Renee Stevens

Thank you Roman! I'm glad you enjoyed the story.

I shivered as I waited for Seth to open the door. The damn wind was trying it’s best to knock me off my feet and snow swirled around me. I knocked again, impatient to get in out of the cold. It seemed to take forever for the door to open. Seth grabbed my arm and dragged me inside. Not that I was protesting. “Wes! Why didn’t you just come in, the door was unlocked.” My teeth began to chatter as Seth helped me out of my coat and tossed it over the back of the couch. He pulled me close and ran

It's that time again! Yep, new prompts are here to hopefully spark your imagination. If you've been facing writers block, are new to writing, or just want to write something new, take a look. Don't forget to share your prompts in the prompt forum to give yourself a chance to be considered as the feature prompt response next week. This weeks prompts are: Prompt 428 – Creative Tag – The Nap You have been feeling totally drained lately and just don’t know why. Rather than go to see the doctor you decide you just need rest. You call into work and take a week off. Your boss isn’t happy but it is your first vacation in two years. You curl up on your couch and proceed to fall into a deep sleep. When you finally do wake up, you find you are in a hospital bed and fifteen years have passed. What happened? Prompt 429 – Creative Tag – First Line “Go take a shower, while I make you something to eat.” This week, I chose Valkyrie's response to Prompt #426. Enjoy. Read the rest, here.

Thanks for the review molly! In most cases, I believe in second chances as well. There are a few exceptions, but for something like this, absolutely. I might just visit these guys again, maybe even tell from before this point, but we'll see what happens

Thanks Valkyrie! Me too, and you never know, I might just revisit these guys in the future.

Are you going to turn reviews into poetry? LOL. J/K. Thanks for the review Valkyrie. I've met, and worked, with a few people that are like Mick. It's beyond annoying. I'm glad you enjoyed the story.

Thanks LadyDe! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I sooo want Mick to get what's coming to him and the fact that Dillon already has a presentation ready, for when Mick bombs it, is just icing on the cake.

