Renee Stevens

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 Timothy M. of Percy's story "Savory, Bitter, and Sweet." Enjoy! Savory, Bitter and Sweet by Percy Author Reviewer: Timothy M. Status: Complete Word Count: 5,997 At my age I’m removed from all the teenage angst of dating, coming out, the high school and college drama – and in truth most of this is alien to me anyway as a European. But I still enjoy reading such stories, if only to shake my head in disbelief, or fondly, sadly or whatever. On the other hand, when I occasionally come across a GA story with mature adults, living realistic if somewhat boring lives with jobs, less-than-perfect relationships, and vague regrets about choices made, I sit up and take notice. If such a story is also well written, has one or more memorable characters, lets the main guy evaluate his life and perhaps make an effort to change it, I’m hooked. One of my favorite short stories in this genre is Percy’s Savory, Bitter and Sweet. I come back to it at regular intervals, perhaps also in the vain hope the author might one day tell us what happened next. But mostly to once again savor the elegant mixture of bitter and sweet moments of attraction and relationships. One of the most important features of the story is the attitude shift Percy forces us to takes together with Ian whose POV we follow. While we all abhor the bigotry of homophobic people, I’m sure plenty of us may have to own up to at least occasional hints of the disdain Ian displays for what he describes as ‘those fey, flamboyantly gay, almost girlish men.’ In fact, one of the pivotal sentences in the story may be ‘Ian had hated knowing that not only was he gay, he was gay for those mincing, femme males.’ The encounters Ian has with Curtis gradually make him (and us) view Curtis in a new light, and engenders respect for him due to his competence and poise. My favorite scene is probably the food flirt – which is not what you might think. I also love the descriptions of the clothes Curtis wears and his general looks, as seen through the rather disapproving eyes of Ian. In fact my only complaint about the story is the same thing I feel about a small box of exquisite chocolate: it finished too soon and I crave more. If you do decide to read Percy’s delightful 2012-anthology piece, please add a review begging for another chapter. If enough of us ask, he may relent and tell the next part of this special story. If not, I shall have to be content with admiring this delightful short story whenever I read it, as well as Percy's other masterpieces in this genre. Category: 2012-6 Desperate Ends Genres: Romance Tags: Mature Adult, Adult, Gay, Workplace, Serious Rating: Mature

I hope everyone had a great week! I think today I'm going to get right into the Wrap Up for the week. Monday and Wednesday were all about Andy78, the author of Magic In The Air, which just so happens to be this month's Signature Author Background. On Monday, Cia wrote a review for the story and then on Wednesday she interviewed Andy78. If you haven't already checked them out, they're sitting there waiting. Friday brought us a couple of new prompts from the prompt guru Comicfan. This week he gave us a word list and another prompt having to do with Spring. Unable to choose which prompt to feature, I did a short feature of all the prompt responses that had been written for Prompt #208. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines (except Poetry) are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team*** 2015 Summer Anthology: Road Trip - Due June 3rd 2015 Fall Anthology: Blurred Edges - Due September 3rd In Premium Pretty Little Thing by Nephylim By our Signature Authors: Space Pioneer II - The Titan Plot by Dolores Esteban Leopard Spots by Graeme; Book 2 of The Lilydale Leopards A prompt a week by comicfan HMS Valiant by Mark Arbour; Book 7 of Bridgemont 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 A Day in The Life of a Seer by comicfan Cosmic Inception by Cia Streak by Mark Arbour; Book 15 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP) By our Promising Authors: The Hollow Hills by Valkyrie Barbed Wire Heart by Cole Matthews The English Year by Jwolf London and Love by Carringtonrj Sanctuary by Sasha Distan Poems by Carringtonrj Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

Happy Friday everyone! Hope everyone has had a great week so far. To help you finish off your week and get a great start on your weekend, we have two new prompts from the prompt guru, Comicfan! We'd love to see what you come up with, so don't forget to share your prompt responses in the Prompt Forum, you never know, your response might be shared next week! Prompt 410 – Creative Tag – List of Words Use the following in a story – bunny, green grass, tulips, a grandmother, and a box of chocolates. Prompt 411 – Creative Tag – Spring time The first signs of spring have begun to happen. What does that mean to you? We only had a few responses to prompts 408 & 409, so I decided to go ahead and give a short preview to both prompt responses from Prompt 408, enjoy. Prompt 408: Read the rest, here. Read the rest, here.

I hope everyone has had a great week and a great weekend. It's time to take a look at what happened in the GA News Blog over the last week. Also, a huge Thank You to Cia and Wildone both for their help with the blog last week while I was so sick. On Monday, Cia took over the blog to announce this month's CSR choice. If you haven't already started one of the three listed stories, I'd suggest you start now so you can join in on the discussion that will happen on April 27th. Tuesday, Wildone took over the blog to talk about the Forum Moderation Team and how it works, as well as sharing some insights on Former Members. There is a lot of great info in this blog on how things are decided and it's well worth the read. Thursday, Cia shared with us Grammar Rodeo #2. There was a pasting issue, but as soon as the readers informed Cia, she quickly got it fixed. It was a great writing tip regardless and all authors should take a moment to peruse it. Friday was a great day for prompts, as always. Not only did we have the latest prompts from Comicfan, but AC Benus supplied us with Poetry Prompt #8. We also featured two prompt responses this week, a poetry response from Jamessavik and a regular prompt response from Carlos Hazday. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines (except Poetry) are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team*** 2015 Poetry Anthology: Remember - Due April 15th (Poetry Anthology is exempt from the Anthology Proof Team) *3 DAYS LEFT* 2015 Summer Anthology: Road Trip - Due June 3rd In Premium Pretty Little Thing by Nephylim Dreams of a Father by dkstories; Book 2 of Dreams of Humanity By our Signature Authors: Belovéd by Don H Leopard Spots by Graeme; Book 2 of The Lilydale Leopards Sword of Kings: Tested by Adversity by Bill W Global Explorer II by David McLeod Fortitude by Cia My Only Escape by Comicality GA Writing Prompts by Dolores Esteban Cosmic Inception by Cia By our Promising Authors: The Hollow Hills by Valkyrie Aditus' prompts and circumstances by aditus Sanctuary by Sasha Distan Barbed Wire Heart by Cole Matthews London and Love by Carringtonrj A Fool's Thoughts by aditus April Musings by Valkyrie Poems by Carringtonrj Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

