Driven To Desire

May 31, 2012

Driven to Desire
~An Anonymous UST Challenge~


There is STILL time to enter this very intriguing contest!!  I cannot wait to read the entries!!  You have a little over a week ladies and gents!  Get to writing!! 

 
UST or Unresolved Sexual tension – a social phenomenon that occurs when two people interact and one or both feel sexual desire, but the consummation is postponed or never happens. 

So many obstacles can stand in the way of two people coming together (figuratively and literally) – maybe they are co-workers, best friends, from rival families, even teacher and student! – That’s what the judges want to read. 

We challenge you to make us squirm, beg for relief, toss our computers out the window in frustration – build up the tension till we can’t take any more. 

Make us wet... 

As with the Tales From The Void Contest, we offered some awesome prizes, and Driven to Desire will not be an exception. We will soon be announcing some SEXY products that will be awarded as well as original story banners and awards banners by SoapyMayhem, as well as features on various blog sites! 

Entries will be accepted beginning April 13th through June 8th 

Check us out! 

@DrivenToDesire1

One Shot of the Week: 4/30/12

May 06, 2012

Secret Lives by Mizzdee

Rating: M
Genre: Romance
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Bella Swan meets a handsome stranger in a club. After one dance and an undeniable connection, their night is cut short. Soon after, Bella is introduced to her newest co-worker. Can she work with the new accountant and remain professional at the same time

Bbwraven's Rec of the Week: 4/30/12

May 03, 2012

A Little Magic by GeekChic12
Review by Bbwraven

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Humor
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: After four long years, Bella finally gets what she's been missing, but it's not enough. She needs more. Will she find it in the most unlikely of places? They say when you're not looking, that's when love finds you. AH, Rated M for l & l. ExB

A Little Magic is simply one of my favorite WIP’s because is not your typical Twilight fic. Most of the storyline is based on GeekChic12 meeting her husband. It’s like a sneak peek into something real – online dating. A Little Magic takes place in 2002. The days before Match.com but when chat rooms were still the hotspot for online dating. Or in the case of gamers, Edward and Bella, their spot happens to the Magic Gathering chat rooms. After a few games they start chatting offline and that’s where things progress.

I love how they both have a sense of giddiness after each phone call and the anticipation of a real face to face and as a reader it brought back all those feelings I had when I use chat with a special someone.

SwanSong78: Cool so how was your day? 

GreenEyedMonster: It was alright. Work was tough, but that's nothing new. 

He told me a couple days ago that he works in a distribution warehouse, and he absolutely hates it. Like me, he didn't finish college and is sorely regretting it. 

SwanSong78: Yeah, I hear ya. I had kind of a stressful day at work too, but I'm feeling better now. :) 

GreenEyedMonster: Oh is that so? And why, may I ask, is that? ;) 

Oy, the winky faces already. Bad news for my underwear. 

SwanSong78: Well, apart from getting to talk to one of my favorite people in the world… 

GreenEyedMonster: You better mean me :P 

SwanSong78: Actually no, I mean my cousin. 

Even though this is GeekChic12’s first WIP, she likes to breaks the rules but not in that crazy over the top way, just things that'll make you blush and makes her characters more human and relatable. I love the mix of Fluff and Lemons; it’s not so insane that it becomes unbelievable. Either way, A Little Magic should be added to your alerts, it’s a great read!

Banner by JaimeArkin

Domysticated's Review of the Week: 4/30/12

May 02, 2012

Fairytale by CandyTwi
Review by Domysticated

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Angst
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Edward's life is way off track and even the privileged Rosalie Hale can't put him together. But it's when artist Bella Swan appears that the magic and challenges really happen...

Then he did. He slid his hands around me, shuffled us up the bed and lay down with me in his arms. It felt so lovely, he felt so lovely. I had to remember to breathe. We lay for a long time, my head cradled on his shoulder, my chest against his. The energy between us was like nothing I'd ever felt. I knew if either of us moved we would cross a line there'd be no going back from. 

When it came to it I was too chicken to move. I calmed myself by listening to his breathing, his heartbeat, by the feel of his soft t-shirt smooth over his firm body. 

After a while his breath deepened and he slept. I felt so damn grateful to just be there. I didn't move a hair.

 "Edward Cullen," I whispered. 

He didn't stir. 

I'm here again in a place called Edward Cullen, the sweetest place on earth. 

I guess it should be no surprise for readers of this blog that review count is not always a good indicator of quality. We all know the fandom is full of undiscovered authors, of wonderful stories that fly under the radar, and that’s what we’re here for, to find them and spread the love.

Even so, when a friend recommended I read Fairytale a few months ago, I was a bit dubious: a complete ExB story with less than 150 reviews? Surely if it was as good as she claimed it was, loads more people would have read it?

