TaraLeigh's FF Playground

TD Vid

2011-01-28T00:27:00.000-05:00

Mercy.
Just....MERCY.

Pirates are BACK!

2010-12-14T20:54:00.000-05:00

I just loooooooooooove me some Captain Jack!
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

Holidays = Tessa and Jon

2010-11-28T19:40:00.000-05:00

Come visit me and the girls on the Fan Fictionista's Thanksgiving Blog: Pornucopia.
We all wrote a little biscuit in honor of the season revisiting some of our favorite characters.
I, of course, had to do a Jon and Tessa story.
This one is in it's entirety. Just a little biscuit.
Man, I just love writing these two.

Home: A Miami Thanksgiving

Hiatus

2010-11-08T10:21:00.000-05:00

I didn't intend on taking a month long hiatus, but that's what it's looking like.
Just wanted to give everyone a head's up.
*sigh*

I was just going to take care of NaNo and still write on the other stories, but moving into a new house AND doing all this? It's just not gonna happen.

I'll be back in December.
I'm hoping my readers will still be there.

Home for the Holidays - FINALLY

2010-08-25T12:52:00.000-04:00

Yep, I know it's been a LONG while, but all these cute family pix that surfaced gave me the final push to get the Christmas story done. a few more chapters and it'll be done. Couldn't quite stay away from them.

next part: Christmas Eve 4:48

Devotion

2010-08-19T07:50:00.000-04:00

Devotion's got a new chapter up, finally. ;)
It's a non angsty one for once! Imagine that? Enjoy a little brother/sister love.

DEV: NINETEEN

New Short

2010-08-09T21:17:00.000-04:00

I wrote this awhile ago, but a friend reminded me of it and I realized I'd never posted it publicly.
Soo...

You can find The Dark Corner posted on my FF Notebook page. Enjoy. ;)

Short updated

2010-07-05T12:18:00.000-04:00

The FF Notebook's been updated.
Part 3 of Fly By Night is up.

YES...next post is Dev. I'm about 75% done with the chapter. ;)
More Richie/Steph goodness.

New Blog

2010-07-01T16:43:00.000-04:00

So...every once in awhile I need to write a short story and sometimes it's just easier to lock 'em all up in one spot. And since I'm obsessed with notebooks, it seemed like a natural progression for me to create a FF notebook for myself.

If you're interested, give it a look. The FF Notebook

The first story is just a small one. A little Jon smut biscuit that's about 4 chapters long.

Fly By Night

It's Hard Letting You Go

2010-06-27T11:31:00.000-04:00

Oh yeah...this girl has whined, cried, and sighed through the setlists over at the O2 for the last 12 shows, but nothing comes close to what this song did to me. Hell, he hasn't played it in over 15 years.

Here's to bringing these crazy setlists over to the US.

We deserve them just as much.

And the Jovi-A-Palooza Starts!

2010-05-20T16:46:00.000-04:00

I've been waiting for May to come around, and the shows are just around the corner now. My great friend, Kiwi is coming in from New Zealand--flying on a jet plane right now as a matter of fact! I've got another awesome friend coming in from London - YOU, VOLCANO--Stay silent!

I've been concentrating on my non-FF writing for the last few weeks--trying to get something ready to submit this summer. I was hoping for this week actually, but as usual, I can't shut up. LOL It's taking more words to get my point across--gee, I don't know where else that could have happened? *-*

But, because all I can think of is Jovi...I did manage to get a few chapters of Devotion ready for posting. First one is up now. My Jamie and Jon...*sigh* How they do love to screw with my readers...er, I mean, my head. LOL

See Chapter TEN for more details. ELEVEN will be ready tomorrow.

More Jovi fun in the blog on its way. The 3 of us will probably be blogging a lot of details about our trip--whether you care or not. LOL!

YT is Evil pt 2

2010-04-04T02:57:00.001-04:00

How's a girl supposed to survive a YT like this?
GOD, I wish I'd been at this show.

You guys in the midwest, I hope you understand just what kind of amazing gift you got with this show. HOLY HANNA!!

Yep, YT is Evil

2010-04-03T23:51:00.001-04:00

I worked like a little slave-girl today with the whole--Let's get the house organized--thing that my brother and I are doing. We know that we'll have to sell soon, and want to be a little more prepared for that eventuality.

It was good to do, but OMFG am I broken.

So, to make myself feel better I kinda lost myself in YT.

The look, the dirty little laugh? Yep. I should have been at this damn show.

sigh Does It Get Any Better?

2010-03-27T11:28:00.001-04:00

I don't believe there's anything quite like the harmonies these 2 can do together.
One of my ALL TIME faves--and so rarely performed.

I should have been at this show, dammit.

Mohegan Sun's 3/26/10 show: Never Say Goodbye

Building Characters

2010-03-26T15:26:00.000-04:00

I've been in the FanFiction game longer than I've been involved in the regular writing groups deal. I've always loved to mold an existing character into my wants and needs--even tweak him/her as I see fit.

But what about the character you have to design from scratch? What about the protagonist, or the heroine, or even the bad guy? How do you find that note of creativity and believability when you don't have an established RL character to work from?

A lot of us in the FF realm will make the heroine in our stories a little too close to our own image. And that's great--for our first story. Write what you know, right? But what about when you have a cache of stories and your heroine is starting to sound the same every time?

How do you change it up?

How do you make people care about your character? It's an important question and one that you should think about before you start writing a story. Far too often (ESPECIALLY ME) I start a story with an idea, but I don't think far enough ahead about what the story will become and the story starts to stagnate, to drift into that boring sort of static character that no one gives a crap about.

So tell me writers...how do you make your heroine stand up to the men we write about. This could be the Jovi Fiction that I'm most familiar with, or even another band--a TV show--whatever. When you've got a living, breathing character like the lead singer of a band, or the lead guitarist, how do you create a female counterpoint that can hold up?

Discussion anyone?

Life Lessons

2010-03-25T10:13:00.000-04:00

A friend sent this to me at work. It suited what's been going on in my life for the last 4 mos. Life lessons really suck, but they're lessons for a reason. As a writer, I know to put them in my story to make my characters grow, as a person--you prefer not to have to learn them.

My mom was one of those amazing people that should have been on this earth far longer than I had her. How could she leave before everyone knew just how amazing she was? But when I was standing there in the receiving line for the wake, I realized that there were SO many people out there that knew. I can't express how much easier that made things for me.

Yes, I cried when I saw certain people. Yes, the pain was unspeakable. Yes, I wouldn't wish this kind of thing on anyone, but the only good thing that came out of this were the lessons learned. My mom was one of those amazing people that never had a bad word for anyone. I saw that, but the number of people that came up to me and told it to me gave me a lot of peace.

They knew. It made it a little easier to deal with losing her, knowing that so many people would remember her.

She left a legacy that I hope to live up to.

Wordless Wed

2010-03-10T11:28:00.000-05:00

And the Sunshine goes to...

2010-02-09T21:57:00.000-05:00

Me! LOL THANK YOU BECKY!

She bestowed this lovely award unto me! And it's time to pass things along--Pay It Forward if you will. ;)

These are the rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog or within the post.
2. Pass the award onto 12 bloggers whose blogs you enjoy the most.
3. Link the nominees and their award-winning blogs within your post.
4. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

1. The Goddess Hathor, The Goddess Hathor
2. SoulGirl, A Little Bit of Soul
3. Hath & Friends, Bon Jovi: The Circle Tour
4. Big Apple Jovi Girl, It's My (Bon Jovi) Life
5. Queenie, Queenie's Corner
6. FM, The Fiction Mistress
7. Becky, Jovi Bits
8. Tre, Tre's Fantasy Zone
9. Liz, Liz's Lair
10. Kiwi, Life As We Know It
11. Catte, Catte's House
12. Sunstreaked: Sunstreak's Corner

This was fun. I think I'll put it up for my regular writer sites too. ;) Thanks, Becky!

My Continued Absence...

2010-01-10T20:53:00.000-05:00

I know my writing has been less than steady lately, and I wanted to give you guys a head's up as to what's happening.

Right around Thanksgiving we received some rather scary news about my mom. Some of you know that my dad passed away from cancer about 7 years ago now...well, looks like the fates decided that our family would get one more challenge. Mom has Stage 4 colon cancer that's moved into her lungs.

Thankfully my mom's a fighter, and we're looking at our options. Thursday night we had a terrible scare with a seizure. As if the colon and lungs weren't bad enough, the mets have now moved into her brain. Right now, the only option we have is to fight the brain tumors-yes, multiples-and see where we go from there.

I'm not posting for sympathy, though I will take prayers from anywhere I can. But writing is and will always continue to be an outlet for me. With all that's happening, it just might not be a very steady outlet. I know you guys will understand, but I did want to at least give you a head's up as to why I'm absent from time to time.

Christmas is Coming

2009-12-15T00:40:00.000-05:00

And I'm soooo not ready!!
But, of course, the muse has its own timetable.
*sigh*

So, Tessa and Jon wanted to come out and play.

Home for the Holidays is up for your enjoyment--just a short story to revisit Jon and Tessa. It'll only be a few posts long.

