Renee Stevens

Thanks, Cia! I know, I thought about writing more, but that did seem to be a good stopping place, and it leaves it for me to continue later on if I want (just have to make sure any future ones can stand on their own). Besides, like you said, Landon is so confident, how could he lose? Right?

Thank you, Tim. I wanted to do something a little different from challenges just being issues because the challenger thought they were better. Glad you enjoyed it.

Thank you, Cole. I am considering continuing it in other anthologies, the trick will be to make sure they can each be read by themselves and make sense.

Great job, Aditus. It definitely kept my attention as I waited to see what happened next. He was definitely in a bad situation, but throughout the majority of the story, he tried to make the best of it, and I did like how he changed from hunting human prey to hunting demon prey.

An intriguing story. It leaves the reader wondering what happens next. I think you did an awesome job showing the conflict between what Sudal wants to do versus what his duty to his clan is. More please

Great job, Cole! I like how you paired two completely different people for this story. While this is complete as is, it does leave the door open for future contributions, which is never a bad thing. I especially loved the food critics excitement when Jeff really got into the food tastings.

Damn. I'm not even sure how to articulate my thoughts on this one. Hank has definitely lost his mind, that's for damn sure, and I should have known you wouldn't do something expected. And poor Danny, having to deal with the whole scenario and finding out that Tristan's death wasn't an accident. Great job on a very creepy tale!

Powerful story. I feel bad for both Brady and Ryan and hopefully down the line something will change and Brady will be able to be who he truly is, not who he thinks his father wants him to be.

Great job, Parker! It kept my attention and at times it made me want to start smacking people (at the very least). Glad to see everything worked out for the boys

Great job, Myr! I have to say I loved Aegis and it's snarky attitude at times.

I hope everyone is ready for some new reading!!! To help you get over those hump day blues, we have 9 brand new stories for your enjoyment. The theme for the anthology was Crossing the Line and there are some great takes on the theme. Hopefully you enjoy the stories and don't forget to leave the authors a like, and a review to let them know what you think. A Bad Day to be WET Myr “Calculations are complete,” Aegis reported. “And how did we do with that last one?” Bill asked dryly. “We did much better.” Bill chuckled. “One more jump do you think?” Aegis paused a moment. “That would appear likely, sir.” “Okay. I’m setting jump coordinates for Neptune Test Point Charlie.” Continue >> A Hazard Taken Parker Owens Daniel Akindele stared numbly at the wreckage of the fancy hotel room. The remains of a sandwich still sat on the coffee table, uneaten. An unopened gift, pressed into Daniel's hands as they left their small wedding celebration – their very own wedding reception – atop a small suitcase. The silk sheets on the bed lay wildly disarrayed as he and his beloved Ibrahim – Ibi - had left them. As they had made love – and then slept in them. Now federal Immigration agents bustled about the room, searching, for what, he couldn't possibly guess. Where was Ibi? Where were they taking him? Continue >> Full Disclosure Renee Stevens Dom leapt over the fallen tree trunk, barely even breaking his stride. He missed having Landon at his side during a hunt, but his best friend had told him to go without him. It wasn’t the first time, and Dom was beginning to worry. Landon seemed to have been pulling away from him lately, and he still wasn’t sure why. He didn’t think he’d like the answer and so he hadn’t asked. A heavy weight slammed into him and sent him colliding with a tree. A sharp pain in his side spoke of possibly broken ribs. Dom managed to stagger to his feet, still reeling from the blow, and struggled to catch his breath. He’d barely made it back on four paws when he was hit again, sending him back to the ground with another wolf looming over him. Continue >> Guarding the Line craftingmom He was in charge of holding the line. His comrades in arms were doing their best to hold off the offensive moves of the Raiders, but he was the last line of defense. Brady's sharp eyes cut to his right for only a moment. Ryan. He knew exactly where he was. Waiting. Cheering. For him. His heart thundered in his chest. Ryan. He didn't know what it was about the new kid, but Brady couldn't stop thinking about him. The shy teen had pushed every one of the desires Brady had kept carefully hidden behind the threshold of his virtual closet for the last few years. Desires he was sure his friends wouldn't approve of, would ridicule him for. He felt a pang of regret every time Ryan's eyes flickered with a moment of hope that Brady saw him as more than just a friend. But that was all they could ever be. Continue >> Mixed Emotions The Eminent MGK I had stridden strength, holding her, entire night. Until the morning, it was like a fight. Pacing alone, I was worried so high. They had said, they'd try whatever they might. Continue >> Obsession Valkyrie His movements were languid and smooth, as he posed like one born to the modeling profession. His golden hair shone in the midday sunlight, tousled by the breeze like an intent hairstylist. He had no formal training but didn’t need it. The upturn of his mouth, eye contact at just the right moment, sculpted body at just the right angle—he oozed sensuality with no effort on his part. I don’t think he had any idea of the effect he had on people. Passersby of both sexes frequently gave him a second look. He carried himself with a heady mixture of innocence and raw sexuality with the way he dressed in flattering and fashionable clothes and the way he interacted with others and the camera. It was intoxicating just to be in his presence. The click of my camera was as regular as my pulse when I was around him. My heart stuttered in time with the shutter when he smiled directly into the lens and into my soul. We were meant to be together. I knew it just as surely as I drew breath. Continue >> The Epicure Cole Matthews I looked over at the hospital room door again. Two uniformed officers were talking in hushed tones. I didn't know what they were discussing and frankly, I doubted they knew much. I took the report I'd just read and placed it back into the folder and slid it into my leather computer bag. I glanced down at the newspaper on my lap and picked it up. Rifling through it, I came upon the section of the Minneapolis Mercury-Times I wanted. It wasn't something I usually read. I liked the sports section, the comics, and occasionally the regional news. I never perused the lifestyle section and most assuredly not the food columns. Continue >> Worthy Cia Ebodar gasped. “You didn’t go out there alone, did you, verl?” He had a name, though none had used it since his mark appeared shortly after he was born. He remembered it, though he’d only heard it said in a whisper his mother had shared in his ear when she’d see him struggling. It had been too many years since she passed, and it was hard not to resent the way even that had been taken from him. Sudal wouldn’t forget the name she’d given him although all those important gave up their identities to the clan. Sudal’s father, as the leader of their clan, was addressed only as Lord. Continue >> Zaidu aditus The fire crackles in the background, but its warmth doesn’t reach him. Standing in the cave’s entrance, his gaze wanders unseeingly over dense forest. Long-forgotten memories have assaulted him: a walled garden, green leaves whispering in the early morning breeze, and the cries and giggles of his siblings somewhere in the house. But not the name his mother called him. Not her face. Just a faint scent...jasmine? His hand involuntarily clenches into a fist, and he turns his face toward the slight breeze coming in from the sea hidden behind the green. Continue >> 2016 Spring Anthology Support Team Anthology Coordinator Renee Stevens Tech Support AJ Proof Team Cia Rec Valkyrie Johnathan Colourfield Anthology Banner Creation Cia

