Cia

That's awesome!

GA is, at its core, a free fiction website. We allow authors to post their stories here for free; some post completed stories, some do serials in progress. Currently we have over 2,800 stories. We also host various site writing activities, like weekly writing prompts, quarterly anthologies, etc ... as well. In addition, we have a Premium section of the site where we post stories for our site supporters as a thank you. GA's main purpose is to provide an open community for authors to improve and have a chance to interact closely with editors, beta readers, and regular readers. The most recent development on the site, still in progress, is our site eBook store. We are allowing authors to post their eBooks here. Free are pretty easy to post, as long as they follow the site's ToS and content guidelines. eBooks for sale are a bit more complicated as we require tax information from the author(s). At this time we haven't had a publisher request to post their stories here so that's a situation we haven't faced. We also have a chat room, personal blog area, and very active forums. There are things to do here for people looking for something to read, someone to read their stories/eBooks, or just have a sense of community with open and/or like-minded individuals.

Welcome Tehtizzles! We have a comprehensive faq on how to post a story, and you can pm me if you have any issues with posting. You can post partial elements of your work in our Sneak Peek forum if you want to try and get some feedback on the beginning of a story. Good luck on posting and welcome to the site as a member.

Covet Thy Neighbor by L.A. Witt My rating: 4 of 5 stars I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this eBook and delved right into it. I adored Tucker Springs #3 and couldn't wait for books #4 and #5 in this series. Each book focuses on a different couple, so they can be read alone, but couples show up from each in the community in this series. In Covet Thy Neighbor, Seth's conflict was quite well done and clear. He was obviously the main character and had a lot to deal with. I agree with another reviewer in that he didn't come across necessarily as a non-believing atheist, but a person whose faith had been nearly obliterated by bad experiences in a judgmental and hostile religious environment. His inability to believe he can be accepted by Darren, when they have this major difference, creates a rift inside him that he doesn't know how to bridge. The fact that Darren doesn't just believe, but is a pastor, freaks Seth out. He cannot seem to see past how he believes Darren must act, as a Christian, to how Darren is acting. Darren's character wasn't nearly as fleshed out in my opinion. He had less emotional conflict about the situation between him and Darren. I liked his interpretation of faith more than most religious characters. A fundie Christian would probably scoff, but then I don't think most fundies read MM romance, lol. I enjoyed the story, and while I wouldn't say the plot wasn't complete, I felt like it was understated. The complex emotions just didn't resonate with me, and I felt like that was less to do with me as the reader, as to the immediacy of the writing of those emotions. Even with that, L.A. Witt's ability to craft a well written story has to be applauded. I would recommend this, but not as readily as other eBooks in the series that I enjoyed just that much more. View all my reviews

<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17305027-covet-thy-neighbor" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Covet Thy Neighbor (Tucker Springs, #4)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359499031m/17305027.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17305027-covet-thy-neighbor">Covet Thy Neighbor</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3185029.L_A_Witt">L.A. Witt</a><br/> My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/576844927">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /> I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this eBook and delved right into it. I adored Tucker Springs #3 and couldn't wait for books #4 and #5 in this series. Each book focuses on a different couple, so they can be read alone, but couples show up from each in the community in this series. <br /><br />In Covet Thy Neighbor, Seth's conflict was quite well done and clear. He was obviously the main character and had a lot to deal with. I agree with another reviewer in that he didn't come across necessarily as a non-believing atheist, but a person whose faith had been nearly obliterated by bad experiences in a judgmental and hostile religious environment. <br /><br />His inability to believe he can be accepted by Darren, when they have this major difference, creates a rift inside him that he doesn't know how to bridge. The fact that Darren doesn't just believe, but is a pastor, freaks Seth out. He cannot seem to see past how he believes Darren must act, as a Christian, to how Darren is acting. <br /><br />Darren's character wasn't nearly as fleshed out in my opinion. He had less emotional conflict about the situation between him and Darren. I liked his interpretation of faith more than most religious characters. A fundie Christian would probably scoff, but then I don't think most fundies read MM romance, lol. <br /><br />I enjoyed the story, and while I wouldn't say the plot wasn't complete, I felt like it was understated. The complex emotions just didn't resonate with me, and I felt like that was less to do with me as the reader, as to the immediacy of the writing of those emotions. Even with that, L.A. Witt's ability to craft a well written story has to be applauded. I would recommend this, but not as readily as other eBooks in the series that I enjoyed just that much more.

*snickers* Renee's gonna beat on you!

Challenging Fate is one of my favorite stories of Renee's that I've beta'ed. It was an excellent fantasy with colorful dragons with a romance that helps redeem and enrich the lives of both main characters!

LOL. I think it's easier to tell with 'men' because of the stereotypes people use to judge other people. That being said, I have always found it sort of easy to tell when people are into the opposite/same sex based on body language and subtle interactions. It can be a bit harder to tell with women about how they are interested in, because so many women are touchy feely with each other without physical attraction.

