#welcome to the world of the question! renee rules and she is a good choice for a favorite 👍

[fungi-maestro]

Mr. Seal, I have seen people talking about The Death of Vic Sage lately. I don't know what this is. What is it and is it good? I am very new to The Question and my favorite is Renee. I wanted to ask due to it being a hot topic in the tag for these characters.

The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage is a DC Black Label series that came out in 2019-ish. It follows Vic as he uncovers a conspiracy concerning a shapeshifting devil and cowboy reincarnation, all while under the influence of some serious hallucinogens. It also includes discussion of racism, both historical and current.

Some of the strongest criticism I've seen of this series is about the depiction of racism (combined with Vic being the only person in the world that can stop racism, apparently.) I would definitely say this is valid criticism. It's not a super great way for the narrative to frame it. They put a spin on it toward the end to talk about how Vic feels like he's the only good person in the world & seems to think he's the only one ever that can fix anything and how this isn't actually true, which felt like they wanted to talk about the white savior trope thing, but it seemed like the writing just shrugged at it. And then the story ended. Overall it felt like kind of a weak message. It deserves criticism for that, which I have seen people discuss recently and I agree with.

As far as whether it's "good" or not, this is something you'd have to decide for yourself. I liked some things, like the tie-in with plots and characters from the 80s run, the idea of The Question verses a monster that takes a million different faces & what that thing is supposed to represent in the human experience (bigotry and hatred that any person is capable of if they refuse to look at themselves and see it), and the entire thing with the hallucinating (a staple of the Question) and how it gives the comic a kind of dreamy atmosphere. Also, we get to see the amazing handiwork of Denys Cowan again, which feels right.

I obviously don't like the way they handled the Question's savior complex. I see what they were trying to do, but I felt like having him.... I shouldn't spoil it, should I? It made me facepalm when I saw him doing it. I wouldn't deprive you of that experience. But anyway some of the things he does in the comic seem antithetical to the point of the faceless, nameless Question in their mission to work behind the scenes. Maybe that's the idea, though. Vic is unreal levels of proud and arrogant in this comic. Way more so than usual. Slipping into Ditko territory, to be honest, and yet still within the realm of bizarre but standard Vic behavior. As Tot says, "Vic... You bastard."

Speaking of Tot, I am not a huge fan of him in this comic. He's fine, I guess, but he feels like he's only there to shake his head sadly at everything Vic says and does. Not very helpful. This isn't the old man I know and love. It isn't really the most important thing with the comic, though, so I guess I'll let it slide for now.

Anyway, my final verdict is that it's... Complicated. I think that would be the best way to describe it. It isn't super great, but it might be worth a read if you can approach it with a mind that is prepared to think critically about some of the themes and messages it presents. It's DC Black Label, so it isn't technically canon to anything, and I wouldn't consider it compliant to canon regardless. It has some good internal monologues for those that love them (I like them), and it has a section where it plays with The Question as a subset of a private investigator type character (which I appreciate as a detective connoisseur), but the clumsy and, in my opinion, tasteless attempt to tie it into current events combined with the portrayal of Vic with such a strange personality (definitely one of his oddball arcs) means this isn't a series that I would recommend if someone wanted an idea of what the character is. It's in the same category as PAX and that Frank Miller comic to me. Interesting, but not necessary to the character's story or personality building, and not for everyone.

TLDR; It's a hit and miss series. The artwork is good, some of the writing is good, but the parts where it is bad can easily outweigh the good. Read it for yourself if you want, but be warned for violent racism (I'm serious, please be warned for this. Do not go in without preparing yourself), and a weird characterization for basically everyone (I feel a little uncomfortable putting this here because of how not a big deal it is compared to the other warning. Still.)

[jebazzled]

Level Up! Upcycling an Intermediate App

Hello friends and welcome to another unsolicited writing tutorial, aka my bread and butter! Today we’re going to build off of ground covered in my earlier tutorial, Level Up! Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced RP and You. 

As always, I’d like to point out that there is nothing wrong with being a writer more naturally suited for intermediate sites! But if you’re looking to write in the more ~advanced or ~literary space, you will need to adjust your writing to fit the community standard. While your writing will likely improve over time as you write with more advanced writers, step one to threading in such a community is getting an app accepted there.

In today’s tutorial, I’ll be talking about how to revise an existing intermediate application to make it more suited for an advanced site. Let’s begin! 

As a staffer on an advanced site, the note I most often have for applications that we pend or decline is: this feels very telly. 

I don’t mean “telly” as in Telly the Sesame Street character: 

I mean “telly” as in extraordinarily expository. 

An intermediate freestyle application often looks like a straight-up timeline of a character’s history, delivered without much style or voice. It might feel like a Wikipedia article, or a very long explanation like you might see in a shipper. 

I often find that it can help streamline the writing process to write a handful of telling anecdotes, rather than rehashing a character’s complete history, infancy to present. More on that in my freestyle application tutorial here!

But if you’re having a hard time wrapping your head around anecdotal-style applications, particularly if you’re accustomed to application formats that have you write a “history” section as opposed to a freestyle, you can improve upon your current app to make it more suited for an advanced site. It will take some work, and certainly more than ten minutes of it. Writing on a “reach” site can be very rewarding, but only if you’re willing to put in the effort. 

TELLING

Before we solve the problem of “telly” writing, we need to establish what “telly” writing is. For purposes of this tutorial, I’ll be using my one application that is a full rehashing of character history. Below is a “telly” take on Sadie Shunpike: 

Sadie grew up in a working-class neighborhood of London with her twin brother, Sam. Neither of her parents were very good at magic, but hid their insecurity in the belief that any magic at all made them better than their Muggle neighbors. Sadie and Sam weren’t educated at the local primary school, but were homeschooled by their mother until they could read. From there, Sadie and Sam would check out books from the local library and teach themselves, with Sadie helping Sam. 

Sadie was very smart, but Sam struggled more with learning. As they got older, Sadie started to read books she ordered from Flourish and Blott’s, learning about magical theory. Sam started to show signs of magic, which he hid from Sadie. When they turned eleven, it became clear that Sadie was a squib. She resented Sam for being magical, especially when he went to Hogwarts and needed Sadie’s help to do his homework. Sadie continued to educate herself.

Sadie developed an interest in the Dark Arts and got mixed up with Death Eaters in a research and study group she attended at Flourish and Blott’s. One of them promised her a Ministry job and ensured her safety if she acted as a spy in the Ministry for the Death Eaters. Later, she got placed into a safehouse, and began to spy on the safehouse network for the Death Eaters. 

This tells you a lot about what Sadie has been up to, but doesn’t tell you much about Sadie, or about my skill as a writer, or about how someone else might expect Sadie to behave in threads. There is no voice, no personality, no interest - just rote explanation. 

As a staffer on an advanced site, when I see an app like the above, I know I will be pending or declining the application. The question I ask when making that distinction is: is the character development strong enough to merit working with the writer on the prose? Is the prose strong enough to merit working with the writer on the character development? 

