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Renee Stevens

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  1. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up (Nov 19 - 25)

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Sorry for the late Weekly Wrap Up, kind of fell asleep last night without doing it. A huge thank you to @wildone for taking over the Weekly Wrap Up while I was away. Lots of stuff to go over this week, so let's get started!!!  First off, it's time to announce the anthology themes for 2018! We had quite a few votes this year, but the clear winners were:
     
    Now or Never
    Fight Back
    Encounters
    Good Intentions
     
     
     
    Contests
    2018 Summer Novella Anthology - Due April 15th, 2018  
    Anthologies
    Coming Soon  
    Blog Opportunities
    Story Critique: Open to all GA authors. Sign up here.
    Ask An Author: Send your questions for your favorite authors to @Carlos Hazday (no questions = no Ask An Author)
    3 Story Promo: Open to all GA Authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate.
    Author Interview: Open to all GA Authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate.
    Favorite Self-Written Story: Open to all GA authors. PM Renee Stevens to participate
    Premium Updates:
    Angel's Heart by Nephylim *Premium*
     
    Signature Updates:
    A Man in a Room, and other poems by AC Benus; Book 6 of Verse
    Cozy Contemplations by Headstall
    Denied by Cia
    So Weeps the Willow by Cole Matthews
    Spirit of Fire by Stellar
     
    Promising Updates:
    Called To The Gates by Mikiesboy
    Cider Press by Parker Owens
    Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens
    Georgetown: Roar by Carlos Hazday; Book 7 of CJ
    Here Kitty, Kitty by Caz Pedroso
    Musings of a Messed Up Mind by Mikiesboy
    timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy
  2. Renee Stevens

    Writing Prompts #628 & #629

    By Renee Stevens,


    Prompts
    Hope everyone has had a great week so far. It's time for this weeks writing prompts. If you're stuck, or you're considering writing for the first time, these might be perfect for you. Don't forget that stories under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection.
     

    Prompt 628 – Word List
    Tag – Word List
    Use the following words in a story – a turkey, pumpkins, a broken chair, a football, and a book.
    Prompt 629 – Challenge
    Tag – Setup for a Crime
    A crime has been committed and you’ve been called in to work on the case. Everything seems to point to one character, but you figure out it is all a setup. Explain the mystery to your superior and how you solved the case.

    Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.
  3. Renee Stevens

    Common Editing Issues #1

    By Renee Stevens,


    Writing Tips
    I've received quite a few editing tips from our membership. Today, we're going to look at some provided by JayT. Enjoy!
     

     
    There are three common editing issues that I come across frequently. They are punctuation (ie. missing commas, misused commas, and dialogue punctuation), misused words (ie nauseous instead of nauseated, then/than misused, they're, their, there misused), and sentences that don't read correctly and interrupt the flow of the story (they can be fragmented sentences, run-on sentences, or sentences that are structured incorrectly). 
     
    Commas can be the bane of both a writer's and an editor's existence. I've found that writers will either totally ignore using a comma because they're not certain where to place them or they'll overuse the comma and randomly place it where it does not belong. There are several resources on this site and out on the internet that will help writers when it comes to comma usage.  Additionally, there is a blog on this site about proper dialogue punctuation.
     
    The next common editing issue that I've often encountered would be the misused words. An easy example of this would be they're/their/there. They're is a contraction for they are, meaning the only time a writer would use they're is when they combine the words they are. Their is used when referring to a group of other people. Finally, there is used when referencing a location. Some common misused words would be then and than, break and brake, neither/nor and either/or, and finally nauseous and nauseated. Then is used when you are referring to whatever will happen next. An example would be- When I get home from work, I change clothes then I decide what I want to eat for dinner." Than is used to compare things- "This is better than that." So, basically, then is used for chronological references and than is used for comparisons. Next, writers often misuse break and brake. While I'm working, I take breaks. The car's brakes are going out. Another common misuse is neither/nor and either/or. If you were given the choice between two things and you wanted to let the reader know that no matter what was chosen, nothing would work, you would use neither/nor. I've read sentences that say, "Either Chuck or Rick would not make a good teacher." That is incorrect. The proper way to word that sentence is, "Neither Chuck nor Rick would be a good teacher." The next misused word I'm going to mention is mainly a pet-peeve of mine- nauseous vs. nauseated.  Other things give off smells that are nauseous, making someone nauseated. If you write, "I started feeling nauseous," you are saying, "I started felling like I was giving off an offending smell." If you were to write, "I started feeling nauseated," you would mean, "I started to have a queasy feeling in my stomach." 
     
    Finally, the most common editing issue I come across is poorly structured sentences that do not flow well. They can be anything from a fragmented sentence like, "I noticed everything in the room. The grand chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The tables lined with white linen table cloths. The green balls." In this example, "The green balls," is a fragmented sentence. What were the green balls doing? They can also be run-on sentences that should have some sort of punctuation but don't so the sentence just keeps going and overloads the readers with constant information instead of helping the reader understand what is going on in the story. I believe that last sentence is a great example of a run-on sentence. Lastly, poorly structured sentences are ones that a reader has to go back and reread to try and make sense of what the author is really trying to say. I cannot think of a good example right now. 
  4. Renee Stevens

    Writing Prompts #626 & #627

    By Renee Stevens,


    Prompts
    I hope everyone is having a great week! It's time for this weeks prompts, supplied by our prompt guru, Comicfan. Just a reminder, and for those who haven't worked with the prompts before: prompt responses under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection
    .

