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Hello everyone! My newest story, Shamrock Lite, is out today published by MLR Press. It's a lighthearted and slightly nostalgic homage of mine to the wonderful country of Ireland and its rich lore. You can find the link and blurb below! Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Shamrock-Lite-Albert-Nothlit-ebook/dp/B00UQF1R4W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426636816&sr=8-1&keywords=shamrock+lite MLR Press http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=ANSHAMRK Shamrock Lite One lifetime of experience, and suddenly magic. Richard has come to Ireland to reflect on years gone by, not to become mixed up in the affairs of the fairy folk. The handsome stranger he meets will not be denied, however. He makes Richard young again- for a price.

I found a cute story today called "Paper Walls", by KD, a new author here at GA. The story was first post back in early fall, but it just caught my eye today. I read the first 11 posted chapters and I fell in love with it. It centers around a fifteen year old adopted football prodigy from Russia whose adopted dad is a coaching legend of Texas High Football, himself. KD does an awesome job of bringing his characters alive and leaves you wanting more. If fact, the chapters could be longer, but KD doesn't short change you in the content department. I don't do this too often, but I highly recommend this story to all.

Finding Home by Diana DeRicci My rating: 5 of 5 stars Sometimes, I like a feel good story. Diana DeRicci's story, Finding Home, starts out rough for our main character, Parker. He's gotten the crap kicked out of him by life. Sometimes, pride is all a person has left but Parker takes the ride and the $20 offered to him by a well-meaning older man. Even more amazingly... just a short time later, he takes the help offered by a local gay couple, one of which is a local cop, to stick around for a while. People pop up to help Parker settle in to Jasper. No one offers him a handout after the initial effort of the ride and a bit of money for food, but they certainly offer him a hand up. I loved the realism of the struggles Parker faces as he begins to stand on his own two feet once more. Diana could've given us a pat romance device of uniting Parker with his first love, and the reason for his journey on the road, but she's a better writer than that. I loved the interweaving of Parker's past life and people from it with the connections he was making in the present with Ian and Caleb's families. I adored Summer, as we were meant to, of course. Okay, so the plot moves a bit fast for all the changes and the emotional leaps for the characters. I'd have enjoyed more story and getting to know Parker and his romantic interest more as a couple. That, however, is exactly what every really good story I read leaves me wanting. I know as an author that isn't always the way it works, but as a reader, I WANT! lol All in all, I definitely recommend reading this story! Oh, and I read this outside of the series, having never read the first or second, and had no troubles keeping up with the story as a stand alone. I'm sure I might have been more familiar with a few of the other characters had I read it after them, but it wasn't necessary. View all my reviews

I've been working on a new sort of story, a sort I've never really written. I'm writing a story about a "what if" scenario. It's a tale, set in a world much like our own, with one key difference. That is, it's written in a world where Love is Love. Where healthy relationships of all kinds are simply accepted, and there's no social pressure to be something you're not supposed to be. The difference is actually quite profound. I have to think about it. I have to constantly rewrite bits, because my protagonists shouldn't angst over some of the things my characters in other stories have. They're just allowed to be. What a world that'd be. Where the only struggles a pair of guys have to becoming a couple are the same struggles a man and a woman would have. I'm on chapter seven. I figure I've probably got another four to five chapters to go before I'm done, and I'm looking forward to watching them make this journey together. Really, it's the journey we should all have the choice to make - regardless of who we choose to walk the path with us.

SP and I bought promise / engagement rings today. His is 10mm wide - 6mm black band in the center, with two small silver bands on the outside, spaced slightly off the main ring; mine is a 6mm black band. It was good. We did not go to the cemetery today like I had originally thought I would. The last two years I had very strong "intuition" on what day and time I should be there. This year... nothing. That really upset me yesterday; then felt bad about being upset about it when SP and I are almost at our 6-month anniversary (the 27th -- which is also C's birthday -- which hasn't helped any). I think that lack of "intuition" was C's way of telling me to let him go. Not entirely of course, I'll always love him, but I can't look back and look forward too. Times, like yesterday, I still feel very torn by my emotions towards my Boy and my Darling; my past, and [hopefully] my future.

SP spent the night last night, for the second time. Slept in an odd position and my hip is killing me; his back is killing him. That's most likely because neither of us is used to sleeping next to anyone anymore. My allergies are bad and my blood pressure is sky high this morning and they were last time too. This one I'm pretty sure is because he smokes -- and has for many many years -- and bringing that up is going to be difficult. I'll probably have to tell him he'll need to go outside (he has been smoking outside) to smoke his last cig before bedtime earlier than he has been, so the smell of smoke is not as strong as when we get into bed. Things are going well between us. I worry about messing things up by saying something, but on the other hand he'd hate to wake up to me having a heart attack. Need to go into work and take care of things I wasn't able to get done this week from being out Wed. afternoon and almost all day on Thurs. due to joint pain but.... that will have to wait until the hip calms down enough for me to function.

SP and I have had several conversations: about our pasts, our fears, our insecurities, our hopes for what this could be. Had a few small dates so far, and planning on something larger for New Years. I'm cautiously optimistic and I think he is too. We seem to be on the same page with things - where we are now, what we want going forward. To possibilities, hope, and the future. 🍾

First of all, I want to thank all of my readers, from those who read the first chapter and ran away screaming to those of you who re-read every chapter when I post new ones. I know it's going at a blistering pace, but I promise that once it goes up, the sequels (yes, sequels are coming!) will be a much slower pace of production. So, have at it. If there's anything you like, don't like or just want to get off your chest about The Last Out and its soon to be posted sequels, let it all out here. Most of you you will already know that I try to respond to every comment as soon as I can, so I look forward to interacting with my readers. Ciao, at least until the next batch of updates!

