Cia

Not always I chalk this one up to 'early learning'. I'm not an expert on the Feds, and I'll admit, the bad guy climax scene is awfully convenient. I try to do a bit better at believability than this story nowadays. Thanks for the review Timothy!

Happy November to everyone! The seasons just keep on marching along and soon it will be winter, with all the indoor snuggling time the cold brings. For you southern hemisphere folks, you can just beat the heat by staying in the AC too, lol! Either way, you can have a great time reading this month's CSR Book Club selection, The House Always Wins by Andr0gene. The House Always Wins by Andr0gene Length: 51,963 Description: $20,000, 1 month, 1 lie. What a Reader Had to Say: Two things 1) perfect ending to the story, I am glad it didn't change 2) you are an awesome writer but more chapters and more stories hehe. I read you stories, they suckered me write in then boom they are all done. I can't wait for the next story!!! ~ Daithi Happy Reading, and don't forget, the CSR Discussion Day for this story will be on Nov. 25th.

If I had to pick a decision that made the biggest impact on my life it'd be choosing to return movies instead of turning left to go home 2 blocks before a drunk driver hit my husband and me, causing me a lifelong injury and daily pain. That pain and the annoyance of rearranging my life makes you step back and think... what if I'd done this instead? What if I'd done that? It can also lead to a lot of bitterness if you dwell on bad choices. I try not to let myself second guess decisions. Our choices change the direction our lives take each and every day. Simple things can change everything, like returning two movies, taking a flight of stairs instead of the elevator, or not going up to that person you had a crush on and saying hi. There might be a lot I'd do differently in my life, but why worry about what I cannot change? Why not face ahead and leave the 'if' game behind.

Are you saying only guys have unrequited crushes, or gay people? Or that's just who you can personally empathize with? LOL So many of us face these situations. Okay, I was a 'kid' in the following situation, but then again, I met my hubby at 16 so that's the only age I have to pull from. I had the biggest crush on this guy I was really good friends with. We hung out, studied together, he was always loaning me his jacket, invading my personal space to sit close/give me those arm over the shoulder walk down the hall hugs. All those gave me mixed messages... until the day he said he didn't want to go to the dance with me and by the way, was my sister dating anyone? Talk about an embarrassing crash and burn. Then again, I got over it, and we stayed friends all through high school. Yes, it is even harder when you also have to decipher the sexuality of the crush, but we've all been there. I'm bi, I can remember a time or two wondering if a girl would be receptive but not being willing to risk it growing up in the homophobic environment I lived in. I think in many ways this type of situation is part of growing up. How we deal with it determines the type of person we are and the type of relationship we want to have with the other person. One element I don't think anyone covered is make sure you're safe when you talk to the other person. No matter what age you are, you can't always predict other's reactions. If you have any inkling that the person you're telling might react violently, you should be careful about when/where and especially how you mention your sexuality and/or your crush.

Finding Home by Diana DeRicci My rating: 5 of 5 stars Sometimes, I like a feel good story. Diana DeRicci's story, Finding Home, starts out rough for our main character, Parker. He's gotten the crap kicked out of him by life. Sometimes, pride is all a person has left but Parker takes the ride and the $20 offered to him by a well-meaning older man. Even more amazingly... just a short time later, he takes the help offered by a local gay couple, one of which is a local cop, to stick around for a while. People pop up to help Parker settle in to Jasper. No one offers him a handout after the initial effort of the ride and a bit of money for food, but they certainly offer him a hand up. I loved the realism of the struggles Parker faces as he begins to stand on his own two feet once more. Diana could've given us a pat romance device of uniting Parker with his first love, and the reason for his journey on the road, but she's a better writer than that. I loved the interweaving of Parker's past life and people from it with the connections he was making in the present with Ian and Caleb's families. I adored Summer, as we were meant to, of course. Okay, so the plot moves a bit fast for all the changes and the emotional leaps for the characters. I'd have enjoyed more story and getting to know Parker and his romantic interest more as a couple. That, however, is exactly what every really good story I read leaves me wanting. I know as an author that isn't always the way it works, but as a reader, I WANT! lol All in all, I definitely recommend reading this story! Oh, and I read this outside of the series, having never read the first or second, and had no troubles keeping up with the story as a stand alone. I'm sure I might have been more familiar with a few of the other characters had I read it after them, but it wasn't necessary. View all my reviews

