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!

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.  

Valentines Day is coming up!

Marilyn Monroe (The Guardian)

... ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.

Do not worry I am not turning this into a political commentary it is just that I've been watching a TV-series on the Kennedys these last few weeks and not only does it paint a rather unflattering picture of J.F., but a famous blond - and in uber-xena fan fiction we do tend to like the small feisty blond girl - Marilyn gets the same treatment.  

I have no idea if the storyline in the TV-series is close to the truth or not, but .... well I just felt like posting Marilyn. 

Now what else do I feel like ... hm can't really think of anything right this moment ... ok wait I will just take a breath and think for a moment ... ups ... what the f... BREAKING NEWS from the Bookish Butch ....... Whitney Houston died. 

You know I like mushy romance but that story of Whitney and Bobby Brown ... ? Well that didn't strike me as the romantic couple, on the other hand if she had run off with her bodyguard I might have found the story slightly interesting, at least I would have listened to the theme song ..."I Will Always Love You" ... again !

While we are on the topic of marriage should you be in Scotland or there about you could join in a Rally for "Same-Sex Marriage" on Valentines Day ... but do check-in with your lovely lady before you decide to stand her up for you Valentines Day Date! 

Thinking of the up coming Valentines Day I've been checking up on The Academy of Bards for an indication that we will have another Academy Special ... no indication at hand but well it's not the 14th of February yet, so maybe I just have to wait patiently ... 

In the meantime one could revisit with "old friends" - if you want it steamy and hot as in BDSM go for Kim Pritekel's "Safe Word", if you just want to be hit "Right Between the Eyes" with some loving try Fingersmith's Valentines Story from 2007. Should you prefer a girl with a Porch then maybe KG MacGregor's "Community Service" would suit you, and for a humours bit of loving try Creme Brulee's "An Inevitable Arrangement".

If you want a slightly longer story you could try Ali Vali's "remake" of the movie "Indecent Proposal" with Demi More and Robert Redford. In the f/f world of fan fiction it is titled "A Million Reasons", but its still the same question "Will it matter to your relationship if you ask your lover to sleep with someone else for a huge amount of money?".

Another longer romance posted at The Academy as part of a Valentines Special is Gerri Hill's "Artist's Dream" this time we are talking repressed sexuality set free by just the right kind of tender loving care.

Now after reading all the romantic stories all we have to do is wait for the Valentines Card, plan for the date of the year, buy the gift ... and no I'm not talking chocolates ..  you can do better this year ... ok with the financial crises looming maybe we should look for a cheaper way of showing what is in our hearts ???

Happy Valentines Day!

You can find The Academy's 2012 Valentines Day Invitational here!

... and the winner is....

This time a round I picked a winner .... and no I am not talking about picking out the right number in the lottery  ... that would have been nice though ! But I did vote for the story "Nevermore" as winner of the 26. Bard Challenge at The Academy of Bards and it seems that several fanfiction readers agreed with me on the merits of this little tale of impossible love come true.

If you joined me in trying to guess the pen of each of the stories you might have picked Ann McMan was the writer of the winning tale ...  like I did. She has a very distinctive pen ... I for one is a fan! But I am sorry to say that I got all the rest of the names of writers wrong.

And while we are on the subject of Ms. McMan I will leave you with a link to her website. At the site she has posted an essay that I have not found at other sites.

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 !

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.

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 Christmas Tree by JM Dragon aka Julie Dragon aka Dragonjuls

Warning - Warning .... if Christmas leaves you cold with frostbites in your toes please find your fiction elsewhere tonight as this review is dedicated to the upcoming Holidays!

If you need a bit of help to get in the right frame of mind for the upcoming Holidays maybe you should sit yourself down with a couple of seasonal fic’s and let the scent of cinnamon, clover and spruce guide you towards happy Holidays. Should the scent of Christmas in your part of the world be something completely different, you can alway’s enjoy the Holiday preparations, the gifts or perhaps just a romantic storyline.

Preparing for Christmas includes a number of traditions - the same each year and each one part of the anticipation and joy of Christmas (if you happen to like Christmas that is ;-)

Vanessa Jones is definitely looking forward to Christmas and to the family tradition of selling Christmas Trees from the Town Square to support a good cause. For the last five years she has volunteered to take the late shift looking to make sure that every one gets the tree that fits their celebration and ... keeping an eye out for her favourite customer (!), a beautiful woman with the reddest hair Vanessa has ever seen. Five years in a row the woman has come to buy her Christmas Trees from Vanessa’s lot, but this year time seems to be running out, maybe she won’t make it this year?

