Carlos Hazday

@Jaro_423 Although I tell everyone mystories are feel-good ones, life's not a continuous party. I've written a couple of deaths, and each one has been tough. I'm happy with how this chapter turned out. My only complaint about you posting comments together is I get distracted re-reading chapters and previous comments! LOL

@Bft I've been caught in that type of weather twice during long rides. In Maine, I wore a rain suit so I remained somewhat dry. In South Carolina, riding with 5 other guys through a National Forest it was bad. There was no place to turn off for miles, we wore t-shirts and leather vest, and the rain hit. Accompanied by hail which made an interesting sound striking my helmet. Even my socks were soaked, in spite of wearing knee-high leather boots supposedly waterproof. When we got to the hotel, at last, the guy I was rooming with and I stood naked in front of the heater trying to warm up!

Just wait until time passes and you start getting binge readers. It's a trip getting comments on stuff I posted 5 years ago! There are 150+ chapters in my series, and some readers go through them in a week. Keeps me on my toes, and it's a blast re-reading portions of the story or previous comments. Now you'll think of me when it happens to you. LOL

Are we mafioso now? I laughed so loud I had a coughing fit. My doctor will bill you. Nice job wrapping it all up. Enjoyed the read and sooner or later you'll get a proper review.

Didn't I mention a long time ago Corbin had Paul, Chad, Luca, Zampa, and Harris looking after him? It took me a while to remove the FBI agent from the list. So, Stefano and Jenoah stay to run the restaurants? Hailiey is now home to an Italian crime family. And he's a queen twice over.

It was hard to figure it out and not spoil it. I read a few chapters without leaving a comment so I wouldn't be tempted. Nice work.

How much for a copy of the footage inside the cabin? You can edit out the G, PG, and PG13 portions.

Hurry up and pack, they're back on the road next chapter. Don't forget the budgie smuggler and the flip flops. I wanted to do a bike trip in each book and I thought I'd take them somewhere more sedate, what with Owen being a country boy and all. It got out of hand when I included Harley, so it was split. I still wanted CJ and Owen to spend some alone time. CJ gets to shop and explore and Owen gets to eat lobster and drink wine. I figured both got to enjoy what they like.

By now you probably know what comes next. The change in chapter titles and the elimination of actual dates are part of my evolution as an author and CJ's maturing. We can assume he still has lunch with his group of friends most days, that he plays basketball with the guys, and that he does a lot of the things I've previously described. As the story progresses, I focus on highlights and big events more. If I kept going at the rate I was, I'd be dead before CJ graduated from college! The dads help shape CJ into the man he becomes. You'll eventually see his personality combine aspects of both fathers.

@Jaro_423 I write for myself--the series' popularity is a huge bonus--and I liked to be immersed in a character's surroundings and mundane aspects of life. Some of it diminishes in future books because I dislike repeating myself. But I'd rather have a clear image of the premises than imagine a generic setting. It's one reason why I use dinner galas, sporting events, and travel. I don't think a wealthy, active teen should spend his time indoors playing video games all the time. I have a list of events I want to use but he's too young for them. One day I'll have CJ at the Met Gala in New York City, wearing some custom designed tuxedo, hanging with movie stars and high society. His dads do a little of it, but their son will be in the social pages of the Washington Post and The New York Times.

LMAO - After 72 song titles appropriated as chapter ones, I figured it was time for a change. My goal was to have a chapter a month covering the high school years, but a couple of times the ended up being split due to length. I could have probably done the same with a few more. Most published works don't use chapter titles and that was one of the reasons I changed my approach. My formatting has changed along with my writing. Hopefully for the better.

@Jaro_423 Brad's personality mirrors CJ when he gets going. If I ever got in a bar fight. I'd want those two with me. His reaction to his grandfather was a bit over-the-top, but he's a teenager and will hopefully learn when to speak softly and when to carry a big stick. Much like CJ still needs to.

The dads tend to play good cop-bad cop unintentionally. As for CJ's maturity, he does have his kid moments now and then but the influence of all the adults surrounding him more often than not influences his decision making.

I'm so glad I started this chapter with Chatri and Helen. CJ has his own age group and his dads' friends, but Chatri was the first person he met on his own in Washington. He and his wife don't get a lot of air time, but they're still important to our kid. I like showing CJ's ability to interact with people of all races, ages, and sexuality. An idealized view of how we should all be.

I never had as much money or time as CJ so my trips have been abbreviated versions of his. I spent very little time at Acadia, but I did watch the sun rise from atop Cadillac Mountain. My next big hike has to be The Vessel.

US politics are a mess, but we're not that far behind several other supposedly mature democracies. Next year will be a very interesting election.

@Jaro_423 Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. As for American politics, there's a bit in Walls so ask questions when in doubt. I'll warn you there's an entire book dedicated to politics in the future. Even though it's focused on CJ, some things may be confusing. I know it lost me some readers but all this is integral to what happens a few years in the future. In case you're wondering why my replies are not faster, I end up reading bits of each chapter and reader comments each time I click on one of your comments.

Walls covers the last two years in high school and now instead of CJ, Harley, and Thiago, the group includes 3 new arrivals and Owen in the periphery. A few more characters to add before CJ's gang is complete.

@Jaro_423 See what I've been saying about sex showing up when appropriate? I think Owen's realized it's easier to go along with CJ than to scare him off again. At their age, the six years difference means he's a bit more mature. The Biltmore Hotel was shuttered for many years. I recall breaking in while in college so my friends and I could climb to the top of the tower. The place was full of bat guano and pigeon droppings. I toured it with a professional group after it reopened and the restoration was magnificent.

Although Owen's family's well off, CJ's dads are far wealthier. Along with the gun issue, I wanted something else that could cause friction between the guys and wealth was an easy one. Just because someone's good looking, doesn't mean they're automatically conceited. Same with wealth. Money doesn't necessarily make people evil. With super wealthy individuals, what we see and hear is often bad and their good works go unnoticed. Think of people like Bill Gates. A rabid capitalist who many claim made a fortune off others but who's spending a lot of the fortune he amassed for good.

LMAO Have you read the comments from some of the other readers. A few people are ready for CJ and Owen to get hitched right now! They ignore my swearing this is not a romance story! Unfortunately, I can't say anything about who those two end up with.

I think Owen listened to his sister when she told him he was a fool for pushing when he and CJ first met. As I said, CJ proposed they start by becoming friends and I wanted to show both trying to stick to that approach. They spent a week together over Christmas and that's not enough time to build a solid, lasting relationship, be it romantic or not.

Not sure I could survive as long as you have without an internet connection! The couple of times I've lost it for more than a few hours, I end up at one of my neighborhood coffee shops drinking lattes and typing away. I wanted at least one area where CJ and Owen had differing views and guns seemed like a good one. Of course, I opened a can of worms and CJ's pro-gun views earned me plenty of comments from those who disagree. Mostly Euros and Aussies, although the more liberal Yanks have also slapped me LOL Just mentioned in my reply to another comment that I use sex scenes to advance the story, in this case, it's the lack of it that serves that purpose. CJ's letter to Owen said he wanted to start again and try to be friends so he's sticking to his word. That's something he'll do quite frequently.

@Jaro_423 I'm trying to build a solid group of friends for CJ the way his dads have their chums. The banter is inspired by the way my dad, my brothers and I interact with each other and our close friends.