Renee Stevens

So am I, Suvitar! You'll learn more in the upcoming chapters Thanks for the review.

Thanks for the review, Coastguard. Wish I could answer your questions, but don't want to give away anything that's coming up. Hope you continue to enjoy the story!

I hope everyone has had a great week so far and that everyone is staying safe and warm. We had a busy week here at Gay Authors, so let's just get right down to it and take a look at what we had going on. We have so many stories here on GA that sometimes it can be hard to find something you want to read. To help with that, Monday's are our featured story day in the blog and this week we featured Toy Soldiers by Dabeagle! If you haven't already read it, then this is your chance to check it out! Interested in participating in the Secret Admirer Short Story Contest? As a reminder of the rules and deadlines, we did a Reminder: Secret Admirer Short Story Contest blog on Wednesday. Time is running out to get your entry in and we've only had a couple so far. Hope to see more entries coming in. Friday, is our prompt day for the blog. Comicfan joined us again this week to bring us two new prompts and he also featured JohnAR as the featured prompt response for this week. Normally that would be the end of our wrap up, but today we have one more thing for you. For those who have trouble finding out what they need to know, Myr has posted a new Frequently Asked Questions page. If you're looking for information, try there first. It's pretty comprehensive. We hope this makes it easier for people to find the answers to their questions. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team** 2016 Spring Anthology: Crossing the Line - Due February 26th, 2016 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 By our Promoted Authors: The Degan Paradox by Rob Colton; Book 3 of Galactic Conspiracies *Premium* Thwarted by Renee Stevens My Twentieth Year by AC Benus Falling Apart by craftingmom My Brother Daniel by Nephylim Headstall's Reflections by Headstall No Flash by Cia Waiting Outside The Lines by Comicality Sword of Kings: Tempered by Fate by Bill W; Book 3 of Sword of Kings Holding Back by Thorn Wilde GA Writing Prompts by Dolores Esteban The G. M. Os. by CarlHoliday ...And All Shall Fade To Black by layla The Best Year by Krista Innocence & Carnality by Mann Ramblings Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

Well, so much for Diane having the distraction of having Matthew around. When the call came, it seemed everything was moving much faster than Mark had anticipated. Trey was already on his way to Bethesda. Mark hated not knowing what was going on. All they knew was that Trey had severe lacerations to his legs and some swelling in the brain. They were more concerned about the brain injury than the legs, but Trey would still be having surgery on his legs when he reached the states. Because of the h

I hope everyone has had a great weekend so far. Now it's time to take a quick look back over what has happened this week. Before we do that, just a quick reminder that the deadline for the Secret Admirer Contest is approaching, so make sure to get your entries in soon! Now, let's see what happened in the blog this week. To start our week off, Cia brought us the January Signature Feature: Beloved By Don H To continue Signature Week, we looked at an excerpt of Beloved. Friday, Comicfan joined us to bring a couple of new prompts and share a couple of previous prompt responses. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team** 2016 Spring Anthology: Crossing the Line - Due February 26th, 2016 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 By our Promoted Authors: The Degan Paradox by Rob Colton; Book 3 of Galactic Conspiracies *Premium* The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 9 by Comicality; Book 9 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase My Twentieth Year by AC Benus Falling Apart by craftingmom My Brother Daniel by Nephylim No Flash by Cia The Hollow Hills by Valkyrie Sword of Kings: Tempered by Fate by Bill W; Book 3 of Sword of Kings Holding Back by Thorn Wilde A Fool's Thoughts by aditus The G. M. Os. by CarlHoliday One Hundred and Fifty-Five Sonnets by AC Benus The Life of Seeon by comicfan ...And All Shall Fade To Black by layla The Best Year by Krista Innocence & Carnality by Mann Ramblings Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

What about starting a prompt thread in the Writing Prompts forum? These could be fun for others to do too If you do, just do it as Genre/Subject/Character Prompt

