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Renee Stevens

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  1. Renee Stevens
    So, I was looking through some of the blog articles that I have and was trying to decide what would be a good choice for Wacky Wednesday. It was a hard choice, to be honest, but then I came across this little gem. Since I don't want to give too much away, I'll just let you see for yourself what I found...


    Story Cost... More or Less



    by Cia


     

    Yes, we're putting a price on stories. No more free fiction.
     
    *snickers*
     
    Are you getting ready to flame me? Okay, okay, we're not going to stop anyone from posting free stories or anything.
     
    However, I did want to share some thoughts I recently had on 'fifty cent' words and their place in fiction. These so called fifty cent words are ones that catch your eye, the big words full of rich meaning in the English language (or whatever the author writes in).
     
    So many times I see a story littered with them with every sentence structured to feature the words that jump out at readers, sometimes even hosting two or three of them! I guess to some that's a good thing. They like to use those fifty cent words, thinking they increase the worth of their story.
     
    For example: "Oh, how spectacular," she exclaimed fervently, enthralled by the landscape when she beheld the vermillion flowers carpeting the verdant meadow.
     
    Now, my writing is all about entertainment. I'm after the picture, not the words, to be memorable for my readers.
     
    I'm not trying to enlighten anyone when I write, I'm trying to entertain. For my style bigger is not better. I made those mistakes at first, throwing out the unusual words with great shades of meaning, but those become annoying and difficult to wade through for the average reader. Sure, there was little confusion for those of us who grew up reading the dictionary for fun, but for the other 99% of readers it isn't nearly as enjoyable. (Yes, self-confessed geek here, lol)
     
    I came to a decision. My goal is to always make the words in a story as invisible as possible. That means using simple phrases and key words everyone knows to create vivid images in the reader's mind. I'm a big fan of 'nickel words' of the fiction world you might call them. I don't want my writing to get in the way of my story, so I streamline visuals and add only the essential descriptions.
     
    Or you could just call me cheap!
     
    For example: "Oh!" Her bright smile lit up her eyes. She gripped his hand as she stared, taking in the ruby red flowers carpeting the lush meadow.
     
    The second example is simpler but very visual and still rich with meaning. I use the word ruby to evoke a vivid red color everyone knows, and since most people already think of meadows as green, I used lush. It works since we usually relate the word to something really rich with gives a visual of a green meadow with a ton of plant life and flowers. I also avoid the speech tag and instead show her reaction with visual cues, so the reader can see how she feels and, therefore, get a better 'picture' than if I tell them she's excited.
     
    Now, I'm not saying using big words is wrong all the time, or that they can't enhance a story. You might have a discussion between two doctors, for example, and they'd logically use more technical words than the average person--depending on the discussion. A story set back in the Victorian era would also be more adaptable to a flowery turn of phrase because that is the expected speech pattern of the time.
     
    But for regular ole entertaining stories, the kind I enjoy presenting to my readers, I think I'll stick to my trusty nickel words!
  2. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    This week both said good-bye to 2013 and welcomed in 2014. I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year. Now let's take a look at what happened this week in the Gay Authors News Blog!
     
    As the last post of 2013 we had the CSR Discussion for Cia's story Bonds Unbroken. I sent Cia a list of interview questions which she answered in depth and posted for the discussion day, but after that, it was up to the readers to share their thoughts on the first story in the Carthera Takeover series. If you want to know why the characters are known as Carthera, or maybe how she chooses the characters animal side, check out the interview. Cia answer's these questions and more!
     
    Wednesday we started the New Year off with a bang by featuring our first Ask An Author of 2014! Dark had some great questions for Cia, Riley Jericho, and Thomas Nealy. These features are always great as they give us insight into the minds of some of the awesome authors here at Gay Authors. Curious as to what the questions were and how the authors replied? You'll have to check it out and don't forget, if you have a question that you'd like to ask your favorite author, Dark will ask for you if you'd like, just send a PM!
     
    Comicfan finished out the week for us with two new prompts, but he added a new twist to them. Not only did he go with a first line prompt of "Here we go again" but he also added a new type of prompt. Curious as to what he's doing differently with the start of a new year? Go check it out, and while you're there, you can see which prompt he chose to feature from Jo Ann.
     
    We actually posted two blogs this Friday, the second one was the start of our monthly Hosted Story Background which featured a story by Comicfan. Want to see which story and maybe get the background or calendar for yourself? You can download it by visiting the blog post!
     
    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 Hosted Authors this week:
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour Book 13 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    Odyssey by Mark Arbour Book 6 of Bridgemont
     
    Geeks by CassieQ
     
    The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 8 by Comicality Book 8 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase
     
    GFD Bloodbank: Nightfall by Comicality Book 3 of Gone From Daylight Spin-offs
     
    Standing In Shadows by Krista
     
    Prometheus Wakens 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:
     
    Direct Confusion by Sasha Distan
     
    Born Wolf by Sasha Distan
     
    So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings
     
    Andy's Shorties by andy021278 Book 2 of GA Prompt Stories
     
    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 serve!
     
    Remember.... Read, Write... and REVIEW!!!!!
  3. Renee Stevens

    Wacky Wednesday: Ask An Author #12

    By Renee Stevens,


    Author Interviews
    **NOTE - Friday's Prompts may be delayed due to weather issues. We hope to have them to you as soon as we can. Thanks for understanding - Trebs


     
     
     


    HAPPY NEW YEAR!


     
    Hope everyone had a safe and wonderful time while saying goodbye to 2013 and welcoming in 2014! There's a lot of exciting things planned here at Gay Authors for the new year and I for one am looking forward to being involved in them. To start the new year off right, I'm happy to bring you the first Ask An Author post of 2014, compiled by Dark! Enjoy!


    Ask an Author #12


     
    Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors!
     
    In AtA #11, we had questions for authors Adam Thomas, Ieshwar, Krista, and MethodWriter.
     
    In AtA #12, we hear from authors Cia, Riley Jericho, and Thomas Nealy.
     
    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 Hosted Author Cia! An amazing cook, redhead, and mother (as well as published author), it’s hard to find something around GA that Cia’s not involved in. She’s a moderator and on the Writer’s Support Team, the team behind the GA Blog, and she runs the CSR Club. Journey on over to Cia's Stories to help support one of our own.


    To Cia: What is your favourite part of writing for GA?  

    Community. Finding the site gave me new friends and a creative outlet I didn't have at a time when I desperately needed both. GA doesn't always have the numbers of reads and reviews I can get elsewhere but this site is, and hopefully always will be, my writing home. I enjoy putting my stories here for other readers to enjoy, no matter how much, or little, feedback I get. This is where I can talk about my writing, other's writing, writing in general, without having to worry that my subject matter might not be acceptable. For the most part, I've always been given support and encouragement and I try to share that. By writing, I'm also giving back and contributing to the site. I like that.  
    Today’s next author is Riley Jericho. This brit joined GA in 2010 and has been working on his opus ever since, the infamous and currently unpublished story, An English Teen, Circumcised in the USA. Originally to be posted elsewhere, there was some argument regarding the story’s title, but Riley stood by his choice, and so he came to be here. Why don’t you check it out? You’ll soon see why this is one of the most favorited stories here on GA.


    To Riley Jericho: What was your inspiration for writing English Teen?  

    Hehe - well I had to grin at that! I wonder if the question - from whatever source it came - actually means 'So, tell us Riley. Are you circumcised?' That aside, ET is about what most fiction comes down to: 'who am I, and where do I fit?' The idea of crossing cultures has always interested me and I wanted to see how an English kid would fare in the States. Above all that, inspiration - if it can be called that - for me comes from personal experiences. To write it well, I have to have been there; my characters live because I literally live, breathe and eat the scene with them. It's rewarding but can be painful at times - honestly, you won't believe how many buckets I wept at the end of 'In Safe Hands'! So, was I ever in Luke Summers shoes? Now that would be telling, wouldn't it!  
    Today’s final author is Thomas Nealy. Although he’s been with GA for a few years, Thomas has taken a break or two in order to deal with real life. He’s also known as the guy who posted a cliffhanger that didn’t answered for months and months! Of course, this is way back when and we know he’s not going to do that again … right? In any case, during his time with us, Thomas has posted two stories, both complete. One is a short Harry Potter fan-fiction, and the other is original. Both are worth a read and we eagerly await the next!


    To Thomas Nealy: What was your inspiration for Lives and Trials of Jupiter?  

    Well to be honest it was a dream. I kept having this reacuring dream every night about a man with an adopted family living in this high tech house, it got to the point that I was thinking about it during the day as well. I knew I was in truble when I started to give names to the people in my head. After weeks of this going on I started to write it all out just to get it out of my head. As the story came along more of my personality started to show it self in alot of the characters as well which made them seems all the more real to me. Personaly I have all ways been a fan of High tech every thing and Mythology as well. So both of those had a part in the world builing. Lives and Trials of Jupiter was my first story I atempted to write out and will probly all ways be my favorit because of that, even if I see alot of issues two years latter.  
    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: Q!, Layla, and Nephylim.
     
    Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark).
  4. Renee Stevens

    2013 Be Gone

    By Renee Stevens,

    I know it’s a little before the new year, but considering recent events, it seems fitting to reflect on the events of the past year. It has been quite a rough year for my family and I will be so glad when 2013 is behind me and I hope for a much better 2014.
     
    There have been major gaps in posting this year and there have seriously been times that I had considered giving up on writing as I wasn’t in the frame of mind where I could compose a story. There have been times where I wanted to go find a cave far away and hide away from the world. There’s been times this year that I’ve seriously wondered what’s the point. A bit over dramatic maybe, but it’s the way I’ve felt as it seems like this year has just been one blow after another. Every time good news came, right on the heels of the good news, was something waiting in the wings.
     
    I posted updates in my blog earlier in the year talking about my brother and his diagnosis of Stage IV Leukemia. It was an extremely scary time as we waited for news after he was first diagnosed with the big C in December of 2012. It was difficult to be so far away from him while he was going through all the tests to determine what needed to be done. It was a relief to receive the news that it was treatable though there was still no guarantee that the treatments would work. Hearing that it was already stage IV was terrifying. That was the first six months of the year though at the end of June we finally got the news we had been waiting on that the cancer was in remission. With that news, we should have been celebrating, and we were, to a point, however, there was more going on.
     
