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Introduction (01-02)
Trish's Head (03-192)
Trish's Stories
Acknowledgments
Articles
Biography
INSIDE THE HEAD OF TRISH SHIELDS (ARDENTTLY)
Introduction
Poetry is greek to many
[01] Being on as many lists as I am, one thing you see a lot of is Trish Shields. I was not much of a poetry buff, but that quickly changed. Trish has succeeded in making me cry, laugh, love, scream, and get angry. All these emotions and that is merely from one poem! This woman has talent with words and you ride on a roller coaster with each poem. Let's not even get into this woman's stories.
[02] Trish is also a person who has true character. She sees past things and tries hard not to judge. I was going through the worst time of my life to date and she was the only one to step back and say, "Hey, there has to be a reason and I will not sit here and judge. We are all human." It takes courage not to follow the crowd. She has humor, class, and she just makes you feel good to be around.
Trish's Head
Interviewer:
[03] Why did you start writing?Trish:
[04] I've always written poetry ever since I can remember. It's the best, easiest, and cheapest therapy on the market, but I never wrote a story until the third season of Xena: Warrior Princess. I was reading a piece of fan fiction. I'd discovered it while downloading some pictures of Xena and Gabrielle for my kids at the local library. I'd come across something called 'alt' fiction and on a whim decided to print some up for myself. When I read it I felt so liberated. There were others out there with this truth in their head. It was empowering. So, there I am reading this long since forgotten piece and it just faltered at the end. I thought about how I might have ended it differently and began to try my hand at writing the ending. I really enjoyed myself and so I began to write full stories. Slowly. I'd like to think I've improved since then.Interviewer:
[05] What about writing poetry?Trish:
[06] Most of my early stuff is really very dark, and makes me cry when I read it now.Interviewer:
[07] If you had to do it all over, would you be a bard? Would you write?Trish:
[08] It's strange to think of the inspiration that was plumbed when I began really watching Xena: Warrior Princess. I can't go back. I can't and won't change who I am now. While some of my work is dark, most is uplifting. I need that in my life.Interviewer:
[09] Give us a brief day in the life of Trish.Trish:
[10] It usually begins at 6:30 when my son either pounds on my locked door or curses me as I shoo him into the bathroom to have a shower. Either way, my hair is pretty much on end before seven o'clock. Then I go rouse my oldest daughter. She's a challenge as her meds make her sleep quite deeply. Once I get her motivated to get up, I'm flying upstairs to help my partner with breakfast and then make lunches. Then I stir my little one's stumps as I shoo the other two out the door to catch their bus. I drag my youngest into bed for a nice fifteen-minute cuddle and then fix her breakfast. If I've been up late writing, I sometimes go back to bed for an hour. If not, I get the house in order and then go answer the mail.[11] My partner works full time telecommuting so she's in the same office with me. We both keep busy, her working hard on web sites and me working on inspiration/editing/mail/endless phone calls/etc. Then it's time to pick my daughter up from school. Any writing time I have disappears as soon as one child is home. My son comes in like some tornado, needing time and meds, and then I try and finish up on whatever I was working on. How silly of me. Then my partner and I get supper on the go, the kids fed, meds given, messes cleaned up, battles fought and either won or lost or happily averted. Then we watch a little telly with the kids, some homework, and then try and coax them into bed.
[12] My oldest is a night owl. I have no idea where she gets it. I do a number of checks on her before I finally stumble up to bed. The other two are tucked in and my youngest is carried into her bed. She loves to sleep on my side of the bed. Because I'm going through some personal stuff, I let her feel that connection and comfort zone -- whatever works for her. Then there is some quiet time for my partner and I to write and just be together. It's already morning before we even settle down to sleep. Then it all begins again.
