Happy almost March, folks! Your Community Coordinators are busy with helping to run the annual pre-Golden Ink Awards review event, but never fear, the monthly round up of interviews with site-wide award winners is here!

February's staffer of the month is one of our moderators and currently performing as an admiral for the "Race Around the Galazy" review event, @grand admiral lostinthelightss!

I N T E R V I E W
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What are you currently reading (fic or otherwise)?
Ooh so many fics with the review event going on! @eternal admiral abhorsen's shenanigans, @dark admiral down-in-flames's quidditch!fic and big reputations (a six of crows chatfic that has me absolutely dying every chapter), @dreamshadow's cruel summer (GO READ THIS NOW if you haven't already started), and also just trying to hit at least one but preferably all of everyone's shooting stars of the year (time permitting of course)!

Otherwise, I am listening to Elle Kennedy's The Score on audiobook (this might be my 5th time reading the book but who cares!) and I've been stuck on the prequel of Throne of Glass for two months now sooooo....

What are you currently writing?
Kingdom Keys (the reactions to chapter 3 are exactly what I was hoping for so it's been spurring me to keep on with chapter 4 writing, an absolutely chaotic SoC chatfic on ao3, and ive been dabbling with the idea of continuing some of my old things, but nothing concrete yet!

What are you currently watching?
So much! I watch something whenever I'm working just to have something in the background, and recently it's been Sweet Magnolias, Catching Killers, Disenchantment, Inventing Anna, The Tinder Swindler, as well as recap videos on youtube and tiktok of Euphoria, Love is Blind, and The Bachelor. Also Bridgerton season 2 is coming and I am excitedddd!!!

Where do you hang out on the forums a lot right now?
The review event!! (i mean... obvs  ) But i am hoping that as school winds down I can move some of my focus over to the blog portion of the forums. I really want to write up more recommendations, and maybe some other projects, and I just think it's an underused part of the forums that could be really fun to play with!

The story of the month for February was The Pride of Burrough House by @Admiral R.G. Friday!

I N T E R V I E W   W I T H   T H E   A U T H O R
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What was the inspiration for The Pride of Burrough House?
@tatapb got me really into Georgette Heyer a couple years ago. The books are so clever and fun, partially because of the charming, zany plots, and partially because of the level of detail in them re: Regency life, places, things, etc, and all of the cant (slang). It's addictive. So Maria and I actually got to talking at some point and she had the idea first of a Regency AU. She ended up not running with that idea, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to put my favorite characters into these farcical scenarios in this era. Ultimately, the tone of BH has ended up being a bit more serious at times, not just a total farce all the way through, though a couple of the plotlines definitely started out with that vibe in mind!

Which character has been your favourite to write?
In an ensemble cast of like 15+ you ask me who my favorite is? Rude.  I'm gonna take a hard left away from any Weasleys because it's impossible to compare them. Penelope Dawlish. I feel like I could write her all day long. And the great thing about her is that she (in her interactions with Constance Avery and/or Percy) is a great medium through which to convey a lot of information about conventions (and constraints) of that era.

How have you found writing such a large group of characters?
I love it... it has its own challenges, but also it just gives you so many different possibilities. I mean, the nice thing is that if I get stuck with one character or storyline... I can just hop over and work on another. 

Which storyline are you most looking forward to writing within the story?
Percy/Audrey. Did you already know I was going to say that? I mean, I legit just love the plot I've devised for them. And along with that is the storyline of the relationships among the Clearwater sisters as well.

But also. I think I'm going to have some fun with Romione when we finally get there.  

The member of the month for February is someone who has been around the site awhile and always has lovely commentary in reviews she leaves, @Oregonian!

I N T E R V I E W
| O R E G O N I A N |

What are you currently reading (fic or otherwise)?
I am currently reading a couple of books about religion (one of the many topics I read). Jesus the Teacher Within, by Laurence Freeman, a Benedictine monk, is a book I fished out of the wastebasket at my place of work (it probably arrived in a box of food donations). The Last Week, What the Gospels really teach About Jesus's Final Days in Jerusalem, by Marcus Borg and John Crossan, is my Lenten reading for this year.  Studying these topics and writing a story like Tiramisu go hand in hand for me.

What are you currently writing?
My very current writing is dozens of reviews for the Race Across the Galaxy review drive (does that count?).  Other than that, it's my long promised story The Crofter and the Snake.  My current writing instructor says we should not try to write "The Book" because it may end up with our not writing anything at all, and he's almost right.  I haven't produced many words this year -- writing C&S is almost like delivering a baby, slow and hard -- but it's got to be done, nevertheless.  Does that make sense?

What are you currently watching?
Currently I watch British archaeological videos (reruns of the Time Team series) -- I can't get enough of that ancient and medieval stuff, and history documentaries.  Listening to the archaeologists talk is really helpful.  Do they really say "Crikey"?  Yes, they do.  So I can use that word in my characters' dialogue.

Where do you hang out on the forums a lot right now?
Right now, I'm hanging out more hours per day than I should be in the Review Drive, but I must say that I have read some great fics that I wouldn't have read otherwise, and my teammates are the best! Absent a review drive, I like the unhurried and serious milieu of the writers' journals and sporadically-appearing threads to discuss writerly questions (e.g. How important is it for chapters to have titles?)  Plus giving "Love" and "Cat-hug-bunny" reactions to everyone's comments!

Most attentions are on the review event right now, so here are just a few other interesting things:

 Welcome to the site's newest members, @steph and @Kansas Moth!

 There's been a lot of blog activity lately, mainly due to fic recs for the race across the galazy event. @grumpy viper pilot in particular has posted several recs in her blog+. But also check out @Felpata_Lupin's thoughtful musings about the various romantic interpretations of Sirius Black+ and @blast aph's post about The Untamed+, a fandom you may not be familiar with!

 Want to join in the reviewing fun but not sure where to start, ficwise? Or even if you're not able to participate in the event, maybe you're looking for something new to read? Check out the Viewing Deck+, where everyone can share their top 3 stories they've posted in the past year, and Navigation+, where we've been recommending more fics!

It's never too late to join in the Race Across the Galazy+ reviewing event! Round 2 is underway, soon to be followed by Inkys nominations, and then more reviewing!

Also, it's the last day to cast your vote for Story of the Month+ for March. Three brilliant fics are up for your consideration this month!

Finally, we hope you can join us for Fic Night+ on Saturday, 26 February at 8 pm GMT, where Madi will be reading and talking to @RogueSlytherinCadet about her Mina/Remus fic, A Few Mistakes Ago.