Jump to content

wildone

Site Administrator
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    10,379

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by wildone

  1. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Dec. 12 - Dec. 18)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    So Steve, why are you blasting 80's hair band music so early on a Sunday morning? 
    Well, technically you have only 5 days left for buying your Christmas Presents (including mine) before the day the big fat jolly guy comes around 🎅 
    That brings up another topic...

    That is right, our next weekly update will be on Boxing Day, if your not sure what that is ask a friendly neighbourhood Canadian or Brit  
     
    On behalf of all the staff here at Gay Authors, we all want to wish you the very merriest of Christmases and hope that you get to celebrate in a way that makes you happy. If you are not a fan of Christmas or an observer, just be aware that all of us are wishing you all the Best as well! That has to be worth something  
    I'm sure we will have lots of Merry Christmas posts in the lounge coming up, so this is just one more and represents the hopes, feelings, and wishes of the entire team here at GA.
    Now as we get closer to Christmas, we did have a slower week at the GA News Blog. Let's check in with all that happened.
    Monday, @spike382 on behalf of the site Review Team had a great review of a story here at GA:
    Then we had the all new Prompt Team on Friday bring us a few more challenges with two more interesting prompts:
    Comicality was in with another great article to wrap the week up:
    Goals, how did we do on goals?

    But let's not forget the Word's of the Day!
    bricolage, stagflation, anodyne, distaff, consigliere, ad lib, omnibus
     
    Contests - 
    Newsletter Genre Challenge - Stories Due January 30, 2022
    Check out this great challenge here.
     
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 or @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions**
     
    Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M. 
     
    And here is the look at the past weeks postings on our promoted authors!
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    The Brilliant Boy Billionaire by Altimexis
    The Kandric Saga by Kyle Aarons
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    CDMX by Carlos Hazday
    GFD: Fanboys by Comicality
    Our Christmas Songbook by Valkyrie
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Poetry by AC Benus
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Prose by AC Benus
    tim's Bits and Pieces by Mikiesboy
    Promising Updates:
    Bearing Gifts by northie **Complete**
    Never Too Late To Believe by northie
     
    Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
  2. wildone
    Well it looks like our review team have come up with another great story to check out. Make sure you comment below! Thank you @spike382
     
    The Lad From Castlebay Down
    by James Matthews
    Reviewer: spike382
    Status: Complete
    Word Count: 89,419
    For my review I decided to read a story by an author whose work I was unfamiliar with.  So, this is my first foray into the writing of James Matthews.  
    In the Lad From Castlebay Down, we meet a young man named Corbin, who, while having an artistic drive with a motivation to make something of his life, is extremely unhappy and extremely confused. There’s good reason for all of this as he is dealing a much less than ideal home life.  He has an abusive father, and a mother, who while caring, still looks the other way. He also has a girlfriend named Leah, they’ve been together for two years, and yet, Corbin is unhappy in this relationship, and they cannot seem to connect with each other.  
    On top of all this, his father is uprooting the entire family and leaving their bustling town to live in the tiny seaside village of Castlebay Down. His father has decided, after watching a few videos online, that he will start a career trawling for fish. The move shakes up the entire family in more ways than one, and it starts soon after Corbin meets the titular “Lad,” a friendly local named Troy.
    This was a very fast-moving story.  It packs a whole lot of events into a fairly short amount of time. I think if I expounded upon that much more, I’d be giving away spoilers. I’ll just say, this is a fairly serious story, dealing with some pretty weighty subject matter, and it does it all in just 17 chapters. There’s some pretty interesting twists and turns, and overall Corbin has a rather interesting and fulfilling journey. It’s a bit of romance, coming-of-age, and family drama all rolled into one.  
    Overall, this is a great entry by James Matthews and if you haven’t had a chance to read his work before, I highly recommend this.  
    Category: Fiction  Genres: General Fiction, Romance  Sub-genres: Drama, General Romance  Tags: young adult, boat, coming of age, serious, love, friendship  Rating: Mature
  3. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Dec. 5 - Dec. 11)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Well hopefully you all have calmed down after me getting a lot of our pet peeves with Christmas romance movies off of our chests  
    This week, let's turn things right upside down 🙃
    Shall we check our Story Goals, see how we are doing 11 days into December?

    How about the Words of the Day? Actually Aditus kind of laid down a challenge with the Words of the Day.
    Sandbag, Pestilence, Gyre, Poikilotherm, Tu quoque, Occident, Hagiography
    Our week was finished up with another great addition of Writing Tips:
    Now I did mention Aditus throwing down a challenge, it is in this weeks Prompts:
    Our whole week at the GA Blog was started with the announcement of our Can't Stop Reading feature for December:
     
    Contests - 
    Newsletter Genre Challenge - Stories Due January 30, 2022
    Check out this great challenge here.
     
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 or @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions**
     
    Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M. 
     
    And here is the look at the past weeks postings on our promoted authors!
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    The Brilliant Boy Billionaire by Altimexis
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    CDMX by Carlos Hazday
    GA Stallions by Carlos Hazday **Complete**
    GFD 12: Blood Ties by Comicality; Book 12 of Gone From Daylight
    Left Without Words by Comicality
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Poetry by AC Benus
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Prose by AC Benus
    Promising Updates:
    Never Too Late To Believe by northie
    Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
  4. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Nov. 28 - Dec. 4)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Okay, let me put my grinch hat on  
    Has anyone got sick of the shall we call them 'Lifetime' Christmas movies?  I mean, they are all basically the same story, just different actors and slightly different stories. But there is always a woman, who has a male adversary at the beginning. The scheming and cajoling and finally they admit they are in love with each other and everything survives what was in peril at the start of the movie.  The bakery, the Christmas tree farm, shall I go on? Okay, call me out. I have had absolutely nothing else on and may or may not have seen a few myself  The thing is they are on every channel and since 'merican Thanksgiving, they are on all the time!!
    Well you knew it was coming, you had to! I was driving and listening to the radio yesterday and they were talking about new movies out this weekend. This weekend Netflix released a movie called Single Bells. Yep, it is your gay equivalent 'Lifetime' Christmas movie  If you want, watch it and come back to the blog and share your opinions.
    Make sure you read the rest of the Wrap Up before you run to log into Netflix  
    Monday was the day we wrapped up the November CSR with the Discussion Day. Did you see Dabeagle's interview?
    On Wednesday, did you get astone's December edition of Ask An Author? It was well worth the read.
    Friday was the return of our all new Prompt Team and they gave us a couple of festive prompts? I guess I should say I liked all the comments in the blog .

