Tuesday's Best 1-3-2012

Happy New Year, my lovelies! Hope you had a great start of 2012, and that it will be a good one for everyone. MizzDee and I have some wonderful stories in store for you, so pull up a chair and let's get right to it, shall we?

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Tuesday's Best 8-30-2011

Good morning, everyone. Hope y'all have made it through the past few days unscathed, or as near thereto as possible. Conversed and I have found a couple of stories to bring some escape, so bring your towels, fresh undies, and maybe a hanky or two and let's get to it, shall we?

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Slash Guest Author Rec - elusiVjacob

Okay, so if you don’t know me (and I’m assuming that you don’t cause I’m really not that interesting) we begin my little romp here at a cute coffee house at let’s say...oh...7am. There’s the hustle and bustle of all the corporate sheep getting their *insert ridiculous Starbucks coffee terms here* and then there are a few college students counting out their pennies before getting in line. There are a few old men playing whatever game they’re playing and sipping on some cold coffee that they’ve had since the joint first opened at five. Wait, there he is, can you see him? That’s me, sitting down with my regular coffee only because I was lazy that morning and didn’t brew a fantastic pot of mine own. Yes, I’ll admit I’ve donned the acceptable “business casual” and am currently trying to rub all of the sleep from my eyes still. For added effect, let’s hack and cough something up just to get a few looks. That way, you can give them a few looks back and scowl in the process. Did you hear that? That was the beautiful start-up sound of a MacBook. What time did I say it was? Oh yes, 7.  Now let’s see, I’ve got about an hour and a half before I have to report to the cubicle farm. Hear those clicks? That’s me browsing to fanfiction because I just can’t seem to get enough. The world as I know it stops as I click on the link that will take me to....

Sketchbook Revelations by PolkaDotMama

PolkaDotMama has to be one of the most passionate authors in the fandom. Her eloquent use of words and her strikingly vivid imagery give this story vigor and unbridled intensity. PolkaDotMama follows the lives of Jasper and Edward as they fall in love and we as the reader try to hang on as the bumpy ride only gets bumpier. Both men are artists and they use their art to communicate their emotions. In this story, the saying is definitely true that a picture is worth a thousand words, if not more in these men’s lives. Nobody said loving was easy and who better to tell you than Jasper and Edward themselves as they try and figure out the fickle emotion. Buckle up, grab some tissues and open all of your senses as PolkaDotMama is sure to give you the ride of your life, true slashtastic style.

Tuesday's Best 10-12-2010

Good morning, my lovelies. Hope you're all having a great day, and that you're ready to see what Captain Jezebel and Aradi have in store for us today. I know I am! So grab your towels, Kleenex, and a fresh pair of panties, and settle in for a good read. Here we go!

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Two things are guaranteed to catch my eye in a fic: angst and a mystery.  The mystery doesn’t have to be the whodunnit type (although those are fun too).  Some of the best are simply “how did we get here?”

When the Night Comes is Drizl's first slash story, and the first chapters bring far more questions than answers.  Why did Jasper leave Forks for Chicago and never go back?  Who is the ghost that haunts him?  What exactly happened between Jasper and Edward?  What has Edward been doing all these years?  All we seem to know for sure is that Jasper’s been running from his past, but his miserable life doesn’t seem like it could be much better than whatever he left behind.

Jasper grudgingly returns to Forks because his Mama is about to die, and we start getting pieces of the puzzle through his conversations and high-school flashbacks.  The boys apparently began as previously-happy, previously-hetero friends and teammates.

"With your arm, we should crush them," he said bringing out the crooked grin again.

"Yeah? Do you think we'll be able to hook-up on a few long pass routes?"

His face lit up. "Hell yeah, they have one decent cornerback, but I'm faster than him." He laughed and lunged at me, but I was able to slip out of his grasp. We ran down the beach laughing and taunting each other. He finally tripped me up, falling on top of me. His green eyes were almost black as he hovered over me. Strange sensations fluttered in my stomach. Must be the fucking Jack mixing with the beer I had been drinking until Edward fucking Cullen leaned forward and brushed his lips against mine.