You're welcome, Carlos! You are most welcome

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 408 – Creative Tag – First Line “If you ever threaten him again, I’ll kill you.” Prompt 409 – Creative Tag – The Storm The storms have been coming one after another this year. Electricity, gas, and even propane haven’t been getting to everyone due the furious nature of the various storms. The weather stations have just put out the worst warning yet for a storm due this weekend. What do you do to prepare for such a storm? We also have the next Poetry prompt! Poetry Prompt #8 Write two Quatrains. One inspired by the sights of spring around you right now (or autumn, if you are below the Equator). And a second one telling us how you feel inside about it. It can be happy or sad, or indifferent – it's all up to you! Keep the Quatrains to four lines, rhyming a-b-a-b, and 10 syllables per line. Don't get frustrated, just have fun with it. Read more about Quatrains in the thread! I hope you enjoy Carlos Hazday's response to Prompt #407: Read the rest here. And here's Jamessavik's response to Poetry Prompt #7:

Who's ready for another Grammar Rodeo? A big thanks to Cia for providing these for the blog. They are a great learning tool and include some great tips and tricks to help authors remember what is best to use. Hopefully you'll find Grammar Rodeo #2 as informative as I did! Grammar Rodeo #2 Those Pesky Word Choices Past vs. Passed This one is complicated when you consider the many, many variations of past. Past can be used as an adjective, a noun, a preposition, and an adverb. Passed is only used as verb. Let’s start with the easy one: Passed. Passed is the past tense form of the word ‘pass’. It’s the word that indicates an action of passing something that already took place. That is the only accepted use of this word. Verb: A word that indicates an action of physically moving an object. “He passed me the phone.” Past is a bit more complicated, as it has many uses, however, it is NEVER used as a verb. So if your meaning indicates an action itself, use passed. If you are using the word any other way, use past. I’ll still share the different meanings of past, as the adverb and preposition meanings are what cause the most confusion for people. Adjective: Past-just gone by; elapsed or a time before the present “The lessons of the past should never be forgotten in the future.” In this case, past is an adjective of the subject ‘the lessons’. Noun: An earlier time; a time before the present “The past is over.” In this case, the subject (noun) is simply ‘the past’. Adverb: To and beyond a certain point in time. “Years went past before I learned the truth.” In this case ‘went’ is the verb, so past is being used as an adverb to describe it. How many confuse this one: If you do not have another verb like went in the sentence as the action word, you’d need to change from past to passed. “Years passed before I learned the truth.” Note how passed is now being used to indicate the action itself. Preposition: At the farther side; beyond; after “We turned at the house just past the one on the corner.” Note that it’s the house ‘past’ the one on the corner. Here past indicates the house they turned at is beyond the house on the corner. The word past is describing the location of the houses. Possessive vs. Plural Let’s do a quick one for this second grammar snafu. Possessive: Add an s or es to a word to indicate more than one. “Bill’s alarm is going off.” The alarm belongs to Bill, so you use ’s to indicate the possessive use. Plural: Add s to a word to indicate possession. Example: “I grew up in the 80s and 90s.” Decades are probably the #1 consistent typo I see of possessive ’s instead of the proper possessive s use. Variations: Possessive its: Its is the only use of a possessive word that doesn’t use the apostrophe. It’s is only used to indicate the contraction of it is. “Its buttons flashed red.” In this case, its refers to an object, not a person, so using it is appropriate but the object still possesses the buttons so you use possessive its. Words that end in s: Previously, the use of an apostrophe after a word ending in s indicated possession. “Carlos’ alarm is going off.” In the past, that was the only accepted format. Then, because when you say a word that ends in an s as a possessive, you add the extra s sound, the s’s style gained in popular use and was an accepted variation, even preferred with some editing standards. In 2015, CMoS even switched to s’s being the proper usage and s’ not being an accepted variation. But really, this one will depend upon your preference and your publisher (if you publish).

Ask an Author #26 Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors! In AtA #25, we had questions for authors Aditus, Nephylim, and Stephanie L. Danielson. In AtA #26, we hear from carringtonrj, joann414, 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. Today we start with Promising Author Carringtonrj. It’s been about a year since RJ was promoted to promising, in March 2014. With us since 2011, RJ has gifted us with more than 50 different stories. Not to mention all the reviews and story comments! I first noticed RJ when Queertown came along. It was one of the first gender-bending stories to grace GAstories, crazy and bold and just beautiful in its explorations of the differences between gender and sexuality. What you may not know is that RJ has a doctorate and studied at Oxford University, but that may not surprise you considering the deliciousness of the writing that has graced the site since this author first wandered in. Oh, and RJ’s story Man of Montana started as a request, so don’t be afraid to suggest topics for writing. To Carringtonrj: I am amazed how you can find beautiful, gorgeous words on such a variety of subjects. Is there any theme under queer-world that you would not explore, even if requested and why? In theory, I could write about anything. In practice, I tend to prefer broadly positive, happier subjects. I do not write about anything too horrific or disturbing, generally. I write for pleasure and seek to give some kind of joy to anyone who reads my scribbles. So I tend to stay away from the more shocking and depressing subjects. That said, I love a commission or request. If someone asks me to write something for them, I will. Right now, for instance, I'm getting regular requests, from the most beautiful artist in the world, to write poems to go with her amazing drawings. I love doing this and would do anything she requested. Joann414 was one of the first supporters of the Ask an Author feature, first appearing in AtA #2 with a question about writing advice. Back then, she was “… a lady with a big heart who conquered GA early on with her numerous positive and thoughtful reviews. Authors still brag about the number of comments they’ve garnered from this sweet lady.” Although we see her less these days than in the past, she’s brave enough to post her age on her profile, keeps us updated on the latest shenanigans at home and work (stay away from the oil, pretty lady!) and passes along encouragement and good cheer at every available opportunity. Send this wonderful woman a happy thought when you have the time, and be sure to check out I'm Here for the Party, the holiday-themed 11th story posted by Joann. If everyone who has ever received a review from Joann gave her one in return, she’d be one of the most-reviewed authors on the site! Write on, Joann! To Joann414: Who is a published author that has affected you the most and why? I feel as if I should say the author of some of the required reading in high school and college, but that wouldn't be true. So, John Grisham would be my choice. The main reason is because he's an author that writes what he knows and does a great job entertaining and enthralling his readers. Also, I'm familiar with the places that are the settings for his stories. Last on my list for today is fan-favorite Mark Arbour. His profile now boasts “There can be only one!” and at 20,000+ likes, is there any author more closely followed? I could list all his stories, but we’d be here all day. Mark’s forums are among the most popular as well. Have a question or comment about a plot point or character? There’s plenty of people just waiting to help you out or argue the finer points, not to mention the author himself! And although he doesn’t add to it much, Mark’s blog can give you a touch of insight to this amazing author as well. It’ll be May soon and Mark’s birthday, so stop by and tell him to write his 2015 blog and tell us all about what it’s like being over the hill. And keep your fingers crossed that he’ll be around to keep the Cap and Bridgemont series going longer than the Energizer Bunny. To Mark Arbour: How many chapters or what period of time do you see the current book Flux covering? I really don't know. I know that some authors start a story and have a clear outline of where they're going, and what's going to happen, but I rarely do. I usually have a basic theme I want to deal with, along with a few ideas about how the story will begin, and then it plays out from there. With Flux, the basic theme is re-assembly. In 9-11, the characters were torn apart by the losses of loved ones, their psyches were damaged, and relationships suffered. Flux picks up after that, where their lives are sort of in, well, a flux, and they have to pick up the pieces and go on. I can probably end it in October of 2002 (it started in May, 2002), but I'll have to decide then if I want to go on. One of the big events ahead in 2002-3 was the lead up to the Iraq War. I may cover that in a separate story. *A special note to readers: Flux ended after 46 chapters. The latest episode in the Cap Series is Streak, begun in August 2014 and encompassing 43 chapters (and 273,764 words) as of February 2015. 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, Mark Arbour, and Rob Colton. Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark). Until next time! Dark

