Gary L

Many thanks! It’s years since I’ve been that far south and school hols isn’t the best time. Thanks for the book ref, I don’t know this author.. have a great weekend 👍

But it lacks the medieval charm of the Abbey……

Or the Spanish return Ceuta and Melilla to Morocco ………

Me too, James, but with @Laura S. Fox who:knows…..

Wow! Just relaxing after first day back at school and ……. Bam. Ms Laura you do torture your readers. There must be a special circle in Dante’s Hell for you, mrsG, mark A, etc. of course, Carlos H is there preparing the instruments of torture….. seriously, a v powerful chp. Well done, Laura.

The dream of so many of us, Laura!!

Female caring for home, children etc with no pension rights*= housewife Male caring for home, children with no pension rights = househusband or kept man? ummmm * ie future pension rights dependent on the partner’s contributions - at least in uk, Spain etc. no idea about US situation.

WARNING: Weiner dog abuse alert!

?????? a quietly thought-provoking chp. Lovely mrsG

Perhaps there could be a sort of anthology in his memory?

Thank you SO much. I’m planning to do a complete CJ read in chronological order. His death was so sad.

No way!

Greedy guts!

Two great, supportive mums on show and one, sadly, trapped in the past. I found this a really moving chp and am totally in love with Matty’s mum.

Never have I ever done karaoke. Whoops wrong game! 🤓

Try doing a wiener zoomie. Mine was f..king fast getting around rooms, tables, beds etc. kbois would never catch you!

So, Lee, you are on v thin ice so don’t go skating soon, ok, capisce? a rollercoaster of a read, v enjoyable at the end. Well done

Time now for another of your polls, I wonder, Mark? You have this almost 6th sense of knowing when/how to reintroduce a character, here Jack, for example, that is a total surprise to the reader, at least to me, and yet it is totally natural withing the long term storyline. I’m in awe. many thanks gxx

It’s the weeeeeeeekennnnnddddd and They are back!

Exactly! 🤗🤗🙏🙏🤩🤩❤️❤️😛😛

But was it worth the wait.? Could the exceptional level of Seamus and Matt be surprised? Will we have to wait as long as Loren for the wedding night session? Seriously, this has been a really fun, and at times sad reread. So chuffed for you mrsG xxxx

Many thanks for your kind words, Mark. I think there is a not disimular parallel with language teaching and assessment. 80% of my work is coaching Spanish kids to sit for ever more difficult Cambridge (uk) English as a second language. 20% of final grading is for the writing component. In official languages here, you lose 0.15 (out of 10) for every tiny error up to a penalty of 15% of final grade. It’s a really crushing system of reviewing work - no allowance for dislexia, either. Whereas in foreign language grading the issue of errors is seen in the context of can I understand what the person is trying to say even if it isn’t perfect. As a teacher I’ve finally realised that the second approach is so much more constructive and facilitates a desire to perfect language errors. So, as a reader if I can be honest and positive I try to say so, as others do and have done since long before I joined, if I don’t like the story as a question of taste, or because it isn’t well-written, I say nothing and hope the next attempt is better. warm regards and thanks for such amazing stories, Gary

Krista, what a lovely comment to wake up to in the morning here in steamy 100°F Valencia. Thank you so much. Xx 🤗

In such esteemed company, I’m not sure whether I should comment. However, here goes. Despite my promises to dear Carlos H, I still have not put pen to paper and so I write only as a reader who found this site around 2015 (though joined up later). And to totally honest, I am also one of the major culprits of giving 5* reviews. As has been said repeatedly, this is a community and one in which I like to participate actively. Others not so. Although I teach English as a second language, I don’t see it as my role to point out grammar issues, although funny typos are fair game, no? So what is my “role” as a GA member and reader? Firstly, I’m here to relax and enjoy good stories, and secondly, to risk going outside of my comfort zone and test out genres that, who knows, I might even like. As part of the deal, as it were, I also like to respond to the requests made so often for feedback. It is clear that many of my favourite writers are really busy people with heavy workloads, and hey, my mum taught me to be polite and so I try to say thank you in my stilted Brit way. Joking with a number of you here has not only been fun but helped a lot during long periods off work. And I’m sure many other readers feel the same. I also respect those authors who don’t have the time or inclination to engage in weekly fun debates. finally, why do I almost always give 5* for the 140 or so reviews I have written. Firstly, I do it because I truly enjoyed the story, and appreciate the time and effort which these non-full time authors have put it. I always try to pick out a key reason rather putting a resumen of the story. And finally, if I say read it, I genuinely mean it. In a small way this how I try to promote readership, especially for less-known and/or new authors. I’ve read this topic with huge interest, a number of you are really special to me, others I still have to get to know, so get ready for my feedback! And now I have to get back to writing an article on the advantages of sending your kids to my school. Hey that probably counts as fiction, no? Thanks everyone. Virtual hugs, kisses, bows, formal handshake, man hug (thanks Mark A) etc. Gary