A big hello to all, preceeding an apology which is probably getting to be an old familiar song by this time.  Nevertheless, it's necessary.  The next chapter is in progress - I promise - but it's not done yet.  Unfortuntely, real life gets to be a drag this time of year, when auditors and government budgetary constraints get into the mix.  In a word, it's been crazy, so I just haven't had the time to spend composing and polishing.

But it is coming along, and I'm hoping it will be ready to post by next week-end. If I weren't so detail-fixed (some might say compulsive) it would be easier, I guess, but I just can't post it until I feel like I've made it the best it can be.  I hope you'll forgive the delay and enjoy the end result.

As always, my gratitude for your interest and your patience.

CYN

Good evening to all my lovely readers.  And yes, I AM taking the easy way out - again - in that Im responding en masse instead of doing the truly right thing and answering all your lovely comments individually.  Time and tide and all that good stuff. 

But I want you all to know that I truly appreciate your interest and your support and your comments.  Every writer depends on her readers to encourage her to continue developing plot and characters, and I think that's particularly true in fan fiction and WIPS where it's not always possible to know if people are paying attention.

I'm glad to inform you that the next chapter is well under way and I don't anticipate a long wait until my next post.  Of course, as one of those people who is too anal retentive to use a beta, I'm never entirely sure how long it will take for my self-editing process, but I think this time it will go pretty well.  The chapter is 80 percent done, and should be up in a couple of days.

And BTW, no one should feel any need to apologize for getting confused or finding my story convoluted or hard to follow.  Sometimes it's hard to follow for me too.  But I hope it will all come together in the end, and make sense.

Meanwhile, I hope you continue to enjoy and that you'll continue to speak up, to let me know if I'm hitting the mark, or if you think I'm losing my way. Not that it would really change anything about the way I write; that just comes naturally and is not really subject to change, but sometimes I need a little nudge to help me refocus, and readers are really good at that sort of thing. 

Thanks again for your comments and your encouragement.  Hope to post soon.

CYN

Again, I must take this route to explaining myself and hope that I'm not abusing the "review" concept here completely.  So - an explanation. Or - actually - an excuse for the really long delay in posting the next chapter of "Timeless". It seems that, in the course of carrying on with everyday life, I somehow missed the signals of a looming medical problem and wound up gobsmacked and parked in an ICU bed for almost a week, and a recovery ward for another week, not to mention being watched over subsequently by overbearing children and friends who are as grim and determined as that five-headed dog that guarded the gates of Hell whenever I make a move toward my computer.

I have, however, finally persuaded them to leave me the hell alone, having convinced myself that I would, at first opportunity, resume my regular writing schedule and finish the chapter I started weeks ago. OK - so I'm a cock-eyed optimist, and not nearly as strong as I thought I was. At any rate, the chapter is still only about one-quarter done, despite all the lovely scenes and dialog that are spinning in my head. Though I'm incredibly eager to get back to it, the ugly truth is that I can't manage much at a time and will have to pace myself accordingly.

Just wanted to let you guys know that I haven't abandoned it, that getting our lovely B&J back where they belong and addressing all the infuriating questions and gaps in the story are a top priority - just as soon as I can. I hope you'll all be patient, and forgive my tardiness. I WILL write it, once I can put two sentences together coherently.
I hope it continues to matter to you, and that you'll forgive me for making you wait.

CYN

Good morning, All, and happy week-end.  I haven't done this in a while, and I probably drive the PTB batshit when I do it, but this is my only practical way to reach out to the lovely readers who comment here.  I wish I could answer every single comment personally and individually, but if I did, I wouldn't get much writing done, and would probably get fired from the job that puts food on my table.  I already tend to push my luck sometimes, when plot bunnies interfere with the daily grind and I can't get my thoughts on track.

Anyway, a quick note to reiterate my thanks to you all, and to assure you of a couple of things.  First off, I promise that I WILL finish this story.  It's become like a living presence in my life, and leaving it unfinished would feel like murdering a child.  As for how long it will run, I foresee another five or six chapters - possibly stretching to seven or eight.  Now, as for HOW it will end, I am seeing lots of comments wishing for 'happily-ever-after', and I do understand that.  I also want our lovely young men to find joy and peace and fulfillment together.  However, if I end it there - what else is there to say?  I mean, do I want to write story after story about new ways for them to fuck each other, or have make-up sex, or take their love to the streets of Venice or Paris or Shanghai or . . . well, you get the idea.  Sweet, yes, and fun, yes - but ultimately boring.  Let's face it, no matter how perfect the body or deep the love, sooner or later, finding new ways to relate the same story gets old.

