REVIEW: Into the Woods: Tales from the Hollows and Beyond by Kim Harrison

My Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆

Into the Woods is a collection of short stories from the Hollows and beyond. While many of these stories take place in the Hollows universe, others are from a completely new world, engaging nonetheless.

Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison
Read 6/8–6/9/06 & 10/12–10/13/19
This is Ivy's story, before she meets Rachel and Jenks and starts Vampiric Charms. We learn a lot more about what makes Ivy tick, and how she comes to her decision to live blood-free as a living vampire. I don't think I enjoyed it quite as much as the full-length novels because I missed having Rachel and Jenks too, but still, I appreciate this story for what it is... a deeper look into Ivy's life pre-Rachel. :)
Rating: 7 stars

Dirty Magic by Kim Harrison
Read 10/14/19
This short story takes place in Kim Harrison's Hollows universe. Mia is a banshee previously introduced in the short story Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil. This is her story... I understand she's to become a major antagonist in the full-length Black Magic Sanction (book 8) so this is a good look into what makes her tick. I found it quite interesting and look forward to delving deeper into her character in an upcoming novel.
Rating: 7 stars

The Bridges of Eden Park by Kim Harrison
Read 10/18/19
A short tribute to Kisten, this short story actually takes place prior to For A Few Demons More. We briefly meet Kisten's sister Chrissie, who's ex-boyfriend is after her son. Rachel steps in to help and save the day. It's a decent story, quite short, but gives a brief glimpse into Kisten's feeling about children and shows him as a kind and tender soul.
Rating: 7 stars

Two Ghosts for Sister Rachel
Read 10/27 – 10/30/19
This is Rachel's story, before she joined the I.S. We get to meet Rachel's brother, Robbie whom we've heard about in the books. And we learn a little more about what makes Rachel tick and what prompted her decision to join the I.S. (before she eventually left with Ivy). At 84 pages long, this was more of a novella than a short story, and that made it even better... more time to flesh everything out. And the story about the ghost and how things go wrong is true Rachel. Loved this one! <3 Rating: 9 stars

Bespelled
Read 10/21/19
This is a short story that gives us more insight into the demon Algaliarept, "lovingly" referred to as Al throughout the series. This is pre-Ceri and we get to learn what makes him tick and how he came to be the demon he is today. Perfect timing to read it right after The Outlaw Demon Wails due to the major turning point taking place in that book. NO SPOILERS! :p
Rating: 8 stars

Ley Line Drifter
Read 12/7 - 12/9/19
This was a fun little Jenks and Bis short story, with a short Ivy appearance. Jenks takes on a job on his own and proves he's more than just a sidekick. And if I didn't already love Bis, this story would indeed win me over! We are introduced to a Dryad named Daryl who is mentioned in some later Hollows novels.
Rating: 8 stars

Million-Dollar Baby
Read 2/2/20 - 2/3/20
Remember in Pale Demon when Trent went off with Jenks on his elf quest? Well, this is that story... In it, we get to see Trent's self-doubt that he will be able to properly care for Lucy, his love for her the moment he set eyes on her, and his deep inner feelings on wanting to become a better person—one that doesn't turn to murder first when faced with trouble. We have really begun to see an entirely different side of Trent over the last couple books (Pale Demon & A Perfect Blood) and this story really brings all that home!
Rating: 7 stars

Non-Hollows Shorts

Pet Shop Boys
Read 2/8/20
This is the first of 4 non-Hollows-related short stories, and even though there was no Rachel, Ivy, or Jenks, Harrison's writing style still made it a joy to read nonetheless. The depiction of the darker side of Fairies—similar to blood-sucking vampires—is something that usually remains hidden from the eyes of most humans. Until one stumbles through the veil one night and has to fight for his life to escape!
Rating: 8 stars

Temson Estates
Read 2/8/20
This was a short 15 page story, but was a different take on dryads from what Ms. Harrison portrayed in Ley Line Drifter. An interesting read!
Rating: 6 stars

Spider Silk
Read 2/9/20
I really liked this story--which actually read more like the first few chapters of a book--since it definitely left me hanging at the end! I really would've liked to find out what happened to Kevin for one. I sincerely hope that Ms. Harrison considers taking this story further and gives us a full book, perhaps even jumping forward into Meg's adulthood, as I really enjoyed this glimpse.

The portrayal of the Dryad here is fierce but kind, loving yet cruel... it reminded me more of the Fae than any Dryad I've ever read about, the only minor difference being that they could be imprisoned within living trees—which I suppose is what makes them Dryad.
Rating: 8 stars

Grace
Read 3/17/20 - 3/18/20
A bit of a different take on magic, which focuses more on the transfer of energy and imbalances in the body, versus its usual association with witches or other Inderlander species like in the Hollows series. Throws, as they're known, have an imbalance of energy in their body such that they can do all sorts of things from shorting out electrical equipment to restarting someone's heart. But with all that power comes a need to control it, and that's where the Strand comes in. Grace is one such throw, having been discovered by the Strand in her mid teens and now working among their ranks—for anyone that refuses to work within the system must undergo a procedure to have it the "imbalance" burned out of them. Kinda like a lobotomy! So yeah, this is energy manipulation without any of the spiritual or magical stuff that goes along with it.

I found it an interesting angle, though I'm predisposed to enjoy the paranormal side of things more so than the science, so I can't say I liked it quite as much.
Rating: 7 stars


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REVIEW: Ghost of a Chance: A Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries Novella by Angie Fox

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My Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆

This was a cute little novella, only about 40 pages long, that takes place chronologically between books 2 and 3 of the Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries.

