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Cia

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  1. Cia
    Did you see Monday's blog post featuring this month's Classic Author story and ad? This month's selection is a short story, so I don't want to share too much of it with you because that might spoil too much before you read it. Andy has a real knack with writing one shots that draw you in and make you want to know (and force him to write) more, and The Leanai Scath is no exception. 
    So much of this story seems like it's just a normal tale, but then there are nuances that let you know that something is very, very different about the characters... and you wished you knew more. This section gives you a taste of that along with insight into the characters. 
    Want to read more? Click here. 
  2. Cia
    This month we have a one shot story competition, and it's the last full month before your short story is due for the Fall anthology, so I went with a Classic Author One Shot story that features something from beyond the normal... aliens! Or are they? Well... let's see what Andy78 came up with in The Leanai Scath. 
     

    The Leanai Scath
    by Andy78
    Length: 1,774
    Description: The Leanai Scáth appeared on Earth two centuries ago. They have been herded into colonies on the outskirts of cities, and are subject to the most punitive of laws. Michael violates the laws he sees as unjust, and risks everything for a race seen as nothing better than vermin.
    A reader said: The cultural mores  this story shares are so interesting... and the reader could imagine the plot going in so many directions. I'd love to see it expanded. ~ Cia
     
    If you want to spread the word about Andy78'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!

  3. Cia

    October CSR Feature: Spirits & Spare Parts

    By Cia,


    CSR- Can't Stop Reading
    Wow, it's October 2019, and I've been doing the CSR blog every month for 7 years this year.... 7 is one of those spoooooky numbers. Or is it lucky? Guess it depends on who you ask... or if you're in Vegas? When the holiday season comes around, I like to change this up, or really, any season where I can theme the stories or give readers a chance to try something a little different. I've been doing interviews, a LOT of interviews, over the years as well. Well, this month it's going to be a little different.
    I've picked several stories, and I'd love for readers who enjoy the CSR to tell me which story they'd pick to read/comment on this month and why it grabbed their attention. Just a sentence, or two, or four if you really want to go on and on. You can do that as soon as you read this blog. Especially if you've read all these stories and know you love one of them, or you like one type of paranormal plot-type, or if you check out all the stories and try reading the first chapter and one sucks you in, or... I don't know. You tell me and your fellow readers!
    These comments will be featured on the Discussion day, and then everyone can still share their comments on the story plot/characters below the blog feature. And since it's the month for all things spooky and fun, I've chosen the theme of Spirits and Spare Parts (Zombies, of course!) with 4 stories of varying lengths. (Is that one aspect that matters to you?) 
     
     
     
    How many people like the CSR blog as it is? How many people have the 7 year itch and want a change and have an idea for me? You can share them below too! I'd love to keep featuring stories on the site and authors, but we want to keep this activity interactive and what people want to see/read/take part in! 
  4. Cia

    September CSR Discussion Day: Willpower by northie

    By Cia,


    CSR- Can't Stop Reading
    How did the month end so fast? We've passed the equinox, the seasons are changing, and it's time to share your thoughts on northie's story, Willpower. How did you feel when you read it? Then check out some of northie's feelings, thoughts, and maybe a few things you didn't know. Like... Why was northie frustrated after finding GA? 😲 You'll have to read on to find out! Of course, make sure you share your thoughts on the story too! 
     
    Are you a person who makes their bed in the morning, or do you not see much point?

    It depends. I live in a small flat where an unmade bed isn’t out of mind. However on work days, I’m not one of these people who get dressed early to go for a stroll / walk the dog / have a leisurely breakfast. I emerge about 20 minutes before I’m due out the door with lunch made. If you think that’s not enough time to eat breakfast as well, you’d be quite right. The bed gets left to air until I return (or so I tell myself).  On non-work days, I allow a couple of hours before giving it a cursory going over.
    What’s something personal about you people might be surprised to know?

    I’m not one for disclosing much about myself. From my writing, photos, and status updates, people can get a reasonable sense of who I am and what I’m interested in. Other than that, I’d struggle to find something surprising about my life to tell, because there isn’t anything.
    What brought you to GA?

    Reading gay fiction / erotica connects with me for reasons I’ve only recently unravelled. Like so many people, I started with Nifty. Once the novelty wore off, I became increasingly dissatisfied with the general standard of writing there. Browsing through their ‘Best of Nifty’ introduced me to other sites, of which GA was one. I lurked for a while, then joined, hoping nobody would notice me. Although I enjoyed the reading, and slowly coming out of my shell, the overriding emotion in those first few months was frustration. Why, I didn’t know, until I was introduced to writing. And all became clear.
    (I thought) This was the longest story you’d written (or shared) on GA when Willpower was posted for the anthology. Had you written anything this length before and was it a challenge?

    Funnily enough, it wasn’t. My first ever anthology entry, ‘The Bard’s Tale’, all 16,500 words of it, has that honour. Was it hard work? Oh, yes. With only 4-5 months writing experience (most of which was spent writing the quite simple opening chapters of ‘Never Too Late’), I embarked on this massive experiment.  For reasons I can’t recall, my muse wanted the story to appear as a quasi-playscript. So I had to get my head round that, invent my alternative Earth, write American dialogue, and plot across a much wider canvas than I’d ever done before. It’s a piece I regard with affection, and I learnt a huge amount while writing it.
    Do you prefer to write any general length of story over others? Why/why not?

