Category: Advocate

Wow, there’s Nothing On TV aka C-Spot Reviews: The Chained Heat Edition by Megan

Over the last few weeks, my reading increased in direct proportion to the number of cable shows’ season finales. Now that I’ve exhausted all the PVR’d episodes of various series I’ve been hoarding, I’ve started playing around with the “On Demand” selection of movies and series that was included with my cable package. Sadly, just because it’s “On Demand” doesn’t mean that it is “In Demand”.

One of the series I stumbled upon was Femme Fatales – which I thought could be interesting as I’m a big fan of the Noir genre. This anthology series is produced by Cinemax, which I didn’t discover until later is also known as Skinamax, and the first episode follows a Lindsey Lohan-like actress who’s sent to prison. Oh yeah, baby, Women in Prison. Once I picked my jaw up off the floor during the rather, uhm, vigorous sex scene between Lacey and her cellmate, Camille, I had a good laugh, seriously considered rewinding and was reminded of a few fanfic and lesfic stories. I know, I know – Women in Prison movies and pulp novels were exploitive, geared to push censor boundaries and titillate male audiences. But there are a few WiP lesfic stories that I loved – more for the absolute angst ridden melodrama than anything else (and, some hot smoldering sex behind bars). Once I thought about them, I just had to read them again. For research purposes of course.


Hard Times by Blayne Cooper From her days as Advocate in the fanfic world, I’ve always been a big fan of Blayne Cooper’s work. She has a wicked sense of humour with fast paced and imaginative plots and characters who stood out as vibrant, smart. Hard Times was one of the first “published” novels by Cooper that I read and I think it is an excellent example of successful transitioning from fanfic to publishing. Her humour is still there but there are more serious plot lines and I found the characters even more real and endearing than in her fanfic. Kellie Holloway is a privileged, self-destructive woman who ends up in prison after a drunken confrontation with the police ends in tragedy. Once there she meets Lorna Malachi, a woman who’s been incarcerated since she was a teen and has learned early how to toughen up and survive behind bars. An unlikely friendship (not really … since this is a pretty common trope in prison stories) develops and of course there’s a sizzling romance and at least one shower scene. Both main characters are flawed – making bad choices along the way and learning to deal with the consequences – but at the same time. If you haven’t read this one yet, I’d recommend it as a well written romance set in a not so typical setting .


Angel and Ice Trilogy by Susanne M Beck (Sword’n’Quill)
(Redemption, Retribution, Restitution)
Note: I read (and re-read) the fanfic versions of these books, and can’t tell you whether the published versions (issued in early 2000’s) have any major differences, editing, etc. According to Amazon, these books are still available in paper version, though the publishers that are listed are no longer in business. Fanfic versions can be found here: http://www.ausxip.com/fanfiction/r/redemption.html, www.ausxip.com/fanfiction/r/retribution.html , http://www.ausxip.com/fanfiction/r/restitution.html
Angst, romance, tragedy, deception, danger, corruption, noble sacrifices, soul mates (who are united, torn apart, reunited, torn apart and reunited again), scads of uber characters including a gang called The Amazons, lots of sex, lots of violence, an over the top plot that keeps getting more and more ridiculous, hilarious dialogue that makes the reader laugh out loud and a breathless florid narrative. I really shouldn’t … but I really love this story . This is a long series – in which the author seems to be having such a fun time telling the story from Angel’s perspective that she just doesn’t want to wrap things up and continues to throw up obstacles in the path of Angel and Ice’s quest for a Happily Ever After. And I had such a fun time reading it that I didn’t want it to end. Angel, who embodies her nickname, is convicted of killing her husband (but it was self defense as he beat and was about to rape her) and sent to The Bog to serve out her sentence. The Bog is a decrepit, corrupt and dangerous women’s prison full of gangs, crooked guards and …. lesbians. How could I not love this series? Once Angel has established herself as a person who can “get things” behind prison walls and settles in for what is going to be a long sentence, Ice returns. One of the most uber of uber characters, Ice is an assassin for the mob until she’s double-crossed and returned to prison where she resumes her leadership of the Amazons, a gang of self-appointed protectors of the innocent. Dark, brooding, stoic, noble and a total bad ass when it comes to fighting – of course she’s Angel’s soul mate. The first book focuses on Angel and Ice’s time in the Bog, the second follows them on the lam and the third continues as they deal with the aftermath of the second book. This series pretty much breaks the angst-o-meter, so be prepared to suspend your disbelief and enjoy.

