Mancunian

Nope Never have I ever played sex games

gently

escapade

That's a hard one, Stilton for soups and sauces Cheddar for sandwiches and salads Horror or Action Movies.

This story status is something that has bugged me a few times, recent news of another great author passing has brought it to mind again. I understand why it exists, it is to keep readers informed so that are not disappointed when they do not receive a reply or reaction to any comment left. But I have noticed something that I believe is an unintended consequence and I feel should be addressed, it is with regard to story searches. Author Deceased is not a story's status, it is the status of the author. This means that when you search for Complete Story any story marked Author Deceased is omitted from the results. This can be misleading and mean that a story with this status is, or can, be overlooked unless a further search is done for stories using the Author Deceased status. It feels as though these stories are being consigned to the depths of the archives never to be retrieved or read again, which I feel is a disservice to our friends and fellow authors who have passed away. I will make this clear, I do not think that this is intentional, I believe it to be an unintended consequence of the search filter. Can these stories carry the story status of complete or unfinished, whichever would be appropriate, with an additional note/status stating that the author is deceased? I think this would be more appropriate as it would show the true status of the story and the status of the author, I also think that it shows respect for the author and their work which I believe is the original intention behind the story status Author Deceased. If it can be done it would mean that storiers by Carlos Hazday, Mawgrim, Cognac69, Mogwhy, Don H and others will not become lost in the archives, and will ensure that newer members will get a better chance of being able to read the stories by these authors and more. I'm sorry if this is long-winded, it is not a complaint although I realise that some see it as such. It is intended as a question and, hopefully, a useful suggestion.

I've only ever once before in my life drunk alcohol, I didn't like it. But right now I wish I had a bottle of my Dad's brandy.

I feel like a big woos, I'm sitting here with tears blurring my eyes. It is the news that I feared. We have lost a great author and friend.

I am heartbroken. GA will not only be quieter in your absence, but it will also be poorer. Carlos, you have been a good friend and will be missed by many and will be missed for an eternity. You will be remembered with love and in your writings, you will forever be a friend, godspeed and god bless. I know that many others will share my feelings, his friends here at GA, and his family and friends in the real world who knew him personally, my heart goes out to you all.

I am heartbroken. GA will not only be quieter in your absence, but it will also be poorer. Carlos, you have been a good friend and will be missed by many and will be missed for an eternity. You will be remembered with love and in your writings, you will forever be a friend, godspeed and god bless.

Welcome to a return visit to Ravello, this time in the winter months around Christmas. I'm sure when you read you will agree that Ravello sounds as attractive and enticing as it does in the summer. This story is centred around Angelo and Gianni who at short notice become foster parents to young Sami, an immigrant child from Africa. As is the case with many foster placements, not everything is plain sailing. This is not necessarily anyone's fault, it's just the way things are. Marco, one of our favourites from earlier in the series, also features and is having problems of his own. All of this is reflective of real life and makes for a good interesting read as you see the problems come to the surface. I'm not going to give anything away, I suggest you read and get as engrossed as I and others have. This is another recommended read from this author that is endorsed by myself and others.

Wow, we have reached the conclusion of this story. I can't say that I'm surprised at the outcome of the Gianni/Sami situation. As a long-term arrangement, it was doomed to failure, as a short-term arrangement it had a chance. As it turned out even as a short-term arrangement it wasn't successful, it's not really that surprising as it was a bad fit from the start. I said early on in the story that professional help and support was needed, and it didn't come. In the UK system, this would not happen, it is more rigorous in its checks and support is freely available. New foster parents are often 'buddied up' with more experienced foster parents who can offer support. Sometimes placements don't work out as the adult-child relationship just simply doesn't happen, it is no-ones fault its a fact of life, we do not get on with every one and this does sometimes happen in fostering. The 'fit' for Sami with Reza and Tiziana is probably better and has a better chance of working, but even then there is no guarantee. Gianni and Angelo's 'fit' with Marco is much better and has a better chance of success. As for Gianni's reaction at the landslip look at the facts, he could reach Dani, but he could not reach Sami. Gianni probably did not think about his actions, he simply reacted and grabbed for the one closest to him. The aftermath would most likely leave him traumatised and in shock. When asked, why me, Gianni would not have had a real answer. His brain would be struggling to find an answer and would latch on to the only thing that would make sense in a traumatised state. So for those who have, stop judging Gianni, until you have been in that situation, you don't know how you would react. Often people dubbed as heroes are faced with similar situations, later they have to deal with the consequences of their decision, you can not always save everyone. It's a happy ending for Sami, let's hope it is for Marco. I look forward to catching up on the next story in the series.

