W_L

Glad you notice the little hints about Gary's actions in respect to Brad. It's true, Gary isolated and sweet talked Brad into ignoring Francis. Brad out of guilt didn't know what to say or do for his friend/sometimes lover. It's a complicated relationship. Gary is selfish to the extreme, while Brad's selfishness can probably be attributed to desire, an unrequited love that he thought was being returned through the sweet talk and sex. Francis was a toy for Gary's amusement, while Brad saw him as a sexual outlet and brother in some respects.

Thanks Chris, I am glad someone is enjoying these blog entries. It's almost like the old Blu-Ray/DVD commentaries on TV shows

Thanks Chris, Brad actually isn't sleep talking, it's full on hallucination. One of the side effects of Methadone withdrawal is hallucinations. Brad has a lot of demons, stuff he regrets, and stuff he still wants. Beau knows there's something between them, I wanted to show folks with the opening paragraphs he's not a blushing virgin either. His only interactions with gay sex has been one sided. Francis and Paki are good for each other, I like the idea of a late night drinking and conversation session. I've had that with friends in college and I know it's been one of the lesser portrayed aspects of College life. It's one of the reasons to live in dorms, you grab your drink of choice (Rum, Whiskey, Tequila, Vodka, or beer and just talk. As an adult, I drink wine and coffee liquers, but as a college guy, it wasn't my preferred drink of choice. Chip is awesome, he needs to be protected like a delicate teacup (Even if that's the character I based him off ) Warren's story is interesting and so is Min's for that matter.

Well, Chapter 6 is now live. Here's some thoughts: -One thing I've considered about Beau, if he's a modern gay character, he's most likely has had experiences with other guys. Our urges drives us into things that we may very well regret, especially in an environment where we can't really be free to find good relationships or sexual outlets. Fantasy heroines and heroic lover archetypes are usually virgins, who save themselves for the "right guy", but reality is, most of us don't wait. -Paki and Francis are an interesting couple, they're still learning about each other, still developing their relationship. One of the unrealistic things about Disney's love stories is that insta-love takes no effort with side characters, but the main characters have to work twice as hard on a slow-burn romance. I think developing a romance should not be narrowly focus on two people in a vacuum, there are prior relationships and external connections at play. -It's college guys, unless you attended a strict Christian University or a military school that does random checks for contraband, I have not met one person who has not gotten hammered and had a heart to heart with someone while intoxicated in college. I wish I had Chip around back then to hand out the water and Tylenol extra strength tablets. -We learn Warren has a boyfriend named Noah and he's from Florida. Min has a someone, it's complicated. I know what I want to do with Warren, but Min's story is quite different. -The last scene with Warren, you guys can probably guess the direction of that character. The Wardrobe in Disney's Beauty and the Beast was a female character with a deep voice with a certain flair, but I didn't want to just write a standard gay or trans stereotype. He's a type of character I've never written before, so new territory for me. Paki and him are close friends, but they're mirror images of each other.

Waking up in a dark room with the sounds of a crying man near me isn’t exactly how I imagined things would be like in college. As I sit watching him convulse and sob, Brad’s pride and his arrogance is nowhere to be seen. It feels wrong somehow to see this lion of a man so vulnerable. I want to hold him, want to hug him, and hell, I would give him an inexperienced blowjob if it stops those sobs. He admitted to me last night he wants me and I know I want him. Yet, I know neither of us would be hap

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42302727-bonds-of-brass Science Fiction is my favorite genre for a reason. It opens up a lot of worlds and possibilities for writers to explore and create amazing concepts without regards or limitations, except what you believe scientific knowledge can produce in the future, or in the past. The key is that science fiction does not rely on traditional methods to solve problems usually emphasizing the technical. Unlike Fantasy, where magical knowledge can g

Oh maybe a little from column B and C The first book is a good way to lull you into sleep Chip is that little kid brother that everyone knows talks too much, but does not want to give up for anything, because he's too precious. I am really grateful for your feedback and praise, it's worth a lot to me as a writer.

Thank you for reading, Gary has done more than you may think by indirect actions, too.

