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Found 11 results

  1. Being the start of a new week, Monday's are also a good time to take a look at some of the different stories that can be found on Gay Authors. With so many great works, it can be easy to overlook one and Monday's provide an opportunity for us to help make one of them stand out and maybe catch your interest. Today, we're bringing you a review by AC Benus of Mikiesboy's story "Miss Silver Pretty-Pink Toes." Enjoy! Miss Silver Pretty-Pink-Toes Mikiesboy Reviewer: AC Benus Status: Complete Word Count: 5,622 Mikiesboy’s range is pretty amazing. How many of us have thought of tackling a fairytale, and doing it old-school? In Miss Silver Pretty-Pink-Toes you will encounter a beautiful goat who suffers a horrible fate: humanifacation! Her curse is to be set adrift among the caprice of mankind and to try to make her way back. Along the way, she meets unlikely love, and pure devotion – which she will need to return to her original form. We also meet a one-eyed goat, a massive slime-covered snapping turtle and an evil toad. In this highly original tales, many of Mikiesboy’s talents are called into use. There is poetry, fantasy, love and longing. There is also pain and confusion as some of the forces around Miss Silver act with malice. If you have not ventured into this remarkable fantasy world, please do. Like me, I think you soon be asking the author to create more imaginative tales along these lines. Category: Fiction Genres: Fantasy, Romance Tags: magic, sorcery, witchcraft, wizards, no sex, friendship Rating: Everyone
  2. Welcome back to another quirky question and answer session with your favorite authors! In AtA #49, we heard from authors AC Benus, Parker Owens, HinderToyBL, and Milos. Today in AtA #50 we hear from authors Mann Ramblings, Parker Owens, Mikiesboy, and W_L. First up today is Signature Author Mann Ramblings. In addition to writing, this Michigan Man is quite the artist; have you seen the new avatar image? or the book cover he did for Cia? It’s been four and a half years since Mann first followed his heart to GA, and we’ve sure benefited from it. While his time with Wayward Ink was not as long as anticipated, I’m sure that Mann’s stories will find another home soon. In the meantime, if you snoop around his GA stories, you’ll find plenty to keep you occupied. He’s got a Premium story now: Innocence & Carnality Part 2 is the sequel to what was originally written in 1k word-spurts for the flash fiction group. The original story (Part 1) is also a Premium story and explores the changes to main character Nathan as he finds out about the arrangements for his marriage and what happens in his life from there. Given Mann’s rather wicked humor, this is a can’t miss. But, as the author says, make sure you read them in order! To Mann Ramblings: Your pseudonym is a nice play on words, how did you come about it? When I was first getting up my nerve to write M/M, I figured I needed a pseudonym because I knew my stories would have erotic elements. (In the beginning, that was the focus.) Granted, I hadn't actually written anything yet, but organizing a plan is how I function. Anywho, I only knew of one mainstream writer who had delved professionally in erotic stories: Anne Rice. I have a number of her earlier novels and I was a fan. One of the names she wrote erotica under was Anne Ramplings. Looking at it, Ramplings became Ramblings since I wasn't overly confident in my writing skills. (I hadn't written anything in years and never finished any stories that weren't for school.) And since I wanted to emphasize the male aspect of my writing, Anne became Mann. It was all a play on words and a nod to a author whose work I respect and appreciate. Yes, you read that correctly; Parker Owens joins us once more! This is a rare double-shot, getting the same author two months in a row, but Parker keeps his name fresh in our minds with his regular poetry submissions and activity in the forums. He recently finished Predator Prey, a story about finding redemption. If you’ve been the bad guy all your life, and then suddenly become the victim, how might that affect you in the future? Prey explores this and more. Another recent addition is Fool Me Once, Parker’s submission to the April Fool’s anthology. Author