astone2292

I'm happy to introduce firsts into this subgenre of paranormal/fantasy adventure. I don't think we'll see the dopiness leave, but we'll notice it more... refined. Always excited to see your comments, Patch! Agreed!

You hit the nail on the head with the behavior description. Positions cause a change in the wolf's behavior, thus the human's as well. I can't wait to see the educator side of Walt! You and Danners must be excited for the next chapter then... Agreed. Too quick, but necessary. Saige and Kara are both capable hunters. I just wonder who is more capable as a leader. Not to be that guy... but Cyn was operated on by Morgan...

The eve of the council meeting bore weight on Arric’s mind. He waited patiently for the remaining minor leaders to arrive. I don’t think Shea’s going to like the second item on the agenda, but it needs to be brought up. At least Key’s had it on his mind since breakfast a few days ago. He might have a couple nominations. Seeing how they had been involved since the beginning, he allowed Cyn and the Turbins to attend. As soon as Kieran, Walter, Pierce, and Greta arrived, Arric immediately star

This chapter is reminiscent of Gunnar's plan to rescue Mike from Trophy Cub. Two words: wacky and effective. We have Siku, a polar bear, who didn't know what RuPaul's Drag Race was two months ago, hence his lack of experience with humans. We're going to stick him in a lavish, celebrity rental home in San Francisco, where he can bring potential mates to, under the guise/profession of a fisherman. I'm certain everything will go perfectly, and Siku's experiences will be completely normal. I'm incredibly eager to see Siku's wacky adventures in SanFran! Can I have the next chapters yesterday, please Grumpy?

The meeting of the liars was very, very entertaining. I saw what was happening and quickly understood what it truly meant. Garjah really should've explained more to Essell, because I could imagine out four-armed scientist being very truthful about what he was tasting. Are we about to see a doggy playdate?

Always love your comments, Patch. I'm surprised at your feelings towards Hauser. I figured you'd want Cyrus to come in bolts-a-blazin'. It was intended in a sort. They may be allies, but they're still wolves. Arric's smart in this scenario. An ally alpha is acting pretty suspicious, but Arric has council transitions going on. He'd rather have the SFBI tackle Donovan than himself. Oooooooooh! I love connecting dots!

Siku's become an attraction. My only concern is the "lunch break." I'm certain they're in a secluded place, but I'd hate to see another Adam/Axel romp session go public. Seeing a polar bear in Sturgeon Bay is a little suspicious. Brilliant work, Grumpy!

I wouldn't call it a pack's spirit, but more of the member's animal spirit itself. Contrary to In the Shadows where a shifter has a second consciousness, Cernunnos shifters have a pacified version. We saw the behavioral changes in Shea when accepting the delta role, so we're to expect one in Kieran. But overall, I love and agree with this comment. The pack already had a plan for Walter's replacement, but it all depended on when. The only one out of the loop was the nomination itself!

You know me; I like heat! This alpha/beta relationship is very humorous to me. I'm sure Kieran is going to be hesitant, but I'm interested to see if he gives in to Arric's alpha-ness. I agree. Hauser now has some time to think about his actions. He seems like one to make use of his time in prison. I'm interested to see if Hauser brings up anything useful. I don't think it'll be long before Kieran and Arric throw the rules out of the window.

The sound of water flowing broke through his slumber. He mumbled and rose in a groggy state, trying to find the source of the noise. Lifting his head, Kieran squinted. The sunlight peeking through the curtains were not welcome, but the hulking man approaching was. "Hey," he whispered. Arric smirked, "Mornin'. Go back to sleep. It's still pretty early." The scribe nodded and rolled away, nuzzling his pillow with genuine love. The comforter shifted behind him and a weight approached. A

If the boat's a rockin', don't come a knockin'.

The bear cultures are colliding. My concern is for the couples that went to Corbett's neck of the woods. I'm certain Axel is monitoring Atikokan, but we might need him and Adam on a trip to the Arctic... Uh oh. Siku's become the new boy-toy in town. Plenty of playtime heading this way, and it might even be on a boat!

@Grumpy Bear! I am so sending you a PM after this comment! Siku needs to he more careful! He saw the effects of the dababbi, so biting this human wouldn't be best. Other than that...