Thanks Chris, yes beau is building up the friendship points It's a nice thing to do sometimes to read to people and get their minds off their personal pains, I remember there used to be programs of volunteers reading to people in the hospital or in elderly homes for the same reason. Audible might have replaced that service somewhat by commercializing audiobooks, but the premise of wanting to help by offering an outlet is quite good. Gary's presence hovers over Brad and Francis, which sort of infects other relationships in the house with degrees of separation. Brad never saw the betrayal or violation coming from someone he thought he loved.

Chip takes me to the dining area. The smell of food fills the air, but my thoughts are still stuck on the revelations I learned. Francis lost his sight due to Brad. Gary knew Francis, because Francis used to be part of his football team, until he became critically injured during a game that cost him his eyesight. I’ve heard the stories of traumatic injuries in high school sports, especially football since you are supposed to leave nothing on the field. If I take Francis and Gary’s words together

Well Chapter 5 is now live. I want to share some South Africa Xhosa translations with you all and thoughts: "Hamba uyo bepha inja" = "Go and Fuck a Dog" "Xolo" = "Sorry" "Ndiyakuthanda"= "I love you" "umncinci"= "Little One"/"Youngest" "Intanda"= "Beloved" "ihenyukazi"= "Whore"/"Prostitute" -------- -For those wondering, I do enjoy Cajun Cuisine, the spice and sauces are some of the best representations of American combination cuisines. I've dined at Commander's Palace, Cafe Du Monde, and a few smaller restaurants in New Orleans, in and out of the Quarter. It's sad that very few regions outside Louisiana and tourist spots have Cajun cuisine. -The long scene of positivity at dinner, it's an ancient idea that people have forgotten transcends religious and regions. Rituals and prayers are just window dressing, the reason why we do things like that was to remember that there is positivity in our lives. I want to reinforce the nature of idealism in this story versus fatalistic realism. It balances the darkness that each character lives with to have a ray of light even if it's brief. -Like I said, every character has a backstory, it includes Cook, and you are starting to learn about them all, along with their interactions with other characters. -We all know what book Beau is reading Brad I never promised that I wouldn't inject fantasy references, even if I leave out fantasy elements. -One of the interesting things about the argument towards the end of the chapter, it's the argument of realists and idealists. Brad's worldview is one based on reality with material gains and losses. Beau sees ideals and extrapolates truth from fantasy in the hopes of rising above Brad's kind of limiting worldview.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40245507-born-again-sinner My reaction to this book: Dang, Cody has awakened a sexually repressed virgin twink, I hope he’s ready for all the emotions. The second book in Daryl Banner’s Spruce Texas series is far more polished and well-thought out than book 1. It’s a different take on religious repression on a gay man, which is a novelty that I have not read in this corner of fiction, especially without tragedy or bigotry getting mixed in. There are

Interesting, I just started reading this book on a whim. It's a very creative concept I'm a fan of Ninjas from watching/reading Naruto, but they didn't do many Assassination missions on the show though. There's a bit of a power rangers vibe from the wave-suit. To be honest, I've always wanted Billy and Jason to end up together from the OG series (read several fan-fics that went in that direction too), so I sort of imagine your characters like power rangers.

Thanks for reading, you and anyone else can feel free to speculate on future plot points in the story discussion thread. I don't mind. There's a lot of potential I just opened up. This story is pretty organic and I am growing it.

Wow, thanks for the enthusiasm! I wasn't expecting a lot of people to like this story. I don't have an editor, nor a beta this time around. I am grateful for all the readers like you. It's rewarding to get good feedback.

