Cia

May is a month of changes, and this story is one I think fits perfectly with that theme. Have you ever read our Classic Author, Andy78's story, The Dream Dreams the Dreamer from the 2013 A Night to Remember Anthology? If not, check it out now! Length: 2,546 Description: Matthew dreams that he is recruited as an Angel of Death. A Reader said: A very enjoyable read, Andy. Seeing I'm getting up in years, I hope when the Angel of Death comes for me that it's someone cute like that, because then I'll go willingly. If the Angel is like the Darker version everyone else uses, I'll probably fight him tooth and nail. Great job and I really enjoyed this. ~BillW 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!

There was a rush of bodies toward us, and I tensed, but Garjah reassured me quietly. “It’s all right.” Two Four Arms—Neejah’al just didn’t roll off the tongue quite as well—in smooth yellow robes cinched at the waist with white belts and hovering devices led the crush. “Can we have an interview?” Ah, they were some form of report casters. Garjah didn’t let go of me but he did tap one fist to his chest. “We would love to make time for the planetary news, but it has been a long jour

“The Galactic Council wants peace between the many unique species all over the universe. I have come with Garjah and Essell to start the introductions.” Ases stepped forward and bowed. “My name is Ases. I hope that you will give me time to learn your culture and forgive any mistakes in my manners, but know I have nothing but the best of intentions as we create a bridge to bring your worlds alongside the Galactic society.” “This is not our way.” That question was not staged. A contingent of

May already?! Well, in honor of the school year coming to a close in much of the US, I thought I'd feature a H.S. coming of age story which is quite popular on GA. So... this one time... at band camp. I know, I just dated myself, but maybe that gives you a hint at the story! It's not too long, and you have 4 full weeks to read it so I hope you will enjoy it. A Marching Band Story by @Jacob Windigo Length: 32,810 Description: Jarrod, a closeted gay high school senior, is the epitome of a band geek. He is a member of every band his at his school, but his favorite is the marching band, where the number of unfairly attractive boys seems infinite. But, there is one boy that stands out above the rest. Connor, a 15-year-old high school freshmen, is the boy of Jarrod's dreams, but a relationship with Connor seems forever out of reach. That is, until the unexpected happens on Jarrod's last summer marching band trip to Calgary, Canada. This story follows the journey Jarrod and Connor take as they discover themselves and the possibility of something more. A Reader said: I have just finished reading your story, I thought I should let you know that I think you wrote a very beautiful story, I hope you will write some more thank you for such a great story your friend Charlie ~ Cewright Don't forget to come back to share your thoughts on Monday, May 30th!

“We’re on approach now.” “Are we ready for this?” I sat in a chair and watched our arrival on the planet. It was beautiful from the air. They had so much open space, filled with natural wonders. The colors were vivid from space with small areas of lights dotted here and there as we grew closer. Still, the overwhelming majority of the planet had been kept in a pristine state. I had to hope that Ases was ready, and that the satellites ringing the planet would bounce the signal he was usi

