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Carlos Hazday

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  1. Carlos Hazday

    Ask an Author 2.0 #10

    By Carlos Hazday,


    Author Interviews
    Here we go again, folks. Another installment of your questions being answered by GA authors. Have you sent me a question to pass along already? No? Why? I never reveal who send in the questions so you need not be embarrassed of anything you may want to ask. Hell, once I send the question to the author, I delete the message so I don’t even know who asks most of them in. I’m old and my memory’s deficient.
    • • •
    With twenty-eight stories and over 800,000 words posted in a little over two years, @Geron Kees could be the poster-child for prolific authors. His varied output has garnered a multitude of fans and this month lands him on Ask an Author with a question form one of his many followers.
    •
    I enjoy your writing very much and I appreciate that your stories span different categories including sci-fi. ROYGBIV, The Road of Dreams, and The Frost Covered Marker are a few of my favorites. Your stories though are all young adult/teen. What is it that appeals you to that genre?  What is the most difficult thing about writing from the teenaged perspective?
     
    And just because we can’t be serious all the time: what is the most embarrassing thing that you’ve ever worn? 
     
    • •
    Hmm. Very nice to hear that you have enjoyed the stories. 
    I began my 'gay' life quite young. I grew to age nine in a suburb of Amsterdam, Netherlands, where the 'gay revolution' had already come to pass. Gay teens were open about their lifestyles, and as a youngster I was quite curious about it all. I and my best friend knew an older teen in the next block who was 16 and gay, and we started to pester him about what exactly it was that 'gay' guys did together. He finally got annoyed enough with our persistence to tell us. My friend and I were quite amazed, and curious, and...just not all that timid, I guess. 
    I came to the US when I was nine, and was simply amazed at the backward state of sexual affairs here. Amazed and horrified, actually. But I soon learned that there was still gay life around, it was just all undercover. I found myself a boyfriend by the time I was 13, and never really looked back. 
    I started writing on a dare. I was recounting some of the adventures of my youth to friends here, and one said I should "write that stuff down." I did, and submitted the results to Nifty, the only site I was aware of at that time. The response really astonished me. I just couldn't get over the fact that people would like to read about this! But, again, I never looked back. I soon found other sites to post on, and here we are. 
    I have written some adult gay fiction, but I have not published it. Not yet anyway. The night is still young, as they say. 
    I am more than a little saddened by the amount of misery prevalent in so many stories of gay youth. Growing up gay in America was tough for a lot of people. Through luck or circumstance, my life has not been laden with such misfortune. My teens were actually quite wonderful for me, and I enjoy sharing that sense with others , that being a gay young person need not always be so challenging. Sometimes, it's pretty darn nice! 
    I really don't find it terribly challenging to write about teens. They're people, like anybody else. I was one, you were one. It's just about remembering what that was like. As I said, for me it was a very nice time of life.  
    The adult world is more complex, and more challenging, I think. I do write those types of stories when the urge strikes me, but it simply is not as much fun, and I mostly write for fun. But...you never know. 
    As for the most embarrassing thing I have ever worn? Well, you have to understand first that European values are different from American ones. When I first came to the US, I wore some clothing that was perfectly fine at 'home;' but which didn't go over as well here. Not quite enough of it, as it turned out. Very short shorts, for one thing. But I learned, and changed. 
    But I have never been bashful about myself, so I don't become embarrassed easily. I guess the most embarrassing thing I ever wore in retrospect was in sixth grade, when a few friends and I appeared in front of the entire school dressed in nothing but loincloths and feathers and performed some Native American dances we had learned. Not a Native American among us, either, but the dances went over big, and girls followed us around for weeks afterwards. And, um, a few guys, too.  
    Thanks for your interest. 
    • • •
    @Defiance19 took many of us by surprise when she shared her first story on GA. It was so well written, technically and thematically, some of us felt she had been holding out on us. Subsequent offerings have not disappointed. On a personal note, Def has followed my series from the beginning, leaves me wonderful comments, and has more than once served as a sounding board for when my characters are in New York. I had the pleasure of meeting her earlier this year (she helped me celebrate my 60th) and I can tell you she’s even lovelier in person than in cyberspace.
    •
    You've written several short pieces, which are really very good. Do you see a longer project in the future?  
    • •
    First off, whaat? So surprised, but I’m grateful to be included by whomever submitted this question.  Thank you!  
    I write the short stories mostly because it allows me to focus on a theme, and there’s a due by date. I do have ideas, and have things written toward a longer serial story goal. But also, other than second guessing myself I need to have a better writing discipline. Hopefully soon, I will have something completed. This is great motivation. 
    Thank you again, for your question.
    • • •
    Having written about a dozen stories based in Washington, D.C. you would think I would have asked @oat327 for help at some point. However, I didn’t discover he was a resident of the District until recently. Had I known before, I could have asked him to hit Uproar on a Thursday night and meet with the Scandals Rugby Football Club after their practice to provide me with background info. Nah, who am I kidding? I’m glad I did it myself but I’ll definitely invite him to join me next time I’m in the city.
    •
    The Best Four Years of Adam Becker sees Adam trying to come to terms with his sexuality, and finding out who he is and how he fits, all while attending college.  
    What are some of the things that get edited out of the story? Was your college experience anything like Becker’s?
    • •
    Honestly, my college experience was very similar; Tulane was a trip. I actually started this piece as a kind of way to kind of memorialize my college years, and much of the first few chapters especially are pulled directly from real life. The racially-tinged car accident en route from Ben and Jerry’s, Erik’s crazy roommate that they try to integrate into the group, weekends starting on Tuesdays at Bruno’s or The Boot, the ludicrous fraternity politics—all actually happened. Basically, I like to think of this as being a true story in the details; the main plot is generally fictional (I didn’t have a Kevin until after college, sadly) but everything else is generally being pretty accurate. Everything still follows the general arc of my college years.   
    What gets edited out... considering this story is already about 150,000 words long, probably not nearly enough. In retrospect, I wish my editing had been a little tighter at the beginning; I think there are a lot of things in the early chapters that were fun memories for me but aren’t all that relevant to the plot. Once Becker met Kevin, I got a bit better with keeping focus. Most of what we lose is Becker's relationship with his friends. (Which is sad, because Tripp is my favorite character and I always feel guilty for neglecting him.) College is so much dicking around in other people’s dorms and doing absolutely nothing--that's how Becker probably spends 90% of his time and we definitely miss that. 
    • • •
    I’ll close this month with @JohnAR. The Germany-based author created a universe full of all sort of critters defying the usual vampire/werewolf tropes found in most stories. He struck a chord with readers and his weekly posts were eagerly anticipated by his fans.
    •
    I was curious as to why he chose a shifter story to write, and how he came to write such a different shifter story.
    • •
    Some years ago I was stationed in a far-away country with little attraction of the male kind, so I read lots of ‘enticing’ books. And like in overall popular culture, the werewolf/vampire theme was ubiquitous. 
    Unfortunately, most of the stories were so formulaic I got bored quickly: A big, young, hairy, dark Alpha wolf finds ‘his and only his’ gentle, blond, smooth, submissive Omega pup, takes him as his own rather forcefully as he cannot live without him (her?) anymore, and f***ks him (her?) raw happily ever after. I discovered that most of these male Alpha wolf/kind-of-male Omega wolf stories were written by women and for women (I think Colt explains that better in book MetaOrigins). The only exception are the ‘Tameness of the Wolf’ books, though those have too much sex (if that is possible). 
    However, when I found that a gay author used exactly the same set-up I decided that I had enough and started to write a story that would break with all of those for me dreadful cliché characters. Hence, I created an Alpha that isn’t dark-haired and doesn’t get to do the f***ing, an enforcer that likes all sweet things but trips on pain, and a Beta that loves playing women for his pack’s advantage, but is the ultimate power bottom. This is crowned by the contrarian hero nerd who in no other book would ever get to do the unspeakable things he does to his pack wolves in Meta – after all he has to take one for the team, doesn’t he? 
    Once those characters were set, my mean imagination did most of the rest; occasionally conflagrated by the cute expectations of my readers which I enjoyed to crush with OCD precision. 
    • • •
    That’s it for this month, my friends. If you wish to ensure this feature remains alive, don’t forget to send me a question for any GA author. I have one more month in inventory but after that…
  2. Carlos Hazday

    Ask an Author 2.0 - #9

    By Carlos Hazday,


    Author Interviews
    My threat to ask myself questions in a previous entry sparked the following from a GA member:
    A question or two for you... Or for anyone else with a long-running saga.  How do you keep track of everyone? And indeed everything they do? Do you just remember, write notes in a separate file, rely on your beta-reader to keep you on the straight and narrow? Do you ever mix characters up, giving them characteristics belonging to someone else? 
    I decided to accept the invitation to share the question with others and approached the authors of the two longest series on Gay Authors: @Mark Arbour and @Bill W.
    • • •
    With sixteen books and nearly four million words, Mark Arbour’s Chronicles of an Academic Predator is a series of historical fiction spanning the late twentieth century and early twenty-first. The author was gracious enough to reply to the question.
    •
    I have a really good feel for my characters and their personalities, so I really don't have to worry about losing track of that aspect.  When I'm writing, I periodically go back and re-read prior books, and that helps keep me in their heads.  
    That being said, I'm not very good with details.  That's where my writing team and my readers help keep me on track.  In addition to editing, my team will point out any inconsistencies or grievous errors.  With the CAP series, for example, Jeremy (Methodwriter) has been instrumental in watching out for important dates (Iike birthdays) and even set up a reference topic on my forum.   My readers have also been amazingly helpful.  In the past, when I've had questions about something (like how many people did this character have sex with?), they've jumped in to do the research for me.  
    • • •
    Bill W’s The Castaway Hotel follows the life of Josh and the children he provides shelter for. At eleven books and nearly two million words, the saga is the second longest one on Gay Authors. Here’s his reply to the question.
    •
    I keep notes in a document/file pertaining to the characters, specifically ages and any other information that might change as my story The Castaway Hotel progresses, but mostly I know the characters and their personalities, so I depend on my memory for the most part.  I also keep a document with a synopsis of each chapter for easier reference, especially if I need to go back and check to make sure what I'm writing is in agreement with what I've already written.  I also rely heavily on my beta(s) and editor to catch any slip-ups I might make, although sometimes the readers still catch things we've missed.
    • • •
    I guess it’s my turn.
    • Excel is my best friend. I have a file with multiple spreadsheets I use to keep track of several things including characters. Name, nickname, physical characteristics, date and place of birth, education, and myriad other things. The more important the character is, the more information I keep. Some of the minor characters have no more than a first name and a few words on who they are. Something like Georgetown Cupcakes baker. Considering I have named around 250 named characters so far, it’s the only way I can track everyone. 
    My team also helps. Mann, Kitt, and Reader1810 have caught me mixing things up a few times. Particularly Reader since she gets to beta read an early draft of each chapter.
    • • •
    That’s all, folks. See ya next month.
  3. Carlos Hazday

    Ask an Author 2.0 - #8

    By Carlos Hazday,


    Author Interviews
    Welcome to a special edition of Ask an Author. Some members may not realize the individuals who help Gay Authors thrive are themselves authors. Most of them have stories on the site. My thanks to Renee Stevens for the suggestion leading to this blog entry.
     
    @Renee Stevens provided the inspiration for this edition of Ask an Author so let’s start with her. Im hoping she gets to read this before Baby J comes bounding out! This is her take on an issue that has been previously discussed on Gay Authors.
    •
    For any of the lady staffers who write the stories: I've always wondered how straight ladies got into writing gay fiction. Not sure I've ever seen it asked.
     
    • •
    I can't talk for all the straight women who write in the M/M genre, I can only speak for myself. I can't even remember how I got into reading the genre, but I became part of a gay fiction group and met some wonderful people. At the time, I was writing M/F romance and a couple of my new friends read what I wrote, but other than that, I never really shared my writing. The more I read, and the more I saw how supportive the group was, the more I thought about trying my hand at M/M romance, especially as I had the people available and willing to answer any questions I might have.  My first story, Eternity, was received rather well, and those I had read it had no problem telling me if I had something wrong, or if my characters weren't acting or doing like they should. After I finished Eternity, I wasn't really sure if I had done the story justice, but the community I had become involved in was so supportive and encouraged me to write my next novel, Puppy Love. After that, I never looked back. 
     
