Now onto what the author's thread is really for! The fics!
3. Novels (100+ pages)
Arranged in alphabetical order
(Banner by Sarah, aka: girl afraid)
Title: 521
Category: Ensemble, AU without Aliens, Drama, Romance
Rating: Adult (sexuality, language, and some violence)
Status: Complete
Writing Dates: August 2008 - August 2009
Warnings: Max and Isabel
Summary: Maria DeLuca and Tess Harding are best friends, but the two constantly clash when it comes to Tess's boyfriend, the ruthless and self-absorbed Max Evans. When wild-child Maria moves out of their apartment and in with their responsible, introverted friend Michael Guerin, everything changes.
Author's Opinion: I'll be honest: it's probably the best thing I've ever written (along with its sequel). I know it's the fic that I've enjoyed writing the most. The idea primarily stemmed from my longing to have seen Tess and Maria become friends on the show itself, and it just exploded from there. What I thought was going to be a short, light-hearted fic has turned into something that has exceeded 1,000 pages and, hopefully, has a lot of substance to it. In some ways, I'll admit, it's like a soap opera, but I also think it goes a lot deeper than that.
(Banner by me)
Title: 522
Category: Ensemble, AU without Aliens, Drama, Romance
Rating: Adult (oh so very)
Status: Complete
Writing Dates: August 2009 - July 2013
Warnings: Graphic violence and sexuality, dark subject matter, character death, UC elements
Summary: A year and a half after the last chapter of 521, Santa Fe’s most dramatic, romantic, and problematic people have settled into adulthood. Some have changed; others have not. Some have gotten what they wanted while others have fallen short. At a time in their lives when marriage, children, and careers are their primary concerns, they discover that the only difference between college and the “real world” is that the problems they face are bigger and more intimidating.
Author's Opinion: This is without a doubt the craziest thing I've ever written, due in large part to the fact that I'm writing crazy Isabel. Even though Michael and Maria are the leads of this fic, I would also contend that Isabel is a lead, and that's something I've never done in a novel length-fic before. She's one of the most intense characters I've ever written and was my overall motivation for writing this sequel. This is one wild ride of a story if I do say so myself. If you read it, hang on tight because a lot of things are going to happen that you won't see coming. I hope.
(Banner by me)
Title: Beautiful
Category: M+M, AU Without Aliens, Angst
Rating: Teen/Mature (violence, sexuality, language)
Status: Complete
Writing Dates: 2003-ish
Warnings: Character Death
Summary: Her life was nothing until he made it something. His life was ugly until she made it beautiful.
Author's Opinion: This probably still remains the saddest thing I've ever written. This was kind of my transition fic between bad writing and slightly better writing, and likewise between tamer fics and slightly more mature fics. The idea came from an RPG that my friend Ash started on this very board long ago. I think the RPG was called "Rivalry." I remember reading it, and it was neat. It inspired me to try my hand at my own "gang fic," even though I'm
so not gangsta.
(Banner by me)
Title: Crusaders’ Night
Category: M+M, AU Without Aliens, Drama
Rating: Teen/Mature
Status: Complete
Writing Dates: Late 2002-2003-ish
Warnings: Violence, UC for some
Summary: On a completely normal day in the quiet town of Roswell, New Mexico, one young girl is taken hostage. Little does she know that one man will change her world upside down and make her into someone she never thought she would become.
Author's Opinion: I think this is easily the most original plot I've ever done. So yay on me for that. The downside is that it's one of the worst endings I've ever done. If I could go back and re-write this, I would write the ending completely differently. This was only the third fic I ever wrote, though, so I'll cut myself some slack. In all honesty, I owe a lot to this fic. Even though the grammar is horrid in some places, it was really the story that put me on the map, or at least the Candy map. I got inspired for this when I was randomly thinking of an episode of ER I watched when I was, like, still back in diapers. Okay, not diapers, but I was young.
Title: Death of the Oleander (I had a banner for this one, too, but once again, can't find it.)
Category: Michael and Maria, AU With Aliens, Drama
Rating: Teen
Status: Complete
Writing Dates: I don't know. Must have been 2001-ish.
Warnings: It sucks.
Summary: Michael Guerin, General of Antar, falls in love with his servant Maria. Ooh.
Author's Opinion: JUST DON'T READ IT! I'm only including it on this thread because I feel like I have to. I wrote this when I was SO young and I SO totally didn't know anything about writing. Plus, it's got this whole sci-fi aspect to it that I've since learned I can't write. Sci-fi and April are like oil and water. Un-mixy. So don't read it. Okay? Don't.
Title: Loving the Enemy
Category: M+M, AU With Aliens, Drama
Rating: Teen
Status: Complete
Writing Dates: Must have been 2000. I was, like, in middle school.
Warnings: It sucks worse than anything else I've EVER written in my ENTIRE life.
Summary: Maria's a Skin (ew!) and she falls for Michael, even though she's supposed to be working with her fellow Skins to kill him.
Author's Opinion: This was my very first attempt at fanfic, and it shows. Again, JUST DON'T READ IT! I'm including it here out of obligation. I wrote this, like, before I even knew how to kiss. It's just so bad. And a fun tidbit: I didn't know what to call it, so I got the title from a Sweet Valley High book.
Sweet Valley High, people. If that's any indicator . . .
(Banner by me)
Title: My Romance
Category: M+M, AU Without Aliens, Romance (duh)
Rating: Adult
Status: Complete
Writing Dates: 2005-2006
Warnings: None
Summary: Michael and Maria meet during their senior year of high school and become best friends, but they're reluctant to become anything more.
