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Renee Stevens

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  1. Renee Stevens
    I can't believe it's Friday already, and that means it's time for two new prompts from our prompt guru, Comicfan. I hope you enjoy them and that one of them will spark an idea!
     
    Prompt 308 – Creative
    Tag – Photo

     
    Prompt 309 – Creative
    Tag – Phone Call
    Your phone rings and you pick up it. There is only one problem, the conversation going on is one you remember happening ten years ago on the date of a terrible accident. As the conversation continues you suddenly feel very light headed and close your eyes. However, when you open them you find yourself still on the phone but now dressed as you were all those years ago. What do you do?
     
    This week was another tough week to pick a prompt to feature as there was so many good ones to choose from! I decided to go with a response to prompt #307 from Valkyrie71:
     

    To read the rest of this prompt, click here.
     
    If you want to read all the other prompt responses from last week, you can do so in the threads for Prompt 306 and Prompt 307.
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  2. Renee Stevens
    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! Enjoy!!! Also, don't forget that today is the last day to get your stories sent to the Anthology Editing Team for inclusion in the 2014 Spring Anthology!


    Ask an Author #14


     

    Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors!
     
    In AtA #13, we had questions for authors Andrew Q Gordon, Layla, and Nephylim.
     
    In AtA #14, we hear from authors Comicality, Stellar, and dkstories.
     
    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.
     
    Today’s first author is one of GA’s founding members: Comicality. Legend says that Myr was a big fan and dragged Comicality kicking and screaming to the fledgling teen fiction website. Truthfully, GA would not be what it is today without the support and fabulous writing of Comicality. If you have a premium account, go check out Comsie’s horror/sci-fi story Empty Corners. If you don’t have a premium account, well, you’re missing out.


    To Comicality: In your opinion, what is the best character you've ever come up with and why?  
     
     

    Hmmm...honestly, if I had to choose one, I think I would pick 'Cyrus' from the story "Savage Moon". I really have a lot of fun writing for him because I can really take myself to a dark place when trying to bring out his view of the world. He can be really harsh, but in a pleasant way. It's the seduction of darkness that makes his character so much fun. To take things that are so socially unacceptable, so morally wrong, and almost make them seem like a 'good time', it's tricky, but I enjoy it. So Cyrus is one of my all time favorites. Because even though he might approach you with a smile and a warm brotherly hug...there's real danger present with him. He's the kind of guy that you know would have no problem ripping you to shreds if he felt the urge. here's nothing holding him back. No moral obligation at all. And that can be frightening.  

    Next up today is Author Stellar, who proudly admits both his sexuality and the fact that he is one of our many “Aspies” here on GA. He says, “… my sexuality and my atypical 'condition' make me who I am, in a very big way. I'd be a much different person if they weren't present. My preference is that people know that there is a fundamental reason for things being the way that they are. It's all about understanding.” He’s also a computer guy and a New Zealander, and how can this man not be beautiful when he writes things like Hidden Sunlight?


    To Stellar: our story Hidden Sunlight is quite complex; did you set out to do that? Are there character outlines, or chronology? Or is it more a case of setting off writing and letting those things develop as it goes?  
     
     

    Yes, the complexity was intentional. I have detailed ideas and notes for lots of things that make up the history of the world. Most of that will remain notes though and probably never see the light of day as far as anyone else is concerned. The broad plan I use for plotline is that I know where I am going and the major points to hit along the way, so the writing is more around rounding out the plot with plausible fact and appropriate detail.  

    Today’s final author is dkstories, the writing name for GA Hosted Author dkstories. A new generation of GA members have been able to discover the joys of a dkstories story this year as Dan returned to us after a lengthy absence. Dan likes politics and sci-fi, two things you find plenty of in his stories. For example, in Dreams of Humanity, a simple premise becomes more and more complex with each chapter as the villains and behind-the-scenes politics are revealed. Knowing this, I had no qualms about sending him one heckuva question, as you can see…


    To dkstories: Historically, being gay has been considered a trait amongst the poor, lower class, artists, bohemians... only recently with the advent of gay rights have gays been more culturally accepted. In the m/m genre, a lot of gay stories seem to revolve around the main characters being on the more wealthy side. Do you think this is a reflection of our culture and a desire to be more rich, or is it easier to tell a story when the characters are not poor?  
     
     

    Cinderella, Snow White, the legend of King Arthur, and a thousand other stories we grew up with all deal with main characters being on the wealthy side. There's a simple reason for this, and one that a lot of people don't like looking at directly. It also borders on the political. People write, and read, these types of stories because they are fantasy - something that we can dream about but only a very few of us will ever attain. Fewer than two percent of us are ever to a point where we are wealthy so being able to escape from the dolldrums of daily life and dream about what it's like to be rich is enjoyable. There's nothing wrong with this. As an avid reader myself, being able to escape into other worlds, other realities, or into being rich all help me to deal with the stresses of every day life. Since I also write I even get another avenue of escape.  
     
     

    As a writer, wealthy characters are usually able to whisk someone off into the world of fantasy is a good tool to bring the reader along as well. Who doesn't dream about being able to take a private jet to Paris for a moonlit dinner on the river Seinne? Having wealth, these characters make it possible for other characters, and the reader, to fulfill their dreams in fantasy. The same is true of almost any book.  
     
     

    So in the end, the answer to the question is: both. Wealthy characters allow the reader to fantasize about what it is like to be rich, and they allow the author more options in what the characters can do in the story.  

    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: CassieQ, James Savik, and Libby Drew.
     
    Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark).
  3. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    It was a busy week this week. Don't forget that your anthology stories need to be to the Anthology Proof Team no later than March 5th! Now, lets get onto the look back at the week in the blog!
     
    On Wednesday, Myr popped into the blog to share another Tech Blog, which has now become a monthly blog feature and will appear on the last Wednesday of every month. This months edition had a few different offerings. He shared some stats, talked about some ongoing projects, and also talked about some stuff that is upcoming. If you missed this blog, I strongly suggest you check it out, it's quite informative!
     
    Thursday, A.J. joined us at the blog to bring us another special blog entry to congratulate Mann Ramblings on making the move from Promising Author to Signature Author. If you haven't already done so, stop on by to add your own congrats!
     
    Friday ended the week with two new prompts supplied by the prompt guru, Comicfan. This weeks prompt choices include a first line prompt and a creative prompt with the tag "The Good Deed". Check them out and share your prompt response in the prompt forum. You never know, yours might be the featured response next week, just like K.C.'s prompt was for this week!
     
    We had another special blog entry on Saturday. Since it's the 1st of the month, it was time to share this month's Signature Author Background. This month's choice was "Into the Deep" by CassieQ. Don't forget to visit the blog entry to get your background!!
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    2014 Spring Anthology: Nature's Wrath - Due Mar 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is March 5th* 2014 Poetry Anthology: A Storm is Coming - Due April 15th 2014 Summer Anthology: The Backup Plan - Due June 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is June 5th*

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    Boy Called Slave by Nephylim
     
    By our Signature Authors this week:
     
    GA Writing Prompts by Dolores Esteban
     
    Changing Lanes by C James
     
    Flux by Mark Arbour - Book 14 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    A prompt a week by comicfan
     
    0300 Book 3 by David McLeod
     
    A Class By HImself by Comicality
     
    Lost Inside by Cia - Book 2 of Carthera Tales
     
    Noah's New Plan by Rob Colton
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour - Book 13 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    Purpose - A New Beginning by Andrew_Q_Gordon
     
    So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings
     
    Pilots by David McLeod
     
    HMS Valiant by Mark Arbour - Book 7 of Bridgemont
     
    Married to the Enemy by Cia
     
    Timber Pack Chronicles by Rob Colton - Book 1 of Timber Pack Chronicles
     
    Last Christmas by comicfan
     
    Prometheus Wakens by David McLeod
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    Broken Prince and Mismatched Eyes by layla
     
    Prompting In The Dark by K.C.
     
    MUSH! by Sasha Distan
     
    Tangled Web by wrathofmagneto
     
    Eight Seconds by Sasha Distan
     
    The Crown Affair by Andy78
     
    Born Wolf by Sasha Distan
     
    Curse of the Fallen by JMH - Book 2 of Fallen
     
    Remember.... Read, Write... and REVIEW!!!!!
  4. Renee Stevens
    I hope everyone has had a great week so far! Who's ready to do some writing? To help you get started, Comicfan has supplied two new prompts!! Don't forget to share your responses in the prompt forum and maybe you'll be featured next week!
     
    Prompt 306 – Creative
    Tag – The Good Deed
    Feeling at loose ends with your time lately you have decided to donate your time to one of the local food banks. While you are there you find the opportunity to turn your good deed into something profitable for the food bank. What was your idea and what does it lead to?
     
    Prompt 307 – Creative
    Tag - First Line
    “Are you sure there is nothing that can be done?”
     
    This week, I was looking through the prompts and I decided to feature K.C.'s response to Prompt #304, enjoy.
     

