A Spare Bit of Parchment

Late last night I came across the following:


To say I was stunned and flattered is putting it mildly.   I had thought my story long forgotten amongst the masses of unfinished fanfics.

I guess it's time to finish it.

Aside from whether there are any still willing to read it, the question remains... do I have any betas left?   ;)

This is such an overdue post that I am not quite sure what to say. Life and work has been all consuming of late and to even begin to note those events would take far more time than I have right now. In a nutshell, my new position is requiring the majority of my time and energy, and will continue to do so for at least another month and perhaps more. Aside from wearing me out and keeping me from spending time with the people I cherish most, I am enjoying my work and feel optimist about it.

I do want to assure those who have been waiting so patiently for an update to my stories that I have not forgotten nor abandoned them. I wish that I could quickly produce completed works for you, but they have had to be temporarily set aside along with many other things that I enjoy.

As I must leave for work in just a few minutes, I wanted to also quickly say thank you to the anonymous person who sent me a virtual Valentine though LJ. Your gesture was truly appreciated. *hugs back*

And a huge hug and thank you to all those who continue to support and encourage me, even if I've not had the time to respond to your messages. Thank you. *HUGS*

*laughs* I'm not sure this really means anything. It is the quality, and not the quantity that matters most.

( LJ Comment Stats )

Thank you to any and all who've commented and those who haven't. Mmmwhaaa!

As some of you are already aware, the fanfic, The Journey, has been nominated for "Best Kiss" in The Best of the Best competition at Phoenix Song. I am absolutely delighted and would like to thank the person or persons responsible for making the nomination. *hugs and surreptitiously passes C-note*

My good friend and co-author of The Journey, parakletos, had the following to say today in his lj:

On a final note, elsielann has been nominated for best kiss, in The Journey. Great piece of writing Leslie, I couldn't have done better myself ;)

*laughs and shakes head* This is a bit of a private joke between he and I; I mentioned to him yesterday that I would feel strange should The Journey win this particular distinction. The reason for my discomfort being that the kiss, for which this fiction is being judged, was written by none other than parakletos. While he is amused that credit is being given to me, I would like to make sure that everyone is aware just who is the talent behind that kiss.

So... on behalf of myself and parakletos, thank you so much for the nomination. *grins* For myself alone, please cast your vote for The Journey and know that the author of that wonderful little kiss is parakletos. I know I will and I don't have to feel like I'm voting for myself. ;)

A quick note to let everyone know that The Journey, a post-OoTP short fic I co-wrote with parakletos for the HPGW_Ficafest, is now posted at Phoenix Song. You can find it here. Even if you read it before, it is well worth taking another look at, if only to admire how it benefited from the wonderful beta job as done by mmmusings.

Sorry to post and run, but that's the story of my life lately. *sighs* I hope to get a chance soon to catch up with everyone.

Later! *waves to all*

In oblation for my continued lack of meaningful presence on lj, I thought I would post a small piece that I wrote several months ago. I was never completely happy with how this short story turned out, and have toyed with it repeatedly. It's still not perfect, but is probably as close as I will manage.

This was written in response to what I perceived as a serious lack of, erm... reciprocal attention paid to Harry. So listen up, ladies. Men want to be made love to, too.

Oh, and this is adult. If you aren't 18, you shouldn't be reading it. Also, please forgive any errors as this hasn't seen the benefit of a beta.

( Silent Seduction )

After a very long delay, part two of a two part entry written by myself and the charming parakletos has been submitted at hpgw_ficafest. As we've no idea when it will be validated, Richard and I are each posting it in our lj.

Title: The Journey - Part Two
Challenge: Three Column Prompt - Last day of 7th year for the Trio/The Hogwarts Express/Snitch
Summary: With Voldemort defeated and his seventh year finished, it's time for Harry to leave Hogwarts forever. With the journey ahead of him, he must decide where and how he wants it to end.
Rating: PG or otherwise suitable for teens
Genre: Fluff
Word Count: 7404
Notes/Warnings: Due to various trials and tribulations that have plagued both authors, it was questionable whether this particular story would see the light of day. Rather than miss the posting deadline completely, we decided to present it in two parts, of which this is the second, final, and extremely late. Also, having been started prior to HBP, it is now terribly AU, but we hope you will enjoy it nonetheless.