    Prompt 626 – First Line
    Tag – First Line
    “Who did you just invite to dinner?”
    Prompt 627 – Creative
    Tag – Trainee
    Your boss has hired someone to help out as you prepare to go into the busy season at work. However, the trainee has never done anything like your job and you have exactly one day to train them. What happens?

    Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.
  5. Renee Stevens

    Featured Story: Personal Banking

    By Renee Stevens,


    Featured Stories
    Well, it's the start of a new week, and for today's schedule, we're bringing you Puppilull's review of Personal Banking by Refugium. Featured story days are a great way to highlight one of the many stories that can be found in GA Stories. With so many stories, it's easy for a single story to get lost in the shuffle. If you're reading a story that you would like to do a blog review and bring attention to, PM me (Renee). Now, onto the review. Hopefully you enjoy Puppilull's review enough to go check out Personal Banking for yourself!
     
    Personal Banking
    Refugium
     
    Reviewer : Puppilull
    Status : Complete
    Word Count :  18,202
     
    You know how sometimes you just want to escape for a little while? Go somewhere you can forget your everyday musts and simply have fun? But you don’t really have the time? If so, I have the perfect story for you! It’s humorous, sexy and the chapters are short enough to sneak in at a minibreak (or by all means, binge the whole thing at once…).
     
    The story is Personal Banking by Refugium and it’s about a man needing a loan to cover his debts. Sounds like you might as well look at your own, fun-filled life, doesn’t it? Well, only if your bank contacts consist of not one, but two very sexy loan officers who make your mind go to inappropriate places.  
     
    The main character, Richard Andrews, is in trouble. He needs a loan to consolidate some debts he’s struggling with, but he doesn’t have any collateral. His attractive loan officer is willing to stretch the rules to give him the loan, provided Rich lives up to certain requirements—very specific requirements regarding his everyday life, such as no frivolous spending, no drinking and no drugs. And, of course, personal meetings once a week to ensure payments are being made to clear the debt.
     
    The loan officer Mr. Phillips turns out to be somewhat of a mystery man with an unclear agenda and a knack for confusing his client. Rich tries to be the perfect client but can’t help himself as he lusts after Mr. Phillips, trying to figure out if his bank man is in fact interested or merely polite. More than once, Rich loses himself in steamy daydreaming when he should be paying attention. And then there is the other guy, Jose, who leaves no question about where his interests lie. Maybe he’s the one Rich should be focusing his attention on?
     
    This story is written with an underlying humor that makes you giggle practically continuously. It’s lighthearted and quick paced which makes for the perfect distraction. At the same time, you feel strongly for the characters, especially Rich.
     
    A word of warning, though. Reading at a break at work would be ill-advised. There is some sex in this story—steamy sex that will have your cheeks turn at least a nice shade of pink. A slight element of dominance and submission adds to the tension between our characters. Throw in some jealousy and the cocktail gets rather potent.
     
    As a reader, you are kept in the dark about why Mr. Phillips makes Rich jump through all those hoops, and you are as puzzled as he is. His overactive imagination plays tricks on him as he interprets everything that happens as signs and then feels stupid when things turn out differently. The twists and turns of the story will make you jump to the next chapter and then the next, giving you pure reading fun.
     
    Category: Fiction   Genres: Comedy, Drama   Tags: mature adult, adult, gay, work place, urban, north america    Rating: Mature
  6. Renee Stevens

    Writing Prompts #624 & #625

    By Renee Stevens,


    Prompts
    Hope everyone has had a great week so far. It's time for this weeks writing prompts. If you're stuck, or you're considering writing for the first time, these might be perfect for you. Don't forget that stories under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection.
     

    Prompt 624 – Challenge
    Tag – Point of View
    Right about your day from the point of view of your pet. If you don’t have a pet do it from the point of view of a spider that has built its web in your home.
    Prompt 625 – Word List
    Tag - Word List
    Use the following words in a story – Maple tree, winding road, storm clouds, a green jacket, a ball.

    Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.
  7. Renee Stevens
    I hope everyone is having a great week! It's time for this weeks prompts, supplied by our prompt guru, Comicfan. Just a reminder, and for those who haven't worked with the prompts before: prompt responses under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection.
     

     
    Prompt 622 – Creative
    Tag – First line
    “Are we almost home?”
     
    Prompt 623 – Creative
    Tag – The Adult
    The government has become concerned with its overwhelming elderly population. To keep so many from being left living alone, they are now doing a lottery for new places, whether it is a single person, a couple, or a family for housing, but you are matched with a person 65 or above who has no family. You find out you just got chosen. What is your new roommate like?
     

     
    Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.
  8. Renee Stevens

    Halloween Guess Who!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Fun Stuff
    Have you been inwardly guessing which Halloween Contest entries were written by which author. With the voting for the contest over, it's time for the GA members to try and guess who wrote what! The "reveal" will occur on October 31st, so try and get your guesses in before then. The only prize for this game is bragging rights, if you guess more right then anyone else. Remember, only one story was allowed per author.
     
    Author List
    Puppilull
    Craftingmom
    Comicfan
    Dodger
    Valkyrie
    Aditus
    CassieQ
    Carl Holiday
    BillW
    Cole Matthews
    Mikiesboy
     
     
     
    Story List
    Horrible Holiday
    If You Go Out In The Woods Today
    Shade
    In Between
    Purgatory
    Zombies Like Us
    Dom Does Halloween
    Calavera
    The Naked and the Dead
    The House on O'Reilly Hill
    Oh, the Humanity!
     
