Cia

Aww, how UK of you to say. Thanks, Nephy!

I did! I spent the last week plotting out the world so I could get going right away.

I hope you caught Rob Colton's feature on Monday sharing his favorite reviews left by fans of Enforcer. There's also a banner you can add to your signature if you want to share your love for this story. Get it here! Today we're sharing an excerpt Rob chose. Rob says... It was hard picking one. It's the opening of Chapter 5, where Buzz meets Jed. I like it because it shows the power of their attraction, but then goes to show how messed up Buzz is, the way he was brought up, hiding his feelings vs Jed, who grew up in a more open, modern thinking home. Want to read more? Check out the rest of the story here!

“Please, I can explain.” He looked up at me from his knees. “Don’t worry.” I narrowed my eyes and glared. “You don’t have to.” “But—” His intestines spilled from his body just before his head rolled across the floor. His wife screamed and scrabbled away from me, but she couldn't escape my wrath. Her body hit the floor with a dull thud. The silence was broken by the pattering of blood dripping from my nails as it hit the concrete floor. I flicked my hands, annoyed with the sound. “I know you’

Human werekin, the public face for their kind, are treated as slaves by most even though they protect the hidden bonded werekin to protect them from human discovery. Deke allowed the cultural schism to drive away the man he loved. They received news of a tragic accident, and he believed he lost Kraig forever. All he has left is his duty. When the unexpected happens, it will take every ounce of his conviction and control to protect not only his streak but the man his heart beats for.

Are you a fan of Rob Colton? I know I am! This month we're featuring his 2nd installment of the immensely popular Timber Pack Chronicles. Enforcer features Jed's story, though we get to see more of the other characters we loved from the first book. Length: 58,419 Description: Jed Stone suffers in silence, damaged and poisoned from his fight with the rogue wolf. But he puts on a smile and does his duty, making sure his Timber Pack mates are safe. Buzz Hinske belongs to a traditional lycan pack. Challenges and violence seem to be their way of life. When they come together at the annual Lycan Conclave, Jed is elated at finding his destined mate. Unfortunately, Buzz has already been promised to another... Reviews: sjohnjohnc says... I think I'm like quite a few of Rob Colton's fans here; we really do enjoy reading and rereading his stories. I've been rereading these last ten chapters in anticipation of chapter 11 and I have to say I'm incredibly impressed with the character development. Sometimes hero characters (the stronger and dare I say more hyper masculine characters) tend to be clones, reflections or rotations of strong characters we've been introduced to before. Which leads me to say how impressed I am with the difference between Colton is from Jed. Yes, Colton is the alpha of the little pack, but Jed is strong in his own right. I admire the shades of strong characters created by R. Colton; while Colton chases after Parker, I'm thinking back to the very romantic pebbles thrown at a window in Book 1, Jed is patient and waits. Yes, Jed admires Colton's ability to hold off for a year, but his own strength to let the Buzz make a choice with the possibility of Buzz choosing convention over fate, is uniquely him. I really must thank Rob Colton for such excellent distractions. belann says... Rob, you write the best sex/love scenes: not only hot but also very beautiful.A mixture of aggressiveness and tenderness. My heart almost broke when Jed told Buzz his shirt was all he had of him. Buzz had a difficult decision to make and I'm glad he chose Jed and he's giving up on his fears to give himself to his mate. Great chapter! Cannd says... That was a really beautiful chapter! There were a bunch of really special moments that you did a great job writing. I am so glad Parker and Colton are keeping Wylie. I worried for a moment there, that his father would be found. One of those moments was the emotion that Parker showed when he feared they'd take Wylie. It would have wrecked him. He loved the boy from the first time he picked him up. Do they know if Sandra was killed by the hunters? It was so funny when Wylie called Parker 'pup.' lol I have a feeling he is going to make a great Alpha wolf someday. It was nice to see Buzz officially become Timber pack and of course seeing the kids become pack and Wylie to call Colton Dad was so sweet. The fact that Wylie's name was the same as that boy's was bittersweet. While I get Buzz's happiness that the child would grow up loved no matter who and what he was is a nice thought. I just can't get the image of Christopher looking to Buzz for help right before they killed him. He looked to the man he had slept with and who was the only one of them who wasn't so hateful. I am surprised Buzz has dealt with that as well as he has. I would feel really guilty if I were him, b/c he was targeted to prove a point to Buzz. They may have found out anyhow, but this way it must have felt like he was partly responsible for his death, esp when he could do nothing to save him. I hope the story isn't over. I know that Derek won't let this go as easily as he pretended to. I think he is going to want to have the last say and going to want to kill his abomination of a brother and also show Colton up. I guess we'll see. If it was the end, then it was a great one. It was adorable that Wylie climbed up for a ride on colton. The pack is stronger and such a safe place. Though, I also hope we get to be there for the official mating of the guys. I am definitely excited though, and already looking forward to Zef's story that we'll all be begging for! lol no pressure or anything. I hope we get to be there for that mating bite. It was a hard earned moment for those two. I am wondering if Colton really did send the registry for their mating. I have a feeling he may have. He seems to have taken to being an Alpha amazingly well. They really have built a great pack in the year since they became one. I love how you continued to develop the characters and their personalities through this. Parker makes the cutest dad...so worried about him and colton really surprised me with how well he took to fatherhood. I hope Wylie can come to trust the others like he trusts his dads. Inky says... Fantastic!!! As usual you make me cry, laugh and do that really big sigh and smile. I had it all wrong in the last chapter, but no matter my late night reading and rambling, you always deliver a powerful punch. I mean that in a good way. Lol. I am sad that this story will end soon, but I am totally hoping that there is more to come. I still don't trust Derek..., I so want a story with Alpha Poundstone and Zef...., the Hunters have to be investigated..., Christopher's mother is dead..., was she murdered..., is his unknown dad dead as well..., and Christopher's behavior indicates that he was somewhere that he had to fight for everything to exist. I am just greedy for more of your work so I will keep hoping and pondering until I see you post a new installment of Timber Pack Chronicles. Rob, you turned me into a junkie with your ultra amazing writing. Carlos Hazday says... After trying my hand at penning a story, I have a new-found respect for authors that can create rich characters and surround them with action and suspense but still provide a satisfying ( read happy ) ending. You sir, have my admiration for doing so time and time again. Thank you for sharing your gift with us. C Remember to check back on Wednesday to see what excerpt Rob chose to share with readers! Want to show your support and enjoyment of Rob Colton's story? Download the banner above for your site signature!