The Journey - Part One can be found here.

The Journey - Part Two

It appears that I've been tagged for a meme and as I happen to actually have time for one right now, I will expose myself to ridicule and perpetuate the madness. ;)

My deepest apologies to those who've tagged me recently for memes and I've not had the time to respond.

List five songs that you are currently 'digging'. It doesn't matter what genre they are from, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good. But they must be songs you're really enjoying right now. Post these instructions in your 'blog' along with your five songs. Then tag five other 'people' to see what they're listening to.

1. Hoobastank: The Reason
2. Rob Thomas: Lonely No More
3. Joey Yung: The Magnifying Glass
4. Greenday: Boulevard of Broken Dreams
5. Lifehouse: You and Me

Baaaa.... *shrugs and a preemptive :p to parakletos*

Also felicitations and best wishes to jsguardian on his birthday. *many hugs* Joe, I hope today brings you everything you hope for.

And, a belated birthday greeting for Amber (orkyd)... *hugs, but not too tight* I'm sorry I missed wishing you a happy birthday yesterday. I hope you had a wonderful day. ;)

ETA: I suppose I should tag some other poor unsuspecting souls... hermionegreen, nickenate, matttheaiguy, mmmusings, and marituuli.

Just a very quick update as I'm up way past my bedtime...

Chapter 8 of A Matter of Perspective is now finished and has been sent off to be beta'd. Hopefully it will be posted before the weekend.

Tomorrow evening I will try to catch up with lj as I owe comments to many. Nite all! ;)

Happy Birthday c_cliodne!!!

Many wishes for a wonderful day today. After all, it is the best day to have a birthday! ;)

Just a quick post to let you know that the first of a two part entry written by myself and the charming parakletos has been posted.

Title: The Journey - Part One
Challenge: Three Column Prompt - Last day of 7th year for the Trio/The Hogwarts Express/Snitch
Summary: With Voldemort defeated and his seventh year finished, it's time for Harry to leave Hogwarts forever. With the journey ahead of him, he must decide where and how he wants it to end.
Rating: PG
Genre: Fluff
Word Count: 3541
Notes/Warnings: Due to various trials and tribulations that have plagued both authors, it was questionable whether this particular story would see the light of day. Rather than miss the posting deadline completely, we decided to present it in two parts, of which this is the first and just a tease.

It can be found here.

Did any of you know that LiveJournal has a dating feature? o_O

LiveJournal Singles

Erm... I think I'll hold off on that until I'm desperate. *laughs*

As an aside, if anyone is looking for a great H/G fic that's out of the ordinary, I highly recommend the work-in-progress, Twelve Months by parakletos. Be sure to also read the out-take/flashback, The Oak Tree which gives some powerful background to the story.

Chapter seven of A Matter of Perspective is now posted at The Broom Cupboard.

Chapter 7 of A Matter of Perspective is complete and the beta process is just about finished. Now, if I can keep myself from playing around with it more, my poor beta, mmmusings, should be able to get it posted this weekend. *hugs Michele*

On a note of complete and utter rambling, I hadn't visited JK Rowling's website in quite some time, so this morning I went to look at some of the more recent updates. While there, I looked in the Rumors and Extra Stuff sections on the off chance that some new information had been posted that I hadn't heard about. I was surprised to find a few pieces of information that I actually found rather interesting. Now, these aren't things that give any clues to the identity of the Half-Blood Prince or tantalizingly tease of future events, but rather items that I found thought provoking from a fanfiction author's point of view.

( Thoughts )

Huh.

Even with everything else going on this week, I cannot believe I forgot to do this. *shakes head*

Day before yesterday, a position came to my attention that I ended up spending several hours making sure I submitted a perfect resume and cover letter for. This job looks as if it was written based on my resumé. Aside from being a great fit for my skills and qualifications, it's working for a reputable global company, it would be only a half-hour commute, the pay and benefits are great, and I would get to travel internationally.

Though I don't put much credence in it and wouldn't normally ask, I am hereby requesting if you are able and so inclined, to please send up prayers, bow to Mecca, cross your fingers and toes, rub your lucky rabbit's foot or whatever it is you do, that I get called for an interview. ;)

Thanks!

