Comment from Pearl Edwards

Excellent

I enjoyed your description of the string quartet piece, I almost felt like I was there in the audience before I watched the video. I'm enjoying this calm before the life storms come blustering in again. Going well, Jim.
cheers,
valda

 Comment Written 12-Aug-2024

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reply by the author on 12-Aug-2024

We'll have a few more fun chapters before it starts to get serious again, so relax and enjoy them, valda. Then buckle up!

Comment from lancellot

Excellent

Yes, it is a feel good and nice. As for the calm before the storm. The reader should at least see storm clouds or smell the ozone in the air. The coming storm has to be forecasted, and not be a complete surprise, otherwise, most readers will never get there. In other words, you need to build tension. IE: Star Trek 2.

 Comment Written 10-Aug-2024

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reply by the author on 10-Aug-2024

Well, Lance, I was hoping to forestall criticism from you about how coochi-coo nice everything was going with that note in red, just to let folks know that it won't all be like this. But now you're complaining that I've got to signal way in advance that trouble might be coming.
I can't win with you! :)

Actually, I will be forecasting the storm beginning in chapter 28, but the climax of it doesn't occur until chapter 31, so there will be plenty of advance warning.

Can you slog through three more chapters of niceness before we get to the good part? There will be a few laughs along the way.

Comment from Debbie D'Arcy

Excellent

Well, we should all know that things will inevitably change for Brian. That's part and parcel of the story which is so enjoyable (although we shouldn't really enjoy people falling!) I see you decided against a Skype sex chapter:)) But what an emotional ending! I almost got quite teary myself they're so in love aren't they? Well done, Jim. Looking forward to the next chapter. Take care Debbie

 Comment Written 08-Aug-2024

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reply by the author on 09-Aug-2024

Thanks, Debbie. It's going to take all that love to see them through what will eventually come. Their relationship is the real heart and soul of this story, but it didn't start out that way when I conceived of the story and started writing it.

I hadn't given much thought at all to Julia's character. She just sort of grew into the story, but their relationship has become one of my favorite parts.

Comment from royowen

Excellent

Don't worry I like feel good stuff, I've never really matured in my reading since I was a boy, I've found a former threesome online I enjoyed watched as a kid, the three stooges, I love slapstick it will give you an idea of my lack of maturity, beautifully written, blessings Roy

 Comment Written 08-Aug-2024

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reply by the author on 08-Aug-2024

I love the stooges too, as well as Laurel and Hardy and Abbott and Costello.

I guess I prefer feel-good movies and books over solid action-packed adventures, but the best ones are a combination of both. That's what I'm striving for here, but maybe the scale is tipped in favor of the feel-good parts.

reply by royowen on 08-Aug-2024

You have great perception Jim keep it up

Comment from jmdg1954

Excellent

If I can be honest, I wasn't thinking so much of the feel-good story as you put it in your note, but I'm chomping at the bit for more action. It's taking a long time to see where this is going. That's just me as the reader.

The writing is good, up to snuff, I guess I need more of the way the book started.

Hopefully that made sense to you and it was not written to offend!

Cheers,
John

 Comment Written 08-Aug-2024

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reply by the author on 08-Aug-2024

Oh, not at all, John. More action is certainly coming soon. And the pace will pick up after that. I promise.

As a little preview, we are just over halfway through the book, although this is a guess, because it isn't finished yet. Part 1 ends with chapter 34, so we've got 10 chapters until then, and beginning around chapter 28, we get another crisis situation beginning. Between now and then there is some more feel good stuff, but I think you'll like it because of some of the humor that's coming.

The coming crisis takes a few chapters to resolve, and then you'll start to get a real good feel for how the story will go following that, and it will be a steady drive to get there. You've got a lot of hints of the direction already, but the real drive toward it starts with chapter 33, right before the end of Part 1. Between now and then, I've got to lay the groundwork for it. Hopefully you will find it interesting enough so you'll want to keep going.

Comment from barbara.wilkey

Excellent

I am worried if things don't work out between these two it could cause a horrible backlash that Brian struggles getting over. I do remember that some time down the road Sandi reenters the picture. I am liking this story.

