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Renee Stevens

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  1. Renee Stevens
    It's time for new prompts! You were probably beginning to think they were never going to go up, but here they are! And guess what! We also have a new poetry prompt in the forums. Have you checked it out? If not, don't worry, we've included it to make things easier for you. Don't forget, prompt responses under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection.

    Prompt 490 – Creative
    Tag – List of Words
    Use the following words in a story : A man’s ring, a dish rag, a pillow, a snake, and a ticket.

    Prompt 491 – Creative
    Tag – The Find
    You and your best friend have gone out shopping for a surprise gift. You wander into this cute boutique and discover what you feel is the perfect gift. What was the find?

    Poetry Prompt #19 - Lullaby
    The prompt: Write lyrics to accompany George Gershwin's piano version of his composition, Lullaby. On the video, the place to begin setting the words occurs at minute 0:27. Choose any metre and rhyme scheme you think appropriate. You also decide if you want to write a song about sleep, or a song to put someone to sleep. You can read more about it, here.




    Now, I decided for this weeks prompt responses, we're going to look at the Poetry Prompt #18:




















  2. Renee Stevens

    Ask An Author #38

    By Renee Stevens,


    Anthologies
    Seems like I'm constantly behind lately, but never fear, I didn't forget! For those who have been waiting, here's this months' Ask An Author feature that has been provided to us by Dark! Thank you, Dark, and all the authors who participated and the readers who asked the questions in the first place. Hopefully you enjoy this month's contribution!
     

    Ask an Author #38


     
    Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors!
     
    In AtA #37, we had questions for authors Bill W, Robert Rex, and Sasha Distan.
     
    In AtA #3, we hear from authors Andrew Q Gordon, Sammy Blue, and Valkyrie.
     
    First up today is the amazing Classic Author Andrew Q Gordon, a good friend known to many of us simply as “Q.” He, Mr. Q., and Little Q have had a tumultuous few years and though Q doesn’t spend as much time on GA as he used to, it’s fun to watch his published career blossom. He’s a good person to be envious of, no doubts there. Do you remember Second Shot? It’s the story that really started it all, filled with some of Q’s favorite things. It’s funny how when one thing changes suddenly everything else seems to happen all at once. For example, Lil’ Q, being published, and getting married – a real whirl-wind! It may seem like a fairy tale, but it’s a lot of work. Just reading about it makes me tired. Take a look at Q’s website these days to keep track of what he’s writing next. And don’t forget to ask about the online publisher he helped get started.
     
    To Andrew Q. Gordon: What was it like collaborating with another author to write a novel such as you did in (Un)Masked?
     

    Working with another author is hit or miss to be honest. It depends on the other person. Anyta and I worked very well together - at least I thought we did. (And I suspect she thought so too.) Working with someone else requires that both parties can accept the other person not liking what they did enough to put their name on it and being open to change. We went through about 6 or 7 versions of each chapter. We'd write it, send it to the other, make changes, send back until both were satisfied. It's harder than doing it yourself, but I think the end result can be much better because you each bring strengths to the work. The difficulty is finding works you want or are willing to share. That's the hardest part. Overall, it was a wonderful experience. I think it was the most fun I had writing.  
    This is the first time showcasing Author Sammy Blue in the blog. A member since 2013, he was gone awhile, life being what it is, and at 25, he’s still a youngster to many of us, though we still remember those days! Hailing from far away (from me) in Germany, Sammy has posted one complete story with a holiday theme, and one story still in progress, Gemini. This is a story about teenage Josh and his crazy public school life. With as down as the beginning is, you know it can only go up, and we know that Sammy is himself a sucker for happy endings. Of course, a number of memorable characters pepper the way and I know I’m not the only one glad that Sammy didn’t leave us hanging at chapter 23! Welcome back, Sammy, and write more!
     
    To Sammy Blue: How do you get your American settings so realistic when you're not an American yourself?
     

    Research, and lots of it. Actually, some things I just 'know'. That happens when you reads millions of words here on GA. If you've read more than a hundred high-school stories, at some point you have a general idea of what to expect. I also tend to ask people if I'm unsure about details. Often I visit the GA chat or ask one of my American friends on Skype.  

    For example the chapter I'm currently working on is set in Washington D.C. - Rigel (Editor here on GA) has been so kind to help me out by giving me general information about what areas he thinks my character's grandparents could live in and what locations they would visit with him during the weekend. From there I worked with Google (search, maps, images), and you can find out pretty much anything with Google, and Wikipedia, if you just spend some time with it. .  
    Last but not least is Promising Author Valkyrie who is also being featured for the first time. Valkyrie is also enjoying her third year on GA and has graced us with many short stories. She’s also a regular on the Friday Prompts. The myriad experiences she’s had over her lifetime so far make for fascinating reading. I think my favorite so far is the one written for the 2015 Secret Santa: The Old Ways. Valkyrie skillfully mixes historical with spiritual and since it’s a love story, you also get the romance. It’s a touching tale of acceptance, all the more poignant in our troubled world that’s more concerned with finding boxes to shove people into or labels that supposedly “define” us. This is one of those stories that sticks with you long after reading. I have to say I hadn’t read this author before this anthology, but it certainly made me come back for more! Looking forward to seeing what more the author has in store for us.
     
    To Valkyrie: What inspired the creation of Alex from Alex's Legacy? Was there something that prompted his story?
     

    Sam and Alex appear in the story that I am currently writing, The Hollow Hills, very briefly. This story has been in my head for many years, predating Alex’s Legacy. They made such an impression on me that I felt like I had to know more about them. They were the inspiration for my response to Prompt 305, but after writing the prompt I knew I couldn’t just stop there. The ending of the prompt came as a big surprise to me when I wrote it and I felt compelled to tell Alex’s story.  
    Now, as a little bonus, how about a bit from yours truly? Considering the dearth in my own writing, I’ve recently gone back to being a regular Author here on GA. There’s been a lot of changes in my life over the past few years: I got my teaching credential and moved to Alaska, my brother and his wife had their first kid (my parents’ first biological grandchild), my parents divorced after 30 years of marriage, and despite the fact I’ve developed some fairly serious arthritis in multiple joints, I recently came to the conclusion that I’m the happiest, most content I’ve been in a very long time. It’s weird talking about myself! But I’ve received a handful of questions directed at me for this blog feature, and I’ve finally gotten to a place where I’m comfortable answering them, so here goes!
     
    To Dark: How did you write Ben, from The One I Want, so well? Specifically, his anxiety and panic disorders?
     

    In short, I can connect to Ben so well because I was him. Inside I was lost and afraid, but I’d gotten so adept at portraying the “perfect life” that I even believed it myself.  

    On Christmas this past year (in 2015), my brother decided to apply his fist to my sister’s face in front of our mother and my sister-in-law. He had to set the baby down to go after my sister, so draw your own conclusions there. After the cops left and the family sort of dispersed to lick their wounds, my sister turned to me and said something to the effect of, “Finally, they’re paying attention.” I gave her a questioning look and she said, “If it had been you, they’d have just shrugged it off again.” It gave me a start, because she’s right. Nobody batted an eye when he and I fought growing up and nobody gave a second thought to the fact that he and I have talked maybe once a year since I moved out. It was only about six years ago when through counseling I realized my underlying anger issues probably started from his harassment of me as children. I was always told that since I was older and “more mature” that it was my responsibility to get along with my brother and that I was the one who needed to stop “picking on” him. The double-standard and middle-child invisibility I felt turned inward because I didn’t feel I was allowed to act unhappy or hurt or scared. That’s not including all the confusion about gender and sexual identity or later the knots I twisted myself into when I got involved with a man who shared far too many characteristics with my brother.  

    Though he never raised a hand to me, being with my ex was just as damaging. I remember one night sobbing into my phone, leaving a voicemail for my ex’s mother and feeling so alone I couldn’t catch my breath and my heart was racing so loud I couldn’t hear myself talk. My ex got pissed because I woke him and he couldn’t get back to sleep. He left the room and played on his computer until I had to leave for work. Later he yelled at me for not waking him first and why did I have to bring his mother into it? She is still a good friend and I knew better even then to wake him in the middle of the night, though he had yet to be diagnosed with sleep apnea or chronic depression.  

