Visions of Our Destiny by @ForksPixie

Visions of Our Destiny by ForksPixie

Official Summary:
Jasper has been waiting 60 years for Alice's vision of his vampire soul-mate. What happens when she knocks on the Cullen door escorted by the Volturi Guard. Vamp Story /AU
 
Review:
I want to first start off by saying that Forks is an amazing author that has an ability to take an idea and develop an amazing little plot bunny. This fic is no different.
 
I started reading this fic, in part because of my wife. She loves Forks’ writing and talked about it all time, so I decided to give it a try. Also, Forks reads my works, so like any good author, we return the favor and I am so glad that I did.

First this is NOT a cannon story. Edward is not Bella’s love interest, so if you don’t do non-cannon, turn and run now! However, I beg each of you reading this POW to give it a try. You will not be surprised.

This story starts with Bella packing to return to Italy, The University of Florance, for her school semester, but she is back in Forks for her father’s funeral. Charlie had been killed by a robber the week prior.  She had not seen her father since she was a girl, as she lived in Miami with her mother and Phil.

My mother, Phil and I returned to Forks for my father's funeral. It seemed as though the whole town was in attendance, including the entire Quileute reservation from La Push. This was my mother's first time back since she left my father when I was a baby.

After the funeral, she leaves for Italy.

I arranged for an apartment on campus and I couldn't wait to see all the places from the books and tourist guides I had diligently read as soon as I knew I was headed for Italy. I looked forward to visiting the artistic sites such as the Pitti Palace, the Uffizi Museum, Michelangelo's famous sculpture of David, and the Ponte Vecchio Bridge which was the oldest of its kind in Florence.

She arrives in Italy and settles into her apartment. She decides to go one night. Here is where she meets, as Forks puts it, “the person that would change my life forever,” Heidi.

She walked up to me, breathed me in and said, "You smell lovely."
I hadn't noticed her walk up to me. I didn't hear her foot steps. She was pale with purple eyes. I pulled slightly away from her and raised my eyebrows at her. What a strange thing to say to someone. "Thank you. I guess," I said.
"Please excuse my forwardness," she apologized with a smile that dazzled. "My name is Heidi. From your accent I assume you are American. I too am American and miss the aromas of home."
"Oh…sorry for my reaction," I said with a chuckle. "It just sounded like you wanted to eat me."
"Have you been in Italy long?" she asked as we began to walk slowly through the square.
"No I just arrived and was taking a walk."
"Are you here on a family vacation?"
"No. I am here for a semester at the university. I don't know anyone yet and was hoping to make friends and learn my way around."

Heidi takes her to the castle, Volterra.

Jasper’s POV (The Major) has been waiting for his beauty for 60 years. Alice told him that he had a perfect mate and he just had to be patient.  Her visions of his mate had always been obscure, then all of the sudden she could see her perfectly. Jasper’s coven is the Cullen’s, led by the one and only, Carlisle.

Emmett was already opening the doors to the back-porch before Edward had even finished his response. We all stood to follow him when Alice cried out, "NO!" Edward was immediately at her side. The horrors of Alice's vision clear on his face.
"What is it?" I asked, hoping that we had time to prepare for whatever was coming.
"She's alone. She's changing all alone," Alice whispered, still lost in her vision.
"Who? Who is changing?" I could not help the growl in my voice as I asked for more information.
Alice turned to look at me, her eyes filled with the venomous tears she could never release. "Your mate."

Bella Arrives at the castle, Heidi was leading to her death. Bella tries to get away, but Heidi holds her tight, as vampires drink the rest of the tourists that arrived with them on the bus.

Heidi put her hand to my chin and turned my face to expose my neck. "I am sorry, dear. But you must know that you exist to sustain us." She licked her lips and opened her mouth, exposing her sharp, glistening teeth. The shriek that had been lodged in my throat was ready to escape when I heard a man call out in an assertive voice. "Heidi, release her! That one is mine."

