I received a free copy of the book from the author for my honest opinion.

Erin Harris met James back before she graduated high school. A movie crew came to her home town to shoot a movie about vampires. Erin loved taking pictures so she got herself a job taking pictures of the movie as it is being shot. While taking pictures of the movie Erin notice that James only came on set at night to film his part in the movie. He was the star of the show; he was a vampire in the movie. Erin was very attracted to James and started following him around and she finds out that he is a real vampire and almost gets herself killed. James falls for Erin as well and he takes care of her and keeps her safe. But the only way to keep her safe was for him to leave. Erin couldn't be with James because of her father was a heavy drinker. Erin was going to go to college in New York and James promised to look her up with she got there.

After Erin finished high school and entered college in New York she met a few friends who all shared an apartment together. But James never showed up like he promised. Erin was sort of disappointed but she met a new guy at college, Tommy. Erin hoping that James was going to show up sooner or later never let Tommy know that she liked him. Erin's twin brother Nick comes to for a visit just when a girl is found dead right outside of her apartment building and it looks to be vampires. Erin finds out that her brother has become a vampire hunter or that is what she thinks when she sees his stake. But she finds out that he just carries it around with him for safety reasons. You know just in case he runs into a vampire.

Erin and Nick decide to go looking for the vampire that is killing the girls. There hunt carries them to a club where Erin runs into James. Nick is very upset that he is there and doesn't want his sister to be with him, Nick is afraid that he will lose control and attack his sister. He is also afraid that he is the one going around killing all these girls. But Erin knows better than this. She knows that James is not like that and would not kill a human for his food.

I read book #1 Under The Desert Moon where Erin and James met and fell in love with each other and loved it as well. I am very glad that I have had the opportunity to read both books and I highly recommend both books to anyone who loves reading about vampires. I really liked all of the characters but of course James, Erin and Nick were my favorite characters. I really loved that James let Erin make the choices and the decisions that she did. I love that he was mature and loved her enough to do that for her.

Previously posted in the nearly identical form at www.Oathtaker.com, on GoodReads and elsewhere.

 

I was provided a copy of this book through Goodreads’ READ IT AND REAP program in exchange for my fair and honest review. I thank the author for this opportunity.

Generally, I do not read short stories, but I have read some over the past months. I’ve decided that I rather enjoy them. While they may not satisfy that desire I have to get to know a character well and to follow her for a good long while, they do awaken something else in me, namely, they get my creative juices flowing. I find myself wondering what the author might do if the story were turned into a full length work. . . .

Ghost Story – I admit that I saw it coming—the grandmother’s connection to the ghost story—but that did not take any enjoyment from the read. My favorite line in this story was: “A musty, old paperback smell filled her nostrils.” Ha! We all know that smell, don’t we?

The Awakening – Not my favorite, but well done.

End of the Line – I found this story rather intriguing. Whenever I hear that someone decides to call it quits because they can’t take any more, I think—why quit now? If you can’t take more, then the worst is here or better yet—it’s behind you! I hope that Cassie went on to discover just that. The best part of this story was how quickly, and fully, the various characters were drawn and I also appreciated the attention to detail—the mention of chipped fingernail polish, the smell of unwashed bodies, the time and direction of a train at issue, the shuffling of the cards, the picking at a loose red thread. . . . It was these little things that made the story “real.” Well done. 

Milsa Loris – My favorite lines were:

(1) “Haggard trees, withered from violent storms, had been left to stand like crooked little men.”

 

(2) “It [the city] now stood derelict and silent, a chipped jewel in the dark cave the world had become.”

 

(3) “Once the symbol of wealth and glory [the city], barbaric heathens had knocked it to the ground.”

 

(4) “Tendrils of cobwebs hung from the ceiling like a shimmering mist, touching the books lying on the highest shelves of her wooden cases.”

Interesting word pictures, all. Also, I am grateful for a great new word that I learned from this story, namely, “craic” which is “fun and entertainment, especially good conversation and company” or “mischievous fun.” (Thank you, Emma!) Finally, this story really got me thinking: where would this go in a full length work? (Emma? You might you consider this. ??)

The Old Vampire – Hailey seemed so real. I imagine there are many Haileys out there. . . . My favorite line?: “Inside his cape existed a deep abyss of nothingness, the bottom of a hundred foot deep well, the inside of a coffin, a curious space without stars, the total absence of light.”

The Knocking – Alison and grandfather—I feel I’ve known them both. I liked this: “Now that he could no longer climb the stairs to his bedroom, it lay silent and dormant. Shut up like a museum.” But, it is this one that made me laugh: “She sat at the kitchen table waiting for the kettle to boil and felt warm air at her feet. Without glancing down, she knew her granddad had put the heater in, in the middle of summer. Typical.” 

The Boy on the Beach – Another that was not my favorite. Maybe this is because I just can’t breathe when a story takes me under water or below ground. . . . 

Snowglobes – The relationship with Maggie and Eddie would feel familiar to many, I am sure.

All in all, these short stories were well told.