    Looking back now, it’s easy for me to see that when it came to writing Ben, he became the receptacle for all that baggage. He became a mish-mash of myself and my ex, complete with our health issues. All the crap I considered “evil” then got lumped onto Will. Rick was that desire for someone to rescue me. I thought at the time that I had brought all this onto myself. Pretty textbook stuff, really. Knowing what I do now, it’s not surprising that the social anxiety I’d been fighting my whole life went bonkers and I tried to deal with it by trying to control everything. I went through a series of different medications and counselors until a combination of things seemed to snap me out of the bad spiral I was in. The worst part was getting better enough to see how bad it was but still not well enough to do anything about it.  

    Just thinking about spending holidays with my family (and brother) gave me panic attacks and bursts of depression that could last weeks. This year, I looked at him in the middle of his domineering and felt nothing. When he couldn’t get a rise out of me or my youngest brother, he went after my older sister with whom he’d never shown this side of himself. Despite how awful the whole thing was, I realized that I had healed enough that he could no longer hurt me. It was liberating.  

    Yes, I originally wrote “Dinner with Gran” for a friend of mine. I wrote the other short stories while in and out of my first counseling sessions. Pretty easy now to see those mood swings in the early drafts as we tried to figure out the correct balance of medications and behavior therapy. Tenormin was one of the first medications we tried, and I kept it for Ben because originally he was a recovering drug addict, that’s how he dealt with his issues. When I did the revisions that became the version now on GA, that tidbit was dropped, along with several other sections that I felt no longer made sense. My last counselor ended up in the story, though he was not a rugby player. My sister was Shelly and my best friend was Hunter. Parts of other people I knew made up the rest of the cast. I have toyed with re-writing “The One I Want” again, but there’s enough distance now from that “old me” that I’m afraid I would ruin it. I guess that’s life. Gotta keep moving forward.  
    I apologize for that long ramble. You’ll be glad to read 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!
     
    See you next time, with authors Billy Martin, Dayne Mora, and Mark Arbour!
     
    I’m always in the market for new questions! Simply PM me (Dark).
     

    Until next time!



    Dark


  3. Renee Stevens
    I know, I'm running a little late getting this out today, but better late than never, right? So, without further delay, here's what happened this week in the GA News Blogs.
     
    March C S R Discussion Day: Short Stories By Renee Stevens - Monday was the discussion day for my three short stories: Friends First, Line of Sight, and More Than a Pact. Hope y'all enjoyed it!
     
    2016 Summer Anthology - Wicked Games - Due June 26Th - For our Wednesday post, I used the blog for the Summer Anthology announcement. This post covers all the rules and guidelines, but if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! Just as a reminder, make sure to read the guidelines thoroughly. As time goes on, we find things that need to be tweaked in the rules and guidelines, so they CAN and DO change from time to time.
     
    Prompt Me! #488 & #489 - A couple of new prompts to get you writing. For our featured response, I showcased all of the current responses to AC Benus' new prompt series, O. Henry Short Stories Prompts.
     
    Anthology Announcements:
     
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team**
    2016 Summer Anthology: Wicked Games - Due May 26th, 2016 2016 Fall Anthology: Blindsided - Due August 26th, 2016 2016 Winter Anthology: The Forgotten - Due November 26th, 2016 All Pre-2016 Anthology Themes - Due December 14, 2016

    Premium Updates:
     
    Journey's End
    by M.A. Church; Book 2 of The Harvest *Premium*  
    Signature Updates:
     
    The G. M. Os.
    by CarlHoliday  
    Black Widow
    by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)  
    My Only Escape
    by Comicality  
    From the Cup of the Worthless
    by Cynus  
    Innocence & Carnality
    by Mann Ramblings  
    No Flash
    by Cia  
    Promising Updates:
     
    Aditus' prompts and circumstances
    by aditus  
    Falling Apart
    by craftingmom  
    Headstall's Reflections
    by Headstall  
    Treading Water
    by Headstall  
    My Twentieth Year
    by AC Benus  
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  4. Renee Stevens
    I can't believe it's already April. And since it's the 1st of April, guess what that means? April Fools Day!!!! Anyone had any great pranks played on them so far today? Played any pranks on anyone else? What is the best prank that was ever played on you OR that you were a part of? Enquiring minds want to know!!!! While you think on that, I guess it's time to take a look at the prompts for this week!
     
    Prompt 488 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    “Please come quickly. I’m afraid to be here alone!”
     
    Prompt 489 – Creative
    Tag – Meteorite
    It was a beautiful night, with a full moon shining bright. You lay on the blanket watching the meteor shower. Suddenly, you notice a red streak heading right for you. You stand up and begin to run, only to be knocked over by the blast from the meteorite crashing into the ground. You go back to look at the meteor only to be found by the police and many scientists will immediately quarantine you. What is up with the meteorite?
     
    Today I decided to showcase all the responses to AC Benus' newest prompt series, O. Henry Short Story Prompt #1:


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    Continue>> 

    Now, time for a quick question... How are you liking the new format? Do you like the showcasing of all the responses to a single prompt? If you do, like the blog entry, if you don't, comment and tell me why!
  5. Renee Stevens

    Author Promo: Cia

    By Renee Stevens,


    Featured Stories
    It's time for another author promo! If you'd like to promo your own work, take a look at the thread for guidelines and then PM me. For this month, our featured promo spot is for Cia. There were three questions that Cia had to answer for each story. The questions were 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. As a Signature Author, Cia also had the option of picking one of her published stories that could be found on Amazon. Hope you enjoy this look into Cia's work.
     

    Cia


    Signature Author



    55 stories * 1957 reviews * 1,249,873 total words


     

    The Price of Honor

     
    Description: One man wakes to find himself alone...and not where he expected to be. Who is the strange man that appears..and why is he...blue? Follow the story of Cale and Bel'loc as they find out where their honor will take them, and what they will pay to keep it.
     

    Oh, The Price of Honor… written so, so long ago. I honestly can’t remember how the idea came to me, but I just knew I wanted to explore new worlds and aliens. The best part of writing this was ‘The End.’ Before I joined GA, I’d never really focused on what I could do writing down the weird things in my head. Now, my skills back then were horrible (I use this story to show that everyone starts somewhere and even writing geeks like me can have a time when they’d forgotten all the lessons they learned in school and had to relearn them) but I told a story that I still really thinks has merit today. One thing you might not know from reading the description is that there’s a short prequel written after the story was completed titled, “The Lords Sacrifice”.  


    Coupled in Synchronicity

     
    Description: Synchronicity acted in mysterious ways in my life, it always had. Scientists had been trying to decipher the magic of the planet since we landed; there seemed to be no guided intention to the events that happened, no sentient design, but still … things happened, important things, that could not be accidents.
     

    This is one of my favorite short stories, and I’ve a longer novel planned that just has to be written. I got the idea for the plot while I was doing some research into philosophy. It’s in the title, but the theme of ‘Synchronicity’ is part of Jung’s theory that nothing is truly coincidental and seemingly random events are actually connected. Researching this was actually my favorite part; I’m a ginormous geek as anyone who has worked with me on a story knows. I think I probably spent twice as much time coming up with the concept than I did writing it, lol. A fun fact not many people realize in the story… the planet, Synchronicity, is sentient!  


    The Experiment


     




     

    Description: In the distant future, humans wage war against the alien planet Caeorleia, with no tactic off-limits if it will help the humans get their hands on Caeorleia’s resources. Ask Ryker. He thought he volunteered for a simple experiment that would help his government in the war. He didn't realize sadistic doctors would turn him into the experiment—by injecting him with blood from a captured Caeorleian, Seral Iorflas.
     
    Nor did Ryker realize he’d be sent to sabotage a planet full of the very beings his world is battling, beings who kill humans on sight. But then, thanks to the experiment that irrevocably changed him, he isn’t exactly human any longer—and with each passing day, as his blood bond with Seral strengthens, he’s less and less sure as to whose side he's on.
     

    The Experiment actually started off as a prompt response, if I remember correctly. Before this was published, it existed as a free story that morphed into a novel, and that’s how I’ve continued to write the rest of the books in the series before I submit them to Dreamspinner Press for publication. You can still find the stories in GA’s Premium section if you don’t like to buy eBooks. My favorite part of writing The Experiment was coming up with the alien stuff, like the fizzy seeds in the mae fruit and the trees that glow when they absorb energy from other living things. I didn’t share this in the description, but most of the time the planet is so warm that Caeorleians go about in short cloth wraps around their hips… or naked!
  6. Renee Stevens
    It has been quite a long time since we've looked at Premium Stories. Gay Authors has always managed to remain free to it's members, one of the ways that it has managed to do so is through it's 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.
     