and the main character Oliver have a lot in common, both being math teachers, but Oliver has a bit of a problem - or, really, more than one problem. It’s like Murphy’s Laws are out to get him: if it can go wrong it does go wrong. Read and find out how Oliver handles the obstacle course falling in front of him. To Parker Owens: How and why did you get the idea of using science subjects for your poetry? I am a math teacher and all around nerd. These are fun subjects to play with both for the ideas, for their metaphors, and for the words on their own. Math and science subjects for poems sometimes come up as a consequence of a student question, or an image from a way of thinking about a complex subject. Besides, who can resist the challenge of writing poetry about the universal gas constant? Foodie and Author Mikiesboy is up next. Despite protesting being called a “food blogger,” Tim continues to keep us apprised of his food explorations. He used to be the guy with all the food pictures and although he’s down to only 4 pictures of food, it’s still enough to make your belly rumble. Mike is amazingly lucky to be the recipient of all that good food…. Even if he does buy pie from the store. Tsk! We’ve had a lot of poetry from Mikiesboy this year so far in 2017, but take a chance on Miss Silver Pretty-Pink-Toes, a delightful short story told like an old-fashioned fairy tale. Complete with love, revenge, magic, and a riddle, Miss Silver will take you on a fun ride reminiscent of childhood, but without all the innocence. To Mikiesboy: How hard is it to write about your personal life and the hard moments you've experienced through life? Wow, good question. It is hard in a way but it is also cathartic. I starting writing poetry after I was thrown out of the house at 15 and was learning to survive on the street. Years later when I survived a severe beating, and was off the streets, I decided to write as a therapist thought it might help me deal with things. I had recurring nightmares for many years. So I decided i couldnt be timid about it, that I had to be honest and brave and face the things that frightened me. But when I write about myself, I have to do it like a reporter. I have to take a step away and write it without a lot of emotion. The facts, baby, only the facts!! So when I write about me or anything, I try to be brave, and try to push myself. Today’s final author has been with us for just over 9 years. Author W_L writes to us from Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Be careful talking politics with this guy, as he’ll definitely tell you what he thinks in that sharp, dry wit he possesses. He, like Parker Owens is an unrepentant math geek. When I see math jokes in the Make us Laugh thread, this is one of the guys I think of. For example: how do you make seven an even number? WL also enjoys food, and if you ask nice, he might share some of his recipes. In the part of his brain not trying to master calculus and not taking pictures of his dinner to share with us and the part not devising more ways to educate us on current events, WL has managed to squeeze out a story or two. The Real Me is an entry for the April Fool’s anthology, a curious mix of comedy and sarcastic commentary of local governments. Herman is a retired superhero who gets to swoop in and save the day one more time. And he still remembers to get his coffee! To W_L: AJ sees you have written a story called 0's and 1's. He wants to know if you can actually do binary math. if not, why not. 01001001 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01000001 01001010 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 repeats from MrM, Timothy M, Headstall, and a last chat in memory of SkinnyDragon. I’m always in the market for new questions! Simply PM me (Dark). Until next time! Dark
  3. Please join the Author Promotion Team in congratulating Mikiesboy as GA's newest Promising Author! Mikiesboy, or tim as many know him, has been a member of GA for almost two years. During that time he has written a total of 21 stories, both prose and poetry, and has touched the hearts of many members. If you want to check out Mikiesboy's stories, and check out his new banner and author bio, you can visit his author page. Please join us in congratulating Mikiesboy on his well deserved promotion.
