Reunion Week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tempus Fugit by Mavis Applewater

Sometimes time flies at other times it is at a complete standstill, sometimes you wont give anyone the time of day, at other times you'll make time with that special someone, and sometimes you will realize that now is the time when you have to bare your heart and ask for what you want the most....

You might want to pick up Mavis Applewaters "Tempus Fugit" if you want to see where I'm going with this untimely babbling, and if you like a romance on the theme of "a love that never dies" then don't  miss this one - it's the ultimate theme story .

Now lets see where to start ... with a couple of red and white Chevy Bell Air convertibles ? With a bit of pom-pom shaking in the high school cheerleading squad ? At the local burger joint where all the cool teenagers hang out .... I might add that we are talking 1956 here so this is as hot as it gets ... well not quite - it is after all Mavis who penned this  !

I could also start out with Laurie and Ginny, newcomers in town, tall, identical twins, blond, gorgeous, bright, rich ... every high school boy's wet dream .... I think? Well pretty soon you'll see that neither girl is really into boys or at least not exclusively.

If I give you the blond twins I guess I also have to throw in a red head .... so here you go. You or rather Laurie and Ginny can have Ellen our all American high school senior who is working hard to prepare for college life ... hopefully at Smiths come next fall.

So where do we go from here ? Well we could go parking at the local teenage groping ground in the woods or go to the passion-pit (the drive-in-movie theater). As far as I can tell there is really no difference - the groping hands works well everywhere. The big question is who is going to run off with the girl? Well you'll have to go look for yourself if you want to find out.

I can assure you that nothing is settled with the first kiss or any of those to follow. Life is going to throw the girls out on a bumpy road, but through all the 13 years that "Tempus Fugit" covers there is one - or maybe I should say - two constants, the continual meeting and parting of Ellen and the love of her life. The question is if there is ever going to come a time and place where either the one or the other women will bare her heart and ask for what she really wants .... "will you stay"?

This story is well written with a broad story line that gives you both well developed characters and a supporting gallery of family and friends who lends credibility to the story. The story has been published so it seems that I'm not the only one who found it worth a read. 

This link takes you to an early version of Mavis Applewaters authors page on The Academy. If you scroll down the page you'll find links to all of the 14 parts of "Tempus Fugit" - you will need this to get to part 11. If you wonder how I came by this early version of the author page, please look up "Tools of the Trade" and the explanation on "How to find what has been lost".

Charlie has forwarded a link to Mavis's authors page on PDA Fiction through the WayBackMachine. You can download the Tempus Fugit in a number of ebook formats. If you need help converting to another format than those offered please look up "Tools of the Trade" and the explanation on "How to make an eBooks in a format of your choice".

By Request

Looking for a story ?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ramble - a walk through The Top 100 of 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Second Best by Estillore

Let’s pretend for just a moment that same-sex marriage is available for anyone who wish to make a commitment to their partner! If that’s the case then I believe that the reasons to marry might be as plentiful as leaves on a tree. You might marry for love, money, convenience or for reasons that I can’t imagine. Whatever the reason it’s fine with me - as long as the marriage is based on a mutual and freely given consent from both spouses ;-)    

I might on the other hand ask what exactly made Kate marry Erin. She will probably say love, but - sorry - I’ve got to ask the sanity of such a decision. Would you marry the love of your life if you knew for sure that you only came in “Second Best"? That given the chance your wife would choose someone else over you?

“Second Best” is a well written short story told by Kate in a rather sad tone of voice as she evaluates her life and make a decision about her future and that of her marriage. If you want to know if a divorce is imminent - go read the story.

A tattoo on her inner thigh, a marriage licence, a massive hangover and a naked brunette in her hotel bed! Aster aren’t quite sure how she got into a mess like this, but - apart for the tattoo - I guess the rest is easy enough to take care of - a couple of painkillers, some clothes and an annulment should do it.

Now how much fun would we have if Aster didn’t get to try out that marriage thing? It’s Mavis so the women go for a rump and apart from the heat it creates it also make an annulment based on the marriage not having been consummated rather redundant!