I'm looking for more stories to read. I really enjoy Young Adult/ Coming of Age stories, but I would also like to branch out into other areas. If anyone can recommend any impactful stories, please let me know. I've enjoyed the following stories on GA and Nifty: Second Shot How I Got Carter The Long Way In the Fishbowl Desert Dropping An English Teen Circumcised in the USA Seal Rocks The Carnivore

Hi everyone! My name is Dylan, for those of you who don't know me! I'd appreciate it if you could stop on by and take a look at my story "Rooted in My Heart" - It'd mean a lot to me! Love you all~ Description: A lonely teenager simply searching for love in life, finds a connection to a childhood acquaintance and tries desperately to befriend him. When his best friend comes up with a plan to solve his problem, will it work, or will it only cause him more pain? Link: https://www.gayauthors.org/story/autumn-dream/rootedinmyheart

If you like hysterical, oh, I mean historical romances then you might like something I've been writing. I started writing it last year but got bogged down in too many other things and wanted to finish The Seashell first. With that book finished I was able to add Souvenir back into my writing rotation. The story is a first person narrative in a diary style similar to Brandon Smiling and that's done purposefully. If you follow Brandon then you might enjoy Souvenir all the more for reasons you might catch as you read this memoir of Lord Cedrick Temple, Duke of Buckingham. I've tried to write this as a period piece with the time period covered being just before and during World War I in England. The language may be a little challenging, but hopefully enjoyable. It's a challenge to write but fun too. So, without any further adieu I bring you:

Playlist (YouTube) Playlist (YouTube) Playlist (YouTube) Alan Matt Craig Hubris reading order: Alan - after the final chapter of Nemesis: Because I Want You. Matt - between chapters 4 and 5 of Nemesis: Soulmates Never Die. Craig - after chapter 8 of Nemesis: Soulmates Never Die. Alan & Matt - after the final chapter of Nemesis: Soulmates Never Die. Patrick - after chapter 12 of Nemesis: Loud Like Love. Devon - after the final chapter of Nemesis: Loud Like Love (can well be read before the epilogue).

Hi, I'm taking my lead from Carlos and expanding on his idea. I have decided to combine all my Unison Island stories into one forum topic to aid readers in finding the stories and to help me in keeping up with comments to the stories. Stories in order are: Book 1 - Welcome to Unison Island - An introduction to the world I created. Book 2 - Jamie and Andrew Book 3 - Adam and Ben - Author Note - This is also available to FREE download in the eBook section. Book 4 - Buried Treasure - Author Note: This story was my first attempt at writing in the first person and I am in the process of rewriting it to fill in some gaping holes. Book 5 - The Mouse that Roared - Unison Island Spin offs. Book 1 - Thane, Harry and Eddy - Christmas special Book 2 - Let Me In - Prompt Shorts: Prompt 313 - You're not listening - Set after Book 3 of Unison Island Prompt 307 - Please Dear - Set after book 3 of Unison Island Prompt 315 - Marry Me - Deleted scene from Book 5 of Unison Island Prompt 318 - Fayres Fair - Part of Chapter 9 of Book 2 of Unison Island Prompt 321 - I'm not staying there - Set between Books 3&4 of Unison Island Prompt 323 - Pictures v Actions - Deleted scene from Book 5 of Unison Island Prompt 325 - Love in the woods - Additional scene for Book 3 of Unison Island Prompt 332 - Birth or Torture - Additional scene for Book 3 of Unison Island Prompt 336 - Tea Anyone??? - Set after Book 5 of Unison Island Prompt 372 - Babysitting, the cat way - Set after Book 5 of Unison Island Prompt 376 - She said what!!! - Set after Book 5 of Unison Island All comments are welcomed. Be they suggestions, corrections or just general. Thank you for taking an interest in this topic. Caz

Hello everybody! For all of you who don't know me yet, I'm A.D. Anyhoozles (lol), it seems to be a common thing to create threads for stories on GA, most notably those that are doing well (and I'd like to think RIMH is ). So, I thought I'd create my own little thread for this story. For those of you that have taken the time to read, rate, and review already, thank you so much! I appreciate all of the kind words and support! For those of you that haven't done any of the aforementioned, feel free! All of your support keeps me motivated to write more! See, we're working as a team on RIMH. Also, I'd like to know what some of you are thinking so far! What do you think will come from some of the odd bits of foreshadowing I've dropped around? Who do you think the note is really from? Will Eden come around and stop being mad at Dylan? Has Denika messed up Dylan's chances with Tanis with her crazy plan, or made them better? I'd love to hear! Hope everyone is well~ A.D. (Edit) Description of the story (should probably include that!): Rooted in My Heart is a tale about a boy's first love, and the struggles he goes through to try and win him over. Dylan not only has to worry about his crush, but also a stressful home-life involving an alcoholic father. When those issues don't seem to be enough, Dylan finds himself in a tricky situation with a girl... and a love letter. Eventually, it all comes to head in a twist filled with pain, suffering, loss, lies, and deceit, but maybe... love will find it's way in too.

https://www.gayauthors.org/story/quinndk/fireandicing/ It took me a year, but now that I finally reached chapter 3 of Fire and Icing I thought I'd start a forum thread for it! A recap: Logan is a cocky firefighter. Aiden is a resourceful but neurotic culinary student. Aiden's apartment is destroyed in a fire and he makes a deal with the local firehouse: if he can cook them a satisfying dinner that the crew likes, he can become their live-in cook. But hunky, self-absorbed Logan becomes both a distraction and unexpected temptation. Enjoy.

