Rafy

Dear all! Thank you all for the incredible comments! ❤️ @Jack Poignet: Listen, the budget went to the prose, not the video production! 😜 And how dare you expose my Amazon history like that? 😅😘 But yes, everyone, he's right... the cover is a tragedy. Maybe a revamp is in order for 2026! @chris191070 Thank you so much, Chris! I’m so glad it brought some festive cheer. Merry Christmas! 🎄 @andy cannon A laugh, a cry, and a drink refill? That is the trifecta! Cheers! 🥂 @Flip-Flop Thank you for the kind words about my first year here. It's been a journey finding my voice (and jumping between genres), and having readers like you makes it all worth it. 🥰 @drsawzall Thank you, Doc! That means a lot! Have a fantastic Christmas! ✨ @Summerabbacat Blondie is the perfect soundtrack for a trash-bag dress! 🎵 Bubbles definitely thinks she is channeling Debbie Harry. Thank you for the "doyen of drag" title 🤣 I shall wear it with pride (and plenty of sequins). Once again: Merry Christmas, everyone! 🎄✨ Love, Rafy

It’s A Christmas Carol in drag – with extra sass, heavy Scottish accents, and a budget of zero! Lady MacBitch is the fiercest, stingiest queen in London, guarding her trunk of sequins like Scrooge guards his gold. But when her fed-up sisters stage a chaotic, eggnog-fueled intervention, she is forced to face three low-budget ghosts – and the ultimate drag horror: a future of performing in sensible beige slacks. Will the terrifying sight of an unzipped dress melt her heart of ice? Dive into this hilarious, heartwarming tale of redemption, cheap wigs, and the true meaning of sisterhood.

The dressing room of The Velvet Clam was a tempest of more or less tacky synthetic fragrances and impending artistic doom. Somehow, a hint of cinnamon had crept in too. After all, it was THE time of year. December 23rd. The eve of the “Sleigh Bells & Slay Belles” Christmas Extravaganza, the drag event of the year in the heart of London. Dominating the room like a sequined titan was a monstrous, iron-reinforced trunk. Upon it perched Lady MacBitch, the undisputed queen of tartan terror a

Dear all, once again thank you very much for all your lovely and appreciating comments! @andy cannon: Thanks so much! I’m really glad the playlist pulled you back into that era. As for the mysterious acoustic “MMMBop”… let’s call it poetic license with a wink. But who knows... somewhere out in the wilds of old Napster folders, maybe it really did exist. Thank you also for your review! 🥰 @chris191070 Thank you! I wanted the music to feel like the heartbeat of the story. Love tracks hiding in plain sight. I’m so glad that came through. Thank you also for your review! 🥰 @peter rietbergen This means a lot. I think many of us have had those “signs” sitting right in front of us (songs, gestures, moments..) before we finally understand what they’ve been saying. I tried to capture that quiet recognition. I’m really happy it resonated with you. @drsawzall Thanks! I appreciate it. Writing this felt a bit like dusting off an old mix CD... nostalgia and a few surprises you didn’t know were there. @Summerabbacat That’s incredibly kind! I love writing with a wink, but this story asked for something a little more tender beneath the jokes. I’m really glad the balance worked for you. And... naturally the B-52s had to make an appearance. 😉 @Flip-Flop Thanks! The Y2K panic was such a perfect backdrop for emotional doomsday too, wasn’t it? I’m delighted the mix of nostalgia and romance hit the right note for you. I’m honestly floored by the kind words from all of you. Writing Saltwater Playlist felt like digging up an old shoebox of mixtapes and it’s wonderful to know it struck a chord. Thanks for listening, truly! Love Rafy

The package that arrived just before I left for Port Blossom wasn’t a package at all. It was a single, flimsy jewel case in a bubble-wrap mailer. Inside, nestled on a bed of black velvet, was a futuristic, sterile CD-ROM. Scrawled across its silvery surface in Caleb’s familiar Sharpie scrawl was: “Saltwater Playlist (The Y2K Bug-Out Mix).” “It’s the future, Leo,” he’d declared over the phone last week, the screech of his 56k modem a shrieking third wheel in our conversation. “One hundred so

Set against a backdrop of dial-up modems and Y2K paranoia, this story is a deep dive into pure 90s nostalgia. On the final Spring Break of the millennium, music snob Leo believes a CD-ROM playlist from his best friend Caleb is a nerdy ark designed to save their decade's music from the apocalypse. He champions its eclectic mix as genius, until a single 80s song shatters his theory. Leo is forced to realize the playlist isn't a museum, but a love letter — the culmination of a decade of unheard confessions hidden in the B-sides of every mixtape Caleb has ever made, forcing him to finally stop analyzing and start listening.

