Renee Stevens

I glanced around at the friends gathered in my living room. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, their drinks were full and people were talking. Terry and his new girl, Samantha or something, were making out in one corner of my couch. I heard the knock, just barely, and headed for the door. Everyone I’d invited, and a few I hadn’t, had already arrived. Maybe one of my friends was expecting someone to join them. I shrugged, the more the merrier had always been my moto. A gust of wind

A collection of Flash Fiction pieces. Some will be based off prompts, but probably not all. Hope you enjoy.

“I can’t believe Jackie outed you to your dad. I thought she supported you.” Mark leaned back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. “I don’t know what the hell is going on with her. She’s suddenly acting like all she cares about is Dad’s approval.” Mark rolled on his side and propped himself up on one arm. “I’m serious Trey. She seemed to enjoy hurting me.” “Do you think it’s just grief?” “I don’t know; I’m hoping maybe Brent will have some answers for me.” “When is he supposed to

You'd have to talk to Wayne (aka Comicfan), I just post the prompts I'm given. He may have a reason for redoing this one or maybe he just forgot to cross it out that he'd already done it.

Who's ready for a new set of prompts to get the wheels turning? Sometimes an author hits a road block that they just can't seem to make their way through. The weekly prompts are a great starting point to jump start some new ideas. Whether you're looking to just do a quick flash piece or maybe you want to do a bit longer story, why not give them a try! Prompt 384 – Creative Tag – First Line “Since when do I have to tell you everything?” Prompt 385 – Creative Tag – The Minor You have just finished the week from hell and just about crawl out of your car. You drag your work bag and some takeout food you picked up and schlep it toward your front door. As you reach for your keys you stop cold as you notice someone is curled up asleep on your front door step. It is obvious even from where you are standing that it is a child. Who is the minor and why are they sleeping on your door step? This week, I decided to feature Cole Matthew's response to Prompt #382, enjoy! Read the rest, here.

Hope everyone is having a great new year so far! Not only is it the first Wednesday of the month, but it's also the first one of 2015, which means it's time for this month's edition of Ask An Author. A big thank you goes out to Dark for continuing to provide us with this great feature. Remember, Dark can only provide the Ask An Author feature if members keep providing questions. Ask an Author #23 We return to Ask an Author following December’s Special Edition (#22), in which we had questions for authors Comicality, Nephylim, Rob Colton, and Sasha Distan. In AtA #23, we hear from authors Mark Arbour, Thomas Nealy, and Thorn Wilde. 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. Our first author has been featured on AtA twice before, and why not? Mark Arbour is one of the most prolific authors on GA, and remains one of the most popular. Although he may only have posted 20-something stories, those “few” stories have created some 5.5 million – yes, I said million – words, 20,000+ likes, and more than 200 followers. Ever since he joined GA in 2005, Mark has posted chapters more regularly than a heartbeat. There’s the CAP saga and the Bridgemont series, but Mark has also posted stand-alone stories, like 2011’s Sink the Bismarck. Find out what all the hubbub’s about and read Mark Arbour today. To Mark Arbour: How do you decide what historical events you are going to include in your stories? There are so many smaller yet significant events, what criteria do you use to decide which will fit your stories? I decide which events to put in based on how well they work with the story, unless the event is significant (like 9-11), in which case I work the story around it. I usually look at things in chronological order (Wiki is the best resource for that) and then pick and choose as I go. I learned a lesson when I wrote 1968, and that is that I'm writing a story with history in it, and not a historical story. In 1968, I let history write (and dominate) the story. Now I don't do that. On the other hand, 1968 was a year like that, where the world was in chaos wherever you looked. American Author Thomas Nealy is next. A member since 2009, Thomas has posted two stories, the fanfic A Love Through Time featuring characters from Harry Potter and Twilight and the romantic original Lives and Trials of Jupiter. I love Cedric from Harry Potter and so, although I’ve never read Twilight, the fan-fic is quite humorous because Cedric takes the place of the vampire Edward. Just read around the typos to find the gem inside. Last time we heard from Thomas, he talked about Lives and Trials of Jupiter, which he refers to here again, but also hints at something new! To Thomas Nealy: How did you come up with so many ideas to keep it fresh and exciting? And do you plan to write more within the world of your series in the future, or is there new work we can expect? I'm an avid sifi and fantacy reader. So it was unaviodable that those things would infuance and find their way into my own stories. I belive that there is very little truely origanal ideas in writing now, we are all just tweaking and reusing the ideas of masters that have long come before us. Even out technology of today was inspired by by fiction. As for writing more in the Jupiter world, I would like to as there is more of the story to be told. However right now I am working on my Devia story which is proving to be harder then i thought it would be to write for. Our last author, Promising Author Thorn Wilde, has also been interviewed for AtA before. When asked about the speech habits of his characters, Thorn replied that his characters’ traits are a reflection of himself. From this, it’s quite fitting that Thorn takes his pen name from one of his favorite authors: Oscar Wilde. But he’s also said he struggles when writing in his favorite genres, though Teddy makes that hard to believe. The sweetness of the story perfectly balances the horror. And then there’s Sleeping with Ghosts, written for Halloween 2013. Let go of your New Year’s Resolutions with the help of this charming ghost story. To Thorn Wilde: Have your stories been (or do your stories get) influenced by stories you've read? I should think so. I would have a hard time believing any writer who said this wasn't the case. Whether it's intentional or not, I think most writers will be influenced by what they read or watch. Sometimes it's a plot point, sometimes it's a character, and sometimes it's a style of writing. It's no secret that The Jacob & Marcus Tales were inspired by my watching The Thick of It, and a while back I read a fanfic where the main characters were Hollywood actors, and that inspired me to write Lavender & Gold (and is where I learnt most of the specifics of movie making). 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 Q, Andy78, and Sasha Distan. Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark). Until next time! Dark

LOL... Nope, no hangover. Was out of town visiting family. Thanks for doing the wrap up Steve!!

Nope, only the story gets counted, not number of chapters. It's how it's always been regardless of whether it's Sigs or Proms.