Verity Long can see and talk to ghosts thanks to her resident ghost sidekick Frankie. So when her friend Major Matthew Jackson, long dead since the Civil War, comes to Verity for a favor, she's happy to do what she can to oblige. Matthew would like Verity's help to retrieve an old family heirloom from his family estate. And since it just so happens the Jacksons are holding their annual Christmas party this weekend, Verity straps on her catering hat to help out. But can she save the party, the reputation of her friend's catering business, and fulfill Matthew's request while all the Jackson ghosts are doing their darnedest to to dampen the festivities?

Though I've enjoyed the tales of Verity and the Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries, I feel as if Verity brings many of her problems onto herself—she can be a bit of a ditz at times too. LOL That said, this series is charming, winsome, and witty, great for when you want a light-hearted, amusing read.

REVIEW: A Ghostly Gift: A Southern Ghost Hunter Novella by Angie Fox

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My Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

This was a cute little cozy mystery short story that takes place between books 1 and 2 of the Southern Ghost Hunter Mystery series.

Verity Long can see ghosts, talk to them too thanks to the help of her ghost friend Frankie. Not that she asked for such a disturbing gift—it was simply something she inherited when she inadvertently dumped Frankie's urn out on her rosebushes. But since ditching Sugarland's golden boy at the altar, Verity's graphic design business has taken a hit and she has to take what she can get in order to keep a roof over her head. And if that means helping to clear a ghost from the local antique shop, then so be it.

Verity is extremely funny and likable, as is Frankie the ghost. Together they make for a bit of comic relief in this fun little cozy mystery. Though the story was quite short, it felt complete nonetheless, just a short little detour between the two full size books. I'm looking forward to starting book two, The Skeleton in the Closet, next.

REVIEW: Dark Screams: Volume One by Stephen King, Kelley Armstrong, Bill Pronzini, and Simon Clark

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My Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

This collection of short horror stories, edited by Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar, both of Cemetery Dance Publications, was both creepy and thought provoking. Some stories were definitely better than others, namely the one by Simon Clark which really stood out for me, seeing as he's an author I hadn't come across before.

WEEDS by Stephen King
Jordy Verrill wasn't all that bright, but when a meteorite lands on his farm one night, dollar signs flash before his eyes. Unfortunately, this is no ordinary rock, and it seems as if the life force inside has found it's first victim.

This was a decent short story, reminiscent of classic King, not surprising seeing as it was originally written back in 1976. But that said, I didn't care for it all that much since I didn't really relate to the main character. He was a bit of a lughead, by his own admission, and there wasn't a whole lot else going on.

THE PRICE YOU PAY by Kelley Armstrong
There's always a price to pay... just never pay more than you owe. Words Kara Snow has attempted to live by after the traumatic events of her childhood. Unfortunately, certain habits are hard to break, relationships in particular, and Kara finds herself in hot water all over again when her childhood friend Ingrid comes back into to her life.

I'm a fan of Kelly Armstrong and I found this short story more to my liking than the previous. The main character was quite relate-able and the circumstances surrounding her story all too real. The surprise ending indeed took me by surprise, but still delivered a closing I was quite happy with.

MAGIC EYES by Bill Pronzini
Edward James Tolliver lives his life among the criminally insane, convicted of a crime for which he insists he's innocent. Adamant in his innocence, yet constantly pressured by his doctor to accept responsibility for his actions, how can he do so without revealing the presence of these spectral invaders that have been visiting him... when doing so would only prove he's exactly where he belongs.

This was a creepy tale about an inmate who sees demons in the people around him. It's conducted mostly in monologue as the protagonist Edward writes in his journal, and I found that got a little tiring after awhile. But I suppose this type of delivery helped to emphasize the crazed mind behind the story. Overall, I found it just alright, but nothing special.

MURDER IN CHAINS by Simon Clark
The best of the bunch. A gripping story reminiscent of old Saw movies. John York awakens in a large underground sewer, having no idea how he got there, and chained by the neck to a large, scary killer. How far will he go and what will he do to save himself?

I really enjoyed the suspense with this one, never knowing where it was going to lead next, the crazed killer a mere 10 feet away from the protagonist the entire time. The author did a really good job building the suspense, especially for a short story, and I found myself really empathizing with the main character. Simon Clark is now a name I will definitely watch for in the future.

THE WATCHED by Ramsey Campbell
Young Jimmy meets a man in the woods on his way home one day. Claiming to be a local policeman, the man asks Jimmy to keep an eye on the house next door. But why would a policeman have a young boy running errands for him, and why does this man look like he hasn't slept in days? What Jimmy discovers over the course of the next few days will impact his life forever more.

Though not nearly as suspenseful as the previous Simon Clark story, this one had enough going on to command a different sort of suspense. Keeping secrets, yet never quite sure what was really going on, Jimmy's actions leave the reader constantly searching for clues, just as Jimmy is himself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing me with a copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Four: A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth

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My Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

This book is a collection of four short stories, each published individually but also sold together as a unit as well, told from Four's point-of-view. The first three take place prior to the events of Divergent while the last takes place during the events of Divergent, after Tris has entered the picture.

Four: The Transfer
This short story gives us a glimpse into Four's life with his father, Marcus Eaton, where he's known by his given name of Tobias Eaton. We see the hardships he endured under his father's control, get to experience his Choosing Ceremony, and learn the true reasons he left Abnegation to because Dauntless.

This was a well-written short story, engaging from the start, and though the enlightened reader who's already read the trilogy may already know most of the back story contained herein, it gave me a new appreciation for Four and everything he went through to get where he is today.

