It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that is always a special treat in the Gay Author's News Blog. As most people know, the first Wednesday of every month has been slated for a feature by Dark called Ask An Author in which different authors are asked a question from the members at Gay Authors. It's a great feature, and a big Thank You to Dark for keeping it going. So, let's see what Dark has in store for us this month!
Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors!
In AtA #15, we had questions for authors CassieQ, James Savik, and Libby Drew.
In AtA #16, we hear from authors Menzoberranzen, Mark Arbour, and C James.
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.
Our first author today is Promising Author Menzoberranzen. Don’t ask me how to pronounce that. Having been with us since 2007, I’m sure he’s had weirder questions from his fans. A Canadian!, Menzo is a self-proclaimed wanderer who has penned some poetry to accompany his stories. He also often participates in the quarterly anthologies and I am not the only one who enjoyed his entry to 2012’s It Wasn’t me, Conversations with Strangers. If you liked it, too, send Menzo a note in his forum. He likes that!
To Menzoberranzen: What genre(s) do you tend to write in? What kind of genres would you like to explore in the future?
1) I don't ever think about genre, but I suppose you'd call them dramas, though that's awfully vague. My stories are about the characters - or as much of them as I choose to reveal. Not much actually happens in my stories; I'm interested in how the character's perceive the 'action,' and how they perceive each other. I don't always try to write real people, or 'real' dialogue....it's all constructed with a thought to the overall emotional reaction I want to elicit in the reader.
2) I would like to write an epistolary story. The genre gives the author a lot of freedom to manipulate what information the reader receives, and it presents the possibility for multiple possible interpretations of the story.
Today’s next author is legendary Hosted Author Mark Arbour, who continues to spew stories left and right. There’s the family dynasty CAP series, the historical naval orgy of the Bridgemont series, and a handful of others. Why is he a legend, you might ask? Well, just “watch” him for a time. You’ll see. If that doesn’t convince you, then read!
To Mark Arbour: Where do you find the time to write two storylines simultaneously and still work fulltime and have a family life as well?
It's called "free time".
Writing for me is a release and a hobby. Some people watch television (I rarely do), some people play video games (I rarely do), so when I have downtime, I write. I find that it's therapeutic for me, and it also gives me an incredible amount of satisfaction to craft these characters and make them as life-like as I can.
Our last author today is “The Goat,” our dear, beloved C James, who started hinting earlier this year that his neverending story, Circumnavigation, is actually coming to a close. Say it with me: Nooooo! And then go read it again. We’ll see how long it takes you this time ‘round.
To C James: Tell us about your character Bridget? (ie was there a particular inspiration?) Did you know from the start that she was going to be so evil? Or did she just become more dastardly and devious as the story developed?
I knew the basic plot and ending for Circumnavigation before I started posting it, but Bridget... she's proven to be a bit more capable and avaricious than I thought. She's always been a brilliant tactician though, and an able manipulator.
One thing that did surprise me about her; the way that she, such as when she was wounded during her escape from Florida by boat, or when she's violently angry, drops the veneer of formality and dignity, becoming again the hardscrabble Georgia farmgirl she was as a youth.
Bridget isn't based on any one person. Her veneer of formality is based on several people I've known. I figured being a high-society type would be a good cover for a drug runner and money launderer, so it fit. As for her personality... she's, well, let me back up a bit. I never set out to design a character's personality for a simple reason: I suck at it. So, though I do lay out a few aspects, such as skills and abilities, I just write them as I see them. So, sometimes they surprise me. (and in Bridget's case, she's sure not somebody I'd want to argue with!)
But is she evil? Perhaps she's just a little.... misunderstood.
I can identify with that if she;s misunderstood... because I'm certainly misunderstood myself. For example, though I'm perhaps best known for my utter and total avoidance of cliffhangers, some people, shockingly, accuse me of them.
That’s it for now! For more info on these authors, go check out their stories, post in their forums, and/or catch them in chat!
Coming next time: AnytaSunday, Billy Brat, and Kyle Aarons.
Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark).
Until next time!
Dark
Please note that all author replies are copied as is, spelling errors and grammar eccentricities original to the individual.
And then go read it again. We’ll see how long it takes you this time ‘round. 
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