Hope everyone had a great new year. 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 382 – Creative Tag – List of Words Use the following words in a story – a beach ball, a vacation ticket, a snow storm, a crying child, and a pair of broken glasses. Prompt 383 – Creative Tag – The New Year It is the last day of the year and you have some serious decisions to make. It seems every part of your life has been turned upside down the last few weeks and now it is time for you to take control. What plans do you want to put into action as you go into the new year? What changes will this have on the people closest to you? This week we also have the next Poetry Prompt to share! Poetry Prompt #5 write your own set of five Couplets using the music provided . You have a choice of being serious or silly, it's up to you. If serious, write about how you hope to meet your goals and ambitions for the coming new year. If you are feeling silly and irrelevant, write about how lame this challenge is, or anything else you like. The point is, practice, practice, practice! Get a feel for letting rhyme come to you as you construct Couplets. For more information on Couplets, visit the thread! This week I decided to feature one of the previous Prompt Responses by Totallyy: You can leave totally a review here.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Years Eve and a great start to 2015! I was in the prompt forum the other day, and I noticed some prompts over the last year didn't get any responses. Now, I know there could be a number of reasons for this, but I thought it might be nice to give some of them a second chance to be noticed! On the last day of the year, no less. So for this week's Wednesday post, that's what I'm doing! Here's a list of 10 prompts that for one reason or another, didn't receive any prompt responses. I've included links to each topic as well so you can post your prompt responses (or links to them) in the forums. Have fun!! Prompt #375 - Creative Every year you have a small get together of your friends near the holidays. Your place is all decorated, your food is ready, and you have dressed comfortably to entertain. After your first few guests have arrived and gotten comfortable, there is a knock at the door and you find someone you never expected to be standing on your door step. Who is your surprise guest? Prompt #361 - Creative Every year the local county throws a fair. It is always a lot of food, crafts, and things to buy. This year a carnival has been added to the fair and the whole mood has changed. People seem to be attracted to the dark tents, loud noises, and wild rides. Is this just a new addition or has something sinister come to the local fair this year? Prompt #359 - Creative The dog arrived in the middle of night with a note on his collar telling you to keep him and he will help you with your problems. You thought whoever left the dog had to be crazy. However, after a week the dog seemed to sense you needed things and for some odd reason would nearly drag you on your attempts to walk him right into the middle of some problem that ended up solving one you were having. What do you do with your mutt now? Prompt #351 - Creative Your family believes it lives under a curse. They say everyone leads a charmed life until the fall in love for the first time and have their heart broken. You just had a very messy break up. Is there a curse and what happens? Prompt #346 - Word List Use the following in a story – the beach, a blanket, a deer, a torn pair of shorts, and an ice cream cone. Prompt #341 - Creative With the passing of your last relative, a collection of rings has been handed down to you. At first you look at the old rings and figure you might be able to sell them. As you begin going through them you notice there is something different about them. What is it? Prompt #339 - Creative No one ever suspected the changes that would come to the world after such an epidemic. The original outbreaks occurred along the warmer waters. The whole thing spread from Georgia in the United States to Uruguay in South America, from Portugal in Europe to South Africa in Africa, and Southern China in Asia to the Northern parts of Australia, as quickly as it appeared there soon were deaths on grand scales. It took almost a third of the world’s total population in less than three months. It soon became like the history books about the black plague and people were bringing out their dead for massive cremations. It was only with the few scientists from all over the world sharing information that humanity survived and found a cure. In this new world borders aren’t what they once were. Life is looked at much differently now. What is the world like? Prompt #337 - Creative Every year you see on television the announcement of the local fair. You say you are going to go every year, but something always comes up. This year you manage to make it and find out just what makes this fair so memorable. Tell us about it. Prompt #326 - Creative Family get togethers were never your thing. However you found yourself without an excuse to miss this one. Once you are there however you are in for a major surprise. There is a big family announcement. What is it? Prompt #302 - Creative You have been chosen to take part in one of the deep space missions to Mars. This mission is only possible by sending people up with their mates knowing they will be spending the next twenty years in deep space there and back with this person. Your are arrive at the training station in three months, giving you time to pack up and say your goodbyes to friends and family. There is only one problem for you though, what is it?

I hope everyone had a great holiday. It's hard to believe that 2014 is nearly over and this will be the last "Weekly Wrap Up" for this year. The next time we look over what happened during the week, it will be a brand new year. A lot has happened this past year and there is a lot coming in the upcoming year, so make sure to keep an eye on the GA News Blog to keep up to date on upcoming site changes! Now, let's see what happened during the last full week for 2014! Monday we took a look at Graeme's story "Gay Whales" and based on all the comments, I wasn't the only one who got a chuckle or two out of the story. Tuesday, Myr joined us and talked about how eBook's will look once the forum update is complete on the site. Since Wednesday was Christmas Eve, we posted a Christmas Reading List for anyone looking for a holiday story or two to read. Friday we had two new prompts and featured a prompt response from Jason Rimbaud. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines (except Poetry) are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team*** 2015 Spring Anthology: Full Circle - Due March 3rd 2015 Poetry Anthology: Remember - Due April 15th (Poetry Anthology is exempt from the Anthology Proof Team) 2015 Summer Anthology: Road Trip - Due June 3rd ***NEW READING*** In Premium: The Harvest: Taken by M.A. Church By our Classic Authors: The Tull Unification by Dabeagle By our Signature Authors: My Only Escape by Comicality The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 8 by Comicality; Book 8 of Billy Chase Chronicles Leopard Spots by Graeme; Book 2 of The Lilydale Leopards Streak by Mark Arbour; Book 15 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP) Dribbles by Cia Sword of Kings: Forged Out of Necessity by Bill W HMS Valiant by Mark Arbour; Book 7 of Bridgemont A prompt a week by comicfan By our Promising Authors: Broken Prince and Mismatched Eyes by layla The Art of Being Gay by Cole Matthews Ladies' Man by Sasha Distan; Book 9 of American Songbook London and Love by carringtonrj 1550 Loring Lane by Cole Matthews Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

I hope everybody had a wonderful holiday and maybe you even got to read a few of the stories on the Christmas Reading List that was posted for the last couple of days. I've already got some ideas for things to do for next Christmas, but you'll have to wait to see what I've got in store. What you don't have to wait for is two new prompts to help get those fingers moving on the keys! Let's see what's in store for us today! Prompt 380 – Creative Tag – First Line “Sure, now you want me to make the decisions.” Prompt 381 – Challenge Tag – Uncomfortable situation Every writer has a time where they need to create a scene around something uncomfortable. This can be someone being fired, a death in the family, or breakup. Your challenge is to create such a scene and include as much detail as you can. What is the setting? What can we see or hear? Is the person sweating or can we smell antiseptic? Involve as many of the senses as you can in your scene and bring it to life. Now, let's see what story we should feature this week! I remembered reading one, I just had to find it, this week I'm featuring Jason Rimbaud's response to prompt #378: Want to read the rest? You can do so, here.

