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astone2292

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  1. astone2292

    Author Guess Who #17 - Reveal!

    By astone2292,


    Author Guess Who
    Ooooooh! Did I give y'all enough time to put your guesses in? I know @Valkyrie has been a wee bit antsy to find out who this month's AGW participant was. Let's see if anyone got it right...
    This author... has 13 stories logged!
    This author... has written over 139,000 words!
    This author... is... 
    Mancunian
     
    Check out these stories they've written!
     
    Thanks for participating, @Mancunian! 
    Keep your peepers open. December's edition is right around the corner. 
  2. astone2292

    Author Guess Who #17

    By astone2292,


    Author Guess Who
    Taking a quick poll here. Who here almost forgot Author Guess Who existed? I didn't, and I've been busy collecting interviews over the past few weeks. For those that forgot what this is or are new to the GA community, this is a little interview game. I have a little list of questions for a mystery author/community member, and using their responses, your job is to figure out who it is! You're given two weeks to put your guesses in before the reveal is posted. Don't be afraid to point fingers or do a deep-dive research expedition. This game isn't just for fun. It's also a spotlight for authors who want a wee bit of publicity. During the reveal, they get to choose three of their posted stories to be featured on the site! 
    Let's see what our mystery author of the month has to say...
    ***
    What is one thing that most GA members might not know about you?
    I finished my education without any qualifications or exam passes, or as some would say I never graduated. The few qualifications I hold were gained through work.
    You just walked into a state-of-the-art kitchen with a magical pantry, filled to the brim with every known ingredient. What are you cooking for yourself?
    Bread, what can I say? I'm a person with simple tastes and the smell of freshly baked bread brings back good memories and helps me to relax.
    What prompted you to write your first story?
    I don't really know. I woke up one morning and felt like I had to write, so I did. It felt like someone else was writing, not me.
    Do you have a significant other?
    Not at this moment in time. I've been in a couple of relationships that have ended badly and left me feeling wary of others. I've recently started to get to know someone, so who knows? Maybe that could change.
    You're stuck on an island. You're allowed one book, one food item, and one beverage. What are they?
    That depends on how long I'd be there. If it's for a long time I would want a good survival book, corn because I can eat it and/or grow more and coffee. Of course, the last two would need me to find a water source.
    If you could meet one person, living or dead, who would it be?
    Nobody famous. I'd like to meet my uncle, he died before I was born and my Dad often spoke about him. I'd love to hear his version of the high-jinx they used to get up to.
    Are you a dog or cat person?
    Due to circumstances I don't have any pets, but out of the two I'm definitely a dog person.
    What's something on your bucket list?
    I've never really thought about it. It would be nice to travel more than I'm currently able to so a round the world trip could appeal. But more realistic for me would be to move out of the city allowing me to have horses, but as I haven't ridden since childhood I'd need riding lessons first.
    Hey, how about that? Teleportation was just invented. Where's the first place you're going? Don't worry, the purple portal pad is totally safe.
    Vancouver, that's where my godmother lives. I've been there once and would love to go back there, it felt like a welcoming place to be.
    Is there a fictional character you look up to? Who is it?
    I admire the character Jethro Gibbs from NCIS. The flawed character has faced many personal setbacks, yet still manages to carry on with life and lend support to others. If admiration is looking up to someone then it is Jethro.
    What is your favorite movie/television show?
    That's easy, my favourite TV show is NCIS and similar programs. Favourite movie is anything in the Marvel Avengers franchise.
    What is your spirit animal?
    Maybe an eagle, I think I'd enjoy the freedom that comes with being able to fly high and swoop down fast.
    Which actor/actress would you like to see portray you in this year's newest documentary blockbuster?
    Taron Egerton, just because I think he's a good-looking hunk.
    When you go on vacation/holiday, when do you pack your suitcase? The night before, a few hours before the plane takes off?
    I don't travel much, I'm more of a homebody. When I do travel I'm always packed way ahead of time, I like to be organised.
    What would you say is your greatest accomplishment?
    That's not really easy to answer so I'll say writing anything that receives a good review. I don't consider myself to be a writer so the reviews mean a lot to me.
    ***
    And there we go! Y'all have two weeks to figure out who this mystery author could possibly be! 
    In the meantime, did you know any author can participate in this game? Holy smokes, you didn't? Well, now you do! Shoot me a PM if you're interested in answering some silly questions. I'll be the only person that will know you are the mystery author [unless pesky admins take a sneak peak]. As a reward for participating, you'll be featured on the site during the reveal! 
    Good luck, folks!
  3. astone2292

    Ask An Author 3.0 #34

    By astone2292,


    Author Interviews
    I bet I had y'all fooled. "Oh, no! Where did Ask An Author go? Did it fall off a cliff, possibly dangling off a railroad track like a cheesy action flick?" Well, the answer is no. The explanation is incredibly simple. Blame the antholo— I MEAN I was asked so kindly and sincerely to push this back a week. By the way, did everyone enjoy this year's anthology? Personally, I had a blast. Such great submissions to check out, so if you haven't yet, get goin'! 
    Anyway, y'all have waited long enough for this month's edition of AAA. Let me just check my list... Ugh. Not her again. How did @kbois get back in the queue? I'm just joshin' around. She's okay, I guess. A member of the purple Promising Authors group, she's become a staple for giggles, guffaws, and pesky cliffies around here. Let's get into the Q&A! 
    • • • • •
    ⚠️ WARNING! ⚠️
    The following interview contains massive spoilers pertaining to @kbois's "Shadow Effect."
    Please keep this in mind before continuing.
    • • • • •
    Shadow Effect
    kbois
    40 Chapters, 185,695 Words, Mature
     
    You seem to joyfully embrace the idea that family can either be the one you are born into or the one you choose for yourself; and sometimes the two can mesh but they don't always have to.  Do you find it easier to write about one style of family over the other?
    No. The story is what dictates how easy or difficult it is to write about family. In real life family dynamics are some of the most complicated issues you can come across. I come from a big family, married into a big family and yet am not close to any of them. My 'chosen' family is made up of a small group. My best friend is the sister my mom never gave birth to. We have each other's backs to the extent of dropping everything to help hide the body. Lol. My brothers wouldn't do that for me. Writing about family is easy, whether it's drawing on my own experiences or wishful thinking. Elijah is an only child who loses his parents. He has little choice but to create his own family. 
     
    In this story like others; you seem to be very big on redemptive arcs.  In this one, you seem to be heading Caleb Micco on one; is there something about these type of arcs that you find fulfilling to write about?
    Ahhh, Caleb! Even though he's not a big part of Shadow Effect, he seems to have made an impression. He started out as one of those secondary characters who wasn't supposed to go anywhere. Somewhere along the line, he gained a bigger purpose. He became a bad guy, albeit reluctantly. Hence, the redemptive arc. So now Caleb has his own story; The Light at the End of the Tunnel. It still remains to be seen how his redemption will pan out. I enjoy these types of storylines because they appeal to most readers on a base level. Who doesn't love it when a bad boy sees the light? 😆
      
    What made you decide to keep Kage, despite his death, so present in this story?  Elijah feeling his presence and using it to find his mate seemed different.  What prompted you to choose this storyline development?
    Kage. Probably my biggest regret. I positively loathed killing him. It physically hurt writing that chapter. Kage was not supposed to be so... Kage. When I first started thinking about the storyline, the character was meant to be an ass. Then I started writing and Kage had other plans. I fell in love with him. He showed me a side of himself I never expected. That's the weird thing about writing-- characters will absolutely dictate what they want you to write, and sometimes it's vastly different from you envisioned. His death was planned from the very start. I couldn't change it. But neither could I completely write him out of the story. He was too important to Elijah (and to me), so that's why he played an important role later on. He still may show up in some way. Someday, I'd love to write something else with him in it. Maybe a short add-on to The Devil Is Gay world and he and Lucifer can see what kind of mischief they can get into.
     
    • • • • •
    Thanks for the interview, @kbois! Readers, don't forget to click the link in their name to check out their stories. Before I end this, I'm down to one more article in the piggy bank. If you would like to give one of your favorite authors a spotlight, send me three questions. They can be about a particular story or the author themselves. 
    Check back the first Wednesday of December for the next edition of Ask An Author. See y'all later!
  4. astone2292

    Ask An Author 3.0 #33

    By astone2292,


    Author Interviews
    October is one of my favorite months, right behind November. While the temperatures are still high, I feel autumn coming. That crisp and chilly breeze, the layered fashion trends, and countless s'mores over a campfire... I can't wait! Then there's Halloween, which I thoroughly enjoy. It's the one day a year where I can blatantly ignore my job's dress code. The apron, appropriately dubbed "my little red dress" remains at home while I don some sort of wig or silly outfit. What will I be this year? I refuse to repeat myself, so I shall not be Austin Powers, Seth Rogen, or Johnny Cash[ier]. This may be the year where I shave my head and become Walter White from "Breaking Bad." 
    But enough of my ridiculous ranting. You're here for questions and answers. Before y'all scroll down, I'd like to remind everyone to keep your eyeballs open. The anthology deadline has passed, which means they're going to post soon. From what I hear, the site proofing team has been sifting through some fantastic submissions. 
    As for Ask An Author, I had the opportunity to sit down with resident author, @Refugium and give them the monthly anonymous questions. Let's see what they said:
    • • • • •

    Refugium

    29 Stories / 186,138 Words 
     
    Regarding the series Stories from Old Photographs. Were you in search of inspiration and found the photographs, or did you come across the photographs and the inspiration took hold?
    The photographs came first. My partner collects 19th-century photographs of men with interesting facial hair. I started collecting a little bit, too, and then the photographs activated my imagination. Sometimes it's the best compensation one can come up with for being born in the wrong century.
     
    Several of your stories have a clear "tall tale" or folk story flair that is very enjoyable. Does that come from some place in particular?
    It might be from a couple of sources. Some of my earliest sci-fi reading was Theodore Sturgeon's collection Beyond, in particular "Nightmare Island" and "Largo." Those are certainly in the tall tale genre. My interest in folktales increased through my Master's program in the Kodaly system, which uses folk songs as the first teaching material in elementary school. I also enjoyed Bruno Bettelheim's book The Uses of Enchantment, despite the great fall Bettelheim's reputation has suffered. Also, I cope better with fairy tales than with reality.
      
    Do you have a beard?
    I do have a beard. I have had a beard for most of my life since late high school. I have had a mustache for all of that period except for once when I shaved to appear as Edna St. Vincent de Paul singing my setting of Edna St. Vincent Millay's poem "The Singing Woman from the Wood's Edge."
    • • • • •
    Thanks for the interview, Refugium! See y'all next month!
  5. astone2292

    Author Guess Who #16 Reveal!

