All Comments on 'The Feud'

on the genre. Not sure which way it would go until the end. Great little story.

I had the privilege of editing this, which was difficult since I was so into the story.

Todd is simply a master.

Well done, Todd!

You're an amazing writer. I was hooked from start to end.

Yep, Todd172 can definitely spin a tale. I am always thrilled to see something new.

Great tale. Thank you for sharing.

I always know that when I read one of your stories the characters will be drawn with colors that make the story come alive.

Thanks for sharing a great story.

who knows......the mountains, the para-normal, beliefs, TK U MLJ LV NV

Very good story would make a wonderful full length story.

Great story, well paced and believable characters. Absolutely a 5

Thank you.

A great and magnificent story.

Hate between families can be terrible, but sometimes, love wins.

5 * for you.

I apologize for my English (yet and forever), isn't my native language.

Keep up the good work. I look forward to the next story.

Thank you. I thought you were good with monsters..... now I see you are simply good

But I'm not too sure about the outcome. Those old feuds die hard and she did try to kill him - even if it was by mistake. Not sure he could trust her. Thanks for the story.

I don't know what you normally write... I'll have to check now. But I enjoyed this. Thank you for sharing your creativity 💕

but a solid 4*. We miss you in LW, and your Monster series. I have yet to read them all in one fell swoop, saving that for a rainy day. Looking fwd to more from you.

Five well deserved stars. I grew up in Tennessee and know how feudes can endure. This story captured the spirit of what a feud can do to people. And just like real life it's usually love between two people that brings an end to a feud.

This was exactly what we've come to expect from Todd172 , it's the literary equivalent of a Roller Coaster ride .

Thank you for sharing your very fruitful imagination with us .

5 *'s

good story. enjoyed it very much.

Pleasure to read your story Todd172.

Understandable that growing up listening to the real thing, a real feud, completely drives away any romance,😪. The women raped if caught alone, in a field or deserted stretch of road. The young men disappeared, then their bodies found🔪💔. It was like your story, it took a war, revolution, that completely changed the society. The economy and political destruction of the country my grandparents lived in to end the feud.

Even though this particular story brought back old memories, scary family history. I enjoy the writing very much.

Look forward to the next one Todd.

AMerryman

Definitely enjoyed this one.

The characters are brilliant, the idea of history carrying a little lady to do something

terrible. The interaction with the Uncle is solid and believable. She was one tough gal.

Good characters, a definite tension throughout and a believable plot. It's not clear what he sees in her, but love is strange. The story seemed complete and enjoyable. Good going! 5* (a little extravagant.)

..... that captured this reader from the very beginning. Will now look into more works from this creative author I have just discovered.

Thank you for the excellent story. There so much story packed in two pages...I was totally memorized.

It felt a bit like awakening from a dream.

Green-something

(by the way, comment -1.... mesmerized. let's not be lacking in humility about spelling... all of you/us)

This is so well written. Thanks for sharing.

in only two pages. Two pages filled with tradition, lore, and an escape from the backward hate of the hills. I wish there had been a short epilogue to let us know how they fared outside the confines of their families.

I appreciate it. I'm always amazed at how supportive the readers on this site are. And I learn a lot from every story - the feedback in comments and in email have been, and continue to be, very helpful.

Thanks again

Todd172

I'm reading a book of essays on Afghanistan and Iraq and Syria and the current entanglements mess we are in.

The author points out that modern Afghanistan culture is very, very "distributed" with basically 22,000 villages acting independently. One major problem is that Afghanistan isn't ready to actually BE a nation-state and may never be.

Even without the current global conflict between militant Islam and everyone else - there has ALWAYS been interpersonal, inter-village, and inter-tribal conflict in Afghan with basically everyone an armed warrior.

Oddly enough this is a situation that the uncivilized Scots used to mirror. (Before they were Anglicized - even adopting English as their language rather than Gaelic - and giving up clan loyalties for nation/empire loyalties.)

And in both cultures family feuds and vendettas that can be very violent and last a long time occur.

Some Scots even exported that to other lands - Hatfields and McCoys, of course!

So - were the Simms and Amos originally from Scotland? Way back when.... :-)

Very nice story well done. I'm working on my own WW2 era story but slowly, kind of based on the Battle of Athens, TN. (1946) - when returning vets in armed revolt threw out the crooked sheriff and pols that took over while they were away.

I suppose the families could be from Scotland, it would fit the time and place. In the end though, maybe its just that the mountains breed feuds and heavily armed bearded guys who dislike any government. Scotland, Afghanistan, Appalachia, East Tennessee, the Ozarks. As denizens of the Ozarks occasionally say "Maybe it isn't a tune we know, but it's definitely banjo music". Could be the close, restricted terrain of the mountains requiring a streak of independence, could be the thin mountain air.

Working on a couple historical setting pieces - one in the American Civil War called "The Fury" and one (short one) in the American Southwest circa 1250CE or so - "The Song of Farwalker and Deadgirl". There are several other pieces that I want to do - so much to be written, so little time available.

Thanks,

Todd

Your ability to make me feel like an involved observer is amazing! Thank you for sharing your great talents with us at Lit - you are an outstanding wordsmith.

Reading everything youve ever posted.

Nobody writes pain and cold and lonely like you...and then thaws it out...sometimes...a little bit.

wrapped in tradition and drama. Definately could see this pair being the original occupants of The Shack. Justice League Noir: Origin Stories

5stars again.

This was a great story, I was hoping it would end this way. Thanks!

I would have named it, "Devil and Firebig." Very well paced and entertaining story. I love the sparse dialogue.

Oh, that was great. Seriously. The pacing, the imagery, the characters. That could easily be a true story. Very well done. Thank you for sharing.