    In the middle of the fear about my brother, I had my own health scare when my blood sugar dropped dangerously low. I passed out and from what the doctors said, I was extremely lucky not to end up in a coma. Had my husband not been home and acted as quickly as he did, that was likely what my outcome would have been. Anything under 40 can send a person into a coma and my levels when the paramedics arrived was 35. Who knows for how long, but luckily it didn’t come to that. I spent the following months feeling like I was under a microscope as my family was constantly checking in on me, watching what I ate, worried if I was taking too long to do something, etc. It was scary, but I was even handling that okay, for the most part. After almost three months of being under intense scrutiny and receiving the great news about my brother, I finally was beginning to feel like I had my life back. Spent the 4th of July at Mt. Rushmore and even spent a few days visiting my brother, something that I had decided I would do much more often. Came home and started to prepare for our big family camping trip.
     
    Just days before we left for camping, the next bad news of the year from hell decided to grace us with its presence. My Grandmother had been diagnosed with Cancer. Problem was, they weren’t 100% sure exactly where it was and were going to do exploratory surgery and remove any cancer tissue they could. Grandma underwent surgery and they assured us that they were sure they had gotten the majority of the cancer tissue and said it was Ovarian Cancer. They said that there were likely some microscopic cells left but that they would be taken care of with Chemo or Radiation, I can’t remember which. However, Grandma wasn’t strong enough to undergo the treatment and it would likely take upwards of three weeks or so before they could begin. By the end of July, Grandma was in a rehabilitation center and was thought to be doing okay. Then suddenly, she started going downhill again. She had an infection and needed another surgery; however, there was only a slight chance that she would make it out of surgery. She elected to have the surgery and she made it through. The infection came back and on August 26th my Grandmother lost her fight.
     
    Just days after the news of Grandma’s cancer, the year from hell dealt me yet another blow. On my birthday, while camping with my family and amidst the worry about Grandma, I had what the doctors are fairly certain was a Partial Complex Seizure. I have a history of seizures, but this one was a new one. In the past it was always Grand Mal or Petit Mal seizures though I had been seizure free for nearly 13 years and had finally began to think I was in the clear. Once again I scared the crap out of my husband and was once again under the watchful eye of my family. I was limited in what I was allowed to do. I couldn’t drive, I couldn’t do certain things unless there was somebody watching me. It’s got old really fast, but I was still here, which was something. I was put back on medications which had the added benefit of helping to prevent my migraines which up until this point had become extremely frequent.
    So, here’s where the year from hell ends, right? Oh, don’t I wish!
     
    On August 16th, just ten days prior to my grandmother passing away, my husband’s grandmother died. She had a few health issues and her death wasn’t entirely unexpected but it was still to the family as we needed to be there for my husband’s dad.
     
    Now to the reason for this blog entry and the reason for my reflections on the past year and why I am calling 2013 the year from hell. The year was finally almost over and I was finally thinking I’d get through the rest of the year without anything else happening, but it wasn’t to be.
     
    Over the past many years, my Grandfather has been in failing health. I have kept this news fairly close to my heart and for the most part have not shared what has been going on with my Grandpa. Grandpa has been on oxygen for years and has had health issues on top of health issues. Not too long ago he had to have surgery for a hernia and they weren’t sure he’d make it out of surgery, but he did. About a month ago, I found out that my Grandma was signing Grandpa up for Hospice care. The news was just one more sign that Grandpa wasn’t doing well and was perhaps getting ready to give up the fight he has fought for many years after having fallen off his horse and hitting his head on a rock. No one knows what happened for sure on the day he was first injured as Grandpa was an experienced horseman and I’d never seen him simply “fall” off a horse. Anyways, I digress.
     
    On December 21st, I received the phone call that I had been dreading. Just 4 days before Christmas my Grandfather, the one who I’d spent my childhood riding horses with, fishing with, shearing sheep with, had passed away. At first I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t cry, I couldn’t do anything. I was frozen. I hung up the phone, stood up, and went upstairs and crawled in bed. I couldn’t even answer my husband when he asked me what was wrong. It was Christmas time, it was supposed to be a happy time. I finally curled up in bed and cried as I told my husband what had happened and he tried to console me. I knew that it was a relief as Grandpa was no longer in pain, but knowing that and actually accepting it were two different things. I’ve spent many days in a haze since hearing the news, and spent I don’t know how much time staring at the present wrapped under the Christmas tree with Grandpa’s name on it. A coffee mug, his gift from me for the past 10+ years and while it may not seem like much, it was a special thing between us. I got him a new one every year and the only mugs he used were the ones I got him, unless they broke. Only then would he use a different one.
     
    I’ve spent hours going over my memories of him. Ice fishing, helping him to break horses (or at least one horse in particular), sitting on the fence while he shoed horses, holding a sheeps head while he sheared them (I’m sure I was more a hindrance than a help). I remember days spent horseback riding up onto the mountain just to have a picnic at what we called “upper camp”. So many things to remember. The funeral was today, well, yesterday by now and hearing some of other people’s stories and seeing my Grandpa for the last time, seeing how much he was loved by so many people. He was 86 when he died, so he lived a long life, but it’s still hard to fathom that he’s no longer here.
     
    Up until now, I’ve kept my Grandfather’s passing fairly private, only a few people that I talk to on a daily basis were told what is going on. I wanted to wait until after the funeral, but now I figured was a good time to say something because of the reasons I will outline below.
     
    I have PM’s from people over the last month or so that I have yet to answer, I will, I promise. I’m not ignoring you or what you have said to me, even if it may seem that way. I have reviews that I haven’t replied to, I will. If I’ve been short with anyone, I apologize as I didn’t mean to, but I’ve had a really hard time focusing. While I have managed to post chapters of Thwarted mostly every week, this week there will be no new chapter, but there should be next week. Please bear with me as my emotions get back on an even keel.
     
    I don’t have any New Years resolutions. Well, I do, but I really don’t care if I achieve them. I only want two things from 2014. No one to die and no more major health issues for anyone in my family, is that so much to ask?
     
    With only 3 days left of 2013, maybe it’s safe to say that the year from hell is over?
  5. Renee Stevens
    So, I'm sure a lot of people noticed that I was asking for reviewers for a special project. Thank you to everyone who responded. With Christmas being this week, I thought it might be neat to take a look at the first ever anthology on Gay Authors. The theme for the 2004 Winter Anthology was "Christmas" which seemed rather fitting considering the season. I asked each reviewer to pick a story from that first anthology and review it for this special review feature. I hope you enjoy reading these seven reviews as much as I did!



    2 Below


    by



    Comicality


    Reviewer: Daithi
    Word Count: 18,279
     

    This story was one of seven done for the first Anthology ever done on GA. The Anthology was titled " Christmas". With a title like that you would figure it would be Christmasy and everything, especially with a title like 2 Below. The story ends around the time of Christmas, it actually started around the end of summer beginning of fall. So not really a Christmas story as expected. But I thought after it ended and I just sat there going over it in my mind; it was a perfect Christmas story. When I think of Christmas i think of snow, innocence, mostly of children, true, but just that pure innocence only ever happens at Christmas. The story starts off with Gordon noticing a new family moving into the neighbourhood just a few houses down from him. Now he knows a boy moved in but he never sees him. So for the first little bit of the story we see Gordon pretty much having a one on one with himself, saying he isn't a stalker but you just know there is a boy in that house and he was going to see him. But he has these conversations with himself. It's not creepy or anything; its actually really cute and just endears you to him.
     
    Then comes the day that he sees the boy and his description of the boy in front of him is so not what you expected and the story takes off from there. Gordon finds out the boys name is Seth and that he is a Sci-fi nut like himself. They meet over a driveway full of snow and it slowly takes off from there. What I like best about this story is the descriptive way that Comicality just sweeps you along for the ride, with just his words you get a full picture of these boys.
     
    Gordon, older, a bit more aggressive, but, odd as it may sound, very sweet and unexpected. Then there is Seth, younger and so very innocent. A couple of ups and downs, missed cues, and a kooky dialogue with Gordon's best friend Johnny just makes this a great and literal boy next door story. It starts off with a boy making it his mission to meet the unseen boy he knows moved into the neighbourhood and finishes with a beautiful endearing intimate scene on the living room floor of Gordon's house while watching sci-fi horror flicks. The last scene makes the whole story. Ties it up with the proverbial red ribbon Christmas bow. It is so supremely done with innocent touches: a hug here, holding hands there, a whoops almost caught by mom in the middle lol. The whole story is like a love scene in itself with a slow build up of sights, touches, and ends in a climax of the story that is just perfect. Comicality admits in the first few sentences that this story was his first ever Christmas story and in my opinion it was one of the best I have read. While it may not be a Christmas story in itself, it embodies all the emotions and innocence that I like to think is Christmas. Most definitely a must read and a reread if its been a while.
     


    A Christmas Story


    by



    Jamie Anderson


    Reviewer: aditus
    Word Count: 1,186
     

    Renee asked me to review one entry of the very first anthology that was ever done on GA, the theme was 'Christmas'. Many authors think of elaborate, meaningful titles for their stories, I was intrigued by the factual and sincere way Jamie named theirs; as well as the story note: One short, trite Christmas story sans sex.
     
    On Christmas Day John sits shivering on a park bench after storming out of the house without taking his coat. He had a fight with his dad, a Regimental Sergeant Major no less. While he thinks about what happened, what words had been said by him and his dad, he has an unusual encounter. Well not so unusual, considering the time of the year.
     
    The story focused on one of the things Christmas, or whatever you celebrate around this time, stands for IMO: Make you feel you belong, no matter what, even if sometimes a little miracle is needed.
     
    I would change the story note: One short, well written Christmas story sans sex.
     


    A Ghost of Halloween Present


    by



    gardentuber


    Reviewer: podiumdavis
    Word Count: 3,132
     

    This story is a thick covered chocolate bar with a warm caramel center, sweet on first taste and even sweeter near the center, as it sucks you in from the word go. The world of Gayle and the words that describe his life after losing the love of his life are so eloquently laid out and visually descriptive to the point that you feel everything that Gayle has gone through. You can tell how much he loved the man of his life, Jim, even years after his passing. With this short story we come to understand just how much Gayle has tried to move on, while struggling with his own health issues. As Halloween approaches, Gayle knows that this will be the closest he’ll ever be in reconnecting with his one and only. But will this come to pass?
     


