them all. New Q: What was the music of your adolescence?

Paul! I've missed you. Glad to see you here. This was written sometime back in June, I think, I just forgot to post it here. It was written for a contest at Castleroland.net, and I believe I took third if memory serves. It was fun, and that's what was most important. If you like futurist fiction, I think you're going to love my next novel. I'm only three chapters in, but it's already what I consider to be my greatest work yet. Look for it no later than the turn of the year. Thank you for the review.