Rafy

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! 😊

Wow, thank you for such an incredibly kind and detailed comment! You absolutely made my day, and I was grinning the whole time I was reading it. You've hit the nail on the head with the Emily in Paris inspiration! I had so much fun writing the anti-Emily experience. I kept imagining what would happen if a normal person, not a charmed romcom protagonist, was dropped into that world. Emily gets a promotion and a charming, vintage apartment; Noah gets a beige conference room and a view of a dumpster. Emily gets a closet full of couture; Noah's luggage ends up in another country. It was so much fun to write the 'Instagram vs. Reality' of that specific fantasy. And I'm so, so happy that those specific lines stood out and made you guffaw! The 'single, damp towel' and the 'tinfoil Eiffel Tower' were some of my favorites to write. It's the best feeling in the world knowing they landed. Seriously though, thank you again for such a wonderful and encouraging comment. It means the world!

Thank you! I love the idea of 'sneaking a glimpse' of them in the future. It feels very fitting for them. So glad you thought it was well done! 😊

Thank you! So thrilled you found it a delight! And yes, as @Summerabbacat kindly pointed out, the title is a little wink at the Netflix show 'Emily in Paris'. It's the ultimate over-the-top, poster-perfect romcom where the main character floats through a Paris where the sun always shines, the croissants are never stale, and handsome Frenchmen are on every corner. What's funny is that after the show got huge, there was a whole wave of articles and social media posts from influencers who went to Paris expecting that fantasy and were hilariously disappointed to find, well, actual Paris with its rain, scams, and crowds. So, Noah's story is basically my version of that "Instagram vs. Reality" experience. He went looking for the Emily story and got something much more real (and sarcastic!) instead. As for finding your own Matteo... I think the story's secret is that you're more likely to find him by complaining about a beige conference room than by posing in front of the Eiffel Tower! 😉 No return ticket needed!

Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. It's wonderful to hear you're curious about what's next for them! 😊

The kiss is perfect. Annoyingly, infuriatingly, cinematic-ly perfect. We’re at the top of the Eiffel Tower, the city lights of Paris sprawling below us like a blanket of fallen stars. His lips are warm, tasting faintly of the overpriced champagne we bought from a kiosk. The ridiculous, twinkling lights of the tower are practically buzzing in time with my heartbeat. It’s the full cliché, the money shot, the scene you fast-forward to in every rom-com. Wait. Don’t roll your eyes yet. I know wh

Noah's plan for a cinematic Parisian romance goes spreadsheets-up when the city proves to be a nightmare. Resigned to a week of corporate training hell, he meets Matteo, an Italian who finds Paris just as disappointing. Together, they wage a sarcastic war on tourist traps and clichés. But in their quest to prove the City of Love is a scam, they find the one thing they weren't looking for: a genuine connection more real than any fantasy.

What a marvelous comment! I'm so happy you enjoyed watching Daisy wipe the floor with her. Thank you!

Thank you so much! I'm glad the story was clear for you. Your potential backstories for Daisy Dessert are absolutely hilarious and brilliant -- especially the one about Clarice the Cadillac! It's so much fun to see where your imagination takes the characters. I'm so happy you're enjoying them!

What an amazing comment, thank you! Yes, you are 100% correct: describing chartreuse as mere 'green' is a crime! Your comment about my shirts was hilarious. I'm so happy you enjoyed the 'exdragaganza' and its cast of shady queens. This truly made me smile! 😁

What a fun comment, thank you! I love your suggestions for Francine's name! I'm so glad you enjoyed all the little details like Puppington! I loved this name!

Thank you so much for your comment! It means a lot that you enjoy the observational humor. Funnily enough, a lot of that came from a real karaoke night I attended, which inspired this story. Like my character, I was left with a few questions; especially about the puppy masks! 🐶 It's always interesting to hear a reader's own take on things like karaoke! And as for the music, I can't blame you for your reaction. Thank you for your wonderfully honest feedback! 🤗

I think I need a health warning before reading comments this fantastic! Thank you. I'm absolutely floored by the comparison to Mel Brooks. Thank you for this incredible comment! Your health warning made me laugh out loud. Being compared to Mel Brooks is one of the highest honors a (non-serious ;-)) writer could ask for. I'm so thrilled you had fun with Glitterbomb Galore and DJ Daddy Issues. But I'm especially grateful that you saw the sincere, heartfelt moment with The Bear, that was truly the heart of the story for me. This comment was 'WONDERFUL WONDERFUL,' and it absolutely made my day! 🤗

Wow, thank you. I'm absolutely blown away by your kind words. I'm so glad that those lines about despair and regret felt so powerful to you. As a writer, hearing that my work was moving enough to bring tears to your eyes is the best feeling in the world. Thank you so much for reading and for sharing your thoughts. Thank you also for sharing your perspective. 🤗 What you said about the feral cats is very true. It's a challenging issue in many parts of the world, and it's hard to see when you're an animal lover. I deeply respect your compassion and your desire to find a way to care for them. It’s a serious issue that often gets overlooked in tourist destinations