"Single White Female Looking for a Woman like ...."

I know that every morning you go thumbing through the personal want ads. You grab the latest copy, a cup of coffee, and settle in for a good time, trying to find something to catch your eye, hoping and praying that today's edition is gonna catch your attention... 

"Single white female looking for that special lover. A one Women Woman who doesn't want no other !  

Oh, you never can tell She just might be your dream come true. A single white female looking for a woman like you !

Ok ... so this is definitely not my choice of words, not that I wouldn't want to put words together like that. It's just that they are not mine! The words are a slightly adapted version of Cheryl Wrights "Single White Female" - a popish country song. You can watch the music video here or the slightly twisted edition from Capital Pride here).

I've been pondering the question of Looking. Not the stalking kind of looking, but rather the kind of Looking you would do if you where Looking for Love. For a woman to share your life with or maybe - if that's your thing - a woman to share a shortish fling.

Who will catch your eye ? The Bookish Butch Woman from Montréal or the Femme ? I for one hate the labels ! Why would you want to divide the world in Butch / Femme ... in those who put on a nice shade of lipstick to go out and those who keep their hair short, in whom shave their legs and whom doesn't, in which women wear heels and which prefer comfortable shoes, in who reads F/F romance's to relax and who tinker with her car for exactly the same reason ?

And what about the woman who change the wheels on her car on Saturday morning, puts on comfortable boots for a walk in the afternoon, and gets herself ready for going out ... in lipstick and heels in the evening ? What label would you put on her ? 

Let's leave the labels behind and take a look around the F/F Universe. This is a place for stereotypes and that's actually a lot like labels, but who cares it just for fun .... right?!

So I'm out looking for love ... hopefully in the right places ... and where would I go if I wanted a gentle(wo)man. "Love in Photographs" by Alex Tryst would be a good place to start. I'm not really an Alex Tryst fan, probably because the stereotypes got to strong for me, but the photographer Torrance might be a match for ... Annett Benning. Torrance is talented and rich (a nice combination), and she finds what her heart is looking for in her model Helen ... but she has to put in a bit of work to get what she wants !

I am a big Badsquirrel fan, but "Dark Side of the Moon" explores a way of life that is really not my cup of tea, it might be yours, so if the world of BDSM and a bit of gender bending is what you are looking for then I think that Jordan -  master of the house - might be able to match Annett Benning in style!

I know that Milla Jovovich and her Versace Jeans is not new to you, but this picture reminds me of Sheridan of Vertigo's "Caution: Under Construction". Sheridan is a woman in trades, a skilled construction worker and a womaniser, who meets her match in Keefer, a building inspector with a love interest ... Sheridan! You can read this for the hot stuff .... or just for the romance.

When we speak of women of trades I have to mention "Rumors" by Badsquirrel. This is where you'll meet Kelly the auto mechanic with the softest of soft hearts, all of it invested in the memory of a teenage crush on Hannah - the owner of "Doggie Styles". This is among my absolute favourites.

I'll leave the picture of Milla Jovovich while pointing you in the direction of Eunice, the owner of a horse farm (is that a rancher ??) with a broken heart, which will heal to the tones of Molly's guitar and soft songs in Dee's "Fenced Fields", but I'm not done with the women of trades. I have to introduce you to Sara from L.A. Tucker's "The Light Fantastic". This is a great story where you'll find Sara playing the role as "Jack of all trades" at her brothers up and coming golf course while hiding from the world. Well that is until Chloe gets her hands on her heart.

If you like the women of trades, you might also fancy Cordie. She is captain of the swordfishing boat "Dawn Piper". You might ask why you should go visit with Cordie .... what kind of romance could a week long  swordfishing trip amount to for a lesbian among a crew of fishermen .... ok ok - I'll give you a clue ... Cordie is ordered to take out the boss's daughter and introduce her to the world of swordfishing! I'll leave the rest to your imagination or to the pen of Barbara Davies in "Beneath the Surface". This is Bound to fascinate you ;-)

It's been rather easy to find F/F stories picturing the stereotype gentle(wo)men wearing a suit, sporting a manish name, and harbouring a heart just waiting for the right woman to tear down the walls build around it. 