    Forever December


    by



    Dabeagle


    Reviewer: crazyfish
    Word Count: 6,440
     

    It is my pleasure to review a short story, Forever December, by Debeagle. The title might suggest a doom and gloom tale of winter. At first glance, the backstory opening of the narrator, Rollie, bereft and divorced after the murder of his teenage son, doesn’t seem encouraging. However, the story takes a surprising turn when Rollie steps outside of himself to help a homeless young man, Tyler. The young man has been around the block, and despite his harsh circumstances, his vulnerability is palpable, certainly draws you to feel with him. The interactions between the old Rollie and the young Tyler are immersive and heartfelt.
     
    The themes of sharing, giving, communion, ring throughout the piece. In biting cold winter’s night, the warmth renewal finds a way through cold hearts. Expectedly, no good deed goes unrewarded, but the conclusion is no way predictable. I will leave you to read the rest of story to enjoy its twist ending. Suffice it to say, you will be touched to the core and be blessed for having the opportunity to experience it.
     


    My First True Christmas


    by



    Bill W


    Reviewer: Lisa
    Word Count: 11,250
     

    I love reading stories in the first person. I love reading about the main character’s thoughts and inner ramblings as only he can describe what he’s thinking. So imagine my delight when I clicked on “My First True Christmas” by Bill W. and found that not only is this story about a teenager (my favorite people to read about), but it’s written in said teenager’s point of view!
     
    Tommy is a kid who is spoiled rotten. His parents can certainly afford to spend lots of money on him because number one, they have it, and number two, he’s an only child. In fact, he makes his Christmas list out the day before Thanksgiving! His mother threatens him every year that if she doesn’t have his Christmas wish list in her hand by Thanksgiving, he won’t be getting ANY presents!
     
    As I said, Tommy’s a greedy s.o.b. and this is quite apparent in his Christmas wish list. He starts out small with just some CD’s and DVD’s, but then he gets into large, expensive items most kids could only dream about. I just sat there reading his list with my mouth hanging open! Did I mention this kid is spoiled?
    The funny thing is, his folks don’t act like rich, pretentious people. In fact, every Christmas his dad spends thousands of dollars on needy families. He buys them whatever they need: clothes, school supplies, etc. He does this all anonymously. Tommy’s father has tried to explain to Tommy why he does but Tommy has never understood. Tommy would rather have all the electronics, “toys”, and games for himself.
     
    Tommy’s outlook changes when he and his family are at the mall on Black Friday. He has a chance meeting with Jason, a hungry, disheveled boy his age who simply asks his family for some spare change so he can eat. During a shared meal, Tommy learns about Jason and realizes that not everyone is as privileged as he is. It forces him to take a step back and look at his life and he decides he needs to make a change.
     
    Of course me being the sap that I am, I shed a few tears while reading about Tommy’s “transformation”. Tommy finally learns how to give back like his dad always does every Christmas. Tommy learns a valuable lesson in this story and I am happy to say I don’t think he’ll be a spoiled s.o.b. anymore!
     
     
     


    Nick Cringle


    by



    Myr


    Reviewer: LJH
    Word Count: 5,676
     

    Nicholas Christopher Cringle.
     
    16 years old.
     
    CEO of the biggest manufacturing and delivery service company the world has ever seen.
     
    As a leader, he's good. Very good. As a teenager, he is super mature. And so he must be in order to run the business. He listens. Offers advice. He leads and his colleagues and employees follow diligently.
     
    Then he does something totally unthinkable. He decides to take leave from the company to attend The Basler Academy for Boys and Young Gentlemen in New York. Unheard of. His predecessors never took time off. Against all adversity, he arrives at the school and is met by jealousy in some quarters, and acceptance in other quarters. He is bullied. He fights back. He is loved. He returns that love. He meets Josh, whom he comes to love and respect, and, as thanksgiving approaches, he invites Josh to spend some time with him. However, in order to do this, Josh must be prepared to keep to himself the family secrets. What are these secrets? How will they affect Josh?
     
    The story engaged me in the flow of the scenes. It flows beautifully. It's fulfilling and uplifting with an ending that will surprise every reader. The ending crackles.
     
    At the beginning of the story there is an account of events that brings the reader up to speed. It's handled with great care. Then it stops. Myr deliberately withholds information and only later on drops in what is essential. There are clues all over the place. Many writers make the mistake of writing entire pages of backstory before starting with the action. Not Myr. He knows the craft well. He writes in just the correct amount of backstory.
     
    The dialogue is skillfully written. He does this so that the secrets are not exposed too soon.
     
    Throughout this entire short story, I came to the conclusion that:
    The beginning grabs.
    The middle holds.
    The end satisfies.
     
    Not an easy task. But that is what readers want.
     
    And that is what Myr delivers.
     
     
     


    Taylor's Christmas Present


    by



    miguelsanchez55


    Reviewer: Ron
    Word Count: 7,054
     

    Taylor, not yet a young teen, and his mother move to a new neighborhood two weeks before Christmas. This turns out to be a frustrating attempt to prevent him from dwelling on an accident from two years previous. An accident that cost the life of his friend, Toby and youthful love. It is not hard to imagine the frustration the move creates for Taylor in jumping schools.
     
    A first day at school proves to be interesting for Taylor. His first impression is a taunt from a bigger kid but luck prevails and he meets another young man who offers good advice. He then literally runs into Marvin, the biggest kid in the middle school who becomes a pivotal character in Taylor’s life. It turns out that Marvin has also changed schools but for a very different reason. After a brief altercation with the taunting bully from the beginning of the day, Taylor is saved by Martin. Both boys feel an attraction to the other and decide to get to know one another better over the school holidays.
     
    Is it a match, does Taylor find a new young love? You will need to read this story by Miguel Sanchez to find the answer.
  6. Renee Stevens

    Wacky Wednesday: Interview With Stellar

    By Renee Stevens,


    Author Interviews
    Wow! This year has gone by so fast. This will be the last Wacky Wednesday post I do for this year as we have something different planned for December 25th. Now, I'm not going to give away any spoilers except to say that I'm looking forward to next Wednesday's post! For this week, and the last Wacky Wednesday of 2013, Myiege did an interview with Promising Author: Stellar.
     
    Stellar was promoted back in September and is the author of Hidden Sunlight and Veil of Shadow. Also, Stellar has agreed to do a blog chat here on the GA News Blog to answer those questions that aren't covered in the interview! Stellar will be available Thursday 4pm - 5pm (New Zealand Time) which, IF I figured the time difference right, will be Wednesday 10 pm - 11 pm EST. Unable to participate during that time? No worries! Feel free to leave your question in a comment and it will still be answered.
     
    Now, onto the interview!


    Interview with Stellar


     
    Interviewer: Myiege
     
    First things first! Tell a little about yourself. What made you want to write in the first place?
     
    Well, my bio is included in my author profile so I won't rehash it here. Suffice to say I was a child who spent more time wanting to live in the library and read books in class than pay attention to schoolwork. Also, due to my autistic streak, books let my extremely active imagination explore all kinds of places and did not require any interaction with people. That naturally transitioned into a desire to write as much as read, though that desire wasn't allowed any space to take flight until after I left highschool.
     
    Your recently completed novel, Hidden Sunlight, what inspired you to write it?
     
    A quite unexpected and random idea, which was the initial concept for Shay Andersen's sickness and stasis, and for the character of Mira. There was nothing more to it at that early stage. It didn't come from anywhere in particular, it just arrived as a rather undefined adventurous concept, like a phantom in the night. The only things for certain were that it was going to be a) a love story with two boys, b] science fiction and c) not set on Earth. I wrote the basics of the idea down and then shelved it, at the time.
     
    How long had this idea been floating around before you put it to paper?
     
    I don't remember exactly. Months, I think. The only point of reference I have is Windows telling me I created the Hidden Sunlight folder on my PC in December 2011. It was March 2012 before I posted the first chapter, so that gives you some idea.
     
    What are you currently working on? When can we expect to see it?
     
    I am currently working on the sequel to Hidden Sunlight, which will remain nameless until I add it to GA. Nothing else at this point, because my creative energy is best served when it's directed at one thing and not split into a bunch of projects. Nothing gets done!
     
    Tell us a bit about your writing process. How long does it take to get from conception to page? How long do you think this as of yet nameless project will take before it reaches completion?
     
    The writing process is quite an organic thing for me. It involves various note-taking and brainstorming to straighten out all the details of what I am creating and to build up some kind of a frame before I begin. This is particular to science fiction for me; were I writing another genre I would not be as fastidious about preparation. The average time between chapters can vary wildly, because the substance of some requires actual research into what I am describing so I can be faithful to the imagery I wish to bring to the audience. Also, as the best laid plans sometimes don't work too well in action, the plot might naturally change of its own accord, so that can hold things up while I reorder how I am going to proceed.
     
    I really don't like giving estimates on when anything will be written, because I learned my lesson after the first book. My muse is a whimsical unpredictable thing! If Hidden Sunlight is any indication, it may take around a year to complete, perhaps longer.
     
    Your characters from Hidden Sunlight are very distinctive and well-rounded. How much can you, personally, relate to these characters? How much of Stellar are we seeing when we read about these characters?
     
    Thank you! I treat them as if they were real flesh-and-blood human beings and not just words on a page. Of course it depends character to character, but there is a little bit of my personality in all of them -- including even the villainous ones. Though the most 'powerful' parts of who I am have gone into the protagonists. Any that knew me personally might even be able to pick which parts.
     
    What inspires you?
     
    Inspiration takes many forms. I don't think I can narrow it down very easily.
     
    When you aren’t writing, what are some of your other hobbies?
     
    Gaming (on the PC, consoles don't much interest me.) I have an extensive collection of games that are practically clogging up my HDD, that I have hardly any time to play. I love movies, but between work and writing and gaming these days it seems like I can't find the spare time to go to a cinema.
     
    What advice would you give authors before they delve into the wide world of science fiction for the first time?
     
