Are you reading… “Mary Alice, Full of grace” by MissManda

Alice and Jasper are my Twilight couple of choice. If you’ve read anything on this blog, you probably already know that. Since they are, it only stands to reason that I’m always on the lookout for good/great Alice and Jasper fics.

I found one in MissManda’s Mary Alice, Full of grace.

This is a story of the newest Cullens like I’ve never read before. Alice’s is quite a vampire, but she isn’t quite a human either. She falls somewhere in the middle and I admit that the explanation of how she got to be what she is is a bit confusing, but the more you read of the story, the easier it is to understand. Basically, she’s a different sort of hybrid than Renesmee is in the Twilight Saga. She eats and sleeps, she has to do both, but she also has her visions and can go without both if she absolutely needs to.

The story begins when Alice meets Jasper in the Philadelphia diner and they set off to find the Cullens. Alice’s history is even more dark and violent than in canon, and it takes a lot for her to trust anyone – especially men. Jasper, as he should, sees her as the center of his reason for existing but his task is made even harder by the past she refuses to share. But they’re learning, just as they should.

My favorite part of the story so far is a perfect scene of Emmett – the big, burly, possibly frightening, but not at all dangerous to her vampire – and Alice – the sweet, shy, skittish, and probably close to helpless part vampire – playing Go Fish without saying a single word to each other. MissManda’s portrayal of Emmett in that one scene is, without a doubt, the best Emmett I’ve read in Twilight fanfic.

If you like Alice and Jasper, sort of canon and sort of AU, read Mary Alice, Full of grace. I know I can’t wait for an update!

Have you read… “Accidental Atonement” by IdPattThat

I just finished reading Accidental Atonement by IdPattThat and I have to say that I absolutely loved it.

I wasn’t sure about it when I happened to find it and saw a Leah/Edward pairing, but I was very pleasantly surprised.

Accidental Atonement is an AH story of Edward, the youth pastor who could have used a youth pastor before tragedy rocked his world, and Leah, the wayward stepdaughter of the chief of police. When she gets caught speeding and slapped with a DUI, community service is the best-case scenario. Leah’s skeptical about working at the church, but the new youth pastor quickly changes her mind.

Leah is the Leah that I know and love from the Twilight saga, only she doesn’t phase into a werewolf. Edward doesn’t love Bella in this story, she’s not even in it, but he’s still the Edward the world’s fallen in love with – save for the sparkles and blood drinking, of course. Seth, Alice, and Charlie also play brilliant supporting roles.

If you’re open to non-canon pairings and like Leah and Edward even a little, I guarantee you’ll like this story.

It isn’t a fast moving story of the meet, kiss, sex, baby variety. It’s slow and pretty, not always easy but definitely worth the ride.

Teaser for my @Fandoms4ME one-shot

Have you heard of Fandoms4ME? Click on the link there and check it out – it’s a very important, worthwhile cause. They’re taking donations through January 7, 2012 too.

I wrote a one-shot for them. The banner was adopted from the super talented FrozenSoldier and it inspired the story. So, to try and coax you into donating, here’s a little teaser…

“Does it matter?” Esme pressed gently. “The point is that you want him and he wants you. We’re all damaged, Alice. Damage can be fixed. I’ve learned that, maybe the hard way, but I’ve learned it.”

“How do I let go?”

“Stop worrying about the past, it’s not you. You may reconcile with your parents or you may not. You can’t force it, though. That’ll never work out well. I learned that too. In the end, I set fire to the rain, for the lack of a better phrase.” Esme paused and pressed a soft kiss to her daughter’s forehead. “This is what I want, Alice. Nothing else matters. This is it for me.

“You have to decide what you want and make that your focus, your goal. Don’t try to be who you aren’t and who you can’t be. Be you and get what you want, even if it hurts sometimes.”

“Jasper wouldn’t hurt me,” Alice said firmly, declaring what she wanted without even realizing it.

He’d come in just in time to hear that and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Never, Alice, I’d never hurt you.”

Teaser for my @ChrisWishesT4T story “Ice Dancer”

I’ve written another story for a Twilight fandom compilation to benefit a charity.

