"Hindsight" by Lois Kay

I say that these two cute cupcakes are meant to be together! On the other hand sometimes fate or perhaps - in hindsight - a bad choice will decide a different future not only for a "couple of cup cakes" but more likely for a cute pair of lovers.

If you want to explore the matter of "bad decisions" a bit closer you might tag along as I tell you about my latest venture into the world of F/F Fanfiction. This time I went out with Lois Kay. Lois has a nice backlog of stories with "Hearts Choice" being my favourite by her pen.

Before we put on our clogs and starts prowling hospital floors looking for Hannah - yes we are looking to find doctors and nurses this time .. yumi (!) - we might just take a minute to explore the topic of bad choices. I guess some us have a vivid recollection of a date gone wrong, time wasted looking for love in the wrong places or how we mistook a smile, a dance or a kiss for more than just a casual interest. Some might even have managed to do the U-haul thing just to find that living together gives the word  INCOMPATIBLE a new meaning!

If you are experienced in the world of LesFic you know that the authors have us - or rather the protagonists - take more than just a slight detour on the route towards LHEA. LesFic gives the matter of making bad choices a new meaning all together! Now I'm not saying that Hannah made a bad choice when she started going out with Rachel back when she waited tables to pay her way through nursing school or that Rachel wasn't serious about their relationship while she went to medschool or did her residency, but four years ago Rachel did make the choice to leave Hannah with no farewell and certainly no reasonable explanation, she just disappeared!

So where does that leave Hannah ...? Well I found her in the home of her Granny, who seems to have picked her up and put her back on her feet these last four years since Rachel left. As you might have guessed by now Lois is not telling us the story of how Hannah got herself back together and took up life looking for love in the arms of a woman more loving and caring that Rachel.

This is the story of Rachel returning to her home town and ... well yes taking up work at the same hospital as Hannah, and running into Hannah ... and ... nah I wont tell, but I'll let you know that if you are looking for a mushy romantic tale of how two women pick up the love that even a bad choice can't kill, then put your feet up and enjoy this read.

"Hindsight" is a tale of love, family looking out for each other and for some family members maybe even looking a little too closely in on each others love interest. Yes I aim to make you wonder ! But I'll let you know that once the mushy love turns solid, you'll be treated to a bit of a thriller - not quite my ball game - but I found the mix enjoyable enough.

I should perhaps point out that Lois is not one to invite her readers into the bedroom of her protagonists, so if you are looking for love with a spicy flavour, I suggest that you look elsewhere. A visit with CK and Branson in Larisa's "The Phantom" might be to your liking. It's not a read big on mushy romance, but a great mix of romance and humour all the same. This is among my absolute favourite Larisa stories and Larisa is high on my list of all time favourite Fanfiction writers - so I say if you haven't been to CK's farm then don't hesitated...  run along and see if you can catch a ride with Branson, she has a pair of fast wheels at least when the destination is LOVE !

.... just looking!

I don't know about You but sometimes I just spend my time looking. Looking for something interesting to look at. Looking for directions. Looking for a thrill. Looking for a new challenge. Looking for a way out.  Looking for a change of scenery. Looking for the car keys ... again. Looking for something to read. Looking for a good time or perhaps, I'm just looking to look for something not knowing exactly what I'm looking for?!

What are you looking for ? Why are You coming around ? I haven't really been actively working on this blog for quite some time, and You are still coming around ? Well it is really non of my business why you pop in so I guess that I should just get on ...

At the moment I'm looking for BadSquirrel. She posted on The Athenaeum Forum back in 2010 that she was preparing to publish her latest story with Blue Feather Books under the name of Lauren T. Darling, but I haven't been able to find neither a published book by this author nor any newish stories online by BadSquirrel. I would love to hear news about this writer as I'm a real fan of her writing - so please anyone ?? ... any news???

If you are new to Badsquirrels writing I'll let you have my very secret Top 3 list of BadSquirrel stories:

1. Rumors

2. One Good Memory

3. Shine

For those with a taste for a very spicy (BSDM) read I'll include a link for The Dark Side of The Moon.