    By astone2292,


    Author Guess Who
    Alrighty, I gave y'all two weeks to put your guesses in. Did you leave a guess in the interview's comment section? Were you right? Let's find out! 
    This author... has 59 stories logged.
    This author... is a Gay Authors admin.
    This author... is... 
    Graeme
    59 Stories / 1,902,957 Words 
    Check out these awesome stories they wrote!
    • • • • •
    Who got it right? Leave your celebratory comments down below! If you enjoyed this blog game and want to join in on the fun, send me a PM! I'll send you a list of questions, and as a thank you, we'll feature up to three stories/collections of your choosing. With the upcoming anthology, Author Guess Who will be taking a month off. Don't worry, though. We have a few more interviews lined up for when we get back!
  6. astone2292

    Ask An Author 3.0 #32

    By astone2292,


    Author Interviews
    I have a list of things I'm great at. You know, for self-motivation purposes. Right at the tippy-top of the paper, in bold letters, "Totally forgetting important things." Silly me, forgot today was the first Wednesday of the month. Good thing my special guest today needs no introduction! Y'all know and love him. Let's see what kind of questions we got for @Headstall!
    • • • • •

    Boundaries
    Headstall

    4 Chapters, 16,640 Words, 
     
    With this story and others of yours having Western setting; what draws you to this genre?
    I believe I've answered this question a few times, and what draws me to the western genre is that it harkens back to my childhood. I have always loved horses and used to devour anything that featured them, whether in movies, books, or on television. Westerns were so popular back then, and I often feel it is a shame they have all but disappeared.
    There are some excellent contemporary westerns I've read on GA, but I hungered for something set in the actual Old West, so I wrote "Finding Refuge", a historical western, as an anthology piece. It was really for me, but it was popular enough it showed me there might be an audience for something longer. It took a while, but years later, during the pandemic, the only thing that reignited my writing passion was the thought of writing another western.
    Hence, "Sidewinder" was born. The response was truly unexpected, remarkable even, and definitely encouraging, so I did something I seldom do, and wrote a sequel. "Larkspur: A Sidewinder Tale" got the same wonderful reception, so now I would say that enthusiasm is also a part of drawing me to the genre... or at the least, keeping me there.  
    It is an often romanticized time period, but it really wasn't as simple a time as we were led to believe by movies. It was a chance to begin a new life, but daily struggles were immense, and not to preach, but there is the whole issue of stealing land from Native Americans, a people that fought back against insurmountable odds.
    There was so much going on during that time in history, and the Mexican-American War was the nugget that started "Boundaries: An Old West Tale". I guess you could say I'm an historian at heart (five history courses in my last year of high school), so westerns feel pretty natural to me. Still, writing about them requires a tremendous amount of research. There is so much an author can mine from this time of tragedy, triumphs, and heroes.
     
    This story has a real undertone of doing what is right or a sense of justice permeating it.  Is that a theme you enjoy exploring?
    I write first and foremost for entertainment and providing readers an escape, but I will readily admit to social undertones being present in much of my writing, and "Boundaries" is no exception. There is so much upheaval in today's world, to the point it feels we are going backwards with regards to individual rights and how we treat people who might be marginalized or different. I wanted to show that we have always needed heroes like Virgil who see right from wrong. We still do, maybe even more than ever. I also wanted to show the resilience of Wyatt, how he would bend but not break. They are examples of the good people who helped build a country with a conscience. So yeah, that sense of justice you experienced in the reading of "Boundaries" is an important theme of mine, and I thank you for this question in particular.
    I love writing, and I love that it gives me the chance to possibly encourage readers to examine their own thoughts about why they do what they do. That is incredibly rewarding, though I am careful not to beat anyone over the head with preachy positions. I only get on my soapbox in the comment sections.
      
    Your writing is so descriptive; especially when dealing with nature.  Is there something that leads to this?  Are you drawn to nature more than others or is it simply something you enjoy writing about?
    Thank you! I live on a small farm in the country, surrounded by nature. I also grew up in the rural countryside on the east coast of Canada. Nature is truly in my blood. I can be a city boy, and have been for long periods of time, but my love for nature has to be fed. So yeah, I love writing about the way the world works.
    After all my years, I am still a curious man, and I learn new things about this magnificent world every day. If that translates successfully in my writing then I am well pleased. As far as being descriptive, nothing turns me off more as a reader than too much of it, so I always strive to balance it in my work. It goes back to not beating readers over the head with excess, and I think I manage for the most part to use description in an interesting way that contributes to the story and doesn't have the reader skipping over passages. At least, I hope that is the case. I can only try.
    Thank you so much for the questions regarding my fairly new-found penchant for westerns. Anything that puts a spotlight on this genre makes me happy.
    Cheers! Gary.
     
    • • • • •
    Thanks for the interview, Gary! Readers, don't forget to click the link in their name to check out their stories. 
    Hope y'all enjoy the rest of the month, y'all! I'm off to get ready for work. I really need to plan my days better...
  7. astone2292

    Author Guess Who #16

    By astone2292,


    Author Guess Who
    Before you shake a finger at me, we're changing the Author Guess Who schedule for a good reason! All next month, the GA Blog Squad will promote the upcoming Anthology. Knowing this, we're giving y'all a warm-up round. Let's see if we can get some guesses, and don't forget to pay close attention to the interview...
     
    What is one thing that most GA members might not know about you?
    I started college at the age of 16. I wasn't the youngest, though, as one of the friends I made at college was also 16 and three months younger than me.
    What prompted you to write your first story?
    I was reading a story (sadly, it's no longer online) where a particular situation arose. I thought that the situation was one that should be explored further, so I wrote a story based on that situation.
    What genre of books do you enjoy reading and have you written for that genre?
    Science fiction and fantasy, predominantly, though I also have a number of historical mystery novels, too. While I've written some science fiction, it's not what I normally write.
    Is there a genre that you haven’t written for that you would consider trying later on?
    No. The genres I haven't written are all ones that I really don't feel inspired to try to write in.
    What do you like most about publishing on GA?
    The ease of publication and the great feedback the readers provide
    Do you have any unique writing habits or rituals to help you get into a writing mood?
    No. I write when I feel motivated and have the time to do so. The biggest challenge is getting the stars to align so those two events happen at the same time.
    How has your writing style evolved over time?
    Hopefully, it's improved. The overall style hasn't changed that much, but I'd like to think it's better. For that, I'll have to thank my editors, as I've been blessed with a great set of editors over the years.
    Do you have a significant other?
    Yes
    Do you have any pets?
    A Jack Russell, who is very spoiled.
    Do you post multi-chapter stories as you write? Do you wait until you’ve finished writing the entire story? Or is it something in between?
    In between. I used to post as I wrote, but I think the readers prefer more consistency. I therefore try to write as much as I can before I start posting, though I don't always try to finish the story before starting to post.
    What is your favorite television show?
    I can't really pick one. There have a been a lot of enjoyable shows over the years, but none stand out over the rest. M.A.S.H is certainly up there, though, if you need me to pick one.
    What is your favorite movie?
    Again, I can't really pick one. Different movies mean different things to me, so it depends on the mood. For example, last night I watched Thor Ragnarok because I wanted a fun, easy-to-watch movie that didn't require a lot of thinking. A movie like Lorenzo's Oil is when I want something serious and thought-provoking.
    Do you write poetry? Prose? Or both?
    Prose only. I've tried poetry, but my mind doesn't think that way.
    If you could meet one person, living or dead, who would it be?
    Another tough question. I can't think of anyone in particular, but there are people I would certainly like to know. I'm currently going through a boy band phase, so maybe Stephen Gately or Lance Bass?
    What would you say is your greatest accomplishment?
    That's an easy one: my family.
    ***
    And there we have it! Mull over the responses, then make your guesses in the comment section. In two weeks, the reveal will post, along with a few of their stories to be featured. Keep your peepers open. As for me, I'm off to a remote location where no one will prod me for clues and spoilers.
  8. astone2292

    Author Guess Who? Incoming!

    By astone2292,


    Author Guess Who
    What? Where? When? Why? Who?
    By the power vested in my fingietips and the GA blog squad, it is my great pleasure to announce the revival for a site-favorite blog game...
    Author Guess Who?
    First things first! A monumental thank you goes to @Renee Stevens for starting this whole thing back in 2019. For several of our online community, we loved getting to know our fellow writers in a fun and quirky way. With that said, we're keeping this proverbial gravy train going, even for the weirdos, like me, that don't like gravy. I know, I feel bad for admitting it. But that's the point of this little blog game: discover new facts about our fellow authors, then guess who it could be! 
    Seeing how this is the introductory article, it's time to give the low-down on how this game works. I'll break it down the only way I know how... by asking questions!
    ***What?***
    Author Guess Who? is a game blog featured on Gay Authors with two posts a month-- one providing responses to questions from a mystery author, with the other revealing who our featured writer is. 
    ***Where?***
    Right here on the Gay Authors News Blog! 
    ***When?***
    The interview questions and responses will post on the 2nd Thursday of every month. The author reveal will post on the 4th Thursday, so mark your calendars!
    ***Why?***
    Author Guess Who? is a great way to promote yourself as an author in our community, as well as let everyone know who you are as a person. Some of the questions are silly, like whether you prefer crunchy or creamy peanut butter. Some are thought-provoking, such as why you started writing. This blog game is fun, but it also builds our community. 
    ***Who?***
    You! The authors here are this site's muse. No need to nominate or suggest who answers these questions. Put yourself out there! Just PM me if you'd like to be featured. In the reveal post, you get to choose up to three of your stories to be linked for the readers to check out your work. To be featured on the site AND have fun in the process? I wish door-to-door salesmen could be this productive and entertaining. 
    If this tickled your fancy, then shoot me a PM with your expressed interest. I'll follow up shortly with a list of ten or so questions. And don't forget to check out all of the previous editions of Author Guess Who? here.
  9. astone2292

    Ask An Author 3.0 #31

    By astone2292,


    Author Interviews
    Did everyone enjoy the Secret Author contest? I certainly did, both writing and reading. But now that it's the first Wednesday of the month, it should be no secret what's coming up. Time for another edition of Ask An Author! 
    This month, we have @Salander! Let's see what questions we got for 'em...
    • • • • •

    Salander

    1 Story / 121,143 Words
     
    What brought you to GA?
    I honestly don’t remember…I started following GA as a lurker back in high school (10-ish years ago). I’ve been big into reading and writing since I was a preteen and knew I was LGBT pretty early on, so just wandered here eventually. I only made an account last year and posted my first story shortly after, per my partner’s encouragement. I’ve always been really self-conscious about sharing my fictive writing, so the amount of support I’ve gotten here has been overwhelming, but also so heartwarming and valuable as a new author.
     
    How did you come up with the concept for You Complete Me?
    Hm. Being bored but luckily still employed during the pandemic, mostly. All of my stories start out as half-baked ideas that I can’t get out of my head until I eventually put something down on paper, even if it’s just a scene. In the case of YCM, it was a sex scene, but then I found myself intrigued with who was involved. I kept adding more and more until two people in a sex scene became friends with benefits, who also needed other friends, family, and lives outside of each other, and those people had their own dilemmas to tie back to the original story. In other words, I just came up with Jake and Nic, and the concept sort of wrote itself around them, though there were a lot of themes I weaved into the story because they were prominent in my own life in some way: i.e., ADHD, anxiety, addiction, trauma…and playing rugby.
      