Hey everyone! I'm posting here to hopefully try to generate some more interaction between myself and people about my story. I'm a very inexperienced writer, and any honest advice is appreciated (but that's not why I'm posting this). I'm hoping to spark up a conversation about how you feel so far about Muscle Memory. As a writer, my readers' thoughts and feelings are a big part of what fuels me to continue this story. Feel free to share anything, whether it's relating to a certain character or their experiences, how you feel about a certain situation, or just if you want to ask me anything about Muscle Memory specifically or even my writing general. So, to try and get the ball rolling, here is some random thoughts I've compiled about how this all came about: Muscle Memory is my very first attempt at writing fiction. Like, ever. Besides some poetry a few years back, I've never sat down and just written anything more than a few paragraphs, so starting this book was a bit daunting. Especially since I was just out of freshman year of highschool. I started the first chapter not really having any idea where it was going, but soon, a story started to take shape in my mind. Very quickly, I realized how much I loved characters. At times, I worry that there are so many in my book that they seem flat, or that there are too many for my readers to keep track of. It was definitely a risk going into my first writing experience with like 20 characters to juggle with, not to mention that I've basically made each character have something they are struggling with. Again, I worry that I'm losing depth by having so many different story arcs intertwining in my mind, but I also kind of love it. It's what I like in books. Another thing I wanted to mention is that somehow, I unexpectedly fell in love with the villain of my story. I love writing her, and I had lost hope for this story after, say, chapter 6, until one quiet night in late December, around 11 or 12, I was walking down this road and the song DNA by Lia Marie Johnson started playing through my earbuds. The song resonated deeply with me, and I also felt it tugging at something that I had put towards the back of my mind for 5 or so months. I realized that it was a newfound inspiration to give my character Alexa more depth. To do this, I felt as if she needed her own POV, which wasn't planned whatsoever. I've gotten pretty much only negative feedback on this, which saddens me, but now she is very important to the story as a whole. I've had people complain that it takes away too much from Wes and Ethan's story, which I disagree with. This is more than a romance to me. It's deeper. I feel that people who skip the Alexa chapters are missing an integral part of Muscle Memory. So regardless of how my readers feel, I still have a few more POV chapters planned. Anyway, I could go on for days about this, and that's enough rambling for now. Now it's your turn. What are your thoughts?

Hi all! Tantalus is a currently-ongoing story of mine with 14 Chapters up so far and more than a hundred reviews by awesome readers who seem to be finding it interesting! It is a science fiction story with M/M romantic elements and some nice and furry alien creatures with telepathy thrown in for good measure. I would like to open this topic in case anybody has any questions regarding the story, and to post a few little-known facts that followers of Tantalus might find enjoyable. Story link: https://www.gayauthors.org/story/albertnothlit/tantalus Ask away! -Albert Nothlit

Hi guys, I just wanted to create a discussion thread for my story A Knight To Remember. It's a love story focused on a high school senior named Ian Ferri, who goes after the boy of his dreams, but has a hell of a hard time figuring out how to even find him, since he'd only ever seen him in an Instagram post one of his friends commented on... Hopefully you guys find the story funny and engaging. I wanted to write a romance that FEELS like an adventure story, without all the crazy plots twists or wild storylines. Hopefully I'm accomplishing that. This story was largely inspired by the following works: Oh Radio Tell Me Everything You Know - Nifty Crosscurrents - GA How I Got Carter - GA All three of those stories influenced my writing, and I hope - and feel strongly - that those of you that really like those books, will like mine as well. Anyway, hopefully some of you guys have comments/questions/concerns or perhaps just want to vent about one of the characters. I'd be happy to hear it all.

SPRING ANTHOLOGY 2013 HOLDING ON TO HOPE Summary: Brad finally meets the man of his dreams on the Valentine’s Day. He even loses his virginity to him. But the problem occurs when he wakes up the next morning and realizes he can’t remember anything about the guy – not even remembering what he looks like. His best friend, Leslie, thinks he has imagined it all. But was it a mere imagination? or was there something more dangerous to that story? Read the story HERE You can discuss the story under this thread. Hope you guys like it. Don't forget to leave a review!

By 1943 the war is going very bad for Germany. With a shortage of U-boat captains due to heavy losses a young 21 year-old Lieutenant-Commander Lukas Stein is promoted to Captain and given command of his own boat. With a young crew that does not trust him and a prototype vessel being pressed into service, still not fully tested, Lukas will have to grow up quickly. Follow him and his crew as they try to navigate the torturous waters of the Atlantic, their orders, to hunt down and sink American merchant ships bringing aid to Great Britain. Tempers will flare, relationships will develop, and the crew will need to get along. Deep down Lukas knows the war may be lost but for now he will need to keep morale up and testosterone levels down as he tries to keep 29 crew safe and happy, in a highly charged and confined space. Coming Soon!