When I'm not looking for BadSquirrel. I'm looking for something else or perhaps just enjoying a good read. A good read can be like a good hug - warm and comforting. Sometimes a hug is the prelude to something more and sometimes a hug is just that .... a hug. The simple message of I'm here for you or we are in this together... and we will get through.

So where to go for that mental hug of comfort that a good read can provide.... shhh I'm thinking.... haven't really thought to prepare a list of stories that fits within a theme on hugs. Let's see where to go for a hug. How about looking in on a couple of "friends" ? You know the kind who are best mates and never looking for more than a hug of comfort from each other - well that is until .... maybe "Strings Attached" by Inyx, Out of the Mouth of Babes by LittleSpit, Frost Heaves by Lois Kay or perhaps Everything Personal by Jaeygatsby will fit this theme?

... I always wondered why no other stories have been posted by Jaeygatsby ... is it that this is the pen name of an author writing under another name ?? or is this really a one off story ?? on the other hand I might just not be looking in the right places ?

The Honor Series by Radclyffe

I guess its common knowledge that Radclyffe can turn out a very readable romantic tale with a nice twist of drama and some hot moves by a pair of good looking ladies. Among the leading ladies we are always sure to find Radclyffes signature butch woman with a "soft" core. A tender heart needing the right kind of persuasion to be able to overcome past hurt and love again.

The "Honor Series" is classic Radclyffe! So if you are fit and able to blend in with the crowed then tag along when I join Agent Cameron Roberts on her new assignment as commander of the Secret Service detail responsible for the security of Blair Powell, the daughter of the US president.

Do you think that this kind of "baby-sitting" assignment is worthy of a senior agent from the Investigative Division like Cam?  Judging by the look on Cam's face it's a defined NO, but then again sometimes you just have to follow orders and this IS an order. So before long we will get to watch the first meeting of Cam and Blair - the woman Cam must be willing to give her life to protect.

One would presume that a woman in Blair's position would be cooperating with her security team, but Blair is like a caged animal constantly challenging her confinement, resenting her inability to live a life free from strangers following and observing her every move.

So we have a possible explosion on our hands here, but don't worry Cam is just the Woman to handle even a highly provocative and non-cooperating lady like Blair, and to get her team to work with her in creating the necessary security.

You might ask what possible way for a romantic match Radclyffe can find with these two protagonists, but you won't have to wonder for long. The tension between Blair and the commander of her security team is not just created by Blair's repressed anger against her inability to live her own life - an instant  attraction helps to heighten the tension considerably.

The Honor series is romance - as in exploring the possibility of more than just smoulding looks between two good looking ladies both with a reluctance to risk their hearts. The Honor Series is Erotica - as in two ladies who can't keep their hands to themselves. And The Honor Series is drama - as in a stalker, car bombing and sniper attacks. All in all a potent mix - even if I think that the story would have benefited from a bit more talk and a little less of the very passionate embraces between the leading ladies.  

The Honor Series is seven books in total - all published by Bold Strokes Books, but the first three in the series is available online - "Above All Honor", "Honor Bound" and "Love and Honor".

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

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

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

Kelly McGillis as Top Gun Instructor

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

Demi Moore as Lt. Jordan O'Neil

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

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

On-handed push ups!

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

Glenn Close

Glenn Close and Judy Davis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ramble - on this and that

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have fun !

Life's Little Edge by Roselle Graskey

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Looking at the World from above

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Unbreakable by Advocate aka Blayne Cooper

Do you remember the girls you grew up with? Your best friends from High school? Your roommates from College? Gwen, Kathy, Audrey, Nina and Jackie - do remember one another, but not really for all the good times they spend together through their shared childhood, but rather for the way the friendship ended. If it wasn't for Gwen, neither Kathy, Nina, Jackie nor Audrey would have thought to keep their childhood promises of meeting up again at the age of 40.

But Gwen have a powerful reason to gather her former friends around her. She is being blackmailed with a secret that only they know, and an invitation to a weekend at a local B&B for her birthday is the perfect Agatha Christie like setting needed to lure the blackmailer out into the open.

