Readers Series: Melba87

Melba87

WHO I AM

Melba87
Wife of Rhage
Mother of FlysWithDragons and ChooChoo (aka Turbo)
US Navy Veteran
College Grad
Twilight FanFiction Addict

HOW I STARTED

How I became a Twilight FanFiction Addict is not an extraordinary tale. I was introduced to Twilight by my twelve year-old (at the time) daughter. At first, I completely dismissed her exuberance as soon as she said the word “vampire.”

Vampires? Really?? Sound familiar?? I finally broke down and read Twilight six months later when my fifty year-old neighborhood walking buddy, the most perfect woman I know, began raving about it. I then voraciously read New Moon and Eclipse. The movie was being filmed at that time, and I discovered TwilightMoms.

When I first discovered FanFiction, there were less than 11,000 stories under the Twilight thread, which I thought was a huge number—how was a girl to choose? But, now there are over 103,000 Twilight fics. I joined Twilighted in its first week when there were less than fifty members. Now Twilighted boasts 72,750 plus members. That blows me away. I can remember freaking out when membership broke 500. It has been amazing to watch our little community of die-hards grow exponentially.

WHY I READ

I read Twilight fanfiction because I love Edward Cullen. I don’t consider myself a very reliable reviewer. I think many of the authors I follow around the fandom would agree that Melba87 does drive-bys. I do drive-bys in the forums and drive-bys for reviews. I am the reviewer who says, “I loved the chapter! Thanks for the update.” Rarely, I will say why I loved the chapter or what I loved about a chapter. There are two reasons. First, I am not a writer. After reading a particularly awesome chapter, I have a gazillion thoughts running through my brain. I can never get those thoughts onto paper. Never. I think there must be missing road-signs in my brain that would properly direct those thoughts to the routes that would lead out my fingertips. Ninety percent of what I want to say gets completely lost. Therefore, I am never satisfied that what I write in a detailed review is an accurate reflection of what I think or feel. So, basically I would need a review for my review. This relates to the second reason I don’t leave long reviews.

Reading, I feel, is subjective. It is not math. There are no right or wrong answers. Reading is personal to me. What is significant in a chapter to me may not be significant to someone else. Not only that, the author may not have intended for it to be a significant part of the chapter at all. I regard writers as artists, and just because Melba87 misses the point, it doesn’t mean the point wasn’t more than adequately made to all of the other readers. Moreover, I don’t want my twisted inferences, or my life experiences to discolor or diminish the way a writer views her piece of work. I want to read a story where an author strings specific words together, because those are the words that can best represent her imagination. Plus, I’m a Libra. I can see value in E-VER-Y-THING. It can take me forever to decide. So, if I leave a review that says, “I loved it!” You can bet on it.

HOW I PICK MY FICS

I never dive into a story cold. I only read stories that I’ve heard about through the forums, chat, or twitter. I also pay close attention to the delicious banners attached to signatures. They make me wish some of my favorite fics could be turned into movies!!! Most recently, I’ve been relying on the Indie Awards as a resource for some great hidden gems. I also hit up my favorite authors’ Favorites Lists.

WHAT I READ

I currently have about 170 fics bookmarked on my browser. I estimate I’m reading about half of them. The other half are either complete, have not updated in a long time, or I haven’t started them yet. I suffered a hard drive crash and lost my original bookmarked list. I’m sure there are titles I was reading but couldn’t remember when I started tracking them down. It was then that I discovered the beauty of favorites and signing up for alerts. Heh. I have approx 110 stories that I get alerts for from Fanfiction, and 30 on Twilighted. I am certain that everything I’ve favorited was something that I enjoyed at the time. I only have time for Bella and Edward stories. They are what I enjoy. So, I rarely read anything else. I know I am probably denying myself real pleasure by limiting myself, but people who have time for butt secks say the same thing. I don’t have time for that, either. J

Here are a few completed favorites that I have loved while they were active, and even long after. Snippets and scenes from these fics have accompanied me in my real life, making me giggle, weep and swoon. I consider them “musts reads” in the fandom.

Cullen’s Island by jandco

Sin and Incivility by Pastiche Pen

She’s Royal by halojones

In the Blink of an Eye by thatwritr

A World Without Sound by The Romanticidal Edwardian

Restoration by texbelle

Stories that have kept me glued to my laptop more recently include:

No Trust in Tomorrow by algonquinrt Addictions and Angst

Failure to Thrive by Julesnerd My first Parka Fic — moving with humor

In the Land of Milk & Honey by jesus.is.magic Mysterious Edward, unpredictable.

A Little Crazy by LolaShoes and tby789One-shot. My second Parka Fic — I hope it’s continued.

Strange Days by jandco It’s jandco, need I say more? Bella in the 1960s. How’s that?

My favorites are here.

I would be remiss without mentioning my favorite story, Sanctuary by Jfly. It is by far the most beautifully crafted story I’ve ever read. It is poetry disguised as prose, or maybe prose disguised as poetry. I can’t decide. Regardless, the figurative language and sensory descriptions put you closer to the characters than you could ever imagine. It is an absolutely stunning and intimate experience that you won’t regret!

Happy reading and Salut!

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Author's Blurb by JFly (also here as Thallium81).

I was thrilled to be told that Melba had complimented me, and my story Sanctuary here in the Reader series. She is one of those readers who shows up on my forum thread after a chapter posts and always has thoughtful insight to offer with her jokes and anecdotes about her life, but she also shares real, deep emotion in a raw and eloquent way on the forums. She makes writing this story so much more rewarding for me than it would be if I were writing it all aloney on my owney in a cubby hole of solitude. When I saw her avatar pop up on A Different Forest, I got all giddy. She is so supportive of writers in the Twi-verse - she has never been involved in any tedious cliquey drama - she is a superstar in her own right. Her comments on my story always mean so much to me, so I am please to have the chance now to give a little back to her and say I LOVE MELBA87 right here for all to see!

Reader's Series: Lucette21

Lucette21

I think that, in general terms, the Twilight fan(fic)dom can be divided into writers and readers who have long been involved in other fandoms and those who had never even heard of fanfic until the Twilight Saga was published. I fall firmly into the latter category and arrived later than most.

Like many others, my introduction to fanfiction (via ff.net and from there to Twilighted and so on) began with my dissatisfaction with Breaking Dawn – not just the fades to black but also the no sacrifices / too neatly tied up / happily ever afters for everyone resolution. I can’t say that the endings of other series of books haven’t left me wanting more but I cannot particularly remember ever having been left wanting something completely different the way that I felt in the wake of Breaking Dawn. It was around this time, quite soon after publication when the internet backlash was in full swing and people were talking about returning books, that I started looking around for an alternative and found, via a board on amazon.com, a recommendation for an alternative Breaking Dawn.

That fic was Waiting for Dawn by Alice laughed and I am ashamed to admit that I most likely didn’t review a single chapter. It wasn’t because I didn’t enjoy it but I think it was long since completed at that time and I thought What’s the point? She won’t care what I think when she is already finished. I’m actually still unsure on the etiquette of that situation, so if anyone wants to let me know I am all ears.

Following on from this I exclusively kept to the AU side of the fence for a long while (a lot of New Moon/Edward never came back scenarios), occasionally reviewing but mostly just keeping a low profile, reading completed works and really, while it may have been a guilty pleasure for me it wasn’t anywhere close to an obsession until I discovered Twilighted. I should add that at this point I was still leading the life of a technophobe – no computer at home, no internet connection, no Blackberry – any reading I did was after work at a dodgy internet café around the corner from my flat and they closed at 9pm so there was no opportunity for all night fic marathons.

It was around this time that I discovered AH fics, I can’t remember what drew me there but I quickly realised that two hours online per day was just not going to cut it for me so I treated myself to a laptop, got my broadband hooked up and essentially let my penchant for fanfiction descend into a full blown addiction. Aside from much freer access to my drug of choice, not much changed. I kept quiet, I lurked on the forums and my reviews were at best spotty and usually not all that much more than a “That was great, update soon please” (well, at least I said ‘please’!), occasionally resulting in a “Thanks for reviewing” response. I was enjoying myself but I still wasn’t satisfied because I had no-one to share my excitement with. I can’t talk about other people’s experiences but it’s been a long time since I had a hobby that I was enthusiastic about which I could share with others – most of the things that interest me are fairly solitary activities and I am about as far from sporty as you can get. Fanfic, by its very nature, is something people tend to hide away, it’s regarded as a guilty pleasure by a lot of readers who swear they would never want their ‘real life’ friends to know what they spend their free time doing; so when you get an update that you’ve been dying for or have been reduced to tears by an angsty cliff-hanger, who can you turn to?

It was when the need to share this experience finally outweighed my discomfort at outing myself, even under the guise of a pseudonym, that two important things happened. I realised I had to bite the bullet and de-lurk on the forums and I needed to start giving back and the way to do this was to start taking the time to write reviews with a little more substance. So the next fic I started, I made myself a promise - I would review every chapter, even though it was already 8 or so chapters along and I would try to let the author know which passages resonated with me, what I thought or hoped might happen and thank them for updating – and shock, horror – for the first time ever I actually received a personal response. The fic was the wonderful What You Thought You Knew by hmonster4 and that little bit of assurance that what I had written had made a difference to her meant the world to me and gave me the confidence to start interacting with people in the fandom, mostly via the Twilighted Forums.

I am such a stereotypical bean counter – I am giggling as I write this thinking that the precedents of all the peaks and limited troughs of my fanfic history could be charted very well – HMonster4 led me to Lucky Charm by profmom72 (her beta and now co-author) and then on to their collaboration Breakfast at Tiffany’s, a competition one-shot that was later developed into a multi-chapter story of the same name which became, perhaps, my favourite AH fic. This presented me with an opportunity to be part of a forum thread from the very beginning which meant that I actually got to be part of a lot of fun ranging from good natured teasing of fellow BATgirls to posting pictures of JFK Jnr to participating in a crackfic epilogue competition (my first and only foray into writing). It also introduced me to other readers who liked and were interested in a range of fics similar to those I enjoyed and, most importantly, weren’t going to judge me for reading fanfic because it was exactly why they were there too!