I find it a bit more difficult to locate the "women I want" when I go looking for the opposite. The women with a clearly feminine touch, a nice shade of lipstick, wearing skirt and heels, not for the sake of an office job, but because this is her preference. It's not that these women don't exist in F/F stories, they do. I think that it's just that they don't stand out as much as the stereotype manish lesbians. If you are looking for the feminine touch you can follow along as I hunt for women in heels. 

A couple of women in heels and nice dresses ..... well I do think that Beth and Amy of Fingersmiths "Once" lets our minds eye enjoy them in pretty gowns for a wedding. Now don't jump ahead of the storyline - it's definitely not their wedding, they are just friends (!) - but I guess that it's safe to say that each of them would love to be more than that .... if they could only find a way.

I think that it's also safe to say that Mimi looks quit stunning in her gown for the charity auction which proves to be her first date with her stepsister Jolly, whom Mimi has had the BIGGEST crush on since puberty...... I guess that the almost incestuous reference might sound a bit upsetting, but trust me on this, Mimi looks good in her gown and equally good when dressed in leather or in the buff ... and once her master carpenter and architect Jolly gets past the sisterhood thing Molly do get a chance to take charge of her life and of Jolly's. In case you are wondering this is Ali Vali's "A Place to Dance"

As for heels I do think that Torrey fund a pair to go with her pant suit when Taylor finally found the time and place to take her out! This is B.L.Millers "None So Blind", and if you haven't read this romance yet, I think you should. Torrey and Taylor goes way back, but - as usual - a misunderstanding had them separate before they could declare their love. So we get their story in flashbacks while we follow the slow rekindling of their friendship and the reshaping of their future ... it's an enjoyable read.

I'll keep on the lookout for women in heel's - let me know if you get lucky .... NO not that kind of lucky ! Just you know lucky ...  as in stumbling on a woman in heels - preferably purple ones in your reading.

What Women Want

Some women might want Mel Gibson !? If that is the case then a few hours with "What Women Want" - The movie ;-) - might be the thing, but maybe your interests lie elsewhere ?

Judging from the statistics on Fan Fiction Reader's Corner "What f/f Readers Want" is this:

A story with a "Women Who Went West" theme preferably penned by B L Miller or Ann McMan and if that's not on offer they will take on a story with "White Coats, Warm Hands and Wondrous Hearts" - the theme where you find all the doctors and nurses milling around the ER.   

I prefer the "White Coats" to the "Gun belts and Horse saddles" ... maybe I'm just not getting the "leather" thing ? Anyway there are amble chance to pursue both lines of interest in the fan fiction universe. If you need guidance look up the theme section in "Listmania".

On this note I might say that "Listmania" is the most used feature on this site followed closely by the "Top 10s". So I'm thinking that maybe I ought to put a bit more time in on tuning up these pages in the future ... well we will see.

Now back to the statistics ... ok I know it is a boring theme ..... but you are free to skip this post ... if you are still with me it is by choice, so there is really no reason for you to complain!

It is really not surprising that "Jericho" by Ann McMan is placed third on the list of post most read at The Corner. I think that this story and pen are among the best liked new stories/pens that has emerged recently. Well "Denial" by Omega13 might be in a close run with "Jericho" I just haven't reviewed it at The Corner - it's a loooong story.

What I find more surprising is the fact that B L Millers and Verda Fosters story "Graceful Waters" is not only the second most used google search that brings readers to The Corner, the post I wrote on this story is also the second most read post on the site. 

Why the surprise ? Well among B L Millers stories I prefer "Crystals Heart" to "Graceful Waters" as I think Crystals Heart" has a stronger storyline and further B L Millers stories are not recently written they are like what ... 10 years old? The stories hold their own even after this time, but I'm surprised that the stories are still so well known and sought after. 