Happy Monday! So, it's been a while since I've done a review for the blog, so I decided maybe it was time that I remedied that. While it's not a Christmas or holiday tale, the story I decided to review is one that is humorous, fun, and lighthearted; all things that a holiday should be. The story we're going to take a look at today is "Gay Whales" by Graeme. Hopefully if you decide to take a look at it, you'll enjoy it as much as I did! Gay Whales By Graeme Signature Author Reviewer: Renee Stevens Status: Complete Word Count: 2,369 First off, I have to say that Graeme is a very talented author, and he doesn’t disappoint with this short story. Many people might overlook this gem because of the title, but it is a little misleading. Don’t get me wrong, gay whales do play a part, but they are not the whole of the story. This story is centered around a group of friends, one of whom is Melanie. She is an environmental activist who holds meetings with her friends in an attempt to get them onboard with whatever her latest project is. The scene for the story is set during one such meeting in which another of the friends, Greg, jokingly asks if the meeting is to discuss ”Equal rights for unmarried, pregnant, aboriginal, gay whales”. For once, the meeting isn’t about what Melanie sees as an environment catastrophe, it is something that hits much closer to home. She's focused, instead, on the happiness of one of their best friends, Scott, who just happens to be absent from the meeting. Scott is a shy guy who has been obsessing over a local footballer, and the group of friends are determined to bring Scott and the object of his affection together. I don’t want to ruin the story for you; you’ll have to read to find out if the friends are successful in their plot to bring Scott and his crush, Dean, together. If you haven’t yet read anything by Graeme, then this would be a good story for you to start with. It’s short and has good flow. Graeme catches your attention early on and holds it throughout the story. I mean, how could he fail with a catchphrase such as “unmarried, pregnant, aboriginal, gay whales”? Category: Fiction Genres: Drama Tags: Sports, Friendship, Australia, No Sex, Light-Hearted Rating: Everyone

First off, I want to give a big Thank You to Cia for handling the blog for me this week, much appreciated, but I'm back and we have a lot to look at. However, there's something that needs to be addressed before we look back at this week's postings. As many might remember, the authors here at Gay Authors reached a milestone of 100 Million words! To celebrate, we decided to run a couple of contests. Thank you to everyone who participated, but now it's time to announce the winners, you will be contacted very soon about your winnings. Congrats!!! Monday started Signature Week with Celethiel's review of Nick Cringle by Myr. Myr joined us here at the blog on Tuesday (though it was posted by Cia) to share this week's Tech Tuesday which was a mix of different topics. Cia managed to corner Myr and get him to answer a few questions for our Wednesday Interview feature to continue Signature Week. As always, Friday brought us two great new prompts and featured an older prompt response by Timothy M. Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines (except Poetry) are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team*** 2015 Spring Anthology: Full Circle - Due March 3rd 2015 Poetry Anthology: Remember - Due April 15th (Poetry Anthology is exempt from the Anthology Proof Team) 2015 Summer Anthology: Road Trip - Due June 3rd ***NEW READING*** In Premium: The Harvest: Taken by M.A. Church By our Classic Authors: The Tull Unification: Nick Coronach by Dabeagle By our Signature Authors: Leopard Spots by Graeme; Book 2 of The Lilydale Leopards Hercules III by CarlHoliday The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 8 by Comicality; Book 8 of Billy Chase Chronicles Sword of Kings: Forged Out of Necessity by Bill W Fortitude by Cia Streak by Mark Arbour; Book 15 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP) By our Promising Authors: The Art of Being Gay by Cole Matthews Ladies' Man by Sasha Distan; Book 9 of American Songbook Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

Wow! It has been a big week here at Gay Authors! If you've been following the blog, you'll know that a lot of exciting things have been happening, but if you haven't been, now is your chance to get caught up. I think I'm going to go a little bit backward this week, so I hope everyone don't mind, but we had something really exciting happen this week and I just can't wait until the end of the look back to get to it! If you haven't been following the blog, I'd definitely suggest checking out Saturday's special post, but to give a short summary, we're running two contests. For the details to the contest, you'll have to visit the blog post, but the reason for the contests is a great one: CONGRATS!!! Continuing with our backwards look at the week, the 2014 Winter Anthology went live on Wednesday! There were some great stories, all centered around the theme of "Chain Reaction". If you haven't already done so, go check them out and don't forget to leave the authors a review to let them know what you thought of their work! On Tuesday, Myr and AJ both joined us here at the blog to talk about fixing the author listing. Not sure what author listing I'm talking about? The blog entry explains all of that, including how it was fixed. We started the week out with a great review by Timothy M of "Misunderstandings" by BigAKHorton. Quite a few comments and thanks to Timothy's review, this story was added to many people's reading lists. If it's not on yours, maybe this review will change your mind! Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines (except Poetry) are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team*** 2015 Spring Anthology: Full Circle - Due March 3rd 2015 Poetry Anthology: Remember - Due April 15th (Poetry Anthology is exempt from the Anthology Proof Team) 2015 Summer Anthology: Road Trip - Due June 3rd ***NEW READING*** In Premium: The Harvest: Taken by M.A. Church By our Signature Authors: Thermai Vignettes by David McLeod Streak by Mark Arbour; Book 15 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP) Leopard Spots by Graeme; Book 2 of The Lilydale Leopards Jessie-101: Online Celebrity by Comicality Sword of Kings: Forged Out of Necessity by Bill W The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 8 by Comicality; Book 8 of Billy Chase Chronicles Oh My! by Bill W *2014 Winter Anthology* Fall From Grace by Bill W *2014 Winter Anthology* Rejoice! by Bill W *2014 Winter Anthology* Rudolph's Tijuana X-mas by Mann Ramblings *2014 Winter Anthology* Mike's Pinball Life by comicfan *2014 Winter Anthology* Junction by Cia; Book 4 of A Maze For Three *2014 Winter Anthology* Fortitude by Cia Thanksgiving Forgiveness by comicfan By our Promising Authors: The Art of Being Gay by Cole Matthews Maillard's by Cole Matthews *2014 Winter Anthology* Heart Brake by Sasha Distan *2014 Winter Anthology* Barbed Wire Heart by Cole Matthews Ladies' Man by Sasha Distan; Book 9 of American Songbook Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

