WIP of the Week: 9/5/11

substance clad in shadows by hollelujah

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7267735/1/substance_clad_in_shadows

Review by Obsmama

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

Summary: Bella's only release comes in the form of distantly orbiting the life of Edward Cullen. As with any addiction, however, she's always left wanting more. "Mad is a term we use to describe a man who is obsessed with one idea and nothing else." Ugo Betti

"Mad is a term we use to describe a man who is obsessed with one idea and nothing else." 

Ugo Betti. 

That quote is used in the summary of this story and I was hooked just from that. Most of us read and enjoy a Darkward, an Edward who has issues or possessive tendencies, but what about Bella? What if she’s the dark one, what if she's the possessive one?

My other hand drops from his neck to unzip him, and then I am reaching in and pulling out and he's long, hot, hard in my hand as I stroke, stroke, stroke and he lets out a long, low moan.

"Good?" 

"You… ah… you know it is," he answers breathlessly. 

"You're big," I observe conversationally. "I'm very small. I don't think there's any way you'll fit inside me."

He frowns. "Stop… teasing me." 

"Teasing you?" I ask with a squeeze. 

"I'll fit," he gasps. "Of course I'll fit. I'll fill you up…" he groans again as I squeeze harder. "Shit." 

"You'll fill me up?" 

"Yeah…" 

"You mean while you're fucking me?" He nods quickly, his breathing a harsh sound. 

"We'll see about that," I whisper. "I didn't come here to stare at your bedroom ceiling while you get off." 

He huffs a sharp laugh. "You don't think I can get you off?" 

I smile, and there is fire in it. 

When I began this story I was intrigued, to say the least, by Bella and the different masks she seems to wear in her life. She is a very well developed character with layers and flaws. Yet, at the core, the reader is always rooting for her, always seeing some light within her. I always want to see what she will do next, as she slowly begins to expose herself under the cold wall she’s constructed. As her past is revealed and the trouble she’s gotten herself into and also out of, you can’t help but feel as if your taking this journey with her. It’s a complex story of desire and what a person is willing to do to get their desire.

The scenes between Edward and Bella are so phenomenally done. You, as the reader, are rooting for this woman who is stalking this man. You want him to talk to her, you want him to ask her for dinner. It’s amazing how the author is unraveling this story. Edward is also a very well developed character I can’t wait to learn more about him. I have to say there are scenes in stories that stand out for me that I always associate with a character and one of mine for him is this scene in which Bella is finally interacting with the object of her desire.

"Bella. Bella, Bella, Bella," he rambles. 

"You're drunk," I laugh lightly. 

"So? Go somewhere with me." 

"Where?" 

"Anywhere. The bathroom. My car." He leans closer, his hot breath fanning over my shoulder. 

"Anywhere," he repeats. 

"Hm. And what would we do there?" His head comes up, eyes burning blearily into my own. "I'd—we'd do—I'd fuck you, Bella." 

"Would you?" His face falls back into the crook of my neck. "Mmhm," he mumbles. I can feel him speaking against my skin. 

"I can't hear you." 

"I said," he sloppily scream-whispers into my ear. "You look delicious. I could eat you up." 

"You're too kind." 

"Not kind, Bella," he sighs, all drunken arousal and exasperation. "Look." My eyes follow his hand to where it gestures to his lap. It's too dark to see anything, but I'm fairly certain what he's trying to say. 

"What?" I ask innocently. 

"This," he growls, grabbing my hand and placing it on his semi-erect cock. 

After a millisecond of hesitation, I flex my fingers experimentally and he makes a small sound against my neck. 

"Again," he commands. 

That second when something dark flashes in his eyes and he tells her he’s not kind you can tell that there is something dark and deep brewing between these two. I can’t say enough about how well done this story is with 15 chapters so far and without feeling as if I’m giving the plot away. But, I’m beyond impressed with this new to twilight author, she really seems to have a talent at creating strong, realistic, broken characters. I can’t wait to see what she does next with them.

