Renee Stevens

Thanks for the review Lisa. I can see from the reviews I've gotten over the idea of Mark living with Jackie everyone has a lot of reservations about her offer. The biggest idea behind him possibly staying with her was to save on the utilities, rent, and other bills, but also, knowing Mark, he wouldn't have gone for that. Regarding the school thing, I can understand the reservations with putting school off. I did and it took me forever to go back, and when I finally did, it didn't go well. Guess we'll just have to see how the story unfolds .

Thanks for the review Suvitar! Yes, it was nice of her to offer, but I can definitely see your points. She is a bit meddlesome, and while it's only because she cares, sometimes she takes it a bit too far. Sometimes being practical might not be the best solution, lol.

Thanks for the review Terry! Glad that you enjoyed the chapter. It's been difficult to move the story along with the short chapters but I'm trying. I can see certainly see the benefits behind Jackie's offer, but I can also see the downfalls as well. Thanks again and hope you continue to enjoy the story!

“Time to get up.” Lips pressed against Mark’s then retreated as a weight settled on the edge of the bed. Mark groaned and opened his eyes to see Trey sitting next to him. “What time is it?” It couldn’t be six yet, he’d set his alarm and he hadn’t heard it go off. “A little before six.” Mark groaned and covered his eyes with his arm. “I thought we weren’t getting up until six.” “I woke up early and went out to get us breakfast. Fresh cinnamon rolls, covered in icing”—Trey grinned—“and

As many who follow the blog already know, Cia started doing a Hosted Background featuring a story by a GA Hosted Author. Every month she will feature a different Author/Story. I had already been trying to figure out some ways to feature Hosted Authors a bit more prominently in the blog and the feedback we received sparked an idea. In addition to the Hosted Background that Cia creates each month, I decided to start doing a "Hosted Week" each and every month, focusing on whichever story was chosen for the Hosted Background. I briefly thought about doing a separate story/author from that of the Hosted Background, but on second thought, realized that doing the same story would give the Hosted Author who was chosen even better exposure in the GA News Blog. This month's chosen story was Prophecy by Hosted Author: Comicfan. I asked Mann Ramblings if he would do a review for the GA News Blog and he quickly agreed. Without further ado, here's his review of Comicfan's story, Prophecy! Prophecy by Comicfan Reviewer: Mann Ramblings Status: Complete Word Count: 4,756 Like many people, I waited patiently (or not so impatiently) for the list of stories in December 2013’s Anthology – Recipe for Disaster to go live. I always look forward to the variety of incredible interpretations to the theme and this year was no exception. Hosted Author and Moderator Comicfan’s fantasy short Prophesy was among the list, and as always, he did not fail to meet my expectations. Without spoiling the plot, the story begins with a scene of supreme sacrifice of a wounded mother that ultimately leads to the formation of a non-traditional yet supportive family for an orphaned child. The boy’s future and what that entails is the basis of the story’s title. My favorite parts of Prophesy are Comicfan’s handling of characters. From The King’s rage to Duncan’s disgruntled discovery of the package on his doorstep, each member of the cast acts in a way that makes you believe in them. Even the dialogue flows naturally, which is often a victim of fantasy writing when the urge to be overly verbose overtakes the author. I don’t know about you, but for me, bad dialogue is a dealbreaker when reading any form of fiction. The fantasy elements are also handled well without miring the reader in the lack of reality, leaving the plot grounded and well balanced. The only true flaw I could find in the story (if you want to call it that) was that I simply wanted more. Even though the tale wrapped up cleanly, it could easily be the opening chapter for a grand epic adventure. And who doesn’t want that? I tried to persuade Comicfan to extend Prophesy but he politely refused as the tale was intended to be a one-off. Personally I think he just needs more encouragement. So read Prophesy and judge for yourself. Afterwards, I’m betting you’ll feel like I do and want even more. Even so, I can’t tell everyone to spam his inbox demanding a sequel because that would be wrong. (So don’t do it) I would like to point out to the mod staff that admonishing such behavior absolves me of all responsibility if such a mass action were to truly take place. Hope you enjoyed Mann's review and if you haven't yet checked out the backgrounds that Cia did for Prophecy, you can check them out here. Make sure to come back on Wednesday to see Hosted Week's Wacky Wednesday!

Thank you Mann! Especially for those who enjoyed the special review project of the Christmas Anthology and wanted to take part in a similar review project, PM me .

What a week it's been at the Gay Authors News Blog! Now it's time for the Weekly Recap!! Enjoy! We started out the week with the first CSR Book Club Announcement of 2014! The January book club selection is comprised of, if I counted correctly, 13 short stories by Totallyy. You can read any or all, it's entirely up to you. Whatever you decide, don't forget to join in the discussion that will be taking place on January 27th! Wednesday started out with a bit of a prank by Cia. She then went on to discuss using "fifty cent" words and "nickel words" in writing and how their usage can change the tone of a person's writing. I personally really enjoyed this little article and I hope you did as well! Stuck on writing? Need a little jumpstart? Check out the two new prompts that Comicfan gave us on Friday. One gives you the chance to write about your horoscope coming true while the other one gives you a list of words to use in your prompt. Also, as always, we featured a past prompt response. Curious? Go check out Friday's Prompt Me! Anthology Announcements: 2014 Spring Anthology: Nature's Wrath - Due Mar 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is March 5th* 2014 Summer Anthology: The Backup Plan - Due June 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is June 5th* NEW READING In Premium this week: Boy Called Slave by Nephylim By our Hosted Authors this week: 0300 Book 3 by David McLeod 9.11 by Mark Arbour Book 13 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP) A prompt a week by comicfan The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 8 by Comicality Book 8 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase Take Flight by Cia Prometheus Wakens by David McLeod Eldaran by Dolores Esteban Thwarted by Renee Stevens Refuge by David McLeod By our Sponsored Authors this week: Timber Pack Chronicles by Rob Colton, Book 1 of Timber Pack Chronicles Noah's New Plan by Rob Colton By our Promising Authors this week: Born Wolf by Sasha Distan So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings Side Note: I'm looking for reviewers for 8 specific stories. I have had one taker so far and have 7 stories left that I would like to have reviewed. If you are interested in reviewing one of these stories, please send me a PM. First come first pick! Remember.... Read, Write... and REVIEW!!!!!