Nope, you're not dreaming!!! While I'm sure most of you weren't expecting the anthology to go live for another day or two, I decided to go ahead and make it live a day early. If you've been looking for something new to read, here's your chance. Twelve brand new stories for you to enjoy, but don't forget to leave the authors a review to let them know what you thought. I could keep rambling on, but I think I've said all that needs said, so go ahead, you know you want to! Ready... Set... READ!!! Allah's Revenge Carlos Hazday “Are you sure about this?” “Completely certain. Even if there is an element of risk, we have to do it, Aitor. We can’t ignore a cry for help. Based on everything we’ve learned since leaving Canada, the danger is minimal. It has been over ten weeks since the original incident; we should be safe. The chances of him being sick and still alive are almost nonexistent.” “I trust you, Lars. Just trying to be careful, babe. For both of us.” “It’s the protective soldier in you, one of the many reasons why I love you. Go get your kill, that was a great shot; I’ll try to find our man.” “Fire off a round if you need me,” said Aitor by way of good bye. Break the Chain wolfwriter I went for my annual walk in the snow to the spot where I would say a prayer for my parents. It had been hard on me since they died five years ago, but I never forgot them. I prayed for them and also said a prayer of thanks for Stephan coming into my life. The past year had seen us as a couple, and I couldn’t be happier about it. As I walked back I got lost in my thoughts. I thought back to when I met Scott. God, three years ago at Christmas was that whole disaster. I am glad time has marched on and I am actually looking forward to Christmas this year. As the snow fell I couldn’t help but remember it was snowing the night I met Scott too. “Hey TJ, want to go to the club?” my work partner Mike asked as we walked out to our cars. “Which club?” “How about the new one that just opened, The Bear Cave?” Fall From Grace Bill W How did it happen? How did he go from being one of the most celebrated people in the kingdom to suffering the humiliation of an arrest, trial and conviction for just being who he was? Was it right? Was it fair? He'd been hailed as having made the most important individual contribution that helped his kingdom win the war, but now he was scorned and ridiculed for responding to an inborn, primal urge. Was this the way the kingdom repaid a hero? It had been a long and bloody war, one that the kingdom and its allies were on the verge of losing. The other side was more powerful and had better weapons, so the kingdom and those aligned with them needed an edge. In his determined and quiet manner, this man stepped forward and helped to come up with a way to decypher the intricately coded messages the other side was sending to communicate with each other. This singular accomplishment eventually helped to end the bloodshed and bring the war to a conclusion. His accomplishments were not only lauded, but he was also bestowed with many honors. Getting to the Happily Ever After jamessavik It’s funny how your life can change in an instant. One event can change everything that comes after. That moment arrived for Randy Austin Taylor, affectionately known as “Rat” to his friends at Denton Academy, on a sunny Tuesday afternoon during his fifth period Geometry class on May 16, 1978. He was summoned to the office by one of the girls who worked there. His anxiety was heightened by the way she spoke quietly to his teacher and looked at him sideways. That look spoke volumes. As he took the long walk to the office he tried to think of anything he might have done to merit the attention of Vice Principal Maxwell. His primary duty was to tend to disciplinary matters at the Academy which he did with gusto. A large paddle nicknamed Old Hickory with which he tended to such matters was prominently displayed in his office. Heart Brake Sasha Distan If not for Russell Brannigan’s brake cable, none of this may ever have happened. If that stupid kid had just taken his car to the shop when it started making a funny squealing noise upon applying pressure to the brakes, I would not be here, alone at midnight, sitting on the narrow footbridge over the dark swirling waters of the river, drinking what remains of a bottle of honey-whiskey I had previously been saving for something special. Because of Russell Brannigan, and his faulty brakes, I now sit dwelling on the worst events of my life. * I braked and pulled the Land Rover to a halt at the junction, waiting for the car in front of me to seize his moment, turn left across two lanes of traffic, and join the stream of commuters going home for the evening. I had timed my day badly, which I could have avoided, but I hated going into the city and had waited until the store was about to close before jumping into my car and heading out to get groceries. If I had been smarter, or if I hadn’t lost myself in the soothing motion of planing a piece of cedar into the arched curve of a chaise-lounge, I would have avoided rush hour and would not have spent the last hour in stop-start traffic, staring at the red taillights of the car in front. Junction Cia “So we just dump this out on the ground?” I could barely span the rectangle of scratchy grass. Moshe held two of them by the cords tying them into the rough shape, easily hefting one in each hand. “Well, you need to break the twine and break off flakes of the hay, spreading it out in a long line. That way the cattle can come eat all at the same time. And you might not want to take too long about it. They’re coming.” “They’re coming?” I squeaked. Those things were a lot bigger than I’d thought they’d be. And they had these wicked sharp horns on their wide heads. Miah laughed. “Relax, Lisco. They won’t hurt you. Unless they’re spooked, cattle are pretty gentle.” I could hear them coming, making those deep, low calls. They said nothing, but carried a lot like Moshe’s vibrations. I didn’t want to be standing anywhere between them and their food when they arrived, no matter what Miah said. Maillard's Cole Matthews “It smells like you’re burning that steak,” Ricky called out to his line cook Marc. “You need to char the other side dude.” “It’s not burning dumbass. It’s searing,” Marc barked, angry he’d been caught thinking about something else other than his job. Marcus Adamson was proud of his work. He’d been working at Maillard’s since he graduated from Gastronomique four years ago. He had started at the bottom, doing the cold prep and worked his way from the salad and appetizer