Author Interview - Jazzella

A little while ago, my dear friend Cullen818 rec'd a story on this blog called Behind Enemy Lines by Jazzella. It sounded really intriguing to me, so I took a gander. Am I ever glad that I did! What an interesting, well-written & captivating fic. It is 10 chapters in so far & I can't wait for the next chapter. If you are not reading this right now, then you REALLY should! Trust! In fact, I love it so much that I got in touch with the author & asked her to do an interview for the blog. So take it away, Jazzella...

To start us off, tell us a little bit more about yourself. i.e. family, interests, hobbies, likes, dislikes, favorite music, etc.

I'm 38 and I'm from the UK. I work as a freelance children's illustrator and teach art to kids, which is why I post work under my second name, Tara; even kids can use the internet these days and my stories aren't child friendly!

I love listening to music of pretty much any genre, and play a whole range of instruments myself, although the guitar is my favourite. I'm a huge murder mystery fan, especially Agatha Christie's 'Poirot' stories and enjoy the work of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. I collect tattoos and cats, and have kept a journal since I was eight years old, full of story ideas and general witterings.

I am also a huge Jackson Rathbone fan, both as an actor and as an incredibly talented musician. I will admit that I had my doubts that he'd be able to carry off my favourite character convincingly, being so short, even though I knew he was a high caliber actor. But when the films came out and he had me from his first appearance on screen and in my head I see him as Jasper now; he's just 6'3”, as he should be!

What got you into writing Twilight Fan Fiction in the first place?

I didn't like the books all that much. I thought Bella was spineless, Edward was a self-serving control freak and don't even get me started on Jacob and his narcissistic anger management issues! I liked the premise of the story but the only character I really loved was Jasper. I found him intriguing and enigmatic and by the time I got to Eclipse I was smitten.

After reading a few Bella/Jasper stories that all seemed to follow the same formula, a chat with an established author lead to her saying that if I thought I could do better, I should be writing too. You can't really argue with someone telling you to put your pen where your mouth is.

I'd had an idea wandering around for a mystery story, which is fairly unusual in the Twilight Fan Fiction arena. I decided to put my years of Agatha Christie adoration to good use by figuring out all the plot holes I saw in New Moon surrounding the party and started writing Behind Enemy Lines for NaNoWriMo 2010, which I do every year.

Tell us a bit about your writing process & how you came up with the ideas for Behind Enemy Lines.

My main issue with the entire story arc of the Twilight Saga was the party. The idea that Jasper nearly attacked Bella, but Alice didn't see it in time to stop it, really bugged me. No one made a decision, so she wouldn't be alerted according to SM Q&A answers. But no one makes a decision about the weather either, yet she knew about the thunderstorm for the ball game in Twilight. Surely Alice should have been watching the future, and Jasper especially? The whole premonition thing never sat right with me, I thought it was handled, not badly, but inconsistently, by SM. Alice had to know something was going to happen at the party.

That lead me to think that either she knew and kept quiet for a reason, or it was a set up. The set up idea intrigued me, because we already have a set of 'bad guys' in the arena via the Volturi, with a very interesting history and a little global political scandal involving the Romanians. From there it was just a case of working out who did what, and why. Once I had the basic motives and reasons, all I had to do was flesh out the red herrings and misleading information. The opportunity to have some of the family and their friends working undercover, almost like spies, was too good to ignore; so I threw that in too. We're almost one third of the way through the main plot now and most readers still have no idea whose side Alice is on! I can't wait for someone to figure out the big missing puzzle piece; even my betas haven't figured it out yet.

As for my process, I wrote the last three chapters of BEL before I started, because I knew how I wanted it to end. I have a notebook where I have a list of characters and notes for them, detailing their motives, who they work for, their relationships with other characters etc. I also have a chapter list that I chop and change as the story develops and I decide a particular POV needs to explain something to the reader.

I also have loads of snippets typed up that I want to include later on. I have a tendency to 'see' bits of a conversation in my head, almost like remembering a scene in a film, and I have to get it down on paper as soon as possible. If it gets used, great, but I can always change it or use it in another story; one of those drabble outtakes was what lead to my OS 'Fire & Ice'. I don't write chronologically, but I'm always about 5 chapters ahead, writing wise. I send everything to my beta's as soon as it's done and in order, so right now the readers are on ch11, but the betas are on ch13. I'm finalising 14-17 and have notes or partials for chapters 18-25. My brain works too fast sometimes, but having a fantastic memory for written words is a blessing in this situation, because I don't have too much trouble keeping tabs on it all.

I have the main plot mapped out on the white board in the kitchen so every time I see it, it triggers and idea for something. Once that idea hits I have to write it down, even if it's one line of dialogue. There's always a use for it somewhere. I do have wayward characters though. Peter is a pain in my ass because so far he's changed his method of involvement three times, which changes the plot lines. I had to completely rewrite ch14-17 because of him. He tends be very noisy when he wants attention.

Which is your favorite pairing to read and to write? Do you prefer canon or do you dabble in other pairings?

I mostly love to read Bella/Jasper in all their connotations, including dark, AH and kinky, and I love a good Jasper/Edward slash story. I tend to not bother with any others unless it's by a favourite author, because I don't have time to read everything and keep up with BEL's complicated plot lines!

Other than that I don't mind whether it's cannon or not as long as it's a good story and well written. I do like cannon pairings on the whole, but I hated cannon Edward as a character; he was so weak and cowardly yet he tried to control everything cannon Bella did and she let him. The only time I really like Edward is as a slash pairing with Jasper. Cannon Alice annoyed me because of the inconsistencies in her sight and the fact that she's the kind of overly perky person who gives me a headache. I always thought that the intelligent, snarky, but demonstrably emotional, Bella that appears in the first few chapters of Twilight, would be so much better suited to the strength, dry wit and sensitivity of cannon Jasper. They have so much in common and seem so suited to each other that it seems a shame to waste their potential chemistry.

