#at that fest i was working in summer '22

[wavernot4love]

hello i see ag 2morrow for the second show of boom done tour i am so excited

i haven't been to a show since thursday @ the end of january in typical northeast "no one, quite understandably, tours here in the winter" fashion & i very much need this i am so very much looking forward 2 it also this is gonna be a GREAT month 4 shows

[daisynik7]

The Takada-Chan Mall Concert

Pairing: Aoi Todo x f!reader

Rating: Mature

Word Count: ~2.1k

cw: explicit language, suggestive dialogue, switching POVs (reader is in 2nd person, Todo is in 3rd)

Summary: Your first ever Takada-Chan concert doesn't go as planned.

Author's Notes: Hello everybody, here's the first chapter! Just a few background details - Todo is 22, already graduated from Kyoto Jujutsu High, and is working as a full-fledged Jujutsu Sorcerer. Reader is also 22, graduated from university, taking the summer off before starting work in the fall. Likes, reblogs, and/or comments are always appreciated, thank you for reading!

Masterlist | Next Chapter

The day has finally arrived: Your very first Takada-Chan concert! You’ve been dreaming of this ever since you started following the pop idol a few years ago, during the start of university. Although some would consider you a relatively new fan, your love and dedication to the Tall Idol is unmatched, you’re sure of it. You know her favorite food (goatfish), her favorite drink (room temperature sake), her favorite color (black), her blood type (AB negative)…The list goes on and on. 

It’s the summer before you officially start your big girl job in the fall. College has kicked your ass the past 4 years, so you treat yourself with a well-deserved summer break. Now, you have the next three months to attend every possible Takada event near you, starting with this concert. She’s hosting a very exclusive performance at the mall in her hometown, which is conveniently only 15 minutes away from you. Tickets sold out online within minutes, but you managed to snag two for you and your best friend, Sara, who only agreed to go with you to keep you company. She understands that these types of events can be…well, as she puts it bluntly:

“A sausage-fest.”

She stares at you with her arms crossed as you pack your bag with binoculars and a mini sign with Takada’s face on it. “Ugh, binoculars? Really? The concert is in a mall, you’ll see her just fine!”

“You never know! I just want to be prepared.”

“I still don’t get why you’re so obsessed with this woman,” Sara says, rolling her eyes. “It’s not like you’re in love with her or anything.”

You smile at your friend. “I know, but she’s just so cool. I love her confidence! And her music is so catchy, even you can’t deny that.”

She rolls her eyes again, chuckling. “Yeah okay, her music is pretty good. But I don’t think you’re fully prepared for how much of a sausage-fest this is gonna be.”

“I don’t care. No man is getting in my way today. Us girls are going to stick together. Women supporting women!”

‘Yeah yeah, I’m still bringing my brass knuckles though.”

~~~

The day has finally arrived: Todo’s first Takada-Chan concert of the summer. He’s been to 9 concerts already, including the 4 he’s imagined in his head. There’s no doubt in his mind that it’s going to be the best one yet.

He bought an extra ticket for his bestie and brother, Yuji Itadori, who’s currently at the mall, saving a spot for him while he finishes getting ready. He inspects himself in the mirror, flexing his biceps smiling, very satisfied with his appearance. With one more quick armpit check, he heads out. At the mall, there’s already dozens of people surrounding the windows, trying to sneak a peek inside. “Ha, you dweebs didn’t get tickets in time,” Todo says smugly, waving his tickets in everyone’s face while he goes through the entrance.

The mall is packed with people waiting for the pop idol’s performance. He finds the area where the stage is and scans the crowd until he spots spiky pink hair near the front. “Brother!” he yells, making his way through the sea of people effortlessly, getting a few shouts of protest from some smaller randoms.

Yuji looks up from his phone, greeting him with a smile. “Hey Todo! Man, it’s packed! Didn’t think this many people liked Takada-Chan.”

“Brother, don’t say something so stupid like that again. Of course a lot of people like Takada-Chan.” He slaps Yuji’s back hard, causing the shorter boy to stumble forward slightly.

“Geez, okay, I get it! When is this thing supposed to start, anyways? I’m meeting Kugisaki to go shopping.”

Todo scrolls through his phone, checking Twitter. “Takada-Chan tweeted 20 minutes ago that she’s on her way. Look at her, so adorable.” He shows him his phone, playing a video of the idol doing her signature Taka-Tan Beam, gazing at it lovingly.

Yuji laughs. “Okay, well, I’m gonna go now before this thing gets too crazy. See ya!” He squeezes himself through the crowd as Todo continues to admire Takada’s video on repeat.

~~~

You walk back to the stage area, two corn dogs in hand, when your phone buzzes, displaying a text from Sara. We’ve got a problem.

Your heart sinks as you speed walk faster through the mall, simultaneously stress-eating the food in your grip. It’s only been 10 minutes since you offered to get food for you and Sara while waiting for the concert to begin. What kind of disastrous complication could have occurred in this miniscule amount of time?! 

You approach the concert area, the hoard bigger and louder compared to when you left. Sara is near the front of the stage, so you push your way in, stepping through until you hit a wall.

Wait, it’s not a wall.

It’s a person. A very tall and muscular man.

Ah, the problem.

He doesn’t even flinch when you run headfirst into his back, like he didn’t feel it. You rub your forehead, turn your head to face Sara on your left, smirking. “Looks like you literally ran into our problem.”

You’re furious. This guy is MASSIVE. He’s got a least a foot on you, height-wise. But he’s also ripped with muscles. You can’t see above him or around him. All you see is his back muscles. It doesn’t help that the entire audience is packed like sardines, so tight you can’t move to either side of him for a better view. "What happened?” you ask, panicked. “This guy wasn't here before.” You hand a corn dog to Sara, grimacing at the man before you.

"I guess the pink haired dude in front of us saved this guy's spot." She points the corn dog towards him, whispering, “Should I stick my brass knuckles in him? Maybe that will get him to move.”

Naturally, being afraid of confrontation and violence, you respond, "No, no. You’ll get in trouble for that. Let me just talk to him, I guess.”

Sara munches on her treat while you clear your throat, reaching up to poke his shoulder, with no response. You poke a little harder this time and still nothing.

“He’s like a fucking brick wall or something,” you mutter to Sara, who only giggles. With a closed fist, you pound on his back, as if knocking on a door, a very beefy, sturdy door. Finally, he cranes his neck to face you, eyebrows raised.

“Um, hello. Do you think you can move a little? You’re blocking our view.”

This guy doesn’t even have the audacity to turn his body around. He just peers over his shoulder, saying, “Nope,” facing forward again, completely disregarding you.

“So you’re just going to block our view the whole time?” you remark, annoyed. 

He scoffs, still not looking at you. “Not my problem.”

Who is this fucking jerk?!

From the corner of your eye, you notice Sara brandishing her brass knuckles, ready to pounce. You shield her with your arm, stopping her. “Don’t. Let’s just wait and see what happens when Takada-Chan comes out.” You feel like you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. Literally.

A few minutes pass and the crowd around you starts screaming in excitement. Takada-Chan must be walking on stage now, though you wouldn’t know because this guy’s back is taking up your entire view. The rest of the fans are so squished together that you’re practically nose-to-back with this guy. Luckily, he has no body odor; he actually smells quite nice.

“Can you see anything?” you ask Sara.

“Yeah, she’s on stage now. She’s just waving to the crowd as her mic gets set up.”

“What is she wearing?”

“A red and white baseball tee with flared jeans that has jewels on the side,” Sara answers.

You pout. “Ugh, she’s so cool! If only I could see her!”

“Let’s switch spots, c’mon.” Sara tries to move behind you as you shift to your left. Music plays and Takada-Chan starts singing her current smash hit “Love Gem”, which you are absolutely obsessed with. Now in a position to actually see your favorite idol, you retrieve the Takada sign out of your bag, ready to enjoy the concert. Before you can, the jerk in front of you begins swaying side-to-side in time with the music, singing loudly, and badly. Every time he swings to the left, your view gets obscured again. You shoot a look to Sara, who just laughs at your misfortune. 

You try your best to appreciate the rest of the performance, getting glimpses of the pop idol whenever the swaying moron moves out the way. When it’s over, Takada-Chan delivers her signature Taka-Tan Beam, resulting in shrieks of glee from the audience. The boulder in front of you yells, “I love you, Takada-Chan! It’s me, Aoi Todo! Your future husband!” He waves his arms back and forth, vying for her attention.

As you wait for the crowd to disperse, you shout to Sara, “As if Takada-Chan will ever marry an idiot like that.”

All of a sudden, he turns around to face you. He’s more massive and menacing from the front. The most noticeable feature about him is the huge scar running down the left side of his face. A tiny corner of your brain wonders what the story behind that is. “What did you call me?” he growls.

Shit. You didn’t think he could hear you. He’s a jerk anyways, so no need to be nice. “I called you an idiot, idiot,” you sneer, with the smuggest grin.

He glares at you. “I’ll have you know that I have an IQ of 530,000. You normies could never compare.” His voice is dripping with arrogance and cockiness, it makes your blood boil.

“Normies? You some kind of god or something?”

“Heh, you could call me god-like, I suppose,” he winks at you, smirking.

You roll your eyes, hard. “Charming. Well, I hope you had fun getting ignored by your 'future wife'. Thanks to you, I didn’t even get to see her since your ginormous body was blocking me the entire time!” You’re seething now. Sara stands beside you, wide eyed but enjoying the show. If there was popcorn, she would be stuffing her face with it right now.

“It’s not my fault you couldn’t save yourself a better spot. Maybe next time, plan better. If you are a true Takada fan, you would do whatever it takes. That’s why I’m the superior Takada-Chan fan.” Both his thumbs point towards himself, puffing out his chest.

