Gandalf

I watched a lot of soccer/futbol while living on my boat in Sevilla. I came back to reality tv and started going to High School soccer, hockey, and lacrosse games as a cheap fun way to spend a nite. For me much more fun to watch than those sports I was always teased at when I tried to play(baseball and basketball). Soccer is much more fun to watch for me although as a yank the low scores can be somehow frustrating. Go figure.

I was on my own adventure sailing to Spain and back when you wrote these two stories and missed them first time around. So very glad you republished. You build characters that come alive in places, often off the beaten track, that you give intimate detail on. Further you bring knowledge and detail that makes improbable fantastical situations believable. Kudos. I hope you haven't just been galavanting about gathering background info and avoiding all our weather events but have been pumping out a new adventure. However thanks so much for all the work You and your Team does on these thrillers.

Ahhh the first non heart attack ending in awhile. Another gripping chapter. Almost don't think Eric needs Tequila to be crazed. Thanks

I was so excited to see a new chapter. I think your guys are some of the nicest(In a good way) characters around. I keep fearing you will join all the great missing ones on the site like Dom, Vlista etc. so great to hear you hope to find time to do more. Hope you enjoy this cause u r good. Pax. Steve

So I am sitting in my living room swearing at the top of my lungs about Eric's stupidity not to mention Janson's. My nephew and foster son come running downstairs to see if someone is here or I am ok. It appears you are doing a great job. Or maybe I should take a,break. Nah. Thanks for your work. By the way when did u write these two books?

Damn mountain goats. Thanks I think.

Damn cliffhangers. Glad we aren't waiting for chapters at least. I haven't been posting but wanted to throw out how much I am enjoying this. As always lots of drama of all varieties and some real sweet parts too. Great geographic info too. Hopefully a magical ending. Thanks.

Thanks for the stumbling fall into this next chapter of the days of their lives. Can't wait to see where the sands take us. I was already having withdrawal . You are awesome.

I had been rereading the series but slowed down during the high angst of September. Who would have expected the strength and pain you have given in the aftermath. I actually stopped re-reading the series as this was all I could handle of your/our "family". As others have said this chapter sums up this book and the series so well. Kudos(whatever they are) to you and your team. As a historian and social worker who is only slightly younger than J P I enjoy his moving through the historical events. Even more, having raised two foster children, a niece and nephew, and my own daughter, and maintained a 24 year long distant relationship with the man I abandoned in 1972, I revel in the family dynamics wishing I had JP's sagacity. Thanks again. Ste

Thanks for a great tail/tale. Sequel?

Ahh clearly this was a worthy warmup to your king of cliffhanger status. My iPad seems not to keep me registered on GA so I have not been commenting but wanted to say how much I enjoyed having a story of yours to read again. I hope you are in exotic places,researching for new background material. Hope you will re run the sequel ASAP. Thanks. Have missed having your posts.

Thank you for this powerful and different story. As always you have built the drama I this case with the jerk family but that only helped Kei and Alex focus on the real issues. Again thanks for introducing us to this strong couple. Pax.

Good job. You caught me up. Great description of place and persons. Looking forward to more. I have ecome a sucker for Aussie stories.

Congratulations it is remarkable to find out we can stay young and have a more fun life by taking this action. I used to think great thoughts and dream a cool life. Isn't it great be doing life. Steve

Re-reading the series now I am struck by how true your characters follow themselves over time. Growth and change or for that matter returning to old patterns are so well handled. As mentioned by Centex and TT your handling of the patterns and effects of abuse or tragedy is usually in keeping with best therapeutic thinking. I had forgotten or blocked this generational incest and now feel a bit more sad for the Senator and the effects on Wade of his loss. You should be proud of this one!

Re reading this book and these chapters after the last few chapters of 9-11 reinforces how well Mark pulls together pivotal events and gets both his characters and us victims so humanly involved. I have been skiing in Jackson Wyoming the last few years. Those fucking fences are so haunting.

Just finished re reading Be Rad. Wow. Robbie and Brad, Brad and Will, Brad and Will and Stef(blood brothers). Did 'Days of our Lives' ever offer grief counseling? Thanks Mark. Truly a masterful handling of your 'Family' and this pivotal event.

