C James

I'm finally getting over the darn cold. Benji, you had Julie pegged from almost the start, when she didn't vanish from the story after her sudden relocation to Tahiti. Way to go!!! :worship: Here's the real backstory; Julie's departure was arranged to put pressure on Trevor to sell Atlantis, thus removing his ability to search for Ares (which Bridget then thought lost off Bimini). She was going to make his an offer, though not enough to enable him to keep going on searches. Bridget was manipulating, even then. She'd arranged for Julie to take the job in the first place, to keep an eye on Trevor. Trevor has now stirred the hornet's nest. Trevor has two choices; the polar (cape horn) route, or Panama. Panama would be quite fatal. Yes, this was a feel-good christmassy chapter... Absolutly no tension or cliffies (unless Wildone added some). There was plenty of red, and some green. Ah, but until now Bridget has not made Trevor or the tape her main focus. Also, until now, it wasn't personal. Now she's both furious and desperate; he'll have her full and undivided attention. What he faced before was nothing in comparison. The facade of Greg and Ares being destroyed lost most of it';s value once Trevor sent the fake tape. Now Bridget is fairly certain he has the real one. She has no further interest in Ares/Kookoburra, and Greg probably suspects that. Or it's a setup. If he reads it, please let me know what he thinks. One big problem... between each episode of a miniseries, there's usually a cliffhanger, and that would be utterly out of place in Circumnavigation. In hindsight, having this as two books might have been better. The first one could have ended when Trevor was rescued off Carnarvon. However, the second book would have depended far too much on the first. Also, I really did think this would be under 25 chapters in total when I started (and by the time I started posting it, ten chapters in, I still thought under 40) and here we are, at nearly 100 chapters and approaching a million words. I'm probably going to need to post a detailed explanation of why I'm not verbose, though that's 37 pages in itself.

Chapter 145: Now It's Personal (Here's a link to google maps, centered on the areas in the chapter, which can be zoomed and moved around, because I know some of you are like me and love to follow along and see the areas on the story.) Passing Moorea to the north, Trevor and Shane were treated to the sight of its craggy peaks in the moonlight. Shane nudged Trevor’s elbow. “I wish we really could stay a week. I know we can’t, but it’d be great. There’s so much to see here.” “We’ll come b

Merry Christmas Eve! Now It's Personal is up! Unlike last year and the very Christmassy "Christmas on the Farm", this year it's not Christmas in the story, though that hasn't stopped me from trying to make it a heartwarming, feel-good chapter. I had a wonderful time on my trip, but I'm exhausted, largely due to catching a cold, so it'll take me a few days to catch up on e-mail, PMs, and the forum threads (though I have read them, and thanks!!) Merry Christmas!!! CJ

Did you add cliffhangers to it?!?!?!? If not, there aren't any! I'd never, ever do such a thing, and certainly not on Christmas Eve! Look at last year; the chapter was "Christmas on the Farm" a very, very christmassy chapter. In a few miniutes. I'm baaack. BTW, to those I owe PM's and e-mails to; it'll take me a few days to catch up. The same is true for the forum threads.

Chapter 144: Betrayal (Here's a link to google maps, which can be zoomed and moved around, centered on the areas in the chapter, because I know some of you are like me, and love to follow along and see the areas they are in.) Gray glanced out at the Melbourne skyline; so familiar, though now so threatening. When the tracking signals from Atlantis had suddenly ceased, he’d informed Bridget, expressing the hope that it was simply an electrical glitch, perhaps temporary. The loss of the tr

Hrmmm... There were no cliffys in last year's christmas eve chapter... it was just very, very christmassy (Christmas in the story too) and it was Christmas at the Farm for the title. EVen the alligators had Christmas dinner. There are absolutely no cliffys in this years' christmas eve chapter! (unless wildone adds them). I should be back in the US (though not yet home) by Christmas Eve, and all being well I'll upload and post it sometime that afternoon (US central time). Jan... Wildone has it right... It's discrimination to deny me my calendar. Many parts of the world use different calendars. But... how about a compromise to keep everyone happy? If there are any cliffys in the final few chapters, it's clear that Wildone added them, so why not count any votes for me as for wildone? I think that's only fair.

Just a fast Hi! from Venice. Expecting an aqcua alta (high water flood) tomorrow. I'll try to get some pics of the flooding in St. Marks' square. BTW, what's this about cliffhangers? Did Wildone add some? There were none in the chapter as I left it... Wildone, what did you do??? I suppose I should mention the title of the next chapter: Betrayal. It's just a happy, feel-good chapter, no tension, no suspense, nothing to worry about, and absolutely no cliffys. (unless, of course, Wildone has rewritten it... ). Sorry I haven't been able to catch up on the threads yet; posting is very, very hard via this hotel connection (so slow most tries to post time out). If this even appears, I've been lucky.