Four: The Initiate
This well-written and engaging short story focuses on Four's initiation into Dauntless, and the beginning of his rivalry with Eric. Although he's still learning to assimilate his learned Abnegation morals into his new Dauntless lifestyle, he's started to make friends and eventually makes a name for himself as he progresses through his initiation with the highest of scores.

As he's adjusting to the Dauntless way of life, Four begins to get the feeling that things are not as they appears to be. His father's fervent warnings that he not show awareness under simulation during the Choosing Ceremony's aptitude test begins to coincide with some of the things he's experiencing. Is this faction system all it's cracked up to be, or is it just another way of controlling people, the way his father always controlled him?

Like the previous story, I loved this glimpse into Four's initiation, and I loved getting to know Shauna and Zeke more too, who were more minor characters in the book trilogy. The foreshadowing at the end left me happy that I have the collection of all four stories to read on hand.

Four: The Son
This short story picks up right where Four: The Initiate leaves off. A major twist is introduced, causing Four to further question all he's known his whole life. Four: The Son finds Four examining the relationship he had with his parents, and how it's affecting his current situation.

Like the previous two short stories about Four, this one was just as good. As top of his class of initiates, Four's asked to be a leader, to help shape the future of Dauntless initiation, but after a couple meetings, he's come to realize this isn't what he wants at all. He's begun to feel that the faction system is just another form of control, one he was trying to escape when leaving his father and Abnegation. So instead, Four begins to exert himself through small acts of rebellion against being controlled, all while keeping it on the down low.

Four: The Traitor
It's been two years since the events of the previous short story, this one taking place during the time of Divergent. Four confronts his inner demons about becoming a traitor to his faction as he ponders what to do with some important information he's discovered. At the same time, he also begins to examine his feelings for Tris and decides to open up to her.

I enjoyed seeing the events surrounding Tris's initiation into Dauntless from Four's point-of-view. When I first read Divergent, I was slightly put off by his seemingly indifferent attitude towards Tris, but in this short story, we get to see what he was really thinking, and it allowed me to understand his character a lot better.

Though these short stories aren't necessary to the story line, I felt they added a lot to it, giving the reader a whole new dimension in which to view the events of the books. Almost makes me want to read the books all over again knowing what I do know about Four. :)

REVIEW: Carniepunk by Rachel Caine, Rob Thurman, Kevin Hearne, Seanan McGuire, Jennifer Estep, Allison Pang, Kelly Gay, Delilah S. Dawson, Kelly Meding, Jackie Kessler, Mark Henry, Jaye Wells, Hillary Jacques, Nicole D. Peeler

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My Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

All the stories in this anthology revolve around the carnival and/or circus life, a subject I really enjoy. Didn't y'all want to run away and join the circus when you were younger... or is that just me? ;)

I reviewed this book on a story by story basis, and most of these stories were really good. I was also introduced to several "new to me" authors whose books and series I've since added to my TBR or wish list.

Painted Love by Rob Thurman - 6 stars
This story about a man, who's really a monster underneath, is purposely misleading, deceiving the reader into believing something that isn't so, just as Bart wears his false face to the rest of the world. I thought Doodle's endless narratives could drone on a bit too long at times, but overall the story was thought provoking and had me rereading it again after I'd finished.

The Three Lives of Lydia by Delilah S. Dawson - 6 stars
Parts of it were cool, other parts, not so much. I enjoyed the carnival scenes, but the reality of the situation was pretty depressing.

The Demon Barker of Wheat Street by Kevin Hearne - 8 stars
This was a fantastic short story, part of the Iron Druid Chronicles taking place after the 4th book in that series. The writing really drew me in, snarky yet action-packed. It can definitely stand on it's own outside of the rest of the series, but I enjoyed it so much that I immediately hunted down the Iron Druid Chronicles and added that series to my TBR list.

The Sweeter the Juice by Mark Henry - 1 star
Sorry but I didn't like this one at all. A transvestite junkie in a post-apocalyptic world of zombies. No thanks!

The Werewife by Jaye Wells - 6 stars
A riveting tale that teaches the lesson to be careful what you wish for... particularly while in the vicinity of the carnival freak show.

The Cold Girl by Rachel Caine - 7 stars
This was a fast-paced young adult story, and it held my interest throughout. Though I didn't like seeing Kiley as a victim, it at least depicted life honestly, albeit brutally, as to how cruel some people can be.

A Duet with Darkness by Allison Pang - 3 stars
I didn't really get this one at all, and the end was too obscure and made absolutely no sense to me. All the characters were unlikeable as well. Not a great introduction to this author for me.

Recession of the Divine by Hillary Jacques - 6 stars
The Greek goddess Mnemosyne taken on a human form and enslaved as a fortune teller at the local carnival. An interesting read.

Parlor Tricks by Jennifer Estep - 7 stars
An exciting short story that takes place in the world of the Elemental Assassin series. I got a bit of a feel for the main character Gin and think I'll check out the full series of which these characters are a part.

Freak House by Kelly Meding - 8 stars
Really liked this one, so much so that I'd like to check out more of this author's work. The title of this story states that it's a Strays Short Story, though I don't see that that's the name of any of her existing series, so I don't know if these characters are part of any of her other books or not. I hope so however, as I really liked the characters of Shiloh and Julius and would love to learn more about them.

The Inside Man by Nicole D. Peeler - 7 stars
This was a pretty decent read, and also part of an existing series, Jane True. I'm not sure if I loved it enough to seek out more books by this author or not, but I will definitely be checking goodreads to see what the Jane True series is about and find out what others thought of them.

A Chance in Hell by Jackie Kessler - 7 stars
I enjoyed this one, and liked Jezebel's character. I guess this is part of the author's Hell on Earth series, the first 2 books of which I have somewhere in my TBR boxes in the garage. I may just have to pull them out to add them to my more current TBR pile after this short but enticing short story.

