Where are YOU when YOU're gone ....

I know that You are ..... around. I see the traces that You leave behind, I hear the faint sound of Your footsteps, I sense the scent that is YOU ... everywhere. I know that if I speed up, get there early... I'll ..... if only I can close the gap in time between us, I'll catch up with You ... with us.... with my life ...

I Miss You and Our Time, Our place in Time, the Good Times ... did we live on Borrowed Time or did Our Time just run out?

I like it when writers takes the time to tell their stories. Take time to unfold the before, the after and the "in between". I hate getting dropped right in the middle of "it". I hate just being walked into a darkish bar to get picked up by someone looking for sex ... the next thing you know or rather feel, are rougish hands "feeling" you up ... uhhh not for me. 

I want the "real thing" ... the slow awakening of feelings, the surprise at finding love where you least thought it possible, the impossibility of acting on your feelings and the surprise, joy and happiness when the ball finally gets rolling and the first kiss land on your waiting lips.... 

You want to go on a ramble for that .... the stories with a before, an in between and a living happily ever after ? ... I'm warning those of you familiar with this blog I'm going to ramble along well known paths, if you like walking along memory lane then come along.

I thought that we might start our ramble in Scotland this time.  A place with a long storyline, just as is the case with "Licit Cusp" by Weebod. I know the title is ... well i's not really inviting, but never mind that. I'm with Weebod for the loooong storyline and the slow unfolding of attraction.

So pick up “Licit Cusp” and get acquainted with Shona MacLeod. Shona is from the small Hebridean island of North Uist. A small society where a hard and religious man like Shona's father has amble chance to keep his children on a tight reign. The question is - can he keep his hold on Shona once she moves to Edinburg and start her life as a student of history and an employee at “The Railwaymen's Club”, a local bar, run by the slightly older woman Toni ... do take the time to see where life will lead Shona and Toni.

Now if Weebod is your thing you should move on to "Conflict of Interest". This is classic uber with a small blond and a tall dark haired woman ... yes their eyes have the  perfect colour too! This time we are talking "heart" vs. "money" as Elish - leader of the local community centre - and Aisling - daughter of the owner of the shopping complex where the community centre is situated - crosses paths in business and love.

Lets stay with Weebod for one last fling ... this time with "The Player". The basic theme of the story is the conflict of interest between “the player” Gillian or Gill who lives her life charming and bedding all available women, never stopping to consider to call for a second date, and Emma the woman that finally breaks through Gill's amour, but don’t want to risk her heart on someone who might not be faithful.

Look up a list of Weebod's stories on Athenaeum. You'll see that Weebod has started a new series of short stories under the title "Stories From The Cities Series". I'm really happy to see that Weebod's pen is still active. 

So where have you been spending your F/F Fanfiction time while I've been ... well just busy with..... other worth while interests ?

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. 

Do you know KG MacGregor?

I bet you know KG MacGregor either for her published stories or like me by way of her online work. If you follow this blog regularly you will already know that I'm quite fond of MacGregor's "The Road from Kilimanjaro". It's a strong number 9 on my "Top 10s".

If you took my advice the other day and ventured out with Anna and Lilly by way of KG MacGregors "Shaken Series, you are already well acquainted with MacGregors online work.

In case you have had enough stories from this pen then go enjoy yourself somewhere else ... how about looking up the culinary skills of "A Butch In The Kitchen"? I think that the Strawberry Shortcake Cookies looks good enough to deserve a try, but then again I do have a thing for strawberries ! They spell S U M M E R to me, and I would really like to get me a bit of sun! It is not for the tan though, I'm just real tired of riding my bike in the rain or in below zero temperatures.

If real life is not toooo much for you then go read Randi Millers account of love "The Long Kiss Goodbye" - I take it you do know that LesFic is really, really far from a true account of romance ?

Should real life be too hard on your romantic heart then tag along as I walk you through my favourite MacGregor stories.

Let's start with "A Little Something" - a short story on how an impossible love might prove possible after all ... it's just a matter of whom takes the first step! Step into the world of advertising and see how Ellen and Shannon decide to take not one but two major chances in life. Just remember that it's not always that easy to find and hold on to love! Well if we are to judge by KG MacGregor's stories the "finding love" might not be so hard - it's the holding on to it that's complicated. Do you want me to prove it ?

Well ok ... lets look in on the Paula the Night Shift Manager at The Weller Regent Hotel in Orlando. If you ask me Paula takes the concept of “making the guests happy” to a new level when she starts  flirting with Wynne - a frequent traveller and marketing manager from Baltimore - who likes to stay at the Weller Regent when in Orlando. Paula and Wynne moves easily from an innocent flirt towards friendship and well you know .... love seems to be just around the corner when RL happens! Do you want to know if the women are ever "Getting it Right" ? Then follow the link - it will be well worth your reading time.

Let's move further down the line of MacGregor stories..... how about looking in on Leo ? She is the reason that all grandmothers have portraits of pretty, smiling 3rd graders on their mantelpieces. Leo is the photographer who makes the miracles happen and catches that perfect expression, but even if Leo is a good catch herself, love has not been know to stand in line at her door. So you might ask why you should spend your reading time with Leo? Don't be so impatient - you know that love is going to find us all at one time or another ... ok sometimes a little shove in the right direction will help to move things along. Look up "Expectations" if you want to know how Leo happens to find love and "Remembrances" if you want to know how things turn out for Leo in the long run.

"Expectations" and a "Little Something" are contributions by MacGregor to The Academy's romantic Valentines Series. If you are fond of a short romantic storyline you could also take some time with "Crush" and "Community Service". I'm sure that Community Service will put a smile on your face.

The last MacGregor fic that I'll mention is "The House on Sandstone". This is a story of young love that never dies - if this is your favourite storyline then look up other stories like this in Listmania. This time it's a kiss in the supply closet in the chemistry class that proves to be the defining moment in time for Justine and Carly, but even if the feeling is mutual at the crunch time - it'll take 25 years to go beyond that kiss! The House on Sandstone has a well developed storyline and a broad cast of characters that will keep you well entertained with all the little happenings of family life as a backdrop to romance.

Enjoy your reading time with KG MacGregor!

Listmania - When Children are part of the Equation

One might think that the limits of biology would interfere with the dream of Lesbian Motherhood, but fear not both in real life and fiction there are amble chance to pursue a happy family of Two Moms! 

No, no ...  I'm not going to take this blog in to the realm of RL, so if you are looking for advice on ... well you know what.... then try Google for answers. Ok - now that is settled, then lets move on and see what kind of impact kids have in the online world of lesfic.

We could start out with "The Ready Made Family".  You know the single mom with one or two kids on her hands. You might wonder how they got there .... answers are plenty full ... we could be looking at the girl who made a bad choice in life, which in turn landed her with a lovely offspring.....

