SUNDAY FAN FICTION REPORT - 12/14/97
[Previous report was for 12/11/97]

Hi guys,

The XENITE MESSAGE CENTER is now hosting an Alternative Fan Fiction discussion group every Wednesday night, 6pm Pacific time, 9pm Eastern, for around 2 hours. The group sometimes discusses specific stories - at other times the discussion is open ended on anything related to alt. fan fic. Below is the schedule for the coming weeks:

*December 17: Two LN James stories will be discussed, BREAKING BREAD and FAR AWAY/SO CLOSE.

*December 24 and 31: No set topics

*January 7: Paul Seely and Jennifer Garza's SURFACING will be discussed.

The XENITE MESSAGE CENTER is at: http://cafe.berkeley.edu/~ggong/xmc/main.html

There's a new XWP fan fiction site now available, NEUF'S CRAZY FAN FICTION featuring Neuf's crazy fiction :) The site is at http://members.aol.com/XenaWPrinc/neuf.html

Meanwhile, over at MaryD's site please make sure to check out MaryD's WHAT'S NEW page where she includes an announcement regarding the departure of a very talented bard from the Xenaverse. Zealander will no longer be writing XWP fan fiction but has posted most of her stories and vignettes at MaryD's so we can all continue to enjoy these. If you've read some of the excellent fiction this bard has written please make sure to stop by MaryD's page where she includes Zealander's e-mail address so we can all drop her a thank you note for her contribution to the Xenaverse. MaryD's WHAT'S NEW page is at: https://ausxip.com/new.htm

Zealander's stories are listed under this URL: https://ausxip.com/bards.html#zea

A WEALTH of fan fiction on the Net tonight guys. GREAT STUFF!

GENERAL FICTION:

THE WAGER by Godot
Godot's has given us some of the most entertaining stories in XWP fan fiction with her Antipany series (SING YOU A SONG OF JUSTICE, EMBODIMENT OF EVIL, THE SOUL CATCHER and JOURNEY INTO DARKNESS) Now in this first story that is not part of the series she once again proves herself one of the most clever and talented bards writing today, producing a story that expertly captures the qualities we so love in the friendship between warrior and bard. The tale begins with Gabrielle daring Xena to accept a bet which the competitive Warrior Princess of course is helpless to refuse. The details are simple - Xena has to spend a day WITHOUT showing aggression or intimidating people in any way ;-) What the warrior doesn't count on is a mischievous little bard making things a tad more difficult for her. Godot is a master at bringing across the playfulness and the deep love in the Xena/Gab relationship, throwing in a bit of spice for good measure >:) This is a fun, wicked, sweet little tale that will remind you of why you like this TV series so much. A MUST READ! VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
http://www.xenafan.com/fiction/content2/wager2.html

AN ABNORMAL FEAR OF EIGHTS by Ukki
This was very possibly one of the most DIFFICULT reading experiences I've ever had considering that I *myself* suffer from "an abnormal fear of eights" 8-| This story, however, will just charm the HECK out of you. One of the cutest I've read in a long time with the feel of real Greek myth. As our little tale begins Xena has to go on a mission to try to get some medicine for the niece of King Gregor who was bitten by a spider. On her own Gabrielle heads for a nearby town where she soon finds herself facing one of her greatest fears and in a race against time to try to save hundreds of innocent souls. This is fresh new material for XWP fan fiction. A delightful, clever story which revolves nicely around the bard. It does carry a WARNING for any Xenite who's afraidof spiders - PROCEED WITH CAUTION! It's a great read though folks. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
http://www.xenafan.com/fiction/content2/eightfear.html

ALTERNATIVE FICTION:

THE HOUR OF THE JACKAL by Nene Adams
This is the latest installment in Nene's extraordinary uber-Xena GASLIGHT SERIES. The series just keeps getting better and better folks with this latest story being arguably her best one to date. In THE HOUR OF THE JACKAL Nene combines a 19th century mystery tale involving that intrepid private investigator Lina and her beloved partner Rhiannon with an ancient tale of murder, mystery and intrigue involving another pair of lovers and the part they played in one of the most dramatic events in history. The story starts simply enough as a vacation for Lina and Rhiannon. They travel to Cairo where Lina hopes to show her beloved the time of her life but surprises await both women as they soon find themselves getting involved in a situation growing more dangerous by the day. Emotional challenges await them also as they confront some long-standing issues between them and Rhiannon learns more about her partner's past. All the while a terrible evil is growing closer - an evil determined to destroy their love and their very lives. Nene is doing an INCREDIBLE job of developing these characters and the relationship they share. Lina and Rhiannon are not simple uber-representations of Xena and Gabrielle - they are individuals in their own right with very specific personalities who EACH share traits of BOTH the warrior and bard. Featured once again as the devoted friend of our 19th century heroines is Sherlock Holmes himself and we are introduced to a villain that is as terrifying and as capable as any we've seen in either fan fiction OR the TV series. This story is a rare treat guys. It receives my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION! [Note: The story contains graphic violence so please read the author's disclaimer.]
http://xwp-altfic.simplenet.com/Jackal.txt