Hell's Menagerie by Kelly Gay - 5 stars
The story itself was alright, though I didn't care for the author's writing style all that much. The action scenes, which should've been fast-paced and exciting, were instead bogged down with excessive detail. For this reason, even the actions scenes seemed to just sort of creep along with the rest of the book.

Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and the Open, Lonely Sea by Seanan McGuire - 7 stars
Mermaids are magical! Though this story wasn't nearly as dark or action packed as the others, the author's writing style really drew me in. The quality of that writing, combined with mermaids and carnies, will definitely have me seeking out additional works from this author.

REVIEW: Tales of Blight and Horror by Ryan Notch

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My Rating: 5 out of 10 stars

Tales of Blight and Horror is a collection of three short stories, and one sneak preview, written by Ryan Notch. I picked it up for a short, quick read on the Kindle and finished it in one sitting.

A Heart Shaped Uterus was the main story of this set, and if you like your horror bizarre and a bit wacky, then this author is for you. Though the story was strange and interesting enough, the ending was a bit anti-climatic. Also includes a sneak peek into his full-length novel, Nowhere Blvd, which I added to my Kindle wish list.

REVIEW: A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris

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My Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

All Sookie Stackhouse short stories in a single volume. If you want to read all the short stories the author has written about Sookie, but don't want to hunt down all the various anthologies they're found in, then this book is for you. Nearly every Sookie short story is contained in this single volume. (The only short stories not here are the ones that involve secondary characters who don't really play a major role part in Sookie's world.)

I did read most of these myself several years ago as part of other anthologies, but since I collect this series, I had to have this book for my Personal Collection for it to be complete. :) Some of these stories are better than others, and though not required reading for the series, they give you just a little bit extra of Sookie, or Eric, and expand on an event that took place between the books, usually insignificant or otherwise alluded to in the series but without much detail.

Below is the list of stories and what other places you can find them (plus my notes on when I read them). You can also find a more complete list which includes the secondary characters I mentioned above in this Wikipedia article.

• "Fairy Dust" between books 4 and 5, Dead to the World and Dead as a Doornail.
read 11/30/05 as part of Powers of Detection anthology. Reread 10/4/12.

• "Dracula Night" between books 4 and 5, Dead to the World and Dead as a Doornail.
read Sep 2011 from Many Bloody Returns anthology. Reread 10/4/12.

• "One Word Answer" between books 5 and 6, Dead as a Doornail and Definitely Dead.
read 5/16/05 as part of Bite anthology. Reread 10/4/12.

• "Lucky" between books 7 and 8, All Together Dead and From Dead to Worse.
read 10/30/11 as part of Unusual Suspects anthology.

• "Gift Wrap" between books 8 and 9, From Dead to Worse and Dead and Gone.
read 10/3/12 (also part of of Unusual Suspects anthology).

REVIEW: ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes, Year 1 by Susan Helene Gottfried

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My Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

This collection of short stories introduces the reader to the world of Trevor Wolff and Mitchell Voss, and their rock band ShapeShifter. They were originally published at the online blog of author Susan Helen Gottfried, The Meet & Greet at West of Mars, so many of the visitors to that site—fondly referred to as groupies—might already be familiar with them. Since I never really liked reading online, I wasn't much of a groupie myself, so I was happy to see this collection come out so I could find out what all the fuss was about. ;)

Trevor's the kind of character you love to hate... he's rude and obnoxious, but underneath it all, has a heart of gold. There's not a whole lot of substance to most of these stories, they're just sort of the day-to-day of these characters, an introduction in preparation for the book she later published, Trevor's Song. That's not to say that Trevor, Mitchell, and the gang don't have fun, or manage to get themselves into some funny or sticky situations. For that they certainly do, but it's hard to critique this book like a book when there wasn't really a plot or anything. So just take it for what it is... and if you like the characters enough to want to follow along and see what happens from here, pick up the next 2 years of Demo Tapes, along with Trevor's Song. Actually they're all being offered FREE (in digital or ebook format) at Smashwords until the end of July. Refer to each individual book page for the code to add to your cart. I grabbed them myself and since this was a fairly quick read, plan to catch up more on Trevor and the gang over the course of the next year. :)

PS - Up until I read this book, I was convinced Trevor was a werewolf. I mean, who wouldn't with the surname of Wolff and band name of ShapeShifter, right? But this book set me straight and I was a wee bit disappointed to discover the characters were just regular joes like you and me.

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REVIEW: Free Four: Tobias Tells the Story by Veronica Roth

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My Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

This was a short little read that didn't add a whole lot to the story but gave you a glimpse into Four's point-of-view when Tris first joined the Divergent. I actually read it after the second book Insurgent instead of after the first one so I kind of already knew a lot more about him than this short story let on. Still, it was well written and was probably a nice hold-over for those who read Divergent and then had to wait an entire year for Insurgent to come out. :)

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Finding Creatures & Other Stories by C. June Wolf

Author C. June Wolf was kind enough to send me a copy of her first published collection of short stories for review. Finding Creatures & Other Stories is a collection of stories that spans the various sub-genres of fantasy, science fiction, and speculative fiction.

Though I haven't yet read it in full, I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce this book now since I plan to savor it slowly, reading a few stories here and there between my full-length reads instead of cover-to-cover. This is similar to how I read my last fantasy anthology, Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears, though I certainly don't plan on taking that long with this particular book. :) I also got the impression that this particular collection of stories was best enjoyed this way anyway, allowing time for the nuances of some of these remarkable stories to settle with you before moving on to the next. I can already see this book taking up permanent residence in my bookcase, to be shared among friends and family throughout the years.

