Christina Lauren
jandco and wtvoc
The Blessing and the Curse
We Were Here
Wide Awake
- Blinkie by beegurl13 -
- Tribute by Lisa A. Hollett -
CaraNo saved my life.
No, I’m not actually
being dramatic at all. (Please contain your surprise.) It began, as so
many fic rec stories do, with a tweeted link to a story someone couldn’t put
down. I don’t even recall who recommended that first story of hers to me back
in 2011, but I do remember once I started reading her words, I could not get
enough of them.
Flash forward a few years, through some twists and
turns the likes of which break lesser people, and she ended up moving in to my guest room for a few months last fall.
We had an amazing time full of Caribbean cruises and road trips and all the
best and worst food America has to offer. She’s back home in Sweden now, but
I’m not sure she has forgiven me yet for introducing her to Lemon Drops on a
night only parts of which I can recall.
Though she got her start as a writer in the Twilight fandom, Cara doesn’t only write
fic. She’s a successful Amazon author with more than one #1 bestseller to her
credit. When she branched out into original fiction as Cara Dee, I was lucky
enough she wanted me to stay at her side as her editor. And when I was so rudely ousted from my full-time job
earlier this year, it was the confidence she’d helped me build as a fiction
editor that enabled me to grow my fledgling indie editing business and keep
myself busy, profitable, and well-fed. (Hence the life-saving mention up
above.)
Even if you’ve never read one of her fics or books—Hello,
you there, under the rock! Come on out. We don’t bite. Much…—you’ve undoubtedly
read something influenced by her style, skill, or stories. Her impact on the
fandom cannot be understated. She introduced a ton of us to Daddy Kink, which
we didn’t even know was a thing, let alone a thing we liked. She made slash
stories a genre we never knew we always wanted. She’s written redneck Edwards
and shattered Bellas, but she’s always stuck to her two simple rules: no
cheating and always an HEA. In the world of fiction, as in real life, those
rules are pretty much all you need to get by. That’s part of her talent,
creating multiple different worlds all originating from the same place of love,
happiness, and optimism. She makes her words a safe place for all of us.
I could write a blurb on why each one of Cara’s
fics and books is amazing, but for space (and attention span) limitations, I
had to keep it to five.
Isla
de Cullen: This was one of Cara’s early fics. Posted like
twice a week in the beginning, let me tell you, on update days, I was
refreshing my email like a mofo. The story of Takeward
and Little Bella, IdC was a dip of
the toe in the waters of BDSM and a whole lot of sexy. I was not her beta when
she wrote this, and believe me, I wanted
to be involved so desperately. Maybe I
pestered her over PM to let me beta it. Maybe. So, funnily enough when she had
me re-beta the whole story later, I found myself with a new chapter to edit on
a late-night flight to Vietnam. I hit page down in my aisle seat only to find
she’d added NSFW manips to the doc. I’m not sure I’ve ever closed my laptop lid
faster. I only hope whoever was seated on
the plane behind me enjoyed the show.
Look
but Don’t Touch: Originally titled Daddy’s Touch (with a cover that you
wouldn’t want your mama glimpsing over your shoulder), this was Cara’s first
original fiction book. It’s hot, it’s taboo, it’s Daddy-kink. It’s the first
book in her BDSM Touch series, which
has a kink for everyone. (Yes, even you!) Kayla is still one of my all-time
favorite characters of Cara’s. And,
little-known fact—when I edit for certain clients like my girl Cara, I do an
out-loud editing round. For this one, I actually
sent an audio file to Cara of me reading one of my favorite scenes with Kayla
and her Daddy. If you ever encounter a drunk-me,
which is not unlikely, maybe I’ll recreate it for you. Her words just lend themselves
to reenactment…
Northland:
Cara has found a great deal of publishing success in the M/M fiction genre. She
sent me a few M/M e-books for my birthday a few years back, and I quickly
joined her on this bandwagon. Everything she works on she meticulously researches but perhaps none of her books more than
her North series. Set in the far-reaches of Alaska, Northbound and Northland
detail the inner workings of the winter activities at an adventure camp. There
are wolves and bears and dogs and sexy men hot for each other and an adorable
little garden gnome named Justin. Even if M/M isn’t your jam, you should check
this one out because it’s a Cara story, and all of those are worth reading.
