jamafanta | Recent Entries

I dreamed about the zombie apocalypse last night. I had to beat a lady off with a chair, she kept trying to bite my neck (vampire zombies...?). But then I was some sort of seer, in that I could trace where the zombies had been and then the soldiers with guns could go kill the folks they'd bitten... IDK. That part was a bit cool. But I woke up several times because I was honestly really scared, and now it's Monday and I'm tired, and that's just not on.

But in the plus column, I've discovered the wonder that is miso soup for breakfast. And this is fantastic, because while I'm aware that skipping breakfast is generally quite bad for your waistline, breakfast foods in general make me feel crappy. Miso soup FTW! (DH says it's odd, but I've replied that there are more people in the world eating miso soup for breakfast than eating omelettes so who's the odd one really?)

Current Mood: awake

Title: Pockets Full of Stone
Author:

pprfaith
Summary: This is a trick. Thor/White Collar AU. Gen
Word Count: Less than 3k
Warnings: References to violence, repetition, abuse of mythology and my usual meta-ness. One brief moment of potential ick.
Rating: PG-13

Short, lovely, mysterious and slightly creepy. Wonderful!

Lifted from

akavertigo

Dear everyone involved with the Archive of Our Own,

Thank you.

Thank you to everyone who's ever written a line of code, fixed a bug, wrangled a tag, answered a support ticket.

Thank you to the back-end coders and thank you to the front-end coders.

Thank you to everyone who's ever brainstormed about what the archive might do, and thank you to everyone who's poured their hearts, souls, and spare time into trying to make the archive do all of those things and more.

I use the AO3 every day. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for building it for me and for everyone who uses it -- and for everyone who doesn't use it yet but might use it someday.

This archive isn't something to which fandom is entitled. It's a labor of love. You make the archive as your gift to fandom, and I appreciate that gift so, so much.

Even though it isn't finished yet. Even though it isn't perfect yet. It's still awesome, and your hard work is tremendous and admirable, and I just want to say thanks.

(Dear everyone else: if anything in this post resonates with you, feel free to signal-boost or repost.)

Originally posted by

tinlizzie82 at Just in case Mississippi seems too far away

I imagine many of you have seen the reposted entry in protest of the Mississippi Personhood Amendment that would grant any fertilized egg the same legal status as an actual live person, thereby outlawing abortion, some forms of birth control and criminalizing miscarriages.

But there is also a threat on a national level. Today the House passed HR 358, which they are calling the Protect Life Act (or for those who oppose it the "Kill Women Bill") , a bill that would allow hospitals receiving federal aid to turn away women who need an abortion even if it is necessary to protect the health of the mother. While this bill is not in danger of becoming law, Obama has said he will veto it and it lacks the votes to overturn that veto, it is indicative of the fragile position of the pro choice contingent in this country and another volley in the right wing onslaught against reproductive rights. One of the most frightening things is that the bill's proponents are trying to frame it as an attack on Obamacare, an more widely unpopular measure, rather than a direct attack on abortion and the general public is not discerning enough to understand this.

This article gives a good overview of the bill, Obama's Statement of Administrative Policy against it, and how it relates to laws aready in place and previous failed attacks on abortion.

The fact that this bill will most likely never make it all the way into policy is no reason to ignore it. Complacency is dangerous and we can best raise our voices by contacting our local representatives and making our views known. You can also contact the Democratic National Committee HERE or the Republican National Committee HERE (click on the contact congress button, the actual page was down, supposedly for service).

Historically, the pro life lobby has not had a majority when it comes to public opinion but it has always been very vocal. In this time of concerted attacks on our reproductive rights, we need to change that and make our views heard loud and clear before it is too late. So contact your local representative, post about this on your LJ or just hit the button below.

Title: Castiel Rising
Author:

phate_phoenix
Artist:

rednarcissism
Fandom/Genre: Supernatural
Pairing(s): Castiel/Dean, Meg/Castiel
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: ~70,000

Castiel Rising, by Phate_Phoenix. Written for the DCBB. It's an AU where Lucifer befriends Castiel long before humans walk the earth, and it's absolutely amazing. I can't say enough about it. Castiel is fierce and loyal and entirely BAMF, while remaining entirely in character. All the characters' voices ring true, actually, even the minor ones.

Summary: (AU) Hell is adaptation: change to suit the environment, or experience unending torment. Castiel knows this, expected it when he plunged into Hell to be with Lucifer, and allowed it. But change isn’t just one of Hell’s tortures, something he will discover when Lucifer orders him to protect Dean and Sam Winchester from Heaven’s forces.

It's just fantastic. There are no "evil because I'm evil" characters, no sloppy short cuts, no character or plot laziness. It's tight and it's grammatically perfect. And I'm off to stalk the author, now!

Current Mood: giddy

I live on LJ (

jamafanta), at least for now. This account is just so that I can post signed comments without using OpenID. ☺

Am quite sure that most everyone who wants a Dreamwidth invite has one at this point, but if you're still lacking - drop me a note.

This is the part of the day that I look forward to, what I work towards. And then I get here, and I have one hour until bed time. 23h preparing for and anticipating 1h? I'm not managing my life correctly.

And it's not nearly enough time to get caught up on my fics.

