Pen Name: writer-jm (apparently, creating original names is still a major problem of mine...)

History of writing career:
It's a little obvious I'm a fan of shoujo-ai... I just got tired of cliche couples. Then, one day I found a story while looking through Dynasty Warriors called Forbidden by Avy. From then on, I was hooked. My pocketbook will never be the same.

I'd also like to say thank you to my friends Chloe and Risa-chan for keeping me going through the tough times. And to Tukuyomi for challenging me and supporting me. There are others, but there are too many too list! Thanks!

I'd also like to mention that I'm also posting on www.devianthearts.com. It's a pure shoujo-ai site, so if you like my stuff, go there and support the authors there as well!

Another important mention, an artist and fan of my work has been producing drawing for my stories! They're posted on Deviantart. http://marle1010.deviantart.com/ She does a lot of different genres. Don't forget to leave some feedback!

Manga recommendations: (I realize that with "Key Problems" I bashed the Mai-Hime manga, but I didn't really give out alternate solutions... Sorry! Here's a few!)

Newer Ones I've Found:
Hayate X Blade: VERY, VERY Funny and good!
Hidamari Sketch (in English, it's Sunshine Sketch): Cute and fun.
Ichiroh: There's a blonde, who has an extremely obvious crush on the main girl.
Suzunari: CAT GIRL!! And she's in love with a girl!!
Burst Angel: They have a manga! And it's still obvious!!

Iono Fanatics: Lesbian queen who seeks cute Japanese girls (and all ready has large harem of maids). Very cute and hilarious!
ROD - Paper Sisters Detective Agency: Very awesome! If you liked the series, you'll love the manga. Even more shoujo-ai and lots of fun!
Kashimashi: Completely, blatantly shoujo-ai and very proud of it. Sweet love triangle of 3 girls. Who will you root for? (And get the anime too!)
Ninin Ga Shinobuden: Slightly perverted, but the main character is a cute kunoichi who's obviously in love with her new friend! (The anime's called Ninja Nonsense)
Azumanga Diaoh: Fun in anime, also fun in manga. Includes some interesting hints about Yukari/Nyamo's relationship (just ask Spontaneous Combusken).
Strawberry Marshmellow: Cute girls doing cute things. Lots of hilarity!
Tetragrammaton Labryinth: Darker, but there's a close relationship between the two main girls (I think it seems pretty obvious) Recommended if you like Hellsing or Chrono Crusade
Venus Versus Virus: A bit like Bleach with a pair of female leads. Neat for action too.
The Last Uniform: Very shoujo-ai-ish. All girls school, 'nuff said.
Stray Little Devil: A new one! It's got very strong vibes from the main girl for an angel and the ending is great!
Negima: Konoka/Setsuna... 'nuff said. But there's enough hints for others! (of course, the animes do it a bit better that way) P.S. See ch. 252 for skeptics!!
He is My Master: The male is punished for being a pervert, while the cute lesbian gets to have all the fun! Good if you're tired of lame harem anime/manga. (it's making fun of them)

I've also started collecting lesbian novels! I blame Tukuyomi... again! She has great tastes in books! I'm gonna list these once I finish reading them (for the most part). I could also recommend Samurai books, but that's not relevant here.

BOOKS SO FAR:
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters: It's Victorian England, so no giant robots, but poor thief trying not to fall for the girl she's supposed to be duping. Good for drama peeps!
One Last Kiss by Mary Wilbon: Hard to find, but stars a cool, African-American detective and her girlfriend.
Without Warning by K.C. McGregor: Imagine the sweetest, cutest fanfic ya know and set it up with an earthquake! A very great buy!
The Warrior's Tale by Allan Cole & Chris Bunch: 2 guys write a strong, female warrior/leader of all-woman group. Very cool for fantasy fans!

Here's a list of shoujo-ai couples I like or would like to see. (It keeps getting longer!)