Nahh - Christmas is about waiting and wishing and sometimes your wishes will come true!

“Christmas Tree” is a short, sweet and well written story with the sole focus of creating a little romance for the holidays - so look, listen and learn .... good things come to those who wait.

Should you be more inclined towards the part of Christmas when you get to look in your stocking or under the Christmas tree for your gifts you might take a quick glance at “The Christmas Gift” form the pen of AnnieSE. This is humour rather than romance and it might give you cause to pause before you decide to “unwrap” just anything you consider a Christmas gift however much it looks like a gift for you.

If you are patient I’ll take you on a bit of Christmas shopping later this week .... if time permits ;-)

Blind Date by Larisa

Looking for love is like looking for a needle in a haystack, but I guess that’s not so surprising, at least if you believe that everyone has a “soul mate” waiting somewhere. How on earth are we supposed to find “The One” among millions of people? Are there special paths to follow? If so why aren’t we given a rout plan at birth to guide us, and why haven’t Google released a special designed “Pathfinder to love”?

There has to be another path to love than one involving blind dates, but if it was an easy one to find I’m quite sure that Levi Straussenhofer – survivor of an infinite number of horrible blind dates - would have found it by now. On the other hand if she hadn’t done that final blind date with the vampire like college professor, she wouldn’t have found herself stuck under a table and between Brody O’Sullivan’s legs, so I guess that a blind date can bring you on the right track.

Levi is a food critic and a blond, green-eyed woman with a couple of crazy roommates, desperately looking for someone to share her life with, and Brody, who works in a fish market, is exactly what Levi is looking for – tall, dark-haired and with blue eyes! Did I hear anyone say soul mate ?

Well it might be something very close to love at first sight for Brody and Levi, but this is not one of those “falling in love and heat at first sight” kinds of stories. The women will – naturally - meet obstacles before they can consummate their love. One being that Levi find it quit possible that Brody is connected to mobsters on account of the bio hazard bin that she keeps at her front door with bloody clothes, and the amount of bleach that can be found in her bathroom… possibly for taking away blood stains!

Don’t worry even if it’s nothing like real life – its fun – at least in the standard Larisa fashions of crazy episodes, strange happenings, odd balls and a pair of gorgeous women stumbling all over them self and each other while looking for love.

I like the first part of the story the best. This is where you’ll find the description of a number of rather unsuccessful blind dates. Even if it’s exaggerated in a Larisa like way, it still reminds me why I would never go on a blind date – the memorable quote from Forrest Gump comes to mind ”Life Is like a Box of Chocolates... You Never Know What you’re Gonna Get!“I say the same goes for blind dates.

If you are fond of the crazy humour in Larisa’s stories, you will probably get a good laugh out of this one too, but if you aren’t a Larisa fan - I think that you should find something else to pass your time tonight.

The Nipple Factory by JLNicky and Honeybakedham

Don’t you just hate that - the beginning of chaos in you world of definite order. It might be a stack of books not put away on the right shelf in the bookcase, a number of half-finished items of food in the fridge, the enormous amount of shoes that accumulate in the closet with every change of season …… Well actually I’m not a neat freak; I do tend to leave little piles of things lying around the house, where I think that I might need them ….soon. I mean why put yesterday’s newspaper away if you didn’t finish reading it? I’ll surly …not… get around to reading it tomorrow, but one can always hope.

Major Shiela Patton certainly don’t agree with leaving piles of stuff around that don’t fit in her well-ordered military warehouse, so when a delivery from Babies 1st Nipples of 100.000 baby bottle replacement nipples arrive at the door she immediately set into action – this stuff has to go back NOW. Unfortunately that does prove to be a rather difficult task to carry out, even if you have a commanding attitude like Major Patton.

If you want your protagonist butch, look no further for your fun. Major Patton is everything you need - six feet tall and sharply dressed in fatigue and combat boots, with an athletic body and raven coloured hair, wearing sunglasses regardless of being inside, or out. So what can wear down a career soldier like our Major Patton ? Surly you must have guessed ? A woman’s tears !

And tears are what Major Patton encounters when she tries to get Bobbi Dellicroix - the owner of the Babies 1st Nipples company - to pick up the out-of-place goods from her warehouse. As you can imagine the tearful apologies of Bobbi convinces Major Patton to help rectify the problem herself - she loads up a 5 ton truck with the goods and drives off to meet Bobbi.

Did you guess ? You probably did! Yes - Bobbi is a small woman with the most beautiful green eyes! But she has something above and beyond green eyes which will keep Major Patton occupied for a while. If you want to know what it is, you will have to look up this story and go visit the war zone that the Major has landed in.

