Cia

Peanut butter & banana... Yum!! I like this in yogurt, in a wrap, smoothied, blended and frozen in coins for a cool down treat... Really, you can't go wrong any way you put them together!

That's right, to whet your whistle, so to speak, this month we're looking back at last year's submissions to the Secret Author contest! Authors maybe aren't sure how to incorporate a Secret/Forbidden topic into the story or just how tangential it can be, these stories could be the inspiration needed (you never know which new author may take up the mantle for the contest once they have a reference!) Readers, well... sometimes we all enjoy a 2nd, 3rd, or more look back at content from our favorite authors! And mayyyyybe it will help you decipher who wrote which story this year? 2025 Secret Author Contest - Reveal the Truth Thoughts from readers on some of the submissions: @Jeff Burton on Unmasked by @BendtedWreath As I said in my comment, this story is stupid-cute. Years can keep people at bay, but the feels always bring them together. @Headstall on Four Hours by @Cole Matthews: And now for something completely different. This short story takes the reader all kinds of places. Give it a read. @Thirdly on Liminal by @Camy: Dag-friggin-nabbit. I want to read more about this story's world and characters. @Mikiesboy on Septima's Potential by @Lorenz Qatava: Lust for what you'll get when someone dies can blind you. Don't be greedy, be grateful. This was an enjoyable read. @Gary L on Carpe Veritas by @kbois The title says it all, or does it? An intriguing read with some fantastic language and imagery. I loved all 1300 words of it. Try it and prepare to be teased! These were just a few reviews on a few of the stories submitted to the contest. Did you read and guess these authors last year? Or did they, and the others, keep their secrets???

It's always been due the 15th, BUT you did make me go check just in case I was passing along misinformation. Who, me?? Now, stories don't post that same day but the fun does begin soon after!

Wow, it's July 1st already?! There's a time warp somewhere, I swear. Or some sort of spell on my life at times, perhaps from a book of Forbidden Knowledge? Or each day I pass through the front door and enter a rift through which I lose time due to... well, who knows? What isn't forbidden is reminding all my site author friends that they need to get their themed stories to me ASAP if they want to participate in this year's fun! Click the banner to go to the event details. And readers, get ready to play.... Maybe I've already gotten yours? Hmmm... Maybe someone new has joined in, or someone who swears they just don't have time? Or someone on the site who never plays but decided to try for funsies because the third year's the charm? Do you think I have double digit submissions yet? You can't torture the names out of me, just the deadline again. JULY 15th! Tick tock... time's counting down.

Typically we ask all authors who create stories that connect to post them by creating a series or world. That will connect the stories with a link that shows up right next to the title. Readers can click on that link in order to go to a page with all of the stories listed on it in order to be able to read them. A series obviously will connect the stories in a specific reading order. A world connects the stories by the similar content the author has created but not a specific reading order usually. In this case, it appears the author has used the title to indicate this is a second story instead of following the guidelines. That does occasionally happen. You can use the author tab to search for this author's story listing and find the matching title that doesn't say volume two. You could also just use the story search field that shows up on the main stories archive page above the story listings, type in the title for volume 2, and see if it appears there with a matching title. When I did that, it did.

Did you catch Monday's feature and read this short story yet by Parker Owens? At just a few thousand words, you can read it and leave your comment, likes, or reviews immediately. Share what you think! Want to read more? Click here.

A short read for a long month! This will give you more time to make those connections count. Length: 4,430 Description: A sad visit to a new grave; an unknown mourner. What does it mean? A reader said: Stranger at the Grave is a poignant short story centering around themes of familial neglect and the consequent loss. It gives us pause to consider what is truly important in life and why it is that we seem so absorbed in the trivia of career over family. ~Doha If you want to spread the word about Parker Owen's story, download the graphic below and add it to your signature! Make sure you come back on Wednesday to see the excerpt I chose to share!

Well, we're hitting the halfway point of the year, so why not a story that literally mentions a halfway point of something? Some might also consider parenthood a halfway point in our lives in adulthood, between youth and middle age (I'm not old just because my children are grown!) Here's this month's feature for you to enjoy, rated 5 stars with several recommendations as well! Fourth Down: Second Quarter by @FrankD Length: 38,744 Description: Hunter and Dale are all set for the next chapter of their lives; parenthood. Having just moved to Cedrich Falls, a small town in the Midwest, they become fast friends with their neighbor. After taking in two kids in need, they soon find themselves up against the towns self proclaimed authority on what is morally right. A Reader Said: Following the traumatic events in his university days, with the love and strong support of the man he loves, his friends, and family, Hunter has not only survived but flourished. In the opening of Fourth Down: Second Quarter, we witness Hunter and Dale, along with their children, moving forward in life, settling into a new home and a new town, surrounded by the tight-knit family of choice they’ve created. As new friends are welcomed into their circle, they come together to celebrate their reunion and the next chapter of their lives. Trouble lies ahead, though, as they face new challenges and forces intent on destroying their lives. ~Vcs Don't forget to come back to comment on the Discussion day, Monday, June 29th!