April showers bring... well, snow in my neck of the woods! It seems like everywhere I looked online people were talking about strange weather. Life on Earth has been rough the last few years, but could it be worse? That's explored in astone2292's story based on our prompt game, Corporate Galactic. Did you enjoy these snapshots in future time? Share your thoughts below, and enjoy my interview with him too! Do you eat your fruits and vegetables? Do wine and cheddar broccoli soup count? Have you ever gone out in public, realized your shirt is on backwards, and just don’t care? It’s happened a few times, but it hasn’t since I filled my closet with short-sleeve button ups. It’s really hard to wear one inside-out. What’s something personal about you people might be surprised to know? When I was eight years old, my parents’ house was hit by a tornado while we were inside. All I remember is the sound of a stampede, then a two-by-four smacked me in the face. If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be? The Man with a Million Masks: Someone Who Doesn’t Know Himself. What’s the best part of being an author? I can do whatever I want! Authors can do things normal humans can not. Go back in time, travel to outer space, invent new worlds. I went to school to be an artist, but my fingers would never translate what I wanted to create. Using my imagination in writing, I regret not spending more time in English and other writing classes. Which was a harder genre to tackle Dystopian or SciFi? Well, each was difficult in its own way, but I’ll give the award to Dystopian. Dystopian involves creating a society of sorts that operates with great suffering. This can lead authors down a rabbit hole into the dark corners of their imagination. How warped can an environment be without truly breaking the human psyche? Corporate Galactic was a dip in the water for me, and I might be tempted to take a plunge. There are three main characters, one in each chapter. Do you relate to one character the most? Not particularly. I see a part of me in each of them. Jared because I like being analytical and having as many options available. I relate to Symanthus when I work. She likes production, smooth operation, and seeing success. Silyn for his leadership style. He doesn’t want to rock the boat, but when things don’t go according to plan, he’s able to act with a sense of compassion. Hybrid human & alien cuisine… in a taco. What kind of dessert do you think Silyn would enjoy? Ha! If there’s one thing every species could come together on, it’d be cuisine. If there were to be more hybrid human and alien cuisine combinations, specifically for dessert, the easy answer is cake and pie. Oh the possibilities! The human race will always argue which is superior (The correct answer is pie. Bring it on, comment section!), so I can’t imagine what the other species in the Galactic would bring to the debate table. But for Silyn, I’d say brownies. He already goes to the aura bar, and we saw what those pods can do. Can you sum up this story in one sentence? What would happen if Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk became rulers of Earth? Can you share a little of your current or future story(s) with readers? The current story I’m working on is Death in the Shadows, the final book in a trilogy starring a man who can control shadows using magic. He’s destined to fall in love with a local shapeshifter, and fight the man who murdered his parents. Along the way, he meets many new friends across the globe, develops his understanding of magic, and even becomes a puppet to a few of the seven gods who run the universe. A warning for interested readers: the first book is terribly written, as it was my first attempt at writing. I used third-person omniscient after snorting a line of Fun Dip. POV switches-a-plenty! A thorough edit is in progress, and the new changes look much cleaner. A blurb from Death in the Shadows: Future stories in my to-write bank include a guy who purchases a mail-order bride but receives a husband instead, a Frosty the Snowman origin story, and a collection called Tales of Inanimate Objects where I take on the perspective of various objects used on a daily basis, such as a cigarette or a doorknob. Will the objects be tortured? Will they be sexual? Who knows?

Ases buzzed for entry, and Garjah opened the door for him. “Oh, hello.” He looked up to meet his gaze. “I, ah, wasn’t sure if you would be here.” “Come in,” I said. I just finished putting out the food Garjah had ordered. I adjusted one plate. “We have a meal prepared, and I need to speak with you.” “You do?” Garjah stepped back, and Ases entered our cabin. “Uh, what about? Is it my mech?” He peeked over his shoulder. “It isn’t a threat, I promise.” “We know that.” Garjah nodded w

Did you catch Monday's blog featuring Interlude by Luc? This is a novella-length story that explores the idea of fate and true love... and who doesn't love love? Or doesn't want to love love. Since our commenter from Monday's blog fell in love with Ch. 6, I thought I'd share a scene from that chapter. Enjoy! Want to read more? Click here

As we like to do, this week's Classic feature aims at bringing another one of the older stories on GA by a past promoted author to the forefront so newer readers don't miss out on the gems that were enjoyed by others in the past. So... what are your views on long lost loves and fated meetings through time? Length: 39,350 Description: Sometimes the connection between two souls is so deep that it transcends time and gender. This is a story about two such souls who are joined and then torn apart—and go on to seek and find each other through time. A Reader said: I stumbled upon this chapter through a google search, I haven't read the rest of the story yet but I had to comment on this chapter. It was so beautiful, I was openly crying by the end. You are very talented and I am definitely planning to read the rest of this story now. ~ prettypersuasion (Ch. 6) 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!

Unfortunately/Fortunately (for his success) Rob's moved into the Patreon & visual story and video game world.

I placed my hands over his, wanting to touch. I laced our fingers together and leaned my hand into our connected palms. “We need to find some allies who can prevent that from happening, because I don’t think I’d like jail.” He huffed. “As if I’d let Seedrah put you in a cell.” “Instead of sneaking us back on the planet, we need the rebels to help us make as big an entrance as possible. Do you think they can do that?” “Maybe.” “And Seedrah… is he loyal to you or to the Kardova