    Know where you want to go and what you want to do with your story. Know the science your science fiction will need. Research it and integrate it into your fiction as truthfully as you can. Above all, don't forget that you still need human characters (or aliens even, if that's what you're swinging for) with personalities and emotions to drive your story, so make sure they are believable.
     

    Well, that's it for our interview with Stellar! Have a question that you want to know but wasn't answered? Either leave it as a comment or come back and ask Stellar at 10 pm EST! We hope you can join us! Also, if you're interested in interviewing someone for the blog, PM me!
     
    As always... Read, Write, REVIEW!!!!
  7. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Once again it was a busy week here at Gay Authors. A lot of things have been going on behind the scenes as the staff worked to get the Anthology ready to go live, but we made it. The 2013 Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster went live on Thursday. I hope everyone found the stories enjoyable! Now, let's look at what happened in the blog this week!
     
    We started out the week with a review of "So Little Magic Left" by Promising Author: Mann Ramblings. This story is an "In Process" story but is already over 50,000 words with just 11 chapters. If your not already reading it and want to know a little more about the story before deciding whether or not to start reading, check out the review!
     
    Cia took over the blog on Wednesday to give a look into a new idea to help promote the Hosted Authors. She even provided an example of what she's planning to do and asked for feedback from the community. Curious as to what she's planning? Check it out and don't forget to give your thoughts!
     
    We skipped the prompts this week to announce the release of the 2013 Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster on Thursday! Many members have already taken the opportunity to read the stories and leave reviews for the authors of the 12 stories that make up the Winter Anthology. We had quite the variety of stories and I think there is something there for everyone. If you haven't already checked them out, what are you waiting for? Give them a look and don't forget to leave the authors a review!
     
    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:
     
    Recovery by Nephylim
     
    GA Writing Prompts by Dolores Esteban
     
    GFD Bloodbank: Nightfall by Comicality Book 3 of Gone From Daylight Spin-offs
     
    To Thine Own Self Be True by Bill W
     
    Pay the Price by Dolores Esteban
     
    Prophesy by comicfan
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour Book 13 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    Taryn's Song by Comicality Book 1 of Gone From Daylight Spin-offs
     
    The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 8 by Comicality Book 8 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase
     
    Odyssey by Mark Arbour Book 6 of Bridgemont
     
    Prometheus Wakens by David McLeod
     
    Thwarted by Renee Stevens
     
    By our Sponsored Authors this week:
     
    Noah's New Plan by Rob Colton
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    Direct Confusion by Sasha Distan
     
    All Over The Road by Sasha Distan
     
    Ones and Zeros by Mann Ramblings
     
    Great Balls of Fire! by K.C.
     
    Guitars 2 by layla
     
    So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings
     
    Summer Camp by Sasha Distan
     
    On another note, I'm starting to run low on reviews. If you are interested in reviewing, please send me a PM! As always... Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
  8. Renee Stevens
    Have you been looking forward to reading the 2013 Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster? Well, your wait is over! We had 12 authors take on the challenge of writing for the theme. I hope you enjoy and don't forget to leave the authors a review to let them know what you think of their hard work! Now, no more waiting, let's get to the 2013 Winter Anthology! Enjoy!!!


    Thank you Luc Rosen for creating the 2013 Winter Anthology Graphic!



     
     
     


    All Over The Road
    Sasha Distan

     
    Burnt Dreams
    aditus
     
    Defying Gods
    Ieshwar
     
    Great Balls of Fire!
    K.C.
     
    Half Jack
    Thorn Wilde
     
    Invested
    Cole Matthews
     
    Ones and Zeros
    Mann Ramblings
     
    Pay the Price
    Dolores Esteban
     
    Prophesy
    comicfan
     
    Seven to One, to One
    Kitt
     
    To Thine Own Self Be True
    Bill W
     
     
     

    A big Thank You to the members of the Anthology Editing Team


     
     
     


    LJH



    joann414



    Zandra D



    rec



    Kitt



    Thorn Wilde



    Myiege

  9. Renee Stevens
    Okay, so I'm running a little late this morning! I love having the chance to feature stories by our talented authors at GA and today is no exception. Today we're bringing you a review that Comicfan did on "So Little Magic Left" by Promising Author: Mann Ramblings! If you haven't already checked out the story, hopefully by the end of the review you'll have a taste for it and want to go read more! Enjoy!


    So Little Magic Left


    by



    Mann Ramblings


     
    Reviewer: Comicfan
    Status: In Process
    Word Count: 44,593
     
    Everyone has a time when they feel they don’t belong, that they can’t connect, and they would like to see some sort of change come to into their life. In his story, So Little Magic Left, Mann taps into these ideas and runs with them. Not only does he look at the world as it is, but what if no matter where you were, you would find misfits.
     
    From the beginning of the story you are introduced to Shawn, an ex-marine who feels that he doesn’t quite fit into the world around him. He is a large intimating man with a Mohawk who doesn’t want to be part of the normal activities around him. Working in the local LGBT center he has come to the attention of Kenrick Balfour, a very wealthy man. Kenrick wants Shawn and isn’t about to let anything come between him and his conquest.
     
    In an attempt to win over Shawn, Kenrick sets up an attack on the LGBT center. However, things don’t go as expected. Shawn comes upon the scene as three thugs begin to break into the center and finds himself attacked. His life would have ended if not for the introduction of another outcast, Rath. Just what does a half orc/half elf do with an ex-marine that he has made his pet? Just what does Rath’s servant Maertagh explain about Shawn’s new position? (You have to read the bath scene because it is just that good.)
     
    Mann’s story is by no means finished, but it is a wonderful tale combining many themes and fantasy. If you are looking for something a little different, I highly recommend it.
     

    As always, I'm looking for more reviews for the blog. I'm running just a tad bit low. If you're reading a story that you'd like to see featured on one of our Featured Story Monday's, please PM me.
  10. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    To start off the weekly wrap up, please join us in congratulating GA's newest Hosted Author, Dolores Esteban! It's hard to believe it's already December but things have been busy as always.
     
    To start out our week, Cia announced the choice for the last CSR Book Club of 2013! The choice for this month is Bond's Unbroken. Bonds Unbroken is the first story in Cia's "Carthera Takeover" tales which currently consists of three stories. The discussion will take place on December 30th, so you'll have plenty of time to read this just under 38K story! We look forward to hearing from everyone at the discussion!
     
    Wednesday Dark provided us with our ever popular feature Ask An Author! We had some great questions asked to our participants this month, but if you want to know who they were and what their answers were you'll just have to check them out! Don't forget that Dark relies on members to keep this feature going. If you have a question that you'd like him to ask your favorite author, contact him via PM!
     
    Comicfan once again provided us with our weekly dose of prompts! This week you have the choice of two creative prompts. The first one gives you a list of words and the second you have to create a "wonderland". Want to know more? Go check it out and while you're there you can see what past prompt response Comicfan decided to feature!
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    Winter Anthology: DUE TODAY! 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*

    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)
     
    Geeks by CassieQ
     
    Durch Ferne Welten und Zeiten by David McLeod
     
    Odyssey by Mark Arbour Book 6 of Bridgemont
     
    By our Sponsored Authors this week:
     
    Noah's New Plan by Rob Colton
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    Summer Camp by Sasha Distan
     
    Direct Confusion by Sasha Distan
     
    So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings
     

    Make sure to check back on Wednesday to provide feedback on a new promotion project! As always... Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
  11. Renee Stevens

    Wacky Wednesday: Ask An Author #11

    By Renee Stevens,


    Author Interviews
    Ask an Author #11


     
    Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors!
     
    In AtA #10, we had questions for authors Iarwain, James Savik, and Mark92.
     
    In AtA #11, we hear from authors Adam Thomas, Ieshwar, Krista, and forum fiend methodwriter85.
     
    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 Adam Thomas, but he chooses to be known on the site as an Editor first and author second. From the eastern side of the U.S., Adam leads a busy life, but still finds time to follow soccer and politics, and to poke around the forums here on GA. You can check out his gallery for pics of the mountains where he lives, and stop by his story, And the Rain Falls, to leave him some feedback. Let’s help him get unstuck with a little encouragement!


    To Adam Thomas: Are there any specific themes or personality types in your work? What are they? Is this on purpose or something you recognized after you started posting?  

    In most of my wrok i've noticed that I tend to portray a sense of loss. I write a lot of stories around loss because it's something i've experienced a lot of within my life and because of that I try to take the emotions that I go through and portray them in the lives of my characters. I wouldn't say that I do this on purpose, only that it is what is easiest to write. It flows from me much more naturally than other emotions and topics.  
    Today’s next author is Ieshwar. (and btw, that’s an “i” at the beginning -- I wonder how it’s pronounced?) 2013 will mark Ieshwar’s 7th year with GA and in all this time he’s finished high school and gone on to college, traveled to new and exciting places, and learned how to use his gaydar. He has also posted almost two dozen stories and poems across a variety of genres, such as the creepy horror story Hunter and the sweet 2009 anthology story Alkier.


    To Ieshwar: What is your favorite genre and why?  

    As a writer and as a reader, I avoid restricting myself to one genre in particular but many times, I do find myself drawn to the romance genre. I started with romance stories and I still write romance stories. I guess it's because as a closeted gay guy, I get to live the life I would never be able to live in broad daylight through these stories. I can be whoever I want to be, I can be with whoever I want, I can be wherever I want. I live my fantasies, the life I would never have through these stories. Or maybe it's just the toll of the endless romance novels and Bollywood movies I have been through.  
    Today’s final author is Hosted Author Krista. As “the Mean One,” Krista is one of the mods who has helped keep GA running the last few years; however, in 2013, Krista made a New Year’s resolution to write more and officially stepped down from many of her duties. I suppose I’m not the only one who will miss Krista smacking me around a little. With luck, it will all be worth it when she starts churning out more great stories! In truth, that’s not the only reason Krista backed off a bit, as she and her hubby have some new real-life responsibilities. They are learning to be parents with their brand new twins. Congratulations! Alas, there are no pictures yet, so you’ll have to haunt Krista’s blog for updates. Encouragement on the writing front should be directed to Standing in Shadows, where Krista has been keeping us readers dangling for nearly 3 years. C’mon, Krista, quit kissing those babies and write!


