Carlos Hazday

Harley, Sean, and Brett all have defenders Hmmm who to kill, who to kill... @tabaqui It didn't cause too much heartache with readers, but when I killed Ritchie's parents it came as a surprise too. The only hints I dropped were to establish taking the boat over to the Bahamas was a normal event. None of that Ooops of course they had a boat stuff I remembered one more clue. Not really a clue more like a slip I made and then didn't bother to correct. In Hunting Season I used fiancé to describe Owen. @Reader1810 Wow, you want to save Brett? Does that mean I can have him say rude and inappropriate things more often? Wait until you read what he says at CJ's college graduation luncheon.

Y'all should go back and read the quote atop the first chapter of this book. I'm not making any promises. See? I give spoilers away all the time

@Defiance19 I didn't want it to be the usual MM romance where two guys meet and they end up together ten minutes later for the rest of their lives. CJ eventually admits he fell for Owen when they met but we know he was scared of relationships at the time so he refused to own it. It took a couple of years but they got there. Readers probably want a wedding now but we still have to get through a few deaths so who knows what will happen.

LMAO Please step away from the edge of the cliff. We''ll have your medication ready within 48 hours. I just read something about an author pulling a rabbit out of a hat to achieve a goal and felt good I rarely do that. As a matter of fact, I tend to foreshadow a bit too much. With the proposal, I tried to be a tad more circumspect. Aside from the two you mention, I need to look at my outline when I'm back on my computer to figure out what, where, and when. One thing I do recall is trying to show CJ being more attentive of Ozzie and always trying to include him. In the previous book, he made a big deal about introducing his bfs during the reception in South Beach and acting a little possessive. Considering how often he said "he's not my boyfriend" and then "we're not married"... In the chapter before the proposal, he told Spencer he might never marry Ozzie and then jumped all over the parents when he thought they were going to snatch him away. He didn't care what the parents wanted, he thought they were not being fair to his not-my-husband and leaped to his defense. One of my goals with that scene was to show how loyal and invested CJ was. Maybe it didn't quite succeed.

Far from perfect, It Stays in Vegas is still a great story worth investing a little time to read. I have done so three times in the past few years and have thoroughly enjoyed each one. Set in the fast-paced world of a luxury mega-hotel casino in Las Vegas, the author takes us into the sometimes-sordid world of the hospitality and gambling industries. Drew works at Nero’s Forum and meets Al, Trish, and Bob when they stay at the resort for a weekend. What follows is a tale of romance, intrigue, and behind-the-scenes shenanigans that will keep you turning pages. Throw in some hot sex and you will be reading way past your bedtime. The first in a trilogy, the story has some deficiencies easy to overlook when caught up in the fast-moving action. Dialogue is at times stilted and some of the sex scenes are a bit cheesy. In the decade since written, styles have evolved and what was acceptable back then has an amateurish ring these days. Do not allow these minor flaws keep you away. Engaging characters and an intricate plot compensate for any technical deficiencies. I guarantee you will enjoy this novel.

Jack's Vegas trilogy is one of my favorite series of all times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mr. Scribe is one of the authors I acknowledged a long time ago as having an influence on my writing. I was flabbergasted and thrilled when a reader commented my CJ series reminded them of the Vegas stories. YOU MUST READ THIS!

Well, staff does have it in for you, but that's neither here nor there. To you and to @northie : Don't worry too much about the promotions. Yes there are some perks attached to it but when it comes down to it, readers will pay more attention to the quality of a story than to any title appended to the author's name. And you can handle the extra promotion yourself. I've plugged some of my stories in short prompt responses. Post a picture related to your tale. Write a personal blog about your writing experience. It's hard to gauge what works but I think the reaction your stories receive (both of you) shows you have a good product out there.

The Bench offers a snapshot of an ephemeral encounter at the beach between an older man and a teen. Subtle hints at sexuality remain just that, hints which make the tale stronger without having to spell things out. Contemplative is the closest I can come to an adequate one word description. Strong descriptions and few technical errors make this an enjoyable read.

