Renee Stevens

It had been nearly a month since the barbecue with my cousins, which couldn’t have gone better. We’d had a blast once everyone had shown up, and they all seemed to like Dave. No matter how hard I tried though, I couldn’t get Josh’s words out of my mind. I’d found myself watching Dave when he wasn’t aware and there were times I’d catch him looking at me and I’d see hope, pain, and uncertainty in his eyes. He recovered quickly, and I hadn’t said anything yet, but I was beginning to think I’d

Nope, your eyes are not deceiving you. I'm back! A huge thank you to everyone who helped cover the blog while I was gone. I hope everyone had a wonderful week and that you're ready to forge ahead into a new one. To start off our week, Timothy M. has brought us a review of Prophylaxis by Rambling Robin. Let's see what Tim has to say, shall we? Prophylaxis by Rambling Robin Author Reviewer: Timothy M. Status: In Process Do you like supernatural stories with beings with different abilities ? (a la Cia and SashaDistan) Can you accept threesomes and sex as recreation / healing ? (a la Cazpedroso and Mark Arbour) Are you able to stomach cruelty and violence, but told with compassion ? (a la Nephylim, craftingmom and InTheMindOfSunshine) Will you be OK with occasionally tearing your hair out, shouting ‘NoNoNo’ at the main character, and swearing at the author ? (a la aditus and jwolf) If so, you may like Prophylaxis by Rambling Robin. It’s still in progress, so I have no idea where it’ll end, but at least the author is posting chapters again after a long pause. Apart from the qualities listed above, the story may be described as full of secrets and plot twists, sad and scary memories, the worst villain I’ve met on GA, but also some seriously sexy and huggable guys. One of the things which hooked me right away was how we got thrown into the middle of a tense situation together with Mick Williams (as Nate calls himself on assignment). From hearing his thoughts and seeing the reactions of him and the people around him, we slowly build an understanding of who he is and what he can do. As the story unfolds, the multiple consequences of Mick’s empathy skills become clear. Further enjoyable traits are the snarky humor and the sarcastic comments, both internal and out loud. Nate has a way with understatements which leave me chuckling and serve to release tension most of the time. A couple of my favorites are: I liked my guts on my inside, not hanging from the light fixtures, thank you very much. “Nope, I'm just really good at being an idiot.” I said dryly. “I even practice in front of a mirror sometimes.” Another fun surprise is Nate’s normal job, but when he explains why, it makes a lot of sense. It gets even better when we learn how some of his ‘clients’ find him online, unexpected yet weirdly logical at the same time. I won’t spoil it by telling you more, but so far it’s one of my favorite scenes – together with the clean restaurant date, the compulsive cuddle, and the garden fight. Nate is a complex person with lots of issues and behavior which occasionally makes me cringe with discomfort. Yet I cannot help caring about him and wishing the best for Nate. I hope I haven’t scared you off, and I want to repeat that you must be open-minded about sexual stuff. This is a story where many of the characters are non-human, and their morals and customs are very different from what’s acceptable in our religion-based culture. Due to his past, Nate fits well into the hidden supernatural culture, including the sad but understandable fact he doesn’t date or want a boyfriend. But he does enjoy sex…a lot. His explanation: ‘Empaths are easy.’ Go read and find out more, if you dare. Category: Fiction Genres: Fantasy, Romance Tags: Abuse, Psionics, Were-Creatures, Gay, Anal, Violent Rating: Mature

“Reece!” Josh waved me over from where he stood getting his barbecue ready. I glanced around but didn’t see Dave anywhere. I’d offered to pick him up but he’d said he’d just meet me here since it was within walking distance from his place to Josh’s. “Where’ve you been?” Josh poured some briquettes into the grill and sprayed them with fire starter before lighting them. I would have answered if Dave hadn’t chose that moment to show up. “Josh, how’s it going man?” “Dave? What are you do

Sorry aditus . I try to get them all, but occasionally one slips through.

