The Tribe of The Big Round Bellies

Once the Wedding Vows has been taken care of the next thing your woman will start hinting is that it is time for you to start a family.

You might try to suggest a dog would be a perfect match - how about helping out a lovely creature from the animal shelter? Well if that does not work out I guess that you have to start reading up on immaculate conception or perhaps just get your ass down to the local hardware store ... or wherever you go to get your cooking utensils ... 'cos you will be needing a Turkey Baster!

On the other hand when I think about it all the fan fic's I've read featuring a pregnant woman I can't say that I've ever come across any Turkey Basters or the likes, so I guess that there are other ways to get the deed done?!  

Now settle down and let me run through the stories with a pregnant protagonist and let's see if there are any turkeys running loose.

Usually the conception in question is quite natural - if I may say so - as in Man and Woman get close and rather personal. Now don't shoot me - I'm only en innocent bystander telling you what I've read (!) If you don't believe me then look up "Strings Attached" by Inyx. I don't think that it gets more natural than an awful lot of alcohol and an one night stand! With Inyx it's the getting up close and personal with your room mate / (girl)friend of seven years that might prove a bit difficult. Look up the review if you want to know the details.

You still don't believe me ? Ok then try "An Innocent Heart" by Heike Freudenmann and G. S. Binkley. This time it's not an one night stand but a steady - but soon-to-be ex-boyfriend -  that does the deed and puts Kim in a family way! So where do we go from here ? Will Kim be "doing the right thing" and make up with her ex or can she pursue a life as a single mother.... I think that her childhood friend Robin will help her make up her mind - look up a review here.

Luckily enough even devious boyfriends like Tucker Dane's Steve in Larisa's "Blue Calm", who sets out to get Tucker to marry him by getting her pregnant by "accident", can put into motion a change that will give us a lovely f/f romance and the start of a happy family of two mothers. Well in the case of Tuckers new love - Duncan - you might wonder if it's just the luck of genes of if she herself - Duncan that is - "fathered" the child 'cos Tuckers baby daughter looks an awful lot like our Dunk!

If you are "into" devious boyfriends you could also look up Terri, who ends up staying with the wealthy Noemi while she carries her child to term, and if you want to know how that happened and if Terri is going to move on when the baby is borne, you'll have to look up Katia Ruiz's story "Noemi" for your self.

I can think of just one more story where the expecting mother got pregnant the natural way and that's "When We Met" by B. Soiree. As I remember its an awful long story that takes you through the hardship of pregnancy and setting up family life with a newborn baby, but don't worry there is still a little time for romance now and then.     

Now if you are looking to get pregnant with a little help from a very good friend and a doctor you could look up "A Place to Dance" by Ali Vali. This time "the getting pregnant thing" is very well planed, but there is still the small question of putting the news to your partner.... It's really not as odd as it might sound and "A Place to Dance" is a favourite of mine so don't hesitate to look it up if you have the urge for a good romance.  

While we are on the question of favourites I might as well mention "All That Matters" by SX Meager. I know that this is another very long story, but that can't be helped as SX Meager is the master of the long winded romance. Should you have the time then look in on the life of Blair and her husband David who is out looking to have a bit of help with the "getting pregnant thing", which lands Blair with a divorce and on the road to become a single mother (!) ... you might ask how that happens and as you can imagine I won't tell you! I will however let you know that Blair has a very supportive - and surprise - lesbian friend Kylie who lends the pregnant Blair a helping hand when she leaves David. Look up the women while Blair is carrying her child to term and see if Blair is lucky enough to score the "girlfriend" job with Kylie.

You still haven't got enough of all the round bellies getting bigger and bigger and .. ? ... ok then look up Keegan and follow her as she is carrying her child to term as a single mother... hm you want some romantic action as well - don't worry Keegans former girlfriend Gwen is around and she is trying hard to persuade Keegan that what she should take a chance on love, and I ask you who can say no to an offer like that when it's put forward by "America's Sweetheart" ?

If you think that children are a great part of the equation of love and romance then look up the list of stories that I've put together in Listmania or my ramble on this topic. 

Annual Academy of Bards Valentine Special

Have you checked out the stories posted at the Academy's Valentine's Special 2011?

If not you might want to do a sample of the sweets on offer - several well known pens from the online Universe of fan fiction have chipped in this year.

Insane Englishwoman has put together a classic lesfic themed short story "Those Who Cannot See". If you find the theme appealing you can find it fully explored by LJ Maas in "None so Blind" an old favourite of mine.

If you can handle a story with tissue alert look up Lois Cloarec Hart's "Love is" - I must admit that I found it too sad to finish but well written and touching.

Kim Pritekel will serve you with a hot helping - as usual - I might say. "The One You're Looking for" is not the best work from her pen - from the long list of Kim's solo work I think that I would pick "Again" as my favourite, but then again it has been awhile since I have been through the long list of Pritekel fic's.