Interviewer:
[13] How do you handle stress?Trish:
[14] I write. I keep myself apart sometimes, and just deal internally. I multitask, not taking more than a few minutes to really look and inspect my stress. Why bother: adversity is the soil in which I thrive. I also listen to a great deal of music; from classical to alternative and almost everything in-between.Interviewer:
[15] Years from now, how would you want to be remembered?Trish:
[16] I'd like to think folks would continue to be entertained by my stories, my poems and my filks. I guess I want people to see me as a serious writer, someone who was inspired to great heights and tried to achieve them.Interviewer:
[17] What is your pet peeve?Trish:
[18] I dislike it intensely when folks say they will do something and then don't follow through. Say what you mean and mean what you say.Interviewer:
[19] Who is Trish Shields?Trish:
[20] She's a very intense individual who lives life without filters. She's a mother, a lover, a writer, a poet, a daughter, a sister, and a mate. She's just trying to make her way through life without tearing anyone down in the doing.Interviewer:
[21] Tell us something about you that we might not know.Trish:
[22] I also draw, I took a two-year Fine Arts course, I'm very close to obtaining my BA in Fine Arts, love music intensely, and enjoy playing backgammon.Interviewer:
[23] What do you see yourself doing in the future? Any future projects?Trish:
[24] I want to continue writing, that's my goal. I think I have many stories and poems still inside waiting to be let out. What else can I do with this vivid imagination? As to future projects, I have a few always sitting on the back burner. I find it somewhat stifling to just concentrate and focus on just one project.Interviewer:
[25] How do you handle depression?Trish:
[26] I don't get depressed, per se, but I do get sad. I might pull into myself for a while but then I reach out and just hold my partner close. Her love really grounds me -- she sees the real me and loves me anyway. Heh.Interviewer:
[27] What advice can you give to future writers?Trish:
[28] Always believe in yourself even if others won't. If you want it bad enough then you can get it.Interviewer:
[29] What has the show Xena meant to you?Trish:
[30] As crazy and weird as this sounds, it isn't just some chop socky television show. How can it be when it's touched so many in so many intense and wondrous ways? Truly, how can it be?Interviewer:
[31] What lessons have we learned?Trish:
[32] Trust, love, faith, honor, duty, sharing, caring, loyalty, a sense of belonging, a strength in numbers, a joy of life, a truth about who and what we are; giving, needing, hoping, desiring, and loving human beings who can and will make a difference. H-ll, we already have. Some of us have tapped into talents that previously lay dormant. Others found the inspiration to move people with their words, pictures, art, etc. We've raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and we've helped when others wouldn't.Interviewer:
[33] How do you feel about its end?Trish:
[34] I admit to feeling quite melancholy, actually. I'm p-ss-d off that Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor were forced to end their program and couldn't stay on for one more year. Oh, I know they have lives and perhaps the time had come for them to move on. But I'm selfish sometimes; the sixth season was so rewarding, making me wish seasons four and five could have been better. What unrealized potential. Ah, but it's all good and I'm glad I haven't missed one moment of it - I don't think this magic will come this way again.Interviewer:
[35] What are your dreams? Hopes? Wishes?Trish:
[36] Dreams? I dream of being a recognized writer, of course. Hopes? Well, that's pretty much the same, but add a safe future for my children and a long happy connection with my love. Wishes? Well, I really want the standard of living to rise for my kids. They have so many obstacles to face. And then of course, I wish things for gays to be better. Canada is really making some strides in this area, and I'm very pleased about that. One thing the show has cemented in my mind: love IS love, no matter which quarter, shape or form it comes from. The impact of seeing a loving relationship between two women is very liberating. Just by being changed in such positive ways can we affect a positive change around us.Interviewer:
[37] Who do you trust?Trish:
[38] I trust myself to do what's right even when it might seem wrong. I trust the love I have for my partner and my children.Interviewer:
[39] What is a necessity for every writer in your opinion?Trish:
[40] I think it's important to have a good imagination and a solid belief in your talents.Interviewer:
[41] Do you believe in prayer?Trish:
[42] Yes, indeed. While I am a Christian by birth I am a believer in faith by choice.Interviewer:
[43] What's your favorite quote? Why and how does it affect you?Trish:
[44] Ray Bradbury wrote:Women are born with a center. They can create the universe, mother it, teach it, nurture it. Men read science fiction to build the future. Women don't need to read it. They are the future.[45] I'm always astounded that a man wrote this every time I read it. For me, he's acknowledging that we are the source of all things - not Godhead but a motherhead. Love conquers all.