"The Awakening and Other Stories" is an exquisite collection of eight short stories with varied themes including ghosts, vampires, suicide, witches, Ouija boards, and demons. In "Ghost Story" Jessica confronts a ghost from her grandmother's past. In "The Awakening" Sabrina awakes from a vivid dream about a vampire. In "End of the Line" Cassie attempts suicide by train. In "Milsa Loris" the former inhabitants of the deserted town of Milsa Loris return to the ruined city for a ten year reunion; but what does the old witch Noraleen have planned? In "The Old Vampire" Hailey still dreams of a vampire lover. Who keeps knocking on Grandad's door in "The Knocking"? In "The Boy on the Beach" Kate's grandmother warns her from beyond the grave about the boy with the green eyes. In "Snowglobes" Eddie and Maggie visit Calvin's Cabins on Christmas Eve.This collection is well-edited and a pleasure to read. My favorite story was "The Awakening". These are the kind of stories I wish I'd written. They are short, to the point, and beautifully and elegantly told. Somber and melancholy, they will haunt you for days to come. My only complaint is that I think this collection should be renamed End of the Line, not only because of the chosen cover art, but because each story has death (or at least life as we know it) as its underlying theme. Warnings: This book contains some coarse language, violence, and adult themes.I received a copy of this book via the Shut Up & Read group Read It & Reap program on Goodreads for the purpose of providing an honest review.

I received this e-book via Read It & Reap feature at Shut Up & Read Goodreads group. I think this is the first short story collection that I’ve read and I’m glad to say I discovered the appeal of anthologies. Here’s my opinion on each story:

Ghost Story - Two friends, Jessica and Michelle go to abandoned house, after Jessica’s grandma warned them not to go. This house is known for it’s ghost, who dwells on the window...and Jessica finds him. This was one of the creepiest stories in this collection. I liked it very much, but I found the ending a bit too rushed. 4/5

The Awakening - A story about girl Sabrina who is dying and is lost in another girl’s dream. This was a haunting story, with only thin line between reality and dreams. 4/5

End of the Line - My favorite. Amazing story about depression, chilling and sad. Cassie wants to die and stands on the tracks waiting for the train. Instead of an instant death, she finds herself on a “Death Train” along with it’s other passengers. I have no words to express how much I loved this story. It was heartbreaking to this point that I cried. 5/5

Milsa Loris - Milsa Loris is a city that’s been ravaged by war and death. Upcoming annual festivities will bring it’s people back together even if for one night only to offer some hope for better times. But King’s witch Noraleen wants to save them all. And for that, she brewed up a special potion. I loved the idea behind this story. It also had a touch of high fantasy in it, which I loved. It would be great to see this story set in a novel, I would happily read more about Milsa Loris and it’s inhabitants. 5/5

The Old Vampire - Hailey has been a fan of paranormal creatures from her childhood to an old age. She daydreams about ghosts, vampires and monsters to the point where she finds herself old and alone. And then finally He comes. But it's a bit late for Hailey. This was a really depressing story. It chilled me to the bone. 3/5

The Knocking - Teenager Alison is looking after her depressed grandfather Paddy. He doesn’t care much for the world anymore, only waits for his end. Somebody’s knocking at the door but Alison doesn’t see anyone, only Paddy seems to know who it is. I liked this story, but disliked the cliffhanger at the end. 3/5

The Boy on the Beach - Grandmother warned Kate not to listen to the boy in the sea with green eyes. Over the years Kate forgot about her gradma’s warning and returns to the beach. He tricks her just like grandma knew he would. I liked this one and I wouldn’t mind reading more about it. 3/5

Snowglobes - Cabin works at his cabin and he collects all kinds of snowglobes. Then a young couple arrives for vacation, trying to mend their relationship. Cabin will make sure their love never end... The end took me by surprise and kind of freaked me out. It was really scary. 4/5


The main strength these stories have over normal-length novels is the constant anticipation what’s going to happen next. You know the story will end in only few pages, so something big can occur at any moment. The main character could very easily die, which you know in novels can’t happen. When you add paranormal elements in this constant uneasiness, you can have intense and scary experience. Short stories have a difficult task to make readers feel for the characters in only few pages. I think Emma Meade managed to accomplish this. When an author makes me care for a character to this point that I cry a few tears - in a short story! - I know I’ll be reading more of his/her books. I think Meade is a very talented author with that amazing power to break your heart.


See this review and more on my blog: http://thetemporaryescape.blogspot.com/

"Okay, for starters, I have to say that as of late, I have not enjoyed many YA books that I’ve come across. And the reason is because they all have the exact same outline of a story. The only things that vary are the scenery and the male character’s attitude/supernatural being. This book was no exception to that rule.

We start with a teenage girl who is bored with her life. She needs excitement. When she stumbles upon a magnificent and mysterious boy that seems “out of this world,” she is drawn to him. The discovery that he is, in fact, a vampire….. let excitement and danger ensue. Where have we read this before? Oh, in about every other YA book from the last 5 years. So for me, this was a tad bit disappointing. But, I digress.

To be fair, as I feel the author is owed a fair assessment of her work, even though the story was all too familiar, the author’s writing was commendable. Her efforts to write an entertaining story were not for nothing. The romance between Erin and James was sweet, and the interaction between Erin and her twin brother, Nick, made me laugh. Another aspect of the author’s story that I can appreciate and honestly say THANK YOU for is the story’s lack of super teenage drama. Nothing kills a story more for me than a book loaded full of unnecessary drama just to add something scandalous to the book. This story has the drama down to a minimum, which made it a lot easier and more fun to read.

Overall, I have to say that it’s not a bad book. The author does write well, and she has created some fun characters. I just wish it hadn’t fallen in to the latest YA mainstream vampire craze. Her talents, and I’m sure creativity, could have written a much better version. This is definitely a book you could finish quickly, and if you’re a fan of the YA genre, one that you'd more than likely enjoy.


Reviewed by Marie for Cocktails and Books