Well, technically, Brad was the one who came up with game plan that sacrificed his teammates in order for him to personally win the Colorado High School State Football Championship. Gary was the scheming sidekick whispering in his ear and poisoning him with praise, innuendoes, and so on. He also was the one who led Brad into a trap that ultimately broke Brad. Essentially, if you were to think of the type of villain Gary was/is, Gary is like Lady MacBeth in MacBeth or the two evil daughters of King Lear or Iago from Othello, at least until his plan succeeded and he clears a path for him to be "Prince". Like I said, I am translating fantasy into modern fiction, maybe with a little Shakespeare in the mix just to flesh out Gary Gaston character and Brad's relationship with others. ------ Thanks for being such a dedicated reader

Well Chapter 4 should be live now Here some thoughts on a very revealing chapter: -As a reader, I personally believe that side-characters' stories need to be developed alongside main characters, they impact the flow of plot and develop the main characters. As such, any named character I've added to this story will have a background story. -Paki's background for those who have not done a quick google search for Pretoria is the second capital city of South Africa. He was using Xhosa language, which is a colloquial language of South Africa and Zimbabwe. It's nominally the 2nd language of South Africa after English. I also added a local swear in there for authenticity. As I noted earlier, his name in Xhosa means "Witness". Also of note, Pretoria is known among the most crime infested cities in his country and is ranked in the world's worst. -As for Brad's use of high-dosage methadone for his issues, it's an idea I was building up in earlier chapters, especially the last chapter, when I described how light could not easily enter his garden view room. Photo-sensitivity is one of the side-effects of the withdrawal symptoms. Methadone use is controversial and highly regulated or illegal in various parts of the world, it can be powerful counter-agent for substance abuse and pain relief, but it is also a dangerous innocuous abusive substance in on itself. The high dose variant Brad uses would not be allowed outside a special clinic and there would be a media storm over such an accommodation. Just as Gary can be a predator due to his wealth and status by his family, Brad's family has parallel special treatment. -Francis reveals his connection to Gary and Brad in this chapter. This was getting built up since chapter 2. Francis' innate hatred of Brad is more than just simple disdain at his current words or behavior, the subtext I've laid down is one of betrayal by someone he admired, someone he was obsessed with. I mentioned the concept of Limerence last chapter as part of Beau attempt to justify his attraction to Brad, but Francis and Brad's past might be a textbook study on that concept. Love is not the same as obsession; though, obsession is part of love. Not sure how I will play that out. I mentioned it and wanted to play it. -We still have 2 boys unexplored: Warren, the former wrestler with heavy make-up wearing burn scarred Latino effeminate boy, and Min, the wheelchair bound former baseball player of Japanese descent. Plus, "Cook", who has no background revelation yet at all. Even Mrs. Potter is known to be a caring nurse, whose husband walked out on her due to how he treated his disabled son, Chip. --------- Anyway, I hope readers enjoyed this chapter

Morris is not happy with my imminent departure. He isn’t happy for the reason I am leaving, nor my new living conditions with someone who may or may not be as bad as Gary Gaston. My roommate is a very kind man, despite his voracious heterosexual appetite. Based on what I’ve learned about him, I think Morris was taught to be welcoming to people in search of a home by his family, because they don’t want what happened to them to repeat itself. His family left the Deep South a generation ago, moved

Thanks for reading, he'll get what's owed to him.

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/33955848 My reaction to this book: Oh Lord in Heaven, I think my gay heart can’t take so much sweetness. Yes, even this Yankee can find some joy in a good ole’ southern romance. Daryl Banner was someone I haven’t really read anything on, he’s not as well known as some of the female and male LGBT writers I’ve noted in the past. Based on what I have read so far in his Spruce Texas series, I can honestly say he’s probably my go to writer for simple,

Yes, I do like Durian and Stinky re-fried Tofu, along with Duck tongue and fried pork intestines. I hate Anchovies on anything, olives, cured fish, and kale belongs in the sea, not my stomach. I was a Sci-Fi geek before I got into fantasy. I read a lot as a kid as well, when my eyesight was better than it is today. I've mentioned my reading of young adult mystery novels in the 1990's and my love of Applegate's Animorph series, which I still have fond memories over as one of my favorite book series, because it hid nothing about the costs of war and tragic sacrifices that have to be made for the greater good. Science Fiction, not fantasy, was my first genre. Harry Potter came into play in my early teen years as the movies were starting to be produced, so I read the books. I think you will enjoy Nightrunner and Tamir Triad series, Nightrunner features two bisexual male spies involved in mysteries and intrigue in the name of the Queen. The first book starts off quite fast and the action never lets up. I'll probably hold off reviewing the 7-book series until Winter, so if you want to wait to start on it until I post reviews, you may have to wait a few months. The Tamir Triad, which George R.R Martin praised has a complex plot involving a gender fluid main character, a girl who is turned into a boy and lives a life of doubt with a destiny to one day be the greatest Queen of his/her nation's history. On sexuality/romance front, she as a boy falls in love with another boy, too, so you have a bit of gender vs. personal love question on romance. While I did not have interest in trans affairs, it helped me to understand some trans issues better from an unique perspective. Suffice to say, it's a fascinating book series, when it came out almost 20 years ago. Tell me your preference for type of story, subject, genre, and setting, I'll make suggestions.

