10 [Report This]Date: December 17, 2006 09:57 pm Title: Seven: Swans a Swimming
OMG, Ok this is officially my favorite one! How romantic was this one?! Lordy...love it - please continue - quickly. ;-)
Author's Response: Thanks LoveFool! I'm so glad you liked it. I'm working on it!!!
10 [Report This]Date: December 17, 2006 07:47 pm Title: Nine: Ladies Dancing
"We. It’s amazing how much pain two letters can cause" - Poor Pam. That made my heart sad for her. .
Author's Response: Hee! Don't worry. It's gonna get better. :)
10 [Report This]Date: December 17, 2006 08:41 am Title: Seven: Swans a Swimming
Yet another great chapter. It's ironic that I am in such pain from ice skating myself yesterday. This continues to be a great series. Wow.
Author's Response: Oh Ami! Hope you feel better! I'm glad you're still with me! Thanks so much for the review!
10 [Report This]Date: December 17, 2006 12:45 am Title: Seven: Swans a Swimming
Yay for the little JAMmer, Sasha! This was incredibly cute! Can't wait for more!
Author's Response: She's a keeper that kid! Thanks Lindsey!
Date: December 16, 2006 07:26 pm Title: Seven: Swans a Swimming
Jim and Sasha! I'm so in love. Very nicely done. Best line:
It's amazing how kids can take the most complex things and make them incredibly simple.
Author's Response:
They are quite the couple. :)
It's true though - no? Kids tend to cut to the chase.
Someone needs to give these 2 a clue.
10 [Report This]Date: December 16, 2006 02:24 pm Title: Seven: Swans a Swimming
This chapter touched me a lot, not only b/c it features FNB taking another chance by learning something new, but b/c it contributes to bringing Pam and Jim closer. Yay Sasha!
Author's Response: I was really happy the way it all came together. I'm glad you liked it too! Thanks Luna!
8 [Report This]Date: December 16, 2006 01:08 pm Title: Seven: Swans a Swimming
"I should." Yes Yes Yes, he should. Wonderful chapter.
Author's Response: Hee! Thanks gotkona!
10 [Report This]Date: December 16, 2006 12:16 pm Title: Seven: Swans a Swimming
Aw, who doesn't love Babysitting!Jim? Great chapter as always! I love the kids-put-it-in-perspective angle. Go Sasha!
Author's Response: He's impossible not to love. :) Thanks! Go Sasha indeed!
10 [Report This]Date: December 16, 2006 09:55 am Title: Seven: Swans a Swimming
This was just so sweet. I'm definitely glad you decided to go with this idea. And I totally agree that there is nothing more adorable than Jim babysitting Sasha. I love the way Sasha seems enraptured by Pam and how Jim feels it, too.
It's amazing how kids can take the most complex things and make them incredibly simple.
This is so true and just the perfect way to put it. What a great line. And I'm glad Jim agrees with Sasha.
Six geese-a-laying! I can't wait! "I got goosebumps!"
Author's Response:
Thanks so much 69CoN! I'm so glad everything I tried to convey came across.
Hee! about the goosebumps. Funny you should use that term...the next chapter IS about "geese" you know. :)
10 [Report This]Date: December 16, 2006 09:18 am Title: Seven: Swans a Swimming
aww, that was so cute! i'm so glad you used this idea for swans, because it was just perfect- are you going to write about the trip to cugino's? because i want to see more sasha!
Author's Response:
janelle - please see below. :) It'll certainly come up again - but I don't see continuing the chapter with the next installment.
Sasha's awesome. I fully expect her to serve as flower girl at the wedding. ;)
10 [Report This]Date: December 16, 2006 09:09 am Title: Seven: Swans a Swimming
This chapter made me ridiculously happy - and, no, it's not just the drugs talking! You made both their feelings of being excited, nervous, wistful at unexpectedly having time together so real. Could really see Jim's face as he watched her skate, too - that adoring look he gets. And needless to say, Sasha should win a medal - and not just for Olympic skating.
