Alphas and Imprints

The Sparkle Awards!

2009-10-02T18:07:00.000-07:00

So, girls, The Sparkle Awards (which are in their second round now) have just started taking nominations! My fic, Hands on Me, was nominated last go around and it was such an honor, even if I didn't win. People always say that, but it really is true. :)

So, anyway - I want you all to go nominate your favorite wolf/imprint fic! Jake is so under-appreciated and when he is recognized, it's only in correlation with Bella. What's that? I mean, he's a character too! Not to mention all our other awesome wolves and their lovely ladies!

So go and nominate - wolf-fic deserves more recognition. And once the nominating round is over - vote! Don't worry, I'll post a reminder!

You can nominate your favorites here:

The Sparkle Awards

And I almost forgot to mention - our very own A&I rec, Charlotte Webber, has been nominated for Best Author! Her lovely fic, Life Sucks and Then You Die, has also been nominated for Most Original Plot - so make sure you stop by once voting gets going to show a wolf-girl some love!

Friday's 'Review This' Rec of the Week: Enough With This Gravity Moving Already! by yay4shanghai

2009-10-02T18:03:00.000-07:00

This Friday's 'Review This' rec of the week (actually arriving on a Friday this time) is . . .

Enough With This Gravity Moving Already! by yay4shanghai

Yes, I know, it's way overdue, and yes, I know I'm horrible for waiting so long, but it's here now and all can be forgiven. I hope. *laughs nervously*

So we all know yay4shanghai is like Wolf-girl royalty, for her mountains of awesome wolf-fic and the entirely original universe she's created, with tons of awesome OCs and background information and not to mention severalspin-offs. So, yeah - she's delved into new areas of wolf-fic with a never-too-serious, laid back style that is awesome for our favorite pack. Not to mention kick-ass plots to match.

Although she's got several different things going on right now, all of them pretty awesome, I'm here to talk about one of her more . . . classic fics.

Enough With This Gravity Moving Already! is probably one of the cutest, funniest, sweetest Quil/Claire fics I've ever read. Of course, there's drama (what's good fic without it?) but it's not overbearing - it's hilariously funny.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm a sucker for the baby imprints. Jake/Nessie and Quil/Claire have my hearts first and foremost and this fic is definitely worthy of all the fanatics like me!

Her Quil and Claire are more unique than most I've read. They Xtreme Sand Castle build - come on, where have you read that before?

yay4shanghai's plot's are all pretty awesome and her characters unique - her writing rocks pretty hard too. She has tons of other fic that I'll probably end up recc'ing sooner rather than later, so you should probably so check them out too.

This really seems to be turning into more of an author review. Oh, well. Enough With This Gravity Moving Already! is funny and insightful, a great, realistic look inside a teenager girls' head with all the imprint-y/wolfy stuff thrown in for extra fun.

So go read it, don't forget to review, and don't forget to comment here. I mean, um . . . please?

\*/

Here's all the info:

Enough With This Gravity Moving Already! by yay4shanghai

If you ask me to describe Quil in one word, it'd be "Sexy-Quileute-Warrior-Man". I know it's not actually one word, so if you're being picky I guess I'd say unattainable. I'm Claire: utterly average teen in love with Quil Ateara, mystical-sex-god!

Where you can find it all:

Enough With This Gravity Moving Already! (Rated T, but can read a little higher at times - contains a lemon, but with a warning)

yay4shanghai's Profile

Calling all wolf girls!

2009-09-26T15:05:00.000-07:00

I'm in need of your one-shots, your novel-length, you chaptered series - all surrounding our lovely imprints and alphas! I don't have that unreasonable of terms, but I just need a little help finding some more rec-worthy stuff. I want to start back up with One-Shot Wednesdays, but I've gotta find some good one-shots!

All I want is some well-written, in-character, wolf/imprint fic. Any genre, any length.

You can respond here or PM me on FF.n - I'm not sure if you know, but my penname is independenceindividuality. You can also contact me through my twitter, if you want: writeitaway.

I'm also particularly interested in the other imprint couples besides Jake/Nessie and Quil/Claire - J/N is my forte and my passion but I've got to represent the other couples too. I'm just having a hard time finding the fics.