    1 Month ~ $8.10



    3 Months ~ $24.00



    6 Months ~ $47.00



    12 Months ~ $93.00

     


    Barbed Wire Heart


    Cole Matthews


     
    Description: What is the Barbed Wire Heart? Someone is responsible for the death of an innocent. They need to be brought to justice, but how? Join the hunt as those touched by the tragedy struggle to deal with life while the truth is obscured.
     
    Flamingo136 said: Cole, thank you so much for this story.....just to think, it all started with a prompt response on Loring Lane. I guess it just proves that no man is a island.....so many connections....and I wonder where it might lead to next......Again, I really enjoyed this tale..5STARS !!!!!!
     
    Valkyrie said: It was my pleasure to beta read this story, Cole. I'm going to miss it! I just adore Ben and Rush. They make such a nice couple. I hope we get to read more about them at some point...hint hint Great job on your first murder mystery. I look forward to your next one!
     


    Desolation Angels


    layla


     
    Description: Dare gets lost in the music playing inside his head, so lost that the rest of the world melts away. Will giving up the music give Dare a chance at a so called 'normal' life and the love of the bandmate he adores, or will it cost him everything, including himself.
     
    ShadowDancer said: I really loved reading your story, once started could not stop till finished, thank you for writing such a heart feeling story and posting it so all could read it
     
    Carrie76 said: Seriously though, this story is so well written and has such a nice flow to it. I truly hope you get to publish it one day. I would be very proud to buy this book. I love the band you created and the relationships too. Hopefully there will be more one day soon.
     

    So there you have it, just a couple of the stories that can be found in Premium! You can also find stories by: M.A. Church, Nephylim, Rob Colton, Renee Stevens, wolfwriter, Mann Ramblings, Cia, Lugh, and more!!!!
  7. Renee Stevens
    I hope everyone had had a great week! For this week, let's get right into the wrap up!
     
    March Signature Feature: Damphir By Nephylim: It was Signature Week this week and we started out with a quick look at Damphir by Nephylim. Check out what some readers had to say, and there's also a banner in there if you'd like to show your support for Nephylim.
     
    March Signature Excerpt: Damphir By Nephylim: We continued the week by actually giving you a look inside of Damphir with an excerpt. Based on some of the comments, a lot of people have already read it, or are planning to. What about you? Have you read Damphir?
     
    Prompt Me! #484 & #485: We finished the week off with new prompts provided to us by Comicfan. It sounds to me like some people are planning on joining the two prompts for this week into one response! For this week's feature, we featured all the responses from Prompt #482.
     
    Anthology Announcements:
     
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team**
    2016 Summer Anthology: Wicked Games - Due May 26th, 2016 2016 Fall Anthology: Blindsided - Due August 26th, 2016 2016 Winter Anthology: The Forgotten - Due November 26th, 2016 All Pre-2016 Anthology Themes - Due December 14, 2016

    Premium Updates:
     
     
     
    Journey's End
    by M.A. Church; Book 2 of The Harvest *Premium*  

    Signature Updates:
     

    Leopards Leap
    by Graeme; Book 3 of The Lilydale Leopards  
     
     
    Waiting Outside The Lines
    by Comicality  
     
     
    The G. M. Os.
    by CarlHoliday  
     
     
    From the Cup of the Worthless
    by Cynus  
     
     
    Innocence & Carnality
    by Mann Ramblings  
     
     
    No Flash
    by Cia  
     
     
    The Best Year
    by Krista  
     
     
    My Brother Daniel
    by Nephylim  

    Classic Updates:
     

    Grip
    by Topher_Lydon  

    Promising Updates:
     

    ...And All Shall Fade To Black
    by layla  
     
     
    Cards on the Table
    by Headstall  
     
     
    Treading Water
    by Headstall  
     
     
    Falling Apart
    by craftingmom  
     
     
    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets
    by AC Benus  
     
     
    My Twentieth Year
    by AC Benus  

    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  8. Renee Stevens
    Hope everyone is having a great week! Did you remember to wear green yesterday? If not, did you get pinched a bunch? If you're wanting a break from what you're currently working on, or you're blocked, or maybe you want to start writing for the first time, then we have the perfect solution for you. Writing Prompts! Don't forget, prompt responses under 1,000 words need to be posted as part of a collection.
     
    Prompt 484 -Creative
    Tag – First Line
    “Did anyone survive the accident?“

    Prompt 485 – Creative
    Tag – The Accident
    It was a late night and you were driving home from work. You go to stop at the light, but your brakes fail, and slip through uncommon traffic and crash into the woods. What happened to you and what was the cause?

    For this week, I decided to share both of the responses to Prompt #482


    Continue >> 


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  9. Renee Stevens
    Ingredients:
     
    3 eggs
    1 C Lard
    2 C Sugar
    2 C Zucchini (shredded)
    3 t. Vanilla
    3 t. Cinnamon
    1 t. Salt
    1 t. Baking Soda
    1/4 t. Baking Powder
    3 C Flour
     
    Directions:
     
    Preheat oven to 400 degrees
    Mix together eggs, sugar, lard, and vanilla
    Mix in cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder
    Add in zucchini and mix well
    Thoroughly mix in flour and pour into loaf pans sprayed with non-stick spray
    Bake at 400 for 45-55 minutes.
    Makes two loaves.
  10. Renee Stevens
    Another week has ended and it's time to look back and see what happened in the blogs. Before we get to that though, just a reminder that if you're somewhere that practices Daylight Savings, it's time to spring your clocks forward by an hour. If you forgot, don't feel bad, I completely spaced it until the time on my computer jumped forward an hour! Now, time for the wrap up!
     
    March C S R Feature: Short Stories By Renee Stevens - This month's CSR Feature is a collections of short stories by Renee Stevens (wait, that's me ) You have three stories to choose from and the discussion will take place on March 28th. You can read one of them or all of them, but we look forward to seeing you on discussion day.
     
    2016 Spring Anthology - Crossing The Line * Now Live * - That's right, we made the spring anthology live on Wednesday. If you're looking for something to read and haven't already done so, check them out. There's nine brand new stories for you to sink your teeth in, and as always, leave the authors a review and let them know what you think of their work.
     
    Anthology Announcements:
     
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team**
    2016 Summer Anthology: Wicked Games - Due May 26th, 2016 2016 Fall Anthology: Blindsided - Due August 26th, 2016 2016 Winter Anthology: The Forgotten - Due November 26th, 2016 All Pre-2016 Anthology Themes - Due December 14, 2016

    Premium Updates:
     
     
     
    Journey's End
    by M.A. Church; Book 2 of The Harvest *Premium*  

    Signature Updates:
     

    The Best Year
    by Krista  
     
     
    Rotting Apples
    by Comicality  
     
     
    From the Cup of the Worthless
    by Cynus  
     
     
    Worthy
    by Cia *2016 Spring Anthology*  
     
     
    Full Disclosure
    by Renee Stevens *2016 Spring Anthology*  
     
     
    Innocence & Carnality
    by Mann Ramblings  
     
     
    No Flash
    by Cia  
     
     
    Remembering Tim
    by CarlHoliday  
     
     
    The G. M. Os.
    by CarlHoliday  
     
     
    Sword of Kings: Tempered by Fate
    by Bill W; Book 3 of Sword of Kings  

    Classic Updates:
     

    Things We Lost
    by Dabeagle  
     
     
    A Bad Day to be WET
    by Myr *2016 Spring Anthology*  

    Promising Updates:
     

    ...And All Shall Fade To Black
    by layla  
     
     
    The Epicure
    by Cole Matthews *2016 Spring Anthology*  
     
     
    Obsession
    by Valkyrie *2016 Spring Anthology*  
     
     
    Guarding the Line
    by craftingmom *2016 Spring Anthology*  
     
     
    Zaidu
    by aditus *2016 Spring Anthology*  
     
     
    Promptings from Valhalla - 2016 Edition
    by Valkyrie  
     
     
    Treading Water
    by Headstall  
     
     
    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets
    by AC Benus  
     
     
    My Twentieth Year
    by AC Benus  

    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  11. Renee Stevens
    I hope everyone is ready for some new reading!!! To help you get over those hump day blues, we have 9 brand new stories for your enjoyment. The theme for the anthology was Crossing the Line and there are some great takes on the theme. Hopefully you enjoy the stories and don't forget to leave the authors a like, and a review to let them know what you think.
     