    Currently, I write everything from prompted microprose (stories of less than 50 words), through short to medium size, standalone pieces, to longer, multi-part stories. I enjoy all of them, otherwise I wouldn’t write in the forms. They each challenge me differently, making individual demands on my creativity, and allowing for experimentation. 
    If you could give advice to yourself when you first started writing, what would it be?

    It’s been such a short time since I first put pencil to paper (3 years), I’m not sure there’s much stored advice to give. I remember bristling the first few times my writing was edited, though even then, I took in the comments. So maybe, just to accept constructive criticism positively from the start.
    Other than the prompt for the anthology, how did you come up with the idea for Willpower?

    One theme that occurs is my writing is that of getting older; the problems which may accompany this aspect of life also concern me. Another theme is concealing who you are, or maybe discovering what it is that’s been concealed. With an ageing population, dementia is a fearsome condition, robbing people of their cognition and dignity, and there is little-to-no medical solution. Put that all together with a good dose of drama and you have ‘Willpower’.
    What do you think makes your story stand out compared to other “similar” stories using timeline jumps to alternate the main characters and tell more than one story?

    Does my story stand out for that reason? I have no idea. Certainly I worked hard to make both timelines work on their own, and together. The flashbacks weren’t decorative; they served to push the plot forward as much as the present day storyline, until they joined. When Saul speaks to Max’s son, what he says becomes the flashback, taking the reader again back to the early 1990s. 
    Do you have a favorite line or paragraph in the story that you hope evokes emotion/response in readers the most? What is it, and what emotion were you going for or have readers told you it created?

    This is the crux of the story, the reason for everything that follows. There should be shock, sadness; anger, perhaps. And recognition of the impossible situation the two men found themselves in. Several readers commented on this aspect of the story from personal experience. It told me I’d got that element right.

    ******

    “So, it was the guy in the bar? The one who caused the trouble.” Will was back talking to the image of Saul Edwards. He was amazed at the details the older man could still recall.

    “We'll never know for sure. But a few weeks later, Max told me that rumours were starting to circulate about his sexuality. One of his acquaintances in the City had mentioned it during the course of a conversation the week before.”

    Will saw the sadness etched on the other man's face.

    “Max let the comment pass…”

    Will couldn't believe it. “What? He should've denied it, categorically.”

    “And, so… deny our love? Deny who he really was? For once, your father didn't know what to say. Put on the spot like that? He was damned either way, in his mind, so he let it pass. I kept my counsel, and offered what support I could.”

    ******

    How about a favorite story among all the tales you’ve posted on GA? Which one would you pick and why (you can pick a current story if you are in love with something you are currently writing/will post soon)?

    God… while I’m not an author who loves everything they write, I have a number of favourites. It means that when I get asked this sort of question, I can change things around. This time I’ll go for the ‘Never Too Late…’ series. Eric Whitehouse, the older, lonely principal character, is someone close to my heart. He appeared, fully formed, in my imagination early on in my writing career. As you might expect, he mirrors some aspects of me. He also embodies some of my concerns. Little did I realise when I posted the first chapters, just how unusual a character Eric is in the GA milieu. Against the odds perhaps, he has garnered a following; some of those readers honour the story by sharing their life experiences in the chapter comments. It is a privilege for me, the author, to read and respond to their thoughts and reflections.

  5. Cia
    Did you catch Monday's blog featuring Luc's novella What Might Have Been? There's a banner there if you want to download it and share it in your signature, maybe along with a link and promo to help fellow readers find the story? You never know what sort of gems the older stories are hiding! Clearly this emotional story fits in with the CSR story, Willpower, and that's what I chose to share this month because holding on to your memories and never knowing where life will take you and what choices will create which forks in your path... well, What Might Have Been was a perfect of a bittersweetly poignant tale. 
     
    I picked this section of the story because of a few reasons. It shows the method the author used, sharing two different yet parallel stories with flashbacks, which is really hard to do. It also brought back in the theme in so many ways. We have a memory, an analogy, a disconnection... and that analogy and family disconnection is so immediately apt. It's subtle, but there all through the story... what happens when the people we are so lost in our memories that we create that situation in real life with those around us, because we're so caught up in 'What Might Have Been'. So many thoughts and words!
    To read more, click here. 
  6. Cia
    Oh, the summer has passed, yet another school year begins, and I'm forced to acknowledge that my children have grown older and made me older. It's so strange to watch them grow up and remember my own youth in contrast. We make memories, I try to help them make memories, but it's so true that you can't go back and you never know... what might have been. This is just one more of many amazing stories posted by the promoted authors who have been shifted to Classic author status that new site readers might be missing out on, so go give it a read if you haven't before! 
     

    Length: 15,991
    Description: Memories can be beautiful and painful. What they say is often true, “You can’t go back again.”
    The song that inspired this story is "What Might Have Been" and is by Little Texas. The lyrics, properly credited, are at the end of the story. Listen to it sometime. It's a beautiful song. A reader said: This was such an emotional overload. I am so glad I read it. Thank you for sharing! ~ Tomcat in NC 
     
    If you want to spread the word about Luc'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!