Oh, and one last, very important requirement: the fic must be completed or updated regularly. I will not rec abandoned fics, no matter how amazing they are. I think it's entirely too mean to get people hooked on something that won't be completed.

But besides that - let me know your favorites! :D

Friday's 'Review This' Rec of the Week (coming to you on a Saturday): A Wolves Moon by Tinkerbella C

2009-09-26T14:45:00.001-07:00

I'm here - late, but here - with the latest Friday rec of the week! Delivered on a Saturday, of course. It is:

A Wolves Moon by Tinkerbella C

I've been meaning to rec this fic for awhile now but the author had gone on vacation and took a break from updating so I didn't want to get people hooked on it before they could start getting regular fixes.

I can honestly say that this fic is different from any J/N fic I've ever read. I'll give you the premise in a few sentences:

Jake has been missing for a year. No one knows where he is or if he's even alive - all doubt he'll ever come back . . . except Nessie, of course. When he does return, he's not the Jake we all know and love. He's feral, not even able to phase back into human. He doesn't remember who he is or why he's here - just a certain attachment to a copper-haired girl.

The author, Tinkerbella C, harbors some serious talent for description of certain - ahem - aspects and it's obvious as her writing improves as the story progresses. That's always the sign of a good writer, in my book.

Jake eventually is able to phase back - after a long process - but he still doesn't remember much and he still has nightmares. He's dark, traumatized, and still slightly feral - but still completely Jake.

There are complications that keep our imprint and alpha apart, like always, but not what you generally expect from Jacob/Nessie fics and a recent development in the last few chapters has got me wondering what's going on. In the good way.

Tinkerbella C's Jake is extremely animalistic, even when he's gained back most of his human roots, making his . . . lust extremely hard to deny. A wolf wouldn't, after all.

And let me tell you, Tinkerbella C writes this . . . very well. Another interesting twist she has is making Nessie's body work more . . . animalistically as well, in certain ways.

I could gush for pages but I'm going to stop now and go ahead and get this out to you since it's already a day late - I know, I'm horrible. But don't take it out on A Wolves Moon, because really, it's awesome - you've gotta check it out.

At press time (that makes this little blog sound so much more important than it is!), A Wolves Moon stands at a very recently updated 28 chapters, so pace yourself and you might have a few more by the time you get through it. I, unfortunately, did not do this and devoured it all the night I found it.

Whatever you do, however you pace yourself, fast or slow, make sure you review each chapter. She deserves it.

\*/

Here's all the info:

A Wolves Moon by Tinkerbella C

Nessie is struggling to deal with her changing feelings for Jake when he disappears. Returning a year later, he has gone feral and has forgotten his links to his pack, the Cullens, and Nessie. Can she help him remember who is he or has he changed forever?

Where you can find it all:

A Wolves Moon (Rated M and reads about that)

Tinkerbella C's Profile

Apologies all-around!

2009-09-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

So sorry, you guys! I know I was supposed to update today, but things just didn't work out. Tomorrow's my birthday, but I don't have anything planned, so I'll do my best to get it to you tomorrow! I know I suck, but today sucked pretty bad too, so please understand.

Please don't hate me, y'all. :D

Alphas and Imprints' Official Banner/Pic/Thing!

2009-09-18T07:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, girls, so I was contemplating the idea of making some kind of banner or icon for Alphas and Imprints. I was all excited about it until reality caught up with me and I realized I have absolutely no talent at anything even related to icon-making.

So. I decided I'd go on the net, find some generic pic with a wolf on it and try (try being the operative word here) to do something with it. Well, I googled 'girl and wolf' and this is the first pic that came up.

I'm calling it fate.

I don't think if I'd spent hours describing to an artist how I wanted it to look, it could have come out like this. It was on tinypic, which I'm not familiar with, but I searched for who posted it and was unable to find out and their terms of service said that when you post to the site you relinquish all ownership and it becomes permissible for anyone to download and edit it. Or that's what I understood anyway - feel free to take a look and correct me if I'm wrong.

Now - I'll go ahead and state it: this isn't mine, I do not own it. I didn't draw it, I didn't edit it, I didn't contribute to it; I did a google search, found it, and fell in love.

