Jay Cantrell: Blog

Hey all,

I've been off the radar for the past few weeks.

My thanks to everyone who has emailed to inquire about my health and that of my family. We're all just fine.

My absence is work related.

As some of you know, last fall the production facility of the company that pays for my extravagant lifestyle was destroyed by fire. That meant that the company's contracts were outsourced until the company can rebuild.

That has led to some issues with some of our subcontractors who can't even meet our (admittedly low) standards.

That's where I come in, I suppose. Since the fire, one of our managers has been a traveling troubleshooter. Sadly, his wife has been stricken by cancer and does not have long to live. We planned to address issues on a case-by-case basis.

As I returned from delivering my daughter to her new life, my boss called to tell me I was needed in rural Alabama (which in about 1,000 miles from my home). I barely had time to pack some clothes before I was flying southward.

The tiny little town I stay in didn't have a library and the B&B where I lay my head at night had spotty internet service. I could rarely connect from the room and when I could it was almost impossible to do anything with my e-mail. I tried numerous times to send a message to someone but invariably the site would time out before it could be sent.

Because of the nature of some of SOL's stories (including one of mine so I'm not casting stones), I was uncomfortable using a company computer to access the site. I don't need the hassle of explaining to our IT department why it popped up on Barracuda (the filtering software we use).

So "Diamond" has been pushed to the back-burner. The good news is that I'm home for a few days before hitting the road again. I hope to catch up on everything in the coming days but, well, to be blunt, SOL is pretty low on the list of things I need to reconnect with.

Chapters 30-39 are in hand but unformatted. I will do my utmost to get a few of them ready and posted before I head off to the great divide.

So, the upshot is that my family is doing well and so am I (now that I'm home). I missed Father's Day with my crew (which was also my birthday) so we're going to spend the weekend doing all sorts of fun stuff. If I can get some chapters up before I depart we'll call it a win.

Best wishes,
Jay C.

Hi,

First off, let me apologize in advance because I know there is no way I'll be able to reply to all the emails I've received in the past week.

It's a three-day weekend in the U.S. so that means I won't even get the hour per day I set aside for replies. I'll do my best but I can already see it's a losing battle. I no more than get a reply finished and two more emails have popped into the box.

Now, about the little end notes on "A Flawed Diamond." They were meant entirely as an inside joke to a few long-time readers who chide me (constantly) about the way I tend to end chapters with things up in the air.

No one called me a bastard (except my ex-wife, and that is a relatively mild term from her). No one was upset and no one threatened to find out where I live and torch my house. I appreciate all the readers who have taken time out of them day to assure me that it's entirely OK if my parents weren't married.

I don't plan to change the way I end chapters (and since all the chapters for this story are already complete, it wouldn't matter if I did). I post regularly enough that it isn't six weeks or six months or six years of waiting and wondering.

So, thanks for all the kind words (and even the few unkind words I've received). I do appreciate them and I appreciate the readers who make SOL the best site of its kind that I've found.

If I don't get the chance to reply to your messages, please accept my apologies in advance.

Regards,
Jay C.

Yep, I've been called a bastard more times today than in all the years I was married (and that's saying something)!

I've already notched 49 e-mails in the six hours since the chapters went up (and the biggest group usually comes overnight) so please bear with me. It will take me a day or two to get back to everyone.

I'm pleased that so many people have enjoyed the story thus far -- and have put up with my penchant for leaving the reader hanging for the next chapter.

I'll do hope the resolution to this situation is satisfactory (if a little off-putting) for everyone.

Regards,
Jay C.

Hey All,

According to the stats page, I've just hit my one millionth download on SOL. Of course, 700,000 of those have come in the past three years and the three long serials I've posted.

I'm taking it with a grain of salt but I still thought it was pretty cool.

A few readers have asked if there is a chapter missing between 14 and 15.

Nope.

I segued away from his friends and back into baseball -- and apparently I was too abrupt. For those of you who were a little put off by the switch, don't worry. We haven't seen the last of Jen, Melanie, Susan and Tara -- or Chastity, Randi, Merie and Emmy.

I'm also glad I could give a nice cliffhanger to bring everyone back for Friday's chapters. I promise I won't switch completely away from Zoe and Brock.

The readers -- and Brock -- will finally find out about his father.

Thanks to all who've written and those who've just read the story without comment. It makes me very happy to know that one million times someone has opened something I've written to spend a few minutes with the characters I've created and away from reality.

Best wishes,
Jay C.

The first three chapters of my latest work, A Flawed Diamond, are in the queue. This is the sequel to The Outsider.

If some of it looks familiar, it's because I posted the first two chapters several years ago and then abandoned the story when Daze In The Valley and Always on Guard consumed my time. My trusted editor, BlackIrish, is the main reason this story got past Chapter Seven.

I sent the few chapters I'd finished off to him about 18 months ago and he came back with a dozen suggestions about where the story could go. A simple "Thank You" doesn't seem enough but that's all I have to offer him.

The finished story clocks in at more than 90 chapters and I will post it in serial format. I will keep to Fridays for now until I have more in hand from my excellent proofreading crew.

Please read the Author's Note that appears before Chapter 1. It will explain some things about the story and perhaps keep some readers from growing disenchanted as it progresses.

This was a fun story to write and, as always, I hope the readers will enjoy the ride.

Regards,
Jay C.