Nuff said. Please post for the Best Romantic Fic (can include angst and can be of any rating). Please post a link to where we can read the fic.

Phase III by Ninja Sam. Read it here

Opportunities by Cricket Read it here

Summer39 Midnight Run

Heartbreakingly beautiful Gold Angel Fields of Gold

I hate Flowers by Groovykat http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2700936/1/I_Hate_Flowers

One Last Kiss by Chikeebaybee http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3492618/1/One_Last_Kiss

As Time Goes By by Ebonyswanne. I can't read this without crying! http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3521773/1/As_time_goes_by

Until Death do us Part by Madilayn. This one got me so close to being a romantic, I had to go cut down a tree. Okay, it was a bush - but it got cut!!

Originally posted by Madilayn One Last Kiss by Chikeebaybee http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3492618/1/One_Last_Kiss

Really? Maddy that makes me feel so special...and I love you for nominating me...I really do! Especially since I am not too confident about my writing abilities. However...I'd really like to just be an observer from the outside as far as fic nominations are concerned. I really want to be sure that no one's feelings are hurt and that no one feels threatened by the competition. I do feel that it is a great idea to encourage people to keep writing...we have some extremely talented writers in this fandom! Also, there's just no way I can even nominate without feeling that I'm leaving someone out...so please, all of you fantastic fic writers out there, know that I still think you are wonderful...but I'm not going to nominate for the time being. So for me...I'll just leave comments to encourage our wonderful writers. Keep it up, everyone!

Springie. Thank you for expressing your feelings so eloquently. You have managed to express exactly what I was feeling as well.

...

Ladies, I understand completely where you are coming from. I'd like to hope that this is less of a competition or popularity contest and more of a way to highlight all of the wonderful authors and stories we have. We've done our best to structure this so that it is fair and that everyone walks away winners. I'd really just like to see more people nominating stories.

post made in the wrong thread.

I've responded to Ebony privately on this.

Look, if people are going to turn round and say "I don't want to be nominated", then this basically becomes nonsense - not least because half the fandom's going to say "oh x only won because y pulled out". In that situation, how would you like to be x? I'm _already_ in that situation. I'm not nominating fics to be nice to their authors - that's a side-effect. I'm nominating fics I've loved and think are wonderful above all others, and I'm posting links to them. I'm sorry to be blunt, but I don't need an author's permission to do that and I won't ask for it. It's _always_ acceptable to tell other people what your favourite story is which is freely posted on the internet, and it's _always_ acceptable to link to it. And that's all anyone here is doing. I would not have come over here if I've known this was going to turn into something where people _chose_ whether we were allowed to say we thought their fics were good, and which is fast turning into a contest of who nobly pulls out (because they have accepted that other writers are better) and who selfishly leaves their nomination listed (because they are arrogant). I'm afraid I'm simply bemused by the "can't nominate without leaving someone out" comments. If this is a "let's tell _everyone_ they're the best" set of awards there's no point having it. Just give everyone a fancy graphic and be done with it. You can like someone's story without thinking it's the best one you've ever read, and you shouldn't be ashamed to do it. I've loved a _lot_ of stories I have no plans to nominate, because there are better ones out there. I fully expect the vast majority of mine to be in that category too. Someone once told me one of my fics was the best Princess story they'd ever read. I was deeply flattered...and strongly tempted to send her a list of stories I thought were better. I'd thought the nominations here would be the total of everyone's lists. Cath, disappointed.

Cathrl, I'm very sorry you had to be brought into the middle of this. I know that you are new to this site and don't understand our 'vibe' here. Actually, Gatchamania has ALWAYS been as you suggest: we have never been anything but encouraging and supportive of new fic writers. I am proud to say that I have personally supported many new authors through this site, who posted their fics because of my encouragement, and the encouragement of others on this board. These people were nervous and scared to start posting stories, and only did so because they were constantly assured that they would not be judged, and their stories would be welcomed with open arms. The motivation behind these 'awards' runs counter to that environment, and is against everything I believe about supporting new authors and encouraging new writers to post their fics. This is why I pulled out. Again, I am very sorry that you feel that you have been wronged. That was never anyone's intention. In fact, the people who are pulling out are trying to prevent others from feeling hurt or wronged.