The Athenaeum Top-100 List for 2007!

Here it is...the Top-100 most read stories of 2007! The total for the year of links followed to stories we host or link to from other sites is 4,828,036. That's an increase over 1,302,699 from last year. This is our best measure of what is being read from our site.

Currently, our index contains 1356 authors' works totalling 5,788 stories. We had over 16.2 million hits on our server last year.

Now...on with the countdown!

100.

The Efficiency Expert by Micah6

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Vignette | Very Short Story - 8 pages | Finished | Sep-07
Honors/Awards: #100 in 2007

Can you encounter true love when trapped inside an industrial trash can? Can you actually have a PWP without sex? I'm going for it. I realize that means you're going to say "Point? What point?" I will happily admit there's not a point. I'm going for, hopefully, cute and short-much like & well, c'mon, work with me, people.

99.

October by Fingersmith

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Short Story - 48 pages | Finished | Jan-07
Honors/Awards: #99 in 2007

Libby Armitage doesn't believe in things that go bump in the night. She also doesn't believe that Jennifer Darby and her have anything in common. But a night vigil at the Falstaff Experience is enough for her to doubt more than her sanity.

98.

97.

Going Home by C. E. Gray

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative (Mature) | Romance (alt) | Novel - 221 pages | Finished | Aug-04
Cast: Kevyn, Bastiaan, Stacey, Shannon, Bobby, Rhett, Duke, San, Montana, Lisa, Moon, Patrick, Leslie
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #9 in 2004, #28 in 2005, #97 in 2007 Three-Time Top-25 #1.

In C.E. Grays' beautifully written account of growing up and finding you are different, AJ and her twin brother Bastiaan lead an idyllic life in a Montana ranch...or do they? As their 18th birthday approaches, AJ, who is dyslexic and whose entire world is the farm and the open spaces she will soon inherit, learns a secret about her twin brother about to go off to college. Simultaneously, new neighbors move into the nearby farm and she makes a new friend by taking the small green-eyed redhead home after being lost almost a day. That begins a friendship that threatens the world the tall lanky dark-haired youth has known...and makes her question who she is and where home really is. This is a great coming-of-age tale.

96.

95.

94.

93.

Torn Deep by Dragonjuls (JM Dragon)

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Drama | Novella - 73 pages | Finished | Sep-07
Honors/Awards: #93 in 2007

Susan Callahan's life as an archaeologist who specialized in ancient history ticked along without diversion. When hired to consult on the authenticity of works of art she knew where housed in the Smithsonian her life took a dramatic turn. Kidnapped and tossed over the side of a boat to drown, Susan finds herself rescued by a woman named Zea. Because she lost her glasses during the kidnapping she can't see the woman clearly but nevertheless feels drawn to her. After she returned to her safe existence, Susan fanaticizes about her rescuer and longs to see her again and tell her how she feels. After five years of letters and messages that lead nowhere she still held the mysterious woman up as her dream lover. A chance encounter at a museum has Susan beginning to let Zea go and move on.

92.

The Ice Princess by Larisa

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative (Mature) | Drama | Novella - 70 pages | Finished | Sep-02
Cast: Shay, Pez, Roy, Griffin, Betty, Jenny, Besom
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #73 in 2002, #41 in 2003, #54 in 2004, #74 in 2005, #87 in 2006, #92 in 2007 Top-25 #1.

The ER Chief Besom had two choices - either fire Dr. Shay Gerard, whom he'd just heard the umpteenth complaint against or turn it over to the one person who could find out the deepest secrets of a spy. Enter Pez - tall, long dark hair and eyes that could pierce into your very soul...and Chief of Surgery. Can her unorthodox ways help her help Shay? What...who is she afraid of? Read on and find out, although somewhat graphic, this is yet another romp in the warped world of Larisa that will make you laugh and cry.

91.

The Last Good Day by Amy Boatman

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Drama | Novella - 137 pages | Unfinished | Mar-07
Cast: Jordan, Bailey, Rufus
Honors/Awards: #91 in 2007

Jordan Jameson is a paramedic with a dark past. Bailey Lancaster is a kind hearted social worker. Will they manage to merge their lives and find love or will Jordan's dangerous secret tear them apart?

90.

The Edge of Nowhere by Annemaart

Xena | Alternative (Mature) | Drama | Novel - 336 pages | Finished |
Cast: Xena, Gabrielle, Pyrron, Lao, Thalia, Ma, Conqueror
Honors/Awards: #89 in 2006, #90 in 2007
Part 1 of the Conqueror Series
Series List: Edge of Nowhere (The), Path of Thorns

89.