I do like most of the cannon pairings; Peter & Charlotte have a lot of potential, and cannon Carlisle & Esme also have great potential for character development. I think that by writing in the first person SM limited how much of the other characters she could develop, which is a shame.

I'm not averse to any non-cannon pairings because story and plot is much more important to me; though I have an issue with any story where Carlisle and/or Esme start to get jiggy with it; it's too much like watching your parents making out. There's also some characters I'm less interested in than others; for instance, there are no wolves in my world. I like werewolves normally but not in Twilight.

Which FanFic author do you admire the most?

I want to be HammerHips when I grow up. Her brain must be the most fascinating place to live considering some of the stuff she comes out with, and I've loved everything I've read by her. She's a master of unique plots and she seems to like a good mystery too because she will definitely keep you guessing without apology. She's one of the few authors who can really draw me into a story within a few minutes and keep that same level of interest right the way through.

I really enjoy how she seamlessly links events between cannon and non-cannon, and then throws in factual and historical stuff, like she did in her OS, 'Erzebet'. Her ability to take a vague character, like Alastair, and weave a story around him that explains all the unanswered questions from the books, is an incredible talent. I'm better with whys and motivations, I'm not so good with changing characters; it's something I need to work on and develop.

What are some of your favorite FF stories that you can’t wait to see the updates for?

Someday by Duskri123 - Kirss is one of my favourites because she's never afraid to upset her readers by writing what she wants and sticking to her guns. I know she gets nervous sometimes about that, I'm sure we all do, but you have to write what you love or you lose interest in it.

Conversations with my Killer by Oracle Vas - This is my current favourite Jasper. He's so arrogant, odious and unforgiving, yet at the same time she makes him enigmatic, charming and likeable. Pure genius.

The Quiet Room by givemesomevamp – This one has only just finished and it is already in my top 5 completed J/B fics. Wonderful characterisation, especially of Bella and both funny and heartbreaking at the same time.

Mergers and Acquisitions by Domward's Mistress – This is a Jasper/Edward slash with a Peter/Riley sort of love square going on and it's heartbreakingly beautiful.

Anything by HammerHips. She's the only author I drop everything for.

I try to keep it to just those few and read everything else when it's complete. I find reading too many at once confuses me and I end up having to re-read three or four chapters back to get the gist again.

Thanks so much to the lovely Jazzella for getting back to me with her answers so quickly over this busy holiday period. I hope you all enjoyed reading her great responses as much as I did. Now, please, go read Behind Enemy Lines... it kicks ass! And don't forget to leave this talented author some love while you're there. She deserves it. You can check out her cool personal blog HERE. Also, she asked if she gets a lovely Jasper coming round to tell her off and put her through her paces now. Sadly, Jasper can't come to the phone right now as I've got him tied to my bed & he likes it there. A lot. So to make up for this inconvenience, I thought I would share this rather lovely pic of Jackson Rathbone that I saw on the interwebs today. Hope it helps.

'Til next time. ;)

Teach Me The Nasty Judge's Pic - Author Interview

I had the utmost pleasure at interviewing two amazing authors, Shirley007 and JasperSexKitten. These two writers came together for our naughty girls contest and submitted Searching The Unknown  This o/s was fantastic. You get some Jasper, some Emmett, and some Bella. What more could you ask for? And now without further ado, I present to you my interview with Shirley and Barbie:

1. When the two of you decided to write this o/s, did you find collaborating to be difficult or was it easy to write?


Shirley - It was surprisingly easy. We complimented each other perfectly and I could instantly jump in on what Jaspers Sex Kitten wrote, and vice versa. Maybe we share the same brain, or something. It sure feels like it at times. Of course, that's a huge advantage, because the story will flow more easily, if you are on the same wave length.

Barbie - No it was easy. Shirley’s brain and mine think alike. *laughs* It was very easy to say what about this and we just built this from our ideas together. I loved working with my wifey.

2. I personally love me some Jasper/Bella/Emmett sandwiches. When writing this o/s for the contest, what made yall choose to write J/B/E and why not just one Cullen man?

Barbie - Honestly, this is my favorite grouping. And when we first started talking about it we knew from the beginning we wanted Jasper/Emmett…but adding Bella in there just made it all the better. I will just say this I/m a perv apparently but these three together are as good as sliced bread and with Shirley sexy smut it was just awesomesauce.

Shirley - I read about the contest and just started thinking. At first, I wanted to write a J/B/P one-shot, because I'm a Whitlock girl, and those two just rock my world. But I really wanted to write something with Jaspers Sex Kitten. I think she's amazingly talented, and I thought we'd work together well. And what better way to find out, than to write a one-shot. If it didn't work out, we could easily turn our backs and walk away from writing together ever again. But now, I just know there's going to be a hell of a lot more fuckery coming from us.

Damn, I'm straying off topic here. So, I wanted her to write with me, but Jaspers Sex Kitten is a big Emmett lover. So I told her I wanted to write J/B/Em, knowing she wouldn't be able to refuse. *chuckles* And of course, I was right!

And why not one man? Huh. Well, I just love a good threesome, especially with two drool-worthy men. Why wouldn't I write that? *laughs*

3. Who are your favorite Twilight characters and why?

Shirley - Jasper, Peter, Charlotte and Bella.

