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Happy November! Are you ready for Thanksgiving, my US friends? Maybe you can take some time this break week (if you have one) to enjoy this story, if you haven't already. I hope you have, though, and can share your thoughts on Arran's story, Those Cerulean Eyes, after you enjoy this interview! Do you eat your fruits and vegetables? Definitely. There isn’t a fruit or vegetable that I don’t like. If you were an animal, what would you be? Probably a puma because it is a stealthy, patient and efficient hunter. What’s one location you’d love to go to research for a story? Florence, Italy because of its rich history associated with the Renaissance. What brought you to Gay Authors? Dom Luca’s stories. I enjoyed every one of them. If you had to only work on one writing-type project for the next year... what would it be? I enjoy Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books, so probably something of that nature. Why cerulean? Because blue is my favorite color and cerulean is the most beautiful shade of blue for me. Okay, are you a fan of Starbucks or do you prefer local joints? I am definitely not a fan of Starbucks. I chose to use Starbucks in Those Cerulean Eyes because the story takes place in downtown Portland, Oregon where there seems to be a Starbucks on every block. I don’t make a practice of going to either because I have a Keurig at home that makes the best coffee that I could ever want. However when Borders Books was in business, i spent a fair amount of time sampling books over a great cup of Cafe Americano. Do you ‘identify’ with one character better, Mark or Mickey? Mark, because I wrote the story from his perspective; however, I think both characters have their own merits and goodnesses. What is your favorite scene in Those Cerulean Eyes? The scene between Mark and Mickey’s mother at the end of the story. Would you like to share a little about your current or upcoming work? I am currently working to get I Will Sing for You published. While it has already been written, I am editing each chapter before publication to make it as good as it can be. I’ve gotten good comments relating to some stylistic problems of my writing, so I’m trying to incorporate them into the final product. I guess the one thing that I can share is that I, like Callan, am a geologist who finds Arizona geology fascinating, from the very ancient 1.75 billion-year-old Vishnu Schist at the bottom of the Grand Canyon to the remnants of the very recent (less than one million-year-old) San Francisco Peaks stratovolcano near Flagstaff. And I find the Arizona-Sonora Desert one of the most thrilling and beautiful places on earth.

Happy November! Just 2 months left until 2019 comes to a close, and I thought I'd feature a story that just came to a close as well, Those Cerulean Eyes by Arran. Long-time member of the site, this is one of a few stories Arran posted this year. Did you read it? If not, here's your chance before the Discussion day at the end of the month! Also, I'm still looking for ideas on how to feature site stories and authors to change up the first/last Monday of the month blog. The CSR format has been going on for about 7 years now, since we first started doing weekly staff blogs again, and I'd love to ensure we're keeping things fresh and fun to encourage member participation. Do you have an idea of a blog format? A new type of feature? Share it with me via PM! Those Cerulean Eyes by Arran Length: 32,605 Description: Mickey is a rather shy twenty-year-old first-year college student majoring in interior design and Mark is a more worldly twenty-two-year-old first-year law student. Mark has an eye for Mickey from the moment that he sees him and strikes up a conversation with him as soon as Mickey seats himself at the table next to him in Starbucks. As fortune would have it, Mickey moves to Mark's table and they forge a friendship. But sensing that there is more to this enigmatic young man than meets the eye, Mark sets out to confirm it, hoping that he and Mickey can become more than just friends. A Reader Said: This is a tale about two college students Mark and Mickey. Mickey is a rather shy guy whilst Mark is a more worldly guy. We follow them as they meet in a coffee shop and forge a friendship which develops into more. What follows is the wonderful tale of there time together and the problems that they overcome. A truly wonderful tale that I recommend as a fantastic read. ~ Chris191070 Don't forget to come back and share your thoughts on Monday, November 25th!