Happy Friday, Fictionees! We hope you’re all staying warm, or staying cool! Have a great weekend!
Just a reminder, if you subscribe to our site via Google Friend Connect (over there on the sidebar), google won’t be serving non-blogger sites anymore, starting in February. You will need to subscribe via RSS or email if you want to keep getting us in your box!
Did you catch our latest book review? You’ll want to read Hallowed for sure! We’re giving away a copy, so be sure to enter!
LJSummers: Wow! Well, in terms of fic, I’ve been reading Touching Solitude by catharticone. TS is an historical AU, which is awesome, and gives Edward a rather different “gift” than he has had before. This gift has rather traumatized him (believe!) and it is from his need to get away that the story proceeds. Slow-paced and sweet, it’s been a lovely read so far. I am also reading A Clash of Kings, the sequel to Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. Gripping and involving! Highly recommended.
MJinAspen: I’m freaking out over Seven Days by IdPattThat. Not only is it AU, but it’s Ed/Leah, which I’m sure you know I have a weakness for, and it updates every day with regular length chapters–hooray! Also, digging back into The Trip Home 2 *happy sigh* by MsKathy–thank God she updates regularly, too <3 Also, I’m old now, so a few people wrote me some pretty words to make me forget about my age: EJSantry wrote me an Ed/Leah ficlet based on a Foo song (SWOON) called Friend of a Friend *another happy sigh* and MsKathy showed me she loves me again with Good Girl–ung.
MsKathy: homg, I am so backlogged from being sick last week. I’m still loving String Theory. Disenchanted Lullaby updated this week. Animate Me updated and completed on Saturday. *sob* Dear Maggie also updated! WOOHOO. I need to read that one still, but I absolutely love that story. I also am diving in to Going Under!
Songster: Oh Yes to the Going Under! Surferward and little Lisle is a scene stealer. I want to smoosh him. Sparklnfade has really captured teenage girl angst with her Bella. I also caught up with Exposed by kdc2239 which still makes me want to go out and buy survival stuff, gloves, masks *squints suspiciously at everyone*
Caren: Seriously you two, stop it or I’m gonna go hide. Also, I’m squeeing because you’re both reading my little story.
As for me, I am reading and loving purelyamuse’s new story, Take What You Want. I know I mentioned it last week, but it definitely bears repeating. High school Edward/Bella, and they’re just so funny together. She hates him; he’s smelly. But they’re so perfect for each other. I am itching for another update like RIGHT NOW. Hear that, PAM?
Katinki: I didn’t get in too much new reading this week, fic-wise, because I was sorta obsessed with The Night Circus. Holy shit, I loved it. In my goodreads review, I think I referred to it as crack cocaine. Here’s my review if you’re interested.
On the fic side, I did go back and re-read one of my very favorites of all time. I was in an angsty mood, so I opened up How to Save a Life, by unholy.obsession. If you’ve never read this one (which I can’t imagine), I seriously can’t recommend it enough. It’s just… yeah. The intensity is amazing. There’s one chapter in particular that just rips me up every single time I read it.
Caren: Oh kate, the UST in that fic… is some of the best ever. Love that story.
Katinki: @caren, did you read it as a WIP? Gah, that was like the best WIP reading experience ever. Every week I just about died waiting. I looked forward to it so much… and at the same time I dreaded it. Perfect fic is perfect.
Kassiah: I love Going Under too. And I really love the author. I love Exposed, too, and I can’t wait to see Edward’s reaction after this latest update.
@Kate I am soooooooo ooooooo glad that you love The Night Circus. You better be glad that I’m not calling you and begging you to talk about it. GAH I love it so much. Did you know I have a serious crush on Widget (and don’t even get me started on Marco)?
Caren: The author really loves you, too. JS. In non-fic reading, I finished The Fault in Our Stars…which was amazing, but I ugly cried. A lot. Snot and sobbing and I had to throw the book down and walk away just to breathe again. It was that angsty.
