Renee Stevens

Hi y'all! Not who you were expecting this week, right? Unfortunately, @comicfan is having some issues getting the site to load, so he asked me to share this week's prompts with you! Happy Writing! Prompt 870- Creative Tag - Blessing The last year was not good to you. However, when you went to sleep last night and dreamed everything would slowly improve. As your dream was ending a little child walked up and handed you a lily and said you would be blessed. You wake up, turn on the news and find the whole world had the same dream. The only thing is you find the lily in your bed when you go to get dressed. There is a knock on your front door. What is the blessing? Prompt 871 - Creative Tag - First Line "Why do I feel like I went over the rainbow?"

Awesome!!! You can do however you'd like. Early isn't a bad thing, lol.

First off, let me start by saying that the Anthology deadline of April 1st has been extended to May 31st!!!! Hopefully that will give everyone time to write something for the anthology. So, what does that mean for the mid-year anthology? Well, that deadline has now been extended to October 31st. Which leaves us with the Pre-2021 themes anthology. Sometimes we have to make some tough decisions, and it's become clear that the anthology participation has been declining for the past few years. We've tried a few things to try and gain people's interest in them, but none of them have really worked in the long term. I've only seen a few entries come in for this upcoming anthology, which made me take a look at what we've tried and what else we can try. Maybe there are quite a few people finishing up their anthologies, I hope so, but I still needed to look to the future. After the Anthology that is due October 31st, we will be changing again. If you were looking forward to writing an anthology using a past anthology theme, you'll still get the chance to do so. The Pre-2021 Theme anthology, will become the Pre-2022 Theme Anthology. Instead of being one of 2 separate anthologies, the Pre-2022 Theme Anthology will be the ONLY anthology for 2022. Yep, that's right, we will be moving to a single, annual anthology starting 2022. Our hope is that with a full year to write, we'll see the participation numbers grow. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.

Upcoming Anthology Due: April 1, 2021 (1 week remaining) Top Themes On the Road Forbidden Pot Luck Themes But Wait; There’s More - Through a Glass Darkly - Of Gods and Monsters - It Takes All Kinds - Darkness Falls Boys of the Hills - You Wouldn’t Understand - On the Beach - Great Balls of Fire - Laughter, the Best Medicine Ozark Rumors - The Tracks - National Park - The Warmest Color - A Visitation - New Moon Turn Back Time - Chiaroscuro - Jump Ship - King of Eighteen - Up! There's your list of themes! You can check out the full list of rules and guidelines in the anthology forum, but take a look at this entry from last year! The Truth is Out There Author: @Myr Theme: Full Moon Zebron Wilson breaks the rules of Psionic Corp due to his insatiable curiosity and gets sent away to prevent retaliation. Reader Comments: lomax61: So much to love here, packed full of ideas in such a short story. And a different interpretation of the anthology title. Carlos Hazday: As usual, a story from you leaves me wanting more. Wolflady: I am so glad to see this addition to the Psionic world. love the fact that you brought back a couple of the earlier characters. I am definitely looking forward to more of the story.

Well, it's time to see who our mystery author was for this month. Do you think you got it right? Well, let's take a look shall we? This month's mystery author was..... Carlos Hazday Did you get it right? Check out these stories from Carlos!

As always, a huge thank you goes out to our review team. Without them, I don't know what you'd review on these featured story days! Broken - A Camp Refuge Story by Wayne Gray Reviewer: Parker Owens Status: Complete Word Count: 38,510 Broken is the fourth story in Wayne Gray’s Camp Refuge series. The story revolves around Lee, a young man with a horrific past and who has drawn the interest of the police. Camp Refuge is the last stop, the last chance, before getting swallowed up by the legal system. There are many stories about men like Lee, stories which tell of those ill-used by circumstance and fortune who are given last chances. Few such tales engage and hold the reader as well as this one. What makes this story so engaging is the way in which the many vivid and well-drawn characters have their own narratives and subplots intertwined. Even as Lee’s tale unfolds, we watch others simultaneously branch and blossom. In each chapter, the reader cannot help celebrating the joys each character experiences and worrying over their troubles and setbacks. Each part supports and adorns the main story, until they are all brought together in a most satisfying resolution. Broken also tackles difficult questions: how many chances should a person get? How do we know when to trust and take a chance on someone? The author does not give us an easy answer – such choices in life can be messy and fraught. But in the end, we are shown how it might work out. Broken is not merely a story which restores one’s view of the world. Wayne Gray makes the reader want to go out and change the world for the better. This is a story by a gifted writer. Pull up a folding chair and spend some time at Camp Refuge. Get to know Lee and all the characters who live there. You’ll be very glad you did. Category: Fiction Genres: Drama, Romance Tags: young adult, gay, rural, anal, serious, fostering, modern, friendship Rating: Mature

