I was named August's author of the month by the Destiny Awaits site. The following is one judge's review. Thanks, Fiction Queen!

***

When last we left our brave heroine, Buffy was attempting to answer the nagging question weighing heavily on all our hearts and minds.

Do Slayers bounce?

The answer, though not nearly as entertaining as a bouncing Slayer would be, is a tragic NO. They pretty much just fall like rocks.

For a lesser writer this might be a problem. For first time B/G fan fiction author Melissa, however, it was a perfect opportunity to try her hand at resurrecting the dead while delivering a powerful love story. (And can't we all relate to that?)

Friends, listians, B/G shippers I give you this month's Destiny Award winning story, "Death Brings Clarity." I think it goes without saying, anyone who can mix child custody hearings, time reversing spells, vamped Slayers, and B/G yummy goodness gets my vote hands down. Bonus points for making Dawn bleed.

Quite frankly, it has everything an English teacher would drop her panties for. Melissa's characterizations are solid. Her story line is multidimensional without distracting readers from the main couple. Her descriptions are clear and wonderfully illustrated, and she provides us with a much appreciated resolution. Leave the cliffhangers for the comic books folks, don't torture your audience. We Bite.

(Well.. not really bite, but we gum. By God we'll gum ya!)

In "Ghost" like fashion, there were many touching moments between Giles and Buffy that I absolutely loved. I could almost hear Unchained Melody playing in the background as Buffy's spirit watched Giles grieve alone in his room for his Slayer. Here, Melissa does a wonderful job summarizing the price Watchers must pay to be what and who they are.

"The slayer is everything to her watcher, more than daughter, more than lover, more than mother or sister or friend. There is nothing else in your life that will ever match it. We have no choice. It's in our blood. For a thousand years upon thousand years, the Watcher's Council bred us to it. Like cattle. Bred us to crave the slayer. To treasure her above all else. And then after she is gone, your life is hollow. There is no purpose, no meaning. It is as if she takes your very soul with her when she goes. You want her back. Would do anything to get her back. And when you have her back, it is the sweetest thing in the world."

*sigh* Pretty darn good right? Yeah, we don't give these awards to just anyone ya know. They have to earn them! *wink*

The message Melissa conveyes is obvious. Cherish each moment that you have. Hey, was anyone else silently cheering like me when Buffy was brought back from the dead? I still have my party hat. (And here I thought resurrections were reserved for only God, soap stars, and Elvis. Who knew!)

WHY CAN'T WE ALL BE THAT LUCKY?

And essentially that's the tragedy as well as the point. We aren't. Won't ever be. Death brings us clarity in our lives when, ironically, it's too late for us to do anything about it. In life there are no second chances. All we have is the here and now. It's sad. It's not fair. But it's real, and truthful.

I LOVE YOU MAN! No, not you... you, in the back. *waves*

So, there you have it. This Fictionqueen is signing off while eagerly awaiting August's entries. And I promise to have my review actually posted at the SAME TIME as the winner for a change. (My timing was a bit muffed. Sorry about that Mel.) Until then..

Fiction Queen

***

Back Home DBC Home Death Brings Clarity - Chapter 1