ReaderPaul

Justin has some of the most interesting ideas. I look forward to seeing how this goes. I also look forward to Brett and Jeremy having a great success with their new business. @Wombat Bill -- well done! What could come eventually -- something like Virginia Price showing up at one of Cynthia's events? Mr. P being daring enough to show up at one of the gay events? Daniel getting his pubes waxed? Gran enlisted to bake some stuff for the guys when one of their suppliers has a fire? The Australian wildfires being worked into some stories, even indirectly when you get that far in time timeline? Brett being an accidental hero and saving the lives of Rani and Sandra? Edward as part of the entertainment at some of the gay events, telling drag queen stories? (By the way, if you wish to use any of these ideas in any of your stories, you are free to do so.) I can hardly wait to see @Summerabbacat respond to this chapter.

I remember, here in the United States, quietly following the Australian mail-in survey on marriage equality. Let us hope that eventually all of the world's countries will grant equality, though some will lag way behind. I look forward to seeing how Justin and Jaren are related. But I suspect that revelation may not show up for a few chapters. No matter. Whenever @Wombat Bill reveals this it will be well-written and worth whatever wait.

Oh, I would have loved to hear the rest of Justin's explanation! I hope Brenden gets a LONG sentence. Way to go, @Wombat Bill! Well done.

I also loved algebra, vector analysis, and related subjects. Hated differential equation and numerical analysis. As for your favorites, 22 and 57 -- 22 = 2 x 11. Both 2 and 11 are prime numbers. 57 = 3 x 19, and 3 and 19 are both prime numbers. So you are "primed" and ready, even if you had not thought of those aspects of your favorite numbers!

Hmmm. Child "we -- I never had." Did Mrs. P. find herself pregnant with Desmond's baby after they had stopped being lovers, and have an abortion? It would not surprise me if Alice already knows about Craig and Justin doing nearly nude catering. "Sometimes women have a way of finding things out that borders on a combination of detective and supernatural." (Quoting a friend.) Jessica seems to be rising to the challenge of not being with Brenden. Good for her!

Might I suggest a couple prompt for another chapter in this? This is starting out very well. "Andrew liked to read stories about dragons." "Matt was looking back over notes from past writers conferences, and saw that Jaxon had written a short story about a dragon who liked ocean fish. Jaxon was also signed up for the upcoming conference -- which made the third time he would attend Matt's conference."

I am not surprised at Juanito acting the way he did. I do wonder about the motives of Mr. P. Something does not seem right. The hints for the next chapter indicate multiple fascinating happenings. Looking very much forward to that chapter, @Wombat Bill. I like the detailed analysis that @Summerabbacat gave above. The amazing verbal gyrations done by politicians who claim to be following the relatively simple words of Jesus at times astound me. Politics often makes me wonder about people.

@Wombat Bill, I have a similar feeling to what @Summerabbacat expressed concerning Juanito. Perhaps time will tell, but Juanito seems focused on sex instead of serious studies. I hope I am wrong, but I predict we will learn more in future chapters. Edward and Romel explained in a very sensitive way about Justin, Justin's mother, and Craig needing to stay away from the apology dinner. I just hope that the rest can be a sensitive and exercise discretion as Romel and Edward have done.

At least Justin and his mother are taking the matter very seriously. But I would not trust the media to have given up.

"Age of Consent" laws are all over the place, in many countries. Wikipedia and other references have tables of consent laws in various places. In some cases, even with US states the laws can vary. For example, the age of consent might be 16 in a particular state -- but it could be legal to have sex at an earlier age if the people are married to each other. Some have "age difference" laws, which say that if the age difference of an underage person having sex with an older person over the age of [legal] consent is more than X number of years the sex is illegal. In the US state of Nebraska, some years ago, a guy got his 12-year-old girlfriend pregnant (he was 21 -- and the girl was dating the guy with her mother's consent! What kind of mother lets a 12 year old date a 21 year old?) The local prosecuting attorney had the guy thrown in jail for statutory rape (having sex with someone under the age of consent -- which in Nebraska was age 16 -- and when he bailed out, the guy, his pregnant girlfriend (who was now 13) and the girl's mother went to neighboring Kansas -- which at that time, the age of consent for girls was 12 -- and they got legally married, then went back to Nebraska. The prosecuting attorney had him thrown in jail again, saying something like: "Yes, it is a legal marriage. But Nebraska law does not make an exception for someone under age sixteen having sex with someone 18 or over merely because they are legally married!" To get the man out of jail, he and the girl had to agree to move out of state and stay out. The point of "age of consent" laws is to say that someone under the age of X CANNOT give consent to have sex with someone over age Y. That does not mean they are always reasonable.. @Summerabbacat -- You are correct in saying institutions and schools often "sweep things under the rug" to make the institution or school look better-- or at least not look as bad as they might be. @Wombat Bill, this is going to have a lot of effects on the lives of some in your story. I look forward to seeing how these changes are handled.

