Anton_Cloche

Tim's new accommodations should be an improvement over his dorm room and the 'slob' roommate. Hopefully Mrs. Kenner isn't like the old landlady Aunts from 'Arsenic and Old Lace' (which to be clear was WAY before my time, but 'required' reading in one college course). As a law student Tim could easily make his 'case' for a refund on rooming he already paid for. Story looks good so far CL.

If you haven't read any of CL's stories in the past (42 and counting), what have you been doing with your time? CL imparts so much into his stories it's hard to know where to begin to describe them. A few reviewers (of previous stories) who said they all carry a similar theme, are missing the uniqueness of each character, situation, locale and yes even history. Psychologists say 'Curling up with a good book can be a mood booster'.* After the last 18 months a good story can be restorative. (Hey, editors use 'extra Scrabble point' words 😉 too). * https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/depression-management-techniques/201410/curling-good-book-can-be-mood-booster

I want to thank you CL for making a decision I, as both a reader and editor (not of your works), applaud and encourage authors, writers to follow. It doesn't matter if you're a prolific writer, or someone just starting out, it is important that stories get told in their entirety. In my humble opinion (yes I know IMHO exists 😉) there is nothing more frustrating than reading a good story, only to have it stop and remain unfinished. Whether the author has lost their muse (writer's block), suffered illness or passed away, an unfinished work as a loss for everyone. I encourage all authors (regardless of genre) to look at options, (listed in NO particular order) especially if they are writing a lengthy story or a multi-book series: 1. When starting, create a story outline, with chapters laid out and key information (plot, characters, locale etc). It may seem like extra work, but its can help organize and remind/prompt the author). 2. Dictate / record your story so that if something were to happen the story 'could' be transcribed by someone you trust (that you've already chosen). 3. Complete your work before submitting it for printing, posting or both, (or maybe even audio book, previously called 'books on tape'). CL your stories are part of your legacy. They are an invaluable gift, not only to current readers, but hopefully for generations to come. Thank you. Tony (Anton)

You mention they saw "several sarcophagi" in the temple. Final resting places of Alexander and Hephaestion (who supposedly was cremated and his ashes placed in a Grecian Urn, and taken by Alexander to Babylon) were never 100% confirmed. (Egypt claims Alexander is buried in Alexandria). Some historians suggest Ptolemy joined them together in death 🛕(fulfilling a promise he made to Alexander), so they could journey to the afterlife together for eternity.

Why does this story seem so familiar? 🧩

Wow! I'm really starting to dig into this. An excursion, foreign intrigue, history lessons (or in Alexandros' case his-story), (puns intended). As for weinerdog's comments about no water, there may not be any in this story's time frame, but centuries earlier? River's courses and even artesian springs could have existed. The shifting sands of time and geography hide many things. 🐪

Sat phones.

Ooh, could be an interesting change. Better than finding the 'face' on Mars, or what's hiding in plain sight? Well 'plain sight' if viewed from orbit in space. Certainly a cheaper option than Bezos or Branson shuttles. 🚀 Thanks in advance Cal. Tony B

Much good wishes and prayers 🙏🤞for your son's full and complete recovery. I'm sure he knows it's going to take work and LOTS of patience, especially the latter when he had great days with lots of energy and over does it a bit and then has to take it easy for a few. Maybe you can remind him off the tortoise & hare story, and that "Slow & Steady wins the race". All the best! Tony (Anton)

Thank you Cal for yet another great story that has a good happy ending. A far as a sequel is concerned, well Marco and Ephraim are on 5 acres so there's room to expand, and it would have to include another house so the 1815 one is kept in its' original condition. Plus with Ephraim's sister, husband and two boys at least one more bathroom is a necessity. Perhaps Chris becomes a 'house father' in the new home? Hope you're staying well, especially with more Covid cases popping up everywhere. Hope your 'situation' has allowed you either a 3rd Pfizer 'booster' or perhaps their new 'All in One' Flu+Booster. Take Care and Stay Safe. We need you around, for your knowledge, history, empathy and great stories! 🫂 Tony (Anton)

Marco Ephraim and marriage follows after a AHA revaluation. But among the 'gifts' are Ephraim's UK sister + husband + 2 boys? We know the house is big enough, but does the husband bring 'baggage' in terms of his (CoE) values that causes some issues? Hopefully not, but let's see...

Did Great-Grandson Ephraim's WOS C O E parents drop the 'i', or did it get dropped and put back in when editing Cal? It's spelled both ways in UK, FYI. WOS = Waste of Skin C o E = Church of England aka Protestant (both 'high' and 'low') Speaking of: Hazard a guess Ephram UK parents either are, or pretend to be 'High' CoE as status is everything in some circles. Holier than thou. (Not naming names Andy). But the 😇 a little tight.Speaking from off-side family experience.

Third time's a chum with a 'bubble' bum. 🍑 😳 or is it more ?

Really old home renovations were something my great-grandfather, grandfather and uncle did. From the late 1800's up to the October 24th 1929 stock market crash and into the late 1940's. Great-GrandPapa was as engineer / contractor / draftsman / inventor (designed and built super-insulated Ice Houses in the prairies providing ice blocks for 'ice boxes' year round). They also designed and built super-insulated 'air tight' homes for the 'well off'. Some of these homes remain and have been certified as being more energy efficient than Leeds Platinum standards of today. Anyway, some of their retrofits of homes like the Wight house (no pun intended) to bring indoor plumbing and 'knob and tube' electrical into vintage homes. They'd usually use a large closet on a 2nd floor that was normally over the main floor pantry. That allowed for a common 'run' for plumbing and electrical straight to a cellar that had a coal or wood chute. As Master engineers, craftsmen and builders they could incorporate these 'utilities' into existing walls, floors and ceiling without anyone the wiser, in a time when 'lath and plaster' was the standard. 10 years ago I toured an 1850 house they retrofitted in 1920 and updated in 1949 and couldn't find where the works were hidden, until it was pointed out. I'm certain Marco has access to people with similar skills.

