Trebs

We had a really full week here at our GayAuthors.org News Blog. We started with K.C.'s review of Man of Montana by carringtonrj. As KC mentions, "Man of Montana captivated me right from the beginning or should I say the end? [...] This story starts in an intriguing way by starting with the ending!" Transitions was the theme of our Wacky Wednesday. After a bit of reflection and introspection that focused on the role of social media, I talked about GA's recent efforts to engage the community through various means of social media. We also started a Lounge topic both for social media ideas, as well as a way to offer your help and expertise in making GA a better place. And our special treat - the unveiling of our Fall Anthology entries one day early! Pandora's Box went live on Thursday and already have been a fantastic success. Thank you to all who submitted stories for this anthology and to all of our readers, as well thanks to our anthology team, led by Renee Stevens. So - how was your week? Anthology Announcements: Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster - Due Dec 8th NEW READING In Premium this week: Do Over by dkstories, Book 1 of Do Over Series (reposting) Picked at the Peak by Cia By our Hosted Authors this week: 9.11 by Mark Arbour, Book 13 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP) Arthur in Eblis by David McLeod Flash Fiction - Second Shot - The Senior Year by Andrew_Q_Gordon Odyssey by Mark Arbour, Book 6 of Bridgemont More Than We Bargained For by Bill W Lunch Box by comicfan Statuary by CassieQ Dual Edged Hope by Cia "Waiting Outside The Lines" by Comicality, Book 0 of "Waiting Outside The Lines" Take Flight by Cia 0300 Book 1 by David McLeod By our Promising Authors this week: Under the Sun by Dolores Esteban Apartment 3C by K.C. The Pyxides by andy021278 Pour Me Another by K.C. Guitars 2 by layla Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!

So - I started trying to put some of this in today's News Blog, but it got to be too much info, so splitting off the more personal aspect which involves my birthday this past Saturday. As I said there, birthdays are definitely a time for introspection. I'm now 48 - four full turns on the chinese zodiac (or 4/5ths of one if you count the elemental aspect too). This past year has caused an inordinate amount of introspection - with so many changes, many at times overwhelming. I long for a quiet year, to get out of the cursed chinese "Interesting times". In 2013, I've gotten my lymphoma into remission, had a bone marrow transplant from my sister to try to prevent it from ever coming back, separated from my partner of almost eight years, had the kids go back to living with their mom (which I fully supported), and recently been struggling to get fit enough to go back to work. Throughout this, my viewpoints have changed on many things. I used to hate my birthday. I'd call in sick (or schedule a vacation day) and hide, either at home or on a day trip. This year, I enjoyed it by treating myself to a great concert (saw OneRepublic and Sara Bareilles in Reno). I had splurged and gotten the VIP Meet and Greet package so got to briefly meet the band and get pictures with them. OneRepublic's new album, Native, is fantastic - I haven't stopped listening to it since it came out in March. I love every song on it (but then again, they're one of my favorite bands because I haven't heard a single thing they've done that I haven't loved). I was really happy when as part of their setlist Saturday night, they played the song from the album that I love the most - I Lived. The song is a mantra to living it all, hoping that at the end of your life, you "did it all." Hearing this song on my birthday, after such an ... interesting year - really hits home how things can change, how you never know what's around the corner. Even before my birthday, things have been getting really better. Labor Day weekend, I went camping on the north coast with a new friend who had never seen California's redwoods. We spent six days traveling up and down the coast, just going to places without any real set agenda other than what we came up with on the fly. The scenery was incredible - the redwoods, the coastline, beaches, little shops and towns. We had a fantastic time just exploring, as well as really getting to know one another much better. One limitation on my going back to work has been my stamina, and I had been worried prior to the camping trip that I wouldn't be able to do much. It turns out, that was able to do a lot over those six days and I'm still so thrilled with all the hiking, kayaking and activity I was able to do, without feeling exhausted at anytime and not needing a nap at all. It is too early to be sure, but right now, it looks like I'll be able to go back to work ahead of schedule. So even after a trying time where things simply suck - It can also Get so much Better. You just have to be there and open to enjoy it. To close with another song lyric that has been going through my mind recently, as Another Day from the musical Rent puts it "Forget regret, or life is yours to miss."

