Hello Nine Lives family and friends! As we announced last week, the Nine Lives Archive is breaking away from our current host site, the Spuffy archive Elysian Fields. This is no small change, and we’ll be talking more specifically about Elysian Fields later this week so you guys get the full depth of just what a big change this is. However, such a massive shift inevitably kicks off a chain reaction of other changes. For us, a big one is within the administration staff.

It was Ravenesque who started the Nine Lives Archive, an effort to fill a void she saw within the fandom: to create a community by Caryl fans for Caryl fans. She is the reason we have Nine Lives at all. Ravenesque, while no longer an active admin, has still been the liaison between Nine Lives and Elysian Fields for the past year. With the break to a new domain and our own server, Ravenesque has passed full ownership of the Nine Lives Archive to Fairies Masquerade. She may not be continuing with the administration team, but she will continue to be recognized and respected as Nine Lives’ founder, with the mission statement she set forth at the beginning continuing onto the new version of Nine Lives and beyond.

Leaving Elysian Fields means that we will also be saying goodbye to our tech goddess, Susan. Susan is an administrator of Elysian Fields but she is not a Caryler, nor even in The Walking Dead fandom at all. Yet she has acted as our only tech support since our inception. Her time and assistance here has been nothing but pure generosity on her end. Many of the things that could be taken for granted - beyond the archive itself, like our private message system, the shout box, the MOTM system - were all done by Susan. She has been a huge lifesaver for us and we are eternally thankful for everything Susan has done for the archive.

With that, we get to announce an addition to the Nine Lives administration team. We were in need of a new tech guru to help us out behind the scenes of our new home and we’ve found him: the aptly named Tech Guy. (Don’t blame him - FM created his account & we all know she’s bad at naming things, so… yeah.) Tech Guy is actually a real-life friend of Ikkleosu, giving us 2 Scots on the admin team now! While he isn’t in the fandom, he’s agreed to help us out with any server issues or upgrades that may come up that are beyond the scope of what FM, Subs & Ikkles can handle on their own.

(A note on that - most of the issues you might experience are things that can actually be resolved by FM, Subs or Ikkles, so please do not PM Tech Guy if you can’t remember how to change your password. He’s here strictly for major behind the scenes issues. Everything else is handled by the regular admin team.)

And finally, we have one more addition to our administration team! Meeshie has served as the Chat Administrator since Nine Lives opened. With the move to a new site, she has also taken it upon herself to be our official coder, and is the one creating the new site skins we will be premiering upon our move. With this increase in status, we’ve accorded meeshie full administrator status of Nine Lives. She is not a full site administrator (by her own request), but she will continue to serve as our Chat Administrator and be recognized as an equal alongside the regular admin team.

The rest of the staff lineup will stay the same! Jaibhagwan and sweettooth7 will continue to serve as chat moderators under meeshie on the new Nine Lives site. Fairies Masquerade, Subversivegrrl and Ikkleosu will continue to work hard as the administrators of Nine Lives, doing their best to keep this place running as the Caryl safe haven it’s become.

Greetings and salutations Caryl fans, McReedus lovers, readers, authors, guests and all the wonderful members of our Nine Lives family!

We’ve come a long way in the year and a half this archive has existed. We’re nearing the end of our 2nd hiatus stretch (4 weeks until Season 6! Woooo!) and we’ve experienced games, challenges & amazing themed events. We’ve laughed together (thanks Team Fluff!), cried together (curse you, Team Angst!), and everything in between.

When Ravenesque launched Nine Lives in January 2014, it was with the intent of creating a safe haven for Caryl fans, free from the rampant troll attacks and drama that permeates other fan fiction sites to this day. She stated our mission with the following:

I believe there is a great need to foster community around our ship, gathering all our fantastic fanfiction in one place so that anyone seeking it out can find it easily. With this site I hope to foster that sense of safety within our own community, support for writers and readers with the inclusion of the chat box and chat room, a beta service, a moderated service that helps those entering the fandom to improve their work and thus improving the reading experience of all Carylers that want to read quality fanfiction. What we are about is acceptance and support, love of Carol and Daryl, Melissa and Norman, and hopefully a place where our detractors can recognize that this is not their space to impose upon.

In large part, we feel we have succeeded in carrying out that vision. Our growth has surpassed anything we could have ever imagined for ourselves at this point and all of that is in thanks to you: the members of the Nine Lives Archive. Without you, there is no Nine Lives Archive. To those who are here, from the daily shout box chatters to the constant reviewers to those who lurk and read from the quiet shadows: thank you. 

The archive itself was created and has been maintained for the duration of its run to this point as an offshoot of the Spuffy fan fiction archive Elysian Fields. We are a guest, hosted on their servers, created with their resources, their time and from their members, especially our tech goddess Susan (neither a TWD fan nor Caryler, she nevertheless has devoted huge chunks of time behind the scenes to keeping Nine Lives alive). Their generosity has been overwhelming, their support unwavering and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude that we will carry with us forever.

After much discussion between the various admins, we feel that the time has come for change and further growth. Nine Lives is strong enough to stand on its own two feet. We are breaking away from Elysian Fields, ready to stand tall amongst the halls of fandom with our own true identity. In other words:

WE’RE MOVING! 

Breaking away from Elysian Fields means a lot of changes ahead for us. In two weeks, we will be moving the site to our new servers. We’ll be announcing a lot of changes and modifications over the next few weeks, both before and after the move, including: 

• A new domain (website) – this will be announced shortly before the move itself so you can update your bookmarks accordingly


• New site skins!


