What we're reading in TLS this week:

We are excited to bring you a bundle of new treasures from some of our favorite authors on this fine Monday morning! We've sprinkled in a few older favorites to keep things interesting, for those that may have missed them the first time around. Be sure to let the authors know where you saw them recommended and leave them some love. Happy Reading!

♥ Six Dlbfive

A Night to Remember by sexysiren1981
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11966227/1/A-night-to-Remember
AH AU Edward Cullen is a celebrity bored with fame. His life is colourless and dull when he hits someone with a lot of hair, a mouth that would make a sailor blush and eyes the colour of chocolate. His life is changed forever. Rated M

A Soft Place to Land by btwnthestacks
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7775714/1/A-Soft-Place-to-Land
Single father Edward Cullen and his daughter are looking for a soft place to land. In an attempt to help her, he turns to a program at the local library. While two furry friends help his child find her confidence, their owner will mend his broken heart. Rated M

Body of Christ by Belladonna and TheFictionFreak
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13477242/1/Body-of-Christ
She was clearly in pain. She clearly needed help. How could I deny her? How could I ignore the distress of a child of God? I couldn't. And that was my downfall. Some drama, some laughs, plenty of UST. BxE AH AU of the spiritual kind. Rated M

Burning the Midnight Oil by MissLiss15
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13477862/1/Burning-the-Midnight-Oil
Edward Cullen wasn't your typical front man. He was big and loud, and not exactly one to make most women swoon, but he had a voice that commanded attention. He'd been struggling for years to make a name for him and his band, and in one night all his dreams finally came true. But at what cost to his marriage? Rated M

Clutch by Sunshine1220
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13482741/1/Clutch
The Devil's Outcasts MC and their families are no stranger to conflict and violence. Their lives have been full of both. History has taught them that family and the club are the only things they can really count on. Relationships and loyalties can change, though. Shifting gears is never easy, but when you do, don't forget to pull the clutch. Rated M

Edge of the Night by love-tart
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13450368/1/Edge-of-the-Night
Bella and Edward couldn't be more opposite. She's a rich heiress and successful businesswoman in her own right. He's a detective that's seen way too many bad things happen to good people. Fate puts them in each other's path, but the road to happily-ever-after could be a rocky one. Rated M

Seven Nights by pattyrose
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13365895/1/Seven-Nights
What starts out as a relaxing, seven-night Caribbean cruise with her friends and boyfriend turns out to be much more than Isabella Swan bargained for. That is, once Edward Masen boards the ship. Rated M

The Ember Sword by MeteorOnAMoonlessNight
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13432432/1/The-Ember-Sword
The Prophecy of The First Blood declares the Ember Sword shall be in the care of The True-Sworn for eternity—which is how long the clan will live if they can keep the enchanted sword out of the hands of The Forsaken. With the enemy bearing down on them, the chieftess and her daughters must prepare for the coming battle. Rated M

The Experiment by Edward’s Eternal
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13378811/1/The-Experiment
Edward is part of a sociology experiment offering free hugs. What happens when the shy girl he's noticed before ends up in his arms? Rated M

The Last of the Real Ones by bicyclesarecool
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13389589/1/The-Last-of-the-Real-Ones
"The world today is content to call the Vigilante an alien, a cyborg, a military experiment gone wrong. But I know the truth." A superhuman avenger and an empty young woman meet in free fall. Nothing will ever be the same. Rated M

The Tension and the Spark by KoalaLou
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13423029/1/The-Tension-and-the-Spark
Bella's daughter, Vanessa, and Edward's son, Jacob are getting married. When Bella and Edward meet, tension builds, and sparks fly. Should they deny their feelings for the sake of their children? Or give in to a new romance? Bpov and Epov. Rated M

The Whispering Woods by ericastwilight
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13327491/1/The-Whispering-Woods
Summary: They say the Crescent Hill Woods whisper to some and scream at others. Even in your dreams. Welcome to Forks, Washington, home of the Spartans. Stay Out of the Whispering Woods. Rated M

TLS Special SNEAK PEEK Feature

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

For this edition of Sneak Peek Saturday, we are thrilled to feature something new from Sunshine1220, author of Duplicity and Dominion of My Heart. This week, she's giving us a peek into her upcoming fic Clutch. 

banner by Sunshine1220

Clutch by Sunshine1220

Summary: The Devil’s Outcasts MC and their families are no stranger to conflict and violence. Their lives have been full of both. History has taught them that family and the club are the only things they can really count on. Relationships and loyalties can change, though. Shifting gears is never easy, but when you do, don’t forget to pull the clutch.

oOOo

I had big plans for the new year. I was going to get back to a few unfinished projects that have been waiting patiently for some attention, but on New Year’s Eve, a bunny that had been happily hopping around, minding its own business while I worked on other things, came over and lobbed me over the head with a sledgehammer. 