My entire body seized up. Was this actually happening?

"Oh fuck," he muttered. "I'm so sorry...I didn't mean...oh fuck...please Jasper...don't...I gotta go.."

He jumped off me, disappearing down the beach before I could even sit up. I ran my finger across my lips and groaned. Edward Cullen had just sort of kissed me and fuck...I kinda liked it...what the fuck did...I jumped up and started sprinting down the beach.

Like I said, “previously-hetero.”  Whatever the impending doom of their young relationship is, the writing was on the wall from the beginning.  

One of the surprises for me in this fic was Alice.  So often in slash she’s a one-dimensional background character.  She’s the evil ex, or the devastated ex, or at the very least a psychicmeddlesomepixie hag.  Here she’s actually three-dimensional.  This Alice is hurt, but still a friend.  She’s helpful, but not selecting outfits.  She’s also integral to the story and not just background sparkle.

When the Night Comes is mainly told in JPOV, and is fairly dripping with angst and heartache.  If you are looking for fluffy bunny tales, look elsewhere.  Both boys bring a lot of baggage to the table, and I suspect there’s still more as the current 15 chapters don’t contain the complete backstory.  Drizl updates with lovely regularity, and I can’t wait to see the past and present storylines play out.

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*big hugs* to my fellow slashaholics. Captain Jezebel again bringing you another of my favorite Slash Backslash 2.0 entries. Being a HUGE lover, of the canon couple of slash I thought I had pretty much read every type of /ward or /sper available in fanfic. There were the dicks, the sweet ones, the lost ones, the slutty ones, even the ones that were slightly effeminate. After I began reading The Measure of a Man by PolkaDotMama I realized I had never read an extremely feminine and flamboyant Edward, and I wondered to myself why that was.

Jasper is a business man who is openly gay everywhere in his life, except at work. While attending a teahouse hosted by Geisha’s, with his colleagues, Jasper meets someone that catches his eye... Edward. This man causes him to stop and rethink everything he has ever known about what he finds attractive in a guy. In fact the draw he feels towards Edward surprises and entices his mind and body, despite what his past dictates to him.

I couldn't stop thinking about Edward either. In the end, seeing him won out over what "my type" supposedly was.

And it won out day after day.

It won out when I finally brushed my lips against his oh-so-soft mouth and tasted him through the fruity tang of his chewing gum.

It won out when we went dancing and all attention was drawn to us.

It won out when we sat at a restaurant and his laughter soared across the room, encouraging stares and whispers.

None of that mattered as I took him home three months after our first date and pressed him into my bed for the first time.

Edward is sweet, sexy and spends his life in full color. He is way more ‘out loud’ than anyone Jasper has ever been attracted to but the spark is evident to them both. When Jasper questions his ability to be with someone that may embarrass him in public; or worse cause him to be outed at work he needs to figure out what it is that truly makes a man.

The answers he finds at the end of his reflection may just shock him. However sometimes you need to understand that you love, who you love ‘ regardless of any silly standards and rules you have set up for yourself. Will Jasper embrace this new discovery of himself or will he succumb to his past limitations? You’re going to have to read it to find out peeps, I can’t say much more here without giving too much away.

I will say this... In many slash stories, so much emphasis is put on Jasper and Edward being somewhat “manly”. I loved the fact that PolkaDotMama colored outside the lines a bit and gave us an amazingly perfect, utterly fantastical, sexy as fuck, flamboyant Edward. I enjoyed this story so freaking much. Okay silly fangirl gush over...and just a note....this is not meant as any disrespect to slash authors....I LOVE slash. I mean duh look where I am...*giggles*  Stop by and give it a read, but don’t forget to leave her some love if you do.

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And there you have it. Another couple of great reads, just waiting for you. Be sure to leave these lovely ladies some lovin', and check back next week to see what the good Captain and I have for you then.

Slash Author Guest Rec - PolkaDotMama

When Naelany asked me to Guest Recommended for Twislash I had so many fics I was reading that I jumped at the chance.  Now here it is my turn and my life has gotten so hectic as the school year comes to a close that I’m not reading nearly as much.  Nonetheless, I want to let you know about some of the stories I drop everything for and one that may have slipped under your radar.

