Cia

Maybe this tree will strike your fancy to go with prompt #682. Is it sunset or sunrise? Who knows?

And just like that, almost half of July is gone! How does this keep happening? I swear, there's a time warp that makes time ahead of us seem to stretch out forever, but as soon as it's passed, I have no idea what I did with it. How about you guys? Maybe that should be a prompt? LOL Prompt 682 – Creative Tag – The Tree Create a story that begins and ends under a tree in the park. Prompt 683 – Creative Tag – The List Use the following words in a story – a grave, a test tube, a bowl of rice, a cell phone, and a pink fingernail. Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below!

Yes, that's right, now is when Renee's real job begins, because Baby J is finally here and ready to cause some trouble!! He was born tonight at 8:17 PM at 6 lb. 3.9 oz and 20 inches! I'll let her share all the rest of the goodies when she has time and energy, but they're both recovering from a long day. (Spoiler alert: Baby J looks like he has perfectly squishy cheekies for baby smooches!) Happy Birthday, Baby J!!

“What are you doing?” Captain finally looked down and seemed to realize that I was opening his uniform. I tugged on the open edges of his jacket. “Come on.” I pulled him into the other room. The bunk was made—I had no idea when he found time to do that—but I was about to destroy the tightly tucked blankets. Gently, I pushed him down. “Give us a minute,” I said to the crew member who looked up when the door started to whoosh shut. His eyebrows rose, but before he could say anything

This week we're featuring a story by one of GA's Classic authors, one that isn't quite finished based on the story status (always important to check if you have a preference). Good thing we have a lot of ways to filter stories. Even better than just doing a search for stories, are these great reviews by our very own review team. And today's review of Duncan Ryder's story is by Parker Owens. Let's see what he thought of How The Light Gets In. How The Light Gets In Duncan Ryder Reviewer: Parker Owens Status: In process (= unfinished) Word Count: 91,687 The lives of two young men who have known too much darkness in their lives intersect. They and their friends search for relief, and for healing. This is a sequel to the excellent story Everybody’s Wounded, but it can stand alone. How the Light Gets In is the second in a two-part novella. In the first part, Everybody’s Wounded, we meet three of the four central characters in part two. Even so, How the Light Gets In is the more powerful, more compelling of the two halves, perhaps because the reader is given deeper insight into the dark night of hurt which haunts each one. Readers should be warned that this story deals with very problematic subjects: rape and suicide. Ryder writes about these things with considerable and commendable care and compassion for his characters. The two central personalities, Luc and Matt are returning to university in deeply unhappy circumstances. Each is enveloped in his own inky well of gloom. Josh and Scott, students at the same university, are lovers. They, too, have a history of hurt. These four men share interlocking stories and injury and love. The tale unwinds some of these, while each man slowly gravitates through his own ache to that place in the dark where he realizes he is not alone. Ryder shifts viewpoints deftly to describe and develop their intersections, and these drive the story forward. One might be forgiven for feeling that one is reading or watching a French film. Conversation, both intimate and general, propels the plot onward at many points. This is not to say there aren’t dramatic moments of action; there are. Yet it is not these instances we recall, but how these young men handle, discuss, and interpret them. Growth comes with reflection and dialogue. It is a subtle way to tell a story, but effective, and very much in keeping with the way real people recover from deep injury. The growth and depth in the central characters is an abiding strength of the novella. Each has many facets, each has multiple layers. These young men, as well as their circle of friends, are well drawn without forcing too much detail upon the reader. One can easily call each person in the story to mind, but variations in what readers invent are certain. It is a trait of good writing to allow the reader to imagine, and Ryder does this especially well. However one imagines them, Ryder gives us understanding to connect with these men individually. One cannot help but care for them and sympathize with them as they make their way toward something more hopeful. How the Light Gets In is not without its flaws. There are times when characters respond to situations with maturity and wisdom quite unexpected in young undergraduate students. They seem older than their years, perhaps because of the burden each one carries. In addition, readers complained that the final chapter did not feel like an ending. A number of comments expressed a need for more, for some definite feeling of closure. Ryder does not give readers a happy-ever-after denouement. Instead, we get a far deeper moment in which darkness is transcended by the ever brightening and broadening cracks in its curtain. In this way, Ryder connects us to the quote from Leonard Cohen’s lyrics which provided the title for the story. This was one the first things I read on GA. Its quality made me return to explore further. I hope other readers will find this classic tale still compelling, and that it still sings its song and weaves its spell for many more to come. Category: Fiction Genres: Drama, Romance Tags: young adult, adult, gay, university Rating: Mature

