Tuesdays With Phineas Redux

'Xena Redux', or should that be 'Redivivus'?

Pre-title opening sequence, short quick edits—Gabrielle and Xena go to Japa, where Xena is killed. After many adventures Gabrielle, full of sorrow, goes off on her own to carry on Xena’s work. Then Gabrielle wakes up at their campsite in the sunshine of a new day beside a rivulet in the Grecian countryside, and standing beside her is the tall dark form of Xena: it was all a bad dream. Que TV opening titles—‘Xena, Warrior Princess’, Series Seven.

Japa never happened. The back-story that Xena gave for her actions in Japa was all fantasy. It was a dream, and now Gabrielle has Xena with her to go on happily into the future. Only this time things will be different.

No more bandying around making faint hints about their sexuality. The duo are a duo from now on, enjoying their sexuality and partnership openly; within reason, of course. No more grotesque episodes like ‘Fishsticks’. No more musical episodes. No more chasing badly-acted warlords across the steppes. No more hilarious episodes where Gabrielle falls in love with some dude from the sticks. No more over-the-top episodes where mad Gods take the warrior women to fantastic landscapes to battle unknown terrors, just on the Gods’ whim. No more anachronistic meetings with various Roman Emperors. No twenty-five year ice gap. No Eve/Livia. No Eli wannabe’s. Absolutely no more crucifixions. And no more heart-wrenching story-arcs where Xena breaks with Gabrielle, or Gabrielle breaks with Xena, for long periods filled with angst, horror, despair, and tragedy. In fact, everything from now on is going to be rosy.

In Series Seven the story lines will be those of a serial. That is, not a series. The difference being that the same plot, characters, and purpose follow through the entire twenty-one episodes, until the final satisfying climax is reached. Although there will be moments when separate escapades side-track the women warriors, during the course of the wider adventure. There may be tears, smiles, and narrow escapes, along the way; but in the end all will come right for our happy duo.

Ares’ activities, and the actions of most of the other Gods, will have to be toned down or even dispensed with. Joxer will appear, but in a slightly more realistic and serious characterisation. Most stories will be more reality based, than formally; but the same madcap atmosphere will remain, no matter what Xena and Gabrielle get up to. There will be fewer Uber ventures; but these will concentrate solely on Mel and Janice, who will have a short story-arc to themselves.

Gabrielle will be the blonde short-haired Amazon Queen, with expertise and capabilities almost equalling Xena. She will have lost that earlier fear and horror of killing people, which motivated her in her innocent youth; but will still be more controlled in this regard than Xena. Gabrielle will still have a dress sense to die for. Xena will no longer look down on, or deprecate, her colleague’s abilities; but regard her as an equal partner.

The stories will be stronger, and better written. The sets will be bigger and more expensive. There will be money to afford huge crowds of extra’s. It will all be shot in 16:9, on HD equipment with Blu-ray definition. The series will continue to be made in New Zealand; though with expeditions to other worldwide settings, as the story-line requires. There will be one sole Director throughout the series, thus ensuring a smooth continuity; unlike former series where the numerous Directors only succeeded in watering down the strength of the underlying ambience and concept within the series.

Of course, both the original stars of the series will return in triumph; taking the show to greater heights of success than it had ever achieved before. There will be at least two spin-off shows; ‘Mel & Janice’, and ‘Gabrielle, Amazon Queen’; both going on to individual success. There will be a ‘Xena’ movie which, like the Bond or Bourne franchises, is internationally acclaimed; sanctioning numerous follow-ups. And, of course, there will be frantically awaited, and equally successful, TV Series Eight & Series Nine, etc, ad infinitum. In fact, there really isn’t any reason why the show doesn’t then carry on forever, gaining awards and critical acclaim with each succeeding series!

*

“Aaarh! The sun’s bright this morning.” Phineas wakes up, groggily as usual. “Yaaawn! Another day, another dollar, I suppose. —Oh Gods! I’ve been dreaming again! Oh, damn!”

~Phineas Redux~

Story Recommendation:

The Shetland Bus By Phineas Redux
This is an Uberfic set in Great Britain in 1942. Zena Mathews, a young New Zealand woman, and her navigator Gabrielle Parker now work as pilots for a secret British Government organisation, part of SOE—Special Operations Executive. They fly on a mission involving fishing-boats; secret meetings out in the North Sea; spies; gun-running; and difficulties in piloting their Supermarine Walrus.
http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/p/phineasredux_theshetlandbus.html

A Short Q&A With GS Binkley

                                                                                     GS BINKLEY



1. Why did you start writing?
I always 'knew' I would write. Just something inside me and story lines or scenes or characters would come to me to tell their story.

It was an amazing advantage to have the fan forum of stories, writers and especially readers for my stories.

2. If you had to do it all over again would you still write?
Absolutely

3. Once you’ve written a story do you ever sit down and read it for enjoyment?
I do at times. Mostly though I take a 'vacation' from a completed story and then read it. It helps me have a different perspective.

4. How did you start writing Xena fan fiction?
Technically, I never wrote “Xena” stories… I wrote Uber stories but it started by watching the show ‘Xena’ and reading fan fiction of that show. I had written other stories long before and wrote, produced and directed an one-act play.

5. Is your muse a constant companion, or does it abandon you for long periods of time?
My Muse?  As I said, it's the characters, scenes and story lines that drive me to write.  If I had a muse, it would never abandon me nor I my muse.

6. How do you feel about sequels?
Love them, if they are good. And it goes the other way if not.

7. Is writing a quiet thing for you, where there can't be any noise or conversation going on?
I write alone. I usually don't have anything on as background unless a song drives the scene. If there are noises, I am too focused to notice much.

8. Do you prefer to write/read romance, angst, horror etc, etc?
Prefer comedy, romance, action, western, murder mystery.  No horror.   Yet, I did recently write, produce and direct a zombie movie with my young nieces and nephews in it. Lol. I promised them so.... It had to be done.

9. What usually sparks a story idea for you?
A character. A scene. A storyline. A title. Something out of the blue.

10. Where do your ideas come from?
From wherever they are at the moment!

11. What advice can you give to future writers?
Write for yourself, no one else!  And write write write and keep writing.  My advice ‘love what you do and do what you love!’

Also, read as much as you can from others. Fan fiction was a wonderful place to see what works and what misses.  I commend all those who write and share their stories... For me, I got a chance to see what worked for me and helped me.

12. What has the show Xena meant to you?
It gave me opportunities to ‘meet’ new people and learn about myself.

13. How do you feel about the way it ended?
Lol. Really? Finally, I get asked that question? Cool!  Here goes....If they insisted that Xena die, then it should have been Gabrielle that made that decision… not Xena. Because Xena proved she would do anything for Gabrielle. And if Gabrielle were to have the choice between spending the present lifetime with Xena or all future lifetimes with her, Gabrielle (in my opinion) would have let Xena die in this lifetime to spend eternity with her.

The whole storyline was lame.  ‘A Friend in Need’?  Who was the friend? ‘She’ was no friend I would ever want.

Lots of people thought it was ‘cool’ that Xena died a warrior’s death…. Really?  A warrior, in my opinion, would not go out there and commit basically suicide… yes, suicide…. Xena was smarter than that… she and Gabrielle would have found another way.  The writer’s (producer) never did give Xena and Gabrielle the credit they deserved.

Why the writers felt Xena was accountable for the death of all those people was absolutely without basis… yes, she helped start the fire…but it was the ‘agitators’ that pushed her…she was drunk and in pain…not wanting to harm anyone… they… the ‘agitators’ were responsible.  Not Xena… poor motivation on the writer’s part.

