Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Another fond farewell

Sara has been on a posting spree!

Today we say goodbye to No Strings Attached, posted at AHA. Sara has posted several chapters over the last couple of days to finish off the story, and what an excellent story it is! This is a modern retelling, in which Elizabeth is a cellist, who 'meets' Darcy when he comes to San Francisco on business with her brother-in-law Bingley. Yes, the 'meets' is supposed to be in quotation marks.

This is one of the loveliest stories I've read in quite some time. Sara, this is two must-reads in a row! What else do you have up your sleeve?

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Quickly

Just a quick post tonight...I haven't been able to get to an internet connection until today, and it's making me crazy! Fortunately, I will be back online next week!

In the meantime, I have taken a quick look at what I've been missing.... Paths of Men, And Grace Will Lead Me Home, Gracechurch Cottage, If I Only Dream of You, and A Surfeit of Clerics to name just a few. Such felicity! And I cannot get to them all in the short time I have!

Therefore, I implore you, my dear readers, to please read all the JAFF you can while I am unable to!

Saturday, January 26, 2008

A walk in the Country...

Of course, not having internet is putting a huge strain on my need to have a marathon read- and as felicitous as my new apartment is, I must admit a bit of chagrin at being unable to finish my latest marathon read.

Finally, after a week in suspense, I have finally been able to finish Teurig! Written by MaryAnne and rated NC-17, this recently completed story transforms Elizabeth and Jane into Regency super-sleuths of the first degree- and is a rollicking ride from beginning to end. I was reminded of James Bond, and kept expecting our favorite heroine to walk up and introduce herself as 'Bennet, Elizabeth Bennet'.

Teurig has been completed on 50 Miles, AHA, and HG. I hope, given the ending of the story, that a sequel is on the way. I am wishing really, really hard. And I hope I don't have to resort to begging!

Friday, January 25, 2008

A new acquaintance

Day 8... I'm going through some serious withdrawls here...but I shall persevere! And fortunately, tomorrow at work I will have access, so I can work on catching up a bit then! But for now...here's a new offering for you to enjoy!

There is a delightful new story on DWG that I wanted to let everyone know about. Lizzy's Locket posted its first chapter yesterday! While not entirely faithful to canon- Jane and Lizzy are the youngest children, after 3 brothers- it has quite a charming beginning- particularly the parts about Mr. Collins- I really couldn't believe my eyes when I first read those lines- I thought I must be reading something wrong. But no! My eyes were not decieving me, and they are hysterical!

Kaylee- this promises to be a lot of fun! Post again soon!

Thursday, January 24, 2008

A short period of time...getting longer

I have some ideas of what I'm going to do with the internet, but this is now day 7 without it. So I'm posting this from my office computer. Hopefully, by the end of next week, I can be interneting from home and back to my regular posting schedule

There have been a ton of updates, and at least one new story posted. As I'm having to pick carefully what I read (time constraints, you know!), I've only been able to read through a couple of the posts, and mostly ignore the rest of it. But I have seen many great stories have posted new chapters!

Stories like Miscommunication, Sketching His Character (quite a twist in this week's post!) Forget with Silence and Tears, and of course, Crescent City and Half Such a Sum. There is also a new offering, A Surfeit of Clerics, which looks very promising!

Well, until tomorrow, or Saturday, or whenever I can again get internet access and a computer together under one roof, happy reading!

Sunday, January 20, 2008

A Fond Farewell....

Day two...and hopefully I can come up with internet in my apartment soon!

I was very sad when I checked over at DWG today and discovered the last chapter and epilogue of Disenchanted posted. Sad and excited and very, very happy the story came to such an agreeable conclusion! Disenchanted is a story that crosses Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, and a couple of mysteries all in one. It is an exciting, cleverly written story that has given me many hours of pleasure since it was first reposted at AHA last year. Of course, I immediately went and looked up the entire story on DWG to find out what happened next- I simply could not wait for weekly postings when I knew there was more of the story somewhere else! And now it is over- but I can guarantee you I will be re-reading it many times over the next many months!