I hope everyone has been having a wonderful weekend. It's time to take a look back and see what's been happening in the GA News Blog. On Monday, we had the CSR Announcement. To start out the new year, we've chosen The Life of Seeon by Comicfan. If you haven't already read it, make sure you do so that you can participate in the discussion on January 25th! On Wednesday, we had this months Ask An Author Feature. This month featured questions to AC Benus, Aditus, and Mark Arbour. Hopefully you enjoyed their answers. We finished the week out with the Prompt Me Feature. Not only did we have the regular prompts from comicfan, but we also had this months Poetry Prompt by AC Benus. We also featured a prompt response by Carlos Hazday. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team** 2016 Spring Anthology: Crossing the Line - Due February 26th, 2016 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 By our Promoted Authors: The Degan Paradox by Rob Colton; Book 3 of Galactic Conspiracies *Premium* The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 9 by Comicality; Book 9 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase The Holly and the Ivy by aditus Gay Metal by carringtonrj Falling Apart by craftingmom Thwarted by Renee Stevens My Twentieth Year by AC Benus; Book 4 of Verse No Flash by Cia A Fool's Thoughts by aditus Sword of Kings: Tempered by Fate by Bill W; Book 3 of Sword of Kings Holding Back by Thorn Wilde Veil of Shadow by Stellar; Book 2 of unnamed Cards on the Table by Headstall Aditus' prompts and circumstances by aditus The G. M. Os. by CarlHoliday ...And All Shall Fade To Black by layla Innocence & Carnality by Mann Ramblings Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors! In AtA #34, we had questions for authors Columbusguy, craftingmom, and pmdacey. In AtA #35, we hear from authors Aditus, and Mark Arbour. 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. To Aditus: What inspired the creation of Jonah from Red Running Shoes. Did the dove as a symbol play a role in his development? Jonah was inspired by a real person. Someone you’d think has it all: He’s good looking, has a well-paid and interesting job, and a lot of nice friends. His issues, however, are what make him story-worthy.One reader very keenly concluded that Jonah has a typical INFP personality. For those who aren’t familiar with this, here are some facts: true idealist, always looking for the hint of good in even the worst of people, often a writer or poet. Add to this some quirks and baggage from the past that leads to a great fear of being betrayed, and you have an interesting character to write about. Those who read my stories know that my focus is usually on the characters of my stories, on their feelings, their reasoning, their reactions to obstacles life throws at them. You can see why I couldn’t resist Jonah.I like names and their meaning and read a lot about this topic. When Jonah’s character was shaping up, his name was suddenly there. I looked it up and found it strangely fitting. Doves stand for love, sacrifice, peace, and hope. I just had to use it. So, I guess the answer is no. The character was mostly finished before I named him, it’s nevertheless a very suitable symbol for Jonah’s personality. Rounding out our authors today is the infamous Signature Author Mark Arbour. Does anyone have more likes or followers than this guy? C’mon, I mean, he’s only posted a chapter a week (on average) for the past, like, forever! (despite his little vanishing act last year, as if he has a life outside GA!) Mark is currently working on my favorite of his series, Brigemont #7, HMS Valiant and the eternal CAP series, with Black Widow. Can you tell that Mark’s a real fan of George W.? Did you know that Mark Arbour has a Twitter page and a Pintrest site? Get connected so you won’t miss the very second that the next chapter gets posted. Plus, the uniforms posted on pintrest help give the Bridgemont series some extra depth and realism. To Mark Arbour: Do your characters sometimes write their own stories, or are you always firmly in control? My characters write their own stories. When I respond to reviews, I usually start with "I think.." which implies that I don't know for sure, and that's accurate. I define the field, set up the characters with their basic traits and personalities, and then let them drive the action. It's more fun that way, and it makes them live for me. I think for that reason, some of the toughest reviews I get are the ones that allege the characters in the story aren't acting in character, so to speak. Based on the way I write, that's a major criticism, and one that I take very seriously. 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 Bill W., Robert Rex, and Sasha Distan! I’m always in the market for new questions! Simply PM me (Dark). Until next time! Dark

Thanks for the review, Morgana. I don't try to be cruel, it's just a good place to end the chapter. Don't worry, the next chapter is already up, even a couple days early. Hope you enjoy it!

