My Literary Life Facts

I've been a writer all of my life.

My writing style is organic. I'm not good with a plan. Just have to start and see where the characters take me.

Yes, I do sometimes have characters talking to me in my head. No, I can't always make them say what I think they should say. *sigh*

My writing is very character driven. Obviously.

I sometimes write in a "storyteller" POV. Do not be alarmed. Keep calm and keep reading. It will all make sense eventually.

I have previously written two novels, many short stories and poems. Rainie Skyes started as my pseudonym for my aborted Twisted Tales series, which alas didn't go anywhere but missing. I'm still looking for "Alphabet Soup", if you see it, let me know...

My Non-Literary Life Facts

I live in a house of weasels that have a pack mentality. Apparently, I am the only lemur, but I do respect a good alpha.

I have two grown daughters, both of whom are creative and have inherited the writing gene. One embraces it, the other one runs as fast as she can in the other direction. They are gamers, comic collectors, cos-players, con-goers...we are the only house in the area with not one, but two prop closets. They are remarkably well adjusted in spite of the fact that their Dad kills zombies and their Mom writes Sherlock fanfiction. Actually, they love it.

I have a cat, who is old, but very cool. We recently acquired two ferrets who are adorable and also there are two rats in the house who love me to read ACD's stories to them.

My husband is a great support to bounce ideas off of. When he's not off killing zombies. He's also my firearm and explosives expert, with a side in the art of zip ties. Who knew?

My Passions

Sherlock Holmes: Any way I can get him (except for Elementary, don't even go there, as I may be forced to become violent). The Conan Doyle Complete Sherlock Holmes is on my Kindle and ready on hand at all times.

BBC Sherlock is my obsession. I'm a fan girl. Having withdrawal waiting for S3. Which is actually how I ended up on FanFiction.net come to think of it... Benedict is delicious as Sherlock, Martin is studly (yes you read that correctly) as John and Rupert, ah Rupert, just a joy as Lestrade. Mark is the best Mycroft the world has ever seen.

Other much loved versions of Sherlock Holmes: Billy Wilder’s The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, and even though there are so many issues (i.e Mycroft) with the recent Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes movies, they are great fun and you have to love Robert Downey Jr in anything he does. Last but not in the least: Basil Rathbone’s portrayal from the 40s.

I also enjoy the married Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes book series by Laurie R. King. She's a wonderful writer and has a wicked sense of humor.

Doctor Who: My Doctor was #4, Tom Baker, but I rediscovered the Doctor in #10 & #11. I am by no means an expert on Doctor Who, but I could be considered a Whovian. Don’t ask me to pick between 10 & 11, I love them both. Now I have to add 8.5 to the list, John Hurt was adorable.

FanFiction.net: I have some favorites out there I follow. You know who you are. Keep writing and I'll keep reading. There are truly some amazing writers on this site.

A word about keeping in them in character: DO IT! That's the whole challenge. You can do anything as long as it works in character. The worst thing I have ever experienced in fanfiction is lazy writing actually. It is a grave disservice to Moffat and Gatiss to write these characters as only 1 or even 2 dimensional...they are so very rich and full of potential. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!! Be original, develop your talents, challenge yourself, and write the best fiction you can. It's not about how fast you can post your chapters; it's about posting something worth reading. And although I have (mostly) gotten over my issue with the over use of ‘smirk’, it is still something that I struggle with. Too many smirks and I (as a reader) am out of there. There are many ways to describe a smile, please try to be original and use something besides smirk. So far, my fics are smirk free, so it is possible to write an entire 30 chapter fic without using it at all.

Some Thoughts on Sherlock Holmes and Sex

1. Sherlock doesn't really have a sexual consciousness. It's outside his brain activity. It's not something that comes into his mind. He's BUSY! He's not gay, he's not straight, he's not asexual. He's just not interested in wasting his time and brain power thinking about it.

2. Sherlock is not completely clueless when it comes to sex. He knows the power of it and he's not above using a little sex appeal with the ladies to get what he wants. I have never seen him use it with a man to get what he wants.

3. Sherlock is a very passionate person. He just keeps it under control and focuses it on his mental abilities. The mind boggles when considering the effects if that passion were to be released physically. Hence, fan fiction in all its lovely forms. So, yeah, we want to see him mixing it up with someone! And even if Sherlock's not likely to get it on with say Molly, I still want to think about the possibility. Getting it on with John, well...not my area.

4. Sherlock loves John as a best friend and because he can depend on him to watch his back. (Watch it, not wash it.) This is such a lovely thought. That two men can really care about each other like that. This is what Moffat and Gatiss are trying show in Sherlock, this friendship, and doing a fabulous job of it too.

5. A word about John...he's a ladies man. Obviously. He was back in ACD's day and he still is in Sherlock BBC. John likes the ladies. Plus he's smart. He's no dummy. I love how BBC Sherlock has let that out. Over the years, John has been played as the idiot bumbler. In ACD's stories, he was not an idiot, he just wasn't as quick as Sherlock, and really, who is?

I hope you enjoy my stories. Reviews are always appreciated. - RS