How do you come up with your characters? Since a lot of them are in the same stages of life, does that make it hard to make them individual?

I hope everyone has had a great week. Just a reminder that tomorrow, Monday the 30th will be the CSR Discussion for Roommates by Krista. If you haven't finished yet, there's still time so that you can come and ask Krista your questions at 8pm EDT. Now, let's see what happened in the GA News Blog during this past week. Monday's featured story was Meta by JohnAR. If you haven't already, why not stop by and read the review provided by Timothy M. Myr joined us at the blog on Tuesday with an announcement regarding a story by Comicality. If you haven't done so, you can check out the announcement here. Friday the blog returned to it's regular schedule with two new prompts. We also featured Valkyrie's prompt response to Prompt #403. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines (except Poetry) are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team*** 2015 Poetry Anthology: Remember - Due April 15th (Poetry Anthology is exempt from the Anthology Proof Team) 2015 Summer Anthology: Road Trip - Due June 3rd In Premium Pretty Little Thing by Nephylim By our Signature Authors: Leopard Spots by Graeme; Book 2 of The Lilydale Leopards Sword of Kings: Plagued by Adversity by Bill W Global Explorer II by David McLeod Fortitude by Cia Cosmic Inception by Cia By our Promising Authors: Barbed Wire Heart by Cole Matthews The Hollow Hills by Valkyrie London and Love by CarringtonRJ 2015 Prompt Responses by Valkyrie Sanctuary by Sasha Distan Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

It's been quite a week, but now we're back to our regularly scheduled blog posts. That means that it's time for a couple of new prompts provided by the prompt guru Comicfan. Don't forget to share your prompt responses in the forum so that maybe yours can be the featured response next week. Also, don't forget that you can post your responses in GA Stories but prompt responses under 1,000 words must be posted as part of a collection. Prompt 404 – Creative Tag – Photo Use the following photo to inspire a story. Prompt 405 - Creative Tag – First Line “You honestly think I would wear something like that?” This week's featured prompt response is from Valkyrie, with her response to Prompt #403: Read the rest here!

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 Timothy M. of JohnAR's story "Meta." Enjoy! Meta by JohnAR Author Reviewer: Timothy M Status: Complete Word Count: 101,276 Sometimes a writer defines a new genre, and everyone else has to take their creation into account. Anyone writing about robots must decide whether to comply with Asimov’s rules, writers of fantasy or magic will be measured with Tolkien, Rowling and a few others, and anyone doing gay (wolf) shifter stories cannot ignore Rob Colton. The visions and the worlds these signature writers manufacture are so compelling they set a standard for the particular genre. Thus, if you’re writing gay shifters, particularly wolves, you can either run with the type casting Rob Colton sets up, of the dominant Alpha male finding his mate (whether human or wolf), who is often smaller, weaker and definitely a complete bottom. Or you can decide to break away from the mold and do something different. Both choices can be found at GA, and this review is about the most epic norm-breaking story I’ve come across so far. JohnAR’s Meta series actually spans several genres and is probably even more in opposition to Twilight than Timber Pack. Though I guess JAR does stay within some traditions. We get vampires as arch-enemies of werewolves, all living in secret amongst clueless humans. There are the usual pack dynamics of Alpha, Beta, Enforcers and so on, plus also a clever college nerd with an unhappy family background. However, one reason Meta fascinates me is JAR’s unconventional ways of solving various problems I’ve always had with ‘traditional’ werewolf/vampire stories. First of all, the fact normal dominant Alpha behavior is sort of obsolete in the modern world and can bring trouble on your pack. JAR’s answer to this Gordian knot is brilliant and obvious – after you’re told. For once it’s brain over brawn. Secondly, JAR’s wolves are much more like real wolves than humans. Genetically based instincts and smells affect them profoundly and even rule them, and if you judge their behavior by human standards you’ll get it wrong. In a real wolf pack only the alpha female has cubs (by the alpha male of course), and JAR’s werewolves have their own traditional version of a breeding based hierarchy. Since this cannot hold for gay wolves, something else has to be devised. JAR’s solution for the Inner Circle of his Meta pack will probably be considered perverted by most of his readers. The biologically imperative loyalty demand is certainly weird and hard to accept – for a human. Thirdly, there is no biting and turning, and that goes for vampires too. JAR’s vampires arise and behave in ways which are more believable and scary than most stories. But interestingly some of them can actually breed with normal humans. As can JAR’s wolves – or at least they seem to attract plenty of sexual interest from human females as well as wolf bitches. At times to an uncomfortable degree for gay wolves. Apart from the supernatural stuff the most fascinating feature of Meta is the main character, Colt. He is the nerdy genius with issues and he also has somewhat kinky sexual interests - almost obsessions. Be prepared to feel annoyed and shocked, but at least he judges himself as relentlessly as he does his surroundings, be it fellow students, teachers, or relatives. Some of the most delightful moments in the first book are Colt sparring with his business class lecturer. I’m quite intelligent myself, but Colt is in a league of his own, and I’m in awe of him – and by extension his ‘creator’. In case I haven’t scared you off yet, let me conclude with a few warnings. Only the first two books of the Meta series are complete, and the third began posting in January 2015, but I know several more are being written. In addition, he recently began teasing us with his Meta Prompt series. JAR loves cliff hangers, obscure hints, confusing and provoking his readers, making fun of gay stereotypes and romances (especially those favored by women), and – as mentioned – being contrary to shifter story norms. He and Colt are into non-conventional but possessive relationships, hot sex with more than a hint of D/s, and hunky but non-hairy guys with lots of muscles. Preferably Marines. I dare you to try out Meta, and I know JAR would welcome you ranting at his stories in reviews or the story forum. But please be aware this is not a challenge to be taken by soft-hearted, vanilla-loving believers in soul-mates and hetero-normative relations. So don’t blame me if you come away shaken and disturbed. Story Forum (beware spoilers) http://www.gayauthors.org/forums/topic/39601-meta-wolf-meta-origins/ Category: Fiction Genres: Mystery, Romance Tags: Young Adult, Vampire, Were-creatures, Menage, Fetish Rating: Mature

