Thanks! I did always know how it would end mostly. The runnaway bride idea and all that. But the journey turned more interesting than I realized. Thanks for keeping me focused on the important things.
I love this tons! as I do probably all your writing. It's sweet and serious and brought tears to my eyes but parts were hilarious. I absolutely loved how Jensen's family enjoyed being at Jared's at the end. It was like Jensen couldn't explain to Jared how much it would heal everything to have chocolate milk and grilled cheese, but he knew it would. very sweet.
Thanks so much for reading and leaving such a sweet note. The chocolate milk and grilled cheese took on a special quality in this story. It was part of the routine of Jared's life, which help ground him. But it also became a lifeline for Jensen. I'm delighted how you picke dup on that.
OMG, My Heart! Thank you so much for making me fall in love these flawed screwed up people! You even made me like your Tom! Well done, Sandy! Really. So beautiful and full and rich> Thanks for sharing :D
Thank you for reading! I admit I fell for Jared in this. He was a pleasure to write. All his Apollo-love was autobiographical :) The rest was research but intriguing and illuminating. The world is filled with so many flavors of people.
You really caught something about Aspie kids with this. My grown son has Aspberger's ( and he's gay) and your Jared really reminded me of him in some ways even though they are both atypical. The fact that you captured how much their intelligence is a part of Aspie's was really unexpected because people seem to really miss that.
Thanks so much for sharing that with me. I don't know anyone with Aspergers. But I researched. There's this Web site -- http://www.wrongplanet.net -- that was just so rich.
I read dozens and dozens of posts and blog entries. The key discovery is how individual it all is. Not really surprising when we are talking intricacies of the human mind. I picked up a few (sometimes) shared characteristics like an appreciation of order, a tendency to really focus (sometimes obsess) on a topic and a struggle with 'reading' body language. Some emotions were universal (like loneliness) between Aspies and NTs. And I noticed by the writing and language and expressions in the posts a few main things. Intelligence abounds. As well as pride.
Jared in the story talks of wanting in his youth to wish to be like 'everyone else', like his peers. But at the present point of the story he doesn't wish this any longer because of what he'd have to give up of himself.
This had me crying and laughing I think in equal measures. Such a good story I felt for both Jared and Jensen even though there were a few times I wanted to shake Jensen. He got there in the end though which is the important thing. Thanks for sharing :))
Wow just wow. All of this was so emotional and real not a person in this story was really considered bad, (well except for Jensen's dad) but even Tom had a heart wrenching emotional background. Your writing is so vivid and detailed, with all the lunar references and how well you were able to portray aspies I've worked with many children who've have syndrome like that and Autism in high school and you nailed it spot on. Even if each case is highly individualized it all just felt right and real. All of Jared's comments on love and life itself were just mind blowing to me. Seriously this was really excellent I loved every second of it you are a fantastic writer
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Thanks so much for reading and leaving such a sweet, detailed comment. I appreciate your mentioning Tom specifically. Clearly he was the 'bad guy' so to speak. But because I wanted bigotry to really be the only evil so he had a lot of mitigating circumstances for his callousness. And really all he did was ask. It was on Jensen what happened after that.
As for the Aspergers -- thanks so much for saying it felt right. I have no first-hand experience so it was all research based. I spent days on a web site (wrongplanet.net) where folks with Aspergers and Autism post. It was the honesty and bravery I found there that inspired Jared in this story.
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You had me tied up in knots as you were writing this, not able to see how you would work it around to a happy ending--but you did!
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I absolutely loved how Jensen's family enjoyed being at Jared's at the end. It was like Jensen couldn't explain to Jared how much it would heal everything to have chocolate milk and grilled cheese, but he knew it would.
very sweet.
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Thank you so much for making me fall in love these flawed screwed up people! You even made me like your Tom!
Well done, Sandy! Really. So beautiful and full and rich> Thanks for sharing :D
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I read dozens and dozens of posts and blog entries. The key discovery is how individual it all is. Not really surprising when we are talking intricacies of the human mind. I picked up a few (sometimes) shared characteristics like an appreciation of order, a tendency to really focus (sometimes obsess) on a topic and a struggle with 'reading' body language. Some emotions were universal (like loneliness) between Aspies and NTs. And I noticed by the writing and language and expressions in the posts a few main things. Intelligence abounds. As well as pride.
Jared in the story talks of wanting in his youth to wish to be like 'everyone else', like his peers. But at the present point of the story he doesn't wish this any longer because of what he'd have to give up of himself.
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As for the Aspergers -- thanks so much for saying it felt right. I have no first-hand experience so it was all research based. I spent days on a web site (wrongplanet.net) where folks with Aspergers and Autism post. It was the honesty and bravery I found there that inspired Jared in this story.
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