All Comments on 'Life as a New Hire Ch. 19'

Yet another excellent reveal: I thought kidnap and torture and eventual death was in his dad's future but this is moving the timetable up! It did seem odd that he was confirmed as Head of Ishara but they ignored his father.

We stay excited: looking forward to the reckoning with the Illuminati.

Another new chapter! They come so soon after one another and well written! I really do hopet this series continues for a while, Cael is a great character to understand and root for. Thanks FinalStand! Keep on writing these excellent stories!

It really is a delight the way the plot is developing, can't wait to see if we can find an authority figure that isn't lampooned somewhere in the tale. Nice step on the Nicole front although hope this doesn't signal the end from Tim/Odette.

Three cheers!

I saw a comment about Cael's father and House Ishara. I think in a pure matriarchy like this that the Amazons probably hadn't even considered Cael's father as having existed when they had that revelation in the "board meeting" so I don't think its that unusual for them to have made Cael head of house at the time.

A technicality of Amazon law came into play and that is the terminology 'of the Host'. Cael was clearly 'of the Host' since he worked at Havenstone. Ferko? He was the oldest, but not 'of the Host'. There is no precedent for this. You have seen exactly ONE Amazon not of the Host far and that's Pamela. Pamela took herself to the cliffs and didn't die. No one knows what to make of that. They honor her accomplishments, but she is of no House and has no House protection...yet she is considered full-blooded.

You've heard of another Amazon not 'of the Host' - Desiree's Mom and that woman was labelled a traitor and put under a sentence of Death.

Ferko wasn't of the Host, wasn't a traitor and hadn't taken himself to the cliffs...Hayden didn't know what to do with him and his relationship to Cael. The only thing Hayden did know is that Aunt Stella did NOT carry the Ishara gene - so the only female in the family was disqualified from simplifying the situation. Getting Stella to leave her lifestyle would have been a fun conversation in and of itself.

Stella: "Right - cult of Amazons - ancient Goddesses - you think I'm the Chosen One - How nice, but I've got to be on board my ship at 3 a.m. so you land-lubbers need to get going."

Great Stuff!

I love how the plot is thickening! The secret society twist is very intriguing and I yope you have alot more story in ya FS...keep up the great work!!

Thank you!

With every chapter the plot it's tickens and it's more exciting. I love this story !

Read all the curent chapters over the last couple days... Story is awesome

FS,

you did it again... cant wait for the next chapter to come out... great job on this one

I've read all your stories in one day. It is freaking amazing. I love the story and the thickening plot. Please dont stop. You should totally write books or have a movie/hbo show on this. Please keep going. I love it.

FLAWLESS!

This story is crack and I'm a crack whore! More please!!!!

Hmm, what about Cáel's aunt? His father had this sister on a crab boat? Too old, yes but a woman!

The question was addressed above - The Ishara genes carried in the Vranus line are Y-chromosome dependent. The line 'can' jump genders (back to female, thus the hope for Cael's daughters), but is very rare. Stella doesn't have the gene, thus is not a true descendant of Ishara. This is addressed in future chapters, btw. The readers are not alone in wondering why Stella isn't in charge (as most Amazons would prefer). The genetic information was provided to Cael by Shawnee Arinniti off-screen because this was an obvious complication (Stella being female and Ferko being Cael's father).

This is definitely way into "curiouser and curiouser" territory. I wonder if Cáel can pull off a meeting with the Illuminati as a very pissed-off grandson of THE Cáel, not to mention a very pissed of Head of a First House and sort out the fine print in the Protocols. If you don't like the changes, take them up with the Cáel of your choice,

Excellent ! This is one of your more wonderful series ! I have read all to this point and have followed with 5*****s in all . I am looking forward to the next . Just a word of thanks from a reader , it keeps me busy in this time of trouble . I let you know about it later .

Thanks again

TX Cracker

Guess you can cross this jovial band of merry men off your fans list. lol

Thanks for posting!

That I read the first chapter with skepticism. But as I went on, this story has grown on me. Great job and I'm starting chapter 20 in the morning.

Blood-fest of mostly evil types mixed with comedy is really enjoyable. What have you done to me?

... hopefully I've written a story in which the protagonist's transformation from womanizing cad into something greater makes sense. It isn't karma. To me, the author, that would have been too easy. It isn't like he 'messes with the wrong woman', or some other simple trope. No, our morally-gray, happy-go-lucky 'hero' ends up in some truly dark shit ... thru no real fault of his own.

As an author and individual, I am fascinated by the moral ambiguity most people seem to happily embrace ~ often without acknowledging it, or accepting it. Too often we like to think of ourselves as 'good people', but are we really? When confronted with true evil, who among us - me included - could step up and say ~ "No more!" ~ even at the risk of our lives ... the lives of our loved ones?

***

Then, at the risk of sounding 'New Agee' ~ what is evil?'

The Amazons ARE evil. I'm not denying that - no way - no how. What I pose in this tale is this idea:

'My evil doesn't exist in a vacuum and if I destroy it, what will move in to take its place?'

At this point there are roughly 40,000 adult Amazons in the World. There are roughly 4,000 preteens and 2,000 more pre-caste teenagers. What happens to them? Not only would it be terribly risky to let them integrate into 'normal' society, there are other groups who HATE the Amazons and would seek vengeance against their helpless young. Why? Because they are evil too!

Katrina is evil ... except she is not a one-dimensional villainess. She also definitely saved Cáel's life when the 'safer' course of action would have been to quietly dispose of him. She is both an Amazon and an Amazons Head of House thus has ordered the extermination of EVERY male under House Epona's 'care'. She does hold out both love & affection toward our hero AND is motivated by her desire to save her race - countless Amazons both living and yet to be born ~ love.

