[Topher_Lydon] Carter books

[Topher Lydon]

K, I often get asked what's the deal with Carter's Duty... how come its so confusing.

 

Please be aware,

 

1. Carter's Duty was written first.

 

2. Carter's Shadow was written last.

 

they run chronologically in the books time line like this Army, Vanguard, shadow, duty, war, fortress, recourse.

 

they were written like this 9over about two years)

 

Duty, Army, War, Vanguard, Fortress, Recourse, Shadow. If there are inconsistancies, please, I know

 

I did the best i could given the messed up way I wrote them, and please be aware that when I wrote them I was just starting on a writing career. The latter books of the series (in order of writing) make attempts to reconcile the mistkes made in Duty. But bear in mind, I know Duty is the weakest of all my books... my first ever, come on cut me some slack I wrote it in a week.

[Rabble_Rouser]

Hey Lydon, cut yourself some slack! When I read the Carter books I always thought that they were snapshots of different points in Carter's life and once I figured out where in the timeline the book took place in I was happy.

 

I'm glad to hear that you'll be doing one final book in the Carter series as I've enjoyed them (even if I can't figure out how they make it across Ottawa so fast... I've tried to match their speed records ). I was suprised to find out how much flack you took about this series when you introduced Marc as the love interest. Thanks for the great writing and I'm looking forward to more!

 

Steve

[rknapp]

I just blamed it on Canada.

 

*runs off like a hyena in fits of laughter*

 

Now back to book six, I have nothing to do for tomorrow so all I got is time

[Loki]

Hey Chris, Topher <--sorry, I just remembered that now.

 

Just wanted to say that I'm loving the Carter series so far.

 

And I finally figured out what Sprog meant...hahah

 

Okay. Back to the stories!

Edited February 7, 2006 by Loki

[Topher Lydon]

Hey Chris,

 

Just wanted to say that I'm loving the Carter series so far.

 

And I finally figured out what Sprog meant...hahah

 

Okay. Back to the stories!

 

 

Sprog is a term of endearment used froman adult to a child to refer to some one they find short and cute.

[dkstories]

All I know is that I enjoyed them...but the Falcon Banner series...well, let's just say I found them last week and it's one of the reasons I'm not done with my next chapter yet (and I was VERY tired at work the next day AND ended up being very grateful that the full second book was available on lulu for download just so I could finish it and get back to work!)

[Topher Lydon]

All I know is that I enjoyed them...but the Falcon Banner series...well, let's just say I found them last week and it's one of the reasons I'm not done with my next chapter yet (and I was VERY tired at work the next day AND ended up being very grateful that the full second book was available on lulu for download just so I could finish it and get back to work!)

 

That fun huh?

[Former Member]

Mr Topher more Will n Andrew k. PLEASE

 

Is it done now?

[Topher Lydon]

Mr Topher more Will n Andrew k. PLEASE

 

Is it done now?

 

Working on it

[Loki]

Mr Topher more Will n Andrew k. PLEASE

 

Is it done now?

 

Does this mean Will and Andrew eventually end up together????

 

I'm on Carter's War, and was quite upset to learn that they had parted ways...

 

It's not that I don't like Marc, but Will and Andrew just seem like they belong together...

 

forever.

[Mark Arbour]

I started reading this series and I liked it, but once again I find myself in a quandry about the credibility of the characters. I stopped reading after Andrew and Will slept together for 3 nights and they simply "cuddled"? Neither one of them even got an erection? I mean, they do actually love each other, or so they say...that's an awful lot of self-restraint for a teenager. Or, more to the point, an incredible amount of bodily control. Truly these are Asexaul teens.

Great plot though. I think I'll just pretend that they're 55 year old guys with no sex drive and plow on through the story. (That was a joke).

[Gregoire]

I spent four hours reading Carter's Army, after leaving the chatboards and the occasional nap...or rather the frequent nap.

