Reviewer: gidgetgal9 (Signed) · Date: 14/08/10 06:52 PM · On: Chapter 1
For me this was Christmas in July because I read this last month along with the other Christmas story. I liked the Yoko Ono spirit- pretty scary and I always feel tense when the boys get beat up while out on their own. You put them on quite the adventure and I enjoyed every minute of it. :) Claudia
Author's Response: Oh, gosh, you must have loved it - you left me two reviews - lol. Seriously, thank you, Claudia. This was one of those stories that just flowed, especially once I found my monster. I emailed my beta and asked her to find me a snow creature that hadn't been used a thousand times already, and she actually came across the Yuki Onna. She also helped me out with the snow - we don't get snow in Brisbane, we're too far north for it to get that cold. I have seen snow, but way down south and only twice in my entire life, so I had no idea what the woods would sound like, etc. Lucky for me I have an exceptional beta who perfectly described for me the whole walking through snowy woods experience. I couldn't do this without her. Thanks, hun, Jules
Reviewer: gidgetgal9 (Signed) · Date: 09/07/10 12:24 AM · On: Chapter 1
Must say, it is Christmas in July, because I read this one during my fourth of July holiday! This was awesome- loved Dean calling the creature Yoko Ono! Also can never get enough of the brotherly bonding- and I got lots of it here. Liked Cas and Bobby coming to the rescue. Awesome as always! :) Claudia
Author's Response: LOL - we're actually having a Christmas in July at my house this year. It's certainly going to be a lot cooler than the real Christmas, which is in our summer. Thanks, Claudia. Oh, I'm really glad the Yoko joke worked. It seemed such a Dean thing to say, but I had my fingers crossed that I could actually get away with it. Go Team Free Will. So glad you liked this one, hun. It's one of my favourites, actually. Jules
Reviewer: Dolphindreamer (Signed) · Date: 05/04/10 03:27 PM · On: Chapter 1
PS: And thank you to Ziggy...for her talent....and time in helping out. You guys make a great team.
Lovely banner, too. I find the banners totally set the mood for me. I study each one before, during and after I read your stories! Just an awesome team you have!
Author's Response: I do have a wonderful back-up team - auntie Chris with the banners, and my SN sis with the beta-ing. And for Here At, I had a co-author, Petra, who lives just over an hour from me and is a great friend. And last August, we all piled into my tiny little home office with red wine and I can't remember what else, and toasted our team effort as I posted up Here At's epilogue. I can't do this without my support crew any more. Jules
Reviewer: Dolphindreamer (Signed) · Date: 05/04/10 03:17 PM · On: Chapter 1
Twas an excellent story!
I love popsicle-Sammy!
And Cas..."They are not very tuneful," Castiel observed.
Ha ha ha!
I'd love to see this as an episode. One of top five types of stories to read -- is the boys on a hunt -- in the great outdoors!
Thank you yet again...for a super fun time!
Karen
Author's Response: LOL - so pleased that you loved Popsicle!Sammy. He's almost as good as drunk!Sammy, isn't he? Thanks so much, Karen. I'm so chuffed that you loved this. Oh, Cas' line - well, I had to have a little fun amongst all the seriousness. And we can always trust Cas to play the perfect 'straight man'. He's made for it. Ah, well, you can also thank my wonderfully talented beta, Ziggy, for the outdoor scenes - she described to me in perfectly vivid detail what it's like to walk through snowy woods. She even had pics of the woods near her home so I could see. Being in Queensland, we don't get snow - if we did, we'd think there was another ice age coming - lol. So I'm very grateful to her for getting that picture inside my head. I'm glad you had fun - and thank you. It was my pleasure. Jules
Reviewer: Amberdreams (Signed) · Date: 22/01/10 02:27 PM · On: Chapter 1
Nice. It seems there is a lot of hope in FF writers' hearts at the moment, which is uplifting! Glad to say your Yuki-onna was different to mine, which is also uplifting! ;-)
Author's Response: Thanks for that. I for one try to have a little bit of hope in every story, even though it was hard work getting some in there for season 4 stories. Probably why I avoided playing in that particular timeline too often. Oh, we lucked onto the same monster of the week, eh? Ah well, bound to happen. There are only so many monsters to go around - ROFL. Jules
Reviewer: Scanilla (Signed) · Date: 03/01/10 12:07 PM · On: Chapter 1
Thank you for this awesome read! Loved the "Yoko Ono" Japanese creature, the brothers singing and the hopeful ending. My favorite line: "H-hey, S-s-s-s-ammy, look - we g-g-got an angel f-for th' top of our t-tree. An' he brought us a p-p-presen-n-nt."