I hope everybody has had a great week. It has been a very busy week here in the GA News blog. Don't forget there's only one week left before the CSR Discussion on "Roommates" by Krista, so if you haven't finished reading, you still have a little bit of time. Now, let's see what happened this week in the blog! Our Monday feature took a look at Leaving Club Leo by long-time site member and author C James! If you haven't already read this story, then check out Monday's review and see if it's something you might enjoy! For those who enjoy doing crosswords, Wednesday brought a new crossword to the site blog. This month's crossword centered around the Signature Author's and was quite a bit more difficult than the last one. After giving it a try, you can check your answers by looking at the attached image at the end of today's Weekly Wrap Up! Have you congratulated Aditus yet? On Thursday we announced that Aditus has joined the ranks of the Promising Authors here at Gay Authors. If you haven't already done so, stop by Thursday's blog announcement to add your congrats to those already there! Last, but not least, Friday we had two new prose prompts, a poetry prompt, and a poll! We also featured Krista's prompt response from last week and Aditus' poetry prompt response from Poetry Prompt #6. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines (except Poetry) are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team*** 2015 Poetry Anthology: Remember - Due April 15th (Poetry Anthology is exempt from the Anthology Proof Team) 2015 Summer Anthology: Road Trip - Due June 3rd In Premium Pretty Little Thing by Nephylim By our Classic Authors: Long Day by Dabeagle By our Signature Authors: Leopard Spots by Graeme; Book 2 of The Lilydale Leopards Sword of Kings: Plagued by Adversity by Bill W Global Explorer II by David McLeod Fortitude by Cia Cosmic Inception by Cia GA Writing Prompts by Dolores Esteban By our Promising Authors: Barbed Wire Heart by Cole Matthews The Hollow Hills by Valkyrie London and Love by CarringtonRJ Aditus' prompts and circumstances by aditus Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! Signature Crossword Solution

You know Tim, you just gave me an idea..... I might have to talk to the prompt guru....

You're welcome Adi

First off, I want to thank everyone for their input. Some thoughts ARE plausible, but others really aren't. I'm going to lay my thoughts out on some of the ideas that have been given and everyone can feel free to respond here or PM me if you wish to discuss more. Monthly Prompt Wrap-Up: I don't see this being feasible. Right now, if I look at the last month, there is 16 threads in the prompt forum that have been posted in since the 21st of February. Doing a monthly wrap-up would require going through each thread and checking the date of each post. I just did that for those 16 threads and there's 30 prompts written during the last month. IF I were to link to every one of those, I'd be going back and forth to gather the links, the author, and then the first line (or two in case of first line prompt). While in theory this could be a great idea, the time involved to put everything together, plus the time to go back over it (possibly multiple times) to make sure nothing got mixed up, just doesn't make this plausible. Once a month "best prompts of the month" feature: I see this having many of the same issues as a monthly wrap-up. Using the past month as an example, trying to remember 30 prompts that have been posted in a month is a nearly impossible feat (in my opinion), plus there's the issue of the occasions when someone other than myself does the blog. This would lead to having to read thirty prompts just prior to doing the feature. The other thing is, how do I determine the "best" and how many should I feature? I enjoy reading the majority of prompts. I don't have a set way as to what I look for when I feature a prompt response. Sometimes I read something and think "Hmm, that's different" other times I read a prompt and decide to feature it simply because I enjoyed it and want to bring attention to the author. There's no set "guideline" that I look at, so that makes it difficult to choose a "best prompts of the month", even if I kept a list as the month moved along. I enjoy the majority of the prompts I read, the ones I don't, most the times they're just not for me for one reason or another. One thing that was touched on by multiple people is a way to feature all the prompts, but still showcase a single prompt. That MIGHT be doable. Perhaps doing something like an actual feature of a prompt response from the previous Friday's new prompts, but then do the author and link to the other prompt responses for the rest of the prompts for that week... or the first lines, but no links and just the prompt number, which would tell where to find the link to the rest of it. That would be a good way to showcase all of them in a way, but still allow a main feature. Thoughts?

The prompts are back! We skipped the prompts last week to bring you the Spring Anthology, but they're back with a bang this week! Not only do you get the two prompts you're accustomed to from Comicfan, Poetry Prompt #7 has been posted as well! I look forward to seeing what everyone can come up with! Also, I'd love your thoughts on the featured prompt responses, so please answer the poll question! Prompt 402 – Creative Tag – List of Words Use the following words in a story – a four leaf clover, a gold coin, a broken arm, a red headed woman, and an order of fish sticks. Prompt 403 – Creative Tag – A wish While on vacation you toss a coin into the local wishing fountain which suddenly comes true in some of the most awkward ways possible. What was your wish and what happened? Poetry Prompt #7 - Blank Verse Write a poem in ten lines of blank verse (defined in the usual way as non-rhyming iambic pentameter) as an address to a friend or a loved one. OR, if you're feeling adventurous, write a speech (or speeches) for a character (or characters) whom you've created, all in blank verse. You can find out more about Blank Verse by visiting the thread. This week, we're featuring Krista's response to Prompt #401 and we're also featuring Aditus' response to Poetry Prompt #6: Read the rest of Krista's Prompt. Read the rest of Aditus' Prompt.

Congrats Aditus!!!!