Grand:
It was a drabble fic when it began. Not a 100-word chapter one, but short
chapters posted frequently, detailing the
story of Las Vegas mafioso Junior and his favorite stripper Hummingbird. What
started so small, so simple, so perfectly period grew to encompass five decades
featuring dozens of characters, a lot of unique ways to die, and over 350,000
(!) words. If the stars and our vacation plans align, next summer Cara and I
are headed to Vegas to walk in the
Maisanos’ footsteps. We’ll let you know if Junior is still wandering around in
that bathrobe with the comb in his pocket waiting for his favorite show on the
Discovery Channel. And if Hummingbird invites us over for an Italian feast, you
know we’re not saying no. You wouldn’t either.
Close
Your Eyes: No sampling of Cara’s work is complete without
an angsty story, and Close Your Eyes
was one of her best (or “worst,” if you’re an angst wuss like me). Orphaned
Bella, abused Edward, a Carlisle I’d like to run down with my SUV. This story
illustrates for us the power of pain in shaping young lives band also how love
and compassion and forgiveness can transform even the most broken soul.
And if you’re a reader of Cara’s,
I’m sure you’re asking, “But what about Whistler or Anthony from Power Play or the zombies or Second Page with little Josie or O Holy Christmas with that passel of
kids in the holiday lodge or Our Yellow
House and all the tears we cried or All
Nighters with Lisa’s favorite semicolon use of all time or…or…or?”
That’s the hallmark of a great writer. When you have to pick just a few to
mention, you have to leave so many off
the list. And that’s the beauty of Cara’s work. Just because I didn’t single it
out doesn’t mean it’s not awesome and doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put down that
work assignment and download the book or the PDF and read it at your desk. Hey,
losing my job worked for me because of Cara. Maybe it’ll work for you!
But, really,
that’s terrible advice. Don’t take that. Though, do listen to me and read
everything Cara has written. Then let us know what your top five are. You’ve got roughly fifty fics and books from
which to choose. Pick wisely. Or, hell,
don’t. They’re all fantastic, and that’s not just the wine talking. It’s the
magic of Cara.
- Blinkie by beegurl13 -
- Tribute by JiffyKate -
Smart.
Witty.
Funny.
Smutty.
Is that a word?
Clever.
Sweet.
Friendly.
Exuberant.
Classy. Sometimes classy is spelled with a “K,” but still…
As we were brainstorming exactly what to say about this
dynamic duo, these were just some of the words that came to mind. Oh, and
vulva. We can’t forget vulva.
Christina Lauren. That’s two people, just in case you didn’t
know. They write so seamlessly, it’s hard to tell that by their words. They
began as two girls writing in the land of Twilight fanfiction, and today,
they’re on every Best Sellers list out there.
The Office, and
its beautiful bastard, is one for the fanfic history books. It’s spoken about
in must-read threads and often mentioned when someone asks for a reader’s
all-time favorite fic. When it was being published as a work-in-progress, it
created a frenzy on posting days. Like so many other fanfic greats, readers
waited with baited breath for each new chapter.
Since its publishing date in February of 2013, Beautiful Bastard, has topped the
charts. With each new installment, Christina Lauren have continued to kill it.
And by ‘it,’ we mean us and our panties. Their novels are just like them:
smart, witty, and sexy. There’s something so familiar about each of them—always
a smokin’ hot dude and a funny, strong woman. But with each new book, they give
us something fresh and new.
And can we talk a minute about the books? So. Many. Books.
These girls are writing machines! The Beautiful series now has four full-length
novels and four novellas. Their newer series, Wild Seasons, now consists of three full-length novels, with a
fourth one coming out early next year. Not only do they write steamy hot adult
books, but they also have two YA books, Sublime
and The House. Whether it’s a
sex-filled book about a beautiful bastard and his beautiful bitch or a haunting
book about a boy and a ghost, they spin tales that suck you in and latch onto
your heart.
As human beings, they’re two of the nicest people you’ll
ever meet. We can attest to their genuine kindness and infectious
personalities. On their blog, they describe themselves as
“partners/besties/soulmates/brain-twins,” and it’s true. They’re hilarious
together. If you ever get the chance to meet them in person, DO IT!
