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.

Cephalgia aka Val Brown and MJ aka MJ Walker

"Cephalgia" .... a nice little something to mush on in your favourite chair on a Sunday,  a headache, a writer .... perhaps a little of all three ? In the world of F/F Fan Fiction the pen name Cephalgia and the duo of Cephalgia and MJ promises a romantic read. If you tag along I will introduce you.

Lets start with Cephalgia on her own - you will find several little reads by Cephalgia's pen to pass some time and if you want to do so with a smile you could try "The Trouble with Ancients". This is about Alli who happens to take a much needed vacation by way of Great North Tours' bus trip "A Fabulous Singles Excursion to San Francisco" ... only she did not realize that those Singles was seniors as in old ladies ... well that is except for the driver Ty!

While we are on the subject of vacation you could look up Cephalgia's PWP series about Holly, as in 28 year old brunette on the trip of her dreams to ... London, and Gina, as in raven haired beauty and London Innkeeper. You can tag along as the girls get intimately acquainted in "The British Invasion" and work on feeding the flames ignited in "Body English". If you choose to continue you can see if they work out their differences in "Her Majesty's Pleasure" and how they tackle a visit from the up and coming Mother-in-law. 

However pleasurable this vacation in London might turn out for Holly I still think that it's lacking as far as the mushy romance goes, as you might have guessed I am inclined towards a bit of romantic reason for jumping between the sheets ... even if its a raven haired beauty beckoning.

If you want your PWP with a bit of romance you could mix Cephalgia with MJ and join them when they tell you the story about Wilder and her long time friend Darcy who decides to take an almost scientific approach to establishing whether sex with a woman is more pleasurable than with a man.

OK this might not sound like at teaser for a romantic PWP, but if you throw in a bit of "in love with her best friend" and "never going to tell her" then you might see where this is leading. So try on  "Unlimited Sexual Favours" for size and if you like it follow up with "More Unlimited Sexual Favours" and "The Return of Unlimited Sexual Favours". This is a sure way to put a smile on your face while you watch girls turn from friends to lovers.

Should you want a storyline with less emphasis on the activities between the sheets, you could look up “The Heart of the Matter” by Cephalgia. This is a story centred around Davey, a little boy with a heart disorder, and his mother Crystal, who lives her life wondering just when their visits to the hospital is the fatal one for Davey. Into this little family enters Lauren an ICU nurse who makes Crystal and her son the subject of her master thesis and in the process gains a family. It's a sweet and well written story of romance between the lesbian nurse and her new found - perhaps not so - straight friend.

I know that was a little close to RL .... well perhaps not the romantic part, but the worrying about life and death of loved ones. So maybe we should lift the spirits a bit ... how about a visit to the beach, how about getting acquainted with a lovely blond, how about graphing a new business opportunity when it presents it self and how about turning your life around to catch up with love. Meet Toni who is lounging in her beach chair until she catches a hat, and meet Rae, who is working hard to set up a juice bar. The girls will take you through "The Dregs of Summer", and setting up shop on the beach during "Endless Summer". It is all just a bit of fun, but we wanted to lighten up the spirits a bit didn't we - well at least I did.

Now are you ready for RL again ? If so join me online for a chat session on the benefits of garlic chest rubs at Brightwoood Pharmaceutical's website. Manning the website is Randa a US nurse working from home while she awaits the fairy tale romance of true love. Now I promised RL so be warned this is not just romance and a bumpy road to LHEA, it's also an account of living with a close relative with deteriorating health due to sclerosis.

Through the Brightwoood website Randa meets Denise an acclaimed English poet in need of advise on how to help her aunt Sara who has just been diagnosed with sclerosis. What begins as a professional online relationship slowly turn to friendship and sharing in the care of Sara. I will leave you guess where this will lead the women! Connecting Hearts is co-written by Cephalgia and MJ and so is the sequel Family Connections, a story I haven't had time to read.

Now I guess I should leave you to your reading - if you just have time for on or two stories in your busy social calendar I suggest that you pick "The Heart of the Matter" for the well written storyline and "Unlimited Sexual Favours" for the humour and romance.

Several of Val Brown and MJ Walkers stories has been published by Blue Feather Books.  

Ramble - Revisiting Old Friends!

Do you ever get tired of exploring new territory ? Meeting new people ? Do you sometimes just long to wander around all the safe haunts ... to go to that place by the river you know is so tranquil, to have a drink at the café that you know serves the best coffee, to meet up with the friend you know will make you laugh and kick your butt because you need it ... again!

In RL we can't always lounge around in the safe places, we have to venture out into the unknown, be daring, try our hands at things that we don't know if we can do, but in the world of fan fiction we don't have to be daring all the time. Sometimes we can just sit back with an old favourite fic and enjoy a good read - no harm in that! Let someone else struggle with all the new stories for a little while.

If you feel the inclination to visit with a few of my old friends from the mushy part of the uber fan fiction universe feel free to join me as is ramble down memory lane .....

This time my ramble takes off in Michigan with Keegan the pregnant ex-soccer player who still has a flame burning for her former partner Gwen "America's Sweetheart". However much I think that even expecting mothers should keep up with their exercises this is not about exercise or sport for that matter, but a mushy romance that will show us that it's possible to win back the love of your life if you are willing to risk your heart - and I guess that some things or rather some women are worth a bit of a risk.

