Nobody Knows the Trouble He's Seen. . .

How the hell is everyone? I've had a so/so week. I had to buy a new battery for my car yesterday, which sucked. You know, it's the whole I-don't-have-this-money-to-spend-it dealio. But it's cool, my son floated me some cash and said call it your early Christmas present. That was the bad part of the week. I would start drinking but. . . 



On to the good part. . .



So, just the other day I had this fantastic idea. I decided that for my blog this week, I am going to do PrisonWard. 

What? I figure he's been without female company for long enough that he might be desperate enough to let me do him. I can picture it now, he's sitting there on his bunk and the guard opens the cell door for me to walk in and stand in front of him. He looks up at me, grabs me by the hand and says, "Not even if you were the last woman on earth. I only love Bella. I'll only ever let Bella touch me."



Fine, I guess I'll just take my fat ass back behind my computer and recommend stories about you and BELLLLLLLLAAAAA. But there's no need to look at me like I'm the most disgusting thing you've ever seen, Edward. And I get so sick of hearing that bitch's name come out of your mouth! It's always Bella this, or Bella that. Bella, Bella, Bella. Jeez, and now you just made me sound like Jan Brady. But who do you come to when you need money to pay off your cell-mate, Spooge? Do you go to your precious Bella? No! You come to me! You're too pretty for prison and we all know that. So who sends you the money keeping you from being Spooge's bitch? ME, not Bella! Fictional characters have. no. money. Edward!



I am so happy to say that I have not one, but two. . . count 'em! TWO guest reviewers for you this week. Yes! I was actually able to talk two real people into making recs for this week's blog! I'm so stoked.




The two wonderful ladies who decided to enrich your lives with quality PrisonWard are NKubie: aka Nan Kubie on Facebook, and Pinto9847: aka Susan Robinson on Facebook. So, I'm going to give you their reviews first, and then I will give the review to the story I decided on recommending this week. 

First up, the amazing Pinto9847, or Susan Robinson:

Susan is reviewing a story called The Breakers by les16.

Summary: After spending 7 years in prison, Edward gets a new start in the fishing village of Corea, Maine. Can a little girl and her mom, Bella, see beyond his past and can they all find love again...or will the ocean swallow them whole?

The Breakers by Les16

Beloved BeLynda...I am pretty much just free-balling this, so feel free to chop and change this, ok? Add pretty pictures wherever, because you know I don't have the technology to do so, lol!!!!!!!!!!!

In summary, the story is about Edward trying to start his life over in the fishing village of Corea, Maine after being released from prison where he served a 7-year prison term in Old Colony Correctional Center in Boston. 

Do you want to put a snazzy pic of the prison here? There aren't many good ones online...

The question is...What.The.Fuck.Did he do to get himself landed in prison?! And why does he want to go to Corea, specifically? So, I guess two questions, but you know what? I am writing this, and I know the answers, so I can do what I want!

At the beginning of the story, we are told only the basics...that Edward was in prison for 7 years, is now paroled, and is being given special accommodations to move from Boston to Corea, Maine. Oh, yeah, and he is also given $100,000 for some reason...

When he ends up in Corea, the first person he meets is a sweet, smart, precocious 7-year-old girl named Peyton who immediately accepts Edward when he thought nobody would want an ex-con in their small town. Peyton gives Edward the courage to go inside the restaurant called The Breakers, where he is to meet his new employer, Charlie Swan. With his new Best Friend by his side, Peyton introduces Edward to her grandpa, Charlie! Charlie knows about Edward's history and accepts him...and also offers him a job on his fishing boat.

Then Edward meets Bella...and she runs from him...twice! Edward learns something terrible happened to Peyton's father before Peyton was even born. Both Edward and Bella struggle to tell each other about their pasts, and when they do, they also have to think about Peyton. There was an amazing quote that I found that brought tears to my eyes when I read it. It is from Edward, and it is explaining how Peyton has helped to heal him after an amazingly emotional moment between them:

"How do you thank a child, who with each passing day I'm convinced is the most amazing one ever, for making you feel … human again? For making you feel alive and worthy? For seeing you for who you want to be instead of who people assume you to be? For making you feel important and wanted? I'll never truly be able to make her understand, mostly because I don't understand it myself, but I can't deny what Peyton makes me feel. The fact that she does it just by being herself means even more. No agenda. No hidden meaning. Just Peyton being Peyton."

