OMG Mirage that was amazing. WOW! You write them exactly like they were when I watched them on tv! I'm so filled with joy that they "chisled out some common ground" and I love how you explained their relationship and used the earth to do it. Julian and Ethan were hilarous. Charles Fletcher's teasing was so funny and Jarod squirming is something I know you enjoyed writing. Maggie is a trip too. Have to say I had a duhh moment when I realized that the secret garden is more than a hidden secret place but it's also where they share their secrets with each other!!!!
It's
Like they planted their secrets there. OMG I love that. I love that the Part II: Chaotic Sanctuary is also (please tell me if I get it wrong) talking about Jarod and MP's relationship. Their relationship is their chaotic sanctuary and not just talking about the garden. Double meanings in everything just like the show would sometimes have. I love that Cate is an artist. Are you an artist? You seem to know stuff that an artist would know. Impasto. I had to google that lol. I love that I learn something new in every chapter. I love love love love that Cate drew her own interpretations of C. S. Carroll's book! I love you for mentioning that parents who love their children read to them. You broke my heart with Wade I have to say. But so did Steve and Craig when they never mentioned him again and so I think Wade would be dead. I'm glad he lived life to the fullest and I love how Jarod leaned in to reason with her. He has such a presence! Your chapters are like watching an episode, very fleshy and everything pops off the page. That last line was like perfect wrapping for this gift. MP is afraid that something will happen to Cate. She's scared of losing people and that's why she pushes everyone away. Thank you for writing Mirage and thank you for sharing with us.
Author's Response:
Oh, yes, when Jarod squirms you can rest assured that I have a smile on my face. Haha. Correct. I suppose there are multiple meanings. Planting secrets. I like that. Why didn't I think of that? Sure, absolutely. It can mean whatever you want it to mean. Am I an artist? Haha. Oh, no. I can't draw a straight line, even when I use a ruler. My stick people back in first grade appeared to have been electrocuted or suffered some other crippling malady. I colored outside the lines, and received an angry red zero in return for my efforts. I can't say that I miss school. I've studied art/artists. I appreaciate art. I read about art. I support art in schools. I'm not artist. Aw, you're so kind. Thank you for reading and reviewing, Christoph.
Reviewer: Christoph Signed
[Report This]Date: 19/11/14 09:16 pm
Thanks for the update, I love this series so much. I think both Parker and Jarod are well portrayed. I'd love for Parker to interact with the others, just to establish the different relationships, I love those dynamics.
I hope you'll update soon, have a good day!
Author's Response:
Thank you for reading and the lovely review, Leonie1988. I'll try to inject some additional Fletcher family-Parker interaction in future chapters.
Thanks again. Have a great day.
Reviewer: Leonie1988 Signed [Report This]Date: 17/11/14 01:16 am
Exquisite. Your work is always beautiful, even if dark at times. I'm intrigued by your versatility and your ability to write these characters exactly as they should be written. I await the next chapter (impatiently).
Author's Response:
Thank you, Michael.
Reviewer: Michael Anonymous [Report This]Date: 26/10/14 01:00 am
Thankyoufor the chapter Mirage! It is beautiful. Please write more soon I beg.
Author's Response:
You are welcome, MlleParker. Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Reviewer: MlleParker Signed [Report This]Date: 23/10/14 01:45 am
It is always a treat (halloween humor) to read a Mirage update. Some authors are good with dialogue or descriptions, one of any number of other traits whereas you are the complete package.
You weave in enough comedic elements so that the reader isn't overwhelmed with drama and you accurately depict the characters so that the reader can recognize them as Micheal and Andrea. Their dialouge is always intelligent and in character in Mirage fics, the descriptive work you bring to the table leaves me in awe. Thank you for Jarod's wise decision to be completely honest with Miss Parker.
I know you have obligations. I heard something about ghostwriting. I wish you would publish something of your own. To be honest I wish you would write The Pretender novels. I wish I could give you more than the max ten rating.
Author's Response:
Thank you for the generous review, Katie. Once again it appears that the reviews are better than the chapter haha. I've never had the time to devote to writing and now I have even less. It's no excuse; it's the only I have.
I want to like Jarod. There. I've said it. I'm trying to like him and trying to evolve the relationship beyond that of estranged and strained. Also, I didn't want to have to write the drama that would naturally accompany the discovery that he'd lied to her. I could just imagine Parker decking the poor man.
You heard correctly. I have quite a few obligations now and I'm rather happy. Busy and happy. I will eventually publish something of my own (I appreciate that wish). Thanks again.
