LJCC

🤣 OMG guys. You really want them to have sex. Don't worry. There's a reason why this story is Rated-M. I wrote the sex scenes as very realistic, funny, sweet, romantic, cathartic, and just straight-out raunchy headboard-pounding, a cigarette-after type of sex. Ahihihi.

EWEWWWEWEWWW! GROSS! *records feedback and adds a scene* I will not write that. *writes it.*

Erm. Well. Yes. Tons of skin. *giggles* But... Kidding aside... You'd have to wait till next week to know whose skin the story will be showing. Who knows, it might be Mama Bella's skin on her hands while she's getting a pedicure. Or I might just reveal Dennis's very hairy butt or very smooth butt, cause they're out swimming, naked. Ahihihihi.

😉 I've sprinkled in some details and clues in the second half. I really want to say something, but it's a shurrpprriisisse. It's like Where's Waldo. It's very succinct. Just like Mr. Toledo's bulge loving hoes, I hope I could find a Klebber of mine someday. I'll throw in a Klebber for you too, for good luck.

OMG. How did you know? Are you a psychic? Come back to this comment after reaching the second half. I love the fact that I have very smart readers. This will be revealed in the second half, when they're in Costa Rica. I can't wait for you guys to get to that part. The thing is, when you're having a public documentary (Netflix interview), you're not really supposed to air out details that might scandalize your personal life and your family. Kleb did say that he and Dennis didn't have sex in their Netflix interview. But are we really to trust them that they didn't, knowing how Dennis wanted to leap on their FaceTime call and tongue-fuck the blond? So, the question is, did they, or did they not? Tune in next week for their Did-They-or-Did-They-Not have a one-night stand episode. All I can say is it's another funny one, I hope.

CHAPTER 4: THE TINGE (FIRST WEEK OF MARCH 2020) Long-sleeve weather mistaken by sunbathers on the lower rooftop, all had their faces turned skyward, like sunflowers, eyes closed in bliss, sunbathing topless, chins up, soaking in the muted sunlight. The 1st of March was dotted with families brunching at the downtown diners and restaurants, becoming the fabric of every neighborhood in the chic, vintage SoHo known for its upscale boutiques, artists, and cast-iron architecture

As they say, comedians are the saddest people. And Dennis is a comedian to those close to him. 😁 🤐 All I can say is it's another fun and hopefully, funny episode. I already wrote 5k words. You want more? Tune in next week. Haha. Thanks for the feedback mate.

CHAPTER 3: MR. LONELY (FIRST WEEK OF MARCH 2020) Elizabeth Ellison, a 35-year-old whey-faced beauty known as Lizzy to friends and relatives, led her brother to the jampacked ABBA Turkish Restaurant. She was beautiful, with her dark curls draping her shoulders like relaxed hands resting lightly, square jaws reminiscent of her last name's legacy, and a button nose artificially tweaked by her last doctor to resemble their mother's. In her brother's eyes, she cared for h

I’ve realized there’s one question readers always circle back to: Do these characters truly deserve a happily ever after? The story is built around that idea. Each character is fighting for their own version of happiness, and the journey is really about how they get there—and what they have to give up and lose along the way. Klebber has his own struggles (HALLOOOOTTT of struggles), which will surface a little later in the story. It takes him time to break out of the mindset he’s trapped in. And Dennis, on the other hand, needs patience, kindness, and a figurative shovel to pull Klebber out while dealing with his own problems. Dennis's past gives readers a clearer picture of why he behaves the way he does. So when you reach the end, and yes, there will be a happily ever after, I’d like you to pause and ask yourself: Do these two really deserve it? That’s a question only you—as the reader—can answer. Aww. Thanks. 🙂 OK. No more HEA. One of them will die. No, I'm kidding. 😂

After nearly two years of drafting, stalling, revising, and taking more breaks than I care to admit, I’ve finally reached the quiet triumph of finishing this story. It wasn’t a straight line—more like a long, looping detour through countless edits and rewrites, punctuated by moments when I simply couldn’t go on until the story itself was ready to move. I’m the kind of writer who can’t begin another project until the current one has released its grip on me, and f*cking finally, this one has. With the begrudging help of my beta readers—unpaid friends and family I shamelessly coerced into early readership—I began to see the story take on a sharper shape. Their feedback confirmed what I had already suspected: the latter half is where the writing grows up. The tone darkens, and the themes deepen. What starts as something soft-edged and romantic shifts into a more grounded exploration of relationships, selfhood, trust, and the anxious questions that clung to all of us during the COVID lockdowns. What comes after this? What happens to me? What happens to us? These weren’t questions I had asked in my youth; they’re questions that arrive in your 30s or 40s, demanding to know whether love is enough, whether you're enough, or whether love requires you to reshape yourself. I like to think that Klebber and Dennis changed during COVID, just as I did. My writing certainly did. The first half of Part 1, written with a deliberately soppy, romantic lilt, served as the meet-cute the story needed—sweet, innocent, and brimming with promise. But like any relationship that outgrows its early spark, the story outgrew that tone. The characters evolved, and so did I. If the beginning of this book offers hope, the latter half asks what it costs to hold onto it. And in that evolution—mine as much as theirs—the story finally found its voice. So for those curious to read about Klebber and Dennis's story, I hope it reflects your story, a story, perhaps, born of love. And just for a heads up, this isn't my story. It's theirs.