  4. How fast the year has already seemed to go! Hopefully you found the time to enjoy Mikiesboy's story, The Pledge. Or, if you've read it already, maybe you tried one of his newer stories like "After the Past". Or, if you're a fan of his work, you've already read his work... well this is your chance to share that love with fellow readers who might be new to his work. I've asked a few questions to kick things off, but don't be shy asking Mikiesboy what you want to know too! Have you ever gone out in public, realized your shirt is on backwards, and just don’t care? No. I’d never do that and if I did I’d be mortified! I’m paranoid and terrified of making a mistake. I am a perfectionist, with a capital P. Though obviously I make mistakes all the time… What’s something personal about you people might be surprised to know? Most people know I love to cook, some know I went to cooking school, but my fav recipe is one of my Grandmother’s. It’s Sheppard’s Pie, simple, not fried and my fav comfort food. It actually won a local Sheppard’s Pie taste test! What do you like to do when you’re not writing? If I’m not writing, I can be found reading, cooking/baking, or snuggled up with my giant of a husband watching British TV shows! There’s a full-time job in there somewhere, too! What’s the best part of being an author? Oh, gosh I think listening to people’s opinions, especially about how a poem made them feel. It can be so different from what I felt when I wrote it. There’s no right or wrong, and that fascinates me. The other thing is learning, trying new things, stepping out of that comfort zone to write something new. Do you prefer to write one project at a time or do you bounce from story to story as inspiration strikes? I sort of bounce around until I feel ready to finish something. Sometimes there are things I just don’t want to write. For example, the abuse scenes in Out of His Mind. It took me some time to get that finished. Once I’d done it, I put all else aside and finished Tait’s story. It was time. Do you have any special tricks when you write to get you in the right frame of mind to jump into different time periods? Tricks? No. I try to read a lot about things I’ve not experienced myself. I watch shows about them if I can and I just try to imagine myself there. People are people no matter where they are, I think. They are affected by the things around them, but they don’t really change. The Pledge has both a medieval aspect and a paranormal one. Why did you decide to mix the themes? Oh, people have challenged me to write about zombies and vamps. So I did in me, Zombie and now vampires in The Pledge. But I didn’t want the same old thing. With The Pledge, I was interested in exploring in things I’d read in Anne Rice’s novels, the Vampire Chronicles series and in my research. Anne Rice talked about the origin of vampires, so I wanted mine to be old, to live through centuries. I wondered how they’d respond to changes that happened through the centuries they’d experience. I wanted to explore if they’d remain human in some ways, or if that old adage, power corrupts absolutely, would apply. So to make them old, I looked back to Elmet, which was a real place in the north of England, where West Yorkshire is now, between the 5th and 7th centuries. Elmet was just a framework; I’m sure it was nothing like I’ve written it. Can you sum up this story in one sentence? One? You don’t know me too well, LOL! The Pledge is a story of power, love and life immortal through the ages. There, how’s that? You tend to bounce around time periods, such as your recent story of After the Past which went in a completely different direction. Do you have a preferred time period to write? My last couple of stories have been bouncy for sure. I prefer to write in modern times, it’s a bit easier to do I think. There is often less research required, but I’d look at other time periods again if I’m inspired. It’s fun to delve into the past or to try and make the future realistic. Do you have any recent, current, or upcoming stories you think fans should read? Why would you recommend them? I think I’d recommend Levko. It’s pulled from my own experiences when I was a rent boy. I think it worked well and seemed to be well received. After The Past as well, I’m rather proud of that one. It’s my longest story and I think the effort I put in and the effort of my editor, AC Benus, really shows in the quality. I have two stories I’m actively writing, the first with the working title of Magic Beans should be fun and while modern, it’s not about humans. The other I’m hoping will work out into a longer novel. It’s called Changes and it’s about Don, a very active guy, who is married to Louis and how their lives change after a terrible accident, and how they go forward together. I’m really exploring their relationship, Louis’ feelings and fears, as well as their relationships with their families.
  5. Wow, it's the last CSR Discussion day of 2020! Hopefully everyone has had a great holiday season, and enjoyed the stories featured. I asked a few questions of the authors featured this month the same questions. Enjoy the answers I got back, then share any thoughts you had as you read their ficlets in a comment below! Mikiesboy with The Christmas Cracker How do you celebrate the Holidays? Usually we have a large reunion in early December with the whole family from around Toronto and Niagara Falls. Then we meet with Michael's parents, and his brother on Christmas Day. It's a pretty traditional Christmas. This year is Christmas under lock down. So, just me and my Husband and a zoom get together with everyone else. I'm cooking our traditional meal, only smaller for the pair of us. What is a favorite holiday memory you'd like to share? I don't really have a favourite memory. I look forward to Christmas annually. It always fills me with a sense of wonder and fellowship. Do you have a favourite line or scene in The Christmas Cracker. This part makes me hold my breath for a second, it's among my favourites: What is your favorite Holiday Story: Well my favourite is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. On GA my favourite is this wonderful, naughty version: Bill W with A Gay Christmas Carol How do you celebrate the holidays? This has changed over the years. When the kids were younger and we lived closer to our other relatives, we used to throw a big dinner on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and invite the entire extended family. Sometimes we'd be like the Currie family from The Castaway Hotel series and have up to 30 people at our house for those meals. Now that I'm older and many of those relatives have died and the kids live a long way away from me and each other, I merely chat with them using all of these marvelous new technologies. What is a favorite holiday memory you'd like to share? It's another idea I stole and used in The Castaway Hotel series. On Christmas Eve when the kids were younger, one of the adults would dress up in a Santa suit and then go outside to peek in the picture window so the kids could see him. We would rotate who played Santa so the kids wouldn't figure it out, and some of the women even took a turn doing this. After Santa appeared, we'd use that to urge the kids that they had to go to bed so Santa could leave his presents and this ended a lot of hassles about them wanting to stay up longer. Do you have a favorite line or scene in A Gay Christmas Carol? What is your favorite holiday story? Every Christmas I have to watch at least one version of A Christmas Carol or I don't feel right. My favorite is the 1951version staring Allistair Sims, but I also like the 1984 version with George C. Scott and the 1999 version staring Patrick Stuart. I also enjoy 1970 musical version, Scrooge, so I guess you can tell why I wrote A Gay Christmas Carol.
