Carlos Hazday

Now that I fixed my screwing things up. I can post the comment I meant to do first thing. To anyone reading this blog: Which character (s) would you like to meet? Don't be shy...

It’s that time again, folks. We’re running dangerously low on material for future issues, and I need your help. Think of something you’d like to ask any GA author and send me their name and the question. I’ll take it from there. Privately, I answer most generic questions sent in. This one was tough. Is it wrong I’d like to meet one of my own? Anyway, I found the question and the responses of the authors I pose it to fascinating. ◊◊◊◊◊ Is there a character you read about in a story on GA that you would like to meet? Get to know better? Take out to lunch? Who is it and why? ◊◊◊◊◊ @comicfan Okay, I'm not sure who asked this but they enjoy making my life hard. I read a lot of stories on here and couldn't pick just one. So I'm having a brunch to invite three of my many favorites. First is Alexander Wellberg from Mistletoe and Handgrenades by KC Grim. Alex is just a sweet man whose life is turned upside down. I want to know what he fought with his grandfather about and how he is making out with Brice. He lost millions and is starting over. I want to know how the house was when he was finished with the repairs.I am nosey and he has the answers. Next up is Peter Gregory from Second Shot by Andrew Q Gordon. I love Peter's determination. He is so down to earth and seems to have so much common sense. Would enjoy just making him a friend and maybe learning martial arts from him. One way to get in shape. Finally, Skylar from Twice the Night Before Christmas by Aditus. I love a character that turns the expected on its head. He is so sick and as a vampire he can't drink blood. How does that even work? Skylar is sassy and determined to live his life, or is it his afterlife, the way he wants to. He is the type of man who sees things differently. I would love finding out his take on werewolves, elves, and the likes. So a nice brunch, coffee, tea, and plenty of conversation. Those are my choices today. In a month that might be completely different. ◊◊◊◊◊ @Graeme It all depends on whether I'm meeting them as myself or as another fictional character. Most of the characters I love are much younger than me, and I'd feel weird and out of place meeting them. So, assuming I'd be meeting them as myself, I'd pass. It just wouldn't feel right to meet them. If I can meet them as a character in the story, then there's way too many to mention. I often imagine myself as a side character in stories, interacting with the protagonist(s) and helping them out. Having said that, there's one character I'd like to meet as I am. That's the bartender in chapter 1 of Dabeagle's You Don't Know Me. When it's time for me to move on, I'd like to meet him and see if he'll give me a second chance, too... I'd like to see what my life could've been like if I had lived as an openly gay man. ◊◊◊◊◊ @Myr If I could meet a character I've read about in a story on GA, I think it would have to be Dalen Ashkevron in dkstories' Tests of Blood. It is a FanFiction story of Mercedes Lackey that is pretty unique. It takes place within the lore of the world, but much further forward than any story Mercedes Lackey has published thus far (including her yearly Anthologies. ie. official FanFiction). I find Dalen to be a very interesting person, in that he has power but he's conflicted by his family history and the fear of it repeating. Underlying it all is the steel nerve to drive what is right. And he's basically a magical engineer. It would be hugely interesting to me to see the magical steampunk sort of world he exists in too. How could you go wrong with a magical artificer making a locomotive? ◊◊◊◊◊ @Krista I would choose, Aaron Keslin from Desert Dropping. Singularly he was the character that brought me to Gay Authors. I would like to meet him later in life, after he moved on from High School to see how he developed into a young adult. He had an interesting character arc. He was a bully, but one that had demons that made him mean, to the point where it was slightly irredeemable for their ages. He also had tender and romantic moments that kept you guessing and interested. It brought him to life and I would be curious to see if he still had that spark that made him interesting. ◊◊◊◊◊ @Mann Ramblings A few years ago, Cia wrote a series across a set of anthologies called Maze for Three, and I was kind of fixated on her alien shifter, Moshe. He was big, powerful, and kind hearted in a way I'd always appreciated. I guess I've always had a not-so-soft spot for honorable beast-men in sci-fi and fantasy. (I may have even written about one...) So, to be honest, I wouldn't have wanted to take him out just for coffee. (nudge, nudge, wink, wink...) ◊◊◊◊◊ @Renee Stevens Just one? Argh! You don't make this easy on me. I don't get to read on site as much as I'd like to, but there are still a few characters that really stand out in my mind. I'll be honest in that as soon as I read the question, my mind screamed Davis Retic (also known as Dav) from Cia's story Hypnotic. I personally love the depth that Cia put into the character. There are so many dimensions to him that I'd love to learn more about him. To most, he comes across as nothing more than a very dangerous Carthera, but the more we learn about him, we learn that, while his reputation is definitely deserved in some aspects, there is so much more to him. He was fascinating to me and he has stuck in my mind since the first time I ever read Hypnotic. Receiving this question actually made me go back and read my two favorite Carthera stories, and then I questioned my answer. Why? Because I'd also love to meet Bashta, from Cia's other Carthera story, Two of a Kind. I loved Bashta from the start of the story and just kept wanting to learn more about him. Geez, who am I kidding. I'd love to meet the majority of the Carthera. They are fascinating and I'd love to hear lots of stories about them! These are by no means the only characters that I've loved, but they are the ones who stand out immediately in my mind. ◊◊◊◊◊ @Valkyrie There are several I can think of, but I'd have to say Jonah from @aditus' Red Running Shoes tops the list. There's something endearing about him, despite his penchant for running when things get tough. His quirks and spontaneity would keep things interesting, and he seems like he'd be a loyal friend. I'd love to sit down over some lunch or a cup of coffee and talk about life, dragons, or whatever else strikes our fancy. My other choice would be Ben from @Cole Matthews's stories. When I edited So Weeps the Willow, I frequently commented "I adore Ben!" I also threatened Cole with torches and pitchforks if anything happened to him. Ben seems like a down-to-earth, friendly guy who would be fun to hang out and chat with. ◊◊◊◊◊ That’s it for this month. Remember if there are no questions, there’s no blog. Come on, y’all, I’m begging here. EDIT NOTE- My apologies to @Valkyrie for leaving her off the blog. She answered the question before anyone else, and I screwed up. Sorry, Val.

