Jump to content

Renee Stevens

Classic Author
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    8,392

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by Renee Stevens

  1. Renee Stevens
    Hope everyone is having a good week so far. If you're looking to write, then why not try out one of these writing prompts.
     

     
    Prompt 596 – Creative
    Tag – The Gift
    As the leader of your people you have been told you are being sent a gift by the new species your race has encountered in space. All your top scientists have been able to decode is the gift is very precious and a symbol of how they wish to coexist. A large box is delivered to your ship. When opened you find a youth in suspended animation. What do you do with your gift?
     
    Prompt 597 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    How does he always know what to say?
     

     
    Did you write a prompt response last week? Don't forget to share it below.
  2. 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. If you have already signed up, please get your critiques to me as I am completely out! 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.
     
    Alex's Legacy 
    Valkyrie
     
    Critique By: William King
     
    Please give us a short summary of the story you chose.
    This book tells the story of Sam and Alex, how they met, their developing relationship, and how things ended up. It is, however, more about how a person - Sam - overcomes tragedy. In particular it focuses on the events that follow a horrific rape. It is about finding the road to salvation in the aftermath. Although that is not the only devastating catastrophe that Sam must deal with.
     
    What do you see as the strengths of the story/poem?
    The novel is well written and easy to read. The horrific rape at the centre of the story is handled in a way that is totally believable. The incident does not pull any punches and yet the balance in the description is perfect. This delicate yet strong uncompromising approach by the author hits the reader hard - which I think is what it is supposed to do. The fallout and subsequent recovery is equally well handled. You will be affected emotionally and I doubt that you will be spared a tear or two. 
     
    What do you see as the weaknesses of the story/poem?
    What the book failed to achieve for me, was any depth beyond the one, or two, tragic events. A lot of time is taken up with the developing romantic relationship  between Sam and Alex, and there is a fair amount of sex. But, there is little background to our two protagonists,  other than the bare essentials necessary to make them real. I felt like they were people I might have met at a dinner party, listened to their story, but never knew very much about them. This is equally true for the other characters, although to be fair, in that case it is far less important. 
     
    How do you think the story/poem could be improved?
    Perhaps what is missing is any background story. Something else going on that would hold the reader's interest. Possibly if the events had been reflected by showing some detail of the impact they had on the lives of close friends, then I would have felt more involved. 
     
    What was your favorite part? (scene/sentence/etc)
    One cannot properly call the rape, and the effect it had on Sam, to be a favorite part of the story, but it was just that. It was so well described, that for me this was the essential part of the whole book.
  3. Renee Stevens
    Today we have a treat for you! You don't just get one review, you get (counts)...eight! Gay Authors has always managed to remain free to its members, one of the ways that it has managed to do so is through its Premium Subscribers. Members choose to help support the site and keep it going by purchasing Premium Content which consists of a number of stories that are only available on the site by purchasing Premium. There are many great stories to be found in the Premium section, and today, the review team has decided to share some of their favorites.
     
    Broken Prince and Mismatched Eyes 
    layla Reviewer: LitLover Word Count: 117,309   Broken Prince and Mismatched Eyes by Layla is one of my favourites on this site. It’s the story of misunderstandings, hurt feelings, pain, betrayal and ultimately finding love, trust and acceptance.

    The two main characters, Caden and Rhys, are good men facing trials in their lives not of their own making. Rhys had an accident, which left him with a badly injured leg, and a permanent limp. Since the accident he’s felt like a shadow of his former self and tends to lash out at those close to him when he feels hurt or threatened. Rhys also has a terrible habit of assuming everyone thinks less of him, and immediately goes on the defensive whenever he meets anyone new.

    Caden is a shy, reserved man who is often perceived as aloof to those who don’t know him well. His best and only friends in the world are his two large dogs. Because he’s been ostracized by his stepmother and the household staff, and all but ignored by his father his whole life, Caden tends to retreat into himself: walking the wild moors of his home as a near mute, rather than engaging with those around him.

    Faced with the prospect of an arranged marriage to one another it’s an uphill climb to get past their own insecurities before they can even make the effort to scale each other’s protective walls. Complicating matters along their journey to find love and trust, they face betrayal and outside attempts to destroy their fledgling relationship.

    Broken Prince and Mismatched eyes is a twenty-two chapter roller coaster ride of emotions but, in my opinion, the journey and the angst are worth every second.
      Category: Fiction   Genres: Drama, Historical, Romance   Tags: mature adult, adult, gay, serious, love  Rating: Mature
        Coin in the Fountain comicfan Reviewer: Timothy M. Word Count: 6,844 Let me start out by saying you should not expect a HEA when reading this fairy tale. Comicfan rips away the sugary, Disneyfied glamour of magic and love, and we’re faced with the much darker and primeval version of the Old World fairy tales found in the Grimm Brothers’ collections and the later writings of the famous Dane H.C. Andersen. Here, selfish fools pay the price, and the cautious may escape danger by heeding the warnings of the old crone. Never look back – don’t eat and drink with the fey – avoid the easy shortcuts – don’t mess with magic – beware the butterfly effect.    The story revolves around the ancient concept of wishing wells and the risk of making the wrong wish. But comicfan renews the tradition and brings it into the modern world. One family member in each of three generations faces the severe and permanent consequences of their choice. Did I feel sorry for them? No, actually not. I shook my head in sadness, but the logic was inescapable. Originally, fairy tales were told as warnings and moral guidelines, and this story follows the proud tradition.   The story makes us ask difficult questions like: Would I be able to resist the temptation? Would I believe in old wives’ tales? Would I try to circumvent the conditions of the wishing well? Would I do the right thing, when my wish went awry? Read the story and tell us your answers.   Category: Fiction   Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Romance   Tags: teen, magic, gay, north america, modern  Rating: Everyone
        Comfort Only RCMills
    Reviewer: Timothy M. Word count: 52,560
    Are you a fan of Dayne Mora’s E.P.I.C. stories? Then I bet you’ll like Comfort Only, which displays the same wit and catchy phrases. Especially the first chapters left me chuckling and reading the same sentences several times, to admire the brilliant word play. Judging by the comments left on the story I’m not the only one to  regularly. 
     
    There are several well-known story elements here. The chatty and bratty BFF, who unbeknownst to himself makes a crucial difference in the life of a repressed guy with a difficult home life. The obnoxiously selfish but witty guy who pokes wicked fun at his (of course) irritating roommate, his ex-girlfriend, his teachers, his best friend’s younger brother and anyone else he feels deserves it. But we forgive him, because his caustic wit is also used against himself, and his loyalty to his best friend knows no limits.
     
    There’s also an über-intelligent nerd, a mega-annoying girlfriend who sees nothing wrong with ‘kissing’ all her ex-boyfriends, a metrosexual fashionista, an unexpected love twist, and some painfully hot sex.   But RCMills blends all of these elements in breath-taking ways which at times leave you as confused and gob-smacked as the main character, whose POV we follow. There is no traditional happy ending, yet I was left with the hope that love would prevail and dreams come true.
     
    Comfort Only was one of the unexpected bonus stories which made me feel I got extra value for my Premium membership.
     