Great kid-speak too...especially loved when she says We already went around like twenty-eleven times. (At around that age, my youngest told me something she wanted cost 'a buck three-eighty' which has been our term for any unclear price ever since, and this really reminded me of that.) Anyway, great ending...can't wait for the next chapter. Best medicine I've had in a while!
Author's Response:
I'm so glad you liked it. And thanks for talking me off the Nicholas Sparks ledge. I'm MUCH happier with my choice.
Kids are awesome. My cousin once was questioning the exisitence of a certain guy with a white beard. He rattled down the amounts he thought my aunt and uncle would shell out for gifts ($30 for him - $15 for his brother - $2 for the baby) and then factored in gifts for the rest of the family. His conclusion? Santa must exist "Because frankly I don't think you and Dad have that kind of cash."
:) So glad you liked it!!!
10 [Report This]Date: December 16, 2006 08:43 am Title: Seven: Swans a Swimming
Guh, heartbreaking! I love this series so much. Please don't deprive of us of the lunch at Cugino's!
Author's Response:
I'm still working on the next chapter. You may not "see" the whole lunch - after all - their heart to heart isn't going to happen with a six year old between them - but there might be a flashback or two.
Stay tuned. And thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying the ride!
Date: December 16, 2006 08:37 am Title: Seven: Swans a Swimming
Eeee! Any appearance of Sasah in a story makes me all warm and gooey inside, and you certainly made the most of her here. So cute, and I love how she's like in awe of pretty, grownup Pam, and Jim totally is too. That last line just kills me.
Author's Response:
A long time ago a visited a friend and spent some time with her little girl. A week later she called me up hysterically laughing to tell me that in the middle of dinner - out of the blue - her daughter looked at her and said, "I love Krissy. Can she come over tomorrow?"
And so - in this chapter - I decided Sasha feels the same way about Pam. :)
Date: December 16, 2006 08:12 am Title: Eight: Maids a Milking
Ooh - that was the most painfully uncomfortable conversation ever. Poor Pam, and poor clueless Karen too!
This: "I sold $5000 worth of paper today. What did you do?" Hee! Thank you for using a line where I could actually hear in my memory what JK would sound like while saying it. Classic :)
Author's Response:
HEE!! You''re on to me. That's a little trick I use. Find things he says - and rework them a bit.
Yep. Poor Karen. Thanks for playing. Here's your consolation prize. :)
Date: December 16, 2006 07:27 am Title: Seven: Swans a Swimming
YAY; Oy but from the tongues of babes.
I'm doing the Squee dance over here; I cannot WAIT to see the next chapter. I love Pam crashing and burning just because I do it so well and I love Jim with Sasha. (She's such a little matchmaker!)
Author's Response: Thanks fireworkfiasco! I realize it's a cheap trick to use a six year old to do my dirty work - but someone's got to get those two together. :)
10 [Report This]Date: December 16, 2006 07:24 am Title: Seven: Swans a Swimming
There is something devastatingly romantic about ice skating, isn't there? One of my favorite films is The Cutting Edge.
This was fun and exciting, and a definite turn for the better!
Author's Response:
Ahhh - The Cutting Edge. We could talk for days about Kate Moseley Doug Dorsey. My very close friend is actually related to DB Sweeney and I've met him. ANYWAY....the skin I used to MTT is the ice skating one - so I see the image of the two of them on the rink every time I log on. It seemed like the obvious choice!
And yes - things are definitely looking up! :)
Author's Response: Man. What is wrong w/me??? Please excuse my typos above. I must have gotten into some of those pills y'all have been talking about. LOL!
10 [Report This]Date: December 16, 2006 07:08 am Title: Seven: Swans a Swimming
He keeps his distance; it's easy to do because he's had plenty of practice. What a fantastic line. I love this whole story because it uses the framework you've chosen but it exists apart from it...the 12 days informs it but doesn't overpower it.