  6. That's right, this month we have a holiday triple feature! These Christmas stories are like sprinkles of joy you can use to brighten your day and hearts. Just the right length for a short read, please enjoy these stories brought to you from 2 of our Signature Authors and 1 of our Classic Authors. The Christmas Cracker by @Mikiesboy Length: 1,528 Description: Hawken picked up the red Christmas Cracker and offered the other end to Lori-Anne. She grasped it. They pulled. It snapped with a satisfying bang. Hawk carefully pulled out the contents. The others had received little gifts ... but his was different. He looked at Harish, who smiled ... A Reader said: This story was a sweet bit of Christmas magic. ~ dughlas Bear in Winter by @comicfan Length: 4,181 Description: William Watthews runs the local recreation center. Most people call him, Will or Bear, but it seems someone has other plans for him. Just what is going on at the rec center and what will it mean to Bear? A Reader said: I have to come back to like this, but I loved the story.. It was absolutely sweet and wonderful and full of heart. ~ Defiance19 A Gay Christmas Carol by @Bill W Length: 9,495 Description: Scrooge becomes a religious zealot named Franklin Phelps. He has some troubling beliefs about gays and on Christmas Eve he first encounters the spirit of his former associate, Patsy Falwell, followed by three ghosts that attempt to help him redefine his position, but will they succeed? A Reader said: lol well i like the « revised » gay xmas carol 😉 ~ Danilo Syrtis Don't forget to come back and share your thoughts on the CSR Discussion day, Monday, December 28th.
  7. ATTENTION: All COVID 19-related restrictions have been lifted. The pandemic is over! Ooops, April Fools’ Day here in the old U S of A. Welcome back! And welcome to the best month of the year. We celebrate fools—we all know a few of those—this month. Mother Earth has her day this month. My niece—didn’t I just hold her as a newborn?—will turn twenty-four this month. And a foolish, tree hugging, white-haired, old biker has his birthday this month. Happy April, y’all. The member who sent in last month’s question also asked something of poets. Due to the total number of individuals involved, I decided to feature them in separate months. And even though not all poets I contacted replied, the responses we do have are outstanding. ◊ ◊ ◊ Do you have a favorite metaphor? An image or analogy you come back to again and again? If so, what is it about that metaphor that draws you back? ◊ ◊ ◊ @AC Benus When I first got this question, I thought, "No. I don't go back to well-worn ideas over and over...." And then, lol, I thought of a couple of things that I have gone back to a few times. One seems to be the "Alice in Wonderland" theme. It has appeared several times as allusions in my poetry, and then, last year, it somehow wound up being the central theme in my havin-a-baby novella Finding Joy. Another area I come back to is more nebulous. This especially shows up in my poetry as opposed to my fiction, but I use concepts and theories from Physics as metaphors. String Theory, the Butterfly Effect, Quantum Mechanics, and many more wind up as ways to express the sort of mystical connections some of us feel for others. One area I have plans to write a prose piece deals with discoveries made by a doctor of Anesthesiology concerning the human body and reactions people have far, far, far below the conscious level. So, thank you for your question. It really made me think ◊ ◊ ◊ @Mikiesboy Hmmm , interesting question. I write a lot about depression, i have lived with it for many years. To me it is a soul and spirit sucking vampire. I often use words such as fog, darkness, viscous, heaviness and chains, to describe it. I included some samples in my answer: In the early morning I can hear its song though its wee small voice is fleeting my soul yearning for something more and sadness I can feel comes creeping And the tears sit waiting but are not wept for what earthly good will it do? I can cry for an age but it would not be enough There is no cure for what ails, not even you You speak of hope but I have none at least I don’t today But I cannot do what must be done To take this pain away On days like this I am tired of life of the pain I carry like a canker It’s a Dickensian chain heavy and thick and its weight wants to drag me under I like words with texture. To describe clouds for example: felted or woolen skies. Here is an other example of clouds: Whales of gray clouds drift past my windows blown by on fierce seas of gusty wind While the sun teases and taunts us with golden rays The first cold of winter is triggered and as the first flakes fall i think spring And i write a lot about life and what it means, i write what i see and feel about it and people: I walk in the world, a pretender, a lonely visitor I don't know the path and there is no map There is no place to stop to ask for directions I watch the world around me and despair People don't see outside, their