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Renee Stevens

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Blog Entries posted by Renee Stevens

  1. Renee Stevens
    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. There are many great stories to be found in the Premium section, one of which is "Chosen of Honorus" by Andrew Q Gordon.
     



    Chosen of Honorus


    by



    Andrew_Q_Gordon

     

    The Dark God Neldin has renewed his war with his siblings. The Six have chosen Farrell, last grand master wizard in the Seven Kingdoms



    to lead the fight against Neldin and his black wizard, Meglar. Joined by others who oppose Neldin, Farrell must still over come his self doubt if he wants to survive.


     

    Series:
    Champions Of The Gods


    Words: 115,356



    Chapters: 29


     

    Category



    Fiction


     

    Genres

    Fantasy, Adventure

     

    Tags

    Adult, Wizards, Magic, Mature Adult

     

    Rating



    Mature


     

    Want to read "Chosen of Honorus"? Or maybe you want to check out more of what's in the Premium Section? It's easy, just purchase a
    Premium Subscription!

     



    Premium Content
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    Premium Content - 3 Months
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    Premium Content - 6 Months
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    $47.00 Every 6 months




    Premium Content - 1 Year
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    $93.00 Annually

  2. Renee Stevens

    Rip: Trebs

    By Renee Stevens,


    Memorial
    Rest In Peace





    We must share the sad news that Trebs, or Robert, as he was known to many long-time friends on GA, has passed away, far too soon, from his battles with lymphoma. As a board member and administrator, he has been involved with GA for a long time. He was a big presence in the site blog in recent years, but he was so much more than that and often active in quiet ways. He was always willing to help others whenever, and however, he could. So many of us here were lucky enough to count him as a friend. He will be deeply missed.
     
    ***UPDATE*** Many people have asked where they can send flowers. We have noticed this message from Robert's family: "If you would like to make a donation in lieu of flowers, Robert's Charity of choice is The Trevor Project. ( www.trevorproject.org ) or you can help in the fight against the cancer that took Robert by donating to The Lymphoma Research Foundation (www.lymphoma.org). Thank you."
  3. Renee Stevens

    Ask An Author #19

    By Renee Stevens,


    Author Interviews
    The first Wednesday of the month, you know what that means! It's time for a visit from Dark with the ever popular, Ask an Author! If you like this monthly feature, don't forget to send your questions to Dark so that we can keep this feature going. Enjoy!


    Ask an Author #19


     
    Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors!
     
    In AtA #18, we had questions for authors AQG, Ashi, and Sasha Distan.
     
    In AtA #19, we hear from authors Layla, lilansui, and Thorn Wilde.
     
    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.
     
    Midwesterner Layla starts us off today. Since the last time she was featured in this series, Layla has taken her place as a Promising Author and I know I’m not the only one waiting for the day she joins the ranks of our Signature Authors. An exciting thing to happen in 2014 is the beginning of Guitars2, the second half of the very popular Guitars and Crossdressers. That particular story has helped Layla amass over 2000 likes! But you should definitely check out some of her others, like her poem “Until the End” and short story Cold Confusion.


    To Layla: What is your favourite work you've written, the one you are most proud about and why do you think it's your best writing?  

    That's really a hard question, actually, because i feel like with every story my writing gets stronger, my characters become more evolved and I feel more comfortable delving into areas and topics that I maybe shied away from or skimmed over previously. I think my best writing, to date has been in Broken Prince and Mismatched eyes, despite the fact that it is the most difficult of my stories for me to write. Where some of my other pieces are more straight forward, in that one there are multi-layers and plot twists and characters who are never really as they seem and to me that's kept things exciting. I'm proud of the fact that in continuing to work on that story I took myself out of my comfort zone of gritty urban or supernatural drama and went into something that's somewhere between fantasy and history. I'm also very proud of the way the main characters have grown and the depth of the relationship that is developing between them.  
    Today’s next author is Author lilansui, author of Electric Blue and Catnip, nominated in the 2013 Reader’s Choice Awards Best of GA Stories category. The newest story in her arsenal is A Rescued Life, which has attracted 33 followers in the first week since its posting. Anyone who has read the first chapters will see why! lilansui is one of our international members, living and working in Diani Beach, East Africa, where she’s had LOTS of fun and interesting adventures, like the wedding fiasco in March. Closer to home, lilansui’s blog has been nominated for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award. Who knew 2014 was going to be such a momentous year? Here’s to you, lilansui!


    To lilansui: What does your family think of you writing m/m stories?  

    Had you asked me this question in 2012, I'd have said no way would they be okay with it. But things have changed lately. I'm happy to say my closest family is supportive, my mother especially since she always knows what each of us is doing with ourselves. She's like a ninja when she wants to find out what we're hiding from her, lol. She found a notebook of mine filled with my first m/m story a couple months ago. She was visiting my house and as always checking out my bedroom. My mother is insane that way. She asked, "Sui, what's this?" I'm like in shock going like, "Uhmm...Mum!" Lol.  

    We had a long talk after that and in the end she was okay with it especially because of my youngest brother. I have four brothers: three older and one younger than me. A few years back, my younger brother had a really hard time coming out to the family. I can't describe just how hard this was for him. It's always tough especially in a family like ours where my mother pushes us a lot to conform with so many customary rules. Marriage at a certain age, live a certain way...that kind of thing. For a moment, I thought the family might fall apart, but we didn't, we stood strong, which I'm happy for now. In a way, my stories are my own way of supporting him. My older brothers don't read the stories, but they don't mind. Although I do get teased a lot for writing them, which makes me think that they read them anyway...lol. And my younger brother thinks I write them for fun and because an m/m perspective fascinates me. I'm just glad they know now and are okay with it.  
    Brand-new Promising Author (as of April 2014) Thorn Wilde is our last author today. A Whedonopolite like myself, Thorn is a fan of fantasy and sci-fi and admits to an addiction with Tumblr. You can also find quite a few delicious recipes posted in his blog. I’ve made his garlic butter and it’s definitely easy and delicious – come on, if I can make it here in the nowheres of Alaska, so can you! I haven’t made it yet, but I’ve saved the recipe for salmon soup … While making your next meal, why don’t you snack on some of Thorn’s posted work? His series Nemesis is currently on book 2, though you can read more of the characters in the collection Hubris. My personal favorite so far is Half Jack, Thorn’s take on 2013’s Recipe for Disaster Anthology, but there’s plenty more, including a Buffy/Angel fan-fic, to suit many different kinds of readers.


