KrisK

Thanks for the detailed response. Happy to hear more of your side of the dialog, and it makes the most sense to me. Of course, most were commenting from the perspective of the reader, and concerned mostly with their own convenience whichever point they were championing. But your perspective as the creator of the tale is paramount, and should carry the most weight and be respected.

Finished the story really late last night and enjoyed every minute of it. Thanks, Geron, for another wonderful story. Just now finished reading all the comments and I'm pretty amazed that people got so caught up in the mechanics of whether or not the story should be broken up into chapters. I can see positive points on both sides of the discussion. But it honestly felt like that discussion turned into the old 'beating a dead horse' kind of thing. I was so caught up in the dramatic tension of the story that it never even occurred to me that there were no chapters, or that I needed chapters! One thing I did take note of, and appreciate, is how patient you were in answering everyone graciously no matter which side of the discussion they were on. Nicely done. 🙂

I never read The Hardy Boys as a kid, or as an adult either come to that. But if they are anything like this story then it makes me feel like I really missed something! Geron has once again put together a very engaging and satisfying story. I'm so impressed with the attention to detail and his ability to bring me right into the setting as if I'm part of everything going on. This is the longest story of his I've read so far and I was completely engaged throughout. There were moments of gripping suspense, tender affection and romance, dangerous adventure, heroic action, and it was all put together with an endearing and engaging cast of characters. It was a great story, and I highly recommend it. I think I've been saying this on all my reviews of Geron's stories, but I would definitely be interested in a sequel to this wonderful tale.

This was a very dramatic story set in Nazi occupied Norway. It was heart-wrenching in places, but also full of inspiring hope. The two main protagonists, Nils and Rune, are two young teen boys drawn into circumstances not of their making. Yet, they embark on a harrowing adventure with courage and bravery. The story is well-told and quickly draws the reader into the setting Geron creates. There is a gravitas to this story not typically present in the other stories by Geron that I've read. I think that is due in part to the cold reality of war, and in part because everything that happens is so believable that the story seems more biographical than fictitious. It's another great story by Geron, but be prepared for something a little different.

I loved this story, though it felt heavier than Geron's other stories I've read so far. But I'm sure that's due to the awareness while reading that everything described in the story actually could have happened. I thought the setting of the story was excellent due to Geron's usual thoughtful attention to detail. Even mentioning something as simple as Nils previously sharpening the skis was a very small detail, but added nicely to being immersed in the harrowing adventure the boys undertook. The bravery and courage shown by Nils and Rune was a great reminder that heroic action usually begins with love and is carried out through an internal conviction of only doing what is necessary, what is right. It was also not lost on me that the title, "Frost Covered Marker" points to not only the roadside frost covered marker where the boys recovered the secret papers, but also the frost covered grave marker, where Mr. Bergland was buried. That was a moving, and very fitting way to tie the story together. It caused me to get choked up, while at the same time feel like everything had come full circle and brought perfect closure to the story. Great job!

Haha, well I did tell you that I planned to read them all. I only wish I had more free time!

It seems that each new story of Geron's I read I find something uniquely interesting from the last one I read! This is a short, but very entertaining tale that's easy to read in one sitting. If you begin it, make sure you have time to finish it, because you won't want to pause to pick it up again later! The main character is a teen named Kevin, who has a classic father/son communication issue, as well as a classic teen chip on his shoulder. Despite that, the characters are all likable and there is no over the top drama in this tale. Though there is a pretty interesting twist that is sure to delight. It is a feel good story with a pleasantly happy ending, which seems to be a trademark of Geron's stories. Given the world we are living in today, I don't see anything at all wrong with stories that have happy endings. I, for one, hope Geron will continue writing these kinds of stories. I'm excited to read the next one!