Upcoming Anthology Due: April 1, 2021 (2 weeks remaining) Top Themes On the Road Forbidden Pot Luck Themes But Wait; There’s More - Through a Glass Darkly - Of Gods and Monsters - It Takes All Kinds - Darkness Falls Boys of the Hills - You Wouldn’t Understand - On the Beach - Great Balls of Fire - Laughter, the Best Medicine Ozark Rumors - The Tracks - National Park - The Warmest Color - A Visitation - New Moon Turn Back Time - Chiaroscuro - Jump Ship - King of Eighteen - Up! There's your list of themes! You can check out the full list of rules and guidelines in the anthology forum, but take a look at this entry from last year! The Challenge Author: @Headstall Theme: Full Moon Out of necessity, Armie accepts what his life has become, but when a handsome stranger issues an unexpected challenge, the walls he's so carefully constructed begin to weaken. Once the dust settles, will they crumble altogether? Reader Comments: 84Mags: A story likes this walks a very fine line between creepy, needy, stalker and genuine, budding attraction. You did a perfect job of coloring within the lines! Dughlas: A fairy tale, sort of, if a little creepy but then fairy tales often are ... LD Stratton: OK, you are at it again my man, writing a plausible reality with characters that feel real in their emotions.

Upcoming Anthology Due: April 1, 2021 Top Themes On the Road Forbidden Pot Luck Themes But Wait; There’s More - Through a Glass Darkly - Of Gods and Monsters - It Takes All Kinds - Darkness Falls Boys of the Hills - You Wouldn’t Understand - On the Beach - Great Balls of Fire - Laughter, the Best Medicine Ozark Rumors - The Tracks - National Park - The Warmest Color - A Visitation - New Moon Turn Back Time - Chiaroscuro - Jump Ship - King of Eighteen - Up! There's your list of themes! You can check out the full list of rules and guidelines in the anthology forum, but take a look at this entry from last year! Destruction - Self and Otherwise Author: @Headstall Theme: The Storm Storms, vicious ones, are not always created by nature. This poem is about a different kind of devastation. Reader Comments: aditus: Amid all the tragedy and sadness, you manage to send out a ray of hope one can survive the hurricane or even become the storm. Parker Owens: I feel the howling winds and slashing rain of the storm you experienced. While it echoes in the far distance now, you’ve written new thunder to peal across the page. wildone: As others have mentioned, this is an example of how one works to finally take back their life and destiny. The final stanza is an excellent conclusion!

