rlfj: Blog

Several topics. First, RobberBaron and I are both listed as authors. However, the system is a touch glitchy regarding emails to multiple authors. If you sent me comments or requests through my Blog, I received them. If you sent those comments through the Feedback link at the end of the story, they went to RobberBaron, not me. We just learned this and we let Lazeez know. Lazeez fixed the problem and forwarded 86 emails to me that had gone to RobberBaron, and I spent Sunday afternoon working my way through them. If you sent me a simple note saying you liked it or hated it, I simply didn't have the time to respond. If it was about a typo or other error, I fixed about a dozen in an update at the latest upload. Either way, I appreciate the feedback. I should be able to respond quicker in the future. Thanks. (Now I know why my emails were so low!)

A question was raised as to why I had the two models without tattoos, which was in the original story. Originally it was because they were a painful memory to Mike (Jack). I removed the tattoos not because of their history, but because tattoos on models are unrealistic. The two women are high-end models. As a rule, models don't get tattoos. They get paid to wear clothing, and it is the clothing that is the focus. The idea is that you buy the clothing and you look like the model. (As if! I'd be fifty pounds lighter and have a full head of hair!) As an advertiser, you don't want anything distracting from that.

Another question was why I couldn't keep the names of my protagonist right. Sometimes he is called John and sometimes he is called Jack. In common English language usage, Jack is a nickname for John, like Hank/Henry and Frank/Francis. People often use both names.

One odd point, odd to me at least, was the use of alright versus all right. A link was sent to me from dictionary-dot-com that stated: "The form alright is a one-word spelling of the phrase all right. Alright is commonly used in written dialogue and informal writing, but all right is the only acceptable form in edited writing. Basically, it is not all right to use alright in standard English." So I am allowed to use alright in written dialogue, but not when editing my written dialogue? That is just way too subtle for me! I counted 22 usages of alright in the story, all in dialogue. I am not changing them.

Chapter 23 is a much darker and more serious chapter. Sometimes that is just the way it works out.

The question has arisen as to why this story interested me. As I have mentioned before, the original story, The Atlantis Crystal, was incomplete and inactive and featured a damaged and dispersed alien object. I've long been a fan of science fiction, but I find too many stories in this genre where an alien shows up somehow and gives the guy who finds it amazing powers in trade for something. I've always been skeptical about how a being or race so powerful and advanced that it can accomplish interstellar travel and manipulate time and matter needs to bargain for some item which can only be found on Earth. (Gold or some mineral needs to be dug up here on Earth, with all the problems that will cause, rather than undetectable asteroid mining? Seems unlikely to me!) RobberBaron's story instead had an alien object which gave the finder powers, but the object was damaged and uncertain of what had happened and why and did not have the ability to rebuild itself without assistance. That seemed like a more realistic bargain.

Teresa gets the full concubine experience and Jack deals with her parents creatively. Enjoy!

Chapter 20 gives us a better look at the Solana family, and what they are facing in the future. I also fixed a typo in Chapter 19. Please let me know when you find them; I am happy to fix them. Thanks.

Not sure how it happened but I had a naming error back in Chapter 12. Fixed. Thanks to therealalpo for catching it. Otherwise, in Chapter 19, Jack has some more fun and Tina is brought to submission. Enjoy!