Kara, you are to be congratualted for a job well done!

Disenchanted is posted on DWG, and is being reposted on AHA.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

An Invitation to Tea

Day one, and I have no internet, but I was able to sneak over here for a few minutes to check my email and scan the boards.

I really love Forget with Silence and Tears! My only problem with this story is that it's only posted once a week!

There is a new chapter of Not So Arrogant. I'm interested to see what happens next, this little story has such a fresh take on the P&P story.

And of course, the Sox are playing the Pugs today, right after Will and Lizzy have... well, to find out, you'll have to check out the action at Game Seven!

Of course, the little time I can spend online is when I can't access AHA, but all of these stories can be found at HG and 50 Miles.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

A Momentous Occasion!

While not particularly related to Jane Austen, I am very pleased to announce that I will be a bit out of touch for the next few days, for a very good reason.

Today, I got a job with a property management company, that includes an apartment of my very own!

This means that for the first time in nearly two years, I won't be living out of my parent's back room, but will instead have my own kitchen, living room, and complete control of every remote in the house.

Life is sweet.

But this means that until I get an internet/broadband connection in my new place, I will be running to my parents to post and read stories. While that will probably happen pretty frequently, there will still be a gap of a couple of days while I get in, get settled, and revel in the solitude of my adorable apartment.

In light of the fact that I am moving tomorrow (I wanted to move this evening, but couldn't find anyone to help me), I spent all afternoon packing, as opposed to reading whatever happened to be posted. I was unable to complete Teurig, nor could I compose a paragraph in honor of the recent shorts by Edward, Ruth, and others that have come to my attention the past few days. Therefore, tomorrow morning, before I scrounge around for book boxes and shut down the computer to move it to its new home, I will post something along those lines.

In the mean time, please check out some of the wonderful Thursday postings- The End of Innocence, Determination, and A Most Beloved Sister (yay! Casey's back!). And I, dear readers, will return as soon as I possibly can!

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Ah!

I have just found this in the Comments for God Save the Queen at AHA:

I'm dreadful I know... (Not to mention, pokey in the extreme), but I'm attempting to get GStQ finshed in the next couple of weeks and then all of you wonderful patient readers can wallow in a skinsuit clad Darcy (complete with supstantial codpiece!) to your heart's content.

Yay!! Jen is getting ready to post!! And skinsuits...mmmmmmmm...need I say more?

An Afternoon Drive

As it is now nearly time for me to go to bed, it is time for my daily rounds to see what has been posted today and what I should look for tomorrow.

And what did my eyes see, but a post to Angel of the Centerfold!!!!

Hopefully, you read my earlier rant and caught my frustration at being denied a post for two weeks, when left at such a point as we were with the last chapter. Mr. Bingley was in quite a predicament, what with...well, I guess you'd better read the story first! Angel is posted on AHA. If you haven't picked up on it yet, it's marathon material, so I would recommend starting in the morning to give yourself enough time!

No Strings Attached and Crescent City also have new chapters. NSA is posted on AHA, and you can get your Crescent City fix at AHA, HG, and DWG, as well as Jack's personal website.

New material was also posted on Further Down the Road (rated NC-17) by Aimee, an exciting new fic posted on HG. In this story, Wickham decides to pursue Elizabeth after his elopement with Lydia. And of course, sparks fly! I think this has got to be one of the wickedest Wickhams ever. That's merely my opinion.

There is a new chapter of The Only Way on both HG and AHA, and a lovely bit added to that naughtiness known as Voice of Love, by MEN and rated NC-infinity. The Only Way is a clever retelling that begins with Darcy's proposal at Hunsford; while I wish I might say more, I would hate to give up any of the major plot details that occur at that point- suffice it to say, Elizabeth finds herself in a rather compromising position, and an engagement she does not wish for.