One Shot of the Week: 9/5/11

The Inadvertent Voyeur by FFReaderRW

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6898703/1/

Rating: M
Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Romance
Characters: Edward & Carlisle

Summary: Although tortured by guilt, Carlisle cannot stop watching Edward from his kitchen window. He feels an indescribable connection to him that takes him years to comprehend. AU Vamp slash. WARNING: Some child abuse is briefly mentioned.

New Fic of the Week: 9/5/11

Give a Little by The Little Wise Owl

 http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7276098/1/Give_A_Little

Review by Dragonfly336

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

Summary: Bella, oppressed by her family's expectations of her, has spent her lifetime playing it safe. Edward, Hollywood actor, has never been afraid of taking a risk. This is a story of what happens when two people, with two different lifestyles, meet. Rated M.

Who out here in fandom doesn’t have a fantasy of one day meeting and catching the eye of one Edward Cullen as played by Robert Pattinson? That he could fall for the likes of little ol’ non-important us? Well, that is basically the premise of this new story by first time writer The Little Wise Owl. Bella is a college student, home for Thanksgiving break to her family’s farm in the small town of Forks.


We first meet her while she is pushing the broken down truck through the mud with her 14 year old sister, Alice. They are anticipating the return of their brother, Emmett, from his home in LA.

"Who is that tall drink of water?" I look up and catch just a glimpse of a tall, slender guy with the messiest hair I've ever seen climbing into the passenger seat of Emmett's jeep. 

"Must be Em's friend." I have little to no interest in the matter. All I want is to take a hot shower and put on some dry clothes. 

"Didn't Em say he was British?" 

"Something like that." I confirm. 

"Hot with an accent? Thank you Jesus! Score one for Ally!" I laugh at her. She's all hormones these days, which worries her dad to no end. Emmett pulls up to us and rolls down the window. 

"Ya'll got it?" His friend is sitting in the passenger seat with his head down, hood pulled up, and sunglasses on. Weird. 

Hmm, sounds like this Edward is based off a certain actor that is near and dear to our hearts. It turns out that Edward is an actor, living in LA, that all the girls have a crush on...all except Bella, that is. She doesn’t even know who Edward Cullen is, which definitely appeals to our favorite celebrity. She is the product of an overbearing mother, who wants Bella to follow in her footsteps and practice law, which Bella isn’t even sure she wants to do.

"I am going to go ahead and tell you too. Don't go and fall for this boy, Bella. You'll be the one ailing a broken heart when he goes to leave." 

"Seriously, mom? I'm not interested and he definitely is not interested. I've talked to him for a whole 5 minutes. You should expect more of me than that." She gives me that look that only a mother can give and continues. 

"I'm serious, Bella. He's good looking and charming and everything that a young girl could easily allow herself to fall head over heals for. I just want you to always use your brain when it comes to things like that. He's a big time movie star from Hollywood. He would be around long enough to get you interested and then leave you wondering what the hell had just happened." 

"Mom, we've been through this before. All I said was that he seems nice. That's all." And it's not a complete lie. Just because I left out the part about how gorgeous I think he is doesn't negate the point I am trying to make. 

"Plus, I think Alice is the one who could really benefit from this little pep talk." She sighs and nods her head. She's obviously thought of that too. 

"Well, just remember what I've said, K?" 

"K," I agree and go back to putting my salad together. 

"You've always been smarter than that anyways, Bells." I am not quite sure why she feels the need to keep going, but I just hum my response. 

"I'm really proud of the woman that you've turned into. Not quite sure I say that enough." Mom has always let her opinion be known that she really appreciates it when she sees young women who value their education more than their love lives. This was not a secret to me. It's probably the reason why at 21 years of age, I've only been on a handful of dates. Instead of starting an argument, I thank her and take the salad to the dining room table. 

Edward asks Bella out on a date and after much considering, she finally agrees. They hit it off great, but Renee is livid and tries to talk some sense into Bella about what she is doing. She begins to see her mother’s point and lets Edward go.