    Category: Fiction   Genres: Drama   Tags: college, anal, oral, psychology, modern  Rating: Mature
     
    Do Over
    dkstories
    Reviewer: Spikey582
    Word Count: 303,971
    What if you could go back in time and relive your childhood a second time, only this time with full knowledge of all the things that went wrong the first time? That is essentially the basic premise of Do Over by dkstories. In an experiment gone wrong, Davey Jones, a man in his 30s, has his consciousness transported back into his twelve-year-old body.

    There are a ton of themes and conflicts presented throughout this story. Davey, a man living in 2004, goes back to 1981, with all the memories of growing up in this era. At first, the conflict mostly hinges on Davey wondering if and when his mind will be brought back into the future. When he starts to realize that will never happen, he is presented with multiple conflicts of what horrible tragedies he should try to prevent. He tries first within his own family, and then with his memories of the era, world events. How much should he change? Will the changes he makes be for the better, or for the worse?

    This very brief synopsis of the plot barely scratches the surface of the themes and events covered in this tale: the AIDS crisis, which was in its earliest and darkest days (then known as the “gay plague”); there’s the anti-gay politics of the era with the Moral Majority; the gay rights movement; and, of course, the most prevalent conflict of the era -- the Cold War. All of which Davey, with his knowledge and attitudes of the future, gets thrust right in the midst of. 

    I think what I liked most about this story was that it had such a mix of genres. It was an alternate-history story, a coming of age story, a romance, and an action/adventure story, all rolled into one. Spanning 40 chapters, this story has a lot to offer. So check it out; you won’t be disappointed.
     
    Category: Fiction   Genres: Drama, Sci-Fi   Tags: gay, alternate earth, coming of age, 20th century  Rating: Mature
       
    In Enemy Hands
    M.A. Church
    Reviewer: Puppilull
    Word Count: 78,128
    A handsome prince on a space mission vital to the survival of his planet meets a tall, dark and equally handsome stranger. Sounds like the start of a true romance novel, right? But what if both of our protagonists behave a bit like arrogant bastards, neither wanting to show any weakness in front of the other? And what if the stranger is in fact a highly skilled assassin with possible vampiric tendencies belonging to a very reclusive race known for not taking any prisoners? And he captures said prince, holding him against his will? That would throw quite a few spanners in the works for possible romance….
     
    Meet Prince Varo, brought up in a culture of tough warriors and expected to be even tougher than most. After his mission goes awry, he crashes in his spaceship in an attempt at final glory. With no such luck and after ending up in the worst possible situation, he knows he has to do his utmost to get away. If only to appease his more than slightly insane father. The only problem is someone else is equally hellbent on keeping him there. Enter Adlar, a highly skilled warrior and fighter, who realizes just what a treasure Varo truly is. On more than one level.
     
    M.A. Church manages to keep the tension between Varo and Adlar without turning either of them into silly caricatures of romance protagonists. Throughout the book, there is an undercurrent of need and want, push and pull that is definitely sexy but there is much more to story. These two characters lead us through an intriguing dance, although without much of the usual misunderstanding and doubt. Our guys actually talk to each other, eventually at least. When they aren’t busy trying to fight for dominance. Or fighting their need to submit…  And what a lovely fight it is.
     
    Category: Fiction   Genres: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi   Tags: aliens, gay, off-planet, space, fighting, future  Rating: Mature
       
    MetaWolf Series
    JohnAR
    Reviewer: Puppilull
    Word Count: 998,294
    Anyone who’s spoken to me for more than five seconds knows I have a serious addiction problem. My addiction is the amazing MetaWolf series by JohnAR. It’s a series of eight books, or actually nine if you include the prompt collection (and you have to include the prompt collection to really get to know these characters).
     
    It’s the story of lonely nerd Colt, very smart but not very liked. As he escapes his past to college, he hopes his life will turn around. With no such luck, he resigns himself to simply enduring the last years of college. Then he encounters three guys who change his world. Not only on a personal level, but his whole view of the world. He is brought into the eternal fight between wolf shifters and vampires. As he and his wolves struggle to figure out how to incorporate an odd nerd as their Meta (i e the one calling the shots, out-ranking even the Alpha), their pack gains wolf after wolf, growing in strength and preparing for their fate. All this while having to battle vampire attacks and other dangerous situations. From there, the story unfolds in many unexpected ways.
     
    Meta can be read in different ways. It can be read as an action story of a man and his hunky wolves, with all the fighting and naughty sex. Who doesn’t like some hot, kinky action once in a while? If that is your fancy, not many do it better than JohnAR. It is also the story of a group of men, all pushed around by life and mistreated in various ways, learning how to trust and eventually love each other. This personal journey of our guys had me crying more than once, and I feel a definite connection to Colt and his life as a smart but not very popular person.
    One big part of Meta is trying to figure out what it all means. Throughout the series, there are clues and red herrings distributed liberally. The story incorporates various myths and historic events, from ancient Greece, parts of Asia and also more recent times. For a true nerd, this is like an Easter egg hunt. Each little detail you manage to figure out, makes you go “Ha!” and feel very pleased with yourself. Then at the end you’ll go “Huh?” and realize you have to reread the whole series to really get what it’s about.
     
    But don’t let the nerdness discourage you from reading. Above all, this is a series about love, loyalty, friendship, courage and determination. You will fall in love with at least one of the wolves, quite possibly more. And even though I have very strong feelings about Colt, I realize he’s not the easiest character to fall in love with. However, I have no doubt you’ll root for him and want what’s best for him. After all, if a pack of wolf shifters make him the center of their world, he can’t be all bad?
     
    Category: Fiction   Genres: Mystery  Tags: were-creatures, vampire, adult, gay, fetish, menage  Rating: Mature
       
    Ship Logs of the Santa Claus
    Mann Ramblings
    Reviewer: Renee Stevens
    Word Count: 200,394
    If I wasn’t already a fan of Mann Ramblings, this series would have changed that. The Ship Logs of the Santa Claus consists of three books at the moment: The Luxorian Fugitive, A Cook’s Tale, and Priest & Pariah. If I’m being honest, this review is hard to write. Not because I didn’t enjoy the stories, I did, but reviewing it as a series is difficult because each story has a different feel and what works for one wouldn’t really work for the others. Mann Ramblings has done a wonderful job building a true community of flawed individuals and making us empathize with each and every one as they struggle to accept and overcome the various obstacles put in their path. And there are a lot of obstacles! So, what is this series about? Well, let’s take a look at it.
     
    Needing an escape following a devastating civil war on Alpha Centauri, Captain Marc Danverse has created a life for himself and his crew on board the Santa Claus, a cargo vessel that travels through space transporting various cargo, and occasionally passengers. The one thing that sets the Santa Claus apart from other ships? The rule of no women and no hetero on board. That’s right, no women or straight men allowed. Marc has his reasons, and takes a lot of flak for the rule, but it creates a very accepting community for his crew to live in. Sure, there are issues like there is everywhere else, but the one thing no one has to worry about is being judged for preferring other men.
     