From one writing duo to another, we’d like to thank them for
their contributions to this fandom and for setting such a wonderful example in
the publishing world.
- Blinkie by beegurl13 -
- Tribute by Amanda Weaver aka spanglemaker9 -
When I quietly crept into the fandom in the spring
of 2009, the party was already well underway. Fics were exploding, readers were
gobbling them up, and people couldn’t stop gushing about the drop everything
update of the day. Several “fandom superstars” were already cranking out
stories and epic review counts, but for me, nobody had the combined star power
of wtvoc and jandco.
It seems impossible to imagine a fandom without The Teenage Angst Brigade. It pushed
boundaries, it got people talking, raging, freaking out, and it was also really good. How could something so
outrageous and wicked also be so wildly entertaining? jandco figured out how.
But wait… She was about more than smut and teen
drama. How about dark, twisted love? The kind that gives you knots in your
stomach just reading about it? Mutually
Assured Destruction was the car accident we couldn’t look away from. She
took the line “my own personal brand of heroin” and took it to its bleak,
all-too-human conclusion. The characters made you rage, cry, scream at your
laptop in frustration, but the one thing you had to do was keep reading. She defied fic conventions when Edward
and Bella got back together in the end and all it did was leave us feeling
bereft and depressed. That’s some edgy stuff.
If you needed a palate cleanser after all that
self-destructive misery, she did that, too. Perfectly
Imperfect had a train wreck Edward that made us love him despite himself
and tons of snarky dialogue that kept us laughing non-stop. Few writers can so
effortlessly tackle such diverse storytelling and get it right every single
time.
Then there’s her other half, wtvoc. Must Have Been Love was one of the
earliest fics I read when I came into the fandom, and to this day, hearing the
title makes me think of Edward and Bella as they’re about to kiss while sitting
in the dark on a porch swing on Halloween. Talk about moments that lasts
forever.
Of course, I’ve gotten to know Kristen pretty well
since then, and we’ve wandered off into new fandoms and new obsessions.Whether
she was writing about Edward Cullen, Mr. Darcy, Ichabod Crane, or Captain Hook,
she’s made me swoon over and over. Some of my favorite moments reading fic have
happened while reading her words.
Now.
Let’s talk about jandco and wtvoc together.
I’m pretty sure the earth shifted on its axis the
day the two of them encountered each other online. I know for a fact they’ve
changed each other’s lives for the better, and they’ve made all of ours
immeasurably better, too.
In the world of fic, they’ve ripped our hearts out
and smashed them flat with Dear Isabella.
Fic doesn’t make me cry. Dear Isabella
made me bawl like a baby. Fess up. You know you cried, too. Scotch, Gin, and the New Girl is a seminal fic for so, so many of
us. To this day, it’s still one of the great AH teen fics in the fandom.
Then, just when it seemed they’d gone radio silent
in the world of Twific, a new story showed up on everyone’s radar. The Consequence of Miracles was amazing.
A horrific, gut-churning read, so brilliantly executed that you had to keep
going, even when you knew it would break your heart in all the worst ways. And
it was written by this enigma, Travis Birkenstock. Who the hell was that? Who
could have taken on such challenging subject matter and dealt with it so
deftly, crafting a story that had everybody in the fandom on the edge of their
seats for weeks? None other than our own wtvoc and jandco, of course.
I had the privilege to pre-read their first original
fiction, Failure to Navigate, and I
mean it when I say it was a privilege. When I finished, I felt immensely
fortunate to have been a part of a community that could generate talent like
this, that our crazy little corner of the internet had produced writers who
could create such a beautiful, harrowing read.
And through it all, as popular as their fics became,
as ubiquitous as their names have been, they’ve both remained so damned nice.
They’re like those girls in school, the coolest ones, who listened to the
hottest music and wore the best clothes and knew absolutely everybody, but who
were still the friendliest, most down-to-earth girls you’d ever meet. I’m honored
to consider them both friends.