If this storyline catches your eye you might want to visit with:

• Erin in and her twins  in RJ Nolan's Double Trouble
• Kyra and her 5 year old son Simon in Lois Kay's "Hearts Choice" or
• Julia and her 12 year old son Jesse in Bibibt's "The Starry Sky".

Among these "Hearts Choice" would be my current favorite for the mushy first half of the rather long storyline. Furthermore the story takes place in The Netherlands which makes for a refreshing new setting.

As you must be aware by now there are more than one way to acquire a child and one of the more far fetched, would be the one where an old friend decides to stop by your place and dump her lovely daughter on your doorstep before she leaves for Europe with her new boyfriend!

I cannot say that I have found a huge number of stories with this basic storyline, but Ali Vali's "A Rock for Remembrance" do fit the bill. So if you like to follow the lives of the filthy rich do look up Julian Lowe - the head of a large shipping empire -  and her acquired daughter Summer ..... and read about the romance between Julian and Summers kindergarten teacher Kiki.

Another story that fits the bill is "Meanwhile Back at the Ranch". This is the second installment in a series by J.W. Heart, so you might want to look up the prequel "Summer of Need" first. In "Meanwhile Back at the Ranch" you will find Trace who "gets dumped" with JT a little blond, green eyed girl and the task of looking after both her and her mothers ranch. In this story J.W. Heart gives us a fun storyline and likeable characters - so don't mind the kid - just go join the fun.

A variation of the theme of "getting dumped" with someone else's offspring can be found in LJ Maas "None So Blind". This time we are talking a wayward teen needing a change of environment and a woman who agrees to help out her life long crush by taking the girl in. This story is among my all time favorites. So if you have an interest in mushy romances, do look up this story even if you are not exactly looking for a child to be part of the storyline.

Sometimes "The Ready Made Family" comes with a twist and I for one love those "twist" to be humorous. If you just want a little light giggling, I would go for Zee's "Comic Book Life" where the comic book artist Remy gets to have fun with a "midget" or rather the daughter of Megan - Remy's lives long secret crush.

Should you however want an all out laugh I would suggest that you look up the latest Larisa story - Operation Drop Zone. This story is not only VERY long, but also a bit over the top in crazy humor, but I can guarantee that a kid - this time a "troll" - is very much part of the equation in this storyline. 

Until now we have been looking at "The Ready Made Families", but Children might be part of the Equation well before delivery. So I've been on the look out for stories where our protagonist gets to be part of the family from day one, and I have found several women, who seems to have made the most of the 9 month slot between conception and delivery!

I have put up a list of fic's with pregnant women on the Listmania page. If I should randomly pick one to raise your interest I would point to "Strings Attached" by Inyx. This story is sporting two straight women, room mates and best friends for years and both with a healthy interest in sex with men . You might guess how we come about getting pregnant, but getting into the delivery room and setting up family life might seem a tiny bit difficult, but you know how it is with the ladies, they are never as straight as they present themselves to be - at least in the Universe of Lesfic.

I have found it difficult do find stories with a happy couple who has set up house and then decides to pursue a family. Off the top op my head I can think of "A Place To Dance" by Ali Vali, and Syro's "I Wished You Loved Me Again", but maybe I just haven't  been paying attention to this theme ?

Anyway before you pursue a family you might want to read - IMPOTENT or Maybe not by Gracelan Chase, at least if you harbor an itch for writing. This time the happy family will meet a challenge that might break them up - it's just a PWP ;-)

Radclyffe!

Radclyffe ? Well I am not thinking Radclyffe Hall, the author of the old-time classic lesbian novel "The Well of Loneliness" but Radclyffe aka Len Barot, author of numerous LesFic's published by Bold Strokes Books the publishing company that Len Barot heads.

To follow up on my post the on Radclyffe's "Honor series" I thought we could take a stroll through some Radclyffe fic's .... maybe you've missed a good read?

Soft butch - or what ?

My first Radclyffe "experience" was "Loves Melody Lost" a story about Graham a famous composer and pianist who has lost her "melody" after a car accident that also blinded her. As you might have guessed Graham is an unhappy soul who will need special attention to get back in step with her music and learn to trust in love. And she will get the attention she needs from her new live-in house manager Anna, but do you think that she will take kindly to the loving care that Anna provides?

I found this early story by Radclyffe a bit too stereotype for my taste as I think Graham's butch character is presented as more of a transgender character than lesbian, but then again I am really not proficient in determining the correct labels to fix on anyone's orientation - so I might be wrong on this. And should transgender be your thing - then I guess it really doesn't matter at all.

While we are on the subject of stereotypes, labels and such I thought that I might make a statement "I do not like imposed labels" - and no that is really not a phrase that I came up with. It is from "The Bookish Butch", but I hope she will let me borrow it as it fits nicely with the way I feel about labels ..... if I want one - a label that is - I will stick it on my forehead myself!

Anyway let's forget about labels .... but before moving on we might just have a bit of fun with the clichés that goes with the labels that we might choose for ourself. Try this link ! I know that I posted the link to the YouTube video from "ThatsWhatSheSaid" before, but maybe you missed it ? 

I hear you shout for me to move on down the Radclyffe trail so here we go .... If you trust in my ability to judge a good romance from a bad, you might want to take a look at some of the published Radclyffe fic's. My all time Radclyffe favorite is "Turn Back Time", but then again I am biased when it comes to a romance set in the medical world - I just love "White Coats, Warm Hands and Wondrous Hearts".

"Turn Back Time" is a great mix of the stressed professional lives of young doctors trying to make a career for themselvs in the competitive environment of the teaching hospitals, family life as in a single mother mixing work with rising a child, and the promises of what life could be like, if you let love happen.

In "Turn Back Time" you will encounter Radclyffe's signature soft butch character - hard on the outside, but soft as melting butter on the inside. All you have to do is brake through the shield that guards her  heart and show her love! Ain't that just sweet ?

If we stay in the medical world, which is not hard to do with Radclyffe - who seems to have had her own career as a surgeon - you might want to look up "Passion's Bright Fury". The soft butch is on the hunt again, this time in the form of the formidable Saxon Sinclair who never seems to rest, but really she just needs someone to rest her tired soul with. You can read a review here at the site - just use the author tag for Radclyffe. You will find "Passions' Bright Fury" available both online and in a published version by Bold Strokes Books.

I you want to move from soft butch to a life on the dark side of passion you might want to follow Radclyffe into the "Shadowland", but if BDSM is not you thing then pass it over. I found this story to be way too dark for my taste. Should you however want to try your hand at BDSM "on dry-land" so to speak, you could look up BadSquirrels "The Dark Side Of The Moon". The tone of this story is much "softer". On the other hand the BDSM-universe related in the storyline feels very much constructed, but then again one can't really complain ... it is fiction after all .... is it not? You can find a few other fic's with a BDSM theme on Listmania, if you want to explore this topic further.