If the writing itself or the character development is there, it can make sense to help guide the writer - though this is more the case with character development issues than with prose. Character development can be improved with specific notes and adjustments, whereas generally speaking, improving prose is a gradual process over time. 

It is entirely possible that a writer might have much better prose in their threads than in their application! However, your application serves here as a writing sample. which is why it is imperative that it be good writing on its own. I have said it before and I will say it again: I don’t care how much you hate writing apps, lmao! You’ve got to write a good one if you want to do well on sites that use them! 

SHOWING

Writing communities are always talking about show vs. tell. Unless you’re writing stage directions, it is always better to show than to tell - or at least, there aren’t enough exceptions to the rule that you shouldn’t be aiming primarily to show. 

So how do you communicate a character history without making it too telly? 

DESCRIPTION

Here, I’ve described Sadie’s neighborhood as “working-class” and left it at that. What if I went into a little more detail? Explained to you what I imagine when I imagine her upbringing, and shared with you what’s going on in my head between the lines? 

In a small, shabby house in a small, shabby suburb, a small and shabby family lives a small and shabby life. Samuel Shunpike, Sr. sells advertisements for the Daily Prophet, tossing a handful of Floo powder into the minuscule fireplace in the sitting room every morning and getting ash on the threadbare round braided rug every night. 

This has more flavor, doesn’t it? The repetition of “small, shabby” is a deliberate style choice that communicates an idea of how I write in practice when I’m being ~artsy, and the image of a man in a shabby suit crawling into his fireplace and messing up an already messed-up rug builds Sadie’s father as an NPC that will come into play later in her app. Dynamic NPCs - whose actions impact your character, who are more than wooden cutouts - help build the fictional world of your character’s life. They don’t even need to be vital to playing your character - I’ve never really had anyone in Sadie’s family in play onsite, despite how heavily her brother figures into her character development - but they can be very useful in understanding your character. 

DIALOGUE

Ha, irony, that dialogue can make an app less telly! Dialogue gives your reader an idea of how your character interacts with the world in concrete situations, not merely in the abstract. It also helps build the dynamic NPCs that make your character’s history feel more real, and feel like something that genuinely impacted them rather than something manufactured for plot. 

While the Shunpikes are nobodies in the circle of wizarding society, Margie and Samuel Sr take comfort in the fact that they do have one thing making them better than the Muggles who live the small shabby lives on either side of them: the Shunpikes are magic. small, shabby magic, but magic nevertheless. "You lot are better than this," Margie says, smoking a pipe on the stoop, gesturing at the sidewalk where children walk to school with their parents. Sam and Sadie don't take their eyes off their Exploding Snap game. It's no use arguing with Margie, they know. When she goes inside, grumbling about Muggle trash, Sam and Sadie train their eyes on the walk outside. The parade of children their age, all wearing matching khakis and polo shirts. "What do you think they get up to?" Sam asks, glancing at Sadie. "Same as us, i imagine," she says, "but probably, y'know, more guided."

This brief vignette tells us a few things:

Margie Shunpike, Sadie’s mother, is mean, and relies on what little magic she has to feel like she has worth

Sam looks to Sadie for leadership/guidance

Neither of these are specifically about Sadie, but having this background information about her mother seen in action rather than merely mentioned will impact how we digest the news that Sadie is a squib. Sam, as a recurring NPC, will inform how we see Sadie develop, and seeing his changing relationship with her will give another metric for the reader of how Sadie has changed. 

DETAILS

Details build your world, make it feel more real. When I wrote earlier that Sadie ordered books from Flourish & Blott’s, they could have been any books - they could have been the magical equivalent of ABC “First Concept” books - they could have been magical erotica. Don’t details tell you a lot about a person? If I tell you that Renee Rye Bread reads 50 books a year, what have you learned about her? What if I clarify that it’s 50 romance novels? 50 crime dramas? 50 political biographies?

When Sam and Sadie were younger, Margie would sit them together at the kitchen table and clumsily teach them letters and numbers. Once they could put together sentences and basic sums, she happily stepped back and let them figure it out on their own. On an average day, Sam and Sadie will watch the parade of schoolchildren, finish a game of Exploding Snap or Wizard's Chess, eat an early lunch, and spend the rest of the day doing their best to get an education. Sadie tries the hardest, dragging Sam with her to the Muggle library around the corner to read Muggle fiction and do basic research on whatever catches her fancy. She saves her allowance and coins from doing chores for the neighbors and orders secondhand books from the Flourish & Blotts catalog, poring over wizarding texts and trying to make sense of magic beyond even her parents' meager skill. Sam sometimes gives her his sickles, too. He isn't doing anything with them, and everything makes more sense with her in charge.

These details - what Sadie and Sam’s homeschooling looks like, Sadie’s attitude towards books and learning, Sam’s support in her academic endeavors - are building blocks in your understanding of Sadie’s personality. She is driven, self-directed, curious. She doesn’t ask Sam for his input. She is, perhaps, a little selfish. 

DIORAMA

Trying to keep to a “D” theme here for an easy mnemonic device here! What I mean by “diorama” is that even in an app not specifically built around anecdotes it is good to provide a few key slices of the character’s life - a clear window into specific scenes and moments. What strikes you as more impactful: me telling you, “there’s a scene in Heathers (1988) where Veronica’s boyfriend has put a bomb under the bleachers during a pep rally. It’s fine, it doesn’t go off,” or me describing to you: “the gym is full of stamping feet and shouting cheerleaders; no one could hear Veronica and JD fighting under the stands even if they were interested. The bomb is beeping so loudly but no one is paying attention, no one can hear it. It’s a pep rally and everyone is cheering at their own wake.” 

Rather than saying:

Sam started to show signs of magic, which he hid from Sadie. When they turned eleven, it became clear that Sadie was a squib. She resented Sam for being magical, especially when he went to Hogwarts and needed Sadie’s help to do his homework. Sadie continued to educate herself.

I went with the below: 

In June, Sam is sitting in the kitchen while Sadie makes a solo trip to the library, folding paper airplanes and flying them with no success. After a dozen failures, however, he watches in amazement as a piece of notebook paper folds itself up into a perfect airplane and flies around the room on its own. He's done magic, and he has no idea how. And he keeps it a secret from his parents, but more importantly, from Sadie, who he now knows is not going to be coming with him to Hogwarts after all. Later that week, while the family is tucking into ham sandwiches for dinner, the owl arrives, and Sam's stomach sinks when Sadie proudly carries it from the sitting room window into the kitchen on her forearm. She unties the letter from its leg, looks at the front of the envelope, grinning. Samuel Sr and Margie see a shadow pass over their daughter's face for half a heartbeat before she slowly hands the envelope to her brother. But Sam sees it all: her smile cracking like broken china, her eyes widen just a little, the furrow in her eyebrow. He catches the hitch in her voice as she congratulates him. He senses her anxiety in the lightspeed jiggle of her left foot under the table, as he stares at the letter, unable to make sense of the words, as worried as he is about Sadie. She excuses herself early, and Samuel Sr and Margie exchange a look, as if they've forgotten Sam is there. Sam doesn't know what any of them were expecting, but it wasn't this. The next few days, during which Sadie does not speak to him at all, are the longest of his life. Then, one morning, as he sits at the kitchen table having a silent breakfast with Samuel Sr and Margie - who are still flabbergasted to have a squib in the family - she comes down the stairs from their shared attic bedroom. She sits across from Sam at the table as if nothing has happened. She helps herself to a slice of toast from the stack on a plate in the middle of the table, and takes a piece of bacon off Sam's plate. "Since i won't be going to Hogwarts as expected," she says, folding the toast to make a sandwich and taking an enormous bite, "I'll need to arrange for a more formal education.” She swallows her bite and pours herself a glass of orange juice. “I’m happy with our current method of self-directed study, of course, but - i intend to supplement it with the odd lecture or class audit in the city.”

