Cia

Sudal is the only verl in his clan. He has the honor of fulfilling a sacred duty for his people. No one cares if he wants actually wants that honor. Sudal will do his duty, but on the eve of adulthood he takes one stolen flight soaring alone through the freedom of the sky. One moment for himself can't hurt before he faces the scrutiny of the clan as they witness his success or failure... but do the gods feel the same way?

Happy Birthday!!

Who needs more than random selection? They're all good!!

Who's enjoying March? Temperatures are warming for the northern hemisphere and cooling for the southern, with a lot of variations depending on where you live. Some people still have heat waves, some still have snow, but change is coming to everyone. This month we're changing it up again by not having just one story featured, but three! Friends First Length: 5,712 Description: Keith thought things were going great, unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) for him, things aren't always as they appear. A Reader Said: Terrific story Renee! ~ Lisa Line of Sight Length: 14,537 Description: When Dave walks away from Brad, Brad is devastated but is forced to hold things together for his six year old son. He's not looking for someone new, but that doesn't stop him from noticing that his son's teacher is quite the flirt, but Tony is still Jake's teacher and nothing can come of it. Or can it? A Reader Said: I thoroughly enjoyed this story. ~ Valkyrie More Than A Pact Length: 3,077 Description: Thirty-five years old and still alone, Paul's surprised to hear from his college buddy Mac. Sure, they've kept in touch through the years, but something is different this time. What makes this birthday so much more special to Mac? A Reader Said: As you can guess, I loved it! ~ Cole Matthews The CSR Discussion Day will be on Monday, March 28th!

Thank you, Norrin001! I actually do have a much longer story plotted for this, slated to be written this year. I'm not sure if it'll go into the site Premium section and/or eBook published or be a free fiction piece, but it's in my line up! Thanks so much for leaving me a review.

The way to put in a spoiler is below, but don't use any spaces after the word spoiler before you add the bracket. You don't have to do anything special; just type it into the text editor like regular text. You can do the same with quotes by using quote instead of spoiler. [spoiler ] Your text here [/spoiler ]