Take a look at the words you use and how you use them at all times is the best route to avoid misunderstandings. I am often terse, but rarely due to anger issues. Typically I respond in a concise way to simplify and get something done-which is often necessary when I have 3-4 authors I'm conversing with about why they need to change/fix/delete something in their GA Stories submission. Check out this example of how we relate certain words with the same essential meaning with different 'tones'. These are synonyms for 'respond' with the meaning of reading a comment and commenting in return. Neutral/positive: Reply, return, answer, explain Negative: Retort, defend, dispute, parry Word choice dictates shades of meaning and tone when it comes to non-verbal communication. Not everyone will always mean things to come across how they sound, and perception varies from person to person based on the words we use, as many others pointed out. Being an adult means taking the time to discuss issues with another person about any perceived conflict openly and honestly, though we all fail at that from time to time.

I like the blend of questions! It is always great to learn more about the various authors that have joined GA, especially when they are spread across so many years. I have to say I really agree with John; Silver is an awesome character!

Two words... mind map. I like bubble.us When I rough draft out a plot idea using something so structured as a spreadsheet or a paragraph format becomes messy and disjointed. I'll have ideas for plot events 3 at the top and bottom of the page, and I hate cutting and pasting and moving crap around. Using a mind map lets me move around my idea in a 3d fashion. This way I can go with a base idea, spread out in small ideas, add contrasting plot events to pick from with branched ideas, no matter when they come to me.

OMG. I laughed my ass off at this. The kid is so damn deadpan.

International community, those a few hours ahead start the topic early sometimes I was confused at first too, lol. Happy Birthday Lughbert! *muah*

No book club this month! April Fools! Okay, so I suck at pranks. We are doing a story; this month we're going with the story suggested by Percy. I'm loving all the detailed feedback readers are sharing with each other and our authors. One of the suggestions I've heard a few times is giving short stories a chance. I'd like to feature 3 short stories, up to say, 25k each but they can be less, for next month's selections. That way people can pick and choose what to read, any or all of them. Keep that in mind for the story discussion on April, 29th so you can nominate your favorites. On to this month's selection! Josh's Blog by Carl Holiday Length: 69,713 Rating: Mature Description: Joshua Burk is sent to Pine Corner, Wisconsin, to live with his father. While there, he falls in love, twice, discovers life can be a little strange in a small town out in the cornfields, and begins an unbelievable journey of discovery and wonder. Some thoughts from a reader: I really, really like this story. This is going to be a fun ride. It's July, 1523 and some kid is BLOGGING from there. HA! Don't forget, the story discussion will be held on April 29th!

Good for you hun!

I was so hoping that wasn't the case. However, with a herniated disc, maybe they can do more than palliative measures and get you better, not just not hurting. As for the diabetes, hugs, I know that's a hard road. Keep taking care of yourself.

I hadn't yet had a chance to read and comment in the forum topic for this, so I thought I'd start it off here. I felt like this had some reverse Cinderella vibes going on, which was cool. The father being led around by the nose by the wicked stepmother was a good plot twist from the usual. I felt so bad for the dad, even though he was a dumbass and his son is having to sacrifice his joys in life, possibly, to save him. There are so many things I want to know. Will Caden get along with Rhys? Is the Prince a good or bad guy? What will happen after the wedding? Can Caden live in the world of court intrique? What are his 'differences' and do they go beyond the physical of his eyes (great old time mystique on that one, it is right up there with being 'cackhanded' in the old superstitions) and his companionship with the animals and his unwillingness to talk? I did have a quibble. I liked that the backstory was given in dialogue, however, it was very unbelievable that the dad would need to say all of that to Caden. He already knows what his life has been like, specifically the paragraph where he mentions about Caden's mother being paid off and then Mildred's actions toward Caden since then. The rest is reasonable, but that part at least was extraneous and aimed from the author to the reader, which threw me out of the story when I started questioning why that was something he felt the need to say as it didn't fit. That is a minor quibble, though, and I have so MUCH I want to know. I'd love to see this continued.

Hey Prompt Fans! Check out this week's inspiration served up hot and ready by our flash fiction guru, Comicfan. Prompt 220 – Creative Tag – First Line “Why is my underwear hanging off the chandelier?” Prompt 221 – Creative Tag – List of Words Use the following in a story – bird cage, night club, glass slipper, banana, and a fisherman. This week's prompt feature was written by Layla. I enjoyed the world, and the lack of the appearance of the prince is bugging the crud out of me. I'd love to see more of this, so maybe if she gets a lot of comments, we can find out more! Here's hoping, anyway!

Hmm... what's to stop the good Doc from immediately calling and warning them? I'm sort of wondering why they didn't warn him to stay shut up or they'll kill him, or incapacitate him until they were done tracking down Mr. Containment Agent? That being said, this is one again a very strange blending of OMG, that is just WRONG and awww, how sweet, he's jealous and cute as they threaten lives together. *snickers* You do that in a way like I've seen with no other author. So well done.

I hope you make it home, and stay there! I know, I know, you are probably aware of this and so is Dan, but door knobs! Those things harbor germs like mad. I'm the type of nut job that wipes them down daily. I will think truly good thoughts that you make a complete recovery this time and come out of all this strong AND lymphoma free.

