aroslav: Blog

Really. I'm sorry my sister died. I'm sorry my mother and father died. I'm sorry my girlfriend died. I'm sorry my marriage died. I'm sorry my friends died. They were all old, so it's not so bad then, right?

I rewrote them into fun lively characters in a happier world. Many times.

But they still die.

It is seldom a jubilant, long-awaited, and expected death. Even when it is, death is still a surprise. And in fiction, I'm supposed to mitigate that. Let them live unharmed. Recover from illness or disaster.

But I don't. It wouldn't be true.

And I promise you this: There is not one reader who is angrier about it than I. There is not one reader who loathes me for it more than I. There is not one reader who has shed more tears over each death in any of my books or screamed louder in rage at a deaf ocean than I have. Not one person who has been lonelier after than I have been.

And here is the dilemma. I am often told (often = more than once) that the reason a reader likes my stories is because the characters are so real and well developed. Even when they are in absurd situations-like an old man going back to his teenage body and collecting a vast harem-the characters become real and are loved. They are three-dimensional. But when they encounter a real-world situation-a situation that develops or reveals character-I've somehow broken faith with my readers. I'm loathed.

So, I think I have two choices going forward if I were to change what I currently do. 1) Write less complex and realistic two-dimensional characters so when one is afflicted, it's not that difficult to deal with. Or 2) write apparently realistic characters who have all the traits people love but don't experience anything that would develop or reveal those traits.

Or quit writing, I guess. Fat chance of that. When the day comes that I am no longer writing and posting stories, you can assume that it's me who died.

With the big Coronavirus (COVID19) concern, I've noted the shutdown of Western Washington. Businesses are closing. Employees are working from home. The university closed its doors. And as of this morning there have been 14 deaths in the state from the virus. I don't take that lightly as my daughter and family live just a couple of miles from ground zero and I'll be headed back to the area in just six weeks.

VPOTUS visited the state this week to assure leaders that his thoughts and prayers are with us.

I've personally been doing some research while holed up down here in Corpus Christi, Texas. And I have good news. There has been exactly zero transmission of the virus through reading internet porn while masturbating. That's right. You are safe here at SOL. The time you would normally use in classes, at work, riding public transportation, shopping, raving, and bumping uglies can now be safely used to read the massive library of stories here on SOL.

VPOTUS indicates, however, that one side-effect is that you will burn in hell.

Small price to pay if you ask me.

Oh, yes. Here's what's funny.

Just before this thing hit the headlines, I started writing a new story called Adam's Apple. I'm not terribly far into the story yet as it seems the headlines have stolen and overtaken a big portion of my plot. In the story, an unknown virus rips through the atmosphere, infecting every male human on earth. Without knowing they had been infected, every man has become sterile in a period of just a couple of months.

All but one. Jack Adams was orbiting the earth doing maintenance on failing satellites when the virus struck. When he finally returned to earth, the virus had run its course and died out alla the Andromeda Strain, leaving him the only virile man in a population of nearly eight billion people. You can imagine the hilarity as roughly 2.5 billion fertile women vie to become impregnated by poor Adams.

People are blaming the virus on everything from aliens to eugenics programs gone awry. It's Ramsey Smith, newspaper reporter, who uncovers the sperm die-off as being the result of satellite weapons having been triggered when Jack Adams did a tune-up on a black satellite that was failing. He boosted it back to a stable orbit and set its beacon not realizing it was a trigger. The resulting orbital war was fought with no humans involved and no winners declared.

Until Ramsey's muckraking report.

Well, the stage is set for a bunch of political tension, minor wars, and major sexcapades. Ramsey and Adams end up right in the middle of it all!

So, relax. COVID19 can only kill you. Think how much worse it could be.

Remember to wash your hands before and after you masturbate.

I still have six chapters in the hands of my editor, but have high confidence they will be here in plenty of time. So, Monday morning, I'm posting chapters 1 and 2 of Things I Never Told My Wife-The true confessions of a Shakespearean player. Thereafter a new chapter every three days. The full blurb wouldn't fit in the story description, so here's the back of the book blurb.

I met my soulmate when I was sixteen.
Of course, I never told my wife about that.

Actor, director, and admitted cad, Terry Reichert has led a life filled with colorful-and beautiful-women. From his deflowering while skinny dipping to holding the love of his life as she died, from actresses to students, from stage crew to strangers-Terry never met a woman he wasn't interested in taking to another level.

And during all this, he is a respected professor, industry professional, husband, and father who could honestly say, "I never went looking."

