Renee Stevens

Thanks, DaddyDaveK! Though I honestly don't even know what that would look like. I haven't written really anything new in over 7 years! @Mann Ramblings thinks I should take up the challenge though, lol.

Congratulations, Val!!!!

Well, that's it for this year's anthologies! A lot of great stories by some very talented authors. Thank you to everyone for participating, whether you are an author or a reader! If you haven't gotten to read all the stories, don't fret, I'll link them all in the wrap up so that you can easily get to any that you missed! A huge thank you to the team who made the anthologies possible! 2021 Fall Anthology Support Team Anthology Coordinator Renee Stevens Tech Support Myr Proof Team Rec Valkyrie Parker Owens Anthology Banner Creation Mann Ramblings Cia

Well, it's time to see who our mystery author was for this month. Do you think you got it right? Well, let's take a look shall we? This month's mystery author was..... MacGreg Did you get it right? Check out these stories from MacGreg! Currently In Progress From Cia's idiom prompt

Welcome to the final week of Anthology postings! This week, we're releasing the "Potluck" themed stories as well as a final one for the theme of "A Winding Path". Again, Thank You to all the authors and their teams for their hard work on their stories and for participating in the anthology. All stories posted are complete, so please remember to do a quick story review after reading to thank the authors! Happy Reading!

Who's ready for Week 2 of the Anthology postings? Some more great authors and stories this week, so be sure to check them all out! Thank you to all the authors and their teams for participating in the fall anthology! All stories posted are complete, so don't forget to leave the authors a story review after reading their offerings! Happy Reading!!!

No, this feature did not die, though I'm sure it seems like it! Life kind of got in the way, but here's the next site author for you to guess!!! You'll have approximately two weeks to guess the author and then we'll reveal who it was! Happy Guessing! What is one thing that most GA members might not know about you? When I was in 6th grade, I won a regional youth poetry contest. What prompted you to write your first story? I was 11 when I wrote my first long story. The plot was about a young boy who sailed the high seas with a gang of rough-and-tumble pirates and ended up in a castle-like dwelling on an island where strange and mystical things took place. Part of the inspiration was based on a lame pirate movie that came out around that same time, but most of it came from my imagination. Mainly, I wrote the story because I enjoyed the fantasy of a young lad on a ship full of barbarous men – although I kept it pretty PG. What genre of books do you enjoy reading and have you written for that genre? Drama, suspense, mystery, poetry, science fiction. I’ve written all of these except sci-fi, mainly because it intimidates me, and I’m not that clever. However, it’s on a list of subjects I plan to tackle in the future (no pun intended). We’ll see... Is there a genre that you haven’t written for that you would consider trying later on? See above answer. What do like most about publishing on GA? As I’m sure most authors on GA will answer, receiving reader feedback, bouncing ideas with other authors and interacting with members is very rewarding. Do you have any unique writing habits or rituals to help you get into a writing mood? Meditation is a good practice for me so that I can clear my head from distractions, but it’s not a ritual. Sometimes, I write on the fly. I prefer having music on. I can’t have the TV on. Coffee nearby is a plus. How has your writing style evolved over time? I’ve disciplined myself to not write everything in first person, which is the predominant POV in my early works and too easy to fall back on. Do you have a significant other? It’s complicated. Do you have any pets? Yes. Do you post multi-chapter stories as you write? Do you wait until you’ve finished writing the entire story? Or is it something in between? For short stories, I post all at once. For longer pieces, I post as I go – but I’m learning that’s not really the best plan, especially for my readers, so that will be changing. What is your favorite television show? The Expanse. What is your favorite movie? If I have to pick only one... Blade Runner. Do you write poetry? Prose? Or both? Both. If you could meet one person, living or dead, who would it be? Martin Luther King Jr. I'd just like to sit with him for a few. What would you say is your greatest accomplishment? I’m alive.