CL you've unleashed my 'Editor's Eye' and a mystery to solve. Hmm. Does Marco have a ghost of a chance at a happy ending? We don't know the timeframe this story takes place, but there are clues. Marco's mother referred to his 'apartment' in the converted school as a 'condominium' so that makes it somewhat recent (+/- 2 decades). 'The house was built by Ephraim Wight in 1814', who lived in it with his wife and three children which means it's over 200 years old, not 100 as stated. The history of the family as provided means the late Mrs. Wight who died was probably elderly and was a granddaughter (by marriage) of Ephraim and had a son who is most likely the sole remaining relative County Clerk Dave refers to in speaking with Marco. That makes him Ephraim's great-grandson. Does a 200+ year old house still have some contents ? Is there a ghost in the house? A secret room with an old painting concealing hidden wealth? As for the sole remaining Wight, he surely doesn't live in town or he'd now about the taxes, and should have stood to inherit house as an heir. Unless...

There needs to be a combination emoticon that is part 😳 + 😯 + 😠 + 🧩 + ? because that's where this prologue has dumped me. And forget the Blackpool beach rollercoaster, (assuming he means your stories are like one), it's more like the lovely Mediterranean beach at Dover. Oh wait, that has no sand, no good amenities, and is just blah! Okay so Cork's temper and mouth has got him in such a bad place because our previous Jack has patience in excess (to deal with Cork). Oh well, time to read on and discover what rabbit hole Alice has fallen down this time.

Another great story Cal, full of mystery, love, compassion, challenges, and in the end, helping those most in need. The two destitute young boys Roger found, with his and Jon's love were adopted and as their sons , became the future of Coquina Hotel & Motel (and associated enterprises). I suspect their memories of being rescued, will encourage them to follow Roge and Jon's example and rescue more 'at risk' children. Love begets 💘. But that's another story. Thank you Cal, from my . Tony

With Jon and Seven headed back north to bring back family items and out his mother's home up for sale, who's going to talk with Freyja? (My Great Aunt was named Freyja in honour of her mother who my Grandfather referred to as 'Scandahoovian'. In other words coming from DNS - Denmark, Norway or Sweden). It's good to see Jon helping out local boys in need. Roger may never have thought he'd have a family, and now he does.

With all the construction going on in Roger and Jon's version of 'The Batcave' I'm surprised they haven't come across either a hidden room behind a wall or a grotto with undiscovered treasure. Surely back in the day, pirates would have looted ships transporting gold and silver coins. 🪙

Hmm. The Drake? Something sounds a little fishy. Is someone (Jerry) falling hook, line and sinker over our Viking Captain Jon? A first crush perhaps? Hopefully no one will duck the issue, but deal with the crush head on and not in a weigh that ruffles anyone's feathers. 🦆 (Apologies for the blatant puns) Tony C

Damn. Another chapter that had both light and dark themes running through it. Seems you don't want to commit to one or the other even for a short time. Leaving the constantly sparring older but not necessarily wiser Tristan and Jack in opposite corners, we turn to TJ. As he begins to make progress with the guidance and support of Darren, we learn of Darren's own family tragedy with the death of his son Paulo's wife Melody and their two children in a horrible road crash in Colorado. Unable to deal with his grief, Paulo's twin brother Pedro helps him. And Darren is bringing his sons with him to New York to watch over them. So again, more family dynamics at play, with both dark and lightness, despair and hope.

Dean's revelation will go a long way to explaining why he's turned so homophobic (since he was 14, two years earlier). It also explains why the trip to Gran Canaria and the one Spanish boy set him off. Like many young boys who've been sexually abused, Dean is likely feeling he's to blame for: (a) allowing it to happen; (b) somehow bringing it on; and (c) failing or being unable to report it. Oh, and there's (d) which is being suicidal because of the attack. Let's see how right I am... BTW, there's a bit of ongoing spelling and grammar errors in this story. Enough repeated errors that my 'Editor's Eye' is making me reach for the 'Red Pencil' (you know, the one teachers use to mark your papers with). If your editor(s) are using Grammarly or similar software, you might ask them to actually proofread what's been 'corrected'. There have been repeated complaints stemming from the fact software and App are apparently designed and updated by people for whom English is not their native language. (You just have to read some of the instructions that come in product packages to see this clearly). Although there are some differences in 'english' spellings between the UK, U.S., Canada and Australia they are generally for terms and phrases unique to each country. However, the errors I'm speaking of are misusing words like: 'to' and 'too'; 'there / there and they're'; 'where / were', and then really odd ones like using 'crutch' in place of 'crotch'. Just thought you'd want to know. And you're not the first online author to have that happen.

It's a little hard wrapping my head around a new 'language' (although easier than Klingon), but I get the general ideas. Odd that other panets have some of our stereotypes including ageism. As for Adam, thankfully they reached him just in time to both safe his life and cure his HIV. Problem is, now that they've weaned him off Earth's 🌏 atmosphere and onto theirs, if things go wrong can Adam return to Earth? Or does he even want to? 🚀

Unlike holiday 'lets' that are just seasonal and a bit of spare income, investment in a 'lodge' or 'inn' has to make sense (no pun intended). Seasonal operations rarely bring in enough income, and as the owner said, change in weather (for the worse) over 20 years adversely affected the Lodge. I'd walk away from it, unless the owner Mr. Metendorf is prepared to take a huge reduction, OR if Roger somehow learns there's a major development nearby on the horizon (like a major roadway) to bring guests to his door.