Weird. I just went out and looked, and for some reason it did just go out to one segment of our mailing list instead of all 3. I just went out and resent it. It goes out in waves, but everyone should have it soon. Thanks for the heads up!

I'm back again! Happy Friday! Did everyone make it through the week? Did you get some writing done? There's always time for a little flash, right? Well, maybe you wrote for the game featured last week or maybe you wrote for the weekly prompts, or maybe you wrote something of your own. Either way, great job! Or perhaps one of this week's prompts will catch your fancy. Give it a go! Prompt 680 – Creative Tag – First Line Don’t bother trying, kid. I’ve been trapped here a week, I think. Prompt 681 – Creative Tag - The class When you were hired, you were told you’d be teaching English as a second language to aliens, and you’d have five students. When you heard aliens, you thought you meant children from somewhere south of the border or perhaps Asian. Instead there are five literal aliens from another world. What do you do? Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below. And here's a link to the site newsletter with links to all of the Gay Pride Headline Prompt Game responses!

Lack of gravity didn’t stop all of the intruders. There were spacers among the soldiers invading the ship, and some aliens just didn’t seem to be hampered by the lack of gravity at all. One rather thick alien just thinned out his hands and used the thin, flexible flaps to propel himself gracefully through the air. I’m assuming it was a he, from the sheer bulk. Deke was going to be pissed if it turned out to be a woman, because the alien flipped gracefully around two of his guards and smac

What? Another 2 story series? Yes, that's what's on tap for this month's CSR feature too! Of course, instead of two short stories, we're featuring a prompt and a novella-length story written by BHopper2. This contemporary coming of age story is rife with feels, but also contains some graphic content (no sex) so please make sure you check out the tags and the story description. It's quite popular already, so I'm hoping we'll have a great Discussion day on the last Monday of the month. And hopefully lots of reviews posted on the stories too! A New Life and a New Home Length: 2,254 Description: Sixteen-year-old Brayon came out to his Progressive parents, but they did the one thing he didn't expect. They disowned him and kicked him out. This is his story. A Reader Said: This had me hooked! There's a style here of 'just the facts, ma'am' that's balanced and nuanced. I was drawn right in, like I was watching it happen and not reading about it at all. Read it for yourself, and you won't regret it. ~ AC Benus My Son Length: 32,530 Description: Adam Smith is a successful businessman, who recently came home to Tampa, Fl. Retired at age 38, living in a newly constructed house, he feels like he's set for a new chapter in his life, with plans to set up a Micro-Brewery. A Reader Said: An interesting plot, well-drawn characters, and realistic dialogue take us through the joys and fears of meeting your child as a teen. ~ JeffreyL Don't forget to come back on the Discussion Day, Monday July 30th, to share your thoughts!!

Last week Myr posted a bit about the new way to filter Stories that will be the new way to search for specific kinds of stories in the Site Technology blog last week. With the way you like to ask questions on how to do things, you really should follow that blog (and probably the Weekly Wrap Up) so you get a notification when one is posted each week because he posts great tips with photos and stuff, and sometimes sneak peeks at upcoming changes to the site. To do that, you simply go to the Tech Blog and click on the blue button that says 'Follow' and then set your notifications how you want them. Link to the Site Technology Blog so you can follow it: https://www.gayauthors.org/blogs/blog/633-site-technology/ Link to the Site Technology Blog specific to last week about the changes to the Stories search format: https://www.gayauthors.org/blogs/entry/17592-tech-tuesday-story-archive-next-version/ But what it basically will mean, is when you click on those different tabs above the stories, e.g. Authors or Genre or Tag, you will be able to select options on those different story meta data fields just like you could when you went to the actual Advanced Search page. When you go through all the different options that are always there above the listing of stories it will then have check marks by those options you select and it will filter all the stories and show them below that fit in that criteria, just like it did with the Advanced Search. The biggest benefit you should appreciate with this new upgrade, however, is that the new story filtering system will also then REMEMBER those check marks you set for the different meta data on the stories and keep showing you those stories that just fit all the items you checked, even if you click on a story, go read it, and then click back without using the 'open in a new tab' idea I just mentioned.

