Cia

Did you catch Monday's blog featuring this month's Classic Author ad choice, Endings & Beginnings, selected by Valkyrie? If not, go check it out and get your copy of a small graphic that you can use for your personal signature if you want to share the love for Viv's story. We had a couple of reviews from fans on Monday's blog, but Valkyrie has her thoughts on Viv's story and also got to pick an excerpt to share. Read on to find out what she picked and why! Valkyrie said: Viv's writing is clear, descriptive, and left me salivating for more. The story I picked, Endings and Beginnings, is the first in a five part series titled Underneath this Big Ol' Sky. I chose this excerpt because it's a good introduction to the series, and drew me in immediately when I first read it. Just a word of warning if you read all five stories... you will want more. Viv left room for the story to continue, and can only hope that one day she does. To read more, check out the rest of the story here.

I just looked at both, and it does appear that you have the same title. Usually it's something small that's different, like a symbol or a letter in the title not exactly the same (capitalized or not, for example). It's weird that it isn't doing it for yours. Did you try redoing the series title via a story edit?

That's because what you want doesn't exist, and I'm having a hard time getting that across clearly. Previously, the comments weren't integrated with chapters. You had to click on a link below the chapter to get the comments area to leave one for the author. The system would allow you to use a drop menu to jump to specific chapters to view the reviews, or you could view all comments in order sequence of newest to oldest. However, that isn't possible with comments because of the way the system is integrated now allowing for a conversation that is more than just a single post written by a reader and a reply by the author. Now anyone can comment and discuss with each other and post more than once, directly below the chapter, so the comments area really acts as a story/chapter thread like a topic. This integration allowing for greater interaction between fans and the author and fans is more valuable than a list of all the comments in sequential order (especially since they might not make sense if you have people replying to someone else out of order). The only way to see the comments on your story is to go to the area below the list of chapters to access story reviews on completed works or the comments that appear directly below chapter text. There's no other place they can be accessed and viewed where authors can reply to readers. And, while the Activity Stream for 'Newest Comments on My Stories/Chapters' only shows the newest comment per story or chapter, on the far right side of the story or chapter title that appears in that list there's a speech bubble with the number of total comments on the story or chapter. Clicking on that icon and number will actually take you right to the comments on that story or chapter. Or you can click on the chapter title and it takes you to the top of that chapter, you scroll down to the comments area at the end of the text.

This month's feature was chosen by Valkyrie, and she picked Viv's Endings & Beginnings! This contemporary short story is one of our older stories, all the way from back in 2007, but she wanted to share this gem with newer readers on the site, so I hope you'll enjoy this month's feature! Length: 10,069 words Description: Endings & Beginnings is the first short story written as part of an anthology series. This one began the storyline with the theme "Fairy Tales" and continued with the next anthology Some Readers Said: Joann414 said ~ So glad they featured your story so I found this. Loving it. Can't wait to read more! Lisa said ~ Viv, I just found your stories a few months ago and I can't help devour each new one I come across. I love the way you write. (other text removed for spoilers) Anyway, I'm going to start the next installment of this hella awesome story. If you want to spread the word about Viv's story, download the graphic below and add it to your signature! Make sure you come back on Wednesday to see the excerpt Valkyrie chose to share!

Another week, another weekly update for you to catch on the news you might have missed this week. And no, your eyes aren't deceiving you, Renee isn't doing the blog this week so hopefully I won't screw it up. By the way, did you notice it was her birthday this week? Make sure you don't miss the chance to wish her a belated birthday if you haven't already! Now, on to the highlights of the week. And don't miss Myr's update with some info about the site on his personal blog: Premium Updates: Negative Splits by Cia *Premium* Classic Updates: Down a Darkened Path by Ronyx Signature Updates: A Man in a Room, and other poems by AC Benus; Book 6 of Verse Mine! by Cia Poetry by Renee by Renee Stevens The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel The Hollow Hills by Valkyrie Promising Updates: Cards on the Table by Headstall Choices by LitLover Cozy Contemplations by Headstall Drifts by Puppilull; Book 3 of Hot and cold timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy

Just as an fyi, I check the queue every morning (US Pacific Time) but it's not at a set time each day, so occasionally an author will update close to that time but after I've done the queue for the day and I don't have time to go back to it later in the day. But, if it's been more than 24 hours since you posted a chapter or new story, and it hasn't been approved yet and you haven't received a PM asking you to fix something, my PM box is always open and authors are welcome to get in touch with me.

Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Birthday!

“Not one identifying mark. No insignia, no rank, nothing in their pockets. Shit,” one of the guards said. “Now we have to wonder about the government?” “We don’t have to wonder.” The alpha of the wolves stood. He’d torn the sleeves off four of the dead men, the ones who still had arms attached. “I thought I saw some ink on that piece over there. Turns out, they all have it.” “I don’t recognize the insignia,” I said. “It’s military. A secret group in an even more secret branch

I'm not sure how you disabled it, but I was able to turn it back on for you through the system controls, so you should be able to find it and send/receive messages again.