     
    Saturday was a return to our Article's Feature from Comicality:
    Now here are the Word's of the Day:
    Sensibility, Peremptory, Warp Speed, Fossick, Lucullan, Greenmail, Pickwickian
    Let's look how we finished off the month of November on our goals. It was a nice finish to the month!

    Upcoming Anthology - 
    2022 Anthology - All Previous Anthology Themes - (List can be found here) - Due October 31st, 2022 Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies
     
    Contests - 
    Newsletter Genre Challenge - Stories Due January 30, 2022
    Check out this great challenge here.
     
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 or @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions**
     
    Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M. 
     
    And here is the look at the past weeks postings on our promoted authors!
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    The Brilliant Boy Billionaire by Altimexis
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    CDMX by Carlos Hazday
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Poetry by AC Benus
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Prose by AC Benus
    Promising Updates:
    Never Too Late To Believe by northie
     
    Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
  5. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Nov. 21 - Nov. 27)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    So how are you feeling?  
    I asked one of my friends south of the border and they said fat and broke  I guess the fat from all the food and drinks on Thursday and the broke from Black Friday sales. Not even realizing it was Black Friday on Friday I called our local  iFly location and ended up getting the Black Friday Deal. Yes, I'm getting more for my money but I'm giving them a lot more of it. I hope my nephews and sister enjoy their time in there for Christmas presents. I hope none of them are regular visitors to GA , they would be able to read about their upcoming pressies!
    Shall we jump right into what happened this week at the GA Blog?  
    Bright and early on Monday morning, Steve was still in bed and somehow missed getting up the Review Team's great review . When we got it up, we decided it needed to be up Tuesday as well:
    Wednesday it was time for the big reveal from Renee on the Author Guess Who? Did you have an inkling on who it was? I didn't  Congrats to the author who stumped a lot of us  
    Thursday marked the end of our 2021 Anthology presentations, with a wrap up and thank you to everyone involved! This is all made possible by authors, the Anthology Support Team, and a big thank you to all the readers!
    So how about our goals? We have 2 days to close out the month. These numbers are looking pretty good!

    Oh, I just about forgot the Word's of the Day. Now that is a good way to get in the big guys naughty list 🎅
    Zeugma, Sturm und Drang, Barmecidal, Indigenous, Slapstick, Indissoluble, Superficies
     
    Upcoming Anthology - 
    2022 Anthology - All Previous Anthology Themes - (List can be found here) - Due October 31st, 2022 Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies
     
    Contests - 
    Newsletter Genre Challenge - Stories Due January 30, 2022
    Check out this great challenge here.
     
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 or @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions**
     
    Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M. 
     
    And here is the look at the past weeks postings on our promoted authors!
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    The Brilliant Boy Billionaire by Altimexis
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    CDMX by Carlos Hazday
    GFD: Children Of Sunset by Comicality; Book 0 of GFD: Children Of Sunset
    Larkspur: A Sidewinder Tale by Headstall **Complete**
    Seven Gratitudes by Parker Owens **Complete**
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Poetry by AC Benus
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Prose by AC Benus
    Promising Updates:
    Never Too Late To Believe by northie
    The Cockney Canuck by Dodger
     
    Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
  6. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Nov. 14 - Nov. 20)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Do any of my American friends like smoked turkey for Thanksgiving? I have it on pretty good authority that it might not be the most healthy food...for you
     

    I've been waiting a week to get that one out  I know! You can't stop laughing at it, just like me  !
    Anywho...
    Canada had our holiday over a month ago and My American Cousins are about to celebrate theirs over the whole next week  It seems that in some jobs, but not in all, this holiday becomes a 5 day weekend !  I imagine if you work ANYTHING to do with retail, then it is anything but a long weekend . Make sure to say thanks to a retail worker this week  
    So a lot is bad in our world these days and some might say getting worse, but let's put that all aside and leave it for the Pit. Let's answer one simple question this week. What are you most thankful for in the past year, or the upcoming year?
    I'll be honest, when my sister asked me this during 'nadian TG, I thought how my dad was able to slip away from us and no longer have to suffer the constant daily battles of trying to deal with his rapidly decreasing mental capacity. Some would say you're thankful for that? I would reply that even in the worse case scenario, there is always some great goodness that can and should be found.  He is much happier now.
    So go ahead, let me know what you are thankful for this year. You don't need to be 'merican to play along. It is always a good thing for everyone to think about .
     
    Looking back at the week we had here at the GA Blog, we had what was a cram packed week of 3 different blogs.
    Monday had us looking at a whole new Classic Author Feature:
    Wednesday, Cia was back again with the Classic Author Excerpt:
    Then on Thursday, we had our final installment of the 2021 Fall Anthology. There is another great list of stories that are meant to be read!
    Myr, although he had a feisty week in misrepresenting me in the Word of the Day, he reported in daily:
    Proscribe, Opprobrium, Inchoate, Usurp, Cracker-Barrel, Malleable, Ominous
    We have just over one week left in our goals for November, shall we try to push them over the top for the month?  

    Upcoming Anthology - 
    2022 Anthology - All Previous Anthology Themes - (List can be found here) - Due October 31st, 2022 Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies
     
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 or @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions**
     
    Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M. 
     
    And here is the look at the past weeks postings on our promoted authors!
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    Stuff People Do by Ronyx **Complete**
    The Brilliant Boy Billionaire by Altimexis
    Signature Updates:
    A Plethora of Prompts by Valkyrie
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Circle of Life by Aditus **Anthology Entry**
    Larkspur: A Sidewinder Tale by Headstall
    Northern Exposure by Mark Arbour; Book 8 of Bridgemont
    On Fire by Cia
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Poetry by AC Benus
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Prose by AC Benus
    The Man with Butterscotch Hair by Cole Matthews **Anthology Entry**
    Promising Updates:
    Never Too Late To Believe by northie
    Wayne's Poems by Wayne Gray
     
    Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
  7. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Nov. 7 - Nov. 13)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Is it this upcoming week or is it the week after that our American cousins have their Thanksgiving ? Well I looked at my 'merican calendar and see it is the week after, so I will stop talking about that this week or I will have nothing to talk about next week  You all should be so lucky!
    We'll skip over and talk about the next holiday, Christmas . Have you thought about my pressies yet? I have one picked out for everyone of you, lol. But really, with all the news about ports being jammed and store shelves being empty, have you started or even finished your holiday shopping yet? In my real life job, I deal with logistics and I have containers that were supposed to be here the last week of August, early September and they still haven't arrived . I might have to go around my sister this year to get gift ideas direct from my nephews this year!
    Shall we move onto the week in review of the GA Blog?
    We started off all Renee week with her presenting the super duper Review Team's latest entry:
    Wednesday Renee was back again with an all new, long missed Author Guess Who! Go ahead, check it out and take a guess  I'm stumped  
    Thursday, Renee finished off our broadcasting week with announcing the second round of the Fall Anthology:
    Myr checked in daily with the list of Words of the Day:
    Welter, Onomatopoeia, Inimical, Peccadillo, Abyssal, Fey, Malapert
    We are nearly half the way through the month. Let's check the November Goals. Yay Blue! Boo red.

