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Make Believe

J.A. Belfield (Goodreads Author),

Jennifer M. Eaton (Goodreads Author)

J. Keller Ford (Goodreads Author)

Terri Rochenski (Goodreads Author)

Lynda R. Young (Goodreads Author)

Kelly Said (Goodreads Author)

4.36 · Rating details · 55 ratings · 32 reviews

Sacrificial Oath by Terri Rochenski
An impetuous act unwittingly makes Alesuela the fulfillment of the Sovereign's Blood Oath to their Goddess. In five days, she'll be forced to make the greatest choice of her life: become the virginal sacrifice already promised, or force the man she loves most to die in her place. With an impossible choice in front of her, she searches for Sacrificial Oath by Terri Rochenski
An impetuous act unwittingly makes Alesuela the fulfillment of the Sovereign's Blood Oath to their Goddess. In five days, she'll be forced to make the greatest choice of her life: become the virginal sacrifice already promised, or force the man she loves most to die in her place. With an impossible choice in front of her, she searches for ways to undo the oath, and in her quest, finds not everything in her life is as she expects.

The Amulet of Ormisez by J. Keller Ford
There is only one way to save Elton Fletcher's brother from an insanity-ridden death. After years away from home, fighting for his people, Elton returns to discover his only sibling, Cayden, possessed by greed and malice, and responsible for malicious, unthinkable deeds. Cayden, though, isn't the only one afflicted by the Amulet of Ormisez, and Elton finds himself in yet another battle, where the price of failure could be his own life.

Birthright by Lynda R. Young
Christa can mask the pain and hide the scars, but running from a birthright is impossible. She's tried to escape her grief by fleeing to a small town in Florida. Much to her frustration, the locals think they recognize her even though she's never been there before. To make things worse, a man named Jack spouts outrageous theories about her. Both spur Christa to bolt, to start fresh yet again, but there's something about Jack that intrigues her enough to stay. The only problem? Someone else wants her to leave, and they won't stop until she's dead.

Petrified by Kelly Said
A mysterious storm has replaced summer with winter, devastating crops and smothering Castle lands in snow. Prince Sterling August stands alone as a leader, lost in personal grief as well as a desire to help his people but with an inability to do either. The answers he needs await him, but without Lochlyn, a woman who's just as isolated as Sterling, he'll never see what stands before him, cloaked in illusion.

Last Winter Red by Jennifer M. Eaton
Emily is a Red, a woman whose sole purpose in life is to produce offspring. When her husband dies and leaves her childless, she risks her life and forsakes the safety of Terra-a disease-free city born after the nuclear holocaust. Beyond its boundaries, she knows, survives a man with whom she can be properly paired. The Outside, though, holds secrets the government struggles to keep, and what Emily discovers on her quest for a mate will change her life forever.

Escort to Insanity by J.A. Belfield
From a charity auction, to a stroll in the park, to the craziest night of her life. Nicole Harrington can't help but wonder how a simple event went so drastically wrong. Of course, the male escort she booked is wholly to blame. Not only charming but shrewdly intelligent, Benjamin Gold drags Nicole into a platoon of unimaginable problems-ones from which she'll have to find the courage just to survive. ...more

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ebook, 169 pages

Published December 3rd 2012 by J.Taylor Publishing (first published November 23rd 2012)

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4.36 ·

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· 55 ratings · 32 reviews

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Oct 27, 2012 Rachel Morgan rated it really liked it

MAKE BELIEVE is a magical collection of short stories. Just the right size for someone like me who falls into bed too late every night and doesn't have much time (or energy) left to read! It was a pleasure to escape into so many diverse fantasy worlds, some completely different from our own, others familiar but with a dash of the paranormal. All the stories were well-written, but I think my favourite was LAST WINTER RED, followed by BIRTHRIGHT. Those two captured my attention the most, and kept ...more

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May 09, 2012 Aimee Laine rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: fantasy, urban fantasy and contemporary readers

Recommended to Aimee by: Publisher

Overall rating 4.5/5 (so wish GR did 1/2 stars!)

