Ivy

I also think Will is being a typical teenager at this point, just with more money and resources than most. Speaking from experience, it's hard when you have two sets of parents (divorced) and living in two separate houses that you have to answer to. Will has three parents living in the same household, along with a few other adults present at any given time. As a headstrong teen, I can see him feeling oh so suffocated, oppressed, and spied on with all those adults around, not to mention brothers. Is it right that he speaks to Jeanine the way he does? No. But he's been acting this way for a few years now, and if no one put a stop to it when it started, it's probably not going to change until he grows up a bit more. He's Brad all over again, fine-cool-easygoing as long as things are going his way. Ok so what I'm really interested in is Tiffany moved out...Where did she go? Is it permanent? What do Matt and Wade have to say about this? If the breakup is permanent, will she still want a baby as a single mother? Yeah, probably jumping the gun a bit with some of those questions, but Tiffany is younger than Jeanine and a lot of the story content so far has dealt with age related relationship issues. No matter how Tiffany and Jeanine feel about each other, they are in different places in their age related maturity level and how they deal with issues. Personally, and I'll admit, my moral compass is way screwed up, but I just don't see it worth leaving your committed partner because you're pissed off that she had a one night stand when you're both pregnant from sleeping with two men at once. It wasn't like she was out on the prowl, it was more or less drunken comfort sex between friends. It's not like Cody was trying to steal her away or something. And it's probably not the first time Cody & Jeanine have slept together, though we may never know. Eh, but that's just me looking at it from the outside. I know there are many more emotions at play when it's happening to you.

MW, I love your line about Cody, " I can't see Cody keeping a pet bunny alive.." Hahahahahaha! I've always been a supporter of Cody as a character, but I kinda have to agree with you on that one! Although, I have seen many men do an about face in their lifestyle when a baby is involved (my brother for one). Something about holding a little life in your hands that you know you are responsible for that totally redirects your life.

That did bother me when I read it. AID's has not gone away. It reminded me of the PSA from a few years ago where there are two people together and there is a line of like a hundred people standing behind one of them with the message that you're sleeping with every person your partner has ever slept with unprotected. I think Cody's line of past partners might look like the lines outside of Best Buy for the day after Thanksgiving sales. And I'm usually on Cody's side during most of the debates about him, but he might just be a little out of control with the sex, drugs, and rock n roll lifestyle. Also if the baby is Cody's, it raises all sorts of potential story plots. I can see all sorts of craziness ensuing.

Glad, I wasn't the only one with tears! At least I'm in the office alone today. I just want to crawl through my laptop screen and give George a hug. George's fondness of the Spanish might fade a bit after this. We've seen George in action, but this is going to turn him into a demon against the French. I think George is going to internally beat himself to death over this. He is so hard on himself. George has had such successes and this is the first time he wasn't able to save the day so to speak. We think of a splinter as a tiny little thing that we pull out of our finger with tweezers. They had to watch out for giant killer splinters! Holy crap, I can't believe Travers is gone.

Thank you, kind sir! And I think people will always be interested in your stories, so let that flow take you where ever it wants to.

I've been re-reading the Bridgemont series and been totally recaptivated with our Mr. Granger. I was wondering, Mark, if you might respond to a few questions, if possible, without giving away state secrets...... Have you thought about how far you see this story going? Does it end with Granger, or might it continue with one of his sons?? Would you ever consider a story or side-story in the series from one of his son's (grandson, great grandson's) point of view? Are there any other periods of history you would like to derive a story from?? And last question, do you enjoy writing/researching one series more than the other?? I'm just curious, as the CAP world has expanded to include so many generations and extended family characters, but Bridgemont has totally focused on George and his rise though the ranks. They are both so great, but so different, and to have come from the same author is just a tad mindboggling. I would just like to pick your brain a bit. You can answer or not answer as you see fit. I won't take it personally if you choose not to answer any or all, especially if it would give away anything you see as a spoiler.

