Whoo hoo! A new Conversations at the Bar featuring fanfic author Maggielassie. Join us as we converse about Xena stories, cannon, Seasonal Passion, ubers, conqueror fanfic, and favorite episodes.
You can check out Maggielassie’s stories on her site: http://maggielassie.wordpress.com. Remember to share some email love or leave a comment on this show. Enjoy.
27 responses to “Conversations at the Bar – Maggielassie”
I came across Maggielassie’s work through the Talking Xena website probably a year or so ago. I really enjoyed Another Way. I have read the first couple Seasonal stories, but need to finish the rest. I’m glad there are people still writing Xena fan fic! On a side note, Andi & Rev, have you read WarriorJudge’s Conqueror Of The Realm series? It is in the third installment now, and it is wonderful. But, be forewarned, it is a true conqueror fic, so it can be rough at first. I am a conqueror fan, but I have read a few that were not very appealing, this one is very good. OK all, I out, but thanks for another great show!!! It is nice to see that other people still like fan fic besides me, LOL. Of course, I probably spend more time among these stories and files than most. What can I say, I have no social life, LOL!
Hey Jay! WarriorJudge is coming on the show next month to talk about her series. Andy, I think, has read the first in the series and I’m going to start it as soon as I get caught up a bit on my TBR list.
Thanks, as always, for listening and for all you’re doing! You rock!
Awesome! I enjoy her work, although it may not be for everyone.
I find myself in the minority in the fact that one day I’m in the mood for a “living life as a man” story, next day I’m looking for romantic and mushy, then the next day I want just some good old erotica. LOL, anyone who is a member of my group knows that I don’t really do “fade to black” love scenes unless I’m in that mushy romantic mood. Of course, that would be when I reach for Melissa Good stuff!
I know sex scenes and their graphic levels have been a regular topic of debate in some Facebook groups I am in. I was curious if you would ever consider this as a topic on your show with a couple different viewpoints from a couple different guests.
Jay, whenever you are in the mood for good old mushy romantic erotica, well, you might like reading more from my Seasonal Passion series 😉 (and other favourite X/G stories I’ve listed from other authors that I’ve listed on my website).
From Queen of the Realm:
“the Queen replied and gathered her thoughts. “One former body slave to another,” she began to say and drew a hefty intake of breath. “Unlike in your father’s service, in my Lord’s service, in my Lord’s bed I never felt humiliated.””
:Listened to your podcast, BTW. Very good and very interesting.
WJ
Thank you so much, Andy and the Rev for inviting me on your show. Great recording. 🙂
I just wanted to add an additional comment here regarding my answer to the question that Cheri the Rev asked me on the show about the Conqueror fanfic, as I felt I could have answered that question more fully. So, in more details, here is what I think regarding regarding what Cheri asked me concerning why I hate Conqueror stories (except from Planet-solin, Melissa Good,and a couple others) even if Gabrielle ends up being the one holding a lot of power at the end of some of them. The thing is, to me, no matter how the ending turns out to be in a Conqueror story I don’t like. I just simply cannot believe that Gabrielle would ever be attracted to or fall in love with a cruel female abuser or rapist regardless of whether she is her soulmate or not. I just do not believe that Gabrielle would ever ‘want’ to be demeaned, hurt or violated by Xena in any way –which is why I have a major issue with so many Conqueror stories. I also cannot believe Gabrielle would ever ‘forgive’ Xena if the Conqueror had raped her or tortured her in any way. So no matter for me if Gabrielle is being portrayed as being ‘almighty powerful’ at the end of a Conqueror story I don’t like. If she’s been portrayed as a degraded ‘body slave,’ as Xena’s degraded ‘little sexual object’ (whom the conqueror can treat in a harsh manner and do with her as she pleases) before the ‘powerful Gabrielle’ ending happens, well, everything has already been shattered for me and I simply cannot endorse that kind of story. The fact that the degradation of a beloved female character is sexualised does not mean that I will enjoy it. I know many other people are seduced by this sort of style but I simply am not. And if I ever was to write a Conqueror story I would definitely want to do something different from most stories in that genre.
Cheri the Rev will probably disagree with this, but I just wanted to elaborate a little further regarding why I generally am not attracted to the Conqueror genre regardless of some potentially attractive ‘powerful Gabrielle’ endings –as I wanted to take the opportunity to answer the question fully now I’ve had more time to think about it. Saying all this in a quiet tone by the way. I know the text-based Internet isn’t the best to be able to tell the tone of a person’s voice –and we will always disagree on some things. 🙂 One of the many schisms in the Xenaverse.
Thank you so much for inviting me on your show. I feel really honoured. You’ve both been immense help to me in introducing my work to your listeners, and I thank you immensely for that. 🙂 *hugs*
Since my story was mentioned here – as was the word “rape” – Just to clarify – the Gabrielle character in my story wasn’t raped by the Conqueror and was never humiliated by her..
I wouldn’t have passed judgment on another’s writer’s work without reading it first.
I did read.
All of it?? And you think my Gabrielle character was raped or humiliated? Well- that’s not what I wrote, but I won’t argue with you…
I felt this was actually more about degradation, but I won’t argue with you either. I think this has gone way too off-topic, and I’d like the thread to get back on track.
Maggie – without getting into too much of a debate, you’re right, I do disagree with you in many ways. I totally respect your opinion but I’d like to point out a few things.
Conqueror fics are not the only ones that use rape and degredation of women as plot devices. There are many classic X&G fics that have Xena raping, abusing, and degrading women. I don’t think it’s right to dismiss Conqueror fics, as a whole, for using the same type of scenarios.