Monday's are a great day, not so much as they are the start of a new week but because it's the day we look at one of the stories here at Gay Authors. Maybe you have been looking for a new story to read? Hopefully I can help you out with that! I like to contribute the occasional review to the blog, and today I decided to do a review on a story by one of our earliest authors. C James is well known for his story Circumnavigation, but I'm going to share one of his lesser known stories. I hope you enjoy my review of Leaving Club Leo. Leaving Club Leo By C James Signature Author Reviewer: Renee Stevens Status: Complete Word Count: 11,048 Unfortunately, I don’t get to read as much as I’d like to on site, so when I do get the chance, I tend to read shorter stories. Many of C James’ stories are rather long, but I wanted to take a look at one of his stories and Leaving Club Leo caught my eye. I was curious as to what kind of club Club Leo was, since there was nothing in the description that actually said. It turns out, Club Leo isn’t really a club at all, not in the way most people would think of a club. It’s actually a hotel that orbits the earth and is actually named Resort Astronautica. I’ll be perfectly honest when I say that I don’t tend to read a lot of science fiction, but I did enjoy this short story by C James. One of the things I enjoyed was that CJ actually explained what was going on in different aspects of the story, in ways that I was able to understand. Yet, at the same time, it wasn’t as though the entire story was a whole bunch of technical jargon. The main character of the story is Jeff, a young man who holds an engineering degree, but works long hours as a hotel worker at Club Leo, for free. Whether it’s cleaning up after a meal, in zero gravity, or cleaning bathrooms after guests leave (zero gravity toilets apparently can be tricky to use), Jeff is definitely on an adventure. It may not seem worth it, but as Jeff would say it was the view that was his reason for enduring so much to work at the hotel. C James gives some spectacular descriptions of the views that Jeff so enjoys and makes me wish I could see what he sees. The descriptions throughout this short story showcase C James talent and it is apparent why so many readers wait impatiently for a new chapter or story from him. There is plenty of drama to be had in this short story as well. With all the spectacular views, what would possess them to leave Club Leo as the title implies? The story follows Jeff and the one in charge, Commander Blair, as tough choices are made to ensure everyone's safety. The only question that remains is, are the choices Commander Blair makes the right ones? You'll have to read to find out! Category: 2010-2 Out of this World Genres: Sci-Fi Tags: Space, Off-Planet, No Sex Rating: Everyone

"Raise Your Voice" does it to me. It just brings back too many memories. In fact, when it first came out, my best friend made me promise her that I wouldn't watch it alone because she felt like parts of it would hit too close to home and I wouldn't be able to handle it.... I listened to her, for once, and was glad I did, because she was right.

I hope everyone had a great week! With the release of the 2015 Spring Anthology, it's time to start looking forward to the 2015 Poetry Anthology and the 2015 Summer Anthology. Look for the announcement for the Summer Anthology within the next week or two, but if you want to get a start on it, the theme is Road Trip! This week we're going to go a little bit backwards in our look back at the week. For those that didn't already notice, on Friday, there were no prompts. That's because we released the Spring Anthology! There's 11 brand new stories for you to read. Don't forget to leave the authors a review to let them know what you think! The rest of the week was all about this month's Signature Author Background. This month's selection is Two of a Kind by Cia. On Wednesday we had an interview with Cia, where we learned more about the Carthera world. Monday was a great review provided to us by Cannd. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines (except Poetry) are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team*** 2015 Poetry Anthology: Remember - Due April 15th (Poetry Anthology is exempt from the Anthology Proof Team) 2015 Summer Anthology: Road Trip - Due June 3rd By our Classic Authors: Devyn's Song by Dabeagle Long Day by Dabeagle By our Signature Authors: Global Explorer IIby David McLeod Krista's Prompts by Krista Leopard Spots by Graeme; Book 2 of The Lilydale Leopards Beginning Again by CassieQ *2015 Spring Anthology* Best-Solution by Cia *2015 Spring Anthology* Daydreams by Dolores Esteban *2015 Spring Anthology* Going Home by comicfan *2015 Spring Anthology* The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 8 by Comicality; Book 8 of Billy Chase Chronicles Fortitude by Cia A Prompt a Week by Comicfan Cosmic Inception by Cia By our Promising Authors: Closing the Circle by Valkyrie *2015 Spring Anthology* Instantly by Sasha Distan *2015 Spring Anthology* The Scrapbook by Cole Matthews *2015 Spring Anthology* The Hollow Hills by Valkyrie Barbed Wire Heart by Cole Matthews London and Love by CarringtonRJ 2015 Prompt Responses by Valkyrie Sanctuary by Sasha Distan Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