"Don't tell me you are going to use the tired old excuse that she made you do it'," said Claire.
"No! Don't be silly. No one made me do anything. She just made it easy to do," I answered.

Welcome the world of things Terry never told his wife.

This story is strictly for fun. There's a little sex in nearly every chapter. There's no story code for 'philanderer.' It's all Ma/Fa or mt/ft with an occasional threesome tossed in. I tried to keep even the sad parts uplifting and a little funny. Don't mistake me. There is a sad part in one chapter, but the effect on Terry's life is profound.

This story is a total of 20 chapters. And if Pixel the Cat has his way, eventually there will be a companion piece, "Things I Never Told My Husband." I'm just looking for a woman to write it!

My doctor's appointment this week went just fine. No items of concern were revealed. I'm continuing south on Tuesday with a hopeful layover in San Antonio and then perhaps Corpus Christi. It's two weeks from Mardi Gras and I'm looking for a party! Maybe I'll make it to the barefoot parade on Padre Island.

The past two weeks have been pleasant at Star Ranch Nudist Resort, but more expensive than I'm accustomed to. I might need to stay a few nights in Walmart parking lots to make up the prices. I wouldn't trade home at Sun Meadow for this. I like it a lot better up there.

I'm well into the rewrite of American Royalty. Appreciate the comments that people have left on the story and in email. My patrons were introduced to "The Transmogrification of Jacob Hopkins" Book 4, Double Twist this morning. The series posts three chapters a week for patrons so they are eighteen chapters ahead of the postings here on SOL. And patrons have free access to the eBooks, too!

So, it must be martini time somewhere. We're having scattered thunderstorms here today and I thought I might get the remains of my laundry processed today. We'll see.

Happy to say that my trailer has been repaired and I have started my journey south. I have a new roof, new water connection at the toilet, new toilet seat, new kitchen faucet, new stabilizer jack, and new microwave/convection oven. Even though insurance and warranty covered most of the costs, I was still out $850 in deductibles and non-covered items, plus nine nights in a cheap hotel. (Which might or might not be the title for an upcoming story!)

Today, I've made it to Fort Worth, Texas and will be brunching with my editor, Old Rotorhead. I'm camped for the weekend at a lovely Corps of Engineers RV park at Lake Benbrook, southwest of town. Tomorrow I'll move on to Waco and then to McDade, TX where I'll spend two weeks at the Star Ranch Nudist Resort while I also take some time to explore Austin, where I've never visited before.

Progress is steady on Things I Never Told My Wife and I expect to finish the story this week. As soon as it is all back from the hands of my editors, I'll start posting it.

I had a request from a reader of Double Tears for a cast list. It's gotten big enough he's forgotten who some of the characters are. Instead of inserting this into the book, I'm giving the cast list below.

Double Tears Cast
Jacob Hopkins, 80-year-old man reincarnated as a 14-year-old. Just turned 17 in the book.
Emily Hopkins, 19-year-old about to turn 20. Sister of Jacob now doing her National Service in Salinas, KS.
Peyton Hopkins, 10-year-old little sister of Jacob.
Mary and John Hopkins, Jacob's parents.
Rebeca 'Beca' Brown, 16-year-old trans girlfriend of Jacob.
Jamie Brown, Rebeca's mother.
Rachel Evans, Jacob's 18-year-old girlfriend and soulmate.
Richard Evans, Rachel's 12-year-old brother.
Bert and Dee Evans, Rachel's parents.
Donna Levy, Jacob's 28-year-old girlfriend and former English teacher.
Joan Long, Jacob's 18-year-old girlfriend and Beca's soulmate. Now in National Service in Chicago.
Sharon Long, Joan's mother.
Ray Long, Joan's father.
Debbie Long, Joan's stepmother.
Desiree 'Desi' Whitcomb, Jacob's 17-year old girlfriend and avid cosplayer, actress, and singer.
Riko and Riley Whitcomb, Desi's parents, running an independent costume and props business.
Brittany Adams, Jacob's 16-year-old girlfriend whose quinceañera he attended as her escort.
Lisa Adams, Brittany's 13-year-old sister.
Joyce Adams, Brittany's 11-year-old sister.
John and Lupe Adams, Brittany's parents.
Sophie Grant, Jacob's 31-year-old girlfriend, Brittany's aunt and Lupe's sister. Professional dancer.
Grandmother Grant, Sophie and Lupe's mother.
Nanette Schwartz, Jacob's 44-year-old girlfriend and running mentor. Physical Therapist.
Olivia 'Livy' Dayton, Jacob's 18-year-old girlfriend, runner, and Rachel's girlfriend.
Donnie Dayton, Livy's 10-year-old brother.
Barb Dayton, Livy's 12-year-old sister.
Randall and Eva Dayton, Livy's parents.
Cindy Marvel, Jacob's 15-year-old music partner, floutist.
Keith Marvel, Cindy's 17-year-old brother.
Luke Marvel, Cindy's 13-year-old brother.
Betty and Mark Marvel, Cindy's parents.