• New events and challenges


• New and updated site content!


• Updates to our tumblr and twitter accounts


• Staffing changes


• And so much more…

The move will occur around September 24-25. The exact date will be announced soon so you can “prepare” yourselves, as the site will be down for a minimum of 24 hours while the move takes place. NOTE: Everything - your user accounts, including PMs, preferences, favorites & reviews - will transfer as is to the new server. You shouldn't lose anything in transition.

It’s big days ahead for us! We know that for some, change can be scary – please trust us. We’ve worked incredibly hard at this for a long time and we think you’ll be very happy with what we’ve cooked up. We know a lot of you may have questions, so feel free to hit up the comments section of this post or send a PM to Fairies Masquerade, subversivegrrl or Ikkleosu. Flail in the shout box, by all means, but if you have questions, it’s much better to reach out to the admins via post comments or PM.

Onward and upwards, Nine Lives family! Away we go!

Greetings and salutations to all the members of our Nine Lives family: old and new, young and small, tall and… something else. The days are long and warm, the sun is shining but alas, the lack of The Walking Dead, and more particularly Caryl, tears at our souls. Luckily for us, we have had quite the eventful summer here on Nine Lives so far!

Our Round Robin teams are still going strong & putting out amazing new chapters to kill us with feels. We’ve done Smutfest!, Featured Flashbacks, Awesome AU Featured Stories, the AU Prompt-A-Thon, all while continuing our monthly traditions of Members of the Month and our ongoing Writers Chats series.

What more could we possibly bring you for August? Well, I’ll tell you. The theme for August here on Nine Lives is... VACATION! 

As in: we the administration staff are taking one.

That’s actually not as terrible as it sounds. There is a LOT cooking behind the scenes of Nine Lives, stuff that has been simmering between FM, Ikkles & subs for months now and it’s all about to come to fruition in September. The three of us really need to take the time to make sure everything is ready for those upcoming events; so in August, there won’t be any writing challenges. (Emphasis on the writing – you’re still getting a challenge! You didn’t think we’d leave you guys with nothing, did you?) We’re also putting the Writers Chats on hold until September. However, as always, the chat room itself is open to our members for their use & we highly encourage you guys to take advantage of it!

All of us – FM, Ikkles & subs – will still be on Nine Lives every day doing our usual admin tasks, writing and reading all of the amazing stories the archive has to offer. So while we’re on ‘vacation’ from all the extra stuff, we won’t actually be gone. (In fact, we'll be working harder than ever - you just won't see it for a while.)

“But what are we supposed to do for all of August?” we hear you ask.

Summertime vacation is all about relaxing and the ideal summer day is spent lazing about in the sunshine reading a good book. With that in mind, we present to you your challenge for August:

THE CHALLENGE

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to read and review as much Caryl OR McReedus fanfiction as this site has to offer! (And that’s a lot!)

The fun part? WE WANT PROOF! This is a Photo Challenge! Take your laptop or phone or Kindle and read new stories, or your old favorites: on your porch, in a hammock, in a tree, at the beach, by the pool, in a coffee shop, at the mall, with your pets, with your friends (for those of you lucky enough to live near other Caryl fans!), using Carol and Daryl Funko pops or action figures, wearing TWD merch. Anywhere and any which way you can think of. You do not have to show your face in these photos – we know that’s not everyone’s jam and that’s ok! Just have fun with it.

THE RULES

• Read and review stories here on NL!


• Take a picture! Take LOTS of pictures – multiple submissions are not only allowed, but encouraged!
  
  
  
  • You do not have to include your face in the photo
  
  
  • Photos must show a story on Nine Lives open on your phone, computer, Kindle, whatever
  
  
  • It must be a different story open per photo!
  
  
  
  


• You must leave a review on that photographed story for each photo submitted. We will be checking!


• Submit your photo via one of these methods:
  
  
  
  • tumblr: http://ninelives2.tumblr.com/submit
  
  
  • Email: http://ninelivesarchive.com/contact.php
  
  
  • Twitter: https://twitter.com/NineLivesCaryl
    
    
    
    • Please do not submit your photos to an admin via PM – that’s more than our inboxes are prepared to take on.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Submissions must include the following in addition to the photo itself:
  
  
  
  • Your Nine Lives username
  
  
  • What country you’re from
  
  
  • What story you’re reading in the photo
  
  
  
  


• Photo submissions are due by August 29!

We will be doing some cool stuff with the photos submitted, so stay tuned for more on that later! In the meantime, get out and get reading! As always, if you have any questions, please PM an admin.

Happy reading and Caryl on!

Happy Weekend, Caryl fans! Today, we round out our All About AUs theme here at Nine Lives with our final challenge event of the month - the AU Prompt-A-Thon!