To combat that angst, I decided to finally read Graffiti Moon, which was amazing. So sweet and just the perfect amount of fluff to bounce me back into a happy place again.
Kassiah: gah! Grafitti Moon. I love it so much! Geez, I said that a lot this week. Whatever. You’re all pretty.
Thanks to everyone who gives us support, sends in their recs, and just generally makes our lives in the fandom more entertaining. We couldn’t do this without all of you. See you next week!!
Bella is on a mission to change her life. Will a tiny school in a small mountain town offer her a new beginning? And why does every one want her to stay out of the woods? Set in the 1920s/30s. AH ExB MountainmanWard Rated M for violence/language/sex.
The concept was simple. There were 10 picture prompts, and the only direction was to write “angst” relating to one of those prompts. Any character, any pairing, any ending (as long as it was logical), any rating. The only absolute requirement was anonymity.
We’re so happy and proud to say that the success of this contest went past our wildest dreams. We had a total of 59 entries, and the variety was incredible. Awards consisted of: 1st and 2nd place Judges’, 1st and 2nd place Popular. And Special awards were: Best Tragedy, Most Deserved HEA, Tissue Award, Best AU, and Best Secondary-Centric.
To congratulate and thank our 1st place winners in particular, we wanted to take a moment to publicly highlight some things we loved about their entries.
We hope that you enjoyed the contest and read all the entries. And we hope that if you haven’t already read, you’ll do so now!
Thanks for all your support and love ♥
22blue and katinki
1st Place Judges’ Vote:
Author:Tkegl Pairing: ExJ Summary: It’s 1963. Jasper Whitlock is a smart boy with a bright future – college, marriage & taking over the family business. When Edward Cullen comes to town, he shakes Jasper’s world to the core. Sometimes, it’s the unexpected that makes life worth living.
There are so many reasons why we loved this story.
First and foremost, these characters and their situation ring of truth and realism. We’ve all heard the stories and read the news. And we all understand that in 1963, homosexuality was considered by many to be a sin, a perversion, a threat to society, and something to be feared and quashed. But for most of us, it’s only something in a book or a paper. This story makes all of that seem real and tangible, and it offers us a glimpse into what that life might have been like – both the good and the bad.
He knew what they were saying about Edward…and now about him. He heard the whispers…hurtful words hidden behind cupped hands and lowered eyelids.
Queer.
Pervert.
Faggot.
At first, Jasper would stiffen at the sound, fists clenched and arms braced for battle. But Edward convinced him that no good would come of it.
In Turns, we also see new love. We see an awakening, a coming of age of two young men, and a rebellion against what’s forbidden and taboo in favor of what’s true to their hearts.
“Jasper,” he whispered, his hands stilling on the guitar. “What are you doing?”
Jasper reached out tentatively, his fingers barely touching Edward’s cheek as he moved closer, warm breath mingling between barely parted lips.
“I don’t know,” he whispered back, just before he leaned in to kiss Edward softly. It was timid…gentle…barely a brush of chapped skin and moist breath. He pulled back slightly, dizzy and uncertain, but Edward surged forward to close the gap between them, capturing his lips again with a quiet whimper.
But that kind of love, isn’t allowed. And in this story, we witness the depths of human cruelty and all the subsequent heartbreak.
This is an extraordinary journey in so few words. You truly care for these characters. You feel their love and their heartache. You fear for them. You hope for them. You experience their devastation. This story, while only a one shot, is a complete one, too – a whole story laid out from beginning to the very end.
The writing here is lovely, too, a joy to read. It’s somehow hopeful, yet at the same time, it’s haunting and melancholy and bittersweet.
Make sure you have a tissue or two nearby.
Note:Turns also won the Best Secondary Centric Award. And Tkegl’s second entry, A Swirl of Circles and Stars was awarded Best Tragedy.
center>
1st Place Popular Vote:
Author:KiyaRaven Pairing: ExB Summary: Every day he passes and I let him, knowing that everything’s wrong. Wanting so much to fix it but scared to try. Sometimes doing nothing is the worst form of cowardice, and right now, he needs me to be brave.