     


    A Bad Day to be WET
    Myr

     
    “Calculations are complete,” Aegis reported.
     
    “And how did we do with that last one?” Bill asked dryly.
     
    “We did much better.”
     
    Bill chuckled. “One more jump do you think?”
     
    Aegis paused a moment. “That would appear likely, sir.”
     
    “Okay. I’m setting jump coordinates for Neptune Test Point Charlie.”
     
    Continue >>
     


    A Hazard Taken
    Parker Owens

     
    Daniel Akindele stared numbly at the wreckage of the fancy hotel room. The remains of a sandwich still sat on the coffee table, uneaten. An unopened gift, pressed into Daniel's hands as they left their small wedding celebration – their very own wedding reception – atop a small suitcase. The silk sheets on the bed lay wildly disarrayed as he and his beloved Ibrahim – Ibi - had left them. As they had made love – and then slept in them.
     
    Now federal Immigration agents bustled about the room, searching, for what, he couldn't possibly guess. Where was Ibi? Where were they taking him?
     
    Continue >>
     


    Full Disclosure
    Renee Stevens

     
    Dom leapt over the fallen tree trunk, barely even breaking his stride. He missed having Landon at his side during a hunt, but his best friend had told him to go without him. It wasn’t the first time, and Dom was beginning to worry. Landon seemed to have been pulling away from him lately, and he still wasn’t sure why. He didn’t think he’d like the answer and so he hadn’t asked.
     
    A heavy weight slammed into him and sent him colliding with a tree. A sharp pain in his side spoke of possibly broken ribs. Dom managed to stagger to his feet, still reeling from the blow, and struggled to catch his breath. He’d barely made it back on four paws when he was hit again, sending him back to the ground with another wolf looming over him.
     
    Continue >>
     


    Guarding the Line
    craftingmom

     
    He was in charge of holding the line. His comrades in arms were doing their best to hold off the offensive moves of the Raiders, but he was the last line of defense.
     
    Brady's sharp eyes cut to his right for only a moment. Ryan. He knew exactly where he was. Waiting. Cheering. For him. His heart thundered in his chest.
     
    Ryan. He didn't know what it was about the new kid, but Brady couldn't stop thinking about him. The shy teen had pushed every one of the desires Brady had kept carefully hidden behind the threshold of his virtual closet for the last few years. Desires he was sure his friends wouldn't approve of, would ridicule him for. He felt a pang of regret every time Ryan's eyes flickered with a moment of hope that Brady saw him as more than just a friend. But that was all they could ever be.
     
    Continue >>
     


    Mixed Emotions
    The Eminent MGK

     

    I had stridden strength, holding her, entire night.

    Until the morning, it was like a fight.
    Pacing alone, I was worried so high.
    They had said, they'd try whatever they might.

     
    Continue >>
     


    Obsession
    Valkyrie

     
    His movements were languid and smooth, as he posed like one born to the modeling profession. His golden hair shone in the midday sunlight, tousled by the breeze like an intent hairstylist. He had no formal training but didn’t need it. The upturn of his mouth, eye contact at just the right moment, sculpted body at just the right angle—he oozed sensuality with no effort on his part. I don’t think he had any idea of the effect he had on people. Passersby of both sexes frequently gave him a second look. He carried himself with a heady mixture of innocence and raw sexuality with the way he dressed in flattering and fashionable clothes and the way he interacted with others and the camera. It was intoxicating just to be in his presence.
     
    The click of my camera was as regular as my pulse when I was around him. My heart stuttered in time with the shutter when he smiled directly into the lens and into my soul. We were meant to be together. I knew it just as surely as I drew breath.
     
    Continue >>
     


    The Epicure
    Cole Matthews

     
    I looked over at the hospital room door again. Two uniformed officers were talking in hushed tones. I didn't know what they were discussing and frankly, I doubted they knew much. I took the report I'd just read and placed it back into the folder and slid it into my leather computer bag. I glanced down at the newspaper on my lap and picked it up.
     
    Rifling through it, I came upon the section of the Minneapolis Mercury-Times I wanted. It wasn't something I usually read. I liked the sports section, the comics, and occasionally the regional news. I never perused the lifestyle section and most assuredly not the food columns.
     
    Continue >>
     


    Worthy
    Cia

     
    Ebodar gasped. “You didn’t go out there alone, did you, verl?”
     
    He had a name, though none had used it since his mark appeared shortly after he was born. He remembered it, though he’d only heard it said in a whisper his mother had shared in his ear when she’d see him struggling. It had been too many years since she passed, and it was hard not to resent the way even that had been taken from him. Sudal wouldn’t forget the name she’d given him although all those important gave up their identities to the clan. Sudal’s father, as the leader of their clan, was addressed only as Lord.
     
    Continue >>
     


    Zaidu
    aditus

     
    The fire crackles in the background, but its warmth doesn’t reach him. Standing in the cave’s entrance, his gaze wanders unseeingly over dense forest. Long-forgotten memories have assaulted him: a walled garden, green leaves whispering in the early morning breeze, and the cries and giggles of his siblings somewhere in the house. But not the name his mother called him. Not her face. Just a faint scent...jasmine?
     
    His hand involuntarily clenches into a fist, and he turns his face toward the slight breeze coming in from the sea hidden behind the green.
     
    Continue >>
     

    2016 Spring Anthology Support Team


     

    Anthology Coordinator



    Renee Stevens


     

    Tech Support



    AJ


     

    Proof Team



    Cia



    Rec



    Valkyrie



    Johnathan Colourfield


     

    Anthology Banner Creation



    Cia


  12. Renee Stevens
    I hope everyone had a great week and a wonderful start to the weekend. Did anyone do anything special to celebrate Leap Year? Do you have Leap Year traditions? Feel free to share in the comments if you'd like. There were a lot of great things happening in the blog this past week, and a lot of great featured content. Lets see what we had!
     
    C S R Discussion Day: The Holly And The Ivy By Aditus - There was a great discussion day on Monday for the February CSR story, The Holly and The Ivy by Aditus. It looks like quite a few people enjoyed the story, and Aditus stopped by the blog to answer questions for the readers. If you had a question about the story, stop by and see if maybe your question was answered.
     
    Ask An Author #37 - Dark has been providing this feature for quite awhile (as evidenced by this being #37). This month's authors were albertnothlit, Carlos Hazday, Julie Hayed, and MA Church. There were some great questions asked and answered, so if you want to learn a bit more about then, make sure to check out this post.
     
    Prompt Me! #482 & #483 - Friday was all about the prompts. Not only did we have a word list prompt, but we also had a creative prompt. For our featured prompt response, I decided to feature all of the responses to Prompt #480. There were three prompts, authored by JohnAR, Valkyrie, and Mikiesboy.
     
    Anthology Announcements:
     
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team**
    2016 Summer Anthology: Wicked Games - Due May 26th, 2016 2016 Fall Anthology: Blindsided - Due August 26th, 2016 2016 Winter Anthology: The Forgotten - Due November 26th, 2016 All Pre-2016 Anthology Themes - Due December 14, 2016

    Premium Updates:
     
    Journey's End
    by M.A. Church; Book 2 of The Harvest *Premium*  
    Signature Updates:
     
    Leopards Leap
    by Graeme; Book 3 of The Lilydale Leopards  
    The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 9
    by Comicality; Book 9 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase  
    My Brother Daniel
    by Nephylim  
    Remembering Tim
    by CarlHoliday  

    The G. M. Os.
    by CarlHoliday  
    From the Cup of the Worthless
    by Cynus  
    Innocence & Carnality
    by Mann Ramblings  
    No Flash
    by Cia  
    Sword of Kings: Tempered by Fate
    by Bill W; Book 3 of Sword of Kings  
    The Best Year
    by Krista  
    Space Pioneer 5 - Nephthys
    by Dolores Esteban  
    Classic Updates:
     
    Things We Lost
    by Dabeagle  
    Promising Updates:
     
    Promptings from Valhalla - 2016 Edition byValkyrie
     
    Falling Apart
    by craftingmom  
    Holding Back
    by Thorn Wilde  
    Headstall's Reflections
    by Headstall  
    Treading Water
    by Headstall  
    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets
    by AC Benus  
    My Twentieth Year
    by AC Benus  
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  13. 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 482 – Creative
    Tag – List of Words
    Use the following words in a story – a tree limb, a garbage bag, a lemon, a chicken, and bees.
     
