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Renee Stevens

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  1. Renee Stevens
    Happy Sunday, everyone! I hope everyone has had a great week. Don't forget that March 1st is the deadline for the April Fools Short Story Contest! I've only gotten a handful of entries so far, but there is still time to get your story in for a chance to win Premium Content. Also, don't forget not to tell anyone which story is yours. And another reminder, join us tomorrow for the CSR Discussion Day on Myr's Harry Potter Fan-Fic.
     
    This week was Signature Week and our Signature Author that we shined the spotlight on is Mark Arbour and his novel Odyssey. To learn more about his story and decide if it's for you, and support Mark by downloading the signature banner for your signature, check out the Signature Author Feature and the Signature Author Excerpt.
     
    And to end the week, we offered a couple of new prompts for you to try out and showcased a couple of last weeks prompt responses. A huge thank you to Cia for posting the prompts when I was out of town and snowed in on Friday.
     
    Contests
    2017 April Fool's Day Short Story Contest - Due March 1st, 2017 *Guidelines*

    Anthology Announcements:
     
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team
    2017 Spring Anthology: Jagged Edges / Unintended Consequences - Due April 30th, 2017 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*
     

    Signature Updates:
    April Musings by Valkyrie
    Mine! by Cia
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
     
    Promising Updates:
    A Man in a Room, and other poems by AC Benus; Book 6 of Verse
    Confide/ant by Sasha Distan
    Fallen Pride by Sasha Distan; Book 7 of The Best Circle of Hell Stories
    Morningstar: The Malaise by Headstall
    Ripped by craftingmom
    The Watcher by Headstall
    Walls by Carlos Hazday; Book 6 of CJ
  2. 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 558 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    What do you mean, you’re pregnant?
     
    Prompt 559 – Creative
    Tag – List of Words
    Use the following words in a story – Pine tree, toy soldier, a book, a full moon, and a blanket.
     

     
    Last week we had three takers on Prompt #557. Let's take a look.
     

     
    Portal Stones Don't Just 'Go Missing' by Sasha Distan
     
    “And then I hid it somewhere he won’t find it,” the Demon Del Deorion finished with a smug grin.
     
    Across the uneven and beer spattered surface of the wooden table, the Prince of hell smiled at him, arching one perfect eyebrow. Deorion had always thought Nassau to be unfairly pretty, even when he’d been stripped of his powers and his feathers and banished from the world below. Not that the smoke flavoured demon would ever do anything about it, after all being consort to the Wind gave him rather special privileges.
     

     
    And then I hid it somewhere he won't find it by Ivor Slipper
     
    “And then I hid it somewhere he won’t find it.”
     
    “What? You must be joking Jayden! Man, where did you hide it?”
     
    “I’m not gonna tell you, Corey – just in case he starts beating on you about it.”
     
    “Jeeze Jayden, I know we’ve pulled some stunts in our time but this could be one of the greatest ever – if we live to tell anyone!”
     

     
    Prompt #557 by Hudson Bartholomew
     
    And then I hid it somewhere he won’t find it. Except I wanted him to find it. I wanted him to find it, and use it on me, and turn me inside out with it. It was the single most terrifying thing I have ever wanted.
     
    My relationship with Daniel has always been simple, sweet vanilla and I’ve never had a problem with that. It’s all I’ve ever known and it’s always been satisfying. But I know there’s other stuff out there, stuff that is risqué, kinky even. And I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it, what it would feel like to dabble in the more exotic flavors.
  3. Renee Stevens

    New Author Advice #2

    By Renee Stevens,


    Writing Tips
    Have you thought about writing your first story, but it seems a little daunting? Don't worry, every new author has been there at one point or another. Thankfully, you're part of a great community that has plenty of authors willing to share their knowledge, and/or what they wished they'd known when they first started. If you're thinking that you've heard that before, it's because you have, but that's the best intro to this feature. Back in December we first introduced the "New Author Advice" feature and it seemed to be well received. So let's take a look at what advice our site authors have this time.
     

     

    Building Readership & Criticism



    Mikiesboy


     
    Ok... building readership... read others work, comment/review, be active in forums, say hello to people be friendly. That's what I did. Works from my experience. It can't be a one way street. And reply to people who comment. They took the time to read your work, you should do the same in return.
     
    Criticism? Well that can be hard to take, depending on how it's written and the kind of person you are. If you're unsure, ask the person who commented what they mean. I've not experienced any sort of mean-spirited criticism on GA. Most people are pretty helpful and thoughtful. At least the ones I've met.
     
    You can also use the Your Status thing to advertise .. but I don't personally.
     

     

    Feedback



    Carlos Hazday


     
    Encourage readers to give you honest feedback. Reviews pointing out what they liked are great, but the ones where they tell you what they didn't like are even better in my opinion.
     
    If you want to make your stories the best they can be, knowing what didn't work for readers is a priority. If you react badly to criticism, you may miss out on great advice, your writing may suffer, and in the end you could end up losing readers when your style stagnates.
     

     

    Before You Start



    Jamessavik


     
    First, read a lot. Read a lot of different authors, different genres and different styles. Read with an eye towards not just the plot but, the craft in which the story is developed. You will see that some authors do a great job in this respect while others- not so much.
     
    Second- Start with short stories. They can teach you a great deal. Unlike a novel, you can't wander around for a 40,000 words to make a point. Short stories require a certain discipline to do them well. You have to balance things very carefully with an economy of words while providing characterization and description while advancing a plot. Don't expect to master this over a few weekends. It's more art than science. In fact it's a lot like golf. When you are in the zone, you can do great things. If not, you bogey every hole.
     
    Finally- before you embark on a novel, learn how to plan it out. We all make the mistake of sitting down at a blank page on the computer, write a great beginning and then hit a wall. There are numerous GREAT but INCOMPLETE novels on the web. Unfortunately several of them are my own. Know where you are going because, if you don't, your chances of getting there are slim.
     

     
    If you're a current or experienced author and have some advice for newbie authors, send me a PM with your advice and be featured in a future "New Author Advice" feature.
     
    If you're a new author, or even an existing author, what questions would you ask your fellow authors? PM me your questions regarding writing and if there is enough interest, we'll start a new feature where I post your questions for the various site authors to give their opinion. You can choose to remain anonymous if you'd like.
  4. 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 556 – Creative
    Tag – List of Words
    Use the following words in a story – a hammer, a lasso, boots, a silver bracelet, and a gun.
     
    Prompt 557 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    And then I hid it somewhere he won’t find it.
     

     
    And since we had no takers for last week's prompts, feel free to share one of your past prompt responses!
  5. Renee Stevens
    I hope everyone had a great week! Since it was such a busy week this week, I think today I'm going to get right into the Wrap Up for the week.
     
    Have you read the various Harry Potter Fan-Fic by Myr? If not, now's your chance as on Monday, Cia announced that Myr's Harry Potter Fan-Fic is this month's CSR Book Club choice. The discussion day will take place on Feb 27th, but with the numerous stories, you should have plenty of time to get something read before the discussion takes place!
     
    Myr took Tuesday over this week to discuss another new aspect of the upcoming site update. According to the post, members will be able to decide how they want to view the stories they are reading. Want to find out more about this new feature? Check out Myr's blog post.
     
    For Wednesday, we took a look at our currently posting premium story, Negative Splits by Cia. Based on the comments, members are already enjoying her story. If you haven't started reading it yet, and you want to, Wednesday's blog contains all the information you need about premium subscriptions.
     
    Thursday we announced that GA's newest Promising Author is Caz Pedroso. If you haven't already done so, stop by and offer your congratulations to Caz. You can also find a link to all of Caz's stories.
     
    Not only did Friday bring us the regular two new prompts from comicfan, but it was also a chance for authors to share some of their various past prompt responses.
     