A more recent experience which I was fortunate to be involved in was the Indie Twific Awards, a groundbreaking effort to promote excellent but underappreciated fics and writers, conceived and executed by HMonster4 and Gustariana. I was privileged to be asked to be a validating judge for the competition and it really opened my eyes to what you miss out on if the only thing you look at when searching for new fics is the number of reviews or what is high profile at the time. Being part of the validation process and reading for the judges round of the awards also helped me develop a better critical appreciation of good character development, pacing and originality which in turn has helped me become a better reviewer, although I still need to improve my strike rate.

It sounds like a cliché to say it but discovering Twi-fic has really changed my life in many ways, favourably for the most part. I came for the fanfic but I stayed for the sense of community I found and the friends I have made and I really do believe that most of that wouldn’t have happened had I not received a review reply which made me feel that even as ‘just’ a reader my opinion was valued.

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Author's Blurb by HMonster4

I published my very first fan fic on 12/29/2008.

I received my first review from Lucy on 1/12/2009. She found me via a mutual friend, Gemmabobella, who rec’d my story on her Lost and Found thread on Twilighted.

That day was the beginning of a beautiful relationship. And the cause of stains on many a shirt thanks to early morning coffee snarfs…but I digress.

Lucy quickly evolved from a tentative reader to a major advocate. When ProfMom and I entered Manyafandom’s Valentine’s Day Contest, Lucy declared herself a major fan of our one shot, and encouraged, cajoled and did everything short of plead to convince us to expand it into a multi-chapter story.

The minute we hit publish on the multi chapter version of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Lucy had a thread live on Twilighted, and was out beating the bushes for readers. She left us epic reviews (if you totaled the word count on her review for every chapter, it would probably be 15k words – no joke), encouraged us, cheered us on, speculated, even threatened to hunt down a character in the story and do him bodily harm.

While she might have been BAT girl #1, her loyalty and support has gone well beyond BAT. Whenever either I or ProfMom start a new story, she is first on the scene to create forum threads, spread the word, and be the best cheerleader anyone could ask for. She’s done that for others too, passionately supporting stories, and most recently becoming a beta for Finding Home by Jennde. It’s a great fit for her.

If I had to say one thing about Lucy beyond her support, her enthusiasm, and her reviews, it’s that she gets it. She looks beyond the word to find the meaning. She picks up on nuances, references, and thoughts that many people would gloss over. I tried to pick out my favorite Lucy review…and I looked through all of her reviews (Luce – for the record, you’ve left me 102 of them) trying to pick out my favorite one. And you know what? I can’t. They all make me smile, make me laugh, and bring back great memories.

She may have started out as a reader, but she’s become a friend. She’s been there through all the Ward incarnations, Benedict Redneck, The Met, treks through ruins, and she always surprises and inspires me. When I hit publish, there are a handful of people I always hold my breath for feedback from, and she’s one of them. I don’t consider a chapter or a story complete unless it has her input, constructive criticism, or in one case, an image of smoldering ashes.

Thanks for being you, Lucy. And thanks for making this so much fun.

Reader's Series: FloridaChickie

FloridaChickie

It is such an honor to be invited to contribute to the Reader's Series of this lovely blog! Thanks for giving me a little space to thank some of the authors who have left a deep impression on me.

I guess I should start with what led me to this fandom. In contrast to many of you, I kind of came late to the world of fan-fic. I had never really heard of its existence until the end of last year. I'm sure I am not alone when I say I discovered the fandom by performing a google search to see if others had thought about filling in the great missing lemon gap left by SM in her Isle Esme chapter. After all that build up to finally get to that honeymoon scene, I should have known it would have resulted in the ultimate cock-block. Damn Young Adult books! Yet, all I can say is TGfFF. Thank.Gawd.for.Fan.Fiction.

So after enjoying some honeymoon stories (I especially loved Vixen1836's amazing "Isle Esme"), I decided to branch out in my google searching. While reading the Twi series, I always got a sense of Edward playing a more dominant role in his romantic relationship with Bella. So this time, I searched for stories that wove bdsm themes into the lives of our beloved Twi characters. I somehow landed upon "The Submissive" by tarasueme. At the point I discovered this story, Tara had posted about 17 chapters so I eagerly devoured it in one very long night. When reading the reviews, I came across a comment from a reader warning Tara to write the story in a way that people would not associate B&E's relationship with domestic violence. I quickly wrote Tara, defending her story, as well as complimenting her for highlighting such a romantic portrayal of a D/s couple. Eager to discuss "The Submissive" with others, I found the story's twighlighted.net thread. It was there that I was also introduced to MsKathy. I'll get to her in just a bit.

While trying not to sound too dramatic, I can honestly say that "The Submissive" spoke to me on a very personal level. Without going into too much detail, I used to be active in my then local 'bdsm scene' about a decade ago. I was involved in a D/s relationship that after some time came to a natural end. Shortly later, an incident happened in which a play party became the focus of the local news. Cops busted up a party, trying to cite old puritanical laws that were still on the books. (Charges were later dropped.) Suddenly, I became very aware that my private life could have been subject to media scrutiny as I knew many of the names that were being said in the news. In fact, had my relationship not recently ended, chances are I would have been at that party. Hearing co-workers and friends (not in the know) tease about it after reading the paper or watching the news, scared the living hell out of me. From there on out, I stuffed what was once an important aspect of my sexuality deep inside. As ridiculous as I knew it was, I felt shame and guilt and went back to a vanilla way of life.

When reading Tara's story (and later, "The Dominant"), I suddenly found my old self starting to awaken. Her story reminded me of the true beauty of a D/s relationship and how trust and communication are so vital. I found myself discussing bdsm on the thread, something I had not done for a very long time. It was very healing in terms of coming to grips with my past. MsKathy, author of "Yes, Mistress," also played a huge role in helping me accept my past and welcome back a side of me that I had hidden for too long. I can only hope that the reviews I have left for both Tara and MsKathy have conveyed just how much their stories mean to me. In addition, I think we have something very special on the threads for these stories that go beyond the usual fangirling. I have seen a community reach out to those with questions and concerns, and I have certainly found myself learning a thing or two along the way.

Aside from reading themes of bdsm and lemony honeymoon details, I can assure you that I have branched out by reading a variety of stories that cover different eras, places, characters, and themes. While there are many additional authors I would love to share my accolades, I need to speak briefly about hopeful wager, author of one of my favorite stories, "Twice as Long as Yesterday." Her story was the first one I read which took me out of modern (or non-canon related) times, bringing me to Ireland over a 100 years ago. I instantly fell in love with Lord Cullen, feeling a close kinship to him as I had toured the author's inspiration for his estate, Muckrose in Killarney. I am in constant awe of hopeful wager's poetic words, and how she has me almost forget I am reading fan fiction, save for the reminder when reading the characters' names. If you have not read her amazing o/s for the Age of Edward contest, "Kama Sutra," I highly recommend checking out this extensively researched and believable story.

Thanks again for letting me chat a little about my Twi fan-fic journey. I am in constant awe of the talented pieces of fiction that are all born out of our love of Twilight. As a person who has recently crossed over to writing fiction, I now understand the value and importance of hitting the "review this story" button. I also have a stronger appreciation for all the work it takes to post a chapter. You will never, ever hear me utter the dreaded words, "update soon." Thank you all for taking the time to contribute to this amazing fandom.

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Author's Blurb by Hopeful Wager

FloridaChickie is one of those few readers who, when I put out a new chapter or one shot, I wait like a seventh-grader at Science Fair for the judge's decision to get the feedback from. Her reviews are always insightful and point out specific passages or plot points that she found exceptionally engaging. I know she must pay this same homage to the other authors she follows, and called her to the TLYDF stand as an expert witness in quality fanfic.

Reader's Series: Dazzledeyes22

Dazzledeyes22

I found Twilight fan fiction quite by accident. I heard a Harry Potter podcast that recommended the book, “Twilight.” After I completed reading the series, I searched the Internet for more ways to connect with others that loved the series. Around that time, the same podcast that introduced me to the series started a Twilight podcast and a website with a forum, which I joined. I credit that forum with introducing me to the Twilighted.net fan fiction site and the world of fan fiction. A little later, I joined an online Twilight chat group that introduced me to fanfiction.net…and so the addiction started.

What I like about fan fiction is that I don’t have to let go of the characters that I adore. I can read Vampire or Human stories that deal with the themes of drama, family, adventure, and romance featured in the books. I fell in love with “Twilight” because of Edward and Bella’s romance and how the Cullens were a coven of vampires bonded by love thanks to their non-human diet. I mostly read Edward and Bella romantic stories and do not like to see either of them paired with any of the other “Twilight” characters, especially not Cullen family members.

I am getting annoyed lately with Edward/Bella romantic stories that have one of them talk about how much they love the other for several chapters, but don’t believe they have the same feelings so they have sex with someone else. It devalues the romance in the story and ruins my rooting value for the lovers when they finally get together later in the story. I just wish that authors would classify those stories under one character’s name instead. It also annoys me when the author falls in love with the other pairing in the triangle and their romance takes over the story. This creates an imbalance that relegates the main couple’s reunion to the last few chapters and a quick epilogue.

What keeps me reading is the love of a great story. I applaud originality and creativity in the fandom, since most fan fiction stories use the same template. One of the most original stories that I have read lately is “The Vampire and the Basement” by michellephants. I have been hooked on this story from chapter one. Her pacing and character development makes it easy for me to absorb myself into the mystery and romance of this adventure. I eagerly wait to unravel the next piece of the puzzle surrounding Edward’s past. I also love stories that transcend a template, whether it is the one night stand story of “Coming to Terms” by GinnyW, the re-imagining of “Twilight” in angelicwish / Megsly’s “Through Your Eyes” or vampire Edward comes back years later as a human as featured in “Eight Years Later” by jmeyer. All of those authors took those basic formats and created very compelling lovely stories that I cherish among the first multi-chapter fan fictions that I read and plan to revisit in the future.