I didn't feel as weirded out about Gathan and Steph as I would have about Will and Gathan. Steph is the male equivilent of a "cougar" for me, hot older person being with a much younger hot person. In the "real" world I don't want older men or women taking advantage of people under the age of consent, but I'm not sure who was taking advantage of who in this chapter. Steph has always believed in "sexual healing" and seen himself as somewhat of a sage in this area. He probably knows it wasn't exactly correct to have sex with Gathan and I'm not sure if they are going to come out and tell everyone what they just did, like it came out with Matt. Hopefully Steph will hook Gathan up with a therapist at some point, because his issues run way deep. Also, I don't think Steph was implying that the boy/girl in question "got what they deserved", I think he was thinking more along the line of young people suck at sex their first few times when they don't know what the heck they are doing. Anyway, just my opinions, I could be wrong, it usually happens at least once a day and twice on Sundays, lol.

I said 16/17. I know kids have sex younger and younger, but I know kids that are 14-15-16 and I just can't see them in that situation. The ones I know are just really immature and sooooo not ready for that. Yeah, Will is mature for his age, but let's let him experiment with other things for a while.

when Gathan gets to Stanford in the fall will Matt and Wade be sophomores or juniors?? just wondering...it's been a while since they were center stage and I can't seem to remember if its been 1 or 2 years since bloodlines.

Centex, responding to your comment, I think that if we had seen the rapes happen in the moment, there would be a lot more outrage visible in the comments. Because they happened off screen so to speak, as well as in the past, while it doesn't diminish the act, it diminishes the impact somewhat. I definately had an "oh, my" moment, but as I read on, I was more into his behavior now. The fact that you have a horny 17 year old who says he doesn't "do that' meaning "I just don't have sex anymore", I see as him having real deep issues. He's like a lot of kids that have a problem and instead of getting help, he hides it, ignores it, assumes it will go away. I feel it's important to remember that it was insinuated that both he and Ella were molested/abused as kids by their so-called father. I think Mark has jumped right into the mind of a kid with issues and portrayed the real problem kids today have with getting the help they need with issues they are facing. They are more apt to talk to each other, if they talk to anyone, than get help from an adult, that might actually be able to point them in the right direction for the help they need. Many times adults are clueless to what's going on in the heads of kids. Gathan's adoptive family did their best, but did they see and act on the anger issues or try to uncover the real problem? Hopefully at some point Gathan will connect with one of the West Coast adults and get the anger management help he needs. I think we're going to see some amazing things happen in this story and some of them might not be real pretty. I have a feeling Gathan's self control will fail fantastically at some point as well, even more than a fist fight at a public gathering. As with most of the characters we have grown to love, or love to hate, I think Gathan will be someone we will love to analyze over the course of this story. I can't wait till he gets to California and see how his story plays out.

Oh jeez, this is reminding me that those years between 13-19 were some of the best and absolute worst moments of my life. Is anything ever as dramatic as it is to a teen?? Every new experience is like a life changing moment. Every day you're trying to figure out who the hell you are, (and who the hell everyone else is!) There is just no middle ground and everything is black or white, and what you think was black, turns out to be white or pink or yellow or blue. If you ask people about their teen years most will either answer either "awesome" or "sucked", rarely do you get "all right". Personally I think every 13 year old should be issued a therapist till they graduate highschool. I kind of feel like we just transferred over from HBO/Showtime to Disney Channel/Nickelodean. So we figured out what pissed Will off, learned more about Gathan, and found out the best weed is grown at Escorial (Oh wait we already knew that one). I thought it significant that when Will was yelling at the cops, and Gathan put his hand on Will's shoulder, there was an exchange of energy similar to how Brad describes his hugs with JP. At least that's how I read it.

Great having George Granger back in action. I started reading Bridgemont before CAP and haven't been disapointed yet! The way you blend historical fact into your stories is truly fantastic. Of couse, I had to figure out why the name St Vincent. I just love Google, though spending an hour reading about British naval history on a Saturday morning was not how I envisioned starting my weekend, lol. Really can't wait to see how this one plays out, even if the posting rate will be a little slower pace. Thanks for doing what you do!!

Great wrap up to an awesome story Mark! Really looking forward to the next episode in the saga. Oh and I loved the little bit of dangerous Brad at the end.... “You’d better not,” I joked. Sort of. It was all light and sweet till the "sort of!"