    • • •
    @Cia's  name has been known to strike fear in many an author. She’s the gatekeeper when it comes to moderated stories and has the difficult task of sifting through posts by newer contributors. I’m not going to lie and say she’s a pussycat; I’ve suffered the pain of her communications. However, she’s a talented, published author with plenty of experience under her belt. I bristled at her comments on my first ever anthology submission, but once I calmed down, I took her criticism to heart and my writing’s better because of it. She can critique my work any time she wants.
    •
    You write in a bunch of different genres. What is your favorite genre to write and what is your favorite story of yours in that genre?
     
    • •
    I'm an eclectic writer as well as reader. I like to try a little bit of everything, and generally enjoy most of it, because, helloooo, we're talking books! I love the written word, to the point I have an appointment next month to get a tattoo of a multicolored galaxy coming out of an opened book and the quote "open books lead to open minds". That's also a pretty good indicator of my favorite genre, which is definitely science fiction. I'm a huge geek when it comes to research (though I sometimes play a little fast and loose with actual science as it morphs into fiction) and I love creating alien worlds and species. And when I write sci-fi, I feel more creative and inspired, so writing flows easier for me too.
     
    As for my favorite book... that is so much harder to decide, and I could never pick just one book or author! The genre leads to stories that are all so different, and I enjoy them for those differences. I began my journey through alien worlds on dragonback and singing ships with Anne McCaffrey, and she remains one of my favorite authors of all time, but the intriguing concepts and complex societies spanning the universe in Dune by Frank Herbert really cemented my love of the genre when I was twelve. If I had to pick my favorite MM authors who've written science fiction eBooks I love, I'd have to say it's a tie between M.A. Church and Lexi Ander. All of those worlds and styles I've read over the years have influenced me, and I think one of my favorite worlds and stories is one I've barely written, actually.
     
         Coupled in Synchronicity was a short story for an anthology where I played with Jung's theory of synchronicity in a sci-fi theme setting. Writing it led to a plot bunny of epic novel proportions that I still can't decide how to write. A romance?  A bromance? Post it free? Expand my publishing to more traditional publishers and try my hand with a 'nomance' at all story? Do one of the first two options and self-publish? Until I figure that out, I just can't seem to get going on the story since the two main characters' relationship has to be defined first. But that would be the first chapter of the story, so everyone can check it out and share their thoughts with me!
    . 
     
    • • •
    @Graeme, one of our prolific Aussie authors, has over fifty stories on GA. He’s recently begun posting the fourth installment of his Lilydale Leopards series; if you’re not familiar with his Aussie Rules Football team, you should be. I’ve enjoyed following the antics of the delightful cast of characters.
    •
     
     
    With the release of new Leopard story I’m curious. Graeme has very detailed storylines... How do you go about planning a Leopard story? How long is the process?
     
    • •
    Actually, it's more the research that takes the time than the planning. The planning is usually restricted to working out some major events and how I want the story to end, and that's about it. When I write, I simply head the story in the direction of the first major event and see what happens. The writing is a discovery process for myself, too!
     
    While it may look like I have things plotted out, one of my talents is furious rationalisation after the event. I can usually come up with a reason for something that justifies what's happened before. My favourite example is Matt's motivation for his behaviour in Heart of The Tree. When that motivation is revealed, it ties everything back to the start of the story, and looks like it was all planned, but it wasn't. I came up with that motivation when I was writing that late chapter.
     
    Research is where I tend to go overboard. For example, I went down to the level of identifying which California district Mason's mother represented in the Assembly, and which Congressional district she was running for in the primaries. They're not mentioned explicitly in the story, but that research gave me demographics, crime rates, historical voting patterns, the distance to the school that Mason intended to go to, etc. And that's only one of the items that I've researched during the writing of the story!
     
    • • •
    @Myr is probably missing chunks of hair from pulling them out while dealing with software update issues. Although most of his time is dedicated to the nuts and bolts of running our favorite site, he’s also an author. His Harry Potter fanfic and Science Fiction stories are a treat. However, the question we’ve asked him to answer gives us a bit more background on GA’s boss man.
    •
    First, thank you for all that you do for us at GA. I can’t impress how much your efforts and that of the team mean to us.  
     
    We’ve been learning a lot more about you recently, with the blogs and such. The world building in your Sci-fi and magical realms is nothing short of amazing. 
     
    However, this question is not about your writing. We know you have an extensive and varied book collection so, tell us, what is the most ridiculous fact you know? 
     
    Tell us something we’d be surprised to learn about you
     
    • •
    I haven't really ever talked about it on GA, but I've been obsessed with trains of all sorts since I could walk and talk.  To the point that I spent several hours while at Disney World, chasing the train and monorails around getting pictures.  Or in the case of the Monorail, back when it was still allowed, getting video from the front seat up with the driver.
     
    A fair few of my books are dedicated to trains and model railroading as well.  I'm currently working on a very sizable room so I can build a very sizable model train empire.  It's a great hobby for getting away from the stress of things.
     
    • • •
    @Mann Ramblings is a man of many talents and I have a soft spot for him. Get your minds out of the gutter! He took a chance on a newbie author and any success I’ve had with my writing owes a lot to his patience and guidance. I’m giving him some time off so we can hopefully have something new from him in the near future. (I know I’m gonna pay for the time off comment.) I’m stretching the staff definition to include him since he’s a member of the GA promotions team.
    •
    I noticed you are using a different name on other sites. Is J. Alan Veerkamp your real one? If not, how come the change in pseudonyms?
     
    • •
    J. Alan Veerkamp is a new pen name I created after a discussion with my new publisher. There was some concern that having a pen name like Mann Ramblings which is a play on words, might make my writing seem less serious to the main public. So with that in mind, I put together the new name which is a combination of aspects of mine and my mother's maiden name. I did it to honor the side of my family where all my creativity comes from and who have given me unwavering support in all of my endeavors.
     
    In spite of it all, I decided not to change my identity on GA, because I didn't want to create additional confusion and I didn't see the need on the site that started it all.  
     
    • • •
    That’s it for this month. Remember to send me any questions you may have for GA authors, and I’ll do my best to get them answered for you.
  4. Carlos Hazday

    Ask an Author 2.0 #14

    By Carlos Hazday,


    Author Interviews
    Living in South Florida, the chances of a cold, snowy December are about as good as the chances of me not messing up commas in my writing. This time of year, my thoughts often turn to scaling the border wall and visiting our neighbors to the north. Oh, wait, never mind about that wall. Wrong direction.
    Anyway, because I’m thinking of snow, our Canadian members come to mind. The current issue of Ask an Author features a few of our authors from the frozen north. For good measure, I’ve added several Europeans to the mix. I’ve never been to Scandinavia, but I heard they get a couple of inches of the fluffy white stuff over there too.
    I have, however, visited Colorado and know what it’s like to fall on your ass and slide halfway down the side of a mountain. So, before we tackle the denizens of the higher latitudes, let’s visit with someone who can tell us all about living Rocky Mountain high.
    @MacGreg
    •
    What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?  
    All three of these have elements that turn me on. Creative projects, vibrant, thoughtful, digging at the marrow of life; spiritual beliefs that we're all interwoven, connected in this life and meant to be here in this moment; courageous expression, benevolence, seeking truth, -finding worth in the mundane – all of these stimulate me. I could continue with intelligence, diligence, humor, loyalty, humility… but I won’t hog the blog with a laundry list of impetuses. 
    • • •
    If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? 
    “You did a fine job whipping people into shape down there. Now let’s see what you can do up here!”
    • • • • •
    @Dodger
    •
    What natural gift would you most like to possess? 
    I’ve learned how to read people a lot better than I used to which helps me to weed out those who are detrimental to my well-being. Some people can do this naturally, but I’ve been too trusting in the past and easily fooled. I’m talking about life in general and not merely relationships. I’m tougher now, but it took a long time to learn. It may sound lame but to be a good judge of character is a very useful gift to have.
    • • •
    If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
    You’re late!
    That’s assuming, of course, I make the cut in the first place. I’m hoping there’s an appeal process in which case, I may have to go all the way to the supreme court to squeeze in. 
    On a more serious note. Having seen the damage religion does to people; I tend to follow a more atheist doctrine nowadays, but everyone to their own.
     
    • • • • •
    @Mikiesboy
    •
    If you were reincarnated as a plant or animal, what would you be? 
    I'd be a large handsome Airedale, the King of Terriers.  
    • • •
    If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? 
    You're forgiven, now forgive yourself.
    • • • • •
    @wildone
    •
    I’m still mourning Santa... With the holiday season upon us, what is your present state of mind?
     
    I`m jovial! Actually looking forward to this year’s Christmas. Since Santa has arisen from the dead, from what I can tell, I think everyone will enjoy the holiday season this year without worrying about me.
    • • •
    If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? 
     
    Welcome to the Hotel California. Wouldn`t that be cool? Really, I thought it would be neat if you went in to theatre and watched your life on a big screen with a laugh track and other sound effects to make it look like a black and white silent Charlie Chaplin film.
    • • • • •
    @Headstall
    •
    What sound or noise do you love? 
    Sound or noise? I would have to say the sounds of nature, and my horse's whinny would top the list. She's quite vocal, and we 'talk' every day. I also love listening to the conversations birds have from morning to evening, whether with each other or with me as I walk around the farm.
    • • •
    If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
     
    If heaven does exist, I would want to hear God say my mom was waiting for me in the gardens on the south lawns.
    • • • • •
    @Ivor Slipper
    •
    What quality do you like most in a person?
    Kindness - especially to animals.  
    • • •
    If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
    "Err, I think you misread the date on your invitation, you're not due for another fifty years." 
    • • • • •
    @Puppilull
    •
    What is your most marked characteristic? 
    This is a tough question and I spent quite some time coming up with these few lines. I would prefer a friend tell me, but I’ll give it a try. I think I have to pick two traits: intuitive and analytical, if that is even a possible combination. To me, I see them as equally strong in myself. 
    Growing up I more or less disregarded my analytical side and was convinced I was an artsy, flaky person. With dreams of writing for a living, I guess it suited me to think so, even if it didn’t really add up. Then, only a few years ago, a friend told me “Intuition is just fast track logic” and that made so much sense. Suddenly, these two seemingly opposite traits could meld. 
    I need logic to make sense of the world around me, but I don’t have to spell everything out. Analyzing my gut feeling seems like a waste of time, and I prefer to rely on my intuition to guide me. Despite being prone to logical coldness, I have no problem reading and tuning into other people’s emotions. Sometimes I wish they would make more sense, though their weirdness does provide a lot of fodder for writing. 
    • • •
    If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
    Initial reaction would be ”Wow, this was a surprise!”. I’m not a religious person in that way. If there are any powers to the universe, they aren’t a bearded man at some impressive gate in the clouds. More some sort of energy-based entity. But that could be my trekkie side talking. 
    Even if I haven't believed in God while living, who would pass up an opportunity to meet the big guy? As for his judgement of me, I think I'm pretty safe. The mistakes I've made have been few and far between. And rather boring. The head honcho, on the other hand, has some explaining to do. Just look around you in the world today. I mean, what is going on? On darker days, I think it’s a rather cruel joke. When I’m in a positive mood, I view it as a learning experience. So hopefully, he'd say welcome and let me have at him with my lawyer style questioning. I can't imagine God shying away from some serious examination. 
    In the meanwhile, I doubt we’ll ever get an answer. But that’s good. If we had all the answers, what would be left for dreams and writing? 
    • • • •
    @Timothy M.
    •
    Mouthwash aside, What is your favorite cuss word?
     Well, in Danish it would either be Pokkers! or Pis! The latter is easy to translate since the English word Piss is similar. Pokkers means Pox or ‘May the Pox get you’ in the original version ‘Gid Pokker må tage dig.’ I have to admit to using Fuck and Shit a lot, because they’re less offensive when speaking Danish than they’d be in UK or the USA.  
    • • •
    If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? 
    “Welcome to the Heavenly Library. All the books you could ever want to read may be found here. You have all of Eternity to enjoy them.”  
    • • • • •
    @Thorn Wilde
    •
    What is your dream of happiness?
     I guess my dream of happiness would be to live comfortably off my writing and my music. I have no need to be rich, I'd just like to be able to not worry about bills and rent, and have a bit left over for nice things for myself afterwards. I'd like to be able to go to concerts and spend time with my friends and be my own nerdy self. Basically, financial freedom, I suppose.
    • • •
    If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? 
    If heaven exists, I guess I'd like to hear, 'Welcome! Come greet your dad and your granddad, and all your cats who died.' It wouldn't be heaven without cats. I don't really believe in heaven or hell, but if there's an afterlife, I'd like to spend it with all the people I miss.
    • • • • •
    That’s it for this month. Hope you enjoyed the format the last two months. In January, we return to the traditional approach. In the meantime, Happy Hanukah, Festivus, Solstice, Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year!
  5. Carlos Hazday

