Cia

**Beware of some spoiler reveals in this reveal if you don't like to know anything about a story before you start reading it**

Are you ready for things to change? It's September so seasons and schedules are all out of wack for many people in the world, but one thing remains the same... we have great stories to feature for you to read! This month we're focusing on Thaw by Puppilull. Make sure you take the time to read this month's feature and come back on the discussion day to share your thoughts or questions. Thaw by Puppilull Length: 59,856 Description: The story of Joel and Lucas, meeting by chance or perhaps accident. A Reader Said: A wonderful way to say 'until next time' to the guys and awesome for grandpa! He has a girlfriend And OMG you made JAR blush *high five* ~ LitLover This month's Discussion day will take place on Monday, September 26th!

That's a "rule" we were all taught, but it's not an actual rule that most people or authors follow. More and more grammar rules are being adjusted to follow speech patterns, and avoiding prepositions ending sentences just isn't something most people worry about doing. CMoS 5.176 Ending a sentence with a preposition The traditional caveat of yesteryear against ending sentences with prepositions is, for most writers, an unnecessary and pedantic restriction. As Winston Churchill famously said, “That is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I shall not put.” A sentence that ends in a preposition may sound more natural than a sentence carefully constructed to avoid a final preposition. Compare, for example, this is the case I told you about with this is the case about which I told you. The “rule” prohibiting terminal prepositions was an ill-founded superstition. Today many grammarians use the dismissive term pied-piping for this phenomenon.

*ding, ding, ding* I was hoping someone would notice that!!! Yep, if I were writing this for publication, that is exactly the type of thing that would need to be changed.

There are rules for just about everything--though finding them can be difficult when they're not expressly laid out for your particular circumstance like Graeme's situation. What is important? Consistency. If there isn't a clear cut 'this is right and this is wrong' that is specific and logical, then you have to work it out on your own. As long as you devise a logical format and stick with it, your readers will understand. Now, if you're publishing it's important to know what the house style is and use that, but otherwise, it's all about consistency more than strict adherence to any single set of rules, especially if they don't really apply to a 'real world' situation.

“He’s definitely out, but that’s all I can tell you. His pulse and breathing are fast, but steady. What was wrong with him?” “It was like he went feral. He didn’t seem to recognize any of us, not even me. Could it be something they did to him?” “Honestly, I don’t know. Was he cognizant before this? Knew where he was? Who he was? Who you are?” I nodded. “Yes. Weak, malnourished, exhausted and sleeping a lot, but he was still ‘Kraig’. We’ve been together since I found and blooded him, but I was

This was a great CSR event, and I'm so glad everyone made the time to read the story and comment this month.

August is coming to a close, and with it summer for the northern hemisphere--the last hurrah for many families having those family/friend barbecues and spending time together. But not all families get to do that--which is exactly what we see in Headstall's Treading Water. Did you have a chance to read it yet? If you didn't, well be careful of spoilers in the comments but you can still enjoy my interview with Headstall. Who do you like best: Tom, Jerry, or Huckleberry Hound? Huckleberry Hound, without a doubt. I loved his ‘voice’ and with him we also got Yogi and Boo Boo, Pixie and Dixie, and Mr. Jinx. Even back then, as a kid, I loved that these cartoons were presented as fleshed out stories. If you had 30 minutes of free time, what would you do? That’s easy. Write, read, give a friend a call, or ride my bicycle. If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be? Ironically, “Treading Water” would fit nicely, but so would “The Long and Winding Road.” Is there a literary character (in the whole universe of fiction) that you’ve read who you really identified with? One character? No. But there are many characters I’ve related to because I see bits of me in them or their experiences. A number of my own characters have traits of mine, but I don’t think I’d ever want to see all of myself in one character, or my entire life in a story. That would be a hard read to get through. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? That’s a good question. I could be flippant and say time and typing, because those are real challenges for me. The world’s worst typist here, but I’m getting better, and that helps with the time factor. It used to be such tough slogging at the beginning… tedious and frustrating. The first time I used a word processor (Wordpad) was the day I wrote my first ever chapter for “Cards on the Table.” Anyway, I guess my more appropriate answer is that nothing stands out in particular. I love the overall challenge of writing. It’s hard work, but is so rewarding when people respond to it. On a personal level, I thrive on the challenge I give myself to improve. There are so many ways to say the same thing, with only the slightest nuanced differences, and I want to get to the point where I feel I mostly choose the best option… the one that most fits the voice, or paragraph, or the sentences and content around it. Actually, maybe my biggest challenge is keeping it short. J What’s the best part of being an author? Of course, the response and feedback from readers. But for me personally, I have always been creative. My original outlet was art, and I was one of a small group picked for an experimental five-year scholastic art program at the beginning of high school. Life got in the way, and my creative side took a back seat for a long time. There was an empty space where it used to be, and writing… being an author… has filled that back up. It makes me feel blessed. Did the scene relating to the title, or the actual title, come to you first? I don’t know why, but the titles have always come to me first, for every story. I should say though, I hear voices. J The story percolates in my head to some degree, and even lines of dialogue pop out of nowhere, but before I write anything I have the title. There’s a lot of general contractor re-design elements in Treading Water. Did that come from life experience or research? Life experience. I have completely rebuilt two houses all by myself, including large additions, and I have the same designer gene Craig has. Do you have a favorite scene of the story? Yikes. Toughest question of all. I loved the garage scene because it set the tone, and I loved the pond scene for the emotion and tension of it, and then there’s the diner scene and the freedom of it, but for some reason, the scene when Jared wakes up thinking he’s alone, and runs down the stairs in a panic is one that has always resonated with me. I think it’s the vulnerability he shows that makes it stand out to this day. That was only one, right? J Do you have any sneak peeks or future stories you can share with readers? Crap. My head is so full. I’ve had a lot of requests for Jeremy’s (from CotT) story, and it’s all pretty much written in my head (probably not at all what people are expecting). And then there’s the one about two horse trainers. Yes, I have its title already, but I can’t tell you. There’s also one about a man struggling to hold onto his farm, and another about a man who might or might not be swept downriver in an early spring storm. The most ambitious one floating around in my head takes place on another planet, but after “Morningstar,” it might be too much to take on. Did I mention the vampire with a difference? Yeah, he’s in there too. I also have a story for the ‘Blindsided’ anthology. My main goal though, is to get back to “Cards” and bring it to its close after I finish up “Morningstar.” That’s it… a partial look inside a very crowded head. Cheers.