In the last seven months, I have read a lot of stories and understand the importance of feedback that writers need from readers. I usually try to review every chapter of a story. I really enjoy giving feedback to the writer about how I felt about the chapter, what really worked effectively and sometimes where the story has gone astray. It reminds me of the criticism papers that I wrote in college. I am always surprised when I get writer feedback. I don’t understand when writers freak out or delete negative reviews. It is one opinion. If you don’t like it, just ignore it. If there is any truth in the statement or you are getting a consensus of the same reviews, you decide whether or not it should impact your story, but please stop berating or putting up the negative review on a forum or in an authors’ note for your fans to tear apart. It is just wrong. Putting your story on a public website where you ask for reviews means that you might get positive as well as negative reviews.

Through regular reviewing and participating in forums, I have had the pleasure of conversing with writers from all over the world. I feel honored that they have shared their stories about life, love, and sometimes even their real life trauma with us all. As a reader, I make an effort everyday to respect their journey and thank them for their contribution to the fandom.

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Author's Blurb by Kambria Rain

Before I posted my first story, I hardly ever reviewed. I honestly did not think it was a big deal. However, as soon as the first one came to my inbox, I saw the light. I was ridiculously happy because one person took the time to tell me they enjoyed my story. Of course, then I felt like a hypocrite for not doing the same for others.

Now, I appreciate every review, from the frustrated rants to the heart-felt and slightly creepy proposals. There are several readers that I could just kiss if I had the chance. Dazzled eyes22 is one of these lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) readers. Even though Bella Swan: Kidnapper was more than halfway written, she took the time to review each chapter, explaining what she liked and why. We all know how difficult it can be to stop in the middle of a story and review, instead of clicking that little button to take us to the next chapter. Her reviews were always nice, focusing on the positive rather than the negative.

As cheesy as this may sound, she made me want to be a better reader. I still cringe when I think about a couple of negative reviews I’ve left in the past. Thanks to her, I’ve turned over a new leaf, I’ve learned to appreciate my fellow fanfiction writers and leave them the thanks that they deserve for providing me with all these crazy stories.

If I had a hat, I would tip it to you, dazzled eyes22. Thanks for reading my story.

Reader's Series: momams

momams

About fan fiction and me…

To be completely honest, before Twilight I had never heard about it. I have always been an avid reader. One of the reasons I love it so much, is the opportunity it gives us to meet new people. Along with the authors, we explore characters that we’ll come to love, hate, admire, suffer with, feel sad, or happy for them.

When I finish a book, I usually find myself thinking about the characters’ lives outside the story. I always wished to know more, and could only accomplish it inside my head. Characters in different stories are seldom alike, but in fan fiction, the same character in one story might be a hero, while in another the villain. That’s the reason I cry and laugh, because it amazes me how multifaceted the characters are in the fandom.

I have found so many wonderful and talented authors in fan fiction, authors who share a wide range of stories and characters for everybody’s tastes. That single fact, astounds me constantly.

The fact that I can review the stories I read, truly surprises me. I have had always wanted to be able to tell authors what their stories mean to me. What I enjoy, what makes me cry, or laugh. The parts I relate to and the ones that show me things I would probably never thought of.

Fan fiction gives both authors and readers the wonderful tool of reviews. A tool I have come to enjoy immensely. My not-so-small-ranting about every chapter is simply my way of showing appreciation and praise to the amazing people who share their stories with so many of us, people from so different places. So, I want to thank every author who takes the time to fully read my reviews and even more, those who reply to them.

The day I found fan fiction, it opened the doors to an amazing world were the stories I could only imagine came to life bigger and better than my mind could ever make them. “Seducing Ms. Swan” was the first story I got trapped in, probably because I could relate to it, having taught in middle and high school during my early twenties, just as Bella is in that remarkable story. Imagining Edward/Robward as my student was exciting to say the least, but it wasn’t enough, I needed more. Furthering my search, I stumbled upon Twilighted and then to Fanfiction.net, and I became addicted, “obsessed” according to my husband.

I read stories from different genres. However I am sucker for love stories. I enjoy stories with strong Bella’s. Strong personalities like the ones ericastwilight writes, where Bella can go from genius engineer to famous therapist, always maintaining certain personality traits that make me want to keep reading more. I found I have a liking for BDSM that I had never imagined. I also read stories that don’t follow traditional guidelines like “The Perfect Wife”, “Just the Three of Us” or “”, stories that may Wrong Side of the Streetnot be liked by most since they deal with premises that break society’s reestablished rules or are considered taboos. But of course, I also enjoy more traditional personalities such as the ones in UnaRJ’s stories about cooks, dancers and girls with indescribable professions.

Reviewing became a great experience, but was even better when authors began writing back. When I received a message from StarLightSuccubus commenting on my fondness of her stories, an amazing friendship I never imagined began. This incredible world of writing and reading has sucked me in and it still seems like a dream come true.

I have wanted to write for a long time. Sadly, I’m not very good at writing stories. But thanks to fan fiction, I have found that I can at least write decent reviews. Some amazing writers even like them. So I try to review almost everything I read. Even when I find a story with several chapters already posted, I try to review each one. A good comment like “great chapter” could do, but not for me. I like to put my thoughts, opinions, questions in it. I think that if someone takes the time to write, edit, beta, check their writing, and share it with us, writing a good review is the least I can do to show my gratitude.

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Author's Blurb by tnuccio

Reviewers…they kind of make or break this little thing we call fanfic, don’t they? Some are …good…some are, well, not so good and others, others are just wonderful.

It’s weird, this little fascination we have, at least I think it is. I have been in this fandom for nearly two years now. I started out reading fic, couldn’t get enough. Read and Read and Read…then, I began beta’ing. Well that then led to actually becoming friends with a great group of authors. After that step I realized just how important the readers actually were. Prior to that, I was just a reader; did I hold any importance in my eyes? No. Did I make a difference to the authors in the overall scheme of things? No. I was just another person picking up their work and reading. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I learned that after talking to my friends who wrote, learned how much they valued their readers and the ones who left reviews held a special place in their hearts. I got it, but I still didn’t really “get” it.

So, I debated. Then I said, awwww hell. I’m gonna write a story. So, with their support I did just that. I posted my story to both fanfic and Twilighted, then I sat on pins and needles and I waited. Because, all of a sudden, the readers really did matter. I’d stepped over that threshold; my fate was in their hands. Did it suck? Was it half way decent? Did anyone get it??

I realized right away, I craved their feedback. It made me smile; it made me feel like I’d done something really good. It wasn’t so much what I had written, but the validation of my peers that made me feel like I’d accomplished something. It was all about the reader.

So, with that, I don’t write a super well known fic, it’s rather small in the AH spectrum. But I would have to say, I have the best group of readers. They are spectacular, wonderful even, and loyal. When I was asked if I’d be interested in taking part of the reader series I immediately said yes. I wanted to take the opportunity to highlight someone who was a great reviewer that wasn’t someone I knew or talked to outside of my story. Someone who everyone else may not know. After looking through all my reviews I decided the fandom needed to know momams.

Momams has consistently left me some of the most wonderful reviews I’ve received. When I say that I don’t mean reviews where people say…”I love your fic, it’s great, your’re great, etc.” Not that those are bad reviews to get! J

Momams takes time with her reviews, they’re never short, and they’re never simple. They’re always thought out and amazingly spot on. After ever chapter she reads she leaves me reviews that speak to the characters and their actions. She analyzes my writing and tells me what the characters are feeling / thinking / doing. She takes what I’ve written and she validates everything I have in my head. I can always tell if “I’ve nailed it” when I get her reviews. She has an uncanny way of taking what I’ve written and telling me back what it means to the characters and the story as a whole.

She gets it. And she lets me know that she gets it. Then she tells me how the characters get it and how it’s affected them, and I know…then I know…I nailed it. I got it right.

Momams is the kind of reader you want reading your story, the kind of reader who lets you know that what you’re doing is really coming through. She honest and thorough and always makes me smile!

Reader's Series: Tuesday Jane

Tuesday Jane

Who am I? Well, without spilling too many of the proverbial beans on the Internet, of course… I grew up in Alaska commercial fishing for salmon with my Dad, moose hunting with my Mom, and laughing until my sides hurt with my sisters. I married a Canadian math genius that I met in New Zealand when I lived 45 minutes outside of Hobbiton. I’m an accountant, but I’m not boring. My real name isn’t Tuesday or Jane but I secretly love it when people are named after days of the week. Oh, and I love fan fiction.

I’ve been reading Twilight fan fiction for roughly 6 months. I stumbled upon a truly unique story called The Secret Prophecies and haven’t looked back since. I started reviewing right then and there because I couldn’t contain myself. I needed to let authors know I was out there reading and loving every minute of it! It was only a matter of time before I was cruising people’s favorite lists and crossing paths with the fanfic mega favorites. Next thing I know I’m finding lesser-known gems like Star Mile, Burning the Edges and Disaffected. I was far more than pleasantly surprised by the caliber of writing available at my fingertips; I was shocked and elated! Then, with the discovery of TLYDF, I found an inside track on great fics as discovered by avid readers and devoted writers.

The world of Twilight fan fiction has captured me for a several reasons. One, I love that people are writing because they want to, not because they are trying to make a living. True, sometimes readers can get demanding, but for the most part authors are writing (hopefully!) for the pure joy of creating something to share with the world. I’m so into that. It inspires me. I also love that I get to provide feedback directly to authors. In the fanficdom, I'm not just a reader; I'm active participant in an awesome, creative process. I don’t know of any other situation in which a large number of people get to interact with an artist as they create. This aspect of the fanficdom is almost entirely unique. As a mostly not-so-creative type, it’s something I feel incredibly privileged to be a part of. Lastly, I love the fan fiction community.