    But these stories aren’t just about Marc, in fact, Marc plays a supporting role for the most part. Instead, the three Santa Claus stories focus on his crew as they work their way through a number of obstacles. Whether it’s nightmares, medical issues, violence, guilt, self-image, or just memories of the past, the men of the Santa Claus work to persevere over the injustices life has thrown at them. If you decide to read Mann’s Ship Logs of the Santa Claus series, which I highly recommend you do, prepare yourself to run through a gamut of emotions. If you’re anything like me, there will be times you laugh, cry, and shake your head at the antics of the Santa Claus crew. But when all is said and done, you’ll hopefully be cheering for them as they each work toward making a better life for themselves. And when it ends, if you’re like me, you’ll be anxiously waiting to see whose story Mann will tell next.
     
    Category: Fiction   Genres: Drama, Sci-Fi  Tags: mature adult, gay, psionics, anal, military, future, bdsm  Rating: Mature
       
    Social Skills
    Sara Alva
    Reviewer: Aditus
    Word Count: 105,010
    There always comes this moment where I remember a scene from Sara Alva’s Social Skills, and I can’t resist looking it up, then I wind up reading just a few more pages and before I know it, I’m at the end! The story draws me in every time. So, why is that?
     
    The main plot is quickly told: Connor, a shy, diligent college freshman, plays the violin in the student orchestra. He meets Jared while tutoring football players who need to keep up their grades. They fall in love, they fall out of love… But will they be together in the end?
     
    The question What comes next? was always present on my mind while reading the book. It spurred me on until I turned the last page, still out of breath. However, it’s these wonderful, multifaceted characters who come alive in my head and never let me forget them that make Social Skills so special to me.
     
    I suffer with Connor, who bravely battles social anxiety and general awkwardness with the help of his music—and later with Jared’s love. I feel for Jared, who is conflicted, as he wants to live up to his recently-deceased father’s legacy as a successful football player, even though he knows he will never be as good as his dad. Then there is his sexuality. For Connor, Jared not only acknowledges he is gay, but acts on it for the first time, albeit in secrecy.
     
    Well-developed side characters underpin the events perfectly, bringing out certain aspects of the main characters, and generally spicing up the story. Rebecca, Connor’s stand partner in the orchestra, who became Connor’s best friend almost from the minute they met, is my all-time favorite. She is nosy, meddlesome, supportive, and inspiring. She is also a perfect role model for Connor, embracing her otherness instead of fighting it. I could go on and tell you about Ronnie, Ray, Tate, A.J., and Beth, but you have to see for yourself how they pull the plot in different directions.
     
    There is one other aspect of Social Skills I really like. It’s the familiarity with the campus—buildings, secret passages, routines described as only an insider can know. It makes the story much more genuine.
     
    Oh, I almost forgot the music. You should listen to it while reading the story. It’s perfect; each piece sets the respective scene.
     
    Category: Fiction   Genres: Romance   Tags: young adult, gay, first time, coming of age, music, modern  Rating: Mature
  4. Renee Stevens
    Hey all, I hope you have all had a great week and weekend so far. A huge thank you to Cia for taking care of the various blogs as I've dealt with some personal issues. For the most part, I'm back and should be back to doing the majority of the blogs. Now, lets see what happened while I was gone!
     
    Contests
    Halloween Short Story Contest - Due September 15th, 2017  
    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  
    Premium Updates:
    Dreams of a Father by dkstories; Book 2 of Dreams of Humanity *Premium*
    Negative Splits by Cia *Premium*
     
    Classic Updates:
    Down a Darkened Path by Ronyx
     
    Signature Updates:
    Caesura by aditus; Book 2 of The King's Mate
    Mine! by Cia
    Spirit of Fire by Stellar
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
     
    Promising Updates:
    Buy One, Get Two and Three... by Caz Pedroso
    Changes by Mikiesboy
    Choices by LitLover
    Cozy Contemplations by Headstall
    Drifts by Puppilull; Book 3 of Hot and cold
    timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy
  5. Renee Stevens
    Hope everyone has had a great week so far and is looking forward to the weekend. What better way to start it off than with brand new prompts! If you've been feeling stuck, or maybe just want to do something a little different, maybe one of these prompts will jump start a new idea. Just remember, prompt responses under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection. Also, to make it so that nobody feels like their prompt response is getting overlooked, we've changed the format. Rather than us picking the prompt responses to share, authors can share their response in the comments. Provide a small excerpt and a link and help people find your prompts!
     

     
    Prompt 592 -  Challenge
    Tag – Details
    Describe your favorite object. Try to use as many senses as you can in your description, making the details come alive for your reader.
     
    Prompt 593 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    What did you promise this time?
     

     
    So, did you write a prompt response last week? Share it with us!
  6. Renee Stevens

    Featured Story: Rule #3

    By Renee Stevens,


    Featured Stories
    I hope everyone had a great weekend, but now it's time to start off a new week. A great way to start the week is to take a look at a story that can be found on Gay Authors. Today's feature is Rule #3 by CassieQ. William King was nice enough to provide us with this great review. If you haven't already done so, maybe it will inspire you to take a look. If you do, don't forget to leave Cassie some reviews. Enjoy!
     
    Rule #3
    CassieQ
    Reviewer: William King
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 16,582
     
    I will often start a review of a story by saying something about whether it was well written, and easy and enjoyable to read. This story was all those things, but more than the fluidity of the writing and the well-balanced pace, there was the intriguing concept of the plot.

    As I got deeper into the story, I could not help thinking it was all too Nice!  I repeatedly thought to myself—no way—things have to start getting nasty here, or it’s not real. But at the same time, I couldn’t help the warm feeling that leapt off the pages; I was drawn to these three nice characters.

    It was Marc who was at the center of things; the story revolved around this central character, but it was Ryland who came most alive. Don’t read that statement to mean Marc and Gabriel were not well-drawn personages, they were. Even Gabriel’s character was full enough, although of the three, he was the least written. But Ryland's feelings and emotions were so real, it felt like he was there with me when I was reading the story.

    The premise of the story is they all 'do the right thing' in extraordinary circumstances, but I doubt such relationships occur very often. And if they do, I can’t imagine that they work out like in Rule #3. But therein lies the skill of the author—a twofold talent—on the one hand, Cassie can tell a story that can’t fail to make you feel good inside, but on the other hand, she can do so in such a way it becomes completely believable.

    I found this story a joy to read and a treat for the heart, ending with what I have to suppose is a happily ever after—with a twist. Read Rule #3 to find out what that is!

    Category: Anthology   Genres: Romance   Tags: young adult, gay, urban, light-hearted   Rating: Mature
  7. Renee Stevens
    It's that time of the week again! In case you missed any of what's been going on this week, never fear, because we'll take a quick peek at everything that we looked at from Monday on. Are you worried you might have missed a story update from one of your favorite authors? We'll help you out there too with the story updates from all of GA's promoted authors.
     
     
    Contests
    Halloween Short Story Contest - Due September 15th, 2017  
    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  
    Premium Updates:
    Negative Splits by Cia *Premium*
     
    Signature Updates:
    Caesura by aditus; Book 2 of The King's Mate
    Mine! by Cia
    Negative Splits by Cia
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
    The Hollow Hills by Valkyrie
     
    Promising Updates:
    Buy One, Get Two and Three... by Caz Pedroso
    Choices by LitLover
    Cozy Contemplations by Headstall
    Ripped by craftingmom
    timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy
  8. 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. For the featured prompt responses, we're going to start doing things a little different. Rather than me pick a prompt from the previous week, the authors themselves can share their prompts in the comments. This way, no one gets left out!
     