    Contests
    2017 April Fool's Day Short Story Contest - Due March 1st, 2017 *Guidelines*

    Anthology Announcements:
     

    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team
    2017 Spring Anthology: Jagged Edges / Unintended Consequences - Due April 30th, 2017 2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017

    Premium Updates:
    Negative Splits by Cia *Premium*
    Dreams of a Father by dkstories; Book 2 of Dreams of Humanity *Premium*
     

    Signature Updates:
    HMS Valiant by Mark Arbour; Book 7 of Bridgemont
    Mine! by Cia
    Temporary Dads by Graeme
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
     
    Promising Updates:
    A Half-Ounce of Gold by AC Benus; Book 3 of The XXX Series
    A Man in a Room, and other poems by AC Benus; Book 6 of Verse
    Buy One, Get Two and Three... by Caz Pedroso
    Confide/ant by Sasha Distan
    Fallen Pride by Sasha Distan; Book 7 of The Best Circle of Hell Stories
    Give Me Back My Prompts by Sasha Distan; Book 4 of GA Prompts
    Headstall's Reflections by Headstall
    How I Met Him Here by carringtonrj
    Morningstar: The Malaise by Headstall
    The Tower, and other pieces by AC Benus
    Tiger Winter by Sasha Distan
    Walls by Carlos Hazday; Book 6 of CJ
     
     
     
     
     




  6. Renee Stevens

    Premium Promo: Negative Splits

    By Renee Stevens,


    Featured Stories
    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.
     
    With the ending of Studly Ranch Hands, it was time to start posting a new premium story. Now, every Saturday, you get a chapter of Negative Splits, a contemporary story written by Cia. To learn a little more, check out the info below, and if it sounds like something that you might enjoy, here's the links for you to purchase Premium Content.
     




     


    Negative Splits


    Cia



    *Currently Posting*


     
    Kyp had enough smothering to last him a lifetime. He overcame so much to graduate high school. Now that he's finally at college, he's finding that the start is harder than he thought.
     
    He has a roommate for the first time in his life, and people who would like to be his friends if he'll let them in. Kyp wants to be independent, but circumstances beyond his control will teach him that sometimes the second half of the race is the hardest part.
     

    Category: Fiction Genres: Drama, Romance Tags: Disability, College, North America, Coming of Age, Modern



    Rating: Mature Words: Currently Posting


     
    Negative Splits Excerpt:
     
    “You don’t have to come up.” Kyp hefted the bag higher on his shoulder and picked up his new coffee pot.
     
    “Sure we do. Do you think we’re just going to sit here in the hot car while you go back and forth?” Kyp’s dad picked up a bag with Kyp’s exercise equipment. “Or are you embarrassed to be seen with your parents?”
     
    There were a lot of other parents on campus, since students were all filtering in before classes started. Kyp had explored campus a few times over the summer, learning how not to get lost, and today was finally move in day at the dorms. “I don’t want you to get hurt lugging my stuff around.”
     
    “We’ll make a few trips. It’s not like there aren’t a ton of people here doing the same thing.” Kyp’s mom picked up a laundry basket full of clean towels and sheets she’d insisted he’d need. At least they were all from his bedroom and bathroom at the house; his mom wanted to go pick up some to coordinate his dorm room, but he’d pointed out he had no idea how his roommate was going to decorate his side.
     
    The concept of sharing a room was fucking weird. By the time Kyp was really old enough to remember growing up, both his sisters had left home. Most of the time it was just him and his parents, so he had his own room and bathroom. Kyp was used to a lot of privacy, and that was going to end as soon as Gibson Sheppard, his new roomie, showed up. Of course, he could’ve stayed home instead of choosing to live in the dorms, but he’d had about as much of his mom coddling as he could stand over the last year.
     
    Maybe sharing a room would show him what it’d be like having a sibling close to his own age. A lot of his friends growing up said they were jealous of him, telling him that wishing for a brother or sister to share with was nothing more than a pain in the ass. His mom had quit work to stay home with him when he came along late in their life, ferrying him around so he could do every sport and club. He’d had all the attention he could want—more attention, in fact.
     
    He’d had to work hard to get to this day, and he was going to be independent, even if his mom had teared up on their way back to the school, yet again, about not being there to take care of him. He’d reassured her over and over that he’d be fine, and they were only a half hour away, but it seemed like the third time she sent a kid off to college was not charmed.
     
    The wait for the elevator took nearly ten minutes, but they were able to squeeze in with a girl towing two suitcases behind her. She got off on the floor below his.
    “Coed dorms.” His mom shook her head. “In my day, girls at least had their own buildings.”
     
    “Not like it really matters to me,” Kyp said. As soon as the words left his mouth, he wished he could take them back.
  7. Renee Stevens
    I hope everyone is ready for the new week to begin. But before that, we have to wrap up the last week. A quick reminder for all site authors. You have less than a month to get your April Fool's Day short story in if you want to be part of the contest. Entries are due March 1st and don't forget not to share anything about your story outside of your team. Now, let's recap the last week!




    C S R Discussion Day: The Pledge By Mikiesboy
    We started the week and ended the month with the CSR Discussion Day. From the looks of it, a lot of people read The Pledge and we had a great turnout. If you wanted to know more about Mikiesboy and/or the story, check out the brief interview and the remarks from other readers!  
    Ask An Author #46
    What better way to start out a new month than the Ask An Author feature provided to us by Dark. This month featured authors Comicality, Mann Ramblings, Mikiesboy, and Parker Owens. Curious as to what they were asked and what their answers were? Here's your chance to find out if you missed it earlier. And don't forget to send Dark some questions for your favorite authors.
     
    Prompts #554 & #555
    Last, but not least, we finished the week off with a couple of new prompts. Both of them this week were creative, and hopefully they'll spark an idea and help you get writing. As always, we featured some responses from last week.




    Contests 2017 April Fool's Day Short Story Contest - Due March 1st, 2017 *Guidelines*
    Anthology Announcements:

    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team
    2017 Spring Anthology: Jagged Edges / Unintended Consequences - Due April 30th, 2017 2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017



    Premium Updates:
    Negative Splits by Cia *Premium*

    Signature Updates:
    Belovéd by Don H
    Dribbles by Cia
    Innocence & Carnality - Part Two by Mann Ramblings; Book 2 of I & C
    Left Without Words by Comicality
    Mental Games by Bill W
    Mine! by Cia
    Temporary Dads by Graeme
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel

    Promising Updates:
    A Half-Ounce of Gold by AC Benus; Book 3 of The XXX Series
    A Man in a Room, and other poems by AC Benus; Book 6 of Verse
    Confide/ant by Sasha Distan
    Drifts by Puppilull; Book 3 of Hot and cold
    Fallen Pride by Sasha Distan; Book 7 of The Best Circle of Hell Stories
    Headstall's Reflections by Headstall
    How I Met Him Here by carringtonrj
    Morningstar: The Malaise by Headstall
    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets by AC Benus; Book 5 of Verse
    Tiger Winter by Sasha Distan
    Walls by Carlos Hazday; Book 6 of CJ
  8. 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 554 – Creative
    Tag – The Tree
    After watching the tree arrive in Times Square, you and your mate decide you want a real one this year. Are your tree wishes a big hit or a total diaster.
     
    Prompt 555 – Creative
    Tag – Company Death
    You’ve been hired to help kill off the zombies. The country has seen the dead rising and attacking the living constantly. The company has hired and trained a group of 100 to exterminate the zombies. You lead a team of three. What is your team like?
     