“Please, you think you’re the superior fan? Don’t make me laugh.”

“I’ve known her since middle school, so yeah, I think that makes me the biggest fan!”

“I doubt that, you’re probably making this up!”

“I’m not! She rejected me in middle school, but I know she’ll come around in a few years once she retires! Then we’ll finally be together!”

This guy is truly delusional. “You think Takada-Chan will ever marry someone like you? Get real!”

You're both going at it like a tennis match, Sara's eyes darting back and forth between the two contenders.

“Don’t tell me you’re in love with Takada-Chan too? I will crush you if you get in my way!” he yells.

“I’m not in love with her, I admire her! I aspire to be her!”

“Ha, don’t make me laugh. You’ll never be like Takada-Chan, shorty.”

“I’m not talking about her looks; I’m talking about her personality!”

“Well, it doesn’t look like you have much going on there either!”

“Asshole!”

“Loser!”

“Okay you two, stop!” Sara intervenes, physically placing herself in between you and the ogre. “As much fun as it is to see you both go ballistic at each other, people are starting to stare. Now break it up.”

Your face is so hot, you feel steam coming out of your ears. What a fucking asshole.

He looks at Sara and tells her, “You better control your girl. She shouldn’t be messing with someone like me.”

“Oh, is that a threat? Come at me, I will fuck you up!” You’re ready to throw hands at this fucking prick until Sara restrains you, letting him walk away, chuckling.

“You have seriously got to calm down. Don’t let a dick like him get to you,” Sara says, still holding you back.

All you do is grunt at her. Who does this moron think he is to talk to people like that? As you make your way towards the exit of the mall, you hope with all your Takada filled heart that you never have to run into that guy ever again.

[thisapplepielife]

My Current Masterlist:

Hi! I'm Apple. I currently write for Stranger Things. The majority is Steddie, but I do branch out from time to time, and you'll probably also notice some Gareth-centric fics popping up from me these days.

Last updated: December 18, 2024.

Quick Navigation:

my ao3 | thisapplepielife: short fics | steddie micro | corroded coffin fest | steddie song fics | spicy six | sub eddie week | steddie week | a stranger summer | steddie angsty august | steddie smutty september | steddie spooktober | steddiemas | steddie holiday drabbles | steddie bingo

My hashtag #thisapplepielife: short fics gathers nearly every fic I post on Tumblr in one place. Short is relative, of course, but I've ended up using it for anything that isn't a long fic or series. There's gotta be 150+ standalone fics in there by now. With a lot of them not on ao3 at this time.

I've written a little connected end of the world universe set post-apocalypse. All those fics can be found in the end of the word au tag.

I also run the event blog @corrodedcoffinfest - if you'd like more Corroded Coffin fan works in your life, come join us!

Author's Self-Rec Fic: Tuesday's Gone With the Wind - this is my favorite thing I've written. So, if you wanna know what I'd tell you to read? It's that one.

(Some of my work is rated E, so please be mindful of ratings.)

I found myself way overdue for an updated masterlist, as my original one looks like I've only written three fics. So, here we go:

I've currently got three long fics all complete and ready to read in full. Tuesday's Gone With the Wind is my personal favorite, Take the Money and Run is my most popular and All Across the Universe is my most recent!

Tuesday's Gone With the Wind, Complete

Steddie, E, 184K, 9/9 Chapters (Read on AO3) Corroded Coffin's leased plane went down on June 13th, 1995 in the woods of Louisiana. Ten people on board died. Eddie Munson survived. Before he survived, he really lived.

Take the Money and Run, Complete

Steddie, E, 144K, 22/22 Chapters (Read on AO3) “Rules. Like, there’ll be no eating in my car. You’re not driving my car. No heavy metal,” Steve keeps listing, “you’re not picking up women and fucking them in m-” “I'll try to control myself,” Eddie interrupts with a quip, a smirk. Fucking girls in Steve’s car, or anywhere else for that matter, isn’t going to be an issue, unless something pretty fundamental shifts in him. Steve continues, completely ignoring Eddie, “You’ll wipe your feet. You’re not dragging dirt all over my car. No hitchhikers. No cutesy road games. No smoking in the car. I’m not paying for all the gas.” “Ass, gas or grass, got it,” Eddie says, like he's taking this very seriously. He is not taking this seriously. Or: Road trip!

All Across the Universe, Complete

Steddie, E, 135K, 16/16 Chapters (Read on AO3)

Steve Harrington knows this world isn't permanent. They never are. He blinks into existence, brand new and disoriented. He might not know where he is, or when, but he knows he's searching for something, for someone, as he's called on and on, all across the universe. He always finds him. Eddie.

I've got two series so far, and they can be found below:

Wildflowers...and All the Rest, Complete

15/15, Various Ratings, 151K, (Read on AO3)

Wildflowers is a companion series to Tuesday's Gone With the Wind, but with a focus on Gareth. So, I'd recommend reading Tuesday's first, to get all the context needed for this series. But if you like Gareth, especially if you enjoyed the version of him I explored in Tuesday's, than this might be for you. (Steddie also features.) It's some of my favorite work of mine, to date.

Jagged Little Pill, Complete

2/2, M, 26K, (Read on AO3)

My first foray into writing for Stranger Things and Steddie! Set in the 90s. Eddie runs, and Steve and the kids decide to find him using El's powers.

First part from Steve's POV and the second is from Eddie's.

My one shots that are a little bit longer than a 1000-ish word ficlet:

Steddie:

No Loose Ends, E, 6.5k, ao3 or tumblr

Never Not Mine, E, 3.2k, ao3 or tumblr

Secret Santa, E, 6k, ao3 or tumblr

Permanent 99, E, 2.8k, ao3 or tumblr

Oh, He Wants, E, 4.6k, ao3 or tumblr

Ready For It, E, 2.5k, tumblr

Of Wolf and Man, E, 5.5k, ao3 or tumblr

Vigilante Shit, E, 7.7k, ao3 or tumblr

Men Are All Lining Up, to Put Me on a Pedestal, ao3 or tumblr

King Steve, M, 9.9k, ao3 or tumblr

If You Only Believe, M, 4.9k, ao3 or tumblr

Let the Boy Be Merry, M, 3.3k, ao3 or tumblr

Yours For The Weekend, M, 8.3k, ao3 or tumblr

Gravity Always Wins, M, 6.4k, ao3 or tumblr

Tip Your Driver, T, 4.1k, ao3 or tumblr

Different Lessons, T, 3.3k, ao3 or tumblr

I'm An Island, But You're An Ocean, T, 2.2k, tumblr

Can't Miss Us, T, 1.9k, tumblr

Bats in the Belfry, T, 2.4k, tumblr

Others:

Firing on All Cylinders, T, 3k, tumblr (Jeff & Goodie, Corroded Coffin, Set in Tuesday's verse)

Save It For a Rainy Day, T, 1.9k, tumblr (Wayne, childhood Steddie)

Set Sail on Your Ocean Of Flavor, T, 2.5k, tumblr (Chrissy, Eddie, Steve, Robin)

You Hear That?, T, 3.8k, tumblr (Robin, Corroded Coffin, Pre-Steddie, The Party)

And I run the event @corrodedcoffinfest that is currently hosting pop-up events. If you'd like to join, please come on over there!

The current event is the Good Fortune pop-up scheduled for January 1st, 2025.

After writing Tuesday's, Gareth wormed his way into my brain. Since then, he's been featured quite often in my fics. Here are some of those things:

Tuesday's Gone With the Wind, E, 184k

Wildflowers...and all the Rest, E, 151k

Paint It, Black, M, 1k

No Loose Ends, E, 6.5k

One Nap at a Time, T, 2k

Bang Dem Sticks, T, <1k

Corroded Coffin Fest - in general, but specifically:

You Win Some, You Lose Some, E, 1k

Louisiana Rain, E, 1k

Got You Good, Kid, T, 1k

You Love Me, Now Act Like It, M, 1k

Oh My, Good Lord, T, 1k

Room 1015 - Gareth, E, 1k

It Was His Year, M, 1k

Headlines, M, 1k

Zipper, M, 1k

I'm Done, T, 1k

These Keys?, T, 1k

Just Have to Feel It, T, 1k

In 2024, I started doing an end of month wrap-up of what I've written and posted. At the bottom of each post there is links to of everything I posted during that month:

NOVEMBER 2024 - 2 fics or chapters

OCTOBER 2024 - 14 fics or chapters

SEPTEMBER 2024 - 8 fics or chapters

AUGUST 2024 - 11 fics or chapters

JULY 2024 - 52 fics or chapters

JUNE 2024 - 10 fics or chapters

MAY 2024 - 14 fics or chapters

APRIL 2024 - 12 fics or chapters

MARCH 2024 - 8 fics or chapters

FEBRUARY 2024 - 3 fics or chapters

JANUARY 2024 - 2 fics or chapters

I made a Gareth fanvid for a Corroded Coffin Fest pop-up event.

[tfrarepairing]

RARE PAIRING FEST 2023!

GREETINGS GENTLEBEINGS!! AFTER THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF OUR PREVIOUS EVENTS, THE TRANSFORMERS RARE PAIRING COMMUNITY IS PLEASED TO PRESENT:

RARE PAIRING FEST 2023!!

Rare Pairing Fest is a now-annual event we host, with the goal of getting more of our favorite Transformers rare pair content out into the universe! Like many other fandom prompt fests, this is going to be a “we give the prompt, you bring the pairing” fest. Create more of what you (or you two closest friends, lol) want to see in the universe!

This year’s event will run from October 15-28, 2023! There will be 28 prompts (two for each day) with seasonal themes. This year, to spice it up, we’ll also have a bonus “sub-theme” for each week that you can work in if you like.  Not doing so won’t affect whether or not you get participation banners, it’s just a fun extra challenge. 