Most of what I have come to adore about the fanfic community has come as a result of a crazy long review I once left on a Hydraulic Level 5 (HL5) chapter. I wrote the review after an in-depth re-read of all chapters that had been written to date. (Mostly, I did it to figure out what the heck was going on!) The amazing feedback I received from Gondolier made me feel sincerely valued as a reader and just plain special as a person. After that review, I started getting PMs from other readers interested in discussing the story. Next thing I know I’m over at the HL5 forum on Twilighted.net speculating and theorizing with the best of them. In short, I found amazing people who love to discuss the minutia of HL5 just as much as I do. I’m there almost every day with a fab group of ladies asking questions and mining past chapters for clues as we try to scrape the next layer off of the HL5 onion. It’s a totally kickin’ time.

Something about fan fiction that caught me completely off-guard was the realization that I might very well enjoy it even more than I enjoyed the books. I love that fan fiction addresses facets of the characters not explored in the original series. I love that it provides an opportunity to see what would happen if the story had gone a completely different direction. It really is the ultimate Choose Your Own Adventure environment.

I am drawn to stories that are unique and bring something special or new to the fanfic table. I prefer all human stories, but there are a few vampire stories that are also very worthy of time. Regardless of genre or plot, I tend to get caught in the tractor beam of stories that are creative, funny and thoughtful.

I am grateful to writers for putting a part of themselves out there in story. Without you, we wouldn’t have this wonderful community of people sharing freely. And being a small part of this community is a privilege that I enjoy thoroughly. Thank you.

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Author's Blurb by Gondolier

I am not new to fanfiction writing, but I am still relatively new to Twilight fanfiction. Hydraulic Level 5 isn’t exactly easy to follow (you know, the old “peeling back the onion layers” analogy I’ve used to death.) It’s also a mystery; it takes a savvy reader to Sherlock that thing, and I had no idea if readers would have the patience and interest to take all of the little puzzle pieces and work with them.

Then I started receiving reviews from Tuesday Jane. Not just reviews….book analyses. She picked up on a lot of those subtle little puzzle pieces, she reread them, shuffled them around, and pieced them together until they started to form a picture—despite having missing pieces. She also blew me away with how accurate her character scrutiny was (and still is). Tuesday Jane even noticed the strains of allegory in “Edward’s books”, which made me fangirl to no end. In fact, I hang on to her reviews when I need excellent summaries of my chapters for future reference because, by and large, she gets Hydraulic Level 5.

Something else that I greatly appreciate is that Tuesday Jane and her theorizing gal-pal, Traceypacey, will discuss chapters and then take their theories to the Twilighted thread to share with others. They, along with the rest of Team WTFisgoingon, are hugely responsible for giving HL5 readers a place to hash out their ideas while having some fun and intelligent discussion. And the entire team is always gracious and polite—no matter what outlandish ideas pop up, they keep an open mind and give a thumbs up or down based on what has been written rather than personal preferences. Tuesday Jane’s clever and engaging style has brought in so many HL5 readers to discussions, encouraging them to delurk and share their thoughts. She helps to keep the story fun rather than frustrating. I depend on her and the rest of the team immensely for that—I’ve had to do very little explaining.

She is truly a kind person, a deep thinker, and an honest and classy reviewer. If any writer is fortunate enough to have Tuesday Jane read and review your work, be sure to give her a big thank you!

Reader's Series: ElleCC

ElleCC

I’ve been sitting here for three weeks (right here, for three weeks!) trying to figure out how to best sum up or explain or describe my seven months in the fandom. In the end, even though I tried to skirt the issue and come up with something wildly entertaining, it really just all comes down to reviews.

I sought out Twific in December, after reading the Saga twice (and seeing the movie four times), in two weeks. After BD, I needed more, like everyone else. And more is what I found. I don’t even remember what my first fic was because I read it around 2:00 a.m. and quickly followed it with thirty more in a week. I spent a couple of weeks figuring out how things worked: reviews, updates, alerts, looking at other people’s Favorites for the best stories.

After I grew comfortable with the idea of reviewing – look, you can tell an author how you feel about her stuff! – I started to become a bit more detailed in my reviews; I threw in a little more than just the regular “great story, update soon!” (Although I can’t say I never used those words in the first couple of months; sorry, wtvoc.)


My reviews grew and grew and some of them became these living, breathing entities all of their own. I was suddenly analyzing and theorizing, something I’d been forced to do in school and had never really enjoyed. Man, if someone had given me Scotch, Gin and the New Girl to read in high school, senior year would have been a completely different experience.

So, I was cruising along, reading sixty-five WIPs, leaving some shortish reviews and some longish ones, when I ran into the first author who made a real impression on me. My reviews for You Get Me Closer to God and subsequently Cascade and Cyanide grew into nice conversations about music and angsty fics and then landed me the position as americnxidiot’s beta. Aside from discussions about commas, we spend our time between chapters arguing about Gin vs. Scotch.

Sometime after that, wtvoc made a colossal strategic error by responding favorably to a long, rambling 300-word review I left for Must Have Been Love. After that, I just couldn’t be stopped. All I really needed was that little bit of encouragement from someone who had clearly seen a significant number of reviews. She helped create a monster and she didn’t even realize it. My reviews became longer and more rambly. I think the longest I’ve ever left was just under 1900 words.

Then, one day, I was trying to sate my intense Jasper cravings with First Love Lost when I noted someone who wrote reviews like mine. She included quotes, references, theories… it was marvelous. I scouted out her Favorites and found that we shared most of them. I made the [cue melodramatic music] life-altering decision to PM her just to say hey. I believe my message started with: “So… this is random and kina lame, but….” Regardless of that ineloquence, she actually wrote back. We chatted about Jasper and HEAs and the movie… and thus I formed my closest fanfic bond with my much-more-than-a-beta Legna.

So, what’s my point? I have one, I swear, all evidence to the contrary.

I review because my words are the only currency I have to give these fantastic authors who share with us something that probably has no right to be free. That I enjoy the yapping and analyzing is really just a bonus for me – that the authors seem to like it is like the frosting on my cake.

I have to think that writers post their words in a public arena because they are at least somewhat interested in reader response. Even if it’s only a, “I wish there had been guys who look like Edward in my Comp Sci classes back in school,” or “You had me scampering to iTunes every 25 seconds,” authors probably care about what we think. How did the chapter affect us? What were our favorite lines? Did we want to punch a particularly irritating character? Did we identify with something Bella said or felt? Did something from chapter three suddenly make sense in chapter seventeen? From all of the review replies I’ve received, and all of the “Hey, I know you!” relationships I’ve formed as a result, authors really do seem to appreciate anything we have to say (even the criticisms, as long as they’re constructive). I actually first ventured onto the Twilighted Forums after PM discussions with Vixen1836 about how her Edward kinda ticked me off. Don’t be afraid to express your opinions.

All of the experiences I have had here in the fandom can be traced – in some manor, shape, or form –to reviewing. If I had only read and never reviewed, I wouldn’t be sitting here, writing what is basically one of my long, rambling reviews for my chapter of Twific history. Reviewing was my way into the fandom – maybe it can be yours, too.

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Author's Blurb by americnxidiot

I'll start by being obvious: I love getting reviews. Just like every other author, I smile when I get that notification in my email and can't wait to see what the readers thought of my latest chapter or one shot. That's something that has never changed. Regardless of the number, the reviewers make the hours spent writing worth it.

When I first posted You Get Me Closer To God back in early December, I think it's safe to say that I was a relative unknown. After all I had spent almost nine months lurking and reading fic, reviewing when I remembered, and posting a thing or two on a Twilighted thread when I got the nerve. I averaged under 30 reviews per chapter while posting that story.

I've been really lucky since then. Word of mouth has been my best friend, and I now have two completed stories that have done really well. But when I was asked to write a blurb about my favorite reviewer, I didn't even have to think about who I would pick. ElleCC has been my favorite reviewer for a long time now.

I got my first review from Elle around chapter 15 of my first story. She was friendly, helpful, and gave me some song suggestions to fit the mood of the chapter. She continued to leave her lovely reviews when I started Cascade and Cyanide. We soon found ourselves exchanging PMs and emails, sometimes in relation to my story, sometimes just to talk about the last chapter of Scotch. And all the while, Elle continued to leave those long, insightful reviews that every author dreams of on every chapter I posted.

Around chapter 15, I had a small freak out. More people were reading my story, and I was really worried about letting my readers down. I had written an important chapter and needed some feedback, but I was still betaless and only had a few friends I'd made through PMs and my own beta work. So I sent Elle an email with the new chapter, practically begging her to read through it and tell me if it makes sense. When I got it back a few hours later, I was surprised and pretty damn thrilled to see that Elle had fixed typos and made notes all over the chapter. And just like that, I had my beta.

I could go on forever about how much Elle has helped me with my writing over the past several months. But before she was a beta and a writer, she was pretty much the ideal reader.

ElleCC is one of those reviewers you wait for because you know her reviews are going to be amazing. She recently hit 1k reviews on her own first story, and if you scroll through the reviews, you'll see several authors giving their feedback and returning the favor. I honestly can't think of someone who deserves it more.

Reader'sSeries: Twilightlvr1

Twilightlvr1

My journey into the world of Twilight was brought to me in more ways than one by my 17 year old daughter. Last summer I was looking for a book to read on the airplane while traveling to see my friend in New York State. My daughter had read all of the Twilight books and having known my weakness for vampire stories, loaned me her paperback copy of Twilight. To make a long story short, I was captivated and within a week had all four books read.

I re-read all of the books several times over the next few weeks and found I was becoming totally obsessed. I found the Twilight Moms posting board and did make several posts there, but honestly the site is so big I found it to be a bit overwhelming. But at least I knew I wasn’t alone in my obsession. I loved that the site opened with a little blurb about ignoring the housework and daily chores to read Twilight, because that is exactly what I had done.