    All of your characters are extremely unique, complex, and realistic. What is the inspiration behind them? What is it about a character that makes you want to tell their stories?
    Lots of gay romance stories (particularly those set in high school) pair the cute, twink-like character with the tall, dark, and handsome “straight”-acting jock, which is great, but I wanted to do something a little different with Jake and Nic. So, I ended up with a troubled and snarky twink-like character and a well-meaning, attractive-yet-insecure jock unwillingly falling for each other. I think those personas felt more natural for a couple of older teens just trying to make it through the final years of high school.
    I got there by asking why they acted in certain ways and also taking some inspiration from my own life, as mentioned in the previous question. For example, why is Jake so unsure of himself, despite appearing to have it all from the outside? I’ve never been a popular jock in high school, but I do know the toll ADHD can take on your self-esteem. Why is Nic so prickly? My past isn’t as traumatic as Nic’s is, but I do know what it’s like to crave affection while also being afraid to accept it.
    As narcissistic as it may sound, I’m more inclined to tell their stories if I see myself in them. That’s not to say that either Jake or Nic are self-inserts (if anyone, maybe Shiv is), but they were extensions of my own mindset at different points in time, in different situations. Putting a bit of yourself into your work (just a bit!) has been the most effective way of writing more realistic characters that you care about as an author in my experience.
     
    What inspired you to become a writer?
    That’s a good question – I had to think on it for a while.
    I was an only child, and since I’m pretty introverted, I also had trouble making friends. Needless to say, I was bored and lonely quite a bit, which eventually turned into depression, and writing was a great way of escaping the parts of myself that I didn’t like very much. I could create fun situations and imagine myself in the shoes of characters that didn’t have my issues – and if they did, I could write a better ending for them, or have them handle those issues in ways I couldn’t. I wrote less and less as I got older, had less time, and found other coping mechanisms, but it’s always something I go back to when I need that escape. I didn’t really consider myself a “writer” until I started posting on GA. My fiancée inspired me to share in the first place, but my readers are why I continue to when I can. I like being able to provide that same escape to someone else that might need it.
    • • • • •
    Thanks for the interview, Salander! For those who enjoyed these responses, head on over to "You Complete Me." It's an ongoing story, so there's still time to get caught up. 
    Catch y'all next month!
  10. astone2292

    Ask An Author 3.0 #30

    By astone2292,


    Author Interviews
    I'm not sure how everyone else is faring but this summer heat is no joke! Make sure you're drinking plenty of water and staying cool out there. My poor air conditioner's working its tushie off. Before someone argues whether such a piece of machinery would have a tushie in the first place... 
    Hey, look! Ask An Author time! While everyone is focusing on the Secret Author contest (psst, make sure you follow @Secret Author and check out the daily stories), I've been busy typing up the wonderful interview I had with @Aditus. 
    • • • • •

    The Cat Burglar
    Aditus

    Statistics may not be accurate due to being an "in-progress" story.
    16 Chapters / 66,172 Words / Status: In Progress
     
    Where did you come up with the idea of the gifts that some of the vampires develop; what gifts do you think are the easiest to write about and explain how they are used?
    I decided my vampires needed special gifts in order to emphasize their unique personalities. The first was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I wanted to get Kavan out of a dicey situation. Then I had the idea to categorize the gifts. Kavan is a shadow melder; he mostly gets gifts from the shadow class, for example. There is an actual reason why he gets those, but I can’t reveal why yet. The easiest way to explain how the gifts work is to describe the action. I even have background explanations, but I give them away only gradually as I don’t want to bore my readers with massive info-dumps.
     
    Are any of the characters in this story or even their dominant mannerisms based on anyone in your own life?
    That’s an interesting question. I never thought about this, to be honest. In retrospect, I think some resemble people I know, read about, or saw at a café or another public place. Aykut is actually based on my hairstylist. I’m a people watcher. Sometimes I make up tiny vignettes in my head about someone wearing unusual clothes or about a snippet of a conversation I catch on the bus.
      
    Your secondary characters are well developed, do you find it easier to fully develop the secondary characters so they are easier to write; or do you just like fleshing out everyone in the story equally?
    Thank you. This might be a little embarrassing, but especially my side characters just happen, at least it feels like that to me. If there’s a need for someone to protect, save, chastise, or be a friend to one of the MCs, I give them a side character and equip them with the traits they need to carry out their mission successfully -- very rational. Then some become alive. Their voice is loud in my head, and I almost see them, feel like them, and bam, they are a person. I switch between them and the MC, seeing them through each other’s eyes. Sometimes I need to shut it down to be able to stay on track.
    Thank you, anonymous reader, for your interest in my story and the cool questions.
    • • • • •
    Thanks for the interview, Aditus! If you enjoyed this Q&A, hurry while you can. "The Cat Burglar" is an ongoing story, so there's time to get caught up. 
    Until next month, y'all.
  11. astone2292

    Ask An Author 3.0 #29

    By astone2292,


    Author Interviews
    Gah! Ugh! June! It's... so... HOT! I'm burnin' up, folks. Our poor little air conditioner at home can barely keep up. From muggy Kentucky, I hope y'all are finding ways to stay cool out there. Stay hydrated!
    You know what else is hot? This month's Ask An Author! We got ourselves an awesome author to feature. With over forty stories in their piggy bank, our interviewee might seem familiar. I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with @CLJobe! Scroll down and see what questions were asked. 
    • • • • •

    CLJobe

    44 Stories / 1,733,552 Words 
     
    Recently, you've posted stories with 100+ chapters with very frequent posting. What made you decide to structure your stories in that way? Do you think you will keep doing it?
    I found your questions very interesting. I think I can answer a few if I explain my background that has led to my writing. I am 85 years old and I started to write in 2018 when I had an injury that resulted in being a paraplegic. I needed something to do and after reading a lot of stories on several websites, I turned my hand to writing. I live in a retirement home and I am confined to a bed. My activity is limited to reading, watching old movies, and writing. In some of my writings, there is a voice that guides the actors. In "Arrow," it's GG. 
    I didn't always post long chapters. My early stories have much shorter chapters, and some of my readers complained, so I started to post longer chapters. In the quiet of the night, story ideas come to me. If I like the idea when I wake up, I make a note and developed it. The next story when I have concluded Arrow is already being thought about.
     
    You started posting on GA in 2020. Were you writing before? If so, when did you start? If not, damn, that's a lot of writing! How do you find the time?
    I have stories posted on a website in England but I reposted those stories on GA in my early days. My first book is on Amazon. Now I post exclusively on GA. As a question of having time, that is all I have. 
      
    If you had to collab with another author on GA, who would it be?
    I don't know who I would co-author with. it would have to be someone with whom I would have something in common. 
     
    Do you still read a lot of stories on GA? Or mostly just writing
    I do read a lot and not all stories. I also have favorite authors on GA but i select more by title. Stories mean more than the author. in the last few years, I have done more writing than reading. Writing is therapeutic for me.
     
    • • • • •
    Thanks for the interview, CLJobe! Don't forget to click the link in their name to check out their stories. 
    Hope y'all enjoy your month of June! I'm off to see if I can fit inside my refrigerator.
  12. astone2292

    Ask An Author 3.0 #26

    By astone2292,


    Author Interviews
    March. March! March!!! I doubt I'll be kicking off the month of March for GA like this any time soon, so let's do it in a fun and exciting way. I didn't have any questions via PM, so I had to put my workboots on and find some content. Fortunately, I didn't have to look far. With a slightly different format, I asked some wonderful questions for one of the site's exciting authors. This guy has one of my favorite stories of all time, and I revisit it frequently. Asking these questions brought much joy, so I hope y'all can feel my enthusiasm through your screen. 
    So, different format! I wanted to ask the author questions, but not about specific pieces. I needed to know what makes them tick. Without further ado, I had the pleasure of chatting with the author of GA's hit shapeshifter story Running with the Pack, @WolfM!
    • • • • •

    WolfM
    8 Stories / 552,394 Words 
     
    What was your inspiration to start writing? Has it changed since then, and if so, how?
    I started writing as a way to escape into my imagination while living on the streets as a teenager. A pen or pencil, a notepad I found or managed to buy were a luxury that allowed me to try and build on fantasy worlds that were far away from where I was. Variations of what eventually became Running with the Pack started that way. I’d read them, add to them, and occasionally share them with others I interacted with until my backpack would inevitably get soaked in a rain storm and I’d have to start over.
    My inspiration has definitely changed over time and it’s now the fulfillment of an idea. A character catching my attention in a dream and asking to have his story told is how a couple of my books took shape. In the case of Embers, a test chapter, my husband pushing, and suggestions from a wonderful man who has taught me more than a college writing instructor ever did was all the inspiration I needed. Yes, Daddy Carlos, I’m talking about you.
     
    What drives you as an author? 
    I’d say my primary drive is the desire to bring my characters to life in a way that’s relatable to others. I enjoy the challenge of creating a compelling story people want to take the time to read. I also want to improve my skills in this hobby I’ve taken up. Thinking I’d done a good job when I originally posted Running, only to finally agree to work with an editor and see how badly written it was, regardless of its popularity has taught me to accept help from others. I can’t thank Carlos Hazday enough for asking to work with me. There’s also the joy of finishing a book and feeling happy with its outcome, even before it gets shared with others.
      
    Name a genre/subgenre you have always wanted to write in but haven't, and why.
    Readers of my books will undoubtedly notice quotes or references to sci-fi series like Star Trek, Babylon 5, and even Dune. I’d love to write something in that genre, but the right idea hasn’t sparked yet. Robotic were-creatures just don’t seem right. Who knows, maybe my characters will take to space one day.
     
    Which of your posted works are you most proud of? Which would you like for readers to look at more?
    My two lowest-read submissions are both autobiographical. I’m proud of Alone in the Night since it was the first one I truly finished. It’s a subject matter most people would rather not thank about, teen homelessness. I wrote about the period of my life starting with getting thrown out into to streets at sixteen and surviving until I was living indoors again. This was a somewhat, possibly heavily, sugarcoated attempt to convey what I experienced. Its follow-up, Memories of a Street Rat is as the title states, memories of specific events while living on the streets. The chapters are harsher and describe the violence people like me were subjected to. It has a couple of happy memories too. I understand why they’re overlooked since it isn’t a happy read. People who’ve left reviews seem to feel they should be read.
    Aside from being proud of the two I mentioned, I’ve got to include Embers from the Running with the Pack series as well since I was able to take my experience of fighting the 2019/2020 fires in Australia and turn it into my second-most popular book in the series. The fact I pulled it off with it being about the people and the fire as just a backdrop worked well. I feared it would instead read like a technical manual when I started it, so yeah I’m proud of it.
     