  7. Cia

    September CSR Feature: Willpower by northie

    By Cia,


    CSR- Can't Stop Reading
    Well, September is the start of Fall in the US, and this story was written for the 2017 Fall anthology "The Fall Out"... so this is the perfect month to feature it! Plus, I don't know about everyone else but with school kicking back off, September is a rude shock to my system. I have a routine to get back into, kids to nag back into their routine, and a school full of K-5 students ready to run me ragged. Naps are a biological imperative! Much like Will's father in the beginning of the story, it's hard to tell if I'm asleep or comatose when someone stops by to visit at the end of my days. So, how about we enjoy this sure to be emotional novella (even I can stay awake through 10k!) or refresh your memory if you read it before and can't recall all the fine details? Just make sure you come back at the end of the month with plenty of comments for the Discussion day!
    Willpower
    by northie
    Length: 10,819
    Description: Will Carmichael is visiting his father who lives in a nursing home. One word which his father keeps repeating, holds the power to change Will's life. During his journey to uncover the word's meaning, Will makes discoveries that affect both him and his father.
    A reader said:  The story is cleverly told without being maudlin.  However, if you are a sympathetic old softie like me, you may want to have a tissue handy.  
    As I said in my chapter comment:  Stories that convey important truths in a warm and loving way are the best and this was a gem!   
    I highly recommend this story.  ~ Daddydavek
     
    Don't forget to come back to share your thoughts and comments for the Discussion Day on Monday, September 30th!
  8. Cia
    How's your August? Happy to be over? My summer vacation is rapidly coming to a close, with this being my last week "off" so I am cramming in everything fun and relaxing I can. Of course, I spent a couple of hours this month completely absorbed into Mike Arram's story, The Heart of Oskar Prinz, which was a thoroughly enjoyable escape. Did you? If you did, I'm sure you have some thoughts to share in the comments. And you CAN'T miss the answers he shared!! Make sure you read on, comment, and prompt your fellow GA readers/fans to come visit this blog too! 

     
    If you had 30 minutes of free time, what would you do?

    I retired from my academic job last year, so this is a question that I’ve been daily confronting since.  I no longer have the daily 120 administrative emails to deal with and one remorseless deadline after another, which is quite the relief, but I now have the odd experience of free time.  It’s pushing me in unexpected directions, like for instance birdwatching.  I never knew I was interested in birds, but apparently I am, and they’re such demanding little creatures.  They fill in quite a few half hours, and though it shouldn’t surprise me, there are birding apps, and I’ve bought books!  Also there are author questionnaires.

    If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be?

    ‘Adolescence is the weirdest time’

    What brought you to GA?

    Ah well, that was a personal invite from Wildone, which was very kind.  But it did hit my particular anxiety which is the longevity of existing posting sites, which in most cases depend on the commitment and enthusiasm of single, devoted individuals for whom there cannot be enough praise.  But in the end that makes them vulnerable.  GA has the advantage of a broader base of support and an institutional framework, as well as its large and enthusiastic base of writers and fans.

    Is there anything you find particularly challenging when you write?

    Not now I have so much free time.  Though maybe the lack of routine demands on me may remove that need to balance commitments I used to find made me productive, hopping happily from one activity to another. 

    If you could give advice to yourself when you first started writing, what would it be?

    Sex scenes really do move the process of writing along, just remember that an excess of graphic details isn’t necessarily erotic.

    What’s the first thing you do when you start to write a story like The Heart of Oskar Prinz?

    Tough question.  That particular story came out of ... ermm ... a deep fascination with the products of the Belami studio and a fixation with one particular model of the time, the amazing “Josh Elliot “.  Like Will, I got all the videos and trawled the basement shops in London’s Soho; this was just before online streamed porn revolutionised the activity of male masturbation.  When I finally emerged from the erotic daze the man inspired, as one does, it left me with a different sort of curiosity, such as how such an industry worked, what might get such an amazingly beautiful man involved in gay erotic films, how could such a remarkably fit and intelligent-looking man get tied up in having sex with strangers for the voyeuristic amusement of the likes of me.  Surprisingly, it was possible to find quite a bit about it if you have the research skills and the odd half hour you steal from doing something else.  And it was that research which stimulated my imagination towards a story to further explore that world.  It linked with several of my enthusiasms: exploring a fictional east European nation (as first created by Anthony Hope), and how it might have developed into the 20th century; its history, nobility and language.  So the story of the trapped, driven and tragic figure of Oskar Prinz emerged, and he told his tale.


     
    Do you have any ‘interesting’ online or in-person research anecdotes from writing this story to share?

    I think you can guess where a lot of my research happened and perhaps we need not go there.  But I travel a fair amount, and since I was in Prague I could not resist looking up where the offices of Belami were on Wenceslas Square.  They’re as described as Falkefilm’s Rodolferplaz HQ, off a pasacz.  You probably don’t need to be told that very few young Czech (or Slovak) men actually measure up to Belami standards, so mooning around that pasacz is a waste of time, as well as being creepy.

    Who is your favorite secondary character in the story [not Will or his lover(s)] and why?

    If you take out Will and his various partners, then you’re left with Friedrich Franz, or Fritz, Oskar’s little brother.  In due course he became an even more interesting character to explore than his driven brother: Imagine a boy with every gift of personality, full of love and humour, and with looks far beyond the ordinary, yet with one defect of character caused by his early poverty and loss of his parents: a need to possess utterly those he loved and too ready a need to love.  No human can be perfect and one small flaw can darken every aspect of a life.

    What is your favorite scene in the story?

    The whole story’s plot is highly contrived, which you can take as a homage to the ultimate inspiration of Anthony Hope, who wrote in the romantic Victorian vein which made much of the unlikely coincidence.  But I really did enjoy crafting the double coincidence of Will meeting both his erotic heroes in Strelzen, and finding them not at all what he expected, rather more so than less.  You can see it coming a way off, but I don’t think that lessens the fun.

