Fabulous Fic Rec Friday

WitchyVampireGirl presents Evening Rain by jlho

I will admit that when I’ve gone fic diving on FanFiction, a bad summary can turn me off. It’s more than ones where the author gives everything away, or says ‘I suck at summaries’. I need it to grab me and make me want to read. I’m sure I’m not alone. So I will also admit that several times in the past I would pause, read the summary for Evening Rain by jlho, and had to figure out if I was in the mood to read it. You see, her summary is vague but still gives you an idea what it’s about. But it left me wanting to know more. I guess that is why one day I gave into temptation, and I'm happy that I did!

It opens with Edward on a plane and right away, I wasn’t completely sure if Edward was human or vampire, but I was sucked in from the first word, desperate to discover the answer to that question. You see, this Edward is a mix of all things we love about Twilight and fanfiction; brooding, sexy, loving, passionate and a mind reader. I bet your guessing vampire, right? Well… you’d be wrong. That’s right, Edward is a mind reading human. Cool, I know.

But that’s not the only twist the author has in store for us. The major one is that Edward has been reincarnated many times and in each reincarnation, he finds Bella. It sounds like a wonderful love story except for the whole fated love thing they have going on. See, even though Edward finds her in all her reincarnations, their time together is short lived and always ends rather tragically.

To make matter worse, Bella never remembers, but Edward always retains the knowledge of all his past lives. He remembers with perfect clarity all the times he has found, met and fell in love with Bella, only to fall prey to the tragedy that awaits them. Even with all that he knows, he is unable to break the endless loop they find themselves stuck in. So it is always with a sense of trepidation and dread that Edward meets Bella.  The only silver lining in Edward’s rather dismal cloud is that Alice is along for the ride. She as well gets reincarnated right along with Edward and like him, remembers all that happened. Oh, did I forget to mention, Alice can see the future?

Now, I know, you may think this sounds a bit too much, a little extreme. But I promise you that the author does a wonderful job with this unusual story. Nothing is too over the top or overdone. It’s a perfect mix of reality with a little supernatural thrown in.

The story opens with Edward on his way to Alice who is his sister in this life time. Like always, he is plagued by nightmares and memories of how he has failed Bella in the past. It plays on an almost instantaneous loop, offering no reprieve. Edward believes that these dreams and visions are his punishment—for what, you’re never quite sure.

What we do learn is that there is a draw, a compulsion for Edward to go looking for Bella. Some that while outwardly he says he will resist, in his heart, he does not know if he will be unable to battle his all-consuming need to find her. You also learn that there is a pattern to their eventual meet up; always when he is 32 and she is almost 27, always in August and she will never remember him, or their shared past.

Now, I won’t be giving away too much if I tell you, that as much as Edward tries to stay true and break the cycle, he can’t. I mean, it would be a very short story if he did. But once he finds her, that becomes the crux of the story. Because, for whatever reason, this time is different, Bella is different. She doesn’t recognize Edward like he does once he sets eyes on her. But she does have that weird feeling of deja-vu. That sense of been there, done that. And it sets them both off on a wonderful adventure.

It is that adventure that I want you to experience first hand, so I won’t give much away. But will say that the author weaves a complex story that can’t help but to wrap you up in it, so much so that you can’t stop. You’ll find yourself biting your nails to try and figure it all out, screaming at the characters to run away when you sense danger is present. But most of all, you will cheer for them, right from the start. If you like to unravel mysteries, I suggest you give this one a read.

Story Link:
FanFiction

blueeyedcherry presents December, Sweet by GP06FR

I have a soft spot in my heart for small fish stories. I've found so many gems in the fic world that weren't read on a large scale, but were amazing stories. December, Sweet is definitely a gem and I'm so, so glad to have found it.

The story opens with Bella and Masen sitting in a bar. Bella is very much intoxicated, and is blabbering about different things, while Masen—who is a bit older and a PhD student—listens and seems to find humor in some of the things she says, and sadness in others. After their first encounter, they run into each other the next year on the same day, and after that a tradition seems to form. 

I love how different Bella and Masen are in this story. Bella is an Engineering student, Masen is a Poetry PhD student. They're both a bit tormented in a way. Bella has a handful of demons from her past that she hasn't dealt with yet, and doesn't seem to be ready to deal with. Masen is just brooding, and he doesn't do commitment and seems more inclined to enjoy fun times with a string of women.  Somehow they start to form a friendship, and as opposite as they are they just seem to click with each other.

From what I can tell, this is gonna be a slow burn, and I'm not even sure where it's going to end up. But I love what the author has given us for glimpses of the characters and their pasts so far, and I love the way that the walls seem to be slowly but surely crumbling for each of them. 

