Mark Arbour

Leave it to a gay boy to post a show tune sung by none other than Ethel Merman herself. So stereotypical. Zach is evolving into an interesting character. He's slutty. I like to write slutty. This is so not "Dallas." No one is coming back from the dead. Probably.

I've written lots of Americans with small dicks, but I think this is my first under-endowed Italian.

He's a manipulator in training. He'll figure it out. That's when he'll really be dangerous.

When I think of Will, I think of those guys I knew in high school who seemed beyond the rest of us. There was one guy when I was a freshman who looked like a senior, and acted like one too, even though he was my age. That's what I think of when I think of Will.

Glad you liked the banter! Nelson was such an amazing man that it's fun to bring him into the mix. That's why we're in the Med: two of the most brilliant commanders are there (Jervis and Nelson).

Doesn't it seem like the older you get, the more pain-in-the-ass responsibilities you end up with? George has more than his fair share.

"Star power" is an anachronism. I've said that I won't use 18th century language because it's too damn hard to do, but I try to weed out things as blatant as that. Oops.

Something is afoot. I'll enlighten you in a few chapters.

"Beat to Quarters" was the first book I ever read about the Royal Navy. Forester's series has been my inspiration for Bridgemont; I'm one of his biggest fans.

I think Will would have some issues with that, so it's unlikely.

I don't think Kristin's parents are thinking about this clearly, either because they can't, or because they want what they want.

I've met a few, but that's not the norm, IMHO.

I'm thinking that with your GA "name", most of us would have guessed bottom. Then again, that goes back to the whole stereotype of bottoms, but I thought I'd tease you about it anyway.

Don't call me Shirley. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A5t5_O8hdA Kristin is a year behind Gathan. I try to remember that not everyone packs 8 inches, but that doesn't always make for a good story in this genre. I think Will handled it well...some of JP's good manners have rubbed off on him. You'll get to see more of the Hendricksons in upcoming chapters, and then it becomes easier to understand why they reacted they way they did. I can just skip over stuff if you want me to.

July 26, 2000 Rome, Italy Will We were on his bike, heading back to the hotel, with me clinging to him. Now that I wasn’t nervous about touching him, I had scooted up right behind him and really molded myself to him. It made the curves more comfortable. When we got to a straight section, I moved my hands underneath his shirt and ran them across his abdomen, playing with his treasure trail, and then moving up to his chest. He had no hair on his chest, but he had well-defined

Try saying "I just like to get my dick sucked." Maybe they'll help you out.

I'm just wondering why those two guys are in the bathroom with a kid and a camcorder?

I love Flash mobs.

I think Berto's lasting imprint on Will, at least at this point, will be to build a stereotype in Will's brain that Italian guys are hot. Really hot.

I said that? I probably did. It is a tough balance, though. There have to be similarities, so there is continuity, but differences, so it doesn't get boring as hell.

I read several of his letters, and some of his quotes. Nelson comes across, to me, as an extremely charismatic and likable man who is also plagued by insecurity, which sometimes manifests itself in jealousy and pettiness. It's hard to find a more impulsive, tenacious, and brilliant naval commander.

And we haven't heard from Cavendish and Caroline lately. It's been a trying time for him, to be sure.

Thanks. We have a ways to go on this story, so no worries.

I really think you need to conjure up more attractive people next time.

Well, I'll tackle questions 2 and 3. 2. I do the same thing you do. All of my main characters have been based on people I have known. For example, the character of John Travers in my Bridgemont Series originally derived from a bartender on a cruise ship. He had a "Dutch" nose, and was amazingly handsome. I can't remember the last time I've had that much to drink on a cruise. The character of Jeff Hayes, from my CAP Series, was inspired by a cousin of mine. Unlike Jeff, he's still alive. Barely. 3. Get pissed off. I think it's like acting; you have to get into form. I have to be careful to write my fight scenes at night when no one else is up, otherwise my mood might be such that I might make the fight scene real. Another alternative is for me to have a conversation with Myr immediately before writing said scene. Both are effective. If you're not into it, the fight comes off lame. I think it's also important to stay in character. Some people fight dirty, some people don't fight at all. What is your character like? How will he react to an unpleasant and provocative situation?