Dang, it's hard to believe that it's already July! This year is just flying by. Today we have the next installment of Dark's Ask An Author feature. Before we get to that, I want to remind everyone that I am now taking theme suggestions for the 2016 Quarterly Anthologies. If you have a theme suggestion, make sure to post them in the thread which will remain open until July 31st. Please read the beginning post before posting your suggestions. Ask an Author #29 Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors! In AtA #28, we had questions for authors joann414, James Savik, and wrathofmagneto. In AtA #29, we hear Carlos Hazday, ColumbusGuy, and Timothy M.. 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 retired accountant Carlos Hazday in his blog debut. In July, Carlos celebrates his two-year anniversary here on GA, but only started posting stories in November 2014. In that time, he has posted 8 stories and one collection of prompts. Carlos likes to model his characters after his own experiences, writing in first person with an engaging commentary. Try Happy New Year to read about a cast of loveable and quirky characters and a plot spread over a year-long adventure. To Carlos Hazday: I find your characters larger than life and also relate-able. Is there anything you find challenging in your writing? Who or what made you want to write, and what do you like to read? My biggest challenge is trying to keep my characters and the story grounded in the real world while still providing an interesting tale which will engage the reader. Even while writing science fiction or fantasy I try to make everything else in the story as real as possible.I'm a decisive person and my characters tend to reflect that. Vere few doubts, very little second guessing and minimal recrimination. I started writing as a way of dealing with a bad depression which made me retreat from the world and hide in my home. Writing allowed me to interact with others. characters and readers, while I dealt with the causes behind my depression. Marc McNally and his story Love on the Rocks have been my biggest inspiration. In SUMMER, I've tried to create something in the US which compares to what he did with his story in Australia. He's also provided a lot of encouragement.My favorite all time writer is the late Sir Arthur C. Clarke. I love science fiction and have read most of his books and many of them more than once. Next up is author ColumbusGuy, also featured here for the first time. This guy is from Columbus, Ohio (I know that’s a shock), the place where I’m at for the month of July. It’s been a long time since I spent so much time here, how do you do it? The two of us share a dislike bordering on disgust for MSWorks and a love for cats. You probably will remember this guy as the author of Jay & Miles, but there’s also Pompeii Passions, which is way better than the movie. Of course, I like historical fiction and convoluted characters. Still, if you haven’t branched out to some of ColumbusGuy’s other stuff, you’re missing out. For shorter works, check out his prompts. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s glad ColumbusGuy took the plunge to write again after all this time. And did you know there’s a Jay & Miles forum thread? To ColumbusGuy: I have read in your answers to reviews that your character, Miles, is based on you as a teenager (although the story itself is fictional). Do you find the experience of writing about some of your own experiences/emotions as a teenager to be cathartic? Miles is so much like me, it's scary; every emotion he feels was mine, his reactions were mine, even the description was mine at that time. I asked a friend who knew me just after that time to read my story, and she picked up on every facet. Back then, in a town of 2,500 people, you couldn't be 'out' and expect to have a happy life, though it was possible in big cities. The initial event of the note is true, and Jay is based on the person who wrote me that note, but I didn't show up, and we never progressed beyond casual friends. Every chapter has something factual in it, an event, a thing or a person--though I didn't try to kill myself, I thought about it a lot--but I kept hoping that the next day/month/year would be better--and eventually it was. The only entirely fictional people in the story are Jay's family--they are the parents I wish I'd had. Years later, I discovered my sisters all knew my sexuality, but never said anything until my nephew came out to me one Thanksgiving. This story has helped me clear up a lot of old feelings and regrets, and started to heal the gap in my soul my father left there--we didn't speak for his last thirteen years because he didn't approve of my sexuality when he found out--but last year my sister (with the gay son) told me my dad asked about me once in a while when she'd see him in Florida--so this is helping me deal with the new fact that he still cared, which I hadn't known once we moved away to separate cities. It's years too late to mend fences since he died in 2001, but those thirteen years and the ten more since his death disappeared hearing my sister say those words--and I'm not ashamed to say that I cried like a baby despite being 53 years old, shedding tears I had locked away behind doors saying I DON'T CARE in big letters--all it took was her saying 'he still loved you' to turn my world inside out, so this is helping me cope with finding him again. And our third author today is also new to Ask an Author; say hello to Timothy M all the way across the Atlantic in Denmark. Like the other two authors today, he’s been around for about two years, but only started posting stories recently, beginning with prompts last October and now updating the multi-chapter fic Clueless Camping. Although Timothy thinks he’s posting slowly, Clueless already has 11 chapters. This is a story about young Russell’s path to self-discovery and love. Give him a try! 91 followers and even more reviews indicate something’s not rotten in the state of Denmark! To Timothy M.: Your stories are so well-done, so how much of a challenge is it to write in your second language, Danish being your first? I remember my attempts in German were pretty simple affairs, so you must have done a lot of studying to get such proficiency in English...do you plan them in Danish first, then translate into English, or do you start in English all the way through? My stories on GA are written directly in English, and I'm thinking in that language when I plan them - not that I do much planning beforehand. I tend to take an idea or a character and start writing. I do have several stories originally written in Danish, and I've started to translate and expand one of them for GA, but it's difficult to lose the Danish sentence construction and make the story flow naturally. Perhaps a reason my stories seem well-done is I'm fanatical about spelling, grammar and not using the wrong homonyms. My main problem is punctuation, I suck at placing commas correctly in English. Sometimes finding the right phrases and terms is difficult and I get mixed up on British and American word usage. Thank god for my GA editors. My challenge as a writer has always been content rather than form, and a lack of dialogue. In other words my stories are often technically well-written and detailed but boring (or is the term dull? ). I'm trying to improve by showing rather than telling e.g. by using more dialogue. I've always read a lot and reading and discussing stories on GA has certainly helped. 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 A.C. Benus, ricky, and Wanda Walker. Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark). Until next time! Dark

