Centaur

Well done - I really liked the interview. As a longtime Dom reader, I always enjoy learning something new about him. He is easily the best author I've ever read in this genre. Thanks for posting the link! Centaur

This is outstanding - I've come out of my cave (read long absence) to post THANK YOU AND AWESOME to ITFB 26 & 27. The whole world just seems like a better place when Dom is posting. Maybe it's just me (but I'm guessing not! LOL) but I get this stupid grin on my face when I see a chapter posted for one of his stories. Now the waiting begins (large crowd - say 200,000) gathering in the square watching for the smoke signal on Aiden/Owen. Thank you Dom - 2010 just got brighter. George

Thanks everyone! I had a great time (still celebrating all weekend long with family and friends). Centaur

I read ALL of Cole Parker's work - and I've told him so. I found Domino's right away on Dude's site as soon as it posted, so I'll read it regularly as it comes out. I love his work - he captivates me. A warning - Chapter Three has an UGLY cliffhanger!! One of the toughest I've seen in a while! ARRRGGGGHHH LOL But enjoy - I certainly am! George

And I GREW UP playing with Legos... My favorite of all favorites It was a simpler time

GOOD GRIEF!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank goodness I found this poll!!!!!!!!!! Arrrgggghhhh! ALL the answers should be "A Question of Tine" - boy, that was obvious!!! LOL Come on people - I mean really. How could it be anything else?!?!?? Just putting it out there . G/

Hi Duncan: Nice job! This is the first time I'm commenting in your forum here (although I've sent you a couple of emails, which you graciously answered). Chapter Three is excellent! Of course we're all worried about Luc, and now Matt, and then Scott and Josh - you have piled plenty of worries on our plate - LOL! But that, of course, if your JOB as our fearless writer. I'm hopelessly caught up in all the complexities of the characters and their interactions. I have to say that I'm pulling for Luc at this point. I hope he gets a better shake. I root for the underdog, as usual, and Luc could use some good karma about now. And you've peaked my radar around Josh. What exactly is he up to? Hmmm... I was confident he was really into Scott, having been a wounded animal himself, but now will he mess with Matt again!??!!? While he lives with Scott!?!? And should I want Scott and Luc to be together? Arrrggggghhhh... chuckle. Way too many things to consider. Excellent job. And thank you. We often forget to simply say thank you to an author for their hard work. So there it is. My best, Centaur

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well said Corvus! As always, I'm transported by Lugh's writing to another place and time. Full of imagery - and complexity - we're left to read into this poem our own thoughts. Favorite line - "Wedding fate to chance". Love it. Thank you Lugh for this poem. It feels like it came from deep down inside you. As you said, now you may be able to move on and write something else - MAYBE SOME TINE (oops - did I say that outloud - chuckle). Centaur (yep - still here)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Horsie Boy

Codey will certainly be missed. I enjoyed his stories - particularly From the Heart and Freefall. I was saddened by his passing. But it's clear he touched many many lives based on what I've read at Codey's World. I certainly took inspiration from that, and think it's only fair that we honor Codey's memory and try to do what he did so well - help others. I was humbled by how many people spoke out about what he did for them. How many of us could claim that? I'm not sure, but Codey clearly transended his life experience to teach so many others how to overcome adversity. I admired him, although I'm sure he wouldn't have wanted to be the center of any attention. I didn't know Codey - I didn't have that honor - but I see the community that he built and all I can say is "wow". Tim, Blue, and so many others will keep his torch alive. And for that they deserve our support and friendship. I have to admit that I cried when I read the story about Codey's dream - and dancing with unicorns. I'm not sure I've ever read anything quite so beautiful in my entire life. It left me speechless. We'll miss you Codey, but hopefully we can take your life as an inspiration. Thank you for everything you gave us while you were here. I know you are happy with the unicorns. My best to Tim, Codey's Grandfather, and all his friends and family. George