Hope you all are ready to do some reading! The 2015 Spring Anthology: Full Circle is NOW LIVE for your enjoyments. Eleven new stories to help you get through the weekend. Don't forget to leave the authors a review to let them know what you think of their hard work. Now, what are you waiting for? Read!!!! At the Right Time jian_sierra "Tell me about yourself, Mr. Connor." I was in a spacious room with glass walls, the Los Angeles skyline could be glimpsed outside. The room itself was barely furnished, a mahogany desk, a white sofa made of leather, and a couple of shelves stuffed with books, empty vases and knick-knacks. Behind the desk, the man interviewing me was seated on this big leather office chair which I had no doubt was comfortable beyond imagination. I was seated in one of the smaller, identical office chairs in front of him, the one that was to his left. The man looked younger than me by a year or perhaps two, in his mid-thirties most probably. He had on a smart three-piece suit, dark blue almost black, his shirt was cream-colored and the necktie was plain royal blue. To complete the effect of the successful businessman-look, he of course wore rimless glasses which, depending on the way he moved or tilted his head, seemed almost not there. An easy smile was on his lips which turned into a strained one probably due to me not saying anything in a while. Beginning Again CassieQ Alex tilted his head back, feeling sweat trickle down his neck as the sun bathed his face. He was hot and drowsy, the muted pounding of the waves breaking on shore and the far off shrieks of children playing creating a lulling melody. He was drifting in the limbo between awake and asleep, when he heard the soft, but unmistakable sound of a body settling into a nearby chair. Alex figured that Derek would be the only one to take the seat but he cracked an eye open cautiously, just in case and smiled a little. Derek was in the chair, wearing standard beachwear: a T-shirt with his swimming shorts, sunglasses. Alex knew that underneath his glasses, his eyes were rimmed with dark circles and that the shirt hid a frame that was bony, bordering on gaunt, but now he just looked like a slender guy enjoying his time at the beach...or trying to, at any rate. "I told you this was a nice place, right?" Alex said, optimistic that Derek had decided to leave the little villa and venture out. Best-Solution Cia My leg ached, but I was able to push up on my hands without pain making me feel like the muscles, tendons, and ligaments were trying to detach from the bones. Moshe and Lisco were curled up together on the other side of the bed. Lisco’s hair was still damp from our late-night shower. He’d insisted on cleaning up after we finished fixing the fences and getting the cattle back where they belonged. Then he’d showered again after I made the whole mess of yesterday up to him. To be fair, between me and Moshe, he’d been quite the mess. Water was always at a premium here in the Interland, but they’d hooked up some sort of system with their shuttle which reclaimed and recycled the water, making it fit for use again. I still didn’t know how, exactly, but since we’d had plenty of water for our showers yesterday, I wasn’t going to complain. That was one indulgence I had enjoyed in the city. Closing the Circle Valkyrie Elliot made one final adjustment to the engine, then stepped back and momentarily surveyed his work before sliding into the driver’s seat. He turned the ignition and the engine roared to life, settling down almost immediately into a contented purr. “Yes!” He pumped his fist as he jumped out of the car and ran into the shop’s office. “Hey sweetheart, you’ve gotta listen to this!” Max looked up from the paperwork he was completing. A glob of mayo from his sandwich stuck to his beard. Elliot giggled. “Wipe your chin, babe.” Max wiped his face with a napkin and followed his fiancé into the car bay. Elliot gestured to the ’52 Chevy with a big grin. “Hey, you got it started! Great job, babe!” Max enveloped Elliot in a bear hug, spinning him in a circle. “Easy, tiger! You don’t want me to get motion sick all over you!” Daydreams Dolores Esteban He's the kind of guy Who knows a lot about women He likes to talk about girls But when he starts to daydream He likes to dream of boys Eight-fifteen aditus Romeo watched the clock over the entrance door. The second hand hopped over the twelve and another minute had gone by. Eight-thirteen a.m. “One maple mocha to go, please.” Like every morning, Lila was getting a coffee for her boss. “And something to go with that that will make her real fat.” Their relationship wasn’t the best. Grinning, Romeo grabbed one of the tall paper cups, poured a double shot of espresso, and mixed it with chocolate syrup. He showed her the bottle. “Lots of sugar.” She grinned enthusiastically. After adding steamed milk, he lifted the spoon dripping with whipped cream. “That’s the real thing, not that spray can stuff.” Going Home comicfan I could hear the song playing on my iPod and found it sort of amusing. I really guess I was in a New York state of mind, but only because I had to go back. There was so much there I didn’t want to have to deal with. That was the whole reason I had left home ten years ago. Funny, you can’t truly escape your past. Life has a way of forcing you to go full circle and face the things you would rather forget. “Please return your seats to an upright position.” The flight attendant drew everyone’s attention with her sweet southern drawl. “At this time we ask once again that all electronic devices with wifi enabled are turned off as we begin to prepare for our descent. We will be arriving on time at McArthur Airport in Islip, New York. We hope you have enjoyed your flight.” I looked out the window, and as we passed below the clouds, could already make out the ocean and Fire Island as the plane approached our final destination. Instantly Sasha Distan I met him on a full moon, though at the time I had no idea of the significance of this. I was walking home from work in something of a funk, because despite having followed every instruction given to me by my supervisor, due to some tiny error deep in the source code of the project, the whole function I’d been working with had failed to run. So I had stayed late, dug through a pile of gibberish written by my predecessor, and worked out why he’d been politely but firmly ‘let go’ three months previously. I had planned to go and enjoy the first evening of good weather in the park on my way home, stretch out on the grass, and forget all about work, and the enormous pile of washing up I had to do, but by the time I left the sun was sinking into the twilight, and the city was full of fast moving tail lights as everyone else tried to get home. A chill breeze had picked up, rolling with it the scent of salt from the river: there was no point doing anything else other than get home, get warm, and lounge on the couch in sweatpants while browsing the take-out menus. I waited at the corner of Seventh and Charleston for the walk signal, contemplating the potential benefits of garnishing pizza with duck sauce, and as the light flashed green I took a step off the pavement. I wasn’t looking when he hit me, and we collided hard enough that I was forced back and off balance. Max Cauler Ron Why did he come? He didnʼt owe the old man anything nor his mother . . . What did she ever do to stop him? Nothing but to patch him up when the old man was done. He was his own man now, and he had no need of false affection; he owed him nothing. Not that the old man would ever ask for anything. The crack-crunch of frosted grass underfoot—silvered blades crushed and snapped—were his company on the walk up the slope. Nearer to the top of the rise, a bright-red cardinal sang from a winterʼs oak tree nearby, bare of all but a few leaves wizened and curled around their edges—grasping little fingers. The crisp, dry air carried the song clear and sweet; the color reminded him of blood. The phantom taste of iron bloomed on his tongue with the association—he spat on the cold ground, watched until crystals began to form in the spittle—the old man had made sure of that; the taste wasnʼt something to forget. Nightfall jamessavik The phone was ringing in my apartment when I got home from work. I missed it before I could get there. I got out of my work clothes and hit the shower. Construction work was fun and paid well but it was hot, dirty and dangerous. It didn’t take too much of it for me to figure out that I didn’t want to do it for a career. For now it was paying the bills. The phone rang again and interrupted a perfectly wonderful dream as I was napping on the couch. “Hello.” “Jimmy. Thank God I got you.” The Scrapbook Cole Matthews The ‘ding-ding-ding’ sound of someone winning jolted Brian out of his trance. He’d been watching Roger push the cart with a new beer keg across the playing room floor of Ruby Jo’s Casino and appreciating the show. He shook his head like a wet dog and turned to get the step stool out of the way. “You’re staring at him again,” a tinkling voice teased him. Brian turned and saw his coworker Lydia was shaking her head with a smirk gracing her bright red lips. “He’s gonna catch you and beat the crap outta you. Don’t you know that?” she chided him. “I’m not staring,” Brian mumbled. He brushed his sandy-blond hair back out of his eyes. “I was making sure he didn’t have any problems.” A big THANK YOU goes out to everyone who has helped with the 2015 Spring Anthology: Full Circle 2015 Spring Anthology Support Team Proof Team LJH Rec Andy78 Valkyrie Anthology Banner Creation Mann Ramblings Tech Support Myr Also, Thank You to all the participating authors and their teams! Great job everyone!