Life isn't a gay romance. All the 'signs' in the world can be nothing more than your hope and desires. Yet, for every 'we didn't tell each other but we were both wanting it' there is a grain of truth. For some people, it CAN work out like that. The flip side is that for every one of those stories you can find a 'I told him I want/love him and he flipped and we're no longer friends' story. Again, grain of truth. Sometimes events do lead to that. For ANY relationship, communication is key. Friends, lovers, committed couples... honesty and being able to talk about things between you is the only way things really work. You have that choice though. Communicate and ask him flat out and risk losing him as a friend, or have him shoot you down but stay friends (probably after an awkward period) or he may not be comfortable being friends with you at all knowing you're attracted to him. Or you can say nothing and not expect anything to change. Oh, and the touching a person while they're sleeping and cannot/have not given consent? That's assault. Probably should avoid doing that in the future, beyond just the creepiness factor.

Sayer's up for a butt kicking for sure, but he may have fallen victim to his own hubris. Then again, sometimes events don't give you the time you really want to think things through. I'm glad you liked this chapter! Things are really ramping up to a climax now. Some of your questions will be answered next week.

A very sad story I so didn't expect that ending.

Ooh, great voice over! Thanks so much for reading Gene. The 1k limit does make it really hard, but I try to make each week exciting and move the story along. Next week will definitely be pivotal!

I don't try but that 1k word count makes it hard to do anything else, lol. So much to tell, so few words to tell it in. The risk of drawing power, when Sayer was already showing signs of being affected more and more was dangerous, but necessary. Now... what will Birch do? You'll find out next week!

“I can do that with my glasses! I’m sure I can.” Vernon frowned. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with this.” The Alchemist frowned. “What do you think will happen to me? I’m sure the king will bring guards, and you’ll be there.” “What if we find the source of magic and someone becomes a Darkling? The very person who is supposed to keep you safe might put you in danger.” Sayer couldn’t order the Alchemist to help him, or Vernon to not voice his very real fears. He had similar concerns for B

16 years committed to the day in and day out that is the slog of walking side by side with another person. Sometimes it's great and sometimes... not, lol. I don't think it is outdated at all, just hard and people have grown lazy. When I read, though, I want commitment to the ideal of romance. Not froofy gestures, but the time spent together taking care of the one you love. Even when it isn't the easy thing to do.