I'll return to post a more thorough review of this book once I've finished it. But if you'd to grab a copy for yourself now, you can follow the links above to purchase from Amazon, and check out the amazing reviews it's already received, or purchase directly from the publisher here.

#68 Sugarplums and Scandal by Dana Cameron, Mary Daheim, Lori Avocato, Cait London, Suzanne Macpherson, Kerrelyn Sparks

My Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

"All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth" by Lori Avocato
When nurse-turned-investigator Pauline Sokol decides to bring a bit of Christmas cheer to a helpless old man, she unwittingly discovers misdeeds of a Scrooge-like local dentist.

This was a cute little story. Not much of a mystery in and of itself, but apparently the Pauline Sokol Mystery series from which these characters are drawn is a fairly successful cozy mystery series. She reminds me a bit of Stephanie Plum. Characters were well drawn and the story imparted a nice sense of Christmas spirit despite it's brevity.

"The Lords of Misrule" by Dana Cameron
Modern detection techniques are called for on Christmas Eve in an elegant eighteenth-century English manor when murder and grand theft get thrown in amidst the Christmas cheer.

This was another cute little mystery. I didn't care for the 18th century setting as much as I do for contemporary settings, but the mystery itself was entertaining, the characters interesting, and it held my interest throughout.

"The Ghost of Christmas Passed" by Mary Daheim
All the wacky relatives are together for the holidays at Judith McMonigle Flynn's bed and breakfast—but a murderous, uninvited "ghost" may dampen the Christmas spirit.

I really couldn't get into this one and found myself paging ahead to see when it was gonna end! LOL I had a difficult time relating to the main characters or the situations they faced, possibly because they were quite a bit outside my age range, and the supposed "ghost" wasn't even really a ghost at all! :-( So overall, this was just a large group of family and friends, whose names I couldn't even keep track of, getting together on Christmas and getting a little surprise. Ehhh... *shrug*

"Partners in Crime" by Cait London
When a well-meaning do-gooder lets a mysterious man into her life, she must discover if he's protecting her—or stalking her.

This cute little mystery wasn't too bad, though it wasn't my favorite of the bunch either. It was like a cozy mystery and love story rolled up into one. At least it was interesting enough to hold my interest throughout. :-)

"Holly Go Lightly" by Suzanne Macpherson
A handsome hero's plucky late fiancée won't leave him be until he completes her unfinished mission on Earth.

When the ghost of his old girlfriend starts haunting him on Christmas Eve, Nick is led to discover a holiday secret that has been hidden from him for years. This was another good story: a little bit romance, a little bit mystery, but a good holiday story overall.

"A Very Vampy Christmas" by Kerrelyn Sparks
Coming home for the holidays takes on new meaning when a newly turned vampire discovers his own Christmas miracle.

This one was the best of the batch! It was also the longest at 86 pages so perhaps that had something to do with it. :-) This is the story of Don Orlando de Corazon, "the greatest lover in the vampire world" from the DVN soap opera As a Vampire Turns, and his discovering who he really is. Don Orlando was a minor character in the previous Love at Stake novels, and I recognized many of the other characters from the full-length novels as well, though its certainly not necessary to have read them before this; this story can easily stand alone.

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#66 Dead and Loving It by MaryJanice Davidson

My Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

"Santa Claws" (read 11/4–5)
Not a whole lot of substance to this one. I can see why the first three of these Wyndham werewolf stories were initallly published in e-book format. I suspect they're mostly fillers to fill in a bit of back story on the various werewolves of the Wyndham pack. That said, I did appreciate this story for what it was: how Alec met Giselle, and how they rocked the sheets all night. ;-)

"Monster Love" (read 11/15–16)
Again, not a whole lot of substance... just a way to introduce you to a few more minor characters to be introduced/talked about in the Wyndham Werewolf series. In this story, we've got Janet Lupo—whose name they kept shortening to Jane which is really stupid because Jane is not a nickname for Janet. I know lots of people by both names and none has ever shortened Janet to Jane! Anyway, Janet's a real bitch of a werewolf: harsh mouth, bad attitude, the works! And now she's finally met her match in local vampire, Richard "Dick" Will. Their initial "getting-to-know-you" revolves around sex... which is fine by me. Being dogs by nature, that's how werewolves judge their compatibility apparently. ;-)

"There's No Such Thing as a Werewolf" (read 11/25)
This one didn't appear to have as much sex as the previous two, at least not anything as explicit. Instead, it was a nice story about Drake, a former werewolf of the Wyndham pack, who's gone rogue and who's actually a practicing doctor among humans. Oh, and did I mention he's blind as well? Well, that is until he meets Crescent, a street girl who thinks she can fly. What is it about her that causes him to be able to not just sense her with his extrasharp senses, but actually see the light eminating from her? This is their story, and I quite enjoyed it. :-)

"A Fiend in Need" (read 12/2)
This story actually takes place in the Queen Betsy universe, and occurs between book 4, Undead and Unreturnable, and book 5, Undead and Unpopular. Here we meet Antonia, a werewolf who's a little unique in that she cannot Change. She can however see the future, and one of her visions has told her to travel to Minneapolis, MN to see the queen, and she'll get what she needs. Since the pack doesn't seem to miss her, an address pops into her head and off she goes! She doesn't realize until she gets there that the queen she's visiting is actually Queen Betsy, Queen of the Vampires. She falls into a fast friendship with the gang at Betsy's, particularly George the Fiend, née Garrett Shea, where it's pretty much love at first sight. So this is primarily Antonia and Garrett's story, and it reads very much like a typical Betsy story. It'll be interesting to see how things progress with Garrett and Antonia in the later Betsy books, since Antonia has decided to move into the mansion with Betsy and the gang.