    Click here to read the rest of his prompt. There's more responses in the thread and you can also check out the thread for prompt 305 for even more responses.
     
    Don't forget... Read, Write, and REVIEW
  5. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    I hope everyone had a great week! It's been a busy week at the Gay Authors news blog, but first things first. Thank you to everyone who voted in the 2013 Gay Authors Reader's Choice Awards. I hope everyone got their votes in since voting ended yesterday and the polls are closed.
     
    On Monday we featured a review that Comicfan did on the story "Burden of Secrets" by Cia. "Burden of Secrets" is one of the many stories that can be found in the premium section. If you want more information on either this wonderful story or on the cost of a Premium membership, make sure to visit the Monday blog! Also, I'm always looking for new reviews of the blog. If you've read a story that you'd like to see featured in the blog, send me a PM!
     
    Many seemed to love the Wacky Wednesday post, in which some of GA's Promising Author's shared some of their best compliments and harshest criticisms. Not only that, but they shared how each of these affected them. This was only Part I of the Best/Worst blog post, with Part II featuring our Signature Author's scheduled for March 19th. Curious as to how some of the Promising Authors handle the criticism's they receive? Check out the blog post and see their answers for yourself.
     
    We had a couple extra blog posts this week, the first of which happened on Thursday. For those who hadn't already realized it, Rob Colton became a Signature Author at GA! If you haven't already done so, stop by the blog entry and congratulate Rob on his promotion!!!
     
    Friday ended the week with two new prompts supplied by the prompt guru, Comicfan. This weeks prompt choices include a list of words and one with the tag "dinner party". Check them out and share your prompt response in the prompt forum. You never know, yours might be the featured response next week, just like Fleeting Rainbow's prompt was for this week!
     
    We had another special blog entry on Saturday. For those who don't know, we have a great Beta/Editing program on Gay Authors headed by Louis (LJH) and Jo Ann (Joann414). They are looking for more editors willing to help authors out. If your interesting in joining the program as an editor, check out the blog entry to see what they're looking for and how to join!
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    2014 Spring Anthology: Nature's Wrath - Due Mar 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is March 5th* 2014 Poetry Anthology: A Storm is Coming - Due April 15th 2014 Summer Anthology: The Backup Plan - Due June 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is June 5th*

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    Boy Called Slave by Nephylim
     
    Do Over by dkstories Book 1 of Do Over Series *reposting*
     
    By our Signature Authors this week:
     
    Timber Pack Chronicles by Rob Colton, Book 1 of Timber Pack Chronicles
     
    Married to the Enemy by Cia
     
    A prompt a week by comicfan
     
    0300 Book 3 by David McLeod
     
    Let the Music Play by C James
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour Book 13 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 8 by Comicality Book 8 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase
     
    Purpose - A New Beginning by Andrew_Q_Gordon
     
    Standing In Shadows by Krista
     
    Thwarted by Renee Stevens
     
    Lost Inside by Cia Book 2 of Carthera Tales
     
    Jessie-101: Online Celebrity by Comicality
     
    Noah's New Plan by Rob Colton
     
    Flash Fiction - Second Shot - The Senior Year by Andrew_Q_Gordon
     
    Prometheus Wakens by David McLeod
     
    Last Christmas by comicfan
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    Prompting In The Dark by K.C.
     

    The Shunning by JMH
     
    Broken Prince and Mismatched Eyes by layla
     
    Lay Your Prompts On Me by Sasha Distan Book 2 of GA Prompts
     

    Drunk Last Night by Sasha Distan Book 5 of American Songbook
     
    MUSH! by Sasha Distan
     
    Guitars 2 by layla
     
    Born Wolf by Sasha Distan
     
    So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings
     
    The Crown Affair by Andy78 (formerly known as Andy021278)
     
    Veil of Shadow by Stellar Book 2 of unnamed
     
    Remember.... Read, Write... and REVIEW!!!!!
  6. Renee Stevens
    Hope everyone has had a wonderful week so far! Did you get your votes in for the 2013 Readers Choice Awards? If not, you are almost out of time, so get your votes in before time runs out!!! What better way to end the week than with two new prompts from our prompt guru, Comicfan. Don't forget to share your responses in the prompt forum! Enjoy!
     
    Prompt 304 – Creative
    Tag – The Dinner Party
    Your loving partner called five minutes ago to announce that your quite evening together has suddenly become a dinner party of six. The simple salad and two chicken cutlets you had been planning to make won’t be enough for six guests that will be there in less than hour. Checking the freezer you find some shrimp, a piece of frozen cod, and three small cuts of steak. What do you do to create the perfect dinner party that your partner has told his guests you do all the time?
     
    Prompt 305 – List of Words
    Use the following words in a story – a gold crown, a broken cane, a sexy calendar, a new book, and a falcon.
     
    It was tough to decide which prompt response to feature from last week, there were so many good ones. In the end, I decided on a response to Prompt #303, from Fleeting Rainbows, enjoy:
     

    To read the rest of this response, click here. To read the rest of the responses to this prompt, visit the thread!
     
    Don't forget, Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  7. Renee Stevens
    Many authors have had reviews in which they're just not sure how to respond. We've had reviews that tell us how much a reader has loved our stories and how they just can't wait for the next chapter or story to come out, but there's the other side that as an author we're not always sure how to handle. The purpose of this blog is to show how some of our promoted authors have dealt with some of their worst criticisms.
     
    There was so much interest from our Promising and Signature Authors that I had to break the blog post up into two parts. Today, in Part I, I'm focusing on Promising Authors. On March 19th, I'll post Part II and you'll get to hear from the Signature Authors here at Gay Authors. Each author has picked what they felt was both one of their best compliments and their worst/harshest criticism. I hope you enjoy this look into how other authors handle some of their harsher criticisms.
     
    Promising Author: Andy78; author of The Crown Affair


    Well, not really much of a struggle to find my worst criticism. It was from my creative writing lecturer. She said:  
     
     

    Although the story fulfils the provided brief, I find it an implausible plot, set in yet another homophobic school. What makes the plot even more implausible, is that it contains the obligatory and clichéd teen who accepts and befriends the gay character. Although the story has no issues concerning grammar or punctuation, the repetitive feel to previous stories means this is definitely not your best piece of work.  
     
     

    How was I affected by it:  
     
     

    To say I was irked is an understatement. The brief was “write a 2000-3000 word story on a bullied teen”, and this was only the third short I had “set in yet another homophobic school” out of probably twenty shorts over two years. I wasn’t the only person in the class who had gone down “the gay teen” route, but what had annoyed me was that she had based her comments on the fact that I had previously written gay-themed stories and not considered the story on its own merits.  
     
     

    I felt that her criticism was unjust, but hey, it was after all only one person’s opinion on one 2500 word story. It took a lot, but I finally managed to shrug it off  
     
     

    Finding my best compliment has been so much harder. I’ve had so many wonderful reviews and some great feedback from readers here at GA, and offsite. But I guess one of my favourites, one that probably meant the most to me, was a review left by Nephylim of The Ddraig-Cyfinachau (which I really must get back to writing):  
     
     

    (Chapter 7 Review) – posted by Nephylim June 12, 2012  
     
     

    The Cailleach is my favourite goddess. She who tears down so that new growth may sprout up. Not as violent at the Mhorrigan, more natural... which, after all death is.  
     
     

    Can the deaths be justified? In a way, I suppose it depends on how you view death. Many Celtic deities/demi gods can be considered to be violent and immoral but it depends on your own particular moral code and what you justify to yourself. I have no problem with accepting the deaths were necessary. Cruel, yes but necessary in the progression of the story and the myth,  
     
     

    How was I affected by it:  
     
     

    This was a review of a particularly gruesome chapter, and to be honest about the only review/comment/feedback that didn’t make me think I’d made a horrible mistake with the way the chapter played out. There was a lot of emotional response from the chapter, mostly sent to me by PM, and I’m sure I lost a number of readers because of it. Although I have had some great reviews in my time here, they have been primarily from widely liked stories, this was one of only a couple of positive reviews I received for the chapter, which told me that I must have done something right.  
     
     

    The very lopsided feedback I had from this chapter made me realise that the saying is true: You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time. However, Nephylim’s review gave me the confidence to write my story my way.  

    Promising Author: Andr0gene; author of Colorado Game
     
     
     
     
     



    Best Compliment:  
    Not sure if it is a compliment, but they always want more. I guess that is the best compliment one can get.
     
    Worst Criticism:
     
    There are three 'critisisms' that I agree with, and would love to correct at some point in time:
     
    1) The cop out with the father being ill, and the main character leaving without a word since. Too easy.
    2) People hating Mark for being too trusting with Kyle, not realizing he was being played by Kyle. That didn't come out right, and I'd love to fix it.
    3) Spelling. Writing in another language is not a good excuse to use. Good editors would fix that. Having said that, I would not dream of dissing my old editor's efforts (Bill) for even a smidge. All I can do is expand on what he has done for me.
     