     
    Prompt 590 – Creative
    Tag – Heart Failure
    You weren’t feeling good, so on your lunch break you figured you would go to the local walk-in clinic. As you enter you collapse. The only thing you remember upon waking is these two dark brown eyes. You are told by a co-worker who stops by that you were saved by a cute doctor who was on his way out of the clinic as you collapsed. What happened next?
     
    Prompt 591 – Creative
    Tag – List of Words
    Use the following words in a story – a blanket, a broken cell phone, a park, a squirrel, and a pear.
     

     
    Now, share your prompt responses from Prompt #588 and Prompt #589!
  9. Renee Stevens
    I hope everyone has had a great week. There were no prompts this week, but they'll be back next week. So let's take a look at what blogs were posted.
     
     
    Contests
    Halloween Short Story Contest - Due September 15th, 2017  
    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  
    Premium Updates:
    A Closed Door by Andrew_Q_Gordon *Premium*
    Negative Splits by Cia *Premium*
     
    Classic Updates:
    Reggie's Journal by Ronyx
     
    Signature Updates:
    A prompt a week by comicfan
    April Musings by Valkyrie
    Mine! by Cia
    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets by AC Benus; Book 5 of Verse
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
    The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 9 by Comicality; Book 9 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase
     
    Promising Updates:
    Choices by LitLover
    Cozy Contemplations by Headstall
    Headstall's Reflections by Headstall
    Lyrical Laments by Headstall
    Prompts 2017 by Caz Pedroso; Book 4 of Prompt's
    timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy
  10. 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.
     
    Between the Push and the Pull
    Hudson Bartholomew
     
    Critique By: Wicked WItch
     
    Please give us a short summary of the story you chose.
    Ryan carefully separates the real him from his façade as Roman Cox, porn actor. But when he is recruited for a new type of porn, with story and romance flaring between the characters, he finds it harder and harder to separate what is happening in front of the cameras from his real attraction for fellow actor Erik.
     
    What do you see as the strengths of the story/poem?
    The summary I’ve written makes this story sound way too much like a corny erotic romance. As the character Ryan mentions what they do on screen is much like a Harlequin romance, but Hudson Bartholomew manages to provide real emotional depth in this story that quickly breaks any illusion of this being such a book.

    The description and imagery here are wonderful and make things flare to life in the readers mind, and Hudson has crafted a very interesting plot. Though the sequence of events that make up the beginning middle and end are not complex, the emotional journey the characters embark upon is winding and twisted. The plot of the porno being filmed, the story of Ryan and Erik’s private lives, and the story of their meeting all explore the way the psyche deals with many issues.

    Trying to write this, I honestly feel like I am back in Literature analysing stuffy old Victorian novels. There is so much interesting exploration of the psyche in this work that almost deserves an essay. But Hudson livens it all up with a modern story and a dash of the erotic that makes it a really enjoyable read.
     
    Those stuffy Victorians would be scandalised.
     
    What do you see as the weaknesses of the story/poem?
    This is the most difficult part as I don’t see too many weaknesses. The romance felt a little one sided as we just don’t see enough of Erik for my liking. The character of Erik could’ve been explored a bit more deeply, but he is still a well rounded and solid, believable person. I’d have liked to sneak a peak more into his mind however. In addition there were some minor typos in the work that could do with being rectified.  
     
    How do you think the story/poem could be improved?
    Another run over by an editor might improve this by cutting out some of the typos. Another edit would help almost any story however, that said, so it is a general thing.
     
    While pacing is good, I think that making this work a bit longer and working in more of Erik’s perspective would really build things up more.  We get a glimpse or two of his life but we see into Ryan’s world far more deeply than Erik’s.
     
    As much as I don’t love the ending of this work, because I’m a sappy fool and it was heartbreaking, I think that it works with the piece. Now, a sequel would be perfection.
     
    What was your favorite part? (scene/sentence/etc)
    I’m of two minds about my favourite part. I don’t want to spoil things, so I won’t quote anything. But the ending is my favourite, and yet my least favourite. Because it left me a temporary emotional wreck, I hate the ending. Yet it is so beautifully written and it makes so much sense to the story, and so I love it. The descriptions, the power of the words. It was perfect in one way and so heart wrenching in another.
     
    I feel so deeply unsatisfied that it couldn’t end another way, and yet it was such a good ending. It inspired deep emotion. I could – I still can - see the scene so vividly in my mind. I feel like these characters may yet haunt me; they feel so real, even though they are fiction.
  11. Renee Stevens
    Hope everyone has had a great week, so let's take a look at what happened this past week in the various GA News blog!
     
     
    Contests
    Halloween Short Story Contest - Due September 15th, 2017  
    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  
    Premium Updates:
    A Closed Door by Andrew_Q_Gordon *Premium*
    Negative Splits by Cia *Premium*
     
    Classic Updates:
    Reggie's Journal by Ronyx
     
    Signature Updates:
    319 Winesap Lane by CarlHoliday
    A prompt a week by comicfan
    Fanfic by Comicality; Book 0 of Fanfic
    Mine! by Cia
    New Kid In School by Comicality
    On The Outside by Comicality
    Poetry by Renee by Renee Stevens
    The Best Year by Krista
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
     
    Promising Updates:
    Buy One, Get Two and Three... by Caz Pedroso
    Choices by LitLover
    Cozy Contemplations by Headstall
    Headstall's Reflections by Headstall
    Lyrical Laments by Headstall
    timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy
    Walls by Carlos Hazday; Book 6 of CJ
  12. 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. Hopefully you'll find something in this weeks prompts to spark an idea and get you writing!
     

     
    Prompt 588 – Creative
    Tag – The Pitch
    You were hired to write a new television show. You were asked to create something unique. What is your pitch?
     
    Prompt 589 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    Who is singing that?
     

     
    Our three responses to Prompt #586:
     

     
    BHopper2 - Prompt #586
     
    “Where are you planning to get the money for that vacation?” Professor Kline asked looking over at AJ. “Three weeks touring Ireland, England, and Scotland, seems to be rather expensive.”
     
    AJ smiled at his Professor, knowing he meant well. Professor Kline was his academic advisor, and whom he sought guidance on a variety of issues over the years. He’s also the man, which needed to approve him to access the campus computer system while he was away. “It’s mine and Tommy’s wedding honeymoon. Dad’s bankrolling it. Though, we have to take our own spending cash. I’ve already talked to my grandparents, and I can pull the money out from my Trust. It’s going to be a magical trip.” AJ stated with a twinkle in his eye.
     
    “Alright, thanks for answering, though you didn’t need too. Are you going to have the time to study while over there? Don’t get me wrong, schoolwork would be the last thing I thought of, while I was with my new partner while on a honeymoon.”
     


