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Anyone?

Lauren, one issue with increasing the number of points given to new members is that they'll post however many chapters they can, then sit back and wait rather than engaging with other members and beginning to trade reviews. I see that frequently with trial members. They hope they can get all their posts reviewed without reciprocating.

If we ease the points ratio, it would be a lot easier for trial members to do reviews in order to gain points and keep posting. At 3 to 1, they'll have to do three reviews for every one story or chapter they want to post (those are round numbers, of course, since the ratio is based on words, not whole reviews). If they're unwilling to do three reviews, then this site isn't for them.

Here's another incredible song, from the Tenors this time. Written by Bob Dylan, although Rod Stewart's version is best known. Until now! :-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1teUrr3 … nors-Topic

Final list (until I change it again):
- antichristlings (instead of little antichrists)
- beastlings from the sea
- toddlers of sin
- dimwits of desolation (I like the alliteration)
- butt pimples of perdition (alliteration on the p)

Naming contest: Connor and others are being bullied at the youth seminary/orphanage by four older boys. In his mind he tends to think of them first and foremost as little antichrists, but also via several variations of the antichrist theme: the toddlers of sin, the beastlings from the sea, the bastard sons of perdition, etc. I'm also trying for a variation of the abomination of desolation. Possible alternatives include:

abomi-rrhoids of desolation
hemorrhoids of desolation - I really like that one
abomi-brats of ...
abomi-nitwits of ...
abomi-nuts of
abominables of
abomi-tots of - I love this, although I already have toddlers of sin
abomi-twits of - shorter than abomi-nitwits and just as good
wretchlets of
abhorlings of

I lean toward hemorrhoids, abomi-tots, and abomi-twits at the moment.

Preferences?
Dirk

What's a 4D creature?

Connor has to grow at a normal rate. There would be people around him who are not necessarily part of the conspiracy. And he winds up in Romano's youth seminary (orphanage) from age 7 on.

Besides, I've pretty much settled on the boy being a separate body/soul inhabited by the Lord at the same time as he inhabits his original human body. Much as the Holy Spirit can do when it co-exists in many Christians at once. Also, don't forget, it's all a lie.

Although I don't yet know if the Lord returning in two different bodies is more or less credible than him returning solely as a boy. In either case, the ancient letter can help but I don't know if that is enough for the reader to suspend disbelief. I have a hunch him returning only as a boy is more believable since there's no real precedent for his appearing as two beings simultaneously.

EDIT: Come to think of it, there's no real precedent for either, but readers will easily understand the concept of Christ returning as a child, although they may not buy it. The beauty of the way it unfolds, though, is that some characters will think he *may* be Christ, and the events of the story will slowly "prove" that he *is* Christ.

Him existing simultaneously as two humans is a harder sell although it avoids completely the discrepancies between the "story world" and the Bible's prophecies.

Thanks, but that would add a lot of complexity to a story that already has so many elements beyond what's apparent to the reader over the course of most of book one. The first of the true complexity is revealed at the climax, when the basic conspiracy is revealed.

The complexity grows deeper in book two (e.g., Connor sharing the soul of Adam, the beginning of end time disasters, the identification of an incoming comet that will eventually destroy all life on Earth, incorporating other religions into the story (although not in a huge way), Connor learning about the genetic breeding that enslaves him to Satan, the attempt to retake the Vatican, and so much more).

The most complexity is in book three (more end time disasters, the rescue mission into Hell, Connor deviating from that plan, the confrontation at Armageddon between Connor's forces and Satan's, the return of Christ, Connor finally having to settle the Last Challenge, Connor potentially having to throw himself into the lake of fire to save others, eventually being taken to the top of a mountain to meet God the Father, to learn that he's expected to lead thousands of "punishment" worlds, full of history's mortal sinners, to holiness, etc.

Besides added complexity, I can't imagine adding yet another important group to the story and being able to do them justice since there is so much already going on, both visible and behind the scenes.

One alternative way to do it might be to have Satan doing things in the Holy Land that even Connor isn't aware of. Satan already places demons at strategic locations throughout the Holy Land to help Connor further the idea that he is Christ. Some of them could cause unexpected events to occur that result in deaths (mainly guards) even Connor didn't expect. That might trouble him enough to at least begin to question what he's doing by the end of book one even though he doesn't yet know about the gene that enslaves him.

I haven't really thought enough about how best to make things less repetitive in the Holy Land yet. I have a similar problem in Rome in that the investigations led by Campagna and De Rosa in book one are too episodic. They don't really build toward an increasingly interesting/thrilling investigation. With each investigation, Campagna should be getting closer and closer to the truth. Instead, each crucifixion in Rome happens, is investigated, leads to a plan, the plan fails, lather rinse repeat. The clues that build up after each crucifixion may have to be ones that Satan himself leaves behind in order to continue the cat & mouse game while Connor builds toward being Christ.

I have to work out solutions to those issues in both Rome and the Holy Land sometime soon, though. As I have to start writing v2 of the first murder investigation very soon, probably within the next three chapters.

Thanks, George. The sequel is good too, although the original is a classic.

That's hilarious. You should use that somewhere on the book cover. And the picture of the girl is nasty.

There was a time when elected officials had the brains not to touch Social Security because it was political suicide. I wonder how long it'll take before grannies with pitchforks descend on Washington. Admittedly, something needs to be done to rescue the program, but President Musk (a billionaire who seems not to give a s--t about anyone worth less than $1B) is not going to rescue the damn program; he's more likely to slash benefits, although I'm still waiting/hoping for the aforementioned pitchforks to appear. Sooner rather than later since I'm heavily dependent on it to pay my bills.