    Promising Author: K.C.; author of Pour Me Another
     
     
     
     
     



    Ever since I started putting my writing out there for the world to see, I’ve gotten an overwhelming number of reviews both good and bad over the last few years. When readers connect with my stories, when they enjoy something I’ve created, it gives me encouragement and it makes me want to work harder to bring them the best story I can.  
     
     

    Unfortunately, negative review can sometimes do the opposite. It’s hard to keep your chin up and take the blows when someone hates a story I’ve worked so hard to create. I try to stay objective and tell myself that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but honestly, it hurts!  
     
     

    At one point, while working on "Shepherd's Crook" a reader publically announced that people should never read this story. The reader said to stay clear of it or they will have to adjust their depression medication. I was very taken aback by this.  
     
     

    The reader went on to say that I thrived on pain and use nuclear energy to fill the world with bombs.  
     
     

    In that moment, I contemplated giving up writing. I sat and stared at the screen.  
     
     

    Dazed...Speechless…Wondering…  
     
     

    Then I pulled out the journal I use to write all my story ideas. I read over the plots of what I've written in the past and new projects I had for the future. If I only write happy stories, where the world is full of rainbows, fluffy clouds and butterflies, my creative side will die! Life isn’t perfect, it isn’t sugarcoated, and it sure as hell isn’t easy. Nobody is guaranteed a happily-ever-after! Life is messy and complex and a mix of triumph and pain.  
     
     

    My goal is create something great, something amazing, something that leaves readers breathless, hanging on each word, begging for more…anything less isn’t worth writing.  

    Promising Author: Mann Ramblings; author of So Little Magic Left
     
     
     
     
     


    Best Compliment:  
     
     

    I have two really, both from The Luxorian Fugitive. The first was a review after a chapter where all hell had broken loose and the fate of the main characters was seriously in question:  
     
     

    "Oh. My. God."  
     
     

    The other was by the same reviewer after a particularly steamy scene in a shower:  
     
     

    "You tred the fine line of raunchy so well, lol!"  
     
     

    I'm very proud of both and can't choose which one I prefer.  
     
     

    Worst Criticism:  
     
     

    This was more "Harshest" rather than "Worst." After a particularly violent scene in Little Man I braced for unhappy reactions.  
     
     

    "How does this violent physical assault and rape advance the plot? It just strikes me that the drama and its related tesion were already quite high. Now this. I don't get it."  
     
     

    I sat back, took a deep breath and responded as politely as I knew how. The story wasn't complete and I hoped the remaining chapters made the scene valid even if the content may have been controversial.  

    Promising Author: Sasha Distan; author of Born Wolf
     
     
     
     
     



    Best Compliment:
    Wow! After the last chapter, I figured out that each would have to submit to the other in different form for their relationship to work, but OMG!
    The werewolf culture you have created is fascinating, and the complex relationship you are developing between the boys provides some of the most drawn-out, hottest foreplay in history!
    I feel like a wolf, panting with my tongue hanging out, waiting for the next chapter!
    Kudos!  
     
     

    Worst Criticism
    This sucks. I like your story about the bear and the boy, so I decided to read this. It's terrible! You have a "dominant" and big male get raped and not anally raped (not that would have made it better), and is crying and throwing up like a female dog. Women who have actually gotten raped don't act as weak and pathetic as this guy. I can't get over how pathetic you've made him. You should just take the story down and try again.

    Reaction: As awful as finding out that somebody out there thinks that what you've written isn't worth the binary it's stored in (please forgive my bad-geek paraphrasing), to me, it's still better than no feedback at all. This particular piece of vitriol did not make me question the worth of what i had done. It is one person's opinion. However, our best feedback comes from complaints, and it's important to listen - if this idea had been repeated, then i would have worried.
    You should never give up because one person doesn't like what you've done, because for each bit of bad feedback, there's always something nice to say. When I get negative feedback (and this bit in particular) I generally storm up and down the house (shouting) until my husband gets me to calm down from the stressed and sweary mess I have gotten myself into. Then I go back to the keyboard and try to prove everybody else wrong.  

    Don't forget to check back on March 19th for Part II!!!!
  8. Renee Stevens

    Featured Story: Burden Of Secrets

    By Renee Stevens,


    Featured Stories
    Every once in a while we like to highlight a story that can be found in the Premium section of Gay Authors. For today's review, Comicfan has provided us with a review of "Burden of Secrets" by Signature Author: Cia. Burden of Secrets is one of thirty-two stories that can be found in the Premium section of Gay Authors.
     
    While the majority of content remains free, the Premium section is a thank you to those who help support and keep Gay Authors going. Premium subscriptions also make improvements possible, including the unique GA Stories software and it's upcoming update. If you're looking to purchase premium, you can purchase one of four time frames. The longer time you purchase, the more you save. The current premium pricing structure is:
     
    1 Month Subscription: $8.10
    3 Month Subscription: $24.00
    6 Month Subscription: $47.00
    12 Month Subscription: $93.00
     
    To purchase premium, visit the premium section in the Gay Authors store. Now, let's see what Comicfan had to say about Burden of Secrets!



    Burden of Secrets


    by



    Cia


     
    Reviewer: Comicfan
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 25,443
     
    Sometimes you forget that Cia is more than the Site Administrator. Usually you meet her when she goes over your story, or has to deal with some issue that is happening on the site. However, she is also an author with a large body of work behind her. Needing something new to read while running around lately, I sort of stumbled onto her story Burden of Secrets.
     
    The story opens in the middle of fight between Chris and his girlfriend Julie at the restaurant they both work at. Within a very short period it is obvious that Chris and Julie aren’t in a solid relationship. Julie is a waitress, while Chris is a pastry chef who is interning at his family’s restaurant. Julie could care less who hears their fight, but Chris is more focused on the boiling sugar he has been working on for his latest dessert. When matters come to a boil and Julie tosses a plate at him, the story really gets going. In dodging the plate, Chris moves quickly and splashes boiling sugar all over the new busboy, Niel.
     
    The accident forces the two men to truly notice the other. Unfortunately both men have secrets that they aren’t sure how to explain to the other. Their attraction grows and while they both do overcome their own insecurities it is their secrets that might just end up destroying their love affair before it is realized. Can they be honest with each other or will this be another failed love? You will have to read Cia’s story to find the answer out for yourself.
     
    Another fully realized world is created in this short work of love, trust, and honor. Cia weaves a number of threads throughout this work and has to be read to be fully appreciated.
  9. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    I can't believe the week is already over! Don't forget to get your votes in for the 2013 Gay Authors Readers Choice Awards. To find out more on how to vote, make sure to visit the thread. February 22, 2014 is the last day to vote, so make sure to get your votes in before then!
     
    Also, you may have noticed a change in some of the Author Groups here at Gay Authors. Want to check out the new names and what the new names stand for? Check out the thread in the Gay Authors Announcement Forum!
     
    This week was Signature Author week in the Gay Authors News Blog. We started out the week with a review that Cia did on Altimexis' story "Love In A Chair." Cia freely admits that the review contains a few spoilers, so you can either go read the review first or you can go straight to the story!
     
    To continue with Signature Week, I asked Altimexis some questions about "Love In A Chair". It was a great interview and was really informative as Altimexis gave some great answers that I'm sure other readers of his story had as well. Check it out and maybe a question that you had was answered as well!
     
    Once again, Friday was our designated Prompt Day! We had two new prompts and featured a prompt response by Jamessavik. This weeks prompts included a first line prompt and a creative prompt with the tag "trip to space". It will be interesting, as always, to see what the members of GA can come up with!
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    2014 Spring Anthology: Nature's Wrath - Due Mar 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is March 5th* 2014 Summer Anthology: The Backup Plan - Due June 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is June 5th*

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    Boy Called Slave by Nephylim
     
    Do Over by dkstories Book 1 of Do Over Series *reposting*
     
    By our Signature Authors this week:
     
    A prompt a week by comicfan
     
    Let the Music Play by C James
     
    Timber Pack Chronicles by Rob Colton, Book 1 of Timber Pack Chronicles
     
    The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 8 by Comicality Book 8 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour Book 13 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    Geeks by CassieQ
     
    0300 Book 3 by David McLeod
     
    Lost Inside by Cia Book 2 of Carthera Tales
     
    Thwarted by Renee Stevens
     
    Flash Fiction - Second Shot - The Senior Year by Andrew_Q_Gordon
     
    Brushfire by Adam Phillips
     
    "Waiting Outside The Lines" by Comicality
     
    Last Christmas by comicfan
     
    GA Writing Prompts by Dolores Esteban
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    Lay Your Prompts On Me by Sasha Distan
     
    The Road to the Future by JMH Book 4 of The Centurion Cycle
     
    A Child's Life by andy021278
     
    What's in a Prompt by andy021278 Book 3 of GA Prompt Stories
     
    MUSH! by Sasha Distan
     
    Prompt Ramblings by Mann Ramblings
     
    Born Wolf by Sasha Distan
     
    So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings
     
    Remember.... Read, Write... and REVIEW!!!!!
  10. Renee Stevens
    I hope everyone had a great week and is looking forward to the weekend. Being as it's Friday again, Comicfan has once again provided us with two new prompts to help you kickstart your weekend off write. Hopefully one of these prompts will call out to you. Don't forget to share your prompt, or the link, in the Prompt Forum.
     