    Happy Guessing!!!!!
  9. Renee Stevens

    GRL 2017

    By Renee Stevens,

    Hiya, all.
     
    So, I've been asked a few times about my trip to Denver for GayRomLit 2017. I thought it might just be easier to post a blog about it. There were a few disappointments related to my trip, but I'm trying not to focus on those too much.
     
    Overall, it was a rewarding trip and I met a lot of people over the 5 days that I was in Denver. Everyone I met was very welcoming and the organizers checked on us newbies quite often to make sure we were okay and weren't too overwhelmed. And let me tell you, the first time doing something like that, I was overwhelmed. I didn't go to a lot of the panels like I wanted to, but a lot of that was because I'd lose track of time and wouldn't realize it had already started until well after it had started. Some of them sounded really interesting though and hopefully the next time I go, I'll be able to take full advantage of all the panels up for offer.
     
    I had the supporting author signing on Thursday, and there were sooooo many people. I don't think I was quite prepared for it, but talked to a lot of people and it was amazing how many people recognized the cover of Barbed Wire Cowboy. Mann Ramblings did an awesome job on it for me, and people that didn't recognize the name, recognized the cover. I signed a few books (I had about 14 pre-orders) and a lot of postcards. I nearly ran out of the Barbed Wire Cowboy postcards.
     
    I had two lounge sessions Thursday and Friday, which are more informal. For those just kind of hang out and visit with people, offer up swag, that kind of stuff. Tables weren't assigned, but two authors shared a six foot table. Both of my lounges I ended up sitting with Featured Authors. (I went as a Supporting Author which is a lower tier). For the first one I shared a table with Wade Kelly, and let me tell you, she was sooooo friendly and when we didn't have people at our table, we visited. It was great. The second day, I shared a table with P.D. Singer and she was just as awesome. We talked quite a bit, and she even gave me some advice about how to get over my issues with focus that have been preventing me for writing. I hope to put some of her advice to work really soon!
     
    I did get my first fan girl moment which was kind of awesome. I'd been talking to this girl since Wednesday, and on Friday she came by my table during my lounge session. She was one of those who hadn't recognized the name, but instantly recognized the covers of both Barbed Wire Cowboy and No More Hiding. She was so excited to meet me that I really thought there for a minute we'd have to pick her up off the floor. She completely made my day!  She made it even more when she started saying how jealous her husband was going to be, because he liked my books just as much. I ended up giving her signed copies of both of my books. Every time I saw her after that she would get flustered, but we still visited, so that was good. P.D. Singer got a kick out of the fan girl moment and just grinned and said "Your first fan girl moment, and I got to witness it." Nothing else really exciting happened Friday, and I had dinner with a new friend (Patty) and we just hung out for the rest of the night.
     
    Saturday was the big Featured Author signing and Patty and I wandered around together. I got to meet a lot of wonderful authors, and even got a brief "in the moment" reading from Andrew Grey! I visited with so many authors that I've read that it was surreal (TJ Klune, Andrew Grey, KC Wells, Charlie Cochet, Wade Kelly, Layla Dorine, SJ Himes, etc). And let me tell you, they were all so nice and I got pictures with a lot of them too!!! I also talked to a couple publisher representatives, a few review blogs (one of which requested I send them Barbed Wire Cowboy for review), some editors, etc. I also now have a fight scene consultant (if needed) and a ranch consultant (considering he bought Barbed Wire Cowboy, I'm just really hoping I didn't screw something up!!!!) Saturday, we had an early dinner and while waiting for our dinner to be delivered, sat and visited with K.C. Wells. Absolutely wonderful lady!!!!
     
    Then it was time to get ready for the costume party, and that was almost a disaster. Before we go there, there was a lot of controversy surrounding one of the the major sponsors for GRL this year. The Cockyboys. First off, they were all super nice, visiting with people, being willing to take pictures, and just very friendly. I ended up in the elevator with them a few times, and always willing to talk. I realized exactly how great these guys are when I started to get ready for the costume party. I was going as a Saloon girl, as the theme was The Wild West. I'd searched online and after ordering two separate costumes, I finally had one I liked, that fit well. As I was getting ready, the zipper came apart, with the little slide part of it coming completely off. Well, believe it or not, I actually had a pair of pliers in one of my bags, so I fixed it. All good, right? I wish!!!!! Since it was already weakened, it came off again. I didn't see much point in trying to fix it again and at this point was about ready to say bag it. A friend I had with me ran down to the hotel store, hoping to find safety pins.
     
    When she came back, she brought help in the form of Taylor (one of the Cockyboys). Apparently he held the elevator for her when she hollered, and when he heard what was going on, he immediately came to help. He had snaps with him, but unfortunately he had forgotten the tools for the snaps. Poor Taylor spent ten to fifteen minutes trying to get the snaps to work using the pliers I had. When that didn't work, he helped Patty fix the safety pins in such a way that you couldn't see them, and wouldn't have known anything was wrong with my costume. It just amazed me that he rushed to help like he did.
     
    Overall it was a good weekend, despite a few hiccups and disappointments. There was a primary group of about 12 people that were great support for me throughout the weekend, and hopefully it won't be too long before I can go again and get to see all these wonderful people that made my first GRL so wonderful. The drive home wasn't the funnest as 4 1/2 hours of the drive was me fighting 60+ MPH crosswinds. But I made it home safely, and in the end, that's all that matters
     
    If you want to see pictures, hopefully you can here:
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/FEX7HSlyhpcNebo23
     
     
     
  10. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up (Oct 22 - Oct 28)

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    There's been a lot going on this week and if you are a site author, please check out the announcement posted at the top of the forums. Let's take a look at what happened in the site blogs this week.
     