Nobody wants to hear us ramble on when there are new stories to read, so here is the list of those brave folks who took our challenge head on:

• Private Tour by Stellamare - Aquarium AU


• Last Call Coffee Guy by Starfur373 - Last Minute Customer AU


• Guns and Roses by Equuleus86 - Old West AU (multi-chapter)


• Stolen Cars, Stolen Hearts by mamatito40 - Stolen car w/ other person asleep in the back AU (multi-chapter)


• Sand In Your Fingers by lovesdaryl - Old West AU (multi-chapter)


• Marry You by sweettooth7 - combined Last Minute Customer/Panic Attack-Comfort AU


• Dust in the Wind by faegal04 - Old West AU (multi-chapter)


• The Lion, The Drunk and The Wardrobe! by ramblesandshambles - Mutual drunk friend calls both to pick him up AU


• On the Run by AmalynJon - Stolen car w/ other person asleep in the back AU


• Crimson Heart by Stephtron312 - Old West AU


• Mermaid Matchmaker by Argent Gale - Aquarium AU


• Iced Tea and Cigarettes by krissgy927 - Last Minute Customer AU
  


• Shut Up and Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is by Liddym2113 - Memory Loss AU (multi-chapter)


• Drunk Dialing by ramblinrose - Mutual drunk friend calls both to pick them up AU


• Every Friday Night by vickih - Last Minute Customer AU

Many challenge participants sent the admins some frantic PMs going "OMG THIS HAS GOTTEN TO BIG WHAT DO I DO?!" which (aside from making FM cackle with glee to the point she started scaring people) opened up the door to several multi-chapter stories getting their start with this challenge. We have noted those stories whose authors have intended to go on longer than your average one-shot.

You can find the full list of prompts the authors had to chose from here.

THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO HAS PARTICIPATED IN ALL ABOUT AU MONTH! This has been a resounding success for the Nine Lives Archive! Repeat next year? We think so!

Happy reading and Caryl on!

Happy “All About AU” month, everyone! Can you believe we’re halfway through the hiatus already? Season 6 will be here before we know it! The response this month for our AU theme has been huge, so thank you to everyone that has participated so far! To continue with our theme for July, we decided to present the next challenge in our 2nd annual Summer Survival Series. It’s an AU Prompt-A-Thon, y’all!

THE CHALLENGE: Write your very own Caryl-AU story based on one of the prompts listed below (No McReedus this time – sorry, folks!)

THE DEADLINE: Submissions are due by midnight PST on July 30! Posting day is July 31.

THE RULES: Our oldies should know the routine by now, but for our wonderful newbies, here’s how this works:

• Send a PM to Fairies Masquerade,  Ikkleosu or subversivegrrl stating that you’re going to enter the challenge. This is very important! If we do not get a PM, you won’t be on the list.


• Write your fic!


• You can submit multiple entries – as many as you like, but each must be based off a different prompt provided


• Each story submitted must be a minimum of 100 words


• DO NOT UPLOAD IT YET! Wait until July 30 to upload your fic – just like in challenges past, we will be suspending automatic validation for that day for all authors who enter the challenge.


• Submission Day is July 30 – post your story. It will not appear on the archive, but will enter our validation queue. Make sure you submit it under the Nine Lives Challenge category!


• Posting Day is July 31 – We will post the master list and all of the challenges entries so everything shows up at once. That way, we’re all surprised by what we get to read! Any challenge fics posted before July 30 will be deleted.

THE PROMPT LIST: I have to say, there was much hilarity between the admins as we combed through dozens and dozens of prompt ideas for this. In the end, we tried to go with AU ideas that we haven’t seen put forward as often within the Caryl fandom. Some are silly, some are way out of the box, but all should be loads of fun to write and read! Here is what you have to pick from for this challenge:

• “We both tried to rob a bank at the same time”


• “That one jerk customer who always comes in 5 minutes before the store is about to close”


• “Person A’s band plays a gig and Person B is drunk as hell dancing in front of the stage”


• “Person A calling Person B while having a breakdown and Person B running as fast as they can to comfort Person A”


• “Person A works at an aquarium, Person B is a regular visitor.”


• “Person A is a prince/ess, Person B is a servant. They weren’t supposed to fall in love but it happened anyway.”


• “Person A knows nothing about camping and comes across Person B while freaking out because they think they heard a bear”


• “Caryl in the Old West”


• “A mutual drunk friend called both Person A & B to come pick them up from a party. Awkwardness ensues.”


• “Person A slapped Person B’s ass thinking it was their friend but realizing Person B is a stranger”


• “Person A stole Person B’s car without realizing Person B was asleep in the back”


• “Both woke up in the middle of nowhere together with no memory of who they are or why they’re there.  From ID cards/licenses, they figure out their names but that’s it. They have to work together to remember what happened and get back to civilization.”

Who is Person A and Person B for each prompt? Well, that’s entirely up to you! We’ve given you 12 possible starting points. You have 2 weeks. What are you still reading this for? GET WRITING ALREADY! 

As always, PM an admin or comment here if you have any questions.

Happy writing and Caryl on!

Greetings and salutations, Nine Lives family! The time has come once again to shine the spotlight on two of our members. Nominated from within your ranks, please give a shout of hooray for July's Members of the Month: CarolPeletier and Liddym2113!!

CarolPeletier - Author of the Month

What draws you to the Caryl ship?
I watched my first episode of The Walking Dead in late September of 2014.  My sister bought me the first season and just said “trust me, you’ll love it.”  And I went out and bought the other four seasons as soon as I finished with Season 1.  By early Season 2, it was obvious to me that Daryl was much more than what he was presented to be at first.  And then when they were interacting more with Sophia being gone, I was totally enthralled by the chemistry between the two of them.  I was already shipping them before I ever even went online and saw there was a whole community of shippers out there thinking the same things I was!

