Mark Arbour

Elizabeth Danfield isn't really focused on winning, per se, she's focused on power and control.

It's so nice to have someone around who understands how the wheels of power turn.

October 23, 2000 Traveling on Interstate 280 Woodside, CA Wade “He beat up my sister?” I asked incredulously. “All Chitworth got out of him was that Jason beat up his girlfriend.” “Fuck,” I said. I’d egged him on, sending that message back through Carl, so if Jason hurt Mary Ellen, it was as if I’d done it myself. I forced the flood of guilt down, forced it into submission, even as I dreaded what it would be like when I had to let it out again. I pulled ou

May 7, 1797 Granger sat at his dining room table, reading the latest newspapers that Cheevers had efficiently acquired for him before he’d even woken up. He shook his head at the nightmare that Spencer and the Admiralty had created. After Granger had left, Spencer had persisted with his belief that the seamen weren’t united in their cause, and he’d tried to negotiate with the delegates, but they were having none of it. Admiral Gardner had gone out to meet with them,

That's a perfect way to put it. Hot Jeff is having a bad day, and is in a mood to piss someone off, so he picks Will, and hits him at one of his tenderest spots. One of Jeff's poorer decisions, if you ask me. As for his issues with Matt....all in good time.

He is a little boy-slut. Then again, he is Stef's grandson! I think Tony will be OK with it...on the outside.

Honi soit qui mal y pense. It wanted to autocorrect pense to Penske. Too funny.

Who says Holmquist will be on board?

The kid can learn. I wonder if he'll want to go shopping more.

Wow. I hadn't thought about that. Of course, now that I have, it could happen. :-) But it probably won't.

Thank you...I think. :-) I have some experience with the genre.

Sigh.

I think the more logical approach is to put yourself in the shoes of the headmaster. One of your brightest students from one of the wealthiest families has a total meltdown and runs away. Your number one goal is for this kid to return to your institution and continue to excel. You are not going to be petty and try to extract a pound of flesh. You know the kid is seeing a shrink (Brad would have told him that). You will assume that, barring some new problem, things are being handled and you will gladly stay out of it. And if you have to bend a policy or two, the whole institution won't come crashing and burning down, but you will have some rich and influential people who owe you a favor or two. Now think about the alternative, where you rigidly enforce the rules and potentially cause problems for the bright kid. He leaves your school and his family hates you. Yeah. That's real smart.

The headmaster said that Ryan served his time for him. I thought that was pretty clear, on the last few pages.

Glad you liked it. I think that Will and his Dad are learning from their mistakes.

Good choice! Hearts of Oak is the ditty they used to beat to quarters.

Well, yeah. Except they screw around. :-).

October 22, 2000 Malibu, CA Will We decided to head to our house first, which kind of freaked me out, since I hadn’t been back since I’d left it in complete disarray. I hadn’t really expected that Michael would be there waiting to pick up JJ. It may have been nice to have JJ there when I got home, but it really didn’t matter all that much to me. Besides, that way we got rid of his bitchy presence. I noticed that I had a message on my phone. I remembered to give Stef an apo

It requires a lot of research to work with historical events. When Granger sails off, I'll have a little more play. And you're absolutely right about the sex of the child. That could be interesting.

I'm thinking that for the 9-11 story, I may break from tradition and write it in 3rd person.

Yes, they are. And dangerous, especially if you're 'in power'.

I think that you got Spencer down perfectly.

I know, right? We're still stuck in port. Well, I suspect it will remain that way for a bit.

I think George's parents may wonder if their younger son (and his wife) may eclipse them politically. I think they know Granger is a true sprig of the nobility, and carries those interests with him.

I'm not sure. I like having him involved in pivotal events, because it brings them to life for all of us (inasmuch as I can write it that way). They do require more research, though. I think that it becomes tougher, as you noted, when he becomes more senior, but rest assured I'll figure a way around things. There are some lines I can't cross, though. It's been explained to me that Granger can't have sex with truly heroic figures of the era (the most obvious being Nelson). I guess that would extend to Wellington, too, although it would have been good for him, because I always felt like he had a stick up his ass. I think that you're right about this one.