Renee Stevens

FRIDAY!!! Not only the end of the work week for many, it's also the day that we get to see new prompts that might stretch our creative muscles. As always, we thank ComicFan for these two new prompts: Prompt 134 – Creative Cue – Word list Use the following words in a story: Gravesite, balloons, pregnant woman, cold cereal, and an old book. Prompt 135 – Creative Cue – The Legacy There is a child in every generation chosen to inherit the family legacy. It is no easy task and while the rewards can be fantastic it can also be hellish. What is the legacy your family hopes to see you inherit? Where can YOU take these? Share where you do go with the community in the Writing Prompts forum! This week we are going to feature a response to Prompt #130! You have lived your whole life in the same town, however with each passing year you have felt a desire to move. Always you head in the same direction. Now you are legally an adult and the money you have saved manically for the past few years is going to get you to the place that has haunted your dreams and called to you like a siren’s call. Where is this call taking you? This little short is called "The Call of the Sea" and was written by the prompt guru himself, Comicfan! If you liked that excerpt, you can find the entire short story here!

Thank you for the review Scotty! That is something I've often wondered myself, especially here lately. Sadly, I don't think there's really any answer that makes sense. I'm glad that you are enjoying the story and the next chapter will be out either Sunday or Monday! Look forward to hearing your thoughts on future chapters!

Thanks for the review Cassie! Glad that I was able to pique your interest with this little tale. I'm sure it COULD go into a much longer story, but as of right now, this remains the story. What might happen in the future, I never know.

Thanks for the review Frosty! I think if I left the reader wanting more then I have done my job! I know that's kind of evil of me, but hey, even I have to be a little evil once in a while!!!

lol! Thank you for the review MJ! I have no plans to lengthen this short story, but you never know what might happen in the past. The sad part is, I do know who the ghost is, but for once I wanted to leave the reader wondering... Evil, aren't I?

Thank you so much for your review and I apologize for not answering sooner! This was just a little thought that came to me and I wanted to explore it a bit and see what I came up with. What I ended up with was not even close to what I thought it would. I think it turned out so much better than I ever thought it would be and I am so glad that something I wrote was able to touch so many people! Thank you!

Thank you for the reviews! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the story enough to read it through to the end. I was uncertain at the time the best way to end it, but I thought that was a great way. Thank you again and look forward to hearing from you on any future stories you might read!

Of course Thank you!!

I think the running thing was more of an instinctive thing. The whole react before you think thing. Luckily he did think before he did even more damage to their relationship!

Thanks for the review! I think this is just one of those instances where someone just doesn't know the other person as well as they think they did. How Matt handles it, well... not gonna say anything to that... Glad that I've been able to keep your interest~!

Yep, it was Chelsea. I was part of the way through writing the story before I realized who was behind the attacks. I thing that honestly, Matt is probably my favorite character in this story. I think everyone needs to have a Matt in their life that is always looking out for them.

Thanks for the review! There are aspects of this story that now I go back and look at and kind of cringe. Some of these things are exactly the reason I am contemplating a rewrite. Thanks again!

Thanks for the review Lisa! Yes, unfortunately there is a limit to how many likes you can give in a single day. I think it's five. I believe it was put into place so that people couldn't just go "like" everything one person posts and rocket up their reputation. Anyways, onto your review . Jordan definitely has seen something that no one should ever have to see and it will be something that is going to stick with him. I think something like that would be a hard thing for anyone to shake, and it's going to be interesting to see how Jordan handles it. As for Mitch, I share your feelings there. Glad that you are enjoying the story so far and part of the credit for the realistic, heartfelt, and emotional impact of the story has to go to my team. Without them, the story wouldn't be near what it is!

Thanks for the review Frosty! Yes, this story is finally getting finished. I decided I had made Jordan wait long enough to tell his story. As for the next chapter, it should be out on Sunday, Monday at the latest! Hope you continue to enjoy!

Thank you so much for the review Louis and for the wonderful compliments! I do have to say though that with this story I have had a lot of help from my team. There were times that I was told that something still needed work and as usual, they were right. I am so grateful to have the team that I do as I know that they would never let me post something that is sub par. I am so glad that this story has captured your attention and I hope that as I continue Jordan's journey that it continues to resonate with you. Again, thank you so much for reading and commenting and I hope to hear from you on future chapters!

Thanks so much for the review Billy! I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed this story and as far as more to come, who knows. I've had a couple requests for a sequel, but at this point I'm not sure that is in the cards. Guess we can only wait and see. Thanks for reading!

For Tip Tuesday we are bringing you another interesting little tid bit that is brought to you by Cia. Enjoy and we'd love to hear your thoughts. Pleonasm More weird writing terminology So here's another weird word to describe a common writing mistake. A 'pleonasm' is a phrase where redundant words are used to express the meaning of the sentence. Like... a free gift. A gift is always free, because it is given to you. So obviously the use of the word 'free' is redundant but so common we don't even notice it anymore. In writing, being clear without being redundant is important, especially when you write a story that has a word limit. Watching for pleonasms can help you condense your writing and help you be as concise as possible. Just for fun, I've included a list below of common pleonasms that are used that most people don't even notice anymore! all together invited guests cash money end result total sum cease and desist aid and abet advance warning attatched together completely annihilated conniption fit dead corpse frozen ice HIV virus original source return back sharp point puppy dog bunny rabbit ATM machine armed gunman close proximity filled to capacity empty space natural instinct past experience suddenly exploded surrounded on all sides unexpected surprise commute back and forth Can you think of any other Pleonasm's? If so, share em below!