Like Turns, Phoenix is a great example of how a complete and complex story can be told in surprisingly few words.
It’s a story of a once happy man who has lost everything and who shatters and of the woman who picks up all the jagged pieces. It’s a story of loss and of recovery and of second chances.
The introduction is heartbreaking, because you see someone who is so lost and hurt that his mind refuses to accept reality.
I haven’t seen him for a week. A week in which I’ve wondered, probably too many times, how he is. What he was doing. If I should try to see him.
But now here he is, as if nothing has happened, pushing the bright red stroller along the sidewalk, looking my way and smiling as he slows down and stops near the mailbox.
“Hey, Bella.”
I wipe my dirty hands on my jeans and try to match his casual ease, but it’s difficult. This is surreal.
He looks so happy. How can he when I feel like my stomach is made of stone?
You can guess where it goes from there. There are tears and heartache, but in the aftermath, we then see compassion and kindness and the eventual, slow journey back from the abyss.
And along the way, as wounds begin to heal, that second chance emerges. But only if he can get past the guilt of what moving on might mean. There’s a specific moment in this story that will make your heart hurt because his angst is also hers.
“And let me say this – you don’t need to remind me I’m not Tanya. I’m very aware that at best, I’ll always be your second choice, and that fucking KILLS me, because what you don’t understand is that you’re my first choice. My ONLY choice. And knowing that I’m not that to you… That I’ll NEVER be that to you… ”
I swipe at my stupid tears and try to push past him, but he grabs me, holding me fast.
“Bella, wait -”
My blood is pounding in my ears as I slap at his chest, but he grabs my wrists, pulling them against him.
“Let me go!”
This is a great story and it’s one where you truly root for both Edward and Bella, separately and together. Grab a hanky but be prepared to smile, too.
Every week, we mention the stories that are pwning us~fics that we are just so darned excited about, we can barely think of anything else. We asked you to tell us what’s pwning you and you answered!
Please note: The pwns are reader-submitted, meaning we do not necessarily know anything about any of them.
An Italian Winter by: Raum Summary: Summary: “There was a reason behind Edward’s rebellious period – a reason that still holds true and brought him to Italy. His existence has been predicated on revenge for decades, to the point that forgiveness seems impossible. When Edward meets Bella, only a winter separates him from his last human prey and his own destruction.” AU-Vamp
Why this fic pwns TwiArcady90: A handsome and mysterious neighbor who has the habit of playing piano at night…A brilliant and lovely high school teacher who seems to hide some dark secrets…Italy…Winter…
Are you curious to know what I’m talking about?
Well, you’ll have to go and read “An Italian Winter” by Raum. An intriguing story I fell in love with immediately from the first chapter.
Edward is a vampire whose existence has been predicated on revenge. He finds himself in Italy, living alone in an apartment and playing piano at night. Till one day, his neighbor, Bella, decides to go and pay him a visit in order to make him stop this habit of his. She would like to have some sleep after all, without melodies intruding her dreams. What happens when Edward opens his door to Bella? And is Bella ready to face her snarky neighbor?
I so love this story that I find myself waiting anxiously for the updates, in order to see what will happen next. Raum, author of the highly known “De Immortalitate,” is a brilliant writer who captivates the reader into this new adventure with Edward and Bella, two characters who are bound to conquer your heart. And for those who, like me, love literature, you’ll find great suggestions at the end of each chapter about books and works that play an instrumental role in the plot. Read the story, leave a review and you’ll receive a little gift from the author!
Breaking News by: WriteOnTime Summary: Two network news anchors. One desk. In a race to get the story, love might become the headline – if they don’t kill each other first. AU/AH Canon Couples, smart people, particle physics, and tap dancing.