I believe ‘they’ missed a huge opportunity… I guess the producer thought that killing off the main character was the greatest thing ever and never been done… BUT it was lame. That took the easy way, the real way that would have taken COURAGE… was to embrace what they have become to each other.  Now that… would have set the world on fire.

Oh well, they didn’t ask me for my opinion on this but should have asked someone in the Xena Fan Kingdom… it would have been a better story, I’m sure!

14. How real are your characters to you?
Very! They do what they want and are in control. I once wanted to write a scene differently because the character was making a huge mistake that would change his life and lose his family but... He wouldn't let me. He had his way and several years later I realized from him why it went as it did.

15. Do your characters speak to you?
Are you kidding? Lol  They are always talking to me and nudging me on… I get to ask them lots of questions, too.

16. Are you in control of your story, or do the characters run the show?
The characters definitely run the show…. As it should be.

17. How would you feel about another writer giving one of your characters a cameo in their story?
Depends… on the writer and the story and how they depict the character.

18. Has online writing changed your life in any way?
Yes, I get immediate feedback which allows me the opportunity to learn.

19. Have you ever been stalked on the internet by an overzealous fan?
No. Everyone I have ever interacted with was amazing, kind and generous.

20. Which one of your online stories is your favorite?
The one I am invested in the most is my series, ‘The Woman I Love’. It was my first adventure in online writing and I hold it dear to my heart because I put some of myself in that story.

21. Do you have to do a lot of rewrites?
First, I come up with ideas, scenes and a basic outline… that has evolved. Then I get to what I call the ‘hardcore’ writing where I sit and write (but do not edit at all as it stops the flow) then when finished, I read it over.  I have family members help with the overall storyline, continuity and editing.

22. Is there ever a point in your writing where you get stuck each and every time? How do you get out of it?
Nope.

23. Which part of the writing process do you enjoy the most and why?
The initial concept which comes to me whenever it chooses. That begins it all and from there I am hooked and need to follow through with the story as the characters let me.

24. When you're working on a story are you obsessed with it until it's done?
It's pretty much always on my mind. I wouldn't say obsessed.

25. Who are your favorite top five writers? Online or published.

Lloyd C. Douglass 'Doctor Hudson's Secret Journal'

The Bible

Dan Brown… all of his books

Online: Radcliffe and LJ Maas

26. The song says "Who rules the world? Girls." If that were true would the world be a better place?
To me, it's not the gender that determines what kind of place we live in. It's honest, kind, hardworking people with integrity.  Not age, gender, etc.  

27. Do you write a story straight through, or do you write in pieces, then put it all together.
When I actually sit down to write ‘hardcore’ writing, it is straight through.

28. Do you read books for pleasure while you are writing?
No, much too busy focusing on the story and what the characters are telling me to write.

29. Do you have a favorite Greek God?
No.

30. Do you have a pet peeve?
Not putting the remote back where it belongs. lol

31. Have you created a character that you would like to meet?
Yes, Dash Grayson. He was the one who insisted upon writing the story his way. I learned a lot from that character.

32. What do you see yourself doing in the future?
Becoming the best person I can…. It’s not about the ‘job’ for me, it’s about how I treat others and what I can bring to this world that makes it a better place. On my deathbed, I will not be listing my ‘achievements’, I will be appreciating those around me that loved me and I them.

33. What is your favorite word?
Believe

34. What is your least favorite word?
Nasty

35. What turns you on?
Turns me on? That could be taken in many ways…but I will say a ‘smile’ from my little one year niece.  Now that is beautiful.

36. What turns you off?
Bullies.

37. What sound or noise do you love?
The sound of water in almost any form.

38. What sound or noise do you hate?
Someone who is always complaining.

39. What is your favorite curse word?
Dang!

40. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?
I'd paint abstracts and make movies.

41. What profession would you absolutely not like to participate in?
Politics… too many traps.

42. If Heaven exists what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
Of course Heaven exists. God would say, "Welcome back, what did you learn while you were away?"





Here is G. S. Binkley's favorite story:

The Woman I Love Series


The Woman I Love - 110 Pages
A beautiful television star on vacation with her family who meets a writer who in turn challenges and changes her life forever as she finds true love in a cabin on the lake.
http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/g/gsbinkley_womanilove.html


A Woman Like You - 126 Pages
Sequel to The Woman I Love continues with Lacy Levine, the actress, making a movie with the dashing Koda Kannon and Gage meets her partner's family. Unsteadily, Gage enters Lacy's tinseltown world as their relationship faces a turbulent sea of social stigma plus work and family concerns while several jealous storms rise. Lacy and Gage ride this rocky boat with Dani, Derek and the birth of the star's third child all the while holding steadfastly together.
http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/g/gs_binkley_awomanlikeyou1.html


Here Comes My Woman - 164 Pages
This sequel to A Woman Like You, continues on with the lives of Lacy and Gage a few years later as the writer reveals more about her dark past. The dynamic duo work together on a movie while raising their family and someone from Gage's past makes an unexpected appearance.
http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/g/gs_binkley_herecomesmywoman1.html


Here Comes My Wife-Epilogue - 32 Pages
The Epilogue continues seven months after Hayley is born. The Ballant clan tries to cope with the newest member of their family as Lacy and Gage continue their lives together. Gage’s mother reveals why she abandoned her daughter.
http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/g/gs_binkley_herecomesmywoman6.html


A Woman In Love - 133 Pages
A Woman In Love is the fourth story in the Woman I Love series and continues on with the lives of Lacy and Gage a couple years later as the writer finally confronts all of her past. A previous relationship is revealed that threatens Lacy and Gage’s union and one of their children experiences behavioral problems.
http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/g/gsbinkley_awomaninlove.html

How Lucy Lawless Sees Xena Revived

In my dreams it would be that Renee [O'Connor], who played Gabrielle and I, and Ted [Raimi], who played Joxer, would come back and basically stick Xena’s head back on her and go on a quest. At the end you introduce this new Warrior Princess, hand it over and let them run with it. So we could put the family back together, give the fans what they want, reinvigorate the brand and hand it on to a new generation.
–Lucy Lawless, on a new Xena series.


It has been said that Xenites will never get a Xena reboot because we refuse to accept any other actresses in the roles of Xena and Gabrielle. In my case that might be true. To be honest, I really don't need the ride to start all over again. All I need is closure. It can be done as a television show or as a movie. Either one will be fine with me. I want to see Xena returned to Gabrielle. I want to hear them admit out loud what they mean to each other, and I want to watch them ride off into the sunset and live Happily Ever After . . . The End.

The critics say that the Star Trek fans have embraced that franchise through all of the changes it went through. I agree with that. But if I recall correctly, the new Star Trek television shows that followed the original was not based on Captain Kirk and his crew. They were all very new, and very much their own characters.

When the show moved to the big screen the original cast revived their roles for several movies before turning the reins over to Jean-Luc Picard and company. This reboot with the younger versions of James T. Kirk and the Enterprise crew is great. I really like it, but the Star Trek producers paced themselves. They took the fans on a leisurely walk before reaching their destination. They didn't just say, "Here you go. This is your new Captain Kirk. Love him just as much as you did the original."

It feels like TPTB are missing the point again. The show Xena: Warrior Princess wasn't just about the characters, it was also about the women that brought those characters to life. I would go so far as to say, that was ninety percent of it (for me). It was what Lucy and Renee brought to the table. I think if I had come across this show, and Hudson Leick and Danielle Cormack were in the lead roles I wouldn’t have been as fully invested. Don’t get me wrong, I loved them as Callisto and Ephiny, but that was their niche.

Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor breathed life into those characters. Lucy could make Xena lethal in one moment, and vulnerable in the next. Maybe it was her eyes. So much showed through them. And Renee made Gabrielle the personification of innocence. And her growth into womanhood was so natural. Renee O'Connor played the young, wide-eyed follower equally as well as she played the more seasoned, more mature Battling Bard.

So what I am trying to say is that having it start all over again with two new, younger women playing the roles of  a warrior and her traveling companion is not very appealing to me. I couldn't help but make comparisons between Xena and Gabriell, and whoever these new people would be. And I'm sure the new version would be lacking (at least in my mind). But I could be wrong. I thought Tom Cruise would be be an epic failure as Lestat, and we all saw how that turned out.

But if the owners of Xena: Warrior Princess really want to make me happy, how about returning the series to American television? That's a campaign I could really get behind.

The Reckoning

                                                              Original Air-Date October 16th, 1995

While traveling through the woods Xena rides, as Gabrielle walks as usual, she is trying to see through the woods for a lake. Frustrated, Gabrielle decides to go find it on her own, after being on her feet for over an hour, Xena tells her to not get lost, before riding off on the opposite direction.

When Xena comes upon a hooded swordsman about to finish off Teracles, the last survivor of an ambushed party of four villagers, she draws her sword and charges the brutal attacker.

After proving himself a match for Xena with his quick reflexes and powerful blows, the swordsman suddenly disappears, leaving Xena to tend to the badly wounded man as other villagers arrive. Distraught over the slaughter, they assume that Xena -- now covered with Teracles' blood -- is responsible for the killings. Unable to convince them of the truth, Xena manages a quick escape on horseback with Gabrielle.

Later, under the watchful gaze of the hooded swordsman -- who is actually Ares, the god of war -- the angry villagers devise a plan to capture Xena, who has ridden into a mountain ravine from which there is only one exit. Benitar, the village elder, begins discussing preparations for a trial, but is quickly silenced by Peranis and Grathios, who make an impassioned plea for swift revenge. Rallying most of the villagers behind them, they set a trap for Xena in the mountain pass using sharpened stakes and lassos, and when Gabrielle is caught, Xena surrenders.

Xena is thrown into a prison cell where she is visited first by Gabrielle, who tries to console her, and then by the hooded Ares, who reveals himself and promises to rescue her and make her queen of the world. Xena is tempted by Ares' offer of complete power to rule the world as she sees fit, especially when he removes her shackles and magically transports them both to a magnificent fantasy boudoir. Finding herself abruptly back in her cell with Ares, he tells her that all she needs to do is call for his help and she'll have the world in her hands.

Knowing that the price of this power is too high, Xena resists him and prepares to meet her fate as the frenzied villagers haul her from the jail in chains. Tying her legs to the back end of a chariot, they get set to watch her being dragged to a grisly death while Ares waits expectantly for Xena to break down and call out his name.

Before that can happen, however, Gabrielle rushes up and loops one of the ropes around her own neck. Benitar intercedes, pulls the rope from her, and risks his own neck by standing up to the vigilante mob. Insisting on a trial, he orders Xena be returned to jail and tells Gabrielle that she may act as Xena's advocate.

The extremely clever and observant Gabrielle puts together an excellent defense at Xena's trial, but to no avail. The final blow to her case occurs when Teracles, the wounded man Xena was trying to save, is carried into the courtroom and testifies that he can't remember anything about the attack other than Xena standing over him with a bloody sword. Benitar concludes the hearing, promising a verdict the following day.

Back in her prison cell, Xena is visited again by Ares, who makes an incredibly seductive appeal to her dark side. Before she knows it, she lets out a bloodcurdling cry, rips loose from her shackles and breaks down her cell door, overpowering the guards in her path. It is only after she accidentally lashes out at Gabrielle, who is coming around the corner, that Xena -- shocked at her action and the realization that she's totally out of control -- recovers and surrenders again.

Though initially stunned and heartbroken, Gabrielle returns late that night with Xena's horse intending to break her friend out of prison, but Xena has a better idea. She calls on Ares, whom she realizes is the one who murdered the villagers in order to get her back on his side. Xena tells him she will accept his offer if she is found guilty and cleverly manipulates him into promising that he will bring back to life anyone she wants to serve in her army.

The next day, when Benitar announces a guilty verdict, Xena calls on Ares to produce the three villagers who died in the attack. To the crowd's astonishment, they appear -- alive and well -- and Palinios clears Xena's name, extolling her bravery and selflessness in coming to their aid. Fortunately for all, Ares is gracious in defeat and, appreciating Xena's brilliant gamesmanship, merely salutes her before disappearing.

On the country road, Xena and Gabrielle walk along, Argo following behind. Xena throws Gabrielle a thoughtful look, telling her coming back for her really meant a lot. Gabrielle tells Xena she trusts her, to which Xena tells her she owes her thanks. Gabrielle suddenly spins and slugs Xena on the arm. She grabs her fist and groans in pain. Xena glances down at her arm like someone examining a flea bite. Xena asks why she did that, Gabrielle who is still in pain says payback for hitting her. Gabrielle asks Xena How did those guys come back from the dead, Xena asks Gabrielle if she ever heard of Ares. Ares voice can be heard, saying Until next time, Xena, until next time, as the two women continue on the road.


Cast

Lucy Lawless as Xena

Renée O'Connor as Gabrielle

Kevin Smith as Ares

Bill Johnson as Benitar

Christopher Mayer as Peranis

Danny Lineham as Grathios

Christian Hodge as Teracles

Phaedra Hurst as Teresia

Meryl Main as Areolis' Widow

Sam Holland as Teen Son

Ross Harper as Polinios


Disclaimer
No Disclaimer


Quotes

Danger excites you... and as you know I am somewhat dangerous
--Ares--

I've seen what can happen to people whose loved one's have been butchered. Their vision gets bent and twisted. Then, there's no telling what they'll do.
--Xena--


Trivia

Kevin's (Ares) beard was a fake which was glued on for this episode, and he said that he couldn't move his face much for fear of it falling off.

This is the first episode to verify that Xena does in fact have super mortal strength, as stated by Ares.

Xena didn't use her Chakram in this episode.


Story Recommendation:

Warlord by Barry Marshall and CN Winters - 55 pages
What happens when Gabrielle is lost to Xena in a cave-in? Well she goes on to become the Conqueror of course. But suppose the bard wasn't killed in the cave-in but instead was transported 20 years into the future where time has moved on, and she is still the same. Then she meets Xena the Conqueror who is overjoyed to have her long lost wife back. That's a good thing, right?

Wrong. There is one little problem. Xena has another wife that she has to figure out what to do with, and this Xena is juuust a little more ruthless than Gabrielle remembers her Xena being from 20 years ago. What happened to her? Could it be that Gabrielle was actually the one who influenced Xena's journey toward good?
http://www.academyofbards.org/amazontrails/xena/warlord.htm

The Rift or Sappho was a Right-On Surfer Chick by Anima

If you want to know why Xena is wearing sun glasses in ancient Greece you'll have to read the story.