Well it's the once in a four year event, Leap Day! For this special day, we have a special story a lot of readers on GA really like! Today we're featuring Aditus' story, The Holly and the Ivy. I hope you enjoyed reading it this month, and you're ready to share your thoughts and questions with Aditus. First, though, I'll share the interview questions I asked him. If you were an animal, what would you be? I’d like to be a large dog: cuddly, empathic, protective, and a great companion. But I asked around and it’s obvious I am a cat and not even a house cat. What's your favorite room in your house? Do you plot or write there? My favorite place isn’t really a room; it’s the roof terrace over my bedroom. I go there to read, listen to music, and yes, sometimes to plot too, but I write at my desk or at the kitchen table. What’s something personal about you people might be surprised to know? Haha. Some things come to mind… I hate pairing up my socks, that’s why I stuff them all into a drawer and just grab two of similar color in the morning. I do have emergency pairs though, just in case I have to make the wrong impression. Yep, I meant to write that. What brought you to Gayauthors? Who, actually. My very dear friend Lisa. I met her at another site. She helped me with the first story I published in English. We talked, became friends and eventually she told me about GA. I lurked around for a while, read your (Cia’s) Carthera stories and Andrew Q. Gordon’s Second Shot, and stayed. Is there a literary character (in the whole universe of fiction) that you’ve read who you really identified with? When I read a story/book and I’m really into it, I always identify with one of the characters, which makes me live through all their pain and joy, and I can become very emotional for the rest of the day–or week. So no, there is no single character I identify with, but I always loved Samwise Gamgee. Is there anything you find particularly challenging when writing? Yes. First, finding the time to write. I prefer writing in the morning and editing in the evening, which doesn’t always fit into my schedule. Second, not to bore my readers with too many details. I have pictures in my head when I write and tend to describe what I see up to the last crumble on the table. In the past, Zombie would always comment: ‘Do we really need to know this?’, or something along those lines. Oh yes, and all my commas… I think I make Lisa cry sometimes. Is there any quote or saying about writing that resonates with you? “I write because I must.” There are some authors who have said that; Somerset Maugham is one of them. When you wrote The Holly and the Ivy, did you plot the story first or just write it? I wanted to write a holiday story but not a sappy one, as I already did that the previous year. The only idea I had was about a vampire who was waiting for his human mate to grow up. He was only allowed to see him once a year, at Christmas mass. While browsing Christmas songs, old Christmas songs to avoid copyright issues, I found ‘The Holly and the Ivy’. Something about the title intrigued me. From then on, I just started to write, which is my usual MO. I did a lot of research while the story was underway: the meaning of names, languages, (as I suddenly needed to invent a completely new species), plants and their meanings, Christmas songs, torture techniques… Research always helps me to plot; I look for one thing and suddenly I am on a different topic entirely. Not the most efficient way to write, I know. How did you decide on the chapter titles? Was it before or after you wrote the chapters? I always decide on chapter titles after I write the chapter. It has to be an intriguing title that doesn’t reveal too much. It takes me hours sometimes, and I always ask myself ‘Why am I doing this again. Next time I just use numbers….’ Did the decision to name your main character Noel come before or after deciding on his birth date? I can’t really say. It feels as if it happened at the same time. Your story has strong paranormal vibes with the mating and power themes, yet you made the non-humans aliens. Is this a set up for a later off-world theme for the series, or was it just the way you decide to create beings who were “other”? I love mixing genres. That being said, this happens when I plot while I’m already writing a story. Maybe I can explain my thought process with an example: ‘Lonely vampire plus holiday story, but not a ‘normal’ vampire. Maybe a space vampire? What would he do on Earth? Maybe he was here this whole time; maybe he lives here. But not alone. He could be part of species living with us. But why would they do that?’ And so on and so on. In the end, I was very pleased with my beings who were ‘other’, and I might elaborate some more about them in the next book. When can readers expect the next story in The King’s Mate series? I had planned to start writing Caesura this month (February), but then I had an idea for the Valentine’s Day and the anthology stories, so I’ll most likely start in March and post the first chapters in April. Well, now you know more about Aditus, so it's time to share your story thoughts!

And that's understandable. I'm very aware of the issue because I make covers and art to actively promote my eBooks on the market. I have an off-site blog where I use promotional images, as well. There are sites where you can find stock models who have put their images up for the purpose of being used in this manner, and the individual stock art is very cheap if you absolutely feel the need to share inspirational images for characters or settings. For instance, right now I have two model images I've used as the physical representations for my main characters plus my own landscape shots and a few extra graphics I will use to promote a novella that, if accepted, will be published with DSP. I've shared those model images (both adults) on Facebook, but I paid for the stock rights to use them, even if Dreamspinner doesn't end up using them for the cover. This way, I'm covered and safe from any liability issues. The cost? Less than $10. If I knew I was just using them for promotion, I could've gotten smaller images/less resolution and the fee would've been under $5. It's a far cry from thousands of dollars in fines and restitution, and that makes it worth it for me.

They would have a codependent relationship that wouldn't be healthy, imo. I definitely agree. Beyond that, they had a sense of family to me, not attraction, and that's even more vital to the characters developing until they could handle having romantic relationships. You know what's ironic? I was just reviewing this topic yesterday after I talked about the story in chat. LOL

