Here is an excerpt for my newest fanfiction based on Disney's Wish:

At first she could do nothing but stare at the empty display stand.  It couldn’t register at first the book was gone, leaving only a clean rectangle surrounded by a thin layer of dust.  Blinking a few times, she leaned down to look under the wooden base and then finally at the floor, slowly beginning to panic.
“Where’s my book?” No one had access to this chamber, where she’d spent years perfecting her magic. The panic coalesced into dread when it suddenly occurred to her there was one other person who she’d let into the room.  “No,” she muttered softly.  It couldn’t be him. Could it?
Tears threatened as she went in search of Magnus, for the first time regretting choosing him as her apprentice.  If he’d actually stolen her book of spells, she’d turn the world upside down to find him…
 
Esther stood at the bow of the ship as the kingdom appeared before her in the distance.  It took decades, much longer than she’d expected, to find Magnus.  It hadn’t occurred to her that he would change his name, though it didn’t really surprise her that he’d made himself a king and even had a queen.  A pang of melancholy shot through her heart, hoping there wouldn’t be children. There was a time Esther thought that she and Magnus would get married and start a family. She thought he’d loved her, but she’d had years to realize he’d only used her to get the book.
After all, he’d found her because he needed help in avenging his family. He’d seen her use her magic to destroy the thieves who’d stolen his home and killed his parents.  She’d let him into her life and eventually her bed. She chided herself now, knowing he was too young to handle an adult relationship, let alone one with a sorceress such as herself.  Esther had always held herself at arm’s length from everyone, but Magnus was so charming and handsome.  His cockiness was endearing, and she fell hard.  She’d never known love before, and it chipped away at her resolve.
She opened herself to him, letting him see how she performed magic, even letting him read a few spells in the book, though she warned him to never touch them with his bare hands. She’d cautioned to always use Obsidian oil to protect him from the forbidden spells, and made him swear to never use them. She’d also shown him which spells were safe and how to use them. She’d written many of the spells and knew every page.  It was her life, and she felt empty being apart from it. Magnus would pay dearly for stealing the book from her.
Shaking her head angrily, she forced herself to think of him in better times. He was an excellent apprentice and absorbed everything she’d taught him. Her lower lip quivered as she remembered his face and piercing blue eyes. She missed that face and wiped a lone tear that escaped the corner of her eye.  She wondered how the years had treated him, and if he was still as handsome as she remembered.
Esther and the others were welcomed as they stepped out onto the dock.  One of the townspeople gave them a tour of the kingdom, letting them all know how Magnus, who now went by King Magnifico, would accept their wish when they turned 18 and could possibly grant it at their monthly wishing ceremony.   Esther almost snorted at the admission and quickly covered her face with her hands. Seriously? Where did he keep all these wishes? If she could get her hands on those, she could easily take back her book.
She couldn’t hold back the smile at everyone’s excitement.  They all looked so happy.  Gazing up at his statue, her lower lip quivered.  They had his likeness everywhere, from the statue to banners and a huge mural painted on the ground.  Apparently, his dark hair had gone silver, but he was still gorgeous. She got lost in his ice blue eyes for a moment and had to shake herself.
Breaking off from the tour, Esther wandered closer to the castle.  She needed to meet this King Magnifico as soon as possible.  She chuckled softly at the horrible name he’d chosen.  Why didn’t he just call himself magnificent?  She’d made the mistake of using that word to describe him on more than one occasion. He’d clearly taken it to heart.
She sucked in her breath as she hit an invisible wall. Confused at first, she flung her arms out in front of her, trying to feel it.  Her hands felt nothing but air.  She leaned forward and stretched out as far as she could.  Nothing stopped her, but she was unable to move her feet to walk closer.  It hit her then that Magnus had put a protection spell on his castle to keep her out.  His clumsy attempt, however, only prevented her from walking inside the boundary, but it wouldn’t stop her from being carried across.  Now who could she convince to do that?

It is in the Downloads for all members to read for free.