Voice of Love
is an offering by three of our most creative authors, Mischa, Enid, and Nina. In the preface to today's post, they informed us that only a few more chapters will finish up this story, and that they would then disappear from the fan fic scene, to work on their knitting. My dear ladies, I hope this is not true! As a knitter myself, I always applaud anyone who wishes to engage in the zen-inspiring art that is knitting, but I think we would be bereft were you to pursue knitting to the exclusion of those bits of naughtiness you are so proficient at creating. Please reconsider! Voice of Love can be found on AHA.

Be sure to come back tomorrow, when I will update the short stories and drabbles that have been posted over the last few days!

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

An Invitation to Drink Tea

There have been several new postings today, some of which I got to read before I descended into bridesmaid's hell, and some of which I did not. So, here we go!

We have a new acquaintances today! Enid has begun posting her new story, Every Savage Can Reproduce (rated NC-17). This is an interactive fic, as Enid will post each week asking readers to vote on a particular plot line before writing each chapter. This story has a very promising beginning, as Elizabeth wishes to procreate, but is unable to have the...er...gentleman she wishes approved by the Procreation Powers that Be. If you've read any of Enid's stories, you know the sky is the limit- and this guarantees to be creative! I myself cannot wait until the next chapter! Savage is posted at HG and AHA.

On DWG, Allison has posted the first chapter of Particular Attachments, a story that is, shall I say, a bit liberal with canon. At least, thus far. It is a very good beginning, but I am not sure how far I will be able to go, as I am deep at heart an angst-weenie, and this story promises some angst by it's very premise. Those of you who are not scared of such things, enjoy!

Linnea has posted new chapters of A Mother's Favorite Wish at HG; she is slowly luring me in to a story I would not normally read, as I do not really care for story that are too liberal with canon. But I am hooked on this one, and I like it!

And another chapter of I Only Dream of You is now up at HG and AHA. This is a very unusual story, and I am getting more and more curious as I read it.

Anghraine has posted chapters to Such Terms of Cordiality (on HG), and updated the repost of A Matter of Chance on AHA. I am thoroughly enjoying Chance, which I did not read during its original posting at HG. I started to read Terms this evening, only to become completely confused, therefore, I am going to go back and start at the beginning, because what I read has definitely piqued my interest. I had flashes of memory from my original reading that quickly fade back, thus a new reading is warranted. As with all of Anghraine's works, I expect a great ride!

And Lila has posted a new chapter of One Drunken Night In Vegas on FanFiction.net. If you haven't picked up this charming story, you are really missing out. It is fast becoming one of my favorites!

Until tomorrow, happy reading!

The Jane Austen Fan Fiction Index

For those of you unaware, one of our wonderful authors maintains an index of JA fan fiction, giving the names of stories, their rating, and their location. There is also a section called 'Fan Fiction Therapy', which brings up a random list of 25 stories to read whenever you are in need of unwinding, chilling, or decompressing. It is an invaluable resource for those of us trying to nurse our addictions.

The Index can be found here. To login, enter EAReader, password Attention. The login and password are all case-sensitive. A link can be found in the Links section on the right-hand side of the page.

Thank you Victoria for all your hard work!

Enjoy!

Monday, January 14, 2008

I LONG for a ball!!!

Yes, another post in which I beg an author to PLEASE relieve my agony and post another chapter! Let me see...who shall I beg today?

I think I'll beg Azure, author of Ordinary Mary, an adorable modern focusing on Mary Bennet and her quest for love. Most particularly, I enjoyed the scene in which Mary meets a mystery man at a party she is catering, and...oh, but I can't give that away. A very clever and well written story, I've looked every week for a new update!

Ordinary Mary is posted at HG, and is rated PG-13.

Do you have a story that you want to see updated? Let me know in the comments!

Anticipation

Michelle has posted an update to her posting schedule for Angel of the Centerfold in the comments thread at AHA. After apologizing that no post will be forthcoming today, she writes there could possibly be one later in the week.

