Jashley13

Hey everyone! So, back from my mini vacation and caught up on rest so it's Reality Check Time: - Actually, this one is a complete coincidence: Kayla's surprise for Jack was something I had written literally a day before my wife did the exact same thing. I didn't even tell her about the chapter. How about that? - My buddies and I have a Dude's Day once a month, where we do, in fact, get together at a bar for drinks and wings and general tom-boyishness. The one Jack and his friends went on is very reminiscent of the first one we had, where we were basically asking ourselves, "So what the hell do we do on one of these? - Rhona's attitude is heavily based on the work attitudes and ethics of several people I've worked with, one in particular. I now count them as one of my closest friends so don't be too annoyed with her; trust me, we've just begun to get to know her. - Frank's attitude towards Rhona and holding her spot is also based off the same friend; I don't know how legal it is but there you go. - The tension between the Hannigans is very heavily based on tension I've seen between my parents and my wife's parents. Never a good experience. Now, because we're getting so far in and the story has gone through so many twists and turns, I figure it would be interesting to take a look back on some of the bad ideas I've had regarding the story. Many people wonder at what's going on behind the scene in the story and others wonder what happened and when to make what happen, etc. Obviously, I can't reveal spoilers or stuff that needs to be highlighted for future installments for fear of spoilers (Rhona's brother, for example), but it would be interesting for you and kind of cathartic for me to share the bad ideas that, thankfully, I scrapped before putting them in the story. I'll probably do one per Reality Check, since there aren't as many of them and it's based on past chapters, not the ones that just came out. Occasionally I might put more than one, like if the Reality Check is especially short, but for now it'll be just one. Let's call this segment...Bad Idea Confessional. So, here we go. First Bad Idea Confessional: - It was originally my intention to have Jack force a kiss on Kayla in the first chapter. Well, 'force' may be a bit strong. He was going to surprise her with it. I was planning on having Kayla come home late while he was still up and have him run over to her to check on how she was. She'd reply that she was fine, that the date went great, and that she thinks Craig is a swell guy and all that. Jack, jealous, would then plant a kiss on her so he could claim to have kissed her before Craig did. For obvious reasons, I scrapped it pretty quickly: it made Jack seem like a stalker and would not really lead to a romantic connection, at least not in the way the story needed; not without making it very contrived and rapey. So, yeah, thank God I saw that as the bad idea that it was before it was too late. Have started work on Chapter 32 so hopefully it will be out soon. See you guys soon!

Hey everyone! Chapter 31 actually made it up! This has been an...interesting week, to say the least. There was all the prepping for travelling to my brother's college, getting that squared away with work, finding out Avengers: Age of Ultron was a crushing disappointment, finding out that there's a Taylor Swift song I actually like ("Blank Space", in case you were wondering), fighting off sickness, and, of course, trying to get this chapter finished up before leaving. I'm really happy I was able to so now I don't feel guilty about leaving you guys hanging while I go off-the-radar for a couple days. Reality Check when I get back and hope you all enjoy the chapter

Hey guys! So I'm coming down to the wire on Chapter 31 and honestly have no clue if I'm gonna be able to finish it before I go to my brother's graduation. I'll be gone tomorrow through Sunday morning so if I get it done tonight, it'll be up tomorrow morning before me and my wife leave. If not, then I will be finishing it as soon as I get back and it should be up Monday morning. It all depends on how quickly I can get the last part of the story written. Just had a nice big chunk of the chapter with Rhona in it which I was able to breeze through no problem so hopefully this last section shouldn't take too long but I don't want to make any promises. Fingers-crossed!

Hey guys! Halfway point! I'm really plowing through this one, hoping to get it done by Thursday. I'm going to be out of town Friday-Sunday since it's my brother's college graduation and I would love to get the chapter out before then but we will see. Updates to come.