Pants. Socks. Mark stuffed each item in his bag as he mentally checked it off his list. Underwear. No way in hell was he going commando at Trey’s parent’s house. He shoved them in and reached for the pile of shirts on the bed. He stuffed them in and zipped the bag closed; leaving room for the smaller shaving bag that was on the bathroom counter. He couldn’t put it in until the morning since he still needed it, but everything was together and ready to go. He was determined to be ready befor

So, I was looking through some of the blog articles that I have and was trying to decide what would be a good choice for Wacky Wednesday. It was a hard choice, to be honest, but then I came across this little gem. Since I don't want to give too much away, I'll just let you see for yourself what I found... Story Cost... More or Less by Cia Yes, we're putting a price on stories. No more free fiction. *snickers* Are you getting ready to flame me? Okay, okay, we're not going to stop anyone from posting free stories or anything. However, I did want to share some thoughts I recently had on 'fifty cent' words and their place in fiction. These so called fifty cent words are ones that catch your eye, the big words full of rich meaning in the English language (or whatever the author writes in). So many times I see a story littered with them with every sentence structured to feature the words that jump out at readers, sometimes even hosting two or three of them! I guess to some that's a good thing. They like to use those fifty cent words, thinking they increase the worth of their story. For example: "Oh, how spectacular," she exclaimed fervently, enthralled by the landscape when she beheld the vermillion flowers carpeting the verdant meadow. Now, my writing is all about entertainment. I'm after the picture, not the words, to be memorable for my readers. I'm not trying to enlighten anyone when I write, I'm trying to entertain. For my style bigger is not better. I made those mistakes at first, throwing out the unusual words with great shades of meaning, but those become annoying and difficult to wade through for the average reader. Sure, there was little confusion for those of us who grew up reading the dictionary for fun, but for the other 99% of readers it isn't nearly as enjoyable. (Yes, self-confessed geek here, lol) I came to a decision. My goal is to always make the words in a story as invisible as possible. That means using simple phrases and key words everyone knows to create vivid images in the reader's mind. I'm a big fan of 'nickel words' of the fiction world you might call them. I don't want my writing to get in the way of my story, so I streamline visuals and add only the essential descriptions. Or you could just call me cheap! For example: "Oh!" Her bright smile lit up her eyes. She gripped his hand as she stared, taking in the ruby red flowers carpeting the lush meadow. The second example is simpler but very visual and still rich with meaning. I use the word ruby to evoke a vivid red color everyone knows, and since most people already think of meadows as green, I used lush. It works since we usually relate the word to something really rich with gives a visual of a green meadow with a ton of plant life and flowers. I also avoid the speech tag and instead show her reaction with visual cues, so the reader can see how she feels and, therefore, get a better 'picture' than if I tell them she's excited. Now, I'm not saying using big words is wrong all the time, or that they can't enhance a story. You might have a discussion between two doctors, for example, and they'd logically use more technical words than the average person--depending on the discussion. A story set back in the Victorian era would also be more adaptable to a flowery turn of phrase because that is the expected speech pattern of the time. But for regular ole entertaining stories, the kind I enjoy presenting to my readers, I think I'll stick to my trusty nickel words!

“We seem to spend a lot of time in bed.” Mark chuckled and slipped into his jeans. “Hell, we’re looking at a year of celibacy. I don’t think most people would condemn us.” Trey pulled his t-shirt over his head. He paused and looked at Mark but didn’t say anything else. “What?” Mark wasn’t entirely sure he liked that look. “Nothing.” Trey headed out of the bedroom with Mark hot on his heels. “I call bullshit. What’s up?”” Mark moved past him to the kitchen. He popped the casserole dish con

This week both said good-bye to 2013 and welcomed in 2014. I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year. Now let's take a look at what happened this week in the Gay Authors News Blog! As the last post of 2013 we had the CSR Discussion for Cia's story Bonds Unbroken. I sent Cia a list of interview questions which she answered in depth and posted for the discussion day, but after that, it was up to the readers to share their thoughts on the first story in the Carthera Takeover series. If you want to know why the characters are known as Carthera, or maybe how she chooses the characters animal side, check out the interview. Cia answer's these questions and more! Wednesday we started the New Year off with a bang by featuring our first Ask An Author of 2014! Dark had some great questions for Cia, Riley Jericho, and Thomas Nealy. These features are always great as they give us insight into the minds of some of the awesome authors here at Gay Authors. Curious as to what the questions were and how the authors replied? You'll have to check it out and don't forget, if you have a question that you'd like to ask your favorite author, Dark will ask for you if you'd like, just send a PM! Comicfan finished out the week for us with two new prompts, but he added a new twist to them. Not only did he go with a first line prompt of "Here we go again" but he also added a new type of prompt. Curious as to what he's doing differently with the start of a new year? Go check it out, and while you're there, you can see which prompt he chose to feature from Jo Ann. We actually posted two blogs this Friday, the second one was the start of our monthly Hosted Story Background which featured a story by Comicfan. Want to see which story and maybe get the background or calendar for yourself? You can download it by visiting the blog post! Anthology Announcements: 2014 Spring Anthology: Nature's Wrath - Due Mar 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is March 5th* 2014 Summer Anthology: The Backup Plan - Due June 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is June 5th* NEW READING In Premium this week: Boy Called Slave by Nephylim Do Over by dkstories, Book 1 of Do Over Series (reposting) By our Hosted Authors this week: 9.11 by Mark Arbour Book 13 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP) Odyssey by Mark Arbour Book 6 of Bridgemont Geeks by CassieQ The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 8 by Comicality Book 8 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase GFD Bloodbank: Nightfall by Comicality Book 3 of Gone From Daylight Spin-offs Standing In Shadows by Krista Prometheus Wakens by David McLeod By our Sponsored Authors this week: Timber Pack Chronicles by Rob Colton, Book 1 of Timber Pack Chronicles Noah's New Plan by Rob Colton By our Promising Authors this week: Direct Confusion by Sasha Distan Born Wolf by Sasha Distan So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings Andy's Shorties by andy021278 Book 2 of GA Prompt Stories Side Note: I'm looking for reviewers for 8 specific stories. I have had one taker so far and have 7 stories left that I would like to have reviewed. If you are interested in reviewing one of these stories, please send me a PM. First come first serve! Remember.... Read, Write... and REVIEW!!!!!