Twilight – Rated: M – English – Romance/Humor – Chapters: 26 – Words: 180,097 – Reviews: 6443 – Updated: 1-3-12 – Published: 10-5-09 – Edward & Bella – Complete
Why this fic pwns rabia: Edward is world-famous photo journalist who lost his best friend in one of his assignments. Bella is a production member of a TV Channel’s news. When the anchorman dies, Bella is given the position together with Edward. These two co-anchors share not only news but also love. But their love isn’t the only thing in this story. Our duo try to save the world from a diseaster that is about to happen in CERN Switzerland. Alice is their only source to solve this problem. It is an hilarious story. Amazing dialogues, sexy banters, action… And for more, you should read it! It is one of the original stories in fanfiction world:)
Off the Record by: belladonna1472 Summary: “Friday, November fifteenth, 2024. Palo Alto, California. Interview with Edward Cullen, brother of missing New York Times journalist Emmett Cullen.” When reporter Bella goes on assignment, what complications will arise? ExB, AH/AU.
Why this fic pwns Amber1983: So many reasons. Firstly, the basic premise of a near-future dystopia caused by massive financial crisis is both frighteningly realistic and utterly captivating. Secondly, the haunting, claustrophobic atmosphere is so artfully described you can almost taste it when reading. The majority of the story so far has unfolded in one room, and just between Edward and Bella, but you can feel the fear, sadness, snippets of humour and sexual tension in every sentence. Finally, my favourite thing about this fic, and also what I loved about belladonna1472’s The Cullen Campaign, is the beautifully drawn characters. This Edward is absolutely fascinating; cynical and harsh in one moment then broken and vulnerable in the next. Bella is also complex – innocent and naïve in some ways but also strong-willed and determined. The dynamic between the two of them is brilliant and belladonna1472’s signature clever and snappy dialogue, along with a huge dose of UST, has the reader waiting with bated breath for what they are going to say or do next. I’m completely hooked.
One More Chance by: tpec1991 Summary: When Edward&Bella met it was love at 1st sight. On their wedding day, Edward makes a huge mistake. Hurt, Bella runs away w/o a trace. What happens when years later he runs into her and discovers that she’s NOT with some1 but also she’s not ehmm… ALONE?
Why this fic pwns LissLove: Poor Edward is completely devastated in this lovely story and it really made me cry. It is only 5 chapters on its way, but I’m already begging for more. This is tpec1991′s first fanfiction, a great debut. The writing really brings along the emotions and you’re under Edward’s skin in a matter of minutes.
Proud: Fictionista Witfit Prompts Winter 2011:2012 by: jennde Summary: Based on Fictionista Workshop’s Witfit prompts. There’s nothing quite like a man who works with his hands for a living. AH, OOC.
Twilight – Rated: M – English – Romance/Drama – Chapters: 28 – Words: 42,386 – Reviews: 1555 – Updated: 1-16-12 – Published: 12-7-11 – Edward & Bella
Why this fic pwns Decca: I resisted reading this because I thought it would read like a writing exercise. Worthy, but not too engaging.
How wrong I was. It’s not like that at all. The story is intriguing, the characters are fascinating. Edward dropped out of college to take care of his daughter and he is working hard to give her everything he can. His care and love for her are beyond touching.
Bella is introduced as the rich, bored housewife whose kitchen he is remodelling. It is quickly apparent that there’s much more to it than that and her backstory is still mysterious by chapter 28.
Their relationship is intensely unspoken, tentative and fragile. This is just lovely – go read it.
