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It's a visit from the Ghost of Blogs Past! We had a missed CSR Interview in October, so nope, that's not a typo in the blog title... Today you're getting the CSR Interview for Remijay's story, There Once was Love, featured in October and we're shifting Georgie DHainaut's twisted fairytale feature again to January so you have more time to read that bite-sized story! Feel free to refresh your memory on Remijay's story, or the feature, through the links above, check out the interview below, and share your thoughts in the comments! Have you ever gone out in public, realized your shirt is on backwards, and just don’t care? Yes I have. Most of the time, it's a whatever kind of thing. What’s one location you’d love to go to research for a story? The woods, in a small town. What’s something personal about you people might be surprised to know? My characters are spontaneous, and wild, carefree individuals. What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Watch a lot of TV, or work Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? The thinking process. There are so many characters, their challenges, their stories and backgrounds, how they think and react. What’s the first thing you do when you start to write a story? The most important part is figuring out who is the main character, and how to start their story. What do you think makes There Once Was Love stand out compared to other “similar” teen stories? The struggle, the emotion put into it. What the main character had to overcome, and deal with. I know that with other stories, revolving around teenagers, it's about the same. Or those characters had their own issues, and problems. Some even worse than my own. I envy some authors on GayAuthors. They write with so much details, and emotion. It's surprising. Do you identify with any character in particular in the story when you wrote it? Yes, when i write a story or even a chapter. i put myself in the characters shoes. It doesn't matter who the character is. They are all my children in a sense. Which part of the There Once Was Love is your favorite? It's a split between THE PARTY chapter and PROM NIGHT chapter. What would you like to share with readers about your current or upcoming work? Yes, I have a few in the works. That are currently being hosted on Gayauthors. I also have one book that I am writing. It isn't posted on any site yet. I kind of want to finish it before it's posted. But the books theme is, werewolves. It might also some magic involved. I hope when I do post it people will like it. And request for a sequel.
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This is supposed to be a month of magic, and tall tales, and so why not a little story that reminds me of the old stories? Enjoy this short fiction by Georgie DHainaut in between all the holiday hustle and bustle, or just because if none of that is for you! The little Prince that turned into a Beggar by Georgie DHainaut Length: 4,664 Description: An”old” fairytale, but one with a true and modern background in many a real life A reader said: Very nice story. Long enough to allow the main character to come to life and concise enough to be a single session reading. Thanks for sharing…hope my fairy visits me soon. ~ Leo662 Don't forget to come back and share your thoughts on Monday, December 26th! -
November CSR Discussion Day: A Soldier's Guide to Single Parenting by Dodger
Cia posted a blog entry in Gay Authors News
Welcome to our November CSR Discussion day with GA's newest Signature author, Dodger! Did you have chance to congratulate him before? If not, you can do so here, plus share a thought about his featured story, A Soldier's Guide to Single Parenting, or my interview with him! Enjoy! What are you wearing (and no fibbing!)? No fibbing? Okay. Only sweatpants and a t-shirt, which, like their owner, have seen better days. I just got up, and it's my day off, so I'm probably going to stay like this until it's time to walk the dog. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate, but it's a close call. What's something personal about you people might be surprised to know? I'm ambidextrous. What brought you to GA? Reading stories by Dom Luka and Comicality. I became a member straight away, but it was a couple of years before I started writing and interacting. What's one location you'd love to go to research for a story? Outer space. Not too far out, though; I think the International Space Station would be a great setting for gay fiction. Imagine an unexpected attraction between a Russian and an American astronaut living in close quarters in an environment where they are constantly watched and monitored from below. Zero gravity sex presents so many opportunities for a writer. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? Finding the right time. I suppose it's the same for everyone, but my brain shuts down the moment I get tired. I can't come in from work and write, and I can never get up early enough to get much done in the mornings. Unfortunately, work gets in the way, but it pays the bills, so it has to come first. That and commas! If you could give advice to yourself when you first started writing, what would it be? Be patient, and don't start posting a story until it's completed and the best it can be—writing is difficult enough without limiting your options and putting yourself under unnecessary pressure. Also, pay attention to the basics like grammar and sentence structure, and never rely totally on spell-checking programs. A Soldier's Guide to Single Parenting was a departure for you into a non-contemporary story at the time. What drew you to trying historical fiction as part of your setting/theme? I've always been interested in recent history, particularly the seventies and eighties. Most people probably wouldn't consider the eighties historic, but our attitudes and lives have changed enormously since then, thanks mainly to technological advances. I love technology, but it's fun writing about a time before cell phones, GPS, and the internet. It creates more opportunities for intrigue and surprise when the characters aren't all interconnected by wi-fi and mobile networks. They have to figure things out for themselves instead of just asking Siri or Googling something. Researching can also be enjoyable, but when you're writing about a period many of the readers have lived through, you have to get it right. Reading the story, I could both feel the fear David has and the utter confusion his dad is under trying to hold something together when he has no idea what he is doing. Readers described your writing as gritty and gut-wrenching. How did you craft such emotional scenes? Writing from Jeff's point of view wasn't easy. He's a narcissist, a bigot, and a homophobe, and these are usually the traits of my enemies. However, I think it's important to try to understand your adversaries, and writing this story helped me to come to terms with certain but far less dramatic incidents in my own life. Jeff is not a bad person but a product of his time. He believes he's doing the right thing when, as you point out, he has no clue. Under a tough exterior is a fragile man who turns to alcohol to cope with memories of the war and the loss of his wife. I felt sorry for him in the end, but he has some redeeming qualities, and Jeff's saving grace is his willingness to listen, ask difficult questions, and draw his own conclusions. Most people find this surprisingly difficult. Can you share anything about your current or upcoming work with readers? Now that the soap opera style Cockney Canuck is finally coming to an end, I have time to do other things. There are a couple of stories on hold that I want to finish posting, another historical drama set in wartime London, and a very Canadian story about a trucker. That should keep me busy, along with next year’s anthology and maybe even the secret author contest.- 6 comments
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November CSR Feature: A Soldier's Guide to Single Parenting by Dodger
Cia posted a blog entry in Gay Authors News
November and the months keep rolling by toward the end of 2022 already. Life is what happens when you're not really paying attention, and sometimes things change suddenly and then you have to try and make them work. Well, in this month's feature story we're going back in time and to the summer months to see how this newly single father handles all that life throws at him. I couldn't believe I hadn't already featured this story before, but now you can for this month's CSR. Don't forget to come back and share your thoughts at the end of the month! A Soldier's Guide to Single Parenting by @Dodger Length: 48,458 Description: After losing his wife to illness, a decorated war hero is determined to keep his family together, but his parenting skills are tested during the summer break by financial restraints, an increasing reliance on alcohol, and the discovery that his eldest son is gay. The story is set somewhere in North America in the not too distant past. Readers are invited to guess the exact year and place and there are subtle clues in each of the ten chapters. A reader said: Great story, well written. Emotional, eithical and moral isues raised and dealt with in a story with beautifully crafted characters in an engaging storyline. Highly recommended. ~ Canuk Don't forget to come back and share your thoughts on Monday, November 28th!- 8 comments
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Well, I don't know about you, but I sometimes have a hard time facing the rest of winter after the magic of the holiday season has ended. Now it's just extreme weather and no fun... so I thought we'd enjoy some magic of a different sort and the fun of a coming-of-age short story with Xfighter1984's fantasy tale Dragonborne. And for those who like their tales to continue... a little birdie (read: the author note at the bottom of the last chapter) says there more in store for this world. So if you fall in love, never fear, more to come! Dragonborne by @Xfighter1984 Length: 23,082 Description: Step into a world of magic, mystery, swords, and of course dragons. Young Levi doesn't quite know who or what he is, until one day a mysterious man shows up and everything changes A reader said: This is an exciting chapter. These are a well written series of chapters. The plot is interesting and the characters are well developed. I really look forward to the next chapter. ~JCtoGO2 Don't forget to come back to share your thoughts on Monday, January 31st!
