Jashley13

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and are comfortably digesting without putting yourselves through too much stress for holiday shopping. Didn't do any shopping myself, if only because I still have nightmares from when I worked retail on Black Friday. Anyway, it's time to do the Reality Check: - Craig talking with Jack after a period of silence happened way more often than I would have liked in high school. Personally, I absolutely despise the silent treatment and always did my best to talk out anything bothering me with my friends...which put me in the tiny minority of people who actually did. As such, I basically had to wait for them to come to me. - The character I based Rhona off of actually did have a 'title' she liked being referred to as, although I never did. Like Jack, I once called her by her 'title' to basically placate her and she immediately jumped down my throat. I thought she would have liked it but apparently it wasn't 'me'. - My cousin just recently got a boyfriend (different name) and the conversation went pretty much exactly like how Jack and Tara's did, with some slight alterations. - Jack's conversation with Amanda about trying to get Joe back as a friend was based off a similar one I had with a female friend of mine when I asked her if it was okay to still be friends with her ex-boyfriend (he hadn't cheated on her but it was a nasty breakup). Originally, I had planned for this conversation to be with Belle, but...well, the story didn't turn out that way (much to my surprise). It's always kind of nice when the story can surprise you. - My family never had a Thanksgiving get-together the same size as the one the Hannigans did in this chapter (my family lived very far from our nearest family member), but the topic of my college choice was one that dominated the Thanksgiving of my Junior year. - Jack's use of the website, it's content, and it's result are all exactly how I chose my college, though I actually made my decision back in 8th grade and never saw a reason to change it. Work on Chapter 45 is going well and I'm hoping to get two more chapters out before the end of the year. Just so you all know, Chapter 45 is going to be the last chapter of the Fracture Saga, but the first chapter of the next saga (whose title I will keep to myself for right now) is a necessary one to get out as soon as possible and I think it's a fitting chapter to end the year on. Also, I will be taking a road trip with my wife at the end of December for a week, meaning I will not be able to write or update. Just figured I'd let you guys know. Hope you're all doing well and I'll see you again soon

Hey everyone! So I was making my yearly list of the things I'm most thankful for and the shortlist basically goes like this: my beautiful wife, my friends, my health...and all of you. As much as I love my story, I doubt I'd have been inclined to continue it without all of you here to read and support me. I never thought, when I started this series, that it would go this long, nor that it would get the response and support that it has. You are all wonderful readers and it's such a joy to read your thoughts and theories, even if they are completely insane. It's the greatest feeling an author can have to know that his fan scan stick around so long after the story has started and still enjoy it just as much as they did when it started. So this Thanksgiving, I'm giving a big shout-out to all of you. You're all wonderful fans, amazing readers, and close friends. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I hope you're all spending it without someone important to you. Love, Joe

Chapter 44 is up! So glad I was able to get this out in time for Thanksgiving. I was a little worried towards the end that I might need to redo a particular section but everything came together very nicely. Not a long message since I'm posting this just after getting off night shift so I'm headed to bed. Hope everyone enjoys and hope you're all doing well. See you again soon!

Tomorrow

Hey everyone Next chapter is almost finished and should be posted by this weekend