Reviewer: Katie Anonymous [Report This]Date: 15/10/14 10:30 pm
Another visual chapter. It started out light with Jarod flirty and eased into tense and intense especially the discussion btwn Jarod and Miss P at the end. I felt sorry for Jarod first for the way that Cate reacts to him and again when he told Miss P that she might be a clone. He was very subtle trying to put the idea out there instead of waiting and then springing on her that she is a clone...if it turns out that she is. And I think she is. Though I never thought about the possibility until reading this chapter. I think it was perfect the way Jarod confessed his fear that she might think is manipulative. He's working at meeting her halfway and treating her like a human instead of being an asshole. Thank you for this! Your insights and writing are brilliant. I can't wait for the next chapter.
Author's Response:
Thank you, Con-O. I'm glad you liked it.
Reviewer: Con-O Signed [Report This]Date: 14/10/14 10:33 pm
Exquisite Mirage! I LOVE your writing style. Your writing voice is so beautiful and reads so fast and easily. The tales you weave are action packed and even though your words and dialog are intelligent when they are paired with your writing voice it makes the story flow like melting butter. I love everything about this fiction and I hope you won't make it too violent. That's all I ask. I know you hate those dark fics anyway so...I have my fingers crossed. Congrats on this accomplishment!
Reviewer: Jen Signed [Report This]Date: 13/10/14 01:13 am
Oh I love it so much! I already want the next part. You write them so well and I've missed them so much. Thanks for giving me back what I've yearned for. More, please?
Author's Response:
Thanks, Regen. I'll try to post more. Eventually.
Reviewer: Regen Anonymous [Report This]Date: 10/10/14 07:52 am
SO many wonderful things happened in this chapter and I've spent the last two days reading it over. Nia's leaving is probably my favorite. I love how you write her even though I don't like her character but I understand that C&S didn't resolve her role and that some of us want this closure and I appreciate you for giving to us. I am glad that she left with dignity and that Jarod didn't kick her aside. He wasn't unkind to her. That's what I like about you. The women are strong. I liked that Miss Parker stopped being the homewrecking whore. I never did like that she was a whore or that was she jealous and she was also immature telling Michael Patrick that she was faking and all that crap on the tv series. These characters are all grown up in your fiction and it is nice. I love that Miss Parker is super protective of Cate. She was hesitant to be a mother. I think she was scared. She was going to sneak away. and now she would kill for that girl. I love how you developed her character. I think you are right the way you write the strained relationships. Jarod and Miss Parker and Miss and Margaret ...and Emily and Miss Parker. I wouldn't easily trust the woman that had chased my son for decades. Margaret is being what any mother and grandmother would be. What I love most is that Jarod goes up against his mother to defend Miss Parker and this new generation of a new way of thinking as far as raising children goes. And you made a good point...he wouldn't have been taken had he slept with the pack. I think Maragaret would have heard Jarod screaming. I think she is a horrible mother. But you aren't too hard on her either. I know you have your reasons. I love this serie. I can't wait to see where we go next time.
Author's Response:
Hello and thanks, Karan. The characters aren't shallow. Parker has many layers. There are depths and layers, there is substance. I suppose I never believed that Jarod (sorry, Jarod) was worthy of something like jealously and although Parker is a human character and is as susceptible to fallacy as anyone else, the muse (and I) hoped she'd see the futility in jealousy and be above "fighting over a man". I just don't understand why women reduce themselves so pathetically.
Oh, God. I absolutely detested the "I was faking it" act of hers. I enjoyed the thought of crushed testicles, however. Some mothers are perhaps more attuned to their children than others. I, too, believe that Maggie would have heard something. Jarod's metal Bonanza lunch box should have made some sort of noise as it fell. I suppose that she and Charles could have been making love. Or she's a rather deep sleeper. I know where I'm going with this. I simply don't have time to write it.
Reviewer: Karan Anonymous [Report This]Date: 10/10/14 02:32 am
WOW! Wow. You are a genius...I don't care what you say. You are! I am blown away again at your abilities. What an achievement here! Don't stop now!
Author's Response:
Ha. I'm NOT a genius. I don't care what you say. I'm not. I'm blown away by the reviews. Thanks, O Dark One.
Reviewer: TheDarkAngel Signed [Report This]Date: 09/10/14 04:01 am
Oh ohh! Mirage!! I discovered the Pretender yesterday after seeing a link to your fiction here on twitter!!! I read what you've written of this series and then I watched the first six episodes of the show and You captured the essence of the series. I've never read fiction that was as good as the tv series or movie it was written for and I always like the movies and series better than books or fanficton but this time I LIKE YOURS BETTER. #thepretenderlives #Mirage
Author's Response:
Aw, thanks, LongliveTp. That's sweet.
