Cia

Lots left unresolved, yes, but that just means more for next week, lol. Darn name swaps! I have the hardest time with that in this story for some reason. Thanks for telling me, Lux.

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The front door opened behind me. I’d been so focused on Ritch, assessing the danger he posed to the streak and my mate, that I didn’t even hear Kraig moving around in the house. He was pale, his expression stricken. He had to have heard Ritch. I half-turned, refusing to turn my back on Ritch even with Park at his back. Kraig clutched the door like it was holding him up. “I know. I know what happened to Danny.” Pain and fear spread through the air, the acrid odors coming from Kraig. I rus

Thanks, Defiance! It can be so hard trying to move the plot along each chapter, and I know it's better reading more than one week in a go. Still, at least you know there is always more on Wednesdays. Deke is definitely about to be tested. Thanks for the review!

That's how I keep you coming back even with the frustration of reading only 1k.

You're remembering right, and you picked up on a ton of the clues!! Great reading. Thanks for the review too! It's even better than a like.

One of everyone's favorite blogs, back again!! It's the first Wednesday of the month, which can only mean one thing. It's time for another Ask An Author feature provided to us by Dark. If you have questions you want to ask your favorite authors, but don't want to ask the questions yourself, you can always send your questions to Dark for inclusion in the Ask An Author feature. Ask an Author #41 Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors! In AtA #40, we had questions for authors Cole Matthews, M.A. Church, Riley Jericho, and Carlos Hazday In AtA #41 we hear from authors Headstall, Mikiesboy, Sammy Blue, and Sasha Distan. Promising Author and Canadian Headstall kicks off the blog this week. If I understand the story correctly, this author name comes from a particular piece of tack (for horses, oh ye whose minds went elsewhere… ). Not as spry as he used to be, Headstall has had some recent health setbacks, but there are many glad to see his return. Hopefully, the words will start flowing once more with the grace and fluidity that readers have become used to. In the two years Headstall has been with us, he has posted almost a dozen stories, most of them the multi-chapter kind. He’s also a poet; you can see his responses to the weekly prompts among his collection of works, as well as Headstall’s Reflections, a collection of random musings about life, the universe, and everything. Or, you know, a blog of sorts. If you’ve enjoyed this author’s work, have you tried Morningstar: The Malaise? This is Headstall’s first story about werewolves, and in his version, the pack is dying out due to a mysterious … malaise. The main characters must find a way to not only save the pack, but themselves. Is there a way to be happy together given the desperate need the pack has for more matings and pups? I leave you with these words from editor Timothy M: “Being a sifter is complicated, even without the malaise, and sorting out your feelings is difficult, especially when they are new ….” To Headstall: How did it feel to have your first story take off the way it has? When I first posted, I didn't know what to expect, from the readers or myself. The response was immediate and somewhat overwhelming, and I honestly expected the support would die down quickly. But it didn't, and to this day I'm still surprised, and now I feel honored and encouraged to improve with every single sentence I write. It's given me the confidence to try new things, like my songs, poetry, an anthology story and a story contest. I've written two other stories posted as serials since the debut of "Cards on the Table," and that is because of the support I received initially, and continually. I'm not quite sure why it took off the way it did, but I am thankful for it everyday, and I feel I owe the readers and GA my very best effort every time I touch the keyboard. Cheers. A big welcome to Author Mikiesboy, making his first appearance in this blog – but not the last, I assure you! He calls himself an ”abecedarian poet.” You’ll have to ask him what it means. Another Canadian, Mikiesboy hails from Ontario and is a big fan of fellow Canadian Headstall. I have learned to stay away from his GA gallery, because just looking at all that wonderful food makes me hungry, lol. Michael is one lucky guy. Read more about their real-life love story in Michael and Me. I’m not sure about that tomato soup cake, though, dunno if I’m adventurous enough to try it. This past April, Mikiesboy tried his hand at NaPoWriMo, which is the poet’s version of writing one whole story in only a month. It’s a daunting task, no matter how you look at it. Mikiesboy is