    Ask an Author 2.0 #15

    By Carlos Hazday,


    Author Interviews
    Happy 2019! Here’s hoping the year’s better than the one just ended but not as good as future ones. Here at the AAA (that sounds like the Miami Heat home—the American Airlines Arena!) we’re starting the new year the way same we did the last one: a poetry special.
    We’ll kick it off with GA’s poet laurate and the man I get more questions for than anyone else: @AC Benus
    •
    Your poetry is so good, and you so willingly share your knowledge with anyone who's interested, how did you get so into poetry?  Have you ever thought about teaching?
    • • •
    Thank you for the question. Since I first read it, I've been wondering when my interest in poetry began. I think it started early, so early I can't really say when I wasn't. Nursery rhymes are with most of us as kids, and Puss in Boots is one I had in book form. I'd read it happily to myself. 
    But on TV at the time were also great poems: Dr. Seuss' Grinch Who Stole Christmas and Horton Hears a Who; Disney's Casey at the Bat (the 'No joy in Mudville' poem); and also Kipling's Rikki-tikki-tavi. These all played at least once a year. 
    Our school readers had poetry too. I particularly remember our 8th grade book had a selection of WW1 poems in one section. 
    But it was in high school where I first thought about writing poetry for myself. In 9th grade, one of our English books had Keats' Ode to a Grecian Urn in the back, and it changed me. So, since the age of 15 I have tried my hand at verse.
    As for teaching, I am rather proud of my 20 Poetry Prompts, as they form a course on teaching one's self how to write, lesson by lesson (as one builds on the other). I would like to publish them in book form one day. It'd be a sort of Poetry Writing for Dummies, and the kind of book I could have used back when I was just starting. 
    Thanks again for the interesting question.
    • • • • •
    Next, we have @Dolores Esteban making her maiden voyage into Ask an Author waters. The prolific Signature Author may be better known for her science fiction stories, but her poetry obviously captured the interest of at least one reader.
    •
    Your work is very original and different from a lot of poetry we see on GA. What inspires you?  Do you feel your work is experimental?
    • • •
    Thanks for your question. I thought long about it. What is experimental poetry? Is it a category, like we have free verse, traditional poetry, and everything else is experimental? I don’t think so. I think all poetry is experimental, because poets experiment with thoughts and ideas, words and form. I think, however, the approach to and the experience of writing traditional poetry and experimental poetry is different, at least to me. Traditional poetry is a mental challenge. It can take hours, days, even weeks, to get the words, rhymes and syllable counts right. Mastering the form is rewarding, even if the resulting poem is not a masterwork in itself. It’s a joyous but often draining process. It’s about accomplishment, closing and ending. Experimental poetry, like found poetry, is quite the opposite. Poets are looking, hunting for words. It’s an adventurous process and has an element of surprise. The found results are often mediocre, sometimes utterly meaningless, but sometimes they open a door to new thoughts and ideas. They can spur imagination and thus start a whole new process of writing, a traditional poem perhaps, a short story, a novella even. I rarely write free verse, so can’t talk about it.

    What inspires me? I’m not a people person, not the romantic type. I always prefer a scientific article to a love story. Hence, I’m inspired by topics and the questions that arise from them. For instance, when I read an article about Ancient Egypt, I ask myself: Who built the pyramids, how and why? When I read about an exoplanet, I ask myself: Is it inhabited? What are the aliens like? I also like words that sound good to me. I once stumbled across the word ‘opalescent’. (English is not my first language.) The word stuck with me. There are other words and phrases that I like for their sound, regardless of meaning. They inspire me, too.
    • • • • •
    @Juan Manuel Sandoval is another AAA rookie and I’m loving having all these Spanish names show up. Clear indication of GA’s international and multicultural membership.
    •
    Can you tell us about the anime connection to your poetry persona? And if you’ve reached out to others on GA with similar Japanese-style interests? If not, I suggest looking through the images people post to see who you might befriend 
    • • •
    I would be more than happy to answer this question. The connection of anime to my poetry persona is actually something that developed in tangent with my growing fascination with pop culture particularly things like anime, manga, video games, and music as well as my general concerns with the individual and larger society. When I watch anime like Recovery of an MMO Junkie or Sailor Moon, I see a glossy, sparkly layer of artistry that covers characters who are genuinely flawed and fearful of themselves and the world around them. 
    Pop music is an overload of sugar tinged lyrics and sound that sometimes detrimentally detach the humanity of the artist behind them. Video games sensationalize out of this world narratives and characters that, at the end of the day, are revealed to be just as human as us. I was fascinated by how we use the glossy, the pretty, the escapism of fantasy to hide the ugly corners of our own identities while still trying to be different and human. In a way, I saw a lot of myself within all these small worlds. Anime plenty of times creates characters that are ruled by a singular trait, stereotype, emotion, or idea and so my poetry itself began to mimic that as wel. 
    My poetic persona shifted drastically with that realization and discovery from something generic and superficial to a style of self confession and exploration. I took singular emotions, events, tragedies, ideas, people and I sensationalized all of them. In a sense, each of my poems is a living and breathing character built off of real human fears and dreams. The Baker, for example, takes something many would take for granted or overlook, baking a cake with my mother, and sensationalizes it so that people can feel the importance of it, they can feel what I feel. When my mother explained to me that sadness was a part of life I had to accept with happiness, the act of baking a cake transformed into something more than the glossy sweetness I had seen it as before. Now this cake was a culmination of a story. It was sadness mixed with happiness all sprinkled with tragedy and hope. I also counter the sweetness of the idea of making a cake by subverting it, describing it as a long and bitter struggle to figure out the recipe. I often take these images, ideas, or concepts that I think seem “glossy, anime perfect” and subvert a readers expectation by denying them that sweetness and perfection and instead presenting the raw and human truth. Me and my writing are also strangely separate in people’s eyes. People see me as myself and it’s difficult for them to attach the melancholic and cautionary tones of my writing to me, almost as if my writing was one character and I another. In a sad way, that’s just part of us as human beings. It’s easier to accept the glossy presentation than venture into the uncomfortable truth. To finish, I’d say my poetic persona adopts the glossy and beautiful surface of anime, but it ultimately shatters any hope of real life mimicking such. I ant people to really see the vulnerability of us being human and not just act and treat each other like passing extras in an episode or scene. 
    As for reaching out to others with similar Japanese influenced styles, I have not. I’m still relatively new and I do suffer from social anxiety. It’s extremely difficult for me to talk to others, even on online platforms, without breaking down into nervous fits over if I said what I wanted the right way or if people like me or just tolerate me. It’s something I try to work on everyday and I will definitely reach out. I just like taking things a step at a time! Thank you so much for the question if I enjoy anything more than writing it’s getting to talk about it. 
    • • • • •
    New year, new authors. @Ivric is our third consecutive rookie this month. If you want to find his offerings, do not search under authors, my fellow Floridian is listed under EDITORS on GA.
    •
    Your book of poetry is marked complete. You mention in your description that poetry helped you become a better writer. How has it done this?  Do you think you’ll write any more poetry?
    • • •
    Poetry helped me become a better writer by first helping me say more in less words.  I was not one to express myself out loud when I was younger and moving away to college I found myself experiencing life however I could not convey how I felt.  I remembered that listening to music helped me also.  When I combined music with my emotions I could create, with my own voice, my poems. Second, poetry helped me put my thoughts in a logical order. My mind bounces all over with different thoughts and ideas, so with poetry I had to organize for a purpose and have rhythm and life. Lastly, I could free the stresses of my past and focus on today.  
    I am always writing more poetry!  I have never stopped. I am focused on the story that I have been writing for a few years. Also, I am expanding on the prompt that I wrote for Christmas. 
    • • • • •
    I’ll close this month’s feature with one of my favorite GA authors: @Parker Owens Why didn’t I have cool high school teachers like him? Adept at writing fiction and poetry, Parker never fails to reach his audience with his writing.
    •
    What was an early inspiration for your poetry? And you seem to be interested in a strict pattern of traditional meter. Why do you think that’s so? Does it relate to your early exposure?
    • • •
    Music was my earliest inspiration for poetry. I wish I could say it was great music, but my parents and grandparents taught us all an odd assortment of college songs, silly folk songs and popular tunes from their own childhoods. Most had easy-to-grasp rhyme schemes, and regular metre, as one might expect. Many of these still stick in my memory (Passengers will please refrain / from using toilets while the train / is standing in the station, I love you…).  There are times when I have my pen in hand, and I can hear my father reciting Wordsworth, and echoes of my grandmother singing bad temperance songs, all the while holding onto her bourbon and water. 
    Perhaps it is because of this that regular, traditional metre appeals to me. There is a song in the lines one writes, but the music has yet to be written. Regular metre works for me also because it concentrates language, in the same way that syllable-count poetry does. One has to choose words carefully and structure them so that they sing. I studied both mathematics and music as an undergraduate, and continue to compose justifiably neglected pieces from time to time. This seems to be an extension of that. 
    I rediscovered poetry upon joining GA. I found authors like @Mikiesboy, @AC Benus, @Headstall and @Valkyrie to be supportive and constructive without being pretentious. Without people like these, I should never have gone back to poetry, which I largely abandoned in high school. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll try free verse again. 
    • • • • •
    That’s it for this round. Remember to send me any questions you may have, may not feel comfortable asking yourself, or wish to share with the community. See you next month.
  6. Carlos Hazday