     
    And now lets look at last weeks responses to Prompt #553
     

     
    Our Tune by Ivor Slipper
     
    I’d got into the habit pretty soon after he left. I know living in New York there were plenty of other options for how to spend the evening after work. I could have gone to the movies or the theatre but those would still have meant sitting in the dark on my own –without him. I could have gone to a restaurant I suppose – but a table for one? That’s a real loser situation, sitting on your own and reading a book in a restaurant! So instead I’d started going to bars. I spread my custom around; different locations on different evenings. After all there are lots of bars in New York. I didn’t even bother whether or not they were gay bars. It wasn’t as if I was looking to pick someone up; after all these years I wasn’t ready for a replacement or even a one night stand – as yet. What I needed was not be sitting alone in the apartment watching some dumb program on the TV. At least in a bar I might get into a small talk conversation with the guy sitting on the next stool or I could half listen to the conversations of others as they washed around me. Then when I decided I’d had enough to drink for the night, which after the couple of months that had passed was getting harder and harder to decide, I’d stagger out into the night and hopefully find a taxi to take me back to what had once been home but was now just an empty shell of an apartment.
     

     
    Baby by JohnAR
     
    “My back hurts,” he moaned, slowly sitting down on the comfortable chair; an ‘old man’ chair he wouldn’t have wanted to be seen in dead – if it hadn’t been for his ‘special’ circumstances.
     
    “Shall I bring you some herbal tea?” Warren asked caringly.
     
    “Who do you think I am?” Prime barked back, losing steam immediately, holding his belly nearly apologetically. “Actually yes.”
     
    “No problem … ah … Sir,” Warren answered in confusion and was off to the kitchen.
     
    “Everything is okay, the baby is healthy, Prime,” Leo packed the little electronic equipment he had used to examine the ever-growing belly.
  9. Renee Stevens

    Ask An Author #46

    By Renee Stevens,


    Author Interviews
    It's time for the first Ask An Author of 2017! Typically this would have been posted in January, but there were a few hiccups, so you're getting it now. Better late than never! 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 #46


     
    Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors!
     
    In AtA #45, we heard from authors albertnothlit, Nephylim, Riley Jericho, and skinnydragon.
     
    Today in AtA #46 we hear from authors Comicality, Mann Ramblings, Mikiesboy, and Parker Owens.
     

     
    Signature Author and founding member Comicality start us off once again in today’s blog. Comsie has an enviable success, continuing to churn out story after story without fail. He’s more reliable than many cell phones. We’re at over a hundred stories right now, go ahead and ask him what his secret is. Better yet, stop by his forum. Comsie can often be found refusing to give spoilers and discussing plot arcs. His most recent story is Release Me, a story with only 600-ish reviews, quite low by Comsie standards. Perhaps it’s the holiday season or perhaps the zombies, or maybe the teenagers are throwing folks off. You’ll never know unless you give it a try! You know Comsie won’t let you down.
     
    To Comicality: Are you planning to offer Cody (#NKIS) a spinoff, a story of his own?
     
    Actually, there have been some requests to get a peek into Cody and Sean's relationship from interested readers, as well as the relationship with his sister, Ronnie, and his foster parents who took them in. However, there aren't any big plans for Cody to have a solo series just yet. That's not to say 'never', but I don't have any plans for it so far. Mostly because I'm enjoying having a little bit of mystery to Cody's character right now. As long as everybody gets to see him from an outsider's point of view, I get to reveal little bits and pieces of Cody's personality and his past as he becomes more comfortable, and (dare I say it) a bit more vulnerable about offering it up. I think it makes for good storytelling.
     
    But, like I said, I never say never. And folks are definitely interested in seeing a Cody story. So who knows? It might just pop up somewhere out of nowhere. Maybe my muse will put me in a chokehold and tell me to do it some time in the future. Hehehe!
     

     
    Another Signature Author in today’s blog is Mann Ramblings. At 12 stories and half a million words since 2012, Mann has definitely overcome his nerves about posting his thoughts online for everyone to see. Recently, Mann has become a published author and you can check out more of his work on Amazon. He also has something of a wacky sense of humor, for those of you new to his style. His most recent story on GA is the second half of Innocence and Carnality. This is the continuing story of Nathan and Rother, a somewhat historical, somewhat sci-fi tale with that guy we’ve all learned to dislike as more and more of his character has been revealed. What’s next for these two? Before you venture into this one, you’ll definitely want to read Part One first.
     
    To Mann Ramblings: What has been your most difficult character or story to write and why? And also, will we see a sequel to So Little Magic?
     
    I think Kenrick from So Little Magic Left was one of the hardest because of his complexity. I had to hide his true nature, show his gentile qualities while allowing his sadistic side to surface, and make his obsession with Shawn almost romantic at times even though we know how bad the whole situation could be. On top of all that, I needed him to sound real enough for people to hate and not turn into some caricature or cartoon. He received a nomination for best villain that year, so I feel like I managed it fairly well.
     
    One of the things I loved about SLML, (after all the work and frustration when I couldn't touch it for months at a time) was that it felt complete when I typed "The End" and hadn't planned on extending the story. I say that, but I can't say the possibility of a sequel is zero. You never know when inspiration strikes. I still have a lot of love in me for this story.
     

     
    Canadian author Mikiesboy joins us in today’s blog. Although he calls himself a poet, Timmy has several items written in prose now. Much of his work (prose and poetry) is gritty and achingly close to real life, but they’re also wonderful and full of characters you can’t help but love. Take The Pledge, for example. It’s an intriguing twist on the standard vampire-master & servant story. There are so many ways to interpret this story and the dissenting opinions are just as interesting to me as the story itself. You may be familiar with After the Past, a story about how one thing can change a person’s whole life forever. For me it was a real tear-jerker but there’s no denying that Timmy can write a character that sticks with you long after the last word is read.
     
    To Mikiesboy: Since you have expressed yourself in both poetry and fiction, have you ever considered or would you ever consider writing a story focused around a poet? Are there any connecting factors between your poetry and your fiction?
     
    Ummm, never thought about writing about a story focused around a poet. Interesting idea. I'll mull that over.
     
    Are there connecting factors between my poetry and fiction? I'd have to say no, not really. My non-fiction yes, somewhat. Poetry is my way of sorting out my feelings and my world. I suppose I might apply some of that to my fictional characters but it's nothing I plan for.
     

     
    Author Parker Owens makes his blog debut today as we finish things up. Besides posting his stories and poetry, Parker is also posts pictures of his beautiful garden from this past summer. Most people know Parker from his story A to Z. It’s certainly a dark tale; it gets darker and darker and every time you think things couldn’t possibly get worse, something even more awful happens. But eventually rock-bottom is reached and things start to look up for our main character. It’s fascinating to see how Andy views the world and finds his own way to happiness.
     
    Most recently there’s Predator Prey, a story that I think is even darker than A to Z. At this point in the story, it’s hard to see where things are going but Parker keeps a lively discussion going in the forums. I’m still hoping for a happily ever after, but I’m also the kind of person who can’t help but root for the anti-hero. I’m looking forward to seeing what else Parker has in store for us.
     
    To Parker Owens: One of the things I pick up on when reading your stories and poems, is your love for math and science. What got you interested in these subjects in the first place?
     
    It's funny to get this question because I came to love math and science much later in life than many do. I was not a particularly good math or science student in grade school or high school. College and university changed that; I had one extraordinarily gifted math professor in a calculus course I had to take as a required general education credit. He showed those of us in the 8:00 AM class that mathematics was both interesting and comprehensible to mere mortals like ourselves.
     
    He gave me the confidence to try for a math teaching job. My transformation into a math nerd soon followed. I find that simple, genuine encouragement is often the spark that ignites the fires of creativity and intelligence. This is one reason I find GA to be such a wonderful community, as I have found the same degree of welcome and encouragement to exist here.
     
    Because it’s the perfect tie-in for today’s blog, I have a bonus for you: another question for Parker!
     
    You have graced us with some wonderful stories. But in a few, there have been brutally long and brutally describe periods before the protagonist is saved or redeemed. 'AtoZ' and 'Predator' immediately come to mind. My question is, how does such depth of depravity even get into your thinking?
     