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Well, it's come. The final CSR feature of 2021... and what better than a time-traveling tale of the Old West? Headstall shares his passion for the genre with this comment on his story: "What was life like for a gay man in the Old West? Westerns are not a popular genre, but this author grew up on them, and I wrote this for me. This is my second story set in these times, and I wanted to explore how these men coped... how they survived, and what the attitudes of the times were. A lot of research went into this, but the trappings of the story are only a small part of it. This is a simple human drama about wanting what we all want... to stay alive, have a place to call our own, and someone to share it all with. Sometimes, it's just a dream...." ~ Headstall Sidewinder by @Headstall Length: 71,019 Description: Life in the Old West was harsh. The work was hard, but the men were harder, and death.... well... it came easy. Boone had no one until he met Coy, a handsome cowboy with a good heart. Their friendship was quickly formed, and meant everything to him, but after five years of being at each other's side, it was time to move on. Coy didn't need him anymore, and Boone wanted someone made like he was. Finally accepting that was never going to be Coy, and tired of being rootless, he sets out to find a home... land that was his, and a place he could belong. Coy? Left on his own, what path will he take? A Reader said: This story with it's wonderful characters...Coy, Boone and others (Blue and Daisy, especially), ticked all the boxes for me, written so well, there was laughter, tears, adventure, cliffhangers, LOVE, a uniqueness, etc, etc, etc!!! Loved it, the ending was perfect!! ~ Onim Don't forget to come back to share your thoughts on Monday, December 27th!
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How has November treated you? I can't believe we're almost done with this year, but in the same respect it just can't go fast enough! I felt like that when I was reading Dabeagle's story, Bloom. I wanted to know what happened next so I kept reading faster and faster, but I wanted to savor it before it would end too soon.... as all good stories do! What did you think? Share your thoughts below, but first, enjoy these interview questions he answered first! Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate has its time and place, but I'm partial to Vanilla myself. If you were an animal, what would you be? A Beagle, of course 🙂 What’s one location you’d love to go to research for a story? Oh, this is a tough question, really. I'm of the opinion that my stories are character driven rather than location driven, so it would be harder for me to research an area, except for details to make something a bit more realistic. There was a story written years ago in collaboration with a friend where I wanted to write a little epilogue with them getting a honeymoon in Venice – so maybe a return to Venice. Not the worst reason to go there! What’s something personal about you people might be surprised to know? Again, hard to say. Depends how long you've 'known' me. I was once married to a woman and I have three children – though I think many people know the second as foster care has featured more than once in my stories. Bloom features a romance where one character has some surprisingly romantic moments. Are you a romantic? In theory, yes. One of the great failings in me as a person is I stink at the day to day things, but am good at the grand gesture stuff. Need the dishes done daily? I will screw that up. Ned a big birthday night out? More my speed. I usually get secondhand embarrassment from intensely romantic situations on TV and sometimes in books, but I guess it kind of got away from me here. How did you get the idea for Cal’s interest and drive for plants and genetics? Caleb was complex in my head. I introduced my kids to the movie 'Lucky Number Slevin', which one was impressed enough to call genius (trust me, not much I do with them gets that label) and the character of Slevin who has the condition described in Bloom, kind of fascinated me. What if you took that and applied it to someone in a more mundane setting than hitman? To me it suggested an entirely different line of reasoning. So Caleb grows up scrutinizing himself because he thinks he needs to 'normalize' himself – because his peers do. But he notices at some point that not everyone does that, and that points him to Hunter. The involvement with plants and genetics actually didn't occur right away, until the parties were introduced. From there tying the plants to Hunter's eye color seemed obvious, yet practical. I also think it ties Caleb to his family through their business, yet also is unique enough that others may not understand or care to. The retail settings of Bloom are all too realistic! Have you ever held a job in retail? Yes, I have visited the ninth circle of hell. As a kid of course I worked a few grocery jobs and indoor retail setting as I got older. I managed a video store and a GameStop. My experience in the field is out of date, but I think there is enough there for people to identify with. Twins… you did a great job with those! I have 2 sets in my immediate family and twin brain is real, as well as the sudden snaps of hostility and crazy. What made you choose to bring in that dynamic with Hunter and Andy? Andy is probably one of my better developed secondary characters. I wanted her to stand out in being unconventional in her interests, yet entirely human in how she makes mistakes – and stubbornly sticks to her decisions until it's too late. I actually have practically no experience with twins – not in years. When I worked as a camp counselor I was friends with a family of a boy I mentored who had twin sisters. They would set each other off laughing with a look, something private only they understood. They didn't fight each other often, but especially as they grew older, man it was personal. As I was setting Hunter up to be a senior – the cusp of graduation – I didn't want his sibling trailing behind or just ahead because I felt it would put too much separation between their social circles, not to mention Andy's appetites would be less palatable for some. I like the idea of empowering a female character to go for what she wants as much as a male character. What is your favorite scene or line from the story? I have a couple. As readers comment, I frequently re-read the chapter they are reading (it's how I find my typos). Some folks recently were reading an older story of mine, and I end up reading the whole damn thing again. But to your questions, two scenes come to mind. The first is when Caleb tells Hunter everything has been aimed at winning him over. I like those moments when a character literally is blindsided by something good happening to them, and Hunter struggling with the complexity of his growing feelings for Caleb versus the safety of the 'fact' Caleb is straight and now that is all in question is very enjoyable for me. Second is that I frequently use images to influence how I describe a pose, a setting, an expression or how the light lays in a scene. So when the end comes and Hunter has the idea that a drone shot from above would be amazing I tend to agree with him – it would be something to see, perhaps in black and white. Honorable mention to Issac's scenes because he's fun to write. Can you share a little bit of your current or upcoming work or ideas with readers? I usually have a few ideas rolling through what passes for my brain. Unfortunately I don't share all of them at GA because my Sanitaria Springs stories frequently rely on the foundations laid by earlier chapters. Case in point I thought 'I Got You' was stand alone enough to post at GA, but it mightily confused someone who even took the time to review the story. I do have a few Sanitaria stories that will be posting soon, first to my Patreon and then to my site. I have a serial story that is magic centered that I'm also working on, but with the nature of my brain, all of that could change at any moment. The magic story is a twist on a part from a series of books I read...whose name escapes me. But the concept of how 'magic' works with a practitioner was interesting to me and I am running with my own idea.