    Upcoming Anthology - 
    2022 Anthology - All Previous Anthology Themes - (List can be found here) - Due October 31st, 2022 Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies
     
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 or @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions**
     
    Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M. 
     
    And here is the look at the past weeks postings on our promoted authors!
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    Hiking Clifty Falls with Cliff by Altimexis **Anthology Entry** 
    Stuff People Do by Ronyx
    The Brilliant Boy Billionaire by Altimexis
    A Friendship Lost and Found by Bill W **Anthology Entry** 
    Signature Updates:
    A Beautiful Path by Valkyrie **Anthology Entry** 
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Larkspur: A Sidewinder Tale by Headstall
    Lyrical Laments by Headstall
    My Only Escape by Comicality
    Shelter by Comicality; Book 1 of Shelter
    Switchbacks on the Trail by Parker Owens **Anthology Entry** 
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Poetry by AC Benus
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Prose by AC Benus
    Promising Updates:
    Never Too Late To Believe by northie
    Story Prompts/Ideas by Wayne Gray
     
    Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
  8. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Oct. 31 - Nov. 6)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Those of you that still have or always have had daylight savings time, today is the day that it is okay to be late to work  So if you showed up for your 9:00 AM shift at 9:15 but forgot to set your clocks back, you are 45 minutes early  Let's just ignore the fact that most people use their phone for their alarm and phones automatically update on their own .
    So Thursday was the first of many big weeks here at GA! Did you get excited about the start of releasing of the Fall 2021  Anthologies on Thursday? There is now ample reading to keep you busy and all new stories at that!
    Let's look back at the rest of the week and see what happened at the GA Blog.
    On Monday, Cia brought us a new CSR Story to read over the next month! I've read it, I loved it, really looking forward to the Author Discussion Day  
    Wednesday was kind of a sad day  Aaron ran out of questions to ask our authors for AAA. Renee did up a blog to show how easy it is. Doesn't matter if you are a long term term member, a new member, a vocal member or a shy member, you all can submit 3 questions anonymously to Aaron. He will then be like the Cookie Monster and hunt down a cookie, or maybe an author , and hopefully get your answers and feature them on AAA. Remember, you are anonymous!
    **Legal Disclaimer - Aaron has not nibbled on an author like a cookie... in a while**
    Thursday was the first of four weeks of something that is getting more and more popular every time we publish. Make sure you check out all of the first releases of the 2021 Fall Anthology! A huge thank you to Authors, Editors, Banner designers and to all the readers as well. You all are making this a great success!
    Well that was the week in a nutshell. But we did have our daily Words of the Week:
    Wraith, Scour, Pertain, Bumptious, Duplicity, Bowdlerize, Gritty
    Since we finished off the month of October, here is how we did on our goals. Pretty good October! Let's continue on into November!!

    , 
    Upcoming Anthology - 
    2022 Anthology - All Previous Anthology Themes - (List can be found here) - Due October 31st, 2022 Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies
     
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 or @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions**
     
    Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M. 
     
    And here is the look at the past weeks postings on our promoted authors!
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    Cliff's Pendant by Altimexis **Anthology Entry** **Complete**
    Ouroboros, Inc. by Dabeagle **Complete**
    Precious Memories by Bill W **Anthology Entry** **Complete**
    Solutions by Bill W **Anthology Entry** **Complete**
    Stuff People Do by Ronyx
    The Brilliant Boy Billionaire by Altimexis
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Cozy Contemplations by Headstall
    Larkspur: A Sidewinder Tale by Headstall
    On Fire by Cia
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Poetry by AC Benus
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Prose by AC Benus
    Promising Updates:
    Never Too Late To Believe by northie
     
    Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
     
  9. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Oct. 24 - Oct. 30)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Boo
    Did I scare you  ?
    If not, send me a PM and I'll send you a picture of me getting out of bed first thing in the morning. I will also include a number to call for free counselling .
    So I would be remiss if I did not mention that if you are reading this Saturday night or Sunday, you still have time to get an Anthology in. Just click on the bright orange banner or links on the Forums page for more information  
    Now before we get this wrap up done as some of us prepare to get ready for All Hallows Eve, and the cities and towns get taken over by Zombies, Superhero's, Fairy Tale Princesses, etc. I want to pass on my sincere thanks to Cia and Renee for covering the past two weekends for me. I was out in Vancouver for some final family business and it is nice to know that you have a team that is there to help you  
    On Monday, there was a great discussion for the Can't Stop Reading Club Discussion Day:
    We had a bit of a break as we were all getting ready to launch a brand new version of Prompts!! Valkyrie, Cole Matthews and Aditus all graciously stepped forward to take on our weekly prompts. With some new blood, and some memories of the past, lets see if the prompts can be a weekly event everyone looks forward to. One or two challenges may have been laid down already .
     
    Saturday was a return of Comicality with another great article. 
    Did you check out the Words of the Day brought to you by our omnipotent leader  
    Dubious, Toothsome, Obstreperous, Meme, Luminary, Detoxify, Preeminent
    Lastly, how did we do on the Month of October for our goals? No red, so great job everyone ⭐

     
    Upcoming Anthology - I will update this to the next one, next week
    2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 1 - A Winding Path - Due October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 2- An Unconventional Gift - Due October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Pot Luck Themes - Due October 31st, 2021  
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 or @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions**
    Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M. 
     
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    Día de los Muertos by Altimexis **Complete**
    I Got You by Dabeagle **Complete**
    Stuff People Do by Ronyx
    The Brilliant Boy Billionaire by Altimexis
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Headstall's Reflections by Headstall
    Larkspur: A Sidewinder Tale by Headstall
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Poetry by AC Benus
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Prose by AC Benus
    Promising Updates:
    Never Too Late To Believe by northie
     
    Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
  10. wildone

    Wayne's Prompts #7

    By wildone,


    Prompts
    Well this is it  Today will be the end of Wayne's Prompts. We are discussing to see how we want to continue forward with this blog, and would like to hear any ideas you may have. Reach out to any staff member and we will take a look  
    So for the final prompts, we received this late addition by @Valkyrie! One she partook on was Prompt #316 from @comicfan. To even things out, we will also throw in prompt 317 as well. You can announce your prompt response for #316 and #317 by clicking on the number. 
    Happy writing!!
     