stations, through sous prep to working the meat and fish stations on the line. On the nights his boss, Ricky Shannon, didn’t work, he would even expedite the line. Marcus loved his job and right now it was the only thing holding him together. The cook shifted the fillet with the tongs to char the side. He’d gotten caught up in his own thoughts about what he would do after work. When he had a home it wasn’t a problem. Since last Tuesday, it had. Losing his heart and bed messed him up. Marc had to quiet the voices somehow. Mike's Pinball Life comicfan “Twelve dead in freak chain reaction this morning. The fog was thicker than expected when the semi slammed on its brakes on Highway 14 this morning causing the twenty-two car accident. It took the police and rescue workers ….” “Turn off the TV, Mike. I don’t want to keep hearing about that awful disaster.” Mike turned off the television as his mother rushed by for the third time, sliding a bobby pin into her hair as she raced past on the way to her pocketbook and the front door. “I’ll be home late. Remember, there is a TV dinner in the freezer or money for a pizza by the phone. Eat something.” She slipped on her coat before giving Mike a peck on the cheek. “Try to call your friends, would you? I know this hasn’t been easy for you, but things can only get better.” Oh My! Bill W This all started when I was pledging one of the more popular fraternities, Phi Alpha Gamma. My name is Donovan Estes and I'd decided to do this because I wanted to take part in the total college experience. The pledge period culminated with what they called Greek Week. It was a period during which a bunch of different activities were held and all of the sororities and fraternities were expected to participate. Along with various social functions, it also included both the Greek Olympics and Greek Talent Show. "Estes, I'm signing you up for the talent show," the frat's pledge master announced. He'd obviously noted my athletic prowess and realized I didn't possess any. "Who am I doing it with?" I asked, since I wanted to know who I was being paired with. "No one," he responded. "The guys in the band will perform too, since each Greek chapter can enter two acts, but you'll be on your own. We need everyone else for the other activities or they're involved in setting up one of the other functions held during the week." Promise Stars aditus November 24th Max sat in his car, watching white flurries gliding down the windshield, melting into drops of water, only to freeze again on the cold metal. The lights of the streetlamps blurred as the snow came down harder and harder. He didn’t want to go outside, but when the cold crept up his legs, the dying snowflakes rapidly lost their fascination in favor of the promise of warmth at his apartment. That and Aristoteles and Plato are probably wondering where the heck their can opener is. Sighing, Max flipped up the collar of his pea coat, pulled a bright green scarf out of its pocket, and wrapped it around his neck several times. He grabbed a beanie and a pair of gloves from the passenger seat, put them on, and grimaced when he caught a glimpse of himself in the rearview mirror. He really wasn’t the hat wearing kind of guy; he always looked like a dork. For a moment he thought about pulling it off his head again, but then - with such weather - who would see him? Proximate Cause Valkyrie71 Elliot stirred, moving away from the bright sunshine streaming through the window. He opened his eyes, frowned, and looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand. Eight a.m. “Shit!” He bounded out of bed and into the bathroom. He took a shower and dressed in record time. The only thing on his mind as he grabbed his briefcase and coat was getting to the office in time for his morning meeting. “Whoa! Where’s the fire?” Max poked his head out of the kitchen just as Elliot was about to open the door. “I’m late! The alarm never went off!” “You told me you didn’t need to be at the office until nine. I turned the alarm off so you could sleep in. I made breakfast. I thought we could eat together.” Rejoice! Bill W "I have some good news to share with all of you today," Duncan Fitzpatrick announced to his employees, whom he had unexpectedly called together. "My daughter-in-law has given birth to twin sons!" There were a lot of smiles, cheers and shouts of 'Congratulations', as the smile on Duncan's face widened. After allowing this spontaneous expression of happiness to continue for about a minute, Duncan signaled for everyone to quiet down, so he could speak again. "As you know, my wife and I have been blessed with a good life and a great deal of financial success. My car dealership has prospered, while many others have failed, and it has provided continued employment for all of you. However, not everything in our life has gone this well." Duncan paused briefly and scanned the faces before him, to see how they were reacting to his last statement. Rudolph's Tijuana X-mas Mann Ramblings It was Christmas Eve and I watched the snow collecting on my antlers and fur. It wasn't light and fluffy like a snow-globe or a favorite artist's holiday rendering, more like when we dumped the whole box of white glitter in the elves toilet. Who knew it would be such a mess? A fast, wet coating turned my glowing nose into a cheap lava lamp. Wonderful.] I shook off inside the main workshop, the clop of my hooves masked by the insane flurry around me. Hammers and soldering guns were making quick work of the last loads of toys needed for the holiday. The cacophony of industry echoed in the factory as the horde of workers struggled to keep up with the Christmas toy demand. The enormous red sleigh was the centerpiece of the workshop with an overflowing sack of gifts weighing down the rear end. The little toymakers were dumping more packages into it from an endless hand-off assembly line. I could imagine the seams bursting in mid-flight, spewing little Timmy's Tonka toys all over the northern continent. I looked at the eight reindeer strapped to the front of the sleigh and looked out the window. The snowfall was getting heavier. It was only a matter of time before a new bridle and harness would be added to the front. I wondered if there was time to sneak out without being seen. A big THANK YOU goes out to everyone who has helped with the 2014 Winter Anthology: Chain Reaction 2014 Winter Anthology Support Team Proof Team LJH Joann414 Rec Andy78 Valkyrie71 Cia Anthology Banner Creation Cia Tech Support A.J. Myr Also, Thank You to all the participating authors and their teams! Great job everyone!