I've read Chapter 32 - and finished the story - and so I want to say THANK YOU to Graeme for such a wonderful story!!! I truly enjoyed the entire story from Chapter 1 to 32. You really outdid yourself this time Graeme! We were all on pins and needles until the end to see how things were tidied up, and you did a great job with all the loose ends! There were some truly fun characters in there (such as Shane, Rhys, and Mia) that made me laugh, yell, or just shake my head. But the true enjoyment were the characters of Vince and Matt who had me smiling all the way through - all the way until the end. Congratulations on a job well done. I hope you will write again soon - although I know you deserve a break! You are very talented, and I enjoyed Heart of the Tree thoroughly. If anyone hasn't read this story - READ IT NOW. It is well worth the ride from beginning to end. But like a great rollercoaster you want to GET RIGHT BACK ON AND RIDE AGAIN. This story is worth a reread - no doubt about it. Kudos Graeme! ENCORE ENCORE! My best, George

Lugh: I thought Red's Rescue was excellent. I know I've said this before, but it bears repeating - your descriptive style and character development are always top notch. I'm continually amazed at how deep you can go in such a short space. Each story is such a unique tapestry, and Red's Rescue is n exception. And the ending is a surprise to all! So, thank you for the great short story. You always make the Anthologies interesting. Awesome job! George

Happy Birthday - back at ya! George

Thanks again everyone! It was a fun day!!!

Awwwwwww - thanks everyone!!!!! I'm still one year away from the big 40 (uh - did I say that outloud?) I'm going home to see my family tomorrow, so it will be a great day Thanks again! George

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DREWBIE!!!!!

Wow - okay, all I can say is wow... That is amazing. Jeff - you have an amazing talent. I can't believe you're not on the circuit! And that was from the heart. Nice job - you have a wonderful voice . George

VANCE!!!!!!!!! GET WELL SOON!!!!!! WE LOVE YOU BUD!!!!! My best to you AND Sam!!!! *HUGS* Love, George

SPOILER WARNING SAME AS ABOVE POSTS I enjoyed the book tremendously. I fit in with the "8 to 10 hour" group, as it took me about 9 hours to finish it. I decided to read it straight through because of the risk of the mainstream media spoiling it for me. I had to avoid reading any news yesterday so that I could read in peace. Like others, I was shocked early on with the deaths of Mad-Eye Moody and Hedwig. I also thought that the book grew unnecessarily complicated at times, but she had a lot of loose ends to tie up, so I suppose that's to be expected. There were indeed times where the dialogue wandered - especially when Ron, Hermione, and Harry were on the Horcrux quest in the middle of the book. However they went through fire together, so it was nice to see them come through it. I agree with BeaStKid about the deaths of Tonks and Lupin. I wasn't that surprised, as both were in the Order, and people from the Order were dropping everywhere. But Fred was tough. I can only imagine the horror of a twin losing his other half, so that's what saddened me the most. And Colin Creevy? I mean sheesh - that was a bit harsh. She did a nice job of explaining some mysterious plot lines that had meandered out there for a while through 5 and 6. Dumbledore was perhaps the second biggest surprise for me - both good and bad. I felt that she was tough on him at the end when he explained his great faults. That was hard to read, but understandable, as she showed the humanity in us all. I was frustrated with what Dumbledore didn't tell Harry, but JKR's explanation of why made sense for the most part. The most obvious surprise - for some but not all - was Snape. I could not have predicted that he would turn out to be such a brave hero in the end. That threw me for a loop. I thought there was a possibility that he was innocent (she had been hinting at that quite a bit), but I was stunned when we went through his memory at what he did. I now understand that what made Dumbledore so certain about Snape's loyalty was Snape's forever love for Lily, and the fact that he would protect Harry in the end. The pieces fell into place when all of that was revealed, because there were ample times for Snape to have caused more difficulty than he did. Those of us whose teeth were grinding every time we read his name were thrown a curve ball at the very end! That was rather skillful! I consider Snape her best character overall (he's also outstanding in the movie). He put us all through hell for all seven books, only to turn out to be "Dumbledore's Man" also. Just amazing. I think that was her greatest triumph. There were other surprises - some pleasant, and others not so much. As DK mentions above, Kreacher surprised me! Talk about a makeover! He turned out to be a key player in this book, which I could not have predicted. The Dudley Dursley part in the beginning was just bizarre. Did anyone else think that was just completely out of left field? I guess he felt that way because Harry had saved his life. It seemed to be a strange departure, but she obviously had her reasons. The saddest surprise though was Dobby's death. I should have seen that coming. I braced myself to lose Hagrid (I predicted a Weasley would die, but I thought it would be a parent). Dobby was just not expected. The Battle of Hogwarts was an awesome way to end the series, and a stroke of brilliance. We didn't get to see the school much in 7 because he was out and about, so we were able to return to an old friend at the end to see action. Many of our favorites were all there - like Nearly Headless Nick, the Marauders Map, the Room of Requirement, and the Headmaster's Office. Even the Chamber of Secrets made a return visit when Ron and Hermione went to get Basilik stuff. Very cool. I agree completely with DK that a 7 movie will be outstanding, but they need to do it justice. It needs to be a three hour event. I remember being worried about LOTR, but Peter Jackson did the books justice when he made three. The director of 6 will have a hard enough time, but 7 will be a beast. I was also amazed that she gave us an Epilogue! That must have been decided this year. I remember reading that she said she wrote the last chapter first, so I assume she means the battle with Voldemort. The Epilogue tied things up nicely, and also removed a lot of questions around what happens to the "big three". She gave us plenty to wonder about, including the idea of a next generation! I thought that "touching the scar at the end" bit was interesting. For those who saw the last X-Men, it was reminiscent of the chess piece moving, although not identical because the scar wasn't burning. But the door is definitely open. As far as pieces I didn't like, I think the entire "Deathly Hallows" piece felt like a major distraction, although it certainly explained what Dumbledore was up to. The Elder Wand piece does fit, but the rest is just noise in my opinion. The core story was still there, it just took a while to get there. As I said above, I wasn't too pysched about Dumbledore's fall from grace, but Harry forgave him, and it shows the potential addiction to power that so many fall prey to in this world. Overall, I think it was her second best book in my opinion. I liked four the best - Goblet of Fire - because the Triwizard Tournament will always be the high water mark for JKR for me. However, this book is an excellent runner up. I thought the work she did to finish out the characters was impressive - including major characters like Hagrid and Draco, to secondary ones like Luna and Percy. It felt like Mrs. Weasley gained a son back right when she lost one at the end, which was sad. A fitting end to a great series. I'm not sure we'll see another one of that kind again in our lifetime.

