News

That Time Again

Hi Chambermates, it is that time again when we ask you for your help and support in keeping this site running and ad-free. There is no income made from this site and we have nutured a strong community here since 2008. The only costs are associated with the actual hosting costs.


Any donation is greatly appreciated. Even one dollar helps us to get to our goals. The donation button is active on the sidebar of the site.


The running costs of the site included


Chat box = $20 per year or $60 for 3 years


Domain Registration = $53.60 per year or ($160.85 for 3 years)


Hosting $143.40  per year or $286.20 for three years


Depending on how fund raising goes, we will option a year, or hopefully 3 years.


1 year total = $217


3 years total =  $507.05  which averages to $169.02 per year instead.


Every time we do this, it gets more expensive, so I try to reach the three year goal as it is not only cheaper per year, but insulates us against price increases during that year.


Thank you all for your support. If you wish your contribution to remain anonymous, please add a note to say so.


 


--jacci on May 23 2023 12:50 am 0 Comments--
 



Forum

A new forum has been added to the Chamber community. It can be found at https://www.valentchamber.com/forum/  and in the Forum link in the menu.


A place for Chambermates to discuss ... well whatever they want. Suggestions on structure/rules/categories etc are welcome (and needed).


Please enjoy!


Membership will require admin approval, to help keep the spammers and haters out, and we are going to keep this a safe space - so any bad behaviour will be deal with by banning the offender.


We are an extraordinary site for a public forum, with very little discord and I would very much like to keep it that way. It is an oasis to be able to spend time in the Chamber without all the rubbish that goes on in the wider social media world.


--jacci on March 29 2021 05:35 am 0 Comments--
 



SUCCESS

We have successfully achieved the goals, and passed them for the donation drive. All costs have been covered for the next three years for the site. The response has been amazing and i cannot thank you enough for your support/ This site is a blessing for so many for so many different reasons and the community we have here is amazing.


thank you


--jacci on March 18 2019 11:26 pm 0 Comments--
 



Running Costs

It is that time of the year again, where we ask for you help in covering the ongoing costs of keeping this site running and ad-free. The last time we ran a donation drive was in 2014 and raised enough to get us through until now. The more we can buy up front, the more we insulate ourselves from price hikes.


Hosting costs have increased significantly over the last 2 years and it costs $167.88 per year for hosting now, or $287.64 for 3 years if we can raise the extra $120 to cover a much cheaper 3 year period. The other costs include $19.99 per year for the domain and $29.30 per year for the chat box.

Total required for a year: $217.17
Total required for 3 years: $435.51 (which equates essentially to 1 year for free)


There is a donate link on the home page underneath the stats, to donate via paypal. Or you can use this link:

Donate


Any support you can offer is greatly appreciated and even the smallest amounts accumulate and help enormously. The Chamber makes no profit from these donation drives and every cent raised is spent on running costs. Everything else on the site is a labor of love.


Without asking for donations, the only other options are to sell advertising space or let it go under. So we humbly ask for your generosity in keeping this site going.


 


Your help is greatly appreciated.


 


--jacci on March 11 2019 12:03 am 5 Comments--
 



Missing Reviews

Have had a lot of emails recently about missing reviews. If you get a notification that a new review has come in and then it isn't there when you check, don't panic. It was a spam review and has been deleted.


In an effort to keep spam off the site, I try to delete the spam registrations and reviews as they come in. It is an ongoing battle and there is no real practical way to stop it except to disallow reviews completely.


You can set your stories to members only, but that will only slow it down, not actually stop it.


Every day i delete anywhere between 50 to 5000 or more reviews that are just rubbish trying to sell things.


--jacci on April 20 2018 03:14 am 2 Comments--
 



Slight Disruption

Greetings Chamberlings. Just a heads up that we might have a teeny bit of downtime this week as all the renewals are going through. Theoretically we shouldn't but I rarely find anything goes that smoothly.