**NOTE - Friday's Prompts may be delayed due to weather issues. We hope to have them to you as soon as we can. Thanks for understanding - Trebs HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hope everyone had a safe and wonderful time while saying goodbye to 2013 and welcoming in 2014! There's a lot of exciting things planned here at Gay Authors for the new year and I for one am looking forward to being involved in them. To start the new year off right, I'm happy to bring you the first Ask An Author post of 2014, compiled by Dark! Enjoy! Ask an Author #12 Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors! In AtA #11, we had questions for authors Adam Thomas, Ieshwar, Krista, and MethodWriter. In AtA #12, we hear from authors Cia, Riley Jericho, and Thomas Nealy. For their protection, the members who asked these questions shall remain nameless (unless they choose to reveal themselves). Please note that all author replies are copied as is, spelling errors and grammar eccentricities original to the individual. Today’s first author is Hosted Author Cia! An amazing cook, redhead, and mother (as well as published author), it’s hard to find something around GA that Cia’s not involved in. She’s a moderator and on the Writer’s Support Team, the team behind the GA Blog, and she runs the CSR Club. Journey on over to Cia's Stories to help support one of our own. To Cia: What is your favourite part of writing for GA? Community. Finding the site gave me new friends and a creative outlet I didn't have at a time when I desperately needed both. GA doesn't always have the numbers of reads and reviews I can get elsewhere but this site is, and hopefully always will be, my writing home. I enjoy putting my stories here for other readers to enjoy, no matter how much, or little, feedback I get. This is where I can talk about my writing, other's writing, writing in general, without having to worry that my subject matter might not be acceptable. For the most part, I've always been given support and encouragement and I try to share that. By writing, I'm also giving back and contributing to the site. I like that. Today’s next author is Riley Jericho. This brit joined GA in 2010 and has been working on his opus ever since, the infamous and currently unpublished story, An English Teen, Circumcised in the USA. Originally to be posted elsewhere, there was some argument regarding the story’s title, but Riley stood by his choice, and so he came to be here. Why don’t you check it out? You’ll soon see why this is one of the most favorited stories here on GA. To Riley Jericho: What was your inspiration for writing English Teen? Hehe - well I had to grin at that! I wonder if the question - from whatever source it came - actually means 'So, tell us Riley. Are you circumcised?' That aside, ET is about what most fiction comes down to: 'who am I, and where do I fit?' The idea of crossing cultures has always interested me and I wanted to see how an English kid would fare in the States. Above all that, inspiration - if it can be called that - for me comes from personal experiences. To write it well, I have to have been there; my characters live because I literally live, breathe and eat the scene with them. It's rewarding but can be painful at times - honestly, you won't believe how many buckets I wept at the end of 'In Safe Hands'! So, was I ever in Luke Summers shoes? Now that would be telling, wouldn't it! Today’s final author is Thomas Nealy. Although he’s been with GA for a few years, Thomas has taken a break or two in order to deal with real life. He’s also known as the guy who posted a cliffhanger that didn’t answered for months and months! Of course, this is way back when and we know he’s not going to do that again … right? In any case, during his time with us, Thomas has posted two stories, both complete. One is a short Harry Potter fan-fiction, and the other is original. Both are worth a read and we eagerly await the next! To Thomas Nealy: What was your inspiration for Lives and Trials of Jupiter? Well to be honest it was a dream. I kept having this reacuring dream every night about a man with an adopted family living in this high tech house, it got to the point that I was thinking about it during the day as well. I knew I was in truble when I started to give names to the people in my head. After weeks of this going on I started to write it all out just to get it out of my head. As the story came along more of my personality started to show it self in alot of the characters as well which made them seems all the more real to me. Personaly I have all ways been a fan of High tech every thing and Mythology as well. So both of those had a part in the world builing. Lives and Trials of Jupiter was my first story I atempted to write out and will probly all ways be my favorit because of that, even if I see alot of issues two years latter. 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! Coming next time: Q!, Layla, and Nephylim. Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark).

You did a great job on the one you did for the Special Review project! I know how hard it can be to do a review on a story that you're "assigned" for lack of a better word, which is why I prefer the reviewer pick the story, except in special circumstances like with special projects. If you think of a story you'd like to do, just PM me and we can go from there.

