Cia

It can be really hard to believe things will change when you feel so alone for so long, definitely. Dane's not unusual in that, but he does need to listen to Tap.

See, I told you! I have a huge soft spot for Tap, too. He's not perfect, but he's damn close and he just cares so much. Alan... well, he's the villain, right? Gotta hate him!

Emotion is definitely a big part of the story!

He definitely is!! And yeah, writing that punch was just as satisfying as reading it was for you! Sometimes I love to hate my own villains, you know? Thanks again for the reviews!

Awww, what a huge compliment! I'm so glad this moment of reversal, from the drama and hatred of Dane's dad to the love and protection of Tap's folks, hit home.

I don't think his dad is exactly in his right mind, you know? I'm glad the drama hit the mark and wasn't too much or too little. Thanks for the reviews, Gary!

His dad is very much out of his mind. The trust situation will definitely come into play.

I am not sure what I'm going to do with these guys. But I'm glad you liked their story! Thanks for reading, Valkyrie.

I was eager to get out of my brother’s house. Thirteen days of family time was enough. I had a New Year’s Eve party to go to, thankfully. Sydney was meeting me here, since his family had gotten back late that afternoon from the trip. Good thing the girls were already in bed. Their sticky little hands often destroyed on my clothes. Jaime frowned. “You’re going out… in that?” “Did you just channel Mom?” My mom had been nice, but conservative. Jaime had only been a few years old when our dad rem

It's not an easy story--for me to write or for readers to read. Especially as a parent, and/or anyone who's been in those situations. I tried to stay true to the horror of it, without going overboard to turn readers off. Maybe take a break and come back to the story? There's more ups and downs to come, but I can promise you that, like in life, it's not all bad.

I have 2 friends who spent time in the foster system and were adopted growing up, so I know my portrayal of social services in the beginning of the story is skewed--but that is very much because of what you mention with the indoctrination. Abusers are very, very good at making sure their victims do not know how to reach out. I'm so glad you're identifying with the characters. Dane is definitely one of the most popular ones I've written for stories on GA, though I have to admit to having a big soft spot for Tap.

Hi Gary! This is my foray into a more dramatic, teen novel type story. It's a tad rough, since it's a few years old, but I do hope you like Dane and Tap's story.

This month just flew by! I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays. Did you have time to read this month? Hopefully you didn't miss the chance to read our CSR feature, Space Pioneer by Dolores Esteban. Due to the time/language barriers, Dolores won't be doing a 'live' Q&A, but she does plan to pop in off and on to reply to reviews and comments/questions posted here, so make sure you share your enjoyment of her story! To get the ball rolling, we have a great interview with Dolores to share, along with a sneak peek of her sequel to Space Pioneer!! Space Pioneer by Dolores Esteban Single people often have more time to write. Are you single? Yes, but I don’t feel I have more time to write. I have a full time job and often help my sister with her business on the weekends. I’m an accountant Do you eat your fruits and vegetables? Yes, plenty. What are you wearing (and no fibbing!)? Blue jeans, a black sweater, and a red scarf with white flowers. What brought you to the GA? I was looking for a place to post my stories and stumbled over the site. Is there anything you find particularly challenging when it comes to writing? Writer’s block. I can’t write when my muse is absent. Do you have any writing rituals? No. You have 54 stories on GA. Do you have a favorite? I like the Aglanthol series, and Space Pioneer is actually my favorite. How did you come up for the concept for your alien cultures? I didn’t plan the story. The story developed as I wrote it. I wrote a lot of historical pieces and a few fantasy stories. I wanted to write something different. Overcoming the language barrier is often an interesting subject in sci-fi stories. Your way seemed to mimic the way a non-native speaker often fumbles with becoming fluent in a new language. Did your own experience as a non-English speaker, writing stories in a foreign language, contribute to that element in your story on purpose? Not on purpose, but the way Jeff learned the Daglon language seemed natural to me. Which of your main characters came to you first? Jeff or Lest? Jeff. I saw Lest for the first time when Jeff saw the captain. What was your favorite science fiction element in the story? The Daglon warship and the trips through space. I would like to have a spaceship of my own, and I would want to be the captain. *lol* You shared the fact you wrote the sequel to Space Pioneer. When do you think that’ll be ready to publish on GA? I wrote several parts of a new story (or maybe two even) during NaNoWriMO. I usually write chronologically, from beginning to end, but this time I jumped a lot between scenes and parts of the story. I need to combine the parts, add and delete scenes and then edit the whole story a couple of times. I plan to start the process after the holidays, but it might well take until spring next year. I can’t really say. Can we get a sneak peek at the beginning of your sequel? Sure. This is a sneak peek of The Titan Plot (first draft). The Titan Plot

When I discuss an author's characters as if they are people for a review, or I can extrapolate on their personality and how'd they react given a certain scene twist, I know I'm reading an author who has brought the people in their heads to life in mine. The creation of a plot arc and believable storyline for the characters is important to keep a reader interested, in my opinion, but if I don't care about the people striving to overcome the challenges of the story--what would be the point in reading it?

Well I can't go against the wishes of my fans! Thanks for reading, Terry.

Aww, thanks LadyDe!! First date, it is!

That's really creative!! Very cool.

Thanks so much--without the membership and volunteers, GA wouldn't function. And it's always nice to be appreciated. Have a lovely holiday, everyone!!

LOL. Someone else said that, too. Now I have to consider whether or not I should continue Fortitude.

Another vote for more. Thanks for the review, Valkyrie.

Thanks, Avidreadr! Glad you liked it.

LOL! Thanks, Litlover, I still appreciate hearing it.

Thank you, dear. I was wondering how people'd receive this. Fortitude doesn't seem to be popular. Thank you so much for the review, and Merry Christmas!

“Run, run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!” I made the cookie do a little salsa, much to the delight of my nieces. “Again!” they cried. I started the rhyme over, making my little gingerbread man dance. “Oh yeah. Shake that booty!” Startled, I dropped the cookie and straightened up, throwing a look over my shoulder. The lights from the Christmas tree probably weren’t hiding the fact my face was flushed. “Uh….” “Sorry. I couldn’t resist.” The stranger wink