“How is he?” I asked softly. Kraig was nestled in my bed, the covers pulled up to his chest and one hand covering his newly shorn hair. “Sick, in both his body and his mind. We bathed him clean but we had to shave his head.” I tilted his head. “Kraig always kept his hair short.” “But a bonded werekin doesn’t,” his mother said softly. She leaned over the bed and tugged the covers up to his shoulders, smoothing down the fabric. Even in his sleep Kraig flinched away with a whimper, burying his f

Looks like you guys are stuck with getting the weekly update for me today! I'll try to hit everything, but it might not be the usual format, so bear with me. It's been a busy week with a return to our Premium feature on Wednesday and some extra prompts on Friday, so if you missed out on those, here's another chance to catch up on this week's blog features. Monday's feature was Timothy M's review of Red Running Shoes, written by Aditus. Timothy says... "Indeed, Red Running Shoes may take the prize as the tale which has sparked the most intense reactions so far." Wondering what he means by that? Check out the rest of his review! M.A. Church's The Harvest series was the focus of Wednesday's feature reminding members of the great content in our Premium section and what purchasing a subscription does for the site in return. There's also an excerpt you can check out here from Book One: Taken. Not sure if you want to write? Blocked on your usual stories? Just enjoy creating fun little flash fiction stories? Friday is definitely your day if you enjoy prompts. As a special bonus, in honor Friday the 13th, we have a special prompt #1 in addition to creative Prompts #498 and #499 as well as poetry prompt #20. Get your inspiration on by clicking here! Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team** 2016 Summer Anthology: Wicked Games - Due May 26th, 2016 **Just 11 more days!!** 2016 Fall Anthology: Blindsided - Due August 26th, 2016 2016 Winter Anthology: The Forgotten - Due November 26th, 2016 All Pre-2016 Anthology Themes - Due December 14, 2016 Premium Updates: Journey's End by M.A. Church; Book 2 of The Harvest *Premium* Signature Updates: The G.M.Os by Carl Holiday, Book 3 of Hercules III My Brother Daniel by Nephylim Leopards Leap by Graeme; Book 3 of The Lilydale Leopards Innocence & Carnality by Mann Ramblings From the Cup of the Worthless by Cynus Left Without Words by Comicality Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP) The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 9 by Comicality; Book 9 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase Third Shift by Cole Matthews Promising Updates: Lavender & Gold by Thorn Wilde Morningstar: The Malaise by Headstall Falling Apart by craftingmom Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