Typically I prefer the reviewer to pick the story as I don't get to read on site as much as I would like and so really don't know what all is out there. However, I'm going to PM you as I have a specific story I need to review that might be right up your alley

Thank you Fishie. :hug:It's been rough but I'm making it through. I was lucky that my hubby has been home with me through most if it and I have had the support of some wonderful friends, primarily that I have met through GA. I don't know what I would have done without them! Thank you KC. Hasn't it though? I know that it has been quite rough for you as well this year. Hopefully 2014 goes better for both of us! I hope your upcoming surgery goes well. Thank you Jo Ann and to you as well. I'm certainly trying and hope to be able to get back to where I was before all the crap of the past year happened. Thank you Johnathan, it was definitely a doozy of a year. Sorry to hear about your grandfather, it's definitely not easy to lose someone that you care about. Hopefully the next year will be better, at least I hope so! Love you too Wayne and I know. I've just been kind of out of it lately. Thank you Cassie.

I know it’s a little before the new year, but considering recent events, it seems fitting to reflect on the events of the past year. It has been quite a rough year for my family and I will be so glad when 2013 is behind me and I hope for a much better 2014. There have been major gaps in posting this year and there have seriously been times that I had considered giving up on writing as I wasn’t in the frame of mind where I could compose a story. There have been times where I wanted to go find a cave far away and hide away from the world. There’s been times this year that I’ve seriously wondered what’s the point. A bit over dramatic maybe, but it’s the way I’ve felt as it seems like this year has just been one blow after another. Every time good news came, right on the heels of the good news, was something waiting in the wings. I posted updates in my blog earlier in the year talking about my brother and his diagnosis of Stage IV Leukemia. It was an extremely scary time as we waited for news after he was first diagnosed with the big C in December of 2012. It was difficult to be so far away from him while he was going through all the tests to determine what needed to be done. It was a relief to receive the news that it was treatable though there was still no guarantee that the treatments would work. Hearing that it was already stage IV was terrifying. That was the first six months of the year though at the end of June we finally got the news we had been waiting on that the cancer was in remission. With that news, we should have been celebrating, and we were, to a point, however, there was more going on. In the middle of the fear about my brother, I had my own health scare when my blood sugar dropped dangerously low. I passed out and from what the doctors said, I was extremely lucky not to end up in a coma. Had my husband not been home and acted as quickly as he did, that was likely what my outcome would have been. Anything under 40 can send a person into a coma and my levels when the paramedics arrived was 35. Who knows for how long, but luckily it didn’t come to that. I spent the following months feeling like I was under a microscope as my family was constantly checking in on me, watching what I ate, worried if I was taking too long to do something, etc. It was scary, but I was even handling that okay, for the most part. After almost three months of being under intense scrutiny and receiving the great news about my brother, I finally was beginning to feel like I had my life back. Spent the 4th of July at Mt. Rushmore and even spent a few days visiting my brother, something that I had decided I would do much more often. Came home and started to prepare for our big family camping trip. Just days before we left for camping, the next bad news of the year from hell decided to grace us with its presence. My Grandmother had been diagnosed with Cancer. Problem was, they weren’t 100% sure exactly where it was and were going to do exploratory surgery and remove any cancer tissue they could. Grandma underwent surgery and they assured us that they were sure they had gotten the majority of the cancer tissue and said it was Ovarian Cancer. They said that there were likely some microscopic cells left but that they would be taken care of with Chemo or Radiation, I can’t remember which. However, Grandma wasn’t strong enough to undergo the treatment and it would likely take upwards of three weeks or so before they could begin. By the end of July, Grandma was in a rehabilitation center and was thought to be doing okay. Then suddenly, she started going downhill again. She had an infection and needed another surgery; however, there was only a slight chance that she would make it out of surgery. She elected to have the surgery and she made it through. The infection came back and on August 26th my Grandmother lost her fight. Just days after the news of Grandma’s cancer, the year from hell dealt me yet another blow. On my birthday, while camping with my family and amidst the worry about Grandma, I had what the doctors are fairly certain was a Partial Complex Seizure. I have a history of seizures, but this one was a new one. In the past it was always Grand Mal or Petit Mal seizures though I had been seizure free for nearly 13 years and had finally began to think I was in the clear. Once again I scared the crap out of my husband and was once again under the watchful eye of my family. I was limited in what I was allowed to do. I couldn’t drive, I couldn’t do certain things unless there was somebody watching me. It’s got old really fast, but I was still here, which was something. I was put back on medications which had the added benefit of helping to prevent my migraines which up until this point had become extremely frequent. So, here’s where the year from hell ends, right? Oh, don’t I wish! On August 16th, just ten days prior to my grandmother passing away, my husband’s grandmother died. She had a few health issues and her death wasn’t entirely unexpected but it was still to the family as we needed to be there for my husband’s dad. Now to the reason for this blog entry and the reason for my reflections on the past year and why I am calling 2013 the year from hell. The year was finally almost over and I was finally thinking I’d get through the rest of the year without anything else happening, but it wasn’t to be. Over the past many years, my Grandfather has been in failing health. I have kept this news fairly close to my heart and for the most part have not shared what has been going on with my Grandpa. Grandpa has been on oxygen for years and has had health issues on top of health issues. Not too long ago he had to have surgery for a hernia and they weren’t sure he’d make it out of surgery, but he did. About a month ago, I found out that my Grandma was signing Grandpa up for Hospice care. The news was just one more sign that Grandpa wasn’t doing well and was perhaps getting ready to give up the fight he has fought for many years after having fallen off his horse and hitting his head on a rock. No one knows what happened for sure on the day he was first injured as Grandpa was an experienced horseman and I’d never seen him simply “fall” off a horse. Anyways, I digress. On December 21st, I received the phone call that I had been dreading. Just 4 days before Christmas my Grandfather, the one who I’d spent my childhood riding horses with, fishing with, shearing sheep with, had passed away. At first I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t cry, I couldn’t do anything. I was frozen. I hung up the phone, stood up, and went upstairs and crawled in bed. I couldn’t even answer my husband when he asked me what was wrong. It was Christmas time, it was supposed to be a happy time. I finally curled up in bed and cried as I told my husband what had happened and he tried to console me. I knew that it was a relief as Grandpa was no longer in pain, but knowing that and actually accepting it were two different things. I’ve spent many days in a haze since hearing the news, and spent I don’t know how much time staring at the present wrapped under the Christmas tree with Grandpa’s name on it. A coffee mug, his gift from me for the past 10+ years and while it may not seem like much, it was a special thing between us. I got him a new one every year and the only mugs he used were the ones I got him, unless they broke. Only then would he use a different one. I’ve spent hours going over my memories of him. Ice fishing, helping him to break horses (or at least one horse in particular), sitting on the fence while he shoed horses, holding a sheeps head while he sheared them (I’m sure I was more a hindrance than a help). I remember days spent horseback riding up onto the mountain just to have a picnic at what we called “upper camp”. So many things to remember. The funeral was today, well, yesterday by now and hearing some of other people’s stories and seeing my Grandpa for the last time, seeing how much he was loved by so many people. He was 86 when he died, so he lived a long life, but it’s still hard to fathom that he’s no longer here. Up until now, I’ve kept my Grandfather’s passing fairly private, only a few people that I talk to on a daily basis were told what is going on. I wanted to wait until after the funeral, but now I figured was a good time to say something because of the reasons I will outline below. I have PM’s from people over the last month or so that I have yet to answer, I will, I promise. I’m not ignoring you or what you have said to me, even if it may seem that way. I have reviews that I haven’t replied to, I will. If I’ve been short with anyone, I apologize as I didn’t mean to, but I’ve had a really hard time focusing. While I have managed to post chapters of Thwarted mostly every week, this week there will be no new chapter, but there should be next week. Please bear with me as my emotions get back on an even keel. I don’t have any New Years resolutions. Well, I do, but I really don’t care if I achieve them. I only want two things from 2014. No one to die and no more major health issues for anyone in my family, is that so much to ask? With only 3 days left of 2013, maybe it’s safe to say that the year from hell is over?