As we noted in today's blog post, GayAuthors.org is looking to expand and enhance our social media presence: Please use this thread to give us your thoughts and ideas, or to volunteer to assist in these efforts. Thanks!

This GayAuthors.org News Blog thrives because of our community - so many of the reviews and articles are offered up by our wonderful members. For this week's review, we K.C. asked if he could do a review of one of his favorite stories - not only did we say yes (of course) but were thrilled when we got this great review. I hope you enjoy it, and if you are interested in reviewing a story or offering a Wacky Wednesday article (such as a writing tip or site tip), let me know! Man of Montana by carringtonrj Reviewed by: K.C. Word Count: 71,565 Status: Complete Richard is one of my favorite authors. His views on sexuality might be unconventional, but they are utterly amazing. He brings a fresh twist to every new story he writes. With such a large collection of stories, CarringtonRJ had contributed over 40 stories for GA’s readers to enjoy. When he started posting Man of Montana, I waited with baited breath to get my paws on the finished story. If I didn’t have one of those pesky little things they call a job, I would have finished this story in one sitting. Man of Montana captivated me right from the beginning or should I say right from the end? Richard threw in a major twist right from the start. This story starts in a very intriguing way by starting with the ending! The main character, Chris was born and raised on a ranch in Montana, but he has never connected with country life. He’s always been an outsider amongst his family and everyone in the small town where he grew up. Excelling in school, Chris was sent away to boarding school at an early age. Studying away from the ranch, Chris has found his place in life until one day it’s all turned upside down by a mysterious accident back home. It was his older brother, Jed who excelled in everything to do with the ranch and inherited the family business. After Jed’s sudden death, Chris comes home to run the ranch and quickly finds himself in a world he doesn’t belong. There are secrets in this small country town that Chris can’t put his finger on. From Jed’s unexplained death and Chris’s mother’s strange behavior when he returns home, to the strong, silent, sexy ranch hand named, Carson that turns out to be Chris’s biggest mystery yet. The story starts with a climax and suddenly fills with questions. It is a slow and steady build. The characters that Richard created are very believable. They are well rounded, full of mystery and endearingly flawed. Check out Man of Montana for an excellent read.

Heh - FYI the 4 dozen referred to how old I turned on Saturday ;-)

Thanks everyone! And Andy - no worries, I know Wales runs on different clocks ;-) I had a great time and once I rest up, will share details - short version: OneRepublic in Reno with Sara Bareilles!

ANNOUNCEMENT: Tomorrow is the DEADLINE for our Pandora's Box Fall Anthology! ALSO - A reminder that the Anthology team is soliciting theme suggestions for the 2014 Anthologies - deadline September 13th! So we kicked off September with our newest CSR Book Club Selection - Accidents Happen by comicfan! I can't wait for the discussion day on this story (Sept 30) as this is a story I've already read and love. It is a bit longer than the past CSR Book Club selections - but as we have five Monday's in September, everyone will have one extra week to read it. The beginning of the month also means a new Ask An Author - September's installment #8 covers Andy021278, Nephylim and podga. And prompt day Friday - oh my, I can only imagine where this week's two new Prompt Me's will take our writers. One is a Tag prompt called "The Changling" and the other... well - use a list of words and... um, one of the words is "nude statue." Hmm - naw, our bunch won't take these anywhere unexpected, will they? So - how was your week? Anthology Announcements: Fall Anthology: Pandora's Box - Due Sept 8th - ONE DAY AWAY! YES - THIS MEANS YOU - WRITE, WRITE, WRITE :-) Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster - Due Dec 8th NEW READING In Premium this week: Do Over by dkstories, Book 1 of Do Over Series (reposting) Picked at the Peak by Cia By our Hosted Authors this week: Odyssey by Mark Arbour, Book 6 of Bridgemont Arthur in Eblis by David McLeod 9.11 by Mark Arbour, Book 13 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP) In the Arms of an Angel by Nephylim, Book 1 of Wednesday Briefs 0300 Book 1 by David McLeod Recovery by Nephylim Thwarted by Renee Stevens Untouchable by Comicality The Secret Life of Billy Chase 7 by Comicality, Book 7 of The Secret Life of Billy Chase By our Promising Authors this week: Pour Me Another by K.C. Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!! PS - Four dozen... a lot? Not so much? Or at least better than zero... Discuss ;-)