Do you mean saving the search result for all time, like saving it as a bookmark you could click on and go back to again and again? No, as the database changes when things are added so that really wouldn't work. But if you want to keep your search results while you're online/reading during the time you're online that day/time you're reading, I'd recommend you open any story you want to look at closer or read in a new tab. That way, when you're done reading, you close the tab you're reading on and you're right back to the search results tab with all the selections still in place or you can easily navigate between them. Just tap/hold on the story title and then select "open in a new tab" instead of just simply tapping on the story title to open it from the search results.

Surprise! I'm popping in this week! Cia's offering an extension, so if you want it, you still have a little time for just today to write something (even a short paragraph or two fictional promo blurb for the headline you choose is okay if you make it creative enough!) for the Gay Pride Headline Prompt Game for the newsletter. You can get your work linked in the site's newsletter and featured in the forum game topic if you can send her a submission by midnight Pacific (US) time. Play along with fellow site authors in the game, or you can choose one of these prompts if that doesn't strike your fancy. Remember, though, any prompt response under 1,000 words must be placed as part of a collection. Prompt 678 – Creative Tag – The character Your doorbell rings and you rush to open it. When you do you see someone who could be the main character from your favorite story. Before you can say a word they shake your hand. “God, I love you and your story. However, I really hate the ending. Do you think we can change it?” What happens? Prompt 679 – Creative Tag – Buried The two of them were covered in mud and blood. The shovels were cracked, and the rain washed the tombstone cleaned. They had just buried their friend for the fourth time this week. What was going on? Have you written something for the Prompt Game? Last week's prompts? Share a link to your headline, if you shared it in the conversation topic, or your prompt response!

A lot of the time, if you don't KNOW we do anthologies on the site... you wouldn't know we do anthologies on the site. They have a dedicated forum, but it's farther down on the page and it's been proven people don't like to scroll so they tend to stick to the top forums on webpages. Authors tend to be rather laser-focused, and there's a lot on GA to absorb and be a part of, and they don't always know that just anyone can take part in the anthologies. So they don't. Which is a shame, because they are fun, you get your name on the blogs, in the forum, on the newsletter, on GA's social media, etc... all great exposure to building a readership. By putting up the anthologies flashbacks Myr is ensuring 1) older stories get a read since newer stories actively posting tend to be king [see point earlier about scrolling down, also applies to older stories] 2) older authors who aren't as active anymore might get a boost and readers might find a ton of older content they didn't know was there/totally awesome 3) more people might learn about the anthologies and 4) we might have a pick up in the activity again to the levels we used to have. By no means is anyone expected to go back and write for all the themes (though some of them are quite intriguing, especially after you read some of the ways other authors were inspired) or to read them all at once. But if just every person who clicked on the blog and was tempted to click on just one story from the linked descriptions left one comment, one review, think of the boost from week to week. And, if they liked one, they might go back and read more, and do another comment or review. More reading, more comments, more reads means more site activity... all win/win/win for everyone involved.