Interviewer:
[46] What makes your best friend your best friend?Trish:
[47] I have quite a few. They are best friends because of trust, really. I know they'd go to bat for me just as I would for them anytime and any place. There's a deep-seated bond between us. It's wonderful.Interviewer:
[48] Have you ever experienced, you or someone else reading one of your stories aloud in the public? What did you feel?Trish:
[49] I did a poetry reading once at a smaller Xena Fest in Seattle. I was mortified and terribly nervous. Then I did a fiction reading a few months later at another small gathering and still felt those stressful feelings but could also see how much the audience wanted me to feel at ease. That was great. I'd probably blush uncontrollably if someone read my stuff out loud and I don't blush easily.Interviewer:
[50] What's the most romantic thing anyone has done for you?Trish:
[51] The special person in my life knows just how very stressful my life is. Every now and again she pampers me and I end up getting this wonderful long body massage. What a gift! Nothing asked, nothing demanded, just simply a gift of love. Going out to dinner is nice, seeing a movie together is great too, but having someone do for you because they want to spoil you and make you feel important, special, loved and needed is very special and very romantic.Interviewer:
[52] When, if ever, is censorship valid?Trish:
[53] I think anything that promotes violence or hatred should be censored. Everyone has the right to an opinion but when it's given just for the sake of hurting others then it isn't an opinion, it's a weapon.Interviewer:
[54] What theme would you like to tackle in your next work?Trish:
[55] I don't really know right now. I'm busy on a merry-go-round of editing. I'll stop to breathe when it's done.Interviewer:
[56] What is your favorite character or play by Shakespeare and why?Trish:
[57] I loved MacBeth, actually. All that angst, torment, betrayal, forbidden love, truth, justice and the Americ...ooops, got carried away there.
Lady MacBeth had a neurosis about spots,
but Ol' Mr. MacBeth loved her anyways
(courtesy of Shakespeare by the Sea)
Interviewer:
[58] What was the last thing that made you smile recently?Trish:
[59] Carrying my little one into her bed at 2:00 a.m. and having her sniff my neck, recognize that it was me holding her, and then hum sweetly as she kissed my cheek, murmuring 'Mommy, I love you so much.'Interviewer:
[60] What made you angry?Trish:
[61] On going battles where by children are used as weapons.Interviewer:
[62] You now have absolute authority over the world, omnipotent in all areas. What's your first move?Trish:
[63] Eek! Run away, run away! Just kidding. Kinda. Well, I suppose I'd start by making equal pay for equal work mandatory between men and women. Then I'd shake up the world's belief that women and children are mere chattels. Then I'd go for lunch and decree that the ideal body weight was whatever makes you happy and healthy.Interviewer:
[64] Do you have stalkers? If so, how have you handled them?Trish:
[65] I've had my share, yes. I just try to be nice to everyone. Sometimes things have to be said but I try to do it in a caring and understanding way; I'm not here to hurt anyone.Interviewer:
[66] Tell us one writing tip that you've learned to be true, at least for you.Trish:
[67] Write what you know. Oh, and always proof read and use spell check!Interviewer:
[68] How would you categorize your best writing, and give the URL's for them if posted.Trish:
[69] Ooh. Well, for sheer adventure, I think my trilogy of Jan/Mel stories is my best. For feel, texture, emotions, and concise writing I think A Stoic Warrior fits the bill. When it comes to plot and character definition and over all appeal, I suppose my Zeen and Abby series would qualify. For high passion it would have to be Passion Tense. I hope I'm getting better with each story I write. I guess my conqueror story probably has the most plot of all; it's dark and somewhat disturbing, but at 300 pages it's my largest and most in-depth to date. You can find all of the stories mentioned at Mary D's site.