I don’t want to give the whole story away, since it is only 5 chapters in. This is a great story from a first time writer and deserves more reviews than it has. I am so interested in how this is going to play out and how Edward and Bella are going to make it work out being from two different worlds. Go read it! You won’t regret it!

Banner by JaimeArkin

Submitted Fic of the Week: 9/5/11

Divine Providence by Ayah Papaya

 http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5454716/1/Divine_Providence
Reviewed by AnonymouslySufferingFromOCD

Rating: T
Genre: Adventure/Supernatural
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: From the moment he laid eyes on her, he knew she was no ordinary human. The last of her kind had disappeared over 90 years ago. Can Edward help Bella reconnect with her past, and overthrow the Volturi? Can they restore order to the vampire world?

Divine Providence is a thrilling, suspenseful, alternative universe, Vamp Story, that will grab your attention from the prologue and hold on until the very end.

This story spins a tail of an old world vampire culture that is demolished and its only hope of resurrection relies on two people born 100 years apart. It begins with a prophecy in the year 1673, seen by Marie Chevalier, whose powers are like no other.

"My Lady?" He called, smiling weakly as he took her two hands in his. What she allowed him to see frightened him. The Underworlds, all of them, left abandoned and destroyed. Obviously ravaged by war, these once thriving communities were little more than pulverized stone, covered in a thick layer of vampiric ash. 

"I see the fall of our kind, dearest Aro." Her voice was hollow, as if it were coming from another part of the vast throne room. Her expression was devoid of all emotion, and he clutched her hand tighter, to ferret out more of Her thoughts. He saw nothing that She didn't want him to see, and that moment became the most terrifying moment of his un-life. "There is but one to bring balance to our people, and she is not yet born in this life." 

"How can you be sure, Marie? Can a single woman truly bring balance to our race? When will she come to defeat the Romanians?" 

Her waxen eyes looked to the horizon. Her voice was vacant; not her own. "She shall be 'bone of my bones; flesh of my flesh'. I shall bear her into existence when I find the one with the flaxen eyes." 

After her vision she seeks out none other than Carlisle Cullen a young pastor at the time, who practices the vegetarian lifestyle and counsels those in need of spiritual guidance. He becomes the only other vampire that knows of Marie’s true vision. Not only is he truly trustworthy, with no ulterior motives, but he will sire one of the Vampire’s that will save them all.

Bella Swan is a 25-year-old teacher with extreme intelligence. She helps out a local Washington area TV station with their version of Ghost Hunters during her summers. Her latest job brings her to Ireland where she meets her future in one Edward Cullen.

He held out his hand for me to shake. A well-mannered murderer; how refreshing! "Hello," He said politely, gently curling his fingers around my hand. "I'm Edward. Edward Cullen." He flipped my hand smoothly over, and kissed the top. Smooth fucker. "What's your name, Miss?" The stinging in my eyes lessened, but now my vision felt funny—different, as if I had been dosed with Novocaine. I could somehow see much clearer, and wondered if I really needed my flashlight, at all. In adulthood, I had always had superior eyesight; I guess I just acclimated to the absolute darkness quicker than I thought. 

"Bella." I gave him a lazy half smile, and shook the cobwebs from between my ears, before launching into interrogation mode. "Do you have a permit to be here, Mr. Cullen? I thought Mike arranged to have this place cleared out until early Monday morning." He raised his hands in a sign of surrender, and gave me his most reassuring smile. 

Edward was sired by Carlisle in the early 1900’s as our original story tells us, however in this version he is made aware of the role he will play in the prophecy early on and because of it becomes more of a loner than we are used to as he waits to meet his one true, love—his soul-mate. While Edward and Bella are always meant to be, this story prophesies it more than 300 years before Edward is even born.

The connection between Edward and Bella is immediate as is their dedication to helping the prophecy that will save all vampire kind. This story gives us an older more mature Edward and Bella, which is always great to see. It also introduces us to new characters and different outlooks that we have never seen before.

Divine Providence is basically complete with the last full chapter posted; we are just waiting on an epilogue, and let me say I wish that Ayah would post it already (hint, hint). Ayah, is in the process of going back and polishing the story up but really it is truly a well written and captivating tale that I know you will very much enjoy.