    Prompt 302 – Creative
    Tag – Trip to Space
    You have been chosen to take part in one of the deep space missions to Mars. This mission is only possible by sending people up with their mates knowing they will be spending the next twenty years in deep space there and back with this person. Your are arrive at the training station in three months, giving you time to pack up and say your goodbyes to friends and family. There is only one problem for you though, what is it?
     
    Prompt 303 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    “How did you get into my room?”
     
    There were so many responses to last weeks prompts, it was a hard choice to make. I decided to go with the first taker, which got a lot of response in the forum. Enjoy Jamessavik's take on Prompt #300:
     

    To read the rest of Jamessavik's response as well as the rest of the response to Prompt #300, visit the thread!
     
    We also had quite a few takers on Prompt #301, so check out that thread too!
     
    As always... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  11. Renee Stevens
    I hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far! On Monday we had a review of "Love In A Chair" by our Signature Author: Altimexis as a part of "Signature Week" here in a the Gay Authors News Blog. "Love In A Chair" was chosen for the February Background, if you haven't already downloaded your copy of the background, you can still do so by visiting the blog entry. To continue the "Signature Week" I sent Altimexis a few questions about "Love In A Chair" and he was kind enough to answer them for me! I hope you enjoy his answers as much as I did!


    Interview with Altimexis


     

    What made you originally decide to write “Love in a Chair”?  

    As I suspect is the case for many if not most readers, my first introduction to gay-themed literature was the Nifty Archive. Of course I found the quality of the writing to range from abysmal at the worst to mediocre at best, with a few exceptions. In my reading, I came across a handful of stories that included characters with physical disabilities and although some of them were actually well-written, by and large they all portrayed those characters as helpless. I recall quite well that one story in particular had a gay paraplegic kid in the story who seemingly was incapable of propelling his own wheelchair! He had to be pushed everywhere by the other kids in the story. Yet he had perfectly functioning sexual organs. It was sickening.  

    I grew up with an autistic brother and my best friend in college had a congenital defect that confined him to a wheelchair, and when it came to choosing a career, I chose one that involved working with people with disabilities. Seeing stories on Nifty that portrayed gay kids with disabilities as being helpless made my blood boil, and so I decided to do something about it. I'd always enjoyed writing and so I decided to write a full-length story about a kid with an acquired spinal cord injury.  

    In reading through your forum, it was made clear to me that you wanted this story to be as realistic as possible, did you find it hard to write at times?  

    Actually, writing about a character with a disability was the easy part! I have been writing professionally about people with physical disabilities for decades. I teach medical students and residents about many of the things that were in the story - things such as how to manage bowel and bladder function, and alternative means of achieving sexual satisfaction. These are the sort of things that are never brought up in a clinical setting, yet these are the things that bring the most distress to people with disabilities, even more than the loss of the ability to walk. I wanted to convey all of this in my story, yet make it uplifting in the end.  

    Is there anything about “Love In A Chair” that you now wish you had done differently?  

    Oh God yes! LiaC was my first stab at writing since I was a kid, and my first full-length novel. I almost can't stand reading it now - it's just so sappy. I'm probably my harshest critic, but I definitely could have made the characters more realistic, given their love more time to develop and given them much more depth.  

    You seemed to have gotten a lot of feedback while writing your story, did you change anything you had planned for the story based on the feedback you received?  

    I know there are some authors who write a story and don't even read the feedback they get while writing the story. Quite a few authors won't change anything in the story, even when a reader points out an inconsistency or an outright error. I have never seen a story as a static art form that must remain as originally written, no matter what. When I posted the first chapter on Nifty, I had no editors and I did my own proofreading. That very quickly changed. I started getting feedback right away and I even went back and revised some of what I'd already written.  

    My original outline for LiaC did not include the accident scene investigation, nor time spent in jail. One of the people providing feedback, however, was a lawyer and his insights very quickly made me realize that these things were needed to make the story more realistic. There were other additions too.  

    What was the easiest part of writing your story? The hardest part?  

    The easiest part was writing about the clinical aspects of living with a spinal cord injury. As already stated, I do that for a living. The hardest part was writing about a serious suicide attempt. Most people with major disabilities think about it, and some think about it often, but very few actually carry it out. A few years before I wrote LiaC, however, I was approached by a man who'd been a quadriplegic for more than thirty years and wished to be taken off his ventilator. In the end he got his wish and I was with him when he passed away. I still have nightmares about it to this day.  

    How did you feel when you finally finished writing “Love In A Chair”?  

    I felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment. I'd never attempted to write a novel before and would have never thought I could do it before. LiaC gave me the courage to continue writing, and I've now written several novels and novellas, and more are on the way.  

    Unless I am mistaken, you posted “Love In A Chair” as you were writing it, did you wish you had waited until it was finished to start posting it?  

    LiaC was a special case. It was my first attempt at writing a novel and I wanted to get it right. There is nothing I hate more than an abandoned story, however, and so I adopted a paradigm I still follow to this day - I will not begin posting a story until the first draft is done. That doesn't mean I won't make revisions as I receive feedback, however, and I will always correct outright errors, even after they have been published. With LiaC, however, there were major revisions along the way. Nothing I've written since has undergone such significant revision once I started posting.  

    Is there anything else you’d like to share with your readers about your experience while writing “Love in a Chair”?  

    I want to thank my readers for their support and for their invaluable feedback. I also want to thank them for putting up with all the over-the-top sappiness in LiaC - it was my first serious attempt at writing and it shows. Still, I think it is a good story and it is by far the most accurate portrayal of a gay teen with a disability that I am aware of. I hope my readers enjoy it, and ask them to check out some of my more recent stories at GA.
  12. Renee Stevens

    Featured Story: Love In A Chair

    By Renee Stevens,


    Featured Stories
    I hope everyone had a great weekend! It's the start of a new week and that means it's time for a new story to be featured in the GA News Blog. This week we're featuring the story that Cia picked for the February Hosted Background. If you haven't already downloaded your background, it's not too late. You have the choice of one with or without a calendar. You can visit the Hosted Background blog entry and get yours now!
     
    Now, time for Cia's review of Love In A Chair! Enjoy!



    Love in a Chair


    By Altimexis


    Length: 147,154
    Status: Complete
    Reviewer: Cia
     
    *Spoiler Alert* I give a broad outline of the plot in this, so if you really want to read it without knowing… stop reading my review and use the link to go read the story already! LOL
     
    I thought, for February’s Hosted feature, I would share a love story. Now, a lot of stories here have a romance. But this was not only an author’s first story, it was a story about first love in a coming of age/coming out story. Most of us have memories of our first loves—and for those who don’t, it’s coming—and treasure them. The age varies, of course, but many of us were teens.
     
    Teenager hormones flare wildly and often seesaw girls and guys into extreme behavior. That’s especially true when it comes to attraction, lust, and love. A lot of people don’t think teens can fall in love, but I do. I met my husband sixteen years ago, when I was just a few months after the older of the main characters was in this story. I could relate, in a way, to the story and so I decided to feature Love in a Chair.
     
    Some aspects of the story were spectacularly told. The ups and downs and accompanying drama definitely fit the teen characters. Aaron and Brian, while young, knew how they felt about each other. They both grapple with their sexuality and what it means to be a gay teen when not everyone is willing to accept differences. Kids can definitely be cruel, and it wasn’t easy.
     
    Of course a large part of the conflict in the story comes from an accident. Brian and Aaron panic when they think their relationship is going to be exposed, and a series of unexpected events leads to tragedy. Aaron faces persecution from Brian’s parents after a car accident where he was driving illegally leaves Brian paralyzed. He also faces prosecution from a botched investigation by a biased and bigoted sheriff’s office.
     
    Meanwhile, Brian is facing a life completely different from what he ever expected. Physically and emotionally he has to adjust to his new reality, harsh as it is. It leads to good things for both teens and then it all goes bad… anger, depression, attempted suicide, a near death experience all lead up to a dramatic climax.
     
    So, that’s the plot. As for the writing… well, this just goes to show how much a person can improve. I can’t speak to the sex scenes, since I skipped those due to personal preference, but the overall writing was rough. Not enough to prevent enjoyment of a story, but not nearly close to Altimexis’ current writing ability. While I believe that teenagers can fall in love, and stay in love through those years into adulthood, it’s not easy.
     
    It takes a lot of maturity, in fact. However, sometimes Brian and Adam’s dialogue was far too mature for their years. It felt unrealistic at times.
     