“Keep fighting the paralytic, Kohen, but don’t overdo it,” Aparoe warned. “If I had a choice, you’d be in a bed down in medical where I could I monitor you more closely. Let me or Captain Querry know if you feel any pain, or tingling in your limbs that grows painful and stronger, not less. Do you understand?” I tried to nod, but I still didn’t have enough control of my body. “Yes,” I said haltingly. Left alone with Captain—as alone as we were going to get with his rooms full of the

Cia’s Torturing Me! by Cia If you’re an author, I’m sure you’ve thought that at least once, right? I swear, it’s nothing personal! GA’s posting system is complicated, and there is always a learning curve for new authors to figure out the ins and outs of posting here. I'm also the primary staff member who reviews Stories submissions, so I am not picking on any one person if you receive more than one PM; I'm simply the staff member who reviews everything in the queue unless I am away from GA for some reason. That being said, there are a few things that will get you on my hit… uh, kindly message list. Posting Issues Most Likely To Trigger a Moderation PM: *A posting bug issue noted by some authors since the update: Chapter text or other content uploads as files instead of pasting as text. This should not happen. If it does, try a different browser. Posting More Than One Chapter New stories should always be posted with a single chapter only. These should be properly edited, ready to go live and be read by readers. A prologue can be added when you post the new submission, and published separately from the story and chapter, but you can't go back and add a prologue later. Additional chapters CAN be posted, but only if you post-date them. You can read about the post-dating system in the faq here. Paragraph Spacing This might be the most common mistake I see. You can check the spacing using the "Preview" button in the text editor (looks like an magnifying glass over paper) to view how it will appear after you save your content. Check your story content after you post, please. Some writing programs, browsers, and/or devices (tablets/phones) are not compatible with the text editor. It can either strip out or add extra spaces between the paragraphs. Reviewing your chapters allows you to fix that before I find it in the queue. A fix in Word for extra spacing can be found in the faq here. If you use other writing programs, like Google docs, tablets, etc… try posting with a new browser or placing your text in another program before you copy to GA until you have the correct spacing. We can't always tell you what the exact problem is in these cases to fix the spacing issue. Flash Fiction and Poetry Short stories under 1k in length, such as prompt responses, or poetry must be placed in a ‘collection’. This is as simple as creating a title that implies a collection, such as ‘My Shorts or My Haiku’ and then posting a single submission as the first chapter. Then subsequent posts would be made as chapters to that ‘collection’. The chapter titles can be edited and notes can be placed in each chapter as a description, if you choose. You may have more than one collection, though we ask authors to limit them to 4 or 5 at most, to separate types of poetry or stories if you have a large number of varied content available. Posting a Series Title If you are posting a story that isn’t a follow up story to one already existing on GA, you do not have a series. Please don't use this field. Once you post the 2nd story in your series you can go back and edit the first story to include the series information for the search engine. Also you can never have story 0 of a series. Content Yes, we have limits of basic editing standards and quality for stories posting on GA. If you don’t know the word ‘I’ should be capitalized, or how to use a basic spellcheck, you will be placed under review and your story may be rejected until you can edit it up to a minimum level of readability. Yes, we allow stories with erotic content. We also allow stories that show drug use, suicide attempts and actual suicides, abuse, rape, etc… but there are criteria for each that must be followed, such as not glorifying the acts and adding content warnings to the story/chapter notes for extreme content. Erotic content must be integral to the plot and cannot be more than half the story plot. There is a narrow band of acceptable incest and bestiality themes, but necrophilia is NEVER allowed. Various Meta Data Fields Filled Out Incorrectly We have a 3 step rating system for stories for authors to use. They include Everyone, Teen, and Mature. Teen and Mature ratings apply for stories containing content like sex, violence, abuse, or suicide stories. Mature would mean any ‘on-screen/graphic’ content. Teen includes those themes, but it might occur in the backstory or off-screen such as a ‘fade to black’ sex scene not actually written in. Everyone means no graphic content. We have a story status system that has 3 levels. In Process means you’re still posting the story on GA (even if you have completely written, until you post the last chapter live it is not complete on GA) and On Hold means you’re not posting the story for whatever reason. Make sure you post to the right category for your story. There is a drop menu with many options, so please check them all to ensure you have chosen the best ones for your story. And there's more… This is why we ask that authors read the entire Author and Story related faq topics before they post. Any story deemed suspect for any reason will be placed under review and discussed by the forum moderation team to ensure a fair team decision on acceptability. I am not a dictator with the only say in what does and does not get approved. Questions I Get The Most From Authors: Why are you checking my stuff in a moderation queue? We check to ensure proper posting procedure is followed, that the content falls within our guidelines, and that you’re not a plagiarist. The fact is, we’ve been burned before with people stealing stories and posting on GA. We don’t always catch it, but we try our utmost to protect authors’ rights on this site. How long does the queue take? Typically 24 hours, at the most. I say this because I check the mod queue once a day. Usually I attempt this between 5-10 AM, Pacific Standard Time, but I do have a life and things sometimes crop up. If you post at 9:00 AM and I already checked the queue, and something comes up the next day and I don’t get to it until the afternoon… you may wait longer than 24 hours. Sometimes I can review and approve submissions several times a day. Anything with questionable content triggering a team review can take several days, as all staff are volunteers. Please remember I’m one person who dedicates time every day to this process, but I am not perfect. In the past we’ve found bugs with the posting system when author’s work didn’t post to the queue properly as well. IF your submission remains in the queue for an unreasonable amount of time without any contact from me, you can PM me. How long am I in the queue? There is no set time limit in the queue, but there is a cut-off point. You must have 250 likes on your forum content, stories, and chapters before you're moved outside the queue. Once you have achieved that level, your stories and chapters will post when you publish them. So, it behooves an author to be active, posting consistently, and interacting with readers and other members on our forums as well. Is your decision the sole factor in submission approval? No, it’s not. As I said before, any story deemed suspect for any reason is reviewed by the forum moderation team for a fair discussion and consensus. Why can’t I edit my story/chapter or why did I get an error message when I tried to edit my story/chapter? The system has a fail-safe set in place to prevent large amounts of text in a chapter or story from being removed. We expect that you post your best work that has already been edited. If there is a serious problem, or you do not take advantage of the offer, I will remove the story/chapter content for you to repost if you PM me. Why can’t I delete my story/chapter(s)? Again, there’s a fail-safe built into the system to prevent that from occurring. Authors can place their work unpublished so no one but the author or staff can see it, but they cannot delete. No, we will not refuse to remove your work, but you must PM me to ensure complete deletion from the system. I will usually want to know why, because if there’s a problem with the story, posting, or a moderation issue with another GA member, a cooling off period and discussion can sometimes resolve the issue without the story actually being deleted. I’m so confused! How do I find help? We have a FAQ you can find under the Help tab in the red menu bar. The topics there explain all this and more, plus there is a step-by-step explanation of what each field is for in our story submission form as well as various things unique to our system. If you’ve read the FAQ and still don’t know the answer to your questions, please feel free to PM me. It can often be easier to ask ahead of time than to sort out posting issues after you submit your story.