     
    Contests
    2017 Halloween Short Story Contest - Winners Announced October 31st 2018 Summer Novella Anthology - Due April 15th, 2018  
    Anthology Announcements:
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team***
    2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017 Anthology Theme Selection - Part 2: Voting Open to Authors!  
    Premium Updates:
    Angel's Heart by Nephylim *Premium*
     
    Classic Updates:
    Brittle as a Bird by Ronyx
     
    Signature Updates:
    319 Winesap Lane by CarlHoliday
    April Musings by Valkyrie
    Denied by Cia
    Lyrical Laments by Headstall
    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets by AC Benus; Book 5 of Verse
    Pride Month, and other Haibun by AC Benus
    Rivers of the Dead by Cynus
    So Weeps the Willow by Cole Matthews
    Translation Trashbin by AC Benus; Book 7 of Verse
     
    Promising Updates:
    Cider Press by Parker Owens
    Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens
    Musings of a Messed Up Mind by Mikiesboy
    The Poetry of D/s by Mikiesboy
     
  11. Renee Stevens
    Hope everyone has had a great week so far. It's time for this weeks writing prompts. If you're stuck, or you're considering writing for the first time, these might be perfect for you. Don't forget that stories under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection.
     

     
    Prompt 620 – Creative
    Tag – List of Words
    Use the following words in a story – tablet, phone, a sandwich, a pen, and an ambulance
     
    Prompt 621 – Challenge
    Tag – Country Western
    Authors can get stuck writing in the same style. Your challenge is to fit within this theme. Focus on the setting and having your characters come to life.
     

     
    Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.
  12. Renee Stevens
    I hope you all enjoyed the last Improve & Encourage feature, because it's time for another one. These features are meant to both provide feedback to authors and, similar to story reviews, point out stories that readers might not otherwise have found. It's similar to a review, in that the person doing the critique tells you what they liked about the story, but it differs in that they also provide constructive criticism. Each author signed up to participate, and sign up's are still open!  These will post once a month until we no longer have content. Once that happens, I will critique the last author that posted. If you'd like to provide a critique for the blog, sign up in the thread. I'm hoping to have a lot more authors sign up, and just remember, by signing up, you are also volunteering to have your story critiqued and featured.
     
    Little Man
    Mann Ramblings
     
    Critique By: Timothy M
     
    Please give us a short summary of the story you chose.
    This is a story of strong friendships and of budding love which goes awry at times, due to insecurity, mistakes and the misplaced interference from other people. Clay, or Little Man as his best friend Eric calls him, is in college and a talented artist. He spends most of his time around straight jocks like his BFF. But one of them has more in common with Clay than he thinks, and the sparks fly from the very first, unexpected kiss. However, hiding their attraction leads to all sorts of problems and hurts, yet Mann keeps the reader hoping till the end.
     
    What do you see as the strengths of the story/poem?
    The main strength of Mann’s first story is the way he makes the characters come alive before our eyes and persuades us to like them in spite of all their faults and mistakes. The wrong decisions are logical at the time, even as we cringe to read about them. Mann’s message is loud and clear: don’t lie to your best friend and don’t deny love. I also admire the way he portrays the insecurities and fears of Little Man without once making him come across as whiny, feeble-minded or weak-willed. Clay doesn’t let his emotions rule his mind for long, even when they mess up his heart. And perhaps I should mention the sex is sizzling hot.
     
    What do you see as the weaknesses of the story/poem?
    Let me start out by saying it's bloody difficult to find any weak points in Mann's stories. That's part of the reason I chose his first GA story.
     
    It has only one real weakness IMO, and that relates to Mann’s choice to drag the three friends, but Clay in particular, through all sorts of terrible, painful situations. At one point I felt as if he’d made a list of all the bad things which might ruin relationships (whether as friends or boyfriends). E.g. lying, cowardice, anxiety, homophobia, loneliness, physical hardship and violence, cheating, rejection and abandonment, betrayal, depression, and any other nightmare conceivable – someone had to suffer from it. I guess you could say Mann comes clean about his style of writing from the very beginning, since all his main story characters suffer.

    I could accept most of the misfortunes, since they advanced the story development in a logical and believable fashion, and I’m not ‘sensitive’ or generally squeamish about violence. But, to my mind, the final incident in chapter 9 detracted from the main message and over-all contents of both the story and the chapter.
     
     
    I wasn’t the only (shocked) reader thinking this way, so I guess my feedback isn’t very original. Mann does address the issue in his replies to comments, and by adding a chapter note warning, and I can respect his reasons. But it remains the only weak point I could find in the story, and I still hate it. (Sorry, Mann)
     
    How do you think the story/poem could be improved?
    Not surprisingly, it ties into the perceived weakness, but it’s almost impossible to go into details without a major spoiler (see above). The worst part of chapter 9 crossed a line for me, which prevents me from fully enjoying and recommending this otherwise great story. I think the epic and brilliant resolution in chapter 10 could take place without going to the previous painful extreme. If I had beta read this story, I would have advised removing the most offending ‘detail’ but keeping the rest of the graphic violence, as an acceptable compromise. It’s not as if the three guys don’t suffer enough mental anguish already from the fateful consequences of their mistakes and I think the showdown would stand out much stronger with the suggested rewrite. 
     
    What was your favorite part? (scene/sentence/etc)
    My favorite parts may be the very first and the very last sentence in the story. Mann sure knows how to start and end his story with something to make us and I also loved the visit to the mall (Heidi is awesome), and the body painting in chapter 1 was a brilliant idea.
     