After things settle into a routine, ghosts from the past come back to haunt Edward...will he end up losing the little family he has created because of his past? 



The Breakers can be found here:

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7096926/1/The-Breakers

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Next, I have a review from the always wonderful NKubie, or Nan Kubie. The story that Nan is reviewing today is The Man Next Door by Robzbeanie.

Summary: When Edward Cullen is released from prison, 18-year-old Bella becomes fascinated by her new next door neighbor. But is this strong young woman strong enough to handle his past? 

I always feel it’s a little bit like cheating when I write a rec or review for a story that I’ve preread. However, I don’t preread for stories that I wouldn’t enjoy as a regular reader. So when BeLynda asked me to write a rec for The Man Next Door by RobzBeanie, after I stopped squeeing and picked myself off the floor, I got to thinking about all the things that make TMND such a great story.

The Man Next Door started as an entry for the May to December Romance Contest, but was expanded after the contest was over and went on to win 2nd place for September 2015 and 7th place for ALL fics for the year on TwiFanfictionRecs. Needless to say, I’m not the only one who thinks this story is a gem.

The fic begins with Edward’s release from prison after he’s exonerated for a crime he didn’t commit.

“Edward Cullen is being released from the state prison in Walla Walla today, after 18 years on death row for the rape and murder of 16-year-old Bree Tanner. Despite the fact that DNA evidence now points to another man, some people in and around Forks still believe Edward is guilty. The case is dividing our tiny Washington town; it's the biggest thing to hit Forks since the murder itself.

At the time of his arrest, Edward Cullen was the town's golden boy, the son of a prominent surgeon and interior designer. He had recently graduated from Forks High School near the top of his class, making State in both basketball and track.”

Edward’s parents, Carlisle and Esme, never gave up hope as to their son’s innocence and in fact made huge career changes and gave up their upper-class lifestyle to prove it. That move brings them to be next door neighbors to the Swans, thus the name of the story.

Some people might assume this as a typical May-December romance, with the older, more experienced Edward and the younger, wide-eyed innocent Bella, but this is far from that simple. To say that Edward’s 18 years in prison changes him from the boy he used to be is a massive understatement. All of Edward’s 20s and over half of his 30s were spent in prison, and while he has the actual life experience of a 36-year-old, it also leaves him emotionally scarred. This sort of levels the playing field. In fact, because of Edward’s traumatic experiences, Bella is more emotionally stable than Edward, so in many cases, she becomes the more “adult” individual in the relationship.

Due to the age difference and circumstances, Bella and Edward feel they need to keep their relationship a secret. Even Charlie, who doesn’t deny Edward’s innocence, can see that there may be issues that Bella isn’t ready to deal with.

"I, um, I saw him today. When I got home from school."

"I saw him too," Dad says, "Outside smoking a cigarette. You should stay away from him, Bells. Even if he's truly innocent, there's no telling what 18 years in prison did to his mental state."

The one-shot for the contest ends with Bella asking Edward to move with her to Tucson, Arizona where she’s going to college. But this is where the story really begins. The journey that takes Edward and Bella to Arizona is far more than just geographical; it’s also physical and emotional.  Dealing with Edward’s psychological scars and trying to build a lasting relationship is the real journey, even after they settle in their new home. They both have a lot of growing up to do, but they do that together, though not smoothly. There are plenty of bumps along the way. Everything from the way that Edward reacts to touch to Bella navigating her first romantic relationship plays a part in this very rich and layered tale. You’ll want to cry when you realize what Edward has gone through and shout for joy with every victory of Edward overcoming his fears. But what often touched me the most is how Bella got through to Edward and gave him an emotional haven.

"No!" Edward yells suddenly.

I immediately turn toward him, and he's deathly pale, looking like he might throw up. "Edward?" I whisper.

I slowly bring my hand in front of his face, hoping to God he can see it, then caress his cheek, trailing my fingers down to his neck. He's breathing a little heavily, but nothing like that day in his room. Gently, I pull him forward by the back of the neck until he leans his forehead on my shoulder, then scratch my fingers through his soft hair.