    Ask an Author 2.0 #16

    By Carlos Hazday,


    Author Interviews
    Welcome back. Ask an Author returns with another issue packed with questions and answers. This month we get to hear from authors not often featured.
    We’ll start off with one of my favorite New Yorkers, and definitely my favorite wine enthusiast: @Defiance19
    •
    In your fiction, you seem to create scenes where men are on the cusp of major changes. How important do you think these moments are to where you’d like to go as a writer, and to life in general?
    • • •
    On its own, ‘..on the cusp of major changes.’ is not a  terrible thing, but it made me think. I can see what you mean in relation to the stories.  
    An easy answer would be that it’s not unusual; what I write will at times reflect some of my personality and my state of mind at any given moment. We’re almost always in transition, at crossroads, turning points, facing choices, making decisions... It’s life, right?  
    Upon introspection, at the time most of these stories were written, there was a lot of change and upheaval happening to and around me personally. I dealt with the outcome, but I’m still not quite allowing myself to trust, beyond that. It’s almost like I’m settled at the top of a rollercoaster. The climb up was rough, I know there’s solid ground after the ride down but I’m not eager for the possible turmoil I may encounter on the way there. So I remain comfortably in between. The why will keep us here all day.  
    Keeping in mind that these stories were written within guidelines and were always going to be short, I see how I transferred some of my experience and part of my personality to my characters. I get them through the obstacle, and write them to the point where the immediate problem is solved, and I end with a sense that they will move on happily. It may have left some feeling that there could be unfinished business. Which sort of explains the few PMs for more chapters on a couple of stories. I’m hesitant to write a longer arc of substantive plot and character transformation. Because again, comfort. Maybe that’s another reason why I write short stories...one speed-bump at a time...Hmm.   
    As to how it relates to the future of my writing and life in general? I have an idea of how I would like to end up as a writer, but no clear plan, or discipline on how to get there. Maybe when I take the ride down that coaster, it will translate in future stories. Or maybe I should get brave, dig deep, finish writing those longer stories and hope it inspires real-life changes? Eh...  
    Thank you for reading my stories, and for a great question.
    I bet that’s not quite the answer you were looking for, (I may have to send you a thank you check for that self-observation) but I hope it makes sense to you. To anyone, actually...  
    Best,  
    Def 
    • • • • •
    We travel west to the Rockies for our next victim author. I still can’t believe studly @MacGreg once had green hair! I may want to pose a question asking why at some point.
    •
    Your characters are often very hard to forget. What kinds of traits and idiosyncrasies attract you to a character? What makes a fictional person so important that you need to write his story? 
    • • •
    I'm going to guess that most of my readers already know I’m attracted to misanthropes and misunderstood characters. In real life, everyone copes with interpersonal struggles and suppressed demons fighting for dominance. In my stories, I choose to write about characters who are often flawed, emotionally bankrupt, frustrated with the world. I don’t pussyfoot around their truths, I lay it all out there. I keep it real. But I also make a point to illustrate redeeming qualities, positive traits, and actions being taken to improve their circumstances. 
    The development of characters is never black and white, just as people aren't. There’s grittiness, there’s beauty. Although I don’t write about fairy-tale romance and happy endings, no character is ever fully doomed in my stories. Even the misanthropes have hope. 
    • • • • •
    With eighteen stories posted on GA, and only two of them not labeled as romances, @R. Eric strikes at the heart of the most popular category on the site.
    •
    You’ve written a number of stories, many of them paranormal romance. What motivates you to write paranormal characters?
    • • •
    I write about love.  It is what I think is the most important emotion that we have.  Who wants a regular guy meets guy and they start having sex?  That's dull.  I consider what Daniel and I had was paranormal.  North Meets South is more about Daniel and myself.  I think what he and I had was a miracle.  I wrote Cinderfella using the same sort of magic found in Cinderella.  A same gender marriage in the middle ages!?  Makarovia?  A modern day prince marrying an American man...with his country's approval and the support of the prince's family's support?  How did that happen.  Now, Blueblood 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 have been fun.  The truth was, I did it to keep Daniel alive.  I made him a vampire.  It worked a little.  Now, I am battling something else and while I do that, I am proof reading again and boy, I keep finding errors.  I will write again, but I'm dealing with a health issue.  My Muse has been silent.  I'm too preoccupied for the next few weeks.  Writing about men that aren't normal is fun.  I want the people out there to see what we have as love, make them see the fantasy and want it for themselves.
    • • • • •
    From romances to thrillers. @Twisted_Dreemz has few stories posted, but the three he has shared have earned praise from several other authors. His most recent one is a Spiderman fan-fic offering.
    •
    The relationship between teenager Peter and his ten-year-old brother Trejon is very detailed and convincing in The Black Spider. What inspired you to start this project, and are you as close to your siblings as they are, if you have any?
    • • •
    Thank you very much for checking out the story. I appreciate your questions! So, what inspired The Black Spider? I can’t answer that without sounding strange, so here we go. It came from a dream. One night, I dreamt that I was watching The Black Spider as a show on television. The dream was short, but in it, I knew everything about the show. When I woke up after having the dream, I still remembered what I knew about the show, so I wrote all of that down. 
    Even after that, I had no intention of writing the story. Readers want original. They don’t want fan-fiction. lol. But the idea wouldn’t rest. So, I wrote up the first chapter and previewed it on the GA message board to see how people would respond. The response was good, so I went forward and here we are at chapter ten! 
    For the second question, no, I have no siblings. I always wish I did, though. 
    • • • • •
    If you haven’t read @WolfM ‘s Running With The Pack, you don’t know what you’re missing. The entertaining, action-packed story featuring shape-shifters deals with human-nature and power struggles. This month, however, we have him talking about his poetry.
    •
    You started writing poetry rather recently. What do you think poetry does for you that prose does not?  In other words, what does poetry do for you?
    • • •
    I actually started writing poetry several years ago.  The instructor of the creative writing class I once took suggested it might be best if I worked on things other than poetry.  By the end of that class he had suggesting perhaps writing in general wasn’t for me.  I decided to give it another try after reading many of the talented authors on GA.  I talked with Mikiesboy (aka tim) who encouraged me and AC Benus who provided some guidance and some editing.  I’m not fully convinced that my attempts qualify as poetry, but I’ll leave that to the reader to decide.  The response has been positive.
    For me, poetry is trying to tell a very short story.  I suppose that is what it truly is, but since I have mainly focused on long stories, saying what I want in only a few words is difficult.  Trying to learn the structure of a poem and not get stuck on one particular format is a challenge for me.  This form of writing gives me a chance to explore something different and push my comfort zone.  I can write about a thought, a touch, or a mood that provokes something I want to share.  While I incorporate things from my daily life in all my writing, a poem is more intimate.  I find enjoyment when I manage to articulate what something meant to me in under fifty words and in some cases much less.  I’m not sure if I really answered the question, but it’s the best I’ve got.
    • • • • •
    Part of the series of questions previously featured, I’ll end the month with two for @lomax61.
    •
    What to your mind, would be the greatest misfortune? 
    The greatest misfortune has already befallen, and the world, in its wisdom, decided to call it Brexit.
    • • •
    If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? 
    "Come on in, dear boy. The kettle's boiled, and the tea's brewing nicely. I've even made some of those strawberry jam and double cream doughnuts you so love. You can eat whatever you like now. Oh, and by the way, Trump is one of ours. Who says I don't have a sense of humour?"
    • • • • •
    That’s it for this month. Remember, if you want to ask an author a question you feel the rest of us would enjoy the answer to, send it to me. I’ll do all the work, and share it in a future issue.
  7. Carlos Hazday

    Ask an Author 2.0 #17

    By Carlos Hazday,


    Author Interviews
    We have something a little different this month. A reader sent in a question for Mann Ramblings that we’ll start the feature with.
    @Mann Ramblings
    •
    If you could tell your younger writing-self anything, what would it be? 
    • • •
    Ok. Here's my answer: 
    You're not an erotic author. You're an author.  
    Write what you want. Let the boys get raunchy, and sometimes beat the hell out of each other. Feel free to kill off the character if it's right for the tale. But temper the sensational aspects. Too much sex or hyper-violence will unbalance a story and they'll never let you forget that one scene. 
    You're going to hate some of your old work. Rewriting an entire novel is a bitch, but you may do it anyways. 
    • • • • •
    Considering how much I’ve benefitted from his experience when he edits my work, I found both the question and the answer fascinating. So much so, I decided to pose the same one to a few of our Signature Authors. We can all benefit from their experience.
    • • • • •
    @Cia
    •
    If you could tell your younger writing-self anything, what would it be?
    • • •
    Let's see, how about, "Don't stop writing so you forget how to do all this." As a teen I wrote fantasy stories, but then I stopped. Picking it up again as an adult meant relearning a lot of rules I'd let myself forget because, frankly, you don't write dialogue when you are writing purchase orders or grocery lists. Good thing, I guess, since it would take up a lot of room to write "Your daughter's stinky butt needs more diapers because you're running scary low and she exploded three times!" the babysitter said or "Milk, you always forget you need more milk," her husband reminds her. It'd take forever to cross everything off the huge list I'd be dragging along behind me through the store!  
    • • • • •
    @Valkyrie
    •
    If you could tell your younger writing-self anything, what would it be? 
    • • •
    I would tell my younger self to write more.  I dabbled in writing in my youth and never finished a longer story until I joined GA.  I wrote more poetry vs prose back then.  When I tried writing longer works, I'd get bogged down in trying to make it 'perfect', so the biggest piece of advice I would give my younger self would be to relax and simply write, and not worry about revising as I go
    • • • • •
    @Graeme
    •
    If you could tell your younger writing-self anything, what would it be? 
    • • •
    Firstly, listen to your editor. I've been lucky in that I've had a number of experienced editors over my writing time, but when I started I didn't listen as much as I should have. In hindsight, they were correct with their observations, but it took me some time before I accepted what they were saying.
    Along the same lines, I would tell myself the advice I received later on in my writing, and that's to always keep in mind the end goal. Work out how you want the story to end, and then write in that direction. Don't lose sight of that goal, because that's how you can write yourself into a corner. If you know where you're headed, that will help remind you to leave an escape route to allow you to get to that goal. Meandering on your way to the goal is fine, but don't forget where you want to finish while you wander.
    Finally, don't be afraid to try new things. Some will work, some won't, but even the failures will teach you something. 
    • • • • •
    @CassieQ
    •
    If you could tell your younger writing-self anything, what would it be? 
    • • •
    Set realistic goals. 
     I started writing with the idea of completing full novel-length works when I was in high school.  I sucked at it.  I went for years without being able to complete a full novel length work and I grew incredibly frustrated with myself and thought maybe I just didn't have it in me to be a writer.  I think it was around 2004 when I found NaNoWriMo and managed to pull off my first full length work in a reasonable amount of time.  I had been setting deadlines, but they were super vague, like “I’m going to finish this novel by the end of the year” or “I’m going to have this done by the end of the summer” but without really laying down a plan or breaking a huge task (finishing a novel) into smaller goals.  NaNoWriMo’s daily word count goals were like magic. It taught me how to break down a 50,000-word project into ~1,500 words per day.   
    Right now NaNoWriMo is a bit too ambitious to fit in with my current schedule, but it helped immensely to help develop realistic writing goals when I was working on later works, especially longer pieces like Reach, Not The Sun and Geeks. 
    • • • • •
    @CarlHoliday
    •
    If you could tell your younger writing-self anything, what would it be? 
    • • •
    Your writing mentor gave you a list of authors to read and those not to read. Now, you need to read all of their works. Plus, go back to school and take all the writing and literature courses you can. Don't force your writing. Let your voice come out naturally through your reading, studying, and practice writing the kinds of stories you read. 
    • • • • •
     
    I’ll finish the month off with one of the questions still remaining from a previous feature.
    • • • • •
    @Geron Kees
    •
    What reform do you most admire? 
    • • •
    I would have to say that the word reform draws me in two different directions.  
    As mostly used today in the broad sense in our country,  the word means very little to me. We live in an age where words have attained new power as manipulative tools, specifically selected and used to make unpopular or unbeneficial things sound more palatable. The word reform is spat out in connection with every change that those behind the change want to sound wonderful - tax reform, health care reform, social reform - but the truth is that it is misused in most instances. The word reform, used as a noun,  has a dictionary meaning of: "a change for the better as a result of correcting abuses; a campaign aimed to correct abuses or malpractices; a self-improvement in behavior or morals by abandoning some vice." 
    All definitions point to a change for the better and/or the correction of some level of abuse or evil. 
    In the times we live in, the word is a mask for changes that do not benefit society or the individual that lives within it. Or, shall we say, not the average person that lives within it. Most changes these days touted as reforms benefit a select few. The complete absence of real truth in political and corporate America today is frightening. Here is where reform is needed, but where, historically, it never happens, until the type of upheaval we all dread occurs. 
    On the other hand, personal reform, as in, how can I better myself, is entirely another matter. Here is a use of the word I can actually control. In reference to myself, it really is about positive change, and it requires a change that most people - but especially me - feels betters my life and the lives of those around me. I have always been a person that, once focused on a troubling aspect of my life, takes steps to correct it. So in that area, I embrace reform, both as a word and as an action. I prefer to like myself every day of the week, and not just on Sundays, like so many others seem to do these days. 
    You asked, and I answered. 
    • • •
    If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? 
    •
    "You're the last to arrive. Everyone will be delighted to see you again!"
    • • • • •
     
    That’s it for March! Tune in again next month. In the meantime, send me your questions, and I’ll chase the authors down to get a response.
    Namaste
  8. Carlos Hazday

