Will Hawkins

Chuckle, chuckle, on one side of the coin it is a small victory to have been right in my prediction for the outcome of this story -- on the obverse, it makes me sad to have been right. I have over the years authored many stories based on my worldwide travels and the people I have met. Unfortunately, all these do is sit in the memory of my computer because I am too lazy, old or disillusioned to take them any further. I am very much of a hack writer, preferring, as I have said elsewhere in GA to be the troll that hides under the bridge nipping at the bare toes of the writers as they cross over. I suppose after I die -- which at my present age of 85, might not be many more years -- someone may find these tales in my computer and do something with editing, combining and publishing them. I can only hope that will come about. OK, enough hand-wringing and sniveling, I am sorry to see this series end, but cannot express loudly enough nor often enough my congratulations on your writing skills. Will H.

What I am going to say will probably be different from many of the responses you have received, Don. But I am well known for expressing opinions that differ from others. I see some good in the relationship between Mike and Mark coming out of this breakup and marriage. If, and I emphasize the word if, if The marriage for some reason does not last and the two boys get back together, they will have two children to care for -- something Matt certainly has desired. It can also be a sop to his religious inclination to carry on the family name. At the very least, Don, it makes their relationship very interesting. Congratulations on your creativity and writing skills. Will H.

A levy is a tax or fee charged against something, a levee is an embankment built to protect against flooding from a river. This use of a like-sounding word is called a homophone and is something editors are supposed to see and correct. Just to confuse things more there is also a levee which is a formal reception held in the morning hours, but that sounds different. When stripping off your levis it is a good idea to take your Nikes and socks off first otherwise entanglements can occur.

Honesty is indeed the key to a relationship. Will

I see Matt and Mike growing closer together. Considering Mike's position now that is probably a good thing and certainly, Mr. Broman is moving in the right direction as far as the raising of his family and now his augmented family. Over a period of time for Mike to recover some of the joy of life, I see these two becoming real assets to the community. A sudden catharsis in these two families, but I feel everything will work out in the end -- pun intended. Will H.

I have never made much of a public statement as to my sexuality, but when you reach my age [85] sexuality doesn't make much difference anymore. I have always tried to answer truthfully to being questioned -- I guess a truthful answer today would be, 'I am bi-sexual leaning gay'. I have been married and happily so, but my wife, now deceased, knew of my standing with one foot on each side of the river. When we married, she was of an age that my sexuality did not matter, though our relations were complete and mutually satisfying.

No way is there going to be a 'ride off into the sunset' ending to this series, your public will not allow it! I am going to enter an alert to call me if there is a continuation. One of the best series I have ever read, please don't leave me with my tongue hanging out panting for more.

I feel there is a change in the air, a different feeling between the men from the 'play for pay' vibe there has been in previous shoots, suddenly, at least in Ryan's mind, the relationship with Eric has changed, progressed to … what? The entire atmosphere between them is different, but can Ryan adapt to that change? It is not going to be easy. An arrow wound, while it may not be deadly, is always painful, evenif it is from a tiny golden arrow from Cupid's bow.

One of your commentators mentioned 'pace'. That to me is the pleasure I am having in reading the chapters. You keep the pace, the progress of the relationship between the two of our men, at an even, but progressive pace. Excellent writing and a joy to read.

It is an interesting vibe. The consummate professional is the one most deeply affected by the liaison, As far as I am concerned it just goes to prove my previous posting -- it is the bottom who becomes most deeply involved in the sexual act. I should be surprised at Ryan's reaction, but I am not. It was the only way he could react to something that was so meaningful.

This chapter makes a point that I have maintained throughout my gay relationships. There is always a competition between sexual partners as to which one is going to top as that is considered to be the better position. I disagree. I feel that the bottom is the one who enjoys the congress to the max. He can concentrate on his own enjoyment with only minimal concern for the reactions of the top. Beautiful writing in this chapter. Yes, it was hot, but it was hot because of the manner in which it was expressed as much as in the action itself. Keep up the excellent work.

Well, I am glad to see that my mention of the Aussie slang for chickens has proven out. The echidna family just wanted to say welcome home Aussie boy.

Okay, I looked it up -- a motherless calf in Scots is a coger, but there is apparently no special Scots word for a chicken. Google is a wonderful aid to the enjoyment of stories written in other dialects of English, and there are hundreds of those around the world.

Interesting to read the Aussie and Scots slang. A poddy calf in American is a 'dogie' pronounced dou-gey. Interesting story about that word, for a number of years I was a non-singing backstage worker for the Seattle Men's Chorus. One season the chorus did a tour of western states in the US everywhere from Montana to Nevada. One of the songs in the repertoire was "Get Along Little Dogie". I got a good laugh out of all those gay city boys singing Get Along Little Doggie, as in a small hound! We had to teach them how to say Dogie and what the word meant.

