#julia recommends

[he-shall-thunder]

In 1892, the newly married and vivacious Genevieve Montsorrel disappeared into the Egyptian desert. Only her parasol was ever found — the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, and assumed death, were never explained. A century later, Willa Jamieson comes into the possession of a trunk of Genevieve’s possessions. Hidden in a secret compartment she finds Genevieve’s diary…which holds the key to her secret life and her sadistic husband, her strength and her ability to survive everything life threw at her. As she’s drawn further and further into the diary, Willa realises that it might just hold the answers to what really happened to Genevieve Montsorrel…

[apirateslifeforme123]

Fic asks continued, this round for the lovely @sheliesshattered  , # 9 & 13 on Mark’d. <3<3<3<3 Thank you dear!

 9: Were there any alternate versions of this fic?

Funny you ask that… heh. In my original outline I definitely didn’t plan on being so kind to James Norrington. But I had gone through a bit of a shift in the way I see his character in the middle of writing this fic. Originally I think the ending I had in mind was more revenge oriented, but then I decided to take the high road of redemption/reconciliation between Elizabeth and James, and Jack and Lizzy still get to sail off into the sunset. :)

 13: What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading?

 I have to give some of the same answer as from Pirate King Remix, but also some sea shanties from the Assassin’s Creed pirate album (LOL I know but they actually did a REALLY good rendition!!). I love Drunken Sailor.

My top album for inspiration here is Rogue’s Gallery for sure. It’s an album produced by Johnny Depp of sea shanties, done by contemporary artists like Bono and Sting. Don’t laugh, it’s amazing! Lol. Though I have to say the more traditional takes on the album are my favorite and the ones I listen to most. My Son John by (John C Reiley lol) and Hog Eye Man by Martin Carthy are my absolute favorites.

The second one, Son of Rogue’s Gallery, is ok but not AS good.

Also, a recording of Jolly Sailor Bold by Stephanie Pitcher. Her voice is beautiful and so true to the song in the movie. She’s on youtube, and you can also buy the mp3 on her site.

Ah, AND He’s a Pirate by Taylor Davis. Her violin covers are AMAZING. And Jack’s theme song gets me AMPED for writing POTC, it’s like a fight song. Lol!

[he-shall-thunder]

There are a lot of adaptations out there exploring "What if Sherlock was a woman" or what if he had a niece etc... This is by far my favorite feminine retelling. It is smart, detailed, historically accurate, and has fun nods to the original Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

Charlotte Holmes does not see trading her reproductive abilities for her care and keeping a good trade. She's too smart for that you see, and so she sets about with a plan to emancipate herself from her parent's expectations. Said plan involves ruining herself, then blackmailing her parents to keep it quiet in exchange for the schooling she will need to become the headmistress of a girl's academy. There's one thing brilliant Miss Holmes did not factor into her plans: the absolute stupidity of the man she seduces, who drunkenly wanders into his wife's bedroom and tells her all about it. Things go delightfully awry from there...but it all turns out in the end.

This was part murder mystery and part examination of the state of women's rights in the Victorian age, and how certain clever persons managed to get around the limitations placed upon them by men. I really enjoyed this aspect even more than the mystery solving itself.

The mixed cases were a bit jumbled, though it did all come together nicely at the end. I think if I had read it rather than listened to it (and the narrator of the audio version kind of has a droning voice) it wouldn't have been a chore to keep it straight. The little love story between Charlotte and Lord Ingram was sweet, and I look forward to reading book 2.

[apirateslifeforme123]

So I’ve been revisiting some old favorites on Audible [i.e. I’m out of credits and too cheap to buy more] and can I tell you folks about Seize the Fire? Laura Kinsale is amazing. She writes torrid romance for the discerning reader. Plot + historical details A++, and her prose is delectable.

Sir Sheridan Drake, retired Navy Captain and Knight in Shining Armor™, seems like the perfect accomplice to exiled and wide-eyed Princess Olympia St. Leger in her aspirations to return to her tiny country and start a revolution to claim the throne. What she doesn’t know is that Sir Sheridan is a bit of a scoundrel with a colourful past, and what Sheridan doesn’t know is that Olympia is the only woman to reform him, whether he likes it or not...

Also, if you spring for the audio version Nicholas Boulton’s voice is a gift to women everywhere.

[apirateslifeforme123]

Can we just take a moment to appreciate @snowbryneich? This lady is a juggernaut of Norribeth, and a member of what I like to think of as the HEA Revolution (A Coalition of Like-Minded Fic-Writing Individuals Determined to give James Norrington a Happy Ever After. Damn it!). She updates her fics almost every day, and they are so amazing! So if you’re needing a Norribeth fix, please check this girl out!

The Deception series, starting with Masquerade- Elizabeth Turner finds a new distraction from her failed marriage at a masquerade ball only to find he's not actually a new lover after all but an old one.

Bound In Her Bones-James Norrington survived his stabbing by Bootstrap Bill and is carrying on with his navy career when he encounters the Pirate King in a bad state in gaol.

A Remedy Against Sin- Elizabeth doesn't get kidnapped by pirates - but having one strip her to her underwear in public is just as damaging to her reputation. An au based on the fact Elizabeth would have been ruined by societies standards from the instant Jack pulled her dress and corset off her in public. Luckily a ruined reputation is not enough to put off James Norrington - not that Elizabeth appreciates that.

An Ever Fixed Mark -James Norrington finds himself proposing to Elizabeth Swann again.

Recovery-The Black Pearl gets to Port Royal when Elizabeth and Will are fifteen and the kidnapping goes much worse. Ruined by Pirates - James offers to restore Elizabeth's reputation.

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100 Day Song Challenge

Original list here

List of my song picks here

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"Weird Medicine" by Sean Hurley, performed by Ron and Fez

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Round One- Jeff Williams (feat. Lamar Hill)