Ricky_writer

Thank you James for giving us a snapshot view of your life as a teen in Mississippi. I know how much you suffered emotionally and socially. I was under too much scrutiny growing up to be able to escape through drugs. I've mentioned before being bred, born, raised and abused in a sadistic, controlling and compelling Catholic environment. It was at St John's church in Memphis Tennessee. We even had our own priestly predator, a Father Hause. There's still enough supporting evidence and witnesses no one is gonna sue me. So yeah, been there, even tried to suicide once, I was too uninformed and too young to be successful. The damning thing is no one even realized it - no one questioned why I had slept over 20 hours from a Friday night to a Saturday night. Anyway, thank you again James. ❤️ ya and your imagination and honesty.

If anyone cares, I despise cliffhangers. >.< Well written drama...

This story brings us the honesty and affection I was never privy to while growing up. My psychologist told me that I missed the male bonding that even straight boys go through growing up. My parents, aunts and uncles were such jerks keeping this sissy gay-boi so isolated growing up. Yeah, Methodists, Catholics and Southern Baptists are all masters of self-denial - for others...

Thank you for writing. I've always enjoyed your works and this is no exception.

Matt comes across as a self-absorbed, self-centered arrogant prick. In fact this character is perfect being an attorney. He goes after what he wants to the exclusion of everyone else even if that includes having a couple of boys to carry on his family name. What would it take for me to go back to him? It would start with Matt agreeing to lock his dick in a chastity cage 24x7 with Mike retaining sole possession of the keys. I'm not sure if I could ever trust him with my heart again so there would have to be some major personal concessions and I'm not even sure what those could be to satisfy me.

Dark and beautiful this was as an awesome coming-of-age story as a slave. The ending is bitter sweet and lovely giving us the impression the boy will "come into his own" in time. Thank you for this emotional roller coaster story.

my parents aunts and uncles knew that I was a sissy at age 5 because I loved fingernail and toenail polish and open toe sandals. I walked like a sissy on the balls of both feet my hands were out from either side kind of like I was balancing on a Wire and then when I spoke I always use my hands to their way of thinking excessively to express myself while I'm talking. I had two girl cousins that enjoyed putting makeup on me and I loved how I looked with the makeup on. So yes I was indeed a sissy but I had no idea what homosexuality was all about even though a couple of years earlier I was severely molested. Those in the family that knew about it limited knowledge to a total of 3 people.

Thank you for a well written story that jerked on my heartstrings one moment and had me thoroughly pissed off the next moment. Zach truly was a sex addict because he was substituting sex for love and he felt so abandoned by his parents and his community. He deserved better and for that matter all of us deserve better. I have lost out on two long-term relationships the first was to suicide. My second loss was to betrayal and abandonment by my partner of almost 20 years for what he called his second soulmate. Yeah it sounds nice when stated in that manner but the fact is the SOB betrayed me and because we did not have same-sex marriage I was also defrauded of about $400,000 when we separated. Life's a bitch and then you die, or as someone told me, you marry one. I am happy that the story ended on such an upbeat note. Thank you.

I was born in 1950 into a sadistic Catholic environment. I knew that I was different by the time I was 5 but I had no idea what the word for was. However my parents aunts and uncles knew what I was and they were either Baptist or Catholic. So 6 months before the first grade begin for me they began a pogrom to make me walk like a boy and talk like a boy and behave like a so-called boy. This was accomplished through coercion and beatings. Then I was yelled at for being depressed and beaten for being depressed. I was never going to be what they wanted me to be because I could not give them what I did not possess. So they stole my childhood from me and put me through hell before I was even a teenager and put me through more hell as a teenager. They made one mistake, they enrolled me in a martial arts school at the age of 10. I discovered acceptance by a martial arts instructor that never yelled at me and always encouraged me. He took me from a 10 year old boy that could not even execute a single push-up to a martial artist that by age 16 my father could no longer abuse with impunity. It would be 17 more years before I could come out as an openly gay man in 1983. I lost my virginity the same year. 20 years after that after seeing a psychologist for two and a half years I learned to not hate myself from my Catholic upbringing and began to even realize I could love myself. Fuck religion. I will only say there were a number of Catholic and Baptist boys that found themselves in the emergency room when they thought they were going to harm me, for being "different". I never grew up being happy because I grew up alone denied any companionship and ostracized by both my school and my family and even my age peer group.

Good story line... I even learned a little about baseball. :-) I came across a couple of minor character narrative error perspectives. I am not going to dissect your story as I read it for recreation and pleasure. I enjoyed it. It is nice to occasionally read an easy, enjoyable story like this one with no blood and gore and trauma for the protagonists. I expect to see more from you as your story telling skills mature and expand. Thank you.

An excellent baring of the soul and feeling a person's honest hurt and despair. All the while wanting to escape this turmoil, and yet finding no way out. You are left with a small chance of hope that things will get better, on a promise from others to help.

Your prose and vocabulary both have improved in both depth and breath. It sounds interesting and I'll love to watch the plot develop.

Thank you for an Epic read! I have enjoyed reading it fully this last year and a half.

Thank you for a well written story with a protagonist that mostly survived a protagonist. :-) And yeah, I'm also looking forward to the final epilog. I'll miss the characters... as well as finding out how they liquidate the huge chunk of gold which at today's prices is about $2200.00 an oz. (and no I'm NOT gonna ask about troy ounces versus regular ounces). TY again.