This is humour and at places actually rather fun, even if "The Nipple Factory" doesn’t really have a consistent storyline. When I think about it this story is essentially a number of funny one liners, and I guess that I chose to let you know about the story because I liked the basic idea of the storyline even if it wasn’t really explored to its full extent.

In the story a number of – let’s say – unnecessary characters fools around for no apparent reason. I get the feeling that some of these extra characters are moulded over “well-known” fictional characters that I’m not familiar with? What ever else might be the reason for including something like 15 siblings of the Major in a story 44 pages long?

As you might know I’m partial to the humour you can find in a standard Larisa storyline – so if you want humour and a bit of romance in a more structured storyline you could look up my favourite Larisa story “The Phantom” or perhaps “Kicking and Screaming”. Larisa has also written a story featuring a protagonist in the military it’s titled “Da Nang”. I didn’t find this story to be quit so funny and catching as other Larisa stories, but it seems to be well-liked by other readers as it has a high rating on The Athenaeum, so maybe it’s just that the war theme is not my cup of tea.

Love Bites by K. Alexander

I never seek out the shady bars, mix with a bunch of big leather clad women or get involved in bar brawls, but I’ll let you know that I do let out the occasional profanity when a driver cuts into my lane! Yes - you may call me dull, and yes I might miss out on quite a bit of what life has to offer, but at least I don’t ever wake up with a bruised face after a night on the town!

Sometimes the things that life has to offer aren’t the things you wish for. So I guess that I can sympathize with Beck when she “celebrates” the day of her “six-month-liberty” – the kind of liberty you gain when you girlfriend decides that the arms of another woman is much more alluring than yours - and get herself into a tussle in a bar, just because she is hurting and ….. drunk. Luckily for Beck someone quite nice and sexy is ready to go save a damsel in distress and throw in a comforting embrace and the likes. So maybe something good will come off this little altercation after all?

Now don’t get disappointed if Beck ends up with more that just a little one-on-one action. Who wouldn’t like to get sandwiched between two gorgeous women? But don’t get too worked up - this is definitely not erotica - even if the storyline do include a gorgeous third lady in the plot.

This is humour with a romantic twist created by way of a lively banter between Beck, her knight in shining amour “Big Sexy” or Eileen as she prefers to call herself, and Laura – the infamous third lady. The bantering is a fun way to create a dynamic storyline focused on the three protagonists and some well constructed humorous episodes.

If you like Larisa’s stories you might also like K. Alexander’s “Love Bites” as it have a bit of the screwball comedy style of Larisa but without the stereotype characters and storyline.

"The Day Lucy Broke Down" by Damnation

Do you ever linger between sleep and wakefulness slowly realising that you are waking up, but not wanting to let go of the warm soft feelings that are filling all your senses, and are you sometimes lucky enough to will your self back to sleep and continue the dream ?

Well the day Lucy broke down was not Kelly’s lucky day, she lost her lovely dream by the sound of a blaring clock radio, almost tripped over her cat going to the bathroom, her best friend Lucy broke down, and she got persuaded by a friend to take part in a little competition with an outcome that she definitely hadn’t bargained for.

On the other hand almost any day can turn around like a flip of a coin, so why worry about a few unlucky happenings ? Who knows perhaps Kelly’s day will pick up when she literally collide with a rather rude mouth Mach and lands herself an invitation to dinner with the attractive Jordan.

“The Day Lucy Broke Down” is romance with a twist of humour and its great dialogue. I like the teasing, bantering and the bit of rough mouthing between Kelly and Mach – it’s fun and entertaining.

I think that I’m putting this story on my list of top “romance with humour” or maybe I should just call the list – my favourite Larisa stories as they are all from her pen! But I’m afraid that the story “The Day Lucy Broke Down” is too short to make it to the top of the list. It helps though that Damnation wrote a sequel.

In the sequel “Love Struck” we are getting a peek at Kelly and Mach a few months down the line. And oh how time has flown, the ladies have not only fallen in love and had a relationship, they have also broken up – or more precisely - Mach has decided to leave Kelly just to make sure that Kelly won’t get the chance to leave her first. A warped kind of logic perhaps, but for the character of Mach, a fitting one.

I urge you to sail off with Kelly and Mach while they unexpectedly gets to try out Mach’s “we can only be friends” thing – it’s great fun and romantic as well.

Comic Book Life by Zee

It looks like Zee might be the flavour of the month, as this review concerns yet another of her stories, but you properly know how it is, if a story catches your eye, it’s hard not to dig around a bit and see if it’s a one-off. As for Zee I have found, that she has a distinctive humorous tone to her writing that I like, so I went looking for more fun, and in “Comic Book Life” I found a little romance that made me smile now and then.