Sacrificial Oath by Terri Rochenski 4.5/5
The quickest read of the group but a great opener. Totally hits the mark on that cover. Love that in the face of self-sacrifice, that the woman gets far more than she thinks she deserves.

The Amulet of Ormisez by J. Keller Ford 4/5
Family connections are really strong in this one - to the point they make the story. Love the fantasy world setup in this and the mix of otherworldly creatures, too.

Birthright by L ...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Danielle Villano rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2012

(Full review posted on my blog, The Reader's Commute)
I was lucky enough to receive, courtesy of J. Taylor Publishing, an ARC of a new anthology: Make Believe.

This paranormal romance / fantasy anthology will be released as an e-book on December 3, 2012, so you don't have long to wait! Around fifty-or-so pages each, here are a little bit about the stories included in Make Believe:

"Sacrificial Oath" by Terri Rochenski

My Thoughts: I envisioned the book cover as I read this story. There are some be ...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Brooke (The Cover Contessa) rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

I recieved an eARC of this book from J. Taylor publishing to read for an honest review. This in now way has influenced my point of view on this book. I want to thank them for providing me with this ARC.

This book is a compilation of six magical short stories from various authors who are published or will be published under the J. Taylor label. Each author took you into a new world, past, present, future, fantasy, dystopian, paranormal, etc. It was nice to be able to watch each story come to life I recieved an eARC of this book from J. Taylor publishing to read for an honest review. This in now way has influenced my point of view on this book. I want to thank them for providing me with this ARC.

This book is a compilation of six magical short stories from various authors who are published or will be published under the J. Taylor label. Each author took you into a new world, past, present, future, fantasy, dystopian, paranormal, etc. It was nice to be able to watch each story come to life in the span of such a few short pages.

I really loved reading these little stories from the authors. I have not read anything by any of them up until now. All their writing styles are unique. I particularly enjoyed these three stories the most: Petrified by Kelly Said, Last Winter Red by Jennifer M. Eaton and Escort to Insanity by J.A. Belfield as they captured my attention and kept me wanting to read to find out what was happening. I can also see how all the stories in this anthology can be expanded upon and made into novels of their own!

The first two stories, Sacrificial Oath and The Amulet of Ormisez, as well as Petrified, are set in more of a fantasy world. These stories reminded me of movies such as The Hobbit or The Princess Bride, maybe even Lord of The Rings. You probably get the idea. Fantasy, long flowing dresses on the women, men on tall steeds, the works. The characters for these stories were interesting and the visuals really pulled me into the time and place. Each had a good amount of world building to them. I found Sacrificial Oath to be a bit on the slow side, but the story was interesting, nonetheless.

Birthright was interesting as it takes place in modern times, but has a hint of the paranormal surrounding it throughout. Until if finally climaxes and you realize the main character is not at all who you think she is. This story had mystery written all over it. I loved the overall witch theme. This particular story was quite mysterious and I would love to see where it might go as a full length book.

Last Winter Red was probably my most favorite story. I am really into dystopian literature and this definitely had that underlying theme. I loved the world building that went on. And I liked the separation of the "classes" in the two different worlds, which is something you see in all dystopian novels. I could definitely see this story sprouting into a book or even a series. And I loved the twist to this story, it was one I was not expecting!

The final story, Escort to Insanity, had the best writing of the six short stories. Belfield drew you and and pushed you along so you wanted to know what was happening next. I loved the underlying paranormal theme, and with creatures I never would have guessed about! The characters in this piece were quit witty and sarcastic, humor I am all too familiar with and enjoy immensely. The main heroine was touch and could definitely hold her own. She kind of reminded me a bit of a female James Bond! And the hero is definitely swoon worthy. I loved the romance that budded, although I did get the "insta-love" factor a bit, which I don't normally like.

All in all I very much enjoyed reading these short stories. I would love to see each of these stories expanded upon to see where they would go! They were just the right length that I could read one right before bed, without falling asleep! It was nice to have an anthology such as this to read. Thank you J. Taylor for the opportunity to read and review this piece of work.

4 out of 5 stars from me.