    Can you share a little about your current story or future projects?

    I can’t not write by now, so there’s always one on the go.  My three Crown of Tassilo historical novels were always intended to be more, but for years I’ve failed to find the plot and characters that would carry the story on into and beyond the Second World War era.  But recently it occurred to me that prequels can be as important as sequels.  So early this year I began the epic tale of Sergius von Tarlenheim-Olmusch, a young nobleman who arrives at the court of Ruritania in 1690 to join the household of the 16 year old Crown Prince Henry and there meets the prince’s bastard cousin, which is the pairing that energises the story.  It will take you across the battlefields of the Hapsburg wars with Louis XIV and the Ottoman empire.  Meanwhile something is definitely amiss in the Marienkloster of Medeln, and on the streets of Old Strelsau the ragged street boys of the Conduit meet an elf on a quest, the nature of which only slowly becomes apparent.  It’s about three-quarters done, and one of the things that’s moving it along is the good fun of working with my current editor, Peter, who shares many of my personal manias as well as being a very gifted linguist.

  9. Cia
    Did you catch Monday's blog featuring Bill W's story, Consolation Parents? It's a short story written for the 2014 Summer Anthology The Backup Plan. The story is one of many of Bill's short stories written for the anthologies. Have you read them? He explores many different themes, social conventions, and more all packed into tiny bite-sized plots that can capture readers. This one pulled me in as a parent. 
     
    I picked this scene because it resonated so well with the emotions and showed just how things can be, even in the midst of an emotional upheaval and trouble in family. Sometimes authors can be tempted to take the drama too far, or make things just that much more complicated that creates a situation that goes beyond rea life, but Bill's story felt like a story I could have told or been told by a friend who needed a sympathetic ear through a tough time. 
    To read more click here. 
  10. Cia
    Here we go again, another day, another author feature! We hope you guys enjoy getting a glimpse at some of these favorite stories from the past that kept readers enthralled in earlier days of the site. This nearly 200k story is a perfect example. Monday's graphic teaser should've whet your appetite, now let's see if I can hook you in completely with an excerpt. 
     
    There is a LOT of drama going on in this story... but that's because the story starts off with a bang and the hits keep coming. You get a good look back at the action and an idea (though, omg, a run at the gate is crazy!!!) of what is to come with this excerpt. And, of course, Topher's stellar writing style and clean editing. 
     
    If you want to read more, click here. 
  11. Cia
    As the year speeds up, seasons change, and my own kids grow and continue to make me older (so not nice of them!) I often find myself pulled toward stories that feature parents. But not every story is always sweetness and light and happy--and life is truly represented in this tale that will tug at your heart and maybe make you reach for a tissue or two as well. One of Bill's many anthology entries, you will have missed out if you haven't read Consolation Parents before. 
     

     
    Length: 5,161
    Description: Scott Fisher received an unexpected phone call early one morning, which ended up changing his and his boyfriend's lives. Although they didn't realize it beforehand, they were vital clogs in a contingency plan that had far reaching consequences.
    A Reader said: Very touching story. Never like tragedy, but happy when things turn out as positively as it did. ~ Quiet Man
     
    If you want to spread the word about Bill W'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!

  12. Cia

    CSR Feature: The Heart of Oskar Prinz by Mike Arram

    By Cia,


    CSR- Can't Stop Reading
    Well, well, well, happy August everyone! This month we MUST stay indoors and beat whatever awful weather is destroying the outside, so what better way to do that than with a nice, loooong story? And, even better, it's part of a series! A looooooooonger series, at that! Mike Arram is an established author who came to share his work with us from other well-known gay fiction sites, so you might have already seen his name, or read his stories, or maybe this is all new to you. Either way, this month you're in for a treat! As always, don't forget to come back on the Discussion day with your thoughts ready to share in the blog comments. 
     
    The Heart of Oskar Prinz, Rothenian Tales #1
    by Mike Arram
    Length: 76,374
    Description: Will Vincent, schoolteacher, exits the closet and finds it leads him to very strange places, for almost out of the door he encounters the beautiful Oskar, cynic and porn star, who is not at all what he seems.
    A reader said: Thanks for posting this excellent story. I enjoyed it several years ago on crvboy, and very much enjoyed this improved version here.  ~vonfoto
     
    Don't forget to come back on Monday, August 26th, for the Discussion Day! 
  13. Cia
    Welcome to the CSR discussion day for July with Love is Blind by Nick Brady! Did you have a chance to read this story? Nick was kind enough to do an interview for me and share some of his thoughts on what he learned while writing Love is Blind. He also filled in a few thoughts on his favorite cartoon hijinks character, tall or small, and his hobbies outside of writing! So enjoy learning more about Nick, and then share your thoughts on his story in the comments below. 
    Who do you like best, Jerry or Tom?

    Probably Jerry because he always outsmarts Tom the cat.

    If you had to choose between being eight feet tall or four feet tall, which would you choose and why?

    I might choose to be 4 feet tall because little guys get away with more.

    What do you like to do in your free time at home when you’re not writing?

    I like to read and work in my garden. I'm also an amateur photographer.

    What brought you to GA?

    I read a few stories here quite a long time ago and posted one of my first stories with you. GA is a very professionally managed and I appreciate having my stories hosted on your site.

    What’s one location you’d love to go to research for a story, in modern time or the past?

    California during the gold rush. There were a great number of men there all trying to strike it rich with little constraints on their behavior. There has to be a good story in there somewhere.