    Prompt 316 – Creative
    Tag – Picture
    Create a story using the following image as an inspiration.

     
    Prompt 317 – Creative
    Tag – The Bunny
    Holidays have never interested you and most of the time you forget when they are. This morning you had to be up before dawn for a marathon you were running. As you got outside you spotted a pure white bunny in a vest with a huge basket over one of his paws. What do you do?
    So how about everyone take a stab at the last of Wayne's Prompts  
  11. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Oct. 3 - Oct. 9)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Bulletin Bulletin Bulletin
    Bulletin Bulletin Bulletin
    Bulletin Bulletin Bulletin
     
    Just in case it has slipped your mind, you only have until October 31st to get your Anthology into the Review Team. Make sure you see the blurb below for more details.
     
    Well, we are having our municipal election on the 18th of this month in my little city and ever other town, hamlet, village, etc. in the province. Provincially we have been given a few shall we say 'political referendums' to vote on, which I won't get into here  Don't want to have to report myself to the Site Moderation Team .
    Anywho, the one question I thought I would ask and it is I believe a North America question, and even some places don't practice it here either, is whether to keep Daylight Savings Time or not. This is where we turn our clocks back an hour in the late fall and turn them ahead in the spring an hour. I do believe that it was originally done for farmers, to maximize the amount of daylight that they would have to be outstanding in their field  (that was a joke in case you missed it ). Well it seems to be a divisive issue. Some people say the springing back and forward mucks up their sleep for weeks and their attentiveness as well. Others, including doctors says our bodies natural circadian rhythm  will get all mucked up with daylight later in the day. So curious how you feel about it without making it political? If you are in a region that has it, do you want to get rid of it, or if you never have had it, does it really matter to you? I guess the big thing is the further north you go, and for my city where it is, in December the sun will come up at 8:30 on MST, and not until 9:30 AM if we stay on MDT. Like I said, curious  
     
    Well let's get the party started and see what we have had as far as blogs this week. Oh, by the way there is going to be a mystery the next two Weekly Wrap Ups here. Make sure to tune into the GA Blogs to find out what will happen the next two weeks  
    Myr started the week off with a new Word of the Day for Sunday:
    Monday, Cia dropped by with an all new Can't Stop Reading story to feature:
    Cue up Myr:
    Then on Tuesday, we got a new WOTD:
    Wednesday was the day that Aaron joined us with one of the most favourite blogs here, Ask An Author 3.0:
    Followed up by Myr on the same day:
    Thursday was a day for Myr by himself again :
    And again on Friday:
    Comicality was back on Saturday with a new article:
    And last but not least, Saturday's Word of the Day was:
    Now are we off to a good start on our October Goals?
     
     
    Upcoming Anthology
    2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 1 - A Winding Path - Due October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 2- An Unconventional Gift - Due October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Pot Luck Themes - Due October 31st, 2021   
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 or @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions**
    Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M. 
     
    Now, let's look at new stories and chapters posted this week!
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    Bloom by Dabeagle
    Stuff People Do by Ronyx
    The Brilliant Boy Billionaire by Altimexis
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Larkspur: A Sidewinder Tale by Headstall
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Poetry by AC Benus
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Prose by AC Benus
    Promising Updates:
    Never Too Late To Believe by northie
    The Reluctant Consort by lilansui **Complete**
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
  12. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Sept. 26 - Oct. 2)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Well a big hug and thank you to Cia last week for doing the wrap up
    Before I forget, you have just under a month now to get your Anthologies in!! 
    Last week I was personally out of town, sitting lakeside in a cabin, in the mountains, hiding out on my birthday  Needless to say I never got any of your pressies for that day from all of you . I'm just blaming it on the mailman and have moved on  
    So is everybody getting ready for Thanksgiving?  Oh wait, the 'mericans in the room have the second Thanksgiving after the 'nadians. Also I don't think the others even have a Thanksgiving So what is your next national holiday, let me know as I'm curious  
    Now shall we look back at the GA news blog from the past week? I think we shall  
    Sunday, Myr started off the Word of the Day without deferring it to another day:
    Monday, Cia was in with the September CSR Discussion Day interview:
    Also on Monday, Myr by his own volition had posted another word of the day:
    Tuesday he was back again to colligate our members to read the word of the day:
    On Wednesday, he went all cerebral on us:
    Thursday had Renee coming into the GA Blog and brought us a Anthology Entry Revisted:
    And if that wasn't enough , Myr was telling us about his pulchritude! Did I get his one right?  
    Friday found Myr showing us again the sequacious nature of him to the great site that GA is!!!
    Finally on Saturday, for the first time in a while, it was really great to see another article by Comicality published:
    And to finish off the week with the Word Of the Day, Myr told us a side effect of reading my blogs :
    We did finish up the month of September. Did we get out of the red on all the categories? Looks like we missed on one :

    Upcoming Anthology
    2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 1 - A Winding Path - Due October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 2- An Unconventional Gift - Due October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Pot Luck Themes - Due October 31st, 2021  
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 or @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions**
    Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M. 
     
    Now, let's look at new stories and chapters posted this week!
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    Stuff People Do by Ronyx
    The Brilliant Boy Billionaire by Altimexis
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens **Complete**
    GFD: Children Of Sunset by Comicality; Book 0 of GFD: Children Of Sunset
    Larkspur: A Sidewinder Tale by Headstall
    Left Without Words by Comicality
    On The Outside by Comicality
    Taryn's Song by Comicality; Book 1 of Gone From Daylight Spin-offs
    The Best Year by Krista
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Poetry by AC Benus
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Prose by AC Benus
    tim's Bits and Pieces by Mikiesboy
    Translation Trashbin by AC Benus; Book 7 of Verse
    Promising Updates:
    Never Too Late To Believe by northie
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
     
  13. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Sept. 12 - Sept. 18)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Good Morning, day, evening, night or everything in between. We are a bit late today for the simple fact that I do not know what day it is anymore  I mean, I don't usually work on Saturdays and Sundays, but for some reason I didn't recognize yesterday was Saturday. I do think I know the reason why  In four days I will be older than dirt  I'm so old that I think I forgot to tell everyone ahead of time where to send my birthday presents. Oh wait, I guess I did .
    Let's jump right into things now!
    Sunday, did you check out the Word of the Day?
    You had to get up pretty early on a Monday morning to see when Myr posted this Word of the Day:
    Renee was in on Monday as well for her shift to bring all of us the Review Team's latest review:
    Jump to Tuesday, and we had yet again, another Word of the Day
    Onto Wednesday, and you all might be catching on, there was another Word of the Day  
    Renee returned on Thursday to bring us an Anthology Entry update and revisited one of the past:
    Four days down, two to goooooooo!!! Oops, three  
    Friday, it was time for a an all new edition of Wayne's Prompts. Don't forget if you have any other favourite prompts, send them to @Renee Stevensor @wildone.
    Well TGIF! Let's play WWTWOTD! What was the Word of the Day?
    Then it was a surprise on Saturday!!  Comicality was back with another great article: 
    But if you thought that was the end of our broadcasting week, you missed the last Word of the Day  
    Now let's see where we are on our Monthly Goals. We are now just over half way through the month:

    Anthologies
    2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 1 - A Winding Path - October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 2- An Unconventional Gift - October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Pot Luck Themes - October 31st, 2021   
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Ask an Author
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 or @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions** Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M. 
    Now, let's look at new stories and chapters posted this week!
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    Stuff People Do by Ronyx
    The Brilliant Boy Billionaire by Altimexis
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens
    Gap Year by Mark Arbour
    Larkspur: A Sidewinder Tale by Headstall
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Poetry by AC Benus
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Prose by AC Benus
    Promising Updates:
    The Cockney Canuck by Dodger
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
  14. wildone

    Wayne's Prompts #6

    By wildone,


    Prompts
    Well, well, well, we are back again this week with another one of a favourite prompt that Wayne presented to us. 
    Last week we looked at one of @Mikiesboy favourite prompts and it's partner. Here is what Prompt #500 brought us: https://gayauthors.org/story/mikiesboy/onlyprompts/5 Sorry I can't make a box like below .
     
    This week, lets look at a couple of prompts from @Headstall. One of his favourite prompts that he wrote a story for was Prompt #801. His submission to that one can be read here: 
     
    Now if didn't take the opportunity to check out Prompt #800 and Prompt #801, now is your chance!
     
    Prompt 800 - Creative
    Tag - The meal
    You figured a nice meal with a few friends would be a nice way to share the holiday. That quickly went from four to nearly forty people. What happened to your small meal and how will you deal with it?
     
    Prompt 801 - Creative
    Tag - First Line
    "You are what I'm most grateful for this year. "
     
    So give one or another a try this week! 
    Also, if you can think of another prompt that motivated you, email @Renee Stevens or @wildone and we can keep going with Wayne's Prompts.
     
  15. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Sept. 5 - Sept. 11)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    I'm giddy  
    My football team has been having a really, really bad year this year. If you are thinking of the CFL, then you got the right league. If you don't know what the CFL is, then there is no hope for you as a true football fan  But, I imagine the majority of you are saying something like why the hell does he talk about sports here! Not a question, but a statement . So they kind of lost on Labour Day against their arch rivals and the rematch was tonight. Needless to say the won, bringing their yearly record to 2-4. Like I said, not have a good year .
    So what gets you giddy? I think @Valkyrie is giddy as she told me she is getting to watch the Spruce Meadows Nations Cup this weekend. Although their isn't many nations, it is still nice to see some things getting back to normal, like show jumping. Horses that is 🐎! Wait, I'm talking sports again .
    On Monday, CIa was happy to tell us about a brand new Can't Stop Reading Feature. It is actually from an author that most of you know.
    Then we jumped onto Thursday, when said featured author was in to bring you another Anthology Entry Revisted:
    Well I'm going to do something different, I think both Cia and Renee have done them, but why don't I have the topic link rather than just a hidden link for all of Myr's Words of the Day:
    Goals, so where are we as we approach the middle of the month of September

    Anthologies
    2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 1 - A Winding Path - October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 2- An Unconventional Gift - October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Pot Luck Themes - October 31st, 2021   
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Ask an Author
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 or @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions** Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M. 
    Now, let's look at new stories and chapters posted this week!
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    Bloom by Dabeagle
    Stuff People Do by Ronyx
    The Brilliant Boy Billionaire by Altimexis
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens
    Gap Year by Mark Arbour
    GFD: Broken Wings by Comicality
    GFD: Sins Of The Father by Comicality
    Larkspur: A Sidewinder Tale by Headstall
    Left Without Words by Comicality
    Northern Exposure by Mark Arbour; Book 8 of Bridgemont
    The Best Year by Krista
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Poetry by AC Benus
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Prose by AC Benus
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
     
  16. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Aug.29 - Sept. 4)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Well this week wrapped up nicely  
    Before I get into the usual, I do need to talk to you all about a serious issue that has been brought to my attention this week. Usually you are given much more notice than 20 days, but with everything going on as well as where the wrap up falls this month, I'm late letting you know  
    You only have 20 or maybe only 19 days left to get my birthday presents!  As usual, I have to ask that you keep them under $5000.00 USD  They can be sent to me at Wildone, PO Box 96969 Stn Main, Calgary AB T1T T1T.  
    Well now that this PSA is out of the way, I'd like to say Happy Spring... to all my friends in the Southern Hemisphere.😎 To those of you north of the equator, Happy Autumn. Do you use the expression autumn or fall?  Our first few days were cold, windy, occasionally rainy. But compared to the hurricane that battered New Orleans and then made for some extreme weather up the Eastern States, it was absolutely nothing. If any of you, or family or friends live in those areas I hope you are all safe and healthy first and foremost
    Now back to what happened at the GA Blog this week.
    On Monday, it was Cia bringing us the CSR Discussion Day:
    Then on Wednesday was the first one in the month of September. I know some of you set your calendars to read it, but @astone2292 had a brand new author to interview for AAA:
    On Saturday, since a staff member who shall remain nameless , put up the Wayne's Prompts a day late:
    Did you check out the words this week? I found a few that at first glance you think you know what they should be, then you notice the slight change in spelling, and a HUGE change in definition 😮 Honestly, I didn't know one this week. 
    Phreaker, Archetype, Climometrics, Distemper, Frog-march, Asperse, Refulgence
    So how did we do on our August Story Goals? Let here is the results:

    Anthologies
    2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 1 - A Winding Path - October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 2- An Unconventional Gift - October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Pot Luck Themes - October 31st, 2021   
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Ask an Author
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 or @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions** Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M. 
    Now, let's look at new stories and chapters posted this week!
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    Bloom by Dabeagle
    Stuff People Do by Ronyx
    The Brilliant Boy Billionaire by Altimexis
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens
    Gap Year by Mark Arbour
    Larkspur: A Sidewinder Tale by Headstall
    Pride Month, and other Haibun by AC Benus; Book 13 of Verse
    The Best Year by Krista
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Poetry by AC Benus
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Prose by AC Benus
    Promising Updates:
    The Cockney Canuck by Dodger
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
     
  17. wildone

    Wayne's Prompts #5

    By wildone,


    Prompts
    (Oops, was supposed to post this last night  )
    It is the Friday on the start of a long weekend I think everywhere in North America  If you live elsewhere and have one as well, just remember you don't have to do a prompt response this weekend  Maybe let it digest for a bit and maybe something will happen over the weekend that will have you saying DAMN, that was a prompt suggestion. Then you can write your story. Unless it is being stuck in H E double hockey sticks or any other macabre settings  Unless you do hang out there  
    So last week we visited a repeat by @Ivor Slipper. This week we are going to turn our own GA Way Back Machine™, and see what was another favourite of @Mikiesboy. This time he suggested Prompt #500 and I'll throw in #501 for good measure. 
    If you want to see the responses to these you can easily click on these links . 500 had seven responses and 501 had two takers.
     
