Huge fan of the old Pretender.
Jarod is implicated in a spate of homicides.
I'm still hoping for a happy ever after but to be honest I am hooked matter what happens next. You're so talented and skillful and leave me wanting more
Thanks, Jen, for reading and reviewing.
Reviewer: Jen Signed
YESSSS! Yes yes. Happy dance happy dance! Mirage! Yes. I will say more than yes but oooh I'm so thrilled you're back...!!!! A very perfect chapter. Jarod and Parker are growing closer. You can write a happy ending. I know that you know how because you gave us a nearhappy ending in Nemesis and another in Happenstance and another almost one in Transcendence. But...I know you also killed Jarod in Kiss of Death but deliciously with a pistachio laced kissed so that's ok. You have it in you. You are the best. That's all I can really say. I'll read again about fifty times and then maybe I can give a proper review. More please. Don't go away for too long. You are my favorite.
Thank you for reading and reviewing, Jen. The Muses might give you a happy ending. We shall see. I'll try to update more frequently.
Reviewer: Jen Signed I'm glad someone is holding Jarod accountable. Finally. Good on Ethan. I'm glad Parker has an ally. I think Jarod's abducting and sedating Parker justify Ethan's concern. I love how well thought out and written your stories are. Amazing.
Thank you so much, Jen.
Reviewer: Jen Signed Lol @ your chapter notes and I still didn't notice a single error because the story is so intriguing. Nicely done as always. They were both dancing around what they didn't know. He didn't know if she knew and didn't want to tell her because of "the holy book of quackery lore" laughing my ass off that and many other lines . She didn't want to tell him when she remembered because he's the reason and she knew he'd feel guiltier and he did. They've grown up. I love what she says here about accepting mistakes will be made and not keeping score but foo-ey hon I love it all. You're freaking amazing.
Reviewer: Jen Signed So many feels Mirage. Parker's response to Julian's "hurt people hurt others" was dead spot on my dear. Parker is all grown up here and no longer blaming daddy for her issues and is apologizing and accepting responsibility and I'm glad to see it. Jarod is doing the same. It seems like yesterday they were blaming each other and arguing. It's so like Parker to want to be held accountable like she's doing and still let Jarod off the hook for what he did to her.. and he nailed it when he told her why that is and yes it would be all about guilt and feeling like blaming him would be the same in her mind as saying "why did you do this thing that led us to our daughter?" but Jarod could have called or done anything else. He didn't have to kidnap Parker and Parker knows that she's just dealing with so much trauma and guilt still. But they have come so far Mirage. You always write them in character and the story is too plausible.. girl it's scary how well you write. I want more. Thanks for sharing your talent with us and keeping these characters I love alive.
Reviewer: Jen Signed Oh ooh!! Jarod IS the storm methinks. I love how IN character they all are. Cate is the most precious baby ever. I can literally SEE her looking with teary eyes at the sky. Curious and afraid. I know you aren't a Jarod/Miss Parker shipper but this is so perfect.
This new banter for them is relationship goals.. seriously they can be honest, they can jab at each other playfully, and the way they touch each other... oh my god and SHE instigated it making it possible for him to pull her into his arms... I didn't think I'd ever see their transition from frienemies to serious feelings NOT JUST SEX pulled off so well but to see it done by a nonshipper... yeah didn't see that 1 coming. You've been so resistant in the past. You're staying true to the story and you write it so well Mirage. Beautiful prose. Stunning descriptions. More please?
Reviewer: Jen Signed Whoa. Gods. Miss Parker is going to legit scalp Jarod if she finds out about this. I love the story and the direction you're taking. Extremely amazy crazy epiclly fantabulous writing and it gets better and better and I want more and more.
Ha. Mhm. She just might. We'll see. Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Reviewer: Jen Signed Wooooow!
Oh. MY. GODDDDESSES!
Mirage. Mirage. Mirage. Mirage. Mirage.
I LOVE THiS.
You're still NOT a shipper? Really?
