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Renee Stevens

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  1. Renee Stevens

    Reflections

    By Renee Stevens,

    I have done a lot of thinking lately about the things that have happened over the last year or so. It hasn't even been a full year, though with everything that has gone on, it sure feels like it should have been well over a year. Now, let me make it perfectly clear, this blog entry isn't meant to be a "poor me" blog entry. I hope it doesn't come out that way, but if it does, I apologize in advance. A lot of what I am sharing has been shared in more detail in some of my previous blog entries over the last little while, but since a lot of this has been an ongoing thing, I feel the need to update.
     
    The downhill slope seemed to have started at the beginning of December when we found out that my brother had been diagnosed with cancer. It was an agonizing wait as we were told first one thing and then another. First we were told something that didn't sound too bad, then something that could be a for sure death sentence, and then we were finally told that he had stage 4 Leukemia. Luckily, it proved to be very treatable. Several rounds of chemotherapy, several rounds of tests and blood work, a few multi-day/week hospital stays, and nine months later I'm happy to say he is cancer free. For now. There is no guarantee that it won't come back, and it is a fear that we will always live with, but for now we still have him with us and that is something we are certainly grateful for.
     
    Back in March, we almost lost our niece during childbirth. Our doctors here are truly idiots (trust me on this one, there are so many horror stories that if me and hubby ever have kids, we're going elsewhere for pre-natal care and delivery). It was touch and go for nearly 4 days but in the end, both our niece and great-niece made it through.
     
    In the midst of my brother's cancer scare, I had my own health issues. In March I found out that I had Keratoconus. Basically a eye issue that means I have to wear hard contacts or face a cornea transplant in the far distant future. Only problem, I have issue upon issue with the stupid contacts and still can't hardly wear them for more than a few hours a day. But, overall that's a fairly minor thing. In April I had the passing out issue that resulted in me being diagnosed as pre-diabetic. Though the results were close enough to being type 2 diabetic that they may as well have said I was diabetic. Needless to say that was a scare that my family didn't need at the time. Eating healthy is a very hard thing for me, as I've never been good at eating on a regular basis, but I'm trying and I'm at least doing better. In July, I had an issue while I was out camping with my family at the lake. It is suspected that I had a partial-complex seizure. On top of the other issues, this was a set-back that I really didn't need. Especially as it really limits what I can do as I can't do any long-distance driving and even a drive to the next town (a ten minute drive) is questionable. For months prior to all of this, I was also suffering from constant migraines, at least a couple of times a week, that were so bad I literally couldn't function because I couldn't see. (I had really bad aura migraines where my vision goes all wonky). Anyways, I got put back on anti-seizure meds which have the plus side of being anti-migraine meds as well. Since then, no migraines and no problems that we know of.
     
    What brought on all of this thinking? I went to see my grandma the other day. I did a blog post about her not to long ago. She had undergone surgery in July, just days after being diagnosed with cancer. I only found out the other day that it was a stage 4, fast growing cancer. She survived the surgery but three weeks later was still in the hospital. Then, she got an infection that required another surgery that they weren't sure she'd survive. The choices were surgery or to make her comfortable, the doctors advice (what he would do if it was his mother) was to make her comfortable. Grandma was lucid that day (one of the very rare moments she wasn't hallucinating) and SHE decided she wanted the surgery. Well, she survived the surgery and is currently in a rehabilitation place. As I said, I went to visit her the other day. My Aunt was there when I arrived and told me I picked a good day to visit as she was having a good day. If that was a good day, I don't want to know what a bad day was.
     
    I found out later that it being a good day meant that she actually was making sense and wasn't warning you to move before the elephants that were in her room stepped on you. (ie. hallucinations). Well, in the couple of days since my visit, I guess she has taken another downturn according to the phone call I received from my mom. It is a constant roller coaster of emotion with my family lately. It's like one day we're getting a sliver of hope and the next we're preparing ourselves to say good-bye and honestly it is emotionally exhausting. Also, I was absolutely furious after my visit when I found out that one of my cousins, who lives five minutes from the rehab facility has not even been to see our grandmother. Apparently her mom has told her that she just can't handle seeing her. Don't get me wrong, it's hard to see her like that, but out of all of my cousins, I am the emotional one. I always have been, always will be. It was hard, but the one thing is, I will be the one who won't have the regret that I didn't go see her and honestly, I feel sorry for my cousin because she is the one who will have to live with her decision.
     
    My other grandmother is also having some issues at the moment, but we haven't heard back on what her test results are, so I'm not entirely sure what is going on with that at the moment.
     
    To add into all of this, my husband's grandmother passed away. To be fair, this was a grandmother that he has been estranged from for years and years, so he's not close with her at all. In the over seven years that we have been together, I have met her two, maybe three times, and that's only been in the last six months or so. The only real reason that we're even going to the service is in support of his dad. After we talked about it, he decided that he does need to go to the service to be there for his dad, no matter his feelings for his grandma. What gets me is that as of right now, none of his siblings are going. I guess I'm just the type that regardless of their feelings for her, they should go to show their support of their dad, to let him know that they are there for him.
     
    All in all, it's been a rough less than a year. I won't say there hasn't been any pluses. All of the issues that the family has gone through have actually managed to bring our family closer together. My husband and I went on a vacation and after a short stay at Mt. Rushmore, we went and spent a few days with my brother in Wisconsin. I hadn't actually seen him in probably five years, so it was good to get to go and spend some quality time with him.
     
    While I know that things are likely to get worse before they get better, especially with my one grandmother, I can only hope that things start to get better soon. Until then, what can I do but take things one day at a time and doing what I can to stay sane. That does include writing when I can keep my focus to do so and I hope to be able to get back to work on my unfinished stuff soon because it is driving me insane to know that I have some projects that have been on hold for so long!!!!
  2. Renee Stevens
    First off, let me say that the title of this blog says it all....
     
    CANCER SUCKS!!!!
     
    If I never know someone else who has cancer, it will be WAY TOO SOON!!!!
     
    On July 8th, my grandmother was told she had cancer, only they didn't know what kind or even exactly where it was. This came right on top of the news that the chemotherapy worked and my brother was currently cancer free (despite one five day stint in the hospital after getting an infection of some sort). My grandmother was then told that they were going to have to essentially do exploratory surgery to try and remove the cancer tissue. She underwent surgery on July 11th, which ended up being a complete hysterectomy (the cancer tissue was completely surrounding her ovaries as well as some other areas from what I understand) and they also removed her gallbladder for reasons that were never fully explained to me. They believed that they got the majority of the cancer tissue and while there was most likely some microscopic cancer cells remaining, they were fairly confident that those would be able to be taken care of with chemotherapy which they would start the following month.
     
    The doctors had originally said that grandma would be able to return home approximately a week after surgery. Three weeks later and grandma was still in the hospital and not doing well. Her lucid times were few and far between. She had no recollection of the fact that she had spent the last three weeks in the hospital. She would have conversations with people that were about things from the past that she believed were from the present and would get extremely argumentative and borderline verbally abusive if anyone tried to correct her. When she did try to hold a conversation, it was like she was trying to hold four conversations at once, with the same person. All in all, very confusing for not only her, but the person she would be talking to. Essentially she has been in a downward spiral for the last three weeks but they couldn't figure out what was wrong with her.
     