We're going to get right up into the wrap up this week, and guess what, we're even going to go backwards! Have you been looking for something new to read? Something short maybe? With the release of the 2015 Fall Anthology, you have 16 brand new stories to check out. If you check Thursday's blog entry, you'll find links to all of them. Don't forget to leave the authors a review to let them know how much you appreciate their work. Have you thought about doing a story review for the blog? Maybe you just don't know how to go about it? Or maybe you even wonder if it is open for everyone. Any member of the site can write a blog review, and if you're looking for guidelines, make sure you check out Wednesday's post! The Rainy Day by Graeme was announced on Monday as this month's CSR choice. At 7,598 words, it should be a quick read and hopefully the Discussion on September 28th will have lots of participants. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team** 2015 Winter Anthology: Blackout - Due December 3rd In Premium The Degan Paradox by Rob Colton; Book 3 of Galactic Conspiracies By our Classic Authors: Toy Soldiers by Dabeagle In Dog We Trust by Dabeagle By our Signature Authors: Impossible Situation by Bill W *2015 Fall Anthology* Hidden Agenda by Bill W *2015 Fall Anthology* Backroom Deals by Bill W *2015 Fall Anthology* You Never Can Say Goodbye by Bill W *2015 Fall Anthology* Angel or Human? by comicfan *2015 Fall Anthology* Tail to Tell by comicfan *2015 Fall Anthology* Glimpses in Time by Bill W *2015 Fall Anthology* Out of Focus by Bill W *2015 Fall Anthology* Ember Days by Dolores Esteban *2015 Fall Anthology* My Only Escape by Comicality Global Explorer II by David McLeod Innocence & Carnality by Mann Ramblings Fortitude by Cia Sword of Kings: Tempered by Fate by Bill W; Book 3 of Sword of Kings GA Writing Prompts by Dolores Esteban Force of Nature by Krista Reece's Choice by Renee Stevens Cosmic Inception by Cia Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP) By our Promising Authors: Lie of the Serpent by craftingmom Exhaling the Past by craftingmom *2015 Fall Anthology* Walking the Line by Valkyrie *2015 Fall Anthology* The Welcome Home by Valkyrie *2015 Fall Anthology* 9:05 PM by aditus *2015 Fall Anthology* Morton's Fork by Cole Matthews *2015 Fall Anthology* It's Only Natural by AC Benus *2015 Fall Anthology* Destiny - a novel by AC Benus Presence by carringtonrj Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