When I was a teenager I had a craving for comic books, and gathered a large, but rather random selection, which I stored in my closet. It irritated my mom for years that I left it behind when I moved out, and that I wouldn’t let her throw it away.

Even though I used to have a varied taste in comic books, I never went for the super-natural heroes that would look anything like the character of The BloodRaven, a half-human, half-demon killing machine, fighting the good fight on the side of humanity.

The BloodRaven is a character that Remy has created as the protagonist for her comic books, and a popular one at that. So popular in fact that Alison, director of programming of the cable giant Showtime, and a friend of Remy’s, wants to put The BloodRaven on television. Remy on the other hand is dragging her feet, unable to see her heroin BloodRaven embodied by just any two-bit actress who happens to come along. That’s until Alison introduces Remy to Megan Sinclair, who turns out to be the girl that inspired Remy’s to draw the image of The BloodRaven for the first time back in junior high.

This is the story of how the comic book heroin BloodRaven is turned into a television show, but first and foremost it’s the story of a crush, one of those long ones that started at a tender age and never seem to stop, even when the loved one turns out to have a midget – sorry - a daughter, and a girlfriend with “wondertits”.

The story is low on the hot stuff, but high on the waiting for that one kiss, that will seal a destiny, and that’s just fine by me. While we wait for the ladies to find their way into each others arms, we get to have a bit of fun, especially with the interaction between Remy and the midget, Megan’s daughter Kit a six year old who seems to take a liking to Remy.

So if you just want a little a light romance with a touch of humour to pass time – look up Zee’s “Comic Book Life”.

Summer of Need by J. W. Heart

Who got the idea first? Who was the first to catch that humorous tone of voice? I’m a big fan of Larisa’s, so I’m probably biased, but hey don’t shoot me I’m only the reviewer and remember … you are entitled to you own opinion! I think that the Trace and Shannon series by J. W. Heart has a bit of the typical Larisa style in the characterisation of Dawg and Sydney. They are the Larisa style “hang a rounds” of the story. Displaying both the stereotypes thought to be butch behaviour and the basic nature of friendship, love etc.

This however is not the story of Dawg and Sydney - even though that might have been a good and funny read - this is the stories of Trace and Shannon, of how they met, fell in love, got separated and ended up a family after all. All in all the standard romantic storyline and then again a little more as the story has the twists and humour necessary to make it entertaining, even if it “just” another romance.

In the first instalment Trace, who needs a job for the summer, looks up Shannon on her rather rundown ranch. The reception she receives are less than friendly, but Shannon catches Trace’s eye and if Trace is nothing else she is certainly persistent in her aim to help out Shannon, and get a chance to get to know her up close and personal.

In the sequel “Meanwhile Back At The Ranch” we get acquainted with Dawg, Sydney and JT who is just a little 3 years old squid who’s care Trace is entrusted with rather by chance, and this mix turns out to be a funny one.

We get to continue the story with the follow-ups “The Winter Of Our Discontent”, which take the little family through the holiday season blessed with a visit from Dawg and a very pregnant Sydney, and “The Last Hurrah” where we get to meet the bit of family, that you really just want to forget ever existed, and then again every one can change.

The story has a lot of humour and a 3 year old who is perhaps a little to wise for her years, so if you take your romance stories with a smile you might like the stories of Trace and Shannon. I for one found many episodes that made me smile.

Kicking and Screaming by Larisa

If you think that a romantic storyline benefits from a sprinkle of humour and you don’t mind a rather butch bunch of girls running around, you’ve got to look into the stories written by Larisa. I’ve already reviewed my favourite “The Phantom”, but I think that “Kicking and Screaming” is also worth reading, if you are fond of Larisa.

Larisa normally uses two set of characters, the protagonists and a couple of rather hilarious sidekicks, who helps to get the ball rolling when it comes to creating the funny scenes and dialogues. In “Kicking and Screaming” we only have one set of girls to focus on, but they have a unique way of attracting small mishaps and the likes, and its fun to “watch” from a safe distance.

This story centres around Aeryn who works as an investigator at her father’s law firm, which leaves her with a lot of shitty jobs, and often a bit to close to her colleague’s grubby hands. And grubby hands is exactly what lands Aeryn in yet another mishap, as she declares to everyone that she is gay, just to avoid the unwelcome hands. This declaration gets Aeryn an invitation for her and her girlfriend to a charity dinner - and 4 days to find … a girlfriend.