It was a great week this past week, and now it's time to look back at what happened in the GA News Blog. Don't forget that tomorrow, Monday the 29th is the CSR Discussion for Where Life Takes Us by Kuragari. Also, another reminder, the theme selection for the 2016 Quarterly Anthologies will open on July 1st, so make sure to get your thinking caps on and post some suggestions once the topic opens. On Monday, we had a review of Twisted_Dreemz story Denn's Mobile Circus. The review was provided to us by AC Benus. Tuesday, Myr took over the blog for his Tech Tuesday. This week he talked about the drop in forum usage as well as discussing the forum layouts. He also asked for suggestions regarding what the members think we should do to help solve the drop in forum usage. Wednesday, Graeme took over the blog with a list he compiled of stories that are about Marriage. If you're looking for something to read, these would be great for you. Friday brought us two new prompts from the prompt guru. For the featured prompt response, we featured an older prompt done by Dolores Esteban. Saturday, Cia joined us on the blog to announce the July Signature Author Background, Crosscurrents by Adam Phillips. If you haven't already done so, you can go and download the background that was created for Adam's story. Bulletin ..................... Bulletin ..................... Bulletin I hope you've enjoyed this month's story and author title scrambles in honor of Gay Pride month, and maybe even found a few gems to read! This has been a momentous month, and I'm so glad we've had the chance to celebrate in our way here on GA! Now, I'm sure you guys want to know the winners, right?! Gay Pride Month Contest Winners!!! Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team*** 2015 Fall Anthology: Blurred Edges - Due September 3rd 2015 Winter Anthology: Blackout - Due December 3rd In Premium Pretty Little Thing by Nephylim By our Signature Authors: Leopard Spots by Graeme; Book 2 of The Lilydale Leopards HMS Valiant by Mark Arbour; Book 7 of Bridgemont Black Widow by Mark Arbour; Book 16 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP) GFD 12: Blood Ties by Comicality; Book 12 of Gone From Daylight The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 8 by Comicality; Book 8 of Billy Chase Chronicles Sword of Kings: Tested by Adversity by Bill W Global Explorer II by David McLeod Fortitude by Cia Thwarted by Renee Stevens Force of Nature by Krista Cosmic Inception by Cia By our Promising Authors: 2015 Prompt Responses by Valkyrie Presence by Carringtonrj Beneath the Current by Craftingmom Alex's Legacy by Valkyrie 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. Don't forget, if under 1,000 words, prompt responses that are posted in GA Stories must be posted as part of a collection. Prompt 426 – Creative Tag – The Marriage Proposal Life has seemingly been perfect lately. You have the job of your dreams, a house you refinished, and your health is great. There only seems to be one hole, namely you are single. Suddenly one night the perfect person appears out of nowhere at a friend’s party. Before the night is over you find you are on the receiving end of a marriage proposal. What do you do and who is this perfect person? Prompt 427 – Creative Tag – List of Words Use the following in a story – a snake, a wand, a shattered picture frame, a nearsighted neighbor, and a pig. We didn't have any takers this week, so I decided to feature an older prompt response. Here's Dolores Esteban's response to Prompt #123. You can leave Dolores a review, here.

“So, what are you going to do?” Trey wasn’t asking anything Mark hadn’t asked himself numerous times, unfortunately, he still came up with the same answer. He couldn’t go to his mother’s funeral because of his bastard sperm donor. “There’s not much I can do.” Mark tightened his grip on the phone. “I’d like to think Mom would understand.” “I’m sure she would, but are you going to be able to live with that decision?” “I don’t have much choice.” He’d have to live with it, it was the only

Being the start of a new week, Monday's are also a good time to take a look at some of the different stories that can be found on Gay Authors. With so many great works, it can be easy to overlook one and Monday's provide an opportunity for us to help make one of them stand out and maybe catch your interest. Today, we're bringing you a review by AC Benus of Twisted_Dreemz's story "Denn's Mobile Circus." Enjoy! Denn's Mobile Circus by Twisted_Dreemz Author Reviewer: AC Benus Status: In Process Word Count: 56,187 One of the features I like the most about GA is the great variety of stories posted here. Recently I was curious about the 'were-creatures' category, and clicked on it. I just wanted to poke around and see how different authors handled a topic I myself had recently posted on with my new novel. That's how I first came into contact with Denn's Mobile Circus, by Twisted_Dreemz. The quality of the writing grabbed me instantly, as the opening lines are: Like any other person I was born into this world bound by statistics and stereotypes: Most likely to be undereducated; Most likely to be sexually active at a young age; Most vulnerable to AIDS; Most likely to drop out of high school and never see a GED, let alone college; Most likely to be dead or in prison before the age of twenty-one. You can probably tell what color I am already. Wow. And then the wit and witticism of the author flows in a ceaselessly smooth style to layout the very broad concept for his book. A young man, who is in a rather uncertain time of his life, has an episode at his job. When he snaps to, he can hardly believe what his coworkers tell him he did to one of the customers. From that moment on, we are in for a breathtaking ride. Micahel – or Micah, as he is called – begins to learn an incredible secret, but also to slowly build a concept of family and community. The analogy here of coming out and finding a new family is played with brilliant subtlety. Bumps and mega-surprises await the reader as we turn from chapter to chapter, but what never disappoints, or leaves our side as a constant guide, is Micah's prosaic sense of humor. Far from an 'angry' book, Denn's is balanced with polished skill, and comes compete with funny moments like this one: When that door opened and the smell of the food hit my nose, appetite came out from where it was hiding and hit me so hard my stomach let out a huge growl. “Damn, boy. Sounds like you got a beast to feed,” Kyla remarked over her shoulder. Before I could respond, her stomach let out a growl of its own. “Oooh, better let me shut up then.” She chuckled. Twisted also has a gift for action writing, and Micah encounters a well-spaced-out battery of physical challenges, but the poise the author brings to bear on his protagonist allows for humor, action, and emotion to stay in equilibrium. In other words, we come to care about Micahel effortlessly. Now, back to the Introduction, for that is where we will find the stunning 'statistics and stereotypes' passage: in roughly 10,500 words, our author takes us on a journey the likes of which you will rarely find better exampled on GA, or anywhere else for that matter. We follow young Micah from the age of about five, or from the time he was old enough to first inquire about his father, to only moments before his life changed at work. It left this reader feeling like a moviegoer emerging out of a film premier to a battery of lights and reporters. "What did you think?!" I, feeling overwhelmed, resort to the classic response, "I laughed; I cried; I loved it!" I think you will love this work too. No matter if you are first drawn to it for the listed categories, or come to it just seeking fine writing, Denn's Mobile Circus will not disappoint. Category: Fi ction Genres: Adve nture, Drama, Fantasy, Horro r, Thriller/Suspense Tags: mature adult, magic, psionics, were-creatures, adult, friendship Rating: Mature