I won’t try to explain how Aster and her wife ends up living together, but they do and somehow along the way the “accidental marriage” turns into something more than just an accident.

“Stewed, Screwed and Tattooed” and the sequel “After the Honeymoon” are the usual heated romance from Mavis’s pen - fast moving and fun with a couple of women ready to take a roll in the hay whenever possible. I thought it fit well with the more sombre tone of “Second Best”.

Angels Heart by Mavis Applewater

The other day I came across a new fic posted at The Academy of Bards based on a “women in prison” theme – so I thought why no put together a list of fic’s on this topic. I guess that I should let you know though that I missed out on the English TV-series “Bad girls” which explains why I haven’t included any Nikki/Helen fan fic - I never caught that particular “bug”.

If you want an “education” in prison life look up "Redemption" by Sword’n’Quill (Susanne Beck) and take a walk with Angel and let her tell you the tale of her years in “The Bog”, of the righteous women of The Amazon gang who makes sure every one follow the rules and of her attraction to Ice - the leader of the pack of Amazons. You might know this story already as Incognito reviewed it back in October 2009, but I do think that it belongs on this list as I do agree with Incognito on the merit of the fic.

In “The Bog” you either wise up fast or go for an equally swift downward spin. Luckily enough Angel happens to make a narrow escape from a couple of beastly woman into the prison library very early in her “prison career”. This earns her the support of Corinne - the old and wise prison librarian - and the protection of The Amazons. It does take some time though before Angel sets her eyes on Ice but when she does, you get hit with the entire soul mate theme – of souls calling out and visions of past lives led and sacrifices made spinning around – this is a Xena Uber of the “original” kind!

“Redemption” is a drama with lots of fighting and with a very slow moving romance at its core, it’s well written, with a bit of funny dialogue at times as well as a broad storyline and a wide cast of “bad” women to entertain you. If you have amble time on your hands go look it up.

“Redemption” is the first in a series of three – the two sequels are titled “Retribution” and “Restitution”. I read the stories ages ago and I haven’t taken the time to do a complete rereading – so you are on you own with the sequels.

The very productive Mavis Applewater penned one of the first fan fic’s on the “women in prison” theme that I read. As a number of the fic’s by this author “Angels Heart” and the sequel “Angel Unchained” is more or less a PWP, but I think that the stories has a bit of an alt romance at heart even if the setting is a tad harsh and the “hot stuff” a bit rough and repetitive for my taste.

In the Angels series your get to meet Angel and her small “family” of inmates at the Seaside Correctional Institution for Women. Angel - a three-timer doing an extended stretch of time at the facility - decides to “spread her wings” over Luann a desolated looking newbie who is unwilling to defend herself against the “brutes” in the prison. To keep Luann safe Angel has to “claim” Luann as her own and as you can imagine, this is done by public displays of sex – not once, but a number of times – those inmates has to be reminded ! But don’t worry, our Angel is pure at heart and even tough she harbours not only sexual but also romantic feelings for Luann, she doesn’t take advantage of her – it’s al just a bit of “acting” – at least for awhile.

I have no idea what a women’s correctional facility is like, but somehow I find it hard to imagine that women are as brutal or as sexually charged as portrayed in this fic, but who cares – it’s fiction right!

In “Prison Grove” by Geon Cannon the setting is almost the same, a harsh correction facility, a newbie and a seasoned inmate, two women falling in love and living out the romance and their sexual relationship under the restrictions of the prison rules. The plot in this storyline is even simpler than in Mavis’ “Angels series” as this story focuses solely on the 19 years old newbie Amy’s sexual maturing through her relationship with an older inmate. This fic is also a PWP, but with a slightly unexpected twist in the end.