New month, new set of author interviews. Thanks go to the efforts of Dark for his GayAuthors.org News Blog series - Ask An Author. Enjoy! Ask an Author #8 Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors! In AtA #7, we had questions for authors JWolf, K.C., and Mann Ramblings. In AtA #8, we hear from authors andy021278, Nephylim, and podga. For their protection, the members who asked these questions shall remain nameless (unless they choose to reveal themselves). Please note that all author replies are copied as is, spelling errors and grammar eccentricities original to the individual. Today’s first author is andy021278. Aside from being English-challenged, this Brit works behind the scenes here at GA. You’ve probably seen his name on the blog a few times, but that’s not all! No indeed, for Andy’s story A Friend in Need was nominated for Best Anthology of 2012. He also likes to cook (but sadly not clean), reads horror and sci-fi, and is celebrating 15 happy years with his man Brett. Congrats for an amazing year, Andy! Is 2013 treating you well? To andy021278: Tell us about your first-ever story. (How old were you, name, plot, etc.) The first story I ever wrote is one I'm actually rewriting at the moment (45k words and still going), which Wayne (Comicfan) and Rob (Yettie One) are beta reading for me and I should start posting sometime in the summer. It was never actually given a title, nor was it ever properly finished; it was only ever given the working title "The Vampire Murders" and I've never changed it. I started writing it when I was twelve, primarily out of my love of writing but also to see if I could write a story, instead of just essays; I stopped for numerous reasons when I was about fourteen and 30k words in, then I lost the floppy disc with it on and only found it again last year. There are two basic elements to the plot; the first is that there have been a series of murders in London, which on the surface appear vampiric in nature, and the second is an eighth grade class trip to London. The story revolves around the class, the trip, and how four of the eighth graders get dragged into the "supernatural" world of the story. Although I've rewritten large chunks of it, cut bits out, and added new scenes to it, much of the original has survived. I've always thought that it was well written for a twelve year old, but reading back over it some of it really had come from a childish over-active imagination who had seen one too many horror B-movies (hence the need for the rewrites). Since I'm going to be posting it here, I won't give any more away (just in case one or two peeps decide they want to read it). Today’s next author is Hosted Author and fallen angel Nephylim. She is another GA alum who has made forays into the realm of the published author. These days she spends a lot of her time publicizing her work and putting herself out there through weekly flash fiction on her website. Lucky for us, she’s also posting her flash fiction here on GA and the first of those is In the Arms of an Angel, a charming story about what might happen if you -- quite accidentally -- run over an angel? Of course it was an accident! Don’t be silly. To Nephylim: Imagine your life without Silver, your larger than life character from Enigma. What would it be like? A life without Silver? No way! From the moment he was born he's dominated me. He's inspired me to write four books which I've never done before, and to take up painting again. He's inspired others to paint and draw him and he's even got his own twitter identity (@SilverandRiver). Silver is so very real to me and I'm so totally in love with him I can't imagine not having him with me, in my heart. Life without Silver would be empty. Today’s final author, podga, comes to us all the way from Greece. You should know never to play Monopoly with this fella. Podga has read romance stories from his youth. As he grew older, however, he started to realize that there weren’t many stories about guys his own age, so he wrote some! His story All that Matters. has been featured in the blog and with good reason! Try it for a little dose of love at first sight. To podga: The narrators in your stories often seem to have a lot of insecurities and lack of confidence - catharsis or coincidence? Is it catharsis? Yes, in the sense that I try to write about guys and situations that readers can feel a certain familiarity and connection towards, that I hope they find the emotions born between ordinary men during mostly mundane moments absolutely convincing and that, in the end, they come away believing that falling head over heels isn't only reserved for the young (or the ancient of vampiric persuasion). That being said, I don't see my characters as particularly insecure or lacking confidence. They hold down responsible jobs, have friends (if not always the time to spend with them), and are generally content with their lives. Still, they are in their forties. Have they accomplished everything they set out to? If not, is there time to do so? Can they still afford to make mistakes or take wrong turns? Were past decisions necessary compromises or taking the easy way out and settling for less than they could have had? And where the hell have their abs gone? These aren't issues they agonize over day in, day out, but when they, or their friends, experience a disruption or significant event in their lives, questions can, and often do, surface, even if it's only to reaffirm that they've done everything right (I guess that could happen! ) So not coincidence so much as how I think a guy in his mid- to late 40s would react to the disruption of romance and love suddenly entering his life. That’s it for now! For more info on these authors, go check out their stories, post in their forums, and/or catch them in chat! Coming next time: DKstories, FleetingRainbows, and Layla. Want to ask your favorite author a question? Simply PM me (Dark). Until next time! Dark