Hey everybody! There's been a new story being spun out in my head, and I've finally had to put it to paper (screen?). It's not named yet ('The World Beyond the Mirror' is my only idea so far, and I'm not sure about that), but I'll start posting it as soon as it is. I thought I should drop the prologue off here, since it worked really well for the last idea I had (still working on that one, just slowly ). Any advice (or name suggestions ) would be appreciated! Thanks to Rano for being the editor! Like all my stories so far, it's gonna be rated 'Mature'. This one's not gonna be too dark, but there'll be (extrememly) graphic sex between consenting young adults and also a fair amount of swearing (I'll tone it down , but I won't kill the realism). If none of that bothers you, then I hope you enjoy ___________________________________ I sat in my advanced math class, in my usual seat by the window, gazing longingly out into the rain. The soft pattering of the rain mixed with the nasal droning of the teacher, making it easy to tune them both out. The rain was mesmerizing as it hit the roof outside, and I admired the patterns it made in a puddle right by the window for a moment, before looking out over the small slice of the town visible from this second story window, regretting that there wasn’t more to see. I guess that’s on purpose, I thought. They didn’t want anything interesting outside to distract us. They’d succeeded. There were a few houses that I could see, boring brick and shingle constructions, and there was a small piece of a road visible. I watched as a car went by, there and gone before I could notice more than the fact it was brown. I watched the road for a little longer, trying to identify the few cars that went by, but it soon became as boring as the rest of the class. I looked back to the puddle, watching the ripples spreading through it. Wait… ripples? I wondered. Those aren’t from raindrops. They’re way too big. I looked around the roof, wondering what could have made those, and something near the edge caught my eye. I twisted, leaning to get a better view. Nothing was there, but there was something about how the rain was falling… “Mr. Adams,” the teacher said, reprimanding. “Can you answer the question?” I turned back to the board, quickly scanning it. “Sorry,” I said, buying time to think. “I got a little distracted. The answer is ‘X’ equals plus or minus fifteen.” The teacher nodded, satisfied with my answer. Safe, I thought, looking back out the window. I eyed the spot I’d been watching before, but there was nothing remarkable about it now. I sighed, wishing my mind would continue imagining things so I’d have a little bit of entertainment. I wish I could go outside, I thought with another sigh. I craned my neck, looking up at the sky to watch the rain coming down, but it wasn’t nearly as mesmerizing while I was inside, and I soon gave up. I stopped looking through the window and looked at it, making the reflection of the class come into focus. The room was just as boring from the window, with its plain white walls and the ‘Math is FUNctional’ poster that was just visible past the glare from the old yellowish lights. I watched the few other students I could see in the window. There was a girl, looking harried as she tried to write down the teacher’s every word, and two guys who were whispering to each other. Finally, there was me, staring back at myself, looking bored. I tried to adjust my expression to be more neutral, but my full pink lips didn’t want to co-operate. The teacher didn’t deserve to have me glaring around his classroom. It wasn’t his fault that I’d been down for the last little while, and there was no reason to take it out on him. I smiled, trying to get my face to stick in a pleasant expression, but even with my lips curved upwards, I looked bored. I examined my face, trying to figure out what I was doing to ruin my façade. My blond eyebrows matched my hair, and they were tilted slightly downwards with boredom. I adjusted them until they looked normal, and considered my face again. I just looked vaguely pissed off now. My tanned forehead was free of wrinkles, and my straight nose looked normal, but boredom was still radiating off me in waves. I met my reflection’s piercing blue eyes that lots of people had mistaken for contacts, and found the problem. My eyes were always pretty expressive, and now they were dull and lifeless. I sighed again, giving up. It seemed that there was no hiding my boredom. The bell rang loudly, and I glanced down at my binder, open to a blank page, still waiting for me to take notes. I closed it and grabbed my textbook, putting it on top of the binder and picking it up. “Erin, can I talk to you for a second?” the teacher asked. I nodded, some of my boredom replaced by curiosity. I fanned that flame, trying to burn away my indifference before the teacher had to see it, and I was satisfied with the result before I reached his desk. My curiosity had always been able to overwhelm my other emotions when something woke it. I stopped in front of the desk, looking questioningly at the teacher as everybody filed out. It was a small class, so I didn’t have to wait long before everyone had gone and he spoke. “Is everything OK?” he asked, concerned. “You’ve been really distant for a while now. You know you can come to me, or any of the other counsellors, with any problems you have, right?” “Yeah, I know,” I said, adding the expected amount of thankfulness into my voice. “Thanks for being concerned, but there’s nothing wrong. I’ve just been tired.” I’ve always been a good liar, when my eyes didn’t betray me, but he didn’t accept my response. He tried to hide his disbelief, but it takes a bullshitter to know one. “OK,” he said. “Just keep us in mind. If you’re not comfortable talking to me, the other counsellors would love to help you.” “No, I’d be fine talking to you if I ever needed help,” I assured him. He was trying to figure out a way to breach the subject of my life at home without sounding nosey or like he doubted me. I regretted that he knew about my situation, but he’d obviously been warned to look out for me. They’d flagged me as someone who’d need extra help, since my past was troubled to say the least. I had to make a conscious effort to keep my hand from rising to fiddle with my necklace, a simple black string with a small but convoluted metal triangle attached. I glanced towards the door but pretended to catch myself and look back at the teacher. Maybe that would give him a hint without being rude. “Oh, yeah, you’ve got to get to class, don’t you?” I nodded, giving him a brief smile. “Thanks,” I told him. “I’ll make sure to come to you with any problems I can’t handle.” He was starting to believe my bullshit a little bit more, so I started to walk towards the door, hoping to get away. “Erin?” the teacher called. Damn. I turned back, putting a curious look on my face. “Yeah?” I asked, keeping my frustration out of my voice. “Make sure to get enough sleep,” he reminded me with a smile. I smiled back, nodding. “I will. Thanks again!” He waved, turning to some papers on his desk, and this time I made it safely out the door. I walked to my locker and opened it, tossing my books inside. I closed it, deliberately not slamming it, and I saw my friend walking towards me. Shit, I thought, putting the lock back on my locker and turning to meet him. “Hey, Erin,” he said. “Shouldn’t you have gotten your English books before you closed your locker?” he teased. I shook my head, giving him a smile. “No, I’m dying in here. Math was really boring, so I’m taking a break and skipping English.” He nodded. “If you’re going to Tim Horton’s I’ll go with you,” he offered. I laughed. “Oh come on,” I said. “You can’t afford to skip English.” He nodded. “I can afford an Ice Capp, though, and that’s too tempting.” “I’m not going to Tim’s anyway,” I laughed. “I’m just gonna wander around.” He gave me a weird look. “You know it’s raining, right?” he asked. “You know it’s just water, right?” I asked, gently mocking. He laughed. “OK, what excuse do you want me to tell the teacher?” I shrugged. “I don’t care if she knows I’m skipping. It’s not like I do it often. She’ll know it’s nothing personal.” He snorted. “You’ve got bigger balls than me. I wouldn’t take my chances with her.” “You’re about to,” I warned him. “You’ve got less than a minute to get to class.” “Shit!” he yelped. “See you!” I waved absently, already turning towards the nearest exit. I opened the door, my actions smooth and deliberate as I concentrated on keeping up an appearance of normality, and walked out into the rain. I headed to a park I knew was around here, and walked in. There was no real forest to speak of, but I managed to find some bushes that gave a semblance of privacy to the bench in the middle of them. I sat down on the bench and looked upwards, fascinated by the raindrops speeding towards me. I watched the rain for a while, fondling my necklace as I thought. I hadn’t managed to convince my math teacher that I didn’t have any big problems, but it didn’t matter as long as he respected that I would work through them without his help. I’d seen more than enough of