Ok more comments on Carson's behavior...My 2 cents, which is about what my opinion is worth in the world at large......Carson exhibits classic psycho stalker behaviors....he totally insinuated himself into Robbie's world and tried to make himself the most important thing there by ruining Robbie's company and his relationship. If he can do that successfully, in his mind all Robbie will have left is him. That didn't work, though he came pretty close. He may have been planted there by Alexandra and her team initially, but he took it way beyond the initial orders to have an affair and break up Brad n Robbie or give some bad advice so his movies will flop. Because Carson saw Brad as the bad guy who foiled his plans, he was more than happy to follow any directions regarding hurting Brad or the family. What if his orders were to get Will alone and drop him off in the dessert? Or to get him in the water to surf and hit him over the head so he drowns? He told Brad he was down, but not out,and would be back. Brad hates this guy way more than he hates Alex at this point because Carson is closer and is an immediate threat, first Robbie, now Will. Brad is just not going to stand for one more thing, so while his reaction is uber extreme, it's well within his character. Now if Brad had jumped in a car and gone to do the deed himself, I see that as "old" Brad behaviour and would have been a backslide. Instead, he's methodical and calculated, let's everyone in the family know he will handle it, let's Robbie get emotional about it without getting pissed off at him, and has his plan executed so to speak. It was a very "Godfatherish" sort of plan. This family has connections to known cartel kingpins and mafia bosses, they aren't going to handle perceived threats through proper channels, and threats get eliminated one way or another. In my opinion, he had Brian hit at the same time so that the framing of Alexandra would be complete. He's removing her from the equation the best way he can, in the pocketbook. If she goes to jail too, so much the better. The money trail would implicate that she would have wanted Brian gone for selling secrets. He was living in hiding under an assumed name, so it all just fits. Did Brian really need to die, eh, I'm not sure about that, but with the comment about Clair's son, I'm ok with it. I really liked these last chapters...I haven't commented this much..ever!

I don't see Brad's actions as taking a step back. I see it as his reaction to the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. When Carson showed up on the beach stalking Will, Carson made it personal. He took it completely out of the realm of business and made it a personal threat against Brad and his family. This is more than, Alexandra wants you to be miserable and I'm helping her do that. The way I read it, he made it into a vendetta. When you declare something like that, you have to be ready to accept the consequences. He seriously miscalculated this time. Maybe he would have just taken Will for a joyride or maybe he would have done something way more sinister, who knows? The bottom line is that Brad was not willing to wait to find out. He had the means to finish it and he did. As others have said, this is far different from school yard bullies that might pick on the kids. This is an unstable adult with designs on hurting this family. The Crampton/Schluter clan don't have a history of going to the police, why would they start now? Also, I agree with the previous statements that if something happened to Alexandra, the first people they would look at are family, then people with grudges, then adversarial business rivals. Brad is all of the above albeit the family connection is unusual. The way Brad set it up is masterful. Alex will be blamed for the hits due to the Dan Church email. In the real world, people never get away with this kind of stuff, so yeah, it may be a little far fetched. But hey we all need a little "un-reality" in our lives now and then. Who here hasn't thought of "taking someone out"??? Would we do it in real life-I hope not, but if someone were writing my life story, I can think of a few people who would no longer be around. Anyway, its great to see the different reactions to the happenings in the last few chapters. It must give Mark a lot to think about.

wow, just read 74...don't want to spoil for those that haven't read yet.....so just OMG! great Mark, just great....can't wait for the finale...though I'll be sad to see the end of this one!!

Yeah Mark!!! Well deserved!! :king: :king:

I agree with the guys on this one. The sex scenes are hot. (I've never seen a scene with the e-stem before) But its the story itself with all its twists and turns, family relationships, and history that I truly love. Evidently we love our porn WITH plot. I think I said it before many many many comments back, but if you ever decided to go the published route, you would definately have an audience. But then we'd have to pay for it and that would suck!! .........Just wondering what will happen when Mark's rep hits 1000.....do bells and sirens go off??do we get to pop open champagne??