 

I'm impressed, I liked it. I don't like just anyone's stuff, but that was impressive and sweet and all that good stuff.Definite thumbs up.

 

Now I have to read the other one...after getting some sleep of course...I just now finished,

--Greg.

[Topher Lydon]

Trying to remember that particular sequence. I don't recall mentioning the erections, mainly because they would both have them. And while some get embarassed about them I never did, erections happen :: shrugs:: I know Matty had them all the time holding onto me, hehehe I remember askign him once if he had a ball in his pocekt (this was early in) and he turned bright red, and I couldn't work out why because I honestly thought it was a ball in his pocket.... *ahem* Will isn't thinking erection he's more... focused on the skin ... kinda oblivious like me.

[Mark Arbour]

Trying to remember that particular sequence. I don't recall mentioning the erections, mainly because they would both have them. And while some get embarassed about them I never did, erections happen :: shrugs:: I know Matty had them all the time holding onto me, hehehe I remember askign him once if he had a ball in his pocekt (this was early in) and he turned bright red, and I couldn't work out why because I honestly thought it was a ball in his pocket.... *ahem* Will isn't thinking erection he's more... focused on the skin ... kinda oblivious like me.

 

So, in essence, you're saying that the sexual connotations should be so obvious that you avoid mentioning them? That's interesting. More intuitive, less erotic. I'll read on.

[Topher Lydon]

So, in essence, you're saying that the sexual connotations should be so obvious that you avoid mentioning them? That's interesting. More intuitive, less erotic. I'll read on.

 

I don't think I ever really get into erections, I mean sure I write sex scenes, and mention discomfort when it is aparant. But on the whole, my writing tends not to be about that.

[hughmelbourne]

I read all the Carter series-and reurn of the Sun-in a 5 day period.

 

My back, eyes and arse hated you, but my brain adored them

 

I've been avoiding the Falcon Banner; leaving it for a rainy day. I don't want to start it until I have a good 2 or three day window in which to absolutely gorge myself on it; i'm sure it'll be as good as RotS and the Carter series.

 

BTW, whilst I was very sad to see Andy and Will split up for a while there, I liked Mark. I hope he doesn't fade out during this next book.

 

Also, we need way more of...I can't believe i've forgotten his name! The french canadian guy...shares the house...jetsetter...campaign manager...For some reason Jody comes into my head but I know that isn't it. ARGH!

 

Must check. Best not look for too long, in case I have to re-read it all again over the next week

 

Brody. D'uh. Hit me about 30 seconds after I posted.

[acassimaty]

Oh my gawd...I feel so stupid.

 

I download the stories and put them on my PDA, so that I can read them in bed (It's more comfortable than sitting at the desk). I get up to reading War and suddenly I reach Chapter 10 and I'm thinking "Huh? What's Brody doing here? And when was this phone call from Marc?" But, I stupidly keep reading, thinking that I must have missed something when I was reading late last night and we've jumped back in time to when we first met Marc. It wasn't till about Chapter 30, when I realise that what I did was that I had somehow downloaded Chapters 1 and 10-39 of War and Chapters 2-9 of Fortress. Urghh. But I kept reading, and decided to go back to Chapter 2-9 after I'd finished.

 

But, you know what? I'm kinda glad I did what I did. I found War to be really engrossing. It's probably my favourite story after Shadow, because I didn't read those chapters. I know I missed out on how Will first met Marc, but I also missed out on what may have been a fatal flaw in War's construction. I'm not criticising, because I don't know how it reads in its proper way, and it probably wasn't what you had planned when you were writing this story, but I've read a few people saying on this board saying that War is not their favourite Book of the series. Maybe that was to do with people not liking Marc, I'm not sure (personally I like Marc), but the thing I found best about the version that I read was the corporate intrigue side to the story and this became really strong for the sole fact that I had not read Chapter 4, which deals with what Bruce is planning to do. So I had no idea what he was up to until I think when Will found out. The first I knew something was up was when Will had to go to Payroll and found out Bertha had been told by Bruce to take a few days off. So you had this developing romance between Will and Marc and a really strong corporate intrigue tale along side each other, which worked really well together.

