Northern Dutch Guy

Hi Timothy I have no idea why 'captainrick' is not on the forums or writing any more. But if you can focus on the story and you liked it... Maybe the likes either makes him write again or it might be a (hmmm and.... I do not know if I say this the right way) a... post mortem... support... But I hope he is still alive and kicking...

Soooo sad your friend passed away... Love, hugs... kisses

OMG I more or less grew up the same. Parrents never said anything about sex. Both me and my partner come from very strict religious families... What I know now is ... there were a lot of early marriages because of pregnancies... between teenagers... OMG... Only much later I learned that the things I did with some older boys since I was like 12 yo... was sex...

Hey Andrew I hope it was a good read... I liked it ... And yes it is sad it has so little likes. Unfortunately the author is not very active the last few years... I would have loved to read more... as there are so many open ends in those two stories. But who knows... Have a good time reading... and in normal life as well AndyG

Thank you for the link. And also thank you for this information. I'm sure more people will look at the older stories.

Hey have hope... I was a gay virgin till I was 30 YO and met my lover and partner till... Yes we are together since like that day (though we had a few short breakups in the first few years...) and now we live together over 20 years. So keep your head up ! So you have a lot of years to go... to mature and find/meet that guy. Mine comes from the pre internet time... Just a message in a paper... Can you believe that ? I could not believe a guy like him needed an advertisement !!! So .. Also keep an open mind and ... do not shut down your friends because they are not gay... reach out and make new friends and somehow in that growing circle you will find...that special someone... Love AndyG

Being Dutch I know what a crazy language we have. We have so many words from different origin... read languages. And that makes our language... (in my opinion) crazy... with crazy grammar rules about with words like that. For example we have many words starting with oct or octo coming from (I think) Latin... but the in our stupid composed language... we write oktober instead of october. And besides that we have a second (and much older) language in our country. Yes ... You guess right .. I come from that area... in my country. a long time ago that language was spoken in the coastal areas from the North of (what is now) France till the North of Denmark. And yes... it is like the Asterix and Obelix strip ... only a small area in our country ... LOL Our crazy Dutch grammar rules make English look simple... but I often get confused by the (almost) same pronounciation of very different words. But do not get me wrong ... It does not mean I'm fluent in English because it is that simple... Have fun. AndyG.

Hi At the end of the last chapter of 'Sky's The Limit' the author 'Captainrick' tells there is a 2nd book. As it was written/posted in 2006 I guess it was on the former site. And the author Captainrick has not been on his profile since long. Any possibility getting that 2nd book here again ? Please suggestions and if someone would be able to post it here again... Love AndyG

I guess we will find soon a part of the story from Brad's POV. So far JJ and Will played a beautifull and surprising part of the story. Young guys finding out bad times and coping with them ... creative and ... not going down when problems arise... but heads up and retalliating if neccesary... Mark writes/creates strong personalities... in his stories. I really like that. And in the case of Will and maybe JJ ... they were so much younger in the past stories... and now... they grow... grow up... and cope with new situations on their own or together with support from each other... If they can cope yet on their own agaist Wade's Mom/sister... and their scheme... and their contacts... We will see... But JJ is already thinking out of their box... And It turns back on them... Now I guess some of us want Mark to safe Zach and his carreer... and in the long run ... that Will and Zach will be together again... long term...

Liked the last (11th) chapter. So many things coming together and diverting. So many twists and turns. Yes there is the question if Wade's mom is involved. Yes it seems to be her thing. But the motive ? Yes probably she wants to control Wade's children the way she used her own children/family before. To reach that means to destabilise the best support group/family Wade has. And maybe after that threathening to do more damage if Wade will not comply... The second motive might be found more in The Millennium story I think. There were a lot of open ends there. And yes Wade's mom and Brad's hatefull family if they joined forces might create such a scheme... Whatever twist and turns goes on next... I realy like the move Mark made to more a thriller type of story. The personal aspects and drama of 9 11 were written beautifull. Flux/Streak as well but the continuing story needed some pepper... ( I think). So I'm perfectly happy how this story is coming up. Thanks Mark and as always ... Keep writing. Love Andy G

Beautifull and exciting devellopments. Many twists and turns making this a key chapter to the story i think. I really like the whole of the 'Chronicals'. But it needed some pepper... and this goes right the way I love stories from you... Thanks and keep writing NDG

Dear Mark, Just to cheer you up, me and my dog picked you some flowers. Tulips ofcause... Take the time you need. We will be patient waiting for new parts of your (well liked) stories. Love

Thanks for the last 2 chapters. Now Wade is back as a narator ...and Matt as well, we see more sides of the story. You did not do that in 9 11 with Matt. So a lot of times we did not see his point of view and ... therefor a lot of times he seemed just an asshole. Now we see the story from Wade's and Watt's pov and we see the conflicts from both sides. You write (I think) very beautifull about their conflicting feelings and of the love they still feel for each other. Very convincing for me how you made Wade come back to Matt, let him explain his feelings and also again showing he still loves Matt a lot... and yes... a nice twist after the HIV test ... I hope Wade is right and Matt's antibodies show a false HIV sign. Also how you devellop Will's character ... Thanks beautifull writen story... so far ... Chapeau !