Whatever you choose for your Afternoon Delight it is guaranteed to include romance and the promise of LHEA.

Sorry it seems that I lost the Radclyffe trail somewhere along the line ....... I'll try to find my way back .... some other time.

"Gone for Soldiers Every One" or just "Women in Uniform"

I am really not in favor of War, especially not when the result is coffins with the bodies of young soldiers brought back from faraway places, but with the recent repeal of DADT in the US I thought that it was time to venture out to look for a few "Women in Uniform".

This time we could start out in the movies! The first female soldier I think that I came across was "Private Benjamin" as in a Goldie Hawn flick from the '80's - a lot of fun at the time, but perhaps a bit out of date by now (?) - and even if there is a hint of bisexuality in the movie it's all just for "fun".

Kelly McGillis as Top Gun Instructor

I know that Kelly McGillis wasn't really a soldier in "Top Gun" and that the movie was too high on testosterone to ring any bells, but I am pretty sure she would have been able to find a well fitting flight suite had she needed one!

Demi Moore as Lt. Jordan O'Neil

If we continue down the movie trail we will eventually hit the ocean ... you know that the sea is the perfect element for a SEAL, don't you? So I guess that we could go see if "GI Jane" chose to ring the bell ... now this woman IS a soldier and she chose to be tested with the best, but I think that she might be overdoing it just a bit - even if her one-handed push ups is impressive.

We might want equal opportunities, but should it be on male terms and standards ... ? 

On-handed push ups!

In "GI Jane" we get a hint on the consequences of living as a homosexual in the military, but even if Lt. Jordan O'Neil turns herself into one hard butch GI for the sake of joining a SEAL team, and has her sexuality questioned in the process, we don't really get to see if this has any impact on her love life.  

Glenn Close

Glenn Close and Judy Davis

Further down the movie trail we encounter "Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story". This is the real-life story of Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer of the US National Guard who was involuntary discharge when she admitted she was gay. This is the story of her coming out and her legal battle following the discharge.

I think Glenn Close and Judy Davis made a nice couple and it's fun to watch the slightly up-tight colonel trying to find equal footing with her more bohemian love interest, but beware this is a movie from the mid '90s  - you might find it a bit dated!

Should you want to explore the theme of real life LGBT veterans, you can look up the publication "Proud to Serve". Some of the pictures from the book is available here.

Now lets turn to Fan Fic's with a theme on "Women in Uniform" or perhaps just a woman in uniform. I think that we should start out with the end..... serving in the military and especially at a time when your country choose to go to war might bear the ultimate consequence for you and your family. This is the theme that Cheyne explore in "Requiem" - so don't go there unless you have a tissue handy.

While we visit with Cheyne I might as well tell you that she has written a much longer story with Women in Uniform - "Permission to Recover". All 582 pages (!) of this story is posted at The Athemaeum and very well rated by the readers, but due to the length I've never read it. So I can't really tell you if the story is worth you time - let me know if it's a good read!

Moving on to Ft. Bragg we get to meet the Top of Headquarters Company. The long and lean 1SG Karen Wilson and her new "butter bar" 2Lt Whitney Gordon who is going to serve as the company XO. What could have been a nasty battle of strength between a competent NCO and a still "wet behind the ear" officer, turns out to be a - not too mushy - but still enjoyable meeting of two women both in need of a new friend and perhaps more .... if just one of them has the nerve to break the silence that DADT and the band on fraternisation poses on them. "XO" by C. Paradee is not a story of war but a little romance and drama mixed on the backdrop of an army base and some military jargon. 

If you want real fighting you could look up Larisa's "Da Nang", but you will be looking at VC snipers and sneaky fighting, dirt, blood and death bodies - so join the fun at you own risk. If you want your soldier in Dress White you can take a look at Pez in Larisa's "The Ice Princess", but even though Pez do her fair bit of fighting, it's still in the relatively calm scenery of an ER and not on the battlefield. Should you on the other hand want to go to Officer Candidate School you can join Brennen Magdonn as she enters at The Quantico Marine Corps Base, and don't worry there are lot's of butch lesbians who is always faith full ... "Semper Fi" by Larisa.

Leaving Larisa will get us into combat again this time with Master Sgt. Halley a Marine trained for specialized missions in hostile countries. 15 years in the service and wondering if this is what life has to offer, Halley starts to question her heart and what she find is the blue eyes of Commander Eden a Top Gun Navy Aviator. But before Halley and Eden can say more than "Hallo" the women find themselves on a deadly mission in enemy territory, where finding cover is much more important than "Finding Your Heart"!

I for one prefer to have my soldiers in a more relaxed setting, so I'll venture out on a "Blind Date" by D with a nervous marine by the name of Lark, and an annoyed Mel who has been pushed hard by her best friend Claire to have dinner with Lark, while she is home on leave. You won't get much soldiering done in this fic, but you will get to "see" our marine in her green class A service uniform - a formidable look if we go by Mel's judgment!

For a more humorous outlook on life in the service look up Major Sheila Patton when she attach "The Nipple Factory" .... only to find a lonely and frustrated woman in need of some hand holding.

Now I will leave you to your reading - please dodge any bullets coming your way - stay safe!

Ramble - on this and that

As you might have noticed I'm not really doing any reading at the moment! Well that's not entirely true, I do read stuff but either I'm just jumping from one "old" and well proven online story to another or I'm enjoying myself with general fiction which does not really fit the theme of this blog.  

So this time I'm just going to give you a mix of whatever comes to mind....

Have you been following the news on The Royal Academy of Bards ? If not then perhaps you ought to look up the entry for the 11th of August and learn which bards was voted into the Academy's Hall of Fame this summer. If you need a suggestion on what to read you can look up the list of the stories voted into the Hall of Fame as well.

I'm happy to see that Ann McMan and her story "Jerico" was voted into The Hall of Fame. It's a fun, mushy romance with a killer dialogue, but I guess that you know that by now ? 

McMan's latest story "Dust" made it to the Hall of Fame as well. This is a quite different type of story, a sort of "political thriller" with a romantic twist, not the mushy romance type of story that I'm so fond of ;-) 

"Dust" is what Evan stirrers up when she goes hunting for the dirty parts of an up and coming politicians life before the party decides on the backing of the candidate. This time she finds not only dirty secrets but also an estranged, but very good looking - lesbian - wife, lurking in the side wings of the up and coming senator's life.