I never stood a chance. 

My husband, his entire family, and recently, myself, ride motorcycles. I’ve wanted to write a Bikerward for a while, and through inspiration from a recent Sons of Anarchy three-season binge, this Bikerward was born. 

This one is a little outside my comfort zone, but I’m really excited to share it with you. An excerpt from Chapter 1 is below. And even though I’ve written an original character this time, I’m an ExB HEA girl at heart. 😉 

oOOo

BPOV

“Do you think Poppa C will have his pool open today? We didn’t get to swim last time we were here.” 

I shift the car into park and cut the engine, the southern Arizona heat instantly warming the interior of my hatchback. I meet Sammy’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “I can almost guarantee they have the pool open.” I reach over to the passenger seat and grab the strap of the open tote there, raising it enough for my son to see its contents. “Why else would I have brought all your swim stuff, kiddo?”

He squeals in response and wiggles in his booster seat, reaching for the seatbelt. I slip out of the car and open the back door, releasing my son from his temporary prison. He squeezes past me and runs toward the door. I laugh, watching him dodge one outstretched hand after another attempt to slow him down. 

I turn back to the car, gathering all the crap that seems to go everywhere with us, along with what’s required to spend an evening at Casa de Cullen. I walk around to the front passenger door and open it, pulling the tote and giant bowl of Jell-O from the front seat. Reaching down for a dropped floatie, I’m head down and ass up when the familiar, deep chuckle of exes past sounds from behind me. 

“He’s a quick, little guy, ain’t he?” 

I take a deep breath, steeling myself like I always do when I have to see my brother-in-law. I grab what’s left of the shit from the seat and straighten up, using my hip to close the door. 

“Hey, Edward,” I say softly, looking up at him with a polite smile on my face. It never fails to amaze me just how beautiful he is, how he affects me … even after all these years. “And yeah, I’m pretty sure he gets that from your brother.” 

“Yeah, you’re probably right. Mase always was a wiry, little fucker,” he says with a grin. Realizing how much I have piled in my arms, he reaches for some of it. “Here, let me help.” Without asking, he grabs everything I’m carrying, other than my purse and the lidded, lime green Tupperware bowl in my arms, even with the rim of a beer bottle held in his long fingers. 

“Thanks.” 

“No problem.” 

We walk side by side toward the door, and I greet the few people milling around out front. Stepping through the front door is like stepping through a time machine for me. Between sleepovers with Alice and, eventually, secret sleepovers with her brother, I spent a good part of my childhood here. 

We reach the kitchen, which is blessedly empty at the moment, and I open the fridge to stow away my contribution to the cookout. I look out the window over the sink and into the backyard, searching for my husband. 

“He’s not here yet,” Edward says from behind me. 

I turn to look over my shoulder. “I was just making sure Sammy found Pop.” I turn around and lean against the counter. “He was excited to swim today.”

Judging by the look on his face, Edward isn’t buying the shit I’m feeding him. 

“What happened this time?”

I push off the counter and rifle through my bag to keep my hands busy. “What do you mean? Nothing happened.” 

He walks closer and places a hand over mine. “One, you’re a shit liar, and two, you guys always come together to these things.” He nudges my chin until I meet his eyes. “What’s goin’ on, Bella?” 

“Nothing,” I say, shaking my head and stepping out of his reach. “We just had a little disagreement this morning, that’s all. He got upset and left.” I shrug my shoulders. “Same shit, different day, I guess.” 

His lips form a thin line, and he exhales heavily through his nose. “How long ago did he take off?” 

I stare down at my hands as they lay listlessly on the countertop. Just like everything else about me, my thin gold wedding band doesn’t even make the effort to shine anymore.

“It was around ten or eleven.” I look up and meet the green eyes that still haunt my what-if dreams. “He just needed a breather,” I say weakly. 

Before Edward can form a reply, Esme waltzes into her kitchen. When she spots me standing across from her son, her smile falls just enough to remind me I’m no longer as welcome in her home as I once was. 

“Isabella, how nice to see you. I’m sure Carlisle will be happy you’re here.” She looks past Edward and back to me. “Is Masen here?”

I clear my throat. “No, he had an errand to run. He’ll be here soon, though.” 

“Hey, Ma,” Edward interrupts. “I need to run out myself for a few.” He takes a few steps toward his mother and kisses her on the cheek. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” 

Out of pure instinct, I yell out the same words I do any time one of the club members is about to ride away. “Be safe!” 

Turned around, walking backwards toward the door, Edward gives me the same smirk he’s given me since I was fifteen. “Always am.”

oOOo

Clutch will post weekly beginning January 21, 2020. You can find me at Sunshine1220 on fanfiction.net and at my group, Sunshine Fics, on Facebook. Hope you’ll join me! 

