CURRENT WIP PROJECTS:

Newly cross-posted, had to wait for the fandom to be added ID: Invaded fic FILE:HUNTED, posted in completion

(Post-series, A savage first dive while the crew still heals, but when a life proves on the line how hard will Momoki push Narihisago for the answers?)

CURRENT WIP, for ID: Invaded FILE:BUSTED

(Post-series, Kura's only hope is two serial killers who have don't work well together.)

CURRENT WIP, Diving Deep Into the Night, in Cowboy Bebop

(post-series, the crew face their darkest foe yet in a strange place where dreams become reality ... will the crew of the Bebop all make it out alive?)

Rhythm and Bruise, in Cowboy Bebop Back-burnered, but will be completed

(pre-series, Spike and Vicious childhood training to enter the ranks)

It is not essential to read all my Cowboy Bebop fics, but I do love to hide Easter Eggs. So you may catch more if you do.

Honesty is rare, particularly brutal honesty. The best stories explore the depths of a spirit, they peel back the veneer that every living thing holds up as a shield protecting their vulnerable core. Only at those raw depths will the truth speak. An author who endeavors to force the truth from the character must back them into a corner savagely enough that only their instincts stand between them and oblivion ... in essence, if my subjects were alive they would hate me with a passion.

Shadowcrest Nightingale

A bit about me

I am apparently a rare extroverted writer. I enjoy chatting about writing and the fandoms I write in (plus some more I haven't yet). If you read any of my stuff I would love to hear what you think--either in a review or a private message.

I have wide interests ranging from science to creative arts. I hold a B.S. degree in Biology in Allied Health giving me acute knowledge of the body on a physical and chemical level. This helps to keep things real in writing. In the past I sang and performed on the stage and enjoy a variety of music from rock to Broadway. Music influences my writing. I'm also an artist in various mediums--often combining them.

When writing, one of my favorite things to do is intermingle reality. I enjoy reading a well constructed historical fiction, or fantasy that blurs the lines... I often learn a lot by researching afterward to try and pick apart fact from fiction. As much as I can I love to emulate this. Throughout all of my explorations in science, art, writing, and music I have benefited greatly from the sharing of those more skilled than I. My road to publication would have been longer without the generous sharing of others. In that spirit I am a firm believer that we are all simultaneously students and teachers. I strive to pay it forward in sharing what I have learned along the way to any who are interested in learning. I know the power of a constructive criticism, without it we cannot grow.

One of the most important things to me when playing in someone else's sandbox is keeping to the core of their work. I consider the psychological profiles of the characters when plotting--whether the storyline falls before, during or after canon, I try my hardest to arc things so they are a logical fit. That is my personal rule. As an original author myself I know how beloved the full worlds I create are to me, I consider it a bow of respect to honor the creativity of those who made what inspired me. (That is not to say that others have not made astonishing AU's--it is simply the mark I hold myself to).

Advice to those who wish to seek publication for original works, AKA, striving to become an author:

You're going to hear a lot of advice out there. A mountain of advice that rivals some publisher's slush piles. It's enough to boggle the mind and crush anyone's spirit, especially since a lot of it is conflicting. ;) So here's the trick: a lot of those tid bits are opinions. Some hold value, and some don't. The only way to learn which ones are valuable to you is to keep writing. Practice a lot, join a good writing group with folks who encourage each other and beta read for one another. Beta reading is huge for learning how to work with constructive criticism--you learn to recognize why something doesn't work, and given time will start to catch it in your own writing. It's like a magic mirror. That 'voice' that you hear about, the thing that distinguishes you from other writers? It comes from throwing sand around the sandbox enough times to develop. We aren't born with a voice, we take a journey to build it, discovering the stones we pick up along the way. Writing is a journey, never a destination. Stretch your wings, wander into uncomfortable territory, and know with earnest humility that not everything you write is gold. Don't worry, renowned authors don't spin gold right onto the page (if they say they do, they're lying--everyone edits.) The road to publication is long and fret with rejections. Sorry, that is the truth! I hang with some amazing writers. I've proofed breathtaking stories for them. I've watched those same stories get rejected; once, twice, ... a dozen times. I affectionately call rejections paper cuts. I have an admirable collection of the callus building emails. This is part of it. The quicker you get a thick hide in this industry, the better. And the biggest part of it all--readers are fickle. It's impossible to write something everyone will love, and it's impossible to predict what will become the next fad. Sometimes badly slapped together writing is lauded over painstakingly deep thought out works. It sucks harder than Mega Maid stealing Druidia's air (name that movie ... ), but there are plenty of New York Times Best Sellers out there with plots so full of holes they could double as sieves.

Soo ... the take away ...