Hey everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates (again) but I've been working like crazy. My wife and I are planning to take a trip to visit the Midwest at the end of December so I've been working extra to save money. Hasn't stopped progress on the story but I am sorry that the updates here have been lacking. Hasn't stopped me from reading all of your posts and theories. Always a treat! Anyway, onto the Reality Check for the past two chapters: - Jack's voyeuristic streak is somewhat of a personal confession. I haven't experienced it the way he has but I am self-aware enough to know that I probably would have reacted the same way were I in the same situation. It was difficult writing about it but it has introduced new dynamics for the character. - The prom night (sans the sex parts) is almost exactly like how my Junior prom was. - Jack dancing with Rhona is based off of something I did with a high school coworker of mine at my last job (she was 17, I was 22 so there was no funny business). She'd been unable to attend prom so I gave her a short dance to the music over the PA system. Wasn't great music but it was something, at least. - What happened at Craig's party is a combination of something that actually happened at a Halloween party I attended and something that happened with a couple of guys I knew (their reactions were identical to Joe and Sam's) - Likewise, Jack's fears of how the school would react once they heard all about it were very similar to my own. - The way Jack described Catcher in the Rye was exactly how I described it to my English teacher after we were done reading it. My feelings on it have changed since then. My teacher was delighted with my response. - I had a blowup like Jack's when I finally had enough of my campaign buddy's obsession. It may have been almost word-for-word, come to think of it. Hope everyone's doing well and keeping warm. I know the winter is coming on fast (Winter is Coming) so hope you're all bundled up and ready for the holidays. I'm going to endeavor to get the next chapter out before Thanksgiving. See you all soon! On a more sober note, please send your best thoughts and prayers to the people of France. I don't know if I have any French readers but I have had a couple of friends in France (they are safe) but let's come together just for a little bit and keep them in our thoughts. <3

Hey everyone! Chapter 43 is up! First of all, thank you Chester57 for noticing that discrepency. Don't know how that slipped past me, but it's been fixed. Second, sorry this one took a little longer but it just drained me. Every time I wrote it, I had to stop every few pages and just take a breath. Yeah, this was another emotionally taxing chapter. Hopefully that doesn't sacrifice quality. Sorry for the lack of updates but, in addition to being emotionally drained, I've also been physically drained. I've been working more to save money for the holidays so I've been having less time to sleep and...well, in addition to the emotional drain, I've been feeling twice my age. Ugh. Still, I've been perservering through it, though I may take a couple of days off before starting the next chapter. Hope you're all well, hope you all had a good Halloween, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!

Hey everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates but there's been a huge surge at work and I've had a couple of six-day weeks with 11-hour shifts xP Needless to say, it's been wearing on me. However, things have started to stabilize and I'm catching up on sleep. The next chapter is nearing the end but there's a few big plot points I still have to hit and I can't just hit them without proper context and atmosphere so I will hopefully have it up by this weekend. Also, no Reality Check for the last chapter since I want the events of last chapter and this chapter to meld together so I can talk about the whole picture. Hope you all are well, hope you had a great Halloween, and I'll see you soon.

Happy Halloween everyone! Hope you all have a great night!

Chapter 42 is up! Wow...I'm actually surprised I was able to get a chapter this long out as quickly as I did. Sometimes it all just flows together. Hopefully that same speed translates to all my other chapters because I'm feeling kind of on a roll. I know I said I worried a bit about burning out and, even though that's still a legitimate worry of mine, I'm not letting it deter me from my work. I will work my hardest to give you the best I can. You guys are the best readers/fans ever and I'm so thankful that you're enjoying this as much as you are. Hope you all enjoy and I'll see you again soon

Tomorrow

Hey everyone! So apparently I've been visited by the Writing Fairy, since I've been writing like crazy the past week or so, averaging about 8-10 pages a day. If all goes well, I should have the new chapter posted on Thursday morning...kind of a tall order since I still have a ways to go in the chapter but that's the goal. By the way, I don't want this to alarm anyone, but I've recently acquired a nagging fear of burning out. I've been churning out these chapters on kind of a regular basis and, honestly...I still don't feel any fatigue. I can't make myself rest; I just have to keep writing. No fatigue or anything but I'm constantly worried that it'll hit me and it'll be a month before I can recover. Should that happen, I promise to let you all know. I'm doing my best to avoid that possibility but... Anyway, here's hoping I can plow right through to the end!

