Camy

I'm looking forward to the food fight in the quinoa salad bar atop the down-town skyscraper!

Be warned: this is going to be angsty. The back story: There are three of us who have revolved around one another for a lot of years. M (male) - who is my partner in music, life and all; and B (female) who is my partner in life and living. I love them both unreservedly. They are my soulmates. Because of circumstances beyond our control - and hideously high house prices - B and I moved to Wales, whilst M stayed in Sussex. Late last month B went into hospital for a 'routine' endoscopy to remove gall stones. 3am the next morning she was in horrendous pain... an ambulance to hospital, where she has been in intensive care ever since (the endoscope tore a hole in her bowel). Yesterday, she had a Tracheostomy, and for two hours I thought she was going to die. I've never been so scared. Sassy, our Siamese, is as frantic as I am - in her own distinctly cat like way. She's either stuck in my lap, or yowling because I'm leaving for the hospital. For the first ten days the hospital gave me a private room, which was a godsend: a place to sleep, yet be close on hand. Then two ancient Welsh women needed it and I've been flitting between the ICU, the car, the relatives lounge (like an uncomfortable train carriage full of miserable, sad, and often wailing humanity), and home. I'm so, so tired. At home I feel guilty because I'm not at B's side, and when I'm at B's side all I want to do is escape. There is a chapel in the hospital, which is non-denominational. B and M are Buddhists, I'm an agnostic atheist, and B's brother is a raving Roman Catholic. There have been a lot of people chanting and praying for her - myself included. Might as well: positive thoughts of any sort have to go somewhere, achieve something. The consultants, doctors and nurses are wonderful, though there's always the caveat of 'she's in intensive care, which by its definition means she's gravely ill'. Today is day 24.... B's heavily sedated as they want the tube in her throat to settle in before they wake her. I'm at home, cat on lap, feeling guilty. Such is life.

There are a few authors here that I follow somewhat slavishly, because they're really, really good. Mihangel is one of them. When I stumbled onto online gay fiction, way back when, one of the first stories I read was 'A Scholar's Tale.' It was excellent then, and just after its 18th birthday, remains so. Being a ex public school boy myself, I tracked down 'Yarborough,' which was fun - you should try it. The clues are there. Amser is another wonderful novel. Must stop waffling. You lot should now toodle off and read some Mihangel: https://awesomedude.com/mihangel/index.htm

Really lovely and oh so poignant. The hankie was required. Look What the Wind Blew In

Yes, poignant. I still have Joey, the TragicRabbit, as a Facebook friend. Occasionally, I'll send him a message. He hasn't replied as yet, but I live in hope.

More than likely. The Peacher tales are complete, and in order, too. Beginning with 'Towards the Decent Inn,' and ending with 'The Fall.' Arram's three historical novels are not listed. But they are here, at AD, and well worth reading.

Ye gads, Bruin's rich!

Thank you, Cole. But what if the dog takes over? Or refuses to take dictation?

The vet said (not verbatim) 'As the nights are now drawing in she won't go on heat again until spring.' Stupid vet. I woke in the middle of the night as Sassy (said cat) yowled in my ear. Luckily, I avoided a heart attack. Sassy talks a lot. Siamese always do. But when she's on heat it's excruciatingly loud. Luckily, we live in a cottage with a very thick wall between us and the neighbour, and a stream on the other side. So no complaints... yet. She's not big enough for kittens yet. Next spring she'll be two and hopefully, if she's big enough, we'll find a suitably stunning stud poss and she'll have one lot of babies and then be snipped. Which brings me to 'Red House.' It's difficult, with a cat lying supine on your keyboard waggling her lady parts in your face, to write, let alone write the required daily amount. There are the odd occasions when there's complete silence, and it's wondrous! So wondrous, and peaceful, it becomes time for a quick kip. It's not been a productive few days....

Umm, no. I didn't suggest that. What I said was: Outside of AD I primarily read fantasy. Authors such as Joe Abercrombie, Robin Hobb, Stephen King, Michael J Sullivan, etc. With fantasy, books covers are generally a good guide: if it has a burly bloke with a sword (and mist) you're probably on the right track. 😉

Sassy is very, very flattered. 😻

Ditto.

Fuck, fuck, fuckety fuck! I should be at 23k words and I'm only at 15k. This does not bode well. Not well at all. Still, one has to try and be positive... it's almost dark, it's cold, I need coffee but can't be arsed to go downstairs and make it. Dear lord, send an angel, fastest. I suppose I should resort to a picture of the cat:

You are indeed! I found footage of you doing just that!

Howling mad Rimbaud does it again!

Damn, but that was good, James. Really, really good. Poor old Colly. In the same, though a tad lighter, vein, may I recommend: https://librivox.bookdesign.biz/book/106791 Nathan Lowell's 'Trader Tales' are a wonderfully relaxing listen (free) and begin with 'Quarter Share.' If you don't end up listening to them all (more than once) I'll be amazed.

A difficult call. On the one hand their behaviour is outrageous - both the assistant you dealt with, and designing a user interface with a white on white button. On the other hand they're trying to raise money for charity. Hmm. In the UK we have the 'Trading Standards' a governmental authority. They might give them a slap on the wrist and a fine... or not. I'd write to the CEO, and use social media to embarrass them into putting a clearly visible 'opt out' button on the screen. ---------- Where's your Halloween Story, Jason? Post it, do! Like James has, in the Flash Fiction forum. Go on... We're waiting....

Today, I've spent a lot of time berating the cat. She seems to get great pleasure out of waltzing over the keyboard. She also sits on it when I'm making coffee - which means removing rows and rows of odd letters. H seems to be popular, as is K. Other than that it's going well. I'm almost at 8,000 words. I'm hoping they might make sense, too. Who knows? Later.

Talo, if you haven't read any of Michael Arram's 'Peacher' series (and it sounds like you haven't), then you're seriously missing out. They're fantastic, and become fantastical, too. The characters intertwine from book to book and grow on you until you can't put them away. The idea of a catalogue is excellent. Liase with Mike and do it!

The House Party by Nigel Gordon 'The House Party' is wonderful. It's the sort of story you'd find in an old hardback anthology you'd lucked upon in a side street bookshop; a bookshop where the owner wears brogues and has leather patches on his rumpled tweed jacket. It reminds me of M. R. James, and Saki. It's a story I'll read again. Don't miss it!

My Mom is a Witch by Cole Parker Cole has written a wickedly funny Halloween treat that is a true paean to coming of age. 'Crack of dawn' - Snort!

Deal!

Sounds like an outline for a novel. Maybe a Grisham type thing: Black-ops are called in when mistakes and omissions are found in a sensitive contract.

Wouldn't that turn a cliffhanger into a hillockhanger? I was thinking some AD bling would be nice. Of course Cole already has the crown, but I could look natty in a small tiara.