Morning all! Time to start another week, and to help you get the week off on the right foot, take a look at this review. Camp Refuge by Wayne Gray Reviewer: chris191070 Status: Complete Word Count: 142,472 This story revolves around Greg Hanson, an ex cop and his dream to own a Camp site, a place where he can feel safe, We follow Greg as his dream begins to take shape when he opens his business in Crescent City, Northern California, where 'Camp Refuge' is born. Greg is joined by his ex police partner Clay and son Mason in making his dream become a reality. The Camp Site develops into a place of refuge, that people turn to for Shelter and Protection. All the people we meet in this story have problems. We learn about their problems, whether they be health, mental or physical, and how the Camp Site helped them. Wayne has put so much research into the various conditions that you really get drawn into the story of each individual. The camp site is full of love understanding and acceptance. Make sure you have a box of tissues when you read this story because you will be in tears. A truly awesome story that draws you in. You will find after reading this story that you will be wanting to book a stay at Camp Refuge. Category: Fiction Genres: Romance Tags: young adult, mature adult, adult, gay, rural, north america, anal Rating: Mature

Hello hello!!! Who's ready for a great selection of stories to read! We had a great turnout for this anthology, and in total you will now have 15 brand new stories for your enjoyment! Each week, for the next three weeks, we will release five of the stories entered into the anthology. We want to give a huge Thank you to all the authors and their teams for participating in the anthology! All stories posted are complete, so after reading, please leave the authors a story review to thank them for all their work! Happy Reading!!!

Normally, the 1st Wednesday of the month we have our Ask An Author feature, where @astone2292asks your favorite authors questions that you are just dying to know! Unfortunately, we have no Ask An Author this month because the well has run dry and @astone2292 has run out of questions. No questions = No Ask An Author Want to see this feature continue? Pick Your favorite story and send him some questions. Not sure what type of questions? Check out these previous Ask An Author features to get an idea of what he needs!

Morning, y'all! Sorry about the delay, Wildone is away and I completely lost track of the days! The promoted author updates were pulled late, so if your story is not listed, please comment with a link to your story!! Since we're already late, let's get right to it! 2021 Anthology #2 deadline is only a week away! Get your stories in ASAP! Cia was here on Monday and Wednesday with this month's Classic Author feature! Tuesday, Valkyrie visited: Thursday, Cia was back! Saturday, Myr poked his head in: Speaking of Myr, did you check out his words of the day? pork barrel bemuse epiphany behemoth affable telegraphese plaguey Upcoming Anthology 2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 1 - A Winding Path - Due October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 2- An Unconventional Gift - Due October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Pot Luck Themes - Due October 31st, 2021 Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 or @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a bank of stories and questions** Blog Opportunities Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M. Premium Updates: On Fire by Cia *Premium* Classic Updates: Stuff People Do by Ronyx The Brilliant Boy Billionaire by Altimexis Signature Updates: Ancalagon by Cia Larkspur: A Sidewinder Tale by Headstall On Fire by Cia The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Poetry by AC Benus The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Prose by AC Benus Promising Updates: Never Too Late To Believe by northie

With the deadline for the upcoming anthology looming, we thought it would be a great idea for you to meet the dedicated team that does the final proof reads on stories! Thank you @Valkyrie for putting this together for us! *** The anthology proof team works hard prior to the release of each anthology to ensure stories meet basic editing criteria and follow GA guidelines. Proofreading requires a meticulous eye for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and correct word usage. We’re all human, so even the cleanest writers and most fastidious editors make mistakes. The proof team reviews each submission for such mistakes in the areas outlined above. While editing a story is a more in-depth process, good proofreading can be an equally time-consuming task, requiring just as much skill and knowledge. Members of the proof team volunteer their time to look over story submissions with an eagle eye, which can be a rather lengthy process, depending on how long the story is. The proof team is not designed to take the place of a writer’s editor, but rather supplement the editing process by catching anything the original editor and author may have missed. Since the proof team works mainly behind the scenes, I thought it would be nice to bring them into the spotlight. Parker Owens – Signature Author and proof team member: Parker Owens joined the proof team several years ago and brings his teacher’s red pen with him as he completes proofs. A prolific poet, Parker brings a unique blend of math, science, and romance to his writing in a style distinctly his own. Parker also edits for GA members, in between grading papers. Rec – Classic Author and proof team member: rec has been a member of the proof team for many years, bringing an almost encyclopedic knowledge of grammar, spelling, and punctuation rules. Rec has been a member of GA since 2006 and written several popular stories, in addition to taking on the role of editor for GA members. Valkyrie – Signature Author and Proof Team Leader: Valkyrie has been a member of the proof team since 2014 and leader of the proof team for the past several years. In addition to completing proofs herself, she also coordinates the team and pairs proofreaders with authors who submit stories to the anthology. Valkyrie has a Masters degree in a language-related field and has always had a penchant for technical writing. She edits on a regular basis, in addition to her own writing and volunteer duties for the GA proof team and author promotion team. She recently completed her twenty-seventh anthology story. It’s been my pleasure to work with rec and Parker to ensure the anthologies are the best they can be. I’d like to extend a huge thank you to both of them and to all past proof team members for their hard work and dedication to GA. If anyone is interested in joining the Proof Team, please contact Valkyrie or Renee Stevens.