Thanks Mark for the nice final chapter to Odyssey. Like Ricky and Mileslong I worry a bit about the The End notice at the end of the story. I do hope the story will continue and that the The End notice does not mean the end of the whole Bridgemont storyline.... So I looked back at the ending of other books you wrote... and found another The End in the last chapter of 1968 the second book of the CAP saga. And the Cap saga did not end there .... ! So I have good hope for a next book in the Bridgemont series. I also wonder about the meaning of the special precedence Gearge got and the meaning of it on the whole system of ranks and what it means in relationship to the Dukes of Sussex/Suffolk and Freddie. But maybe someone can explain.... Thanks again for the nice story and pehhlease keep writing.

Somewhere earlier in this forum there was some discussion about the title of the new book. My guess is it will not be the name of a ship. Or something with 'the guild' in it. 'Windsor' would be my guess. The main story line ? What about : - fight with 'The Guild'. - fight with a fraction of John Company - some political scheming Granger encounters when he is in Windsor - a big problem in between Granger and one of his Brothers because one of them is involved in one of the points above... - a new lover.... Kingsdale ? Cavendish ?

Another nice chapter Mark, thank you. But ... Sadly Odyssey will come to an end soon. Fortunately Mark has built in enough leads to make a new story in the Bridgemont series to continue.... even without a ship for Granger. The last few sentences of chapter 76 is I think already the opening of the coming story, where Grangers father says : “We have fought a battle with them, and thanks largely to you, we have won. There are outward signs of that, in the form of my award of the Garter, and my appointment to the Privy Council, not to mention your appointment as Governor and Constable of Windsor, and your appointment as a Colonel of the Marines.” The Earl paused for a second, and then continued. “So they will leave us alone, unless they perceive we are weak. We must be civil to them, and avoid creating a problem, but we must be wary.” So I guess Granger will not have to start finding them. They will not leave him alone ...

Mark wrote again a very clever chapter (in 9.11 the 70th)... I think. Relationships can have bad times and when you are young it often means a break... for you have to digest things that you never met before.... Matt and Wade are having a bad time. A break would for them ...(I do not mean... a permanent break) could be even good for each other... They have to solve some private things .... and solving them makes them mature... And makes them again more attractive for each other. My youngest sister married when she was 20 yo with a guy she knew from 'kindergarten' . They broke up several times between being 12 and 19 yo and... often I was ... the in between guy... they gave messages to ... to transport to each other.... that they wanted to be together again.... I will be with my partner 25 years together this year ... but before that we broke up 4 times in 5 years.... But we learned a lot about each other during our break ups ! So much that we .... got together again and now permanent.... Now back to why I think Mark wrote this clever chapter. .. All options are still open. So... even a break between Matt and Wade... could be still ... just temporary. Mark wrote about Will that he needs time .... to ever be on acceptable terms with Matt again... but.... I guess that is the same for Wade ... towards Matt ... and some other people in Mark's story... Mark I love your stries ... So Keep writing love NDG

Mark, thanks . I had again fun reading this chapter. Things like : “I said everything that happens to you is extreme,” he corrected. “A lot of kids run away from home. Most of them don’t fuck up a Ferrari and a Porsche first.” That actually did make me laugh. It made me laugh as well . Also the situation with the mother of Chris in the restaurant speaking Spanish to the owner .. about her son and a few other situations ... brought a smile to my face ...

Aaaahh nice chapter... for it opens up a lot of possibilities for future chapters. Mark... I was not really disappointed with your last chapters of Odyssey ... but... the character of George, his friends, his lovers and officers ... in my opinion you usually make them much more alive when something... worthwhile/deep/threatening/exciting goes on. Please do not see my reaction as being bored... But I think your writing gets better as you make it more complex. I think you can masterly shape characters and combine the conficts and longings... Arthurs and Cavendish comments ...hmm... I think I see a beautifull future for some exiting new stories.... So now ... this Guild thing may be I hope will be a trigger for .... As always keep writing love H&M

I really liked the 66th chapter Maybe Mark could be a good soccer coach... (or a coach for any other sports) ... For in my opinion, the talks from JP vs Matt and the talks during dinner looked to me like the talks a coach has in the half time break with a non functional team. Pointing out what were the weak points but also clarifies/enlightens them what could be the winning moves for the second half.... I think Mark created in this story again a spirit in this family that will make them move forward like a team ... hmm... maybe ... a bit ... more... as a functional family... instead of ... we are living together , but individually we are all so lonely... Again... after this chapter all options are open again. For the good... or the worse...