Jovi SOTD: Learn To Love

2009-11-01T13:15:00.000-05:00

*sigh* I reaaaaaaaally love this song. I tend to listen to this one over and over again--They really know how to rip your guts out, then leave you wanting only more pain. LOL LTL is definitely going to be on my keepers shelf. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it.
And it's officially the first ringtone on my phone. ;) Thank you Verizon for having such cool RT's. Halle Halle!

LEARN TO LOVE

I have run from the truth

Since the days of my misspend youth

I was hungry for kindness

I was lost in life's blindness

When you're born without wings

All you dream of, all you want

Is that feeling of flying

Of rising and climbing

Halle, halle, we're one breath away

halle, halle, from our judgement day

Leave it all on the table

If you lose all you win

You've got to learn to love the world you're living in

Always thought I'd die young

In these hands I've held the gun

But it's too late for dying

Now there's nothing worth hiding

I've lost love, lived with shame

I was humbled by my fall from grace

On the steps of decision

It's revenge or forgiveness

Halle, halle, we're one breath away

Halle, halle, from our judgment day

Leave it all on the table

If you lose all you win

You've got to learn to love the world you're living in

Halle, halle

Halle, halle, we're one breath away

Halle, halle, from our judgement day

Leave it all on the table

If you lose all you win

You've got to learn to love the world you're living in

Halle, halle, and that's how it is

You've got to learn to love the world you're living in

Halle, halle

Today's Jovi SOTD

2009-10-29T18:59:00.002-04:00

TRACK: 4

SONG: Superman Tonight

ARTIST: Bon Jovi

ALBUM: The Circle

Well, considering I haven't listened to ANYTHING else---are you surprised it's a Jovi song? LOL
Yeah, that's what I thought. LOL
Superman was among the only 'clips' that I liked that were released.
Big thank you to my GF for writing up the words. *sigh*

There's something about you
I wanna rescue
I don't even know you
So what does that mean
Maybe I'm cynical
Painfully logical
You're tragic & beautiful
and that's good enough for me.
You're looking for a hero
but it's just my old tattoo
Tonight I swear I'd sell my soul
to be a hero for you

Who's gonna save you
when the stars fall from your sky
and who's gonna pull you in
when the tide gets too high
Who's gonna hold you
when you turn out the lights
I won't lie
I wish that I
Could be your Superman tonight

If somebody sent you
An angel to save you
What would you tell him
to turn him away

That your heart don't break

That your lips don't kiss

That life is just a lie

That heaven don't exist

*SIIIIIIGH---favorite part*

Who's gonna save you
when the stars fall from your sky
and who's gonna pull you in
when the tide gets too high
Who's gonna hold you
when you turn out the lights
I won't lie
I wish that I
Could be your Superman tonight

Who's gonna fix you the next time you break down
Stranded alone by the side of the road
It's your baggage that's dragging you down
Don't look back
Let it go
oh-oh oh-o-oh

Who's gonna save you
when the stars fall from your sky
and who's gonna pull you in
when the tide gets too high
Who's gonna hold you
when you turn out the lights
I won't lie
I wish that I was that Superman

Who's gonna save you
when the stars fall from your sky
and who's gonna pull you in
when the tide gets too high
Who's gonna hold you
when you turn out the lights
I won't lie
I wish that I
Could be your Superman tonight

My Current Obsession...

2009-10-28T18:30:00.004-04:00

Track: SIX
SONG: Thorn In My Side
ALBUM: The Circle
ARTIST: Bon Jovi

Yeah, so I'm totally obsessed with this song. I just can't help it!
The grit, the growls, the clenched teeth I can hear in my head as JBJ's singing some of the lyrics.
THE GUITARS!
*sigh*
New Jovi makes me VERY happy.

Devotion

2009-10-19T03:33:00.000-04:00

For those of you that don't know, I did start a new story: Devotion.

It's a Puppy tale to start. Young guys, starting in 1986...right at the cusp of the explosion. It's a Jon and Richie centric story.

Devotion Click Me

Chapter two is up...a Jon and Jamie chapter.

INTERVIEW: TheGoddessHathor & Totalconfushun

2009-09-27T02:25:00.001-04:00

WIP: Rings

INTERVIEW/CHAT: TheGoddessHathor & Totalconfushun

Welcome to the first in my series of FanFic Author interviews. Hath and T were generous enough to hang out with me for an evening and talk everything from writing individual projects to the wild world of interactive fiction. I was going to try to pick apart the Chat, but I think you guys just deserve the insanity. LOL

I didn't change any of it, just rearranged the order of things so that you could....attempt to follow our crazy Chat/Interview. I'm hoping to do a few more interviews. I've contacted a handful of authors and I hope to do a lot more. These women are friends and, I think, soon to be friends. Welcome to the playground, now let's play!

TaraLeigh: so you guys ready for this?

Hath: Ready!

T: I'm always ready

Hath: *cracks knuckles*

Hath: Bring it on!

TaraLeigh: Who came up with the kernal of the idea for Rings?

Hath: It was Terri's idea.

T: a collab was Hath's idea....

T: I had the idea for a fairy story...and pitched it to her

Hath: I caught it :)

Hath: I was a little hesitant at first b/c I was worried about the whole religious aspect of it, and worried I wouldn't be able to keep from being preachy/god-y, etc.

TaraLeigh: How do you guys do most of your writing?

Hath: I'd say separately for the most part.

Hath: One of us will start "the next chapter"

T: we spend a couple hours on the phone every few weeks....and just sort of brainstorm

Hath: and let the other know when there's something up.

Hath: but there are some chaps that are written by one of us fully, and the other does edits and adds little touches here and there.

Hath: for the most part, though I don't think you can tell who wrote what (when it isn't Jon- or Richie- centric, that is)

T: well...we discussed the fact that EVERY religion has a belief in a "creator"....we've been trying to stay within the boundaries of what would apply to them all

Hath: In the beginning, Terri had to keep reminding me of that nearly every time we talked ;)

TaraLeigh: I'm a big fan of mythology and world building. Was it conscious as a theme?

TaraLeigh: or just kind of happened?

Hath: Oh yes, it was absolutely a Jon-and-Richie-save-the-world story from the get-go

Hath: Terri had the Jon piece all sorted out (with Excalibur)...we're still fine-tuning Richie

T: I know what's written by Hath....if it's good or funny...then she wrote it....lol

Hath: Terri is fantastic with plotting and figuring out twists and making them all work out.

TaraLeigh: And we know Hath's seat of her pants writer-girl. LOL

T: there was a lot of "what if we did this" or "what if we did that" type stuff....

T: well...every story has a main conflict...so we started out pitching ideas until this one sounded good

T: oh...I should add here that my oldest daughter helped quite a bit in the beginning

T: pointing out flaws in the plan...or suggesting things.

T: Kenly (that's my 22 year old) is really into fairys and things like that...

T: I'm seat of my pants too

Hath: Tara, that's so true. I do NOT plot

T: that's why this works so well...

TaraLeigh: I'm a HUGE fan of Fairy's/Fey

TaraLeigh: Do you take things from Lore? Or just go ahead and make things up?

T: we do this one chapter at a time...

T: a mix of both

T: I told Hath in the beginning that as long as we kept one thing in mind throughout this whole deal we'd be golden...

Hath: both. The Centurian and his story (Alec's backstory) is all true.

T: that one thing?

T: that every human myth has a basis in fact

T: I told her we'd keep what we wanted to use and dismiss the rest as just myth

Hath: We're totally making up Richie's sword and story.

TaraLeigh: I like the dismissing the crap or that doesn't fit as Myth.

Hath: Though we did find a river in Europe or Africa that is the Sambra

TaraLeigh: LOL

Hath: Though Accolon was a real Knight

T: yeah Accolon has no "real" place in the Arthurian legend

T: that's what I did with DLS (Dirty Little Secret)

Hath: Yeah, Accolon had nothing to do with Arthur's demise

Hath: "IRL"

TaraLeigh: personally, I think that's the best part of working with the vamp tropes....to rewrite and tweak.

T: I used the part of vampire lore that fit where I wanted to go with the story and dismissed the rest as myth

TaraLeigh: Terri----How does partner writing differ from your long stories like DLS?

T: or...if I didn't dismiss it...I explained how it came to be expected...or how the myth got started...

T: example? The sunglasses thing to go out into daylight....

T: differ?

T: hmmm...

T: not much really....

TaraLeigh: Typical Jon characteristic

TaraLeigh: (sunglasses)

T: except that I look forward to going and seeing what she's added to the story...lol

Hath: :)

T: this has been a hell of a lot more fun than writing a story on my own

TaraLeigh: Do you brainstorm with Hath even on your own stories?

T: it's almost like I'm along for the ride right there with the readers. Does that make sense?

TaraLeigh: With the partner writing?

T: brainstorm? Is that what you'd call it Hath?

T: yeah with the partner writing

Hath: I wouldn't call it brainstorming... more like you read me what you've written and say something like "I don't like how that ended" or "it feels like it needs more" or something like that and we start chatting

TaraLeigh: Gotcha---more like Beta+

Hath: It's one of those "oooh oooh, what about this?" moments (we have lots of those)

T: I'm not sure if you'd call it brainstorming on the single stuff....but I do run A LOT of ideas past her....and she points out why it will or won't work....

