UPDATE May, 2008.

MAJOR APOLOGIES TO MY FANS... All my stories must be set aside until I deal with my husband's cancer. He's undergoing chemotherapy now.

I am afraid our LOTR projects under the name Sinister Sindar Sisters has fallen by the wayside over the last couple of years, with health problems hampering Shell and of my own and my husband having cancer... It has been hard to get to the stories.

I'm writing a LOTR story with MCross ( http://www.fanfiction.net/u/559598/) under the name Sinster Sindar Sisters. ( http://www.fanfiction.net/~sinistersindarsisters) She creates the framework and I help to flesh it out. We still hope to continue someday with the story we both love.

The story centers around King Thranduil and a very young Legolas, a short time after the loss of Legolas' mother. It is called Twisted Web of Fate. It has grown phenomenally.

CHAPTER FIVE of Learning To Live Again - Oh dear, things aren't going well for Severus, or Dumbledore...

MAY 2008- This story is indefinitely on hold, but not forgotten. I apologize that it has fallen by the wayside. It has not been forgotten nor abandonned in spite of the fact it has been over two years (or so). I just have to find time and a new computer of my own. Shell has shown interest in helping me with it. That will bring even more medical acuracy to the story. She has a little thing like a kidney transplant to get through first though...

A LITTLE ABOUT ME:
I'm a long-time fangirl. I love several genres. My main focus right now is Harry Potter, Snape is my favorite character there, and Lord of the Rings, Elrond is the fave there, though I love most of the elves...
My age? I'm 49 (50 this November 2008). Let's just say that I'm old enough to know better, but I'll always be young enough to have fun!

As for my fanfic reading preferences, I prefer het or gen stories, but I have found a few (very few) well-written slash stories. Most of them I find are not that good, I'm afraid.
However, for some reason male pregnancy stories fascinate me. Maybe it stems from never having a baby of my own even though I really wanted one...

My favorite style of story seems to be the Hurt/Comfort variety where a favorite character(s) is/are hurt and get cared for and healed of their pain. Angst stories come in a very close second, adventure is alway a plus in any story.
They all must be close to canon characterizations and at least endeavor to use proper grammar and spelling. If these factors are missing, I won't continue to read the story. Don't even get me going about Mary-Sue/Self-Insertion stories...GRRRR.

A BIG tip for new writers, if you can't bother to write a decent summary to draw me into your story, I figure you can't write a decent story either. It just isn't worth my time to read a story that says "Just read it!" You have to make a good first impression or why bother posting? After all, you wrote the story, you should have a good idea what it is about.

Notes Regarding "Learning To Live Again"

This story contains male pregnancy, but it is definitely not a Slash story nor is it likely to become one, so please don’t ask. In this story Snape is comfortably heterosexual. I’ve decided to change the rating to PG-13 due to frank discussion of pregnancy and its symptoms and inevitable grossness.

I am currently beginning to rewrite certain portions of this story so there is less "telling" and much more "showing." (It will, no doubt, increase the chapter count too.) I may even remove the entire story at some time to repost the improved version, but don't worry, I will have rewritten it BEFORE I remove it, so it will get reposted quickly.
I'll also save copies of all my beautiful reviews before I delete it too! Do you all know how much I love my reviewers? I hope you do!

This story was given to me by Hufflepuff’s Badger when she was forced to abandon it due to dreaded Real Life Problems. See chapter one or two for the full story.

Just remember, I’m doing this for fun and I don’t have a set deadline. I know you want regular updates, but I can’t promise them.

This is going to be a long-term project for it to be told properly, so please bear with me. It will require some research on my part too. I even found a web site about a real male pregnancy! I have a lot of plans for this one. Storyline suggestions are welcome and will be considered, as long as it is remembered this will not be a slash story.

Be warned that Snape is not going to have an easy pregnancy. After all, it is the result of a curse!
Hopefully, he will learn how to live through it, but he will have to accept a lot of help. Will he be able to? Because of this, he may, at times, seem out of character, but then again, how could he be 'in character' and pregnant at the same time anyway?

I will try to use British terms when I can, but because I am American (forgive me), I may not always get it right. I will try very hard to get it right. Any helpful criticism/tips would be appreciated.
Flames will be used to warm my backside.

I apologize to my reviewers, but I will not be able to reply to each and every review. I do truly appreciate all of them! Bless you all for your encouragement and helpful hints too.