Author's Response: And thank you for letting me know how much you enjoyed it. Oh, that shiveryDean line - LOL. I was almost building the whole story around that little idea, actually. I just had to figure out how to get them into the cave on Christmas Eve and keep them there..... Thanks again - so glad you loved it. Jules
Reviewer: pinkphoenix1985 (Signed) · Date: 01/01/10 07:33 AM · On: Chapter 1
Jules, This is brilliant and I love the way in which you ripped my heart out by revealing why Sam doesn't like to sing.
Author's Response: Hey, hun. Oh, gosh, I ripped your heart out? Sorry about that....*puts heart back*... I just thought it seemed a very Sam thing to do - too many painful memories. For all his emotions, Sam hides a lot of what he's feeling deep down. But hypothermia made his guard slip, so out it came - it and a few other things. So pleased you loved it. And I hope you had a great Christmas and New Year. Jules
Reviewer: Swellison (Signed) · Date: 29/12/09 04:48 PM · On: Chapter 1
Oh, I really, really liked this, a season 5 story that had hope and understanding in it, and the boys battling a common enemy instead of each other. Love how Dean mangled the snow creature's name into Yoko Ono, it seems so Dean-ish. You also captured Sam's despair and remorse convincingly, and the little bit about Sam not wanting to sing left me teary-eyed. Excellent story and a great holiday treat, thank you! Sue
Author's Response: Thank you, Sue. I always try to have a little bit of hope. I'm a hopeless Pollyanna at heart - I need a happy ending. Not sure if Kripke's going to give us one, but I'm hoping - he said S5 was about restoration so I'm holding him to that promise. Oh - Yoko - I'm so glad I managed to get away with that - lol. It made sense to me for Dean to mangle it that way, but I kept everything crossed that no one got offended by the reference. Thank you - I think Sam's barely hanging on sometimes - he has to be, with the weight of what he's carrying. I sort of figured with him slipping into hypothermia, his guard would be down and a few things would just slip free, like the singing and the fact that he's sorry but he feels like it can never be enough. I'm a Dean girl, but my heart breaks for Sam and what he's been through. Thank you so much for reading, Sue. I hope you had a great Christmas. Jules
Reviewer: supernaturalfan (Signed) · Date: 29/12/09 08:07 AM · On: Chapter 1
I loved this one shot. It took me four days to read it, but I kept coming back to finish. Life and family kept me busy. Thank you for your acknowledgement to me for my help. It certainly wasn't my intention when I mentioned Sam's coat, but I am glad I could help you with a little research. You have no idea how much it meant to me that you used my information and then gave me credit for it. I now know how you writers feel each time someone gives you praise for your excellent work. It has changed my perspective. Thank you again. O.K., back to the story. I enjoyed the part where Dean gave his insight into Sam and how he is dealing with all that he has done. I believe that is what Sam is doing on the show, but to see it written out and it coming from Dean's pov gave it more meaning. I saw his love for his brother in just those few paragraphs. I also loved the line about the angel for the top of the tree and the present he brought. That was great and a perfect line for Dean. There are so many times when reading your story that I can picture Jensen or Jared saying them. You capture them so well. I still haven't found the time to read the next chapter of "If you love something..", but I will get to it soon. I will speak with you over there. Take care and God Bless. Jane
Author's Response: Hi, Jane. I'm pleased I could give you that moment. And I'm very thankful for the information. Sometimes things don't translate well across the pond, and I'm always grateful for tidbits of information that will help me out on a story. And I do so love that jacket of Sam's. It was nice to actually be given the manufacturer of it. I've actually used the reference again in Love Something's epilogue. I'm with you, too - I believe that Sam is suffering, and striving to make amends however he can, but he must be crumbling inside, the poor kid. How horrible to have been used like he was to open the door to Lucifer's cell. I couldn't help wondering whether Dean should have let Sam go after Lilith way before the breaking of the final seal, but then you throw damned Zachariah into the mix - he probably would have prevented it - Sam was doomed either way, wasn't he? And rightly or wrongly, I still think Dean loves his brother, he's just having a hard time pushing the anger aside. It must have cut him like no knife could that Sam chose Ruby. After all, Dean practically raised Sam - they're more than brothers. There's a lot of repair work to be done there, on both sides. That message has to be revealed, along with the fact that it was Castiel who let Sam out of the panic room. Under orders from his boss, but still..... So glad you loved the brotherly interaction though. I worked very hard to capture that. Jules