Differing Shades of Grey by Hillsys Stalker

Xena | Alternative | Drama | Novel - 176 pages | Finished | Jun-07
Related Episodes: Return of Callisto (Xena)
Cast: Gabrielle, Xena, Nexa, Amarice, Rosaline, Cyrene, Perdicas, Ares, Aphrodite
Honors/Awards: #89 in 2007

What if Xena had stopped Callisto from killing Perdicas? What if Perdicas wasn't the perfect man that everyone thought he was? A man that has killed and has fought in wars can't be changed as easily as Perdicas was in the tv show. At least, that's what I think, anyways. There's something about bloodlust that appeals to warriors after they've killed. The only way you can change it is if you want to. Perdicas didn't want to. This story has a lot of spousal abuse, which I must admit, I didn't enjoy writing. This story is mainly about Gabrielle breaking out of her life with Perdicas so she can give a better future to her daughter while Xena adjusts to hers without Gabrielle in it.

88.

87.

Unspoken by Fingersmith

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Short Story - 18 pages | Finished | May-07
Honors/Awards: #87 in 2007

Rachel Thompson spends most of her time in the library. Not really the setting most people envision as romantic. But a chance meeting with a fellow researcher leaves her wanting more than old books. Maybe it was time to lift her head out from under the dust jacket and face real life.

86.

When Heaven Meets Hell by Dragonjuls (JM Dragon)

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Novella - 68 pages | Finished | Jan-06
Cast: Amelia, Olivia, Danielle, Marie, Teal, Max, Johansson, Axel, Santos
Honors/Awards: #72 in 2006, #86 in 2007
Part 1 of the When Heaven Meets Hell Series
Series List: When Heaven Meets Hell, Fatal Hesitation, Echoes of the Past

Dr. Amelia West, a noted psychologist, is asked by her childhood priest, Father Johansson, to visit a cloistered order of nuns and speak with one of the nuns. The father also asks a former cop turned private detective, Olivia Santos, to aid Amelia in solving the mystery of Sister Marie Clarise-Benoite. Hell meets heaven when the two women form a tentative bond in their search for the truth.

85.

84.

Everlasting by Mavis Applewater

Original / Uber | Ancient | Alternative (Mature) | Romance (alt) | Short Story - 18 pages | Finished | Sep-04
Cast: Rowan, Alithea, Peregrine
Honors/Awards: Top-25 #1. #84 in 2007
Part 1 of the Everlasting Series
Series List: Everlasting, Eternally

In this delightfully erotic tale, Rowan is a brave warrior with a secret to hide. Promised the hand of a Princess, the leader of armies and slayer of dragons fears nothing except their impending marriage. Will Princess Alithea accept that Rowan isn't exactly the person she's expecting?

83.

Hello Stranger by Ambrosia

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Novella - 55 pages | Finished | Jan-04
Cast: Brittany, Ben, Dave, Michael, Xena
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #11 in 2004, #59 in 2006 Top-25 #1. #83 in 2007

While in a catatonic state, Hannah Webster was actually reliving a past life. Her past life with a woman named Xena. It all ended when she died in Japa, her last memory being on a boat holding a small jar filled with her ashes?and then Hanna regained consciousness in the present. Some people, especially her parents, though she was not quite right. Now a best selling author, Hanna is not prepared for what her parents are capable of. But she will come to doubt her sanity herself when she meets up with Activity Coordinator, Brittany Sparrow, whose kinda familiar face and kind azure eyes are not those as a stranger at all.

82.

81.

Li'l Red by msprism

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Drama | Novella - 109 pages | Finished | May-07
Honors/Awards: #81 in 2007

Amy Fortune and her girlfriend Leone Garoul were very much in love. So in love Leone wanted her to meet the rest of her family in their remote holiday retreat in the heart of the mountains. What should have been a romantic holiday binding them closer together rapidly becomes a hellish nightmare tearing them apart. Can each overcome taboo and prejudice to survive as a couple or will secrets and lies destroy them forever?

80.

79.

What Mother Never Told Me by Leslie Ann Miller

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Drama | Novella - 97 pages | Finished | Jan-07
Honors/Awards: #79 in 2007

Over twenty years after the events in FIN, Thalia, Gabrielle's daughter, is abducted by Beowulf from the Athens City Academy of Performing Bards and goes on a journey of discovery and adventure to save the world from Loki (ultimately a FIN fix).

78.

77.