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Welcome to the next to last month of 2021! I hope it treats you right, and to get you started on the right direction, we have a good-sized novel by Dabeagle to enjoy for this month's CSR, or Can't Stop Reading, book club feature! What did you think of it? Make sure you're ready to comment at the end of the month! Bloom by @Dabeagle Length: 69,943 Description: Hunter has plans and reasons. Get the hell out of Park Terrace, power through college to get to New York City where he can be himself - because there is nothing and no one to tie him down, unless you could coming back to visit the parents. New York City would bring the romance he loves so much, maybe even one of those 'hate them at first sight and grudgingly learn to love them' type stories. No. Those are too much work. A reader said: I love the story, from the beginning till the end. Hope to read more of Hunt and Caleb. ~Percycass Don't forget to come back to share your thoughts on Monday, November 29th!
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csr October CSR Discussion: Happily Ever After, Ltd. by Richie Tennyson
Cia posted a blog entry in Gay Authors News
Did you read this fun, twisted tale from Richie Tennyson before or after I announced it earlier this month? Readers really seemed to like the new take on the old fairy tale genre. What did you think? Share you thoughts before, but make sure you check out my interview with Richie here first! Do you eat your fruits and vegetables? I certainly do! What’s one location you’d love to go to research for a story? A small country town with colourful locals. I read lots of books set in small towns and would love to write one. What brought you to GA? I came across GA when I was looking for a place to share my first story, Self-Portraits. Do you like original fairy tales or are you more of a Disney tale fan? I loved Disney fairytales as a child and was also obsessed with a lot of picture book adaptations. I wasn’t as familiar with early versions of fairytales but, when I was researching Happily Ever After, Ltd, I became a big fan of the gory Brothers Grimm version of Cinderella. One of your readers left an excellent review stating how the twists and turns had to be plotted out. Are you a plotter or pantser when you write? Yeah, I did plot most of Happily Ever After, but I was bit of a “pantser” for Ryan and Dorothy’s backstories. Did grown ups read fairytales to you when you were a child? Yes, my parents did – and I spent a lot of time re-reading them on my own too. Do fairytales have an influence on your writing outside of this story, or was it a one-off? I always enjoy playing around with the “happily ever after” cliché. When I’m writing, I like to find ways to subvert expected endings, and bring characters to endings that are realistic and earned, but hopefully still satisfying. Ryan and Dave both have quite the adventure. Do you identify more with either character? I identify more with Ryan. His backstory is adapted from my own life, and as a person, we share a range of traits. We’re both a bit awkward and often exasperated - and we both have a very crude best friend. What is your favorite part of Happily Ever after, Ltd.? Without spoiling anything, my favourite part is the scene where two characters are on a boat. It combines action, horror, comedy, love, absurdism, and more. Can you share more of your upcoming writing or story plans with readers? I am currently writing a psychological thriller about a group of old university friends (including three gay guys), who are reuniting ten years after they graduated. They stay in a very isolated lodge, but one of them has murder on their mind. So again, I’m using a well-known story structure (the “whodunit”), but trying to subvert expectations/tropes. Don't forget to share your thoughts below! -
csr September CSR Discussion Day: Thwarted by Renee Stevens
Cia posted a blog entry in Gay Authors News
I can't believe it's the end of September already! This month has flown by, unlike the 56 weeks it took for Renee to write her 1k a week Wednesday Briefers flash fiction story, Thwarted. Did you read it? Make sure you share your comments below, but first my interview with her! Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate What's your favorite room in your house? Do you plot or write there? My favorite room in the house is my craft room. I don’t really plot or write there though, partly because that room is honestly disorganized chaos. It definitely needs an in depth cleaning. I do mostly sewing in that room, as well as crafts for my at home craft business. What is your favorite book? It’s been so long since I’ve been able to do any reading, that I honestly couldn’t pick a favorite book. And many of the books that I read now are the books that I read to my little man. And while I cherish being able to read to him, I wouldn’t say any of his little books would be my favorite. What do you like to do when you’re not writing? My favorite things to do are camping, fishing, just being outdoors. Lately I do a lot of crafting, and playing with my little guy, but for the most part I love to share my love of the outdoors. We haven’t got to do much camping the last couple of years, for various reasons, but hopefully soon our summers and fall will be back to spending time at the lake or in the mountains. Ironically, camping is always where I seemed to do my best writing. It’s been a while since you had time to write. What’s the best part of being an author you miss? Losing myself in the story. I used to be able to sit down and write and everything else just fell away. It let me get whatever I was feeling out, and at the same time allowed me to focus on something other than whatever was going on in life. I tend to bottle things up and for some reason, when I would be really into a story, everything just kind of melted away. I miss the release I got from writing, but I’m still hopeful that I’ll get back to it. The stories are there, I just struggle to get them out since I can’t stay up until all hours of the night, which is when I did most of my writing. If you could give advice to yourself when you first started writing, what would it be? The first one would be not to post until something is finished, with the exception of these 1K chapter stories. It puts too much pressure I think and trying to rush it in order to post can affect the story. The other thing is to not worry about it being perfect, just get the story out, as it can always be edited to fix major mistakes. What is the best part of writing a 1k a week story? The hardest challenge? The best part is that a 1K chapter is easily doable in a week, so it helps to keep an author writing. In fact, if I ever manage to get back to writing, I may very well start with flash stories just to get back into the groove of it. The hardest part is keeping chapters to the 1K word limit and have smooth transitions. In fact, while I really stuck to the 1K format for the first half or so of the story, in later chapters I have many that are a bit longer. Did you connect more with Mark or Trey when you wrote the story? I honestly can’t even remember. But that being said, I will say this. When I write, I have to have a good connection with all the main characters, or the story doesn’t get written. I’ve had stories before that I completely changed one of the characters because they were just not someone I could connect with. That wasn’t the case with Thwarted. I stayed connected with both Mark and Trey throughout and their characters never strayed from who they were to begin with. It’s been nearly 10 years since you wrote Thwarted. Would you change anything about it now? I don’t think I’d change anything about the storyline, but I would like to go back into it and smooth things out a bit. Maybe combine chapters and provide better transitions. Do you have a favorite scene or line from the story? It’s been so long since I wrote Thwarted that I really can’t remember any specific favorite scenes or lines. But, if pressed I’d have to choose the first prompt line, which was “Count sheep? I’d rather count…” mainly because it was the prompt that started it all, and I really think that scene kind of set the tone for Mark’s relationship with Jackie and Brent. -
Happy September, we're in the home stretch of 2021! This month, in honor of Labor Day in the U.S., I'm featuring a story about soldiers. For all those who work with their hands, who build, who labor, thank you! I hope you enjoy reading Renee Stevens' story, Thwarted. Maybe we can lure her back to writing again with some comments! Thwarted by @Renee Stevens Length: 62,434 Description: After getting out of the military, Mark is unsure what he wants to do with his life. Then he meets Trey, a current soldier in the US Army. Sometimes it seems like everything is conspiring against them. Can they make it or will they be... thwarted. A reader said: Finally managed to read the last chapters. I've enjoyed the story and your great characters, and I like to think they will have a happy life together. A sequel sounds good ~ Suvitar Don't forget to come back to share your thoughts on Monday, September 27th!