They’re working on a new original work, and it will
no doubt be as brilliant, as witty, as gritty and real and beautifully written
as everything else they’ve done to date. Our fandom has produced a lot of
writers. It’s no exaggeration to say that we’ve changed the face of publishing
in some ways. But for me, the most talented of the bunch are jandco and wtvoc. I
think I speak for a great many people when I say that I can’t wait to see what
they come up with next. Without a doubt, it will blow us away.
- Blinkie by beegurl13 -
- Tribute by Rochelle Allison -
Throughout time, as long as humans have lived, they have
believed in soul mates. One person out there…the missing piece of their soul.
…But fate does not intend an easy path for all.
…Sometimes the bitterest pill to take is the soul mate that
has been there all of your life. The soul mate who wants to consume you, to own
you, to drink your strength…
…On one side of the coin, it was a blessing, because Bella had
her soul mate by her side since the moment she first opened her eyes on this
world. But on the flipside, the blessing was her curse: her wicked soul mate
could hear her thoughts, read her like a book and use what he wished.
Some stories stay with you.
You think about them at odd times, finding yourself returning to
them time and time again for a quick re-read of a scene or passage. They pop up
on lots of “favorites” or “classics” lists because they’re genuinely that
good. And like any popular story − whether fic, published novel, or movie −
there are those that weren’t crazy about it because it’s so intense, because Edward’s
so intense. They remember it, though. It impacted them all the same. I
remember when this was a WIP; the excitement and anticipation that accompanied
each chapter was crazy. Flails and discussion were the norm.
When I was asked to talk about The Blessing and the Curse by The Black Arrow, I was honored. That
might sound corny, but this story’s so well-loved, so epic, that to be able to
write a love letter to it (and its author) was an opportunity I couldn’t pass
up. (I mean, it’s in my personal top five!) The timing was perfect, too,
because I’d coincidentally re-read TB&TC
the week before. And what hit me, with this most recent read, was how timeless
the story is. Not all fan fiction ages well, but TB&TC remains a gem. For me, it raises the bar. The prose -
whether describing “The Cullen Dimension” (the Forks estate that feels like a
moody character itself, as if Edward is personified through its weather) or the
cast of characters that rounds out the story - is still pristine and gorgeous,
richly detailed but not quite purple:
He was like a city that had been bombed, and no one could bear
to rebuild. (Charlie)
Edward’s overwhelming obsession with Bella *still* made my
stomach flip. And, like Bella, I spent the chapters caught between wanting to
smack his perfect face and make out with him.
He had faint stubble, and his lips always looked like he had
just been kissing. He lounged on the rock as though he were reclining on a
feather bed. He was completely, utterly delicious.
But, she told herself as she slapped herself mentally, he was
also completely dysfunctional, self centered and immature.
And that, right there, is the crux of this story. It goes beyond
the usual “forbidden love” or “friends to lovers” or “I hate you so much I love
you” tropes; this is Edwardian angst at its best. Edward and Bella’s strange
connection (their literal connection - he can see her thoughts when they touch)
is quite nearly a character of its own. They seem to become different people
when they’re together, as if their relationship is a veritable third party.
Edward and Bella share a birthday. She was born three hours after
him, as if “she couldn’t bear for him to be in the world without her,”
according to a now ailing Esme. Bella’s mother dies soon after, and when it
becomes obvious that Charlie can’t handle it (or being a parent), Esme, who was
Renee’s best friend, unofficially takes her in. Edward and Bella are
inseparable from their days in the (usually shared) crib, and their
relationship only intensifies as they grow. The people around them can see it’s
becoming unhealthy, especially as they hit their teen years, but nothing they
do helps. At one point, Charlie and the Cullens agree to send Bella to a
boarding school to give them a break, but Edward does something to ruin that,
and within months, Bella’s back in Forks. (The story never says what he did,
but The Black Arrow’s beta, bookbag, wrote a steamy and no longer available
one-shot titled Denying Difference that fills in the blanks.)
When the story opens, a newly engaged Bella has returned to Forks
to stay with the Cullens. Esme, her surrogate mother over the years, is finally
succumbing to cancer, and the family wants to spend her last days together.
Although Bella has her insecurities, the family loves her as one of its own, so
it’s natural for her to be there. Naturally, Edward can’t help but be his usual
manipulative self. In fact, he wants her to pretend they’ve fallen in love so
Esme can pass away knowing they’re happy together, something she’s always
secretly wished for. Bella balks at first, but she eventually plays along, partly
because she cannot resist Edward and partly because of her desire to make Esme
happy (even though Esme loves her regardless).