    I was sitting here Tuesday night when my mom's truck pulled up outside. I knew something had happened because my mom should have been at work two hours earlier. She had gotten a call from her sisters. Grandma was even worse. They finally figured out that she had an edema (spelling?) caused by an infection (not sure exactly what kind of infection). What I do know is that whatever the infection was, it apparently starts in the pelvic region, moves to the chest cavity, and then moves to the brain. By the time it was figured out what was going on, it had reached both of her lungs, that they knew of. They were uncertain as to whether or not it had reached her brain. The solution, another surgery. The dilemma, another surgery could kill her. The bigger dilemma, without the surgery, she'd die.
     
    My mom rushed down there. They met with the doctors and found out everything they could. What all was discussed I do not know. What I do know is that one of the questions they asked one of the main doctors, out of earshot of grandma, was that if it was his mother in her condition, would he elect to have the surgery done. He told them no. With the shape grandma is in, he told them he thought the best thing for her was for them to make her as comfortable as they could and to let her go. A very hard decision to make. Grandma, from what my mom has told me, was having a lucid moment. Before they could make the decision, she made it for them. She elected to have the surgery.
     
    The last I talked to my mom, Grandma had made it out of the four hour surgery. They hadn't seen her yet and didn't know exactly how she was doing and she certainly isn't out of the woods. Her chances of coming through this are still very slim. For all I know at the moment, we could have already lost her. I've never been overly close to my grandma, not like I am with my Dad's mom, but she is still my grandma and I do love her and I don't know what we're going to do if we lose her.
     
    Between everything with my grandma, the fact that my brother is back in the hospital, and my own health issues, my focus is shot. I've been trying to hold it together as I've had four girls visiting me this week and I can't completely fall apart. They don't know how dire things are and I have to try and keep it that way, at least for two more days. I'm trying, but it's hard. I've got promotions set up for this entire month and luckily I have them already done and ready to go out, so at least if the worst happens, that's pretty much taken care of, but as far as writing new content.... that's pretty much a no go for the moment. I appreciate everyone's patience and I'm sorry for everyone that has been waiting on chapters from me. I can probably still post chapters of Thwarted as I have a few of those waiting in the wings that I can still post every other week, but those might even go by the wayside for a bit.
     
    I'm really really hoping that life settles down soon, because I honestly don't think I can take another year like the last one.
     
    ~Renee
  3. Renee Stevens
    So, I just realized I never updated my blog after receiving the results of my a1c test. The results from that pretty much came back like we had thought and showed me as being pre-diabetic (type 2). I've tried to be a good girl and lay off a lot of the sugars, but that is easier said than done.
     
    Now, to add another level to my health issues. Sunday morning, I woke my hubby up at 4 am (not purposely) by sitting up in bed, my arms pulled in close to my body, my entire body tense, my mouth open, groaning, and my body shaking for a couple of minutes. So once again, I scared the holy hell out of my husband. We were out camping at the time and once I started to come out of it, he started asking me questions that I should know, but which I didn't. He asked me about the date (it was my birthday) and I denied it was my birthday, yet I could apparently tell him what my date of birth was. He gave me a little bit of juice (thinking it could be something with my blood sugar dropping) and then helped me out to my camp chair before going and waking up my parents. Much of this I don't even remember. I remember after I sat down in my chair, but nothing prior to that.
     
    For the rest of the day, my family kept a close eye on me and later that night my husband and I came home. I called my neurologist on Monday and he got back to me and told me that it sounded to him like I had suffered a Complex Partial Seizure. It could have been brought on by stress or it could have been triggered by a drop in my glucose levels, we don't know for sure. Either way, my neurologist has once again put me on an anti-convulsive medication (been off the meds for over 8 years) which (here's the silver lining) also double as a treatment for chronic migraines.
     
    Now that the health update is out of the way, onto story news!
     
    Forging Trust: I have not forgotten this story. I just haven't been able to get back into the story, but I am trying. I hope to have something new out within the next couple of months.
     
    Line of Sight (Saturday Shorts): I know I have missed a couple of postings on this, but I am still doing the story. I had planned to have chapters done prior to going on vacation but it didn't happen. The next chapter of this story will be out July 27th!
     
    Thwarted: The next chapter will be live on the 20th of July, only a few short days away.
     
    I am still working on my stories and while I hope to not have any further delays I can't promise, especially with the health issues that I've got going on. All I can promise is to do my best to get the stories out as soon as possible.
     
    Cheers to All!
     
    ~Renee
  4. Renee Stevens
    That's right! I know y'all have been waiting patiently for it, and today that patience is being rewarded! This go around we had eleven authors take the challenge to write a story using the theme of "Roll the Dice". I hope you enjoy what they came up with!



    2013 Summer Anthology: Roll the Dice

     
     
     


    A Deadly Choice
    Bill W

     
     
     


    Coupled in Synchronicity


    Cia


     
     
     


    Ghost of a Chance
    Dolores Esteban

     
     
     


    Hard Choices
    comicfan

     
     
     


    Icosahedron
    CassieQ

     
     
     


    If I Don't Tell You Now
    joann414

     
     
     

    JB and Me
    andy021278

     
     
     


    October 14, 1993
    K.C.

     
     
     


    Six
    carringtonrj

     
     
     


    Take a Ride
    Renee Stevens

     
     
     


    Worth It
    Yettie One

     

    So, what are you waiting for? Go read and let these authors know how much you appreciate all the hard work they put into their stories by leaving them a review!
  5. Renee Stevens
    Well, we started the week out by featuring Libby Drew's story and now we're featuring an article written by Libby Drew! I think it's looking a bit like a Libby Drew week! Enjoy!
     


    Editing Isn’t For the Weak


    When you love the written word and hang out online in places that cater to that love, someone will most likely, at some point, ask you to edit their story. It may be a friend. It may be a writing partner. It may be your ex. Okay, it probably won’t be your ex, although that would be fun in an evil sort of way.
     

    Editing is hard. Really hard. The work put into a good edit might eclipse the work put into writing the story in the first place. Authors, please keep that in mind, because there are good people out there who do this work for free. If you manage to snag such a saint, don’t take them for granted.
     
    Here are a few things for an editor to consider before diving into a manuscript. (And actually, writers, this may help you too.)
     
    1. It’s not your story. It’s not. An editor doesn’t tell a writer how their story should turn out. An editor helps a writer tell the story they want to write. An experienced editor works within the author’s universe.
     
    2. Communicate expectations. Does the author want a thorough edit? Do they simply want notes on plot and flow? Make sure you have a sense of what the author wants and what their mindset is before you start editing. Adjust your approach accordingly.
     
    3. You’re not helping by being too nice. Here's what I want to hear when someone is editing my work: "OMG it's awesome and perfect I love it!!!" Here’s how often I hear that: never. I’m better for that honesty. Resist the temptation to feed a writer’s ego. Your job is to help them make the work better, not to be their mommy.
     
    4. You’re not helping by being an ass, either. When someone places their creation in your hands, they’re also handing you their heart. Don’t crush it. Be gentle. Suggest, don’t order changes. Ask questions. Help clarify. Creativity is so easily smothered, yet it’s integral to humanity. Without the courage to create, there wouldn’t be Mocha Frappuccinos. Think on that.
     
    5. Point out problems, but don’t offer solutions. This is a biggie. It relates back to number one. It’s inevitable that you’ll be struck by ideas about how someone else's universe could be better: What if BFFs Kirk and Spock were actually romantic soul mates? Wait, I need a fictional example. What if vampires didn’t sparkle, but smelled like bacon instead? How awesome would that be?
     
    No. Resist. Ultimately the writer is the best equipped to come up with ideas for new directions. Your job is to spot what's not working, not to rewrite.
     