ANNOUNCEMENT: Congratulations are in order for GayAuthors.org's newest Hosted Author - CassieQ! Can you believe - August is OVAHH - and with it, two-thirds of the year is done. And with the end of the month, this past Monday our Can't Stop Reading bookclub held its discussion day for the August story - Don't Shout by Sasha Distan. Lots of good discussion on the story, and there is a poll for what you want the September CSR story to be - GO VOTE if you haven't yet! Speaking of voting - we've started the process for the 2014 GA Anthology themes. Step one is soliciting suggestions for themes (because how can you vote when we don't have things to vote on yet - heh). Check out the Wednesday blog for more information on the process and how to put in YOUR ideas for anthology themes. Friday - oh Friday, the start of a three (or four or in my case, five) day weekend! And to make it even more perfect, we have two new prompts from our prompt-guru, comicfan. Check out this week's prompts and a delightful response to a previous prompt! So - how was your week? Anthology Announcements: Fall Anthology: Pandora's Box - Due Sept 8th - ONE WEEK AWAY! YES - THIS MEANS YOU - WRITE, WRITE, WRITE :-) Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster - Due Dec 8th NEW READING In Premium this week: Picked at the Peak by Cia By our Hosted Authors this week: Belovéd by Don H Flash Fiction - Second Shot - The Senior Year by Andrew_Q_Gordon In the Arms of an Angel by Nephylim, Book 1 of Wednesday Briefs Take Flight by Cia The Secret Life of Billy Chase 7 by Comicality, Book 7 of The Secret Life of Billy Chase Arthur in Eblis by David McLeod 9.11 by Mark Arbour, Book 13 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP) 0300 Book 1 by David McLeod Odyssey by Mark Arbour, Book 6 of Bridgemont By our Promising Authors this week: Pour Me Another by K.C. GA Writing Prompts by Dolores Esteban Princes of Mir by JMH, Book 2 of The Gods of Mir Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!

More of - yes, but I've read and seen enough info on glaswegian rhyming slang as well...

