Just popping in to explain my lack of fiction updates.

My laptop decided to throw a tantrum. So while I'm trying to get it fixed or a replacement, whichever turns out to be the pertinent solution, I'm stuck with the family Mac which I have to share with my three sons. Not exactly conducive to writing much beyond the sequel to Sacred Fate. What time I've got for my share of computer usage, I've diverted into the completion of Book Two since I very much want to submit it to my editor before the year ends.

It's not at all easy, writing a sequel. It's actually harder than the initial world-building what with having to take first-time readers into account without being over repetitive for those who have read Book One. And then there's keeping track of all the timelines, events and laws set down in the first book and making sure they remain consistent in the second. I never realized before that in trying to keep as true as possible to the LotR universe in my fanfic writing, I was practicing for the time when I would create a fictional universe with its own set of rules and traditions and have to ensure that I did not wind up violating or changing those rules and traditions myself.  (I've come across reader outrage in various forums over authors doing just this and I don't want to be on the receiving end of similar expressions of indignation and frustration!)

Anyway, my deepest gratitude to everyone who supported me in my first published literary endeavor. I really appreciate it. And I do hope the next book will be as much to your liking as Sacred Fate. ;D

 

Title: Completion
Author: Eressë
Fandom: JRR Tolkien
Characters: Elrohir/Legolas
Prompt: 044. Circle
Word Count: 2430
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: The characters belong to the wizard of storytelling himself, JRR Tolkien and/or his estate. No offense is intended or profit made in my use of them.
Summary: Though formal union is not yet possible, Elrohir and Legolas’ relationship comes full circle in another way. Part 31 of Prior Claim.

Table of Prompts & Story Links

Before anything else, I want to thank everyone who sent me birthday greetings last month. Just in case I missed anyone when I made my replies (there’s this nagging feeling that I did). It was lovely to be remembered even when I’ve been rather inactive on LJ recently.

Re book news: I’m done with the FLEs (final line edits) and approved the final draft of the cover art. I got my first choice of artist for the cover, something I’m still reeling from, and the result is simply stunning IMHO. Now all I can do is wait and pray everything goes smoothly from hereon. 

In the meantime, here’s the next chapter of Prior Claim. I hope it pleases. 

Title: Lacking
Author: Eressë
Fandom: JRR Tolkien
Characters: Legolas/Elrohir
Prompt: 080. Why?
Word Count: 2780
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The characters belong to the wizard of storytelling himself, JRR Tolkien and/or his estate. No offense is intended or profit made in my use of them.
Summary: While Elrohir bears with ill-founded beliefs about him, Legolas discovers a sea change in his. Part 30 of Prior Claim. 

Table of Prompts & Story Links

Title: Restive
Author: Eressë
Fandom: JRR Tolkien
Characters: Elrohir/Legolas
Prompt: 012. Orange
Word Count: 1259
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The characters belong to the wizard of storytelling himself, JRR Tolkien and/or his estate. No offense is intended or profit made in my use of them.
Summary: The imminence of a long awaited reunion stokes the ever glowing embers of impatience into a steady blaze. Part 29 of Prior Claim. 

( Restive )

Table of Prompts & Story Links

My first fic update in months and it turns out smuttier than I originally intended. *shakes head*

Title: Finally
Author: Eressë
Fandom: JRR Tolkien
Characters: Glorfindel/Elladan, Elrohir, Celebrían, Elrond
Prompt: 006: Hours
Word Count: 1797
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: The characters belong to the wizard of storytelling himself, JRR Tolkien and/or his estate. No offense is intended or profit made in my use of them.
Summary: Whether the passage of time feels slow or fast oft has to do with what one is waiting for. Part 28 of Prior Claim.     

Table of Prompts & Story Links

If there is one person or more on your friends list who makes your world a better place just because they exist and who you would not have met (in real life or not) without the internet, then post this same sentence in your journal.

Nothing could be truer for me. I will always be grateful for the friendship, support and laughter so many of you shared with me.

In other news, I'm currently working on the next installment of Prior Claim. It took quite a bit of effort to get back into the mood and immerse myself once more in the LotR universe but the thrill of writing is finally back. You can't imagine how pleased I am about that. Though how I managed to find time to write anything at all between edits I’m not quite sure myself. Did I mention edits? Oh yes, with regard to my last post...

I wrote an original novel last year. The plot and premise germinated way back in my college days. But I didn't think such themes were publishable so I placed the whole thing on the back burner. Eventually, LotR slash fanfic afforded me a wonderful outlet to indulge my propensity for M/M fantasy romance. The emergence of epublishers however and their willingness to publish material that are outside the box spurred me to return to my almost forgotten story and finish it. Dear gloromeien  critiqued it for me and I'm sure she spotted at least one very obvious acknowledgment of my years in the LotR fandom.  

