Cia

The first time someone hit a button on their belt, the same one I’d seen Garjah wear so many times, and a light shimmered over them, I didn’t realize what it was. The second time I gawked. The third, I realized that their suits were really some sort of personal force shield technology. We had barely made ours small enough for ships, much less a person! It was hard to accept that personal security of a shield was equal to the feeling of being encased in a suit, however. “Will that really wor

If a reader finds a chapter with this template error in a story from an active author on GA, please message that author so they can fix it. If you did, thanks! If not, I'm PM'ing Quokka now but I wanted to say this just in case someone else comments.

“Don’t kill me, don’t kill me! I-I can help you. Mereval, I know where she is. She commed us the orders, so I put a tracker on her signal, just in case.” Garjah’s smile was a thing of sadistic beauty. “I didn’t train you, but at least you aren’t that stupid. Where’s the tracker?” “P-pocket.” “Essell?” Garjah wanted me to get it? Oh, orderer of the beast and all that. Stars! It was that, or he’d been able to smell that the man really had soiled himself because I was not happy I had

Did you catch Monday's feature of CassieQ's story, Insomnia? Did the ad catch your eye? Well, if not, maybe this excerpt will. You don't want to miss it!! Want to read more? Click here

I might be known for burning the candle at both ends, and I often feel the ill-effects of insomnia, so I loved this take by @CassieQ on the topic several years ago. For some people, insomnia means not getting to sleep, or not staying asleep, but we've all had moments where our minds played tricks on us after a long night, much less day after day of long nights. I hope you will like taking a look back at the creative take on the theme. So... what keeps you up at night? Length: 23,332 Description: Between the dreams, the sleep deprivation, and the hallucinations, teenage loner Casey is left wondering if he really is going crazy. A Reader said: A beautiful story with just the right amount of fantasy. Thank you for sharing! ~ Puppilull If you want to spread the word about CassieQ' story, download the graphic below and add it to your signature! Make sure you come back on Wednesday to see the excerpt I chose to share!

A blaring alarm woke me, but Garjah was already up and out of our makeshift bed. He had a weapon in two of his hands, and he was manipulating the comms with his other ones. My body screamed at me from laying in such an awkward position, but I’d spent enough time living rough to know that moving was the only way to ease the stiffness. “What is it?” “Movement.” “An animal?” It was probably unlikely in the city, but what did I know? I still hadn’t had the chance to study the plants o

Our Review Team has put together a list of all the Reviews they did in 2022. You can click on any of them to see the actual blog. Maybe there was one that you said you'd read, maybe one piques your interest now, or maybe one looks like it would be a foray into a different genre. No matter what the reason, here is your second chance to see the Review. Of course, we wouldn't get these great reviews without GA's Review Team, and they have room for more! Would you like to share your thoughts on a story or two in a featured blog each year?! Please PM @Timothy M. and @Cia to volunteer! Thank You, Review Team!! @Aditus @chris191070 @Parker Owens @spike382 @Timothy M. 2022 January 24: 2021 Reviews Revisited - Timothy M. Reader comment: This is a valuable feature of GA. Cheers to all of the team's hard work!!! February 14: Valentine's Day Review (repeat) - Review team Reader comment: Some fantastic stories, I look forward to reading them. March 14: Spirit Wolves by Kbois - chris191070 Reader comment: If there’s two things kbois does well, it’s drama and attraction. April 11: Moving On by Rob Colton - Timothy M. Reader comment: I love this story, like I love all of Rob Colton's stories. He's one of the few authors I can read over and over. May 9: Brothers by Yeoldebard - chris191070 Reader comment: I loved the way Devyn's trouble with understanding human behavior was portrayed. June 13: CDMX by Carlos Hazday - chris191070 Reader comment: Carlos doesn't just describe a scene he makes you feel as though you are there. July 11: Damphir by Nephylim - Aditus Reader comment: It is a strange story with strange and exotic characters. The writing is first rate. August 8: A New Family Unit by Ajbt2001 - spike382 Reader comment: It's a great story from Ajbt2001 that is well worth a read. September 12: Careme in Brighton by AC Benus - Parker Owens Reader comment: A truly amazing story, with some amazing food. I definitely recommend you give this a read. October 10: Boundaries: An Old West Tale by Headstall - spike382 Reader comment: A well written review of a well written story. The setting may be a western but the story is universal. An excellent read. November 14: The Purple Door by Valkyrie - Aditus Reader comment: Anthology 2022 inspired a lot of great stories. The Purple Door is one of the best written by an outstanding author. December 12: Finding Good Trouble by Ronyx - chris191070 Reader comment: It is an excellent piece of literature!

