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.

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!

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! Two Lives Author: @Wombat Bill Theme: Bridges Self observations of a closeted married man. Reader Comments: Headstall: I love to see poetry in the anthology. I related to this... to the expectations... wildone: I thought it was a brilliant insight on how one goes to from expectations when younger, to how the cycle of life can start over, when older. Valkyrie: It's always nice to have poetry included in the anthology, and this is a wonderful piece.

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! Moon Dogs Author: @CarlHoliday Theme: Full Moon Bob has a fear of mean dogs from his childhood when he was attacked by a male Dobermann. Tonight he dreads having to walk home under a bright full moon down streets that have unrestrained pit bulls and other such dogs that have tried to attack him before. He has pepper spray and a book bag for defense, but sometimes he’s come close to being bit, again. Reader Comments: Headstall: Nice slice of life of a man and his family. There was a sweetness to it. Thanks, Carl. Carlos Hazday: That ending was worthy of Norman Rockwell and the amount of detail add to the impression of one of his illustrations. I enjoyed it. Defiance19: An engaging and pleasant read. I enjoyed it. Thank you.

Sorry all, running late today, so let's get right to today's story review! Days Like This by Drew Payne Reviewer: Timothy M Status: Complete Word Count: 98,599 Some authors on GA attract attention from many readers the moment they start publishing a story. Others sneak up on us, quietly putting out a short story here and a longer tale there, until one of them gets noticed, often acquiring a small group of dedicated fans who like the author’s style. It’s always rewarding to be a reader who happens to stumble across one of those unassuming writers and subsequently watch them blossom due to the feedback and praise from their audience. I know many people agree this is one of the huge strengths of the site. Drew Payne joined GA a little over ten years ago and uploaded his first story almost exactly three years ago. I came across his first multi-chapter story about six months later, and I was soon caught up in his writing. His stories depict the struggles of everyday life, and while they can contain sadness and anguish, they always have a kernel of hope or redemption. The main characters may face adversity, but they try to stay true to themselves and what they feel is right. Days Like This is the story of Simon who is sixteen and knows he is gay, but isn’t quite sure how to deal with this. Especially when faced with the unthinking bigotry of his surroundings, mainly his father and other students at his college. At the start of the story he has no one to ask for advice or share his interests with, and he tends to worry about how other people see him. But he is also sensible and resists the pressure from his surroundings, if his gut feelings do not agree. I particularly like his refusal to accept the stereotyping of gay people, and his mother’s moody behavior and pessimism. The story follows Simon over four weeks as he, in Drew’s words, “navigates the difficult journey of his coming out.” He meets several new people, who have important roles to play, and my favorite is Nicky. When you have read the story, please tell me who you like best. Category: Fiction Genres: Drama Tags: teen, gay, coming of age, college 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! The Keys to the Far Castle Author: @CarlHoliday Theme: Bridges The Moresby Collective Association controls life for Terrans living on Moresby’s Planet in the Andromeda galaxy. Twenty-one teens are running away from Village 31K2.6 because of unspoken horrors afflicting young people. There goal is the land on the other side of the Great Western Sea where legend says they will live free for the rest of their lives. Chasing them are thirty-one adults who will kill every teen, except for their leader Edgar Christiansson. He will be returned to the village to be executed in a way only humans can imagine. Reader Comments: Valkyrie: An interesting tale of a harsh world and the people who want to escape it. The danger is quite real and I found the ending unexpected.

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! Mother Moon's Message in Troubled Times Author: @Headstall Theme: Full Moon Two poems about one of life's constants. The first one was written on Mother's Day Eve. Reader Comments: Parker Owens: I love these. The first is wonderful, elegaic, and brings images of brightness and laughter to me. The second surrounds me in silver light, in quiet and reflection. Defiance19: These are beautiful, Gary. It’s nice to have poetry in the anthology, and as always your words convey such wonderful imagery.

Thanks, A!

Hey all, A little delayed today, but unfortunately we don't have a story review to share today. So I thought, maybe the readers here at GA could share your favorite GA Stories! So, in the comments, share: Your favorite GA story A Link And a short paragraph on what you love about the story! Ready....Set.....Go!