    Ask an Author 2.0 #18

    By Carlos Hazday,


    Author Interviews
    Happy 18th birthday, Ask an Author! After today, our little feature can vote but is still unable to drink legally in the United States. I think someone has been slipping it beers behind my back, though. I found it passed out in my computer complaining of a hangover.
    • • • • •
    @AC Benus, GA’s poetry guru and the author who gets the most questions will kick off the party.
    •
    When you're not writing your own stories and poems, you seem to spend a lot of your time commenting and reviewing other stories on the site, particularly those from fairly new or unknown authors. This can be difficult because those stories are often a little unpolished but have you ever come across a hidden gem or a great story from a source that you wouldn’t have expected? 
    • • •
    Thank you for saying this. I often feel I don’t do enough reading and reviewing on GA. But I’ve committed to doing more. As for hidden gems, there are quite a few, however, maybe I will limit myself to one prose and one poetic recommendation. 
    Even in its partial form, Denn’s Mobile Circus is one of the finest novels on GA. A shifter story with several differences, it’s at times funny, thrilling, sexy, touching, horrifying – you name the experience, it’s in there – and above all, consummately written by @Twisted_Dreemz. As far as I’m concerned, it should be on everyone’s read-right-now list. (The more love we show him, hopefully the sooner he’ll get back to providing us with chapters ). 
    For poetry, it’s much more difficult to single out just one, as all of us poets on GA post what we love and feel. I’m pleased to say we have a growing and supportive community here for one another. However, anyone who loves good prose-storytelling will instantly respond to @MythOfHappiness' collection of poetry. He can paint a scene in a few words, and grip your heart while doing it. And, if enough of us get at him with comments, hopefully we’ll force him to actually reply to them ). 
    • • • • •
    From the San Francisco area, we travel east to the mountains. My limited interactions with @MacGreg have left me with the impression of a thoughtful man who has a good sense of humor. I really do need to read more of his work
    •
    Many of your stories and longer poems seem to deal with “broken” men. How central do you see the healing process to the characters and journeys you create for them? 
    • • •
    This is a good question. I suppose I write about "broken" people often, because so many of us have been faced with circumstances that test our strength and resolve. Writing imperfect characters feels true and honest to me. No one is immune to the burdens of sadness, disappointment, frustration, hopelessness, etc. that pass through our lives. Dealing with the fallout is all a part of the journey, and my characters' pursuit of refuge and healing acts as a mirror to reflect our own personal determinations. I'm not one to sugarcoat circumstances when writing my characters. And, as with life, not every broken person can be made whole again. But the processes of healing and learning how to cope are definitely central points to my stories and poetry. 
    • • • • •
    Since Florida is flatter than an eight-year-old’s chest, I decide to stick to the mountains and head north. When I hit the Trans-Canada Highway, I turn east until reaching the Toronto area for a visit with @Mikiesboy.
    •
    You put a great deal of feeling and emotion into your work, which you have stated is down to your own personal background, but does it sometimes also get in the way and work against you? In other words, are there subjects which you feel you cannot write about? 
    • • •
    The simple answer is no.  If something appeals, or comes to me and I feel it would make a good story, I'll write it.  
    My past still haunts me, you just do not ever get over that stuff, not really. You learn to deal with it. I put things into boxes and stack them in the corner. These days mostly it stays there. 
    Pretending it didn't happen is no way to deal with it, so I'd write about it - have written about it in Levko, in Street Words and My Life in Pieces. 
    I don't know if I'd write more about that life, I mean there is only so much you can say. Maybe but there'd have to be a very compelling reason to do it again. 
    These days I'd rather write about other things, not necessarily happy ones just different I guess.  I love writing comedy, prompts are a lot of fun and make you think. Poetry of course, is my one true love. 
    I think you should try everything... every genre.  I'd love to write a good mystery or horror.  It's something I think about a lot. I may have even done some planning ... possibly. 
    Thanks again for the question.
    • • • • •
    @Nephylim is in Wales. Since my superpowers do not extend to riding my Harley over the pond, I catch a plane to visit her. I made sure it was not a Boeing 737 Max!
    •
    What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
    • • •
    I don't mind answering questions about anything. Any interaction is welcome. 
    To be honest, I haven't thought about this. Given that I've been non binary all my life (although I haven't actually "named" this until fairly recently) and that my inner dialogue has always been entirely male, I think, to be honest, that writing a female character is more difficult. It's almost that female is the opposite sex if that makes sense. 
    As I am autistic I find understanding all people, whether male or female, quite difficult and to some extent I rely on television, films, books etc to give me basic understanding of how people interact with each other. Having been a solicitor for many years in the field of family law, I have also had the opportunity to gain more insight into what motivates people on a deeper level. Sometimes it's difficult to separate the real from pure fiction, but I hope I manage it well enough. 
    I hope that's enough to answer the question. I tend to wander off topic sometimes. If the person who asked the question would like more information or to discuss it directly, I'm more than happy to do so. 
    • • • • •
    Back home in Florida, it’s a skip and a jump to Tampa Bay and @BHopper2. We get the final answer to a set of questions we asked at the end of last year.
    •
    What would you like to be? 
    A successful businessman, and a professional writer. With a great husband that understands me and two adopted teens that we both love. Living in a high-rise condo in the middle of downtown Tampa, and living comfortable lives until we grow old, retire, and pass-away.
    • • •
    If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
    Welcome home, and well done. The party district is this way, it's been a lot livelier since you gays started running it.
    • • • • •
    That is it for this month, my friends. My inventory of questions and answers is severely depleted. If you have questions for any author on the site, send them to me instead of them. I’ll chase them down, get a response, and share it on AAA for everyone to enjoy. Happy 420!
     
    ps - @Myr who do I send all my travel expense receipts for reimbursement?
  9. Carlos Hazday

    Ask an Author 2.0 #19

    By Carlos Hazday,


    Author Interviews
    May Day! May Day!
    I’m floundering, here. I know April has thirty days. So thinking the first Wednesday in May was next week was a total brain fart. My apologies for the late posting and the brevity of this issue. Coffee has yet to properly do its job.
    A member sent me a question and suggested I ask it of either Cia or Mann Ramblings. Not one to waste an opportunity, I approached both.
    @Cia
     
    You are an artist in many forms, be it the written word, photography, sculpting, painting, etc. Does your art of writing influence your art of other mediums? Or vice versa?
    Yes, it does, actually. Photography/digital art and writing are both creative outlets for me. I often pair them, using art for scene inspiration or published works. I love to take photos of the beautiful locale I live in, but hot gay men draped over each other are seriously lacking in my real life, lol. 
    In all seriousness, the saying is that a picture is worth a thousand words, and I'm always striving to find the ideal angle to capture a beautiful shot or the most expressive language to share a scene. Whether what I see is in front of me or in my mind, the goal is to use the most visceral, the most real, language or viewpoint to paint a picture that pulls others in and enables them to feel. Photography isn't easy, but writing is even harder. If I do that just once with one reader in a whole story, I'm ecstatic. 
     
    @Mann Ramblings
    You are an artist in many forms, be it the written word, photography, sculpting, painting, etc. Does your art of writing influence your art of other mediums? Or vice versa?
    The answer is kind of yes and no at the same time. While I've drawn character sketches of my cast (some have ended up in GA's gallery) I don't make fanart of my work per se. I have a fascination with Victorian imagery which I will incorporate into ceramic design or decorate pieces with steampunk themes, but I don't make them to go along with my ongoing stories. For example, I don't make mugs with quotes from my stories on them, no matter how cool they might be. (The context would be lost for most of my customers.)  
    There's no way to say my different media don't cross-influence one another. I think it's less of a conscious decision and more of directing one another into color pallets, literary genres, and visual elements. Sometimes I make pottery with book/library graphics on them, so it's all connected, I think. 
    @Thorn Wilde is a long-time member who’s also a musician. I felt they would fit well into this crowd of authors.

    In much of your recent work, including stories, poetry and blog posts, you champion the importance of (and struggles with) transgender/non-binary inclusion. This is a subject not discussed a whole lot on GA. What are the biggest challenges you see in writing about this subject? What are the biggest rewards? 

    Oh, that's a great question! 
    I guess the biggest challenge is approaching it in a way that people understand. There are a lot of readers, especially older readers, who don't really have a concept of what transgender means, let alone non-binary or genderqueer. There's a lot of misrepresentation, inaccuracy and simplification when the media presents trans identities, a lot of sensationalism and so on. Which is, of course, why I think it's so important to write about it in the first place, to try and get around the stereotypes and the misunderstandings. I kind of see it as my duty to educate, because someone has to, and that requires a certain amount of patience, which can be very challenging in and of itself. I muddle through, though. 
    The reward is when a reader says, this is something I never thought about but I get it now. Knowing that I reached someone who would otherwise not have thought about the issue much feels really good. Then I feel like I've accomplished something important, and it gives me a reason to go on doing what I'm doing. And, on a more personal level, perhaps people understand me better as a result, too. And maybe, just maybe, by talking about it and putting it out there, it may help someone else come to terms with their own gender identity. It took me a long time to understand how and why I feel the way I feel, and I did so largely because other people talked about it and gave me the language to put my own feelings into words. If I can pay it forward and help someone else do the same, then that's the greatest reward I can think of.
     
    @Wayne Gray, in contrast, is one of our newest members. His first story garnered a large response and earned him instant fans. Y’all keep sending in questions for him so we can get to know him better. Okay?
    As a newbie to GA, you've already made a big impression with Guarded and your latest piece, Silverwolf. You write characters who are very believable/relatable but also have unique, and sometimes quirky, characteristics, which is one of the draws to your stories. What is your creative process for developing your characters and bringing them to life?
    First, I'm flattered that anyone would want to know about my process.  Thanks for that!
    For characterization, I start with a blueprint based on someone I've met.  I amplify certain traits, mute others to turn my character into someone new.  I've found starting with a real person gives me inborn attributes with which to work.  Karen in the coffee shop in Guarded is one of those quirky characters.  She's wildly goodnatured, bubbly, and has an infectious joy about her.  I had a lot of readers "warn" me not to hurt her during the process of Guarded's plot.  I consider that a successful character.
    There's more to it than starting with that base model.  Before I begin anything at all I think about the "roles" in the story I want to tell.  Protagonists, antagonists, side players, red herrings, flavor only, allies - these are all categories make it onto my character tracking sheet.  If you're really interested in that, then I'll link it so you can see it. BEWARE: There are spoilers on the sheet!  Don't click it if you actually want to be surprised by the twists and turns of Guarded.

    Guarded Character and Resource Sheet 
    Thanks again for your interest.  I look forward to posting many more stories on GA. 
    That’s it for this month. I promise to start working on the next issue today, but you can help ensure it’s a good one. Send me your questions!
  10. Carlos Hazday

    Ask an Author 2.0 #21

    By Carlos Hazday,


    Author Interviews
    Ask an Author 2.0 #21
    Twenty-one! At last. Somebody wanna get me a cocktail?
    @northie has a knack for delivering the unexpected. Ghosts in her most recent anthology offering, the travails of old age frequently, or I understand horror in other works. I don’t do scary flicks or stories so no comments from me on those. The point is she buckles trends and offers tales unlike what most GA authors do. You should give one or two of them a look.
    What weighs you down the most in your writing?
    Err... 
    I started off by wondering whether my mystery questioner had mistaken me for someone else: a writer who committed their creative struggles to the page, or one who mused on the essence of being an author. 
    Nope. Just me. 
    It is an interesting question though. Who can truthfully say, writing and posting a story causes not a single doubt or moment of hesitation? 
    When setting out to write something – be it a flash piece or story chapter – I don't often have concerns. The story comes out as I imagine it mostly; scrapping something is an option that's only been used 3 or 4 times. So far, I've felt content in my identity as an English author writing for the most part about English things. What I didn't appreciate starting out was how that would limit my stories' appeal. Factor in older characters and some less-than-feelgood subject matter, and sometimes I'm surprised anyone comes back for more. 
    A reader described one of my ongoing serials recently as 'quotidian'. That's a pretty fair description. If you're looking for sizzling sex scenes, inter-galactic battles, werewolves, or fairy tales, I'm not (yet, at least) the author for you. As my writing continues to improve (I'm still less than three years into this writing lark) maybe I will branch out. The on-going serials are 'kitchen sink' dramas. Sounds boring perhaps, but I find there's still plenty to write about, to examine, to explore. This is where things can weigh me down a little. I'm getting better at pacing, mixing things up, and plot development, but there's still a lurking suspicion that quotidian actually means pedestrian or mundane. 
    Despite accepting my stories are never going to be many people's cup of tea, I'm not one of those authors who posts a story or chapter and couldn't give a damn about who reads it. On the contrary. It's been the hardest thing to deal with. Self-confidence isn't my strongest suit, so whenever the latest product from my pencil is posted, I watch what happens. If it gains little interest, I have to tell myself it's a bad day / time of day. Or maybe someone with more clout has posted a lynchpin chapter. Or it's just not what the GA community expects. That doesn't make it a bad story, or me a poor writer. It happens. 
    Another way to look at it is this: if the reception of my stories is the worst issue to be faced, I should get a grip. I write freely, enjoy it wholeheartedly, and am willing and able to learn. There must be many authors out there who would love to swap places. People who struggle to get the words out; others who are prevented from seeing the fruit of their labours in the public's hands. I am lucky. 
     