    JohnAR - MetaDeprivation
     
    “Where are you planning to get the money for that vacation?” the mailbox message said. Colt closed his phone before it had finished, checked the time, 30 more minutes, before putting it away. It seemed his mother during one of her not so bright moments, had called him and left that message, instead of on his father’s phone. He didn’t even get excited about the notion of ‘vacation.’ They would never go for a vacation. And even if, he didn’t want to go on vacation. Not with people he didn’t love. So no vacation. Ever.
     
    He only felt guilty for two seconds, he was supposed to love his parents, but he didn’t feel it. No surprise, the freak he was. No surprise, the loner he was.
     
    “You will never belong,” the stranger said, reading his thoughts.
     

     
    Comicfan - A Prompt A Week
     
    “Where are you planning to get the money for that vacation?” Tony looked over Mark’s broad shoulder at the website on screen.
     
    “I can look. You know I’ve been putting money away.” Tony turned and glared at his brother. “And it isn’t a vacation, it’s called a honeymoon!”
     
    “Yeah, yeah.” Tony smiled and sat on his older brother’s bed. “Just don’t you and Bran forget to bring me back something!”
     
    “You do realize its our honeymoon. We aren’t going for souvenirs, you know?”
  13. Renee Stevens
    Yep. I'm so frustrated at this point. I have so many writing projects on my computer at the moment, but I can't seem to make any progress on anything. I don't know if it's simply because the depression has reared its ugly head, if it's stress, or what is causing my issues. All I know is that I "want" to write, I just can't seem to make anything work the way I want it to. I don't think this is writer's block, at least not in the traditional sense of the word. Writer's block to me usually means that I have no ideas, no vision, nothing. I have the vision, just not the focus, the words, or anything that will actually allow me to write what's in my head. Right now I have:
     
    Joined by Blood - revision
    I want to publish Joined by Blood, but there are aspects of the story that need to be cleaned up and tweaked a bit. I know exactly what needs done, how to fix areas I'm not happy with, and generally I have everything in my head, but I just can't seem to get the words out.
     
    Challenging Fate - revision
    There was always more to Challenging Fate than what I allowed myself to write in the original. To be honest, it's possible I could make this into a novel instead of a novella. Just like with Joined by Blood, I know what I need to do, I just can't seem to do it.
     
    Reece's Choice - expansion
    I've always loved my story Reece's Choice and I want to expand it and publish it. I know what scenes need added. I know what needs changed, but again, I just can't focus.
     
    Jerry & Chris: The Beginning - NEW
    I really want to write a new Jerry and Chris tale. It's been a rather long time since I visited the guys and I thought it would be cool to see when they actually met, or at least got together. But I can't seem to even organize my thoughts on it.
     
    Unnamed Story - NEW
    This one would hopefully be for Dreamspinner Press' houseline, Dreamspun Desires. I know the plot, and it's one I'm actually pretty excited about, but I can't seem to get more than a scene here or there and then I falter. And what I do have, I'm not really sure I'm happy with.
     
    Forging Trust - On Hold
    Forging Trust has been on hold for a rather long time, and I'd really like to finish it. What I've already written is already up on GA, but I'm seriously considering unpublishing it and revamping a bit, clean it up, and then repost from the beginning. However I do, I'm tired of it being incomplete.
     
    There's more. I probably have at least a dozen stories on my computer in various stages of completion, but I just can't seem to focus on anything. I've been camping a lot already this summer, and usually camping is the one place I can sit and write, regardless of whether I'm struggling to write at home. So far this summer, that hasn't been the case. Even when out camping, with the peace and quiet, and nothing else really going on, I just can't write. Then again, camping hasn't been as relaxing for me this year as it normally is. There has been so much going on, and for some reason I find myself on the verge of tears constantly. I thought, maybe, I'd found something that would help, but it didn't work out either and, in fact, it crashed and burned a fiery death.
     
    I'm really hoping the next couple of days will help turn things around. I'm going back out camping, just until Saturday, with my best friend. Just me, her, and her little boy. I'm really hoping that spending some "sister time" together is what I need to help beat the slump into submission. *Fingers crossed*
     
     
  14. Renee Stevens
    Well, it's the start of a new week, and for today's schedule, we're bringing you Puppilull's review of A Healing Heart by lilansui. 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 A Healing Heart for yourself!
     
    A Healing Heart
    lilansui
     
    Reviewer: Puppilull
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 71,209
     
    Dealing with heartbreak and sorrow can be done in many ways, more or less healthy. One strategy is to lock yourself away from the world. Perhaps not literally, but still hiding yourself emotionally from others around, just so you won’t experience anything like that ever again.
     
    Talin has chosen to handle the shitty hands dealt by life by doing just that. He focuses all his energy on his club, making sure to keep a professional distance to those around him, no matter how supportive they try to be. In his corner of the world, life plods along in a predictable and safe manner. Or it could be if it weren’t for a certain man, Dimitri. A man with an uncanny ability to shake Talin up in seconds. Also a man surrounded by quite a few mysteries.
     
    As many of Lilansui’s stories, this is an action filled novel complete with gangsters and surprising twists. Some of them will have you reading at the speed of light just to know what’s going to happen. It’s one of those rare stories where you feel the outcome isn’t so easy to figure out. The odds seem stacked against our pair and at times all appears to be lost.
     
    Then there is the story of the growing relationship between Talin and Dimitri, written in a way that you feel the attraction they have for each other, even though it really isn’t a good idea to get involved. So much is at stake. But who can fight a pull like that?
     
    It’s a fast-paced story, with a straightforward language to match. Yet Lilansui always takes the time to add those extra lines to give you atmosphere and a feel to the surroundings. Not too much to make it tedious, but not so little that the story feels barren. The description of a strand of hair, the play of the setting sun over a face is just right.
     
    So if you’re in the mood for a sort of noir feel story with romance to boot, this is a story for you!
     
    Category: Fiction   Genres: Drama, Romance   Tags: Mature adult, gay, urban, crime, modern, love   Rating: Mature
  15. 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. Hopefully you'll find something in this weeks prompts to spark an idea and get you writing!
     

     
    Prompt 584 – Creative
    Tag – List of Words
    Use the following words in a story – lunch box, wooden table, a white horse, menu, and a needle.
     
    Prompt 585 – Creative
    Tag – The Lady
    You were hired at a new company and every one has been really nice. After your first week, your boss informs you that you have been assigned to the new president of the company to be part of her start up project. When you ask about her or the job you are told she is a lady and you will find out. What is the lady like?
     


    BHopper2 - Prompt: 583 – Creative "Matchmaker"
     
    Caleb walked into the office and looked around at the bright cheerful décor. He was still fuming from where his Mother had set him up with a Matchmaker. However, he wanted to make her happy, so he decided to humor her. His first visit with the Matchmaker, Linda Styles, was at his condo off of Bayshore Blvd., three weeks ago. They sat on the balcony sipping coffee while looking out over Tampa Bay, and Downtown Tampa. She had him fill out the forms, and answer questions on what he was attracted to, and other personality base ones. “Thank you, and you’ll hear from me soon,” was the last thing he had heard from Linda, as she left. Until last night.
     