Dads are hilarious, aren't they? I still remembered when mine described me as "rangy" in build as a teen. Sure, that's what every 15 year old wants to look like. Then again, I did live in my hiking boots.

I braced for the burn, pain just another part of life when you have something people want. Or you want something, because nothing ever comes for free, and crossing that barrier had to come at a cost. The light was warm, then warmer, like the sun on a summer’s day at noon and it stung my eyes just as badly so I squeezed them shut. Sweat sprang up on my forehead, and I shook as I took another step, sure that was when it would start. A shadow fell over my face, cooling the warmth, and my foot

Way to go, authors!! Let's keep this up for 2023!

Did anyone else have plans that didn't quite go, well, as planned over the last month of the year? Well, once again you're not seeing a deja vu, I'm giving you a second chance to read Georgie's short fantasy twist and come back to comment at the end of the month! The little Prince that turned into a Beggar by Georgie DHainaut Length: 4,664 Description: An”old” fairytale, but one with a true and modern background in many a real life A reader said: Very nice story. Long enough to allow the main character to come to life and concise enough to be a single session reading. Thanks for sharing…hope my fairy visits me soon. ~ Leo662 Don't forget to come back and share your thoughts on Monday, January 30th!

For maybe newer authors to anthologies, this is a resource that talks all about "Leap of Faith". https://writingexplained.org/idiom-dictionary/leap-of-faith Remember, the use of theme can be tangential. Maybe an author is researching idioms and considers using it, in favor of a different plot device (maybe another anthology theme *ahem* @northie) or there's a teacher explaining idioms to their class and uses that example.

Woohoo!! Can't wait to see what ideas come of that!

The glowing tree began to grow and lift above the ground. “W-what is that?” The snow was swirling around us, and I forgot my intention to ignore the ill-omen and refuse to speak to it or listen as it spoke to me. I was freezing to death, and this was magic I had never seen. The lights I’d gone toward, knowing all along they were not the lanterns swinging on the roof eaves of the townsfolk I’d never met and who would probably refuse to shelter me anyway, set the large clearing alight in swirls of

It's a visit from the Ghost of Blogs Past! We had a missed CSR Interview in October, so nope, that's not a typo in the blog title... Today you're getting the CSR Interview for Remijay's story, There Once was Love, featured in October and we're shifting Georgie DHainaut's twisted fairytale feature again to January so you have more time to read that bite-sized story! Feel free to refresh your memory on Remijay's story, or the feature, through the links above, check out the interview below, and share your thoughts in the comments! Have you ever gone out in public, realized your shirt is on backwards, and just don’t care? Yes I have. Most of the time, it's a whatever kind of thing. What’s one location you’d love to go to research for a story? The woods, in a small town. What’s something personal about you people might be surprised to know? My characters are spontaneous, and wild, carefree individuals. What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Watch a lot of TV, or work Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? The thinking process. There are so many characters, their challenges, their stories and backgrounds, how they think and react. What’s the first thing you do when you start to write a story? The most important part is figuring out who is the main character, and how to start their story. What do you think makes There Once Was Love stand out compared to other “similar” teen stories? The struggle, the emotion put into it. What the main character had to overcome, and deal with. I know that with other stories, revolving around teenagers, it's about the same. Or those characters had their own issues, and problems. Some even worse than my own. I envy some authors on GayAuthors. They write with so much details, and emotion. It's surprising. Do you identify with any character in particular in the story when you wrote it? Yes, when i write a story or even a chapter. i put myself in the characters shoes. It doesn't matter who the character is. They are all my children in a sense. Which part of the There Once Was Love is your favorite? It's a split between THE PARTY chapter and PROM NIGHT chapter. What would you like to share with readers about your current or upcoming work? Yes, I have a few in the works. That are currently being hosted on Gayauthors. I also have one book that I am writing. It isn't posted on any site yet. I kind of want to finish it before it's posted. But the books theme is, werewolves. It might also some magic involved. I hope when I do post it people will like it. And request for a sequel.

