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~~~~UPDATE!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I HAVE STARTED TO UPLOAD MY FIRST FF!!!

It's called Providence. A post BD Canon FF about Jake & Nessie. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! This is my first FF ever! I need all the comments, and critiques I can get! Tell me if you love it, or if you hate it!

Betas: Nikki Halen and Jennrosee from Project Team Beta.

Pre-read by: Content1

Banner by: Soapy Mayhemhttp:///albums/jj87/soapymayhem/Providence3.png

~~~~UPDATE!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I JUST caught the Twilight bug (April 2011)... I work from home and got bored while I was waiting for an email from a colleague when I saw Twilight was on Showtime... I decided to watch it... The movie was kinda silly, but I was intrigued. I read the first book in 1 day and was hooked. I picked up the rest of them, and within a week- I'd read all the way through to Breaking Dawn.

Here's the deal... The story is amazing. The author is so-so. The prose is so purple, that every now and then I just wanted to barf... I really think (don't kill me) that Twilight is an amazing story- but could have been sooooo much better if someone besides Stephenie Meyer wrote it. I think BD was the best of the series, as far as the "over the top" writing style... probably because she had more experience under her belt by that point, and was able to write a little bit more concisely.

With that said- I really do love the books... The movies aren't bad, but the books in my opinion are way better (as are most film adaptations of books).

None of my friends or colleagues know about my new found obsession. Honestly, I feel too old to really be into it... but it seems like there are quite a few people in my situation that love the story too!

As for FanFiction, this is all new to me as well. There are some really great writers out there that have done an amazing job keeping the characters alive. I tend to only enjoy canon FF. There has been some AU/Canon that I've really loved, but my favorite stories stick strictly (I'm not worried about the MINOR details such as time line of things not in the book that SM put out in the official guide... which I've yet to read) to canon.

A little bit more about me... I am a Christian 27 year old native Californian. I grew up in Orange County and currently live in the Hollywood Hills. My favorite authors are Bukowski, Vonnegut, and C. S. Lewis. I have a degree in Public Relations, and am the VP of Sales and Marketing for a lighting manufacturer. I LOVE music, and think it is fantastic that Twilight has been able to bring kids to classical music. I don't care where they first hear Debussy- as long as they hear it! Classical music is so important to our society, and I'm glad that kids of my nephew's generation are being exposed to it.

My top 3 favorite FF authors that I SERIOUSLY recommend (in the order that I discovered their awesomeness) are:

Content1: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/2022542/content1

If you haven't read her stories yet- stop whatever you're doing and READ THEM!!! She is a fantastic writer- with a definite saucy side. Some of her stuff is definite guilty pleasure material. This is the first author on FF that I really got into. Her story Harvest Moon is THE reason I got excited about FanFic. Before her, I'd only read a lot of poorly edited, ill-thought through crap. Then I found Harvest Moon. I was hooked... maybe more like obsessed...

Start with Harvest Moon: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5315616/1/Harvest_Moon

It is a post BD canon that is so unbelievable. She is an incredible writer, and her story really captures the essence of the characters. The Cullen Family goes back to normal life after the Volturi leaves, until a new hybrid baby is found. Who is the father? Who will raise him? She won a couple awards (I think) for best Original Character. The addition of Henry (the name given to the new hybrid) is so perfect, and really brings out the best in every other character.

Next read Full Moon Rising: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6384425/1/Full_Moon_Rising

This is the continuation of Harvest Moon. I'm so into this story and get so excited when I get update alerts. Certain events take place that lead up to the Cullens taking over the Volturi. This is such a great continuation. As with Harvest Moon, it stays strictly canon, while adding amazing depth and clarity to all the characters.

Another FANTASTIC story from her is my favorite AU/Canon called Unloved Unwanted: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6009387/1/Unloved_Unwanted

This starts as an alternate New Moon. While Edward and Jacob have left Bella feeling "unloved and unwanted," she ends up with the Volturi- as Aro's newly "adopted/captured" daughter. The way she writes for these characters... I'm telling you- it's brilliant. Period.

She also has a companion piece to UU called Unloved Unwanted Divergence: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6309453/1/Unloved_Unwanted_Divergence

This starts out the same as UU, but shows what would happen if Bella (and others) made different decisions. VERY LEMONY but still very well written. Lets be honest- there is some straight up TwiPorn in this story... but you don't feel like you need to take a shower and avoid your Mom's phone calls afterward.

AllTheOtherNamesAreUsed: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/2469106/AllTheOtherNamesAreUsed

This girl... (a Scientist BTW) is one hell of a writer- and a super nice person. We've spoken back and forth in emails a little bit. One of the (many) things that I love about her writing is her attention to historical details. The story that I'm in love with of her's is a Twilight prequel about Carlisle changing and mentoring Edward, and later on, (not yet written) Esme. She has done so much research to include music that our boys would have been into. Enough flattery- here is the link:

Prelude in C: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6254265/1/Prelude_in_C

The story begins in Chicago, 1918 at the hospital that the Masens are being treated for the flu. She brings music out of the background of the story and into the foreground as a 3rd/ (and some day when she gets around to Esme) 4th character in the story. She really develops the characters and their story in such a way that really makes you feel that you KNOW them. The story shows Edward's struggles with coming to the realization that he is now immortal. Prelude is so well researched, and is so historically accurate, even down to the advertisements for Steinway pianos. It's so deliciously written. I'm a huge fan.

Last and certainly not least:

Gleena: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1830109/Gleena

Gleena is another post BD/Canon author that I love. Her stories are at times as light hearted and fluffy, and as dramatic and intense as you could want in a Fanfic story. Her writing is concise and thorough- which is in direct correlation with my enjoyment of her work. I was afraid that she had left FF, but after a short message back and forth, I was glad to find out she's just been busy with life (aren't we all!!!) and will start writing her continuation story again this summer. (yay!)

The Cold War: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4852413/1/The_Cold_War

Another Post BD/Canon that takes a COMPLETELY different path than Content1's Harvest Moon- so much so that I would get confused as to which information I'd picked up from which story- since they are both very canon post BD stories. I don't really recommend trying to read Cold War along sideContent1's Post BD stories... or maybe you shouldn't read essentially any "same time, same people" stories at the same time... way too confusing to remember who has done what. :) The Cold War starts 20 years after BD, in a time where the Cullen/Black family is in an America/USSR '47-'91 situation with the Volturi. It's seeming to last just as long too. The Cullen/Black family is essentially in hiding from the Volturi and the tipped off FBI. If you love the Denali's, (especially Tanya) you'll want to read this since they are heavily involved. :)

Acts of Aggression: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5419633/1/Acts_of_Aggression

The sequel to The Cold War picks right up with more action Vampire/Werewolf action. 8 chapters in, we've very much been left right smack-dab in the middle of the story, and it hasn't been updated since 8/17/10. I've been promised that Gleena will continue the story, and that we won't be left hanging forever. :)

These 3 authors are the REASON I love FanFiction.