ARRGGHHH!!! I'm dying to find out how dearest Charlie extricates himself from the situation he finds himself in! Hmmm... extricates...what an appropriate word!

In Invitation to Drink Tea...

Now that I am sufficiently recovered from my all-nighter, I can again look over the boards and see what has been posted the last few days. Here are some dear friends for your enjoyment!

I mentioned atf's Forget with Silence and Tears last week; today I must mention Lise's End of Innocence (rated PG). Another of the (few!) adaptations of Persuasion, this begins a few months after Frederick leaves Kellynch Hall following Anne's breaking their engagement. I began reading this when it was first posted, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. Anne and Lady Russell are so charmingly naive, and here we also meet Frederick's oft-mentioned brother, who is terribly clever, but just as naive as Anne and Lady Russell. I am so interested to see where this will go now! End of Innocence is posted on DWG.

Over the weekend, Role of a Lifetime (rated R), a modern in which William is an actor and Lizzy a night-club owner, posted. This is a cute story, with some very funny scenes in it (a drunk William for one!). I'm looking forward to see where this goes! This is posted on AHA.

Only for the Deepest Love, It Hardly Signifies and And Grace Will Lead Me Home also posted today.

And now, fond farewells to Wait Until (NC-17) and Their Glory Continues (NC-17), which have both been completed. I loved the chess-matches in Wait, and the breakfast jam scene in Glory has got to be one of the funnier things I have ever read. You will be missed!

Be sure to look out for....

For those of you in the US who are, like me, very interested in movie adaptations of Jane's wonderful novels, Masterpiece Theater is airing last year's ITV production of Northanger Abbey this Sunday at 9:00 PM. I've already set Tivo to record it for me.

This movie and the others that aired during ITV's Jane Austen season are also being released in the US on DVD to correspond with their airing. They can be found on Amazon.

Persuasion

Northanger Abbey

Mansfield Park

If you don't want to wait for the DVDs, they are also posted in their entirety on YouTube. That's where I first watched them.

In my humble opinion, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey are definitive screen versions- matching the plots closely, and extremely well acted. I was less impressed with Mansfield Park, though it was very well done.

Enjoy!

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Fatigue after a long journey

I did something incredibly stupid last night, as my parents' toy poodle will bear witness to; I stayed up ALL NIGHT reading. This caused said poodle much consternation, because for whatever reason, he got up early this morning and refused to go to bed until I did, sitting on the edge of the bed and whining at me while I read. It almost distracted me.

Almost.

So, what caused me to stay up all night and make myself sick for lack of sleep? I simply could not stop reading Jack C's Crescent City. It took me some time, but I did eventually get through the whole thing, and I'm now anxiously awaiting Wednesday when the next chapters are posted!

I really do know better than to do something like this- I should have learned from my marathon reading of The Three Colonels last year.

Such a clever plot line! Such wit! Such intricate details! Some of them had me laughing my head off, and others I merely shook my head in awe of the intellect that spawned them; such as the slight mention of Richard Musgrove- it was perfect! The French, the references to Monty Python, and my personal favorite, Rabbi Tuckmann, who looks very much like Mel Brooks in my imagination!

If you haven't, I suggest you take a look- but please do it in the morning, since I doubt you will be able to stop once you get started. Crescent City is posted at HG, AHA, and DWG.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Drinking Tea...

There have been many offerings on various sites over the last two days- enough that I actually spent more time than was actually necessary reading the different posts, and rereading some favorites. From the beginning. Which can be quite time consuming!

Particularly when the fic I am attempting to reread is Shelby's Half Such a Sum, rated R, posted at HG. Like so many others, I was thrilled when Shelby and Half returned to the garden late last month, and I am even more thrilled that she has been able to post regularly! If you have not read this creative reimagining of Pride and Prejudice, you are sorely missing out! I suggest you take a couple of days and read it through to the most recent post- you won't be sorry! Today's post was very informative, though I (and I'm sure many of Shelby's fans) are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the pirates she's been promising us!