    “Caleb, it's Linda, I’ve found you a match! Come by my office tomorrow, and you’ll meet him,” she said in her voicemail. Caleb had missed her call while he was out running.
     
    Now Caleb was in her office, and after checking in, sat in the lobby as he waited to be called back.
     
    “First time here?” a man sitting in the lobby asked him.
     
    “It is,” Caleb replied to him, “you’ve been here before?”
     
     
  16. Renee Stevens
    I'm back! Thank you to Steve and Cia for taking care of the blog while I was gone. What a better way to celebrate being back than by starting a new blog feature called Improve & Encourage. 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.
     
    Sparkle
    Aditus
     
    Critique By: Hudson Bartholomew
     
    Please give us a short summary of the story you chose.
    Sparkle is a 3-part historical vampire anthology, with each part told from the perspective of a different main character. The first tells the story of Zaidu and how he was abandoned by his mother as a child, eventually to become a vampire with a mission. The second is about Adam and his resilience and love of life, despite the hatred and intolerance he's endured. The third focuses on Adam's lover, Oliver, and how his nobility is inspired by the love he and Adam shared. Zaidu, Adam and Oliver come together at the end of part three, which feels more like a beginning than an end, with hints that many great adventures lie ahead. 
     
    What do you see as the strengths of the story/poem?
    Aditus packs a lot of world building into each of the three short parts, bringing the reader directly into the action without any drawn out data dumps. The characters' personalities are immediately established, as are their motivations and desires. At the outset, the reader almost expects each part to stand completely independent from the others, but Aditus weaves the stories of the three characters together seamlessly, with each connection feeling natural and logical. By the time you get into the middle of part two, it becomes clear how each character compliments the others, so that by the end of part three, the stage is set for some epic quest (full disclosure: I have no idea if such epic quest exists, but I would certainly like to read it if Aditus writes it!). 
     
    What do you see as the weaknesses of the story/poem?
    Much of the story is told in flashback, which was a little confusing until I caught on to what was happening. In parts two and three, Aditus uses italics to indicate a flashback, which helps to differentiate between what is happening now and what is a memory. As each part reads like a short vignette, I often found myself eager for more background or development of certain plot points. For example, Zaidu sounds like he has a long and rich history as a vampire, which is difficult to do justice to in a short vignette; and Zaidu and Adam develop a relationship off-page that I would love to read more about. There are only a few references to the specifics of vampire-hood within this universe (for example, their origin story, the effects of daylight, etc.), which could be expanded upon for more world building; to be fair, though, those details are not central to the story thus far. 
     
    How do you think the story/poem could be improved?
    With more installments to the anthology! The first three parts really do feel like a set up for a much longer story, and I feel that there are many nuances to the characters that have been introduced, but not fully explored. I am quite confident that if Aditus chooses to continue writing Sparkle, many of my unanswered questions will be more than adequately addressed in future installments. 
     
    What was your favorite part? (scene/sentence/etc)
    I loved the last scene of part three where Zaidu and Adam exchange some brief dialogue loaded with subtext. It hints at a deep relationship they've developed and leaves the reader wanting more. Also, even though he is supposed to be a mighty warhorse, Riah sounds adorable. 
  17. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up (May 28 - June 3)

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Sorry all, once again I'm running a little behind schedule. Before we get into the wrap up, don't forget to check out the stories for the Take Two noun game from the newsletter! It was a busy week this week, so let's take a look. And this time, I think we're going to go backwards!
     
     
     
     
    Contests
    Halloween Short Story Contest - Due September 15th, 2017  
    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  
    Premium Updates:
    Dreams of a Father by dkstories; Book 2 of Dreams of Humanity *Premium*
    Negative Splits by Cia *Premium*
     
    Classic Updates:
    Dreams of a Father by dkstories; Book 2 of Dreams of Humanity
    Reggie's Journal by Ronyx
    Zoiks! a test by Myr
     
    Signature Updates:
    Aditus' prompts and circumstances by aditus
    Caesura by aditus; Book 2 of The King's Mate
    Mine! by Cia
    Negative Splits by Cia
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
     
    Promising Updates:
    Buy One, Get Two and Three... by Caz Pedroso
    Lyrical Laments by Headstall
    Poems, Old and New by Caz Pedroso
    Ripped by craftingmom
    The Watcher: Part Two... Beginnings by Headstall
    timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy
    Walls by Carlos Hazday; Book 6 of CJ
  18. Renee Stevens
    Sorry y'all for the prompts being late. My days are all messed up and I completely spaced that today was Friday. Don't forget to share your prompt responses in the forum and if it's under 1,000 words, it must be posted as part of a collection. Now, let's see what comicfan has for us today.
     

     
    Prompt 582 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    How can I tell him about the accident, when I can’t even keep it together?
     
    Prompt 583 – Creative
    Tag – Lonely Hearts
    Your mother is tired of seeing you alone and she wants grandchildren. Without your knowledge she hires a matchmaker. What is your match like?
     

     
    Since there were no takers on last week's prompts, how about everyone share a random prompt response with us? Pull up your prompt responses, close your eyes, and point. Whichever prompt response you point to, that's the one you share with us!
  19. Renee Stevens

    Featured Story: Unforgivable

    By Renee Stevens,


    Featured Stories
    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 spikey582 of LitLover's story Unforgivable. Enjoy!
     
    Unforgivable
    LitLover
     
    Reviewer: spikey582
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 80,157
     
    For my first official review for the site, I decided to go easy on myself and pick a favorite GA story from the last year: Unforgivable by LitLover. I discovered this just as Lit started posting in April of last year, and it was actually quite fun to experience a bite at a time, and see how fellow readers reacted to each new chapter. However, if you’re just discovering this story now, you’re in luck as you can experience the whole thing without those agonizing 7 day waits.
     
    In Unforgivable, we are introduced to two characters, Corey and Jason, and they have a long history together. Corey is the best friend of Jason’s younger brother Drew, and they all grew up together. Very early on in the tale, Jason commits the titular unforgivable act, and cheats on Corey and Drew’s other best friend when they’re all teenagers. 
     
    This is where the crux of the conflict is driven from. You see, Corey’s father has a long history of cheating on his mother, and repeatedly being forgiven. The lesson Corey has learned from the long years of his father’s serial philandering is simple. Once a cheater always a cheater. Can someone like Jason, a known cheater himself, be forgiven?
     
    What I particularly enjoyed about this story was that each chapter is told through either Corey or Jason’s perspective. We get a good idea of what each character is about, what they’re going through. So even Jason, who seems like a jerk at first glance, actually becomes sympathetic and likable as we get to know him. 
     
    Interestingly enough, LitLover, the very “Cliffie Queen” herself, didn’t leave us poor readers hanging from nearly as many cliffs during this story. However, there are still a few that will definitely propel a reader forward to find out what happens next. As I said before, if you’re just now finding this story for the first time, you’re lucky because you can now just plow right ahead and find out. This is definitely a “binge-worthy” story.
     
    So hopefully I’ve piqued your interest with Unforgivable. It’s filled to the brim with drama, romance, and even a touch of angst. Seriously, go check this story out and get to know Corey and Jason. Once you’re finished with Unforgivable, you can start in on the spin off tale, Choices, that LitLover is in the process of posting right now. 
     
