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It's time for the first Ask An Author of 2017! Typically this would have been posted in January, but there were a few hiccups, so you're getting it now. Better late than never! If you have a question that you'd like to ask a specific author, but don't want to do the actual asking, then send your question to Dark! I hope you enjoy this edition of Ask An Author, and a big THANK YOU to Dark for continuing to provide these. Ask an Author #46 Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors! In AtA #45, we heard from authors albertnothlit, Nephylim, Riley Jericho, and skinnydragon. Today in AtA #46 we hear from authors Comicality, Mann Ramblings, Mikiesboy, and Parker Owens. Signature Author and founding member Comicality start us off once again in today’s blog. Comsie has an enviable success, continuing to churn out story after story without fail. He’s more reliable than many cell phones. We’re at over a hundred stories right now, go ahead and ask him what his secret is. Better yet, stop by his forum. Comsie can often be found refusing to give spoilers and discussing plot arcs. His most recent story is Release Me, a story with only 600-ish reviews, quite low by Comsie standards. Perhaps it’s the holiday season or perhaps the zombies, or maybe the teenagers are throwing folks off. You’ll never know unless you give it a try! You know Comsie won’t let you down. To Comicality: Are you planning to offer Cody (#NKIS) a spinoff, a story of his own? Actually, there have been some requests to get a peek into Cody and Sean's relationship from interested readers, as well as the relationship with his sister, Ronnie, and his foster parents who took them in. However, there aren't any big plans for Cody to have a solo series just yet. That's not to say 'never', but I don't have any plans for it so far. Mostly because I'm enjoying having a little bit of mystery to Cody's character right now. As long as everybody gets to see him from an outsider's point of view, I get to reveal little bits and pieces of Cody's personality and his past as he becomes more comfortable, and (dare I say it) a bit more vulnerable about offering it up. I think it makes for good storytelling. But, like I said, I never say never. And folks are definitely interested in seeing a Cody story. So who knows? It might just pop up somewhere out of nowhere. Maybe my muse will put me in a chokehold and tell me to do it some time in the future. Hehehe! Another Signature Author in today’s blog is Mann Ramblings. At 12 stories and half a million words since 2012, Mann has definitely overcome his nerves about posting his thoughts online for everyone to see. Recently, Mann has become a published author and you can check out more of his work on Amazon. He also has something of a wacky sense of humor, for those of you new to his style. His most recent story on GA is the second half of Innocence and Carnality. This is the continuing story of Nathan and Rother, a somewhat historical, somewhat sci-fi tale with that guy we’ve all learned to dislike as more and more of his character has been revealed. What’s next for these two? Before you venture into this one, you’ll definitely want to read Part One first. To Mann Ramblings: What has been your most difficult character or story to write and why? And also, will we see a sequel to So Little Magic? I think Kenrick from So Little Magic Left was one of the hardest because of his complexity. I had to hide his true nature, show his gentile qualities while allowing his sadistic side to surface, and make his obsession with Shawn almost romantic at times even though we know how bad the whole situation could be. On top of all that, I needed him to sound real enough for people to hate and not turn into some caricature or cartoon. He received a nomination for best villain that year, so I feel like I managed it fairly well. One of the things I loved about SLML, (after all the work and frustration when I couldn't touch it for months at a time) was that it felt complete when I typed "The End" and hadn't planned on extending the story. I say that, but I can't say the possibility of a sequel is zero. You never know when inspiration strikes. I still have a lot of love in me for this story. Canadian author Mikiesboy joins us in today’s blog. Although he calls himself a poet, Timmy has several items written in prose now. Much of his work (prose and poetry) is gritty and achingly close to real life, but they’re also wonderful and full of characters you can’t help but love. Take The Pledge, for example. It’s an intriguing twist on the standard vampire-master & servant story. There are so many ways to interpret this story and the dissenting opinions are just as interesting to me as the story itself. You may be familiar with After the Past, a story about how one thing can change a person’s whole life forever. For me it was a real tear-jerker but there’s no denying that Timmy can write a character that sticks with you long after the last word is read. To Mikiesboy: Since you have expressed yourself in both poetry and fiction, have you ever considered or would you ever consider writing a story focused around a poet? Are there any connecting factors between your poetry and your fiction? Ummm, never thought about writing about a story focused around a poet. Interesting idea. I'll mull that over. Are