    Writing for Predator Prey, and especially for the predator character, was a real struggle. I spent a lot of time trying to write in the point of view for such an unappealing individual, that I tied myself in knots several times. The result was shorter, more condensed chapters. I could not face extended contact with him or his business. Afterwards, I would want to write something gentler and brighter. But the question of whether such a character can experience change kept drawing me back. Can he be redeemed or find a new and better direction? That's a critical question to me. The search for that answer kept me going on with the draft, rather than discarding it.
     

     
    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 Craftingmom and Roberto Zuniga joining Riley Jericho and SkinnyDragon!
     
    I’m always in the market for new questions! Simply PM me (Dark).
     

    Until next time!
    Dark
  10. Renee Stevens
    Happy Friday, Y'all!!!!! Hope everyone is looking forward to the weekend, I know I am! To help start your weekend off right, it's time for some new prompts. Hopefully one of these great prompts will inspire you, and don't forget to share your responses (at least a link) so that they can possibly be featured next week. Also, as always, remember that prompt responses under 1K have to be posted as part of a collection.
     

     
    Prompt 552 – Creative
    Tag – End of the world
    Due to a lack of humanity, the world was a lot less forgiving. New strains of diseases, ones thought to have been eradicated, have come back stronger and with no vaccine. People everywhere are dying. How are you going to survive the end of the world.
     
    Prompt 553 – Creative
    Tag – List of Words
    Use the following words in a story – a dvd, a blanket, library card, a book, and a dagger.
     

     
    Last weeks Prompt #550 had a lot of responses, lets take a look.
     

     
    Prompts 2017 by Cazpedroso
     
    “There is no way I’m wearing that!” Dereck snapped.
     
    Chris looked at the costume he was holding then back at his furious looking partner. “Why not?”
     
    “I’ll look like an idiot. That’s why not!”
     
    “But, it’s couples costume night. We’re supposed to either dress in matching costume or as a famous couple. If you don’t like this what about, Tweedle-dumb and Tweedle-dee? They’d be less revealing if that’s the problem.”
     

     
    The End of the Big K by jamessavik
     
    "There is no way I’m wearing that!"
     
    The comm crackled, "Come on Bobby, you have to. There's too much damage. Most of the ship is open to vacuum."
     
    "I can't. I've got claustrophobia. I'll go nuts in there."
     
    "Look- you've got to do it. Containment is breaking down on the #3 Fusion plant. We lose that and this wreck will become a mini supernova. You've got to get out of there."
     

     
    A Ripping Yarn by northie
     
    “There is no way I'm wearing that!”
     
    Geoff stared in disbelief at the sartorial monstrosity Helen was offering him. She laughed at him although with some sympathy.
     
    “Geoff, what else are you gonna wear for the gig this evening?”
     
    He backed away from her slightly, still unable to take his eyes off … it.
     

     
    Unrequited by Sasha Distan
     
    “There is no way I’m wearing that!”
     
    “Why not?”
     
    Max snorted at his best friend, and turned away.
     
    “Because it’s two sizes too small, and it’s blue.”
     

     
    Prompt #550 by Hunter Bartholomew
     
    “There is no way I’m wearing that!”
     
    “Why not?”
     
    “Because!” Marcus waved at the contraption as if the gesture was explanation enough.
     
    “What?” Andy flipped the black cotton vest back and forth, inspecting it for defects. “What’s wrong with it?”
     

     
    Prompt #550 by Greg_A
     
    “There is no way I’m wearing that!” I growled, glaring at Alex.
     
    “Why not?” Alex asked with a grin on his face letting me know he knew perfectly well why not. “I know you normally like blue, but I thought you’d look good in green. Well, green and black.”
     
    “The color is not the point,” I hissed with my teeth clenched. “I’m not wearing that thing!”
     
    “Why?” Alex asked again, his voice getting a little defensive. “What’s wrong with it?”
     

     
    Plan by JohnAR
     
    “There is no way I’m wearing that!” The wind carried the protesting voice up to his terrace.
     
    She cried in his arms.
     
    He might be Fate, but he couldn’t make the world silent to comfort his goddess. Even if her child had died.
     
    “Come on, you’re not in Alabama. This is Greece. Speedos are normal here.”
  11. Renee Stevens
    I hope everyone has had a great week this past week. Just a quick reminder that you only have a little over a month left to get your April Fool's Day short stories in if you want to be a part of the contest. Make sure to read through the guidelines if you're planning to participate! Also, don't forget to join us for the CSR Discussion day of The Pledge by Mikiesboy. It's only about 10,000 words, so if you haven't already read it, you still have time! Now, lets see what you might have missed this week.
     
    We started out our week with Aditus' wonderful review of Joined by Blood by Renee Stevens (hehe). I'm a little biased when it comes to this story, but other readers sure seemed to have enjoyed it. It's part of GA Premium, so maybe Aditus' review is the little push you were looking for to purchase a premium subscription. Check out the review, and feel free to jump into the discussion!
     
    Myr took Tuesday over this week to discuss another new aspect of the upcoming site update. According to the post, members will be able to set their own activity streams based on their own guidelines. Want to find out more about this new feature? Check out Myr's blog post.
     
    Wednesday was a bit of a writing tip with Cia's popular Grammar Rodeo feature. We're up to number ten and this one was all about sentence structure. If you find yourself re-reading what you wrote and thinking something sounds off, then maybe this is the perfect post for you.
     
    We ended the week with a new set of weekly prompts for you to try your hand at. There were a lot of responses to the previous weeks prompts and so there are a lot of snippets that you can look over. Maybe you'll find one that will lead you to a new favorite author.
     

     
    Contests
    2017 April Fool's Day Short Story Contest - Due March 1st, 2017 *Guidelines*

    Anthology Announcements:
     
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team
    2017 Spring Anthology: Jagged Edges / Unintended Consequences - Due April 30th, 2017 2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017


     
    Premium Updates:
    Negative Splits by Cia *Premium*
     
    Signature Updates:
    Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
    Innocence & Carnality - Part Two by Mann Ramblings; Book 2 of I & C
    Mental Games by Bill W
    Mine! by Cia
    Temporary Dads by Graeme
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
    Veil of Shadow by Stellar; Book 2 of unnamed
     
    Promising Updates:
    Confide/ant by Sasha Distan
    Fallen Pride by Sasha Distan; Book 7 of The Best Circle of Hell Stories
    Give Me Back My Prompts by Sasha Distan; Book 4 of GA Prompts
    Headstall's Reflections by Headstall
    Morningstar: The Malaise by Headstall
    Tiger Winter by Sasha Distan
    Walls by Carlos Hazday; Book 6 of CJ
  12. Renee Stevens

    Grammar Rodeo #10

    By Renee Stevens,


    Writing Tips
    I hope everyone has had a great month so far. It's been a while since we had a Grammar Rodeo from Cia, but it's back! Thank you, Cia for providing us with another great writing tip!
     

    The Structure of a Sentence


     
    Okay, so maybe this seems intuitive. After all, we all write sentences every day, right? But sometimes the visual we’re trying to get across doesn’t work because of the way the sentence has been written. A lot of the time, this can be chalked up to dangling modifiers. What are dangling modifiers? I bet you’ll realize you intuitively know what I mean once we get to the examples, even if you didn’t know you knew!
     
    So, dangling modifiers are words or phrases, usually offset by commas, that are supposed to explain more/better describe the subject of the sentence but don’t because the sentence structure either places the subject in the wrong place to work with the modifier or doesn’t have a subject at all. These can be dangling participles or gerunds, but that’s a little more exact than I want to go in for this lesson. We’ll come back to that though! Let’s try a few examples to show just how modifiers work, how they can go wrong, and how easily they can be fixed.
     
    Example:
    Having come to the same conclusion, the project temporarily halted.
     
