Cia

He needed to! I love Ellis too. He's a great character.

Ellis is pretty determined. Plus, he works with a doctor. Who knows what might come of him trying to help?

“Fuck off!” Benny crossed his arms over his chest and raised one eyebrow. “No. I told you to let him go. He’s working, not here to dance, and I heard him tell you that himself. Now I’m telling you it’s time to leave.” The new bartender yanked his arm back, and the drunk idiot who’d grabbed him let go. He scurried back around the corner. Benny didn’t move, not even to flick an ear. He’d walk this guy out, if he didn’t leave on his own. Well, the moron would make it outside. Walking was optiona

I saw that on the news tonight. My hubby's high school used to play Kennewick's. I have to say, growing up in that area? Yeah, poor kid cause it is NOT exactly alternative individual friendly. More power to him! Though, at least he's part of the kicking team and less likely to face a lot of violent reaction on the field. There are a LOT of rules about roughing a kicker.

Just in case you're serious... uh no. I announced we'd be discussing it at the beginning of the month like I do each month for CSR.

I aim to please! Benny's story sucked me in too. More will be here on Wednesday with my Briefers flash group.

Welcome to the CSR Discussion day for Totallyy's shorts. I hope you all enjoyed diving into them this month. I asked Totallyy a few probing questions in an Author interview for his Discussion day feature, and he has also agreed to come do a 'live' Q&A from 9 to 10 PM, Eastern Standard Time. If you can't make it, simply add your questions or comments to the blog comment area and Totallyy will answer them as he can, or during his life chat. If you haven't read any of his stories yet, go check some out through this link. They're several you could read in just a few minutes! We’ll start with a bit about you… So, what do you do in ‘life’? I’m in University, finishing off my freshman year. Barely 3 more months till I’m done with my first year and it is freaking me out a little. Yikes. Single people tend to write more… so, you single? Hahahahhaha. I have most recently become attached. So, no, I’m not single for now, though I had been for a long time. Lol. He’s my first real relationship, so I guess we’ll see if my pens start drying up. Do you eat your fruits and vegetables? Yes and yes, though I thoroughly believe in having my vegetables cooked first. I can barely stomach salads. I’m trying to cut junk out from my life but sugar-cravings are hard to resist. Fruits and veges help quell the guilt. So, make your bed or leave it messy? Why put in that much effort into tidying up something that’s going to be messed up in a couple hours anyways? Although, I must say that making my bed might deter me from taking as many naps as I do. Lol. And finally… and you must be honest… What are you wearing? My University Hoodie, University sweatpants [YAY! SCHOOL SPIRIT!], my nerdy glasses and fuzzy fuzzy socks. It’s -20degC tonight. Of course, true to form as a gay guy, I’m also wearing the mandatory uniform: cute underwear under all that! Ooh, la la! On to other things, now that we know that, lol! What brought you to GA? I started reading later than most, when I was about 10. I really got into fiction and I’ve never stopped since. But somewhere in my teens, I started to feel a disconnect with the stories I was reading because of my burgeoning sexual awareness. I craved to be validated and assured that “people like me” could be protagonists of our own stories instead of the odd supporting character. I started looking, at first in bookstores, then on the Internet and finally arrived here. It did take me 7 years before I joined as a member though and put up my own work. Hahahhaha. What’s your favorite part of the site? I think it’s the accessibility. There are literally no barriers to entry. Its simplicity makes it easy for tech-idiots [Can I say idiot?] like me to start posting. I did survey some other places when I started getting interested in putting up my work. Needless to say, laziness is my greatest hurdle. Also, I doubt I would have written as much as I have if not for the great feedback from the community of readers and fellow authors. I’ve never had so many people read my work and to have heard only genuinely sincere and constructive feedback is probably one of the most heartwarming things I’ve ever experienced. When did you begin writing? I started writing when I was 13/14, I think, if you can count horribly sappy poems as real writing. It was an outlet. I coded my very potent emotions into labyrinths of words and rhyme, which only those whom I chose to give the cipher to could decode. Looking back, it was my way of coping, of rebelling quietly against the pressures that told me I had to keep my sexuality a secret. The voices that told me I couldn’t run around proclaiming the schoolboy crushes I had and drooling openly over f-abs-ulous guys. Hahahahah. So, why short stories? I like capturing moments in time. We read stories; novels, shorts, whatever you will, to feel connected to other people. Perhaps it is to relate to another person, to not feel so alone, maybe it is to experience a life we would never be able to live, or explore the crossroads of what-ifs we’ve left behind somewhere. But I find that I most often feel pangs of recognition at certain moments, seldom lasting more than a page, in which I feel kinship with the characters. I believe that these moments are universal, and can stand alone with neither introduction nor resolution, because they’re about common human experience. So, I try my best to write about them. Also, did I mention I was a lazy college student? The time-commitment required for something of novel length that I was satisfied with enough to put up will consume my life. Besides, some of the works I’ve posted have been with great hesitation because it didn’t really feel ready. Hahahahahah. Do you have a favorite? Why? Oh gosh, this is hard. I had to go back and look at all the things I wrote for this one. I couldn’t pick one favourite but I will say which few I’ve gone back and read over and over again. First Snow makes me feel dreamy and pensive. This Is How I Speak is essentially my fear, that my constant fumbling with words and thoughts will ruin the beautiful things in my life, crystallising. The “essay” Growth from Feelings I Don’t Know How to Say Otherwise is probably one that I turn over and over again in my mind quite often. The funniest part about that one though, is that I literally started typing it up after a conversation with the person who inspired it. It was special even though it was really short. The person is a friend that was and is of great importance in my life. Oh wow, this is harder than I thought it would be. Looking at my writing, I feel like I’ve littered pieces of myself in the spaces between the words. It’s so painful to choose! I Am Fine, Tomorrow, I Promise & Wedding Jitters probably come close to being next. Okay, now for the most important question of all… it’s vital that we know this answer… Tom or Jerry? Tom! Tom! Tom! I’ve never understood the Jerry-sympathisers. In my opinion, Jerry’s kind of an ass, constantly gloating and making life difficult for the poor cat. As if life isn’t hard enough without the fact that you’re a big failure in your niche being rubbed in your face constantly. I guess we know which you’d root for, the coyote or the roadrunner! LOL Thanks so much for taking part in the interview, Totallyy! Okay, now it's time for you to share your thoughts! Do you want to share a review you left or wanted to leave? Do you have a favorite? Don't forget to come back for Totallyy's live chat from 9-10 PM, EST!