The Rift or Sappho was a Right-On Surfer Chick by Anima - 40 pages
Xena and Gabrielle visit the isle of Lesbos as they struggle with the aftermath of the rift.
http://thestoreelounge.wordpress.com/authors/the-rift-or-sappho-was-a-right-on-surfer-chick-by-anima/


A delightful comedy of errors that once again proves the originality Xenite bards are capable of, this offering by Anima has Xena and the bard in a funk, still unable to completely recover from the horrors of the rift and fearing that perhaps their relationship will not survive. Determined to at least look for a solution the two decide to take a vacation on the island of Lesbos where they are soon meeting the Tenth Muse herself, Sappho and discovering a wild new sport involving some wooden boards, big ocean waves, and rather strange modifications to their language ;-) Meanwhile, undetected by them, Aphrodite and Cupid are doing the rounds, spreading love and doing mischief
~Lunacy Review~

Thursday's Teaser - Love in the Caribbean

Love in the Caribbean by Norsebard

                                            This story was number one on the top 25 list at the Athenaeum


Excerpt from Love in the Caribbean

An hour later, the sausages were sizzling merrily on the barbecue, letting out the occasional pop and crackle that were matched in much larger scale by the thunderclaps that came from the storm cloud that was passing by a few miles to the south of Hook Island, and the creaking and groaning branches of the tropical vegetation around the lagoon.

Feeling calm and protected, Lana and Rebecca both sat between their partner's long legs; Lana leaning back against Joey's front, and Rebecca leaning forward to tend to the barbecue while Olly had her long, strong arms wrapped around her waist.

"God, this is life…" Lana said quietly as she looked at the smoke signals that rose from the barbecue.  Sighing contentedly, she took a swig from her glass of Diet Coke and reached down to caress Joey's thigh.

Giving Rebecca a little squeeze, Olly leaned forward and rested her chin on the secretary's shoulder. "How are you holding up, baby?  With the storm, I mean?"

"Just fine, Dominique.  Just fine," Rebecca said and sent the mechanic a warm, wide smile.

"Mmmm. We're the luckiest women in the world," Olly said dreamily.

Rebecca and Joey both nodded at the undeniable truth of that statement.

"So, I think the sausages are done… who'll get the plates and the potato salad?" Rebecca said as she stabbed the nearest sausage with a fork.

"I'm on it," Lana said and scooted away from her warm backrest.  Quickly moving over to the cooler box, she bent down and gathered up the plastic container with the potato salad without realizing that her shapely rear end was pointed practically straight up in an inviting gesture.

Olly and Rebecca noticed at once, and one of them let out a wolf call that caused both Joey and Lana to blush quite badly.

"Oh, grow up!" Lana growled, holding the potato salad.

"Wasn't me, Lana!" Olly said, and Rebecca quickly shook her head to show that it wasn't her, either.

"Uh-huh?  Well, I don't think it was the Skipper… was it, Skip?"

"Nope," Joey said.

"Ha!"

"Maybe it was the Klabauterman," Olly said and began to look around like she was searching for something - or someone.

"Who?" Lana said as she popped the lid off the container.

Tightening her grip on Rebecca's waist, Olly began to speak in a voice half an octave deeper than her already rich timbre, "The spirit of the sea. He's not visible yet, Lana.  Perhaps you'll meet him at the magic hour… when dusk gives way to night."

Lana blinked a few times and began to bite her lips.  Turning to look at Joey, she hoped that the Skipper would say something reassuring, but when a visible shiver ran over Joey's body, it quickly transplanted itself onto Lana's. "Oh no, not ghost stories… not here, not on a deserted island…!" she croaked, almost dropping the long-forgotten potato salad.

Joey just nodded.

"Nooooo…" Lana whined, already dreading the dusk.

"Hey, are we gonna eat or what?  Like I said three minutes ago, the sausages are ready!" Rebecca said, completely ruining the meticulously staged tension.

Breaking out into a laugh, Olly gave Rebecca a good squeeze and then reached down for her plate. "I'm ready, baby!"

"Oh you miserable, no-good sailors!  Always trying to scare the stuffing out of us landlubbers with all your damned superstitions and tall tales!" Lana growled as she slapped a ladleful of potato salad onto Olly's plate.

Holding out her own plate, Joey laughed and blew Lana a kiss to make up.

---

Once a good deal of the sausages and the potato salad had been consumed, a contented silence fell between the four women. Sensing that it was the perfect time for a little singing, Olly reached behind her and took Joey's guitar.

Putting the strap around her neck, she gave it a quick tune-up and then let it rest in her lap.  "Any requests?" she said, laughing.  "No, it wouldn't work anyhow. I only know a couple of songs… but I wanted to take the guitar first, 'cos once the Skipper's pipes come out to play, my stuff will just fade into the sand."

"Excellent… I'd love to hear you sing, Dominique," Rebecca said and ran her fingers up Olly's thigh.

"Whatcha gonna sing for us?" Joey said, still sitting with Lana resting against her front between her long legs.

"Oh, a little song that goes something like this…  Blow A Gal Down."

(...)

Love in the Caribbean - 163 pages
When Lana Ferguson gets an old treasure map for her thirtieth birthday, it's merely the start of a grand adventure that will take her and a friend to the exotic US Virgin Islands. To top it all off, the Captain and the first mate of the boat Lana has hired are charismatic, strong, gorgeous gals - and suddenly, romance is in the air for both Lana and her friend. They came looking for treasure; will they find Love in the Caribbean instead...?
http://xenafiction.net/scrolls/norsebard_love_in_the_caribbean1.html

A Short Q&A With Aurelia aka Erica Lawson

                                                                                  AURELIA


1. Why did you start writing?
I sort of got pushed into it by friends.

2. If you had to do it all over again would you still write?
I think so. I get enormous enjoyment out of seeing my books on my bookshelf. I’ve also won two Golden Crown Literary Awards so I must be doing something right.

3. Once you’ve written a story do you ever sit down and read it for enjoyment?
I occasionally do. It still amazes me that I wrote the thing.

4. How did you start writing Xena fan fiction?
I was in a Xena chatroom and we used to play word games to while away the hours. I started putting together very short stories and they encouraged me to write more. I wrote my very first Xena story in 2005 (“Gladiator”) and submitted it to the Academy and Athenaeum where it still sits today.

5. Is your muse a constant companion, or does it abandon you for long periods of time?
My muse is very fickle and only comes out to play occasionally. I suffer from depression and my attention span and concentration are very short. Because of this I have to write in short bursts – usually the length of a scene.

6. How do you feel about sequels?
I love sequels because it gives you the opportunity to expand the characters even more. “The Chronicles of Ratha” will be a series and some fans were not happy that I didn’t reveal more about the Noorthi in the first book. As I had written it in the first person, there is only so much you can reveal. If the group, such as the Noorthi, are suspicious of outsiders they are not going to blurt out their entire history or rituals to a complete stranger. I don’t think some readers understood that and complained that the characters were two dimensional. However in subsequent books more will be revealed about them as they open up to Jordana.

I also like to keep each book as a separate entity. No one wants to read a book that says “to be continued” where the storyline hasn’t been neatly tied up.

7. Is writing a quiet thing for you, where there can't be any noise or conversation going on?
I used to write with music blaring through my headphones. Lately, however, I’ve taken to writing without the music. It is impossible where I live to have no noise whatsoever but I tend to tune it out these days.

8. Do you prefer to write/read romance, angst, horror etc, etc?
I’m a sci-fi/adventure fan. To date I’ve written a police procedural (“Possessing Morgan”), two sci-fi’s (“The Chronicles of Ratha” and “Soulwalker”), one comedy-romance (“Miss-Match” through Affinity eBooks) and a historical romance (“Reflected Passion”) which is due for release in a couple of months. Most of my books are published through Blue Feather Books.
Online, as Aurelia, I have written the paranormal comedy series with Priory and Dylan (“The Do-It-Yourself Guide…) – the ones with the impossibly long names. Of course, I have written Xena as well. After all that is where it all began.