This is where Taylor comes in; she has a bet going with a friend that leaves her with the task of saving a damsel in distress and get her to go out with her on one date. After Taylor has spent her day looking for just the right opportunity to do her “saving”, she gets the chance she is looking for, when she sees a woman being assaulted, and this is how Taylor and Aeryn meet.

From here on it’s just a matter of getting “the straight girl” to wonder if she is really straight at all, and the “out lesbian” to decide that she ought to take a chance on love with a woman, who has just “jumped the fence”. Yes - Larisa uses one of the standard romantic storylines as a basis for the story, but it works just fine - even if we’ve seen it all before.

What I like about Larisa is the fact that she is able to come up with an interesting and funny setting for her stories, with a witty dialogue and some very likeable characters, but I’ve got to warn you about the editing. In “Kicking and Screaming” you will find all the usual problems that a good beta-reader would properly weed out.

If you like Larisa’s stories and you have read “The Phantom” you might want to look in on Aeryn and Taylor in “Kicking and Screaming”, and perhaps you should put one or more of the stories listed below on your reading list for a rainy day. You just have to put a bit of space in between reading each of the stories listed as you might otherwise get a bit tired of reading stories written from the same basic template.

The stories listed are not in the same league as “The Phantom”, as the they are too short for the characters to really develop and benefit from the imaginative setting, and for the reader to realise just why the protagonists falls in love and heat, and they do that .. fall in love and have lots of rather stereotype sex, but I still had fun reading as Larisa has a great sense of humour:

- “The Ice Princess”
- “Mender of Souls”
- “Emotional Paralysis”
- “Reason of Insanity”
- “Rough Warrior”.

By the way I’ve saved the latest Larisa story “Operation Drop Zone” for a stormy weekend; I hope to get one of those soon!

Enjoy your time with Larisa!

The Phantom by Larisa

If you can make a girl laugh and her heart beat fast – you can make her do anything! But I guess that Callaway didn’t know that when she took out Branson with her Tazer gun. Dressed all in black and out to stop the company that is cutting down the lush countryside she loves, Callaway meets head on with the big, and rather strong, construction worker who’s waiting for “The Phantom”, that has been causing her company trouble.

We are out somewhere in rural America for once and we are meeting up with a bunch of butch women with their hearts in the right places, and it’s a lot of fun. But let me give you a bit more of the storyline. After having Branson pass out on her, Callaway brings her back to her farmhouse and strikes a deal with her, she will get Branson to see the value of the country life she is about to destroy, if she’ll just stay on the farm for one week.

And Branson is in for the experience of her life. Days at the farm start really early in the morning and there are lots of chores to do but, on the other hand, the food is nice and the company is really great. Somewhere along the way the big butch construction worker turns into a softie, trying to ease the hard farm life for her newfound friend, and Callaway - well she just gets really used to having company on the farm. So a path towards romance is at hand, but don’t worry there is lots of drama and tons of fun for the girls on the way, and they get to share it with a couple of good friends.

All in all, a sure recipe for a time well spend should you chose to read the “The Phantom”, but I’ve got to say that there is one thing that I just don’t get, and that’s the fascination with women standing up to pee. Sure, it would be practical when you are outdoors, but please spare me all the practicalities and the trial and error thing.

Enjoy your story time!

Miss-Match by Aurelia and A. C. Henley

“Before beginning a Hunt, it is wise to ask someone what you are looking for before you begin looking for it.” - Winnie the Pooh.

Even if Clancy had questioned herself as to what or who she was looking for as a potential lover, I doubt that she would have known what she really wanted. Nearing the age of thirty without that special someone in her life, and – surprisingly enough – still a virgin, Clancy finds herself in the hands of Aunty Goldie ,or rather the experienced matchmaker Minerva Goldberg, who decides to throw a new card into the game of love - Carmen Pratka. This certainly throws Clancy for a loop, she is definitely not looking for a woman, but maybe Aunty Goldie is not that far from the truth….

I had a lot of fun following the girls from their first blind date through Clancy’s growing awareness of her attraction to Carmen. You might also like Clancy’s solo venture into the lesbian club scene and her encounter with the big bully Max, who is probably just looking for love but has a rather macho way of showing her affection. 

And Carmen, she’s a darling – persistent but not too pushy – and with a need of her own to find true love. Furthermore, she makes you laugh – I mean if that’s something you do while you read - I for one can’t help it!

All in all, a light romance with a lot of humour and a good dialog, I would have liked the story to continue just a little bit longer, but I guess that being left with the possibility to imagine the future for the star players has its own merit. Let the girls take you on a tour down the road to love.