Alright, alright, so I'm a total fail. Yes, I am aware of this. Last week, I failed to post because I was pretty much comatose from an upper respiratory infection (so much so, I wasn't even awake long enough to think "Gee, I should get with Chris and tell her to post MTD for me...). Hopefully, I've hit my fucking illness quota for the year, because being sick for the last 18 days has fucking demolished me. Then... the reason I didn't post this earlier... total my bad. I should've scheduled it, and I didn't think of it until it was too late... but I was at the 100 Monkeys concert in Baltimore last night and I rocked out. I had a blast, hubs had a blast... amazing performance... we didn't get home until 3:30AM... hence: Me=comatose. All day.

Anyhow, today I'm featuring Darlin' Reluctantreader (a.k.a. "Tay"). Though her name implies she only reads, she's actually written several stories, including "I. Swan: Superstar" and "The Befuddlement of Jasper Whitlock". Shamefully, I wasn't familiar with her until I became a Darlin', and I certainly hope to get to know her better. Read on to see how she answered my questions!

1. Penname? reluctantreader on FFn, renesalecau on Twilighted, and shantytown on Twitter, but I sign all comments as Tay. Just pick one, it’s all good.
2. How long have you been reading/writing FanFiction? I’ve only been reading since last May. I had a story I tried to write then too, but it really flopped because I was so new to everything that comes from being an author.
3. What’s your favorite pairing? too tough to call on that! I love to read B&E, but only if the whole gang’s there. I like the original format of the B&E love story but I like to see how people manipulate SM’s world of supportive characters to fit their own story while still making it unique. Though, that said, I’m always waiting in the wings for a strange little Alec & Renesmee AU. (hence the Twilighted penname)
4. What’s your favorite genre? I don’t have a favorite really. I know that I’m not a fan of anything super angsty, but even as I say it I know it kind of isn’t true. Everything’s just too good and I have to read it all!
5. If you were to collaborate with an author, who would you choose to collaborate with? OMG! I have three! I would give my left nut to collab with Tiff! Coachlady1 is also the shit. And I might pull a fangirl and die if I ever got to collab with TeamBella23. Trufax.
6. Name some stories you think everyone in the fandom should be required to read (don’t forget to list the authors with their stories). Fuck, that’s a toughie! When it comes to flow and smooth writing style, read anything by KitsuShel, or read ‘A Thousand Leaves’ by BellaSunshine. Shit, you could even read ‘A Pound of Flesh’ by jaxon22. If you want to laugh until you die? ‘McFearless’ by TeamBella23. It’s slashy delicious. Umm.... ‘All At Once’ by grown.ass.woman should be mandatory reading curriculum. Fucking fantastic. (did I mention I’m an AU/AH super fan?). Want to know what a good lemon looks like? ‘Edward Wallbanger’ by feathers_mmmm. People should study it.
7. What do you look for when reading a story (i.e. writing style, no mistakes, etc.)? Flow and canon. Not SM canon either, but canon to the author’s own character. I hate when I read a prologue or a few chapters of a story and all of a sudden the character does something they totally wouldn’t. Oh, and I especially hate when right after they do something OOC, the next few lines are, “I don’t know why I did that; it was totally unlike me, but she/he made me feel bold.” GAH! It just boils my blood!
8. What turns you off of a story? Hmm, not a fan of the dom/sub stuff, though I read it. And when authors overuse smell association or the word ‘Mine’ (especially in a lemony-goodie), I just roll my eyes and move along. Well, I move along in my head because I always end up finishing them. Yeah, totally addicted.
9. What’s your favorite version of Jasper (i.e. Geeksper? Domsper? Darksper?)? Oh man, this is tough! I like a little of the Geeksper mixed with a little Shysper (especially in slashy-fun-times). But I also adore Jackassper mixed with Confidentsper or Coolsper. Hmm, he is sooooo good.