    To Krista: Do reviews or readers' comments (or lack of) affect your writing/story or your writing habits?  

    The short answer would be, no. There are constructive critiques of my writing that I will always take into consideration. Some of it has helped me develop and some have been road blocks for me as well. Early on readers' comments and feedback was important to me, they are what fueled me or when lacking, had me questioning the story. In the beginning my writing was more for readers and less for me. Now I do most of my writing for myself when I'm feeling creative. Comments and feedback are always welcomed and appreciated, they just don't affect or hinder my motivation or change my stories from where they seem to be going. Some readers worry about that, whether or not their comments will completely unravel a story or author. A story should never deviate from where the author wants it to go based on what readers are saying. I live by that in my writing now.  
    As a special feature in today’s post, say hello to MethodWriter. If you are active in the forums, chances are you’ve met him before. He’s also from the eastern coast of the U.S. where he enjoys the beach (isn’t it cold up there?). He’s also a big sports fan, as evident by the thread he posted for Funny Sport Reactions. Although not a “writer” per se, MethodWriter is a “manic poster” in the forums. He lurks and he posts and he keeps us all entertained.


    To MethodWriter: So, we know you don't wear the "author" label, nor do you post short stories or novels; however, GA readers have noticed frequent (some say nonstop day and night) posting from you on a variety of topics. Will you tell us about that? For example, how does your real life support your GA life?  

    I've been an internet discussion board junkie since I was about 13, so there's that. I've also been online friends with Mark Arbour since he started writing the CAP Saga, as I became part of his beta reader team. Mark started calling me his "muse", of sorts, and he encouraged me to throw ideas at him to see what might be good enough to use. Things went from there. I have a lot of ideas and interests, and I enjoy sharing them.  
    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: Cia, Riley Jericho, and Thomas Nealy.
     
    Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark).
     
    Until next time!
     
    Dark
  12. Renee Stevens

    Wacky Wednesday: Ask An Author #10

    By Renee Stevens,


    Author Interviews
    Not only is it November and National Novel Writing Month, but it's also the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's time for our monthly edition of Ask An Author, provided to us by Dark! While we do still have a few more editions waiting in the wings for the upcoming months, I have learned that Dark is running low on content and needs YOUR help! Both Dark and the blog staff want to keep the "Ask An Author" feature going, but to do that, we need you to send Dark your questions for your favorite authors! Now, without further ado, lets get to this months "Ask An Author" feature!


    Ask An Author


     
    Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors!
     
    In AtA #9, we had questions for authors DKstories (dkstories), FleetingRainbows, and Layla.
     
    In AtA #10, we hear from authors Mark92, James Savik, and Iarwain.
     
    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 Mark92, aka “Marky.” He’s been on GA since he was 18 and has been cultivating a loving relationship with another GA member for almost that same period of time. He got snapped up quick, boys! Marky’s been self-sufficient for several years on a farm he owns and runs single-handedly in the north of England. Still he finds time to write (and skype his boyfriend). Lately, Mark’s been posting a blog, but you may also want to check out Mark's Poem Archive. This is a wonderful collection of 14 different poems, everything from sweet nothings to the Stuby to prompts to words and images that wouldn’t let go until they were written.


    To Mark92: In the m/m romance genre, there are a lot of stories where one of the characters ends up either falling in love, or having sex with more than one person. Do you think that it is possible to love (and I mean genuinely love) more than one person at a time, or is it merely fiction?  

    There are a mutitude of ways to 'love'. But, genuinly, romantically? For me, there can only be one. I fancy, desire, and fantasise over different people and personalities all the time. Stuby knows about these and I am sure he has his own. It doesn't mean I feel less for him or vice versa. That's lust not love. I think true, lasting, romantic love is totally different. My 'heart' as it were does not have the capability to share that sort of love with another.  
    Today’s next author is James Savik. He’s a long-time member (been around since 2005!) and is frequently seen about the forums. He’s a bit of a science geek and, being from Mississippi, laughs at all the rest of us when we complain about the weather. Although a professed cynic, James often finds time to greet and encourage new GA members. His latest writing project is Operation Hammerhead, a rich sci-fi tale about protecting civilization from an invader.


    To James Savik: How have your life experiences affected your writing? Which one of your stories do you feel most strongly reflect yourself?  

    We are all a product of our times and culture. It's just an inescapable truth. Growing up gay, and OUT, in the heart of the bible belt during the seventies was bound to leave a few marks. In some of my writings there's violence and drugs. Not that I was trying to glorify it. There was violence and drugs before I ever showed up.  

    The story Broken hosted at Awesomedude.com is a fictionalized autobiography of my teens. The names were changed to protect the guilty and I haven't finished it. In fact, I kinda hate the story. It reminds me a lot of me being a dumb, immature punk and a lot of people that I loved that no longer with us. I may or may NOT finish it. I'm no longer writing to make a damned statement. I'm just writing to have fun and that story isn't fun anymore.  
    Today’s final author is Aussie Iarwain, who joined GA in 2009. You should ask him to tell you of the spiders inhabiting his little piece of the countryside. Or the bees. Or the other 50,000 creatures that could kill you. Or, you could read about the slightly less dangerous country through his stories, like Take the Track, the first story he posted to GA. In this story, two young men go camping and discover they share a few more things than first thought. Beyond the characters, Iarwain describes a wild, lonely country that is nevertheless breathtakingly beautiful.


    To Iarwain: Regarding your story "Attunga," what inspired the idea of AI's working so closely with humans and dolphins?  

    The ideas of Ron Kurzweil's Singularity, and the inevitable development of Artificial Intelligence, greatly intrigue me and as an intellectual exercise I constructed my own version of a scenario for human existence over the next two to three hundred years which might reasonably follow from those ideas. As I worked on it the scenario took on so much life that I felt compelled to express it in story form and the characters were born.  

    The AIs had to be in the story as they are a fundamental part of the Singularity idea but there was no conscious decision making about whether they would be friendly or inimical. It's almost an article of faith with me that since AIs will be both logical and intelligent they will prefer co-operation over conflict, and that's the way they came out.  

    I had an encounter with a dolphin named Puck at Monkey Mia in Western Australia and these amazing creatures with their links, true or not, to alternative intelligence were a very fitting addition to the Singularity idea of enhancement - and how could dolphins be anything other than good guys?  
    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: Adam Thomas, Ieshwar, Krista, and forum fiend MethodWriter.
     
    Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark).
     
    Until next time!
     
    Dark
  13. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Hope everybody had a great week and for those celebrating, hope you had a great holiday! It was another busy week this week at Gay Authors! Before we get into the recap of the week, a little reminder. The deadline for the 2013 Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster is fast approaching. The deadline of December 8th is for stories to be uploaded into GA Stories. Make sure to have your stories to me in plenty of time for the Anthology Editing Team to do a final proof read! Now, lets see about that recap!
     
    On Monday we hosted the CSR Discussion for the November book club choice "The House Always Wins" by Andr0gene! We featured a review of the story and readers shared their own thoughts, including some of their favorite scenes. If you haven't already chimed in with your thoughts, there's still time.
     
    We featured an Interview with Mann Ramblings for our Wednesday slot in the GA News Blog, but this time we did things just a little different. Not only did Mann answer the questions the interviewer asked, but he was kind enough to agree to participate in our FIRST EVER Blog Chat. Want to know more about Mann? Check out Wednesday's entry, he answered a lot of questions to help us get to know the Mann behind the stories!
     
    We ended the week in our usual way, with our Prompt Me feature. Comicfan provided us with a new set of prompts this week, including a first line prompt and a prompt about a birthday gift. Unfortunately we didn't have any takers last week so there was no featured prompt response, but hopefully next week you'll get to read someone's response to this week's prompts!
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster - Due Dec 8th (Only a week away!) 2014 Spring Anthology: Nature's Wrath - Due Mar 8th

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    Boy Called Slave by Nephylim
     
    Do Over by dkstories Book 1 of Do Over Series *reposting*
     
    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour Book 13 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    Prometheus Wakens by David McLeod
     
    Durch Ferne Welten und Zeiten by David McLeod
     
    Standing In Shadows by Krista
     
    Thwarted by Renee Stevens
     
    By our Sponsored Authors this week:
     
    Noah's New Plan by Rob Colton
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    Summer Camp by Sasha Distan
     
    Direct Confusion by Sasha Distan
     
    Veil of Shadow by Stellar Book 2 of unnamed
     
    So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings
     

    As always... Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
  14. Renee Stevens
    I know some of your favorite things we feature in the blogs are interviews with our many authors here at GA! Today, we’re bringing you an interview Myiege did with Promising Author: Mann Ramblings. Mann joined GA in September of 2012 and since then has posted 8 stories with a total of 470 reviews and over a quarter of a million words!
     
    I’d like to thank both Myiege and Mann for taking the time to provide us with this wonderful interview! On top of that, Mann Ramblings has agreed to go one step further. At the end of this interview, we are opening up the interview to the members of Gay Authors! Members will be able to post their own questions to Mann in the comments and he will answer.
     
    Further, while you can post your questions at any point during the day, Mann has agreed to personally be available between the hours of 7pm and 8 pm EST to participate in a blog chat. What this means is during that hour, you will get much quicker responses to your questions! We hope to see lots of member participation. Please keep in mind all the regular forum rules regarding content will still apply.
     
    What does Mann Ramblings have to say about the Blog Chat? Lets see...
     
    Now, onto the interview!


    Interview with Mann Ramblings


     

    Interviewer: Myiege
     

    When and why did you start writing? When did it become more than just a ‘hobby’? What is Mann Ramblings’s ‘origin’ story?
     
    I wanted to write and draw my own graphic novels when I was younger. In college I majored for a while with art and creative writing and started a few stories but never finished anything. A few years ago (A long time later) I found the Nifty archive and from there found Literotica and found the niche I wanted to write inside of. I just decided to give it a shot.
     
    Your story, Little Man, was the first story you posted on GA, right? Where did you get the inspiration for it? Why did you want to write it? Was it hard to actually hit that ‘submit story’ button?
     