The prompt list is broken down by day, and posted below. You create your work and then post to Twitter, Tumblr, Dreamwidth and/or Pillowfort on the correct day. All participants will get a participation graphic, and anyone who makes a fill for all 14 days will get a special prize! There are no minimums or maximums for this event and ALL content types are accepted (including photos & hand crafts!) Also, all ratings are accepted, but please tag appropriately! And don’t forget the #2023TFRarePairingFest tag! ALSO, if you’re participating in another event (Inktober, LLFest, etc) please feel free to double dip your pieces! (No one has enough time in the day to create two or three or more pieces and Mod eerian will never expect you to! OCtober is the only event this doesn’t apply to, alas, since TF Rare Pairing only deals in canon characters.) 

Now, the prompts:

Week One Bonus Theme: Minibots

October 15: The Matrix // Underworld

October 16:  Hurricane // Nothing But Blue Skies

October 17:  Trust // Failure

October 18:  I Want to Know What Love Is // Falling Away From Me

October 19:  Dancing // On the Couch/Sofa

October 20:  Afterlife // No Time Like the Present

October 21:  Worth Saving Me // Broken Wings

Week Two Bonus Theme: Praxian Crystal

October 22:  Crisp Fall Air // Summer’s Last Heat

October 23:  A Day in Town // A Night in the Country

October 24:  Insects // Animal

October 25:  Stuffed Toys // Tables and Chairs

October 26:  Break Up, Make Up // For All Eternity

October 27:  Ghost Town // Raining Life

October 28: End of the Road // Starting for Home

(Prompt graphic by hours_gone_by)

[medusapelagia]

Other events: General, Rare Pairs, Character Centered Events - March Update

Last but not least... these are all the other events I know of!

Stranger Things Reverse Big Bang @strangerthingsreversebigbang Posting season has begun! Here is the AO3 collection where all the amazing writers will post their entries inspired by the beautiful art that the artists made!

Stobin month 2024 March 2024 This event is on Twitter and here are all the 31 prompts!

Stranger Things Big Bang (@strangerthingsbigbang) The authors sign up closes on March 15 but the Artist sign up is open till May 11! Event info

Billy Hargrove Big Bang (@billyhargrovebigbang) Sign-Ups Open: March 29 Writer Sign-Ups Close: April 29 Artist Sign-Ups Close: June 22 Event info

Rare Pair Roulette (@st-rarepair-roulette) Signs up are closed and the posting season starts on the 1st of April!

Stranger Things Sapphic Mini Bang ( @sapphicstevents) Sign Up Opens Authors: 1 April - 30 April Artists: 1 April - 14 June Here the interest form Event info

Stranger Things Femslash (@strangerthingsfemslash) 3-7 April Event info

A Stranger Summer (@astrangersummer) Get ready for some weekly prompts through the months of May, June, July, and August! Event info

Prompts list

BUCKLEWAY APPRECIATION WEEK Do you think it was a pity that Robin and Heather never got time together on screen? Here is your occasion to make it happen! Run from MAY 19 - 25 Event info

Eddie Munson Big Bang (@eddiemunsonbigbang) It’s still a bit early but get ready to sign up to the most metal Big Band ever! Sign ups open on July 1st, 2024 and close on September 9th, 2024 Event info

Corroded Coffin Fest (@corrodedcoffinfest) This even will take place from July 1st thru July 31st but there are going to be three warm up events! APRIL 15TH - TAXED MAY 15TH - GET A JOB JUNE 15TH - BAND ON THE RUN Event Info

Metal Sandwich Bingo (@metalsandwichbingo) The bingo will take place 1 Oct - 31 Dec, 2024, more info closer to the event! Event Info

Hawkins microfic (@hawkinsmicrofic) It's still a work in progress, but get ready to challenge yourself with a prompt and a defined number of words. Event info

Steve Harrington Big Bang (@steveharringtonbigbang) We will have to wait a bit because it was postponed to 2025 but I'm sure the wait will be worth it!

As always feel free to reblog and add other events!

[so-scarlett-maroon]

Getting to know you - Tag Game

Thanks for tagging me @sniperjade

Three ships: Dramione obviously, Panville (Pansy and Neville), NottPot (Theo and Harry)

First ship: Dramione. I read every enemies to lovers and rivals to lovers trad pub. book that I could get my hands on so soon enough my TikTok algorithm was like "Have you tried Dramione?"

Last Song: "Cruel Summer" Taylor Swift

Last Movie: I basically don't watch movies ever, I am a tv girl at heart. However, I went to the theater recently because I had to see the Barbie movie. It was Glorious.

Currently Reading: "You Do It for Me" by @zeebee3

Currently Watching: Series 15 of Taskmaster (Full episodes are on youtube for my fellow Americans) and Heartstopper

Last thing I wrote: I wrote something for the upcoming Pumpkin Spice Fest, but it's not revealed until Oct. 22 so that's all I can say for now.

Currently writing: "From the Depths" it is a coworkers Enemies to Lovers mystery. I have really just begun writing it, so it probably won't come out for a while. But I have an amazing pair of betas for it:

Fawkes_in_sox and Astateofinelegance so check out their work in the meantime!

Ok. I am going to tag @zeebee3 @cr0ftisprocrastinating @onebedtorulethemall

[likemmmcookies]

13, 22, & 24 for the end of the year asks 😁

CJ!!!

13. How was your birthday this year?

I genuinely don't remember what I did (I've never been a big birthday person). So, good? I think? I usually do a joint celebration with my dad, whose birthday is a few days before mine, and all family get togethers are stressful as hell. I hope past-Cookies did something enjoyable on the actual day of

22. Favorite place you visited this year?

I got this ask twice, so I'm picking my other favorite place :) I'm shocking myself as I say this, but Indianapolis. One of my best friends moved there this summer for work and I went to visit them. Their diy art & music scene could not be more different from where I live. I'm envious of all the niche punk community spaces they've carved out in different parts of the city: a horror themed coffee shop, punk comic book stores, a metal bar with a vhs collection you can checkout (like a mini blockbuster!), a goth bar that doubled as a laundromat, soo many micro film fests. It was glorious. We had to drive 20 minutes to get to any corner of the city and not a single person I talked to was happy to be living in indiana, but that made it all the more fascinating. I hope the people there are proud of the spaces they've built.

24. Did you keep any new year's resolutions?

Literally last night I was thinking about this - I can't even remember if I wrote any. I should hunt down my journal from jan 2024...

[thecouchsofa]

📚NaNovember Stats 2024 (Month in Review)🌻

Total words written: ❗52,470 words ❗

No. of days written on: ❗22/30 days❗

No. of days used for editing: 1/30 days

Most productive week: November 1-7, with 15,201 words written

Most productive day: Sunday the 24th - 6,428 words written

Fics worked on: 7, including:

TTPD server gift fic (completed, ready for editing)

AAF/Something in the Orange (Drarry, currently stands at 40k total and est. 60% complete)

Dronarry fest (yee haw 🤠)

Bottomianos PWP (Capri, completed and ready for editing)

Hand and finger kink PWP parts 1, 2, and 3 (Drarry, parts 1 & 2 completed and ready for editing, part 3 in progress)

Favourite fic written this month: SiTO 🧡

Longest Fic written this month: SiTO - 19.5k of my monthly word count was towards that fic

Fics posted this month: 1:

Give/Take (Will/James - Dark Rise) (2k, E)

Thoughts: NaNo done, dusted, and fucking obliterated - I completed my 50k goal a week early and cruised to another few k's of additions. My progress was very consistent throughout the month (see graph below); my smallest writing week was still 11k! I got stuck into a WiP that I've been adding to on and off for the better part of a year and I'm getting pumped to finish it. Hopefully I'll send it to the editing basket next month, but who knows - my estimates of fic word counts are so far off that they're never in the same ballpark as the end total. If this fic goes over 80k someone needs to come to my house and throw water on me.

December's new name is Editcember; a cursed moniker for a cursed month. Aside from editing the five things I completed during NaNo, hopefully I'll finish writing the fic mentioned above. The plan is also to get stuck into my Seer Laurent WiP but I'm banning myself from that doc until SiTO is done (mainly because I'll need to do a reread of Capri for worldbuilding purposes and I refuse to let the Drarry fixation shift until this fucking fic is done. It's been sitting there for too long and it's taking up brain space)

December goal: 40,000 words - summer is here baby ☀️🌻🌇

⭐ Total word count for 2024 so far: 364,682 words ⭐

[dramioneasks]

Looking for something like Dark Water & Dying Eyebrights by bex-chan please.

Post-Hogwarts/war, bump into each other in the Muggle world. Bonus if memory loss included. Thank you!

Snakes and Daffodils - KEvergreen - M, 17 chapters - Walking into a decently respectable tattoo parlor in the middle of muggle London, the last person Hermione Granger expected to see was Draco Malfoy. Especially speaking, he had been declared missing, and presumed dead, for the past couple years. A story in which Draco Malfoy runs away from the wizarding world, and becomes a muggle tattoo artist. Stranger things have happened.

Of Cats, Artists and Small Towns - CosmicCthulhu - T, 2 chapters - After the war, Draco moves into a small quaint muggle village – with nothing but his art supplies and the scars he gathered through the years – hoping to find some inner peace. And maybe he’d be able to do just that if it wasn’t for a pesky orange cat and a beautiful muse that refused to leave his mind.

The Rest of Their Lives By: smuggled-muggle - M, 15 chapters -Voldemort’s defeated and now they’ve got the future to look forward to. Hermione’s happily ever after doesn’t happen as she had planned, and Draco refuses to live the life planned for him.