    Category: Fiction   Genres: Romance   Tags: Adult, gay, anal, oral, friendship   Rating: Mature
  20. Renee Stevens
    Attention all GA Members! Put your pen and paper down and put on those reading glasses, if you have them. It's time to do some reading, as the 2017 Spring Anthology is now live for your enjoyment! We had twelve authors take up the challenge of the Jagged Edges/Unintended Consequences themes and there are fourteen new stories and poems for you to go through. Don't forget, if you like a story, leave the author a comment to show them your appreciation.
     
    All authors who participated in the anthology were entered into a drawing as part of the author incentives. The winner gets to choose which prize they would like:
    1 Month Premium Membership 1 Month Ad Space - This can be used for a GA story, a published story, or your story collection $5 Credit to the GA ebook store  
    And the winner is
    CassieQ
    (Pm me with your prize choice)
     
    On top of author incentives, we want to encourage readers to read and comment on the anthology entries. For each story a reader comments on, they will get one entry into the drawing. Comments need to be more than just a "great story" or "I liked this". Share your thoughts with the author and you could win one of the following prizes:
    1 Month Premium Membership $5 Credit to the GA ebook store
    If you'd like to better your chances, write me a blog review (200-500 words) on your favorite story from the anthology and I'll give you an extra 2 entries! Readers will have until June 1st to review stories and/or write a blog review. The winner will be announced in the Weekly Wrap Up on June 4th.
     
    Now, let's see what the authors came up with!
     
     

     
     
    Can't A Guy Visit A Friend
    thecalimack
     
    Hold the Elevator
    Puppilull
     
    Angel and Imp: Thrice is Enemy Action
    Timothy M.
     
    April's Fool
    Valkyrie
     
    Dalkhu (Demons)
    aditus
     
    The Bard's Tale
    northie
     
    Impatient
    CassieQ
     
    Rule #3
    CassieQ
     
    Looking Glass
    Cole Matthews
     
    Jagged Edges Sounds
    Parker Owens
     
    Joined
    Sasha Distan
     
    A Diamond in the Rough
    Comicfan
     
    Companionship Can Be Many Things
    Timothy M.
     
    Rounded Rocks
    AC Benus
     
     
     
    Anthology Support Team
     
    Anthology Coordinator
    Renee Stevens
     
    Tech Support
    Myr
     
    Proof Team
    Rec
    Valkyrie
    craftingmom
    Parker Owens
     
    Anthology Banner Creation
    Mann Ramblings
  21. Renee Stevens

    Ask An Author #45

    By Renee Stevens,


    Author Interviews
    I can't believe it's already time for our December Ask An Author feature! This year just seems to have flown by and now it's almost over. The next Ask An Author will be the start of a new year! If you have a question that you'd like to ask a specific author, but don't want to do the actual asking, then send your question to Dark! I hope you enjoy this edition of Ask An Author, and a big THANK YOU to Dark for continuing to provide these.


     

    Ask an Author #45



    Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors!

    In AtA #44, the blog was all about Dayne Mora. Today, we go back to our regular programming.

    In AtA #45 we hear from authors albertnothlit, Nephylim, Riley Jericho, and skinnydragon.


     
    Today’s first author is no stranger to this blog. Promoted to Promising Author status back in May 2016, Albert has had a busy year filled with stories, moving, and winning a silver medal in 2016’s FAPA President's awards (you may have seen that announcement back in August). Not one but two books were picked up and published by DSP Pulications, an off-shoot of Dreamspinner Press. Check out his website for more info. He’s also publishing a new story here on GA called Life Seed with 36 chapters between January and September. Like much of his other work, Life Seed is sci-fi. Albert writes powerful and intriguing characters in some utterly bizarre and yet fascinating settings. I’m dying – dying! – waiting to find out what new twist is coming up next, but sometimes life gives you a kick in the pants and it takes awhile to recover. Send some warm wishes his way and let’s hope we see Albert back again in the new year.

    To albertnothlit: Do you prefer to publish chapter by chapter and see where the story flows in response to readers, or do you complete most or all of a story before posting?

    In an ideal world, I usually prefer to have the entire story written out, edited, and proofread, before I publish it. That was the case with the very first stories I published here on GA, and it allowed me time to really look at reader feedback and figure out which things needed attention and which things I had done correctly, having the entire big picture of the completed story. Alas, nowadays I no longer work like that because life has gotten in the way. Since I don't have as much time anymore, what I will do is capture the essence of a story by writing a few chapters on my own before posting for the first time. Then, I will write the story chapter by chapter, as fast as time and my job will allow, while simultaneously working with editors or beta readers to polish chapters before they see the light of day.

    I would say both approaches have their strengths and weaknesses. Writing week by week is a great way for new ideas to flourish, and take the story in unexpected directions. I have found that by writing in this way, creativity is maximized because you have so much more time to think about the story, even if it's just on the back of your mind while you're doing other things. I will very often be surprised with the direction the story has taken after having been constantly writing it for more than, say, three months, which is entirely different from simply sitting down and finishing an entire novella or short story in one week. I enjoy both ways of working, but nowadays I write in little batches, read feedback, and carry on!




    Another oldtimer (to this blog and to GA) is vampire, fallen angel, and Author Nephylim. At one time, Nephy was a Promising Author and then Signature Author (back then we called them “Hosted” Authors). Like myself and Andy, real life has taken Nephy away from GA more than she might wish. With GA since 2009, Nephy has posted some 50 different stories and poems. She has been an inspiration to many, including myself, and it’s been said by many that she’s as nice in person as she is to chat with online. There were a few meet-ups for those GA authors living or willing to travel in Europe, and Nephylim was one of them, traveling at least twice from her home in Wales. She may not be as active on the site anymore, but we still get her stories! She finished posting her latest, My Brother Daniel, just this past summer, and that was quite the ordeal, from the sound of it. Like many of her stories, Daniel, Sara, and Rayn help us readers learn and deal with some tough topics that are not for everyone, but this classy lady makes all the drama and heart-ache worthwhile.

    To Nephylim: I know you deal a lot with issues of gender fluidity. Does this stem from your background in anyway? And do you think by having more stories involving people who don't fit the same mold that others are used to seeing, that perhaps they'll gain greater acceptance in the so-called normal world?

    I'm absolutely on a crusade to make sure every single young person can find a character to relate to. There are more out there than I thought mostly, I have to say, in young adult/new adult books. My next goal is to get them out of the LGBT niche and into the mainstream. I'm only one person but I think people are beginning to get the message because I've been banging on about it for a long time. I very much hope there are others out there doing the same thing.

    My characters are always out of the ordinary in one way or another. Recently I've been writing a lot about mental health issues which is in the realm of personal experience, and I suspect I will continue to have elements of that in my work. I like to worked with flawed characters, to show that not only perfect people deserve their own story and their Happy Ever After.