A story with Butts in the title? Where can you go wrong? LOL Check out this month's interview with the author of Wrangler Butts and share your thoughts about his story. Don't forget to vote for next month's story too! Without further ado... I bring you: RedDirtWriter. I love to get to know a bit more about our authors, so how about we start this interview with a little bit about you? What don’t we know? Okay, let me think. I’m not too unique, or at least I don’t think I am. I guess I’d say that I’m a reader first and foremost. I was that kid in grade school that when the public library had their summer reading challenge, I read that many books during the first week. I was the guy in junior high whose dad would yell “Get your damn nose out of those books and get outside and do something useful.” That’s me. I’m perfectly happy to be lost in a world of my own imagination. Okay, a very important question… Vanilla or Chocolate? Oh, that’s an easy one. Vanilla. The stronger the vanilla flavor the better. Now that we have that out of the way, when did you first begin writing? I started writing fiction pretty recently. Wrangler Butt was actually the first fiction I’ve written. Maybe something in the dim recesses of high school, but nothing I can remember. I’d been a long time follower of on-line sites like GA and the stories with rural characters weren’t the way I wanted them to be, so I finally decided either shut up or give it a shot. So I did. Man, my writing has improved since I started, but now the challenge is not to lose my voice behind all the rules. Like everything, it takes practice. But it’s still about the story, and I’ve been making up stories and telling them to anyone who’d listen since I was three or four. Apparently long before I could read, I would flip through the books and make up my own tale based on the illustrations. Who supports you the most? A reader that became a friend, family, fellow authors? I have several loyal readers who keep in touch and are so supportive. Also the person who works with me on the on-line stuff is great to bounce ideas off and see what he thinks. But I was terrified when I sent my first submission. I think it took three days for me to get enough courage to send it. I just knew I’d be shredded, but that’s not what happened at all. I got a few, very gentle, suggestions that I should have someone proof read for me.  Mostly I got great emails that have continued since where my readers share their appreciation of the stories. I’ve actually gotten that email saying “I’m hard and crying, now what do I do?” Definitely reader support has kept me doing it. I’m always a little disappointed when a posting doesn’t get much response. When did you get the idea for Wrangler Butts? Well the name came from a friend of mine in college. She drove a pickup and had a bumper sticker that said “Wrangler Butts Drive Me Nuts” I always thought it was hilarious. But then she also did mud wrestling, so she was a bit of a unique personality. The story itself was total discovery writing. The initial Darrin and Mitch are based on people I knew when I was much younger. Well, more like a combination of several people. But as the stories have evolved, the characters have developed personalities that are uniquely their own. I’ve been writing them now for a couple of years and they’re like old friends. It’s so comfortable to write about them. They have a cameo in a new novel I’m working on, and it was such a nice familiar feeling to be writing about them again. But the little dickens, they still throw me a curve ball from time to time. Can you share a bit about your current work with us? Anything coming up real soon for readers? Oh wow, lots of stuff actually. I tend to have several things going so I can switch around if I need a break from one of them. I’m continuing to work on my current online project “Lariats and Lacrosse Sticks” about two college roommates who fall for each other. My first published piece “Heart of the Pines” is coming out on December 1 under the pen name of Jon Keys as part of DreamSpinner Press’s 2013 Advent Calendar. I also am now one of the “Wednesday Briefs” group and posted the first chapter of a new serial titled “Controller” last week. It’s a story about the ups and downs of someone who’s new to college, and still working on the whole relationship thing. I have another novella “Home Grown” submitted to a publisher and should hear back in December. Fingers crossed. It’s a romance between one of the venders at the farmer’s market and a hard-core foodie who is one of his regular customers and how they’re dealing with baggage that each of them have. A little further out I’m finishing a new story called “Rekindling” that I’m submitting for DreamSpinner Press’s Open Call “Juicy Bits”. I’m also working through the edits on a new contemporary western called “Drawing the Devil”. Set in the homophobic world of rodeo, it’s a story about an up and coming bullrider and one of the rodeo bullfighters (rodeo clowns). Hmm, let’s see. Oh, I recently finished the rough draft on my first M/M/F story. “Three is Just Enough” is about a young polyamorous trio who are working out the intricacies of a relationship between three people. And, in a final fit of insanity, I’m doing NaNoWriMo starting November 1st. “Obsidian Sun” is a story that I’ve been planning for a long time and I’m excited for it to see the light of day. It’s one of those that everyone has, the one you keep back until you’re good enough to do it justice. But I’ve decided to just “Let ‘em buck” as Mitch would say. This will be a first for me, an alternative history fantasy with a cool magic system based on weaving. Wow, it’s a little daunting to see it all written out. I’m really not as crazy as that list looks. There are other plot bunnies, but new ones at this point get put in the plot bunny pasture where they can all play together and keep each other entertained until I need them. One last question. The final question. One you must answer with all honesty… What are you wearing? It’s a lazy cold weekend and I’m taking full advantage of it. I have on a tee, sweatshirt and pants from UnderArmour. Maybe wearing athletic clothes will inspire me to work out. Nah, probably not. LOL! Thanks for the great interview! Okay folks, you know the drill. Share the story love and share you thoughts on the story. Check out the options below for the stories for next month, and don't forget to vote! Hello, My Name Is... by Naptowngirl Attraction by meanderingsNmusings Messy Business by Myiege The House Always Wins by Androgene

You know, I hate Spongebob, but you hit it on the nose with Scoobster. Nice name for your little girl. Definitely caught my attention, lol.