Awwwww... *hands Lisa a box of tissues* Yes, the late night phone call could be any number of things, we'll just have to wait and see what exactly is going on. As for what I would or wouldn't do.... not sure I can answer that, lol. And the next chapter is already up, so enjoy! Thanks for the review!

I think that sums it up pretty well, and the next chapter is already posted Enjoy, and thanks for the review!

Unfortunately, it had to be done. The next chapter is already up and ready for you to read. Enjoy! And thanks for the review

Grrrrrrrrrr? Really? Oh c'mon Steve, I know you can do better than that!

LOL. Sorry, but sometimes it just has to be done. As for what I'll do with Trey, well, you'll just have to read the new chapter to find that out Hope you enjoy and thanks for the review.

Thanks for the review!!!! As for cliffhangers... who? me? I never do cliffhangers.

Mark wrapped his arms around his bent legs and rested his forehead on his knees as tears slid down his face. “Mark!” He heard Diane calling his name and shook his head. He didn’t want to hear it. He already knew what she was going to tell him and he didn’t want to hear the confirmation of what he already dreaded. “Mark, listen to me.” Diane’s voice became more forceful and he looked up. Her tears didn’t bode well. “He’s alive. You hear me? He’s hurt but alive.” Mark stared, barely able to ma

I hope that everyone had a wonderful New Year's, and are looking forward to the coming year. It was a busy week in the GA news blog, so let's get right to it. On Monday we had the story discussion for the CSR book club. On Tuesday, we announced the next story contest, that will take place in February. If you enjoyed the Secret Santa contest, then hopefully you will enjoy the Secret Admirer contest as well. On Wednesday, we kept up the busy schedule with our author promo of Albertnothlit. On Thursday, Myr joined us to discuss some blog changes that we'll be using from this point forward. If you follow the news blog, then you really should check this post out. On Friday, we had our regular Prompt Me with a featured prompt response from Valkyrie. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team** 2016 Spring Anthology: Crossing the Line - Due February 26th, 2016 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 By our Promoted Authors: The Degan Paradox by Rob Colton; Book 3 of Galactic Conspiracies *Premium* The Lerman Effect by Dabeagle Gay Metal by carringtonrj Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP) Falling Apart by craftingmom HMS Valiant by Mark Arbour; Book 7 of Bridgemont Thwarted by Renee Stevens It Had to be Good! - Christmas at Famous-Barr 1929 by AC Benus No Flash by Cia My Brother Daniel by Nephylim Bear in Winter by comicfan Headstall's Reflections by Headstall Sword of Kings: Tempered by Fate by Bill W; Book 3 of Sword of Kings Holding Back by Thorn Wilde Cards on the Table by Headstall The G. M. Os. by CarlHoliday Innocence & Carnality by Mann Ramblings Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! I hope everyone had a safe and happy new year. How did you spend your New Years Eve? I know this is kind of late, but it's time for the first prompts of 2016!!! Hopefully you'll find something that will get those creative juices flowing. Don't forget, if posting your prompt responses in GA Stories, stories of less than 1000 words need to be posted as part of a collection. Happy Writing!!! Prompt 468 - Creative Tag- List of Words Use the following words in a story- a blanket, a cake, a torn shirt, a pink ribbon, & a bat. Prompt 469 - Creative Tag - The Allergy You told your date all about your favorite foods. Tonight they are cooking for you. As you eat you suddenly begin to swell and your date calls for an ambulance. What are you allergic to, and what happened? For our featured prompt response, let's take a look at Valkyrie's response to Prompt #466. Read the rest!

