"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.

Reunion Week

At the Fan Fiction Reviews Lori and Rio gives You a list of themed fic's every week! As You might know I'm quite fond of this particular way of listing what to read, and You might be too if I judge by the number of hits on "Listmania".

This week Lori has chosen the theme "Reunion" which I haven't explored before so here we go... (I'm not trying to steel Lori's idea we sort of corporated on this theme - Lori supplied the theme idea, I gave her my list of Reunion fic's.)

I never went away to camp. Judging by my reading of Fan Fiction - which should probably not guide my view of the world ... it is after all fiction - I take it that sending your kids off to Summer Camp is a real American way of life. I guess that this for some can be a blessing and give you good memories and perhaps friends for life? I'm not real fond of Kim Baldwin's writing, but if you want to go on camp and come away with something that might last a lifetime maybe you should look up "The Camp Reunion". If you do you'll meet up with  Kerry as she revisit the site of her old "Summer Camp" for one last time to meet up with friends from her childhood and maybe, just maybe she will have the chance to do something about her life long crush on Mac.

If you didn't do Summer Camp when you where young, you must at least have done the high school thing. If that experience is worth revisiting to meet up with old friends then you can get your hands dirty with Mavis Applewaters "Truth Or Dare" and the sequel "Blissful Surrender". If you where closer to your college friends maybe you would rather play the game "Truth or dare" with Meghan O'Brien, no matter which reunion you choose a PWP is all you'll get.

Should you want to get a bit more storyline and a little less of the ”hot and steamy" action you should go for Fingersmith's "Beginnings". This is the story of Lou and Ashley, a story spanning 30 years from almost toddlers to mature women, a love that never dies - you can find the review here.

You could also let your mother or perhaps this time Tessas mother do the nessecary pushing and pulling to get the reunion under way. You know mothers and I promise that Tessas's is no different from the ones you know. Mothers are conniving, persistent and they use guilt to pressure you into doing the things you don't want to do, but they think that you ought to do, because it's "gooood for you". And who can really put up an argument against giving your best friend a lift home for the Holidays. You might think that you have a valid point if your "best friend" is no longer your "best friend" but your "ex-girlfriend", but don't hold your breath it is after all your mother that you are talking to..... so I take it you are going to give Lindsey a ride? This is Mavis Applewater "Home For The Holidays" and the first story in a longer series. I found "Home for the Holidays" and "I'll be home for Christmas" quite enjoyable and above the level of PWP.

Now the best is yet to come - I'll leave the reunion theme with "Unbreakable" by Blayne Cooper (Advocate). It's quite a while since I read this story but it stayed with me for the quality of writing and the storyline with drama and romance in a well woven tail. This is the story of 5 women who was close from childhood and onwards, but lost touch and of how they reunite and come to terms with the things that broke them apart.

”Puppy Love" by Fingersmith

I don't really have anything to say ... so why bother ... well I just wonder if you have noticed that The Athenaeum is back in business ? Yes ! The first news and updates in almost One Year from the Xenafiction ladies .... If you need new stuff to read or a pointer for an older fic that you might have missed then look up the The Athenaeum "What's New".

I for one have missed the Xenafiction ladies and I admit to have lost touch with the world of f/f fanfiction while they have been off line. Will I get back to business now that there is new stuff to read ? I don't know ... I do however know that Fingersmith has penned a new fic "Puppy Love" and even if it's a bit rough around the edges I do know that I enjoyed the shortish rump with Ellie, Emily and Charley .... no we are not talking a threesome but two ladies compeeting for the love of a dog and perhaps something more.  

Go get the leash and walk the dog ... or just pick up "Puppy Love".     

By Request

Looking for a story ?

The Listmania page on F/F Fan Fiction Reader's Corner is my favourite feature on this blog, and I'm happy to say that Listmania is also by far YOUR favourite  too. That is if we go by the statistics offered by Blogger. In the last week You've viewed Listmania 198 times - well perhaps not all those page views were YOURS but someone did go search for a little something to pass time!

Listmania is the crutch I lean on whenever my memory of a storyline don't really match up with a title or author or when I need a little taste of romance but can't come up with a story that fits with my mood, and I do hope that you find it helpful too.

The categories listed on Listmania are put together to tease ... and guide (!) your search for a  romantic online fic and I must admit that I have great fun putting together the teasers.