["Passion Tense" no longer available on-line]Interviewer:
[70] What stupid thing did you do as a teen?Trish:
[71] I trusted someone I shouldn't have.Interviewer:
[72] What, if anything, can stop you writing, if only for a while?Trish:
[73] Everything revolves around my kids. When the poop hits the fan, the writing goes out the window...at least temporarily.Interviewer:
[74] In your opinion, do you fit your astrological sign?Trish:
[75] I used to think I was a lapsed Leo. Now I see the truth and revel in it. Heh.Interviewer:
[76] What to you is the worst feeling in the world?Trish:
[77] Betrayal.Interviewer:
[78] What is the best feeling in the world?Trish:
[79] Love.Interviewer:
[80] Your favorite song of the moment?Trish:
[81] "Only When I Sleep", by the Corrs and anything by Dido.Interviewer:
[82] What is the first thing you think of in the morning?Trish:
[83] How much writing can I actually do today? And then I cringe with every phone call, hoping it isn't something about my kids.Interviewer:
[84] Is there one part of the writing process where you usually get stuck? What have you tried to change that, successful or not?Trish:
[85] I write emotionally, and from the heart. Sometimes the intensity of an emotional scene is very painful and I'm overwhelmed. I try to keep a lid on it for the most part, but I can't say I'm very successful. There are times when I have to step back and not concentrate so much on the finer details of a character and remember the plotline and story as a whole.Interviewer:
[86] Does the best writing flow for you, or does it come from rewrites?Trish:
[87] Sometimes my poetry just drips from my veins easily. Other times, I sit looking at the monitor stupidly. If I'm writing a story and get caught up in an intense scene, I usually have to let it percolate overnight and then tackle it in the morning. Sometimes a re-write can really jump-start me into areas I hadn't even considered.Interviewer:
[88] Which part of writing do you enjoy most and why?Trish:
[89] The initial moment when everything is clicking and you can't believe how the time has disappeared as you've zoned into your project is nice. I think when I've done as much editing as I can and each scene flows nicely into the next is the best, though.Interviewer:
[90] How often do you think about a piece when you're working on it and when do you think about it?Trish:
[91] All the time, both waking and sleeping.Interviewer:
[92] When someone walks into your bedroom, what are the first five things that they're likely to notice?Trish:
[93] Lots of movies, books and clutter. Bits and pieces of gifts my children have made. Did I mention clutter? Organized but still there. You said five; how about my African voodoo masks?Interviewer:
[94] Do you feel in control of your writing, or do find that you get carried away by your inspiration or characters?Trish:
[95] There are some characters I write that really do 'speak to me'. I feel a kinship with them and have no trouble putting my head into their space. I love being carried along by a scene; it's a real joy.Interviewer:
[96] If you consider yourself to have a muse, what exactly do you mean?Trish:
[97] My muse is inspiration...a joy for love and life. When I feel a connection with everything around me then I can listen and hear more clearly. That's when I can hear the inspiration.Interviewer:
[98] Tell the truth--are you your favorite writer, or in your own top five? Why or why not?Trish:
[99] Oh, I have a ways to go, I think. But I do make my list of top ten. I guess it's because I paint pictures with my words, taking the reader to a place where they can feel what I'm writing. My favorite writers are Clive Cussler and Wilbur Smith. I ain't even close to their high caliber.Interviewer:
[100] Would the world be a better place if women ran it or would it be basically the same?Trish:
[101] I think it might basically stay the same, only kinder and gentler perhaps. However, family would mean everything, not career.Interviewer:
[102] What is your favorite spot where you live now?Trish:
[103] It used to be my bed but with three kids that has changed. Then it was in front of my computer where I can just let the feelings flow. Now it's in the arms of my sweetie, nice and warm and appreciated.Interviewer:
[104] What books are you reading now? What about it/them is holding your attention?Trish:
[105] Wilbur Smith: Monsoon. He paints with words. Love it. He's very much into historical adventure.Interviewer:
[106] What would your friends say is your worst trait?Trish:
[107] My stubborn single mindedness, I suppose.Interviewer:
[108] Do you type with your fingers on the 'right' keys?Trish:
[109] About 92% of the time, yes. Gee, that was supposed to be 98%. I may have to rethink my answer.Interviewer:
[110] What is the longest any plant in your home has been with you?Trish:
[111] Moved here three years ago and bought three cacti. I still have them.Interviewer:
[112] Do you have any particular bedtime rituals that you follow every night?Trish:
[113] I usually read fanfic before I go to bed. I never eat because then I can't sleep. I cuddle...a lot.Interviewer:
[114] If you find a spider in the bathtub, do you help it out or squish it?Trish:
[115] Kill them all! Hey, it has the whole rest of the world to play in. If it's in my living space, it is history.Interviewer:
[116] What in your opinion is most dangerous about mankind?Trish:
[117] Mankind firmly believes that he is right about everything. He imposes this view on everything around him, destroying it or changing things for the worst in most cases.Interviewer:
[118] What is most positive about it?Trish:
[119] Man has this large capacity for loving and nurturing the things around him. Sometimes his ego gets in the way and the material becomes more important than mothering.Interviewer:
[120] What was the last thing you bought that you really did not need?Trish:
[121] Yet another book on World War 2.Interviewer:
[122] Have you ever smoked cigarettes--explain.Trish:
[123] I am highly allergic to cigs but do enjoy a nice cigar every now and again. The difference being that I don't inhale, I suspect.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar
Interviewer:
[124] Who is your favorite Greek God?Trish:
[125] In the show it would be Aphrodite. In reality it would be Athena.Interviewer:
[126] Why do fools fall in love?Trish:
[127] Because it is our very nature to love so we go out and seek it whenever we can. Sometimes we have our eyes closed at the time.Interviewer:
[128] Do you keep a diary and if so what do you call it? If so, what effect has it had on your writing?Trish:
[129] I began writing a journal when my oldest daughter was 4 and had all of her medical problems. It was very therapeutic and helped me learn how to condense my words into pictures. It isn't called anything.Interviewer:
[130] How has online writing affected your life and how you see yourself, your goals?Trish:
[131] Immediate input can be very daunting. It also makes you realize where you are in the scheme of things...are you writing for you or for them or perhaps for both? Writing fan fiction has allowed me to realize a dream of being a writer. I take joy in that every day.Interviewer:
[132] What skill would you like to have that you don't have now?Trish:
[133] Patience, I suppose. No one can have too much patience.Interviewer:
[134] Who is your real life hero and why?Trish:
[135] Oh, that's a hard one. I guess it's a toss up between Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn. They stick by their guns and give their very best, full steam ahead! Princess Diana was, too. She gave until there was nothing left to give.Interviewer:
[136] What fan fiction story touched you so much that you still remember it vividly?Trish:
[137] I think there are two, really: "Illumination of the Soul", by Cousin Liz and "Is There a Doctor On The Dig", by Bat Morda. Both writers taught me how to listen for that character voice. (Both at: http://cousinliz.com/fanfic/fanfic.html
Interviewer:
[138] If you could only choose a single climate with no variation would you prefer it to be sweltering hot or freezing cold?Trish:
[139] Freezing cold, I guess. You can always have a nice hot bath...for hours.Interviewer:
[140] What is the first thing you notice about someone when you meet?Trish:
[141] I notice their mouth. I rarely look into a person's eyes. I just don't.Interviewer:
[142] What is the most idiotic and annoying common prejudice?Trish:
[143] I suppose when people look at you and think that you are the total sum of your outside image. What folks see is just a small part of who you are and yet they label you immediately and you are either accepted or dismissed on very little information.Interviewer:
[144] How is $25 well spent?Trish:
[145] Taking my kids to a bookstore where they can buy one book each. They'll happily enjoy the store at length and then continue the process for hours and even days afterwards at home with their new purchase.Interviewer:
[146] Would you rather live in a sociable suburb, or alone in the deep woods?Trish:
[147] Oh, I can be quite the hermit if I'm left to my own devices. I think sociable suburb. I can always hide when I need to.Interviewer:
[148] What literary character did you most identify with as a child?Trish:
[149] Robin Hood. Perhaps it was his moustache?Interviewer:
[150] What is the source of your inspiration?Trish:
[151] Respect and love. They can move mountains.Interviewer:
[152] Where do your ideas come from?Trish:
[153] The voices in my head never tell me. Heh. I don't know, really. I was just given the gift of this intense imagination. I just go with it.Interviewer:
[154] What do you find most satisfying about your job?Trish:
[155] My job as a parent: when someone compliments me on how great my kids are. My writing: when someone is moved emotionally by what I write.Interviewer:
[156] What are the three things you enjoy most about writing?Trish:
[157] Creating, investigating, building something that takes you on a glorious ride of learning.Interviewer:
[158] What were your favorite book, TV show, and movie when you were a teenager and what do you think of them now?Trish:
[159] I still love To Kill a Mockingbird to pieces. Mary Tyler Moore Show; still think there was some subtext there between Mary and Rhoda. The movie, A Night to Remember, is still just as harrowing and tinged with a real sense of class. They don't make 'em like that anymore.Interviewer:
[160] What's your idea of a perfect world?Trish:
[161] I suppose a world where everyone is just treated equally, with love and respect would be ideal.Interviewer:
[162] How real is your fiction to you?Trish:
[163] Oh, it can be scarily so. Especially when I've done oodles of research on WW2 and can see this 8 mm reel running like some old movie in my head while I sleep.Interviewer:
[164] What Disney character do you most identify with and why?Trish:
[165] I don't know, really. We have all the movies, of course, but I don't think I identify with any of them, per se.Interviewer:
[166] Who do you read for inspiration?Trish:
[167] I read Shakespeare for poetry and the classics such as John Steinbeck for literature.Interviewer:
[168] What's your favorite website?Trish:
[169] I think Mary Draganis'. http://ausxip.com/index2.html
Interviewer:
[170] When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?Trish:
[171] A doctor.Interviewer:
[172] What are the limits in sacrifices for true love?Trish:
[173] Taking a life.Interviewer:
[174] If you could interview your favorite author, what questions would you ask? And, WHY?Trish:
[175] I'd ask Stephen King about his imagination and how he can write 10 to 20 pages per day. God, if only.Interviewer:
[176] What makes a great kisser?Trish:
[177] Unselfish attention to detail.Interviewer:
[178] What have you learned from your animals?Trish:
[179] I've learned that you can trick a toad into eating anything, and that newts really are very cool beings. Heh. Oh, you mean as it applies to me? Well, I guess that I'm not alone in the universe and that what I do has direct impact on everything around me.Interviewer:
[180] Does our society glorify violence to the point we have become desensitized to it and the consequences?Trish:
[181] I think so, yes. I'd far rather have my kids watch a show about two loving individuals whose relationship is grounded in respect, honesty and love, regardless of their sexuality, than some show like Mortal Kombat or Blade. Ultra violence is definitely harming our kids.Interviewer:
[182] What is your motto?Trish:
[183] Say what you mean and mean what you say.Interviewer:
[184] What do you think we take too seriously as writers?Trish:
[185] I think some of us spend more time wondering how to please the reader than just enjoying what we're doing and pleasing ourselves.Interviewer:
[186] What do you wish for your children?Trish:
[187] Happiness, health and enduring love.Interviewer:
[188] How do you feel about subtext?Trish:
[189] It's everywhere I want to be.Interviewer:
[190] What questions should I have asked?Trish:
[191] Do you like Xena or Gabrielle best?
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Xena or Gabrielle...you decide
Trish's Stories
Trish's e-mail address: trishardent@home.com
A Journey of Love
My first story ever. Takes place after the Persians are beaten at Thessaly. Xena and Gabrielle have to deal with the words of love spoken in the loft during a time of great stress. Did they mean them? Helping Gabrielle get well after the being shot with a Persian poison arrow brings them both closer. Autolycus makes a short appearance, trying to entice a certain warrior with his charms but Xena only has eyes for Gabrielle.
http://ausxip.com/fanfiction/a/ajourneyoflove.html
Ardent Warrior, Passionate Bard, Jealous Queen
Seems the two women can't get enough of each other and their love grows leaps and bounds as they make their way into Amazon land. Here they find Ephany still suffering the lose of her husband, unable to forge any type of lasting romantic relationship. Gabrielle decides to do a little match making. Xena bonds with Eponin the weapons tech, who is finding her own life rather empty. Ah, but love is in the air.
