Carlos Hazday

Do NOT put words in my mouth! I never called you short; I expanded on your comment about others being tall. But now that we know your actual height, we can call you Shorty.

Rob Colton, WolfM, Aaron, and Kbois all have written shifter stories and none are tall. Is there a pattern here?

LOL - 3 more chapters and an microscopic epilogue left I'm not done outlining, but figure the crowd will be in the hundreds. Think of one of those parties thrown by the Kardashians. LOL I've mentioned The Agean Resort before, it's owned by Meryl and Kevin Easton. Meryl we met in Malibu. The birthday party will coincide with the resort unveiling a major renovation. A couple of days doing stuff with The Squad and revealing Chipper's future plans (those will be good), a decadent pool party, a Chipper concert, and who knows what else. Have you heard how difficult it's been for fans to get tickets for the next Taylor Swift concert tour? Chipper's will be just as hard to obtain. Lucky for you, you have connections.

Maybe it's being a bit older, but Liebe looks to be a bit more level-headed than her brothers. I suspect it'll always be that way. Brett's gonna be a bad influence on the twins.

LOL Myr and I have discussed the issue a couple of times. It seems the more controversial the subject I tackle, the higher the interest from readers. At least based on comments and reactions. Sex sells but so does CJ facing off against anyone. While reading drafts of the story, Wolf said something like not everyone would make the connection, but I always had faith you would.

You're one up on me. I wanted to ride the same one Ritch and Lucy did in Colorado last time I was there, but ran out of time. I was reading through comments on another CJ story and noticed you wanted CJ stories? This one happens to be number 17 in the main series, and number 33 overall. Happy yet? LOL

I believe this is the longest chapter in the story, so you should not have the same problem next week. LOL

That's still a lot of hours!

You know the trait I admire most in you? Your drive. Between our chats and your writing, I see someone constantly working to improve. Your willingness to learn is the first step on the road to success. Sometimes you'll have to deal with negativity from within or outside, but I think you'll overcome. The old saying about hitting a wall and learning how to go around or over it applies. You feel like a rant now and then? Go for it. I've had my share of them and usually come out better on the other side. Do not allow naysayers to stop you. Hell yeah, you can write. No matter how much crap I may give you, you can do something most people can't: put words down and have then enjoyed by others. That, buddy, is quite an accomplishment.

Contrary to what some may believe, CJ doesn't always get his way. LOL

A problem with Venice is the multitudes that visit it. I imagine the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona being crowded with tourists, but with Venice it's the entire city. I think that's a reason new locations like Iceland have become so popular. Let's see where I can take them next.

I was thinking more about white hot shorts and a matching tube top. Unlike many American tourists who want the same stuff they eat at home while traveling, my goal was to show these guys willing to try local foods. Of course, Mediterranean dishes are something the kids are used to by now. I'm surprised @Daddydavek didn't react to CJ being the gazpacho police. @WolfM picked up my riff of Taylor Greene. Damn! Myr was right when he told me my stories are full of politics. LOL

I have a trip to South Dakota penciled in for the Black Hills Motorcycle Rally. CJ and Harley riding all the way from DC. Once I get around to it, I'll have to figure out motorcycles. The two in the garage are not great for the long trip to Sturgis. As for Owen, the next two chapters are from his POV. We'll get a little environmental preaching.

Keep this song in mind...

As long as CJ doesn't screw up, I'm certain Ritch will benefit from the relationships his brother establishes with the military. We'll see him interact with a few Pentagon big wigs in the next story. I created CJ and Ritch's grandfather and Owen's sister knowing I would write about their passing. Wingnut snuck up on me. Trying to decide what to do with him while the entire family was abroad, I realized it was about time. Having Ritch's aunt step in with two puppies gave me the chance to show she's still involved with the family. I get tired just writing about those two little tornadoes.

Is marriage between a human and a motorcycle legal in Nevada?

Vegas... Elvis played there often enough, and I've been dying to write a story set in Sin City for a long time. In 2027, most of the original Squad turn 30. The Agean (set six months after Flying Circus) will feature a week of parties for Chipper that will also serve to celebrate everyone else's birthdays. The outline calls for the entire Squad and a bunch of characters from Singer, pool party, gambling, motorcycle rides in the desert, maybe a wedding but not the one you're suspicious about, and details about where most of the guys will wind up in their 30s.

Thank you. I try to take readers to places they may not otherwise visit and throwin in details I come across is always fun. A lot of those I discover by accident while doing basic research. You might be interested in knowing I've outlined a character named Dave from Manchester. LOL He'll be a professor at the London School of Economics. @Mrsgnomie Where's your Dave? LMAO

Ritch's life has to be interesting considering he's doing what he always wanted--fly fighter jets--and doing it in a place like Aviano. The fact his brother's a media darling might affect him more, but I'm certain the Air Force keeps a tight rein on who can talk to him and when. They're not above parading him around when it suits their purpose. I wanted to change point of views so we could get a glimpse about how each family member views the family and their vacation. The sweet moment with Liebe gets balanced by the twins' acting up. I wanted to show CJ and Owen disciplining the kids, they will NOT become entitled brats. Of course, CJ being CJ, he's gonna do it with a sense of humor. That was why I used the noggin line. Freezing rain and snow sounds good about now. Raining right now and the temperature's going into the high 80s today. I know I live in Florida but by now we should at least not have sweltering weather.

It had to happen sooner or later, and I didn't want to dwell on it. It reminded me too much of having to put my golden down at around the same age. Big breeds unfortunately don't live as long as small dogs. Of course, I had to replace him with two puppies and make them rescues.

04 Thursday 4 May 2027 Palma de Mallorca “Beautiful sky! Sailors take warning…” Leaning over the railing, Ritch sipped coffee while casting his eyes upwards. “I’d say we’re getting rain in the next couple of hours, Munchkin.” “How do you know that, Uncle Ritch?” Liebe had been sent to fetch him for breakfast and joined in staring at the eastern horizon from the top deck. “The saying’s ‘Red sky at night sailors’ delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.’ When the

So far, I've published 18 stories starring CJ with nearly a million words. That's not counting the spinoffs. In Flying Circus, I had to introduce multiple new characters to crew the sailboat, but I also recycled a bunch of them. The cousin would have been introduced in the book about CJ's time as ambassador (not yet written but I have ideas) and the photographer has made several appearances in previous stories. Two of the shorts I planned for the summer of 2022 involve weddings, one featuring college friends and the other one high school ones. I have a rich cast of secondary characters who will populate future stories. Hell, in Loving Anniversary I even featured two of Ritch's classmates at the Air Force Academy. My writing often leaves open items when a story ends, but that doesn't mean I won't revisit the situation. Stick around, we may be jumping all over the calendar, but eventually it'll all tie together.

I'll guess you're still getting used to working long hours.

Thank you!!!!

Maybe not the Abello kids, but there's that Nigerian athlete with the big--never mind. I don't want to give the plot away. I think I jotted the concept down about 5 or 6 years ago. We can assume Liebe asked if Santa was real early, and CJ won't lie to her. It'll be interesting when the boys are in the picture if Liebe plays along.