    If you had to try method writing (like method acting) for research on a story, what type of plot or character research would you like to do?

    I have always been drawn to characters who seem to be very different then discover that they have a great deal in common. I find relationships between people of different ages, abilities, backgrounds, and races to be interesting.

    Can you sum up Love is Blind in one sentence?

    What begins as a casual friendship between a blind and a sighted college student evolves into a lifetime commitment.

    What is the most interesting “I never would have thought about it like that” thing you learned from your research from others who faced similar challenges as your characters?

    Sometimes what appears to be the weaker of a pair turns out to be the strongest.

    What was your favorite scene in Love is Blind?

    That's hard to choose, but I will say that the episode in Chapter 5 where Ian and Andrew try their hand at home brewing was fun to write. It was easy because it really happened to me when I was in college. You might say it was a learning experience.

    Can you share a little of your current/future work you plan to post on GA with us?

    I make mental notes of various characters and situations that accumulate in my head until they form the basis of a new story. Sometimes they come from my own experience but more often from observation. The erotic parts are almost always fictional. My life has not been nearly as interesting as my characters. I'm working on several new ideas. Stay tuned.

  14. Cia
    So one of the major aspects of Mellicat's story, Dare, is family. We're all born into a family even if we don't know them, or we lose them, in one way or the other. The adults and children and relationships we see and know or wish we had are how we model our own future selves in our minds. And that shapes who we become and the choices we make in our entire life... for good or ill. In Dare, the choices the characters make are based on the men in their lives and the roles they all grew into. In some ways, those roles have been locked in since they were children and the choices they all make are based on the same choices and images of each other they've always held. But are those choices what's best for each of them and what they wants out of life or just in kneejerk reaction to what they think they have to do and be based on their childhood? And can they all come together as adults when something bad happens and learn that what they thought they knew about each other maybe isn't the whole picture?
    In this feature, I stuck with one chapter, but I picked two sections that really highlighted the brothers and their roles and their connections to each other and their families as well. 
    Want to read more, click here. 
  15. Cia
    Can you believe over half the year has passed and we are closer to out of the twenty-teens and into the twenty twenties than before? The future is coming fast, years passing, and before we know it, the twilight of the year will be here! And that can be true in stories too, you start and don't even realize you're reading faster and faster, desperate to know if the character will be able to find that happy ever after. In this short story by Mellicat, you can't help but be sucked in to the sense of time and the story that is created. Have you read it?

     
    Length: 24,539
    Description: Family can bring out the best and the worst in us.
    A Reader said: Wow. With all its anger and resentment, its past and present, this was a delicious, full flavored slice of life.  I was deeply touched by this story and still reluctant to give Thomas a pass, lol.  
     
    If you want to spread the word about Mellicat'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!

     
  16. Cia

    CSR Feature: Love is Blind by Nick Brady

    By Cia,


    CSR- Can't Stop Reading
    Happy July! Can you believe the year is halfway over already? We've featured a lot of stories over the year, but here's one more you might not have read yet... Love is Blind! This story, inspired by a figure from the author's past, was also helped along by several other GA members. That's just what the site is here for! I can't wait to hear what @Nick Brady has to say in his interview this month, which will be on the last Monday of the month, July 29th. 
     
    Love is Blind
    by Nick Brady
    Length: 39,873
    Description: Andrew and Ian are college friends. One is sighted and one is blind. They have much to learn from each other.
    A Reader said: thank you for sharing your beautiful story with us. you have picked the perfect spot to end it though I am sad this is it and that no more chapters will be coming.  ~ mayday
    Enjoy this month's CSR selection, but don't forget to be ready to come back and share your thoughts and comment on the Discussion day on Monday, July 29th!
  17. Cia
    Well, the end is near! The end of June, that is! Did you check out this simple short story... or is it as simple as it seemed? Exit to Redemption introduced readers to characters who could be the driver in the next car, the man in the next office, or the jerk at the next table disturbing your dinner. Learning about Valkyrie is a lot more simple than the choices and changes faced by the characters in her story! Check out my interview with her and then share your thoughts about that or her story in the comments below! 
    Do you eat your fruits and vegetables?

    No and yes.  I don’t like a lot of fruit and it’s also too sugary for me.  While there aren’t a ton of veggies I actually like, I do eat a lot of the ones I do like.  I also sub cauliflower for a lot of starches, so I get my fill of veggies that way.  

    If you were an animal, what would you be?

    Being a dragon would be pretty cool, but I’d probably be something more mundane like a cat.  I could get into sleeping 90% of the time and eating and randomly spazzing out the other 10%. 

    If you had 30 minutes of free time, what would you do?

    Probably play Candy Crush or watch something mindless on TV.  Absolutely nothing productive. 

    Has your writing evolved over the years and changed in any way?

    Yes, it’s definitely evolved.  I’ve worked hard to hone my descriptions and convey the emotions of my characters.  I think my stories have also grown in their complexity.  Penguin is pretty straightforward, while The Hollow Hills is much more nuanced. 

    Do you prefer to write short stories for a reason beyond time constraints?

    I like using short stories to explore questions I’ve asked myself.  For example, I wondered about why people react differently to adversity and tragedy, and the result was my anthology story April’s Fool.  I also asked myself what would happen if someone with a disability reached beyond the special ed classroom and tried to be friends with someone in mainstream education—like Peter from Downhearted.  The flexibility of short stories allows me to capture a moment in time or create character sketches without following the traditional story format of beginning/middle/end.  I’ve also used them to experiment with descriptions or writing in a different point of view.  When I first started writing, I was more comfortable writing in first person, so I challenged myself to write some anthology stories in third person.  Now I’m pretty comfortable using either.  Sometimes I use short stories as jumping off points.  For example Faeries Anonymous and Igneous are both slated to become longer works.

