Many might have noticed that there was no "Ask An Author" feature last month. There were a few reasons for that, but one of the main ones was because this month we're doing a Special Edition of Ask An Author! In the spirit of the season, Dark has gifted us with an Ask An Author feature that features not three, but FOUR, authors. On top of that, each of the authors this month has answered two questions each! Thanks Dark! Enjoy!

Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors! Today is a special edition and as such features 2 questions apiece for 4 different authors!

In AtA #21, we had questions for authors comicfan, K.C., and reddirtwriter.

In AtA #22, we’ll hear from authors Comicality, Nephylim, Rob Colton, and Sasha Distan.

For their protection, the members who asked these questions shall remain nameless (unless they choose to reveal themselves). Please note that all author replies are copied as is, spelling errors and grammar eccentricities original to the individual.

First up today is signature author Comicality. Legend says that Myr was a big fan of the stories Comsie posted online and dragged a kicking and screaming Comicality to the then-fledgling teen fiction website that today is known as Gay Authors. With 4,758,720 total words in over a hundred different stories, Comsie is one of our most beloved (and followed) authors. My One True Weakness is Comicality’s most recent multi-chapter story, told in first person about young Russ’s search for his one true love. Check it out! You know Comicality won’t leave you hanging for long!

To Comicality #1: How did you come up with the concept for "The Secret Life of Billy Chase?"

To Comicality #2: What inspired you to write the Gone from Daylight series? Did you ever really have a solid direction you wanted the narrative to go in, or did it come to you as you went?

Next, say hello to another signature author, the vampiress Nephylim! Writing to us from Wales, Nephy is both an accomplished mother (one daughter and one son) and a published author. Swing by her blog some time to say hello! She’s strong, beautiful, determined, and by all accounts as nice in person as she is online. It’s been about a year now since my favorite Nephy story, “A Face in the Window,” was published, but since then we’ve been introduced to Frank, from ”Finding Alex”, Slave and Shade, from ”Boy Called Slave”, and a good half-dozen other new boys to keep us all interested. If you haven’t yet found Alex, I recommend you give it a read.

To Nephylim #1: Which character do you regret the most in Enigma and why?

To Nephylim #2: Your fictional story, Dangerous Liaisons, deals with gays and bigotry fueled by religion. Do you feel that there is hope for these bigots in real life? That they can become more open-minded and come to accept gays? What do you think it will take to spark this change?

Our next author is another signature author: Rob Colton. You may remember him joining us as robcub32 in the spring of 2012. With more than 10 stories and 4500 likes, it’s no wonder this writer was promoted so quickly! His first story was “The Deegan Incident” which has since been expanded with Book 2 of the series Galactic Conspiracies which takes the story to a doctor and his marine lover. Or, if sci-fi isn’t to your taste, you might like Rob’s most recent story, Noah's New Plan, about a man whose partner leaves him for a younger man. Find out what Noah gets up to as he starts over in his middle years.

To Rob Colton #1: What helps you to focus when writing?

To Rob Colton #2: How did you decide to start publishing your work?

Last up in this special edition is an up and coming writer, Promising Author Sasha Distan. At almost 10,000 likes and 150+ followers, I’d be surprised if you didn’t know this author! He’s a bit of a jack-of-all-trades, with a surprising story of encouragement by way of his godfather (way back when he was just a wee lad of 15). According to his profile, Sasha is now published on 3 different sites and is another one of our members from good ol’ Great Britain. His short story collection American Songbook has its 9^th addition as of November 25^th, and if you haven’t yet read about Clem’s confusion, I highly recommend it. Besides, who can resist a story about cowboys?

To Sasha Distan #1: How do you deal with writer's block?

To Sasha Distan #2: How do you balance your work and personal life with writing, especially when the ideas are flowing faster than you can write them?

As we enter the Holiday Season, send a thank-you note to your favorite authors on their profile pages, blogs, or in chat. You might be surprised how much even a small overture can really brighten up a person’s day. With the crazy weather this year and the usual hustle-bustle-stress of the holidays, one teensy smile can stretch a long way.

Coming next time: Mark Arbor, Thomas Nealy, and Thorn Wilde.

Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark).
Until next time!
Dark