My personal foray into fan fiction didn’t start until after the whole Midnight Sun fiasco.

Again, thanks to my daughter, I read the unfinished script, honestly not even sure what I was reading at first. I suppose you can call me naive, but at first I honestly thought this could be someone else’s take on Twilight from Edwards POV and couldn’t believe Stephenie Meyer’s unfinished work was on line. I stayed up very late and read the whole thing in one night. I found it to be wonderful and fell in love with Edward all over again. Well of course, the next day things unraveled and we all found out that this was leaked and Stephenie decided not to finish it. To say I was devastated is an understatement. I thirsted for more of Edwards thoughts and didn’t know where to turn.

Once again, my daughter came to the rescue. She is an avid reader on FFn and suggested I go on there to look for stories from Edward’s POV. Now, here’s where I am strange. I drug my feet for two weeks to think about it. While I had read Buffy and Angel fan fiction in the past, that was not from a book, those were from TV shows and felt different to me somehow. I was afraid that reading fan fiction authors stories wouldn’t begin to compare to Stephenie Meyer’s written word. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

At first I looked through the FFn web site and found several stories but they weren’t exactly what I was looking for. But I was not ready to give up. So I googled Twilight fan fiction and came across the Twilighted web site. This is where my fan fiction world really began. It promised to have high quality stories, and the site didn’t lie. My very first story that I read was Die to Self by JenWordSong. What a first story to begin with! It had 27 chapters and told the story of Bella and Edward’s wedding, honeymoon and first touch into Bella becoming a vampire so well, that many times I found myself in tears. And parts were in Edward’s POV! I was in heaven. As we all know, once you get started, there’s no turning back. Again, I wanted more.

It wasn’t long after that that I came across There Are Worse Things I Could Do by EZRocksAngel. I had a soft spot for this one as I have always loved the movie Grease (having seen it in the theatres when I was a young teen) and was fascinated with how the author was able to adapt this into a Bella/Edward story. And as the story progressed I noticed that her writing got better and better with each chapter and I was totally in love with her writing and her story. So I started leaving gushing reviews and she started responding back to me saying I was one of her favorite reviewers. That meant a great deal to me. I tend to be somewhat shy by nature and find the forums to be somewhat intimidating. So in e-mailing back in forth, Angel was really the first author that I had the chance to talk to about Twilight and I couldn’t have been more thrilled. She is currently writing Creature of Habit and I can’t say enough about her brilliance on that piece. She has managed to combine the world of Twilight with bringing in a bit of Angel The Series on the side. It’s fabulous.

I really can’t pinpoint my favorite type of stories. I actually like a wide variety. I am a huge fan of Bella and Edward and hate to see them with anyone else other than each other. Now having said that, however I have found 2 stories with Bella/Edward/Jasper that I adore. The first being The Trip Home by MsKathy. And the second is Just The Three of Us by Kuntrygal. What makes these stories work is the emotion the writers put behind their words. In both of these stories, the writers have Bella, Edward and Jasper being in love equally. It’s not gratuitous sex, it’s love and devotion and I find that very endearing. And again, both writers couldn’t be sweeter. I am happy that they seem touched by my reviews.

It’s funny how I first shied away from the human stories, but find that they actually seem to be my favorite type now. Vampire Edward is so brooding and there are so many obstacles, that sometimes I prefer to read something a bit more versatile.

A new recent favorite of mine is To Feel by Rockbandstar. This story has Bella and Edward being in loveless marriages to other people and they fall in love and begin an affair. It’s beautifully written and the author has really touched on some real emotions and tapped into the deep love that her Bella and Edward share. It’s not an easy road for them and has been a long journey for both of them to be together. Having been through a failed marriage myself, this story touches me in a very personal way and I am grateful to the author for writing it.

Also another story that I feel needs more attention is Blood Lines by Windchime. Her chapters are incredibly long and she puts so much into each chapter that I am often times astounded by her words. This is actually a Vampire Edward story where he finds that he actually fathered a child while he was human. Family of the now elderly son is looking to Edward to see if he has any information on the father. The time line takes place after Eclipse right before Edward and Bella’s wedding. The explanation as to how this child was fathered is fascinating as is the support that Bella has for Edward throughout this time. It is a long story, that still is not complete, but has a lot of twists and turns and even a baby. For anyone that was disappointed in the whole baby story in Breaking Dawn and the way it was handled, this story shows a very different and gentler way to handle it. The love and support that Bella and Edward have for each other jump off the page in this story and it’s really very lovingly written.

The only things that drive me crazy in this world of fan fiction are; Edward cheating and or dissing Bella. And when stories, that I have loved and have patiently waited for updates on, get abandoned. I’m sure it’s very time consuming and very difficult, to be so creative. But it makes me very sad when stories go so far and are never finished.

What I especially love is when writers message me back and tell me what my reviews mean to them and then they say – “Hey, have you checked out any of my other work?” I love that.

There are of course many, many other authors that and stories that I would love to pay tribute to, but there just isn’t enough space to mention them all.

All in all I really want to say that my love for Twilight knows no end. My love for fan fiction knows no end. I am totally obsessed. I like to see Happily Ever Afters because in the real world they seem to rarely happen. I live vicariously through the romance of these characters in the stories and can’t believe the amount of talent the writers have. It blows me away at times.

So I thank you to all the writers, only a few who I have mentioned here, who have kept me happily entertained for many hours. (now I won’t talk about the lack of sleep and how I have to consume huge amounts of caffeine to get through my work day!) Your words are a joy to me and I am truly amazed at all of the talent that is out there. Please don’t ever stop writing, cause I’ll always be reading!

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Author's Blurb by Angel/EZRocks

My first story was a little flangst piece called, There Are Worse Things I Could Do. Yes, it is a take off of Grease. Yes, Edward is Danny Zuko. Yes, I love it like my first born, the one you make mistakes on and try to correct them with you second and subsequent children. I was very unsure about my writing with Grease. My reviews were average. Nothing exciting but each chapter I would receive the nicest, most supportive reviews from one reader.

Twilightlvr1.

She would review, I would respond and eventually we found ourselves emailing frequently about many things, primarily our love for David Boreanaz, Robward and all other things Twilight and fanfic related. We talk about work and raising girls. We discuss stories we are reading and our frustrations with certian aspects of the fandom. When I was nervous or worried, I would reach out to her and ask for her honest feedback on my story, which she gave freely. When I posted Creature of Habit she was one of the first reviews I saw from my posting, and the same for each of story I have posted since.

I feel lucky to have met such a thoughtful, intelligent, supportive woman by my side in the land of fanfic. Being a participant in this fandom has brought many things into my life and awesome readers like her are just one of the benefits!

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Reader'sSeries: unpetitpoi

unpetitpoi

I was never as active or involved in the fanfiction world, I just used fanfiction to pass the time and fill out holes that I wasn’t satisfied with in the original stories. Imagine my surprise when I get an email telling me I’ve been asked to write something for TLYDF. I’ve read fanfiction before the Twilight series, but I started reading more Twilight fics while waiting for Breaking Dawn. Personally, that book did not satisfy me, but by that time, I’ve already found talented fanfiction authors who seem to really understand the characters and haven’t failed to please.


That being said, I’ve become quite picky and specific about what I read. Is it true to the story? Is it true to character? If it’s completely AU, is it a well-crafted story? Is it more than replacing the Twilight characters with clones who share their name and nothing else? The first AU story that I fell in love with was Starshinedown’s My Love Shall Ever Live Young. It has humor, romance, suspense, and the characters are not OOC in an obnoxious way. I’m always so happy to find a story I truly enjoy, and I try to tell the author what I really like about each particular chapter—certain lines that stand out, scenes that are remarkable, etc. I was introduced to Twilight by a fanfiction author I met through another fandom. We have similar tastes/views, so it’s no surprise that we have similar reading tastes. But once in a while, I come across another author who just seems to interpret the series/characters the same way I do, and we’ve gotten into lengthy discussions on the books and characters. Not only have I met brilliant authors, but I’ve met people I can actually share my thoughts with. People who know exactly what I’m talking about. ;)

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Author's Blurb by Starshinedown

Whenever I post something new, be it a new story or a new chapter, I get a little giddy when I get feedback. I’m always a bit excited and a bit nervous. Will what I wrote and fretted over connect to readers? Are my thoughts on how to move the story forward (if it’s a chapter update) or how to build the one-shot shared? I have pieces on my hard drive that may never see the light of day, but for those that do get published and read, I want to know how my writing resonates (or doesn’t, as the case may be) with my audience. Feedback from my beta reader usually ends up directly incorporated into each posting, but what readers may not realize about me or my writing is that I take the feedback I receive via reviews, forum posts, and PMs into consideration when I write.

I don’t mean to say I change my plot or my ideas to conform to “suggestions” but that when I receive constructive criticism and thoughtful messages, I consider what is being said about the story, what strengths or weaknesses are pointed out to me, and work from there to improve my skill as I go.

One of my long-time readers, one who has commented thoughtfully on, I think, every chapter of My Love Shall Ever Live Young as well as the preceding one-shot, Aengus, is unpetitpoi, someone I look forward to hearing from each time I put a chapter up. She never fails to comment, and point out a particular part of the chapter that worked for her. It means so much that people are actually out there reading what I’m writing; it means that much more when someone cares enough to take the time to say “Hey! This line, scene, or section is one that I liked!” She’s a reader I’m convinced every writer would be lucky to have.

As an aside, unpetitpoi and I have talked, albeit briefly, about plagiarism, and was mighty impressed with her thoughts. She’s all win.