~Sunshine

Be sure and put Sunshine1220 on alert so you can follow along with us!

What we're reading in TLS this week:

It's time to kick off this new year with some fresh new recs for your reading pleasure! We hope you will enjoy them as much as we have. Don’t forget to leave the writer some love in the form of a review and let them know where you saw them recommended. Enjoy!

♥ Six Dlbfive

I Never Knew by Nerac
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6465577/1/I-Never-Knew
After a phone call from a stranger turns her life upside down, Isabella Dwyer realizes that the people you trust the most sometimes tell the biggest lies. Can she convince a man in uniform to help her discover the things she never knew? Rated M

Kaleidoscope by myotherlife
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12392293/1/Kaleidoscope
Edward Cullen believed that his new assignment was a waste of time until he meets a woman who intrigues him like no other. Bella Swan's talents hold no bounds, yet she heading towards an impossible battle. Thrust into a world where friends and enemies are difficult to discern, they must work together to solve this case before the pattern shifts and everything is lost. Rated M

Kindred Counterparts by StarryEyedWriter8
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13339984/1/Kindred-Counterparts
The saying 'love at first sight' certainly didn't pertain to Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. Heck, they didn't even like each other. Will time, family, and circumstance be able to change their predicament? AU Rated M

Obstacles by IsisIvy
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13046720/1/Obstacles
Bella Swan, still grieving over her mother’s sudden death, travels back to her hometown of Forks, Washington to deliver the news to her alcoholic father. Along the way she meets Edward Cullen, a recovering addict and fins comfort in the most unlikely place. Rated M

Shooting Star by 2brown-eyes
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13407474/1/Shooting-Star
Make a wish on a falling star, and your dreams can come true. If only it could be that easy. Years after they left, the Cullens are back. What Bella's heart wants conflicts with her self-preservation and other bumps in her life. Can she trust that he would never leave again? For my 50th fic, a new spin on New Moon. Vampward. Rated M

So Easy by thimbles
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13419470/1/So-Easy
If she were my girl, I'd be so damn good to her. If only it were that easy, right? [Probably just gonna be short and sweet. Not sure I remember how to do this.] Rated M

The Bear by Mrs.Brownloe
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13437127/1/The-Bear
Bella returns to Forks after the death of her father only to find true love. Or was it something else? Rated M

The Whisky Distiller’s Wife by 2carm2carm2
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13053224/1/The-Whisky-Distiller-s-Wife
“She wondered how either God or the law regarded two people who didn’t know the first thing about each other entering into a farce of a marriage.” A tale of two people navigating life together after the global financial crisis with plenty of Scotch and a wee bit of deception. Rated M

Undeniable by assilem33
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13291352/1/Undeniable
Despite the utter chaos of it all, Bella's entire life was her husband and their two kids…then HE moved in across the street and changed everything. A tale of lies, deception and utter heartbreak. Rated M. E/B HEA Rated M

Under the Willow by CiaraShayee
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13422358/1/Under-The-Willow
He's given up on his future. She's barely getting started on hers. Rated M

White Noise by Hotteaforme
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13318558/1/White-Noise
Waitress Bella wants nothing to do with her boyfriend’s shady drug dealings. When he forces her to do him a favor, she finds herself on the wrong side of the wrong sort of people…all except one. Rated M

Zuma by Planetblue
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13319962/1/Zuma
He may be dating my step-sister, but it doesn't stop me from wishing he were mine. Rated M

TLS Special SNEAK PEEK Feature

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

There's nothing better than finding out that two of the fandom's talented writers are collaborating on something new! This week we are excited to feature Body of Christ by Belladonna and TheFictionFreak. They recently wrapped up Hades, a love story - sort of and its companion piece Friend of the Devil. Now they've promised us a hot priest and we can't wait to get started!

banner by LizziePaige

Body of Christ by Belladonna & TheFictionFreak

Summary: She was clearly in pain. She clearly needed help. How could I deny her? How could I ignore the distress of a child of God? I couldn’t. And that was my downfall. BxE AH AU of the spiritual kind 

~~ 00 ~~

Marie: We’re supposed to write an intro.

Jo: *blank stare*

Marie: Jo?? If you don’t say something I’m just going to write sappy things about you for the next 500 words. The intro will be a love letter from me to you.

Jo: Should I tell them about your smutty story?

Marie: *blushing* Please don’t. Yet. Tell them about our hot priest.

Jo: Fine. So, we got to talking about the show Fleabag one night. And there’s this hot priest played by Andrew Scott (you can imagine how that conversation went: Marie… Jo… MARIE… JO!) … and well, how could we not write Twilight fanfiction about this?