Hmm I just realized that I never put "America's Sweetheart" on the Top10 page - what a miss - even with some rough spots in the dramatic parts of the storyline - this is a gem - if you like mushy romance.

If mushy romance wont satisfy your cravings you might want to wander down a little dark side street .... this is where you'll find the mushy romance with an erotic twist or maybe it's the other way around ... erotica with a romantic twist?? Anyway don't read these stories at work .... never did understand why anyone would take time out to read fan fiction during office hours - sorry I have high work ethics .. perhaps be course I love what I do?? 

"Caution: Under Construction" .... don't worry this is not an unfinished fic but an extra long and well crafted story by Vertigo sporting the ultimate butch construction worker Sheridan, her rather undisciplined dogs and a long legged brunette Keefer that proves to be just the thing Sheridan needs to quit her habit of playing ladies for one night stands. The women are sweet, the romance mushy and the sex scenes plentiful!

If you are still struggling to keep warm take a few step farther down the little dark street and look up Wilder and her long time friend Darcy while they take an almost scientific approach to establishing whether sex with a woman is more pleasurable than with a man. You might take a guess at the outcome before you look up "Unlimited Sexual Favours".

Let's move back up toward the main street where the light is better and the atmosphere less steamy ! This time lets knock on Delaney's door, she is a player like Sheridan, the butch construction worker from Vertigo's "Caution: Under Construction", and like Sheridan she has a soft heart under her tough exterior, but it's well hidden and even her friends aren't quite sure that she has one. The woman to teach Delaney to play by a new tune is Hannah. A sweet woman who needs a friend and certainly shouldn't be used for an one night stand, but that's all Delaney is about isn't it ? If you want to know what made Hannah vulnerable and how Delaney tackles the new challenge then look up "Endgame" by Meghan O'Brien.

The view is even better if we aim for high ground or perhaps even the summit of Kilimanjaro. If you feel like taking a real hike whiles relaxing on the sofa then venture out with Mary Kate when she decides to follow her dream of trekking to the top of the Kilimanjaro. This is not just an adventure but turns out to be a well crafted romance when Kristin joins the trekking party on "The Road from Kilimanjaro".

I have several "old friends" that I revisit from time to time, the above mentioned fic's are just the one's I have revisited recently. If you want to know a bit more about the stories mentioned before you venture out for a first time visit then look up the reviews by way of the author tags. 

I would love to know if you have a favourite story that you revisit from time to time - maybe I've missed out on something ;-)

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.

Unlimited Sexual Favours by Cephalgia and MJ

In my last review I referred to a discussion on the blog “Women and Words” about how a good lesfic should end. If you did follow the link in the review and looked in on the blog you properly noticed that the discussion turned to yet another “essential question”; should lesfic’s include sex. Now there you have a subject with substance for a long discussion ……. luckily enough the on line universe of f/f fiction has a story for everyone.

I for one don’t mind if the writer wants to mix romance and sex – somehow the two do mix rather well – but I don’t think that sex is a necessity in a romance. A romance can work well with just a kiss, a hug and a promise of something more. On the other hand if sex is to be part of a story, I have a few prerequisites, for one it must come natural and be a relevant an integral part of the storyline, and secondly the sex has to be well written – hmmm that’s a real explicit description. I guess it’s hard to pinpoint what makes a sex scene interesting – and it’s properly a rather subjective thing – so let me just say, that sometime less detail and fewer repetitions work better than the opposite.

Let me recommend a few f/f romances with different attitudes towards the sex scenes. In “Miss-Match” by Aurelia and A. C. Henley you’ll find a sweet and funny romance with a very light dabble at a sex scene in the end, which I found to work real well with the tone of the story in general. I’ve reviewed this story on an earlier occasion.

If you want something a little more explicit, but still with a lot left to you own imagination, you could look up my all time favourite romance “Rumors” by BadSquirrel. In this romance I found the sex scenes well integrated in the storyline and abiding quite nicely with my rule of “less detail” and repetition. You might have guessed that I’ve also reviewed this fic on an earlier occasion.

You’ll find a quit different way of mixing romance and sex in Vertigo’s “Caution: Under Construction” this is a great romance with a high number of explicit sex scenes, but I do think that this works rather well with both the storyline and characters chosen for this fic (review).

If what you really want are infinite sex scenes with a touch of plot you could look up “Unlimited sexual favours” by Cephalgia and MJ. It’s well written and a bit of fun. “Unlimited sexual favours” is the story of Wilder and Darcy, one a lesbian the other straight, long time friends, and one of them with that one secret that can’t be told to a straight best friend. The basis of the “storyline” – which is really a string of sex scenes – is a bet, one that I don’t think friends would normally make, but for Wilder and Darcy the bet seems to work wonders. I’m sorry - but I think I need to leave the rest of the “storyline” for you to read.

What I like about this fic is that even though it is erotica, the writers still presents it with enough of a romantic twist to make it interesting and with a couple of likeable characters. Two sequels to the story has been written – “More Unlimited Sexual Favours” and “The Return of Unlimited Sexual Favours”.