Comment from T B Botts

Excellent

Hello Jim,
I would be worried about letting a false news story get out in circulation. As you know, it doesn't have to be true to have folks believe it is. It could certainly damage the profits for Brian. This all sounds totally plausible. It's just like big business to want to gain an edge, lawfully or not. I'll never understand why money has such a hold on people. When is enough enough? Well done buddy.
Blessings,
Tom

 Comment Written 04-Jan-2025

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reply by the author on 04-Jan-2025

And I just hate the tendency of the media to cite only a single source which may or may not be accurate but supports their preconceived notions when they make their ridiculous claims about things.

I agree with you about big business and the ruthlessness some of them display, especially those who curry favor with the government, trying to get an unfair advantage. It also seems hard to justify many of the unconscionably large salaries some of these CEOs make, which seems like more than they deserve, especially if their companies aren't doing well.

Comment from Pam Lonsdale

Excellent

Nice dis on the state of the media these days:-(

Things do have a way of working out. What is the old saying? Sometimes when a door closes, a window opens? I try to always keep in mind that inconveniences and disappointments can be just what we needed in the big picture of life.

Another good chapter, Jim. You sure know how to write from a woman's perspective.

xo

 Comment Written 02-Jan-2025

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reply by the author on 02-Jan-2025

I wouldn't have met my future wife if the plumbing in my college dorm cafeteria hadn't clogged up, causing my friends and me to have to go to another dorm for dinner one night. We went down to a girls' dorm and ate there instead. That's where I met my wife--on the end of the food line. I'd say the inconvenience of the long walk down there ended up being worth it!

Regarding your last remark, I'd say my wife has a significant role in that. I read every chapter to her after I write it, and she keeps me on my toes in that regard--and others.

reply by Pam Lonsdale on 03-Jan-2025

What a great story about how you met your wife:-)

Comment from Ric Myworld

Excellent

Yes, it is truly "funny how things work out" in life, or don't. More times than not, we end up at the mercy of everything that happens around us, despite any of our own efforts. LOL. Thanks for sharing.

 Comment Written 01-Jan-2025

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reply by the author on 01-Jan-2025

Sad, but so often true. That makes me think of the Dr. Seuss book Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo in which a little bug sneezes and sets off a chain of events that affects a whole town in ways no one would have predicted at the start of the day.

Whether the path through life is one of directed purpose, serendipity, divine providence, fate, or just plain chance, who knows? We take what we get and try to be happy with it.

Comment from Carol Hillebrenner

Excellent

It is interesting how the people who are going to help Brian got together, and all because Fran needed her floor refinished. Abby and Brian seem to be getting along well with the most complicated part of the problem. Have a wonderful 2025.

 Comment Written 31-Dec-2024

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reply by the author on 01-Jan-2025

Well, I met my wife at college because the plumbing in my dorm's cafeteria was on the fritz, and we had to go to a different dorm for dinner one night. That's where I met her. If not for the plumbing, we may have never met. I think they call that serendipity.

Hey, Happy New Year to you, Carol.

Comment from Cecilia A Heiskary

Excellent

Jim,

This story is moving right along. I'm trying to rack my brain about what this company would do to get the FBI involved with. I'm sure you know the answer to that.

Great job my friend. Keep writing.

Cecilia

 Comment Written 31-Dec-2024

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reply by the author on 01-Jan-2025

We'll find that out pretty soon. Dana may have a little hand in getting things moving.

Thanks so much for your loyal reading of this story, Cecilia.

Comment from LJbutterfly

Excellent

We're on Dana's side. We want her to be able to retrieve information, but we don't want her to seem suspicious. Abby seems as invested and interested as Brian in the project. They have a long way to go, but I'm looking forward to every detail.

It's amazing how things often come together as they should. Some call it Divine Intervention.

 Comment Written 31-Dec-2024

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reply by the author on 01-Jan-2025

Divine intervention, serendipity, good luck? Who really knows? I like to tell the story of how I met my wife at college. It's because I had to find another dorm to eat dinner at one night because the plumbing at our cafeteria was all backed up. She was at the end of the food line when I went down to the girls' dorm to eat. We started chatting, and here I am--married to her for 51 years now.

Comment from Karen Cherry Threadgill

Excellent

The tapestry of our life. We are made up of many. many threads. Sometimes we are right where we are meant to be, sometimes we have to hunt for our place. I was not looking for Fan story when I found it. But it arrived just when I needed it. Ain't life a kick? Love to you and yours. Karen

 Comment Written 31-Dec-2024

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reply by the author on 01-Jan-2025

Life certainly is. It's amazing the way things seem to happen sometimes. And you never can tell what some seemingly small event may have a major impact on your life. That was one of the themes in the first novel I posted on FanStory, Some Call It Luck.

In that story, the finding of an old muddy golf ball on the edge of a pond set a course of action in motion that changed an alcoholic down-on-his-luck, 38-year-old golf caddy's life. That and meeting a beautiful redhead half his age who became his best friend. That was Abby when she was just 20. He eventually became a professor of computer science at Penn State University.

reply by Karen Cherry Threadgill on 01-Jan-2025

One day when I have time, I will read it. Happy New Year.
Karen

Comment from Wendy G

Excellent

Another good read, and I like the way you give the different points of view, so we can see the contribution of each and their thoughts about their contributions. It's like seeing their individual personal diaries, but gives insight into their characters. Well done. Well written.
Wendy

 Comment Written 31-Dec-2024

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reply by the author on 01-Jan-2025

Thanks so much, Wendy. This is why I love writing in first person, even when it entails multiple characters. I love to get inside their heads and voice their thoughts.

Comment from royowen

Excellent

We have a name for supposed encounters that seem to have the convenience of accidental, but very 'lucky' connections to a dire need that we have, we call them divine appointments, we pray for these things all the time, backed up by historical evidence. Beautifully written, blessings Roy

 Comment Written 31-Dec-2024

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reply by the author on 31-Dec-2024

Thanks so much, Roy. Hope you have a very Happy New Year!

reply by royowen on 31-Dec-2024

Well done Jim

Comment from Debbie D'Arcy

Excellent

You are to be commended here, Jim, for all the thought and research gone into this story. Dana is getting some valuable information on Big Pharma's smear campaign and it would be just a matter of time before their activities would justify the involvement of the FBI. Meanwhile, discussions continue and work is being carried out with the express purpose of adapting the drug to make it unfit for consumption. It's all a complex operation but so far things appear to be going to plan. Thank you for sharing, Jim, and a very Happy New Year to you! Debbie

 Comment Written 31-Dec-2024

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reply by the author on 31-Dec-2024

Thank you so much, Debbie. It's encouraging to know that the research is paying off in making an authentic-sounding tale. I'm way out of my experience and comfort zone with a lot of this, hence all of the research, but I've found it to be fun to learn how the world works. You have to have at least a little bit of knowledge to ask the right questions, but it's fun to try to incorporate what I've learned into the story.

Hope you have a very Happy New Year too, Debbie.