To my delight, the novel was accepted by one of the established epubs I queried. So I’d been working on it with my editor and now that’s done and the manuscript is going through proofreading. I’m leery of going into more detail about it before I have a definite publication date. Things go wrong all the time, Murphy's Law and all that. But long story short, that was my other big reason for being remiss with my updates. Anyway, I hope you'll forgive me for the long delay. 

Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it.  Thanks to sian265 for the virtual gift.  And thanks to all who commented on the previous entry.  Due to the even more frenzied pace of the holiday season I was unable to reply to them earlier but I will do so now even if it is overly delayed.   Good grief, even this update is delayed!  But better late than never as the saying goes.  So here's my Yuletide offering.  I do hope it pleases. 

Title: Collusion
Author: Eressë
Fandom: JRR Tolkien 
Characters: Legolas/Elrohir, Glorfindel/Elladan, Elrond, Celebrian 
Prompt: 061. Winter
Word Count: 1522
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: The characters belong to the wizard of storytelling himself, JRR Tolkien and/or his estate. No offense is intended or profit made in my use of them.
Summary: The granting of certain wishes sometimes entails unorthodox means.  Part 27 of Prior Claim.

Table of Prompts & Story Links

I’m back – finally. I suppose it’s better to be busy enough to show that I do have a life. A real one. *LOL* But it’s also frustrating since I loathe leaving whatever I’m working on hanging for so long. It’s nearly three months since my last update. That’s a criminally long time in between installments. Anyway, here’s the latest chapter. I hope it makes up even the tiniest bit for the horrendous delay.

I also urge you all to read gloromeien ’s latest opus, A Slaying in Scarlet. She’s a blooming Agatha Christie in the making. Though Ms. Christie never wrote anything so dizzyingly romantic or gloriously smutty. But then she didn’t have a pair of exquisite elven detectives to work with either!

Title: Yearning
Author: Eressë
Fandom: JRR Tolkien
Characters: Legolas/Elrohir, Glorfindel/Elladan
Prompt: 034. Not Enough
Word Count: 1016
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The characters belong to the wizard of storytelling himself, JRR Tolkien and/or his estate. No offense is intended or profit made in my use of them.
Summary: The longing for union goes beyond bodily need when the heart and spirit have been freely offered and received. Part 26 of Prior Claim.

I seem to be always apologizing for being so delayed with updates and this time is no different. As usual, RL obligations take up most of my time and energy. Furthermore, I'm heading for Shanghai tonight with the hubby for a week's holiday and, as we've never been there before, we've been busy preparing and researching for it. So, much as I would have loved to post a chapter before leaving, there simply was no time or inspiration to come up with something decent. But, hey, maybe the trip will get my creative juices flowing and I'll have something worth posting when I get back.

Eressë

My abject apologies for such a delayed update. As usual, other obligations necessarily took precedence. But here's the next part at last and, as someone so succinctly put it, Elladan will finally be peeled off that damn door. As to any splinters down yonder, I think I'll leave that to Glorfindel to investigate.


Title: Reckoning
Author: Eressë
Fandom: JRR Tolkien
Characters: Glorfindel/Elladan
Prompt: 083: And
Word Count: 1295
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: The characters belong to the wizard of storytelling himself, JRR Tolkien and/or his estate. No offense is intended or profit made in my use of them.
Summary: Glorfindel takes matters into his own hands and makes Elladan’s choice for him. Part 25 of Prior Claim.

( Reckoning )

Table of Prompts & Story Links

Title: Reprisal
Author: Eressë
Fandom: JRR Tolkien
Characters: Elladan, Erestor, Glorfindel
Prompt: 033. Too Much
Word Count: 1777
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The characters belong to the wizard of storytelling himself, JRR Tolkien and/or his estate. No offense is intended or profit made in my use of them.
Summary: One jealous turn deserves another. Part 24 of Prior Claim.

( Reprisal )

Table of Prompts & Story Links

Title: Setback
Author: Eressë
Fandom: JRR Tolkien
Characters: Elladan and Elrohir
Prompt: 042. Triangle
Word Count: 1196
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The characters belong to the wizard of storytelling himself, JRR Tolkien and/or his estate. No offense is intended or profit made in my use of them.
Summary: How does one distinguish between what is and what seems to be? Part 23 of Prior Claim.