Wow! Talk about one in a million. What are the odds that Kevin's dad would be TBG, the host of the site he was submitting his stories to? It's amazing how you even came up with that particular twist. I also love it when I'm reading merrily along and come across a line that suddenly just cracks me up. In this story it was the line: "Not that Kevin was exactly a connoisseur of male projectable anatomy, but he did know a good thing when he saw it." Geron, you have a great imagination. 😁

Another great addition to the Amsterdam Tales! This story was more than twice as long as the second one and that was okay because there was more adventure to be had and more characters to be enjoyed. I certainly would cheer for a fourth tale in this series to be written. Coby and David both return as the main characters in this third installment, Mooi too, of course, is present. Along with them there are many new characters joining the lineup, both human and alien! Amsterdam remains the primary setting, but in this tale Geron takes us off world to spend some time in a fantasy realm. There we are introduced to new friends as well as new enemies. If you have read the first two stories in this series, you should not miss reading this one. You won't be disappointed!

Very much enjoyed this third tale in the Mooi series. As you mentioned above, a fourth tale is in order! It would be fun to see how a brood of darvils would impact Damsko. I wonder if Coby and David are ready to become godfathers? 😁 You certainly left the door open for spinning out more adventures in this world you have so lovingly created. Thanks for inviting us along for the ride!

I've yet to be disappointed in any of your stories, or for that matter, in anything about any of your stories and this one is no exception. I wish I could have been part of the original buzz and discussion that took place when you first posted this story (and the others I've read), but I'm still hitting all those like buttons after I read the comments anyway. 😁 I know you recommended a couple of your other stories to me, and believe me, I'm going to read them all! But lately I decided I wanted to start with your older ones first and work my way toward the newer ones. I'm now anxious to get started on the third story in this series. Then, I'll look for the next oldest story listed.

Another very entertaining story! I was happy to see both Coby and David back again, and of course, Mooi too. This story had much more of an adventure theme to it than the first story in this series, but that was welcome and nicely done. I enjoyed you partially building your plot for this story around the old axiom, "there is nothing to fear, but fear itself" and having Mooi impress upon Coby the importance of that lesson. I also liked how you gave Rembrandt and his masterpiece, "The Night Watch" a central role in this story. Both are so intrinsically a part of Amsterdam and her cultural heritage that it really helped bolster the setting of the story. I thought it was masterful how you allowed Coby and David, through Mooi's manipulation, to slip the bonds of time in order to interact with the actual characters portrayed in the painting. I'm now as excited as ever to be able to dive into the third story!

I've heard the phrase, "the soul of the city" many times, but I've never seen anywhere in literature where an author has given that soul a personified character. That doesn't mean nobody has, I only mean that I've never seen it before. So, I was surprised and thrilled by the idea of Mooi being the actual soul of Damsko. I thought you masterfully set that up and I enjoyed how you spoke through Mooi about how the love of the place that has been going on for over a thousand years has created the soul, or spirit of the city that is personified in Mooi. I can't wait to see what you continue to do with this concept in the next two sequel stories.

This was a very touching story with a unique twist. There is some pain and drama surrounding the main character, Coby, due to the accidental death of his parents. Coby unreasonably blames himself for their deaths and so is mired in some deep depression. He seeks solace at a local dance club, but only as an observer, rather than a participant. While at the club he becomes fascinated by one particular boy that seems close to his same age and whom Coby finds very attractive. Eventually the two meet and Coby discovers that all is not as it first seems with this boy. The twist part of the story is what I found so creative and fascinating. I can't say for sure that Geron is the only author to have written about such an idea, but I can say for certain that I've never read any other story with this kind of a twist before. I'm not getting into details here because I don't want to put a spoiler in a review. Suffice to say that it's a very unique twist to a story and a very satisfying one. I see that there are two other sequel stories to this one and I can't wait to get started on them!

Haha, you're not wrong about the list of recommendations. But I love reading and, so far, I'm loving this site and having fun checking out some of what's on offer. I admit that I do feel a bit like a kid in a candy store. My goal is to avoid the stomach ache. 😉

Very nicely done for such a short story. I think this is the first coming of age story I've ever read that used jigsaw puzzles as a literary device, but it worked! Raven encouraged me to check out your stories. I chose the only bite-sized one on the list to get started. I'll definitely be back for more. 😁

I enjoyed this first chapter of what I hope will be a much longer tale. As I read it took me through a range of emotions, from joy at watching Gabriel and Adam grow in their relationship with one another, to anger at the abusive punishment meted out by the so called elders of the community. Two 14 year old boys determined to head out into the wilderness in search of a better life for themselves sounds like a great recipe for an adventurous story. I look forward to tagging along for the journey.