    To Thorn Wilde: Do you find that when writing characters with interesting or extreme vocal habits (such as Marcus), that you start to reflect those habits in your own daily speech?  

    I think it's rather the opposite... That is to say that Marcus reflects me on a really bad day, if somewhat amplified. And there's generally less aggression behind it when I use colourful language. Though I won't deny that I've sometimes written a particularly good insult and then filed it away in the back of my mind for an appropriate occasion.  
    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!
     
    Coming next time: Aditus, Celethiel, and TetRefine.
     
    Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark).
    Until next time!
    Dark
  4. Renee Stevens
    For those who are new to the GA News Blog, Tuesday's are the day when I share a little information about one of our Premium Stories. While Gay Authors is free to it's members, it's not free to run. One of the ways GA keeps the site running is by the help from members who purchase a Premium Subscription. What do you get when you purchase a Premium Subscription? You get access to the select few stories that are not available to the regular membership. One such story is "Challenging Fate".


    Challenging Fate


    by



    Renee Stevens

     

    Maki waited years to learn what dragon spirit the fates had gifted him with.



    Unfortunately for him, things didn't go exactly as he'd always planned.


     

    Words: 24,946



    Chapters: 7


     

    Category



    Fiction


     

    Genres



    Fantasy


     

    Tags



    Gay, Magic, Young Adult


     

    Rating



    Mature


     

    Want to read "Challenging Fate"? Or maybe you want to check out more of what's in the Premium Section? It's easy, just purchase a
    Premium Subscription!

     



    Premium Content
    $8.10
    $8.10 Monthly




    Premium Content - 3 Months
    $24.00
    $24.00 Every 3 months




    Premium Content - 6 Months
    $47.00
    $47.00 Every 6 months




    Premium Content - 1 Year
    $93.00
    $93.00 Annually

  5. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend so far and that you are well rested for the upcoming week. As always, lots of things going on the GA News Blog this past week and now it's time to take a look back to see what you might have missed.
     
    Fans of Cole Matthews got a treat for the CSR Discussion on Monday when Cia interviewed Cole. Not only did readers get to read Cole's answers, they got to ask their own questions. Want to know what Cole is working on next? He answers that and more, so check it out.
     
    For Premium Tuesday we took a look at Ice Fairy by Stephanie L Danielson. It's just one of the many stories available to those who purchase a Premium Subscription.
     
    Myr took over the blog for his monthly Tech Blog. This month he gave us a look at what they new member profiles will look like, complete with screenshots. If you're curious what's coming, Myr's Tech Blog's are a great way to get a peek into what the upcoming updates will entail.
     
    Friday once again brought us two new prompts. This week there is a "first line" prompt and one with the tag of "Kingdom". I hope one of them sparks an idea. One of last weeks prompts called to a new member. If you haven't already done so, check out ColumbusGuy's response to Prompt #343.
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    2014 Fall Anthology: Scars - Due Sept 3rd *Note: Deadline is for submission to the Anthology Proof Team*

    2014 Winter Anthology: Chain Reaction - Due December 3rd *Note: Deadline is for submission to the Anthology Proof Team*

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    No More Hiding by Renee Stevens
     
    By our Signature Authors this week:
     
    The Crown Affair by Andy78
     
    Space Pioneer by Dolores Esteban
     
    Flux by Mark Arbour; Book 14 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    HMS Valiant by Mark Arbour; Book 7 of Bridgemont
     
    Lost Inside by Cia, Book 2 of Carthera Tales
     
    Standing In Shadows by Krista
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    Dinner is Prompt-ly at Eight by Cole Matthews
     
    A Wolf And His Man by Sasha Distan
     
    Vintage by carringtonrj
     
    Direct Confusion by Sasha Distan
     
    Redemption's A Bitch by Sasha Distan
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!!
  6. Renee Stevens
    Not only is it the start of a new month, it's Friday, and for many, the end of the work week. For all of us here at Gay Authors, that means something else though, it means it's time for two new prompts from GA's Prompt Guru, Comicfan. Hope you enjoy these prompts and that they inspire you to write a little something, and if you do, don't forget to share your responses in the prompt forum!!
     
    Prompt 344 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    “Why didn’t you just tell me that?”
     
    Prompt 345 – Creative
    Tag – Kingdom
    You always joked that you would love a place far from the hustle and bustle where everything could be done just as you want it. Little did you realize how that wish would come true? You came home from work to find six armed guards and a bunch of men in black suits waiting. It seems you are the lost heir to a small European country the size of a postage stamp. They have checked your dna and found It to be a match. The country you have thought of as home has revoked your citizenship and now you either take your place on the throne or you are someone without a country. What other problems await you?
     
    This week we actually had a brand new member post their first story, which just happened to be a prompt response! I hope you enjoy ColumbusGuy's response to Prompt #343:
     

    To read more, click here.
     
    Don't forget... Read, Write, and REVIEW!
  7. Renee Stevens
    It's time for another look into the Premium Section of Gay Authors. As most people know, the Premium Section is our way of saying Thank You to those who help support Gay Authors by purchasing a Premium Subscription. There are quite a few stories that have either only posted in Premium or have been moved to Premium for one reason or another. This week, we are showcasing "Ice Fairy" by Stephanie L Danielson.
     
     
     



    Ice Fairy


    by



    Stephanie L Danielson

     

    Sam is an up-and-coming figure skater, while Brett is a brazen hockey player.



    They get along about as well as fire and ice; but will there be sparks between them?


     

    Series:
    Ice Fairy


    Words: 57,393



    Chapters: 25


     

    Category



    Fiction


     

    Genres

    Romance, Drama

     

    Tags

    Friendship, Sports, Parents, Young Adult, Teen, Mature Adult

     

    Rating



    Teen


     

    Want to read "Ice Fairy"? Or maybe you want to check out more of what's in the Premium Section? It's easy, just purchase a
    Premium Subscription!

     



    Premium Content
    $8.10
    $8.10 Monthly




    Premium Content - 3 Months
    $24.00
    $24.00 Every 3 months




    Premium Content - 6 Months
    $47.00
    $47.00 Every 6 months




    Premium Content - 1 Year
    $93.00
    $93.00 Annually

  8. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend! Before I forget, I want to let everyone know that Cole Matthews will be doing a live Q & A via the blog tomorrow (Monday) from 7pm-9pm Central time. If you won't be able to make it, feel free to leave your question as a comment on the blog for him to answer, but we hope to see lots of people there. Now, lets see what happened this past week in the blog!
     