10. Is there any type of story that you will absolutely NOT read, regardless of how well it may be written? I’ll try to read anything, no matter what it is. If I hear it’s good, nothing can stop me from giving it a chance (and a few hours of my life as I read half the story). The only thing I’ll purposely skip over (although I’ll end up reading some anyway) is RPF. It’s just too close to home for me and I like the fiction of everything else in the fandom.
11. Who is your favorite FanFiction author? quothme is actually my fave ‘all around’, but has been inactive since February of this year. I didn’t discover his/her stories until a month or two ago, so I’ve never gotten to speak with the author. She’s/He’s only got 4 stories, but they are all completed and ridiculously well written.
12. What is your favorite FanFiction story? Though this list could go on for days, if I narrowed it down it’d be a tie between ‘McFearless’ by TeamBella23 and ‘Edward Wallbanger’ by feathers_mmmm
13. Are you good at leaving reviews, or do you tend to simply “lurk”? I’m actually great at reviews unless I’m reading on my Blackberry. And if I am, I try to leave at least one review to tell the author I’m there, but can’t comment every chapter.
14. What do you do when you get Writer’s Block? Ha! I sulk. And if that doesn’t work, I drink red wine.
15. What is the atmosphere like when you’re writing (i.e. quiet, loud, cigarette)? It’s either a few line’s while I’m watching my loud son (stay at home mom over here!), or once he’s in bed I have a glass of wine and the soundtracks from all three Twilight movies playing.
16. What’s your favorite thing about writing FanFiction? The ultimate relief you feel when you finally get that one line, or paragraph, or plot written and published and the first story favorite pops up in your email. It’s like “Wow! Someone read and liked this!”
17. Least favorite? Writer’s Block that just won’t quit and feeling like a jackass when people want to know what happens next and you’ve got nothing to offer.
18. Slash or no slash? I used to be an avid no slashy times reader, but now? Bring on the buttsecks!!! McFearless and Uncomfortable changed my life!
19. What scene involving Jasper would you have liked to have read, rather than it having been glossed over in the books (i.e. Jasper’s history with Maria, Peter, and Char; Jasper wandering; Jasper’s reaction to Edward becoming infatuated with Bella—shown in MS, but not in Twilight)? There were tons of things I wanted from Jasper! (Rosalie too, but she can wait). I wanted to read about the development of Jasper and Bella after he took the snap at her. He felt so guilty for a long time and it made the whole household feel like shit and I wanted some info on that. And what about once Bella became a Vamp? Jasper started gravitating towards her and her inner happiness. That affected them too and I want to read scenes of that initial weirdness and then her accepting him.
20. Which is your favorite book in the Saga? I love them all equally, actually. Though, I do have a soft spot for New Moon. (not-so-in-the-closet Jacob fan over here!)
21. If Jasper were a real person in your life, what would you do? Go to jail for stalking and attempted rape. Trufax.
22. Is Jackson Rathbone your Jasper, or do you have another actor you’d rather play him? Jackson is absolutely my Jasper. I even have a super young Jackson in my head who is Jasper in high school fics. *swoon*


*swoon* Young Jackson... yummy... Older Jackson... still yummy!

23. Is there a character (besides Jasper) that you absolutely love? Jacob, all the way. I get shit for loving him, but I gotta say the kid has brass balls. He wants something and he goes for it 110%. He doesn’t give up when he gets knocked down. I love that shit, especially since I do it in my everyday life. Hide ya wife and hide ya husbands ‘cause I take what I want. ;)


Honestly... the only thing I'd want to do with Jacob is braid his hair. I'm just weird like that...

24. Is there a character that you absolutely hate? I don’t hate any in SM’s world, but I’m sure I’m not alone in the fandom when I say that Tanya’s a filthy whore-bag. And why do people put Jasper with Charlotte? Makes no sense. He was going to kill her, remember?!
25. Are you annoyed by my questions yet (keep in mind you have a lot more to answer each week)? Haha! Oh, crap! Lol. Nah, keep ‘em coming, honey!