We get a few things here:

Sam’s anxiety/guilt about being the magical one, a dynamic that informs how Sadie will use him later

Sadie quickly hiding her actual emotions and performing fake ones, which comes up later when she manipulates people at the Ministry and in safehouses as a spy for the Death Eaters

Sadie’s decision making, which doesn’t allow room for input, feedback, or disagreement

Think of your favorite books and characters. If a novelist gave you a quick description of a character in one paragraph, you wouldn’t feel the close connection to them that you feel after reading even just a few chapters of them acting, reacting, interacting. Of course we don’t have as much time for that in an app as we do in a novel, but there’s a happy medium between the shallow understanding we get from pure exposition and the deep one we get from 50,000 words and a hardcover. 

IN PRACTICE: HOW DO???

So we’ve got our intermediate app. We’ve got our Four D’s: Description, Dialogue, Details, Diorama. We’ve got an advanced site we are lusting over. 

How do we Frankenstein this all together?

STEP ONE: REREAD YOUR ORIGINAL APP

Give her a look. Get the basics in your head. Think about how you might be able to repurpose this writing for your shipper. Because, hey! It’s already done! And at least in my experience on advanced sites, shippers are a TL;DR for your app, so a quick expository jaunt through the highlights fits the bill just peachy. 

But you’re not going to be able to work from that app directly for version two, okay? Be honest with yourself. How much do you ever revise things? Because this isn’t a “change a word, add one (1) sentence,” project. This is an overhaul. 

Like I’ve said! Going from intermediate to advanced is HARD WORK!

STEP TWO: GET WRITING

Start writing that app from scratch. Think about the Four D’s. 

If you’re approaching this as a straight history of your character, have at it wherever you want to get started. But before you move on to the next phase, address your Four D’s. 

Susie was a difficult baby. 

STOP! Give me the D. Was her nursery hyperfeminine? Did her nannies gossip about her parents behind their backs? Was Susie a fussy baby, or was she sickly? Show me her cold and distant mother awkwardly holding her before passing her off to her father!

If none of these D’s feel important to this phase of the character’s life: don’t include it in the app! A character history does not need to cover every minute! You can just hit the important phases, and you should! Believe me: staff usually do not want to hear about how mom and dad met each other unless it actually has a major bearing on Susie’s life! 

Once you’ve given the moment its due (Due, the fifth D), move on to the next, and consider the D’s every time. 

STEP THREE: REREAD & REVISE

Before you submit your app, give it another look. You’ve likely done a lot of character development between your original application and the fully-overhauled version. Is your characterization consistent? Do your character’s motives make sense? Have you left any gaping holes in their story? Look back at your shipper, especially if you used your original application to build it out. Does it align with the new application? What edits do you need on the shipper to have it describe the same person as your app?

STEP FOUR: PROFIT

Obviously, as with anything else, your mileage may vary. It might take a few tries, or even a few different characters to land on something that works for an advanced site. But the practice of implementing the five D’s - and keeping them in mind subsequently as you post with and develop your character - will be instrumental in growing your abilities as a writer, and isn’t that what this is all about? Wishing you all the best in writing as in life - let me know how you’re doing, and what other tutorials you’d like to see from me. Cheers, and happy writing!

[douxreviews]

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - ‘Hippocratic Oath’ Review

Bashir: "We are dealing with a complex situation here." O'Brien: "No, it is not complex. It is simple."

By nature I love brevity: DS9 continues to make use of the pairing of O'Brien and Bashir, here delivering an interesting character study of both men. But it's also a far more unlikely character study of the Jem'Hadar.

Let me start by laying out the situation. O'Brien and Bashir are made to crash land on a remote planet in the Gamma Quadrant on their way home from a bio-survey of Merik III. When they exit the runabout, they are captured by a squad of Jem'Hadar soldiers. The Jem'Hadar First, Goran'Agar, initially intends to kill them both, but decides not to when Bashir reveals he is a doctor. It turns out Goran'Agar crash-landed on the planet three years ago, and when he ran out of Ketracel-White, he discovered that he was no longer addicted to the drug. Now he wants Bashir to figure out how to free his other soldiers from their addictions to the White.

Obviously, Bashir and O'Brien have very different reactions to this situation. Bashir wants to help Goran'Agar to cure his men, and O'Brien simply wants to escape and leave the Jem'Hadar to fend for themselves. Both of these approaches are so very in character for the two.

One of Bashir's defining characteristics is his arrogance, as we all know. But his arrogance is channeled by the redeeming parts of his character: his kindness and charity, and his overwhelming optimism about the world. This is what makes him such an interesting character to watch, and his response to Goran'Agar's plight is right in line with it. Not only is he kind and generous enough to want to help the Jem'Hadar, he is arrogant enough to believe that he is capable of doing it, and he is optimistic enough to believe that the Jem'Hadar will respond to their freedom in a constructive way.

In stark contrast to this is O'Brien's harsh, down-to-earth realism. This conflicts with all of Bashir's relevant traits in such a way as to give him the opposite viewpoint. Part of this is that O'Brien was once a soldier. As the Federation edges ever closer to open war with the Dominion, his warrior instincts are coming back to the forefront of his mind, and he approaches any situation involving the enemy from a soldier's perspective. And O'Brien's soldier's perspective tells him that nothing good will come out of a situation like this, one way or the other. It tells him that they need to get out as quickly as possible to avoid worse consequences.

But this is not the only set of conflicting values that 'Hippocratic Oath' presents us with. The other one, at least in this main story, is between Goran'Agar and his soldiers, represented by Second Arak'Taral. Goran'Agar's experience of slowly discovering that his core beliefs about himself are now wrong has made him disillusioned about all he has been taught. He is questioning all of his beliefs that he was given by the Founders and the Vorta. Even his gods have fallen in his eyes. The problem is that, as a Jem'Hadar, his entire worldview has been shaped by them, and reinforced by all his Jem'Hadar brethren who believe the same way. At the end of the day, he is still a Jem'Hadar. Can he separate himself from the Ketracel-White? Yes. But can he escape the influence of the Founders and the Vorta? No, it turns out he cannot. They are his gods, impersonal and distant though they may be. And he cannot bring himself to disbelieve everything he has believed for his entire life.