    What I loved about this story? The research and realism of the technical aspects of the plot elements. I’ve worked with quad and paraplegics. The medical information was spot on and the difficult, and often messy, aspects of learning to deal with/live with/care for someone with a disability like Brian’s wasn’t downplayed and glossed over. That impressed me because all too often people use the disability trope in a story and handle it poorly.
     
    Overall, I give Love in a Chair a 3.5 out of 5 stars. The amount of sex was a bit much for me, even for teenage characters, but if you don’t mind minor rough writing and like a long, complex teen story about coming out and coming of age with some serious bumps along the way, you should check out this story!
  13. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    So, a few things happening this week around Gay Authors. For those who haven't noticed, voting has opened for the 2013 Gay Authors Readers Choice Awards. To find out more on how to vote, make sure to visit the thread. February 22, 2014 is the last day to vote, so make sure to get your votes in before then!
     
    Also, you may have gone to post in a forum only to notice that it wasn't where you're used to it being. The administration team has been consolidating some of the forums to give the site a cleaner look. If you want to know more, you can read Myr's announcement in the Gay Authors Announcement Forum.
     
    Wednesday, Dark was back with the 13th installment of Ask An Author! This week there were questions for Andrew Q Gordon, Layla, and Nephylim. As always, there were both some great questions and some great answers. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, but if you haven't read it yet, it's still there, waiting for you to check it out!
     
    Friday's are always popular and are known for the new prompts being released, this week was no exception. Comicfan gave us prompts with the tag of "The Ring" as well as a list of words. We've already had some takers on the prompts for this week but there's always room for more, so don't miss your chance to be featured in next week's Prompt Me feature. This week, we featured a Jo Ann's response to Prompt #299.
     
    Anthology Announcements:
     
    There's only a month left to get your entry in for the Spring Anthology. Don't forget, that March 8th is the deadline for your story to be uploaded into GA Stories. However, all authors need to have their stories to the Anthology Proof Team no later than March 5th to ensure that the team has time to go over them and get them back to you in plenty of time.
     
    Also, in the past I have had authors interested in doing more than one story for the anthologies. After some discussion, is has been decided that authors will now be allowed more than one entry in the anthologies providing the extra entries meet the submission criteria. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me (Renee Stevens).
    2014 Spring Anthology: Nature's Wrath - Due Mar 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is March 5th* 2014 Summer Anthology: The Backup Plan - Due June 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is June 5th*

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    Boy Called Slave by Nephylim
     
    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    Let the Music Play by C James
     
    The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 8 by Comicality Book 8 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase
     
    A prompt a week by comicfan
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour Book 13 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    Standing In Shadows by Krista
     
    Kiss Of An Angel by Comicality
     
    Odyssey by Mark Arbour Book 6 of Bridgemont
     
    0300 Book 3 by David McLeod
     
    Prometheus Wakens by David McLeod
     
    Recovery by Nephylim
     
    Last Christmas by comicfan
     
    By our Sponsored Authors this week:
     
    Timber Pack Chronicles by Rob Colton, Book 1 of Timber Pack Chronicles
     
    Noah's New Plan by Rob Colton
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    Tailgate Hangout by Sasha Distan Book 3 of American Songbook
     
    MUSH! by Sasha Distan
     
    So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings
     
    Born Wolf by Sasha Distan
     
    The Crown Affair by andy021278
     
    Remember.... Read, Write... and REVIEW!!!!!
  14. Renee Stevens
    Who's ready for the weekend to get here? To help you start it out on the right foot, we're bringing you two new prompts from the prompt guru, Comicfan. If you're interested in checking out some of the older prompts that Comicfan has supplied, you can check them out and share your responses in the Prompt Forum! Hopefully one of this weeks prompts will inspire you!
     
    Prompt 300 – Creative
    Tag – The Ring
    You were shopping in mall and came across a little jewelry store. Considering you were there with friends you figured you would wander around even though you had no desire to buy anything. As you were walking down the counter the merchant spotted you and motioned you over to show you something. When you got near he immediately pointed out a ring, saying it would be “perfect for you.” The thing is when you seen it for some reason you really wanted it. What made the ring so “perfect?”
     
    Prompt 301 – Creative
    Tag – List of Words
    Use the following in a story – roses, romantic dinner, an earring, a teddy bear, and a skunk.
     
    We only had a couple of takers on the prompts for last week. Both of them were on Prompt #299. This week, I decided to feature Joann414's response. Enjoy!
     

    To read the rest of Jo Ann's tale and to check out the other prompt response, visit the thread!
     
    As always, Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  15. Renee Stevens

    Wacky Wednesday: Ask An Author #13

    By Renee Stevens,


    Author Interviews
    I've heard countless times how much everyone loves the Ask An Author feature and want to give a big Thank You to Dark for taking the time to contact all the authors and compile these wonderful Wednesday pieces. Don't forget, if you have a question you'd like to "Ask an Author" all you need to do is send Dark a PM!! Hope you enjoy!!!


    Ask an Author #13


     
    Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors!
     
    In AtA #12, we had questions for authors Cia, Riley Jericho, and Thomas Nealy.
     
    In AtA #13, we hear from authors Andrew Q Gordon, Layla, and Nephylim.
     
    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.
     
    Today’s first author is published and Hosted Author Andrew Q Gordon, aka Q. 2011-2013 are proving to be a few momentous years for Andy. First, there’s Lil’ Q; then there’s that fiasco with a creep on Amazon; plus, don’t forget Andy’s website, and the 3 novels that have been published, one co-authored with friend and fellow GA author AnytaSunday. But above all, Andy and Mike celebrate 18 years together in 2013. Congrats, you love birds.


    To Andrew Q Gordon: As writers we covet, and pull from the things we know and see around us. Our characters are formed from stereotypes and enhanced with parts of our memories; places are put together from things we have seen; conversations are repeated from real life; and even whole stories are retold on paper. If you were a character in one of your stories, what would you draw from the most to ensure the character would be most like you?  

    You mean I'm not a character in a book already?  

    To answer this would depend on what type of character. For instance, am I writing about me now? As a teenager? College? Work related? Home? Each of these would result in a different character unless it was autobiographical and that would be boring.  

    But, I think if I had to draw on anything it would be my location. I think that accurate, detailed location make it easier for the writer to 'see' the scene. To me, that is most important. Try describing something you've never seen. So you're making it up whole cloth. That is one of the big difficulties in Sci-fi/Fantasy - these places do not exist so you're forced to make it up. And since the world evolves over time, it makes sense that the scene you 'see' would change and become more vibrant as you 'live' with it longer. So if I were adding myself in as a character, I'd draw up my time in a specific environment in order to make it feel more real and give me more depth to the reader.  
    Our next author is Layla. She’s a Midwestern girl who you don’t want to mess with in a dark alley (she has a black belt in Tae Kwan Do!). Besides taking care of her family, writing, and winning acclaim for her photography and jelly, Layla is also going to school for animation. If you don’t think that’s quite enough yet, Layla made a list for her New Year’s Resolutions, like camping and hiking and hunting and gardening and music and …. And don’t forget to check out Guitars and Crossdressers, a story about figuring out what’s important in life -- and let’s not forget the endearingly flawed characters.


    To Layla: Your characters are so flawed, which I think is brilliant, but do you worry that you make them too unlikable for the reader? What keeps them redeemable?  

    Yes, there are many moments in a story when I do worry about the way that the readers are going to perceive the actions of the characters and if it will turn them away from the story. I guess in the end, I try to think about what motivates the characters to do the things they do and how much growth can come from their flaws and failures in the end. People don’t learn and grow and in a day, and more often than not we heap mistakes on top of mistakes before we find the right path. I kind of look at my stories as journeys that the characters are on, and I think what keeps them redeemable is the changes they exhibit along the way. My characters are going to fall down and they are going to fail many times over the course of a story, and for all of them, I try to show shades of gray. Few characters are going to be completely bad (like Jasper in Angels), and few are going to be completely good, because that just isn’t how real life works. There is a brutal honesty to the pain and follies of the characters, and I think that makes them redeemable too; that the readers can see past the cracks and the flaws to the people the characters could be.  
    Today’s final author has also become published here in 2012-2013. That would be Hosted Author and fallen angel Nephylim. These days she spends a lot of her time publicizing her work and putting herself out there through weekly flash fiction on her website. Lucky for us, she’s also posting her flash fiction here on GA and the first of those was In the Arms of an Angel, a charming story about what might happen if you -- quite accidentally -- run over an angel? Of course it was an accident! Don’t be silly.


    To Nephylim: How do you come up with the titles of your stories? How do you know this is the one?  

    It really varies. i always give the story a name at the beginning, when i open the Word document I'm going to write it in and there is only one story i have ever changed the name of afterwards. That was 'Fallen' which started off as 'Vampire Lightly'. The reason I changed it was because I thought people would be confused by the name, not because I didn't like it. As for how I come by them, the answer is very simple and somewhat boring.\All my stories start with a flash of inspiration, whether initiated by a dream, a TV program a conversation on a train etc, and the name usually comes with it. I very rarely have to think about it.  
    That’s it for now! For more info on these authors, go check out their stories, post in their forums, and/or catch them in chat!
     