Boy, was I wrong: this story is quality, through and through. It follows a rather linear story arc, that of a fairy tale, as the name suggests: there is a low-born prince, pure of heart but unsure of his worth, there are evil witches (one of the most chillingly horrible Rosalies I’ve ever read), ice queens and dragons to slay. There is a princess, locked in a castle, guarded fiercely by a looming father figure. There is danger and a dark knight, and finally, of course there’s a sun-lit and unlikely happy-ever-after.

 However, what makes it unique, challenging and riveting is the setting and the way the characters are drawn and developed. These characters are desolate, desperate, and they find themselves in seedy, dark situations and do stupid, degrading things.

Set in a decidedly unglamorous L.A., we find Edward as a drifting, failing medical student, barely managing to scrape by, living in a dirty bedsit, until the most gorgeous girl on campus, Rosalie Hale, takes an interest in him; however, her intentions are far from honourable and soon Edward finds himself implicated in a glittery world of opulence and immorality. As he let Rosalie and her entourage use and abuse him, whatever little self-respect he had to start with slips away and he genuinely hits rock bottom.

Potential salvation comes in the way of an accidental encounter with artist Bella Swan-- fierce and brilliant, yet somehow imprisoned by an overwhelming father figure and an egomaniac, possessive boyfriend. Bella sees Edward for what he is, good, and lost, and a kindred spirit: her freedom.

Yet, before they can be together, they will have to battle seemingly insurmountable odds: drink, drugs, dirty money obtained in immoral ways, cheap sex with the wrong people in the wrong places for the wrong reasons, a travelling art show that threatens to swallow its participants, a black wedding.

This story is fast-paced, gritty, full of unexpected twists and turns, its characters flawed adults who screw up again and again. By the time our heroes finally find each other and a shiny, shared future they’ll have had to leave their whole lives behind and literally cross an ocean.

Fairytale is really well-written, with superb dialogue throughout and a fresh, exciting take on familiar characters. It is an Edward/Bella story that meanders through lots of non-canon pairings and isn’t afraid to show the least likeable side of our beloved characters; I’m guessing this is why it isn’t as popular as it should by rights be. But trust me on this one, you won’t regret reading it.

He stared at me, probably wondering what the fuck I was doing sitting two inches away from his mesmerising face. 

"You're not sure what to make of me, are you?" I said. 

I thought I must have imagined his next remark. 

"You seem like a creature from another world," he said. 

I could have said the same thing about him. 

"What world?" I asked 

"A world of dream or faerie," he answered. 

I felt as if I was looking straight through his eyes and into his heart. Everything stopped. I didn't have a thought for James or dad or Victoria or anyone. All I knew was I had to be close to him. 

Attractive as he was, I'm not even sure it was sexual. I slid my arms around him and put my head on his chest, feeling his long body against me. He was surprisingly muscular. I could imagine how he would look naked. 

I sighed and relaxed into him. I felt him lay his cheek against my hair. His limbs loosened deliciously under me. 

Edward. 

Banner by JaimeArkin

TheUnderStudy's Rec of the Week: 4/30/12

May 01, 2012

The Wednesday Dinner Thing by gjficfan
Review by TheUnderStudy

Rating: M
Genre: Friendship/Drama
Characters: Edward & Alice

Summary: Four couples, unwitting neighbors, try something new: making friends. There will be laughter, there will be tears. What there won't be is canon couples! AU, AH, OOC, non-canon pairings, multiple POV. A/Ed, B/Em, R/C, Es/J. Rated M for language and lemons.

Most know that I am a lover of non-canon pairings. I will read just about any combination out there. Up until this fic, I had not seen any multi-chapter Alice/Edward fics. So, when this one popped into view, I could not pass it up. How often do we get to read an entire story that has no canon-couples? Almost never.

Alice and Edward are the main focus of this fic. They are high school sweethearts that have been married for five years now and are starting over in Seattle in upscale neighborhood, Twilight at Forest Crossing. Alice, in true characterization, has a bit of a shopping problem that her husband, Edward, discovers. The first chapter gives us a look into the world of “Eds” and “Taz,” affectionate nicknames that they have given to each other. We learn that Alice’s obsession with shopping goes deeper than one would expect. Her brief reflection on her past clearly shows how she lacked a great deal while living with her grandparents. It is mentioned that there is no memory of her parents. However, she does remember the slew of shrinks that tried to break through her sadness as a young child.

What we do garner the most from this first chapter is that Edward is definitely her savior. From whatever past the reader is eager to learn about, you grasp that Edward was a major part of the reason she is where she is today. Alice cares deeply for him and it is very much so evident in the way she speaks of him.

Edward has a real knack for understanding people, almost as if he can read their minds. He could have easily been one of the psychologists I so despised. He was a physically beautiful man, tall and lean, a born model, but he'd kill himself before he'd ever go down that career path. His true passion is music: singing, writing, playing, composing. I've lost track of how many instruments he can play. Again, the multiple Edwards, all forming my very singular Eds. 