 Comment Written 08-Aug-2024

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reply by the author on 08-Aug-2024

Thanks, Barbara. Not sure where you got that idea about Sandi, but I've been toying with the idea of doing it in the same way I brought Tina back at the end of What We See. Maybe that's what you were thinking of.

reply by barbara.wilkey on 08-Aug-2024

Hmm, who knows.

Comment from Pam Lonsdale

Excellent

How did you find a picture featuring a young redhead that looks like your character?

You kissed enthusiastically? How about passionately:-)

I understand this is the calm before the storm because I read the introduction, and that was a shit storm!

I enjoyed the dialogue, Jim. It moves the story along and gives us lots of information. And feelings. And sex:-)

Thanks for the share.

xo
Pam

 Comment Written 08-Aug-2024

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reply by the author on 08-Aug-2024

Thanks so much, Pam.

A little bit of photo-shopping to move her head onto this picture in place of the real girl's head. Actually I didn't use PhotoShop, which I don't have, but I was able to do it with just Word in combination with Paint, plus a snipping tool (all Microsoft products that come with a PC platform computer at no extra charge). You could probably do it with similar Apple products if you prefer that platform. It's time consuming but fun to do.

Oh, there will be a shit storm before that one in the Prologue, coming fairly soon. Then it will settle down again until that one.

Comment from Wayne Fowler

Excellent

Well done.
But... (smiley face here) I think it's unfair, unsafe, and chivalrous for Brian to ask/allow Julia to make the drive one-for-one. My wife and I did a 121 mile back-and-forth through the Ozarks for a time. I did the drive about ten to one. And most of the times that she drove, we met half way where we could park her car safely and I brought her to my place and returned her to her car. That served to increase our tie together as well as to decrease Ozark Mountain driving stresses on her.

 Comment Written 08-Aug-2024

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reply by the author on 08-Aug-2024

Aren't you the chivalrous one! (Smiley face here.) At least he wasn't too insistent about it; he merely said, "Any chance you might pay us a visit...." As it turns out, she is kept too busy at Juilliard and can't really take off during the year, but it works out because her school ends a week before his, and she's able to drive the 2-hour trip easily from her home in NC at the end of the semester.

My wife and I met in college, and we lived about 90 minutes apart (she in NJ, me on Long Island). We used to visit each other every weekend during the summers. We would alternate going to each other's house, but that trip became routine for both of us.

I know exactly what you mean about increasing the tie between us.

Comment from Karen Cherry Threadgill

Excellent

The music was super. I had to quit at 5 minutes. Too much sound. I know the slow sweet stuff sets us up for the despair. I will keep reading. Good strong work here. Karen

 Comment Written 08-Aug-2024

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reply by the author on 08-Aug-2024

Thanks very much, Karen. I haven't listened to the whole thing either, but bits and pieces of it, but what a piece!

reply by Karen Cherry Threadgill on 08-Aug-2024

From my viewpoint what they were getting their bodies to do was almost painful to watch. They must ache from stem to stern after that stuff.Thanks for the clip my utube has it now so I can listen whenever I want. Thanks. Karen

reply by the author on 08-Aug-2024

I know what you mean. Isn't it amazing how much they move their bodies when playing? I guess it helps them really feel the music.

reply by Karen Cherry Threadgill on 08-Aug-2024

When the concert is over they will need massages and pain pills. :-)

Comment from lyenochka

Excellent

I'm enjoying the calm because I remember how the book began I'm worried about how everything so perfect in this relationship is going to be ruined by the upcoming addiction. Thanks for including the music so we know more what the music was like. It sounds challenging to play!
By the way, I hope Brian's back doesn't go out on him for making this long drive.

 Comment Written 08-Aug-2024

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reply by the author on 08-Aug-2024

The reason for the disclaimer was that I know there will be a few reviewers who will go "ho-hum" with this chapter, but it's called pacing. In a life such as Brian's, there are ups and downs, and you must give equal attention to both parts for a believable story I think.

Thanks for understanding that.