I have been fortunate to receive comments on my stories - and a few flames, of course. Some readers have asked questions, many similar in nature. I've decided to answer some of them here for those that are interested.

As many readers have noticed, asstr.org has suffered technical difficulties on and off for a couple of years. This may or may not be resolved. Perhaps it is fortuitious. I've contributed stories for almost eight years. None of my stories generate an income (as it should be). However, times are tough for many, many people, and I'm one of them. I find I need to work longer and harder to make ends meet.

This means I will not have the time to write erotic stories. I will not be adding to my collection in the near future. One day I hope to have the time to write again. Until then, I hope the stories that are posted bring you joy and pleasure. To those readers that have commented, thank you!

Many excellent writers are offering great stories. Try: Tempest, Chase Shivers, Chris Hailey, Fabula Salaxacis, Uncle Jim, and Admiral Cartwright (who was an early inspiration to me). They provide a selection of stories that suit every taste and, importantly, they are well written.

I will make a heartfelt suggestion to readers: Authors love hearing from you, myself included. Reader feedback is truly energizing, regardless of a writers' motivation. I have been blessed with some wonderful feedback. When you read a story on asstr.org, if the author has an email address, take a minute and reward him/her with a word or two. Trust me, it makes a difference. Think of it as an investment in having them continue to provide you with reading pleasure.

This is a question/request I often receive. It is a wonderful compliment. To have any reader wanting more of a story shows how much they enjoyed it. I have to admit, I often wish I could read more of the characters in my stories, too. I might be the one creating the personalities, but I fall for them as they take shape through written words.

However, when I end a story, it's over. I end them where I think they should end - before they become repetitive or lose the essence of the plot. I once tried to write a sequel and failed miserably. It seems I'm incapable of finding the inspiration to continue a story once I've completed it. So there you have it. Sorry. :(

There are times I will read one of my stories and something will bother me. It might be an awkward phrase, a wrong word, or I've messed up some continuity in the story. Those minor errors prey on my mind until I have to correct them. I also take the opportunity to correct typos that have been pointed out to me by wonderful readers. Sorry if reposting is annoying, but there's no other way of making the changes.

I would like to say a special thanks to JP (you know who you are) for wading though almost one and a half million words and, with eagle eyes, proofing my stories, making me look more professional than I am. I'm deeply grateful.

I took them down. The format restrictions of plain text files restrict my ability to communicate certain things (Italics, bolding, etc.).

The simple answer is no. I don't take requests. It is not because readers don't have great ideas, but because I write primarily for myself. I write stories that do it for me; that bring me pleasure. It is a personal approach that led to the odd perspective I often use - a first person point of view coupled with a third person point of view. It is too difficult for me to take other readers' ideas and make them my own. If you have a story idea I suggest you try to write it yourself or search around ASSTR. There are authors who will take requests.

Yes and no. I have been to ninety percent of the locations I place my stories in. I've been fortunate to have traveled extensively in my life. But when the story calls for it I will take creative license and adapt the location to suit the story, so don't expect geographic accuracy.

The choice of Queen's English or American English is a deliberate one. I received my education in both English and American schools. Thus, for stories set in America, I use American English. For stories set in Europe, Africa, or British Colonies, protectorates, or territories, I use the Queen's English. Occasionally I mess up and use both inadvertently. It happens. When I do, I pretend I'm Canadian! Seriously, I like to improve my skills with each story and this is one way I stretch myself.

It is an Egyptian Goddess of youth and spring. There are likely many other definitions, but that's the one I used to select my penname.

No. Everything is born from a creative imagination. Enough said.

I very rarely write non-consensual stories. When I do, they tend to have a softer perspective and inevitably, in my world, no one is hurt.

I write stories, not instruction manuals. Because of that, I believe timbre and pace and pauses and emphasis are integral to the telling of the story. Syntactic punctuation (logical punctuation) is designed to reflect the grammatical structure of a sentence. I use elocutionary punctuation (rhetorical punctuation) which is used to communicate pauses and the rhythm of prose. I believe it adds cadence and expresses feelings far better than syntactic punctuation. To quote a more erudite authority than I, Eric Raymond, "To an elocutionary punctuationist, the common marks represent speech pauses of increasing length in roughly this order: comma, semicolon, colon, dash, ellipsis, period. Parentheses suggest a vocal aside at lower volume; exclamation point is a volume/emphasis indicator, and question mark means rising tone." But I confess, mea culpa, occasionally I do go overboard with commas!

I've had several questions along this line: How do you do it? How do you come up with your ideas? How long does it take to write them? All those questions seem to revolve around creativity. There's no secret to how I create. I write stories that interest me both emotionally and erotically. I like character development so I can become vested in them. A situation will come to mind, characters will emerge and, when the concept becomes compelling enough to me, I'll start writing. It takes me two to three weeks to craft the story depending on time available, the complexity of the story, and my motivation.

I've had my fair share of comments and critiques that, as a writer, inevitably hurt. One can't read a diatribe and simply dismiss it because there's usually some element of truth in it, and that's the part that hurts. Yes, I do have characters that are remarkably similar from story to story. I love strong females who have sass and attitude and a mind of their own. Many of my female characters will have these traits because I like them. Yes, I can be too detailed in my stories. But they're my erotic stories. Yes, I might have difficulty portraying the vocabulary and perspective of an eight-year-old significantly differently from a thirteen-year-old. I'm not a girl. There are limits to my creative insights.

I'll also admit to placing my stories in pleasant locations instead of tenements or slums or rundown apartments. Real life is harsh enough. I don't need ugliness added to my erotic fantasies. I'd rather visit a beautiful location with a beautiful, willing lover.

Occasionally I feel frustrated when some readers rudely suggest my stories should be letter perfect, or I should use an editor, or a proof-reader. I'm an amateur not a professional. It's beyond me why some people can't grasp that. I like readers that point out a mistake or a typo and do it with good grace. I like readers that find flaws in the story line. It shows they're involved in the story. But those that curtly tell me "You need an editor" or "You should have a proof reader review your story before posting it," I can do without.

Anyone that writes and publishes stories will tell you that "Sticks and stones will . . ." is a load of rubbish. Words do indeed hurt. Criticism hurts, critiques do not.

To those readers that compliment a story and then tell me there's a major perspective error, "You cannot know what other characters are thinking when writing in the first person," thanks. I know. I'm doing it deliberately, honest!

And to those readers who religiously send me comments and compliments (you know who you are), thank you. I get deep gratification from knowing you enjoy my fantasies, too.