So, I'm sure a lot of people noticed that I was asking for reviewers for a special project. Thank you to everyone who responded. With Christmas being this week, I thought it might be neat to take a look at the first ever anthology on Gay Authors. The theme for the 2004 Winter Anthology was "Christmas" which seemed rather fitting considering the season. I asked each reviewer to pick a story from that first anthology and review it for this special review feature. I hope you enjoy reading these seven reviews as much as I did! 2 Below by Comicality Reviewer: Daithi Word Count: 18,279 This story was one of seven done for the first Anthology ever done on GA. The Anthology was titled " Christmas". With a title like that you would figure it would be Christmasy and everything, especially with a title like 2 Below. The story ends around the time of Christmas, it actually started around the end of summer beginning of fall. So not really a Christmas story as expected. But I thought after it ended and I just sat there going over it in my mind; it was a perfect Christmas story. When I think of Christmas i think of snow, innocence, mostly of children, true, but just that pure innocence only ever happens at Christmas. The story starts off with Gordon noticing a new family moving into the neighbourhood just a few houses down from him. Now he knows a boy moved in but he never sees him. So for the first little bit of the story we see Gordon pretty much having a one on one with himself, saying he isn't a stalker but you just know there is a boy in that house and he was going to see him. But he has these conversations with himself. It's not creepy or anything; its actually really cute and just endears you to him. Then comes the day that he sees the boy and his description of the boy in front of him is so not what you expected and the story takes off from there. Gordon finds out the boys name is Seth and that he is a Sci-fi nut like himself. They meet over a driveway full of snow and it slowly takes off from there. What I like best about this story is the descriptive way that Comicality just sweeps you along for the ride, with just his words you get a full picture of these boys. Gordon, older, a bit more aggressive, but, odd as it may sound, very sweet and unexpected. Then there is Seth, younger and so very innocent. A couple of ups and downs, missed cues, and a kooky dialogue with Gordon's best friend Johnny just makes this a great and literal boy next door story. It starts off with a boy making it his mission to meet the unseen boy he knows moved into the neighbourhood and finishes with a beautiful endearing intimate scene on the living room floor of Gordon's house while watching sci-fi horror flicks. The last scene makes the whole story. Ties it up with the proverbial red ribbon Christmas bow. It is so supremely done with innocent touches: a hug here, holding hands there, a whoops almost caught by mom in the middle lol. The whole story is like a love scene in itself with a slow build up of sights, touches, and ends in a climax of the story that is just perfect. Comicality admits in the first few sentences that this story was his first ever Christmas story and in my opinion it was one of the best I have read. While it may not be a Christmas story in itself, it embodies all the emotions and innocence that I like to think is Christmas. Most definitely a must read and a reread if its been a while. A Christmas Story by Jamie Anderson Reviewer: aditus Word Count: 1,186 Renee asked me to review one entry of the very first anthology that was ever done on GA, the theme was 'Christmas'. Many authors think of elaborate, meaningful titles for their stories, I was intrigued by the factual and sincere way Jamie named theirs; as well as the story note: One short, trite Christmas story sans sex. On Christmas Day John sits shivering on a park bench after storming out of the house without taking his coat. He had a fight with his dad, a Regimental Sergeant Major no less. While he thinks about what happened, what words had been said by him and his dad, he has an unusual encounter. Well not so unusual, considering the time of the year. The story focused on one of the things Christmas, or whatever you celebrate around this time, stands for IMO: Make you feel you belong, no matter what, even if sometimes a little miracle is needed. I would change the story note: One short, well written Christmas story sans sex. A Ghost of Halloween Present by gardentuber Reviewer: podiumdavis Word Count: 3,132 This story is a thick covered chocolate bar with a warm caramel center, sweet on first taste and even sweeter near the center, as it sucks you in from the word go. The world of Gayle and the words that describe his life after losing the love of his life are so eloquently laid out and visually descriptive to the point that you feel everything that Gayle has gone through. You can tell how much he loved the man of his life, Jim, even years after his passing. With this short story we come to understand just how much Gayle has tried to move on, while struggling with his own health issues. As Halloween approaches, Gayle knows that this will be the closest he’ll ever be in reconnecting with his one and only. But will this come to pass? Forever December by Dabeagle Reviewer: crazyfish Word Count: 6,440 It is my pleasure to review a short story, Forever December, by Debeagle. The title might suggest a doom and gloom tale of winter. At first glance, the backstory opening of the narrator, Rollie, bereft and divorced after the murder of his teenage son, doesn’t seem encouraging. However, the story takes a surprising turn when Rollie steps outside of himself to help a homeless young man, Tyler. The young man has been around the block, and despite his harsh circumstances, his vulnerability is palpable, certainly draws you to feel with him. The interactions between