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Hi all!
Well, the trolls have gone and done it again! AND this time to the whole of SOL! The Authors and the readers! Some German bitching and moaning about the age of consent! And there goes SOL and raise the age of characters to 18!
Well, I have consulted with my main editor as well as studied the two clarifications published in the SOL forum. I had a look at all my stories on SOL and they are within the specifications.
So those of you that did raise concerns, thanks for your emails, and you don’t need to worry – Jody Daniel is okay and here to stay!
I mean, sex with a minor is a no-no, and I have refrained from describing any such action. So far, the consensus is that you can say that a minor is having sex, but you are not allowed to describe such a scene. (Sorry for a well-known author on this site. He has to shorten his stories much. A lot of work for him. You all know who I mean as most of my readers are a fan of him, just like me. LOL.)
Do you guys know how much work it will be if I would have to rewrite all my stories? 1,218,158 words! Yes, that is how much I wrote in the last 4 years. Lucky, it would not be necessary!
Here is chapter 10 of Star of Assisi. Enjoy!
I wish you all the best! Until next week!
Bye 4 now!
PS: Just for kicks: The age of consent in a few selected countries:
Albania = 14.
Angola = 12.
Bangladesh = 14.
Burkina Faso = 13.
Cambodia = 15.
Comoros = 14.
Germany = 14.
Japan = 13.
Macedonia = 14.
Niger = 13.
Nigeria = 11.
Philippines = 12.
BUT, the age of consent DON'T make you an adult. Under 18 = Minor. BUT, although an adult, a 19-year-old is a TEENAGER!
AND the clincher:
Afghanistan, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Oman, Pakistan. Palestine Gaza Strip, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. ALL these have only one age of consent and that is: THEY MUST BE MARRIED!
So, if a five-year-old is married – they can have sex!
LOLOLOLOL!!!!
Hi all!
Good news is that my editor in the USA has indicated that he is ready to start to edit again! WELCOME back oh Sensei!
Some other good news is that one of my loyal followers has sort of used all resources available and traced me. LOL. He called me up last night and we had a great chat. He’s from Seattle in the USA and are currently in Cape Town. I hope the weather down in old CT gives him the chance to see all the sights and scenery of the “Fairest Cape of All.” But a word of warning: Seeing that your surname featured in one of my stories as a bad guy – watch out for “Shadow” or the Angels. LOL!!!! But then again – I think YOU would like to meet the Angels, although they are just ghosts in a fantasy…
Other NOT so good news is that the Atlas Impala that featured in my story “Stray Cats Hunts in Darkness”, ZU-IMP, has crashed during the West Coast Air Show on Saturday, totally destroying the aircraft and the pilot was killed on impact. RIP, my friend.
But, life goes on and here is chapter 9 of Star of Assisi. Enjoy!
I wish you all the best! Until next week!
Bye 4 now!
Hi all!
It is with sadness that we heard about the devastating tornados in the Mid-West of the USA.
I was forewarned about it from my editor in Missouri, USA. He sent me a WhatsApp to let me know that they received the tornado warning and was seeking shelter in the basement of their house. Lucky they only had very high winds, but no tornado and no damage.
When I saw the local news items, and how widespread the storm was, I could only imagine the fear that those people had to go through. I only experienced one tiny little tornado a while back and that had me nearly reach for clean underpants.
Our thoughts and prayers are with those that lost loved ones, and complete homes. I hope that the USA Government would lend a hand in getting things back together again.
BTW: My editor is doing fine and has been discharged from hospital. Now at home and not 100% better but getting there. It will be a while before he will be able to do some proof reading and editing for me. I miss his "comments" and suggestions. So, if something slides through, just read over it. LOL!
I must also thank my Australian reader that stepped in to help out on proof reading and editing. Thanks Mate!
So, here is chapter 8. Enjoy!
I wish you all the best! Until next week!
Bye 4 now!
Hi all!
Well, so far things are going good on this side of the big pond. I could say some words around the concepts and issues around the deteriorating relations between the USA and South Africa, but I will refrain from it. All I can say is this: The views reported in the media, and the policies of both Countries are not the views I have, and I will distance myself from the politics.
Then: No, frdaddio, you were not nitpicking, and I quote it here for there are others that also saw it but did not comment on it or emailed me. Thanks for pointing it out.
Fiona suggested a steak dinner, but due to the fact that they were still very much filled by the rich brunch/lunch, they went for Pizza. Perhaps I did not elaborate too much about it. Sorry for that. I will try to describe actions of the characters more clearly next time. Thanks for your mail in this regard. Sometimes I “think” I said enough in a scene, but yes, possibly I should add a line or two about that action, although, I thought that this paragraph could have explained their choice:
“After the big lunch at Quay Four, neither Fiona nor I felt the need for a heavy supper. The meal had been rich, the conversation lively, and by the time we made our way to her B&B in Bergvliet, the only thing we craved was something small and simple to snack on. We stopped along the way and grabbed a couple of individual pizzas from a local takeaway.”