First off, let me start by saying Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there. I hope you all have an enjoyable day. We're going to get right into the weekly wrap up this week. On Monday we took a look at a Cia's premium story, The Experiment. Mann Ramblings provided us with a great review to start our week off. There's also all the information you need if you'd like to become a premium member. Tuesday, Myr took over the blog to share some site info and ask for suggestions from members to help increase participation in the forums. Have an idea? Go read the blog and leave a comment. Wednesday, I announced some changes for the 2016 Anthologies as well as giving a heads up as to when the 2016 theme selection will start. The prompts returned on Friday with two brand new prompts courtesy of Comicfan. For the featured prompt response, I featured Carlos Hazday. Bulletin ..................... Bulletin ..................... Bulletin I can't believe it's already the 4th week for this contest! So many people have been following all month long and enjoying the scramble. Have you taken a stab at them yet? You never know what story might catch your interest as you search for titles and author names. And, as always, these have a few tricks! Figure out what these have in common and my little twists—if there's one—and it might make your descrambling a little easier or earn you an extra point in the contest. The month of June here at Gay Authors we are celebrating Pride Month. We're going to run a fun scramble in Games & Humor every Sunday. The scrambled words? Titles and author names from stories here on GA! There will be 10 every week posted in a topic and then you PM your unscrambled answers to Cia. DON'T post your answers in the public areas of the site--or you hurt your chances of winning! What are you playing for? First Prize: A year's digital membership to Out magazine Second Prize: 2 Months Premium Access Third Prize: 1 Month Premium Access Rules: Both parts of the scramble must be correct to count. The person with the most correct answers at the end of the month wins the first place prize, 2nd most correct 2nd, etc... If there are ties, Random.org will be used to determine the winner, and those not winning will be entered in the 2nd and then 3rd place prizes as necessary. PLAY THE GAME In Premium Pretty Little Thing by Nephylim By our Classic Authors: The Facilitator by Dabeagle By our Signature Authors: Leopard Spots by Graeme; Book 2 of The Lilydale Leopards Sword of Kings: Tested by Adversity by Bill W The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 8 by Comicality; Book 8 of Billy Chase Chronicles Global Explorer II by David McLeod Fortitude by Cia Cosmic Inceptionby Cia By our Promising Authors: Beneath the Current by Craftingmom Alex's Legacy by Valkyrie Presence by Carringtonrj Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

Thanks for the review Gary! Sorry for the delay in replying. Not sure how I missed responding to it. I'm so glad that you enjoyed the story and I absolutely love the comments that you had about it. I think Tyler and Ean starting their own family tree is my favorite part of this story

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. Don't forget, if under 1,000 words, prompt responses that are posted in GA Stories must be posted as part of a collection. Also, please remember that if any of your prompt responses garner a Mature rating, the entire collection must have a rating of Mature. Prompt 424 – Creative Tag – Invasion For decades people have been talking of space men invading earth. Today, close to twenty five ships landed in front of the major ruling countries around the world. Are the aliens here to invade, to help, or is it something else? Prompt 425 – Creative Tag – First Line “I never thought it could be like this.” This week we're featuring Carlos Hazday, who used prompt #422 to jumpstart a new story. Check it out: Read the rest of the story here.

