Renee Stevens

Thanks Myiege! Glad that you are enjoying the story. Writing using all first line prompts has been a bit tricky as there isn't always one that will be just perfect for what I need. I definitely have had to get a bit creative with this story.

Thank you Slytherin! I'd been having a hard time writing lately and thought this would be a good way to actually get something out there for the readers, and maybe help me get into some of my other stories as well. Glad you are enjoying it!

Thanks intune! He definitely goes after what he wants, the question from here on is what is Brad gonna do about it!

Thanks for the review Daithi! I'm glad that you are enjoying the story as I am definitely enjoying writing it. I honestly don't remember much of show and tells from my own childhood, but I can clearly remember when a friend of mine had kittens and her son took one of them (right before they found new homes) to school with him.

“Just give me a minute, please.” I sent an apologetic glance at Tony before answering the phone. “Hey buddy, you having a good time?” I listened as my son told me all about his night with Paul, starting with how Paul had let him pick a movie and then sat and watched it with him. “That sounds like a lot of fun. You getting ready for bed?” I glanced at the clock. If he had been home he’d just be getting in the tub after begging me to fill it with bubbles. “He bought the wrong bubbles,

“Where are you stationed?” Trey must have seen Mark’s confusion. “I saw your tattoo; not many people outside of the army have that star.” “Oh, me and some of my buddies decided to get the tattoos done before we deployed from Fort Carson in Colorado. I spent a year overseas before getting out about six months ago.” Mark took a swig of his beer while he studied Trey. “What about you?” “I’m a lot closer, Fort Lewis.” There was no reason to add the state, considering that Fort Lewis was o

Because I'm just evil like that

That's right! I know y'all have been waiting patiently for it, and today that patience is being rewarded! This go around we had eleven authors take the challenge to write a story using the theme of "Roll the Dice". I hope you enjoy what they came up with! 2013 Summer Anthology: Roll the Dice A Deadly Choice Bill W Coupled in Synchronicity Cia Ghost of a Chance Dolores Esteban Hard Choices comicfan Icosahedron CassieQ If I Don't Tell You Now joann414 JB and Me andy021278 October 14, 1993 K.C. Six carringtonrj Take a Ride Renee Stevens Worth It Yettie One So, what are you waiting for? Go read and let these authors know how much you appreciate all the hard work they put into their stories by leaving them a review!

“What say we stay in tonight?” Chris raked his fingers through his boyfriend’s hair. He loved moments like this, just relaxing together, Jerry’s head cradled in his lap on the couch. A definite plus to staying home was that Jerry couldn’t get in trouble, theoretically at least. Not that he tried to, but he’d never met anyone that was more of a magnet for trouble or more accident prone than his boyfriend. He didn’t begrudge it at all, he loved Jerry, but he was just too tired to go out. “I

Jerry's a klutz, and Chris has gotten used to taking care of him and keeping him safe. What happens when Chris needs someone to take care of him? Can Jerry manage without injuring himself in the process?

Mark sighed. He would’ve asked himself why he had agreed to this damn date, but there’d be no point. The answer would be the same as it had been the last five times he’d asked himself that same question. Jackie wasn’t going to give up and it was easier to just give in than to deal with her if he refused. He tried to pay attention to what his date, Ted, was saying, but honestly he just didn’t care. He was completely bored out of his skull. He glanced out the window they were seated by and wishe

“How in the hell did you think this would be a good idea?” It wasn’t the first time I’d had doubts about inviting Tony over for dinner, but despite my reservations I hadn’t called and cancelled. I had thought about it and even picked up the phone twice but I hadn’t been able to do it. I wanted to see what might be able to build between myself and Tony. The sound of the doorbell brought me out of my reverie and I hurried to the door to let Tony in out of the cold. It could only be him since

You are very welcome Andy. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks Lisa! I actually know the answer to that question, but I'm not going to share... You'll just have to wait and see

Thank you Stephen! Yeah, his family is pretty great.. As for the wrench, would I do that? Herm... guess you'll just have to wait and see what I have planned. Glad you are already enjoying it and look forward to hearing what you think of later chapters.

Thank you Daithi! Yeah, I really like Jackie, and I know a few people who are quite a bit like her. Glad that you enjoyed this first chapter!

Thanks Mann. It has definitely been a bit of a challenge at times. If I go over 1K then I have to go back through and see where I can cut just a little bit, lol. Hope you enjoy the story as it progresses!

Sorry about that Andy. When I first posted, I thought the formatting was good, don't know what happened. It's fixed now though.

The metal lid bit into his palm when Mark twisted open his fresh beer. He grimaced at the TV and rolled his eyes at the commercial still taking up screen time. “I hate this commercial.” Mark flopped back down on the other side of the couch from his brother-in-law, waiting for the game to come back on. “What commercial?” Brent shifted the three year old taking up residence on his lap and looked over at Mark. “The sleep one, about counting sheep. I mean c’mon, does anyone actually do that?” Mar

After getting out of the military, Mark is unsure what he wants to do with his life. Then he meets Trey, a current soldier in the US Army. Sometimes it seems like everything is conspiring against them. Can they make it or will they be... thwarted.

