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Cia

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  1. Cia

    Featured Story: Dust & Ash

    By Cia,


    Featured Stories
    Once upon a hot rock band ... a new author came to GA. Dust & Ash is an incredibly popular story following the Boys of Summer band as they face all sorts of challenges, both personal and professional.
     
     
     
     
     



    Dust & Ash


    by



    TMcCallahan


     

    Reviewer: Wicked Witch
    Status: In Process
    Word Count: 379,861
     
    Dust & Ash is one of the most complex romances I've stumbled across, the work of master writer TMcCallahan. It keeps you hooked in an endless, dizzying plot of epic proportions full of emotional scenes. By the end of each chapter you'll most likely want to hit one or more of the characters over the head with a frying pan for their stubborn refusal to behave rationally, yet at the same time it makes you realise just how much trouble we let our pride, lust, stubbornness or tempers get us into.
     
    Dust & Ash is the story of the band Boys of Summer, focusing on lead singer Ash and the new drummer who joins the band for the summer season after the normal drummer injured his arm. They soon hook up and many eventful months follow. However it brings with it a host of delightful characters who all have their own dramas and emotions.
     
    The story is of the trials and tribulations that Dust, Ash and Co. go through as they all explore love, life and try to get themselves back on the tracks.
     
    I've laughed and smiled and cheered and cried as I've read Dust and Ash; TMcCallahan has a gift for putting the reader in the characters boots. I can only say: I can't wait for more in this book.
  2. Cia
    Today we'd like to take another look at one of the site's Hosted Authors, a popular writer with a lot of skills which she brings to bear on all her writing. Please enjoy this review by Fishwings on Running Far Afield.



    Running Far Afield


    By



    Libby Drew


     
    Reviewer: Fishwings
    Status: Complete
    Words: 17,178
     
    Libby Drew is a talented author; there is no doubt about that. After reading through the fast-paced, riveting “State of Mind,” I was eager to pick something else that she wrote up and so settled for “Running Far Afield.” I was more than just pleasantly surprised. “Running Far Afield” proved to be one of the best stories I have come across all year.
     
    Aaron, a high school baseball player with a detached relationship with his appearance-focused, wealthy parents, had recently moved to Ridgton. There, he meets Chris, a mysterious but charming, juvenile delinquent of sorts, who proves to be equally as skilled at baseball as Aaron. Despite an initial awkward and rocky confrontation of sorts, Chris puts aside their differences and invites Aaron to join their team. Over time, a confusing yet intriguing attraction develops between them. It isn’t long before social norms, self-discovery, and parenthood explode and threaten the friendship they have.
     
    After I read the first line of the story, “He felt untouchable,” I was already hooked. Utterly compelling would be one way to describe this story. The characters are well developed, fully fleshed out, real, breathing beings. Conversations felt natural and were a highlight of the story. The writing itself is top notch – Libby’s prose is complex and vivid, but not at all distracting. In addition, there is a graceful thematic unity tying the whole story together, and Libby even addresses several prevalent issues in today’s society with regards to social stigma. The combination of all these elements is what I thought really made this piece shine.
     
    If you are a fan of quality romance with an epic story arc and resonating characters, then “Running Far Afield” may just be the story for you.
     
    If you have already read the story, take a moment to drop Libby a review. I am sure she would love to hear from you.
     

    I hope this review might interest you in reading a new story, if you haven't come across this short story before. If you'd like to share your thoughts on a favorite story you've read on GA, please contact Renee Stevens or Cia.
  3. Cia

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Cia,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Sorry for the late post again this week; I had family visiting I haven't seen in a few months. As for GA ... lots of drama here this week! Let's take a look back, shall we?
     

    Monday was relatively quiet ... I announced our short story line up for the Can't Stop Reading Blog Book Club. We will be reading the last 3 year's Reader's Choice Award Winners. Take a look at the stories, and join us for the Discussion Day on 5/27. You can ask the authors questions (or send them in ahead of time via a pm to me for those authors to answer that can't participate that day) and share your favorite line from the story(ies) you read.
     
    Wacky Wednesday's writing tip was an article on adverbs by Andy021278. He shared some great tips on those -ly words and how to spell them. Quickly check it out, quite thoroughly!
     
    Later Wednesday we had a Urgent Site News post from site administration. Something we always hate to deal with, but does crop up from time to time ... plagiarism. We found that a member I had recently put on the WST-and promoted to Promising author-had stolen all the novels he'd posted on the site from published authors. If you want to find out more, please review the blog post written by Myr. We want everyone to be aware of the issue, and please, if you suspect an author of stealing, or see a GA author's work off-site, let us know asap.
     

    Now for a look forward!
     
    Anthology Announcements:
     
    Quarterly Anthology: Roll the Dice due June 8th!
    Special Premium PAID Anthology: 3 Summer Themes due June 15th! **I need more submittals!**
     

    NEW READING:
     
    In Premium This Week:
    Empty Corners by Comicality
     

    By our Hosted Authors this week:
    Legacy by Altimexis
    Line of Sight by Renee Stevens
    9.11 by Mark Arbour
    One Night by Cia
    The Secret Life of Billy Chase 7 by Comicality
    Second Shot: The Senior Year by Andrew Q. Gordon
    Odyssey by Mark Arbour
    In The Arms of an Angel by Nephylim
    Jessie 101 by Comicality
     

    By our Promising Authors this week:
    The Road to the Future by JMH
    Pour Me Another by K.C.
    A Ruby By Any Other Name by Comicfan
     

    Lots to choose from to read! Please remember to rate and review. Have a great weekend!
  4. Cia
    For May's Can't Stop Reading Book Club I decided to go an easy way out and pick short stories I know are site favorites since we were avoiding a novel. So, for this month we will be reading the past 3 year's Reader's Choice Best Anthology award winners! We'll have 4 stories, not 3, because the 2010 winners tied. I hope you enjoy reading one, or all, of these.
     