Tell me if you agree. Until further notice, this is the official Alphas and Imprints banner - if anybody knows how to write on it, that's be awesome. Please also feel free to inform me if I'm doing something illegal and I'll take it down immediately. I don't want to steal.

I'm gonna go drool over the perfectness of it some more!

- Nadia

Friday's 'Review This' Rec of the Week: Quil's Resolve by Roses in May

2009-09-18T06:51:00.000-07:00

This week, Alphas and Imprints' Friday 'review this' rec will be:

Quil's Resolve by Roses in May

I've recc'd Roses in May before. her first story in this lovely Quil-saga (Quil's Guilt), in my one-and-only One-shot Wednesday so far. Yes, I've gotten lazy.

Quil's Resolve really is the perfect follow-up to the one-shot it proceeds. As I think I've mentioned, Roses in May's writing is hilarious and sweet. Her pack-interaction is gold.

I have to admit I did get annoyed with Quil in this one - back and forth, back and forth - he does a lot of unneeded worrying. He has, I think, entirely too many mental blocks set up and the things he's making mountains of are really little more than molehills if he'd stop and think for a few seconds.

I like Roses in May's Claire, even though she does annoy me at times too. But that's because she is a teenager and Roses in May writes her like one. And well, to be frank, teenagers can be annoying. I would know, I am one.

Claire worries about what her friends think and thinks homecoming is the most important thing ever, but in the center of it all resides her love for Quil. It's why she pushes so hard, why she keeps scratching as his resolve. She could have gotten herself a little highschool boyfriend to paw around with but she doesn't, she wants Quil. And I think that's admirable.

Also, although I understand where Quil's coming from, he comes off a bit hypocritical. Quil admits to having had a, um . . . physical relationship with a bartender when Claire was younger. He eventually stopped because of the guilt he started to feel, but he doesn't seem to understand why it upsets Claire so much.

I think Claire, although she comes off as impatient, is actually quite the opposite because she gets it up to the ears. With the "I love you, I want you, I want to be with you, but not right now - just wait a year" - I mean, it'd drive any self-respecting girl crazy!

I'm not trying to list reasons you shouldn't read the story - not at all. It's brilliant - the characters are flawed and real. They say stupid things and sometimes they're hypocritical and sometimes they're selfish but they keep coming back for more because I guess their love just doesn't let them give up.

Throughout the entire thing, I just kept begging them to sit down and have a logical, honest conversation. I guess that can teach us a real life lesson, huh?

Besides, the occasional laspes in Quil's resolve (not the title) are fun to read.

To sum up, Quil's Resolve is sweet, funny, slighting frustrating, and an all-around great read. And it's complete.

Not to mention there's some Seth/imprint action with a very original OC. You won't expect it until it happens. So go get surprised and come back and tell me what you think.

Poor Quil. Poor Claire. They'll work it out eventually.

\*/

Here's all the info:

Quil's Resolve by Roses in May

Sequel to Quil's Guilt. As Quil's resolve begins to falter, he pushes Claire away. Can he overcome his fears, or will his hesitation tear them apart?

Where you can find it all:

Quil's Resolve (Rated T, but comes off as a definite light M, heavier at times)

Quil's Guilt (One-shot that precedes Quil's Resolve - you can also find the review for it somewhere around here!)

Roses in May's Profile

Friday's 'Review This' Rec of the Week: Life Sucks and Then You Live Forever

2009-09-11T07:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, so here's a story I've been dying to rec since the very beginning:

Life Sucks and Then You Live Forever by Charlotte Webber

I really don't know what else to say besides how awesome this fic is. Charlotte Webber's an awesome writer with a plot that, over time, I've seen evolve into something unbelievable.

It's got all that stuff a lot of fanfic writers skim over (myself included) because it takes too much research or they don't understand: politics, science, death. I think what separates Life Sucks from pretty much all fics is the way it handles and views death - in the Twilight series it's seen at the ultimate end, but Charlotte Webber doesn't seem to see it like that. Even for vampires.

Nessie, her family and her wolfy pal are living in the jungles of South America until . . . complications occur. And when I say complications, I do mean complications. Charlotte Webber weaves so many plots and subplots together seamlessly, and I have to admit that recent postings have left me hanging on the edge of my seat. That girl knows how to give a riddle, let me tell you.