     
    Prompt 500 -Creative
    Tag - First Line
    “What took you so long?”
     
    Prompt 501 – Creative
    Tag – The Surprise
    You have a major birthday coming up and you don’t want to celebrate. However, every day leading up to your birthday you have found a little surprise at your job. What were the surprises and who was giving them to you?
     
    So hopefully one of these inspire you a tiny weeny little bit to get some pen to paper. Does anyone do that anymore?
     
  18. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Aug. 22 - Aug. 28)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    So it is nearly midnight in my time zone and I'm hungry  The thing is I'm trying to lose weight and carbs are my enemy. Don't ask me what a calorie is, but I can tell you about carbs since you should be counting them with certain types of diabetes. But the thing is, what snacking food is there that has little to no carbs? Most snack food are full of the nasty little things  Popcorn, chips, crackers, cookies, even a lot of drinks have a lot of carbs. No suggestions of coffee or tea black please! I don't touch them no matter what is in them. 
    What snack foods do you have that might pique my curiosity? Like I could have 1 cup of popcorn and it would barely be any carbs, but seriously who can only eat one cup of popcorn?  Make your suggestions to me, please, pretty please. Or am I just better to just skip it all together 😢 
    Enough about my snaking habits and why don't we digest what happened here at the GA blog this week. Well, it might have been on a diet as well  
    On Monday, Renee decided to turn the Featured Story blog over to you! She solicited everyone to recommend their favourite story (or five  ) and we kept getting them in all week. Make sure you check them out, might find your new favourite!
    Then our second feature of the week was another round of Wayne's Prompts:
    Melee, Celebrity, Quid Pro Quo, Sub rosa, Billingsgate, Sibyl, Delectable
    Anthologies
    2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 1 - A Winding Path - October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 2- An Unconventional Gift - October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Pot Luck Themes - October 31st, 2021   
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Ask an Author
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 or @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions** Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M. 
    Now, let's look at new stories and chapters posted this week!
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    Bloom by Dabeagle
    Stuff People Do by Ronyx
    The Brilliant Boy Billionaire by Altimexis
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens
    Gap Year by Mark Arbour
    Larkspur: A Sidewinder Tale by Headstall
    On Fire by Cia
    The Best Year by Krista
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Poetry by AC Benus
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Prose by AC Benus
    Promising Updates:
    Tales from the Refuge by Wayne Gray
    The Reluctant Consort by lilansui **Complete**
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
  19. wildone

    Wayne's Prompts #4

    By wildone,


    Prompts
    Good Day All  
    Apologies for last weeks miss on getting up a couple more of your favorite prompts from our guru, Wayne. Two weeks ago we had featured @Valkyrie's prompts.
    Next up, we have featured them recently, but @Ivor Slipper took advantage and wrote a piece using Prompt 892. And for you prompt enjoyment, we have added in Prompt 893 as well. @astone2292 also did a response as well!
    Prompt 892 - Creative 
    Tag - List of Words
    Use the following words in a story - a storm, a broken fence, a scared dog, a flash light, and an old typewriter. 
    Prompt 893 - Creative
    Tag - Viral Video
    Most people who make it big on Tik Tok or YouTube work hard to become viral. Unfortunately your video went viral for all the wrong reasons with two and a half million views. What is your video about?
    Last but not least, we are starting to run low on the favourite prompts. If you have any more that tickled your fancy, let us know. If you are shy, don't hesitate to PM either Renee Stevens or Wildone and we will git to it  
  20. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Aug. 8 - Apr. 14)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Hey all, have you ever used the expression I'll be back in jiffy, or hold on for a jiffy? If you have, you are a bold faced liar . How dare you . So I was going through a page of absolutely useless trivia and some are interesting. It turns out that a jiffy is an actual measurement of time, based on the amount of time it takes light to travel one centimeter in a vacuum  That is a trillioneth of a second!! This was defined by Gilbert Newton Lewis in the 18/19th century. Now why am I telling you this? Well if you want to write a story and the one character is a fast shooter, you could say, "He only took a jiffy."  If you are a survivor of this condition, please don't take offense to the reference .
    Okay, maybe don't use the reference  
    So what happened this week? Well I'll tell you what happened this week if you read on.
    Monday, Renee turned the blog over to our Review Team to run a review that they did not too long ago. But in honour of Wayne they ran it again  
    Thursday was time for another reminder of the upcoming Anthology Themes and due dates. Also, Renee when back to one of the greatest of all time Anthologies to be revisited . As a side note, does anyone see these blogs for the Anthology?  
    Friday was a return to the favourite prompts that Wayne had posted over the years. @Valkyrie shared her favourite this week:
    Well, I had Myr's Words of the Day all typed out and linked, but they all seem to be gone  I must have pasted something over them . Well here I go again!
    Eternize, Allusion, Obtuse, Metronome, Diaphanous, Debouch, Coquetry
    Shall we see how we are doing half way though the month of August on our goals?

     
     
    Anthologies
    2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 1 - A Winding Path - October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 2- An Unconventional Gift - October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Pot Luck Themes - October 31st, 2021   
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Ask an Author
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 or @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions** Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M. ** I know we had a volunteer step up for the upcoming week review, but if there is anyone willing to help our Review Team out over the summer, it would be much appreciated!! **
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    Bloom by Dabeagle
    Stuff People Do by Ronyx
    The Brilliant Boy Billionaire by Altimexis
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens
    Gap Year by Mark Arbour
    Larkspur: A Sidewinder Tale by Headstall
    Northern Exposure by Mark Arbour; Book 8 of Bridgemont
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Prose by AC Benus
    Waiting Outside The Lines by Comicality
    Promising Updates:
    Lemonade and Kisses Promising Forever by lilansui **Complete**
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
  21. wildone

    Wayne's Prompts #2

    By wildone,


    Prompts
    Well we are in our second prompt of what prompt motivated you! This week we will take the first of @Mikiesboy's prompts and go with Prompt 447, as usual we will add 446 for you to see if you want to take either on! 
     
