astone2292

Follow the harrowing story of Cyn, a shapeshifter known as a cernunnos: a deer. Commonly hunted by humans, as well as other animal predators throughout the world, Cyn has lived his life in constant fear. When he finally confronts his death, he is given a second chance. But is it worth the distress and paranoia that follows? Join Cyn as he embarks on a journey. A journey, where this cernunnos learns to live... among predatory lycan shifters!

Well, ya better get ready! I just finished the first chapter! Boom! Albeit, I think these will be much smaller chapters, but I think this will help me knock out RitS better. And I'm off to post it!

Yeah, look at that title, and you just have to know I'm in a pickle. A kosher dill pickle. Not a spear, not a chip, not even relish. A whole dill pickle. No butter or sea salt to be found. And most certainly not sugar free. I...received a comment on a chapter of Love in the Shadows, which is now almost complete! All chapters are posted, but some minor editing needs to be accomplished. But...this comment. Ooooh, it was a juicy one. A big, juicy pickle. And because of reading this comment before my shift, I had puh-lenty of time to let it marinate in my little ADHD noggin. I'm working on another book. Let me rephrase that: I'm now working on two books. Rising in the Shadows, and now, a new story. Oh, no. Aaron...you're digging a hole, and you have no way of getting out of it. And to that I say...I'm a Boy Scout! I'll just keep digging until I find some tree roots, excavate them, and turn them into a ladder! It would be much easier for me to just dig upward and make a ramp of dirt...but I like taking the long way! It's more fun, and quite frankly, I could use some more fun in my life. This new story idea is a delight. But, I'm digging myself into another hole. This new story...is another shifter/were-creature story! Am I becoming a were-creature author? Is that bad? Shouldn't I switch things up a bit? How 'bout you let me roll around in my dirt pile? I like were-creature stories! They're great! It's a nice fantasizing adventure genre that takes away the troubles of the world we live in. Forget Rona and her new strains. Capitol schmapitol. Fortnite? Ha! More like Poopnite! Take that you screaming twelve-year olds! But I will be serious here for just a moment. Hang on, gotta find my 'serious bow-tie.' Now where is it...Ah! Found it! Okay... I am not getting myself backlogged. I'm finding out that I have a lot more free time than I initially thought. And I was posting chapters left and right on both Love in the Shadows and Dear, Grocery Shoppers. I kept saying, "Oh, I'll have one chapter of each, posted a week." And then two days later, I done posted yet another chapter! I was going fast. But I am starting to learn the art of marination. Just let things sit for a bit. Soak up some of them juices before you slap it on the grill. Because before you know it, all the steak is gone, and you're stuck with microwaving leftover pizza. I mean, it's still good, but you missed out on steak! Now, I think I can read some minds here: "Aaron, we love you...but TELL US ABOUT THE NEW STORY!!!" Adding another shifter story to my repertoire, the story is called Cernunnos. And it will be following a new hero...of sorts. He is a shifter, but not like any shifter that has had tales told of. Stories across GA, and other websites tend to focus on big name were-creatures: wolves, bears, lions, and other ferocious animals. But our new hero, Cyn...is a deer. That's right! A deer. Think about that for a sec, would ya? Deer are widely hunted, whether it be in the stories we read, or even in our human world. Imagine how these deer shifters, or cernunnos, live their daily lives. Even they are not shielded well against hunters, whether they be standing on two legs, or four. I'm going to leave it there, as if I keep typing, I'll keep blabbing. And that leads to spoilers being turned into the story itself. Let me know what y'all think about this upcoming story! I'm super excited to be working on both of these stories, and I just know they will make you all eager for more.

I have been asked so many times! But here's what bothers me now: our company has done away with traditional uniforms and has opted for aprons. And almost all of the stock crew does not wear the apron, as it gets all bunched up when we're stocking, or causes our arm's movement to falter. This is detrimental when holding glass product (spaghetti sauce. You ever cleaned up a jar of that? That is...thicc. Not thick. Thicc.). Noah gets it all the time! He wear a bright blue polo, in a bright blue building. But for some reason, I haven't been asked recently. I wear no apron or nametags, because I'm a rebel, but I think it's from the customers actually seeing me lift boxes and stocking product.