    HELP!!!: I'd love some feedback from participants for this month's discussion day. What would you like the format to be? More reviews? Thoughts on writing these stories from the authors? Include a question(s) posed by participants shared here to ask the authors, like a custom interview? Ask each reader to pick their favorite line from each story and why for the discussion day?
     
    2010: A Chance Encounter by Jian Sierra (tie) (Contemporary Drama)
    Length: 6,729
    Description: Due to their personal circumstances, Bill and Nate only had a day together. But as they
    get to know each other, something more than physical attraction developed. What happens when the
    day comes to an end?
     
    2010: The Search for Pandora by Graeme (tie) (Sci-Fi)
    Length: 4,843
    Description: Iswirl and Herk are searching for Herk's sister and they are down to their last lead.
     
    2011: It Was A Holy Day by Lugh (Sci-Fi)
    Length: 16,493
    Description: Prince Anarix is finally Bound. However, much to his father’s displeasure he cannot recall
    who that might be. Therefore, the King has given his only son until the moon turns to locate his mate
    or join the priesthood and forfeit the crown.
     
    2012: A Friend In Need by Andy021278 (Contemporary Drama)
    Length: 3,812
    Description: Michael has been through a lot, and his best friend Gavin has been there with him
    through it all. Michael now needs a kidney transplant. Just how far will Gavin go for Michael?
     

    With a little over 35k to read of varying styles, authors, and genres there should be something for everyone! I hope you enjoy these stories and are prepared to come back on May 27th for the discussion day.
     
    Don't forget to comment on my question; I want to keep this book club alive, please help me do so by making it interesting for everyone involved!
  5. Cia
    <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13397771-built-4-it" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Built 4 It" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328332391m/13397771.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13397771-built-4-it">Built 4 It</a> by Daisy Harris<br/>
    My rating: 4 of 5 stars<br /><br />
    Made 4 It was an interesting story. I hadn’t read any other story in The Love-Bot series, but this still made a lot of sense to me. I get that there might be nuances of the supporting characters from earlier stories that I missed but the general gist of the world the author created made sense.<br /><br />Ala Frankenstein … but not nearly as primitive, scientists have created a whole style of lab rat that are actually legal and called steins. The ethics of such a thing, and the lack of humanity required to bring people back to life and then experiment on them, was a disturbing theme. I found the character of the head doctor, Frith, to be particularly callous and cruel. <br /><br />What was interesting to me was the way that humans reverted so much to animalistic tendencies as steins. They would create pack structures, used touch and physical cues to communicate when speech was beyond them. The leader, Kee, was the biggest and strongest … and curiously, also the smartest of them all. Emotions rule the steins’ actions … and Kee has a serious amount of emotion for the reluctant lab assistant Ben, who hates his job. <br /><br />Throughout the story, Kee grows, Ben learns new things … and they both get something they wanted. In the end, their differences don’t seem to matter that much, even if society would condemn Kee and Ben for them. Their journey, sometimes together and sometimes apart, was good and I liked the romance but I found the philosophical questions brought on by this story almost more interesting than the story itself.<br /><br />It begs the reader to question if the potential for Kee's recovery of his 'self', based on the electrical impulses of the device in his head that brought him back, would be limited to him for some reason. If given better implants could all steins regain full intelligence? What does that mean legally? Should people be brought back from the dead and limited to a certain level of intelligence deliberately? Can they be people again with all the same rights as the conventionally living if given a chance and should they be given that chance?<br />
     
    Could this be possible in OUR future? <br /><br /><br />
    <br/><br/>
    <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5881541-alicia-nordwell">View all my reviews</a>
  6. Cia

    Csr Discussion Day: Josh's Blog By Carl Holiday

    By Cia,


    CSR- Can't Stop Reading
    It’s that time again … CSR’s Discussion Day. This month we read Josh’s Blog by Carl Holiday. I hope you enjoyed the story; I can’t wait to see what thoughts readers had. Below is a review by yours truly where I shared my feelings on the story and Carl’s writing. Check out the info afterward about CSR in general too; I need your help! Yes yours!
     


     

    Quite the comment to be starting off a review with, right? Yet, this paragraph is in the first chapter of the story, Josh’s Blog, by Carl Holiday. I don’t often read teen fiction, because there are parts I just don’t want to get a mental image of, lol, or the authors just don’t give the characters that ‘teen truth’.
     
    In this story, I think the teen character of Josh actually epitomizes the true reality of a teenage boy, as much as I can remember from being a teenage girl at least. He’s embarrassed by his parents, he’s frank and somewhat crude and worries entirely too much about his appearance. He shows that same character trait all through the story, like a lot of his personal comments during his visit in the old folks rehab center of Shady Maples.
     
    Carl’s writing is pretty smooth, and he definitely has the characters down pat. I think, partly because of the format of this story, a series of blogs, that I wasn’t quite as able to connect with the supporting characters or feel the scene. I’m probably more of a traditionalist and like immersing myself in an actual narrative/dialogue style plot rather than this monologue style.
     
    Still, the story is creative … in ways I can’t even begin to go into. I’m sure many of the other CSR participants will highlight the many facets of the story, so suffice it to say we have some drama (in a teenage story, NO WAY!) and some comedy, and a whole lot of really good writing!
     
    Check it out for yourself, if you haven’t had a chance yet, but be aware if you read on to check out the comments that there will probably be spoilers ahead!
     

    So, I’m always asking for more input from you guys. I’d love to see what sort of features you’d like to have in the CSR Book club. We get a lot of review discussions through the comments, but I’d like to see if there are things you guys would like. Should I do questionnaires for you to consider when writing up your posts? Coffee or muffin recipes to share for my fav book discussion times so you guys can enjoy them to? Change up the club format somehow? I want CSR to be popular, so that means you guys have a lot of input and say in what we do. Use it!
     