I admire the Whitlocks, I suppose. They've all gone through hell and worse, but found a better way. Whether they drink human blood or animal, they have crawled out of that dark pit, and enjoy their life to the fullest. I find that shows their strength and their capacity to overcome things, no matter how hideous.

That doesn't mean I don't like 'em when they are written in Maria's Army. Because Darksper and Fierce Peter, are just all kinds of hot. *fans self*

It's that sense of danger that actually draws me to them. They might have become 'domesticated' for lack of a better word, but they still scream danger. And not in a psycho way like James.

It's more like, you know that you should stay away, because of that dangerous side to them, but you just can't, because everything about them appeals to you.

Charlotte is the strongest female character throughout the series. Sentenced to die as a newborn, creating a life unknown for them and making it work, loving a man that shares the same scars as her, etc. But then again, I'm not surprised, she is a Whitlock after all.

Bella is a trickier character. I hate how spineless and meek she was portrayed in the books, but still there's a hint of underlying strength at times. Of course, the way I picture and portray Bella is nothing like SM's Bella. I like my women strong, empowered and unique. Maybe, it's because of all the weaker sex prejudices. I don't know.

Barbie - Well for me it’s not one... its two... I am totally Team Emmsper… I love all things Jasper and all things Emmett. If I could have then in front of me now.. I would die a very happy girl. But the mystery of their characters is one of the things that draw me to them. They are under played and underappreciated in the SM books, I think so I like to be able to give them a life that they deserve.

4. Do y'all read canon or non-canon fics and what are some of yall favorite fics?

Barbie - I’m mainly non cannon.. Jasper/Bella and Emmett/Bella. I really have a hard time reading cannon unless it’s a funny story like The Cullens Family Camping Trip. Hands down Fate/Hope/Love series by Cullen818 is my top all time favorite. I have so many Favorites but You’ll be mine - Jaspers Naughty Girls, We found Each Other - Jaspers Izzy, Bound by Promises - Jaspers Izzy, Worth the Pain - NCChris, Anchorage is for Lovers - NCChris... and so many more.....

Shirley - I read a lot of different things, but most of all I read stories with Jasper or Peter. I have a huge list with favorites, these are most of them.

Conversations with my Killer by Oracle Vas

Hit and Run by lifelesslyndsey

The billionaire bum by Deavlynn

The Sacrificial Lamb by Lalina

First Love Lost & Last Love Found by Oracle Vas

Second Chances by aerialla1

Mood Ring by lifelesslyndsey

Safe and Sound by Touchstone67

Control by Kitty Cullen-03

Master of the Universe by Snowqueen's Icedragon

Wide Awake by Angstgodess003

The Bella Swan Guide to Getting your life back by Kitty Cullen-03

Finding Relief & Finding Forgiveness by TwistedforTwilight

Calefaction by ExploitingReality

The Submissive, The Dominant & The Training by tara sue me

Sassafrass Junction & Bella Whitlock, HBIC by VampishVixen

Edward Cullen, Dick for Hire & The Dick in Me by FL95

Long, Tall Texan by BamaBabe

Your Guardian Angel by Mimi-Love-4Ever

Insecurities by JamesRamsey

The Caged Bird by Kristen Nicole

Voiceless by Kitty Cullen-03

Only at night by trampvamp

Fate's Savior by Rosalynn

The Appointment by Miztrezboo

Rise of the Fallen by ohmyitsv

Awake in the Dark by Kitty Cullen-03

The Arrangement by manyafandom

Pieces of Me by lifelesslyndsey

Progress: The Original Sleep Humper Love Story by 107yearoldvirgin

Emmett's Mom by Corrupted Desires

Goodnight Sweet Girl by Spirare

A lesson in Release/Fate/Love by Lillie Cullen

A murmur of Fire in the Vein by ElleCC

Fate/Love/Hope trilogy by cullen818

Full Circle & The Sword and the Shield by circe290

Golden Moon by NusiainForks

Peace and Answers by abbymickey24

Unknown Saviors by Jaspers Sex Kitten

Nowhere left to run by Spirare

Hush Little Baby by lifelesslyndsey

Sex toy by Oriana de la Rose

Bonne Foi by Amethyst Jackson

Conflicted Soldier by Rosella Whitlock

Mysterious Stranger by jasperskitty

Breaking the habit by TwiXlite

You'll be mine by Jasper's Naughty Girls

The Ancient by TishPhoenix

One more Taste & One final Taste by Kitty Cullen-03

Be my biggest fan by Crash Hale

The Red Line by WinndSinger

Colliding Meteors by Idreamofeddy

Time Heals by abbymickey24

Dark Whispers by Oriana de la Rose

Once Bitten, Twice Shy by lifelesslyndsey

5. The naughty girls would like to take this time to say thank you for entering our contest. Out of all the holiday contests that are always being hosted, what would be yall favorite holiday contest to enter and why?

Shirley - It was our pleasure. Thank you for hosting it. I loved writing 'Searching the Unknown'.

I have no idea. I don't usually write about holidays, but if I'd have to make a choice, I'd go with Valentine's Day, I think. Although,...Is there a Kama Sutra day??

Barbie - I’d like to thank you for this opportunity it’s always a pleasure. And I’d say either a Halloween or a Christmas contest. They are my favorite holidays.

Teach Me The Nasty Judge's Pick Author Interview - cass189

Today I have the pleasure of interviewing cass189, author of Unconventional Lessons, one of our Judges Picks in our Teach Me The Nasty Contest.

Please tell me a bit about yourself...

I’m a 21 year’s old, college student who is currently tackling a Master’s Degree. I’m a bibliophile, I enjoy writing in my free time even if it is just something silly and I love music as well.