    Coming next time: Comicality, dkstories, and Stellar.
     
    Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark).
    Until next time!
    Dark
  16. Renee Stevens
    It's Friday! You know what that means. Yup, that's right, it's time for two new prompts to make themselves known!!! Before I give you the prompts that Comicfan has so graciously provided, I'd like to remind everyone that you only have until February 2nd to get your nominations in for the 2013 Gay Author's Readers Choice Awards! This is your chance to get your favorite stories from 2013 noticed by the rest of the members of Gay Authors. To find out what stories are eligible, how to nominate a story/author, and so much more, visit the thread in The Lounge!
     
    Now, onto the prompts!
     
    Prompt 298 – Creative
    Tag – The Carpet
    When you got the letter from the lawyer asking you to come to the will reading of your Great Great Aunt Matilda, you thought the whole thing had to be a mistake. As far as you knew there was no Aunt Matilda. However, you were convinced to go. While family members you didn’t even know existed got jewels, houses, and cars, you were left an old Arabian Carpet which everyone seemed upset about. In fact, six of your new cousins offered to buy it from you sight unseen. It arrived at your home a week later and you found it really didn’t fit with anything you owned and you seriously considered donating the old thing to good will. That is when the letter arrived telling you that your carpet wasn’t just an ordinary carpet. What makes it so special?
     
    Prompt 299 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    “I’m going to give him a piece of my mind!”
     
    After looking through the various responses to last weeks prompts, I decided to feature the response from the prompt guru himself. I hope you enjoy this short tale from Comicfan, inspired by Prompt #296,
     

    Don't worry, the story doesn't end there, you can read the rest of it here.
     
    There were so many different responses to the two prompts last week, you can check them out by visiting the threads: Prompt #296 & Prompt #297
     
    Have a great weekend everyone! Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  17. Renee Stevens
    I think one of my favorite things about the GA News Blog is when we have the opportunity to get to know the many authors that can be found on the site. Today is one such day as Myiege came to me not to long ago and told me that they had interviewed one of our newest Hosted Authors, CassieQ. Myiege asked if I would be interested in the interview for use in the GA News Blog and I instantly said YES!
     
    Cassie has also agreed to hang out for a "Blog Chat" from 8pm-9pm Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday evening for anyone who has a question they would like to ask. If you can't be around during that time, no worries, you can still participate! Just leave your question in a comment on the blog and Cassie will still answer them! Hope you see lots of comments! Now, lets get to the interview!!!


    Interview with CassieQ


     
    Interviewer: Myiege
     
    Today, it is my pleasure to introduce one of GA's newest Hosted Authors, CassieQ! CassieQ has been with us since February of 2011 and has published 19 stories on GA and has written an impressive 417,060 words! Let's all give a warm welcome! First off, why don’t you tell us an origin story! When did you start writing, writing M/M?
     


    I've been writing ever since I can remember. I was a voracious reader growing up and, frustrated with finishing a book and not having any new material, I would try to continue the book where it left off, experimenting with different styles depending on who I was reading. (My V.C. Andrew's phase is particularly embarrassing). It wasn't until after college that I really started to write steadily and produce completed projects. I also started reading FAKE at the same time and found the online world of M/M romance. I liked reading it so much, that I finally decided to try writing some of my own.  
    What do you regard as the best writing you’ve ever written? Why?
     


    It's hard for someone to judge his or her own work, but I would probably say Save Tonight. It was an important project to me and I remember really struggling with it. Once I finished it, I was really happy with it. After it was posted, I had a lot of feedback from people who said it moved them to tears and that the child in the story really resonated with them as a parent, which was amazing to me. I loved sharing that story with readers.  
    Save Tonight was one of my favorites as well. For those of you readers who haven't read this touching story, it was part of the Summer Premium Anthology and can be found in the Premium Section! Changing gears a little, how long did it take you to finish the Not the Sun Trilogy?
     


    Approximately five years. That being said, I was also working my way through PTA school, moving and starting a new job, so there would be occasional dry spells where I wouldn't work on it at all. I think if I had written it now, where I have a slightly more consistent schedule, it might have taken less time.  
    Speaking of Not the Sun, you had some trouble with plagiarism regarding this story, right? Mind telling us about the experience? What have you learned from it?
     


    The plagiarism of NTS is actually what brought me to GA in the first place. One of the moderators alerted me that a member had plagiarized my work and the work of several others. I remember being so angry that I actually hurt my shoulder after punching a piece of furniture. The moderator offered to remove the stories, but I didn't think that would be fair to the people reading them, so I joined the site soon after. Since then, I've been more aware of how plagiarism works in the online world, and how to be more aware and proactive about protecting myself. KC had a run in with a similar issue and gave some great advice in a previous blog issue as well.  
    Do you have a favorite character?
     


    I like all of my characters (except Keith, he's a creep) but if I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be Brandon from NTS. He was just so much fun to write.  
    Keith was definitely a creep. I don't think I've ever hated a character so strongly! I have noticed that in many of your stories, there always seems to be a prominent female presence. Tell us a bit about why.
     


    Well, it's not as common now as it was when I first started writing, but when I was reading M/M I noticed very little female characters unless they were a conflicting love interest or an enemy or just disappeared once the romance started. I like supporting characters, and I like seeing females in M/M stories outside of a romantic role but still as a valid character.  
    Are you a pants-er or a planner?
     


    Totally a pantser. If I have a large project, I'll have an outline just to make sure I cover everything I need, but if I know every single detail of the story before I start writing, it loses a lot of the fun for me. One of my favorite things about writing is seeing what my characters are g oing to do once I let them loose to wreck some havoc  
    Your current story, Geeks, seems to take a different route than some of your previous stories. It’s definitely more mainstream. Any reason why you decided to take the road…more traveled this time around?
     


    Geeks is the result of a request from my beta way back when I was working on The In Between . He likes more lighthearted fiction, so that is what Geeks turned out to be . I am actually more comfortable with heavy drama and a bit of angst, but this is the first time I've written a large project that doesn't contain too much dark material. That might make it more mainstream, I don't know. I just write the kind of things that I like to read.  
    Are there any ‘up and comers’ you’d like to give a shout out to?
     


    As far as newer writers, I like my interviewer's work quite a lot, and I think Ron, Cole Matthews and totallyy all have good work. But I also like some of the more established writers, like Stellar and Renee Stevens.  
    Aw! Thank you! I quite love your writing too Before we cut this loose, is there any advice you’d like to give to writers just starting out?
     


    I'm horrible at giving advice, but the main thing I would say is to read. Read, read, read, read, read. There is nothing that will help you write more than reading.  
    Thanks for the enlightening interview! Readers, be sure to check out the plethora of stories by GA's own Hosted Author CassieQ!
     

    Thank you Myiege and Cassie for this wonderful interview! Don't forget, Cassie will be available on the blog Wednesday night at 8pm EST to answer questions that you might have. Also, I'm always looking for blog content, so if you want to do an interview, or have an idea for an article for the blog, send me a PM and let me know!
  18. Renee Stevens
    Happy Friday everyone! Hope everyone has had a great week so far. To help you finish off your week and get a great start on your weekend, we have two new prompts from the prompt guru, Comicfan! We'd love to see what you come up with, so don't forget to share your prompt responses in the Prompt Forum, you never know, your response might be shared next week!
     
    Prompt 296 – Creative
    Tag – Photo
    Use the following image to create a story
     

     
    Prompt 297 – Creative
    Tag – List of Words
    Use the following words in a story – garbage can, snake, sports car, cold drink, and an old pipe.
     
    We had takers on both prompts last week. It was tough to decide which prompt to feature, but in the end I decided to feature rachelgebhardt's response to Prompt #295:
     

    To read the rest, plus the other responses to Prompt #295, visit the thread!
     
    Wanna read the responses to Prompt #294? Click here!
     
    That's it for this week! Don't forget... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!
  19. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    I can't believe it's already Sunday. I don't know about everybody else, but this week has just seemed to go by so quickly and it's hard to believe that January is almost over already. Lost happened this week in the Gay Authors News Blog, so lets have a little recap!
     
    On Monday Louis was kind enough to supply us with a review of "No Room In The Lodge" by Joann414. Based on the comments, many other readers also thoroughly enjoyed the story. If you haven't already checked out Louis' review, I suggest you do so. You might just find out that you'd like to add Jo Ann's story on your "To Read" list!
     
    Wednesday provided a bit of a sneak peek into a major feature in the upcoming Stories 2.0. Myr presented us with a look into what will be coming in the form of what is currently being called Story Awards. From the sounds of it, it should really streamline the awards process and will make it easier than ever for readers to nominate their favorite stories. If you haven't read it and are interested in seeing what some of Myr's future plans for Gay Authors are, then I strongly suggest you check out this latest Tech Post!
     
