Cia

Did Monday's feature catch you in its web? Muahahaha! If not, you have no idea why I thought that was so punny, but you should read this excerpt then finish the 3k short story northie shared with site readers and I'm bringing back to you now. Want to read more? Click here

April, such an innocent month. Not a whole lot going on... so I thought I thought I'd send you curveball. Enjoy this little tidbit and think about what might be coming out of YOUR woodwork. Length: 3,121 Description: Dave Harrison is late for work, again. Turns out, that's by far the least of his worries. A Reader said: If you like creepy mixed with humor, 'Incy Wincy Spider,' is the story for you. Don't be fooled by the title, because this tale is far from the well known nursery rhyme involving water spouts, and rainfall. 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!

I'm featuring one of my favorite genres this month because I'm on spring break right now (woot!) and it's all about indulging myself. Why don't you join me, even if you're not on break? This is a short hour's read, c'mon... live a little, if you dare! The Big Empty by @JamesSavik Length: 3,251 Description: Spacers, like sailors before them, pass vast distances to get between stars. Like sailors before them, they have their stories. Spacers call it the Big Empty- or interstellar space, that vast emptiness between stars. There is nothing out there for light years in every direction... until you do find something. A reader said: Wonderful short story with Lovcraftian overtones [in a good way]. ~Fae Briona Don't forget to come back to share your comments on Monday, April 29th.

Have you read Libby Drew's story, Running Far Afield, that was featured for this month's CSR story? I know at least 3 site authors left reviews after reading it this month (AWESOME!!!) but if you read this 15k short story, please leave a comment below after you check out Libby's interview!

This month's CSR author was Libby Drew, an author who has been a Signature Author on GA for a very long time, sharing her work with readers here for our enjoyment. Did you like reading Running Far Afield? Share your thoughts below! But first... the interview! Are you a person who makes their bed in the morning, or do you not see much point? I make the bed strictly so the dogs won’t get their muddy paws on my clean sheets. If I’m in a hurry, I just throw a blanket over the whole thing and call it good. If you were an animal, what would you be? A house cat. I’ve come to believe that all domesticated felines understand some great mysterious truth that we humans aren’t privy to, and I desire this knowledge. 😁 What's your favorite room in your house? Do you plot or write there? My living room. It has a wall of windows and tons of natural light. There’s also a huge squishy couch. I write there often, usually with my three Brittany spaniels in attendance. They’re good listeners. I plot everywhere. At all hours, in all environments. Mostly, by the time I sit down to write a scene (in my living room with my dogs), it’s been entirely fleshed out, down to what the characters are seeing, hearing, smelling, saying, and, especially, feeling. This conceptualization is imperative for me. If I don’t have an emotional grasp of the scene when it comes time to write it, my narrative comes across as flat and ineffectual. What do you like to do when you’re not writing? What do I like to do, or what do I do? I would love to enjoy the new Tana French novel and perfect my peach scone recipe. Usually, though, if I’m not writing for pleasure, I’m at work or writing for work. Because that’s what pays the bills. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment? An editor whom I greatly respect once told me, after reading my new manuscript, that it felt to her like I’d phoned it in. She wasn’t wrong. I had low enthusiasm for the project and never should have accepted it. I hated myself for letting her down. The best compliment is always, without a doubt, when a reader tells me they continue to think about a story and its characters long after they have finished reading. That’s extremely gratifying. How many books/stories have you written? Which is your favorite? This question required some research. I have written seventeen novels, nine novellas and twenty-three short stories—give or take. Other works have been lost to time and circumstance. My favorite is always the one I am currently working on. Rather like a new crush. Did the characters (Aaron/Chris) come to you first or the plot of Running Far Afield? Chris and Aaron (names changed for privacy purposes) were real boys. They are now grown men. Their story is based on actual events. The home for youth depicted in Running Far Afield exists in my hometown, and I have done work there. I was so impressed by Chris and Aaron’s wherewithal, strength of feelings, and maturity that I wrote their story. You nailed the angst of new beginnings… did you ever move as a teenager? No, actually. But I worked with many young people who dealt with that sort of upheaval. Do you have a favorite part or line in the story? The part that makes me proudest is at the end when Aaron turns the tables on his father. “Success is all about negotiation” is a sword that cuts both ways. But my favorite part is probably when the boys are discussing the mythology of Danae. Can you share a little of your current or upcoming work with readers? I’m working on the anthology story for GA, and I hope to have it ready by the due date. It’s still in the outlining phase, so nothing to share at this time… but maybe later? Thank you, Cia, for the opportunity to share my answers!