psychiatrists over the course of my life, not that it was my choice. I traced the intricate pattern of my necklace, embracing the comfort it gave me. I’d never parted with this necklace since I’d gotten it, when I was three. I’d had to replace the string more than once, but even then it never left my hands. This necklace was my only tie to my past, and my parents. I tried to remember, sometimes, tried to find some clue that I’d been loved, but it had been too long. The only memory I’d retained was from when I was three. I was in the back of a car, and my parents were with me. There was an impact and loud noises, and I remember crying, wondering why my parents wouldn’t move when fire was consuming the car in front of us and why this sticky red stuff was everywhere. The door had opened, and someone had pulled me out of my mother’s stiff embrace before running away from the car, carrying me as fast as they could. I’d been terrified, and I remember flames as the car exploded behind us. I started as I realized not all the water on my face was rain, and I looked back down. My face was still composed, and the rain would hide my tears from anyone who could see me past the bushes, but I was uncomfortable with anybody seeing me crying anyway. I ran my hand through my hair, brushing the short blond strands off my forehead so they wouldn’t drip water into my eyes. I tried to turn my mind to happier things, but it was like I’d broken a dam, and I couldn’t stop from reliving my early years. I remembered talking to a psychiatrist when I was five. She’d told me that my parents were in a better place, and I’d asked why they hadn’t taken me with them, not understanding. I’d never been able to comprehend that they were never coming back, so I’d never warmed up to any foster parents. They’d shuffled me from house to house, and I remembered almost nothing until when I was six. I’d just moved to a new foster house, and the foster parents finally explained everything to me. They’d laid the facts out as gently as they could, and it had helped hugely. I remember them telling me my parents and I had been driving in a taxi and a drunk driver had crashed into us. My parents had died instantly, killed painlessly by the impact, but the police thought the drunk had survived the initial crash. Our car had caught on fire, and a witness had run in to grab me before the fire reached the gasoline that was spilled everywhere. The cars had exploded, killing the drunk, and when the corpses were recovered, my necklace had been around my mother’s neck. The police had given it to me, 'cause it was the only thing my parents owned to pass on to me and there was nobody else to take it. They’d never identified my parent’s bodies, and they didn’t know where they’d come from before getting into that taxi. They hadn’t had any possessions, other than the necklace, so it was assumed they’d been illegal immigrants. I’d been granted citizenship, and I’d taken on the last name of the family I was with at the time. I’d kept my real first name, though. I’d known that my name was Erin, so my first name and my necklace were my only proof that I’d ever had a family. The foster parents’ explanation had been exactly what I needed, and I’d finally been able to accept that my parents were dead. The memories were still painful, even now, but I’d been able to move on with my life. I’d stayed with those foster parents, and we’d gotten along well. I was still too distant for any sort of love to grow, but they’d respected my occasional need for privacy and I’d respected them. They were the perfect family for me after my parents had died, understanding and patient. After almost nine years with them, I’d felt more comfortable and I’d tentatively accepted them as parents. There still hadn’t been any love between us, but for the first time I’d thought it had a chance of growing. We’d done fun things, family things, like going bowling together and watching movies. It had been the best few weeks of my life, and then the foster mother had died of a heart attack. The foster father was deemed too unstable to continue fostering me, so I’d been thrust back upon the system. The man I’d been on the edge of accepting as a father killed himself soon after they took me away, and it had crushed me. For the next two years, I’d stayed distant from all the foster parents they’d set me up with, afraid that anyone I accepted as a parent would die. For those two years, I’d never been able to escape the psychiatrists, a constant stream of them demanding I strip my soul bare for them to examine and judge. I’d finally managed to work through the problems on my own and accept, for the second time, the death of my parents. I’d been sixteen at that point, and I’d come out of my shell, taking an active role in my own life. I still hadn’t shared anything with the shrinks, and that didn’t change, but I became a normal member of society, and I’d maneuvered myself into living here. I’d liked the location, so I’d played nice with the family and gotten in. I wasn’t close with them, and despite their pretending, I knew they didn’t care much about me either. It hadn’t taken me long to figure out they were doing it for the monthly income and tax reductions. I didn’t complain, because I wasn’t looking for another family. I just needed somewhere to stay for another year and a half, and I liked this area. My current ‘parents’ had been surprised when I revealed that I knew why they were doing it and that I was OK with it, but things had been better ever since. They’d stopped pretending, except around other people, and they respected me more as a person. Now, life was good. I was free to do pretty much whatever I wanted, as long as it didn’t disturb my ‘parents’ or make them look bad, and they left me alone. I’d come to think of them as housemates instead of a foster family, and the arrangement worked well for me. We all understood that after I turned eighteen we’d probably never see each other again, and we’d owe each other nothing. I couldn’t wait. I pulled my necklace off, dangling it in front of me so I could examine it again. The patterns still fascinated me, after all this time. The metal was durable, and it hadn’t bent or rusted at all. I was so caught up in my examination that when somebody sat down on the bench next to me I jumped, startled. I threw the necklace over my head, tucking it back down my shirt where it belonged, the cool metal against my hot skin, safe from prying eyes. I looked over at the person who’d startled me, wondering who else would be out in this rain. My first answer to that question was a drug dealer, considering the location, but this guy didn’t have that look. He was looking up at the sky, his eyes closed as he let the raindrops land on his face, and he looked tired, like I felt. He was wearing a t-shirt and shorts, like me, and he seemed to have the same muscular swimmer’s build as me. His skin was tanned, almost the same tone as mine, and from his profile, he was handsome. He had lush pink lips, a perfectly sized straight nose, and black hair. It was a nice shade of black, dark without being inky, and it didn’t have that greasy look that some black hair could have. He wore it short, but it was impossible to tell if it was supposed to be styled in any way, since the rain had plastered it to his head. His lips parted slightly, allowing water into his mouth for a moment before he spoke. “I like your necklace,” he told me, his eyes still closed. His voice wasn’t deep, but it wasn’t high pitched, either. It was a pleasant timbre, but his words offset any appreciation I might have felt for it. “It’s nothing,” I said, carefully keeping my voice free of the defensiveness I felt. “Just a trinket.” My necklace was private, and I hated when people commented on it. “It doesn’t need to be expensive to be valuable,” he said calmly. “If you like it, why should it matter what price someone else would put on it?” Damn, I thought. Obviously, I picked the wrong approach if I wanted him to forget about it. “I don’t like to talk about it,” I corrected. He nodded, accepting it without opening his eyes or questioning in any way. We sat in silence after he didn’t respond. One minute passed. Two. Three minutes passed, and I couldn’t take the silence any longer. “Are you from the school too?” He looked like he was the same age as me, so I figured that’d be a good place to start. He shook his head slightly, and I waited for him to elaborate. He didn’t. Another minute passed. Before one minute could become two, I decided that I did, in fact, want to talk to him, and I didn’t have too long before I had to go catch the bus. The city busses didn’t go near my house, so the one from school was my only ride. “Where do you go to school, then?” I asked. “I don’t go to school,” he replied casually, his eyes not opening. I’ve never been one of those people who get angry if you’re not looking at them when you talk to them, but he’d roused my curiosity, and his refusal to look at me was driving me slowly crazy. “Not very talkative, are you?” I half-joked quietly. He shook his head, his lips curving slightly. “Why’d you sit on the only occupied bench in the park, then?” I