What got you into writing Twilight Fan Fiction in the first place?

When I read Twilight for the first time I immediately loved Edward and the relationship between him and Bella. What was portrayed on the book just wasn’t enough for me, though, so I started reading fanfiction. There are some amazing stories out there that explore Edward and Bella’s relationship beautifully and that ultimately inspired me and made me want to write my own take on their story.

Tell us more about how you came up with the hot-as-hell storyline for Unconventional Lessons. Do you plan to continue it?

Well, when I first learned about the contest I began to write a one shot that featured Edward as a college teacher and Bella as his student, who he fell in love with. The main idea was for them to have a secret rendezvous somewhere forbidden on campus but that just wasn’t working. It seemed too cliché. I wanted something a little different.

The idea of Edward as a sex teacher immediately came to me when I thought about something that Bella needed to learn that wasn’t exactly considered conventional. Plus, I’ll confess, I enjoy both reading and writing smut, so what’s better than writing about a sex teacher that’s both dominating and sexy?

Some people asked me to continue it but for now it will remain as a one-shot. I’m afraid I have too much going on right now and not enough time to write a second chapter.

Which is your favorite pairing to read and to write? Do you prefer canon or do you dabble in other pairings?

Edward and Bella is definitely my favorite pairing to both read and write. They are my favorite couple from the books so I enjoy reading other people’s take on their relationship.

I prefer canon but I don’t mind reading a fic that’s non-canon as long as it’s a good one that catches my attention. I don’t usually write about non-canon pairings, though, probably because it becomes increasingly harder for me to imagine, for instance, Bella with someone else that’s not Edward.

Talk to us about what else you are working on at the moment.

At the moment I’m writing the final chapters of my story Midnight Train and working on updates for my other two stories: The Art Of Love and Our Fantasies. I’m afraid I haven’t updated them in a long time…

I’m also working on a second, and probably last, chapter for Crossing The Line, which was written for the Beyond The Pale contest.

What are some of your favorite FF stories that you can’t wait to see the updates for?

Right now I’m really enjoying Loner by Nilla79 and Take The Ice by Bellamarie117. I wished I had a little more time to read all of those amazing FF stories out there but unfortunately for now I don’t.

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Thanks so much for answering my questions & for giving us such a great entry into our contest. It was a pleasure to read.

Author Interview - daisy3853

I've made no secret of the fact that I absolutely adore daisy3853's amazingly beautiful heart-wrenching AH Jasper/Bella fic Underexposed and frankly, I love anything she writes. So much so that I even bought myself an outtake from Underexposed in the FGB Eclipse auction. 

Not only is Katie a fantastic author, but she is also an extremely talented photographer. Along with agreeing to do this interview with me, she has also graciously shared some of her wonderful photos. In case you don't know, photography is what brings Jasper & Bella together in Underexposed and the theme makes for an interesting addition to each chapter. I certainly know more about photography than I ever did thanks to Katie's story. And just so you know, the Daisy in her penname is her gorgeous dog. Anyway, enough from me, here's Katie...

To start us off, tell us a little bit more about yourself. i.e. family, interests, hobbies, likes, dislikes, favorite music, etc.

Well let’s see… I’m in my mid-twenties and living in Austin, Texas. I’m pretty laid back – I love reading, music, movies, and hanging out with my dog. Photography used to be my hobby, but I studied it in school and now it’s my job, so I guess I can’t call it that anymore! I like a lot of different kinds of music. Two of my favorites right now are Ben Kweller and Ingrid Michaelson. I’m one of four siblings and have seven (will be eight soon) nieces and nephews… so my family is pretty nuts sometimes. But I have a lot of patience because of it, especially with children. I’m pretty shy by nature and I prefer a drama-free existence, so I tend to get along pretty easily with almost everyone.

What got you into writing Twilight Fan Fiction in the first place?

I’d been a reader for eight months or so but really never thought I would or could write anything. Then when ElleCC and LaViePastiche started promoting the For the Love of Jasper contest, I had this little plot bunny. At first it was just the photography idea – I had a very clear picture of the final darkroom scene in the original one shot. I started playing around with it and figured I should at least try to do a one shot, just to see if I could. I kind of fell in love with the characters and wanted to see if I could take it further, because there was always more to the story in my head. And here I am. :)

Tell us a bit about your writing process and how you come up with your wonderful ideas.

Ahh! That’s a tough question. I usually start with a scene… I’ll have a really clear picture of something that might be in the middle or end of the story, and then I work around it to build the rest. With Underexposed it was the darkroom scene at the end of the first chapter/original one shot. I wrote that scene first, and then went back and figured out who my characters were and went from there. It changed a lot but the feel of that scene is still the same as when I pictured it. I also get a lot of inspiration from photos and song lyrics. I have a huge folder of material and a playlist that I use while I’m writing. (Side note from Carol - I will forever think of your Jasper & Rosie whenever I hear "You Are My Sunshine")

When I decided to expand Underexposed, I knew I wanted to have a really solid outline before I committed to doing it. It was my first story and I was terrified that I’d get going and not be able to finish. I spent a good month outlining and making sure I was really happy with the progression of the story. I work from a fairly detailed outline – I have a few large plot points to hit in each POV for each chapter, plus any other details to make sure and get in there. I usually write a chapter straight through, going by the outline, and then I go back through to tweak and fill in with more details. Sometimes it goes in a bit of a different direction that I intended, but the main story arc and events haven’t really changed from my original outline.

Underexposed is one of my favorite fics ever. Every chapter is heart-wrenchingly moving and beautifully written. You have a way of making the reader feel the characters’ pain (especially Jasper’s) as if it were their own. Talk to us about what these amazing characters of yours mean to you.