Do your homework, hone your skills by working with a trusted group of fellow writers, then stick to your guns and put your best work out there. Write what you would want to read--not what's trending. If you aren't in love with your imaginary world--your readers will know it. Happy writing, hope to see your work join the ranks of the published someday! Your voice will develop, before you even realize it. ;) Seriously, I thought I could trick my fellow writing group members by disguising my work and failed--that was when I realized there was more to my writer voice than I knew. :D It comes out of the darkness, subconscious.

Nightingale's Odyssey- a Phantom of the Opera fanfiction series

When I was in Junior High I became enthralled with the musical "Phantom of the Opera". This led me to reading Gaston Leroux's and Susan Kay's-over and over again! I devoured the details and researched their history. Erik's character always fascinated me. In 2012 I was inspired to look at where Erik could have gone if things went a bit differently in Kay's epilogue. I began writing "Nightingale's Strain". This bled into five complete manuscripts. I went back and wrote "Shadowcrest's Hammer" which became the first.

I write more than fanfiction. The "Nightingale's Odyssey" was simply too much passion in writing NOT to share on wordpress under the same collective name. My art accompanying the stories can be found there as well. I also keep a FB page for writing called the Brass Quill.

Contains drama, historical fiction, murder, a bit of romance (non-steamy), action/adventure... a little something for everyone.

NEW WORK IN PROGRESS: novella length "Bowery Nightingale"

Set in the early events of "Shadowcrest's Hammer" and inspired by the pandemic: Trapped in the Bowery Erik embraces his current status as a shunned immigrant and does what he must to get by. He plays his violin as a street musician alongside another social outcast, Blanjini, a blind exiled Romanian Jew. Their sessions among the impoverished melting pot include the raucous Saturday night street parties. Bonds are tested when an unwelcome visitor threatens lives and it seems only thing can lift the spirits of those impacted: the Bowery Nightingale.

FINISHED: All five are complete and available

Cowboy Bebop fanfictions, my largest collection thus far

Chronological order:

Rhythm and Bruise Spike and Vicious training, pre-rank teenage punks

Dragons of the Darkwave Syndicate, rising through the ranks, partnered with Vicious

Dragons of the Darkwave 2 Spike and Vicious falling out, Spike and Julia relationship, Spike 'dying' to leave

Tharsis Threnody Spike and Jet team up for the first time

SERIES CANON

Dead Star Shine Bebop crew reunited after locating Spike, first post recovery mission

Gemini Jive Spike meets a young punk who reminds him of himself. Ed ends up wreaking havoc

Bloody Eyed Tango Bob asks Jet for help in an undercover mission, Spike poses as a Red Eye dealer and things get royally out of hand!

Acid Rock Riot What happens when the Bebop crew gets stranded in a space version of a robotic Jurassic Park--not for the faint hearted!

Alley Cat Shuffle Faye drags Spike into an elite dancing contest. No one is prepared for this show.

Bebop Redemption Someone went to great lengths to get the crew out of the way. They have escape, reunite, and stand in the way of a catastrophe ... again.

Diving Deep into the Night On a well earned vacation the crew takes the trip of a lifetime ... will they all return?

In college I was introduced to an anime series called Cowboy Bebop, the commercial for the second episode "Stray Dog Strut" intrigued me. I was instantly hooked and drawn into the complexity of Spike's character. Flawed, dynamic characters intrigue me--especially in writing. In watching shows like this I sometimes ask myself questions--like how could characters with such a diverse background as Spike and Jet team up? The question was never answered in the series. "Tharsis Threnody" became my reasoning through their volatile hook-up. It's as turbulent a trip as you'll find in the series and the movie.

Since then "Dragons of the Darkwave" a series in 2 parts, became the elaborate and researched answer to what happened for Spike to defect from the Red Dragons knowing what it would cost him. I poured over the DVDs for the umpteenth time (the whole series and then the key episodes). I pulled out the anime episode guides and prized out the details I needed from a canon source, including the critical detail that in 2071 Bloody Eye was a more recent, higher concentration of the drug. There were lesser levels like yellow and purple that the syndicate had dealt in previously.

Annnnnd since we can't leave well enough alone, that opened up some questions and dropped hints at previous scenes in their lives. After all, by those events Spike and Vicious had already grown apart and were well settled into their simmering rivalry. PMs dropped into my box from readers hungry to know more, to experience how it happened. Flip the hourglass over, let's go back in time to the adolescent years when two non-ranked upstarts maneuver the dark underworld, relishing every drop of blood they spill. Teenagers are different, dramatic reflections from the self we mature to be, thus Spike's and Vicious's personalities are still forming--they will eventually evolve into their adult selves. I used as much logic as possible to reverse engineer what they might have been like. Spike's fluid demeanor and Vicious fiery determination are ever in a delicate balance. When a grain of sand tips the scales, what once resulted in success starts a cascade leading to the eventual maelstrom that comes to a head in "The Real Folk Blues" episodes of the series. "Dragons of the Darkwave" is completely published! Trivia: Part 2 was by another name before, and written FIRST.