I'm putting together a "Christmas Reading List" for the blog! If you want your Holiday themed story to be on it, then please PM me with your story name and a link to the story page. Limit of one story per author, so if you have more than one holiday story, pick which one you'd like on the list and PM me! Requests to be on the list can ONLY come from the author. Put the subject as "Christmas Reading List" I'll accept additions until December 19th.

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 BigAKHorton's story "Misunderstandings." Enjoy! Misunderstandings by BigAKHorton Author Reviewer: Timothy M. Status: Complete Word Count: 43,061 Misunderstandings by BigAKHorton is a story I return to whenever I want to feel good about life. I forget how I came across it, but whenever I think about the main characters, Davis and Luis, I get this warm, cuddly feeling inside. It’s one of those ‘Complete’ stories where I keep hoping the author adds another chapter, just so I can spend some more time in the company of its heroes. I also wish AK would post more stories, because this one is wonderful. The slightly scary title and the short description (‘It was just a one-night-stand. Wasn't it?’) hide an unusually sweet story in spite of the almost trite theme of two guys who are attracted to each other but assume the other man isn’t interested. The main theme is explored in the first chapter which is the same length as the two subsequent chapters combined. But each chapter contains several important issues which Davis and Luis must deal with in order to find their happiness. The odds are stacked against them, mainly due to Davis being a lot older than Luis, but also because of how people perceive the big guy. If anyone deserves the epithet Gentle Giant it’s Davis. I love the way AK describes him and how Davis deals with being lonely and desperate for a relationship. He likes himself and has plenty of humor and a dignity and honesty which are beautiful to witness. He has his faults too, one of which has me laughing like mad: he absolutely cannot wake up in the morning. Naturally, Luis is the opposite and jumps out of bed wide awake. It’s hilarious and cute to watch those scenes unfold. It’s hard to say what I like most about this story, which is a wonderful mixture of funny scenes, like the one where Luis tries to explain ‘bear culture’ to his co-worker Shelley, and of tender and sometimes sad moments when Davis and Luis try to work past the misunderstandings and define their relationship. There are some truly breath-taking romantic moments in there, and they are even more awesome for being unexpected, unsentimental, and utterly sweet. Especially the kissing. Oh, and then there are the delightful descriptions of ‘meet-the-friends’ (ch 2) and ‘meet-the-parents’ (ch 3), where Shelley, who is a genuinely nice girl, once again plays a crucial role. I could go on and on, but you should go and experience the story yourself. ‘Misunderstandings’ is truly one of the hidden gems on GA, and it deserves more readers, likes and reviews. Hopefully, acknowledgement of his talent might spur the author to share more stories with us. Category: Fiction Genres: Romance Tags: Mature Adult, Adult, North America, Casual, Love, Modern Rating: Mature

Did everyone have a great weekend? The deadline for submission to the 2014 Winter Anthology has passed by, so I hope everyone was able to get their anthology stories turned in. I've been working on getting the anthology prep done, so keep an eye out in the coming days for the anthology to go live! Also, just a reminder to all the authors participating in the anthology, please check the Anthology Double Check thread to ensure your story is listed! Now, let's see what happened this week in the GA News Blog. Monday, Cia announced this month's CSR story. If you haven't already read "Space Pioneer" by Dolores Esteban, this would be a great month to do so, then you can take part in the discussion on December 29th! Tuesday we had our second Tech Tuesday in which Myr talks about updating the look of GA Stories and invites everyone to check it out. Wednesday we had a special edition of Ask An Author by Dark, four authors with two questions each. Lots of great questions and answers. Friday brought us two brand new prompts, as well as a new poetry prompt. Hopefully you'll feel inspired! We also featured two of the responses from Poetry Prompt #3! Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines (except Poetry) are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team*** 2015 Spring Anthology: Full Circle - Due March 3rd 2015 Poetry Anthology: Remember - Due April 15th (Poetry Anthology is exempt from the Anthology Proof Team) 2015 Summer Anthology: Road Trip - Due June 3rd ***NEW READING*** In Premium: The Harvest: Taken by M.A. Church Do Over by dkstories *reposting* By our Promising Authors: The Art of Being Gay by Cole Matthews Runner-Up by FrenchCanadian Vintage by carringtonrj Barbed Wire Heart by Cole Matthews Ladies' Man by Sasha Distan; Book 9 of American Songbook By our Signature Authors: Dribbles by Cia Leopard Spots by Graeme; Book 2 of The Lilydale Leopards Streak by Mark Arbour; Book 15 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP) Sword of Kings: Forged Out of Necessity by Bill W The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 8 by Comicality; Book 8 of Billy Chase Chronicles GA Writing Prompts by Dolores Esteban Fortitude by Cia Line of Sight by Renee Stevens Finding Alex by Nephylim 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 376 – Creative Tag – First Line “But I never said that!” Prompt 377 – Creative Tag – Mirror on the Wall It was a long day at work and you just want to go home. Walking through the busy streets hail begins to fall, sized like a golf ball. Deciding to duck into a store rather than get hurt by the hail, you dive into the first doorway you see. It is only once you are inside that you read the large banner across the back wall. “The mirror on the wall can do so much more than tell you who is fairest of all.” You shake your head in disbelief as you see mirrors in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Before you can duck out you find yourself being guided to the back of the store by large imposing man. What happens in the store? This week we also have the next Poetry Prompt to share! Poetry Prompt #4 Write four equal lines of poetry, in regular meter, about preparing your favorite food. They need not rhyme. The finished poem should have an identifiable rhythm. Each line should have the same number of syllables. In other words, have a meter: such as tetrameter, pentameter, or hexameter; and pick a foot that you find easy to work with, either from this discussion or from the Wikipedia site. For more information on this poetry prompt, visit the thread! This week I decided to feature a couple of the previous Poetry Prompt Responses, one set by AC Benus and the other by Percy: If you wish to leave a review, you can do so here: AC Benus or Percy