universe is inward It easier to ignore the downtrodden, to close our eyes Our houses are crammed with baubles Shiny toys that blind us to what is right in front of us And we scamper on whirling wheels Like hamsters ignorant of life's meaning I am one - and there's no reason or rhyme Ours is to race to the end; to the finality of death Desperately I search my cage for a map Seeking the reasons for my incarceration But i am terrified to take that step Afraid of what i think life really means. I hope that answers your question and the examples helped a bit. Thanks for the question. ◊ ◊ ◊ @Wayne Gray Yes. I love the power of storms and the ocean. They're these tremendous forces of nature - awesome, impossible to stand against. Instead we're battered about, forced to simply endure. If we're lucky, we're looking at them from some safe place, marveling at their power. You can see my take on them both here. Thunder Just Breathe Thanks for the great question. ◊ ◊ ◊ Hope you enjoyed those as much as I did. We’ll be back next month with another edition. In the meantime, send me additional questions for any of our authors, and I’ll do my best to have them answered.
  8. Welcome to the final installment of Ask an Author. Yep, you read correctly. I’m out of questions, so unless I get a few new ones, there will not be a December blog entry. In the meantime, a member sent in a query for several authors. "Which is harder to write and why... short stories (so much has to be crammed into so little space) or a chapter story (so much research to get it right, like CJ and his environs or Donny and Louis in Mikiesboy's Changes & Changes Again?) @Carlos Hazday Unless it’s a throw-away flash piece, writing a short story’s harder than some chapters in a multi-installment story. Part of it, as you mention, is the need to cram so much into so few words. Just because it is short does not mean it should be incomplete. Leaving certain blanks to be filled in by readers’ imagination, does not absolve authors from the need to provide a beginning, a middle, and an end. Even when creating a slice-of-life tale, the need for a structure remains. If not, a shopping list could be considered a short story. Now, there’s an idea for a prompt. Anyone interested in writing a flash piece with ‘The Shopping List’ as the title? A chaptered novel or novella is definitely more difficult than a short story; mostly because of the time required to research, write, and edit. You ask us to compare an individual chapter within such a tale to a short and in many cases those can be easy. Every long tale has a rhythm; some chapters are full of action while others not so much. Those slower chapters can be easier to create. Giving readers a break from non-stop action allows us to write atmospheric chapters. A quick glance at past events, location descriptions, or small romantic interludes can round out the story and provide the breathing space needed before plunging back into the maelstrom. @Mikiesboy Which is harder to write and why? Wow, okay, let’s see. They are not really comparable; they are two different things altogether. It’s a skilled author who can write a good short story and that’s not just my opinion. Anyone who wants to or thinks they can write, should start with short stories (yes, Virginia, there are always exceptions to any rule). They help you learn plotting; help you find your voice and style. They will help you develop the skill you need so you can write that novel you want to write. Okay, this isn’t answering the set question. Short stories normally have one main character and plot, while novels have more and may have a number of subplots. Short stories are not shrunken novels yet they must have a beginning, middle/climax and end/twist. To me a short story should be around 7,500 words or it’s drifting into novella territory. That’s a chapter in some novels. Novels, though, should not be long rambling things that go on and on just to raise the word count. Unnecessary words, subplots, and the continued introduction of new characters, show up very quickly. They muddle things. Long descriptions, and character’s mental diarrhea (in other words, a lot of Telling) make your novel a long trip to Dullsville. But novels let you show your world to the reader, up close and personal. So, which is harder? The answer is both, each have their own personality, and needs. Each must be written differently, if they are to work. @AC Benus Right now I’m tackling a new genre of book, and the research needed to do an historical murder mystery is driving me insane! Well, okay, it’s not that bad, but it takes a lot of time. However, is an honest to goodness Short Story any easier than a novel? The two are not scalable. A novel can’t be boiled down without harm, and a Short Story cannot be “padded out” to 20 chapters without losing its soul. Both require individual types of inspirations. Short Story inspirations are probably rarer, which makes GA’s writing prompts such a valuable asset. Keeping in mind that real Short Stories