Oooooh! Deer shifter! That is a very interesting concept! Being on the run from both human hunters and other shifters could lead to a novel of dark and horror-filled content. I will definitely consider this, that is if someone else doesn't beat me to the punch.

You just made my husband and I giggle so hard! Y'all won't be waiting long! Chapter 34: Philippe's Pain. Having to go through the day, knowing there was a chapter to be read. And after all is said and done, he comes home, and finds that this is the finale! @Philippe, you've been on this for quite a while and even shot me a message or two to help make the chapters better. Thank you. I can't wait for Book 2! I left so many plot holes that need to be revealed!!! I'm itchin' to tell y'all about Vincent's mark... Thank you for your kind words. I realize I created something that many people have enjoyed, and will surely reread. I can't to see some reviews though! Thank you so much! Ha! It's such a popular request! I won't take too long. Just as this book's timeline was only a month...the break will be short.

Glad you liked it! And I can not apologize enough! I wasn't expecting such a big moment, and I didn't think I could top it in a couple chapters' time. This story is far from over. We have at least two more books to look forward to!!!

This was another comment I had been waiting for! Centex, you've been commenting on this thing since Day One, and for that, you have my sincerest thanks. I felt the ending was right, too. And I didn't mean for it to end like this, but...it was just perfect as the setup for Rising in the Shadows. As far as Yakob's age, he has to be around Stefan's age, if not a little older. There were some group members not there, but I felt having a handful of them would be satisfactory. I've never walked into a diner, such as a Denny's and found over fourteen people in a seated party. I look forward to your comments when Book Two comes around!

I'm not leaving anyone hanging, I'll promise y'all on that. And I thank ya for reading! And as a spoiler, out of the seven Gods in the LitS world, there isn't one for inspiration, but we do have Aliz and Bol...and I suppose the God of Mischief might be at play a bit as well... I've been looking forward to this comment all mornin'! Patch, I'm so happy you found such solace in this story. I can't wait to get started on the new book. But I feel I must get the first book completely finalized first. So, I'm just skimming away, fixing punctuation and grammar issues. I felt bad for assuming in my blog post that I had several more chapters in my head, but...it was for the best.

Same goes for yours! I need to get crackin' on finishing it! I'm so happy you enjoyed the book! Ha! Glad that I'm forgiven!

Thank you both! I'll be working on the next book as soon as I get these chapters all nice and proper.

I always accepted every reaction with a grin! It's been a pleasure having everyone read it! And I won't let you all wait too long, I promise. I'm itching to get the next book started! Good to see you commenting again, Howzat! I knew you were a fan, and I won't keep you waiting. Thank you so much! It's-a-comin'! They hype from this comment is unreal! I know more are coming, but this woke me up from my nap! I'll take a wee bit longer to post the next first chapter than I usually do with my chapters, but it will be of similar pacing between them as I did for this book. I'll try to get myself ahead of writing before I start postin'. Gotta love them burgers! Also, I had to look up what a tenterhook was, and now I feel silly. Vincent has a lot to do in the next book! He has two teachers, trying to get his magic up to speed, plus he still needs to work on being a wolf and hybrid! It's fixing to be a lot!

Startled, Vincent took a few steps back. His wolf growled inside his head as he faced another shadow mage. It's him! The guy from the parking lot. He leaped back and flicked his wrist, spawning an ice dagger. His instinct demanded he attack, but he hushed it. The monk did not move, and there was no sign of hostility. He's smiling, and his arms are behind his back. What's the deal with this guy? Is he an enemy? "Not quite, young mage," the middle-aged man said. His tone was light and sounded

This has been a great week! The update to the site has been a great breath of fresh air, despite some lag issues earlier. Overall, it looks almost the same, but this update gave a newer feel! A small note, though. I noticed the personal @ mentions on this post are a more pink-ish background and white font, while other personal mentions (say in a forum or comment) have a slightly darker tint of pink with red font. The mentions above in the Ask and Author and Blog Opportunities are a little difficult to read, and am unsure if that could be changed for the future.