Thank you Cole! I know, Jake is just adorable, love him to pieces. I'm glad you enjoyed the story as it gives a look into how their lives are going, but for someone who hasn't read the original, they hopefully won't be too lost. I'll definitely be visiting these guys again, as I already have some ideas for them.

Thank you Wayne, I'm glad you enjoyed it. It felt right to visit these guys again, but there is still more to their story, just have to write it

Thanks Carlos. I'm glad you enjoyed the story and that it lived up to what actually happens. I was a bit nervous about that, having never been there myself. I wouldn't worry too much about Dave's departure, because I never actually showed it, just talked about it. And there wasn't a whole lot to it.

Thank you Valkyrie! I'm glad you enjoyed it as I enjoyed visiting the guys again. And yeah yeah, I know, more more more, lol. Don't worry, I still have plans for these guys at a later date.

LOL DDK! I wouldn't know since I haven't actually been there, but it's on our list of things to do. I know Robert always had a blast!

I agree Wayne, and luckily at tourist places, someone usually seems to be willing. I know Robert would love it if you went on the purple dumbo ride. It would be like he was there with you

Thank you Valkyrie. Including something about Robert just felt right to me. He was a very special person who will never be forgotten. Disney sounds exhausting to me, and I've never actually been there. One of these days, and I'll go on the Dumbo ride and make sure it's got the purple hat

Thanks for the review Wayne. I don't know many six year olds that are good at road trips. The ones I know that don't mind them have tons of electronics to keep them busy, but they still get restless eventually.

Thanks for the review Valkyrie. I'm glad it was able to bring back memories. Hope you enjoy what's coming up next

Every once in a while we like to highlight a story that can be found in the Premium section of Gay Authors. For today's review, Mann Ramblings has provided us with a review of "The Experiment" by Signature Author: Cia. The Experiment is one of many stories that can be found in the Premium section of Gay Authors. While the majority of content remains free, the Premium section is a thank you to those who help support and keep Gay Authors going. Premium subscriptions also make improvements possible, including the unique GA Stories software and it's upcoming update. If you're looking to purchase premium, you can purchase one of four time frames. The longer time you purchase, the more you save. The current premium pricing structure is: 1 Month Subscription: $8.10 3 Month Subscription: $24.00 6 Month Subscription: $47.00 12 Month Subscription: $93.00 To purchase premium, visit the premium section in the Gay Authors store. Now, let's see what Mann had to say about The Experiment! The Experiment Book 1 of Saving Caeorleia by Cia Site Administrator Reviewer: Mann Ramblings Status: Complete Word Count: 94,841 Ryker made a mistake. He listened to his government and volunteered for an experiment to help eradicate the alien menace on MC-214-XXV, the planet humans wanted to settle on. Using the blood of a captured native named Seral, the sadistic doctors changed Ryker into a hybrid: part human, part alien and dumped him and Seral on the planet, hoping to retrieve useful intelligence. But the aliens, or the Caeorleians, were far more than the simple savages the human government's propaganda would have Ryker believe. Now left behind on the planet, unexpectedly bonded to Seral, Ryker has to learn how to cope with the horrors of his past and find his future among this new world. The Experiment was one of the stories I was reading that brought me to GA. It was in progress and I was hooked, waiting impatiently for each chapter as it posted. A satisfying multi-chapter serial, we get to watch how Ryker evolves as he copes with the abuses he's endured over his five year stint as a lab rat, and finds himself mated to the tall, fierce, alien, Seral. Being the son of the Caeorleian leader, or Toleral, we are introduced to Seral's family and the structure of their culture and government, complete with all the underlying intrigues. The first novel in the Saving Caeorleia series, The Experiment is is a rich story with many levels and numerous subplots without confusing the storyline. Cia does an excellent job of using first person for Ryker's point of view and third person for Seral's to tell the tale. The transitions are well handled and I found knowing both of their thoughts to not be a detriment to the plot. The sci-fi elements help define their world without bogging down the narrative with dry technical details that could alienate the reader. Filled with a budding romance, political intrigue, and a fair dose of action, the Experiment is an exciting tale, well worth the read. Category: Fiction Genres: Drama, Fantasy Tags: Medical, Aliens, Off-Planet, Anal, Future Rating: Mature