Renee Stevens

Ugh, this was supposed to post tomorrow.... *sigh*

So I asked for authors to send me one of their favorite Anthologies that they'd written, this was the response I got. Don't forget, you have just under a month left to get your anthology entries to the proof team. @CassieQ Statuary was probably one of the anthologies that I enjoyed writing the most and when people want to see what my writing is like, that is the story that I usually show them. I took the theme pretty literally and while the story itself is pretty basic, the opening scene was strongly influenced by my own struggles removing wallpaper from my bathroom when I was decorating my recently acquired “I’m a grown up now” house. Only with no cute boyfriend or cursed statue hiding in the walls. My inner sadist also really enjoyed raining misfortune about my main character. I just remember how much fun it was to write, from start to finish. @Thorn Wilde My first and so far only Anthology submission was Half Jack, for the 2013 Winter Anthology, Recipe for Disaster. This story is very special and personal to me, because in a way it marks the start of the journey I'm currently on, by writing a character who is, in many ways, like me, though his story is very different. I'd had the idea for a while and writing it, it was like it was already waiting at my fingertips, just waiting to be let out. @northie This was my first antho submission, early on in my writing journey. I remember I was entirely caught up in its creation: it was by far the longest piece I'd written. It's quite unlike anything else I've written since. That's not a criticism, only an observation. Maybe it's a demonstration that the anthos are there to experiment with. I certainly did with The Bard's Tale: a fairy tale set in an alternative Middle Ages. A collaboration with @Parker Owens (he provided the bard's verse), it's set out in the manner of a filmscript. Writing this story was enormous fun and a fantastic learning experience. @Headstall Dirty Pool came to me on a 32K bike ride, completely out of the blue. By the time I arrived back home, I had the beginning, middle, and end, as well as most of the conversations. I can honestly say I don't remember the ride itself, other than it was hot as hell that afternoon. I often write stories in my head, but this was a first, physically exerting myself to such a degree while it happened. I didn't begin the actual process right away, but I didn't need to. It stuck with me in every detail until the time came to write it down. It was a fun story to write, mostly because I love dialogue, and this one was mostly that. And I have to say Kelly was one of my all-time favorite side characters to write. Cheers... Gary....