When Edward devises a plan to help Alice reduce the amount of items she has bought unnecessarily, she reluctantly agrees. They plan to stage a very lavish yard scale for their seemingly snooty community. It is this very yard sale that the Wednesday Dinner crew meets and is formed. What is great about this story is that we get a viewpoint from each other characters. Alice and Edward are the backbone of the story, but even they are but a fragment of the true nature of this story. Friendship.

We meet young couple Emmett McCarty, who is currently suffering from a heavy loss and his supportive antique book dealer girlfriend, Bella Swan. Their story is one of healing, trust, and finding love all over again. I love how she has written Emmett in this, vulnerable and sweet, yet unyielding and determined.

I settled in to watch the game but unsurprisingly there was a rain delay. I aimlessly flipped through the channels, annoyed. I decided to go get some chips and a beer. When I stood, I noticed Alice's gift bag on the table next to the doorway. I'd already taken out the hair stuff, but I forgot those books were still in there. I wondered if she'd read them already. Instead of walking to the kitchen, I grabbed the books. 

Both book covers had clouds in the background. I guess it would be inappropriate to have pictures of big sunny skylines on books about dealing with grief. Curiosity got the best of me and I opened the first one to the table of contents. Looked like a bunch of lame-ass personal sob stories. Sorry Tiny, I wouldn't be reading that one. I figured the other would be the same, but it was a little different. It did have some stories, but it also had exercises to "help me cope". Had to roll my eyes on that one. 

This feelings shit was exactly why I didn't want to go talk to one of those psychs in the first place. I feel fucked up that my brother died, and especially about the way he died. Was he too drunk to feel anything? Did he know he was drowning? I cringed just thinking about it. Just as I was about to toss that book aside too, I noticed something about using a journal to write down your feelings. That really did make me fling it to the side. Why in the hell would anyone want to take everything they were upset about, write all of it down, and keep it forever? It made absolutely no sense to me. 

Things for Emmett get worse before they get better, but it’s nice to see his character with a lot more depth than being big jock and jokster. I have never seen Emmett written with so much heartbreak and hope. It’s compelling to see. Also we have always seen Bella as the quiet and shy girl, but with Emmett falling apart, she stays strong and pushes him when she has to. I love her determination in this story.

Connected to Bella is her partner in dealing, Carlisle Cullen. Carlisle, I admit, is a bit of a egotistical snob. I love it! It of course tappers off, especially as we get to know him. His POV provides so much insight later in the story and I almost feel bad for hating him as much as I did. He is married to the blonde bombshell Rosalie Cullen. Her introduction into the group is harsh at first, but it is a part of what makes this story so funny. The beginning is filled with jealousy and misunderstandings. It is those very things that eventually bring them closer.

The last couple is that of Esme and Jasper. Their relationship is the newest of all our couples, but no less wonderful. Esme has had her tragic past, but the TV design star has found new life with Jasper. He is the country boy we all love with the power to tell Esme what she’s missing and be able to be the sweetest man on the planet. He is also an intellectual hottie that can make statistics sound sexy. Once their relationship begins to flourish, the passionate nature of the two of them explodes even more than it had before. I am enamored with the way Esme always speaks of him.

With Jasper's sexual history, he absolutely could not be jealous about Marcus. Yet, he clearly was. He couldn't or wouldn't admit it though, and he'd been the same way when I first told him. I loved moments like these, when he showed his real emotions, and human nature overrode all his carefully developed psychology training and resolve. I'd certainly been jealous of his past, and it made me a little happy that he was even the tiniest bit jealous of mine. 

Once our Wednesday crew’s stories begin to intertwine and Alice begins to poke her nose all around, we get a group of strangers who swiftly become friends. They cry, laugh, live, and learn together. There is lots of drama in the story, but nothing too tragic that the humor is out of place. It all ties the story together, creating this new family that has bonded over a yard sale, a love for books, grief, triumph, and the need help the one you love.

Gjficfan is an excellent writer that incorporates all those funny moments with friends that we retell over and over and the realistic struggles of acceptance. Over a tradition of a Wednesday dinner, these people grow tremendously. She makes you feel like you are one of the group and reminds you of those similar moments you have shared with your family and friends.

It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t mention the lemons. Yes, there are a few in this story, but not so many that it overpowers the meaning behind it. We get a little loving from each other couples. Even one between our main couple happens in the first chapter. My dear gjficfan does not disappoint, but each one is done differently each time.

Do not sleep on this fic. It is worth the read. As I stated in my final review of the story, “I am so glad that I was able to fall so in love with your characters: The Edgy Carlisle, the Healing Esme, the Emo Whisperer Jasper, The Bombshell Roadie Rose, The Love Bucket Emmett, Alice "The Glue" Masen, Way to your Heart Swan, & The Magician Edward.” Read and discover exactly what I have.