TaraLeigh: LOL---those are the best.

T: yeah...more like a beta

Hath: Beta+, is that what "real" writers call it?

TaraLeigh: LOL Well---it's more than just pre-reading---so Beta+

TaraLeigh: lol

TaraLeigh: Actually---you two act more like Crit Partners

TaraLeigh: Like Carolynn and I do for the Non-FF

Hath: though it's nothing quite so structured

Hath: I mean we'll go days, weeks sometimes without talking on the phone, then have a marathon 3-hour session, or trade a zillion emails or IMs

T: yeah...and 9 times outta 10 those "oooh ooooh, what about this?" moments turn into the best plot twists....

TaraLeigh: Well, you 2 know each other quite well.

TaraLeigh: How'd you 'meet'?

T: Hath...tell her about the you as Richie and me as Jon convos! That's the best stuff right there

T: lmao

Hath: For Tara's question, I stumbled on T's Place (in the old place, but not the old, old place lol)

Hath: For T's point, in some of the interactive fan fictions we've done, we've taken on the guys as alter personas

T: but we first talked on Topix

Hath: We did?

Hath: lol

TaraLeigh: lol

T: and then she signed up at T's Place and we really got to know each other during the Football Forum story

TaraLeigh: Ahh so it was the interactive Football Forum that got you guys really into it?

Hath: I just remember the first time Terri phoned me. I had found out she was a Published Author and nearly died

Hath: Yeah. That (football forum) was the absolute best collaboration ever.

Hath: It was genius, and everyone had such a great time.

Hath: We had a mantra during that whole thing: It's just a FF, it's just a FF lol

T: that was the best damn idea I've ever had

Hath: People would get MAD that 'Jon' or 'Richie' or 'David' wouldn't answer their posts.

TaraLeigh: For those of us NOT in the know---what was it about?

Hath: Like it was a real board instead of a story

Hath: Terri?

T: It was set around the idea that the thread itself was a message board for football fans...

T: Jon joined to talk with other fans about one of his great passions...

T: and met Sam in the process

T: the side stories just ....well....happened...

T: lol

Hath: That's where Joker came from; my David epic

T: nobody knew he was JBJ at first

TaraLeigh: So, the interactive fanfic---was created to look like a message board forum

T: he was just Kidd...a guy from Jersey

T: right

TaraLeigh: with a story that played out

T: right...

Hath: Tara, some of it was orchestrated

Hath: Terri and I would be on IMs

Hath: and she'd ping me, "Make David say this to Jon"

TaraLeigh: And edit the board to suit, right? Like you would a story?

T: evey so often I would make a "purple post"...telling the readers what was going on off the board

T: No Hath...you're thinking of the TC Interactive Fic

T: we did PM's on the old board for the Football story

T: no...

T: I didn't "edit" the story...unless someone made a post that would've outted Jon or the others...

TaraLeigh: Gotcha

T: or put them somewhere (because that's where they REALLY were) instead of where I had them in the story

Hath: The one of the main ideas behind the interactive FF (Terri, correct me if I'm wrong) was to stretch the writing process

Hath: to have to write on the fly

T: yeah

Hath: Like the whole Jon and the Caramello episode

T: it was to make me have to write on the fly

Hath: which SUCKED by the way

T: to have to come up with a purple post based on what was said just 15 mins before on the board

TaraLeigh: Ahhh the joy of going off on a tangent, or a thread not working out the way you wanted it to.

T: sucked? but that was one of the funniest scenes

T: we did the whole thing in real time

T: so when the guys were in Japan for the LH shows....

TaraLeigh: So, no real plotting---beyond a PM?

T: Nope...no pre-plotting....

T: we had Zan (Richie) posting saying "Greetings from Japan"

Hath: Yeah, but you said, "you have 15 minutes-- go"

T: well...I wanted to give you a dose of the medicine ya'll had been giving me from the get go

T: lol

Hath: The funniest was Zan was in Tokyo, said "greetings from Tokyo" and my character innocently said "what time is it there"

T: other than...how I intended the story to go....but that changed a few times durning the course of the story...lol

Hath: and BOOM, there's an IM in messenger saying, "why the fuck did you do that? Now I have to look it up!"

TaraLeigh: Thank God for FoxClocks

T: lmao

TaraLeigh: lol

T: she did that shit the whole time

Hath: Just trying to keep you on your toes :)

TaraLeigh: So, addicted to the shorts you were writing---you decided to go for longer stories?

T: what do you mean "addicted to the shorts"

T: I started writing ff with a long story....

T: the shorts came later

TaraLeigh: How long did you 'talk' about Rings before you decided to go for it?

Hath: We talked about Rings for a while. We both had other irons in the fire, and wanted to wrap some of those first,

T: how long?...What, Hath? A week? Maybe two, before we started writing?

Hath: but once the characters start talking

Hath: you can't ignore them

Hath: Terri, I think it was a little longer than that.

Hath: You did most of the writing in the beginning b/c I couldn't get my shit together

T: we talked in generic form about a collab for a while

Hath: yeah, since all the interactive FFs were so fun, we thought to try it with a real story

T: but once Fiona and Morganna got names, the bitches wouldn't shut up

TaraLeigh: Couldn't get into the story, Hath? Or...

Hath: That was part of it, Tara. I was worried about the religious angle, and couldn't separate it at first

T: No...she just had a lot of irons in the fire at the time

Hath: Terri and I had some great philosophical discussions in the early days

Hath: but once I knew Morganna's name, that was it.

Hath: plus I had like 5 fics going on plus a few side projects

TaraLeigh: You? overworked? Noooooooooo.

Hath: It's my own damned fault.

TaraLeigh: We're working to pare you down

Hath: I can't seem to tell any of the guys 'NO'.

T: I'm just glad that Fiona kept talking...unlike that bitch Kimber

Hath: lol Poor Kimber.

Hath: I remember you calling me a couple days before Christmas one year

Hath: telling me about her and how she wouldn't shut up

T: Oh and don't even get me on the topic of Steve...I'm still pissed at that bitch

TaraLeigh: I can understand. My Bella talks and hides in equal measure.

Hath: Yeah, I miss Steve

TaraLeigh: Steve and Kimber--halted stories?

TaraLeigh: or Hiatus?

T: Yeah...Kimber talked non stop from that Halloween challenge on what became Jovi Nation....until the Christmas phone call...lol

T: I like to think they're just on Hiatus...and that eventually they'll start talking to me again

T: the problem with Steve is a little more complicated than just not talking though...

T: that was my attempt at a Richie story...

T: and it made my Jonny muse jealous

TaraLeigh: Certified Jon Girl.

Hath: The boys are feisty when they get jealous

T: just a min....my daughter needs her good night love

Hath: Richie was PISSED at me for Joker, which is why he has so many damned active stories

Hath: He's getting mad that there are only two left, and they're pretty well mapped out.

TaraLeigh: You both talk about 'talking chars.' Is it that simple? You write which story talks to you?

Hath: I'll answer while T takes care of her daughter.

TaraLeigh: LOL--well, you didn't start another David story. :D

Hath: Not yet.

TaraLeigh: Memphis will probably yank that can of worms open again, huh?

Hath: Oh yeah...

Hath: And he's looking SO good, and I'm a shallow Goddess...

T: I'm back...

Hath: So to the question...yeah, for me, it's whatever story is talking.

Hath: Whichever Richie is being loudest

T: about the whole talking character thing....usually it's the MFC (main female character) that talks to me...and I just tell her story....but with the whole Jon/TC thing...it was TC that talked to me until the original story was told...now it's TC's Jersey that talks to me when I tell a TC story

T: that's why most of the Jon/TC shorts are told more from his POV than hers

Hath: The only MFC that talked to me was me. In one of the interactive FFs,the one that turned into Online, I had a dream about the ending, and couldn't get it out of my head. It's usually the guys that talk to me. The girls are content to be screwing the Jovi boys.

TaraLeigh: That leads me to my next question---comfy in the male POV? It's personally my favorite place to be.

Hath: Depends on the male.

T: I am...I like to think that I write Jonny pretty well....

Hath: I'm more comfortable as Richie or David because they're more like me -- smart-assish

TaraLeigh: And Jon's moody

T: especially in the interactive stories....when I'm pretending to be him....everyone says I do a great job...and that they sometimes forget it's me on the other end of the keyboard...

T: those were the best compliments I've ever gotten

Hath: Yes, but it's a little more than that for me. I'm afraid to get into Jon's head b/c we're TOO much alike from the control freak perspective. It's too easy to make him a controlling, manipulative bitch

TaraLeigh: Ahh....but that's what he is sometimes, darlin'. :D

Hath: Terri, I think I told you, my heart would beat a little harder when I saw a "JerseyCowboy7800" PM in my box and I KNEW it was you on the other end. lol

T: but....funny thing....

T: Hath forgot it was me when I was pretending to be Richie too...lmao

Hath: Yes, Tara, but I see him as that all the time. I don't believe he's all that sweet. I think he's considerate, but not a sweet or attentive lover like I believe the others to be

T: that's where the mantra "It's just a fan fic...it's just a fan fic" came from....