There's more than that one area where fantasy comes into play. This is definitely an idealized view of what could be. Thanks for the compliment! My storytelling has hopefully improved and will continue doing so. For the record: All my stories are posted on Gay Authors first. The four books I shared on Nifty and the ones on CRV came after. I kind of like the easy interaction with readers on GA. Nyone wish would be everyone left a reaction to every chapter and comments now and then. Thank you for doing exactly that.

@Gomez Stanley C Glad you liked that. Thanks for the comment, buddy. Those of us writing as a hobby thrive on them; we can never get enough!

I'm partial to: Butter my butt and call me a biscuit. First time I recall hearing it was from the wife of a fraternity brother of mine. Laughed my biscuit off. It's an expression of surprise and I've actually used once in a story. Edited to correct auto-correct

Thanks, bud I'm not very good at building suspense, but at least I know I can surprise readers if I keep my mouth shut! I limited the number of hints/foreshadowing this time, but they're there in case someone thinks I just dropped the scene out of the blue. I'm pleased with the results. I like this. I may have to work a few more surprises in. LOL

@jwh6868 Glad I could move you. Just because CJ's done with politics for now, it's hard to avoid the process when you live in DC and pay attention to the world. There'll be a few more lines like that one in the future.

@JeffreyL Thanks, Jeff- Martin's Tavern is an institution in Washington and has been ranked as the favorite restaurant of neighborhood residents. The combination was irresistible. Having CJ & Ozzie greet people they knew at least by sight gave me a friendly atmosphere while the history of the restaurant put it in context: CJ and Ozzie aren't a run-of-the-mill pair and their lives are intertwined with the history of the neighborhood and the city.

It's a love story. I swear. You'll just have to grin, giggle, and chuckle though 99% of it before it's proven. Vega 5 is a party planet and when one famous musical star ends up there with the luggage of an equally famous rocker, the Ooops Moment leads to an interesting meeting. Very enjoyable short story.

@IBEX Alone on Valentine's Day and on your birthday. You need to find a CJ. Make sure he has an older brother for me. BTW the leather bags idea came up when I was doing research for their trip to Nashville. Stumbled upon an article about a husband and wife team making leather bags and I carried the concept forward to something I would be interested in.

Unfortunately they only exist in the story, entirely a product of my imagination.

@Potterslashfan I should have had a tissue company sponsor this chapter. You were NOT the only with misty eyes after the last scene. I first mentioned the Proposal Booth when Helen went into labor and since then I've been refining the scene. CJ's not the mushy type (yeah, he gets it from me) but he knows how to be romantic when appropriate. The proposing itself I knew would be popular but I hope I crafted the scene well enough to do it justice. You and your First Husband kick. You mean you want another President with a foreign-born trophy spouse? Squealing like a girl should only be done in the privacy of our own residence or vehicle. I hope you were home when you read the chapter.

@Okiegrad Ritchie's appeared in the first 3 chapters and the streak will continue in the next one. He'll have a couple of big moments in future chapters. I'm starting to like him a bit more so I'm giving him more air time LOL

In a note appended to the story, the author states this is their first story. It is painfully obvious the intent was good but inexperience overwhelmed the effort. The combination of a garage band and a hunky man in uniform held much promise but the tale fails to deliver. Some of the descriptions are vivid and evoke good imagery but overall not a satisfying read.

Funny Ooops! moment at the end makes the story a good fit for the Anthology theme. Unfortunately, you have to muddle through a story filled with inconsistencies and typos to reach it. Not worth the time unless you have nothing better to read.

Having read more recent offerings from this author, I will vouch for him being a much better writer than this story suggests. I suspect this may have been an early effort of his. An Ooops! moment leaves a naked man stranded in the rain but leads to his meeting a man who would become his co-parent to a litter of kittens. Cute story if you can get past the stilted dialogue and abrupt narrative.

Mark and Frank spent a week at their uncle's farm and Mark writes him a thank you note. As we read the letter, we discover a series of Oops! moments the boys were involved in. Uproriously funny tale which will start you off grinning and lead you to laughter. A must read!

@Buz Hey, Buddy! Thanks for reading and the feedback. Some of your questions will be answered in the next chapter. I'm glad I was able to surprise so many readers. Y'all probably expected a proposal sooner or later and what jolted you was the timing. The reason I chose this spot to do it will become clearer in due time. I think I'm in 'bloody author' mood being so mysterious. LOL