Me, happy I had a reader so in the moment that when I broke it off abruptly it scared them? Nooooo! There are subtle nuances in the story that will come to bear later, but I can't share them now. So evil of me, I know! lol

Well, Velaku is a good leader, but doesn't keep tabs on Yuri personally. Benny's come more to his attention due to everything happening since he took the leadership. Still, he has to be aware of many things... of course, some that I haven't shared with you yet that will be important to the story. Benny's been alone for a while, but I think the matings around him are making him remember those moments more. Of course that comes out in his dreams as he's far too busy, and too controlled, to give into the pain he feels too often. I'll share more of the timeline as I can, but I don't want to give too much away. Thanks so much for the review, Cannd!!

Oh, the Alpha... don't worry, you will definitely find out more with Benny and Yuri's history, through their future. I don't like doing too many flashbacks, but I needed to show the 'big event' that changed Benny's life. It makes sense that he'd have a lot of nightmares about that attack. I won't share how I plan to try and treat Yuri, of course, lol. Sorry! I know I'm a bit tight-lipped, but this won't be a novel so I can't spoil the events that will be coming soon. At least you won't have long to wait to find out, right? LOL Thanks so much for the thoughtful review, Sonya!

Well, my 'Carthera Shorts' have secondary characters from my trilogy, but don't exactly fit in the timeline sequentially. I try to make them standalone, but it is difficult. Luckily, most of my readers have already enjoyed the trilogy so it's not a problem. Benny has a lot of friends, but he needs his other half. I always feel bad for him too, so it's about time I wrote his story! Thanks so much for the review Belann!

I'm going to try. I will not commit right now to more than every other week, because I am still trying to finish AE and then I have a few other projects I'm trying to work on too. I have to pick and choose what to write and when, but I want to update this one more than once a week during the flash on Wednesdays, yes, especially during scenes that need to be longer to really flesh them out. Thanks for the review Mann!

Thanks m.p. Poor Benny has been through the wringer. I wanted to share some of what he goes through, plus share some of Yuri's personality and their relationship, along with the alpha's rage at his son. More will be coming Wednesday. Thanks for reviewing!