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csr August CSR Discussion Day: Still You Want Me by Mrsgnomie
Cia posted a blog entry in Gay Authors News
It's been a long month, but this month's feature was a long read for you to enjoy! Did you read Mrsgnomie's Still You Want Me? Make sure you leave your thoughts in the comments below, but first, enjoy this interview with her! Have you ever gone out in public, realized your shirt is on backwards, and just don’t care? Backwards, inside out, see through with black bra (not on purpose like the current trend). I wouldn’t say I’m a hot mess, but I’ve had my moments. I tend to embrace them. Life is too short to fret over trivial things like this, plus, it might bring a smile to someone’s day! What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Traveling. 100%. I never left Oregon until I was 24. Never went on a flight until I was 26. I’ve spent the last 10 years making up for lost time. The value we gain from visiting other cultures is paramount. I’ve grown more in the last 10 years then I did the 26 before that. I want travelling to be so normal for my kids that they take it for granted. If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be? From Acorn to Oak Tree. What brought you to GA? I published Still You Want Me on a different site. It got pretty good feedback. Some of the best feedback. Someone emailed, we became friends, then she directed me to GA and told me to post here. I admit, the feedback on GA wasn’t nearly as good as the other site. Looking back, I didn’t know GA well enough and the learning curve was a little harsh. I almost didn’t post my second story, Three Strikes, but I thought, why not? What do I have to lose? I’m glad I did. Now GA is my go-to and the other site is an afterthought. What’s the best part of being an author? The hardest part? Best part and the hardest part of being an author is the readers. The best because they are awesome, encouraging, and insightful. They’ve made my stories better because of their comments and foresight. They keep me accountable, they keep me writing, they keep motivated. Knowing they enjoy something I crafted from scratch is a high like no other. But it’s a double edge sword, because they can be brutal. I got a email a few months ago from a reader who RAILED me because I depicted Seamus’s family as being trailer-trashy. Well, let me tell you, this reader had some things to say (1k+ words) about that! Evidentially, because of Covid and the negative effects it had on people, this depiction was heartless, cold, and alienated my readers. It wasn’t Seamus’ family’s fault for needing to be on assistance. A) covid is not referenced in my story. His family is generational white trash, by choice. Needless to say, they were beyond offended and “will no longer be reading any of my stories”. But yeah, it can be hard to read negative feedback even if it is part of the process. Did something specific inspire you to write Still You Want Me? I guess, my own reading desire inspired me to write. I was enjoying (insert the many tropes you’ll find in SYWM) but I was running into a brick wall finding similar stories. I decided to take a stab at it myself. What you can’t find, you write. I’d read some pretty terrible stories, so the bar was kind of low. The story has Drama, Comedy, and Romance as the genres. Do you feel one dominates the plot? I was going to say, no, I think they’re evenly distributed. But then I was like, who am I kidding? Drama. Definitely drama. Do you identify with either Colin or Charles more, and if so, why? This is a big fat neither. Don’t get me wrong, each character has something about them that was taken from me (Colin’s love of tea. Charles’ love of eating out and being the best hostess) but overall, both Colin and Charles are so different from me. Probably why I wanted to write them. But, if my hands were tied and a gun was pointed to my head, I’d say I most identify with the second-half-of-the-story Charles. Once you strip away his ego, money, and status, Charles is extremely thoughtful and kind…just like me. What is your favorite quote or scene from Still You Want Me and why? Okay, first of all, this is rude. I haven’t re-read this story since I posted it back in 2018, so I had to go back to find a quote. Now I’m eating brownies and cringing. It is clearly my FIRST ever attempt. That much is obvious. Like, could I have used more exclamation points? *shudders* I think my favorite scene is when they go to the gym. Colin is still in denial about his feelings but seeing another guy hitting on Charles sends him for a loop. He gets territorial and the claws come out. It’s all very out of character for Colin. Plus, Colin’s nicknames for his competition crack me up. Shorty McDouchebag, Short McFlirt, Shorty McUglyface, etc. The un-beknownst-to-Colin jealousy amuses me. This line from Colin to Charlie: “Can you try to focus on me instead of Shorty McFlirt over there? I don’t want the weights to fall and crush me because you’re too busy ogling some twink with a bad haircut.” Can you share a little of your current and/or future work with readers? Absolutely. I’m currently 4 chapters deep on a spin off from Boss Nanny. Jay Petermeyer is the first football player to be drafted as out and proud. He’s been playing professionally for 10 years and in that time, he’s built a stellar reputation. You can’t find a smudge to his name. You also can’t find a shirtless photo. It’s not that he’s prude, he just believes that some things should be private—that the world isn’t entitled to every piece of him. Loren, on the other hand, is one of the biggest social media influencers, period. He started as a pre-teen playing video games in his friend’s room. A decade-and-a-half later, he’s got over 20 million followers. Loren is a wild horse. Jay is the patient trainer who can see what lies beneath. The other story I’m working on is called All the Kings Men. It’s not fully worked out but it’s about a group of friends, they’re close. The type of closeness that forms from childhood trauma. A rags-to-riches situation, in a sense. As adults, they’re the it group. The friend group that everyone wants to be a part of. They’re social and outgoing, but at the end of the day, they’re not accepting new members. In the middle of this group is James King. After a toxic relationship isolates him from his friends for five years, they’re finally reunited. Not only are they ecstatic to have their friend back, they’re now insanely protective of him, too. They almost lost him once… Trevor has a the best one-night-stand of his life while visiting family in Denver and before heading on the road to do a few Keynote speaking events for work. As one of the top commercial real estate agents on the west coast, he’s a hot commodity. When he finally gets back home, he goes for a drink with his friends. That’s when he sees the super-fun-one-night-stand guy. He’s not big on relationships but he won’t lie and say he’s not a little interested in James. He’s also familiar with James’s friends. At once point, he wanted to be in their circle because it was the place to be. Now he wanted in their circle because getting to James will never happen without the approval of the King’s Men. -
csr August's CSR Feature: Still You Want Me by MrsGnomie
Cia posted a blog entry in Gay Authors News
In honor of her recent promotion to GA Signature Author, I am featuring MrsGnomie's first submission to GA posted back in 2018! Can you believe it's been that long? Now, the story is also longer than most of our CSR reads, but I know many get sucked right into her stories and can't put them down which fits right into our Can't Stop Reading-CSR theme! Please enjoy. Still You Want Me by @Mrsgnomie Length: 115,768 Description: Colin begins a new job and befriends Charles, a socialite who represents everything Colin despises. Despite fundamental life differences, they begin to build a deep friendship. Unbeknownst to Colin, Charles is falling in love with him, only to watch Colin fall in love with—and begin to build a life with another man. Colin must reconcile the deeply rooted expectations he’s created for himself against the reality; that desires of the heart never play by the rules. A Reader said: This was my first introduction to @Mrsgnomie's storytelling. It's still my absolute favorite, but every story she publishes since definitely makes it a contest to see if it'll topple this one. These characters and their lack of communication (and stupidity) have you cheering each one on at different times. Definitely worth your time to read! ~mfa607 Don't forget to come back to share your thoughts on Monday, August 30th! -
csr July's CSR Feature: Stories Written on Lined Paper Discussion Day
Cia posted a blog entry in Gay Authors News
