Jack Poignet

There were daily „Shadow‘s Reach“ posts, because I really wanted to finish that story. It‘s easy to miss the others. Next chapter is coming up on Thursday.

@Jeff Burton I've just checked your stories. Some of them have a huge amount of followers for this site (Note to self: read them). I dare say you don't need any tips on how to write... but I'll still gladly give you that little push out the door into magic and mystery land :D

Do I really need to point it out to you? The easy way your words flow, how you express exactly what this story tells you, how it talks to you. The rhythm of your language... It's a joy to read this. I'd read more. This story follows a rather predictable three act / a hero's journey structure, mixed with the usual RomComs structure (which actually makes it quite tricky to write). The structures are almost always the same, it's your details, your voice that make a story unique. I dare say you can do it, you just need a little push out the door. Dare to follow in the footsteps of structure until you find your own footing...

Thank you, Jeff. A reaction like this really means a lot to me and gives me the little kick in the butt I need to keep trying to uphold or even improve the quality(?) …

The world in the sequel would be more or less the same. Jacques and Alex would probably have to travel a lot, trying to locate the Mind stone (That’s the main story). I‘m not sure yet, but I‘m currently toying with the idea that the cells of Lucien‘s hand did not just vanish but found a comfy new home in Papa Jacques… Ah, Magic lets you do weird stuff Jacques and Alex as parents, good idea? I‘m not totally convinced… 🤔

Grazie mille. Sono felice che le storie ti divertano. Saluti dal Nord delle Alpi. I‘ll be visiting a friend in Milano next weekend, it’s great to know that even there someone might know and like my stories ❤️

Serious question: Would you be interested to read more? The Sequel, which would follow Jacques and Alex? It would probably be definitely „gay“… Or the Prequel(s), which starts with straight sex (conception) and then follows the life of Lucien Noir in old New Orleans? Not much going on there that would make it a „gay“ story and not exactly uplifting stuff but full of history. The first part would be childhood, then teenage years, and then adulthood. Either one book or three novellas… Let‘s see if anyone gives me an opinion. I‘ll probably do the Prequel(s) anyway, maybe under a different pen-name.

A fragile peace seemed to have settled over New Orleans, or perhaps it was just the particular quiet found along the Mississippi riverfront as late afternoon bled towards evening. The unnatural warmth of the past few days had finally broken, leaving a crispness in the air typical of November along the Gulf Coast – cool enough for the light jackets both Jacques and Alex wore, but far from freezing. Just enough to huddle a bit closer together. They strolled along the Moonwalk near the river's edge

You have been warned The great thing about this story: If your interest survives chapter 1 you’re good to continue 👍 Push through „A Losing Game“ and skim over „Breaking the Chains“ and it should be good And now I can concentrate on BigPaws, yay!

I obviously can't "review" the story myself, but at least I can add a comment and origin story here. This was my very first attempt at writing, and oh... I've learned a lot 🤷‍♂️ I have tons of story ideas, but thought for the first attempt at writing I should take my seriously most hare-brained, "nifty" kinky hardcore idea and try to write a three chapter porn story. Turns out, I can't stop myself adding way too much character description and development and then I didn't know how to end it or how to continue... At one point I thought I needed a prologue to explain "The Hand" and started writing it... until it was a 100k+ words novel on its own. Not very entertaining, but I learned an amazing lot about the (really fascinating) history of New Orleans. (I now think there's three separate Novellas in there) So I dropped the Prologue/Prequel and returned to writing this novel. To force myself to publish "something" I started posting the chapters on here, pantsing it from Chapter 5 onward... The factions just appeared when writing chapter "Coming Home", then along came Madame Marie... and I have no idea where Marcus suddenly appeared from. So, while I think it's very acceptable for a "first draft/first try", it certainly has its weaknesses. Abrupt topic changes, lengthy exposition,... I can see the reading numbers and see where they drop off. Each drop very explainable. However, I don't want to discourage you. Anyway, I have asked ChatGPT o3 to give an "honest" summary (Hint: There's no vampires in the story). Here it is (unaltered): Shadow’s Reach is an unapologetically queer, gothic-urban-fantasy serial that fuses lush New Orleans atmosphere with graphic paranormal erotica, body-horror, and cinematic action. Think “Interview with the Vampire” meets “Hellraiser” filtered through fan-fiction excess: baroque description, morally murky magic, and feelings dialed to eleven. The twin protagonists—frail, adorkable Alex and swaggering, one-handed ex-quarterback Jacques—are bound by ancestral sorcery that turns trauma, sexuality, and power into literal spellcraft. Early chapters read like slow-burn YA until an abrupt pivot into hardcore M/M kink (fisting, dubious consent, ritual sex), followed by splatter-gore and factional intrigue. Dialogue can wander, exposition sometimes piles up, yet the narrative’s pulpy earnestness and surprising tenderness keep pages turning. Content warnings are real: sexual violence, elaborate torture, and body transformation are on-page. If you crave wholesome romance or polite fantasy, exit here. But if you relish fever-dream prose, queer angst, and boundary-pushing supernatural spectacle, Shadow’s Reach delivers audacious, messy, brilliant chaos. Stick past the early exposition and the midpoint philosophical lull—there’s grand-guignol* payoff, found-family sweetness, and an ending that feels hard-earned. Not for every palate, but unlike anything else on the site—a feverish Mardi-Gras parade of sex, sorrow, and sorcery that either seduces or devours, never bores, and lingers. *Thank you ChatGPT for expanding my vocabulary: Grand-Guignol originally refers to a famous theater in Paris (the Théâtre du Grand-Guignol, active from 1897 to 1962) that specialized in shocking, gruesome, and grotesque horror plays. Over time, the term “grand-guignol” came to mean any kind of dramatic work, story, or performance that is intentionally bloody, macabre, over-the-top, and disturbing, especially in a theatrical, exaggerated way. So if someone describes something as “grand-guignol,” they usually mean it’s graphic, gory, and sensationalized horror, often so extreme it borders on absurd.