Orange is the New Black
Based on a book by the same name, this is a standout new series produced and available through Netflix. I haven’t had a chance to watch any of Netflix’ other series, but they knocked this one out of the park. The actors, writing and production in this series are outstanding – something I wasn’t expecting from a company that doesn’t even have a channel on TV. The story follows Piper Chapman, a rather self-absorbed and entitled woman who ends up in prison for inadvertently being her ex’s mule in an international drug cartel. Chapman is a spoiled little rich girl, used to avoiding consequences and taking accountability for her words and actions and to say that she’s a fish out of water in prison is an understatement. Although she is the primary character in the series, I think Orange is the New Black shines through the ensemble cast. Unlike most series, each of the supporting characters back stories of how they ended up in prison is brilliantly portrayed – elevating what would normally be two dimensional, stereotypical background characters into fully developed and real women whose circumstances and choices led them to incarceration. Even better, as the series progressed, characters I liked, I learned to hate and those I hated I fell in love with. I started this series with almost no expectations – and finished it on the edge of my couch, devastated that I have to wait a year to find out what happens next.

Cobb Island by Advocate (Blayne Cooper)

Cobb Island is a book length Xena Uber that is really two stories in one. Blayne Cooper, writing as Advocate, introduces us to four modern day characters: Olivia Hazelwood, her teenaged brother Dougie, Kayla Redding, and her teenaged sister Marcy. While on a week’s vacation to a remote Redding family owned island in Virginia, Liv joins Kayla in the search for a long lost family history. Meanwhile, Dougie and Marcy debate taking their relationship to the next level. Sharing the main focus of the story with Liv and Kayla are Bridget Redding and her sister-in-law, Faylinn. Their tale takes place in the late 1600’s. I enjoyed these parts of the story the most.

As with the other works I’ve read by Blayne Cooper, Cobb Island is a tightly written piece. She weaves easily between Liv and Kayla, Dougie and Marcy, and Bridget and Faylinn. While this is a romance, it’s also a bit of a ghost story with paranormal activity, and throughout there’s plenty of humor to keep it light. There is intimacy and attempted rape, I don’t recall anything that would push this further than a PG rating.

http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/a/advocate_cobbisland.html

Echoes from the Mist by Advocate (Blayne Cooper)

Echoes from the Mist, another book length fic, is the follow up to Cobb Island. It continues the story of Kayla and Liv a few months after we leave them in first story. Lucky for us, we get to learn what happened to Bridget and Faylinn. Again, that was my favorite part. Marcy and Dougie are absent from this story, except for a cursory mention of them at the beginning when Cooper is reestablishing the relationships and histories of the characters for the readers who may be reading the sequel some time after Cobb Island.

I won’t give much away but I enjoyed the sequel as much as the first in the series, even more. The storyline involving Bridget and Faylinn was still tight but I was less satisfied with the rest of the story. Don’t get me wrong, the entire thing was good and kept my interest throughout, although I do admit to rushing through the Kayla/Liv portions to get to the Bridget/Faylinn ones. There were some mis-used words, like bath instead of bathe and breath instead of breathe, as well as some uses of Bridget or Faylinn when the author clearly meant to use Kayla or Liv. These things will happen in fan fiction but it seemed that perhaps Cooper didn’t have a beta read through the last few chapters because that’s when it happened several times. But, again, a reader will see those things when reading unpublished, on-line work. Hell, we see it in published books every now and again.

Echoes from the Mist is a bit more racy but still nothing more than what I would consider PG-13. Ok, now that I’m a mother, maybe PG – 15. And just like Cobb Island, I found myself laughing out loud several times.