Completed Fic of the Week: 9/5/11

La Morte Nera by AydenMorgen

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7128579/1/La_Morte_Nera

Review by Les16

Rating: M

Genre: Mystery/Supernatural

Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: La Morte Nera, an incurable virus, is ravaging Edward's world, killing vampires and wolves alike. Now Bella is being hunted by those infected. Is she merely a mortal caught in a world that refuses to let her go or is she the answer Edward seeks? AU/OOC. 

I'll be honest, I'm always a bit nervous when one of my favorite authors branches out and tries something new. I already know what I like. I find my happy place in their writing and when they change that up, well, there is always that chance that I might not like something new and different. Like when you have a favorite restaurant and get the same thing every time then one night, you decide to be adventurous and try something totally unexpected. If that is what you are looking for, look no further than La Morte Nera. We all know Ayden Morgen can write, and write well. Her stories: Empty Panes and Pretty Things, Rapture, When the Bough Breaks, and All Falls Down are all incredible stories of love, loss, anguish ... not to mention some really hot, steamy lemons, too!

La Morte Nera is NOTHING like anything else she's ever written. First and foremost, it's an AU Vamp fic, her first ever. Second, it's action packed ... I'm talking edge of your seat, hold your breath and peek through your fingers while you read action. There's some sizzling hot chemistry that brews between Edward and Bella but if you are looking for lemons, you won't find them here. Believe me, you won't even miss them.

A deadly virus, La Morte Nera, is running rampant, ravaging vampires and wolves alike, annihilating entire covens and packs. Edward Cullen and his brothers Emmett and Jasper are working tirelessly, some would say foolishly, to do all they can to stop the virus before it wipes out everyone and everything they know and love. Armed with homemade weapons – diamond-tipped knives, swords, flame throwers - not to mention Emmett's strength and Jasper's cunning, the three search out and destroy the infected. It's ugly and messy work. It's dangerous, and deadly because if any of the three come in direct contact with the infected, their death sentence is all but signed and delivered.

It's a race against time, trying to wipe out the virus before it infects them all. There's a cure, they just don't know where to find it or who to ask. Every time the brothers have to destroy one of the infected, Edward is able to glean bits and pieces of information. They're searching for someone, someone who has the key to the cure.

And that brings us to Isabella Swan. The wolves are frantically searching for her. Every time she turns around, another one is there, ready to kill her. And every time, Edward and his brothers are there to unknowingly save her.

Besides, she had no idea where to run… or if any more of the insane wolves would find her if she did. For all she knew, they had some built-in Bella finding radar and running wouldn't do any good. It certainly hadn't so far. Three of the things had found her already, hunting her down like she was a rabbit. 

She didn't much like being prey. 

But lucky for her, every time she was sure she wouldn't escape, the same three men would appear out of nowhere to kill the wolves and carry them off. She hung somewhere between gratitude toward them and fear of them. Strange men didn't appear out of nowhere to save the damsel anywhere save in movies. That these three seemed to be making a habit of it made her nervous. 

Once Bella and the Cullens meet, under somewhat less than ideal circumstances, it's obvious immediately that there is a connection between Edward and Bella. It's also obvious that Bella knows a lot more than she lets on at first. She's well-acquainted with the supernatural, her best friends are the Shifters from La Push, and she has firsthand knowledge of how cruel vampires with red eyes can truly be.

Ayden's take on our beloved characters is refreshing. Sure most of the characteristics we know and love are there ... Emmett likes to make people laugh, Jasper has a way of making you feel calm while making you want to spill your deepest, darkest secrets, and Edward broods and has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Bella is clumsy and as skittish as her kitten Zee, but she's so much stronger than she even knows. She's been through hell and back, and now, she has to face the past that destroyed and took all she loved to help try to save those she's just met.