I know a lot of people have been looking forward to the release of the Fall Anthology. Luckily, the wait is over! Sixteen stories have now been released for your enjoyment. I hope you find something you enjoy and don't forget to leave the author's a review to let them know what you think of their work! Thank you to all the Authors and their teams, the Anthology Proof Team for giving the stories a final polish, AJ for his Tech help, and Mann Ramblings for the Anthology banner! 9:05 PM aditus Julian watched the high rises on the other side of the street. A few bright rectangles here and there showed some people still at work. Or they'd forgotten to turn off the lights. It was Friday night. Everyone should be at home with family or at some bar with friends or at an expensive Italian restaurant celebrating their one-year anniversary… No, no, not going there. Lights…right. The cleaning crew going through the offices? No. Julian’s analytical mind discarded the idea immediately. Then the whole floor would be lit. Angel or Human? comicfan The alarm breaks the silence of the room, although I am already awake. I reach out and turn it off. All it really means is I have to get up and go to work, nothing I really enjoy, but it is a necessary evil like most things in my life. It is hard to pretend and go through life acting like everyone else, when your own life is totally screwed up. However, that is the normal state of being for someone like me. My parents long ago blurred the line between good and evil, normal and superior, angelic and humanity. After all, I am the proof those two didn’t follow the rules. When an angel and a mortal have a child, their child is called a Nephilim. See, there is good and bad to being a Nephilim. The good being, we can detect lies and have a burning desire to help those in need; the bad, we are always being looked for by the Fallen to switch sides and help drag humanity down. Like all who live, we are neither black nor white, but all of us are really just shades of gray. Backroom Deals Bill W As soon as the Supreme Court announced its decision that the right to marry was protected under the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, social conservative heads began to explode. Not literally of course, but they couldn't believe they had lost this battle and hadn't gotten their way, so now all people had the right to marry whomever they chose. How were they going to live with this decision and were they now going to be forced to accept gays totally? The day after this historic decision, social conservative think tanks began to ponder this very issue. Was the war concerning this topic now over and they had to abide by this decision, or did they still have other options to pursue? I'm not saying this was what transpired at each of those meetings, but I believe it gives a fair account and representation of what might have taken place at the various discussions. Ember Days Dolores Esteban “This old mansion looks like a palace in a fantasy movie,” Sally said to her husband as they ascended the stairs to the wide entrance of the hotel. “Uh,” Sally cried out when she stumbled. Her husband, Tom, jumped forward to stop her from falling down the stairs. Sally took a deep breath and smoothed down her jacket. “A broken step,” Tom said, pointing at the step, then took another bite of the turkey sandwich that he had bought in a diner on their way to the hotel. Exhaling the Past craftingmom Fuck. The damn kid was there again. It figured. I sighed as I dropped my head back against the headrest, wondering again just what the hell I was thinking. It had been several days since he'd been brought in. And, while I'd made my decision then, there was the hope that maybe the kid had gotten scared and gone home. No such luck. Or maybe it was actually really lucky, depending on how you looked at it. My captain was going to have my head for what I was going to do though. But hell, the kid just looked so much like... Glimpses in Time Bill W "Jason, what's wrong? You got some lovely gifts for your birthday, but you don't look happy," his mother observed, while looking down at the frown on her son's face. "I didn't want this stupid truck, that dumb fishin' game or any of that other stuff," he snapped back, not at all happy. "I said I wanted a Barbie and a Disney Princess Songs Palace." "I know, but Daddy thought you'd like these too," she offered with as much sympathy as she could muster. "Your sister will let you play with her Barbie, so you don't need more." Hidden Agenda Bill W "Let's face it, the educational system and unions are the two biggest factors affecting our bottom line," Jim bemoaned as he sat down with a bunch of similar minded individuals for dinner. "I can see why you listed the unions, because whenever a large number of individuals join together they gain greater influence and power, so they become more difficult to deal with. The thing is, I'm confused about why you added education too," George stated and his puzzled expression emphasized the point. "Don't we need a fairly intelligent workforce in order to keep our businesses functioning smoothly?" Impossible Situation Bill W I had a problem and didn't know what to do about it. To be more accurate, most of my family had the same problem, but no matter what we did in an attempt to resolve the issue, nothing worked. To put it simply, each of my siblings and I were dealing with the same conundrum, and it was how to escape our father's obsessive and domineering nature. You see, my father was a super control freak who wanted to manipulate his family like a bunch of marionettes. At home this meant my mother, my other siblings and myself, because none of us dared to do anything without his knowledge or approval. He had each of us under his thumb so tightly that it was difficult for any of us to even breathe without his permission. The only time we were out from under his authoritarian grip was when we were at school, but the principal and teachers knew what he expected and acted in proxy for him. If we were to vary even slightly from his prescribed course of behavior, one of them would immediately report our transgressions to him, and we'd be