    On Monday we did something a little bit different. We still featured a review, but instead of it being on a single story, the review was on The Rossford Triptych by Chris Lewis Gibson. If you haven't already read the story, check out the review and see if this trilogy is something you might be interested in.
     
    This week's Premium Feature was Picked At The Peak by Cia. If you're not already a Premium Subscriber, check out the blog entry and see what you're missing!
     
    For Wednesday we did a bit of a Blast From The Past and refeatured a writing tip from Sara Alva on Keeping It Legal when using lyrics and other copyrighted material in your stories. A lot of great info and some great comments, I'd strong suggest all authors check it out.
     
    Friday we had two new prompts. One gave us a list of words and the other used the tag of "Favorite Memory". I look forward to seeing what our authors come up with! For this week we featured Valkyrie71's response to Prompt 340.
     
    Finally, and to finish off the week, Saturday brought August's Signature Author Background. For the month of August we'll be featuring "The Game" by Nephylim. If you haven't already done so, don't forget to go and download your background.
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    2014 Fall Anthology: Scars - Due Sept 3rd *Note: Deadline is for submission to the Anthology Proof Team*

    2014 Winter Anthology: Chain Reaction - Due December 3rd *Note: Deadline is for submission to the Anthology Proof Team*

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    No More Hiding by Renee Stevens
     
    By our Signature Authors this week:
     
    A Prompt a Week by comicfan
     
    Leopard Spots by Graeme; Book 2 of The Lilydale Leopards
     
    Flux by Mark Arbour; Book 14 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    Space Pioneer by Dolores Esteban
     
    HMS Valiant by Mark Arbour; Book 7 of Bridgemont
     
    Translator III: Dragon Warrior by David McLeod
     
    Lost Inside by Cia, Book 2 of Carthera Tales
     
    Dream Lover - Extended by Comicality
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    Vintage by carringtonrj
     
    A Wolf And His Man by Sasha Distan
     
    Direct Confusion by Sasha Distan
     
    Curse of the Fallen by JMH, Book 2 of Fallen
     
    Redemption's A Bitch by Sasha Distan
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!!
  9. Renee Stevens
    Hope everyone has had a wonderful week so far, but now it's almost over and that means that it's once more time to bring you a couple of new prompts courtesy of the prompt guru, Comicfan. Hopefully one of these two prompts spark something for you, if it does, make sure to share it in the Writing Prompts Forum and maybe we'll feature it next week in the Friday Prompt Me!
     
    Prompt 342 – Creative
    Tag – List of Words
    Use the following in a story – a flag, flowers, a letter, a broken cell phone, and a cd.
     
    Prompt 343 – Creative
    Tag – Favorite Memory
    We all have them. Something that we remember fondly, whether it is a special event, moment in school, time with a close friend, or something that surprised us totally. Take that event and fictionalize it for us to read.
     
    Everyone made it easy on me this week as we only had one prompt response from last week. I hope you enjoy Valkyrie71's response to Prompt 340:
     

    Want to read more? Click here!
  10. Renee Stevens
    Every once in a while I like to take a look through the blog to see what has been used before that could be useful to some of the newer authors here on Gay Authors. Back in October 2012, Sara Alva (known then as KingdombytheSea) shared her experience with using song lyrics in her story Social Skills. Many authors use song lyrics in their stories without ever thinking of the repercussions that they may be facing if/when they decide to publish. I hope that Sara's experience helps some authors here at Gay Authors, and if you want to hear some input from other members, you can check out the forum thread or past blog post as well. ***Note: Please keep in mind that this was written back in 2012, so some things mentioned are relevant to situations going on at the time.***
     


    Keeping it Legal



    by



    Sara Alva



    a.k.a. KingdombytheSea


    The Copyright Police do exist, and if you’re an author planning on publishing, it’s a good idea to keep that in mind.
     

    When I wrote Social Skills and posted it on GA, I was blissfully unaware of having infringed on anyone’s copyrights. Because Connor is a violinist, music factors heavily into the story. In the second half of the book he joins a pit orchestra, and within those scenes I quoted a few lines of lyrics from a Kiss Me Kate song.
     
    As I prepared Social Skills for publication this summer, I handed it off to a beta/author friend, who immediately questioned my use of the lyrics. A little Googling revealed that all lyrics from any Cole Porter musical are copyrighted, despite the fact that they can be found scattered across the internet (Here’s a page with copyright terms in the United States as of January 1, 2012). But could quoting just a few lines really get me in trouble?
     
    Yes, it could. Even those lyrics sites can get in trouble, and though they may be too numerous to completely eradicate, some have already been sued. One just got hit with a $6.6 million default judgement a few days ago.
     
    Bottom line: When you publish/post something that contains copyrighted material, there’s a chance that someone might see, object, and sue.
     
    I didn’t want to risk it, so I took a second look at my work and decided to edit out the lyrics. Unfortunately, I’d really entangled them with the emotions of the scene, and cutting them out proved difficult. Meanwhile, my friend found a link to a site with information on Cole Porter’s Trust and encouraged me to poke around a bit and see what the legal process for obtaining permission entailed.
     
    The Trust put me in contact with the publishing company that now owns the rights to the lyrics, and that led me to their Permissions department. I had to email a copy of the book as well as separate PDFs of the pages containing the quoted lyrics. The initial price I was given was $255, which was too steep for me.
     
    I did some more digging (or pestering of the Permissions department) and eventually found out the price was calculated based on an estimated 10,000 print run. Many businesses have not caught up with the ebook trend—I won’t have a ‘print run’, and while I’d love to sell 10,000 copies, I wouldn’t mind starting off with a more obtainable goal. I emailed back and requested a 2,000 copy print run, and voila! the price dropped to an affordable $55. I mailed my check and received a ‘lyrics used by permission’ copyright blurb to stick in the front of my novel.
     
    Different publishers/companies will obviously have their own pricing structure in place—my friend recommended this article about author Blake Morrison, who wound up paying around $7,000 for his song lyrics usage. And I’ve already been warned off quoting Dr. Seuss, whose estate evidently does go after people for copyright infringement.
     
    From my experience, I’d give the following advice to authors:
     
    * Think carefully about any lyrics/books/short stories/plays/movies you quote from in your story. You never know when you might get the urge to publish or even make an ebook to release for free on Smashwords. Better to be safe than sorry, and it’s usually easier to reimagine a scene before writing than it is to change one that’s already comfortably sitting in your story.
     