But his efforts to leave the shadow of the Dominion put him at odds with Arak'Taral and the rest of his men, who are still addicted to the White and thus still buy in almost completely to the worldview they have been programmed with. To question these ideals is perceived as weak to their eyes, and weakness is to be expunged. Only the strong are of worth, because worth is derived entirely from one's service to the Founders. If you can't serve the Founders anymore because you are weak, it is better that you are dead. But they are willing to follow Goran'Agar to some extent, because he is their First and that is the order of things. As the White disappears, this willingness slowly goes too, along with their sanity.

All these clashing perspectives come to a head in the conclusion. Bashir, true to form, wants to stay and try and finish his work. But his arrogant optimism is still tempered by reality, so O'Brien removes his last reason for being optimistic. Was he right to do so? The episode doesn't say. Certainly, Bashir's perspective is portrayed as naive, even though it was legitimately dealt with. But O'Brien is wrong, too - this is a much more complex situation than his perspective will allow. This is one of the things I love about DS9: its readiness to not give you all the answers and to allow you to draw your own conclusions.

There's a 'B' plot here, to drive home the point about complexity and shades of gray. I don't have a lot to say about it, except that it uses Worf well. Fans will be used to seeing Worf alongside the TNG crew, and on TNG terms. 'Hippocratic Oath' cements the reality that Worf, and by extension the fans, will have to learn to play by DS9's rules here. It's good to have Worf take a few episodes to learn this, and it makes sense on both an in-universe and a real-world level. Simple judgments, such as Worf's initial assessment of Odo, are no longer necessarily accurate. We are dealing, as Bashir aptly puts it, with a complex situation here. Good and evil aren't black-and-white anymore. Welcome to DS9, Worf.

Strange New Worlds:

The planet is never given a name. It is uninhabited and in the Gamma Quadrant somewhere between the wormhole and Merik III. It orbits a red giant, but there is an unexpectedly high concentration of chlorophyll in the plants. It is never made clear whether the planet was actually responsible for Goran'Agar's freedom from White addiction.

New Life and New Civilizations:

The mercenary Worf is after, Regana Tosh, is a Markalian. This, as far as I can find, is the first canonical mention of the species' name, although members of it appeared many times before this episode.

Pensees:

-I love the new theme equally to the old one. This one suits the show DS9 is becoming better, and the old one suited the first few seasons.

-Worf never calls Quark by name in this episode, referring to him only as 'the Ferengi bartender.'

-After taking a prominent role in 'The Visitor,' Cirroc Lofton's Jake Sisko does not appear in this episode.

-This is the first mention of Ketracel-White by name.

-Goran'Agar is played by Scott MacDonald, who has had a few other Trek roles. His most famous was Dolim in Enterprise Season Three. I'll get there eventually in my reviews of Enterprise so we can talk about him.

-This is the third DS9 episode directed by Rene Auberjonois, after Season 3's 'Prophet Motive' and 'Family Business.'

Quotes:

O'Brien: "Why can't she be more like..." Bashir: "More like?" O'Brien: "Well, a man. More like a man." Bashir: "So... you wish... Keiko was a man." O'Brien: "I wish I was on this trip with someone else, that's what I wish."

Bashir: "I'm just surprised." Goran'Agar: "Surprised that a Jem'Hadar soldier would want something more than the life of a slave? You know nothing about the Jem'Hadar, except that you fear us."

Wounded Jem'Hadar: "You know the rule. If the death of one will make the rest stronger, then he dies." Goran'Agar: "We came here to be free of the Vorta. It is time to stop living by their rules."

Goran'Agar: "I have fought against races that believe in mythical beings who guide their destinies and await them after death. They call them gods. The Founders are like gods to the Jem'Hadar. But our gods never talk to us, and they don't wait for us after death. They only want us to fight for them and to die for them."

Arak'Taral: "If being free of White means becoming like you, I don't want to be cured."

Goran'Agar: "You are a soldier?" O'Brien: "I have been." Goran'Agar: "Then you explain." O'Brien: "He's their commander. They trusted him. He can't leave them."

Worf: "When I served aboard the Enterprise, I always knew who were my allies and who were my enemies." Sisko: "Let's just say DS9 has more shades of gray, and Quark definitely is a shade of gray."

O'Brien: "I'm sorry I had to destroy your work." Bashir: "You didn't have to, Chief. You had a choice, and you chose to disobey orders, override my judgement, and condemn those men to death." O'Brien: "Yes I did. Because I thought it was the only way to save your life. Whatever else you may think of who I am and what I did, at least try to understand that."

5 out of 6 clashing perspectives.

CoramDeo thinks he won the Powerball. Pshoooo.

[deepdisireslonging]

Family Found Part 31: Sending a Message

It’s the last Monday before Clash of Champions, and everyone wants to make sure that their opponent knows what pain and humiliation are in store for them on Sunday. 

Warnings/Promises: wrestling violence

Word Count: 2390

Note: Heads up, I am super mean to Jose this week. Sorry. Since Rhyno has retired, he’s not going to be in this series anymore. I wish him well wherever he goes. And, quick question, am I writing Bray/Dr. M creepy enough/too much? Any and all feedback is super appreciated. You can do it on this post, or my asks and private messages are always open.

Part 1: Welcome to the Team  

Part 30: Challenge Accepted

Monday Night Raw – December 10, 2018

“I don’t understand why Ember is fighting tonight. She’s got a title opportunity on Sunday!” Corey scoffed when Renee tried to calm him down. “It’s just… she’s been running full speed towards this goal, but – superkick from Ember! But fighting Mickie James tonight could cost her.”

They all flinched as the women fell back from the corner in a suplex. Renee pressed forward. “Ember knows exactly what she’s doing. Tonight is just practice. Keeping her muscles warm and keeping her head clear. She’s got this.”

A few moves later, Ember did not seem to ‘got this.’ Mickie was keeping her off her feet, and any time she did stand up, there was a kick or a punch that made her spin into the ropes. The war goddess hissed as she bounced off the apron, sprawling across the floor. She tried to get back between the ropes, but Mickie was there to pull her onto their springiness, sending her back. Then Mickie jumped, landing on her.

With a scream, Ember was through with the mockery Mickie was putting her through. She tossed Mickie into the ring post, then scaled up to the top. She Eclipsed. Rolling back into the ring, she waited for the count.

“Wait… do you think that’s the best choice going into Clash of Champions?” Cole asked. “Natalya’s going to have champion’s advantage, and she can’t lose the title by count-out.”

As the ref approached the count of seven, Ember growled as the realization hit her. She rolled out and collected her opponent. Mickie stumbled to her feet, turning just in time to catch another Total Eclipse. Ember pinned her without even a twitch from Mickie. She wobbled to her feet, flinching as the ref raised her hand. The stage lit up in purple, and Natalya walked out. She watched as the champion came down the ramp and entered the ring.

She didn’t say anything, just walked up to stand toe-to-toe with Ember. And then, with a bright smile on her face, she raised the title above them both. Point made, she turned on her heel and left the way she came.

***

All the audience could see was the darkness. A few offered up their flashlights, but when the silence took over, those snuffed out. Dr. M appeared on the screen, standing in a long dark hallway that looked like it belonged to an abandoned hospital.