    Prompt 446 – Creative
    Tag -List of Words
    Use the following in a story – notebook, pen, coffee, a crystal, and a broken light bulb
     
    Prompt 447 – Creative
    Tag – The Gift
    You haven’t been feeling well lately, but you still try to keep up with your normal routine. You’ve been asked to a party, and although you don’t feel well, you decide to go. The only request is that as a gift you give something homemade. What do you give as your gift?
     
    If you take one, make sure to let us know in the comments below and click on the links for the Prompt number to post a link there too!
  22. wildone

    Wayne's Prompts #3

    By wildone,


    Prompts
    So last week we had a look back at @Valkyrie's, @Mikiesboy's, original prompt replies! Then we actually had a brand new one from @Mawgrim  Make sure you check them out!!
    Now for this week, we will look to Valkyrie for a one suggestion and another in case you want to try something else. First is 310 and the second is 311. See, I can count  
     
     
    Prompt 310 – Creative
    Tag – List of Words
    Use the following words in a story – tent, a running river, a wolf, a lighter, and a bowl of cereal.
     
    Prompt 311 – Creative
    Tag – Parade
    You woke up this morning only to hear someone pounding on your front door a moment later. Throwing on a robe you open the door to find your best friend standing there looking at you. “I thought you would be dressed by now. We are going to be late to the parade!” What parade are you supposed to be going to and what happens?
  23. wildone

    My Dad

    By wildone,


    Personal Blog
    Saturday night at 11:05 PM, I lost my dad to a long and slow battle with dementia. He was relaxed and comfortable when he passed and luckily all 3 of his children were by his side.
    I thought I would take some time to tell you about my Dad.
    He was born in 1940 to parents that lived in military base housing. His Dad was in the military and luckily never got called overseas to fight in WW2. Luckily Dad never had to move base to base other than once. His early years were in Ottawa and then he moved to Cobourg, ON prior to his teens. He grew up there with his one older sister and four younger brothers. When he was twenty, not seeing much of a future in the small town, he joined the military himself. He was loaded onto a train where he was shipped out to Calgary, AB for basic training. He was in the infantry early on and was trained due to his accuracy, as a marksman. At one point he was also working with Olympic Athletes in biathlon. He did tours in Germany (NATO), Cyprus (UN), Germany (NATO) again (this time with mom coming over and along came me  ). He also did a tour with the UN doing work between Israel and Egypt to keep the peace. The combined UN missions resulted him and all UN peacekeepers in being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988. We moved back to Calgary and spent the rest of the time there except two years in Cold Lake, AB. Being an Army guy on an Air Force base was too much for him so he retired after twenty years and we moved back to Calgary. 
    So, that is a compact biography, but let me tell you about my Dad in my eyes.
    One of the earliest memories I have of my Dad is we were out for a drive to Elbow Falls in his beloved Meteor car. I remember sitting on his lap and driving the car. Well at least I remember me driving the car  
    Dad was always there though out my childhood, especially when it came to sports. If coaches weren't available at that young age, he would always step forward to coach. Needless to say when my teens hit, I wasn't so appreciative any more. Ungrateful kids  
    I didn't realize this at the time, but Dad always worked 2 jobs, one with the military and usually another one at a local garage as a tire buster and other odd jobs. It was all to help ensure us kids (3 of us) always were able to play sports and frankly, keep up with the Jones's. 
    Dad was also there for me when just after the age of 4, I went to the hospital for a lengthy stay due to being diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. Dad went to all the classes and listened to doctors and nurses recommendations. Mom was there too, and Dad later admitted this scared him more than anything in his life. Although it took time, Dad eventually learned and helped Mom with my daily injections. Once again, out of his comfort zone.
    I have fond memories of going to the Calgary Stampede with Mom and Dad and the sisters and then watching the outdoor Grandstand Show. Dad would take turns putting us up on his shoulders so we could see more on the midway. It was like a carnival ride on it's own. 
    Dad and I had some issues in my teens, teen angst and all that . At times we would get in huge arguments about the dumbest of things looking back. I remember one such argument that happened when I was seventeen. After the heated argument at the dinner table Dad stood up suddenly, I thought he was going to hit me, he had never struck me in anger in my life, and to prevent the perceived threat I was able to wrestle his arms to his side and push him back to his seat. Why do I tell you this? It was a monumental moment of my teen years that he realized I was stronger than him, and it was awaking to me that I now had the advantage over him. After that day I never used or mentioned this change in our lives as I probably realized that Dad's age was getting older, and I was getting stronger. I gained more respect for him that day, which is strange to say.
    I lived at home for the beginning of University and Dad who had shall we say strong conservative values, always thought that the universities were full of left leaning staff that sole purpose was to change everyone's thinking to the extreme left . We did have some interesting shall we say debates, as I learned history that may have contradicted what he taught me  
    Dad lost his long time job after he refused to learn anything about computers, and the place he worked were updating their tills and all the paperwork and work orders/invoices to electronic entry and storage. Dad never learned how to type and it was intimidating to him as I'm sure it was to many in his age group and too daunting of a change. He went out within a couple of days and got another job. This was another thing that rubbed off on me. If you were able to work you went out and worked. Now he doesn't remember anything to do with the pandemic, but I'm sure he would understand the dangers of working at the time and admit it wasn't an absolute rule.
    After a few different jobs, he was at the age of thinking of retiring. He was able to and then mom and him moved to Kelowna, BC. I always enjoyed going to BC to visit with Mom and Dad and did it five or six times every year. Also pop up to Calgary when they would visit. We usually had weekly talks once a week by phone.
    Way to soon, we lost our mom and his wife of 41 1/2 years  due to ovarian cancer. I learned that for the year that mom was fighting, dad was in immense pain and neglecting his own health to be there for Mom.
    This was another major turning point in our lives. Soon after, Dad had to rewrite his will and named me as his Executor and EPOA. Dad then relied on me more and more after this point to help him out with different situations to come up over the years. My visits to Kelowna continued, and our talks were more important to both of us. Dad, still had his faults, he grew up in a age of men looking after certain things and women other. Even to the end, he felt I should be his confidant and wouldn't always open up to my sisters . Neither sister have ever seemed to begrudge him and actually make excuses for his ways, but I always wanted us all to be equal.
    About four years ago, he woke up in the night and felt something was wrong. Grabbing his cellphone and calling 911, he was taken to the hospital with a major heart attack. This was maybe the first time I was really scared of losing my dad, and didn't want it to happen. He had quadruple bypass surgery and us kids, with a little less resistance than before, convinced him that he would be better back in Calgary where we all were. 
    Getting out of the hospital, I flew him back with me and he slept six months on a day bed in my living room in my 1 bedroom condo  If you are thinking other disagreements cropped up, you would be right .
    Finally we got him an apartment in the same building that I moved out of Mom and Dad's place thirty some years ago. He managed to live on his own but little things started popping up. Turning the wrong way down one way roads, driving for hours trying to find someplace. One of the harder conversations we had was discussing him giving up his driver's license before it was yanked from him. Yes, heated debates were had, sisters called to approach him more emotionally than my logical approach and eventually he decided to surrender it back to the government. Funny thing, the biggest reason he was resistant was that he wouldn't have ID. When we went to turn it in, at the same time we got him a government ID card and he was happy again!
    On a humourous note, before he gave up the car, I suggested he load up on some stuff that wouldn't go bad from the grocery store. Yesterday when we were packing up, I took the last four rolls of paper towel that he bought over 2 years ago  
    We got dad in a community support group for seniors to remain in their homes when he moved out of my place. It was great as twice a week he had a visit with a doctor, physio sessions, games, socialization and other things that made him look forward to going to each week. Late on they provided home care to ensure he was taking his meds twice daily and in general good health. It was also there that they gave us a heads up that he was showing signs of dementia that would not suggest he live alone anymore. Dad found a seniors lodge where he had his own apartment where meals and cleaning were taken care of. He continued with the support programing.
    Eventually his dementia was causing other issues, and they were negative, so I will probably skip over them other than to say when a loved one is diagnosed with dementia, you need to start ensuring you have lasting and good memories as you never know who long before it completely removes him/her from your lives . Usually before they pass away. He had to move in a dementia care seniors residence.
    Dad moved in last May, and we watched him slide downhill and tried to help over the next fourteen months to help him. With Covid, their was restrictions on who could visit, how often and so forth. This was a struggle for Dad as more and more he didn't know where he was, why we weren't coming to see him and what was going on. In May of this year, since all residents and staff had been double vaccinated, they opened up the visiting a lot and we all got to spend more time with him. Time we all enjoyed, but we still thought we would have him for a long time to come. 
    Sadly dementia doesn't like a time line or even a guesstimate. Eleven days ago he took a turn for the worse and for his own and others safety so he had to go to the hospital. After the first night the ER docs were all of the opinion he could go back home that night. Sadly that wasn't the case. We lost dad eight days later that have had doctor's, nurses and others surprised how quickly the trip to his death was.
    Rest assured, with the life that Dad was living, he would never had wanted to live that way. Anything we would have done to prolong his life would have been for us kids, and not for him. Although hard to write, it was the best thing and also the right thing to do to let him go. Luckily all three kids had the same attitude. It has helped me with my own personal grieving, as I know that it was the right thing to do, and he can finally rest now in peace. 😢 Also the outpouring of support from family and friends have meant so much.
    Now, if you didn't read all of this, no problem  This is just a way that I'm finding is helping me deal with the loss and will help me also in a small way record our history together.
    For those that have mothers or fathers still around, give them an extra hug from me if you can  
     