I love the parallels between the characters.  He comes from an abusive home.  She comes from an abusive marriage.  He doesn’t really know how to connect to people, and she seems to flourish after Ed’s death. I love the way they can tease each other and talk to each other and understand each other so easily.  I especially love how Carol has such faith in him; how she believes he’s a good man and a man of honor.  I also love how Daryl so quickly understands that Carol did what she did to Karen and David, knowing she had her reasons and how he knows she would understand if he left with Merle.  They are so connected, even when they’re apart, and it’s just the most fascinating thing to watch.  I hope to see them interacting on my TV for many more seasons together.

Who are your writing influences?
Oh, that’s a tough question.  I’ve always loved to read.  In college, I especially got into short stories, stories that had a punch and really made you think.  I love to read all genres and styles, and I have had a passion for writing since I was young.  Other fanfic writers inspire me.  I hadn’t written much of anything for a few years before I discovered the beauty of The Walking Dead and began to read fan fictions.  I’ve read some beautiful ones here on Nine Lives.  TheWalkingCaryl is one of my biggest influences (and sounding boards) because I am constantly amazed at the beauty that comes out of her fingertips when she writes. 

Honestly, when I read a really good fanfic, and it makes me think, it’ll stay with me, and sometimes, I think that influences the way I write, the way I view things, and the way I want my readers to view a scene.  I love those writers who can really evoke a powerful emotion in their readers.

How do you handle writer’s block?
Admittedly, not very well.  Sometimes I have the hardest time just thinking of something to write.  I will stare at my computer for the longest time, read other fics, watch a favorite TWD episode, and still, sometimes, that inspiration never comes.  I sometimes get on Tumblr and encourage people to send me prompts.  I love to brainstorm.  Sometimes, I will type out a list of scenarios I would love to read in fanfic, and sometimes, I attempt to write them. 

I think my most successful method of handling writer’s block is to just start writing.  Sometimes it’s no good, sometimes it stirs something inside of me that gets me writing like crazy.  No Regrets happened when I was having terrible writer’s block, and so did Kismet.  They are two of the fics I’m most proud of today.

Anything you want to say to your readers?
Thank you!  Just simply, thank you.  I know I don’t always respond to feedback, and my crazy busy life and work schedule keeps me off the net a lot, but I truly appreciate each and every review left, because sometimes, just reading your reactions helps me form the next piece of my story.  Sometimes I’m hanging on the precipice of a decision, and reading a particularly moving review might sway me in one direction or the other.  I sometimes enjoy NOT knowing where I’m going to end, even if I have a general idea of what I want to do, and I like having a sort of interactive approach to it, and you guys have no idea how many times I’ve been inspired by a simple review.  Thank you so much for your support!  You guys are amazing!

Liddym2113 - Reviewer of the Month

What draws you to the Caryl ship?
First of all, I would say it is the AMAZING chemistry between Melissa McBride and Norman Reedus. The two of them on screen together have something incredibly rare and special and it is simply magnetic. I can't help but be drawn to them. Secondly, the characters simply "get" one another. I am a huge fan of the shows Friends and Grey's Anatomy, and I feel like their relationship is a great combination of both being one another's "Lobster" and being one another's "person." I can't help but think of a post I saw on tumblr one time that said, in any world, in any universe, I would choose you. That to me is Caryl defined and what makes me love them so much.

What do you look for in a story to keep reading?
I love it when there is simmering chemistry and tension betwen the characters. Believable, natural dialogue is important to me as well. It doesn't matter if it has fluff, angst, smut, or drama...I just like a story to make me feel things. Stories that jump off my screen and bleed emotions through the words, whether happy or sad, are my favorite thing.

What are your top five favorite stories?
Here is where I'm gonna cheat because I can't pick just five, so I'm going to pick 5 WIP's and 5 Completed ones. (FM knows I'm a rebel.) WIPs: Mad City by Fairiesmasquerade, My Heart is In You by Bonnyblonde, Contrapposto by Darylsdiva1, Sunny Side of You and Me by Stephtron312, The Spare Room by 27 dayz (on ff). Completed: I am the Danger by wndrw8, Caress by Stephtron312, Salt and Stone by FM, Slow Fire Burn by Racerlovesloopy, and Roses and Thorns by Bonnyblonde. Legit, I love so many fics that this doesn't even begin to cover them all, but these are ones I go back to again and again (and again.)

Anything you want to say to all the Caryl authors out there?
I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU!!! No, seriously. I do. Caryl fic has gotten me through some of the worst times of my life lately, and it is such a form of escape that I can't thank all of you enough for putting yourselves out there and creating these wonderful works of art! You all are such talented, gorgeous, lovely people. Truly the best in the fandom. And to anyone who is considering writing, don't be afraid. It's scary but so worth it, and you never know whose lives you may impact with your words. xoxoxo!!!!

Hello Caryl fans! This was the down and out dirtiest challenge ever: SMUTFEST! To those who answered the call, we salute you.

Without any further ado, here is the master list of fics for the Smutfest! challenge:

• Peel Me A Grape by If not for the moonlight




• Onesies and water bowls


• The red beanie


• The black rhinoceros


• From under the blanket




• Rush by Equuleus86 (McReedus)


• Five Minutes by Caryl Warrior


• Stages of Grief by NotLaura


• Is That the Diet Coke Guy? Take 2 by Cooperative Pants


• Is That Alright? by PixieGrunger


• Watching and Waiting by halohunter89


• Pride by Lamport

There you have it! The smutiest of the smut from our Nine Lives members. 

A few people made arrangements with FM to post their stories a smidge late due to real life time constraints, so check back periodically - the list may get updated throughout the day! 

Otherwise, Caryl (or McReedus) on and happy reading!