This story will have your heart in your throat as you hope and pray for an outcome you're not sure is even possible. Can Edward and Bella ever be together? Can they find a cure in time before it destroys them all? Is Bella strong enough to face her past? Is Edward strong enough to save her, even if that means he has to save her from himself? Read La Morte Nera and find out. You won't be sorry!

One Shot of the Week: 8/29/11

Canvas by Jen328

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6793425/1/

Rating: M
Genre: Romance
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: Bella's skin is a blank canvas, and Edward is going to mark her for the first time. But Bella has a surprise in store for him. Short one-shot based on a picture, really just some smutty fluff. Rated M for smut and language. Mostly smut. Enjoy!

ImWithPattz's Rec of the Week: 8/29/11

 

The Homestead by esmegrace

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6649011/1/The_Homestead

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Supernatural
Characters: Edward/Bella

Summary: Bella is a chef hired at an exclusive resort. She must deal with an overzealous boss, an enthusiastic golf pro, and a mysterious guest who appears only in the library late at night...

Being a die-hard Ghost Hunters fan, I had been looking for a good “ghostly” fan fiction to addict myself to. The Homestead by EsmeGrace has it all – A mystery, a love story, some ghosts and a real backdrop which is the Homestead hotel in Virginia. About halfway through the story, I found myself going back and forth between the hotel website and her fic so I could picture some of the settings she describes.

The Homestead begins with a prologue where the reader meets James in 1901. He is the General Manager of the hotel. I won’t spoil anything else but suffice to say, the prologue managed to be creepy right from the start.

In the next chapter, we meet Bella Swan – winner of the Top Chef competition on the Food network. She has just left her job in NYC as a sous-chef at the famous Babbo to take a job at the mysterious Homestead hotel in Virginia.

I had only been a sous--chef at Babbo for a few months before Edward Cullen called out of the blue to offer me the job of head chef at his famous resort. Kind of strange, but he had seen a TV spot on the Food Network about the competition I had won as a culinary school graduate. He'd said on the phone, he just felt I was "right" for the position and just what he'd been "looking for." I didn't know what that meant. I'd still jumped at the chance. Of course, this was my big break. If I ever expected to be mentioned in the same breath as Paula Deen, Giada, and Cat Cora, I had to start somewhere. 

Bella’s first meeting with the Cullens – “James” and Victoria, manages to leave her with an alarming sense of dread. EsmeGrace has done a wonderful job describing them to the reader –

"Ms. Swan, I presume. Welcome, welcome, please come in and have a seat." He took a step back and waved me in. He was dressed in a mint green golf shirt with the Lower Cascades logo, khaki pants, and a braided leather belt. He looked very much the southern preppy gentleman on holiday. I stepped over the threshold and into his office. The air seemed to chill as I entered. The room was decked out like a turn of the century gentleman's smoking room with lots of dark wood, heavy fabrics, thick oriental carpets. I moved toward a set of lovely dark green carved chairs as he motioned with his hand for me to sit. There was a fireplace with a cheerful fire sparking and cracking quietly. I suddenly realized that we weren't alone when a figure stood from one of the chairs by the fire. She had been hidden by the tall back. I stared at her rudely. 

"My, my, you are the perfect little thing, aren't you?" she said beginning to shift toward me. Mr. Cullen was still standing by the door, which he had apparently just closed behind us. I felt a flash of panic, like I was trapped. I dismissed it quickly, and turned back to the formidable women coming at me. 

I knew she had to be in her 80s, but her hair was a shocking shade of red, cut in a stylish, softly waving bob. As I examined her coloring, I realized that the color didn't look out of place or fake. If I had to guess, I would say she was trying to capture her natural color, what had once been before time had leeched away the color, leaving her with a dim gray. I didn't know many women her age who continued to bother with hair color. I also noticed that she was wearing slightly too much make-up and that her skin was too smooth, clearly she had had work done. However, the overall effect was not pathetic as it might be on another woman. This lady stood straight in 3 inch heels, a fitted pencil skirt, and décolletage blouse. I decided she frightened me. Mr. Cullen cleared his throat.