Death of a Conqueror by Lori A. Meyers

Xena | Alternative | Drama | Novella - 111 pages | Unfinished | Oct-06
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #61 in 2006, #77 in 2007

I've always wondered what would motivate a person to wreck havoc on the land they were born and raised in. Or more precisely, what would have motivated a young Xena to be a conqueror. For riches? For land? For the right to rule people by fear? Would such a truly malevolent person-who rules by fear alone-last long in the job? I kept coming up with only one answer: no. I mean, don't people tend to dispose of despots early in their reigns? (Though there are always exceptions.) Caesars and Hitler's don't last long, and the malicious bitch that is usually Xena the Conqueror wouldn't make it past her second year, more or less. This is a different kind of Conqueror story. I asked myself the question: what if Xena became a conqueror for all the right reasons? Or so she thinks. I present to you Xena Akolastos, the Conqueror that lives in the real ancient world that was Greece...

76.

75.

74.

For Life by Darkenedkarma

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Drama | Novella - 57 pages | Finished | Nov-07
Honors/Awards: Top-25 #1. #74 in 2007

Every moment of their life was mapped out for them. It was all for the good of the Pack. The rules were there to protect them. But, sometimes the rules couldn.t be followed.

73.

The Matchmaking Festival by filfil

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Drama | Novella - 78 pages | Finished | Feb-07
Honors/Awards: #73 in 2007
Part 1 of a Series
Series List: Matchmaking Festival (The), In Sync

Julia accompanies her friend Monika to the matchmaking festival of Lisdoonvarna, being Europe's biggest single event. Julia has lost hope of finding love in her life after surviving an abusive relationship, but with the purchase of a portrait, her life changed dramatically...

72.

71.

If We Had Sex by Vilia Kinell

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Vignette | Short Story - 12 pages | Finished | Oct-07
Honors/Awards: Top-25 #1. #71 in 2007
Part 1 of a Series
Series List: If We Had Sex, Thousand Words (A)

In a time of modern technology and instant messaging, a woman with no social life calls out for a change. She finds it online. The banter, the excitement, the danger of internet viruses... A pop-up ad will change her life!

70.

69.

Blue Calm by Larisa

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative (Mature) | Romance (alt) | Novella - 88 pages | Finished | May-03
Cast: Tucker, Duncan, Ripples, Furball, Mama, Steve, Carol, Linda, Batson, Sebastian
Honors/Awards: 2003 Story Of The Year. Perennial Favorite Award: #1 in 2003, #14 in 2004, #15 in 2005, #48 in 2006, #69 in 2007 Fan Favorite In The Category Of Mushball Story. Top-25 #1.

Tucker Danes is supposed to be on vacation in Hawaii with her fianc? Steve, and it's NOT what she expected. All he cared about was making a good impression with his boss, and Tucker was asking herself why she was with that looser. Then the unthinkable happens and Tucker leaves him, set on returning home to Texas as soon as possible. As fate would have it, she can't get a flight home, and ends up at Mama's. There she'll experience what Hawaii and surfing are all about, the antics of Furball, Ripples and Dunc, and what love looks like when she looks into eyes as blue as the ocean. This is another laughter-filled romance with tender moments and some spew alerts, a la Larisa!

68.

Without A Front by Fletcher DeLancey

Original / Uber | Futuristic | Alternative | Drama | Novel - 884 pages | Finished | Oct-07
Honors/Awards: #68 in 2007
Links: Red Moon - Fiction by Fletcher DeLancey
Part 1 of the Chronicles Of Alsea Series
Series List: Without A Front

Raised in the halls of power and holding the highest title in the land, Lancer Andira Tal is used to being prejudged because of her rank. When she meets a woman who sees beyond it, she finds her own lifelong assumptions brought into question . at a time when political maneuvering jeopardizes everything she holds dear.

67.

Stranger Paths by Kandis Glasgow

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative (Mature) | Romance (alt) | Novel - 171 pages | Finished | Jun-02
Cast: Candace, Ephiny, Kayla, Xena, Gabrielle, Senar, Lyceius
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #64 in 2005, #67 in 2007
Part 1 of a Series
Series List: Stranger Paths, Return to Reality, Convergence

66.

65.

64.

To Find What Was Mine by Red Hope

Xena | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Novel - 961 pages | Finished |
Cast: Xena, Gabrielle, Cyrene, Lila, Toris, Dan, Potestas
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #80 in 2003, #64 in 2007
Part 1 of the What is Mine Series
Series List: To Find What Was Mine, To Take What is Mine

63.

Second Son by A.K. Naten

Original / Uber | Ancient | Alternative (Mature) | Romance (alt) | Novel - 280 pages | Finished | Sep-04
Cast: Anton, Aldred, Gwynneth, Edgar, Weldon, Marquess, Alice, Earl
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #89 in 2004, #73 in 2005, #58 in 2006, #63 in 2007

A Medieval-era tale that follows the story of two people who are brought together under less than ideal circumstances, and must learn to adapt to each other, as well as their new lives. Deception, heartache, and twists of fate complicate feelings and alter futures, and relationships struggle between bouts of love and despair.