"Dead Star Shine" Set in 2073. Synopsis: Better late than never, Jet’s obsessive search locates Spike in the nick of time, reuniting the Bebop crew in a daring shot that, if uncovered, could cost them everything. Adrift without his guiding star, Spike dives into a muddle, chasing leads on a missing persons case that the ISSP failed to see the pattern. His attempt to deflect only hits a nerve when the team exposes a scheme aimed at perfection. Will Spike prove that he was worth saving? Post series.

"Gemini Jive". It closely follows on the heels of "Dead Star Shine" when the crew of the Bebop return to their normal antics. After a routine bounty head, the crew ends up with some unexpected baggage that no one knows how to handle, least of all--Spike. Completed.

"Bloody Eyed Tango" In a dangerous race to uncover corruption in the ISSP, Bob asks Spike to go undercover as a Red Eye buyer. No one expects how deeply this plan will run off the tracks as Spike embraces his role. It takes everything that Jet, Faye, Ed, and Ein have to chase down the rogue teammate. Jet faces the grim reality that he might need to bring down his partner. Things get out of hand in a hurry and continue on a crazy spiral into disarray in typical Cowboy Bebop fashion. Displays a darker, more volatile version of Spike. There is a very real reason I selected Tango for this one. The nature of the dance and how it developed is quite fitting once this story comes to its inevitable conclusion. References events in "Dragons of the Darkwave 1 and 2" and "Dead Star Shine".

"Acid Rock Riot" A hard luck bounty chase lands the crew of the Bebop on an abandoned asteroid. Stranded deep in the terraformed jungle, they soon learn they are far from alone and the usual tactics won't work against the denizens left behind. There's nothing 'amusing' about this thrill ride. Spawned by a wicked submission call, Bebop just cried out to be twisted into this concept. Enjoy!

"Alley Cat Shuffle" The crew catches wind that a pair of bounties are lying incognito for their next gig entered into an exclusive intergalactic dance competition. Exclusive because each competing couple is supposed to be married. Faye drags Spike into the contest and their hunt proves harder than anticipated--the elite have much to hide making it harder to flush their mark, but that's not the worst of it. Will Faye's competitive streak dash their progress as the focus shifts from rat-sniffing to winning? Will they succeed in stopping the information brokers' scheme or will this adventure lead the pair to Waltz Tango Foxtrot into another disaster? How much trouble can one get into in a ballroom, on a cruise ship, in outer space? Oh wait, this is the Bebop. Scratch that.

"Bebop Redemption" The Bebop crew find themselves on the wrong side of the bars. Now it's a race to recall what they don't know they know, and reunite to save the day. As clearly someone wants them out of the way so they can't crash a party.

"Diving Deep Into the Nightmare" Dreams, illusions that bear the power to enthrall and enslave. On a vacation the crew stumble into a world unlike any other, and a man hellbent on diabolical goals. Will they make it out alive, or will fate force them to leave someone behind?

ALSO CURRENT WIP "Rhythm and Bruise" In the year 2056 Mao Yenrai happens to get hustled by a remarkable young boy at a pool hall in the Mars slum crater of Deseado. He makes a deal with the hall owner and takes Spike to be trained along with a group of other acquired youths to be forged into enforcers. Here Spike and Vicious encounter each other for the first time. And here the seeds of their tenuous partnership are sown. Under the hammer of Mao's hired Sensei, it becomes clear that Spike is the only candidate capable of facing Vicious--and earning a grudged respect. But the young are stupid and reckless as hot heads and bravado lead to consequences that cannot be escaped, right up to their first kill shot. Earning entry into the Red Dragons is not a simple task, and Mao invests a lot for hopefuls to fill out his ranks. Inspired by flashback scenes from "Dragons of the Darkwave 1 and 2" and a few remarks Spike says throughout some of my other works. This is an exploration of raising both Spike and Vicious as well as what drives Mao Yenrai, Red Dragon Capo.