the old Rollie and the young Tyler are immersive and heartfelt. The themes of sharing, giving, communion, ring throughout the piece. In biting cold winter’s night, the warmth renewal finds a way through cold hearts. Expectedly, no good deed goes unrewarded, but the conclusion is no way predictable. I will leave you to read the rest of story to enjoy its twist ending. Suffice it to say, you will be touched to the core and be blessed for having the opportunity to experience it. My First True Christmas by Bill W Reviewer: Lisa Word Count: 11,250 I love reading stories in the first person. I love reading about the main character’s thoughts and inner ramblings as only he can describe what he’s thinking. So imagine my delight when I clicked on “My First True Christmas” by Bill W. and found that not only is this story about a teenager (my favorite people to read about), but it’s written in said teenager’s point of view! Tommy is a kid who is spoiled rotten. His parents can certainly afford to spend lots of money on him because number one, they have it, and number two, he’s an only child. In fact, he makes his Christmas list out the day before Thanksgiving! His mother threatens him every year that if she doesn’t have his Christmas wish list in her hand by Thanksgiving, he won’t be getting ANY presents! As I said, Tommy’s a greedy s.o.b. and this is quite apparent in his Christmas wish list. He starts out small with just some CD’s and DVD’s, but then he gets into large, expensive items most kids could only dream about. I just sat there reading his list with my mouth hanging open! Did I mention this kid is spoiled? The funny thing is, his folks don’t act like rich, pretentious people. In fact, every Christmas his dad spends thousands of dollars on needy families. He buys them whatever they need: clothes, school supplies, etc. He does this all anonymously. Tommy’s father has tried to explain to Tommy why he does but Tommy has never understood. Tommy would rather have all the electronics, “toys”, and games for himself. Tommy’s outlook changes when he and his family are at the mall on Black Friday. He has a chance meeting with Jason, a hungry, disheveled boy his age who simply asks his family for some spare change so he can eat. During a shared meal, Tommy learns about Jason and realizes that not everyone is as privileged as he is. It forces him to take a step back and look at his life and he decides he needs to make a change. Of course me being the sap that I am, I shed a few tears while reading about Tommy’s “transformation”. Tommy finally learns how to give back like his dad always does every Christmas. Tommy learns a valuable lesson in this story and I am happy to say I don’t think he’ll be a spoiled s.o.b. anymore! Nick Cringle by Myr Reviewer: LJH Word Count: 5,676 Nicholas Christopher Cringle. 16 years old. CEO of the biggest manufacturing and delivery service company the world has ever seen. As a leader, he's good. Very good. As a teenager, he is super mature. And so he must be in order to run the business. He listens. Offers advice. He leads and his colleagues and employees follow diligently. Then he does something totally unthinkable. He decides to take leave from the company to attend The Basler Academy for Boys and Young Gentlemen in New York. Unheard of. His predecessors never took time off. Against all adversity, he arrives at the school and is met by jealousy in some quarters, and acceptance in other quarters. He is bullied. He fights back. He is loved. He returns that love. He meets Josh, whom he comes to love and respect, and, as thanksgiving approaches, he invites Josh to spend some time with him. However, in order to do this, Josh must be prepared to keep to himself the family secrets. What are these secrets? How will they affect Josh? The story engaged me in the flow of the scenes. It flows beautifully. It's fulfilling and uplifting with an ending that will surprise every reader. The ending crackles. At the beginning of the story there is an account of events that brings the reader up to speed. It's handled with great care. Then it stops. Myr deliberately withholds information and only later on drops in what is essential. There are clues all over the place. Many writers make the mistake of writing entire pages of backstory before starting with the action. Not Myr. He knows the craft well. He writes in just the correct amount of backstory. The dialogue is skillfully written. He does this so that the secrets are not exposed too soon. Throughout this entire short story, I came to the conclusion that: The beginning grabs. The middle holds. The end satisfies. Not an easy task. But that is what readers want. And that is what Myr delivers. Taylor's Christmas Present by miguelsanchez55 Reviewer: Ron Word Count: 7,054 Taylor, not yet a young teen, and his mother move to a new neighborhood two weeks before Christmas. This turns out to be a frustrating attempt to prevent him from dwelling on an accident from two years previous. An accident that cost the life of his friend, Toby and youthful love. It is not hard to imagine the frustration the move creates for Taylor in jumping schools. A first day at school proves to be interesting for Taylor. His first impression is a taunt from a bigger kid but luck prevails and he meets another young man who offers good advice. He then literally runs into Marvin, the biggest kid in the middle school who becomes a pivotal character in Taylor’s life. It turns out that Marvin has also changed schools but for a very different reason. After a brief altercation with the taunting bully from the beginning of the day, Taylor is saved by Martin. Both boys feel an attraction to the other and decide to get to know one another better over the school holidays. Is it a match, does Taylor find a new young love? You will need to read this story by Miguel Sanchez to find the answer.