Dom leapt over the fallen tree trunk, barely even breaking his stride. He missed having Landon at his side during a hunt, but his best friend had told him to go without him. It wasn’t the first time, and Dom was beginning to worry. Landon seemed to have been pulling away from him lately, and he still wasn’t sure why. He didn’t think he’d like the answer and so he hadn’t asked. A heavy weight slammed into him and sent him colliding with a tree. A sharp pain in his side spoke of possibly broken r

A fight for his life results in Dom learning that, sometimes, the impossible is anything but.

And I'm still glad that it caused multiple emotions. LOL. Thanks Tim!!

Thanks Andy! I'm glad you enjoyed it. It was definitely a challenge.

Thanks, Cole! So glad you enjoyed Friends First, as well as the other two! And thank you for all the lovely compliments. I love hearing what my readers enjoy

I know, I know. Despite being ready to let the Thwarted guys go for a while, I seem to be having issues with writing the last three chapters. I promise, soon!!! Maybe I'll try and get them out by the end of the month in celebration

Thanks, Val! I hope, if you haven't read them, that you enjoy them

I hope you enjoy them aditus!!

Thanks, Cia! And thanks for the feature Can't wait for the discussion day.

As Cia said, random selection. Though, these are three stories that I particularly like

I hope everyone had a great week and a wonderful start to the weekend. Did anyone do anything special to celebrate Leap Year? Do you have Leap Year traditions? Feel free to share in the comments if you'd like. There were a lot of great things happening in the blog this past week, and a lot of great featured content. Lets see what we had! C S R Discussion Day: The Holly And The Ivy By Aditus - There was a great discussion day on Monday for the February CSR story, The Holly and The Ivy by Aditus. It looks like quite a few people enjoyed the story, and Aditus stopped by the blog to answer questions for the readers. If you had a question about the story, stop by and see if maybe your question was answered. Ask An Author #37 - Dark has been providing this feature for quite awhile (as evidenced by this being #37). This month's authors were albertnothlit, Carlos Hazday, Julie Hayed, and MA Church. There were some great questions asked and answered, so if you want to learn a bit more about then, make sure to check out this post. Prompt Me! #482 & #483 - Friday was all about the prompts. Not only did we have a word list prompt, but we also had a creative prompt. For our featured prompt response, I decided to feature all of the responses to Prompt #480. There were three prompts, authored by JohnAR, Valkyrie, and Mikiesboy. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team** 2016 Summer Anthology: Wicked Games - Due May 26th, 2016 2016 Fall Anthology: Blindsided - Due August 26th, 2016 2016 Winter Anthology: The Forgotten - Due November 26th, 2016 All Pre-2016 Anthology Themes - Due December 14, 2016 Premium Updates: Journey's End by M.A. Church; Book 2 of The Harvest *Premium* Signature Updates: Leopards Leap by Graeme; Book 3 of The Lilydale Leopards The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 9 by Comicality; Book 9 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase My Brother Daniel by Nephylim Remembering Tim by CarlHoliday The G. M. Os. by CarlHoliday From the Cup of the Worthless by Cynus Innocence & Carnality by Mann Ramblings No Flash by Cia Sword of Kings: Tempered by Fate by Bill W; Book 3 of Sword of Kings The Best Year by Krista Space Pioneer 5 - Nephthys by Dolores Esteban Classic Updates: Things We Lost by Dabeagle Promising Updates: Promptings from Valhalla - 2016 Edition byValkyrie Falling Apart by craftingmom Holding Back by Thorn Wilde Headstall's Reflections by Headstall Treading Water by Headstall One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets by AC Benus My Twentieth Year by AC Benus Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

I hope everyone is having a great week! It's time for this weeks prompts, supplied by our prompt guru, Comicfan. Just a reminder, and for those who haven't worked with the prompts before: prompt responses under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection. Hopefully you'll find something in this weeks prompts to spark an idea and get you writing! Prompt 482 – Creative Tag – List of Words Use the following words in a story – a tree limb, a garbage bag, a lemon, a chicken, and bees. Prompt 483 – Creative Tag – The Trip You decided you needed a little vacation and jump in your car to get away. Where do you go on your little trip? For this week, I decided to share all the responses for Prompt #480. Enjoy! Continue Reading Continue Reading Continue Reading

I can't believe it's already March, and time for another Ask An Author feature! If you have a question that you'd like to ask a specific author, but don't want to do the actual asking, then send your question to Dark! I hope you enjoy this edition of Ask An Author, and a big THANK YOU to Dark for continuing to provide these. Ask an Author #37 Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors! In AtA #36, we had questions for authors Bill W, Robert Rex, and Sasha Distan. In AtA #37, we hear from authors albertnothlit, Carlos Hazday, and Julie Hayes and MA Church. 