    6. Why isn’t it working for you? Focus on that. Identify the underlying issue. Don’t try to make it your scene. That just leads to long nights of drinking mojitos and talking trash about Shades of Gray. Then you wake up the next morning and don’t know where your pants are. (So I’ve heard.)
     
    7. Start global, then go smaller. If you see major plot/structural issues, discuss those. Don't get caught up in copyediting and line edits. If the plot feels okay, focus on chapter-level issues. If those look good, feel free to get nit-picky about adverbs and sentence structure. Why this plan of attack? You’ll avoid overwhelming the author, for one. Plus, time spent on line edits is time wasted if a major revision is needed.
     
    8. Personal taste is personal. (Worship my acumen!) Seriously, though, our personal “truths” are often just perception and opinion. We hate things other people love and love things other people hate. Don’t offer up your opinion as law; you may be the only person who feels that way. You’ll look intolerant at best, ignorant at worst. So what if domination isn’t your kink. Don’t judge me… er, the author.
     
    To sum up, remain positive. Let the author craft the story. Try not to crush their spirit, even if you think the manuscript has miles to go. Just be helpful. Be supportive. Leave the story and the writer in better shape than you found them. That’s the foundation of editing.
     
    ~Libby
  6. Renee Stevens

    Writing Tip: Adverbs

    By Renee Stevens,


    Writing Tips
    So it's Wednesday again which means it's time for another Wacky Wednesday post. What should we look at today? We have a couple of different options, but I think this week we will take a look at those pesky little adverbs. That's right, adverbs! Andy021278 wrote a piece to explain adverbs in their usual role as describing words for verbs.
     
    Enjoy, and thank you Andy for this informative article!


    Adverbs


     

    An adverb is a describing word. They are the words we see scattered about stories which provide us with more detail: prettily, bluntly, usually, quietly, loudly etc.
    First off, I’m not going to tell people whether to use them or not. I know some people don’t like them, some people view them as the Devil incarnate, and then there are out, loud, and proud adverb users.
     
    Whether to use them or not is down to the individual in my opinion, but if you are going to use them, then hopefully what follows will help a little.
     
    How do I know if it is spelled “-ly” or “-lly”
     
    The easy answer is that it is always “-ly”.
     
    The more complicated answer is that it depends on the spelling of the adjective you are conjugating into an adverb.
     
    Let’s work through three examples.
     
    Starting off with a nice easy one:
     
    Take the adjective “public”.
    Is the correct spelling of the adverb “publicly” or “publiclly”?
    To form the adverb you add “ly” to the end of the adjective (“public” + “ly”).
    So “publicly” is the correct spelling.
     
    Now for a more difficult one:
    Take the adjective “accidental”.
    Is the correct spelling of the adverb “accidentaly” or “accidentally”?
    To form the adverb you add “ly” to the end of the adjective (“accidental” + “ly”).
    So, the correct spelling is “accidentally”.
     
    How for a downright mean and nasty one:
     
    Take the adjective “simple”.
    Is the correct spelling of the adverb “simplely” or “simplelly”
    I know I said to form the adverb you add “ly” to the end of the adjective. I kinda forgot the annoying “-le” ending adjectives.
    You just change the “e” on the end to a “y”.
    The correct spelling is “simply”.
     
    As I said at the start, adverbs always end “-ly” and never “-lly”, but at least you now know the reasons why.
    There are adverbs that don’t follow the “add ly” rule, but that’s another story for another day.


    Adverbs from made up words


     

    If, as a writer, you have invented a word or words of your own, then the “-ly” rule already explained is actually very easy to apply, and should be the way you create adverbs from your fictional world.
     
    The made up adjective “exvegert” becomes “exvegertly” (“exvegert” + “ly”).
    The made up adjective “herthal” becomes “herthally” (“herthal” + “ly”)
    The made up adjective “zertle” becomes “zertly” (the “e” at the end becomes a “y”, to give the “ly” ending).
    Of course, since it is your own made up word in your own made up universe, you could create your own adverb rule, such as they could end “ax”. That would give “exvergertax”, “herthalax” and “zertleax”.
     
    The only problem with that is that your readers will not expect your adverbs to have an unfamiliar ending, and so may not recognise them as adverbs and just think are other invented words.
     


    Words borrowed from non-English


     

    Borrowed words from non-English languages may appear to be more difficult to deal with, but the same “-ly” rule should ideally be applied.
    Although you will not end up with the proper adverbial form of a word, as it would appear in the original language, you will, at the very least, have the expected adverbial form that English-speaking readers will expect to see.
     
    As an example, the Welsh word for “perfect” is “perffaith”. If you were to use “perffaith” as a word in an English-speaking fictional world, the adverb you would need to create would be “perffaithly” (“perffaith” + “ly”) in order for it to be recognized as an adverb.
     
    If you were to use the true adverb form of your borrowed word in the original language, then your readers would have a very difficult time, if not face an impossible challenge, in identifying your adverbs.
     
    To follow on from our example, the true adverb form of “perffaith” (i.e. the Welsh word for “perfectly”) is “yn berffaith”. So, would any non-Welsh speakers recognise “yn berffaith” as the adverb form of “perffaith”?
  7. Renee Stevens
    Now that April is over, what better way to usher in May than with some answers from our favorite Authors. Dark once again brings us a new installment of Ask an Author. Do you have a question you've been wanting to ask your favorite author and haven't for one reason or another? Let Dark know!


    Ask an Author #4


     
    Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors!
     
    In AtA #3, we had questions for authors Luka Fox, Johnathan Colourfield, and Andrew Q Gordon.
     
    In AtA #4, we hear from some authors whose GA name starts with ‘C’: comicfan, Cia, C James, and -- bonus! -- Comicality.
     
    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 comicfan, a New Yorker and self-proclaimed Shakespearean fool and Peanuts fan. A member for 2 years, comicfan has befriended many and worked hard behind the scenes as a beta reader and editor. His own works include fan favorite Accidents Happen and my personal favorite A Cat's Life. With 33 other stories, you’re sure to find something you like, and don’t forget to check out comicfan’s responses to the prompts!


    To comicfan: Pick any of your characters to go to the Olympics... What sport(s) would they succeed in?
    In the story Accidents Happen, I have a character named Wade Benjamin. He is the lover of Richard Wagner Junior, and it is stated he was in practice to become an Olympic swimmer. So as far as picking a character of mine who might go and what sport, well that is pretty much a given for me.  
    Today’s next author is 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. It was her brilliant idea to revive the GA Blog and she is the main instigator behind the CSR Club. She’s also one of the few brave enough to poke the bear. Journey on over to Cia's Stories and enjoy the free excerpt to her recently published novel Pricolci.


    To Cia: How did your husband respond to your writing not just M/M romance stories, but the sex scenes as well?
    He asked me once why I felt the need to write sex into stories, specifically sex between two men. I like reading sex scenes when it fits with a romance story and I'm one of the lucky few that thinks two people coming together, regardless of gender, is appealing. So while I don't want to be a guy (and I'm really not a man, no matter what some readers think) I don't have any problems writing mm sex. I try to make it as authentic as I possible so maybe I think about it a little too much though, lol. In the end we just made an agreement; if I write it in and he reads the story, I tell him what parts to skip.  
    Everyone knows of or has heard of “The Goat,” our dear, beloved King of Cliffhangers, C James. Having been around GA long enough to have had a finger in many things, these days C James restricts himself to being merely a Hosted Author and Moderator. Writer of the neverending story, Circumnavigation, C James can most often be found pleading for someone else to win the yearly cliffhanger trophy or devoutly protesting that his latest chapter absolutely positively does not end in a cliffhanger!