Thank you, everyone!! :D

Okay, so not really a surprise for those following the comments, but I'm already plotting things out for the longer story and figuring all the details out that weren't needed for a 1200 word short story but must be cemented to make the paranormal world come alive, so I hope everyone will enjoy it! Thank you to everyone for voting!

I haven't had any votes in a while, so I'm going to announce the winner for my next flash story expansion is (not like it's a surprise, lol), but drumroll... Mine! I'm already plotting things out for the longer story and figuring all the details out that weren't needed for a 1200 word short but must be cemented to make the paranormal world come alive, so I hope everyone will enjoy it! Thank you to everyone for voting!

This is probably going to be the second story after I finish Mine, lol.

This one is very popular. Pretty sure it's going to win, lol.

Thanks, Valkyrie! I'm glad you liked it.

You've done a great job sharing descriptions that are very visual, and you added scent and taste, but how you shared it that falls into a style called "author voice" that most authors try to avoid. You're describing the character's physical attributes, like you're looking at him (or another character is looking at him) but then you switch to sharing his memory of the brewery and his mother. When you introduce your POV character, you have to show their physical description and set the scene in a way that makes sense to come from them because they're telling the story. Most people can't see the light shining on themselves or think of themselves as "the young man". If I were to rewrite, I'd invoke touch as well as sight and smell, which allows you to bring in the hair and the shower from an earlier scene. One of the most powerful senses to use to make readers relate to characters is through touch. Touch of other things against us and the way we feel when we touch stuff. For example: The corner of my laptop digs into my wrist as I type until I ball up a corner of my fuzzy blanket under my arm to cushion the cold metal. (It's chilly in my house and my wrist really was hurting from resting on the corner of the laptop) This is how I'd rewrite your paragraph to share as much as you did as possible from your character's POV. I'd also recommend using other ways to describe color though I like the honey brown specific to the beer. Someone's hair might be considered sandy if it's a light brown/dark blond, beer can be amber, someone's face can be red but described in different ways to give us an idea of why her face is red (though screeching voice implies she's angry). Someone who has been exercising out in the cold might have ruddy cheeks, an alcoholic old man might have florid cheeks, someone who's embarrassed might have pink cheeks, or a more general term is just 'flushed' that implies red without having to use it.

Thanks, guys! Combined with my blog stats, the new count is: Mine: 10 First Contact: 4 Picking Up Strays: 4 Blinding Light: 2 Voting goes until about 9 PM Pacific today when I'll need to pick the story and take a look at the weekly prompts so I can get moving on next week's update! I don't want to take two weeks off.

Combining the votes on my blog and GA has the voting at these numbers currently. Don't forget to vote if you haven't yet! Mine: 6 votes First Contact: 3 votes Picking Up Strays: 2 votes Blinding Light: 1 vote

We'll see what the voting says! I have folks voting on my blog too, so I'll add it all together and the one with the most votes will win.

I'm not inspired lately, but I'm constantly asked about expanding older stories by readers, so I thought I'd give everyone a chance to weigh in on what I should write for my next Wednesday Briefers flash story now that No Flash is over. Tell me what you think between these options: 1. Mine: A werekin tale wrought with darkness. 2. Picking Up Strays: A post-apoc tale of mutation and corruption. 3. First Contact: A sci-fi story about the loss of humanity. 4. Blinding Light: ??? Sense deprivation of sight. This story could really go anywhere. What genre do you think it should be if you pick it?