9. What usually sparks a story idea for you?
A couple of my earlier stories came from friends who offered ideas. I took the idea and then thought outside the box. I think a lot about the story before I even sit down at the computer. I look at different scenarios, different ways that the heroine can accomplish the mission, what can the bad girl do to gain the upper hand.

10. Where do your ideas come from?
I really don’t know. They pop into my head, usually around bed time when I’m trying to go to sleep. It’s scary inside my head.

11. What advice can you give to future writers?
Keep trying to improve. You will learn things in the editing process which will help with making your stories better. If you seek an opinion, make sure it’s an honest one. If you want to go down the self-published route, get your work looked at by a professional editor.

12. What has the show Xena meant to you?
Everything. It completely changed my life. Besides giving me a second career, it changed me personally.

13. How do you feel about the way it ended?
I thought it was a cop-out. No one wanted the redemption thing. They wanted the happily ever after. Maybe I wanted them to finally say “yes, we’re in love”. What did they have to lose by doing that? It was the end of the series, after all.

14. How real are your characters to you?
Real enough, however I don’t obsess over them. They don’t talk to me outside the writing process.

15. Do your characters speak to you?
They don’t speak to me personally. They tell me what to write.

16. Are you in control of your story, or do the characters run the show?
It’s a bit of both. I know in what direction I want the story to go, but sometimes the characters steer the story in a direction I hadn’t considered before. They’ve rarely been wrong.

17. How would you feel about another writer giving one of your characters a cameo in their story?
Since it hasn’t happened to me, I don’t know. I suppose if it was acknowledged I’d be okay with it. It would be cool to think that someone thought enough of your work to want to use a character from it.

18. Has online writing changed your life in any way?
It certainly has. I had never considered writing before 2005. Now I am a published author of four books (a fifth due in August/September with Blue Feather Books-“Reflected Passion”). Had you asked me in 2001 what was in store for me, writing wouldn’t have been on that list.

19. Have you ever been stalked on the internet by an overzealous fan?
I did have one fan in about 2006 who contacted me all the time. I suppose you could have called her overzealous. When the emails escalated I had to stop corresponding. Luckily, she did not contact me again after that.

20. Which one of your online stories is your favorite?
“Avenging Angel”. I like the setting (1850 Japan) and the innocence of the romance. One day I hope to expand it into a novel.

21. Do you do a lot of rewrites?
No. I tend to edit as I go. I’ll re-read what I’ve written so far to bring me up to speed with the story. If I see something not right I usually correct it then and there.

22. Is there ever a point in your writing where you get stuck each and every time? How do you get out of it?
Around the middle of the book-every time. I’ve written the pieces I want to include in the story so I have to look at how to expand that.

23. Which part of the writing process do you enjoy the most and why?
I enjoy it when the story comes easily to me. I can type quickly and can usually keep up with the chatter in my head. It’s a lot harder when the words won’t come or I’ve come to a point in the story where I don’t know what will happen next.

24. When you're working on a story are you obsessed with it until it's done?
Not really, no. While my characters dictate the scene to me, once the scene is completed that’s it. I think about the story a lot but that’s to get ideas to progress the story. I don’t live and breathe my story.

25. Who are your favorite top five writers? Online or published.
Lori Lake, Mavis Applewater, Blayne Cooper & T Novan, Missy Good (her Soulmates series) and B.L. Miller.

26. The song says "Who rules the world? Girls." If that were true would the world be a better place?
Better? I don’t know. Different maybe. I think the world will have problems no matter who’s in power.

27. Do you write a story straight through, or do you write in pieces, then put it all together.
I’m very much a pantser. I tend to write the scenes I want to include first while they’re fresh in my mind. Then I try to start at the beginning and work through the story. Sometimes an idea that occurs to me in, say, Chapter 3 will send the story off in a completely different direction, then I have to adjust the pre-written scenes when I put them together. If I hit a block, I may skip ahead and continue the story then try to come back to it later and make the bridge.

28. What do you enjoy most about writing?
Writing is hard work and don’t let anyone tell you different. There are great rewards for this work. Intense satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment come from holding the finished book in your hands. It’s not for the money. Most of us have a day job and can only write at night or weekends.

29. Do you read books for pleasure while you are writing?
No. Because of my attention/concentration difficulties I haven’t read a book for about 20 years. I look at this as a bonus sometimes because then I’m not influenced in my own writing by subconsciously “borrowing” something I may have read.

30. Do you have a favorite Greek God?
Aphrodite. I hope she’s like Xena’s Aphrodite.

31. Do you have a pet peeve?
In writing, those authors who don’t “pay their dues”. Slapping a cover on a work created in days and selling it just annoys me. To me it takes away the prestige of being a published author. Before self-publishing, if you managed to get a contract with a publisher it meant something; that someone felt your work worthy of their investment. That you were good enough as an author. Now, with the flood of self-publishing, that prestige is gone.

Otherwise, in normal life I have a lot of pet peeves, too numerous to mention here.

32. Have you created a character you would like to meet?
Francoise from “Reflected Passion”. She comes from a part of history that is fascinating. Who wouldn’t want to meet a French aristocrat? Besides, I’m sure she could teach me a thing or two in the bedroom <wink, wink>

33. What do you see yourself doing in the future?
Retiring from my day job and probably still writing.

33. What is your favorite word?
Yes.

35. What is your least favorite word?
Get up it’s time to go to work.
No, you can’t have it.
When editing, “change it”.

36. What turns you on?
A great song.
My favourite TV shows.
A sensual love scene (not necessarily explicit) expressed with a great deal of emotion.

37. What turns you off?
Authors who are constantly pushing their book in public.
50 Shades of Grey (pisses me off that she gets millions for that piece of crap).

38. What sound or noise do you love?
A puppy playing – growling and barking.
A child laughing.

39. What sound or noise do you hate?
The alarm clock in the morning.

40. What is your favorite curse word?
Crap. Okay I’m a prude.

41. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?
I’m getting too old to be changing professions. Besides it’s too stressful to be the ‘new girl’ on the job.

42. What profession would you absolutely not like to participate in?
Anything requiring manual work.

43. If Heaven exists what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
What took you so long?



Here is Aurelia's favorite story:

Avenging Angel by Aurelia - 43 pages
Set in 1860, what had started out as a casual trip to visit her father in Japan, turns into a deadly escapade for Clarissa Hughes. Kidnapped and fearing for her life, her luck changes with the appearance of a mysterious stranger, a samurai, who rescues her from her capture. Could this lone avenger turn out to be more of a danger to her than those men intent on killing her?
http://www.xenafiction.net/scrolls/aurelia_avenging_angel.html

Tuesdays With Phineas Redux

Xena: Quibbles, Nitpicks, Cavils, & Niggles


Does anyone remember the episode of ‘Xena, Warrior Princess’ where Gabrielle had thrown away her staff, I think it was just after the ‘India’ cycle, and taken to attacking bad guys with fine powder blown into their faces from a set of pan pipes? Oh dear, oh dear! I even recall thinking at the time, as I watched the episode in stunned disbelief, “This is the pits. What that script-writer needs is a really good enema. Things can only get better from now on!”.

