Fondest Greetings To You All!

To my amazing fan base, my beloved readers/reviewers! Without you, I would have never had the nerve to stick around for so long when I began this little trilogy of mine. Who would have thought that one tiny attempt to further the ending of the 2004 Phantom movie could have turned out a series in me. You all keep me going and your unwavering support means more to me than you'll ever begin to know. I hope to continue to entertain you.

Important Notice as of December 2009:

Turning of the Tide is still temporarily on hold (but is being written offline). I'll be sure to update as soon as my schedule allows me to do so. Thank you all for your continued patience and understanding... Life happens... -sighs-

UPDATE AUGUST 2010:

I will be taking down Volume 3 of my story, in order to make necessary revisions, as well as prepare for new updates and a proper debut of this third Phantom fiction. Please be patient, as I am doing my best to continue this story. Thanks!

Working with The Phantom and The Characters that Encompass his World
-An Opinion Piece by Gwen-

The majority of faithfuls usually rule against rewrites or adaptations of Leroux. He is, after all, the creator. Why try to change a good thing, right? I can respect that. I truly can. But nevertheless, and quite honestly, it'll be done and has been done through the ages, and not just with The Phantom of the Opera. The way I see it, for better or worse, this is the writer's way of paying homage to a story that has left a great impression on him/her.

Should Phantom be written this way or that way?

Well, though Leroux is the true basis for all our "Phan" fiction, I don't see that there's any wrong way of writing him. To explain further, it's what the writer sees in their mind's eye as their idea of him. It's fiction for a reason, in that no portrayal should be mocked or criticized because of it. Sure, there will be some bad ones, but who am I to say it's bad if someone else may adore it? To each his own, as they say. That's all a part of that balance we hear so often about. Heck, my adaptation may not be your proverbial cup of tea, but you as the reader have a choice to move on, to find something that does catch your fancy. Not all versions will suit everyone perfectly, hence the option and freedom to read and find out on your own.

The Phantom belongs to all of us, however you wish to share him with the world. Leroux gave us the beauty of this man and his life and in the end, we keep not only his Phantom's spirit alive, but Leroux's memory alive as well. That, in my eyes, is the ultimate tribute to the founder.

That's how I feel about it. My opinion is my own, naturally. But there you have it.

-Written in January 2007

Now, if I haven't scared anyone off, how about I share a little something about me:

I love The Phantom of the Opera in all forms. I've been more passionate about it since Gerard Butler's portrayal (to be honest), but I have to say that Michael Crawford is a truly amazing stage Phantom. There's definitely a difference between the stage and the big screen. This deserves to be said since the whole coming about of the MC and GB Wars, as you undoubtedly have heard of. Any man that has ever taken the role as The Phantom, be it stage or screen, has my support. And as for Crawford Vs. Butler in recent debates? I admire them both! End of story. Some of you may not even like Crawford or Butler, and prefer Panaro or Chaney. Those are performers I've selected as examples, but you all get the idea. It shouldn't matter who plays the character better or worse. These men have brought The Phantom to life for all of us. So why not acknowledge that, first and foremost?

I've always wanted to write, so here I am. It's a work in progress to be sure, but I'm enjoying the challenge and growth experience. I admire all the veterans on here that have given us beautiful stories of these characters. I could only hope to be as good as these people here someday.

I have plans to write original stories (non-Phantom related), in hopes of getting them published to the masses in the future. A girl's gotta make a living, right? Anyways, the genres include action/adventure (an ongoing series), as well as a romantic comedy, and a drama/thriller. I will more than likely go with the wave of online self-publishing (that seems to be the way most go about getting their feet wet, so to speak). I'll be sure to add more information here as soon as it's available.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the series!

P.S.
To my dearest friends, whom I've met at GB.Net as well as various Phantom related sites:
I'm proud of you and your stories you've chosen to give to the world. -hugs-

For those that are interested in reading their stories, here's the list:

"Sacred" By AslanHeart
"Tormented" By Darkest Aminta
"The Darkness of Our Souls Combined" By diamondsandpearls

By musicalmaniac09
"Though We're Strangers Til Now"
"The Way Forward Is Sometimes The Way Back"

By DragonheartRAB
"Collide"
"Secret Santas"
"The Nothing I've Become"
"Seduction by Cards"
"Two Hearts Made Whole"

By Your Angel of Music
"Arms of the Angel"
"Silence"
"Another Angel"

Thank you to mantharie for getting the word out on her profile for my Phantom stories.

Completed Stories:
To Be Held - Vol. 1
Truth Be Told - Vol. 2

Works In Progress:
Turning of the Tide - Vol. 3 (Temporarily Removed--See Above Notice)

Rewrites:
To Be Held: Vol. 1 will undergo edits in the future. Chapters replaced to date are: Chapter 1 and 2 (time restraints have forced me to postpone further edits until the completion of my Phantom trilogy)

What to read on Fan Fiction - My suggestions to feed your Phantom desires:
Stories listed are completed works, so enjoy them without the wait for an update.

1. Anywhere You Go By ArwenKalina - My first phan fic I ever read, so naturally this will always be special to me.
2. Demons By Wandering Child (sadly, removed from the site as of 2013...hope it returns)
3. Voyage dans la Lumiére or Journey into the Light By DarkestDreams
4. When Fate is Denied By DarkestDreams
5. Past the Point of No Return By Spikes Bint
6. Sacred By AslanHeart

I will add more to this list in the future. I just haven't had a lot of time to catch up on my reading, since I began writing myself. Oh, and I have nothing against Raoul de Chagny. I actually adore him in my Phantom stories, but there are occasions that I like to read a well-written "Bad Raoul" every now and again. -grins- If left in character though, he does make a great supporting role to any phan fic story. I should know. -wink- Anyway, some of the stories in the list above are not for lovers of Raoul. Just thought I'd warn you folks. If you are interested in other works, aside from Phantom fiction, please see my Favorite Author's List. There's plenty of different genres there to suit your needs.