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Reader'sSeries: dvorndran & m81170

dvorndran

Honestly...I didn't think writing this was going to be such a big deal, until I sat down and started to really think about ALL the wonderful authors who have more than impacted my life with their powerful prose. To just say that the stories have been wonderful would be an gross understatement. I started out reading fan fiction as way to "tide me over" while waiting for Breaking Dawn to be released. I can't even tell you how I found it really...but THANK THE HEAVENS ABOVE I did. I soon became obsessed with finding stories centered around canon parings, specifically Edward and Bella. Over the months of reading and reviewing I was more than devoted to not just the reading but emotionally investing with the authors. YOU all take such effort to create these incredible stories for us readers, reaching our hearts that I cannot sometimes put words to the emotions that I feel when reading them. The gifts that you give me as the reader soon became personal. I was blessed with not only the magnificent and stellar body of your written prose which took me to that place of escape, peace, sometimes hot and heavy "OMG where is my husband" or those times of sadness and tears, or even those dreaded cliffies which I wanted to and did scream "oh no you didn't" times...all of which provoked such incredible emotions that I felt I need medication! My family felt I need an intervention even! It was only through the community of fandom did I find the support I needed. No one truly understands this but you...the author, fellow readers.

The most unexpected gift in this whole thing is the fact that not only did picking up the Twilight book all those years ago which led me to finding fan fiction online to fill a void, I not only re kindled my deep passion for reading again but I have been blessed many times over with the most precious treasure of the friendship from the brilliant authors (too many to mention) of whom I read. I have met some many incredibly talented and flat out amazing individuals from all over the world, different ages, different races and yet we ALL have the same interest here. ONE common thread binds us together as ONE! THAT is pretty dang cool!

Sincerest Regards,
dvorndran

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m81170

In my youth I expressed my teen angst by writing cringe-worthy Harry Potter fan fiction. I spent hours locked in my room reading it, writing it and simply immersing myself in the vastness of what fan fiction had to offer. And yes, it did a lot to gratify my tortured teenage imagination. However, by the time I was 17, I was ready to move on and swore off fan fiction all together, promising myself that I would never waste time on something so altogether useless again. Yeah…

Fast-forward three years later to when I officially broke-up with Harry Potter (we still remain good friends to this day) and transferred my affections to one Mr. Edward Cullen.

At the risk of sounding like a complete perv, my foray into TwiFic began when I was looking to fill in some of the, er… details left out of Breaking Dawn. Knowing little about the Twilight fandom, I Google searched some rather embarrassing terms to find what I was looking for. Google led me to Twilighted, Twilighted led me to Subtlynice , and my love affair with Twilight fan fiction began.

I was very fortunate to find Subtlynice in the beginning of my expedition. Without her I may not have known that I could enjoy non-smut related TwiFic. Her wonderful little PG-rated stories about Mrs. Cope and Angela Webber had me absolutely smitten. On top of that, she replied to every single one of my reviews and made me feel all tingly inside. Generally I only like reading Edward and Bella POV (yes, I’m an E/B shipper all the way) but Subtlynice has a magical way of writing from someone else’s POV and still making it all about Edward and Bella. She makes reading every POV not only tolerable, but incredibly enjoyable.

I next found Blondie’s Dark Side of the Moon . I swear, the woman channels SMeyer herself. She just knows Edward. She interprets New Moon in ways I would never even think about and has completely changed my perception of the book. She’s also another author that interacts with her readers in a way that makes me feel appreciated. I have a tendency to write 500+ word reviews for her stories and she responds to every intimate detail in kind.

Before my obsession with Twilight, I was a nice, wholesome, innocent girl. Enter Laura Cullen’s, The List. I remember beginning this fic when it had only four chapters. I had an hour long bus-ride ahead of me and only my phone for entertainment. It felt so wrong to be reading about Edward taking Bella against a tree while so many people surrounded me on the bus. And yet it made me so… giddy.

Laura Cullen is masterful at writing incredible lemons (no gratuitous use of missionary style), while moving the story forward. She’s also unique in that she masterfully handles criticism. I’ll shamefully admit that I’m no saint when dealing out criticism (but thanks to WTVOC’s Fandom Etiquette I’m happy to say that I’m much improved), but Laura takes everything in stride and uses the analysis to improve her writing and better her story. From a reviewer’s standpoint, I believe honesty in reviews is extremely important in order to help the author glimpse what I’m thinking and feeling as I read the story, whether it be good or bad. If there’s a nice way to send a critical review, I haven’t mastered it yet, but my intent is never malicious. Some authors respectfully disagree, others want to beat me over the head with a stick (which is completely justified and feel free) but Laura never makes me feel like my opinions don’t matter or are unwanted..

Lessons In Forbidden Love by xsecretxkeeperx served the dual purpose of introducing me to the All-Human TwiFic (a concept which originally horrified me) and rectifying my opinion that Alice (who I love) and Rosalie (who I tolerate) could not be horribly annoying in AH fan fiction. When I first joined the fandom, I was surprised to find that in many fics their personalities were twisted to the extreme- Alice being an overbearing shopaholic that relentlessly manipulates Bella and Rosalie being the blonde beauty that makes with the nice-nice and is Bella’s bestest-best friend. And while neither of those storylines has turned me off to a fic, I truly love how Alice stands by Bella and supports her forbidden love for Edward, and the complex relationship that Edward and Rosalie have as brother and sister.

Over 65% of my favorites list is now filled with AH fics. I love stories that bond Bella and Edward together over something more than just physical attraction (though that’s good too). I’ve recently begun reading a new fic by a charming first-time author, kerrybell, called Letters to a Swan. Bella isolates herself after a traumatic event from her past, and Sweetward (one of the most endearing Edwards I’ve read so far) attempts to court her and coax her out of her shell. There are numerous fics out there with similar storylines about Edward and Bella helping each other, and I know each touches someone in a different way. Generally I’ll love it as long as it ExB (to the extreme), well-developed, grammatically correct, with a preferably non-pregnant Bella.

With that said, Twilight fan fiction has definitely become a huge part of my life. I now find myself constantly wondering if anybody can channel Edward’s gift to read my mind, especially when I appear to be smiling for no reason at all (I got an update) or I burst out in random giggles (probably thinking about the latest chapter of The List). My mind is a scary place to be these days.

My emotions are completely wired into my favorite stories. There was one week where about ten stories updated with incredibly depressing chapters and I was in a miserable funk all week. On the other hand, I highly suggest that readers invest in a phone that receives email. Every time I get an update my phone makes a twinkling noise, which I have now deemed my, “happy sound.” Thank you to whomever thought to nominate me for the Reader’s Series. It’s great to know that something I pour myself into and has such a huge effect on my life is appreciated and means something to you.

-m81170

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Author's Blurb by Blondie

m81170

“I truly hated your account of this”

…is not something you’d think I’d ever want to hear in a review. But coming from m81170, Mandi, it’s exactly what I want to hear. Before you get the wrong idea, here’s the whole quote:

“I truly hated your account of this, but loved it just the same because you are an amazing author.”

Mandi doesn’t just review, she explodes. Whatever she’s feeling after (or in some cases BEFORE) she’s read a chapter spills through her keyboard and splashes back to me. And I LOVE IT!

As a writer, I’m not just trying to tell a story, I’m trying to create a place where the reader can escape the real world, if only for a short time. I know I’ve achieved my goal when I get wonderful comments directed at the characters, like:

“[Edward] needs to learn to differentiate between self-imposed guilt and guilt that is deserved and carry that lesson with him for the rest of his life so he'll never leave again.”

Mandi makes it clear that she sees my fictional Edward as a real person (like I do). We discuss him like he’s a guy we’ve both seen while having coffee at Starbucks, not a mythical creature who only exists in our minds. I can’t wait for our conversation to continue when I post a new chapter – and I know it will, because Mandi is always there, ready to review.

A question that’s often asked of authors is how they break writer’s block. For me, it’s two-fold: first, I just write…and usually delete…until something good comes out. Second, I reread reviews like Mandi’s and let her passion wake up the characters in me again.

Thank you for the support, compliments, and inspiration, my friend. (Did I mention that she made me a banner, too?) And yes, the next chapter is coming!

Hugs!

blondie

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dvorndran

One of the good things that comes with writing fanfiction is the instant gratification of feedback. One of the great things is connecting with a reader on a level that’s outside the writing – beyond the story. dvorndran, Doris, has given me the gift of her friendship through her reviews and PMs.

An artist in her own right (a singer and songwriter!), her reviews are as eloquent as they are thorough – I look forward to them as much as most readers look forward to chapter updates. But it’s the personal touches that connected us. Hearing how she laughed so hard at one story that her kids thought she might be in pain, or how excited she was after she’d recorded her first CD, gives a whole new dimension to the writer/reader relationship.

We joke about our parts falling out, lust over the same vamps (twilight, BDB, the Dark-hunters), and wish each other well in hard times. Through it all, she continues to lavish me in wonderful, long, heartfelt reviews. I can only hope that every author has readers as caring and wonderful as Doris.

Thank you, my dear, for reading, reviewing, and for sharing a little of your story with me.

Blessings to you, (and a few sexy vampires, too!)

blondie

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Readers Series: mommyofboth, Yenafer, and ECyesplease

dlhk/mommyofboth

As soon as I discovered Twilight, I devoured the three books twice in one week, then searched the internet for more.  I just wasn’t “done.”  I needed more Edward and Bella, more Cullens, more… everything.  I came across a website where other addicted moms were congregating and was quickly introduced to fan fiction in the form of the infamous Boycotts & Barflies by vjgm.  I found the story around eight pm after my kids went to bed, and the next thing I knew, it was six am and my baby was awake.  Ooops.  This reading pattern became routine for me, as I stayed up each night reading a new story.  My laptop became my new best friend as I discovered Stranger Than Fiction, First Light, Escaping Sol, News to Me, Parenting Skills 101, and I Hate Myself for Loving You.

