Salutations, Oh Marvelous and Wonderful Nine Lives Family! The time has come once again to shine the spotlight on two of the chosen: our May Members of the Month! This month's winners: Lamport for Author and NotLaura for Reviewer!

Lamport: Author of the Month

What draws you to the Caryl ship?
Wow. That is really hard to sum up. I guess for me it's the incredible nuances of their relationship and the seemingly endless ways that those nuances can be interpreted. What really resonates with me is that, whatever else they are, they are equals (even though they don't always see themselves as such). They understand and respect each other in a way that can't be quantified or even defined. People are so concerned with labelling what they are to each other, but the beauty of Caryl is that they defy conventional relationships (and have the potential to be one of the most groundbreaking and significant pairings on television). I think their mutual admiration and care for one another is really beautiful.  It's inspired me to write, write, and write some more.

Plus MMB and NR are stupidly hot - so that doesn't hurt.

Who are your writing influences?
My mom worked as a librarian for many years, and my first job was shelving books. I love all kinds of genres and authors and have been influenced in some way by all of them. I loved the Bronte sisters when I was a teen and full of angst (even more than I am now! GO TEAM ANGST).

I'm also greatly influenced by my fellow fic writers! There are so many ridiculously talented people who contribute their work to this fandom. I could write all about each and every one of the writers on NL and how much they inspire me, but then I'd be at this all day and I have marking to do...

I feel it necessary to acknowledge Praxid (who posts on FF.net) and Rhinozilla who blew me away when I first started seeking out Caryl fic. They are awesome - as are all the writers here!

How do you handle writer’s block?
Umm... I don't? Lol... If a story is not coming to me I usually just wait until the mood strikes and try again. Writing is so much fun for me! I never want it to feel like work. Having said that, it does suck when you're in the middle of a multi-chapter fic and you don't feel like continuing...

One thing I'll do to jog my muse is listen to music. 8tracks has a plethora of Caryl soundtracks to suit every taste. I'll also go back and watch scenes from previous episodes for inspiration.

A wise teacher once impressed upon me the need to schedule time for play everyday, so I give myself an hour in the evening to write if I can. It's like my vacation.

Anything you want to say to your readers? ;)
Okay, so if I spend to much time thinking about this question I will probably start crying because I am a giant sap. The most important thing you all need to hear from me is THANK YOU!

Thank you for reading my stuff. Thank you for your encouragement from the very first drabble I posted. Thank you for your reviews. Thank you for your criticisms. Thank you for recommending my stories to your friends. Thank you for flailing over every new Caryl moment. Thank you for helping me be a better writer (I'm looking at you Lena, wndrw8, NotLaura, and my beta Steph!). Thank you for making me a part of this beautiful supportive community. Nine Lives makes me a happier, more creative, and more fulfilled person - all thanks to you all!

Oh, and I'm working on a companion fic to Landslide - this time about Daryl's life pre-turn. Can't wait to share it with you. Xo!

NotLaura: Reviewer of the Month

What draws you to the Caryl ship?
I was late to the party, for sure. I've been involved in fandom for decades now, I've read and written fic since before I knew what it was. As a result, I sort of... kept myself peripherally aware of the goings on in fandoms I wasn't a part of. I know who the popular ships are, I know who likes what, etc. My dream job would be some sort of fandom anthropologist, because fandom and the psychology of it absolutely fascinates me.

As for the relevance to this question, what happened is this: The day after 4x01 aired, my husband watched it and I asked in passing "how was your show?". He replied that it was pretty good, and he was happy because, and these are his words: "My ship got together".

My husband's inability to grasp the concept of shipping has been a constant discussion for our years together, so to say that I was pleased to hear him using fandom terms would be an understatement. I asked him who he shipped, and he told me Carol and Daryl.

You probably find yourself thinking: But (not)Laura, Carol and Daryl didn't get together in 4x01...

I did a little peeking at TWD fandom places, realized that my husband was wrong, and set out on a mission to prove to him that the pookie scene did not constitute "getting together". A week later I had watched the first three seasons on netflix and was so compelled by this couple and their bond that I pretty much went from zero to one hundred before 4x02 even aired.

My husband's adorable inability to understand how to properly ship a couple drew me in, but the absolutely beautiful development between Carol and Daryl (and their fantastic chemistry) kept me around. There's so much about their relationship that's understated and their love for each other (be it romantic or not, I think you can guess where I stand) is undeniable, and it's those types of stories that I find compelling.

What do you look for in a story to keep reading?
I need to recognize the characters. I love AUs, but if I can't read the couple as an alternate take (or sidestep) from canon, I find it a lot harder to stay engaged with it. Same with non-AU stories: if Carol and Daryl are Carol and Daryl, that's enough to keep me interested.

What are your top five favorite stories?
Alphabetical by title, because having to rank these in any way might kill me:

• i am the danger by wndrw8 - I love every word wndrw8 writes, but this one absolutely punched me with how much I felt it and how horrifyingly possible it all was. Beautifully written, without a single wasted word.
• Landslide by Lamport - The best Carol story out there, the most well done and heartbreaking look at her marriage and one of the best "Carol tells Daryl about The Grove" scenes.
• The Long Road Home by Tinkerbell99 - My all time favourite take on the "In Exile" time period and a beautifully written and developed look at their relationship that also manages to use some of my favourite romantic tropes? Yes please.
• the smoke that roams looking for a home will drift into me, choking my lost heart by queenpeletier - Featuring the conversation between Daryl and Rick that I wanted to see happen,
• What The Sky Looked Like by leigh57 - I could read this story every day, there's nothing about it that isn't perfect and the moment Daryl tells her he wants her in his tent just... does something to my heart.

Anything you want to say to all the Caryl authors out there?
Everyone at Nine Lives is incredible. As I said, I'm old hat with fandoms, but this type of friendly, supportive and creative community is a rarity. It gives me a lot of hope and comfort to know that there are so many incredibly talented people who are just as drawn to this pairing as I am.