Sharon’s note: Writing is hard. It’s a balancing act to make characters that the reader likes and wants to read more about, but still create drama and plot so that everything stays interesting. Also, I’m a squishy person who doesn’t like doing bad things to my characters. Inserting any conflict is hard, but it must …
Author Archives: segray42
Liminal Spaces Pt 5
Sharon’s note: There are no new stories. That’s okay. We never really get tiered of hearing the old ones, as long as they’ve got a new coat of paint. I’ve consumed a lot of stories, whether it’s a book I’ve read or a movie I’ve watched. Very few plot twists surprise me, but that doesn’t …
Carnival Girl Pt 7
Sharon’s Note: Liking someone when you’re young can be confusing. You get confused and you don’t know how to act. It’s part of that whole ‘growing up is hard’ thing. We make a lot of mistakes, but that’s how we learn. It’s scary, but that’s important to get through too. Warning: Author is still working …
Happyish Ending
Sharon’s note: I got this idea from a discussion in the chat of an AutoCrit video. The line was “He said I’d gotten stronger. I agreed, so I punched him in the face.” I wanted to build on that idea, so here it is. Warning: Author took an idea and ran with it. Something they …
Good Boy Pt 4
Sharon’s note: In most romance, werewolf alphas are pictured as broody power-tripping jerks. I’m not a huge fan of the dark and troubled romance option at the best of time. I like a guy who can make me laugh. Besides, true alphas are caretakers. Warning: Author is really tiered of the same old romantic interest. …
Liminal Spaces Part 4
Sharon’s Note: So, I’ve been watching more horror movies lately, and I realized I had never watched the 1963 version of The Haunting. It’s a great movie, even if the dialog is a little cheesy in places. It’s a great reminder that the greatest horror is in the smallest thing, and dread will get under …
Carnival Girl Pt 6
Sharon’s Note: I find straight romance boring. Romance is a very character driven genre, and if the only movement in a story is ‘the character grows as a person’ then it’s going to lose my attention. Give me a mystery. Give me a monster. Give me complex world building and a magic system I need …
2021 Halloween Story Contest
Hey all, it’s time for the 2021 Halloween contest. This year’s theme is ghosts. Follow the links to give both stories a read, then vote to let us know which one you like best. The Last Halloween Ghost and Demons
The Last Halloween
ACTUAL WARNING: Contains discussion of suicide, death, and depression. Sharon’s note: So, here’s this year’s entry into our annual Halloween contest. Subject: ghosts. So far it’s one to one, and I won last year’s bout. I’m hoping this one helps me keep the crown. Hope you enjoy! My heart ached as Maggie picked at the …
Ghosts and Demons
James’s Note: Another Halloween, so we have another competition between Sharon and I. Let us know which ghostly tale you like better. This year I think we’re both aiming for the feels. My daughter Sarah was crying again as we unloaded boxes into the new house. I didn’t blame her. Moving was always hard when …
Gray Matters: The Works of Sharon and James Gray 