This is LesFic so YES Evan and the senators wife do get to know one another "up close and personal", but somehow I keep looking back ...is this for "real" of just a trick for Evan to get close to the information that she is looking for or for the senators wife to keep a close tap on what Evan is digging up?? If you like LesFic thrillers don't miss this one - it's very well written. A tight and precise language and a well structured storyline even if it drops of a bit at the end.

You can find both "Jerico" and "Dust on the Academy and on Ann McMan's website. "Jericho" and  "Dust" might be the last free fic's from McMan's pen - it seems that she has made it into print with her first book. This is great as she really do turn out stories with a good quality of writing.

While we are on the theme of Hall of Fame Stories lets take a stroll back in time at The Academy's Hall of Fame - maybe you have missed out on a really great read. Come along if you need a bit of guidance.

2010 was the year that one of my favorite romances with humor entered The Hall of Fame. If you have missed "Miss-Match" do not hesitated to look it up - its everything you need in a LesFic - jumping the fence, coming out, a blind date, women looking for the one to spend their life, and everything in a mix of great dialoge and a well put together storyline with likeable characters.

While we are on the subject of A.C.Henley - one of the two co-writers of Miss-Match - I might as well tell you that she also penned "One-Two-Oh" a little story of cowgirls and on how come every lesbian within a 500-mile zone decides to show up on Rose's doorsteps, even though she really only has eyes for Charlotte. 

From The Hall of Fame Voting in the year 2010 you might also like Zee's "Comic Book Life" this time you'll get a story based on the concept of "young love that never dies" mixed with a bit of fun and a child that you have to keep your eyes on.

I'm not going to walk through every Hall of Fame voting with you - you can do so on you own, but I might just point out a few other favorites that have earned a place in The Hall of Fame though the years.

Artemis Callaghan's "Something so Close to Love" received the necessary votes to enter The Hall in 2008. I do like Callaghan's writing and "Something so Close to Love" has characters with more depth than the usual online fic. There is a review somewhere on this blog - if you want to know more before you commit yourself to a reading.

The first year that The Hall of Fame voting took place some of the best uber writers was voted into The Hall ... Radclyffe, SX Meager, Missy Good, LJ Maas, Ali Vali and KG MacGregorer. Among the stories chosen for The Hall of Fame that year is another long time favorite of mine "None So Blind" - it doesn't get more romantic than that. You can look up the review on the blog by looking up the reviews on stories by LJ Maas.

Should you want to take a break from the world of words maybe you can relax with some pic's - no, not interested ? Well what if I told you that we are talking "America the Beautiful" by Elle ? As a teaser I'll give you Hillery Swank.

Elle says: "We searched from coast to coast to find the loveliest celebrity native of each state in the union (plus the District of Columbia!)".

If this is not the kind of pic's you fancy you can always look up the latest show from "The Big Picture at Boston.com". Beware - it's not always pretty !

For pretty and adventurous pic's I always visit National Geographic. Last time I stopped by I met with "The Rower". Did you know that it takes 2.5 mio. oarstroks to cross The Pacific ?

Have fun !

Life's Little Edge by Roselle Graskey

A coin has two sides - Heads and Tails - and so has Callan O'Malley. One is O'Malley the ex-soldier harden by battle and the responsibility of keeping her men alive. Now she is living life on the edge, running illegal guns to Spyder the leader of the local biker gang. The other one is Callan a woman devastated by the tragic loss of her partner Ellen in a car crash, which might not have been purely accidental.

O'Malley is the one who wins Terry in a bet of "One Punch" against her boyfriend Trey and given the "ethics" in the world of bikers, O'Malley has to keep what's her's! Which put's her on the spot with Trey, who really don't like to lose his bread winner.

Terry on the other hand seems to be a rather meek woman who really don't mind to change hands as she is getting tired of Trey's hard handling and the fact that he spends her wages on poker. On the other hand she is not quit sure what O'Malley wants from her except perhaps a bedmate....

While O'Malley is the one winning the prize, Callan is the woman to take Terry in and keep her safe at night when nightmares ruins her sleep, and eventhough O'Malley is the one to do the dealing with Spyder and throw the punches when needed - and sometimes they are needed very badly - it's still Callan, who gets into bed with Terry at night.

"Life's Little Edge" is a tightly woven drama where you have to question what is true and what is double crossing make believe - so I think I'll leave you with this teaser on the storyline. It is a great story - one of the best if you want a good mix of drama and romance. The tightly woven drama keeps you on edge and the well developed romance sweetens the deal considerably. 

As often the case with on line stories you will find several little mistakes in the writing that might give you reason to read a sentence twice, but it doesn't kill the joy of reading. I guess that the mistakes have been ironed out in the printed version published by P.D.Publishing.

If you are hard pressed for time this week then let this be the one story you choose to read, I don't think that you will regret it.

When Your Heart's on Fire .... Smoke gets in Your Eyes

Sometimes it's easy to see yourself in someone else's line of work. To imagine going through the doors of a Hospital or an office building on a Monday morning ready for another workday. To see yourself interviewing patients, victims of a felony, "pushing papers", attending meetings and generally just doing the things we watch professionals do in RL and on TV.

But can you imagine yourself heading down the road in a speeding fire engine, can you imagine going towards a burning building instead of running away from it or donning a breathing apparatus preparing to go in ? Probably not ! But don't worry you don't need to harbour a death wish to look up the stories mentioned below sporting fire fighters and the ladies that they cast hot glances .... just stay clear of the fire!

So where to start? Well fire fighters of the female gender got to be kind of butch, so I thought that we could head in the direction of Larisa to see if she has a fire fighter among her protagonists. Yeps - found one .... her name is Jake, she has raven coloured hair and lives at the fire house or she did until she got suspended for putting herself at risk ... again. It is Artemis luck that Jake did put herself at risk, otherwise Artemis would have died, stuck in her car when it caught fire in a crash. "Flames of a Soul" is a pretty standard Larisa fic - go for it if you want to watch a fire fighter do her heroic work of saving lives and getting singed by hot flames and ... a bit of loving.

Let's move on to something a little more poetic this time a fic sporting Jo - chief of the local fire department - and Sisters - a twin house on a lakeside. If you listen real carefully you will probably be able to hear Jo's cursing over the noise of hammering and electric work tools being put to use next door. Miranda and her young daughter Hope has taken over the other half of the twin house, and Jo is not amused - this is after all "her" house, where she can mop around - undisturbed - thinking of her disastrous relationship with Laurel, her fights with the Town Council and her latest conspiracy theory. This time Jo has a lucky mix to brood over - one dead man, a murder suspect on the run, an innocent child, a woman with a lot of cash, a new beautiful, and blond neighbour, and her own heart. If you look up "Where There's Smoke" you can watch Jo do her heroic fire fighters act while she looks for a murderess and gets tangled up with a hot blond. I found the story well worth my reading time.