A big thank you to @Timothy M. for sharing this great review of one our (plus one of my favorite) GA authors, and sorry to readers for the late post! Moving On by Rob Colton Reviewer: Timothy M. Status: Complete Word Count: 21,912 Sometimes it’s great to return to old favorites and read them again. Moving On by Rob Colton falls in this category for me. The story has some signature Rob features, including a ‘bear’ fetish and plenty of steamy sex, but this is not the only reason I like the story. Mason, the main character of the story, is a genuinely nice guy. He is a devoted husband and a loyal friend, even when he is annoyed by the antics of his best friends, Damien. But when he’s betrayed by both his partner Dale and his friend, and I bet you can guess how, Mase puts his foot down and leaves. In spite of his unhappiness, he isn’t swayed by entreaties to forgive and forget, and I respect him for that. The ex-friend, the husband and his cronies deserve nothing but contempt. However, Alex, one of Dale’s friends, does not condone his behavior, and he seeks out Mason to help and support him. I guess Alex can be described as a ‘gentle giant’, but he’s not afraid to stand up for Mase and tell Dale to go to hell. Soon, it’s pretty clear he would like to court Mason, but it’s not so easy to risk your heart again, when it was recently ripped apart. Rob posted Moving On on GA almost ten years ago, and it’s well worth a (re)visit, and a great introduction to a Signature Author, who – in his own words – “loves stories that feature big, burly men who find true love and happy endings.” Category: Fiction Genres: Romance Sub-genres: General Romance Tags: adult Rating: Mature

Really, the English language isn't so much just "weird" as governed by obscure or historical rules that many users intuitively understand or were taught as young learners and have since forgotten why they spell things certain ways. It frustrates many of my SPED students when they get told "it doesn't make sense, you just have to do it" so I always try to give them some logical explanation for the rules or exceptions I teach. In this case, multiple objects that are considered a singular object for the subject of a sentence is because 1) its use requires that it is combined (jeans need both legs, glasses must have both lenses paired together to work for most visually impaired, all the cards are needed in a deck to play) or 2) the word origin itself dictates its spelling since English is also a language with many of its words imported from multiple languages over time.

“We need to tell him.” I mimicked Garjah’s pose with my legs spread and faced him head on. “We’re walking into a situation where the Kardoval were actively looking for us because they feared us doing exactly what we did. We revealed your species to the universe. We’re bringing back an ambassador who has no idea those in power want nothing to do with him.” I cocked my head. “What would they have done to me if they caught us that day we were followed?” Garjah sighed. “I don’t know. Separ

Sorry for the late start, but the upside is this month's selection--while also being one of my favorite genres--is a short story. I hope you will enjoy Corporate Galactic by astone2292 and come back on the CSR Discussion day! Corporate Galactic by @astone2292 Length: 10,247 Description: Companies were always out to make a profit. They want to sell product, expand their business, and wreck the competition. As technology advanced, so did efficiency. Like most planets in the Galactic Union, Earth's offerings were considered unique and vital for other races. How would corporate power and greed alter humanity's existence? A Reader said: Aaron masterfully built a detailed dystopian sci-fi world in a small package. He spun a fine tale balancing risk, hope, and fate that demands more! Well done, Aaron 👏 ~ZekeNix Don't forget to come back to share your thoughts on Monday, April 25th!

Wildone figured out a way to make the Weekly Wrap Up new this week, he went on a trip... so I'm doing it! Do you think he had that plan already in the works last week?🤨 Well, I'll have you know I spent my first Saturday of Spring Break on a day trip, and for once the coast was B-E-A-uuuutiful! Take a peek in the spoiler below if you want to see. But I'm back to bring you all the news you might have missed, salt-soaked skin and all. Wave to the crusty crab we found peeking out in the tide pools! Blog Updates Monday featured Ridley by Krista in our monthly CSR Discussion post. Tuesday Graeme shared Mawgrim was GA's newest Promising Author! Congratulations, Mawgrim!! Do you know what a subject and predicate is? Myr goes over that in Thursday's Grammar Guide There were no prompts this week... April Fools! Friday brought some announcements about National Poetry Month and some prompts. Check it out. Comicality brings us his take on MacGuffins... No, it's not a new breakfast sandwich! Bombast! Hamartia! No, I'm not trying out interesting 2022 versions of curse words... Check out Myr's Word of the Day blog if you want to know what these 2 featured words from this week's selections mean! Blog Opportunities Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate Story Review: Send it in to @wildone or @Timothy M. Story Goals We've hit 3 months into 2022, so let's see how the yearly goals are going so far! Story Updates Last but not least, the story updates for this week! Recently Updated 'Premium' Stories A Fresh Start by Comicality Recently Updated 'Signature Author' Stories Gap Year by Mark Arbour Left Without Words by Comicality Savage Moon 06 - The New Breed by Comicality rima fragmenta, Fragments of a Rift: Fifty Sonnets for Kevin by AC Benus CDMX by Carlos Hazday JUMP! by Aditus The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Prose by AC Benus Jay's Loelife by Mrsgnomie Ancalagon by Cia The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Poetry by AC Benus A Fresh Start by Comicality Recently Updated 'Classic Author' Stories The Brilliant Boy Billionaire by Altimexis Finding Good Trouble by Ronyx Recently Updated 'Promising Author' Stories To the Weyr by Mawgrim Hidden Secrets by Mawgrim Recently Updated 'Author' Stories Canaan Club by Westley D. I Hate This Town by Demiurge It's All About Love by Ajbt2001 Death in the Shadows by astone2292 The Amitea Project: Black.Castle by LJCC Bodark Creek by RichEisbrouch Fourth Down: Second Quarter by FrankD Running for Home by Lux Apollo La Tombola by drsawzall Lux's Indulgences by Lux Apollo The Syndicate by BKWildenberg Incandescence by Demiurge Revelations by mastershakeme Brothers by Yeoldebard Fairyfly II by ObicanDecko A Slice of Life by Xfighter1984 Amethyst Cove Chronicles by Ajbt2001 Juvenile Care Lovers by Georgie DHainaut Ex gay husband by Zuri ARROW by CLJobe The Spirit of the Plum Blossom Tree (TSPBT) by Kong Wen Hui Never walk alone- Walk on by Andre Delport Recently Updated 'Poet' Stories Musings of a Wordsmith by JACC Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!)