Aro, takes Bella,

The robed, monstrous man placed his hard cold hands on my upper arms and lifted me, my feet dangling off the floor. "Why run my dear? It will do you no good."
I could feel my teeth begin to chatter as my body shook uncontrollably. I was staring death in the eyes and I had no way to escape. The monster before me had perfect features. His white skin had a glowing appearance. Smooth and thin, almost translucent – it contradicted the blackness of his long hair that framed his face and his piercing eyes were black as night.
He placed me on the floor and his right arm snaked around my waist, pulling me flush against his stone-like body. He raised his other hand to brush my hair aside before grabbing the back of my head to expose my neck. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the pain of his teeth sinking into my flesh, but it did not come. I opened my eyes to see that he was looking at me with furrowed eyebrows. It was a look I could only describe as confused.
"So very interesting," he said in a low voice calling for someone by name. "Jane, dear?"
In an instant a small cloaked girl was standing by his side. "Yes, Master Aro?"

Here, Aro allows Jane to try too torture Bella. Nothing happened, and Aro was truly excited. He decided to give Bella the gift of immortality. Bella tried too resist, but Aro sank his teeth into her anyway.

Aro then gives Bella to Felix to take to a room, to assist and wait for the change to happen.

Once Bella awakens from her change, she meets with the brothers Aro, Caius, and Marcus. Instantly they can see that Bella is different, special even.  She shows that she has not desire to feed the way the Volturi. Realizing that he can not train her, Aro decides to call his old friend, Carlisle to see if his coven would be willing to take Bella under their wings.  The connection between Bella and Jasper is immediate.

How will this story continue, as I will NOT spoil anymore. I will tell you that Jasper in this story is one of my favorites, as his love for Bella is so intense, only to be coupled by Forks’ ability to describe with such fluidity in her writing.

This is a story littered with love, humor and yes a little angst along the way. I hope that you will give this story a try, as I could probably tell you the entire story but I will leave the experience to you.

Also, leave this author a review, as she always responds! I hope you enjoy, Visions of Our Destiny, as I know I have.

Thanks,

TwiFicDatabase
@jaydogrut

[Ed. Note: Please excuse any formatting or linking errors. Blogger is being a huge tool. These will be fixed ASAP (a.k.a. when our webmaster is fully awake in the morning,)]

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The Feeder by @Lindsay520

The Feeder by lindsay520

Right off the bat I suppose I should issue a warning. This is a very AU story: there's blood-drinking and violence. That said, that's exactly why this fic works and exactly why I picked it.  It's new and different and I've never read a fic like it.

Edward and his family are blood-drinkers, but are still concerned with taking human lives. Their solution is to have what they call "feeders." One human who they feed off of, drinking only a little bit each time, for weeks to months at a time. This minimizes the number of humans who die at their hands. The major drawback to this is that they have to feed daily. So Edward keeps Bella handcuffed to his bed in a remote cabin in the woods so that she can't even try to escape and so that he can drink from her regularly.

It sounds pretty macabre, and I suppose it is, but it's also really compelling. 

One night, three weeks after Edward found (kidnapped) Bella, he comes home to feed. He allows her to get up from the bed, where she's been for hours it seems, to use the bathroom and move around for a minute. Then she does something even more self-sacrificing than canon Bella - she basically offers herself to him. She doesn't fight, doesn't even protest. She gets comfortable back on the bed and asks if Edward is ready.

Things progress from there - the bloodlust leads to good ol' fashioned regular lust and they end up making passionate love. It might start as needy, blood-fueled fucking, but the emotional impact it has on both of them, but especially Edward, is immense.

Their relationship changes and grows after that. Despite the fact that Bella is still Edward's feeder, she becomes much, much more. He gives a name to his feelings for her when she almost gets taken from him by another vampire.

There's probably a bit of Stockholm syndrome going on here, since Bella quickly and obviously develops feelings for Edward as well, but lindsay520 does a great job of explaining why Bella is attracted to Edward (aside from his vampire perfectness) so it's still believable.

One of the things I really enjoy about this story is that it is incredibly different from canon (for obvious reasons) but it manages to keep some canon themes and elements throughout. Believe it or not, Edward does struggle to keep Bella safe and alive even while he's feeding. Then there's the almost inevitable debate, once he recognizes his feelings, of what to do with Bella - let her grow old as a human or change her into a vampire. There's also the third option of keeping her as a feeder for longer; the danger there is that he could accidentally take too much and cause her death.

I have to say, as much as I love the canon and slightly AU stories, I really love it when an author takes Meyer's world and turns it on its end. This is exactly that kind of story and I can't recommend it enough.

