Ahhhh. You have left me hanging.

I feel like that fat kid who saved up months of allowance to finally buy the red velvet cake with the cream cheese frosting and chocolate shavings on top...... only to have it knocked out of my hands and smashed into an inedible pile of soft, sugary mush on the floor.

Please?! Continue?!

I am 31, and my mother is 52, and we both enjoy vampire stories. Always have. I suppose you can chalk it up to the old saying, to each their own. Immortality is appealing to a lot of people, myself included, and because you don't know my background, it is somewhat offensive to group all fans of Stephenie Meyer as dumb. I don't think she is a lazy writer, just that she is inexperienced. If you look at the earlier works of Stephen King, Anne Rice, Bentley Little, and others of this genre, you will see the similarities. I respect your opinion and I agree with some of what you are saying HiddenCounter. You've definitely noted some things that I had not really taken into consideration, but for myself, I think reading is for enjoyment. I truly enjoy her books and the horror/fantasy genre in general. If that is not your cup of tea, fine - but I will not label you as close-minded or dull or say you have a superiority complex.

Small teenagers are not dumb. Those 'small teenagers' are the consumers that most authors market to. They are also the next generation of readers. Longevity is a factor in the success of an author, so you'd do well to remember that. And for the record, Stephenie Meyers did not only pen the Twilight series, but a few other novels as well. I am a fan of her writing, and I'm an adult. Those of you who think she can only write cheesy vampire love stories, I would suggest you look for her book 'Host' and give it a try. It might surprise you. As much as I respect your right to an opinion, HiddenCounter, I just don't understand your logic. If you want your work to be read, it has to be known. How do you expect people to find it if you do not market?

I don't know where I have been, not reading this until now, but woweee..... I swear, I would think it was written about my grandfather except that he is a bona fide glow-in-the-dark whitie. It's crazy how you not only set his character in such a short time, but you completely paint a mental picture in the reader's mind. Maybe the mental image comes from old movies, or old memories, or what have you, but it's impressive. 5

It most definitely is a compliment.

Well, Baz, good luck on getting published. Maybe you could do a barter for an editor or someone to get a fresh perspective on your manuscript in exchange for whatever trade you are familiar with. Craigslist is good for that I hear. Do keep trying. Even the greats had a time getting started.

Very much indeed. It amazes me just how shitty the world is becoming and I totally get what you say in this. I hope you aren't offended by my comment, but I call em' how I see em' you know. Besides, sometimes life just beckons you to **** Land. Been there myself. Not a nice place, but home, anyhow.

And that would be *am not one into drinking, etc.

Hey Baz...totally cool piece here. I know I a not one into drinking, drugs, and betting on games, but I can definitely dig the mindframe your character has. I think that is the entire essence of the TRUE 'American Dream.' It's just a damn dream. Well thought out and composed. Nice to see your work.

Thank you! I was planning on doing a bunch of these, but I think after reading this, the cat would be out of the bag on the rest. Glad you enjoyed it!