Now imagine yourself in a burning building, smoke making it hard for you to see your surroundings,  then a fire fighter comes along .... what to you do - get up and follow her or sit back and let her walk away?  Well if you have tried just about everything to kill yourself you might be thinking that this is your best chance of getting rid of your life, so I guess you might actually stay. If that fire fighter is worth anything she will probably just throw you over her shoulder and carry you out. This is not really a story on fire fighters as Alley - our heroic fire fighter - is just doing her stretch of community service as a fire fighter, her day job is much less heroic, but to Erin she proves to be a real life saver. Look up "Trial by Fire" if you want a short humorous romance with just a little bit of smoke inhalation.

Fire fighting is a dangerous business, but somehow even in the worst of times our protagonists always, always ....  manages to walk out of the blazing fires alive. But Cheyne Curry do makes you wonder if this is also going to be the case for Jenna once she joins her colleagues of fire fighters at the site of the World Trade Centre on 9/11. If you want to know if Jenna makes it and reunites with her lover Brynne then look up "The Pocket Watch". This is not a mushy romance but an account of the devastating experiences of 9/11 - so don't open "The Pocket Watch" unless you are ready to turn back time and relive the terror of 9/11.

As you are probably aware Fire Fighters are not the only emergency personnel who will lend a helping hand to a woman in need. So if you have finished putting you life at risk then join Donna and Aleta who are paramedics when they respond to a 911 call at four o'clock in the morning. I guess that in this line of business you get to see the most bizarre things and finding a tennis shoe attached to a nice but very swollen calf protruding from the living room ceiling of a house must be classified as bizarre  - at least if you take account of the hour. "Match Made in Heaven" is a short, fun fling - it wont take you long to read, and it might put a smile on your face. 

Now lets get back to business - when that 911 call comes in and the dispatcher calls your unit you don't have time for flirting even if you line of business is not to run into the flames, but to administer to the sick and wounded as a paramedic. Don't worry we will still find a few tough cookies in this line of work .... even some of those delicious ones, you know the one's crispy hard on the outside and soft ... when you bit into them!

"Lights and Sirens" by Jeanine Hoffman is the story of Chloe, a paramedic who is able to put her own life in danger to save others, but is too scared to face her feelings and risk her heart for love. This time though Chloe is in luck as Cait - her best friend and love interest - is willing to step up to the plate and ask for what she wants. If you choose to look up the story of Chloe and Cait you'll be treated to the story of their lives and those of their close friends and colleagues - romance in the line of fire and such seems to be the order of the day. The story is well worth a read if you take an interest in the work of paramedics and fire fighters.

There are still a few stories with prize fire fighting women to explore if you fancy this theme, but the once mentioned above are the ones I prefer:

• "Incendiary" by Geonn Cannon
• "Blown Away", "Fire and Ice" and "Second Wind" by Kim Baldwin
• "A Fire Ignited Within" by Nanook
• "The Blaze", "Inferno" and "Flashpoint" by ArdentTly

Looking at the World from above

There are many things that I would never do ....  One that comes readily to mind is this one - I would never attempt to do a free climb!

It's fun to go up on an indoor climbing wall, secured with rope and harness and with an able instructor at hand, but doing a free climb ? Please .... it would be tooooo taxing not to mention dangerous.

That said I do see the attraction of being able to control your body and mind in the way necessary to climb an almost vertical face of a boulder or cliff, and I do think that free climbing, mountaineering and the likes makes a great backdrop for a storyline.

So why not venture out with Rain for some free climbing ? Maybe you want to prepare yourself a little before you attempt your first free climb? You could join Theran Ryan for her free climbing courses with the master climber Kiera Aigner. If you are a novice Theran will lead the way as she is well prepared to take on the challenge of free climbing, but she might gain more than just a few new skills on the walls when she joins Kiera's courses. 

As for you - well you can enjoy a couple of crafty women and an introduction to free climbing, and even if the storyline is simplistic and the romance too shallow and much too fast moving for my taste - I did enjoyed the free climbing!

If you want to mix mystery and rock climbing you could try Manda Scott's "Stronger than Death" it's her third book in print of mysteries with the lesbian therapist Kellen Steward who lives in Glasgow, Scotland.

Once you have mastered the free climb you might want to put your feet a bit closer to the ground. You can still go up high, very high ... you might even attempt to reach the summit on Mount Everest, but if you choose to do so, you will need all the help you can get to succeed, and remember - as with the free climbing - you are putting your life in danger. 

If you have the wish to do the extraordinary then join Veronique "Ricky" Bouchard as she attemps to guide a group of wealthy climbers to The Top of the World and to get them securely back to base camp - something that might well cost Ricky her life. 

Bel-Wah's (aka Belle Reilly's) "High Intensity" is mostly the story of the Everest climbing team, the conflicts within the team and the disastrous climb, but you will find romance too - I just didn't find it real convincing. So if you choose to join Ricky for a chance to summit on Top of the World, do it for the right reason - to see the sight, to test your body and mind ... not to find romance. Remember - on a dangerous trek likes this one - love might make it hard for you to make the right choices and put you and those in your care at risk!

I found Bel-Wah's account of this disastrous climb to be close to Jon Krakauer's account of his summit in the spring of 1996 in his non-fiction account "Into thin air" - which is a real compelling read. Should you like to explore the topic further the author Rosie Thomas has a more general fictional approach to some of the same events on the expeditions described by Jon Krakauer in her novel "White".

Now for the easy stuff! Trekking on Mt. Kilimanjaro ..... you probably know where I'm going to lead you this time - on "The Road From Kilimanjaro" by KG MacGregor .... so I'm just going to say that this is where the less than perfectly fit women might want to go mountaineering. Even if it's not a walk in the park it seems to be doable and the romance ..... well lets just say that Mary Kate and Kristin do break the ice in the slow and believable fashion needed for a mushy romance.  

LA Metropolitan by RJ Nolan

Quote from unknown pen

You can misplace your trust in someone and get hurt, but if you let a bad experience, even a really bad one, guide your actions through life, you may lose your chance of happiness, love or whatever else you wish for in a relationship.

Trust is not something that comes easy to either Jess or Kim. They are both women with a past that cast shadows on their professional and private lives.

Jess is Head of the ER at LA Metropolitan known to her staff and colleagues as the Ice Queen for her standoffish behavior and sharp tongue. She has the one redeeming feature though - she is a gorgeous hard-ass! Her preference for women is well known and talked about. Especially since the time when her - now - ex-girlfriend Myra chose to vent her frustrations with Jess and her control issues - in the middle of the ER. 