...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Rick rated it really liked it

Make Believe is a delightful anthology of fantasy short stories. The opening tale "Sacrificial Oath" by Terri Rochenski had great emotional build up with a fairy tale ending. Personally, I looked for something more explosive at the end. "The Amulet of Ormisez" by J. Keller Ford has a great plot that is almost lost due to an over abundance of characters. The introduction of the talisman and its effect (no spoiler here) is genius! Read carefully or you may miss something. "Birthright" is a solid s ...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Jill rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, r2r, paranormal-romance

Make Believe is a short story anthology of paranormal fantasy/fantasy/sci-fi/dystopian etc. The writers were asked to base a story around the cover picture as long as it was not Little Red Riding hood based and had a happy or near happy ending.

Overall the anthology was good, a quick read with well balanced and varied stories.

Sacrificial Oath by Terri Rochenski

This was an interesting story. We have a simple act that brings severe consequences. I like the exploration of character as a girl figur ...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Vanessa-Jane Chapman rated it really liked it

I was really looking forward to reading Make Believe after having followed the build-up to it via some of the author's blogs, and it certainly lived up to my expectations! I don't generally read anthologies because I prefer to live with characters for longer than you can in a short story, but I do look at anthologies as a good opportunity to sample some authors that I haven't read before and/or some genres than I wouldn't usually choose. This book ticks both of those boxes. I also love the idea ...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Laura rated it really liked it

Shelves: recieved-to-review

Make believe is a collection of 6 fantasy and paranormal short stories. The content and feel of the stories are varied; from Terry Rochenski’s tale of a girl forced to sacrifice herself to a goddess to save her father, to Jennifer M Eaton’s interesting fantasy dystopian crossover about two civilisations that both believe the other to be diseased.

Sacrificial Oath by Terri Rochenski – I thought this was a beautiful, well written story. Showing a girl whose mistake means she must be sacrificed to Make believe is a collection of 6 fantasy and paranormal short stories. The content and feel of the stories are varied; from Terry Rochenski’s tale of a girl forced to sacrifice herself to a goddess to save her father, to Jennifer M Eaton’s interesting fantasy dystopian crossover about two civilisations that both believe the other to be diseased.

Sacrificial Oath by Terri Rochenski – I thought this was a beautiful, well written story. Showing a girl whose mistake means she must be sacrificed to a goddess live her final days this is a tale about love and someone willing to give up their own life for someone else.

The Amulet of Ormisez by J. Keller Ford - This story had a nice idea but it felt very rushed, nothing seemed to be explained particularly well and the ending in particular felt very hurried. I think this probably would have worked much better as a longer novel.

Birthright by Lynda R. Young - Birthright was an interesting tale but I didn’t find it to be particularly memorable and it was overshadowed by all the other excellent stories in this anthology.

Petrified by Kelly Said – I thought Petrified was a lovely little fantasy story. It has a fairy tale quality to it that made it unique and I loved the concept about Wiccae and I think this world would make a great basis for a longer book.

Last Winter Red by Jennifer M. Eaton – This was probably my favourite story; it is just so intriguing. The idea behind it is brilliant and Jennifer is clearly a brilliant writer. She perfectly portrayed someone who is learning that their entire life has been a lie and leaving behind everything they have ever known.

Escort to Insanity by J.A. Belfield – J.A.Belfield is an excellent writer whose books are always amazing so I had high expectations for Escort to Insanity and it did not disappoint. It was funny, tense and action packed all at the same time. Definitely a story to read.

Whilst I prefer reading longer books, short stories in an anthology like this give you an opportunity to sample the writing style of several authors and you might just find some that you love. My two favourite stories in this anthology were Last Winter Red by Jennifer M Eaton and Escort to Insanity by J A Belfield. Whilst I have read and enjoyed many of Belfield’s books already, I have not read anything of Eaton’s but after how good her short story was I definitely intend to read other books she writes in the future.
...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Anjana rated it really liked it

I always struggle at reviewing anthologies, which is why I usually try not to. I know that most people review each of the stories individually but I'm not going to do that because if I'm purchasing this book, I'd want to know if it's worth buying (as a whole), so here goes..