asked, thinking that maybe if I pissed him off he’d look at me. He shrugged. “This is where I always sit,” he said. “And I don’t get to be around people much. And I liked…” he inclined his head towards me, indicating my necklace while respecting my desire not to talk about it. “A lot of reasons,” he summarized, the faint smile returning. I nodded, not really caring that he couldn’t see. If he wanted to know how I’d reacted, he’d have to open his damn eyes and look at me. “What about you?” he asked after a moment. “I get the feeling you weren’t here to talk, either, yet here we are.” I didn’t answer immediately, but I wasn’t really thinking about what to tell him. “I was just thinking,” I said finally. “But then you showed up, and now I’m curious.” He hadn’t been moving, but I somehow got the impression that he’d stopped. He turned, looking at me and opening his eyes. “What were you thinking about?” he asked, his voice softly curious. Seeing his face shocked me. He had a fairly severe burn along his jaw, but it was his eyes that made my response catch in my throat. They were a deep brown, and he looked like a professional makeup artist had put the slightest touch of eyeliner around his eyes. Something told me it was natural, though, and I didn’t doubt that something was telling the truth. Either way, it made his eyes even deeper, and I felt like they’d pull me in like a black hole if I looked for too long. I focused on the burn again, and I wondered why he was walking around with that. “Shouldn’t you go to the hospital?” I asked softly, not wanting him to take it the wrong way. “You know…” I tapped my jaw where his burn was. It looked like it was a few days old, but maybe they could still help. I’d heard that I’d had minor burns from the car crash, but they’d healed quickly and well, leaving me with no scars, so I had faith in hospitals being able to help. He shook his head slightly, and his eyes dragged my gaze back into them, not through anything he did on purpose. He looked embarrassed, but his eyes didn’t give me a chance to examine his face for long. I noticed they had a faint bit of orange in them, too, and I fought to keep them from pulling me in. “I don’t think that’d be a good idea,” he told me, shrugging. “Besides, they’ll heal.” “They?” I asked, alarmed, not missing the plural. He shook his head, doing his small smile again. “Perceptive,” he commented. “Just forget I said it. I’m fine.” “Are you sure you’re OK?” I asked, worried. “That looks pretty bad.” He grimaced. “Thanks,” he said sarcastically. “No, I didn’t mean it like that!” I protested, until I saw the smile on his face again and realized he was joking. I tried to glare at him, but his eyes pulled me in again. It’s yellow, not orange, I decided. How did I think that looked like orange? He saw I was going to ask again, so he spoke first. “I don’t like talking about it,” he said, quoting me. He gave me a small smile, knowing he had me beaten. Now I couldn’t bother him about it unless I wanted to tell him about my necklace. I couldn’t help returning his smile, but my curiosity had peaked. Nothing had ever intrigued me as much as this guy did. Every answer he gave me led to two more questions, and I was burning with desire to know more. “What’s your name?” I asked, trying to keep my curiosity in check. His head tilted slightly, and he examined me before meeting my eyes again with a considering look on his face. “…No.” he said finally. “No?” I repeated stupidly. “Maybe next time,” he told me, with a teasing smile, slightly wider than the ones he’d given me before. “Why can’t you tell me now?” I asked, intrigued all over again. He shrugged. “Life’s no fun if all your answers are handed to you immediately,” he told me. “I’ll tell you sometime. Bonus points if you guess it before then,” he said, giving me another small smile, almost a smirk this time. “And what are bonus points worth?” I asked, my curiosity piqued. “A profound sense of accomplishment,” he told me with a straight face, but something about the yellow tint in his eyes made me think he was joking. I watched him, unsure, and the corner of his mouth twitched. “Bastard,” I snorted. “I thought you were serious for a minute.” His lips curved a little bit more, and I smiled back at him. I wonder what his lips feel like, I pondered. They look soft… Wait, what the hell? Where did that come from? “So what are they really worth?” I asked, buying time to consider what I’d thought. He met my eyes, halting my thought process entirely. I admired how pronounced the yellow in his eyes was. I’d never seen eyes like that before. Actually, I don’t think I have seen eyes like that before! I realized. Last time I saw them, they were not that yellow. I don’t think I was wrong about the orange color before that, either! “Curiosity has killed a lot more than just the cat,” he warned me gently. It sounded like a threat, but I could tell he didn’t mean it like that. It was advice, and I had a feeling it meant more than he was letting on. I don’t think he’s talking about the bonus points, either, I thought. I decided to take his advice, since I didn’t want to end our meeting on a bad note, and I had to leave soon. “Your name isn’t a usual one,” I decided, changing the subject to see how he’d react. “It’s one that not many people have. Different, but simple. It’s not a long name.” He gave me half a smile, which was still bigger than the other ones he’d given me. “That’s still pretty vague,” he teased. “Care to take a guess?” I pretended to think about it. “Hmm…” I said. “No. I have a feeling there’s rules to this game that I don’t know yet.” He gave me a happy smile, almost a full one, and I realized he’d been right about the ‘profound sense of accomplishment,’ even if he’d been joking. “You’re learning,” he told me appreciatively. “So do I get any bonus points for this?” I asked, half-joking. He smirked slightly. “Yes, actually,” he told me, looking back up at the sky and closing his eyes again. We didn’t say anything for a minute, and as much as I hated to waste precious time, I had a feeling this was the right thing to do. My feeling was vindicated as he spoke again with another half-smile. “You want to know what they’re worth?” he guessed. I nodded, still not caring that he couldn’t see me. It didn’t bother me that he wasn’t looking at me this time, though. He’d let me see his face, so now if he wanted to let the rain soothe his burn then I had no problem. I remembered that he’d implied he’d tell me what the bonus points were worth as his smile widened slightly. “Congratulations,” he said, giving me his biggest almost-smile yet. “They’re worth another piece of the truth.” He turned back to me and opened his eyes, and I gasped as I saw they were royal blue now. They flashed yellow as I reacted, and I gazed into them, mesmerized enough to ignore my shock for the moment. The yellow drained out as I watched, and the blue deepened until it was almost purple. He looked back up at the sky and closed them again, and I began to breathe once more. “I need to go now,” I said, grimacing as I realized it sounded like his eyes had chased me away. “I have to catch my bus.” He nodded slightly, not opening his eyes. “See you?” I tried to say, standing up, but it came out as a hopeful question. He opened his eyes and looked at me again. “See you,” he confirmed, his slight smile back. His eyes were back to the original brown, with a slight bluish purple tint. I turned and walked away, unable to keep the happy smile off my face. I couldn’t wait to see this odd guy again, and surprisingly, it had little to do with my curiosity. The curiosity was still there; hell, it’d gotten to the point that I’d kill for answers, but I wanted to see him personally, more. I shook my head, remembering why I’d left, and started to sprint back to school to catch my bus. I wouldn’t have had to run if I’d left earlier, but it had been worth it. I made it, and the bus driver gave me a weird look as he saw how thoroughly soaked I was. I ignored him and got onto the bus, and we left less than thirty seconds after that. Safe, I thought, and as my mind turned back to my strange new friend, I realized I was happier than I’d been in a long time. I sat on the bench, watching my strange new friend leave, and I considered. I’ve been smiling, I realized incredulously. Who’d have thought? I smiled again, surprising myself, and looked up again, enjoying the cooling water on that damn burn. For once, I’d enjoyed my short period of down time. Usually, I found it mind-numbingly boring, and I only came here to give my wounds a chance to heal, but I suspected I’d be coming back more often from now on. Sure, a lot of people would celebrate the freedom from my presence, but after everything, I thought I’d earned some time to myself if I wanted it. Oh well, I thought. I’d better get back to work now. Places to be, things to do… people to kill. ________________________________________ I don't know what it is with me and using dramatic endings, but I don't do it as often as you'd think from reading the previews I've put up so far, I promise XD Thanks for reading, and I'm looking forward to any and all feedback! Thanks in advance!