Do you see the black clouds gathering over the B&B? Fell the thunder lurking, expect the interruption of the power and a B&B covered in darkness ..... a fierce lightning breaking the darkened rooms only to reveal a still body laying on the living room carpet ? You might, but if that's what you want why not look up "And then there were non" by Christie it might just give you the old fashioned drama you want. 

"Unbreakable" on the other hand will present you with the story of the lives of the 5 women - past and present. If you are here for the romance try to focus on Jackie and Nina, they have a story of their own to tell, one that follows the classic lines of dealing with the feelings between best friends that might run just a bit deeper than friendship.

This is a multi layered story of childhood, friendship, growing up, breaking apart and getting a second chance. The story weavers back and forth in time between the present days and the past, between the stories of the group of friends and the lives of each of the women. It's a pretty complex and well put together storyline, even if the drama does not really ring true. If you are here for the mushy romance kind of fic please note that the romance is not really as central to the storyline in "Unbreakable" as in you standard variety romance, but it is kind of sweet non the less.

If you haven't read any of Advocate's work before then don't hesitate to try this one out, it is really well written and with a humorous twist now and again. Should you like humour and this pen then do look up "The Story of Me" it's quite fun.

The story has been published by Spinster Ink and it is available as a Kindle ebook.

Tumbleweed Fever by LJ Maas

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

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

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

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

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

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

An Audience with the Sidewalk Saviour by K. Alexander

Would it not be great if ordinary people had the power to heal? To undo the wrong and make the World a better place for all.

If not all, but some had the power, would they be obliged to use this power to the benefit of all or could they choose to use the power at their own discretion ? Would it make a difference if there was a limit to the number of times the power could be used or if the use of the power came with a price ?

Should you want to explore this topic then look up "An Audience with the Sidewalk Saviour" by K. Alexander. This brings you in touch with India Waits. India was raised by nuns, who was non too keen on India exercising her natural healing powers. So I guess that it's not really surprising that India has locked away her real powers and get by in life as a natural health practitioner. That is until one day she is pushed forward by her friend Warren to help a young woman who lies bleeding on the foot walk, shot while queuing for the movie theater.

After having her real powers to heal exposed to the world at large India's life changes, she is rejected by her friends, who question her reasons to keep her powers of healing a secret, and she is haunted by the press.

If you choose to follow along with India while she paves a new path in life for herself be prepared for the unexpected. This is an original story in the true sense of the word, it does not follow the classic pattern of Lesfic, but don't worry you will get your romance along the way - just not so easily as in the mainstream LesFic fic's.

"An Audience with ...." is not my standard treat as it mix romance and drama with "supernatural" powers, which are not quite my cup of tea, but the quality of the writing and not least the dialog between India and her friend Jude is refreshing and a treat in it self.

K. Alexander is still active in the online Universe of fan fiction and I do hope that we will have more stories from her pen in the future. Should you have missed her story "Love Bites" and you could do with a bit of humor and a crunchy dialog - try it out - it's great fun.

Cooking on High by Creme Brulee

The truly great cooks knows how to create that perfect bite - the bite the combine sour, sweet, salty, bitter and that undefined something that you can't really put a name to. 

In the universe of online f/f fiction Creme Brulee is one of those chefs who really know how to mix up a dish to tickle your taste butts, but "Cooking on High" is not just one great dish - it is a full meal, mixing drama, fun, romance and a good storyline all in one. 

French is "French" - not as in "from France" but rather as in a French chef. She has earned her toque - tall paper hats French-trained chefs wear - in the real world by hard work. Ruthless and obsessive in her quest for perfection. Never missing a chance to push herself forward, no-matter the consequences. Now she is on top of Haute Cuisin, running her restaurant Bachanal on an island of the coast of New England to perfection, and harbouring a wish to leave behind the competitiveness and dirty dog fights of her past. But it is one thing to teach yourself new tricks, it's quite another to get those around you to accept the change!