    Friday gave us two new prompts from our resident prompt guru, Comicfan. One of them was a picture prompt and the other consisted of a list of words. We've already had a couple people take up the prompts. Not only can you see what the prompts are, but you can get the links to read their responses, plus you can read the featured response, which was a rachelgephardt's response to Prompt #295.
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    2014 Spring Anthology: Nature's Wrath - Due Mar 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is March 5th* 2014 Summer Anthology: The Backup Plan - Due June 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is June 5th*

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    Boy Called Slave by Nephylim
     
    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    A prompt a week by comicfan
     
    Lost Inside by Cia Book 2 of Carthera Tales
     
    Prometheus Wakens by David McLeod
     
    The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 8 by Comicality Book 8 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase
     
    Thwarted by Renee Stevens
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour Book 13 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    Standing In Shadows by Krista
     
    Recovery by Nephylim
     
    By our Sponsored Authors this week:
     
    Timber Pack Chronicles by Rob Colton, Book 1 of Timber Pack Chronicles
     
    Noah's New Plan by Rob Colton
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    Prompt Ramblings by Mann Ramblings
     
    MUSH! by Sasha Distan
     
    Born Wolf by Sasha Distan
     
    So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings
     
    Note: I have been asked to let everyone know that as part of the CSR Discussion, Totallyy has agreed to do a "Live Q&A" from 9pm - 10pm Eastern Standard Time on Monday. If you are unable to be online during that time, then you can post your questions in a comment on the CSR Discussion Blog.
     
    Also, if you have any questions or concerns about the blog, please feel free to send me a PM and I will do my best to address them. Thanks!
     
    Remember.... Read, Write... and REVIEW!!!!!
  20. Renee Stevens
    It's time to start a new week and you know what that means! It's time to feature a new story. This week we are featuring a story by someone that I'm sure many of you know, Joann414!!! Louis (LJH) absolutely loved her story "No Room in the Lodge" and came to me asking if he could do a review for the blog. Of course, I said YES!!! So here it is, I hope you enjoy it and decide to check out the story yourself!
     




    No Room in the Lodge


    By



    Joann414


     
    Reviewer: LJH (Louis Harris)
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 11,005
     
    Limerence.
     
    It’s not used often in everyday speech, but, man-oh-man, what a magnificent word. It describes the emotional excitement of being in love. And this is what the author excels at in No Room in the Lodge. The story enables the reader to fly without wings to become immersed in a story that unfolds like a beautiful song and at the end, even the angels smile. A Christmas story that can be read at any time of the year, over and over again.
     
    Jeff and Dan Boyd. No two people could be more different. Jeff is a thirty-five and the owner of the lodge. Each winter he hires college kids, kids who need extra income for their spring semester. Dan is perky at twenty-one and he certainly needs the money. Dan has helped out at the lodge before, and has always had his own room.
     
    But, this year is different for one specific reason, he shares quarters with Jeff. At first, he doesn’t like the idea. He wants to be moved, but Jeff won’t let him get off that easily. There has to be an underlying reason. The reason is plain and simple: Dan is gay. But, Jeff knows. He doesn’t take on staff without doing a thorough background check on all the staff. He also knows that Dan is about to come into a lot of money. So why hire him?
     
    What would a story be without a confidant? Brant supplies wood to the lodge and is also Jeff’s friend; Jeff has spoken to him about Dan often in years past. So, here’s where they stand in a secret place, where Brant knows that Jeff is interested in Dan, but Dan has no idea that Jeff is also gay. Brant’s advice to Jeff is simple: "Don't let fear rule your heart."
     
    Here’s what happens when Jeff comes out to young Dan:
     
    Jeff cleared his throat. Gulping down half his drink and ignoring the widening of Dan's eyes at his action, he spat out. "I'm gay."
    "I'd say you were a liar if I couldn't hear the nervous tinkle of the ice against the sides of your glass." Dan reached and took the glass from Jeff, afraid he might spill it on his bed. "Are you ok? Why are you so nervous? It's not like you think I'm homophobic or anything. Remember? I'm gay too." he chuckled, trying to lighten the moment.
     
    Let’s go back to that word, limerence.
     
    The two share their experiences with each other. The thought of Dan with another man hurts Jeff. Terms of endearment; Dan calls Jeff, “old man”, and Jeff calls Dan, “kid”. They get up late in the mornings. Neither is shy about nudity in front of each other. They start to share the bathroom. They joke with each other. Dan knows just how Jeff likes his coffee. Knows his bed time and so on
     
    This is taken from: http://www.lovepanky...sh-or-limerence
     
    Limerence is always assumed to be the same as love, but it is actually very far from it. In love, you want to share the best moments of your life with someone special, but when you’re struck by limerence, all you want is this person’s attention.
    And so it is with Dan and Jeff.
     
    Until a man from Jeff’s past turns up at the lodge.
     
    The story is absolutely believable. The characters are definately not stereotypical. And it's a great departure from boy meets boy stories where the main characters are teenagers. Here, there is the angst of limerence. The knowledge that things could go one way - bad, or the other way - good, for these two characters.
     
    What I admire most about the structure of the plot, is that there are only four speaking roles, but it looks and feels much bigger than that.
     
    Now, all you need to do, is read No Room at the Lodge.
     
    It will inspire, it will bring sadness, and joy.
     
    But above all, it will make you want to find limerence.
     
    Thank you Jo Ann for this beautiful, clever story.
  21. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    It's been another busy week here at Gay Authors! Before I get started with the Weekly Wrap Up, I have a couple of announcements to make.
     
    ANNOUNCEMENT: Myr is looking for volunteers for a User Interface Team. If you are interested in becoming more involved with Gay Authors, then this might be something you would be interested in. It is an open opportunity and could lead to further involvement on other GA teams. If this sounds like something you might be interested in, then please check out the forum thread.
     
    ANNOUNCEMENT: It's time for the Readers Choice Awards! Nominations for the 2013 Readers Choice Awards started on January 12th and will continue until 12:00 AM EST on February 2, 2014. For more information on how to nominate your favorite stories from 2013 and what makes a story eligible, check out the forum thread.
     
    This week was our first Hosted Week here at the GA News Blog. Mann Ramblings provided us a review on "Prophecy" by Hosted Author: Comicfan. Prophecy was one of the many stories from the 2013 Winter Anthology: Recipe For Disaster. This was a great review and one thing that it seemed everyone agreed on was that they wanted more of the story and hoped that Comicfan would decide to eventually continue the story. I did get a chuckle at the end of Mann's review and I'm sure you will too. Want to read the review? Check out Monday's blog entry!
     
    We continued the Hosted Week with an interview with Comicfan on his story Prophecy. I think my favorite answer during the interview was his reply to whether or not he was happy with the way the story turned out or if there were things he'd like to change. Curious as to why that's my favorite answer? I'll give you a hint, it directly correlates to the end of Mann's review from Monday! Check it out and it might just answer some questions you had about the story as well!
     
    Friday saw two new prompts from Comicfan. One was a new "first line" prompt and the other one had the tag of "the devil's deal". Both could provide some interesting stories and I'm curious to see who all will take up the prompts and who will be featured next week. This week, we featured a prompt response by Kitt.
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    2014 Spring Anthology: Nature's Wrath - Due Mar 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is March 5th* 2014 Summer Anthology: The Backup Plan - Due June 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is June 5th*

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    Boy Called Slave by Nephylim
     
    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour Book 13 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    Adverse Effects by Cia Book 2 of Saving Caeorleia
     
    0300 Book 3 by David McLeod
     
    Geeks by CassieQ
     
    A prompt a week by comicfan
     
    Lost Inside by Cia Book 2 of Carthera Tales
     
    Thwarted by Renee Stevens
     
    Odyssey by Mark Arbour Book 6 of Bridgemont
     
    "Waiting Outside The Lines" by Comicality
     
    Prometheus Wakens by David McLeod
     
    Recovery by Nephylim
     
    By our Sponsored Authors this week:
     
    Timber Pack Chronicles by Rob Colton, Book 1 of Timber Pack Chronicles
     
    Noah's New Plan by Rob Colton
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    What's in a Prompt by andy021278 Book 3 of GA Prompt Stories
     
    Born Wolf by Sasha Distan
     
    So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings
     
    Veil of Shadow by Stellar Book 2 of unnamed
     
    Side Note: I'm looking for reviewers for 8 specific stories. I have had one taker so far and have 7 stories left that I would like to have reviewed. If you are interested in reviewing one of these stories, please send me a PM. First come first pick!
     
    Remember.... Read, Write... and REVIEW!!!!!
  22. Renee Stevens
    Hope everyone has had a great week so far. To start your weekend off right, we're bringing you two new prompts supplied by our resident prompt guru, Comicfan. Don't forget to share your prompt responses in the Prompt Forum, you might just find yours being shared next week! Enjoy!
     