“The first dose has been given,” he said. “The first antidote issued. My associate and I have what we want, and we’re not going to let a few parasites get their hands on our titles.” He flipped his tag title belt over his shoulder and smiled at it. Then he slowly turned his gaze forward. “Or will we? Because, you have to see, having the cure to what ails the WWE universe is no good unless it’s administered to everyone.” He squinted in thought. “Perhaps there are other goals we need to achieve to ensure the erasure of the widespread disease.”

He grabbed hold of the camera, making the image shake. “But that has not yet come to pass. Plans are still incubating. Tonight… no. Tonight is about sending the message. It’s making sure that the universe knows that its rescue is at hand. The rescue from the viruses and the human pestilence that is the Raw tag team division as it stands.” He stepped back. “Don’t worry. Doctor M is here to help.”

***

Backstage, Elias was tuning his guitar. Once he had it adjusted the way he liked it, he began to strum and hum along. Just as he was about to sing, a thumping beat came down the hallway. A man in a brightly colored shirt danced by with a speaker box playing No Way Jose’s music, followed by a long line of people who filled the space. Jose danced into the center of them, twirling one woman around, and then grabbing Elias’s hand to twirl him.

“Can you not-“ Elias growled and snatched his hand away. “Can you not do this right here?” He shouted over the music. Jose motioned that he couldn’t hear him. “Are you… are you headed to the ring? The ring!” It took several hand motions, but Elias finally got his question across. “Good. I’m going to meet you there!��

Jose smiled and motioned for his dance party to follow him, leaving the hall much quieter.

Elias sneered and shouldered his guitar. “Yeah, I’ll meet you in the ring.”

***

A few minutes later, Elias was illuminated in the center of the ring. “I had to rush to get here before the dancing hooligans, but I should have enough time to make sure that you know that WWE stands for?” He waited for the response. “Good. You’ve got it. Now let’s see if I can…” He strummed and was able to get into the same tune as before. But like earlier, as he was inhaling to sing along, Jose’s music interrupted. He stood and angrily shed his scarves, microphone, and guitar.

Before the bell had barely rung, Elias was attacking. But Jose knew what he had been doing, and saw it coming. With a relaxed dodge, Elias’s shoulder collided with the ring post. Jose pulled him back into the ring and tried for a pin, almost succeeding. From there, Jose took great pleasure in pushing Elias’s buttons. Even if the retaliation was painful and exhausting. He was talented in distracting hip curls, and in interrupting any attempted moves from his opponent. At his cue, the dancers that had stayed, danced a lap around the ring chanting “walk with Elias” very much off-key. It set Elias’s hackles on edge, making Jose laugh.

Turning his back on an irate Drifter was a mistake. A high knee laid Jose out flat. Elias took to the skies and finished him off with an elbow drop. When that wasn’t enough, Elias growled, “dance away from this,” and spun Jose up for powerbomb after powerbomb. Finally, Elias went for a pin, satisfied when the ref made it to three. He rolled out to retrieve his guitar.

No Way Jose stumbled to his feet. He was too busy rubbing the headache out of his temples to notice the frantic motions from his fellow dancers. Jose was oblivious to Elias raising his guitar behind him. It shattered on his back. Elias slung the remnants over his shoulder and nodded before leaving the ring.

***

In the next round for the women’s tag teams, Rhonda shadowboxed in the ring, waiting for her partner. Dana Brooke made her entrance. The women shook hands in the ring. “Thanks for… being willing to be my partner in this,” Rhonda said.

“Thanks for even thinking of me. Even if I was the last one available. You could have stayed out of the tournament, but you didn’t. And now we’re both here.”

They stood shoulder to shoulder as the Riott Squad took the stage. “No, no, no, no, NO!” Ruby twisted the mic on her hand. “Rhonda, Rhonda, Rhonda. You just can’t seem to play by the rules, can you? You swaggered into the WWE with your big name and doors just flung open for you.” She cackled. “You may have been great in your fighting world, but in this one, you have to earn your spot. And not by cutting corners. And Dana,” she cocked her head as she descended down the ramp, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan on her heels, “you should know better. And I think, that of every woman on the roster, you would know fake, self-serving, inevitable back-stabbing power when you see it.”

Rhonda cut Dana off from rushing forward. She noted how the other two women had circled the ring, flanking them. Sarah and Liv stepped up onto the apron, harsh grins on their faces.

“And now,” Ruby finished, “we are going to make sure you pay. Both of you.” She strolled over to the bell booth and rang in the match herself.

It didn’t last long. The Riott Squad women were good what they did. If Rhonda was in the ring, they quick tagged and evaded her hits, keeping her frustrated. If Dana was in, well, they knew her buttons too. Whispering ghosts from her time working with Charlotte Flair. It wore on her more than the punches. And when it became too much, Rhonda was too busy chasing Liv for the tag. Sarah pinned Dana, then escaped up the ramp with her team.

“Lesson learned, Rhonda,” Ruby shouted back.

***

The number one contender’s match for the Raw tag titles was between the Revival and the team of Bobby Roode and Chad Gable. It was a heck of a match, keeping everyone on the edge of their seats. When Dash finally pinned Chad, even Dasha Fuentes had to applaud. The losers, and runner-ups by agreement, left the ring so the ref could raise the hands of the victors. The continued to celebrate even after he left.

Then the lights went out.

When they came back on, and only halfway, both Dash and Scott were knocked out in the ring. In either corner, the shadows turned out to be Dr. M and Braun Strowman. Again, the lights went out. When they came back on, fully this time, the Revival was still asleep on the mat, but Dr. M and Braun were gone.

***

The main event was what you had set up last week. Seth Rollins came out to the ring and grabbed a mic. “Over the past several weeks, there have been a great many… insinuations that I am not worthy to be Intercontinental Champion.” He shrugged. “I would have to disagree, but you guys deserve more than just words or a flashy appearance. So, tonight, right here and right now, I am issuing an open challenge. But not just any open challenge,” he grinned, “it’s going to be a gauntlet open challenge.”

Proud of himself, he beamed at the crowd, basking in the response they gave him. “Back there are five of some of the best wrestlers WWE has to offer. And not one of them is going home tonight with this title.” He returned the mic and handed the title to the referee while Jojo announced the match.

The first to come out was Baron Corbin. Most of their match ended up outside the ring. Between Baron’s quick recoveries around the posts, and Seth’s over-the ropes high flying, their part of the match could have gone either way. But Seth’s curb-stomp could knock out a dragon. He hurried to his feet after the pin, ready for the next opponent.

Dolph Ziggler came out next, proud and swaggering and taking his time to circle the ring before ascending the stairs. Both men glared at the other. Immediately, Dolph tried to catch Seth in a headlock, succeeding enough to toss the champion to the canvas. The goal was to keep him off his feet, and he did so with repeated kicks to his stomach and by targeting the areas already hurt by Baron. Still, Seth came back and gave worse to Dolph than what he had received. There may have been a slight hold on Dolph’s tights for the roll-up.

