REVIEWS:

Review One:

Sam: How was the book?

Erin: The worst. Fudgety fudge! Absolute trash.

Sam: But you were glued to your headphones for hours.

Erin: I was hoping something would happen. The main characters drove me nuts. They don't speak their mind. Even though they don't shut up. Where is the efficiency? There was only one character who was half decent but completely spineless.

Sam: The author note said it is heavy on men on men action. That's why I thought you'd enjoy it.

Erin: Click bait! Never fall for it. Completely boring scenes! I want to hit something! I wasted two and half hours!

Sam: Hey, lower your voice. Brit will wake up.

*Brit walks in, rubbing his eyes.*

Brit: Kiki, you ambry at Pipi?

*Erin lifts him up to his lap.*

Erin: Not at Pipi. It's a book. I'm sorry, I woke you up.

Brit: Picture book?

Erin: No, darling. Grown up book. I love picture books. Do you know why?

Brit: mmhum.

Erin: Because you describe them so well. I will feel as though I live inside the story. You are such a great story teller.

Brit: Pipi didn't detribe good?

*Sam laughs.*

Sam: Why don't you grab a book and show me how to tell a story?

*Brit jumps down and runs to his room.*

Sam: Now I know what to do with all the grown up paintings hidden in the closet.

*Erin snakes a hand around Sam's waist.*

Erin: That's what the book lacked. Efficiency. All you needed was one sentence to make me hot.

Sam: You don't even need words to make me hot and...*loudly* here comes Brit with his Gruffalo.

Review Two:

Trev: Did you finish the book I gave you?

Jake: Oh my God, yes, I loved it. I cried so much. I related to Nick deeply.

Trev: Seriously?

Jake: Yes. It was a great story. I enjoyed it so much. Thank you for the gift.

Trev: Gift? You think I'd give you such a dowdy book as a gift?

Jake: Dowdy? Did you read it?

Trev: Of course. I would not give you something to read without reading it first.

Jake: And you think it is not good.

Trev: It's bunkum and balderdash. The author knows only three words. Look, thing, shrug. A million repetitive words. As if there are no other ways to say someone is surprised other than saying surprised.

Jake: How can you be so harsh? Think of the characters. Their feelings! A story is about how it makes you feel! Not about how many complex descriptions are there!

Trev: Complex descriptions elevate the overall reading experience. The author didn't even bother trying. Such a vulgar lack of respect to writing.

Jake: If you hate it so much why did you get me the book?

Trev: It was there in Vincent's room. And I guessed it would serve me well. But I should have accounted for how gullible you are. Now I'm honor bound to reintroduce you to actual literature.

Jake: Cut the shit, Trev. What was it supposed to serve?

Trev: Well, it is the weekend and it has one useful section. Towards the end. I want to try that.

Jake: The garden scene?

Trev: The threesome.

***

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

There's a famous quote:

Stay away from negative people, they have a problem for every solution.

I'm part of the population the quote warns about. I find fault in everything.

I sometimes select a book with millions of views and drop it like it's hot coal after a few paragraphs. It takes a lot to hook my interest and takes double of that to keep me hooked till the end. I'm that picky.

So how do I judge my own books?

Very harshly.

Occasionally when I see a comment notification, I'd read the comment and then start reading that particular section of the story.

Sometimes I go, wow. I wrote that!

Sometimes it is, eww, what's this crap?

The first chapter of this book evoked the second reaction when I read it recently. I seriously couldn't believe that real people were reading this book.

But then there were so many comments and messages telling me how much you liked the characters and how you couldn't wait for the next chapter. All of you pushed past that first chapter and gave this book a chance for whatever reason.

Also, however negative my final thoughts are, they can't take away the experience I got writing this story.

Once during a crowded commute, I laughed out loud with a fresh idea for a dialogue sequence.

Sobbed while writing another scene. (Thankfully, I was alone.)

Smiled secretly as if I was the one falling in love.

This book was a fantastic journey and you all made it so much more meaningful than if it had been just me.

RainofFeathers  took on the tough job of correcting my terrible grammar. I learned a lot through their feedback from ellipses to collective nouns.

This was a super crowded commute and most of you teased, laughed and cheered on till the end. Some of you stayed silent and watched all of this unfold.

Thank you so much.

For every read, vote, comment and message.

I may not have replied to all of your comments. Mostly because I don't know what to reply other than thank you.

QUESTIONS:

1. What should I add in the first chapter author note as a warning? What do you wish you had known before starting this book? (Both good and bad.)

2. It took me more than a year to complete this story. There were so many plot ideas I picked and dropped along the way. Due to that I might have missed a story branch. Feel free to point out any gaps, loose ends and holes. (I never went deeper on any of their past. I wanted this book to be a light read so the bits and pieces of their past was intentional.)

3. If you would like to see a specific scene which you were expecting to happen eventually but I hadn't done it, tell me. No promises. I'll try to add it in the epilogue or as an extra.

I don't write epilogue right after finishing the story. I wait until I don't remember much of the story and come back and think about what they're doing now. You are in for a wait. (Remember: Trev)

FLASHBACKS:

Flashback One:

This story was a less than five thousand words, four chapter long short story. When the book that housed this story got removed, a reader asked me to write a full book about these characters.

I also wanted a fun break before starting on Ezra's book. So I decided to make it a novella of fifteen chapters. The goal was to use the existing four chapters as it is and string together some events which will lead to those four chapters. I wrote seven new chapters and thought I could write the remaining couple of chapters as I publish.

As you all know I didn't meet that goal. When I started making typo corrections I ended up adding more scenes. At some point it became impossible to even use the seven chapters I already had. That is one of the reasons for the long waits between chapters. There is a famous phrase for writers- 'kill your darlings'. My darlings killed me.

Now this book is the longest book in my short writing stunt. More than 120k words. And the unexpected outcome is, I still feel like I rushed to the ending.

And the reader who asked for this book has not read the book after the first few chapters, I don't think they are even active in this platform anymore. I took too long to write and they must have moved on from this platform.

That's why I am always in awe of readers who read incomplete books and wait for updates. You are awesome.

Flashback Two:

Me: Wind good soft, not fast right?

An acquaintance: Yeah, I'm surprised by the cool breeze in the middle of all this heat.

Me: *internal cringing and screaming and — I'm never talking in English ever again!!*

(PS: We are of the same age.)

It is so embarrassing to think about this incident because right after finishing my sentence I realized I forgot my verbs. And the word I was looking for that afternoon weather was breeze.

Even in my stories I end up explaining something in detail because I don't know the equivalent single word for it in English. Readers with a wider range of vocabulary might roll their eyes looking at it.

REQUEST:

Please share your thoughts. You must surely have something to say after reading so much about these characters.

If you aren't comfortable in expressing your thoughts because of the language barrier, don't be. (Remember: Flashback Two.) You can share your thoughts in your own language as well. We have Google translate. Or if you decide to use English letters to write your language words that's okay too. Someone who knows your language may come along and translate it.

If you are not a commenting person, message me privately.

I wish to hear from all of my four hundred readers. (It's complex math, with lots of flooring. I have no idea how a later chapter can have multiple hundred more reads than the previous chapters. How many of you are rereading the same chapter? And why?)

I think everyone will express their thoughts if they can do so without revealing their username to me. Don't worry about it. I promise to delete your messages and forget all of you.

Again thank you for all the support.

I just realized the reviews might be confusing for some. Oh, well. It is all part of the experience. (-:

Please be safe and kind.

***

First Chapter- 17-Oct-2019
Last Chapter- 19-Jan-2021