62.

61.

Scarz by Jynaki

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Drama | Novella - 90 pages | Finished | Jan-07
Honors/Awards: #61 in 2007

Devon Walsh is a self-sufficient business owner confined by self-recrimination, an existence she contends is her only option. Victoria Newcombe believes otherwise. It is up to Victoria to rescue Devon, to release her from the torment and show her life beyond the scars.

60.

59.

Right Between the Eyes by Fingersmith

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Short Story - 45 pages | Finished | May-07
Honors/Awards: Two-Time Top-25 #1. #59 in 2007

Sport's Day. The day Katie Clarke met the beautiful, yet desperately annoying, 'Miss Jefferson'. The day that her life was turned upside down and inside out. The day that she realized that life could definitely throw the pleasure / pain theory into the loop. But is it a day in which she would repeat over and over again?

58.

57.

Possessing Morgan: A Matter of Conviction by Aurelia

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Drama | Novel - 374 pages | Finished | Aug-07
Honors/Awards: #57 in 2007

Morgan O.Callaghan thought she knew what she wanted in life. Being a New York City detective had been a family tradition that she had willingly supported and, as .Mickey.s Girl., she had been exceedingly good at. Andrea Worthington had moved from her native Charleston to New York City to take up the position of Assistant District Attorney, much to the derision of her family. Their first meeting was like two freight trains crashing head on. Now a high profile murder case has thrown them together and they must find common ground if they are to work together.

56.

The Phantom by Larisa

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative (Mature) | Romance (alt) | Novella - 90 pages | Finished | Jun-03
Cast: Branson, CK, Leo, Lindsey, Amish
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #98 in 2003, #100 in 2004, #56 in 2007 Top-25 #1.

For the past two weeks, Branson Mahoney had been trying to catch the person who had been destroying equipment, materials and causing her building project to come to a screeching halt. Now with the backers breathing down her neck and her employees ready to quit, she took it into her own hands to find the culprit. Callaway J. Kuhrt made her way towards the trailer to make sure that no one was sleeping inside. Over the past two weeks, she had watched from a distance and then come into the site under the cover of darkness. What will happen these two finally met up? They will change each other forever, and teach everyone a thing or two about about what women can do. ;-) A fun and infirmative read!

55.

In All the Empty Places by Janneen Brownell

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative (Mature) | Romance (alt) | Novella - 126 pages | Finished |
Cast: Alec, Kellen, Jillian, Chasen, Brian, Brent, Los, Elane, Patrick
Honors/Awards: #35 in 2004 #55 in 2007

This is a well crafted, intriguing tale set against the backdrop of movie star Jillian Young, whose life has been and fraught with tragedy, and unbeknownst to many, dark secrets and their damaging consequences. Victoria Senett, whose father marries Jillian, becomes an integral part of the drama. On Jillian's behest, Vickie tries to interceed on her behalf with her daughter, only to rediscover and old flame and begin to unravel all the secrests, including the love she thought she'd lost.

54.

Trial by Fire by Vilia Kinell

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Novella - 51 pages | Finished | Aug-07
Cast: Erin, Alley, Ruby, Ginger
Honors/Awards: Top-25 #1. #54 in 2007

One day I found myself at the local loony-bin after a suicide attempt. During a fire I stole an identity in order to escape. So far all was just dandy, but I didn't expect to find a love interest in the midst of everything, let alone one that remembered my name -and the stolen name at that& This is the story of how I came to find certain truths about myself - all the while by lying to the one I loved most.

53.

Mary Katherine by Alex Tryst

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Short Story - 43 pages | Finished | May-07
Honors/Awards: Two-Time Top-25 #1. #53 in 2007

This is for everyone that had a first love. Remember how being near them was wonderfully terrifying, the excitement, the awkwardness of young love as your innocence faded into sexual awakening? How you longed to be close to them, to hold them, to love them, to please them. You would have done anything for them. This piece aims to capture that special moment in a young person's life when they feel alive in a way they never knew possible for the first time. Reminisce about your first love and enjoy!

52.

Fusion by J. A. Zollicoffer

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Novella - 92 pages | Finished | Mar-07
Cast: Camron, Antoinette, Ben, Bruce
Honors/Awards: Two-Time Top-25 #1. #52 in 2007

Camron and Antoinette are both loners, when they meet each other, they finally understand what making a connection with another person can mean.

51.

Turning Point by Larisa

Law and Order: SVU | Modern | Alternative (Mature) | Romance (alt) | Novella - 110 pages | Finished | May-04
Cast: Alex, Olivia, Elliot, Fin, Cragen, Munch, John, Liz, Jeffries
Honors/Awards: 2004 Story Of The Year. Perennial Favorite Award: #01 in 2004, #16 in 2005, #26 in 2006, #51 in 2007 Top-25 #1.