Having lost, Dolph begrudgingly left the ring. He paused at the bottom of the ramp as Drew McIntyre entered next. They sneered at each other, merely inches apart on the wide ramp, before going their separate ways. Again, the match was more likely to be outside the ring than in. Drew used the ring posts, the stairs, and his height advantage against Seth. And the injuries were beginning to add up. So Seth switched the game from defense to dodgeball. Every time that Drew tried to run Seth into something, it was reversed, and he ended up hitting the target. One such crash into the ring post was enough to keep Drew from kicking out, giving Seth a much-needed break.

Seth was still kneeling, facing where Drew had rolled out of the ring, when Dean’s music hit. He sighed with a smile, turning to watch his brother in arms come down the ramp. They shared a quick handshake. Then Dean used every trick he knew would either exhaust Seth or tick him off. And there was a lot to work with, considering their history.

Finn Balor’s entrance took over the stage. As suddenly as it came, the music stopped. Seth froze, keeping an eye out for a trick, giving Dean the break he needed to try for a roll-up. He was unsuccessful, but only just.

“Mind games!” Corey shouted.

Several long minutes later, Dean was pinned, though he kicked out at three and a quarter. Panting, they laughed. Dean rolled out of the ring, shaking his head. He motioned to Seth “so close.” His brother mouthed back, “you wish.”

Dean was long gone by the time Finn’s entrance started again. When he didn’t immediately enter from the front, Seth spun around just in time to receive a sling blade. He had already fought four of the best, and the fifth one was proving to be more than he could handle. It was taking longer and longer for him to get to his feet. And his slow reaction time didn’t save him from a number of hits. Finn went for a pin. At the last half-second, he pulled Seth up from the mat. With a soft pat to the side of Seth’s face, he slid out of the ring. The ref counted to ten while Seth rolled to his stomach, waiting for him to finish the job.

“Why would I beat you tonight, Seth? When I beat you, I want it at Clash of Champions, not on Monday Night Rollins.”

***

Backstage, Drew was nursing his wounds, physical and to his pride. Dolph’s arrival did nothing to better his mood. “What do you want? You’ve got nothing to brag about. Seth beat you.”

“You didn’t do much better.” Dolph took a deep breath and calmed his speech. “That’s why we need to combine forces again. We were so much stronger-“

“No, you were stronger.” Drew towered over him as he stood. “I was held back. Go after your own goals, Dolph, and stay out of the way of mine.”

Part 32: Holiday Havoc (Clash of Champions)

Series Masterlist

Masterlist

Forever Tags: @blondekel77 @hallemichelles @laochbaineann @lavitabella87@ramblingsofabourbondrinker @savmontreal @southsidebucky @tinyelfperson@zuni21798

WWE/Series Tags: @a-home-for-stray-stories @amballins-priestess @top-1-percent @mother-forker @neversatisfiedgirl @racheo91 @roman-reigns-princess @secretagentfangirl @thetherianthropydaily @wwe-smutfics@scuzmunkie @likeisaidwhatever @cait-kae @ramsaypants @sony-undead18@brianaraydean @st4yingstrong @dopeybubbles @crystallizeme@jessica91073 @denise8691 @stalelight @kenyadakblalock @1dluver13xx @lauren-novak @lunatic-desert-child @littledeadrottinghood @livelifewondering

[joeyacademia111096]

My thoughts and reflections during my AdSpark days (1,000+ word blog)

Before starting my blog, I was already advised ahead of time by Enderun’s Office of Career Services, OCS for short, that the internship that I chose to work for had virtually almost nothing to do with my course which is a certificate in Hotel Operations. However, now was not the time to be choosy. Because of the current pandemic and limited options, I pretty much had no choice but to embrace the career openings available to me. I was quite nervous at first because looking at the available options, there were indeed no Hospitality openings for interns. However, I did not want to delay my studies any further and just hoped for the best. I did remember though that back in my college days, my course focused on communications and I decided to cash-in on that. Low and Behold, I was able to find an Internship suitable for me, AdSpark. Even though AdSpark had basically nothing to do with the Hospitality Industry being it is a digital advertising firm, I still managed to make the most out of my internship there by making new friends, gaining experience from another industry, and increasing my knowledge in other fields.

Upon joining AdSpark, I had applied for two (2) openings: Client Services & Marketing. After being interviewed, I ultimately chose to go for Client Services because I felt that I was more qualified there. Since I was a former hotelier as a front desk receptionist, I have had experience dealing with various guest services. Therefore, I felt that this department was still in essence similar to what I have been trained for in my course. Of course, a new playing field meant new things to learn.

On my first day, I have to come clean and admit that I was very anxious because for the next 10 weeks, I would be working for a company that was part of an industry that I almost have zero experience working in. I didn’t really do much though on the first day because my supervisor and mentors were busy accomplishing their daily tasks, and at the same time figuring out which tasks to assign to me without compromising confidentiality. Later on within the day, I finally had a get-to-meet session with my department. They were very welcoming and they made me perform my special talent for them by singing and playing my guitar just to break the ice. Everything went okay during the first day although it was still a bit underwhelming because I basically had no tasks to do but to just meet my department that day but it was all good.

Finally as the weeks progressed, I was given more tasks to do. I have to be quite frank and admit that as a client services intern, I was expecting to have roles of actually talking to the various clients of AdSpark doing whatever such as possibly talking to their own client representatives etc. That was not the case  because for the most part I was actually mostly just assigned to attend internal briefings for clients where my supervisors and heads of other departments would discuss ideas and pitch promos on how to go about for the new/ongoing campaigns of the various clients AdSpark is working on. After the meetings, I would be assigned to do the MOM (Minutes of the Meeting) and send it later on within the day for the other AdSpark personnel to see. That’s not all though because there were times I’d be assigned to make decks and make google slide presentations for future meetings, and input data during reports season. I was basically doing a lot of admin and secretary work. I’m not trying to bash my department because again I was already told ahead of time by the OCS of what to expect and I had my mind set on it. Therefore, I already knew what to expect but the workload assigned to me was at times very underwhelming. There was even a time where my department was not giving me any tasks because they were busy with various other duties to the point where work became so dull and boring to say the least. Because of this, I kindly asked my direct supervisor if I can be temporarily placed in the Marketing department while I wasn’t doing anything. I was told during my onboarding orientation day along with the other interns that if there were any bland moments, to just approach Ms. Janine (the one assigned to the interns) and she would do something about it. Good thing though Ms. Yana (my Client Services head) was okay with it and I worked for the marketing department for 1.5 weeks. I was also basically doing the essentially the same work as my client services work but more focus on research but at that point I was just desperate to do some work just so that I could log-in my internship hours. Finally, I returned to my client services department and the usual tasks were just being assigned to me until the end of my internship. If one were to ask me what were my top challenge/challenges during my internship, I would say trying to find a way to stay busy and get more engaged in my work for the rest of my AdSpark stay. Being bored is not easy at all. With so much time to pass and nothing to do, it can get very difficult and ironically stressful of not having to do anything at all. Unfortunately, I had to deal with this challenge for 10 weeks. Thank God I was able to manage.

