Carlos Hazday

Hey, Jeff- You can keep telling me how much you love the characters, I won't mind. I like the fact readers have grown to appreciate my writing and my story, I never get tired of it!

I mention gumbo and you Chinese food. I'm getting hungry. LOL CJ won his first election when he became a delegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Here's a spoiler, he's running for office again in 2018! But the presidency would be a long way off--he can't be President unless he's 35-- and a lot could happen between now and then. Politics will continue to be a part of the story but to a lesser degree than in Georgetown: Roar. In the next couple of chapters, we'll see his political philosophy continue to develop and he gives a couple of short speeches I really enjoyed writing. I'm sure you've figured out by now I love having him speak in public! He can beat people with fists or words, let's hope he always knows which approach to use.

Yes! You so get CJ. He's creating political gumbo: a bit from the left, a bit from the right, and a lot of common sense. I'd vote for someone like him in a minute!

Owen's quite happy to let CJ have the limelight but he's no slouch. His own convictions have led him to his current position and he won't shy away from pursuing what he believes is right. I think some of it comes from having grown on a farm instead of the city. He's more likely to value nature. Of course, when I wanted a farm boy as a primary character I decided to make the farm a vineyard. Much more interesting than if his family grew corn or soybeans. LOL

Take a look at the comment @Daddydavek left calling CJ a centrist. We've become so polarized with party politics I wanted to create a character who couldn't give a hoot about party affiliation. CJ couldn't care less if the Democratic party calls for strict gun controls or the Republican party calls for banning abortions. He's that rare person sorely missing in our country, he thinks for himself first. I'm glad you find common ground with him, if we could gt more people to think critically instead of following party leaders, we would all benefit.

I'm beta reading something right now and have been channeling Kitt. Lot's of that removals! I do find myself rejecting some of her changes in my work, I want my characters to speak as real people do and most of us use bloat words when speaking. One very happy moment was earlier this year when Kitt returned a chapter telling me she couldn't find anything to fix. It had not happened before and hasn't happened again. But I keep trying!

@dughlas We're gonna have to get you a copy of CJ's traveling schedule! LOL I think no matter the age a first time user of a teleprompter will feel uncomfortable. I threw that in to show the dads may be proud of him and support him but will always be honest with him when he's less than perfect. Him getting ticked off at the Bernie Bros and the reporter proves even though his parents may be strict and critical at times, his love and respect for them surpass it all. Glad you disagree with the helmet issue. Whether it's helmets, guns, or political opinions, I want CJ to have his own personality and views. Even when they aren't entirely popular, I think it makes for a more realistic and believable character. I don't want the story limited to kumbaya moments.

Thanks, bud. I continue to value your feedback.

Brave? What makes you say that? CJ's very aware of his surroundings and circumstances most of the time. He's chosen diplomacy over architecture by attending Georgetown's School of Foreign Service over Yale's School of Architecture (that was his second choice) and I think that's a pretty good indicator of the path he wants to follow. It may not include elected office, but he wants to be involved in government in one form or another.

This section of Georgetown focuses on CJ but I wanted to continue expanding our knowledge of other casts members. As Owen becomes more entrenched in the family, I thought it was time to show a bit more of what he does and will do once he graduates. I'm sure this won't be the last time CJ's tempted by a pretty face and hard body, we've all been there but not all of us are strong enough to refrain from straying.

“Please wear yours.” Owen held CJ by the arm and whispered so none of the other guys could hear. Before the group left Washington, Harley was anointed road captain and led the way with the other motorcycles riding in staggered formation behind him. It was an easy ride and the weather was beautiful. After crossing the state line into Pennsylvania, somewhere near the halfway point of their ride, they stopped at a gas station. It was as they were ready to mount up again the blonde Aussie appro

@Dmrman I may leave open questions at times, but I always try to explain what's happened. Sometimes it's due to a compulsion to make certain I don't pull surprises (oh my, you're my long lost identical twin who I was separated from at birth.) Those type of scenarios are typical of soap operas and I find them to be silly so try to avoid them. As a result, I sometimes presage things in obscure manners, but nobody's complained too loudly so far.

@Dmrman Take your time. The story's not going anywhere. The beauty of writing fiction is the ability to create characters and situations which may be rare in real life. Our main character may be uncommon in our world, but if he was like everyone else, the tale might not be as interesting. Watching CJ assemble his posse harks back to the group of friends his dads surrounded themselves with. While the older group is all gay, current attitudes made me want to have CJ's be more mixed. The younger generation is more likely to ignore sexual orientation as a measuring stick.