I can confidently state that Make Believe is written by a group of talented writers. All the stories have paranormal elements and the feel of forming part of a full length novel. They have strong story lines, despite their sh ...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2012-must-reads, j-taylor-publishing

Man oh man can I just tell you that I have read a lot of Anthologies but this one by far had me on the edge of my seat. It has six short stories that left me wanting more and more. It is so hard to do this review because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone. This is one book you have to read to appreciate the stories.

Sacrificial Oath by Terri Rochenski

What would you sacrifice to be with the one you love? Would you lay down your life or would you sacrifice the one you loved? This is the ques ...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Charmaine Clancy rated it it was amazing

The gorgeous cover won me over and the stories did not disappoint.

My favourite was Lynda Young's 'Birthright'. Christa was a wonderfully developed character with many layers and complexities that sometimes even baffled her. Beautiful descriptive language, the settings became reality for me. The title was also cleverly chosen and not what I first thought it was about. I started off thinking this would be a story of finding love, but it was more... it was magical.

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Nov 15, 2012 Jen rated it it was amazing

Honestly, I wanted to read this anthology just because I really enjoy J.A. Belfield’s writing (and she rocks, Go Julie! Lol) but was pleasantly surprised when I ended up loving the other stories as well. With mystery, deceit, fate, grief, greed, romance, and action each story has its own engaging elements but all are sprinkled with a morsel of magic. Definitely a great read!

To see this review and more check out my blog at http://lratrandom.blogspot.com/

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May 09, 2012 Terri Rochenski rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

Seeing as how I'm one of the 6 authors in this anthology how can I give it less than 5 stars?

A full review of the other 5 stories to come after release day.

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Oct 26, 2012 Jennifer (Bad Bird Reads) rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed, paranormal, fantasy, anthology

From: http://readingandwritingurbanfantasy....

3.5 stars

At A Glance
I liked four stories out of the six. Though not all were for me I do believe that many people will enjoy this anthology.

The Good
Sacrificial Oath
I loved the concept of this story. The idea that the Sovereign's daughter is to be made a virginal sacrifice to appease a Goddess because of an unhappy accident is interesting. Alesuela takes the news as you might expect. She is sad and depressed but she tries to stay positive for her fat ...more

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May 14, 2012 Ambur rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own-ebook, own

I don't read anthologies very often, but I do like to pick them up when I don't have a lot of time to read. That way I can read one short story for a bit and not feel rushed to keep reading. The Make Believe anthology was great for this. I read it sporadically during the final weeks of the school semester and while on study breaks between my finals. Each story stands on its own, but they all share one similarity...in all of them a woman or girl is in a red cloak at one point or another, just lik I don't read anthologies very often, but I do like to pick them up when I don't have a lot of time to read. That way I can read one short story for a bit and not feel rushed to keep reading. The Make Believe anthology was great for this. I read it sporadically during the final weeks of the school semester and while on study breaks between my finals. Each story stands on its own, but they all share one similarity...in all of them a woman or girl is in a red cloak at one point or another, just like on the cover. They also shared one more thing...I wanted them all to be longer! ;D

"Sacrificial Oath" by Terri Rochenski was interesting, and as the first story in the anthology it quickly lets you know that these worlds are going to be different from our own. Similar, but slightly different all the same. Alesuela's story was heartwrenching, but she was such a strong character. I really enjoyed how Terri Rochenski managed to give Alesuela so much strength, and I thought that it was a wonderful opening to the anthology.

"The Amulet of Ormisez" by J. Keller Ford was intense! Elton just spent years battling, and he comes home and has to face something even crazier. This short story was fairly dark, and it packed quite a punch. It brought in some very interesting backstories, and through Elton, the reader sees the destruction that the Amulet of Ormisez can cause, and I found it to be a very compelling short story.

"Birthright" by Lynda R. Young was short and sweet. The story had a mystery element, and the narrator was trying to cope with her past. Unfortunately, she managed to arrive in a place where her past, or rather the past, was something that she was going to have to face. I really enjoyed how the mystery involved in this story was revealed, and I although it was just a short story, I really enjoyed the characters, too.