If the site is down for you, try clearing your cache or a different browser, just to see if it loads. If it doesn't, please just be a little bit patient and it should sort itself out.


If anybody has any serious problems, please report them on the Facebook page or email me and i will try to get to the bottom of things.


 


Fingers crossed it actually goes the way it is supposed to, with no downtime at all :)


--jacci on June 12 2017 04:57 am 0 Comments--
 



Not My President

We are declaring this site as a safe place. Hatred and bigotry, sexism and everything that the Orange Turd stands for is abhorrent and will not be tolerated here. We do not want to hear that this is politics and we can agree to disagree. You are either on the right side of history or you are not. It is that simple. If you are not, then go somewhere else. This is not open for discussion.


--jacci on November 15 2016 12:49 am 5 Comments--
 



What the Chamber means to you

Hey Chamber Peeps! The Chamber might be invited to participate in a book, and they are interested in the members experiences with the site. How you found it, are you active, a reader, writer, lurker and what it has done for you, what it offers you personally.



There is no money for the site in this unfortunately, but it is a chance for some wonderful exposure for the site and its authors.







If anybody is interested in participating, you can email me at valentchamber@gmail.com for more information. Right now things are still early stages, but I am very excited about this.


--jacci on February 22 2016 12:57 am 5 Comments--
 



We are back...

Hey everyone, thanks for your patience this last week, I know it hasn't been easy. We are functioning again, and hopefully will stay that way. This is a trial run to see if we have nailed all the issues, and so if it goes down again... will have to look deeper.


 


The Chamber is being split in half, as we simply cannot handle the traffic we are getting now without raising a significant amount of money each month. The Chamber and The Chamber Vault.  Any stories predating 2012 will be stored in the Vault and can be accessed at The Chamber Vault, reviews can be left as usual and logons are the same. These stories will not be able to be edited or updated, and if you wish to resurrect one, then you will need to contact the admins.


We are still in the process of moving some stories, which will take a little time, but it is better than being offline for weeks more. I know this is not a perfect solution, and it is going to annoy many people, but it is our only real option if we want to stay online.


We hope that this time the fix holds, as last week was a series of things working and then going belly up again. It would be very helpful if people could report on Facebook if they are having any issues or things are working well.


 


Happy reading!


--jacci on March 27 2015 07:56 am 0 Comments--
 



More Downtime

Hey everyone, sorry about today, and denying you your fix of all the excellent writing here. We were down for a significant amount of time and it was because we got hit with a spam bomb, essentially crippling our database, causing it to drag so much that you were all experiencing the connection issues.


I have been working on it all day, and i think we are back in good shape, including a server move to ensure clean files.


Would appreciate people reporting if things are working/missing etc either in the shout or on the fb page. The more feedback we get, the more we can locate any further issues.


Thanks for your patience and for anybody who emailed me, if i didn't respond, the email accounts were affected too, although that all seems to be back on track now.


 


I certainly hope this is the end of the issues, this si certainly getting tiresome and exhausting and no fun for you either.


--jacci on March 18 2015 05:39 am 3 Comments--
 



50 Shades of Badness

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Valentine Day is coming up and also the much anticipated release of 50 Shades of Grey. So we should add some Winter spice to the Chamber and redo some of our favorite or most hated scenes from the 50 Shades Trilogy. Your leading man doesn't have to be Christian, he can be whomever you choose.


--Elizablu on February 01 2015 01:21 am 5 Comments--
 



A Merry Chamber Fanfic Christmas Challenge!!!

 photo chamberxmaschallenge_zps04e7795a.jpg


Respond to the Challenge here


It's December and that means Christmas is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate the occasion than with fanfic? Your challenge for the month of December is to give us a glimpse into the lives of your favorites characters from TV, Movies and Books, as they deal with the craziness that is Christmas. Remember Chamber Family, no original fiction just strictly fanfic. Have fun with it. Happy Holidays!


