Carlos Hazday

Thanks for the faith and for the trust. The older crowd will play significant roles in the future. As for Thierry, make him a bit harrier and change some of the other tattoos, and he's a good match for what I envision CJ looking like in his twenties.

A fan, eh? Are you like Harley? He keeps singing doobie, doobie, doo

It was either a tear or laughter as a reaction; I settled for a thumbs up. Brad's grown up. I'm glad I've captured some of what families have to deal with when relatives are deployed. All I've ever heard is not knowing is the worst. Now, as far as your warning... Not sure if you've heard, but the government's about to reopen. The FBI will have funding for the witness protection program.

Guess I consider anything not involving dialogue between two or more characters narration.

Remember when I mentioned having over twenty characters together and trying to give them all dialogue? It was tough, but I hope it worked. I tried to include everyone. The real test will be in the next chapter, all of them sit together at one table to share a meal!

Thanks, Mike. What with college and all, the guys don't get together as often as they used to. I wanted to bring them together at least once before CJ graduates from college. I know it wasn't you who complained the last chapter about not knowing the characters anymore and there being too many new ones, but I'll take the chance to point out that except for Cameron Storm, all individuals appearing in this chapter are returning characters. I couldn't avoid Cam, I needed a tattoo artist!

Thanks, Dave... a long-time friend of mine once laughed because I made a mixed tape (I know, I'm dating myself) filled with songs about New York. Empire State hadn't been released then, but the other two featured prominently.

Unfortunately, my bed was kinda empty last night. As for Goodnight, My Angel, google it. It's a lullaby by Billy Joel. That was my first hint there might be a baby on the way.

Thanks, my friend.

Colorado for his 18th and New York for his 21st, I'm jealous. CJ's tattoo was inspired by a picture I came across over a while back. It shows a naked man (CJ) leaning forward while sitting on a blacked out motorcycle. Although no sexual organs are visible, you see the side of the man's butt, and I was told it would conflict with GA rules. If you google Canadian model Thierry Pepin, you may come across the picture.

I'm sorry. You're one of the readers I hate to disappoint. However, this is CJ's story after all, and I've been concentrating on him (and Owen) a lot more. Brett and Cesar make an appearance in two chapters, and will return with juicier scenes in a few more.

I think they want to be certain of everything before they announce it to the world. Brett does have a couple of good lines when he finds out. LOL

Since we've been chatting about leaving comments... This is not the type of story I enjoy, but I forced myself to finish it. I prefer tales with action and this one lacks that. The fact it's mostly narration turns me off, although I admit your 'atmosphere' is enticing. The abundance of bloat words was also a distraction. That, just, and similar words could be slashed and the writing would flow better. As I said, not my preferred fare, but I'm certain others will find it appealing.

You? Polarizing?

Y'all should realize the majority of views on a chapter or story are not from GA members; those 'readers' can't react or leave comments. Posting two chapters, and then abandoning the story won't help increase traffic. Many of us wait until a story's complete before reading, or check to see the author's posting on a regular schedule. Many of us have been burned when we get involved in a tale and then there are no installments shared for weeks or months. Unlike Nifty and most other sites, GA's a community. If I post something out of the blue, it'll get attention, but not as much as if I'd interacted with others. Status updates, comments in forums, comments on stories and chapters all increase visibility. The more people see you, the more likely they are to read your story. A well-written story will draw readers; a popular member will do the same. A well-written story by a popular member will garner much more attention. One other suggestion: Provide an error-free, interesting description to a story. Just yesterday, I clicked on the link for a new story by a new author. Their description was so badly written, I passed on reading the opening chapter. If the author can't write a clean couple of lines, I suspect the story itself will be worthless. I have limited reading time and lots of options, so small things can dissuade me from trying a new story by someone I don't know.

The late afternoon train was crowded, every seat on the Acela Express leaving Union Station occupied on the Friday before Christmas. Loosened ties and kicked-off high heels suggested business travelers escaping the nation’s capital. Sprinkled amongst them, revelers in casual attire hinted at tourists embarking on holiday travel. Without doubt, the raucous knot of nine men and one woman boarding together belonged to the latter. Taisha Abelló, the lone female in the party, stood in the aisle a

My last one had the entire wedding party throw the grooms on the ground and jumped on them. Think sports victory celebration. The fact they did it in front of a former President of the United States didn't seem to bother them.

Bring on the ass kickings! That will show bullies the error of their way. If not Smith and Wesson can help. I am NOT a pacifist.

@Thorn Wilde I realize I'm in the minority here. Most readers like angst and sappy romance. I dislike both. The most popular chapters in my long series involve tissues. To dry tears of sadness or happiness, Killing the sister of an MC garnered more reaction (aside from a couple of tales with guns) than even the long-awaited wedding. Our experiences shape us, and we must all write what we feel comfortable with. For me it's a kid being bullied, learning how to defend himself, and breaking the bully's nose in the end. I love the MC having the final word while standing above the person he just shot or beat the crap out of.

That approach has been pretty constant for me. If I didn't rise above the angsty crap, and look at the future with hope, I would have never accomplished half the stuff I have. There's been plenty of pain, but I try to shove it down and forget it. Again, it's better to remember the triumphs. Defeats are for us to analyze, and not repeat.

I wholeheartedly disagree. Positive stories which give hope are not necessarily boring. I enjoy reading and writing stories where the character faces challenges and finds ways to overcome them. I won't even bother looking at teen romances. I find them boring and repetitive. The straight best friend, the understanding female, and similar tropes have been done so often I doubt there's anything left to say. I guess I'm a half-full glass guy instead of half-empty. Why would I want to read about angst and sadness? I can hear about it in the news, and would rather focus on uplifting stories.

Real life interference: 1. Dwayne Wade, Miami HEAT star, shares a birthday with Michelle Obama. He got a handwritten b'day note from the President which he shared on social media. A couple of readers thought I was stretching reality when I had Barack send CJ and his fellow graduates a note at the end of Walls. Ha! I knew I was right assuming the man was thoughtful. 2. CJ predicted troubled times ahead for Venezuela back in 2014. That boy has a future in international relations.

@Nahrung Every single character in the first three chapters is a recurring one. Take a look at the prologue if you need to refresh your memory. Bentley was introduced in the current chapter as was Jeff Bezos; both will return. I also had 'guest appearances by Parker and Dayne's characters, but those were minor so not sure if that's what confused you. The large ensemble cast's been a staple of the series. The Elite and Squad members--the main cast--has remained constant for the past few books. There'll be one more character added to the Squad, but it won't happen for a while. So, no flood of new characters. As for events, there's definitely new ones, and that will continue. This is a coming of age story, and I refuse to have a static character. CJ will continue to experience new things, and in the process continue growing.

Hey, Tony! I've always wanted to have a positive story even when at times there's been some sadness. Part of life. Swamp Monster? LOL

@Myr Thanks, boss. I'm happy with it, but not so much with how the gun issue ended up being the focus. I overplayed it since what I wanted to highlight was the kid fighting back against the establishment. I can't help writing controversial, political stuff.