You will find plenty of drama in "Cooking on High" with murder, fierce competitors and wronged lovers, but when you clear the smoke, your eyes will soon catch up with someone small and blond... a small Fry. She is that little something that makes an ordinary sauce turn exceptional, she is what makes changes happen in everyday life - as in changing you view, as in messing with you mind, as in how your heart starts beating faster ... 

This is uber when it's at its best, the instant attraction between "tall and gorgeous" and "vertically challenged", is left to simmer on the stove whiles the ladies get acquainted through a bit of teamwork on an investigation into the murder of a local politician and of cause the daily battle in the kitchen and on the floors of the Bachanal. Do watch out, French knows how to throw her knifes and deliver sharp punches both physically and - of cause - vocally.

What I like the best about Creme Brulee's writing is the dialog - it's sharp and witty. Creme Brulee is an expert in bringing the storyline forward, giving you and insight to the characters and putting a smile on your face through the dialog between the protagonists - this is a great asset to the storyline.

If you get high on cooking fumes you might want to look up Damnation's "Burned Sugar" or Fingersmith's "Critical". Both stories sport a good looking chef ready to mix good food with a bit of romance and drama.

Creme Brulee's stories are posted on "The Celestial Buffet" but I'm sad to say that no new fic's by Creme Brulee have been added recently. Due to the quality of the writing I do wonder if this pen has published under a different pen name - does anyone know??

Shell Game by Zipplic

How do you define your reading habits ?  By the fandoms you subscribe to, the pairings you prefer, the bards you read, the categories that your favorite stories belong with? Are you into the "classics", do you find SiFi or futuristic stories entertaining, is Greece in Ancient times or France in the Middle Age your thing ? Do you prefer your protagonists to be of color, to be blond or raven haired, feminine or butch, to carry a weapon and handle horses with ease, to wear a  business suit and throw money around ?  

Well maybe you do not define your reading habits! And why should we do that anyway? By defining, categorizing, putting a name to and whatever we do when we label things - or people for that matter - we take a risk. The risk of missing the chance to try something new and - surprise - find that we like it! 

I don't do the classics or SiFi, I prefer uber or original stories in a modern setting with a little drama, some - but not too much angst - and a lot of romance! And if someone will mix in a bit of humor, I am likely to enjoy just about any well written story with a coherent storyline. Lots of f/f on line stories fit this bill - so I am well entertained, but ...... maybe I'm missing out on some enjoyable reads?

The other day I ventured out on a new trail into yet unexplored territory ;-) The world of pirate queens ! I have never done that before - and I might not do it again - but I really enjoyed my little outing with Zipplic and the story "Shell Game". It is about ... a pirate queen (surprise) and a woman who is held captive on her pirate ship, but then again the pirate queen does not really act like a pirate, the captive is the only one who seems to think that she is held captive and the ship ..... well it's more like a small trader than any pirate ship I ever came across. It's not too much of a romance, even if the pirate queen and her volunteer captive do pair up along the way, but it's something else - it's a humours way of viewing a BDSM relationship and the mechanisms of control. 

Read "Shell Game" for the humor and the crispy dialog. It doesn't really matter that we have to put on our sea legs for the ride! 

If you visit the Zipplic's author page at The Athenaeum you can get this story as an eBook download. 

Women in need of a place to call home

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wall of Silence by GabGold aka Gabrielle Goldsby

Do you know the chocolate treats that contain a little surprise gift for children to play with? On the outside the treats are just a little something for a sweet tooth and inside is a toy - a double treat! Sometimes it’s rather hard to tell what the children want the most - the chocolate or the surprise inside.

How about you - what do you want a detective novel or a romance, a hand to hold or a hand holding a gun? What if you could have both - a five-foot four chick with a career with the LAPD and a murder or two to solve and a lady bar bouncer with a hard ass ready to hold her hand?

If you want a double treat you could look up GabGolds “Walls of Silence” it’s probably a first draft of the published novel from Bold Strokes Books by the same title by Gabrielle Goldsby.

Foster Everett is your LAPD detective on a downwards spiral - not quiet able to stomach the facts of life that she encounters in her job, not sleeping well, tending to be a bit on the aggressive side and at odds with her boss - are that not the case with all detectives?