Well, this month was a little different with an anthology of sorts by a single author, giving you the chance to pick and choose among the stories if you weren't up to reading all of them. Make sure you share your thoughts in the comments below, but first, enjoy this interview where Drew spills all (including what story he cameos in... can you guess which one before you read it?) Do you eat your fruits and vegetables? Yes, I try to get my five portions a day. What’s a good meal without vegetables? What’s one location you’d love to go to research for a story? Paris or Berlin, because both are amazing cities with so much in them that inspires my imagination. They are cities that have such varied neighbourhoods. But with all the travel restrictions, I’ll choose the British Library because I can research whatever I want there, and their café is nice. What’s something personal about you people might be surprised to know? I have a model railway. What’s the best part of being an author? I can explore the themes and issues that are important to me, but emotionally nothing compares to when something I write touches/moves a reader What’s the greatest challenge of being an author? Not enough time. I have so many ideas and not enough time to write them. After that is the challenge of promoting my own writing. GA has given me a great platform to find readers but I’ve recently self-published a collection of stories and promoting it, so I can find readers for it, is such hard work. If you could give advice to yourself when you first started writing, what would it be? Recently I have been re-reading stories I wrote back in my twenties. Some are good, some are okay and some are plain awful. I would tell my younger self to write about the things that were happening around me (They were certainly interesting times), the things that were happening to you, rather than my wish fulfilment over what I wanted to happen. I would tell myself to stop over-writing and learn to type. I would also tell myself to have confidence in my writing and to send it out to publishers and magazines (I didn’t start doing that until well into my thirties). And lastly, I’d say to join a writing group because honest feedback can really benefit my writing, and meeting with other writers is so helpful. What’s your favorite story in Stories Written on Lined Paper? Out of the Valley. This story is based (Though very loosely based) on the breakup with my first boyfriend. I took a painful experience and worked through it by writing about it. It was one of the first stories I wrote about being gay. I came back to it twenties years after writing it and did a big rewrite to it, especially changing the ending. But I kept the central character and the structure of it. It showed me that I could understand these situations and people, even back then. Is there a particular character you most identify with, and how so? Davie, the nurse, in The Longest Day Must Have an End (Found in Stories Written on Lined Paper). He is a minor character but he is the first time I put myself fully into a story, he is a cameo appearance by me (Like Alfred Hitchcock did in his films). His job, on that ward, was my first job after qualifying, he has my hairstyle from then, he has my attitude and manner from then, and he is shagging a senior colleague which I did in that job. I don’t make cameos in my writing much, if at all, and this was the first time I did it. I liked making my own experience a minor story line. Over how many years have you written these stories? Have you found your craft has changed in that time? I started writing prose when I was twenty and started writing about being gay when I was twenty-two. I’m fifty-five next week. I have been writing all that time and practice has improved my writing, but also so has reading. Learning from the best authors and learning what not to do from the bad ones. I have also learnt from honest/good feedback. The feedback that has helped me to improve my writing, though I’ve had to learn what is good feedback and what is bad, and should be just ignored. I’ve learnt not to over-write, to keep my style readable, using three words when one could do can easily put off readers. I’ve learnt to use my experience of people and my knowledge in my writing, if I make my writing more real then readers can relate to it, even when writing fantasy. I have also learnt to trust my instincts and knowledge on where a story should go. Can you share something about your current or future work with readers? I am writing a story about a young man just released from prison. The story looks at what led him to prison and what happened to him while he was there. I hope to start posting it, chapter by chapter, soon. Then I really need to finish the other two stories in the series I started with A Walk Along the Promenade. I am looking at self-publishing more. I am working on a collection of stories about people facing life-changing experiences. -
Are you dying in the weather where you are? It's well over 100 here, so I'm hiding indoors. What better way to beat the heat than enjoy my interview with Marty and discuss his story, Misunderstood, featured in this month's CSR? I could use some cold, even if it's just reading about it! Chocolate or Vanilla? I'm going to assume you are referring to ice cream here. So, if that's the only choice I am being given, I would have to choose vanilla (although raspberry would be my first preference). If you were an animal, what would you be? Apart from being a member of the animal species Homo sapiens? That's a difficult one, if only because it's something I've never really thought about before. I have no idea why, but I'm going to choose a unicorn as my answer to this question. What do you like to do when you’re not writing? I'm an avid reader and also really enjoying gardening. I think both of those have helped me keep sane during the past sixteen months or so of extended lockdowns due to Covid-19. I am also a keen amateur photographer, and love hill-walking and mountaineering. Unfortunately, due to travel restrictions, I haven't been able to get out on the hills and mountains much during the pandemic. Another of my favourite things is travel, particularly foreign travel, and that is something I am really looking forward to being able to do again as the restrictions start to ease. What’s the best part of being an author? That moment when characters suddenly take on a life of their own, and the words just seem to flow. Which is your favourite story that you’ve written? If you check my stories on GA you will see that I have very few actual completed stories to choose from. If I were forced to choose a favourite from all of them, I think I would have to choose my flash piece I Could Manage The Days from my story collection entitled: Marty's Shorts and Flashes. Part of the reason for choosing this is the fact that it came to me as a sudden flash of inspiration, and took less than fifteen minutes to actually write. Another thing I like about it is that the fact it is written from the first person singular POV, which leaves many readers wondering just what really happened right at the end. If I am allowed to include my poetry in my list of stories here on GA, my answer to this question would likely have been To All The Boys I've Loved from my poetry collection. This is one I struggled with for quite a while, mainly because the format I was originally trying just didn't seem to be working out. I was writing it for another online site that had a poetry anthology with the theme Lost Love, and I was originally trying to come up with a gay version of And A Bang On The Ear by The Waterboys. After many false starts, and finding myself getting absolutely nowhere apart from having lots of ideas for the various verses, I gave up on the Waterboys, and suddenly the poem seemed to write itself. What appeals to you most about the friends to lovers genre? I wouldn't say that I have any particular attraction to the friends to lovers theme, apart from the fact that it seems to be a common trope in a lot of gay fiction. How did you pick the setting for Misunderstood? The second level school that I taught in, in the North of England back in the 1970s and 80s, had an Outdoor Pursuits Centre in Snowdonia. Hence the location for the story, and partially the time period chosen. However, I also chose that time period to explain at least part of the reason why Simon was having difficulty coming out. Homosexuality had only been decriminalised in England and Wales for five years at that time, the law that decriminalised it still imposed lots of restrictions, and there was still a lot of misunderstanding, misinformation, and homophobia about at the time. The main reason for choosing a snowstorm as part of the setting of the story was simply because I wrote the story whilst confined to the house for seven days back in December 2009, due to an unusual (for where I live in Ireland) heavy fall of snow that had left the country road I lived on at the time completely impassable. Do you identify more with, Simon or Andy? Simon. Which I suppose is the reason that not only was the story written from Simon's POV, but it was written in the first person singular. Is there any theme or plot you’d never write in a story? To be honest, I'm not sure about this. I'll just say: Never say never. What’s your favorite line or scene in the story? It would have to be the conversation between Simon and Andy right at the end of the story as they are driving up to the Centre, where Simon realised that he had completely misunderstood what Andy had said to him the previous evening. Can you share something about your current or upcoming work with readers? As will be evident from the fact that most of my stories on GA are marked as being on Temporary Hold, I am currently finding the writing process difficult. I think the current pandemic probably has a lot to do with this. Just about the only new stuff I have come up with recently has been a poetry series in the haiku format, although purists would perhaps argue that most of them are actually senryu rather than haiku. The pandemic has become a theme in a number of them.
