Since a few people have asked, just wanted to drop a quick update. I started a new project at work that has to be completed before Dec 31, right. That's not a lot of time, suffice to say my life has been work, eat then sleep and then back to work.

I'm trying finish Antifreeze for the contest. I've had several delays last week and a power failure so I'm behind and need to catch up so I might be unable to comment on all the wonderful things being said. Just know any comment made between now and then are HUGELY appreciated.
*Great Big Hugs All!*
Bailey

I just stumbled across news that Brandy DeWinter has a pair of new stories up. The links are http://www.tigger-n-brandy.net/brandy/nightwind_tnb_format3....
and

Just to let you all know, I am still working on the next Kit and Kin. I am tinkering with it but going is slow. Part of the reason is that another story mugged me and is beating me terribly about the head and shoulders. Terpsi is clearly enjoying the idea of writing a love story about Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley that starts with a torture scene. It's not my fault. Terpsi is a freak.

Writing update

I've been watching comments from people over the years on stories, and some of the comments are accurately pointing out deficiencies in stories - either things that were implied but not obviously so, or things that could have been added for more description. As an example, I did revise "Customer Service" to add fix for Alison, and it was well received. After posting Dear Jenny, I had to do a small revision to Cousin Trouble to get it to sync up with the story line.

Criticism has a bad connotation to it, but it really doesn't have to be taken in a bad way. I will point it out using my own writing as an example.

We all know that when it comes to criticism, one gal's meat is another's poison. But some authors positively encourage criticism.

I might sound like a broken record and frankly I don't give a damn anymore. I'm just really tired of writing and not getting any recognition for it. All I have is writing...there's nothing else. The fact that everyone only seems to care about one thing I write or one genre---whether it be The Center, the CRU or the DarkRealms---as soon as I try to do something different, I get nothing for it. I was super excited about writing The Underappreciated. It was new and fresh and I actually enjoyed writing again. Sadly the last few chapters I've posted have done nothing.

I promised myself--and all of you--that I wouldn't talk about my story or the contest again here, but as with most of my promises, it was a far easier thing to make than to keep.

But I do have a good reason for breaking my promise. I've been spending the last few days--in between medical appointments, Christmas parties, and personal responsibilities--trying to pull together some 17,000 words of story fragments into something coherent. I have enough material in a decent-enough state of completion for the first two installments. From the looks of things, my little story is going to be a novella before I'm through, if not a full-fledged novel.

i've uploaded the next Gaby chapter cept i can't see it and BC crashed whilst i was doing it! To further complicate things i'm bouncing around on a coach so it might want some further work!

ttfn

The story posted today included the tag as being Forced Fem, however I did that so as not to offend some of those who tend not to read stories tagged as such. It's not true that it was forced on the boy unless you consider the fact that it was mother nature that decided for him. Thanks to all that do read it and I hope you enjoyed it. Best wishes for one and all for the holiday and an extended thanks to the staff of B.C. Joe

I was going to write this in a way where it appeared everyone had the same view I did, but since I don't know how everyone feels about the situation, I will just write on my view of the situation.

This is an interesting article from a member of the LDS church. I first saw it on Facebook when a member that I know here in the Portland area posted it. I don't really know how to handle the news, and I hope that those who are passing it around, don't get hurt. So far as I know, the church does not at all understand the issue, but I will say that they seem to be trying harder to figure it out than any christian group that I know. Sure, there was pain and hardship in the past, but I just want to give them a chance and see where this goes.

I just wonder if other authors do this, and I find myself doing it often from time to time. When I get to procrastinating or lose my drive to write during the night, I go back and read comments from old stories. Also, since I got into the habit of leaving author notes at the end of my postings, sometimes I go back and read those too.

My second story, The Duchess of Arad, was very well received, and that made me very happy! Like many obsessive-compulsive people, I have quirks, and one of those quirks is data, patterns, and figuring out the WHY in things.

I noticed an odd trend in the story stats for Duchess. Chapters 9 and 11 were bypassed quite a bit. I wondered why. It could not be that people hated those chapters, because once you click, love it or hate it, the click was registered as a "hit" regardless.

OK, this is my absolute last word on the upcoming contest. Honest.

Well, as the saying goes, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that I'm still writing.

Has anyone heard from from Bobbie C. as last time she said anything here was that she was back in the Philipines and they just went thru a bad Typhoon there and there are reports of many missing. I just want to know that she is Okay. Thanks!

I really do miss posting stories. I miss reading comments and I miss seeing my kudo count rise as I click my story page 10 times an hours to see how things are progressing. I live for that sort of validation and I'm getting absolutely none. (Okay, maybe a little as one of my beta readers builds me up).

Well i'm away for the next week but i've uploaded a new Gaby chapter for you and for those that haunt my site there's an update there too.

Does anyone know if Jenny Walker is working on anything new?

As we drift towards 1900, I suppose it's apposite for me to enquire as to whether my readers want me to continue the saga, assuming Erin is happy to continue filling up her servers with my nonsense.

I'm no Cyclist, and the story I'm writing isnt likely to be as good as "Sweat and Tears", but .... well ... you'll guys see when its finished.

Sorry no YHIAW tonight, I'm really under the weather at the mo. Been in bed all day, only got up to take more painkillers and to write this short blog.

Hugs
Sammi