    Little Man was that first M/M story I wrote period. I just wanted to write something. It started as something else entirely and when I decided to create the backstory is somehow morphed into what it is now. I used my own college experiences to help shape the characters and the story just sort of happened. I took a while before I felt comfortable enough to post. I finally got the push from another M/M author, NightTempest to make the plunge. She directed me to GA as a more nurturing atmosphere for a fledgling writer. I was incredibly nervous, but the results were better than I ever expected.
     
    You write in a lot of different genres; sci-fi, contemporary, and a little bit of modern fantasy! What would you say is your favorite genre to write in?
     
    I find the genre to make for a great setting but I try not to let it drive the story. Sci-fi has been really fun because you get to form your own world within the confines of plausible (perhaps) reality. I'm not particular for any genre other than M/M. Hopefully I get to try them all.
     
    What goes into your writing process and how do you find ‘the zone’?
     
    I jot down lots of random notes (typically at work, LOL) and eventually write an outline of the entire story so I have a specific direction. I'm not great with writing spontaneously and letting the story take you where it will. Oh no. I need more control over it then that. I envy the authors who can work that way. Then I just try to carve out a niche in time to do the work when I can.
     
    Your boys in Ship Logs of the Santa Claus series are all very…distinct. Rough and tumble guys who all happen to shun the…erm, fairer sex. What inspired you to write the crew in this way?
     
    The crew of the Santa Claus are basically various aspects of the kind of men I want to read about. I sometimes feel there aren't enough stories with masculine men in them that aren't just porn. I always dreamed of visiting places where there weren't anyone there except gay men who could enjoy each other's company, so I made the crew to reflect that. And only Captain Danverse shuns women, the rest go along because he's in charge. I may expand on his background in a future story.
     
    How would you say your writing has evolved since coming onto GA and sharing your tales with the rest of us internet fiends?
     
    I'd say I'm feeling more confident if nothing else. The idea of writing a novel length story is a lot less scarier than it used to be. And I can finish what I started! I keep getting reviews that tell me how my writing keeps getting better. That's such a nice feeling.
     
    What inspires you?
     
    Anything and everything. Inspirations often come in flashes for me and I rarely remember where they came from. So Little Magic Left started from one of Comicfan's Friday writing prompts and has turned into something huge!
     
    After So Little Magic Left, do you have any plan for future works? Could you maybe tell us a bit?
     
    I'm working on my December anthology piece which is in beta-reading/edit mode as of this moment. Then I plan on finishing the last chapters of SLML so I can open my time up to start planning the next installment of the Santa Claus crew.
     
    Last words? Advice? A confession? “You kids get off my lawn!”?
     
    I don't have much advice because I still often feel like an amateur no matter what anyone says. But outside of that, I would say if you have something in your head, write it. There are a number of people on GA who would be happy to help you iron out the bugs. Accept constructive criticism the way it's intended, to help make the story better.
     

    That's it for the interview portion of today's Wacky Wednesday. Don't forget to post your questions to Mann, and don't forget, he'll be available on the blog from 7pm-8pm EST to answer your questions as you ask them!
  15. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Another busy week here at Gay Authors! A couple of announcements were made throughout the week. The first was Sasha Distan's promotion to Promising Author! If you haven't already, visit Sasha's new forum and leave a message of congrats! The second big announcement was my promotion to Site Administrator! I look forward to continuing to help out on the site. There was a lot going on in the blog this week as well.
     
    On Monday Lisa provided us with a review of "Endings and Beginnings" by long time member and Hosted Author: Viv. If you haven't already checked out this story, then I strongly suggest checking out the review. Maybe it will pique your interest, and you'll find a new story to read!
     
    Wednesday we introduced a new feature to the blog. With so many areas of Gay Authors some aspects of the site can sometimes be a little overwhelming. Our Tech Blogs are meant to make it a little easier for members to navigate and do the things they need to do on GA. Our first Tech Blog included a video to help members who are interested in becoming either an author or editor.
     
    We ended the week with a couple of new prompts courtesy of our prompt guru Comicfan. This week was a choice of two creative prompts, so hopefully one of two of them will jump start an idea and maybe next week your prompt response will be featured like Daemok's was this week!
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster - Due Dec 8th (Don't forget to get them in early so that Anthology Editing Team can do the final proof read!) 2014 Spring Anthology: Nature's Wrath - Due Mar 8th

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    Boy Called Slave by Nephylim
     
    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    Durch Ferne Welten und Zeiten by David McLeod
     
    Geeks by CassieQ
     
    Odyssey by Mark Arbour; Book 6 of Bridgemont
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour Book 13 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    Recovery by Nephylim
     
    Dribbles by Cia
     
    Thwarted by Renee Stevens
     
    By our Sponsored Authors this week:
     
    Noah's New Plan by Rob Colton
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    Summer Camp by Sasha Distan
     
    My Coming Out by FrenchCanadian
     
    Direct Confusion by Sasha Distan
     
    So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings
     
    Wedding Ring by JMH
     

    Have a great week everyone! Don't forget to come back on Monday for our Can't Stop Reading Book club discussion about Andr0gene's story, The House Always Wins. As always... Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
  16. Renee Stevens
    It's time for another featured story! This week, Lisa was kind enough to provide us with a review of "Endings and Beginnings" by Viv, one of our Hosted Author's here at GA! Not only did she provide us a Hosted Review, but she also provided us with what could be considered a "Blast From the Past", so in essence, it's a two for one! We're always looking for reviews to feature in the blog, so if you've been reading a story that you would like to review for the blog, please PM me! Now, without any more of a wait, lets get onto the review, shall we?


    Endings and Beginnings


    by



    Viv


    Reviewer: Lisa
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 10,442
     
    This was one of the best stories I’ve read anywhere. And the good thing is, there are four more like it. Viv started “Endings and Beginnings” for the Spring 2007 Anthology and she continued with books 2-4 for the Summer, Fall, and Winter Anthos. Book 5 can be read in the Spring 2008 Antho section. I’m hoping that if enough people read this review, they will check out her stories and review them so she can see that she clearly has to continue with this fantastic series. That’s my hope anyway. I happen to love all her stories; she is truly a gifted writer, but I really hope that if enough readers comment on these particular stories, she’ll complete the series.
     
    Tracey Marshall is a very angry nineteen-year-old boy. Ok, ok, to me he’s still a boy even though many of you out there would consider him a man. To me, his actions make him a boy. His mom died two years ago and his father up and got himself a real trophy wife, totally disrespecting his late wife and his son. This really pisses Tracey off. It’s bad enough his mom isn’t around anymore and he misses her so much, but now his father has to flaunt his new bimbo everywhere he goes.
     
    One night after drinking, Tracey decides to go on a joyride over to Kingsman Bluff, a ranch about ten miles out of town. He barrels through the ranch, taking out one of the fences and crashing through one of the barns on his way out of there. Since his father won’t pay for the damages, the judge suspends Tracey’s license and rules that he has to live at the ranch and make the necessary repairs himself.
     
    Tracey is so overcome with guilt, remorse, and shame that he feels totally embarrassed and humiliated that he has to see the people that he hurt every day. Paulette is the widow who owns the ranch and she lives there with her twin nineteen-year-olds, Catherine (Caty), and Casey, Will, a ranch hand, and Janie, the wonderful cook.
     
    Caty is a beautiful, sweet girl who is crushing on Will big time. Of course Will is oblivious. Casey is a hot-tempered, angry boy and Tracey is just fueling his anger because all Casey wants to do is beat up the person who caused so much damage to their ranch. Casey and Tracey (don’t laugh), are so much alike but they don’t even realize it. They both lost parents, they both miss their parent so much, and they have all this anger simmering inside of them, with no where for it to go.
     
    Naturally, Casey and Tracey get off to a very rocky start. Casey has so much animosity towards Tracey and he’s just looking to start fights with him while Tracey wishes he could just disappear. He is wallowing in his own guilt and shame, as I’ve mentioned before, and he feels so badly about hurting the Kingsman family due to his own recklessness and contempt for his own life.
     
    Book 1 pretty much sets the stage for the next four books, but what a beautiful stage it is. I can’t say enough wonderful things about this series. If you like horses, ranches, a beautiful, funny girl, a sexy ranch hand, a compassionate mother, two hot guys, and a wonderful cook, then look no further: this story is for you!
  17. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Wow! What a week it has been here at GA! For those who didn't know, on Thursday, the site moved to a new server! I'm sure I'm not alone in thanking those who worked on making the move go as seamlessly as possible. Hopefully the move to the new server will help keep the site from bogging down due to the high amount of traffic it gets during the day! While I know this is the "Weekly Wrap Up", I also wanted to give a heads up to look out for a new feature coming to the blog this upcoming week. I don't want to spoil the surprise as to what it's going to be, but I think many will enjoy it! Now, let's look at what happened in the blog this week!
     
    Every once in a while, we like to bring the members attention to our Premium section and some of the wonderful stories that can be found there. On Monday, we featured a review on "The Cassini Mission" by Rob Colton. The review gave a great intro to this now complete story by this very popular author. If you haven't already, check it out!
     
    Things always seem to be dragging by the middle of the week, but not on the GA News Blog! For our Wednesday piece, Ashi provided us with an Interview with Totallyy, a newer author here at GA. Want to know what inspires Totallyy to write? He answers this and much more and gives us a little bit of insight as to what goes on inside his mind when he's writing.
     
    Our "Prompt Me" feature was a little different this week. As usual, Comicfan provided us with two new prompts to get your mind working, but rather than simply feature one prompt from last week, Comicfan decided to bring your attention to many different stories. This week, he gave a list of five stories that go beyond the normal one time prompt response.
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster - Due Dec 8th (Don't forget to get them in early so that Anthology Editing Team can do the final proof read!) 2014 Spring Anthology: Nature's Wrath - Due Mar 8th

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    Boy Called Slave by Nephylim
     
    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    Take Flight by Cia
     
    Geeks by CassieQ
     
    Odyssey by Mark Arbour; Book 6 of Bridgemont
     
    Durch Ferne Welten und Zeiten by David McLeod
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour Book 13 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    Thwarted by Renee Stevens
     
    By our Sponsored Authors this week:
     
    Noah's New Plan by Rob Colton
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    Prompt Ramblings by Mann Ramblings
     
    So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings
     
    Veil of Shadow by Stellar; Book 2 of unnamed
     
    In eBooks this week:
     
    The Cassini Mission by Rob Colton - $2.99
     

    Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
  18. Renee Stevens
    Before we get to this week's Featured Story, I'd like to take a minute to tell you a little bit about our Premium Section here at Gay Authors. Gay Authors is a free site, but it is certainly not free to keep going. In order to keep GA online, we rely on income from various sources, including advertising. One such resource that funds Gay Authors is our Premium Content.
     