http://ausxip.com/fanfiction/a/ardentwarrior.html
Hearts Lost, Hearts Inflamed
It isn't hard for the Amazons to figure out everything has changed between the warrior and the bard with hilarious results. Ephany discovers love as does Eponin and Solari. The local healer might think she's beyond the foolishness of Cupid's arrow, but she's wrong. This final story in the trilogy has Xena and Gabrielle pledging their undying love.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/2912/heartsp1.html
The Stoic Warrior
Yet another first time story. This time Xena and Gabrielle spend some much needed time in a local tavern and discover they share more than a fondness for hot tubs. Gabrielle discovers her reticent warrior is a little less stoic than she thought and certainly more talented than she ever expected. Xena in turn discovers the love she's been looking for was always right under her nose.
http://ausxip.com/fanfic6/stoic_warrior.html
The Grecian Affair
Janice Covington is spending more time at the local bars than she should. Her life is empty and her work meaningless. It's only when her father is killed in an auto accident with a man named Professor Pappas that she pulls herself out of depression. When a bumbling prim and proper Melinda Pappas shows up with information that both men were murdered things begin to really happen. Just what was in the journal Professor Pappas left his daughter and why are mysterious men trying to kill them for it? Life for both Jan and Mel really start to be harrowing when the new Museum director comes to town. No one knows too much about her; was it a coincidence that dreadful things began to happen after she arrived?
http://ausxip.com/fanfic4/grecianaffair.html
Resistance and Resurrection
This second story of my Jan/Mel trilogy takes place in the battlefields of war torn Europe. Jan Covington is feeling more than a little restless. Her relationship with Mel is everything she ever wanted but there is still something missing in her life: high adventure. The outbreak of WW2 and Britain's last stand against the Germans is exactly what the doctor ordered. Jan enlists leaving Melinda behind and goes on special training for Special Operations. Her first mission is with the Dutch Underground and undertakes dangerous missions in attempts to stop the German war machine. Meanwhile, Melinda discovers where all the Greek artifacts at the museum are disappearing. Jan discovers just what real heroism is and Melinda discovers the hero within herself, although finding that you have Xena: Warrior Princess rushing through your veins can be somewhat daunting.
http://ausxip.com/fanfic4/resistance-book2.html
Reflections of a Golden Eye
As the war in Europe rages on, Jan finds herself battling for her life on more than one occasion. But when the German's attack Greece and the island of Cyprus she knows she has to come home. While friends are trying to hold their own back in a little town in Antwerp, Melinda and Janice are busy taking to the hills in a desperate attempt to show the German troops just how expensive it will be to take possession of the island. This is the last in the war series of Jan and Mel and is not for the weak of heart. Disclaimers of violence/hurt-comfort are listed at the top of the story.
http://ausxip.com/fanfiction/r/reflectionsgoldeneye3.html
The Blaze
This is an uber Xena story set in contemporary Chicago. Zeen Phipolis is a firefighter with a dark past and Abby Dean is a homeless woman instantly smitten when they meet. She's looking for some stability in her life and knows that beginning any relationship with a woman as moody and fraught with danger as Zeen would be foolish. However, both women discover they have a past together, one that transcends both time and space and both women end up facing things neither had any control over. Given a second chance at life and love, can they see past the horrors of lives lived and make a corner of relative calm in their present and future?
http://ausxip.com/fanfiction/b/blaze.html
Inferno
The horrors of firefighting are highlighted in this second story of the Zeen/Abby trilogy. Zeen's past included drugs, violence and murder and having to face her penchant for violence and accept the love Abby is offering is harder than anything she's ever done but Zeen has decided not to let this second chance slip her by. Although terrible demons from her past continue to torment her, it is only when certain death is faced that both women realize just how import their bond is.
http://ausxip.com/fanfiction/i/inferno.html
Flashpoint
The final story in the trilogy has Zeen recuperating from a chemical fire that almost claimed her life. However, enduring a fire of such magnitude isn't something you just walk away from and both women have to face some pretty horrifying facts: Zeen has suffered both mentally and physically and their life together might never be the same. Can they survive it?