Who's ready for another author promo! Authors were allowed to choose up to three of their stories to be promoted in the blog. For each story, they had the same three questions to answer. For today's blog entry, we're bringing you Albertnothlit with his stories Tantalus and The Pact. Enjoy! Albertnothlit Author 11 stories * 346 reviews * 198,200 total words Tantalus Description: Kyle does not want to leave his home behind, but he has no choice. He is assigned to a remote scientific outpost on the planet Tantalus where he meets Jim, the xenobiologist in charge of researching the indigenous species. Almost as soon as he arrives, though, strange things start happening. Things that could compromise Kyle's future, or even his life... What gave you the idea for this story? I was sitting in an airport terminal waiting for my plane to depart when I started thinking about the dynamics of mentorship between older and younger guys. Many teenagers are very rebellious, and in some cases they can benefit greatly from getting to know someone with a strong personality that knows how to show them how things are done. Then I added furry aliens in an unexplored planet. What was your favorite thing about writing this story? The feedback I got from readers, by far. When this story was being released, I would get messages from the community reacting to each and every chapter, trying to guess what would happen later, and sharing their own insight into why they thought the two main characters acted the way they did. It was an amazing experience. Before that, writing for me had been a very solitary endeavor, but Tantalus was different. It felt as if I were interacting directly with readers, other authors, and my editor, in a whole new way. That’s what I love the most about this site. You get to make real connections with people, and for me that’s what writing is all about. Please tell us something about this story that is not already in the description. There’s a second part coming! It’s already been planned, but I want to take my time to write it well, and I think it will be ready early next year. Tantalus is a big planet, mostly unexplored, and there’s lots of juicy secrets to unearth. Also, crazy killer aliens are coming, so there’s that. The Pact Description: How far would you go to protect your children? And why is Meredith's house covered with spiders? What gave you the idea for this story? The writing prompts. They are amazing! This prompt in particular asked us to explain why our house was covered with spiders, and since I’ve always had kind of a morbid fascination with arachnids, I jumped at the chance to weave a story around it. What was your favorite thing about writing this story? It got me in the mood for Halloween! It’s my favorite holiday, after all, and it was great fun. Please tell us something about this story that is not already in the description. With The Pact, I wanted to explore the strength and determination that a mother needs to have in order to protect her children. Making a pact with a giant spider without hesitating requires bravery, especially when you don’t know what the creature will ask for in return.

Thank you, Lisa! I wanted to not only try and think outside of the box for this one, but hopefully make the readers sympathize with Bryce a bit. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and yeah, I like that moment too. I didn't feel the need to include anything further, because I figured it was kind of apparent what the answer would be. Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks for the review, Drew. I sincerely hope you never have to suffer through a migraine, they really suck! I love Kevin, he's the epitome of what a caring partner should be, even when dealing with someone who's determined to be self-sufficient. I'm glad that you enjoyed the story and that you felt it worked with the theme. I was rather unsure of this story when I first posted it. Thank you again!

Thanks for the review, Cia! I agree, that kind of stuff is what really shows that they care. Just like my hubby calling before he heads home, just to see if I need him to stop and pick up anything. Or him not having me meet him for lunch when the roads are bad. Those are the things that really show how much they care.

Thank you, Defiance. It is the little everyday things, whether it's something like what Kevin does for Bryce or just having a hot meal on the table whenever the other person gets home, or making sure they have clean clothes for work, etc. I'm glad you enjoyed the story.

A little of both, Aditus. Mine are mostly under control now, and while I did some googling for other's descriptions of migraines, the words fit so well to what I'd always experience. I wanted there to be no doubt how bad they can get. Him finding the car in the middle of the street must have been interesting...

Thanks, Craftingmom. I have to admit, that I did some searches on how other's describe migraines. While I suffer from them myself, I've never been able to find words to describe the pain. I'm glad it worked.