very upfront with his past and you can see some of that in his written works. They’re gritty and real and will make you rethink parts of your own life. Having a huge sweet tooth, however, I find that my favorite story remains Dessert. David gets a second chance at finding love with a man from his past. They meet by chance, eat and talk, and some of his inner musings and realizations will give you a punch to the gut. Of course the sex scene is pretty hot, too! To Mikiesboy: What inspired the characters you've created? Do people you know make you think of them, or is it situations you encounter? I've been inspired by situations and people I know. I guess it depends which characters you mean. In my latest story Tait's experience is partly based on my mental health struggles, and some abuse I suffered when I was much younger, but once I know the character I can figure out how he'll react or act. Two of my characters came to me when I was using a prompt, but Faris and James, have a few traits borrowed from me and my husband. So I guess I'd have to say that my characters are one part imagination, one part experience, and a dash or more of me. Youngster and Author Sammy Blue writes from Braunschweig, Germany. Recently, Sammy decided to translate one of his German stories into English. In the forums, Sammy explains some of the finer details making their way into his stories to give us non-Germans a better understanding of the culture belonging to his characters. It’s nice to have that background to ask questions about without the author feeling the need to write it all in the story itself. Sci-Fi writers are well-known for this. High Fantasy, too, can get bogged down with the details, not that you or I would ever do that, of course! LOL. But Sammy is perhaps best known for his work with Gemini. This is a story about teenage Josh and his crazy public school life. With 25 chapters now, we’ve really seen Josh grow into himself. And Jacob? That boy is amazing. To Sammy Blue: Do you have a character that you've put more of yourself into than any others, and what qualities do you see yourself as sharing with that character? Not particularly, at least not in Gemini. That might change with future stories, though. However, I do share some sort of connection with all of my major characters. The reason is simple, really. When I am writing, I am usually using one of two methods, mostly even both in combination. The first is to 'envision' the scene I am writing, almost like a movie. If I'm unsure about something, I even 'replay' it a number of times with small changes to see what fits. This also helps me to narrate in a realistic way. The other I mostly use when I write thoughts or some of the conversations. I try to really get into the 'skin' of the character I'm writing, to feel their feelings and think their thoughts. It takes some time to get psyched up enough for that, but it's usually worth it. Anyway, because I do this, I do have a pretty good understanding of what my characters feel, and I guess that is what I 'put' into them, and the connection I share with them. Today’s 4th and final author is Author Sasha Distan. We last saw Sasha in ATA #36, about six months ago. Next month it will be a year since Sasha's profile was active, which makes the last status post more ironic: Apparently I’ve been offline long enough for my avatar picture to vanish… But for those of you who need your Sasha fix, you should know that I horded one last question and answer. I, too, have my fingers crossed that Sasha will soon return with more of that British snark we’ve come to enjoy, as well as a conclusion to Sanctuary, the fantasy story where the persecuted find hope and, perhaps, love. To Sasha Distan: How do you keep all of your storylines from bleeding together when you have more than one story going at a time? I have a great filing system! My brain is a very compartmentalized place, and a bit like the filing system on my laptop, I'm very good at keeping the separate part of my life, and separate parts of my stories, very much apart from each other. Characters who exist in different worlds don't even talk, so for example I'd never have problems with Kurt and Tahryn having a chat and exchanging plot lines with Oli and Boris. The characters who do live in the same world, Kieran, Robin, Bay, Issac, and Zupan for example, are generally so self obsessed (or romantically obsessed) that they don't tend to interfere with each other. Generally writing two stories at once doesn't cause me many issues, but three or four can be more problematic. That’s it for now! For more info on these authors, go check out their stories, post in their forums, and/or catch them in chat! See you next time, with authors AQG, Nephylim, SkinnyDragon, and W_L. I’m always in the market for new questions! Simply PM me (Dark). Until next time! Dark

