Wayne Gray

Thanks, Thorn. I know it shouldn't let it bother me. I keep coming back to the idea that if I were younger and less invested in doing this writing thing, then crap like this could push me to just stop. But, I'm stubborn. I want to write too much, and I will continue to do so. Your encouragement helps. Thank you. 🙂

Thanks, Thorn. These two are a weird mix of immature, loving, reticence, hopeful and fearful - all in varying degrees, sometimes moment to moment. It's going to be a wild ride.

Hehehe. It's true. Caleb definitely has some growing up to do. He's 22, never had anything close to a relationship, and used to getting things done his own way. Wren has some maturity to find as well, though.

Goodnight, Thorn. Sleep well.

@Jason Rimbaud, as I said, I'm fine if someone wants to help me be a better writer, and has input which will further that goal. I can handle mixed messages too - so long as there's something, anything in it which I can take as a lesson. It's where there's nothing but pure discouragement which sets me off. You're right, I'm very responsive to communications of all kinds. I feel I owe readers that. I probably don't have to imagine what sort of stuff you have had to deal with when you were writing. I too have received communications specifically designed to drag me down - though never at the rate which prompted this blog post. It doesn't matter. I write. I'm in charge. They read, or they don't.

Thanks, man. I'm really fine with feedback that helps me actually improve. I get that a lot, and I take the good, internalize it, and it makes me better. It sounds like you didn't get much in the way of actionable feedback, and it puts us in the same place. Maybe I'm bassackwards, but this situation makes me want to finish Silverwolf even more. Fuck em. Ugh, I'm still pissed. lol Jeez.

Thanks, Chris. I'll finish both, no doubt. But I'm going silent on that other site for a while.

Thanks, tim. I want to write different things. I've written a lot of HEA, and I will write more. But, right now I want to stretch and write my slutty werewolf with his swinging boyfriend, as they tear up the northern coast of California in and outside the bedroom.

I'm pissed. Maybe I shouldn't be. Perhaps I should expect less; I don't know. I post work on multiple sites. Well, on a different site I've built a reputation as a sort of HEA, feel-good, everybody wins writer. I guess I should have known to post my aggressive, erotic story Silverwolf there would throw people (even though I put a warning on the first chapter to explain it was very different from my usual offering). I am utterly fine getting emails to say that "Hey, this isn't my thing, but I'll wait for Bluegrass Symphony." I got a few of those, and they were cool. I replied to thank them and moved on to do my thing. Then the shit started. About a dozen people emailed explicitly to try and get me to stop writing Silverwolf because it's "awful." Nothing constructive. No actual critique I could use to improve my work. These were designed, specifically to discourage me from writing Silverwolf and to focus only on Bluegrass Symphony. You know what? I'm finishing Silverwolf. I'm up to chapter ten on Bluegrass Symphony, and that's where it'll stay for a while. They can choose to read or not, but I'm now convinced it's time to howl at the moon. P.S. No, I'm not thinly veiling that the readership of GA has been problematic. Y'all ain't the problem and have been great every step of the way. I also don't want to give the impression that I don't want constructive feedback. I DO. What I'm describing is something else - something unhelpful, and intended to be discouraging.

Thanks, Parker. Caleb and Charles both already love Wren and Wren loves them. Pair attraction to love, and you end up with something extremely powerful. Both guys feel it. Caleb is reacting with wonder and fascination, while Wren is feeling... something else.

Thanks, Parker. 🙂 Caleb couldn't help but give in to how he felt. Oddly, Caleb seemed ready to hear whatever Wren was going to say. Yeah, he has his own issues, and he has some accepting to do. But... what's up with Wren?

Mommas often DO know more than we expect. We'll see. Caleb did ask nicely. Wren was only doing what he thought a friend should. It just so happened to coincide with what he also wanted to do. Oh, those uncles. Don't they have anything better to do?

I find your lack of trust... disturbing. Okay, not really. I just always wanted to say that. Uncles are still problems, weather is always a fickle thing in Kentucky, and Rachel may or may not know, and may or may not react well if it does come out. The guys are so mature too, so I'm sure there won't be any sort of self-made problems that arrive. 😳 Thanks for reading, Kitt. 🙂

Why, who'd be keeping watch on them? 🙂 Rachel is Wren's mom, and almost one to Caleb too. She's no dummy either. So maybe you're right - maybe she has figured things out, or maybe she's trying to. Either way, Wren doesn't think it's an option to tell her at all. And now you know why that is.

Caleb and Wren pulled in at Rachel's house. Caleb got out immediately and didn't look at Wren as he exited the truck. Instead, he shut the door and walked straight to the porch, tension in his neck and shoulders. Wren hesitated in the vehicle, seemed to think better of stubbornly remaining there, then followed a few steps behind. Caleb opened the door to the house. The smell of bacon made him salivate, and the three stacks of bread, cheese, bacon, and tomatoes on the counter helped him forge

Sleep well, tim.

Sleep well, molly. Goodnight.

Good evenin', Mac. Hope it's treating you well.

Goodnight, tim. Dream good things.

Sleep well, molly.

That's awesome that you get it. It's hard to explain, it sounds like I'm bragging when I say stuff like "it didn't take effort". That piece didn't take effort. The rest? The rest is a slog!

Thanks, Mac! I will work with my buddy, Jonathan on it (after Bled the Blood he asked if I had anything else for him). I feel like it has a bit of merit. We'll see where we end up.

Are you... are you trying to use logic? I'm just checking here. 🙂 Thanks for commenting and reading, @droughtquake. There's more frustration ... err, story to come.

Thanks, Parker. Ahhh, it depends. This is probably a chorus, and there's a lot more that needs to be written before it becomes a song. This bit hit me all at once between the eyes (it happens, rarely). I didn't have to really work for it, it was all just there. But the rest won't be like that. The rest will take time, effort, work to create. I know my pattern by now. My muse is a tease.

Now, that’s definitely a fun dream. ❤️ Thanks, Kitt.