A House in the Country -  BoredRavenvlaw620 - T, 12 chapters - “That’s it, just no. I’ve done my duty to the Wizarding world. I gave up my childhood, I gave up my dreams, and for what… a tiny cubicle in which I put the Ministry stamp on endless permits. No more. I quit. Effective immediately. I think you’ll find I have ample vacation saved up. I’ll owl human resources on where they can send my check.” She spent her childhood fighting a war she didn’t start. Now life is passing her by. What will she find when she makes choices not based off expectation?

Love Blooms by HCB123 - M, 7 chapters - Every valentines day, Hermione visits her local Muggle plant shop. Who should she bump into but the one and only Draco Malfoy. Warning: starts tame - gets steamy nearer the end.

Live like common people - blue_string_pudding - M, 22 chapters - Less than a year after the battle of Hogwarts Draco Malfoy disappeared.6 years later, Hermione finds him again in South London having completely abandoned the wizarding world. But he’s not the boy she remembers: Long hair and covered in tattoos, he appears to have developed a penchant for drugs and heavy metal music. And why on earth is h

e running a muggle bicycle shop?

Turning Tides - In_Dreams - M, 9 chapters - Desperate for a change of pace following the end of the war, Hermione leaves London for a distant seaside town. There she stumbles upon Draco Malfoy, alone and seeking a fresh start. Written for Strictly Dramione’s Summer Lovin’ Fest 2018.

All the Pretty Colours - Snapes_Godess - E, 14 chapters - Hermione Granger thought that leaving the magical world was the answer to her mental health crisis. She left her work, her friends, part of her very soul behind in search of healing. It wasn’t until a face from her past strolled into her life and disrupted her solitude that she began to see that she didn’t need to fight alone.

Magic in the Muggle World By: NJ Coffee Queen - T, 23 chapters - On a case in muggle London, Hermione runs into the last person she ever expected to see.

-Lisa

[argisthebulwark]

19, 20 & 22? 👀

these are awesome and I want to tag all of my friends in all of them!!! tag game

19. Give kudos to someone who leaves great comments @lagia goes crazy in the comments of everything I post on Tumblr and I LOVE seeing her in my notifs every time @daedrabait 1000% is the reason I've posted anything on AO3 this year. Probably the reason I've written anything through all the writers block. His comments and DMs are literally the fuel that makes my brain create. @skyrim-forever always has the kindest, most heart warming comments whenever I post. Seriously, seeing them makes my day without fail. Honestly this community is so awesome about comments and screaming in tags that I could tag every person who interacts with me regularly.

20. Give kudos to someone who is a devoted fan (either of your own works or others’) @miraakswhore and @somethingscarlet13 are probably the main supporters I had before my blog got somewhat big. When I had like 100 followers I could count on them to make me feel supported and like someone actually cared that I was writing - and I still can!! They've been instrumental in my writing and growing comfortable with sharing my work. I don't like calling anyone 'fans' of me but they've definitely stuck with me.

22. Give kudos to someone who deserves recognition for their contributions to the fandom (event mod, server mod, creator of rec lists, etc.) @incorrectskyrimquotes and @skyrim-said-that blessed us with polls that, through all the discourse, really were the most active I think I've ever seen Tesblr. Everyone was so engaged, and I gotta thank them for putting up with the less than positive messages. @thana-topsy and @crysdrawsthings are both such skilled, incredible artists. Their art never fails to impress and inspire me. and all the mods of @tes-summer-fest!!! I love seeing what comes out of this event and love that they get the community together in such a creative, positive way.

[chaoskiro]

Summer podfic wrap-up

We are now well into September and over this summer I have diverted some of my podfic attention away from my podfic of Vertical Limit to make some podfics for various fests and to try some different things out, and here is what I ended up making this summer (sorted by when I made them):

Beard Burn (12 minutes) a multivoice Check Please! podfic based on FightMeImSmall's amazing story. Featuring a very heated discussion on the SMH bus leading to Dex coming out to the team.

This is a project I have wanted to do for ages, but I really wanted to make it multivoice so I hesitated. I ended up just asking if anyone was interested in participating on a podficcing discord server and so many people joined!! I will be forever grateful to all the people who read lines for this and I was blown away by their performances every time I got a new person's lines sent to me. It was my second ever podfic after Vertical Limit and since this is a very different tone I actually ended up having to record the narration twice, because my first run sounded way too somber for this very fun and a little bit silly fic.

shall i compare thee to a summer's day? (22 minutes) another Check Please! podfic based on dairaliz' (@schitthappens) sweet story. Featuring a very pining Dex on a farmer's market with an equally pining Nursey to match.

This one was made for the Madisonandmore ficfest and it was my first try at adding intro and outro music to fic, something I will definitely do again, but also something I would like to get better at. It was also the first ficfest I participated in which led to me having a bunch of technical issues which were thankfully resolved along the way.

The Way My Heart Bleeds (54 minutes) a Batman podfic of egg_thief's (@thief-of-eggs) story, made for DevilWithABirdDress as part of Summer podfic swap. Featuring Damian as Robin who gets hurt on patrol and gets patched up by Dick.

I looked through a lot of Damian & Dick centered stories before I landed on making this one (I actually got permission to podfic another one as well, which I might just do someday), but this one just hit the spot: It is just the most perfect Hurt/Comfort and I really love reading Damian (Though he always ends up sounding vaguely British, which I can't really explain). It also features some very important headcanons on the batfam's opinions on the Barbie movies, which is always a bonus.

Pay Attention to Me (33 minutes) an A3! podfic of Dokuhan's story, made as part of pod_together. Featuring Chikage who ISN'T jealous when Sakuya and Tasuku start spending more time together (and definitely doesn't have a crush on Sakuya).

This one was a fun one as it was made for pod_together and I thus worked with Dokuhan on this one. It was very fun getting some sparring on my readings of things and thus get some insight on the thought behind different lines. I often, when podficcing, sit and argue with myself on how to read a certain line/what emotion to convey with it etc. and to be able to discuss that with the one who wrote it was very fun.

All in all I am very happy to have expanded my podficcing scope this summer and I currently have two projects I have recorded stuff for on my computer that aren't published (one of them I started in may or something, but am currently still a little scared of, and the other is what I'm focused on at the moment), aside from Vertical Limit of course which I am still steadily working on and will probably have another chapter out soon because I am literally only missing like 30 minutes of editing time which isn't that much compared to the time it takes to make these.

It has been so fun making these and I hope they brought some other people joy as well!!

[wavernot4love]

ag rochester show update ,,,,,, the epic crossover finally happened!!!!

finally was able 2 tell homie how much of a positive impact his music/shows have had on my life these past couple years ,,,, also my extremely random lore of how all this came to be (aka that fest i worked summer '22 and how all the shows stemmed from there) ,,,,, and we talked about how fun the show and crowd was 2nite. i won't go into detail too much because that feels kinda weird idk dawg it was our thing i guess yknow but man i am so happy i finally got 2 tell him these things about his tunes that mean so much to me!!!!

dropping our pic we took after this thingy because even though i redacted my face (oh my this is like impending gloom 2.0) i still feel a bit self conscious about posting things with Me in them anywhere idk dude but it makes me happy so here we are

[clumsyclifford]

2022 Writing Evaluation

hi i dug this up from the archives of this time last year because it was fun to do and i wanted to give other writers a chance to reflect if they’re so inclined! so here is my 2022 writing self-evaluation. point of order, i’m mostly filling this out specifically for my bellawritess ao3 and all the rpf stuff i write, not my other secret ao3 where i put fics written about fictional media. okay, onward. 

1. number of stories posted on ao3: 23!

2. word count posted for this year: 117,763

3. fandoms i wrote for: 5sos, atl, and 1d (but also teen wolf, mcu spiderman, hawkeye, and daredevil)

4. pairings: cake, lashton, malum, jalex, narry, halex (you know that very popular harry styles/alex gaskarth ship), and mirry.

5. story with the most kudos/bookmarks/comments: the answer to all three of these criteria is a change of heart and a silver lining, my winter 2021-22 fic exchange fic, which makes me very happy. i cannot believe that fic was from last year, january feels like forever ago but i love love love that specific work so much, in large part because of how much i was able to tailor it to meg as reciprocation for all the times and ways she tailored things to me.

6. work i’m most proud of (and why): i’m gonna say a three-way tie between (1) i got a radar for trouble (and you’re a renegade), (2) between all the gasping i finally breathe, and (3) play it again and again and again. #1 is the cruel summer prequel fic that i always half-jokingly said i would one day write and then surprised myself by actually writing, and i am incredibly proud of how well i managed to recreate the vibes of cruel summer fic but also write a prequel that made sense with the direction the actual cruel summer story took. #2 was one of the first legit fics i wrote to break myself out of this big 5sos fic slump i had been in (consequence of a perfect storm of a lot of small things), and i may have gotten lost in the metaphor sauce but i maintain that the metaphors are really fucking good which was gratifying to me as a writer who had felt like maybe i’d lost my real writing skill before then. #3 is the christmas fic i wrote for hazel, and what i’m most proud of there is that i fuckin actually wrote that. my love for my friends carried me through the warfields of attempting to romanticize christmas, and in so doing i think i actually learned something about christmas, ugh i feel like i’m getting less jewish every second i spend talking about this but i really am proud of myself for writing that and even moreso because i think i tailored it pretty well to hazel’s taste and that made me happy. it was like an extra challenge i set myself and then i did it well.

7. work i’m least proud of (and why): pretty much all the prompt fics from this year’s batch, tbh. this malum roommates one is really funny if you imagine you’re a fly on the wall of mine and megs’s dorm room but it’s the most nothing fic on the planet otherwise, and you’re my whole house is cute but again, literally nothing. unfortunately these were written while i was binge watching seinfeld which probably contributed to how much they were About Nothing but that’s no excuse.