We removed the IP addresses from your post. We don't ever post IP addresses publicly. Myr looked into this and noticed you had clicked on the 'developmental skin' somehow. It should be fixed and you should be able to access things properly.

Oh, the door, the door. The next update handles that one.

It always comes down to the government, lol!! I know, right? I really needed to create some comedic relief here, and Wilbur hit the spot. He really just came to me, too, but was a really strong character.

“Those hinges are going to squeal like a bitch,” Landon cursed softly. “Shit.” I debated on the best course. Throw the door open fast and be sure to make a huge racket, but be able to face what was on the other side quicker, or try to ease it open and reduce the noise, but leave whoever might be on the other side time to attack us? “They have to know we’re coming. I’d have someone on the other side of this door.” “Several someones, and we’re choked down here.” There was maybe room for

Slight positive note, I've always found Wattpad to be very prompt at removing content by plagiarists. It is always very discouraging to have your stories stolen, but you're not alone in that. As for the rest, I'm sorry life is giving you a kick in the ass.

This month's CSR announcement was slightly delayed so I could post it live so Renee wouldn't find out it was happening since she's the lead blogger... but Monday has arrived so I can let everyone know this month's featured story is Reece's Choice by Renee Stevens! Woo hoo! This is a nice contemporary novella, an easy read at just 25k, so make sure you've read it and are ready to discuss the story on Monday, July 31st! Reece's Choice by Renee Stevens Length: 25,483 Description: When confronted with his family’s bigotry, Reece is faced with the first of many choices. He can continue to tolerate the caustic atmosphere or he can walk away and finally focus on making himself happy. His cousin’s friend Dave unintentionally becomes the catalyst that forces Reece to make a choice. He can only hope it's the right one. A Reader Said: Thanks Renee for a wonderful story. I'm happy it ended here. Maybe there can be future adventures the boys will get into, but it's certainly not necessary. The title actually says it all. Reece's choice. He made a good one! ~ skinnydragon Don't forget this month's Discussion Day will be Monday, July 31st!

I echo Renee's concern. That would be the simple answer, and those are the best to try first. Check your browser cache settings, make sure you haven't set them to clear cookies periodically or when you close the browser.

Well, I'm trying to replicate this but I haven't experienced any of these issues.

The knob was gone. I kicked the door. Nothing, no give, and I couldn’t get any leverage holding Deke. Who’d ripped off the knob? Tension sent itchy fingers through the hair on my ruff as my skin prickled. As quietly as I could, I leaned sideways and eased him down. Whoever it was, they had to have a reason to lock us in. To separate us from the rest? That indicated intelligence, not a feral creature like the one I’d killed. I moved down a step and crouched in front of Deke. The darkness was

Did you have a chance to check out this month's CSR story, The Others by Stannie? I hope you did and you're ready to share your thoughts, but first you can enjoy all his answers to my probing questions, including what he plans on posting next!! Chocolate or Vanilla? I don’t really like sweet food, so I’m going for chocolate. Real bitter pure chocolate! If you had 30 minutes of free time, what would you do? Watching, just looking around. When the sun is shining I’d go sit on my balcony with a cup of coffee, just to watch the people outside. I watch the children play, the elderly going for a walk, or the adults rushing towards their work. What do you like best about being part of the GA community? Motivation, to me, has always been a problem. Whether it’s at school, when working or when doing things I really like doing, I regularly can’t seem to get motivated enough. When writing for GA and getting feedback on what I write or getting messages when I didn’t upload for a while, it gets me motivated to do what I like best: writing. So, I think that means I like the support I get. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? Writing in English. I think I mastered English well enough to have normal conversation, et cetera, but when writing a story you want something beyond that. I noticed I lack the ability to get something literary on paper, especially when it isn’t anything physical, like describing emotions. I don’t know many sayings or proverbs to illustrate what I want to say. How did it feel to finish posting your first novel on GA? Well, that was a little confusing, I’d say, as I never planned on finishing the story with this. Originally the story was way longer (and it still is), but I just decided to make a sequel. That was something I had thought about for a long time, because I normally don’t like stories being split into sections. With this story, however, I felt like the next part was a whole new story, a new part of Adam’s life, so that’s why I chose for it. Your character, Adam, has a taste for older movies (Monty Python) most contemporary teens probably don’t watch. Did you invent that for his character or is it modeled after your own preferences? I’m just a “teen” myself, so if I didn’t know those movies, I couldn’t have made Adam like them, so it’s kind of modeled after my own preference. It’s also based on someone else I met who is around my age, but listens to old music and watches old movies a lot, so I guess he had something to do with it as well. Do you believe people are inherently selfish or was that just Adam’s take for his blog? Yes, I truly do. I’ve had many discussions about this with people and every time I don’t get it why they don’t feel the same way about it. I challenge them to show me a situation in which someone isn’t inherently selfish, only to counter it by explaining what the selfish part was. It always works, unconditionally, unless it has something to do with having children. I haven’t been able to explain why people do certain things for children even when it doesn’t make them necessarily happier or something, so I guess that’s the exception to the rule. Sam says she likes, “The happy you” in chapter 6. Do you think that mood lift from the release of writing the blog that made Adam seem happier, or the knowledge of his Anonymous Reader’s identity and his feelings about him? Ah, that’s funny, because I actually talked about this today with someone. I stated that happiness without an obvious reason to it, is the best kind of happiness. It makes you feel like it doesn’t matter what happens around you, you can always be happy. I think Adam had the same thing here, as he thought to himself right after Sam said she like the “happy Adam”. He asked, being surprised: “I’m acting different?” Maybe it’s because it just feels right, you know? When you realise everything is okay, your life is going at a bearable pace and you found your position in the world in correspondence to the people around you. It feels right, and you are happy it does so. If you could sum up the theme of The Others, what would it be? I find that very difficult. When I started the story I just wrote 1 chapter and uploaded it. By then I wanted Adam to be a person with this secret second life, and I meant the story to be an interaction between those lives. It didn’t really work out (that’s why there is so much time between the first and second upload), so I decided the theme to be a book with a main character who isn’t necessarily likeable. I noticed that many stories have protagonists we sympathise, we feel sorry for, or just like a lot. Very plain feelings, in general, though when we think about ourselves and when we try to feel something about ourselves, it’s never this simplistic. We are complex organisms, and I wanted that in this story, so I made up Adam: a person who you can’t understand all the time (he doesn’t even do that himself) and switches between being liked to being hated. Not much for a summary, is it? What do you plan on posting next on GA? Of course, that’s the sequel of the Others, which will be about the travels of Adam.