Yep, it's been a while since I actually posted one of these. So here is the round 5 answers. We only had a few answers that I could find in my inbox, so thank you to everyone who sent in answers. Authors: What first got you into writing? What was your first story about? @Timothy M. Reading about how writing erotica online was becoming a trend (years ago). After reading some of the stories on a Danish site I thought "I can write a better story then this." Also, if you contributed stories, you didn't have to pay for membership. So of course my first story was about sex, more specifically how my alter ego was seduced by a slightly older couple and realized he was bisexual. And I have to say, it''s a lot easier to write pron, than the stories I write for GA. @Superpride What first got me in writing was being an angsty high schooler who created, in his head, a fictional small town in the state of New York where my characters, mostly teenagers as well, lived and had so much drama. I developed their individual stories like they was episodes of a teen drama, and I knew that I wanted to share their stories to my friends. The need to share what I created was what first got me into writing since all you have to do to start is to put words down, whether that is pencil on paper or typing the words in a word document, and then you improve from there. It's different from making comic books which requires a bunch of other skills like drawing, coloring, etc. That goes to the next question which is what was my first story about? My first story was actually a short story, about twenty pages in length, and it took place in the fictional small town in New York. The main character was a guy whose father was a pastor and was overshadowed by his older brother and sister who were both popular when they attended high school, while the main character was less so. Despite that, he had plenty of friends, including his best friend who was one of the star soccer players of their high school and after the main character's boyfriend breaks off their relationship to go to college, he sought comfort in his best friend's arms. This leads to their friendship transforming into something else, something more, and it ended with them becoming boyfriends. Of course there was a lot of drama since his best friend used to be in a relationship with his other best friend who was a girl. I know this story totally falls into the friends-to-lovers trope, but I was still a teenager during the time I first wrote this story, and it definitely allowed me to release a lot of my angst I was experiencing during that period of my life. It also allowed me to share my story with my friends and get honest feedback to improve this story which was actually the catalyst that caused me to write more seriously and eventually post future stories of mine on this site. @Thorn Wilde I always just made up stories in my head. I can't remember a time when I wasn't making up these worlds and scenarios and spinning tales. When I was a kid, if I was bored and had nothing to do, I'd just sit on my own and make stuff up, sometimes drawing pictures to go with it. I just always wanted to be a writer. My first written down stories were about animals. Poets: Has your idea of what poetry is changed since you began writing poems? @Valkyrie Yes. I started writing poetry in high school. In the beginning, I never edited my poems. I thought poetry flowed directly from my brain to the pen and just “happened”, therefore editing changed the fundamental nature of the poem. *facepalm* Then I took a poetry course and the first thing my teacher told me was to edit my poems. It was an eye-opening experience for me. I learned to appreciate poetic form, and my favorite challenges involved conveying thoughts with an economy of words. I think this is why I like Haiku so much. Now when I read and write poetry, I appreciate the form as much as the content, and am not afraid to slice and dice with the red pen. @Thorn Wilde I used to think of poetry as this difficult, unattainable skill that only a few special people could master. I thought I wasn't a poet because the word poet in and of itself carried all this baggage based on things I thought were universally true about poetry. But since I started to properly write poetry (which is something that only truly happened a few months ago, really, not counting song lyrics), I've come to realise that the core of poetry is emotion, and conveying that emotion. Then there are just different ways of approaching that, and there's no right or wrong way to go about it. So maybe I'm a poet after all. Editors: Sometimes editors and authors clash over aspects of writing. One such thing is independent body movements. What is your stance on independent body movements? @Valkyrie I am not a fan of independent body movements. When I come across them in stories, I picture disembodied parts crawling all over people or eyes floating around the room. It immediately brings me out of the story. I’m reminded of an episode of “The X-Files” that featured a man who could detach parts of his body and send them wherever he wanted them to go. So if you’re describing that episode, or a character with a similar ability, then use independent body movements to your little heart’s content. Otherwise, it lends an air of inauthenticity and conveys weak writing, IMO. When I edit, I always encourage authors to provide attribution to random body parts. Unless said parts are part of a murder investigation and are actually disarticulated from the body. Readers: When reading online, do you wait to read a story until it's finished? Or do you read in progress stories as well? Why?  @Thorn Wilde I read in progress stories. I sometimes prefer it, even if I run the risk of a story being left unfinished, because otherwise I have a tendency to binge-read, pulling all-nighters reading whole novels in one go. @Valkyrie I don’t mind reading in progress stories, as long as the author remains active on site. I think most authors value feedback as the story progresses. Bonus: What is your all time favorite quote? @Thorn Wilde Always be yourself. Unless you can be a unicorn. Then always be a unicorn. —Unknown Well, that's it for this round. I'll try to get some new questions posted in the next few days if people are still interested in doing Q & A posts.

Well, it's time for another Author Guess WHO! You'll have a couple of weeks to guess the author. Good luck! Sorry about the lack of extra formatting. Posting using my phone. What is one thing that most GA members might not know about you? I’m a loner. What prompted you to write your first story? Therapy. What genre of books do you enjoy reading and have you written for that genre? I enjoy reading history either fictional or non-fictional, and I tend to write in that genre. Is there a genre that you haven’t written for that you would consider trying later on? I used to read a lot of sci-fi as a kid, and I’m tempted to give it a go. What do like most about publishing on GA? The readers, especially the members who contribute with comments and reviews. They’re a discerning bunch who know their onions, so I have to work hard to keep them happy, but the feedback can be priceless. Do you have any unique writing habits or rituals to help you get into a writing mood? I have plenty of rituals and habits but luckily not when I’m writing. How has your writing style evolved over time? I hope so. It has certainly improved. I don’t like people reading any of the early stuff I wrote because it’s so bad. I’m under no illusions, I know I still have a long way to go. Do you have a significant other? Haha. I refer back to my first answer. Do you have any pets? Yes, one. That’s more than a one-word answer, right? I have to be careful here, any more may give the game away. 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? I’ve done both, but it’s definitely easier writing the whole story first. Every new story I write now is finished before I start posting, the most I do is little edits here and there. What is your favorite television show? I like documentaries and comedies but I haven’t got a favorite. What is your favorite movie? Terminator2. I’m a sucker for Arnie in his prime. Do you write poetry? Prose? Or both? I think it takes a special talent to write poetry, which I haven’t got. I’ve tried but will never post. If you could meet one person, living or dead, who would it be? I would like to say someone noble like Nelson Mandela, but if I’m honest, it would probably be someone more devilish and lesser known like Peter Cook (look him up). He has made me laugh like no one else. What would you say is your greatest accomplishment? Being able to recognize mistakes I’ve made in the past and learn from them has made me a better person. I don’t know if that’s an accomplishment or not, but there are a lot of people who can’t do that.