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#60 Demon's Delight by MaryJanice Davidson, Emma Holly, Vickie Taylor, Catherine Spangler

My Rating: 5 out of 10 stars

"Witch Way" by MaryJanice Davidson
My Rating: 2 stars
New York Times bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson challenges a charlatan exorcist with a sexy dead woman-and an unnatural romance.

Stupid, stupid, stupid!! And completely unrealistic to boot. The author writes about Salem, MA as if it's some theoretical place where Witches are still hunted to this day when that couldn't be farther from the truth. It's actually more of Witch Central now. If you want to write about witch hunters, look to the southern states where there's still a lot of ignorance and fundamentalism. For some reason, this just didn't read like MJD's usual stuff... it was just blah for me.

"Street Corners and Halos" by Catherine Spangler
My Rating: 5 stars
And award-winning author Catherine Spangler gives a vampire prostitute a last chance at redemption when an angelic hunk offers her a night of divine lovemaking.

This one was a bit better than MJD's story, and at least held my interest, even if it was a bit corny and cliche at times.

"The Demon's Angel" by Emma Holly
My Rating: 6 stars
USA Today bestselling author Emma Holly introduces a beautiful scientist to the realm of the Demon World...and an irresistible male she has experimented on.

A little different from what I'm used to from Emma Holly. The genetic mutation part was a bit freaky... the sex was a bit tame, but there was a bit more to it than just a romance so I tended to like it a little bit. :-)

"Angel and the Hellraiser" by Vickie Taylor
My Rating: 5 stars
National bestselling author Vickie Taylor throws a hell-bent man into the arms of a beautiful dark angel who is driven by ethereal desires of her own.

For my first intro to this author, I found her story fairly well written and interesting enough. Though a bit too romancey for my tastes to make me want to hunt down other works by this author.

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#36 Hot Spell by Emma Holly, Lora Leigh, Shiloh Walker, and Meljean Brook

My Rating: 6 out of 10 stars (average of all stories)

The Countess's Pleasure by Emma Holly
Not quite as erotic as some of Emma Holly's other works that I've read, though still definitely hotter than your standard paranormal/fantasy romance as well.

Georgiana, a widowed countess from Britain, travels to Bhamjran, a British Victorian India, and unknowingly meets up with the man of her dreams, or at least, a dreamy man... well, then again, he's not really a man but a demon. Iyan is part of a separate paranormal race known as the Yama; they aren't actually demons as you might think of them in terms of evil spirits or minions from the various levels of Hell. But besides their sculpted bodies, perfect features, and unwillingness to succumb to emotion, they are also able to draw energy from humans in a most unusual way.

Mixing between the races is generally frowned upon. But then again, "What happens in Bhamjran, stays in Bhamjran." And Georgiana is committed to living for herself now, even if that means taking pleasure where she can find it... in the arms of a demon!
My Rating: 5 stars


The Breed Next Door by Lora Leigh
I plan to read some of Lora Leigh's other Breed books so this novella was a good introduction to the race, and the writing style of the author. I liked it a bit more than the previous story because there was some additional elements of danger that weren't present in the previous story.

Lyra is a human, and unknowingly living next door to a "Breed", a genetically engineered human clone species bred to serve, usually in a warlike capacity. The Breed species were very ill-treated by their masters, until the revolution that is, fought side-by-side with humans who also thought their treatment too cruel. Many escaped to live in the real world among humans, trying to hide their true identity. Tarek was such a creature... and sexy as hell to boot! And the two of them are forced into close quarters after the people hunting Tarek decide to go after Lyra instead...
My Rating: 6 stars


Falling for Anthony by Meljean Brook
Anthony is a Guardian, a special type of angel created to protect the human race from evil. After being killed by a Nosferatu while serving as a medic during the Napoleonic Wars, Anthony is made into a Guardian, a special type of angel created to protect the human race from evil. Though most Guardians must wait 100 years first if they choose to fall, Michael the archangel has decided to send Anthony back after only a few short weeks, to protect the very family he unknowingly helped to betray to the Nosferatu who attacked him.

There's a whole back story, which is pretty intense, but when I tried to get into it, the summary got super long, so suffice to say, I really enjoyed this story the most of all of them so far. Though the sex scenes could've been a wee bit longer >:-> the story was definitely well fleshed-out.
My Rating: 7 stars


The Blood Kiss by Shiloh Walker
Roman Montgomery, the Wolf King of Wolfclan Montgomery, believes he has found his true mate. Unfortunately, she's the daughter of his sworn enemy, Lord Eduard Capiet, head of The House of Capiet. While on a mission to free his younger brother from the hands of Eduard, he abducts Eduard's daughter Julianna, not wanting to leave her in the hands of such a monster as Eduard, who's archaic old ways have drawn the eye of the Ancients.

There's a bit of similarity to Romeo and Juliet. Not just in the names, but also in the fact that the 2 Houses are sworn enemies. And Roman and Julianna fall in love. Fortunately, the story doesn't end in tragedy as Romeo and Juliet does. And there was enough action and danger going on, since the erotica wasn't as sizzling as some of the other stuff I've read, to keep the story interesting for me.
My Rating: 7 stars

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#27 Secrets, Volume 8 by Jeanie Cesarini, MaryJanice Davidson, Alice Gaines, Liz Maverick

My Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

Taming Kate by Jeanie Cesarini:
When Kathryn Roman inherits a legal brothel, she refuses to trade her high-powered career in Manhattan for a life in the wild, wild west. Little does this city girl know that the town of Love, Nevada wants her to be their new madam so they've charged Trey Holliday, one very dominant cowboy, with Taming Kate.