http://www.amazontrails.com/xena/flashpoint.htm
Conqueror's Harvest
Lord Xena is the ultimate ruler of Corinth with a violent reputation. Her life is changed in ways she could never have expected when a young rebel is brought before her in judgment. Having been unable to break the young woman in the harsh confines of her prison the Conqueror decides what the case needs is her own personal touch. What ensues is a battle of wills where there can be only one winner. While this is going on Caesar is setting the stage for a rebellion to take everything Xena owns. Violence, passion, brutality and betray all play major parts in this story. There are scenes of graphic violence and unbridled sexuality.
http://ils.merwolf.com/academy/fanfic/a/ardent_conq1.html
Passion Tense
What do an intrepid archaeologist and her faithful historian/side kick do between solving mysteries? This story is about certain things both women have to face as Melinda translates a new scroll. The results shed new light on certain aspects of the Xena/Gabrielle relationship and put a magnifying glass on their own life together. Does Janice really resent the power hungry warrior, thinking the bard is just some subservient prisoner tothe lustful Xena? Facing some truths about her own wants and needs Melinda questions whether she'll be content to just let Janice lead the way in both their lives and in their boudoir?
No longer available on-line
Scenes From A Relationship
Another first time story showing the growing realization between warrior and bard that their relationship has to go forward or cease all together. Battling an ardent inner demon has Xena frightened she'll unleash the fury to her best friend. Accepting the demon is something the bard knows she might have to face. Will either of them find what they're looking for?
http://ausxip.com/fanfic14/scenes_from_a_relationship.htm
Short Stories:
Fire's Light
Fire's Light
Xena discovers that Gabrielle really wasn't asleep when she tried to move just beyond the fire's light and deal with certain urges.
http:ausxip.com/fanfiction/f/firelight.html
Destiny Denied
Gabrielle is betrothed to Perdicus and Xena has to face the fact that she'll soon be out of her life. In a drunken stupor the warrior sees a vision of their future together where she professed her love for the bard. Unable to face the consequences of the vision Xena determines never to voice her feelings. She rides off to face the only destiny she knows with any certainty to be one of both honour and duty: Callisto.
http://ausxip.com/fanfiction/a/adestinydenied.html
Good Day
Gabrielle and Xena face the best that Rome can throw at them. Each will pay a price, but can they live with the consequences?
http://ausxip.com/fanfiction/a/agoodday.html
Within You and Without You
A tale showing the internal struggle each woman fights as she tries to face a truth the other might not be able to live with.
http://ausxip.com/fanfiction/w/withinyou.html
Barfly
A short piece showing some of the dynamics and dimensions between two strong willed women who meet at a bar. Graphic sexuality depicted.
No longer available on-lineThe Feast
When two women meet on a blind date the resulting war of words and wills prove to be more than either bargained for. Graphic sexuality depicted.
No longer available on-line
Conversations With My Mother
The close relationship Xena has with her mother is depicted in this short story. After a twenty-five year absence, each woman is keen to learn what the other has been up to. But can Xena tell her mother everything?
http://ausxip.com/fanfic11/conversationswithmother.html
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Kamouraskan for the beta.
Articles
L. J. Maas and Murphy Wilson [Amy Murphy].One Step Beyond ... Uber, That Is. WHOOSH #49 (October 2000)
The "Inside the Head of..." series in Whoosh issues #58, 61-66,68-71
Biography
Amy Murphy
Thirty-one-year-old Amy Murphy resides in Indiana, and is an avid reader of Xena: Warrior Princess Fan Fiction. If it exists in the Xenaverse, chances are she has read it! Murphy has also tried her hand at writing fan fiction, turning out two very nice pieces that reside on a couple of web sites throughout the Xenaverse.
Favorite episode: IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE (24/124)
Favorite line: "I Have Many Skills" Various episodes
First episode seen: TITANS (07/107)
Least favorite episode: LYRE, LYRE HEARTS ON FIRE (100/510)