The explanation of lack of magical powers in Cernunnos would be difficult to pull off. I think I'm content with keeping them separated.

There are some small differences between the lycans in the series as well. Arric's alpha-ness has some emotional side effects on others, as well as the mental change of behavior when a status is changed. Hmm, wolverines eh? Little badger looking dudes? I got several stories ahead in my "to-write" list, but I'll put it in the queue!

Oh! Ha! Wrong marks! I love some wrench-throwing! Honestly, haven't given it much thought. It's a typical trope with shapeshifter stories, so I'd imagine it's an effect of an old supernatural/nature's magic for the bonding mark to stay (I say old magic, thinking of Harry Potter when Lily's love counteracted against Voldemort's killing curse).

Lovin' these comments! I want to put out there that Cernunnos isn't in the same universe as the In the Shadows series (although I wish it were!) This story was created based off a comment from one of the readers of LitS. When deer shifters was mentioned, I started thinking about animals that often get overlooked on a daily basis. Shifter stories are notorious for involving predatorial animals, and I wanted something different. With a underlying plot of a new Former-Prey Law being recently introduced, I needed more animals that would be impacted by it, hence rabbits and foxes. We haven't explored human turning in this story yet, and I'm unsure if we will, as there aren't many human characters. But if I were given the opportunity to turn into a rabbit shapeshifter, I'm getting bit! I planned on bringing the antler growth process into the story, but will our cernunnos get a higher point count? Who knows... I'm beyond grateful for your comments and feedback for my stories! I'm unsure how long this story will go on for, but I'll be looking forward to your comments when it's finished!

Ooooh! Lots to unpack, and I love it! Shifter species: Your suggestions make a lot of sense! Cyrus' personality resonates with a lion's, but it does with a panda's as well. He is playful with his giggles and meddling in the business world, but come against one in the wild, and you'll still find yourself in a deadly situation. I also wanted a species that was so bonkers to see in public (shofter public, that is). A panda was the perfect choice for me. In regards to ethnicity, I didn't go into it much, mostly due to the concept of turning humans. Pandas may be from the Asian area of the world, but it just takes one bite... Oh, no. No creepy babies in this series. I'll guarantee that! The marks on Vincent are very special. From his conversation with Yakob, they're "given" to him by the gods and their possession of him. The question is whether more marks will appear in the next installment of this series. 🤔 Magic: I wanted the magic system to be both practical and flashy. The dances provide one half of the equation, and the combat showcases the other. With the supernatural community still a secret from the normal world, you wouldn't expect to see much fantastical works of magic. Jobs: Having these supernatural characters in normal professions makes them more human. If Mason wasn't a farmer in a small town (and we all know gossips flies in a small town), I'd imagine people would talk about a successful man not working. Sometimes it gets in the way of the crazy life of a shifter, but whatever keeps your cover, right? I love feedback like this! It truly helps me become a better writer. Thank you so much for this comment!

A fantastic beginning! My Siku!!! Rejection and pain hit me like a freight train. Part of me wishes he would stay to battle the prejudice with Max and Erik, but I don't believe Siku's mate is among the newcomers. Grumpy, I am tickled pink you've made Siku the MC! My obsession for a character doesn't happen often, and it's often unexplainable, but boy do I love this polar bear!

Looks like Jordan's stubbornness is turning into determination. This will make a great bonding experience between him and Lysander. Damian's turning?! Did I miss something?! When did this happen?! Looks like I'm due for a re-read...

Hmm. Someone's put on his detective cap... This is a very interesting thought process! I guess we'll find out who the shooter is in the next book.