I just love hearing this! I love that you enjoyed it so much, you had no time to stop for gas, grab a soda, use the gas station bathroom, and comment! I do have some grammar issues, along with an occasional punctuation blotch. I wouldn't mind the help. Send me a message and we can work something out! And thank you! I'll make sure to show Noah this comment when he gets out of his drunken stupor.

Just got off work, and my first instinct is to plop in my recliner, and make such a dad-like moan! This was a major mistake. I need to shower, cook some food, and get some fresh clothes on. In addition to this, our new office desk just came in that needs to be built, trash needs to be taken out, and some general housekeeping needs to happen. But...my recliner is so comfy! Let me tell you about this recliner. It is trash. Just a huge dumpster fire. It is a Wal-Mart branded chair, but I bought when we first moved into our apartment because furniture is nice to own. This thing was a beaut! Complete 360 degree swivel action, reclines almost flat, and...built in warmer and massage feature. And, I got it from a local outlet store that Noah works at. Was $299 at regular retail, but with the outlet's price, plus Noah's discount...$89. I called this thing a win. But now the cheap leather (or...whatever it actually is, because it feels liked tanned opossum hide) has begun to crack, the heating unit placements have all fallen in the upholstery to the posterior region, and the massage bulges are attached to the heating units...so...you get the idea. And I can't even begin to think about the process of putting pressure on my tootsies to get up and turn the shower on. I am...such a dad. All of these tasks on my to-do list, let alone work on chapter 32 of 'Love in the Shadows.' And ooof! I am so behind on that! All I can do, is tap my thumbs on this keypad, and rock myself with my foot on the coffee table. Then, I get this notification. A certain someone I know in real life has FINALLY joined GA, after months of nagging. Noah...has made an account. Let's add another thing to the list. He's gonna need me to help him get acquainted with GA. And that just makes me want to sit in my chair even more. There is nothing more dad-like than having an intimate relationship with a recliner. Every man's gotta have 'his chair.' No one in the house is to sit on it when Pops rolls in, lest you get the 'You're in my spot' rant. It's like the old 'Who touched the thermostat?' question. Ya just learned from your childhood to just don't even try. I feel another dad-grunt rumbling in my belly. It is now time to get up and get started on my list. May the Lord above help my poor and desolate soul. Pray for me as I force my feet to scream in agony once again by the reason of completing necessary human tasks.

My jaw is on the floor, and I am just floored! Shouted? Threatened? Thumped? Listen, I'm just a little Kentucky country boy living in a town of 50,000. That...is simply wild! I totally get how the elderly would find the movie loud, but I'd say bring some earmuffs or look into some noise-deafening headphones. For the moaners...I'd point them to the bathrooms and tell them to clean up after themselves We have one cinema, and it was just built since they decided to move out of their old and decrepit building. They make their employees dress like they should be going to prom! I am just having a rough time imagining such an event happening...at a cinema!

Nah, sir. We, Americans, know our priorities. TP, milk, eggs, bacon, and bread. Always the things to buy when either the Apocalypse is going to occur...or a tiny rainstorm that COULD possibly threaten our way of life. They always grab the perishables first...which blows my mind right out the back! Being the Boy Scout here, canned food, especially fruit, should be more of a priority. I might need to go ahead and restock my food bunker...

...sorry, I just lost a few IQ points. I found them under the desk, but I'm hesitant on putting them back in. I never thought there were actual complaints at a cinema! I dated a guy who worked at our local cinema, and he never spoke of any of these sorts of issues. And I never had any issues...mostly because he could get me in for free movies whenever we wanted...

Jeez, attacked!? That's wild! We're just instructed not to confront maskless customers as it's more of an HR thing. The company doesn't want it's lowly workers either getting into harm's way, or causing a PR nightmare. As soon as our store began recovering from the initial March hoarding incident...I kinda started...hoarding...toilet paper. We have finally started to run low on this essential, but food hasn't been much of an issue with our area. But I believe I'm going to start gathering some canned goods, as I'm unsure of the US' plans when Biden takes office (I am very ignorant in our politics, but I have begun to pay attention since...you know...our capital was attacked...). Also, I totally get the whole fridge space situation, as Noah and I recently got married...and there is this silly marriage tradition where we keep the top tier of the wedding cake in the freezer for a year. I have never heard of this poppycock...this horse hockey...it is taking up SO MUCH SPACE!!! Good lord! I could put so much food in there right now! But no...frozen cake. That I can't eat.