Well, I've kind of slacked this week (read as completely forgot), and there was no Wednesday post. I had a plan, but the good news is that the current Q & A has been extended, so you have until the end of this month to get your answers to me! Also, there were no prompts last week since we had a promotion announcement, so this week I'm making up for it with 4 new prompts for you to contemplate and perhaps use to pen your next story! Happy Writing! Prompt 740 – Creative Tag – Elf You needed a vacation, away from all the noise, people, and technology. You dug out your hiking boots, tent, knapsack, and packed up. You took the bare necessities and go deep into the forest to relax. Your first night was great, but after your second day you feel like you are being watched, and by the third you know so. When you decide to find out who is tracking you, you find yourself face to face with an elf. Now what? Prompt 741 – Creative Tag – Vampire In this day and age, he was a rarity. He was twenty four, handsome, intelligent, healthy, and crushingly shy. He worked on a computer from his apartment and barely had any face to face contact. When he spotted the odd man one night outside his apartment, he was sure he had to be mistaken. He was tall, dark, with red eyes, and sharp white teeth. Being the nerd he was, he raced home and began to research on his computer. What he wasn’t ready for was opening his door and finding him standing there. He sniffed once, smiled widely, and simply said, “A Virgin!” What happened next? Prompt 742 – Creative Tag – First Line Smell of fresh dirt and rotting flesh filled the small bedroom as he crawled away from the nightmare that slowly shuffled through the doorway. Prompt 743 – Creative Tag – Spring The first buds of spring had broken through the ground. Demeter smiled as her daughter slowly made her way into her embrace. This time Demeter decided she would create something special for her daughter, Persephone. What does Demeter do to celebrate her daughter’s homecoming? So, have you written a new prompt response over the last couple of weeks? Share a link in the comments!

Welcome to another Monday! Did you remember to set your clocks forward an hour? It's time for a new story review, and this one is brought to you by Cole Matthews! Enjoy! Lighthouses: Volume One ValentineDavis 21 Reviewer: Cole Matthews Status: Complete Word Count: 67,960 Gayauthors is a great place for writers and readers for many reasons. There are lots of new characters, topics, engagements, love, folly, and fictional conflict providing us with a venue to communicate with one another. We can explore relationships between people who are gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and many other points on the spectrum or rainbow of human affection. We can delve into what it means to define ourselves and to show our many perspectives. I think the best thing about Gayauthors is we love to experiment with different kinds of writing. While we enjoy our coming of age and coming out stories, we also try new avenues of fiction. There is a vibrant poetry-writing community here and lots of exciting genres from mysteries to fanfic to fantasy and sci fi, yet we aren’t limited by these choices, which leads me to a book by Valentine Davis21. His experiment has made me think and wonder about what lies beyond. Lighthouses’ Volume One tells the story of three couples who over time find a lighthouse that acts as a lodestone or magnet in their lives. These three couples have very different stories, but they occur in different eras and so we begin to see patterns even as the times change so radically. We start with Judas and Duane in the present day. They are traveling to an island. Judas is a bit needy and Duane is happy to take care of him. Their back story begins to come out as Judas remembers: Something else is going. We’re not sure what is happening, but we get a glimpse when Judas has a visitor. This guest isn’t a flesh and blood one, but not really a ghost either. Here is how Judas introduces Johnny and Thomas. Judas and Duane’s story pauses in a bit, and we are then introduced to Johnny, and the setting in 1959. The young man was found with another boy and in those days, it was believed that something needed to be done. Johnny is being ‘treated’ and ‘helped’ to cure his ‘illness’. Johnny’s predicament is handled delicately. It’s obvious his aunt and uncle are trying to help, but it’s not working. That’s when we get a glimpse of the lighthouse again, and we meet Phillip Russo. There is something haunting and familiar about their meeting. It slides inside your brain and makes you squirm. So much is going on, but we don’t know what. And then we meet Thomas. In 1929, Thomas was invited to the island to ghostwrite a biography for an accomplished man. He meets Agamemnon Angelopoulos, and something passes between them, and here is a taste of it: The story has interwoven links and themes that suggest things, hint, and let the reader wonder. What is the main story? Are all three couples the same people or are they drawn to an object that warns of danger? What is the peril that binds these men? Certainly, Thomas, Judas, and Johnny are connected but how? Valentine Davis finished the story, but it’s not complete. He promises to revisit it in another volume, but what I love about this book are the questions it raises. I adore the characters who are fresh and flawed, open and yet bound to each other. They are struggling to cope, yet there is happiness and promise. You can feel hope right around the corner, even as you realize you just passed the corner filled with despair. Read and savor the ideas and see where it takes you. This lighthouse is the calm within the storm of these men’s lives. Category: Fiction Genres: Thriller/Suspense, Historical, Mystery, Paranormal Tags: mature adult, depression, abuse Rating: Mature