    As for gender fluidity - all I will say is that I have experience of elements of that in my own life. I've never met anyone quite as fluid as Ari, for example, but most of the trans/gender fluid people I know are pretty comfortable in their own skins and therefore easy to be around and to talk to



    We were just talking about this guy, not too long ago: Riley Jericho, author of An English Teen, Circumcised in the USA, the longest single story on GA. Although the story is now complete, interest is still strong, as you’ve seen with all the questions for the author. Now we can only wonder what Riley will write for us next!  
    To Riley Jericho: Regarding An English Teen Circumcised in the U.S.A.: Circumcision, especially of teen boys, is an usual topic. Why did you choose it as the focus of your story?

    Lol! Well there certainly hasn't been much competition for the theme, that's for sure! There's a lot of cultural perspectives that play into circumcision as well, and, let's face it, not everyone is comfortable with the theme.




    Concluding things today is everyone’s favorite classical music-loving reptile, Author skinnydragon. This cool Canadian concluded his young adult story Toph’s Empty Year in November and has now gifted us with The Valedictorian. This new story is also young adult, with two teens in love dealing with life apart at different colleges. It’s a dilemma which plagues many high school seniors and college kids, so there’s a great opportunity here to ponder the “what ifs” that Skinny is bringing out in his story. And, in case you missed it, this story is something of a sequel to 18 Weeks of Twoey. So, if you were in love with those characters, then this story should charm you as well.

    To skinnydragon: You seem really good at describing your characters as being at the center of a network of friends and relationships. Do you conceive of these webs first, or do they grow organically as you write your story?

    In Twoey, David’s gang and the relationships among its members were pretty much worked out first, as the axis around which the story could build. Other webs, such as Matty’s little nebula of boys, grew organically. On the other hand, in Toph, the friends Nico and Austin, were originals. I thought more would develop from them, but it didn’t happen, even though their ghosts sort of followed Toph to New Glory. All the friends and relationships in New Glory grew as the story did - except for Gary.



    That’s it for now! For more info on these authors, go check out their stories, post in their forums, and/or catch them in chat!

    I’ll see you next time, with authors Comicality, Mann Ramblings, mikiesboy, and Parker Owens!

    I’m always in the market for new questions! Simply PM me (Dark).

     

    Until next time!


     

    Dark


  22. Renee Stevens
    It's that time of the week again! In case you missed any of what's been going on this week, never fear, because we'll take a quick peek at everything that we looked at from Monday on. Are you worried you might have missed a story update from one of your favorite authors? We'll help you out there too with the story updates from all of GA's promoted authors. And don't forget to check out the 2017 Spring Anthology and leave comments for the author!
     
     
     
    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  
    Premium Updates:
    Dreams of a Father by dkstories; Book 2 of Dreams of Humanity *Premium*
    Negative Splits by Cia *Premium*
     
    Classic Updates:
    A Different Road by Ronyx
     
    Signature Updates:
    A Diamond in the Rough by comicfan *2017 Spring Anthology*
    A prompt a week by comicfan
    Dalkhu (Demons) by aditus; Book 4 of Sparkle *2017 Spring Anthology*
    Looking Glass by Cole Matthews *2017 Spring Anthology*
    Mine! by Cia
    The Best Year by Krista
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
    Impatient by CassieQ *2017 Spring Anthology*
    Rule #3 by CassieQ *2017 Spring Anthology*
    April's Fool by Valkyrie *2017 Spring Anthology*
     
    Promising Updates:
    Cozy Contemplations by Headstall
    Hold the elevator by Puppilull *2017 Spring Anthology*
    I Will Find You by Caz Pedroso
    Joined by Sasha Distan *2017 Spring Anthology*
    Morningstar: The Malaise by Headstall
    Ripped by craftingmom
    Rounded Rocks by AC Benus *2017 Spring Anthology*
    Street Words by Mikiesboy
    timmy's poetry by Mikiesboy
    Walls by Carlos Hazday; Book 6 of CJ
  23. Renee Stevens
    Almost time to start a new week, but before we do that, we get to take a final look at what happened this past week! Before we do that though, Myr has been cleaning up around the site a bit, so make sure you check out the following threads on the forums:
     
    And now let's see what happened in the various GA news blogs!
     
     
    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  
    Premium Update:
    Negative Splits by Cia
     
    Classic Updates:
    A Different Road by Ronyx
     
    Signature Updates:
    April Musings by Valkyrie
    GFD 12: Blood Ties by Comicality; Book 12 of Gone From Daylight
    Mine! by Cia
    Poetry Book by Dolores Esteban
    Shelter by Comicality; Book 1 of Shelter
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
    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
    Choices by LitLover
    Morningstar: The Malaise by Headstall
    NaPoWriMo 2017 by Mikiesboy
    Ripped by craftingmom
    Walls by Carlos Hazday; Book 6 of CJ
  24. 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. Hopefully you'll find something in this weeks prompts to spark an idea and get you writing!
     

     
    Prompt 576 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    How much longer do I have, doctor?
     
    Prompt 577 – Creative
    Tag – Mermaid
    You went for an early morning walk along the beach. Things have been a bit tense lately, and you were lost in thought. Suddenly, you hear someone call “look out!” You turn to see a giant wave heading at you. You have just enough time to get out of the way. Gratefully you begin to scan the beach to thank whoever it was that saved you, but the beach is empty. You turn back to the water only to see a fin slipping below the waves. Who saved you?
     

     
    Since I'm running a bit late with the prompts this week, I'm opening it up to authors sharing any of their prompt responses that they'd like to!
  25. Renee Stevens
    The following are blog features that site authors can participate in. If you would like to be included, please send me a PM with the information required. If you want to participate in multiple ones, please send a separate PM for each one. Please make sure the subject line of your PM specifies which one you're wanting to participate in.
     
    Improve & Encourage *NEW*
    The idea is for an author to read a story by a fellow author and provide detailed feedback, both positive and negative (constructive criticism). This is also a great way to find new authors that you haven't read before. The way it would work, is you would read a story/poem (of your choice) by the author who's post is above yours in the thread. Then you would write out a critique following a set of guidelines and send it to me via PM or email (renee@gayauthors.org). You can find the guidelines and other information, as well as sign up to participate, in the thread.
     
    New Author Advice
    Do you remember when you first started posting your writing? Is there something that you wish you had known prior to first hitting that submit button? Now's your chance to share your knowledge with other authors just starting out! Simply PM your advice to Renee Stevens.
     
    Writing Tips
    Have something you would like to share with other authors and readers about your writing process? This could be a number of things, including stuff like: building characters, grammar and editing tips, getting started, plotting, handling criticism, etc. Really anything that you can think of that has to do with the process of writing.
     
    3 Story Promo
    If you'd like to have your GA stories featured in the blog, send me the links to the stories, the description, and the following information.
    What gave you the idea for this story?
    What was your favorite thing about writing this story?
    Please tell us something about this story that is not already in the description.
     
    Favorite Self Written Story
    I'd like to know your favorite story that you've written and posted on GA. All I need is a link to the story and a single paragraph as to why that is your favorite. I will do 3 - 5 authors for each feature.

     
    Author Interview
    If you'd like to be interviewed for the blog, then please fill out the attached list of interview questions and PM it to me (Renee Stevens). You can also attach a short author bio if you'd like. Author Interviews will be posted in the order they are received.
     
    GA Author Interview.docx

     

     
×
×
  • Create New...