    Just how many of your stories interconnect?

    Good question!  I had to go look because I wasn’t sure.  A lot of my early prompt stories are based off peripheral characters from The Hollow Hills.  There’s also a connection between THH and Alex’s Legacy.  Quite a few of my prompt responses build off each other.  One of the projects on my list is to take some of those multi-prompt serials and post them as their own stories, like I did with Thanksgiving Knight.  And of course, there’s the Max and Elliot stories, with Exit to Redemption as a spin-off.

    Have you ever experienced a moment like Henry did with Pete at the start of the story or was that just made up?

    I’ve seen my share of rude jerks, but that scene was made up. 

    Change… Redemption… is it possible, or more of a romance story construct?

    Yes, I do think it’s possible to change and redemption isn’t just a fictional construct.  However, true change is difficult at best, and redemption is even harder to achieve. Sometimes we have to change habits to improve our health, which can be easy or not, based on motivation level or certain diagnoses. Changing things more ingrained to our nature is difficult, if not impossible.  Learned behavior can be unlearned, but personality disorders such as sociopathy or narcissism can’t be changed. 

    In your mental story after the story, are Henry and Pete living happily ever after now?

    I’d like to think they are.   I can’t say Pete doesn’t still have his moments, but I’m guessing Henry’s influence is enough to keep him in check. 

    How about sharing some of your upcoming writing adventures with readers… what’s in your pipeline?!

    I have a few exciting things in the works.  I’m currently working on a novella/novel length story based in the Igneous universe.  I’ve wanted to write this story for years and finally have a working outline and a couple of chapters in the first draft stage.  I’m going to finish it before posting, so it will be a while before it’s done.  In the meantime, I’ll have at least one story for the fall anthology.  Right now, I’m planning on writing a story based on Taylor from my Pride and Premium story, Deal or No Deal.  I guess I can’t resist interconnecting my stories!  I’ll have some prompt stories and also an upcoming collaboration to tide my readers over.  And my biggest news… drumroll… is the future release of my Premium novella A Leg to Stand On as an e-book. 
  18. Cia
    Did you catch Monday's blog featuring David McLeod's story, Pilots? This novella-length contemporary story has such a wide variety of characters and short stories within the storyline that you are learning new things about them all the time, which is a great way of catching the readers' interest when the theme is a newly started community GSA. Of course, it won't go smooth for them because when in life--or fiction--does that happen when such a varied group comes together? Case in point....
    Want to read more? Click here! 
  19. Cia
    Happy June and Pride Month! One of the big themes this month is always coming out, or being out and proud, or just being out and not having to be afraid. A big part of that in many places is the GSA, because it's not always easy. Pilots takes a look at how that might play out in a wider setting than just a high school or college, and there's a real cast of characters to get to know in each chapter who will draw you in. Check out this older story if you haven't read it before! 

     
    Pilots
    by David McLeod
    Length: 37,674
    Description: Jacksonville, WY isn't the first place you'd look for an LGBT Alliance. Will it work? Follow the lives of the boys and girls who try to promote tolerance, and of those who attempt to stop them
    A Reader said: Having read PILOTS, I hope to enjoy this story as much. ~ Gene63 (of Pilots II)
     
    If you want to spread the word about David McLeod'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!

  20. Cia

    CSR Feature: Exit to Redemption by Valkyrie

    By Cia,


    CSR- Can't Stop Reading
    Welcome to June! Can you believe this month marks halfway through 2019? June is often a month of vacation, trips, and time off beginning for many! This month we're featuring a story by a well-known GA author and the past anthology, Road Trip, with the short story, Exit to Redemption by @Valkyrie And, with this being a short story, you should have plenty of time to read the story before the discussion day... of course, Valkyrie tends to connect a lot of her tales, so you might just get sucked in to reading more and more! 
    Exit to Redemption
    by Valkyrie
    Length: 5,361
    Description:  Pete meets Henry at a conference and can't get him out of his mind. He doesn't understand why Henry won't give him the time of day. Pete needs to decide if Henry is worth changing his behavior for, and figure out if redemption is possible.
    Those of you familiar with my Max and Elliot stories will recognize Pete as Elliot's arrogant ex-boyfriend.  It's not necessary to read those stories first, however.  This story reads fine as a stand-alone piece. 

    A reader said: In some ways, Pete is a more interesting character than Elliott. You want to dislike him and even kick his ass, but he almost seems lost... ~ Cole Matthews
     
    Enjoy this month's CSR selection, but don't forget to be ready to come back and share your thoughts and comment on the Discussion day on Monday, June 24th!
  21. Cia
    Well, how has May treated you? Are you ready for Pride next month? This month we had a great double feature of @comicfan's story, The Strange Life of Jonas Marks, which included Coming Out, some fun fantasy, a romance, and so much more!! Did you read Puppilull's review or enjoy the story yourself? I hope you did! First, of course, is my interview with Comicfan, then you can share your thoughts on his story in the comments below!
    Are you a person who makes their bed in the morning, or do you not see much point?

    I usually like to make the bed. My mother was always one to say, “Wayne, god forbid you leave your bedroom door open, you don’t want people to think you’re a slob.” If people look into my room they’ll never think I’m a slob, just a book whore.

