REVIEW: 2014 Autumn Romance Collection (+Giveaway!)

Title: 2014 Autumn Collection

Author: Various

Series: VTP Anthologies 

Pages: 205

Date Published: September 9th, 2014

Publisher: Victory Tales Press

Format: Ebook

Genre:Romance

Source: Goddess Fish Blog Tours
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Synopsis:
Six complete sweet to sensual romances from six multi-talented authors in settings that are sure to keep you spellbound with tales about young magic, charming reunions, and new beginnings. Enjoy the darker side where witches cast spells, vampires exist, and zombies walk the earth. There's a story for everyone.

~My Thoughts~

First of all, I love reading anthologies. They might have little shorts from your favorite authors, but they most definitely will introduce you to new authors that you may love! Whenever I'm in a reading rut, I find a new anthology to read and (fingers crossed) find a new author to fall in love with and then stalk religiously, reading everything they ever wrote for the next few months! I kid...well, not really...but I was happy to read this super fab romance anthology and discover 5 new to me authors (Plus one I've already found!)!

Man of Her Dreams.

This short is awesome! From the hippy parents who are still a bit sex and drug addled, to the opening sentence of, “Anise stirred the potion in the pan, making sure the clumps of brain tissue were completely dissolved…”this paranormal dramedy is seriously going to make you love author Gerald Costlow.  Annabel is giving her daughters the opportunity to dream of the men of their dreams-too bad Anise’s man is buck-naked and walking down a hotel corridor. This man, Donnie, has more to him than meets the eye though, and when they finally meet in real life, Anise might have to deal with Donnie’s crazy illusions about demons chasing him. Or are they illusions? While the plot was intensely rapid, it was still enjoyable and a fun, crazy ride to get through before the end. I loved it J

Under the Harvest Moon

Friends to lovers is one of my favorite romantic tropes, and this is no exception in Markee Anderson’s Under the Harvest Moon.  Victoria has been asked to be the maid of honor in her neighbor’s wedding, also happening to be in the bridal party is her old best friend from high school Kirby. Fireworks and romance ensues as the pair try to figure each other out while also navigating a crime. While the writing style wasn’t my favorite for this one, I liked the story a lot.

Day of the Dead

So…was I the only one who thought it was weird that the Doctor’s name was Carlisle? Was this supposed to be Twilight fan fiction? It was still an enjoyable read, but perhaps too close to Twilight specifics for my comfort….could potentially head into copyright things there possibly. Still, I love adding an unexpected element to vampire and paranormal stories, such as a cool work place like a hospital, so this one was cool.

Apple of His Eye

When Callie runs out of gas on a deserted stretch of highway she had no idea that her rescuer would be Marshall Albright, grandson of her grandfather’s bitterest enemy. The pair can’t help but be drawn to each other, but their love is strained by the feuding families’ bitter feelings. In this star-crossed lovers tale, there’s know knowing if love can be stronger than hate. This was a cute retelling of Romeo and Juliet really, with some different elements of bringing the family together (other than a double suicide obviously…not very romantic that….). Overall a very fun, if not super original read.

Alive

Yes…Love in the time of Cholera-Zombie Cholera that is. Zeeks, or zombies for those of you not in the know, have infected the world, changing everything we thought we knew about humanity, and survival. This oddly satisfying short is a Thanksgiving story of the strangest kind, but I appreciated the holiday nods and the differences of zombie lore that Vincent Nutt used to write. A very thrilling ride all around.

Young Witchcraft

This is a very sweet read. While it was odd to read about middle schoolers dabbling in young love in an anthology with other much older skewing stories, this was still a really cool addition. Rachel had noticed Joey on the playground. He’s funny, and active, and has very cute blonde hair, plus he saved her from the mean bully Phill. But there’s a reason Phil is mean to Rachel. Werewolves have always been horrible to witches, and that’s what Rachel is. As they grow up, Phil gets meaner, and Joe and Rachel get closer as friends…possibly more. From Elementary, to Highschool, to beyond we follow the three until ultimately Phil does something that Rachel can’t forgive and the stuff quite literally hits the fan. I liked this one too. A quick read, but fun! 

~Try an Excerpt!~

from "Under the Harvest Moon:"

Cindy grabbed her drink and sipped it. As she turned toward Kirby, she put her hand on his arm. "Call me. We'll do lunch."

Never. He had a plan for his life and it didn't involve Cindy Ambrose.

But he couldn't stop from nodding as she walked away.

Kirby stepped up to the counter. "I'll have a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream, please."

"For you?" the girl asked.

"No." He nodded toward Victoria. "For my date." The comment seemed so foreign to him, but he had to smile. Victoria didn't even know she was on a date.

"Ah. You're trying to impress her," the clerk said. "I'll help you out." She leaned closer. "You need it, I can tell." She reached up and straightened his polo shirt's collar. "You need to look the part."

Considering the girl was his neighbor, he had to chuckle. "Thanks, Belinda. Do I look okay?"

"Yep. Smokin' hot, actually."

~Meet the Authors!~ 

Markee Anderson makes her home in northeast Wisconsin, surrounded by Packer fans, snow, and cheese. Along with her husband, they have three adult children and two Boston terrier babies. She writes under different pen names, all at: www.sweettalebooks.com.  Come visit her at: http://markeeanderson.com

Stephanie Burkhart was born in Manchester, New Hampshire. After graduating from Central High, she joined the U.S. Army. She spent eleven years in the military, seven stationed in Germany. She left the Army in 1997 and settled in California. Stephanie has been married for over twenty years and has two boys, Andrew and Joseph. She now works for LAPD as a 9-1-1 Dispatcher. Come visit her at: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

Gerald Costlow lives in Michigan and has published several novels and numerous short stories and novellas over the years. He's currently publishing a romantic-supernatural series with Publishing by Rebecca Vickery.

Cecilia Corona is a massage therapist by day and enjoys the adventures of writing by night. When she's not sitting at her computer plotting her next tale, she's enjoying the Southern California weather. She loves movies, animals of all kinds, especially her three dogs, and she's a big fan of mermaids. When she was young and saw the movie Splash for the first time, she believed sprinkling salt in the bathtub would magically allow her to grow a tail. She was sadly disappointed when the experiment didn't work. If she can't be a mermaid, then maybe she'll just have to write about them. Please visit Cecilia's website at: http://authorceciliacorona.blogspot.com

Nan O'Berry lives on a small farm in western tidewater with her family and pets including a Black Angus cow named Esmeralda. A graduate of Old Dominion University with a degree in education, she taught elementary school for several years before turning her attention to writing romance. She loves hearing from readers. Please feel free to contact her on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nancy-OBerry-Romance- Author/161753103856411

When Vincent Nutt isn't fighting off zeeks, he's going to school and working toward his BA in Video Game Design. You can find Vincent online at: http://vincentnutt.blogspot.com/ 

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