Kristie

Sometimes, it's hard to believe that I can actually sit down and write a fic that has any clarity and depth to it, because right now, I can't for the life of me come up with the right words to convey just how honored and grateful I am for these awards. All I can say is thank you so very much. These two awards in particular are so very meaningful to me, as the two things I've always loved the most about Pacey and Joey were the romance of their relationship, and, well,.. Pacey himself, lol.and knowing that somehow I touched on the right notes on both those points for the readers makes what I'm trying to do somehow validated.

As If By Grace started out with a very simple idea in my head- what would happen if Pacey was suddenly faced with single parenthood to two active young boys, and the only help he had was from Joey?- and the story just grew from there, and along the way, has even taken a few turns I didn't see coming. And though the process at times has been a bit frustrating (as my poor beta can attest to), I wouldn't take back a second of it.

By far, the most enjoyable thing to write in this story are the scenes with Nick and Brendan, both of whom are based on my own children (Nick has so many aspects of my two oldest, and Brendan is the male version of my middle child, Kirsten- thumb sucking and all), and many of the emotions that Pacey and Joey feel as they interact with those two boys are ones I feel on a daily basis- joy, frustration, awe, and even some bitter-sweetness on how quickly they grow up. Even the daily occurrences I have each day with my children somehow make their way into the story- long, agonizing car rides, slippered children trying to catch lightning bugs on a late summer night, and a sudden desire to own a horse- all of it is inspired by my daily life, and because of that, my children ARE the inspiration for this story (as well as the reason I sometimes can't find the time to write!).

I think I write P/J fics for the same reason everyone else writes or reads it- a combination of needing to 'fix' all that went wrong, and the very real love of Pacey.err, I mean the characters. And beyond that, I just have to admit that though the show ended how many years ago, I still miss it, and I'm just not ready to give it up yet, and I'm so grateful that so many others are like minded.

If I ever finish As If By Grace and Some Like It Hot (the new little one baking inside me seems to be sapping all my creativity at the moment), I do have a few other ideas floating around in my head. Hopefully they will eventually make the transition from the sketchy thoughts to an actual story, but I'm not holding my breath, lol. I do know that I will probably end up writing something or other for the rest of my life- it's in my blood now, and unfortunately, there's no stopping me at this point.

How did I go from not knowing what to write to writing so VERY much, lol? Anyway, thank you again so very much for this great honor, and I just have to take a moment to thank my lovely and awe-inspiring beta, Jen, and my fellow Q's- without whom all of this wouldn't be nearly as much fun. And also a huge thank you to all those who continue to read and write- after all, without everyone else in the ever-shrinking P/J world, I wouldn't have anyone to share it with.

Thank you!

Kristie