"Welcome to the Homestead, Ms. Swan. We are delighted to have you here and look forward to great things from you. I am James Cullen, and this is my wife, Victoria." Here, he nodded toward the woman who was now directly in front of me. She put her hand out to touch my face, like she was inspecting a sculpture or a painting. It felt cold and lifeless. If his eyes had alarmed me before, they were nothing to what I saw when I looked into hers. They were bottomless, empty. I was reminded of a cat, not a house cat but a dangerous jungle cat. She smiled slightly while still examining me, and I added canary-eating to my list of cat adjectives. I took a step back from her; I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. A burst of wind shook the windows, and smoke from the fire subtly wafted into the room, blurring my vision. She smiled delightedly.

Bella’s first instinct is that maybe she had made a mistake in leaving her job in NYC but realizes quickly that she is stuck.

I must be getting paranoid, but I just wanted out of the room at this point. I shook his hand firmly and turned to shake Victoria's hand, but she pulled me into a tight embrace. Her breath was cool on my cheek. I stepped back quickly, chilled, then thanked them, and headed quickly for the door and the first floor. 

The mystery surrounding the Cullens is a large part of this fan fiction. There are twists and turns in every chapter and EsmeGrace keeps the reader guessing. Things did not start to click for me until half way through the written chapters when Bella encounters a mysterious figure in the library.

I exited my room quietly, heading toward the library again. There was not another soul around, the passageways dim and silent. I entered the library, and it looked just as I had left it. I suddenly felt very silly. What was I hoping to find here? I slumped onto a chaise lounge and looked up at the ceiling. I was momentarily distracted by the crown molding. It was a lovely specimen, and I tried to remember if it was the same in my restaurant's dining room. Suddenly, just as I had the night before, I thought I glimpsed movement out of the corner of eye. The curtain hiding the alcove, swayed slightly, as if caught in a breeze. I moved stealthily to my feet and inched toward it. Once there, I pinched the material between my fingers and roughly jerked it back, revealing the alcove. I gasped in surprise. Tonight, it was not empty. 

A young man, a very handsome one at that, was seated at the desk inside the alcove. He was wearing what I thought at first was a tuxedo, but then I realized it was actually an old-fashioned dinner dress suit. He was staring at me in shock, probably the mirror of my own expression. He hastily replaced the book he had been pulling from the open glass-covered shelves above the desk and stood awkwardly. I continued to stare like an idiot, desperately searching for some words to say. I felt like I recognized him; he seemed so familiar. I decided he must be a maitre d' for the restaurant, given his attire. I opened my mouth to speak.

"Hello, I apologize. You startled me. I thought I was alone in here," I laughed nervously, trying to alleviate some of the tension of the moment. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped open. I noticed then that his eyes were very green. His skin was fair with pink undertones, and his hair was a lovely reddish-brown, that some might describe as bronze or copper. Irrationally, I thought that his appearance was the opposite of Jacob and that it appealed to me more. Then, I realized that he was still staring at me as if I had two heads and had yet to answer my platitudes. He shook his head as if trying to clear his thoughts and looked at me as if he might have something to say at last. Then, his eyes narrowed and his brow lowered. He strode forward, pushing past me, muttering "Please, excuse me," under his breath. And he was gone. A faint breeze lingered nearby, left over from his passing me. I turned in astonishment at his odd behavior to try and follow him, but he was already gone from the library. He must have run once he'd left the alcove. 

Enter Edward, but is he really Edward?

One of the things that struck me about this fic almost immediately is that every one of the characters has a huge personality. The author has done such great things with each Twilight character that the reader almost feels they are original. Some examples; Alice as a Spa Manager with a sixth sense, Emmett as a Real Estate agent, Ben as a Sous-Chef and Jacob as a love sick Golf Pro!

I know this fic is not complete yet but it is a tragedy that it has so little reviews. It has everything a voracious reader needs including ghosts, mysteries, humor, food and a love story that I have not seen done in another Fan Fiction. It never gets too deep or angsty and is wonderfully descriptive with full characters and exciting story lines. I would highly recommend it.

Banner by JaimeArkin