Wow. These characters mean so much to me, probably because they’re the first I’ve written. Jasper and Rosie especially – their story really hits me where it hurts, and it’s been so hard but so fulfilling to write it. Even though I’m sorry that it sometimes hurts for people to read, it’s sort of nice to hear that they feel the characters’ pain because I really feel it when I write. It’s almost cathartic in a way to write them going through so much, yet still coming out on the other side with hope. It’s a lot more work than I ever realized writing would be, and I was surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed it. I feel like I’ve thought about them so much and spent so much time trying to get in their heads, they’re kind of dorkily real to me now. I feel like I know them. It’s definitely going to be hard to let them go when the story is complete.

Which is your favorite pairing to read? And to write?

As far as writing, the only thing I’ve written consistently so far is Jasper/Bella, so I’d say that’s my favorite. I like playing around with new ones though. Kate/Garrett and Jasper/Maria are two that I’m excited about recently. As far as reading goes, I love reading good Jasper/Bella, but most of what I read (probably because that’s most of what’s out there) is still Edward/Bella. It’s also a little hard for me to read a lot of J/B while I’m trying to write it. I’ll give almost any pairing a chance if you can make me believe it, with a few hard limits. ;-)

Tell us about what you will be working on when Underexposed is complete.

Oh man, that’s a good question. It’ll be complete pretty soon, and I’m not really sure what’s next. I know I’m going to be working on my FGB pieces – three outtakes from Underexposed and one original multi-chapter that I’m writing for ElleCC. I’m not really sure what Elle’s story is going to be just yet, but that and the outtakes will be my priorities before I start anything else. I have a couple plot bunnies I’ve been thinking about, but no definite plans yet. I’m toying with doing something with Kate and Garrett, and I really want to try to write an AU… writing vamp Darksper in my Twilight 25 was the most fun I’ve had writing in awhile. It was so fun to be evil and twisty, and I’d like to try to write more.

I know that you love photography, and it is what brought Jasper & Bella together in Underexposed. Tell us a bit more about your photography & the photos that you have so kindly shared with us.

I love photography, and I really hope that’s obvious when you read my story. It’s always been a hobby, but I switched my major when I was a sophomore in college and never looked back. I own my own portrait photography business now and I really love my work. I’m really lucky to be able to make a living at something I actually enjoy. It’s a lot more work than I ever thought it would be, but I love it so much.

I can’t really share my clients’ portraits, but I shared some of what I shoot for fun. I love landscapes and nature photography, abstracts, and taking pictures of my dog, Daisy. I’ve shared a few shots of Austin, as well, because it’s such a beautiful city, and I love it here so much.

The panoramic shot underneath the bridge is the Congress Street Bridge at Ladybird Lake. It’s home to millions of bats during the summer and fall, and Bella and Jasper photographed the bats there in Underexposed. The dark blue photo is a lily pad on the water – it’s actually a technique described in Underexposed where you mimic moonlight conditions during the daytime. The photo was taken at four in the afternoon but with very fun camera settings, so it looks like I took it at night. The snowy photo is the corner of a rooftop in Vail, Colorado, but I think it looks more like a s’more. Mmmm. There’s also a panoramic shot of a creek in one of my favorite neighborhoods in Dallas. And finally one of Daisy, just because I couldn’t resist. :)

Please click to enlarge, so that you can see Katie's pics better. They're really great! 

Isn't Daisy beeyootiful? Just look at those eyes! So precious.

 
Let’s talk Twilight FF clichés. Which ones irritate the hell out of you?
(I absolutely adore your cliché-ridden crackfic o/s A Sticky Situation that you wrote for Haitian Relief. I nearly fell out of my chair laughing when I read that. I don’t mind the clichés in that context, but when I see them being used in a serious way, it makes me cringe. My worst is the popping of the ‘p’ in “Nope” or “Yep”. KILLS me! lol)

Omg, clichés! I think I pretty much hit all of my favorites in the crackfic I wrote for Haiti. I’ll roll my eyes and probably close a story when I see popping the ‘p,’ tongues battling for dominance, carrying Bella bridal style, wet folds, throbbing members, chocolate orbs/pools, Bella-Barbie, Alice the shopaholic maniac, Rosalie the icy bitch with no depth, emo for no reason Jasper, possessive and unlikeable Edward, or a dumb Emmett. I hate when women other than Bella are automatically vapid, catty, and competition for Edward/Jasper/whoever. Not every woman is a one-dimensional rival. I hate when characters become caricatures of their obvious canon traits. I want an author to add depth and show me a new side of a character instead of relying on shortcuts. Also I’m really sensitive about my Jaspers, even in an E/B story, so if I come across one I don’t like I’m likely to stop reading.

Which FanFic author do you admire the most?

There are so many authors out there who I admire, so this question was really difficult for me to answer. I think I’ll have to go with Hmonster4, though. She’s a fantastic writer and an even better friend, and I am in awe of how much she puts into this fandom. From the Indie Twific Awards to the Twilight Counsel to just being there when you need her, she juggles so many balls and I never see any of them drop on her. She pushed me to start writing when I wasn’t sure I could and she held my hand the whole way. She’s a pretty amazing lady, and I owe her a lot.

What are some of your favorite FF stories that you can’t wait to see the updates for?

These are a few of my favorites right now, and the first three have really amazing Jaspers! You should check them all out. :)
(The first one's on my "To Read" list already, but I'm going to add the rest to it, too)

La Canzone della Bella Cigna by philadelphic
Walking Backwards by justaskalice
Here, There, and Everywhere by LightStarDusting
Bright Like the Sun by dryler
Glitch by quothme

Thank you again so very much to the lovely Katie AKA daisy3853 for the great interview. Be sure to check out  
Underexposed. Her Jasper is an amazing man that has been through hell, but is dealing with his tragic past with Bella's help and has a strength of character that is awe-inspiring. 