severely punished. It's Only Natural AC Benus The ring was still too small. However, that fact could hardly come as a surprise to him after all these years of wearing it. The daydreaming man squinted at his manual task, and suddenly saw all too clearly this kind of thing had been happening to him his whole life. He had the perfect metaphor within his grasp as he stood at the kitchen counter. Every morning since he started to drink this kind of coffee, his cup would be a little too full and he'd have to pour some off. Somehow experience never rose to the level of being able to alter expectations, so he eventually gave up estimating the perfect amount of water to heat for the freeze-dried crystals of his instant caffeine. He told himself he was content to pour the excess of his mistake down the drain. Morton's Fork Cole Matthews “I’m dating the quarterback of the football team,” the teen said, smirking at Ben. “His name is Dez, and he’s such a stud.” The paralegal smiled back and nodded. “That’s terrific, Clay. When did that start?” “A few weeks ago. He finally asked me to the fall homecoming dance,” Clay said, clasping his hands in front of him excitedly. “We’ve been flirting and stuff and it happened. He’s the man of my dreams.” “That’s awesome,” Ben said. “I hope he’s good for you.” He looked around his boyfriend’s living room nervously. He was supposed to stay with Rush for the weekend. It had shocked him when Clay Taukkala, the kid from Boy River, answered the man’s door. “When did Rush say he’d be back?” Out of Focus Bill W Every morning I'm confused when I look into the mirror Because the face staring back isn't what I expect to see No! I can't be that person, it just doesn't seem possible He looks more like my grandfather, but that's not how I feel Tail to Tell comicfan Marcus had gotten up while it was still dark, grabbed his surfboard and wet suit, and then headed out to his car to head to the beach. He hoped to get his wave of the day shortly after sunrise. “Good morning, Long Island. This is Danny K, bringing you the news this morning. First on the list is a violent storm that’s due in shortly after day break today. High winds and violent thunderstorms are expected. All beaches are due to be closed down as riptides and strong currents are expected. A fire in—” Marcus turned off the radio and hurried down the highway to the beach. He knew if he got there before the dawn, chances were damn good that he could get a few rides in before the patrols caught him and forced him off the beach. The Welcome Home Valkyrie “It’s time for me to go. Kevin told me so.” The old man’s voice was low, and his breathing labored. “Don’t say that, Great-Grandpa. Stay… I don’t want you to go.” The boy’s face twisted with the effort of holding back his tears. “Ninety-three years is enough, buddy. It’s time to go be with Grampy. He needs me.” The boy hugged his great-grandfather tightly, sobbing into his chest. “But I love you, and I’ll miss you. We need you, too.” Walking the Line Valkyrie “I’ll see your fifty and raise you a hundred.” I slid the money to the center of the table and sat back in my chair. I had a great poker face, and did my best to maintain it. I knew Josie well enough to know she was bluffing. I intended to call that bluff, no matter how much it cost me. The other four players folded in rapid succession, leaving only my best friend and me left in the round. She narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing my face for any ‘tells’. I raised an eyebrow. “Well? In or out?” “In. You’re bluffing.” She added another hundred to the pile of money in the center of the table. “Ok, show ‘em, big shot.” I grinned as I spread my cards out face up. “Full house. Read ‘em and weep.” I reached for the money, sure of my victory. What's Real To Me thecalimack We sat down on a bench in the park, enjoying the cool breeze as the sun set. The leaves were dancing all around us as they swayed and glided to the ground. The entire place was painted with the leaves—hues of crimson, orange, and gold making a vivid display on the trees and the earth. I appreciated his company. He was always there for me, since I was a little kid until even now as I just celebrated my twentieth birthday. His brown hair, usually let down to just graze the nape of his neck, was tied up into a short ponytail he seldom wore. His deep brown eyes gazed over the path as passersby came and went. He hadn't aged a day since I last saw him; his frame was still as firm and solid as when we first met. Even in twenty years, the only difference I really noticed was a beard. He watched the small families playing at the playground with unbridled laughter and mirth. He smiled to himself. I remembered how he'd tag along with me as I explored the forests by our old home, always keeping watch on me when I was still a child. I remember how he would hold my hand as we made our way back to the house even in the dead of night. You Never Can Say Goodbye Bill W I had just returned home after graduating from college and was planning on taking a short break so I could have some fun before I started looking for a job. I felt I had earned the right to relax and enjoy life for a while since I'd just spent four years studying and meeting all of the course requirements to earn my bachelor's degree. When I first got home, most of my old friends from high school were there too. They were either home for the summer before returning to college or just taking a few weeks off before starting a job. Seeing there were so many people around that I knew and was friendly with, the first part of the summer was a blast. It was a series of cookouts, parties, clubbing and even a few road trips as we headed to the beach, amusement parks and other places where those our age tended to hang out. As the summer progressed, however, all of the good times began to wind down. Slowly, those beginning their careers left the area, and then those returning to college took off to go back to their campuses. It didn't take long after they left before I became hopelessly bored. 2015 Fall Anthology Support Team Proof Team Cia Rec Andy78 Valkyrie Anthology Banner Creation Mann Ramblings Tech Support A.J.