Hi everyone! The time has come once more to celebrate two of our own, chosen by you to as stand out members of the Nine Lives family. Your June Members of the Month: wndrw8 (Author) and Rodgerse (Reviewer)!

As always, a huge shout out of thanks to untapdtreasure for creating the MOTM banners. 

Now, onto our featured members! :)

Wndrw8 (Author of the Month)

AWWW this made my day! I’m on vacation right now so my answers will be a bit short but this makes me so happy :))))

What draws you to the Caryl ship?
I'm drawn to this ship because I love Carol and I want her to be with the person that makes her happiest! On many occasions, Daryl's just really proven to be the man. I love how he looks at her--like she's his world. Love like that is rare and beautiful.

Who are your writing influences?
In the real world, I worship Hannah Tinti and Karen Russell. In fanfic I adore Lamport, NotLaura, sweettooth, leigh, and EleanorK.

How do you handle writer’s block?
I don't believe in writer's block. Sometimes you write more and sometimes you write less. Being forgiving of the leaner times is so important. Writing is like everything else--it ebbs and flows.

Anything you want to say to your readers? ;)
I love my readers. Like so much. There are a few of you (and you know who you are) that read and review everything I write. Such support is simply astounding!

Rodgerse (Reviewer of the Month)

I am completely floored by this win. I didn't think I had a chance since I haven't been reviewing as much since real life got busy and I have been beta-ing for lovesdaryl. I always keep reading but sometimes I don't want to just say "great job!” But I try to really make an effort in giving feedback. So here are my responses:

What draws you to the Caryl ship?
I am going to be totally honest here. What draws me to Caryl is Daryl. Daryl is a manifestation of all the hurt, anguish, and sadness a man can be while still trying to be a good man. His abusive childhood, dysfunctional love/hate relationship with Merle and his longing to belong make my heart cry. And because I want so much to make him better, I want the best for him and that can only be Carol. Carol has grown through her abusive marriage, loss of Sophia, and betrayal by Rick to become an extremely strong woman --a survivor. She also has an insight like no one else on what it takes to overcome abuse and rejection. This experience gives her the ability to not only understand Daryl but to feel what he feels. Her empathy and understanding of him goes beyond simple love but manifests itself as more like soul mates rather than just mates. And though at times TWD does not emphasize or show directly that bonding, I believe it is always there. Perhaps sometimes hidden but always there just below the surface.

Because this relationship is so different, so unlike other pairings, I am drawn to the possibilities. And it is these possibilities that draw me to Nine Lives. It is here that every aspect of this relationship can be explored. From an A.U. set on an alligator farm, to fighting aliens who have conquered earth, from the dark recesses of a back alley speak easy to the telling of each moment and scene we did not see on TWD—Nine Lives gives me a glimpse, a chance, a moment when the two can come together and just BE.

What do you look for in a story to keep reading?
Honestly, I just keep reading--good, bad, sad, smut, angst, love or just plain bad--I keep reading. I can't stop myself. It's like an addiction. And often, especially on this site, I find the golden moment--the words that give me the profound feeling "he has found her and he is going to be O.K." This moment can show up in a story that makes him laugh, that causes Daryl to give his trademark smirk. The moment Carol's eyes touch his and I just know from what I have read that they both know, they both feel the connection. Her teasing, her disappointment, and her fear for him I find all of these somewhere in each and every story I read. Even in stories where they don't get together--even there as painful as it is to know they won't be together--they really are because in spite of themselves their bond will never be broken and as such they will always be together even when their not. And so I keep reading, always on the look out for the "moment" and I am happy to say the writers on this site do not disappoint.

What are your top 5 favorite stories?
Impossible to answer!! How do I pick five gems from a chest over flowing with precious jewels? I have authors that I return to again and again-- lovesdaryl, bonnyblonde, Booksrbetter, CarolPeletier, clare009, DaisyG80, definitelywalkerbait, EleanorK, Fairies Masquerade, Haitus80, Jennifer_Collins, JJDernhelm, Lena Carr, Little Cinch, liveinadive, meeshie, NotLaura, queenpeletier, ramblinrose, Ravenesque, sweettooth7, The Readers Muse, TheWalkingCaryl, wndrw8, youremykindoftrouble and probably a dozen more that I have forgotten to list.

There is one story though that I have to say is my all time favorite but unfortunately it is not on this site even though I have asked the author to visit and consider contributing. Some of you may know her from Tumblr, her name is Praxid and she wrote "Wild", a story where Carol and Daryl are separated (kind of like FM’s "Three Little Birds"). This story moved me so much that I read it to my husband when we were on a car trip and (he will kill me for saying this) he wept and told me that was the most romantic thing he has ever heard. Pretty powerful stuff so I guess that's why it stuck with me. I truly have to say the authors on this site move me this way everyday and that it is why it is just too difficult to pick just five favorites.

Anything you want to say to all the Caryl authors out there?
First and foremost THANK YOU! You provide for all of us an opportunity to have our dreams become a reality through the thousands of words each of you provide this site. This community this "family" is one of the kindest, caring, and giving of any online community I have encountered. It is so obvious that the respect each and everyone has from writer to reviewer manifests into a loving, safe place. Please, please continue writing your wonderful stories; please continue sharing a little piece of yourselves with us. I know there is always someone's heart inside each and every story and I am so proud of the fact that each of you has the courage to share that special part of who you are with us. Because even though everyone is building around the characters of Daryl and Carol each story is still a part of the author--their baby. So for that reason I thank you again for sharing, for overcoming all obstacles and putting yourself out there. I am humbled by your awesome talent. Live Long and Caryl On.