I'm not complaining - really. Yes, I am... If I have additional thoughts on a chapter, I'd really love to be able to post them. I mean, you have asked for feedback. And when I feel 'compelled' to give that to you, it's frustrating when I can't follow up with an associated thought or thoughts. It's just the way my mind works... It's how I draw order out of chaos. ANYWAYS, I was trying to give additional feedback on chapter 155 in Circumnavigation and the system wouldn't allow it. I didn't see anyway to input an additional response OR append my initial response. ):

Thank you for a very good chapter and making all of these characters come to life for me. Yes, even Bridgette. I mean every protagonist must have a villian to oppose them and Bridgette has been one of the best. You've left several opportunities for them to live, but it looks like Frank is going to be a major factor in their survival if I read between the lines very well. Love the story and the geography lesson of the world too! ty

I like your style of writing, it flows and leads the reader on without being irritating. It will interesting to see how you develop your 'protagonist' (interesting that I could call a vampire a protagonist) in his world and how his 'extras' develop into maturity. I'm sure some of his 'preparation' will be to understand something more of himself before he launches on his journey to find 'The beast'. (:

You have become very adept at weaving tangled tales of intregue. I've followed this story line for a couple of years now and enjoyed even the 'slow' parts. While Trevor has matured and no longer seems like such a protagonist, he till seems charmingly vulnerable. While it's not germane to the story, Id like to ask if Trevor is versatile in his role with Shane. I ask because I know several gentlemen that are Bi and like to bottom. Just curious. Again, thanks for a well and detailed alternate reality which I can escape into while relieving my now dull existence.

I do like the turn-about-fair-play use of Gray's tracker where the video tape is concerned. Most of the story has been about a protagonist taking his licks and just survivng. It's nice to see Trevor taking a pro-active role in his own defense. I'll love reading his uncle Greg's response to his no longer being a pawn in this drama, but an active paladin himself capable of moving any direction necessary to protect himself and his lover. thnx!

hahahaha... The 16 inch gun can propel a projectile of 2200 pounds 22-28 miles, and when it hits, each one creates a hole 50 feet deep and 500 feet across. BAD NEWS INDEED for the opposition!!! Those guns sank an island off Vietnam many years ago when they started shelling at dusk and stopped at sunrise. There was NOTHING left of the island.

Of course, if 'I' were to go the around the world cruise on a private catamaran I kinda like the weapon the U.S. coast Guard likes to use on their boats. It's a 60mm motar... :-) Although it is expensive to shoot. *giggles* The .50 cal is like $3.00 a round to practice with. ouch!

The 30 '06 Mauser rifle overall is a good choice simply because of its long lived popularity and the extremely wide range of cartridges available. I was surprised though at your choice as I would have expected a British .303 rifle using the mauser action since we are talking Australia here. As a side note the BEST sniper rifles are still made in Great Britain in the .303 calibre. Next in line is the U.S. made sniper rifles in Winchester .308 (or, if you will .308 NATO). Both the British and the U.S. also make .50 calibre sniper rifles which are very accurate out to 3000 meters. The British came out with a titanium barrel .50 calibre that is lighter (11 pounds lighter), but kicks a great deal. Let’s see… Oh yeah, ammunition. Too much hype has been given to the Teflon coated bullet. The original armor piercing bullet, whose performance has never been surpassed, is the bronze bullet. It is made from mixing (by weight) 10 parts copper with 1 part tin. It’s what is called canon grade bronze. Thank you for continuing Circumnavigation.

You asked for feedback... so here it is. I picked up on your story when the 8th or maybe 9th chapter was posted. I've followed and enjoyed much of Circumnavigation and your tour of Australia. However, your protagonist (Trevor) did an about face by being so terribly open with Gray (a total stranger). This is really out of character, unless of course, you are having Trevor working two or three levels deep in this story. Now THAT would be more in character, especially after the boy had experienced the pirates murder attempt upon him. You can keep the ending a secret if that's what you want. I've enjoyed the story line so far and it would not hurt my feelings to end it now. I'm satisfied where the two lovers' are right now - enjoying life and each other. I can't ask more than that even in real life. Thanks for listening. Rick

hahahaha Well all I can add is that I've followed the story for quite some time and while sections of it ARE SLOW I've enjoyed it immensely. Besides, I've enjoyed the maps and links. I do want to visit the southern hemisphere. It's on my list of things to do before I die. I want to see the Milky Way looking toward the center of our galaxy. Here in the northern hemisphere all we can see looking out toward the rim of our galaxy is maybe 10% of the stars you see in the south. But I digress. I'd like to see the characters grow and develop more open feelings for one another. And again, that's just me. I'm a romantic at heart.

I've followed the series with much interest over many months and just wanted to thank you for a compelling story for me to read. Sometimes, it's slow, but you set up the next chapter well. I never had the emotional support Trevor has growing up and there is some envy on my part. The bottom line is that I'm enjoying this story and the awesome photos as well! Thank you. I do some editing for friends and I know how much work is required to produce a polished product. I've done technical writing on my own, and maybe, someday I'll try my hand at writing fiction. Character interaction for now is my stumbling block. Keep writing! Hugz!!! Ricky