--Elizablu on December 01 2014 06:28 am 0 Comments--
 



Status Update

These past two weeks have been a little rocky for the Chamber, the move and then the database brain fart as things settled. Fingers crossed we are back to smooth sailing once again now everything is settled.


Thank you to everyone who contributed to the donation drive, we have reached our goal, which is amazing, and the money has been distributed between hosting costs, domain registration and shoutbox fees, all of which have been paid for the next five years, so there should hopefully be no other expenses we incur during that period.


There is also a new script in development that will drag the Chamber into the mobile device age and should offer many new options for authors and readers. There is no word when a production version will be out, but there are whispers about a beta test hopefully by Christmas. Will keep everyone updated on news regarding this, as it is a very exciting move forward for the Chamber and am eager to get my hands on it!


Thanks again for your patience during the hosting move, and to all those who listened to my whining on Facebook and held my hand through the 'trauma' of the move, and hugs and kisses to everybody who donated, it is greatly appreciated!


Bless you all and long live the Chamber and this extraodinary community we are all creating and a part of.


 


--jacci on November 08 2014 02:36 am 4 Comments--
 



The Chamber is home again

Very happy to announce that we are back to normal. If anybody has any problems, please let us know, and hopefully this will be the last downtime we have tor a long time.


Thank you for your patience and we hope you enjoy the site as you always have. Thanks to those who held my hand during this time, ya'all know who you are, and a huge thanks to those who donated and made this possible..


Enjoy!


--jacci on October 29 2014 08:34 pm 2 Comments--
 



Temp Address

We have intitiated the site move, and have set the Chamber up at a TEMPORARY  address for now www.math.net.au/chamber/ and wll be fully operational at that address until we are back to normal on our regular url, which should be in about 2 to 3 days.


 


Judging from the amount of emails i have been receiving, not many people have actually been reading the announcements. PLEASE READ NEWS ITEMS to keep up to date with site happenings. The site emails are also not working during this time.


 


Progress Updates will be posted here in the shoutbox and on the Facebook page


--jacci on October 27 2014 07:42 pm 1 Comments--
 



Site Down Time

The Chamber will be shutting down from this Monday and we anticipate it will be out of commission for approximately two days. During this time we are moving hosts due to recent and ongoing troubles and this will hopefully mean things run smoother after the change.


The shoutbox will still be operational during this time and can be accessed here. (Note this link down if you want to be able to access it until we are back online)


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valent.chamber   will be kept updated with progress and eta for when we are going live again.


My emails will not be working during this time so if anybody tries to email me, they are going to be lost in cyberspace for all time. Once we are running again, everything will be back to normal.


We apprecaitate your patience, and we will try and do this as quickly as possible, as nobody likes site downtime. Thanks for your patience and understanding.


--jacci on October 25 2014 09:38 pm 0 Comments--
 



Donation Drive Time!

 


Valent Chamber is a big community with lots of wonderful writers and readers. Though the stories are for free, the cost of keeping VC running is not. If you haven't noticed, VC didn't have a donation drive for website costs this year. Jacci paid for these costs out of her own pocket. The prices of keeping VC running continues to increase as we continue to grow.


Jacci and I have tallied up the amount of upkeep costs which is about $500 dollars, if not a few dollars more. Aside from shoutbox and domain name costs, this should secure VC for five years. In addition to that, Jacci has been doing so much in the background. She is the reason why VC is still here and she keeps it running without any money or recognition. Any extra monies left over after the website costs will be given to her because she did pay for VC website costs this year out of her own pocket and she didn't even tell us. Normally, we raise money to keep VC going.


If you can donate, donate whatever you can. Every little bit counts.


Thank you for your time, ladies!


You can check on the progress here


To donate click here: Donate


--Missus James on October 11 2014 01:45 am 0 Comments--
 



6th Annual Grindhouse Challenge

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It's that time again, where the weather begins to develop a sharp crisp in the air and out of the corner of your eye...you think that the shadows are following your every move.


