Cia

Thanks for all the reviews, Miles! I am glad you enjoyed the stories and the final HEA.

Because?

LOL! Parents are pretty much the same all over--at least the good ones.

Thanks! I'm not great at coming up with tech stuff, but it worked here.

I wanted to bring in more about Miah's past and the ranch since it's such a large part of Miah, and this was the installment where it fit.

Thanks, Miles! Warm fuzzies are important from time to time.

I can't believe I missed this review! I hope the next installment gave you what you were looking for. Thanks for always being a reader.

MMM is new for me, but I wanted to make them need each other individually and as a threesome.

Thanks, Miles! I wanted to use shifters, but in a newer way.

It's Monday, but never fear, we have something to keep you entertained through the week... cause it could take that long to read this story! Have you read Adam Phillip's epic-length novel, Cross Currents? First go take a peek at the Signature Background we featured last week and download your copy, then enjoy the reviews some of Adam's fans shared about his story! Cross Currents by Adam Phillips Signature Author Reviewer: Tyler Status: Complete Length: 288,623 In April of 2001, before the world changed, before Facebook, before Glee and sense8, before Obergefell vs Hodge, a man writing under the nom de plume of John Walsh began publishing the serial auto-biographical novel Fraternity Memoirs. The widespread use of the Internet was fairly new, and the advancement of online social communities to the point where non techies could use them to form tight-knit groups around common interests fueled an explosion of outpourings of support; men (and women, but mostly men) from many different walks of life found each other discussing Walsh’s novel and reaching out to Walsh to say “your story is my story”, “your pain is my pain”, “that there is someone like you in the world, who knows what it is to be like me, gives me hope.” And also, of course, “that was so hot.” Adam Phillips, at the time a senior in college, was one of those men. And as a reflection of the shared pain that bound this nascent community together, he decided to write the novel Crosscurrents, hoping he could tell a story that would provide similar encouragement, solidarity and arousal. At its core, Crosscurrents is a coming of age and love story of the protagonist Andy and his childhood best friend Matt. But it touches on many themes: fluidity in personal sexuality, internalized homophobia, sex as a tool to use people, sex as a tool to love people, the natural tendency to believe you know what is in someone else’s head, life as a popular guy, life as a traumatized guy, how to date a cheerleader. The unbelievably common but incredibly bizarre belief that bisexual people don’t exist. Many more. The writing itself is pretty good. As in almost any well-thought-out long form narrative there are some places where it feels as though Phillips were trying too hard. But far more often than not, you’ll come across gems such as “It was the solstice of the Endless Summer in our lives, a time that, while I now understand it as cruelly brief and ephemeral, seemed during those days as if it stretched out ahead of us forever” or the simpler but equally compelling, “My heart was never far from broken.” By and large, the story doesn’t merely draw you in, it sings to you. I have had my own personal tragedies, and I, like the character Andy, and like everyone who grew up before this sometimes more welcoming modern era, have had to deal with the internal trauma delivered by the pernicious homophobic conception that somehow it is bad, it is wrong, to be who you are. Every time I read a chapter of Crosscurrents I learn a little more from Andy about myself and how to get away from my own self-loathing and its associated anxiety, and that’s the best recommendation for a novel I could offer. As a warning to readers, know that this story will make you laugh and cry; you will fall in love with the characters, and at the same time you may occasionally dislike them; it will get you hard (or wet if that’s how your equipment works). But if you are offended by straight sex, this story isn’t for you. The first half of the novel is not really overtly sexual, but the parts of that half that are [very] erotic are primarily m/f. The m/m stuff mostly doesn’t get going until chapter 20. A note regarding the author: If you loved his story, if you felt a strong connection to the characters—especially if you felt a strong connection—if you need someone to talk to, drop him an email like I did; I’m sure he’d love to hear from you. After all, he told this story for you.

Thanks, Tiggs! Don't worry, this is part of a series that follows an underlying plot arc that begins in this story. Read Two of a Kind and Hypnotic to find out more, plus there are 2 companion stories outside the timeline with secondary characters that pop up in those 2 stories that can be read after that, if you enjoy the Carthera universe.