Reviewer: Soennelchen (Signed) · Date: 29/12/09 06:26 AM · On: Chapter 1
Finally I managed to read this as a post-Christmas-goodie! Wonderful Jules! What a perfect little story about a different kind of hunt (hey, you Aussie girl sure described the snow world well!), an interesting spirit (Yoko Ono?? Seriuosly?? Lol!), brotherly love and sharing memories. Oh.. not to forget the singing. I love how you told us why Sam didn't want to sing along with Dean! And Cas and Bobby were just priceless! Angelic express! ...and Cas observing that the boys "are not very tuneful!" - awesome :) You once again presented a touching story that I sooo enjoyed reading! Thank you very much :)
Author's Response: LOL - thanks, Dagmar. The snow help was all Sarah - she really worked hard to put those mental images into my sub-tropical brain. The singing - I just thought that with the way Sam hangs onto things, he'd be reluctant to sing with Dean as the memories would be almost overwhelming. Especially with the weight he's already carrying for his part in the apocalypse. It's a wonder Sam's still able to function, actually, with everything that's gone on. I'd be a gibbering, drooling mess wrapped in a white jacket with wraparound sleeves..... So glad you loved the addition of the intrepid rescue team of Cas and Bobby. Hope you and the family had a great Christmas, hun. Jules
Reviewer: Pandora Jazz (Signed) · Date: 29/12/09 02:58 AM · On: Chapter 1
I enjoyed reading your story. You did a wonderful job describing the snow covered scene and capturing the brothers voices. Thanks for the smile and for sharing your story with us.
Author's Response: Thank you so much for that. I'm glad to have you along for the ride. The snow was all thanks to my beta, who lives in England where they have lots of that funny white stuff. Not to say that Australia doesn't, but it's waaaaaay down south and about a full day's drive from here. And not at this time of year - it's our summer. LOL. The voices - well, thank you - that is high praise indeed. I try very hard to imagine the boys saying the dialogue I'm writing. If I can hear them in my head, then I go with it. I actually changed the ending around quite a bit because I had Dean saying what I eventually had Bobby say, and it didn't fit. Worked much better with Bobby. Thank you once again for reading. Jules
Reviewer: vonnie836 (Signed) · Date: 28/12/09 04:47 PM · On: Chapter 1
Now this was really amazing. You managed to get a lot of brotherly interaction and love into this one. Sam making Dean understand more about the way he feels without saying much, just by the way he reacts and Dean finding a way to get through to him. Loved the little funny things, like Dean calling the spirit Yoko Ono and asking about the lore and Sam responding with she broke the Beatles up. Bobby joking with Castiel, who didn't get it and the boys giggling when they showed up and Dean talking about the angel for the tree and it bringing them a present. Really made me giggle. And then there was the moment when Dean thought Sam might still be psychic or maybe they just still have the connection they used to, which was wonderful. Or when he assured Sam he wasn't a monster and he never regretted giving his life for him. And the end, when they celebrated Christmas, for Elllen and Jo. So many things that made me wanna cry, but also so many that made me laugh. Really enjoyed it. Hugs, Vonnie
Author's Response: Aww, thanks, Vonnie. I'm so pleased you enjoyed it and got so much out of it. I figured that Sam being hypothermic would have his guard down, and a few things would slip out that he normally would have locked away. And I think that Dean knows on some level what Sam is going through - after all, he knows his brother better than anyone, even after everything that's happened. He just can't get past his own hurt and sense of betrayal. He's shown he still loves Sam, but he's angry, and he's having a hard time dealing with those feelings.