    If you were an animal, what would you be?

    I’d say a dog. Faithful to one family/person, loved, sleep a lot, belly rubs, taken for walks, and get to bark at those you don’t like … I’d say that works for me

    What’s something personal about you people might be surprised to know?

    I have a collection of Smurfs.

    What’s the best part of being an author?

    All those crazy ideas in my head, I get to put down on paper, then type up, and share with other people. The incredible part is some people actually like my crazy ideas.

    If you could give advice to yourself when you first started writing, what would it be?

    Write and be fearless. Never be afraid to make mistakes. Things can be edited later, but if you don’t write you can’t share. No idea should be abandoned until you attempt it. But the best thing I could tell myself is to remember not every story will be a hit with everyone, so keep your head up and keep trying.

    Is fantasy your preferred genre to read and write?

    Fantasy has always been a mainstay in my reading. Fantasy can take many forms and I’ve always been a voracious reader. The nickname name Comicfan isn’t because of anything other than I love comics as well. From newspaper comics like Peanuts, Cathy, and Garfield, or comic books like Superman and Wonder Woman I read and loved them all. My mother got me hooked on mysteries and I have all of Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Horror author Stephen King is well represented as is Edgar Allen Poe. Then again you’ll find all of Kalayna Price’s Grave Witch series, Neil Gaiman’s American Gods and more, Rick Riordan, Patricia Briggs, and JK Rowling to name but a few. I admit to being a book whore.

    You posted a new chapter to The Strange Life of Jonas Marks after a long break. Did something reinspire you?

    Can you consider major surgery inspiration? I feared if something happened to me, Jonas and other stories that I’d had to put aside while dealing with life would never be completed. I focused on completing everything I had so readers would never have to wonder what happened.

    How did you decide what kind of fantasy characters to have come through the door in Jonas’s office?

    As I admit willingly to, I have always read a lot. I never go anywhere without a book. When the time came to choose characters I had to do little more than glance at my library. Hobbits? Check. Fairies? Check. Orcs, Dryads, and more? Check. If I felt there could be someone who wanted to date an angel, well then it was safe to bring one in, because the only who could see through the glamours was Jonas.

    Do you plan to write more in this setting, either for the other characters or Jonas?

    When I finish a story, for me that is usually goodbye to that world. However, some characters like to come back. I’ve learned to never say I won’t go back, but just don’t expect it to be any time soon.

    How about any other projects you would like to share with readers?

    Seeon has a new story. Couldn’t quite get it done for the spring anthology, but with just a few tweaks it will fit one of the fall topics. I am also trying to finish two short pieces for other projects on site as well as a longer one I’m calling Next Chapter. Hopefully, it all gets done.
  22. Cia
    Did you catch Monday's blog sharing the ad and feature of this month's Classic author story, The Confrontation by Adam Phillips? This was another story chosen to go along with the Coming Out theme to kick off our promotion of Pride month, which is often what so many LGBT community members are thinking about when this time of year rolls around. How did it go in this story? Well...
    I chose this excerpt because it shows that first crucial moment and then the second... but you're left wondering if the third time is the charm or the time the decision will be ripped out of his hands and everything the character might face is too little too late. 
    Want to read more? Click here. 
  23. Cia
    This week we've begun featuring the site's new Premium features, which are stories featuring coming out themes. I thought I'd keep that going with a twist that is kind of interesting. What happens when two people meet online, maybe through a site like... GA? And they're not out, or one of them isn't? The story plays out in fiction and real life all too often, but let's see how @Adam Phillips did it with his short story! 

    The Confrontation
    by Adam Phillips
    Length: 4,219
    Description: A couple of online friends have a falling-out; one of them caves and makes a drastic decision.
    A Reader Said: I love a story that leaves me wondering, especially one with dynamic characters embroiled in romantic angst. Nice job on both, thanks. ~ Miles Long
     
    If you want to spread the word about Adam Phillip'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!

  24. Cia
    Well happy May to everyone! Is it moderate and beautiful where you are? The year is moving faster and faster, but and we're approaching Pride month next month. Did you catch the feature call for the Premium short stories themed with coming out stories? It's something many gay authors face, no matter what orientation we claim (and can't that be interesting to explain?!) and it's no surprise it's often the subject of teen fiction as well. Let's take a look at another long-time favorite GA author's take on the subject with this month's CSR feature! 
    The Strange Life of Jonas Marks
    by @comicfan
    Length: 57,189
    Description:  Jonas Marks has just graduated high school when he tells his father he is gay. The end result is that Jonas is tossed out of his home. With no money, no job, and no place to call home he ends up on his friend Jenny's couch till he starts working at Kroger's. Then his life just gets strange. 
    A/N: This story originally began as a short story in the Anthology Walk on the Wild Side. I had a number of people comment on how it really needed to be expanded. The end result is what you are now looking at. For those who read and comment, this is for you. Thank you for your vote of confidence and I hope this lives up to what you expect of me.
    A Reader Said: What a surprise to suddenly find an epilogue here! It suits your story quite well.
    The story arc developed nicely and I like the end. I'm glad it's not a major cliffhanger but interestingly a sequel might be possible, who knows
    Anyway, thank you for this great story, I enjoyed it a lot.  ~ Zenobia
     
    So enjoy this month's CSR selection, but don't forget to be ready to come back and share your thoughts and comment on the Discussion day on Monday, May 27th!
  25. Cia
    How'd you enjoy The Assassin? I know when I read it that I couldn't stop. I just had to know what was going to happen next, what sort of plan was unfolding, who was coming after the guys, who they might turn to... so many twists and turns in the story evolution. I enjoyed it, and I hope you did too, so make sure you share your comments below. But first...! My interview with Lilansui is below, so you get to know all the deep details of the writing journey before you comment. 
    Have you ever gone out in public, realized your shirt is on backwards, and just don’t care?