    Having come to the same conclusion is our modifier, but the subject of this sentence is ‘the project’. Can the project come to the same conclusion? No. So the modifier is dangling because the true subject is missing from the sentence.
     
    Rephrased:
    Having come to the same conclusion, the contractor temporarily halted the project.
    The contractor can come to the same conclusion, so he can halt the project.
     
    Example:
    Without knowing what his job was, it was hard to pick the right outfit.
     
    “It” didn’t know his job? That doesn’t make sense. In this case, the surrounding information might make it clear who/what ‘it’ refers to, but that doesn’t prevent this sentence from having a dangling modifier.
     
    Rephrased:
    Without knowing what his job was, Jacob found it hard to pick the right outfit.
    Jacob didn’t know what his job was, so he could find it hard to pick the outfit.
     
    ​Example:
    Long and boring, the author must revise their manuscript.
     
    Is the author long and boring? No. In this case, the subject of the modifier is a ‘misplaced modifier’ because the manuscript is what is long and boring, not the author.
     
    Rephrased:
    Long and boring, the manuscript must be revised by the author.
     
    This phrase properly describes what is long and boring, which could not be the author as a person (we don’t usually call a person long, lol).
     
    So, basically when you have a modifier in the sentence, you want to make sure it takes place in the sentence close to the subject. If you’re unsure if you’ve structured the sentence properly to avoid a dangling or misplaced modifier, ask yourself, “Was the (subject) (dangling modifier)”? If you have it wrong, the question will usually show how your sentence doesn’t make sense.
     
    Was the project coming to the same conclusion?
     
    Was it not knowing what his job was?
     
    Was the author long and boring?
  13. Renee Stevens

    Featured Story: Joined By Blood

    By Renee Stevens,


    Featured Stories
    Well, it's the start of another week, and to help start it off right we're going to share a wonderful review that Aditus was kind enough to share with us. This week's featured story is Joined by Blood by...me. Thank you, Aditus, for such an awesome review. Joined by Blood is just one story that can be found in our Premium section. Don't have Premium? You can get it here. You can also try to win a Premium subscription by entering the April Fool's Day Short Story Contest. Hope you enjoy the review!
     


    Joined by Blood


    Renee Stevens



    Reviewer: Aditus



    Status: Complete



    Word Count: 79,234


     
    As suggested by Timothy M., I’m going with an old favorite of mine this time: Joined by Blood, which can be found in the premium section. Those who know me are probably rolling their eyes when they read ‘vampire’, but hey, a story full of hot, fanged guys–I could never resist those!

    The story starts with Damian locked up in a cell and shackled to a wall. He never believed in vampires until they kidnapped him and his baby sister. Ever the big brother, all his thoughts are on escaping so he can save Rebecca. Then he learns she actually instigated their abduction to become a vampire herself, and, on top of that, Damian was the price she readily paid to reach her goal. His world crumbles.

    Still reeling from the revelation, Damian thinks he is losing what is left of his sanity when he hears a voice in his head asking him about his injuries. Shortly after, several men defeat his jailers and free him from his prison. But alas, they are vampires too.

    Just a few days ago, Damian didn’t know vampires existed beyond fiction; now he learns there are in fact different kinds: those who still have their soul, like the clan who saved him, and those who don’t, like the group his sister joined.

    Even then, Damian won’t believe Rebecca is beyond saving. He is fiercely determined to find a way to get his sister back, even though everyone tells him it is impossible.

    Soon, Damian finds himself plunged into a war between good and evil. Throw in a sexy vampire prince, a brooding second-in-command from the tall, dark, and handsome variety, a prophecy, love, betrayal, and family issues, and you have the perfect mix for a nice weekend. (In my humble opinion.)

    When I first started reading Joined by Blood, I couldn’t wait for Renee to post the next chapter. She wove some evil cliffhangers into her tale of twists and turns, which, even though they no longer matter as the story is complete, still spur the reader on. If you plan on reading the story, make sure you have enough time and there aren’t any trivial things like work, family, pets, or friends that are going to distract you.
     

    Category: Fiction Genres: Drama, Romance, Paranormal Tags: vampire, gay, modern Rating: Mature


  14. Renee Stevens
    I hope everyone has had a wonderful week. It's been a busy week here at Gay Authors, but before I get into the weekly wrap up I wanted to post a reminder of sorts. With the recent staff changes, I wanted to take a minute to mention the various teams and the staff they're made up of. This list can also be found in the Help & Announcements forum. A huge thank you goes out to the site staff, all of who are volunteers, for donating their time to keep GA running smoothly.
     
    Site Administrators
    Myr - Administration Team Leader
    Cia - GA Stories Lead
    Renee Stevens - Anthology/Blog Coordinator, Promotion Team Lead, Review Team Lead
    wildone - Moderation Team Leader
    TalonRider - Moderation Team Deputy Lead
     
    Site Moderation Team
    wildone - Team Lead
    TalonRider - Team Deputy Lead
    Graeme
    Slytherin
    Gene Splicer PHD
    Reader1810
    drpaladin
    Mikie
    Dayne Mora
     
    Author Promotion Team
    Renee Stevens - Team Lead
    Myr
    Mann Ramblings
    Graeme
    Cole Matthews
     
    Review Team
    Renee Stevens - Team Lead
    aditus
    Timothy M.
    Puppilull
    LitLover
    spikey582
    Lisa
     
    Now, let's take a look at what happened in the various GA news blogs this past week.
     
    For signature week, we started out the week with the announcement of our featured Signature Author. This month we focused on Cynus and his story From the Cup of the Worthless. If you want to learn more about the story, you can find the description, reader reviews, and a small banner in Monday's post; and an excerpt in the Wednesday blog.
     
    If you're looking for some inspiration, then check out the Friday prompts. While you're there, take a minute and check out the featured prompt responses that we chose to share this week. If neither of the new prompts spark an idea, you can always check out the past prompts in the prompt forum. With well over 500 prompts, you should find something to inspire your muse.
     
    Are you thinking about doing the upcoming 2017 Spring Anthology? Have you already started? Stop by the monthly Anthology Discussion Day and share your progress with other authors that are in the same position as you.
     
    Contests
    2017 April Fool's Day Short Story Contest - Due March 1st, 2017 *Guidelines*

    Anthology Announcements:
     

    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team
    2017 Spring Anthology: Jagged Edges / Unintended Consequences - Due April 30th, 2017 2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017

    Premium Updates:
    Negative Splits by Cia *Premium*
     

    Signature Updates:
    Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
    Innocence & Carnality - Part Two by Mann Ramblings; Book 2 of I & C
    Mental Games by Bill W
    Mine! by Cia
    Temporary Dads by Graeme
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
     
    Promising Updates:
    A Man in a Room, and other poems by AC Benus; Book 6 of Verse
    Confide/ant by Sasha Distan
    Drifts by Puppilull; Book 3 of Hot and cold
    Fallen Pride by Sasha Distan; Book 7 of The Best Circle of Hell Stories
    Headstall's Reflections by Headstall
    How I Met Him Here by carringtonrj
    Morningstar: The Malaise by Headstall
    Tiger Winter by Sasha Distan
    Walls by Carlos Hazday; Book 6 of CJ
  15. 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. A reminder: Prompt responses under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection.
     

     
    Prompt 550 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    There is no way I’m wearing that!
     
    Prompt 551 – Creative
    Tag – Holiday Picture
    Every year you and your partner create an awesomely cute picture for you holiday cards. What did you do this year?
     

     
    Now, let's take a look at the two responses that Prompt #548 received!
     

     
    Duty by JohnAR
     
    Gideon, Sariah, Porter, Spencer and Marta had fallen asleep; finally. Them ranging from two to seven years old, it was quite a feat to convince them to go to bed Sunday night, after church and lots of play.
     
    His wife had audibly closed her book – ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ – and turned off her little reading light.
     