    Another author who does not fit the mold is @Thorn Wilde. His stories often feature off-beat characters with my favorite one so far being Deadpool. If you’re a Marvel Comics’ fan—and even if you are not—you should check out Holding Back.
    What connects and or distracts you to/from the emotion and characters in your stories?
    This is kind of a hard one to answer. What connects me I guess is that they're mine. I write them, so I feel them, if that makes sense. That can be unpleasant sometimes, too, when I feel characters who do bad things, or when bad things happen to my characters. I can get pretty emotional. It can be hard to disconnect. Sometimes I just have to remind myself that they're not real (which is very hard to do because they're real to me). Don't know if any of this makes
     
    One of GA’s signature authors, @Valkyrie seems to be everywhere. She writes, she edits, she helps coordinate the site’s anthology connection… You get the idea. Busy, busy, busy and she still finds time to read and comment on other stories. Don’t ask me about her infatuation with cats and penguins; still have’t figured that one out.
    Was there any book/ author you read that changed the way you approached or thought about your writing?
    I gave this a lot of thought, because I initially couldn't think of anyone.  But the more I thought about it, I would have to say reading Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles opened new possibilities to me in my writing.  Her stories were the first I read with an m/m component.  I've always loved vampire stories, and even started writing one of my own, but after reading about Anne Rice's vampires, my story took a bit of an unexpected turn.  
     
    @Wayne Gray made a big splash in the GA pond when he published Guarded. Since then, he’s become an active participant in the community and has a couple of stories now posting.
    I am really enjoying your stories. To date, what has been your hardest scene to write?
    Thank you for the question.  It's a great one. 
    The toughest scene I've ever written is included in a tale that is finished but has yet to be posted anyplace.  That'd be a scene in Fleeting Eternity.  The reason it was difficult is that it was a gut-punch, emotionally powerful moment - one I spent days writing because it was just so hard to get through it.  Annoyingly, I can't divulge much more about it, for fear of ruining the story.  I do plan on posting Fleeting Eternity to GA one day.  So you'll get to tell me if you agree when you read that piece of work.  🙂
     
    That’s it for this month. I’m serious, guys. I need questions. Unless you want me to start asking authors about their reality TV watching habits, you better send me some good ones.
  11. Carlos Hazday

    Ask an Author 2.0 #7

    By Carlos Hazday,


    Author Interviews
    And we’re back! My inventory of questions is rapidly diminishing and unless I get some new ones, I may start making some up for myself. You wouldn’t want that would you? Pick an author we haven’t featured, ask a question, and let’s see what they have to say. Aren’t you curious about what type of sneakers someone wears? Or maybe how they go about naming chapters or characters? Anything except for XXX matters is fair game.
     
    @Hunter Thomson has agreed to a return engagement. Our politician/jock from the Great White North was gracious enough to share a bit more about himself.
    •
    Your stories tend to have a sporting theme or background, is this a reflection of your own experiences in high school? In other words, were you, or are you still a sportsman or like most of us, an armchair fan?
     
    •
    The short answer is yes, this is a reflection of my experiences in high school. I started playing baseball when I was four years old, and I retired from the sport once my high school days were over, as I did not make the cut on the university team I tried out for. I spend most of my curling now, and I've been doing that for the past fifteen years. There's no plans to write a curling based story right now, I don't think there's enough of a market for it either on Gay Authors or in the world at large, although I suppose if I did write a gay curling romance it would be the best-seller (only seller?) in its field. I'm actually heading to my third regional playdowns the December 9-11 weekend, so I still play rather competitively.
     
    •
     
    You can find Hunter’s stories here:
    https://www.gayauthors.org/author/hunter-thomson/
     
     • • • • •
     
    @northie also returns for her second appearance in the rebooted Ask an Author. If you haven’t been following her Never Too Late, I suggest you check it out. Fairly well written, the story’s a look at the budding friendship between an older gay man and a younger one. No, you pervs, it’s not about sex. It’s about the plight of a closeted man in the sunset of his life.
    •
    Short stories seem to be your forte and you definitely have the knack, but it can be a challenge for a lot of authors to tell a complete story in a limited amount of words. I think that it takes a certain amount of discipline to write short stories; are you naturally quite a disciplined person?
     
    •
    Thanks for the compliment. 
     
    Am I self-disciplined? Yes and no … If I'm working to any kind of deadline (at home or in my job), then, yes, I can be disciplined in how I operate. Otherwise, I'm dreadful. 'Tomorrow' is one of my favourite words. I aim to write something every day, whether that's original writing, writing up, editing, or otherwise making alterations. 
     
    As for the stories, mine vary wildly in length. The shortest is 500 words ('An Uncommon Daisy') and the longest is something over 16,000 ('The Bard's Tale'). When there is an actual word limit imposed (as some of Cia's writing games do), that certainly adds self-discipline into the equation – the story can't just run its course, but must be planned, then contained, refined, reduced as necessary.
     
     •
    You can find northie’s stories here:
    https://www.gayauthors.org/author/northie/
     
    • • • • •
     
    @MacGreg continues the trend. This is the second time we hear from him in the past few months. Previously, we heard about his story Dissonance. Mac’s one of those gifted authors who share stories and poems and this time around he talks about his poetry.
    •
    You write both prose and poetry. What do you feel that poetry does for you as an artist/author that prose doesn't?
     
    •
    Good question. Writing prose is creating a story. It involves building a scene, developing characters, pulling the reader into the moment and letting them stay there for a while as the plot unfolds. Like most authors, writing prose gives me a platform to express myself and create fictional people, places, and experiences to share with others.
     
    Poetry is a similar outlet for me – but the impetus for writing it comes from a very different place. It derives from a deeper, unconscious source and is much more emotion-driven. It allows me to express myself in a less-structured way than prose (I tend to forego poetry patterns like rhyme, line length, and meter - sorry, poets). Because of this free-form style, I’m able to expel what I’m feeling in short order, sort of like purging something. Get it out, move on, and maybe a few readers will find value in it along the way.
     
    •
    You can find Mac’s work here:
     
     
    https://www.gayauthors.org/author/macgreg/
     
     • • • • •
     
    @AC Benus takes the prize, this is the third time he gets featured. I may be renaming the blog Ask AC if this continues. Not only is the man from San Francisco a prolific author, his fans are prolific inquisitors.
    •
    Among the 58 stories and poems that you have posted on GA are a few of screenplays. You have a done a remarkable job, but what made you decide to attempt these in the first place and how difficult were they to write?
     
    •
    Like most of us, I was exposed to Moby-Dick in high school, and lucky for me, one of the scenes we studied in detail is the overtly homoerotic “Counterpane” chapter. This is where the two heroes of the book wind up in bed and consummate a marriage as true and inspiring as any in literature. So years later, one day browsing the shelves of my local used book seller, I happened on an edition of the book Melville published right after Moby-Dick. As I was expecting an enjoyable read, I was completely befuddled by Pierre, or the Ambiguities. It was dense – so dense, I felt like a dunce – and I gave up trying to read it, even though I hate to lose any battle.
     
    After a while, I settled on a way to conquer Pierre; I would read Melville’s novels from the beginning. I found a copy of Typee (published when he was 24) and was off. If I thought Moby-Dick was open about its portrayal of same-sex love, I was blown away by the male couple in Typee. The book was a phenomenon when originally published, and Melville feared he’d only be remembered for having written it.
     
    As far as my filmscripts on GA, I suppose I’m still surprised when people tell me screenplays So, long story short, I did read all of author’s novels in sequence until I was finally able to return to Pierre. My strategy worked, as I could now breeze through this very challenging book. But after I was finished, I wanted to bring the remarkable sequence to life for others. That’s when I hit upon doing screenplays, and organizing them so they tell Melville’s own story, from being a ship’s ‘boy’ at age 19, until the devastatingly negative reviews came in for Moby-Dick’s open and far-too homoerotic love story.
     
    Are they difficult to write? I would say they are a fun challenge to write. Most films unfold over a sequence of 8 to 10 large sections, or Parts. Once you get in the mindset of seeing tales developed this way, it helps you structure novels you wish to write as well. There are several online guides on how to start, but be aware, there is an almost Byzantine code of do-and-don’ts to learn and keep in your head. Nonetheless, I’d recommend the exercise to any writer looking to expand their abilities.
     
    As far as my filmscripts on GA, I suppose I’m still surprised when people tell me screenplays are difficult to read. They are like any other form: you start at the top and read your way down the page. Scripts are meant to be evocative too, so you should be able to see the scene as if watching a movie unfurl.
    •
    You can read some of those countless posts here:
    https://www.gayauthors.org/author/ac-benus/
     • • • • •
     
     
    We’ll see you back next month but only if you send me enough questions to pass along.
     
     
     
     
  12. Carlos Hazday

    Ask an Author 2.0 #20

    By Carlos Hazday,


    Author Interviews
    G’day!
    Anyone who’s read my CJ series knows I have a thing for Australia. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not due to the tiny bathing suits I saw blokes wear at Bondi Beach. Okay, fine, those may have influenced me a tad.
    When I realized I had questions for a couple of our Aussie authors, I asked two reliable blog followers for additional ones. The result is the first ever Ask an AUSTRALIAN Author feature.
    I’ve enjoyed stories from all these authors and suggest you give them a try.
     
     
    @AusGlitterati
    What are your favourite genres to write?  Do you think you may challenge yourself with something different?
     
    Hahaha hello! Gosh that's a rough one. I'm not confident I can answer it! So...
    I have a deep love for drama! I enjoy reading and writing about people who overcome adversity and earn their happily ever after! Give me all that angst and hardship! Romance means a similar thing to me - nothing beats a love story to make the heart sing! Comedy rounds the others out. I enjoy writing with a sense of humour! As far as my work is concerned, these three go hand in hand. 
    As far as challenging myself, ooh I love puzzles and problem solving, so I've always wanted to write a long, convoluted murder mystery! A thriller! That would get the gears in my head spinning like they never have before!
    Thanks! x have a great day!
     
     
     
    @quokka
    Is there a particular author who has inspired you and your own work?
     
    Yes, my favourite author is Ms Beatrix Potter.
    When I first started writing as a teenager, my characters were mostly animals, as I was living on the family farm at the time. Sadly those stories became lost in time.
    I have always enjoyed reading her stories and the movie about her, and coming from a farming background, I tend to write stories about farms / stations in Australia.
     
     
     
    @grahamsealby
    Is your current home, the country where you've always lived?
     
    Yes.
     
     
     
    @Graeme
    Your latest Leopard's book features an American as a character. What made you decide to expand from an all-Australian cast?
    It was partly the challenge. I know writing about characters when you're not familiar with their cultural background is difficult and it's often done wrong. When authors include an Australia character, I can often tell if the author is familiar with Australia. Not because of anything big, but because of the small things, such as using the phrase "cell phone". In Australia, that should be "mobile phone". It's now my turn to experience the same thing. Luckily, my beta-readers and my editor are all American -- and I really appreciate the changes they've suggested to make sure Mason doesn't sound Australian!
    As for what inspired me, the answer is hinted at in the story itself. A former American college basketball player by the name of Mason Cox is beginning to make a name for himself in AFL football. He was already in Australia as part of the Collingwood Football Club (and he's mentioned in the story because of that), but over the last 12 months, he's developed significantly as an Australian Rules Foootball player and is now a regular part of Collingwood's senior team. The Mason in my story is named after Mason Cox, though I avoided making my character a star athlete -- I thought that would be stretching realism a little too much...
     
     
     
    @Palantir
    Your stories, even in space, have an Aussie ring to them. Do you make allowances for a worldwide readership or for the predominance of North Americans on GA? 
    I wrestled with this question when I first started writing and decided to use my own voice rather than try and emulate the norm. Time and experience have firmed that decision. In general I think that GA is richer with a diversity of styles, and in particular I have found that the 'Aussie ring' strikes a chord of interest with many readers.
    Cheers from downunder.
     
     
     
    @Rigby Taylor
    What made you want to start writing and have your writing expectations changed since you started?
     