Psycho-Pass fanfic

"What Lies Beneath" was a manifestation that practically wrote itself after I stumbled headfirst into the world of the Psycho-Pass series. The theme of the world resonated with me on a profound level. The idea of society blindly trusting a system that is autonomically the judge, jury, and executioner (and how seriously fudged that could become) held the potential for some real exploration of character cores. Without adding spoilers to it, I'll say that the plight of the Enforcers struck me the most, Kogami's fate being the keystone there. A gifted Inspector with a brilliant intellect looses his rights as a citizen and is forced to live life on a leash because a coefficient calls him a risk to society. His ONLY options are permanent isolation, or to live a life in lock down in the Criminal Investigation Department (where he used to be an Inspector) with the task of undertaking monitored hunting runs to pull the trigger so the Inspectors who still have a healthy Psycho-Pass don't damage there own. Yes, it's brutal enslavement. And the Dominator's trigger has two results: either paralyze or kill mode depending on a crime coefficient that comes essentially out of the air. Those valid users behind the triggers have no control over the gun--save whether or not they pull the trigger. The system is built around making people feel safe and content. For the most part, society isn't even aware of these hunting dogs running among them. They believe all latent criminals to be in treatment facilities, or locked away in isolation facilities. The world has basically turned into a pit of emotionally numb snowflakes who can't express anxiety, fear, anger out of the risk of getting subdued or eliminated. Within the series, a new Inspector comes into the field and begins to spark questions of the status quo, giving Kogami latitude he didn't previously have as an Enforcer. My first story in the fandom explores events surrounding Kogami's turn for the worse ... when his grip on an unsolved case he feels responsible for tangentially seals his fate.

A side note about the title, I'm big on things having double/hidden meanings. Often that will be the case in the selection of my titles, "What Lies Beneath" is no exception. The obvious meaning is of course concerning the idea what one sees when peering beneath the surface, what is physically dwelling out of our sight. However, there is another meaning of lies--intent to deceive or mislead. Those who have seen the series know all to well What Deception Dwells Beneath the Sibyl System. I can't spell that out any clearer.

I am getting a few PMed requests to delve further into Psycho-Pass. I have a plot line congealing on the back burner. ;) Perhaps there will be another one coming.

ID: Invaded Fanfic

To say that this series hasn't tickled me is to put it mildly. The moment I first saw Akihito Narihisago I knew this was going to be a seriously deep series. And I was right. It played out in a world that reviles Psycho-Pass for a cruel setting, and borderline abuse for incarcerated characters. That and the surreal id wells were a recipe and an invitation to explore.

FILE: HUNTED

My first dive into the world leaps off the series ending where Narihisago has been shot and Momoki has suffered broken ribs from his efforts to rescue Kiki Asukai. The crew undergo essential recovery, but doesn't have time for to complete it before they are called upon. Momoki stands Wellside as Sakaido fumbles through a savage id well. It takes time for the crew to realize how compromised Narihisago is, and how that is effecting Sakaido. Once they get the dive they need, Momoki realizes that time is of the essence. A real life hangs in the balance. Pushing for the answers he neglects to factor in the impact on the pilot as the minutes tick by the toll keeps accruing ...

FILE: BUSTED

Take two into post canon. With Fukuda awakened from the coma Narihisago wishes for one thing: that he be returned to that state! After a particularly rough night, an ornery Narihisago couldn't imagine things getting worse … until by circumstance he and Fukuda become the only hope for Kura against a calculated infiltration. Can two serial killers who don't work well together manage to not murder each other in the face of this crisis? Faced with only one way to terminate the madman's plan, Momoki and the Wellside crew brace for the worst wondering if they will ever see daylight again. For once the trigger is pulled no one can intervene.

Ancient Magus' Bride Fanfic

This Manga/Anime is so epicly beautiful. It plays with the fantasy realms I enjoy and the depth that means the more you rewatch it, the more hints in plain sight you pick out. I love the dynamics between Elias and Chise, and of course I'm a sucker for a menacing looking creature that isn't so evil after all. The tragic backstories emerging and the mystery surrounding them is a great hook that keeps things interesting. Not to mention the artwork is stunning! I love this world and look forward to each week's now episode.

"In the Shadow of the Flames" is an unusual piece. Writers Anonymous issued a challenge for an All/No Dialogue story. I tend to let my dialogue do most of the heavy plot lifting in a story, so I opted for the No Dialogue portion. I chose to go full bore into a plot rather than using first person POV and doing an introspection piece. The trick was to go third person with no direct thoughts in the narrative and have an action sequence that truly told a story and carried an emotional ride. The series itself plays around with ideas, themes, and concepts that writhe JUST beneath the surface. I took a stab at technique, I put the plot hammer away and let the images convey. It took me a couple washes to get it where I was content. Some perceptive readers may get the nuance on the first read, others may get it one a second. Still another group may just enjoy the images and not care to tease out the secrets... it's all good.

I'll keep writing, if you keep reading. ;) Deal?