The downwards spiral starts turning real fast when Foster kills a suspect on the job - something that her partner Smitty covers up, but that do not help Foster come to terms with having ended a mans life.

On the other hand feeling bad can do Foster a bit of good on the romantic side - something she really has not focused on for a long time ... if ever. The reason? Well it's tall, it’s not too talkative and has a fabulous muscular body - all in all a rather attractive package. Her name is Riley and she is the bouncer at the local women’s bar “The House of Secrets” where Foster picks up a tap when she starts a habit of hard drinking.

Somehow Riley assigns herself the job of looking out for Foster, even if Foster do give of strong signs of “leave me alone I’m a hard ass”, and good for both women and us, as this is a sure road towards a bit of mushy romance in the world of crime.

The characters of Foster and Riley are well developed, likeable and they do fit quite nicely with both the drama and the romantic parts of the storyline. The mix of drama and romance give the ladies room to display both their strong sides and their softer spots, which ads to the characters.

The drama part of the storyline is a bit complicated to follow. It’s not your every day murder case, but a double-crossing kind of mystery that our detective Foster have to solve at the risk of her own life and the safety of Riley, but it seems to be well woven together.

If I have to complain about something its the fact that the romantic and drama bits of the storyline are not quit interwoven. Its more like two stories in one - just like the chocolate treat. You do not get the one without the other, but they are - all the same - two different things.

Anyway if you want your romance with a bit of drama or perhaps the other way around ,do not hesitate to look up “Walls of Silence”, it’s entertaining either way.

White Coats, Warm Hands and Wondrous Hearts

White coats come in many tones of colour and in an infinite number of shapes. You can get a brand new white mink coat - if you can afford one that is - or a shabby woollen one. You can put on a navy dress white uniform - if you earned the right to wear one - or you can put on a lab coat. Clothes make people and the lab coat can - almost - make a doctor.

White coats, warm hands and wondrous hearts or doctors, nurses and the romances they inspire - it’s medical dramas with a romantic twist or perhaps romance with a medical twist. Whatever the case if you are obsessed with bodily welfare or think that trauma and the people who fight to preserve life is entertaining you have probably watched a few episodes of a medical drama or perhaps read one of Radclyffe’s medical lesfic’s. You might even have looked up some E.R. or Grey’s Anatomy fan fiction. Have you had your fill ? Or do you need another fix ? If you need some private time with a capable physician you can look through the list of my favourite medical romances in Listmania.

Still not healed ? Ok then you could visit with some of the doctors and nurses that populate the fic’s mentioned below.

“The Healing Touch” series by K. Darblyne features Trauma Fellow Garrett Trivoli and Trauma Nurse Danni Bossard and a whole lot of ER traumas. The series gives us an in depth description of Garrett’s and Danni’s work to save lives in the ER and as a Flight Surgeon’s team going out by helicopter to give medical help at accidents - so if trauma is your thing, go right ahead and follow the links below. Should you look for a little romance I can assure you that even if the godlike doctor Trivoli do find teamwork and friendship a demanding task  Dannie will inspire the her to take a chance and reach out for something beyond her usual safe zone.

The series consists of two stories “The Fellowship” and “Up in the Air” and you’ll have to read both to work through the infinite number of misunderstandings etc. that the ladies have to endure on the road towards a romantic union - this time it’s above and beyond reason! The series is relatively well rated on The Athenaeum - I on the other hand found the romance to be a bit lacking and rather long winded.

If winter, snow and frost are taking its toll in your neck of the woods you might want to go down south to Louisiana and visit with Harry and Desi. It’s the love of a lifetime come true when Desi is brought into the ER with a broken leg after a fierce beating with a bat swung by her husband. Desi’s high school sweetheart Harry will mend her leg and her heart with her loving. Along the way Harry will find time to perform orthopaedic surgery on the old and wealthy - which will more than pay the bills - as well as the less fortunate with a need for a “do-good-doctor”. If you ask me Harry is too good to be true! Which is probably why I did not find the romance really catching.

