To all those who have taken time to read what I have so far submitted to the library, I wish to thank you deeply. I am 70 years old and this is the time I have ever written anything, except what was required by my work. I therefore ask if you have not yet commented that you consider doing so from now on. It's the only way for me to improve as a writer. It is not a competition with the other authors, because I will admit openly that I feel very honored to even have my submissions accepted by the site. No, it is solely because authors need feedback, positive or constructively critical. To the 26 who have so far commented on Tailblazer and Josie, I owe you a debt of gratitude, and you have my attention. Some of you are very concerned about the young age of the two main characters, Josie and Arthur. I'm going to sort of restate what I wrote back to Canadian Spankee in a pop-up. Josie and Arthur grew up in the rural southland during the late 40s and the 50s. There was none of the entertainment and avenues for self-expression available back then that are so prevalent today: no TV, no Internet, no social media, and the nearest movie theater was thirty miles away. From as early as they could remember, these kids used their imaginations to make their lives interesting and to just have fun. The social environment was religiously strict, sexually repressed, and racially and ethnically segregated and intolerant. Corporal Punishment was widespread and the accepted method to discipline children both in the home and school. Get swats of the paddle at school and you knew that the strap was waiting for you on its hook on the wall or door at home. Maybe, elsewhere, kids played their innocent games of "house" or "doctor," as their path to self-discovery and to satisfy their natural curiosity, especially about human biology. Josie chose spanking games, because in her strict but loving family, corporal punishment was such an integral part of her life, that she incorporated it to fuel her imagination and dreams. Of course, Arthur was a more than willing accomplice in this. if I have offended you, I sincerely apologize, or if what I have written in places is considered by even some as inappropriate, I promise to be more careful in the future. As a novice amateur writer, I can only write about what I know. This story is, believe me, is something I know. Thank you again for your time. |