In this Law and Order: SVU homage, Detective Olivia Benson and ADA Alex Cabot become embroilled in a case that hits too close to home for them both and ends up getting them closer than they would ever admit to or allow themselves before. As the action builds to the fast-paced conclusion, the suspense will keep you glued to this series-worthy tale.

50.

49.

48.

Getting It Right by KG MacGregor

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative (Mature) | Romance (alt) | Novel - 150 pages | Finished |
Cast: Paula, Wynne, McKenzie, Rusty, Concierge, Connelly, Weller, Cheryl
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #24 in 2003, #65 in 2004, #6 in 2005, #100 in 2006 Top-25 #1.

47.

An Affair To Remember by Ambrosia

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Novel - 289 pages | Finished | Apr-02
Cast: Sonny, Jack, Laura, Leslie, Peter, Sarah, Chloe
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #44 in 2002, #2 in 2003, #77 in 2004, #19 in 2006, #47 in 2007

Inspired the movie 'You've Got Mail,' this finished work is a fine romance.

46.

45.

44.

The Rage of Eden by Lucien St Clare

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Drama | Novella - 136 pages | Finished | Sep-07
Honors/Awards: #44 in 2007

Rage Fenton is a nightclub owner with everything. A thriving business, a fantastic apartment, a hot ride and a she is dating Eden Payne a beautiful lawyer. One night Rage picks up a beautiful stranger who changes her life in more ways than one. Almost overnight Rage finds herself in prison and about to lose everything.

43.

Tycoons and Tearaways by anex

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Short Story - 37 pages | Finished | Apr-07
Honors/Awards: Top-25 #1. #43 in 2007
Part 2 of a Series
Series List: Heiresses and Harlots, Tycoons and Tearaways, Moguls and Mistresses

Darcy is presented with an offer she can't refuse from her ex girlfriend. Do the consequences spell disaster for the blossoming relationship between the heiress and the former harlot?

42.

Turning Tides by A.K. Naten

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative (Mature) | Drama | Novel - 272 pages | Finished | Dec-03
Cast: Alli, Madison, Liz, Ray, Allison, Whitton, John, Mark, Raiford, Stevenson, Vice, Elizabeth, Calhoun
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #17 in 2004, #82 in 2005, #37 in 2006. #42 in 2007

Love is rarely perfect... sometimes it seems impossible. A young woman leaves her troubled past, determined to start a new life in a new city. When she becomes hopelessly entangled with a domineering, emotionally embattled individual, she doesn't know if it's a dream come true, or her worst nightmare.

41.

Licit Cusp by Weebod

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Novel - 280 pages | Finished | Jun-07
Honors/Awards: #41 in 2007

This story begins in September 1986. Shona MacLeod, an eighteen year old from a small Island off the west coast of Scotland is leaving home for the first time to study at university. This is the story of her struggle to cope with a domineering father and her attraction to a woman she meets in the city.

40.

Hollywood Dreams by Fiur and Vlamme

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Drama | Novel - 973 pages | Finished | Oct-06
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #77 in 2006, #40 in 2007

This extraordinary story about love and schemes is set in present Los Angeles, in the glamorous world of movie making, among the society of the rich and the beautiful.

In the middle of it all are the Parkers and the Stuarts, two rival families. Torn between heart-wrenching romances and deadly hate, their feelings are whirling in a never-ending chaos of misunderstandings and coincidences. Mistakes and confusion add more trouble and problems to their daily lives until eventually they all might experience a happy ending... or won't they? Read and find out... :-)

39.

38.

Buried Prejudices by Larisa

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative (Mature) | Drama | Novella - 93 pages | Finished | Jun-02
Cast: Rico, Shawn, Bobby, Stan, Bridget, Shawna, Mama, Rita, Marie, Jed, Blazer, Jericho
Honors/Awards: 2002 Story Of The Year. Perennial Favorite Award: #1 in 2002, #54 in 2003, #74 in 2004, #69 in 2005, #84 in 2006, #38 in 2007 Top-25 #1.

FBI Director Jericho Chamaune has a hobby of trying to solve the cases of missing women dating back ten years of more. One day her assistant director Stan gives her yet another folder of a missing woman. Like several others, she is a college student from Texas. In all the time she has been working the case, they have yet to find any sign of the missing women. When she placed the picture of the latest missing young woman on her wall, she could not tear her eyes away from the green eyes looking back at her. One day a friend working at the nearby hospital calls her. A woman has been found lying beside a road and brought to the emergency room for treatment. At her first sight of the woman's haunted green eyes, Jericho knows that this is the latest missing woman.