The curse of a flash story, updates are mandated at set times. But at least they come each week, right? I like mixing things, contemporary/paranormal/fantasy/sci-fi... and making the mundane magical or the magical mundane. More coming Wednesday!

Sorry for the late reply! The root... oh, the root... you may be closer than you know. I'll leave you with that. LOL

The fae was almost happy. I think being a Darkling scared the crap out of him. I think the answer is coming soon for you! Thanks again for being patient with my slow responses.

Sorry! Things have been a bit crazy. Thanks so much for reading Take Flight. I like to keep perspective for my characters. Birch is a human in a new world so he sees things the way he has always done... human

Illumination by Rowan Speedwell My rating: 4 of 5 stars Illumination was a fascinating eBook. I was worried the subject matter would revolve around the day in and day out of a rock star. While it did matter, quite a bit, Adam wasn't really the focus of this eBook. Miles is, by far, the driving character behind the story, though we don't meet him first. He is complex, and has a personality behind the personality. I don't want to give away any of the lovely complexities in this story via spoilers... but what you think you know about him gets completely turned around as the story progresses. Rowan's multi-layered character must be acknowledged as a superior example of how to write a person in a story that feels completely real. I loved the damage the characters have, and the challenges they face, and the strength it takes for them to overcome. There's a lot of external drama, and internal, between Miles and Adam. I dislike the lack of communication being a pivotal point between characters, but in Illumination that was actually a part of their personalities that made perfect sense. It wasn't just to drive the conflict to new heights, there were understandable reasons why the romance devolves. Now, I won't get more explicit than that. There's angst, and drama, and some heart-break, emotional flaws, anger... and art. I can't forget about the art. I'm in love with the visuals Rowan created for the illuminations Miles did, so much so that I wanted one. I wish the cover could have shown that aspect of the story better. It felt like a color by number marker painting, not an intricate, custom illumination around a page of script. So, all in all, to sum up... great characters, good drama, and a satisfying ending that I won't spoil, lol. View all my reviews

There has been a time or two, or ten, over the years when I've wished for brain bleach to be a reality. Usually this happens from the authors who join and post without bothering to read our FAQ, which is a huge pet peeve of mine, anyway. LOL

I still like to think GA, which in reality is the site staff, is pretty fair when we review/censor 'questionable' material, including that which shows different, often uncomfortable, facets of society and personal relationships. We have strict limits, and we have soft limits. When we are confronted by an issue, we discuss it as a team. I am the front line in reading stories from new authors, Renee is the front line of the anthologies, and we all keep an eye on the content older authors post. If anyone has issues with content we find, or we get a report from members, we ALL discuss it so that we get a fair, consistent decision with as much of a consensus as possible. Limits are set on behavior all the time in real life, and GA is no different. I don't think we all need to write sanitized, life is wonderful and no one acts in ways uncomfortable/inappropriate/flat out wrong types of stories, but I do think how some subjects are approached, and shared, must be limited. You can find similar issues online in some other places affecting publishing authors as well. There has been a lot of controversy over some mainstream retailers/payment facilitating sites who are limiting certain types of fiction because they're 'immoral and/or obscene'. Paypal stirred up some serious crap last year when they struck out against bestiality, rape, incest, and pseudo-incest by imposing sanctions against sites that allowed that content, forcing them to either use an alternate payment method or comply with their regulations. Amazon has been accused this year of making it harder for fans of erotica to find content by excluding certain tagged titles from searches, thus imposing a subtle form of censorship on authors who choose to write sensitive material. All this boils down to the decision authors have to make for themselves. Is the 'censored' content necessary for the story they are writing? Do they want to work within the confines of the regulations being imposed by whatever sites they are using (GA, Amazon, etc...) or will they find another place that allows them to write what they want to share?