She also is really good at the little things, which I've made it clear I'm a fan of. My absolute favorite is how her Jake always kisses Nessie's hand after she shares her gift with him, even when she doesn't know she's been showing him something.

Life Sucks and Then You Live Forever has so many stories running through it, touches on so many different subjects, but it doesn't get overwhelming. It just drives you a little crazy because there's so much you want to know and see and only so much she can fit into each chapter!

She matures her Nessie very well and brings her and Jake together in the sweetest way, not to mention the way she writes them together. Let me withhold a fangirly squee/sigh when I tell you that you'll love her Jake. Strong, beautiful, a true leader and in character. Oh, and of course crazy in love with Ness, even when she's not so sure about that all the time.

Charlotte Webber touches on things in this story that I don't think have been done before in Twilight fanfic, and certainly not in Jake/Nessie-fic for sure. If they have been, I haven't seen them. Tribal politics, new ideas and theories on imprinting, and maybe some ground breaking discoveries for vampirism? I don't know - I'm still waiting for her to update and tell us!

Life Sucks and Then You Live Forever stands at 40 chapters as of last night, and Charlotte Webber updates fairly regularly. Not regularly enough for me, but that's completely to do with my over-eagerness to devour everything she writes and nothing to do with her writing speed. Forty chapters in less than five months is pretty speedy. Her review count has thankfully been picking up lately but not near as much as I think it should. So go change that.

Life Sucks and Then You Live Forever is funny, sweet, sad, poignant, romantic, insightful, realistic and very, very worth some of your daily-alloted computer time. It's also more than worth skating your fingers across the keys for a few minutes to leave a review that, I'm sure you'll agree once you read it, Charlotte Webber fully deserves.

And I mean, hey: with a little like that, you know it's gotta be good, right?

So skedaddle (I've just discovered that's a real word and will now be using it often) on over to FF.n and discover my current obsession! Make sure you to drop back by here and gush your opinion - I love to hear it!

\*/

Here's all the info:

Life Sucks and Then You Live Forever by Charlotte Webber

Nessie's journey from pre-teen to adult is difficult, awkward and sometimes funny as she tries to convice Jacob that Actual Age, determined by Carlisle's battery of academic, physical, and psychological tests, is more important than Earth Years.

Where you can find it all:

Life Sucks and Then You Live Forever on FF.n (Rated T and it reads about that, maybe the lightest M)

Charlotte Webber's Profile

Friday's 'Review This' Rec of the Week: A New Morning by LJ Summers

2009-09-04T15:46:00.000-07:00

Alphas and Imprints 'Review This' rec of the week (I love saying that) is:

A New Morning by LJ Summers

A New Morning is a very, very well-done take on the transition from child-to-adult imprinting. Nessie/Jake fics generally round the same bases: Nessie grows up, she and Jake come into the awareness of that (occasionally Nessie does before Jake which can add a few chapters of drama), some outside threat makes itself known, the Cullens band together to annihilate said threat, Jake and Nessie get married and have 'babiez'. Or occasionally do the whole 'no, we're young, no need to get married - we're not like Edward and Bella - we just want to sow our wild oats' thing. But I digress.

Anyway, I think it's safe to say that about ninety-five percent of Jake/Nessie fics use this template. I'm not complaining, there's actually a lot you can do within those parameters, I'm just stating a fact of life. My fic is one of those that take the traditional approach, so I'm definitely not knocking.

It invariably comes down to how well you do it. Your dialogue, your situations, your writing. I'm not denying that the plot is important, but I'm a firm believer that if the writing is fabulous, the plot can actually fall into second place. You don't have to have action packed into every second if the writer knows what they're doing.

LJ Summers rounds all the Jake/Nessie bases in A New Morning, and she does it in style. Moreover, it's T. Yes, I said it: T.

A New Morning starts off with the Cullens and our favorite pair moving house to the jungles of South America. A twist on the usual destination of the Cullens, although not completely unheard of. The bases are rounded, threats make themselves known, etc. Although if you were expecting the Volturi, think again.