Final warning: there is passing mention of Bella being raped, but it's never explicitly detailed and nor is it by Edward. It plays in to describing her character and how she got to be where she is, but it isn't a major plot theme. Just be aware that it's there if this is a trigger of yours.

And a note: Normally I'd include quotes or excerpts from the story in a review. This time, I honestly just couldn't decide what to include because it was either too much awesome or a spoiler. So just go read the story and find the quotes for yourself. :)

Thanks for reading!
TFDB Staff
@sapphirescribe 

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Monthly Reading List - August

Monthly Reading List

We think that anyone who has the guts to put their words out in this fandom deserves to be honored. That's why we do this post.

Send me Love by SweetestLady-2030: Each of us is looking for that Special Someone. Some of us find it, some of us don't. To Edward it happens under unusual circumstances when he expects it the least. Will he be able to step over the obstacles life has put in his way? EdwardxBella AH

Opposites Attract by love2read30: Bella celebrates her 30th birthday in a club where she meets Edward. She finds out he works in the adult entertainment industry as an actor. Will prude Bella go on this journey with Sexpert Edward? Rated M for Lemons. EdwardxBella AH

Don't Judge a Bella by Her Cover by jtmd24: Edward meets sweet, innocent Bella at a strip club one night. Or so he thinks. He may have just met his match. Rated M for language & lemons. EdwardxBella AH

How Can I Help You by sugunary: After years away, Bella Swan returns to a place she thought she left behind, and someone she wasn't sure wanted to see her, ever again. A story of how your life can change when you least expect it. AH, B/E, Em/R, A/J Not a cheating fic. EdwardxBella AH

Evermore Experience by deJean Smith: Bella Swan receives an invitation to the exclusive Evermore Experience, an in-depth immersion summer program where she plans to fully explore 19th century England, but fate has other plans for her once she arrives. A mostly AU story. EdwardxBella AU

For other recs, check out previous months Reading Lists: June 

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Beautiful Sorrow by DreamOfTheEndless

Beautiful Sorrow by DreamOfTheEndless

Bella is a mess. Her life is a mess. At 22 years old, she's a recovering alcoholic, a recovering anorexic, she has almost 24-hour care and a shrink who comes to her house twice a week for therapy. Her abusive husband (Carlisle) barely speaks to her and she can hardly muster the energy to speak to anyone else, including her therapists.

If you like character development and tense, anticipatory build-up, this story is for you. We see snippets of Bella's life "today" - her nutritionist bargaining with her like a child to eat her meals ("If you can tell me the secret ingredient, I'll leave you alone at lunch") an uncomfortable birthday phone call with her parents in which Bella tries to remember the lies she told about her last birthday.  The worst for me was the midnight inspection by her husband.  It happens at the end of the very first chapter and really sets the tone for the rest of the story.

She woke up in her bed later that night with a distinct feeling that she was no longer alone. She could sense the presence of her husband sitting across the room, watching her from his usual spot. [...] She trembled in fear, her heart threatening to beat out of her chest. She clenched her eyes shut. Maybe she was only imagining his presence. Maybe it was only a nightmare.

"I know you're awake, Isabella." [... his eyes] were dead; completely devoid of any hint of life or hope. They didn't even show any glimmer of anger or rage. Just hard, cold nothingness.

I did this to him. I made hiim this way. I deserve all the sufferings in the world.

As he requires, Bella then gets out of bed, moves to the center of the room and strips. She stands before her husband, naked, embarrassed, afraid, and, despite his presence, alone. He hasn't visited her in her room in months so she has no idea whether this night will be one of physical or emotional abuse.  Turns out, that night it's psychological.

After that, the author spends quite a bit of time going back in time and showing how Bella and Carlisle met. Back when he had at least the appearance of being a good man and before the mistake she made that brought them to where they are today. I'm not going to share the few details with you that I know about the mistake, but I will say that it involves Edward. Truly though, the details are sparse. With as little as Bella interacts with anyone, she's mainly in her head, remembering better times and trying to escape, since a physical escape is impossible.