    He had put his pad aside – it wasn’t appropriate to work too much on such a sacred day – and darkened the room completely. He pulled the cover up to his chin. It wasn’t really necessary in their cozy bedroom despite the cold wind of November outside, but for some reason he felt the need for weight on his body.
     

     
    Prompt #548 by Hudson Bartholomew
     
    Gusts of cold wind rattled the window pane and the blowing snow made it impossible to see the few yards from my front window to my driveway.
     
    I used to love snow storms. I’d turn the fireplace on, make some hot chocolate, and curl up on the sofa under a blanket to watch the world turn white.
     
    Now it just felt cold.
     
    I guess that happens when you don’t have someone holding you to keep you warm.
  16. Renee Stevens
    I hope everyone has had a great week. In case you missed anything in the various GA staff blogs, this is your opportunity for a brief overview. If you see something that interests you, feel free to go back and take a look. And if you're worried about having missed any of the promoted authors' story updates? Well, we're including those for you as well!
     
    To start your week off, Puppilull was kind enough to provide us with a review of Sasha Distan's series "Best Circle of Hell". Based on the comments, this is a series that many at GA enjoy. Go check out Puppilull's review and if you feel up to it, share your own thoughts regarding the stories.
     
    We try to give authors the opportunity to get their work noticed among the over four thousand stories that can be found on site. One of the ways we do this is the Author Promo. This week, William King had the opportunity to share a couple of stories with you as well as answer a few questions about different aspect of the stories he chose.
     
    Have you been having trouble writing lately? Or maybe you're wanting to try your hand at penning a story for the first time. Our weekly writing prompts might be just what you need. While you're there, you can check out what some other site authors did for last weeks Prompt #456.
     
    Contests
    2017 April Fool's Day Short Story Contest - Due March 1st, 2017 *Guidelines*

    Anthology Announcements:
     
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team
    2017 Spring Anthology: Jagged Edges / Unintended Consequences - Due April 30th, 2017 2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017

     
    Premium Updates:
    Studly Ranch Hands by Renee Stevens *Premium* COMPLETE
     

    Signature Updates:
    Innocence & Carnality - Part Two by Mann Ramblings; Book 2 of I & C
    Jessie-101: Online Celebrity by Comicality
    Mental Games by Bill W
    Mine! by Cia
    Temporary Dads by Graeme
    The Best Year by Krista
    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:
    A Man in a Room, and other poems by AC Benus; Book 6 of Verse
    Confide/ant by Sasha Distan
    Fallen Pride by Sasha Distan; Book 7 of The Best Circle of Hell Stories
    Give Me Back My Prompts by Sasha Distan; Book 4 of GA Prompts
    Headstall's Reflections by Headstall
    Morningstar: The Malaise by Headstall
    Tiger Winter by Sasha Distan
    Walls by Carlos Hazday; Book 6 of CJ
  17. Renee Stevens
    Happy Friday! I hope everyone has had a great week and is ready for the weekend. To help start your weekend off on the right foot, we have a couple of new prompts for you. Don't forget that prompt responses under 1,000 words can be posted in GA Stories as long as they are part of a collection. And also, remember to share your prompt responses in the appropriate forum thread so that we can possibly share them next week!
     

     
    Prompt 548 – Word List
    Tag – List of Words
    Use the following words in a story – Cold wind, blue sweater, bald man, postcard, and a gift.
     
    Prompt 549 – Creative
    Tag – Superhero
    You’ve been tasked to create a superhero for today’s average person. Your creation will be made into a movie. What is your superhero about? What is their message and what powers do they have?
     

     
    And our featured prompt responses from Prompt #546
     

     
    Mistaken Identity by Sasha Distan
     
    “Just slowly rub it in, why don’t you!”
    Ewan laughed heartily, and slapped his friend’s shoulder. The other guys in the common room had fallen about in similar fits of giggles, and Jim was becoming so red in the face it was a wonder he was still able to draw breath.
    “Oh dude, your face.”
    “Shut up,” Craig whined, shifting his weight from foot to foot, looking decidedly uncomfortable. “You guys are horrid.”
    “We weren’t the ones flirting with the new teacher,” Jim pointed out, having regained full control of his lungs.
    “I was not flirting!” Craig huffed.


    Dean by JohnAR
    “Just slowly rub it in!” Stiller moaned.  
    “You’ve declined his ‘invitations’ at least four times,” Carl added with a smirk. It wasn’t often he had the upper hand versus a US Army General and beta. “Our alpha is not showing up, either. You couldn’t expect this dean not to want to talk with the pack who has a love affair with vampires – on his campus,” he continued stating the obvious.
     
    “Done with gloating, enforcer?” Stiller barked. There were limits.
     
    “Sure,” Carl answered, not so sure. Maybe that taught Stiller he was an enforcer, a potential alpha, and not a little secretary.
  18. Renee Stevens

    Author Promo: William King

    By Renee Stevens,


    Featured Stories
    Who's ready for another Author Promo? This month we are taking a look at William King. William was asked to pick up to three stories and answer the three questions: 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. If you would like to do an author promo for the blog, please check out the blog feature opportunities thread.
     

    William King


    Author



    6 stories · 116 reviews · 109,393 total words


     

    I'll Kiss You in the Rain

     
    Description: Alex and Matty have been best friends like forever, but all that changes the day that Matty says he's gay!
     
    What gave you the idea for this story?
     

    The idea for the story of Matty and Alex's relationship came from the first chapter originally just a short story about two best friends who reveal to each other that they are gay. As the novel builds and introduces other characters, we meet Jake, an older guy who hits on Alex. There are other things going on in the background concerning Alex's group of school friends, but the main storyline is the interplay between Alex, Jake, and Matty. The book poses, but never resolves, the question as to whether or not three people can love each other and live together as a 'ménage à trois'.  
    What was your favorite thing about writing this story?
     

    All my stories contain elements of personal experience, I don't think they would be real if they did not. The most extraordinary thing about writing this book, in fact any of my books, is the character development, the way in which the characters take on a life of their own and live. I have confined the story limits by giving attention and detail to the three principle characters, but if that were not the case, any of the characters could be developed, but of course that would tell a different story.  
    Please tell us something about this story that is not already in the description.
     

    You are told that any story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Broadly speaking this is true, but I tend to blur the edges of this concept, because this story is a cameo from the lives of Alex, Jake, and Matty. It could quite easily continue to tell what happens later between the three of them, the end is purposely left open, a sequel is always possible. This is interesting for me as a writer because it allows me to step back, it gives time for reflection, and that freedom lets the theme for the possible subsequent novel emerge. The continuation of the story presents itself, I don't need to invent it, it's there saying 'write me!'  

    Rompecabezas

     
    Description: Amidst the drama and choas of a journey interrupted by dreams and different realities, is a quest to find the one person who can deliver the means to discover the answer which will allow all the pieces of the puzzle to reveal the whole.
     
    What gave you the idea for this story?
     

    A paragraph written by a friend on Facebook inspired the story which is why it is set in Mexico, although that fact is not specifically stated until the end. It's not your usual type of story, although it is strangely enough a romance. Nevertheless, as one reader commented, "it borders on the surreal." Reality, dreams, past and present are blurred at the edges and interwoven into the narration of a journey.  
    What was your favorite thing about writing this story?
     

    It presented an enormous challenge to me as a writer, how to progress the story so as to encompass three different threads - the journey through a hot dessert landscape, the other reality of the Palace and it's gardens, the boy Demitri from the narrator's past. To do this in such a way so as not to lose the reader completely, but to allow them to guess at what was going on. What were all the pieces that would fit together to reveal the puzzle.  
    Please tell us something about this story that is not already in the description.


    In chapter 7 the narrator arrives at La Terraza Sobre el Mar (The Terrace Over the Sea), it's the chapter title. This is a real location, when I was describing it I was remembering the Café Hafa in Tangier. I relocated it from Morocco to Mexico!  