Well, it's another Monday and a great time to look at another featured Story! Thank you to the review team for all your work to share some of the stories you've read on site! The Thousandth Regiment by AC Benus Reviewer: Parker Owens Status: Complete Word Count: 8,732 We learn of Shakespeare, Milton, and Spenser in high school, and many of us breathe a sigh of relief when the poetry unit is over. What a pity. The sonnet form in poetry has spoken to people for over half a millennium. Here, AC Benus has translated a masterwork, a sonnet cycle unknown to nearly everyone in the English-speaking world. The Thousandth Regiment records in poetry the experiences and impressions of Hans Ehrenbaum-Degele, a German junior officer and poet, during and just prior to the First World War. He was also Gay. This contains both history and story, non-fiction and dramatic arc. Through Benus’ artful translation, we see Ehrenbaum-Degele participate in his training, yet raise an eyebrow at the impetus for the war to come. And when he must leave his partner to march off into that hell, he spares us not. Hans Ehrenbaum-Degele was already an accomplished poet and playwright when he joined his regiment at the outbreak of war in 1914. The cycle of sonnets that would become The Thousandth Regiment was already underway, begun during his training two years earlier. The second sonnet, searing in its first line Gunned-down fathers, bastards and grandsons, we, the poet unites the reader to the masses of men being formed into the fodder for insatiable appetite for war created by earlier generations. In later sonnets, Ehrenbaum-Degele aptly describes the everyday life of his unit, his company, and how its motions appear in juxtaposition to the world he and his compatriots knew. In the sonnets Hans produced, we see through his eyes the advent of the conflict. Its effects are illustrated for both the victors and vanquished, all while depicting in stark, clear quatrains the ongoing madness of industrialized killing. Each poem takes us deeper into the horror we know looms ahead, and into the tragedy that was to come. Hans Ehrenbaum-Degele did not survive the conflict; he was killed before its second winter was out. With this translation, AC Benus connects Hans Ehrenbaum-Degele to more familiar war writers like Owen, Rosenberg, and Hemingway, whose unsparing word paintings of the war reverberate in our own generation. AC Benus reminds us in this work that the First World War was fought by men who shared their common humanity above their nationality. More importantly, The Thousandth Regiment reminds us all of the enduring power of the sonnet, and of poetry, to talk about all things. Nothing is unspeakable or ineffable. If nothing else, this vivid collection reminds us that war is human, and that its increasing automatization and digitization may leave us vulnerable to horrors we cannot begin to imagine. Eherenbaum-Degele made this clear before his death. It was left to his partner, F. Wilhelm Murnau, to collect and publish these sonnets in 1917. It is our great good fortune that AC Benus has made it possible for us to read them in our day. Category: Fiction Genres: Reference, Creative Non-Fic, Free-Verse Tags: death-defying, military, philosophy, psychology, religion, love Rating: Mature

Upcoming Anthology Due: October 31, 2021 Top Themes A Winding Path An Unconventional Gift Pot Luck Themes Pick Your Poison - Lockdown - Left Behind - Dire Monotony - Mutation is Progress - Blood Moon Birthday Presents - Falling for Fall - Elves or Elvis? - Life’s Past - The Woods Rings of Fire - Plateau Wolves - Rock - Men and Women - A Legend Retold Echoes - The Last Sentinel - Tomorrow - A Label - Surpassing - Twilight Falling There's your list of themes! You can check out the full list of rules and guidelines in the anthology forum, but take a look at this entry from last year! Getting in Step Author: @northie Theme: Bridges Justin has learnt not to expect a connection when he escorts older men. An evening promising modern ballet doesn't seem a likely candidate to buck the trend. Reader Comments: CarlHoliday: Interesting story with a lot going on, but in many ways unspoken. wildone: I liked how really you made a connection between the characters and the reader in so few words.

Thanks for featuring me, @Cia! I enjoyed doing the interview!