This time it’s the US Marine Corps Toys4Tots program – a very important cause any time.

All the information can be found that the Christmas Wishes blog. They’re accepting any donations made through December 24, 2011. Donate if you can!

Here’s a teaser for the story I submitted…

banner by FrozenSoldier

“Who’s that?”

I knew who he was talking about, of course, but I couldn’t resist teasing him. I owed him for seventeen years of teasing me. “Who’s who?”

“The blonde girl in the black leggings and turquoise top thingy,” he explained vaguely.

“Tunic, the turquoise tunic,” I said, unable to resist the urge to drag him on a little longer. “That’s Rosalie Hale. Aren’t you glad I pestered you into coming with me?”

“Yes. You have tickets to everything else she’ll be at, right?”

I was laughing hard when I answered him. “Yep. But the compulsory dance already happened and the Hales placed first. But there’s still the original dance, more practice, and the free dance. I’ve got two tickets to all of them. Why? Did you want to come?”

“Hell, yeah. Mom can go watch curling or something. There isn’t anything I’d rather do than escort my little Pipsqueak to ice dancing.”

The fact that he’d said all that with a straight face had me dying in my seat. I couldn’t speak for wheezing, so I waited until I’d calmed down and then turned my attention to the ice. I couldn’t help but focus on one particular part of one particular skater – Jasper Hale’s ass in his black skating pants.

Coming Soon – “Yellow Rose” Chapter 1

On Wednesday, I will start posting my new story on FF.net.

It’ll be Alice & Jasper, of course. It will be all-human and start at the end of the American Civil War – in the late 1860′s, that is. Don’t worry, it won’t read like a history book. I promise. I hope you’ll give it a try and let me know what you think.

Until then, here’s a teaser from chapter 1…

Stretched out before me was the field of battle. Abandoned flags, abandoned guns, and abandoned men were scattered over the once green grass. A smoky haze hung low, partially obscuring the sun and giving everything a ghostly, eerie glow. Only when I focused did I notice the three men walking through the field, stopping and bending low over the bodies.

My feet carried forward, my mind subconsciously making the decision for me, and I found myself standing in front of one of the men before I realized what I’d done.

“Sir?” I said, my voice hoarse from the smoke. “Are you from the graves registration committee?”

He turned to face me, smiling wryly when I gagged at the red stains  streaking the sleeves of his once crisp white shirt. “No, ma’am,” he said, his accent suggesting he was likely a Union man. “We are a medical team. I’m a doctor and these two men are my aides.”

“You shouldn’t be out here, miss,” another of the men, this one with a bushy brown beard and an accent I couldn’t place. “It’s no place for a lady.”

I summoned all my not quite five foot stature and glared at the man. “This is my field, sir,” I informed him acidly. “I have as much right to be here as you do.”

Read This: “Purgatory”

Purgatory by spaniard

The facts…

• Pairing: n/a…it’s the Cullens
• Twilighted Rating: R
• Status: completed
• Twilighted Author Summary: “Seven original members of the Olympic Coven, and seven deadly sins. Coincidence? Edward has lived too long to believe in coincidences. He reluctantly relays the deaths and subsequent turnings of each member of his family to his new bride. Each death represents a deadly sin.”
• Who Recommended It To Me: Found it myself while trawling through older stories at Twilighted!

My thoughts…

This story is based on Dante’s The Divine Comedy, which I have not read. I do know that it deals with the seven deadly sins; pride, envy, greed, lust, sloth, gluttony, and wrath. In this story, spaniard has assigned each original member of the Cullen family one of the deadly sins and tells their histories to Bella as he sees them in their minds.

PRIDE is assigned to Carlisle, ENVY to Alice, GREED to Emmett, LUST to Rosalie, SLOTH to Esme, GLUTTONY to Jasper, and WRATH to Edward.

The story is very historical and detail oriented, something that drew me to it right away. It was completed long before the official guide was released and possibly before Breaking Dawn, so there are some no longer canon details included, but the story and the way that spaniard wrote it are fascinating.

