Many authors on here like to recognize the authors they want to emulate. I have three: Don Lockwood, radio_guy, and Oyster50.
I acknowledge often being, at heart, a sappy romantic like Don, although I can only hope to be half the writer he is. I even lifted a couple of lines from his eulogy for "Beth Trovini" in "Rewind" when writing my grandmother's eulogy.
I am a churchgoing man and radio_guy actually has helped progress the later parts of this story as I've drafted it, by drawing a map for how to incorporate characters of faith into a story like this.
And Oyster50, like Don, gives life and depth to his stories and his characters that I hope to one day even be able to approach attaining.
Gentlemen, all three of you, thank you for your writing and thank you for the inspiration.
Chapter 4 has just posted. Although chapter 5 is presently with my wonderful editor, real life may intrude on the posting schedule. One real-life aspect of dwarfism - one which will feature in the story later on - is chronic pain due to bone and joint issues, and a dearth of medical professionals experienced in treating it. There is, IRL, a clinic at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore that specializes in treating people with dwarfism. I have an upcoming evaluation scheduled at the clinic and will be heading up there next weekend. If I'm not able to post it before I leave, it will be posted the following Saturday.
Thanks for reading! Please keep the comments and feedback coming.