Hath: I did, actually.

TaraLeigh: I actually think Jon's a bit of a dick

TaraLeigh: And I love him to pieces

Hath: Terri, you don't know this, but at the start of the Football FF, before I really knew you guys, and knew what the FF was all about, I was getting jealous of Lucia's character b/c she was getting Richie, and I thought about dropping out.

T: I think he's probably a real arrogant ass

T: what? really?

TaraLeigh: LOL---that's cute, Hath.

Hath: yep

Hath: really

TaraLeigh: It'll be tough for me not to get Jon if I participate in your new interactive.

TaraLeigh: He's MINE.

T: :))

TaraLeigh: Ahem. *pushes down the bitch*

T: =))

TaraLeigh: There's this little chant...Mine, Mine, Mine...

T: here's the thing....

T: and I'll be the first one to point it out...every time...

T: they're all characters...

T: You won't be Tara...and I won't be T....

TaraLeigh: Easy for you to say, Jonny haver

T: You'll be...whatever you decide on for a name...and I'll be ....whatever...

T: I'm trying not to let her get a name yet

T: lol

TaraLeigh: But I'm always up for a challenge

Hath: Oh GOD, T, don't give her a name yet

TaraLeigh: and I see Tico as a truly interesting character

T: I like to be the MFC and Jon in the interactive stories so that I can steer the story...be more of a conductor

TaraLeigh: Esp after I watched his wedding video. MERCY.

Hath: He's starting to poke my shoulder

Hath: His birthday is coming up and he wants a story on my blog like the others got.

T: Yeah, I think Tico is the most UNDERestimated member of the band

Hath: I totally agree

T: when it comes to sexy

TaraLeigh: shoulders.

TaraLeigh: *pant*

TaraLeigh: Arms

T: and damn...those guns!!

TaraLeigh: *pant*

TaraLeigh: lol

Hath: Have you seen the nude rose-petal pics he did with his then-wife Eva?

TaraLeigh: oh yeah

Hath: Sweet FUCKing hell

T: oh yeah

T: lol

T: there was one thing about working with Hath on Rings that I asked her for out front

T: do you remember what it was Hath?

T: I cuss like a sailor...but there's one swear word that I WON'T use....

Hath: Right. G-ddamn

TaraLeigh: C-bomb

T: Hath uses it all the time...

Hath: Nope, cunt is just fine

Hath: lol

TaraLeigh: *wince*

TaraLeigh: hate that one

T: I asked her for us not to use it in Rings...

Hath: Oh I don't use it, but I don't have a problem with it in context. Hate the P-word, though I use it when the situation calls for it.

T: I won't use GD

T: can't even bring myself to type it out, much less say it

Hath: I have to say, it's been hard not making Richie use that word.

TaraLeigh: I have to say---I use it a lot myself.

Hath: b/c I can so hear his voice saying it

TaraLeigh: GD

T: I was happy to hear Jon make it official in that UK interview...that Fuck was his favorite swear word...

T: cuz it's mine too

T: lol

Hath: It's his favorite extra-curricular activity as well

T: so is "farting in bed" apparently...lmao

TaraLeigh: *snort*

TaraLeigh: How do you smooth out the POV's when you both write all chars? When I did the partner writing thing, I stuck to one char.

T: you just know that's going in a Jon/TC story

T: lmao

TaraLeigh: Yes, I loved that intv.

Hath: at least it isn't sharting

TaraLeigh: EWWWWWWWWWWWWW

TaraLeigh: lol

Hath: :D

T: it's funny...

Hath: I stick mainly to Richie and Anna

Hath: and Terri sticks w/Jon and Fiona

Hath: but we each add to the others' stuff

Hath: and we both do Merlin

Hath: and the other satellite characters

T: the way we do it when it's a chapter with all the characters is one or the other will post a chap and the other will go add dialogue and shit for the other two characters

T: I'll put in some Richie/Anna stuff and then she'll go in and flesh that part out

TaraLeigh: Interesting...ever thought about switching things up? Terri MFC for Richie, and Jon and Hath MFC for Jon/Richie

TaraLeigh: Or do you like the couple control?

Hath: It's not so much the couple control, it's the comfort zone

Hath: it flows faster and better when it's something I'm comfy with. I've done a couple Jon stories, and they were pretty well received, but he's outside my comfort zone

T: yeah...same for me ....we all know how my one attempt at a Richie story turned out

Hath: I don't like the way I write Jon -- I make him too romantic.

Hath: Like my Encounter, The Beach.

Hath: UGH. Sugary sweet

TaraLeigh: But suits, Richie

T: I try to make Jon suck at the romantic department...but occasionally he gets lucky and gets it right....lol

Hath: My version of Richie, yes.

T: I mean...look at the Vamp Jon in DLS...he so sucked at the whole "You're my lifemate" conversation....lol

Hath: I like to think I have him right, just by his demeanor the way he is in interviews, in the shows of his I've seen and heard

Hath: I was in LOVE with VampJon

Hath: and got TOTALLY turned on by Jon feeding off Richie

Hath: *where's my edit button*

TaraLeigh: lol

T: one of my favorite scenes in DLS is when Jon called Richie an idiot savant when it comes to women....

TaraLeigh: well, actually---I'm no fan of Slash fic---but there was a scene in my favorite show---Moonlight, where he had to feed off his best friend.

TaraLeigh: Holy---Gah.

Hath: I'm not a fan of slash either

T: Oh...and the Jon feeding off Richie scene caused me some BIG problems...

T: the bag of ice in his lap was Hath's idea...lol

Hath: but the idea of Jon's lips wrapped around Richie's wrist just flicked something in the southwest corner of my brain

Hath: well, we couldn't let it get ACTUALLY slashy.

Hath: I'd have to stop being friends with Terry, and I LIKE her.

Hath: :))

TaraLeigh: LOL

T: no...I don't do slash...not my thing

T: you LIKE me?

T: wow...

Hath: Of course I do

Hath: You put up with my whining

T: you do know that I'm a real anti-social bitch...right?

Hath: pot....kettle

TaraLeigh: How much do you have to go with, Rings? You mentioned it's a chapter by chapter manifestation.

Hath: Tara, we were just talking about this today

T: maybe that's why this whole thing works...

Hath: a few weeks ago, we mapped out "the rest of the story" which is something like 10 chapters

Hath: but today, we were talking about not being tied to that.

TaraLeigh: lol

Hath: If we find something that sends off in some other direction,

T: just in case we go off on a tangent with something

Hath: we both reserve the right to toss the outline

Hath: Like THAT'S ever happened, Terri

T: I never work with an outline

TaraLeigh: So definitely organic plotting---letting things go where they go.

T: I tried it with the last Mission Impossible challenge I wrote...and it didn't work so well

Hath: We knew how it was going to end from day-1, we just have to get there now

T: right...

Hath: and if our path meanders a bit, well tough shit it's our story

T: we know the ending already

T: right it's our story...the reader needs to just....how does Jon say it?

T: "Buckle up baby...it's gonna be a bumpy ride"

TaraLeigh: uh---hello, 264K for Home.

TaraLeigh: I know about tangents baby

TaraLeigh: lol

Hath: I think that makes it fun, though. Or "funner" lol

T: Sin Happens was 393pages...

T: my publisher threw a fit

TaraLeigh: Had to slash and edit, huh?

T: wanted me to tone it down some....I couldn't decide what to cut...so I didn't cut it...just agreed to the higher price for the book....

Hath: which I don't get, btw. uh, hello 800+ pages for Harry Potter....

Hath: If you need 300 or 600 pages to tell the story that's what you need.

T: they told me that it cost more to produce a book with that many pages....so it would cost more to buy

TaraLeigh: Nice segue actually. How was it to change a FF story into a Non-FF? I've had quite a few people ask me to do it with Home.

TaraLeigh: I personally couldn't.

T: well...

T: it wasn't really all that hard...

T: Jon became Sin...

T: he's still a frontman for a major rock band...

T: still acts on occasion

T: hell...I even made him still own a football team

T: lol

T: I veiled it enough that Jon couldn't sue me...

TaraLeigh: So, you definitely left him Jon with a new name

T: but to a fan...it's still obviously JBJ]

T: Yeah...

T: His name was ....Francis Sinatra Santioni....

Hath: well, except that one 'Jon' in there...

T: or...Sin San Tonki

T: uh...sorry...Sin San Toni

TaraLeigh: lol

T: that was a joke between me and the girls in the MSN group where I first posted the story

TaraLeigh: missed an edit

T: lol

T: and they'll all testify to that

T: lol

Hath: lol

T: Joy and Lucy...

T: at least

T: lol

TaraLeigh: Hath, how did you start writing?

Hath: After my very first Jovi show during the HAND tour, I was trolling the 'net and stumbled over The Layover

Hath: Perhaps the BEST piece of FF out there

Hath: I read it in a week

Hath: I had no idea there was a "market" for this

Hath: I tested the water with a short Jon story called "Breathe" and I was shocked to get readers!

