Welcome to Minty's Domain, a realm in existence since August 31, 2002.

Well, how shall I introduce myself? My name is Samantha McPhoenix, or at least that's the name I'm willing to give you. =3 I am the author formerly known as Pichu Star, so if you remember me by my old name, don't be confused! I have changed my penname to one I am better known by all over the internet. You may see my name Pichu Star in my old fanfics still.

I'm a 24-year old female who currently works at an animal shelter, taking care of the animals there. I don't write as much as I used to years ago, but I still enjoy writing. Occasionally it finds its way onto the site here.

When I'm not busy, you can usually find me playing video games, drawing, writing, RPing, and aiding people online in forums related to my interests. I rather enjoy helping others. If you'd like to get to know me better, check me out at the links listed further down. I'm quiet but always friendly and willing to talk about things we have in common. =)

Anyway, please enjoy your time here. Maybe you'll make some interesting new discoveries as well...

Please note:

- I will not watch or fave you just because you watched or faved me. These are only given to close friends, or people who have multiple stories I really like.

- Due to time constraints, I don't review as often as I used to. I also only favorite things I REALLY was impressed by. If I fave or review a story of yours, it means I really liked what I saw. You are more than welcome to PM me if you'd like more detailed critique or want to discuss your story further.

- I do NOT take requests or co-authoring offers. Please write your own stories. I've been burned before in collaborations (where the other person pretended to want to co-author, but really just wanted me to write them a story for free), and would like to not have a repeat of such unpleasantness.

- On a similar note, please do not assume that because I critique your story, I want to write the rest for you or want to hold your hand through the whole writing process. I don't mind contributing a few lines to your story to help give you some direction, but I really don't like when I write examples of how to improve a passage, and someone simply copy/pastes it into their story verbatim (while the rest of the story around it still is poorly written without any attempt to improve). I'm willing to teach you, not do the work for you.

URLs:

Twitter @LadyLatias: http://twitter.com/LadyLatias
My Twitter account. Usually Tweeting about something related to WoW, or just about my life in general.

DeviantArt page: http://minty-fivestar.deviantart.com
My art gallery. I occasionally sketch and color things from time to time. There's plenty of fanart in the gallery that goes along with some of my fanfiction. If you're a member, I'd love to get to know you there!

World of Warcraft blog - Light Without Life: http://lightwithoutlife.blogspot.com
A not-regularly-updated blog about my adventures in the game, and short fanfics based on my characters. I have several fanfics up there that aren't posted here, so take a look if you're interested!

Subeta referral link: http://www.subeta.net/?refer=Minty-Fivestar
If you aren't a member of Subeta yet, why not head to the above link and sign up? I'd really appreciate it! It's a fun virtual pet site where you can also customize a human avatar as well! If you're already a member, my username is Minty-Fivestar.

C2 Info (Treasures of Orre: The Pokémon Colosseum C2):

This C2 is a place for all the fanfiction out there having to do with Pokémon Colosseum. I also have a few Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness fics included, but I'm not usually looking around for them. I tend to only search for Colosseum fics. On that note, if you know of some more well-written fics out there that are not in the archive and should be, then please let me know! I definitely can't find them all myself. :) Also, self-submissions are welcome. I'm happy to include your story so more people can read it.

The only criteria required, aside from having to do with either of the two games, is that the story be decently written (this is up to my personal discretion). Crossovers with characters/ideas from other parts of the Pokemon fandom don't always go in the archive either; it depends on the concept and how relevant I think it is. Don't worry, though; I'm pretty lenient about what goes in here. If you ask me to include a story, I'll probably add it unless it's like... written in chat-speak or something. xD

On my old fanfics:

As most people do over the years, I've grown up. As a result, my fanfics have become outdated to me. My writing style has changed and improved too. I am not happy with my story ideas anymore, and as a result I've purged many of my old stories. The remaining stories I have up are left for the enjoyment of readers, but I don't have any current plans to continue them.

I know that many people still comment and email me from various places, hoping I'll update them, but unless I get an amazing burst of inspiration, I don't think I will. I apologize for any disappointment to you, the fans. (However, there is no need to make passive aggressive threats about how I ought to update; I do NOT appreciate other people trying to tell me what I need to do with my time. It's just stupid fanfiction. If I was getting commissioned, then it'd be different. But I'm not.)

I am grateful for all the support and comments I have received on them over the years and love that I was able to entertain and inspire all of you, at least for a little bit.

Minty is casually working on the stories below, under "Current Projects." If you like my writing and wish to see what I write nowadays, please check them out! If you are not interested in my new stuff, then I thank you for all your past support and wish you a fond farewell.

Current Projects:

- Loyalties and Royalties - a World of Warcraft fanfic. A goblin bodyguard watches his boss struggle to put her life back together after losing all her wealth, while wrestling with the strange feelings she invokes in him. (Currently posted to my blog; a work in progress.)
- The Longest Night - a Pokemon fanfic. Something of a rewrite of my Pokemon Colosseum fanfic, but with a vampire twist. (Currently posted to my DeviantArt gallery; a work in progress.)

Thanks for visiting, I hope you enjoyed your stay. Until we meet again...

Minty-Fivestar