From Changes, Again - Chapter 1 The Party. This is the first story i've written where i've brought back characters. It was from something @droughtquake mentioned at the end of Changes. I thank him for it made me think and i decided there was a story there. Posting will begin mid-January. I hope you enjoy... Rena and Robert arrived first. Never ones to arrive empty handed, they brought a glorious bunch of tulips—in purple, soft violet and white—and nice ready-chilled wine. We settled in the living room with a glass of the sweet white. I was feeling good and just wanted to drink enough to feel happy and mellow. We had sipped our way through our first glasses, when Robert spoke up. "Um, hope you don't mind but I really need a word with Don. I'd like to before we get too happy and before dinner. I can smell those potatoes, Louis." I looked at Don who replied with a tight-lipped smile. Okay, so you're saying nothing. Rena wasn't giving up anything either. "Sure, you two go over to the office and I'll set the table and stuff, but when Harry and Gareth arrive, I'll send them to fetch you." "Don't mind them, Louis. I'll help you." Rena got up and put her arm through mine. I smiled at her. We picked up empty wine glasses and followed Robert and Don. Don rolled forward toward the kitchen. The door there was closest to his office. "We'll likely be back before then. Don't worry, babe. We'll have a good time tonight." Not wanting to ruin the mood, I bent and kissed him. "You two go. It's fine, Donny." Robert patted my shoulder and then grabbed the handles on Don's chair. "Don's right. We won't be long." After the door closed, I turned to Rena. "Do you know what's going on?" "I don't. Frankly, Robert's been quiet this afternoon. I asked if everything was okay, and he said it was. Just that he needed to get something important at work resolved, sooner rather than later." I pulled a deep violet and white checked tablecloth out of the bottom drawer in the kitchen island, and put it on the table. Atop that, I put Rena and Robert's flowers; it felt like spring. As we adjusted the cloth and laid out the tableware, Rena asked, "How is the birthday trip plan going?" "Pretty good. I was thinking Sonoma County in California, it's supposed to be wheelchair friendly. Lots of things to do, including tasting lots of wine, and lots of sunshine." "That sounds lovely, but you know Don will go wherever you want to go." "I know, but I wanted us both to relax, and being wheelchair friendly just took away one worry." "Well, if you want to go to Sonoma County, you do that." Rena smoothed a corner of the tablecloth. "The table is beautiful." I checked the potatoes, which were nearly done. I'd just turned down the oven when the doorbell rang. I smiled at Rena and walked to the front door. Gareth and Harry stood there together, grinning like schoolboys. Harry was in his early fifties now, but still as gorgeous and sexy as he always had been. Gareth was my age, cute in a young Jeffrey Dean Morgan sort of way; always with a warm smile. Each of them carried a bottle of wine. "Come on in. It's good to see you guys." Gareth hugged me first. "You look great, Louis! Where is that sexy man of yours?" "Out in the office with Robert. They'll be back shortly." Harry was next. He released me after a warm hug and said, "You want me to go and get them?" "No … you two come in. I'll go out there," Rena said, as she joined us, greeting Harry and Gareth with a hug. "I'll run out there now." She returned to the kitchen and went out the back door. Harry took Gareth's bottle and handed both to me, the Cabernet Sauvignon was a magnum. "As usual, we couldn't choose between red or white, so we brought both!" "Thank you. I'll put them in the kitchen. Do you want a drink?" I said over my shoulder as I walked. "Harry, sit down, I'll help Louis." After giving his husband a peck and a pat, Gareth joined me. He picked up the corkscrew and started to open the red. "This is Harry's favourite." I poured a glass of white for Rena, one for myself, and for Gareth. "It's a generous gift, thanks. Will you pour one for Robert and Don as well please?" "Sure." Gareth did as asked. "How are you Louis? Seems like forever since we've seen you two." "We're good, thanks. You both look like you are as well." Gareth picked up the glass of white I'd passed him. "We are. Harry and I are just back from New York. He was there for a publisher's conference. I was able to get time off to go with him." "Hey! I'm lonely out here!" Harry called from the living room. "And worse, I'm thirsty." Gareth and I laughed. "You take your man his wine, and I'll pop the hors d'oeuvres in the oven to heat up." "Thanks." Gareth picked up his husband's wine and glanced out the window. "It appears yours is on his way in too. See you in the living room." I glanced out. "Finally. Then we can get this party started!" I put the tray of small pastries in the oven to heat. Though I was curious as to what was going on, I just wanted to enjoy our get-together, so I shoved my questions to the back of my mind. It could be nothing, but frankly it felt like a huge secret. The backdoor opened and the three of them came into the kitchen. I handed Rena and Robert glasses of wine, and they continued on through to the living room. Don smiled. "I'll go out in a bit and start the barbeque. Something smells good. Do you need my help in here?" "There's a glass of wine there for you. I'll bring it. Can you carry these plates and napkins?" "Sure, Lous." He took the small plates and napkins and put them on his knees, and rolled out to the living room. I followed with our wine. Don had put the napkins and plates on the coffee table. "Here's your wine, Don. Harry brought that excellent Cabernet you like." Don sipped. "Mmmm, yeah this is nice. Thanks, Harry. Thanks for coming everyone! Now, if you don't mind I have a quick speech to make." We all groaned; Donny's speeches were rarely short. He eyed each of us. "No groaning. I can smell food, so that means I have to hurry. Now, as you know it is my beautiful husband's birthday in a few weeks. As we'll be away, I thought we could wish him an early Happy Birthday today." I wasn't prepared for this and nearly slid off my perch on the arm of our sofa. Five faces turned to me, each of them smiling. Then a chorus of Happy Birthday rang out. Once they’d finished, we were all laughing, and I appealed for quiet. "You guys … wow, thank you so much. I appreciate it. Now, I better get those canapes out or they will be burnt!" Practically running into the kitchen to escape, I leaned on the counter to breathe. Relief coursed through me. They'd just been planning this little celebration of my birthday. Worrying over nothing again, Louis.