Benny didn’t expect to thank Velaku in person, but he had to find out what Brad told the Falcons. The safety of Ellis, Davis’ mate, as well as the other Carthera that worked at the bar, was at stake. A meeting with the leader of all the Carthera clans wasn’t something Benny could refuse to attend when they’d been invited, even if his boss had. At least they discovered the only surviving members of Mishtar’s band of traitors who tried to take over Velaku’s territory were small players. Thugs and

Fantasy and Reality are two very different things. Just as a woman you work with cannot fall in love with you and make you change from being gay, you cannot fall in love or lust with a straight man and make him gay. I think the gay for you story trope does a disservice to many people. We are what we are, and that's that. Obviously there are sliding scales of sexuality and attraction, but beyond the fact this guy doesn't appear to be interested in you from your post, you have a position of authority over him. Violating that position, especially with a subordinate who doesn't identify as gay or bi or even mildly interested in men, would make you a perpetrator of sexual harassment. That is definitely not something you want to be known for. Feelings aren't always logical, of course. But without a reciprocal relationship, it's really hard to consider yourself in 'romantic love'. Staying in love takes a lot of work, on both parts of those in a relationship. If I were you, I'd focus more on keeping him as a friend and look elsewhere for a romantic relationship where you're more likely to find someone interested back.

Thanks Celethiel. Writing a flash story is a challenge when it comes to creating a smooth arc, I agree. And it can leave plot holes. Still, the bones of the story are there. Thanks so much for the review!!

LOL! Yes, gambling is bad. Especially when you do it with the magical remnants of an alien being capable of invoking revenge from beyond the grave. If only I was a more dedicated writer, I'd have all the time to write these stories. I've been reading fantasy since I was a little girl; it's definitely a favorite genre of mine. Coming up with something different to everything else already out there is a challenge, but I enjoy that aspect as well. Sometimes I am inspired by oddball ideas, like the idea of the planet being self-aware, in a way, and the idea of 'synchronicity' within the tale as a concept. I do still really want to write this story, and I'm on my way to finishing up the other stories I wanted to write first. Thanks so much for the lovely review, hun!

Wow, what a lovely review, Ricky! Thank you. This is one of my earlier pieces, but it was a story I identified closely with, which might sound a bit strange. LOL I'm so glad you enjoyed the story.

We have a bit of a conundrum here. The Broncos are my son's favorite team, but being as we live in Washington, we're big Seahawks fans too. It just means everyone in my house will be happy no matter what, lol.

I agree with Matt. There's no way to control variables while racing on a public street. There's never an excuse to drive drunk. We all know he ain't hurting for cab fare, hell limo fare! I highly doubt he'll get anything more than a slap on the wrist though.

This story is mostly dedicated to Benny, for obvious reasons of course. Yuri's POV won't come until later. Don't worry, if you don't want to re-read Hypnotic you'll get some info in the next update. I'm trying to make this story standalone, so of course some background is necessary. Don't worry though, I also have a lot of plans to move the story forward.

Yeah, there's a lot going on. Inside of You didn't tie in as closely to the timeline, but Jerret was a minor character. Benny is an integral secondary character in Hypnotic, so I needed to tie his story in a bit closer, especially given some of the plot events to come. Thanks for reading, Timothy!

To me a troll inserts their personal thoughts/opinions into a subject with no regard to the feelings of those who disagree. Debate is, and should be, lively but it doesn't have to become offensive. Attacking a differing view because you don't agree, with offensive and/or disparaging language, is trolling. Do unto others, you know? If I want my opinions based on whatever research/experience I have to be respected I must respect others' as well. I may think they're wrong or idiotic, or wrong and idiotic, but that's beside the point. Adults can--and should--be able to disagree without devolving into bickering children. Unfortunately, that's seldom the case.

Don't worry Sonya, I rarely do bittersweet endings. The story is never easy, though. Thanks for reading Sonya!

“Damn dreams.” Benny shuddered. Time for a shower. Benny had to wash the clammy sweat off. He glanced at the clock on the microwave as he stumbled past the kitchen to the bathroom. Six o’clock. The sun would be up soon. The lights flicked on with an annoying buzz. The dim light didn’t hide his haggard reflection. Benny brushed a hand over his scalp. He needed to shave. His hands shook a too much to handle a razor to get a truly close shave, but Benny plugged in his electric and ran it over his