Carlos Hazday

Don't fear, more's coming. The next story features Liebe at 7 and the twins at 4. And if you follow the link, you'll see what else I have in the works.

This has been fun, Val. If nothing else, the story announcements have generated a ton of funny comments. I had to include some politics because it's me, but I reined myself in and tried to focus on the one anniversary the story was inspired by. Glad it worked for you.

I could mention a few things from motorcycle club (all gay men) trips, but I have a feeling that would get me in trouble with the man. CJ and Owen stopped at LL Bean during a motorcycle trip and bought lumberjack shirts. Damn hipsters. I was in Eastern Tennessee one time, stopped at a Harley-Davidson dealership to use the restroom, and bought a t-shirt. Talking to the cashier and another lady, it came out I was from Florida. Somehow helmets and proper attire came up. They were appalled I didn't wear a helmet most of the time (not required in Florida) and often rode in sneakers and shorts without a shirt. I can do the leather drag but sometimes the wind in my hair wins out. Florida means as little as possible most of the time. A jock under the chaps would have been acceptable.

Look at you discussing fashion. I thought your characters were all hairy and ran around naked. I'm writing a June wedding in a resort town, white outfits are de rigueur. Remember Mrs. G's from the Pacific Northwest. Plaid and birkenstocks are the normal outfits. A Canadian tuxedo for formal events.

No it didn't. You wanted a long story.

It includes the MC meeting a bunch of Defense Department big shots and the theft of a sailboat. That should turn out well. Right? I just read through the comments on the blog announcing this week's stories and about peed myself. Funny shit.

How sad is it I focused on what she's wearing? I'm so having a character wear a shirt-dress (help, is that what they're called?) Maybe the bride will at the rehearsal dinner. Yes, I'm writing another sappy wedding.

When I first encountered a MrsG story, she tricked me into reading a romance. Her wit, character development, and realistic dialogue drew me in and kept me glued to the page. This story's no different. Well written and light-hearted it was easy to devour it. Even if I needed a break in between due to length. LOL Highly recommend this one.

Excellent story. Had my windows been opened instead of tightly shut to keep the AC in, the neighbors may have wondered why I cracked up several times. Jensen, and to a degree Nolan, would fit perfectly with a group of hooligans I've written about before. Good job, my friend.

Glad you liked it, Adi. Although I consistently re-introduce recurring characters in each story, In this case I felt it was crucial since I recycled many who would be new to readers encountering them for the first time. Why is romantic in a different font color?

Thanks, bud. Although the CJ series has a very diverse cast, the main characters represent a subset of the community not all of us have experience with. The MCs have a couple of dollars in the bank. Summer starts it all. The MC's 15 at that point. I take him through college, take a break for a few spinoffs, and return with his first job as a diplomat in Mexico City. In the next story coming up he'll be almost 30. Hope you enjoy.

No need to apologize, James. I value your continued support and enjoy your feedback. You did not upset me. I am, however, frustrated. And it started with the reactions to the last three stories. Always demands for more, which is impossible. I've always broken up the series in segments, not wanting to emulate CJames and his million-word-plus story. I thought by now readers would realize I return to open plot lines when the time's right. As for character appearances, it's impossible to involve every character in every story. Do you realize I have nearly 500 named characters in the series? Anyway, let's see how you like the next tale. Brett, Cesar, and Ritch are part of the cast and play important roles.

Thank you, Jeff! My goal was to show a strong-willed young woman battling with her savvy father. CJ might take actions important to the country as a whole, but he knows how to maneuver behind the scenes. Can you imagine his first meeting with a head of state from a country where homosexuality is illegal? Liebe's probably following in his footsteps when she stands up to haters.

Which hole out of the holes are you talking about?

I'm on the last one but War & Peace is too fucking kinda long. Not sure how far along I am, but I needed a break. Maybe a doobie or a martini too. I'll report back. About to send you a PM.

How about a little self promotion?

Thanks, bud. I don't believe anyone who complains about my stories being short's a hater; it's actually quite flattering. However, Northie is not the first person to mention my prolific writing over the past couple of years. I fear I've created expectations I'm not able or willing to meet. Hell, even Arbour took a break from CAP. Inspiration hasn't abandoned me, and I have a gazillion plots to explore in the CJverse. I don't want to clutter this with more CJ trash. I may post something in the forum thread later. Those damn dolphin shifters are going to be the death of me. Even the reboot I wasn't happy with.

I recently finished something for Premium and I think I may write a few more, all thematically different. Let's see where my fingers take me.

The story's painful to read but the writing is excellent. It fits well with the multiple exhortations seen in several other anthology stories to be vigilant and remained involved. I may be hopeful about the future, but I'm ready to fight so we never experience what the protagonists do.

Outstanding writing of a horrible story. My heart aches for those who suffered and I'm glad the walker was killed. Hopefully, it was slow and painful and included castration. I wondered what happened to your other story about the war and i'm glad some 9f that research came in handy. Once again, great writing, Dodger.

Thank you! CJ fans may have enjoyed some tidbits but wanted more. On purpose, I asked someone who'd never read any CJ to beta read. I wanted to ensure the story was accessible to everyone. If I had the time and energy, I could write this stuff forever, but after one story already written, I'm not sure how much more I'll write. I tried to take abreak by writing a bunch of short stories and it pissed a bunch of readers off. I may go back to dolphin shifters for a while. LOL Thanks again, my friend.

My chiffon biker's jacket is not froufrou at all!

This is not a CJ story. It's not part of the series, and it's not canon. It was meant to be accessible to everyone. I could have included details and or vignettes about a hundred other characters, and most readers would have been lost. Brett, Cesar, Geoff, and Pam were omitted from the story because they wouldn't have added anything to it. If they're alive, they were there. Hell, it's a short story and there are 20 named individuals. That's probably about 6 or seven too many already. Your wish for details on the kids births, and growing up is entirely irrelevant to the story being told. You're asking for a long series with lots of information and that is not what an anthology story's supposed to be. Let me repeat myself: Loving Anniversary is not an official part of the CJ-verse.

I think CJ's first overseas trip was to the UK and he and King William hit it off. I'm sure He and Owen, and maybe Liebe were invited to Prince George's wedding. Although this was all written before Queen Elizabeth died, her passing I believe was the initial step to reconciliation in the family. Almost had Chipper perform the song as a duet with his son, but decided not to muddle the waters. LOL