    Premium Content is a section of the site that members subscribe to. As a thank you for helping to support the site, you get access to stories that aren't available to the general public. Unless I counted wrong, there are 28 stories currently in Premium and more will be added. The latest story in the Premium section is the now complete "The Cassini Mission" by popular author, Rob Colton, and is the second story in the "Galactic Conspiracies" series. "The Cassini Mission" is also the story we are featuring for the week.
     
     
     
     
     

    The Cassini Mission


    by



    Rob Colton


     
    Reviewer: Daithi
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 37,239
     
    Rob Colton is an amazing writer I think. He doesn't write complicated or intricate mysteries or earth shattering romantic stories. What I find so amazing about his writing is the fact that he can take something a little out of the norm and make it so you can't put the book down . It doesn't really have a set criteria either, there really is no off limits subject, be it interracial, ex-con or sci-fi; everything just seems so natural and fits when he writes his stories. I think the first story I ever read of his was "The Degan Incident" and I loved it, reread it numerous times. So when "The Cassini Mission", the second book in "Galactic Conspiracies", was posted I was right there and couldn't wait to read it. I remember Aron from Devon and Bastian's story and I couldn't wait to find out how things turned out for him after all the hoopla in "The Degan Incident".
     
    The first few chapters grabbed me right away. Aron finds himself back in the Navy. The same Navy, by the way, that dishonourably discharged him for what he thought was right. He is given no choice, he is reinstated and sent out to the far reaches of space with almost no details. Also along on this trip is two other scientists which he knows and a troop of enhanced Marines. Everyone other than Kenji, one of the scientists, and Kane Robertson, an enhanced marine, won't have anything to do with him because of his past military history. Now, why would the navy reinstate someone then ship them out to the far reaches with no info? It just screams intrigue and you know someone is up to no good. These enhanced marines are your typical high school bullies ,bigger, meaner and in your face and every chance they get they constantly bully the three doctors . By this time Kenji and Aron have pretty much decided something isn't right with the assignment, from the no detail mission to the ship that they have to fly in.
     
    The Cassini is literally a rust bucket with a skeleton crew, now if this was such an important mission why are they going on a ship that looks like it is held together with bubble gum and baling wire. As time moves on both these doctors and Kane sorta band together. Once they hit the planet and the research center more and more things become clear and crap hits the fan. But for each question Rob answers another one seems to pop up . As of the last chapter before I wrote this all hell seemed to be let loose and Aron once more is put in the hot seat of making a choice to follow what he knows is right or what he knows to be safe. I am looking forward to what happens next to Aron and Kane as they set out to right wrongs done to them and as we find out about Devon and Bastian as well. And of course, another face off with the Navy is sure to be in the cards for Aron.
     
    This story is part of the Premium Content on GA , which means that is requires a membership subscription to access the story but take my word for it the stories, including this one by Rob Colton, are worth the few dollars a month needed to access them.
     
     
     
    Interested in reading "The Cassini Mission" by Rob Colton? Want to help support the site by subscribing to Premium? It's easy to make the purchase in the GA store. The longer subscription you sign up for, the lower the price per day and you can even set it to renew automatically! The current pricing is:


    1 Month Subscription: $8.10



    3 Month Subscription: $24.00



    6 Month Subscription: $47.00



    12 Month Subscription: $93.00


  19. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    If you're someplace that practices Daylights Savings, I hope you remembered to turn your clocks back! It was a busy week here at GA and I hope everyone had a wonderful week and a fun Halloween! Did you see lots of Ghosts, Goblins, and Witches? I heard through the grapevine that one GA member even dressed up as a character from a story here at GA. Curious as to who and what character? Check out the gallery!
     
    What better way to start out the week than by having the discussion day for the CSR Book Club's monthly pick "Wrangler Butts" by Reddirtwriter! Not only did you, the readers, get to share your thoughts on the story, but Cia brought us an interview with the author. We learned some about the story itself, some about Reddirtwriter, and even got to hear about what's in the works for this talented author. What more could you ask for to start the week? If you haven't already weighed in with your thoughts on "Wrangler Butts", there's still time!
     
    There's a lot of great quotes out there dealing with writing, editing, and publishing. Cia was kind enough to compile some of them so that we could bring them to you for the Wednesday edition of the blog. There were even some additional quotes added in the comments!
     
    Once again, Comicfan welcomed the end of the week and rang in the weekend with his weekly dose of prompts! This week brought a first line prompt as well as a creative prompt, with a twist. Hopefully one of these two prompts inspired you to write something, especially as it was the first of November, which means, National Novel Writing Month! Who knows, maybe one of the prompts will inspire a NaNo story!
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster - Due Dec 8th 2014 Spring Anthology: Nature's Wrath - Due Mar 8th

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    The Cassini Mission by Rob Colton, Book 2 of Galactic Conspiracies
     
    Do Over by dkstories, Book 1 of Do Over Series (reposting)
     
    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    Recovery by Nephylim
     
    Geeks by CassieQ
     
    Arthur in Eblis by David McLeod
     
    Flash Fiction - Second Shot - The Senior Year by Andrew_Q_Gordon
     
    Take Flight by Cia
     
    Durch Ferne Welten und Zeiten by David McLeod
     
    Thwarted by Renee Stevens
     
    By our Sponsored Authors this week:
     
    Noah's New Plan by Rob Colton
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings
     
    Wedding Ring by JMH
     
    Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
  20. Renee Stevens
    Hope everyone is having a fantastic week so far! If you haven't already done so, don't forget to chime in on the CSR Discussion on "Wrangler Butts" by Reddirtwriter! For today's installment of the blog, I have a list of some great quotes compiled by Cia. I hope you all enjoy them as much as I did!


    Quotes from the Greats



    Compiled By Cia


     

    Writing Quotes
    There is probably no hell for authors in the next world -- they suffer so much from critics and publishers in this.
    - C. N. Bovee
     
    If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.
    - Edgar Rice Burroughs
     
    If you have other things in your life -- family, friends, good productive day work -- these can interact with your writing and the sum will be all the richer.
    - David Brin
     
    I have been successful probably because I have always realized that I knew nothing about writing and have merely tried to tell an interesting story entertainingly.
    - Edgar Rice Burroughs
     
    Thank your readers and the critics who praise you, and then ignore them. Write for the most intelligent, wittiest, wisest audience in the universe: Write to please yourself.
    - Harlan Ellison
     
    Editing Quotes
    I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil.
    - Truman Capote
     
    It is perfectly okay to write garbage--as long as you edit brilliantly.
    - C. J. Cherryh
     
    Never throw up on an editor.
    - Ellen Datlow
     
    Half my life is an act of revision.
    - John Irving
     
    [Editors] drive us nuts. We go from near-worshipful groveling when we submit to bitter cursing when they reject us.
    - Ken Rand
     
    Publishing Quotes
    When a man publishes a book, there are so many stupid things said that he declares he'll never do it again. The praise is almost always worse than the criticism.
    - Sherwood Anderson
     
    Rejection slips, or form letters, however tactfully phrased, are lacerations of the soul, if not quite inventions of the devil - but there is no way around them.
    - Isaac Asimov
     
    The reason 99% of all stories written are not bought by editors is very simple. Editors never buy manuscripts that are left on the closet shelf at home.
    - John Campbell
     
    There are three difficulties in authorship: to write anything worth publishing -- to find honest men to publish it -- and to get sensible men to read it.
    - Charles Caleb Cotton
     
    Engrave this in your brain: EVERY WRITER GETS REJECTED. You will be no different.
    - John Scalzi
  21. Renee Stevens

    Wacky Wednesday: Interview With Lisa

    By Renee Stevens,


    Author Interviews
    Recently I put out a call for people to do interviews for the blog. We have featured many interviews throughout the life of the blog, ranging from the staff here at GA, to the authors. Todays interview isn't with one of the many authors here at Gay Authors, she is actually one of the prolific reviewers on site who also carries the title of Editor. Please enjoy this interview with Lisa and thank you Percy for conducting the interview!


    Interview with Lisa


     
    Interviewer: Percy
     
    GA was started to connect authors with readers. Readers can often be the silent members of the Gay Authors community, but I figured it was high time we heard from one of them here in the GA News blog. At over 1,960 reviews, Lisa is one of the most interactive readers on GA and happily for the authors, she’s far from silent. She also serves as an editor for several authors. I was thrilled when she agreed to answer my questions about what inspires her to read and review.
     
    Have you always been such a prolific reader?
     
    I'm pretty sure I was born with a book in my hand. In high school, I used to bring my paperbacks to school and read them in between classes. One day in Geography, the teacher called on me but I didn't hear him because I was reading my book! I had the book in between the Geography book. He gave me detention for a week. I was so friggen HAPPY! For one hour extra per day, for five days, I had to go to detention and, you guessed it, READ to my heart's content!!!!! So yes, I was always a voracious reader.
     
    How did you first make your way to GA?
     
    I've been at GA for three years now. September was my three-year anniversary. "Desert Dropping" by Dom Luka was the first story I ever read on GA. I was in another site [that] recommended this story and the link was the story link at GA.
     
    What prompted you to start editing here?
     
    I am a little fuzzy on the details, but I think Sid (Sidlove), was responsible for that. He was writing on another site and he wrote a few Nuke stories. (Luke and Noah from "As the World Turns"). I used to watch that show just for the Nuke storyline so I started reading his stories. When I got to GA, he suggested I write down that I was an editor (I was currently editing a bunch of stories on another site), and that way he could use me as his editor.
     
    What’s the hook that gets you to read a story? Is it the description written by the author? The genre? The tags they choose? Other reviews people have left?
     