there connecting factors between my poetry and fiction? I'd have to say no, not really. My non-fiction yes, somewhat. Poetry is my way of sorting out my feelings and my world. I suppose I might apply some of that to my fictional characters but it's nothing I plan for. Author Parker Owens makes his blog debut today as we finish things up. Besides posting his stories and poetry, Parker is also posts pictures of his beautiful garden from this past summer. Most people know Parker from his story A to Z. It’s certainly a dark tale; it gets darker and darker and every time you think things couldn’t possibly get worse, something even more awful happens. But eventually rock-bottom is reached and things start to look up for our main character. It’s fascinating to see how Andy views the world and finds his own way to happiness. Most recently there’s Predator Prey, a story that I think is even darker than A to Z. At this point in the story, it’s hard to see where things are going but Parker keeps a lively discussion going in the forums. I’m still hoping for a happily ever after, but I’m also the kind of person who can’t help but root for the anti-hero. I’m looking forward to seeing what else Parker has in store for us. To Parker Owens: One of the things I pick up on when reading your stories and poems, is your love for math and science. What got you interested in these subjects in the first place? It's funny to get this question because I came to love math and science much later in life than many do. I was not a particularly good math or science student in grade school or high school. College and university changed that; I had one extraordinarily gifted math professor in a calculus course I had to take as a required general education credit. He showed those of us in the 8:00 AM class that mathematics was both interesting and comprehensible to mere mortals like ourselves. He gave me the confidence to try for a math teaching job. My transformation into a math nerd soon followed. I find that simple, genuine encouragement is often the spark that ignites the fires of creativity and intelligence. This is one reason I find GA to be such a wonderful community, as I have found the same degree of welcome and encouragement to exist here. Because it’s the perfect tie-in for today’s blog, I have a bonus for you: another question for Parker! You have graced us with some wonderful stories. But in a few, there have been brutally long and brutally describe periods before the protagonist is saved or redeemed. 'AtoZ' and 'Predator' immediately come to mind. My question is, how does such depth of depravity even get into your thinking? Writing for Predator Prey, and especially for the predator character, was a real struggle. I spent a lot of time trying to write in the point of view for such an unappealing individual, that I tied myself in knots several times. The result was shorter, more condensed chapters. I could not face extended contact with him or his business. Afterwards, I would want to write something gentler and brighter. But the question of whether such a character can experience change kept drawing me back. Can he be redeemed or find a new and better direction? That's a critical question to me. The search for that answer kept me going on with the draft, rather than discarding it. 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! I’ll see you next time, with authors Craftingmom and Roberto Zuniga joining Riley Jericho and SkinnyDragon! I’m always in the market for new questions! Simply PM me (Dark). Until next time! Dark

Mann Ramblings' story, So Little Magic Left, was Monday's Signature Feature. Did you grab your copy of the signature banner so you can share your love for Mann's story? If not, you can do that here! Today we're featuring his chosen excerpt. Mann Ramblings says: I chose this scene because it sets the stage for a change in Rath and Shawn's roles, blurring them and sending them on a new direction. Want to read more? Check out the rest of the story here!

This month's feature is Mann Rambling's epic novel, So Little Magic Let. Not only did he write a story nominated for 2013's Best Hero/Villain in the Reader's Choice Awards here on GA, he made his own graphic and signature banner for this month's event. Quite the accomplished artist, isn't he?! So if you haven't read this novel, try it out now! ​Length: 111,444 Description: What do you do when you simply don't fit into your world? Shawn Martoni never did. A past of turmoil and misfortune kept a solid foothold from ever forming. But what if there was another world under our own? Someplace where all that's left of the creatures long since forgotten might live. Would Shawn find his place there or simply find another form of the underworld? His Favorite Reviews: Rob Colton says... “Wow. What took me so long to start reading this? I'm sucked right in already.” Gene63 says... “Holy crap...it's like the apocalypse!!!” Cannd says... “I think the ending was bitter-sweet for all of us. It always makes me laugh how I can wish away days for an update on a story like this!” Cole Matthews says... “There is a sad tear running down my cheek. Mann, I will miss this story, a tale well told.” Remember to check back on Wednesday to see what excerpt Mann chose to share with readers! Want to show your support and enjoyment of Mann's story? Download the banner below for your site signature!