I know this story is finished, but an epilog or 2nd chapter would be very nice. But, hey great short story Author!

Devil Anse...comes to mind. Loved the story.

A McCoy descendant.

Stop writing for L it erotica and write a Novel. #5 t

Not only that, but this liar cheats on its ratings !! Judging from its stories this writer is a psychopath. Get help soon, asshole!

1* of course.

I really enjoyed this story, it had a very cool feel to it!

We need to have a story about Jack during the war. Maybe Jack meets Wild Bill from the OSS

Nice

Of course that was back in 2017 when he was a bit nicer. He still got in a dig though, calling it extravagant.

Now days he’d just give you 3* and a couple of snarky comments.

Slow

Just a bit over-the-top as are many Todd172 stories, but all are worth reading. Another 5* for creativity and writing.

But it would be a hard task to better this one. Splendid story. Yes over the top MAYBE but isn’t that what we all need in these Interesting Times. Thanks again for sharing

My first time with this one, Todd! Beautiful, wonder filled story! Thank You!

A bit of a different take from you. Well done interesting story.

I really enjoyed this story. My grandfather came her from Essen, Germany. He went to work in the coal mines of the first county west of Harlen Counry (bloody Harlen). He was a union man. He went to a union meeting in town telling Grandma, "No matter what you hear outside tonight, DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR."

Sure enough Grandma heard a terrible commotion that night.

She went outside and found a man's body with his throat cut. Granddad stayed in town that night.

When he got home that day, they hitched up the horse and wagon and moved north to Ohio. Granddad still had trouble finding work because he was a Union man.

In one instance the mine owners kept bitching at the mine superintendent that he wasn't delivering enough coal. He told them, "If you let me hire Frank Sokoll and Earney Jack, I'll give you all the Goddamn coal you're asking for. Eventually they did and he did give them the coal they were asking for.

My other Grandfather was also a union man. He ended up the Union's check weight man. He had his own set of weights. If he found a misweighed coal car, the entire mine shut down the next week.

Doc Spirit 3

Beautiful ...

Great Story! Will it continue?

Todd, you are a great storyteller. Perhaps better than we here, or at least most of us, do deserve.

Ya did it to me again, Todd. Mascara running and a handful of soaked tissues. Bless you and the Missus!

Real love.

Inspired by Devil Ans Hatfield and the McCoy/Hatfield feud? Either way, awesome story.

My Father's Family

Was from Tennessee. My uncle had the hometown newspaper The Dayton Herald mailed to him. Seemed like every issue had something about a feud, a fight, shooting, a house or barn burning, just something where people just couldn't let go of it. One of the reasons they both left. Glad that changed for Amos and Ella.

...

One different story comes to mind. The family farm was situated on a mountain with a long, steep road passing in front of the farmhouse. Those early Fords didn't have fuel pumps, the gasoline was gravity fed as the tank was above the engine. People who didn't know better would drive up the road forward, the engine would starve out of fuel making them have to steer backwards down the mountain. Usually my father or uncle would have to go out and explain they needed to turn around and back up the road.

...

Dark story that rings with a lot of authenticity from what I was told decades ago as I seem to be related to a fair share of that area. All of those folks I knew then are long gone, I wish now that I'd listened and paid more attention to what I could have learned. Dark story, well told with plenty of light at the end of the tunnel. *****'s Signed: BTW.

Too much ill, too much hate and way too much ignorance.

Travel changes the things that matter. Once you have seen the world, down home is never home again.

I liked this but my mind longs for the next edition from The Shack.

damn sir you write a damn good story i have not read a bad one yet

Haunting and intense. Automatic fav!

5 Stars on another Great Story . A Friend told Me about You and this site . We played in the sand and hated the Heat their . Me and Him will always be Friends until we get our last Post .

My family being from western WVA, this story kind of hits home for me. I've read it at least a dozen times, and it never gets old.

Heartwarming story of power loves forgiveness and redemption.

10 stars!!

Damn, that was sweet, the writing was smooth and seamless. Every character, each, having a voice you could feel with or without the identity prompts. The story was simple and told so much with so much with so few words and so much inference. The devil you wrote is a better man than I am not sure if I would get past being almost burned to death, arson is a nasty thing because rarely does it only attack the target. I guess ill have to poke around Todd172's page a bit.

Todd: I love your stories like everyone else. I hope all is well with you and the Missus, and you'll be back to post more stories in due time.

Meanwhile, to thank you for this and other stories, I want to recommend a favorite book of short stories about Appalachia: "Who Fears The Devil?" by Manly Wade Wellman. I think you'll love them as much as I do. - Ben

Todd: I like all of your stories, just like everyone else. I hope all is well with you and the Missus, and that you will return to post more stories in due time.

Meanwhile, as a thank you for your stories, I want to recommend one of my favorite books of short stories, which happen to be about Appalachia: "Who Fears The Devil?" by Manly Wade Wellman. (My worn paperback copy is copyright 1963.) I think you'll love it as much as I do. - Ben

Didn't really like it, but it was good story with good ending and a little lack of communication between two people. I guess it all boils down to the heart knows what it wants regardless of what your brain is telling you. Keep writing you do it so well..............

This is one of the more powerful stories I've read on this site. Excellent storyline, and very well written.

WW2 had the visceral hatred of the USA, and allies against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, so much so that who would have guessed they have become great allies and trusted friends against Russia and China and Iran. Strange but true?

Sounds like a prequel to 'Luther's War'...

Re “who would have guessed” (28 days ago). It was the Marshall Plan that did it, contrasting with the Treaty of Versailles at the end of WWI that led directly to WWII.

One hell of a love story in bad place at a bad time. Read this a while back and said I didn't like it but I gave it 5 stars because it's a great story and well written. Todd and his missuss are hell of a team