At long last, after weeks of behind the scenes planning, of our teams coming together, planning and plotting, of writing, of gorgeous works of art being created, of pimping and promoting and basically the Caryl fandom coming together in the most positive way imaginable to make this happen, it’s finally here. The Nine Lives Caryl Round Robin is alive!

And wow, are we off to a rocking start! FM haas read both and let her tell you: feels. Feels everywhere. Feels beyond measure. But don’t take our word for it. Go read them yourself!

Team Angst presents: Seperari (dividus) To summarize, they simply posted the Team Angst motto - “Nos epulum super vestri lacrima” or “We feast upon your tears”. Our suggestion? Tissues. Lots of them.

Team Fluff presents: What’s In A Name It starts with a little fluff and will be followed by more fluff and will then maybe also have a little more fluff and then always added on top, a great big scoop of fluff! It's going to be great. Come ready to indulge in your sweet tooth!

SO GO FORTH, CARYL FANS! Feel the full spectrum of emotions these talented writers are bringing forth and stay tuned, because more is coming! Each team has nearly 20 members, so these stories have a ways to go yet! Members have been randomly assigned a chapter for their team and will have up to 2 weeks each to get their subsequent chapters posted, so keep an eye out for the updates on these two stories. It’s up to you now...

P.S. Thank you to memoriesinatrunk, Stephtron312, liddym2113, and littlecrossbow for sharing your incredible talents and giving us these amazing banners! (Listed in order of banner used) 

Rightyho Team Fluffinator, 

The first official chats will take place on Wed 29 April at 8pm EST and Fri 1 May 10pm EST (if you need help working out what that is in your local time, drop me a PM!) in the NL chat room. 

Friday will be the main chat to organise a Team Captain, decide if the team is dividing into smaller groups and discuss on an overall theme and story. Wednesday's chat is to accommodate those who can't take part in Friday's chat, but please feel free to come to both if you are able. 

Those who can't come to either chat will be able to get a transcript from both chats by PMing me afterwards. 

ALL Team Fluffy members are equally important, and we want everyone's input, so if you can't make it please drop me a PM to give your opinions on the matters discussed.

Team Angst members will be bustled out of the chatroom during these times by burly security guards. ;)

Note from FM: Hey! Who are you calling 'burly'?!

EDIT 4/29/15: HEY TEAM ANGST! Your team chats are Thursday April 30 at 4pm EST and Saturday May 2 at 9pm EST. Same guidelines as the Team Fluff chats posted above. Be there or be square!

Hello Nine Lives family and Mystery Game participants! Man, what a day to be in the fandom, eh? The sun is shining (well, it is somewhere – it’s raining here), the birds are chirping, filming for TWD Season 6 starts in 2 weeks, the hills are alive with the sound of Caryl and the one question on everyone’s mind is:

What the frickety-frak is this Mystery Game we keep hearing about?!

Ladies and gents, turn the lights down low and shut your faces, because the time has come for the first reveal of our Mystery Game!

We are playing… … … ... for the first time in Nine Lives’ history … … … *drumroll* … … … … 

(Ikkles & Subs: For the love of all that’s holy, FM, just tell them already!)

… … …  A CARYL ROUND ROBIN!

For those who may not know, a round robin is a type of collaborative storytelling in which a number of authors each write chapters of a story in rounds. For example:

My team decides we’re going to write an AU that takes place in a circus, with Daryl and Carol as circus performers. I write the first chapter, then Ikkles writes the second chapter and she has to go along with whatever I’ve posted in mine. Subs gets the third chapter and she has to follow whatever storyline Ikkles & I have started. And it goes around and around until the story is complete.

Make sense? Wonderful!

Those playing the game will be divided into teams. Each team will be given a theme on which their story must center. Each team will work with one of the admins to get themselves settled, including being given the opportunity to utilize the NL chat room for private planning sessions. Teams will have a week to plan, prep and schedule their rotation for the round robin, and then we’re off!

Now here is the really fun part. Remember when I said to let me know what genre you were comfortable writing in? You didn’t know it then, but you just picked your team for the Round Robin game! Mwahahaha… Sorry. I tend to get carried away with the evil cackle. Erm... anyway... Participants will be sent a PM over the weekend to let you know what team you’re on and all the details therein. (Those of you who said you were open to anything or failed to mention a genre are really in for a surprise!) 

If you still want to play but haven’t previously contacted Fairies Masquerade, you have until Sunday, April 26 to send a message to FM. The final teams will be posted at that time in our second game reveal. Remember: the round robin is open to anyone who wants to play, from the first time writer to the next JK Rowling. Bring it on! 

So throw your game faces on, folks. It’s time to get writing! 

Hello to all the members of our Nine Lives family! Whether you've been around for the past year and a half or you just signed up today, we're so glad you decided to enter our little Caryl madhouse. There are crazy levels of talent happening here. It is so awesome!

There are a few housekeeping items that I feel needed to be addressed. For once, I'm gonna try to keep things short and sweet... It probably won't work, but the intent is there.

• GREAT NEWS! The Writers Chats have become so popular that, in addition to hosting them twice a month now, we've added 2 people to our staff. Sweettooth7 and jaibhagwan are joining our team as Chat Moderators. They will assist meeshie and the admin team in running the Writers Chats starting in May. Welcome to the team, ladies!
  