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Well how did this month treat you? I cannot believe it's already finished, but I am so glad it's done! Here comes June, Pride month! Who has something planned? I know it's a time for many to reflect on our community, coming out, and so much more. I think Graeme's story reflected that quite well, but what do you think? Share in the comments below, but first my interview with him! What’s one location you’d love to go to research for a story? I have an idea for a story set in the pacific during World War II. I would love to visit one of the islands used by the allies to watch for axis attacks during that period. What's your favorite room in your house? Do you plot or write there? My favourite room is the lounge room because it’s spacious with wonderfully comfortable couches. However, I do my writing in my office because that’s where my computer is located. Most of my plotting is done mentally and that can be done anywhere as long as I don’t have to concentrate on what I’m doing. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? I like to include a degree of accuracy in my stories. Sometimes that means a lot of online research into whatever it is I need to check. That can be challenging at time when I don’t always know the right wording to use for my searches. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment? The toughest criticism has been when I had my heart set on doing something in a story but one of my early readers tells me that it just doesn’t work. As with any parent, I don’t like being told that my ‘baby’ isn’t quite right… As for the best compliment, it’s when I’ve been told that my story has made a difference to someone. That always gives me a warm buzz. What do you think makes up a good story? A good story has to engage with the reader. That’s tough because readers don’t all expect the same things. In addition, not only does the reader need to become engaged, but the writing has to be such that it carries the reader along with them with a minimal (hopefully no) hurdles. That’s not saying that the story can’t have hurdles. It’s the immersion that needs to be without hurdles. A good story will keep the reader immersed in what’s going on without anything that jars the reader out of the suspension of disbelief required. Young love, looking to make its mark on the world… what draws you to this trope? I’m a romantic at heart. My youth was fairly barren in that respect – I was a loner with not much social interaction with others. In many ways, my stories are me living a life that I didn’t have when I was younger as I explore what could’ve been. Would you identify more with Rory or Scott’s feelings about the proposal? Definitely Scott. Even today, I have to balance my responsibilities with my desires. Life isn’t black-and-white, it’s full of shades between those two extremes. Rory’s life is simpler than Scott’s. Apart from the question of Scott himself, Rory can start a new life. Scott has more challenges at the moment than Rory, and I identify with that. “Sometimes there’s just no right answer” is a concept that isn’t shared often in fiction. Is it hard to write that reality when readers are looking for happily ever afters? It can be challenging, and as a romantic I try my best to find a solution for the protagonists, but if I want to reflect reality, sometimes that doesn’t happen. Tragedies exist, and sometimes they’re powerful, even if I would prefer it if everything has a happy ending. Torn in Two combines themes of small town life, romance, homophobia, generational influences… did you plan out each element or did they flow together as you wrote the story? I didn’t plan out each element, per se, but it’s more I created an environment in which the story could evolve. I wanted to combine a number of factors, including the experiences of a World War II veteran, and this is the story that came out of those things. Can you share anything about your current or upcoming work with readers? Sadly, I’m on a hiatus at the moment. I don’t want to be, but I’m struggling to find motivation to write. I’ve gone through this once before so I’m confident I’ll get past it, but I don’t know when. I will re-iterate, though, that I definitely want to finish Leopard Hunt. Once I’ve done that, maybe one or more of the story ideas I have in my mind will take fruition and I’ll start writing in earnest again.
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csr July's CSR Feature: Stories Written on Lined Paper by Drew Payne
Cia posted a blog entry in Gay Authors News
How is July treating you? Sweltering in a swimsuit or swimming in wool to stay warm depending on your hemisphere? We've passed the midway mark for the year but we're still in the thick of 2021. How about slowing down when you need a break and enjoying something a little different... An anthology of sorts. You can pick any of Drew Payne's "Stories Written on Lined Paper" to read (or all of them on different days) and share your thoughts on the discussion day! Stories Written on Lined Paper by @Drew Payne Length: 61,060 Description: When I first started writing I wrote in long-hand, and wrote my stories on pads of lined white paper. I now mostly write straight onto my computer or laptop, but I still have found memories of filling up those empty white pages with my sprawling handwriting and tales of other people’s lives. So happy reading, I hope. A Reader said: I've enjoyed all of your stories in this collection. Your writing keeps me entertained and thoughtful. I notice that this is number twenty and the last of this series so that means I must have missed one 'cause the last I remember is "Boxing Day." I'll have to catch up by reading "Another One of Those Family Photographs" now but I couldn't get to that before sending you my accolades for a series well written. Thank you! ~ James Baxter Don't forget to come back to share your thoughts on Monday, July 26th! -
Happy Pride Month! You know I like to theme stories sometimes to holidays or special events, and what could be better than a coming out story for Pride month? We know this time of the year is a great one to reflect on what our personal identity on the spectrum of the rainbow can mean to us and how that has affected our lives... and the stories we read no less! I hope you will enjoy June's bite-size selection for the CSR! Misunderstood by @Marty Length: 3,120 Description: Simon flees to the mountains after telling his best friend how he really feels about him. But what is his friend going to do with the news? A reader said: Coming out is like the parting of the clouds after eons of darkness as our companion. This was a sweet story that relayed Simon's desperation, his hope, and ultimately his path to happiness. Thanks you, Marty... cheers... Gary.... ~headstall Don't forget to come back to share your thoughts on Monday, June 28th!