I also look forward to Determination, by cpodom, on Thursdays. This story has tweaked the canon pairings, and has lured me in with it's clever premise; what if the Colonel had interrupted Darcy's failed proposal at Hunsford? Determination is posted at both HG and AHA.

Of course, Thursdays are not complete without No Strings Attached, rated R, by Sarah, posted at AHA. This is another brilliantly told story from the author that gave us The Trials of the Honorable Fitzwilliam Darcy. Strings is a sweet, romantic modern set in San Francisco. I've cried a few times reading it!

It was thrilling to see another post to DJ Clawson's If I Loved You Less on FanFiction.net. This is the latest in her series that began with "A Bit of Advice". Of course, this isn't going to make much sense if you haven't read the first few stories, as there are many new characters and a monkey to become acquainted with. Her previous stories are posted on her website, as well as HG and AHA. Enjoy them!

More to come...there are simply too many for me to get them all into one post!

Of Short Duration

There are several short stories and drabbles that have been posted over the last few days, however, today I'd like to point out to you one of my favorites.

Rachael, the author of the wonderful fic Holidays, has begun re-posting a short sequel to that wonderful story at HG. Snapshots is the continuing story of Elizabeth, William, Sam and Ally over the first two years or so of their marriage. The entire story is posted at Firthness.

Rachael has also written she has a partially completed sequel to Snapshots. I, for one, would love to read it!

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

A Tour of the Country

Looking for something to read while waiting for a new chapter in one of your favorites? Look no further!

One of the things I love about fan fiction is the diversity of plotlines and stories. My first recommendation is a wonderful example. The Mark of the Cat by Sofie, posted at DWG, is an exciting tale that twists Elizabeth into a clairvoyant, who communicates with an unknown love via their mental bond- only she doesn't know who he is.

One of my all-time favorites, this story is incredibly well-written, and had me crying before it was over!

You can check it out here.

That tall, proud fellow, Mr. What's His Name!

While perusing some of the posts on 50 Miles, I came upon this delicious piece of naughtiness, and just had to share!

Mr. Darcy is TOO Sexy for...

I'm really lucky I wasn't drinking anything, it would have come out of my nose. All I can say is, who knew Colin Firth could walk like that? I don't exactly pay attention to his walking when I watch Pride and Prejudice- the man should have been a model!

There is also a clip using Alan Rickman, and if you happen to like 300, there's another made up from clips from that movie.

Thanks to Sylwia for finding that clip and putting it out there!!

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

I cannot believe it!

As a resident of Nampa, ID for the last 6 years, I was very surprised and upset to learn that we have a baseball team (the Nampa Pugs) that was good enough to get to the World Series, but not good enough to beat the Boston Red Sox. I am mortally offended! Of course we would beat them! Well, ok, maybe not, but still...it's the principle of the matter!

Gabrielle- Say it ain't so!

Other than the slight to my humble village, your story Game Seven is excellent!

I LONG for a Ball...

Yes, like the overly-stupid Lydia Bennet, I, too, long for a ball. Or, more appropriately, chapters from beloved stories that NEED to be continued!

One such story? God Save the Queen. It has now been three weeks since we had any kind of an update on either AHA or HG- and I miss my skin-suits! I miss my charmingly naive Fitzwilliam and his rather overbearing sister! I miss Elizabeth and her two pages! I miss Jane trying not to flirt with a Bingley who is not out yet! I was left in raptures with the promise of a ball- a ball, moreover, in which young men's rear ends were to be gently slapped with their partner's fans- and no ball has been forthcoming. I was given a hint of terrible things surrounding Elizabeth's young (and presumably virgin) page Ian- and I am left wondering! It is distressing!

Perhaps, very soon, there will be more? Pretty please? With a fan on top?

Monday, January 7, 2008

An Invitation to Drink Tea...