Azumanga Daioh:
So much potential with so many combinations!
(Chiyo/Sakaki) Cute and sweet. Simple enough!
(Tomo/Yomi) Always great for comedy or even drama!
(Nyamo/Yukari) Probably the funniest couple on the show.
(Kagura/Sakaki) Shows how competitive spirit can bring "rivals" together.

Burst Angel:
A cool sci-fi, action series with cool women!
(Jo/Meg) Canon as can be and very interesting chemistry. Meg: "Jo, help!" Jo: "Hey, let go of Meg!"
(Sei/Ami) Creepy for some, cute for others. It's all in how you portray them, I think.

Card Captor Sakura:
(Tomoyo/Sakura) all the way! I used to watch this show when it first came on American tv. (May Li burn or be paired with Eriol or Mei Lin)
I also like to see the pairing of Sonomi/Miss Mackenzie (Kaho-sensei). It's still kind of rare.

Chrono Cross:
These pairings are completely due to Tukuyomi's stories ("A New Life" and "Back to the Roots or Taking a New Path" - in my favs)
(Kidd/Harle) A couple that starts with problems and works out to be a really special pairing
(Riddel/Luccia) Angsty, but really darn good. I was completely addicted to all of their scenes. I've never enjoyed angst so much!!
(Eve/Clair) Tukuyomi's OCs, but awesome! Very well developed too!

Dead Or Alive:
An interesting series, even with the fanservice! Fun games though. I didn't get to play the volleyball game (and I really, actually like volleyball! I'm serious! Trust me! -_-;;)
(Hitomi/LeiFeng) Almost completely obvious! I want to see more!! (Right, Tuku?)
(Helena/Christie) I love playing as Helena and... it's really interesting to have an assassin fall in love with their target. (cliche for hetero, but genre-ish here)
(Kasumi/Ayane) They may not get along, but why shouldn't they? I like to see them kiss and make up!
(Tina/Lisa) I love Tina's accent and Lisa would be a good influence on her!
I also enjoy mixing and matching within the group!

Final Fantasy:
VI: (Celes/Terra, Celes/Relm) I've read great stories about both. I hope to write something really good for the first pair! Probably my favorite FF game too.
VII: (Aeris/Tifa) Big fav, thanks to Avy. Also willing to add in Yuffie with either of them!
VIII: (Quistis/Selphie) A really cute couple I can't get enough of! I would love to see more stories!
(Quistis/Xu) Xu has plenty of potential as a less exposed character and allows for freedom of development.
Occasionally, (Quistis/Rinoa), but usually too much angst with Squall.
IX: (Beatrix/Garnet) A Queen and her Knight; one of my favorite set ups. (Sorry Rusty!)
X: (Rikku/Yuna) So cute! Thank you, Armor King! (Rikku/Lulu) Although opposites, it's fun to imagine.
X-2: Any mix of the 3 main characters as long as its good...
btw... has anybody thought of a good pairing with Le Blanc? (laughs maniacally)

Kaleido Star:
A really great series that touched my heart. Can't recommend it strongly enough.
(Sora/Layla) Let's just say that after working together, they seem to always be on each others' minds. Sora always seems to be thinking of Layla (Tee hee!).
(Sora/Rosetta) Rosetta quickly takes to the peppy girl. Very obviously a crush!
(Anna/Mia) Some very easy to see chemistry and closeness. And they do act like an old married couple sometimes.
(Rosetta/May) They start to show some potential in the second half of the show.

Mahou Sensei Negima:
40 something females... so many combinations!!
(Konoka/Setsuna) Pretty much as canon as you can get besides Haruka/Michiru. I really love them because they are so cute and sweet!
(Ayaka/Asuna) A real surprise to me at first! They have a good amount of history and chemistry. Plus, arguing couples are a lot of fun!