SX Meager delivers a long time couple, a tiny dog and a park ranger that might be both the last drop of water for the cup to run full or the first drink of a fresh cup - "The near occasion of sin" will promise a new beginning for those willing to give love a chance.

My favourite this year is Artemis Callaghan's "Would like to meet". Just like Pritekel, Callaghan explores the theme of dating sites or lonely hearts ads - but I prefer the slow romancing that we are treated to from Callaghan's pen - it's sweet, but hey it's Valentine's right? But beware I might be biased - I'm a Callaghan fan - so you better go make up your own mind.

Cupid by SX Meagher and Anne Brisk

Can a dog make a difference? Well not just the difference between coming home to an empty house and being met by someone dying to see you - even if you were just gone for a few minutes. Can a dog be the one thing that will save a relationship? Can a dog change your path in life? Well if you want to know if walking a dog will make a difference in your life find the time to read “Cupid” and make up your mind ! Do you need a dog ? ;-)

One blond, five men and a number of cocktail waitresses - Katie is out with her team like any other work-night blowing of steam after a long day wheeling and dealing.

A dark house, a note on a kitchen counter and a bed in the guest-room - waiting for Em when she gets home alone from a night out.

A seven-year long loving relationship has changed - when did that happen? Will anyone notice and will anyone care enough to try to get back the love, the closeness, the partnership ....

Cupid cares about everyone that shows him affection and his puppy eyes will make you want to scratch his belly, play in the garden or fetch his leash to go for a walk in the park - even if you are a workaholic commodity trader like Katie. Something is changing ... priorities changes and doggitime turns into time spend with the dog .. and together.  

Does anyone notice the changes in everyday life - a shared walk, a home cooked evening meal, the kiss that turns passionate? Look for yourself if you are interested.

This is just a short story with nothing more than two women and a dog but it’s kind of sweet to watch things change and see love blooming again - so if you just need a little entertainment on a cold and windy night - take a walk with “Cupid”.

Tick, Tock by Karin Kallmaker

I’m not really fond of the autumn as everything starts to points towards a dark, cold and windy winter season that will last for months, luckily enough there are a few things that lighten up the bleak autumn days – The Halloween Invitational at The Royal Academy of Bards and The Autumn Romance writing contest at The Athenaeum!

Yes you’ve got it right a lot of new fic’s to lighten up your life – follow the links and go look at the new stories for your self.

The Halloween Invitational gives us a number of fic’s from the pen of well-known writers from the (fan) fiction world. I can’t say that I have read them all, but I did take a look at the ones penned by the writers that I like the most.

If you want a taste of the possibilities of new love you can look up Artemis Callaghan’s “Light up the sky with Standard fireworks” it’s not exactly Halloween, but it’s a celebration and it holds a promise of a new loving relationship. If you can live suspended in time in the memory of shared love you might want to look up Karin Kallmaker’s “Tick, Tock” – it’s touching but sad, and if you are ok with a visit from beyond – you can look up Lois Cloarec Harts “Midnight Message”. Finally if you want a bit of a scare – and it is a Halloween Invitational after all – you can try out the short fic (!) from S X Meagher “Stormy Weather”.

The Autumn Romance writing contest at The Athenaeum is quit different – this is a contest! We – the readers - get a month to read the 9 stories entered in the contest and vote for the two titles that each of us like best. While the voting is on the stories is posted without information on who penned each story. As long as the contest run I don’t think that I should tell you which stories that I like the best, but I guess that it would be ok to say that I do have a couple of favourites.

The stories entered present a mix of storylines – you’ll find a story with a bit of a supernatural soul mate theme in an ancient Chinese setting in “Forbidden History”, a short modern-day romance in “Still Standing”, and a story of mature love that lasts a lifetime in “An October Romance” – and a number of other themes. I urge you to go read and cast your vote.

Game, Set and Match by Ali Vali aka A. Valdivia

For some the World Cup (football / soccer) is the focus of attention right now, others might spend time watching the Wimbledon tennis tournament and some - like I - am waiting for the cyclist of The Tour de France to get on their bikes and pedal out of Rotterdam in The Netherlands on July 3rd.

If you get tired of watching the sports on TV, you might want to take a little time with a (fan) fic touching on a sport theme. So I invite you to pick your favourite game on the list below and to relax while you “watch” the ladies work out!

How about starting off with a game of field hockey ? If you like this game or if you are just curious as to what it’s all about, you might look up “The Player” and join Gil and Emma while they play the game and get to know each other – review.

Should field hockey not be to you liking, you could look in on "America's Sweetheart" by Catherine Burke a sweet romance written on the backdrop of women’s soccer in the US (review).

If golf is your sport – you can stop by “The Deal” by M. Ryan (review) in this story you’ll be treated to an almost play by play run through of the game, while you follow Kaz’s in the world of News.