  


• Our very own subvservivegrrl has been hard at work revamping the Beta 101 page. She's off to a great start and will be adding even more tips and resources for those looking for a beta and those of you looking to BE a beta. (Something we highly encourage!)
  
  


• The Summer Survival Series is returning! Round 2 of our popular fanfiction challenges will start in May, so get ready for a summer of fun!
  
  


• Speaking of fun... stay tuned for a super-special announcement to occur within the hour! DUN DUN DUUUUUUN...
  
  


• We've updated the FAQ page to be the primary one-stop source for answers. It's absolutely necessary, especially for our newer members, to review this page. It has the information the admin team gets asked about most. If for some reason, you don't find what you're looking for on the FAQ or things don't seem clear, please feel free to PM an admin or even just ask in question in the shoutbox!
  
  


• Speaking of the shoutbox, everyone please take a minute to review the Shoutbox Code of Conduct. Seriously. I'm begging you.
  
  


• We will be utilizing our Twitter account a lot more starting in May. If you're not following us already, do so! @NineLivesCaryl


• 
  

  I just wanted to point out a couple of helpful hints to our authors, and to any of our members who haven't posted their fics yet:

  
  
  
  
  • Chapter Notes: I notice a lot of people using this section to place their authors notes or disclaimers. This actually is the summary post for each chapter that ends up in the index/table of contents page of each story. I'd suggest placing any author's notes in the actual story text or at the 'End Notes' section.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • Copy/Pasting: If you're copy/pasting your story text from a program like Word or even Google Docs, click the button on the Story Text box that looks like a clipboard with a W on it. It will keep any special formatting (paragraph spacing, bold, italics, etc) that you have already done. It's a bit faster than copying and then reformatting within the system.
  
  
  
  

This site exists for you. We work as hard as we can to keep NL a haven for all Caryl/McReedus fans alike. The fact that you're here and you're enjoying the site means everything. Thank you. Thank you for making Nine Lives a wonderful home for all Caryl fans!

Now stay tuned for something amazing... 

What does that mean, "Welcome?" We've been here for months!

In fact, we're instituting a new feature that is something we've felt for a while was needed - a sort of orientation to the site.

From here out, new members will receive a "welcome letter" at the email address they used to sign up. Our hope is that it will give them a way to quickly become more familiar with what the site offers.

Take a look HERE - you may find features you weren't even aware were offered!

Hi everyone! It's that time again: time to celebrate in honor of our Members of the Month! Your April Author of the Month is EnglishPoet18 and your Reviewer of the Month is krissyg927! 

EnglishPoet18 (Author)

What draws you to the Caryl ship?
I have to be honest here and say that I haven't always shipped Caryl. I was late to the game (Hey it happens!). I remember visiting a friend out of town and we ordered dinner in and decided to watch Netflix. We were surfing the channels for something good when I just stumbled on The Walking Dead. The whole first season was already out, but from the first episode I was hooked. What started out as a slow crawl almost immediately transpired into me completely submerging myself into the world of TWD. 

I think it was in season 2 that I started to notice something there between Daryl and Carol. The way those two interacted intrigued me and I began to want to see more of them. Then one day a fellow Caryl shipper introduced me to the world of Fanfiction and I was lost. Yes, my first story ever was not Caryl (Can I say that here?), BUT I had no idea of ships nor did I know too much about the characters at the time. 

Then it happened. I stumbled across Haitus80's story, 'Saints and Sinners'. I binged like no one has ever binged before. I literally could NOT stop until I had read every single bit. I was hooked. That's when I attempted my first Caryl fic, 'Fallen Angels' and from there as they say, the rest was history. 

There's so much history and such a rich friendship between these two that it's almost impossible not to ship them. You would have to be blind not to see it. It is, perhaps, one of the most beautiful love stories without actually being a love story that I've ever witnessed. I'm almost afraid for the writer's to take it any farther just for the simple fact that I'm scared they will screw it up. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that Caryl is my baby and although I may branch out a little, a mother never abandons her babies. 

Did I answer the question? I feel like I danced all around it. I suck at this writing thing. 

Who are your writing influences?
Wow. Good question and there are so many ways to answer it.

E.L. James. HA! Just kidding! 

Stephen King, Dean Koontz, VC Andrews...my husband and my fellow fanfiction writers as well. I have met so many wonderful people here and they influence me every day. However at the end of the day - you are your own person and we shouldn't let anyone else influence us too much or then we wouldn't be the unique individuals that we are, now would we? 

How do you handle writer’s block?
Sigh. I loathe these two words. I've suffered through so many bouts of writer's block that I should have a surefire solution to it by now, but sadly I don't. 

Music helps. Spotify is my friend and sometimes all it takes is the right song for the moment and everything else can click right into place. 

If music fails then I'll try my hand at a oneshot or simply start writing whatever comes to mind and see where it takes me. This is how 'Soulmates' came into effect and I'm actually pretty proud of that piece. 

Sometimes I've found that simply stepping away from the laptop and digging up the ancient tools known as a pen and paper do wonders for my creativity. It forces my brain to focus on what I'm working and surprisingly does help. (Try it!) 

If all of those fail then I usually find myself on Pinterest or Youtube. If I've resorted to these methods then 9 times out of 10, I usually don't end up producing anything of value because I'm a great procrastinator.

Really...ask anyone. 

Anything you want to say to your readers? ;)
What are you all thinking reading my stuff?!? Do you not have better ways to spend your time? 

LOL...Seriously though - THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. 