Heading for the Agritourisimo (a farm that takes guests) today. No internet there, so I may be offline for a week or more. BTW, I bungled the first of the coming chapters - It probably won't autopost. I'll PM Wildone to ask him to do it manually. (and also plead with him to not add any cliffhangers to it or the other chapters).

Bonjourno! Just a quick visit to say hi from the Italian Alps. Heading south tomorrow, to Tuscany. My internet connection here is very intermittent,hope I can post this. And BTW, don't listen to the frog; he knows I'd never, ever use a cliffhanger !

Sorry about the notifications! One of those could be due to me bungling a chapter loading (I loaded the chapters for while I'm away). Two... Must be a glitch. I am pretty sure I loaded the second one the right way. Blaming Bridget sounds good! Or blame Wildone... He's from Canada. Thanks! Just a few more hours and I'm off. I should be able to log in from time to time though. CJ

Thanks!!! That sounds like a real blue-water boat! Living on one would be great; moving means your house goes with you.

Okay, I'm flying out in a few hours. I'll be back Christmas day, but I should be able to pop in from time to time (I'm taking a laptop). Thanks to a huge effort by our team (thanks!) we have three chapters ready to post while I'm away. The first will post Nov 26th, the second Dec 10th, and the third on Christmas Eve (Dec 24th). Wildone has volunteered to make the first two post okay. (thanks Wildone!). I'll be back in the US (though not home) in time to post on Christmas Eve. After Christmas Eve, we'll have weekly chapters for the remaining three, so Circumnavigation will conclude THIS YEAR! I do apologize that there aren't more chapters ready to post while I'm away. If all goes well and I have frequent internet access, the schedule may advance. Take care, and best wishes, CJ

It sounds like they had perfect weather for it too!!!!

Betrayal Will go live on Dec 10th. I had to put the thread here ready. Please let me know what you think be it good, bad, or mixed. Also please note; the google map linked at the chapter top is interactive, so you can zoom it around to look at various spots or different areas. if you like, I've been working extra hard to get chapters banked in preparation for my trip (plus do all the stuff I need to do to get ready for the trip). The good news is that, worst case , we'll shift to every-other-week postings until Christmas. (However, if I can find internet access a few times while away, chapters will appear sooner). We'll then go back to weekly for the final three chapters, which should post Dec 24th, Dec 31st, Dec 38th, and Dec 45th, with the epilogue posting with the final chapter on the 45th. And yes, I'll be writing while away. The next chapter will appear on Dec 24th, and after that we'll see the next ones (just three to go) weekly. I should be back on Christmas Day.

Chapter 143: Prelude to Betrayal (Here's a link to google maps, which can be zoomed and moved around, centered on the areas in the chapter, because I know some of you are like me, and love to follow along and see the areas they are in.) Gray had been avoiding his usual haunts. He found the sudden and persistent disappearance of his two associates worrisome, a gnawing dread at the back of his mind as he made his way to a small apartment he maintained in Melbourne. He’d acquired it for a p

Prelude to Betrayal Will go live on Nov 26th. I had to put the thread here ready. (it might take up to a minute after this post to appear). Please let me know what you think be it good, bad, or mixed. Also please note; the google map linked at the chapter top is interactive, so you can zoom it around to look at various spots or different areas. if you like, I've been working extra hard to get chapters banked in preparation for my trip (plus do all the stuff I need to do to get ready for the trip). The good news is that, worst case , we'll shift to every-other-week postings until Christmas. (However, if I can find internet access a few times while away, chapters will appear sooner). We'll then go back to weekly for the final three chapters, which should post Dec 24th, Dec 31st, Dec 38th, and Dec 45th, with the epilogue posting with the final chapter on the 45th. And yes, I'll be writing while away.

I was trying to cover all bases with this. Not all authors are the same. When it comes to negative and constructive criticism feedback, some authors do welcome it. I am one who most certainly does. However, I certainly can't speak for everyone. Oh, and to Dark: a published author gets money. That's a whole different ballgame than posting stuff for free. It's a simple case of there needing to be some motive. Money is a motive. Feedback is a motive.

Thank you!!! This story was very much a departure from the norm for me - well outside my comfort zone. That's why I did it. Thanks!!

Thanks!!! I hope to be checking in from time to time and popping into the threads, and there are chapters ready (thanks to the team) for posting while I'm gone - though not weekly (sorry). Trevor and Shane now know, which is good - depending on what they do with the info. Hrmmm!!! Something is odd. I did have trouble posting that chapter, and from the look of it, there's an odd space in the index. And I hadn't even tried to set it, yet, for December 45th... Okay, the coming chapter is called "Prelude to Betrayal."

He did indeed, but in all fairnes to the FBI agent, operational security tied his hands to a degree. Same with the agency itself; when intel comes from a source, they are supposed to keep both the source and info very closely held; as few as possible would see it.

Thanks!!!! Bridget has a secret or three. And yep, that's a big catamaran.