Hey guys! So, as you know, I took a rather nasty swipe at Cher Lloyd and her abysmal single 'Want U Back' in the last chapter. While I think it was wholly deserved (seriously, the song is so bad I almost want to recommend you listen to it...but I love you guys too much), I don't want to give the impression that I'm some jaded snob about music so I figured I might as well share my Top Ten Favorite Songs, just so you get an idea of what I like and where I come from when I judge music. Wholly subjective of course. Why Top Ten? Well, it's just easier for me to do. I have a Top Ten Favorite Video Games, Top Ten Favorite TV Shows, make a Top Ten Best and Worst Films list each year, etc. Only exception is favorite movies; being a huge film buff, I have a Top Fifty. Yes, I'm that insane. So, for your pleasure, here are my Top Ten Favorite Songs of all time: 1. "Under Pressure"- Queen with David Bowie 2. "Lose Yourself"- Eminem 3. "American Pie"- Don McLean 4. "What About Everything"- Carbon Leaf 5. "Into The West"- Annie Lennox 6. "The Times They Are A-Changin'"- Bob Dylan 7. "The End"- The Doors 8. "Hallelujah"- Rufus Wainwright (I know he didn't technically write the song but his cover is my favorite) 9. "Citizen Soldier"- 3 Doors Down 10. "All Downhill From Here"- A New Found Glory Plenty of Honorable Mentions but those are my personal top ten favorites. Started working on Chapter 31. Have the whole chapter outlined but it's the details that with require the most attention. Hope to get it out quickly but we shall see. Updates to follow!

Hey everyone! Reality Check time - The move-in of Tara's family is almost exactly like how most moves within my family went. My dad was in the Navy, on subs, so we moved quite a bit so I have many memories of moving around with help from the family. - There are not words powerful to describe how much I loathe 'Want U Back' by Cher Lloyd. I think she's an absolutely despicable artist, not just for the song...although the song itself is pretty heinous in ways that get my blood boiling. - Jack's talk with his dad is very similar to how talks with my dad usually go: we both admit that we know we're not going to change the other's mind but at the very least, we can come to a middle ground of understanding. - Jack's talk with Paul about Man of Steel mirrors almost every conversation I've had with people about the film (I love the movie, think it's just as good as The Avengers, and I don't really get a lot of the criticisms against it...but that's just me). - Rhona...I don't wanna say too much about her but she's drawn from two girls I've known in my life, both of whom did not know each other but who were eerily similar. Again, don't wanna give too much away, but I'm actually kind of excited to have her in the story. That's all for right now. Starting Chapter 31 soon so hopefully that should move right along Provided life cooperates, of course

Hey everyone! Chapter 30 is up Hard to believe it's been half as long again since the big fight with Brad. My, how time flies. Thankfully, there seems to be a bit more of a set schedule now so I'm happy to be churning these out on the regular. Another non-sex, establishing chapter so if you wanted some hot-and-heavy action, unfortunately you're going to have to wait. I realize that's two chapters in a row with no sex but I couldn't find a good way to insert it without having it seem forced. Trust me, this will earn its title of 'erotica' back soon so if you really wanted some intimacy, please be patient. Hope you all enjoy the chapter and I'll see you soon for the Reality Check

Welcome back, Chester! Don't give up on the nurse! Pursue that love, man!

@ Guest_Dark_ Yes I have. Enjoyed the first game, though it didn't hold up to multiple playthroughs like Mass Effect. Hated the second one and LOVED Inquisition.

Presque fini. Si tout va bien de ce dimanche

Hey guys! Halfway update Sorry I've been kind of absent from the forums but I've been basically bed-ridden whenever I'm not at work. No clue what it is but I've just been so sore and exhausted that I can barely force myself to move. I'm kind of hoping it's just a change-of-weather bug but it kinda cranked me over the head out of nowhere and laid me out. Even at work I've been having to almost stab myself with pens to keep myself focused. Just a weird time. Anyway, halfway through the chapter so hopefully should have it out within the next week