Wow, what a proverbial can of worms has been opened! I predict several plot lines will eventually radiate out from the events of this chapter.

Regarding your comment/reply to my comment after the previous chapter, @Wombat Bill -- I have never used the rubber band trick or any type of cock ring, either. But I have seen guys wearing them. Perhaps someday I might try one. Good chapter.

Good chapter, @Wombat Bill -- and the title of the next chapter has me wondering. Looking forward to it.

Too many characters? I have seen a literary estimate that Charles Dickens created more than 13,000 (THIRTEEN THOUSAND) characters total in his works! Compared to him, you are a character miser! And Dickens had no trouble with plot lines either! Most good writers (and I am including you in this, @Wombat Bill), have little trouble coming up with plots -- rather, finding time to write all or most of them is the real problem -- time. I would like to see Daniel again. And Rani. And learn more about some of Mrs. P's household staff, especially the talented cook. Or is there more than one cook? Mrs. P's plumbing will need attention in part 3? Her personal internal plumbing, or her home plumbing? Or both?

Whoa! I wasn't expecting it to come down like that, but I'm happy about it! Way to go!

Oh, this could go so many ways. You are certainly keeping us on the proverbial edge of a cliffhanger, @Wombat Bill.

I also think that you are right, @Summerabbacat, and so is @chris191070 about Thomas having a loose tongue. And I still think Edward is showing signs of out-of-control blood sugar, or possibly bipolar symptoms. ( have a spouse with both diabetes AND bipolar.) Much less likely, but very slightly possible, is a brain tumor. So when will Desmond reappear? @Wombat Bill, you do not introduce characters for just once in a while, except just when necessary, so I bet Desmond shows up again within 10 to 20 chapters. You have a rich cast of characters, and are using each well-- even if I would like to see Brett and Jeremy show up again soon. (But if later, that's okay too.)

Well done, Preston/Quokka. I looked at Google Maps and saw where Tapuaetai Island/One Foot Island is, and enjoyed the satellite view. Will Range be trained as a 3rd bosun in case of emergencies? I am glad that Ari and Hunter worked out their differences. It is also obvious that Hunter's experience was a major factor in Ari's acceptance of Hunter as an equal or better. Now, if Hunter could find something in which Ari is much more experienced, and acknowledge it, that would seal things even more in friendship. Any chance of seeing even more of Gran in the next book? Quokka, your writing style and ability has greatly improved over the years. One of the major improvements has been via increased use of dialogue in stories. You have a good balance of dialogue, happenings, and description. Thanks for the good and enjoyable writing.

Well done, Mawgrim. I don't think Anne or Todd could have done any better.

I think Edward is a better observer than most of the others understand. He can keep a secret most of the time, but if he gets mad-- watch out! As a capable observer, Edward can put seemingly random events, actions, and information bits together, whether minutes, hours, days, months, or even years later to arrive at a reasoned or intuitive conclusion. Has Edward been checked to see if he has an undiagnosed case of diabetes? In a diabetic, sometimes blood sugar being way off can cause seemingly unreasoned temper tantrums at times. I have seen this in diabetic relatives and friends.

Wow-- hard to know what will be the end result of all that.

Excellent interview with Brett! Thank you. Brett made the process fascinating in the reasoned way he explained it. I foresee problems with the first interview of the chapter because the interview was NOT aired. Thanks, @Wombat Bill -- another great chapter.

@Mark Hansen and @BigBen -- Jack's website was up and running just now (1:36 a.m. Central Time) when I checked just now. On another site it became known that he is revising the forever saga. The first nine chapters of Forever are active on his personal website.

I don't know why the above posted again.