Merry Christmas!!

The clouds started to clear as soon as I came out, bringing more light to the lumpy terrain so I could easily avoid the pitfalls around the chopped off stumps and the baby trees. I went around the orchard and started my trek up the hill; it was the way toward the closest town. There, maybe the snowy owl with the black-flecked wings would go unnoticed. She flew on silent wings across my path, stopping on the stump of a fence ahead of me and to my right about two arm’s lengths away. “Go

Monday I mentioned how much I wanted to feature a story that brought up the family aspect of this time of year. Well you can't read far in this story without hitting on a touching family moment. Read on, I'm sure you'll be following the link to consume the entire story in moments! Want to read more? Click here

Misinformed? Moi? One, you'll note I said she was no ordinary owl, plus I never stated "breed". However, it is winter, and snowing, and snowy owls have females that are white with barred feathers on parts of their bodies and males are mostly white but can also have barred areas that are usually less complete than the females. Which is important. And... yes, that indicates there's more about her to come!

Believe it or not, I actually put this in the lineup back in September!! This morning at 6 AM I was frantically checking, thinking I forgot to put in one for this month then I saw I hadn't. LOL

Nostalgia, family, and the many generations coming together is often a theme around the holidays. I didn't want to feature another holiday story right now, though, since I'm sure readers can find plenty of those to enjoy! I wanted to bring those themes forward that are so common in a new way, so I searched and found this great short story by Carlos Hazday that pays homage to... the family car. Length: 3,249 Description: A 1929 Ford Model A Tudor, bought at the start of the Great Depression, is passed from father to son through four generations. Through the decades, Melvyn Ford is a silent witness to joy and sorrow. The car plays a role at family births, weddings, and deaths. A reader said: This is an absolutely wonderful story. Seeing something cherished and passed on through the generations of the family will bring a smile to your face. I may be biased towards Carlos' writing, but I highly recommend this story. ~ WolfM If you want to spread the word about Carlos Hazday's story, download the graphic below and add it to your signature! Make sure you come back on Wednesday to see the excerpt I chose to share!

A Wednesday Brief Holiday Short Story

The sound jolted me from sleep. I held my breath, my heart thudding against my chest as I stared up at the knotty pine of the roof above me. Silence and wind blowing in the trees, the odd creak of wood, then the whoosh of my trapped breath escaping me was all I heard. It couldn’t be out there. It must have been a sound my mind made up, a nightmare phantasm that sent sweat slicking my spine. Still… I pushed aside my cover, climbing off my pallet and inching toward the window. The freezing ai

Step back from the candy canes and cherry cordials, the chocolate coins and the Christmas cookies... otherwise the reality in this month's story review by @chris191070 might just take a bite out of you. The holidays can be a time when people are usually kinder to their fellow man, but what happens when being that good person means more than holding open a door or saying please or thank you? Finding Good Trouble by @Ronyx Reviewer: chris191070 Status: Complete Word Count: 72,532 This is a story that isn't an easy read. It challenges many topics that are happening in many countries, but particularly in the USA. It deals with racism and racial injustice. We follow Parker, a white boy, as he witnesses a fight at his school, which is just the start of things to come. What happens next is not easy reading as Parker witnesses and films Police brutality, against a black teen, Darius, who has done nothing wrong. This sets off a chain of events that Parker or Darius, could ever foresee happening. We discover racial injustice at the highest level. But you need to read this story to understand more. As with all @Ronyx stories he writes about hard hitting subjects, but I found this one particularly hard to read in places and was brought to tears in many places. Category: Fiction Genres: General Fiction Sub-genres: Drama Tags: young adult, gay, suburban, serious, modern, interracial, politics, high school Rating: Mature

“Are you sure you don’t want to be part of the new council?” I asked Garjah. I’d been sitting there quietly, lost in thought, but I couldn’t hold it in anymore. He shook his head. “No.” Garjah twisted in his chair; I was sitting on a wide cushioned seat in the corner, pillows piled around me. Bouncer was curled at my feet with his head in my lap. I stroked behind his ears, watching as Garjah went over videos on his comm. “It was never my intention to take over for the Kardoval. I love what