Marie: There are lots of reasons NOT to write Twilight fanfiction about this. #1: My mom’s Catholic, for Christ’s sake. But Jo’s persuasive, and maybe just a little in love with Andrew Scott.

Jo: A lot. I’m a lot in love with him.

Marie: Anyway… Jo shared a particularly scandalous piece of random writing with me on a cold January morning, and well, I was in. I couldn’t say no. I LOVE writing about things that make me uncomfortable. And things that are, well, hot. This covered both bases.

Jo: Plus we get to give Edward an HEA this time.

Marie: But will his HEA involve following his life’s calling? I mean, being a priest could maybe make him happy, right? Or is his HEA walking away from his vows?

Jo: One never knows! Also, I suppose we should mention we’re not killing Jake this time, Jake lovers.

Marie: Jo made me promise not to kill Jake. I love killing Jake, but I love Jo more. Also, I kinda love this Jake. I know. Weird. Next thing you know pigs will be flying. Reality show hosts will be President.

Jo: Marie……. *whispers* back on topic...

Marie: Sorry. We should really be talking about the fic. What do you think we should tease?

Jo: I think I know.

~~ 00 ~~

“Bless me father, for I have sinned. It’s been a very long time since my last confession.”

Her voice is low but confident. Straight to the point.

And a bit harsh.

It’s actually quite normal for someone who’s been absent from church for an extended period of time to be nervous their first time back but there’s something else here.

Something that piques my curiosity. Something in her tone.

She’s certainly not the first person I’ve wondered about. I tend to do this a lot. Try and pinpoint the underlying emotions this confessional witnesses.

I’ve been a priest of the Catholic church for four years now. I’ve had my own congregation for one. I don’t have the experience that some of my elders do. They find confessions to be more of a necessary task than assistance for the downtrodden. They’ve grown immune to the empathy it requires. People require. People need.

I, however, often still find the reasons behind someone’s absence from church intriguing. I also find their reasons for coming back equally compelling. I like to understand the before so that I can help them with the after. It’s what I do after all. Help. It’s my calling.

Some members of the church struggle with their sins, some, not so much.

Sometimes it’s a whisper, a subtlety to their words, or the way they deliver them, that tells me they need assistance in more ways than just a standard prayer asking for forgiveness.

This one, despite the simple words of her memorized statement… is screaming for it.

“May the body of Christ be-”

“I’d like to preface this confession with the fact that I am here because my mother guilted me into it and not because I think I need any absolving whatsoever for anything I’ve done with my own life.”

Honestly, I’m not sure if I’m quiet because I’m stunned into silence or because I’m waiting to see if she’s finished her thought.

“And if I may, it’s only slightly creepy to make someone sit in a dark, dank box and confess their secrets. I mean, what’s the purpose anyway? If we wanted you to know them, they wouldn’t be secrets. Right?”

So, the latter then.

I wait.

“Hello?” She’s agitated.

“Sorry. I didn’t know if you were done.”

She hesitates but then gives me a short, “I’m done.” And I can almost envision here there, stubborn, crossed arms and all.

“Okay, first of all, please know, no one’s forcing you to be here.”

“Ha!”

“And secondly, the dark, dank box is a metaphor. I like to think of it as a place where people generally like to keep their sins. Where others won’t see. Or hear.”

She’s quiet again after that. So I continue.

“It’s there to make you more comfortable with confessing your secrets. But, if you’d like, we can take this out into the light of day, so to speak, for the entire congregation to hear you. I’m open to anything.”

“Um.”

I smile. And I admit, I enjoy stunning her into her own silence. I’m a bit competitive that way.

I also like to let others hear their own words so they can feel the impact of those words.

“Hello?”

A pin could drop for the next few moments. I’m pretty sure I hear her swallow.

Anyone who’s spent the past year getting used to my practices as a priest knows I have only the best intentions in making light of this holy custom. But she doesn’t. How could she? She hasn’t stepped foot inside these walls the entire year.

I’m one hundred percent certain I would have noticed.

The dead air eventually leads me to believe that I may have overstepped. Embarrassed her. Changed her mind about being here.

Damn. This is my fault.

“Go with God,” I tell her as I stand to leave and consider my sarcasm going forward.

My hand is on the knob, mid-turn when I hear her again. The door is nearly open.

“I kissed my sister’s fiance,” she blurts out.

And the way she says it tells me there's a lot more to the story than that.

So I sit my ass back down, prepared to listen to everything she has to say.

~~ 00 ~~

We're planning on posting the prologue on Monday, then weekly chapters beginning Friday, January 17th. Hope to see you there!


Don't forget to add Belladonna and TheFictionFreak so you can follow along with us!