Kim on the other hand is the new attending in the psyche department at the LA Metropolitan. Recovering from a bad experience involving Sharon, the closeted Chief of The ER at The Memorial Hospital, Kim's last place of employment. She is good looking, outgoing and looking for a fresh start, but NOT one including a Chief of the ER! Do you see where this is going? Well don't expect any surprises. Kim and Jess hit it off from the start, and it won't be long till you find them sharing a jog in the park, a meal and ..... a kiss.

But even if the attraction is there, and both women want to take things beyond the point of a few dates and a tryst in the bedroom, there are still a lot of issues to explore and trust to build before a relationship, U-Haul and living happily ever after is possible.

If you've read "Double Trouble" that I mentioned recently, you will know that RJ Nolan is one to use a simple storyline and a rather slim character gallery. With "LA Metropolitan" a bit more work has been put into outlining the characters of the protagonists and the building of their relationship. I'll still say that it is a simple romance, but if you have a "white coat" fetish or a fantasy involving a good looking doc you might like it.

You can find pictures of the Great Dane Thor featured in the story at RJ Nolan's web side, and a couple of her Voyager fan fic's.

If you are nifty with The Wayback Machine you will be able to get your hands on a couple of fic's with a spin off on the characters of Jess and Kim. Should you need a bit of guidance on how to work The Wayback Machine - look up pointers at the "Tool of the Trade" page above. 

Operation Drop Zone by Larisa

There is Obsession as in an oriental fragrance with a blend of vanilla, amber, orange blossom and oakmoss from Calvin Kline, and then there is obsession as in a clinical diagnoses of compulsive cleaning. I say that Judge Bloodstone might smell nice, but she really is overdoing it with her cleaning. On the other hand would you really blame her if you take into account that she had a bit of a run in with a former client and a truckload of cow dung that got her and her small convertible buried in ... shit for a while?

If you want to know how to get rid of a cleaning obsession like this, you might want to look up Larisa's "Operation Drop Zone". It's a long story so I guess that I could let you in on part of the secret, it's a ...... Murphy Whistler. She is a "pay for one get three" kind of deal, and I promise you that you wont have a boring day if you take her on. Murphy and her family is something else or rather they are presented like you steady diet of Larisa freaks. I for one would lose my breath just listening in on a "conversation" in that family, but hell there is a lot more than talking going on - nahhh I'm not talking about that (get your mind out of the gutter woman!)

Well neither Judge nor Murphy is exactly who they seem to be. "Judge" is not a judge but a lawyer, and Murphy is not a just a weirdo shelf-filler at Wal-mart, but ... well I think that I should let you figure that out on your own. It's sufficient to say that nothing is quit what it seems to be except for the fact that Murphy does wish to get up close and personal with Judge - really bad.

Story of the Year 2009 at The Athemaeum "Operation Drop Zone" is more than just a classic Larisa story it's a looooong drama blended with a number of crazy episodes and characters. It is a story of missed childhood, maniac mothers, monster kids, the value of the family you create for yourself, loss and gain .... you name it ..... it's there and with a dialog that constantly keeps you breathless. For once I think that Larisa might have overdone the crazy dialog just a bit though - going without oxygen for 342 pages is just a little too long even for a persistent Larisa fan like me.

If you are not familiar with Larisa's writing I think that you should look up "The Phantom" for starters. This will key you into the classic Larisa style and humor. Should you like "The Phantom" there is a lot of Larisa stories to choose from in the archives. Once you have got acquainted with the Larisa style you can drop in on Judge and Murphy and their friends and family - this will keep you confused for a while.

A number of Larisa stories has been mentioned at this site - look op the stories by way of the list of authors - if you want a laugh Larisa is a sure bet .... every time.

Tumbleweed Fever by LJ Maas

A cat has nine lives or so it's said, how many lives are left for man ? Probably considerably less and even less if you are a woman living your life as an outlaw. Dev has survived her share of hardship and brawls, but she might just have used up her share of lives. Had it not been for Hank finding her beaten up, bleeding from a couple of gunshot wounds, left to die by her gang of outlaws, she wouldn't be here, among the cattle hands at the ranch with time to dream of a better life.

You might ask what a reformed outlaw dreams about - the next cattle drive? A couple of shots of whisky at the bar in town? A hot bath? A soft bed? A night in a woman's arms? Noooo - Dev's dreams are way beyond a quick shack. She dreams of a home where a fire and a good meal wait every night and of HER, the one woman who would share her life.

Now you wouldn't think that there was such a thing as an extra chance in the life of women out west, back in the time when a few buffaloes could still be found to range freely, but if you believe LJ Maas, there was such luck to be found. For Dev her lucky chance is Art - a big cattle rancher and uncle - looking for a hired hand to stay with his niece Sarah at her small ranch, after the death of her husband. For Sarah, Dev is not only a way to keep her ranch, but a chance to find the love that has eluded her until now.

If you fancy the "instant attraction" or "soulmate" theme of the uber genre look no further, this is a classic with strikes of lightning hitting home once "blue eyes meet green", but of course no one will act on the attraction right away. So you will get amble chance to follow the hardship of loving from afar, never knowing if your love is wanted. And as this is Women in the Wild West you will get amble chance to watch triggers being pulled fast and men dying - they wouldn't have to - die that is - if they weren't so stupid as to threaten what Dev considers to be hers. Dev is not one to share, at least not the woman of her heart!

The Western theme is not my favorite among online lesfic, but I thought I would give it a go as I did enjoy LJ Maas' "None So Blind" a lot. "Tumbleweed Fever" is not in the same league as "None so Blind", but it's not half bad either - so if you like uber's of the Western genre you could give it a go. On the other hand if this is your first time venturing out with Women of the Wild West you might want to try "The Western Chronicles" by BL Miller and Verda Forster for you first ride, but you will have to be a bit nifty with the Wayback Machine to get your hands on an online copy of this fic as it has been taken offline.

You can find links to more Western lesfic on the Listmania page.

Jumping the Fence or The winner of the toaster oven is ...

There is always a line somewhere in life that you can cross. Sometimes it's an imaginary line and sometimes it is almost a physical border, an obstacle like perhaps a fence that you have to work hard to climb or make a great effort to jump. Once you make the decision to cross the line, jump the fence or maybe just straddle it, you make a change in your life!

In LesFic "Jumping the Fence" is a spectator sport ! 

We all get to watch while a couple of straight girls explore a friendship that grows closer until the time when the girls cross the line from friends to girlfriends, and we get invited when the straight woman falls for her lesbian friend and decide to jump the fence hopping that SHE will be there to catch her.

And you know what ? SHE is most likely there - if not - don't worry we are just being introduced to an angsty phase in the storyline. SHE will be there eventually and we will get the "Living Happily Ever After" ending that we cherish!

You will find an amble amount of online stories exploring the theme of "Jumping the Fence", but let me introduce you to some favorites.