Buffy? She has murdered people in cold blood on Katrina's orders and would do so again. She'd also die for Cáel - quite literally.

Essentially ~ 'What would you do if you discovered something you loved was evil which also loved you back (showed virtues alongside their obvious vices)?'

It is nice to think we could toss it away - separate ourselves - become clean. I honestly don't know how many of us could. I think that struggle makes for an interesting story.

***

And it will get WORSE. The blows will keep coming - both emotionally and from a moral decision-making point of view. Cáel's got a heaping helping of advantages most guys would main for ... and he's going to need them all and then some. Plus he's got Odette, Timothy and Pamela to help him out. He'll find others to help him stay centered when things look pretty damn bleak.

And the jokes (at least I think they are jokes) will keep coming. Cáel & Pamela both laugh at death and they make quite a duo as time goes on. And don't forget Aya - she holds a special place in his soul ... and who would have 'thunk' Cáel would be bonding with, of all folks, a fey nine year old girl and a 60-ish retired female assassin way back in Chapter One?

Thank you for sticking with this tale this far and I hope you continue to enjoy it.

Take care,

James aka FinalStand

I've always thought it was of Japanese descent Tiger lily, Lilium lancifolium or Oniyuri.

You would think that that have hands in Japan, not a country strong in women's rights. But strong on respect and respect for elders. Hell look at how (recently) women are effecting Japanese business. Though my guess was wrong I still haven't read all the chapters. Hope we take a trip to Japan.

You've gotten days of the week off, starting in this chapter.

Chap 18 covers Monday: destroying the firing range, telling Katrina about his Sunday night meeting with Brianne, intro to peon craft, meeting Deidre when he gets home.

Chap 19 starts with Brooke tied up (late monday/early tuesday), the phone call, scramble to HQ, etc. "Monday Noon" precedes the Burnham Hospital section. That should be "Tuesday noon". (so Cael telling Buffy to plan on meeting Tues Nite or Wed Morning seems off by a day as well)

Chap 20 starts "Tuesday morning" when it should be Wednesday.

This is my 4th or 5th time through (so you can assume I'm rather fond of it) and I remember you commenting on "fixing" dates somewhere down the road, but I'm not sure this is that or something else. I mention it in case it might help to pinpoint where the error started in any future revisions and I didn't see it addressed in any other comments.

story?? this is an epic saga!! I have read it at least 10 times and it still leaves me with a good feeling at the end, besides the fact that I want to read all about the great hunt!!! my all-time favorite story.. this one is up there with Robert Heinlein's "Time Enough For Love"

WOW! Hi praise indeed. It raises my spirits to know this tale is good even on a re-read. It encourages me to get off my duff and get this story completed. The Great Hunt needs to be done. I already have written the conclusion of this story line and started on the next story arc ~ current working title "LAANH: End of the Beginning".

Thank you very much for your kind words and take care,

James aka FinalStand

Yes, am reading LAANH for the umpteenth time... given all the crap going on in the world these days, reading (or re-reading) about ”cabbage-head’s” troubles makes my day so much better.

James, you are an incredibly talented writer.. so glad that you are working to close this story. Cannot wait, and keep yourself and your family safe.

And Thank You for your kind commentary in these trying times. It reminds me I've done something worthwhile as I sit here struggling to write something - anything - worth reading. My current project is a superhero yarn and I'm already on Chapter 8. I've submitted the work to my editor though it will take some time for him to get back to me ... something about fighting off an invasion of tanks, or something similar. ;) If you would like to take a look at this, let me know and I'll send the first seven chapters your way. Currently I've only sent it to one of my closest friends to review, but he's got a lot on his plate too.

As always - take care,

James aka FinalStand

P.S. I'm holding off on the Great Hunt until I think I've been able to recapture that sense of comedy which I hope has propelled this story for so long. I haven't forgotten this tale, or the readers who are waiting for me to complete it. I just want to make the conclusion (of this arc) worthy of your attention.

also re-reading this whole saga again, only third reading for me so be nice. also just as fantastic as I remembered. another chapter for this series would be nice but if it's not happened by now I figure inspiration is just not landing. I always liked making work a better place and ebb tide if that is handy to know :)

FINALSTAND- I salute thee, I started this series Saturday and justed finished ch19, really enjoyed.

Thank you very much. I can only promise you the plot will get even more twisted as you continue.

Take care,

James aka FinalStand

I haven’t read past him talking to cop about his father’s murder. Just wanted to say I hope they kill him. If he wants to be the prick that don’t need help, the ass that goes it alone, then let them grab him at airport. They can take his head or enslave/torture him, I don’t care. Let’s have more about Amazons. Maybe they go to war with Illuminati.

So glad I’m re reading this. It’s so good.

Second reading. Holy moly this is good. I sincerely hope you are proud of this. You deserve to feel that way.

And I hope you are well and feeling good.

It hurts that after two years, this story hasn't been completed...

I hope you are good wherever you are finalstand...

Hi there all. I'm still alive and kicking. I'm writing as well, just not anything I feel is worthy of being published. I read all the comments, but my depressive state leaves me mostly incapable of response. The same goes for all the e-mails I have received. I haven't given up on finishing LAANH, but I don't feel I have recovered enough physically and mentally to give this story the send off it deserves. I thank you all for your patience.

Take care,

James aka FinalStand

I can't stop reading this novel.

Please help me.....

Another excellent instalment 5⛤