As a reader, this resonates with me! Great article this week, and I hope others enjoy it too!

“He’s an assistant model. He can carry luggage in this form and travel a variety of terrain, or he can compact down and then work as a mech doing menial tasks like recording, errands, and act as a remote terminal when a comm isn’t good enough.” Ases walked over to the mech, and the guards tensed, but luckily for them they didn’t try to grab me again. Tapping a sequence on the side, Ases reset the mode. The mech whirred and then compacted down. The central barrel slid downward, and the tread

Who enjoyed reading Ridley by Krista? If you did, please make sure you share your thoughts on the story in the comments below. In the meantime, enjoy the interview with her below! If you were an animal, what would you be? – I used to be into nature documentaries, until I found out they were mostly stock footage with a fake story/narration based on loose science. I’ve always liked Leopards though; they are beautiful and female leopards are one of the more elegant animals in nature. I know I’m aiming high, but since I got to choose that’s what I would be. What's your favorite room in your house? Do you plot or write there? – It is the living room, because that is where I force the family to be after I get off work so that we can have some time together. I do write in there a little, but I mostly retreat to my bedroom reading nook to do most of my writing since it is quiet and has a nice view. I also prop the laptop up and write in bed before I go to sleep. What’s something personal about you people might be surprised to know? – I’m a natural brunette? I don’t know... Lol. I’m tall, 6’3” the same height as my husband and I wore flats to my wedding so that I didn’t tower over him. I do like heels though, so sometimes he just has to get over it. What do you like to do when you’re not writing? – Writing is what I do when I have free time. For what I like to do, I don’t really know, I have a garden that I’ll be getting to work in whenever things start growing again. My city born husband wants to be a farmer/rancher, so I’ve attempted to train him up. Most of the time though, I am cleaning, I have a full-time job, and I am a mother of four, seven if you count the dogs. I do like a good bubble bath. Is there anything you find particularly challenging when writing? – Yes, dialog structure and motivation. Going into writing knowing that I have a set way of doing dialog and it not be structurally correct has weighed on me a lot. It would be a relearning and difficult habit to break for me to learn dialog structure now as well. I honestly don’t see myself doing it the correct way, since this is a hobby and not something I wish to pursue professionally on any level. Motivation is difficult, especially when I try to write far ahead of what I post. I do want to know what people think as I post a chapter and before I start a new one. It isn’t the best system for me, since I have so little time to write, I get behind and slow to post doing it this way. After reading, I know why Ridley chose basketball, but why did you, as the author, chose to write about basketball? I played basketball. I also live in a state known for basketball, although we don’t have a professional basketball team, if you don’t count the University of Kentucky. Like Ridley, I was a “big fish,” in a very shallow pond. I broke tons of school records that are still pretty much intact today. I wasn’t basing any of my experiences with basketball on this story though, I definitely approached the sport far differently than he did. It was also something that I felt a lot of sons play with their fathers, or an interest they could share together far easier than say Football, aside from just playing catch. I also have a story all about Football, so that dynamic for me has already played out and I didn't want to do it again. How did the nickname/real name plot theme come to you for Ridley? – Riddles came first. I had an idea in my head, wanting to write about a character that was different from my usual characters. I have a type: outgoing, talkative, sort of goofy, with close-knit friend groups. Cory and Jackson are different on paper, but their worlds are so mirrored, especially if you read one right after the other. Then Christian isn’t that much different from them. To save myself from complete same-ness I get in a mood where I want to try something new. I thought about a character that didn’t like the world around him. I didn’t have a reason to start with, that part I did have to think a lot on before starting. Riddles as a nickname was more or less, a two-meaning nickname for him, playing off his name became the primary reason eventually. Secondly, he didn’t really act the way a high school basketball star should. Complete indifference is something that a lot of people don’t really respond well towards, so Riddles just stuck. Then Ridley, I think I got from hearing the name from some movie trailer? I think maybe Ridley belongs to a director/producer of some kind, I don’t know. I’m not a movie buff and since they both started with R, I went with that. Ridley also sounds like a decent last name, which is important. The Cafeteria scene in the beginning was the entire idea that got me started I had the image stuck in my head for a week or more. Him looking out the window alone, not caring that he wasn’t part of what was happening around him started the idea. Did you attend your high school “special events” or were you the popcorn & movies loner type of teen? – I pretty much lived at school. I was a three sport athlete, I went to football games, all of that good stuff. I am the complete opposite of Ridley in every way imaginable (basketball skills aside), it is probably why I enjoyed writing about him so much. I am far more like Jackson, if I were to compare myself to any of my current characters, although I did behave a lot better than him. Is there a line or scene in the story you love the most? – I liked the Homecoming surprise scene before the game started and the first kiss scene. On a smaller scale, I liked every scene where Ridley and his sister Cara interacted. For lines I liked: Can you share a little of your current work or future project with readers? – I don’t really have anything ready that is set in stone aside from the next chapter to, “The Best Year,” so I guess a small paragraph from that will be all there is at the moment. I did send something to @wildone, to gauge his reaction to the writing. After TBY my plate is empty.