Hey everyone! With perpetual lateness, here is the Reality Check: - Jack's confrontation of Joe and Sam is based on a confrontation I had with a friend of mine when I caught him cheating on his girlfriend. It was not with another guy but it was almost word-for-word the same confrontation. - The website Belle used to suggest colleges is based on the one I used to find my own college. Which one did I choose? You'll just have to wait - Think Craig's campaign talk is a little repetitive and annoying? I'm slicing down what I had to deal with with another buddy of mine who wanted to run. - Jessica approaching Jack is actually a reverse for me: I was the one who approached someone I'd been kind of a dick to and offered friendship. They didn't exactly accept me right away, but gradually warmed up to me. - I want to make a special note here, especially based on one of the reviews my story got: I don't hate Catcher in the Rye. All of Jack's feelings towards it are how I felt while I was reading it in school. I've since read it again and, even though I still think Holden is spoiled and whiny little brat, I really enjoy it. - Are the bleachers a little cliché? Absolutely...but the people at my school never got the memo. Seriously, they were doing so much stuff under there, I figured the janitors were getting a little bonus just to have to clean it up. I'm plowing through the next chapter but it looks like it's going to be a long one. A long one. Like, Chapter 15 long. So I'll try to have it up by next week but I can make no promises. It's an 'event' chapter with two separate long sections. I tried splitting them into two chapters but couldn't find a way to do so naturally, so together they go. I'll try to get it out as fast as I can. Sidenote: nivek_88 is one chapter away from finishing An Incest Birthday. As someone who was reading it from the first time it came out, I'm sorry to see it end. Granted, I have many issues with the story, but something that has been going for that long certainly deserves recognition. I'll be sorry to see it end and I kind of hope he posts a subsequent story of their future together. Hope to see you all soon! And don't worry...this series is nowhere near over

Chapter 41 has been posted! Holy crap, how did I get this one done so fast? I mean, relatively speaking. I can't forget that, initially, I had Chapters 1, 2, and 3 all up in a matter of four days so I'm not working at my peak efficiency, but I'm still stunned I was able to get this one done this fast. Hopefully nothing has been sacrificed in the way of quality. I don't want to promise that all chapters will be coming out this quickly but...well, frankly, I'm really enjoying writing this part and I can't wait to see exactly where it's headed (I kind of know, but the journey will write itself). Sorry for not updating much but I will be making my best effort to fix that. Hope you're all well!

New chapter tomorrow surprised? I am too

Hey everyone! Finally got a break in packing to bring you the Reality Check: - Can't count the number of times I saw a high school cast list and went, "Really? I got cast and this person didn't?" or "Why the hell did they go with that person and not me?" It was bullshit. - Ms. Locke is pretty much still going through what my teacher did my Junior year (explanation in the next chapter) - Matt is based, almost down to the name, on a friend I made the same way. Won't say his significance yet but I really did want to include him. That's all for right now. We're getting hurricane warnings over here so my wife and I are battening down the hatches to stay safe. Shouldn't be too bad. Next chapter is coming along well and should hopefully have it out soon. Hope you're all doing well and stay safe. You guys rock!

Hey everyone! Chapter 40 is up! Wow...how did I get this up so quickly? Wish I could get them all out like this. Or even quicker. Here's hoping! First official chapter from the new residence! Not much more to say except that I hope you enjoy and I'll be back soon with the Reality Check. Hope you all enjoy!