@Joe Long It's an interesting discussion to have. Frankly, and I know this sounds cliché, it all depends on the person. In the eyes of the law, eighteen is the limit because, as a general consensus within the eyes of commonplace emotional-maturity as it pertains to society, that is a generally agreed-upon limit of maturity after which one may be considered 'adult' enough to make such a decision, at least as it pertains to people older than them. As far as I know, if two sixteen-year-olds or whatever have sex with each other, the law doesn't care. I mean, I'm sure the parents care, but I don't think the police actually get involved unless it's public or one of the participants is over eighteen (unless we consider the rather confusing Romeo-and-Juliet laws, but that's another discussion). Frankly, I knew a LOT more people having sex in high-school and college-years than I do in the 'real world'. You could make the argument that real life and everything is getting in the way, but I'd say part of what makes younger folks so sex-happy is the newness and 'mystery' of it. I hold that no beer or cigarette ever tastes better than when you're too young to have it. Now, of course, with experience comes appreciation so I think that the abundance of sex in younger generations is not a bad thing, but what I will certainly caution my children on is, well, excess. You dull yourself to sex too quickly, how's it gonna be when you meet The One? Don't wanna kill the charm too quickly. There's a fantastic movie with Joseph Gordon-Lovitt called Don Jon that's about that very subject. So...like I said, it's all on the individual. As long as they're being smart and understand what they're doing, I say let them do it, as long as they understand moderation and consequences. And, honestly, I don't think there should be a restriction with stories. As long as the story explains why the characters are doing what they're doing, rather than sex for the sake of sex, then I think it's perfectly fine. As long as the story acknowledges that stuff like that isn't necessarily right or even that common, then whatever happens happens and to deny that something like that has or could happen seems rather dishonest and needlessly restrictive. Also, I must make the point that I made on the blue site: how can loving, consensual sex between slightly younger kids be completely taboo and yet rape, torture, and murder porn be perfectly fine just because the characters are slightly older?

Hey everyone! First of all, before the Reality Check, a couple things. First, a big, enthusiastic welcome-back to DarkRomantics to the forums. Missed having you! Second, congratulations to JohnnyBanana on his official account Welcome aboard. All right, time for the Reality Check! - Jack's tossing of all his old materials is exactly what I did at the end of every school year. Nothing felt better than my heavy-ass backpack now light as a feather and not needing to be filled for several months. - A lot of Kayla's dialogue comes directly from my wife, including most of the zingers. Verbatim. I made sure to ask her permission before I used them. - The pool party was an amalgamation of several pool parties I've had over the years, mostly drawn from one in particular at the end of my Junior year. The conversations and the pool they were at are drawn from that, while other finer details come from other parties. - The description of Tara's house is based very much on the area where my cousin's family used to live, mixed with some of my ideal features of homes I would like to live in once we move. That's all I got for now. I've started work on Chapter 30 and hopefully it should clip along at a nice pace. We shall see. Hope you all are well and see you soon!

Chapter 29 is up!!! Just got off work and couldn't wait to post it before I lay down for a while. Glad I was able to get it up on my wife's birthday too, especially since it's the kind of relaxing, non-angsty chapter I kinda miss writing from around the beginning of the story. Hope it was worth the wait Thank you guys again so much for reading and I'll see you all again soon for the Reality Check and updates on Chapter 30!

Worromot retpahc txen!

Update time! New chapter will definitely be up this weekend Also, no sex this time. Plenty of flirting and teasing but no sex. As someone mentioned a little bit ago, there's really no need for me to keep putting sex scenes into the chapters, especially if I'm just doing it to have them. I've started to realize that I have a lot more freedom here than on xnxx with writing, i.e. a story can just be a story, with the occasional erotic scene. Honestly, it's kind of liberating. Don't worry, I have plenty of plans for stuff coming up, but that's the way it's standing now. And I should also mention this is kind of a 'break' chapter, as in there's not a whole lot of plot development. Basically, it's just Jack and the gang relaxing and taking a moment to breathe. I need it and they need it. Plenty to come but this will be a fairly light chapter in terms of story but it's what I think they need right now. The saga proper will begin the next chapter and even then, since it'll be the Summer Saga, major plot isn't going to be a huge focus, but there will be plenty going on. See you guys soon

@Guest_brokenforever She still wears them. I've just stopped mentioning them as much. Also, almost finished hopefully, should be up by this weekend

@JohnnyBanana I'm so glad to hear that. My prayers and my wife's prayers are still with you and your family If everyone reading this forum can shoot some support and prayers to Johnny and Chester, that would be fantastic. Help them through this tough time and let them know we support them.

Hey everyone! First of all, Chester57...I'm sorry for all your difficulties and I wish you a speedy recovery. Would that the dollar amount of the points I see at the bottom of my posts were real and I'd shoot some over to you to help with bills and such. Sorry, man. Halfway though Chapter 29. This one's gonna be a low-key chapter, just kinda of a nice, relaxing chapter with Jack and everyone to recover from the events of the last saga and transition into the rest of the current one. Won't say whether or not the rest of the saga is gonna be as relaxing but it will certainly be shorter than the other ones (maybe only four or five chapters). Subject to change, of course, but that's the plan for now. Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter and I'll hopefully be getting the next chapter up soon.