The ringing of my phone jerked me awake, and I glanced at my alarm clock as I reached for it. The time glaring at me in bright red numbers made me bolt upright in bed, momentarily forgetting about Dave lying next to me. I was supposed to have been at work over an hour ago. “Shit!” A glance at the display on my phone confirmed my suspicion it was work calling me. I hit the button to answer it and mentally crossed my fingers that it wasn’t Marc on the other end. “Hello?” “Hi Reece, this is

Thanks for the review Lisa, the first part of it made me chuckle. I agree about Dave and that there's really not much he could, or would, say if he was bothered. And yeah, it definitely isn't fun to have both be broke if they want to go out!

Thanks for the review. Glad that you're enjoying the story and hope that you continue to do so. Dave doesn't really seem the type to not want to be with someone just because they don't have much money. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on later chapters.

Thanks for the review ColumbusGuy! I agree that it can be nerve-wracking cooking for someone new. Especially since you don't know any allergies they might have. Reece's financial situation hasn't had a reason to come up yet and I don't see Josh having already told him. I'm glad you're still enjoying it and hope you continue to do so!

Thanks Lenny! When I first started writing "Reece's Choice" I really didn't intend to have one be confident and one be insecure, but as I wrote, that's how it came out, and I'm glad to hear from all the comments that it works. I can definitely see why you're waiting for the other shoe to drop. I guess you'll just have to keep reading to see if it does or if Dave is exactly what he seems. I look forward to hearing what else you think as the story progresses.

Thanks for the review! They do seem to have some issues coming up for air, don't they? Lol. They do seem to compliment each other pretty well, so maybe Josh actually knew what he was doing trying to pair them together. I hope you enjoy what's coming up

LOL Tim! Thanks for the review. I love how you can picture Josh saying "I told you so". Dave is definitely affectionate and I agree that is exactly what Reece needs at the moment. Only time will tell what's going to happen with these two. Look forward to seeing what you think on future chapters!

Thank you for the review Kevin! You brought up some really good ideas. While I won't say which are accurate and which are not, I do have to say that you've got me doing some thinking. While this right now is simply a short story, I do hope to one day go back and expand it. When that will happen, I don't know for sure, but I love getting new ideas that I could maybe incorporate into the expansion.

LOL. A prescription of "More Dave" seems like the best prescription there is for Reece! Thanks DDK!

Thank you Lisa! I agree that actions definitely speak louder than words, and Reece's family (the older ones) have made it completely clear that they don't really want him there. A part of me kind of wonders (which is funny since I wrote it) whether his family was just waiting for something to happen to help drive him away. Hope you continue to enjoy it!

Thanks for the review Tim. I think it didn't predate his coming out a little bit, but I don't think it was near as bad as it was after he came out. It's amazing to me how they can only hear what they want to hear (especially Reece's mom). I hope you continue to enjoy!

Thanks for the review Dabeagle. I really try not to do too many info-dumps and am glad that you feel like I avoided that in this chapter. There's still much more to come as far as backstory, so I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Thank you for the review!! I'm so glad to hear that the story has already pulled you in to such an extent. Reece strikes me as the type that it takes a lot for him to walk away, but everyone has their limit and he finally reached his. Dave is Dave. I'm not really sure how else to put it. Josh is probably my favorite of all the guys. I think everyone needs somebody like him and I agree that the blind date wasn't the traditional type of blind date. Unfortunately for Josh, it very nearly backfired on him! I look forward to hearing your future thoughts!

Curious is always good! I hope you enjoy the upcoming chapters. Thanks for the review Dabeagle!