Finally on the last day of work, it was quite nice. Aside from my same old routine I was able to bid farewell to my team. I was actually quite flattered and touched because they told me that I did more than what was expected of me given that there were times I felt that I was heavily underutilized. I think my supervisors knew that they could have done more for me and because of that they thanked me for always exerting effort and enthusiasm to work even though they had nothing prepared for me to work on.That was a good pat on the shoulder. I gifted each of my teammates Php 200.00 each worth of GrabFood coupons and we went our separate ways.

After my days in AdSpark, it made me realize that I’m most likely not cut out for digital advertising and any other data-driven companies though I wouldn’t entirely rule out a possibility of ever returning to this industry since I already acquired some experience. It was a refreshing take for once because I was doing something that was not in my field of knowledge. I even entertained the idea that I could possibly work in this industry. However, I firmly believe that fate has a different course for me and it made me realize that I truly belong in the hospitality field. Please don’t get me wrong. AdSpark is a very reputable company and it indeed has its merits. However, at least for my department, they should really revamp the recruitment and job description of what the client services intern would do. What I found lacking during my tenure was that most of the time I always had to keep asking my supervisors if they had any tasks for me. There were no tasks automatically prepared on-hand for me. I had too much free time. But hey, nothing’s perfect. In the end, I was still able to learn a thing or two from this entirely new industry I was working in.

Now the question is would I recommend AdSpark to future interns? Absolutely! Without a shadow of a doubt I would definitely recommend AdSpark to any person who aspires to work for marketing, advertising, communications, client services etc. In short, if you’re a person who’s into data-driven stuff, AdSpark is the place for you! Just look at the company’s achievements and let that do the talking. AdSpark is a very awesome and reputable company and working here is indeed a privilege for anyone given that it is a Globe company therefore making it an Ayala company. A lot of people would kill just to work for Ayala and working for AdSpark means setting your foot in Ayala’s kngdom. As I said before, my only recommendation is that AdSpark should really revamp their internship system (at least for my department). In some weird way, AdSpark helped me realize that I indeed want to work for the hospitality industry and that AdSpark’s industry isn’t for me (at least maybe for now). But that’s the beauty of trying out different things. You see where you excel and where you fail. Other than that, once again AdSpark is a great company and I cannot express it enough. If it is your dream to work at such a reputable Globe (Ayala) company such as this then I say go for it. When the opportunity presents itself to you, strike while the iron is hot!

Once again, I thank AdSpark for the opportunity it has given me. I thank my supervisor, Yana Dalisay and my mentors Rene Cajoles, Iya Duenas, and Trish Menchaca. It may have been just 10 weeks, but in this short amount of time I was exposed to a whole new world!

[afoolsingenuity]

Looking Forward // May 2017

Welcome to another dose of torture where I reveal all the books I’m excited to be released this month and try and not preorder them all (seriously, it’s a lesson in self-restraint) this month you may think I’m missing a couple of glaringly obvious new releases I should be making grabby hands at but I want to remind you all I go by UK release date whenever possible because those are the copies I want to get my hands on (no offense, US, but your editions are too expensive for my tastes). So, that means I’m not including Emery Lord’s new book or When Dimple Met Rishi as they are released on 1st June here. I just feel a need to put that disclaimer in now.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean – Jenny Han

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Release Date: 2nd May 2017

Ramona Blue – Julie Murphy

Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ, Young Adult

Release Date: 9th May 2017

Lara Jean’s letter-writing days aren’t over in this surprise follow-up to the New York Times bestselling To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You.

Lara Jean is having the best senior year a girl could ever hope for. She is head over heels in love with her boyfriend, Peter; her dad’s finally getting remarried to their next door neighbor, Ms. Rothschild; and Margot’s coming home for the summer just in time for the wedding.

But change is looming on the horizon. And while Lara Jean is having fun and keeping busy helping plan her father’s wedding, she can’t ignore the big life decisions she has to make. Most pressingly, where she wants to go to college and what that means for her relationship with Peter. She watched her sister Margot go through these growing pains. Now Lara Jean’s the one who’ll be graduating high school and leaving for college and leaving her family—and possibly the boy she loves—behind.

When your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?

Ramona was only five years old when Hurricane Katrina changed her life forever.

Since then, it’s been Ramona and her family against the world. Standing over six feet tall with unmistakable blue hair, Ramona is sure of three things: she likes girls, she’s fiercely devoted to her family, and she knows she’s destined for something bigger than the trailer she calls home in Eulogy, Mississippi. But juggling multiple jobs, her flaky mom, and her well-meaning but ineffectual dad forces her to be the adult of the family. Now, with her sister, Hattie, pregnant, responsibility weighs more heavily than ever.

The return of her childhood friend Freddie brings a welcome distraction. Ramona’s friendship with the former competitive swimmer picks up exactly where it left off, and soon he’s talked her into joining him for laps at the pool. But as Ramona falls in love with swimming, her feelings for Freddie begin to shift too, which is the last thing she expected. With her growing affection for Freddie making her question her sexual identity, Ramona begins to wonder if perhaps she likes girls and guys or if this new attraction is just a fluke. Either way, Ramona will discover that, for her, life and love are more fluid than they seem.

Why Am I Excited?

I began reading this series because it was about a girl accidentally having love letters sent out and a fake relationship. I kept reading because of the cliffhanger. And now? Now, I’m just really in love with Peter and Lara Jean. They are the cutest couple and the covers on these books are stunning. Like, so stunning they are amazing. I would love to see all the outtakes of the photo shoots because they are amazing.

Why Am I Excited?

I mean, I’ve not read any of Julie Murphy’s books but I have heard good things and this one sounds like it will be good and great exploration of a character discovering her own sexuality. It’s too easy to think you know exactly what your sexuality is at a young age when really being a teenager is the time for self-discovery. It’ll be interesting to see how this is all explored in the book.

Flame in the Mist – Renee Ahdieh

Genre: Fantasy, Historical, Young Adult

Release Date: 16th May 2017

In A Perfect World – Trish Doller

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Release Date: 23rd May 2017

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn, comes a sweeping, action-packed YA adventure set against the backdrop of Feudal Japan.

Mariko has always known that being a woman means she's not in control of her own fate. But Mariko is the daughter of a prominent samurai and a cunning alchemist in her own right, and she refuses to be ignored. When she is ambushed by a group of bandits known as the Black Clan enroute to a political marriage to Minamoto Raiden - the emperor's son - Mariko realises she has two choices: she can wait to be rescued... or she can take matters into her own hands, hunt down the clan and find the person who wants her dead.

Disguising herself as a peasant boy, Mariko infiltrates the Black Clan's hideout and befriends their leader, the rebel ronin Ranmaru, and his second-in-command, Okami. Ranmaru and Okami warm to Mariko, impressed by her intellect and ingenuity. But as Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets that will force her to question everything she's ever known.

Caroline Kelly is excited to be spending her summer vacation working at the local amusement park with her best friend, exploring weird Ohio with her boyfriend, and attending soccer camp with the hope she’ll be her team’s captain in the fall.

But when Caroline’s mother is hired to open an eye clinic in Cairo, Egypt, Caroline’s plans are upended. Caroline is now expected to spend her summer and her senior year in a foreign country, away from her friends, her home, and everything she’s ever known.