This chapter is definitely geared to make you ask all these questions and more. Finding out what all the information the doctor has in his files just became imperative!

Oh dear, indeed!

Your questions are very, very relevant to the way the story goes. I hope chapter 15 answers some of your questions. Thanks for reading, Gary.

Wouldn't that be nice! Remember, though, these guys don't look 'normal' so just running off for a bit would be problematic.

It was hard to imagine, because you were right, lol!

Roaring took over for the shout. When I burst through the door, knocking it off the top hinge so it slammed into the wall at a crooked angle, Kraig was crouched on the bed. His eyes were glowing, but there was no recognition in them. I stared in shock. The marks on his neck and face were rippling as his muscles writhed under his skin, almost like something was trying to get out. Lydia gasped. “Keep her back,” I told Henry. Kraig was crouching on the bed, lowering himself. I prepared myself fo

Have a great day, Bill!

Monday we featured Renee Steven's story, Reece's Choice, with a few of her favorite reviews. There's also a signature graphic you can download if you want to share your love of her story. Didn't see it? Don't worry you can still get it here. Renee says... I chose this scene because it's honestly my favorite scene in the entire story. I've actually had the spider thing happen to me, except I didn't have anyone else there at the time. I love putting some of my personal experiences into stories, and this was on that I was just waiting to use and I loved the way it turned out. Want to read more? Check it out here!

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” I asked. “We haven’t been apart since I found you.” “I’ll be with my parents.” Kraig sounded confident, but he was tapping his claws against his leg. “You go be the alpha.” “Do I have to?” Clearly I was having a much harder time with the impending separation than Kraig was. My face heated. Kraig snickered. “I won’t tell anyone you just whined like a five-year-old.” “Thanks.” I glanced over my shoulder. His parents didn’t live that far away, but Kraig was

:hug: to everyone!!!

to everyone who has taken the time to wish me a happy birthday today! I've had a lazy morning, and it's been wonderful!!

Usually Renee's the one who posts the blog, not the person being featured, but if you didn't know, she's also one of our Signature Authors! This month we're featuring her story, Reece's Choice. Inspired by one of the prompts, this morphed into a longer story for readers to enjoy. Length: 25,461 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. Reviews: Valkyrie says... I really enjoyed this story. It was a nice, feel-good story that was a nice contrast to some of the darker stories I've been reading lately. Aditus says... Wonderful story, Renee! It was just the right dose of love and drama. I really enjoyed this. Skinnydragon says... 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! Cannd says... I enjoyed this alot. I loved these two characters. I would have loved an epilogue to know if they made it past the first year, but I guess it is a more realistic view of a new relationship that has all the signs of being right. They have high hopes and time will tell. I guess the hope for a definite success can't be helped by some of us romantics though. It had a nice ending and it seems like Dave's parents will help make up for his shitty parents. They seem to have a good chance. Thanks. Remember to check back on Wednesday to see what excerpt Renee Stevens chose to share with readers! Want to show your support and enjoyment of Renee's story? Download the banner above for your site signature!

Happy Birthday, Caz!!

Definitely seeing a lot of the outcome without any information on the whys and hows. More will come on that soon, though!

Yes! I definitely wanted that sense of family, which I think is on the return considering now they ARE family too. The doctor's objectives... now that is the real question! More on that is coming up soon.

Vengeance is a powerful motivator, but I hope they can all remember it's not just a need for revenge for the harm done but to prevent further harm. We'll see as they learn more. Thanks for reading, Puppilull!

Yep, I did. It's been fixed, but thanks! *nods* Short updates in a story can make it very hard to follow/remember. I've had readers who wait for several chapters to post before reading before. Whatever works for you to enjoy my stories works for me.