37.

36.

35.

34.

Conflict of Interest by Jae

Law and Order: SVU | Modern | Alternative | Drama | Novel - 331 pages | Finished | Aug-07
Honors/Awards: #34 in 2007

Olivia and her fellow detectives are not exactly overjoyed at having to attend a law enforcement seminar, but their first lecturer is not at all what Olivia expected. Can Olivia keep from crossing the line when a brutal crime threatens to keep them apart - before they've even gotten together?

33.

Gravity by Luciddream

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Novel - 166 pages | Finished | Jul-07
Honors/Awards: Two-Time Top-25 #1. #33 in 2007

Follow the lives of Lan and Jill, two very different women, as they try and make sense of the choices, the loss and the love they encounter.

32.

Fashionable Disclosure by Ri

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Novella - 87 pages | Finished | Jul-07
Honors/Awards: #32 in 2007

Her father is now the Vice President but she could care less. She had worked for years to put together the show for Fashion Week in New York and she wouldn't let anyone in the Secret Service ruin it. But what she doesn't know won't hurt her, or so they think - but things don't go the way anyone plans...

31.

30.

29.

Extended Intentions by Jynaki

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Drama | Novel - 489 pages | Unfinished | Mar-07
Cast: Teela, Pax, Jo, Boney, Thumper, Emily, Harley, Amanda
Honors/Awards: Top-25 #1. #29 in 2007
Part 2 of a Series
Series List: Extension 147, Extended Intentions

Teela Pheamster turned down her chance at love with Pax and retreated into herself. On her journey back, she's realized a number of things, the most important is that she wants Pax back, and never should have let her go. Pax Baldwin is back at work, and determined to carry on alone. However, the unexpected has come looking for Pax. She finds herself torn between moving on with a new lover and finding a way back to Teela, all while a stranger lurks in darkness waiting to strike.

28.

27.

Thirty Days Hath September by Dinasbran

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Drama | Novel - 156 pages | Finished | Sep-07
Cast: Red Wolverton, Evadne Lannis
Part 1 of a Series
Honors/Awards: #27 in 2007
Series List: Thirty Days Hath September, The Return of the Raven

Red Wolverton is, in her own words, a bad-tempered bulldyke with the manners of a teamster. In 1920's Boston her attitude, dress and choice of lover, let alone her position as the cities only female Private Investigator, can only cause trouble. Evadne Lannis, widowed socialite from the best of the Boston families, has always been considered a little odd, but her decision become unpaid secretary to the notorious Wolverton causes even those that previously backed her philanthropic good-deeds to doubt her sanity. Together the apparently mismatched pair combat both supernatural and human foes and their own and others prejudices. In the process they solve two murders, uncover a mystery with a sting in its tale and, perhaps most surprisingly of all, form an unexpected friendship.

26.

Blue Silence by J. A. Zollicoffer

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Novella - 58 pages | Finished | Dec-06
Cast: Wade, Laura, Donna, Tommy, Glen
Honors/Awards: Three-Time Top-25 #1. #26 in 2007

Wade leaves her home in Iowa when she is shown a lack of support by her fellow officers after suffering a near fatal injury. Laura is just starting a new life as a night time dispatcher for a local trucking company after an attack in the parking lot of her home town bar has left her untrusting of others.

25.

The Tropic of Hunter by Cheyne

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Drama | Novel - 158 pages | Finished | May-07
Honors/Awards: #25 in 2007

Hunter Roberge returns to her hometown after sixteen years to find out why her recently deceased, estranged mother bequeathed her a house and a legacy she doesn't want. Reconnecting with her past becomes a double-edged sword as she encounters a surprise romance and a family she thought she knew.

24.

Beginnings by Fingersmith

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Novel - 206 pages | Finished | Dec-05
Cast: Ash, Sarah, Jo, Lou, Stephen, Ashley, Tracy
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #2 in 2006, #24 in 2007 Top-25 #1.

Summer, 1974. Hot, sticky and filled with promise. Days filled with nothing but what my imagination could conjure up, and that could be pretty frightening.
Lou Turner loves Ashley Richards. Always has always will. This is her story, a story spanning thirty years, from the innocence of childhood to the bitterness of adulthood. But can Lou use her beginnings to shape her future?

23.

22.

Generations - Book 1 by J. A. Zollicoffer

Original / Uber | Futuristic | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Novel - 212 pages | Finished | Nov-06
Cast: Dani, Lisa, Shirley, Cynthia, Freda
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #63 in 2006, 22 in 2007 Two-Time Top-25 #1.
Part 1 of the Generations Series
Series List: Generations - Book 1, Generations - Book 2

Dani is an electrician that goes to a club one night to unwind, not knowing that her future is there waiting for her. Lisa is a school teacher, coming out of a bad divorce, looking to have a little fun, she goes out with her friends to a local bar hoping to put the past behind her. When a tall dark woman introduces herself to the blonde, her life is changed forever.