    For May, I did get some feedback requesting a change previously I’m going to do for this month. Instead of featuring a novel, I’d like to feature (3) short stories. You can read one, you can read them all… but it’ll give us variety and options. If you have any ideas for things during the Discussion blog day for this, let me know! So, when you post, don’t forget to add your nominations for May’s CSR features … your favorite short stories!
  7. Cia

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Cia,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Once again from yours truly... a look back at this week on Gay Authors!
     

    This week's blogs started with a review by Wicked Witch of The Rider's Pride by dkstories. This novel length story is a fanfiction of McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern stories. Dan did a great job creating a story in much the same manner of the original work; Wicked Witch called it a "superb piece of fanfiction". As a fan of the series since I was a girl, I have to agree!
     
    Wednesday brought something a little different; Myr shared a blog post on what the word free really means when it comes to GA. We heartily encourage members to support the site if they're able and to always remember that we strive to bring everyone the best experience on GA that we can, but sometimes we need a little support which can be done in various ways. Check out the blog, What Is Free?, for some suggestions on how to do that.
     
    Our resident prompt mastermind, Comicfan, brought us two new flash fiction prompts, a creative plot idea and a prompt where you feature a list of words. Let's see what authors can come up with for next week's featured response!
     

    Site Announcements:
     
    Don't forget April is Team Recognition Month! This chance to publicly thank your team is almost over!
     
    Please welcome K.C. as a Promising Author if you haven't already. Congrats again KC!
     
    Just Announced! Please welcome Michael9344 as our newest Promising Author!
     
     
     
    Anthology Announcements:
     
    Summer Anthology "Roll the Dice" - Due June 8th
     
    Summer Premium Content Anthology Event - (Paid Submission Call) 3 Themes! Due by June 15th.
     
     
     
    NEW READING:
     
    In Premium This Week:
     
    Empty Corners by Comicality
     

    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    In The Arms of An Angel by Nephylim
     
    Palouse by Rec
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour
     
    One Night by Cia
     
    Recovery by Nephylim
     
    Line of Sight by Renee Stevens
     
    Circumnavigation by CJames
     
    Harry Potter and the Destiny of Prophecies by dkstories
     
    Legacy by Altimexis
     

    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    Blind Dates by FrenchCanadian
     
    Caught Behind the Shadows by Michael9344
     
    The Road to the Future by JMH
     
    Pour Me Another by K.C.
     
    The Luxorian Fugitive by Mann Ramblings
     
    The Game They Played by Michael 9344
     
    Scars - The things we bare by Comicfan
     
    That's it, whew! Our authors have been busy this week ... check out these, and more, under the Stories tab. Please remember to review if you like what you read!
  8. Cia

    Featured Story: The Rider's Pride

    By Cia,


    Featured Stories
    Happy Monday! Please enjoy this week's story feature!


     



    The Rider's Pride


    by



    dkstories


     
    Reviewer: Wicked Witch
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 107,446
     
    The Rider's Pride is a story by dkstories; It is a superb piece of fanfiction set in the world of Pern, created with its own twists on the mythos of Anne McCaffrey's world. dkstories has some great works on GA but this is my favourite of them all.
     
    I fell in love with this story as soon as I began reading it; it carries you along on an adventure in an alien world, filled with love, tragedy, hope and emotion to a final crescendo that is in my opinion one of the most perfect and most emotional endings to a story I've yet read.
     
    The alienness of the society in which the dragon rider's find themselves needing to live in order to protect their world is strange to read of, but described in a way that you can really get a feel of it and it becomes very natural to read of. At least for me it left me wondering was it all worth it?; was the sacrifices they made worth so many lives in an endlessly repeating pattern, and were the ancients morally right to condemn so many people to this life style. It is an interesting question that I think made this story something more than just a tale and gave it a real depth.
     
    I sobbed my heart out at the ending to this story, it is quite an emotional read. In my opinion a story has hit the mark when it can make you feel an emotion, be it fear or intrigue, laughter or sadness or perhaps happiness, and The Rider's Pride did this in spades for me.
     

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

    Csr Book Club Monthly Feature

    By Cia,


    CSR- Can't Stop Reading
    No book club this month!


     
    April Fools! Okay, so I suck at pranks. We are doing a story; this month we're going with the story suggested by Percy. I'm loving all the detailed feedback readers are sharing with each other and our authors. One of the suggestions I've heard a few times is giving short stories a chance. I'd like to feature 3 short stories, up to say, 25k each but they can be less, for next month's selections. That way people can pick and choose what to read, any or all of them. Keep that in mind for the story discussion on April, 29th so you can nominate your favorites. On to this month's selection!
     
    Josh's Blog
    by Carl Holiday
     
    Length: 69,713

    Rating: Mature

    Description: Joshua Burk is sent to Pine Corner, Wisconsin, to live with his father. While there, he falls in love, twice, discovers life can be a little strange in a small town out in the cornfields, and begins an unbelievable journey of discovery and wonder.

    Some thoughts from a reader: I really, really like this story. This is going to be a fun ride. It's July, 1523 and some kid is BLOGGING from there. HA!

    Don't forget, the story discussion will be held on April 29th!
  11. Cia

    Writing Prompts #220 & #221

    By Cia,


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

    Wacky Wednesday: Pulse Behind The Ga Crowd

    By Cia,


    Author Interviews
    This week we have a great installment by Yettie One once again, focusing on what keeps GA going ... the members! Read on to find out more...
     