    Something close, it was inside out and not backwards.  My workplace was running a conference.  I woke up late, so I dressed fast in a black top and jeans, rushed out of my house to collect supplies from my office, and then drive to the conference hall.

    At the venue, I worked for a solid hour until one of the ladies I work with took me by the hand and led me into a small office.  She’s like, ‘Your top is inside out.’  It should have mortified me, but I just laughed, changed and continued as if nothing happened.  Thinking of it now, was it to happen in my starting out days, that would have mortified me, but not anymore.

    If you were an animal, what would you be?

    A cat.  I have one and she just sleeps and eats without a care in the world.  All she has to do is cute poses and I’m done for…hahaha.

    What’s one location you’d love to go to research for a story?

    Istanbul, Turkey.  The carpets, the architecture, the history…so much.  I can just imagine it already.

    What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

    The toughest criticism: - I have had criticisms, lots of them, from ‘your work needs more research’, ‘bad grammar’, ‘huge plot holes’ to ‘I don’t understand what you’re trying to say with this one’.  I take them, love them and learn more.

    Best Compliment: - Came in a personal message sent to me on social from someone who thanked me for writing an Asian character in Kiss Me to Spring Time who found love in a gay story.  He said it gave him hope, hope and more hope and to keep creating more such characters.  He made me cry.

    Is there a literary character (in the whole universe of fiction) that you’ve read who you really identified with?

    There is a manga named Nana by Yazawa Ai.  It’s about two girls with the same name, Nana, moving to Tokyo for a fresh start.  When I first read it, and I was around twenty or so, I swear, I fell in love with Nana the rock star.  Her ambition made her so awesome, that I wanted the best for her always, plus she was in love with a guitarist, and she built her own table.  She was soo cool.  I collected all the books in this manga series.  For a while, I thought I would only ever wear Vivienne Westwood knuckle rings and listen to punk rock, hahaha.  Nana inspired me to find courage in my own life.  Up to this day, I find great pleasure in rereading her story.  I loved that she had a dream, and decided to make it come true on her own terms.  I loved, and still love her style of doing things.  She’s a get-it-done kind of girl, and I strive to be that too.

    There was this assassin… and a milkshake at the mall. Seriously, where did those two ideas come from and how did they get paired together?

    When I was in high school, my friends and I were in different schools and we would have to wait for each other at the food court in the mall, so that we could do whatever we had planned for the afternoon.  Whoever made it first would buy a milkshake, as they waited.  I figured Kian would try one out if he ever went to the mall.  He likes the strawberry one, lol.

    A lot of your stories have eastern influences. Is it easy or hard to mesh cultures when writing fiction?

    When I first started writing, it was hard.  I worried a lot about mixing characters with different ideals, and such different backgrounds, putting them together and going like, dear readers, here you are, believe this can happen.  It was hard, and I needed to do a lot of research, I even thought this might be a crazy idea, better stop.

    Then one day I decided to stop worrying and just write what I wanted to express.  From personal experience at work and life, I meet people from all types of cultures.  I’m comfortable thinking of Diwali, the lunar year or going to an Indian festival of colors, the same way I invite people to my house for Chuseok, thanksgiving or Christmas, that it now seems commonplace to have meshed cultures.   I can’t be the only one who has this happening.  So, I decided to jump in and bring my characters to life in a similar way.

    I think communities as they exist today are very diverse in nature.  There is no place in the world you’ll go and find only one kind of person, in terms of culture, or any other category you might choose, unless the community itself is living in a kind of vacuum.  We’ve all become a global village of sorts. Thinking of it this way, writing meshed cultures has gotten so much easier and I don’t struggle as much as I did when I first started.

    Did you connect with Daven or Kian more as a character as you wrote The Assassin? Why?

    I connected with Kian the most, as his life unfolded for me from when he was quite young.  He was someone who had lived a life without love, or comfort at home.  He had a lot of hardship and a very warped sense of what things are right or wrong.  By the time he’s meeting Daven, he has met the world, and it has given him love, (in Taewon), then forced him to give it up to protect it.  He’s not confident in himself and does not even think of seeing the future.  I wondered how I would ever get Daven to like him. Hahaha.

    Daven came to me in a situational sequence; I had to spend a lot more time getting to know him.  He came out stronger than I expected, and it was fun getting him to rescue Kian at some point.  He was a great hero to create.

    In this story the characters jet around the world to quite a few locations. Have you visited any that were mentioned in the storyline?

    I had a work exchange a few years ago that had me in France for a week.  My host family had a charming apartment in the city.  Their daughter, Hye Sung, who turned into my very good friend, took me to café du trocadero when she got out of work, or very early in the morning for breakfast when we could.  My stay with them was very short, but very inspiring experience.  I had to give Paris a mention.

    What’s your favorite part of The Assassin? Why?

    My favorite part is Kian and Daven’s date in Amsterdam, although Kian leaves Daven at the end of it, I think it was the first time he truly did something he wanted without fear.  I thought it beautiful.
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