I was actually talking about this with my mother in law last night. She likes the books, a lot, but wasn't sure about the original actor for that plot. I didn't get past the author's first flawed research examples. Admittedly, I went into reading it with a chip on my shoulder based on the 'it was just fan-fiction when I wrote it' excuses she'd had, but still... look at a damn map, at least, if you put your plot in a real place! I don't have any interest in the story as a movie either, though hopefully they won't be leave Vancouver, and drive North to Seattle... through Portland which is south of Vancouver.

“While we wait for the Alchemist, I thought you might like to try out your wings.” Birch stumbled against a small table near the fireplace. “What?” “We’ve been ignoring them because we have bigger problems, but… you have wings, Birch. Flying is the one thing I never thought we’d share. I love the freedom of soaring through the air.” “I-I don’t know.” Birch licked his lips. “What if I fall?” Sayer could remember some rough tumbles when he learned to fly. The field wasn’t too hard, but Bir

Normal is a loaded word. Is it 'normal' to believe that a person well above consenting age, who is responsible for the emotional and physical well-being of a minor, engage in a sexual relationship with them that is not only illegal but could lead to emotional and social scarring should it be exposed? Or is it 'normal' to think that is wrong and should not be shown as sexually appealing by being written into a story meant to titillate readers? Like it or not, our cultures do have some moral boundaries set by general consensus. Some are more harmful than others, some change and others do not. While I believe in exploration and freedom of expression, I adhere to the guidelines set down by GA and even agree with most of them wholeheartedly. This is where my 'don't make me message you for violating our guidelines' aspect comes into play when it comes to expressing yourself as an author. I don't consider that censorship that in any way is geared toward people who identify themselves as LGBT. I consider that protecting ourselves, and the site, since we are the ones who could be held responsible for the content. When we had FSO active, the guidelines were the same and that site was geared to attracted writers with heterosexual stories. A big example of the risk of not enforcing our guidelines could be losing our ad revenue if we were to allow nude images on the site. That 'censorship' is in place for a reason that has little to do with sexuality and much to do with legality/social morality. We follow outside guidelines for that reason, and enforce them with members through our own guidelines, because there are repercussions we don't wish to face. There are always going to be limits people have to put up when their necks are on the line, even when it comes to pushing boundaries. Whether that be in society at large, an online setting, or a personal setting, you have to decide if you wish to abide by them for yourself. That decision can lead authors to stay on the site, or go elsewhere... but as always, that's your choice.

Interestingly enough, what Graeme mentions as 'censoring' when it comes to published fiction, I consider marketing. I'm an avid watcher of the trends and when I choose eBooks out of my material to submit to publishers, I try to use those that I believe will actually sell, and sell well. I'm not always successful, but since I've sold close to 5,000 eBooks this year, I think that sort of attention to what I write and present to the masses is vital. Know your audience, know or guess well what they want, and then give them that. That's not to say I throw out pat material just to sell. I've no intention of ever submitting my Carthera stories, not because I don't believe they are good enough to be published, but because I don't think the content itself lends well to publishing. I still wrote it, and plan to continue to write in the world. Since I intend to offer free fiction all the time, as well as sell, I get to write whatever takes my fancy too. GA's a bit more lenient in the underage/violent/sexual graphic content than the publishing world tends to be. I think this is somewhat along the guidelines of 'gay community', and how that as a whole is/should/might be censored.... Stereotypes about behavior and mannerisms still persist that lead a lot of people to make assumptions about the type of person you have to be if you don't identify as straight. Lesbian women are butch or super fem, gay men are limp-wristed lispers, jocks can't be gay, etc.. etc... If that's you, then should you change to be less like the stereotype, or is being yourself perpetuating the cycle? Why should anyone change because they are worried about how other people think? If it is safe for you to be yourself (some people cannot due to home/life/country situations) then do so! Be happy and screw everyone else. The same goes for your writing. If it's safe for you to do so (and me being forced to message you for violating our guidelines is not safe, lol) then explore content ideas that might not be for everyone. If they don't like it, they don't have to read it.