Thanks, Tiggs! I always try to keep motion and sensation in mind when writing action.

Welcome back. We've lost several well-known and loved members of the last few years; it's very sad. Some to passing on and some to real life, so I'm glad you're back! Hopefully things in RL will go well for your back. I know how much that makes it impossible to do just about anything. Good luck with the volunteering giving you an idea of your tolerance for teaching. Several staff at my kids' elementary school keep trying to get me to sub up there, but I find that I can't stand the idea of being at the school without the ability to leave when I want to--even the times when I spend nearly as much time there each week as the staff themselves. Dealing with the bratlings on a irregular basis makes it easier to tolerate--I'm so not cut out to be a teacher.

I definitely didn't break the mold on the gay coming of age teen story, I agree with you. I did try to focus mostly on the characters in this plot as a character driven piece. I'm glad you enjoyed the secondary characters as well as the story in general! Thanks for the review, Tiggs!

Just like some women are straight but think nuts are gross and don't want to touch/lick/handle at all. *shrugs* Just because a person is or isn't attracted to a gender doesn't mean they appreciate all aspects of that gender's sexuality. And honestly, most people aren't completely 100% one end of the spectrum, so appreciating how sexy a man or woman is doesn't mean wanting to do anything sexually with them. Friendship often blurs boundaries, too. Some people are super comfy with touch and others aren't. I'm very hands off, don't like to be touched even by the majority of my family beyond a hello/goodbye hug, but I'm very comfortable snuggling with my female best friend of 28 years. However, if you're attracted to him and want to be with him in a romantic way, all that would have to be confusing and frustrating. Sorry!

“I really don’t like being down here,” Teddy said. “There’s no such things as ghosts.” “But it’s dark.” Teddy was right behind me, nearly treading on my heels with every step. “It’s always dark inside a cave; the fact that it is dark outside doesn’t really change that.” Still, I sent a little more power to the lantern I held to light up the area around us. “Better?” “Not really. I really don’t want to go out there, either.” We were nearly through the tunnel leading out of the city. We’d had

My objections stem from the fact that placing it publicly on the site on your signature, status updates, topic and blog titles, etc... makes it visible to random visitors and members who will not know the context you might intend. It's termed vulgar and offensive by people and could reflect poorly not only on you, but our site, as well. Placing something in context in a story or within a blog or topic is different because it has that information to balance the offense of the term.

Please be aware that site staff are not moderating this blog and its current and deleted posts--the blog owner made that decision as to what is and isn't visible to other members. Our comments, as staff, automatically are approved which is why members can see them when they can't see what everyone else has said. Apologies are only sincere if the person actually means what they say and acts accordingly. Second chances may be given, but forgiveness is earned through actions over time.

Are you enjoying July yet? This is the pivotal month of the year, hottest or coldest depending on where you live. Most of us just try to get through it, hiding inside whenever possible to enjoy the heat or AC. So, while you're inside, why not check out a new story? Frozen Heart by Dianjin Length: 34,082 Description: Ice, the best barrier one could hope for. A Reader Said: Very sweet. Thanks for taking the time to write. ~ Fiddlerbob101 Don't forget to read and review! Plus you can come back and share your thoughts on the story overall (or the series, this is Book #1 in a series) on the CSR Discussion day taking place on Monday, July 27th.

Freedom of speech is a right many take for granted--we speak our minds and damn those who try to say we can't. I understand where you're coming from, but sometimes it's a good thing, and sometimes it's not. When, where, and how that free speech is shared is crucial, of course. At GA, we try to allow members to express themselves as freely as possible, while maintaining the site without disruption. We also allow members the right to dictate some of that with moderation approval on their profile and personal blogs, pictures, etc... Overall, though, we always ask others to keep in mind this is a private site, and, as such, some things may be restricted or allowed for a variety of reasons. Such decisions are never made lightly, nor solely by a single site staff member, but by the whole moderation team even if we can't share the reasons with the membership as a whole.

LMAO. My husband soooo would've gone for the pizza. Or everyone would've had cereal.