Did you catch Monday's blog feature of Mrsgnomie's flash fiction, Puzzle Pieces? Check out this excerpt and go read it if you haven't already! Want to read more? Click here

This short story was a Pride month post, but the shortie but goodie is definitely worth your time all during the year!! Length: 1,000 Description: Daniel found his forever friend in Hone when he was just four-years-old. They grow up inseparable. The only secret between them is that Daniel is gay. If life is a puzzle, the only piece missing is the truth. A Reader Said: Love this tale of two friends. How scary it must be to come out to your bestie. I love the deeper meaning of the puzzle pieces, everything is following into place. Well done! I would totally read a longer version of this! ~Topnotch If you want to spread the word about Mrsgnomie'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!

This month is the beginning of the spring Sports season at high school (ask me how I know, track mom here!). How many of you remember playing sports in high school? Man, I was a disaster in softball, hence my my kids did/do track, lol! So I thought I'd share a story to bring back the nostalgia of the season for myself, and others, with Libby Drew's story Running Far Afield. Running Far Afield by @Libby Drew Length: 15,560 Description: Aaron thought nothing would be different in his new town of Ridgton. Instead, nothing is the same. When he meets Chris, he finds not only a fellow baseball player, but a close friend – one who gives him the courage to explore the things about himself he's been hiding. A Reader said: Running Far Afield is a fantastic afternoon read. Two teenage boys discover each other in an unlikely setting and over a period of 6 weeks develop a bond that lifts them up but does not please everyone around them. This is a fabulous story, well worth the hour it will take to read. ~Doha Don't forget to come back to share your comments on Monday, March 25th.

Did you catch this month's CSR Feature by @AusGlitterati? The Weakest Link: Teenage Triumphs Edition & the follow-up story are both available for you to enjoy, if you haven't already, but make sure you read this interview first. Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla all the way! I always have to wonder why vanilla gets a bad rep as the boring or basic flavour. Vanilla is actually lit, and it deserves more respect on its name - chocolate is the basic flavour. That's the hill I will die on. 😁 What’s one location you’d love to go to research for a story? The copout answer is a tropical paradise where I can have a cocktail while floating down a river in an inflatable tube. I hear Hawaii is great for it! But I'm not writing about Hawaii, so that's not an option. The other one is the Weakest Link set - I made it through two stages to get to the third and final application to be a contestant, but I guess my video answer to which three living or dead celebrities I'd invite to a dinner party (I picked three of the Golden Girls) wasn't good enough. The show was cancelled after one season and I didn't make it on - I'm not suggesting I would have saved it, but we'll never know now, will we? 😎 But an introspective answer is challenging - since COVID, travelling hasn't been something I've thought much about. I always wanted to write a scene - I'm not picky as to which story I can write it in - where a guy works up the courage to propose to his partner at Niagara Falls, only to have his partner propose to him first. Does this count as a spoiler? So I want to see the falls myself (I really hope nobody proposes to me) and see the magic! What’s something personal about you people might be surprised to know? Though most of my stories heavily feature gay males and delve into relationships and sex - I actually identify more closely as aroace (aromantic & asexual). What brought you to the GA? Heterosexual romance plotlines tend to bore me to death - which is unfortunate, since it's a subplot in literally every story, film or TV show ever. But gay romance was still tricky to find even just seven or so years ago when I stumbled across GA. I really enjoyed the stories I read. Not just romance, but it was refreshing to read authentic characters and storylines that were conceived and cultivated with love from the LGBTQ+ community. It was inspiring enough to put down some creativity of my own on figurative paper. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? Setting a visual scene. I don't know how anybody has the patience or vivid imagination to paint a beautiful setting, spending paragraphs turning it into a work of art that you can see all around you. I have to discipline myself to do this. I tend to invest heavily in characterising and dialogue to compensate. I really do envy the talented authors who specialise in descriptive writing. What is your favorite part of being an author? Creative freedom, so far! For example, I couldn't find a story about gay wrestlers - except for the ones that you find on Nifty. So I just made one up! That's something I enjoy. If I can't find the story I want to read, I have the tools to do it myself. It's also great to have a small but very loyal group of people that follow my stories and interact with them. It brings a lot of joy and validation to see them popping up to support me - I can't thank them enough! Share the inspiration for The Weakest Link. Did the overall story or a character come to you first? The character first, definitely. Lance Lovecraft is the deuteragonist of To The Stars, and in his backstory, he took part in many different televised contests and pageants growing up. Having loved The Weakest Link since I was young (I love the ruthless way the game is run!) I attached that to his list of achievements. When the reboot of The Weakest Link came around, I figured I'd have a crack at writing the spinoff of Lance participating on the show. I had a LOT of fun writing it! Do you have a favorite scene or character in the story? I feel it would be cheating to say Lance, since he's the protagonist and the reason I wrote the story in the first place! But other characters popped out at me. This story has two antagonists, and one of them is a young actor whom Lance has been fangirling about - until he meets him in person! Jamie turns out to be everything you don't want to see in someone you were crushing on. You wrote a follow-up story to The Weakest Link: Teenage Triumphs Edition. Do you have a preference for one over the other and why? Talented Teens just wrapped up - I don't think it captured the same magic that the first one did. It was a fun way to have characters from different stories interact with each other in a believable (sort of!) and organic way, but I made an entirely fresh cast around an existing protagonist in Teenage Triumphs. I think my mistake with Talented Teens was to do it differently. Not to say I didn't enjoy writing Talented Teens - but it wasn't quite the same. Still, you miss all the shots you don't take! Can you share a little of your current or upcoming work with readers? I'm currently in the process of rewriting Parity into a newer format - Topher should hopefully be the first to get his story completed! Beyond that, both Talented Teens and Teenage Triumphs will feature again - I'd love to do an all-stars story between the two groups, but time will tell! As they say in wrestling, the card is subject to change!