Every Halloween, my best friend Jasper went to war with subtlety and emerged victorious. His weapon of choice? A series of increasingly ridiculous, full-body costumes that rendered him completely anonymous. One year, he was a terrifyingly realistic Headless Horseman, navigating the party with a prosthetic neck stump that genuinely unnerved people. Another, it was a ridiculously detailed knight in shining armor that squeaked with every step. Jasper didn’t just wear costumes; he created mobile art

For socially anxious Owen, the only safe space at a chaotic Halloween party is his best friend, Jasper, who is completely hidden inside a ridiculous furry werewolf costume. Fueled by suspicious green punch, Owen confesses his year-long crush on a guy named Elias. But his confession is met with an unexpectedly tender and heartfelt reaction, making him wonder... what secret is the werewolf hiding?

It's so great to see more comments popping up! Thank you all for taking the time to share your thoughts. I'm so happy to see them and wanted to reply to everyone individually: @northie I love that! We'll have to officially add "Master of the Mystical Mushroom Broth" to the Sasquatch legend now. Honestly, I'm not sure which is harder to find in the wild! 😉 Thank you for your kind words! @lawfulneutralmage You're absolutely right, poor Sam. Imagine learning everything about humanity from a 24-hour news cycle... a terrifying thought! 😂 It's a wonder he's sane at all! So glad he got a personal chef to break up the monotony. Thanks for reading! @Thirdly Reading your comment was like reliving the story through your eyes, and it was an absolute delight! I was laughing the whole way through. I think many of us can relate to the "culinary surrender" meal, though maybe with slightly less fur involved. And you're right to question the snoring angels – a very valid point I may have overlooked in my afterlife research! 😂Your energy is infectious! I'm so, so happy you had such a fun ride with the story, right down to the "squatched him" at the end. 🥰 Thank you!!

Dear all, thank you so, so much for your wonderful comments! @Jkeeletupelo: Thank you so much! It was an experiment -- and luckily it worked out! Thank you for reading! 😊 @BendtedWreath: Haha, wouldn't be the worst afterlife, I suppose! 😂 I'm so glad you were rooting for them. It means so much to know they felt like real, sympathetic characters. Thank you! @drsawzall: Thank you so much! 😂 It’s official, Sam and Rowan have inspired a culinary revolution! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. @kbois: Haha, thank you! They'd definitely earn that trip to the balcony for their teamwork and use of fresh, local ingredients! So glad you had fun with it. @Bill W: Thank you for such a kind comment! I'm so thrilled to hear you were on the edge of your seat during the helicopter scene -- that's the best compliment a writer could hope for! Knowing you were so invested in Rowan and Sam getting their happy ending means a lot. Thank you for reading! @Flip-Flop: Haha, thank you! Guess I pampered you too much! But -- spoiler -- for the next story I'll post here, a video is ready again! 😉 I'm so thrilled you found it a "humor-filled feast" -- that's exactly what I was hoping for. And you're so right, Sam is definitely a unique creature who deserved his moment to shine. Thanks for the lovely comment! @Summerabbacat: Wow, thank you for such a lovely and insightful comment. "Exquisite" is such a high compliment! It was so important to me that Sam be seen as a person. I completely agree with you -- in many ways, he's more of a "person" than many of the humans in Rowan's life. I'm so glad that resonated with you. Thank you. @Headstall: Thank you, Gary! Your comment means a lot. My biggest goal was to make this impossible story feel completely real, so hearing you say that is the highest praise I could ask for. And I am so, so happy the "I squatched him" line landed! I couldn't resist. 😉 Cheers to you as well, and thank you for reading. @Aditus: Thank you so much! That is such a cool thing to hear. I'm so glad the story took you on a journey you enjoyed, and it's an amazing compliment that it surpassed the ideas you had in mind. I really appreciate you taking the time to read and comment.

Chef Rowan's life is all about presentation. But when a disastrous "spite hike" leaves him injured and alone in the North Cascades, his perfectly curated world collapses. His rescuer isn't a park ranger, but Sam — a seven-foot-tall Sasquatch with a heart of gold and the culinary skills of a cement mixer. Trapped in a cozy den, Rowan's only companion is a gentle giant who believes a proper conversation sounds like a primetime news broadcast. As he stages a hostile takeover of the kitchen, Rowan discovers that the most authentic ingredient he's ever found might just be a cryptid who is more man than any he left behind.

Thank you so much! I love your description of it as a 'rom-com with a twist,' and I'm thrilled the humor landed. And I have to laugh at your passionate plea for no sequel, because you've all put me in a delightful predicament! Half my comments say 'Please, please give us more!' and now you're saying 'Please, please don't!' I absolutely see your point about preserving the magic of this specific ending. It's clear Noah and Matteo have sparked some strong feelings! I'm starting to think a poll might be the only fair way to settle this. Let the great sequel debate begin! 😂 Thanks again for adding such a great voice to the conversation!

Thank you, that's so kind of you to say! I'm thrilled you enjoyed it so much. It seems Noah and Matteo are getting a few fans! It's great to know you'd be up for another chapter in their story one day. 😊

Thank you so much! I'm officially putting 'Master of Sarcasm' on my resume now, thank you! 😂 It's fantastic to hear that you enjoy the stories and the video productions, and it makes me so happy that you had a good time on this particular visit to Paris. Thank you for always being so supportive!

Thank you so much! I'm really glad you had fun with it! 😊