     
     
     
     

    Pulse Behind the GA Crowd



    by



    Yettie One


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

    Csr: Story Discussion For State Of Mind

    By Cia,


    CSR- Can't Stop Reading
    Today we're featuring a review of Libby's story, State of Mind. She graciously gave out eBook copies, and members could read it on the site, of course. Fishwings accepted my request and wrote up an excellent review to entice you to read the story, just in case you haven't already. Bear in mind, however, there *are* some spoilers. Read ahead at your own risk!
     
    Fishwing's Review:
     

    First of all, I'd like to thank Cia for letting me write this review. She knows that I'm a huge fan of Libby Drew and I am honoured to be able to review one of my favourite stories on this site.
     
    “A State of Mind” was actually the first Libby Drew novel that I read, after which I became an instant fan. I still remember staying up at four in the morning on a school night, loathing myself because I simply couldn’t summon enough willpower to put it aside for later!
     
    The story follows the Organization, a secret agency consisting of "gifted" men and women with paranormal, psychic powers of persuasion and telekinesis. "A State of Mind" thrives on several strengths, including a riveting plot and a clever concept that is an entertaining nod towards other secret agent and superhuman novels. However, I think its biggest strength lies in its amazingly well-developed characters.
     
    One such character is Nicolas – one of my favourites. He is an egotistical brat, a jealous bitch, with borderline ambiguous motives, but at the same time remained a reliable friend. I thought this combination of flaws and strengths really humanized him to the point that I felt sorry for him being third-wheeled. Both protagonists were similarly well-fleshed out. Grier is a brooding, cynical, at times socially awkward, wisened, deadly warrior with a sad childhood who eventually becomes quite devoted to Alec. Alec is archetypically blond and stubborn to the point of irritation, but he’s also quick witted, reserved yet flirty, with enough loyalty and good heart to make him both a relatable and an admirable character.
     
    Another thing that I enjoyed is how Libby balances the romance with the action. It was simply perfect. The unresolved sexual tension keeps on growing and doesn’t get in the way of their pulse-racing escapes, nor does the action subvert the chemistry between them – it enhances it. Libby builds up their relationship through several sweet (and life-threatening) moments until that one, explosively huge, satisfying bedroom scene. I usually skip over sex scenes in novels, or I observe them with the detached manner comparative to how an entomologist might regard the dissection of an insect specimen, but this scene worked for me because of how well it was planned. I remember screaming into the air:
     
    “Well ABOUT F*CKING TIME!” (pun intended)
     
    Now regarding the action. Libby’s prose is vivid, without a touch of purple, and she knows how to structure her sentences to amp up the adrenaline. The most memorable scene of the entire novel I thought would have to be Alec and Grier’s confrontation with Kay at the restaurant. I was hanging on every single bloody word, and the way the situation was resolved I thought was very clever. Libby’s characters were proactive, and their autonomous thinking/actions impressed me on numerous occasions.
     
    One area that I wasn’t entirely convinced was regarding the villains. In contrast to the protagonists, I felt that they weren’t very well developed and were rather stereotyped. In particular, the way Kay dismissed Alec’s friendship was unrealistically abrasive, and she quickly faded from being a source of intrigue. I thought if she had suffered from more ambiguity it would have humanized the antagonists a little more and made them more interesting. Another thing that I noticed is that Libby sometimes uses the mirror technique to describe character appearances, which kind of makes me go “oh I see what you did there…”
     
    … and now I’m just being nitpicky.
     
    Although I can’t seem to think of any deep-rooted themes that correlate to this book, I honestly don’t really care. "State of Mind’s" primordial purpose was to entertain, and it more than delivered. I laughed, bit my knuckles in anticipation, fell in love with Alec, with Grier, with Nicolas, pumped my fist in the air when Kay fell to her death, and didn’t regret going to school the next day feeling like death because I had stayed up all night reading.
     
    And typing up this review.
     
    Overall, I loved "State of Mind." Thank you so much Libby Drew for writing it and allowing it to be hosted on this site (and for kindly PMing members free copies of your book), and for just existing in general. Keep doing your thing, you amazing writer, you.
     
    So what did YOU think? Leave your comments on the section below, BUT don’t forget to post a review on Libby’s story as well! Authors thrive on feedback.
     

    Thank you, Fishwings, for the excellent review! Now on to more thoughts from readers! Comment below with your thoughts of the story. Don't forget to suggest a story for next month, between 20-90k, completed! After today we'll have had 3 months of CSR's book club. The last 2 months have netted some great reads and thoughts for the authors chosen. How about some feedback for the blog itself? You can pm me or post here, but I'd like to know if we're going along great or if there are any features/suggestions you might have!
  14. Cia

    Writing Prompts #218 & #219

    By Cia,


    Prompts
    Hey folks! It's that time again, prompt time! We have 2 more creative prompts from our resident flash inspiration guru, Comicfan. 218 is right up my alley so I'm going to try to do something for it later this week, I think. Site flash fiction is something I have, to my embarrassment, been neglecting. It's a cool little way to inspire authors to write-even if it's just something small and fun. You can do a 30 word poem, or a 100 word microflash, or an under 1k regular flash, or a prompt could inspire a whole new world for you to dabble in. That part is up to you. But try doing one, because it is a valuable tool in a writer's arsenal, I believe. We need to be able to stretch ourselves from our routines now and then. There are literally hundreds of prompts to choose from too!
     
    Prompt 218 – Creative
    You were promised to another before you were even born. Your whole life you knew you would have no choice in this marriage. Now your life partner is due to arrive in mere hours and your entire kingdom has been working none stop to make sure everything is perfect. What is your life partner like and how will you survive with that person for the rest of your life?
     
    Prompt 219 – Creative
    A letter was mistakenly delivered to you. You had opened and read it before you realized it wasn’t meant for you. What was the letter about and what do you do about it?
     