Mai Hime/Otome:
(Natsuki/Shizuru) Probably the power couple of newer (licensed) anime. There are loads of great stories and art around.
(Natsuki/Nao) Nao's good for more than one pairing, this one's just popular.
(Shizuru/Natsuki/Nao) I wrote a story for this trio to see if they could fit together. Are you convinced? Too much fun!!
(Yukino/Haruka) They're so compatible, it's obvious! I love seeing them together anytime. Plus, Haruka is just too cool! (swoons) "What does it take to be a great Otome? GUTS!!" (cheers)
(Mai/Mikoto) A really cute couple. Mikoto looks just right holding on to Mai.
(Chie/Aoi) This pairing is interesting, it just needs more work for them.
(Midori/Youko) A pairing with a significant amount of natural chemisty.
(Nina/Erstin) Erstin's poor crush! Someone help the sweet girl!
(Arika/Mashiro) These two fight like little kids who grow up to get married... Hmmm... Almost makes it obvious!

Maria-sama ga Miteru (Maria Watches Over Us):
Maria-sama: (Yumi/Sachiko) Really cute. I had the privilege of getting the anime on dvd and spent a week and a half in shoujo-ai paradise!
(Rei/Yoshino) A very crazy, but deep couple. You can almost see them balancing each other out!
(Sei/anyone) She's like a single Haruka (from SM), she can fit in with just about anyone! I do really enjoy her with Youko, who really, really cares about her. Shizuka's cool too.

Naruto:
(Ino/Sakura) This is the couple that started my Naruto yuri obsession! They were pretty obvious to me.
(Tenten/Temari) Didn't make much sense to me at first, but they would look soooo cute together.
(Tsunade/Shizune) These two are hilarious. It wouldn't take much to imagine them as an old married couple.
(Hinata/anyone) As arashi-enkou shows, she fits in great with a lot of girls! Plus, I really want her to be happy.
Any mixing and matching can be considered very cool and creative. I have to say that there's probably even more pairings that I haven't heard of!

Noir:
A great anime with plenty of non-subtle shoujo-ai!
(Mireille/Kirika) So obvious! Great for drama or comedy!
(Chloe/Kirika) Even more obvious! I know at least one significant fan of this pairing (hee hee)!
(Mireille/Kirika/Chloe) I know it seems like it's the easy way out, but imagine trying to fit all of them on that small bed! XD

Read Or Die (Dream):
Awesome series! There's a lot of pairings all ready!
(Anita/Hisami) One of my favorite "cute" pairings. Anita's definitely my favorite character (especially after the manga). Of course, they still try to pair her up with Junior or the new guy in the manga... Just not as obvious or compatible!
(Yomiko/Nancy) A really nice pairing. They really seem to have a lot of compatibility.
(Nenene/Maggie) Cute Maggie, bossy Nenene! Lots of fun!!
(Anita/Hisa/Lily) A manga-exclusive with more than a few hints! Isn't the name "Lily" a little more than obvious?

Sailor Moon:
Here's my usual list of pairings in my fanfiction (btw, no particular order here; it's too painful to rank my favorites.)
(Minako/Setsuna) dreiser sold me on this couple with 'Time Waits.' Setsuna and her just have so much potential for humor which I hope I've shown through my stories. Okay, maybe my favorite pairing...
(Rei/Usagi) Armor King started me on this couple. Always good if you need angst or have a need for strong loyalty and dedication (Rei).
(Haruka/Michiru) The definitive shoujo-ai couple. They always seem to fit just right, no matter how skilled a writer you are! Haruka's funny/perverted and Michiru can be just as bad, just with a bit of dry wit or scolding Haruka. They always form the back bone of my Sailor Moon fanfiction!
(Chibiusa/Hotaru) A cute couple for all ages! Amazoness Quartet (or Duo) really sold me on this one. They're a lot of fun to write!
(Makoto/Ami) One of the first SM couples I read about. I really feel a connection to Ami, considering we're both the brains of our group of friends. I used to be as shy as her too (not any more).
Other SM couples I like to see:
(Mina/Ami) Another kind of opposites attract.
(Ami/Setsuna) Just read shanejayell's Shattered Ice!
(Mina/Hotaru) Another opposites couple. Can be really cute. And always well-written.
I'm really open-minded about Sailor Moon couples, except for... Mamoru. (I'll have to come up with an original way to kill him! Bakagaijin30 took a lot of them! ...I'll use a laser or a rabid goat!!)