Wot - no rhyming slang? ;-) Now THAT would make it... um... interesting

Yeah I know it says Trebs but this is actually comicfan. Trebs needed to get this done and set it up before I could, so I am taking it back. Yes August is nearly a memory but the month isn't over yet. I still have time to tempt you with some new prompts. So with no further ado, here they are. Prompt 258 – Creative Tag – First Line “So you decide to tell me that now!” Prompt 259 – Creative Tag – Last Goodbye The tests are conclusive. You have only six months till you go into space on a twenty year mission. It is top secret and you don’t know if you will see any of your family or friends again as this mission is an attempt to save the earth. How do you go about saying your last goodbyes? Last week there were a few takers for the prompts. Totally attempted one of them, and while he didn't strictly adhere to the prompt the story is so worth the read. The original prompt was - It has been years since you have even thought about your first love. However they were on the news today and before you had a chance to find out why there is a knock on your front door. As you answer you find yourself face to face with them. What brought about this encounter? Did it catch your attention? Do you want to read more? The rest of Totally's story can be found by going here - http://www.gayauthors.org/forums/topic/37534-prompt-257-creative/ Want to see the other response to last week's prompt? See it here - http://www.gayauthors.org/forums/topic/37533-prompt-256-creative/ Don't forget there is just over a week for you to finish an entry in the Fall Anthology - Pandora's Box is the theme. Otherwise just remember to read, write, and review. Have a great week everyone. - Wayne

ANNOUNCEMENT: If you hadn't seen the news yet, please help us welcome GayAuthors.org's newest Hosted Author - the one, the only (due to court injunction) - COMICFAN! Congratulations comicfan on your new status! Kids are back in school (or about to be) and I think that helped make Monday's Featured story feel even more relevant - The Paradox of Friendship by InTheMindofSunshine. Joann414 gave us one her fantastic reviews of this tale (which now has a sequel that's started coming out) and many of you related to the story as well. Check it out if you haven't already. Lots of member participation with our Wacky Wednesday item on Meaningless Words with a Purpose - including Sasha explaining what "Nghhhh" means. Hmm - I wonder if comicfan could use some of those words in a future Prompt Me! This week's entry did include a list of words, and also a creative situation that will be fun to read responses to (and we already have some). So - how was your week? Anthology Announcements: Fall Anthology: Pandora's Box - Due Sept 8th - TWO WEEKS AWAY! Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster - Due Dec 8th NEW READING In Premium this week: Incomplete Recollections by Johnathan Colourfield, Book 3 of Summer Premium Anthology By our Hosted Authors this week: 9.11 by Mark Arbour, Book 13 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP) Troll by comicfan 0300 Book 1 by David McLeod Recovery by Nephylim In the Arms of an Angel by Nephylim, Book 1 of Wednesday Briefs Flash Fiction - Second Shot - The Senior Year by Andrew_Q_Gordon Durch Ferne Welten und Zeiten by David McLeod The Secret Life of Billy Chase 7 by Comicality, Book 7 of The Secret Life of Billy Chase Prompt me not, for these are my prompts by comicfan Odyssey by Mark Arbour, Book 6 of Bridgemont By our Promising Authors this week: Roadhouse Reds by layla Pour Me Another by K.C. The Talents of the Fallen by JMH, Book 1 of Fallen Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!

As long as it doesn't devolve into a discussion on politics, it can be either here or a blog. Lounge is for anything almost... I'm not positive about what exactly A.D. is referring to, but I think it more about the timing of the announcement, rather than the announcement itself (ie, "convenient" meaning the timing, rather than Manning being TG).

