get me off this crazy thing

Highlander Holiday Shortcuts reveal happened yesterday! As usual, we produced an excellent crop of stories this year. If you're at all interested, you should check them out here on the subcollection on AO3

First, a recommendation for my gift! Which is hilarious (as can only be expected from Amand_r) and features Methos's misadventuring mishaps. It's awesome. Check it out.

The Tao of Meatloaf (8075 words) by Amand_r
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Highlander: The Series
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Methos, Joe Dawson, Richie Ryan, Duncan MacLeod
Additional Tags: Mistaken Identity, Hijinks & Shenanigans
Summary:

This is what happened when you had one identity stolen by hackers in Macedonia, a second's assets frozen by a vindictive organization, and your third mistaken for a grifter who owed the French arm of the Russian mob several hundred thousand dollars.

And then the story I wrote. This year, I wrote a 12k words Richie gen fic! Which was a real treat to write. Richie is hilarious, and I kind of adore him. This story is genius, if I do say so myself. *is smug* This is one of those canon divergent AUs, which I'm just realizing is probably a tag I should add to the story whoops.

The Vitturi Theories (12841 words) by hafital
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Highlander: The Series
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Methos (Highlander) & Richie Ryan
Characters: Richie Ryan, Methos (Highlander), Cory Raines, Matthew McCormick, Ceirdwyn (Highlander), Carl Robinson, Duncan MacLeod, Joe Dawson
Additional Tags: Clan Denial, quickening hijinks, mild violence, Heist, Richie Ryan to the rescue
Summary:

After that night in Paris, Richie leaves Europe and doesn’t see either Methos or MacLeod again for twenty years. Until one day Methos calls, asking to meet at a bar near Seacouver.

~~~

In other news, I had to move apartments rather suddenly. Long story. So long a story that I've had a half written post open in a browser window since like November I think. I'll get around to finishing it and posting. It's been a bit of a ride. Not to pat myself on the back, but how I finished such a long story in the middle of this I do not know. The actual move didn't happen until Jan. 5, this past friday. I'm still tired from it. SIX HOUR MOVE. Also, I am still (STILL) rewriting the new book. STILL.

All is well now though! Comfy new (large) apartment! Getting ready for my 8am jump class at the barn.

This post will unfortunately not touch on so much that I want to write about. I think I should make a New Year's resolution to post more often.

Since I returned from Scotland it seems the world has been set of fire. Also, I have watched tv, finished a draft of my next book, started a rewrite of that book, stalled on the rewrite when I had to write my HL Shortcut story, went to see a few movies, DARTH VADER HAS RETURNED MAY HE NEVER LEAVE ME AGAIN (no seriously, I am not that fannish about Star Wars, but Rogue One has given me back the Darth Vader of my childhood and I am seriously forever grateful. I do not have too many strong emotions about the prequels because at the end of the day I don't think I really care that much but it wasn't until I was in the theatre watching Rogue One that I realized how much I resented those films for how they changed my feelings on Darth Vader. Anyway, he's back. And I love him.), we had to put a dear horse down yesterday and we're all very sad and all by barn girls have been crying for two days now, I gave up gluten and dairy but am now having an allergic reaction to eating too many high histamine producing foods. oy.

Tomorrow my mom and I will go to a day spa and soak in some hot springs.

Pray that my itchy eyelids go away. And itchy other parts I won't mention. HAH.

BUT. The real reason for this hasty post is to direct all 3 of you who still read this journal to go to the Highlander Holiday Short Cuts fest on AO3.

Try and guess which one's mine! I'd give a hint but honestly it's gotta be bloody obvious which one's mine.

ALSO, I got a Highlander/Northanger Abbey x- over story, An' to the Greenwood She is Gane and it's so scrumptiously wonderful. If you have any affection for Austen and Epistolary fiction, you should definitely read it. :D :D

eta: Oh no! :(

The reveals are out for the Highlander Holiday Shortcuts, and so now I can squish carenejeans for my lovely gift of Holiday Spirits! Whee!

I wrote

The Beginning of Always
+11k words,
D/M, Amanda, Joe
Mature, for some violence

Written for pat_t

Story can be found on the hlh_shortcuts LJ: The Beginning of Always

Or, minus a few typos at AO3 or HL Archive.

Wooo, the Highlander Shortcuts Festival is all done and the authors have been revealed. *throws confetti*

This year had some truly amazing stories. I recommend checking them out. Something for any Highlander fan.

I wrote:

Samsara
Highlander, D/M
Adultish
about 11,000 words

written for adabsolutely
eta: thank you to basingstoke for the beta, and additional thanks to unovis for some early comments.

Can be read at hlh_shortcuts lj.

Or minus a couple of typos at hl fiction or AO3.

I have finished my hlh_shortcuts story \o/! Managed to hammer that puppy out over the thanksgiving holiday, which was something definitely to be thankful for haha. I think that was the first fan fiction I'd written in two years (say whut?). Those handsome immortals are as pesky as ever!


~~~

Went to see Intersteller - ( cut cut cut )
~~~

Am enjoying my X-File rewatch. I'm wondering if I want to try to read some MSR? Maybe? It was actually the very first fan fiction I read year and years ago, but I never read very extensively for the pairing or the fandom. Are their still recs somewhere from way back? I have no idea what the popular stories even were.

And I think I missed melina123's b-day, too, and I think taselby's is in a couple of days, so Happy Birthday all around!! I'm bad with dates and remembering, so I'm grateful when I do remember.

Special smooches to killabeez for holding my hand while I had a hlh_shortcut meltdown. xoxo

~~~

Another quick announcement to say that I had to default this year on hlh_shortcuts. :( I was pretty torn up about this since I haven't missed a year yet, but I have professional commitments that are taking precedence this year. sigh. BUT I am still looking forward to reading everyone else's stories! yay!

~~~

I didn't want to mix sadness with a happy post about b-days, but I just want to say I am immensely upset and saddened over the loss of Paul Walker. I adored him. As so many of us are, I'm heartbroken. I love the stories that are coming forward about what a fantastic person he was, but I wish I could have learned that without this tragedy.

I'm not dead! whee!

Like really good peanut butter, things are nutty over here. But, you know, one day at a time, and all that. ( quick family update )

Hey! I'm going to compete in my very first jump show this weekend! Long stirrup, which is just x-rails but still. I'm excited, and hope very much that I at least don't take a tumble. hah.