8. share or describe a favorite review you received: i’m super terrible at remembering comments and stuff that people leave me but a few days ago i got a comment on yssdf saying it was one of the best love stories they’d ever read and that just about knocked my socks off

9. a time when writing was really, really hard: from aboutttt february to september, which is pretty obvious when you notice that i didn’t post a fic (on this account) between march 18th and september 27th of this year. i hit that aforementioned slump in a big way and i was also busy with life stuff and i was also just. unmotivated and uninspired! but in that time i wasn’t really doing a lot of writing to struggle with. something that was actively hard to write was definitely parts of the jet lag songfic i wrote for the fest. megs and hazel both experienced various aspects of my intense battle with Plot and Characters. it was not pretty.

10. a scene or character you wrote that surprised you: luke in the muke college beach fic!!! he was so much more gutsy than (a) he’s usually written and (b) i expected him to be. and tbh, michael in that fic also kind of surprised me, although less so because he was based on a real guy i know, so it was more like trying to delve into the fictionalized mind of a real human being i go to school with and understand what it is that makes him only APPEAR to be an asshole and in reality maybe actually have a heart of gold. if that makes sense. character work but the character is based on a real person who is based on a real person. meta af.

11. a favorite excerpt of your writing: ill be the first to admit im a sucker for when there’s a song playing in the in-universe fic scene and then the lyrics tie into the moment. i have that in two fics that i can think of, so here they both are:

(1) from everywhere, everything:

Luke is trembling when he looks up at Ashton, but he only nods. Tilts their foreheads together.

Say it’s me that you’ll adore— Sinatra sings, and then there’s a scratch and a crack, and the whole record player crashes through the glass tabletop.

(the end of that lyric is “for now and evermore” !!!! HOW FUCKED IS THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

(2) from faith in a stolen car (the jean jacket songfic i just wrote for the fest):

Calum’s rumbling laugh shook both of them as Springsteen vowed I’ll love you with all the madness in my soul, and Ashton sang along in a silly voice so Calum knew he meant it with everything he had.

[and]

He turned up the music, and ‘No Surrender’ blared out of the surround sound. The lines that had been stampeding around Ashton’s brain since Calum had first swept him up in tonight’s teenage delinquency now screamed against the wind in his ears.

Ashton smiled wider than his face could handle and screamed right back.

“WE MADE A PROMISE WE SWORE WE’D ALWAYS REMEMBER,” Calum’s voice joined his, and together they beat back the deafening gales; “NO RETREAT, BABY, NO SURRENDER!”

12. how did you grow as a writer this year? this year i learned the importance of conflict. “hey bella, didn’t you learn that in seventh grade english?” YES but then i IGNORED it and now i have relearned it in a fanfiction context and in the broader sense that i now understand every story has a conflict and more than that, a story needs a conflict, because that’s what drives it. after i finished writing those prompt fics, i thought, damn, these are fun but nothing is fucking happening in any of them. i wonder why that is! and then i realized. there was no conflict. i was writing “scenes” but nothing interesting within those scenes, so there was nothing pulling the characters from point A (the start of the scene) to point B (its conclusion) and as a result they all became meandering blocks of text with no goal or direction. anyway. point being that i have embraced conflict as a necessary factor in storytelling and i hope this will mean no more seinfeldian fics, prompt or otherwise.

13. how do you hope to grow next year? yes <3 jk but i sincerely have no idea, i don’t have any current ideas on how i plan to grow next year i just very much intend to grow. how it happens is anyone’s guess

14. who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc)? gotta be a tie between megs @igarbagecannoteven and hazel @allsassnoclass. obviously megs is my #1 rubber duck roomie, whether she likes it or not, and she has helped me solve more problems than i am comfortable admitting. actually i’m very comfortable admitting it megs has untangled a myriad of fic knots on many occasions this year she is the best rubber duck in the world. and hazel has become my virtual rubber duck which is great because it means i have all my bases covered! truly these two are a dynamic duo because they will both just let me sit there and complain and yet always have the right thing to say.

15. anything from your real life show up in your writing this year? as always, a great many things. make the same mistakes ‘til the morning breaks and the muke college beach fic are both inspired by things that happened with this one guy i know from school (yes, the same guy, and yes, he is represented by michael both times, and no, i do not know why it happened like that). the latter came from just a single snap i saw on his snap story, and none of the fic is actually based on real events, but the former is HEAVILY based on real events between this guy and one of my good friends at school. lmao! 

i’ve been wishing i could breathe underwater is based on my experience scuba diving, which is to say, pure unmitigated terror, 1/10, do not recommend except to say that you did it. tequila shots from the dark scene of the crime is chock-full of baseball talk, specifically about Worst Team In Baseball the Washington Nationals (affectionate), so those feelings are straight from my heart. the concept of tell me what to see has not happened to me but it was very much inspired by my experience of getting in the habit of working out and realizing your muscles are literally increasing in size. the christmas fic has all my jewish disdain for christmas. that’s the shortlist, i think!

16. any new wisdom you can share with other writers? honestly, nope! i think other writers are thriving on their own fic journeys, as i am on mine. you guys seem to have a handle on things. i can reiterate my vehement loathing of comma splices or otherwise incorrectly-placed commas, but other than that i don’t have much to offer in the way of wisdom.

17. any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year? yes!! i am really excited to (hopefully) finish this fic ive been intermittently writing that is based on back together by tss. well, actually it’s based on the specific energy that was created in the world when back together and 2011 were released on the same night. it’s a tss!5sos au. it’s going to be really good okay. it’s tasty. and as always i hope to finish summer camp au i am dead fucking set on finishing that fic there is no question in my mind that it will be completed someday sooner rather than later i hope but definitely eventually. aside from those, i can’t think of any other fic plans i have! just gonna see where the winds of fic fate take me.

18. tag some writers whose answers you’d like to read: @igarbagecannoteven @allsassnoclass @kaleidoscopeminds @burstingsunrise @cringeycal (?) <3

[thisapplepielife]

Monthly Word Count Wrap-Up

July 2024

This was a super busy month, with Corroded Coffin Fest (@corrodedcoffinfest) running all month long. I'm so grateful to everyone that participated! You all rock!

I took a flying leap through Steddie Week, because I'd missed the announcement and only had a week to get my shit together, lol.

I worked on 13 different projects this month, for a total of 31,279 words. And the 500 words a day streak is still alive. Though I had two nights in a row that I was just hammering away after 11pm.

I averaged 1,009.00 words a day this month.

And for the yearly average, I'm slightly down from last month, now at 1120.50 words per day.

What I Posted This Month:

pressed. (For Steddie Micro, M, 111 Words)

One Little Mistake (For A Stranger Summer Week #10, T, 791 Words)

The Remnants (For A Stranger Summer Week #11, T, 898 Words)

Feels Like Karma (For A Stranger Summer Week #12, T, 483 Words)

If He Wanted To, He Would (For Steddie Song Fics, T, 2000 Words)

Pretty Amazing (For Steddie Micro, M, 1,111 Words)

Cat Distribution System (For A Stranger Summer Week #13, T, 587 Words)

All Across the Universe (Chapter 16, E, 1740 Words)

Steddie Week (Total Words: 8,124)

Day 01: All Hours (T, 1125 Words) Day 02: Waiting on You (T, 448 Words) Day 03: Long Long Time (T, 1050 Words) Day 04: Seen Nothing, Heard Nothing (T, 833 Words) Day 05: Can't Miss Us. (T, 1979 Words) Day 06: Not Enough to Not Know Better (E, 1189 Words) Day 07: Reach Out and Touch Someone (T, 1500 Words)

Corroded Coffin Fest (Total Words: 38,000)

Day 01: Scout's Honor (E, 1000 Words) Day 01: Full Throttle (E, 1000 Words) Day 02: Bandmates Wanted (T, 1000 Words) Day 03: Do You Play? (T, 1000 Words) Day 04: Who's Counting? (T, 1000 Words) Day 05: I'm Done (T, 1000 Words) Day 06: The First, and the Last (T, 1000 Words) Day 07: Tonight Isn't The Night (T, 1000 Words) Day 08: Luck of the Draw (T, 1000 Words) Day 09: Just Have To Feel It (T, 1000 Words) Day 10: Let's Hear it For the Boy (T, 1000 Words) Day 11: Pretty Goddamn Metal (M, 1000 Words) Day 12: Zipper (M, 1000 Words) Day 13: Living the Dream (E, 1000 Words) Day 14: Getaway Car (M, 1000 Words) Day 15: Got You Good Kid (T, 1000 Words) Day 16: Headlines (M, 1000 Words) Day 17: Stayin' Alive (T, 1000 Words) Day 18: Charles III (T, 1000 Words) Day 19: Sweet Talkin' Lola (T, 1000 Words) Day 20: Louisiana Rain (E, 1000 Words) Day 21: It Was His Year (M, 1000 Words) Day 22: Rough and Rowdy Ways (T, 1000 Words) Day 22: Settle For This (E, 1000 Words) Day 23: Room 1011 - Eddie (E, 1000 Words) Day 23: Room 1013 - Goodie (E, 1000 Words) Day 23: Room 1015 - Gareth (E, 1000 Words) Day 23: Room 1017 - Jeff (E, 1000 Words) Day 23: Herding Cats (M, 1000 Words) Day 24: If It Makes You Happy (T, 1000 Words) Day 25: Oh My, Good Lord (T, 1000 Words) Day 26: Choose Your Own Adventure (M, 1000 Words) Day 27: You Love Me, Now Act Like It (M, 1000 Words) Day 28: You Win Some, You Lose Some (E, 1000 Words) Day 29: All For Naught (T, 1000 Words) Day 30: Eddeth (T, 1000 Words) Day 31: Reading Between the Lines (T, 1000 Words)

That was a lot of posting this month. 😬

That's my toxic trait, wanting to participate in everything, haha.