With this move, Caroline predicts she’ll spend her time navigating crowded streets, eating unfamiliar food, and having terrible bouts of homesickness. But when she finds instead is a culture that surprises her, a city that astounds her, and a charming, unpredictable boy who challenges everything she thought she knew about life, love, and privilege.

Why Am I Excited?

I really enjoyed The Wrath and the Dawn so I am excited to see more writing from Ahdieh. I am always hesitant over books set in different cultures, like this one being set in Feudal Japan but I’m confident it will be written well with good research (please don’t disappoint).

Why Am I Excited?

Okay, Egypt is a country which has never held much interest for me. I’ve never had a strong urge to visit and so I can totally relate to the MCs unhappiness at going so I am really interested in the idea of her warming to the country upon moving and discovering things she didn’t expect.

Also, I really love Trish Doller’s writing. I still haven’t read her last book (oops) but I am totally there for all she writes because she writes it well whatever she does!

White Hot (Hidden Legacy #2) – Ilona Andrews

Genre: Romance, Urban Fantasy

Release Date: 30th May 2017

I Believe In A Thing Called Love – Maurene Goo

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Young Adult

Release Date: 30th May 2017

Nevada Baylor has a unique and secret skill—she knows when people are lying—and she's used that magic (along with plain, hard work) to keep her colorful and close-knit family's detective agency afloat. But her new case pits her against the shadowy forces that almost destroyed the city of Houston once before, bringing Nevada back into contact with Connor "Mad" Rogan.

Rogan is a billionaire Prime—the highest rank of magic user—and as unreadable as ever, despite Nevada's "talent." But there's no hiding the sparks between them. Now that the stakes are even higher, both professionally and personally, and their foes are unimaginably powerful, Rogan and Nevada will find that nothing burns like ice . . .

Desi Lee knows how carburetors work. She learned CPR at the age of five. As a high school senior, she has never missed a day of school and has never had a B in her entire life. She's for sure going to Stanford. But—she’s never had a boyfriend. In fact, she’s a disaster in romance, a clumsy, stammering humiliation-magnet whose botched attempts at flirting have become legendary with her friends. So when the hottest human specimen to have ever lived walks into her life one day, Desi decides to tackle her flirting failures with the same zest she’s applied to everything else in her life. She finds her answer in the Korean dramas her father has been obsessively watching for years—where the hapless heroine always seems to end up in the arms of her true love by episode ten. It's a simple formula, and Desi is a quick study. Armed with her “K Drama Rules for True Love,” Desi goes after the moody, elusive artist Luca Drakos—and boat rescues, love triangles, and fake car crashes ensue. But when the fun and games turn to true feels, Desi finds out that real love is about way more than just drama.

Why Am I Excited?

I have been excited for this book since 2015! 2015!

That was back when I thought this book was going to be released not long after and I would get to read and then it was delayed. You would not believe how long I’ve been waiting for this book. I am going to devour it when it’s released. I am tempted to book a day off work to do just that but people would think it was weird.

Look, Burn For Me and White Hot and the next book, Wildfire, have terrible covers but they are so, so, sooooo good that you really need to read the first one if you haven’t already. I read it because of Danya (see, you’re recs often do work out but I didn’t expect this 10000 years of waiting business) and I have no regrets about reading. It is the best.

Why Am I Excited?

I am a girl who loves me a good K-drama. I mean, they are seriously addictive with their crazy OTT storylines and swoony romances that get dragged out for more episodes than necessary but you can’t stop watching. You have the ridiculous storylines which would never work in real life but are crazy addictive to watch on TV and they would never be made into UK shows (or US ones really) but you wouldn’t want them to because they would lose all their charm and they wouldn’t work in the same way.

As such, when I saw there was a book about a Korean American who decides to follow the rules of K-drama in her love life I knew I had to read. I am so crazy excited I’m currently contemplating pre-ordering because I want to read this that bad.

The Girl With The Make-Believe Husband (Rokesbys #2) – Julia Quinn

Genre: Historical Romance

Release Date: 30th May 2017

Come Sundown – Nora Roberts

Genre: Contemorary, Romance, Romantic Suspense

Release Date: 30th May 2017

While you were sleeping...

With her brother Thomas injured on the battlefront in the Colonies, orphaned Cecilia Harcourt has two unbearable choices: move in with a maiden aunt or marry a scheming cousin. Instead, she chooses option three and travels across the Atlantic, determined to nurse her brother back to health. But after a week of searching, she finds not her brother but his best friend, the handsome officer Edward Rokesby. He's unconscious and in desperate need of her care, and Cecilia vows that she will save this soldier's life, even if staying by his side means telling one little lie...

I told everyone I was your wife

When Edward comes to, he's more than a little confused. The blow to his head knocked out six months of his memory, but surely he would recall getting married. He knows who Cecilia Harcourt is—even if he does not recall her face—and with everyone calling her his wife, he decides it must be true, even though he'd always assumed he'd marry his neighbor back in England.

If only it were true...

Cecilia risks her entire future by giving herself—completely—to the man she loves. But when the truth comes out, Edward may have a few surprises of his own for the new Mrs. Rokesby.

Love. Lies. Murder. A lot can happen... COME SUNDOWN

Bodine Longbow loves to rise with the dawn. As the manager of her family's resort in Western Montana, there just aren't enough hours in the day - for life, for work, for loved ones. She certainly doesn't have time for love, not even in the gorgeous shape of her childhood crush Callen Skinner, all grown up and returned to the ranch. Then again, maybe Callen can change her mind, given time...

But when a young woman's body is discovered on resort land, everything changes. Callen falls under the suspicion of a deputy sheriff with a grudge. And for Bodine's family, the murder is a shocking reminder of an old loss. Twenty-five years ago, Bodine's Aunt Alice vanished, never to be heard of again. Could this new tragedy be connected to Alice's mysterious disappearance?

As events take a dramatic and deadly turn, Bodine and Callen must race to uncover the truth - before the sun sets on their future together.

Why Am I Excited?

I feel like the name Julia Quinn should be enough to be excited about this book. But if it’s not then it’s also for the whole fake married thing as well. I have been excited about this book ever since the buddy read I did with Danya and Kaja and hot damn I need to get on reading this (also, guys, we need another buddy read, they make even the worst book good).

Why Am I Excited?

I have only ever read one Nora Roberts and it was fantastic. I got emailed about this book a while back and missed out on a physical ARC (damn my need to work stopping me from replying to emails) and I’ve been excited ever since. Luckily, I got approved on Netgalley for it and plan to read sharpish so either way, I get to enjoy.

I’ve not read much romantic suspense but it’s definitely one of those genres I know I’ll love because it’s my kind of genre. I like the mystery to go with my romance and it gives a bit more depth for when you’re fatigued by contemporary.

Wow, there really are a lot of books coming out on the end of the month, aren’t there? It will be a busy day for me, I was joking but maybe I really should take a day off and read.

Anyway, have a missed off any important releases? Which books are you excited to get started with in May?

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