     
    Would you care to tell GA what some of your works-in-progress are, or some ideas that have been in the back of your mind?
    LOL. Okay, now that I’ve got that out of my system. When I comment on a chapter, I’m careful not to give hints to what’s coming next. With that stated, I’ll politely sidestep the question of ideas floating around my mind. Besides, I could get lost in there and never manage to finish this interview.
    I’ve got several works in progress. The fact they’ve been sitting in that status since I finished Running with the Pack and before I started what became the second book in the series, I’m not sure they’ll ever see the light of day. Both have been languishing for close to seven years with probably five or six chapters each. If they get resurrected, I’d have to start from scratch since they both jump in and out of first and third person. They were done before I met Carlos, so I can easily say what I’ve got is very badly written. Lol.
    • • • • •
    Thank you, @WolfM! It was an absolute delight to read your responses. Everyone, sound off in the comments if you've enjoyed Wolf's stories. 
    As usual, I'm always looking for questions to keep Ask An Author alive and kicking. Send me a PM with three or so questions about a story you've read or are currently reading, and we'll feature the author. This is an exciting way to learn more about the Gay Authors community and what inspires our authors to write. As of now, there's no articles in the piggy bank. If this trend continues, it may cause the blog to be replaced, or even vanish. Check out some of the other AAAs and see what kind of questions are being asked, then take a gander at what you're reading. 
    See y'all next month!
  13. astone2292

    Ask An Author 3.0 #28

    By astone2292,


    Author Interviews
    For the NSYNC fans out there, I hope y'all had a merry transition from April to May.

    As with a new month, Ask An Author comes to showcase a deserving author. An anonymous reader sent me a list of questions for @Laura S. Fox. Let's see how she responded.
    • • • • •

    Laura S. Fox

    13 Stories / 1,588,251 Words 
     
    How long have you been writing gay-themed fiction and what got you started?
    I have been writing this type of story for as long as 16 years if I'm counting correctly. It was a long time I did that before I reached GA in 2017. 
    It all started with fanfiction, actually. I don't know if the term is much in use now, but back in those days, they called it 'slash', that was when various male characters in TV shows, anime series, and so on, were being paired by the imagination of various fanfiction writers. I'd consumed quite a bit of fanfiction written in various fandoms before I got gutsy enough to write some of my own.
    It took me some years to start writing original fiction, and that happened when I discovered that M/M romance was a big thing on Amazon. 
     
    What brought you to Gay Authors?
    Since I began writing original fiction and wanted to bring it under the eyes of an audience - something that happened with little success for many years - I began searching for platforms where I could publish my stories so that people could read it. If I remember well, it was because of a Google search that I ended up here.
      
    What have you enjoyed the most about your GA experience?
    What GA has and many other places on the Internet today don't is a strong, amazing community. I'm not using big words just for the fun of doing so. There aren't that many platforms where you can publish this type of story and experience great feedback. I know it for a fact since I publish my works on many different platforms. I won't mention other sites, but let's just say that there are platforms with a much larger audience where thousands of views only bring a measly comment or two on each chapter, not to mention the negativity that sometimes stems from the fact that people are not required to sign up and leave a comment or a review under at least an alias. 
    To put it simply, GA is a lot more troll-proof than a lot of places on the net these days, and that's really great.
     
    What ONE story or series have you read on GA you may want to read again?
    I think that the one story I loved the most was lomax61's Gay Vacation Companion, but I'm not sure it is still on the site. It gave a fresh and natural perspective on a relationship that developed to circumstances that weren't supposed to lead to that
     
    • • • • •
    Thanks for the interview, Laura! Don't forget to click the link in her name to check out her stories. 
    Hope y'all enjoy your month of May! 
  14. astone2292

    Ask An Author 3.0 #27

    By astone2292,


    Author Interviews
    If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? 
    Pilgrims. 
    No? Bad dad joke? I thought it was hilarious. 
    A big thank you to the anonymous members of our community that BOMBARDED me with questions. Holy smokes... My inbox went from 29% full to 36%. Y'all are insane, and I love it. I have a pile of questions and responses to last me until October-ish. Maybe December. Regardless, I appreciate the site's involvement. 
    Let's get down to business. Now, it may seem like I'm playing favorites, and I would never do such a thing.  Coming from GA's purple-people-eaters, this month's interview was with one of my fellow Promising Authors. To further combat my "alleged" favoritism, it's a simple coincidence the story mentions Kentucky. Just because I'm in the Bluegrass State doesn't mean I can't help what stories come into my inbox. Anyway, let's look at some responses from @Wayne Gray about his story, "Engineer Benson."
    • • • • •

    Engineer Benson
    Wayne Gray
    Story Status: In Progress / Rating: Mature 
     
    How do you find a writing a story were everything is really experienced by the reader as if they are reading the journal of the title character; was this easier or harder than writing in another style?
    Writing from the perspective of a journal is a challenge. It's a version of the first-person subjective PoV (Point of View), and the limits it places on me as a writer are what make it enjoyable. We depend on Wayne (and Mark) to tell us what's happening. Just as with anything subjective, their perspectives are somewhat unreliable. How unreliable, we don't know right away, and maybe we will never know. That's simply a part of it. The reader has to accept what is given by these flawed people as the only version of the truth they have access to. Frankly, I love that. And I'm not going on about it because I plan to totally pull one over on the reader due to this flaw. It simply adds a new dimension - we only know what the person writing does. And we only know what the person writing is consciously willing to admit and document. That's a long way to say - it's harder than my typical third-person PoV stories, but I enjoy the challenge.
     
    Do you find writing about this type of dystopian world easier or harder based on the popularity of the genre, ie. The Walking Dead, etc...
    Oh, good question. It's one that's pertinent to the break I took writing the story. Early in writing this tale, I began watching The Last of Us. And a plot point integral to that story surfaced, which made me have to completely rewrite a big chunk of my tale. My outline mirrored The Last of Us so closely I'm sure someone would have believed I lifted material from it. I didn't, but it was just too close to be a coincidence in the discerning reader's head. So yes. Absolutely, in this case, it made things far harder. The more I watch the show, the more I'm convinced The Last of Us creators were inspired by Project Zomboid (PZ). PZ has been going for over a decade now and is rich with lore, so it wouldn't surprise me. That's the game that inspired Engineer Benson in the first place, so I guess I'm in good company.
      
    *** Warning***
    You are entering spoiler territory. As requested by the author, this statements acts as a warning.
    How hard was it writing the chapter about Pamela and her choosing to sacrifice herself in order to try and help Wayne and Mark?  Was her character based on someone from your own life, or just your creation?
    Ah, Pamela. That was a hard scene and chapter. Pamela was entirely a creation to show the horror of the setting. Things are "not good," and that was a way to show it in a rather direct fashion. I also wanted to show that there's still bravery in the world. In spite of everything, there are people who are trying to do what's right.
    Thanks for asking about my little story. I certainly appreciate your interest.
     
    • • • • •
    Thanks, Wayne! It was a pleasure interviewing you. #goteampurple 
    With a line of questions and responses, I have plenty of content for y'all for the next several months. But I'll never turn down more questions. If you have 3 questions for an author about any story they've written, send them my way. I'll do my best TMZ reporter impersonation and get your answers. 
    Have fun, pilgrims!
  15. astone2292

    Ask An Author 3.0 #20

    By astone2292,


    Author Interviews
    Are you ready for the best intro to an Ask An Author article? I certainly am! Honestly, it could be a great title to the series we're featuring this month. 
    "Ask An Author, Charlie Boone!" 
    That's right! We got a set of questions for @Geron Kees's wonderful series, Charlie Boone. Even if you haven't read any of the stories, you've probably seen the titles in the Story Archives. With twenty completed stories, I'm sure it was difficult for our anonymous reader to only ask four questions. Let's get right to it!
    • • • • •

    Charlie Boone
    Geron Kees
    20 Stories / 760,120 Words / Rating: Mature
     
    When you started the series back in 2016, did you expect to still be writing the series 6 years later?
    I never had an inkling that there would ever be more than one Charlie Boone tale. The first one was just a stab at a Halloween tale, and the title was an obvious parody of another writer's title. That first tale had no supernatural, fantasy, or science fiction elements to it. The response was better than I expected, and several readers mentioned the possibility of a story for Christmas. So I decided to do another. That first Christmas tale was the one where Max was introduced, and the fantasy element entered the story line. The treatment of the title was repeated, sort of, and has become the standard for the series.
     
    Do you find it easy to come up with new adventures, for whichever holiday?
    I actually don't have trouble thinking up plots for new stories. I'm a lifelong reader, and that sort of develops a melting pot of ideas inside. I never plot out any of these tales first. I start with the germ of an idea for a new story centered on the holiday, and then just go from there. The stories tend to write themselves as I go along. I know some writers create outlines and plot their stories in great detail before they ever sit to write. I tend to wing it, research things as I move along, and wake up in the mornings with new ideas. Seems to work, more or less!
      
    Did you envisage Charlie and Kip having such a large group of friends, and is it easy to keep track of them all?
    Um....no. I never imagined Charlie and his immediate friends getting to know so many others. But new characters popped up as the series progressed, and many somehow managed to find fans that wanted to see more of them. The character list is so large now that I can't include everyone in each story without pulling my hair out. So I try to rotate among them from one story to the next so everyone gets a turn to adventure a little with the guys. And yes, I do have trouble keeping track of each character's specifics now, as all of them have developed and changed over time. I have to keep notes, definitely. Remembering to update them is the hard part!
     
    Do you have more adventures planned for Charlie Boone and friends?
    After spending so much time with Charlie and the gang, they've become friends of mine, too. I really have no desire to let them go, though I have had to make concessions to time. With the holiday theme of each tale, I pretty much have to drop whatever I'm doing as a holiday approaches in order to write a new CB tale. This has seriously interfered with efforts to write other stories, and I had to drop the Valentine's Day-themed Charlie Boone tale as a result. I plan to keep with the series as long as readers read them. But the holiday themes may have to become less a part of the story, so that I can write these in between other tales. But I'll have to see how it goes!
    I also have plans to add some stories to the series that revolve around some of Charlie's friends, but may not include the regular group of main characters. All the characters in the series have lives that go on when they are not with Charlie, Kip, and the others, and it seems like a fun idea to maybe write a few tales about them as they move through their own days. Stay tuned!
    • • • • •
    And there you have it. I hope these questions and answers encourages y'all to go reading. If you like Ask An Author and the insight the authors provide, send me three or so questions for your favorite story. I'll go knock on the author's door with my little notepad and jot down their responses. 
    Don't think I forgot how much fun everyone had when I gave the asking power to the comment section. Let's have some fun. For the fans of the Charlie Boone series, if y'all have any questions of your own, drop 'em in the comments. Just don't go hog-wild; one question per person. We don't want to overload @Geron Kees, do we? 
    Until next month. 
  16. astone2292

    Ask An Author 3.0 #25

    By astone2292,


    Author Interviews
    I hope everyone likes contagious things, because I got a smile on my face. While I'm comfortable with my "resting retail" face, I figured I could put on a genuine one for today's sake. This month's edition of Ask An Author features one of GA's favorite authors, and is easily one of the kindest people on the site. Honestly, I've never seen the guy in any sort of negative mood. If I'm being even more honest, I firmly believe he's an actual horse that has learned to write stories on a comically large keyboard. Coming from GA's Signature Author pool, we have some questions for @Headstall!
    • • • • •

    Headstall
    38 Stories / 1,093,410 Words 
     
    Your stories cover many genres.  How difficult is it to write in a new genre, and what problems do you face as the author? 
    It's true I have tried a number of genres, but writing is writing, and there are challenges to any new work. I don't see those as problems, though, just parts to examine, play with, and work through. Still, tackling a new genre does instill a certain amount of fear in me. My shifter story, "Morningstar: The Malaise", for example, terrified me at the start. I felt truly out of my element, but my muse said otherwise. I'd never written a mystery before, never mind a shifter story, and this one was intricate. Hence, I had a real fear of failure, and that I would make a mistake and giver something away before the right time. It truly was a weaving process, right from the first chapter. In retrospect, I can say I thrived on the challenge, immersing myself totally in this new world I created. It gave me a lot of confidence, and I believe it remains my crowning achievement as a writer.
     