And while we are on the subject of Ali Vali who penned “How Do You Mend a Broken Heart” and the sequels “All it Took Was You” and “Bell of the Mist” with Harry and Desi, I might as well mention that my favourite Ali Vali romance is “A Place to Dance”. You won’t find any lab coats in that story but you will be treated to a woman with able hands - give her a tool belt and she will craft the most beautiful furniture you can imagine. If you are a romantic at heart you should not miss this story.

Should you want for a little private healing at the hands of a capable ER physician you could venture out on Dupont Circle in Washington and watch out for Q as she exits the subway always on the look out for the neighbourhood tugs who will beat her up given half the chance. This time the tugs get lucky which lands Q in the able hands of Dr. Taylor Winslow at D.C.Metropolitan Hospital who will eventually provide private care for the homeless Q, who in return will show Taylor a bit of drama and a lot of loving. "Street Life" by J.A.Zollicoffer is drama and romance all in one and I found it catching enough to read a second time.

Now do not think that the world of medical fiction is dedicated to doctors alone - after all what would good doctors do without the warm hands of capable nurses to sooth and comfort the patients and their frightened relatives ? “The Heart of the Matter” by Cephalgia is a romance centred around Davey, a little boy with a heart disorder, and his mother Crystal, who lives her life wondering just when their visit to the hospital will be fatal 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.

This story focuses on the patient and relatives rather than the medical personnel and even if it centres on a boy with a servere heart condition the heart of the matter is the romance between the lesbian nurse and her new found - perhaps not so - straight friend. It’s a sweet and well written story.

There is a time and a place where the white lab coats and the doctors who wear them no longer matters. A time when only warm hands, love and understanding gives you the ease of body and mind needed to face the ultimate challenge in life ... to let go. We cannot play around the medic’s without happening on tragedy at some stage and this seems to be as good a time as any to let Dee introduce Isabelle and her nurse Marty, their friendly and loving banter and their fast rolling romance that starts of in a hospital ward and end a too short time later when there is just no more fighting left to do.

You should not read “Isabelle” unless you have hankies close at hand, and you can handle the big C without getting bad dreams. “Isabelle” is just a short story, but it’s touching and very well written - especially in the dialogue that presents a fun and easy banter between the ladies that you do not come across too often. Do not miss this one - it sort of puts all the medical drama and romance in the right perspective.

Women Who Went West (WWWW)

Let's say you are late getting home one night, juggling bags of your shopping, car keys, laptop ect. You are stressed out and ready to scream bloody murder at the wife, kids, dog or anyone just looking like they might speak up! You dump the bags, put the "Keep out" sign on the door to the study and sit yourself down to do some work ... well maybe you can persuade yourself that a little down time with a romantic fic is what you need to get back in balance ....before you tackle the mailbox? 

So what kind of fic would you need to get the yourself in balance ? If you want to know what choices you have, you can take a look in "Listmania" .... I think you need ... let me see a couple of ladies, preferably one of them a bit rough - you are after all a bit worked up - the other, well sweet is nice, but maybe it would help your ego if she could also be in some sort of distress, so you could imagine yourself doing a bit of chivalrous rescuing. How about a bullfighting matador and a fair maiden - nah - lets see - how about a fire fighter, no don't want all the coughing from the smoke inhalation the wife will just have an excuse to come looking to see how you are doing with your .... work. Wait I've got it you should look up some of the Women Who Went West.

And it just so happens that Charlie has supplied me with a brand new list of romantic Westerns ! So should you need the taste of gunpowder, the smell of horses, a look at women who lead a life harder than yours - probably not possible considering the day you've had - then try out some of the links below:

The War Between the Hearts - Nann Dunne

http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/n/nanndunne_thewar1.html

New Life - A.K. Naten

http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/a/aknaten_newlife1.html

Fetchin' Cousin Minnie - B. Soiree

http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/b/bsoiree_cousinminnie1.html

Hellcat Western Series - Barbara Davies

http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/b/barbaradavies_incontention.html

http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/b/barbaradavies_priorengagement.html

http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/b/barbaradavies_silverlining.html

http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/b/barbaradavies_stagetophoenix.html

http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/b/barbaradavies_homesweethome1.html

http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/b/barbaradavies_inlaws.html