    Last week we bypassed the prompts, but in the last two weeks no one opted to try a new flash piece. So I'm going to whip something up, right here, right now, for this week's prompt feature to get everyone started. Hopefully there will be many more added! You can post these in your flash collections, in the topic, etc... but write, post, have fun!
  15. Cia
    Yes, *gasps* I read off GA. Honestly, most of my time here is taken up with staff duties-which sort of stinks for my love of reading-but one of the things eBooks can do is give us an idea of what to aspire toward. Most of the authors I know online won't be traditionally published but the advent of eReaders and the exploding eBook market can be an invaluable tool to spread your stories, and make a bit of cash.
     
    I love to read, but I do the mod queue here on GA, so I get a lot of serial works I am trying to keep track of plot wise for approvals, so when I do get a chance to read, I'll admit to a bit of an eBook obsession. It's done, complete, and in a handy reading format. It won't ever be my sole reading source, because I love so many of the authors on GA, but hey, I won't turn down free reads either!
     
    Today I'm going to start sharing my weekly eBook reviews from my off-site blog. I'd also love to feature *complete* free stories from GA on my blog for my fans over there, so if you have one-and are willing to take my unvarnished opinion-pm me a link to your story!
     
    I chose to review ZA Maxfield's Crossing Borders.
    Plot synopsis: Tristan's got issues; he knows he does. So when his most recent girlfriend dumps him via messenger, and he can't stop staring at the messenger's cock while he's breaking the news, Tristan figures it's about time he makes some changes. He formulates a foolproof plan to get himself someone who can show him what he's been missing -- until who should crash his little adventure but Officer Michael Truax, the man who gave him a really expensive ticket for boarding without a helmet back when he was in high school.

    Michael has been trying to catch Tristan for years...to give him a second ticket. Suddenly he's faced with his 'Sparky', all grown up -- and looking to get laid. The habit of protecting him isn't gone completely, but the opportunity is too much to resist. He figures the kid must know what he's getting into, so he takes him home. There, they carry on a cautious dance, only to find out that neither is what the other expected, and that together, they're hot enough to melt glass.
     
    My Review:
     
    <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6082786-crossing-borders" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Crossing Borders (Crossing Borders, #1)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1231497603m/6082786.jpg" /></a><a
    Honestly, I held off on this book for a while before purchasing it during a 50% rebate day at ARe. It seemed a tad cliché from the title, but really, the plot wasn't the focus for me when I read it. While that sounds silly, it's true. <br /><br />The characters made this story. 'Officer Helmet' aka Michael was interesting as seen through the eyes of 'Sparky' aka Tristan. As a fellow redhead, I soooo got Tristan's beef with his nickname. I loved the disparate ages-yet similar desires. It just went to show that opposites can be more alike than most think, and make it work.<br /><br />Not to say the plot wasn't interesting-if not exactly 'new'. I laughed my ass off as 'Sparky' plotted and planned to find a man at the bookstore coffee shop. The texts back and forth were witty and definitely made the scene even better. I liked that the will they or won't they aspect was resolved pretty quick, which left the actual relationship the focus, imo. <br /><br />Since the relationship was the focus, and the source of conflict in the end, I felt the plot arc fit, even if it did feel uneven. The author could have predicated that aspect a little better by seeding in small moments here and there earlier in the story. It would have also served to give us a more realistic interaction between Michael and Tristan-even newly together couples generally aren't that perfect. <br /><br />Still, this story was mostly full of warm and fuzzy feelings, even once the drama hit. As always, ZA Maxfield's writing flowed and I was sucked in start to finish. Definitely a recommend!
    <br/><br/>
    <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/5881541-alicia-nordwell">View all my reviews</a>

     
  16. Cia
    Hello members! So, many of you know I'm off visiting family. My grandma has terminal cancer, which prompted my visit with my kids so they could make some memories of her they will always remember before she gets too sick. Fortunately, she's still pretty good. As a bonus, I have several siblings and their kids, parent and an ex-parent, who are here to see too. We managed to have some fun for the kids sight-seeing, going on a wild dolphin harbor cruise and taking them to swim in a spring I got to swim in as a kid too.
     
    But while I've been getting ready to leave, and here visiting, I'm still getting a lot of messages and hearing of messages from authors that they are saying to others about how unfair the guidelines for Promising seem to be and why people get promoted and when. Even to th point where supposedly people are ready to leave the site over their 'lack of recognition'.
     
    I can't blame anyone but myself over not guaranteeing the information on how to become Promising was in the new faq we instituted. It was before, so that's on me for the lack. I know I've answered the question several times elsewhere or in chat, though. Still, the information I fact checked and approved for Comicfan to share with you was the 'rough' guidelines that the WST uses to make a decision when an author is nominated.
     
    HOWEVER, every author is judged based on THEIR work, THEIR contributions (and members don't always see them, btw, as we can see things like unpublished/post dated stories, or behind the scenes assistance for the site) and the decisions are always in the hands of a team, not a single staff member. Certain things others don't see, like the propensity of an author to publish works on the site then remove them, can also influence the team's decision but that's only for THAT author.
     
    Writing is both a medium that can be subjected to specific criteria, such as the use of an editor and the ability of an author to follow commonly used writing guidelines for grammar/punctuation, but we don't judge any prospective Promising's work against other prospective or existing Promising. I can't stress that enough. I'm tired of hearing that promoting someone that other's feel isn't as 'worthy' based on this or that aspect they hold to the GUIDELINES (not requirements, as they are somewhat fluid and subject to discussion between the WST members) because that's not how it works.
     
    I know some people might be irked by this system and/or this post about our system. I'll take the blame on the information on advancement not being readily available, but I won't apologize for the way we've been doing things for years. While my PM box is always open and I try to let everyone know I will answer everything I can, or find them the answers, I am not infallible on sharing information.
     