    For some odd reason, I love reading high school or college-aged stories. So if 'teen' or 'college' is in the story tag, I would definitely want to check it out. I'm boring and just like normal stories. Last year when KC posted his "Shepherd's Crook" story, he didn't put 'ghost' in the story tag until at least a couple of weeks into the story. By that time it was too late for me and I had to finish the story anyway. Lol. But if I had seen that first, I would have never read it. And of course I would have missed out, so now maybe I should re-think my prejudices. It's not only teen stories I read. It also depends on the author's description of the story. There are many others I read such as "Dust & Ash" which doesn't revolve around school.
     
    What inspires you to leave a comment?
     
    I know authors work very hard at their stories and they love hearing what people think of them. I know that when I leave a really good comment, I'm anxious to find out what the author thought of it, so I can imagine how I would feel if I were an author and waiting for readers to comment on my story.
     
    I also like commenting if I can relate to what's happening with a character. There was a story on GA about a year ago (maybe a little longer than a year), about a high school boy whose mom had a pretty bad case of OCD. I always loved reading the updates because I could relate to that so much. My ex had OCD for many, many years and drove me absolutely insane. I could relate so much to the kid in the story. The author never finished the story, which was too bad.
     
    Do you ever try to influence the direction a story takes with your comments? I would think that would be tempting if you know the author is still writing as the chapters are being posted!
     
    It's so funny you ask this. Over on the site where I started, there have been reviews I've left where I said something like, "Wouldn't it be great if so and so happened...?" and then in the next chapter, that very same thing I said was written. But who knows? The author may have planned that all along. I never try purposely to influence an author's direction.
     
    Any advice for offering up constructive criticism when leaving feedback or even figuring out if an author is receptive to that sort of comment?
     
    If the grammar is poor and there are typos, etc. I will comment on that. Most of the time it's because the author isn't a native English speaker. There have been a few times where I just would stop reading because I couldn't get through a sentence without grimacing. In other cases, the storyline was so good that I just had to grin and bear it.
     
    I will point out a problem to the author once, even though I may see continuous errors in later chapters. I don't want to be known as the pain-in-the-ass reviewer who only finds faults with the writing. I do find that there aren't that many readers who will call an author out on poor writing.
     
    My feeling is if you are an author and you want people reading and LIKING your story, it better be good. You just can't throw up any old thing online and call it 'writing.’ The way a story is written is a reflection on the author and if it's not as perfect as the author can get it (with other people looking at it if necessary), then don't put it up there!!!!!
     
    I do read for enjoyment, but if I'm cringing at every other word, I'm going to give up.
     
    Any advice for authors posting here on GA?
     
    Just re-read, re-read, re-read your chapters! Don't post anything until it has been re-read to death! Don't take all comments about your story personally; if you rile someone up, that might be a good thing because you got some reaction out of him. Oh, if a reader fails to review a new chapter posting, it is probably because they're really busy and they will get to the story as soon as they can. I keep a running list of stories I need to catch up on and when I have a few minutes, I start reading them.
     
    Lots of good advice in here for both readers and writers. Many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed, Lisa!
     

    If you would like to do an interview for the blog, please let me know via PM! Thank you and don't forget to follow in Lisa's footsteps and REVIEW!!!!
  22. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Happy Sunday everyone! I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend! Now it's time to take a look back at the week here at the Gay Authors News Blog.
     
    On Monday we took at a look at a free eBook by Stephanie L Danielson called "For The Heart of Phillip". Louis Harris provided us a wonderful review that certainly garnered some new interest in this wonderful story. If you haven't already read his review, check it out and if the story sounds interesting to you, then you can download it in GA's ebook section as a PDF file!
     
    To help you get over your midweek hump, we featured an interview with Lisa, a very prolific reviewer here at GA. Many of the authors here have had the pleasure of receiving a review from her and Percy did a wonderful job of helping us to get to know Lisa a little bit better. Want to know how to get Lisa interested in your story? The answer is in the Wednesday feature! So if you haven't already, go read!
     
    To help you get through that TGIF moment, our resident Prompt Guru, Comicfan, posted two new Halloween prompts! If your having a halloween party this year, then one of the prompts may be perfect for you, especially if you can imagine what would happen if all your guests costumes were no longer simply costumes. If that thought doesn't get your mind going, there's also a "list of words" prompt. Both of the prompts could be your inspiration for a Halloween tale, and you never know, Comicfan might just feature yours next Friday!
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster - Due Dec 8th

    2014 Spring Anthology: Nature's Wrath - Due Mar 8th

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    The Cassini Mission by Rob Colton, Book 2 of Galactic Conspiracies
     
    Do Over by dkstories, Book 1 of Do Over Series (reposting)
     
    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    Adverse Effects by Cia, Book 2 of Saving Caeorleia
     
    Thwarted by Renee Stevens
     
    GFD 12: Blood Ties by Comicality Book 12 of Gone From Daylight
     
    Take Flight by Cia
     
    Arthur in Eblis by David McLeod
     
    Flash Fiction - Second Shot - The Senior Year by Andrew_Q_Gordon
     
    "Waiting Outside The Lines" by Comicality
     
    The Secret Live 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)
     
    Prompt me not, for these are my prompts by comicfan
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    The Shunning by JMH
     
    Ghosts and Candy by andy021278
     
    So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings
     
    Prompt Ramblings by Mann Ramblings
     
    Wedding Ring by JMH
     
    Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
  23. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    REMINDER - The Polls for the 2014 Anthology Themes are now open, so don't forget to get your votes in before they close on Wednesday, October 9th!!!
     
    REMINDER - Don't forget to come back this Monday, October 7th, to find out what the October CSR Book Club pick will be!
     
    On Monday, as part of the CSR Book Club Discussion we featured a wonderful interview with Comicfan, the author of the very popular story and September CSR Book Club Pick: Accidents Happen! If you haven't already joined in on the discussion, go join in!
     
    For those trying to get over the midweek hump, we had our monthly treat of Ask An Author! This week featured authors were dkstories, FleetingRainbows, and Layla. Go check out their answers to questions asked by the readership here at GA. Don't forget, if you have a question that you've been wanting to ask your favorite author, send a PM to Dark and it could be featured in a future edition of Ask An Author!
     
    And finally, one of the highlights of everyone's week! Once again, Comicfan brought us a couple of new prompts to play with in this weeks Prompt Me! The weekly prompts are a great way to get your mind working and some wonderful stories have come from the prompts!
     
    So - how was your week?
     
    Anthology Announcements:
    2014 Anthology Theme Voting - Polls close October 9th Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster - Due Dec 8th

    NEW READING
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    The Cassini Mission by Rob Colton, Book 2 of Galactic Conspiracies
     
    Do Over by dkstories, Book 1 of Do Over Series (reposting)
     
    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    In The Arms of an Angel by Nephylim Book 1 of Wednesday Briefs
     
    Recovery by Nephylim
     
    Take Flight by Cia
     
    Adverse Effects by Cia Book 2 of Saving Caeorleia
     
    9.11 by Mark Arbour, Book 13 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    Arthur in Eblis by David McLeod
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings
     

    Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!
  24. Renee Stevens
    If you're in the US, or at least anywhere that it's still Thursday, I'm betting you're going "Wait a minute, it's not Friday yet!" Well, you're right, but after much thought, I decided I really didn't want to release the anthology on Friday the 13th. Well, at least, not everywhere! So, without further ado, the anthology had been released. We had a lot of interest in the theme of Pandora's box, to be more precise, 22 authors decided to take up the challenge. Mixed in with the Anthology Veterans are a few Anthology Newbies, so lets make all of them feel welcomed and don't forget to review what you read to let the authors know what you thought about their work! What are you waiting for? Get reading!!!



    A Favor from a Friend
    Percy

     
     
     


    A Fine Can of Worms
    Kitt

     
     
     


    Apartment 3C
    K.C.

     
     
     


    BADBADGETSWORSE
    thebrinkoftime

     
     
     


    Broken Boy
    Ieshwar

     
     
     

    Dual Edged Hope
    Cia

     
     
     


    For Earth is Full of Evils
    Persinette

     
     
     


    Home Grown
    Sasha Distan

     
     
     


    Hope
    Bumblebees and Roses

     
     
     


    I Am Fine
    totallyy

     
     
     


    Lunch Box
    comicfan

     
     
     


    More Than We Bargained For
    Bill W

     
     
     


    Rise of the Serpent
    Celethiel

     
     
     


    Statuary
    CassieQ

     
     
     


    The Diary
    advocatus diaboli

     
     
     


    The Pyxides
    andy021278

     
     
     


    The Wardrobe
    aditus

     
     
     


    Til The World Ends
    Sabat

     
     
     


    Under the Sun
    Dolores Esteban

     
     
     


    What's Inside
    Ron

     
     
     


    Wifed
    carringtonrj

     
     
     

    Also, while we're on the subject of the anthologies, don't forget to make your suggestions for the themes for next year! The topic closes September 13th at 11:59 US Mountain Time!!! 2014 Anthology Theme Suggestions
  25. Renee Stevens

    Apologies

    By Renee Stevens,

    As an update to my reflections blog...
     
    It has been confirmed that my grandmother is terminal. Honestly, it is expected, but suspecting and being faced with that reality are two different things. She has been told that she is terminal and chances are, even as stubborn as she is, she will quit fighting to stay with us. This is evidenced by her most recent decision. She has changed her living will so that she now has a DNR and nothing will be done to prolong life. Anything, including antibiotics, are only to be done to make her comfortable. Honestly, this is probably the best course of action for her as she has been in continuous pain since this all started back at the beginning of July. The doctors have given her 2-3 weeks, but that was BEFORE they realized that the infection that last required surgery has once again emerged. The reality is, we will probably lose her within the next week or so. My mom suspects that she will hang on long enough for her other children to get here to say their goodbyes and then let go. Not that we haven't been wrong before, but with the new living will and with her current condition... Well, I will leave the rest of that thought unsaid.
     
    As far as the title of this blog, I apologize in advance if I am short with anyone in the coming days. My emotions are completely out of whack. So much in such a short amount of time and I honestly do not know which way is up. All I ask is that if I am short with you, please do not take it personally as it most likely was not intentional.
     
    Also, a thank you to all of you who have listened to my rants and been there as I've dealt with all the crap lately. It is appreciated more than you know.
     
    Hugs
    ~Renee
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