    The first question sent to C James: What are your plans after finishing “For your Love?”
    I'll answere you questions anytime, but I really can't answer the first one; what I'll do after For the Love. That was five novels ago. The next one was "Let the Music Play".  
    Oops!! That was a really long time ago, wasn’t it? Gosh, just how old is C James?


    The next question sent to C James: Haha, you’ll have to wait until next time to find out!  
    As a bonus this time, we have a fourth author’s insights to share. This author is one of GA’s founding members: Comicality. Legend says that Myr was a big fan and dragged Comicality kicking and screaming to the fledgling teen fiction website. Truthfully, GA would not be what it is today without the support and fabulous writing of Comicality. If you have a premium account, go check out Comsie’s latest, the horror/sci-fi story Empty Corners. If you don’t have a premium account, well, you’re missing out.
     
     
     

    To Comicality: What’s been a motivation for you when writing stories?
    I actually find writing to be very therapeutic for me. It helps me organize so many awkward and random thoughts and feelings that go buzzing around in my head at all times. I think I would be quite insane if it weren't for me having the ability to use my writing as an outlet for everything that I'm feeling, past, present, and future. Also, just one email from someone who really connects and can relate to something that I wrote...it not only makes me feel good, but it lets me know that I'm not alone. None of us are. And there's no greater comfort than that. I think that keeps me motivated the most.  
    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: wrathofmagneto, Naptowngirl, and C James (redux).
     
    Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark).
     
    Until next time!
    Dark
  8. Renee Stevens
    Thank you once again to Comicfan for providing a couple of new prompts for you to take a shot at. Make sure you share in the Writing Prompt Forum!
     
    Prompt 226 – Creative
    Tag – The Lover
    You finally have found the perfect mate. Someone who listens to you, shares your tastes in music and art, loves your movies. However they have just one small flaw. What is it?
     
    Prompt 227 – Creative
    Tag – List of Words
    Use the following words in a story: cane, pillow, car, medicine, and toilet paper.
     
    Since no one took a stab at last weeks prompts, we're going to visit a response to prompt #224 by Dolores Esteban called.... Stabbed.
     

    Want more? Finish reading it here and leave a review for Dolores!
  9. Renee Stevens

    Health Update!

    By Renee Stevens,

    Update:
     
    Went to the doctor today, with my wonderful husband at my side. The doctor did a a1c test which is supposed to give my average glucose levels for the last 3 months. That should give a better indication of what exactly is going on with me.
     
    She agrees with us that she doesn't think it was a seizure like the ER doctor thought and is fairly certain that it was the low glucose levels that caused me to pass out. She is also doing some kind of blood test for my thyroid and all of those results should be in on Monday, so hopefully we will know more at that point.
     
    She did send me home with a glucose monitor and I currently have to test my glucose levels every morning when I first wake up and then any time I feel "crummy". I do have to say that I really liked this doctor. She was so much better than the ER doctor in my opinion in that she actually listened without interrupting as well as took the time to explain different aspects of what she thinks is going on with me.
     
    While she can't say with any guarantee until test results are back, she doesn't think I have full blown diabetes at this point. She's thinking that I'm more in a "pre-diabetes" stage. If that's the case then it could be something as simple as exercise and a change in diet to prevent me from developing full blown diabetes. She did say that low blood sugar is something that is seen regularly in the early stages of diabetes. Will update more when I know more.
    Also, I should note that within minutes of us sitting down in the exam room, she had my hospital records from last thursday in hand and went through them page by page and explaining all the results from the tests they did at the hospital.
  10. Renee Stevens
    NOW LIVE!!!


     
     
     



     
     
     

    The 2013 GA Poetry Anthology: Whispers in the Dark is now live! Fifteen new poem collections by some of your favorite authors, hope you enjoy!


     
     
     


    A Life in Question


    Bill W

     
     
     


    All in Your Mind


    WatchPatRun

     
     
     


    Astronomical Dusk


    FishWings

     
     
     


    Coy


    carringtonrj

     
     
     


    Murmers at the Dusk of Day


    comicfan

     
     
     


    Night Calls


    JoejoeGreene

     
     
     


    Poems By Moonlight II


    Michael9344

     
     
     


    Quiet House


    Krista

     
     
     


    Requiem For Antonin Artaud


    Johnathan Colourfield

     
     
     


    Sonic


    Dolores Esteban

     
     
     


    Starlight


    ComeWhatMay

     
     
     


    Teach Me How


    A.J.

     
     
     


    The Whispering


    Celethiel

     
     
     


    To the End


    W_L

     
     
     


    Until The End


    layla

     
     
     


    Once again, thank you to Fishwings for creating the anthology banner and thank you to everyone who participated!

  11. Renee Stevens

    Ambulance Ride

    By Renee Stevens,

    So, I had promised a couple of people that I would post a blog about what had happened to me last night.
     
    I was simply sitting here, talking and laughing with my husband. I was on the couch, he was on his chair and suddenly he said I just collapsed and somehow ended up on my stomach on the floor, out cold and completely unresponsive.
     
    Scary stuff... but I don't remember any of that, I only know what I was told later. He rushed over to me and I was breathing, but no matter how much he said my name, I wouldn't respond in any way, shape, or form. He ended up calling 911 and then proceeded to call my parents. He then had to lock my dogs up as two of them were plastered to my side and he knew someone would get bit trying to help me.
     
    An off-duty paramedic (we're guessing because he was in his personal vehicle, not with the ambulance crew) and a cop showed up and the paramedic immediately put oxygen on me and and took my blood glucose level. The reading he got was 35 (in the 170's is normal I guess). He asked my hubby about juice and we had some Hawaiian Punch so the paramedic gave me a little of that and I started to come around. Problem with me coming around, I kept pulling the oxygen mask off and he had started an IV, which I tried to rip out of my arm and succeeded in bending the needle. My hubby finally got back by my head and kept talking to me, telling me to focus on him.
     
    They gave me whatever it is they give someone to bring their blood glucose levels up and loaded me into the ambulance. My hubby rode in the ambulance with me, but I guess he had to ride up front where he could be buckled in. About halfway to the hospital, they tested my blood glucose again and it had risen slightly and gave them a reading of 50. I remember a lot of the trip to the hospital, especially me repeatedly saying "I'm scared."
     
    I don't really remember getting to the hospital, but my vision went wonky like it does before I get a migraine and they gave me some other fluids and medications that were able to stop the migraine from hitting. I was given an EKG which came back normal and they also performed a CT scan. The ER Doc by this time I had heard that I had a history of seizures (up until I was 6 years old and then 2 seizures at age 18) and so she focused on that and only that. Said she thought I had a seizure, problem with that is that my mom has seen every seizure I've ever had, and typically I am completely out of it for hours upon hours after. This time, after they gave me the hawaiian punch and I started to come out of it, I was with it for the most part. I knew where I was, even if I didn't know why. I knew what I had done yesterday. I could talk to them and answer questions, so it doesn't gel with my family that it was a seizure.
     
    Now, remember those low levels of blood glucose? Well, by the time they tested them at the hospital, they were reading 179 (which is normal). Someone, don't ask who because I can't remember, said that with everything they had given me, they typically see the levels shoot in the 300-400's before dropping back down and leveling out. And yet I never shot up that high. The doctor told my mom that she wasn't concerned about the dramatic low numbers of the original readings and that it must have been a malfunction in the machine. One malfunction I could see... Two malfunctions giving the same number I could even see, but for it to give two different numbers, I sincerely doubt it was a malfunction.
     
