Happy September everyone! It is going to be a doozy of a month and we've got so much headed your way later, but first, it's time to once again shine the spotlight of awesome upon two of your own. Give it up for our September Members of the Month: lovesdaryl and kaoscraze82!

lovesdaryl: September Author of the Month

What draws you to the Caryl ship?

It's the way she is the first person EVER to look beyond his attempts to push people away before he can be hurt by them, the way he's been hurt by the people who should have cared for him the most. It's the way he sees her strength when she bashes Ed's head in, crying, when everyone else is still only seeing the battered housewife.

It's the way they truly respect each other and treat each other as equals. They always accept each others' decisions and choices. They might voice criticism ("... don't tend to your bloody fists and act like you don't care ..."), but they never tear each other down, and they admit when they're wrong ("... sorry 'bout what happened this morning ...").

It's the way they say so much without words. This, of course, is mostly due to the two amazing actors portraying them, but their communication through looks, minute changes in the expression on their faces - sometimes it's only the twitch of a single muscle - or a slight change in posture is just out of this world.

The slow burn between these two is killing me - but at the same time I kind of want the writers to drag it out endlessly, because "once it's done, it's done". Watching them tiptoe around each other, approach and withdraw again, is so painful because you know that each of them thinks they don't deserve the other and nobody would ever feel about them "that way" - but it hurts so good. They have the most beautiful relationship in any media franchise ever, in my opinion. Seriously, look at his face just before and during The Hug.

Who are my writing influences?

Although I know that he is frowned upon by many "serious" readers and writers (I am constantly lobbying for my book circle to read and discuss one of his books) purely because of his preferred genre, I will put myself out there and say that it is Stephen King. (Admin Comment from FM: Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas!)

Not only do I love the world he has created, but I have read every book he has ever written in English (I don't even own the German versions of most of them) and would estimate that I owe roughly one quarter to one third of my everyday English vocabulary to him. This is relevant here because all of my hobby writing is done in English.

He writes believable characters in a believable way. They speak the way real people speak. You can relate to them in the (sometimes very weird) situations he places them in. He sets up his scenes in a way that makes you *see* what is happening on the page. You get hot and cold with his characters, you hear their voices, you feel their terror.

And on top of that, he raises some real issues - Green Mile and death penalty, anyone?

I love everything he has ever written, and am so grateful that he survived his horrific accident.

How do you handle writer's block?

Um. *crickets*

Ever since December I have been writing nearly every night because I am unable to fall asleep unless I've written at least one page or chapter about our favorite couple, with the exception of the week right after I had finished "Never get to know you" which truly haunted me for the nine months I was writing it. During that week I was so physically and emotionally exhausted from completing that story that I slept like a log every night. Right now I'm on vacation and on absolute overdrive, plotting Sand in your fingers, plotting a new SF AU based on one of the prompts here, and continuing Rhino's 30 Days challenge from last year.

That said, when my fingers itch and I don't know where to start I resort to the prompts here or from the writing blogs that I follow on Tumblr. One of the "Bubbles" stories started from such a prompt, and right now I am writing a new story also based on a first sentence prompt from Tumblr, so I guess looking for prompts in the NL "Prompts" section or over there, or asking for some at either site would be a good way to start.

Also, if the muse refuses to inspire me for the multi-chapters I'm writing, I do several shorter ones, maybe oneshots, to stretch my writing muscles and air out my head. Plus, I feel that taking a break from writing every now and then is okay. ;-)

Anything you want to say to your readers?

Where do I start? How do I express this?

The readers/reviewers here are so enthusiastic, kind, and supportive. This community feels like a family in so many ways. I have received reviews and messages in answer to my stories baring hearts and sharing memories that had me in tears, and I am not exaggerating. The exchange of messages over some of my stories was how I found my amazing beta reader, Emmy, who was one of my first constant readers on NL and who definitely deserves a huge Thank You here. The warm welcome given to every new writer, the close relationships among the writers and between writers and readers, and the love that we get for our stories here definitely set this site apart from the others I know, and I am so very grateful for that.

I never expected to receive this honor, and I am stunned and humbled by it. Thank you all so much.

kaoscraze82: Reviewer of the Month

What draws you to the Caryl ship? 
A simpler question would be what DOESN’T draw me in haha. I remember becoming a Caryl fan during season 2 with the hunt for Sophia…heck maybe before that but it was the first time I remember thinking ‘wow this could totally happen and it would be completely amazing’. It was cemented for me after her death as I watched them both transform from these two damaged people into warriors who have now overcome so much adversity in their lives and have only come out stronger on the other side. I knew that they were a force to be reckoned with and it gave me hope that we would someday get to witness an even more amazing transformation. Watching their intricate dance is something I will NEVER get tired of.

What do you look for in a story to keep reading? 
Uniqueness and viability. Just a few months ago I decided to make my own challenge (before the real one came along hehe) and I tried to read as many of the stories on the NL site as I could and I ended up finding dozens of stories I loved and had never even known were there. I really look for something that draws me in quickly, like a really great plot point or just someone who knows the characters well and can carry the story along. Nothing pulls me out of a story quicker than when the characterization is off. If it’s an AU story and the setting is Mars and I’m warned in advance that this is the general plot, then I’m okay, but if you’re trying to write a story based in their true world and they are doing and saying things that aren’t in character, then it is tough for me to keep at it. Also-punctuation. I can’t stress enough how important beta-ing can be to a story just for spelling errors alone. I use two betas-sometimes three-before I post things because we ALL make honest and silly mistakes that can just throw someone right out of a story. It’s important to make sure that the audience understands what it is the story is trying to get across.

What are your top five favorite stories? 
THIS may be the toughest question of them all lol. There are SOOOO many and for so many reasons. Right now my biggest obsession is Birmingham Safe Zone by Rhinozilla. It was a story I got into thinking I wasn’t going to like it (I won’t give anything away but it does involve a serious injury of one of our beloved characters) and I was greatly concerned it would take me out of the moment but in fact it actually made it better. Using a tragedy to strengthen the characters and bring them together in a new way is just such a beautiful thing and Rhino does it perfectly. Crazy by BSparrow is one that I have impatiently waiting for updates on and is another wonderful Caryl AU that just drew me in from the start. I can feel Carol’s tension reading it, it’s insane. Five Veils by Argent Gale is just amazing as well and instantly sucked me in too. It’s a world I couldn’t imagine writing Caryl in but that’s why I love it. The Sunny Side of You and Me by Stephtron312 is another awesome AU story (can you tell that I like AU’s much?? LOL)  that caught my attention because I LOVE John Hughes movies and this was inspired by that so it was really high on my list to read and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

I also enjoy McReedus stories and the one that really pulled me in was The Surrogate by liveinadive because it was is extremely unique and although I don’t necessarily thing that these two people will find themselves in a similar real-life situation, I did enjoy the journey they took as in the story.

Anything you want to say to all the Caryl authors out there? 
Yes, thank you. You guys have gotten me through some really difficult times in the last two years. I lost my mother in 2014 after a long battle with illness and this past year has been one of my own personal hell living with a mentally abusive family member, but I am happy to announce that because of a wonderful, caring individual (who also happens to be a Caryler herself) I am less than two months away from moving across the country to start life over on my own terms and I know that if it wasn’t for this community and it’s wonderful supportive people that I wouldn’t be making the changes I needed to make. You are all very special in my heart and I thank you a thousand times over for your love and support!!