    * If you are planning on self-publishing, you should be extra vigilant about copyrighted material, as you won’t have a publishing company to take any of the blame should you be sued. Also, some newer epublishing companies might not do thorough checks for copyrighted material, so as an author, it’s always best to be aware.
     
    * If you decide to quote copyrighted material or already have it in your story, do your research. It doesn’t hurt to question the companies that hold the rights or to try to negotiate with them. Perhaps they will one day catch up with the times and start taking a percentage of ebook sales instead of asking for a lump fee up front, but for now you can always ask for their pricing structure and do what you can to get to a mutually agreeable fee. This might involve lowering your estimated print run and then reapplying for permission should you exceed that number of sales, or quoting fewer lines.
     
    Though it may not make a whole lot of sense—especially in the case of song lyrics, where quoting almost seems like free advertising—this is the way the world currently works. Even when you attribute quotes to their rightful owners, you might have to pay for the right to use them in your story.
     
    So don’t forget to keep it legal, and happy writing everyone!
  11. Renee Stevens
    For those who are new to the GA News Blog, Tuesday's are the day when I share a little information about one of our Premium Stories. While Gay Authors is free to it's members, it's not free to run. One of the ways GA keeps the site running is by the help from members who purchase a Premium Subscription. What do you get when you purchase a Premium Subscription? You get access to the select few stories that are not available to the regular membership. One such story is "Picked at the Peak" by Cia.
     




    Picked at the Peak


    by




    Cia

     

    Aislin doesn't let his disability get in his way. He's a successful business owner and has a great family.



    Could it stretch to include a new person, or maybe even two?


     

    Words: 42,826



    Chapters: 8


     

    Category



    Fiction


     

    Genres

    Romance, Drama

     

    Tags

    Modern, Anal, Gay, Adult, Parents

     

    Rating



    Mature


     

    Want to read "Picked At The Peak"? Or maybe you want to check out more of what's in the Premium Section? It's easy, just purchase a
    Premium Subscription!

     



    Premium Content
    $8.10
    $8.10 Monthly




    Premium Content - 3 Months
    $24.00
    $24.00 Every 3 months




    Premium Content - 6 Months
    $47.00
    $47.00 Every 6 months




    Premium Content - 1 Year
    $93.00
    $93.00 Annually

  12. Renee Stevens

    Author Interview: Mann Ramblings

    By Renee Stevens,


    Author Interviews
    Our featured story this month for the July Signature Background is "The Luxorian Fugitive" by Mann Ramblings. If you haven't already downloaded your background, the month is only half over and you still have plenty of time! We started out Signature Week with a great review that Jo Ann did, and now it's time to hear from the author himself. Hopefully you enjoy this interview that Cia did with Mann.


    Interview: Mann Ramblings on "
    The Luxorian Fugitive"

     
    Interviewer: Cia
    Let’s start this off with the fun question. What are you wearing (and no fibbing!)?
     

    Well, it's almost midnight writing this and I'm relaxing with a glass of wine before heading to bed. Without being deliberately titillating, I'll just say I'm in Liam Jacks's favorite lounge wear...  
    Chocolate, Vanilla, or…?
     

    Let's swirl those babies together!  
    What brought you to GA?
     

    Like a lot of others I was reading naughty stories on Nifty and came across a few that were actually good stories! OMG! I found Rob Colton's Timber Pack Chronicles and followed links that took me to Literotica. I found a number of authors, and followed Cia's postings of Hypnotic to fresh chapters on GA. I read for a long while until I finally got the urge to write Little Man, my first M/M story. Afterwards, Night Tempest, an author I found from Lit that I followed through her blog, directed me to post on GA as a better place for a fledgling author. I loved the community and the support and decided to stay.  
    Your writing is all over the place: contemporary, sci-fi, drama and action to comedy. Do you have a favorite genre?
     

    I like to say my favorite genre is M/M. I like being able to write about whatever grabs my attention. I don't believe it limiting myself if I can avoid it. However, I admit Sci-fi holds a special place in my heart. A self proclaimed comic nerd, the ability to world build and manipulate the environment within natural laws allows for a board canvas to paint on.  
    Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
     

    Getting started! The first words are always the worst to get typed out, so I write out plot lines in a notebook or random scraps of paper to keep me moving forward.  
    Did the characters or the plot for The Luxorian Fugitive come to you first?
     

    The idea of Hadrian Jamison came first. He was originally inspired to be a male geisha, but I wanted to avoid feminizing him so he morphed into the current version. The plot formed around him.  
    Why name the ship “The Santa Claus”?
     

    Capt. Danverse was always designed with having a penchant for antique Earth history, so I wanted the ship to be named after something the reader would recognize. Since the story was placed so far in the future, the icon would have to be something that could stand the test of time. Add in the idea of a cargo freighter, and Santa Claus just fit the bill. Then it became automatic that Mrs. Claus would be the ship's A.I.  
    If your story were made into a movie, who do you picture playing each characters part?
     

    The closest actor I can picture for Hadrian is Jason Momoa from Game of Thrones Season 1 and Chris Hemsworth with a tight auburn haircut for Liam. This is actually difficult, but Hollywood has very few actors that fit my preferences. I think I find more adult film stars that fit the physical profile, but we won't go into that here. LOL  
    What was your favorite part of the story?
     

    The rescue. Since the action was so intense and fast paced, I spent a lot of time acting out the scene to make sure it could actually happen the way I planned it. I wanted a very visual feel to the chapter. I knew I hit it right when MJ (my editor/beta) gave me the most enthusiastic series of thumbs up smilies in his return PM after reading it. (And he didn't make me change anything significant in the chapter!)  
    Will there be more on the crew of the Santa Claus in the future?
     

    Oh yes! The format of thirty plus men on board, many of which have yet to be identified leaves me with a fertile universe to play with. The setting was too good to leave as a one-off. I love being able to have character cameos and little snippets as a nod to people who have read the previous stories. The second story in the series, A Cook's Tale, was completed a while ago and I'm in a slow progress on the third, titled Priest and Pariahs. I'm hoping to have something to work with by the end of summer. Wish me luck!  
    Okay, final question… what’s one thing no one really knows about you?
     