    To be honest, they aren't 100% sure what is wrong with me. The doctor is saying seizure, even though she really never examined me, while my parents are saying no, it wasn't a seizure. I have to call on Monday to schedule an MRI and an EEG as well as get set up to see my neurologist just to double check things there. After that, we're talking that I'm going to go see someone and get thoroughly tested for diabetes (it does run in both sides of my family) and go from there.
     
    I am extremely stiff and sore, but for now I am just living as normal and waiting to find out what all the tests will say. If you message me and don't get a response immediately, please forgive me. On top of my entire body aching, I am constantly tired.
  12. Renee Stevens
    It's Friday again, which means two new prompts from our prompt guru, Comicfan. Take a look at these and maybe even write one and share it in the Writing Prompt Forum! Also, don't forget April is Team Recognition month, so make sure you thank your writing team!
     
    Prompt 222 – Creative
    Tag – The Dream
    Lately you have been having the same dream over and over again. Only today you realize parts of your dream are coming true. Is this something to be grateful for or terrified of?
     
    Prompt 223 - Creative
    Tag – The Beast
    You were on your way home, arms loaded down with your groceries when you were attacked. The men who attacked you made no secret of the fact that they intended to kill you. Suddenly, from the dark a large creature came forward, destroying them and saving your life. What is this beast that saved your life?
     
    This weeks feature prompt is from last weeks Prompt #220. The prompt was a first line prompt of: Why is my underwear hanging off the chandelier. There were lots of responses and here's one of them from Greg_A.
  13. Renee Stevens
    Last week, I asked for some help with reviews. The response was astounding and many great reviews were offered up. One of which was a review that Ieshwar did for the story "Nothing More Awesome Than This" by xTony. This review certainly piqued my interest and I now have this story on my list of to reads. Enjoy!



    Nothing More Awesome Than This


    By xTony


    Reviewer: Ieshwar
    Status: In Process
    Current Word Count: 33,789
     
     
     
    There are some stories that the moment you read the first few paragraphs, you know that you have no choice and you have to read it till the end. ‘Nothing More Awesome Than This’ is one of those stories. That’s how I found myself reading it at 2 am in my room, laughing like a crazy, mere hours before my final exams. And I don’t regret it one bit.
     
    With a nice change from the usual scenes of highschools and colleges, ‘Nothing More Awesome Than This’ is about interoffice dating. It’s about Tristan who is completely put off by his routine office work and keeps hoping for the day he will finally get the courage to quit. That’s until he meets Cameron, his colleague from another department. And then it’s a real roller-coaster with a desperate Tristan, an utterly oblivious Cameron, two loyal friends, a sexy rival and of course, the most dramatic gay cousin ever as Tristan tries to tell Cameron about his feelings.
     
    What makes this story special is the journey with the characters. You can’t help but feel for Tristan as he tries to hint Cameron about his feelings but keeps failing. Cameron is downright adorable, oblivious to the whole drama around him. Each character has its own quirk, quality and flaw. Another highlight of the story is the comic timing. Trying to impress his new crush, Tristan keeps making new plans. But things never go as planned. Expect his brain to be reduced to goo, hot rival to arrive unexpectedly, wardrobe crisis, bickering best friends…
     
    There are so much more I could say about this story but the most important that I can say is “Read it.” It’s funny, it’s adorable, and it’s worthwhile. Believe me, there’s nothing more awesome than this.
  14. Renee Stevens
    We have had so many wonderful contributors to the GA News Blog. One such contributor is Libby Drew who has sent us countless articles centered around ways to improve your writing. She has had a ton of very helpful tips and today is no different.


    Story Needs Direction

     

    Wait a minute, lady. My story has a quest. How much more direction could I possibly have?
     
    Direction is not always movement. Movement does not ensure direction. Direction implies there is a question that needs to be answered, that the main character has a clear-cut goal, and in realizing that goal, he experiences growth.
     
    Without these elements, your story runs the risk of being purely episodic. Episodic means events happen that are loosely tied together. They might be entertaining, but little character growth occurs. Nor do subsequent events grow out of the ones before.
     
    How a classic formula can go wrong:
     
    A character is drawn into a different world and discovers he is “the chosen one.” He is presented with “the chosen one’s quest.” He sets off on his quest and faces one challenge after another, overcoming each in turn. He fulfills his quest, saving the world from evil, or whatever, for another million years.
     
    Countless books use this same formula, many with overwhelming success. So why do others fail? Here are three likely reasons:
    The hero is being reactive when he should be proactive. He stumbles from event to event, reacting to each new threat. He doesn’t formulate. He doesn’t plan. Other characters guide the outcome of his story. The story question is answerable with a simple yes or no. It’s not enough to know the hero fulfills his quest. A story must show how he grows and changes as he pursues his goal. He must have a plan of action. He needs to adapt. For each new adventure, or obstacle, or test, he must REACT, then ADAPT and PLAN, then MOVE FORWARD. Your story becomes episodic if your character moves forward without making future plans. The hero doesn’t use his strengths. Instead, he magically finds new skills. He overcomes every obstacle by luck or intervention by others. He never builds upon those things which made him a prospective hero in the first place.

    How to save an episodic story:
    Give your character a clearly defined goal. Give your character significant strengths and some weaknesses. These will determine his plan of attack and ultimately reveal the flaws in that plan. Decide how your hero will react to his obstacles. His strengths and weaknesses should govern his reactions. He can overcome obstacles, avoid them, or turn them into opportunities, but most importantly, each setback will require a new plan and each triumph will determine the next step. Make sure every scene moves the story forward, contributes to the hero’s growth, and to the story’s outcome.

    Serialized fiction—a story posted one chapter or installment at a time—runs a giant risk of being episodic. Just as the hero must plan, so must you, the writer. Plot. Outline. Always keep the character’s quest, the story’s question, and your goal—writing a great story—in mind.
     

    ~Libby
  15. Renee Stevens
    The Indefinite Article


     
     
     

    By


     
     
     

    andy021278


     
     
     

    A daft question: Do I use “A” or “An”?


     

    Well it does seem like a daft question doesn’t it, but it’s amazing how many people still struggle with this; especially when confronted by the more obscure grammatical areas such as acronyms and abbreviations?
     
    I’ve seen wrong uses in stories posted on line, in published works in print, in newspaper articles and even in professional publications.
     


    The basic rule


     

    If you had a halfway decent English teacher at school then you will know this rule like the back of your hand. If you had my English teacher, then get ready for a wee shock.
     
    Many of us were taught to use “a” in front of a word that begins with a consonant, and “an” in front of a word that begins with a vowel. If you follow this rule and treasure it, then I’m sorry to break this to you, but that only tells half the story.
     
    The actual rule is to use “a” in front of a word that begins with a consonant sound, and “an” in front of a word that begins with a vowel sound.
     


    Vowels with consonant sounds


     

    How can a word that begins with a vowel, possibly begin with a consonant sound?
     
    Let’s look at probably the most often used vowel that can have a consonant sound; the letter “u”. If we take two every day words that begin with the letter “u” (uniform and umbrella) and before you read on think about whether you would use “a” or “an” in front of them.
     
    If you follow the rule many of us were taught in school, you would use “an” in front of both them. Although “an umbrella” sounds perfectly reasonable, “an uniform” really doesn’t; we use “a uniform”. But why?
     