    Prompt 483 – Creative
    Tag – The Trip
    You decided you needed a little vacation and jump in your car to get away. Where do you go on your little trip?
     
    For this week, I decided to share all the responses for Prompt #480. Enjoy!

    Continue Reading 



    Continue Reading 



    Continue Reading
  14. Renee Stevens

    Ask An Author #37

    By Renee Stevens,


    Anthologies
    I can't believe it's already March, and time for another Ask An Author feature! 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 #37


     
    Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors!
     
    In AtA #36, we had questions for authors Bill W, Robert Rex, and Sasha Distan.
     
    In AtA #37, we hear from authors albertnothlit, Carlos Hazday, and Julie Hayes and MA Church.
     
    For their protection, the members who asked these questions shall remain nameless (unless they choose to reveal themselves). Please note that all author replies are copied as is, spelling errors and grammar eccentricities original to the individual.
     
    Now in his second year with us here at GA, author albertnothlit has his first appearance in this blog series today. This gentleman has his own website; google his name if you want to check it out. You can also find him on Goodreads and Twitter. He may not have been with us long, but Albert has been writing for quite awhile; we’re lucky he happened to stop by … and then stick around. J Probably the genre he’s best known for is sci-fi, especially with Life Seed, his most recent story posted here on GA. Those of us who love sci-fi have all read stories that start off like this one: a new colony on a new planet that’s doomed because …. Fill in the gap here. I like this one because while there is a battlefield, it’s the colonists versus the planet itself, for the people are slowly starving. One of the things I like best is that Albert gives us little clues throughout the story that give it greater detail. Miles of explanatory text is common amongst sci-fi stories, but Albert has balanced this quite well and gives us an amazing main character to follow.
     
    To albertnothlit: How do you go on when you write? Do you have a complete plot worked out in your mind (as a draft) before you start writing the actual work or do you start with a setting and see where it goes from there? How do you make sure to avoid logic mistakes and do you have tricks to solve those?
     

    The most important thing for me when I write is having a plot outline. I start by writing down the 'main idea' of the story, i.e., what I want to accomplish by writing it. Then, I decide on characters, POV, and estimated length. After that I write freely for a bit to capture the essence of the story, and then I make a chapter list with brief one-liners detailing what will happen in each chapter. If the work is long, I'll expand on this, and for really long novels I'll also create an Excel cheat sheet with a glossary, character back stories, lore, all of that. My best trick to avoid continuity errors is to let it rest. I'll write a full tale and just let it sit around for a bit before re-reading it with fresh eyes. That way, logic errors jump out at me and I can change them! Also, learning how to work an editor is just as if not more important than learning how to proofread your own writing..  
    We last saw author Carlos Hazday in AtA #29. Carlos has been a member of GA since 2013 and hails from southern Florida, though he’s done a lot of travelling and often on his motorcycle. In his half-century of life, Carlos has seen and done many things and likes to model his characters after his own experiences, writing in first person with an engaging commentary. Although he was not originally planned as the main character, look for more CJ in the third book of the series, Winter, set in Australia at the end of 2013. There’s some fun reactions to local places and events, but the travelling doesn’t end there in Australia. Catch up with CJ or go back to the beginning and get to know this surprisingly appealing young man.
     
    To Carlos Hazday: What kind of reader feedback do you find most useful, and why?
     

    ALL reader feedback is welcome, appreciated, and useful. I particularly like comments about my writing style, both positive and negative. Being fairly new to writing, hearing about what I'm doing right or wrong helps me improve. Plot discussions are always fun but if you tell me why the story moved you or intrigued you, it could help me create even better ones in the future.  
    I’ve been looking forward to this last author-duo for about a year now. Julie L. Hayes and MA Church teamed up for a couple of projects that have been received very positively out there in cyberspace. Julie has a profile here on GA and has been with us for just over three years now. She’s been a writer for a long time and says her daughters got her into the world of M/M romance. We used to know Michelle by her pseudonym nomoretears00 and found M/M through literotica. Mississippi is pretty far away from St. Louis, but these two ladies have somehow managed to work well enough together that they did it more than once! Those of us who’ve ever worked with someone else on a project know it’s not as easy as it sounds. Enjoy their love stories: Journey's End, the second in the Harvest series by MA Church, and Moving Forward, the second in the Love Without Boundries series by Julie L. Hayes.
     
    To Julie Hayes and MA Church: How did you both meet and come up with the ideas for Be My Alien and Be My Human?
     

    MA and I met briefly through a comment she left on a story of mine at a fanfic site. I got to know her when she became an author at the publishing company where I was EIC and an author too. We both belonged to a FB group called It's Raining Men, and they were looking for stories for a Valentine's anthology. We both were interested, and we discussed writing our story jointly. I had read and edited Nighttime Promises at Romance First and enjoyed them, and I wanted to write an alien story too, so Be My Alien was born. Because it was originally intended as a short story for the anthology, it had to stay within the 25k range. But we ended up having a disagreement about the anthology and withdrew, deciding to send it to Dreamspinner instead. But that's why it's shorter than the second book, as it was never intended to be full-length. The name came about by accident. We were talking one the phone, discussing possible titles, and talking about Valentine's Day. I joked about the conversation hearts, and the things they said, and I said something about one that would read Be My Alien, instead of Be My Valentine. The name stuck! MA came up with Be My Human, and the title for the third book, Be My Everything.  
    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!
     
    See you next time, with authors Andrew Q. Gordon, Sammy Blue, and Valkyrie!
     
    I’m always in the market for new questions! Simply PM me (Dark).
     

    Until next time!



    Dark


  15. Renee Stevens

    Featured Story: Team Building

    By Renee Stevens,


    Featured Stories
    It's the start of a new week, which means it's time to take a look at another story that can be found on the site. This week, we're taking a look at Team Building by EBWilson. Thank you to Timothy for this review. If you'd like to review one of your favorite stories on site, then send me a PM!
     

    Team Building


    by



    EBWilson

     

    Reviewed By: Timothy M.



    Status: Complete



    Word Count: 241,035


     
    You know those good-looking, conceited, clever, shallow yuppies we all love to hate when they breeze into our lives and either ignore us or take our attraction and admiration for granted. If you read Team Building you’ll meet a prime specimen in the shape of Neil who drives his boss at the bank, as well as us readers, crazy with his self-assured, flippant and egoistic behavior. But it’s also funny to be privy to his disparaging and brutally honest evaluation of himself and people around him.
     
    Neil starts out perfectly happy with his lonely, but money-and-sex-filled existence. However, the story description ‘What happens when a pathologically single guy meets the man of his dreams?’ makes it clear that he’s in for a major wake-up call when he encounters hunky, handsome Kevin whose life style couldn’t be more different to Neil’s. Not to mention the fact the rugged Scot is the father of a precocious six-year-old girl. At first, there are no indications Neil and Kevin could ever become seriously attracted to each other, in fact I spent a lot of time laughing about their initial disastrous clash featuring a luggage cart. But this is only the beginning of a long torturous path filled with obstacles.
     
    However, Neil’s boss is determined to make him into a team player and forces him to attend a team building course featuring Kevin as one of the instructors. But Neil also meets several other people who have crucial roles to play in the slow maturing process we witness as the story unfolds. I think every single reader managed to have a crush on Peter, but I can’t tell you why without spoiling the story. There were several unexpected developments, some of which scared me and made me
     
    Ted (EBWilson) is a master of cliff hangers and plot twists, and Team Building has more embarrassing ‘bad timing’ moments than any other story I can recall reading on GA. But no matter how much hair tearing and swearing the story caused, we kept hoping (and begging) for a happy end. Because that’s another of Ted’s admirable skills as an author: He manages to make us feel sympathy and understanding for Neil, even when he’s at his worst or in denial. In fact, ‘denial’ may be the main thing Neil and Kevin ‘Bloody’ Ross have in common.
     
    Get on the Team Building train, I promise you won’t regret it, it’s frustratingly fun. And don’t forget to pay a visit to the story discussion forum (beware spoilers) to join the Peter fan club, the Neil shakers, or the Ross Ranters. Ted will love to hear what you think of his story – and so would I.
     