Oh, I'm glad you loved the angel for the tree line - that was firmly in my head for the whole fic. And I'm glad you liked the ending too, with them honouring the fallen. hugs Jules
Reviewer: penmin (Signed) · Date: 28/12/09 10:07 AM · On: Chapter 1
Thank you for a little angst, much peril,(we have much snow and ice here right now and it made me shiver even more! lol) and a little Cas humour in this story. I do agree with the end sentiments, to family and to hope... Jacq x
Author's Response: My pleasure, Jacq. Happy to oblige. So relieved that I got the snow right. It's hard, since where I live it's rated as sub-tropical. If we saw snow falling in Brisbane there'd be a panic - we'd think the next Ice Age was coming. Oh, I'm chuffed that you liked the Cas humour. I was a wee bit nervous writing Cas into the story, but I needed him to carry Bobby - LOL. I'm hanging on to the end sentiments myself, actually - I think Kripke's going to scare the bejesus out of us before the series ends......but I'm holding onto hope for the brothers' restoration.
Jules
Reviewer: ziggy (Signed) · Date: 28/12/09 07:39 AM · On: Chapter 1
First of all, thank you so much sis for your beautiful words in your story notes, they brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye. You make my job easy, with only having to suggest the odd tweak, or putting Dean back where he came from! Fantastic one-shot sis, you conveyed exactly what it was like in snow, it shows how creative your imagination is, only having seen the white stuff a couple of times in your life! And even better because you imagined it whilst sitting in sweltering heat! Loved frostbitten Sam and Dean, determined to protect his little brother from the Yoko Ono, sorry Yuki-Onna! Just so Dean, changing her name! And just had to comment on this part, so insightful - But Dean knew better. He could see the devastation of his brother's soul mirrored in the expressive eyes whenever Sam let his guard down. He knew the younger man was absolutely gutted by what he'd been manipulated into doing, and the only thing keeping Sam on his feet and moving forward through all this was his burning desire to make it right - to find a solution and earn his redemption. It was all he had left. Well, that and a brother who was struggling to find his own forgiveness for his part in breaking the first seal, Dean reminded himself, tightening his arm around Sam's waist. That same brother was also striving to move past the hurt and betrayal to repair the broken bond between himself and his younger sibling. Perfect that you brought Bobby and Castiel into the story to rescue the boys from the cave, with their extended 'family' dwindling these two are crucial to them. Great ending, safe back at Bobby's drinking spiced apple cider. and so Sam that he would voice how scared he is about what is coming up in the future. Perfect toast at the end - to family and to hope - they are all going to need both in bucketfuls. Hope you had a fantastic Christmas sis and hope you have a wonderful New Year and hope 2010 brings you everything you wish for. hugs Sarah
Author's Response: My pleasure sis. And I swear to God, Dean moves when I'm not looking. I put him on the coffee table, went to make a cuppa, and when I came back he was on the chair, I kid you not. Sam never moves - it's always Dean, the ratbag...... LOL Thank you - especially for your snow help. The snowy woods pics you sent me and the description of the snowfall really helped put me in the moment. And I think that deep down, Dean knows what Sam is going through, but he's still finding it hard to push past his own anger and hurt to reach out too far to his brother. But I think his haste to make that phone call at the end of The End, and his tears at seeing Lucifer in Sam's body and knowing that his brother was truly gone, has gone a long way towards him fighting past that block to get his brother back. I'm hoping for a full restoration by the end. Kripke promised..... And yep, Cas and Bobby - especially Bobby - are essential to the boys now. I just had to include them. Jules
Reviewer: amethyst (Signed) · Date: 28/12/09 05:13 AM · On: Chapter 1
we've got an angel for the top of our tree - and he brought us a present, brilliant. Absolutely loved this thankyou.
Author's Response: That line was in my head right from the word go. Thank you so much for that. The whole fic was pretty much built around that scene of the boys sheltering in the cave and Cas & Bobby arriving - and Dean telling Sam they had an angel for their tree. My trusty beta found the snow spirit for me, and the rest as they say is history - LOL. Did you have a good Christmas? Ours wasn't as hot as they were predicting, thank heavens. Think it got to 30, but we had showers moving through most of the day so that kept the temp down a bit. Jules
Reviewer: saltnburnem (Signed) · Date: 28/12/09 12:28 AM · On: Chapter 1
Wonderful as always! Cool baddie, too (no pun intended!) I like that Bobby was their back-up, and Cas became Bobby's go-to man. Nice way to incorporate what's left of the gang.