Ask an Author #43 Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors! In AtA #42, we had questions for authors Andrew Q. Gordon, Nephylim, skinnydragon, and W_L. In AtA #43 we hear from authors Mann Ramblings, Mikiesboy, Riley Jericho, and WolfM. Signature Author Mann Ramblings starts us off today. We last saw Mann in this blog about a year ago, back in AtA #33, but he really hasn’t been featured since AtA #7. That takes us back, doesn’t it? I know I’ve got at a couple more questions for him, if he’d answer his emails… Anyway, this nice gent is from Michigan, USA and I can poke at him a bit because I know I can handle the bite of his rather wicked sense of humor. Have you seen his profile pic lately? Mann has designed a few of those! He’s quite the artist, and I don’t mean just writing, which his 7,000+ followers already know. His first year with GA saw 3 stories; now Mann has more than 10 to his name. He writes a lot of drama and sci-fi (naturally), but his stories cross over into many different genres. One of my favorites is Rudolph’s Tijuana X-mas, in which Rudolph leaves the North Pole and, well, goes to Tijuana. Of course, since it’s a comedy, hilarity ensues. Like many another, this gem of a short story made me laugh until I cried. Oh, and did you know? Mann is now a published author with Wayward Ink Publishing. His published works have some changes, so if you liked them the first time, go check it out.  To Mann Ramblings: One of my favorites of yours, So Little Magic Left, is a largely fantasy story, and I'm curious. How do you come up with the detail and backdrop for such a mystical place and have it come out so believable? Lots and lots of notes. Days of brainstorming the details based on what I needed. Since I plotted the entire story out in advance, I knew what my settings would be and what had to be there. The underworld was medieval and stuck in time, so everything around them had to reflect that. So the buildings had to be raw and the businesses had to have limitations. I focused a lot on the world building and made a point to stick to it. Everything had to be consistent and nothing could be added without a damn good reason. I put the fantastic elements in but tried not to make them the centerpiece of the scenes rather than the setting. They're there, but we don't dwell on them beyond what's necessary to move the story along. I guess I did a good job selling the environment. Canadian “Poster Boy for Success” Mikiesboy is our next author today. In the year and change that he’s been with us, Mikiesboy has posted over a dozen stories and collections for our enjoyment. This is the gentleman who cooks all that amazing food he takes pictures of, although, sadly, there are none left in his gallery. Luckily, this word enchanter continues to gift us with his magic; I know a few of you were worried recently, but he promises to stick around awhile longer. Mikiesboy is a familiar name in the weekly prompts, and we’re all eagerly waiting the next longer project. For Halloween this year, why don’t you try out the wickedly tongue-in-cheek Wanted? Main character Sam answers a help wanted ad, and the rest will give you chills … good and bad. To Mikiesboy: Can you describe the process of writing poetry you go through when you want to start a story? Do you just start with an idea and let it develop as you write, or do you outline most of it first? I'm sort of a from-the-gut poet I guess, and often the poem, all or in part, is just in my head (keep notebooks with you always!). But lately I've been working on the different forms of poetry, and so use classic stories, films or something AC Benus specifies in his monthly Poetry Prompt. When I write poetry I just sit down and write it. I don't use an outline for poetry at all. However I do write outlines for stories. Some of you might know our next author. Although he has yet to mark it “complete,” Riley Jericho says he’s posted the LAST chapter to An English Teen, Circumcised in the USA. If I’d foreseen the end was so near, I would have posted this question months ago! At 89 chapters, I believe ET is now the longest single story on GA. Did you see the poster-like image Riley created for his epic? I like the subtlety in the colors. Way back when, Riley said he came over to GA after fighting with his previous website over the story’s name. Aren’t we the lucky ones? Now we can only wonder what Riley will write for us next. Perhaps we’ll learn more about Manchester, UK, where Riley’s from? Maybe he’ll do something completely different, like a horror story…! Oh, by the way, Riley has written some other stuff. There’s some poetry and other teen fics, and the chilling anthology entry Into a Better Place. It will make you think, but, more importantly, it will make you feel. Check out the reviews; they’re powerful, too. To Riley Jericho: Regarding An English Teen Circumcised in the U.S.A.: Is there an endgame---a definite plan or outline of what is going to happen and how the characters will end up---or is it a more organic process or like an ongoing serial? So, is there an endgame, or am I just making it up as I go along and hoping for the best? I have to smile because actually both are true. There is very definitely an endgame, and the last chapter, paragraph and sentence of ET have already been penned. However, what it is that you might possibly say to me when we get there...well, let's see. Anything more at this point would be spoilers! However, at the same time, the story has been quite fluid in some aspects, and I find