June flew by! Alas, all too many years have passed since these times in the stories written by Mark Arbour in this month's CSR selections, Furlough and War's End. Did you have the chance to read these anthologies? They do tie together, so you really should read them that way so you can review both of them. If you haven't, first enjoy this interview with Mark and then go check out the anthologies and then come back and share your thoughts in the comments below! If you had 30 minutes of free time, what would you do? When I have half an hour of spare time, I generally pick up my iPad and catch up on games (like Words with Friends) or the news. I guess the preferred answer would be that I’d write, since that goes with the theme here, but to do that it takes more than time: it takes motivation. What’s one location you’d love to go to research for a story? I’m hoping to get to England in the next year or two. I’ve spent limited time there, and what time I spent was in London, which I loved. My plan is to spend some more time in London, then head down to Portsmouth to the Royal Navy Museum, and most importantly, to visit HMS Victory. What's your favorite room in your house? Do you plot or write there? The bathroom. No one bothers me there. I don’t write there (SMILE). What’s something personal about you people might be surprised to know? I flew on the Concorde from Paris to New York and I’ve travelled on the Orient Express (train). If you had to only work on one project for the next year... what would it be? My ADD addled brain finds the idea of working on just one project absolutely abhorrent. What draws you to work on period pieces when you write stories? There’s really two pieces to that question…there’s the time period and there’s the location. I’m an avid reader, so during my reading travels, occasionally a time and place will intrigue me, and I’ll store that away for a potential story topic. For a longer story (like the Bridgemont Series), it has to be an era that has truly captivated me. You didn’t ask, but if I were to write another historical series, it would probably be set in Ancient Regime France, most likely around the reign of Louis XIV or XV. Did you pick WWI as a time period for a particular reason for Furlough and War’s End? I picked World War I for three reasons, the first two of which are books. I’d finished reading John Keegan’s “The First World War,” then I’d read Jeff Shaara’s “To the Last Man.” Keegan did an excellent job of outlining the war from a historical perspective, and then Shaara made it come to life in the talented way that he has. The final reason was that my grandfather fought in WW1, and I had been going through some boxes in the basement and I’d uncovered his gas mask and helmet, stark reminders of the hell he’d gone through at Verdun. Do you have a preference for one story over the other? I like War’s End better, because I’m a sucker for happy endings. Both stories have strong themes relating to soldiers/war and recovery. Was this just their story that came to you, or was there an underlying theme to the story from events in real life at the time? I wrote these stories in 2009-10, and during that time frame our soldiers were coming back from the debacle that was the Iraq War and Afghanistan. There was much talk of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but unfortunately the talk didn’t seem to manifest itself into action. Suicides were much too frequent, and when it happened to a family friend, that brought the whole issue to the front of my brain. I continue to agonize over how we, as a nation, glorify our soldiers when they go off to fight, yet after they are done and come home, we really don’t give a shit about them. Do you have a favorite scene/moment/sentence in either story that resonated with you that you’d like to share with readers?