     Why did I start writing?
    I've always been an avid reader – at least a book a week, all genres from the classics to science fiction. My favourites were 1940s and 50s adventure stories with handsome, brave, ostensibly heterosexual heroes. Daring young men with an inseparable best friend for whom they would risk their life. They had other friends – even a chaste girlfriend somewhere waiting patiently, but only one true ‘blood brother’ who would be his mate for life. It’s no wonder that by the age of twelve my life’s aim was to be honest, trustworthy, independent, and have one best friend I would trust with my life, and to whom I would be forever faithful.
    I started adult life as an actor declaiming other people’s thoughts, when what I really wanted to do was present my own ideas. So I became an Art History Teacher with a captive audience of likeable, impressionable and stimulating adolescents off whom I could bounce ideas while perhaps influencing them positively.
    In my free time I made paintings that I hoped would convey my philosophies. But even the most realistic painting leaves the viewer with an emotion, rather than a clear understanding of the artist’s intentions. So I needed a more precise medium, and that, I belatedly realised, was ‘words’. With all the words at my disposal, surely I could express myself so clearly I would never be misunderstood?
    Mmmm… hope springs eternal… but at least my stories are more successful than my paintings.
     
    Why do I write the sorts of stories I do?
    Most people think the decriminalisation of homosexual acts, and marriage equality have normalised homosexuality in society, but they haven't. Nothings changed yet. It may in the future, but for the present it is still an abnormal, even confronting experience for most people to see two men or two women kissing on the street or in the park, or kissing and showing real affection in mainstream media.
    Instead of being considered normal, movies, shows, TV series, or plays that have gay characters are labelled LGBTQIA; often requiring parental guidance.
    I’d hoped that when we were finally no longer criminals, mainstream books and films would contain the occasional same-sex-oriented hero to balance the heterosexuals that had dominated. I hoped in vain. There've been loads of ‘Gay’ stories about the perils of ‘coming out’ and ‘finding oneself’, suggesting homosexuality is still a problem to be exorcised. And then it seemed every film, book, play with gays in it was about the Aids crisis. Then with the advent of eBooks, a deluge of MM erotica with simplistic plots and lots of graphic sex that reinforces the stereotype of gay libertines.
    Where were the thriller/adventure stories with an interesting, decent, believable gay hero? Finding none I decided to redress this gaping hole in gay fiction by writing stories with same-sex-oriented heroes whose exemplary behaviour would counter negative stereotypes and perhaps encourage readers to think seriously about how we should live, and in what sort of society. 
    My ‘heroes’ are believable, normal men whose sexual orientation is not an obstacle in their quest for a good life with a lover and friends, as they courageously stick up for what they value. They enjoy sex, but rather than give a blow-by-blow account, I prefer to create a situation where romantic love and deep emotional bonding arises, then let readers use their imaginations. They may have ideas and opinions that differ from their peers, but live in the real world of avarice, deceit and double standards, valuing what is truly worthwhile—a sustainable planet with clean air, water and soil, and fulfilling, loving relationships with other men.
     
    Expectations:
    When I started writing I arrogantly assumed that my taste was universal. That most gay males were longing to read thrillers with gay heroes. But my experience on GA has taught me a lesson. I've had positive comments, but each story only attracts a dozen or so readers to react or comment, whereas writers of more ‘normal’ stories, deservedly receive hundreds of positive comments and reactions. There are some wonderful stories on the GA site dealing with the reality of life for normal people who happen to be gay and not heroes, just good guys who love and lust and prove that it really is normal to be gay. And that is the beauty of G.A., taking readers as seriously as writers, providing wonderful opportunities for supportive reader feedback, while proving that gays are perfectly normal in their reading tastes as well as everything else. Truly a unique achievement!
     
    What is my favourite book?
    Each of my stories is about something I consider to be important, but I like ‘Mortaumal’ most. It’s about death and dying, seen through the eyes of a young lad as he negotiates a difficult life. As he matures he encounters a variety of ways of dying, and learns to accept the inevitability of death while embracing the present. Far from being a sad book, it is full of the joy of life.  Jarek is about how we educate our young men. Fidel is a cautionary tale depicting a dystopian theocratic take-over of Australia. Sebastian is an attempt to increase our tolerance of difference.  Rough Justice asks questions about the law and justice. NumbaCruncha is a look at the dystopian probable future of Homo sapiens if we don’t mend our ways. Frankie Fey is deeply critical of the current embrace of laissez-faire capitalism.
     
    What do I enjoy most about writing?
    When I'm writing, time disappears. I am totally engrossed. The characters come to life and take over my head. I feel as if they are writing the book and I am merely the typist, having to wait till the plot progresses to find out what happens. It sounds chaotic, but isn’t; it’s a logical discovery of a character’s individuality. Establishing the plot and characters and completing the first draft is exciting, but the best part for me is editing. I will happily read and reread, rewrite, change, modify, hour upon hour, giving my thesaurus plenty of use in the search for the exact word, phrase, expression… to keep the plot moving at the right pace to make reading a seamless exercise while saying exactly what I want to say in the most accurate and economical manner.
     
    Which is my favourite character?
     “Jarek” the eponymous hero of the novel Jarek, tops the list. He is a ‘natural’ man, excellent teacher, and perfect friend.
     
    What has been my favourite scene to write?
    In my first novel, Rough Justice, when Robert first understands his problems and shares his new knowledge with Bart.
     
    What lessons have I learned?
    Not to be in a hurry to leap into publication. Editing the first draft is but the beginning. When satisfied, I put the book away for a month and then read it again as if for the first time. Then all the oddities leap out and smack me in the eye. The clumsy phrases, wordiness, too many adjectives, repetitions, overwriting, pontificating, embarrassing sentimentality… all the mistakes of enthusiasm and a desire to get published will be exposed to be deleted [usually the best] or rewritten.
    A writer must not be too precious about his carefully chosen words; most stories during editing would benefit from deleting thousands to tighten up the action and sharpen the atmosphere. Less is More.
     
     
    That last response has to be the most comprehensive one I’ve ever received. Hope you enjoyed our time in the Southern Hemisphere. The pilot has turned on the No Smoking sign. Please return tray tables to their upright position and fasten your seatbelts.
    Oh, and send me some questions, I’m running low again.
  13. Carlos Hazday

    Ask an Author 2.0 #22

    By Carlos Hazday,


    Author Interviews
    During the dog days of summer, most South Floridians yearn for cooler, drier weather. If you are unfamiliar with the expression, it refers to days being so hot even dogs want to lay around moving as little as possible. August is the time most of us want to move to the Carolinas’ mountains to escape daily rain, tropical storms, and hurricanes.
    The Signature Authors profiled this month are well known and don’t require introduction. I’ll shut up now and let them answer their questions.
     
     
    @Comicality
    •
    You are a prolific user of sequels and serials and have a lot of stories on the go, Gone From Daylight and Savage Moon come to mind. What keeps you motivated and what do you gain by doing serials and sequels?
     
    • • •
    "Well, to answer all questions at once...it's the readers. The feedback makes all the difference in the world to me. So that is my number one motivation to keep going.
     
    When I was growing up, I was super heavy into comic books. I still have many of them to this day. And, honestly, comic books taught me everything that I know about character, dialogue, tension, foreshadowing, flashbacks, plot twists...and the best part was that I got a chance to come back every single month and catch up with fictional people that I had grown and evolved with over an extended period of time, and I LOVED it! I never thought I'd see the day when movies or TV shows could be treated the same way, but now you see it all the time. And it works wonders.
     
    So being able to build on my characters one chapter at a time, share them with a vocal and participatory audience, and actually feel the energy of having them enjoy what I do, is my biggest inspiration. It might take me an entire year or more to finish a whole story from start to finish, and that's if I'm LUCKY! I can't imagine going that long without some type of positive reward or constructive criticism from my audience. Without their support, I think I'd feel like I'm just typing away at this keyboard for nothing. So I treat my stories like comic books. I post new material, I get good feedback, I come up with new ideas all the time, and my readers get to see the process unfold as it's happening. They grow with the story. It creates a momentum and an excitement that helps me to keep building and challenging myself to complete whatever vision I had in mind from the beginning.
     
    I hope that answers the question! And thanks! :)"
     
    • • • • •
    @Krista
    •
    Looking at you library here at GA, you don’t seem to use sequels or serials but have a nice collection of stand-alones. Is there anything that keeps you away from bringing more of the characters your readers love?
     
    • • •
    My answer would be that it is the way I view sequels. Most of my stories are stand alone, so if I were to write a sequel or make a story into a serial then a lot of changes would have to happen. I have started a sequel in the past, but I doubt that people would have enjoyed it, because it was so different than the original. That is how I feel sequels should be though, if you created a story and completed it, any story involving those characters should be different with different themes and obstacles for the characters to overcome. The story I mean is, "Are You Christian," and the story ended on pretty happy terms. The sequel would then have to be - for me to have the motivation to write it - darker with new themes. It would no longer be a coming out story, so I would have to come up with something else. I was going with drug abuse and depression as main themes and I doubted my readers would want to see that huge of a transformation for the characters that would be involved.
     
    Also motivation and time. Most of my stand alone stories are about High School students maneuvering around coming out and being younger. I don't really have the motivation to do those kinds of stories anymore so stories that involve those characters here are either still going to be in high school or freshly out, wouldn't really be strong motivation for me.
     
    I feel that my current style of romances don't translate well to sequels overall as well. So I just don't work on making the attempt.
     
    • • • • •
    @AC Benus
    •
    What is it about sonnets as a form that keeps on inspiring you?
     
    • • •
    Thanks for the question. This gave me pause when I first read it. To me, various poetic forms are just tools. So to translate this question to another discipline, would you ask a carpenter what it is about a hammer that keeps inspiring him? He may have a long personal history with a certain hammer, and knows he can reply on it, but the tool itself is just something he calls on to build an end-result.
     
    More precisely, Sonnets are a key to me to unlock the universe. Basho had such a key with Haiku and Haibun. Villion’s was the Ballade. The discipline required to master these forms opens up the freedom to say any and everything.
     
    A quote I leaned as a teenager from an old Night Court re-run sums up this artistic principle best. “Mastery appears in limitation of form, and order alone can give us freedom.”
     
    And none of us should wrestle in disagreement with the likes of Goethe       
     
    • • • • •
    A short installment this month; there’ll be a longer one in September. But I need questions for after. If you want to get to know ANY author a bit better, this is your chance. I forward the questions anonymously so if you’re shy, I’ll protect you. LOL
  14. Carlos Hazday

    Ask an Author 2.0 #23

    By Carlos Hazday,


    Author Interviews
    Hi there!
     
    Although I have a couple of questions and responses predating the ones in this issue, I felt these responses were time sensitive. The question came in soon after someone claimed Ask An Author only featured established, popular authors. Wrooong! The member who sent in in suggested asking it of newer authors and provided a short list of candidates.
     
    Here’s the message I sent out:
     
    In case you haven't come across it, the first Wednesday of every month I coordinate a blog feature. Ask an Author's predicated on readers sending in question and authors answering them. I keep the identity of the person asking confidential; some of our readers are truly shy, but one sent me a question to ask you and a couple other new authors. Would you mind replying to the one before and forwarding the response to me? Thanks!
     
    As you're recently arrived at GA as an author, how have you found your experience posting and interacting with readers?
     
    And here are the responses I received:
     
     
    @James Carnarvon
    I have found the whole experience incredibly positive and encouraging. Unlike many GA authors perhaps, I had sat on my finished story for many years before sharing it with the world, and I was pretty nervous about letting it out there.
    The great responses I started to get right from the beginning gave me confidence to keep posting, especially knowing that the story gets better and better after the first couple of chapters. The 'Likes', 'Loves' and other reactions are great as far as they go, but the really fascinating feedback is the chapter-by-chapter comments, whether they are simply expressing appreciation for the writing or speculating on what might happen next. I think I mentioned in one of my own comments that to have people commenting with such insight and obvious engagement into the story and its characters, well, there's really no greater vote of confidence for a writer.
    Comments that offer different viewpoints are also welcome. There was one particular plot development in my story that did not convince everyone, and it was good to see that the readers here are not afraid to offer constructive criticism as well as positive comments. In a way, it added value to all the positive comments I had received.
    If I do find time to write anything else that fits GA's brief, I would have every confidence about continuing to post here.
     