Though I don't have first-hand experience with either alcoholism or anorexia, DreamOfTheEndless seems to handle both difficult subjects with maturity and grace. Neither is glamorized, nor are they vilified.  The author recognizes the shades of grey in life, though not all of her characters (*ahem* Carlisle) do. You can't help but sympathize with Bella even though she certainly deserves to feel every ounce of guilt coursing through her system.  If you're looking for hard-hitting angst and a well-told story, look no farther.

Thanks for reading!
@TwiFicDataBase staff 

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Love like Winter by MandyLeigh87

Love Like Winter by MandyLeigh87

OFFICIAL SUMMARY:

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind...For who could ever learn to love a beast? B/E Inspired by Beauty and the Beast AH

REVIEW:

Everyone in town has heard of the mysterious Edward Cullen, who hasn’t left his mansion since his parents were murdered years before. The only way people know he’s alive is when Jasper Whitlock comes into town to re-stock their supplies. To Bella Swan, Edward Cullen was as real as Santa Clause and she’s unsure what his story is. All that changes when her truck breaks down and she’s forced to give up her European travel plans and stay at the Cullen mansion for the whole winter. Her presence isn’t very welcome to the Master of the Manor, however.

I shivered when I felt someone watching us and glanced up to the second story. I could almost see the shape of someone standing in the shadows and I knew it must be him.

"Jasper she can't stay here," he snapped. His voice was flat, monotone. There was no feeling or inflection. It was dead.

I squinted into the darkness trying to see him, but it was useless. He was blanketed in complete darkness.

Edward hides himself away, to hide his physical and emotional scars from a night that changed his life. A stupid, crazy teenage life leads to a life-altering evening that takes away the two most important people in Edward’s life. That’s not something that’s easy to get over, but Edward hasn’t even begun to try and forgive himself before Bella enters his life. He isn’t even able to get through the night without waking up from horrible nightmares.

The rusty stench of blood assaulted my nose as I inched the door open. The room was still dark as hell so I reached beside me to turn on the light. I squinted as the bright flash momentarily blinded me and held my hand out in front of me as a shield. When I could finally see again, I wished I hadn't.

Red. There was red everywhere. Splattered, across the white walls. Pooled, on the white carpet. Spilling out from the gaping wound in my mother's neck. Her eyes were staring straight ahead, her cheeks still damp from her tears. I didn't have to check to know it. She was dead.

When these two characters are trapped in a mansion together it’s hard to avoid the magnetism that’s between them. Edward works through his emotional turmoil and Bella is determined to save him and make him realize the man he’s truly meant to be. Healing begins and we watch two people fall in love. MandyLeigh87 has created characters that are rich in personality and whose pain and troubles are real. Both are unsure and scared of what spring will be, but still forge ahead to make a relationship.

"I love you," I said again, just because I could. "I deserve you," I whispered. I leaned over and kissed her neck.

"I love you too," she murmured as she drifted asleep. I followed closely behind her, my body feeling like it was completely melted into the bed.

I woke a few hours later to Bella still asleep beside me. The freezing rain slamming against the window outside woke me and I realized that I might have lied to her. Maybe the spring was coming early. For once in my life, I wished winter would stay forever.

Jasper is the only other main character in the story right now (although Alice was mentioned briefly). Jasper lives at the mansion with Edward and is the lighthearted person in their friendship, and has stuck by him through everything. Go read Love Like Winter and delve into a wonderful Beauty and the Beast fairytale. We still have a lot to find out. Who’s the assailant mentioned in the prologue? What will Bella and Edward do when spring arrives to their hiding spot? I can’t wait to see what else MandyLeigh87 brings to these characters. I have faith that it’ll be their fairytale ending.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

What gave you the idea for this story?

I was watching my new copy of Beauty and the Beast because I'm a not-so-closeted Disney fan and couldn't help but notice some of the similarities between the Beast and how Edward seems to view himself. I obviously connected the main characters names (Belle and Bella) and the whole thing just kind of spawned from there. I thought it'd be a great mix of the two, all while creating a story all my own.

Are their any FF authors that inspire you?

There are way too many to name, but I really appreciate anyone who writes the story their way and doesn't necessarily conform to pressure of what everyone else thinks it should be. That can be difficult, especially when people are so invested in a story and want it to go a certain way. I have a lot of respect for people who write the story they want to write.

What was your main inspiration for your lead characters?