Secondary characters don't play too big of a role in the story as of yet, but I will say there is a nice Victoria in this story and I enjoy what I know of Alice, though I wish we'd see a bit more of her (hint hint, hehe).

The story only has 11 chapters right now and it hasn't updated since December 31, so if you're not really a WIP fan you might want to alert this and wait to read until it's complete. However, I love WIPs and I can be patient and wait as long as necessary for an update, so I certainly would encourage everyone to give this one a glance. The chapters are on the shorter side and it's an easy read.

I can't wait to see where GP06FR takes us with this tale. 

Story Link:
FanFiction

WitchyVampireGirl presents Lessons of a MPW by Christie Hart

Every once in a while, we just need to let go of our stressors and laugh. I firmly believe that stories can give that to us. I have one such story that will allow you to laugh and escape whatever hardships you may be going through. Christie Hart’s Lessons of a MPW will give you laughs galore and maybe a few tears. I will caution you though; a little suspension of belief is needed.

It’s a quirky little story that is written diary style, which means that the chapters are short and sweet.  Bella is the writer of the diary and she is writing it to do more than chronicle her journey in life—she is always using it as a way to dispense advice to an unknown someone. Each entry tells a piece of her story and she intersperses tips and bits of wisdom that she has gathered through her journey.

Now, I know, you’re saying, “Witchy, where’s the laughter?”

Did I happen to mention that Bella is about as foul-mouthed as they come and tends to find herself in the most outrageous situations? No? Ahh, well, that’s your humor. Did I happen to mention that in the opening scene her boyfriend, no, correction, EX-boyfriend has strewn Bella’s belongings all over the lawn as their relationship is now over and Bella curses him to get infected with small pox? See, that’s funny.

But you see, that fun times don't stop there, because while Bella and James may be no more, he has left her with one little surprise, or in this case, four of them. Yeah, that’s right, Bella ends up pregnant with quads! (I told ya a little suspension of belief would be needed.) Now, I tend to shy away from stories where Bella has quads, they usually hold no appeal. But, I loved this Bella. I loved how fresh and funny she was. I loved that she had a backbone and took crap from no one. So I decided to keep reading and it didn’t disappoint.

What follows is hilarious story of Bella, her pregnancy and the four men she moved in with who became her family. Along the way we get to experience her pregnancy, watch as her relationship with Edward grows as does her stomach and smile at the wise life lessons she leaves for her babies.

Because the chapters are so short, we don’t get bogged down in the minute details of what’s going on in Bella’s life. Instead, her diary is a way to get the highlights, laugh with her crazy antics and agree with her sage advice. It will be a quick read, guaranteed to make you smile and maybe even chortle. Give it a shot and if you do, please leave the author some love.

Until next time, look for the magic in everyday life!

Story Link:
FanFiction

blueeyedcherry presents Work of Art by Ruth Clampett

I'm doing something a little different this week. I know, I know, I usually rec fanfic, but I've been indulging in quite a few books as of late, and so I'll be interjecting those into here as well. And this one originally started out as fanfic, so hey, I think it counts. ;)

I'm kicking off the recs of books with one from a fandom member, Ruth Clampett. Her Work of Art trilogy is quite possibly my favorite new collection of books. The first book, Work of Art - The Inspiration, came out in the fall, and the second book, Work of Art - The Unveiling, came out in January.

Max is an artist, a famous one who is a bit tortured for reasons readers don't know at first. Ava works for a gallery and is an aspiring writer. When her and Max's paths collide, sparks fly between them and they embark on a journey into friendship and eventually a relationship. 

Max is a firecrcacker, however. His mood swings make being around him similar to riding a roller coaster. Ava never knows which Max she's going to get and not all of them are that great. Max doesn't like commitment, he's been burned in the past, and he's more in favor of steamy, schmexy encounters with the ladies. Ava isn't sure what she feels for Max, but as the first book concludes and the second one opens, her feelings become clear and she decides on a course of action to take. 

These books are written so beautifully, it's as if the reader is watching a movie or actually operating within the story. The lemony scenes are hot, and Max is ... well, he's incredible. He's easily my favorite male character written in any of the books I've read in the past few months. I love Ava as well, because she doesn't take shit from Max, she doesn't back down, and she knows how to dish it back just as quickly as he gives it out. 

If you're in the mood for a sexy, dark, and thrilling story, this trilogy is the one for you. Book three is coming out this spring, so get your hands on the first two and get reading now while you can. 

Book 1 Amazon Link
Book 2 Amazon Link