    Prompt 294 – Creative
    Tag – The Devil’s Deal
    Things haven’t been going well lately. In fact, things have been sort of a disaster. After another long day at your dead end job, you find a copy of Faust on your bookshelf from a college course you took. You think to yourself you would be willing to make a deal if it meant things would be better. No sooner do you think that when there is a knock at your door. Are you willing to make a deal with the devil and at what cost?
     
    Prompt 295 – Creative
    Tag – First Line
    “I think I finally have the answer.”
     
    It's always interesting to see what stories come from these prompts, and last week, Kitt decided to take on Prompt #292:
     

    Intrigued? You can finish reading Kitt's prompt response HERE!
     
    Curious as to who else chose to participate in the prompts from last week? Only one way to find out! Visit the threads: Prompt #292 and Prompt #293.
     
    As always.... Read, Write... REVIEW!!!
  23. Renee Stevens
    I hope everyone enjoyed Mann Ramblings review on "Prophecy" by Comicfan. Now it's time to continue our "Hosted Week" with an interview with Comicfan on his story "Prophecy". I know that many times we have questions we'd like to ask authors about their story, and I'm no different. Hopefully, some of these are questions that you had as well, and now you'll have your answer! ENJOY!



    Prophecy


    by



    Comicfan


     

    I know that some of your stories are based on fairy tales, is “Prophecy” based on anything and if not, how did you come up with the idea?  

    The story just sort of came to me. I was toying with the idea of what kind of disaster could I come up with. I didn’t want to do something like a fire, but figured what if it was personal. The world of science fiction and fairy tales is one I like to play in, so I picked a popular idea of a child taken from his family and raised by another. It is something you see in authors from Terry Brooks to Joann Rowling. I just put my spin on the idea.  

    How did you come up with the actual prophecy that you included at the end of the story?  

    I wish I could say I wrote it first, but actually it was written so that there would be a sort of conclusion to the story. By giving the prophecy you get an idea of where the characters would eventually arrive.  

    Who is your favorite character and what about that character stands out in your mind?  

    Prophecy had two characters that came to mean a lot to me and for very different reasons. The first was Duncan. Right from the beginning you know he is a man who just wants to relax and forget the rest of the world. However, once Regent comes into his life you see how devoted he is as a father, willing to do anything to make sure his son is going to be safe and happy. The second character is Damian. He sort of made his own way into the story. He wasn’t planned but having a man who was living for twenty something years as a bear just made me chuckle.  

    Is there any special meaning behind the names you used for the characters and if not, how do you come up with the names for your characters?  

    Most of the names are just ones that seem to fit the characters I create. The only name that was done sort of as a joke was Regent. He is the future ruler of part of Fairie.However, his name suggests he is chosen to rule until the actual ruler is old enough to take over. I just liked the twist it gave him.  

    What was your favorite part about writing “Prophecy”?  

    Showing how different types of magic were used. From Marish willing to give her own life in the blood blessing on her son, to Duncan changing his house and creating a crib, to the mistake of Matty turning her brother into a bear. It is just showing how in this world, magic is constantly in use.  

    What was the most challenging part about writing “Prophecy”?  

    Getting Prophecy done at all. The damn idea came to me last minute and I was scrambling to get it done in time. This was literally a last minute entry.  

    What made you choose a bear instead of some other animal?  

    As a child I can remember a television show called Grizzly Adams. The man lived with a bear. So even outside of the idea of the gay male bear, it is something people are use to hearing. I think it would have been stranger if I made Damian into a deer or a beaver. God, could you imagine him as a beaver? Sorry, can’t keep a straight face on that one.  

    Is there anything you wish you could change about the story or are you happy with it as is?  

    Oh I know from those who left comments, many people would be happy if I took Prophecy and made it into a full blown story. However, I am happy with how it came out.  
    Well, that's it for today's Wacky Wednesday! Hope you enjoyed reading what Comicfan had to say about writing "Prophecy" and if you haven't already read it, what are you waiting for!
  24. Renee Stevens

    Featured Story: Prophecy

    By Renee Stevens,


    Featured Stories
    As many who follow the blog already know, Cia started doing a Hosted Background featuring a story by a GA Hosted Author. Every month she will feature a different Author/Story. I had already been trying to figure out some ways to feature Hosted Authors a bit more prominently in the blog and the feedback we received sparked an idea. In addition to the Hosted Background that Cia creates each month, I decided to start doing a "Hosted Week" each and every month, focusing on whichever story was chosen for the Hosted Background.
     
    I briefly thought about doing a separate story/author from that of the Hosted Background, but on second thought, realized that doing the same story would give the Hosted Author who was chosen even better exposure in the GA News Blog. This month's chosen story was Prophecy by Hosted Author: Comicfan. I asked Mann Ramblings if he would do a review for the GA News Blog and he quickly agreed. Without further ado, here's his review of Comicfan's story, Prophecy!



    Prophecy


    by



    Comicfan


     
    Reviewer: Mann Ramblings
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 4,756
     
    Like many people, I waited patiently (or not so impatiently) for the list of stories in December 2013’s Anthology – Recipe for Disaster to go live. I always look forward to the variety of incredible interpretations to the theme and this year was no exception. Hosted Author and Moderator Comicfan’s fantasy short Prophesy was among the list, and as always, he did not fail to meet my expectations.
     
    Without spoiling the plot, the story begins with a scene of supreme sacrifice of a wounded mother that ultimately leads to the formation of a non-traditional yet supportive family for an orphaned child. The boy’s future and what that entails is the basis of the story’s title.
     
    My favorite parts of Prophesy are Comicfan’s handling of characters. From The King’s rage to Duncan’s disgruntled discovery of the package on his doorstep, each member of the cast acts in a way that makes you believe in them. Even the dialogue flows naturally, which is often a victim of fantasy writing when the urge to be overly verbose overtakes the author. I don’t know about you, but for me, bad dialogue is a dealbreaker when reading any form of fiction. The fantasy elements are also handled well without miring the reader in the lack of reality, leaving the plot grounded and well balanced.
     
    The only true flaw I could find in the story (if you want to call it that) was that I simply wanted more. Even though the tale wrapped up cleanly, it could easily be the opening chapter for a grand epic adventure. And who doesn’t want that? I tried to persuade Comicfan to extend Prophesy but he politely refused as the tale was intended to be a one-off. Personally I think he just needs more encouragement. So read Prophesy and judge for yourself. Afterwards, I’m betting you’ll feel like I do and want even more.
     
    Even so, I can’t tell everyone to spam his inbox demanding a sequel because that would be wrong. (So don’t do it)
     
    I would like to point out to the mod staff that admonishing such behavior absolves me of all responsibility if such a mass action were to truly take place.
     

    Hope you enjoyed Mann's review and if you haven't yet checked out the backgrounds that Cia did for Prophecy, you can check them out here. Make sure to come back on Wednesday to see Hosted Week's Wacky Wednesday!
  25. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    What a week it's been at the Gay Authors News Blog! Now it's time for the Weekly Recap!! Enjoy!
     
    We started out the week with the first CSR Book Club Announcement of 2014! The January book club selection is comprised of, if I counted correctly, 13 short stories by Totallyy. You can read any or all, it's entirely up to you. Whatever you decide, don't forget to join in the discussion that will be taking place on January 27th!
     
    Wednesday started out with a bit of a prank by Cia. She then went on to discuss using "fifty cent" words and "nickel words" in writing and how their usage can change the tone of a person's writing. I personally really enjoyed this little article and I hope you did as well!
     
    Stuck on writing? Need a little jumpstart? Check out the two new prompts that Comicfan gave us on Friday. One gives you the chance to write about your horoscope coming true while the other one gives you a list of words to use in your prompt. Also, as always, we featured a past prompt response. Curious? Go check out Friday's Prompt Me!
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    2014 Spring Anthology: Nature's Wrath - Due Mar 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is March 5th* 2014 Summer Anthology: The Backup Plan - Due June 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is June 5th*

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    Boy Called Slave by Nephylim
     
    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    0300 Book 3 by David McLeod
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour Book 13 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    A prompt a week by comicfan
     
    The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 8 by Comicality Book 8 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase
     
    Take Flight by Cia
     
    Prometheus Wakens by David McLeod
     
    Eldaran by Dolores Esteban
     
    Thwarted by Renee Stevens
     
    Refuge by David McLeod
     

    By our Sponsored Authors this week:
     
    Timber Pack Chronicles by Rob Colton, Book 1 of Timber Pack Chronicles
     
    Noah's New Plan by Rob Colton
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    Born Wolf by Sasha Distan
     
    So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings
     
    Side Note: I'm looking for reviewers for 8 specific stories. I have had one taker so far and have 7 stories left that I would like to have reviewed. If you are interested in reviewing one of these stories, please send me a PM. First come first pick!
     
    Remember.... Read, Write... and REVIEW!!!!!
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