This was another very pleasing short story from Geron, my seventh so far of his to have the pleasure of enjoying. This was another story based on a picture, the link for which is included at the end of the story. Luke, the main character of the story, receives a camera as a 16th birthday present from his grandfather. That gift ends up changing Luke's life in many interesting ways. Here's an excerpt from the story that I think sums things up very nicely: Oddly enough, the search for images helped to ease his building loneliness. There were so many things in the world that were beautiful and special, and gave him a wonderful feeling to capture, that the fact that his search for them was mostly solitary did not seem to matter. The camera was a partner of sorts, an extension of his eye of the heart, to use granddad's own analogy, and together they sought out those special moments that needed saving. This was a happy feel-good story that was a great read for a lazy weekend afternoon. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.

Haha, so by sticking my oar in here I've effectively killed the story! I hope all those fans who had different points of view don't come looking for me! 😱 But, fair enough, I see your point. It was a fun exercise and I'm glad I got to participate, even if I'm 4+ years late to the party.

I became interested in reading this story because in the description it mentioned wrestlers and I was a wrestler in high school. I was enjoying the story and then came upon the ethical dilemma twist. I mean, I still like the story and the twist is pretty interesting. But I have to admit to some disappointment that the story ended where it did and seems to be "temporarily on hold". 😧 As for the ethical dilemma question, I think there is something sacred at stake here in terms of a big brother's love for his little brother and the loving gesture of gathering his deceased brother's favorite play things and burying them. Regardless of how one feels about death and whether or not there is an afterlife, and if there is, what it looks like, I think most would agree that love, in any form, is a sacred thing and should not be lightly disregarded. It seems to me that removing the contents of that box, for whatever reason, would be akin to disregarding the love that placed it there. I would not want that on my conscience. I would definitely put the box back where I found it, in exactly the place and condition in which I found it. No question at all for me. Nice story, and interesting thought exercise.

I enjoyed this short story. When I got to the end and saw that the story was inspired by a photo as part of a writing challenge, the way in which the story was written made more sense. Then, I went to IOMFATS to find the picture and the whole story became even more clear. You did a very nice job creating a story to match that photo. The attention to detail was great.

Took me a bit to figure out what was going on. After reading the comments, I see that it was a writing prompt. Interesting.

This story was so cool on so many levels. Probably what I was most impressed by was the way in which Geron took some very difficult and sensitive topics and wove them seamlessly into this story in such a way as to appear natural to the narrative, rather than seem like a lecture or a sermon. The story addressed hatred, violence, bullying, prejudice, power, injustice, intolerance, peer pressure, and probably a few more things I'm leaving out. And yet, amazingly, the story still felt mostly light-hearted, romantic, feel-good with even some humor mixed in! Here's one of my favorite excerpts from the story: "These were the colors of the visible spectrum, all the different wavelengths that made up the purity of white light. Many into one. As an aside, Roy was struck by the irony of the idea of wearing the visible spectrum when he himself was invisible to those around him. It was worth a smile, at least." It's just one example among many of the little gems of masterful prose that Geron drops into the narrative every now and then. Finally, I thought Geron came up with a brilliant and truly inspired ending to the story. I highly recommend this one. Read it and see for yourself, you won't be disappointed. These were the colors of the visible spectrum, all the different wavelengths that made up the purity of white light. Many into one. As an aside, Roy was struck by the irony of the idea of wearing the visible spectrum when he himself was invisible to those around him. It was worth a smile, at least.

This story is a very nice continuation of Geron's story, "Thrift Shop Nation", a story that I enjoyed very much. The main characters from the previous tale remain the same, with a few new faces thrown in to go with the drama that ensues in this next chapter of the story. Due to an interesting set of circumstances, Debbie takes Steve and Chris to NYC to observe an auction that Debbie is facilitating for a client. She is interested in expanding the boys' knowledge of the business, as well as expanding their experience of the wider world outside of rural Ohio. I was pleased to see that this story did not seem to have a final ending, perhaps leaving the door open for more chapters at some point in the future. If you enjoyed, "Thrift Shop Nation" you will certainly enjoy this story, too. I did.

Well said. I appreciate that insight.