I'm part of several groups on Goodreads, including the MM Romance group. I can honestly say that there are a LOT of dedicated people, should Amazon start mucking around with the site policies/procedures, that will probably be up in arms over it. I use the site daily, but I'm not a part of the system over there. Should it be an issue, I'll have to review my options and see if something else is available. *shakes head* I dislike how Amazon is spreading across the internet.

I am bi, always have been, always will be. It's good to have options ... well, if I wasn't married to a guy already, lol. But twice the eye candy is nice!

Great interview and I love the feedback on GA. We are actually working on navigation, so go us for keeping up with the site. There is just so MUCH to GA, it can be intimidating to newbies. I love it when folks break through that barrier and become successful though!

Oh good lord, they're having their 'first date get to know you' over cutting up a body and delivering it to a pig farm to get rid of the evidence. The blend of ordinary and completely fucked up has me totally amused. This story is good, but we need it to go somewhere. Too many chapters with just the basic life events or history get banal, even with it is happening with a psychotic immortal and pissed off vampire. I did like the sexy growl there at the end. What can I say? I love posessive jerks, lol.

This week we have a great installment by Yettie One once again, focusing on what keeps GA going ... the members! Read on to find out more... Pulse Behind the GA Crowd by Yettie One So as I hinted last month, we are going to meet a member of the horse loving community here at GA this month. Yup, I’m going to have a good chat with the writer of the Riding Lessons series of books that can be found on the profile works of Andrew Todd. Andrew has been writing and sharing his stunningly detailed stories of boys and horses here at GA since November 2012, and if you haven’t check out his stories as yet, I would suggest you do. You’ll get lost in summers of fun, childish pranks, the wonders of sexual awakening and the joys of a youth spent in the freedom of large open spaces, and in the company of some quite majestic animals. But enough about the writing, let’s discover a bit about the man. It may come as a little bit of a shock to us, but Andrew is a passionate horse loving man. 45 and a resident of Florida, Andrew describes himself as a man who’s been after finding happiness as possibly one of the more important things in life. A guy who had a thing for Jaclyn Smith, despite nature explaining to him at a later stage in his life, that she was clearly on the other team in the cricket squad. Andrew came to GA in search of the Castaway Hotel series by Bill W, a hosted author here on GA. On his blog, Andrew speaks fondly of GA, and the support and community spirit that he found here, and at the suggestion of a reader he finally plunged in and began posting his Riding Lessons series here. I asked Andrew what his favourite features of GA were, and he instantly pointed to the freedom as an author. “On GA, I am free to post stories as I want, when I want. I’ve been frustrated by being at the whim of an archivist or webmaster on other sites, so this is one of the freedoms that I cherish here at GA.” “I would have to point to ‘The Foley-Mashburn Saga’ by Brew Maxwell as my all time favourite story. Brew only submitted the one series, a wonderful legacy of love, acceptance, gay kids growing up strong. It’s a story I’ve read about 7 or 8 times and one I’ll never get tired of.” Andrew’s exuberance as he talks of this story has prompted me to add it to my list of books to find and read. Others included in his top five favourite tales include. The Adventures of Trey and Jay, The Castaway Hotel series by Bill W, A New Life & Life Goes On by The Eggman and Andrew indicated to me he couldn’t leave out ‘Dust and Ash’ by TMcCallahan. When it came to his favourite authors, Andrew struggled a bit. “It is so hard to chose just five,” he complained at me, but still, at my insistence he managed to come up with this list. “If you are going to check out some really great writers, then I’d recommend; Brew Maxwell, Bill W, Sequoyah, The Eggman, Jeff Allen.” I asked Andrew if he was ticklish, and with a cheeky giggle he answers, “Hell yes, but please stay well away, I don’t want to squeal like a girl.” I can’t help but giggle with him at the thought. Weakness discovered. Andrew finds deep blue eyes attractive. “Actually the deeper the better,” he confirms. I asked Andrew about a positive impact he’s experienced from his time on GA, and after a short pause he points firmly to the feedback he’s experienced on the site. “Everyone has been so welcoming and encouraging. It’s a great community to be a part of. Writing, for me, started as a whim, and the fantastic encouragement I get here has only helped me continue.” It is a common trend I find talking to members each month. There is a wonderful sense of community here at GA. I ask Andrew if he had one thing he’d improve about GA, what it would be. “I’d make the site a little more navigable,” he suggests. “I’ve had readers that read my stuff on other sites refuse to come to GA as they find it too hard to navigate,” he tells me. As ever, meeting, chatting to, and listening to Andrew has been a pleasure this month. I really do enjoy my time finding out about the Pulse Behind the GA Crowd series of interviews, asking writers about their time on GA, and discovering more and more hidden gems here at GA. Next month, I have a chance to chat with a rising star here at GA, a young man who’s writing I’m learning to admire and thoroughly enjoy. Until then, I am so greatful to Andrew Todd for his open and candid answers to my questions, and please if you haven’t met him yet, visit, read, say hi and get to meet a really great guy, just one part of the big picture that makes GA such a special place to be. Until next month, be good everyone. Hugs and snuggles The Yettie.