Well well well, it's that time again. I hope you all have your thinking caps on, cause I'm ready to see if anyone can guess the author this month! I keep hoping that eventually one of these will stump members, but it never happens. *sigh* Oh well, we'll keep trying! What is one thing that most GA members might not know about you? Although I sold off most of the collection a few years ago, I once had over 3,000 Hard Rock lapel pins. There are 300 odd ones left on display at my place. What prompted you to write your first story? I wrote the author of a story I liked on Nifty to compliment him and thank him for sharing. We began corresponding and he eventually asked me to beta read for him. After a while, I decided to try my hand at it. I wrote a story, shared it with a couple of authors I was exchanging emails with and two individuals I’d met on the author’s Facebook page. They all suggested I publish it. I did on GA. What genre of books do you enjoy reading and have you written for that genre? Science Fiction. Particularly older stuff. At the time I’m answering the question, I’m re-reading Philip Jose Farmer’s To Your Scattered Bodies Go. I’ve dabbled in the genre. Is there a genre that you haven’t written for that you would consider trying later on? Detective/mystery stories. I’m scared I won’t come up with enough twists and turns to make it interesting. Maybe in the future once I clear up the backlog of potential stories. What do like most about publishing on GA? The ability to upload stuff without an intermediary and the interaction with readers. Do you have any unique writing habits or rituals to help you get into a writing mood? Nothing special or outrageous. I tend to write early in the morning while working my way through a pot of coffee. Usually start off reading whatever I wrote the day before or transcribing any notes I made the previous ebening. I keep pen and paper handy to jot down plot ideas, names, locations, or bits of dialogue. How has your writing style evolved over time? Cia once wrote something to the effect writers need to know the rules before deciding whether to follow them or flaunt them. I’ve taken that suggestion to heart. Although my basic approach to telling a story hasn’t changed much, the mechanics have. I’m still working on streamlining my work, I dislike overly wordy stories and repetition… of words and events. Do you have a significant other? Not since I kicked the last one out. LOL Do you have any pets? Nope. Couldn’t handle it after having to put my last dog down. Do you post multi-chapter stories as you write? Do you wait until you’ve finished writing the entire story? Or is it something in between? I’ve done both but prefer to post once the story’s complete. A couple of times, with long, multi-chapter stories, I’ve begun posting before they were complete. However, I had enough chapters ready to compensate for any writing or editing delays. I’m proud of never having missed a posting day once I start sharing a story. What is your favorite television show? I usually get tired of them after two or three seasons. M•A•S•H was always a favorite. Reruns are still enjoyable. I dislike most reality shows but do enjoy Top Chef and The Property Brothers. What is your favorite movie? Casablanca. It was released way before I was born, but Bogart’s gritty character and Bergman’s strong woman (for the 1940s) resonate with me. Do you write poetry? Prose? Or both? Prose. I don’t get most poetry. If you could meet one person, living or dead, who would it be? Jesus Christ. If he really existed. I’d love to strip back centuries of myth and discover the human who simultaneously brought so much joy and so much pain to the world. What would you say is your greatest accomplishment? Surviving. I’ve done plenty of stupid thing in my life. I’ve been close to death a couple of times and always wondered why I was still around. Maybe so I could share my stories? So, what do you think? Think you know who it is? Post your guess in the comments!!!

Hard to believe it's already March! Then again, my days get all mixed up since we don't do a whole lot! Anyway, hope you all enjoy this review from our review team! Desert Air by quokka Reviewer: chris191070 Status: Complete Word Count: 134,256 Well if we fancy an escape from the cold weather that many of us are suffering from, what better than a visit to Perth, Western Australia. We meet Jexon Kendrick a veterinary student who goes to university in Perth, but his home is a remote cattle in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, just south of the hottest town in the state, where the temperature reaches 40 degrees or above in the summer months. But things don't run smoothly for Jexon when he reaches 21. This story is not what it seems there are many interesting things that happen throughout the story. We are introduced to an Airbase and some awesome Military Planes as they undergo restoration, but even this doesn't run smoothly as we meet trespassers on the Airbase, which get the local Police involved. We have Jewelry thieves involving large sums of money. Visits to the capital for Jexon where the army becomes involved. More cattle stations. We then get Jexon doing marine research on an island as part of his veterinary course. We get to meet his friends Marcus and Auggie who become really important to Jexon as he slowly gets to his lifetime goal of setting up his own veterinary practice. As with any Quokka story we are treated to some of the delights of Australia. All encompassed in a fantastic story where nothing is straightforward and we get plenty of action, drama and trials and tribulations before the ultimate goal is reached. As with a lot of Quokka's stories you are left with an ending that leaves you wanting more. Category: Fiction Genres: Adventure, Drama Tags: young adult, university, australia, hig school Rating: Everyone