    Authors: In the future, if you have questions-share them-before you're 'ready to leave the site'. I can't head off things before that point if you don't.
     
    I have dinner plans, then packing, then a flight cross-country tomorrow after some emotional goodbyes, but I will try to check this tonight and tomorrow before I leave to respond to any comments or questions. I am more than willing to make the system as transparent as possible, without hurting anyone's feelings or violating private forum rules.
  17. Cia

    Csr: Story Discussion Day For Nowhere Man

    By Cia,


    CSR- Can't Stop Reading
    It's that time again! Can't Stop Reading (CSR) Book Discussion Day! This month we are discussing Nowhere Man by Jwolf. This roughly 45,000 word modern story was published back in 2011 and was nominated on last month's discussion day by Percy. If you haven't read the story yet, please be aware the following review will have several spoilers, and several of the comments most likely will as well.
     
    My review:
     
    I hadn't read this story in a long, long time. So, in preparation for today I read it again. The comment by a reader I highlighted on the day we revealed the chosen story sort of said it all for me. I wasn't quite sure what to think as I read it, and even after I finished it. There were some interesting themes and ideas in the story. The letters left by Travis' father were a very interesting plot device that led to a fundamental theme in Travis' psyche. The statement he most wished to embody, "Protect Love Above All Else".
     
    The story follows Travis' attempts to find love and keep it. The story is completely insane though, and I had to put aside a ton of belief that any rational being would have even considered doing the things Travis did. Tyler, the other lead character, was a completely psychotic character but in that quiet, no one would ever think he'd do that something like that, personality. Wade wasn't any better but the idea of a 'stupid clown' like him as a little humorous and freaky at the same time.
     
    I found Tyler's *ahem* fluid sexuality to be very interesting. It was a major factor in the story that prompted all sorts of things. Travis was gay, and knew it, but he seemed to have no idea what he should actually DO with another man. Not just sexually either, though actual sex scenes were many in the story, but on an emotional level. He was an idealistic idiot, to be truthful. I kept thinking, damn man, you epitomize the too flipping stupid to live character. And he kept shacking up with nut jobs!
     
    At the end, the relationship left was completely out of left field. I couldn't even begin to believe the story as 'real' even though it was modern but it kept me reading. I wanted to see if Travis would end up like that ditzy cheerleader that always goes outside in bad horror flicks. This story had exactly that vibe, and kept me watching for al the same reasons those kitchy b-flicks do. They're great, in their own special, iconic, totally off the beaten path way.
     
    So, all in all, I enjoyed Nowhere Man quite a bit. How about you? Please consider leaving your comments/reviews/thoughts and ratings here in the discussion blog. If not here, think about leaving some in the story too!
     
    Also, I'd like to see some nominations for next month's feature! We need a completed story, between 20-90k. The chosen story will be announced next week! Just post the story you'd like to see here.
  18. Cia

    Writing Prompts #210 & #211

    By Cia,


    Prompts
    TGIF! Thank goodness it's Friday and we all know that means prompts! Check out this week's inspirations from our lovely prompt guru, Comicfan.
     
    Prompt 210:
    As if things didn't go wrong normally, you were killed accidentally this morning when a bus driver swerved on a wet road to avoid a kitten and plowed right into the coffee shop where you were waiting to get your morning coffee. Instead of a trip to heaven or hell, you are met and told you are actually going to work as grim reaper. What is your first day on the job like?
     
    Prompt 211:
    You just won an all access pass to see your favorite singer. Who is it and what is it like?
     
    For our feature, we are showcasing a piece inspired in part off Prompt 208 from last week by Mann Rambling. This was his first stab at using prompts and it seems like he got some pretty good inspiration!
     

    This is just the beginning of his prompt response and there's quite a bit more to read in the story before this was used in a later chapter. Check it out from the beginning here, The Luxorian Fugitive.
  19. Cia

    Csr Book Club Monthly Feature

    By Cia,


    CSR- Can't Stop Reading
    Hi again readers! We had some great feedback and thoughts on last books kick off book club selection. I appreciate all of the time readers invested in participating. This month I've picked a selection from the suggestions made by commenters last month. As February is a short month, so the discussion will take place on February 25th. I truly hope we can continue to see success with the book club! Okay, on to this month's selection! Drumroll .........

    Nowhere Man
    by Jwolf

     
     
     

    Length: 44,350  

    Rating: Mature
     
    Description: Travis has given up on finding love. That is until he meets this stranger that leads him everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
     
    Some Thoughts From A Reader: OK, this was interesting and a little weird to read. And I don´t know exactly what to think after I´ve just finished it a couple of minutes ago.
     
    Have fun reading, and don't forget, the discussion date for this story is February 25th!
  20. Cia

    Writing Prompts #206 & #207

    By Cia,


    Prompts
    "It's me again, Margaret!" No, I'm not quite that old but my Dad controlled the TV growing up. For you young'uns, maybe this will prompt you to google it; the man was funny! Okay, so this week I'm bringing you two more great prompts from our resident flash fiction guru man, Comicfan and a prompt selection from a new GA Author, Wicked Witch!
     
    First, our dose of weekly inspiration:
     
    Prompt 206 – Creative
    Tag – The Dance
    There is a long standing story that if any of the fairy folk ask you to dance, never say yes. Unfortunately you never liked to listen to people and you said yes. What happens when you are finally done with the dance?
     
    Prompt 207 – Creative
    Tag – The Fixer
    They say for everything there is an opposite. So what is the opposite of those tricky jinns who have people make terrible wishes that end up destroying their lives totally? Meet a fixer. What do they do?
     
