All Comments on 'Learning the Smuggler's Blues'

One fine story, fact or fiction, doesn't matter. Either way, an excellent read, written well and deserving a huge two thumbs up! Thankyou!

Enjoyable read, thanks!

Rereading - have to say I'm looking for the next offering from the Shack. Another Needles and Delaney story (aka the Camp Mayhem Girls), or the next Needles and Delaney book.

Love Wendy. She really makes a lot of the Tales work. Always great to have her in a story, and particularly her story.

I’m already thinking about the movie!

Fast-paced, enjoyable read.

Splendid tale

If you can't find here's the reading order for The Shack:

Weirdly, the best order to read them in is not the order we wrote them in. I've listed the best order The Missus and I have come up with below.

1. Learning the Smugglers Blues

2. Gun Gun Teddy Bear

3. Shameless

4. Monster

5. Pogo and Spooky

6. Tales from the Shack: Nobody

7. The Shack: Necessary Evil

8.The Shack: Guardians (You can read "The Marker" here too - it isn't, properly speaking, a Tale from the Shack, but it does give the background of one of the minor characters)

9. Pogo's Very Long Day

10. Blue Topaz Eyes

11. Blue Topaz Eyes II (Emma's Tale)

12. Behind Blue Eyes

13. The Shack: A Parable of Wolves

14.The Shack: Ladykiller

15. The Shack: An Angry Man

16. The Shack: .An Unreasonable Man

17. The Shack: An Implacable Man

Great story, one of many from the Shack series. To the anons that don't know what order to read them click on Todd's name and go to his bio and there is a list there with the order to read them, It will help with the time line of all the characters, Have fun. Thanks to ur talented author and his partner in life and of course to all his editors and proof readers. Can't do much better than excellent free stories, better than TV these days, much better.

I always liked Mike Hammer better . He was one tough cookie

5 Stars on another great read . Not my first time reading this story . I wish that all of This writers stories were done so that I would know which one to start with

Larger than life. But consequences can be fortunate as well as disastrous. A win-win? An expanded version and logistically from Air America.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

That was really good! I've read Shameless first before I saw the right reading order on your series in your bio. I'm going to read through it.

Great read my friend! Bravo!

Great story well written kind of on the edge of your seat action packed

Loved it! That's why I gave it five stars. I love the entire "Shack" series. I'm a big fan of almost everything Todd172 writes, but I'm particularly fond of the "Shack" series. I especially enjoy how the primary characters are interlocked and interwoven. Great character development...good stuff.

Still a great story for the umpteenth time I have read it.

Thank you and The Missus for your great writing.

That was VERY entertaining. I liked it very much. James Bond with some obvious first hand knowledge. Good job!

Very enjoyable story.

I like all the Shack, Mill Run, Blue Topaz Eyes, etc. Bought your Amazon book of Needles and Delaney. Thank you for writing them and I hope you write some more.

Great story. Wish you were still posting here.

Assault with a frozen black sea bass!! I think you've watched too much Monty Python.

Great opening, BTW. Chuckling too much to continue reading. Had to leave this comment first. Now, back to our story.....

Your real life experiences gave a solid foundation of realism that grounds the characters and story lines.

I really love your writing. That said your submitted nothing in the last 2 yrs +. You two still with us.?????

Shame on me. For some reason I never left a comment on this story. Great story but all your stories are!

5

A pelican case is an airtight/water tight case. Several sizes but about 3’x3’ by 14 inches is a common one. Very good very thought and meant to stay intact and floating after an ocean water aircrash

Great story. Thanks.

Man i wish i had read this one first, makes a lot of things I was only conjecturing about much more understandable now lol still have a few to go through so off to it great series

Still a great read. Five stars. Love the Wendy!

JPB

I come back and reread these from time to time just because. It just dawned on me. The frozen Bass was the missus' idea, wasn't it.

One day, I might write something a tenth as good as your work. That is the day pigs will fly.

I came across "An angry man" by chance. I now aim to read them all in the order you set out. Hopefully, you will have written some more by then. If not, I will happily begin at the beginning and go on ad infinitum.

Thank you and all the best

Ally

For those complaining about the reading order - Click on the Author's Name and then click the Biography. He gives the proper reading order there. Here it is:

Weirdly, the best order to read them in is not the order we wrote them in. I've listed the best order The Missus and I have come up with below.

1. Learning the Smugglers Blues

2. Gun Gun Teddy Bear

3. Shameless

4. Monster

5. Pogo and Spooky

6. Tales from the Shack: Nobody

7. The Shack: Necessary Evil

8. The Shack: Guardians

8.5 The Marker - (It isn't, properly speaking, a Tale from the Shack, but it does give the background of one of the minor characters SO READ IT!)

9. Pogo's Very Long Day

10. Blue Topaz Eyes

11. Blue Topaz Eyes II (Emma's Tale)

12. Behind Blue Eyes

13. The Shack: A Parable of Wolves

14. The Shack: Ladykiller

15. The Shack: An Angry Man

16. The Shack:An Unreasonable Man

17. The Shack: An Implacable Man

18. The Shack: And Unstoppable Man

19. The Shack: The Milk Run

Super entertaining. I LOL’d a least 5 times. My greatest fantasy is to dream of writing as great as you. TFS…

Fun!