A so-so story. The whole cowboy/pretty lady thing got old pretty fast. I can't say I disliked it totally though, only that there was a bit too much romance for my liking.
Rating: 4 stars

Jared's Wolf by MaryJanice Davidson:
Jared Rocke will do anything to avenge his sister's death, even believe in werewolves. What he doesn't believe is that he's attracted to Moira Wolfbauer, the she-wolf sworn to protect her pack. In Jared's Wolf, two enemies must join forces to stop a killer while learning that love defies all boundaries—even those between species.

Much better than the first story, which to me read much more like a pure romance novel, a genre I don't particularly care for.

These are the first 2 Wyndham Werewolves stories written by MJD's. And I specifically put off reading Derik's Bane, Dead and Loving It, and even Undead and Unpopular until I read these two short stories, "Love's Prisoner" from Secrets 6, and this one from Secrets 8. I'm now more looking forward to reading Derik's Bane since I should feel like I'm coming back to familiar friends.
Rating: 8 stars

My Champion, My Love by Alice Gaines:
My Champion, My Love tells the tale of Celeste Broder, a woman committed for a sexy appetite that is tolerated in the men, but not the women of her time. She desperately needs a champion, and finds one in mayor Robert Albright. If she can convince him her freedom will mean a chance to indulge their appetites together.

Bah, this story was so boring I don't even know how or why I finished it! I guess I can only blame it on my OCD, my need to complete things I start, and particularly since I liked the stories in Secrets 6 so much better.

One of my main problems with this story is due to the fact that this story takes place back in 1888, when things were extremely uptight and Puritan sexually. And that alone is a huge pet peeve of mine! I hate the sexual repression we live with even today, and since the basis of this story was the fact that Celeste was put into an insane asylum because of her strong sexual nature and the books she read had me screaming with indignation on her behalf. And I guess because I don't really like romances just for the sake of romance, without any danger or other stuff in the story. And this story just did not have enough "other stuff" for me, and not nearly enough erotica. *sigh*
Rating: 3 stars

Kiss or Kill by Liz Maverick:
In this post apocalyptic world, Camille Kazinsky's military career rides on her ability to make a choice—whether the robo called Meat should live or die. Meat's future depends on proving he's human enough to live, man enough... Should Camille Kiss or Kill this man/machine that makes her feel like a woman?

I really liked this story a lot and was surprised to read that the short story appearing here in Secrets 8 was her first published work. I have a couple of her books from the Crimson City series, including the first one aptly named Crimson City, waiting on Mt. TBR so now I'm more looking forward to reading that.

Unlike the Cesarini and Gaines stories in this anthology, this was a lot more erotic and thus was more to my liking. And for the romance portion, I didn't have to deal with a swooning female and a bunch of "mushy gushy". LOL The sex scenes weren't really long, but were explicit enough to get me hot! ;-)
Rating: 7 stars


Overall, I'm rating this book a 6 when I average out the 4 individual ratings (which actually come to 5.5). The stories from Davidson and Maverick definitely made this anthology worth reading. The other two I wouldn't recommend for anyone who's not a die-hard romance fan.

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#18 Dates From Hell by Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Kelley Armstrong, Lori Handeland

My Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

The last two stories in this anthology really made this book. Though I like Kim Harrison's writing, her first published short story included here was kind of dry, though Kelley Armstrong's story really rocked. I've included individual reviews for each story below.

Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison
Read 08-Jun – 09-Jun-2006
This is Ivy's story, before she meets Rachel and Jenks and starts Vampiric Charms. We learn a lot more about what makes Ivy tick, and how she comes to her decision to live blood-free as a living vampire. I don't think I enjoyed it quite as much as the full-length novels because I missed having Rachel and Jenks too, but still, I appreciate this story for what it is... a deeper look into Ivy's life pre-Rachel. :)
Rating: 6 stars

The Claire Switch Project by Lynsay Sands
Read 06-Feb-2007
Ugh, I should've known I wasn't going to like this one right from the first paragraph. The first sentence actually proclaimed, "A bunny," and I thought yay!! But then it turns out two of the main characters, Kyle and Claire, are running doing experiments and testing on the poor little bunny. And oh boy, I've got a wicked rant I can go on about animal testing, but since it's not really relevant to this review, sufficed to say that it's a wicked peeve of mine that hits a deep nerve.

From there, we just have more cutesy, stupid characters who think nothing of hiding the truth from their friends and people they care about. Another pet peeve, one I can usually live with, but when a huge premise of the story is based upon such deception and lying, it angers me even more!

I wonder why I kept on reading then... well, it was a short story and I was determined to finish it. And I did laugh at one or two parts. Had I not already read a full-length novel by this author, Single White Vampire, which I fairly enjoyed, I'd probably think twice about reading anything from this author if I were to base it only on this short story. I give it a few points not for the story, but because the author herself is a halfway decent writer, and that at least does come across here.
Rating: 4 stars

Chaotic by Kelley Armstrong
Read 18-Feb – 19-Feb-2007
Hope is a tabloid reporter and "supposed agent" for the Interracial Council. As a Half-Demon, she's got skills that enable her detect chaotic events, past or present. While attending a museum gala, she meets up with charming werewolf and jewel thief, Karl Marsten, whom we've met in previous novels. And chaos rules!!

This was an excellent story! Kelley really knows how to write a short story and make it as action-packed and exciting as her full-length novels. In this novella, we're introduced to a new character, Hope, a half-demon journalist, whom I'm hoping will appear again in future books or novellas. Since Karl Marsten seems to be romantically interested in her, this may be a good possibility.
Rating: 9 stars

Dead Man Dating by Lori Handeland
Read 23-Feb-2007
Kit has been saving herself for marriage and true love, so what could be better than a dating agency named, remarkably, TrueLove.com. Little did she realize that her "date" would actually be a demon from hell, and that her "knight in shining armor" would appear to save her mortal soul?