It's OCTOBER! That means it's GrindHouse Time!


So my Chamber Family, you are tasked with spinning your most darkest, most deranged and most horrifying tale. Are you up for the challenge? Don't be too scared.


Respond to the challenge here!


--Elizablu on October 02 2014 05:55 am 0 Comments--
 



Freakquency

Freakquency


 


 


What southern-grown, rock star Rick Chamberland doesn't know about his family's dark past comes to light when he returns home to Louisiana at the request of his mother. Rick has spent the last fifteen years of his life dedicated to music, touring the world, completely oblivious to the secrets coded in his legacy. Meanwhile, Song Peters, a dutiful daughter taking care of a dying mother, dreams of the day she can break free of small town life and pursue her one true passion, singing. Rick meets Song and instantly sparks ignite. They make beautiful music together and soon find that they share similar upbringings. Rick comes to learn that their families are supernaturally intertwined and that the one denominator (a demon by the name Nova) connected to both families threatens to destroy them all if they do not obey.


 


Freakquency by Caddell Brown, formerly known as madame z, of The Chamber!


 


 


 


--Caddell Brown on February 22 2014 09:36 pm 3 Comments--
 



All Caught Up!

Hey, Guys! Part 2 of Keda's story is now available in print and on Kindle under the title All Caught Up! and for those of you that missed the first part, Mistletoe Hell is available in both mediums as well. links below!


 


All Caught Up!


 


Buy All Caught Up by Intellectual Titmouse


 


--Intellectual Titmouse on January 01 2014 03:04 am 4 Comments--
 



Brenda1257

Congratulations to our very own Brenda1257 whoe has just published her first novel, The Preacher's Son.


The Preacher's Son


We wish you all the success in the world! So happy for you.


You can read Brenda's interview here.


Huge thanks for the kudos and support she has shown for the Chamber.


--jacci on December 11 2013 11:35 pm 1 Comments--
 



Nelson Mandela


 


The entire world has been shocked and deeply saddened by the untimely loss of one of the greatest men of modern history. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was many things. A man of grace and dignity. An incredible humanitarian. A firm but gentle leader of millions. His life’s work in the fight for human rights has profoundly touched us all and changed the world.



We invite you to write about how he might have touched or affected your lives, elevated them, informed or educated them. Perhaps share a memory of how his lifetime struggle and amazing achievements touched your life.


 


'Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great, you can be that generation'


--jacci on December 06 2013 07:43 pm 0 Comments--
 



Paul Walker

We are all deeply saddened by the loss of Paul Walker at such a terribly young age. The Chamber would like to issue a Paul Walker challenge as a tribute. He will not be forgotten. To commemorate his talent we are issuing a challenge to celebrate his life.


 


Paul Walker


You can respond to the challenge here


 


--jacci on December 02 2013 01:06 am 0 Comments--
 



Author Websites/Blogs

We are in the process of setting up a new area of the Chamber, which will allow authors to establish their own websites, at no cost, and without any coding skills necessary.


Each blog/site will be independent, in control of their own layout, content, etc.


The first of the new site can be found here at The Chamber Authors.


 


If you are intersted, you can apply through the site there and get more info there as well.


 


 


--jacci on November 13 2013 01:35 am 0 Comments--
 



Bottom Bitches

bottom bitches banner


Bitch. Such a powerful word. It can be a compliment or an insult. A title of honor or a badge of shame. There are two types of men in this world: those were born to dominate and those who were born to please. You always read about those dominant men who know what they want, but what about those men who aim to please … or are forced to? Every woman in charge needs a bottom bitch to kiss her ass and f**k it when she demands it. For this challenge, write a story about a dominant woman and her willing (or unwilling) man who earns the title as her bottom bitch.


 


Respond to the challenge here


--Missus James on November 04 2013 07:33 am 2 Comments--
 


Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.