A New Summer is chock full of the little things that, in my opinion, are what make fics great. Nessie receives a statue for her birthday every year from Jake with the same mysterious symbol hidden in each one, Nessie doesn't exactly fully mature magically on her seventh birthday, not to mention the entertaining 'improving the bloodline' references throughout.

Not to mention, the writing is superb. Amazing, really. It's kinda got me wondering if LJ Summers is a published author exercising her secret love of Twilight on the low (just kidding), although with the writing displayed in her fic, she very well could be.

I always end up typing and typing without really saying much or saying the same thing over and over again so I'm gonna wrap this up.

Her Nessie is awesome, her Jake is awesome, her plot is awesome. Her writing is awesome. LJ Summers is awesome.

I do have one little complaint about this fic, though. A little nagging thing that I find just ridiculous and unable to wrap my mind around: it only has 119 reviews!

Now that's just ridiculous.

So go change that. All of you (all thirteen of you - haha), right now!

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention - A New Morning has the best wedding that I've ever seen in any fic. Ever. But I'll let you see that for yourself.

So, until next week - bye, girls!

\*/

Here's all the info:

A New Morning by LJ Summers

Jacob and Renesmee travel from New Hampshire to Brazil and back to Forks and La Push as they redefine their relationships . . . for better and for worse . . . And as Nessie finds herself threatened by a vampire and his son out to redefine bloodlines . . .

Where you can find it all:

A New Morning on FF.n

A New Morning on Twilighted

LJ Summer's Profile on FF.n

Friday's 'Review This' Rec of the Week: Officer Goodbody by Kambria Rain

2009-08-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

All right, I'm back, albeit a little late, with A&I's second Friday rec! And here it is:

Officer Goodbody by Kambria Rain

Written as a companion piece to Kambria's other fic, Bella Swan: Kidnapper, Officer Goodbody is a very different take on Nessie/Jake fic.

For one, it's all-human, and for second - Jake and Nessie . . . well, let's just say they don't exactly hit it off right away.

It might depend on your definition of hitting it off - if you happen to consider being arrested three times in almost as many days and being not-so-affectionately termed 'Satan', then they hit it off real well.

Nessie's a reformed junkie who's only reformed the illegal habits that have to do with substance abuse (TPing, stealing cop cars, and streaking left firmly unreformed) and Jacob's a local cop who's been given an . . . interesting nickname by the girl he refers to as Satan.

But we all already know how that's going to work out, don't we?

It's meant to fill in the blanks of Jake and Nessie's relationship in Bella Swan: Kidnapper, the little scenes and conversations we missed since our beloved wolf (although he can't turn into one in this story) and imprint aren't exactly in the forefront but it can easily stand on its own.

The great thing Kambria Rain manages to do with Officer Goodbody, besides giving it an awesome title (can't help it, I'm a sucker for a good title), is that she completely flips the normal Jake/Nessie situation. She changes their general personalities and their entire universe but still manages to keep them completely them.

Besides the hilarity and the sexiness, there are some tender moments. As tender as you can get when you're full to burst with sarcasm and in love with someone you kinda hate and don't know what to do about it.

I'm proud to say that I'm a regular reviewer of this one - and at thirteen chapters, Officer Goodbody is already pretty popular with well over a thousand reviews. Of course, this could be due to a loyal fanbase who appreciates her awesome writing and has followed her two other, more popular stories (Bella Swan: Kidnapper, already mentioned above, and The Doll House).

Or it could be due to the simple fact that Officer Goodbody is just pretty kick-ass fic. I'll let you decide.

So I'll leave you here since I'm already hideously late at typing this up (I don't think it's technically even Friday anymore), but only if you promise to stop by and check it out. Jake and Ness lovers rejoice, for I have delivered something with originality that still rings true to our favorite couple.

It helps that you can laugh your butt off while enjoying it too. Make sure you drop a line to gush to Kambria Rain just how awesome she is when you're done.

EDIT: As of last night, this story is complete.

\*/

Here's all the info:

Officer Goodbody by Kambria Rain

Fresh out of rehab, Nessie decides to reconnect with her big sister Bella. Staying out of trouble isn’t so easy, especially with a cop living next door. Companion piece to Bella Swan: Kidnapper. The missing moments of Jake and Nessie.