there's some stuff you don't realise about a situation, until you get into it. I also feed a lot from reviews. You may not know it, but something you might have said in a review could well have sparked an idea that gets written in. Sometimes, somebody will make a comment about how a situation might develop, and for me, it's like 'oh...that's right...how come I never saw that coming?' So to answer the question, mileposts are set in stone, the end is coming into sight, but there are still many twists and turns that will be quite likely to turn up on the journey! In the end, you're going to have to ask the characters! Today’s final author is WolfM, marking his first entry in this blog, which seems funny, because I could swear he’s been around longer than just a year .... Anyway, this is the author behind the dark teen story Alone in the Night and the very popular Running with the Pack. If you haven’t read “Alone,” it’s definitely on the dark side but it’s also been a way for WolfM to exorcise some of his past and re-connect with his younger self. How much of the truth is being shared with us is perhaps something only WolfM knows, but in a world where the truth is so often conveniently brushed under the rug, it’s a story that should never be forgotten. It is in surviving his past that WolfM (like main character Matt) can bring us the gift of the present and the future. Employing a vivid imagination, after all, is how we now have RWTP, not to mention the thousands of other stories on GA. In RWTP, we get a city-boy stepping out into the “wilds” for the first time and discovering werewolves! I don’t know that I’d say it’s light-hearted, but it’s hard to escape drama when you’re writing about teens! LOL To WolfM: From where/what do you draw inspiration? We joke about muses, but what is yours? I've stared at the question on an off since you sent it to me trying to figure out how to answer it. The only answer I can come up with is, "I have no idea." I can sit down in front of my laptop one day and knock out the first draft of a chapter and other times go days to months without even feeling like writing. I usually joke that it all depends on what conversations the voices in my head are having and if they want to let me in on it or not. I have used the character I had in WoW as well as avatars I've created in the virtual world "Second Life" as elements in the current story I'm working on, though that is more an idea bed for how characters might look vs. actual inspiration. Possibly what truly inspires me is my readers as well as my desire to see this current project through to its completion. 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! I’ll see you next time, with Ask the Author #44, a special feature dedicated to one of our more popular authors Dayne Mora! I’m always in the market for new questions! Simply PM me (Dark). Until next time! Dark

While the majority of the site is free, Premium Stories are available to members for a small fee. Premium access can be purchased in increments of 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. We'll take a look at each of the stories that can be found in Premium to give you an idea of what is available. Some of our Premium Stories are part of a series. Today we're looking at the Ship Logs of the Santa Claus series by Mann Ramblings. Ship Logs of the Santa Claus Mann Ramblings The Luxorian Fugitive Book 1 Complete Sergeant Liam Jacks has made a life for himself on the cargo vessel the Santa Claus to escape the memories on civil unrest on Alpha Centauri. Life should be simple enough, but one mysterious passenger can unravel the quiet in ways he hadn't imagined. Category: Fiction Genres: Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi Tags: Mature Adult, Military, Psionics, Gay, Anal, BDSM Rating: Mature Words: 79,151 A Cook's Tale Book 2 Complete Erron Murfin is the newest crew member on board the Santa Claus, piecing his life back together with the help of the crew and the chef, Gamin, a long time family friend. Sometimes starting over is easy. Other times the past and secrets of others make it much more difficult. Erron simply wants to belong. Shouldn't that make it simple? Category: Fiction Genres: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi Tags: Mature Adult, Military, Gay, Off-planet, Anal, Future Rating: Mature Words: 46,014 Priest and Pariahs Book 3 Complete As the head pilot of the Santa Claus, Priest is a scoundrel, a scammer, and a dreamer. A good time and making money is all he needs, but the ship intersects with a dwarf and a stranger, both with histories that may change Priest's priorities. Will their involvement and the secrets they hold risk themselves, or everyone on board the ship as well? Category: Fiction Genres: Drama, Sci-Fi Tags: Psionics, Off-planet, Anal, Casual, Oral, Future Rating: Mature Words: 75,229 Series Excerpt: From The Luxorian Fugitive The cold sweat rolled off Liam Jacks's body as he sat upright in bed, sheets tangled around his legs. His deafening pulse drowned out the soft whirr of the environmental systems and the mechanical hum of the ship's movement. There was a hollow quality to the titanium hull of his private quarters that seemed to amplify the resonance of the dream. The large domineering man quaked like a child, the horror refusing to diminish in his awakened state. Liam looked around his room as his reality began to settle. The room was as dark as expected this far into the planetary cluster in spite of the lack of view ports. The only illumination came from the