My favorite chapters (as a confirmed Jalice lover) are…

• Chapter 7 – which covers Alice’s time in the asylum through the very first moments she experienced as a vampire. I cried when spaniard wrote her to be chasing a dragonfly, fascinated by the way it moved in the air when she smelled blood from a town. And the last sentence, “The blood could wait.  It only burned.  The flame in his crimson eyes consumed her entirely.” is so amazing.
• Chapter 18 – which is Edward’s thoughts as he watches Jasper interact with Alice and remembers who he was when he first joined the family as compared to the man he is now. The third and second to last paragraphs are poetry in prose.
• Chapter 20 – is a chapter on Jasper’s time with Maria that is absolutely heartbreaking. It’s so very real and rare, it’s almost hard to read.

In any case, if you’re in the mood for something very intellectual, go read Purgatory. You’ll be better for it.

Read This: “Cullen Family Camping Trip”

Cullen Family Camping Trip by LeesaM

The facts…

• Pairing: n/a…it’s the Cullens
• Twilighted Rating: PG-13
• Genre: n/a
• Status: completed
• Twilighted Author Summary: “*Comedy* Charlie insists Bella go camping with the Cullens, in order to acclimate herself with the great outdoors. After all, the Cullens are practically revered in town for their family camping trips, so they must know what they’re doing, right? *Post Eclipse”
• Who Recommended It To Me: Found it myself while trawling through older stories at Twilighted!

My thoughts…

I read angst, drama, and all other sorts of hurt. Rarely do I venture into straight comedy when it comes to Twilight fanfiction.

That, naturally, means that finding Cullen Family Camping Trip was a very happy accident indeed.

Basically, the story is the tale of Bella’s post-Eclipse camping trip with the Cullens. Hilarity ensures, as they say, I promise. Mostly because the Cullens don’t actually ‘camp’ so the experience is as new for them as it is for her.

However, I don’t do comedy. Not well at all, so I will simply leave it at this…

If you need a laugh amid all of the dark, angsty, dramatic stories in fanfiction, give this one a try.

Also, if you happen to read this post and know of any other good comedy fics, let me know. I need more comedy in my life!

Teaser for my @Fandom4Texas story “Becoming Mr. & Mrs. Hale”

Texas was devastated by wildfires over the last year so, naturally, the Twilight fandom has banded together to do another charity compilation.

Fandom For Texas Wildfire Relief is an excellent way to help out and get great stories. So give it a look, why don’t you?

I didn’t get the teaser beta’d yet, but TheLyricalCutie has pre-read and declared the first chapter a success and even asked “omg why are they so cute??!!” and she’s not even a big Alice fan.

banner by TwistedIn_

Alice launched herself into my arms and I swung her in a small circle. “I got the job at the cafe!” she trilled ecstatically. “And I know the girl we’re going bowling with called in a favor, but I don’t care.”

I kissed her lightly on the lips, conscious of the security cameras in the library. “Did it surprise you when I agreed to go bowling?”

Her eyes went impossibly wide as she nodded almost violently. “Yes! I almost crashed the car into a pole! I knew she was going to ask, and I wanted you to say yes, but I didn’t believe you would.”

“Doubting me,” I scoffed playfully, setting her back on her feet. “I suppose you saw me reading first graders a story, too?”

“Of course I did,” she giggled. “It was adorable, Jazz. And no, I won’t ever tell Emmett or Peter that you read a book about an iguana who solves crimes.”

I snaked my arms back around her waist and pulled her close to my chest, locking her in place. “You’d better not, Miss Chanel, or else. And now, you’d better be gone. I have work to do, you know.”

Read This: “Take Care of My Heart” & “I Felt Hope: APOV of Take Care of My Heart”

Take Care of My Heart & I Felt Hope: APOV of Take Care of My Heart by earthprincess4

The facts…

• Pairing: Bella/Edward, Alice/Jasper
• Twilighted Rating: PG-13
• Genre: n/a
• Status: complete one-shots
• Twilighted Author Summary: “Bella and Alice are roommates at the hospital. Both are waiting for a transplant of different kinds. Edward is Alice’s brother and only family. He comes to visit her daily and gets close to Bella in the process. Second place winner in the To-Kill-A-Cullen contest and winner of a single shot award. *tearjerker*” & “Alice Point Of View of “Take Care Of My Heart”. Alice is in the hospital with leukemia. Her brother Edward is her only support until she starts writing to Jasper who has leukemia also and Bella becomes her hospital roommate. *See Take Care Of My Heart for more*.” (respectively)
• Who Recommended It To Me: Found this one myself.

