3/19

I guess that this 'recession' has hit us all hard, and for the impact it has had on the timeliness of my writing I apologize. Thank you so much for your patience and your continued interest. I promise, I will continue this story as well as Black Lagoon so please, bear with me! :)

Miko

9/9/8

Since I wrote the 7/16 entry below, I'm delighted to say that there has been a new tweek to the situation!

Miko2660, a VH writer on this site and a friend of the family for many years, will be writing the continuation of Brother Wolf--"The Pack is Everything". She will be writing the story as a faithful continuation of the series under the profile Kydasam, so the trilogy can stay together. We've offered her the use of this profile page as well. For those of you who enjoyed Brother Wolf and Sister Wolf, this story should fulfill your desire for more!

Chibi-Kaz will be writing her own unique story, inspired by TPIE. Her talent is formidible, as you know! She likes the idea of Carl and VH as werewolves but she wants to write her story in her own way, without being expected to follow the canon and tone set by Brother Wolf and Sister Wolf.

To both these writers we say "Thank you so much!" It means a great deal to us and we're looking forward to the results!

Kyda's family

7/16/8

Two years have gone by since Kyda passed and I'm afraid that it's time to admit a few hard-to-own facts. One is that Kyda's style was her own. No one can write like her. Our original idea was to finish Irresistable Forces but the fact is that the 2 chapters we managed were done using Kyda's notes and a rough draft. We added paragraphs, did some editing, etc., but her words kept the story flowing in her style. When faced with the blank page, to carry on by ourselves with our own ideas, we ran into a blank wall. We kept promising ourselves we'd find a way, but it never seemed to happen. And ultimately we made the decision that we wanted to enjoy Kyda's writing like everyone else. As something unique and special to her, without feeling guilt over what we hadn't finished. It's very hard to say this, it's like at last letting go of her. Maybe it's all part of the grief cycle that we, her family, have come through at last.

Irresistable Forces won't be finished. And I suspect neither will TPIE, though that may yet be done by Chibi Kaz or another writer. We are all sorry if we have disappointed you, but we hope that you'll enjoy her posted stories and remember her as a unique writer and not one to be copied, either well or badly.

Kyda's family

3/15/6

Kyda passed away due to complications from a bad case of pneumonia. Her stories will be left up unless it's against fanfiction's policy. We, her family, are very sorry to have to give you this news, but please be assured that Kyda was not afraid of death. I think she looked upon it as an opportunity to go raise a ruckus in heaven and for Kyda, raising a ruckus was a reason for much joy.

Chibi-Kaz will be finishing the Brother Wolf series with the last story "The Pack is Everything". She's listed in fanfiction and she is an excellent writer.

Irresistable Forces will be finished by us, her family, along with Crystal Dragon. It seems like a wonderful way to share something with Kyda--we hope that you will enjoy the continuation of the story.

Kyda's stories, including older ones that are no longer available on Fanfiction, have been beautifully archived on http://www.lordsoftheslashed.com/EternalTwilight.htm. Many many thanks to Crystal Dragon!

In order to let new readers know Kyda better, we've posted some of her earlier 'profiles'. To you and yours, we wish you health, happiness, and peace.

Kyda's family

8/2/05

Hi,

I've been asked about two things many times, I thought I should mention them here.

I've had the extreme good fortune to live for quite a while (90 years) in relatively good health. I do thank God for that. I've written for most of my life, though I've never had the opportuntity to publish my writing within a forum such as this--I'm very grateful that I've had this opportunity. Quite a few people have been surprised that an old lady like me would appear in this venue. To that I can only say that while I'm perfectly willing to take any and all compliments that come my way, I find the presence of younger writers far more noteworthy. It takes courage and character to place something so intensely personal as the stories I've read out on public display. As I've grown older, I've gradually built up a reasonably good self-image that helps me weather being afraid about how my stories will be received. But for those writers who are submitting their first works and who are still quite young--please accept my greatest accolades. You deserve them. You have the courage and character I did not have at your age. Ultimately, maybe this is a lesson for me that age has no true place in determining what kind of people we are--some of us are born with wonderful depths and some of us die very shallow people. No matter which it is, youthful courage or natural character, you have my respect.

The other question concerns reviewing. I'll admit here that I'm a dreadful coward when it comes to giving reviews. I'm always certain that what I have to say couldn't possibly be interesting, or it might sound silly or ill-informed, or it simply will disappoint the writer because I don't say what they want to hear. I've been very lucky to have people who are not afraid tell me what they think of my writing. Because of them I've grown as a writer and this is the greatest gift I could have received. For that reason, because in communicating--not only in our stories but in our reviews--we help each other grow, I think no matter what we say in our reviews we have served a wonderful purpose. For all of those who have reviewed my stories I give you my affection and my sincere thanks. For those who have read but felt unable to review, I give my encouragement.Take the step to make someone's writing and quite probably their day better. We'll all certainly win that way! And in the meantime, I promise to do the same! Kyda

7/30/5

Hi,

Recently, I received an email from a reader whose opinion I value highly--Toto3 or TotoFromKansas--asking me where my inspiration for characters came from. I've never been asked that and I'm afraid that my unrehearsed answer was less than adequate. Perhaps I'm investing too much time in being concerned about this, but it seems to me that if she took the time from her day to ask the question, I should respect that enough to provide a thoughtful answer.