Thanks for that wonderful write-up! 😁 Really appreciate it. It feels like two years of writing this had actually been meant for something. This greatly fattens my arse...er, I mean my heart. 😄 I can't wait for you guys to read the part where they meet. It starts by the next Chapter. hehe.

Mr. Toledo, is NOT perfect. 😁 I love writing flawed characters. You'll, er, experience their "personalities" as the story goes on. But right now, yeah, I wanted Klebber to look and sound perfect on paper, but in reality, both of them are just like everyone else. Very human characters that have lots of issues and need frigging therapy. Their meeting will be several focused chapters. I'd like to think (based on the feedback I got) that it's a very hilarious encounter. The first 9 chapters are all dedicated to how they met; hence, the MEETCUTE. But yeah, the entire MEETCUTE scene, the first part, is very cute and whimsically written. A literal Rom-com, actually. Then something shifts. Hehe. COVID. Dennis really grew on me in the first half of Part 1. Then I fell in love with Klebber on the second half. Next week is all about Dennis.

CHAPTER 2: MISTER TOLEDO (MIDDLE OF FEBRUARY 2020) At the Toledo residence located at 103 Lincoln Street was a modestly sized five-bedroom apartment, situated in the heart of Jersey City, called The Heights. A shirtless, towel-wrapped 27-year-old Klebber Toledo—with the silhouette of a Roman god and the face of a Greek statue—was in haste to pick out an outfit from the wardrobe hanging stand. He hurriedly shrugged into a white sweater and ran into the cabinet to pull

Yes. Everything in this story is based on reality, or some of it. I'm writing about a story set in COVID, so everything has to be nearly a replica of the real thing. If you Googled Dennis's mansion, even my descriptions are real-life descriptions of what the house looks like. The only made-up scenario here is the Tinge App, because Hinge (its real-life counterpart) doesn't have an in-app video feature. In the story, Dennis and Klebber use the app's video call feature, and I don't want readers calling me out and saying, "HINGE DOESN'T HAVE VIDEO CALL! HOW DARE YOU!" 🤣 So I named it something else. There's a chapter in Part 2 that's set in Florence, Italy, and it took me two frigging months of doing online research just to get the facts right. Research is too time-consuming. But it needs to get done.

Er, he's Welsh. Wales IS a part of Britain. And British people aren't a single class of people. Because the people of Wales have been described as being candid in their conversations, even with strangers, in ways that might be considered unusual in other parts of the UK. This openness can contribute to a sense of directness in communication. Some from the north have particular attitudes and traits, more so with the neighboring east or the south, particularly Londonites, that makes our country a melting pot. Try going to Leeds, and therefore compare their behavior to Londoners. Like this example: So you see, British people don't live in a bubble. We're also a melting pot of weird.

Yes. Dennis has, er, a lot of issues. But one character trait I tried to give him, which I think is the most important one, is that he's kind. When I wrote this story, around 2023, Elon was still a highly lauded figure, and the perception amongst billionaires was still up there, where people considered him to be 'a good guy.' When 2024 hit, things changed, and Elon, as we all know, came into notoriety, amongst other things. Then something in my writing changed; just watching the news somehow affected it. And Dennis also changed. I wanted him to be kinder and better than he was, but with definite daddy issues that resulted in the character that he became: a broken guy who needed someone to see him for who he is. Both Klebber's and Dennis's character arcs will culminate in part 2, since the second part is way more mature and heavily written than the first half. I can't wait for you guys to read about them. The next chapter is also the intro to Klebber. All I can say is...it's one of the funnier chapters I wrote. Originally it was for Charlie Sheen. The joke was darker with hookers and strippers. But Mr. Toledo, a high school teacher, might not have been able to joke as such. Hehe.