Author's Response: Heh! Cool baddie - ROFL. Loved it. Thank you for that. I love having Bobby around - he's just such a great all-round backup for the boys - father, teacher, motivator, and a bigger geek than Sam. And in this case, it made sense for Bobby to call on Cas as it would have been impossible for him to go look for the boys himself. So great that you enjoyed it. Jules
Reviewer: rbliss1969 (Signed) · Date: 27/12/09 08:27 PM · On: Chapter 1
Jules, EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!! I love Bobby calling Castiel and the 2 of them finding the boys. Angel on our Christmas Tree; too funny. Castiel "their not very tuneful" had me laughing out loud. I could picture all of them and their facial expressions. great job Renee
Author's Response: Thank you so much, Renee. I did like that line of Cas' about the boys being not very tuneful actually - lol. And I always had in mind the angel for the tree scene from the moment I came up with the idea. Thank you so much for stopping by and letting me know what you thought. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. And I hope you had a very Merry Christmas. Jules
Reviewer: Oceane (Signed) · Date: 27/12/09 07:44 PM · On: Chapter 1
Wonderful story. The snowy spirit was cool. We got lot of brotherly moments, loved them all. Bobby and Castiel at the rescue, yeah. Very touching to end it with them drinking a toast to Ellen, Jo, family and hope. Awesome work Jules.
Author's Response: Thanks hun. Sarah found the Yuki-Onna - she's a very good researcher, actually. I just asked her to find me a snow creature/demon that hadn't been used a dozen times before, and away she went, Googling like a mini-Sam - lol. I was hoping to pull off the brotherly moments - there is so much darkness and angst at the moment I was fighting hard to find that wee bit of hope. But I found some! So pleased you loved what I came up with. I played with the ending so many times to get the right blend of angst and renewed hope - I originally had Dean start the toast, but it didn't fit. It worked much better coming from Bobby. Thanks, hun. Jules
Reviewer: Micaiah (Signed) · Date: 27/12/09 06:49 PM · On: Chapter 1
That was lovely as usual. :) I loved Bobby's interaction with Castiel.
Author's Response: Thank you so much for that. I just figured that Bobby would treat Cas a little like he treats the boys - lol. But not with so much fatherly undertone. I actually found it hard writing Cas - I've never done it before. I mean, how do you write an angel? Hope I did him justice. And I hope you had a great Christmas. Jules
Reviewer: Primrose (Signed) · Date: 27/12/09 06:28 PM · On: Chapter 1
Wonderful story! Reading the story made me feel cold, and now I want to go find the fire upstairs.....I especially liked Sam in this episode, talking about his remorse and dealing with it a little bit more. I loved that Bobby got in on the rescue effort too! I DID have a great Christmas! I'm glad you did too!
Author's Response: LOL - I actually found it hard getting into the story as we don't have snow in Queensland, and with the summer temperature hovering around 30C, it was really difficult to imagine snow and cold when I was sweating and sitting under a fan to keep cool. Thank heavens for beta's who live in England where that funny white stuff is - lol. Thanks, Julie - I wanted to bring in a bit of Sam angst, figuring that while he was sliding into hypothermia, he'd have his guard down a little and would let slip a little of what he's been feeling. Gave Dean a chance to see and acknowledge his brother's devastation and struggle to make amends, too. And I had to have Bobby - I love Bobby so much. He's been such a great surrogate parent to the boys, and he's just an awesome character. So chuffed that you had a great Christmas - was it a white one, by any chance? I'd love to experience a white Christmas just once - I think it would be weird, but fun. Our Christmas falls in summer down here, so the cold alone would make it really novel. Jules
Reviewer: Vanessa (Signed) · Date: 27/12/09 05:35 PM · On: Chapter 1
This was simply fantastic. I sat here and cried about halfway through it, overwhelmed with emotion for the boys. Thanks for sharing.