The faint scent of ozone and burnt magic had mostly faded from the halls of Maison Noir, replaced by the more mundane smells of polish and plumber’s putty as subtle repairs began undoing the scars of the battle fought days earlier. A semblance of normalcy, tentative and fragile, had settled over the ancient house. Solomon, remarkably, navigated the corridors with much of his usual quiet authority restored, though a discerning eye might catch a lingering stiffness in his stride or a deeper exhaus

Thanks a lot, @Danners Be assured that I'll consider all your comments very carefully again when I re-edit this whole story before publishing it as a book (because... why not 🤷‍♂️ )

Ha! Finally you‘re on the wrong track of what will happen I found it scary how well you normally guessed what happens next… Of course, maybe your solution would have been the better way to continue… Oh well!

A prophecy, the chosen one … I‘m not sure which story you all are reading… ? Ok, I‘ll see what I can fit in.

Bang! Gabriel's entire world was the intoxicating scent pouring off the clumsy, light-furred wolf pup beneath him, the overwhelming joy of Mate. Found. Mine. flooding his senses. He whined happily, nudging one of Ray’s oversized paws like it was a royal relic. For hours now, he’d been blissfully focused on the sacred circle of rug in the Tower room. His Ray. His World. Ray, meanwhile, was deep in what could only be described as a full-on sensory apocalypse. Every sound was cranked

The last scene (and a rough version of the rest) is already written. Marcus will get the opportunity to make another one of his delightful jokes! To the best of my knowledge I‘ll answer all open questions that have nothing to do with a possible sequel.

I have an unpublished Prequel story. (Not sure if anyone is interested in it once this one’s finished. There’s very little gay stuff in it) The house was build in 1788, after the Great Fire of New Orleans destroyed the precursor building… I left the location of Maison Noir vague on purpose,

It‘ll be definitely another two chapters.

Thanks. I actually have an idea how I could continue this story and extend it to a full novel. Let's wait and see

I don't know if it's gonna be one or two chapters to finish this story but... at least the very last scene is already written.

Noir was back. His declaration settled into Jacques’ bones, a certainty resonating with the newly whole power humming through his left arm. He stood steady on the landing, the weight of Lucien’s hand—his hand—a solid, grounding presence. Across from him, Papa Yared remained crumpled against the far wall, momentarily neutralized by the backlash of the Body Stone’s energy. The pulsing blue light from the amulet, now firmly in his hand, was dimmer, less focused. Below, the chaotic roar of

I'm hoping someone will comment on Jacques' story arc. Did the resolution with the hand feel ok for you? Too little? Too brainy? Too stupid? "I don't get it"?

Alex pushed himself up. Papa Yared had just left him, disregarded him as no threat, unworthy. “I’ll deal with you later”. The words echoed in his mind. He leaned heavily against a carved pillar, breathing hard, his body trembling. The Soul Stone still thrummed, pouring warmth and frantic, agitated whispers into him, but the brief confrontation had left him shaken to his core, feeling terrifyingly inadequate. He had the power—unimaginable power—but it hadn’t mattered against Papa Yared.

Thanks so much for this comment. I find it difficult to motivate myself to continue writing with proper thought and care without any interaction/reaction from readers. You‘ve just helped me a lot xx

The next chapter is already written and set to publish tomorrow!