    You create authentic dialogue, settings and behaviors true to the time and place.  Can you describe how you do this difficult task?
    Thank you for thinking so. I guess the simple answer is research. I research everything... even names. It is time consuming, but happens to be something I can enjoy. I go down some rabbit holes, but that can often give me ideas for future stories. I think the most research I have ever done was on the "Sidewinder" series. It was definitely a challenge to find a dialect and rhythm I was happy with, but I'm satisfied with what I came up with. In fact, I think in that dialect sometimes. 
    I give a lot of thought to settings. We all like to dream, and reading is a time we can do that, so I like to put readers into a place they can see themselves, but somewhere they might never have been before. How could anyone not like the magic of Larkspur and Red Apple Farm in "Sidewinder", or the charm and character of Cloud Nine Manor in "Cards on the Table"... or the hidden valley Wiley and Cooper find themselves in "Finding Refuge"? Or Grandma's crafted house on the river in "Gone Fishing"? Or what about the barn where Caleb and Dalton meet again in "Big Boy Pants", or Eagle's Nest bluff in "Morningstar: The Malaise"... or Kellar's rescued cabin? My point is, these places, only some of many, are like characters in their own right, enriching our escapes as we turn the pages. The stories would be far less without them.
    As far as behaviors, it is a good question. My pet peeve as a reader is when characters do one-eighties, and become something different from what I invested myself in. I mean, they can change, certainly, but the author has to do a thorough job of making us understand why... otherwise, I am out. That doesn't mean I am not a patient reader, because I am. For my own writing, I make sure what my characters do make sense, even if we don't understand their actions right away. There is a fine line there. In one of my stories, "Endings", there is a character we don't really understand, but he is that way from the beginning. There is a slow reveal until we can finally see why he is who he is, and that was a fine line I had to get exactly right. Did I? I believe so, because of how the many readers responded. 
      
    You took some time off from writing recently. What prompted you to start writing again?  Here I am asking about the influence of reader comments, reviews, friends, and challenges such as the anthology this year.
    I have had some roadblocks in the past few years that affected my production, that is true. It was a huge deal when I tore three ligaments/tendons in my shoulder. I had a year wait for surgery, and then a hard year of rehab. It meant I had to type with one hand that whole time, and even capitalizing was almost impossible. But, I got through it.
    Then came the pandemic, and like so many, I found myself rudderless, and lost any desire to write. What prompted me out of that? I definitely have to thank "Sidewinder" for it. After many attempts to finish up a half written story to no avail, "Sidewinder" came out of the blue (no pun intended... readers will understand ) and took hold. It ignited a passion in me, I think because I have always loved westerns and had wanted to write a multi chapter one ever since writing "Finding Refuge". It coalesced in my mind rather quickly, and then the research began. 
    It was fun to write again, and thus I continued on with "Larkspur: A Sidewinder Tale", a sequel that was asked for. But, the pandemic was far-reaching, and I hit my most recent slump. And it is true the latest anthology got me fired up again, and I produced three works for it. Reader comments and reviews can inspire me for sure, but the fact is, and one I have come to accept, is that writing can be very hard work and I cannot force it. I have to be patient where my muse is concerned. Definitely, support from my friends really helps as well, but I have to wait for that perfect storm to arrive.
     
    In your own opinion which of your characters is your favorite? Most vile? Most lovable? Most humorous?  Briefly describe how you develop characters, please.
    Most favorite character? Oh, boy. That is a hard question because my characters are my children. I'll give it a try. My first characters were Michael and Kendall of "Cards on the Table", so I will say they rank up there, but how can I ignore Kellar and Tobyn from "Morningstar: The Malaise"? And Boone and Coy from "Sidewinder"? Oh, and Jared from "Treading Water"? That guy broke my heart. And then there is Wyatt Burnham who bent but never broke... and Mitch Willard and Will Merrick... and Chase and Hank... and Dawson. See what you've done to me? This part of the question isn't just hard... it is impossible... because I have created so many different characters who still live in my head and heart. Jeremy from "Cards on the Table" just came to mind, as did Maurice and David from "The Watcher" series. Yeah, I can't choose.
    Most vile is easier. I would have to say Candy from "Cards on the Table". Oh wait. Carly from "Treading water" might be worse, and I think there are readers who would say Kevin from "Endings" or Ian from "Song and Dance", but I personally don't think they were vile no matter how unpopular they were... just needy and foolish. That brings to mind Perry's appearance at the "Amarok Hotel" in "Endings". He was more of a douche, though. Wait again. I think I've got it! The sidewinder himself, Will Diamond, was the most vile. Oh, but then there was the Reznicks from "Morningstar"... hard to top how evil those two were.  And Lucas from "Boundaries: An Old West Tale" probably deserves a mention. I give up.
    Most humorous? I've got to get it together, so I will say Mrs. B from "Cards on the Table", although Big Mike from the same story had some wonderful zingers, and Michael and Kendall's banter would keep me chuckling for days after writing it. 
    Most lovable? Again you make it hard, but I am going to go off the board for this one. I could say Mrs. B. because I have a soft spot for characters who make me think of my mom, but I am going to say old man Corker from "Sidewinder". There was something about that guy... what horrors he has endured, and yet he has this irrepressible spirit and joy that leapt off the pages for me. Finding him was like discovering gold.
    Briefly describe how I develop characters? I had to laugh at the 'Briefly'. Briefly speaking is not my forte.  I guess the simplest way to say it is they develop themselves. They come into my brain, and I get to know them. I play scenarios with them over and over in my mind before they make it to the page, and that helps me figure them out. Of course there are exceptions who appear as I write and I just go with it. Honestly, I don't know where these characters come from. I've always had this incredible imagination, though, so maybe that is where they live, and they come out to meet me when I need them. I will say one more thing. Characters are the easiest part of writing for me... they become real rather quickly, and I consider that a blessing. 
    Thanks for the thought provoking questions. I tried my best to answer them all, but you made it hard, and I appreciate that. Writing has taught me I like a challenge. Cheers! Gary....
    • • • • •
    I loved reading "Sidewinder" and "Morningstar." They're in my favorites folder when I need a pick-me-up. Thank you for answering these questions, Gary!
    Well, that'll do it for this month. As for March, I'm afraid I'll have to go searching under some rocks. The AAA piggy bank is dry once again! Don't forget to submit 3 questions to me via private message.
    Let's get specific, folks. I'm challenging you to focus on a singular story. I know y'all can do it. You were probably in the middle of reading a GA story before you stopped to read this. Ask questions that forces the author to think. Get them to open up about the nitty-gritty details that made their work shine! Pick these authors' brains, people. 
    Toodles!
  17. astone2292

    Ask An Author 3.0 #24

    By astone2292,


    Author Interviews
    Many thanks for @wildone for covering for me last month. I didn't want anyone to think I had a big head to write the article where I answer Ask An Author questions. Speaking of big heads...
    Oh dear. Gay Authors community, I can confidently say none of you are ready for this month's edition of AAA. I know I've said that in a previous article, but this time, the seams might actually rip with this one. This is, without a doubt, the most difficult edition of Ask An Author 3.0 I have ever written. Everyone tighten your shoelaces, buckle your seat belts, and get your giggle-boxes ready. If you are in a public space with people passing by, prepare to have everyone look at you as if you're a lunatic. 
    Once again, the AAA rule book has been chucked out the window. It's not a series. It's not an admin or moderator. Nope... I had to interview two troublemakers authors at the same time. But not just any two authors. For some strange reason, an anonymous member of our community tasked me with moderating babysitting interviewing two ladies with the power to generate comment counts on an astronomical scale. Together, with their powers of coconut and mango habanero whiskey, they're a reckoning force. If you haven't already guessed who I'm referring to, I had the pleasure of chatting with @kbois and @Mrsgnomie.
    ***
    Before I get to the good stuff, a few quotes from them before the interview began:
    kbois (after Aaron sent the questions): So help me if this is @weinerdog...
    Mrsgnomie: Love this!
    kbois: Only 3 of us on the thread. No need to suck up. 
    astone2292: Just a fair warning, I might use anything you say here. 
    Mrsgnomie: I’m gonna come out smelling like a rose 🌹 
    astone2292: I think it might be best for me to act as a moderator, asking one question at a time. Let's focus on the first question. 
    Mrsgnomie: I can’t take you seriously with your profile picture. 
    Here are the questions for our authors:
    What do you feel are the important contributions of the comments to the stories and the readers?
    Mrsgnomie: Feeling connected to the story is one of the best parts of reading a book. Here on GA, not only do you get to feel connected to the story, but you get to connect to the author and the community. It makes it a 3D experience! It fleshes out thoughts and feelings. I’ve seen readers come into the comments feeling one way but by the time they finish, they have more insight and new thoughts!  As an author, being engaged with the readers heightens the experience of sharing. The comments have time and again given me inspiration and helped improve my writing.
    Life without the comments is black and white. I want to live in color. 
    kbois: Puce?
    Comments are an absolute necessity when building a relationship with your readers. Not only do readers provide some amazing insights, but they often have a unique way of looking at something in a way I never considered when writing the story. I enjoy seeing things from a different perspective. It helps me to grow as a writer. The banter and teasing is icing on the cake. The GIFs... well, they speak for themselves. 
    Gnomie wants to live her life with color. I want to live mine with sass and snark. 
    Mrsgnomie: Living life in color is living life with sass and snark. Gah!
    You two are playfully combative and competitive in comments.  Do your readers pick up on it and expand that playfulness to you and other readers? What are the positive results of these playful comments?
    kbois: 
    Playfully combative? Ummmm. Okay?