Seeing Bella by: sherryola Summary: Alice has a vision of a girl with no vision. She will either save Edward from his life of lonely brooding, or she will destroy him with his destruction of her. Can Bella discover the Cullen family secret if she can’t see? Canon vamps and couples. AU
Why this fic pwns DaniWtihGreenEyes: Sherryola has written a beautiful story (and still writing, 45 chapters in) about a blind Bella moving to Forks and meeting the Cullens. It’s a spin on canon but so much more. The love story that evolves between Edward and Bella is so beautiful I melt reading them together She has taken the story that we love and made it her own but still paids homage to classic Twilight Saga moments. This Bella is someone you can love and respect the whole time and Edward is just Edward, still the swoonworthy vamp. And the best part no need to worry about a love triangle, Jacob is a character I can actually like. And if that doesn’t sell you (hehe) reading this story for Charlie will. He may be one of the best Charlie’s out there (in my opinion) and he’s a written tribute to sherroyla’s father. This story has everything: vampires, werewolves, nomads, drama, fighting, love and no babies (hahaha). There are many times I wished Twilight was this story. I could write pages and pages (don’t believe me, ask her, my reviews are novels haha) of why Seeing Bella pwns me but I think you should go check it out yourself.
Strange Brew by: Magnolia822 Summary: Soon-to-be college senior Bella Swan needs a summer job. Edward Cullen needs a worker for his new tasting room at Cullen Creek Brewery. She doesn’t know much about beer, but she knows how to push his buttons. Romance/Humor, ExB, M for Lemons/Language
Twilight – Rated: M – English – Romance/Humor – Chapters: 24 – Words: 113,916 – Reviews: 4955 – Updated: 1-10-12 – Published: 12-7-10 – Edward & Bella – Complete
Why this fic pwns rabia: Edward is on the edge of a divorce with Victoria and in this process, Bella begins to work with him. She is a student working for beer tastings in Cullen Creek. The attraction between these two and their secret love during divorce process create a great story. I highly advice you to read it, you won’t regret it:)
It doesn’t matter if it’s already been rec’d by us or not; all we ask is that you do not submit stories that are currently in a contest or up for an award and that the fic is posted on a site that is available to the public for viewing. That’s it
Deadline to submit each week is Tuesday at midnight CST. Any pwns received after that will count toward the following week.
Summary: For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought.
Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.
** spoiler alert **
I just finished, and perhaps I should wait to write this review, but I can’t. This was one of the few sequels I was actually excited to read. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it, because I loved Unearthly so much. I was looking forward to more of Clara and Tucker, and how cute they are together. And trust me, there’s a little of that, but not as much as I would have liked.
To be honest, I found myself swooning and falling for the wrong boy this time around.
Yep. You read that right. Christian made me swoon.
And I fell in love with his character in Hallowed more than I thought was even possible.
He was an amazing friend to Clara, but it was more than that. Hand really pushed the connection these two share at readers and his character really spends a lot of time in the spotlight. (Along with a few others… llke Clara’s mother, and someone else who I think you’ll be surprised to meet.)
But as much as I liked it in the moment, now I’m just disappointed. Because for all the time I spent falling in love with Tucker Avery in Unearthly, he wasn’t as central to this book as I wanted him to be. I now kind of feel like he was just a placeholder boyfriend for Clara. Like everything that developed in the first book was completely erased by this one. The way everything played out was just… I don’t know. It doesn’t sit well with me (at least not right now, anyway). I wanted more. I wanted him to fight. I wanted him to go to Stanford, damnit. I didn’t want him to just give up.
Of course, none of that will make sense until you’ve actually read the book.
Maybe I’m too focused on the romance, but it’s hard not to be when it was such a central piece of the original novel. I’m looking forward to the next one, only because I’m hoping that Hand will make it right and that Clara uses that free will she’s lucky to have and chooses the boy she actually wants, not the one who God says she should be with.
I’ve honestly been dreading writing this review. I mean, I was one of the first people to review it on goodreads and I just felt bad about it. Because I felt like everyone who reads my reviews thought I would be all ::swoonyflail:: about Hallowed just as much as I was about Unearthly. So, this is a modified version of my goodreads review because you guise know I always try to keep it real. Just because I don’t mention it doesn’t mean it’s not there. I tried to keep the spoilerishness to a minimum, so here goes.
If you knew how much time I’ve spent thinking about how to write this review…well, let’s just say you’d be surprised. And you’d tell me to get a life. And when you read this review, you’re going to roll your eyes and say, “That’s it?”