While recently combing through information I have saved on my harddrive, I came across several pages of notes on the Harry Potter books that I had saved while reading through some of JKR's interviews. These were just tidbits of information that I found either interesting or thought provoking.

Even though you have all most likely seen this information in one form or another, I thought I'd share anyway. I've sort of categorized these bits into sections, and hidden them behind ljcuts because of the length. Some are question and answers, some are just straight quotes... and they aren't in any particular order. Please make note that I did not save exactly where these quotes were from or the date they were said.

( Harry's Family )

( Romance )

( Hogwarts )

( Bad Guys )

( Hints About Things To Come )

Enjoy!

... To boldly go where no one has gone before.

*laughs* Seems like I can't get away from tests lately. I've taken several over the course of the last two weeks for employment purposes, and another again today. The loathsome kind... ones asking things like "lightening is to thunder like grapes are to _______" and "what is the next letter in the following sequence: A F Z U G L T _".

However, examinations can be an interesting exploration and a bit of fun, as well. Behold the following borrowed from aibhinn and tartanboxers, not to mention quite a few others on my flist today.

English Genius
You scored 100% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 93% Advanced, and 88% Expert!

The Commonly Confused Words Test
http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=14457200288064322170

All this testing prompted me to return, once again, to Tickle.com where I have been taking various online tests since 2002. There you will find a standard IQ test, inkblot test, and personality test, in addition to some revealing ones including sexual personality. ;)

( Highly selective peek at Elsielann's Tickle test results. )

So, on some evening when you have either nothing or no one to do, indulge in a little self-discovery and a enjoy a laugh or two.

I think this may be a bit impossible without narrowing the scope, so I'm going to go with things that others on my flist may not have done.

Ten things I've done that others may not have

1. Sat face-to-face and managed to talk civilly with convicted murderers on death row.
2. Flown a mission sitting in the co-pilot seat of a C-40 transport airplane.
3. Personally designed and manufactured, in four weeks, 63 period costumes for a school play.
4. Ran for county-wide public office.
5. Have met and/or corresponded with three US Presidents.
6. Conceived and spearheaded the creation of an official county fair... now in it's tenth year.
7. Submitted a full one-hour original screen play for a popular television program.
8. *laughs* Had original screen play rejected by a major motion picture studio.
9. *shakes head* I can't believe I'm admitting this... Been a contestant in a state-level National "Beauty Pageant".
10. And finally, my all-time favorite... Had personal name for story series adopted by jeconais.

For full details, see my published works. *laughs*

*grin* I have it on very good authority (no less than the Smut Fairy, herself *huggles mmmusings*) that the long waited for chapter six of A Matter of Perspective is now up at TheBroomCupboard.

You're a Slytherdor! You are a natural leader and
have the personality to back it up. Often
people are hesitant to approach you because
they feel that you will reject them. You have a
bit of a temper but most of the time you're
able to keep it in check; however when you are
really pissed off, people better watch out. In
your life you have a lot of things you want to
accomplish, whether it's for yourself or
another cause. You can be determined in trying
to pursue this goal but your morals are too
steady to allow you to be absolutely ruthless.
You don't let many people know this, but you
actually like the idea of chivalry (but you try
to keep this buried) and you try to live your
life with honor. You don't back away from tough
decisions. Your weakness is that sometimes you
can be arrogant, you forget about the 'lesser
people' and this leads you to underestimate
your opponents. With the charisma of a
Gryffindor and the ambition of a Slytherin you
can be great in life!


Which Mix of the Hogwarts Houses are You?
brought to you by Quizilla


I realize I'm a bit behind the times in posting this... but I have a good excuse. I have spent the last few days diligently trying to finish chapter six of A Matter of Perspective. *grin* I'm pleased to report that I've finally succeeded. It's been sent off to my wonderful beta mmmusings for her magic touch.

Haven't the foggiest idea what it means... but, apparently I'm still old and not the correct gender. *sigh*

stolen from margaret67

( LoTR Meme )

*laughs* And I am so not doing the "ask any four questions about me and I'll answer" meme.

An update, of sorts, on the next chapter of A Matter of Perspective...