Reviewer: LongliveTP Anonymous [Report This]Date: 08/10/14 11:34 pm
Ok. I know you aren't a shipper or Jarod fan but I've never seen him or Miss Parker or any of the characters written so well. I'm kind of envious of your ability to breathe life into words and characters. You make them pop.
Cate. I love that little girl already. I can see her running through the maze. I can only see her stopping so fast because she was terrified. I know she will warm up to Jarod. Even you seemed to have. :) I know you are just writing what the muse slips into your mind. I'm glad your muse likes Jarod even if you aren't a fan. ;)
These are red files so it's only right that you give them intelligent dialogue too. The garden descriptions were so hauntingly beautiful that I was sighing. Serpent rose vines piercing tomatoes and ivy strangling the scarphogal guards. Unkempt plants annexing the Kale. I can see it and I want to go touch it.
Margaret is a number isn't she? The way she ran out of that chapel in that last movie, we know she was terrified of Miss Parker. The tension would still be there. I have to say that Nia's leaving pleased me. Parker's disbelief was funny. I had to giggle because she doesn't know he loves her, and he does. Doesn't he?
I hope Miss Parker isn't a clone but at the same time, it makes perfect sense for her to be. No one looks exactly like their parent. If she is a clone, please don't let her have too terrible abnormalities or nothing that would kill her unless maybe Jarod can save her and be the hero. ;) I love the caulbearer plot line.
Always original Mirage.
Author's Response:
What? I've warmed up to Jarod? Oh, no you didn't. I'll be sure to have Parker strangle him to death in the next update. Ha. Kidding. He's okay, a bit heavy on the evil, narrowed eyed glares and "trust me" and "I promise", et cetera. I don't hate Jarod. I don't hate. Period. I believe I've stated that for the record once before. No one believes me! I don't hate Jarod. I don't.
I believe that Jarod has always had a soft spot in his heart for Parker, although admittedly, he has some odd ways of demostrating it. He reminds me of a little punk back in first grade that yanked on my ponytails in art class and at the end of the school year confessed to me his undying love (that died a quick and sudden death when I punched him in the nose). Bear in mind, Jarod was still ever bit the childish adolescent when he first escaped. His taunting was sometimes cruel, his games careless. He's been maturing, discovering and I think, for the most part, his intentions were good (but the road to hell is paved with them). He was a bit of a psychopath, however. I suppose he always will be. I don't want to call it "love" just yet.
I don't know that she is a clone. We'll see. I'm glad you like the caulbearer bits. The muse has been trying to get me to go there for years. Has it been years? Oh, God.
Thanks for the generous review, Miss Shannon.
Reviewer: Miss Shannon Anonymous
[Report This]Date: 08/10/14 05:11 pm
This was totally worth the wait! Thank you for continuing your contributions and thank for you writing so well, writing these characters in character the way they are supposedd to be! I love that Maggie is suspicious of MP. Yes, she would be and it wouldn't be la de laa perfect either. Seriously I'm not sure if anyone ever bothers to put any effort into writing or any thought at all any more. I bow to you Mirage! I'm so glad Nia is gone. lol finally. More please?
Reviewer: Lorraina Signed [Report This]Date: 08/10/14 06:59 am
WOW! You blow me away every time you update Mirage. Your stories are always plausible and it's just like watching an episode of The Pretender but this is better! I love every line. There are too many great ones to quote here. Just know that you are the reason I still call myself a fan of the Pretender. Thank you for sticking with the writing and for writing the original universe. I can't wait for more!
Reviewer: Christoph Signed [Report This]Date: 08/10/14 02:42 am
Awesome!
Author's Response:
Thanks, Anonymous.
Reviewer: Anonymous Anonymous [Report This]Date: 07/10/14 09:20 pm
"The obligatory storm lacked the violence and longevity of the devil's storm they'd weathered in Carthis; it disrupted electricity, nevertheless"
Why didn't they lose power in Carthis?
Anyhoo, I like the nervous tension in the beginning {that they laughed off} and the way you are transitioing the relationship. No one writes Pretender fiction as well as you do. The little girl is haunting. You introduce the best original characters! Thank you for continuing to share your talents with us. This fandom can certainly use it!
Author's Response:
Mm. I don't know. Perhaps there were underground power lines on the Isle? *shrugs*
I'm glad the transitions were okay. Thank you for reading and reviewing, Jen.
Reviewer: Jen Signed [Report This]Date: 11/09/14 01:11 am
That was .........a..........ummmm.......strange story. I've read some very dark Pretender fanficiton before but this one seems the most hopeless and depressing of them all.
Congratulations I suppose?
I feel unsettled........
