Branching Inward

I’ve recently started reading Branching Inward by LifeInTheSnow, strongly recommended to me by songster and Emmanuelle Nathan for which I am very grateful – thank you, ladies.

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Set in the fictional Midwestern college town of Newcoven, Branching Inward tells Bella’s story as she moves to a new town, a new job and as it turns out a whole new life. She goes in search of a new beginning and it looks like she will find what she has been missing in life.

Edward, a talented artist, has lost his true self. He is a brilliant but tortured soul weighed down by his past. Punishing himself, Edward has isolated himself from society, even from his family. Will he be strong enough to stay away from Bella?

Both Bella and Edward have their secrets and the intrigue builds as we get glimpses here and there of both of their pasts. As I’ve said in one review, the author, not only her characters, is quite the tease and builds the tension between her protagonists so well. UST abounds and I can quite safely say that once you’ve read it you’ll never think of honey in the same way again…

LifeInTheSnow’s writing is beautiful; descriptive, with excellent character development and mature emotional interactions. Canon phrases are worked in seemingly effortlessly, not merely as a nod to the Twilight prose, but in a way that owns them as part of this story in a way that makes me smile.

Branching Inward has one of the most sensual kisses that I’ve read and is worth a read for that alone, but in reality it offers so much more. To give you an idea what is in store for you:

“

“He was at the bottom of the stairs and I was a few steps above him when he spun back as if remembering something. His face was suddenly inches from mine, eye level with me.

“Bella, one more thing...” He met my eyes, smirking inexplicably, because honestly everything about this person was inexplicable, I decided. His voice was quiet and deep, warmed by the hot tea, hanging thickly in the air between us. He continued, dragging his gaze across my face, "I was wondering...why do you have my picture on the wall in your office?"

The room around me froze and disappeared from my conscious mind. It was like I had tunnel vision blinding me to everything but his mossy, soft eyes.

His question rang in my ears. Oh my god. What must he think of me? Has he had that in his head all night, this whole time? Of course he had. I hardly knew how to respond.

As it turned out, I didn't need to. Not in any sort of usual way. I realized that Edward's face was still unnervingly close to mine, and he was making no effort to move away. And his eyes were alive with fierce energy. And I was bolted to this spot, an unfamiliar heat scorching every nerve from within. And I realized...he was going to kiss me.”

~

Find Branching Inward on FanFiction.Net http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6372008/1/. Go now, you won’t regret it. It is a work in progress, currently with fourteen chapters.

Happy New Year, everyone. I hope that 2011 holds everything that you hope for.

Rhian

xx

This Buried Life

But often, in the world's most crowded streets,

But often, in the din of strife,
There rises an unspeakable desire
After the knowledge of our buried life;
A thirst to spend our fire and restless force
In tracking out our true, original course;
A longing to inquire
Into the mystery of this heart which beats
So wild, so deep in us - to know
Whence our lives come and where they go.

The Buried Life by Matthew Arnold

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This Buried Life by Emmanuelle Nathan tells the tale of an American Bella who has escaped an oppressive relationship to start anew in the UK. She has embraced the change and has a successful career working for The British Museum in London. But life is bland and memories of her ex have followed her, holding her back and knocking her confidence. Bella’s character although brave and intelligent, smacks of a life unlived; a lonely existence with a public facade hiding the fire within.

A golden-eyed stranger ignites a passion that even Bella didn’t know she was capable of.  A sexual awakening is on the cards that sees Bella wanton and frenzied under his attentions and demands. Bella’s simple existence is no more and what will happen when this mysterious stranger interferes with the one part of her life she has confidence in – her career? I guess we’ll find out…

I can’t wait by the way ;)


Read This Buried Life here http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5783211/1/This_Buried_Life 

Rhi_Inspire Reinspired

Hello lovelies,

Welcome to my new blog! I thought I needed a new look so I’ve made a new banner as my header and changed my colour-scheme. All in all, I’ve had a bit of a makeover with help from ange de l’aube. I can’t say how much I appreciate her help with this, but I will say that I flove her!


I hope that you like it. I’m not sure if you’d be interested, but you can now subscribe to the blog so that you’re alerted when I update.


Rhian
xx

A Pound of Flesh

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."