Many might have noticed that there was no "Ask An Author" feature last month. There were a few reasons for that, but one of the main ones was because this month we're doing a Special Edition of Ask An Author! In the spirit of the season, Dark has gifted us with an Ask An Author feature that features not three, but FOUR, authors. On top of that, each of the authors this month has answered two questions each! Thanks Dark! Enjoy! Ask an Author #22 Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors! Today is a special edition and as such features 2 questions apiece for 4 different authors! In AtA #21, we had questions for authors comicfan, K.C., and reddirtwriter. In AtA #22, we’ll hear from authors Comicality, Nephylim, Rob Colton, and Sasha Distan. For their protection, the members who asked these questions shall remain nameless (unless they choose to reveal themselves). Please note that all author replies are copied as is, spelling errors and grammar eccentricities original to the individual. First up today is signature author Comicality. Legend says that Myr was a big fan of the stories Comsie posted online and dragged a kicking and screaming Comicality to the then-fledgling teen fiction website that today is known as Gay Authors. With 4,758,720 total words in over a hundred different stories, Comsie is one of our most beloved (and followed) authors. My One True Weakness is Comicality’s most recent multi-chapter story, told in first person about young Russ’s search for his one true love. Check it out! You know Comicality won’t leave you hanging for long! To Comicality #1: How did you come up with the concept for "The Secret Life of Billy Chase?" Actually, "Billy Chase" began as a fanfiction type of story. It was originally going to be about a boy whose father worked for a celebrity talent agency, and Billy would get the chance to meet and sleep with many well known famous cuties of the time. Hehehe, but after trying to plan out ways for that to happen, I decided to make Billy the focus instead of the starlets that he got into bed. And that story was much more interesting to me, and I thought it would be much more relatable to people reading. So I decided to write Billy as more of a regular teenage boy, just trying to navigate through the trials and tribulations of life, love, sex, and personal identity. Just as a normal person would, pitfalls and all. I'm glad that I went in that in that direction. Anything else would have burned out a long time ago. To Comicality #2: What inspired you to write the Gone from Daylight series? Did you ever really have a solid direction you wanted the narrative to go in, or did it come to you as you went? A weird story, actually. Hehehe! When I was in my late teens, I actually got the Chickenpox. Now...if anyone has had the chickenpox past the age of ten...you KNOW just how screwed up and almost FATAL something like that can be! Hehehe, and I had it sooooo bad! I was so depressed, for like two MONTHS or more! LOL! Anyway, "GFD" actually came from a really screwed up dream that I had while breaking a fever of 102* on a random Wednesday afternoon! Bedridden and alone...I had a dream about vampire teenagers who ran a night club, and fed off of their patrons one by one as they came in for a good time. Over time, I developed this story a bit more and called it "Midnight's Child". And that later became "Gone From Daylight". Also, I wanted an exotic name for the main love interest in the story, and came up with a bunch of different ideas, until the name 'Taryn' came to mind. I didn't know it was a real name until the movie "8 Mile" came out, and the actress/singer, Taryn Manning, was in the cast. Next, say hello to another signature author, the vampiress Nephylim! Writing to us from Wales, Nephy is both an accomplished mother (one daughter and one son) and a published author. Swing by her blog some time to say hello! She’s strong, beautiful, determined, and by all accounts as nice in person as she is online. It’s been about a year now since my favorite Nephy story, “A Face in the Window,” was published, but since then we’ve been introduced to Frank, from ”Finding Alex”, Slave and Shade, from ”Boy Called Slave”, and a good half-dozen other new boys to keep us all interested. If you haven’t yet found Alex, I recommend you give it a read. To Nephylim #1: Which character do you regret the most in Enigma and why? Not sure what you mean by this. I've no regrets as far as the characters are concerned in the story. They each have their part and I like them all for different reasons. Even Faith. He was a stereotype it was fun to write. My biggest regrets as far as Enigma is concerned are, firstly that I haven't been able to afford to have it properly edited before publication and secondly that Silver isn't real To Nephylim #2: Your fictional story, Dangerous Liaisons, deals with gays and bigotry fueled by religion. Do you feel that there is hope for these bigots in real life? That they can become more open-minded and come to accept gays? What do you think it will take to spark this change? To be honest, the answer to this question has to be, I don't know. I have never been able to understand religious bigots. The bible provides no more reason to hate gays than to stone adulteresses or murder children. It has always shocked me that people who are happy to accept horrific behaviour (like murder, child abuse and torture) both in the bible and in the name of the bible can't accept an expression of love. What I mainly don't understand is - lets say the bible DOES condemn homosexuality and all homosexuals are going to hell, what does that have to do with anyone else? What gives someone the right to beat, berate or even murder someone because they're going to hell? If someone has joy and love in their hearts they have no room for hate and if someone has hate and bitterness in their hearts they have no room for love of any kind. I honestly have no idea what it would take to get the hate out. I don't really think they want it to. Our next author is another signature author: Rob Colton. You may remember him joining us as robcub32 in the spring of 2012. With more than 10 stories and 4500 likes, it’s no wonder this writer was promoted so quickly! His first story was “The Deegan Incident” which has since been expanded with Book 2 of the series Galactic Conspiracies which takes the story to a doctor and his marine lover. Or, if sci-fi isn’t to your taste, you might like Rob’s most recent story, Noah's New Plan, about a man whose partner leaves him for a younger man. Find out what Noah gets up to as he starts over in his middle years. To Rob Colton #1: What helps you to focus when writing? It seems these days I have a lot of distractions trying to pull me away from writing. What I have found most helpful is to set aside time, usually on Saturday and/or Sunday. Instead of sitting with my laptop in the living room or wherever, I find I concentrate better sitting in my office at my desk using my big screen monitor. To Rob Colton #2: How did you decide to start publishing your work? What really got me to publish my work was the prodding of some of my fans, as well as author M. A. Church. After she made the successful leap into the publishing world, she gave me a ton of great advice. I was so nervous after submitting my first novella, but I am so very glad I took the chance. Last up in this special edition is an up and coming writer, Promising Author Sasha Distan. At almost 10,000 likes and 150+ followers, I’d be surprised if you didn’t know this author! He’s a bit of a jack-of-all-trades, with a surprising story of encouragement by way of his godfather (way back when he was just a wee lad of 15). According to his profile, Sasha is now published on 3 different sites and is another one of our members from good ol’ Great Britain. His short story collection American Songbook has its 9th addition as of November 25th, and if you haven’t yet read about Clem’s confusion, I highly recommend it. Besides, who can resist a story about cowboys? To Sasha Distan #1: How do you deal with writer's block? Generally, I don't get it. For which the rest of you will now curse me as a lucky S.O.B, I'm sure. If a particular chapter, scene or character is being difficult, I always find a change in physical location helps. Even if all I do is go for walk, or make dinner, when I come back, I can look at the situation anew. Mostly I think I used up all of my writer's block in the four years I spent not writing between 2008 and 2012. My muse tells me I needed that time to let the story i was thinking about fully mature, but then, we disagree often. To Sasha Distan #2: How do you balance your work and personal life with writing, especially when the ideas are flowing faster than you can write them? The short answer is: I just don't sleep anymore. The longer answer is that I don't have as much social life as people might think. Being a teacher is a great excuse for not being available on school nights. In a typical week day, i'll be at work from 7.30 until 5. Then I'll go to the farm and ride, work sheep, feed dogs and do other farm jobs for three hours. Come home, cook dinner, and then write until midnight. And as my sister will attest, I type really fast. it helps. As we enter the Holiday Season, send a thank-you note to your favorite authors on their profile pages, blogs, or in chat. You might be surprised how much even a small overture can really brighten up a person’s day. With the crazy weather this year and the usual hustle-bustle-stress of the holidays, one teensy smile can stretch a long way. Coming next time: Mark Arbor, Thomas Nealy, and Thorn Wilde. Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark). Until next time! Dark