Then within a few more episodes, the Amazon warrior with her sais was born. Talk about a turn-around. I take it that there is absolutely no chance Gabrielle’s character, of that pan-pipe playing period, will ever re-surface in a work of fan-fiction? (that’s a plea, not a question!).

Talking of pan-pipes, there’s also the episode (come on, you know the one!) where they are walking through a small gorge, only to be faced by a gang of dead-beats intent on making them pay to pass; using a wagon loaded with logs or something as a road-block. The point being that Gabrielle, as we first catch a glimpse of the gorgeous gal (OK! OK!, I was younger then. Considerably younger! And yes, I love alliteration) is busy blowing a delightful ditty on some pan-pipes. If you call the fact that her lips remained about a foot away from the musical instrument at all times actually playing it? Not to mention that the tune we heard was completely out of synch with her lip movements! What we are talking here is a fiasco.

Then, in relation to the ‘India’ episodes, a small question. Does anyone recall that for the duration of the cycle, I’m speaking from memory here, Xena had her hair drawn back? So her forehead was constantly visible for the first time; giving her, I thought, a remarkably intellectual look which seemed to change her whole personality?

I know, I know, a quibble. But the world is made up of quibbles. Apropos of which, what about all those times we see the ladies sitting at their camp-fire either in the evening or morning? That wondrously well-maintained camp and fire. All mod con’s, in fact. Rolls of blankets enough to have stocked a medium-sized merchant’s shop. Bundles of saddle-bags enough to equip a squadron of cavalry. Pots and pans and frying-pans (Gods, I know—frying-pans. 101 Things to do with a frying-pan. I think Xena and Gabrielle covered them all). It didn’t matter where they were, desert, forest, plain, mountain; or the season, hot or cold, they always had enough equipment to make a really good camp—along with there always being enough twigs and sticks to start a bonfire. Why were their pack-horse trains never seen? I think we should be told.

Then, in the early episodes, how did Gabrielle keep up with the horse-riding Warrior Princess? I only ask. There’s Xena, as happy as a lark, thundering across the tundra on Argo going full belt for the horizon as if the IRS were after her; and Gabrielle, happily sauntering along in her long ankle-length skirt and swinging her trusty staff, always making it to the important dramatic scene alongside her dangerous companion. What are we talking here? Time-shifts? Worm-holes? Or did Xena go on a 50 mile trek sideways; only to return the way she had come, to meet the blonde-haired one a mile and a half from where she had left the walking tourist? This needs an explanation—I’m waiting?

Then there is the Curious Question of Gabrielle’s Horse! When, as an Amazon warrior, Blondie was finally allowed the dignity of owning her own horse just exactly which horse was it? Was it the same horse from then on? I think not. It changed colour. It changed height. It changed personality, from an insipid nonentity to a high-bred ‘bite your head off as soon as look at you’ mustang. And in some later episodes Gabrielle had a horse, whichever it was at the time; while in other’s she was horseless once again, for no discernible or logical reason. I mean, what was going on there?

And finally, Gabrielle’s fighting abilities. I speak principally of her latter capability of using her sword or sais. In some fights she appears to be a pacifist; fighting with the flat of her sword-blade, or more often with the reversed handles of her sais; apparently content to give her opponents some really nasty bruises. Then in other fights she’s as mad as a march hare, sticking Romans, dead-beats, banditti, warlords, and assorted others, in their guts right up to the hilt; and getting covered in blood while she strides of, snarling, looking for her next victim. I mean, what are we to think?

And then, of course, there are the numerous times Gabrielle hauled Xena’s immobile, wounded, fevered, or just plain dead, body over vast distances and steppes to revive her; while Missy Xena, in the last two episodes (I can’t bear to name them) simply turns on her heart-mate and blithely says “Oops, I’ve been a bad girl. Goodbye, Gabrielle, forever”, and saunters off to her death—literally leaving Gabrielle to pick up the pieces, but not before having to single-handedly face off a samurai with her katana. So much for soul-mates and everlasting love!

Bah! Grumble! Quibble! Humbug! And “Oh Gods, I do not believe it! That didn’t really just happen, did it?” And there’s probably more, but I’ve run out of patience. This is why I write fan-fiction—to right all the wrongs off-loaded onto our favourite duo by those idiot script-writers. Ah, me.

~Phineas Redux~


Story Recommendationm:

'An Aerial Taxi' By Phineas Redux
This is an Uberfic set in Great Britain in 1942. Zena Mathews, a young New Zealand woman, and her navigator Gabrielle Parker work as pilots in the British Air Transport Auxiliary. They are taken on as members of a secret Government organisation, part of SOE—Special Operations Executive, operating beyond the Civil Service radar where no records are kept.
http://www.academyofbards.org/fanfic/p/phineasredux_anaerialtaxi.html

A Short Q&A With Muzza

                                                                                   MUZZA



1. Why did you start writing?
It's always been something I was interested in. I started writing stories and scripts when I was about 10 being an avid reader with lots of ideas of my own it just seemed like the thing for me to do.

2. If you had to do it all over again would you still write?
Definitely. I received a few flames for my writing when my stories first came out and it did put me off writing for a while. To be honest it still effects me now because although I still write, I refuse to post it unless I think it's good enough for people to read without feeling the need to send me hate mail.

3. Once you've written a story do you ever sit down and read it for enjoyment?
No which is really annoying because I wouldn't write the story if it wasn't an idea I wanted to read about in the first place.

4. How did you start writing Xena fan fiction?
I discovered fanfiction when I was 15 and quickly got addicted to it. I had ideas for stories after reading Xena fanfiction so I just decided to give it a go one day.

5. Is your muse a constant companion, or does it abandon you for long periods of time?
I always have ideas for stories. I've got so many notepads with half-written stories in or just story ideas but sometimes I just cant find the motivation to write a story or to finish one that I've been writing.

6. How do you feel about sequels?
I love sequels... if I'm reading them. I love being able to follow characters as they grow. I've written one sequel and started to write another and I think that as long as you can expand on the lives of the characters it's a good thing but sometimes there just isn't anywhere else for them to go.

7. Is writing a quiet thing for you, where there can't be any noise or conversation going on?
Definitely. If my partner is listening to music when I'm trying to write I usually end up writing the lyrics to the song instead of the words I'm wanting to write. I have to be in a quiet room. Which is another reason I don't write so much at the moment.

8. Do you prefer to write/read romance, angst, horror etc, etc?
 I prefer to write romance. I love reading romance too, although I'm a sucker for a bit of angst in the romance as long as its got a happy outcome.

9. What usually sparks a story idea for you?
TV programmes, films or just things I'd like to have happen to me.

10. Where do your ideas come from?
Not sure. I think it's the part of my brain that was always hoping for something better or different to come along for me.

11. What advice can you give to future writers?
Enjoy your writing. If you don't you'll never get the story you want. Don't be ashamed to ask for help or advice and if you can, get someone else to read it before you post it. They pick up on mistakes that you miss.

12. What has the show Xena meant to you?
 So much... I was a teenager when Xena came out and it was around about the time I was dealing with my sexuality. I'd been around gay/lesbian people all my life but it was never something that was really talked about. Watching Xena with the subtext and then reading the stories based on the show made me realise that being a lesbian wasn't something that should be hidden away.

13. How do you feel about the way it ended?
It ended? I thought that was just a cliff hanger and I'm just waiting for the continuation of that last episode.. To be honest I'm like pretty much every Xena fan. I hated the ending. Yes Xena did the noble thing but who cares about being noble when it comes to choosing between death and the love of your life. We have enough crap in our every days lives why would we want that in a TV series that we've followed for 6 years.