    Category: Fiction Genres: Comedy, Romance Tags: Young Adult, Workplace, Anal, BDSM, Casual, Oral Rating: Mature


  16. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    I can't believe that February is already over. The spring anthology deadline has passed and we're working on getting the stories ready to go. A quick reminder that tomorrow is the CSR Discussion Day for The Holly and the Ivy, so make sure to stop by and see what everyone has to say. Now, with that said, let's see what happened this week in the blog.
     
    We started the week with a review of Team Building that was supplied to us by Timothy M. It's always great to see what stories are on site, so maybe check it out and see if it's something that interests you.
     
    Wednesday I did an announcement of the Special Anthology that will come out in December. This anthology includes all the Pre-2016 themes, so if there was a theme you liked that you didn't get a story written for, now's your chance. Just make sure to read the guidelines as they are a little bit different from the regular guidelines.
     
    Congrats to Cynus who became our most recent Signature Author on Thursday. If you haven't already done so, you can congratulate him in the Thursday blog entry.
     
    Finally, we finished the week up with two new prompts. There's already been some responses posted, so join in and see what you can come up with. Our featured prompt response this week came from jamessavik.
     
    Anthology Announcements:
     
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team**
    2016 Summer Anthology: Wicked Games - Due May 26th, 2016 2016 Fall Anthology: Blindsided - Due August 26th, 2016 2016 Winter Anthology: The Forgotten - Due November 26th, 2016 All Pre-2016 Anthology Themes - Due December 14, 2016

    Premium Updates:
     
    Journey's End
    by M.A. Church; Book 2 of The Harvest *Premium*  
    Signature Updates:
     
    Belovéd
    by Don H

    Remembering Tim by CarlHoliday  

    The G. M. Os.
    by CarlHoliday  
    From the Cup of the Worthless
    by Cynus  
    Innocence & Carnality
    by Mann Ramblings  
    No Flash
    by Cia  
    Sword of Kings: Tempered by Fate
    by Bill W; Book 3 of Sword of Kings  
    The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 9
    by Comicality; Book 9 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase  
    Space Pioneer 5 - Nephthys
    by Dolores Esteban  

    Classic Updates:
     
    Things We Lost
    by Dabeagle  
    Promising Updates:
     
    ...And All Shall Fade To Black
    by Layla  
    Cards on the Table
    by Headstall  
    Promptings from Valhalla - 2016 Edition by Valkyrie
     
    Falling Apart
    by craftingmom  
    Holding Back
    by Thorn Wilde  
    Treading Water
    by Headstall  
    My Twentieth Year
    by AC Benus  

    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  17. Renee Stevens

    Prompt Me! #480 & #481

    By Renee Stevens,


    Prompts
    Who's ready for a couple of new prompts? Don't forget the deadline to get your stories to the Anthology Proof Team is today! This month has just flown by it seems like. Remember, if your prompt response is less than 1,000 words, it can be posted in GA Stories as long as it's part of a collection. Now, let's see what comicfan has for you.
     
    Prompt 480 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    “I just have a simple question. Who the hell is asleep in your bed?”
     
    Prompt 481 – Creative
    Tag – The Dance
    You bought a ticket from the local fire department for a fund raiser. One of the prizes was dance lessons from the local dance class. You find yourself in class paired with the stunning teacher. What happens at your dance lessons?
     
    Today's featured prompt response is Jamessavik's response to Prompt 478:
     

    Read the rest, here.
  18. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    I hope everyone has had a great week and an even better weekend. Before we get into this week's wrap up, I'd just like to do a quick reminder that Spring Anthology entries are do to the proof team in only 5 days!!! Hopefully we'll have a few more come in before the deadline, otherwise I might have to try and write one and we don't want that!!! LOL. Now, lets take a look at what happened in the GA News Blogs this week!
     
    For our Monday Featured Story, Timothy M provided us with a review for Trouble Plus Trouble by Palantir!
     
    For our Wednesday post, Cia provided us with another grammar rodeo! I think I definitely need to take a look at these, since I made a few typos in the introduction to the post. Oops!
     
    The prompts finally were back after a bit of a hiatus. Not only did we have two new story prompts for you, but we also had the new poetry prompt as well. For our featured response, we shared a poetry response from Aditus!
     
    Anthology Announcements:
     
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team**
    2016 Spring Anthology: Crossing the Line - Due February 26th, 2016 *Only 5 Days Left* 2016 Summer Anthology: Wicked Games - Due May 26th, 2016 2016 Fall Anthology: Blindsided - Due August 26th, 2016 2016 Winter Anthology: The Forgotten - Due November 26th, 2016 All Pre-2016 Anthology Themes - Due December 14, 2016

    Premium Updates:
     
     
     
    The Degan Paradox
    by Rob Colton; Book 3 of Galactic Conspiracies *Premium*  

    Signature Updates:
     

    The G. M. Os.
    by CarlHoliday  
     
     
    Innocence & Carnality
    by Mann Ramblings  
     
     
    No Flash
    by Cia  
     
     
    Sword of Kings: Tempered by Fate
    by Bill W; Book 3 of Sword of Kings  
     
     
    GFD 12: Blood Ties
    by Comicality; Book 12 of Gone From Daylight  

    Classic Updates:
     

    Things We Lost
    by Dabeagle  

    Promising Updates:
     

    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets
    by AC Benus  
     
     
    My Twentieth Year
    by AC Benus  
     
     
    A Fool's Thoughts
    by aditus  
     
     
    Headstall's Reflections
    by Headstall  
     
     
    ...And All Shall Fade To Black
    by Layla  
     
     
    Falling Apart
    by craftingmom  
     
     
    Holding Back
    by Thorn Wilde  
     
     
    Gay Metal
    by carringtonrj  
     
     
    Treading Water
    by Headstall  

    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  19. Renee Stevens

    Prompt Me!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Prompts
    Who's missed the weekly prompts? It's been a few weeks since we posted some new prompts to help spark some ideas, but they're back. Not only do we have two new prompts for you, but for those that missed it, we also have the new poetry prompt for you! Don't forget that anything under 1000 words needs to be in a collection and that authors are allowed 5 different collections without Admin approval.
     
    Prompt 478 – Creative
    Tag – List of Words
    Use the following words in a story – roses, bacon, a frog, balloons, and new sneakers.
     
    Prompt 479 – Creative
    Tag – Wishes
    You and two of your close friends joke about what would make the perfect date. Each of you list five things that are absolutely necessary to make the perfect person. You read the list of items and wish you could find one person who encompassed them all. The following day the three of you go for coffee and spot someone who seems to be created out of your list of requirements from the night before. Who is this mystery person and is he there to fulfill your wishes or make your lives a nightmare?
     
    Poetry Prompt 18 – Rubaiyat
    write one four-lined Khayyám-style Rubaiyat on the theme of 'your muse' (with or without references to drink and pretty boys ). In addition, write one multi-stanza Interlocking Rubaiyat based on the sights and feelings stirred in you by watching Ambrose Bierce's short story,
    . Use the consistent line lengths you think are best for the individual poems, and follow the basic rhyme patterns for the two types of Rubaiyat. 
    For our featured prompt response today, I'm using Aditus' response to Poetry Prompt #17:
     

    You can read the rest, here.
  20. Renee Stevens

    Grammar Rodeo #8

    By Renee Stevens,


    Writing Tips
    Ever wonder what the correct word to use is? Cia has written a blog entry to help show which word should be used in different instances. It's been a while since we had a Grammar Rodeo, but I find these posts to be rather informative and we hope you do too.
     


    Commonly Misused Words


     

    When writing, most authors know there are homophones to watch out for, and we all know the big ones like your/you’re/yore and there/their/they’re. But there are a lot of words that are harder to figure out because they’re not as common.
     
    Affect/Effect
     
    I know I’ve written this one up before, but I see it misused a lot. An affect is a verb and an effect is a noun. The way I remember it is affect = action word. If something is affecting something else, an action is occurring. Effect is the result of an action.
     
    Examples:
     
    I want this scene to affect my readers in a meaningful way.
     
    The effect of the scene was devastating.
     
    Me vs I
     
    Using I or me can be confusing for some, usually when used with another noun (usually another person). The difference in use is whether or not the pronoun is being used as the subject or object of the verb. I could explain the difference if you don’t automatically know the difference between subjects and objects in a sentence… or I could just remind you of the easy cheat: Take the other noun out of the sentence.
     