“I can’t believe you asked him that!” I tried to keep my voice low so Jake wouldn’t hear me as I walked Jamie and him out to my ex-wife’s car. “What? He’s dating my son’s father and will be a part of my son’s life even after he’s no longer his teacher.” Jamie shrugged her shoulders. “I have every right to ask him what his intentions are!” “Would you just go already so I can die of embarrassment in peace?” “You’ll have to wait for that”—Jamie grinned—“unless you plan on kicking Tony out

I hope everyone had a great week! For those that celebrated on Thursday, I hope you had a very Happy Thanksgiving! If you went shopping on Friday, I hope you made it out of the stores safely! It was a very busy week in the GA News Blog, but before we get to that, I have a brief reminder, though you'll get a second one later in the wrap up. The deadline for the 2014 Winter Anthology: Chain Reaction is quickly approaching. Stories must be received by the Anthology Proof Team by the end of the day on December 3rd, that only gives you a few more days to get those stories finished and sent to me (Renee) via PM for a final proof by the Anthology Proof Team. Now, lets see what the news blog had for us this past week! For those who read this month's CSR story, Tears of the Neko, Monday was discussion day. Not only did Cia do a great interview with the author, but Craftingmom was also available on the blog for a couple of hours to answer questions from readers. One of the things Craftingmom talked about were Sugar Gliders. Do you know what they are? Do you want to know? Check out the blog entry! Our normal Premium Tuesday's have been replaced for the foreseeable future with Tech Tuesday's. This week, Myr talked about a few of the upcoming changes. Not only did he talk a bit about what members can expect over the next few months, but he also offered up the opportunity for users to get familiar with the forum software upgrade. For more information as to what's happening, go and see for yourself what Myr had to say, plus, tune in next week for even more! Wednesday's are kind of an open day for whatever we have to post for that week. This week featured Part II of the Constructive Criticism post that was started last week. Different authors have different opinions on what they consider constructive criticism. We were lucky enough to have 11 authors share with us their definitions. Hopefully these posts will help readers determine whether their criticisms will be considered constructive by the author they are reviewing. Jumping ahead to Friday, we had two new prompts from the prompt guru. This week's prompts featured a new list of words as well as a prompt with the tag of "The Surprise Guest". The prompts are always a lot of fun, but one of the best parts of Friday's is being able to feature one of the prompt responses from the previous week. This week I featured DavidAB's response to prompt #372. The blog didn't end on Friday like it normally does. The week even had a Saturday feature! Cia took over the blog on Saturday to provide the Signature Background for December. Considering the holiday theme of the month, what better story to feature than Myr's story "Nick Cringle". If you haven't already, why not go and download the background, and if you haven't read the story, it's a great story and well worth the read! Anthology Announcements: ***NOTE: All Deadlines are for submission to the Anthology Proof Team*** 2014 Winter Anthology: Chain Reaction - Due December 3rd 2015 Spring Anthology: Full Circle - Due March 3rd ***NEW READING*** In Premium: The Harvest: Taken by M.A. Church By our Signature Authors: Priest and Pariahs by Mann Ramblings; Book 3 of Ship Logs of the Santa Claus Leopard Spots by Graeme; Book 2 of The Lilydale Leopards Sword of Kings: Forged Out of Necessity by Bill W HMS Valiant by Mark Arbour; Book 7 of Bridgemont Fortitude by Cia Streak by Mark Arbour; Book 15 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP) Finding Alex by Nephylim By our Promising Authors: Dinner is Prompt-ly at Eight by Cole Matthews Vintage by carringtonrj Ladies' Man by Sasha Distan; Book 9 of American Songbook Barbed Wire Heart by Cole Matthews Broken Prince and Mismatched Eyes by layla Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!!

I hope everyone has had a great week and for those who celebrated Thanksgiving, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It's that time of the week again for us to look at two new prompts supplied to us by the prompt guru, Comicfan. Hopefully one of these two will inspire something, and don't forget to share in the prompt forum! Prompt 374 – Creative Tag – List of Words Use the following in words in a story – large dinner, shopping, a fight, snow, and a football. Prompt 375 – Creative Tag – The Surprise Guest Every year you have a small get together of your friends near the holidays. Your place is all decorated, your food is ready, and you have dressed comfortably to entertain. After your first few guests have arrived and gotten comfortable, there is a knock at the door and you find someone you never expected to be standing on your door step. Who is your surprise guest? This week I decided to feature DavidAB's response to Prompt #372, it's bound to get a chuckle: To read the rest, click here.

Doh! Sorry Westie! Normally I try to remember to do that, but I forgot this time. Thank you Graeme!