14. How real are your characters to you?
 Very real. I usually try to put myself in at least one of my characters places as I'm writing.

15. Do your characters speak to you?
Is it safe to admit that they do? lol Yeah they do when I'm writing them.

16. Are you in control of your story, or do the characters run the show?
I'm usually in control. I try to have everything mapped out before hand but sometimes the characters take me in a direction I wasn't planning.

17. Have you created a character that you would like to meet?
Yeah I'd love to meet Tegan from Young At Heart.

18. How would you feel about another writer giving one of your characters a cameo in their story?
I'd love it. Unless they wrote the character better than me.. hahaha. No really it would be an honour for someone to think enough of my character to include them in their story.

19. Has online writing changed your life in any way?
Yeah. It introduced me to so much. I met a lot of great people through writing and it helped increase my confidence.

20. Have you ever been stalked on the internet by an overzealous fan?
No, luckily that hasn't happened to me.

21. Which one of your online stories is your favorite?
Young At Heart.

Uber set in the present day UK, Tegan is barely 16 when she ends up shunned by her family and alone. Chance brings her into Jamie's life, and she not only finds a place to live, but a job, and much, much more than she ever thought she'd find.

My online favorites by other writers are, well, my all-time favourite story isn't available on the net anymore. It was Words Heard In Silence by T. Novan and Taylor Rickard and that not being available on the net anymore is a big loss to new readers, especially seeing as it is out of print now too. My other favorite is The Secret History Of Vampires by Windstar and Zee. The story takes place mostly in Russia. Alexei, a vampire is hunting other creatures of the night and is so badly wounded that she is in desperate need for blood. She drains her first victim completely. Her second victim however the pickpocket Katiya is spared. Instead of killing her Alexei takes her to her house. Together they try to find out who is plotting against Alexei.

22. Do you have to do a lot of rewrites?
I try not to. I think the first idea is usually the best.

23. Is there ever a point in your writing where you get stuck each and every time? How do you get out of it?
If I get stuck I usually go away. Read someone elses story and come back when I think I can carry on.

24. Which part of the writing process do you enjoy the most and why?
The beginning. When I'm working everything out. Getting the ideas onto paper and working out the timeline. I enjoy this the most because that's before I start getting frustrated at the way the story itself is going.

25. When you're working on a story are you obsessed with it until it's done?
It depends how into the story I am. I can be obsessed with it for a few days and then I get stuck and have to stop or if I'm really into a story I can keep going until it's finished and get annoyed when I have to stop for things like eating.. lol

26. Who are your favorite top five writers? Online or published.
 Ali Vali, Windstar and Zee (as writing partners), Radclyffe, Melissa Good and KG MacGregor.

27. The song says "Who rules the world? Girls." If that were true would the world be a better place?
Definitely. Men haven't got a clue what they're talking about most of the time.. lol

28. Do you write a story straight through, or do you write in pieces, then put it all together.
Bits and pieces and then put it together.

29. Do you read books for pleasure while you are writing?
Yes. I'm always reading. So reading while I'm writing is the best way to end my session.

30. Do you have a favorite Greek God?
No.

31. Do you have a pet peeve?
People leaving taps running and electric power points switched on when nothing is plugged in.

32. What do you see yourself doing in the future?
Still writing and hoping to get something published.

33. What is your favorite word?
Whatever

34. What is your least favorite word?
No

35. What turns you on?
Lots of things.. lol

36. What turns you off?
People being hateful.

37. What sound or noise do you love?
A baby laughing

38. What sound or noise do you hate?
People breaking up polystyrene

39. What is your favorite curse word?
Bollocks

40. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?
Chef

41. What profession would you absolutely not like to participate in?
Teaching

42. If Heaven exists what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
Howdy. Nice to see you. You've lived your life well.


Here is Muzza's favorite story:

Young at Heart by Muzza - 220 pages
In this sensitive Uber set in the present day UK, Tegan is barely 16 when she ends up shunned by her family and alone. Chance brings her into Jamie's life, and she not only finds a place to live, but a job, and much, much more than she ever thought she'd find.
http://thestoreelounge.wordpress.com/authors/267-2/

The Path Not Taken

                                                                Original Air-Date October 2nd, 1995

One evening, Jana, the beautiful young princess of Boeotia, sits under the stars with her handsome fiance Agranon, the prince of Colonus. As they celebrate the fact that their impending marriage will end a bitter, centuries-old feud between their two nations, several masked men overpower Agranon and ride off with Jana. Xena learns of the kidnapping when Agranon approaches her in a seedy tavern where she and Gabrielle have stopped for a meal.

Impressed by the ease with which Xena fights her way past several lascivious drunks, Agranon pleads with her to find Jana. He names Mezentius, an arms dealer who will get rich selling weapons to both sides if war breaks out, as the probable kidnapper. Responding to the prince's obvious anguish, Xena agrees to help, though it means returning to the treacherous city of Trachis where she will be recognized by former colleagues from her dark past.

When Xena saunters into the pub in Trachis playing the role of the conquering hero, she immediately dispels "rumors" that she has given up fighting for profit. With much banter and backslapping, she receives a warm welcome from the assembled murderers and mercenaries including the handsome Marcus, a former lover and friend. Xena gets her first glimpse of the kidnapped princess when she convinces Marcus to take her to Mezentius to propose a business deal.

When she meets with the evil arms dealer, she tells him she knows he is fomenting war between Boeotia and Cronus, and offers him her army to prolong the conflict in exchange for weapons and half of his profit. She even convinces Mezentius to refrain from killing Jana, persuading him that the princess will be worth a hefty ransom. Meanwhile, Gabrielle persuades Agranon to go to Jana's father in an attempt to avert the coming war, but the two are quickly taken hostage when they approach Boeotia.

When Jana threatens suicide, Xena stages a dramatic rescue for Mezentius, using the opportunity to tell the princess that she has been sent by Agranon. She arranges a secret meeting with Jana at the castle's underground grotto that night. After avoiding discovery by Mezentius in the grotto, Xena whisks Jana off to the weapons warehouse, where she hides her in a box emptied of bows and arrows, which is destined for Jana's kingdom.

Just as Xena finishes nailing down the lid, Marcus appears and realizes what she is doing. Xena pleads with Marcus to leave his life of war behind, but he ultimately refuses and sounds the alarm. Xena battles the guards valiantly. But when Mezentius draws his bow to kill Jana, it is Marcus who leaps in front of her and takes the arrow meant for the princess. Through his heroic last act, Xena sadly realizes that she has indeed lost a true friend.



Cast

Lucy Lawless as Xena

Renée O'Connor as Gabrielle

Bobby Hosea as Marcus

Stephen Tozer as Mazentius

Nicola Cliff as Jana

Jimi Liversidge as Agranon

John O'Leary as Antonius

Iain Rea as Brisus

Crawford Thomson as Dictys

Peter Sa'ena-Brown as Soldier


Disclaimer

No Disclaimer


Quotes

"What we have here is a failure to communicate."
-- Gabrielle

Gabrielle: You see Xena, the way I look at it, life is an adventure to be explored. And, without adventure what's the point? Granted, with you sometimes it gets a little too adventurous, but that's what makes it interesting. Who was it that said "curiosity is the food of life and adventure is a meal?"
Xena: Sounds like something you might say.

Gabrielle: Did you ever notice that we never have a problem getting a table?
Xena: It's a mystery to me

"You do one thing, one good thing for no other reason than you know its right, that's the first step."
"I'm not that strong."
-- Xena and Marcus


Trivia

Lucy Lawless performed and wrote the dirge heard at Marcus' funeral (it is in Hassidic style).