NIGHTSTALKER by Anne O'Donnell
In this eerie tale Xena and Gab are seeking shelter from a storm when they encounter a deadly threat - a menace neither has ever faced before and which grows more dangerous than ever when it establishes a seemingly unbreakable link with the bard. Different, nicely written and emotional. Originally released in April 1997 - now returning to the Web :)
https://ausxip.com/fanfic/nightstalker.html

THE BUBBLE BATH by Katelin B.
Xena and the bard take a bubble bath. Need I say more ;-) Put in for an order from the Amazon Ice Co. before tackling this one. Oh and yes...DO NOT READ AT WORK! >:) [Note: See also the sequel PAYBACKS reviewed below]
http://xwp-altfic.simplenet.com/bubble.txt

PAYBACKS by Katelin B.
The sequel to Katelin's THE BUBBLE BATH (see above). Gabrielle gets her "revenge". Put in for a second order from the Amazon Ice Co. ;-)
http://xwp-altfic.simplenet.com/bubble-part2.txt

REFLECTIONS OF LOVE by Katelin B.
A beautiful, touching vignette that has the Warrior Princess reflecting on her love for Gabrielle and then showing the young bard the depth of this love. Sweetly romantic and very sensual. DO NOT MISS!
http://xwp-altfic.simplenet.com/reflections.txt

TO RESCUE A FRIEND by Katelin B.
Book I in a new series titled DEATH OF A NATION, this is a VERY promising, well-written story that beautifully captures the heart of the Amazon nation in a poignant, dramatic, tale that has the Amazons facing a very real threat to their future. On the eve prior to the start of a war they did not ask for but cannot run away from, a troubled Ephiny asks Xena to lead the Amazons into battle - she herself preferring to fight alongside her sisters as a simple warrior. With Gabrielle in Poteidaia visiting her family, Xena agrees - knowing full well the heavy odds facing the Amazons. None of them, however, suspect the true extent of the danger that awaits them but it is a sense of this danger that prompts the Warrior Princess to examine her heart with regards to a certain bard...and to counsel a friend to do the same with her own heart. Featuring an excellent depiction of Ephiny, this story already has the feel of an epic. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
http://xwp-altfic.simplenet.com/amazons.txt

THE LONGEST NIGHT by Melissa Good
Part three of this story is now available. Starting immediately where WINTER'S ENDING left off, Missy's latest novel immediately captures the heart and the imagination with the very distinctive style of storytelling that fan fiction aficionados have come to recognize as among the best the Xenaverse has to offer. Still in Amphipolis where Gabrielle has been recovering from her recent ordeal, Xena and the bard learn from some refugees of the activities of raiders in the surrounding areas. Worried for Gabrielle's family who will be traveling to Amphipolis to attend their planned joining ceremony, the two decide to head out to meet them. Despite their genuine concern, the decision reflects a growing need they've both had to return to the freedom of life on the road - the freedom to enjoy the closeness they now share and the natural world that was their only home for so long - only the beauty of that world can be deceptive, hiding dangers both natural and man-made. In this latest part Xena reflects on the past, including the time when the Fates gave her a chance to choose another life. Later, as the warrior and bard arrive in Poteidaia, Hercules, Iolus and the Amazons get into MORE trouble! ;-) Missy continues in this story to look at the deepening love between these two women - exploring how this love is allowing one heart to flourish and the other to start healing at last. There's nothing quite like the feeling you get when you read a Missy story folks. This bard knows how to touch all the right buttons. Should come as no surprise to anyone who's read her previous novels that this one gets my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!
http://www.ginger.com/longest1.htm
https://ausxip.com/bards.html#melissa

AND FAIR TRUTH by de Bonheur
Chapters 4-9 of this story are now available. This is the sequel to de Bonheur's excellent LONG IS THE WAY SERIES. As the story begins Xena and Gabrielle are with the Amazons, happy at last while they make preparations for their joining ceremony. It is a ceremony that will only make official the love and commitment the two already share but not everyone is anxious to see them happy. Some in fact, want only to destroy their happiness... In these latest chapters warrior and bard reaffirm their love as a web of deception and evil is spun around them. This story immediately captivates with an intriguing, suspenseful plot and a depiction of the Xena/ Gabrielle relationship that is heartfelt and deeply passionate. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
http://members.aol.com/DeBonheur/fairtruth.html

For those of you reading this post who are not familiar with the term alternative (alt.), it refers to ADULT stories that add a romantic element to the relationship between Xena and Gabby, depicting them as more than just friends.

Happy reading!

Lunacy 8-)

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