[theghostpinesmusic]

Well, I've decided I want to put off working for real for a little while longer so the 6/7 "Jive Lee" HAPPENS NOW

It was both exciting and weird to watch the band's two-night Fiddler's Green run from the couch at home. As I've written about a few times already, I was so full of Goose-related fervor in '22 that I drove out to Colorado that summer to see two fantastic shows at Dillon Amphitheater and then a just-fine debut night at Red Rocks. I had the chance to go back to Red Rocks for what turned out to be a spectacular two-nighter in '23, but passed on it because for the same amount of mileage on my car and a similar amount of money I was able to do a six-show run from Missoula, Montana down to Los Angeles (it was worth it). I'd imagined another long run in Colorado this summer and fully planned to make the pilgrimage, but when the band announced only two nights (fine, but not worth driving 2,000 miles for) at Fiddler's Green (bigger and downtown-y-er and way less fun than Red Rocks or Dillon) I decided to stay home.

Well, they turned out to be two fantastic shows, but I think I made the right decision watching from home still because now I'm seeing Phish for four nights in September instead.

So, anyway: Fiddler's Green night one. As I said, this was a killer show. Most of the first set was pretty song-y, but the setlist is fantastic and the whole thing is anchored by a really unique, surprising jam out of "Jive Lee" (which I'll get to momentarily).

The second set was a five-song jam- and vibe-fest, opening with a hugely blissful take on "Wysteria Lane" that I dubbed in my own head "The Holy Wysteria," then proceeding through "Feel It Now," a big "Hungersite," the rare and beautiful "Peggy-O," and finally a kind-of-hurried but still jammy "Dripfield." Oh, and an encore of "(dawn)" sans "Same Old Shenanigans"?! Destroy me!

I think the must-listen jam from this show, if I had to pick one with a gun to my head, would be the "Wysteria," but it's also basically one long extended climax for many, many minutes, so there wouldn't be much for me to write about. The "Jive Lee" is maybe more interesting for a few reasons, not the least of which being its recent emergence as dark horse jam vehicle.

I wrote about the song and its place in the "Jivefecta" and the rarity of it being particularly exploratory back during the Euro tour, so I'll skip past most of that here so as to not repeat myself. The short version is that despite being an instrumental that normally gets played for ten to twelve minutes a go, "Jive Lee" opens with a particular melody, and usually the entire jam builds directly off of that melody (with sometimes a brief variation here or there). There were a few versions in late '22 and throughout '23 that stretched out a bit further and/or longer (I'm partial to the Spokane version since I was there), but generally "Jive Lee" remained a fun, energetic, but firmly "Type 1" jam.

Until recently. In my memory, that Glasgow version from late '23 was the first version I've heard that wholeheartedly abandoned the beaten path, but since then there's also been this version (6/7/24) and another mind-boggler a week later at Northlands (6/14/24). I hope this begins a bigger trend, because there seems to be something about this song lately that (sometimes) inspires the band to take it places they normally wouldn't go at all sonically.

This version is twenty-one minutes long, but unlike a lot of Goose songs, there isn't really a "song" taking up the first five to ten minutes of the video's run time in this case. Instead, we get the opening "Jive Lee" riff, which the band jams on for about (literally) thirty seconds before Peter's enjoyment of the OB-6 draws them off into a 70s funk-ish jam that's a great example of 2024 Goose's willingness to leave some space between the notes.

I love this "Jive Lee" first and foremost because of what the rhythm section does in it (Trevor is an absolute beast during the first five or so of these summer shows), but because I normally focus on the guitar and keys most when doing write-ups...I will maybe be less than up to the task of describing the majesty that occurs this time through.

That said, early on here Rick and Peter do a good job of playing off of each other while laying back and letting the groove (mostly) run the show. Around 3:15, Peter moves over to the electric piano (?) and leans in a bit more, which in turn draws Rick out somewhat. Somewhere in there, Peter starts a synth loop that becomes really audible at 3:50, then he moves (perhaps inevitably in such a groovy jam) to the xylo patch, but continues to just add color to the jam here and there. There's a great camera shot of him experimenting with some echo-y goodness around the 5:00 mark.

Trevor well and truly takes over shortly after, prompting Rick to echo him and then stop for a minute to dial in maybe the weirdest tone I've ever heard him play on guitar: it sounds both ethereal and digital at the same time. He and Trevor go back to playing off of each other.

By 7:20, Peter and Rick's tones are blending really nicely, and contrasting well with the grungier, angrier tone of Trevor's bass. Cotter and Jeff have moved to a bit more of shuffling beat at this point.

Ultimately, the band sits in this space and explores it for a bit, which I totally don't mind because this is really different from anything I've ever heard them do before.

Rick and Peter both change things up a bit around the 10:00 mark, and it feels like the jam slows down a little, though in reality it probably doesn't.

Cotter and Jeff start driving things around the 11:00 mark, while the others continue to flesh out the sound here and there. I would love a Ted Tapes album with a bunch of tracks like this!

Around 11:30, Peter hits on a very "Fly Like An Eagle" sounding tone on his keys, and right about the same time Rick starts riffing on a very "Ghostbusters"-like idea. It's a really great combination, especially with the rhythm section still going apeshit in the foreground.

Once again, the band hangs out in this newfound groove for awhile, but that's okay because it fucking rules. Again, it might be my imagination, but I feel like the intensity and the tempo are both growing as the jam continues on...meanwhile, Rick is putting on a masterful show playing rhythm guitar and Pete moves back to the xylo patch.

Shortly after this, Rick takes the lead with a heavily distorted solo, but the rest of the band maintains the DNA of the groove we've been riding for the previous sixteen minutes or so at the same time. It's a potent combo that drives this "Jive Lee" into "NES Castlevania Boss Fight At The Dracula Disco" territory.

Cotter should be illegal.

If you absolutely need some guitar peak with your jam, the area around the 19:00 mark should have you covered :)

Rick continues shredding for the next few minutes, but I can't not just hear Trevor absolutely leveling the pavilion in the meantime.

Finally, just before the 21:00 mark, the band smoothly transitions into the outro of "Jive Lee" completing, for my money, the best version to date (though that might well have been dethroned by 6/14, which I shall endeavor to find video of before long).

[booksbydlwhite]

BOOKCAST 88: Check-in and Unraveling the Mystery: The Photograph, Part 3

Send me fan mail!

I woke up with a craving for tacos but first I had to record the Bookcast. Episode 88 brings updates on reading and writing as a self published author of romantic fiction that centers Black love. I also recorded part 3 of my four part serial, THE PHOTOGRAPH. Woot.

Books on sale:

Leslie's Curl & Dye is $.99 everywhere and Beach Thing is on sale for $1.99. Find links to both at my store- payhip.com/booksbydlwhite.

Appearances:

Celebrating Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen at RESIST booksellers June 22, 2024. Details at Resist Booksellers.com.

EssenceFest 2024 (I am NOT a featured author and will not be on the stage, jut in the buildin!)

Black Romance Book Fest May 2025-: https://blackromancebookfest.com. Tix go on sale June 21st.

LISTEN to today’s episode here. Transcript is below the episode details. ENJOY!

I discussed the following books today:

Starcrossed: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Jackson Brothers Book 2) by Shae Sanders

Truth Be Told (Rogue Justice #2) by Kendra Elliot

Do What Godmother Says by L.S. Stratton

Just Like Her: A Queer Romance by Fiona Zedde

Bitter and Sweet by Rhonda McKnight

Uncovering her Dreams by Rae Shawn

Come Ride with Me by AC Arthur

What If I Love You by Yvonne Marie

The Stones We Cast by Chelsea Marie

Back Down Memory Lane by Lamartz Brown

Legal Seduction by Sharon C Cooper.

What You Leave Behind by Wanda M. Morris

A Dream in the Dark (A Wrongful Conviction Novel 2)

Nia Forrester Backlist titles

Support the Show with a recurring gift at bookcast.buzzsprout.com. Buy books by DL White at https://BooksbyDLWhite.com/books. Buy Merch by DLWhite at https://payhip.com/BooksbyDLWhite/collection/merch Find the Bookcast on booksbydlwhite.com/bookcast or your fave podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify |Overcast | Podlink| Youtube

TRANSCRIPT

DL White [00:00:00]:

This has nothing to do with anything podcast related, but I woke up thinking about tacos. Like, tacos with a little bit of yellow rice and some black beans at 7 AM. So guess what I'm having for dinner? Welcome back to the book cast, my platform for sharing short fiction and updates on life as a self published author of romantic fiction that centers black love and relationships. I am so excited that you're here, especially since you're not supposed to be. I was not supposed to record today. I was supposed to be visiting a, bustling Midwestern city, but I delayed my flight by a few days, so I'm here. I am Dale White. I'm an Atlanta based author of 14 and counting novels and numerous short stories and fan fiction works.

DL White [00:00:50]:

I'm a reader First. So we usually begin with a book report, and we talk about writing and topics of the day. I am currently in pre publication for The Pearl, a Black Diamond Romance. Tentative release date is scheduled for on or before July 2nd 2024. Check my blog and my social media for Goodreads and story graph links as well as samples, teasers, even a playlist for this book. I also want you to pay really close attention, in case this book might come out early. You never know. It might be for sale exclusively on my website for a few days if you're very excited about that kind of thing.

DL White [00:01:29]:

I'm really I'm I I can't wait to bring Davis and Kari to your faces. I do have some advanced readers out there who have expressed that they're enjoying the book, so I can't wait until the general population gets their hands on it. I actually just sent out another arc to someone who requested it, so yay for them and for me. It's gonna be a busy month at Books by d l White. I do have some travel, on deck. Leslie's curl and die is on sale as part of the blue collar romance Kobo promotion. Beach thing is also on sale for 199 if you still need to get started on the Black Diamond romance series before book 3 comes out. I actually have a hankering a hankering to refresh myself on the Black Diamond couples, so I might spin Wade and Amina and Vance and Athena one time before I release the pearl.