While it was written about on Tuesday’s Best on May 18^th, I am in love with I Wept Not by ArcadianMaggie. 

Jasper is a war weary soldier burdened by the weight of eternity. Edward is an uncomplicated high school student content to hide his sexuality. Together can Jasper find something to live for and Edward discover some things are worth dying for? J/E Slash

What has drawn me in, besides her rich characters, is the tormented soul of Jasper that I have hope that Edward can help heal.  It is full of beautifully chosen literature, vivid imagery, and the youthful exuberance of Edward, who is absolutely adorable.

A Tangible Dichotomy by PerfectlyPersuasive cracks me up with every single chapter.

Not everything makes sense to us at first, but sometimes, the paradoxes in life are exactly what we never knew we needed. When Jasper and Edward and thrown together, into a dorm room no less, who are they to deny the twisted logic of fate? AH/Slash.

PerfectlyPersuasive has the gift of humor that does more than shine through her work.  It lights up your entire body when you read it.  I have to make sure my husband isn’t sleeping when I read this update.  The chapter titles are funny in their own right, with chapter one entitled, Edward and the Urinator.  Can you go wrong with this great Edward and Jasper fic?  No, I think not.

I just discovered the gem of a story by OfTheDamned called Your Biggest Fan.

Throughout high school, the shy and over-burdened Edward Masen threw himself into work and raising his baby sister. He's always felt lucky just to be friends with track star Jasper Cullen. Now, he doesn't know if just friends is enough. AH AU Slash.

It’s an engaging story about two high school seniors, coming of age and discovering things about themselves and each other.  It touches on some heavy issues that I tend to love in a story.

Another story that you may have missed is After the Storm by tjbaby.

Vampire Edward affects Jasper's human life in such a way that he has to decide - life or love? An insight into a world of obsessive love and betrayal, where lines are crossed for friendship and honour; and madness is only one small step away.

This completed fic is a dark piece.  While I’m not one to read a ton of period pieces, tjbaby sucked me into this story very easily with the beautiful pictures she painted.  I loved how she didn’t shy away from being dark, even embracing it in the lemons.

Now with those four recommendations, I also want to mention a few stories that I’m sure have been rec’d time and time again…and for very good reason.

Equal & Opposite and Errors & Omissions by OhJasperMyJasper

Marked by Whitlock-Masen

Lessons Learned by mistyhaze420

Deep Dish by starfish422

Mergers & Acqusitions by Touchstone67 & Domward’s Mistress

Lost & Found by Touchstone67

Fractured by DefinatelyStaying

Landslide by Domward’s Mistress

When Fiction Comes To Life

Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to introduce a new member to the TU-crew: lovelypenguin. Whitlock's Girl and I've been talking for a while now about doing something with the blog to bring the realities of life into what we post about. To give you something more than just simple story recommendations.
We felt lovelypenguin was just the girl for the job, as she (like the rest of us at TU) is passionate about these things. So from here on out, she will bring you information, stories, whatever she can find that relates in some way to what we all love reading about: Slash. You'll see. There won't be any regularity to these posts, at least none as of yet. For now though, here she is with her very first addition.

Welcome to the team, lovelypenguin! And thank you, for joining!

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Hello! And a huge thank-you to Naelany for inviting me to join in here with my recommendations of a slightly different nature. I think she had a wonderful idea for this blog to put some attention on real world crossover subjects as they relate to our favorite slash characters. She thought I might be able to bring that to you, and I will do my best not to disappoint.

My first topic is a tough one, and it is the most real of all. It is the subject of gay hate crimes. Late last year the US finally passed a law that would make it a federal crime to assault an individual because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill is named for Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming teenager who died after being kidnapped and severely beaten in October 1998, and James Byrd Jr., an African-American man dragged to death in Texas the same year. I find it hard to believe it has taken this long to recognize Hate Crimes that are based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

I find it even harder to believe such hate filled attacks still occur in the 21st century. They do, and I’ve seen reports as recently as last Friday. However, there is hope as many organizations fight to change all that. One such organization is The Matthew Shepard Foundation whose mission is to support diversity programs in education and to help youth organizations establish environments where young people can feel safe and be themselves. Their goal is to replace hate with understanding, compassion and acceptance.