Either that or the Mesiah...

Wes is mine! He followed me to GA so I claim him. I'm willing to lend him out...😉

Has he been dead for three days?

Suspicious little shit, ain't you? lol

I'm part of the legion of Rob's fans. His characters are vivid and the stories flow so smoothly they;re perfect for binge reading. Yesterday, while trying to find something to read, I settled on Timber Pack Chronicles. As Cia said, it's comfort reading. It's queued upon my tablet already, so I'll be ready for the end of the month. Highly, highly recommend it.

Motivation has been lacking. I HAVE to write two short stories before I tackle another CJ-verse one, but every time I try to work on one of those, I put down a few words and lose focus. However, I'm still coming up with ideas and researching for future ones.

Following his underwear modeling stint, Minsky had issues with alcohol again. Since then, he's sobered up, married, and gained a ton of weight. My favorite tattoo of his is just above his groin and reads Don't Laugh. Funny thing is, based on the naked selfies floating around the internet, there's nothing to laugh about when it comes to his equipment. As I mentioned in my response to a previous comment, Brad's young and may change his mind about his grandparents. However, some people find it harder to forgive those who trespass against them. Holding a grudge for years is something I've been guilty of myself.

Hopefully, one day soon, Brad and Cristina will be together long enough to make Carolina some siblings.

Last year, as part of my research for Ranger, I attended a sporting competition with disable military personnel from various countires. If the guys in the calendar are anything like the Dutch men I met, prepare yourself to drool.

Silver lining... The lack of traffic makes riding a motorcycle in the city a pleasure. Went to Miami this morning and rode back not wearing a helmet. Instead of gasoline fumes, I actually smelled clean air and flowers! That usually happens on back roads, not on the interstate. All of a sudden, I95's a pleasure instead of a headache.

What's his name? Is he hot? Can I order one through the mail?

Thanks for the plug last week, Steve. I received one great question and the names of five authors to forward it to. That takes us through next mionth, but I can always use more. Come on, folks, keep them coming.

Thanks, Jay. My goal's always to entertain myself and my readers. I'm glad I can capture someone's attention and provide them a respite from the daily grind. Or the daily boredom at this time.

Not sure a 24 yo has the same patience and forgiving heart Mandela did. Brad's shown growth and maturity, but I didn't feel he was ready to let go of his grudge. Maybe one day.

Thanks, bud. Two more to go.

Paddy was always the more sensitive one; it felt right for him to try and reconnect with his grandparents. It would be subtle, but I'd expect him to keep working on his brother. As for the gay bubble, a long time ago I mentioned when I created the Elite, I made them all gay men. With the Squad, I wanted a gay/straight mix because I see the younger generations interact more freely regardless of orientation. That's based on what I've seen in my nieces and nephews. I live in a gay bubble, and I'm not sure Phil or Riley would do the same at this point in their lives. Particularly since they're in the NFL, the ultimate in macho fraternities.

Good to hear. Since her postings are not regular and I tend to forget what I've read, I'm waiting for more chapters to be revised before I tackle it again.

They take place centuries before what I've already posted, so it'll be all new characters. The first two take place about 500 BCE and the third one around the time of Europeans settling in the Americas.

Thank you! Did you notice you're not the only one who thinks he needs to get over his dislike of his grandparents? I didn't think it was time for him to deal with that issue yet, but maybe sometime in the foreseeable future.

Stagnant characters don't do much for me. I like to see growth. Sometimes it takes a death or rehab to wake people up. War and losing his legs did it for Brad.

I hope this chapter also gave us a glimpse of how Patrick's turning out. I hope I live long enough to give him his own story.

Most definitely! Explosions, the first installment in the Leaving Atlantis trilogy, is my entry for GA's Spring Anthology. I'm working on the second one, eyeing the Fall Anthology for publishing.

@Dayne Mora is revising Cory & Efrain at the moment. Maybe one day I can borrow them again. I think Cory could handle CJ not being a cat person. LOL