Did you catch Monday's feature of Mikiesboy's story, N'than? I hope you shared your thoughts on the story there if you've already read it. If you haven't, maybe this excerpt will tempt you into giving it a chance! Click here to read more

February is the month of love, which is supposed to conquer all. But what about when your life seems to be one bad experience after another? Trust doesn't come easily when it seems like everyone has ulterior motives... Will N'than ever find that person who doesn't see him as someone to be used? Length: 14,532 Description: N'than is the last of his kind. He's lived for others, now the wants to find out who he is. Who can he trust? A reader said: Now I loved that story! Very well written and a very vivid imagination and that is why I gave it 5 stars! Keep writing! ~Sherye Story Reader If you want to spread the word about Mikiesboy'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!

Thank you for sharing so we all know that he needs support!!

For February, I often feature stories of love and romance... but we can all read those on our own time! Instead I wanted to feature a story that brings all sorts of people, personalities, and fun together for this leap month! And if you love it, there's a follow-up of sorts too. The Weakest Link: Teenage Triumphs Edition by @AusGlitterati Length: 34,886 Description: In 2012, nine gifted teenagers arrive seek to win up to fifty thousand pounds for themselves and for charity by appearing on a special edition of The Weakest Link. An athlete, a pop singer, an academic genius, a television actor, a charity founder, a published novelist, an app developer, a theatre actress and Lance Lovecraft, a professional dancer. Only one can win, but none of the little treasures play to lose. A Reader Said: A great feel good story with stress, tension and humour all in good proportions a definite must read especially for game show addicts. Well written and brilliant. ~ @Mancunian Don't forget to come back to share your comments on Monday, February 26th.

“Of course not. I discovered it when I stripped almost all of his magic. Which is why he wants Parallax’s star.” “You tortured you own brother and stripped his magic?” The feeling in the pit of Beckett’s stomach, the almost living entity he’d been feeling since his erupted, recoiled. “Of course not. It was council business. He’s a criminal who lives in Eshya. It was for the safety of others.” Kastor delicately put his bowl down, wiping the side of his mouth with his thumb and licking i

I feel your pain! I went in to make sub notes yesterday at work and the fire system alarm panel was going off. Another school had a pipe burst in the suppression system and cause soooo much damage, another had a heater coil burst and cause regular water damage, and there are like 3 more schools with alarm panels going off that haven't been seen to yet. Our neighbor's pipes froze and my husband's fire sprinkler company had 130+ service calls in 4 days. I love fall. I hate winter!