[Report This]Date: 20 Feb 2010 20:05 Title: A Stone's Throw Away
Nerys Ghemor is to be congratulated on a superbly excellent tale. Tragic, dark, and almost Shakesperian in its power, "A Stone's Throw Away" really helps the reader to understand the character of Tayben Berat...and why he was brought to the point of giving up and shooting himself in his sole TrekLit appearance (Lois Cooks's "Betrayel").
A child seeing his father stoned before him is traumatic enough--but to have him be forced to cast the stone...
Trauma does not begin to describe the pain this poor soul must feel.
Author's Response:
Thank you so much for reading this. :-)
Believe me...he was definitely deeply, deeply haunted by what happened to him. He went through absolute hell even BEFORE Gul Marak got to him and that's one of those things I really wanted to show.
That said, if there's one thing Berat is, that's resilient. And even when he pays later for the rash actions he took on DS9--he will overcome.
Date: 13 Dec 2009 09:49 Title: A Stone's Throw Away
Holy crap, this is too sad. It totally rips my heart to shreds. I can barely even imagine what kind of strength one must have to survive something like this with even a shred of sanity left! Gosh!
Now I just wanna hug poor Tayben. :o(
Author's Response:
That's the thing about Tayben Berat, even in the novel I first picked him out of. That guy hit ROCK bottom there and somehow managed to claw his way back up. If there's one word that comes to mind when I think about him, it's resilience. With Rebek I know where she gets it--in a lot of ways it's her faith. With Berat...honestly, it's a wonder and a mystery.
If you liked this piece, you should try and get hold of a copy of Betrayal, so you can see what inspired this and where it came from. I think you'd like it.
[Report This]Date: 26 Aug 2009 21:40 Title: A Stone's Throw Away
A nasty, horrific haunting. The ghosts of our pasts are the only ones we can never run away from. Good job!
Author's Response:
Thank you...and I am very glad to know this story still resonates with you.
I do think Berat manages to find some measure of peace and ends up becoming very strong as he goes on from this point--but will the memory ever fade for him? No...as a Cardassian that's next to impossible.
Date: 20 Aug 2009 21:54 Title: A Stone's Throw Away
I liked this the first time I read it, and my appreciation grows with re-readings. The visual as he walks over the bridge stayed with me long after I read. Excellent work. It makes it all the more amazing to see how far he has come.
Author's Response:
Thank you very much...I'm glad you liked it. This story was one that meant a lot to me to write.
The bridge visual was inspired by the River Neva in St. Petersburg, although obviously with a different climate.
And I am glad it does seem believable to you that he COULD come that long way, from this point.
Date: 11 Aug 2009 02:45 Title: A Stone's Throw Away
This story is so well-written and haunting. Totally captivating. I've never been that interested in the Cardassians, but this story might have changed that.
Author's Response:
I am very honored to know that! I hope The Thirteenth Order will continue to please, and thank you very much for reading. :-)
[Report This]Date: 15 Jul 2009 01:03 Title: A Stone's Throw Away
Wow...powerful. Painful. What else can I say? I've got tears in my eyes as I type this.
Just excellent.
Author's Response:
Thanks for reading.
Hope you'll be all right!
[Report This]Date: 13 Jul 2009 19:43 Title: A Stone's Throw Away
Well, that explains a lot. Jesus, that poor guy is lucky to still be sane. I couldn't have handled what he did. Good job, Nerys!
Author's Response:
Thank you for reading--and I'm sorry I didn't catch your comment and respond sooner!
And yeah...Berat's one of those rare people when it comes to his ability to come back from the most trying of times.
Date: 10 Jul 2009 18:35 Title: A Stone's Throw Away
Haunting and beautiful Nerys. Berat's pain and anguish is deeply felt and delievered in your writing. A wonderful job of portraying such raw emotions and a difficult situation.
Author's Response:
Thank you so much for reading...that means a lot to me.
[Report This]Date: 10 Jul 2009 17:23 Title: A Stone's Throw Away
Powerful story! It far exceeds my scribblings and takes on a certain primal poetry; of pain, and determination, and sorrow and everything else that comes with being alive. Excellent work.
Author's Response:
Thank you so much for reading...and I am so glad to know I accomplished what I set out to do.
But please, don't be so down on yourself! Your work is SO far from scribbling it's unbelievable. The entire time I was writing, it was you I felt like I would fall completely flat in comparison to.