Here it is: the Inaugural Post inviting you, my dear readers, to check out some of the available WIPs that have been posted on various sites over the last few days. Please bear in mind, these are just a sampling; for a full list, I invite you to make yourself home at ALL of the various JAFF boards. Or at least as many as you can check every fifteen minutes from work without loosing your job.


~~**~~New Acquaintances~~**~~

A Mother's Favorite Wish (rated PG-13) by Linnea Eileen- posted at Hyacinth Gardens (HG). An excellent start to what promises to be an exciting story. All I can say is, my heart was racing by the end of the prologue! Angst-Weenies need to heed the warning that comes with it! I have some ideas of how Linnea MIGHT pull this one back from the abyss, but all of them are strange and most are not what you would call reasonable. I can't wait to see how this plays out!

An Awakening (Rated PG) by Amy J- posted at Derbyshire Writer's Guild (DWG). This is a parallel story to her excellent WIP Paths of Men, posted on several sites, including the Guild, AHA, and the Gardens. It would appear we are going to get the story behind Darcy and Lizzy's re-acquaintance! I am intrigued with this, and already have spent more time puzzling out different scenarios than is probably normal.

It Hardly Signifies (Rated PG-13) by Kent- posted at A Happier Alternative (AHA). Kent has left us hanging in the middle of his other WIP The Wedding Party, to take us down yet another of his witty Lizzy/Darcy roads. My biggest question: will we get to see Lizzy and Darcy debating over Darcy's curricle? Whatever ends up happening, it's sure to be infused with Kent's trademark humor.

~~**~~ Dearest Friends~~**~~

What day would be complete without new posts on old favorites?

What do you get when you cross Darcy, Agatha Christie, and Harry Potter? Disenchanted (Rated PG) by Kara- posted at DWG. GAH!!!! What a way to end a chapter! I was ready to pull my hair out, and perhaps even disenchant my computer screen. Kara informs her readers this story will be finished sometime this week, which is all that kept me from causing my computer bodily harm. Kara has been re-posting this at AHA, so if you'd like to catch up, that's a good place to start. Buckle your seatbelts, you are in for a rollicking ride.

One of the most evil Carolines ever written lurks in And Grace Will Lead Me Home (Rated R/NC-17) by Ashley DB- posted at AHA. And this week, Caroline was at her disgusting finest! Ashley writes that there are only a few more hiccups in the road for Darcy and Elizabeth in this modern fic, and I'm very pleased with that information; my poor nerves are in such a state! Such flutterings and tremblings and spasms as I have had! Certainly the newest post of AGWLMH is one of the reasons I can bear a Monday morning.

I'd like to start an 'I HATE Prescott' club. Want to know why? Check out Forget with Silence and Tears (rated NC-17) by atf- posted at HG. One of the few fics based on Persuasion (one of my favorite of Jane's novels), this modern retelling is sweet, sensitive, and captures the characters perfectly, transitioning the story seamlessly into modern-day San Francisco. I'm completely hooked!

~~**~~Removed from the Country~~**~~

And now, let me bid a fond farewell to Bargain with the Devil (rated NC-17) by Enid- posted at 50 Miles of Good Road. Enid, you are so good at writing stories with the funniest twists! Poor Caroline! Poor Lady Catherine! {{snorts at the computer while remembering}} That was one of the more creative ways to finish with Caroline ever be written! Bravo! I eagerly await your next offering! Perhaps another chapter of Sketching His Character?

As I close this post, I'd like to offer a huge THANK YOU to all the admins at Austen Interlude and AHA who have worked so tirelessly to keep the boards up and going during their recent server change. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say we appreciate your hard work to keep us up to our eyeballs in wonderful writing! You are the best!

Welcome to Excessively Attentive!

Are you excessively attentive to all things continued from Jane? Do you often engross yourself in a sequel or prequel or re-imagining of one of Jane's timeless classics? Do your fingers have cramps from hitting the 'refresh' button on your browser because you check for updates so often? You've come to the right place! Check back regularly for news, notes, and interviews on everything going on in the Jane Austen Fandom!