Have you read this month's short story feature, Ghost in the Guitar, recently finished by Lee Wilson? I often feature older stories but sometimes you just have to put a light on the recent gems too! Share your thoughts below, but first enjoy this interview! Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate; with chocolate syrup. What’s something personal about you people might be surprised to know? This is/was the hardest question, so it requires a preamble. “People” are all part of one of two very disparate groups for me. Those that know me here, and those that know the man behind the pen, pretending to be Lee Wilson. That man is buried so far deep in secrets, it’s hard to know what to share. Not that there’s much that’s all that surprising about me. I guess one that might be surprising is I’m probably going to be deaf at some point. I have almost no hearing in my right ear, and probably only about 60% and fading in the left. What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Read, play games on my phone, watch sporting events, mostly hockey and NASCAR, and listen to music. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment? Toughest: Hands down the comments about how badly I ended ‘Rocked to the Core,’ before adding the extra chapter. Best: Fortunately, it is a lot more common, simply hearing that people enjoy my writing. What brought you to GA? When we were thinking about a place to retire… Oh, you meant the site, hee hee. I had written a few stories on nifty and one of my readers made a comment about this site. I was starting another story that didn’t fit clearly into their categories. After I checked GA out, I was hooked. What’s the first thing you do when you start to write a story? Type letters on the keyboard? No, generally I just try to hash out the idea in a summary, making sure it sounds reasonable for where I initially expect the story to go. Although sometimes it strays from that overall idea. What made you choose ghosts as a paranormal theme for Ghost in the Guitar? The original idea was simply a young guitarist fills in for a deceased member of a band and the man’s ghost guides him. Do you have a background with music since that is also a theme for this story? If you can call playing the clarinet somewhere around middle school age a background, yes. But nothing more than that. I just love music. What’s your favorite line or scene in Ghost in the Guitar? I think in chapter 6, where Russell is explaining what Fabian will need to do to solve his murder. Can you share a little of your current work or upcoming with us? I’m currently working on my entry for October’s anthology. I picked Horizons but am merging that with another of my series. I won’t say which series now, though. It’s kind of an unexpected turn in the story. I also have a story going continuing another series, going back to Carlo, Brandon, and Karl from ‘My Friend and Protector’ and its sequels.

Did you catch Monday's feature of northie's story? As I get older, and I also take care of my older parents and parent-in-laws, I often find the theme of this story is quite on point. The village we gain in our older years might not be the one we expect, but it might just be the one we never knew we could count on! Want to read more? Click here

I can't believe it's already May! We're looking forward to the change of the season, so I wanted to feature another story that is all about change. Have you read this story in the past? There's a whole series for you to enjoy! Length: 42,145 Description: A lonely, older man has spent his life hiding his sexuality. One day, by chance, this changes. Then a young man arrives to help him widen his horizons, as he slowly comes to terms with life as a gay man. A Reader said: A heartwarming story. Elderly people are often lonely. There must be many older folk like Eric, counting their pennies and working out if they can afford to put the heating on for a few hours. I enjoyed the development of the story and the way that each little step brings Eric further out of the shell into which he'd withdrawn and shows Andy that there is so much in his own life he's taken for granted. ~Mawgrim If you want to spread the word about northie's story, download the graphic below and add it to your signature! Make sure you come back on Wednesday to see the excerpt I chose to share!

Just because it's on Wikipedia doesn't mean that someone else didn't originally steal that photo and post it on there. That website is rife with bad data because anyone can post to it and not have to verify sources, technically. I'm not calling out any names, just reminding all members that images have owners too. Not everyone is okay with it being shared, unless it's purchased.

Here I come again... well, not really. Wildone formatted the post and chris191070 reviewed the story for this blog, but hey, I hit copy and paste and added the title and blog banner. Go team! Now it's your turn to read the review, get intrigued, then read & share some love for the story. Rough Strokes by the Golden Egg by Soren Kraft Reviewer: chris191070 Status: Complete Word Count: 11,116 If you fancy a swim, then jump straight into this story. We have an annual swim meat between GWU and Georgetown. There is a huge rivalry as they compete for the Golden Egg. Each University has there own star swimmer. GWU has the charamisratic Austin, who is always happy and Georgetown have Petr, a grumpy Czech. These two have been rivals for many years, but this year Austin is determined to find out why Petre is so grumpy. What will transpire in and out of the pool for our rivals. You will need to join them in the deep end to find out more. . Category: Fiction Genres: Romance Sub-genres: Sports Star Romance, Grumpy, Sunshine Romance Tags: Young Adult, gay, university, anal, first time, sports, holiday, funny, uplifting, athlete, competition, rivals Rating: Mature

Hello Spider Enthusiasts. I just went through hundreds of posts and way too many images and graphics (jokes, comics, etc...) that were violating copyright to count. They were removed, in case you were wondering. If you didn't take it, didn't buy it, didn't ask permission (and get it) to post it, and the image isn't considered fair use, please don't use pictures on GA moving forward. That includes specific spider images, infographics, copying of page data, etc... from other websites. This is stealing, just as if someone took someone's stories or parts of stories from here. You can be held liable if you copy/use images that are under copyright, especially if they are ones being used by artists/websites to make money. This took up way too much of my time as well, so please help me help you. Link to videos, link to images, link to websites. Make sure it's fair use. Thank you!

Right? Luckily my glasses have to live on my face or I can't see, so I don't lose those. Unless they fall off my nightstand and then I have to do a Velma, lol! My watch pings my phone and vice versa for locating those. I don't have a tag on my keys so they can be the sketchiest thing to remember/find, but I am super routine-based and have 2 places for them. My groups schedule lives on top of my clipboard at work because every 15-30 minutes I swap between students and grade levels (all different classrooms, hallways table groups, plus up and down the 2 flights of stairs, which is why I get 8-10k steps at work a day!) As far as alarms, I am a super light sleeper but depending on my mood/plans I wake to the hubby's 4 AM one, my 4:30, my get out to walk 5:30, my get up for work if I slept in 6:30, and you better be getting out the door soon 7 AM. My weekly dinner menu gets written out on a dry erase list every Friday after I shop for the week, and the family has a dry erase monthly calendar on the fridge too. I realized I love lists years ago, but now it's like I'm in a memory loss in training course. Age is such a PiTA!