I AM and this is shipper heaven ... but without the tropes and cheese and Ocee interrupting the ALMOST KISS. There's a toddler in the house and even she had the good sense to stay asleep and let mum and pops get it on. This was so emotional and I literally cried a little. It's telling that you have them both unable to say they didn't want Cate and are still struggling with forced parenthood and still they stifle their... you know... their sexual stuff and they probably did that so as not to wake or alarm Cate. So they do love her and Parker will die to defend her and accept blame .. for the wall art of Cate's... and you show us that but you also are truthful about forced parenthood. I don't think that would be easy at all. I appreciate the respect you show these terrible things and the plausibility. It's not a perfect situation for them and they aren't happy and that is believable. Love that last bit. They won't waste a second. They shouldn't waste a second. Thank you, Mirage. Congrats on another perfect and beatiful chapter.
Reviewer: Jen Signed Ohhh! I'm so glad you're back. Welcome the heck back. I like how you just slip right back into the story Mirage and when we're all at risk....oh GOD!! Brilliant. Thank you for being the NORMAL touch stone. I'm so freaking out right now.
Yes yes, don't listen to that rapist trump. I so totally agree.
MORE PLEASE!
Reviewer: Jen Signed I'm reading around tonight and bored, sheltering in place because of this damn virus pandemic. I need more Mirage. I want to get lost in the pretender all over again. I'm gonna to read Forces of Nature again. Weird that I'm gonna to take my mind off a force of nature like covid19 by reading about other forces of nature...human nature. Then I'm gonna read Circles of Hell. It's all violent and difficult but it's also fiction. You're the best and you're missed.
Reviewer: Jen Signed You have made my weekend so much better! Thank you!
Reviewer: Jen Signed A past transgression jeopardizes Sydney's life.
Please give me more of this. Twisted oxygen cylinder cart? Raines? OMG. OMG!
Reviewer: Jen Signed You gave two chapters at once so you get two reviews for them. More of this. I have to see if Sydney is ok..like now. You are amazing really. You know Sydney and all the characters so well and this is plausible too. You already know your original characters rock. Keep this coming. Merry Christmas to you and peace. :)
Reviewer: Jen Signed They spent a weekend together sometime after Carthis. OMFG! Details please!!!! Thanks for giving us shippers a little something though you didn't have to. Your writing and characterisations are always solid Mirage and even without the treat you dangled for this shipper I would have read this to the end with bated breath I swear to you.
So I love Jarod's reference to Bob Dylan's song and I'm glad the times are changing. The way you wrote Jarod and MP's entrance into this, their introductions was brilliant. She had to walk backward to avoid him colliding with her and he finally knows that she won't shoot him but thinks her reason is her mother's work.
Her snark is present. I love how she is impassive and cool. Her remark about waterboarding and the "Broots soiling Sydney's polished floors" is amazing.
So much to take in and I will reread this another 50 times to see what I missed. You are amazing. I mean honestly I know anyone who bothers to deliver this quality of writing on par or even better than the tv series. Seriously keep going. I'd buy this if you were selling it. It makes me love you more that you think highly enough and respect readers enough to give us top notch writing.
More please?
Reviewer: Jen Signed Sorry that should have been, *don't know anyone who bothers to deliver ... You know what I meant. You're amazing. Keep going.
Reviewer: Jen Signed
OMG. I need more of this in my life. Brilliant. As freaking always. More please?
Reviewer: Jen Signed This is beautiful and beautifully written. So eloquent and so respectfully constructed. I've always wondered if this could be possible but never thought I could make it seem plausible or like something that would give someone or the characters pause, make them even consider it could be true. You did it. That's what fiction is all about for me, thelling a story and then adding supporting details to make it plausible. I love what you've done here. I think they should stay together no matter what. Love is love and love should win.
Reviewer: Jen Signed Every now and then I read an author's stories and I'm wowed and blown away and speechless. It happens every time I read your work. This is plausible and should be expected in a place like the Centre. We saw Einnad/Dannie come back but he didn't finish Raines and Sydney is somehow always viewed as not complicit. But he is. He was the adult, the medical professional, and he had a responsibility to do no harm and that includes not letting others do harm. I remember Jarod telling Miss Parker she could stop Raines when he was in her home after she untied him but he never put that burden on Sydney. It pisses me off a little bit that Sydney comes out smelling clean every time. I hope the search for Sydney will bring Jarod and Parker closer to at least be friends again. I want to hear more about the weekened they shared. Did they have sex? Details please! More of this. You are a paragon of literary excellence. Why are you still here and not on some best seller's list? Thank you for staying here though... really. You keep this crazy series alive for me.