Perhaps I should have added to the end of that paragraph: “So, the tasty steak dinner with something on the side got a raincheque…”
So, here is chapter 7. Enjoy!
I wish you all the best! Until next week!
Bye 4 now!
Hi all!
They say writing is a solitary journey — but let me tell you, behind every chapter is a whole cast of characters you never see. Editors, beta readers, screen readers, and even a plastic-looking horse or two. Chapter 6 is out, but the story behind the story? Well, that’s where the real adventure is. Let me pull back the curtain for you…
First up, I’m happy to report that my editor over in the USA is in good spirits — and officially heading into rehab for recovery. Or, as I like to call it: the torture chamber. Physiotherapy and pain go together like coffee and insomnia, if you ask me. But he’s hopeful it’ll do the trick, and I’m hopeful right along with him.
On that note, a big thank you to everyone who sent well wishes his way. I passed them along, and he wanted me to tell you he truly appreciates every single one.
Now, onto a little unexpected twist — a reader from Australia kindly offered to help out with editing while my regular editor focuses on getting back to full throttle. Of course, this meant I had to send him every chapter I’ve written so far, just to make sure Chapter 12 wouldn’t read like a random alien invasion to someone who hadn’t been along for the ride. Talk about a crash course in my chaos!
Speaking of chapters, progress on Chapter 13 has slowed down a bit. Usually, I aim for two chapters a week with this story, but lately, I’ve hit the brakes. Not because of writer’s block — nope, the words are there. I think my editor’s health scare just rattled me more than I realized. When a friend takes a hit, you feel it too.
Once my Australian backup editor catches up and gets his hands on Chapter 12, we’ll see how it goes. Honestly, having more than one set of English-speaking eyes on my work is never a bad thing. If Return to Sender taught me anything, it’s that those sneaky little gremlins can survive even the most thorough editing gauntlet.
You wouldn’t believe how often I find myself spotting a rogue typo or missing word after three people have already checked a chapter. It’s just how it goes. And since English isn’t my first language, those little slip-ups love to play hide-and-seek. Usually, they’re minor — like a forgotten quotation mark or a word that mysteriously vanished between brain and keyboard.
Which brings me to one of my favorite tricks: my screen reader. Reading silently, the brain is a sneaky little liar — it fills in missing words and smooths over mistakes like magic. But when the screen reader reads it aloud? Oh, those missing words pop out like a clown at a funeral. So now, after all the editing rounds are done, the screen reader gets the final word. It’s my secret weapon.
That said, even with four sets of eyes and all my tools, a gremlin or two might still sneak in. That’s just part of the process — and part of the charm, if you ask me.
Oh! And before I forget — yes, the horse in picture 3 of Chapter 6 looking a little… plastic. Believe me, I noticed too. That’s just the curse of working with my particular software. The only horse model that actually looked decent and fit my needs? Discontinued. Ages ago. And, to add insult to injury, someone on a forum casually mentioned that the original creator might still offer it via private sale — if you email her directly. Except they forgot to include her email address. Of course, they did. Grrr!
WHAT ONE OF MY FRIENDS HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE HORSE PICTURE:
Oh, this is fantastic! Fiona looks like she’s living her best life, wind in her hair, denim vibes, and all. And the “plastic” horse? Absolute legend. That shiny coat could probably reflect the whole sunset if it tried hard enough!
Honestly, I love the contrast; real beach, carefree Fiona, and this slightly-too-perfect horse that looks like it wandered off a carousel and decided to go rogue. It’s delightfully quirky and exactly the kind of thing that gives your work its charm.
When you order a beach horse on Wish… and they send you the limited-edition Tupperware Thoroughbred. But hey, at least Fiona’s rocking the look like a pro.
And that, my friends, is the real story behind Chapter 6. Stay tuned — gremlins, plastic horses, and all — because Chapter 7 is already waiting in the wings.
So, what’s next? Well, Chapter 7 has a few surprises up its sleeve — a twist here, a sharp turn there, and maybe even a character who’s about to say something they definitely shouldn’t. (What’s a story without a bit of drama, right?)
Until then, keep your seatbelts fastened and your sense of humor intact — this ride is far from over!
So, here is chapter 6. Enjoy!
I wish you all the best! Until next week!
Bye 4 now!
PS: I'm trying to upload the chapter but keep on getting this error message:
Service Unavailable
The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems. Please try again later.
Let's see if "later" will help. Grrrr!!!!
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