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Wow, can you believe by the time you read this story and come back to share read my interview with Graeme... the year will be almost half over? I can't either! Yes, it's May! And with May comes this "tearjerker" because sometimes I can't resist a story recommendation like that. Join me in enjoying this short story and come back to share your thoughts at the end of the month! Torn in Two by @Graeme Length: 9,024 Description: Scott's heart is torn in two directions. He wants to leave Greenwood to be with his boyfriend, but he can't leave his grandfather, who needs him. A Reader said: This is a beautiful story about devotion and love,- and obligation. Hypocrisy and bias figure large, as well as does sacrifice. Oppression is something we are all familiar with, and how it can shape our lives and maybe even ruin them. Mostly it's about love though, courage, and family. Love rules! ~ Stephen Don't forget to come back to share your thoughts on Monday, May 31st!
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csr April CSR Discussion Day: My Faceless Bus Stalker Alpha by Thirdly
Cia posted a blog entry in Gay Authors News
Well, I don't know about you, but I absorbed this entire story is one sitting. I loved the dog shifter aspect, but the alpha/omega dynamics had a bit of a fresh twist too. What did you enjoy? Don't forget to share your thoughts below in the comments, but first, my interview with Thirdly! What brought you to GA? Robin introduced me to the site around 2014, if I’m not mistaken. The GA community is welcoming, diverse, and absolutely amazing. If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be? The Least Violent Angel of War. Is there a literary character (in the whole universe of fiction) that you’ve read who you really identified with? Of all the characters...Mogget the cat from Sabriel. What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Drawing. I’m in the process of finishing the last season of the pg-13 comic version of Crossing the Moon as we speak. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment? Criticism? That would have been Robin’s input on one of the first stories I ever completed. She found it difficult to read through a story that jumped from one perspective to the next, and I am still working on overcoming the challenge of sticking to one character’s perspective from beginning to end to this day (and to keep it all engaging and entertaining). The best compliment? That’s even more difficult to narrow down. I feel the best whenever readers consider my writing to feel balanced in terms of the serious moments versus the comedy that I always try to sneak in. I’m not at the level I want to be when it comes to storytelling, but I feel like I keep getting a little bit closer to it. My Faceless Bus Stalker has a shifter culture that encompasses canine species… but are there other shifter species in your world, maybe in another city or continent? Or just canines? The story was inspired by an amusing camaraderie between our family pet and the neighbor’s German Shepherd (that passed away a few years ago). I envisioned them in a world full of canine shifters of all species. I imagine an alternate world full of feline shifters (and other species) exists, but the world of that particular story only had the canines. You use a few recessive traits to individualize some characters. How/why did you pick the ones you used (personal experience, interesting research, a random inspiration…?) Though inspired by a common Yorkie and a common German Shepherd, I couldn’t bring myself to write about them as they were (I wouldn’t be able to look our family yorkie in the eye if I did...it would be as if Shaggy would judge me harshly). Instead, I searched about different yorkies and came across the image that sparked up the idea of Avion. It became a bit of a deep dive into research after that and, soon after, I came across the image that became the inspiration for Lexus. Do you identify more with Avion or Lexus? I adore Avion, but I identify more with Lexus (though definitely not in terms of wealth...if only!) He was moved around a lot and didn’t have the opportunity to make close friends until later on in life. Lex also had to go against his parents’ wishes on more than one ocassion and I know what it’s like to try to forge a better life without familial support. What is your favorite scene or line in the story? I enjoyed Morgan teasing Avi’s budding relationship with Lex. They have a lovely friendship. I also enjoyed the handshake between Avion and Nestor. They both needed it, even if on a subconscious level. Can you share any of your current or upcoming work (published/unpublished/in planning stages) with readers? I am currently working on finishing up a story that involves wyverns that also happen to be shifters with alpha, omega, and beta dynamics. The world these wyverns inhabit is quite different from that of Avion's. But, I feel I’ve chosen the best character to provide the introduction. Robin and I are also inching ever so slowly towards Lust and Propriety’s conclusion. -
csr April CSR Feature: My Faceless Bus Stalker Alpha by Thirdly
Cia posted a blog entry in Gay Authors News
Welcome to April! It's spring, love is in the air... so why not a story about a stalker alpha? How could that possibly go wrong? LOL My Faceless Bus Stalker Alpha by @Thirdly Length: 38,016 Description: As if it wasn't bad enough that Avion was a Yorkshire Terrier shifter with albinism, he also had to deal with his impending birthday and a crazy Alpha. A reader said: I missed my sassy doggos. Can't wait to see what you put out next ~Hellsheild Don't forget to come back to share your thoughts on Monday, April 26th! -
csr March CSR Discussion Day: The Elf's Hunt by Yeoldebard
Cia posted a blog entry in Gay Authors News
Is your March coming in like a lion? Or how about an Elf Hunt? Because that was the story I featured this month, The Elf's Hunt by Yeoldebard. We went from space to soul searching fantasy. What did you think about the story? Share your thoughts in the comments below, but first! A Q & A for your enjoyment. Chocolate or Vanilla? It depends on the characters. The Elf's Hunt sticks to the vanilla, but doesn't really have much material to go off of. What brought you to GA? I was looking for an audience that would be likely to enjoy the type of stories I like to tell. Originally that was romance and fantasy, but I am constantly growing as a writer. What is one location you would like to go to research for a story? Oh, this is a tough one. My heart calls me to Germany, as it was the original birthplace of two of my characters. however, a trip to Greece would be amazing for cultural inspiration on the Egaro species. What is the best part of being an author? Honestly, being able to entertain myself with the stories I write down. my mind is constantly filled with what ifs about various stories. Having readers who enjoy the stories I write is just a hefty layer of icing on the cake. If you could give advice to yourself when you first started writing, what would it be? The biggest piece of advice would be to never be afraid to write what you want. You never know who else out there shares your view of the universe, and could be taking enjoyment or even inspiration from your work. You write all sorts of paranormal and fantasy characters, but which is your favorite? That is another tough question. Sticking with the theme of the Elf's Hunt, I would have to go with elves. We have our own ideas of what elves are, often influenced by classics such as The Lord of the Rings. Sometimes it is fun to subvert those ideas, and give elves their own flaws. What is your favorite story that you have written and why? I'm going to have to go with The Neko's Tail. It was my first foray into true science fiction, and it gave birth to a universe with a myriad of beings that each have their own ways of thinking. Do you identify more with Elluin or Hope in The Elf's Hunt? Both characters carry a bit of me in them, from Elluin's aloofness to Hope's sass. However, if I had to choose, I would have to go with Hope, because I, too, am a huge pain in the butt to deal with. What is the best line or scene in the book? Can you share anything special about your current or upcoming works with readers? I can't say exactly what it is, but there will be a rather painful twist in Egaran Stars. Here's hoping it won't be too painful. -
csr February CSR Discussion Day: Warlords by Sasha Distan
Cia posted a blog entry in Gay Authors News