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. Now in his second year with us here at GA, author albertnothlit has his first appearance in this blog series today. This gentleman has his own website; google his name if you want to check it out. You can also find him on Goodreads and Twitter. He may not have been with us long, but Albert has been writing for quite awhile; we’re lucky he happened to stop by … and then stick around. J Probably the genre he’s best known for is sci-fi, especially with Life Seed, his most recent story posted here on GA. Those of us who love sci-fi have all read stories that start off like this one: a new colony on a new planet that’s doomed because …. Fill in the gap here. I like this one because while there is a battlefield, it’s the colonists versus the planet itself, for the people are slowly starving. One of the things I like best is that Albert gives us little clues throughout the story that give it greater detail. Miles of explanatory text is common amongst sci-fi stories, but Albert has balanced this quite well and gives us an amazing main character to follow. To albertnothlit: How do you go on when you write? Do you have a complete plot worked out in your mind (as a draft) before you start writing the actual work or do you start with a setting and see where it goes from there? How do you make sure to avoid logic mistakes and do you have tricks to solve those? The most important thing for me when I write is having a plot outline. I start by writing down the 'main idea' of the story, i.e., what I want to accomplish by writing it. Then, I decide on characters, POV, and estimated length. After that I write freely for a bit to capture the essence of the story, and then I make a chapter list with brief one-liners detailing what will happen in each chapter. If the work is long, I'll expand on this, and for really long novels I'll also create an Excel cheat sheet with a glossary, character back stories, lore, all of that. My best trick to avoid continuity errors is to let it rest. I'll write a full tale and just let it sit around for a bit before re-reading it with fresh eyes. That way, logic errors jump out at me and I can change them! Also, learning how to work an editor is just as if not more important than learning how to proofread your own writing.. We last saw author Carlos Hazday in AtA #29. Carlos has been a member of GA since 2013 and hails from southern Florida, though he’s done a lot of travelling and often on his motorcycle. In his half-century of life, Carlos has seen and done many things and likes to model his characters after his own experiences, writing in first person with an engaging commentary. Although he was not originally planned as the main character, look for more CJ in the third book of the series, Winter, set in Australia at the end of 2013. There’s some fun reactions to local places and events, but the travelling doesn’t end there in Australia. Catch up with CJ or go back to the beginning and get to know this surprisingly appealing young man. To Carlos Hazday: What kind of reader feedback do you find most useful, and why? ALL reader feedback is welcome, appreciated, and useful. I particularly like comments about my writing style, both positive and negative. Being fairly new to writing, hearing about what I'm doing right or wrong helps me improve. Plot discussions are always fun but if you tell me why the story moved you or intrigued you, it could help me create even better ones in the future. I’ve been looking forward to this last author-duo for about a year now. Julie L. Hayes and MA Church teamed up for a couple of projects that have been received very positively out there in cyberspace. Julie has a profile here on GA and has been with us for just over three years now. She’s been a writer for a long time and says her daughters got her into the world of M/M romance. We used to know Michelle by her pseudonym nomoretears00 and found M/M through literotica. Mississippi is pretty far away from St. Louis, but these two ladies have somehow managed to work well enough together that they did it more than once! Those of us who’ve ever worked with someone else on a project know it’s not as easy as it sounds. Enjoy their love stories: Journey's End, the second in the Harvest series by MA Church, and Moving Forward, the second in the Love Without Boundries series by Julie L. Hayes. To Julie Hayes and MA Church: How did you both meet and come up with the ideas for Be My Alien and Be My Human? MA and I met briefly through a comment she left on a story of mine at a fanfic site. I got to know her when she became an author at the publishing company where I was EIC and an author too. We both belonged to a FB group called It's Raining Men, and they were looking for stories for a Valentine's anthology. We both were interested, and we discussed writing our story jointly. I had read and edited Nighttime Promises at Romance First and enjoyed them, and I wanted to write an alien story too, so Be My Alien was born. Because it was originally intended as a short story for the anthology, it had to stay within the 25k range. But we ended up having a disagreement about the anthology and withdrew, deciding to send it to Dreamspinner instead. But that's why it's shorter than the second book, as it was never intended to be full-length. The name came about by accident. We were talking one the phone, discussing possible titles, and talking about Valentine's Day. I joked about the conversation hearts, and the things they said, and I said something about one that would read Be My Alien, instead of Be My Valentine. The name stuck! MA came up with Be My Human, and the title for the third book, Be My Everything. 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! See you next time, with authors Andrew Q. Gordon, Sammy Blue, and Valkyrie! I’m always in the market for new questions! Simply PM me (Dark). Until next time! Dark