As the subject line says, some more published gay fiction under the cut.

( Read more... )Raised by Wolves by W.A. Hoffman

"John Williams, the Viscount of Marsdale, libertine, duelist, dilettante, haphazard philanthropist and philosopher, is asked by his estranged father to start a plantation in Jamaica in 1667. He doesn't realize that he is going to the right island for the wrong reasons until he meets buccaneers and learns he has far more in common with the wild Brethren of the Coast than he does with the nobility of Christendom. Still, he questions joining them and leaving his title and the plantation behind, until he meets Gaston the Ghoul, a mysterious French buccaneer who is purportedly mad. He quickly decides that the freedom of the buccaneer life and even the mere chance of love that a man such as Gaston might offer are better than anything he could ever inherit. But even though Gaston seems intrigued by him, can the crazy Frenchman ever love him?"

A lovely long, thick series. It takes much of the first book for our guys to get together, which is just what I like :). I like my relationships complicated! The only con is the overuse of the "wolves" metaphore. I will definitely read this series again.

Nightrunner by Lynn Flewelling

"When young Alec of Kerry is taken prisoner for a crime he didn’t commit, he is certain that his life is at an end. But one thing he never expected was his cellmate. Spy, rogue, thief, and noble, Seregil of Rhiminee is many things–none of them predictable. And when he offers to take on Alec as his apprentice, things may never be the same for either of them. Soon Alec is traveling roads he never knew existed, toward a war he never suspected was brewing. Before long he and Seregil are embroiled in a sinister plot that runs deeper than either can imagine, and that may cost them far more than their lives if they fail. But fortune is as unpredictable as Alec’s new mentor, and this time there just might be…Luck in the Shadows."

Seregil and Alec are characters that it is very easy to love. The books are fast paced & an easy read, good comfort fics.

The God Eaters (or here , for free) by Jesse Hajicek

"Hajicek has created a work of epic fiction with the God Eaters. Imagine a world not unlike the American Western Frontier of the 1800's--trains, guns, outlaws. Only here, the "Ivainians" are the persecuted minority, instead of Native Americans. In this world, people have Talents (pyrokinesis, empathy, etc.) The Commonwealth is determined to control everyone, especially Talents, with an iron hand. They use the White Watch to do so. Ivainians cannot hold certain jobs that whites can, and they have their Talents "burned" out of them. This is the world of Ash Trine and Keiran Trevarde.

Ash is sent to prison for writing treasonous pamphlets against the heinous actions of the government. Keiran is sent to prison for murder. In prison they are treated as guinea pigs for experiments on their Talents. They are tortured - as prisoners they are considered less than human. Yet, these two unlikely men will escape to confront reincarnated gods battling for supremacy over this world, and the freedom of all people. And maybe find the power to love again. "

I adored this one; I found Jesse's website and now adore his webcomic too. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale

"Belimai Sykes is many things: a Prodigal, the descendant of ancient demons, a creature of dark temptations and rare powers. He is also a man with a brutal past and a dangerous addiction. And Belimai Sykes is the only man Captain William Harper can turn to when faced with a series of grisly murders. But Mr. Sykes does not work for free and the price of Belimai's company will cost Captain Harper far more than his reputation. From the ornate mansions of noblemen, where vivisection and sorcery are hidden beneath a veneer of gold, to the steaming slums of Hells Below, Captain Harper must fight for justice and for his life. His enemies are many and his only ally is a devil he knows too well."

It's "Steampunk", which is a new genre for me. It's bleak, but in a good way. Good world-building, interesting characters, and a fast paced story.

Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner

"In the highly stratified world of Kushner's nameless old city, the aristocrats living in fine mansions on the Hill settle their differences by sending to the thieves' den of Riverside for swordsmen who will fight to the death for a point of someone else's honor. Young Lord Michael Godwin is so taken by these romantic figures that he studies the art himself until challenged by the best of them. Master of the Sword, Richard St. Vier is picky in his contracts and precise in his killing but he nevertheless becomes embroiled in the nobility's political, social and sexual intrigues. When his lover Alec is kidnapped by Lord Horn, St. Vier must take drastic action. Kushner's authorial voice may be somewhat smug and self-conscious but that suits her subject. Her novel is intelligent, humorous and dramatic, with a fine, malicious feeling for the operation of gossip in a closed society. "

This is a comfort read for me. It hits all my buttons: Richard and Alec don't express their feelings well through words, but when it comes down to it they express themselves quite clearly through actions.

That's all for now... I've moved on to The Slash Pile , so I won't be buying paper books until I've exhausted what I can find online!

An LJ friend recently asked me what m/m fiction I had on my bookshelf, so I created the list below the cut. More to come, if she'll let me post her recs here too.

( Read more... )

This is probably going to be my only post. Although, I will try to make it prettier as soon as I figure out how.

I'm not a writer, and having a horror of strangers peaking into my brain doesn't help any. But I love to read! So, I've created this page in the hopes that when I ask my beloved authors to friend me, they don't find a creepy blank journal and deny my request.

Please? Let me worship at your literary alter?

Jamafanta

Edited: I was born in 1980, and so am considered a legal adult in the majority of the countries out there.