After suffering a family tragedy, Eric is depressed. Tom, his roommate, convinces Eric to go home with Tom to Vermont for Christmas. Eric's reluctant, but decides to go. Oh, and did Tom ever mention Kathy, his sister? Bring your hanky for this one! The codes are (MF) and (teen) because my protagonists are 18 and 19. Winner of the Silver Clitorides award for December 2003
Size: 50 KB (9,593 words)
Genre: Erotica
Sex Contents: Some Sex
Tags: Ma/Fa, Teenagers, Consensual, Romantic, Oral Sex, Slow, School
Review by Bud Ugly [other reviews by Bud Ugly]
Reviewed:
As Christmas approaches, so do Christmas stories here on SOL. One of my all-time-favorites is an old one that you may not have read, or may need a reminder to go back and read again. 'The Ghosts of Christmas Past' by Don Lockwood is one of my top few favorite Yuletide stories here, one that I've read and reread every year. It's about a college student who lost his parents on 9/11, and how he struggles with missing his family and his old life. Fortunately, his college roommate takes him home for Christmas, and turns his life around.
I very much like the characters as they're portrayed. The plot holds together well, and the story is believeable. There's no Santa in this one, no elves, though there's a bit of magic, perhaps. Lockwood is great at writing romances, and this is just another example of that.
Technically, it needs work (as unfortunately do most of Lockwood's stories). There are typos and mistakes throughout the text; as an editor, I'd love to get my hands on this one.
In the end, as I said above, this is one of my favorite Christmas stories. If you've not read it, I recommend you do so. If you have, you may have forgotten its appeal, and I recommend you go back and read it again.
Review by mhartner [other reviews by mhartner]
Reviewed:
This is a redemption story. It's not a stroke story.
Don Lockwood has long been the master of redemption stories, and feel good stories. Heroes, and Tammy, and Samantha, and even DoaL...
I found myself going back to his stories, and reading them in bulk, to restore my beliefs in humanity.
Review by Jim S [other reviews by Jim S]
Reviewed: - (Review Updated: )
I have a soft spot for these type of stories. To wit, someone loses a loved one(s) and another intrepid soul fills in the immense hole in the first person's life, often while trying to fill one in their own life.
This is an excellent example of this type of story. And it doesn't fall prey to a common deficiency. As these stories most often are about the young, the protagonists often act far more mature than their chronological years. While some allowances are possible for artistic license, most often times the author just goes too far. That isn't the case here. The level of maturity exhibited by both main characters was just at about the right level.
The story is plausible; the characters are believable; the story is well paced and never forced; the dialogue is crisp, balanced and oh so believable. I only have one criticism and it's small. The story takes place in 2002, the year after 9/11 and contains a date of Thursday, December 13. In 2002, Dec. 13 was a Friday.
That little miss of research aside, this is a beautiful, uplifting story that I find myself drawn back to repeatedly, especially around Christmas.
Review by Tantalus [other reviews by Tantalus]
Reviewed: - (Review Updated: )
I first read this story shortly after it was posted. I remember thinking "Wow, this guy can write!" and shortly thereafter I discovered DoAL, the NiS series, and the rest of Frank's work. It was after reading DoAL I realized that Frank is one of the few true romantics who has experienced 'real love', not the bull most of us claim to have experienced. I also realized that he has a rare gift, that gift allows him to put that love down into a story and make us readers feel what he wants.
'The Ghosts of Christmas Past' is a story of love, loss, pain, ant the trials of opening up ones self to the possibility of loving again. You can feel the pain the protagonist endures and you can see the struggle in which he goes through to overcome his pain.