Story Recommendation

Reunion of Souls by DS Bauden - 40 pages
Author Gina Barnes' best friend Rita talks her into a night out at the local bar. Gina does not want to go, but does to please her friend. While there, Gina notices a man looking at them, and is filled with apprehension. The forbodding is justified as shots are fired as they leave the bar, and what follows is a roller-coaster ride to find the culprit. Luckily, Detective Sara Kelly, assigned to the case, has a lead on the case and Gina's heart, as sparks fly in this short thriller.
http://xenafiction.net/scrolls/ds_bauden_ros.html

Gabrielle: Fashion Icon

Throughout the course of the series, Gabrielle has a total of 7 regular costumes which become smaller, more conducive to her fighting style as the show progresses and more showing what the fans call "Fab Gab Abs" (Fabulous Gabrielle's Abdominals).

Gabrielle's first costume consists of her peasant clothes from her home village, which includes a light blue shirt, long red skirt and dark blue jacket. Gabrielle's hair is always tied back when wearing this. The outfit makes its final (regular) appearance in the tenth episode of the first season, Hooves and Harlots. It is briefly seen during the second season episode "Remember Nothing" due to the re-use of video footage from the first season.

                                                              Gabrielle: The Amazon Princess

Gabrielle's second costume is a slight variation of the Amazon Princess tube top that makes a one time appearance when she is made Princess of the Amazons, and is used for the remainder of the first season. The costume features dark brown leather boots, a brown shirt with an exposed midriff, blue patterns and a matching brown miniskirt. Gabrielle's hair is still tied back the same way as before, but changes color between blonde and a brunette-red tone in the later episodes. Gabrielle also carries her fighting staff with this costume. In a chronological error, the episode in which it debuts was aired prior to the episode where she is given the costume in several countries. In this episode, Gabrielle is still wearing the blue Amazon necklace, but discards it for the remainder of the season.

Gabrielle's third costume makes its debut at the beginning of season 2. It features a new, lighter brown miniskirt along with a woven, dark green sports bra with large diamond patterns (known to fans as the "BGSB", or Bilious Green Sports Bra). The boots remain the same as before. Her hair is left loose for the majority of the season, but is tied back similar to the previous costumes for the first few episodes. It is last seen in the second episode of season 3.

Gabrielle's fourth costume is a variant of the previous one. The miniskirt now has a more reddish tone to it, and the bra top is now smaller, lighter in color and features small leaf patterns as opposed to the diamond designs of the previous one (but could easily be mistaken for the previous version by the more casual viewer). Again the boots are also identical to before. It first appears in the third episode of season 3, and makes its final appearance in season 4.

Gabrielle's fifth costume makes its first appearance in season 4. Possessed by the demon Tataka, Gabrielle wears a bright yellow Indian two-piece along with an orange veil, and she goes barefoot during this season, though occasionally wears sandals. Throughout the episode she also wears pearls, but they are gone once Tataka is defeated.

In the following episode, Gabrielle's hair is cut by the chakram to chin length and she features elaborate Indian Henna body art, while in the next episode, she disposes of her fighting staff for good. The costume makes its last appearance before Gabrielle and Xena are crucified in loincloths.

Gabrielle's sixth costume makes its first appearance in the second episode of season 5. The warrior outfit consists of a threaded leather brown bra with beads hanging off the bottom, the back is exposed, except for 3 straps. She also wears a very small orange miniskirt, with a brown threaded belt matching her bra top with straps hanging off the middle at the front and back of the skirt.
Also included are brown armbands, silver gauntlets, a necklace and dark brown laced boots where Gabrielle keeps her new sai. When in colder climates, she wears a tan and white suede duster. Her hair, while still short, is longer than it was in the previous season, and the costume makes its final appearance in season 6.

Gabrielle's seventh and final regular costume is seen for the first time in the third episode of season 6, and is kept for the remainder of the show. The new bra top is nearly identical to the previous one, only now red in color with slightly different patterns and no longer has beads. Alongside is a new red miniskirt with a black and silver belt, a new necklace and a single silver band on her right arm. The boots and gauntlets remain untouched.


Story Recommendation:

Fashionable Disclosure by Ri - 87 pages
Golda St John's father is the Vice President, but she couldn't care less. She had worked for years to become a top fashion designer, and finally she has put together a show for Fashion Week in New York and she won't let anyone in the Secret Service ruin it. But what she doesn't know won't hurt her, or so they think. Things don't go the way anyone plans. Especially when Tara Brown, an undercover Secret Service agent poses as one of her models.
http://wp.me/P3Qr5Y-p3

Thursday's Teaser - After Jack

After Jack by Wendy Arthur

This new story is in production, and should be posted next week. It is the 10th installment in the After Montana Series. The entire series can be found on Wendy's After Montana page http://marshallcarson.wordpress.com/

Excerpt from After Jack 

As the car pulled slowly into their destination, Kate marveled at the strings of twinkly lights that hung between each post on the harbor and gently swayed in the breeze against a golden sunset. Rows of sparkling white yachts and motor boats lined the wooden walkway next to the entrance road. When CJ shifted the car into park, she turned off the engine and looked at her wife. “We’re here.”

“We sure are. It’s so beautiful! Is this a private marina?”

“Yeah… I know some people…” CJ winked.

“I can’t believe you planned all this.” Kate was overwhelmed. “I’m so lucky…”

“Nah… I’m the lucky one. Let’s go… there’s more.”

They started walking toward the jetty, not the building like Kate was expecting. “Uh, honey… are we going sailing in our evening wear?”

CJ giggled. “Kinda.” She stopped in front of a sleek, sixty foot motor yacht and opened her arms.

Kate walked into the embrace and hugged her wife close. “It’s huge! We’re going… on this?” she asked, squeezing CJ’s waist.

“Yes. Our crew awaits.”

“Oh no… you’re gonna tell Star Trek jokes all night, aren’t you?”

CJ laughed and led the actress onto the magnificent boat. They were greeted by a young gentleman wearing a black tuxedo who asked them to follow him. When they arrived on the aft deck, Kate spotted the table for two. It was draped in a red tablecloth and some of the finest dinnerware she had ever seen. A small vase sat in the center and two simple red roses stood proudly from it. Candles were lit around the deck which was partially sheltered by the level above but most of the area was open-air and the atmosphere was electric. Everything glimmered and reflected each ceiling light, and even the deck boards shone since they'd been polished within an inch of their lives. The actress was buzzing with excitement and CJ wasn’t managing to conceal her giddiness either, as was evident by the toothy grin that was permanently stuck on her face. Once they were seated, the waiter handed them their menus and left them to browse at their leisure.

“This is amazing, CJ. Thank you so much!”

“It was totally worth it just to see that smile,” the agent purred, taking Kate’s hand into hers. “I love you more with every passing day, Katie. Thank you for being my wife.”

The blonde successfully held back her tears… for now. “I love you too… so much. Like I said before… there are no words to explain how much you mean to me.”

“Happy Anniversary, baby. Here’s to us,” CJ said, raising one of the champagne-filled flutes.

“To us.” Kate took a sip of the bubbly liquid and her eyebrows shot up at how good it tasted. “Oh wow… this is great!”

“It sure is,” CJ agreed. “Looks like I’ll be persuaded to have a few tonight… I mean… it is a celebration, after all.”

Kate smiled widely. “Three years. Still glad you married me?”

“Oh hell, yes!”...