The thing is that as selfish and obsessive and arrogant as Edward
is, he actually does love Bella. He always has. He just has a messy way
of showing it.
Because when Bella thinks about their past, she remembers
Edward’s possessiveness, his jacket on her shoulders (much to the envy of his
many female admirers), keeping her from other boys at school, holding her hand
at the bus stop. She recalls his cruelty; he can see her thoughts, so he knows
she’s always found him beautiful. He knows she loves him, but he’s had
dalliances with every girl he can, even the few girlfriends Bella’s had.
So it’s not until they reunite in the present that we realize
just how deep his feelings actually run.
Anyone who’s read this story remembers the chapter in which Bella snoops
in Edward’s laptop and finds his photographs. He’s a talented photojournalist,
and his war-time images are gripping, but it’s the thousands of photos of Bella
that floor her. He doesn’t want her to find them, but she does. Edward’s
finally laid bare, vulnerable, for the first time in their relationship.
She also discovers he’s only ever been able to “hear” her, and then… she
realizes she can “hear” him. And then they finally connect physically, and it’s
glorious.
He was a dark stained glass window finally lit; damaged and
cracked, but all the more breathtaking for it.
When her fiancé, Michael, finally tears himself away from work
and joins them unexpectedly, there’s an obvious friction. Bella’s left to make
a decision (that we all know isn’t really a decision at all; come on).
He wants a wife…I want my soul back.
Melt.
This story is about love, from the all-consuming love and
devotion between Edward and Bella − which toes the deepest, darkest lines but
ends in the purest light − to the relationships between Carlisle and Esme,
Emmett and Rose. It’s about familial love, the ties that bind, love that brings
us back to the places we love, the people that know us, and our true selves.
Every reading of this dynamic story is a treat. It transcends
itself; Edward and Bella could be any couple, even though the familiar names
give it that extra appeal. Just like the first time I read it, its words had
their hooks in me from the very first line.
You have been mine, all along. Give in to me.
- Blinkie by beegurl13 -
- Tribute by LayAtHomeMom -
Ever had that moment when you finish reading a fic and
you’re left sitting there in awe, with your phone clutched to your chest and
your eyes closed, savoring every word you just read, every feeling you felt,
and wanting nothing more than to start all over again?
And eventually, when you do open your eyes and stop the
savoring, you start the flailing… to everyone and anyone who’ll listen. I’m
talking about going door-to-door, Latter-day Saints-style flailing, asking
peeps if they’ve read the good word. Or even turning to your bestie and saying,
“If you don’t love this, we’re not friends.”
It’s totally normal, right?
It is, and it should be completely expected when a fic
speaks to you on every level like that, captivating and ruining you in the very
best of ways.
For me and so many others in our fandom, that story is We Were Here by lola-pops.
Where to even begin… Everything about this fic is
absolute perfection: the storytelling, the visuals, the fantastic ensemble of
characters… and the Edward. *shivers and does the sign of the cross at the
thought of him*
We Were Here is a
story about love and life, growing into and finding yourself and all the
mistakes you make along the way, especially when you’re swept up in the peaks
and pits of being in love. This is where lola-pops absolutely shines, capturing
that madness and passion. But more than that, she manages to absolutely nail
the flawed reality of it all, where nothing is typical or easy even when it’s
meant to be. I think that’s why the entire vibe of this fic resonates with
readers, because it’s so relatable. We’ve all been there, stuck in that moment
of in-betweenness, where you’re trying to reconcile who you were with who you
are, all the while searching for who you want to be.
The story begins with Bella, a popular cheerleader, whose
life has, up until this point, been relatively smooth sailing. But there’s an
emptiness there, a void casting a shadow over her seemingly sunny
existence. And in an effort to fill that
void, she cheats on her long-time boyfriend, Jasper, with Edward. Although she
and Edward have known each other for years, they don’t necessarily run in the
same circles. He’s more on the fringe; quiet and seemingly closed off, a
beautiful, brooding boy whose words often fail him. Give him a can of Krylon
spray paint, though, and he’s an open book.
