So, I fail at that updating twice a month thing. Sorry, sorry! Between being really sick and being busy, I just kept putting it off. At least this time I have a few updates.

First, Chapter Three of Shelter is up. Maybe now that some things have somewhat settled down, I can try to stick to my word and updated every two weeks. No promises, but I’ll try.

Second, I wrote a Distorted Blessings side-shot called Solid and Strong. It takes place about five years after the Epilogue. It was really just errant idea that I decided to write, so if you’d like to take look into Julie and Zac’s future, check it out. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think, please?

Third, I’ve been adding some other little random drabbles and stuff to aloneinthe@lj. I’m planning to add some other little random things there as well, like some Twilight fan fiction I’ve been working on off and on. I’m also going to be posting some fic recommendations from the various fandoms I like to read, so join the community so you can see those updates!

Fourth, I rewrote the first chapter of Bed of Lies for The Spark Inside. There will be a new story each day, and mine will be up on the 4th, so make sure you check the archive for that. While the rewrite is essentially the same story, I tried telling it a different way, and there were several things that were added to it – like Taylor and Eden’s night together.

Fifth, the April edition of the JSOR Newsletter will be coming out in a few days. If you’d like to be kept up to date on all of the latest Hanfic news and fiction through a monthly email, make sure you go and sign up now!

And I’m sure there’s probably something else that I’m forgetting to mention, but it escapes me right now. So, I hope the chapter update and the other little random bits will sort of make up for my updating failage. Also, thank you to Tracey, Amber and Ditte for signing the guestbook! I really appreciate it, and it’s good to know that people are still reading. So if you read something, please drop me a note. I like knowing I’m not talking to myself (all the time anyway).

*waves sheepishly* Um, hello. Remember me? Yeah, I know. I fail. I’m sorry.

I won’t bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that it’s been a very long, hectic year and in the midst of it, my drive to write seemed to get lost. Regardless, I’m back and I’m writing again. I have a ton of things to update on, so please bear with me!

Sadly, I don’t have any chapter updates for you right this minute. I have, however, sent some stuff off to my beta, so I will have something up very soon. I do have some new short pieces to share, though! Back in October, for Renee P.’s Trick-or-Treat Hanfic Halloween Challenge, I wrote 3 pieces – a drabble (Tick. Tock.), a ficlet (Practice), and a short story (Praying For Daylight).

You can find them along with the rest of the Halloween fics on the challenge website or in my Vignette Collection. Practice takes place in the Catalyst universe, and I also wrote a Christmas story for Christmas Time that also takes place in the same universe, but it won’t be up until December 16th. Becca is currently still accepting Christmas stories until December 10th, so if you should feel so inclined to write a Christmas Hanfic, there’s still time to submit!

I also have a couple of new projects going on. The first is an expansion of Just Shy of Reality. The forums are still in place, but we now have a Hanfic News Center. The goal is to keep readers and writers alike in the loop with the latest Hanfic awards, projects and websites. We also have a small directory that we’re hoping to expand over time.

The other project is Hanfic Sprints. Renee P. and I started the sprints to help people reach 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo, and we’ve decided to keep the sprints going. You can check out the community for all of the details on what the sprints are, if you aren’t familiar, as well as the current schedule. I hope some of you will join us. You don’t have to work on Hanfic specifically. You can work on homework and other works of fan fiction. We just want to keep people motivated to write.

Since I mentioend NaNoWriMo, I suppose I should share that I participated this year and reached 50k. I decided to rewrite and old collaboration. I’m not sure if many people will remember it, but it was called Shelter. I’m in the process of editing and finishing the ending. As soon as my beta is finished looked it over, I will have an update for you. I’m also working on some other things – new and old – so keep you eyes peeled for that.

There are also a couple of other things going on in Hanfic. One is the Hanfic Christmas Awards. Nominations are open until December 10th. (And thank you so much to the kind soul(s) that nominated me! I really wasn’t expecting it given how absent I’ve been lately!) So there’s still some time to nominate, and then voting will begin on December 11th, so go nominate your favorite stories and don’t forget to go back and vote!

Some of you may also remember the 10 in 10 challenge from last year. Well, Jessemay is hosting again. Sign ups are still open, so check it out. I won’t be participating since I already have so much on my plate, but I’m looking forward to reading!

As for site news, you might have noticed there’s a new theme and that the old ones have been taken down. I figured it was about time for a new look. The sidebar also went on a diet. I decided to take out some of the clutter, so I hope things are easier on the eyes now. I may be adding more themes later, but for now I’m just focusing on getting back into my writing.

Shelter, Solace and Watershed are currently my main focus. You should be seeing Shelter sometime this week, and I’m working on Solace tonight in the sprints, so Chapter 5 may be coming to you very soon as well. As for Watershed, it’s just a little pet project that likely won’t be seen until it’s been finished, but you might be able to find some sneak peeks over at aloneinthe@lj.

I also have three new affiliates. All talented girls I’ve been chatting with in the sprints – Aeryn (Tabula-Rasa.cc), Bethany (Extemporaneous) and Jenna (ForeverPoetic.com). Make sure you go visit them and check out their stories if you haven’t already.

Thank you to Flash for signing the guestbook. Assuming anyone still visits the site, I hope you enjoy the short stories I mentioned, and I’ll be back again soon with actual chapter updates!