    Now, on to our weekly highlight of prompt creativity! Wicked Witch posted his very first story here on GA using prompt #201 as inspiration for the first chapter in his new serial story, Dancing With Fate.
  21. Cia

    Writing Prompts #204 & #205

    By Cia,


    Prompts
    Well, Robert's off freezing his bits at the capital and internet gremlins have struck at Renee's, so you get a weekly prompt blog from yours truly! As always, our very own inspiring prompt guru, Comicfan has 2 interesting scenarios to intrigue you. Don't forget, if you decide to try one of these out, share it with the rest of us in the Writing Prompt Forum!!
     
    Prompt 204 – Creative
    Tag – The Monster Hunter
    You always thought you were the only one. You hunted down the dark and the evil, until they showed up. Their skills nearly matched your own, but where your stuff cobbled together theirs is the best money can buy. Who is this Monster Hunter, and are they there to help you or to replace you?
     
    Prompt 205 – Challenge
    Tag – The Best Day Ever
    Take the opposite sort of character from what you usually write and now create the perfect day for them. Example: You write about sex crazed teenagers, now write about the perfect day for an eighty year old nun, or your specialty is creating kickass zombie slayers, so maybe you have a male nurse who works in a hospital natal ward.
     
    Last week we shared a prompt by Joann414 with you that incorporated 2 prompts. Dolores must have taken some inspiration of sorts from that when she came up with the impressive piece we chose to feature this week.
     
     
     

    TBC in Dolores' GA Writing Prompt collection, with not just these 2 prompts incorporated, but 7 in total! Follow this link to read all of The Magic of Fire.
  22. Cia

    Featured Story: When I Fall Asleep / Rexer

    By Cia,


    Featured Stories
    What? Cia is posting the blog? That's right! Straight from reading a Promising Story, to reviewing it, to posting the blog. I don't know how Trebs and Renee and all their helpers keep doing this! So readers, help us out! We constantly need volunteers to help review stories for our Authors, Promising Authors, and Hosted Authors for our weekly features.
     
    We know we have great readers on this site, the numbers Trebs posted last week for the reviews in GA. Stories was staggering. All it takes is one little pm to Renee or Trebs to find out what to do if you're not sure. So, since we know you're enjoying the stories on here, grab your courage (and keyboard) with both hands and write a review!
     
    Now, without further ado, on to this week's reviews!!
     
     
     
     
     


    When I Fall Asleep


    By Razor


     

    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 7,145
    Review by: Cia
     
    So, it’s been a very long time since I joined GA and read my way through the Hosted and Promising. Back then I was always looking for the novel, and tended to avoid reading the short stories, which was a real shame because there are some great ones. This review is for an old anthology story, written and posted before I joined GA.
     
    Now, anyone I’ve talked to knows that I don’t normally like to read teen stories. The graphic nature that some authors use tends to put me off. But this coming of age story by Razor was perfect for me in terms of that content. In it we follow the growing up of a pair of friends, two boys who meet in the first grade and find out that they’re a lot alike.
     
    But the pains and perils of getting older can sometimes outweigh all the good things teens know about their friends and sometimes, when they don’t know any better, they make the wrong choices. Those can spiral beyond their control, but eventually, kids grow up because of the things they experience.
     
    This story doesn’t end in the usual unhappy way for the main character, which was a twist I wasn’t expecting. Since I’m a sucker for a happy ending, I find that in my mind, I’m still wondering about what else could happen afterward for both boys. I love stories that make me feel that way. The writing flow was smooth and since I'm a mom of a young boy I was alternately amused, and horrified, and then reminding myself to put a better lock on the doors in my house in the next few years, LOL! All in all, a good entertaining story that left me with a smile.
     
     
     


    Rexer


    by Zolia Lily


    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 13,332
    Review by: Andy021278
     

    This is a lovely story written by Zolia Lily that I came across back in January. It’s her only story currently available, and looking back now, I can’t actually remember why I started reading it; but I’m glad I did.
     
    The two main characters are Paul Rexer and Jake Preston, who are co-workers. The story starts out with the two of them seemingly having bumped into each other quite by accident in the street; they have lunch, and they unexpectedly hit it off. Lunch leads to dinner, and then they spend the night at Jake’s apartment.
     
    All good so far, except it seems that Jake may well be a stalker. After their night of passion, Paul picks up a telephone message from Jake’s mum asking him to “let us know about Rex, ok? None of us can wait to meet him.” Paul now starts wondering just how casual that meeting outside his favourite coffee shop, on his regular Saturday morning stop really was. Had Jake already told his parents that they were having a relationship?
     
    Jake is the quiet, cute, unassuming guy at work, who makes plans, and lists and worries about the tiniest of details; hardly surprising since he has OCD. Surely, Jake couldn’t have engineered their little lunch time meeting, could he? Paul begins seeing quiet little Jake as a male version of Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, so he hightails it from Jake’s apartment, whilst his stalker is still asleep in bed.
     
    The next day at work, everything seems all right, that is until Paul accidentally receives some personal correspondence in the office mail that is addressed to Jake; except it also has Paul’s name on it as well. Just why is Jake having personal mail sent to him with both his and Paul’s name on it?
     
    Though what will happen when Paul has it out with his bunny-boiling stalker? Just how much of a stalker is Jake? Is he really as scary as all the mounting evidence suggests? You’ll have to read to find out.
     
    The story is beautifully crafted overall and she has created a wonderful and believable character in Jake; most likely a result of her familiarity with OCD. My only criticism of the story is a purely technical point in that there are issues with the punctuation of speech tags; but certainly, it does not detract in any way from what is a very enjoyable read.
     


    ***


    I hope you enjoyed these reviews. Remember, our authors don't get paid, so leave them a comment or two in appreciation for their stories!
  23. Cia
    Yep, I'm pre-empting Blast From the Past this week to inform members of a story that's been stolen from GA then put up for sale on Amazon. The story stolen was Chasing the Shadows by K.C. Grim and it was posted under Embraced by Shadows by K.J. Fleur back in May. We only found this out when a concerned reader emailed the admin account to find out if the story was stolen and posted on GA. That proved to have happened in the reverse, and KC had his story ripped off.
     