Upcoming Anthology Due: April 1, 2021 Top Themes On the Road Forbidden Pot Luck Themes But Wait; There’s More - Through a Glass Darkly - Of Gods and Monsters - It Takes All Kinds - Darkness Falls Boys of the Hills - You Wouldn’t Understand - On the Beach - Great Balls of Fire - Laughter, the Best Medicine Ozark Rumors - The Tracks - National Park - The Warmest Color - A Visitation - New Moon Turn Back Time - Chiaroscuro - Jump Ship - King of Eighteen - Up! There's your list of themes! You can check out the full list of rules and guidelines in the anthology forum, but take a look at this entry from last year! Shared Blankets Author: @Comicality Theme: The Storm Max is currently at home alone during the big snow storm of 2011, Chicago's 'Snowpocalypse'! But his friend, Cedric lives just across the courtyard in the same apartment complex! What will they do to beat the frigid temperatures and the heavy snow drifts locking everybody down? Read and find out! Reader Comments: M1984: That was really sweet. I enjoyed that. I had more than one experience like that, growing up. Story Reader: That was a fantastic story! I loved it! lomax61: What I really like is the voice of Max with his ‘you know?’, ‘cool’, his adolescent dialog, and fourteen year old thoughts. You’ve captured those really well.

Upcoming Anthology Due: April 1, 2021 Top Themes On the Road Forbidden Pot Luck Themes But Wait; There’s More - Through a Glass Darkly - Of Gods and Monsters - It Takes All Kinds - Darkness Falls Boys of the Hills - You Wouldn’t Understand - On the Beach - Great Balls of Fire - Laughter, the Best Medicine Ozark Rumors - The Tracks - National Park - The Warmest Color - A Visitation - New Moon Turn Back Time - Chiaroscuro - Jump Ship - King of Eighteen - Up! There's your list of themes! You can check out the full list of rules and guidelines in the anthology forum, but take a look at this entry from last year! Hill of Candles Author: @lomax61 Theme: The Storm Psychologist James Mannigan is granted a series of interviews with the Vynx brothers, four men of unknown origin found naked wandering Dartmoor fifteen years ago who claim they are not human. Housed in the Seahaven Open Facility in a remote part of Scotland, they live unremarkably alongside other guests. At first, through his questioning and study, James finds nothing he has not encountered before. Until Guardian, one of the brothers, insists on sharing their beliefs on reincarnation. As events unfold and finally reach a violent climax, James finally learns why he has been chosen. Reader Comments: Parker Owens: This was an excellent, couldn’t-stop-reading story. Every scene left me wanting to see what’s next. drsawzall: Well done a great piece of writing, thoughtful, controlled chaos, a realistic portrayal of rich emotions and physical settings. Superb wordsmithing. Defiance19: A very intriguing and well crafted story on a subject that I find fascinating, to boot.

Well, it's time to see who our mystery author was for this month. Do you think you got it right? Well, let's take a look shall we? This month's mystery author was..... wildone Did you get it right? Check out these stories from wildone!

Upcoming Anthology Due: April 1, 2021 Top Themes On the Road Forbidden Pot Luck Themes But Wait; There’s More - Through a Glass Darkly - Of Gods and Monsters - It Takes All Kinds - Darkness Falls Boys of the Hills - You Wouldn’t Understand - On the Beach - Great Balls of Fire - Laughter, the Best Medicine Ozark Rumors - The Tracks - National Park - The Warmest Color - A Visitation - New Moon Turn Back Time - Chiaroscuro - Jump Ship - King of Eighteen - Up! There's your list of themes! You can check out the full list of rules and guidelines in the anthology forum, but take a look at this entry from last year! Accused Author: @Valkyrie Theme: The Storm Patrick is accused of a heinous crime, which threatens to destroy his career and entire life, whether he's guilty or not. Reader Comments: Carlos Hazday: I liked the way you painted the picture with wide brush strokes. This is proof a good story doesn't have to ramble on. GanymedeRex: Great job doing this whole thing in one chapter. It was riveting. I'm glad for the positive resolution - too many in his situation were just destroyed. Geron Kees: Good story on a difficult subject, well presented, and with sympathy.