I am a little concerned about the statement in reference to inherited body types you made in this chapter. It is true that both Michael and Kendall inherited their massive bodies from their fathers, but an inherited body type frequently means inherited weaknesses too. With Kendall's father fighting a bowel cancer might it mean that Kendall will have the same proclivity to bowel cancer? If he has inherited the strengths, it may mean he has also inherited the weaknesses. I know that M and K will get to the mutual satisfaction of anal penetration shortly, but I am concerned that bowel cancer will destroy that ultimate zenith of love between gay men. Cheers, Will

In my younger times, I was accused of being like the troll that lives under the bridge nipping at the bare toes of the authors as they crossed over. So I stopped my snarky little comments about grammar slips in the stories I was reading and determined just to enjoy the writing. There are some abilities in writing, well frankly, many abilities, that I do not have. I am envious of the author who, like Mark Twain, can slip into dialect so easily. I cannot handle innermost thoughts well, to express them in conversation, and my writing has a tendency to be too grammatically correct, hell, nobody talks that way! I also have a tendency to over-verbalize so that my descriptions of place and surroundings are too detailed and become boring. I have a long way to go at any rate. So, if I mention something in one of my comments on a chapter, a grammatical slip, just consider the source, ignore it and go on with your high-level of creativity.

My memory is somewhat incomplete on the appearance of the two boys -- isn't one of them a blond. While hairy blonds are possible they are not common. Can you clear up my confusion?

I have taken to heart your comment about my being overly correct in my suggestions about the grammar you use in your stories. It is true that when recording dialog, people do use incorrect grammar much of the time. I have manfully resisted the temptation to object to improper pronoun choice. "He called John and I." for example because people do talk that way. Now I will manfully restrain myself about your use of "anyways". Anyway is an adverb and cannot take a plural form, so "anyways" is always improper even in dialog. There, I said it so I will now go back and pull the covers over my head. I still enjoy your writing and look forward to each new chapter in "cards".

The boys are going to have become accustomed to the idea of Nate busting in on them a catching them in flagrante delicto. It will happen and it won't destroy the kid either. I don't believe he has the impertinence to sneak in and spy on them, but an accident is bound to happen.

Something for the boys to work on together. Nate will be in a much better place if he can work out the details of moving in with them. Are there really still that many stupid people in the world. Being gay is not a disease, especially not one that can be healed with a religious pill. Okay, I am sure Nates 'condition' came as a surprise to his father, not because he was gay so much as he was grown up a little more, a little faster, than was expected. Congrats on a super introduction of a new character and a new direction in the boy's lives.

Sorry about the deletion. I don't know why, but frequently, especially if I write a lengthy reply, just when I am ready to send it everything disappears from the screen and I lose all my comments. The gist of my lost comment was something like, I was very fortunate in my 'coming out' process with my father, a very upright military man, as my elder sister [now deceased] helped me with it. Now that I am the sole remaining member of my family, father, mother, stepmother, sister, brother and one generation of their offspring now deceased, leaving me only one left, I recognize the problems they had with this man who insisted on 'walking on the other side of the river'.

One time, now a decade ago, I had a similar experience. I was journeying through Portugal, my boyfriend's home country, visiting his hometown and touring to a number of locations in that country that were important in its history. While we were sitting at a table in a small cafe, an elderly man of his acquaintance joined us and we carried on quite a conversation in mixed English and Portuguese, with my companion translating to fill in the gaps in my understanding. My two table-mates had a beer and I enjoyed a Guarana, a local carbonated drink similar to Pepsi, as I drink only a very little alcohol, and we were brought a bowl of snails! Now there is something I had never had, tiny snails picked fresh off the plants in the garden, boiled in a little salted water and served as a finger food with drinks. An interesting interlude to say the least. Oh, and they were delicious!

This is an experiment with me. You are an author with whom I am not familiar though I have done much reading on GA. The story has great promise however. Two men of similar ages and proclivities, but with different backgrounds meeting on a relatively isolated island in the Pacific Ocean. I look forward to the interaction between them.

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I have been reading GA stories for about two years now and I have found a few authors whom I consider being worth my time -- your description of the first sexual encounter between Kendall and Michael is the finest I have read, on this site or anyplace else. Congratulations to you as an author and to Ace and Deuce as characters for finally getting it on together. Can Michael now finally admit he is in love with Kendall. It may be too much of a jump to have him come completely out of the closet, especially considering his police employment, but it is certainly possible for him to admit the seriousness of his relationship with Deuce. Congratulations on maintaining your high standard of writing ability especially on this virgin effort.