    @btaoc1963
    So far, the experience has been great!  GA has more feedback options than I'm used to, and it's nice to see reactions as well as comments from readers 🙂.  As far as posting, GA is more structured than most sites, and as a creative person I'm not always good at following directions lol.  I sort of tend to 'wing it' which gets me into trouble.  I'm still learning a few ins and outs but I truly enjoy the site, and I'm glad I came across it.  GA is definitely a good home for my story.
     
    @Mac Rountree
    The experience has been totally positive. 
    I am trying different writing techniques and readers are noticing and commenting.  I find that feedback very helpful as I work on new stories.  I was struggling with the ending to a story and a reader commented on the chapter I had posted that he hoped that the characters would return to where they started.  Bingo!  That was exactly what I needed.  I would probably still be struggling if not for that comment.
    The generosity of people to read and comment has been very gratifying; especially when they are asking for more!
    The bottom line question though, is: am I able to write a story that readers find compelling.  I think the answer is yes.  
    I have three stories posted at this time.  One story has one more chapter and a second story has four more chapters.  The manuscripts are completed and I am posting them on a regular schedule.   The third story has just started.  I already have seven chapters written and couldn't wait to finish it before  posting it for readers to read and respond.  The response has been positive.  I am also working on a story that will start on December 1 and will have daily postings until January 6.  There is a through narrative of two men who fall in love in college.  This is layered with the Christian seasons of Advent and Christmas and the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah.  There are specific scripture readings for each day during that time and I am weaving the readings and the narrative together. I hope that the readers enjoy it as much as I am enjoying writing it.  
    I am grateful for having gayauthors.   I follow several stories on here and greatly admire the quality of writing I find. 
     
    @GabrielCaldwell
    Hi,
    I haven't been here long, and I've only had one reader message me directly. This site is different to another site where I've posted because readers can comment at the end of chapters. I was a little nervous about that, as I imagined it might be like the YouTube comment section, but so far it's been great. All of the comments have been encouraging, and someone pointed out a minor error, which was helpful. I've been enjoying it so far!
     
    If the individuals who didn’t respond in time do so in the future, I’ll feature their responses in a future issue. In the meantime, now that you’ve met these four, say hello to them at some point. You should also check out their work. I’ve read some and enjoyed.
     
    We’ve established the blog is not limited to a certain type of author so send in questions for anyone. When answered, I’ll feature them.
     
  15. Carlos Hazday
    Twenty years ago today, on December 1, 1998, the Miami-Dade County Commission approved the addition of sexual orientation to the county’s human rights ordinance. The battle many had fought over the past year culminated in victory. A temporary achievement since the hateful Christian Coalition worked to place the decision on the ballot the following year. They lost.
     
    For over a year, I helped increase awareness, raise money, conduct outreach, lobby politicians, debate homophobes, and granted countless interviews to the media. I was called vile names by those professing their Christianity often enough my dislike for the religion became permanent. To this day, any mention of Christian values makes me frown.
     
    On that fateful morning, my boyfriend and I awoke in darkness and were in front of the Commission chambers by sunrise. With hateful chants as background, I spoke to National Public Radio, The New York Times, the Voice of America, Armed Forces Radio, and who knows how many more outlets in both English and Spanish. My fifteen minutes of fame thanks to the marketing people thinking I spoke well and came across as a level-headed individual. Ha! Seeing my name on the front page of the Times and listening to the NPR report the following morning was a thrill. I still have the newspaper and a cassette of the radio show.
     
    However, the most wonderful part of the experience was working with the men and women who made the day’s events possible. Maybe it was not on par with the promise made by the signers of the Declaration of Independence to “mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor,” but to me it was close. The time and financial commitment made by many propelled us to victory.
     
    Liebe Gadinsky stands out amongst all. The mother of two and her husband became friends, and although we rarely communicate these days, I will treasure the time I spent with them for as long as I live. Liebe and Seth were proof that the fight for our humanity was not limited to GLBT community members, but encompassed caring individuals who felt discrimination was unjust.
     
    Many of you dislike and dismiss political involvement, I read the comments often enough when I posted a story revolving around a presidential campaign. As an aside, my involvement back then influenced much of what I wrote in that book. I would like you all to remember that without drag queens fighting in front of the Stonewall Inn in 1969 or volunteers canvassing throughout Miami in 1998, most of us would be hiding in the back of a closet too scared to live. Go out, give money, volunteer, make phone calls, write letters; do whatever it takes to elect individuals who will not treat us as second-class citizens.
     
    It was the experience of a lifetime and I am grateful I was part of such a momentous event. My participation also allowed me to keep a promise I made when the Anita Bryant-backed forces led to the overturn of a similar ordinance in 1977. I swore that if the issue arose again, I would not remain quiet. I am glad I did not.
     
    I’ll close with Margaret Mead’s words: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has”
     
     
     
    https://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/02/us/2-decades-on-miami-endorses-gay-rights.html
     
  16. Carlos Hazday
    Although nearly 15 years old, this New York Times article still provides a good description of my city.


     
    https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/15/us/a-gay-boomtown-is-more-mainstream-and-less-the-cliche.html

     
    I dug it up after walking through closed-to-traffic Wilton Drive—the town’s main street—during the Stonewall Festival this past weekend.

     
    The outrageous outfits, loud music, and alcohol consumption were still there, but what grabbed my attention was something else. Lots of kids, from infants in baby carriages to slightly older ones walking with their parents—both same-sex couples and heterosexual ones. Corporate America and governmental institutions amongst those with booth displays. Police officers from neighboring cities who volunteered to work the festival to show their support for the gay community. These are all signs our lives as outlaws are nearing the end. That the GLBT community is becoming an integral part of the melting pot. And that it does get better thanks to the struggle of those who came before us.
  17. Carlos Hazday
    Fascinating article about an author rewriting her first book after a barrage of negative Tweets.
     
    The over-the-top reactions by some of her fans don't surprise me. An idiot on GA lambasted me when I had the chutzpah to call out an author he liked. He claimed she was trying. Well, if she was trying then she would have appreciated my telling her what she wrote was crap. She did. And she earned my respect by acknowledging she didn't have any knowledge of what she was writing about and asking for help.
     
    I'm a firm believer in honesty when reviewing. There are a handful of GA authors I don't bother with because they seem to whine whenever anyone says anything about their work that isn't absolute praise. Keira Drake seems to be the type to pay attention to what readers say even if it's not laudatory. Unless as authors we're willing to listen to what others find wrong with our work, we'll never improve. Maybe I'm weird, but I'd rather hear how something I wrote doesn't make sense so I can improve.
     
    So, what do y'all think?
     
    http://www.vulture.com/2018/02/keira-drake-the-continent.html
     
  18. Carlos Hazday

    Happy New Year

    By Carlos Hazday,

    It wasn't the best of years, it wasn't the worst of years. But it was the definitely a shorter year. Okay, fine. It was only 24 hours shorter than the previous one, but it sure felt like it went by in the blink of an eye. I think it's age related.
     
    Two years ago tomorrow, on January 1, 2015, I posted the first chapter of CJ's story. Two years, 119 chapters, and over half-a-million words later, the damn kid's wormed his way into my heart. And apparently, he's had a  similar effect on some of you.
     
    Some initial readers abandoned the story; I assume something I wrote didn't sit well with them. Others have come on board, read from the beginning, and are now clamoring for more. To each of you, lapsed, current, and future fans, my thanks. Your reactions, comments, and reviews are treasured. It's gratifying to know I've been able to entertain and at times move some of you, my apologies if I disappointed others at any point.
     
    I'm committed to finishing Georgetown, there are three more books in the works. Regardless of what I may have said, subsequent entries are possible but not guaranteed. A historical novel, relying on actual people, places, and events, is hard to write in the future. Georgetown concludes in May 2020 and I'm finding it difficult to exclude those little things which have been integral to the tale. Let's see how I feel after CJ graduates from college. Some of it will depend on what happens in the White House, Congress, and the State Department. Some, on how loud the characters scream.
     
    What began as therapy for crippling depression has become a joy. I now have a cyber family on Gay Authors, and an imaginary one in CJ, Ozzie, Cesar, Brett, Ritchie and all the others. Both make me smile on a regular basis, something I didn't do much of when I started writing in the summer of 2014. Whatever I decide, please know I've come to appreciate you more than you can imagine and should the story continue, I promise to do my best to remain faithful to you and the characters. Maybe I'll even improve my writing some more.
     
    From me and the Abello-Davenport-Liston-Peterson crowd, HAPPY NEW YEAR!
     
    May 2018 bring you and yours health and peace. Everything else is secondary.
     
  19. Carlos Hazday
    First Amendement to the U. S. Constitution:
     
    Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
  20. Carlos Hazday
    ... even if the road is often long and painful.
     
    I may have shed a tear or ten while reading this article
     
    https://www.outsports.com/2017/6/20/15835374/ryan-ocallaghan-gay-nfl-new-england-patriots-kansas-city-chiefs
     

  21. Carlos Hazday
    American Steel began with a double purpose: replying to selected GA prompts and sharing some of my motorcycling experiences. The collection of loosely-connected vignettes allowed for each chapter to stand on its own while still telling a wider ranging story.
     
    The first six chapters were easy to write. I have the next six outlined and number seven partially written. However, I’m uncertain as to when those will be posted. I’ve tried juggling several stories at the same time before and I wasn’t happy with the results. They all suffered when I spread myself around.
     
    Future chapters will carry a stronger connection to each other and I don’t want to rush them. I’m going to wait until I have them ready before posting. Plus, I’m trying to concentrate on Walls for now. The CJ series is at a point where I want it to be the best I can possibly produce and that takes work.
     
    I don’t know when American Steel will return, but it will. The next chapter will take place in New Orleans and since I’ll be there in the summer, I may wait until then to finish it. You know, I may need to visit a bar or two for research purposes!
  22. Carlos Hazday
    Forty years ago today, on January 20, 1977, I stood on the grounds of the Capitol freezing my butt off. The same weather system which had brought snow to my hometown of Miami the previous day had dumped inches of the white stuff on the nation’s capital; the cold seeped through the soles of my shoes making me shiver and bringing my group of friends into a huddle seeking warmth. Try having your feet stuck in snow for hours, when you’re used to warm South Florida winters, and you’ll know how uncomfortable I was. But we were not about to move; we were there to watch the inauguration of Jimmy Carter as the 39th President of the United States.
    As a freshman at Georgetown University I’d made friends with connections. Those contacts scored me tickets to the Gerald Ford Victory Celebration on election night the previous November. My friends and I milled about the hotel ballroom that night, drinking overpriced cocktails, watching the election results displayed on a screen behind the stage. We returned to our dorm disappointed our candidate had lost.
    The same congressman who gained us admission to the party on election night, came through with tickets for the inauguration of the man who I’d not voted for. But in the politically charged environment which was a university campus in Washington, DC it made no difference: we were witnesses to the peaceful transition of power from one party to another. An event our nation took for granted after almost 200 years and which many around the world envied.
    Today I find myself in a similar situation: a man I did not support will be inaugurated as president. I won’t be in Washington this time around, but I’ll be watching Donald Trump’s swearing in as the 45th President from home. Yes, I’ll be watching. No, I’m not happy it’s him taking the oath of office instead of his opponent. Yes, he’s my president.
    I’m an American first. My concern is for the nation as a whole. I may disagree with Mr. Trump in many areas, I may cuss at him and his policies, but he has my best wishes. If he fails, we all suffer. Some may suffer if he succeeds, but he won the election and he deserves an opportunity to show us what he can accomplish.
    I will support him when I agree with him, and I will speak out against him when I don’t. But I will continue to believe in the American system of government, flawed as it may be, and will continue to participate to the best of my ability. Because if I don’t, if I abdicate my responsibilities as a citizen, I give up the right to speak up and complain. Change is coming and I hope it surprises me. I hope our nation and our people are better off in four years than they are today. Good luck, Mr. Trump.
  23. Carlos Hazday

    Shackles

    By Carlos Hazday,

    Music's always been important to me. Even though I'm as tone deaf as you can get. While everyone's trying to figure out what a certain candidate for public office meant when he said the shackles had been removed, this is the first thing that came to my mind:
     

     
    The Victore Calderon remix in his E=VC2 album is even better!
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