21.

20.

Extension 147 by Jynaki

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative (Mature) | Romance (alt) | Novel - 369 pages | Finished | Oct-06
Cast: Teela, Pax, Jo,Boney, Thumper, Tanesha, Celeste
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #27 in 2006, #20 in 2007
Part 1 of a Series
Series List: Extension 147, Extended Intentions

Former World Kumite Karate Champion and zoologist Pax Kattapolous Baldwin returns home after more than twenty years of family rejection to face a brother she detests and to forget the nightmares of a tournament that nearly took her life. She meets Teela Pheamster, her mother's Social Worker in a long term care facility. Teela is a woman torn between the responsibilities of her past and the desire for a future with Pax. Before their relationship can develop, each must contend with family, friends, and jilted lovers.

19.

Heiresses and Harlots by anex

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Novella - 61 pages | Finished | Nov-06
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #46 in 2006, #19 in 2007 Top-25 #1.
Part 1 of a Series
Series List: Heiresses and Harlots, Tycoons and Tearaways, Moguls and Mistresses

Darcy Edwards is a no-nonsense self made publishing tycoon, Cassandra Miller is a sassy and penniless hooker. A chance encounter sets the two on a journey of self discovery, friendship and love.

18.

17.

Together Alone by A. Tietz

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Adventure | Novella - 106 pages | Finished | Feb-07
Honors/Awards: #17 in 2007 Top-25 #1.
Part 1 of the Together Series
Series List: Together Alone

A yacht hits a hurricane and people become stranded including two little girls. This story follows their life and survival separated from civilization and the relationship that develops between the girls as a result.

16.

Dwelling in the Past by Fingersmith

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative (Mature) | Romance (alt) | Novella - 134 pages | Finished | Apr-05
Cast: Abbie, Kaate
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #13 in 2005, #17 in 2006, #16 in 2007 Top-25 #1.

Abbie Jameson needs to escape her life. A writer with no muse, and a marriage with no love. She retreats to Yorkshire in a bid to find her true self. But the self she finds is not what she was expecting. Only the dark, enigmatic Kate Thomas can help her discover the truth. Although a supernatural vein flows through this story, it is ultimately about love, self-discovery and the realisation that all we have to do is let go and believe.

15.

The Return by Tas

Original / Uber | Futuristic | Alternative (Mature) | Romance (alt) | Novel - 306 pages | Finished | Apr-03
Cast: Tristian, Sidell, Aurora, Emma, Selene, Staunton, Maria, Puck, Dalton, Althea, Dyan, Mhyr, Lucan
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #6 in 2003, #81 in 2004, #17 in 2005, #5 in 2006, #15 in 2007

A SciFi/Fantasy tale where the lives of two people entwine to continue a Dynasty based on Love and Honor. I don't do angst so there is none and I'm a mushball at heart, read at your own risk.

14.

A Private Hell by Larisa

Facts Of Life | Modern | Alternative (Mature) | Romance (alt) | Novella - 77 pages | Finished | May-05
Cast: Jo, Blair, Jack, Jerry, Jenner
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #4 in 2005, #14 in 2007 Top-25 #1.

In her inimitable style, Larisa will have you spellbound and rolling on the floor as her down and almost out detective, Jo Polniaczek meets up with her old college roomate now DA Blair MacPherson, who team up with a host of others to solve a mystery. In the procees, not only will the two friends come to a realization, but life will get just a tad more interesting...

13.

12.

11.

10.

I Want To Be Where You Are by thatgirlmct

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Novel - 217 pages | Finished | Mar-07
Cast: Teresa, Kat, Liz, Debra, Judge Archer, Mrs. Baroques
Honors/Awards: #10 in 2007

Teresa Baroques had only one good thing come into her life that was childhood friend Kat Cantor. Separated for almost ten years by deceit and murder Teresa comes back to her hometown Elwood. Teresa wants to rebuild the town and her friendship but her Father-in-law, Mother, and friends decide their relationship needs to end before it's started . Will Teresa and Kat get a chance to be together again and have more than friendship?

Deus ex Machina by K. Alexander

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Drama | Novel - 235 pages | Finished | Oct-06
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #44 in 2006, #9 in 2007

When psychotherapist Dr. Claire Walsch arrives at Fairwater Institution to (unwillingly) consult in the case of the soldier who speaks to God, she has no idea what sudden - and frightening - direction her life is about to take.

