TLS Special SNEAK PEEK Feature

The Lemonade Stand has spent years bringing you the best the fandom has to offer, and we are very excited to have the chance to offer you MORE. We've watched stories grow and develop from first post through COMPLETE in The Nursery, and now we're sharing previews of the stories that will soon be your new addiction. 

This week, the lovely planetblue, author of the standout stories Deviant and Badlands, shares some info on her upcoming story Artful Maneuvers with us.

Hi everybody! I’m so happy to be bringing you a sneak peek of my new story, posting next week! When TLS honored me by asking me to do this, I was told to “have fun with it”. So my awesome beta, Carrie ZM, and I thought, how about an interview? Well, as things normally do with us, our Facebook chat took on a life of its own, and I decided to share it with you word for word, incorrect text-speak and all. Enjoy, and thank you! 

Carrie ZM: Good morning, pretty girl :) Are you ready to talk a little Artful?

Planetblue: Morning, love!! Ready as I'll ever be...

CZM: lol - I'm so excited for this fic to post

PB: I'm glad one of us is lol

CZM: Staphit. It’s a breath of fresh air - a break from the heavy

PB: I hope so, after Badlands, I really needed to just do something lighter

CZM: Nods. I can imagine. Was it difficult switching gears? I know we talked about this fic for awhile

PB: It was harder than I thought. You know how I struggled. I was back and forth, picking up stories I’d started a while ago, starting what, 3 others? I couldn't find anything that clicked. Nothing seemed... good enough after Badlands.

CZM: *stares at you* I remember lol. Funny thing is - ALL of them were good enough ;) I'm glad you continued this one though. It's more than just a romance/fluff. 

CZM: I sound like Diane Sawyer gone bad

PB: lol as long as you're not Barbara Walters, trying to make me cry

CZM: lol - I wanna be Katie Couric

PB: You're as cheery as Katie

CZM: nods - but I can sting like a bee bahaha

PB: Oh I know!

CZM: omg – lol. Well… okay then - maybe sometimes! So you wrote quite a few things and ended up choosing Artful. Any particular reason why? Aside from writing me a fabulous Edward lol

PB: Well this definitely came about from something you said, lol. I think you really encouraged that one to continue. That was a big part of it. I trust you completely, and LayAtHomeMom seemed to agree, and I trust her as well.

CZM: ah yes - I did have some requests. btw - I still do lol

PB: Oh I know you do! This one though, I think fits your bill quite a bit, debonair, mysterious, a little older, worldly.

CZM: And Bella?

PB: Well honestly, you never request certain Bellas...you seem focused on Edwards lol. But Bella is a strong character in this one, I don't like mousy Bella.

CZM: What do you mean by strong?

PB: She’s independent, confident, and witty - I hope.

CZM: So you have this strong Bella and a debonair/mysteriousward... care to share more?

PB: Hmm. Well you know I have an evil rep for not giving anything away

CZM: True that!  

PB: I will say that this is a bit of a cat and mouse; nothing is as it seems at first.

CZM: It's hard talking Artful without giving too much away

PB: dfdlk

‘/mjbv,.cbvxdsr

PB: sorry Squiggy just sat on the keyboard

CZM: aww - Squiggy wants in on the talk. 

PB: He does!!! He's jealous of the attention I give you

CZM: lol – My Rose could give two bits - she's sleeping. Squiggy needs a cameo in a story

PB: I need to write an Edward that owns a pug. Swoooon. I'll put Rose in there too. 

CZM: yes - Bella could own Rose - HA! 

PB: Their own love story

CZM: yes yes - maybe he could have piercings ;) ;)

PB: The pug or Edward? LOL

CZM: Edward lol

PB: Done and done!

CZM: I’m liking this idea a lot - I think you need to write an Edward with a piercing below - if you know what I mean - I think I've requested this before - we could research

PB: I would do that, lol. Dog lovers would be sweet... but after this one I may have to return to the dark side

CZM: oh bb - the dark side? How dark?

PB: Cannibalism.

CZM: lmao - Jasper eats Alice? That would make Lay happy bahahha

PB: LOL Maybe E and B enjoy cooking Alice and Jasper, serving them at dinner parties

CZM: omg O_O for real though - I know you're itching to go down some dark, angsty road. *holds your hand*. 

PB: I am, I have some thoughts, but Artful needed to come out first.

CZM: So aside from my wild requests - how do you come up with ideas? Like do you know the ending before the beginning? Do you see scenes?

PB: How do I come up with ideas...well they just kind of come to me? I write things I want to read, or see in a movie. I like certain moods and vibes and want to convey them somehow. It's hard to come up with stuff that hasn't been done a million ways though. That's the trickiest part. As for scenes, I see those clearly and wrap the rest of the story around it. Artful came from one scene I had in my head, the rest came after.

CZM: I remember you describing that scene to me *goosebumps* How about giving everyone a little peek at these new characters?

PB: Eeek okay I’ll try. How's this:

“Excuse me,” his deep voice startles me, as I hadn’t realized he’d turned my way. He walks towards me slowly, almost lazily, and I can’t help but skim his appearance as he approaches, taking in the burgundy-striped tie that matches the silk square in his breast pocket perfectly. My eyes finally lift to his face, and I inhale silently. 

His stare holds a hint of impatience as he concentrates on me, waiting for me to answer, but I can’t help but hesitate when I take in the striking, unusual nature of his eyes. The art lover in me quickly equates the color in the left with the blue of the sky in Monet’s Garden at Sainte-Adresse, while the right is the exact shade of green in Monet’s Water Lilies.

“I’m sorry, I was…” Ogling. I realize I’m still moving my fingers up and down my throat, so I just trail off and quickly clasp my hands together in front of me, his eyes following the path they make. “Welcome to the Hale Gallery. What can I help you with, sir?” 

CZM: oh damn the eyes! That’s a good tease.

PB: It is beta'd beautifully!

CZM: oh geez lol - I’m all red-cheeked

PB: I can picture your face right now lol

CZM: hot mess - I'm eating honey nut Cheerios and drinking a diet Pepsi ;)

PB: I haven't showered yet and I’m watching Bachelor in Paradise.

CZM: girl - you've fallen down the rabbit hole

PB: I still have standards. I won't watch the actual Bachelor shows. Okay okay, let's end this before we give these poor readers TMI

CZM: I think we're already there. So Artful Maneuvers - it's hot and fun... come join us! 

PB: Yay!! 

CZM: ftr - Katie Couric I am not ;) *blows a kiss*

PB: Awww ILY

CZM: ily2. Oh Aim - is this sneak peek any good?

PB: we suck :)

Thanks so much to the lovely girls at TLS for giving us the chance to embarrass ourselves and I hope to see you all with chapter 1!!  xoxo PB

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Don't forget to pop planetblue on alert so you don't miss out!

♥ Kim