"Can you hear me?" I whisper to Edward. In answer, his arms slowly wind their way around my waist. We stay like that for a while, until I feel him starting to calm.

Scenes like this occur frequently through the story and Edward’s road to recovery. But that’s what makes the triumphs that much more satisfying. Watching Edward slowly come out of his shell and eventually being the one to reassure Bella is an incredible transformation.

"I've always thought of myself as just a normal, average girl. And sometimes… sometimes I wonder if you'd find any girl attractive after being in prison for so long."

"Baby, where is this coming from?" he asks, tipping my chin up so I'm forced to look him in the eye. "I think you're beautiful, I've told you that. You could have any man you want, and I'm so honored that you've chosen me.

"And as for me, no, I definitely would not want just any girl. From the moment you waltzed over to me and introduced yourself, it's only been you."

"Please," I scoff. "I was probably the first female you saw after you got out of prison."

"Not true," he shakes his head. "It's a long drive from the prison to Forks. I saw plenty of women when we stopped along the way." He rolls his eyes, then brings his hands up to brush them along my sides. "How could you doubt this, baby?"

And then Edward really shows her how much he loves her. (Psst. This leads to a lemon.)

Speaking of lemons, they are plentiful and plenty hot! RobzBeanie is a master at writing sexy times and this story showcases her talent in a big way!

So if you’re looking for a fic filled with compassion, heartache and comfort, and plenty of citrus, this is the story for you. Enjoy!

xo

Nan

The Man Next Door can be found here:

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11041506/1/The-Man-Next-Door

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As for me and my rec, well, I get the incredible honor of betaing this fic. It's had me from word #1 and it hasn't let me go since I started reading it. You can even ask the author; every time I was finished reading the last chapter she sent me I was pressuring her to write more. I need this fic.



What's that? You want to know what fic I'm talking about? Silly me. Of course, you want to know what fic I'm talking about, why wouldn't you? The fic I'm reccing this week is Ex Delicto by MeteorOnAMoonlessNight.


Yes, I told people in my group that only I get to rec this story. No, I'm not ashamed of myself, at all.



Disclaimer: Spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.

Summary: An imprisoned man who's run out of options to prove his innocence, a young attorney volunteering her time to help the wrongly convicted, and the actual criminal walking around free for ten years. The consequences of a crime are far reaching and often unseen.

Bella Swan is a busy corporate lawyer by day, who takes on cases for Innocence Project Northwest in her spare time. She's been volunteering for IPNW since she got out of law school.

Edward Cullen is a man who was convicted of rape when he was nineteen and in college. He was talked into going to a party with friends, drank a beer and danced with a couple girls. Then he passed out. When he woke up he was under arrest for rape.

The DNA evidence was mishandled, but Edward was still convicted. His parents went broke hiring lawyers to appeal his case, but nothing positive ever happened.

By the time Bella meets Edward he has run out of hope and he is hostile. He doesn't think that anyone can help him so he refuses to have hope or cooperate, at first. But Bella keeps coming back and gets him to help her win his release.

This case involves Bella, Edward and a cast of tertiary characters that include the usual Twilight folks. Carlisle and Esme are Edward's parents. His mother never stopped believing in his innocence, but his, now estranged, father believed in his guilt.

Bella's father, the Police Commissioner, didn't believe Edward was guilty when the case originally happened, and told Esme that he would most likely walk free. Nobody but the person who set Edward up believed he would be convicted.

Rest assured, Bella saves Edward, but who will save her when her life is threatened in a later chapter? I guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out.



Ex Delicto can be found here:

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12177956/1/Ex-Delicto

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On behalf of NKubie and Pinto9847, I want to say thank you for reading the blog this week.

As for myself, I just want to say how happy the fact that people I know and respect are out there reading my blog. You have no idea how wonderful that makes me feel.




Really, really wonderful. 




Anyway, the fact that you are reading means so much to me. I'll be honest, up until last week, I was toying with the idea of stopping. But then a few people told me how much they were liking it, so I decided to keep going. I just want all of you who are reading it to know that it means a lot to me that you are. There are so many fic rec sites out there...and for you to be reading mine along with them...that's pretty awesome. So. . . 

from the bottom of my cold, black, dead heart,

See you next week.