My personal feelings about sharing images in any way that is not how the original was intended (a mom sharing a picture of her kid at a sport's game for friends and family is in no way intending for some random person to say 'this is my gay teen character' nor is an image used to promote a model's work as a model or actor in a movie intended to be used to represent say an in-the-closet youth rock star about to make it big) is why I'm very protective about what images I do and do not post online to avoid them being used in ways I don't approve. By doing something like that, no matter how innocent your intentions or the image itself, you open yourself up to some very nasty consequences in the legal system. The Instagram and Pintrest ToS that applies to the conversation at hand about the content you're supposed to post, what you're legally responsible for, and what rights you allow Instagram/Pintrest to do with any content you post can be found below. Let me sum it up for everyone though. A person using the sites has to have legal right to post the content either by owning copyright (took the image being used) or purchased rights to use the image in whatever way they're using it (purchasing stock rights to use an image on an eBook cover is different from using the image on t-shirts that promote an eBook, for example). Users are responsible (as in you're the one who is going to get sued if you don't, not them) to ensure they know the legalities of their country/state for the content being posted. On these sites the content is still owned by the person who posts it, but by posting it, they give the site and other users the ability to reshare or repin it. Note that is very different from 'save a copy to your computer and post it on other websites'. It's even more of a gamble if you're not sure if the person posting it before you followed those laws. Think this could never happen to you? Think no one notices or cares? http://www.contentfac.com/copyright-infringement-penalties-are-scary/ http://www.blogher.com/bloggers-beware-you-can-get-sued-using-photos-your-blog-my-story Remember how most of you find images? Search engines, right? Well, now that all you have to do is plug in an image and up pops all the sites it's posted on... it's even easier to find people who are posting content that does not belong to them. If you make the mistake of using an image by a person who actively checks for copyright violations (such as I do every few months for my story content to reduce plagiarism) and they're litigious... you're screwed. Long post--and technical jargon if you chose not to read the ToS content below--short, do not post an image if you don't own it or can't prove that you purchased stock rights to use it unless you like to gamble with the legal system. Even the most basic search of 'copyright on the internet' will drive this point home again and again. Just. Don't. Do. It.

Okay, anyone who knows me will know I like to write a lot of different genres, but I gravitate toward science fiction the most. I love to read it too. This article, The Protocols of Science Fiction, appeals to be on both levels. For me, the mental contortions to figure out the twists to the real world or even the completely foreign future off-world, keeps me interested. To me, this essay on The Protocols of Science Fiction by James Gunn (Sci-Fi Grand Master James Gunn, not James Gunn, writer of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 and 2) highlights a lot of the approach readers have to take when they read science fiction versus other genres. We're encouraged to think, to search out these special features of the genre and wait for the AHA moments. I try to write in the same fashion, and I have to research for believable ways to base my alterations, making it have some basis in reality rather than just 'a wizard did it!' justification (to make my point, here is a hilarious youtube video about holes in the Harry Potter movie/book 'verse). In this way, I enjoy the challenges of science fiction more than say, pure fantasy. But can science fiction authors go too far and give into a superiority complex about what they write compared to other genres, based on just this sort of attitude? As a reader, do you agree or disagree with the perceptions of how you would read other genres compared to science fiction?

I actually agree with Jack, personally. Usually when I find models it's because I'm looking to publish a piece and it's easier to make a cover when my characters have a visual representation. I, however, purchase stock. I don't write teen fiction for the most part, and when I have, I've not done any visuals in that fashion. One thing I want to stress, however, is that members should not be posting images they do not hold copyright or permission to post. We've stated this again and again, for just these reasons. You don't have to profit from an image to violate copyright either. Just because an image is on a website and doesn't have a disclaimer or proper attribution doesn't mean it's okay to copy it; you never know if the person posting it didn't steal it as well. This is also why I don't post any pictures of my children online; you never know what someone else might do with the images.

Congratulations, Cynus!!

Happy Birthday!!

Unfortunately, you're far, far behind when it comes to self-promotion. These are things you can do to help promote yourself first, and your ebook second. 1) Create a social media presence 6 months to a year ago, like a blog, facebook, twitter, tumblr. Create a "brand" for yourself to coordinate, like a header or user graphic that can be used on all the sites. Connect with other groups and authors who might help you promote. 2) Create an Amazon Author page. 3) Join Goodreads. Add your book. 4) Join Goodreads groups that tie into your book content (such as MM Romance Group). 5) Add your book to Listopia lists that apply 6) Join yahoo author/reader groups that tie into your book content that allow self-promotion. 7) Consider running promotional events like a blog tour, a contest on Goodreads, etc... 8) Request reviews of your book by review sites that have reviewed similar content at least 2 months before book release. You will need, at a minimum, a pdf version of your book, but it's best to also have an epub and mobi format.

We hope you do too relies heavily on the preceding part of the sentence before the and in order to make sense. In those cases, I tend to leave out the comma even if the clause has all the parts of the sentence to make up an independent clause because it isn't really clear on its own.

