Bill W

Shakespeare would have title this story A Comedy of Errors. I noticed when he got to SF that the sign read Tidwell, and although Oliver might have just thought they'd misspelled his name, it was the first clue for me that this wasn't his ride. I'm sure the other guy felt the same way. I liked how the story ended on a positive note, so maybe Oliver and Martin may have a chance after all.

Someone pulled a prank at work, and from that time on new pranks are being played around every holiday. The other employees are getting fed up with these stunts and are trying to figure out who's doing it, but they're unsuccessful. In fact, they don't even recognize the prankster when he's basically caught, but comes up with a reasonable explanation for why he isn't the one.

Some of the readers may have figured out in advance who the pranksters were, since we were getting additional information, but their co-workers couldn't figure it out because they were looking for a single jokester, not two. It was also easier to see why everyone was beginning to get annoyed with the pranks, because after a while they're not funny any longer.

A character’s strong presence in storytelling is vital because they drive the plot, create emotional connections, and anchor the theme. Without a clear and active presence, a story loses its heart and direction. Driving the Plot: Making Choices: Characters take action and make decisions that change the direction of the story. Creating Conflict: Their personal goals clash with outside forces, which builds tension. Avoiding Flatness: An active presence keeps a character from feeling like simple background decoration. Building Emotion: Sparking Empathy: Readers care about people and their struggles long before they care about events. Showing Growth: Watching a person change, fail, and overcome flaws makes the journey rewarding. Raising Stakes: When we know what a character stands to lose, every moment feels important. Delivering Meaning: Sharing Perspective: Characters act as the eyes and ears through which the audience experiences the world. Revealing Truths: Their ultimate choices show us the core message or lesson of the tale.

The word presence comes from Old French as presence (Modern French présence), and Latin praesentia ("a being present"), which comes from praesentem and the verb praeesse ("to be before"), formed by combining prae ("before") and esse ("to be"). It was borrowed into English during the mid-14th century to mean the "fact of being present" or the space around a person. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the noun presence was first used in English during the Middle English period (1150-1500) (specifically before 1325 in the Statutes of the Realm). It expanded usage to describe being face-to-face with a person of high rank or nobility in the mid-14th century. It was adopted to mean personal carriage, physical demeanor, or impressive bearing 1570s and used to describe the feeling of a divine, spiritual, or incorporeal entity in the 1660s.

This story is filled with riddles, deception, intrigue, and suspense, which makes this story also a mystery, besides being an alternative history of the end of the Civil War. Once the story jumps to the 20th and 21st centuries, the protagonists are William H. Seward, Lincoln's Secretary of State, and his grandson, Billy Seward. There are also several antagonists who are trying their best to keep the truth from coming out. This longer shot story is a fantastic read and I strongly suggest it to anyone who loves a good mystery and wants to see another version of how the Civil War may have ended.

What a fantastic alternate history of this time period. As Billy and the others discovered, as was expected, that Grant and his senior staff were murdered because of greed and power. I loved the circuitous route they were forced to take to discover the truth and the intrigue and decption involved by those who were attempting to prevent that from happening. Great job, SA!

This could be a very interesting if the SA can pull off this alternative history of the American Civil War (or the War Between the States or the War of Northern Aggression as the southerners often refer to it). I look forward to see where it goes from here.

Gary, don't bother. Being a history buff, I'm fighting to forget what I know, otherwise this won't make sense. For many, McClelland was the reason the war dragged on, because whenever he had a chance to pursue Lee's army when they retreated in some off the early battles, such as the 2nd battle of Bull Run (Manassas to the Confederates), and here we have him being elected President. That means Sherman didn't get to march to Savannah and give Lincoln the victory he so needed and Lincoln won't get assassinated.

Benny is barely a teenager and discovers that he has to spend the summer with his great aunt. This is necessary because both of his parents work and they can't afford to pay someone to watch him during the long school recess. Much to his surprise, he learns that Aunt Millie isn't so bad, and when she eventually dies, Benny finds that she's left him a few surprises to discover. If you like to read feel good stories, then this one should be on your list.

Interesting and everything worked out well in the end. My only question is whether white magic would be considered forbidden knowledge, since white magic is mostly benign and beneficial. Of course, back when people believe in witches and witchcraft I suppose it didn't matter, since all magic was supposedly conducted by witches. Black magic, on the other hand, would definitely be considered forbidden knowledge. Anyway, Aunt Millie used it and no one was any the wiser. Way to go Aunt Millie.