 

I don't know, I'm probably babbling here, but I wondered what you the writer and other readers thought of this. Feel free to shut me down if I've made a fool of myself, which I know I have anyway, but I thought it was worth mentioning anyway.

Edited March 20, 2006 by acassimaty

[Topher Lydon]

I personally liked War.

 

It was my first attempt to put a serious plot into a book alongside the romatic aspect.

 

Had it been a stand alone book, people would like Marc. I think that was a big problem, readers wanted Andrew and never really gave Marc an opportunity to shine.

[rknapp]

That probably happened because Marc and Will are two completely different characters. Will is the politician, well into his career, and Marc is the rebelious artist, still in college. Just look at his friend, Blake, lmao. Andrew, though also just as different, is still as accomplished as Will is, having been a successful lawyer until that bullshit disbarrment for communing with the other party (the kiss in the mountains). Honestly, I felt like Andrew's and Will's relationship was rocky and falling fast while Will was putting Andrew through school, they almost had two seperate lives at that time. Although now, Andrew has proven that he has plenty of time and love for Will during the second half of Recourse.

 

Question: What time of year is the next book set in? I ask because most of the series has been set in the fall and winter, with snow being a major part of the events in the series. Snow almost feels like a trademark of the entire story, because without it, I don't think Andrew or Will would have even met when Will missed the bus, and Andrew lost control of the car. Recourse was set in the summertime, and it just didn't feel like The William Carter, at any point, until the last few chapters, from the memorial ceremony through the shooting, Ernie, and placing the war vote on the Hill, and only becuase it felt like the action was sprung up on you and shoved you around the room for a while.

 

Overall, Carter remains to be one of my more favored stories to read, probably mostly because it isn't entirely set in high school. I like stories that have little, if anything, to do with high school, and that's not because I hated most of my high school years (Dom's DD worked well because it was between school years, and prevailed for me over his other works).

[Kurt]

I am am 22 chapters into Army, and I am really liking it so far.

[Gandalf]

I also had a month where I read all but the last one and a half of the Carter Series. I have the rest downloaded and hope to get back to them this summer. They are one of my favorite series. I love the progression through life.. Of course I have been back in a relationship with my old collage luv since 1991 so I hope.. Pax Steve sv Gandalf

[canundra]

Do Will and Andrew get back together in the end? You don't have to post it here, you can message the answer to me. I just want to know because, while I have nothing against Marc, it's hard to for me to continue reading when all I see is Will/Marc and not Will/Andrew...

[canundra]

Nevermind. I read everything. And I'm happy

[tecknogecko]

Ok I've been looking for an email address where I can contact the writer but this is the closest thing I can find.

 

I loved these books. Totally loved them. I've read them through entirely, twice each and i'm now going for a third. I'm actually not gay myself, but I am a writer and I stumbled across this website because I'm currently working on putting together a novel about a gay protagonist and I wanted to read some gay fiction as part of my research.

 

I totally fell in love with Will and Andrew and I just couldn't get enough. And then comes along West in Carter's Shadow and i was blown out of the water all over again.

 

I'd love to see another book, more focussed on Peter and West and what happens to them eventually (whether or not West leaves the army and comes back to Canada etc etc).

 

Out of all the stories on this site, yours are definitely the best.

 

I've just finished totally writing my first novel and i've just started writing a second and researching a third. I hope that my stories capture someone as much as your captured me. Nice job.

[PGW]

How can I get my hands on Carter's Rebellion?

 

Although I do love the Falcon Banner series (and also think Darker Projects did some cool stuff with the audio drama version of the first installment) - Will Carters life remains my favorite spot in the gay online fiction universe. I've looked everywhere but cannot seem to find hide nor hair, am I missing the location or has it not been push out to the masses yet?

 

Thanks and keep writing!

 

Paul