“It’s okay, Kohen.” Captain stroked my cheek, wiping away the tears. “Someone get Aparoe in here so we can get an antidote.” His fingers smoothed across my face, and Captain leaned down, staring into my eyes. “I’m going to lift you, and we’re going to sit on the couch. Okay?” Did he expect me to answer? I couldn’t even swallow, which I learned the second he lifted me and my head lolled to the side, landing on his shoulder. My lips parted and warm drool oozed out. I’d experienced so

Well, it's Wednesday. Did you check out this month's Classic Author feature on Monday, or download your copy of the graphic for your signature? It's definitely an unusual little tale and has an ending I don't think you'll expect. Well, if you read Lugh's stories, you probably already know that the story won't go like you think it will and the ending is never far from assured. But let's talk about another part of the story, because there's a hint in the beginning that just captures the attention and hooks you, and that's the excerpt I chose. To read more, click here .

June is transition month... hot to cold, cold to hot, the spring equinox. The month of weddings for many; gay pride month. The end of the school year and the start of summer vacation. And this month, June is also the month we're featuring a different kind of transition, and union, with Lugh's short story, The Union of Darkness and Light. An interesting tale spanning years in the lives of the characters, we see the tale from multiple POV and learn that all we think is good and light and bad and dark is not always as it seems. Length: 19,719 Description: Some faery tales start with a kiss; some end with a kiss. They all take place in a perfect world. Well, if you don't count the wicked step-mother and the prince-eating dragon. This is my version of a modern faery tale. There are no wicked step-mothers nor prince-eating dragons, but not everything is exactly perfect either. And it all starts with a kiss... A Reader said: Sweet... a lot of fun Lugh. I look forward to reading more of your work. ~ Stephen ODonohue If you want to spread the word about Lugh'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!

@northie @Mikiesboy @Valkyrie Remember, it can be any length! A scene or a snippet or even just a caption paragraph article lead in... the goal is to have fun with and be original. You don't have to something long or too involved.

Today, we're doing something a little different! This is the newest newsletter prompt writing game. So, play along with some other authors, have fun with any headline that catches your eye, and get a link to your story featured in the site newsletter! HEADLINE PROMPT GAME Happy Gay Pride Month, everyone! How are you celebrating? Does your city do a parade? Special event weekends? Ban celebrations? *boo hiss* Or are you not quite ready for the crowds? Well, how about GA celebrates together with a new game? Very loose rules with this game, just have some fun with it. You're going to google "Gay Pride" and then click on the (News) option. Then DON'T click on the results! All you're going to do is use one of the headlines that catches your eye to create a scenario and write from there. Any length, any genre is fine, but the theme is sort of obvious, lol. You can share your headline in the game topic, talk about your story/writing as you go along, but don't do a full reveal to anyone but your editing team so we can all enjoy them later! Fine print: Deadline is June 28th. Post story/chapter unpublished with no date. Send link to Cia via PM. Story release will happen with July 1st newsletter.

