Morningstar: The Malaise

Thanks, SnowBear! I loved hearing you've read this story so many times. I must confess it is my guilty pleasure, and I'm in the process of reading along with another reader now. It's great too that you are familiar with the locale. There is no place I've found quite like Northern Ontario. So much wildness and beauty, it seemed the perfect place for the wolves of Morningstar to live.  Cheers, and thanks again for recommending this to others. 

Champagne? What a wonderful thing to say, and to hear! I'm so pleased you found my take on the shifter genre worthy, Bard. Yes, it was a lot of hard work, but it quickly became a labor of love with each weekly posting, and words like these make the diligent effort to get it right, worthwhile. I am extremely proud of this story, and I am humbled by your validation. Cheers... G....

Thanks, Matthew. As carefully as you read it was as careful as I wrote it. It was a story and sequence of events I had to get right. I'd never written a mystery before, not to mention I had never written about shifters. It took a big chunk out of my life, but it was a fantastic experience for me, and I believe the readers too. I don't know when I will write more of this world, but it is still in my plans. Appreciate you leaving a review, and I would ask that you leave a story like/reaction as well on the front story page. It is a simple click. Cheers!

Thanks, agni, for the wonderful review. I'm really glad you stuck with it and didn't give up. Yeah, Kellar sure does grow on a person. He was fascinating to write... as was his journey. Again, I thank you for caring enough to leave this review. I am incredibly proud of this story. Oh, and I love that you find spiritual satisfaction in it... I do too. There are some social undertones I tried to be subtle about. Cheers!

I don't think I realized you hadn't reviewed this, Albert. It still amazes me you've read this five times now. I can't ask for any better testament than that. I think you might love this story as much as I do, and I certainly appreciate all the support you've given it over the years, and the kind words you express with this review. I hope other readers will hear your words and give Morningstar a chance. Thank you, my friend! Cheers!  

Wow! Thank you, Pascal!   First of all, thank you for seeing the parallels to our struggles. There is social commentary throughout the entire book, but I tried to keep it subtle. 

Writing a mystery is difficult, so your words are great confirmation for me. I have never worked harder on something creative in my life, and quite honestly lived in fear I wasn't up for the job. It was a surprise when the story began to nibble at the corners of my brain, but I am so glad I ran with it. I wanted to write a different kind of shifter story, and judging by reader reaction, I believe I have achieved that... and as much as I want to write a Book Two, the challenge of matching the original scares the hell out of me. It is still in my plans though.  

I keep reading this review and am blown away by your kind and encouraging words. Thank you, my friend. Reviews tend to bring me new readers, and I am very thankful for this. Cheers!

Sorry for not replying to this, Terry! I must have got sidetracked, but I do remember getting this and feeling blessed by your words about the story and my writing. To date, this is still my crowning achievement, although "Sidewinder", books one and two, might be considered by some to have usurped that distinction. For me, though, I believe Kellar and Tobyn and the wolves are Morningstar will always hold the biggest piece of my heart. I get so excited when someone new reads it and leaves comments and reviews. I want everyone to love this journey as much as I do, and it appears you have. I am thankful for that, my friend. Many thanks for all your support. Cheers! Gary.   

Thank you so much for the wonderful review, Sherye! All I can tell you is I will try to pick up this story again. There's much still to be told. In the meantime, I hope your review brings new readers. Morningstar is a wonderful place....

Thank you, Ian, for the wonderful review. I never tire of coming back to this story when a new reader takes it on and expresses how they feel about it. I'm very proud of my take on the shifter genre, and I'm very proud of my shifters. They still live within my head, and I am thankful to the earth mother too.   Cheers!

Thanks, Nana, for the great review! I appreciate your enthusiastic support of this story, and hope someday I can fulfill readers' wishes for a Book Two. Cheers! 

Thank you for leaving a review of Morningstar, jimkev68. It is greatly appreciated by this author. It's wonderful to hear you read it again and again. You just made my day.  Cheers... Gary....

Hey, Patrick! Five times! Wow... that's awesome. Thanks for being so kind as to leave such a great review. As far as a sequel, there is one in my head.   Cheers... Gary....

Thanks, DragonFire! The words of this review mean a lot to me. I'm so proud of this story, never minding the effort and time it took, and all I hope for is that new readers find and appreciate it. This review should help with that. I am humbled by your encouraging and supportive summation. So many good shifter stories already existed, so I wanted to write one that was different, and one readers would remember. Long live the wolves of Morningstar! 

Thank you for reading this story, Straycat, and for leaving such an encouraging review. I am proud of this story, and it makes my day when someone expresses how good they feel about it. I know it sounds corny, but this really was a labor of love. It took up a solid year and a half plus of my life, and I would gladly do it again. Recommendations like this brings me new readers and for that I am truly grateful. Cheers... Gary....

Thanks, belisima! The curveballs in this story kept me on my toes throughout, and keeping everything straight without tipping my hand was a terrifying challenge for me, but the end result was worth it. When all was said and done, I breathed a sigh of relief that I didn't screw it up.  I found new respect for mysteries, that's for sure. Thanks for making my week, and I hope this wonderful review spurs others to take up "Morningstar: The Malaise". Cheers! G.

Thank you, bjorde, for the high praise. I love when people read this again and again. I'm glad you'd like to see another book. I hope someday to tackle it.  Cheers... Gary....

Thank you so much, Bdamdifino! I'm pleased you don't see this as a traditional shifter story. It was important to me to write something different, as there are already a lot of the more traditional ones already out there that have been done very well. It was a heck of a journey for me... never expected to write a shifter story, but once this one entered my head, I kept turning it over, working out the details as I considered whether I could pull it off. I had never written a mystery before either. 

Nothing makes me happier than getting new readers for this story (and others), and I think you have helped my cause with such kind appraisal of Morningstar. I do intend to revisit the wolves of Morningstar at some point, but I've learned not to make any promises.  Lightning has to strike.   Thanks again. You've made my day... maybe my whole month. Cheers! Gary. 

For a year and a half I neglected many of my chores (except for feeding my animals) while I wrote this story, totally enamored of the world I was creating, so I get why you did the same and binge read. It was something new for me, a shifter story, but reviews like this make me glad I listened to my muse. I was so uncertain that I could pull off what I had in my head, but because of incredible reader support, I am certain I succeeded. Thanks, Dan, for recommending this work to others. I will confess I want everyone to read this book and fall in love with the wolves of Morningstar, and testaments like this help bring in new readers. Thank you, Dan.     

Hey, Leo! Yes, there is still a good chance there will be another book about the wolves of Morningstar. I want it to happen too.   It's a heck of a commitment, though. Thanks for your kind and encouraging review. I still think daily of this world, and I'm pleased you found this story so rewarding. I am always hoping for new readers, and current reviews like this should help with that. Cheers!

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing Morningstar: The Malaise, sammcm2014. This is a story I am most proud of, and I hope to someday continue the journey of the shifters of Morningstar. Follow me on my story page... https://gayauthors.org/author/headstall/ ... for future updates. Cheers... Gary....