( Setback )

Table of Prompts & Story Links

Title: Disabused
Author: Eressë
Fandom: JRR Tolkien
Characters: Legolas/Elrohir
Prompt: 077. What?
Word Count: 1496
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: The characters belong to the wizard of storytelling himself, JRR Tolkien and/or his estate. No offense is intended or profit made in my use of them.
Summary: As Legolas’ departure draws near, one of Elrohir’s assumptions comes to the fore. Part 22 of Prior Claim.
Author’s Note: Real life hasn’t let up but I figured the only way to get something written is to just write whenever and wherever the chance presents itself. However, during the course of writing this part, my mind got stuck in the gutter (never mind the reason) and refused to climb back out. This isn’t anything like my original plan for this piece!

( Disabused )

Table of Prompts & Story Links

Title: Stimulus
Author: Eressë
Fandom: JRR Tolkien
Characters: Elladan, Legolas/Elrohir
Prompt: 037. Sound
Word Count: 1160
Rating: R
Disclaimer: The characters belong to the wizard of storytelling himself, JRR Tolkien and/or his estate. No offense is intended or profit made in my use of them.
Summary: Elladan discovers that eavesdropping can be both a pleasure and a pain. Part 21 of Prior Claim.

( Stimulus )

Table of Prompts & Story Links

My apologies for such a delayed update. Hopefully, RL will finally let up and I’ll be able to get back to writing more regularly. I'm leaving in a few hours for a much needed holiday with my family but I promise to respond to comments as soon as I get back. In any case, I hope this pleases.


Title: Affection
Author: Eressë
Fandom: JRR Tolkien
Characters: Legolas/Elrohir, Elladan
Prompt: 023. Lovers
Word Count: 1008
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The characters belong to the wizard of storytelling himself, JRR Tolkien and/or his estate. No offense is intended or profit made in my use of them.
Summary: There is so much more to loving than mere bodily union. Part 20 of Prior Claim.
Author’s Note: A bit on the mushy side, I’m afraid, but my muses simply refused to let me tackle anything serious or angsty.

( Affection )

Table of Prompts & Story Links

I've received a number of inquiries about whether I am well and it's moved me deeply that people actually noticed that I haven't updated in a while. Rest assured, I'm fine; my absence is not due to poor health or a personal crisis. The culprit is lack of time for recreational writing and the attendant difficulty of getting into the right frame of mind for it when I do dredge up a spare moment. It's the main reason I did not sign up for the Ardor in August challenge much as I would have loved to participate again.

I do have a new chapter in the works - it's half finished and I'm crossing my fingers that I'll be done with it by next week. Nothing heavy I admit - a lighthearted piece was all I could manage at the moment. But I'm not going to abandon my current story though it will take me a bit longer to complete than previous ones. I shudder at the thought of an unfinished story to my name given that it frustrates me no end when I start reading something and get engaged by it, only to discover it does not and never will have a proper ending.

In any case, thanks to everyone who's asked after me and wished me well. It's really lovely of you. (And dearest gloromeien, I haven't forgotten you. Do give Starbuck a hug for me.)

Warmest regards,
Eressë

My apologies for the overly delayed update. Blame the usual suspects – work, family, colds, deadlines, Torchwood… I should have known watching John Barrowman and Gareth David-Lloyd snogging away would be much too distracting. I dare say others would consider it inspiring however. **snort**

Title: Shorn
Author: Eressë
Fandom: JRR Tolkien
Characters: Legolas/Elrohir
Prompt: 003. Ends
Word Count: 2944
Rating: NC-17 for sexual content
Disclaimer: The characters belong to the wizard of storytelling himself, JRR Tolkien and/or his estate. No offense is intended or profit made in my use of them.
Summary: A long ago wish is granted and the beginnings of a promised affair is finally realized. Part 19 of Prior Claim.

( Shorn )

Table of Prompts & Story Links

My apologies for the belated replies to all your wonderful comments. I’ve been out of town on holiday with my family since right after Christmas Day and only got back in time for the New Year’s Eve celebrations. In any case, here’s my first fic to start off 2008. And may we all have a Happy and Blessed New Year.


Title: Intimation
Author: Eressë
Fandom: JRR Tolkien
Characters: Elladan & Elrohir, Legolas, Eldacar
Prompt: 060. Drink
Word Count: 3100
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The characters belong to the wizard of storytelling himself, JRR Tolkien and/or his estate. No offense is intended or profit made in my use of them.
Summary: The fulfillment of an old request comes ever nearer to realization. Part 18 of Prior Claim.

( Intimation )

Table of Prompts & Story Links