    Fine. 
    Gnomie and I speak the same language. Being fluent in sarcasm is an advantage that allows us both to connect to our readers on a different level. To me, being able to joke around with someone like we do, it shows that we can have fun and bring about some laughs along the way. It helps keep the readers engaged and involved in the story. 
    Mrsgnomie: Kbois and myself are not the only two people who enjoy having a good time, especially at the other's expense. The banter between us is authentic, and that authenticity has created a culture within our stories and our author realm that's opened the door for readers to join in. I can't speak for GA, but I think the desire behind sites like these is that there is a real community connection, and an authentic community is more than 'likes' and 'story compliments'. It's realism. As real as one can get on the internet. Kbois and I have forged a pretty dang good friendship, and everyone is welcome to have a drink and a seat in our living room. Come one, come all.
    kbois: Awwww.... thanks Boo! I'll bring the whiskey. 
    Mrsgnomie:
     
    Are there any negative consequences? How do you handle/respond to comments that are too close for comfort?  Here I am referring to readers who suggest possible future events and actions in the story.
    Mrsgnomie: Off the top of my head, I don't think there have been any negative consequences. It doesn't matter what you do, there will always be people who don't like what you're offering. As an author, my stories aren't for everyone. Our community isn't for everyone. I don't think our banter or the culture we've cultivated has created anything negative that we wouldn't have gotten regardless. 
    Oh, you want to bring up those readers? The ones that guess the deets too early? How dare they?! Many messages have gone back and forth between Kbois and I when a reader gets a little too smart. I usually ignore the comments or dangle a carrot in a different direction. Kbois gets really worked up about it. She's even edited chapters to try to throw readers off. Psycho. 
    kbois: Psycho? Really? Learned from you.
    Honestly, negative comments are few and far between. Gnomie gets worked up about those. Overanalyzes every decision she's ever made. Me? Whatever. This is one instance where we totally agree. You can't please everyone. There are other authors that I absolutely love their stories and there's more than a few that just aren't my cup of tea. Everyone's tastes are different and that's part of what makes GA such a great platform. 
    Does it bother me when readers hit the nail on the head? Nah. Have I edited a story because of it? Yeah, but not drastically. Am I going to blindside them with something else? No doubt about it. Do I enjoy going off about it in a chat between us? Of course. We've spent hours discussing the ins and outs of our stories and characters. For as much time as they're in our heads, it's so important to get another opinion especially if one of us is stuck on something. I lost count of how many times one of us started a chat with got a minute to bounce?
    How personally important to you are the comments, recommends and review to you as a writer? Here I am not referring to increasing readers, but your personal feelings about your writing.
    kbois: Brutal honesty? I'm wicked insecure about my writing. I know I'll never be the next Stephen King or Nora Roberts and I don't want to be. 
    When readers comment on a story, it's uplifting. It's an affirmation. It's somebody saying "hey, you did good." It makes me want to continue writing, even though doubts always hover over me. The occasional negative feedback I view as a learning opportunity. I think there has only been a couple of occasions where the comments indicated a reader didn't like the story and wasn't continuing. 
    I've had readers comment about flaws in my writing. I've messaged them asking for advice on how to improve. How else am I going to learn?
    I went through my fair share of bullying as a kid. Fourth grade was hell. My brothers often teased me, and it had a negative impact. Self-confidence is something I struggle with even now. 
    Writing allows me to create new worlds. Worlds that allow me to get lost in them for a while. It's a privilege to be able to share them. 
    I look forward to the comments on every chapter I post. Granted, Shadow Effect became Comment Central. I never expected such an overwhelming response. Not only do readers care about the story, they genuinely care about me as a person. I spent two weeks dealing with the aftermath of hurricane Ian and everyone was concerned and understanding. 
    So yeah, comments, reactions, recommendations and reviews are very important in giving me a boost in confidence and the desire to continue writing. 
    Gnomie loves the competitiveness. 🤣🤣
    Mrsgnomie:

    I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for all those things. I don't consider myself a writer. I never enjoyed it growing up. Technically speaking, I'm not any good at it. I wrote my first story because it's what I wanted to read at the time but couldn't find it, so I wrote it. It's the feedback and comments that encouraged me to write a second story. It was the promotion to Signature Author that pushed me to be a better author. It's the amazing community, comments, DM's, recommendations, comments, etc that keep me wanting to write. I wish I could say that I write for the love of it, which I do love it now, but it's not some therapeutic thing I do for myself. I do it because it's well received and people seem to genuinely want more.
    If no one wanted to read my stories, I wouldn't put forth the effort.
    ***
    If YOU have questions about a member of our community and/or their stories, send me a PM! We're looking for articles to promote wonderful works on the site. I got one more in the piggy bank before I'm left with drastic options... 
    Until next month!
  18. astone2292

    Ask An Author 3.0 #19

    By astone2292,


    Author Interviews
    Well, well, well... This silly, overused introduction that sparks an uneasy feeling into weak hearts. Maybe I should add a slow-clap. Ehh, it's also overplayed. Anyway, I must say I'm proud of y'all. My tease of dropping Ask An Author into the fiery pits of Mount Doom encouraged some of you to ask questions. What I did not expect was the surge of comments from last month's altered edition. Some of you even messaged me, asking for more of the comment section-driven pandemonium. Further discussion with the blog-squad is needed, but for now, we have questions! 
    @Tim Hobson joined us back in March 2022, and he's comin' in hot with a trilogy to start his Gay Authors adventure. 
    • • • • •

    Tales Along the Way
    Tim Hobson
    3 Stories / 140,622 Words / Rating: Mature / Status: All Complete
    Tales Along the Way is a series of three novellas loosely inspired by Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The Knight's Tale tells of Lord Henry Sandringham, a British nobleman who is a secret agent for MI6. He is sent to Tehran to rescue the son of the Foreign Minister, who faces a death penalty for being gay. The Priest's Tale follows the struggle of Father Peter Ruxton, a Catholic priest who can no longer toe the party line about gay men being loved by God but forbidden to have intimacy in their lives. The Squire’s Tale introduces us to Keiran Bronson, an 18-year old gay soccer star who goes on a graduation trip to Peru and is kidnapped.
     
    I love the concept of three stories being told by each of three passengers who have just met on a long flight. How did you come up with the concept?
    First, I have to confess that the trilogy was born at a time when I was trying very hard to find a publisher or to self-publish. I had started writing about Lord Henry, and I liked the story that was emerging, but I was finding it impossible to come up with enough material to make it a novel (i.e., in the neighborhood of 100K words). I concluded that the most I could get out of the story was a novella (25-50K words), and I pondered how I could make it “book-length.” I thought of a writing a collection linked together by some common theme, and the vehicle of something along the lines of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales immediately came to mind. Instead of pilgrims on their way to the shrine of St Thomas à Becket, I needed a contemporary and “worldly” reason for travelers to be together for a longer period of time. And that reminded me of the longest flight I have ever been on—from Australia to NYC. I titled the first story in the trilogy, The Knight’s Tale, and that led me to come up with the other two.
     
    Which tale was the hardest to write and why? Which was the easiest?
    As I said in my apologia at the beginning of The Priest’s Tale, I have never been very successful at writing romance. I took online courses, joined a couple of writing groups, and struggled. I hesitated to include Peter’s story at all, but writing it forced me to work hard to come up with a passable romance. I agree it is the weakest of the three stories, but I’m not sorry I tried my hand at the genre. I don’t think I’ll ever do it again—I accept that it’s not my forté.
    The Knight’s Tale was the first story I ever felt was good enough to publish (some of its predecessors were pretty awful). The characters intrigued me, the sexy parts were fun to write, and the adventure in a foreign land (which took a lot of meticulous research to get the details right) were all a real joy, so up to that point I would have said it was easy to write. Then I had to edit the damn thing, and I learned that the hard work only begins when the draft is solid, and you think it’s “almost ready”—not! I spent a lot of my career writing and editing technical articles, and I have to say editing fiction is ten times the work!
    So, I give the prize to The Squire’s Tale. It was a genre I know and love to read, and I went in aware that the editing would be work, but knowing that fact in advance made it seem easier when the time came. And, perhaps, the editing became easier because I self-edited as I wrote, trying not to make the same mistakes I had made constantly in the first two stories (see the next answer for the gory details).
      
    What is the area of writing that you feel you have grown/improved the most?
    I cannot fail to mention the outstanding support of my beta reader / editor @kbois. She came on with Peter’s story, and really set me on the right path. I had trouble with showing versus telling, and her clear examples helped me a lot (I am slightly dyslexic and have to read something dozens of times before I fully understand it—if ever—but a picture or sample breaks through and I get it). Like many writers, my story plays like a movie in my mind, and in a film it’s always clear who’s speaking and when someone else speaks, but words on paper/screen don’t work like that—all of which is to say I had to learn to establish and maintain clear POVs, again with @kbois' help. Finally, I took an online course in writing erotica, and some “rules” were ingrained in me regarding sentence and paragraph length. I know it frustrated @kbois, as evidenced by her insistence that I combine short sentences, which my course instructor had claimed helped accelerate the pace and build excitement. I did so grudgingly at first but now can see the wisdom in her words. Again, this is now something that I consciously self-edit as I write those damn seven-word sentences!
     
    What's next?
    I have to say how thrilled I am to have found GA and been able to write for this audience. I never expected to make money publishing, but I thought it was the only outlet available to me as a writer. Writing for GA, and especially interacting with readers, is pure delight. I’m still new to this, and I plan to stretch my boundaries and go into areas and genres where I’ve never tried to write. By this I mean that I might go silent for a time, while I’m learning what I can and cannot do well (and I don’t intend to post anything that I’m not proud of). However, two new stories are bubbling in my creative cauldron:  one is a second adventure for Lord Henry and his friends, and the other is a gritty, noir crime drama set in San Jose, CA, where the main character (anti-hero?) is a gay police Detective Lieutenant—sort of a gay Columbo with a Joe Friday attitude and the intuition of Adrian Monk. 
    • • • • •
    Ooooohh! A gritty, gay noir! Sounds like a lovely read with a glass of bourbon and a cigar. I'll be keeping my eyes open for that. 
    Another Ask An Author in the books, and there's another ready to go for next month. As I said up top, some of y'all were interested in the more public, comment-eccentric edition last month. Don't think it's going unnoticed. The blog staff is paying attention, but while we have a queue of questions for articles, we'll be keeping up with the ongoing format. Once the well dries up, I'll be dangling y'all by your toes over the volcano again.
    Until next month, ta-ta!
  19. astone2292

    Ask An Author 3.0 #22

    By astone2292,


    Author Interviews
    Another month has come and gone. Over here in Kentucky, we're actually getting some autumn weather for once. I'm used to going from intense heat to severe cold within a week. No need to immediately break out the heavy coats. However, I am getting used to coming up with innovative ways to freshen up Ask An Author. No questions came in this past month, so we're switching things up. 
    We're going back to interactive. When we didn't have questions last time, our authors and readers asked and answered a chain of questions with each other. It got a bit chaotic, and as much as I revel in it, let's keep it nice and simple. I'm giving y'all five easy questions, and everyone is welcome to answer them. 
    How do you like your eggs? Scrambled? Over-medium? What is your favorite story on Gay Authors, and why? What brought you to GA? If your life was a book, what would be the title? What is your favorite soup? See? Pretty easy to come up with questions. How about we work on getting 10 responses down in this month's AAA comment section?
    Okay, y'all. In two days, I'll be the resident birthday boy, and I got a short wish list. Aaron wants several sets of three questions. Anyone can ask them, and they can be for any author's story. I'll take anything at this point, people. You don't want to disappoint the birthday boy, now do ya?
  20. astone2292

    Ask An Author 3.0 #21

    By astone2292,


    Author Interviews
    Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on there. That's not the right title, is it? Ask An Author 3.0 #21? Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah! 
    Batman. 
    All jokes aside, there's a good point in my confusion. Is this even legitimate? I need the official AAA rulebook because I'm pretty sure what's about to go down is so off the beaten path. If you haven't already guessed, we don't have questions this month. 
    At least, not for an author. Guess again! It's not an Admin, Author, Promising Author, Signature Author, Classic Author, or even Moderator. Yep! We got ourselves a regular, plain-Jane member in the hot seat today. I gotta say, I'm really excited to have this person featured on Ask An Author. Can we get a round of applause for a familiar face on Gay Authors? Someone roll out the red carpet for @chris191070! 
    • • • • •

    chris191070
    324 Stories Reviewed / 8,315 Comments / Also Known As: Crazy Cat Vamp
     
    With over three hundred story reviews, you're one of the most recognizable readers on GA. If you were stuck on an island with only one GA story, which one would it be? 
    It would be difficult to pick just one story as I have read and reviewed some amazing stories on GA. So I would have to go with a story Series and that would be CJ by @Carlos Hazday, because they have a bit of everything in them. Adventures, Sex, History and Good Food.
     