     

    Here's the description from Wikipedia:
     
    "Café Hafa is a cafe in Tangier, Morocco, located along the cliff top overlooking the Bay of Tangier. Opened in 1921, the cafe has retained its 1920s style of decor and through the years has been visited by numerous writers and singers, from Paul Bowles and William S. Burroughs, to The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. The cafe is known for its mint tea, a Tangier special brew.
     
    With its simplicity, with its dominance over the Strait of Gibraltar, with its plastic chairs, its tables with tablecloths, with its blue walls, with its trees that grow without concern to none and with charm to which no one can resist, the Café Hafa has built its glory, its history and its reputation that crossed borders and have inspired numerous international writers."
     
    I wouldn't presume to class myself as an 'international writer', but it did inspire me.
  19. Renee Stevens
    We hope everyone is having a great New Year so far! It's time for our first review of the year, and this time Puppilull was kind enough to provide us with a Review of the "Best Circle of Hell" series by Sasha Distan. If you haven't already read the series, then hopefully Puppilull's review will have you adding it to your "list". If you have read them, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. Happy Reading!
     



    Best Circle of Hell


    Sasha Distan


     

    Reviewer: Puppilull



    Status: Incomplete



    Word Count: 135,355


     
    Like so often before, my choice of story to review this time is perhaps not for everyone. Sasha Distan’s The Best Circle of Hell stories are seven stories, six complete and one under way, all centered around a group of demons, including the Prince of Hell. Yes, that’s right. Demons. And these are real demons who go out and do demonic stuff. I won’t try to sugarcoat this. At times, these stories get rough. Gory, twisted and violent. Consent isn’t always at the top of the list for these guys. Also, there is a fair amount of explicit sex. So the warnings are real and should be read carefully.
     
    The various stories each center around one or a few demons, who all go through that longing we all share. Longing for someone who is the right fit just for them. When you have eternity to do all that longing, the feeling seems to grow. With special powers at your command, boredom or perhaps a sense of having no purpose can make you do all kinds of twisted things. And then something or rather someone happens. Sometimes as an accident, sometimes as the answer to a prayer and demonic existence is not the same anymore. Even if, as I said, the way they express their affection is not exactly mainstream.
     
    Then why read these stories? Won’t they just make you nauseous or depressed? Angry perhaps? No, not at all. For even though the demons sometimes have a quite, let’s say unique way to approach other beings, they are really just like us. Even though I hope you keep the number of slayings to an absolute minimum.
     
    And of course, it’s not all gore and guts. The Best Circle of Hell stories are filled with warmth (not surprising as they spend a great deal of time in Hell… ), friendship, loyalty and if I may be so bold even love. Maybe not the kind most of us go for, but love based on the most profound understanding and acceptance, on finding someone who lets you be you, even if that is a horned demon with hooves or a shapeshifting snake with seductive scales. Along the way, we get to know the inhabitants of Hell rather well and get to experience the curious sensation of rooting for beings who do pretty bad things. The characters are just that well written and believable, even given the subject matter.
     
    So, can we learn from these demons? Perhaps that it’s never too late. Perhaps that a friend is someone to listen to, even if he has an irritating habit of using his empathic abilities to take over your inner voiceover. Perhaps that if we open our eyes and truly see the being in front of us, we might be surprised at what we find. It could be just who we are looking for.
     

    Category: Fiction Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Romance Tags: Demons, Abuse, Rape, Violent, Adult, Anal Rating: Mature


  20. Renee Stevens
    Yep, I'm back with the wrap up! A huge thank you to the rest of the Admin team for helping to cover the blogs while I had to take care of family issues. As I'm sure many have noticed, GA no longer has a chatroom for members to hang out. Unfortunately, for the time being, this isn't going to change. If you want to know more about why chat is gone, you can check out Myr's chat topic, which explains what happened and why the chatroom is not feasible at the moment.
     
    To start our week, and new year, off right, Cia announced the first CSR story for the year. You still have plenty of time to read The Pledge by Mikiesboy before the January 30th discussion day.
     
    Myr was next up in the blog with his post about another new aspect of the upcoming software upgrade. To learn more about the Leaderboard and what it entails, make sure to check out Myr's blog post.
     
    We were back on Friday with our first prompts of the year. There were a couple of great options this week, so make sure to check them out. Since there were no takers on the New Years prompts, I didn't feature a specific prompt response and instead asked authors to pick their favorite of their prompt responses and share it.
     
    Finally, to end the week with a bang, we announced the upcoming April Fool's Day Short Story Contest. Make sure to read the guidelines carefully to ensure that you're able to participate.
     
    Contests
    2017 April Fool's Day Short Story Contest - Due March 1st, 2017 *Guidelines*

     
    Anthology Announcements:
     
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team
    2017 Spring Anthology: Jagged Edges / Unintended Consequences - Due April 30th, 2017 2017 Fall Anthology: The Fall Out / Secret Spaces - Due November 15th, 2017

    Premium Updates:
    Studly Ranch Hands by Renee Stevens *Premium*
     
    Signature Updates:
    319 Winesap Lane by CarlHoliday
    Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
    Innocence & Carnality - Part Two by Mann Ramblings; Book 2 of I & C
    Mental Games by Bill W
    Miles To Go by Comicality
    Mine! by Cia
    Release Me by Comicality
    Safehaven by Comicality
    Studly Ranch Hands by Renee Stevens
    Temporary Dads by Graeme
    The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation Book 2 by Bill W; Book 11 of The Castaway Hotel
     
    Promising Updates:
    A Man in a Room, and other poems by AC Benus; Book 6 of Verse
    Confide/ant by Sasha Distan
    Give Me Back My Prompts by Sasha Distan; Book 4 of GA Prompts
    Headstall's Reflections by Headstall
    Morningstar: The Malaise by Headstall
    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets by AC Benus; Book 5 of Verse
    Tiger Winter by Sasha Distan
    Walls by Carlos Hazday; Book 6 of CJ
  21. Renee Stevens
    Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a good first week of the new year, and it's now time for the first prompts of the year! Don't forget to share your responses in the thread so that we can possibly share it next week. Please remember that prompt responses under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection if you're posting in GA Stories.
     

     
    Prompt 546 – First Line
    Tag – First Line
    Just slowly rub it in!
     
    Prompt 547 – Creative
    Tag – The Trip
    You’ve been pinching pennies and doing all you could to save money for the last year. Now the time has come to relax. Where do you go for your hard earned trip?
     

     
    We didn't have any responses to last week's prompts, so for this week, I'm going to ask authors to look back over the prompts they have written and share their favorite one.
  22. Renee Stevens
    Well, I can't believe that it's already the last prompts of 2016! Rather than do our regularly scheduled prompts, I thought that we should do some kind of special prompt edition. I wracked my brain for a couple of ideas, and in the end, Cia and I banded together and came up with a couple of End of Year / New Year prompts for you to try your hand at. We look forward to seeing your responses!!!!
     

     
    Special Prompt: End of Year #1
    Tags: New Years Resolution
    The clock strikes midnight and the ball drops in Time Square. I look at the people around me, laughing and drinking, and wonder if, like me, they make New Years Resolutions. Do they keep them? This past year, I accomplished some of mine, but others were utter failures. This year, things will be different. Where I have failed in the past, I'll succeed in the future. Now, I just have to decide what this years resolutions are.
     
    Special Prompt: End of Year #2
    Tags: The Envelope
    A random envelope appeared on my plate. I looked around, but I couldn't see anyone else with one. I sat and opened it. "I've been waiting for this chance to accomplish last year's resolution, so please meet me on the patio at 11:59". It wasn't signed. A secret admirer? Should I meet them... or not?
     