The Bet on Madison by Lady D

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Novella - 91 pages | Finished | Aug-07
Cast: Syd, Madison, Heather
Honors/Awards: Two-Time Top-25 #1. #8 in 2007

Sydney Rush was the most popular student at Freedmont High. She was class president, head of student council and the star basketball player. There is just one flaw, she believes a life without commitment and love is suitable. However, an insensitive bet on a small blonde turns her life upside down. Will this jock find love in an unexpected place?

Fire Within by Anita Louise

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Novel - 258 pages | Finished |
Cast: Barbara, Skylar, Richmond, Parker, Bobie, Shanghai, Bob
Honors/Awards: Perennial Favorite Award: #23 in 2004, #52 in 2005, #97 in 2006, #6 in 2007 Top-25 #1.
Part 1 of the Fire Within Series
Series List: Fire Within, Captive Hearts

Clandestine by Cheyne

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Drama | Novel - 155 pages | Finished | Jul-07
Honors/Awards: Three-Time Top-25 #1. #5 in 2007

A company burned, ex-CIA operative, who seeks absolution in a bottle, is forced into a situation that could be the defining moment of her life. Burnt-out and long ago thinking herself incapable of feeling, her numb complacency is tested when she meets an innocent woman who must now suffer the ultimate consequences of her bad choices.

Rumors by BadSquirrel

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Novel - 180 pages | Finished | Sep-07
Honors/Awards: Three-Time Top-25 #1. #3 in 2007

Sometimes you can see what you want right in front of you and know that it's not quite right. Sometimes it's hard to know what to believe. Especially when what you hear, what you see, and what you feel don't coincide.

Shine by BadSquirrel

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Novel - 200 pages | Finished | Sep-07
Cast: Maureen, Carol, Jim, Shine, Carl, Beth
Honors/Awards: Top-25 #1. #2 in 2007

Maureen Baird has been listening the the velvet voice of Shine Avery on the radio for years. When they meet, there is a connection for them both. But can they overcome their fears, regrets and an old love to find a future in each other?

Before we name the Story Of The Year, a little note about one of the rules we've had for Top-100 Stories List. It has been our tradition to not put stories on the list that are no longer available online. We want the list to have stories that can actually be read now. This year, it turned out that the most read story isn't available online anymore, which is a shame because it's a great tale, as was the runner up. After some discussion, we've decided to list it, as well as the very, very close second place finisher, and have them BOTH as the top finishers for The Athenaeum's 2007 Story Of The Year. By the most number of reads, two top stories are:

Backwards to Oregon by Jae

Original / Uber | Pre-1900 | Alternative | Drama | Novel - 366 pages | Finished | Aug-07
Honors/Awards: 2007 Story Of The Year Two-Time Top-25 #1. #1 in 2007
Links: Removed at author's request - no longer available online

"Luke" Hamilton has always been sure that she'd never marry. She accepted that she would spend her life alone when she chose to live her life disguised as a man. After working in a brothel for three years, Nora Macauley has lost all illusions about love. She no longer hopes for a man who will sweep her off her feet and take her away to begin a new, respectable life. But now they find themselves married and on the way to Oregon in a covered wagon, with two thousand miles ahead of them.

Unanswered Prayers by Leslaureate

Original / Uber | Modern | Alternative | Romance (alt) | Novella - 109 pages | Finished | Dec-05
Cast: Gretchen, Kurt, Barb, Stacy, Alan, Sandy, Lorraine, Terri
Honors/Awards: 2007 Story Of The Year 2006 Story Of The Year. Perennial Favorite Award: #1 in 2006, #1 in 2007 Three-Time Top-25 #1.

Congratulations to A. C. Henley, A. Tietz, A.K. Naten, Alex Tryst, Amber, Ambrosia, Amy Boatman, Ana Ortiz, anex, Angelrad, Anita Louise, Annemaart, Aurelia, Bad Squirrel, C. E. Gray, Cheyne, Claudette E. Dillard, D, Darkenedkarma, Darkhorse, Dinasbran, Dragonjuls (JM Dragon), Dreams, Eveh, filfil, Fingersmith, Fiur and Vlamme, Fletcher DeLancey, Hillsys Stalker, J. A. Zollicoffer, Jae, Janneen Brownell, Jules Matthews, Jynaki, K. Alexander, Kandis Glasgow, KG MacGragor, Kudara, Lady D, Lady J, Larisa, Leslaureate, Leslie Ann Miller, Lori A. Meyers, Luciddream, Lucien St Clare, Mary Griggs, Mavis Applewater, Micah6, msprism, Red Hope, Revan, Ri, Robin Hicks, S X Meagher, S. Anne Gardner, Stone, Tas, thatgirlmct, Vilia Kinell, Weebod, and Windstar and Zee

The Athenaeum's What's New page.