should have twists at or near the end, one can look over the posted prompts and see if anything sparks. Once the idea comes, a Short Story can be organized and written in a few days. For me, it’s all about the drive to get it out. There is almost a kinetic buildup, and the story itself should flow easily if you are ready to write it. With novels, first and foremost, novelistic elements should be present. I guess these are unexpected turn of events as well, but very large-scale ones. Think of Oliver Twist. The boy runs away to London, and through some accidents, is eventually placed in very home of his dead mother, with his grandfather and aunt. Fate has stepped in, and we as readers – just like Twist himself – know nothing about this till the very end. Novels can do these things very well, where in Short Stories, they seem artificial. The why of it is, novels offer more room to explore and develop people, situations and relationships. But they take more time to plan and write. So, it is easier to get started on a novel, but easier to finish a Short Story. That is my backwards conclusion @northie Well, there's something to make me think. In my case, a 'short story' can be anything from micro-fiction (under 50 words) through to a tale that stands on its own but has in excess of 10,000 words. As you might expect, both extremes have their separate challenges as well as some similarities. I regularly post flash fiction pieces on my external blog, written to one or more prompts, which have to be 750 words or under. The prompts are posted on a Saturday; the entries have to be in by the following Wednesday. Finding an idea that fits exactly into the word limit is key. There's enough space to tell a complete story with all the components you'd expect, but it must be focussed, and pared back to the essentials. I have a chequered history in this respect. One of the worst comments you can receive is 'This is a great start'. It's difficult to let go of an idea when it can't be made to fit, no matter how many words I excise. Writing such a piece is an excellent discipline in being concise, showing, not telling, yet coming up with something that grabs a reader's attention. At the other end of the scale, finding a story to fit is still key. Yes, the canvas is larger, allowing more detail, conversation, and depth. However it must leave the reader satisfied that the story is complete: no hanging threads, no redundant characters. It has to gather momentum throughout, with little room for diversions. Questions might still remain – that's OK. Sometimes it's good to leave people wondering about what happens after the conclusion. I have much more experience in stand-alone shorts than ongoing stories. That said, my two chaptered stories are where I feel my learning is more apparent. One thing I wrote early on in my writing career was the first chapter of Never Too Late. Here I am, a little over two and a half years later, preparing to close the second volume. That story in particular documents what I've learnt. Quite apart from my increasing technical knowledge, this is where I've discovered story and character arcs. And becoming so wrapped up in my principal characters, they talk to me; direct the story almost. That depth of characterisation means I have to spend much more time discovering just who they are. You can't get away with the outline sketch that serves for a flash piece. The locales are another matter. I started out in Eric's story not naming anywhere; in a way the intimacy of the first few chapters doesn't make this a problem. Gradually it became more of an issue; this combined with my increasing confidence meant that when the second volume began posting, most places are named except for his home town. Yes, they're real places and what I describe bears some resemblance to reality. To come back to your original question of which is more difficult – my answer would be neither. Written properly, both long and short stories should challenge authors. I know they do me. @Geron Kees I have to say that I don't see much difference between short stories and longer ones, other than the time involved in creating them. I usually write long stories, anyway. I have written some stories that were planned as chaptered tales from the get-go. I don't think there is more planning for a long tale than then a short one. I research subjects as I need to while moving along, so while it does require more research for something longer, there is no more planning involved, because I start with an idea and simply create the balance of the story as I move along. I know some writers plot out the whole tale before they start, but I don't do that. So I'll have to say that neither format is more difficult, and that one just takes longer than the other. If anything, very short pieces are hard for me, because I generally wind up with more ideas I want to add, and have to stop myself before it gets out of hand. That’s it for now. I hope someone hears my cry for help, and we get to visit again next month.