Author's Opinion: You can read this one. Finally, we're back to the good stuff. Okay, I realize I've played around with the 'best friends' cliché storyline probably more than anyone else over the course of the past four years of my fic-writing, but this is a nice fic if I do say so myself. Not many people read it, but I really enjoyed writing it. The only problem is that there isn't a great place to read it. Electric Candy (the site I linked you to) is an awesome site, but everything that's supposed to be in italics in this fic isn't. I really need to re-upload this fic to CID someday.
(Banner made by singerchic4)
Title: Passion
Category: M+M (with other CC/UC couple explorations), AU Without Aliens, Dramedy
Rating: Adult (lots of sex, kiddies)
Status: Complete
Writing Dates: 2007-2008
Warnings: Lots of explicit UC, very frustrating
Summary: Maria DeLuca is a senior at the University of Santa Fe. She lives with her three best friends in the world, Kyle Valenti, Max Evans, and Michael Guerin. Kyle has two girlfriends. Max has the grades to make valedictorian. And Michael . . . well, Michael has no clue.
Author's Opinion: Oh, here it is. Every fanfic author has a BIG fic eventually, and this was probably mine. Amazingly, it only took me a year to write. I wrote about 3.5 pages per day. It was kind of addictive! The entire idea for this story came from an image I had in my mind of Maria standing in a house with Michael, Kyle, and Max. So weird how that happens. Anyway, this fic generated a lot of heat and debate, mainly because . . . well, because it pissed a lot people off. Michael and Maria are kind of unlikable in this at times, and then at other times, they're more likable. And Max and Liz are disasters, too. This was SO much fun to write, though, and I loved that people got so invested in it. There's not really a cohesive plot. It's very much an exploration of the characters. And it's raunchy. I know there was a lot of call to do a sequel, but it's not happening. I have to end this thing where I did. I really am proud of this one. Really.
(Banner by me)
Title: Someone, Anyone
Category: Michael and Maria, AU Without Aliens, Drama/Romance
Rating: Adult
Status: Complete
Writing Dates: August 2013-December 2014
Warnings: Some explicit UC, dark subject matter at times, lots of sex
Summary: Michael Guerin is going nowhere in life, and he’ll be the first to admit it. As a senior in high school, he should be looking forward to his future, but the future is something he hasn’t given much thought to. Ever the reckless, undisciplined teenager, Michael soon unknowingly finds himself thrust into a new chapter of his life, a chapter in which he’ll have the chance to turn out differently than he or anyone else ever thought he would. But is he ready for the twists and turns life has in store for him? Is he ready to
be someone?
Author's Opinion: An idea that hit me out of nowhere and ended up becoming what I believe to be one of my most well-written fics to date. It's very much a character study of an AU Michael Guerin at times, and as for the Michael/Maria relationship . . . well, I just FELT it as I was writing it. Like in my heart and the pit of my stomach. I hope that comes across. There's a very sexual yet sad vibe that permeates this story, mixed in with some humor and plenty of drama. Storylines for all characters, though Michael and Maria are always the focal point.
(Banner by me)
Title: Somewhere, Anywhere
Category: Michael and Maria, AU Without Aliens, Drama/Romance
Rating: So Very ADULT
Status: In Progress
Writing Dates: December 2014-January 2016
Warnings: Language, some explicit UC, dark subject matter at times, LOTS of sex
Summary: Two years have passed since the events of Someone, Anyone. Michael Guerin and his friends, lovers, and enemies are living out a new chapter of their lives in a new town with new faces. But with the past not far behind and the future straight ahead, where will Michael’s life take him? And who will he be when he gets there?
Author's Opinion: The plan with
Someone, Anyone was ALWAYS to write a sequel, and I'm so glad I did. I can't believe I wrote it so quickly! I guess that's a testament to just how much I enjoyed these characters and how naturally their stories always developed for me. Once again, Michael is the focal character, and M&M's relationship was something that I just
felt in my gut as I was writing it. Expect storylines for all characters again, plus an original character who is probably the most fully-developed original character I've ever written. This is, in many ways, the most dramatic fic I think I've ever produced. The ending is wild, and everything that leads up to it is pretty intense, too, if I do say so myself. Bear in mind that my characters are
never meant to be perfect, and these characters are the best example of that.
(Banner by me)
Title: Stimulation (It sounds like a porno, but it's not)
Category: Michael and Maria, AU Without Aliens, Drama
Rating: Mature
Status: Complete
Writing Dates: 2004-ish
Warnings: It's not Max-friendly.
Summary: Michael Guerin is a kid from the wrong side of the tracks. After an incident of vandalism lands him in police custody, Michael heads to the right side of the tracks, Long Beach, California. There he lives in a lavish mansion with a mother he has never known, an overbearing and famous step-father, and a step-sister named Maria.
Author's Opinion: Okay, step sibling Michael and Maria? Icky, right? No, not so much! I was totally inspired to write this after watching
Cruel Intentions. (We all remember that one, right? That was hot.) I was really worried that people were going to get yucked out at the step-sibling storyline, but this actually ended up being one of my more popular fics. I think I was still going through that transitional writing stage, but the writing's not bad considering I was much younger than I am now. I think this fic was probably where I started creating more three-dimensional characters, which is always a good thing.
*Note: My Romance, Passion, 521, 522, Someone, Anyone, and Somewhere, Anywhere all exceed 1,000 pages. Just be in it for the long haul if you plan on reading one of those.
**Note 2: I personally recommend 521, 522, Passion, Someone, Anyone, and Somewhere, Anywhere the most.