    This is where the vowel sound and the consonant sound comes into play. The word “umbrella” begins with an “um” sound (the sound begins with a vowel, and is therefore called a vowel sound), but the word “uniform” begins with a “you” sound (the sound begins with a consonant, and is therefore called a consonant sound).
     
    A few more examples:
     
    an oblong (“ob” sound, vowel sound)
     
    a one-off (“won” sound, consonant sound)
     
    an elephant (“el” sound, vowel sound)
     
    a unicorn (“you” sound, consonant sound)
     


    Consonants with vowel sounds


     

    How can a word that begins with a consonant, possibly begin with a vowel sound?
     
    Let’s look at probably the most often used consonant that can have a vowel sound (at least in my opinion), the letter “h”. If we take two everyday words that begin with the letter “h” (hospital and hour), and now before you read on, think about whether you use “a” or “an” in front of them.
     
    If you use the rule many of us were taught in school, then you would use “a” in front of both them. Although “a hospital” sounds perfectly reasonable, “a hour” really doesn’t; we use “an hour”. But why?
     
    Again, this is where the vowel sound and the consonant sound comes into play. The word “hospital” begins with a “hoh” sound, but the word “hour” begins with an “ow” sound.
     
    A few more examples:
     
    a hotel (“ho” sound)
     
    an honourable person (“on” sound)
     
    a xylophone (“zy” sound)
     
    an x-ray (“ex” sound)
     


    The dreaded letter “h”


     

    In spite of how simple this now hopefully sounds to all of you, the “h” words can actually cause a lot of problems.
     
    The first thing that causes problems is the simple fact that most people mispronounce the letter “h” as “haitch”, when in fact it is pronounced “aitch”; this causes confusion over the vowel and consonant sounds discussed earlier.
     
    The second issue that can cause problems is that the English speaking world is full of what are called “h-droppers”, those who do not pronounce the initial letter “h” in words; an affectation probably most common in Londoners (trust me, I’m guilty of it myself).
     
    The third problem stems from the fact that historically in UK English the initial letter “h” was often not pronounced or pronounced very softly (something that was arguably adopted from the French language), and in some cases has persisted into modern times.
     
    So for whatever reason, hospital gets pronounced as “ospital”, helpful gets pronounced as “elpful” and so on. All of a sudden, and rather disturbingly, “an hospital” or “an helpful person” sounds right; what is even more disturbing is the fact that my MS Word 2007 grammar checker has not flagged either of these as being incorrect.
     
    One particular word, “historic” (and its derivatives such as “historical” and “historically”), is a major bone of contention. The main reason is that most people do not know if it is pronounced “historic” (i.e. the “h” is pronounced) or if it pronounced “istoric” (i.e. it is one of those English words where the “h” is silent, like it is in the word “hour”). It is correctly pronounced as “historic” (I’m talking about in UK English, though “historic” also appears to be correct in American English); so it is always correctly written as “a historic” (and consequently, “a historical” and “a historically”).
     


    Abbreviations, initialisms and acronyms


     

    The “a” vs “an” rule is exactly the same as with words; it doesn’t make a difference. You use “a” when they start with a consonant sound, and “an” when they start with a vowel sound; you just need to know whether each letter is pronounced separately (an initialism such as CIA), read as a word (an acronym such as NASA), or just read as the actual word (an abbreviation such as etc.). So a few examples are:
     
    an FBI agent (“ef” sound, this is an initialism, read as “F B I”)
     
    a NASA astronaut (“nah” sound, this is an acronym, and read as “Nasa”)
     
    an NHS hospital (“en” sound, this is an initialism, read as “N H S”)
     
    a Capt. of the guard (“ka” sound, this is an abbreviation, read as the original word “captain”)
     
    a PDF file (“pea” sound, this is an initialism, read as “P D F”)
  16. Renee Stevens
    Since I have posted in my blog about what's been going on with my brother, I figured with the news I received today that it might just be time to make yet another post. (For those of you who are reading this for the first time, my brother was diagnosed in December with Stage 4 Leukemia)
     
    My brother has just finished going through his third round of Chemo, he's expected to be at the halfway point as they only figured they would need six rounds of the Chemo. They did some new tests on him to see how the chemo is affecting the cancer and we received some great news. The cancer has responded very very favorably to the treatment and as of Monday there has been a little over 75% reduction in the amount of cancer tissue in his body. His white blood cell counts are at the lowest they have been during all of this and it is a good thing it wasn't a treatment week or they would have had to postpone it to give his white blood cells a chance to come up. He has about ten days until his next treatment and they are hoping that it sufficient time to raise his levels so that they can proceed as planned. At this point, his doctor is thinking that after the next three rounds of chemo, he should be in the clear for quite some time.
     
    So in short, after the next three rounds, they will do all the tests to confirm he's in remission. Then after that it will be quarterly bloodwork and yearly CT scans to make sure it hasn't come back. His doctor don't think it will anytime soon, but as with all cancers, there is never a guarantee.
     
    Thank you to everyone for all your support through this, I can't express how much it meant to me to know that I had such a wonderful support group.
  17. Renee Stevens
    So, I'm feeling a bit whiny at the moment, so please forgive me. On the heels of the good news regarding my brother and of being asked to be my best friends matron of honor I got bad news from my eye doctor.... Well, it wasn't good news at least.
     
    Went to the eye doctor today for my regular check up. I needed new glasses anyways as I'm tired of fixing my current ones with gorilla glue. Figured it would go like normal, that he'd tell me that my prescription changed a little bit, but not a whole lot. Well, I only wish it had gone as smoothly as that.
     
    Apparently I have what is called Keratoconus. I had never even heard of it before so I looked it up. To read more about it, visit Keratoconus. To put all that simply, one of the linings of my cornea has thinned and as a result of that, the pressure against that spot has caused the area to bulge out a bit into more of a cone shape (or a nipple shape as he kept saying). He said it's not way bad, but he's surprised that it is only now showing. Generally it is found in a person's teen years and even up into someone's early twenties. It's unusual to have it show up this late.
     
    I told him that me and my hubby had been discussing getting Lasik surgery. He then proceeded to tell me that I couldn't have that done and that it is a good thing I hadn't already had it done or I may be facing a corneal transplant. Anyways, since there is no cure the only solution is to put me in gas permeable contact lenses. While it won't completely stop it, he said it will slow it down so that it shouldn't ever get to the point of needing surgery.
     
    So essentially, I had the choice of whether or not to have lasik or wear contacts taken out of my hands. The only plus side to all of this is that since the contacts are medically necessary, my eye insurance will cover them 100%, which is great because they are not cheap. I don't mind wearing contacts, but since there is so much I do where wearing contacts isn't exactly feasible. And honestly, for day to day use, I prefer my glasses. A lot less hassle. But now, wearing my contacts will have to be the general rule. Never worn the gas permeable, so this could prove to be interesting.
     
    Though with everything else going on, this is really a minor thing in the big scheme of things. Still, it sucks.
  18. Renee Stevens
    You know, I've been doing a lot of thinking today. Since my brother's diagnosis back in December, I've really had to redefine what my definition of family is. I'm not so much talking about brothers, sisters, parents, and really not even grandparents. Now, all of those other extended "family" are where my thoughts have turned to. All those cousins, aunts, uncles and the extended family with few exceptions.
     