Author Interview - circe290

So I had the honor of interviewing circe290, author of some of the very best Jasper fics out there. If you haven't yet read Full Circle, The Sword and the Shield or Serendipity, you have my sympathies because you are missing out, big time. She also has a new fic out, Ambiguous Morality, which is shaping up to be another brilliant story. So without further ado, take it away, Natalie...

To start us off, tell us a little bit more about yourself. i.e. family, interests, hobbies, likes, dislikes, favorite music, etc.

Well, I'm a single mom of two fantastic teenage boys. I have a huge variety of interests, and whenever something interests me I tend to go sort of whole hog on it (for example, Twilight..haha!). I love all things Egyptian, Greek mythology, dance, Tolkien...guh, I could go on forever. My music tastes are seriously eclectic, everything from 80s music to Tori Amos, from Muse to my sons' music I'm too old for. Oh, and Danny Elfman is a genius.

You’ve been gone from the fandom since early February, taking care of RL and your sons. I would just like to say that it’s wonderful to have you back. I have sorely missed your writing & I’m sure that I’m not the only one. How does it feel being back?

It's so nice to be missed! Thank you! =)

It feels AMAZING to be back. I missed it and all of you so, so much. It was around this time last year that I became more active in the fandom, and it hasn't escaped my attention that I'm coming back to it now, at the same time of year.

What got you into writing Twilight Fan Fiction in the first place?

I've always enjoyed writing, but I never took the time to really examine the process, ya know? I thought this would be a good way to do that. Also, since I have no social life (see above mention of single mom with two kids LOL), it seemed like a pretty harmless pasttime.

Tell us a bit about your writing process and how you come up with your fantastic ideas…

Oh, I think you're going to be disappointed here. I'm not sure there really IS a process for me. I've heard of writers who outline, who write 30 chapters before posting, and who have their entire story mapped out from the get-go. I wing it. Completely. It starts with an idea. I think on that idea for a few days, and if it seems workable, then I start out chapter 1 with a vague idea of what the story will be and where the characters will finish up, but from that first chapter to the end, it's really a crap shoot. Anything can happen, and I just go with it.

You really do have to write for yourself as opposed to trying to please an audience. When I wrote Though Lovers Be Lost, I was afraid if I posted it I'd be crucified, but it's the one-shot of mine with the most hits and reviews. You never can tell what's going to resonate with people.

Full Circle and TS&tS Jasper or Serendipity Jasper. Which one was your favorite to write? (I would also like to point out that the only Jacob that I’ve ever REALLY enjoyed is TS&tS Jacob. The relationship between that Jasper & that Jake is brilliant! JS)

Oh, god. While I love, LOVE Jasper from FC and TS&tS, I think Serendipity Jasper was my favorite to write. He was so conflicted, and so simultaneously strong and broken. One reviewer (and I forget who...sorry!) said he was like the reverse of a hurricane....the calm eye on the outside while inside he was this maelstrom of uncontrolled emotions. She completely nailed it.

And I had a blast with Jake and Jasper's relationship in TS&tS. I hadn't really planned for Jake to be so involved when I started out. It was one of those times I really was winging it, and that time it worked. There are times it doesn't...believe me!

Talk to us about what else you are working on at the moment. And that new mysterious fic that is so enthralling.

I have a couple of stories in my head that I'm ignoring. Not even kidding...LOL. I am completely feigning deafness. I can't do more than one at a time! The new fic, Ambiguous Morality, started out as a "what if" idea. I couldn't sleep one night and I let my mind wander a bit, thinking of different scenarios, and that, friends and neighbors, is how that fic was born. I think it'll be a little bit slower in updating than maybe you're used to from me, but I still foresee two or three updates a week. I'm completely in love with the fact that readers will give me the benefit of the doubt. I'm not giving much information right now, and there are mysteries that will unravel slowly, so I'm really grateful that readers will hang with me for the ride.

Jackson Rathbone. Discuss. As Jasper? The smirk? The eyebrow? The red bandana? The fucking shiny suits? ;)

Hahaha! Ah, the eyebrow.

I think Jackson Rathbone is quite possibly the single most adorable guy on the face of the earth, bar none. When you see a photo of him smiling, you can't help but smile back. He's just so damn cute! And yeah, the smirk and the eyebrow...haha! It works. I think he's overplaying it a bit, but yeah. The red bandana I hope has been burned. Seriously. And I hope those fucking shiny suits go on the pyre next. Sweet Jesus, that last shiny suit was a damn travesty. And I know we've talked about this, but ugh, those short little legs!

When I first began writing, as much as I love him, he wasn't my Jasper. Travis Fimmel was my Jasper. Now I kind of picture Jasper as a combination of the two, I think.

Let’s talk Twilight & FF clichés. Which ones irritate the hell out of you?

I think we all know the fanfic cliches (tongues battling for dominance, anyone?), and I cringe sometimes when I read over FC, because I was guilty of so many of them when I first started writing. The one that baffles me the most, though, is the popping of the P in "nope" or "yep" or whatever. (Me TOO! I HATE that! LOL)Where does that come from?! There's a few others, some of which I've been guilty of myself, such as making Alice the shopping-crazed pixie or using Emmett just as comic relief.

Which FanFic author do you admire the most?