    Steve
  24. wildone

    Weekly Wrap Up (Aug. 1 - Aug. 7)

    By wildone,


    Weekly Wrap Up
    Good Day everyone!
    Thank you to Renee for helping me out last Sunday as I had some personal issues to deal with. Much appreciated  
    I'm short on time again, so excuse the lack of a preamble as I will get right to the wrap up.
    Monday, we had the CSR Feature for the month by our newest Signature Author. Give it a go, I'm in the process of doing so myself  
    Wednesday was the return of our long time favourite feature here at GA! Aaron had an all new AAA:
    Thursday, Renee was back with another great look back at an Anthology past and a look at the Anthology future:
    Friday was a look back at some recommended Wayne's Prompts from the past:
    Myr was by bright and early everyday to bring us a new word of the day Sunday through Saturday:
    Cathexis, Inane, Declivity, Undulate, Sarcophagus, Null, Vapor (or Vapour )
    Finally for this part of the wrap up, let's look how we did in the month of July:

    And where we are in August:

    Anthologies
    2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 1 - A Winding Path - October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Top Theme 2- An Unconventional Gift - October 31st, 2021 2021 Anthology #2 Pot Luck Themes - October 31st, 2021   
    Anthology 101 - In the Anthology Forum. Everything you need to know about GA Anthologies Ask an Author
    Ask an Author 3.0 - Submit a story you like and 3 questions you would like to ask the author about. Send them to @astone2292 or @Renee Stevens **Please submit so Aaron can have a  bank of stories and questions** Blog Opportunities
    Guess the Author: Open to all GA authors. PM @Renee Stevensor @wildone to participate
    Story Review: Send it in to @Renee Stevens or @Timothy M. ** I know we had a volunteer step up for the upcoming week review, but if there is anyone willing to help our Review Team out over the summer, it would be much appreciated!! **
    Premium Updates:
    On Fire by Cia *Premium*
    Classic Updates:
    The Brilliant Boy Billionaire by Altimexis
    Signature Updates:
    Ancalagon by Cia
    Disasters, Delights and Other Detours by Parker Owens
    Gap Year by Mark Arbour
    Lucid Truth by Stellar
    The Best Year by Krista
    The Great Mirror of Same-Sex Love - Prose by AC Benus
    Promising Updates:
    The Cockney Canuck by Dodger
     
    Don't forget.... Read, Write, and REVIEW!!! (and Recommend with a share to the forum topic!) 
  25. wildone

    Final Prompts from Comicfan

    By wildone,


    Prompts
    We're not ready to let go of Comicfan as our resident prompt genius, so we are featuring his last prompts again, Prompt 892 and 893. If you would like, you can take a stab at either one for a lasting memorial to Wayne. Anyone that wants to, please post a prompt in honour of Wayne. I've created topics for each one of them, 892 and 893. Let us know in the below comments which one you did .
     
    Prompt 892 - Creative 
    Tag - List of Words
    Use the following words in a story - a storm, a broken fence, a scared dog, a flash light, and an old typewriter. 
    Prompt 893 - Creative
    Tag - Viral Video
    Most people who make it big on Tik Tok or YouTube work hard to become viral. Unfortunately your video went viral for all the wrong reasons with two and a half million views. What is your video about?
     
     
    Do you have a favourite prompt he shared? Let us know so we can feature it again!
×
×
  • Create New...