Now I've received a request to add a topic to the list of categories on Listmania and that's great as I'm running low on ideas of my own! So if you have a theme or topic that you would like to focus on in your online reading don't hesitated to ask for a list. Who knows I might have come across a story that fits with your interest that you haven't read yet. You can post a comment below or PM me on The Athenaeum Forum (User name UNKN) if you have a suggestion.

Now lets get on with the new list. The request I received asked for a list of stories focused on a pair of women who "met as kid's" and I was lured onto the theme by a teaser .... a link to a medical romance that fits right with this new category of fics! I guess that some of you've realized that I favour romantic fics that includes a lady in a white coat! 

So why not start the new list with a doctor ... you know one of those women with a white coat, warm hands and a wondrous heart that you will find in the first category on Listmania.

Follow me or perhaps you would rather follow a seven year old blue eyed girl who tags along with  her father on his rounds in the paediatric children's ward at Bostons Children's Hospital. If you do you'll witness the first meeting of the blue eyed girl and a green eyed toddler, who is a surgical heart patient at the Hospital. Now hold on as we move fast forward to the present day and the paediatric ICU ward at Egelston Children's Hospital in Atlanta where you'll meet the 30 year old Dr. Alexander Morgan a brilliant surgeon who goes by the name "The Breathtaking Bitch" and her favourite nurse Bryn O'Neill, who just happens to have a special gift for telling the little patients stories that keep them calm and rested while they recover.

You might have guessed that this is almost as Xena Uber as it gets but what you might not have guessed is that the women have no clue that they are "old acquaintances", so what we are about to experience is the slow process of realising that the bond the women feel they have is not a new thing, but a bond that was formed between to little girls almost 25 years ago. 

"Mended Hearts" by Alix Stokes doesn't have the most well developed storyline or interesting characters that I've come by, but if you are keen on the Xena Uber genre you might have a bit of fun with this story.

With the request for a list of fics on theme "Met as Kids" I also received links to several stories that fit in this new category:

• "Within The Heart" by Lady D (Met as Kids)
• "Tomahawk'd" by DS Bauden (Met as Kids)
• "The Enemy Next Door" by Silverwriter01 (Met as Kids)
• "South Africa" by Anne Azel (Met as Kids)
• "Peruvian Encounter" by Anne Azel (Met as Teens)
• "Family Reunion" by Mavis Applewater (Met as Teens) 
• "The Reef" (Sam and Jody series) by Lois Kay (Met as Teens)

As you might have guessed I haven't had the time to read the stories mentioned above so I'll let you explore these on your own.

I have however pinpointed a few fic that fits in this category as well:

My favourite "Met as Kids" fic is "Beginning" by Fingersmith. This story has a little of everything - love and romance, drama and spice - if you want to know more follow the link to the review.

A close second in this category is "Comic Book Life" by Zee. This is romance and humour all in one but as far as the romance goes it's rather one sided in the early years. You can read more about this fic if you follow the link above to the reviews of Zee's stories.

I think that I'll also include one of my favourite PWP/romances in the category "Met as Kids" even if one of the kid's is actually a teen when the girls meet. If you haven't visited with Wilder as she tries to convince Darcy that sex with a woman is much better than with a man - you ought to run along right away and do it - visit with Wilder I mean ... well that is if you are not at the Office. Ups seems I forgot to mention in which story Wilder and Darcy appears ... if you haven't guessed by now its "Unlimited Sexual Favours" by Cephalgia and MJ. I might have mentioned it once or twice before.

It will also be worth while to spend a bit of reading time on Dee's fic "Fenced Fields". Even if this is much more romance and a lot less spice compared to "Unlimited Sexual Favours". This time we move into the rural area of the States to follow Molly as she works hard to convince Eunice that love might be coming her way. And while we are hopping around in the rural areas of the States I might as well mention "One Two Oh" by A.C. Henley. I'm not quite sure when Rose and Critter actually met for the first time but I gather that they both lived on Rose's father's ranch for quite a few years before Rose was caught by her father while in a lip lock with Critter at the tender age of 14 ... need I mention that he was not amused ? I'm a fan of A.C. Henley so if you don't mind a bit of horse manurers then ride along with Critter and Rose into the sunset.

I don't know if you'll be willing to go native but if life on the prairies are not too much of an outdoor experience for you then look up "Drifter" by D. This time you'll get the complete story of growing up and falling in love with your best friend. While we are on the subject of going native you might also want to take a look at Kim Pritekel and Alexa Hoffmann's "Wild". This time we will find one of our girls living her life in the woods in Main but nevertheless the story is set in modern time.