My thoughts…

Have you ever really needed a good cry? I know when I was little, I used to read books by Lurlene McDaniel where some young, teenage girl got some fatal disease just as she fell in love with her soulmate. I didn’t read a lot of them because I’m not really the sappy, sad love story type of girl. But occasionally, a story like that is just what you need.

I didn’t realize how much I needed it when I accidentally stumbled on these one-shots on Twilighted one day.

Don’t read these stories if you’re in a good mood and want to stay that way. I cried so hard that I literally could not see my computer screen. I was very thankful that I was alone when I read them.

I’d say more about the stories, but earthprincess4′s author summaries say all that they need to. If I tried to say anything, I’d just mess it up.

What I will say is that I had my doubts that the same story from Alice’s POV would be repetitive  and unnecessary, but I was wrong. I cried just as hard reading I Felt Hope as I did reading Take Care of My Heart. Maybe harder because I like Alice better than Bella.

Anyway, if you read or have read them, let me know what you think.

I Break Down the Breaking Dawn Trailer

Here’s a link to the newest Breaking Dawn: Part I trailer, if case you live under a rock and haven’t seen it.

Here’s where I break down what I thought about it…

1. Don’t the Cullens look nice at the wedding? Well, Esme looks a tad slutty for Esme, but I’m just happy the Cullens made it in the trailer.
2. How could you not love Billy Burke as Charlie? Hands down, he’s the best actor in all the movies.
3. Oooh, did you spot Stephenie Meyer at the wedding? So cute…
4. But who are all of the people at the wedding? For two families that don’t seem to interact with  many people, that’s a big turnout!
5. I’ve seen a lot of people say that this is Edward’s least sexy look. I disagree. Breaking Dawn Edward is leaps and bounds better than Twilight Edward.
6. Honeymoon scenes…yeah, yeah, I get it. People want feathers to fly and beds to break. Moving on…
7. Peter Facinelli really should have refused to wear that wig.
8. Yay! Emmett stepping in and stopping Jacob! Of course, that reminds me of the Eclipse interviews where Robert Pattinson said he tried to grab Taylor Lautner’s shoulder after Bella punched Jacob and he couldn’t because Taylor’s shoulder was too muscled. Not so much with Kellan Lutz. Unintentionally funny, that.
9. Say what you want about Alice’s hair but this is the closest to what I thought Alice’s hair should be. And Jasper just looks yummy in the background!
10. I do not like Jacob crying on the Cullens porch. Very much do not like that. In the book, it was different because all of his anguish was sort of an inner monologue and that made sense. It doesn’t make sense for the ‘big bad wolf’ to be sniffling on the vampires porch. Sorry.
11. Since Embry’s on the beach with the Clearwaters & Jacob, is he going to join Jake’s pack straight off? And Chaske Spencer has the perfect voice.
12. Please let Edward be yelling “You’ve given me no choice!” at Bella. Please! It could just be editing trickery making us think that, but it’s what I want it to be!
13. Demetri! My favorite non-Cullen in the whole thing! But who is the girl being so quickly dispatched? Also, I love that the Volturi will be in the first part.
14. JASPER AND ALICE FIGHTING WOLVES??!! Ahem… Sorry. Unexpected but happily accepted. At least they won’t just be lurking in attics and searching Jacob out to ease headaches. Fighting wolves is very, very good with me.
15. Awww, why is poor Charlie crying? And wearing a tie? And is he in the Cullens house while wearing a tie and crying?
16. Which vampires are running through the dark woods and why?

And that’s my story.

If you happen upon this post and have opinions on anything that I mentioned or, better yet an answer to my many, many questions, reply and tell me. Please!