Try Wolfsong book 1 of Green Creek Series by TJ Klune, it's a werewolf-human romance regarding one werewolf pack. It's not an Omegaverse story, despite how it begins. I personally didn't like Book 1, but I've heard good things about the series so I gave TJ Klune the benefit of the doubt. By book 3, I was hooked and wanting blood. I also think you should consider Audible versus Kindle, when reading TJ's books. Michael Lesley does a great job in Tales from Verania series starting with Lightning Struck Heart for the delivery of sassy dialogue with unique voices for each character. Kirt Graves does the same in Green Creek series, starting with Wolfsong. If you like modern fantasy, I'd recommend SJ Hines Beacon Hill Sorcerer series, which is a love romance between a Vampire and Necromancer. Beyond them, there's Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunner and Tamir Triad series, which George R.R Martin, the author of Game of Thrones, praised in the early 2000's, when it was published. It's set in a medieval fantasy world with magic, gods, fair folk (fae are protagonist), and warrior Queens leading a nation. I have more possibilities, I am fan of gay fantasy as much as I am a fan of gay science fiction, I gather as much of those books as I can read. In general, I read Sci-Fi and Fantasy as a passion beyond gay fiction too, so fantasy author's like George R.R Martin, Lynn Flewelling, Katherine Kurtz, Cassandra Clare, and others are on my radar. Science Fantasy is also covered under this as I do read stories that flow between both genres, horror fiction like Stephen King being a notable example of Science Fantasy. If you are willing to venture into the Dork Side I highly suggest reading Everina Maxwell's Winter's Orbit, it's really fun Sci-Fi gay fiction published recently. Science fiction is one of my favorite genres.

@lomax61Just added Elle Kennedy as Co-Author, odd enough, I don't know why the goodreads series page ignored her. I read my books by the way via Audible and sometimes through Kindle, if it's unavailable due to vision issues. I've got a collection of hardcover/paperbacks at home gathering dust, sadly. It's a limiting factor to what I have access to and what I don't.

My grandmother contracted it last year in her long term care facility, she's 95 years old and survived it. Her nursing home though is now understaffed for normal operations due to the needs of a specialized COVID wing. However, she still lives and struggles through all of this. She survived World War II British Burma under Japanese occupation, survived Nationalist Pogroms in Burma to cleanse Ethnic Chinese in the late 1940's, survived Communist rule in Mainland China and Cultural Revolution as a Teacher, and survived losing family including her father, mother, and my late aunt through these major and minor events in the 20th century. My grandmother does not know when to stop fighting for survival, which is a blessing and a curse at times. I hate this pandemic, I hate what it has done to our daily lives. I still work from home, but I would rather be back in my office, where I can see the results of my efforts rather than spreadsheets telling me the results. Despite the stereotype, Accountants are not people who only care about numbers, we actually care about what we dedicate our time and energy to keep organize and process.

Thanks Chris for reading chapter 3, Yeah, I wanted to flesh out the reasons why Gary can act the way he does without facing any consequences. It's not that hard to believe; we've seen similar things happen in bigger institutions from Hollywood to Congress to professional Sports, some people are beyond the reach of rules and laws that apply to everyone else. It's sort of a truism that "everyone is equal, but some people are more equal than others" to paraphrase George Orwell. Brad is a complex character, chapter 4 will explain why he's the way he is. Gary deserves a lot worse, I am open to reader suggestions.