I picked this topic because it is the closest one to my heart – I can’t even look at a picture of Matthew Shepard without tearing up. The topic is also very timely. There is currently an eBook benefit by DefinatelyStaying and 24 other authors to give an eBook of their stories to everyone who donates to any organization such as The Matthew Shepard Foundation that helps the victims of violent crimes. A list of suggestions is provided. Better hurry!! The deadline is May 31. For more information: http://ebookbenefit.blogspot.com/

Related information:

Related fan fiction (I am certain to miss some, so please let me know of any you know about): At the Deep End by Naelany, Sketchbook Revelations by PolkaDotMama, and Rights of the Fallen by DefinatelyStaying.

If you are lucky enough to be in a city showing the play “The Laramie Project”, I highly recommend seeing it. It is also available as a documentary on Netflix. The Matthew Shepard Story is also a very good movie.

Related YouTube videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx3wMuIqhvY

Tuesday's Best~August 11th, 2009

Welcome to TwiSlash Unveiled


Just a few announcements before we get to the recommendations.

1. TwiSlash Unveiled is extremely proud to announce that two of our very own took home a Bellie. Val, aka The Master was nominated for Best Banner and was up against some very tough competition and DefinatelyStaying's fabulous story "The Forbidden Room" tied with Manyafandom's story "All I Ever Knew" for Best Slash.

We would like to congratulate all the winners and nominees on a job well done.

2. A few weeks ago the story "Closer to God" by dannie7786 was recommended to you. It's an AWESOME story, but unfortunately Dannie's FFnet account went a bit wacky and she had to delete the account and start from scratch. You can now find Dannie's stories listed under the pen name Domward's Mistress. Be sure to add her to alerts and leave Closer to God and her other stories some love, since with the move she lost all the reviews.

NOW FOR WHAT YOU ARE REALLY HERE FOR...
Tuesday's Picks of the Week

Tuesday's are for the best slash stories we can find and this Tuesday is no different. The TwiSlash girls are here to present you with a couple FUCKAWESOME tales that will get your heart to sing and your juices to flow.

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Donna's Pick of the Week...

Echos of You

by Rosalee Lorraine

What's this? A slash story that doesn't star Edward and Jasper as romantic interests. OH MY GOD! They do exist. HA HA HA!

That's right. This week's recommendation by yours truly is "Echos of You" by Rosealee Lorraine. Emmett is a boxer. A damn good boxer, but like any boxer they eventually meet their match. "Echos of You" opens with Jasper, distraught and waiting in the Emergency Room lobby for news on Emmett. When the news comes it's not good. The blow Emmett took has made him lose his memory. With the loss of his memory, Emmett refuses to accept the fact that he's gay, leaving Jasper devastated.

How do they cope? Does Emmett ever accept his sexuality? What happens to their relationship? Do they find love together again? Does Emmett return to boxing?

All these questions can be answered BY READING THE STORY! So, get to it. Go read "Echos of You". You won't be dissappointed. Of course, Rosalee Lorraine never disappoints. OH, DID I MENTION THAT THE STORY IS COMPLETE? Oh, I didn't. Well it is. ENJOY!

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The Master brings you...