Bloody hell, you're fast! 😅 Yeah, thanks for the kind words. I'll unpublish this now. I'm kidding. Haha. How do I explain this? "Good riddance. I hope you stay dead." Is a line you'd be coming back to every so often. All I can say is that everything in this novel has a purpose. So, come back to it when everything gets explained near the end of part 2--which is a long time from now. HOWEVER, there are bits and pieces of SUBTLE hints left in the narrative that I've dusted here and there for you to have an idea. The story is two years old, so there's a lot of thought embedded in the plot, I'd like to think. My assurance, though, is that PART 1 and PART 2 are ALREADY FINISHED. Part 1 is 145k+ words. Part 2 is 155+ words. So there would be a lot of posting and reading before we get to that part. Hope you guys enjoy Klebber and Dennis's, because I laughed and cried while writing this. I just hope I make one of my readers cry. Then my plan is a success! *EVAAL LAUGH*

CHAPTER 1: THE BILLION DOLLAR KID (EARLY FEBRUARY 2020) A few feet from The Ritz, in the crystal-and-marble splendor of Thomas Shaw's fourth Michelin-starred restaurant, the most magnificent of his new restaurants in London, Dennis Ellison was seated at a secluded corner banquette, dressed smartly in a gray suit, admiring his newest investment as a silent partner in this establishment. It was quite the dazzle for brunch before liquor was served. But the forest of cry

Yeah, I know how reading small feels since I'm technically blind if not for the glasses I wear. 😄 🤣 I tried posting the prologue almost a year ago since, I swear to God, I kept changing it. Like, I've completed part 1, and I couldn't make up my mind as to what the prologue should be. So yeah, I stuck with that, and now that I've finished part 2, I guess it's time to post the story. Weekly postings are set. I promise this isn't a one-off where I'll post again 6 months later. Haha. This story is really finished because I wanted to move on to writing another story; that's why it's time. The story has finally defrosted. Like Mariah Carey. 😂

SCENE 1: THE MEETCUTE

Me, emoting, while lipsnycing this song in my head.

Most articles say 1st person is bad because of the abundant 1st-person books out there that are written badly. First person feels like it should be the easiest—you just slip into “I” and talk, right? But it’s secretly the trickiest POV because it traps you inside one skull, one pair of eyes, one set of biases. Like, writing in the first person is writing in tunnel vision. You only know what this character knows. You can’t casually zoom out and show the villain twirling his mustache in another room. That can feel claustrophobic when you want to broaden the story. The “I” has to sound like someone. Not just narrate events, but carry personality in every sentence. If the voice is flat or inconsistent, the whole book feels flat. And then there are the blind spots. First-person narrators are liars, even when they don’t mean to be. They misremember, exaggerate, or simply don’t notice things. Writing that in a way that feels natural (instead of sloppy) is a real balancing act. Then you've got the show-and-tell trap. In third person, you can slide into description. In first, every detail has to be filtered through how the narrator notices it. You’re not just describing a storm; you’re describing how this person feels about the storm. Finally, the repetitions. Too much “I did this, I thought that, I went here” starts to sound like a diary entry. You’ve got to vary sentence rhythm and sneak in sensory cues to keep it alive. Overall, writers respect it, but many find it “the hardest to sustain well.” When it works, it feels like the narrator grabbed you by the collar and won’t let go. When it doesn’t… it just feels like someone’s diary nobody asked to read. There are even established writers who avoid 1st person like the plague.

I love 1st person POV. Some of the best first-person point of view (POV) stories include classics like The Great Gatsby, The Bell Jar, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Color Purple, and To Kill a Mockingbird, as well as more contemporary choices such as The Catcher in the Rye, Project Hail Mary, Gone Girl, and The Murderbot Diaries. These works are celebrated for their strong, distinctive narrative voices that effectively immerse the reader in the characters' experiences and perspectives. The problem is, almost all 1st-person POV stories require you to be a masterful writer. Almost all amazing 1st-person POV novels that have been made so far will make you forget that it's even a 1st-person POV. And not everyone has the, er, technical skills to manage writing in 1st person POV, nor the creativity and genius to write such. The minute the first line in a 1st-person POV novel bores me to death, I immediately chuck that in the bin. Like Colleen's Hoover's, It Ends With Us: Compared to John Rechy's, City of Night: It's easy to identify the intro to a shitty book and one where the writing just takes you to places. Like...it's extremely easy with 1st person POV. 3rd person is a bit tricky. But with 1st person, you'd know right away which one's worth your time.

I used it to convey a single thought: that while he was on the ground choking his friend (while his friend was losing consciousness), he was having these random thoughts--as he was doing a chokehold, which are thoughts a, b, c, and d. 😅 Like that cluster of sentences roped into the scene was tied together by the semicolon. I tried it with a comma, and it got overwhelmingly confusing fast. Also, I couldn't em dash everything to death. I use em dash a lot, and sometimes, a lot...can get very annoying fast. I guess moderation is the key.

Well, I don't add semicolons for comedic purposes. I consider semicolons transitory phrases conjoining nearly similar sentences or clauses; they're there for a reason. Like, I can even chain three or more sentence fragments together with semicolons without it being explicitly a list (although it becomes awkward fast, but still, it helps.) Like with what I'm currently writing.