So many clues, so many questions... so not gonna tell! You do make a lot of great points, though. Thanks for reading, Puppilull!

The worst rating/review I ever got on an eBook, imo, was the one that stated that the story wasn't good or bad because the reader was completely indifferent to it. The goal is to make people feel something, and that usually requires empathy or attraction. Not necessarily physical attraction, though that does stand to reason in the romance genre which is why you don't find a lot of 'average guys' on covers and in stories. An author has to stay true to the characters and plot but keep in mind how that comes across to readers because if you skew the story too much, it can turn them off. Unfortunately, there's no way to always avoid alienating readers because how and why a reader enjoys a story/characters can vary greatly.

Thanks, Geemeedee! Well I don't plan to just do 1k stories. I simply have had a lot of side projects in writing that you haven't seen because they're geared for publishing instead. I like the Briefers not for the exposure (at this point, we don't have a lot of participating authors) but because it gives me a reason to always post something for free for readers, no matter what else I have going on. Definitely appreciate the feedback though.

This chapter was a pivotal point in the information game. Lots of tiny clues, some more overt ones... I hope you'll like the next chapter too!

I flexed my fingers, my claws extending to their maximum. “Why were you on the side of the house?” I stalked closer to take a deep whiff of his scent. “That’s my fault,” Park said. “You were in the backyard with Kraig, and I thought it would be easier for Ritch to go around than to go inside your house.” “Why?” I growled. Ritch flinched, but so subtly that only the narrowing of his eyes gave it away. He looked calm; his breaths slow and even, his shoulders rounded and chin tucked slightly to

Thank you, Dawn! Flash fiction is a way to explore different ideas and styles, so it's always fun to mess around with.

August is here, and I'm spending all my time with the family, enjoying our extra time together... but sometimes it's not so easy being part of a family. Check out the drama and hopefully happy ending in Headstall's Treading Water for this month's featured CSR read! Treading Water by Headstall Length: 48,955 Description: Craig and Jared, former brothers-in-law, have been tormented in different ways, and lines have been crossed. Can they now find a way to make sense out of a challenging family situation? A Reader Said: Such a shame to see the end, but, hopefully it won't be for long...hint hint... I loved this short story and can't wait to see what you come up with next. ~ Cazpredroso ​ This month's Discussion day will take place on Monday, August 29th!

Congratulations, Puppi!!!

LOL. Rebel, me? Nooo! There is a lot coming up in the next chapter, so I hope I can keep it all straight. You guys notice all the little tricks I use nowadays. Thanks for reviewing, Gary!

You picked up on so many details! I love that.

So much drama, and then boom! The End That 1k limit really is a killer for me too, and some weeks it feels like Wednesday stretches farther than 7 days. There is definitely a lot coming in next week's chapter though. Thanks for the review, Puppilull.

I swallowed hard and consciously controlled my breathing. Kraig’s forehead was wrinkled and he was clenching my hand so hard his knuckles turned white. His whole body shuddered as he let out a deep breath. “They strapped me down and took blood, skin samples, saliva, semen”—I saw red knowing what they must have done to him to get that—“but the worst part was when they strapped my head down, drilled holes in my skull, and attached wires to my brain.” Horror consumed me. “They invaded your brain?

