TwiPeople's Sexiest Ward Alive, April/May Double Issue

So some of you may have noticed April came and went without any TwiPeople cover. One or two of my followers actually inquired about it (thank you!). Allow me to explain what happened. You see, the graphics dept of TwiPeople was off galavanting in NYC in April. The head of the dept, Lisa, put in a request for this to be a 'business trip' to make new contacts and drum up new business (aka followers) for this venture, but instead she got a little distracted and seduced by the bright lights of the big city and all the pretty she encountered up close and personal...

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand

 then there was this little diversion

Funny, but I don't see any new followers named 'Naked Cowboy' listed. And if you think the  company is going to honor 'Naked Cowboy Tip' on your trip's expense report you are mistaken!!!

You can read more about 17ForeverLisa's NYC trip....at some point on her blog I'm sure. But until then, you'll notice that this entire post is signature, classic Lisa (including b/w pics, shout-outs, and being a bit on the loquacious side ).

During early board meetings we had always discussed some variation in story genres and surprises in this year-long TwiPeople Covers project, so you'll see this April/May Double Issue is a little different than our previous months and is a direct result of giving the graphics dept Carte Blanche on shining the spotlight on a couple of stories she has grown very attached to! So without further adieu, I'm turning everything over to 17ForeverLisa! Enjoy!

Twinned

by Conversed (aka Kate)

Summary: Edward and Masen Cullen look identical, but mistake them at your peril. Watch as their carefully constructed world falls apart when they meet the new girl in town. There's slash-lite, het-smut and Jasper having shower sex with y'all. Mature themes

(Holy Hale, weren't expecting that now were you?)

Seventeen Men

Summary: TWINNED SEQUEL: AH M/M. "Some say that distance makes the heart grow fonder. Y'all know that distance can suck my dick." Jasper, Edward and seventeen men. There might be barn-sex. BE WARNED.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

First of all, a big thanks to kiTT for allowing me the freedom to work on this special double issue of TwiPeople. Most of you know how I feel about Fifty; so when I say these boys own me as much as Fifty does, that's saying a lot.

I first heard about Twinned when Jeanette from RobMusement emailed me to say she was going to be interviewing the author, Conversed, and hosting a read along that she hoped I’d participate in. So thank you, Jeanette, from the bottom of my heart for introducing me to Conversed's world and for starting me on this journey.

(Author-made banner)

Excerpt from “Twinned: Meet the Author” post at Robmusement Blog

"Twinned is a story about how early trauma, when left untreated, can carry on over into adulthood, and the impact this can have on relationships.

I take a small section of a sad childhood and spin it forwards over 12 years to reveal how sometimes we all need a little help from our friends.

Ultimately, the themes that I started with of isolation, friendship, and hope play right through to the end, and beyond.

It’s a story that has given me so much pleasure to write."

(Read Jeanette's entire interview with the author here.)

* * * * *

I understand that slash is not for everyone. Trust me, I never thought it would be for me either, but I have found myself repeating Conversed’s mantra more than once...love is love. Just as MotU is not all about the RRoP, these stories are not all about boy/boy action.

Twinned is complicated, multi-layered, and full of angst. That's right--angst. Y'all know angst can suck my… (Sorry, was channeling Jasper there for a minute.) I'm not a big fan of angst. It's also told in Jasper's POV. Okay. Angst AND a story not told from Edward's and/or Bella’s POV? I found myself wondering if I'd be able to make good on my promise to Jeanette and do the read along. I did though and found myself getting emotionally attached to the characters...characters with major issues...issues I wanted/needed to see resolved. By the end of the story, I was just as much in love with Jasper as his very own Cullen was, even though neither one of them knew it yet.

Lucky for me/us, Jasper had more to say and a sequel was born. I had forgotten until I went back to look at the interview again that the original working title was The Washington State Cowboy. Obviously, I'm a little partial to the final title...Seventeen Men. It was meant to be.

The back story that is Twinned is so important to appreciating the raw beauty that is Seventeen Men. I have laughed, cried, felt like doin’ some Jasper-style pukin’, done a whole lot of Cullen-style leanin’, and had my breath taken away by moments that shine brighter than the stars in the Texas sky.