The last fic I can think of right now is "My Sisters Keeper" by Mavis Applewater. This is the story of a first love that never dies even if you are broken apart by a hideous mother and the strict rules of Convent ... yes you will find a nun in this story.  

I'll merge the fic's listed above with the existing category on "A Love That Never Dies" in Listmania and create subcategories for the stories involving women who "Met as Kids", "Met as Teens" and "Met in College" - I hope that this will help you in your search for an entertaining romance.

Ramble - a walk through The Top 100 of 2010

Why don't you walk with me as I explore the Top 100 list at The Athenaeum ? You might find a gem that you have overlooked or maybe an old favourite that you want to read again.

Before we start our walk you might want to read up on the site we are going to visit. So I will just give you some numbers to chew on. The Athenaeum list 6759 works from 1538 authors, with 485 of those works available in eBook format - impressive or what ? In 2010 a total of 2.847.848 links where followed to stories archived at the site or externally at other sites. The 100 links most often followed in 2010 ? Well if you want to know ... follow me.

Normally I would work my way to the top and save the best bit for last, but lets be daring today! The 2010 Story of The Year is ..... (a long drum roll can be heard) ...."Denial" by Omega13. This is a  loooong lesfic drama with a lot of angst, and I must admit that I never got through the story, probably because I found that it took to long to get to the LHEA ending. The core of the storyline is an attraction between Celeste and her brothers fiancée Amy. The story is very well rated at The Athemaeum. 

As the fitness freaks among you will know walking down hill is much more taxing than the walk up hill, so lets make this a slow stroll down from The Story of The Year to number 4 "Dark Side of The Moon" by my favourite pen BadSquirrel. Who by the way seems to have her first published fic in the works ! If you are into the gender bending and BDSM stuff this is a story for you. It is well written, but to me - a bit over the top. Should the BDSM theme be something you are interested in exploring through other fic's, you can find a few stories listed at the "Listmania" page. 

At spot number 11 you will find Fingersmith's new romance/drama "Critical" a well written story involving a restaurant owner, a food critic and an obsession that creates a bit of drama. It did remind me slightly of Creme Brulee's "Cooking on High" with a notorious chef that get's herself involved with "the help" and in a fight with a powerful man. I'm very fond of Creme Brulee's writing, but it seems that this pen no longer posts fic's on line - maybe someone know if Creme Brulee has published books under another name ??

My all time favourite fic "Rumors" by BadSquirrel came in 17 in 2010. This is much better than the 48th spot the story earned in 2009. Maybe some of you have followed my advice to look up this story ? If not - then put on your running shoes and go go go ... I have posted a review if you want an introduction to the storyline.

The short PWP  "IMPOTENT or maybe not" by Gracelan Chase came in as number 18 with the story of how to cure writers block. If you want erotica with a romantic twist you can also look up Vertigo's "Caution: Under Construction" or MJ and Cephalgia's "Unlimited Sexual Favours".

Of cause Mavis Applewater also made it to the list in 2010. This time as number 20. "Finding My Way" is my favourite story from Mavis' pen. If you want a well put together romantic storyline do not miss this one - look up my review if you want an introduction. "Campus" from Anik LaChev will take you into a similar University setting, but you will have to be a bit nifty with the Wayback Machine to locate the story as it has been taken off line for publication. With a bit of editing (it's a very long read) it will make a great book.

If you have not read any of Weebod's stories I think that you ought to give "Conflict of Interests" a try. It holds a broad, well developed storyline, some interesting characters,  and romance and angst in the right places. The story made it to place 24 on the Top 100. Should you fancy this pen do back up a few steps and look up number 6 on the list. Weebod's "The Player" is a romance mixed with a bit of field hockey .. you know hockey played on grass not ice. 

I am getting a bit tired from walking down hill so I think I will take a break and leave you at place 30 with A.K.Naten's "Turning Tides" so you can go visit a business tycoon with a habit of playing games of dominance with the women she finds attractive. Look up my review if you want further introduction. Alex Tryst's "Adventures of a Super Dyke" has a somewhat similar theme, but the storyline is not quite my style.

Maybe I will pick up the Top 100 list later. In the meantime do explore on your own - the list hold links to several good reads.