Hath: There was no sex in that one; strictly PG teasing

T: I LOVED that story

Hath: My second story was sappy-sweet, and one I had in my head for a while (the plot, not the guys)

Hath: "Thank You".

TaraLeigh: LOVED that story, personally.

Hath: No sex in that one either. Thank You is one your mom could read

T: I loved that one too

T: lol

T: actually there hasn't been anything Hath's written that I didn't like

Hath: Then I decided I needed to pop my FF cherry so to speak, and I started Rental

T: I couldn't get into Believe...but that doesn't mean I didn't like it

Hath: Thanks T :x

Hath: Rental took off, and after "my first time" I wondered why I was hesitant.

Hath: Then it got excerpted on bonjovi.com

T: you're welcome pard'ner

T: lol

Hath: Remember when I called you after that happened, T?

Hath: I was on the EDGE of insanity, and not in a good way

T: yeah...

TaraLeigh: LOL I remember that.

T: I was in a dead panic too...

T: cuz, I was like...FUCK FUCK FUCK...if they found her...they'll find us all....

T: lol

Hath: Yep, they find me, they find all of you

Hath: lol

T: and I started having nightmares about my meeting in a courtroom with a well dressed and very pissed off rock star....

T: lol

Hath: hence "Sue Me", the story I wrote for Terri :)

TaraLeigh: lol

TaraLeigh: Terri? How'd you start?

Hath: I wrote "Busted", a David story about him busting Hath

T: do you want to know how I started with Fan fic...or how I started writing?

TaraLeigh: Hmm. Both.

T: I've been writing since I was a teenager....I wrote plays...poems...short stories....

TaraLeigh: <---14

T: never was able to finish anything major...

T: I was in 8th grade...

T: at least that's the first thing I can remember...

TaraLeigh: And FF?

T: I used to really piss my English Comp teacher off in college

TaraLeigh: Why?

T: she gave us an assignment once..."What I did on my summer vacation"...I was like..."WTF is this, third grade?"

T: so ...

T: I wrote about my trip to Jupiter...

T: but I forgot to put my name on the paper...

T: so once she'd handed them all back out...except mine...

T: she said..."I don't know whose paper this is...but it HAD to be a radio/tv major's"...

T: I raised my hand admitting that I hadn't gotten my paper back....not knowing that she was gonna read it out loud to the class

TaraLeigh: Oh, man---I'd have DIED.

T: I couldn't slide far enough down in my chair

T: after class the other radio/tv majors in the class were patting me on the back saying "Way to go" and "That was a bull shit assignment...way to tell her off"

T: lol

T: I wrote Sin Happens on a dare

T: I got started writing fan fic on a dare

T: I was in a MSN group with several other jovi fans...

T: and one of them asked the owner of the group about a fan fic section...and once there was a section for it...one of the girls started posting a story...

TaraLeigh: And you thought you could do better?

T: I said that I was by no means William Shakespeare but that I thought I could do better than reading a menu...

T: and I wrote the TC story

T: I was dared to write something by a friend in the group saying "show her how it's done then"...

T: yeah...that girl had no idea how to use an adjective or an adverb...

TaraLeigh: lol

T: it was all.....He got up. He walked across the room. He sat back down.

Hath: I don't like the staccato style lol

T: I gotta admit...the only reason that first story was so damn long is because those ladies kept begging me not to end it yet...

T: they were the ones who encouraged me to send it to a publisher

TaraLeigh: Pretty amazing support group

TaraLeigh: Is that what keeps you both writing? Or do you do it simply for the joy of writing and you can't shut the friggin' muse up.

T: I started writing the story that became Sin Happens in "02

Hath: I write for me

Hath: I enjoy it, it's a nice escape and a hobby for me

T: for me it's a little of both.

Hath: I enjoy coming up with a funny phrase

Hath: and sometimes it's that now that I've found the Muses, they want to be heard.

T: I enjoy the writing....it's an escape for me....but damn...I really love the comments and the feedback....

T: I live for a good comment

Hath: I don't write for others, with ONE exception

Hath: I got bullied into writing two endings for Online

TaraLeigh: Yeah, that was an ouch. I have personal experience in that area as well.

T: I want to go down on record right now saying that I did NOT bully her on that story...

T: I was not one of those...

T: when she emailed me that she wanted to kill Jen off...

TaraLeigh: Do you feel like it detracted from your story?

T: I said go for it

Hath: The bullying came after the original ending was posted on T's Place.

T: even put my two cents worth into the epilogue part

Hath: Yep, you both got advanced copies and gave great feedback

TaraLeigh: Do you stand by the original? Or find the good and bad in both?

T: now...I did tell her that I was a HEA girl...but that if she felt that strongly about killing Jen then she had to do it.

Hath: Actually, I didn't see anything bad in the original

Hath: I think it's the best thing I've ever written

TaraLeigh: I was in on that ending--and have to agree.

Hath: BTW, if your readers are following Online, sorry for the spoiler

Hath: lol

T: I don't usually even get teary eyed while reading fan fic....and she brought me to tears with that story

Hath: Well now, I showed it to a few poeple who didn't know me -- weren't my friends -- and I got different reactions.

Hath: They thought it was "good" but didn't move them to tears.

T: but damn...that's why I'm afraid to give her Richie again in an interactive ff....I'm afraid she'll break his heart again....lmao

T: I had to get out the tissues for the funeral scene...

T: when she had Tiff and then Jon start singing Amazing Grace...

Hath: I wouldn't do that to Richie again. I got it out of my system

T: Jeez...I lost it

Hath: Couldn't you just hear them? lol

T: Amazing Grace is my favorite hymn too...

Hath: Mine too

T: Yeah...I could...that's why I started crying....hell...I was actually singing it ...

T: lmao

TaraLeigh: Well, part of the joy of FF is dragging your readers into YOUR moment--making the chars yours and sharing them. Making Jon, Richie, David & Tico---YOURS. And then sharing them.

T: yeah...but you've also got to remember that they're REAL people....

T: you can't just make them do this or say that because it will further your plot line...

TaraLeigh: No, I agree----I feel they need to have some basic characteristics that shouldn't be changed.

T: you have to try and be true to them as people...otherwise it just doesn't work...isn't believable...the "willing suspension of disbelieve" will only get you so far

T: I've had this discussion with Hath many times....and had to discard a storyline because I didn't think it was believable for JOn to do whatever....

TaraLeigh: I've scrapped many a story, for that same reason

TaraLeigh: Any last comments?

TaraLeigh: Coming up?

TaraLeigh: Push the websites?

Hath: Sure. I have a main site The Goddess Hathor, which is my Jovi site. I post articles, photos, my thoughts, etc., on the guys, their happenings, and their projects.

Hath: I have a fan fiction Pornfolio as well, with all my stories in it.

Hath: My stories are sorted by hero, genre, and a few other slices ;)

Hath: I have 36 completed stories and 3 in progress (not counting Last Call)

Hath: "Hath" was born in March of 2007

TaraLeigh: Christ

TaraLeigh: You put me to shame.

TaraLeigh: lol

T: T's Place

Hath: No Kool-Aid Drinkers Allowed!

T: exactly

T: I will ban someone for being a kool-aid drinker

T: if they go too far with it

Hath: or stoopid (with two o's on purpose)

TaraLeigh: That's refreshing, actually.

T: T's Little Slice of the Web

T: yeah...I have banned someone before...

T: she drank too much of the Richie-aid

TaraLeigh: lol

Hath: Oh, but it's so thick and salty....

T: that girl had Richie-itis in a bad way....

Hath: mmmmm

TaraLeigh: WHORE

Hath: :D

TaraLeigh: lol

TaraLeigh: I wanted to thank you girls for taking the time to come and talk to me.

T: no problem Tara....it was a huge honor for me. I was thrilled that you asked!

TaraLeigh: Well it was nice to get to know you better, Terri

Hath: This was a lot of fun, and I hope your readers give FF a shot. It's just as real a writing genre as anything else

Hath: Thanks so much for asking :)

TaraLeigh: Well, I had a blast---as I knew I would.

T: naaaa....you know nothing about me....lol

Hath: And we were really quite well behaved

TaraLeigh: LOL

Hath: (sorry)

TaraLeigh: We'll have to do a part 2 after I get everyone done

TaraLeigh: lol

TaraLeigh: the naughty version.

TaraLeigh: lol

T: lol...that would be fun

Hath: Yeah it would

Meet the Cast Cont'd

2009-09-16T19:44:00.000-04:00

Devotion's cast of characters is a bit on the well...huge side. I've never had so many peeps involved in one story on my own. I've got the 4 girls of Devotion, the 5 guys of Bon Jovi, a slew of family and supporting cast. It's harder to make everyone have enough screen time, so to speak, and still make a cohesive story.

Now, not to say that I'm not going to enjoy every single last second of it. ;)
There's a lot to be said for plotting and manipulating. heheh

With that being said...here's my next MAIN FEMALE CHARACTER

Stephanie Loran
What's there to say about a woman who's been in love with Richie Sambora since the day she moved in next door? How do you make a long lasting friendship with his sister and not have it be weird. Why, you live in NJ of course.