I saw a Facebook post about a reddit discussion on "Redditors who live in a country with universal healthcare, what is it really like" - from a US posted trying to get an understanding of health care in other countries, ones that do have universal healthcare. I posted a FB reply, but thought I'd share it here since many of you know my recent health history. Some other details - even with decent health care coverage through work, my out of pocket has usually been about $2000 per year, if not more. This year, because I had to get a lot of dental work done (chemo did a lot of damage at the gumline and could not do the bone marrow transplant until all potential decay was taken care of) - I paid $6000 just for that dental care (on top of what my dental plan additionally covered). While I was still with Dan, since he was self-employed, we had him as a spouse on my health and dental plan, and my "cafeteria" payments were a little over $900/month (pre-taxes but still). And then on top of this, in the middle of me fighting the lymphoma and trying to recover, there have been two incidents of the insurance company turning down payments, even though they were pre-approved. They eventually did pay the hospitals, but that was about 20 hours of my life in phone calls and follow-ups, while I was barely able to maintain myself (as in getting up, eating, not constantly curled in a ball on the bed). In addition to the direct benefits of the Affordable Care Act (ie, ACA or Obamacare), such as elimination of denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions, allowance for parents to keep their kids on their insurance until they're 26, elimination of lifetime limits on health benefits, forcing insurance companies to spend at least 80% on actual health care - these are all great, but the act also has some other interesting provisions. One of them, is the new disclosures. My bills now have detailed breakdowns of what the hospital or clinic charged. The US government also has been releasing data on the healthcare costs - one of the many articles about this came out in May showing such things as how two hospitals in Los Angeles, just 12 miles apart - for the same procedure (hip replacement), on hospital charged $297,000 while the other charged $84,000. And based on my own bills, I can see it happening often because no one sees how much the insurance is being charged, so hospitals add on here and there to the bill up to what they think the insurance would cover (whether it happened or not), the insurance company rubber-stamps it, the patient just pays their copay, and everyone wonders why their premiums are going up the next year. One last thing I want to address - the cry of "We can't go universal coverage because the sponges in society will just have health care without working and the rest of us will pay for it." Reality - we're already paying for it, in covering emergency room visits for indigent patients who should have gone to a clinic a week earlier to have a simple round of antibiotics, but are now so sick that they require days of hospitalization. We pay for it when in the food service industry, which typically does not offer health care coverage nor sick time leave - workers are forced to come to work sick and diners go home to spread the cold/flu/whatever to the rest of their families, friends and co-workers. We pay for it when the GDP of this country is stifled because we have people working 60 hours a week, but still in poverty and with no health care coverage, and dying because of not being able to see a doctor about a tooth ache that develops into an abscess and kills them. Reuters reported last year, that it's estimated that 26,000 working-age adults die prematurely in the US each year, due to lack of health insurance. If a terrorist attacked a US city and killed 26,000 people, this country would be mobilized to react instantly and effectively. Yet because of the health insurance and related industries, the lack of universal healthcare in this country kills about that number each year. In California, we're lucky to have a Governor and Legislature who have embraced and moved to implement the ACA - and have already started showing health care savings in this state. Elsewhere such as Florida and Texas, the Governors have put up as many roadblocks and obstacles to implementation, and health care costs continue to rise and citizens continue to suffer. We know how to effectively manage a universal health care system - we've done it for many years for the U.S. Military. Why do we still allow so many to die?

Uh oh... I played Candy Crush on FB when it first came out but stopped playing all of my Facebook games. Didn't know they had a iPhone version.... <shudder> um... maybe I can... no... must resist...

Anyone else playing it? I just picked up the starter set (for PS3) last night, as well as one of the three-figure expansions (Mike/Mrs Incredible/Barbossa) since Toys R Us was having a buy one, get one 50% off sale on Infinity products. I don't see myself ever getting any of the Power Disks - cute (though money-grubbing) concept, and I can see kids trading them but they don't add a ton of value to the game (well - not that I can see so far). Having fun with it, just barely brushed the surface but can see the potential and though a little pricy, seems like it will be worth it in the long run. The graphics are fantastic and so far the game play is fun - not too challenging but not too easy either. I can't wait for a Disney playset and characters like Mickey but the current playsets and characters are a decent first offering. I haven't played with Toybox yet but from reading, like the concept. So - anyone else?