Beginnings by Fingersmith

Bryan Adams will take us back to the ”Summer of ’69” and in “Beginnings” Fingersmith will let us take a peek at the summer of 1974. You can listen to the tune or read the story - either way it rocks!

The hot, sticky summer of 1974 was the summer that the six-year-old Lou was struck to the ground by Ash - the new girl on the block. This happened when Ash fell from a tree as Lou walks by heading her mothers call to come in for her tea! This was the beginning of a friendship that lasted all summer, but ended abruptly when Lou’s mother chose to leave her ever absent, non-caring husband and moving herself and the kids to a new town – guess who was unhappy with that move!

Move fast forward 10 years and see Lou falling of a stage - while doing a drunken version of “Waterloo” (Karaoke) – and landing on top of a table full of empty glasses, surrounded by amorous young men, ready for a woman to drop into their lives. And the cause? A pair of pale blue eyes – guess who they belong to!

After the surprise reunion the girls take to each other like the friends they used to be, but – as you might have guessed – things have changed; the kids have grown and new confusing feelings surface. Sarah proves to be the one who can put at least some of those raging hormones to a good use – no I’m not confusing the names here! Things will get even more confused as the girls all battle with their feelings and the courage to own up to how they feel. Before the teenagers can sort out their feelings Lou’s mother decides to …. move again – gee can’t she just stay put for once!

Take a deep breath and a giant leap into maturity and visit with Lou and Ash as they meet again in the cause of a dramatic criminal investigation that mix with family history. Perhaps the third time’s the charm ?

This is a story spanning almost half a lifetime from childhood, through teenage years and further on to a time when girls are no longer girls but women of maturity. Even if it’s a rather long story - 206 pages if you go by the count on The Athenaeum - we are only treated to the bit’s and pieces of the lives of Lou and Ash when they happen to get in touch with each other.

“Beginnings” is really three separate stories in a tight woven series. The story that I like the best is the third and last one as this seems the most complete both in the storyline, in the interactions between the protagonists and in the ease of writing. The story as a whole holds a little for every reader though both those who favour the tales of the first teenage love, the soul mate theme, witty moments, spicy encounters or the usual angsty misunderstandings between those that we – the readers – deem to be right for each other.

All in all I’ll say that this is perhaps not Fingersmiths best on-line story as I’m particularly fond of “Once”, but it’s still an entertaining read, romantic and catching at places and well worth a read.

Once by Fingersmith (aka Linda Smith)

For some, the end is a new beginning. But when you walk in on your girlfriend doing “it” with another woman on your bedroom floor, a new beginning can be really far away! For Beth it’s shattering to realise that “I love you forever” was really just a promise of a three year long partnership ending in a “floor show”.

With her girlfriend gone, Beth is back to being just herself and her boy, Dudley. Life is going downhill and she is really not at all in the mood to interact with other “humans”, let alone meet new people. But with a bit of assistance from Dudley, Beth meets Amy at the park and they get rather intimate - on the floor the local café. Don’t worry it might be embarrassing, but it’s not anything like the “floor show” that Sue put on. This is the beginning of a rapidly developing attraction and a slowly progressing friendship between Beth and Amy. And it’s the first of a number of times that Beth and Amy land in a heap on the floor together... really there is no “funny” stuff involved!

But this Sue must really have been a right ass, as Beth seems to be of the conviction that no one, and certainly not the attractive Amy, would consider her for more than a friend. Yes - here we go - the scene has been set for a lot of misunderstandings, a couple of bleeding hearts, and some much needed growing to love yourself again.

I’m a sucker for these lengthy and slowly developing romances where you might just wonder at times if the ladies will find the way into each others arms. Yeah well - I know a romance always has a happy ending, but don’t you sometimes wonder if this one is just the one exception to the rule? Perhaps not, but that doesn’t matter as long as the emotional ups and downs are believable.

I like the fact that this story is penned by an English writer, it gives the story just a slightly different and fresh touch. Furthermore there are a good amount of funny episodes included, and Dudley seems to be a real darling... dog.

Fingersmith has penned a number of stories which are available on The Athenaeum (www.xenafiction.net). This one is my favourite, but you might find some of the other stories worthwhile. I might warn you, though, of a little quirk in the writing. Fingersmith likes to put in little comments on the progressing of the story, like “Where do I go from here? Should I move on and race ahead? Or should I drag it out?”

Enjoy!