The goat standard calendar. (It needs some extra flexibility, due to pages often being eaten). It was sightseeing... but it was more. Let's just say that the statue points the way. ;-) Would the FBI fail to look up the name? Absolutely possibly, and probably likely. Alkl they know is it's either a name or a nickname. They'd check it against a list of known operatives, and find nothing. Only a few people would see the name, due to op-sec (operational security). They thought it was a name, not a word. And only one or two agents would be in on this, due to operational security. When you have source-related info, it is almost always compartmentalized. It would have actually been far more damning to their competency had the entire FBI office been aware of it, even if that had caused them to figure it out. They are definitely on their way As for the calendar... It's a goat-standard calendar. There may be some speciesist types around who are so culturally insensitive as to reject it, but I hope they are few and far between. Thanks!! He did leave it a tad late, didn't he? Would you prefer Dec 44th?!!?!?

I don't leave until this time next week, but I'm looking forward to it. I do write while on vacation; One of the scenes in Rome in LTMP was written while I was in Rome. I'm going to be doing that with some scenes for coming stories during the trip, including one in Rome. :-) And you're right... I did toy with the idea of cutting some corners to get this story wrapped before I left, but it would have left many loose ends. Another problem I ran into was that October unexpectedly had only 31 days this year. But, we'll get this wrapped in six chapters, by Dec 45th 2012 if not sooner.

But of course... There are no cliffs or cliffhangers in Circumnavigation. I'll even release the next chapter title... Prelude to Betrayal. I hope it doesn't sound ominous... it's just smooth sailing, nothing to worry about.

I wasn't sure what Shane's nickname was, but I knew it had something to do with headbutting... so of course, he had to head butt Trevor when they fought. One thing though: the FBI and Gonzalez DON'T know where Bridget's island is; they don't even know for sure if she's in the Bahamas. Remember, when she took over, one of the things she did was tone down the island's operation; unlike Norman's Cay (the real world one) hers isn't used as a transhipment point. Norman's Cay built a big jet runway, and even had a radar installation. In their heyday, they were flying in several flights a day. They can be that dense. Ever sat in on an inter-agency turf squabble? What I showed is at the very mild end of the spectrum. The agent was also constrained as to what he could say, due to his op-sec - operational security protocols. As for missing the meaning in Spanish... let me give you a far more glaring real-world example involving that language. When the Honduran president indicated plans to run for reelection in spite of constitutional term limits, he was deposed and exiled. The Obama administration condemned Honduras, insisted the president be re-installed, etc, and put sanctions in place, made threats, etc. However, as it turned out, the Honduran government was acting as its constitution demanded, to the letter. The Obama administration eventually let the matter drop, but not without first wrecking our relationship with Honduras. It was pointed out that the Honduran constitution was online, and that somebody at the state department should have read it before the Administration opened its mouth and inserted its foot. One of the excuses offered was "it's in Spanish". (apparently they don't have anyone who knows Spanish, or Google translate either). Or, for another, more recent example, the Benghazi debacle. They proclaimed long and loud, for weeks, that what happened was a spontaneous demonstration against a video, in spite of having known all along it wasn't. (there were survivors from the consulate and the CIA compound; they all saw the same thing; no warning, just an armed assault with major weaponry. There's also the awkward fact that the Cairo and Tunis embassies had been evacuated for over 24 hours, in anticipation of a SPONTANEOUS riot. (Spontaneous does not mean what they think it means, I guess). When the story began falling apart, one of the people they trotted out to try to field press questions was State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland. The below is in the original. Read the last line of nothing else. MS. NULAND: Look, I’m not going to parse this 17 ways from this podium. What I am going to say is, obviously when one goes out and tries to represent what the totality of what we know, the intelligence community plays a large role in that. And they had given an assessment to the entire government, which was the basis on which Ambassador Rice spoke on Sunday, they themselves have talked very explicitly about how their assessment has evolved over time. QUESTION: Right. And yet -- QUESTION: But you never – okay. QUESTION: And yet Under Secretary Kennedy and other people in this building knew, or felt in their opinion, that that was not correct, and that this was -- MS. NULAND: I’m not going to get into the personal feelings of anybody. I’m simply going to say that in making public statements, one depends on the totality of what the Administration knows. QUESTION: But you didn’t. You never said that. MS. NULAND: Look, I’m generally dumber than most of the rest of the government. I mean, that’s what I’m paid to be. So yes, there are people like that in government, always have been, and the FBI is no exception. Not all of them of course, but there are some. Same with the private sector; you get some dense ones. For an FBI example, remember when they did all they could to pin the Atlanta Olympic bombing on the security guard, Richard Jewel? Based on absolutely no evidence and flying in the face of what evidence they had? They ruined a man's life and also made laughing stocks of themselves. There are just some examples off the top of my head. Of course, there are rumors that the truly dense types end up not in government service but moving to the high mountains of Arizona and taking up writing......