sanmariano

This is a wonderful chapter, as sweet as an Indiana summer day. With all the tension and trouble going on, it's nice to see the good side of life. There is always hope and Billy has it in his friends and mom and, of course, David. The self-imposed silence seems awfully stern, but then it's really not that bad compared to what others do to themselves unknowingly. This is a great story. I wish I had time to read it faster, but I'll keep at it!

I had a couple cousins we called Fonz/the Fonz, short for Alphonso. They were pretty much identical to the TV character, a really good one to 'hide behind', as you put it.

Stalking does indeed happen and anonymity can be a good thing online. On another site I mistakenly used my full name and, since I'm the only one in the USA who has it, I started receiving daily phone calls from a character around the world who wanted to come live with me. Another showed up where I work. My bad, I should've known better. But it was a book-writing site! Stuff like that's not supposed to happen. Recently I received anti-gay hate messages and one of my books was reported even though it had been on for two years and had 265k reads. The book was OK but they did take down the cover, two sexy dudes embracing. LOL. I can't tell you how many covers they have with sexy m/f's embracing. So I figured it's time for a change. Very friendly here and everyone has been so nice and encouraging. I haven't had much time yet for conversing and getting around, but I'm enjoying it all very much, thank you all!

Great chapter. You really know how to write the feels! I'm not surprised at Sam's reaction. She was curious for some reason, maybe the other boys in town are gossiping, questioning Billy. But I don't think she actually expected it to be true. I've seen the most liberal accepting people crash under that admittance, especially girls who claim to be friends. Lots of them are secretly crushing on the guy and his being gay is unacceptable. Maybe she'll come around. Some people get used to it. But a friend who walks away like that, in my book, really doesn't have a good excuse.

I know a couple now in their 70s who were crushing on each other in high school back in the 1960s! They were casual friends but never let each other know - they say you just didn't do that back then. But they met here in NYC years later in the 90s after both having been married and divorced and moved here, and they've been together ever since. So cool that it wasn't too late for them!

Miles is so caught up in the moment that he doesn't understand the strengths he has that plenty of boys his age don't. He actually made a date with another boy and intended to keep it - he's pursuing a gay romance. He talked to a stranger sex caller and had phone sex with him, then figured out who it was and got friendly with him in school. Most curious boys would not even go that far. So he is trying to do something about his life and trying to get to know others like him. Suicide is usually the result of pathological problems. He's lonely, depressed, it's all been piling up for some time now, and it's hard to get beyond that to see the progress he is making. Today there are good meds to get you out of this kind of a funk, but first you have to admit to yourself that's what's wrong.

I like the shirtless covers and I do read the ones that are adventures, action and spies, because they usually don't end in 'settling down'. They're often series and then they have another exciting time in the next book. I write those too and always about hunks. I love reading and writing erotica, so sex-driven is fine with me. But I do have a problem with the happily ever after routine.

I can sleep when I finally actually go to bed, but my problem is I want to stay up all night because there are so many things I like doing, especially writing. I don't want to waste time sleeping! But the odd time it does happen that I can't sleep, I put on a relaxation tape or CD (there are a lot of good ones on YouTube) and they lull me right off in a few minutes.

Very retrospective chapter. I understand Billy's problem perfectly. I started having really bad panic attacks as a young teen and have lived with continual agoraphobia and anxiety because of the same reasons. I never did any self-harm but it was tough trying to appear normal with constant anxiety going on in the background. As a result I pushed myself to do things and became quite a showoff in many ways, stuffing all those feelings till they'd come out and really make me sick. Your portrayal of the suffering young gays can experience is really right on the mark!

From Lost Island ... Brad Cooper gazed out the window at the dark jungle night as a clock somewhere in the old bungalow struck three. And then the murders began.

Very good advice. Thanks! I'm all for reality and making characters as realistic as we all are. To me, that's what makes them interesting. On another site I write on there are a certain group of young LGBT peeps who gang up on others, on the forums, who they feel are not writing LGBT characters 'right'. They'll actually post their 'rules' of how LGBT characters should be portrayed. It's all very restrictive and its intent is so the characters all look 'good'. They did it to me once but learned real quick not to do it again because I don't like being bullied, anywhere or anyhow. I don't believe there are right or wrong ways to depict any characters. Humans run the gamut of all types, good and bad, and even beyond 'types'. Many of us, if not all, are real originals. Realistic characters and supporting characters who express real human traits of all kinds make stories interesting. Like, how could you write a story about redemption if the protagonist hadn't sunk way low down that he needed to work his way back up?

Thanks JayT. I'll check it out. Sounds like just what I like.

I just don't care for the endings that set a male couple in a house with a picket fence. I'd rather the adventure continue, settling down does not interest me. I know how important HEA is to many readers cuz I've gotten complaints that my books don't do that. Books can end on an upbeat note, but HEA is just too formulaic for me.

Guys I know in their late sixties and seventies are always moaning that the 1970s were 40 years ago, because they still love them, and it was their wild 'disco days'. What amazes me is that 40 years later it's still not that much different in most places for gay high school kids. Sure, many schools have Straight-Gay Alliances and some kids are out, but so many are still 'afraid' and use 'pills' and even worse, the cutting and suicide. Things have definitely improved but, even with legal gay marriage, there is still the taboo and plenty of bigotry. Very good writing, by the way. Smooth and flowing and easily readable with great dialogue.

Whoa! that's telling her. Very cool.