Author's Response:
Why thank you, Nik. That's quite a relief; I sometimes feel that my writing is too fluffy/syrupy for a series as dark and depressing (and oftentimes hopeless) as The Pretender is (I can think of nothing more untenable). If my writing evokes emotions of any kind, even emotions of the negative variety, I consider it a huge compliment/a real pleasure (even if the pleasure is all mine haha). Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Reviewer: Nik Anonymous [Report This]Date: 02/09/14 08:41 am
I almost missed this one. Two stories updated back to back and they are both brilliant. I love how you never make it too perfect, Jarod and Parker are totally in character. This is like watching an episode, only made better by your dialogue and the fact that you provide us with answers, plausible answers. I love that you give Miss Parker and Jarod fresh quips. The old ones were done to death. Thank you as always for keeping me entertained! You are the best Mirage!
Author's Response:
Aw, thank you, Contessa. I'm afraid I can't write it too syrupy and even if I could, I wouldn't: The Pretender was never a too perfect series; terrible things happened there (if Sydney said it, you know it must be true). Thank you for your continued support.
Reviewer: Contessa Signed
[Report This]Date: 15/08/14 07:53 pm
Look at you go! Two story updates. I'm impressed as always with your writing style, the descriptive. The characters were pat perfect. You are so unique and original. You write eloquently and the transitions are so smooth. Your Miss Parker quips are your own. They are the best and you really know the characters....it's like you are a Pretender the way you bring them all to life for us. You are a genius. Thank you so much for keeping with the spirit of the series. I know you have a real life and I can't imagine how you are able to write and post such quality material and still have time to work, shop....and real stuff but I'm glad you DO! This journey was great. I can't wait to see where we go next.
Author's Response:
Thank you for reading and reviewing, Jen. I hope you are truly enjoying the journey thus far.
Reviewer: Jen Signed
[Report This]Date: 06/08/14 10:54 pm
Oh Mirage thank you so much for updating and for staying true to the series and the characters! You updated two fics this time! WOW! I'm forever impressed by your originality in a fandom this old. How you manage to breathe excitment back into this stale fandom amazes me. keep it on!
Author's Response:
Thank you, Needlepoint (what a fitting name for this fandom- all those needles!), for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it.
Reviewer: needlepoint Signed [Report This]Date: 05/08/14 05:23 am
Thank you for the updating. I don't know how you write multiple stories at once! You are a genius! More, please?!!
Author's Response:
Thank you, d_el1, for reading and reviewing. No, I'm not a genius.
The update is almost finished.
Reviewer: d_el1 Signed [Report This]Date: 01/08/14 11:44 pm
Amazing! Please don't ever stop writing for us. Hugs!
Author's Response:
Thank you, Katie.
Reviewer: Katie Anonymous [Report This]Date: 01/08/14 08:41 pm
I wish you were writing the Pretender novels. This is brilliant as are all your other fiction. Thanks for still entertaining us.
Author's Response:
Thank you, Gunner, for reading and reviewing.
Reviewer: Gunner Signed [Report This]Date: 28/07/14 05:30 am
Mirage, this is genius! YOU should be writing with Steven and Craig or instead of even lol. Very intriguing and always in character THANK GOD someone is still writing our characters in character. I've enjoyed every word and I will review all of the stories I've missed. What can I say? I got busy having kids and stuff but I'm still lurking and I never miss your stories. They are the best! Whatdya mean typos?
Author's Response:
Hi, pretenderoxx. I'm glad you're still lurking. By typos I mean typos. I can't even accuse autocorrect of plotting against me. I type too fast. If only I could think that fast! Ah, well. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Congrats on the babies. Cherish them.
Reviewer: pretenderoxx Anonymous [Report This]Date: 27/07/14 11:21 pm
I followed a twitter link and ended up here. :) I gotta go hug the person I follow lol because I am new to the fanfic aspect of the fandom. I watched the show when it first came out and followed the story but I didn't have internet back then. I read the novels but I still didn't know about fan fiction!!! I looked around and read a lot of stories and it's great here. I really love this story. I read part 1 first and couldn't stop until I read this one! This really stands out. It's like watching an episode possibly better than watching an episode because I always wanted to see MP faced with a truth she couldn't deny and forced to deal with it instead of forgetting the truth by the next d*** episode. I will read more of you and I will review. Oh god please don't stop writing.
Author's Response:
Hi, Lucy. Congrats on your arrival to the dark side. Give your fellow tweeter (twit? ?) a hug for me and be sure to read around a bit and review the wonderful writers here. I'm glad you're liking this. I may have to stop writing at some point. I've landed an editing job (hilarious, isn't it?) and I may be recruited to ghostwrite a novel in the not-so-distant future. Fingers crossed. Thanks for reading and reviewing.
Reviewer: Lucy Michelle Watson Anonymous [Report This]Date: 25/07/14 09:43 pm