Recognize that name?! Yes, Anyta Sunday was once a very active author on GA, and now she's a successful eBook author. I recently had the chance to read her latest fantasy title and wanted to share my review here as well! My Review So it's been quite a few years since I was heavy into fantasy. I enjoy it, but my convoluted plot reading skills have rusted. I had a hard time getting into Locked in the beginning, switching from what read as contemporary to fantasy to some mix of the two... but in no way like I was expecting. By the time I reached the ending scenes of the book I couldn't read fast enough and I'd sequestered myself in a room and hushed my children as they interrupted me, begging for just a few more minutes to be left alone with Rye and his friends and foes. Locked is definitely a fantasy tale rife with magic, mayhem... and dragons! Are they evil? Good? A mix of the both? Considering the dragons are also people (though in no way is this a shifter-like theme) for me they fell into both. I loved how they were humanized in some ways and beastified (I can't think of another way to put it) in others. Above all, I loved the themes of the story that come into play again and again. Good isn't all good and evil isn't all evil. Everyone has their motivations and everyone has choices to make. But... how many people in the story are making their own choices or are being led to making them for a greater purpose? And is that greater purpose good for them and the realms or is their a mastermind villain behind the scenes when we're focused on the more obvious one? Those questions and more plagued me as I read, keeping me wondering to the very end... and beyond. I'm still not sure who is really the bad guy and who isn't. I'd love to read more, which will happen since Locked is just book one in the Telluric Realm series. My only word of warning to readers is to make sure you can read this in a place with no distractions because the tale is told through many different point of views, which means you really have to pay attention if you want to catch the subtle clues and connections lacing the story. Want to pick up your own copy? ​Visit my offsite blog, Cia's Stories, to enter the rafflecopter contest to win an eBook copy or use the link below to buy your own.

Congrats!

Happy Birthday!!!

May already! Have you been enjoying the CSR features and interviews so far this year? Or have you been slacking on your reading? Well don't worry, each month you have a new chance to enjoy a story by one of the great authors posting on GA. This month we're featuring CarringtonRJ's London and Love. This 45k contemporary story might be just up your alley! London and Love by CarringtonRJ Length: 45,592 Description: Tony is apprehensive about being sent to London for a year. How will he manage there? He's an introvert by nature, and thoroughly queer. He goes because he has nothing better to do, not expecting to find love in a foreign town. A Reader Said: Thank you for a great end to a great beginning. The word that comes to mind is 'satisfying'. After Tony 's wobble in the last chapter, it's refreshing to see them working at being together. Whilst there is a sense of resolution, there's real energy and excitement about the future. ~ damejintymcginty This month's discussion day will take place on Monday, May 30th.

We all start somewhere, right? But there are authors who learn how to refine their writing on their own and those who need it pointed out to them. This is a great article about the writing techniques and styles that point out a newbie author to those in the know. 10 Things That Red-Flag a Newbie Novelist by Anne R. Allen Probably the most common mistake I see all too often in gay fiction, especially teenage coming of age/coming out stories is #9's clichéd openings. You all know the scene where the main character is looking at himself in the mirror, usually after just getting out of the shower before the first day of school. A more nuanced element, and the one I am constantly reminding myself to NOT do, is part of #4 Info Dumps and "As you know, Bob"s. When you write fantasy and science fiction, it's really hard to avoid writing too much exposition but you can easily confuse readers if the setting is too foreign to easily understand when you drop into the middle of a scene (which ties back into #9). There's another element that I see a lot as well is the way newer authors use a lot of epithets for characters. Sure, sometimes using a title or description for the characters works so you don't have to use their names constantly, or to share some special detail about them, but that has to make sense from both the point of view character's relation to the other character as well as the scene. For example, a teenage character might use his drama teacher's name in dialogue but think of him as 'my teacher' in the narration/his thoughts. He'd be unlikely to think of the drama teacher as: the washed up actor when first the author is introducing the character into the scene because that's not information the student would probably know, nor would it make sense to share it outside of the very first day the teacher started teaching (even if it's relevant to the character and story later). The author could share that information in another way, such as the new teacher talking about the shows he did like they were a big deal, but have a smart ass student ask if those were on Broadway and the teacher hems/haws and has to admit they weren't or gets pissy about it. So have you made some of these mistakes? Which ones do you notice most often? Are there any other you can think of?

I'm on Pacific, so I featured it between 7:30 and 8:00 AM.