At the age of 14, Stephanie and her brother Peter, moved to Woodbridge, NJ. An instant connection with Jamie Sambora saved her from a summer of utter boredom and the terror of starting her Freshman year in a strange school. 17 year old Richie Sambora was everything a girl could ever want. A badboy, a gentleman, and a musician. Two of the most influential and fascinating people in her life, all in the same family.

But even unrequited love couldn't hold her back from finding her dream of dance and music. So after High School, she tried her hand at NYC's broadway, when that didn't work out, she went for off broadway, and in a moment of weakness and pride, she finds herself dancing at a strip club. At her lowest point, Richie walks back into her life and makes her question just how much pride she will have to sacrifice before she rethinks a life in NYC. Not to mention having this man see just how far she's fallen.

But with one dream lost, another is given time to bloom. With tenacity and the strong bonds of friendship, she finds the strength to try again. This time, she'll have her best friend at her back. And so...Devotion was born. Can she have the man she loves and her heart's desire at the same time?

Soo...

2009-09-14T23:07:00.007-04:00

I know you've been waiting for Devotion to be posted. I'm working on it---FINALLY. So there should be something posted soon. I want to be ahead of the curve, so you lovely readers aren't holding your butt waiting on me.

It's going to be set in the Slippery Era to start and move on through from there. I'm warning you that it's going to be an epic tale. LOL Perhaps as close to soap opera that I'll ever write. Ongoing storylines with sometimes over the top situations. It's the 80's. I'm all about enjoying the time period.

First up...say hi to one of my Female Leads...

Jamison Sambora

She's my hardass.
She's out to prove herself with her music and her writing. Just because she's Richie Sambora's little sister doesn't mean she'll take the easy way in anything.

But, that doesn't mean Jamie doesn't know how to have fun. Perhaps a little too much fun. She works hard and she plays hard. She wants to live life to the fullest.

Too bad Richie's totally unaware of her growing fascination with frontman and writing partner, Jon. She likes the dark side...the thrill side of getting under Jon's skin. Even if love and loyalty will be tested by getting involved with him.

Promises made long ago will haunt her. Will loving Jon be worth the price?

The Prequels

2009-08-21T18:47:00.002-04:00

I finally finished all the prequels.
I'm working on Devotion, but writing has been giving me a bit of a shitty time of it lately, so I hate to ask you to be patient, but well...that's what I'm going to have to ask.

Not sure what's going on in this stooopid head of mine, but I'm having a helluva time getting down to writing both ff and non-ff.

The Hat is now complete. This is a big tease for the main Devotion story where the background and backlash of this moment comes into play in the future.

The Chase is now posted. I had this one up on Jovi Nation, but I gave it a nice little home for those that don't go over there. If you don't, I highly recommend it. JN is a very fun place to read, drool and party it up. Donna and her gang do a wonderful job! We even have a BOY over there that keeps us all pretty and operational!

Devotion Prequel pt 1

2009-08-01T15:58:00.002-04:00

Well it's August. I've had a bit of a hairy month in July trying to convince myself I didn't hate writing. LOL It REALLY felt like I did.
LOL

But, me and my muse are going steady again. Might be a little bumpy for a bit, but we're back in love. LOL

Here's the prequel to Devotion--some of you saw it on JoviNation, but I made a little blog for the people who don't go on the boards.

The Hat

Hope you enjoy.

Jamie will be up in a little bit----Devotion will be starting soon.

New Chapter SOL

2009-07-23T22:50:00.002-04:00

Hey there peeps---I did manage to get myself put together enough to post a new chapter for the revamped Bella & Jon Slice of Life series.

SOL: 2 has grown---a LOT. LOL
For the Love of Compromise shows it's true nature...how do you put two passionate individuals together and not have sparks and fights and misunderstandings? lol

You can't.

Read CH 3 HERE.

Bella and Jon

2009-07-07T23:08:00.003-04:00

New chapter up for SOL: 2
Since I redid the old temps, I lengthened them and gave them a purpose beyond the biscuit lust.

Not that there's anything wrong with the lusty side of those two.
;)
Just needs to be a liiiittle bit more.

LOL

xx

T

SOL: The Return

2009-07-06T22:40:00.004-04:00

Soo....Bella started talking again. I'm rewriting the Temptation series I'd started earlier in the year. She's an exciting character--brash, unwaveringly honest and a little crazy.

Hmm...just how could I identify with someone such as this? LOL

Isabella's what I want to be when I grow up. I retooled CH 1

For the Love of Compromise

Devotion

2009-07-05T01:27:00.002-04:00

Ahhh...so I finally finished Home.
Didn't think it was EVER going to happen, right?

And it finally got around to exactly what I wanted in the story. I left it open for the characters to write their own ending. I showed them healthy and happy...with the future in their midst and a few problems still to fix. ;)
Look for them as a Christmas Present near you. LOL

Now, my new project...

There's plenty of stories out there that look at The Beginning days. How the men were shaped into what they've become. Well add me in. LOL

I'm starting at March 1987 with a few trips into flashbacks of their childhood.

Devotion is the name of the band headed by Stephanie and Jamison.
Devotion is the loyalty between the brotherhood of Jovi and the sisterhood of Devotion.
Devotion is the love between Stephanie and Richie.
Devotion is the commitment to the fans and the ever growling machine that threatens to eat Jovi alive.

Devotion means a lot of things in this story.

There's going to be some dark and twisty turns. There's going to be storylines you may hate me for.

Jon isn't the perfect angel.
Jamison has enough demons that she may need a priest.
Stephanie will know love and what price she has to pay to discover it.
Richie will find love, but can he hold onto it through the dark days of NJ?

It's going to be a crazy ride. I'm not holding back on the darker underbelly of the 80's and their various excesses. I have enough characters to start my own goddamn soap opera. LOL
I hope you'll give it a try.

Devotion's blog will be up soon. I'll post the link as soon as it's live.

Ahhh it's been so long

2009-05-25T10:35:00.003-04:00

Hello peeps. I've been dealing with a lot of personal crap with my grams in the hospital lately and I think a little bit of me is very sad that Home is ending.

It's totally stifling my writer gene, man.

Blah. It needs to end, as much as I will miss these guys. I don't want the story to become too drawn out. (not that it isn't already! LOL!) But it's coming to that natural end where the characters need to live on without their little stenographer.

I hope you like how I've decided to end things. There's only so many threads that you can tie together without making the reader feel like I'm being redundant.

So--working on Home today. I'm in the home stretch...*snort* okay, so that was bad. But it's true. I'm working on the 2nd to last chapter. (No, not for posting. I still have 2 others in the tank that are getting edited. LOL)

So, I hope you'll enjoy the next few chapters and maybe won't mind saying goodbye to these two--they have been my very favorite couple that I've ever written.

Shameless Plug for my Crit Partner

2009-03-23T00:08:00.000-04:00

Hey guys!

Do me a favor and go over to my crit partner, Cari Quinn's blog and read her interview with Michelle Rowen. She's a GREAT author and she's even giving away a copy of Michelle's book, Stakes and Stilettos as a little incentive if you comment.

Thank you!

Male POV

2009-03-12T22:22:00.002-04:00

My DELIGHTFUL crit partner IRL sent me this link and seriously....

SERIOUSLY...

SERIOUSLY!! READ IT!

If you're a writer, whether it's Romance, FanFiction, Mysteries, SciFi.
If you're a female---READ THIS.

Such easy things, but such important things when it comes to a female writer and trying to understand male pov. It's one of the HARDEST things a writer has to do.

Read me.

SERIOUSLY.

Random Hotties

2009-03-10T21:09:00.002-04:00

So...My new obsession is Jason Cameron from DIY.
Talk about freakin' DELICIOUS!
And helloooo...can he wash MY car?

Ahem.
Oh and btw---working on HOME.
Had to throw some Jovi in here.
LOL

Today's...

2009-03-04T19:03:00.001-05:00

Incendiary device.
GOOOD FREAKIN' CRAP!
That man is just pure evil sometimes.

Foreplay Indeed

2009-03-02T15:57:00.002-05:00

*sigh*
This is why I loooove that man!
Freakin' hell...Foreplay indeed.

From Isalay aka Lisa on BS's YT channel.

DEE! Get your hands off my GUY!

2009-02-20T15:08:00.003-05:00

Okay Dee--hands off my scruffy man!
You just like beard, I KNOW IT!

And--well--because they're talking about it and you know you're going to go find it just because you NEED to see that cheesy video...with that one moment of utter deliciousness. Jonny with no shirt in bed of course--and the part where he's smelling the girl's hair. (pssssst 30sec mark)
*sigh* Man... LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=272ssJhnW40

sigh KTF Interview

2009-02-19T15:45:00.000-05:00

I just lub him.
Since I'm sliiiiightly excited about my trip I'll be just bloooggging away with random Jovi things I find this week. *vibrates*
Gaaaaah!!!!!!!
It's alllmost here!!!!!!!!!

Ahem.

It's Nikki's Fault

2009-02-18T05:02:00.001-05:00

She sent me this stupid Youtube and I've about had a meltdown on the hour--every hour.
This is not good for a woman with an active imagination that write's Fanfic about THIS man.

This is also not good for a woman on her 'good' week.