I've got Chapter 1 done so far, but I decided to split it into two parts since it was over 9,000 words. You can find 1A here: https://www.gayauthors.org/story/advocatus%20diaboli/lifesohard/1 and 1B here: https://www.gayauthors.org/story/advocatus%20diaboli/lifesohard/2 Chapter 2 is in progress and should be out soon! I appreciate all the reviews and if you have any requests/comments/etc post here.

Thread for: Twisted Fate. This is the first series I'm making. Please feel free to post questions and/or reactions here. Thank you.

What’s the project? A Trilogy of Bears: Falling For A Bear, Summer Camp and the as yet un-finished and un-posted Tiger Winter. The three novellas will be collected together in the same book as they all take place within the same universe and share some of the same characters. More information about the stories can be found below. What is crowdsourcing? In simple terms, crowdsourcing is promising to invest in a product or service, in this, a book, before it is actually complete. In this case, investing in A Trilogy of Bears will guarantee you a copy of the books with exclusive content, and potentially lots of other exclusive content depending on how much you invest. Is it safe? Yes: if the total amount of money needed for the project is not reached, no money changes hands at all and we all go back to the beginning. If the full amount of money is reached (yes please) then the money comes to me and I produce the goods. Hopefully by now you all know me (and my editing team) enough to trust us to deliver as promised. Because we will. The books for the U.S. will be shipped by Kitt, the books for the UK and mainland Europe will be shipped directly from me. What in the idea behind this project crowdsourcing? Although all the stories will be available on GA indefinitely, there’s nothing quite like owning your own copy of something. A book you can read on the train without peering at your phone and can take to bed and the bath. The money raised through the crowdsourcing project is needed for a couple of purposes. Firstly to pay the artists for cover and in-book artwork, secondly to give some genuine credit to the editors who spend literally hundreds of hours making my look all clean and polished, and thirdly to give me the time to write and finish the work as well as I would like too. Books sold through Amazon and similar give absolutely fractional percentages to authors, and though Lulu.com revenues are better, it’s still basically publishing and giving your books away for nothing. Thirdly the crowdsourced version of the book will have exclusive content! (more below) Hey, what’s all this exclusive content you’re on about? Exclusive content is just that, things that will only be available to those who invest in the book through crowdsourcing. These include but are not limited to: artwork, character reference sheets of the main pairings, formally told ‘myths and legends’ style versions of the four Shifter Creation Myths, hardback copies, and personal on-request character scenes and sketches. Sounds fun? We think so too. About the books: Falling For A Bear: Hoyt Ford likes clean cut skinny boys with good hair, which are hard to find when you have gone to live with your older brother and his wife in the middle of nowhere. So when his senses tell him he's falling for the big butch lumberjack who lives on the other side of the river, he tries to run from the feeling, and straight into the furry arms of Mato, an actual black bear he meets in the woods. Summer Camp: Paddy is a bear. Literally. He's twenty and he's got a job at a summer camp in the semi-wilderness for kids and school groups. There he meets Troy, and instinct kicks in to tell the pair that well done, they have found their soul mates. But the pair of young men know practically nothing about each other, and instead of being able to screw like wild animals in the woods they need to spend the next four months surrounded by humans, children, and job responsibilities. Tiger Winter: Emmett Garrick changes a lot about his life when he decides to grow up and move across the city to share a house with a Chinese Panda: he has to buy furniture, do the washing up, and gets himself a cute boyfriend named Zeke. But when his housemate’s cousin comes to stay, Emmett realises that he got a lot more in this friend than he bargained for. Hopefully you now feel able to cast a vote. Please let me know what you think, and also what sort of exclusive content stretch goals you would like to see when the project opens up. Our timeline is to hopefully have a book in your hands sometime in February/March.