Sketchbook Revelations

by PolkaDotMama

Some of you may have heard of a website called “Broke Straight Boys”, which has videos of men being gay for pay. In other words, they are paid a certain amount of money to perform sexual acts on other men; they start off small with mutual wanks, working into blow jobs, and eventually fucking. There are two ways to interpret “broke” in the title. First, the boys are usually monetarily broke and in need of fast cash. Second, the boy are ‘broke’ like a horse, their ways are tamed and they are broke into performing for the director. This site is a bit of a conundrum for me. I enjoy the fascination of watching supposedly straight boys go down on each other; seeing them get hard at something they never thought they would makes you consider- is arousal for them purely physical, no matter the partner, or is there a mental challenge they have to overcome to get turned on? Then, there is the curiosity as to why they are there to begin with; what is going on in their lives that drew them to such a place, to basically sell themselves for sex-and not sex they would typically enjoy. While these videos can be incredibly hot, they can sadden you as well. Knowing that most of the boys do not want to be there, willingly or not, sometimes you can see it in their face as they are about to suck a dick for the first time. That being said, my recommendation this week is largely based on just that type of site. “Sketchbook Revelations” by PolkaDotMama is the story of college students Jasper and Edward, both art majors, and their revelations along the way toward each other.

The story begins from Edward’s point-of-view; he is already out of the closet and is open about his sexuality. Edward is meeting Jasper, his roommate and friend, for coffee, as Jasper has a confession to make to Edward. A very nervous Jasper admits to Edward that he has performed for Broke Straight Boys, not once, but multiple times. He explains how he was in desperate need of money, and started off with mutual wanks with James. When James and Jasper’s videos become a hit, they are asked back to perform more, the money amount increasing each time, eventually leading to $1500 for Jasper to bottom for James. Jasper confesses these embarrassing details to Edward because Jasper enjoyed the sex, and is now curious, and asks Edward…does this make Jasper gay? Jasper also admits he now looks at Edward differently. In light of Jasper’s revelation to Edward, Edward confesses that he has been in love with Jasper for years, but has come to realize it will never happen, as Jasper was straight. He tells Jasper honestly not to fuck him over by playing with his emotions, that his heart cannot handle that kind of heartbreak. Jasper replies with a very heartfelt and gentle kiss.

As their relationship begins to progress into the physical intimacy stage, the story gets incredibly erotic with each new discovery. Edward is a talented boy and opens Jasper’s…er, eyes, to what is possible in a relationship with a man. They have always been close emotionally, but now they are able to express their feelings out loud and with certainty. Of course, with each revelation they uncover, another problem arises. Jasper still has financial concerns, they have an upcoming art show and most importantly, they need to eventually go public with their relationship. Jasper is still in the closet, although, thanks to a hot dance with Edward, where hands were roaming and lips were touching, they have ‘come out’ to their small group of friends. However, Jasper greatly fears telling his parents, especially his anti-gay father, about his sexuality. They decide to first inform Edward’s parents of their relationship-a practice round, so to say.

I highly recommend “Sketchbook Revelations” for a few reasons. The fascination with Broke Straight Boys is addressed, and damn, if Jasper DID have a video online-yea, totally downloading that shit! PolkaDotMama also brings forth a brilliant picture of their incredible artistic talent, Jasper’s love for typography and graphic design, and Edward’s devotion for cartoon illustration. The details she expresses in their craft is evidence of an admiration for art she must share with them, and this pseudo artist appreciates the love she has the boys express for their obsessions. Lastly, she writes their story with intelligence and humor, allowing the boys true voices to shine through. They are loving, erotic, and devoted to each other. They have many issues to still overcome, ones that will certainly cause some heartfail on one or both of them. While the heartfail has been strong for me this week, drowning me actually, I am pledging my faith in PolkaDotMama to pull the boys through and have their final revelation be one of utter love with lifelong happiness to each other.

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So, there you have it. Another Tuesday filled with TwiSlash Unveiled's picks of the week. Hopefully, you remembered your towel.

Stay tuned until Thursday for when we bring you Thursday's Read, Rate and Review. We have an absolutely fabulous story lined up for you.

Having seen a preview of DefinatelyStaying's Twi Me Up column for this Friday, I know all our kinky followers are going to be very, very happy.

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Also, don't forget about TwiSlash Unveiled's One Shot contest. The deadline for your Femme Slash story submissions is August 15th. For more information, click the link on the top right hand side of the page, or shoot us an email to twislash@gmail.com. We'll be happy to answer any questions you might have.

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Be sure to follow us on Twitter. We'll announce contest info, blog posts and other TwiSlash news there.