http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5439470/1/My_Life_to_Be
http://twilighted.net/viewstory.php?sid=8371
Official Description: Forbidden attraction. Intense passion. Edward and Bella are committed to their significant others, who are equally committed to their jobs. There’s no harm in platonic companionship. Is there? Commissioned by SassyKathy for the Support Stacie Auction.
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WickedCicada says: I’d heard about sleepyvalentina’s writing for weeks before I actually read it. Though I love finding great new stories, I often avoid those that are hyped, even when recommendations come from people whom I trust. In this case, the sheer number of endorsements for her work eventually made it impossible for me to shirk it any longer. And so I read, curious but not quite believing that any story could live up to all of that advertising—which brings me to today.
Hello, I’m cicada, and I’m hopelessly addicted to sleepyvalentina’s work.
My Life to Be is a new addition to this writer’s opus, and one of her best works to date. Named for the Cole Porter song, “In the Still of the Night”, the prologue opens with lyrics from the song’s third verse:
“Are you my life to be, my dream come trueOr will this dream of mine fade out of sight
Like the moon growing dim, on the rim of the hill
In the chill, still of the night…”
Sleepyvalentina’s choice of Porter is apt. The composer was known for his sophisticated (often suggestive) lyrics, witty cadence, and intricate structure, and sleepyvalentina’s work has many of the same qualities. Regardless of these similarities, sleepyvalentina’s style is all her own. Her writing is surprisingly muscular despite its poised and polished exterior—firmly grounded in a specific place and time, with realistically drawn characters who are flawed and conflicted, yet accessible. Though her stories contain strong elements of romance, they are adult works with difficult themes: no namby-pamby sighing, fluttering lashes, or heaving bosoms allowed.
My Life to Be is a story about four people linked by a hidden thread of longing. Bella and Emmett are dating, and Rose and Edward are betrothed. In romantic equations, four people usually make two couples, but there is a third couple in MLTB: co-workers Emmett and Rose are married to their jobs. Therein lies the rub: the duo’s dedication to work leaves their romantic partners with a lot of lonely, unoccupied time. Rose and Emmett ease their collective guilt about being absent by encouraging Bella and Edward to spend time together, which in turn reinforces Rose and Emmett’s own mutual attraction. Thus setting the stage for conflict.
Ostensibly a morality tale about infidelity, My Life to Be is actually a study in humanity. The story is written in third-person omniscient view, allowing us to witness the thoughts and feelings of each character in equal detail. With every new chapter, what we think we know about the characters changes, revealing hidden depths and motivations.
It is this ebb and flow, this shift in perceptions that makes My Life to Be so compelling. Sleepyvalentina wisely leaves us to form our own judgments about the characters, in turn leading us to examine our own fears and thoughts on the subject. The story is not yet complete, so I expect to be reconsidering those things for some time to come. I invite you to join me.
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Wickedcicada is a writer, editor, and graphic designer who spends far too much time thinking about adverb placement and unkerned text. When not honing these daredevil skills, she works on Recapitulation and breaks her daily vows to stay away from Twitter.
MF’er says: Cicada pretty much said it all for me, I am a huge fan of sleepyvalentina’s ever since Kassiah introduced me to Youngward and Art After 5. I’ve been an avid reader of hers and she has continued to keep me enthralled with My Life To Be. The difference is that she’s writing in the third person this time, which we all know is no easy task, and it’s just done so well that I find myself running toward the updates when they come in. I am definitely looking forward to seeing where these characters are headed in the future and finding out how it’s all going to come together at the end. So, if you’re not already reading it – you should be… and if you haven’t read Art After 5 or it’s counterpart, Counterpoint – you should go start them all.
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