Cia

Well apparently I'm the scary dragon lady all fear to approach, lest I scorch them with my tongue lashing of fiery doom. Or so I keep hearing, lol. So yeah, counts me out.

See what you started, Mann? Tsk Tsk. See, now for them, it'll be: You get:

Cia’s Torturing Me! If you’re an author, I’m sure you’ve thought that at least once, right? I swear, it’s nothing personal! GA’s posting system is complicated, and there is always a learning curve for new authors to figure out the ins and outs of posting here. I'm also the primary staff member that reviews the Stories submissions, so I am not picking on any one person if you receive more than one PM; I'm simply the staff member that reviews everything in the queue unless I am away from GA for some reason. That being said… there are a few things that will get you on my hit… uh, kindly message list. Posting Issues Most Likely To Trigger a Moderation PM: Posting More Than One Chapter : New stories should always be posted with a single chapter only. These should be properly edited, ready to go live, chapters. A prologue is okay, as it auto-posts with the first chapter, but more than a single chapter in a new submission floods the announcement listing. Additional chapters CAN be posted, but only if you post-date them. You can read about the post-dating system in the faq here. Paragraph Spacing : This might be the most common mistake I see. Check your story content after you post, please. Some writing programs, browsers, and or machines (tablets/phones) are not compatible with the text editor. It can either strip out or add extra spaces between the chapters. Reviewing your chapters allows you to fix that before I find it in the queue. A fix in Word can be found in the faq here. If you use other writing programs, like Google docs, tablets, etc… try posting with a new browser or placing your text in another program before you copy to GA until you have the correct spacing. We can't always tell you what the exact problem is in these cases to fix the spacing issue. Flash Fiction and Poetry : Short stories under 1k in length, such as prompt responses, or poetry must be placed in a ‘collection’. This is as simple as creating a title that implies a collection, such as ‘My Shorts or My Haiku’ and then posting a single submission as the first chapter. Then subsequent posts would be made as chapters to that ‘collection’. The chapter titles can be edited and notes can be placed in each chapter as a description, if you choose. You may have more than one collection, within reason, to separate types of poetry or stories if you have a large number of varied content available. Posting a Series Title : If you are posting a story that isn’t a follow up story to one already existing on GA, you do not have a series. Once you post the 2 nd story in your series you can go back and edit the first story to include the series information for the search engine. Also you can never have story 0 of a series. Content : Yes, we have a basic quality expectation. If you don’t know the word ‘I’ should be capitalized, or how to use a basic spellcheck, you will be placed under review and your story may be rejected until you can edit it up to a minimum level of readability. Yes, we allow stories with erotic content. We also allow stories that show drug use, suicide attempts and actual suicides, abuse, rape, etc… but there are criteria for each that must be followed, such as not glorifying the acts and adding content warnings to the story/chapter notes for extreme content. Erotic content must be integral to the plot and cannot be more than half the story plot. There is a narrow band of acceptable incest and bestiality themes, but necrophilia is NEVER ok. Various Fields Filled Out Incorrectly : We have a 3 step rating system for stories for authors to use. They include Everyone, Teen, and Mature. Teen and Mature ratings apply for stories containing content like sex, violence, abuse, or suicide stories. Mature would mean any ‘on-screen/graphic’ content. Teen includes it, but it might occur in the backstory or off-screen such as a ‘fade to black’ sex scene not actually written in. We have a story status system that has 3 levels. In Process means you’re still posting the story (even if you have it complete, until you post the last chapter it is not complete on GA) and On Hold means you’re not posting the story for whatever reason. Make sure you post to the right category for your story. There is a long drop menu with many options, so please check them all to ensure the best search engine results. And more… This is why we ask that authors read the entire “New Author Help: How to Post a Story” faq before they post. Any story deemed suspect for any reason will be placed under review and discussed by the forum moderation team to ensure a fair team decision on acceptability. I am not a dictator with the only say in what does and does not get approved. Questions I Get The Most From Authors: Why are you checking my stuff in a moderation queue? We check to ensure proper posting procedure is followed, that the content falls within our guidelines, and that you’re not a plagiarist. The fact is, we’ve been burned before with people stealing stories and posting on GA. We don’t always catch it, but we try our utmost to protect authors’ rights on this site. How long does the queue take? Typically 24 hours, at the most. I say this because I check the mod queue once a day. Usually I attempt this between 5-10 AM, Pacific Standard Time, but I do have a life and things sometimes crop up. If you post at 9:00 AM and I already checked the queue, and something comes up the next day and I don’t get to it until the afternoon… you may wait longer than 24 hours. Sometimes I can review and approve submissions several times a day. Anything with questionable content triggering a team review can take up to 72 hours. Also, because we ask that authors only post a maximum of 2 chapters spaced out (morning/night, for example) if you have 2 stories or chapters waiting in the queue, I will only approve one. I might approve the second several hours later, or it might end up waiting until the next day. Please don’t overwhelm the queue, as that only makes my job harder to ensure that your stories and chapters are posted with a fair timing without overwhelming the announcement listing. Please remember I’m one person who dedicates time every day to this process, but I am not perfect. In the past we’ve found bugs with the posting system when author’s work didn’t post to the queue properly as well. IF your submission remains in the queue for an unreasonable amount of time without any contact from me, you can PM me. How long am I in the queue? There is no set time limit in the queue, but there is a cut-off point. You must have 75 likes on your forum content, stories, and chapters before you no longer face the queue. Once you have achieved that level, your updates will post when you publish them. So, it behooves an author to be active, posting consistently, and interacting with readers and other members on our forums as well. Is your decision the sole factor in submission approval? No, it’s not. As I said before, any story deemed suspect for any reason is reviewed by the forum moderation team for a fair discussion and consensus. Why can’t I edit my story/chapter or why did I get an error message when I tried to edit my story/chapter? The system has a fail-safe set in place to prevent large amounts of text in a chapter or story from being removed. We expect that you post your best work that has already been edited. If there is a serious problem, or you do not take advantage of the offer, I will remove the story/chapter content for you to repost if you PM me. Why can’t I delete my story/chapter(s)? Again, there’s a fail-safe built into the system to prevent that from occurring. Authors can place their work unpublished so no one but the author or staff can see it, but they cannot delete. No, we will not refuse to remove your work, but you must PM me to ensure complete deletion from the system. I will usually want to know why, because if there’s a problem with the story, posting, or a moderation issue with another GA member, a cooling off period and discussion can sometimes resolve the issue without the story actually being deleted. I’m so confused! How do I find help? We have a faq you can find under the ? tab in the red menu bar. The topic titled, “New Author Help: How to Post a Story” not only has our posting and content guidelines, it also has a chapter that explains what each field is for in our story submission form as well as various things unique to our system. If you’ve read the faq, and still don’t know the answer to your questions, please feel free to PM me. It can often be easier to ask ahead of time than to sort out posting issues after you attempt to post.