Upcoming Anthology Due: April 1, 2021 Top Themes On the Road Forbidden Pot Luck Themes But Wait; There’s More - Through a Glass Darkly - Of Gods and Monsters - It Takes All Kinds - Darkness Falls Boys of the Hills - You Wouldn’t Understand - On the Beach - Great Balls of Fire - Laughter, the Best Medicine Ozark Rumors - The Tracks - National Park - The Warmest Color - A Visitation - New Moon Turn Back Time - Chiaroscuro - Jump Ship - King of Eighteen - Up! There's your list of themes! You can check out the full list of rules and guidelines in the anthology forum, but take a look at this entry from last year! Mates Come First Author: @Caz Pedroso Theme: The Storm Eighteen year old Owen has escaped the bullies from his home coven and started a new life in Teonards. He never want to have anything to do with his old coven ever again. The coven have been looking for Owen since he was discovered missing. Mica is in Teonards on a supply run and decides to ask around while he's there. When the two meet fireworks and revelations are abound. Can minds be changed? Reader Comments: aditus: I enjoyed the story very much. It was very entertaining, I couldn't stop until I finished the last chapter. Headstall: Very enjoyable story, Caz. Well done! Cheers. Smoothy: O Caz, I soooo love your stories!! 💕💕. One can always relate to something in the content. Thank you 🤗🤗🤗

*jumps up and down and waves my arms* I know, I know! It....

Woohoo!!!! Two months in a row that I've actually managed to do the Author Guess Who blog! Who's ready for another round of guessing. I am super curious as to whether or now y'all will guess this one!!! So, let's get right to it! What is one thing that most GA members might not know about you? I'm German What prompted you to write your first story? A lot of Hosted (yes, I'm dating myself) encouraged me to give it a try. What genre of books do you enjoy reading and have you written for that genre? Sci Fi and no. I think to write Sci Fi you need to have a working knowledge of a lot of science. I think I like reading scifi to get that science understanding. Is there a genre that you haven’t written for that you would consider trying later on? Porn What do like most about publishing on GA? The support that everyone shares with one another. It encourages yourself to support others too. Do you have any unique writing habits or rituals to help you get into a writing mood? I have to talk myself into it and then I don't do too much other than work and sleep. I don't leave the computer until I'm more or less done. How has your writing style evolved over time? I've asked questions of some great authors and embraced some great authors to edit and beta for me and tried to employ what they have taught me to make each attempt a slight bit better. Do you have a significant other? No Do you have any pets? No Do you post multi-chapter stories as you write? Do you wait until you’ve finished writing the entire story? Or is it something in between? I usually like to finish something completely before publishing it. What is your favorite television show? NCIS What is your favorite movie? Ferris Bueller's Day Off Do you write poetry? Prose? Or both? Both, I think If you could meet one person, living or dead, who would it be? Attila the Hun What would you say is your greatest accomplishment? Being here today! So, what do you think? Think you know who it is? Post your guess in the comments!!!

Well. It's time for another story review, this tile from our newest review team member, @Talo Segura. Enjoy! The Transporters by Israfil Reviewer: Talo Segura Status: Complete Word Count: 16,570 I might have said that you ought to know the forgotten realms of Dungeons and Dragons, but you don't. It was the gnolls who made me go and look it up. As might be appropriate to this genre of story, a portal opened into a fantastic world. I should point out this story does not have a gay tag and is a tale of fantasy and magic, there is no gay theme, but don't let that make you sidestep a good read. This author has a sense of humour that adds a smile and enhances his writing skills. "...he had two options: stand his ground and face his death or make a futile dash and die running. There was no choice here - he always knew which one he would choose. He spun around and sprinted down the road." It's obvious from the start these guys are anything but seasoned wizards, I mean, he left his rune stick behind! Being, as far as I know, a first story, there is always room to be better, and this author has all the potential to do so. Some rather nice descriptions pepper the narrative, "Streaks of green scales extended from beneath her eyes, traveling down her cheeks like emerald tears." Mastershakeme commented, "I liked the description and the setting a lot! I kinda imagined being in my rundown apartment and then Holy shit! The alarms are triggered! The apartment's about to become a war zone and the little doggy prisoner, who said they'd be sorry, finally has his day." There is no holding back from the action and whilst the picture of what's happening is revealed slowly, in little snippets, which might be confusing, personally, I liked it that way. You have to work at it a little, which draws you in, at least it did for me. A reader commented, "The three wizards are proving more interesting than I thought they would be..." which was also true for me. With everything building up, attack upon attack, threats and subtle vying for advantage, the young wizards grow on you, as hopefully their magic abilities will grow, and improve. I'm tempted to say it's a life and death struggle, at the very least that element keeps you turning the pages, as well as rooting for these odd room mates! I love the way the tension is built, how the author drops little hints into the narrative, "...for a moment as a shadow passed in front of the streetlight outside." You might almost miss the significance, it is subtle crafting of the story plot. If I have any criticisms they are very small, the point made by a reader that there are a lot of characters which might get a bit muddled. However, this is the first story of The Deadwood Chronicles, and as such it has a role in setting the scene and introducing the action and the characters. My only real criticism is there is no second story to continue the tale. So whilst this story is complete, it is the first battle in the war, and for the moment we have no more. Perhaps, we might encourage the author to continue? I cannot sum things up better than another reader who wrote: "the action was fast-paced and full of adrenaline. This was a quick read and a fun one too." Category: Fiction Genres: Adventure, Fantasy Tags: young adult, magic, wizards, roommates, urban, modern Rating: Everyone