“You seriously want us to wait for them to force us into the king’s palace?” Teddy asked. “That sounds dangerous. We’d be under guard.” “Not necessarily. It is unlikely they would transport you as prisoners, so the king will likely manufacture some sort of need for you to come to him, to allay suspicions. Once you’re there, then you sneak off—” “Just like that? We lose whoever our guide is, all the guards that are always there, and traipse around looking for a way down to what must be a hidden

You'll find no end of people to argu... uh, discuss things with on GA. Welcome!

This month we featured a compelling story about an orphan and his journey to find a home in Where Life Takes Us. Did you get a chance to read it? What did you think? Today we're going to discuss and share thoughts with the author, Kuragari129, one of our newer authors on the site--though not new to writing--so don't be shy with the feedback!! Of course, first you get to enjoy my interview with him! Single people often have more time to write. Are you single? I am Single Chocolate or Vanilla? We talking Ice Cream? Vanilla either way What are you wearing (and no fibbing!)? Sweats, a hoodie and a Jack Skellinton Toque What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Mostly Video Games and reading Manga. I've never been one for sports. I have all the leading game consoles and play on them regularily. As for manga, I look forward to the weekly releases of Fairy Tail and the monthly releases of Fairy Tail Zero and Pandora Hearts. What inspired you to begin writing your first story? Well I first found Gay Authors in 2012 while on vacation. Paradox of friendship is the story that stands out for me at that time. From there I discovered Nifty and looked into what it took to submit stories to these sites. Then I began production on Life's Expectations(LE), my first story. I had read a story on Nifty called “The Big Time” or started to, before the story telling me it was a squeal to “The Perfect Game”. So naturally I went back and read it first. The story focused on a group of kids each with their own plot lines, intertwined with one another. I liked that Idea of swapping Point of Views between characters. So I decided I would focus LE on 4 central characters. I wrote the first three chapters while still on vacation, but when got home and re-read them, I decided to rewrite them. What you see on nifty now was that product. In short, reading other people's work on Gay Authors and Nifty inspired me to write. Is there anything you find particularly challenging when you write? Explaining the little details in things, specifically sex scenes. I've never been a fan of reading books, weird I know. I find the detailing in them to be extensive, while it does bring you into the tale more. I'm impatient and I just wanted to read the story. So when I go into details on things, I know I could describe them better, during sex scenes especially. Every time I finish one I feel like it could have been done better but can't figure out how to get it better. That said though, Greyson in My Life Started at the End of the World(MLSEW) has some of my best little details. Little known fact about Greyson: he's blind. So when I go into detail with him, I REALLY go into detail. In fact I had a blind reader email me(He has a program that lets him do it) and tell me how good of a job I did with Greyson. He even gave me pointers on it. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment? Funny you ask this next. I consider the email I got from that man to be one of my best compliments, if not the best. I actively ask my readers on Nifty to email me what they think of the story and what they think will happen next. That way I can see where they see it heading and I can get to see the story at a different angle. Sadly, since all my stories on GA have been just transferred over, you guys haven't had your chance yet. It is coming though. A while back, I got an email about my story Little Life of Nolan Parks(Because of it's content it cannot be posted on GA, Sorry.) and he gave me details about every character. It was so insensitive that I saved it and took many of the things he saw could happen and made them so. As for toughest criticism... I had a guy tell me he didn't like how I started at ended chapters on Nifty. To quote him: “At the beginning of each chapter, you prattle on needlessly at a length which rivals the length of the chapter itself.” He further went on saying “you recapitulate each of the previous chapters, and explaining how you considered different scenarios in the plot. Likewise, at the end you recapitulate what has happened in the chapter and preview what is coming next..” I was kind of taken back. MLSEW was in it's early chapters, just over a year ago now. And I had done this for all of my chapters in LE, Where Life Takes Us(WLTU) and Colby's Life Expectations(CLE). So I wasn't sure how to take it. Pretty sure I told him if he didn't like what I did to move