Mark sighed and set his book aside. He’d been trying to read for the last hour to no avail, he just couldn’t get into the story while his mind was occupied with Jackie’s proposal. He could certainly see the benefits of living with his sister, whether he chose to go to school or get a job, he just didn’t think he could do it. Granted, he'd be able to save a ton of money if he took her up on her offer, but he really wasn't sure it would be worth the lack of privacy. The more he thought about it,

Wow! This year has gone by so fast. This will be the last Wacky Wednesday post I do for this year as we have something different planned for December 25th. Now, I'm not going to give away any spoilers except to say that I'm looking forward to next Wednesday's post! For this week, and the last Wacky Wednesday of 2013, Myiege did an interview with Promising Author: Stellar. Stellar was promoted back in September and is the author of Hidden Sunlight and Veil of Shadow. Also, Stellar has agreed to do a blog chat here on the GA News Blog to answer those questions that aren't covered in the interview! Stellar will be available Thursday 4pm - 5pm (New Zealand Time) which, IF I figured the time difference right, will be Wednesday 10 pm - 11 pm EST. Unable to participate during that time? No worries! Feel free to leave your question in a comment and it will still be answered. Now, onto the interview! Interview with Stellar Interviewer: Myiege First things first! Tell a little about yourself. What made you want to write in the first place? Well, my bio is included in my author profile so I won't rehash it here. Suffice to say I was a child who spent more time wanting to live in the library and read books in class than pay attention to schoolwork. Also, due to my autistic streak, books let my extremely active imagination explore all kinds of places and did not require any interaction with people. That naturally transitioned into a desire to write as much as read, though that desire wasn't allowed any space to take flight until after I left highschool. Your recently completed novel, Hidden Sunlight, what inspired you to write it? A quite unexpected and random idea, which was the initial concept for Shay Andersen's sickness and stasis, and for the character of Mira. There was nothing more to it at that early stage. It didn't come from anywhere in particular, it just arrived as a rather undefined adventurous concept, like a phantom in the night. The only things for certain were that it was going to be a) a love story with two boys, b] science fiction and c) not set on Earth. I wrote the basics of the idea down and then shelved it, at the time. How long had this idea been floating around before you put it to paper? I don't remember exactly. Months, I think. The only point of reference I have is Windows telling me I created the Hidden Sunlight folder on my PC in December 2011. It was March 2012 before I posted the first chapter, so that gives you some idea. What are you currently working on? When can we expect to see it? I am currently working on the sequel to Hidden Sunlight, which will remain nameless until I add it to GA. Nothing else at this point, because my creative energy is best served when it's directed at one thing and not split into a bunch of projects. Nothing gets done! Tell us a bit about your writing process. How long does it take to get from conception to page? How long do you think this as of yet nameless project will take before it reaches completion? The writing process is quite an organic thing for me. It involves various note-taking and brainstorming to straighten out all the details of what I am creating and to build up some kind of a frame before I begin. This is particular to science fiction for me; were I writing another genre I would not be as fastidious about preparation. The average time between chapters can vary wildly, because the substance of some requires actual research into what I am describing so I can be faithful to the imagery I wish to bring to the audience. Also, as the best laid plans sometimes don't work too well in action, the plot might naturally change of its own accord, so that can hold things up while I reorder how I am going to proceed. I really don't like giving estimates on when anything will be written, because I learned my lesson after the first book. My muse is a whimsical unpredictable thing! If Hidden Sunlight is any indication, it may take around a year to complete, perhaps longer. Your characters from Hidden Sunlight are very distinctive and well-rounded. How much can you, personally, relate to these characters? How much of Stellar are we seeing when we read about these characters? Thank you! I treat them as if they were real flesh-and-blood human beings and not just words on a page. Of course it depends character to character, but there is a little bit of my personality in all of them -- including even the villainous ones. Though the most 'powerful' parts of who I am have gone into the protagonists. Any that knew me personally might even be able to pick which parts. What inspires you? Inspiration takes many forms. I don't think I can narrow it down very easily. When you aren’t writing, what are some of your other hobbies? Gaming (on the PC, consoles don't much interest me.) I have an extensive collection of games that are practically clogging up my HDD, that I have hardly any time to play. I love movies, but between work and writing and gaming these days it seems like I can't find the spare time to go to a cinema. What advice would you give authors before they delve into the wide world of science fiction for the first time? Know where you want to go and what you want to do with your story. Know the science your science fiction will need. Research it and integrate it into your fiction as truthfully as you can. Above all, don't forget that you still need human characters (or aliens even, if that's what you're swinging for) with personalities and emotions to drive your story, so make sure they are believable. Well, that's it for our interview with Stellar! Have a question that you want to know but wasn't answered? Either leave it as a comment or come back and ask Stellar at 10 pm EST! We hope you can join us! Also, if you're interested in interviewing someone for the blog, PM me! As always... Read, Write, REVIEW!!!!