The intervention didn't go as planned and soon went south, maybe it could have been planned better and maybe it could have gone better if Father Stefano had been there, it's all maybe's. My guess is it wouldn't have made any difference with Lorenzo's attitude, he is stuck in his ways and I do not think he will change. It's easy to put some of the blame on Gemma, but I tend to think that she has no say in any of it. Gemma comes across as someone who has been browbeaten so much over the years that she has no will left, maybe she takes the physical abuse that would otherwise be aimed at Marco, she would not be the first mother to be in that position. It is possible that something in Loremzo's past could be the reason for his attitude, that something could be any one of several things and may explain his behaviour, but no matter what is it still does not excuse his behaviour. It was good to see Gianni and Angelo enjoying a night without having to worry about Sami, but as with all parents, the child still takes up part of the evening by being part of their conversation. This affirms to me that they do see themselves as Sami's parents and have deep feelings for him, if those are not love then they soon will be, and that is normal. I'm sure that many fun things came 'up' later that evening 😉.

A white Christmas is a rarity here in the UK so in Ravello it must be almost impossible. I loved the way in which you used it to lift the spirits of Gianni, Angelo, Sami and Marco. After a miserable day, it needs a day of fun to bring back some sense of normality. I was concerned to see that Gianni and Angelo didn't use it as an opportunity to build a better relationship with Sami, after the previous day's events it should have been at the forefront of their mind. Sami could see it as rejection, no wonder he latched on to Tiziana and Reza for some fun. An intervention with Marco's parents could be a good thing, but it will need to be handled sensitively or it could easily backfire on them.

There are so many good points raised that it's hard to comment without repeating something that has already been said. Sami is a child, that is and should be the first consideration, his behaviour is understandable and normal considering the circumstances. Has anyone had a conversation with Sami about what his life was like before leaving his birth country and before his parents died? Has it been established that his parents are dead? It is possible that they are still alive and looking for Sami? There are many unanswered questions regarding Sami's past which need to be resolved to help in looking after Sami in a way that he can understand better, at the moment it appears that Sami's wishes are being ignored. I understand that Angelo and Gianni are doing their best, but answers to these questions would be a great help. As has been asked previously, are they sure he is Muslim? As it is possible that he may not be it should be a priority to find out, it is possible that Sami's parents were targeted and/or imprisoned/killed due to being of the wrong faith, it has happened in the past and is still happening in current times. If it is established that he is of the Muslim faith or any faith that does not include pork in its diet, suitable substitutes could have been sourced, maybe turkey or chicken sausage wrapped in turkey rashers could have been prepared for Sami. Angelo and Gianni also need to be aware that children often hear and pick up on things no matter how much care you take to keep them from them. Some conversations are best not had or should only take place when Sami is in school, that would be a better way to make sure that he doesn't hear, or see, something that he can misconstrue. This is a well-written chapter that encompasses a great deal and is important to the story.

@Cia, I fully agree with your comment and have no intention of making public any personal information of any author or member of GA or their family. As I previously stated, if any contact were to be made it needs to be done with sensitivity. To be honest with everyone, I'm not sure if any contact should be made so as to protect @Carlos Hazday's right to privacy. It should be said that there is a direct link to his GA account and stories on Google.

Thank you for the info, I have replied to you via DM as any contact made needs to be done with sensitivity.

Nope, no reply to the message I sent him last week. This is not normal for @Carlos Hazday, the more time passes without hearing anything the more I am getting worried. If there are any site admin reading these posts can you please see if there is anything you do to find out how @Carlos Hazday is and let us know?

I'll be looking forward to it

No! Gary's Western's are classic, leave them alone.

Not this time, I've been either too busy or too tired.

I'm good thanks, still a bit tired from working a couple of nights over the weekend as we had two volunteers call in sick at the last minute. It made a change from just doing the admin, but nice to get back 'in the saddle' working face-to-face. We had to exclude one of our guests because of a drug issue, it's not something we like to do but sometimes it has to be done unfortunately. I've got some writing done but not as much as I hoped so I need to get back to it. Two chapters complete and another only half written.

Yeah, I'm good thanks. I've just been busy, the last two nights have been hectic we had to exclude someone for bringing in drugs.

I'm still around, like here there and everywhere

Christmas may be approaching but Gianni's excitement is in danger of being overwhelmed by his anxiety, and worry about Sami is in danger of getting out of control, he just needs to treat Sami the same as any young child. Marco is currently more in need of support and guidance, but will anyone see that?

We all like a party and I'm no exception, I liked this party a lot. Almost everyone appears to be enjoying themselves, renewing and making new acquaintances. Except for Marco, he feels left out and let down, his tumultuous home life is just one of his worries, I hope things start to improve for him soon. Did everyone in the town turn out for the party? It felt like it. Hopefully, Sami's new friendship with Luce will go well, it could help him to feel more settled.