SUNDAY FAN FICTION REPORT - 7/20/97
[Previous report was for 7/19/97]

Hey guys,

LAST DAY to vote in the SECOND XENITE BARD CONTEST!! The URL is:
http://www.xenite.com/bard/default.asp

GENERAL FICTION:

JOURNALS #5-6 by Gabrielle of Potadeia as translated by Shelley Sullivan
Do NOT under any circumstances miss this WONDERFUL series at MaryD's XWP INFORMATION PAGE. Thanks to the efforts of one VERY talented translator Shelley Sullivan, the Journal of Gabrielle of Potadeia, bard extraordinaire, Amazon Queen and friend of Xena the Warrior Princess, is now finally being made public. The Journal exists in parts written in a series of ancient parchments and follows the adventures of Gabrielle and the reformed warlord from the time they first met. In the weeks and months to come Shelley will be translating more of these parchments for us all to enjoy. In JOURNAL #5 Gabrielle travels to Athens to test her mettle as a bard in the famous Academy of Performing Bards only to find that studying the art of story- telling cannot live up to the exitement of living her stories...and that she misses the Warrior Princess terribly. Together they then embark on an adventure to search for treasure with one of Xena's old loves and finally end up at a kingdom with a princess that looks remarkably similar to the Warrior Princess. In JOURNAL #6 Gabrielle meets Marcus and observes as her companion goes through the pain of losing him again, later they team up with the infamous King of Thieves to retrieve a valued chest, and finally, Gabrielle returns to Potidaea trying to find her confidence again after freezing during an attack on the road.
https://ausxip.com/journal/journal.html

ALTERNATIVE FICTION:

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS by Melissa Good
The conclusion of this story is now available. With HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS Melissa Good has proven without a shadow of a doubt that she is one of the best things to ever happen to XWP fan fic. This story made it into my favorites list with chapter one and now with its conclusion it remains firmly entrenched there. The story begins where AT A DISTANCE left off, with our heroines on their way to Potidaea after receiving a summons from Gabrielle's father. Xena immediately senses her bard's unease about returning home but does not suspect the terrible secret Gabrielle is hiding - the pain which once almost silenced the stories within her and which in a moment of desperation two years before prompted a young village girl to follow a half-crazed warlord on her quest for redemption. It is a secret Xena will slowly unravel as Gabrielle once again finds herself amidst people with no tolerance for those who are different, forced to deal with a family who have never understood her, and having at last as a woman to confront what years before a child could not. For both the warrior and the bard Potidaea will be a difficult struggle but one they are determined to face together, drawing strength from their love and the incredible connection they feel even...at a distance. In this final installment, Xena's work on behalf of her bard pays off as Gabrielle's loved ones begin to find happiness...and peace. The two of them find something else too - a connection so deep it goes beyond words and the realization, now firm and unshakeable, that for them home indeed is where the heart is. The exchanges between Xena and Gabrielle in this story are some of the most moving, most beautiful you will ever read - even the most minor scenes between them burrow themselves in your heart sparking a warmth that just makes you want to read this story again and again. There are no graphic scenes in this story. It is a MUST READ and carries my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!! Previously reviewed 6/28/97 and 7/8/97.
http://melissa.simplenet.com/fanfiction.html

WHEN TRUE LOVE'S KISS by Debby
Ares is up to his old tricks again in this romantic tale that has the warrior and bard once again being pulled apart by the god's jealousy. Determined to get Gabrielle out of Xena's life, Ares changes the past, placing them in a different reality where Xena never saved the bard from slavers and Gabrielle never left her home village. Much to his chagrin, however, the two are fated to meet in this life as well as Xena, uncovering a plot to attack Potidaea, travels to the village to help protect it and there finds herself strangely drawn to the bardmaid turned bard with red-gold hair. This story includes some funny moments with Aphrodite :)
http://www.eve.net/~timwellman/fiction.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-)