Oh, gosh. There is a list of authors I admire for their brilliant writing. It would take paragraphs to list them. However, I think the ones I admire the most are the ones who not only write amazing stories, but who take time out to encourage other authors, especially new ones. There are several who come to mind, but if I had to pick just one, I'd have to say ElleCC. She stuck with me all the way through FC, TS&tS, and Serendipity. And I still blame her for my habit of writing dissertation-length reviews, because her reviews are epic. They always made my day, and so when I'd catch myself writing something like "Good chapter!"... I'd really think about what I was writing and point out the parts of a story that really resonated with me.

What are some of your favorite FF stories that you can’t wait to see the updates for?

Lessons Learned, by mistyhaze420; Edward Wallbanger, by feathersmmmm; Conversations with My Killer, which Oracle Vas just started and promises to be just as brilliant as First Love Lost and Last Love Found; and I just started Bourbon and Tea by Zigster, and I'm loving it.

Thank you once again to the lovely circe290 for the great interview. It was a pleasure. And make sure to go check out her new fic, Ambiguous Morality. It's fantastic!

Special Author Interview With Cullen818 & Jasper's Darlin' Kathy

We will be doing Author Interviews on this blog from time to time, so I decided that I wanted to interview Steph and Kathy first... I mean, what better place to start than right here, with two wonderful ladies who write great stories. As you know, they are also the writers of a fantastic Darksper / Darkward tale called You'll Be Mine, using their combined penname of Jasper's Naughty Girls. I hope you enjoy reading their answers to my questions as much as I did. So without further ado, I present to you Cullen818 and Jasper's Darlin' Kathy...

To start us off, tell us a little bit more about yourselves, other than what it says on the sidebar; i.e. family, interests, likes, dislikes, favorite music, etc.

Cullen818 - I'm a thirty something stay-at-home mom to two wonderful boys. I write for a Broadway website, reviewing shows and writing story synopsis. I'm married to a very patient man, who only mildly complains about my FF obsession. I'm currently working on a non-Twilight short story that I hope to submit to an e-books publisher.

Jasper's Darlin' Kathy - My name is Kathy and I love to read, write, listen to music, but my favorite thing to do is spend time with my daughter. She is a 10 year old and we have so much in common. She is as addicted to the Twilight universe as I am, but her favorite character is Edward and mine is Jasper. I listen to Nickelback, Daughtry, Kings of Leon, Shinedown, 100 Monkeys, and so much more. I love scary movies. Halloween is my all time favorite scary movie ever. I also love action movies and of course, vampire movies. I love the outdoors, but unfortunately I don’t always have time for outside. I also love yoga, but rarely get the chance to do my routine. So there’s a little bit about me. Wanna know more, feel free to ask and I shall answer.

How did you get into writing in the first place?

Cullen818 - I've always liked to write. I have tons of short stories just laying around, but I never know what to do with them. I have a degree in journalism, and maybe someday I'll use it. I've been out of it for so long and when I stumbled onto FF, trying to fuel my Twilight obsession, I thought maybe I should try this.

Jasper's Darlin' Kathy - I had the storyline for A New Love playing around in my head for a while, but I couldn’t bring myself to put it on paper. I was reading Fate Has Brought Us Here and I contacted Steph (Cullen818) and spoke to her about my story. She encouraged me to write my story and offered to be my beta. I was so excited that she wanted to beta for me that I think I squealed. In fact, I’m sure I did. Like a fangirl. So that’s how I started writing. If not for Steph, I wouldn’t have any stories written today.

Tell us a bit about your writing process and how you come up with your fantastic ideas…

Cullen818 - Jasper and Edward talk to me. That's the only way I can describe it. I find both of them to be such intriguing characters, especially when given the opportunity to tweak the original creations. An idea pops into my head and then I start running the scenarios and try to figure out how to make the fic work. I have so many ideas in my head, but enough time to write them all.

Jasper's Darlin' Kathy - My writing process is a bit odd, or it’s odd to me. I don’t write an outline or even know what’s going to happen from chapter to chapter most of the time. Usually, I sit down with my laptop and just start typing. Sometimes I’m satisfied with what I have and sometimes I’m not. There isn’t really a process to my writing except with You’ll Be Mine; with that story me and Steph put our heads together and we come up with the chapter that we are writing.

Do you ever base your writing on personal experiences (obviously not the vampire bits – LOL) and do you do your own research?

Cullen818 - No, since I like writing supernatural, I can't really base it on personal experience. I've always been a big fan of soap operas, and so much of my FF writing comes from that... paternity testing, kidnapping, breakdowns, cliffhangers. Now can you see where I get it?

Jasper's Darlin' Kathy - I do, do my own research from time to time, when the chapter calls for it. None of the things that my characters experience are from my own personal experiences. I don’t think I could incorporate into my story any of my own experiences, although it would be awesome if I did have an encounter with a vampire, preferably Jasper.

Which FanFic author do you admire the most and what are some of your favorite fics out there?

Cullen818 - LaViePastiche does it for me. I love her Jasper. And, her writing is just fantastic. Some of my favorite fics... Finding Forgiveness by TwistedforTwilight, The Dominant and The Training by Tara Sue Me, A Forbidden Love by Jasper's Darlin Kathy. There are so many more, but these are currently the ones I can't do without.

Jasper's Darlin' Kathy - The FanFic author that I admire the most is Cullen818. She is truly my inspiration, my idol, the one I admire the most, and my friend. She is an amazing writer and an even better person. She is a kind and gentle creature that I am honored to know. Some of my favorite fics, let’s see. I love everything that Steph has written, Colliding Meteors, Save a Horse, When Darkness Turns to Light, there are so many that are my favorite. It’s hard to name them all.