February and we go on! This time we're back in space because... well, I can go to space if I want to two months in a row. Hopefully you enjoyed the scifi fest with me! What did you think about Sasha's story? Share your thoughts below after you enjoy this great interview! If you were an animal, what would you be? Is this a trick question? I am a wolf! What’s one location you’d love to go to research for a story? The Arctic circle. I want to see the Great Spirits and sit in the snow. What books have most influenced you as a writer? I mean the obvious answer is ‘everything I have ever read’…. But for sure the entire series of the Anne McCaffrey DragonRiders of Pern series, which was very formative for me, and Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, which remains the pinnacle of comedic satire and no one will ever change me mind on this. Special shoutouts to The Godeaters by Jessie Hajicek and The Man Who Fell In Love With The Moon by Tom Spanbauer. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? I loathe writing dialogue and dialogue tags. Working out where to break up speech will always be my most hated thing. Is your writing process a daily word count goal or more of a burst of inspiration writing flurry? Writing every day. For me it’s the only way. We try for 2k a day, minimum 1600. mostly it goes well. What is your favorite story that you’ve written and why? Recently? Latent Heat (another sheith fic) which is set in omegaverse (a free-to-use, communal AU idea where humans have a secondary gender which marks them as either an Alpha, Beta, or Omega. The specifics of what that means varies from writer to writer though) and deals with Keith having his secondary gender change unexpectedly from a Beta to an Omega. This obviously has unforeseen repercussions on his personal life. It’s a favourite partly because of how well it resonated with people, and partly because I loved the dynamic I created between Keith and Shiro for this AU. Though it bears no relation to the canon universe, I think the friendship between them is the most true to the actual IP and I’m very proud of that. Also the sex is hot, and lengthy, and the angst hits really good. Is science fiction harder to write than fantasy/paranormal stories? Yes, if only because I tend to want to make the lore more compact before beginning. Fantasy is easier for me personally, but usually because each time I write I’m setting it in the same world, and therefore none of the lore is new to me. For instance I’ve been writing The Best Circle of Hell series on and off since 2003, so each time I go there I’m just adding to it, not reinventing anything. How did you get inspired to write Warlords? So someone said on twitter that “enemies to lovers wasn’t REAL enemies to lovers unless one of them had tried to kill the other” and there as lot of discourse about how most enemies-to-lovers plot lines were at best rivals-to-lovers or just actually disagreements which meant nothing in the larger story line. And I, being me, took that as a challenge. There’s very little enemies-to-lovers in the sheith fandom, mostly because we all want to see our boys happy and in love and stuff, and I anted something sharp and visceral and who doesn’t love clash of cultures and an arranged marriage between two guys who have literally tried to murder each other ove the past six years? There was a fandom event – the Big Bang in which artists get paired with writers – coming up and it just seemed like the perfect opportunity. You have to wrote 20K or more to be eligible, and it just all flowed out. My artist was great and we spent a lot of time talking about wardrobe and Keith’s lack of decent attire and Shiro’s unseen gay panic because of it. Do you have a favorite line or scene in the story? ALL the fight scenes. But especially the third one where Keith ends up pinning Shiro to the grass and then breaking down when he can’t deal anymore with the fact that he doesn’t want to kill his husband. Can you share anything special about your new or upcoming works with readers? So we have lots of events in the fandom, and the next one is sheithletines. Everyone (artists and writers) puts in a wishlist and a ‘no’ list and mods match people up. Everyone gets something and gives something. It’s great fun. We got our wishlist assignments from the mods recently and mine is exactly my kind of thing. It’s a secret, but since none of you are in the fandom it’s pretty safe to share. I get to write a story with Shiro and Keith in a established relationship, but one of them in a werewolf and hiding it. I’m going to work a bit of praise and petplay kinks in there too and it’s going to be so much fun! (story posts to AO3 in Feb 14th, GA shortly after) -
I hope you weren't intimidated by the word series! It's just a little over 10k in length for all the short stories in the series, but boy are they fun to read. What did you think about Myr's scifi psionic storylines? Share your thoughts below! But first, of course, enjoy my interview with him! Are you a person who makes their bed in the morning, or do you not see much point? I make the bed once per week to avoid wear and tear on the sheets. What’s something personal about you people might be surprised to know? I tend to be pretty quiet and laid back most of the time, but when pushed can turn into a raging bull that has been let loose in a china shop. Keeping my center and staying calm has been a lifelong pursuit. What do you like to do when you’re not writing? In those times where I am not working or doing something for the site, I’m most often busy reading. Sometimes it is for pleasure and other times is it is to build or improve my skillset. When completely away from the computer, I also do construction work. I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few years renovating various things. Building a dedicated office space is on the agenda for this spring, so I can once again separate my work from my entertainment. I am also a gamer almost exclusively focused on single-player experiences. I do not have the time to dedicate to being good enough at any multiplayer game. It is not fun to play the role of cannon fodder to a twelve-year-old who can spend their life mastering the game. What’s your favorite room in your house? Do you plot or write there? My favorite room in the house is the family room, which has 3 sides full of windows. I keep my laptop there and work on things, including world-building. It is charming in the spring and fall when the windows can be open, and fresh air flows through. When you get a story idea, do you use any particular method, app, program, etc… to expand it before you begin writing? Since my stories exist in worlds I create, I have to do a fair bit of world-building. This requires me to keep track of a lot of metadata so that I keep the world consistent. I use World Anvil to create and track my World information. I use DungeonFog to make maps. I use Hero Forge to create character portraits (mostly as inspiration). I tend to visualize characters, plots, and scenes in my head as I fall asleep and run different versions until something clicks for me, and then I write that down. What is your favorite story that you’ve written, and why? I don’t have a favorite story per se. This series, and WET, in particular, is probably my favorite. What character trait do you think best describes Bill from All WET? Cheeky. How would you handle having psionic powers? I’d probably jump in a spaceship and fly away from the rest of humanity as fast as the ship could go. What is your favorite line or scene from the All WET series? I think my favorite scene is the opening of A Bad Way to Wake up WET Part 1. In the various writing books, they tell you to start your scene in the middle of the action and I tend to go hyperbolic at times. This part of the story starts off with a bit of a bang and I had fun with it. Can you share future plans for All WET stories with readers? I am currently working on the plot and world building to turn All WET into a full-length novel. It is currently titled “Burn the Sky”. I’m not sure if it will stay that way, but that’s what it is for now. I have no time estimates for when this will be done. I’m horrible at those and life tends to throw surprises.
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So I'm a huge sucker for ocean animal stories--even if they aren't paranormal ones. As one of GA's most popular authors, I knew if I picked one of Carlos' works, readers would love to share their thoughts and comments on the discussion day, and it's been far too long since his last CSR feature. So if you have a short reading window, pick this story to read, or reread! As a bonus, Carlos has 4 total Earth Day stories to enjoy, so you can keep reading if you get caught up in his storytelling. Dolphin Delivery by @Carlos Hazday Length: 2,467 Description: Liebe, a young girl living in the Florida Keys with her two fathers, encounters a dolphin in distress while fishing. When one of her fathers helps save the animal, they make a friend for life. A Reader Said: Somehow I missed this story when it was posted. It is sweet in the best way, and reminds me of the stories I read to my daughter when she was young. Thanks for including descriptions of the illustrations. It makes me wish I was better at drawing. I could see how they would look in my head. Nicely done! Thanks. ~JeffreyL Don't forget to come back to share your thoughts on Monday, June 27th!