Howdy all! Steve asked me to take over this week. I'm still a little rusty at doing the weekly wrap up, but let's see what we had going on this past week. Not going to do a huge intro though, because it's been a big week here with my little man joining many others in starting school this week (yes, he's already 3 years old and starting preschool!). And of course, after finally getting to be around other kids, my little man has caught a cold and wants snuggles with his mama. So let's take a look at what happened this week. This week was the classic feature and Cia joined us for both Monday and Wednesday: Then on Thursday, we took a look back at a previous anthology entry. Don't forget your anthol entries are due by October 31st! Did you miss any of Myr's words of the day this week? If so, check them out below! Anthologies 2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 1 - A Winding Path - October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 2- An Unconventional Gift - October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Pot Luck Themes - October 31st, 2021 Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Ask an Author 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. ** I know we had a volunteer step up for the upcoming week review, but if there is anyone willing to help our Review Team out over the summer, it would be much appreciated!! ** Now, let's look at new stories and chapters posted this week! Premium Updates: On Fire by Cia *Premium* Classic Updates: Bloom by Dabeagle Stuff People Do by Ronyx The Brilliant Boy Billionaire by Altimexis Signature Updates: Ancalagon by Cia Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens GFD: Media Blitz by Comicality Larkspur: A Sidewinder Tale by Headstall Northern Exposure by Mark Arbour; Book 8 of Bridgemont On Fire by Cia The Best Year by Krista The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Poetry by AC Benus The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Prose by AC Benus Promising Updates: Tales from the Refuge by Wayne Gray

Upcoming Anthology Due: October 31st, 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! Battle for Souls Author: @Cia Theme: Shadows The war with the demons in the Underrealm can exhaust even the strongest soldier. As the war drags on, how can one commander face his duty when each and every battle threatens his heart and soul? Reader Comments: chris191070: Thanks for a wonderful story. A great insight into a reality where demons can exist and pillage. Valkyrie: This is dark fantasy at its finest! wildone: Okay, so you expect me to close my eyes and fall asleep after reading this

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! Bridges to Friendship Author: @wildone Theme: Bridges Sometimes going to a new school in a new city isn't the break that you were hoping for. Reader Comments: KayDeeMac: What a wonderful story. I am sure it resonates truths in many families where siblings are faced with accepting different sexualities within their family. Headstall: There is a real lesson here about acceptance and respect... and friendship can be found in the weirdest of circumstances. Besides that, this was quite entertaining. Valkyrie: I loved seeing how everything unfolded and how their friendship develops throughout the story. I also liked how this is a different take on the typical teen drama we see here.

Time for another review! This time though, @Timothy M. is going to introduce today's review. Here's what Timothy has to say: In memory of Wayne, aka comicfan, the review team has decided to re-feature @Puppilull's review from 2019. Wayne was not only our Prompt guru, he wrote many short stories, and several multi-chapter tales too. The one reviewed below is among his most popular, together with Accidents Happen. The Strange Life of Jonas Marks comicfan Reviewer: Puppilull Starus: Complete Word Count: 57,189 Some jobs require a bit more of you. Though I bet you’ve never had a job quite like the one Jonas Marks manages to snag for himself: assistant in the hub of an operation that traverses the entire universe and possibly quite a few other realms. Jonas Marks’ quite ordinary life gets overturned when he is tossed out of his home by his father. Why? Oh, he happens to be gay and that is unacceptable to his useless excuse of a father. So, within days of graduating, our hero finds himself on the streets, with no home, no job and no way to support himself. Thankfully, he has a great friend who invites him to stay with her and her family. Job hunting turns out to be difficult, but then he gets the chance he’s been waiting for. The name for his new place of work, the Fantasy Office in the fancy department store Kroger’s, should perhaps set off a few alarm bells. Adding to this, his new boss, Mr. Openseter, is somewhat scaly. However, no one else seems to notice. However, beggars can’t be choosers. Reassured by the fact that the rest of the staff seem to accept Openseter’s unusual appearance, Jonas rolls up his sleeves and gets to work. He gets busy fulfilling other people’s fantasies and desires for rare items as well as unusual partners, one more magical than the next. Many items are things I certainly wished were real. A bowl automatically filling with pudding or a ring that takes you where you want to go? A talking sword…? Or the most coveted by us readers – a fantastic cleaning device. This story can at times come across as an acid dream, but just as you think it’s going too far and your suspension of disbelief is threatening to rip at the seams, comicfan reigns us back in and puts a relatable and quite down to earth spin on events once more. He captures Jonas’ feelings of loneliness and insecurity but also shows us how he is surrounded by people who care for him and love him. Being mistreated by his father has given Jonas the ability to remain open and not judge. Maybe that’s why he can see all people and creatures for who they are and not be misled by appearance or misdirection. A capability that comes in handy when he meets his more exotic clients. Also, something worth thinking about after reading. How prepared are you to look past the exterior of others? Of course, there is a love story snuck into this wonderful weirdness. But I’ll let you all discover that little gem all on your own. I promise you won’t feel blue about it. Or well, when I think about it… Category: Fiction Genres: Fantasy, Sci-Fi Tags: young adult, aliens, magic, gay, alternate earth, friendship Rating: Everyone