Jock Anderson, Jacob's cross country coach.
Mr. Gieseke, Jacob's guidance counselor.
Miss Lustig, Jacob's aging Latin teacher.
Mr. Richard's, Jacob's history teacher.
Ms. Devine, Jacob's music theory teacher.
Leonard LeBlanc, Jacob's orchestra teacher.
Jannie Rentz, Cindy's flute teacher.
Vinnie Russo, Jacob's guitar teacher.
Mrs. Chambers, Jacob's junior English teacher.
Herr Richter, Jacob's instructor on viola da gamba.

Of course, there are others, but these are the ones most likely to be confused. Pod members are in bold.
Enjoy!
Devon

Here's a blatant promotion of my alter ego, Wayzgoose, and his new book, American Royalty 1: Coming of Age. I generally keep my two personalities as separate as I can so I don't get confused. But this is a story I'm quite excited about.

During the first draft writing, I was torn as to whether this would be a Devon Layne book or a Nathan Everett book. It has a lot of sexual content as a coming of age story like Devon Layne stories do. But there is very little explicit sex in the story and what is there could be toned down enough to make it acceptable in the literary genre of Nathan Everett. The result was ultimately that it would be released in June as Nathan Everett's newest literary romance.

However, the version posted here under my author name 'Wayzgoose' still has the unexpurgated sexual content, making it the first story under that name to be marked with the code 'Minimal Sex' rather than 'No Sex.' At the same time, don't expect this story to have my 16- and 18-year-olds falling into bed in the first chapter with the best sex of their lives. There will be a long slow build before it gets to the point fumbling explorations.

Because American Royalty 1: Coming of Age isn't about the sex. It is set in an alternate universe in which America has a well-defined and functioning class structure. Unlike class structures you may be familiar with, however, this one is not based on wealth, hierarchy, or heredity. It is based on the careful analysis of a person's fundamental character. The entire education system is tasked with determining a child's ultimate class and teaching accordingly. Typically, a child is told what his or her class is at about the time of reaching majority-sixteen. However, in some instances, a final classification might not occur until the early twenties, and people may influence their class standing by applying themselves to developing the necessary character. In other instances, it seems some kids know what class they are from the moment they are born.

In this defined class structure, however, someone must teach the newest royal what it means and how to behave socially as a royal. And who better to mentor a royal than a servant?

American Royalty 1: Coming of Age follows young Liam Cyning from the time he is told he is royal until he shows he can actually act and perform as a royal. Beside him through this growth is his new personal assistant and mentor (and one-time nemesis), Meredith Sauvage. The two struggle with developing relationships, class conflict, and family values.

You will find the language in this story to more formal and possibly stilted than most of my writing. It might be helpful to imagine a William Powell/Myrna Loy or Clark Gable/Joan Crawford movie of the 1930s. However, you will find social, political, and scientific development to have its own timeline in this story. The actual date is never mentioned. Automobiles are plentiful but air travel is rare. Telephones (landlines) are so common as to have one in almost every room but there are no cellphones or personal computers. Children reach their majority as adults at age sixteen but there are still restrictions on their movement and school is far more flexible with some leaving at age sixteen to go on to the workforce and some simply continuing either in high school or moving directly to college.

The story structure is slightly more complex than most of my stories. The odd numbered chapters are written from the point of view of someone from one of the twelve classes, each different. The short chapters of 1,000 to 2,000 words each often provide explanations or introduce action from the long chapters. The even numbered chapters are between 8,000 and 10,000 words and are written from either the point of view of Liam or of Meredith. They switch back and forth after chapter four.

Chapters one to three of American Royalty 1: Coming of Age have been posted today. Each week, a long chapter and a short chapter will be posted on Sunday mornings for ten weeks. I am most interested in your comments, which will be publicly viewable. Voting will be turned on at the end of chapter seven-in two weeks. Please feel free to leave comments or to send email as I will be rewriting during the next month for a commercial release in June. Since this will not be the 'final' version, no eBook of this version will be made available.

I appreciate all your support for both my author identities, aroslav and Wayzgoose. Please enjoy!