I've found it to be consistent posting of stories readers enjoy. If they know they get to come here every 4 days, or every Friday, or whenever, and get another fix, they tend to be more regular. Engage your readers, talk to them in the end of chapter notes. Solicit feedback on specifics: What did you think about this or that's character's thought about this event? Can so and so BE more obnoxious? The amount of participation you have toward other authors' work, via reviews, comments in forum story topics, activity on the site writing topics, etc... can help keep you noticeable. Feedback is great, but remember, reads are feedback in a way too.

I'm glad you enjoyed it! I thought... shifters, but into humans from their alien forms--not the other way around like most shifters. I do like twisting things around. I'm glad you liked the characters and plot. I can't wait to delve back into them too. Thanks for the review!

whoops! I always read your reviews, but I've been so distracted with my LL story, I forgot to come back and comment. There's a lot going on in the story--the venom, Yuri's healing, their relationship, the infiltration by the strange Tiger, Velaku's plans with the clans... so much to bring together. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. I know I'll continue to enjoy your thoughts about it too!

LOL! There are so many theories. I'm not going to tell you anything. I'm glad you liked the bits of humor I tried to interject in the chapter with the blue balls. The venom will definitely come into play this week, so I can't tell you more. LOL

Lucas' lack of choices in life, and his fear of inadequacy, were all points I wanted to relate to his decision to stay and help the boys. I'm sure we've all had moments where we wish all the uncertainty in life was gone--that all we had to do was what we could and wanted to do, and there was no way to fail. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

You guys see this about a "Earth Cousin" found? http://www.foxnews.com/science/2014/04/17/astronomers-discover-most-earth-like-planet-yet/

LMAO. I was hoping someone would pick up on that line and humor I was trying to share. It was subtle. It is definitely time to move things along! And yeah... having your butt sticking out is very disturbing for most men. It always made me laugh how easily embarrassed big guys get when you can see their tushies. Thanks for the review Belann.

It's coming. Remember, Bashta has a connection most modern Carthera don't have--plus his clan used a lot of natural medicines.

“Benny, wait.” Davis came around the corner of the corridor leading to the surgery suite. The tall Snake nearly vibrated with tension. Yuri was in the bathroom while Benny waited outside. “Dav? What’s wrong?” Benny flicked his ears. Dav’s eyes were razor thin slits. “I don’t have your sense of smell, but I can taste. I’m pretty damn sure you didn’t stand outside the balcony of your apartment and relieve yourself.” “Someone pissed on my fucking wall?” Benny clenched his jaw. His claws dug into

That's hilarious. I get that kinda thing with my kids all the time, though. It's funny showing them old tech, movies or songs.