on. He wasn't wrong, I just didn't know anything different. I still do it, just to a lesser value. What brought you to the GA? Like I said before, I had originally found the site in 2012. I think I thought the idea of the account to be stupid, or something. And I decided to post on Nifty. As my stories got popular I opened my facebook page and then thought about posting them on other sites. At first I did so on another site but that didn't work out. I re-found GA and posted MLSEW and WLTU. Which have turned into this apparently! Did something inspire you to write Where Life Takes Us? To be completely honest I don't remember if something did. What I believe it was, I was bummed out laying on my best and I just started thinking. I thought of Wyatt laying alone in the orphanage. From there it took off. I started with the names of the Luis family. They are all named after League of Legends champions, other than Grandpa Nickolas. Talon is Talon. Caitlyn is Caitlyn. Kayla is Kayle. Diana is Diana. Kenneth is Kennen. WLTU is just a a story that I made up. Some things inspired by my life experience, but mostly what I thought up. The story involves a character who’s been in the system. How did you nail down Wyatt’s emotional upheaval through the story based on his life experiences with that aspect? Growing up I wasn't the happiest kid. I never really felt accepted into a group of friends until I was in grade 10. So I more than likely tapped into that to get into Wyatt's emotional states. When he starts to feel accepted, he's also scared of his budding sexuality. I mean, kids who are born into a family go through that fear. When your adopted it's gotta be more difficult. You want to feel wanted and you feel like this will not only disappoint your parents but they might disown you, in Wyatt's case they could have even sent him back to the orphanage. I'm a theatre kid, a techie more specifically. I have acted though. When you're on stage you become a different person. You are not you anymore, and that's how I like to write. I like to try and think as the characters would. Wyatt is afraid, so I am. He's sad, so I put myself into that state. Alone I even act out some scenes, weird I know, but it helps with my writing. What was your favorite part of the story? Dam... that's a loaded question. My favorite part to write was Wyatt's reaction to Grandpa Nickolas' death.(Spoilers?) My favorite part of the story has to be in the epilogue though. Wyatt has become a teacher, and teaches at the orphanage he grew up in. Above that, Wyatt and Talon have chosen to adopt a pair of twins, who have the odds against them to be adopted together. It's that giving back moment that I like so much about it. Can you share a little about your current work with us? Well I have 4 stories currently active and a few in the wings waiting. The active ones being Life's Little Lies(LLL), My Life Started at the End of the World, Little Life of Nolan Parks, and Those Nights of My Life(TNML). MLSEW and TNML are in their ending stretches. They will be finding their ends rather soon. LLNP is nearing it's end with less than 10 chapters left. LLL has just gotten off hiatus and is ready for almost 20 more chapters. That's not the juicy stuff though, the waiting ones are. In total I have 4 ready to get started. One will be a GA exclusive, you'll get 5 chapters before Nifty gets one. Another will be released in three burst of five chapters at a time. There is a sequel planned for one of the active stories. And finally I'm going to bring one of my favorite reality TV shows to a story. Now, cause this is GA I will focus on that one. Like I said, you get 5 chapters before Nifty will get chapter 1. The reason for this, I think this site will be able to do what I want with it better than Nifty. This story is going to be a co-operative effort between author and reader, more details will arise when the story comes out on GA. Thank you Cia for featuring Where Life Takes Us on CSR Book Club feature. I know I didn't talk much about Where Life Takes Us, it's been almost a year since I finished writing it. If this happens again in the future I'll be sure to talk more about the story that is featured. Thanks again! Kuragari129 So much great information to get to know him, so I have to thank Kuragari129 for taking part in the interview too. Now, let's get to the discussion! Kuragari will try to be online around 7 PM, Pacific Time, but leave your thoughts and questions here in the meantime!

“All this activity can’t be good for your shoulder.” Teddy was hugging his arm to his chest since I’d removed the sling to undress him, and I could see he was sore. There were shadows under his eyes that hadn’t been there before, his weary expression aging him. “Let me give you a massage.” I helped Teddy maneuver until he was flat on his stomach, his arm cushioned comfortably on a down pillow. I climbed onto the bed, straddling his thighs. The long, lean muscles of his back led to a generous po