If you prefer a couple of mature women in the storyline - you could go to the countryside and look up the farmer Elise in "The Harvest". Elise will soon be exploring a friendship with Carolyn, a professor of Women's Lit. spending the summer at a farm nearby. It's a great romance that will keep you interested while Elise contemplates her feelings for Carolyn, the out lesbian with a history of "love gone wrong", and fights for a place in Carolyn's heart - brace yourself for some angst!

Should you prefer a humorous setting do try "Miss-Match" it's a blind date story with a build-in possibility for some jumping of a fence. It involves a woman approaching the magical age of 30, a Jewish matchmaker and a lesbian woman looking for someone to love and share her life. It's a great romance!

Sometimes you have to get out of your every day life to be able to see that there are more roads to travel in life than the one you have been following until now. Travelling from the US to Kenya to trek to the top of Kilimanjaro is such a journey for Mary Kate, who leaves her boyfriend behind to explore a dream. It could have been the thin air on the way to the Summit, but really it's Kristin that proves to put a strain on Mary Kate's heart while she takes "The Road from Kilimanjaro". Don't tell me you've missed out on this one ? You have ? Well then waste no more time.....

If you are looking for some heavy breathing to go with the fence jumping then look up "Unlimited Sexual Favors", it's the first story in a series of three that will give you a vivid picture of how Wilder persuade her friend Darcy that she should switch sides. It might "just" be erotica, but it romantic after all!

Do you know how the sport of "fence jumping for pregnant women" is viewed by the medical world? I was always told that an expecting mother should take care not to carry too heavy a load - at least when she gets close to term. Maybe she also ought to refrain from jumping a high fence?? In the world of LesFic you will find an amble amount of pregnant women jumping the fence - and the babies turn out quit all right ! So I guess that it really is safe, even for an expecting mother, to do a bit of physical exercise !

You will find several online LesFic's sporting an expecting mother who decides, that this is the right time in life to look closer at the allures of her lesbian friend. If you have a lot of time on your hand then do try "All That Matters". In this story we follow friends turn into lovers, and the “sharing of a house” kind of living together turning into a relationship.

You could also try "Noemi" - this time it's the out lesbian who makes the move on her pregnant friend, but it's in no way an unwanted one! And to cover the third and last angle on the fence jumping with a big belly - try "Strings Attached". In this story you will find two straight friends who finally realizes that they ought to jump the fence - together.

As you might have realized there are plenty of stories to choose from if you want to watch the sport of fence jumping. You can look up some of these stories at the Listmania page under the theme - "And the winner of the toaster oven is ..."  I'll be sure to add to the list in the future - it's a great spectator sport.

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.

Quicksand by Advokate aka Blayne Cooper

Bring a pot of water to boil, stir in one part lesbian PI - preferably a young version - add two parts mega rich, angry and disappointed parents, turn down and let simmer for a while before you mix in one part good looking, long legged daughter of said rich parents.

Before serving season with intimate French lessons, a bit of surfing and one spoon strip club.

If you follow the recipe you will have a humorous little romance by Advocate on your hands. This is not Advocate's best work but still worth you time if you like the PI theme.

If you like Advocate's writing, do try out "The Story of Me" for a bit of fun in a romantic setting - see the review here.

The Light Fantastic by L.A.Tucker

Do you know how much time and hard work it takes to create a golf course?

Well you might not really care as you think of golf courses as an unnecessary evil that uses up valuable resources for no better reason than creating a bit of fun for people with the means to enjoy it. If that is the case then do remember this is just fiction - and good romantic fiction at that.

Let’s go back to square one and maybe you will answer the question now. Do you know how much time and hard work it takes to create a golf course? No ? Then do tag along with Sara as she works the land at her brother Dave’s soon to be golf course. You will either find her on the tractor mowing or beneath it as she works out the latest mechanical problem. Do not worry about gate crashing - Sara usually works alone - the only company she accepts is that of her nephew Nelson and her brother Dave. Anyone else might just set her of on yet another anxiety attach. 

This is classic uber when it is at its best so you might be able to guess what or rather whom might help Sara get over her angst and back in a life of her own? Well it might help if you knew that Sara is a tall, blue eyed beauty. Did you say Chloe ? As in the small green eyed outgoing local drama teacher and librarian ? If you did you are spot on!

Sara is actually a local celebrity as she attended the local High School and College before she went of on a modeling and acting career that made her a household name. After an accident she dropped out of the limelight and disappeared only to resurface at her brother Dave’s house a few years later with a battered face and soul.

Reading this you might think that “The Light Fantastic” is about Sara, but really that is not the case, it is about Chloe and all the things her work as a director of the musical “Oklahoma” at the local High School sets in motion in her life and in the lives of those around her. And things do move along in this story, not always in a straight line - we do after all need bumps in the road to keep us interested - but forward all the same for Sara and Chloe, and for all the subplots acted out by the lovely supporting cast of local characters.

It would be too simplistic to call this a romance as “The Light Fantastic” has a much broader appeal - it’s a general drama with many interesting and well developed characters, it is humor, witty dialog and great entertainment. This is one of the truly great fan fic’s!!

“The Light Fantastic” seem to have been published by Regal Crest back in 2003, but it does not seem to be readily available any more.

If you find Sara and Chloe and their friends entertaining you might want to look up the sequel ”Inside out” or the little Halloween stories “Küssen Des Banditen” and “The Foursome”.  

Primal Touch by Amber

(I did wonder what a white tiger looked like - so I went looking!)

Ashley is out to hunt for the white tiger in the wilderness of the Indian jungle, armed with a reputation as one of the best nature and wildlife photographers and her camera. She will go to any length to capture the image of the rare animal.

Beside her ability to shoot remarkable pictures Ashley is a striking blond, green eyed woman - so you might as well start looking around for that tall blue eyed creature who must be lurking around somewhere. She is there, but blends in remarkably well in her tiger like camouflage, and moves through the jungle without leaving a trace as she watches - among other things - the intriguing blond photographer.

Yes you are absolutely right - you have landed yourself in the middle of a modern Tazan or rather Jungle-Jane like story of a western woman having turned into a creature of the jungle, living among and with the wild animals. Our tiger-woman goes by the name of Leandra Thornton, she used to be a poacher, but a run in with a white tiger changed her outlook on life and she has spend the last four years in the jungle, hunting poachers to protect the wildlife. The BIG question is if Leandra will stay in the jungle or if she might be persuaded by a small blond by the name of Ashley to venture back into the real world.

The story is entertaining and well written even if the topic of "Jungle-Jane" might be a bit over the top for me. "Primal Touch" is a light romantic read with a humorous twist and a bit of drama.  The humour is especially profound in the last two parts of the story that takes place after Ashley and Leandra has left the jungle and mix with Ashley's family back home in the US. It's fun to watch Leandra getting back in touch with a modern lifestyle - when was the last time you had to tell you gf "No growling, no snarling, and no destroying the merchandise" before you let her loose in the mall with your credit card?