Did you catch Monday's blog featuring this month's Classic Author ad choice, Goon by dkstories, selected by Timothy M? If not, go check it out and get your copy of a small graphic that you can use for your personal signature if you want to share the love for dk's story. Monday's blog shared several reviews from fans, but Timothy also got to pick an excerpt to share. Read on to find out what he picked and why! Timothy M said: Most of us have wished, at some point or another, that we could go back and change the past. Make another decision at a crucial moment in time, which perhaps would have changed the direction of our lives. Goon is a story built on this concept, and it's even better on a second or third read. Micah gets the chance to apply the knowledge and skills of his older self to an important period in his youth. I've chosen the moment where he first takes the alternate path and stops denying his feelings for the love of his life, even though he's unaware this is what's happening, and what the dangerous consequences will be. To read more, check out the rest of the story here.

Males came pouring out of the clan house. The betas were big, but from what Ritch said, they were bullies. I knew how to deal with bullies. I traded blows with the first to reach me, pain exploding in my jaw as he got in a punch before I could duck below it, but he missed with the second. I crouched and surged upward, striking in a sharp uppercut that knocked him backwards. He stumbled and fell, down for the count. I snarled when someone came from the side, hoping to catch me unaware. “Nice

Another oldie but very popular in its day goodie, Goon by dkstories, was nominated for a Classic Author feature by Timothy M. Originally a Premium story, this has been made available to everyone on the site. Have you ever wondered what life might be like if you had a chance to go back and fix something? A single moment, a day, a lifetime? The idea is intriguing, isn't it? Check out dkstories' take on the idea with Goon! nominated by: Timothy M. Length: 94,608 Description: Micah was a goon. He knew it and everyone else knew it. But he had connections and it put him in the wrong place at the wrong time. Miles Long said ~ This is another fun, creative tale full of political intrigue and fantasy. It's pace was a bit clumsier than other dkstories stories, but the character dynamics were so rich and the relationship between our hero and his lover were so solid, small things can be easily overlooked. If anyone on this site hasn't read this yet...stop, sit and read. Many thanks for sharing dkstories! Stephen said ~ THEY WON ! How brilliant... It all seems so simple now. But it's not, or has been so easy, has it? The second time reality was better when played out. If only... Thanks for the wonderful story, you can do that every day. -But then I'd get spoiled. Rebelghost85 said ~ I really admire your ability to stop a story at a good ending point, leaving room for a sequel or for the reader's imagination to finish the storyline. It allows you to cut your stories into manageable chunks and we get to clamor for sequels. Ron said ~ I can understand why this was a premium content story. That was one heck of a ride what with one unexpected thing after another happening. Highly unbelievable, highly fantastic and highly entertaining. Bravo! If you want to spread the word about dkstories' story, download the graphic below and add it to your signature! Make sure you come back on Wednesday to see the excerpt Timothy M chose to share!

Hey all! Quick question to those with broken signatures: Did you have the image(s) in your signature posted in GA's gallery and use that link to add the picture? There was a reorganization of the site gallery and doing that typically changes the information in the url link. You might find things such as images used in forum posts or your signature now have a broken link because that URL is different in regards to the path for the gallery > album > member album, etc... You'll still have the image available in the gallery, but you'll have to go to it and copy the new link and replace the broken one in your signature. Sorry!!