Not everyone knows that GayAuthors.org has a number of sister websites - also operated by CDEJR Web Services Inc for various purposes. One of those sites, fictionstoriesonline.com is the source of today's blog and we thank FSO for allowing us to use it. Meaningless Words With A Purpose What's a meaningless word? How could one have meaning? Well, I'm talking about interjections! What is an interjection really? Well, it's a word that doesn't have any part of speech but is put in a sentence to indicate an emotion. Sometimes they're not really even words, but through their use, they've come to mean something. They can be very useful, though I believe they should be limited to dialogue. Below is a list of frequently used interjections and their commonly held meanings. Feel free to add to this list, as it is by no way complete. Mmm: Indicates thought or sort of a lazy pleasure Mmhmm: Indicates agreement Aha: This indicates triumph or a sudden moment of understanding. Um: Is just a place holder for a pause, but sometimes expresses confusion. Oh: Very versatile. It can express surprise, pain, pleasure, add emphasis to a statement, Oh my god! or could be used to indicate a question with the addition of a question mark, Oh? Hmph: This one is very Scottish sounding, lol. It expresses indignation or annoyance. Ew, Ick, Ack: These all can express disgust. Duh: Expresses disdain to someone who is being dense. Eek: This could be fright or an unpleasant surprise. Bah: Indicates derisive dismissal. Shh: Indicates a need for silence. Aw: This one is also versatile, it can be disappointment or if extended, it could be an expression of sympathy, like awww. BTW - did you know that we're on Facebook too? Give us a "Like" to see updates...

New CJ sighting - not sure who he's having to fight tho

There have been times where I've cajoled and pleaded for someone to write a review - today's review and the next few that we have, are all from readers coming to me and saying "I just read a story that I want to write a review on - can I?" I hope you enjoy this great review by joann414 of Author InTheMindOfSunshine's The Paradox of Friendship! The Paradox of Friendship by InTheMindOfSunshine Reviewed by: joann414 Status: Completed Word Count: 143,832 Many times you read a story and try to figure out how the title pertains to the story. You won't wonder that after reading this fantastic piece of work. All you've got to do is read to get a clear meaning of paradox. I felt like I was in a game of connect the dots for geniuses and I was determined to master the game! Nix is your all-american, athlete, popular, in the click high school boy. Spencer is his opposite He's the invisible, insecure, poor high school nobody. This strange mix of personalities weaves a plot to be reckoned with, the challenge of being able to figure out what's going to happen next and who's going to have to deal with the aftermath that drips down from someone else's actions. After Nix gets between Spencer and two of his homophobic friends, the two become firends. Did I say friends? I meant, they become something. "shrugs" You'll have to make that call when you read it. I found myself confused, intrigued, but desperately seeking answers that seemed to be right in front of me throughout this story., Little,did I know. Nothing is as it seems. Nix has a host of friends, that have friends, that have friends. Yeah, I meant to write that twice. I pieced together, connected dots, and read on to find that once again, I was wrong. It was him,,no, it was him. She's a bitch, but, oh, she had a reason to be a bitch.. What? This girl is harboring a deep, dark secret, and Nix knows. Why doesn't her boyfriend? What happened that night, and who caused who to get killed? Wow, what an unholy mess! Yep, I just sent you a jumbled, figure it out yourself when you read it. If you do choose to read, you'll thank me for recommending it. I started reading it and couldn't stop. Forty-two chapters of homophobia, mystery, bdsm,rape, and friendships bleeding into friendships that you would've never guessed was friendships. Or, was it just a paradox? The title says it all. Let me throw one more thing out here. There's some pretty heavy stuff in some chapters, and a few of the reviewers slapped the authors hands, unjustly. The warning is there at the beginning of the chapters. Read the warnings before reading if you're easily offended. It's there for all to see. This is a great read to fall into on a quiet weekend when you've got a lot of time on your hands and a clear mind. I'll be re-reading it again on a long winter's day, because mystery is great in the dark of winter.