This Is War - BardWoohoo

http://www.reocities.com/SoHo/Nook/9662/ThisIsWar/war1.html

Blue Fire - C.E. Gray

http://xenafiction.net/styles/athenaeum_deepblue/author_pages/cegray.html

Renegade - Cheyne

http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/c/cheyne_renegade1.html

Toward the Sunst - Della Street

http://www.altfic.com/subtextfic/Xena/della/towardsunset1.htm

Mail-Order Bride - Janice Logan

http://heartbrkn.0catch.com/janice/mob.htm

Sweatwater Saga Series - Mickey Minner

http://www.academyofbards.org/authors/mickey.html

Outlaw - Mythbard

http://xenafan.com/fiction/content3/outlaw.html

Outlaw II - Mythbard

http://www.xenafan.com/fiction/content3/outlawsmythbard.html

Tin Star - Nene Adams

http://www.corrieweb.nl/scifi/tinstar.htm

Mac's Trail - Powerbab

http://xenafiction.net/scrolls/powerbab_macs_trail.html

Dakota Series - Ri

http://xenafiction.net/scrolls/ri_dakota.html

http://xenafiction.net/scrolls/ri_dakota2.html

http://xenafiction.net/scrolls/ri_dakota3.html

http://xenafiction.net/scrolls/ri_dakota4.html

Until There Was You - Ri

http://xenafiction.net/scrolls/ri_utwy.html

 

Before Our Journey's Through - Simahoyo

http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/s/simahoyo_journey1.html

Rescue My Heart - StarWarrior (Rie)

http://www.academyofbards.org/amazontrails/xena/rescue.htm

Northern Peace and Perils - Wolfdragon

http://ausxip.com/fanfic12/npap1.html

I've only read a few of these stories as Westerns aren't really my genre, but if this is your taste in fic's then you might have fun with one of the stories that Charlie listed. If that's the case then go go go ride into the sunset!

Roadkill by Plantesolin

Pick up the remote for you TV and browse the channels or pick up one of those “top ten” novels at you local supermarket and you are sure to see her. She is out there on the streets of a major city, in the darkness investigating yet another homicide, giving a little too much of herself on the job, not really fitting in with her fellow detectives and on the edge with her boss.

This time her name is Sydney and she’s on her own - on the crime scene as in her private life, but don’t worry her life is going to change as the Commissioner of Police has brought in a new lieutenant to clean up the act at the Homicide Division. Alex Marshal - the women put in charge of changing the division - is a career driven officer out to see results, and she’ll change the rules and break up set teams to get what she wants.

Yes - your are right the scene is set for confrontation as Sydney and Alex meet and ...... feel an instant attraction! A change of scene from detective work to romance on the job and the question “Do You Believe in Love at First Sight” is imminent. So put away your gun and ... well you could pick up a basket ball and go play some “one on one” with Sydney and Alex as they feel up each other for more than just a win on the basket ball court. The ladies are great ballplayers with a lot of fast moves and stamina, and I for one would love to see the feisty little blond and the tall dark lieutenant shoot some baskets.

Now don’t get your hopes up too soon, it might be love at first sight, but family, the risk to careers and Sydney’s reluctance to believe in the possibility of a committed relationship will create the necessary bumps on the road to “living happily ever after”.

“Roadkill” is more romance than drama but that’s OK with me, I’ll get my “crime time” on TV when I need it. As for the romance I do miss a bit of the intense feeling you get when you are left to wonder if love is reciprocated, and I guess that some might miss a bit of heavy breathing from behind a closed bedroom door, but you can get that anywhere!

All in all I found Roadkill to be an entertaining romance - interesting enough to keep me from using any of the fast scroll movements that will so easily get you through the boring parts of a storyline.

Plantesoline treats us to a sequel “Aftermath” which I didn’t find quite as catching as “Roadkill”, but if you like the ladies and want to know where their relationship is heading - go look it up.