    Not really a question, but I'm in charge here. Name three stories on your "I'm planning on reading this at some point" list. 
    1) Circumnavigation by @C James 
    2) Still You Want Me by @Mrsgnomie
    3) Anything that Appeals by a New Author - I like to help and support New Authors.
      
    If you could get a sneak peak at one of the in-progress stories and see the ending, which one would it be? 
    1)  Book 3 of The Hybrid Journey Series by @kbois - I know we're only halfway through Book 2. But right from the 1st chapter of Book 1, I have been gripped by this series with its attention to detail and how questions from Book 1 have seamlessly been answered in Book 2, knowing unanswered questions will be answered in Book 3.
    2) The Super Epilogue of The Board Members Series by @Mrsgnomie - We have been left with unanswered questions from Book 2 - Jay's Loelife.
    Thanks for these questions, they were not particularly easy to answer. As I've read some amazing stories in the 5 years I've been a member of GA.
    • • • • •
    Well, wasn't that a breath of fresh air? Thank you @chris191070 for answering these questions. Sometimes I forget it's not just about writing stories on GA, but also reading them. I'm sure I speak for a lot of us when I say we're always excited to see you reading one of our stories, Chris. For that, thank you for being such an awesome member of our community. 
    Y'all know the drill! Give me three questions for a member of Gay Authors, I'll put on a fedora with PRESS written on an attached sticky note, and I'll knock on some doors to find you the answers. Okay, probably not with the fedora. I don't have a great suit to wear one with. Regardless, send in your questions! 
  21. astone2292

    Ask An Author 3.0 #18

    By astone2292,


    Author Interviews
    It's come to this. The scrapings from the bottom of the piggy bank. Jeez, I don't even have a dust bunny to share with y'all. Well... That's it, I guess. Curtain's coming down. We're callin' it a day. No sense in delaying the inevitable. 

    ... Pfft. Nah. I'm invoking "Take Backsies." 

    I can't just throw in the towel. Time to innovate things! It's a few days shy of July, but I think we can have Christmas early this year. Before I go any further, allow me to soapbox a bit. I want to explain why I love writing the articles for Ask an Author. 
    This is one of the blogs that promotes our hard-working authors, but it's special in its own way. You, the readers and members, get to choose which authors are featured on the site. You get to promote the stories that capture your attention every time, even on the forty-seventh re-read. You are given the opportunity to ask questions about your favorite stories. Yeah, sure. You can do that on your own time and dime via a personal message to said author... But sharing is caring! If you're asking about the story, you obviously find it fascinating. Isn't it a fun experience to share a love with your fellow community members? It's like talking to your best friend about an awesome movie you just know they would find equally amazing. 
    Even as the guy that receives the questions, acts like a Jehovah's witness to the intended author, and posts the articles, I have plenty of fun with this. I see the questions before anyone else, and it often leads me to reading new stories by unfamiliar authors. Knowing this, the blog does its job. That's why I ask for further participation. I won't beg, grovel, or whine. If I don't get questions, you don't get articles, and your favorite authors will have to hope for other means to promote their work. No skin off my nose. AAA would just go away. Questions mean views for the people who have earned your attention, and deserve more than that. 
    Hmm? Early Christmas? Right, right. It's not a present, if that's what you were banking on. Nope, just some good cheer and family fun. Like many of our resident members, some of us take part in the forum games. This edition of Ask an Author is taking that spirit and running with it. How about that? An interactive AAA. 
    When you comment, share one of your go-to stories. Include the story title, @-ing its author, and include a single question you have about the story. Please keep the author's last visit timestamp when asking though. If they haven't logged on in a while, your question might go unanswered. If you so happen to have a question tossed your way, play along! Answer the question, then ask one yourself. Let's make an easy and fun goal of 20 comments. Things may get a little chaotic, but that's part of the fun, right? If the trail runs cold, feel free to pick it up and ask a new question.
    I'll kick things off with a question for our most recent AAA interviewee, @kbois. Some of us imagined what it would be like if the devil were gay. What was the inspirational spark for your brilliant short story, Wait. What? The Devil is Gay?
    Now, ask! Ask questions, my pretties!
  22. astone2292

    Ask An Author 3.0 #17

    By astone2292,


    Author Interviews
    Holy crap, I'm late! Well, not late late. I don't think Noah and I are ready for that kind of commitment. Maybe in a few years. Ooooooooooh, if Renee sees how late this is, I'm sure she'd throw something at me. Enough rambling; got's to get right into the interview! We have a wonderful and exciting story by an equally awesome author. @kbois I promise a bottle of your favorite stuff is on the way!
    • • • • •

    Spirit Wolves
    kbois
    27 Chapters / 125,766 Words / Rating: Mature / Status: Complete
    How does a simple, low key life get turned upside down?
    Easy.
    Mix up six shifters, missing pups, three packs, a few bad guys, some messed up family dynamics, and maybe a cliffhanger (or two?) 
    That's how.
     
    What made you want to write about Lycans?
    I've been fascinated with this type of fiction since I was a kid. I got my first library card when I was 5. One of the first books I checked out was The Five Chinese Brothers, which features each brother having a supernatural ability. I honestly don't remember my first shifter story, but I've been hooked on the unconventional ever since. Also, shifters are pretty damn sexy. 

     
    How did you decide to create your own version of this world and was it easy?
    The idea for Spirit Wolves started when I was writing A Tattoo for Lex. Ideas often strike my brain when I walk my dogs at night. That's what happened in this case. It actually started as two separate story lines, Reilly's and Ben’s. For whatever reason, my writing muse made me merge them. Oftentimes it gets weird inside my head, but I'm fortunate that the weirdness occasionally morphs into story ideas. 
    Was it easy? Absolutely not. I got about eight chapters written and then bam! The idea well dried up. So I set it aside for a little over two years. After When Opportunity Knocks wrapped up, I dusted it off and sort of pushed some ideas out there to see what would stick.
      
    How did you come up with the Sentinels, especially as two of them weren't Lycans?
    The Sentinels didn't come about until I revisited the story. I knew I needed a good reason to combine Reilly's story and Ben's. Saving the shifter world seemed to be as good a reason as any. If you're going to save the world you need some superheroes. Ben is the only one not born Lycan and his and Zev’s role will be expanded on later. Which brings us to…..
     
    Do you have any more books planned in this series?
    That would would a most definitive and resounding yes! Spirit Wolves is the first of a three part series. I'm currently finishing up the second story which focuses more on finding the hybrid pups that are missing. Posting is right around the corner. I really think the reason it took me over two years to finish Spirit Wolves is because these other two ideas were inside of me, just not quite ready to come out. Now everything makes more sense to me inside my noggin as I can weave the random ideas into the story plots.
    • • • • •
    Done! Did it! Posted! Auughhh!!! I'll be putting a repeating reminder in my phone to get this done before the deadline for next month's edition. Well, I thank everyone for your patience, especially @kbois's and @Cia's. On another note, we're out of AAA articles! Don't be an Aaron. Send those questions. Promote your favorite authors!
  23. astone2292

    Ask An Author 3.0 #16

    By astone2292,


    Author Interviews
    I swear we just had it! Where did it go? Did it fly away, or whiz past our eyes? Oh, well! April's gone and she won't be back until next year. Now we have May, and what a day to post the next Ask An Author! From this Star Wars fan, May the Fourth be with you. 
    While the featured story may not take place in a galaxy far, far away, we're still treated to a bit of fantasy. Welcoming back @C. Henderson, we'll be trading lightsabers for vampire fangs. Although the story's status says Temporary Hold, I see there's been some recent updates. Sounds like we have an In Progress tale, so let's dive in and generate some up-to-date readers! 
    • • • • •

    Sacrum
    C. Henderson
    35 Chapters / 108,057 Words / Rating: Mature / Status: Temporary Hold
    Dani is a vampire with a special mission. Born in a lab, he has never been human. Kept from society by Vinicius, his mentor, he's naive to the way of the world.
    When his mentor suddenly is taken from him, he's thrust into a new school where he's forced to figure things out on his own while also navigating the desires of his non-beating heart.
     
    This story features your own take on vampires. How did you develop your vampire lore?
    I can’t think of a time when I wasn’t interested in vampires. I distinctly remember watching Gary Oldman as Dracula and being fascinated by him and his powers. I was also intrigued by the duality of vampires – the fact that they were associated with dark forces, but – like the Count – were also capable of loving someone else and potentially being good. However, it never occurred to me to write about anything supernatural until I had some extra free time over quarantine, which is when I rewatched a lot of post-apocalyptic horror films like 28 Days Later and Resident Evil. I also watched Train to Busan, the Underworld movies, and got back into The Walking Dead series. Additionally, I read The Rising and World War Z, and was inspired enough to do my own take on a vampire story. 
    I started Sacrum one night, with a distinct vision of Dani and Vincent in mind. I wanted one to represent the force of good, and the other to have a history of darkness that made it hard to discern whether he could ever be good, or whether his genetics would determine him to be evil. However, the story quickly evolved with many other important characters like Vinicius, Demetrius, Ciprian and the ghost of Dahlia. Without giving the rest of it away, I knew that another important part of the story would be the “Rebirth” movement.
    As for how I developed it all – mostly while thinking about the story in the shower, which is where all my best thoughts seem to occur.  