  13. Renee Stevens
    I hope you all enjoyed the last Improve & Encourage feature, because it's time for another one. These features are meant to both provide feedback to authors and, similar to story reviews, point out stories that readers might not otherwise have found. It's similar to a review, in that the person doing the critique tells you what they liked about the story, but it differs in that they also provide constructive criticism. Each author signed up to participate, and sign up's are still open!  These will post once a month until we no longer have content. Once that happens, I will critique the last author that posted. If you'd like to provide a critique for the blog, sign up in the thread. I'm hoping to have a lot more authors sign up, and just remember, by signing up, you are also volunteering to have your story critiqued and featured.
     
    Hard Choices
    Comicfan
     
    Critique By: JayT
     
    Please give us a short summary of the story you chose.
    Sean, a twenty-five-year-old business owner, meets Will one day when Will hires Sean’s business for a job. The two become fast friends, with Will giving Sean thoughtful gifts in hopes of brightening his day. The morning after their first official date, Sean literally runs into Caesar and finds himself attracted him. Now Sean faces trying to choose between the two men. He knows this choice will affect his entire life; who will he choose?
     
    What do you see as the strengths of the story/poem?
    The story is well written and told all the way through, leaving the reader with no lingering questions. Comicfan did an amazing job of developing Will’s character, almost as if he wanted the reader to fall in love with Will. Although there was potential to tell more of this story, Comicfan kept it short, bringing the tale to completion in one chapter.
     
    What do you see as the weaknesses of the story/poem?
    Though they are few, there are some (maybe three or four) grammatical mistakes; common ones that I myself make often. The main weakness of this story is character development and growth. While Will’s character was developed nicely, the other characters hardly grew at all. We, as readers, know that Sean is attracted to both Will and Caesar, but he never lets on that he loves Caesar at all. It was almost like he was settling for Caesar because Will left. If Sean had said ‘I love you’ to Caesar, letting the reader know that it is true, the story would not have been as bitter.
     
    How do you think the story/poem could be improved?
    There will always be the “what if’s” of life, but we cannot linger on them and be happy where we are. If Sean had shown any other emotion besides hurt at the end, letting the reader know that he was happy and in love, the story would be greatly improved.
     
    What was your favorite part? (scene/sentence/etc)
    I think my favorite part of the story, although I say favorite reluctantly, is the breaking of the Pez Dispenser. This scene symbolizes the end of Sean and Will’s relationship, making it one of the most influential scenes of the story.  
  14. Renee Stevens
    Being the start of a new week, Monday's are also a good time to take a look at some of the different stories that can be found on Gay Authors. With so many great works, it can be easy to overlook one and Monday's provide an opportunity for us to help make one of them stand out and maybe catch your interest. Today, we're bringing you a review by AC Benus of Mikiesboy's story "Miss Silver Pretty-Pink Toes." Enjoy!
     
    Miss Silver Pretty-Pink-Toes
    Mikiesboy
    Reviewer: AC Benus
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 5,622
    Mikiesboy’s range is pretty amazing. How many of us have thought of tackling a fairytale, and doing it old-school?
    In Miss Silver Pretty-Pink-Toes you will encounter a beautiful goat who suffers a horrible fate: humanifacation! Her curse is to be set adrift among the caprice of mankind and to try to make her way back. Along the way, she meets unlikely love, and pure devotion – which she will need to return to her original form.
    We also meet a one-eyed goat, a massive slime-covered snapping turtle and an evil toad.
    In this highly original tales, many of Mikiesboy’s talents are called into use. There is poetry, fantasy, love and longing. There is also pain and confusion as some of the forces around Miss Silver act with malice.
    If you have not ventured into this remarkable fantasy world, please do. Like me, I think you soon be asking the author to create more imaginative tales along these lines.
    Category: Fiction   Genres: Fantasy, Romance   Tags: magic, sorcery, witchcraft, wizards, no sex, friendship   Rating: Everyone
  15. Renee Stevens
    It's time!!! For everyone that has been waiting, we've got 11 brand new stories for you to sink your teeth into. After you've read all the stories, make sure to vote for your favorite. The winners will be announced on October 31st, 2017. The top three stories will receive not only the recognition, but the following prizes:
     
    1st Place
    6 month Premium access
     
    2nd Place
    3 month Premium access
     
    3rd Place
    1 Month Premium access

    Reminder
     
    Authors and editing/beta teams are prohibited from revealing the author behind each story. Revealing the authors' identity will disqualify the story in question.
     
    Voting Procedure
     
    We are going with a blind vote for this contest. Neither the voter, nor the staff member collecting the votes will know which author wrote which story. All stories have been posted under the author name of Headless Horseman. The only site member/staff that knows the identity of each story's author is Renee Stevens. Reader1810 has willingly volunteered to collect votes. After you've read all 11 stories, PM the story name you'd like to vote for to Reader and use the subject Halloween Contest Vote.
     
    Members get to vote for one story. Please wait to vote for your choice until you have read all the stories and are certain as to which story you'd like to vote for.
     
    Voting will conclude at 2:00 PM EST on October 21st, 2017. No votes will be accepted after that time.
     
    Now, onto the stories!
     

     
     
  16. Renee Stevens
    I hope everyone is having a great week! It's time for this weeks prompts, supplied by our prompt guru, Comicfan. Just a reminder, and for those who haven't worked with the prompts before: prompt responses under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection.
     