Reviewer: Jen Signed I love that you show us the real damage and the darkness that comes from it. Real damage has been inflicted by the Centre and I know most of the victims have good coping skills but I have thought they all coped too well and Miss Parker especially would learn about some terrible things her father did in one episode and then act like she's forgotten about the terrible things in the NEXT episode. She's repressing or thinking about something else. THat's not healthy. I think Jarod copes too well too but he also seems to be getting revenge for what happened to him each time he takes down a bad guy. THat's not healthy either. I think Jarod would lose his mind if Sydney was gone and I think it would happen slowly like you're doing it here. His thought processes arent' fully functional and this is so accurate and plausible and I love it. I can see this has the potential to become even darker and hella fast and I'm on board. This isn't a kid's series. It's not a famiily show. It's dark and I get why ou write it as such. more please? Congrats and thank you for keeping this poor little series alive. No one writes them better than you.
Reviewer: Jen Signed Omg. NO. no. OH, it's so perfectly written. Really tight work. I need more. I love this. Hope Syd will be ok
Reviewer: Jen Signed Comedy, humor , AND drama and suspense, and lots of twists here Mirage. I love how MP talked Jarod down and then bam! lol. Lyle. Lyle isn't completely wrong tho. So exciting. I could stay in the universe and forget real life. Thank you to the moon and back. I love your writing.
Reviewer: Jen Signed Fast update! This is scary and exciting... a horror novel Mirage! Thank you so much.
Reviewer: Jen Signed STOKED! I've been checking to see and finally!!! You've updated.
I love the characterizations and dialog and your transitions. Everybody says that stuff about you tho. You also made this really plausible. If Willie had been the only one to disappear in the past it wouldn't have made sense for Jarod to bring it up but because others Sydney worked with disappeared it does make complete sense. I love this. OOoouugh the tension is so much between those two. I love Lyle's reaction to Jarod grinning. Lyle was happier when Jarod didn't grin at her threats lol. Perfect. I need more.
I'd share you on twitter, too, but I'm shadow suspended or something and because of corona they are so super slow about reading my email and unsuspending. So sorry about that!!
Reviewer: Jen Signed Thank you for updating, and it's an amazing update. I haven't seen these characters MORE in character since IOTH aired. I know I have said that before about your writing, but this time you surpassed yourself in excellence and professionalism. It's not an insult either. It means you're even better now than you were before and that means you just keep on getting better and when I think I can't be more impressed you blow me completely away. I don't know how you do it but I'm so glad you do it. I hope you will always write for us. Congrats!
Love Jen!
Reviewer: Jen Signed Ohhhh, wooot! Mirage is back! "women frighten me" so much this. I love it. I like that Jarod has women's backs and I love that you know that Jarod would have our backs lol. You're not the Jarod hater I thought you were and I guess you've been trying to tell us that for a while. This helps.
SO, omg. Aversion therapy and tampering like that would explain why MP always forgets that Jarod helped her and her daddy betrayed her like the very next episode lol. And that the drug used in the aversion therapy could have caused the ulcer... wow!
Mind=blown!
Reading your description of how Jarod reacted to Parker's tears reminded me of their graveyard scene when he almost lost it and then took a deep breath and lifted an eyebrow and then he totally ran from there because it was just too much. He took a breath so deep his chest moved. So I think that's what he did in this scene too that you wrote. OMG. Amazing. That Jarod vomited too when he realized what had been done to her, that she had been given a drug that made her vomit tons over the years ^I googles it^ is a stroke of genius on your part. He reacted to her vomiting presumably after being induced to vomit as a react to Jarod. That's like the ultimate in Jarod feeling what she had felt then. It wasn't her fault, and realizing his own wrongs because he was tormenting her all those years under the assumption that rejecting him was a choice, but it wasn't really completely her choice. Even if she hadn't been drugged, coercion was involved.
The visuals are amazing.
I'm so super glad that Syd is ok for now. I love the details you impart like how he's speaking German and asking for his mother. It tells something about the state of his mind and the trauma.
This was so rich in detail and craftsmanship. You're a wordsmith and I'm an addict. I need more. You go places I'd never thought of. I want more. I need more.
Reviewer: Jen Signed