I've been through a lot of ups and downs, had my share of trolls, and waited eons to update some stories *cough* Playing for Keeps *cough*, but even through all of that my readers have stuck by me. You all are some incredible people. Even when I manage to produce a crappy chapter they always make me feel cherished. I can't express enough what you all mean to me, but please know that I see and hear you all and you're much appreciated. 

I'm not sure how I managed to make author of the month, but I am honored. I think someone just got my name mixed up with someone elses, but I'll take it anyway. I'm easy like that (Don't think about that too much) 

krissyg927 (Reviewer)

Ok what draws me to the Caryl ship?
Carol first, from the moment she pulled that grenade out of her purse at the CDC I was blown away by her guts. She had it in her purse! She is my hero and I relate to her on a personal level. She has overcome a horrible marriage and tragedy. She is strong. Daryl is in my opinion her soulmate and I believe in soulmates in real life, too. That we meet who we are supposed to meet in life and learn the things we need to learn. So seeing it played out on the show and in wonderful fiction here makes my heart sing, for real. They both had such hard, awful lives. Then they met by some wonderful twist of fate. He showed her that all men weren't out to hurt her and she showed him he has worth. They helped each other grow and change and we get to watch. I could go on and on about this forever, total acceptance, no matter what, no jugement, complete trust, its just so beautiful. The actors, Melissa McBride and Norman Reedus, have created the perfect pair in my opinion. I don't think any other two actors would have done what they did. So what draws me is the soulmate/destiny factor I see in the relationship. It could have gone so different for them had they NOT met. I see them as two halves equaling one whole. They make each other better. Sappy but true for me.

What do you look for in a story to keep reading?
This is hard to answer because I love Caryl in all genres. As long as they are together I will read it. I actually haven't read any other books in over a year! I have read wonderful ZA, AU, Fluff, Smutt, I love all of it. I guess I just need a good story with lots of details. I am a detail person. I also like to know what the charecters are feeling in the moment. I need to know that for some reason. I also love when there's lots of other WD characters in the story. It can be angsty and emotional as long as they end up together. But I truly love everything I read.

What are your top five favorite stories?
Only five? This is not gonna be easy. I love everything I read.

• 1) Embers by Equuleus86- I totally got everything about it. I love it Big.


• 2) Of a Certain Age by Ramblinrose- I love Alice!!!, I also Loves Road Dogs :)


• 3)Fixes by The Walking Carol- I loved her Daryl, I always love him tho.


• 4) Landslide by Lamport- her portrayal of Carol making plans to escape touched me.


• 5)Safe Haven by Darylsdiva1- This is an awesome story read it if you havent.

I also really really love Fallen Angels, Atlanta PD, Contrapposto, To Never Get To Know You, Mad City, and every other story I have read here.

Anything you want to shout out to the authors out there?
What I want to say to the authors here is THANK YOU. I never know such a site existed, so thank you to the admin also. I work and go to school, have a family and a little stress in life, This is my escape and sanity sometimes.I love the stories I read and truly appreciate all the hard work everyone does. From the prespective of someone who doesn't write at all I have to say I am in awe of the talent here. Thank you so much.

Congratulations, ladies! Thank you to everyone who voted last month. Show these lovely gals some love and Caryl on!

Hello and welcome to all of our Nine Lives family, both old and new members, readers and authors alike! With the season 5 finale coming closer by the day, tensions are high and we could all use some relief. A few members have made similar suggestions to us over the past couple of weeks, so we decided it's time to bring some cheer back into the Caryl fandom.

IT'S FLUFF-A-PALOOZA TIME, Y'ALL! Bring us your happy, your sweet, your overly sugary fluffbombs of silliness and joy. We want them all! Here's how this is gonna work:

• THE PROMPT: Happiness. Silliness. Fluff. Comedy gold. Sweet tenderness. From slipping on a banana peel to first kisses (or first sexy times), drunken shenanigans to Hallmark-worthy marriage proposals. Caryl. McReedus. BRING IT ON! We want it all!


• It must be at least 25 words - that's a change from our usual 100 word limit. This is a drabble challenge, so they can be a little shorter. There is no maximum limit! If one of your submissions turns out to be a 4-chapter monster, then rock on! We won't stop you!


• You can submit as many drabbles as you want! No limit.


• THE DEADLINE: All entries are due on March 27, 11pm MST. Everything will be posted on March 28 - to give us all a day before the season finale to enjoy ourselves! (Extensions can be granted - talk to FM if that becomes an issue)


• THE RULES: Here is how you enter the challenge:
  
  




• Send a PM to Fairies Masquerade, Ikkleosu or subversivegrrl stating that you’re going to enter the challenge. This is very important! If we don’t get a PM, you won’t be on the list. 


• Write! As many seperate entries as you want!


• DO NOT UPLOAD IT YET!! Wait until March 27 to upload your fic – we will be suspending automatic validation for that day for all authors who enter the challenge.


• Submission Day is March 27 - post your drabbles. They will not appear on the website, but will enter our validation queue. Make sure you submit it under the Nine Lives Challenge category!


• Posting Day is March 28 – We will post the Master List and post all of the challenge entries so everything shows up at once. That way, we’re all surprised by what we get to read! Any challenge fics that are posted before March 28 will be deleted.

That's it, folks! This is the perfect opportunity for those of you who have been thinking about trying your hand at writing for the first time to come join in the fun! Drabbles are a great way to break into something and find your writing voice. Any questions, just comment here on PM an admin. Happy writing!