There was a meme floating around my Facebook wall yesterday that really makes this point. *facepalms*

This month we're featuring Bill W's story, Butterflies Fly Free. Did you check out Monday's post with his ad graphic and reviews by some of his readers? You should! You can also download a copy of the signature graphic if you want to help promote Bill's story. Butterflies Fly Free Bill says: Sometimes you have to give those you love the chance to spread their wings, like a butterfly, and if they return, your being together was meant to be. Want to read more? Check out the story here!

For February's Signature Feature, we're bringing you one of the earliest GA authors who has represented our Signature group for a very long time. Have you read any of his short stories or novels on the site? He has a ton! If not, why not start with this month's feature, Butterflies Fly Free. Length: 83,133 Description: Leo meets Colt as he’s leaving a gay bookstore. Colt is on his own and looks young, but there is an instant connection them. Leo wants to help, so will a bond form between them or is Leo just being used as a patsy? Story Reviews: Jaro_423 says... A light read and very pleasant too. Colt was a delight and so suited his shortened name as also did Leo. You conveyed Leo so well as an older rather stuffy almost pedantic type, ideally suited to guide the young Colt. I had difficulty remembering that Leo was still in his early twenties at the beginning of the story because he often appeared so much older which was as you obviously intended. They were a good foil for each other. Probably an unlikely match but many reasons why they should have fallen in love and stayed together. Nicely romantic! Thank you. You also conveyed Leo's difficulties in guiding Colt thru this time of his growing up and the dilemmas he faced and overcame with such wisdom. I liked the fact too that you portrayed one gay man as an ideal parent whereas the conventional couples each failed in their different ways. Daithi says... Very enjoyable story. Even though at times it probably hurt Leo I'm glad he had the wisdom to let Colt sediment and fly on his own. The last chapter proved that his wisdom and love of Colt. Enabled both of them to have a life filled with love and friendship, not only with each other but with Bert and Jason as well. Your butterfly analogy fit exceedingly well. The failed relationship with Colt and his parents showed what could happen by a too tight, paranoid treatment, whereas Leo relationship which enabled Colt to grow with freedom allowed him to expand and experiment. As a result Colt's parents lost out on a relationship with a loving son but Leo gained a beautiful lover and partner for life. Thank you for a very enjoyable story. Rishabhpar says... awesome story buddy. I loved the multiple twists in the story like where jason and colt were caught in the rather compromising state and the how leo handles it maturely and literally allows colt to spread his wings. But Colt succumbs to his love and realises his mistake. And when Colt saves Albert. You know if Colt hadn't tried a little out of the shell with Jason the story would have become very unrealistic. but that part gave a diff flavour to it and brought out the love which some of us die for. Remember to check back on Wednesday to see what excerpt Bill chose to share with readers! Want to show your support and enjoyment of Bill's story? Download the banner below for your site signature!

It's been busy this first week of February! There's a lot going on for readers and authors to enjoy. I'll remind you, just in case you missed something or put it on the back burner (there's so much to read this week!!) Monday we started off with the CSR (which stands for Can't Stop Reading, btw, since so many people don't know!) Book Club. This month Aditus story, "The Holly and the Ivy" is the feature. He'll be answering my hard-hitting questions and replying to reader comments on the last Monday of the month, February 29th. Don't miss it! Wednesday was our monthly Ask an Author feature organized by Dark. We heard from Bill W, Robert Rex, and Sasha Distan. Do you wonder who Bill's favorite Castaway character is? Or how Robert Rex makes up his men? Or if Sasha Distan is really one person? Next month Dark has questions answered by M.A. Church, Julie Hayes, and Carlos Hazday. Thursday was it! V-day... or at least the deadline for the Secret Admirer's Short Story contest! Renee took the time to load up all the stories sent in by the authors--who remain anonymous--and now it's time to vote for your favorite. You still have time to pick your favorite of the 13 stories and vote before the polls end on February 11th. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team** 2016 Spring Anthology: Crossing the Line - Due February 26th, 2016 2016 Summer Anthology: Wicked Games - Due May 26th, 2016 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: The Degan Paradox by Rob Colton; Book 3 of Galactic Conspiracies *Premium* Signature Updates: My Brother Daniel by Nephylim Walker Road by Comicality Remembering Tim by CarlHoliday Grip by Topher_Lydon The G. M. Os. by CarlHoliday No Flash by Cia Innocence & Carnality by Mann Ramblings Sword of Kings: Tempered by Fate by Bill W; Book 3 of Sword of Kings Classic Updates: Things We Lost by Dabeagle Promising Updates: Headstall's Reflections by Headstall ...And All Shall Fade To Black by Layla Falling Apart by craftingmom Holding Back by Thorn Wilde Treading Water by Headstall Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