Upcoming Anthology Due: April 1, 2021 Top Themes On the Road Forbidden Pot Luck Themes But Wait; There’s More - Through a Glass Darkly - Of Gods and Monsters - It Takes All Kinds - Darkness Falls Boys of the Hills - You Wouldn’t Understand - On the Beach - Great Balls of Fire - Laughter, the Best Medicine Ozark Rumors - The Tracks - National Park - The Warmest Color - A Visitation - New Moon Turn Back Time - Chiaroscuro - Jump Ship - King of Eighteen - Up! There's your list of themes! You can check out the full list of rules and guidelines in the anthology forum, but take a look at this entry from last year! As Betwixt the Devil and the Deep Sea Author: @Thorn Wilde Theme: The Storm After a few days’ stay on a remote and bleak island in the sea, a writer finds that the boat he arrived in has been torn from its mooring by a storm. None of the locals will take him to the mainland, afraid to brave the waters after the storm, and as he struggles to make his way home, it seems more and more as if something doesn’t want him to leave. Reader Comments: MichaelS36: Wow. What a well written and creepy tale. I couldn't help but read it. It was that good. Mikiesboy: If you like a little horror ... not too scary or graphic at all. Just spine tingly and a little creepy, you cannot go wrong with this gem. Wayne Gray: If you like horror then don't skip this one. It sent a chill down my spine, and the imagery was just right.

Welcome to the blog team! Great AAA!

Upcoming Anthology Due: April 1, 2021 Top Themes On the Road Forbidden Pot Luck Themes But Wait; There’s More - Through a Glass Darkly - Of Gods and Monsters - It Takes All Kinds - Darkness Falls Boys of the Hills - You Wouldn’t Understand - On the Beach - Great Balls of Fire - Laughter, the Best Medicine Ozark Rumors - The Tracks - National Park - The Warmest Color - A Visitation - New Moon Turn Back Time - Chiaroscuro - Jump Ship - King of Eighteen - Up! There's your list of themes! You can check out the full list of rules and guidelines in the anthology forum, but take a look at this entry from last year! Keraunophobia Author: @CassieQ Theme: The Storm For as long as he could remember, Austin was always terrified of storms. After the death of his mother, the dominoes start falling and the reasons behind his fear start to come to light in a way he never expected. Reader Comments: Carlos Hazday: Loved the way you allowed the suspense to build up and unraveled the mistery just as slowly. Parker Owens: Not a neat and tidy story, but one as ragged as a nasty storm. Well done! Nana Atuwa: Cool story a lot of confusion and a lot of questions but it was really good thank you

Well, it's time to see who our mystery author was for this month. Do you think you got it right? Well, let's take a look shall we? This month's mystery author was..... Parker Owens Did you get it right? Check out these stories from Parker! https://www.gayauthors.org/story/parker-owens/atoz/