    For today, lets take a look at the prompt prompt responses for Prompt #544:
     

     
    MetaPrompts: Lure by JohnAR
     
    “It’s time to bury the hatchet,” a husky voice whispered hopefully, in its best baritone.
     
    “Unlikely,” a female soprano answered in a way that made Brian was nervous. It must have been the accent.
     
    He couldn’t even really see the girl behind the glass; his wolf ears could pick up every word, though; and his wolf instinct got roused: available female.
     
    It made him even more fidgety.
     

     
    Rob on a Mission. A Nelson POV Chapter by Timothy M.
     
    “It’s time to bury the hatchet.” Rob’s voice was low but firm.
     
    Jasper gave me a small jab with his elbow, and we shared a quick grin. The blond Perry brothers had marched straight up to Ryan, who tried to look unconcerned as he sipped his morning coffee. The café had its usual crowd of early Monday morning coffee-buyers, but since there had been no baseball game over the weekend, none of the players were present. However, Rob knew Ryan would be there, because his dad dropped him off early every morning on his way to work.
     
    Eric had been convinced by Rob that they needed to take the initiative. Now that Chris was gone from the team, Rob wanted everyone else to move on and forget the fight.
     

     
    Truth over Drinks by Jamessavik
     
    "It's time to bury the hatchet."
     
    Colt looked stunned and said, "Maybe in that rat bastard's head."
     
    Jerry said, "Oh come on Colt. I know he's a rival but.."
     
    "Rival? You don't know what Frank did to me do you?"
     
    "I know it goes back a long way."
     
    Colt sighed and said, "Frank cost me..."
  23. Renee Stevens
    As some know, I've been asked many times if we can redo past anthology themes. Since normally we don't use the same themes more than once, it was decided to do a special anthology using all of the Pre-2016 anthology themes, which we decided to call: Rewind. Authors could choose any past theme they wanted and write a 5,000 - 25,000 word story. Six authors took up the challenge and we now have a twelve story anthology for you, just in time for Christmas. Which seems fitting since there are a couple of Christmas stories in there!
     
    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



    Headstall



    (Pm me with your prize choice)


     
    On top of author incentives, we want to encourage readers to read and review the anthology entries. For each story a reader reviews, they will get one entry into the drawing. Reviews 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 January 6th to review stories and/or write a blog review. The winner will be announced in the Weekly Wrap Up on January 8th.
     
    Now, let's see what the authors came up with! (The original theme name has been included in italics)
     



     


    Bill's Christmas Gift


    comicfan



    Christmas


     


    Boxed In: A Christmas Story
    Headstall


    Blizzard / Christmas


     


    Daddy Issues
    Sasha Distan


    Friends & Enemies


     


    Faeries Anonymous
    Valkyrie


    Fairy Tales


     


    Family Matters
    Sasha Distan


    I'd Never Do That


     


    Finding Refuge
    Headstall


    Scars


     


    Maelstrom
    Valkyrie


    Blizzard


     


    Stepping Through the Mirror
    Headstall


    Living In The Shadows / Fairy Tales


     


    The Legend of Treehaven Woods
    Valkyrie


    Legend


     


    Trade Deals
    Sasha Distan


    A Night To Remember


     


    Voli Me Tangere
    aditus


    Fairy Tales / Ending & Beginnings


     


    Waiter. Waiter
    Cazpedroso


    A Night To Remember


     

    2016 Special Anthology Support Team


     

    Anthology Coordinator



    Renee Stevens


     

    Tech Support



    AJ


     

    Proof Team



    Cia



    Rec



    Valkyrie



    craftingmom



    Parker Owens


     

    Anthology Banner Creation



    Mann Ramblings


  24. Renee Stevens
    Here is a list of anthologies included. If your name/story does not appear, please contact Cia and Renee.
     


    Bill's Christmas Gift


    comicfan


     


    Boxed In: A Christmas Story
    Headstall

     


    Daddy Issues
    Sasha Distan

     


    Faeries Anonymous
    Valkyrie

     


    Family Matters
    Sasha Distan

     


    Finding Refuge
    Headstall

     


    Maelstrom
    Valkyrie

     


    Stepping Through the Mirror
    Headstall

     


    The Legend of Treehaven Woods
    Valkyrie

     


    Trade Deals
    Sasha Distan

     


    Voli Me Tangere
    aditus

     


    Waiter. Waiter
    Cazpedroso

  25. Renee Stevens

    New Author Advice #1

    By Renee Stevens,


    Writing Tips
    Have you thought about writing your first story, but it seems a little daunting? Don't worry, every new author has been there at one point or another. Thankfully, you're part of a great community that has plenty of authors willing to share their knowledge, and/or what they wished they'd known when they first started. Today we've got both Aditus, who is going to tell how he started out, and Graeme who is going to share a little advice on planning out your story. Hope this helps!
     


    Starting Out



    Aditus


     

    I can tell how I did it. I read a lot of stories and comments first, to get a feel of GA. Then I answered a prompt or two. The response was amazing and I felt motivated. Next I tried the anthologies. I think short stories are a good start for a new author, you get to know people and some of them even might offer help. Multi chapter stories need a lot of time, energy and motivation. If the author doesn't finish them, readers get disappointed and might not read another story of the same author. Another beautiful thing about GA is that people are always willing to support you. Find an editor, and/or a beta reader and all will be well.
     


    Planning



    Graeme


     

    Every writer is a new author at some point in time, so what do I know now that I wished I'd known when I started? There is a lot more than can fit into one blog entry, so I'll concentrate on one part of writing only, and that's planning.
     
    The two best pieces of advice I received in this area are related. They are:
    Know how you want the story to end. It doesn't have to be in detail, but does the boy get the boy? Does the team win the competition? Does the homophobe turn over a new leaf, or does he remain a villain to the end? Always keep in mind what's going to happen in the next chapter when you're writing the current one.

    Both of these recommendations have the same purpose: to keep the writing direction focused. All too often a new author writes themselves into a corner. They want something to happen, but what they've written stops that from happening. By keeping in mind what's going to happen in the future (either the short-term future for the next chapter, or the longer-term future for the end of the story), an author is aided to keep the story moving in the direction they want. This doesn't prevent an author from writing themselves into a corner, but it helps reduce the risk. It also helps stop the where-does-the-story-go-now syndrome, where an author writes until they run out of ideas, without finishing what they started.
     

    It's okay if you don't follow this advice, because some authors don't. There are many authors who start with a situation, and then write until the ending presents itself. Stephen King, for example, has said that he doesn't know how a story will end when he starts. However, authors that do this are usually experienced, with a full toolbox of options and techniques to allow them to progress a story to a satisfactory conclusion. That's not something that comes easily to most writers, so please at least consider having an ending in mind when you start.
     
    It's also okay if you change your mind during the writing. While some authors will write the ending of a story first, and then write towards that ending, others will have a general concept in mind for the ending, or even multiple options with the decision as to which ending they go for not being known until closer to the ending. This happened to me with my Leopards Leap novel. Right up to the last few chapters, I didn't know exactly what was going to happen to one of the main characters. I had a number of options that I had to choose from, each with their pros and cons. That persisted right up until I had no choice but to make a decision and write up one of the options.
     
    Another way of looking at this approach is to view the writing of a story as a journey. You start at one point and you look to where you want to go. That may lead directly to the final destination, or it may be to a significant point in the story, a bridge or a fork in the road. Once you've set your sights on that destination, you then put your head down and start walking the road towards where you want to go, looking up from time-to-time to make sure you don't lose your way. The more often you look up, the less likely you are to wander off the path...but there's nothing wrong with a short side trek to see that beautiful waterfall off to the side as long as you return to the path afterwards.
     
    In short, know where you're going with your story. The better you understand where you want to go, both in the short-term and the long-term, the less chance you'll lose your way.
     
    Good luck, and have fun finding your way to the ending you want!
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