❤️ I think this is my favorite set of stories by you, and Hypnotic remains my absolute favorite story of yours!

It's Friday again, and you know what that means! New prompts!!!! Enjoy, and happy writing!!! Prompt 738 – Creative Tag – Hades You knew you should have read all the contracts before you signed, but who expected to be hired to walk a hell hound? Never mind one of the most famous in all of history. When the dark, sexy, brooding man told you he needed his dog, “Spot” walked and exercised, you figured it was easy cash. Now that you know “Spot” is better known as Cerberus, and the stranger is Hades, what is it that you signed up for? Prompt 739 – Creative Tag – First Line The waves lapped at the shore, gently washing away all traces of the battle recently fought on the shore front. Did you write a prompt response last week? Feel free to share a link in the comments!

Sounds good! I think the one from you will officially end this feature, and then the Author Guess Who will post monthly (theoretically).

Hope everyone has had a good month so far. We're getting closer to wrapping up the Improve & Encourage feature. This month we have a critique on Carlos Hazday's story Solcar. Let's take a look at Parker Owen's critique! Solcar Carlos Hazday Critiqued by: Parker Owens Please give us a short summary of the story you chose. Solcar, once a High Lord of Star Clusters and a member of the Council engaged in a proscribed act. He made love to a human. He is sentenced to suffer for five thousand years; the story tells us of them. What do you see as the strengths of the story/poem? What makes this story so good to me is the depth and variety of the many kinds of love described in the story. A broad picture of love and relationship is described; some wonderfully innocent and happy, some painfully poignant, some delightfully quirky. Carlos is excellent at putting this reader right into a scene. There is an immediate idea of place in almost every phase of the story. One can see, hear and sense what the characters experience so much of the text. What do you see as the weaknesses of the story/poem? Carlos is such a strong and compelling writer, and this was his first posted story. That was enough to hook me. On the other hand, as this is a sci fi/fantasy story, I found myself wanting a more concrete look at the world and universe he had built for it. Because Carlos is so good at giving us visual and sensory descriptions to bring the reader fully into a scene, those sections dealing with worlds beyond earth lacked the usual color and taste of those taking place on Earth. Of course, that may have been intentional. For me, another difficulty I encountered was tracking the many swift changes of scene. These were necessary to the plotline, and I understood them better after a second and third reading. However, a casual reader might get confused. How do you think the story/poem could be improved? The one thing I’d suggest would be to consider helping the readers understand – see, taste, touch and experience – the universe as the High Lords do. This is a very tall order. These beings do not think or sense as we do, and believe themselves to be on a much higher plane. Yet building their world a little more vividly would make these creatures more dimensional and comprehensible. What was your favorite part? (scene/sentence/etc) This is like asking which of the jackpot dollars you like best. So much of this story is about love and loss, yet Carlos paints each portrait in ways to make the reader smile. I particularly liked the chapter devoted to the man who followed his dream into Major League Baseball. Here Carlos deftly crafts a picture of a simple, uncomplicated love, and the tears that flow when it must end.