     
    Sacrum is full of both big and small mysteries. How do you plot them out and keep all your clues and plot threads straight? It's impressive!
    Once I realized that the story was growing rapidly away from what I intentionally had in mind, and that each character had their own mysteries they were battling with, I had to sit down and write a painfully long chapter by chapter outline so that I could remember everything. I also have a general overview of the story, a name cheat sheet, and another document containing random phrases I think of in the shower that I know I want to utilize in the story in some way (usually something Ciprian might say... I have a long list of those). 
      
    Which authors influence you and what mystery/suspense books are your favorite?
    It’s hard for me to name an “influence” because I enjoy a lot of different genres, and the writers I like don’t necessarily influence my own writing style. They are so distinct it would be impossible to mimic them. However, I am currently reading “Nothing But Blackened Teeth” by Cassandra Khaw, and I’m in awe of how poetic she makes everything sound. She's inspired me to work on having a nicer flow to my own writing. 
    As for favorite books, I love a good classic by Hemingway or Faulkner. The Sound and The Fury is probably one of my favorite books. And in the horror/mystery genre I have to go with Bram Stoker’s Dracula. 
    • • • • •
    There's another AAA wrapped up! Thank you so much to @C. Henderson and the anonymous reader who sent questions my way. As always, Ask An Author could always use material for articles. Read a riveting story recently? Think of a few questions, send them to me, and I'll get them ready for posting. All stories and authors are fair game!
    Until next month!
  24. astone2292

    Ask An Author 3.0 #15

    By astone2292,


    Author Interviews
    Ah, the first week of April! A fresh rain. Blooming flowers. The head-jerking reaction you'll have when a bee flies too close to your face. No? Huh. Guess that's just me then! I've never cared for bees, if I'm being honest. The memory of stepping on one barefoot when I was little is forever imprinted in my brain, and I've been careful to never get stung by one again. That, and the husband's allergic. 
    Anyway, on to more important details. It's the first Wednesday of the month, so let's Ask An Author! Coming from @LittleCherryBlossom26, we have Live, Love, Lose. 
    • • • • •

    Live, Love, Lose
    LittleCherryBlossom26
    58 Chapters / 137,372 Words / Rating: Mature / Status: Complete
    April 1940, Denmark.
    Karl Nielsen is a 17-year-old boy who has been helping his parents at the familial farm from an early age on a small island on the west coast of Denmark. However, his life shatters the day when Germans invade Denmark and arrive where they live. His father still manages to send him on a boat for England before the Nazis can take him away.
    In a country he has never been to before, he will have to survive on his own right in the middle of the madness of the war.
    Will he manage to make it through despite all the hardships he will have to face?
    Well, read to find out.
     
    What inspired you to write about WWII and Karl's experience in a foreign country?
    Well, as far as I can remember, I’ve always had a keen interest in history (that was my favourite subject in highschool!) and world wars, especially world war II, are such an important part of our human history, so I thought to myself before starting to write: if I have to write about anything first, it should be historical fiction. All of us have at least or several relatives who took part in these world wars, relatives who were ready to risk what they had to fight for their beliefs and ideals. When I was younger, my grandmother used to tell me and my brother about her childhood during World War II (she was only eight when it started), so this alone contributed a lot to making me write about this period in history. Yet, I’ve chosen to write about a seventeen-year-old Danish boy who found shelter in England, and not about a fictional character living in Occupied France as I could have, or maybe should. Why then? Well, I think this is a facet that had never really been explored before; citizens living in annexed countries like Denmark, their daily life; hence the difficulty to make research about this aspect in particular. So of course, this could only pique my interest (there is also the fact that since highschool I’ve had an earnest interest in Nordic countries as well, though I don’t really know where it comes from; it’s like a magnet pulling me towards their culture and civilisation.) I’ve found this really interesting to explore exile in such a way, finding yourself penniless in a foreign country where you know no one or the language spoken there. How you have to realise you must grow up since you are not safe anymore in your familial environment and have no choice but fend for yourself on your own if you want to survive. Then how family doesn’t necessarily mean you must be tied by blood to consider people as your family. 
    Most war stories I know (when I say this I’m thinking especially about movies) are about war itself, the fighting and its terrible consequences, so I think this is important to be immersed in the civilians’ life who, of course, didn’t meet the same difficulties, hence the second part being more about the fighting to then show the discrepancy between two different visions of war. 

     
    Was it difficult emotionally [to write this story]?
    Yes, of course, it was! Terribly difficult! It was a roller coaster of ups and downs and a real challenge given this was my first story and not the easiest subject to write about! I kept repeating to myself I should have chosen something much lighter to write about, but then in the end I don’t regret writing this story at all. I mean I can be proud that this is my first story ever because despite the many difficulties, it was really worth it!!! 
      
    Since this is your first novel, are you planning to revise it, or leave it as a benchmark to show where you started as a writer?
    Well…This is a very good question! I’ve been hesitating about these two choices for so long now! I mean, as this is my first story ever, this would be interesting to leave it as it is with the minimum editing needed as a benchmark to then show how my writing progresses with the years. Yet a part of me just wants it to be perfect since this is my first story! How contradictory, I know! So I guess I will just need some more time to think about it. Perhaps once I have finished the whole series I might be finally able to decide which is best!  
     
    Overall, how do you feel about the success of your first story? 
    If there is one answer I should provide for this one; I think I simply still can’t really realise it was read and appreciated by lots of people! This just sounds so incredible to me!  
    By the way, never had I thought I would be featured in this blog! So a big thanks to the reader who asked me these questions! I really enjoyed answering them
    Besides, I really want to thank all of my readers once again for all the support and constructive comments. You guys rock!  
    • • • • •
    How exciting! A historical fiction, and it's the author's first story? Awesome job, @LittleCherryBlossom26! This is one genre I don't believe I could write for. While history was one of my preferred subjects in school, I didn't retain enough information to create a plot confidently. Much respect to the historical authors on GA!
    If you enjoyed this edition of Ask An Author 3.0, then listen closely, folks. This was the last submission in the piggy-bank. I'm going to need a few more soon, or the first Wednesday of the month will be dryer than a fart. 
    Take a quick second to think about your favorite story on Gay Authors. Now, take another couple to think about three questions you'd love to ask the author. Then send me a PM with the story title, the author's name, and the three questions. 
    Until next month, have a good'n!
  25. astone2292

    Bah! This Thing's Dusty...

    By astone2292,


    Blogs
    Jesus... I need my Swiffer duster. When was the last time I wrote in this thing? June of last year? Forget the duster; I need a car-parts cleaner.
    Hi! How do blogs work again? 
    ...
    Okay, just went back and read every entry of this thing. Why didn't anyone tell me I was a rambling, little snot with no sense of punctuation? Heck, all I did was complain about my job. 
    Who am I kiddin'? I'll still complain about my job. It's so much fun to vent! But we gotta switch things up a bit, because I don't work third-shift in a grocery store anymore! Thank God! Now I sell booze.
    Oooooooooh wee! Let me tell y'all something. There's nothing more fun than selling someone a bottle of alcohol they've never tried, and then seeing them come back in the next day to get another. Oh, I missed working in a liquor store. I worked in one years ago, and I forgot how fun it was to get someone addicted hooked. It felt amazing to brush the rust off my bartending skills. So many simple recipes came back in an instant: Fireball + RumChata, peanut butter whiskey + blackberry moonshine... 
    And then I remembered 75% of local liquor sales are complete rotgut! Why spend $30 for a 750mL bottle of dang-good bourbon when you can get 1.75L of plywood-water for $16? 
    It almost feels like home to be working in a booze-house again. I rediscovered my love for wine, and that's been a blast!
    And then I remembered this area of Kentucky's wine-culture is very diabetes-inducing. Sweet wines everywhere! Don't misconstrue this; I love a good dessert wine! There's even a ridiculously popular vineyard two hours from me, and they have some absolutely amazing wines. I genuinely forgot how creative these sweet wines can be.
    But this area will have a steak dinner with a cotton-candy flavored wine without a moment of hesitation, and it's a crime against us self-proclaimed snobs! How dare they! Steak dinner means Pinot Noir minimum! Anytime a customer comes in asking for a Cabernet, I almost cry tears of joy and whisper, "You're here? You survived the sweets?"
    Then... I play 20 Questions. 
    Red or White? What branch of wine? What's the occasion? What's it being paired with? What's the price-point? Have you had this? Have you had that? How about this one? Are you sure? Are you really sure about that one? 'Cuz that Chardonnay is going on six years old. You're playing with the devil, gurl. Are you needing a second bottle? Three more? Daaaaang! Did you want to get two more? You'll get 10% off. Would you like a sample of this one? Of course you do, right this way! Would you like some of our homemade cheese spreads? Is this everything you need? Got a corkscrew? Would you like to donate to charity? Credit or debit? Need any help out? The moment the customer leaves the store, I instantly deflate! Just crumple to the floor, making a balloon's tbthhhht sound. 
    Then the bourbon-hounds come marching in, and I grab Sheila's umbrella to use as a cane to hold myself up. If y'all didn't know, there's a Bourbon Boom going on right now. Every one is obsessed with bourbon all of the time, particularly certain brands. I kid you not, we have the same group of people come into the store at 8am sharp every day... just to see if we got certain bourbons in. These aren't even good bourbons either! The hunted product typically runs about $50-70, and these people will do anything to get their fingies (pronounced feen - <hard g> gees) on them. I've been cornered in an aisle by four men, and I usually have no complaint about that, but they were hounding me for the details! Truck shipment times, distribution secrets, who, what, where, when, how, and why can't you make the dang stuff appear from thin air? And if you think that's stressful, my company is so tight-lipped on all this! I say the wrong thing, and I'm instantly terminated! Holy crap! Yes, they take it that seriously! No, it's not actually that forkin' serious! Just grab a bottle of Woodford Reserve and call it a day. 
    Well, I think that's all the work-related stuff. All venting aside, I freaking love my job now! Decent pace, nice lulls in time where I can write, and a set schedule. Lovely!
    How's writing going? I think it's going all right.  <-- Ya see that! Finally! After all these years, someone actually told me I was misspelling that! Alright All right. Hole-Lee-Crap. I am so happy to have met a certain someone on this site who was willing to smack my hands with a red pen. I'm still a long way to go until I'm confident to edit on my own, I've come a very long way. No more cocaine-laced third-person-omniscient. No more forgetting spaces after using an ellipses. Thanks Momma Val and Big Daddy Carlos! 
    I'm currently writing the last book of the In the Shadows trilogy, and my God... I'm restraining myself. There are so many cliffhangers I want to use for so many scenes, and if I used them all, I'm sure the comment section would throw a dang brick! A murder investigation, another investigation involving the EC, a third investigation in New York, two governmental summits, and the big showdown between Vincent and Stefan! *gasp* Water! I need my water bottle!
    When the inspiration presents itself, I've been having fun writing in Rocky Prompts, Tennessee. They've been an absolute hoot to write, particularly Love in the Night and Paranormal Drinks. 
    All right, I'm pooped. Time for bed. I'll make sure I don't forget about this blog again. Might make it a monthly update thingy or something. Might throw in some existential quandaries, who knows!
     
     
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