5 stars! You had me LOL a few times!

That is one serious story! Loved the drama, intrigue and humor all thrown together to make for great reading. So glad I found this author and intend to follow up by reading more of them.

Brilliant! I know The Wendy shows up in other stories, but how about another one about her?

Damn great!

I BLOODY knew you were SPEC OPs!!

Outstandi💥💢💯💫

If the senator pursued a court marshal it would have also forced them to charge her husband and his daughter with adultery which I'm told is a huge deal in the military. So she should have been safe.

Loved this story, did I like the good "guys" - Yes, Did I dislike the bad guys - yes, Did the story flow without getting bogged down - Yes, Was I entertained - Yes, was I disappointed when I got to the end - Yes, I wanted more adventures of "The Wendy.

And I had a good laugh in a few places.

I am new to your stories, got some reading to do, this was an easy 5*, thanks

A. Great story; 6 stars!

B. Minor issue with the chronology.

"Normal" enlistments are 4 years active and 2 years non-active Reserve

When she is "interviewing" with Howard & Pogo at the beginning, Pogo says "you have effectively ended your career progression permanently at three and a half years in service" so she should only have 6 months left

After several months at the outlying airstrip getting weapons training, etc., she is being hurriedly packed up for Thailand and Pogo says "You've still got eighteen months..."

Figuring several months getting the lay of the land in Thailand and several more months establishing "The Wendy" legend before Howard tells he she is discharged, etc., that part works.

Just a minor glitch my OCD keeps pinging me about when rereading it.

BTW, re-palleted is usually repallatized, as someone who used to be in that business dropping y'all off in odd corners of the world...

You've got 3-4, maybe 5 books here with just the Shack-related stories, not counting what you and the Missus are hopefully working on currently.

Thank you for such outstanding stories!

Good show.

AWESOME. SIMPLY AWESOME

Another great third reading of a great story by a wonderfully talented author and his wife and editors of course. Come on! Get busy we need more stories and maybe a book or two like Needles and Delaney. 500 stars

A comment re. The Shack Series. I have been avoiding it because I can't make heads or tails about the sequence. Why the hell don't you number them? I won't get involved with it. One says you should read x, y, and z first. Too much trouble for me. If I could start at the beginning I could deal with it.

Great, when is the novel. Hard cover or paperback. Would settle for a e-book.

Third time reading this. Next time I’ll be anonymous so that I can give this another five stars. Great story, and a great series.

This was fun indeed. Glad to see a story with a real plot that wasn't predictable down to the commas. It may have been fantasy of a different kind from what is usual in Literotica, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. 5*

All good stories must come to an end and this was a great ending! Having said that… it also begs a follow on story of the further adventures on “The Wendy”.

Anonymous GWAD

Units like this do exist. And you’ll probably never know they are looking for you

Some of the 9mm and .45’s silenced are strange to shoot. You just kind of hear a click of the bolt or a click click if it’s not a fixed firing pin. Been lots of years. Quieter than a .22 shooting shorts

GWAD, I love the SHACK.

I wonder if guts like this exist. If so, your worst God damned nightmare if they show up looking for you💀☠

I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard over a story!! Brilliant plot, and funny. Well done indeed!

Read this one because it's one of few on Literotica with a sense of narrative. Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew grade, but at least it flowed. Then, four pages in, it SKIPS THE SEX SCENE!! What the hell!? This is a children's story.

This story is so good, it could be made into a movie.

5/5 - What a hoot!

Fantastic! I’ve been meaning to read “The Shack” series because of the high ratings, and this first one didn’t disappoint. I couldn’t put it down! Well done, and thank you for sharing your work. I look forward to reading more.

Well I loved it! Rapid moving, little extraneous chitchat and funny. My advice: Quit the short stories and write your best seller(s) right now! (I’ll buy every last one)….

Like it,something a bit different,yet entertaining.

What a great story. The humor on top of the intensity and action is perfect. Really wanted to see a bass shoved where the sun don’t shine. Laughed so hard. You are very talented.

This whole series of stories needs to be made into an episodic series on TV, if not Netflix or maybe VetTV. Really great stuff! But in the interim, consider publishing more books! Needles & Delayney is a great read, but we need MORE!

I love this Shack series, started reading from the beginning, again! Maybe my third time, I lost count. Would make a great movie though. Keep up the great work Todd!

Ummm Good!

When She Needed Help

She didn't even need to "Open Channel D." Wendy channeled a young Barbara Stanwyck to a 'T'. Excellent job! *****'s. Signed: BTW

I usually read the stories on this site for the explicitly described sex. I'm very glad that I read your story from beginning to end, even though the sex wasn't there. Very well written and entertaining.

Excellent. Just saw on the comments, from the last story of yours I read, that there was an order list for the Shack series. So I went back and read this. As always your work is just great.

A well organized story told with a certain degree of mirth is worth more than 10 BTB's, Cuck or and other tag. Well done.