    Before Little Man, I had NEVER completely a single story I'd ever tried to write. The support and feedback I've received on GA has been invaluable and without it, I would never have managed so much work that I'm honestly very proud of.
  13. Renee Stevens
    Hmmm, Tuesday again, if only I had a regular Tuesday post scheduled... Oh wait, I do! For those who are new to the GA News Blog, Tuesday's are the day when I share a little information about one of our Premium Stories. While Gay Authors is free to it's members, it's not free to run. One of the ways GA keeps the site running is by the help from members who purchase a Premium Subscription. What do you get when you purchase a Premium Subscription? You get access to the select few stories that are not available to the regular membership. One such story, and the latest that has finished posting, is "Boy Called Slave" by Nephylim.



    Boy Called Slave


    by




    Nephylim

     

    He could have been a bright boy, doing well at school with friends and family and a future.



    Five minutes inattention had stolen it all and left behind…something. Can anyone bring the light back to Shade?


     

    Words: 58,920



    Chapters: 16


     

    Category



    Fiction


     

    Genres



    Drama, Romance


     

    Tags



    Teen, Abuse, Coming of Age, Modern, Serious


     

    Rating



    Mature


     

    Want to read "Boy Called Slave"? Or maybe you want to check out more of what's in the Premium Section? It's easy, just purchase a
    Premium Subscription!

     



    Premium Content
    $8.10
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    $24.00 Every 3 months




    Premium Content - 6 Months
    $47.00
    $47.00 Every 6 months




    Premium Content - 1 Year
    $93.00
    $93.00 Annually

  14. Renee Stevens
    It's once again time for "Signature Week" in the Gay Authors News Blog. If you missed the July Signature Background, there's still plenty of time to download it. Going with a "Christmas In July" theme, this month's featured story is "The Luxorian Fugitive" by Mann Ramblings. If you haven't already read it, check out this review provided to us by Joann414 and perhaps it just might inspire you to go check the story out for yourself!

    The Luxorian Fugitive


    by



    Mann Ramblings
    Signature Author

     
    Reviewer: Joann414
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 95,676
     
    A spaceship named The Santa Claus, the messaging and security system voiced by a non-human voice called Mrs. Claus, and a crew that is anything but the things children dream of at Christmas time. lol.
     
    Marc Danverse is the Captain of the Santa Claus and takes a more than professional interest in some of his crew members. His interest is one that is not for the weak minded and gentle souls to partake in unless they're prepared.
     
    Sergeant Liam Jacks is haunted by nightmares that can only be forgotten when he seeks Captain Daverse's sexual remedies. Being submissive to Danverse's dark sexual preferences helps him to rid his mind of his bad dreams and past. It seems to be the only remedy until Hadrian Jamison boards The Santa Claus.
     
    Every good story has the tall, dark, and handsome stranger that has a mysterious past and present it seems in the case of Hadrian Jamison. Appearing in a long hooded robe to board The Santa Claus at the Spaceport Alpha, he immediately draws the attention of Captain Danverse and Sergeant Jacks. The two officers of The Santa Claus are curious about the stranger, but have no idea what is in store because of the other man's presence on their ship.
     
    Last but not least, we have the young mechanic, Mac. The jovial, muscular, young, handsome grease monkey that feels unwanted by any of the other men on the ship. Mac harbors feeling for Captain Danverse, who returns his feelings, but doesn't think the young man needs to be subjected to his darker side in the bedroom. Mac interacts with the other crew members, eventually finding out why they aren't attracted to him and is furious with the reason.
     
    So, what do you have with this group of men when you throw in angst, anger, jealousy, and feelings of love and protectiveness? One hot mess!
     
    Mann Ramblings never loses momentum in this story of space raiders, political interference, and men laying claim to who or what they believe is theirs. It's a story not to be missed, even if you think you're not into stories in space. I loved it, and it certainly didn't fall under genres that I normally read.
     
    One word of warning. Bdsm. It's in the story, but wasn't in bad taste, in my opinion. It's not gruesome and down grading like you find in a lot of stories. I found the bdsm used in the story fitting for the character that Mr. Ramblings created to portray this type of sexual individual. He's strong, a leader, and takes care of his own, keeping his bedroom activities where they belong. There's no force used.
     
    Each character has their personal flaws and strong points, the most prominent being, protecting those they love.
     
    I enjoyed this story as I have all of Mann's stories. If you haven't read it and want an exciting, sexual, sultry story to wile away a few hours, this is the perfect plot and characters for you. Go read and find out for yourself.


    Category: Fiction Genres: Sci-Fi, Drama, Adventure Tags: Bdsm, Anal, Gay, Psionics, Military, Mature Adult Rating: Mature


  15. Renee Stevens
    We're at the end of another week and I hope that everyone had a great week so far. To help you start your weekend off on a good note, Comicfan has provided two new prompts to hopefully inspire you! I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with for this week's prompts, so don't forget to share them in either the Prompt Forum or GA Stories. Just remember, if you post them in GA Stories, flash fiction under 1,000 words need to be part of a collection.
     
    Prompt 338 – Creative
    Tag – List of Words
    Use the following in a story – pregnant woman, hammer, blue jock strap, yellow flowers, and an apple.
     
    Prompt 339 – Creative
    Tag – A World of Change
    No one ever suspected the changes that would come to the world after such an epidemic. The original outbreaks occurred along the warmer waters. The whole thing spread from Georgia in the United States to Uruguay in South America, from Portugal in Europe to South Africa in Africa, and Southern China in Asia to the North parts of Australia, as quickly as it appeared there soon were deaths on grand scales. It took almost a third of the world’s total population in less than three months. It soon became like the history books about the black plague and people were bringing out their dead for massive cremations. It was only with the few scientists from all over the world sharing information that humanity survived and found a cure. In this new world borders aren’t what they once were. Life is looked at much differently now. What is the world like?
     
    It's always hard to choose which prompt to feature from the week before. This week I decided to feature Cole Matthews prompt response to Prompt #336, enjoy:
     

    To read the rest, click here.
  16. Renee Stevens
    I don't think there's really too much that I can say to introduce the topic for today. There's obstacles everywhere we look and today Cia has written up an article that takes a look at some of the most common ones that plague authors. Not only does she name them, but she gives some great tips on how to overcome them. We'd also like to hear some of the obstacles you're faced with when writing and how you overcome them!


    Overcoming the Obstacles



    By Cia


     
    Any good writer knows it doesn’t come easy. From conception to publication—however far along that route you go—writing is definitely a labor. For many, it’s a labor of love, but it is still an endeavor that takes a lot of time and effort. We try to share a lot of information about writing and editing, to help authors on the site, but this week we’re looking at the act of writing instead of the result, as well as a few things that might trip an author up and how to get past them.
     