"Petrified" by Kelly Said was very mysterious. I enjoyed that there was magic invovled, and liked getting glimpses of the whole magical backstory that seemed to revolve around the world that this short story was set in. I felt like I could've read a whole series on it and would've still been interested. :D "Petrified" also alternated between two narrators, Prince Sterling and Lochlyn, and I thought that it was a great choice for this particular story because they both brought such different perspectives to it.

"Last Winter Red" by Jennifer M. Eaton was very dystopic, and I loved that! I love dystopians and this short story was no exception. Emily was the perfect dystopic citizen: clueless to the truth, and in major denial of the truth once she knew of it. I loved that even though this was a short story, Emily actually faced quite a bit...she didn't start any revolts or anything, but she still faced the desolate truth about her world as she knew it. I found that I really liked getting to see just a flash of a dystopic world. Jennifer M. Eaton did a great job with characterization, and I was very fascinated with Emily's world...I also totally wouldn't turn down getting to read more about it.

"Escort to Insanity" by J.A. Belfield was the last story in the anthology, and it was definitely my favourite! I loved the characters, and I absolutely loved how the author brought in paranormal elements. I'm not going to tell you what she brought in...but it was fantastic! I'm kind of hoping that she'll pick up these characters again some time because I would love to read more about Nicole and Benjamin! They were amazing characters, and I definitely wanted to see a lot more of them...haha and I mean that both in the dirty way that it sounds, and because I want to read more. ;D

Overall, this was a fantastic anthology! Each of the stories was entertaining on its own, and together they became a wonderful collection of short stories that left me wanting more!

Have you read the Make Believe anthology? Would you like to?
Also, are you a fan of anthologies in general? If you are, do you like specific kinds?
...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Denna rated it it was amazing

I found all six short stories in the anthology Make Believe to be fast, fun reads. Each author took the same picture and created six totally different stories with interesting characters and exciting plots.
1. Sacrificial Oath by Terri Rochenski
A king and his men are trapped by their enemy and face certain death, forcing the king to make a blood oath to their Goddess. Little does he know the sacrifice will end up being his own daughter. This made a great opening story. The love father and daughte I found all six short stories in the anthology Make Believe to be fast, fun reads. Each author took the same picture and created six totally different stories with interesting characters and exciting plots.
1. Sacrificial Oath by Terri Rochenski
A king and his men are trapped by their enemy and face certain death, forcing the king to make a blood oath to their Goddess. Little does he know the sacrifice will end up being his own daughter. This made a great opening story. The love father and daughter felt for each other came through to the reader. Tension builds as the time for the sacrifice draws closer. A great story about the power of love.

2. The Amulet of Ormisez by J. Keller Ford
I haven’t come across many stories where Selkies held the starring role. The lesser known of shifters, the Selkie needs to have their seal skin in order to change forms. This story is also centered around family. Elton Fletcher returns home after two years of fighting to find his once loving brother a changed man. He has become arrogant and cruel, even going so far as to lock his wife alone in a chamber of their castle. Elton’s brother made a mistake when he put the Amulet on. Made by the Selkie queen, only she can take it off him, but can Elton convince her to do so before it’s too late?

3. Birthright by Lynda R Young
When Christa loses her whole family she decides to move from New York to a small town in Florida. The odd part is that everyone seems to already know who she is. Of the six stories I had the most difficulty making a connection to the main character here. I wanted a slower pace and time to get to know Christa better and what she learned about herself and her family. I feel this would have been an excellent novel, but didn’t work quite so well as a short story.

4. Petrified by Kelly Said
Locklyn is a young Wiccae, a healer, who has just lost her mentor. Sterling’s father is in the grip of a strange affliction that has left his body stiff and twisted. The land is stuck under the cold of winter when it should be springtime and sunny out. Sterling calls for a new Wiccae to come and try to find the answer to both problems, but when Locklyn answers his call, Sterling will be shocked by what she has to say. This was a fun story and another one where I wanted to learn more about them, the Wiccae and the power they wield, though I found the ending satisfactory.