  9. So begins the week of Halloween short stories!! We featured several stories this month and welcomed members to decide why they liked them to share with other readers. What drew you in? Title? Description? Type of monster-riffic plot to enjoy? Well... I can't wait to hear it! Share your thoughts and comments below. me Zombie Tired of the same old zombie thing? Looking for different? Well drop in to visit with Stephen and family. Nice twist on this well-worn genre. Great job, tim! ~ MichaelS36 June 30, 2018 Shepherd's Crook I have been waiting for this story to be posted in full in order to read it, and as the number of reviews grew I figured it must be a good one! You write very realistic dialogue, K.C., which I admire. So easy to be taken out of the story when the dialogue is stilted. There were a number of surprises in here, definitely an original tale. They kept me turning the pages...or scrolling down in this case. Engaging characters throughout though I would have liked a little more insight into the foundation of Amanda's cruelty and lack of remorse. Pure mental illness or were there other factors? Well done K.C. And I look forward to your next. ~ Percy September 30, 2012 Z is For Zombie It may say "Z is For Zombie," in the title, but don't let that fool you into thinking this is just another Walking Dead clone. It's not. Geron creates a world that feels alive in the post-apocalyptic sense of what happened during the Changes. It follows a brief period in the lives of a group of survivors who after two years, are more family than just a collection of people. And they are all under the age of 18. Five stars for this terrific tale. ~ Brayon September 29, 2018 Purpose "To borrow a famous quote, this story is "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma" with deadly and frightening consequences. The two main characters are bonded by forces outside themselves and it takes luck, persistence and danger to tease out the meaning of it all. It is wrapped in a love story between two men. So those who are repelled by homoerotic love should be warned, but love scenes are not explicit. Their journey to self-awareness and knowledge of the forces that bind them is tense and dramatic. I heartily recommend this story for everyone with a sense of danger and adventure." ~ Daddydavek August 8, 2017 Don't forget to share your thoughts about these stories in the comments below. And on Wednesday, we have even more coming with the Halloween Hunt short stories! And Thursday's the Anthology Haunted look back.
  10. Wow, it's October 2019, and I've been doing the CSR blog every month for 7 years this year.... 7 is one of those spoooooky numbers. Or is it lucky? Guess it depends on who you ask... or if you're in Vegas? When the holiday season comes around, I like to change this up, or really, any season where I can theme the stories or give readers a chance to try something a little different. I've been doing interviews, a LOT of interviews, over the years as well. Well, this month it's going to be a little different. I've picked several stories, and I'd love for readers who enjoy the CSR to tell me which story they'd pick to read/comment on this month and why it grabbed their attention. Just a sentence, or two, or four if you really want to go on and on. You can do that as soon as you read this blog. Especially if you've read all these stories and know you love one of them, or you like one type of paranormal plot-type, or if you check out all the stories and try reading the first chapter and one sucks you in, or... I don't know. You tell me and your fellow readers! These comments will be featured on the Discussion day, and then everyone can still share their comments on the story plot/characters below the blog feature. And since it's the month for all things spooky and fun, I've chosen the theme of Spirits and Spare Parts (Zombies, of course!) with 4 stories of varying lengths. (Is that one aspect that matters to you?) How many people like the CSR blog as it is? How many people have the 7 year itch and want a change and have an idea for me? You can share them below too! I'd love to keep featuring stories on the site and authors, but we want to keep this activity interactive and what people want to see/read/take part in!
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