Thank you Suvitar! The phone call was interesting, wasn't it? LOL. I do really like Dave, but I still think Josh is my favorite out of all the characters. Reece's family (with the exception of his cousins) are simply douchebags. Glad you're enjoying the story!

Thank you Robert. I'm glad that you're enjoying it and hope you continue to enjoy it!

Sorry for the lateness of today's wrap up. Since I'm running so late, let's get right to it today. On Monday we had the CSR Discussion day for Becoming Real by AC Benus. AC also joined us on the blog for a live Q & A. There were some great questions asked. If you missed it, go see what readers had to ask and what AC had to say! Wednesday was this month's Ask An Author feature. Dark had questions for Andrew Todd, Sasha Distan, and Headstall. It was a busy day for commenters! Curious as to what they were asked, and what their answers were? It's not too late to go check it out. Thursday was a Special Anthology Announcement day where I announced the themes for the 2016 Anthologies as well as announcing a special anthology for next year. We finished out the week with new prompts from the prompt guru, Comicfan. For the featured story, we featured one of last week's prompt responses by Puppilull. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team** 2015 Winter Anthology: Blackout - Due December 3rd In Premium The Degan Paradox by Rob Colton; Book 3 of Galactic Conspiracies By our Classic Authors: Boy, Bus & Key by Dabeagle By our Signature Authors: Leopard Spots by Graeme; Book 2 of The Lilydale Leopards The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 9 by Comicality; Book 9 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase HMS Valiant by Mark Arbour; Book 7 of Bridgemont Global Explorer II by David McLeod Innocence & Carnality by Mann Ramblings Fortitude by Cia Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP) Force of Nature by Krista Reece's Choice by Renee Stevens Sword of Kings: Tested by Adversity by Bill W By our Promising Authors: Aditus' prompts and circumstances by aditus Destiny - a novel by AC Benus Lie of the Serpent by craftingmom Presence by carringtonrj Poems for Ross by AC Benus Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

Hope everyone has had a great week so far and is looking forward to the weekend. What better way to start it off than with brand new prompts! If you've been feeling stuck, or maybe just want to do something a little different, maybe one of these prompts will jumpstart a new idea. A couple of things to remember: Prompt responses under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection. Prompt 444 – Creative Tag – First Line “Would you, please, go to sleep?” Prompt 445 – Creative Tag – Coffee The world has lost one of its favorite drinks. Coffee has become a thing of the past. The last beans have been used and it no longer exists anywhere in the world. What are people doing without their coffee? Today we're featuring Puppilull's response to prompt #442. Enjoy! Continue Reading>>