Women in need of a place to call home

This World is not a perfect place sometimes things turn out wrong on the global scales like say a war, global warming, financial crises and the likes, and sometimes life turn real bad on an individual level when someone looses her health, job, family or home. Loosing everything - even a place to call home, somewhere to lay down in safety and sleep, that has to be a really scary thing. 

When you have got nothing left to lose and see no future, no way to get yourself back on track towards a better life, you need a helping hand, and if you have read your fan fiction, you know that someone WILL come along and help you! Never despair! (I know that this is not the case in RL, but lets enjoy the fantasy for just a little while).

If you have been around fan fiction long enough you must have had a run in with a homeless women and her saviour. Several of these fic’s have a soul mate theme - so if that is something you fancy ,please follow me as I go for a ramble through the dark streets of an unknown city looking for a scrappy girl, sleeping on cardboard and stashing her belongings in plastic carrier bags.

Well the first woman I run into are not really scrappy, she is strong and able to fight for herself, but she does need a bit of a helping hand while she waits for her broken leg to heal, and perhaps she also needs a reason to find a way to solve the conflict, that put her out on the streets in the first place. You can look up Q and her “reason” Dr. Taylor Winslow in J. A. Zollicoffer’s “Street Life”, it’s a good read with a mix of romance and drama.

Now lets move downhill a bit. If you favor a mix of drama and romance, and you like the humorous writing style of Larisa, you could look up “Street People”, but do watch out for the traffic or you might get run down by Jocelyn, a social worker who likes to get her hands dirty trying to help homeless people towards a better life. A better and preferable safer life is something that Sammy needs. Living life on the streets of Washington DC is not safe as dirty cops round up street people and make them disappear. Beware nothing is what it seems to be ;-) Everything moves a bit fast in this short story, but  it is ok for a quick read on a lazy afternoon. 

Let’s move along now and see if there are more souls, that needs saving. I think that it’s time we moved out into the “Cold” by Midget, this is where you will find the rich and idle, but do not worry Joanna Holbrook-Sutherland might be the daughter of a Lord and lead what we deem to be a shallow life, but she is persistent when she sets out to find her soul mate - a young vagrant woman she saw in a photograph. And persistence is something that Jo will need if she wants to help Rocky, as Rocky is not really in the mood to be saved, least of all by someone like Jo. The story is an entertaining and well written mix of romance and  drama - even if the soul mate theme is not a favorite of mine. If you want to explore the future of Jo and Rocky look up the sequels “Remember Me” and “Winter Thaw”.

While Rocky was at the bottom of the pit when Jo found her, Grace is hanging on to a scrappy life just above homelessness when she meets Allison, a rich gallery owner who takes an interest in her sketching and commission a portrait. If you do not mind the rater quick and surprising interest Allison takes in Grace you could tag along and see how the painting is going in “Love's Rendition” by Tragedy88. Even if the meeting with Allison could give Grace the chance she needs to get a firmer hold on life, her declining health gets her on a downward spiral that is hard to break if she keeps questioning Allison’s motives for trying to help her - so maybe she should just follow her heart? The story is entertaining enough even if I never really found out why Allison took such an interest in Grace in the first place.

To finish off this list of stories on the topic of women in need of a place to call home, I will just point you in the direction of DS Bauden’s “A Saving Solace” featuring a young woman who has recently pulled herself out of homelessness with a little help from a kind soul - read the review here.

If you are really fond of the theme on homeless women you can look up “Linger” by Minerva it’s different from the stories mentioned above, and it might linger on you mind awhile longer than the easy romances.

Should I have missed out on a good read that fits with the theme above please leave comment.

Jericho by Ann McMan

What would it take for you to uproot you life and move to a small town in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia ? Well perhaps the question should really be directed to Syd our young librarian who has packed her ’95 Volvo station wagon with her belongings, a good number of books and pointed her car in the direction of Jericho, Virginia.

Syd might say that she is excited about the prospect of setting up a new local library in Jericho to provide service to the locals, but what she really wants is to have some time to rethink her life now that she is about to finalise her divorce and join “The First Wife Club”.

If you are a soft hearted romantic looking for some mushy romance to feed on, you will most likely support Syd’s decision on moving to Jericho right from turning the second page of this fic! Well that is if you are comfortable spending a bit of time with a short blond - Syd - and a tall brunette - the local doctor Maddie, and you ought to be because Syd and Maddie are a strikingly good looking pair.

The doctor is nothing but remarkable with an impressive professional record and her willingness to go out of her way to help just about anyone in need - even a stranger stranded in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire and no mechanical skills to speak of. Will you take a guess .... who might that stranger be ?

So what is a 34 year old - good looking - doctor doing in the middle of small town America .... alone ? Well this doctor has decided to leave behind a thriving medical career in Philadelphia, a record of bad relationships and return to her hometown of Jericho to reconnect with old friends, and take over as the local GP after her father - who died unexpected - and left her his clinic, house and his dog Pete.

Even if the locals are a friendly bunch Maddie do miss something in her life, someone beyond her dog to share a sunset with, a glass of wine, a pizza and a laugh, and it seems that Syd is willing to provide the friendship to go along with the shared pleasures.

The question of couse is if Syd is willing to share more than friendship with Maddie - it is after all a romance! Well “more” do require Syd to jump the fence and I guess that it would help if Maddie did come out of her semi closet and reveal to Syd that she is gay, but all come to those who wait, lets just hope that it’s worth waiting for!

“Jericho” is a great, well written romance with a killer dialog between the protagonists. The dialog is one of the best I’ve come across in fan fic, it’s fun, entertaining and displays a great wit - this might actually be the strongest feature of the fic.

The storyline might be described as simple with little drama and the likes. It’s just a slow journey of getting to know each other, seeing new possibilities and trying to let go of old habits, and for once we are spared the usual improbable misunderstandings, misconceptions and any other “misses” between the love birds that we usually bump into in romantic (fan) fiction.

You might ask - if this is a slow moving romance, with little drama and none of the usual bumps on the road towards “Living Happily Ever After”, then what’s in it for me - except waiting for someone to jump between the sheets ? Well - besides the dialogue - you will be treated to well-develop cast of characters, not only the protagonists Syd and Maddie are well fleshed out, this is also the case with Maddie’s friends the gay inn owner David and his partner Michael who plays central roles in this fic alongside a number of local Jericho characters.

If you like mushy romance, and you can live without the drama and lady knights in shining armor, you really should look up "Jericho" - it’s a great and long romance. Once you have finished the story you can follow this link - nooo read the story first!