I quickly found that I couldn’t read without letting the author know exactly what I was thinking and feeling as I experienced it.  As I worked through the stories that were already complete, I felt the need to review each and every chapter.   When I would receive a reply for the reviews it was like Christmas morning.  It was as if they actually cared what I thought about their stories and genuinely wanted to hear my theories. While I understand that there is no way most authors have the time to respond to all the reviews, it still makes my day when a reply shows up in my inbox.  One author that I always receive a response from is Bittenev… and we’re not talking little “I’m glad you enjoyed it” replies.  I’m talking full on paragraphs about how much I mean to her as a reader.  And I can tell you, there is nothing better and I appreciate it so much, especially as I know it must take her so much time and energy.  Replies like that make me try so much harder to be a good reader and reviewer.

I found the Twilighted website a little over a year ago when the forums on the site  I frequented closed and I needed a place to express my thoughts and theories.  What I love most about the forums are the connections you make with the authors and the other readers.  They bring together people with similar interests, while reassuring us that we are not the most obsessed fan out there.  It normalized my addiction for me while creating a network of ladies I consider my friends.  And honestly, rubbing elbows with the giants of fan fiction is just… amazing.  What other opportunity affords us the ability to discuss our favorite stories with the actual authors? I realized that these amazing authors are just people… just like me, with insecurities and fears about posting, who are trying to find a balance between their love of writing and their responsibilities to real life. Oh, and, of course, the teasers and added insight to the characters and plot are always a plus. 

The more and more I immersed myself in the different personalities of Edward and Bella, the more I began to dream about the stories in the few hours I slept.  My dreams consisted of Lawyer Edward kissing a blindfolded Bella with a bag of frozen peas while stitching up her arm and eating a peach.  I find even now that my obsession has lessoned (and I routinely sleep more than 2 hours per night), that I still think about these stories, analyzing all the possible outcomes and characters, throughout my day.  I recently found Creature of Habit after it was recommended to me by two different people and could literally not get it out of my head.  I thought about it night and day for almost a week.  I thought I was losing my mind, though my husband pointed out that I’ve already lost it. 

While I actually enjoy many genres of fan fiction, I tend to read the AU Human the most.  It just makes me smile to imagine and watch as all of these wonderful Edwards get to experience the amazing plots these authors dream up.  I just can’t get enough.  The best day in the entire world was last summer when my husband bought me my shiny silver blackberry.  Suddenly I could read anywhere and everywhere.  I was able to enjoy geekward (Resident Geek), stealthward (Dangerous Affections), extremeward (Porcupine Embrace), swimward (Going For the Gold), soldierward (Guns & Roses), rockward (Volterra Rocks), spankward (Piano Lessons), zorroward (Must Have Been Love), nobleward (The Highwayman), actorward (When Fiction Becomes Reality), doctorward (Paging Doctor Love), bikeward (Cascade & Cyanide), skittleward (Frenemies), flyward (Second Chances), wankward (Midnight Desire), priestward (Sanctuary), teacherward (Lessons in Forbidden Love), brainward (What Happens Tomorrow), virginward (Earthquake), and bedward (Restoration) on the run.

 I’ve read updates for Coming to Terms at soccer games, I Love LA at Sea World, No Regrets at Disneyland, Restoration in the carpool line, Stitches in Scas on the side of the road, Scotch, Gin, and the New Girl at Target, Irritable Grizzly Adams at the pool, Legacy on the sky ride at the zoo, Warmth at stop lights, Blame it on the Cuervo at a family reunion, Sanctuary at the dentist, and She’s Royal hiding under the covers in bed.   

With this freedom to read out and about, though, I also have the burden of being unable to immediately review a story at times.  I find that I read so much on my phone that I get incredibly behind on my reviews.  I keep the update alert emails in my inbox, however, until I’ve reviewed so that I never miss one, even if it’s late. And sometimes… it’s really, REALLY late. 

 I just feel that I can’t let these authors down by not reviewing.  I know it probably isn’t the case, but I picture bittenev waiting patiently to read what I thought about a chapter, or Jfly sipping her coffee in her hillside café wondering if I’ll get what she’s trying to say.  I can just imagine bethaboo logging on to her email to see if I’ve had a chance to read her update yet, or jandco reading to see if we all have the physical response she was hoping for.  Knowing these stories are written by real people, just like me, who live for a good review, is all the motivation I need. 

Sometimes my reviews are practically novels where I’ve opened the review window at the beginning of the chapter and give the author a play-by-play of my experience with the chapter, sometimes my reviews are a long list of every little detail I loved, sometimes my reviews are questions I don’t really want or expect answers to, sometimes my reviews are incoherent words when I’ve been rendered speechless, and sometimes my reviews are nothing more than a short line about how much I’ve enjoyed the chapter and look forward to more. 

I appreciate this opportunity to express my love and thanks for this group of authors, for the beautiful stories they create, and for the time and energy they expend to share their talent with us. I’m sure I’ve missed some of my favorites, which is one reason I almost didn’t give examples, but I just had to. If I forgot you on here, know that I haven’t really forgotten you.  I’ve just suffered some serious brain cell deterioration from all the sleep deprivation.  But… I wouldn’t change it for the world.  In the words of one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite musicals,  “I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn, and we are led to those who help us most to grow, if we let them, and we help them in return.”

I’ve definitely been changed for the better (although my husband might not agree) because of the friendships I’ve made through Twilight fan fiction and the forums on Twilighted.  Thank you to the author who suggested me for this article… I hope you really DO look forward to my reviews.  

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Yenafer

Wow, sitting here with a blank screen is kind of intimidating.  Knowing you need to fill it with words and sound a bit intelligent, be riveting or at least just coherent in my case.  It makes it that much harder for me to fathom how all of the stories I have grown to love come about.  It's truly awe inspiring.  

Are you tired of hearing the stories of how a person got hooked on Twilight?  This is just a brief insight to how crazed I was (am).   

I'd heard of the Twilight series after the first book or two, said meh, doesn't really seem to interesting, not my thing, etc.  Then I was told by a good friend "You MUST read this book".  So I did. I was instantly hooked.  It may have involved a call or two to my friend/dealer, Ambushed, telling her that I hated her for sending me on vacation with just the one book, to a place where book stores are practically non-existent! Also, knowing full well, you get the first chapter of New Moon in it.   

After crazy, marathon reading sessions previously reserved only for Harry Potter books, I finished the first three. Then I started the process all over again, and again, and again, walking around the house with the books in my face, riding in the car across town, really any and ALL down time or time I should have been sleeping.  I'd read them, over and over, each time it was like the first. They drew me in, I couldn't put them down.  I even purchased the audio books, listening while catching up on the PILES of laundry, or lying down with my son to force him to nap.  HOW? HOW was I going to wait 6 months for the final book???  

Welcome to the world of forums.  Wow, what a whole new idea! Well, for me at least.  Then the filming of the movie began.  I followed the 'on-location' threads at Twilight Mom's and that certainly helped fill the need for all things Twilight for awhile.  Once that wound down, I desperately needed that fix again and I started branching out.   

My dealer started talking about a few fanfiction (fan what? huh?) stories she was reading.  She emailed me the link for  Attention, WalMart Shoppers by sillybella.  A funny, simple, easy introduction to fanfiction.  The whole thing was so foreign to me.  I didn't even know how to get to the next chapter.  She had to send me each chapter link.  DUH!  Sheesh, what a moron I was!  I didn't even leave a review.  (GASP! I KNOW!!)   

I then read a few short little stories written about E/B's wedding or peoples visions for Breaking Dawn.  Eventually I moved away from "Breaking Dawn" versions to AU stories such as Sacrifices by Enthralled and LOST by edwardsoul.  Most of the fanfic stories I read in the beginning all came from Ambushed.  She just wouldn't stop talking about them.  Eventually, I got used to fanfiction.net and Twilight Mom's fanfic threads.  Constantly checking for updates, teasers, theories on the upcoming chapters, etc. Then, that's all I did until TM's locked the threads and reformatted them.  AUGH!   

I went frantically searching for anything to fill the void.  I started checking the favorites of the authors whose stories I'd read and the heavens opened and the sun shown down on the world of AU-Human.  All I really have to say is B&B, y'all know what I'm talking about.  If not, go... Boycotts and Barflies by vjgm NOW! What are you waiting for?  I have found that anything by vjgm is GOLD.  I am currently in the excruciating process of waiting for chapters on her new story Trust in Advertising.  It is strictly on Twilighted.net and she gives wickedly evil teasers that really make you think or totally confound you on the story thread.  

Once I hit the AU-Human, it was full speed ahead.  I have not opened up my Twilight books since I finished Breaking Dawn.  Surprising how intensely I read an re-read those and have only read BD once.  I keep telling myself I need to read it again, it won't hold as much shock value.  I can't seem to get myself to do it though.  Maybe it's because I have 97 authors on alert and my inbox is regularly updated.  Maybe it's my ability to procrastinate any and everything.  It certainly didn't make me fall out of love with the books since it seems I can't get enough of the fanfic, but maybe that's it.  There are so many new and wonderful stories being written and added to daily that I have plenty to read?  

I am constantly reading stories and having these "holy shit" moments.  Especially with In the Blink of an Eye by that_writr which is AU.  A lot of the plot lines in this story just make so much sense.  I think most of the time I am too unaware or caught up in the story to catch on to a particular line of thinking or even give it another thought after I finished the paragraph or page.   Not always seeing or wondering the why's.  

I have been continually amazed at the class of writing that is in fanfic land.  An eloquent writer or reviewer I am not.  Somedays, I wonder if I'll ever be a deep thinker.   Mostly I'm just a goof who thinks crude things and never comes across in words as funny as she thinks she is...  

Due to the introduction to fanfiction I have substituted walking around my house with my nose in a book to my eyes zeroed in on my BlackBerry.  I'm sure that can't be good for my eyes.  I am constantly checking for updates like the obsessed fangirl that I am.  I am extremely thankful for email updates and mobil internet.   I get that I am not smart enough and will never understand Dungeons and Dragons from the brilliant explanations from cdunbar in Resident Geek.    I have functioned on amounts of sleep that should be illegal, the dark circles under my eyes rival the ones I had when I had a two year old and a newborn.  I ignore my laundry, live in a dirty house and feed my family chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese more times than should be allowed. Yet, I keep coming back for more.  