    All this author did was change the names in the story and the title. They even used the same description!
     
    Earlier this year, I was alerted to the fact that several authors on Amazon had copied multiple stories from authors on Literotica. Of course, I checked to see if this K.J. Fleur had copied other stories from GA. but they don't appear to have any other stories in their author account. That doesn't mean your stories are safe online though!
     
    Now, I'm not a techie, so I might not be going about this the right way but I performed a search on a part of the description that didn't have any names. I found that you need to type in the phrase you search on Google, not copy it from any site online. When I did it with copied text from GA, I found GA results to KC's story. When I copied the phrase from Amazon, I found results on the story on Amazon. When I typed in the description by hand, I found both.
     
    The problem also lies in the fact that thieves might not be quite a stupid as this 'K.J. Fleur' and write up their own description. So how do you look to see if your story has been stolen? I couldn't find any simple way to search by a phrase from the story to search for other plagiarized content stolen from GA. If any readers of this blog are better at this than me, please let us know how to do it.
     
    If for some reason you do discover your story on Amazon, there is recourse. KC has already contacted Amazon and has been told that they would have a resolution quickly, within a few days. I found this page, Kindle Direct Publishing Terms and Conditions, with the exact language for anyone who feels their story has been stolen and the steps to take to correct it. The relevant paragraph is # 5.7:
     

    I also found this:
     

    I'm sure every author on GA would be horrified to discover their story had been stolen, especially those who are attempting to break into the publishing world. I truly hope this has not happened to anyone else from GA. A big thank you goes to the concerned reader who contacted us. Without that information, this might have gone unnoticed.
  24. Cia

    Feature Story: The Third Fire

    By Cia,


    Featured Stories
    Looking for a read last night, I came across this story. One of the many thousands on the site, I wanted a quick read and this fit perfectly. Enjoy!
     


    The Third Fire


    by Lugh


     

    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 1,450
    Reviewed by: Cia
     
    Did you ever feel in the mood for just a tidbit of a story? Our Hosted Authors aren't good just for long, serial stories. Quite a few also provide us with great quick reads just right for that fifteen minutes you have on the bus, train, or those short times when you aren't expected to be doing whatever you are responsible for in life. For me that was between putting the chicken in the oven, nagging the kids to clean their rooms, and when I had to have dinner on the table. For my reading pleasure, I chose Lugh's short story called The Third Fire, one he wrote before my tenure as one of his betas.
     
    The tags were interesting, including coming of age, religion, and mages. They piqued my interest, wondering how they could possibly mix together. A short time later I knew.
     
    The story is a great mix of finding that moment when you leave childhood behind and become that person who moves ahead in life knowing who and what you are - what you're supposed to be doing. For Azrael, that came one night as he is claimed by a goddess, and a man, all at the same time.
     
    I loved the uncertain nature of Azrael's thoughts up to that moment of realization. The story was told from his point of view and we get a sense of his confusion, uncertainity and then ... BAM. His moment came. Literally, lol.
     
    Lugh's ability to create a picture in few words is one of my favorite things about him as an author. He creates intricate worlds and characters, but he can keep it simple and still enthrall me every time. I've read most of his stories and can't think of a single one I haven't found myself enjoying. That isn't to say his writing is perfect. As usual, he forgot the rules about when mom and dad become Mom and Dad, and there were a few missteps in the story I'd have called him on if I'd been a beta for the story.
     
    However, none of that took anything away from my enjoyment of the story. I love fantasy, and I love when it makes me think. I liked the fire symbolism in the story too.
     
    So, if you don't have the time to start reading one of the many serial stories by our Hosted Authors, pick one of the many short stories available. Start with this one if you like fantasy, or coming of age stories, you won't regret it! Don't forget to a leave a few reviews as well.
     
    Happy Reading!
  25. Cia

    Weekly Wrap Up 2/27-3/3

    By Cia,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    A look back at this week on GA!
     
    This week started off with a review of Tiff's No Fairy Tale World by yours truly! A great story, follow the link if you'd like to see the review if you missed it the first time around. You'll also find a link to the story.
     
    We had member reviews of two stories by site authors, Cassie Q and In the mind of Sunshine. Another feature this week was a prompt 114 response story by Andy021278. This weeks prompts, 116 and 117 were both creative cues. One gives you the basic plot and the other was a starting line prompt. Check them out here!
     
    A big event on GA this week was the reveal of the Reader's Choice Award winners! CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who was up for nomination and those who won. Every story involved deserved the recognition. CJ, of course, won the King of Cliffhangers award. Everyone needs to make sure they don't let him forget the high honor he so obviously deserves!
     
    Thanks to Wildone and Lugh, we also got to see a list of the award winners from the last 5 years in this week's Blast from the Past. It was interesting to see the names of authors move through the lists over the years! You can see it through this link.
     
    This week's tip came from Renee. It was all about head hopping; that nefarious practice where your character's thoughts and emotions pop up when they shouldn't. Bad characters! She gives a good set of examples and how to fix them in the blog that can be found here.
     

    So... we've looked back, now let's look forward.
     
    Spring 2012-Anthology 'It Wasn't Me' is due March 8th. That's Thursday!!
    The theme can be interpreted in many ways. Participating in the anthology is a great way for authors, especially new authors, to get a larger number of reads on a story. It's also a great way to give readers a taste of your writing, and possibly gaining you more fans. So if you can, submit a story or poem. Information on how to submit can be found in the anthology forum.
     
    The next anthology is GA's Poetry 'Cracks in Time' due 4-17-2012.
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