Like many of your characters I have been sucked into this amazing family. I started reading CAP in May and read into the night into July to finish the saga up till then. Then the march through the last few months. Knowing what was coming and fearing it. At least they didn't have that foreknowledge. So I started also downloading and re reading the ebook versions. It was interesting because I was reading the Land Whore I could begin to see that Brad actually might have in his mind legitimate concern for the child he loved and also it became clearer why Stef was supporting his blood brother. I hope that now the three will become blood brothers together and help out JP the man they all love. I have rushed into B Rad and here I am again as Robbie is being whisked out of Claremont to Escorial. Again reminded that the Hayes connection runs deep in all of the main characters. So again it is the middle of the night and I have to force myself to stop for now the meeting of a young and fun Robbie back when B Rad was also younger and funner. It would be nice to think that Robbie's words will allow Brad to regain some of that aspect and for Will to unfortunately take on some of the responsibility that goes with his more mature aspects. Of course given the past my Pollyanna wishes are unlikely. Powerful chapter and series. I am hopeful that your comments below here are followed and we have seen the worst of this part of the drama. Like everyone it is sad to see Robbie go. Will there ever be another who can take the beak as well. He truly overcame much to become a good father lover and man. JJ is such a mystery. I am wondering if this is the beginning of getting to know him more given his stint as narrator. I hope JP and Stef hold strong and continue to provide the glue for others. But at this time that might move to Will. I am wondering if JP gets really involved in Claremont and the new school how that will shake down. I can't see anyone else spending much time there. Are there any more Hays there? Ok this is getting as bad as continuing to read. Time for bed... Hope to shout out my two cents from time to time now that I have started. Thanks for letting me be part of your world Mark and also the other contributors here. Pax

Wow, I have enjoyed several of your stories and this like the others has sucked me in with your great dialogue, and descriptions of people feelings and interactions. Unfortunately this all makes it pretty painful so far. Not sure where you are taking us here but expect I will enjoy this ride as much as other adventures. Thanks for your work. Ste

Sure won't miss Bridget and friends but zounds will i miss this story. it has brought me to my puter tuesday nights for ever. Of course when it wasn't there disappointment but what the hey. Having hove to in a full gale in mid Atlantic I have always been sure I would not want to be in a bigger storm. You have reenforced that thought. Despite years of sailing and life adventures you have always amazed me by your spot on discriptions of sailing events and locations. It was the noise that surprized me in my storm and you got that so right. Your navigation technigue in the Indian Ocean was brilliant and I am thinking I should try and sort it out not that I ever want to be in a position to use it. Well I have tried to sort out where the eye hit in the Yucatan in hopes they can move with the eye into a harbor has the storm hits then abandon ship in harbor. But that is my only thought. Crazy right. Again having grown up reading and to some extent living an adventureous life I am used to dramatic events and can understand that as a writer you would pause in the dramatic moments to let us get a bear or pee or whatever then come back in a week or month. yeah right. I am really gonna miss these kids. You grabbed me from the beginning due to the sailing aspects and not incidentally the hot gay kids part(yeah I am a dirty old man). Thanks for the two years or two decades at times. Pax Steve S/V Ganddalf

Annette was special as a mouseketeer. And showed class dealing with her MS. I am very sorry she has gone even though it appears best for her and those around her. I must Confess while my friends were talking about Annette I was watching Tim Considine, Johnnie Crawford, Cubby yeah even at nine and ten I was bent.. Pax

I believe this is the third week we have been told there are "two more chapters and an epilogue". While I have learned many new things:geographical , historical, navigational, nautical , etc. I am not sure I will survive many more of CJ's dramatic chapter breaks. I am wondering what he has up his horn when(if) Circ ends?

I am assuming they did fix the forestay before they left on such an adventure. A stop at St Helena would slow them down and Canary's might be risky too. But I am guessing all they need to do is get Bridget's peeps to their mystery base and all answeres would be forthcoming after a bit of waterboarding. I am already going into anticipatory withdrawel to this weekly fix.. But you do keep the cliff hangers coming right up till the final drop. Thanks. I wish there would be more of the voyage but even I probably am ready to get to the nitty gritty at this point. Thanks again for this great work. Pax Steve. Circumnavigator SV Gandalf(my boat not me) but this picture is of me in the Azores.

Uum isn't Chile in the wrong direction? I am afraid at the rate we are progressing the end will be that one of these growlers is going to fall on Atlantis and the story will end.... I miss the sailing adventures and fear we will not get to see much more of that due to the time restraints. Ah I fear that I am just trying to come to grips with not having this story appear(more or less)every tuesday for all this time. Without these regular cliffhangers perhaps I will need to take up paragliding. Pax Steve S/V Gandalf

Happy Birthday. Hope it was a great day. Wishing You a Prolific and Grand Year. Pax Steve S/Y Gandalf