When you put these two together, the chemistry’s as
explosive as it is unlikely. I’m talking a white-hot smolder that could set a
city on fire. But for every ounce of heat these two generate, they match it in
hurt. This Edward and Bella make an absolute mess of it, and the fallout’s
extraordinarily painful. But that might be one of the things that readers love
most about this fic. When lola-pops cuts, she cuts deep and lets it bleed until
it scabs. There’s no rush to put a band-aid on it, no tender kiss to make the
pain go away. We as readers get to feel everything,
and while we don’t always necessarily agree with their actions or decisions, we
understand them; we’re living and breathing right along with these characters
as they learn and love… and heal.
On behalf of a grateful fandom, I want to thank lola-pops
for gifting us with her brilliance and her beautiful words. We Were Here has left its mark on so
many of us, permanently etched onto our hearts and minds. And someday, when our
time in the fandom has come and gone, those of us who love this story will look
back and we’ll remember…
All that matters is
that it happened.
Once we were
everything.
Once we were here.
- Blinkie by beegurl13 -
- Tribute by T.M. Franklin aka Tkegl-
When I was first approached about writing a tribute for Wide Awake, I was excited, but then it
quickly turned into full-blown anxiety. I mean, how could I do this beloved fic
justice? How could I boil down the effect of a story that's impacted so many
people in a few short paragraphs? That's a lot of pressure on a girl!
There are tons of reviews out there of Wide Awake − on fic sites, Goodreads, blogs − by people much better
than I am at analyzing plot, character development, theme, tone − all that
stuff you learned in English class. But I was tasked with writing about this
mega-fic's legacy and how it affected me and the fandom. This, I figured, I
could do, since Wide Awake was the
first fic I ever read and is to credit (or to blame) for me being here in this
crazy, awesome fandom in the first place.
Back in the olden days, I originally resisted reading Twilight. I wasn't much into horror
stories, to be honest. And vampires? Come on. That had been done to death. I
finally gave in after hearing all the hype and subsequently devoured all of the
books in about a week.
Then I wanted more. Could there possibly be more?
I'm not sure what I searched for on Google, but the link led
me to this crazy story. Edward wasn't a vampire but a foul-mouthed, cigarette-smoking
badass, and instead of being sweet and innocent, Bella was abused, broken, and
sleep-deprived. And baked awesome cookies. Can't forget that part.
It was entirely new to me, this idea of fanfiction − of
loving a story so much you didn't want to let it go when you turned the last
page, of wanting to stay on the ride
just a little bit longer. And Angstgoddess003 took us on quite a ride.
I was instantly absorbed in the story. It was still a WIP at
that point, and I waited anxiously for every installment. Along the way, I
discovered other people waiting right with me − other readers and (oh, my!)
more writers! More stories! More fic! Lots and LOTS of fic!
I remember chatting with other readers on Twitter when I
read that scene in the gymnasium. (You know the one.) My heart stopped as Bella
lay curled up on the floor and Esme was all mama-bear fierceness as Edward
slowly approached her, about to reveal their secret relationship. Bella's
trauma was heartbreaking. Edward's knight in rather tarnished armor made us
fall in love with him. We cried with the characters, laughed with them, and
rooted for them.
Is it a perfect story? Well, probably not. Maybe I'm
thinking back on Wide Awake with
rose-colored glasses, with fond memories of my early days in the fandom when
everything was fresh and new and exciting. Maybe that's why I haven't gone back
and read it again. I don't want to tarnish the memory of a fic that touched me
and so many others so deeply.
But it was my first fic, and when I think back on reading Wide Awake, I always smile − not only
because of the story itself, but because it was a beginning for me. Because of Wide Awake, I discovered fan fiction.
Because of Wide Awake, I met other
readers and writers in a fandom I came to love. Because of Wide Awake, I eventually wrote my own fic and, eventually, wrote
and published original fic. It seems trite to say, but it's true: Wide Awake really did change my life.
So thank you, Angstgoddess003. The fandom misses you, but
thanks for leaving your awesome fics behind so we can continue to love and
enjoy them!
Well said . Wide awake was my first venture into the world of fanfic and it had me hook line and sinker
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