On the other hand, if we end it with a bit of ambiguity, with a little mystery lurking - maybe there's more of the story to tell.  Maybe 'thereby hangs a tale'.  Now if I promised you a particular ending, I'd be lying through my teeth because - AHEM! I haven't written it yet, because I don't plan it all out in advance.  I write it as it comes to me, and although I do have a vision of the last scene playing out in the back of my mind, the circumstances around it are still a little fuzzy.  Although I do know who will prove to be the ultimate villain and how justice will be served, other issues are less clear-cut, and will take a bit of time to resolve.

I do hope you will all continue readying and sharing your thoughts with me.  It is so encouraging to any writer to be so honored, and I appreciate every single word.  But now - it's the morning after, and Brian and Justin await, so back to the drawing board.

Deepest, deepest, truly deepest thanks to you all.

CYN

By way of explanation ---

This will be short, because I can't sit here for long.  Have beren flat on y back for almost two months due to spinal damage.  Am due for a new type of treatment later this week, and - if that doesn't work - surgery will be the next step.  At any rate, while the delay has been really long, I know, it is not forever.  I WILL finish this story, as well as my B&S one, just as soon as I can sit at a desk again.

Apologies to all for the delay.

CYN

Wow!  I'm tempted to just leave it at that - and if anyone believes that I could manage to restrain myself to a single word, well, they don't know me very well, do they?

First of all, let me say that I would like to respond to each and every comment left here, but time runs short.  Hopefully, I will get the chance to do that later.  In a couple of months, I expect to be officially, finally retired, so I should have time then to catch up with all the things I should have done before.  Until then, please accept this as my abject apology for the lack of individual responses, and my most heartfelt thank you for all of you who have spoken up to speak on my behalf.

And, before I go any further, let me thank the wonderful Robert - one of our dedicated admins - for taking the time and trouble to post the photograph I sent him, which displays my idea of what 'Chateau Justin" looks like.  And, before anyone can point it out - as someone surely will - the palm trees shown around the pool ARE something of an anachronism; Idon't think palm trees grow in rural Pennsylvania.  But the house and its surroundings, those are exactly as I pictured it in my mind, and when I came across the photo on an architectural site on the Web, I simply could not resist.  I hope it will serve to clarify the setting for all of you.

Now - on the elephant in the corner.  Please understand that I do not - ever - want to discourage anyone from critiquing my writing.  If you want to post that I'm far too fond of the sound of my own voice (figuratively) and should learn to avoid using ten words when one will do, I will thank you politely and know that you're undoubtedly right.  If you want to tell me that my grammar sucks or my sentence structure is abysmal, you are perfectly within your rights to think so - and to say so.  If you find fault with my obsession with detail, or my excessive fascination for those incredibly beautiful faces, feel free to point it out.  I will say thanks for reading and for taking the time to comment.  I may even agree with you, though I might not admit it.

There is, however, one thing that I am not prepared to tolerate.  Nobody - and that is an absolute - NOBODY has the right to dictate what I can write.  That is the one area where I will stand up and defend myself against all comers.  For you, Lovely readers, you have your own set of options, but they all boil down to one choice in the end: to read or not to read.

Assuming that you have, by this time, learned my feelings on these two incredible characters, I would recommend that, if you disapprove, you look elsewhere for fan-fic entertainment, because THIS is the true bottom line.  I may yet decide to write a sequel, or even a completely different story involving these beloved characters, but I will NEVER change my interpretation of who they are and how they might confront the traumas of life.

For all of you who have expressed encouragement and interest in a sequel,  am tremendously honored by your comments and your caring.  I think I need to take a little break for now; the creative juices may need a bit of rejuvenation, and I do have a couple of other stories hanging that need attention.  One is in the "Brothers & Sisters" genre, and I will probably visit that next.

But there is one huge factor in deciding whether or not I should write more QaF:  I have fallen in love with many fictional characters over the course of my ridiculously long life - dating all the way back to my fascination with the original James T. Kirk.  After that, there was Han Solo, and then Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi.  And then - oh, my God - the fabulous Jack and Ennis of "Brokeback Mountain".  But I have never, never loved any of those characters more than I love our beautiful Brian and Justin, so it's probably safe to say I will be unable to resist the urge to return to their universe sooner or later.

All of you make that possibility much, much more tempting.

CYN

Love your insight into Brian's character and the positive/negative aspects of his feelings for Justin.  This is exactly how I see him too.

Can't wait for more.

CYN

Lovely and touching, and a perfect "fix" for the tragedy that was the end of the series. So this is how it really should have happened.

Wonderful work.

CYN