Hope you have a great day Myr and get to do something fun!!!!

“You want me to do what?” Jamie couldn’t be serious. Doing what she wanted me to do could complicate everything even more than it already was. “You heard me. It’s not like he’s a stranger you’re going to jump in the sack with, right? You know him, and want to know him better. What’s wrong with going to dinner?” Out of everyone I would expect to say something like that, my ex-wife wasn’t one of them. Yeah, she knew I was gay and was fine with the fact, but talking to her about my sex lif

Well, we started the week out by featuring Libby Drew's story and now we're featuring an article written by Libby Drew! I think it's looking a bit like a Libby Drew week! Enjoy! Editing Isn’t For the Weak When you love the written word and hang out online in places that cater to that love, someone will most likely, at some point, ask you to edit their story. It may be a friend. It may be a writing partner. It may be your ex. Okay, it probably won’t be your ex, although that would be fun in an evil sort of way. Editing is hard. Really hard. The work put into a good edit might eclipse the work put into writing the story in the first place. Authors, please keep that in mind, because there are good people out there who do this work for free. If you manage to snag such a saint, don’t take them for granted. Here are a few things for an editor to consider before diving into a manuscript. (And actually, writers, this may help you too.) 1. It’s not your story. It’s not. An editor doesn’t tell a writer how their story should turn out. An editor helps a writer tell the story they want to write. An experienced editor works within the author’s universe. 2. Communicate expectations. Does the author want a thorough edit? Do they simply want notes on plot and flow? Make sure you have a sense of what the author wants and what their mindset is before you start editing. Adjust your approach accordingly. 3. You’re not helping by being too nice. Here's what I want to hear when someone is editing my work: "OMG it's awesome and perfect I love it!!!" Here’s how often I hear that: never. I’m better for that honesty. Resist the temptation to feed a writer’s ego. Your job is to help them make the work better, not to be their mommy. 4. You’re not helping by being an ass, either. When someone places their creation in your hands, they’re also handing you their heart. Don’t crush it. Be gentle. Suggest, don’t order changes. Ask questions. Help clarify. Creativity is so easily smothered, yet it’s integral to humanity. Without the courage to create, there wouldn’t be Mocha Frappuccinos. Think on that. 5. Point out problems, but don’t offer solutions. This is a biggie. It relates back to number one. It’s inevitable that you’ll be struck by ideas about how someone else's universe could be better: What if BFFs Kirk and Spock were actually romantic soul mates? Wait, I need a fictional example. What if vampires didn’t sparkle, but smelled like bacon instead? How awesome would that be? No. Resist. Ultimately the writer is the best equipped to come up with ideas for new directions. Your job is to spot what's not working, not to rewrite. 6. Why isn’t it working for you? Focus on that. Identify the underlying issue. Don’t try to make it your scene. That just leads to long nights of drinking mojitos and talking trash about Shades of Gray. Then you wake up the next morning and don’t know where your pants are. (So I’ve heard.) 7. Start global, then go smaller. If you see major plot/structural issues, discuss those. Don't get caught up in copyediting and line edits. If the plot feels okay, focus on chapter-level issues. If those look good, feel free to get nit-picky about adverbs and sentence structure. Why this plan of attack? You’ll avoid overwhelming the author, for one. Plus, time spent on line edits is time wasted if a major revision is needed. 8. Personal taste is personal. (Worship my acumen!) Seriously, though, our personal “truths” are often just perception and opinion. We hate things other people love and love things other people hate. Don’t offer up your opinion as law; you may be the only person who feels that way. You’ll look intolerant at best, ignorant at worst. So what if domination isn’t your kink. Don’t judge me… er, the author. To sum up, remain positive. Let the author craft the story. Try not to crush their spirit, even if you think the manuscript has miles to go. Just be helpful. Be supportive. Leave the story and the writer in better shape than you found them. That’s the foundation of editing. ~Libby

Thank you for the review Timothy! Don't worry, this definitely isn't the end of Jordan and Shawn, I've just had real life get in the way quite a bit lately and haven't had much desire to write. I am slowly working on getting back into it and I will be finishing Forging Trust as soon as I can.

"What is that smell?" I nearly gagged at the stench permeating the car. Despite the cold I rolled the passenger window down a couple inches and turned the heater on full blast to counteract the chill. I glanced back in the rearview mirror and saw Jake pinching his nose closed. "Daddy, Murray is stinky." He never released his nose and his voice sounded nasally, but I understood what he was saying. "Jesus, Murray." The damn dog just barked in response, and while it was probably just my imag