~~~

Audio books I have listened to this month:

The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne (what? I never actually read it)
Tiger Eyes, Judy Blume (if I had been a little quicker on the draw, I would have nominated this for Yuletide. My favorite Blume book)
The Glass House and Half-Broke Horses, Jeannette Walls
Are You There Vodka, It's Me Chelsea, Chelsea Lately
The Great Gatsby (what? I never read this one, either.)
The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins (I don't like the reader, which is too bad)

I tried to listen to Gerald's Game by Steven King, but I couldn't finish it.

There might have been one or two others that I'm forgetting.

~~~

I signed up for hlh_shortcuts and I'm very excited about it! Of course I have no idea what I'm going to write, but why should this year be any different from any other year?? I'm trying to decide whether to sign up for Yuletide. I want to, but I feel that may be pushing it.

~~~

I recently inhaled all of Breaking Bad. It was good, and kind of horrible at the same time. What amused me the most, though, is how I can still see the dad from Malcolm in the Middle in Walter White. haha.

~~~

I haven't gotten around to watching the recent episodes of Doctor Who yet. ack! And I'm waiting patiently to have all of Downton Abbey series 3 before embarking on that. I did start watching Ugly Betty, which I never got around to when it was on the air, and it's just the right kind of fluff. I like it.

I'm still rolling around in Star Trek: Voyager love. It makes me stupid happy. I love even the crappy episodes! I'm almost done, though. Sad.

~~~

Um, so does anyone have really good Avengers recommendations?? I'm curious.... What are the popular pairings?

Good morning, friends. Today, I have to go back to work. :( It's been a lovely break. Although being stuck at my parents for 3 days, while nice being with them, I was seriously bouncing off the walls by the end. I guess I'm not used to quite that level of inactivity, because doing nothing (physical) for 3 days by the third day my entire body hurt. lol.

I resorted to running around the house and up and down stairs.

~~~

I did manage to finally (finally!!!!) upload all of my stories (as far as I know, I don't think I missed any) onto the AO3 archive. So, now, this has replaced my website. It's nice having them all in one place again. For the last few years they've been scattered among several different archives or LJ.

phew! That was hard work. I even backdated them all to when they were posted (or near to for a few that I have no idea haha). I had to go on to trekiverse.us to find some of my original ASCEM posts for the star trek stories! It was a bit like excavating or an archeological dig or something. hee.

~~~

Highlander Holiday Shortcuts reveal is today!! Get your last minute guesses in. :)

There have been some truly remarkable stories this year, not least of which is the story I received this year, a bittersweet story that reminded me strongly of old school D/M. Trefoil. It's D/M, M/A and it's lovely.

I'm so immensely proud of us, as a group. We done good.

~~~

We had a horse colic very badly Monday morning at the barn, and she had to be humanely euthanized. She was bleeding internally and any operation had little chance of working. Apparently she was in too much pain so they put her down. I wasn't there and only got word when I finally crossed the border midday on Monday. Her name was Delilah, although I usually thought of her as Louisiana, which is her state name (we give our horses state names; it makes it easier). She was a gray mare, and she puts me in mind of the horse in this story written for the hlh_shortcuts about Methos and his gray mare :D :D, both terrifying all the world. . She was really great mare, very willing over fences and dependable. You could put kids on her or adults. But, by God don't put her near another horse or she'd eat them up alive. She had to be a no tie horse (meaning you had to tack her up in her stall) because she would *literally* climb over the x-ties to attack another horse 2 cross ties over. Not kidding. And in lessons she had been known to cut across the arena and bite and kick other horses. It got pretty bad for a while there until we all had standing orders to keep her away and she chilled after a while.

She was the last horse I rode before the christmas break, and I was supposed to ride her yesterday.

I loved that horse. I'll miss her.

~~~

OMG there is so much TV to watch! I have yet to finish the most recent Doctor Who series and now there's a christmas special. And also I have yet to start series 2 of Downton Abbey and now there's a christmas special for that, too.

And what am I doing?? I'm rewatching Highlander. LOL. WELL WHAT DO YOU EXPECT AFTER HLH_SHORTCUTS?!?!

~~~

I've only dipped my toe into yuletide. Every year I intend to read the whole archive and every year I don't get very far. Although I did read a lovely Breakfast Club story.

~~~

Crap, I better get dressed and face the day.

Yay, it's hlh_shortcuts time again! The most glorious time of the year! It only comes once a year, but always worth the wait. If you're a fan of Highlander: The Series, don't miss these stories! Two days of posting have happened, with several more days to go, so be sure to come back each day and read until the reveal. And if you do read, be sure to comment and then try and guess which one I wrote. :D :D

Well, it's the day I've been waiting for, in any case -- the day the Highlander Holiday Shortcuts goes live!!

Coincidentally, this is also the day in which I turned in my hlh_shortcut story, because that's just how I roll, as they kids say these days.

Guess which one is mine! I'll give you a hint -- it's the one with the big neon sign over it blinking 'hafital wrote this'. hah.

Methos says hi.

(uh, and yeah, that yuletide thing... right. I'll get right on that. switching gears.)