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    Word Triggers

    By Valkyrie

    Certain otherwise-innocuous words can be a trigger for some people.  Maybe it's a negative association with the word - a reminder of past trauma or a social faux pas.  It could be a word that becomes an inside joke - an innocent word given a not-so-innocent meaning.  These words make us cringe and avoid them and not really want to explain our reaction to other people.  For me, a certain spring-blooming flower is a word trigger.  I avoid saying the name of this flower because I have  negative ass
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Weekly Wrap Up (May 6 - May 12th)

⚠️ Only 2 days left to send your anthology entries to Valkyrie to be proofed!!!!  ⚠️   Now, with that being said, let's take a look at what happened in the GA blogs this past week!     Anthologies 2018 Spring Anthology: Now or Never - Due May 15th - 2 days away!!!!! 2018 Spring Anthology: Encounters - Due May 15th - 2 days away!!!!! 2018 Fall Anthology: Fight Back - Due Nov 15th 2018 Fall Anthology: Good Intentions - Due Nov 15th

We did something....

So, I would imagine that many members here wont remember who I am.  i've not been active for a while because... well, life gets in the way sometimes doesn't it?   8 Years ago last week, I started a relationship right here on GA.  I met Paya right here, and our friendship blossomed into something more.  I was in the UK, he was in the Czech Republic. We had a long distance relationship for 2 years, before finally moving to London together 6 years ago.   This is just a quick sto

Westie

Westie

Joust by Mercedes Lackey

This is another coming-of-age story by Mercedes Lackey that she does so well.  This story is powerful and emotional, like so many of Mercedes Lackey's first book in a new series.  (This is a pattern with her.  Pretty much every first book in a series she does is a powerful coming of age story).  The dragons in this story are fairly unique compared to others.  They are characters in their own right, though not speaking or human intelligence.  They are definitely not stupid either.     I

Myr

Myr in Books

Writing Prompts #668 & #669

Who's been waiting for their weekly prompts?! Just a reminder, and for those who haven't worked with the prompts before: prompt responses under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection.     Prompt 668 – Creative Tag – List of Words Use the following in a story – a campfire, a ripped tent, a skunk, a rain storm, and a book.   Prompt 669 – Creative Tag – A Wish It’s your birthday, but you’

Renee Stevens

Renee Stevens in Prompts

Jack It

I picked these up a while ago so that I had some tools on hand for emergencies.  They do the job.  Nothing too fancy. 

Myr

Myr in Gadgets

Author Promo: Dodger

Time for a new author promo! This month we're taking a look at Dodger. Dodger was asked to pick three stories and answer the three questions: What gave you the idea for this story? What was your favorite thing about writing this story? & Please tell us something about this story that is not already in the description. If you would like to do an author promo for the blog, please check out the blog feature opportunities thread. Now, let's take a look at what Dodger has for us. Dodger

Tech Tuesday - Privacy and Site Terms

There has been a lot of news lately about Privacy and information breaches all over the place.  Combine that with the new EU law, GDPR, going into effect on May 26th, and every internet company on Earth has been bombarding you with alerts, messages, and requests for re-agreements.  The amount of regulation that you have to deal with as a small business is frankly crushing.  As the laws were written by technical half-wits (and I'm being generous), the law is written in such a way as that everyone

Myr

Myr in Technology Archive

2010: The Year We Made Contact

This is an oldie but goodie.  The visuals in this movie are stunning, especially when you consider it came out in 1984.  It has long fueled my thoughts of space and space exploration.  It is also a much tighter story, unlike the very plodding 2001.  Sci-Fi movies suffered from long, slow scenes to soaring music in the 1965- 1980 timeset.  You can see this in the first Alien movie, the first Star Trek Movie (The Motion Picture), and to a lesser extent Star Wars.   I think Star Wars was the one to

Myr

Myr in Movies

May CSR Feature: Lie of the Serpent by Craftingmom

It's May... already?! How did that happen? I swear the time keeps flying by, but that just means we have to remember to take some time out to stop and enjoy ourselves. This month, that means you get to read Craftingmom's story, Lie of the Serpent. This contemporary crime mystery will hopefully keep you on the edge of your keyboard from start to finish!  Lie of the Serpent Lie of the Serpent by Craftingmom   Length: 70,591 Description: When Bryan finally finds the ma

Cia

Cia

Weekly Wrap Up (Apr 29 - May 5)

Hope everyone has had a great week!  I have a couple reminders and an announcement, so let's get right into it!!!   Announcement: Keep an eye on your email! Due to the pending GDPR legislation the EU has hit everyone with, GA has to send out a new sign-up form that must be filled out if you wish to continue to get the site newsletter. ALL members who do not fill this out will be unsubscribed based on the legislation that we have no choice but to follow. There will be several reminders