After a bit of an artistic temper tantrum wherein I deleted a major portion of what I had written, it is finally back in the works. *hangs head in shame* I know, I shouldn't have. But trust me... it was rubbish. Or at least, that was a matter of my perspective. *grin*

Speaking of matters of perspective, have you ever noticed how memes can make someone look good until you really consider what they could be saying? Take the following small collection (in which I edited out the pictures and extra junk for ease of viewing):

( Memes And Their Hidden Meanings )

So here's to the euphemistic properties of memes... wherein Voldemort himself would probably be described as mysterious, ambitious and just a bit impish. *grin*

Last but not least, a seldom made fanfic recommendation for a new multi-chaptered story by a promising new author, parakletos, which can be found at The Firelight here and soon to be at PhoenixSong.net.

Twelve Months Rated PG-13 for sexual situations
Following his recovery from the final battle with Voldemort, Harry decides that everything in his life needs to change, beginning with his relationship with Ginny. Rated PG-13.

ETA: *shakes head vehemently* And I am not going to reveal how I scored on the How Pure Are You? meme I copied from aibhinn. *laughs*

From schocolate...

( With Which Harry Potter Male Are You Most Sexually Compatible? )

*laughs* I must definitely be in a better mood from last month when Lucius was my 'ideal HP man'... and I didn't even have to lie this time. And pixiellie... you never did reveal if you took the last one or what your results were.

I hope that everyone is enjoying the holidays!

While most of you are aware that I have been experiencing some rather disrupting events in my life, I have had several friends who have been wonderfully supportive. One of those people is a very special friend, tipynodderyn, who has made it a goal to help me make my way back into a creative mode. Together, we have co-written a short, one-chaptered story, by the name of Stolen Moments. With his help and encouragement, I'm feeling much more able to work on both A Matter of Perspective and A Matter of Circumstance.

Stolen Moments

Summary: After twelve years of marriage and three young children, Harry and Ginny's desire for one another still hasn't dimmed. However they become increasingly frustrated as they try to find enough time together to satisfy that desire. NC-17 for sexual situations.

The story can be found at The Broom Cupboard, or The Firelight.

As for A Matter of Perspective, I hope you'll be happy to hear that I'm nearly finished with chapter six.

Thank you all for standing by me and understanding! Special *hugs* to tipynodderyn.

And, a special thank you to jeconais for not only being a good friend, but adopting my name for his latest creation. *hugs*

The last four hours have seen a blanket of white laid upon the landscape.



It is expected to continue into the evening. *sigh* Perfect cuddling up in front of the fireplace weather. Alas, I seem to be missing some key ingredients necessary. What a waste.

Chapter Five of A Matter of Perspective has been posted at The Broom Cupboard.

There have been several inquiries lately into the status of my two companion stories. Rest assured that I have not abandoned them, but they have had to take a back seat to some issues that have arisen in my real life. Trust me when I say that I would not put my work on hold for anything trivial. Your understanding and support are greatly appreciated.

Within a week or two, I hope to be able to resume writing on a regular basis. As of right now, chapter 5 of A Matter of Perspective is in the beta process and will hopefully be ready to post soon.

Sometime during the night, when I was fast asleep, a magical creature sneaked in and posted chapter four of A Matter of Perspective at The Broom Cupboard. *grin*

Not having a job to go to during the week takes all the specialness out of the weekend. Not to mention that I have so little of interest to talk about. Okay... I realize that is a pretty big stretch thinking that I ever have anything interesting to talk about, working or not. But humor me, please?

I read an interesting article by Stephen King today. It was in the 1992 edition of The Writer's Handbook and was titled "Everything You Need To Know About Writing Successfully - In Ten Minutes". I thought I would share... if you are interested in hearing a synopsis of what a best selling author has to say on the subject, look ( here. )

Finally, however many reviews into my story (I lost count after 500), I received my first flame. Oh... I've received some mild criticism before, mostly one or two individuals who didn't think I had written a couple of the characters quite right. But this... well, see for yourself:

"I believe that this fanfic is an insult to all the raped victims who had to suffer and had to go through much pain, and some of them have been traumatized."

*laughs* Yes... I think this one goes into the "ignore" pile. But of course, my first snarky thought was, "Some... only some of them have been traumatized?"

Interestingly enough, the person's profile had them down as a Harry/Hermione shipper. Hmm... perhaps that had something to do with it.

And I save for last the following meme taken politely from aibhinn.

( What woman out of fantasy literature are you? )

Hee... this is so me!