How does it make you feel when reviewers are unnecessarily rude, or try to correct you on plot issues, when it is clearly going to be different from the original, since you are writing your own story?

Cullen818 - The rude reviews are the hardest part of the FF process for me. I don't think that some readers understand how much goes into the writing process. We all love Twilight, but some of us just have a different view. I write FF because it makes me happy, and from what I can tell, 99% of my readers like it, but there are always a few who find it necessary to tell you how horrible you are. My advice to readers would be, if you don't like the direction an author is taking the story, then quietly move on to the next one. I'm not saying that you can't offer constructive criticism, but there is a way to do it without hurting the author’s feelings. We're writing for you!

Jasper's Darlin' Kathy - Sometimes reviewers can be downright harsh, and it hurts your feelings or makes you want to pull your stories. Sometimes these reviewers make you want to retaliate, but the way it makes you feel tends to leave a mark. I have spoken to Steph several times about harsh reviews that I’ve received, and it helps having someone to talk to because honestly, there has been quite a few times when I have received a harsh or rude review where I wanted to pull my stories and tell the reviewer to go fuck themselves, but I thought better of it. I know that my stories are my own, and there is always going to be someone who doesn’t like what I am writing. You just learn to deal with it.

What tips would you give any would-be writers out there?

Cullen818 - Follow your heart. It's your story and you need to write it the way you envision it. Get a Beta! I didn't have one for my first two stories, and I clearly should have. I'm now in the process of revising Fate (right, Carol!). It's a daunting task! A writer is too close to their own story and another set of eyes (or in my case two extra sets if eyes) can only make you look better!

Jasper's Darlin' Kathy - I would tell them to go for it. Don’t let the fear of writing stop you. Give it a try, you might like it and you may just have one hell of a story waiting to be unleashed. Find a beta and write, write, and write. Don’t let anyone discourage you from writing your story.

Let’s talk about You’ll Be Mine…

What made you decide to do a Darksper / Darkward fic? Tell us what appeals to you most about those naughty vamps…

Cullen818 - When Kathy and I started this, it was only supposed to be Darksper. We found him extremely sexy and realized that there just wasn't enough of him out there. Then as we got going, we thought, what if Edward was dark too. Two times the fun! Bella is a lucky girl! I think a vampire should be dark. I'm not saying that he can't have redeeming qualities, but they're just sexier when they're rough, dominant and tortured. Think Angelus, from Buffy. (Sidenote from Carol : You had me at Angelus... mmmmm)

Jasper's Darlin' Kathy - Hmm, I think we decided to write a Darksper/Darkward fic because, well, they are just too sexy not to write. No, we like the darkness and we enjoy playing with Darksper and Darkward. They are two characters that you just don’t get to see enough of. Darksper appeals to me on so many levels. He’s dangerous already, but when you make him dark, oh what wonderful things happen. He’s sexy and irresistible. I want him for myself. Darkward, oh my damn, what can I say? He is fuckhot as Darkward. I mean give me a Darkward any day that says “I’m going to fuck you” and I just melt. I want to lick him. But when you put Darksper and Darkward together, I want to lick and nibble every inch of those sexy vamps. (Sidenote from Carol : You had me at lick and nibble... mmmmm)

Do you enjoy the collaborative process and how do you decide who writes what?

Cullen818 - I really do enjoy the process. We fuel one another, and Kathy gets my naughty side going. I've used words in this story that make me blush! We are very compatible. We get on g-chat and start throwing out ideas and before we know it, we have the whole chapter written. She does really well with Darkward, and I like writing the dominate side of Jasper. Occasionally we switch, but either way it always works out.

Jasper's Darlin' Kathy - I do very much enjoy the collaborative process. It’s a process that is fun and amazing. We get together and talk about what we want to happen in the next chapter and then we write it. As for who writes what, we just ask the other “do you want to write Jasper or Edward?” It’s as simple as that.

Are there any pitfalls that people should watch out for, if they thinking about collaborating with another writer? What would you advise?

Cullen818 - You have to be remember that it isn't just your story. You have to listen to what the other author wants or your flow won't happen. Like I said, Kathy and I work really well together and I think that's why this story works. We're on the same page.

Jasper's Darlin' Kathy - Collaborating with another writer can be an easy thing if you know the author. I wouldn’t advise writing with an author that you are unfamiliar with. You should know what their writing abilities are and what kind of stories they write best. I think the best advice to give writers wanting to collaborate would be, don’t take this lightly and go into this process with your eyes open, knowing what you want to do.

Do you have a preference for whose POV you write?

Cullen818 - I like writing JPOV, especially when he gets controlling and dark, but lately I've been enjoying playing with Edward. Making him talk dirty is fun.

Jasper's Darlin' Kathy - Yeah, I prefer writing Darkward. I think I write him better than I write Darksper and Steph has a knack for writing Darksper. Hell, she has that same knack for writing Darkward.

Any hints as to when we are going to find out what is going on with Darksper and Darkward, and what the hell is in Texas causing all this? I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’m DYING to know!

Cullen818 - Well... if you read the last chapter, you know that they are headed to Texas. We will reveal what is causing them to change, but first we have a road trip to write, and some pretty hot scenes between Jasper and Bella. Oh, and I think that we may have something big planned for Edward, concerning what he wants to do with Bella. Stay tuned...

Jasper's Darlin' Kathy - Well, I will tell you this, the next chapter will be a very fun and interesting one to write. Our favorite dark vamps will finally get back to Texas, but you’ll just have to stick around for the ride to find out what we have awaiting our hot and sexy men. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, ladies. I had great fun doing this! I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again... I love being part of this blog with you both.

Stay tuned for more Author Interviews in the near future...