Once again it was a busy week here at Gay Authors. A lot of things have been going on behind the scenes as the staff worked to get the Anthology ready to go live, but we made it. The 2013 Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster went live on Thursday. I hope everyone found the stories enjoyable! Now, let's look at what happened in the blog this week! We started out the week with a review of "So Little Magic Left" by Promising Author: Mann Ramblings. This story is an "In Process" story but is already over 50,000 words with just 11 chapters. If your not already reading it and want to know a little more about the story before deciding whether or not to start reading, check out the review! Cia took over the blog on Wednesday to give a look into a new idea to help promote the Hosted Authors. She even provided an example of what she's planning to do and asked for feedback from the community. Curious as to what she's planning? Check it out and don't forget to give your thoughts! We skipped the prompts this week to announce the release of the 2013 Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster on Thursday! Many members have already taken the opportunity to read the stories and leave reviews for the authors of the 12 stories that make up the Winter Anthology. We had quite the variety of stories and I think there is something there for everyone. If you haven't already checked them out, what are you waiting for? Give them a look and don't forget to leave the authors a review! Anthology Announcements: 2014 Spring Anthology: Nature's Wrath - Due Mar 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is March 5th* 2014 Summer Anthology: The Backup Plan - Due June 8th *Note: Deadline is for submission into GA Stories. Deadline for Submission to the Anthology Editing Team is June 5th* NEW READING In Premium this week: Boy Called Slave by Nephylim By our Hosted Authors this week: Recovery by Nephylim GA Writing Prompts by Dolores Esteban GFD Bloodbank: Nightfall by Comicality Book 3 of Gone From Daylight Spin-offs To Thine Own Self Be True by Bill W Pay the Price by Dolores Esteban Prophesy by comicfan 9.11 by Mark Arbour Book 13 of Chronicles Of An Academic Predator (CAP) Taryn's Song by Comicality Book 1 of Gone From Daylight Spin-offs The Secret Life Of Billy Chase 8 by Comicality Book 8 of The Secret Life Of Billy Chase Odyssey by Mark Arbour Book 6 of Bridgemont Prometheus Wakens by David McLeod Thwarted by Renee Stevens By our Sponsored Authors this week: Noah's New Plan by Rob Colton By our Promising Authors this week: Direct Confusion by Sasha Distan All Over The Road by Sasha Distan Ones and Zeros by Mann Ramblings Great Balls of Fire! by K.C. Guitars 2 by layla So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings Summer Camp by Sasha Distan On another note, I'm starting to run low on reviews. If you are interested in reviewing, please send me a PM! As always... Read, Write, REVIEW!!!

Thanks for the suggestion Ron, we'll keep that in mind for the future to see if we can change that at some point! It links to the home page because that is the default and the current setup doesn't allow for us to change where the link goes to.

The number of anthologies vary each time. Pandora's Box had 22, Roll the Dice had 11... It just depends, not just on the theme, but what Author's have going on at the time of the anthology. "End of the World" was a special anthology and personally I see that theme as very different from "Recipe for Disaster". Could you write a story that was similar for both, yeah, but that's how most of the anthologies are. You could probably find a way to tie any anthology into another one if you really wanted to.

Thank you Sasha, but also a big Thank You to AJ for handling the actual Tech side so that everyone can read them

Have you been looking forward to reading the 2013 Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster? Well, your wait is over! We had 12 authors take on the challenge of writing for the theme. I hope you enjoy and don't forget to leave the authors a review to let them know what you think of their hard work! Now, no more waiting, let's get to the 2013 Winter Anthology! Enjoy!!! Thank you Luc Rosen for creating the 2013 Winter Anthology Graphic! All Over The Road Sasha Distan Burnt Dreams aditus Defying Gods Ieshwar Great Balls of Fire! K.C. Half Jack Thorn Wilde Invested Cole Matthews Ones and Zeros Mann Ramblings Pay the Price Dolores Esteban Prophesy comicfan Seven to One, to One Kitt To Thine Own Self Be True Bill W A big Thank You to the members of the Anthology Editing Team LJH joann414 Zandra D rec Kitt Thorn Wilde Myiege

Okay, so I'm running a little late this morning! I love having the chance to feature stories by our talented authors at GA and today is no exception. Today we're bringing you a review that Comicfan did on "So Little Magic Left" by Promising Author: Mann Ramblings! If you haven't already checked out the story, hopefully by the end of the review you'll have a taste for it and want to go read more! Enjoy! So Little Magic Left by Mann Ramblings Reviewer: Comicfan Status: In Process Word Count: 44,593 Everyone has a time when they feel they don’t belong, that they can’t connect, and they would like to see some sort of change come to into their life. In his story, So Little Magic Left, Mann taps into these ideas and runs with them. Not only does he look at the world as it is, but what if no matter where you were, you would find misfits. From the beginning of the story you are introduced to Shawn, an ex-marine who feels that he doesn’t quite fit into the world around him. He is a large intimating man with a Mohawk who doesn’t want to be part of the normal activities around him. Working in the local LGBT center he has come to the attention of Kenrick Balfour, a very wealthy man. Kenrick wants Shawn and isn’t about to let anything come between him and his conquest. In an attempt to win over Shawn, Kenrick sets up an attack on the LGBT center. However, things don’t go as expected. Shawn comes upon the scene as three thugs begin to break into the center and finds himself attacked. His life would have ended if not for the introduction of another outcast, Rath. Just what does a half orc/half elf do with an ex-marine that he has made his pet? Just what does Rath’s servant Maertagh explain about Shawn’s new position? (You have to read the bath scene because it is just that good.) Mann’s story is by no means finished, but it is a wonderful tale combining many themes and fantasy. If you are looking for something a little different, I highly recommend it. As always, I'm looking for more reviews for the blog. I'm running just a tad bit low. If you're reading a story that you'd like to see featured on one of our Featured Story Monday's, please PM me.