My characters are a composite of my life, what I've read, seen at the movies, and had bad dreams about on occaission. Several times, you the reader have given me the pleasure of hearing that you recognize someone or some place that I've written about. They strike a chord with you and evoke memories, good or bad. Maybe that's why we like some stories and not others? So, for Toto3, I'll take a character that she told me she enjoyed and break down where she came from:

Sophie (from Irresistable Forces): The Thin Man for repartee, women I have seen in the beauty parlors for appearance, Paris Hilton for attention-getting behavior, young children for the ability to love absolutely, my cat for ruthless singlemindedness, and you, the reader, whose suggestions and questions fuel the fire and constantly change the best laid plans.

For myself, I think we who write here are natural observers who take whole chunks of life into ourselves and store them as a part of who we are. Life impacts us, greatly, and continues to do so until it gushes out in our 'fiction'. It's been my pleasure to see the brief snatches of your lives that you've allowed me. I hope that my efforts will prove interesting and enjoyable for you. Thanks for reading!

6/4/05

It's been a while since I've written here. Below is my first profile, but I think I've changed a bit in the year since I put it up. I've read a good deal of the wonderful (and sometimes not so wonderful) writing that is done and have found myself with more questions than I started with.

My first intent upon embarking into fanfiction was to express my feelings concerning gay relationships. I could have done better than I have in my writing but it was the best I was capable of at the time and that was the intent. I do wonder though, what makes us want to read "slash"? What is it about this type of writing that satisfies us? I've read some truly wonderful writing that explores the relationship between like sexes with sensitivity and thoughtfulness and a very evident desire to be as realistic as possible. It always leaves me smiling because they're not writing about "gays" or "queers" nor indulging in a titilating expose of what is hidden. While reading some of these wonderful works, I forget that the participants are of the same sex, and simply see two people who have been so fortunate as to fall in love in a world that is so very often unloving and cold. I'm grateful for this insight into a better place with better people.

I've also read some truly awful writing in venues that exploit same-sex relationships as an excuse for writing the most painfully lurid pornography their little fancies can create. What is it about gay relationships that prompts us to drag it down to the lowest level possible? Why can't a story about two men, or women for that matter, actually be well-written? With a plot (heaven forbid)? Please understand that I'm not deriding anyone. New writers who make mistakes or who aren't yet comfortable creating a story are to be admired for their courage in publishing their thoughts for us to read, appreciate, and critique. It's a joy to be able to read these efforts and my full support goes to them. What I'm referring to as "awful writing" is when an author takes short cuts and liberties that ultimately makes the characters they're portraying into complete strangers. When an author has set him/herself down to write about a 'first time', why not revel in that fact and explore how two people actually slowly build up to becoming the lovers they could be? Instead, the characters--who are always based upon people we know as heterosexual and with all the foibles and prejudices and misconceptions of the terminally "straight"--are warped and twisted into sex-starved, foul-mouthed, rutting strangers. The "story" becomes a tangle of badly-written and/or improbable bed scenes tied together with as little plot as is humanly possible. Why? The writing often shows talent--why does the author settle for the least from themselves instead of the best? If you want to write pornography, go ahead, but make it the best that you can instead of the worst. I'm not asking this from the viewpoint of the 'moral majority', but rather as a disappointed reader who would like to enjoy the wonderful things you are capable of writing.

I rant, I rave, and I am probably as guilty of the sins I've remarked upon as the next person. I've written "slash" fiction, and felt an enjoyment in it. I'm sure I'll write more--I hope that what I write is the very best I have in me, and that it proves to be pleasing and, better yet, thought provoking, for my readers. Thank you for indulging me with your time in reading this, and my stories. God Bless.

Kyda

8/2004

Howdy!

Ok, what can I say about myself? I'm an 89-year-old great great grandmother of 16 kids. I like all kinds of fiction, but for now I'm writing slash because I've got a great grandson who is discovering that he can be in love with another wonderful person who just happens to be a man. I love them both to pieces so I'm feeling the need to explore that feeling in my fiction.

I like music--pretty much all kinds since I hear all kinds on a regular basis. I like reading, just about anything. I love reading fan fiction because the writers here are all excellent and give their all to their writing. I love to draw and I love to look at other people's art.

I don't bake, I'm not a "suzy homemaker" and I don't garden. Other than that, just about anything goes.

I'm married to the same man I went steady with in High School and he's still as cute and as much trouble as he was then.

Beyond that, all things are subject to change.

Thanks for reading! Now, get back to your writing, I'm looking forward to reading your next!