Well the reason for the many searches for "Graceful Waters" might be that the story is no longer that easy to find as it has been taken offline, but I've used some of my "Tools of the Trade" tips to find a still working link and posted that with my review.

While we are on the note of B L Miller, I might mention to those of you who prefer the Western themed stories that B L Miller and Verda Foster penned "The Western Chronicles" sporting a good hearted gunsling and a young women in a bit of a bend. You might like to follow their journey towards ... well they are travelling towards a safe place, but they are also working on the romance thing, so I guess that they have a somewhat dual goal, but are that not what this is all about ... setting out in one direction and picking up something wonderful on the way ?  

To get back on track - What This Woman Wants from her online LesFic reading is mushy romance, in a contemporary setting, with a strong storyline, a few well developed characters and if the writer throws in some humor and a well crafted dialog .... then I am pleased ;-) I guess that I might be a bit demanding when you take into account that I'm talking free online fiction, but I'm allowed to wish  - am I not?

I do actually get what I want now and again - look up the "Top Ten" page or the stories with **** or  *** stars - they qualify as really good reads.

And no I still haven't been doing much reading lately, but I did stop by for a reread of two of my favourite online fic's recently. You might want to look them up if you have the time: 

• "The Harvest" by G. E. Birch qualifies as a TOP TEN mushy read - it's a "Jumping the Fence" kind of story with the necessary angsty parts on the road towards happy ending

• "Rumors" by Badsquirrel is an old time favourite - you wont find a softer, all butch woman than Kelly anywhere - don't miss this story - its romance and humour in a will written combination.

Crystal's Heart by B L Miller

(Unknown photographer)

I know we are way past Valentines Day by now, but maybe some of you are still musing on chocolates and looking at a gorgeous bouquet of flowers from you lover, partner or perhaps from someone who wants to be more than just friends! 

Ok, ok I know I'm not a writer of romance novels so I should probably just leave Valentines alone. Should you want to dive into a romantic Valentines story  you can look through the specials at The Royal Academy of Bards - there is plenty to choose from.

If you are happy to leave Valentine behind - follow me while I go visit with Laura and her room mate from hell. 

Laura is a writer of lesfic mystery novels and at the moment she is struggling with writers block. The story she is working on is not moving along as planed and her deadline is getting closer. On top of everything a friend dumps the stripper Crystal on her doorstep as her new room mate. This might not have been a bad thing as Crystal is nice to look at! Buuuut if you are a neurotic neat freak like Laura, a beer drinking pothead, who can not fold the newspaper right and who leaves the bathroom in a mess, is not exactly who you want to share your home with.

As you might have guessed the ladies do get past their differences, but this is by no means an easy journey - especially for Crystal who travels with a heavy baggage from an abusive childhood. Which  explains some of her habits and the nightmares that haunt her at night.

If you are alright with a slow moving romance based on an "opposites attract" theme, this might be a story for you. Among BL Millers pieces this is my favourite as  the storyline and characters is really catching. 

For once we are even spared the usual lesfic angst! It is really not needed as the story has a broader perspective than the romance. It's a positive story of a survivor - even if it does give the impression that the process of healing after yearlong abuse can be done in a short span of time.

Should the theme of childhood abuse not be one you want to look closer at tonight maybe you can just enjoy the view of the field of what I deem to be lavender - if nothing else it fits with the color theme here at The Corner ;-)

Graceful Waters by B L Miller and Verda Foster

Grab a couple of earplugs and follow me up to The Sapling Hill Rehabilitation Facility the all-girls boot camp where the 17 years old Grace is going to spend the next 5 month getting a last chance to turn her life around.

The earplugs? Well if you are going to spend more than 10 minutes with the girls and their shouting instructors you are going to need them, but you better listen carefully to all the shouting or you will no doubt have to DROP AND GIVE ME TEN - push ups that is - for disobeying an order.