     
    Prompt 618 – Creative
    Tag – The Announcement
    Your whole family has been gathered together for the first time in years. You think nothing of it, until you hear your cousin’s discussing some sort of announcement and find out this is all about you. What is the announcement
     
    Prompt 619 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
     

     
    Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.
  17. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up (Oct 8 - Oct 14)

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Well all, I hope you've had a great weekend! Thought I'd take a quick second to tell y'all that I'll see ya in a week (or a little over a week) as this girl is heading out for GRL (GayRomLit) as a Supporting Author this week. I won't be on GA much, if at all, so if you message me I most likely won't answer right away, and it might have to wait until I get back. I hope you all have a wonderful upcoming week and I'll see ya when I get back. Wish me luck (I'll need it!)!!!!  While I'm gone, if you hold an Author title, take a second to go check out the first round of voting for next year's anthologies. You can find them here. Voting will end on October 25th, so make sure to get your vote in soon!!!  Also, don't forget the Halloween Contest has gone live, so make sure you go read all 11 entries and then send your vote to @Reader1810. Now, let's see what happened this week in the various GA blogs!
     
    Contests
    2017 Halloween Short Story Contest - Voting Open! 2018 Summer Novella Anthology - Due April 15th, 2018 Anthology Announcements:
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team***
    2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017 Anthology Theme Selection - Part 1: Voting Open!  
    Premium Updates:
    Angel's Heart by Nephylim *Premium*
     
    Classic Updates:
    Brittle as a Bird by Ronyx
     
    Signature Updates:
    Dinner is Prompt-ly at Eight by Cole Matthews
    Lyrical Laments by Headstall
    Mine! by Cia
    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets by AC Benus; Book 5 of Verse
    Promptings from Valhalla by Valkyrie
    So Weeps the Willow by Cole Matthews
    Spirit of Fire by Stellar
     
    Promising Updates:
    Buy One, Get Two and Three... by Caz Pedroso
    Changes by Mikiesboy
    Cider Press by Parker Owens
    timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy
     
  18. Renee Stevens
    If you've read the weekly wrap up, you now know that I will be attending the GRL (GayRomLit) Retreat this week. However, I just learned that while most of the retreat you have to be registered for, the Author signings are open to the public!  So.... if you are in or around Denver this coming Thursday, from 10 am until 12 pm, come say hi!  GRL is being held at the Denver Marriott Tech Center!
  19. Renee Stevens
    Hope everyone has had a great week so far. It's time for this weeks writing prompts. If you're stuck, or you're considering writing for the first time, these might be perfect for you. Don't forget that stories under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection.
     

     
    Prompt 616 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    “I would love to do that with someone I loved.”
     
    Prompt 617 – Creative
    Tag -List of words
    Use the following words in a story -  a postcard, nail clipper, hospital bed, Broadway tickets, a rash.
     

     
    Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.
  20. Renee Stevens

    Clubs!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Technology Archive
    Hope everyone is having a great week so far!  With so much going on around Gay Authors, sometimes it's easy to miss when something new happens. Lately we have been adding some new clubs to the site, and moving appropriate forums into those clubs. Wondering where your favorite topic went? Check out clubs!  Clubs allow us to put all the stuff that belongs together in one place.  Writing Sci-Fiction?  Then the Sci-Fi club has fellow sci-fi writers, resource links, inspiring images, etc. Want to talk to other non-genre specific authors, or request a beta/editor? Head to the Writer's Club!  Are you an inspiring Poet, but not sure how to get started? Go meet up with your fellow Poets in the Poetry Writer's Club. These are just a few examples of what you can do with clubs. To help you find the clubs you want to join, I decided to do a quick blog post about all the available clubs at the time of this posting!
     
    The Writing Clubs!
     
    Everyday Life & Hobbies!
     
     
     
     
    Politics!
     
     
     
  21. Renee Stevens

    Featured Story: Morningstar: The Malaise

    By Renee Stevens,


    Featured Stories
    First off, Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian members. I hope you have a wonderful holiday! Now, it's time for a story review! Let's take a look at what we have for you on this Monday morning. Wicked Witch provided us with this great review on our newest Signature Author, Headstall. We hope you enjoy the review on Morningstar: The Malaise, and if you haven't already read it, hopefully this review will inspire you to do so.
     
    Morningstar: The Malaise 
    by Headstall
    Reviewer : Wicked Witch
    Status : Complete
    Word Count :  227,645
     
    When Kellar found out he was a wolf shifter, he was alone in the world. After every one of his kind he met refused to talk to him, he became an island. Estranged from all, Kellar retreated to his little piece of the world, and lived a lonely but peaceful existence. Then he met Tobyn, the first shifter who answered his questions. And the peaceful existence was subsumed in following the mystery of the malaise and finding love and somewhere to belong along the way. With a few surprises.
     
    Headstall’s recently completed Morningstar: The Malaise quickly became one of my favourite stories as I followed the journey of the characters. And such a journey it was! Headstall provided more than a few twists along the way as the characters and the world grew. Action, romance and adventure spread out ahead of Kellar and Tobyn.
     
    The Morningstar world is interesting and well thought out, however this story's shining light are the characters. They’re interesting, they have troubles and conflicts, they grow as people throughout the story. And just when you think their journey is complete, they prove to you that they have many more interesting things to show you, the reader. You get to follow them through ups and downs and heart stopping moments, and sweet happiness at times that makes you smile with them.
     
    I commend Headstall for managing to avoid many of the pitfalls of werewolf stories and provide an intrigue twist on the usual fare. If you enjoy the paranormal/supernatural, you’ll love this one. Or if you haven’t had a chance to get your toes wet in the realm of fantasy stories, here is a perfect place to start.
     