If you read Cobb Island and enjoyed it, you’ll probably like the sequel even more. I did.

http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/a/advocate_echoesfromthemist.html

The Story of Me by Advocate aka Blayne Cooper

What is it with squirrels that make them move into uberish fan fiction storylines ? Don’t get me wrong I do love squirrels especially the chestnut coloured ones that we have in my neck of the woods, and I especially like the BadSquirrel – you know the pen that turned out my favourite online fic “Rumors”, but how come squirrels drop into storylines talking to themselves about the protagonist or too the protagonists? Ok so maybe it’s just Advocate that has this quirk with squirrels, but I still wonder why.

Should you be in need of a good laugh and you want a Larisa break you could go watch Randi our 5’11 ft., 32 years old, single and straight protagonist sitting on a bench telling two squirrels the story of her life, while she gathers courage to go nock on Mac’s door.

You might ask who Mac is, but I think that I’ll just let Randi tell you about her and easy you into her story of stalking and revenge, of Randi posing as Mac’s loving girlfriend for a family gathering and how this little fun playing around with people’s minds somehow blows up in Randi’s face.

I know that I’m not really telling you what this is all about, but I think this story deserves to be experienced without knowing exactly what to expect so that you’ll get the full benefit of the humour both in the dialog and storyline.

For those of you who want a touch of romance – never fear – this is humour and romance all in one story – “get two for the price of one” – I’ll say that’s an offer that you can’t refuse! This story is well written with a smooth storyline and a couple of lovable characters to keep you interested.

If you become attached to the squirrels you can pick up Advocate and T.Novans “The Road to Glory” where you’ll get a chance to meet them again, and should you just happen to like the intervention of wise little animals in a storyline you could chance a look in on a couple of turtles and their humans Sam and Cory in Carola “Ryûchan” Eriksson’s” “Ignorance is Bliss” and “It’s A Turtle Life”.

The Story of Me is also reviewed on this site by Incognito.

http://xenafiction.net/scrolls/advocate_tsom1.html

 

 

The Story of Me by Advocate (Blayne Cooper)

This is one of the wackiest stories I have ever read. It is the story of Randi and Mac. Randi has a long standing grudge, Mac has a recent one. The object of their “affections” is the same woman, so they join forces to face her at Mac’s family get together.

The characters are completely and utterly crazy but no less lovable. Blayne Cooper’s writing and exquisite sense of humor shines again. The length of this story is perfect, and it is a wonderful relaxing treat, and very recommended.

Quicksand By Advocate (Blayne Cooper)

Belinda Blaisdell is a private investigator, college drop-out and surfer who loves her job because of the freedom it allows her. When Kale and Lokelani Poppenhouse want to hire her her life changes dramatically. The concerned parents think something is wrong with their only daughter Keilana, who refused to go home for her break from college, broke up with her fiance, uses every bit of her cash allowance with nothing to show for it. What Belinda thinks should be an open/shut case, turns her life upside down.

This story is not too long, and Blayne Cooper’s style is absolutely wonderful. Witty most of the time, angsty when it needs be and always crisp, it pulls you in.

Recommended light reading.

http://pdafiction.com/advocate.htm

Soul Searching by Advocate & T Novan

From my favorite writing team, Blayne Cooper (as Advocate) and T. Novan, comes Soul Searching. It’s a tightly written Conqueror story that I’ve enjoyed reading a couple of times. It begins with a bored Xena leaving her palace in the middle of the night and finding herself hiding out in the small village of Poteadia where Gabrielle works in the tavern/inn.

This story has pretty much everything you’d want in a Conqueror piece – blood, sex, intrigue, love, and family – along with many of our favorite characters: Ares, Callisto, and Autolycus are some of them. The plot is pretty fast paced and it can be difficult at times to put it down. It’s a long work and I didn’t feel that there was any filler in it. The characters were well developed and I felt invested in their story.

There are a few places when the authors forgot to remove words after finding one they thought fit better and a handful of typos but the story is well worth it. By far, one of my faves.

http://ausxip.com/fanfic12/soulsearching.html