Wow, it's hard to believe it's already September. This year has gone by so quickly. Don't forget, tomorrow is the last day to get your anthology entries in. We already have a lot of great entries, but there's always room for more! Now, onto regular business. As most members probably know, the first Wednesday of the month is set aside for our Ask An Author feature, provided to us by Dark. For those who don't know what the Ask An Author feature is: If you've always wanted to ask your favorite author, or any author, a question, send it to Dark. Dark will ask the question for you and compile it into one of the Ask An Authors. Don't worry, Dark keeps the identities of the askers anonymous! Let's see what we have this week! Ask an Author #31 Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors! In AtA #30, we had questions for authors AC Benus, ricky, and wanda walker. In AtA #31, we hear from authors Andrew Todd, Headstall, and Sasha Distan. 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 was last featured way back in AtA #2 with one of the most followed stories on GA at the time, Riding Lessons. Last year, the book became available on Amazon as a paperback with a slightly different name. The cover is hot, and it’s rated 4.8 out of 5 stars, so not just GA loves this story! Though we haven’t heard much from Andrew lately, there’s 10 other stories in his portfolio, complete and in progress. Todd often writes about young men facing life’s challenges. One of my favorites is Empath's Kiss, but it’s not for the faint of heart, dealing as it does with some tough material and ending on something of a cliffhanger. To Andrew Todd: Regarding your story "The Chosen," do you plan on horses having anything to do with getting your West Coasters to meet your New Hampshire guys? and if so, how? One of the things I love about posting my writing in forums such as this is the feedback I get from readers and seeing how they think the story is going to unfold. I've received a lot of e-mails speculating on this very thing, I think that some of it might be 'wishful thinking' that more of the 'Riding Lessons' characters will find there way into 'The Chosen'. The short answer to the question is 'no'. I've known since almost the beginning of the story how the boys will end up together, if I was writing a more 'conventional' story then having them cross paths at a show or something like that would be a good way to have them meet, but as this story has more of a 'supernatural' bent, they will be coming together in a different way. As it's still in my head (I've been taking a break for the last few months), it might change in it's specifics, but one thing for my readers to chew on...I've never said that some of them might not have already met... Now meet author Headstall in his blog debut. Hailing from Ontario, Canada, he’s been with GA only a year and a half but has already racked up 6200+ likes, many from his current story Cards on the Table. In case you didn’t know, a “headstall” is an item similar to a bridle. Now, most people know that a “bridle” is the thing that goes over a horse’s head, holds the bit in the horse’s mouth, and connects to reins. It’s not really that simple, of course, and the choice of “headstall” as a user name is an interesting one. Catch up with our “poster child for success” Headstall in his forums if you want to know more! To Headstall: Your writing has turned out to be awesome. Was it difficult to take that first step and post? Thanks for the compliment. It was an extremely hard decision to make. I wrote the first chapter in around five or six, maybe seven hours, and figured I would just put it aside. It played on my mind however, because of how the words just poured out. I didn't even know the process of posting and I am not a computer person. I knew that if I didn't try to post it right away... then I never would. That scared me almost as much as posting it. My biggest concern was whether or not I could follow through on such a commitment if I did post. The bottom line is I threw caution to the wind. I have always been creative, and ever since I was a very young boy, words were my friend and my solace through some very tough times. As difficult as it was to make the decision and as scary as it was to follow through, I have absolutely no regrets. I have a new outlet for my creativity, and tremendous support and encouragement from the GA community. The reception has been way more than I could have ever hoped for. Thanks for asking... Cheers.. And our third author today is an author we’ve seen before, Sasha Distan. A member since March 2013, Sasha became one of our promising authors only a few months later, and small wonder. 2014 was an amazing year for Sasha, with a short story published through House of Erotica and a very special wedding. 2015 continues to reveal Sasha as one of our more regular writers, consistently turning out chapter after chapter, and story after story. You can catch up with this British teacher in the forums, where he frequently updates his readers on his writing schedule, and if you need more than the zillions of stories here on GA, you can find his published works on Zulu. Are those goldfish still alive, Sasha? To Sasha Distan: You always talk about how crowded your head is, how do you decide which characters/stories get to go first? The ones who shout the loudest. My skull is indeed a very busy place, a bit like my classroom. and a bit like my classroom, it's the noisy boys who get my attention first, regardless of whether that attention is good or bad. When I was writing Redemption's A Bitch and A Wolf And His Man simultaneously, I switched between the two every few chapters. Kieran would be shouting the loudest, so I would write him some story to keep him happy until Oli's bark became too strong to ignore. Then I would write for him and Boris until you could hear nothing but the sound of motorbikes - and then back I'd go. The problem with this system is, without careful maintenance like a classroom full of students, is that someone gets lost forever. It happens: an idea springs up and pokes me. He's small, hopeful, eager to please, but not strong enough to shout down whoever I am currently working with (at the moment, Hel, Ishca and Aki are taking up a vast majority of my time), and if there is too much still to do on the other story, then he slips away like he wasn't even there. I can't tell you if the stories that don't get written are good or bad, happy or sad, amazing or dull - because I never see them again. I like to think that the ideas that don't make it go and find another writer to make puppy eyes at. Let me know if see them. That’s it for now! For more info on these authors, go check out their stories, post in their forums, and/or catch them in chat! See you next time, with authors Aditus, Cia, and Wolfwriter. Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark). Until next time! Dark