TUESDAY FAN FICTION REPORT - 8/25/98
[Previous report was for 8/23/98]

Hi guys,

A WONDERFUL surprise tonight for XWP fanfic lovers! Sharon Bowers' already classic uber-Xena novel LUCIFER RISING is now back on the Web! I'm including the original review once again below but suffice it to say that you should not even bother with a review. This is one of the finest achievements to date in fanfic folks. Many thanks to Sharon on behalf of fanfic readers everywhere for re-releasing this story.

Now, let me take this opportunity to remind you all of something VERY VERY VERY important. The Web is a CONSTANTLY changing environment guys. What you find on a Web page one minute may literally be gone if you go to the same page five minutes later. In the Xenaverse, as any of you who've been around for a while should know, people come and go. Webmasters change Internet Service Providers, bards move their stories to different locations, bards REMOVE their stories for one reason or another, computers crash and entire Web sites can be lost. Talking with the voice of experience here I can tell you that there is NOTHING more frustrating for a fanfic addict than to discover that a favorite story is no longer available on the Web. If you're lucky sometimes you can get the story from others or sometimes the story shows up again later on BUT that's not always the case. In my estimation the Xenaverse has lost from 50-100 pieces of fanfic since fans started writing fanfic. Why am I telling you this? In order to drive the point home of how REALLY CRUCIAL it is for you guys to save on your OWN PCs favorite stories as soon as you read them. DO NOT put it off because you may go back to the site the next day and the story could be gone. Most stories, even novel-length ones don't take up that much space in your hard drive and those of you with newer PCs probably have huge drives anyway. As an example, the ENTIRE collection of fanfic at MaryD's XENA INFORMATION PAGE which is one of the largest on the Web only takes up about 50 megabytes. If you save only favorite stories chances are your personal fanfic directory on your PC will be much smaller. In any event, my tip for the day - REMEMBER TO SAVE THOSE STORIES!

Two new ones tonight and three great updates! All alt.

ALTERNATIVE FICTION:

ETERNAL LIFE by TZ
The latest entry in TZ's ETERNAL SERIES finds the warrior and bard returning to life once again to fight a one-time friend turned into a ruthless warlord. In keeping with the rest of the series, this new story has our two heroines still very much enjoying the adventure and themselves, no matter the circumstances. An enjoyable read. -- 18 pgs.
http://www.fortunecity.com/village/villageplace/334/eternal-life.html

IN HER EYES by JL Peterson
A VERY spicy new offering about some hallucinatory mushrooms and an even more intoxicating pair of eyes ;-) Beautifully written little tale which reveals its secrets ever so slowly. A MUST READ! -- 4 pgs.
http://whoosh.org/katrina/STO/altlib/hereyes.html

LUCIFER RISING by SL Bowers
Joining the many gems we've been seeing lately in Xena uber fiction comes this VERY unusual, RIVETING new story set in the glamorous and often deadly underworld of Miami - a world in which wealth, and seductive pleasures exist side by side with violence and death. It is into this very world reporter Liz Gardener finds herself stepping into as she pursues a story that has obsessed her for years now - the sordid tale surrounding a dark and beautiful and dangerous ex-DEA agent by the name of Jude Lucien who having gone over to the other side is now one of the most powerful and feared druglords in the business. With two very different agendas, the two women will find themselves drawn to one another - sensing something very real in the other - sensing perhaps that neither is quite what she seems... This story is a WILD ride that will simply take your breath away as lies are told and hearts broken in the desperate struggle of two souls to persevere - struggling valiantly against the inner darkness threatening to destroy their love and the human foes determined never to give it a chance. S.L.'s two heroines are beautifully depicted with incredible depth, rich emotional histories and engaging personalities. With a very contemporary feel to it and a clever uber rendition of the Xena/Gabrielle relationship, this is a solidly written, FASCINATING tale destined to become one of the all-time classics in Xena fanfic. It receives my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION! [Note: story features violence and rough language] -- 159 pgs.
https://ausxip.com/fanfic4/lucifer.html

ALL I EVER NEED by K.P. West
Part three is now available. This first story by a new bard is a rather original uber piece set in the present day which finds loner Jaime Bennet unemployed and in need of physical therapy after she's diagnosed with a mysterious illness. Her existence becomes a predictable routine until the day a new physical therapist comes into her life sporting the most beautiful green eyes Jamie has ever seen...In this latest part, for the first time in many years, Jamie is surprised to find someone taking care of her. Nice storyline with terrific potential. K.P. is turning this one into a very satisfying, emotional read. DO NOT MISS!! [unfinished] -- 7 pgs.
Pt.1: http://members.aol.com/kaypwest/aien.html
Pt.2: http://members.aol.com/kaypwest/aien2.htm
Pt.3: http://members.aol.com/kaypwest/aien3.htm

SEVEN DAYS IN POMPEII by DJWP
Chapters 12-17 are now available. One of the most popular talents in XWP fanfic returns to once again help us deal with XWS as she did exactly one year ago with the release of the much loved classic A BARD DAY'S NIGHT. Set after the end of season three, DJ's latest finds Xena on a lonely stretch of beach, dazed after the loss of her soulmate, turning to the one place where she knows she'll feel the bard's spirit most of all - in Gabrielle's scrolls. Alone with Argo she begins reading those scrolls and reminiscing back to one of the last adventures they shared while on a fateful visit to a city named...Pompeii. With their relationship still not fully healed from the horror of the rift, this was a time full of insecurities and worries for them but also filled with a renewed sense of hope amidst the infectious joviality of a city preparing for one of its grandest festivals. They are even further drawn into the Pompeiian's excitement when they happen across an old friend well-versed in the art of FUN - the incomparable Sappho who we first met in A BARD DAY'S NIGHT and who is soon once again doing what she does best - getting them all into TROUBLE! In this latest part, a missing prize turns up in a very unlikely place. DJ's Sappho is one of the greatest creations in fanfic while her treatment of the Xena/Gab partnership remains heartfelt and wonderfully compelling, made even more so this time around by the poignancy of seeing the warrior remember a time when they were both so stubbornly holding on to the love between them. As an added bonus, DJ is including some nice pictures and maps of Pompeii to give the story that added flavor. SEVEN DAYS is already a worthy addition to this bard's outstanding body of work - one of the best to come out this year. It receives my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!! [Note: review is based on a little more of the story than what is actually now available] [unfinished] -- 59 pgs.
https://ausxip.com/bards.html#djwp

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 Gabrielle, depicting them as more than just friends.

Happy reading!

Lunacy 8-)