I'm going to try a new feature. This year, each story will get it's own day, in the future, it will depend on how many entries we have for the previous years anthologies. Sometimes, there might have to be two entries for each of these blogs. Each of these blogs will begin with a reminder of the upcoming anthology, and then we'll take a brief look at one of the anthology entries from the previous year. So, let's get started!!! Upcoming Anthology Due: April 1, 2021 Top Themes On the Road Forbidden Pot Luck Themes But Wait; There’s More - Through a Glass Darkly - Of Gods and Monsters - It Takes All Kinds - Darkness Falls Boys of the Hills - You Wouldn’t Understand - On the Beach - Great Balls of Fire - Laughter, the Best Medicine Ozark Rumors - The Tracks - National Park - The Warmest Color - A Visitation - New Moon Turn Back Time - Chiaroscuro - Jump Ship - King of Eighteen - Up! There's your list of themes! You can check out the full list of rules and guidelines in the anthology forum, but take a look at this entry from last year! The Teacup Author: @aditus Theme: The Storm A brief encounter at the park and a saying becomes true to life. Reader Comments: Valkyrie: I loved this story. It packs so much into a few words. JeffreyL: What an enjoyable story! I should have guessed the saying, but it caught me by surprise. lomax61: Lovely story. I’m reading this as the teacup being a metaphor for the relationship, once beautiful and now broken.

Okay all!!!! I know I haven't been very active on the site for a while, and I appreciate the rest of the team, especially @wildone for helping get things done. I'm really hoping to be able to be more active on the site, but with a toddler and school, I still might not be able to be as active as I used to be. With that being said, who is ready for another installment of Author Guess Who? You will have until the 27th to get your guesses in. So check these answers out, and see if you think you know who they are all about! What is one thing that most GA members might not know about you? I enjoy baseball – any level of baseball. What prompted you to write your first story? I have admired so many of the authors and members on GA. I wrote my first story hoping to repay them, the authors and readers, for what I was given. What genre of books do you enjoy reading and have you written for that genre? I read a lot of non-fiction, especially biography and history. I can’t think of anything I’ve posted in that genre. Is there a genre that you haven’t written for that you would consider trying later on? I considered writing a fantasy novel once. I might come back to the idea one day. What do like most about publishing on GA? The community of writers and readers on GA supports people who write and post. It is an accepting and affirming community, and one which helps people get better at writing. Do you have any unique writing habits or rituals to help you get into a writing mood? None of my habits are unique. Because I have a really busy schedule, I write whenever the opportunity appears. Sometimes, that happens in strange places or times. How has your writing style evolved over time? I hope I’m getting better at small things: cutting out unnecessary bloat words, comma use, and repeated phrases. I hope I’m getting better at bigger things, like story arc and character development. But I doubt if what passes for style in my writing has evolved or improved much. Do you have a significant other? Yes. Do you have any pets? Not now. Do you post multi-chapter stories as you write? Do you wait until you’ve finished writing the entire story? Or is it something in between? I try to wait until the story is mostly done before I post. What is your favorite television show? Old re-runs of Star Trek, or maybe Masterpiece. What is your favorite movie? How am I supposed to choose? Casablanca, or maybe A Night at the Opera. Do you write poetry? Prose? Or both? I write both prose and poetry. If you could meet one person, living or dead, who would it be? Just one? Really? Cole Porter. But my answer might be different tomorrow. What would you say is your greatest accomplishment? In a life filled with minor triumphs and mundane challenges, none stand out; finishing my first multi-chapter story might qualify. But really, I’m still working on this one. Well, there you are... Think you know who it is? Take a guess in the comments!

As many of you know, we have an absolutely wonderful team of reviewers here at Gay Authors. The are the ones responsible for all the wonderful reviews you see at least once a month, sometimes twice! Sometimes real life gets in the way and our reviewers struggle to provide more than a couple of reviews a year. We're looking for some more reviewers to help us out! This is open to all GA members. Can't commit to reviews on a regular basis? That's perfectly okay! Maybe you've read an awesome story recently that you'd like to direct more readers to. This is your chance, as you can provide a single review for the blog. Think you want to provide a couple reviews a year, that's great too! You can join the review team on a long term basis! We currently have all of the 2021 dates available for reviews. Feb 8 Mar 8 Mar 22 April 12 May 10 May 24 June 14 July 12 Aug 9 Aug 23 Sept 13 Oct 11 Nov 8 Nov 22 Dec 13 If you're interested in helping us out, just send a message to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M.. If you just want to provide a single review, just let us know that, but please pick a couple of dates in case one of them has already been filled. We try and not focus too much on a single author or do repeats of the same story, though it does occasionally happen. If you let us know what story you're interested in reviewing, we can let you know if that story has been done or if that author had been featured recently. Thank you everyone!