“The road from Kilimanjaro” (review) might be somewhat off a strict sports theme, but if you are not too keen on chasing after a ball you might like to go hiking up the mountain slops of Mt. Kilimanjaro or journey along on a safari with KG MacGregor, while Mary Kate and Kristine get acquainted or perhaps you would rather join Ryan and Jamie on a bike ride in the “Beginning” of their rather long relationship in SX Meagher’s ”I Found My Heart in San Francisco” series – by the way - you’ll find plenty of sports played out in this series as Ryan is a real sports jock (review).

“Blue Calm” by Larisa will give you a touch of the atmosphere on the beaches of Hawaii while Tucker learns to navigate the waves on a surfboard and Dunk takes her last win in the Pipe Master Competition (review).

Finally I’ll leave you on Centre Court with Parker King and her racket as she whacks the ball and let it fly past the player on the other side of the net to win the women’s singles final in Wimbledon. Parker is the “bad girl” of the tennis world – dating and discarding women as “just another notch in my lipstick case” (That’s a new one … I think?) and it’ll take a transatlantic flight and a disastrous - but funny - meeting with a blond pilot to changes Parkers lifestyle.

Emily - the blond pilot in question - on the other hand takes her love life serious. Returning from a three weeks stretch of transatlantic flights she meets Gail - her partner of three years – for a short vacation at a rented beach house to reconnect, but this is just another disaster waiting to happen as Gail’s long time habit of drinking becomes unbearable.

Luckily enough it turns out that Parker resides next door to the beach house that Emily rents and I guess that that is all the invitation needed to start Parker and Emily off on the road toward friendship and perhaps, who knows something more. Hey don’t get too excited – you’ll have to watch the ladies work through some misunderstandings before they can walk the path laid out, but that’s just the way it is in romantic fiction !

Ali Vali has penned a number of stories among these “A place to dance” which is the one I like best, but “Game, Set and Match” is a nice romance with a sprinkle of drama and a bit of funny dialogue that’ll keep you well entertained. Just bear in mind that Ali Vali has a tendency to be a little lax with the editing, which might be slightly confusing at times.

In case you are wondering - I do know that you can find a ton of (fan) fic’s on the theme of women’s basketball. I might get around to do a list of basketball fics later – perhaps when the indoor season knocks on the door again.

Licit Cusp by Weebod

I’ve been following a discussion on the blog ”Woman and Words” about how a good lesfic should end. The question posed was whether we - the readers - needed lesfic to have a “Happily Ever After” ending. Well for me the answer is easy. I’m into romantic fictions - at least when I’m on line - and I do want a happy end of sorts, but I can easily do without an “I do”, a kiss and a hug between the protagonists is enough. As you know this condition is almost always met in the on line universe of f/f romances – if not, I for one won’t mention the story at this site, should I be unfortunate enough to have spend time reading it – uuhhhh what a waste ;-).

I thought that this review could focus a bit on the HEA type of fiction which in my opinion includes the move from attraction, being in love to the more complicated everyday life of a relationship with the ups and downs. A number of this type fiction has been reviewed at this site. My favourite would be the “Anna and Lily stories” by KG MacGregor “Shaken”, “Stirred”, “Strained” a lovely series of stories that take the time to develop the characters and give the romance a substance that serves well as the basis for the ups and downs of the relationship, that I for one deem to be a HEA.

Another favourite of this type would be “All that matters” by S X Meagher in this story we follow friends turn into lovers, and the “sharing of a house” kind of living together turning into a relationship. No worries there are so much more to this looooong story that just these bits, so I’m certain you will enjoy it, even if you know by now it is also one of those stories, that I deem to have a HEA ending.

To put something new into this mix of stories that you properly already know, I’ll pass the Weebod story “Licit Cusp” on to you, this is a sweet story of a first love, that seem to be the love of a lifetime – definitely a HEA ending.

In “Licit Cusp” we get to meet the young Shona MacLeod, who has moved from the small Hebridean island of North Uist to Edinburg to study history at the university. Edinburg is not only far away from North Uist in terms of geography, but also in the way of life. North Uist is a small society and Shona’s father is a hard and religious man, who keeps his four children on a tight rein.

The move to Edinburg gives Shona the opportunity to experience new sides of life, to grow up and gain her independence. Taking up a job in “The Railwaymen's Club” a local bar, run by the slightly older Toni, is a corner stone in the process for Shona, as Toni proves not only to be a good friend, but also a woman who can show her new way’s of life, and as you can imagine life have some love in store for Shona and Toni.

The story gives us the opportunity to follow a few years in the lives of Shona and Toni and that of their friends and family. It’s a nice and mellow, well written tale, without much angst and heartache. A good read in my opinion. You could say that Toni is perhaps too good to be true, but who cares - it’s not real life, and I guess some of us might take the hint from this leading lady, and look if we are sufficiently supportive of our partner, spouse, gf, lover or what ever you might call your “leading lady” - should you happen to have one of those.