Maria Robinson

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A Pound of Flesh, written by jaxon22, was recommended to me recently by some of my twitter friends who told me that I simply had to read it and I am more than glad that I took their advice.


Isabella is a teacher intent on giving back to the community, driven by memories of her admirable father. Her determination takes her to the Arthur Kill Correctional Facility in New York. Her journey to give back may cause her to give more than she ever bargained for.


Edward, the bad boy incarnate, is an inmate at Arthur Kill. He’s angry and full of hate for a world that has let him down. He has walls around his heart more impenetrable than the prison walls around him but Isabella won a place there fifteen years ago in exceptional circumstances – he just needs to see her for who she really is.

Edward and Bella are at first impassioned in their prejudice and frustrated by their unwanted mutual sexual attraction. They are more alike than they realise however, each carry a weight that has dictated their lives, even if it has driven them in different directions – both have their debt to pay.

jaxon22 has created an intricate plot with intelligent emotional insight woven with interesting literary discussions and greater moral life lessons. This is truly a captivating read. I am not doing it justice (no pun intended) go check it out and see for yourself at


http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5926016/1/A_Pound_of_Flesh

Paper CutOuts

Paper CutOuts by twistedcoincidence and astilbe13 was recently recommended to me by a few friends and I am glad that they took the time to point me in the direction of this little gem. There is a reality to the writing that cuts through to the heart of things and I have found myself in tears with this Bella.

She sees her life as a story, an empty one. The first chapter opens:

Ordinary: -adjective; of no special quality or interest; commonplace; unexceptional.

This is how she sees herself, how others have seen her in the past. But her story finally begins when she spots an interesting stranger from her office window. She is tired of being a face in the background and wants to be a lead character so, for once in her life, she writes her own story and sets out to meet him. In the process new characters enter her life and change her story forever.

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Read Bella’s story on FF.net http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5993984/1/Paper_CutOuts

Âme Soeur Chapter 13: Red Pill

A blue pill will give you a world of blissful ignorance and illusion. A red pill will give you the truth of reality. In ange de l’aube’s Âme Soeur it’s time to take that red pill. It might hurt and it might taste bitter, but how do you really know sweet if you’ve never tasted sour?

It’s truth time and we’re about to see our hero and heroine face it head on and hopefully find happiness in each other. Can the truth and beauty of young love heal and spirit away the ghosts of the past?

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“They sat in silence for a while. The wind blew small yellowish leaves around their feet and Bella observed their little dance. She wondered why life had to be so hard on them. They were too young to be dealing with all this, too young to be haunted by nightmares, too young to be dealing with alcoholic parents and unsolved mysteries.


I guess you're never too young for life, Bella mused as she focused on the leaves dancing swirls and doing pirouettes on the ground.”

Quote from Chapter 13

Read Âme Soeur by ange de l'aube here http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5971351/1/Ame_Soeur or take a look at the authors blog http://angedelaube.blogspot.com/?zx=479f1ff2d67307cd where you can find playlists and Âme Soeur art.

Master of the Universe

Firstly and foremost, I must thank Icy so much for this story and for sharing so much of herself with us. You are one generous lady!


As you will know, Icy sat down to write a story and this time last year she posted the first chapter of Master of the Universe, soon to become known as MotU and take the fanfiction world by storm, or leather plaited whip as the case may be…

MotU is my favourite fanfiction of all time. I doubt I need to tell anyone reading this post why. Icy created a world with powerful and captivating characters that I fell in love with along the way. Bella is young and sometimes naive, but is astoundingly brave with an emotional maturity that shines through in her kindness. Edward, fifty shades of fucked up with a tormented spirit hiding behind his sexual prowess, gets a lot more than he bargains for when he meets the unassuming Miss Swan. The rest is now MotU and fanfic history enshrined in out little computer screens and in our hearts.


To celebrate the anniversary of MotU, here is something I just cooked up:

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Thank you to @KlrTwiLuver for the words for this banner.

Please take a look at the MotU Tribute blog for some beautiful words and some beautiful banners and wallpapers at http://www.motutribute.com/home

Also, in case you're interested, here is the first alternate banner that didn’t make it onto 50shades.com. There is only room for the one after all ;)

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