Where you can find it all:

Officer Goodbody on FF.n (Rated M, but it definitely reads a little higher than that)

Kambria Rain's Profile (Where you can find Officer Goodbody's awesome banner than I have on good authority she made herself)

One-Shot Wednesdays: Quil's Guilt by Roses in May

2009-08-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've been toying with the idea of 'One-Shot Wednesdays' or something equally ridiculous sounding for a minute but have been put off so far by fear that I wouldn't be able to keep up with it.

But just recently I found a one-shot that was just begging to be recc'd, so I decided I'd try it out. I won't promise to post a new one-shot rec every week but if you do get them they'll come on Wednesdays.

Because it rhymes. I know, it's sad. I don't care.

So here's the story that inspired me to get over my procrastination and type up this little recommendation:

Quil's Guilt by Roses in May

Although I love all the wolves and their respective imprints, I generally stick with Jake/Nessie but today I was link-hopping and came across this little gem.

Roses in May takes a common concept in imprint-fanfic and expounds upon it. Claire, at the tender age of fourteen, is growing up and ready for Quil to be more than her best friend but he's just not feeling it.

Well, he is, and that as you'll see is the root of the problem. He's feeling it entirely too much for his comfort.

It's not uncommon in fanfic to see our beloved Jake and Quil, who have imprinted on children, struggle with themselves when their feelings start to change as their imprints grow and mature but few rarely explore it like Roses in May does in Quil's Guilt.

Claire, as most teenagers are, is convinced that she is completely right and completely grown and finds ways to tempt Quil more than he thought possible. Sometimes he slips up.

His inner-conscious and previous agreement with Claire's parents keeps telling him to wait until she's sixteen, but Claire and his hormones just won't take no for an answer.

Quil's Guilt is a one-part one-shot that is a part of a much longer story, with two multi-chaptered fics following. I have to admit, I consumed them all today so forgive me if they run together a little in my head.

Quil's guilt (as in the actual emotion and not the title) takes a physical and emotional toll on him as he just cannot seem to come to grips with things changing, so disgusted with himself that he even sends Claire away when she comes begging for his forgiveness after an incident where her teasing led Quil into a lapse of judgement.

I'm tempted to review the entire series, which defeats the point of One-Shot Wednesdays, so I'll try to keep talk of the other parts to a minimum.

We get some great Quil/Embry/Seth action (in the completely gen sense) with Jake and Nessie dropping in occasionally as background characters, not so much in the first part as in the latter two.

Roses in May writes pack-back-and-to as hilarious as I've ever seen it. The boys are firmly established as friends and you can feel it in their jabbing and joking - it doesn't get stiff. Very witty and not at all sitcom like; realistic to anyone whose friends thrive off a healthy dose of sarcasm in their daily lives.

To sum up, it's really worth the read. There are some issues that really end up coming down to opinion (how you feel about outside relationships post-imprinting, your opinions on age vs. maturity, etc.), that could be awesome for one reader or a turn-off for the next. This doesn't change the fact that good reader who's able to overlook a few personal-opinion peeves will be able to appreciate the really great story they'll get out of it.

With well-developed characters and a Quil who actually has a psychological process, Quil's Guilt really is a win. You get a caught between adult-and-teenage Quil and a teenage Claire who actually acts like a teenager and get to see how a relationship would begin to form between them.

To refrain from spoiling more than I already have, I'll leave you here.

Now go forth and read!

\*/

Here's all the info:

Quil's Guilt by Roses in May

When Claire pushes the boundaries of their relationship too far, Quil struggles with what everyone will think of him, and what he thinks of himself.

Where you can find it all:

Quil's Guilt on FF.n (It's rated T, but reads more like a light M to me.)

Oh, and on an ending note, sense it seems I must always have one: I found this fic link-hopping earlier today, like I mentioned but as I was typing it occurred to me the title might have been recommended to me by one of my readers. I tried to find the PM but couldn't, so I'm very sorry if it was indeed recommended to me by someone. Let me know who you are and I'll give you credit.

