From the beginning, I thought this would be a great cheesy romance story, but of course you killed it at the end. You get my EVIL stamp.

The moment Alex and Dan met, I thought it was sweet. You didn't give away too much, but sweet little moments like staring too long, or Alex waiting for Dan to answer for the both of them-- it was enough to tell me that they would end up together, somehow. I didn't know how it would work out, because you skipped over stuff, to let the readers imagine what happened on their own. Sometimes I like that, sometimes I dont: who wants to think?? LOL. But I love you, Krista, so I'll think and fill in the blanks myself.

When Alex went to Dan's room and they kissed, I could sense a turning point for Daniel's life. He was happy about their prospective date, and it was only a matter of time before Dan would come out of shell, come out of the closet, open himself up.

Part 3: They were together. Yippee!!! And Daniel was all in love, worrying about Alex's job interview. So sweet. Nice names btw. Michelle and Joe. Hmm...wonder where you got those names from.

I still thought things would turn out happy, especially when Dan and Alex went for a walk, and Alex asked about a family someday and a puppy. They were obviously thinking about the future and talking about it, although vaguely and briefly.

This is random, but I love the name 'Alex.' It seems boyish and fun, but also serious when necessary. I think Alex was that exactly. By the time it started raining, they were playful and then they confessed their feelings. Swooning moment!

Part 4: You crushed my hopes and dreams, Krista. After the whole "it's been five years" part, my heart sank. *tears* Just when things looked so promising between Alex and Dan. Why, why, why???

However, as sad as I am about Alex, I do feel this has a happy ending. Daniel explained it perfectly. Alex saved him in the beginning when Dan was too afraid to come out, and open his heart to love. Then when Alex died, Dan remembered the whole family part, and adopted a son, who again saved his life and the despair of losing Alex. Even if Daniel never finds love again, he has Mattie, and he has his memories of Alex. Not to mention Alex's gift--saving Daniel's life in general.

It still makes me a little sad that after five years, he's crying at Alex's grave, but then again, time doesn't heal all wounds. The ending seems fitting somehow. I couldn't have imagine it any other way, really.

Excellent work, Krista! I feel like I have more to say, but after reading several emtionally draining anthologies, not sure if I have anymore in me...for now. lol.

One thing that is not stated in the story is how long the two of them were together. The five year part is to do with how long since Alex died. We don't know how long after part III that was. I'm a romantic, so I'm hoping it was several years. Krista -- don't tell me otherwise

I found this to be a wonderfully emotional story. Krista has a real talent in bring characters to life, and that showed with the first two parts. I felt I really knew these characters, and I could see very quickly that Alex and Dan would become a couple. Of course, the title helped with that perception But sometimes the journey is just as important as the destination, and this was one of those times. The way the two got to know each other was fascinating.

One thing that I wondered about (idle curiosity) is how many people on that weekend knew that Alex was gay? Chris, I think, was the only one who was explicitly mentioned, but did Emily? She seems to have set things up so there would be three 'couples' playing Twister -- the newly weds, her and her husband, and Dan & Alex. The coincidence was too much -- I feel she knew, and was doing some quiet matchmaking. If so, kudos to her!

Thanks, Krista!

I want to thank Graeme for all his hard work on this Special Anthology. I want to also thank Steph for all the hard work she put into my Anthology as it was rushed and last minute when I finished it so a really big thanks to her. I also want to thank Sharon for her read through.


Good work Girls and Graeme.

Toga Twister? Why do I get the feeling that whoever originally thought that one up had ingested large quantities of alcohol? Still, thanks for the idea... I'm totally suggesting it at the next boring party I go to.

That was a good story, Krista. I was so shocked at the end though. I should not have been, but I was. I thought it was going to be a happy ending. There is a certain irony to it though, and irony is a good thing in my book.

Lol. I'm glad you liked it Tiff, even if it was slightly more evil than I usually am. My last Anthology ended happily so I figured I'll "bitter sweet" this one. I do like that you picked up on Alex being someone that allowed Daniel to learn how to live his life fuller and with a lot more fun. Then Mattie being there to fill a void and take him to the next level that he knew he would love to make after he took the step.

It was bitter sweet like I said, and Alex was a character that I didn't want to die, but I stuck to the game plan.

Thanks Tiff!

I won't tell you how long they were together.. lol. I left that out intentionally. Emily is a sneaky one isn't she? Lol.

I'm glad you enjoyed my story Graeme and I was a little worried that these characters wouldn't be as developed since I jumped around in the different parts, but you set my worries at ease.

You never played Toga Twister!! Lol. It's fun.


Thanks for reading the story.

Aww it wasn't a happy ending to you Tim? I thought it was happy enough. Alex showed him how to come alive and then Mattie fulfilled his life on a whole different level... it's ok to be sad, but I wouldn't call it a sad ending.