This month we're featuring Zenith's story, The Window Washer. Did you have a chance to read it? Hard to believe the discussion day is already here, but it is. Check out my questions to Zenith, where I pump him for vital information like his clothing habits, and he reveals his favorite places to plot! ​ Have you ever gone out in public, realized your shirt is on backwards, and just don’t care? Not backwards, but inside out. Unfortunately I cared. I was embarrassed. I like things to be ‘perfect.’ Publishing a spelling mistake in a story is like discovering my shirt is on backwards; it really bothers me. Although, I should learn to forgive (or get over) myself—it’s darn hard to write and edit your work, especially if you’re in a hurry to get a chapter published. What's your favorite room in your house? Do you plot or write there? Living room, for sure. I love to flop on the couch and read, although I wouldn’t describe myself as a couch potato, it’s just my favorite posture for reading. I do a lot of my plot development in bed. Either before going to sleep or first thing, early in the morning. The physical writing usually takes place while sitting at the dining table using my laptop. I like an uncluttered workspace. The only other thing I have there is my iPhone which I use as a dictionary/thesaurus. What brought you to GA? I was looking for good quality gay fiction. I’m a real fan or gay romance whether it’s contemporary, science fiction or fantasy. GA has tons of high quality stories that appeal to me. It’s a well run site, so thanks for that! What do you like to do when you’re not writing? I like traveling. If I could afford to, I’d do a lot of it. Unfortunately, with my budget, my go-to pastime is reading. I often read several books a week. I rarely watch TV, for some reason it agitates me. Where do you get your ideas? From all over. Often it’s a wannabe fantasy. Jerome connecting with Rob, the hunky window washer, was straight out of a personal fantasy. I used to love it when the window washers would swing by in real life. Sometimes I’m inspired by things I read—not to copy them, but to stretch my writing. What I find as I read best-selling authors is that they create almost impossible coincidences, which readers overlook because they’re absorbed in the plot. Readers will call you on factual mistakes, but rarely do they say ‘that’s too much of a coincidence.’ What’s the best part of being an author? Writing relaxes me and helps me process my emotions. I truly do write from the heart. My stories have HEE endings because that’s what I’d like in my life. Although ‘real life’ is often full of surprises and disappointments (as well as many, many good things, of course). And writing is a creative outlet, much the way painting might be to someone who has that talent. It’s fun and good for me at the same time. Did you decide on the window washer job before or after you got the idea for the accident scene? As I said above, the story was inspired by real window washers occasionally coming by my office window. My first ‘inspiration’ was to write a dark little piece about a window washer and an accountant who ‘connect’ then the window washer falls to his death. Now aren’t you glad I abandoned that ending? Do you have a favorite character in The Window Washer? Why or why not? No, I don’t have a favorite. I love them all equally. The nice thing about writing is that you can imbue your characters with traits you like. There were no villains in this story, so pretty much everyone is likeable. Your story has a lot of things in it like the careers of the characters, settings in different cities, etc... Is that all research based or did you use things from your own life for inspiration? Ah, good question. Pretty much 100% from my own life. I, like Jerome, was a bored accountant—only he was much better looking and got rich. My daughter is a flight attendant, which would really have been my dream job, so I know a lot about employee flying. The building where Jerome works is in Vancouver. In fact, it’s 900 West Georgia, where I used to work. I worked on the 9th floor, but I figure Rob would survive a 5 story fall a little easier. There’s really a glass canopy above the sidewalk and a coffee shop inside, just like I describe. Jerome’s condo is in Coal Harbour, Vancouver and there is a seawall and yacht sales place there too. (Although I don’t live in Coal Harbour.) I’ve only visited Santa Barbara once, but fell in love with it. I used Google Earth to locate the spot for Rob’s parents’ fictional home. (And, BTW, who wouldn’t fantasize about owning a Porsche convertible?) I’ve visited Venice Beach many times and always enjoy its bohemian vibe. It’s one of my fantasy ‘to live there’ places. Sailing: well, growing up on the West Coast of Canada I’ve done my fair share of sailing. I enjoy it, although it’s not really my thing. But it was a great way for Jerome to escape his troubles. One of my readers helped me with the finer details of the surrogacy process. The internet is used to fill in many blanks. And I wouldn’t survive a minute without my dictionary and thesaurus. Can you share a little of your current work or future projects with us? Well, there’s ‘Special Forces’ which is done. I’m working on two other stories and have one more in my head. The first story is about a guy whose b/f is framed for drug trafficking. The second one is about an otherwise colorless guy whose life changes when gets transferred to Honolulu. Both those are in process. The one in my head is about a kid whose life is ruined when he gets caught sneaking into the neighbor’s swimming pool…. One of my favorite themes is people who aren’t necessarily what they appear to be. Like Rob not being just a window washer. I try to use that ‘trick’ whenever I can. And I love recycling my characters. Giving them cameos in the next story. ***** Thanks for giving me an opportunity to answer these fun questions! All right, people, you know what to do! Have fun, share your thoughts on the story, or ask Zenith more questions!

I have a friend who does nice things for me and I do nice things for her. The last few years she took me to many appointments, even picking me up at 5 AM to drop me off for outpatient surgery since I couldn't drive myself and my husband had to work (she is not a morning person!). Tomorrow I'll be at her house at 7 AM tomorrow to follow her to the dealership to drop off her car for repairs and then take her elderly dog to the vet for surgery and hang around her all day until one or both are done and she doesn't need a ride. But we've been best friends since we were 6 which basically makes us family, and that's what family does. Still, when I think about what I've done for others and what they've done for me, that sort of thing is what really comes to mind because it's a constant--we're here to make each other's lives easier. Community works is a tenet of my personal beliefs. It's our job to do as much as possible to help our fellow people because that's just the right thing to do. I volunteer countless hours to promote readership and community service at my kids' schools in basic tasks as well as special events and projects. I donate food and drinks and personal care items to homeless people when it's safe to do so (dollar store toothbrushes, mini toothpastes, deodorant, and sanitizer wipes in a baggie can make a person feel just a little more human). We donate toys at the holidays and make cards for the elderly in care homes who might not have visitors. You never know when treating people like they matter to you, even if they're a stranger, might be the nicest thing that's happened to them in that day, that week, or that year.

Very gruesome and I did make that mistake, so thanks for pointing it out. He's on my mind... well, you'll see why. Thanks for the review, Puppilull!

I'm with you. Patience is sooo hard! I think knowing more about what the doctor was doing is definitely going to be absolutely vital. Thanks for the review, Gary!

I know, right? So dramatic, but I'm glad the character development is coming across too. Thanks for reading, Lux!