"Accept no substitutes" is my motto. Well, one of them anyway. I also like a shot of fluff with an angst chaser, and yes, bittersweet is my favorite kind of chocolate.

I don't tweet a lot, and I've had to protect my tweets because I have stalkers/imposters who think it's funny to send tweets as if they came from me. They even copied/stole my Blue Moon graphic, but don't be fooled. Unbelievable, but these 25-year-old girls seem to have no lives of their own. Anyway, this is my real Twitter:

http://twitter.com/IamCullenista

12-30-10 BLUE MOON Alert: I know it's been a long time since I added a new chapter and I've been getting a lot of PMs about it. I'm still hard at work and WILL post the rest of the story. At this point, I've decided I need to finish the whole story before posting the next chapter. I want to be able to post the rest of the chapters within a few days of each other, instead of letting weeks go by in between chapters. So you will be able to read it to the end in quick succession.

I don't enjoy the waiting any more than you do but some things take longer than others. Thanks for being patient. The story still has several chapters left and will be taken to its conclusion, it's just taking a bit longer than I thought it would. Such is life.

BLUE MOON OVER MANKA'S & the TWILIGHT AWARDS

7-22-08: My readers rock! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. They just announced the winners in the second round and your votes made Blue Moon the Winner in the Best CHARACTERIZATION and Best OVERALL SCENE categories at the Twilight Awards.

You guys are simply amazing. Your votes made my story win over some of MY favorites stories. Thank you all so much.

The Romanctastic Round of the Twilight Awards:Blue Moon Over Manka's has taken First Runner Up for Best CHEMISTRY and Best KISS (for Edward's POV of the kiss in the museum parking lot). I just appreciate being nominated, and thanks for all your support.

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Blue Moon Over Manka's Won the Denali Coven Danger Magnet Award

Thanks to you, my loyal readers, Blue Moon Over Manka's won the award for Best Bella Characterization. I also want to thank my two betas, not done baking and Ranma15177 for their generous contributions to making my story what it is.

My beta, Ranma15177, won the runner up prize for her story, Escaping Sol, in the Best Action/Adventure fiction, the Race Through Volterra category. If you haven't read it yet, click on the story name when you click on the link above and it will open the story in a new window on your monitor. Read and leave her a review, you won't be sorry. I like to think of her story as Romeo and Juliet crack the Da Vinci Code with Fang and the pack along for the ride... read it and you'll see what I mean. It's a jam packed and fun filled thrill ride.

For Blue Moon Over Manka’s

Blue Moon takes place immediately after the end of Eclipse and before the Epilogue. Edward hasn't sent the invitation to Jacob yet. This story tries to explain why he does, among other things. The narration alternates between Bella and Edward and the finished story should be well over 200,000 words. Blue Moon is an exploration of their thoughts and feelings, and is planned to go through the Sunday night of their weekend trip. It is not action/adventure, so be forewarned.

I made a PHOTO ALBUM to go along with Blue Moon. Click on the link to see photos of Edward and Bella, the rings from chapter 26, interior shots of the Cabin and Lodge, surrounding area, etc.: http:///cullenista

Manka’s Inverness Lodge is a real place. Here is a link to their website: http:///mankas/home.html

Incanto restaurant in San Francisco Click here to see Incanto

The Eternity watch Bella buys for Edward in the museum store is real.

Click here to see the Past, Present, Future Watch up close

In Chapter 5, Bella listens to I Always Lose To You by Sky Nelson. You can download the song for free at the following link, which will open in a new window:

http:///fr_singles.cfm

There’s a Twilight website where you can sign up and discuss my story as well as lots of other Twilight stuff, and you don’t have to be a Mom or a teen, you can just be yourself. The link that follows will take you to a discussion of my story, and from there you can regiser or lurk, it’s up to you. Thanks, and check it out:

/Discuss Blue Moon

We have tried to keep this on the straight and narrow as far as canon goes. This started out to be a short story but I write LONG chapters and if you are looking for something short, this is not it. I want to thank everyone who leaves a review. It's just good to know there is someone reading this stuff, so you don't have to say a lot, and a big THANKS to those of you who put the story on their Favorites List. That's a real compliment and I appreciate it. It also helps when you put my story on your Favorites List because it is another way for new readers to find the story. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or comments you want to discuss.

"Notice: Persons attempting to find a Motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; people attempting to find a Moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a Plot in it will be shot." --Mark Twain

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. Twilight and all its characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer and no copyright infringement is intended in this work. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity and are used to advance the fictional narrative. All other new characters and all incidental dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. This disclaimer is meant for the entire work.

I joyously thank not done baking for being my editor on Blue Moon. She’s done so much more than find typos. She’s responsible for giving me suggestions for scenes that needed to be included but I had overlooked and she was also not afraid to argue about ideas and dialog; all that helped me see the story from a different perspective. All of this was invaluable to the overall direction of the story.

Another friend, Ranma15177 is also offering her insight and skills to help shape and refine this tale from Chapter 18 on. I’m very lucky and grateful to have help like this, so cheerfully given. Ranma15177 has a wonderful story about how Carlisle and Esme got together; it’s called Making A Home and if you like my story I bet you’ll like hers, too. Edward is in the story too, and he's young and sarcastic, a real teenager; you don't want to miss that. You can get to her through a link in my Favorites lists. Check it out.

On October 27, an online magazine, The Movie Fanatic, published the third part of a series about Twilight, focusing on the world of fanfiction. One of my stories was among five chosen to represent the best of Twilight fanfiction, and if you want to see the other recommended stories and read the entire article, please click on the link below (site is currently under reconstruction, but I am told the story will be back online soon): tMF Comprehensive Guide to TWILIGHT (Last of a 3-Part Series) http:///exclusive_articles/film_focus/tmf_twilight_guide2/

A Note about the IMDB Twilight Community (link on lower right side, just below the end of this profile): This community has evolved over time, and the criteria for inclusion has evolved as well. At this point, we don't like to add brand new stories. Stories with at least five chapters or 30,000 words are eligible, and it also helps to have at least 25 reviews per chapter. If you already have a story in the Community, and you start a new one, it's also eligible because we already know your writing style. We also feature canon couples but there are some exceptions to every rule.

I served as beta for a story by RosieWilde and you should check it out, it's very well written. Here's the link and description :http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4714067/1/Guns_and_Roses

Guns and Roses by RoseWilde. Bella and Edward’s relationship is interrupted by WWI. He dreams of glory as a soldier, and she must figure out life without him. A moving story of how friendship turns to love when survival is in doubt. ExB AU/AH. M.