    Category: Fiction   Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Mystery   Tags: young adults, were creatures, gay, first time, anal, oral    Rating: Mature
  22. Renee Stevens
    Hope you all have had a great weekend and are ready for the start of a new week!  This past week was a full week here at Gay Authors, from an author promotion to the release of 11 new stories for you to read. Yep, that's right, the Halloween Contest has gone live, so make sure you go read all 11 entries and then send your vote to @Reader1810.
     
    Contests
    2017 Halloween Short Story Contest - Voting Open! 2018 Summer Novella Anthology - Due April 15th, 2018 Anthology Announcements:
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team***
    2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017 Anthology Theme Selection: Suggestions closed  
    Premium Updates:
    Angel's Heart by Nephylim *Premium*
     
    Classic Updates:
    Brittle as a Bird by Ronyx
     
    Signature Updates:
    Dinner is Prompt-ly at Eight by Cole Matthews
    Lyrical Laments by Headstall
    Mine! by Cia
    Poetry by Renee by Renee Stevens
    Promptings from Valhalla by Valkyrie
    Rivers of the Dead by Cynus
    So Weeps the Willow by Cole Matthews
    The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 9 by Comicality; Book 9 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase
     
    Promising Updates:
    Buy One, Get Two and Three... by Caz Pedroso
    Changes by Mikiesboy
    Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens
    timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy
  23. Renee Stevens
    I hope everyone is having a great week! It's time for this weeks prompts, supplied by our prompt guru, Comicfan. Just a reminder, and for those who haven't worked with the prompts before: prompt responses under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection.
     

     
    Prompt 614 – Creative
    Tag – The Changeling
    You’ve been asked to come see your best friend’s new born child. Arriving you feel a chill as you enter their home, but put it out of your mind. As you hold the child, your ring comes in contact with the green eyed, raven headed child who suddenly screams. As you watch, his hair becomes golden blonde, with very fine features, and kaleidoscope eyes. Before either parent can say a word, you say, “Changeling!” What happens?
     
    Prompt 615 – Creative
    Tag – Mystery
    The statue in the center of town has always been known to give a clue to a large fortune left by the founder of the town. Every year hundreds of people try to figure out the clues on the base o the statue but no one has ever found the treasure. What is the clue to the mystery?
     

     
    Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.
  24. Renee Stevens
    I hope you all enjoyed the last Improve & Encourage feature, because it's time for another one. These features are meant to both provide feedback to authors and, similar to story reviews, point out stories that readers might not otherwise have found. It's similar to a review, in that the person doing the critique tells you what they liked about the story, but it differs in that they also provide constructive criticism. Each author signed up to participate, and sign up's are still open!  These will post once a month until we no longer have content. Once that happens, I will critique the last author that posted. If you'd like to provide a critique for the blog, sign up in the thread. I'm hoping to have a lot more authors sign up, and just remember, by signing up, you are also volunteering to have your story critiqued and featured.
     
    W.A.R. Part 1 & 2
    jkwsquirrel
     
    Critique By: Cole Matthews
     
    Please give us a short summary of the story you chose. 
    W.A.R. is a teenage story about friends and their maturing.  Billy is a somewhat naïve, precocious thirteen-year-old, who helps care for his grandmother.  She is suffering from a stroke and is now mute.  Billy’s family is burdened with helping her cope, and his best friend Brett is also there to help.
     
    Brett is his most constant companion.  Brett’s mother moved them from New York City and he’s not happy being away from there.  Billy seems to be the only thing that makes his life in southwestern Pennsylvania manageable.  This is a vignette style story, in these first couple of sections.  It gives you a slice of these boys’ lives during a time of growth and trial.  It’s realistic and set in present day.
     
    What do you see as the strengths of the story/poem?
    Definitely the characters.  Brett and Billy have very distinctive voices and their own personalities, so different you can miss the name tags and still know who is speaking.  These characters have personality, history, and most of all humor.  In a hilarious exchange, Billy admitted his mother walked in on him changing clothes and saw him naked.  He’s mortified by it and his best friend Brett doesn’t hesitate to tease him about his shyness.  Later when Billy’s mom arrives to relieve the boys from the task of watching her stroke-impaired mother, Brett takes a dig at his friend. 
     
      “I don’t know,” Brett replied.  “So, Mrs. Roberts.  You’re a nurse, right?”
      “Of course, Brett.  You know that.”
      “So how many penises do you see in a day?”
      “Oh my god, Brett, shut the fuck up!”  I exclaimed.  Brett laughed his butt off.  I couldn’t believe he would say such a thing in front of my mother!
      “Billy!  Language!”  She scolded.  “So he told you about our little incident this morning,” mom said.  “I don’t see as many naked people as you might think, Brett.  But if a certain thirteen-year-old boy was worried about what his mother saw this morning he doesn’t need to worry.  I didn’t see anything I haven’t seen before.  The only thing he needs to be embarrassed about is the way he swears in front of his grandmother.”
      “Sorry mom,” I apologized.  “Sorry grandma.”
     
    There is a kind of loving, yet brutal, endearing quality to these boys.  Throughout the first couple of sections, they vacillate between love and truly hating the other.  Their emotions aren’t limited to those expressions.  Brett has a learning disability and he struggles with the implications of it.  Billy is in the throes of puberty, and the writer has him growing and realizing things have changed.  There is portrayal of the physical manifestations of sexual maturity, but more importantly, he realizes his parents aren’t empty vessels.  Other people have different ideas, and he needs to accept it.  Billy discovers his father had a past.  This is a revelation to the teen. 
     