This story starts out with quite a bit of humor, but once Caden finds Kai, the recipe they whip up is more like a spell out of Dungeons and Dragons. To find out why I say this, you'll have to read this very imaginative short story. It's an intriguing mix of a comedy, a show from the cooking network, and something from the Syfy channel. It an interesting conglomeration and I found it a very enjoyable read.

It was a fun start and then it took a turn into the twilight zone. Did Kai comes from that world they were seeing through the portal? Where did Caden and Kai go? They couldn't have left the apartment, otherwise they would have run into the two strangers, wouldn't they? Or did they enter the portal to escape? Interesting read, but I'm never trying that recipe!

A character's intuition drives plot momentum, builds deep psychological realism, and creates immediate suspense by letting them react to danger or hidden truths before logical proof appears. Driving Plot and Action: Instant catalyst: Hunches force a character to make a bold move or investigate a mystery without waiting for full evidence. Escalating conflict: Following a gut feeling often leads a character right into a trap or a confrontation, speeding up the story. Breaking stalemates: When logic leaves a character stuck, intuition offers a sudden path forward to keep the narrative moving. Building Character Depth: Showing inner intelligence: Subconscious cues—like a sudden chill or a sense that someone is lying—prove a character is alert and alive. Flaws and mistakes: Intuition is not magic; when a character's gut feeling is wrong, it highlights their blind spots, fears, or past trauma. Growth milestone: Learning to trust their inner voice helps a character shift from passive victim to active hero. Engaging the Reader: Creating suspense: Readers feel tension when a character senses danger before seeing it. Earning trust: Sharing a quiet, unexplained instinct makes a fictional person feel more like a real, instinctive human.

The word intuition comes from the Latin verb intueri (meaning "to look at, gaze at, or consider"), combined from in- ("at, on") and tueri ("to look at, watch over, or guard"). intuition and appeared in written English as intuicioun. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the noun intuition was first used in English in 1497 by John Alcock, the administrator and bishop of Ely. In early usage, it meant a spiritual insight or direct "spiritual perception" of God or truth by the mind. By the 17th century, philosophers began using it to describe immediate cognitive knowledge or understanding that happens without using conscious reasoning.

At twenty, the MC writes a letter to his thirty-year-old self wondering if his life has turned out the way he hoped. Unfortunately, the letter isn't found until he's forty and discovers an old email file containing the letter and a few photos of what he looked like back then. His forty-year-old self decides to write a letter in response, even though there's no way he can send it back in time to his twenty-year-old self. A unique and interesting look at his response.

The SA should have found a way to include the introduction into the story, because otherwise it starts out more like a textbook or encyclopedia entry than a history story. If you're interested in the islands off the coast of Scotland, then you might want to check out this story.

Matthew has not had a particularly happy childhood so far, but all that begins to change when he meets a golden haired boy who doesn't speak at the annual Ivory Fig Ceremony in his hometown of Figton. The boy disappears after the ceremony, but returns every year for the next one, and the two boys develop a close bond. Where does the other boy go after the ceremony ends and will they ever be able to share more than a brief friendship? You'll have to read this enchanting short story to find out.

What a very creative and sweet story. I loved the intrigue in the fact that Finn wasn't allowed to speek and it led them to bond in different ways. I'm still not sure about fig deities, but I found this to be a very enchanting tale.

Julian is spending a lot of time in the bathroom and he's taking his phone in there with him. Ambrosia tells Noah that she thinks he's getting ready to cheat on him, but Noah doesn't buy her response. So what is the reason Julian's doing those things? You'll have to read this charming short story to find out.

If Noah is smart, he won't tell anything to Ambrosia again, for fear she'll start a negative rumor. It wasn't what I was expecting, though, but a very sweet short story.

There is a murder and a call for help, along with a cry for assistance. Who died and who summoned help? You'll have to read this unusual story to find out.

It was obvious it was an animal from the start, but then I had to decide if it was a dog or a cat. I too finally settle on cat, not only from the clues that many of you have already pointed out, but if the overhang on the wall stuck out far enough to keep it dry, it had to be a small animal. Interesting take on the theme, SA.

It seems that many of the long time authors have left us too soon are no longer with us. Geron will be missed as well and he leaves another large hole here at GA. R.I.P. Geron.

I guess you haven't seen many balls drop on New Year's Eve then.