And hey, they're even on time again! Go me!

Welcome to another edition of "Writing Prompts". There are a lot of great prompts for you to choose from, just check out the prompt forum! And today, we're going to add two more to the list. We owe a huge thank you to @comicfan for continuing to provide us with these great prompts. Now, let's see what he has for us this week! Prompt 736 – Creative Tag – List of Words Use the following words in a story – A laser, a police officer, a queen, a silver bell, and book. Prompt 737 – Creative Tag – First Line The pale moonlight barely illuminated the gravestones as he rushed from one to the next, desperately searching for the right one. Did you do any prompt writing last week? Share a link in the comments!

Happy to hear that, Sir. i'm good, thank You! Just been watching Baby J play (and get frustrated), and now he's down for a nap so i'm relaxing.

Hey, A! Hope school is going well!

hi Reader!

How is Your day going, Sir?

Hello Sir and other DIC'ers. Just thought i'd stop in and say hello.

Yay! For once I managed to get the prompts up on time! Go me! As you can see, here's this weeks dose of the writing prompts, provided to us by @comicfan! Hopefully the two prompts below will prompt a new idea. Just remember, prompt responses under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection. Happy Writing! Prompt 734 – Creative Tag – The Ring You’ve inherited an old family ring from a distant cousin. Unfortunately, the ring comes with a lot of responsibilities and powers you didn’t know about before you slid the ring on and became the new owner. What exactly does the ring do? Prompt 735 – Creative Tag – Medical Issue You’ve been working on a cure for the space sickness for the last seven years. You’ve finally come up with a possible cure with the help of your team, but there is one hell of a side affect. The cure works but it may just cause a part of humanity to take a huge evolutionary step forward. What does the cure do? Did you write a prompt response last week? Share the link in the comments!

I just got an idea.... authors.... please pick ONE of your anthology stories and PM a link to it to me along with a short paragraph about your experience when writing it. Thanks! For the subject of the PM, please put Anthology flashback.

With only about three months until the next anthology is due, I thought I'd take a moment to see how everyone is doing with their anthology entries! Feel free to share something about your anthology entry, or planned anthology entry, in the comments. Just a reminder, the two themes are In the Stars and Snapped. Also, for veteran anthology authors, what is your favorite aspect of writing for the anthologies, and what advice would you give to authors who are contemplating writing their first anthology story? If you're a new anthology author, what are you most concerned about concerning the anthology? Do you have any questions that the veteran authors may be able to answer for you? Unsure what they anthologies are? You can read the guidelines here, and to check out last years anthology entries, just click on the banners below! Happy Writing!!!!

YAY to all the comments! I was hoping that one would sort of start a discussion.

Thank you everyone for participating. I hope, that over time, more people will join in. As long as I can come up with questions, I'll keep doing these.