DL White [00:02:21]:

My most recent newsletter is out. You'll find a link to that if you're not subscribed on my links page. It's books by dlwhite.com/linkinbio. I also need you to take care of that subscription thing exceptionally. Booksbydlwhite.com/newsletter. I'm gonna work on a couple exclusive excerpts to go out before the book is published, so you wanna be on that to get the good stuff. Thank you so much, and don't forget to confirm. Your mailbox will not be blessed if you do not confirm.

DL White [00:02:51]:

I just go go ahead and delete it. As always, if you're a member at Kobo Plus, you can grab all my ebooks and audiobooks as part of your subscription. And if you're a premium subscriber at Spotify, you get 15 free hours there, so snatch up my audiobooks. I get paid for them. I don't think you understand. I get paid for them. I'm available in ebook and audio at your local library, so hit them up, Libby Hoopla, and request me. If you don't find me there, let me know when your request is granted because I absolutely love it.

DL White [00:03:23]:

Libraries buy books. I love it so much. Libraries actually pay more than retail for books, so request me everywhere all the time nonstop. I do believe all my audiobooks are now available on Hoopla, and they have ebooks, and I'm most pleased. Do you have a topic you would like me to cover on the book cast? Something author y, something reader y, something hybrid y? Let me know. Shout me out. Holler. I'm always on Instagram or Twitter at author_dlwhite.

DL White [00:03:56]:

You can even visit the show notes of this year episode at booksbydlwhite.com/bookcast slash 88. You can also drop me a voice note called fan mail. Peep the link in the show notes and send me some dulcet tones of love. I welcome your comments and questions. I'll dedicate a part of the show to answering them. Onward. Today's gonna be a great show. Not not too long, not too short, but not too long.

DL White [00:04:21]:

It's the weekend. I don't have a book to write. My editor is rejoicing. I I see it. I see it. I I'm picturing it in my mind, and I am all about the books. So we will talk about my reading challenge and what I have been putting into my face. I'll finish today's episode with part 3 of the photograph, which is my short run serial that I wrote specifically for the podcast because I just had not shared enough short fiction lately.

DL White [00:04:48]:

Today is Saturday, June 8th. It is 9:55 AM. Whoo. I'm way behind y'all. It's sunny and 65 degrees today in the AAT l. I have a mic and I am ready to dig in, but first, join me for some coffee. It took me so long to get up and running today that my coffee is lukewarm, and I'm sad about it. I like it hot.

DL White [00:05:26]:

We begin as always with the book report because I am a book head. I have read 89 books of my challenge to read 150 books this year, putting me 24 books ahead on my Goodreads challenge. The more I read, the further ahead I am. How how is that happening? Should I increase my goal or just be really ridiculous with it? Let me know in the comments. I had a very good reading week, so let's get into it. This week, I read star crossed and enemies to lovers romance by Shay Sanders. This was absolutely slap your nearest relative. Delicious.

DL White [00:06:00]:

Fantastic. So well done. I'm a Shea Sanders fan. It is cemented in the pantheon. She did such a good job with this. I highlight highlighted so much in this book. I really tried not to spoil things, but, like, she just has a way with, like, a twist of phrase. She is very sassy and sarcastic, but, like, also able to to bring out, like, emotion and, like, just, like, talk about what's actually happening between these two characters.

DL White [00:06:28]:

And her steamy scenes aren't bad either. Big fan. Love that. I also listened to truth be told, Rogue Justice number 2 by Kendra Elliott. Kendra is another one of those thriller authors that has, like, 99 books out in Kindle Unlimited, so I can read and listen with my subscription. And I often will just throw on something to, like, listen to just because. So this was a just because listen. I also got an audio arc of Do What Godmother Says by Ellis Stratton, who is my author bae.

DL White [00:07:03]:

I absolutely love her. You also know her as Shelley Ellis and Shelley Stratton. Listen. If you don't read Shelley, I need you to get your life together immediately, like, right now because sis is on the way up, and you you you you wanna climb on this train, this rocket ship as it's ascending. Do what Gomother says is I think it's called a gothic thriller? Gothic? It's a gothic something, it's dual time period which is my fave, absolutely love it. There's a little bit I feel like there's a little bit of Shelley Ellis in Ellis Stratton. Just just the way that she writes a relationship in a book, it's very reminiscent. But this book is heavily, heavily a mystery, a thriller.

DL White [00:07:57]:

There's, like, a lot going on with, like, some spooky characters and some people that, like, make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, and I'd be like, I knew. I knew it. I knew it. But then, like, I send her a DM, and she was doesn't tell me anything, and she makes me find out for myself. It's just not fair. It's not it's not like, being friends with an author should mean that you get to know the twist before you have to read the twist, but she doesn't play fair. I also read Just Like Her, a queer romance by Fiona Zedd. This finally came out.

DL White [00:08:30]:

I know she's been working on it for a minute. Congratulations, Fiona. And then, I read bitter and sweet by Rhonda McKnight, which was absolutely fantastic. Really, really well done. I can't remember if I had that on my list last week. I just I don't I don't know. The weeks are all running together, but, really, really enjoyed that. That comes out on Tuesday.

DL White [00:08:50]:

Also, Do What Good Mother Says comes out on Tuesday. You wanna grab both of those. They are both excellent. I don't have anything officially on my reading list, but I do know I have at least one ARC for June 11th that I need to read. It's not likely to come out in audio, so I really need to get it together. I'll probably get on it, like, Sunday afternoon. It's a romance, and I don't think it's a long one. And I don't typically read romance by white authors, but Laurie Foster is a fave.

DL White [00:09:17]:

I also love Ronnie Lauren. So I saw that she had a new book coming out. I've loved her since getting rowdy came out, like, 7000000 years ago. Love me some Laurie Foster, so I'm gonna snatch that one up. I have a bunch of stuff in Kindle Unlimited that I wanna read or clear, ala Brigitte Bianca's KU reader release challenge. I have, uncovering her dreams by Rayshawn, Come Ride With Me by AC author, What If I Love You by Yvonne Marie. I have a couple of few Nia Forester backlist titles. I'm I'm on a mission to read all of Nia Forester's work, and so I'd wanna get a few more of those down.

DL White [00:09:56]:

I just love her writing. Just delicious. Like, Nia Forester and Tasha l Harrison, if I don't bring them up every other episode, something is wrong. Please send when they send the police to your house because they think something's wrong, if I don't mention Nia Forester or Tasha l Harrison, send the police. That's what I'm saying. The stones we cast by Chelsea Marie, back down memory lane by LaMarts Brown. I've gotta gotta gotta read more black male authors, specifically more black male indie authors, so I gotta get into it and legal seduction by my good good friend Sharon c Cooper. Lots to dig through, plus I have some upcoming arcs I need to get read.

DL White [00:10:35]:

First up is What You Leave Behind by Wanda Morris. I'm very, very excited about this. I might wait for audio on that one. That one's coming up, June 18th. So, I don't know if I can I don't know if I can wait? I also have a dream in the dark, wrongful conviction novel number 2 by Robert Justice coming up. I'm very excited about that one also, and, I'm just saying I know Robert listens to the podcast, and sometimes I know a book is just gonna be absolutely awesome in audio. And so I will wait for audio to come out so I can listen to it, but I get an ARC specifically so I can read it early because I'm impatient. And so now I'm in this thing where do I wanna read it on the page early because that helps the author, or do I wanna wait for it on audio because that helps me? You know, it's it's it's a struggle.

DL White [00:11:34]:

It's a struggle. That one's coming out in July. I'm very excited about it. I'm really, really excited for Robert Justice. I'm also wanna thank him that he read one of my books, and I so do cherish my, male readers because I I write specifically for 2 black women, but I do have some male readers that really dig me, and I so appreciate your good words about my books. So, thank you so much, and, keep them coming. This week, I put down Secret Keeper of Main Street by Tricia r Thomas. This book just didn't hit me.

DL White [00:12:09]:

It just didn't love love Tricia. I just I couldn't finish it. Sometimes I skip through till the end, because I feel bad about putting down a book. I just I got to about 30%, and I just was not interested in finishing. I think this book has some pretty good reviews, and I just wasn't interested in bringing it down, so I just went ahead and put it down. I don't know if it's a mood thing or the way the book is written or if it would have been better on the page versus audio. I just I lost interest. I didn't wanna pick it back up.

DL White [00:12:38]:

Often, this is a pacing issue. If it doesn't snap, I just I can't I can't stay engaged. I blame my short span of attention. On appearances, reminder that I'll be celebrating Danielle Allen's release cover girl summer in Petersburg, Virginia. She'll be at Resist Booksellers. I will be there to support. I'll be a featured author, and I'm I'm really looking forward to seeing Danielle and Demetrius who owns Resist Booksellers again. That'll be on June 22, 2024, I believe, from 1 to 3 PM.

DL White [00:13:09]:

There's a post on my Instagram and my TikTok and my Facebook page with details, and, of course, follow Danielle Allen and resist booksellers for all of the deets. I'll also be at the Black Romance Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, May 30th through June 1, 2025. I have already booked my room, and I'm telling you, start saving your money. I'm gonna say this every week. Start saving your money. Tickets go on sale June 21st, so get in there, and, come find me because it's very likely that you'll know me before I know you, so don't quiz me. I don't know your name. I might know your face.

DL White [00:13:44]:

I can't tell who people are by that little little avatar, but please come say hi to me. I am not shy, but I am introverted, so I am not likely see see me. Say hi. Give me a hug. You ain't even gotta buy a book. I mean, I'm a just be there to meet authors and, like, fawn over people that I have wanted to meet and see in person, so I might not even ever be at my table. I'm just saying. I'm also gonna be at Essence Fest.