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

As an engineer, I have always been fascinated by how things work.  You can boil down most engineering to "Problem Solving".  Problem solving is a skillset.  The most popular problem solver in popular culture when I was growing up was MacGyver.  Lock the man in a room with some spare parts and a knife and he'd make an airplane.  The people that make the world work are real-life MacGyvers.    In our world, there are not a whole lot of people that fall into this category.  Atlas Shrugged

Myr

Myr in Books

Writing Prompts #666 & #667

The prompts are back this week! Yay!!!! Just a reminder, and for those who haven't worked with the prompts before: prompt responses under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection.     Prompt 666 – First Line Tag – First Line “Shut up and kiss me already!”   Prompt 667 – Challenge Tag – The Customer We’ve all seen that one person who causes a scene at a store or restaurant. Create a scene with “that customer” who f

Renee Stevens

Renee Stevens in Prompts

Adulthood Sucks

Can someone make it stop? Please? Ugh. I miss the days when I only really cared about the next party I was going to and whether or not I'd pass my classes. Backstory: I've been using Medicaid since 2015. I got rejected for this year because I made 61 cents over the limit. 61 cents. So now basically I need to work less if I want to get my Medicaid back, or I have to buy insurance on the Marketplace. And I've got to get this all done by June 21st or else I won't be able to get discounted

methodwriter85

methodwriter85

Yes, Food Bytes, Again -- molly's Update

You all know that tim is a dear, dear friend.  And you may have gathered that was me he was talking about in the blog.   Well, i wanted to update you on some things.   First off, about 3 weeks ago, i was told that i had to limit my coffee to just 2 cups (ok they are 20 ounce cups) and that i wasn’t to have a can of soda with lunch anymore.  i am to drink at least one 32 ounce bottle of water a day, and look to increasing that. i have noticed some changes from just this little

mollyhousemouse

mollyhousemouse

More Kitchen Stuff

I love these spoons!  They are so handy for cooking and they clean up really easy.  If you are still using a wooden spoon, for all that is holy, try one of these spoons!

Myr

Myr in Gadgets

Ask an Author 2.0 #7

And we’re back! My inventory of questions is rapidly diminishing and unless I get some new ones, I may start making some up for myself. You wouldn’t want that would you? Pick an author we haven’t featured, ask a question, and let’s see what they have to say. Aren’t you curious about what type of sneakers someone wears? Or maybe how they go about naming chapters or characters? Anything except for XXX matters is fair game.   @Hunter Thomson has agreed to a return engagement. Our politici

V for Vendatta

I must admit that this movie is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me.  It is very well done and the actors do a great job all across the board.  It has gay characters and that are really in a hard spot in the movie. The reason for my guilt is because this movie is clearly a propaganda piece by someone that doesn't understand history at all.  This movie is what a 'progressive' thinks a 'conservative' is.  While in reality, it is projection on the part of the writers.   The movie is in

Myr

Myr in Movies

April CSR Discussion Day: X-Dream Makeover by Cris Kane

Did you have a chance to read these short stories featured in Cris Kane's fantastical tale, X-Dream Makeover this month? While there is a common thread in all 4 chapters, they do standalone quite well, so I hope a lot of people got a chance to read at least one of the four. Did you have a favorite character? Makeover? Make sure you share your thoughts below in the comments, but first, as always, I grilled the author to find out a little more about him and his writing!    If you had 30

Cia

Cia

Weekly Wrap Up (Apr 22 - Apr 28)

Happy Sunday, y'all!  I hope everyone has had a great week and a wonderful weekend so far. At a quick glance, it looks like our promoted authors were very very busy this past week!  So if you missed one of their updates, you can find it below!  Don't forget, the deadline for the Spring Anthology is in just a couple more weeks, so make sure to get your stories to Valkyrie so that they can be looked over by the proof team. Please make sure they are edited prior to sending them in!    

Renee Stevens

Renee Stevens in Weekly Wrap Up

The Martian by Andy Weir

I had fun last week posting the movie on Monday and the books on Friday, so I figured I'd do it again this week.   This book is a fast read and enjoyable.  I am someone that enjoys science and science fiction.  This is the more interesting science fiction in that it is in the realm of "could happen".  "hard Science"-type sci-fi is the most difficult, of course.  But I think it makes it all the more powerful when done right.   Have you read the book? seen the movie? both?  What do

Myr

Myr in Books

Yes, Food Bytes, Again

I believe you should eat when you are hungry, so not necessarily three meals a day. I don't always eat breakfast. So, today my very dear friend said she was hungry.  Tra-la-la ... So eat!  Ah, but there is the rub. It was breakfast time and she's at work.   I was a bit growly this morning, snappish, so when she showed me a picture of a package of Instant Oatmeal with maple syrup and brown sugar, I was bitter. I said, get some real food.    While it's better than some things,

Mikiesboy

Mikiesboy


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