Well, it's time for another Q & A session with our site authors, poets, editors, and readers! As you can see, these features have a little something for everyone. If you have ideas for questions for one of these groups, feel free to PM me! And while you're at it, why not answer one of the Round 5 questions! Now, let's see what we have for you this round! Authors: Do you base characters off of real life people? Are they completely fictional? Or some of both? And how does it affect your writing of said characters? @Mikiesboy Some of my characters are completely fictional. Some are from my own life, people i've seen or met. No matter where they come from, i still bend and shape them into the character i want. The most recent character i am writing is Aiden. He is based on a young boy i saw when we were out for dinner at a local restaurant. I've changed him slightly now, but he's the reason for my character. I think it's important to know your characters, even if you never share all their back story. Know who they are, so they will have natural and in-character reactions to the world you put them in. @Timothy M. My characters are mostly fictional, but they often carry something of me, and occasionally of people I know. @Dabeagle I do and I don't. That is to say, I don't copy a person, but I will copy come mannerisms or appearances for the sake of inspiration. When I do, I don't use their names or anything like that. I think it would be very difficult and constraining to try to stick to a real person because you have to decide how they would react in a given situation and, somehow, work that into the story framework you have. Generally characters that I 'borrow' from real people are because I like or was amused by them, so it's fun to have them appear. For instance in Ouroboros, Inc. I actually used a few people in minor roles. The characters of Cait and Bennett were based on real life siblings; the girl has made my coffee a time or two at our local Dunkin' Donuts. The family actually has four kids, all of whom seem to be lovely people. The boy Bennett was based on did many of the small things in real life that the fictional version of him did. Sometimes I only borrow a name because it strikes me as unique or interesting - like Drake from You Don't Know Me. Outside of the name, though, he was original. I don't think anyone would recognize themselves in my work unless I used something they'd personally remember. Many real life people provide fun character parts to play with and assemble into my own creature. @Thorn Wilde Often a bit of both. My characters are oftentimes inspired by people I've seen or people I know, but very fictionalised. In a way, though, I don't really think there's any such thing as a completely original character. Even if you're not aware of it, there's probably someone you've seen or talked to that lets you invent that character. I don't think it really affects my writing any differently. Even if a character I write is originally partially based on a real person, they will usually grow and change until they're not much like them anymore and become their own people. @BHopper2 Both actually. There's a little bit of realness to most of my characters, but for some, they are taken directly from my real life friends. Three of the characters in my Tampa Chronicles series are based off real people. Brayon, Chandon, and Jeremy fully embody the people they are patterned off of. Other's are fictional, like Adam from the same series, is the Dad I wish I had, and Robert is the brother. When writing about my friends, I will often ask them if they are okay with me doing so. If they are not, then I go the fictional route. Some of my fictional ones are based off old RPG characters, and they are easy for me to write more than some I totally make up. @Valkyrie Some of both. My characters are fictional, but I incorporate mannerisms, physical characteristics, quirks, and sayings from people I’ve either met or observed in real life. I think it lends them authenticity and also makes it easier to write them. Editors: How hard do you find it to edit a story that you can't get into? Have you ever had to refuse to continue on with a story? If so, why? @Timothy M. I avoid stories which don't appeal to me as a reader, so I'd say it would be very difficult. I've rarely refused to keep editing, and it only happened because the author didn't implement my edits and sometimes posted the chapters before I received them for editing. That was frustrating. @Valkyrie It depends on the author and the circumstances. If I can’t get into a story, I try to figure out why and convey my reasons to the author, because something isn’t working. I’m happy to discuss it, as long as the author is willing and not defensive about it. If it’s a question of the author’s ‘style’ being one I’m not a fan of, then I keep my mouth shut and do more of a proofread or light edit vs a full edit, which includes beta comments. I’ll complete the edit if it’s a one-off or short story, but longer works I will gracefully bow out. Thankfully, I haven’t had to do this often. I find it much easier to proofread a story I can’t get into vs editing one. When I proofread, I turn off the ‘beta reader’ portion of my editing brain and refrain from making such comments, unless there is a glaring continuity error. Sometimes it’s a matter of time constraints too. I tend to take on too much, which doesn’t leave a lot of time for my own writing when authors send me stories/chapters all at the same time. In that case, I’m sure to communicate clearly to the authors I’m working with where they are in the queue and how long I think it will take to get back them. Readers: What is the main thing that entices you to read a story? @mollyhousemouse This is a good question! i don't know if there is just one thing that makes a story more enticing. i suppose the first thing i look at is the author. Have i read something by them before? Is this an author who finishes stories, or posts chapters regularly? i'll also look at the reviews. Reviews are SO important! if you read something and liked it, write one! it's so easy and it helps turn other readers on to a story you liked! The third thing i look at is recommendations from friends here. If i see that someone i follow, another author i like, has read a story then i'm more likely to read it. @Timothy M. If it's written by an author I already know and whose stories I like, I almost always try it out. A good story description will often entice me to try a story, especially with adult characters. @Thorn Wilde The title is what catches my eye. I judge a book by its cover. If the title doesn't seem interesting to me, I often scroll past the description, because there's only so many stories I can read anyway. After the title I read the description, and if that looks interesting, I read the story. Poets: Many know of the poetry teachings of @AC Benus, what is your favorite type of poem to write from those teaching?  @Mikiesboy AC's poetry prompts are wonderful...and he is just posting new revised prompts. Learning how to write various forms can only make you a better poet. I enjoy writing many of them. Using specific forms forces you to think, forces you to use your poetic tools and challenge is good. While i write this, i'm thinking that i really enjoy writing the Rubaiyat. But there are so many forms i enjoy. I hope to see some more people take on these prompts. Join us in Live Poets ... lots of support for all poets and fans of poetry are welcome ! @aditus I did them all, but I fell in love with the ghazal. One thing I have in common with Goethe, beside our first language of course. BONUS QUESTION: Do you have a favorite Valentine's memory that you'd be willing to share with us? @Valkyrie My best Valentine’s Day memory would have to be from my college days. The guy I was dating at the time brought me flowers and made me dinner. He also wrote me a poem and hand-wrote it on a heart he had cut out of card stock. I still have that poem somewhere. @Mikiesboy My mother's birthday was February 14, so it's a bittersweet day for me. Michael is aware of course and we usually spend the day together quietly. Well, there you have it! Round four of the Q & A! Who's ready for Round 5? You can check out the Round 5 questions in the forum thread, and then just follow the directions to PM me your answers! I love seeing all the answers, and feel free to encourage your fellow authors, poets, readers, and editors to join in on the fun and send me their answers too!