Awesome story telling! I've read all of your stories and decided to go back and read them again in the order you suggested on your profile.

I've said it before but, you folks need to get an agent and turn these stories into a mini-series for cable television.

Full marks of course and thanks for the entertainment!

Damn! Still one of the best stories on the site, The Wendy is an iconic character, the 'supporting' cast all having their own stories to tell just adds grits to the mill. Brilliant stuff.

What NO retribution on Wendy's cheating husband???

/

4.6*, Hooyah, some salutes

I will repeat a comment I made at the end of the St. Clair saga. Logically, your work, including this piece, should be categorized as "Non-Erotic." But prior to my illumination at your hands, I would not have paid attention to anything labeled non-erotic. How silly and narrow-minded of me. You and your missus are just superlative storytellers, and I have richly enjoyed every one of them so far.

I am grateful for the reading guide you provide in the notes section of your Biography tab. As you suggested, Wendy's story has been my first leg through the Shack journey. I look forward to the rest.

Can’t stop. Fifth time through. Maybe best of all of them, but what a challenge that is. Slow revelation that Wendy has been recognized, as has been Spooky in other stories, as the Special Force she was born to be. The Shack!

5 Stars on this one . You have a gift for writing . But then again almost all of your stories gets 5 Stars from Me . Thank You

Brilliant! I'm a new fan! Thank you!

Excellent as always. My thanks.

Many thanks for sharing this great story with us. It was a pleasure to read. As a foreigner living in Thailand, I was impressed how you used Thailand and the colorful expat colony in this story.

stupid.

Pulls your entire psyche into the story Rolls you around places you in the scene and at the end feels so good bravo 5* deserves so much more Bravo cheers an Aussie Shaq'a'holic

read your info after posting a comment, i live in the ozarks too, you not only are great at writing but made a good choice in places to live, hope you and your lady take full advantage and enjoy the fishing and exploring the beautiful scenery of the hills and mountains in both Missouri and Arkansas, have a great life and ill be reading more, keep up the great teamwork! Few couples are able to do that, especially at your level.

exellent story, you should be writing books! Everything in the story was very believable and as good as authors of books with this type scenarios in them. I will be checking out more of your writings for sure!

YOU SIR,

are one of the very, very view Authors that make the

"came to this Site to "release stress" but stayed for the story" a real thing!

Sadly 5* is the highest rating

As I've asked before, when does the movie come out ??? A classic series are the " Tales From the Shack " !

Even better the second, or is it third, time around. I finally got around to reading your profile and thought I'd go through the 'shack' stories in the order you recommend.

.

When I was in Sam's Green Machine, early seventies Germany 11B&11C, the M14 Sniper version was the M21 - I think, but I've been told it's been through many iterations over the years. Since I got out I've always wanted the civilian version - M1A - but every time I saved enough for what the price last time I saw one, it had gone up. Well, don't really need one for plinking at water filled milk jugs, so I guess now it's with the '67 Cobra 427SC in my 'wish but never expect to get list.'

.

Great writing, great stories.

Todd172, one of the best writers on this site and I'm sure elsewhere, If you haven't read the whole shack series you must. This is my third time around. Whenever I'm lacking for a good story I wind up back here. Look under Todd's bio for a complete list of the Shack series and the order to read them, they are great.

Amazing story telling!

Outstanding. Forgive this comment Literotica, but I never expected writing of this quality or depth on this website.

Great series and awesome story!!!

F*cking awesome - 5+5*

Hey 'Americans are foreign' anon 'When only cops have guns, it's called a "police state"'. - Claire Wolfe Smart woman.

Americans are so foreign. Why are they so immersed in gun culture. Disgusting

All your schtick, the descriptions of “the Crew”, even down ti the choreography of the Unit’s moves... I don’t know, dude. The Nang and Desert Storm, and all the heroes I met in my 22 years in, tells me your skills as a writer mask a bunch of other skills.... 10* my friend

Another entertaining tale! Another 5 star writing job.

I don’t recall having read this one until now. It was definitely a pleasure to find.

A true treasure of a writer on this site. ALL stories have been a great reading time!

Truly appreciate your time and effort writing and especially sharing your stories on the site!!!

Hopefully you get as much pleasure creating the stories as I have reading.

Please do keep writing and I will keep reading.

We need that story

More More More. ...Thank you

Great writing, love these action stories, better than what's on TV!! We want more, more!!

I realy enjoyed this story.

I read Vodka Sting, fabulous by the way, and the next thing I know,I’ve reread 4 stories of yours in a row. Your characters are incredible, and you teased the hell out of me with Veronica and Amos, she seems extremely interesting.

Anon’s Amos and Ronni plea. Ronni has to have a hell of a story, and Amos seems like one hell of a character.

Great story I love your action scenes and the bad (good) guys are really bad asses! I need more, more, more! I know I'm just greedy.

that the writing doesn't get in the way. Or have I got that upside down?

The writing is so damned smooth and error-free that it actually helps the already fine storytelling.

Second reading. Still smiling from the first.

Thanks for the excitement and the chortles.