Hey everyone! Sorry this took a little while to get here but, you know, unpacking and everything. Still a ways to go but at least the process is started. Anyway, Reality Check for Chapter 39! - Like Chapter 38, the vast majority of the school stuff is exactly what happened on my second day of Junior year in high school. Aside from minor changes to protect the innocent, the details, personalities, and words of the teachers are taken basically verbatim from real life. - My school actually did Alice in Wonderland my Sophomore year of high school, rather than my Junior year, but this helps coincide with my decision to set the story beginning in the second year of high school rather than the first (a decision I do not regret). - Ms. Locke's issues...well, not to give anything away, but they're very much based on my high school teacher and what happened to her. I have a lot more sympathy for my teacher now than I did back then, probably because I was a dumb teenager. Chapter 40 is progressing well, almost to the point that, if my mind is in the right place, I might get it completed tonight I know, right? When did I get such speed? Obviously, I'm not going to plow through to the end and ignore quality but I'm in the home stretch of the chapter and can totally see myself finishing it up and being able to post it tomorrow morning. If not, then it will certainly be up by Sunday morning (I have a couple of days off I need to spend making myself useful around the house). Hope you're all doing well! See you tomorrow (hopefully)! P.S. I'm really liking all the sympathy Belle is getting, not just because of her situation, but because people seem to genuinely like her. That's good. I always like knowing that my characters are liked by the readers. What's gonna happen? You'll just have to keep reading.

Hey everyone! First official post from the new house! A huge thank-you to Chester57 for spotting the error with the name. No excuse except I was exhausted as all Hell while writing the chapter. Just getting everything packed and ready was killing my sleep schedule and I'm still working to get all that sleep back. The errors have been corrected. Thanks to such a dedicated reader! New chapter is proceeding along better than I expected and I hope to have it up in the next week. Hope you're all doing well!

Chapter 39 is up! This is another milestone chapter, not because of what's in the chapter necessarily, but more because...well, it's my last chapter I'm posting from where I live now. I've been posting chapters while living in this apartment for over a year now but, thankfully, the wife and I are moving to a house so, now, hopefully I'll get a bit more inspiration from being able to sit on the back deck with a beer and some nibbles and not have to deal with shrieking pot-smokers two feet away. Ah, the joys of life. We hope to be moved in by Friday so you probably won't hear anything from me until then, but I'll still be starting work on Chapter 40 (holy crap...Chapter 40! And I didn't think I'd make it to Chapter 4!) See you all soon!

New chapter should be up tomorrow. Here's hoping!

Hey everyone! So, quick update, my wife and I just got a house We're beyond excited. We're finally able to move out of our apartment and the pot-smoking neighbors, thwumping bass of the nightly 'parties' around us, and the crazy basement lady who hisses at me whenever I pass her! Now, what does this mean for the story and release dates? Most likely nothing. Updates on the forum might be slow in coming but the work will continue as planned. I'm looking to release the next chapter this weekend but I will update as I know more. Don't mean to brag or anything but we're just beyond excited to move on with the next phase of our lives, since we were waiting for a house before having a child We shall play it by ear but we're just happy to have the opportunity. Updates to follow. Hope to be back soon

Hey everyone! Reality Check time! - Okay, so, this might be the easiest one yet: basically everything in this chapter actually happened. Names have been changed and some lines and details are different (obviously I wasn't in a relationship at the time) but aside from that, virtually everything that happened in the chapter was exactly like my first day of Junior year. That actually made writing this chapter a little difficult, since I had to remember a lot of stuff and make it fit, but...yeah, that's really all I've got. I'm plowing through ahead with the next chapter. Bit of a slow start (an apology was put in and that had the awkwardness an apology like that would always have) but it's starting to pick up a bit. Second day of school, plus the audition to come And by the way, I LOVE all the theories. I wish there was a way to just mix them all in together into a gigantic 'WTF!' I've got the end goal in mind but I won't go so far as to say all the tiny details have been worked out so feel free to suggest and imagine See you all soon!

Chapter 38 is posted Just realized...this chapter is kind of a milestone. I've posted exactly as many chapters on this site as I had on xnxx. Well...technically. Chapter 19 was only up on xnxx for about a day before I got the death threat and had to take it down. So I guess you could say that I've now officially posted more chapters on this site but, either way, a big, big thank-you to AFF for being as helpful and user-friendly as it has been and giving me a place to tell my story where I don't have to worry about threats and trolls all the time Hope you all enjoy the chapter. Weird that we're back in school but this year promises to be a big one! See you soon!

New chapter tomorrow