Conversed is from the UK, but she has given Jasper a voice that is pure Texan. He is a storyteller, because she is a storyteller. She breathes life into him, and I cannot get enough. Where Jasper is full of words, his dollface (Edward) says more with looks and body language...a form of communication that up until Jasper came into his life only his twin understood. But even then, Masen was only really getting half of the story. When Masen finds love along the way, Edward finds himself wondering who he’ll be without his brother (thus the cover's quote). They were always two halves of a whole. Seventeen Men is almost over and Conversed has us in knots; but I have Hope that Jasper has the answer to Edward’s question…that he will be the other half that makes him whole.

And just in case you're wondering, even though both stories are told from Jasper's POV, you will absolutely love Edward. He always has and always will have my heart. Watching his transformation from where he was as a little boy to where he is now will be something I will never, ever forget. Conversed has even given us outtakes along the way, including letters from Edward to Jasper which are priceless.

Please check out Conversed’s author bio and other stories here. Conversed is the only one who has been able to get me out of my J&E bubble. If you love the drabble format, or aren’t sure what it is, you have to check out "Punk and Perv’s Excellent Adventure" that she co-wrote with TruceOver, in addition to the drabble set that starts with Age Gaps. They are quick reads and there’s more fun to come, so make sure you have her and her collab accounts on author alert.

****Through the course of reading these stories, I have bonded with some amazing people and want to thank them publicly.*****

ChefJayla, you have been there since day one. We’ve kept each other from drowning in that farm pond more than once. Your theories always make me rethink my reactions to updates. PS: I’m still jealous as hell that you got an email from Jasper Lee ;)

BellaTesoro, you read these stories solely because you knew I loved these boys and wanted to know what it was that put them on the same level as Fifty for me. Your emails and reviews are smart, thought-provoking, and heartfelt. It’s been amazing having you to discuss this with.

UNF4Rob, (aka Unfie) I’ll never forget the day you tweeted your epic banner for Seventeen Men. I tweeted you about how blown away I was by it, and we’ve been tweeting ever since.

Turns out Unfie’s also the incredible beta for Seventeen Men. You can find all of her graphic designs on her blog My Robsession. She’s also a co-contributor on the blog Robert Pattinson U.S., a co-host of ff contests, and most recently helped coordinate the highly successful Fandom for Tsunami fundraiser.

Bbebar, I don’t know which came first…your story or your connection with Unfie. Either way, I’m happy I found you. I encourage everyone to read her beautiful short story Together We Fly.

While tweeting one day, I told Unfie and Bbebar that they needed to write a story together. I was thrilled to be asked recently to pre-read their first collaboration, Awake Our Soul, published in the addictive drabble format. I couldn’t be prouder of them. That story is complete now, but they are in the process of continuing it, so be sure to put them and their collab account on author alert too.

Kate, you’ve put up with my stalker fangirl ways and my emotional tweets and messages about my  your our boys. You’ve let me into your thought process about your writing. You’ve even let me do some all-important research ;) I am proud to now call you a friend and look forward to working with you in the near future. You asked me the other day if I liked the angst just a little bit, and I had to admit that I did. You have taught me that getting through the pain makes the pleasure more meaningful. You make me feel for these characters. You make them real. And as with real life, there’s not always a happy ending…but there is joy in the journey…and there is Hope…there is always Hope. Thank you for sharing so much of yourself through your writing. <3

I have to give props to Lost Imortal, whose Jazzward manip and photo enhancement I used on the Seventeen Men TwiPeople cover. I’m a huge fan of her work on tumbler (here) and YouTube (here).

Finally, thanks to any/all of you who are still reading this wordy post. Obviously, I’m passionate about this subject. I’ll leave you with a special twitter avi I made awhile back so that when you see me using it, you’ll know why. If you’re a fan, you are more than welcome to use it.

Love is love...

We're halfway through a year's worth of TwiPeople covers! Please be sure to sign up to be a follower so you are privy to seeing the upcoming covers!!! Subscription is free and delivered to your Dashboard!