And then you’ll know how I feel: That’s it?
You know I *LOVED* Unearthly. I was downright giddy when I got the arc. I dropped everything to read, and I know how it feels–you want answers. You want to know that the swoony summer Clara spent falling in love with Tucker is going to go on forever, and that she finds strength in their perfect relationship, and that even though they might face some adversity, they’ll get through it together. Because how could they not?
I can’t tell you that. In fact, I can’t tell you anything, because if I did, it would give too much away. I can tell you that when I read, “Let’s never break up again, okay?” on page eight, I got a sense of foreboding. I don’t know why. What I can tell you is what I liked and what I didn’t like (to an extent).
What I liked: Jeffrey. Duh. There’s more to that boy than we know, and I loved how realistic his reactions were. He’s definitely an underutilized character, and I truly hope there’s something big in store for him in book 3. Also, don’t forget, this pic is inspirational:
I loved the graduation speech.
I also really liked aspects of Christian’s character, the “meadow”, and I loved Angel Club. That’s all I can say about that without giving too much away.
What I didn’t like: Practically non-existent swoon. Cynthia Hand totally and completely drew me in with that feeling in Unearthly. There were butterflies and pounding heartbeats and just…you know what I’m talking about: the swoon. I didn’t feel that in Hallowed, and because she’s so good at giving it to us, I feel disappointed that it was lacking. Would I read it again? Yes, because I want to see if I missed something more than because I wanted to relive it. And I miss that.
I also didn’t like Clara’s flippant, self-absorbed attitude. She didn’t grow as a character. She wasn’t a good friend, daughter, sister, girlfriend, angel…she was just different. ::shrugs:: I don’t get it.
One of the things that I loved the most about Unearthly was Clara’s determination. She wanted to do what was right, but she was following her heart. She loved Tucker and refused to let anything happen to him, personal consequences be damned. In Hallowed, I felt like I had been slapped in the face when I reached the end. That’s it? That’s how it’s going to go? I felt like I didn’t know her. And I felt like Tucker was a completely different character to me.
I didn’t like how I felt so disconnected to most of the characters throughout this book, including Clara. We saw some of what they were doing, but I rarely understood why. I’m not even going to touch everything with her mother here.
I hate the feeling of absolute anticlimax I felt when I finished reading.
That’s it?<------That was my reaction.
I hope that this wasn't too spoilery, and I hope that you don't think that means something that it doesn't. Because it probably doesn't mean what you think. But then again, it might.
I do want to clarify a couple of things about Christian, so that you don't think that the reason that I didn't love Hallowed is because things aren’t going my way, triangle-wise. I felt like Unearthly didn’t give us enough about him. Yes, he was a douche when he left Clara at the prom, but I understand why he did it–he loved that girl and broke her heart by following his destiny. He didn’t want to hurt her any more than he already had. But you can ask anyone who knows me, I thought he was swoony before. That time he calls her and says something like “and that’s a date, in case you’re wondering” ::swoonyflail:: Tucker was just more. Now, we see Christian emerging as a stand-up guy. I liked him as a character, and there are some things that he does that makes me proud.
I don’t know if it’s because Cynthia Hand is such a great writer and gave us sooooo much in Unearthly that I felt she just…didn’t give it to us now. Maybe she’s holding back.
When it’s all said and done, I am left feeling slightly bereft. I want to know what happens next, and that there was a true purpose for everything.
Guess what, Fictionees? We’ve got an ARC to give away! Just leave a comment on this post, telling us what your favorite part of Unearthly was and why you want to read Hallowed. If you haven’t read Unearthly, let us know what you’re most looking forward to in the series. Extra entries for tweeting, blogging, or tumbling the giveway. Just come back and leave a link! Good luck!
Did you check out our latest We Went There! Wednesday? Don’t miss our rewind of 
Check out the 
Entries for the 
Did you catch our latest book review? You’ll want to read 
Luckily, I’m going to ALA this weekend so I should get great books there!!!
Any questions?