    Tick, Tock… Beating That Clock!
    Finding the time to write can be hard. Life doesn’t stop just because we get an idea, feel like writing, or face a looming deadline. Something has to give… be it the dishes, your lunch break, or sleep. For some, using voice recording software increases the time to write their rough drafts—getting it all out for editing when time isn’t at such a premium.
     
    ~Log your time expenses. Okay, yeah, it’s a bit of work and won’t get you writing immediately. But keep track of what you do each day and when. A lot of what we do is routine-based. Then eliminate.
    Do you have to vacuum every day? Who says you need to open all the junk mail? Do you have to watch the news in the morning or evening? Why not set your phone or computer to get breaking news from a local station and get a weather app?
     
    ~Set a scheduled writing time. Hold that time sacred. Habits, once formed, are hard to break. Respect the time you set, and ask others to respect that time too. Beat distractions off with a spare keyboard, if necessary.
     
    ~Get up two hours earlier. You can sleep when you meet your deadline. Just remember to set that coffee pot!
     
    My Space—No, Not the Pre-Facebook Website.
    Growing up, did you do your homework in front of the TV? Does your boss let you read gay romance while you work? I bet not. Where you work is just as important as when you work. But not everyone is lucky enough to have an office for writing. So what can you do?
     
    ~Remove distractions. If you get up early to work while everyone is sleeping, make sure you leave the TV off. Don’t check your email; don’t read the news. Open your writing program/app only.
     
    ~Reduce distractions if you can’t eliminate them. Create a visual barrier—a sheet or a cardboard divider set up on the table. Wear earplugs or headphones.
     
    ~Find an alternate location. Maybe you work best in a café or library.
     
    Beating Your Block
    We’ve all been there—that moment when inspiration dries up and writing becomes akin to beating our heads against a brick wall. It can be overcome. But first you have to figure out why you’re blocked. Is it a time or location issue disrupting the flow of writing? Did you write yourself into a corner? Do you just not feel the story anymore?
     
    ~Don’t re-read your work. There’s a time and a place for criticism for your chapter or story. That’s called the editing phase. Just write! Worry about creating a polished piece once you get it down.
     
    ~Set deadlines—and keep them. A lot of people work better when motivated by a goal. A chapter a week, 5,000 words every five days, a novel in three months… whatever works for you. Then take a break! When you meet your goals, give yourself time off. You’ve earned it.
     
    ~Beat the creative block by sharing your stumbles. Talk to a friend, a fellow author, a dedicated reader… and be honest. Sometimes getting it out can reduce the stress enough to let you take a step back.
     
    ~Work on more than one project. Sometimes changing gears can get you back in motion. Try some flash pieces or prompts if you’re in the midst of a novel. Switch up genres and styles. Stretch and expand beyond whatever has halted you in your tracks.
     

    We all face obstacles. The only way past them is to just keep trying. Have you faced writer’s block before? What happened, and how did you beat it?
  17. Renee Stevens
    Well, I'm running a bit late today. As always, Tuesday is a great day to look over what is available in our Premium Section as a thank you to those who help support the site and keep it running. One of the stories available to subscribers is "Waiting For The Sign" by Dkstories.


    Waiting for the Sign


    by



    Dkstories

     
     
     

    Twenty-eight year old baseball star Cal Grainger was living the good life until his girlfriend uttered three fateful words.



    Now his life has been turned upside down and he’s looking for a sign to show him what to do. Is it the sign he’s waiting for, or the guy holding it?


     
     
     

    Series:
    Waiting for the Sign


    Words: 104,615



    Chapters: 21


     
     
     

    Category



    Fiction


     
     
     

    Genres

    Thriller/Suspense, Drama

     
     
     

    Tags

    Young Adult, Sports, Adult, Anal, Oral

     
     
     

    Rating



    Teen


     
     
     

    Want to read "Waiting For The Sign"? Or maybe you want to check out more of what's in the Premium Section? It's easy, just purchase a
    Premium Subscription!

     
     
     



    Premium Content
    $8.10
    $8.10 Monthly




    Premium Content - 3 Months
    $24.00
    $24.00 Every 3 months




    Premium Content - 6 Months
    $47.00
    $47.00 Every 6 months




    Premium Content - 1 Year
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    $93.00 Annually

  18. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Hope everyone who was celebrating had a safe and happy holiday weekend! It's Sunday again, so if you missed anything this week in the GA News Blog, now is the time to get a glimpse of what you missed. If anything jumps out at you, you can go back and check out the post that interests you!
     
    We finished out the month with the June CSR Discussion Day on Monday. Last month the CSR choice was CJames' collection of anthology stories. It's not too late to chime in with your thoughts if you've read one of these great stories. In fact, I've actually read one or two of them, maybe I need to go and put in my two cents. Don't forget to check back tomorrow to see what July's choice is going to be!
     
    If you're trying to decide whether or not to purchase a Premium Subscription, our Premium Tuesday may help you decide. This week we featured "Catara", a story by Lugh. It garnered quite a few comments from people who enjoyed the story, so if you're still wondering if a Premium membership is for you, check it out and see if it helps!
     
    We rang in July with our monthly Ask An Author feature on Wednesday. Dark is great about bringing us the great feature every month. This month featured questions to authors Andrew Q Gordon, Ashi, and Sasha Distan. If your curious as to what they were asked and what their answers were, go and see for yourself. Don't forget, if you have a question for your favorite author and would like to see it featured, contact Dark!
     
