Hi,

.*. Heads up on my posting schedule for The First Casualty. (I have added a Dec '18 update as an early stocking filler) I was attempting to maintain a posting on the 1st of the month. Obviously that has not prevailed for quite some time. Certain issues in RL have now resolved and I am able to devote more time to TFC. However, with the story continually evolving, it became abundantly obvious to me that I could not stick to my outline. Also, that once I completed a first draft, I would need several rounds of revision. There’s a whole mess of hanging narrative threads, which need to be either resolved or eliminated. I hope that the revised story will have a better structure, with more conflict, and the narrative will be more compelling. So, in summary, I am continuing to work on TFC, but I shall not be posting for some time.*

I am Tidy and have an abiding love of Star Trek, Babylon 5, Buffy/Angel, The West Wing and the works of the inestimable Miss Jane Austen. I love reading and I like to think I have eclectic tastes -- anything from crime fiction to science fiction. In the latter category I am particularly fond of C J Cherryh and Lois McMaster Bujold, Kate Wilhelm, Robert Silverberg, Kim Stanley Robinson, Greg Bear, Gregory Benford, and the (YA stories) of Robert Heinlein.

Game of Thrones (TV show) has caught me in its web and I am a lost cause. I have made a promise to myself to stay away from GoT websites, because fandoms sometimes eat me alive and my limited fiction output will shrink to an even slower trickle if I succumb.

I finished my ST:TOS piece Gravitation is not Responsible for People Falling in Love, which at just over 28K words is the longest thing I've written that is finished -- my thanks to WildwingSuz for her beta skillz on the opening chapters. I have since scrambled to get words down so that it would be complete; if any readers spot any issues on later chapters, I should be very happy if you would send me a personal message.

The current story I am working on is The First Casualty, a ST:TOS alternate universe story, originally given the tentative title of His Mother’s Child. Hated that, hence the name change. The story has evolved beyond all recognition of its first incarnation. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I still like the central premise of Spock never making it to Starfleet. I cannot conceive of Trek without the Kirk & Spock friendship, though, so how these two encounter each other -- in a galaxy that has seemingly gone to the dogs in my little scenario -- is, I hope, a tale others will find worth the telling.

As mentioned in an earlier version of this profile, my partner of 36 years died on 15 July 2016. While I am in no sense over the shock, I need distraction in my life for that and for my physical health, which has been pretty poor for more time than I care to recall. I have, therefore, resumed posting additional chapters of The First Casualty. Providing I am able to write, I will post new chapters around the beginning of each month.

Reviews and feedback make my day. I am only sorry that FFN does not allow me to reply to guests who leave reviews. Please know that I do appreciate your comments. They’re nicer than chocolate and have fewer calories. Please also know I cherish every time someone clicks to favourite or to alert for one of my pieces. The great thing about alerts is that a follower receives an email with a clickable link to take them straight to the new chapter, or to a new fic in the case of author alerts. I find this convenient, especially if an author updates while I am waiting around in the hospital and I wish to read the story on my smartphone.

Constructive criticism is always appreciated -- although if you are really going to let me have it, I would ask you do this via personal message; I won’t take issue, if you send me something unfavourable -- and I am looking for a beta for my Trek output if anyone is interested. I'll trade beta for beta, if that appeals.

Tidy