I can't believe that February is already over. The spring anthology deadline has passed and we're working on getting the stories ready to go. A quick reminder that tomorrow is the CSR Discussion Day for The Holly and the Ivy, so make sure to stop by and see what everyone has to say. Now, with that said, let's see what happened this week in the blog. We started the week with a review of Team Building that was supplied to us by Timothy M. It's always great to see what stories are on site, so maybe check it out and see if it's something that interests you. Wednesday I did an announcement of the Special Anthology that will come out in December. This anthology includes all the Pre-2016 themes, so if there was a theme you liked that you didn't get a story written for, now's your chance. Just make sure to read the guidelines as they are a little bit different from the regular guidelines. Congrats to Cynus who became our most recent Signature Author on Thursday. If you haven't already done so, you can congratulate him in the Thursday blog entry. Finally, we finished the week up with two new prompts. There's already been some responses posted, so join in and see what you can come up with. Our featured prompt response this week came from jamessavik. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team** 2016 Summer Anthology: Wicked Games - Due May 26th, 2016 2016 Fall Anthology: Blindsided - Due August 26th, 2016 2016 Winter Anthology: The Forgotten - Due November 26th, 2016 All Pre-2016 Anthology Themes - Due December 14, 2016 Premium Updates: Journey's End by M.A. Church; Book 2 of The Harvest *Premium* Signature Updates: Belovéd by Don H Remembering Tim by CarlHoliday The G. M. Os. by CarlHoliday From the Cup of the Worthless by Cynus Innocence & Carnality by Mann Ramblings No Flash by Cia Sword of Kings: Tempered by Fate by Bill W; Book 3 of Sword of Kings The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 9 by Comicality; Book 9 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase Space Pioneer 5 - Nephthys by Dolores Esteban Classic Updates: Things We Lost by Dabeagle Promising Updates: ...And All Shall Fade To Black by Layla Cards on the Table by Headstall Promptings from Valhalla - 2016 Edition by Valkyrie Falling Apart by craftingmom Holding Back by Thorn Wilde Treading Water by Headstall My Twentieth Year by AC Benus Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!