A very Happy Easter to everyone Wherever you are and whoever you celebrate it with, I hope you have a good day.

Hey guys! Reality Check time: - The 'Seussical' sequence is pretty much how I remembered it when I saw it my Sophomore year, though I went with my girlfriend at the time. No, that says nothing about the relationship between Jack and Sam, I just wanted Sam there so he and Jack could have their talk. - Running the mile in muggy, ungodly weather is exactly how I remember it. Years later, I still shudder at the thought. - Had to have a chat like Jack had with Nick with a few guys. Not just guys who harassed my wife but guys who harassed my female friends. Never seemed to be in short supply. - All the classes Jack chose were the same ones I chose for my Junior year. - My parents often threatened to lock my brother and I in our bedroom until we learned to get along. - I got my PS3 in college but more than once I bumped into my dad carrying away my PS2 for some sin or other. Always had that 'I'm doing this for your own good' look on his face. I've seen some comments about how 'selfish' or 'annoying' Jack was in this last chapter. All I can say is...please don't judge him too harshly. Trust me, after my friend committed suicide, I was much the same way. In fact, I was worse. I constantly was all up in my friends' business, trying to make sure they were happy and not thinking suicidal thoughts. They weren't but I continuously checked to see whether they were or not. And if a couple I knew was having trouble...let's just say I had more than one person say, "Joe, I love you, but back off." Eventually I started to calm down and accept things but it was quite a while. So, yeah, this whole Saga's been pretty emotional (coming right off the heels of the Tara Saga, just as emotional) so I'm feeling just a tad drained. Don't worry, I've already started the next chapter, first in the Summer Saga, which I promise is going to be a bit lighter and more...not necessarily carefree but relaxing. I need it and I think the characters need it. Not to say there won't be emotions and stuff in the upcoming chapters but it's not going to be the dangling-over-the-precipice level of 'feels' that these past couple of Sagas have been. I think we've all earned a bit of a breather. See you soon!

Chapter 28 is finally, at long last, up. Wow...this was a draining one. Not just because it's the longest chapter I ever wrote (87 pages) but because it culminates pretty much everything that the story has been driving towards not just for this Saga but from the beginning of the story. Once I had completed it, I went back and read Chapter 1 again, basically saying, "Wow...and look where we are now." I was planning on taking a small sabbatical after this chapter, just to recover, but I realized that the best way to recover from something so emotional and draining was...to keep pressing on. I'll probably take a few days off before starting the next chapter but I can say that it'll be a bit more happy and light that the past few have been. Won't spoil anything but it's not going to be anywhere near as heavy. Thank you all so much for your support and kindness through this process. Reading your posts, whether of support or comment, have been a huge boost to my spirits and a major driving force to keep my going. I can honestly say I wouldn't enjoy this anywhere near as much without you guys. You're the best readers an author could have and your loyalty and kindness inspire me to keep going, whether I'm writing a cheerful or a sad chapter. Thank you for the continued support, hope you enjoy this chapter, and I hope it was worth the wait. Reality Check to follow. See you all in the next Saga: the Summer Saga.

Hey guys! So, I'm gonna try and get the chapter finished up by tonight and then do the editing tomorrow. If all goes well, it should be up by tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then Tuesday for certain. Sorry this one took me a little longer than normal but...well, it's a bit longer than normal and involves stuff that I really needed to sit and think about for a while to make sure I wasn't cheapening the effect. Hopefully, it'll be worth the extra wait.

Hey guys! So, i'm finally starting the last 'section' of the chapter. Now, this can mean one of two things: 1) Since I know basically what's going to happen, I may be able to breeze right through it in a couple of days. 2) Since this is the part where everything with Jack, the twins, and their parents comes to a head, it may be a little more complex (and emotional) for me, meaning it may take me a little longer, especially if I surprise myself. Regardless, Chapter 28 should be out in the next few days, I'm just not exactly sure when yet. Sunday would be my ideal day but we will have to see. Thank you guys so much for your patience and I will have a definite date soon.

@guest_dark Have not had the chance to play it yet. It's on my to-play list