It's Monday, and with the start of a new week, it's a good time to take a look at a story that you otherwise might have missed. I hope you enjoy Puppilull's review of Holding Back by Thorn Wilde. Holding Back Thorn Wilde Reviewer: Puppilull Status: Complete Word Count: 58,185 I can willingly admit that I’m sort of conservative and careful how I spend my reading time. I simply don’t have enough time to read and enjoy all the great stories that have been published, here on GA or elsewhere. This, of course, means I probably miss out on stuff, but other aspects of life need attention as well. Choosing what to read is an ongoing process, and I’m mostly going with “nope”, which is difficult but necessary. A sort of rule I have is no fanfiction unless I know the story. Simply because I doubt it would give me anything. This is not without exceptions, but generally it’s a no from me. So, why am I telling you all this? When one of my favourite authors here, Thorn Wilde, started publishing a fanfiction on Deadpool and Spiderman my initial reaction was as expected “no”. I have not read those comics, and I’m not a great fan of the movies, even though I’ve seen one or two. My conclusion was I’m not the intended reader. Still, knowing how much I enjoyed Thorn’s other stories compelled me to take a chance. I can tell you I am so happy I decided to tag along. Since I have much less context than anyone actually knowing the comics, my impressions and reactions perhaps come from a different point of view. To me, this is a heart-warming story of two people taking that chance on love and lust (with a generous side helping of kink, so beware). Sure, there are bad guys, violence and intrigue suitable for a tale of two comic book characters, but the focus is firmly on Wade and Peter and their journey together. Wade is such a beautiful mess, with the voices in his head fighting it out to keep him on the straight and narrow or simply follow his instinct and wreak havoc. He has good reason never to trust anyone and when things get rough or emotional, he bails. Peter is from a very different background, with a clearer sense of self. When meeting Wade, he sees the world is perhaps not as black and white as he initially thought. To follow them as they grow is one of the better love stories I’ve read in a quite a while. The writing is fast paced, which suits the story, and it’s laced with a sense of humor to keep you giggling. Still, Thorn sneaks in so much deep emotion, so don’t be surprised if you end up a little teary-eyed at times. And did I mention there’s kink? Yup. This story does not shy away from exploring some less common (?) areas of sexuality. So proceed with caution, if you are of a sensitive nature. If you are like me, curious of all matters of the flesh, you’ll have a glorious time.  Category: Marvel Crossovers Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Romance Tags: young adult, bisexual, anal, fetish, crime, fighting Rating: Mature

It's that time again! Time to spark some creativity with this weeks prompts. Enjoy! Prompt 732 – Creative Tag – List of words Use the following words in a story : A red rose, a box of candy, a new shirt, a lunchbox, and a torn sneaker. Prompt 733 – Creative Tag – First Line The cat sat grooming itself as the puddle of blood slowly spread behind it on the old oak floor. Did you write a prompt last week? Share a link in the comments.