    What many of you know, and some of you may not know, I lost my second oldest brother when I was 13 years old. I was devastated. Fast forward 17 years and I get told my oldest brother is sick. Cancer. 4th stage Leukemia. Once again, I was devastated. I'd already lost one brother and was terrified that I was going to lose another. You would think that my 'family' would rally around us. You would think that my cousins would, at the very least, message on facebook and tell me or my brothers that if there is anything they can do to let them know. You would THINK, that my mother's own sisters and brothers would call to ask how things are going, how is he doing, etc. Not entirely sure about whether or not my mother's siblings call her to check on how the family is doing, except for one, but I doubt it. I'm pretty sure that it's typically my mom doing all the calling.
     
    I personally haven't heard a word from any of them. All these cousins who claim they are so big on family, not a word from more than two of them. My aunt, the only one who actually checks on everyone else, sent both me and my mom bracelets that said "hope" as soon as she heard. Other than that, the majority of the family on my mother's side haven't said a word. They expect everyone to do for them, but they can't even show they care with a kind word, with an offer of help, nothing.
     
    What really pissed me off with all this is my mom's second oldest sister. See, my mom had made a quilt for her oldest sister (the one who gave us the bracelets), and had planned to make them for her other sisters as well. Then we got the news of my brother's diagnosis. Needless to say, we were a mess, and my mom decided it was more important to make a chemo quilt for my brother. A quilt that had all of our pictures on it. She figured that if we couldn't be there in person, we could at least be there with him in that way. My mom's second oldest sister threw a fit. Told my mom that she would have liked a quilt too and how hurt she was that mom didn't make her one. I could see that if my family hadn't just been devastated with the news that my brother was sick, especially having already lost my other brother. My aunt had my mother in tears and to be honest, I still have yet to talk to her. My mom had more important things to worry about that making sure all my aunt's got a quilt for Christmas. My mom did make the quilt, and sent it to my aunt via mail. When my aunt called her, mom said she was very humble, but it was clear that prior to that, my aunt wasn't hurt, she was pissed. Needless to say, I'm not impressed with a lot of my family.
     
    Which leads me to the point of this blog entry. I want to thank all of you at GA for being more of a family to me over the last months than most of my own family has been. As soon as I posted about my brother's illness I heard from so many of you. Some of you I had never talked to before, and yet you were still right there to offer me kind words and offers of hope. It meant more to me than I can say. At the time, there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't hear from someone, asking how I was doing. Asking how my brother was doing and if we'd found anything out. You guys helped hold me up. I know many of you were going through your own tough times, and yet you still found the moment to drop me a note. So again, thank you for being there for me.
  19. Renee Stevens

    Weekly Wrap Up!

    By Renee Stevens,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    What a great week it was, especially with the release of the 2013 GA Spring Anthology: A Night to Remember. So many wonderful new stories to read and if you haven't already checked them out, I would suggest you do so and leave the authors a review to let them know what you thought!
     
    A Reminder: The chosen story for the CSR book club is State of Mind by Libby Drew. The discussion will take place on the 25th of this month, so make sure you've read it before then so that you can join in with your thoughts!
     
    On Monday, Joann provided us with a review of Centaur by Carringtonrj. A quick read of just over 1,000 words, it includes some wonderful imagery and might help newer authors see a great way to describe a character.
     
    For our Wacky Wednesday, we featured an article written by andy021278 called The Indefinite Article on the correct usage of those pesky two words, a and an. He gives us a lot of insight as to when to use which.
     
    Thursday we broke the blog mold and announced that the 2013 GA Spring Anthology: A Night to Remember has gone live.
     
    Due to the release of the Anthology, there was no weekly prompts this week, they'll make their return next week!
     
    So, how was your week? Have you read the anthology stories yet?
     
    In Premium this week:
     
    There And Back Again by Michael9344
     

    By our Hosted Authors this week:
     
    Adverse Effects by Cia Book 2 of Saving Caeorleia
     
    Dreams of Humanity by dkstories, Book 1 of Dreams of Humanity
     
    Paternity by Mark Arbour, Book 12 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP)
     
    The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 7 by Comicality Book 7 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase
     
    Flash Fiction - Second Shot - The Senior Year by Andrew_Q_Gordon
     
    In The Arms of an Angel by Nephylim, Book 1 of Wednesday Briefs
     
    Heated Blood by Cia (Ebook)
     
    Tentacles by Nephylim
     
    Legacy by Altimexis Book 29 of Naptown Tales
     
    By our Promising Authors this week:
     
    Circle the Noun by JMH Book 2 of The Watch
     
    Spirit of Vengeance by Hamen Cheese, Book 2 of Adamagika Series
     
    Cold Case by Dolores Esteban
     
    Blind Dates by FrenchCanadian
     
    The Talents of the Fallen by JMH, Book 1 of Fallen
     
    Protector of Children by David McLeod
     
    Secrets and Lies by Dolores Esteban
     
    The Luxorian Fugitive by Mann Ramblings
     
    The Nano Wars: Rebirth by JMH Book 1 of The Nano Wars
     
    (Note: Anthology stories have not been included)
  20. Renee Stevens
    NOW LIVE!!!





     
     
     

    The
    2013 GA Spring Anthology: A Night to Remember is now live! Twenty new stories by some of your favorite authors.


    Hope you enjoy! Don't forget to leave the authors a review to let them know what you thought of their hard work.



    It's really the only payment these authors get for their contribution to the Anthology.


     
     
     


    A Friend For The Doc


    Michael9344

     
     
     

    As The Music Plays...


    K.C.

     
     
     


    At the End of the Rainbow


    Bill W

     
     
     


    Darkness is Black


    Yettie One

     
     
     


    Hark: A Lark


    JoejoeGreene



    I Can’t Even Remember


    Dolores Esteban

     
     
     


    In the Cold


    W_L

     
     
     


    Lost At Sea


    comicfan

     
     
     


    Lost in Venice


    Johnathan Colourfield

     
     
     


    Onyx: In Darkness


    Cailen

     
     
     


    Service Call


    A.J.

     
     
     


    Sex


    carringtonrj

     
     
     


    Six Seconds


    FishWings

     
     
     


    Tally-ho!


    Percy

     
     
     


    Tequila Revelations


    Mann Ramblings

     
     
     


    The Dream Dreams the Dreamer


    andy021278

     
     
     


    The Snow Man of Lamair


    Celethiel

     
     
     


    The Strength of Love


    Rosenkrantz

     
     
     


    Till The Last Breath


    Ieshwar

     
    On another note, typically Cia does all of the banners for the GA Anthologies. This year, I want to send a thank you to Fishwings for volunteering to create the banner!
  21. Renee Stevens

    Featured Story: Centaur

    By Renee Stevens,


    Featured Stories
    First off, I want to say thank you to everyone who responded to my plea for help! I appreciate the instant offers of assistance more than I can say! I received quite a few responses which will ensure that we will have reviews for a few of the upcoming Monday blogs. If you want to write a review for a story you have read, please PM me. Now, without further ado, let's look to our featured story!
     
    Joann414 provides us with a review of the story Centaur, written by Carringtonrj. It's a short piece dedicated to the description of a character. Hope you enjoy in the imagery.
     



    Centaur


    by



    Carringtonrj


     
    Reviewer: Joann414
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 1,065
     
    Centaur is a beautiful, poetic piece about the mythical creature that keeps the reader in it's grip throughout the complete story. It flows effortlessly with the imagery and descriptive words that this author can write in a way that makes this man/horse so magnificent that you go looking for an actual image to put to the lovely description.
     
    If a first time author needs something to teach them how to write great imagery or describe something or someone in a postive, deserving way that makes that character grab the readers attentnion then they definitely need to read Centaur. It is a very short piece that is warm, hot beautiful, dramatic and enthralling.
     