I think I speak for many Conqueror readers when I say that we enjoy them for the increased military and intrigue plot arcs, as well as the ultimate redemption of the Conqueror. I don’t know many people who are reading them simply because of the increased level of violence – sexual or otherwise – they tend to contain.
Like you said, we’ll just have to agree to disagree and all opinions are valid.
Well, I do agree with you on one thing here:
There are many classic X&G fics that have Xena raping, abusing, and degrading women.
That’s right, there are many in classic altfic and I tend to dislike those too. But it’s just that it happens much a lot more often in the Conqueror genre of stories IMO. I know many people are into the Conqueror work of WarriorJudge or Linda Crist, but I’m just not into them (just saying this because WJ’s work is being promoted here so I’d like to specify that I don’t support it). I do like a very few Conq fictions by the authors I mentioned earlier, however, as I said.
Thank you for considering my perspective as valid, Rev.
Regardless of where we stand (and without getting into argument) thank you so much for inviting me, I really appreciated. Thank you so much for promoting my work. 🙂
You’re very welcome, we enjoyed having you on to chat.
I agree with Cheri’s comment about enjoying “the increased military and intrigue plot arcs, as well as the ultimate redemption of the Conqueror.”
I want readers to know that there are some really good Conqueror fics that don’t include degradation or violence against Gabrielle, or Xena for that matter. I think it’s unfair to put all Conqueror stories into one category when they run the gamut from mushy romance to comedy to what I think Jay Tume was talking about when s/he mentioned “true Conqueror fics”. I think a few people believe that this is what all Conqueror fic is but that’s simply not true. I figure that they either haven’t read any Conqueror stories or else they started with a dark one and were put off the whole genre. I was lucky enough to read Resistance by Della Street as my first Conqueror fic and I’d recommend it to any Xena ff fan.
There are some real gems out there and it would be a shame to miss out on them.
Rio, I’m sorry but I had actually read many Conq fics before figuring out that a very rough, degrading or abusive start was a very common theme in them –I just wanted to specify. Maybe I did not read the same stuff you’ve read but I did read many –and Resistance by Della Street was one of the very few I actually liked (along with Planet-solin’s, Mayt’s and Melissa Good’s works in that genre).
I just would be very glad if this thread did not veer towards our disagreements concerning Conq stories just because I do not support most of them. I came to this podcast to talk about my own fanfic, not to talk too much about the Conq topic. I know I wanted to reply to Cheri’s question on Conqueror fic more fully here because of a question she was asking me about it on the show (and had not been fully prepared for). But I would be very grateful if this thread went back on topic (i.e. my podcast above), about my stories. I understand that this is not my site, but I would still really appreciate it.
I mean, maybe you disagree with my POV on Conq fics here, but I still did write Xena/Gabrielle femslash fanfiction stories that I talked about in this podcast, and which were the subject of a bigger part of the podcast than my perspective on Conq (which was only a small part of that podcast). Thank you.
Okay listen to the podcast, i loved it…Maggie 🙂
Also i do agree, most conq stories are not my kind of stories but that has a reason, i hate violence and abuse because i am a victim of abuse
I feel this is going off topic now, supposed to be about Maggie’s podcast, and i loved it the way you did this, both of you….makes me want to listen to more and follow this website.
Thanks a lot 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you give some of the older shows a listen and stay tuned for the upcoming ones, too.
By the way, Brigitte Stolwijk is a wonderful lesbian poet. She wrote a very beautiful Gabrielle/Xena romantic poem for the latest story in my Seasonal Passion series: Sapphic Night Fever. I enjoyed working with her.
She just posted here in support as ‘carpenter28’ here (but she is also ‘donar’ on TX) x
Thanks donar (a.k.a Carpenter28). *hugs*
Jay wrote: “I know sex scenes and their graphic levels have been a regular topic of debate in some Facebook groups I am in. I was curious if you would ever consider this as a topic on your show with a couple different viewpoints from a couple different guests.”
I don’t know. We stick to chatting about books or fics really for the Cocktail Hour shows. We could, possibly, have a Bar Rag centered on it. Andy and I will kick it around and see. You’re right, it’s been debated and argued about forever. Hmmmm. Maybe.
That was a very interesting podcast. 🙂 I have read most of Maggielassie’s stories and enjoyed them all. I love the tenderness and effection she brings into her stories.
Thank you, Warrioryol, for your kind words. 🙂
Fascinating commentary Maggie, I really enjoyed the podcast, I also read your stories and really enjoyed them. I’m looking forward to your uber, I think twill be fun to see the plot line you mentioned. Also if you ever do write a Conqueror story I will be very interested as to where you take it plot wise. Don’t get me wrong I really like some of the Conqueror stories out there but I don’t think there are enough stories out there with Gabrielle starting out on a level playing field with Xena and I would love to see more.
Thank you, Silvermoonlight, for your support. 🙂 Yes, I’m sure I could write an interesting Conqueror fic with more level-playing field between Xena and Gabrielle. In the meantime, I recommend you the Conq series from Planet-solin –as it’s very much like the kind of Conqueror story that you describe (that you like).
Interesting podcast. 🙂 I came across Maggie’s Seasonal Passion series on Academy of Bards and instantly fell in love with her writing. I have read all the stories in the series, including her latest “Sapphic Night Fever.” Maggie does an amazing portrayal of Xena and Gabrielle in her stories, sweet, romantic, witty, sexy. I could go on and on….I look forward to her future stories!
Thanks Marcia. 🙂