Instructor Carey runs a tight camp and not a lot is left for the girls to decide on their own, they follow a gruelling daily schedule of classes, exercises and mentoring sessions aimed at giving them an alternative to drugs, teenage pregnancies, crime .... a life at the bottom of the pit.

Is this a successful recipe to turn around a teenage life ? Do we become better people if we get shackled, gaged, shouted at or ordered around ? I do not know, but somehow I doubt it. Fortunately Instructor Carey is more than a shouting monster. She is a woman with a heart and able to do more than just discipline the wayward teen. Carey will give the guidance, love and support needed to straighten out the girl Grace, who is on edge with the world.

If you wonder where to look for the romance do not worry you will find it. You just have to have patience - and a lot of it - like Grace.

“Graceful Waters” has a well developed storyline, and a couple of well fleshed out characters that will help keep you entertained - if you do not mind all the shouting, the rules and discipline that is.

This is a work from the pen of B.L.Miller and Verda Foster. Unfortunately it’s not readily available on line any more as B.L.Miller chose to take the story off line due to plagiarism as in people posting the story under their own names on line! I do not understand why anyone would want to do that, but that is probably due to my lack of imagination.

Anyway I included a link to the story through the Wayback Machine, but you never now if that link will be working in the long run. The story was published by Intaligo Publications in 2004 and Amazon still has it in stock.

Innocent Hearts by Radclyffe

When I first ventured out into the world of (fan) fiction I came a cross a number of westerns of the cowgirl variant. You know the sort of fic’s where you’ll find at least one of the female protagonists to be very comfortable on horseback, perhaps proficient with a gun and always dressed like a man. In these stories we are usually also treated to a woman of a more feminine nature in need of a bit of rescuing and - as we are talking romance here – to a friendship that turn into love.

One of the first and up until now best of cowgirls stories that I have read is BL Miller and Varda Fosters “The Western Chronicles”. Unfortunately BL Miller has decided to remove the online version of the story from her site due to plagiarism. If you know your way around the web archives you can still reach a copy of this and other BL Millar stories online and for those willing to spend a little money on a paperback it’s seems that it’s still available in print.

“The Western Chronicles” is the story of Josie – the outlaw - and Rebecca the woman in need of rescuing and their journey together through the frontier country. The story has a number of dramatic episodes, but you’ll find a well-developed romance at the centre of the storyline this time with a rather unwilling outlaw and a persistent younger – and rather innocent – woman. The characters of Josie and Rebecca are well-developed and the slow progression from reluctant – on Josie's part – travelling companions to friends and eventually lovers is skilfully described.

As not everybody is proficient in the art of surfing the web archives I’ll give you another western of the cowgirl variant to spend you time on while you wait for “someone” to let you in on the secrets of finding what has been lost on the web.

This cowgirl western is written by Radclyffe and has a more urbanised setting than the one you’ll find in “The Western Chronicles”. In “Innocent Hearts” we are not dealing with outlaws and gunslings, but with the rancher Jessie and the slightly younger woman Kate who has just arrived in the new Montana territory with her parents from out east. A self-reliant woman like Jessie is something that Kate has never encountered before, and as you can imagine Jessie and Kate quickly strike up an acquaintance, each taking pleasure in the company of a woman different from those they normally encounter, and none of them quite sure what to make of their feelings towards each other.

I think it might spoil your fun to tell you how Jessie and Kate work out what kind of pleasures women can find in the company of each other, but I’ll just let you know that they seem to come down with divine inspiration once they get the gist of things.

Cowgirl western romances are not my favourite stories as I often find that the storylines are too stereotype for my taste. I think that the one real exception from this rule is “The Western Chronicles” mentioned above, but if you like cowgirls you might find “Innocent Hearts” entertaining if perhaps a little too predictable. Jessie and Kate are likeable characters but possibly a little young for the storyline, but as always I found that Radclyffe uphold a good quality in her writing.