    The first time I read it i knew that I would go back to read again just to make sure I caught all of the feeling that this author puts into his work and he puts massive amounts in everything he writes. If you had not read this, the it is a must read for new and seasoned authors.
  22. Renee Stevens

    Csr Book Club Monthly Feature

    By Renee Stevens,


    CSR- Can't Stop Reading
    Welcome to the March edition of the CSR Book Club Blog! This month we've decided to use a story by an author you've been seeing a lot from lately on the blogs, Libby Drew! To mix up genres a bit, we're going to read a futuristic story with a bit of a sci-fi bent along with some thriller vibes. ^_^Intrigued yet? Check out the info below, read the story, and then be ready to discuss. We've had two great months so far, so here's to another one!
     
     
     



    State of Mind


    by Libby Drew


     
    Length: 62,740
    Rating: Teen (indicates some violence and/or graphic content)
     
    Description: In a world where some people are born Gifted, able to use their minds to influence people and control objects, agent Aleck Devlin's mission is simple: find rogue agent Grier Crist and report his whereabouts to the Organization.
     
    Some Thoughts From A Reader: This story grabbed me from the beginning and never let go 'till the end. This would be a great serial.
     

    Don't forget the discussion will take place on March 25th. Happy Reading!
  23. Renee Stevens
    ANNOUNCEMENT: Today is the last day to get your anthology stories in for the Spring Anthology: A Night to Remember. If you have any questions on how to submit, please PM me. Now, without further delay, onto our weekly prompts!
     
    Comicfan always manages to come up with something that sounds quite interesting and this week is no exception. If you tackle either of these prompts why not share them with everyone else by posting them in the Writing Prompt Forum!
     
    Prompt 216 – Creative
    Tag – Politics
    With how badly things are going in the world since the great disaster a new political party has arisen. They have decided you will be their main spokesman. What is it your party is promising to do and what is their main agenda?
     
    Prompt 217 – Creative
    Tag – Time Traveler
    For years they have been perfecting time travel. You were recently brought into the project and while resetting some of the delicate machinery it was activated and you were tossed through time. Where did you end up and what if anything can you do to get back?
     
    Today, we're going to take a look at Ieshwar's first prompt! He decided to tackle Prompt #215: Your family and friends have decided it is past time for you to find someone and settle down. They have set you up with someone they all agree is the perfect person for you. Is this the beginning of a wonderful romance or the blind date from hell? Enjoy!
  24. Renee Stevens

    Wacky Wednesday: Ask An Author #2

    By Renee Stevens,


    Author Interviews
    Ask an Author #2


    And we’re back!
     
    In this series, random questions from GA members have been shot out to various authors here on GA. Those authors have the opportunity to either decline or answer, and the answers are just as quirky as the questions. This shall be a fun way to learn a little more about some of the folks here on GA.
     
    In AtA #1, we had questions for authors furnishedsoul, podiumdavis, and CassieQ.
     
    In AtA #2, we hear from Graeme, Andrew Todd, and Joann414
    .
    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, Graeme, has been around GA forever. He’s an Aussie, a dad, a writer, and one of our Mods here on GA. Since 2006, Graeme has posted about 20 different stories, from fictional conversations with his son to more serious Anthology Fare. You’ve also probably spotted him grumbling around in the forums.


    To Graeme: What led you to write the story "A letter to my son"? (inspiration/motivation/etc)  

    I wrote A Letter To My Son about seven years ago, so I can't remember the exact inspiration, but I do know that comedy, for me, has to flow freely and I can't force it. I think the original motivation came after reading a particularly comic fictional story in one of my wife's horse magazines, about a rider who wasn't aware of how everyone else was reacting. I do know that I also took inspiration from Bryan Dawe's Letters From Kalangadoo, a radio series on ABC radio here in Australia many years ago, about a weekly letter from a country dad to his gay son. His shows were a lot funnier than my short story, but I'm happy with what I came up with.  
    The next author today is popular newcomer Andrew Todd. Riding Lessons, the first book in the series of the same name, is one of the most followed here on GA. Quite the accomplishment!


    To Andrew Todd: Do you have any other stories planned after “Riding Lessons?”  

    I actually have three stories on deck. First, I am finishing a Christmas story that I hope will be the first in a Holiday themed collection of stories. I have started writing a new multi-chapter story which will bridge 'Riding Lessons' with the next book in that series, which is in the early planning stages (ie. the 'got it written in my head phase').  
    Joann414 is our last author in this installment. This is a lady with a big heart who conquered GA early on with her numerous positive and thoughtful reviews. Authors still brag about the number of comments they’ve garnered from this sweet lady.


    Recently, she has even posted her own work and had this to ask herself: What one piece of advice can you give to those thinking of writing or actively writing on the site?  

    When you post your work, don't wear your feelings on your sleeve, and read all reviews with an open mind. There is a lot of knowledge in a review!  
    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: Luka Fox, Johnathan Colourfield, and Q.
     
    Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark)!
     
    Until next time!
     
    Dark
  25. Renee Stevens

    Featured Story: Turbulence

    By Renee Stevens,


    Featured Stories
    Monday's are a great day, not so much as they are the start of a new week but because it's the day we look at one of the stories here at Gay Authors. Maybe you have been looking for a new story to read? If so, why not read the following review provided by andy021278 of Eliotmoore's story Turbulence. After reading about the story, you can decide whether or not it's one you want to take a look at! Enjoy!



    Turbulence


    by Eliotmoore


     
    Reviewer: andy021278
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 312,229
     
    The end of middle school is probably a time of fear and excitement for everyone, but as the fourteen year olds who are looking forward to starting Riverview High School after the summer holidays are about to find out, high school is even more terrifying than they could ever have imagined.
     
    Riverview High has a mentorship program in place. Each of the soon to be ninth graders are paired up with a twelfth grade senior who is supposed to help them become acclimated to high school, and be there to help with any problems they may have.
     
    The “freshies”, as the incoming ninth graders are called, quickly discover however, that the mentorship program is actually a benign face, which hides a world of bullying, sadism, and perversion that would make even the Marquis de Sade blush.
     
    There are only three simple rules the freshies have to follow at all times: “do whatever you are told to do”, “don’t do anything you haven’t been told to do” and “always respect the seniors”. Break any rule, and the freshie faces swift and harsh punishment. Quite what punishment they face depends upon the depths of depravity their senior sinks to; just don’t forget to thank your senior after being corrected.
     
    As a freshie, there is more fun, parties, alcohol, and sex than they can shake a stick at; but the pleasure of the rewards of being a freshie pale into insignificance when it comes to the pain of the punishments for breaking the rules or the humiliations of simply being a freshie.
     
    Everybody in town, from the kids’ parents to the police, knows everything that happens behind the face of the mentorship program, after all, they were all ninth graders once themselves; but nobody talks about it, and nobody tries to change it. Every ninth grader who was ever humiliated, beaten, punished and tortured knows that they will one day be a twelfth grader; a twelfth grader with a freshie of their very own.
     
    There are a few seniors who try to shield their freshie from the full horrors of what they are facing, but if they hide their freshie from everything then the nightmare only becomes ten times worse. Denver Hawk is one such senior playing this dangerous juggling act with the fate of freshie Daniel Murrell. Just how much can he protect Daniel? Just how much will Daniel be forced to endure? Will Daniel be the same loveable and friendly fourteen-year-old at the end of freshie year?
     
    A word of caution: Even though there are light-hearted moments scattered through the story (such as a couple of weeks at summer camp and a game of strip poker with an interesting twist) this is not a tale for the faint of heart.
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