A&I's First Friday Rec: In Pursuit of Normalcy by KariAnn

2009-08-21T10:57:00.000-07:00

The very first Friday rec from Alphas and Imprints is . . . drum roll, please?

In Pursuit of Normalcy by KariAnn.

I'm sure, as Jake and Nessie fans, you've already read this story up and down and sideways and are still on the edge of your seat, waiting for updates but it's still definitely worth mentioning.

KariAnn takes a different, less-traditional approach to Nessie and her reaction about imprinting, having her rebel against it and resent it once she finds out that Jacob was "forced" into loving her.

She flees to Hawaii to live on her own and . . . well, pursue normalcy. But things are just never quite right.

The writing is phenomenal, the plot is seamless and that's probably why it's one of the few J/N fics that have crossed over into the "mainstream". IPoN, as it is abbreviated, recently garnered some pretty awesome recognition from the Indie Twific Awards where it won Best Non-E/B WIP Story Line!

If I do say so myself, that's a pretty awesome leap for J/N fics. It's in a league of its own, not only in within its main pairing's fandom, but in fanfiction in general. I admit I am an avid reader, and a little more shamefully, that I have never reviewed.

But I will, though - I'm turning over a new leaf and trying to find a little redemption by reccing her. Even though no one's probably reading this yet. Oh, well.

At present, In Pursuit of Normalcy is seventeen chapters in on her livejournal and sixteen in at Twilighted. A warning, this story is NC-17, and though KariAnn does what she does well, it is graphic.

But lucky for those of you who don't enjoy that kind of thing, KariAnn is very awesomely posting an edited M version at Fanfiction. net which is currently seventeen chapters in. Fully caught up - so you're lucky!

So to sum up, besides having an awesome title, there is much more to In Pursuit of Normalcy than that. KariAnn handles complex emotions well and is very good at writing a torn, confused Nessie. One who is in love but much more noble than the rest of us, and doesn't want to force herself on someone she feels was enslaved to love her.

Though we all know that's not the case.

So I won't spoil anything, I'll just stop here and let you all run off and read and scream at Nessie to get over it already. It's not her fault, but that doesn't change that we're impatient.

And don't be like me - drop a line and tell her how amazing it is.

- Nad.

\*/

Here's all the info:

In Pursuit of Normalcy by KariAnn

Two years after reaching full maturity, Nessie Cullen is living on the island of Oahu, where she escaped to avoid the unpleasant truths surrounding her very existence. What will happen when the only man she’s ever loved makes a sudden reappearance in her life?

Where you can find it all:

KariAnn's Livejournal

IPoN on Twilighted

M-Rated version on FF.n

And would you believe I almost forgot to mention how absolutely gorgeous the banner for his fic is? It's insane - one of the best I've ever seen. Honestly. Just beautiful. Check it out on her author page on Twilighted or her blog.

Welcome to Alphas and Imprints!

2009-08-19T16:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, everyone - hey! I'm independenceindividuality from over at FF.n and I don't really know what I'm doing. All I know is that I have searched high and low and could not find one website/blog devoted to Jake and Nessie. Even wolf-fics - and frankly, it's sad.

Now, I know Jake and his half-vamp adoration aren't as loved in the fandom as E/B. We all know that. You could even go so far to say Jacob and Nessie are the most hated characters and I've yet to hear one good explanation why!

Wolf-fics are sorely underecognized (is that a word?) in the fandom, not garnering anywhere near as much recognition or reviews (which we all know authors live for, even if they say they don't) and I want to change that. So, here it goes: Alphas and Imprints. A blog for Jacob, Nessie and all their wolfy friends and the imprints in love with them.

Here's where it gets sketchy: I really don't know what to do with this. Yes, yes, I know - good idea, poorly executed. Story of my life. I'm starting slow - every Friday I'll post a weekly recommendation of a good wolf/imprint-fic.

It can be from Jake's POV or Nessie's, Jared or Kim's, Quil or Claire's. You get the idea. As long as one of our beloved wolves or imprints is front and center. ;)

If anyone at all has any ideas or wants to help out, has any fics they'd like to recommend or an interest in writing articles or pieces or anything, please feel free to contact me. Through here or my Fanfiction.net account.

So come on, wolf girls, back me up!