OMG, Beautifull chapter. I hope, if I ever run into a situation with my kids, I have the controlled openness and clarity from JP as you wrote this in this situation with Matt ! All the other discussions as well you did them from a characteristic point of view from all your characters in the story... Man... How many points of view can a guy succesfully create (!!!) and combine into a combined point of view for the future !!! Really, I think ... you did well ! and a little more... Maybe you could be a good soccer coach... (or a coach for any other sports) ... For the talks from JP vs Matt and the talks during dinner looked to me like the talks a coach has in the half time break with a non functional team. Pointing out what were the weak points but also clarifies/enlightens them what could be the winning moves for the second half.... I think you created in this story again a spirit in this family that will make them move forward like a team ... hmm... maybe ... a bit ... more... as a functional as a family... instead of ... we are living together , but individually we are all so lonely... I really liked this chapter As always.... keep writing

Hmmm Private Tim I do agree with you ... that Will's action is immature and does interfear with what his parents wants... but do understand that I'm not 15 any more... that was a long time ago... But I might have thought different when I was like Will 15 yo. Learning about responsability and being mature and responsible takes time. Will is young and makes mistakes like anyone did when being his age. I disagree with you that it is a character flaw. No I do not think it is not a character flaw... in my opinion. He will learn from this... well hmmm... Mark will write it that way I guess... His character is develloping... and yes he is 15 yo and is immature and behaves like that. So.... he behaves like that in this story ! So I think it is good writing from Mark and he will make Will's character evolve in the future ... I think. Your other point that you work with guys who are rich and have Will's background and behave superior is what I understand very well. It is in my opinion a very good point. Some children grow up in a world of abbundance and... have no idea of what happens outside their rich family and friends lives. Others grow up abbandoned or poor... Realise I know for this is how I grew up. But Mark created a rich family with children growing up rich and... I hope my kids will not have to endure my poor state ever... but I would prefer it to be like Will has it. His environment makes things open for discussion... mine never did. His environment makes him think beyond rich and poor. Will did react when Noah who did not come from a rich family was excluded from a party (by his cousin Marie... and aunt Claire). So understand I realise your point as Mark probably will ... But the character of Will is just now a 15 yo guy/boy who makes mistakes... and learns from them and his character will grow during the story... ( I hope ! So please Mark make it happen !). Private Tim I think I understand your comments but do not share all of them. I like the characters... the way Mark makes them grow... And for Mark, as always keep writing NDG

I liked the story, The main issue is I think for most guys (I only know that way of thinking) clear. Sometimes there is this in between girl/guy that is attractive for gay/straight men. And if you fall in love... it is OMG he is not a boy or she is not a girl... but yes you are in love and it makes it more complex. You wrote about this very well I think. The gender issue is I think always there for guys/girls struggling to accept their own sexual identity. The mixed feelings for an in between girl or boy make it even more complex So yes the gender issue you bring out in this story was very well done and makes I think the reader think more about it. Well done.

My eyes flew over the story longing for more and more longing to learn the outcome of the story. So yes... your story captured me. Unfortunately it ended sadly but... I think I will remember it for a long time. The longing, the love and the loss when a lover is no more. I liked the story .

I was glad to find and read another beautifull Odyssey chapter ! I do like the reaction of Caroline... not how she reacted but... in the heat of the moment she showed she cares for Granger... but... only I think this way she showed she does not know him any longer so well.... Her affair should have been a warning for her... that she lost contact with him... and now she interferes in Grangers relations with his friends/lovers ... and she does not understand these affairs... so I guess this will mean troubles/more drama for Granger in the future... Though Granger did well on his trip, the loss Of his loved ship Bachante and a lot of his crew I think will have an impact on him.. Caroline's action will not help him I guess... for... For Granger ... I think his friends and lovers are very dear to him and... he knows that he will see them only for a short time as he is a Captain and most of his sexual friends are officers on other ships... And that there is so little time they can be together... Now Calvert is a Captain... Granger and Calvert are/will be ... no longer a couple... and I think that is what Caroline missed.... I hope Caroline will see her error soon... but... I guess that is more for Granger to find out and correct... But as long as this is not solved... I guess this will be a sad time for Granger, Calvert and Gatling... And Winkler what will he do if he sees Granger being so sad about losing contact with his loved friends... His loyalty is part of Grangers story... and well being. Again a very good chapter and the way you made Caroline act ... It will add more personal views, conflicts and some extra drama to the story... I guess as Granger will find out why his friends are.... unreachable for him... Keep writing I hope you'll have a new chapter soon