I enjoyed this story for the same reasons that I enjoy ALL of Lugh's stories. (1) The imagery and descriptive language is always brilliant. (2) The characters are fascinating for their depth (which is expressed so well even in an anthology entry). (3) The story itself (yes - that simply - he tells a great yarn). I'm not going into a description of symbolism because I didn't see what others saw (as noted above). However, everyone clearly enjoyed the story. Thank you Lugh, as always, for a wonderful job. Now - I encourage OTHERS to read it as well. And comment too - that always helps. Centaur

Hi Vance! Thanks for the update! I know it won't be easy to wait for the surgery, but it will definitely be worth it on the other side. I'm glad to hear about Kitty as well. She's a FIGHTER!!!! And I'm sure I speak on behalf of all of your fans when I say take your time - get well - and we'll be thinking of you while you work towards getting fixed up. My best, Centaur

Hi BeaStKid: I'm going to jump in here and comment, having read all five chapters of Alpha and Omega this morning. Great job! I really like the story! I think Ryan and Josh are great characters, and you've done a nice job weaving the story together. I agree with others - the God/St. Peter interactions are fun. And yes - to answer the question above - St. Peter DEFINITELY outranks Archangels. He holds the Keys to Heaven, and was the rock upon which Jesus built his church. That gives him the corner office on the top floor guys. I'm worried though. Chapter 5 had a "The End?" at the bottom. PLEASE don't tell me you're stopping there! There is TOO much unknown dude! What happens to Josh? Does he just shrivel away and die? And who is appearing to Ryan in the park? Gabriel? And how do the flashbacks come in? Inquiring minds want to know! I'm hooked now dammit! LOL - I would like MORE MORE MORE! Thanks for a great story BeaStKid. Please keep it going. Centaur P.S. And yes - nice job on the sex scene in the shower. It wasn't overdone - simple, but yet appropriate.

Get Well Soon Luc!!! Centaur

I thought it was a nice chapter too! I would have to say my favorite scene was in the hardware store when Alex's dad and Rhys' dad handled things so well. I continue to enjoy this story Graeme. Thank you. Centaur