Unless, of course. You're William Shatner, and you just. Can't. Stop. Pausing. 😆

I was sure of Ases though. As soon as we’d gotten away from the planet and his family’s suffocation, he’d returned to the man I’d known. He’d sent so many questions via the comm. Everything about him screamed someone who was ready to seize the joy of his new life with both hands. And by the way Bouncer just rubbed along his side, he approved too. Traitorous little shit. Eses hadn’t even fed him. Was it the animal thing? Like calling to like? I cocked my head. “Come on. I’ll take you f

Monday I featured Bill W's recent anthology story, A Friendship Lost and Found. Has anyone else ever experienced that reconnection with a long lost friend, especially in this day and age of social media? How did it feel? Maybe something like below? Want to read more? Click here

How's your March coming along, like a lion or a lamb? I don't know about you, but sometimes this time of year, it feels like the weather is shifting back and forth, coming and going... maybe just like the characters were coming and going in each other's lives in the anthology entry by Bill W that I'm featuring this month. Did you read A Friendship Lost and Found? If you haven't, now's your chance! Length: 12,029 Description: Tristan Rader and Gavin Munson met as four-year-olds and almost immediately became best friends. However, their time together ended the summer before fifth grade when Gavin’s father got a new job and his family moved away. As the pair grew older, their paths would cross and bring them together in unexpected ways, only to have fate intercede and cause them to lose contact yet again. Will the journey of life win in the end or will fate triumph? Only time will tell. A Reader said: Tristan and Gavin experience the ups and downs of growing up, friendship and losing friendship. This is a beautiful story that leaves us wanting more, not everyone is as lucky as Gavin and Tristan. ~ chris191070 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!

When I read "guidelines" I equate that to consistency. For me, I believe that rules are important, but however a writer chooses to pursue their passion they need to do so in a logical and consistent way even if it breaks the rules. That's my anchor, regardless of what event or deadline I'm writing for. Thanks for another great post on writing, and for talking up our great anthology events!

The release of tension from getting out of the atmosphere and not being intercepted by anyone else, again, sent a wave of exhaustion through me. I’d been planning on stripping in the confined space, straddling Garjah, and teasing him until all four hands were stroking my aching skin. Instead, the pulled me onto the bed and curled around me. Yes, he was touching me, but instead of revving me up and sending us over the edge into a streak of orgasms that would sate my need for him, he took it