For the love of all that is good and right with this world---why in the blue hell does this man NOT do this in the states!?

My OTHER BF - Letterman

2009-02-14T19:53:00.003-05:00

*sigh*
You guys are going to be soooo sick of Matt Nathanson soon.
LOL!

I'm totally enamored with the guy. I was so happy to hear he was on Letterman last night that I taped it and posted it! LOL Just sucks that it was cut off at the end. Grrrrr. But that's okay.
Almost all the goods were there, so I uploaded it anyway. Talk about delicious! You could see the excitement in his bouncing and damn if he didn't sound AMAZING!

Beacon Theater Reopening 2/13

2009-02-14T14:20:00.004-05:00

Okay....Tara's a little broken.
HOLY SWEET FREAKIN' HELL! Now that's a delicious slice of scruff right there.
Happy Valentine's Day to MEEEEE!!!
It was so hot he got his own post on my damn Blog about it. Gah!!

Oh--yeah there was a reason for the post.Jon showed up--with Wifey in tow--
to the Reopening of the Beacon Theater in NYC.
Gotta say--Dot pulled herself together.
I'm not sure I'd EVER have the balls to wear leather pants--no matter my body. LOL But Go Dot!

Updates

2009-02-06T04:09:00.002-05:00

Home Chapter 145 is up.

And the Home Tracks website updated with the new song as well.

Things are coming to a head in Tessa/Jonny world. Bear with me as the next few chapters will be both hard to write and pretty introspective.

Sigh

2009-02-05T18:56:00.002-05:00

I can just listen to him talk. Especially when you get that real grin in there in that soft, delicious voice. *GROWL*
Sad...but true. LOL!

A cute little interview spot from the recent Hard Rock International Signature Series 26 launch.

My other BF - Matt Nathanson

2009-02-01T23:45:00.005-05:00

Okay--so I love Matt Nathanson. Seriously. ADORE him. He's half my muse for HOME actually. LOL And he recently did this radio spot and he's pretty much of my mindset when it comes to kids and his reaction was just spot on! LOL

So seriously...just adore him.

And c'mon...it's the SONG.
Tessa and Jon's NEW YEAR's Song!

Went on a bit of a YT Binge

2009-01-30T04:31:00.002-05:00

LOL

I sorta went a little nuts in YT tonight. LOL

A rare LIVE performance from Top Of The Pops.
I hate that they mostly have the guys do LipSynch crap. LOL I miss the Richie faces and Jon is pretty bad at lipsynching. LOL he always messes up. lol
But this one is done in NYC. *sigh*

And two clips from one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE shows. Man I wish I'd gone to THIS Buffalo show. LOL *sigh*

Watch in HD/High Qual if you can. It's SO worth it!

Commander in Chief Ball

2009-01-20T19:05:00.002-05:00

Here we go people!
On that banner day! Congrats and may you actually live up to our high expectations, Obama. I do NOT envy you this job before you! Enjoy this day of celebration because tomorrow, darlin', you've got work to do.

So...My BF was pretty cool last night...

2009-01-16T15:47:00.002-05:00

LOL Yes, I know he's not, but that's my pet name for JBJ.
Go ahead, roll your eyes if you want. LOL

A girl can dream.

But if dreams are made of these...and Jonny can make such a lovely speech about his hero, then there's a little good still left in this world. He was charming and funny and you can tell that he still has a hero, not just saying it for a soundbyte.

And a little croony delicious just because.

New Year - New Layout

2008-12-31T14:09:00.004-05:00

Well--the Photoshop geek in me strikes again. LOL

I was getting bored with the jeans.

And, well---honestly, the only time jeans interest me are...

Yeah, you catch my drift.

Home's on a roll

2008-12-20T02:22:00.002-05:00

Imagine that!
Two chapters in the same week!
And I'm working on a third! LOL But the third probably won't happen until early next week if at all. Damn Christmas.
LOL
AND--Damn STORMS!
Gah!

I swear, my shoulder is aching something fierce from all the damn shoveling. I keep hearing whispers of a storm every other day right through to Christmas.

FOR THE LOVE OF ELVIS!

Are ya kiddin' me here?

Mother Nature is exceedingly righteous this month--and you know...It's not even officially WINTER yet! ARGH!

Been Awhile

2008-12-13T02:01:00.003-05:00

Hmmm---You know, Christmas is a PITA sometimes!

I'm hip deep in decorations, crafts and shopping.
I'm not one of those people that actually enjoys that! LOL I like the craft part, but everything else can go hang.
Pffft.

I finally opened up my HOME doc. Sheeesh. I couldn't believe the date that I last opened it. I actually had to go and look through the chapters and refamiliarize myself with Tessa and her state of mind. Mercy--I didn't realize how hard it would be.

So that's coming soon---in between beading projects. Oy! How many days until Christmas?!

Jovi SOTD - The Covers Week: Jersey Girl

2008-10-10T15:34:00.002-04:00

Jersey Girl - Tom Waits

Fitting that Bon Jovi would do a song like this one. I'm sure this is another one of those, "I wish I wrote that," favorites of Jon's.

I know it's one of mine.

I've listened to the original and that's great too, but *sigh* Man, give me some Jonny Croon anytime!

Boomp3.com

Jovi SOTD - The Covers Week: Sylvia's Mother

2008-10-09T20:27:00.002-04:00

I love, love, looove this version of Dr. Hook's, Sylvia's Mother.
The first time I heard this song was on the This Left Feels Right DVD Bon Jovi released back in 2004 I believe.

I'm pretty much hooked on anything acoustic, but add in a croon and my lust-o-meter works overtime.

Boomp3.com

Slice of Life Updated

2008-10-04T02:28:00.002-04:00

For those looking for something to read...

For the Love of Compromise

Is up on my Slice of Life boards. Izzy and Jon are my 'fun' bunch. So if the holy shit factor of HOME has got you thinking I can only do sad...go over there and take a look.

It's been updated from the original post on the Jovi Fan Forum DLS board.

The Aggressor

2008-09-30T22:23:00.004-04:00

I'm a contributor to Hath's PIC FIC blog....and this is a VID-FIC instead. Thought I'd post it on my own blog as well.

Amsterdam - June 2008 - Someday I'll Be Saturday Night. (Formatted for the Ipod Video, mind you...so enjoy the download)

This is the Jon that makes me ache. THIS is the Jon that I want to see at every blessed show. This part of him that lets go and shows he still loves that stage and his songs. And loves the reaction of a woman on the edge...ahem. Me.

You want me.

It's there.

I can see it.

The way you watch so arrogantly.

You don't even hide it. The glass of wine cradled in your palm as you lean back on the expanse of mahogany. Your hips pushed forward, the pull of your dark washed jeans over your thighs spread wide. Your eyes, dark and glittering in the low lights of the bar. You lift the glass to your lips, the quick flick of your tongue on the rim just as the dense red liquid slides down your throat. Your eyes never leave mine.

Everything inside me wants to fidget. My clothes feel too hot, too tight. The very air around me feels heavy, pressing down on me. Something inside me holds on...keeps me still. I can't let you know that it effects me.

Then the game would be done.

I know it's a game.

The night is a game. Especially this night. It's late. The bar's all but on its last call. The dark Disaronno swimming in my belly with the controlled kick I was looking for. I'm four deep in lowballs of the earthy liquor. I wasn't looking to get drunk, just longing for the slow burn of the amaretto to go with my dark mood.

You suit my mood. I can feel the darkness in you. Even across the bar as you watch me, I can feel it. You know you can have me...the game isn't there. The game is in the stalking. The game is in the hunt. The game is in the how...and most definitely in the when.

You finish the wine, placing the glass on the bar carefully as you stand. Dropping bills on the glossy surface you walk to me...purposefully. The angles of your face seem almost menacing in the flickering table light candles that bounce off your skin. But it's your eyes that hold me.

Ever watchful still.

You stand in front of me, no words spoken. You lift my glass, turn it to where my lipstick mark has branded the glass and tip back, the click of ice in your mouth just before the crunch. Your eyebrow quirks. "Amaretto?"

Your voice is like smoke.

"I wasn't in the mood for whisky tonight."

"I don't think I got enough of a taste." You step closer. "Mind?"

"Too bad, last call was ten minutes ago."

You smile, your thumb tracing my lower lip. "I'm not interested in the Disaronno."

I felt my belly tighten and my nipples harden. The wanting, the game, the night. It was there. If I wanted it, it was there without question. My tongue flicked out to taste the pad of your thumb. Fascinated, I watch your eyes go darker, the pupils widen with a predatory gleam. I watch the tick of your pulse in your neck, the line of your Adam's apple dusted in a day's growth.

The quick swipe of your tongue over your lips. The divot along the top lip...the perfect edge for the tip of my own tongue. "Not at all?" I ask.

The bright flash of white in the dark lets me know that I've won...for now. Without a word you dip down, your lips a breath away. "Perhaps a taste?"

I stand straight, the line of my dress swishes around my thighs as you crowd in. "Perhaps I'm not interested in a taste."