Today we begin to replenish the Promising Author ranks with the new promotion of Thorn Wilde! Thorn's first completed novel on GA, Nemesis, is the 2013 RCA winner for a story by a new author and had 179 reviews. Fortunately, for fans of the novel completed last spring, Thorn is also posting a sequel, Soulmates Never Die, that is already over 40k in length. If novels aren't your thing, you can still read one of Thorn's many short stories--from one chapter shorts, to anthologies, to fanfictions. Of Nemesis Paul.b said: It's a great story Miles Long's thoughts on Soft: Excellent beginning, thanks. But don't forget to take the time to congratulate Thorn before you head over to read some of the many stories showcasing just why Thorn was promoted.

Thanks for reviewing, Belann. I really think Benny's got some sexy alpha tendencies and those ears going flat are like... grrr! There's going to be some changes, because Yuri is going to experience things, or re-experience them, that will affect him... but they could be good too, you know? No spoilers on all that.

You'll definitely get more of the backstory soon, but that had to come as it was relevant, so it was waiting a bit. Benny and Yuri have both changed, and I hope to really highlight that in the coming chapters. Thanks for reading, Cannd!

Sorry I missed replying to this review. It's a processing thing for Yuri with regards to relearning societal behaviors and situations, and a memory issue. He's not stupid, or a kid, you're right. As for the rest of what happens... well, that'll come as the story does. Thanks so much for reading!

“How will that help him?” Benny asked. Dr. Vancould pulled a computer out of his bag. He opened it up and then slid it sideways so everyone at the table could see it. He pulled up a video program. “Oh, movie time?” Yuri leaned forward. He smiled at him. “Kinda.” The doctor tapped the screen. The image of a brain began to rotate. “This is the brain of a Tiger Carthera. Yours, actually, Benny, since we have no other current scans from a Tiger.” The video played and began to zoom in. “This is t

Straight Shooter by Heidi Belleau It's out! I thought I'd share this review today, though I read Straight Shooter a bit back as an ARC. What can I say? I never pass up a chance to get a Heidi Belleau story. At first, I was pretty leery after I read the description. For all my open-mindedness about kinks, humiliation just doesn't do it for me. It makes me pretty uncomfortable, actually, because the shades of denigration usually feel more damaging than anything else. Plus, I somehow get embarrassed for the characters. Yes, I did spend some time reading this literally squinting with one through my fingers as I cringed from the page on my reader. I still really, really liked it. Austin was such a complex character. He had a lot going on, pressures and feelings and insecurities, and a serious issue with impulse control. I loved watching his evolution through the story as he came to know himself in a deeper way... and relate that to the people around him in positive ways. And yes, a big part of that came from the kink he explores with 'Puck'. Heidi also exposes a lot of the duality of those in the porn industry--both the good and bad sides of it. Yes, they're characters but they're people too with lives, likes, and loves completely divorced from the person on the screen. Yet... obviously that person is a part of their psyche too. Add in that Liam, aka Puck, is a real person with feelings and flaws and we have yet another lovely character driven piece of wonderful fiction. Seriously, read the synopsis and excerpt for this. If you have no issues with humiliation kink and like coming of age stories that are firmly rooted in reality--yet still have that wonderful dose of just right angst, you should read Straight Shooter. Oh, did I mention it has college jocks? Yeah. Hockey players. YUM View all my reviews

The year keeps marching right along! For April I thought I'd feature one of our newer authors. Wolfwriter recently finished her novel Your Alpha, My Mate. I thought this was the perfect time to feature a paranormal story too! I hope you enjoy the story, then come back at the end of the month for the discussion on April 28th! Your Alpha, My Mate by Wolfwriter Description: Jamie has always been picked on and seen as the weakest member of the Cajun Red Pack. He is a seventeen year old werewolf. He is seen as weak because no one has seen his wolf yet so they believe that he is so pathetic that his wolf has abandoned him. Length: 81,575 A Reader Said: I'm sad this story is done, but hopeful there will be more!!! ~ Gene63 Don't forget to come back for April's Discussion day: Monday, April 28th!

Oh yeah, so many miffed souls.

http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/pluto-reclassified-as-a-major-planet/ *snickers*

Blogging gets easier as you go along. Good luck!

Well sometimes when he likes to play around and tickle me A LOT, and I get seriously pissed cause he won't stop, so he ends up restraining me before I can nut him or some other intensely painful punishment for screwing with me. Usually it's a method for wearing me out so he can get up and run before I can get up. Of course... I like revenge cold too, and I'm devious. I usually devise all sorts of mean things to drive him crazy while I wait for my joints to stop aching.

My husband was a wrestler. I have very mixed feelings about that. Those holds freaking hurt!