Have you downloaded your March Signature Background? If not, there's still time and you can do so, here. Cia's always asking everyone else the questions, and now it was time for the tables to be turned. Hope you enjoy this little question and answer session with Cia! Author Interview: Cia on Two of a Kind Do you eat your fruits and vegetables? Some more than others. I love raw baby spinach and bananas. I even like combining them in smoothies. Don’t knock it til you try it! Add some almond milk, a tablespoon of peanut butter, milled flax seeds, and ice and you have a very filling—and good for you—breakfast. What are you wearing? (no lying ) Jeans, black shirt with rolled up black/white striped cuffed sleeves and one of my hubby’s black hoodies, with the hood up to avoid the sun coming in through the big living room window. It burns!!! Are you a person who makes their bed in the morning, or do you not see much point? Gotta make the bed. We have a California king waterbed, and it’s heated. Year round we have a soft blanket, bottom sheet, top sheet, Egyptian cotton blanket, and 2 handmade quilts. Hubby likes it cold in the room, and I like to be warm when sleeping, so that’s our compromise. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? Dedication. I swear, if I could just make myself focus for 1-2 hours a day on nothing but writing, I’d have so much more done. Do you have any writing rituals? Not really. I tend to fly by the seat of my pants. Music via ear buds helps me drown out my 2 monsters if they’re home while I’m writing, but I might listen to country or rock or pop, depending on my mood and how close I am to muzzling them if I don’t block their inane chatter and bickering. What brought you to Gay Authors? A story I’d had recommended to me, Beloved by Don H. After that, I made my way through the Hosted. Eventually, I joined up because I wanted to yell at Lugh to finish Vega-5. Lol What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment? I once had a reader I respected tell me they were critiquing the way I write by comparing it to the work of a high school student, without sharing any examples. Later, I asked them for specifics and was told it was the disturbing content of the story more than my writing that bothered them—even though that was clearly stated as not part of the critique. It felt unfounded. I love critical feedback, because not everyone loves everything and we all have room to grow, but I also like a reason why someone feels a certain way about something I’ve written. Without that, the information is about as useless as tits on a boar. The best compliment I’ve heard a few variations on but the first time, a reader told me they’d stayed up most of the night to read one of my stories twice in a row because they enjoyed it so much. I’ve had some eBooks suck me in like that, and I know just how amazing I thought they were. That someone felt that way about my work was very gratifying, and continues to be as well. How did you come up with the idea of the Carthera? I was reading a werewolf story, and my cat curled up on my shoulder. I rested my face against him, and he began to purr. It felt soft, warm, and soothing. I wanted to replicate that feeling in a character. I’d written a small bird Carthera hetero story once, but hadn’t really nailed down the mythos other than part person/part Clan animal. It just sort of flowed onto the page after that though. In “Two of a Kind”, did the characters or the plot come to you first? I knew I wanted to do two rare cats. I was working in Photoshop on some fire photos and saw the black cat faces in the charcoal that blended perfectly into what I could envision as a temple. And where do we still find hidden cities and temples? The jungle. Thus, Bashta’s ancestral temple in the Amazon was born into being, and then Cavel entered the jungle to look for something—anything—that might save his Clan. The rest is history. What’s your favorite part of “Two of a Kind”? Definitely the visual of the temple. I love that sort of thing in paranormal stories. How much research did you have to do while writing “Two of a Kind”? Tons. I had to figure out all the plants and animals from the jungle, so I looked all that up, with images and multiple sources. I had to figure out flying times from Brazil to California, then driving and flying times from the main airport to the small town I set as Cavel’s Clan home. Medical stuff comes easier, but also refreshed my memory on creating vaccines from immune individuals to combat disease. I usually spend just as much time researching—sometimes more—than I do the actual writing. For instance, it took me 2 hours to determine the type of flower, the superstitious meaning by locals, and the possible sizes and color variations for one of the flowers set in a carving. That element came into play in 3 paragraphs of the story. Which Carthera character would you say is your favorite? (even if it’s not from ToaK) Oh, definitely Davis Retic, The Snake himself, from Hypnotic. I don’t care to handle them, but I find snakes to be very elegant, yet often singularly reviled, yet solitary creatures. I really wanted to incorporate all that into my next story, especially after I introduced the Snakes as such negative creatures in Bonds Unbroken, the first Carthera story in this trilogy. I think Cap, from Escaping the Pain, was a big ole sweetheart, too! What are you working on now? Well, a secret project which I shall not divulge to anyone. Sorry! I’m also writing and posting updates each week to both my not-very steampunk-but kinda-steampunk flash fiction story posted every Wednesday with my off-site Briefers group (Fortitude) as well as the third novel in my Saving Caeorleia sci-fi series (Cosmic Inception). I think my next short story will be a continuation of a very short story I wrote for a contest in a Queer Science Fiction group I joined on Facebook. You can read First Contact here:

This month I told Cia that I was stealing the March Signature Author Background because I decided it was time for the one who started it to be featured. I chose her story Two of a Kind since I love the Carthera series and it was a toss-up as to whether I liked Two of a Kind or Hypnosis better. If you haven't already read this series, I highly suggest it. To help you decide whether or not it's for you, here's a review, provided by Cannd. Two of a Kind Book 2 of Carthera Takeover Tales by Cia Site Administrator Reviewer: Cannd Status: Complete Word Count: 56,359 In Two of a Kind, Cia takes us further into the world of the Carthera. The world of the Carthera sucked me in with the first book Bonds Unbroken which focuses on the falcon Carthera and the son of and future clan leader, Velaku, who makes a reappearance in this book. The Carthera are humans with an animal side which comes out once they find and bond with their fated mate. While the Carthera don’t shapeshift into another animal, they take on some physical characteristics and abilities of the animal species they are. In this book, Cavel, leader of the jaguar clan, is desperate to find a way to save his clan that is sick with a plague that has never been seen before. At the direction of an old wise woman and desperate for any help, Cavel takes off into the rainforest to locate the sacred Temple of the Jaguar Carthera. As Cavel and some of the men of his clan, including a few with sick family, begin their journey in the jungle, they find themselves being tailed by another Carthera male. Bashta, the only other black jaguar Cavel has seen since the death of his parents, is unhappily brought to Cavel who immediately recognizes him as his fated mate. He discovers that Bashta is the only surviving member of his clan after a plague killed all but his mother and him. Bashta has been living in the jungle as a lone Carthera for many years. Bashta is initially not willing to take these Cathera who have integrated themselves with humans, to the temple, as in his experience, humans destroy the jungle and are out for treasure. In this story, Cia delves into the power of fate and its role in the lives of Bashta and Cavel, as well as the future of this jaguar clan. The lives of two men with a shared story become entwined with one another. Bashta doesn’t want to see fate take the lives of the members of Cavel’s clan as it did his and agrees to lead him to the temple. Can he help save Cavel’s clan from the same terrible fate his clan suffered? Bashta and Cavel don’t get off to the best start. Bashta, despite his youth, has an aura of power that Cavel senses and which challenges him as an Alpha and there is also the mating call which drives him to claim his mate and dominate him. He longs for the connection to a mate and the support it could provide in this difficult time and for the rest of their lives. Bashta doesn’t understand what he feels for this big man. After living as a solitary jaguar Carthera since the loss of his clan, he didn’t welcome his need to be near the other jaguar. Bashta also must deal with the memories of his lost clan, including his parents, litter mates, friends and family, which this clan’s situation brings to forefront in his mind Bashta leads Cavel and his men to the Temple and helps Cavel go in to eventually meet the Jaguar who created the Jaguar Carthera and who protects them still. We don’t meet any other ‘God’ of the other species of Carthera in the other Carthera novels, which makes this story special in my opinion. The experience in the temple, between Cavel and Bashta is beautifully described. The Temple is a very fascinating place inside. Fate has joined them together and given them hope that the jaguar clan would survive and that the sick would be cured. At the same time, with the help of Velaku and the main character in the next book, Hypnosis, they must also seek the cause of the plague, that has threatened their kind. Two of a Kind has twists and turns that will surprise the reader as they hope for a happy ending. The book also leaves the clan leaders with concerns that will be dealt with in the next Cathera book. I found the story to be very satisfying. You will learn more about the Carthera as a whole and the issues they face as they live amongst the humans who they have only integrated their lives with over the last fifty years. The characters in this book are fleshed out really well. Their pasts are revealed enough to explain many of their thoughts and actions. And together, they all strive to forge a better future for the jaguar clan and the Carthera as a whole. There was only point near the end, when I worried that an object Bashta is given should have been treated as a danger to those who would come in contact with it, because of its connection to the plague. I hope you will join Cia on this journey into the world of the Carthera. Overall, it is a highly enjoyable read that keeps you hooked through to the end and I highly recommend it. While I don’t think it is necessary to read the first book before reading Two of a Kind , it will only add to the story if you read it at some point and I think you will be drawn into the world of the Carthera and will want to learn as much about them as you can! The good news is that there are several more books after this one, to enjoy. All of them are just as exciting and introduce more characters like Cavel and Bashta (who make a brief appearance in Hypnosis ~shhh!), who you will come to love and root for too. Category: Fiction Genres: Drama, Fantasy Tags: Magic, South America, First Time, Modern Rating: Mature

I've heard countless times how much everyone loves the Ask An Author feature and want to give a big Thank You to Dark for taking the time to contact all the authors and compile these wonderful Wednesday pieces. Don't forget, if you have a question you'd like to "Ask an Author" all you need to do is send Dark a PM!! Hope you enjoy!!! Ask an Author #25 Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors! In AtA #24, we had questions for authors Andrew Q. Gordon, Andy78, and Sasha Distan. In AtA #25, we hear from Aditus, Nephylim, and Stephanie L. Danielson. 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. First up today is scientist turned teacher, Author Aditus. He comes to us from the Canis lupus species of familia Canidae and is a secret vampire fan, so would that be Team Edward or Team Jacob? He’s also a Scorpio, and if you believe in Astrology, that means our dear friend is secretive, passionate, resolute, insensitive, steadfast, painstaking, and stubborn, which doesn’t seem to bode well for that secret vampiric lover. Unless you’re a character in Blade, of course. Or Twilight. Oh, and have you had a chance to chase down Red Running Shoes? The characters will drag you in and the drama will make your roll your eyes, but the well-designed plot will keep you coming back for more! To Aditus: What prompted you to write stories in the vampire genre? The early vampires were usually a mixture between a mummy and a zombie and variations of the concept can be found in most cultures. Although they always interested me historically, I never wanted to write a story about them. The modern concept of vampires brought into life e.g. by John Polidori and Bram Stoker however, always fascinated me. They are tragic and lonesome creatures, dead but immortal. To live they have to drink one of the essences of life, blood. To get it they have to hunt humans. Due to their immortality, they lost their family and all their friends. A great background to spin emotional stories…that and they don't need condoms. The sweet but dark angel Signature Author Nephylim needs little introduction, but did you know that she’s been collaborating with fellow Author Stephanie Danielson? It’s true! Check out their series Upstaged, two stories (so far) about grunge band The Von. They’re both completed, so the only question remaining, is what’s next? And when’s the next collaborative effort coming out? To Nephylim: In Recovery, a great deal of detail goes into the medical procedures, symptoms and progression that poor Kei and Alex suffer through. Is this based on a real life experience, a TON of research or a huge collaboration of the two? The medical procedures themselves are down to research and asking people who know more about it than I do. The waiting I know a lot about because I did a LOT of waiting when my father had a heart attack when I was 24. In the end we lost him but the waiting was the same. My mother was the one who set up the food/drinks/practical stuff station for everyone else. There were three families and we got to be quite good friends whilst we were there but never saw them again after. It was a strange and surreal experience which I have never forgot. As mentioned above, our next Author Stephanie Danielson has co-written two stories for GA with fellow author Nephylim. 2014 was a tumultuous year for Stephanie, with her first solo work getting published and what great timing, too! It was like there was a Winter Olympics or something, when Ice Fairy first entered the scene. You may not know that Stephanie is a key stakeholder in Romance First Publishing and slaves her day away as the servant to two cats. Perhaps it is their influence that has resulted in 12 published works? Or was that Nephylim cracking the whip? To Stephanie Danielson: What made you decide to publish your story as a book and was it easy to find a publisher? Hi! No problem...I guess my first question is which story? LOL. I've done dozens. As for finding a publisher, in the early days I found one, but it was the wrong one. After that grievous error, I decided to self-publish some of the stories. I found other publishers through friends and networking and gave them a try. A website called Preditors and Editors helped too in weeding out some of the bad ones. (right now I have a series and another book (all co-authored) that are through other houses; which were found by word of mouth and just subbing them and crossing our fingers. But in 2011, I started my own small press and along with self-publishing, I have a few of my stories run through there. As for my first ever, ever story...it's kinda described above. But I'd rather talk about my first story after that, a tale called "Love by the Numbers". LBTN is a tale about a jock and a brain; Jared and Scott. These two get together by means of the teacher pushing them together so Jared's math grade can go up. It develops from there. This was a story I wrote in a fairly short period of time and fell in love the boys from second one. I decided to self-publish it after it was turned down from a couple of publishers; but I wanted the story out there. It ended up becoming one of my biggest early hits! Through that same networking, I found sites to sell the book and get exposure and make the start of a name for myself. 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 Carringtonjr, Joann414, and Mark Arbour (omg, yes, again, lol). Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark). Until next time! Dark