Jeremy, it scares me that you don't like Cody (sexy, successful Hollywood agent, sexy, surfer-hot, sexy guy that gets along with 99% of the people he meets) and yet you really like JJ, diva that he is, LOL. I would have to fight the urge to smack JJ on the back of the head at least once a day, as I don't usually condone violence. To me Cody is like a really good horse.......nice to look at, fun to be around, great to ride (pun intended), needs some care and attention every now and then, but for the most part is happy to be living his own life out in the pasture (or Hollywood in Cody's case). I could be wrong, but as a character, I don't think Mark has ever intended him to step up and take a lead role. I feel like the level of character development you are looking for from him might not ever happen. You can only have so many stars in a show, after that you have to have supporting characters that fade in and out. I thought earlier in other stories that Cody might grow into a lead character, but now I just think he's a really good supporting cast member to bring in as needed. I agree with you that he's usually the same when he floats in and out of the story-sexy psychic slut with a heart of gold-but I don't think there's anything wrong with that. He is what he is,and until he gets a storyline that puts a reason out there for him to change, he probably won't. Maybe Kevin tires of the open relationship at some point?? Cody might have to make some decisions then, but that's the only thing I could think of that wold cause any sort of emotional growth at this point. Sorry for being so long winded, and no offence intended. I was a Robbie "hater" for a long time, so to each his own. BTW- Ch 71- Love mushy sappy Brad, so different than "take no prisoners" board room business tycoon. I like that he finally sees the value in this side of himself.

Hmmm....I wonder if Nasty Alexandra has been filling old man Phinsters ear about how Brad and Steph are going to ruin the company he worked so hard to build as a way to spy out information???? She has been know to employ moles. Why not use someone who no one would think of as aiding the competition? As a master manipulator she could have twisted his bitterness at being ousted from his own company. As to Will's college of choice- University of Hawii-marine biology- totally major surfing in his spare time......pro surfing circuit for a couple of years after graduation....that's my vote...

I loved the way you wrapped it up, a perfect pause in Grangers life before the start of the war. I admire how you make George seem so humble, that he doesn't realize it's his own actions that earned his knighthood. He assumed that both Caroline and Spencer had a hand in arranging it. I am glad that Spencer pointed that out to him. I can't wait till we see his promotion to Admiral, because you know that 'right place/ right time George' will be in the right place and right time to take over for some admiral that just had his ship obliterated. He's only in his 20's but wars tend to cut through the senior ranks of officers. Anyway loved it loved it loved it. Can't wait for you to begin the next one, but I appreciate the time it takes to research something like this. By the way,I saw where ya'll mentioned Horatio Hornblower and I really liked the movie and books. I took a literature of the sea class in college and we had to compare a movie to a book and I chose a Hornblower movie. Gregory Peck never looked better and a very young Christopher Lee was a captain on another boat I think. Even though I only had to read one of the books, I ended up reading all of them. I was at Texas A&M at the time, and I think I was the only girl in the class with a bunch of Corps of Cadets guys looking for an easy literature elective. Needless to say I really enjoyed that class. And the prof was an old Navy guy who used to tell stories almost as much as he talked about the books we were supposed to be reading. It was great.

I like the fact that Brad is unpredictable and just a little unstable. If he controlled his temper or never threw a fit, how much fun would that be to read. He brings excitement to every interaction, because you just don't know how he will react in any given situation. just my two cents

Awesome Chapter! I liked that Robbie got a little vengence. I'm also glad that he was able to hold his own, afterall there's not much cause for brawling skills in Hollywood unless you're a stuntman. And the fight was written really well, like you could see it happening. Again great job

If I had to pick someone, it would be Alex, because really she's just mean and nasty. If Brian lives or dies, I'm ok with either one as long as if he lives he's at least miserable. Maybe if he wasn't controlled by his mother, David might be a decent person who knows. But without good villians, there's not good drama, so it might be one of the good guys that meets their maker.

In my world people deserve death for cruelty and abuse to kids, the elderly, animals and anyone else not able to sufficiently defend themselves. But that's my morality. Everyone has a different level that is acceptable to them. Maybe Brad's moral compass will be shaken if something happens to Brian or even Lark, but in the end these are men that have put themselves in this situation, Brad included. Well Mark has put them in this situation, because after all this is fiction. I appreciate the previous comments. It shows a level of interest in the story and characters that many authors don't achieve with their writing. We discuss these characters as if they are real people that live facinating lives just as if we were picking up a People magazine and reading about happenings in the real world. I love the debate that takes place here on what should have, could have, or will happen. That said, Bian has played with fire from day one. JP offered him the world, or at least to be part of his world, and he stomped all over it with mistake after mistake. When he was ejected from that world, he chose to run to the enemy camp when he could have walked away, lived a better life, or done something to earn his way back into the family. In my opinion whatever happens at this point is fine with me. Some people are bad apples. He had his chances to live in the beautiful crowd, but screwed it up by his choices. Just my 2 cents.