I wrote a fanfiction based on Disney's Wish, and it has been added to the Downloads for all members.  I've also posted an excerpt for those who might like it.  You will need to join to read it.

Apparently, forums are no longer as popular as they were a few decades ago.  That's OK, though, since this one will remain here even if no one uses it.  I still pop in, so if someone stumbles upon this one and wonders if it's not being used, yes, it is.  You can always join or read the threads/free stories that are available.

This movie surprised me.  The premise is an evil king gets twarted by a headstrong teenager who wants to make things right for her family and friends.  While I loved just about everything, including most of the songs, I am conflicted by who was actually the villain.  

Asha is a 17 year old girl who wants to be the king's apprentice.  She finds out while meeting with the king that he only grants a portion of the many wishes he has claimed over the decades, two of which belong to her grandfather and mother.  She then decides that the king is wrong and she wishes on a star to change things.  Now, she already knows that the king created the kingdom decades before she was born, collects these wishes and grants at least 12 of them every year.  He protects the rest, but she's upset when she finds out that he will only grant wishes that will benefit the kingdom.  
Ignoring the fact that the king is a sorcerer, who uses his magic to grant wishes, just imagine a teenager questionig her king. Think about that for a moment.
The king is beloved by all, including the queen. He has studied magic all his life, and even has a book of black magic that he doesn't touch.  It's just there in case he needs it to protect his kingdom.   Asha is upset with the king and manages to coax a wishing star from the sky to help her steal the wishes from the king.  **Do not read any further if you don't like spoilers**
Fearing he will lose everything, the king consults that forbidden book and gets corrupted from it.  Doing so, his queen joins forces with Asha to defeat him. It doesn't really matter what happens after this. Of course the king is defeated, but is he really the villian of this story?  Everyone is happy to have their wishes back in the end, but is everything really better?  They no longer have a king who protected them and granted at least 12 of their wishes every year. They have a queen who betrayed her own beloved husband, who is now banished to the dungeon.  Are they really better off?  At least before they had the chance of getting their wish fulfilled by their magical king.  Was he perfect? No, he wasn't, but is anyone?  So now, instead of possibly having their wish fulfilled (which they all do willingly), they have to work at making their own wishes come true. Not only that, but the wishing star made Asha a fairy godmother, who can now do her own magic.  I'm sorry, but that's a bit ridiculous and goes against the whole theme of the story.
We're supposed to love Asha and hate the king.  I'm sorry, but I never thought the king was the villain.  He was overthrown by a spoiled teenager who only cared about her grandfather's wish and didn't care who it hurt to get it back.
Again, I loved this movie, and I did like Asha. I liked everyone, which makes it very hard to not like the king.

I was just thinking that maybe someone might be interested in their own personalized romance and/or erotic story.  I'll add the option to Jude's Store.  All you would need to do is pick the length you're interested in, your name and the name of your significant other, and a few other vital pieces of information.  So be sure to check it out: 

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Reader Review: "Water for Elephants"

by Alexandria Harris (Princeton): This was actually am extremely difficult book to get into after watching the movie. I think this is a wholesome story. The entire time you can feel yourself almost present as the author herself. She gave such good in depth description of the surroundings and I felt like I was actually in the book.. I couldn't have asked for a better, more beautiful way to start and end. Mostly, people get the story confused. Who knows the truth? I think personally that this book shows animal cruelty, but not real abuse. It shows that to demonstrate what we have now, shall pass too and to get through the bad to get to the good.