data screen on the wall, its soft digital green time code the only proof that he was not lost in the abyss. Yes, he was aboard the cargo vessel “The Santa Claus.” Yes, they were on route to Luxorian from Alpha Centuari Prime for a supply delivery and pickup. Yes, he was the security chief of the thirty or so employed on the ship. Yes, the dream was of a harsh memory, but still just a dream. “Mrs. Claus. Status report please.” Liam spoke in quiet shaken tones. Unsteady hands threaded through a tight head of auburn hair. A mature female synthetic voice hummed back in response. “It is 03:17 hours, Sergeant Jacks. We will be docking at Luxorian Spaceport Alpha at approximately 11:15 hours. System sync to the Luxorian environment is in progress and will be complete in 2:25 hours. Is there any thing else I can do for you?” “No.” His reply was brusque, but you couldn't hurt Mrs. Claus' feelings. She was artificial after all. Normally, Liam found his best friend and ship's captain Marc Danverse's penchant for ancient Earth history endearing, hence the ship's name and the computer's voice identity, but tonight there was no comfort in it. It was hard enough to sleep normally when forced to acclimate to a new planet’s environment and timeline every time you came into port. The ship's systems were designed to gradually shift the sleep cycles of everyone on board to match up to active hours for each destination. Not that it mattered this time; the option for rest was as fractured as his self-esteem right now.

Looks like it's time for another Author Promo! This month we're taking a look at Signature Author, Mann Ramblings. For his author promo, Mann was asked to pick three stories and answer the same three questions for each story. As a Signature Author, Mann also had the option of picking one of his published stories that could be found on Amazon. Hope you enjoy this look into Mann's work. Mann Ramblings Signature Author 11 stories * 1209 reviews * 442,572 total words A Sense of Family Description: Matthew has lost the most important person in his world. Why is this the moment when his estranged mother decides to walk back into his life? Why can't this be a happy moment? What gave you the idea for this story? I wanted to write something contemporary and dramatic. The most emotional thing that sprang to mind was a dealing with family drama at a funeral. The muse struck so hard, I had to set aside the current novel I was working on until I got it onto the page. What was your favorite thing about writing this story? Building a surrogate family around the main character to replace the family he lost. Building believable relationships between each cast member was the biggest challenge. Please tell us something about this story that is not already in the description. At the time this story was written, I had never actually attended a funeral. We hadn't had a death in my family since I was a child, (and only the adults went because it was in New York) or it was from a long lost relative we didn't keep in touch with. The reviews tell me I did a decent job of projecting my own sense of how the characters would react given the circumstances. I'm quite proud of this piece. So Little Magic Left Description: What do you do when you simply don't fit into your world? Shawn Martoni never did. A past of turmoil and misfortune kept a solid foothold from ever forming. But what if there was another world under our own? Someplace where all that's left of the creatures long since forgotten might live. Would Shawn find his place there or simply find another form of the underworld? What gave you the idea for this story? This story was based off the GA Friday prompt, The Beast. When I needed to start a new story, I let Layla choose between four possible storylines. This was the one she chose, so I had her beta read along with MJ85. What was your favorite thing about writing this story? This was my longest and most complex story to date. Plotting the storyline and making it come to life was an absolute joy. Making all the threads come together at the climax is something I'll always remember. The reviews made me smile for days. Sometimes I re-read them. Please tell us something about this story that is not already in the description. Every character has some fractured relationship with at least one other member of the cast and the most fun is keeping the readers guessing what comes next. There are more than a few surprises to be had. The Luxorian Fugitive Description: Sergeant Liam Jacks has made a life for himself on the cargo vessel the Santa Claus to escape the memories on civil unrest on Alpha Centauri. Life should be simple enough, but one mysterious passenger can unravel the quiet in ways he hadn't imagined. What gave you the idea for this story? This was my second novel length story and the comic geek in me wanted to go sci-fi. I have a fascination with geisha imagery and made Hadrian into a blend of geisha and gladiator with a little para-human ability mixed in. What was your favorite thing about writing this story? The action scenes! My attempt to get the pacing right had me acting out the key sequences so they made sense. Thankfully, no video exists of said activity. So quit asking... Please tell us something about this story that is not already in the description. My favorite part of Luxorian, and part of which I'm happiest, is there are two stories running alongside each other and interwoven throughout the entire novel. Even so, they manage to work as one story with the connections between them.