Soul Calibur:
The only fighting series to personally make me go out and buy a copy; well, except for Dissidia... and DOA. (Tuku whacks me for forgetting that)
(Sophitia/Taki) my favorite character to play as and a fun, fiesty ninja
(Seung Mina/Xiang Yua) Cute and possible, if they'd let them hang out more!
(Cassandra/Talim) Wouldn't they look so cute together?!
(Tira/Amy/Talim) Yeah, just a combination of any of these are fun. Being crazy helps!

Summon Night:
Two games that allow you to choose shoujo-ai! Lots of cuteness as well! Please, buy these games to support this company! (for Gameboy Advance, but will work in DS) Or find an emulator, if you have to!
SM 1: Any combination of Pratty/Sanary/Sugar would be great! (I'll probably have to bring them in sometime - they've been requested for Sets On The Case)
SM 2: (Aera/Lynn) A wonderful couple that is funny and reminds me a lot of Natsuki/Shizuru!

Other couples/Genres of Shoujo-Ai:
Neon Genesis Evangelion: (Rei/Asuka) great opposites couple (literally fire and ice)
Legend of Zelda: (Zelda/Malon) A great couple! I guess that's why I'm writing something about them! (Zelda/Midna) There just appeared to be some chemistry there!
Fruits Basket: (Hana/Tohru) Tohru has got to be the sweetest girl in anime! Hana's just cool and protective of Tohru. I just like how it works.
Kim Possible: (Kim/Shego) I have been converted. This is a couple that continually amazes me.
Kannazuki no Miko: (Chikane/Himeko) A little similar to Tomoyo/Sakura, but more serious in some ways. I enjoyed the anime, but I just wish they would have done something better than those stupid robots!
Pretty Cure: (Nagisa/Honoka) A couple that I started to enjoy with fanart! I finally managed to find a few stories about them!!
Super Smash Brother: (Zelda/Peach) A couple of princesses who can kick butt. And like pink. Zelda has a cool hero she's usually paired up with. Peach has Mario... 'Nuff said (no offense to the plumber). (Zelda/Samus) Also cool to see.
Fear Effect: (Hana/Rain) An actual video game with a lesbian couple? Wow. Bought the game, but neither my PS1 or PS2 won't play it... T_T
Digimon: (Rika/Renamon) So cool! I also enjoy any mixture of the tamers. More than a few good stories out there.
Ninja Nonsense: (Kaede/Shinobu) A really obvious affection between the two in the manga and anime! I love it!!
Bleach: (Tatsuki/Orihime) They are really cute together and are really close. There's some obviousness to this in the series. Keep looking!
Best Student Council: (Nanaho/Koun) Cute rivalry! (Rein/Sayuri) There's some serious dedication between these two. (Kanade/Nanaho) They are pretty close and have great chemistry. Very knight/princess.
Excel Saga: (Excel/Hyatt) Strange, but very funny!
Slayers: (Naga/Lina) Don't ask. I just like them!

My Current Projects:
Um... not much at the moment. (Just wanting to be honest)

Non-shoujo-ai things I enjoy:
Anime: Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, FLCL, Disgaea, Saiyuki (original 50 episodes and cast), Outlaw Star, Black Lagoon
Video games: World of Warcraft, Halo, Call of Duty 4 (sometimes you need to shoot things), Devil May Cry
Music: A lot of rock, in particular Breaking Benjamin, mixed in with a lot of anime music from Yuki Kajiura (Mai-Hime, Noir, Madlax, .hack//SIGN), and video game music from Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy 1-9) and Chrono Trigger. Also some classical music, such as Chopin (I blame Eternal Sonata).

Forgive me if my work is slow or brain is scattered! I used to want to be a hero or a mad scientist... so imagine my current mental situation and be thankful if I can get it together for anything! Also, keep in mind that I try to make sure that what is produced is the best I can produce. This means more than a few hours and more than a few edits go into anything I'm working on, in particular my updates. Nothing is worse than making a big plothole.