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Reader Review: "The Spectacular"

by Bookworm Becky: 5.0
Dreams, glamour, legacy…
Two 1950s storylines —
Marion has either danced or taught the beginners at the ballet and dance studio for much of her young life. At 19 yo, on a whim , Marion auditions for the Rockettes . Surprisingly, Marion is among the 46 chosen to be hired. Her father is furious with her decision to accept the job - he wants her to quit and marry her boyfriend Nathaniel. Nathaniel finds it hard to believe that she would pass up this opportunity for marriage.
From 1940 - 1956, an unidentified man has placed 31 pipe bombs around NYC public locales. The latest bomb was at Radio City Music Hall during a Rockettes performance, resulting in one fatality. Police investigations for 16 years have not led to an arrest.
An acquaintance , Peter, a resident doctor at a state hospital is interested in the "personality road map" of profiling. His goal is to publish.
How do Marion and Peter become involved in trying to solve the crime?
What does F P mean?
What secret is her father hiding?
Fiona Davis is an auto- buy for me. This is my favorite historical fiction book of hers!
I have read all of her NYC books. I've visited NYC 7x and I feel I've done a fair amount of sightseeing. I wish now I had gone to Radio City Music Hall!
I bought this book on my recent vacation. Imagine my surprise when I got home & realized I had a signed copy! Maybe from her author event at the store a few weeks earlier???
A dramatic final act of an ending!
Good cast of characters!
A nice mixture of mystery, suspense, romance, & NYC history.
Don't skip the author's note at the end! Photos & info online about RCMH history and the real NY bomber. He left bombs in phone booths, restrooms,& lockers in many of the iconic NYC locales.
Highly recommend! Historical fiction devotees will love this one!

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Reader Review: "Trust"

by Tony Conty (Parkville, MD): "Trust" by Hernan Diaz is a lot. "Books within books" test your abilities, and you must reread a lot. That doesn't mean it isn't worth the work. You will feel more competent when you finish. The main character, Benjamin Rask, is wealthy and mysterious, earning a great deal on the market but remaining disdainful of excessive wealth.
The novel picks up when we learn about mental illness, solitude, and the 1929 stock market crash. Benjamin Rask navigates it so well that some of his peers hold him responsible. The part that the reader forgets is that you are reading a fictional novel about a fictional story, leaving you to doubt the reliability of the narrator and the "facts" that he presents.
When one "story" ends and another begins, the confusion doubles. You have to meet and absorb a lot of new characters, and you will not get the point right away, but the reveal is rewarding. Men in the business world will respond well to the financial aspects divulged and how they tie in with the familial strife presented by the author.
Since the novel spans a century, you will identify with some parts more than others. The third "novel" by Ida Partenza speaks of life as an Italian immigrant at the turn of the century, and I wanted more of that. For this reason, the book requires patience, but you have my word that it is worth it. A little knowledge of the stock market wouldn't hurt, though.
Novels like "Trust" do not come around often because one could easily do them poorly. You have to do a great deal to keep the stories straight; your enjoyment will depend on how intriguing the story is. I found the presentation of contradicting facts interesting, but you had to re-learn everything.

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Reader Review: "Mercury Pictures Presents"

by Cindy R: MERCURY PICTURES PRESENTS (Hogarth) by Anthony Marra is brilliant on so many levels. It's hilarious one moment, then turns serious, all the while presenting multi-dimensional, complex characters within a complicated novel. .
It's 1940s pre-war Europe: Immigrants are fleeing the continent on the cusp of WWII. Maria and her mother escape Italy's dictator, Benito Mussolini for America. They leave behind her father and a neighborhood boy who are imprisoned. In Los Angeles, Maria gets a job at Mercury Pictures Studio as an associate producer, working for studio founder, Artie Feldman, an eccentric man who believes women can work during these sexist times. Maria tries to forget her past but reminders are around every corner. She interacts with other recent immigrants, many who are also dealing with the guilt of leaving her father behind and the ever-present memories of what once was home.
MERCURY PICTURES PRESENTS reveals the lives of so many people in Europe and in America struggling to get by as war rages on. While reading you might want to keep notes to stay connected. This novel is historical fiction at its finest. The plot, lessons of war, intelligent characters and the wonderful writing by Anthony Marra will keep you feverishly flipping pages to the end. At first I thought this would make a fabulous movie, but I don't think Hollywood could achieve the same quality of story. Well perhaps, if produced by Steven Spielberg or Martin Scorsese.
Thank you BookBrowse for the opportunity to read this for an honest review.

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