Author's Response: Awww, thanks, Ness. Sorry it made you cry, though. But then, I suppose if I've gotten that sort of response, I've hit my mark with the story. It was hard going at times though - Kripke hasn't given us a lot of nice moments to weave a tale around lately, and it's becoming harder to find that little bit of hope in amongst the darkness. Thankfully I spotted some - my soul craves a happy ending. Hope you had a good Christmas, hun, and spent the day with people who matter the most to you. Jules
Reviewer: Tree66 (Signed) · Date: 27/12/09 12:02 PM · On: Chapter 1
Very lovely Jules... for someone that's only rarely seen the snowy woods- you captured it beautifully. I could feel the bitter cold seeping into my own flesh as Dean and Sam huddled together. Nice little hunt- and I love the touch of angst - maybe someday the two of them WILL find that level of openess and forgiveness- not only toward each other- but also for themselves. Oh and also love that you gave us a touch of snarky Bobby too... His interaction with Cas has quickly become some of my favorite. Thanks for this belated Christmas goodie... now I need to go back and leave a review for Love Something...
Author's Response: Thanks, Tree. Sarah actually gave me some wonderful detailed descriptions of a snowfall, what it's like to walk through different types of snow, the sounds that you'd hear in the woods both during and after a snowstorm, plus some really pretty pics of the woods near her home all covered in that funny white stuff. So I had a wealth of info to draw from. And of course, I had her back-up to check my work and make sure I had it all right - lol. Thank you - I love snarky Bobby too - actually I just love Bobby. Really looking forward to meeting Jim at the Australian Con in May. And yes, I'm hoping that the brothers will find forgiveness in each other before the end, and that they will accept it. Because they really are stronger as a team, and they need to realise that the wedge that was driven between them last year wasn't only caused by them, it was reinforced by angels and demons as well. Because only apart were they vulnerable, and Sam ripe for manipulation. Hope you had a great Christmas, hun. Jules
Reviewer: darkhunter (Signed) · Date: 27/12/09 11:05 AM · On: Chapter 1
What a great story, i really enjoyed it, just wonderful,lucky you, all that lovely heat, it's snowing where i live and i hate the cold lol. Merry christmas x.
Author's Response: Thanks, Lindsay. Ugh, not sure I'd be envious of the heat - it's been pretty sticky and steamy here the last few days. I actually don't mind the cold, although if I lived in snow, I'm not sure how I'd feel. I think the novelty would wear off after a while - lol. But I'd love to be in a snowstorm just once - not a blizzard, but just to see snow falling and experience it. Thanks for dropping in and reading. I'm chuffed that you enjoyed it. Wasn't sure I'd have it finished in time but I got there at the end - lol. Hope you had a good Christmas. Jules
Reviewer: bia1007 (Signed) · Date: 27/12/09 08:18 AM · On: Chapter 1
Simply beautiful, loved the message here, that the love of family endures and that there is hope even in the deepest darkness (Sam...pressed his free hand over his heart, keeping his gaze averted. "I - I feel them - the deaths. All of them," he added softly. "Right here.") and Sam and Dean at the end always find their way back to each other. A perfect Christmas gift!
Author's Response: Thanks, Sabine. I wanted to end the story with hope, because I believe strongly in happy endings. But Mr Kripke hasn't given us a lot to latch onto lately, so it was a bit hard to finish the fic on a high note. I think I ended up with a tiny little high - like a wistful high, so I'm glad it worked. I'm hoping too, that they find their way back to each other - the brothers truly are each other's strength, and they need to keep that thought firmly in the forefront of their minds. And not allow any entities - heavenly or otherwise - drive them apart again. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas, hun. Jules
Reviewer: usaexpat (Signed) · Date: 27/12/09 04:01 AM · On: Chapter 1
Loved how Dean called the baddie Yoko...it worked well and you definitely could see him doing that in the show..you have the brother's mannerisms and characters down so well! great job
Author's Response: Thank you for that. I wasn't sure how the Yoko reference would come across, so I'm glad it worked. It was just too good to pass up, and seemed to me a very Dean thing to say given the similarity of the names. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas, despite the in-laws - or is that out-laws...LOL. Jules
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