@Clancy59 It is a very vague retail merchandising tool. The one that the store uses is a four-sided, 7 foot tall cart on wheels. It can have pegs and/or shelves installed and uninstalled with ease to display products. Some gondolas can be two-sided, with or without wheels, small or tall. Below is an example I found on Google Images. It's mostly used for flash displaying, say if some seasonal product came in and must be displayed immediately, and there's no room on the floor plan for a set area. Managers tend to stick these things wherever the Hell they can to get merchandise out on the floor.

I'll get right on that signed copy! I think I'd like to get halfway into the second book before seriously looking at publishing options (Amazon, here I come?). I always look forward to your comments, wherever they may be. But, oh jeez...Nobel Prize? Bud...you might be shooting a little too high with the praise! I'm happy that I have your approval for ending Lits soon, and beginning the next step in the series!

32 was just my average. When I really poured on the speed...oh, jeez. I was pulling 38...40 sometimes. I knew every trick in the book: customer using a check? Hold the register till closed, then press 'Open DRWR' and slide in the check. Small thing, but the longer you had the drawer open, the more it counted against you (calculates how long it takes you to 'make change.'). Got a few of the exact same item coming? Do your best to avoid scanning the same barcode, since the scanner thinks you are just holding the same barcode over the scanner. So alternate between the repeated item and a different one. Also, mastering the 'move the item from your right hand to your left hand by slightly tossing it in the air' trick is essential. And start memorizing where the barcode is on every...box...or product...in the store. (PS: it's on the bottom nine out of ten times). I would get some crap from the managers for not being more talkative with the customers, but I had one lady tell the manager off!!! (This should have been a forkin' chapter at this point.) She overheard the manager talking to me as she was pushing her cart out of the lane and she blew up! I was dyin'! "Sir! (referring to the manager) This was the fastest I've ever been checked out of any store. I don't care if he says nothing. Watching him was entertainment! Give him a raise!" That...was one of the two old ladies in my life I absolutely adore! Low-key...I've looked into the concept of setting the world record. Unfortunately, it's a two-man scan and bag team shindig! There's like 30 items, one person scans 15 and the other person bags. Then you tag the other person in, and do the other 15. From the videos I've seen...I could smoke that record! Hands forkin' down!

Emoji affinity!!! Patch, I think you're getting LitS and DGS mixed up! And this is the first I (Aaron) heard about this! I was editing the entry and I was just facepalming the entire time! I can't say anything though, as I dealt with the same thing back on July 3rd, 2014. Yes. I remember the date, because it was the most bonkers day of my entire retail career! Stuck as a cashier. In a grocery store. On the Thursday before the 4th of July. So, a rather busy day, yes? Add on the fact it was Senior Thursday for our company. Which means...anyone over the age of 60 gets 10% off their order total. Oh, my God! Lines for the, in total, sixteen registers running backed up quarter-way down the grocery aisles! Absolutely insane. We had someone come in on their day off, just to go up and down to all the cashiers asking, "Hey, you good? Need a breather? Cigarette? Bottled water?" I did get a handful of people asking for a waiting discount, and I just slapped on the senior discount, because who cared!? The managers were in the checklanes too! What I loved the most was every other conversation started with the customers saying something along the lines of, "Wow! This is just crazy! What's going on? Are you just having a sale or something?" And I'm just there over-acting, rolling my eyeballs around, responding in a condescending tone, "I know! Crazy, right?" I even added a circular head roll at times when I starting losing my mind as I scanned 32 items a minute. BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP! I still think about this day often.

This!!! Chris is committing thievery...even if he doesn't mean to. As this continues to happen, I'm just laughing so hard! I just want there to be a big moment where Chris realizes this next time he "steals" a precious artifact and just says, "Whoopsies!" Other than that, great chapter. Part of me wants Victor to take the VHC spot, but also not to, as that may lead to less time with his beloved. And...I'm still waiting on that August/Leo POV chapter