I'm known for being a terror to customer service agencies everywhere. In my house, though, we don't calling it bitching or even complaining... nope, it's constructive hostile negotiations. I usually end up with what I want in the end, if not more. LOL That's what I picked up on immediately too. Suuuuure, your name's Catherine.

February is a month for romance! Many people, even if they aren't part of a couple, really associate this month above all with love and devotion--or overpriced chocolate treats and sappy cards. I wanted to keep with the romance theme, but I didn't want to take readers through a run of the mill romance, not at all. That's why this month, we're featuring an alternate earth tale with aliens and vampires. Enjoy!! The Holly and the Ivy by Aditus Length: 45,321 Description: My grandmother made me talk to Diarmad Guerin every year after Christmas Mass since I was three. The letter he gave me a few weeks before my eighteenth birthday changed my whole world. A Reader Said: Such a great chapter! I am sad to see the end of this story, but I know there is more to come. ~ Litlover This month's Discussion day will take place on Monday, February 29th, so make sure you're ready!

Now that's a really interesting question, now isn't it? My alien shifters are all from the same planet, but they didn't evolve into the same "form". Their numbers were so decimated that the various types (and I haven't completely decided on what they're going to be called) that compatibility may be an issue. Are there just males? Or are there some females? Hermaphrodites? Does each form have their own kind of gender mix? Can some reproduce asexually? Do they use medical technology and incubators? Cloning? With using alien bodies with advanced technology, the sky is really the limit. Also, yes, Moshe and Lisco have friends (the ones providing them with fresh goods to 'port to the stake) so there will be ties between the shifters from book to book, but each will feature their own couples and a separate storyline. I don't have a series arc planned like with my Caeorleia series. Thank you, everyone! I'm so glad you enjoy my stories, and I really appreciate hearing from you about them. <3 <3

You'll find that most published contemporary eBooks do use safe sex as part of the relationship progression. For example, I've read where a pair of friends who were each other's firsts is always bareback with each other, but if either are in a relationship they use condoms for oral and anal sex (though only one friend was actually having anal sex with others). It highlighted and contrasted the intimacy of their relationship compared to the ones doomed to fail (friends to lovers to partners was an obvious trope in the plot). So in that case, condom use was very much a deliberate part of the storyline. Just as often, I've seen lack of condom use used as a way to portray irresponsible or drunken behavior, self-destructive behavior, abuse, rape, etc.... In a contemporary storyline, I agree with Clochette and Puppilull. It's not a turn off to have condoms used in the story because that's reality. Bareback sex in porn is very much a fantasy since the advent of the AIDS epidemic because there's no way these guys are walking in off the street and agreeing to have sex with another actor without assurances that both have been tested and are disease free. While it may show sex without condoms as more "raw and passionate" because the actors are so drawn to each other they are right into going down and dirty without a conversation first, that's just not realistic. When watching a scene, you know it's a script, it's just not real (we all know when amateur porn is shared online because that is soooo not the same production "quality" as a pornography show or film) so you're consciously suspending belief to enjoy a fantasy situation. When reading a contemporary story, that suspension of belief is the opposite of what most readers, and writers, want. You want it to feel like these characters could live down the street from the readers, like they're people who we could say hello to on a daily basis. If you're portraying them in such a way that just doesn't make sense for the time and place, as if unprotected sex without consequence is the norm in today's society, it just doesn't work.

Just a little, lol!