Kit is startled when the rogue demon hunter Chavez manages to extinguish her date in the alley right before her very eyes. But it turns out he's not really dead—or is already dead, I should say—and the demon, part incubus and part Rakshasas, continues to stalk her and attempt to seduce her. For only her virginity can save him. And finding a virgin in this day and age is so rare!

With the help of Chavez, they're able to exploit the demon's weakness and bring about his destruction. But as they're told by Satan himself, the end of the world is near, and these new demons that he's made and unleased on the world are here to bring about Armageddon. The story leaves off here, as Kit and Chavez have decided to work together, brain and brawn so to speak, to defeat this evil before it's too late.

This story was actually quite good. I hadn't yet read anything else by Handeland, though I've got the first 6 books of her Nightcreature series here waiting for me to find the right time to start on them. So now that I've whet my appetite with this short story, I'm quite looking forward to them.
Rating: 8 stars

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#68 Naughty Fairy Tales from A to Z edited by Alison Tyler

My Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

There were some really great and titillating stories in this book! I'm definitely going to seek out additional works by some of these authors. Fortunately, the editors included a section at the back with further detail on each author including what else they've written, where they've been published, including some website URLs, etc.

Because I don't generally like to read a bunch of short stories all at once, I read this book over the course of 2 months, tucking in anywhere from 3-5 stories in between other full-length books I was reading. But you know what? I always looked forward to finishing a novel because that meant I'd get to read a few more of these juicy tales before starting something new. I especially liked to "go to bed" with this book. ;)

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#48 Secrets Volume 6 by MaryJanice Davidson, Sandy Fraser, Alice Gaines, Angela Knight, Sandy Tetzlaff

My Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Wow, these were some great reads. I hadn't realized when I started this that it was actually erotica, so I was pleasantly surprised by that too.

Flint's Fuse by Sandy Fraser
I enjoyed the character of Dana, who was a tough as nails rich bitch who always got her way (and her man). And Flint too, who though he had feelings for her, didn't let it get in the way of doing the job he was assigned to do. I'm glad they wound up together in the end.

Love's Prisoner by MaryJanice Davidson
My first intro the MJD's Wyndham Werewolves, who appear in later books starting with Derik's Bane. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more about them now. Jeannie's character reminded me a little bit of Betsy from the Undead series, and I understand that in the final story in Dead and Loving It, which actually takes place before Undead and Unpopular, the werewolves meet the vampires. So I'll be curious to see if Jeannie and Michael are still around then. I hope so as I really enjoyed their story here.

The Education of Miss Felicity Wells by Alice Gaines
This one was only alright for me. The innocence and virginity of Felicity was a bit annoying. That she'd go to a known casanova to teach her to please her husband, and expect to retain her virginity throughout the process, was a little silly in my mind. But then again, maybe she's just stupid!

A Candidate for the Kiss by Angela Knight
The sex in this one was hot! I didn't care for the author's habit of inserting a chapter break in the middle of a conversation. You usually expect a chapter ending to allow you a good place to put down the book and get back to it later, but in the case of this story, I'd often have to go back and reread the last few paragraphs of the previous chapter to pick up where the new chapter started. Since I've got some of Ms. Knight's books on my TBR shelf, I can only hope she's become better in this regard because I found it quite annoying! At least the story (and the sex) was good.

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#43 Hot Blooded by Christine Feehan, Maggie Shayne, Emma Holly, Angela Knight

My Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

For an anthology, all of these stories were surpisingly good and well-written.

“Dark Hunger” by Christine Feehan
This story takes place within Christine Feehan’s Dark series and tells the story of Riordan de la Cruz and his lifemate Juliette. But Juliette has a secret identity of her own, as well as her own agenda protecting her sister and cousin. Definitely a romance but enough other action going on to hold my interest throughout.

“Awaiting Moonrise” by Maggie Shayne
Jenny Rose is a university professor who travels to the bayou of Louisiana to research tales of a possible unknown, and as yet undiscovered, species of mammal. But she meets up with the town’s sexy (and single) doctor, whose interest in her is more than just academic. I enjoyed this one even more than the Feehan story.

“The Night Owl” by Emma Holly
This story takes place within Emma Holly’s Midnight series (Catching Midnight, Hunting Midnight, Courting Midnight) and if you like to read series in order, is best read after Hunting Midnight since it tells the continuing tale of Bastien and Emile who first appear in that book. It was a good story, though I probably didn’t like it quite as much as Shayne’s contribution.

“Seduction’s Gift” by Angela Knight
Grace Morgan is a Latent, she has the Gift of the Mageverse but would rather live in the real world serving and protecting fellow humankind in the role of a deputy police officer. But her grandmother, Morgana le Fay, sends Lord Lancelot du Luc to seduce her and bring her over, activating her Gift with the act of lovemaking, at least 3 times.

This is the second short story I’ve read by Angela Knight that takes place in the Mageverse series, the first one being “Galahad” which appeared in the Bite anthology, though that one actually takes place later in the series. I didn’t really care for “Galahad” all that much as I couldn’t get into the whole Knights of the Round Table as Vampires thing… but for some reason, I liked this one a little better. Perhaps because it’s actually the first story in the tale. But because so many others thought it was great, I didn’t want to judge the series by a short story and I’ve since acquired the other books of the Mageverse series. If anything, this story has forced me to move Master of the Night closer to the top of my TBR pile.

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