I ducked my head, pulling my knees to my chest and burying my face against them. My throat burned, and I swallowed repeatedly. I’d tried to stay coldly logical, thinking everything through, convincing Deke and Captain, and keeping calm even when I’d been locked in waiting for my brain to betray me—and worse, betray the ones who’d set me free. Knowing it wasn’t going to happen set free all the emotions I’d tried so hard to suppress. My breath shuddered in and out, and a few tears escaped.

What's better than another great featured review from the hardworking review team here on GA? When it's about one of my fellow admins (you're reading that right, if you missed that Graeme is now stuck on our unruly team) that members might not know is also an accomplished author with a very popluar sporty epic. Sound intriguing? Check out Timothy's review we've been keeping under wraps to surprise @Graeme with today! The Lilydale Leopards Graeme Reviewer: Timothy M. Status: Complete Word Count: 821,737 Would you like to meet a team of hunky Australian footballers? If so, then Graeme’s Lilydale Leopards series is the perfect place to go. You’ll experience plenty of game action and footy skills, but no intimate bedroom stuff. Graeme’s writing never goes beyond kissing and cuddles. However, since most of the guys are straight, perhaps that’s OK? As for the locker room and shower scenes you’ll have to use your imagination. Of course, there’s an exception to the rule — the gay footballer— who makes the story even more interesting. In the first book, Leopard Skin Cover, ‘Ken’ is deep in the closet, mainly due to the lack of acceptance in the macho sport of Australian Rules football. He knows his chances of advancing to AFL, the major league, would be hampered by coming out. On the other hand, staying in the closet has several disadvantages, one of which is being unable to date Tony, the new marketing employee of the Leopards club. Another problem is the stress of pretending he’s straight to everybody around him, something many GAreaders can probably relate to. The sequels, Leopard Spots and Leopards Leap, are just as well written and the full story explores not only relevant themes of friendship, bullying, and bigotry, but also the striving for achievement and acceptance. I’ve returned to the series several times to spend time with the friends I’ve made there. The core group of team members and supporters, both staff and fans, are described and shown in such caring and fun ways that we readers engage ourselves in their lives and fortunes as if we know them personally. We cheer, groan, laugh, gasp, and keep our fingers crossed for the success of the Lilydale Leopards, and some of us occasionally rant at the stupidity of various characters. 😊 Don’t be put off by the sports setting. I had no knowledge about Australian football, but Graeme seamlessly weaves the information into the story. The training, games, and constant need for sponsors and winning strategies provide a rich background for the main story arcs. This is a tale with passion, drama, sadness, and joy, as well as love and the kind of loyal friends we all wish for. Well, maybe except for Alex. Once you’ve become part of the Lilydale Leopards family you’ll never forget them, or in the words of another devoted fan: Defiance19: Thank you for creating this family of football players whom we came to know as friends. For sharing their lives, and telling their story. We loved them, shared their pain, celebrated their highs, suffered their lows and everything in between. Take your time to savor the first three books and join the rest of us in the ongoing Book 4. See you there. Category: Fiction Genres: Drama, Romance Tags: young adult, Australia, no sex, coming out, psychology, sports, friendship Rating: Teen

@Daddydavek You wouldn't have received the last 3 newsletters because you haven't updated your account to accept the new marketing permissions. You can't just go sign up again, you needed to use the GDPR specific notice emailed directly to you in May to update your subscriber settings. Or, if you just tried to use the regular link to sign up again and did the captcha and got the 'error, you're already subscribed' message, and read the whole thing, you would've seen that it should also have a link to your existing user settings that you could update. That then adds your email address to the updated segment of newsletter subscribers who have given us express permission to continue sending them post GDPR. Without you updating that information, your email isn't added to the segment of users who get the newsletter now.