    Examples:
     
    Chase and me went to the store vs Chase and I went to the store. Take out ‘Chase and’
     
    Me went to the store vs I went to the store. Easier to figure out.
     
    Can you send the files to Patrick and I? vs Can you send the files to Patrick and me?
     
    Can you send the files to I? vs Can you send the files to me?
     
    Peak vs Peek vs Pique
     
    Most people know peak vs peek, but I often see them used equally as often instead of pique because authors don’t know that’s a whole other spelling. Peak means a pointy point, like a mountain, peek means to take a quick look, and pique means to stimulate or be irritated.
     
    Examples:
     
    We climbed to the peak.
     
    She took a peek at the cake before the party.
     
    She left the party in a fit of pique, upset at the gossip circulating among the guests.
     
    Lose vs Loose
     
    Really, these words aren’t anywhere close to each other in meaning, but you see authors not knowing the difference all the time.
     
    Lose means to fail to keep/maintain or cease to have while loose means not tight, not in possession, lacking in restraint, ect…. These sentences are almost exactly the same but mean totally different things.
     
    Examples:
     
    Lose the ball means to get rid of it/not be able to find the ball.
     
    Loose the ball means to let the ball go, like if you threw it.
     
    Then vs Than
     
    I have a simple trick to help remember which should be used and when. First, what do they mean? Then indicates time and than compares items.
     
    Memory Trick
     
    Then = Time such as We went to the store then the park.
     
    Than = Compare such as The kids liked the trip to the park better than the store.
     
    Compliment vs Complement
     
    Another example where the words sound the same and are spelled very close… yet the meaning is completely different. You can use the letters to help remember here too. Complement means to complete or enhance something. Compliment means an expression of praise or the action of praising someone.
     
    Examples:
     
    Her scarf complemented her dress.
     
    He complimented her choice of scarf.
     
    Farther vs Further
     
    Yet again, similar but not the same. Both farther and further are often used as if they’re interchangeable, but in reality, there is a difference in the shades of meaning in the words that both mean ‘a great distance’. Unfortunately, I don’t have any tricks for this one, you just have to remember.
     
    Farther is used to indicate a physical distance and further is used to indicate a figurative distance.
     
    Examples:
     
    We went farther than any other team in the race.
     
    Nothing he said could further from the truth.
     
    What other words do you commonly see misused?
  21. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    It's been a rather busy week here at Gay Authors. I think we'll get right to it.
     
    Monday started the February Signature Author feature for Bill W of his story Butterflies Fly Free. You can see some of the reviews from the story and if it sounds good to you, then you can check out the excerpt that was posted on Wednesday!
     
    Voting for the Secret Admirer Short Story contest ended on Thursday and we started the Secret Admirer Guess Who game prior to the Secret Admirer Winners & Reveal on Friday. Congratulations to Cole Matthews, Graeme, and Thorn Wilde. There were so many great stories for the contest and you can still read them even though voting has concluded.
     
    Once again, someone compiled the stats for us on the voting for the Secret Admirer Contest. Here's what they came up with:
     

    Secret Admirer Guessing Game Stats
    By the Secret Nerd  

    Most correct guesses
    Slytherin had 5 correct answers out of 13 guesses
    AC Benus had 3 correct answers out of 10 guesses
    Aditus had 3 correct answers out of 9 guesses
    The rest got from 0 to 2 correct answers out of 1 to 12 guesses.
    Graeme got all 12 guesses wrong except one; including his own story, which he attributed to Valkyrie.  

    Stories with most author names suggested
    Two's Company by J.HunterDunn got 6 guesses on 6 names, none correct
    Making Sense of Secret Gifts by Timothy M. got 6 guesses on 5 names, none correct
    Take a Chance by Robert Rex got 7 guesses on 5 names, one correct
    A Gift For the Quiet One by Comicfan got 6 guesses on 5 names, two correct
    At the other end the story which most people agreed on:
    Lupercalia by Puppilull had 7 guesses on 2 names (W_L and AC Benus), neither correct.
    Six stories had four author names suggested, and the last two had three names.  

    Seven stories had someone guess their author
    Jager by Cole Matthews (4)
    Nobody's Valentine by Thorn Wilde (4)
    Sunshine by AC Benus (4 - if Lisa’s first instinctive guess is included)
    Cupid Central by Aditus (3)
    The Cupid Complex by Valkyrie (3)
    A Gift For the Quiet One by Comicfan (2)
    Take a Chance by Robert Rex (1)
    In the Secret Santa contest no one guessed the stories by Cole and Valkyrie, but more than one reader guessed the entries by Thorn Wilde, AC Benus and Aditus. Maybe because they have distinctive writing styles?  

    Six stories had no one guess their author
    Last Run to Mosul by W_L
    Lupercalia by Puppilull
    Making Sense of Secret Gifts by Timothy M.
    The Lady in the Flames by jfalkon
    Two's Company by J.HunterDunn
    Who Is It? by Graeme
    In the Secret Santa contest no one guessed the stories by jfalkon and Timothy M. either. Perhaps they have indistinct writing styles (or in jfalcon’s case not many readers seem to know his 24 stories !).  

    Authors with most stories attributed
    Graeme 6, none correct
    J.HunterDunn 6, none correct
    Robert Rex 5, including the correct one (by one reader)
    Valkyrie 5, including the correct one (by three readers)
    AC Benus 5, including the correct one (by three or four readers, if you count Lisa’s guess)
    Aditus, Cole Matthews, Comicfan, Puppilull all had 4 stories attributed to them. No one had Puppilull correct, the rest were guessed by two or more readers.  

    In comparison the same statistic for the previous contest (not done at the time):

    Authors with most stories attributed (Secret Santa)
    Cole Matthews 7, none correct !
    J.HunterDunn 5, including the right one (by three readers)
    Timothy M. 5, none correct
    AC Benus, Graeme, Headstall, Johnathan Colourfield, Litlover, Thorn Wilde all had 4 stories attributed to them. At least one reader guessed the right one for each of them, and three readers guessed AC Benus and Thorn Wilde.  

    If you compare the two contests Thorn Wilde got four stories attributed in Santa but only two in Admirer, and in both contests several readers knew the correct story.

    Puppilull got two stories attributed to her in Santa and four in Admirer, none of them correct. She seems an expert in misleading readers together with jfalkon and Timothy M. and the authors below.

    Cole had seven stories attributed to him in Santa, none of them correct, but in Admirer four readers had the correct story out of the four attributed to him, so that’s an improvement, right?

    J.HunterDunn and Graeme consistently get several stories attributed to them, and in Admirer no one got it right. Did they get better at misleading us, or did we get worse at guessing?  
    Anthology Announcements:
     
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team**
    2016 Spring Anthology: Crossing the Line - Due February 26th, 2016 2016 Summer Anthology: Wicked Games - Due May 26th, 2016 2016 Fall Anthology: Blindsided - Due August 26th, 2016 2016 Winter Anthology: The Forgotten - Due November 26th, 2016 All Pre-2016 Anthology Themes - Due December 14, 2016

    Premium Updates:
     
    The Degan Paradox
    by Rob Colton; Book 3 of Galactic Conspiracies *Premium*  
    Signature Updates:
     
    My Brother Daniel
    by Nephylim  
    The Best Year
    by Krista  
    GA Writing Prompts
    by Dolores Esteban  
    New Kid In School
    by Comicality  
    Remembering Tim
    by CarlHoliday  
    The G. M. Os.
    by CarlHoliday  
    Innocence & Carnality
    by Mann Ramblings  
    No Flash
    by Cia  
    Sword of Kings: Tempered by Fate
    by Bill W; Book 3 of Sword of Kings  
    Kiss Of An Angel
    by Comicality  
    A Gift For the Quiet One
    by Comicfan *Secret Admirer Contest Entry*  
    Who Is It?
    by Graeme *Secret Admirer Contest Entry*  
    Classic Updates:
     
    Things We Lost
    by Dabeagle  
    Promising Updates:
     
    Headstall's Reflections
    by Headstall  
    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets
    by AC Benus  
    My Twentieth Year
    by AC Benus  
    A Fool's Thoughts
    by aditus  
    ...And All Shall Fade To Black
    by Layla  
    Cards on the Table
    by Headstall  
    Treading Water
    by Headstall  
    The Cupid Complex
    by Valkyrie *Secret Admirer Contest Entry*  
    Cupid Central
    by Aditus *Secret Admirer Contest Entry*  
    Jager
    by Cole Matthews *Secret Admirer Contest Entry*  
    Nobody's Valentine
    by Thorn Wilde *Secret Admirer Contest Entry*  
    Sunshine
    by AC Benus *Secret Admirer Contest Entry*  
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  22. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Before we get started on this weeks Weekly Wrap Up, I wanted to remind everything that the deadline for the Secret Admirer Short Story Contest is descending on us! If you're an author and want to participate, the deadline for submissions is February 4th by 2:00 PM EST. For those who have already sent in their story, I'm working on getting them uploaded and will send you a PM as soon as your story is uploaded. Also, if you'd like to do an Author Promo for the blog, take a look at the thread and then PM me. Now, let's see what happened in the blog this week!
     
