Carlos Hazday

If (VERY BIG IF) I ever write Ethan's spinoff, I have two scenes penciled in. One after Chipper's on TV show, and another one after he wins at the Grammy's and these guys win at the Oscars. You can go ahead and start printing shirts, I'll negotiate a good deal for you on the license fee.

Ya think? The man deals with Mexicans, Brits, Kiwis, Aussies, and Yanks regularly and wins them over. He spends a couple of days in Washington, then in Miami, and his contacts multiply. California's the mother-lode, though. Winning the Oscar and having Brock Burnett as a neighbor is a nice start. Add in your best friend's on his way to recording stardom and the best friend of the grandmother you never met's married to a gaming tycoon... Oh, let's throw in the Napa Valley winery people too. I'd say you and I better start saving our pennies for those 10k a plate rubber chicken dinners. Our boy's gonna raise sooo much money.

Thanks bud!

That damn song played in my head for a couple of weeks when I wrote the initial chapter for Malibu and did it again when I wrote this chapter. Who knows, I may recycle him again at some point.

Read my reply to the previous comment. When I read yours I realized I could use the same reply. LOL Yeah, as I said, I don't write villains but I have fun with dickheads. (go ahead, make the jokes)

We need a list of the idiots I've created (I really don't write villains) and vote to see who's disliked the most. Stevie and Fernie could have a dance off when they end up tied for first place.

Yes and yes

LMFAO Yep, as a diplomat CJ's learning words are more acceptable than fists, but considering his sharp tongue, they can be just as deadly. Unfortunately it soesn't fit into my timeline, but I'd love to see CJ face down Putin. I mean, after you've taken out one Russian... BTW CJ's brother's deadly with his fists, maybe we should recruit Ritch to chat with Fernando. The man who won't want him to have a painting of a jet.

Bingo! If we can co-opt enemies to our side once we defeat them in battle, we ensure a more secure future. The macro version of it would be the aftermath of WWII with our former enemies (Japan and Germany) becoming staunch allies. Fists are fine in some instances, but dialogue and diplomacy will ultimately win the day.

Thanks, Raven. Atlantis mythology has always fascinated me and it seemed like a good idea to use it as a springboard for my try at lycan stories. I've written 3, but I'm not particularly happy with any of them. I hope to try again sometime in the future.

Thanks for the praise. I used to quickly dismiss jerk characters, but I've enjoyed keeping some around lately. Gives me a chance to double down on what idiots they are. Maybe I should bring back that interior decorator Brett and Cesar clashed with in Malibu. Ear worms are the worst! I've had one rattling inside my head for like a month. An old song in Spanish older than I am! It'll be included in a new story posting this fall.

I think his days at CAMALA are numbered. After meeting him in person, I suspect CJ will get involved in the matter. And I sure as hell wouldn't want to be on his wrong side!

CJ might have a huge ego, but he has people (primarily Ozzie) who help keep him grounded. Fernando seems to trip over his. Sooner or later he'll realize he'll never win if he keeps butting heads with our guys. He kept his job because a couple of large donors support him, and I'm thinking the Davenport Family Foundation should make a larger donation on the condition he's fired. Brett and CJ can be vindictive and ruthless.

Thanks, Jose. I may have something else for you later this weekend. Hey, what would you consider the best university in Spain? I'm asking for a friend with a kid planning a year abroad during high school.

no idea what happened. The chapter does show up in the Story Updates list.

Some of what happens during the trip to LA was covered in Ranger. I took sections from that book and wrote new material around it. The CAMALA reception being one of them. Next chapter we'll attend the actual ceremony. Seaborn I 'borrowed' from The West Wing. IMO one of the best written and acted TV shows of all time.

Thanks, Tony I wrote this chapter either during or right after binge watching all 7 seasons. There may be a reference to another character in the show coming up. So, so glad you recognized Sam. Can you imagine CJ and Rob Lowe having that conversation? I couldn't resist quoting Toby Ziegler since I was stealing from Aaron Sorkin. CJ's views and attitudes are somewhat inspired by Jed. The main differences I see are Barlett's strong religious beliefs and CJ being a tad more conservative. Since CJ and Ozzie ended up with a Warhol painting for their house, I can imagine Brett working something out with CAMALA to exchange the jet fighter for something else so Ritch could have the Lichtenstein for his house. A few years in the future. Llorosa was right about one thing, those paintings are exquisite.

Trying to show CJ's a bit calmer as he ages, it was fun to use Owen as the threat maker. I think he's taken the advice to control his temper to heart. Domogarov may have some issues with his wrist, but Northman and Llorosa are not bruised. Yet. LOL

With me, over-analyzing and suggestions are always welcome. But since I usually only post stories once they're entirely written, ideas don't always get incorporated into whatever I'm sharing at the time. However, I have taken reader ideas into consideration in subsequent books. I'm glad you're happy with what I share!

Knowing I had to deal with their appearance at the Oscars this year, I tried to mix in new content. We'll revisit the awards show and the after party in the next chapter. I'm wondering if CJ and Ozzie got to meet Will Smith...

LMAO I couldn't resist bringing Fernando back. You know Chipper's fans call themselves The Chips, right? Maybe I should create a fan club for Brad too... Red's Squad! This is Brad's second appearance in this book. First in DC when CJ escorts Domogarov, and now in LA. He'll have a bit part in the next chapter too.

Zion in Utah, Badlands in the Dakotas, and Biscayne in Florida are my favorite national parks visited. So sue me for having fun with character names. Take a look at this...

“You know who’d love this one, right?” CJ grinned while sipping from his flute. Four days after returning from Cancun and their time with the Air Force cadets, he and Owen stood in the Davenport Family Pavilion at the California Museum of Art at Los Angeles, admiring a Roy Lichtenstein painting of a vintage fighter jet. “It’s exquisite, isn’t it?” The dapper, bearded man had approached the couple without them noticing. He smiled at them. “Fernando Llorosa, CAMALA’s Executive Director

Yeah... but I'll be mentio ing the war way before that. Like when they're in Mexico.

CRVBoy has less traffic these days than when I posted there, but it's still a treasure trove of good stories.