On May 25, 2009, I celebrate one year on Twilighted.net where I have found some great friends from all over the world.  I have laughed outloud at their funny, random, and outlandish comments.  Seen inside their lives and minds, looked at pictures of their families.  I have read brilliant stories written by a large majority of them.  I have met and posted on forum pages with, working to be published, authors.   Crying and laughing or feeling the angst right along side a great bunch of ladies.  I've laughed at brilliantly written poems by a fun and witty french teacher.  I have been given recipes for some yummy cookies and dinner ideas to use when I don't get caught up in a story and read all day (thanks wtvoc ).  I 'speak' forum now, words like TOTES, FAIL, WIN, IMMA.  I feel I've been schooled and can hang out with the cool young kids now. :)      
It truly is an amazing fandom and I am extremely grateful for everyone I've had the chance to meet and get to know.  This really is an amazing place. 

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ECyesplease/Anniej13

The fact that I was recommended to participate in this blog astounds me.  I hardly suspect anything I mention will be surprising. I’m trying not to look at this as a way to recommend reading material.It’s more of a way for me to thank the amazing writers that so fearlessly share their talent.  Someone must have appreciated a rambling review of mine and thought it was a good idea to let me ramble to a bigger audience. So here we go.

My journey to Twific has been a whirlwind. I never imagined myself getting so caught up in something. It started as a crutch and a cure for my aching need for more Edward after I finished reading New Moon. Before this, I had never been part of a “fandom”. I wasn’t even aware of all the online riff raff for different genres. I was of course glued to SM’s website for a while and read everything Twilight related, which wasn’t much at the time. I quickly found the Twilight Lexicon, but never really participated on the forum. I was just a lurker for a long time. I stumbled upon Alphie’s fic “The Lion and the Lamb” and was immediately intrigued and confused. I did not understand the concept of fan fiction. I know…call me clueless. At first I thought it was silly (people write their own stories about other stories, what?).  Since I heard SM had read it and liked it, I continued to read Alphie’s version of MS and recognized my desire for more.  It was the first time I received the “your' e crazy” look from my husband for using half a ream of paper to print out a story. I was weak and said, you’re right this is silly. At the time I was waiting for Eclipse, so I repressed my urge for more fanfic and waited patiently, or not, for Eclipse. After all the hype slowed down and I was now waiting for BD, I found TwilightMoms. I decided to go to a TM’s lunch here in my area. Reluctantly, I went alone when my friend backed out on accompanying me.  I was ready to take one look at these crazy cyber people and leave. I went, I stayed and met the person who ultimately convinced me to try reading fan fiction again, Barbarito. She is the most enthusiastic reader you can imagine and we have become great friends with out love for Twific. I am sure some of you authors know her. She is very dedicated. I tinkered around on fanfiction.net trying to find good stories. I remember the days of scrolling through summaries, so boring and tedious.  Until I found Twilighted. That changed everything.

For my founding authors, so to speak…I read “First Light” by Blondie aka Robin and was hooked. I’m not really a Breaking Dawn hater, but I would have been fine if SM just published Blondie’s story. Barbarito quickly started telling me about the all-human stories, and again I was dumbfounded (why would anyone want to read about a human Edward? Where is the fun in that? No vampires?). Silly me. I was like a naïve little child in the Twific world. She convinced me to try it out and while I still love the stories with the vamps I am mostly drawn to the AH category. My first human stories, of course, “Passion Fish” by qjmom,“Boycotts and Barflies” by vjgm and “I Hate Myself for Loving You” by halojones. So many authors come to mind and I would be here all day if I tried to list them all. There are a few I must mention and I hate to leave anyone out because I have made some great friends. They may not know it, but their stories have helped me reclaim myself. Being a mom, sometimes you lose yourself. The escape that I find while reading enables me to appreciate and enjoy my life with my family,then have this little something that is just for me. Does that make sense? I thought the best way to go about this would be to mention a few of my “firsts” as I remember them.

Okay, back to Twilighted. I lurked. I was a little shy to join the forums at first. I remember telling Barbarito about Twilighted when it first started and how all these girls discuss the stories on the forum, but saying, “No, I don’t comment or post! No way.” But then probably two days later I buckled and posted a comment on the “A Matter of Convenience” by Spotzle (I miss this one!) thread and I was welcomed by the lovely wtvoc. I really don’t think I would have continued posting had she not made me feel welcome, being so new to forums, etc.  I soon found her first story “Must Have Been Love”, which recently updated and all I can say is FINALLY! I love her writing style, her ability to write real. Quick, witty, funny, emotional…I don’t need to say much. I’m pretty sure most of her fans read this blog and you all know what I‘m talking about.

Then came “Cullens Island”, by wtvoc’s wifey, Jandco. Seriously, sexy funny always wins me over and CI Edward will always be one of my favorites. All of Jandco’s stories get to me. The first time I cried while reading a fic was while I was reading her story “Retrograde”. She can attest to the multiple PM’s with songs that I remind me of her stories, as can a lot of other authors. I can’t help myself when it comes to music and I am always imposing my musical thoughts on different authors. Jandco and wtvoc’s ability to collaborate is amazing and I always have fun reading their words. Even when I am anxiously waiting for an update, there is something special about reading a story as the author is writing it, as opposed to reading a completed story. I find it harder to review completed stories chapter by chapter since I know most of my questions are already answered in the coming chapters.

Obviously I am a huge ExB fan.  I like a lot of Edwards, but there are a couple that will always stick out. I fell head over heals for Bittenev’s “Stitches and Scars” Edward…sweet, super hot knight in shining armor with a love for produce. In fact, I think I may love any Edward that she writes because “When Fiction Becomes Reality” makes me all happy inside. Thank you to Bella-of-the-Ball for allowing her stories to be adopted by other amazing writers. “Piano Lessons” and “Volterra Rocks” are must-reads. Bittenev, edwardsothalova, wtvoc, halojones and bethaboo have done incredible work with continuing these story lines.

Many people read and love “Resident Geek” by cdunbar as I have seen her mentioned here before. You just can’t resist a geeky Edward with a Bella willing to appreciate him.  I am drawn to her writing. I first found her when she started “I’ve Been Looking For You”. That Edward can stalk me any day.

“Realize” by Goo82 had me frantic while following that story. I remember I was away on vacation with my family and that was the first time I had to sneak my husband’s iphone so I wouldn’t miss out on an update. The hurt and healing in that story was so heart wrenching! 

I have made some great friends over the last year or more of reading fanfic and the credit goes to Twilighted. It’s so big now and I hardly find the time to hang out on the threads anymore, but I will forever be grateful to psymom for starting the website responsible for this joy in my life. I don’t think we would have this amazing blog, TLYDF if it weren’t for Twilighted either. The stories I have found from recommendations here have been amazing. In the recent weeks I have started “The Lost Boys” by hwimsey, “Twice as Long as Yesterday” by hopeful wager, “Tropic of Virgo" by In.a.blue.bathrobe to name a few…the list goes on and on - for real. Look at my FF profile and you will see how many stories I have favorited.  It’s impossible for me to mention them all, but I truly adore each one. Mucho thanks to all those I have mentioned as well as dollegirl, Gustariana, stacy.bumblebee, limona, tnuccio, angel, feathers_mmm, smellyia and everyone in my chat boxfor making me feel appreciated as a reader as well as a friend. I really do take my role as a reader seriously and do my best to review thoughtfully. Thank you for thinking of me. ;)

xxoo

anniej13 ~ ECyesplease

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CDUNBAR: It’s no secret that I have a lot of favorite people. And a lot of those favorite people are reviewers. But these three ladies hold a special place in my heart for multiple reasons; however, I’m just going to highlight the main one because I know Amelia’s worried about the length of this post. (EEP)

From the mind-numbingly difficult start of posting that first chapter of ‘I’ve Been Looking For You’ (my first venture into fanfiction) almost a year ago to just the other day on the ‘Resident Geek’ forum thread, Anniej13/ECyesplease, Yenafer/Who Knows?, and dlhk/Mommyofboth support me, keep me entertained, and help me out in small and large ways, possibly without even knowing it.

I look forward to their reviews, I love chatting with them through threads, gchat and PMs, and I know if I need a pick me up, they always have an extra exclamation mark waiting just for me.

They are my trifecta and I do what I do because of them. I think of them like the Planeteers from ‘Captain Planet’. With their powers combined, I am cdunbar.

Let me start with Who Knows? (as she’s known on Twilighted). She is my forum thread encourager, i.e. ‘Earth’. Pretty much every time I post something on one of my story threads about how there’s a new chapter coming soon or I’m working on something new, she’s there with a YAY! and ‘I can’t wait!’ Without fail it makes me smile. Scratch that, SHE makes me smile.

Mommyofboth, usually written as MoB, is my multi-reviewer or ‘Wind’. She somehow finds the time to read most of my chapters not just once, not twice, but up to three (that’s right, THREE) times. Then she’ll review on both FFn and Twilighted, and I’m pretty sure if I posted anywhere else she’d review there as well. I love her for it. Love, love, love. Because I know how much she reads and for her to commit that much time to one of my chapters, I’m going to make it a good one. Just for her.

Finally, there’s Anniej13 (as she’s known on FFn). She’s my rock, my ‘Heart’. I know she’ll always have an insight into one of the characters or the current situation, or call me on leaving out something that should have been addressed, which is why I recruited her as my second beta. She puts up with my insane, insecure questions for each new chapter I send her and hasn’t complained yet or told me to quit my whining. (I’m sure I’ll push her over the edge one day…) She’s THE sweetest person you will ever have the privilege of meeting and I wish I lived next door to her because I would come over every day, babysit her adorable kids, and bake her brownies to pay her back for everything she’s done for me.

I love you ladies and I hope you know how much you mean to not only me, but every author for whom you review. Don’t ever change.

And your magical rings, which when used together will summon me, are in the mail.