Wow! Time flies! It's time for Ask An Author! We're dipping our tootsies back into some fantasy writing, but with a healthy dosage of sci-fi! This one is a little special because it's a sequel. I got the chance to interview another rising star in the GA community, @Yeoldebard! As a member of the Million Word Club, this author has a plethora of stories in their arsenal. Let's dive right in! A little message from the author first! This story can stand alone, but the first story, Wolf Pack, will help shed light on how this story was born. Inspired by other Gay Author News and Writing World blogs, I'll add in a few more details about the stories we interview. Let me know if this encourages interested reading! • • • • • The Neko's Tail Yeoldebard Word Count: 94,020 / 42 Chapters / Status: Complete / Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi / Rating: Mature For those of you who wondered what happened to Elias when he went missing in Wolf Pack, here is his story. A young neko, lost in a new reality, making new friends and being brought out of his quiet shell. Elias, to me, was a beloved character in the first story, Wolf Pack. I was thrilled to see him getting his own story. His character's mentality is powerful, and he is one of the most beautifully crafted MCs in any story I've read. What was the inspiration for creating him? Elias was originally just a throwaway character, one inspired by a friend's insistence that I was more furry than anything. I decided to mix nekos and werewolves because of her, and the rest is quite literally history. But Elias took on his own role in the story. Quiet, broken, he became a symbol of me, of my own struggles. Throughout my childhood, I found it hard, nearly impossible to be heard for who I was, and Elias was my way of working through that. You'll notice more than a few of my characters are selectively mute, or fully mute, because for the longest time, I was not allowed to have a voice. They are my way of talking to the world, of getting my story out. This is a sequel. The first story is full of medieval and fantasy tropes. You completely turned this sequel upside-down, turned it around, and sent it in a direction I didn't think was conceivable! How... Did... What... Why... I'm speechless! Straight up, this is the most creative thing I've ever seen! It was absolutely beautiful! Are you a god? A writing god? But seriously, where did this come from? Elias was never truly meant to be in Wolf Pack. But I had made his character, and I couldn't let him go. He needed a different story to shine in. I had just finished reading Kidnapping Is Always an Option for the first time, and it got me thinking about why we always see modern people abducted by aliens. And I decided to try my hand at changing that. It was the perfect out for Elias. He could escape his former life, and I could start building new species, new creations, something that I have always enjoyed doing. More than that, it was a way for me to stretch my horizons, challenge myself. And it really was a challenge. I learned a lot about myself as I wrote The Neko's Tail, and even now I enjoy looking back to see my early work, to remind myself of where I've come from. At this time, I haven't continued on into the series, but that will be changing very shortly. Iason is an interesting character to me. Not much is given regards to his and Artemis' history. Is there a possibility for seeing my second-favorite Egaro in a future story? I can make no promises of seeing this particular Iason again, but Egaran Stars has a Iason that is very similar to this one. While that story is a much later inclusion to the universe as a whole, it goes much more in depth regarding both Egaro and Faro culture, and even introduces a new species discovered by Elias himself during his travels with Artemis. Iason himself is sort of a spiritual successor to another character of mine, Maximus Markhaus. His story is one of those included in my furry story, though he is not nearly as sexual as the average Egaro. • • • • • Well, that's another Ask An Author in the books! I hope y'all go check this story out. As soon as I got this set of questions, I had to read it! Give a comment down below if you've read this, or any other of Yeoldebard's stories. If you haven't, links are in the title and author's name above. If you've read a riveting story, shoot me a PM with three questions! I'll track down the author, knock on their front door, and ask them for you. All authors and stories are fair game. Ask An Author is a great way to give your favorite author a spotlight on their work! I'll see y'all next month!

I'm not sure about everyone else on GA, but I enjoy Halloween! It's one of the two holidays in the retail industry where we can toss our uniforms aside and wear something different. What's everyone's plans for this year? Every year, I look forward to putting on a costume that tickles everyone's funny bone! I've got the hair grown out perfectly, and the glasses. All I need now is the suit, and I'll be Austin Powers! I can't wait to get to work and start yelling, "Welcome to Liquor Barn, baby!" Impressions and dance moves have been perfected.

I agree; rough chapter. Plenty of subliminal and emotional messages throughout the scenes. It thrills me as an author to hear that this chapter was a fond one to several of the dedicated readers.

Always love your comments, Patch. Cyn is so innocent, even during a funeral. Can't wait to start in the next chapter. I've had this funeral planned for a while and I wanted to make it nice and proper. Growing up I my hometown, I disliked the typical funerals, as they reminded me of family/class reunions. Everyone saying "Haven't seen you in a while," with too many smiles. It wasn't until college where I saw a proper funeral with genuine respect for the deceased. Although Shelly was a minor character, I wanted this to be special.