Thanks for the review! Jared overreact? Never! LOL... Glad that amidst the tension I was able to make you giggle.

Thank you! I've always had issues where things just went from really bad to like nothing ever happened. In my opinion, there needs to be some kind of follow up to the drama. It's unrealistic to expect the characters to be just fine after so much has happened. There is a period of coping that needs to be dealt with before they can move on. Thanks again for the review!

Thanks for the review! Sorry about the delay in replying and I'll be working on answering reviews over the next few days! I'm glad you enjoyed the way I revealed stuff. I try to not have too much of an info dump at any point in my stories.

Thanks for the review Intune!!! It's going to be an interesting conversation, that's for sure. Glad that you are enjoying the start of this story and hope that I'm able to keep your interest throughout!

Thank for you the review Jade! Yeah, you can only "like" five things a day, but hey, I don't mind seeing it written out!! I love to hear from my readers and know what they are thinking about what I write! I think Jordan's story is going to be very interesting and yes, probably full of Drama. Hope so since that's one of the tags I put on it!!! Thank you for reading and hope you enjoy the future chapters as much!

Well, we're at the start of another week and this week we are going to look at a story written by Bill W called "Butterflies Fly Free". If you like what you read in the review, why not go check out the story and leave the author a review! Butterflies Fly Free by Bill W Reviewer: K.C. Status: Complete Word Count: 68,492 When I first stumbled across GA’S Hosted Author Bill W’s story, “Butterflied Fly Free,” I didn’t know if I would be able to continue reading it. Glancing over a few paragraphs, I noticed that it was the heartbreaking story of a boy who leaves home and finds himself begging on the city streets, scrounging for money for his next meal. This kid, like many others living on the street, was willing to do anything for some quick cash. This hit a little close to home for me, but I was willing to give it a try and I went back to the beginning, giving the story my full attention. When a homeless teen, approaches Leo, he’s skeptical at first, but decides to give Colt a chance. Leo invites the young boy to have dinner with him instead of just giving him money or simply brushing the boy aside. If opposites attract, well you can’t get any more opposite then these two. Leo’s strong, confident and a natural protector. True to his name, Colt is skittish, scared and unsure of everything in life. Leo takes young Colt under his wing, giving him a place to live, food and clothes. Leo even enrolls Colt in school and helps him find a job. Life turns around quickly for the young boy, but is Colt too wild to ever be truly tamed? I read this story from beginning to end perched on the edge of my seat. It was an amazing culmination of triumph and heartache between Leo and Colt. This story perfectly captures the quote: “If you love something, set it free. If it comes back it’s yours. If not, it never was.” I would give “Butterflies Fly Free” 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it as a story filled with such an unique realness, that I felt like I was there with the characters at the turn of every page.

Jordan barely noticed anything save for the immense pain that held him in its grip. Not even the fact his clothes were soaked from the torrential downpour happening all over the city was enough to make him seek shelter. To be honest, he just didn’t care. Time held no meaning as he trudged down the rain soaked sidewalk, his tennis shoes making sucking sounds every time his foot came into contact with the pavement. The weather forecast he had listened to on his way home had said it was supposed

For today's Blast from the Past we are bringing you an Anthology entry from 2007 written by Graeme called "When the Cat's Away." Why not take a minute and go check out this Anthology piece as well as many of the many other early Anthologies! If you are interested in reviewing a pre-2009 Anthology story, then please contact Renee or Trebs! “When the Cat’s Away” by Graeme Reviewer: K.C. Anthology: Fall 2007~ The Rainy Day In this short story, our previous Anthology Coordinator, Graeme shows us that he can spin a tantalizing anthology tale of his own. His hard work behind the scenes has made the Anthologies a fun read for everyone. I’ve found so many good stories in the older Anthology Categories, but you don’t need a rainy day to enjoy his Fall- 2007 anthology “The Rainy Day.” When Darren’s parents get invited to a wedding, he thinks it’s his lucky day. The Bride and Groom’s request for no children to attend the wedding gives Darren the whole house to himself for an entire day. What could be better? How about spending all day with his boyfriend, Simon with no parents around? If Darren supplies the house then Simon will take care of everything else. Eager for an afternoon of fun, just as Simon heads to Darren’s house, a soaking rain starts to pour, but who cares about wet clothes when they weren’t planning on spend the day wearing any. Things take an unexpected turn when Simon find Darren home, but he’s not alone. Worse yet, Darren’s with a girl! Their plans for a day of passion quickly turn into a babysitting nightmare from hell. The precocious 4 year-old turns their day into an unexpected afternoon twisted with humor. Can Darren and Simon survive the day as substitute parents and still finding a way to fit some romance into their day or will the old proverb ring true, when it rains, it pours?