The darkness is back. The bold, watchful gaze going from tease to heat. Your hand lifts to cup my jaw, the line of my neck with your thumb and middle finger to each side. Holding me still without the least bit of pressure. You lower your mouth, the tip of our tongue glides over my lips and skips from kiss to a deep, all consuming infusion. No sweet layering. No soft seduction.

You take.

The game is yours. The darkness is for me and I'm not interested in the light.

I move closer, but you hold me still. "I'm not done tasting," you say. The heat of your palm on my throat, just a tiny bit of pressure to hold me still...the arch of my jawline angled up to you for more. You like the power of it, the bit of surprise that swirls in my eyes.

No fear though. Interest glimmers in those midnight eyes of yours. You like it. I smile. "More," I whisper.

The kiss is harder, rougher. The demand higher, the reward greater as our tongues grapple. Strength and darkness wars while your taste, driving me higher. I bite down on that wide lower lip, sucking your tongue into my mouth. "More."

You tear your mouth away, the spots of color high on your cheeks from wine and heat. You lower your hand from my neck to my hand, dragging it to the length pushing hard against your zipper. "How much more?"

I press my palm to the scratchy denim and let my fingers learn you. "More." You turn, pulling my hand away. The grim line of your mouth so different from the soft fingers at my wrist. Almost like you're afraid to squeeze too hard.

I won't break and I don't want soft.

I like the dark.

I like the look in your eyes that leads to the wild. I like your aggression.

No talking, just the action.

Now this...this I want. The finding. The needing. You find the door, rounding the building in that purposeful stride again. I catch up with a quick step and click of heels. I turn my face up to the misting rain.

You turn to me. "How much more?" Rain dots your hair, pushes it down into your face as droplets form a sheen on your cheekbones.

My answer is a kiss. The wetness adding to the heat. It could have been a cool dose of reality. But I don't want reality.

I want this.

The heat.

The darkness.

And now the wet. You crush me close, jerking me higher as your fingers bruise now. You've found the moment.

You want the heat.

You want this.

You want me.

My breath lodges deep in my throat as the brick of the building slams into my back. You're there. Your fingers scraping against my thighs as you open me. Jerking up the silk of my dress, pleased when it sticks to me...to my belly.

Your hand, hovers over my panties. Your lips just there...not on me, but not away.

Watching again.

You tilt your head as you slide your finger along the elastic at inner thigh. My quick gasp of breath leaves you smirking. Just a tease really. Not quite a touch yet.

I can feel your breath on mine. The quick shudder of your fingers as they wait there. "More."

Two fingers. No warning. Deep and gripping as I cry out. Turning, burning as you reach inside me. Cupping me, holding me high on the tips of my toes. "More?"

Watching. Always watching.

My head falls back to the brick, the rasp of the wet stone on my back. The hard male in front of me. The fingers inside me, the rain on my face. "All of it."

Your tongue is relentless, but all I can focus on is the loss of your touch. I moan into your mouth, searching for more...For the fullness again. I hiccup out a groan as you press into me. Finally! "God yes," I whisper against your mouth as the bulky ridge of you butts against my hood, presses against the lace barrier.

Your eyes.

There.

Your eyes on mine. The rain clinging to your lashes, the darkness swirling there as you jerk the slim string at my hip and the cool night air touches me for the first time. No time for thought, no time for coolness. You lift my thigh on to your hip.

Watching. Always watching.

Your breath, your groans mingle with mine. Your eyes never leave mine. Never look at our bodies clasping, slapping or merging.

My eyes. Just my eyes as you drive into me. Your lips finally settle on mine, sucking my lower lip as my cries are swallowed in the rain and your eager mouth.

Your fingers grip and wrap my other thigh up around your hips. Your arms bracing against the brick as you pound inside of me.

Watching again. Forehead to forehead as the sky opens up. As I open up and take you.

All of you.

I don't know if it's my cry or yours, who walked the edge first. I know this. I know that I died a little. I know that you became part of me...a moment in time.

My aggressor.

Home's Posting Spree

2008-09-24T16:07:00.003-04:00

You guys are going to get spoiled as hell.

ANOTHER new chapter up of HOME. I'm on a roll, and instead of holding them back I'm just publishing them. We're getting into the hard part of the story, folks. Like we weren't already, right?
;)

Just know that these two mean the world to me and I am going to do everything I can to keep them in character and do them AND you proud.

*-*

T

SONGS

2008-09-21T16:44:00.004-04:00

Soo...I'm always looking for songs to use in my stories.
If you've got a FAVORITE post it here.

I can find most anything, but if it's rare you can always email me the actual file.

I love all genres.

The Soundtrack

2008-09-20T10:48:00.003-04:00

Don't forget all the songs used in Home are on the link on the side. I've loaded 'em up in my SkyDrive for your downloading or just playing pleasure.

I'll be adding new songs with all that Tessa's dealing with in Home as well.

*muah*

*-*
T

Home - Yes...I'm working!

2008-09-18T23:07:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! I know it's been days...um, 11 of them to be exact since the last chapter of Home was up.
*blushing furiously*

I'm working on it tonight.

Stupid life.

Soo...pray for me.
LOL

That I can get the Tessa Groove Back.

September...Hell, what day is it?

2008-09-17T01:01:00.004-04:00

Oh yeah, the 17th. (barely) I lose track of my days, man. I think a few got lost in the paint fumes. Blah!

So...I know, I've been a bit behind on HOME. Sorry guys, renovations in the house have put me behind in my schedule. I'm working diligently on SIN (my book), Home and updating KTF. Sheesh. Never a dull day in Writersville.

AND.

A new project on the horizon. Gee, Tara...do you need another?

Yes, I do. LOL

NaNoWriMo

If you're a writer, I strongly advise you to give it a look. November is National Novel Writing Month. Every year this organization does a contest called A BOOK IN A MONTH. It starts on Nov 1st. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

I can hear the gasps.

LOL Hard right??

If you're interested here's the DEETS.

It's a challenge, that's for sure. But I did the math (Math is power!) and it really is only 6 pages a day. The thing with this is QUANTITY over QUALITY. And that's going to be hard as hell for me to do. BUT, the good thing is...it will hopefully push me to:

write faster
be a better writer
stop editing myself into an early grave!

That's what holds me back the most. I have this need for every sentence to be perfect so I lament and scream, doubt myself and get sidetracked in frustration. Oh yeah and I have the attention span of Dora the goldfish. (You know Ellen DeGeneres' voice is in your head.)

So, I'm giving this crazy thing a try. I might have to kill someone by the end of it. Hopefully it will be a character and not one of my friends or family members. I'll TRY to make it a new character and not one of my current stash.

LOL

Hey! Stop swearing at the screen. I'm kidding.

Maybe.

A Bit About Me

2008-09-12T14:53:00.004-04:00

Hello.

Most of you know who I am. A Crazy Jovi-Head with a slight obsession with molding Jon Bon Jovi into a pretty terrific character to play around with. Now, that being said...he's just a character. Nothing I come up with has any basis in fact. AND...big AND...I'm not delusional folks. I know I can't have him. LOL

I'm a WRITER.

He's an interesting guy to play around with and I've actually used him to hone my skills as a writer. He's the reason why I've actually started to focus my talents on an honest to God novel. I've always loved writing, but plotting, molding and letting this crazy imagination of mine run free has actually made me think maybe I've got something here.

Maybe, just maybe I can make this FUN side of myself work for me in this crazy world we live in.

Soo....without further ado, here's my current catalogue of work. Enjoy and comment if you love it, hell...comment if you hate it.

Us writer's live for it.

TaraLeigh's FF Playground

TD Vid

Pirates are BACK!

Holidays = Tessa and Jon

Hiatus

Home for the Holidays - FINALLY

Devotion

New Short

Short updated

New Blog

It's Hard Letting You Go

And the Jovi-A-Palooza Starts!

YT is Evil pt 2

Yep, YT is Evil

*sigh* Does It Get Any Better?

Building Characters

Life Lessons

Wordless Wed

And the Sunshine goes to...

My Continued Absence...

Christmas is Coming

Jovi SOTD: Learn To Love

Today's Jovi SOTD

My Current Obsession...

Devotion

INTERVIEW: TheGoddessHathor & Totalconfushun

Meet the Cast Cont'd

Soo...

The Prequels

Devotion Prequel pt 1

New Chapter SOL

Bella and Jon

SOL: The Return

Devotion

Ahhh it's been so long

Shameless Plug for my Crit Partner

Male POV

Random Hotties

Today's...

Foreplay Indeed

DEE! Get your hands off my GUY!

*sigh* KTF Interview

It's Nikki's Fault

My OTHER BF - Letterman

Beacon Theater Reopening 2/13

Updates

*Sigh*

My other BF - Matt Nathanson

Went on a bit of a YT Binge

Commander in Chief Ball

So...My BF was pretty cool last night...

New Year - New Layout

Home's on a roll

Been Awhile

Jovi SOTD - The Covers Week: Jersey Girl

Jovi SOTD - The Covers Week: Sylvia's Mother

Slice of Life Updated

The Aggressor

Home's Posting Spree

SONGS

The Soundtrack

Home - Yes...I'm working!

September...Hell, what day is it?

A Bit About Me

sigh Does It Get Any Better?

sigh KTF Interview

Sigh