Compared to what other stories of yours I have read, it is not quite as happy. I'll put it that way. Still, it was a great story.

I have a few happy endings and a few sad endings.. lol. I like a happy mixture in my writing. I wanted Alex to live, but I also know I should stick with game plans... haha.. I know, pretty bad, but at least the ending was better than most my other endings.

An excellent story, Krista, but a most unhappy ending.

I will be reading your other stories soon and looking for happy times.

Thanks.

Thanks for liking my story and reading it Mike!

You are mean. Why couldn't they live happily ever after? With the kid and the dog?

Aww... I'm sorry! It wasn't meant to be though. I do have a difficult time killing off characters that I grow fond of... but eh, writing happy endings all the time can get a bit boring?


I'm so glad you read my story though! I hope you liked it, even if you wanted a happier ending.

Hey Krista, look, I'm reviewing!

As usual, I liked your vibrant characters and voice. You can actually write fluffy scenes that hold my attention. I like Alex's introduction. None of this "I saw him ... and his sexy eyes ... and beautiful lips .. and I knew we would be together" crap. It's all the more effective for being so straightforward and honest. Another aspect I like is how integrated the gay characters in full-blooded life -- i.e., none of this stuck in their own gay little world thing. It's gay people functioning with straight people and as normal human beings.

As for the ending... yikes! Didn't see it coming. It was honest and painful, but it also left me with a sense of, Wait -- what?? I'd have liked some sort of foreshadowing, because I think that'd have made it stronger.

Nice work.

I like to write characters that just happen to be gay.. lol. The world doesn't have to evolve around them, just them being part of it is good enough. I'm glad you caught on to that. Aw, foreshadowing? What's that? lol. If I foreshadowed the ending wouldn't have been a surprise!

I'm glad you read and reviewed Corvus. I'm glad you liked my characters.

Good observation, Graeme!


I disagree with this statement! What do you mean 'full-blooded life' instead of 'their own gay little word'?

I have a few straight people in my life but the overwhelming majority are definitely GLBT. It seems perfectly normal, and definitely 'full-blooded' to me.



I was quite surprised by the ending as well!

It was a good story, Krista. It felt like you manged to capture nearly all of Dan's life in the span of one short story! Awesome job! The characters definitely were full and vibrant!

Well done

-Kevin

Thanks for reading Kevin. To tell the truth I was really worried about the characters as they seemed to be introduced quickly and then not brought back.. Like Angela, Emily, Steve and etc from the first part. I had a short time to develop them and even a shorter time developing Alex's character as well as Michelle's to make them believable.

I have never skipped around in a story, and I've never done a flashback style. So I was worried about failing miserably with those two aspects of this particular short story.

Evutally I knew I would read this one


Im still reading it, So far Im loving it's different from the other ones you have wrote. I feel for dan wanting to find that "special" guy, mother trying to hook him up with that girl. Dan's cousin seems really fun


thought it was a fitting ending Did he coming out went well with his mom and dad, I take it Alex adopted him first then after alex died..... or was looking to adopt him before his death. A new chapter has begun in Dan's life rasising matt and maybe finding a new guy.

Thanks for reading Drew!

Yeah, Dan's life after the death of Alex is to raise Mattie, but I would hope that even though Alex was special and very important to Dan that he would eventually fall in love with someone else. If I was going to continue this story I would HAVE to have a happy ending for Dan, but since I'm not, lol.. We can only hope that if we knew a Dan in real life (wasn't that the title of a movie?) or a person in Dan's situation and time in life would find someone else to love.

He did come out, it wasn't put into any detail, but his Mother knew that Alex and Dan was a couple so... that's the only thing I supplied for any word on his "closet status" lol.

Krista, you could always do what CJ is doing with one of his and make it into a series.

I understand what both of you are saying, and you're both right.

What corvus was saying, I think, is that there are lot of stories where the 'world' that the characters live in isn't realistic -- it's too much their 'own little gay world'. That doesn't mean that someone can't live in a 'gay world', because Kevin, largely, does. But that world has to be real. For some stories, the world is very unreal (eg. how many stories about teenagers seem to be very void of parents?)

One of Krista's great strengths is that she writes in a very 'real' world. In this case, that's where there is a mixture of characters who just happen to be gay or straight. I'm sure she could also write in a 'real' world where most of the characters are GLBT. It is just a matter of the setting. If there is a logical reason for most of the characters to be GLBT (and I can think of quite a few), then that's realistic. If there's no logical reason for most of the characters to be GLBT (eg. a bunch of strangers sharing a cabin on a summer camp, that all just happen to be gay), then that's not realistic.

Lol, I already have too many series in the works. BUT after everything is finished... and I'm still in the writing mood I would be interested in continuing this one.

Yeah, I only write real world stories, I like real-seeming characters with real problems. So the characters always drive the story, and I enjoy writing the straight characters as much as the gay ones.