A somewhat different approach is to be found in “Hard as Stone” by JL Nicky. This story is set in the 1930s and revolves around Sara (Stone) and Tammy (Twig’s) both doing time for murder. Stone is a quiet six feet tall, dark haired woman who keeps to herself, that’s until she sets eyes on the new green eyed girl Tammy, who is being pursued by “Snow and her sister White” ;-). Stone is the guarding angel that Tammy needs to survive in the The Bickett Correctional Facility, the one that will teach her how to breaking quarry rock, see to her aching back and open her eyes to the possibilities of romance. This is not a PWP – so don’t go to Bickett for hot sex. The story is a bit uneven in the storyline and with a changing focus, but it does fit nicely with the theme of “women in prison”.

If you like the theme you can take a look at three shorter fics that I’ve mentioned above, but don’t expect too much – they are entertaining enough, but not high quality neither in editing nor storyline.

Long Division by Mavis Applewater

Don’t worry you are not going to be tested in algebra or the likes if you decide to spend time on this story, but Lali is, she needs to pass basic algebra to get her college degree. I have no idea why basic algebra would be needed for a collage degree, but then again, if Lali hadn’t needed help with her algebra she wouldn’t have been looking up Dr. Dorinda Dupray (Dory) in the first place.

Dory is not someone that you would be looking up if you didn’t have to. She is a bleak looking woman and seriously lacking in her people skills. The fact that Dory entered college at the age of 10, lived with her father until recently, and has a number of advanced degrees, might have something to do with it.

Besides needing help with her algebra, Lali need a new place to live, as her room mate Brenda is graduating and moving away. Surprise! Lali gets to rent a room in Dory’s house, and to help Dory work on her worldly skills. Yes - of course there is an attraction between the ladies, so from here on it’s a matter of getting them all worked up, onto that bumpy part of the road that they have to overcome before they can finally kiss and … well you know. You might have wanted a “spoiler warning” before that last part, but why bother - every alternative romance that I’ve stumbled on has a happy end.

I think that Mavis Applewater does go a bit overboard in drawing a picture of the helpless and not so worldly Dory, but it’s funny, and I did like the “ugly duckling turning into a beautiful swan” storyline even though it’s not that well developed. All in all, I do think that it will be worth your while if you take the time to look up this story – I still do from time to time!

Finding My Way by Mavis Applewater

You are probably familiar with Ms. Applewater’s online work already, as she has penned quite a number of stories; a lot of these tends to be rather steamy (PWP), but Ms. Applewater is also able to put together a romantic storyline.

In this story, you are treated to a romance between two professional women - Allison Kendal and Stephanie Grant - both working in the history department at a small New England University. Stephanie is on a “life plan” that should lead her towards her goal of landing a job at a prestigious university, and she is keeping her best friend and conveniently flexible boyfriend, Peter, at hand as a future husband. Allison, on the other hand, has made a choice that has steered her away from her original path in life – leaving a job as hotshot lawyer in New York to follow her heart, studying and teaching American history.

For a story of the alternative nature, there is definitely one too many in the cast of people mentioned above. It might help to ease your worries if I let you know that Allison is a rather out kind of lady who shows her pride by way of her 'Pretty, Witty & Gay' t-shirt, and Stephanie … well she thinks that it was just drunken mistakes when she made out with those girls back in college, but we know better, don’t we?

The scene is set for a romance between the ladies but, although the attraction between Stephanie and Allison is soon confirmed, the road to love is a rather long one. Stephanie has to come to terms with her attraction to women and decide how to act upon this discovery, while Allison has to decide if she is willing to risk her heart - again.

Going back over the stories by Ms. Applewater that I’ve read online, I think this is easily my favorite, as it has the most solid and naturally developing storyline, and a nice supporting cast. I must admit that it is a tad irritating reading a story with this number of mistakes in the wording but, then again, I’ve seen worse.

Further more, I should warn you that Stephanie has a way of putting off the things that will move the romance along, like telling her boyfriend that their relationship is over, or taking Allison’s hints that she is ready for dating. But if you are looking for a classic romance, I think that you will find yourself well entertained by Allison and Stephanie while they look to find their common path in life – I just did while re-reading the story.