Stories

After losing his wife to illness, a decorated war hero is determined to keep his family together, but his parenting skills are tested during the summer break by financial restraints, an increasing reliance on alcohol, and the discovery that his eldest son is gay.

How I Got Carter is the story of Jackson Willard, and his discoveries on the way to catching the boy of his dreams, the incredible Carter Mulkins. Carter has always been the unattainable god of his wildest fantasies. But at the end of the summer heading into Jackson's junior year, Carter starts to show more interest in Jackson. Little by little their friendship develops, and little by little it becomes more than a friendship.

Manchester 2009. Adam, 25, has just broken up with his long term boyfriend and moves to the city despite knowing nobody and nothing about city life. He dives into his new-found independence and experiences the highs and lows of drinking, dating and dealing with his unusual flatmate, his emotionally troubled workmate, his environmentalist neighbour, her sexually frustrated roommate and a local Councillor who was once the hero of the gay village. The story unfolds through the eyes of each of the six characters, as their lives weave in and out of one another, with political ambitions, sexual exploration, personal demons and unearthed secrets.

What do you do when you see a cute boy while out on a routine jog. For William, the youngster takes a much-deserved break, by buying a milkshake in a small plaza, where he sees a boy who catches his interest. What starts off as a curiosity soon builds up to a clumsy mistake and coincidently, ends up making the boys meet face to face. What will be said? Will the cat come out of the bag that William has been infatuated with him for weeks or how William turned up most days at the same time in the court to catch a glimpse?

Frankie approaches life head on with a logical brain and healthy contempt for everyone not as smart as him, so his life isn't straightforward. After coping with a family death, abduction, theatrical success, evil property developers, gender-equality fanatics, con-men and women… a trip to a Himalayan monastery goes very, very wrong. Worse, the young men he meets are not what they seem. But Frankie enjoys his life and never complains - a true hero, strong, honest, decent, clear-thinking and not too bad looking, so surely one of the young men he befriends will turn out to be his equal?

Buddy Ryder is sixteen years old.

“Escape the pain of life you know.” *

Hoping to escape the realities of the world in which they live, he and his best friend, Andre, have been dancing to Madonna’s ‘Vogue,’ since they were ten.

“Your dreams will open the door.” *

Buddy likes Kyle Caldwell, a boy who attends his school. However, they come from two different worlds that he fears will never come together. Will he be able to open the door and make his dreams come true?

* Vogue
Sung by Madonna
written by Madonna and Shep Pettibone

The old meets the new.

This is a free verse poem about depression. It is a stand-alone poem.

With a wedding on the horizon, CJ Abelló and Owen Liston are determined to make it a celebration their guests will not soon forget. The months leading up to it are full of emotional events and travel. Come join them as they share their journey with friends and family.

Jeff Fletcher is perfect for the job: he's experienced, knowledgeable, and basically does his manager's duties as it is. He's stunned, however, when his interview is over in mere minutes. Initially unable to determine what caused his interview to go more poorly than expected, Jeff begins to realize that there's underlying issues at play.

*Written in response to the July 2018 Newsletter Game: Pride Month Headline.