I put my spin on the original Beauty and the Beast characters, especially to modernize them a bit. I also wanted to stay away from the fantasy aspect of the original Beauty and the Beast so Edward's story is incredibly dark and gritty, but still manages to have hints of the Beast and his struggles. I wanted Bella to be a strong-willed, outspoken person. It's easy to be intimidated by Beastward at first, but I wanted her to be a little pushy because it created the perfect static between her and Edward. He was so used to everyone walking on eggshells around him and he finally met someone who refused to do it and made him face his demons.

What do you think it takes to make a fic special and stand out to a reader?

I know a lot of people read fic for the smut, which is all fine and dandy, but if you can't tell a good story at the same time it's not going to resonate with anyone. I want my fics to do that. I've done a wide-range of stories and read a wide-range of stories and the ones with a perfect balance of plot, characters, and sex appeal tend to be the ones that stick with me.

What do you find the hardest about writing this story?

This Edward is very dark and demented almost and that's quite a change from anything I've written before so I'd say that's been my biggest challenge. I wanted him to be that way, almost so deep in his own problems that it was nearly drowning him, but I didn't want to drown my readers. I've been trying to find the right balance between this dark character and showing bits and pieces of his lighter side. Writers can walk a very fine line between creating a good character and destroying them.

Why do you think people should read this story?

Despite its sometimes dark storyline, I think its fun. I call it the grown-up, real world version of Beauty and the Beast. It's like a demented fairy tale, but a fairy tale none the less. The setting is so gothic and romantic to me, I just really love the feel of the story.

What cliches do you feel authors should avoid while writing fanfic?

The top cliche I cannot stand is when Alice is deemed a "pixie." I have no idea why, I probably did it once or twice in my earlier fics, but it makes me cringe. I say avoid as many cliches as possible and create your own.

Do your RL friends and family know about your love and obsession with all things Twilight?

Most people who know me know I'm a fan and although I do call myself a big fan, I can't say that I'm as "obsessed" as I used to be and it has nothing to do with the actual series itself or that I've fallen out of love with it, I think I've just found the right notch of "obsession."

Have you got any other projects going on? Any planned for the future?

Love Like Winter is my main focus right now, but I have started a new project called The Roommate, which deviates quite a bit from Love Like Winter. I also had to write a screenplay for a class I took, so I'm hoping to one day convert that into a novel. I know everyone says that, but it is something I'd like to do someday and I think it's great that so many fanfic authors have gotten some of their work published.

Do you have anyone that you'd like to thank for helping and supporting you through this fic?

*Looks at the clock* How much time do we have? I've had so many people support me not only with this fic, but with my writing as well. The ladies at The Lemonade Stand have been fanstastic along with my friends on Twitter. ImHereToReview is one of the most amazing people in the fandom and she's been on Team Beastward from the very beginning and I love her for that. Besides that, she's been a huge part of my new story as well. I also have a fantastic beta, kdillin, who has been with me for a few stories now and I appreciate her hard work.

When you aren't writing which fics are you reading right now?

I just graduated college, so unfortunately I haven't been able to read much as of late. The one I've most recently read was Unplanned Perfection. I hope that now I'm done with school I can get back into reading because I love seeing what people come up with for stories. They're so creative.

How where you introduced to the fandom? Do you remember which FanFic was your first to read? If you mean when did I first read Twilight, I was in Europe. It started in the Detroit airport when I was looking in the bookstore for something to read on the flight at the beginning of my study abroad. I saw Twilight sitting on the shelf and kept thinking, "I've heard that's kinda good" so I bought it on a whim and finally found out who all those bumper stickers on Facebook were talking about. I breezed through the first two books in London and then had to venture out and find the closest bookstore that had Eclipse. I got home just in time for Breaking Dawn to come out and have proudly converted many to the fandom. As far as fanfic goes, I was in this Twilight fan group on Facebook and "Wide Awake" kept getting mentioned. I got curious and the rest is history.

Is there any information that you would like to share that was not already covered? You can follow me on twitter @MandyLeigh010 or friend me on Facebook MandyLeigh Fanfic. Love Like Winter also has a blog http://www.bnbfic.blogspot.com with a playlist, blinkie and teasers.

Thanks for Reading!!
Please leave us a comment and let us know what you thought.
TwiFicDataBase Staff
@Frzr71186

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