    We ended the week with our ever popular weekly prompts. Comicfan provided us with two knew prompts to get your imagination going. You have the choice between a first line prompt or one with the tag of "the fair". Hey, if you're feeling really creative and energetic, you could always do one for both of them! I also chose to feature Valkyrie71's response to Prompt #334.
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    2015 Theme Suggestions - Visit the thread to offer your suggestions for the 2015 Anthology Themes! Thread will close at 11:59 PM (US Mountain Time) on July 20th

    2014 Fall Anthology: Scars - Due Sept 3rd *Note: Deadline is for submission to the Anthology Proof Team*

    2014 Winter Anthology: Chain Reaction - Due December 3rd *Note: Deadline is for submission to the Anthology Proof Team*

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    No More Hiding by Renee Stevens
     
    By our Signature Authors this week:
     
    Space Pioneer by Dolores Esteban
     
    Flux by Mark Arbour; Book 14 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    Finding Alex by Nephylim
     
    HMS Valiant by Mark Arbour; Book 7 of Bridgemont
     
    Global Explorer by David McLeod
     
    A prompt a week by comicfan
     
    Translator III: Dragon Warrior by David McLeod
     
    Lost Inside by Cia; Book 2 of Carthera Tales
     
    Dream Lover - Extended by Comicality
     
    A Surprise Inside by Cia
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    Dinner is Prompt-ly at Eight by Cole Matthews
     
    Vintage by carringtonrj
     
    A Wolf And His Man by Sasha Distan
     
    Direct Confusion by Sasha Distan
     
    Redemption's A Bitch by Sasha Distan
     
    Sole Scion by JMH; Book 2 of The Sole Scion Cycle: Second Cycle of the Centurion Chronicales
     
    Button by Cole Matthews
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!!
  19. Renee Stevens
    For those in the US who are celebrating the holiday, I hope you all have a very safe and happy 4th of July! Being as it's Friday again, it's time for two new prompts from the Prompt Guru. Hopefully one of these two prompts will spark and idea. Remember, if you decide to post your prompt in GA Stories, stories that are under 1,000 words need to be placed in collections. Enjoy this week's prompt offerings!
     
    Prompt 336 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    “Oh God. This isn’t what it looks like!”
     
    Prompt 337 – Creative
    Tag – The Fair
    Every year you see on television the announcement of the local fair. You say you are going to go every year, but something always comes up. This year you manage to make it and find out just what makes this fair so memorable. Tell us about it.
     
    This week I chose to feature Valkyrie71's response to Prompt #334. It's a bit of a sad one, but very well written.
     

    To read the rest of Valkyrie's prompt, click here.
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW.
  20. Renee Stevens

    Ask An Author #18

    By Renee Stevens,


    Author Interviews
    Only the 2nd day of the month and it's already time for our monthly treat from Dark! I always look forward to seeing what Dark has asked some of the authors here at Gay Authors, and I hope that other members feel the same. Ask An Author is by far one of my favorite features of the news blog and one that I am happy to see continue month after month. So, let's see what Dark has for us this month!


    Ask an Author #18


     
    Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors!
     
    In AtA #17, we had questions for authors AnytaSunday, Billy Martin, and Kyle Aarons.
     
    In AtA #18, we hear from authors Andrew Q Gordon, Ashi, and Sasha Distan.
     
    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.
     
    Our first author today is Author AQG, otherwise known as Andrew Q. Gordon, or just plain “Q.” Sadly (for us), this very popular author has taken the epublishing route over the last couple years, which has led to less time spent on GA, but I think his fans will agree that it’s been well worth it. Check out his Dreamspinner profile or his goodreads page to see what books are currently on offer and what readers are saying. One of the things that I’ve found fascinating through this transition is how transparent Andy tries to keep his efforts. In his blogs, he’s detailed the steps he’s had to go through to grow followers as a published author and in early 2014, he wrote about his desire to create an easy ‘brand name’ for himself. I must say that the icon he chose is pretty cool.


    To AQG: Whose opinion about your writing and stories means the most to you?  

    If we're talking about the who in general, it would be the readers. If they like the book/story, then I feel it is a success. Of course no one can write a book that everyone likes. Go look at your favorite book and you'll find everyone of them has any number of 1 star reviews. If we're talking about one person in specific whose opinion I value, it would be Anyta Sunday. I think she is so incredibly talented that if I get a thumbs up from her, I feel like I did a good job.  
    Today’s next author is Author Ashi. This California resident first came to my attention when I saw the beginning of a blog post about the freeways in L.A., where I was living at the time. For those of you not in the know, L.A. freeways showcase some of the most bizarre driving habits I’ve ever been exposed to, and that includes New Yorks ultra-short on-ramps and D.C.’s ridiculous 10-lane roads (one-way). Anyway, Ashi’s thought-provoking writing carries on from his blogs to his stories and even the self-proclaimed smutty poem, Winter Barren, which I happen to love. Ashi starts 2014 with another short story called Museum Goers about a man and a museum and some terrific people-watching. With luck, we’ll have a new one soon!


    To Ashi: Which of your stories you like best and why?  

    Well, to be honest, the story I like the best is the one that is still in planning stage, but don't have time to start writing.... Some ideas are done but it is still very preliminary. That said, I am content with the two published stories here on GA. The Photographer's Dream is interesting because the main character's gender is intentionally obscured, which hits the reader at the end with the final revelation. The internal growth of Clency (the main character) in the Museum Goers, at least for me, makes me happy that he could reconcile with himself. I believe we all have come through (or still going through) a stage where we aren't exactly happy about the way we are. I do hope that story is meaningful to some people.  
    Our last author today is self-proclaimed red-neck Sasha Distan who is self-published through Lulu where you can find the finished version of Born Wolf, one of Sasha's more popular stories on GA. This British wolf (technically I am part wolf and part African Hunting Dog) is as of November 2013 one of GA’s Promising Authors, with their own forum and everything! The forum for Born Wolf stays busy, which has kept fans very happy learning about and questioning one of Sasha’s werewolf story universes. If you’re a fan of the genre, you’ll find lots to love in this author’s story listing.


    To Sasha Distan: Do you use music to help you to write?  

    Always. For a person with no musical talent whatsoever (I take after my father and he failed the triangle*), I use a huge amount of music when i write. All the stories of the American Songbook series come entirely from induvidual country songs. Much of Don't Shout had a very particular Taylor Swift song as inspiration, and The Wall and Goat contains most of everything ever produced by Keane. Not to mention all the things that Meatloaf makes me do. Without music, and lots of it, there wouldn't be a heck of a lot for you guys to read.
    *Sometimes I have to clarify questions and responses, as seen in the following tidbit:
    Dark: What do you mean by 'failed the triangle'?
    Sasha: you know the percussion instrument, the triangle? you hit it with a stick and it's given to the least proficient member of a primary school class? Yeah, he failed that.  
    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!
     
    Coming next time: Layla, Lilansui, and Thorn Wilde.
     
    Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark).
    Until next time!
  21. Renee Stevens

    Premium Tuesday: Catara

    By Renee Stevens,


    Featured Stories
    Wow, I can't believe it's already July and the year is half over, it seems like it just barely got started. What better way to start out a new month than by taking a look at a Premium Story. As many know, I recently began a new feature where each week I showcase one of our Premium Stories, which are available in our Premium Subscription area. Purchasing a Premium Subscription is a way for members to help support the site and keep it going, not only that but you get access to stories that are not available to the general membership. One such story is "Catara", a Sci-Fi story written by Lugh.



    Catara


    by




    Lugh

     

    In the time of troubles the GefahRadan sang Achoron into being and rewarded the faithful by allowing them live in peace under the watchful care of the Radan.



    Generations are born and die and eventually, the Radan seeks it’s past to provide for its future. Thus the fates of a few are twisted so that two worlds hang in the balance.



    Thus the saga begins...


     

    Words: 24,325



    Chapters: 9


     

    Category



    Fiction


     

    Genres



    Sci-Fi, Romance, Adventure


     

    Tags



    Space, With Wings, Psionics, Aliens, Parents, Teen


     

    Rating



    Mature


     

    Want to read "Catara"? Or maybe you want to check out more of what's in the Premium Section? It's easy, just purchase a
    Premium Subscription!

     



    Premium Content
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    $8.10 Monthly




    Premium Content - 3 Months
    $24.00
    $24.00 Every 3 months




    Premium Content - 6 Months
    $47.00
    $47.00 Every 6 months




    Premium Content - 1 Year
    $93.00
    $93.00 Annually

  22. Renee Stevens
    There are many reasons that people might look forward to Friday, but here at the GA News Blog, we look forward to Friday because it means one thing.... New Prompts!!! Sometimes we get stuck and need a little push to help us get writing again, that's what the prompts are all about, to help get the juices flowing. As always, Comicfan has provided two new prompts for you to take a stab at. Hopefully one of these will inspire you to write a little something!
     
    Prompt 334 – Creative
    Tag – List of Words
    Use the following in a story – horrible smell, broken door, honey comb, thunder, and a key.
     
    Prompt 335 – Creative
    Tag – The Memory Box
    With the upcoming wedding in your family you have been so busy. Then last night you while you were cleaning through the attic at your parent’s house you come across a memory box that was put together by your grandparents for your mother. What was in this box and what do you do with it?
     
    This week I decided to feature Cole Matthews response to Prompt #332
     

    Want to read more? Click here.
     
    As always... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!!
  23. Renee Stevens
    I almost can't believe it's already Friday again, this week just seems to have gone by so quickly. Thanks to Comicfan, we have two new prompts for you today. As a reminder, you are more than welcome to upload your prompt responses into GA stories (we even have a genre for them), but if you do so, please remember that all stories under 1,000 words must be posted in collections. Now, lets see what Comicfan has for us this week.
     
    Prompt 332 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    “Try it again, and I will kill you!”
     
    Prompt 333 – Creative
    Tag – Photo
     

     
    The hardest part of the Prompt Me blogs is deciding which prompt response to feature. This week I chose DynoReads take on Prompt 330. Enjoy!
     

    To read more of this interesting tale, click here.
  24. Renee Stevens
    The last two weeks I've been featuring stories from the 2013 Summer Premium Anthology. This week I am featuring the final story from that anthology, Coin in the Fountain, by Comicfan. As with all Premium stories, in order to read Coin in the Fountain, members need to purchase a Premium Subscription. For more information on how to purchase a Premium Subscription, check out the links at the end of this blog post!
     



    Coin in the Fountain


    by



    Comicfan

     

    Dan finds out that there is more to some things in this world than meets the eye.



    Sometimes magic lays just below the surface and all it takes is a moment of incaution to turn his entire life upside down. Disney got it so wrong!


     

    Series:
    Summer Premium Anthology


    Words: 6,854



    Chapters: 1


     

    Category



    Fiction


     

    Genres

    Romance, Fantasy, Drama

     

    Tags

    Modern, North America, Gay, Magic, Teen

     

    Rating



    Everyone


     

    Want to read "Coin in the Fountain"? Or maybe you want to check out more of what's in the Premium Section? It's easy, just purchase a
    Premium Subscription!

     



    Premium Content
    $8.10
    $8.10 Monthly




    Premium Content - 3 Months
    $24.00
    $24.00 Every 3 months




    Premium Content - 6 Months
    $47.00
    $47.00 Every 6 months




    Premium Content - 1 Year
    $93.00
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  25. Renee Stevens
    It's the start of another week and that means it's time to look at a new story. I'm always asking for reviews for the blog (by the way, if you want to do a review, PM me) so this week I decided it was past time that I did another review for the blog. With so many talented authors on site, it was hard to choose a story to review. In the end, I decided to review "The Matchmaker is Grounded" by Dark. I hope you enjoy the review and that it inspires you to check out Dark's story.


    The Matchmaker is Grounded


    By



    Dark


    Promising Author


    Reviewer: Renee Stevens
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 5,450
     
    In thinking over some of the authors I enjoyed reading when I was able to spend more time reading, I remembered reading this story by Dark. I just had to go back to re-read it and I enjoyed it just as much this time as I did the first. “The Matchmaker is Grounded” was the first story that Dark posted on Gay Authors and is just a glimpse at the talent of this wonderful author.
     
    This short story really centers around Eli, a wheelchair bound man, who seems bound and determined to remain alone due to his disability. Unfortunately for Eli, his sixteen year old son Matt is tired of seeing his dad alone and is determined to do something about him. Enter Michael, a twenty-one year old lifeguard at the pool that Eli frequents. Michael has made his interest in Eli known, but Eli is having none of it and has continually brushed off Michael’s advances.
     
    Matt takes matters into his own hands and starts to invite Michael around, despite his dad’s protests. Michael is all for it and suddenly he’s everywhere, but he’s very clear about it. He’s not stalking Eli, he’s just running into him in a premeditated manner.
     
    While reading this story, I couldn’t help but feel for Eli. He had so many obstacles to overcome, not just physical, but emotional as well. I think my favorite part about this entire story was the relationship between Matt and Eli. It was obvious how much the two cared about each other. Dark did a wonderful job in pulling me into the story and making me care about the characters.
     
    While there was a lot of emotional aspects of this story, there was actually quite a few light-hearted moments as well. This is one of those stories that a balance needs to be reached to keep the reader engaged and Dark managed it quite well. I can definitely see myself coming back and re-reading it again and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read.
     
    I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.


    Category: Fiction Genres: Romance, Comedy Tags: Gay, Adult, Parents, Disability, Teen, Mature Adult Rating: Mature


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