No need to apologize. Readers are under no obligation to comment, so I value a reaction whenever it's given. I'm just glad you're still finding the story interesting enough to keep reading I stated this before: things are moving a bit faster because I want to cover four years of college in one book and I've already established certain habits/activities which can now be dealt with a few lines instead of a few paragraphs. Also, this book revolves around CJ's political involvement so it features him and his actions a lot more than previous ones. Of course, if there's a new location or activity, they will get expanded coverage. You'll notice some of that in the next chapter.

@BlindAmbition Funny you mention CJ's hectic life. In some ways I'm channeling my own experiences at that age and in my early 30s. Today, I think nothing of spending the entire weekend at home. Back then that would only happen if I was sick in bed! Mann hates it when I have too many events in one chapter so the next one will revolve around the 2016 Democratic National Convention even if it has a bunch of different scenes.

Thanks, Parker. The focus of the series continues to shift towards CJ and the Squad and I wanted to show CJ's growth as a big brother. This chapter was a break from the political stuff in this book and a chance to explore family relationships a bit more. Next week, a motorcycle trip, a little architecture, and a week in Philadelphia!

LMAO- I'd just read about how some of us skip stories when the author can't even post a description without typos...

Right about your day? That's just sooo wrong!

Thanks again, Jeff! I've repeatedly stated I dislike tear-jerkers but find myself getting misty-eyed in certain situations. Sometimes they're tender moments, other times happy ones. I try to limit the sad ones! As for handling sensitive subjects, I think @R J Drew said it best when in a review she wrote I wasn't afraid of tackling controversial subjects. I've dealt with race, religion, bullying, and guns amongst others. In future installments, I'll touch on anti-semitism and abortion just to name two. I think I have a death wish. By now I've pissed off some people but feel heartened so many of you have stuck with me and trusted me to handle these matters in a rational way even if my characters' views are not the same as yours. This is a perfect opportunity to plug chapter comments and story reviews. Readers' feedback is priceless and I for one welcome it all. But I'm greedy! I've said before I try to reply to all comments within 24 hours, but I'd love it if there were so many I found myself doing nothing but replying to such reactions whenever a new chapter posts. Chores and other responsibilities can wait.

Thanks, CC. I like old cars even though I'm not what you'd call an aficionado. The other reasons you give for liking the story are the same ones why I chose Melvyn Ford.

@JeffreyL You should follow me so you receive notifications whenever I post something. Georgetown covers CJ's four years at Georgetown University. I decided to split the book into four sections with Roar being the first one. The next twoare written and awaiting editing. The fourth one is in process, I have one chapter written and have begun work on the second one. I have two one-shot stories and a multi-part book outlined covering subsequent events. I think that will keep both of us busy for a long time. It's good to be back and good to have you on board, Jeff!

The story is posted and set to publish on a weekly basis. The new software's still glitchy and I'm not sure if readers are supposed to see all that information. Under the old system, I had chapter loaded but only myself, my support team, and GA staff could see that.

@Defiance19 There's a TV commercial for one of the insurance companies about people in therapy because they're turning into their dad. Every time I see it I think of CJ. I don't want to turn him into a clone of the dads, but I do want to show his personality and character as an expanded amalgamation of the two. For me, the older I get the more I realize how much I resemble my parents and it's not always a happy realization! I've noticed many relationships fail due to lack of communication and individuals being unable to accept their partner having different views on certain matters. During my trip to New Orleans for my fraternity's convention in August, I sat at the same table I always do with the same 8-10 other people. One couple brought to light how hard that acceptance can be. One fraternity brother is a staunch conservative (Although he has no issues sitting with the same group every two years even though half of us are gay. Go figure) His wife has a much more liberal bend. He supported Trump, she supported Clinton. I asked her how that worked and the response was they agreed to disagree, tried to avoid confrontation, and out of respect for each other avoided too overt expressions of their views. Compromise can be a beautiful thing and Owen shows he loves CJ enough to accept some things he disagrees with. We'll see if CJ can do the same in the next few months.

@Defiance19 I often marvel at what readers latch onto in a chapter. Fran Poulter seems to have captured a lot of attention in this one. Never thought my attempt at humor would be so popular! Even though the last section of this chapter dealt with a tragedy, I tried to end on a positive note. I hope CJ's speech was uplifting amidst the pain and the dads' reaction put the kid's actions in perspective and gave us further insight into the kind of man he's becoming.

Yep, there's a Cherry Blossom Festival every spring in DC. Google it for some great info. And I'll tell you what, the view of all those trees in bloom around the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial is majestic. The trees were originally a gift from the City of Tokyo and the first ones were planted somewhere around 1910.