    Billy is learning something about himself and his place in the world.  His father cares for him, but he has to work a lot, and that gets in the way.  There is a kind of ‘turning on’ the parts of the brain which acknowledges this in these first two segments.  The characters are genuine, have heart, and develop naturally.
     
    It’s the maturation of the characters along with endearing and infuriating attributes, and humor, which make you want to know more about them and keep reading.  Keep laughing.  It’s okay, we are really funny at this transitional period.
     
    What do you see as the weaknesses of the story? How do you think the story could be improved?
    There is a reliance on melodrama.  While the characters have dilemmas, which make for interesting reading, they fall into constant, and relentless, emotional outbreaks.  This is more telling later in the ongoing story, but the seeds of the problem are in the first two segments as well. 
     
    Developing character, carefully structuring plot, and cultivating the reader’s investment, are keys to good writing.  In WAR. the characters are well developed in these first parts, the plot has a kind of outline, but it starts to veer into some rather doubtful territory with extreme yelling and terrible arguing, which isn’t necessary.  This tends to interrupt the suspension of disbelief for the reader.
     
    Yes, there are situations which make us crazy.  Most of the time, it’s overblown in our own minds and starts to divert the attention to the overall story.  Drama needs to build and engage, not assault the reader.
     
    While discussing this with another writer friend, I realized it was a symptom of pacing and flow.  Consider this, there is some great literature which builds upon the character, setting, and situation of a story without being overly dramatic.  In ‘The Piano’, the touch of a finger in a hole in a garment is erotic and provocative.  In ‘Dune’ a person places a hand in a box and we experience terror, pain, and fear of what is to come.  Sometimes building the scene means editing the melodrama from a story and crafting it to work as a complete story.  In this story, Billy and Brett don’t need more, they are complete without the drama. 
     
    What was your favorite part? (scene/sentence/etc)
    Billy and Brett found a porn videotape hidden in Billy’s dad’s things.  The boys watched it, as teenaged boys would, and after a series of physical antics, Billy fell and gave himself a black eye.  (For context, this is done rather well. More of it in the story would be hilarious).  Brett is feeling guilty because he realizes if they didn’t steal and watch the tape, the whole situation could have been avoided.  That’s when this scene happens. 
     
      Brett groaned as if he was feeling my pain himself.  He gently touched my face.  “I can’t believe how swelled up it is.”  He looked closely at me, so close I could feel his breath on me.  He stared into my eyes.  He smiled.  “I wish my eyes were green like yours.”  He sighed.
      “Why?” I asked.  I hadn’t ever really thought about my eyes being anything special.
      “I just think they’re cool,” Brett replied.  “You have really nice eyes.  They’re unique.  Not a lot of people have green eyes like yours.  Mine are just boring old blue.”
      “I like your eyes,” I said.  “You have pretty eyes.”
      “Pretty?” Brett laughed.  “My eyes are pretty?  So now you think I’m pretty?”
      “You know what I mean!” I said.  “Boy pretty, not pretty pretty.”
      “Is my dick pretty, too?” Brett laughed.
      “Why do you always twist whatever I say and make it into something perverted?”
      “Because I’m a pervert!” Brett exclaimed, “and you’ll be as sick and twisted as me by the time I’m done with you!”
      “You’re crazy!” I laughed.  Brett was a goofball.  If he had to go five minutes without making a joke I think he’d explode.
     
    Teenagers, especially boys, don’t know how to express affection.  They are too old to say it plainly without nuance and too young to speak their truth.  This story shows boys being boys, caring for each other, and discovering the intricacies of human interactions.  Billy and Brett are struggling with the percolated emotions that bubble within us, and they are learning what those feelings mean.
     
    This snippet demonstrates how this story portrays these challenges in an engaging and thoughtful way.  It’s not the outbursts which define characters, but the discussions and heartfelt worries that can create the outlines we desire.  The writer does this quite well, as I hope I’ve shown.  Please check out this story.  It’s worth a read.
    Billy, Brett, and Dustin deserve it.  They are interesting characters  you don’t want to miss!!!
  25. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up (Sep 24 - Sep 30)

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Happy Sunday, y'all. I hope you all have had a great week so far. It was a busy week this past week, so make sure to check out any blog posts you missed. We had another CSR Discussion Day this week, along with the next "Improve & Encourage" critique feature, and the prompts. I think my favorite though, is the new contest announcement. If you've always wanted to publish, then make sure to check out our new novella contest. The grand prize is...we'll help launch the winning story as a self-published book!
    Contests
    2018 Summer Novella Anthology - Due April 15th, 2018 Anthology Announcements:
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team***
    2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017 Anthology Theme Selection: Suggestions closed  
    Premium Updates:
    Angel's Heart by Nephylim *Premium*
     
    Classic Updates:
    Brittle as a Bird by Ronyx
     
    Signature Updates:
    A Man in a Room, and other poems by AC Benus; Book 6 of Verse
    Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
    Mine! by Cia
    Musings of a Mongoose by Cynus
    Northern Exposure by Mark Arbour; Book 8 of Bridgemont
    Rivers of the Dead by Cynus
    So Weeps the Willow by Cole Matthews
     
    Promising Updates:
    Buy One, Get Two and Three... by Caz Pedroso
    Changes by Mikiesboy
    Cozy Contemplations by Headstall
    Cut the Cake by Parker Owens
    timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy
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