Carlos Hazday

So happy you liked it! Thanks, Molly. We'll see about more next year.

Thanks, Tony. Did you read the story note? It sort of explains why the girl's named Liebe.

Thanks, Dodger! If this was ever published, the illustrations would help kids reading on their own. An adult reading to a child can always expand the story by using the illustrations or the little snippets. I'm pretty sure this is the first story for kids posted on GA and so far the reaction's been decent. I may have to revisit them in the future.

We can't have you suffering on Fridays! Give me about a month, and I'll see if I can help you out. Thanks for reading and the comment. Glad you liked my little experiment.

Anyone have a number for Simon & Schuster?

Deja vu all over again!

Thank you, Parker! Just trying to flex my writing skills a bit by trying something entirely different. It's very weird not writing about my usual cast of characters. I have some other ideas so maybe I'll bring Liebe, Tag, and Pete back sometime in the future.

Not sure if it's been read to a child yet, but the editor has a little one at home who may have heard it. One of the betas is a kindergarten teacher and she gave me some good insights. I owe @Defiance19 some wine. LOL You're right, the story screams for illustrations but I'm useless in that department. Thanks for reading and the comment, tim.

Liebe, a young girl living in the Florida Keys with her two fathers, encounters a dolphin in distress while fishing. When one of her fathers helps save the animal, they make a friend for life.

Thanks, Wolf! Don't forget there's a little epilogue in Hail to the Chief.

Thanks, Jerry When I sent this to my editor, I said it was a CJ story with a different main character. When I found out about one of those kids, I googled for and read about similar instances. They were too juicy to ignore, so I combined two of them and this is what came out. I'm a big believer in young people being involved; it's their future they get to influence.

@InnKeep32 Thanks, John. I'm delighted you're enjoying the stories. Although there are sad moments and some readers may not agree with everything CJ says or does, my goal's been to provide a positive story. Not everyone's sad, confused, or conflicted all the time. so I tried to show a person who faces challenges and instead of over thinking takes action. Best, Carlos

Sometimes it's the little things, to paraphrase you. Good going, bud.

@mutch71 Thanks for reading, Matt. And for commenting. This chapter of CJ's life's definitely over, but there's more. check out Hail to the Chief for a look at where he's at in twenty years. He and Ozzie will be back at some point to show us how they're doing as dads.

That is correct. Jeffer and Roo were also conceived through IVF and borne by a surrogate. Davey was adopted.

@northie Happy? LOL Told ya it would happen. Cheers!

Maybe because humans are scared of what they don't understand? One of the recurring memories today are of playing with a cardboard lunar lander. A giveaway from Gulf gas stations. I wonder what one of those sheets, full of creases calling to be bent, is worth today? To me, it was a lesson in hard work. Both the landing and folding the damn thing properly!

Okay. But it's gonna have to wait. I'm limiting myself to one story a month and August's is already loaded. Let me see what I come up with.

You're welcome! No matter where I stopped there would have been unresolved issues. I wanted to end with a happy, poignant story and didn't think a longer ending would improve the experience that much. I didn't realize using surnames as first names was an American thing. LOL When my youngest brother and his wife were tossing around potential names for their first kid, I suggested using her maiden name. Cooper would work for either a boy or a girl. My nephew's name is Cooper. CJ and Owen wanted to honor their friend Lincoln when their second child was born. Since it turned out to be twins, they picked two other presidents to name the boys after. We all know about CJ's admiration for Thomas Jefferson so that was one name. The other kid's named after Theodore Roosevelt. Owen chose the name because Teddy was an early environmentalist.

Thanks, Jack! CJ's going to be a hard act to follow. The man wormed his way into my heart as much as he did with readers. I hope what I'm planning/writing gets at least as much love as CJ and his crew have. See you soon!

I've noticed the same thing while using updated versions of Firefox and Windows on an HP laptop.

Watch it! If people start thinking I'm friendly it'll ruin my reputation. I'm flattered CJ brought you to Gay Authors and that the decision indirectly led to life changes. Best compliment you could pay any author! Thank you, Rick

Cristiano Humberto Israel Pereira, Jr. returned to the University of Miami in January ready for his final college semester. Graduation loomed in five months, and he was uncertain what came next. He would prefer a return to his native New York City but would do whatever it took to break into the music business. The e-mail from Dr. Pierce—one of his instructors at the Frost School of Music—presented a possibility he had not considered. It might mean relocating to Los Angeles instead of Manha

For what it's worth, I have a link to my GA page in my Instagram profile. I'm not overly active and don't have a lot of followers but you never know. Now that I'm done with my endless series, I plan to post cover art for each new story I publish on GA along with a link to it.

It's coming, it's coming...