    Monday started out with the CSR Discussion day for The Life of Seeon by Comicfan.
     
    When Wednesday came around, we had an author promo for Mann Ramblings where we he answered questions about a few of his stories.
     
    Finally, for Friday, we had a couple of new prompts from Comicfan and featured a poetry response by Mikiesboy.
     
    Anthology Announcements:
     
    ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team**
    2016 Spring Anthology: Crossing the Line - Due February 26th, 2016 2016 Summer Anthology: Wicked Games - Due May 26th, 2016 2016 Fall Anthology: Blindsided - Due August 26th, 2016 2016 Winter Anthology: The Forgotten - Due November 26th, 2016 All Pre-2016 Anthology Themes - Due December 14, 2016

     

    Premium Updates:
     
    The Degan Paradox
    by Rob Colton; Book 3 of Galactic Conspiracies *Premium*  
    Signature Updates:
     
    Thwarted
    by Renee Stevens  
    The Best Year
    by Krista  
    The G. M. Os.
    by CarlHoliday  
    The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 9
    by Comicality; Book 9 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase  
    Innocence & Carnality
    by Mann Ramblings  
    No Flash
    by Cia  
    Sword of Kings: Tempered by Fate
    by Bill W; Book 3 of Sword of Kings  
    My Brother Daniel
    by Nephylim  
    Classic Updates:
     
    Things We Lost
    by Dabeagle  
    Promising Updates:
     
    My Twentieth Year
    by AC Benus  
    ...And All Shall Fade To Black
    by layla  
    Aditus' prompts and circumstances
    by aditus  
    Holding Back
    by Thorn Wilde  
    Falling Apart
    by craftingmom  
    Treading Water
    by Headstall  
    One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets
    by AC Benus  
    Headstall's Reflections
    by Headstall  
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  23. Renee Stevens
    So, I've been doing a lot of thinking about my writing lately. I was curious to see how I've changed and grown as an author over the years. The best way for me to figure that out, was to look at my earlier works, primarily Eternity.
     
    Eternity was only the second novel I ever wrote, and the first M/M novel. Looking back at it now, I can't help but cringe. There are so many things with it that I'd change if I was rewriting it now. Back then, I didn't know any different. I've been considering revising and ebooking it, but if I do, it's going to need a major overhaul. Things I didn't know then, but that I know now.
     
    POV Shifts: While shifts between different characters POV's aren't a bad thing, they have to be done right. Typically, the best way I've found to do it is that different chapters can come from different points of view. In Eternity, I didn't stick to that.
    In just one 3,500 word chapter, there are 6 POV shifts. Yes, they are at least broken up as separate sections, but still... SIX!!! I another chapter, this one just under 3K, there are five POV shifts

    Names in dialogue: Have you ever said the person's name you're speaking to, every time you're speaking to them?
    In 4 consecutive Dialogue lines (different characters speaking each time) there is the mention of the other person's name, spoken in EVERY ONE In another spot, 6 consecutive dialogue paragraphs, the other person's name is spoken all 6 times!!!

    I've only just started looking back at it, but it's amazing to me the things I see now that I did wrong back then. It's interesting to look between Eternity and current works, such as Reece's Choice and No More Hiding, and see the difference.
     
    Have you ever looked back at your previous works? If so, what were your thoughts?
  24. Renee Stevens

    Prompt Me!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Prompts
    Who's ready for a couple of new prompts? Can't believe it's already the end of January. This month has just flown by it seems like. Remember, if your prompt response is less than 1,000 words, it can be posted in GA Stories as long as it's part of a collection. Now, let's see what comicfan has for you this week.
     
    Prompt 476 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    “Quick, call an ambulance!”
     
    Prompt 477 – Creative
    Tag – Sleeper
    Things had never been perfect for you growing up. Your parents always were attentive, but somehow never seemed to be there either. Unfortunately, as you were about to graduate from college you found out why. Your parents were sleeper agents and have now been activated. What sort of agents are they and what will their activation mean for you and your future?
     
    We didn't have any takers for last week's prompts, but here's a poetry prompt #17 response from Mikiesboy:

     
    Read the rest, here.
  25. Renee Stevens

    Author Promo: Mann Ramblings

    By Renee Stevens,


    Featured Stories
    Looks like it's time for another Author Promo! This month we're taking a look at Signature Author, Mann Ramblings. For his author promo, Mann was asked to pick three stories and answer the same three questions for each story. As a Signature Author, Mann also had the option of picking one of his published stories that could be found on Amazon. Hope you enjoy this look into Mann's work.
     

    Mann Ramblings


    Signature Author



    11 stories * 1209 reviews * 442,572 total words


     

    A Sense of Family

     
    Description: Matthew has lost the most important person in his world. Why is this the moment when his estranged mother decides to walk back into his life? Why can't this be a happy moment?
     
    What gave you the idea for this story?
     

    I wanted to write something contemporary and dramatic. The most emotional thing that sprang to mind was a dealing with family drama at a funeral. The muse struck so hard, I had to set aside the current novel I was working on until I got it onto the page.  
    What was your favorite thing about writing this story?
     

    Building a surrogate family around the main character to replace the family he lost. Building believable relationships between each cast member was the biggest challenge.  
    Please tell us something about this story that is not already in the description.
     

    At the time this story was written, I had never actually attended a funeral. We hadn't had a death in my family since I was a child, (and only the adults went because it was in New York) or it was from a long lost relative we didn't keep in touch with. The reviews tell me I did a decent job of projecting my own sense of how the characters would react given the circumstances. I'm quite proud of this piece.  


    So Little Magic Left

     
    Description: What do you do when you simply don't fit into your world? Shawn Martoni never did. A past of turmoil and misfortune kept a solid foothold from ever forming. But what if there was another world under our own? Someplace where all that's left of the creatures long since forgotten might live. Would Shawn find his place there or simply find another form of the underworld?
     
    What gave you the idea for this story?
     

    This story was based off the GA Friday prompt, The Beast. When I needed to start a new story, I let Layla choose between four possible storylines. This was the one she chose, so I had her beta read along with MJ85.  
    What was your favorite thing about writing this story?
     

    This was my longest and most complex story to date. Plotting the storyline and making it come to life was an absolute joy. Making all the threads come together at the climax is something I'll always remember. The reviews made me smile for days. Sometimes I re-read them.  
    Please tell us something about this story that is not already in the description.
     

    Every character has some fractured relationship with at least one other member of the cast and the most fun is keeping the readers guessing what comes next. There are more than a few surprises to be had.  


    The Luxorian Fugitive






     

    Description: Sergeant Liam Jacks has made a life for himself on the cargo vessel the Santa Claus to escape the memories on civil unrest on Alpha Centauri. Life should be simple enough, but one mysterious passenger can unravel the quiet in ways he hadn't imagined.
     
    What gave you the idea for this story?
     

    This was my second novel length story and the comic geek in me wanted to go sci-fi. I have a fascination with geisha imagery and made Hadrian into a blend of geisha and gladiator with a little para-human ability mixed in.  
    What was your favorite thing about writing this story?
     

    The action scenes! My attempt to get the pacing right had me acting out the key sequences so they made sense. Thankfully, no video exists of said activity. So quit asking...  
    Please tell us something about this story that is not already in the description.
     

    My favorite part of Luxorian, and part of which I'm happiest, is there are two stories running alongside each other and interwoven throughout the entire novel. Even so, they manage to work as one story with the connections between them.
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