Voices of the Ribbons©.

  Honesty or Discretion? By Tai How do you give a review or critique when you admire and respect the person but honestly don't like the writing? When does critique become criticism and when does honesty go from being supportive and constructive to being cruel? This is my dilemma and it's not the first time I've encountered it. Writing a positive review for the work of an author you truly love is dead easy. I have been sorely tempted on several occasions to give a 5 * rating and the only reason I don't is that 5 *'s suggests there's nothing left to prove. Writers always have something left to prove; even if only to themselves. More often, I tend toward the middle ground. A 3 * from me should be taken as the sincerest of compliments and anything above that is 'praises to the Light for your work!'. That's how I personally roll and I'm not speaking on account of anybody else because everybody else has their own personal approach to critique and revie

 The Edge of Darkness (Of an Impossible Love) By Arlan "If you don't make the effort to seek the Light, the Darkness will swallow you." It was always going to be a fight and I was a fool to have thought otherwise. I was, I am , mortal. He was, is , always will be, a god. And one who toyed with hearts as easily as a cat toys with its prey.  In hindsight, I know he never meant to. I know his words were true, once. But that was little consolation in the aftermath. It was little consolation when I was left broken and betrayed and he moved on to love another, even though the one he chose was the one he was meant for, the one with whom his heart lay entwined from the beginning. Broken hearts do terrible things to you. They poison you. They twist your thoughts and lay bare your weaknesses and bring to the surface your jealousies and insecurities and anger. Yes, anger. I, who had thought myself so pure. I, who had held my head high and turned my back and walked away thinking I wa