I also love Sasha. You do a great job with her voice.
Author's Response:
Yeah. I'm finding that sometimes the literal translation works - but sometimes it's easier to just imagine something that fits that's a little less obvious.
Morning Angel let me know that I was putting alot of pressure on that poor kid. LOL! But I think she did a great job.
Date: December 16, 2006 07:01 am Title: Seven: Swans a Swimming
Yeah, Jim, you totally should!!! Love the part about Pam trying to reconcile her two selves.
I am adoring this series and each chapter just makes me just crazy for the next one!!
Author's Response:
I hope he listens to her. That kid's onto something. ;)
Thanks lisahoo! I'm so glad you're liking it!
10 [Report This]Date: December 16, 2006 07:01 am Title: Eight: Maids a Milking
Beautiful. You obviously didn't need any advice about this one (hee!). How awkward and real. Karen is cool, but she's not right for Jim in the long run (thank goodness). Pam is his type. Pam is IT for him. Lovely job with the dynamics here.
Author's Response:
Gosh this one just about killed me. I was desperate to find the right balance so I took help from anyone who offered!!
I'm glad to see my extensive research paid off. :)
Date: December 16, 2006 06:51 am Title: Nine: Ladies Dancing
Ooooh, this hurts. It's great. And of course it is Kelly who wants to go dancing.
Author's Response:
I know. Ouch right???
And yeah...oh Kelly!
10 [Report This]Date: December 15, 2006 11:51 pm Title: Eight: Maids a Milking
I had been wanting to see a good Torturous!Conversation, not to punish Pam, but because I think it offers a lot of insight in to their characters. This was very weel done, everytime Karen revealed more and more I just shrank in my chair (that is a compliment!). I really felt Pam in this writing.
Author's Response:
Awesome chicgeek (and I wanted to tell you before - love your screen name btw!) That's exactly what I was going for.
I'm glad it seemed so real for you (even with the shrinking in your chair!)
Thanks so much for reviewing!
9 [Report This]Date: December 15, 2006 10:34 pm Title: Eight: Maids a Milking
Fantastic job! I like that you decided to go with Pam's POV for the conversation with Karen. And I like the subtle little ways that you've shown the difference between the two women and why Pam's the better match for Jim.
Can't wait until the seven swimming swans!
Author's Response:
YAY!! I'm so glad you liked it. I really think I was struggling to find Karen's voice in the other version.
And I'm glad the subtley worked for you!
7 Swans is almost ready - just doing some early morning tweaking!
10 [Report This]Date: December 15, 2006 04:35 pm Title: Eight: Maids a Milking
All I could think was "poor Pam" - she got caught up in a conversation she didn't want to be in, but couldn't get away. And then to have Jim show and (maybe?) hear her revealing something so personal...well, things are going to have to come to a head soon.
Author's Response:
I feel bad for all of them. And yes...things are going to change...FINALLY!!
Stay tuned! ;)
10 [Report This]Date: December 15, 2006 11:57 am Title: Eight: Maids a Milking
Wow, awesome. I can't wait for more!
Author's Response: Thanks PuffingNoise! SOON!
10 [Report This]Date: December 15, 2006 11:45 am Title: Eight: Maids a Milking
I know this one was a challenge, but you pulled it off with aplomb. I like how you worked so many iconic Jim-isms into Karen's perplexed description of him - and how they just don't jibe with her. Yet make total sense to Pam. Also loved the image of Pam brushing up against him 'accidentally'... and him 'not noticing.' Uh, huh. Sure. Karen's going to clue in, no doubt...if only I trusted it to happen in as reasonable a time frame on the show as I do in your able hands.
Author's Response:
Thanks colette. This one was really difficult - because I - like Pam - can't bring myself to think of Karen as an out and out villian (nor should I). I wanted to show how she's smitten w/Jim - and clearly likes him more than a little - but how she's just not quite the match Pam is for him. I hope that came across.
And - yes. There are no "accidents." ;)