The magic letter for the week is "c" - as in Cia and comicfan! We started off with a wonderful review by joann414 of Cia's newest complete story: Burden of Secrets. As joann says about the story, "I was enthralled with the story from the get go. Cia writes in a way that always makes me take sides when it comes to her characters". For Wednesday, we had a great blog article on "Leaving Reviews" - that I basically stole borrowed from comicfan. Based on the comments, looks like it was a great choice for our GA News Blog - thanks again comicfan. And Friday was a double-c day - we had our intriguing Writing Prompts from comicfan as well as great wishes on Cia's birthday. So - how was your week? Anthology Announcements: Fall Anthology: Pandora's Box - Due Sept 8th - THREE WEEKS AWAY! Winter Anthology: Recipe for Disaster - Due Dec 8th NEW READING In Premium this week: Picked the the Peak by Cia By our Hosted Authors this week: 0300 Book 1 by David McLeod In the Arms of an Angel by Nephylim, Book 1 of Wednesday Briefs Thwarted by Renee Stevens Arthur in Eblis by David McLeod 9.11 by Mark Arbour, Book 13 of Chronicles of An Academic Predator (CAP) Odyssey by Mark Arbour, Book 6 of Bridgemont Durch Ferne Welten und Zeiten by David McLeod Recovery by Nephylim By our Promising Authors this week: The Talents of the Fallen by JMH, Book 1 of Fallen Prompt me not, for these are my prompts by comicfan Have a great week everyone! Read, Write, REVIEW!!!

I found one company that seems to offer Visa debit cards, but as most of the page is graphics in Japanese, I can't read it (but found the page via doing a google search for "prepaid Visa debit cards in Japan" - so not sure if this helps, but: http://www.surugabank.co.jp/surugabank/kojin/service/benri/visa_debit/

Wut - you mean, someone actually READS my intro's? ;-)

This is a first - normally we solicit articles or pull up things from the distant past, but for this week's blog article, I was looking around last Thursday and saw a personal blog that comicfan had written. As I read it, I went "Self - this is PERFECT." So after a little cajoling and offers of first-born puppies, I was able to steal borrow his blog to share it with all of you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Leaving Reviews by comicfan I noticed someone had commented on leaving reviews. I've been on both sides of this, reading them and leaving them. I just figured I would note a few things. 1) I love a review. It is nice to know what what people think of the ideas I have in my head. I have had great reviews and bad ones. 2) Bad reviews - I have no problem if someone doesn't like my story. However saying "You suck as a writer," or "Why did you write such crap," really doesn't tell me much, other than feeling it is a personal attack on me. I would rather read, "your characters don't seem real to me" or "people don't talk like you have them doing here." These sort of comments are something I can now focus on and see about fixing. The reviewer is presenting to me what they see as the flaws. Sometimes mistakes happen and by being specific it gives the author something they can go and look at. 3) Good reviews - Every author loves an ego boost. Reading such things as "This is wonderful" or "I love your work" will always make us feel great. However, just like the bad review it doesn't let us know much about what you liked if you leave that out. "I really connected to the mother in this story, she reminds me so much of my own mom," or "I've had times when I felt just like that and those comments have passed through my own head" allow the author to know we are connecting and how with the reader. A favorite line or favorite character that is commented on allows the author to realize where we have succeed and can hopefully do so again in the future. 4) Finding an error. Most authors on the site have a beta and editor. However, even the best of us are still human. If you find something (The author changed Karen to Karren, or misspelled experience in the middle of the story) isn't something to note in a review. A simple note to author goes a long to making the correction and saving the embarrassment for the author and their team. Remember, the review will stay even after the correction will be made. 5) Answering the review. You have taken the time to read and comment on an author's story. You have giddily commented on what you seen, enjoyed, and now wait to hear back on your comment. Yeah, as you have taken the time to write, it is also now on the author to answer those reviews. With a published author, they made their money and may have someone else answering their fan mail. Here the reader is much closer, reading weekly an author's contribution to their tales. Responding to those readers also lets them know you appreciate their time and the kindness they have taken in responding to what you have written. Personally I try not to let any review go more than a day without answering it. I like my readers to know I really am interested in their comments and ideas. It is just a courtesy I try to keep. So those are my ideas and comments on reviews. Might help someone with what they are doing. Anyway, enjoy. Thanks again comicfan for your viewpoint on this - I think it really is helpful. What do you think? Let us know in the comments! - Trebs

In the U.S., you can get prepaid Visa gift cards in grocery stores, where they carry other "gift certificate" cards - is this an option in Japan?