DL White [00:14:24]:

I am not a featured author. I am not on anybody's stage. I'm basically just there to be a fan of some bookish people and authors. The BJ's said they were gonna be there. I have met miss Beverly Jenkins. I have not met miss Brenda met miss Brenda Jackson, and I can't stand the thought of so many good people being in one space at one time. So I'm really, really super excited. So I will be in the building for Essence Fest.

DL White [00:14:53]:

I believe I'll be in town the 3rd through 7th, leaving on 7th. So let a system know if you're gonna be out there. I would love to meet you. Onto the writing update. No real update on the Pearl except we're still in editing. I expect final edits back next weekend ish ish. No. Seriously.

DL White [00:15:16]:

Like rush, but no rush. You know what I'm saying? And then I'll be heads down and making corrections to my file in Vellum and getting my girl ready for her close-up. I wanna be done with this novel, like, have it put together and up for a private sale by the time I hug Danielle's at Resist. So fingers crossed, I can get I can get that. As I mentioned, ARCs are out. The initial reception is good. I real I really, really try not to be precious about the words. So I don't stalk my reviews, and I ask that people not tag me in them if they can help it, send egregious errors and concerns to my email so I can address them before publication, but otherwise, enjoy and warn the others.

DL White [00:15:59]:

It's good or it's not. I mean, it's it's done. You know what I'm saying? Reviews are for readers, so I hope the readers like what they see and decide to read or not read the book based on honest opinions. I'm I am of the I said what I said variety. So if it's not something that popped up in my group chat or from my editor, it is not likely to change shoulder shrug. If you haven't read Beach Thing or Elysium, do not let that stop you from snatching up this novel. I did add a bit in the front matter on some previously on Black Diamond tip, so you can catch up without having to read both books because this book will spoil the first two. I have been working on my front matter and my back matter, so the book is ready to go once edits are complete.

DL White [00:16:46]:

We're getting really close. I'm getting really excited. I've lost count of how many books we've written together on this podcast. 3? 4? I wrote Neverlist, Hey, Lover, Elysium, and Now The Pearl live on the podcast. What a time. What an exciting time to be alive. So it's exciting every time and never ever, ever gets old going through this process. And this process.

DL White [00:17:12]:

And this fall, I'm about to go through the process of writing book 15, and I'm a take you all along. I don't even care if you want to go. We going. Get in the car. Sunday is our first check-in for the summer writing challenge. I'm writing I'm running over at the fiction archive that I own and operate. I hope the writers are getting in good words this week and are ready to chat it up about their summer of writing. Again, this is an off shoot of the 1,000 words of summer challenge, which is a 2 week challenge to write 1,000 words a day.

DL White [00:17:45]:

Our challenge will span June July, and it would be hard to maintain that for 2 months, so our parameters are very loose. The idea is to jump into summer with words and gear up for our most popular challenge, awesome August. So I'm looking forward to writing for fun, writing just because, writing to write, writing to get these thoughts out of my head, and really just, like, building that habit and getting some good ideas flowing. Speaking of writing, it is time for part 3 of the photograph. A little ditty I came up with because it had been too long since I shared fiction on the podcast. It's not lost on me that as a writer of kissing novels, my opportunity to break from the right publish stress about how much I sold rhythm manifests in material that is decidedly not romantic. Anyone that tells you that writing romance is easy as lying. Lying through their teeth.

DL White [00:18:38]:

It's much easier for me to write these little mystery thriller trysts, and I admit they don't go deep, they're not intricate. I will literally I sit down, I read what I wrote before. I write the next section. I edit it a little bit. I record it. Like, it's, like, not deep because if I start too early, I will start stressing about it, and then we have, like, a 67,000 word novel that I have read on the podcast. And, frankly, 67,000 words is something I need to sell. You know what I'm saying? I have decided, though.

DL White [00:19:11]:

My next short serial is going to be romantic. So I will close out the show after the jump. So if you are jumping here, thank you so much for joining me for this week's chat. We will talk again next week. I almost always have chapters in these, episodes, so you can just skip to the end. I appreciate you. Bye bye. The photograph, part 3.

DL White [00:19:40]:

I knew I had to confront Robin, but I couldn't just barge into her office and demand answers. Considering that someone found my email address and sent me a menacing note, the possibility that our offices and her home might be bugged was high. We needed to be careful. I suggested we meet at a quiet out of the way park where we could talk freely without fear of being overheard. Robin agreed and we found ourselves sitting on a secluded bench far from prying eyes or ears. Robin, I need to ask you something and I want need you to be honest with me, I said, looking her straight in the eye. What really happened to Damon? She stiffened, her fingers clenching in her lap. I told you he's not part of our lives anymore.

DL White [00:20:28]:

Why are you so interested in him all of a sudden? Because I found something and I started asking questions. I pulled up my phone showing her the photo that had been haunting my dreams followed by a screenshot of the threatening text message. Someone doesn't want me looking into Damon's disappearance. I know you know why. Robin's eyes widened as she read the message, and for a moment, I thought she might bolt, but then she sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. There's a lot that I haven't told you, Jada. There's so much, but I haven't been going on dates. I furrowed my brow, confused.

DL White [00:21:06]:

What do you mean you haven't been going on dates? I've been meeting with someone who claims to have information about Damon, she admitted, about what happened to him, his disappearance, and who might be responsible. My heart began to race. Who is this person? I don't know him. His name is Liam. He used to work with Damon back when he was involved in some less than legal activities. Drugs mostly, Robin explained, her voice trembling slightly. It was all stuff he was involved in before we met. He tried to leave to go straight, live a normal life, but you know you can never really leave that life especially if they have something on you.

DL White [00:21:45]:

Liam reached out to me about a year ago telling me he had important information about Damon, but it's taken this long to get him to meet me and relay anything I could work with. I leaned forward, my mind reeling. So what has he told you? Robin took a deep breath. He said years ago Damon was involved with a man named Donovan, a drug dealer, of course. Liam said that Damon had crossed Donovan somehow and that Damon's disappearance was likely due to him. He had it inside track, and he was sending me information as he could get it. Isn't that enough to go to the police? Your husband has been missing, Robin. I did, Robin said, her eyes filling with tears.

DL White [00:22:28]:

I did go to them, but they weren't interested. They know that name from back in the day. They're probably happy to not have to deal with a low level drug dealer. They told me that it wasn't illegal for him to leave his family. They even suggested that photo of him being tortured might be a deep fake meant to throw me off so he could start a new life somewhere else. I reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently. But you don't believe that, do you? No, Robin whispered, shaking her head. I think someone killed him, and I think they're still out there watching me making sure I don't talk.

DL White [00:23:02]:

I felt a chill run down my spine. Robin, this is serious. If what Liam is saying is true then you could be in real danger and what about your kids? Why are you even still here? Robin's face crumpled and she let out a sob. I know. I've been so afraid to tell anyone. I can barely keep us above water. I don't have money to move them where Donovan can't watch us. I can't let anything happen to them, Jada.

DL White [00:23:26]:

They're all I have left of Daemon. I pulled her into a hug, feeling the weight of her pain and fear. We'll figure this out, Robin, together. She pulled back, wiping her eyes. How? Where do we even start? I thought for a moment, my mind racing. We'll start with Donovan. If he's as dangerous as Liam says, then he's our best lead. I'll see what I can find out about him.

DL White [00:23:52]:

Maybe I can track him down. In the age of the Internet, it's really hard to hide. Robin nodded, a flicker of hope in her eyes. And I'll keep meeting with Liam to see if he has any information that can help us. We have to be careful, I warned her. Someone knows I've been snooping. There's no telling what Donovan might do or have done. I know, Robin said, her jaw tight.

DL White [00:24:16]:

I can't go one more day not knowing the truth. I need to know and I need justice for Damon, for my kids. I cannot let his tillers go free. I nodded feeling a surge of admiration for her strength and courage. We'll get them, Robin. We need to make sure they pay for what they did to Damon. We just have to get enough information that the case looks good to the police. We left the part separately going in opposite directions, couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched, Every car that passed me on the street, every set of headlights in my rearview mirror seemed to hold some hidden threat.

DL White [00:24:52]:

I pushed down that fear and focused on the task at hand. I had inserted myself into something way bigger than I thought it would be, and I had now tethered myself to Robin, to her kids. I was in just as much a danger as she was, and the only way out was to find the truth about what happened to Damon. I wouldn't rest until we found a way to bring his killers to justice no matter the cost. That'll do it. Thank you for joining me for part 3 of the photograph. I think it's getting interesting, and we will see how I managed to wrap this up in one episode. I don't know how I'm going to do that, but I'm committed to this only being 4 chapters before I start the next one.

DL White [00:25:41]:

So that also brings us to a close for today's chat. I truly enjoy having you here. I welcome any comments or feedback at books by dlwhite.com/bookcast/eighty 8. You'll find full show notes with all the books I talked about today, the links to all the writing, I'm sorry, the links to all the things I talked about today, and a transcript for today's show including the serial if you would rather read it instead of listen to it. Please share the podcast if you enjoyed today's episode and if you listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, give a girl a rating. I'd really appreciate it. Do not forget that you can support this podcast with your book purchases by spreading the good word or throwing some coins in the hat at bookcast.busprout dotcom. Every little bit helps.

DL White [00:26:28]:

I will be back next Saturday, June 15th. Is next Saturday 15th? Let's check the calendar super quick because I was not prepared. Yes. Next Saturday, June 15th, also payday. So, I will be back post my trip to a bustling Midwest city. So enjoy your week as always. Have a superlative one, and we'll chat again soon. Bye bye.