5. The Last Winter Red by Jennifer M Eaton
Emily makes her home behind the walls of a city, where she feels safe. But Emily is a compassionate soul and knows the people outside the walls need medicine only she is willing to risk bringing to them. Paul lives outside the walls and doesn’t want to care about Emily, but once he gets to know her he can’t seem to help himself. I easily slipped into the story, characters, and setting. Of the six stories this one was my favorite, everything coming to full 3D life. In a dangerous land, where suspicion and fear ruled, Emily’s character screamed out compassion and innocence, making a real connection with this reader.

6. Escort to Insanity by J.A. Belfield
Cole decides to hire an escort to take her to a party she doesn’t want to attend. Ben is the handsome escort, but turns out to be far hotter than Cole bargained for when she hired him. I’ve loved all of J.A. Belfield’s writings and this one is no exception. It’s a fast, fun story with bigger than life shifters involved, everything I’ve come to expect from her work. A few questions were raised that I wish I’d been given answers to, like why Ben would risk taking Cole across the park when he knew there could be trouble. But it wasn’t enough to take away from my enjoyment. I’m curious whether they might have anymore escorts like Ben available to hire. I might have to check it out. :)

All in all Make Believe was a great anthology, written by a diverse and talented set of writers. I’ll look forward to reading more by each of them.
...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Danielle Smiley rated it really liked it

Shelves: my-e-books, paranormal-fantasy, pnr-urban-fantasy, dystopian-postapp-zombie, ya-fantasy, anthologies

I reviewed each story separately...

Sacrificial Oath by Terri Rochenski
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: * * *
My Review:
This is a retelling of an old fable and I enjoyed the author's take on it. We see everything from Alesuela's perspective which adds a great deal to the mystery and suspense. I loved how Terri Rochenski used the color red symbolically throughout the story. Overall, the story did fall short for me as I didn't really connect much with the main character, so I wasn't emotionally invested, bu ...more

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May 31, 2012 Lovey Dovey Books rated it really liked it

The Make Believe anthology features short stories with paranormal themes that will make minds ponder impossibilities. While not as emotionally in depth as J. Taylor Publishing's previous anthology, Tidal Whispers, Make Believe's fairy tale-like essence will capture readers' attention from the first suspenseful story of sacrifice.

Terry Rochenski's Sacrificial Oath was an excellent portrayal of faith and love. When an impossible oath is laid before a young woman, faith in her goddess and love for ...more

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May 10, 2012 Wendy rated it it was amazing

I was so excited to get a chance to read this amazing collection early in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great collection of short stories. They are short enough to read one a night but engaging enough to plow through all at one time depending on how you like to read. I really enjoyed all of them.

Escort to Insanity by J.A. Belfield

This story was the main reason I wanted to read this book. I fell in love with the Holloway pack and couldn't wait to read a new story line from J.A. Belfield ...more

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May 21, 2012 Cherie rated it it was amazing

Selkies, witches, shapeshifters, and more come to life in the short story collection MAKE BELIEVE by Terri Rochenski, J. Keller Ford, Lynda R. Young, Kelly Said, Jennifer M. Eaton, and J.A. Belfield.

Alesuela discovers her impetuous behavior comes at a high price in “Sacrificial Oath” by Terri Rochenski. Elton is running out of time to save his brother in “The Amulet of Ormisez” by J. Keller Ford. Christa finds she can’t run away from some things in “Birthright” by Lynda R. Young. As his kingdom Selkies, witches, shapeshifters, and more come to life in the short story collection MAKE BELIEVE by Terri Rochenski, J. Keller Ford, Lynda R. Young, Kelly Said, Jennifer M. Eaton, and J.A. Belfield.

Alesuela discovers her impetuous behavior comes at a high price in “Sacrificial Oath” by Terri Rochenski. Elton is running out of time to save his brother in “The Amulet of Ormisez” by J. Keller Ford. Christa finds she can’t run away from some things in “Birthright” by Lynda R. Young. As his kingdom suffers under a strange magical winter, Sterling must find the one who can save his cursed land in “Petrified” by Kelly Said. Emily’s world is about to turn upside down in “Last Winter Red” by Jennifer M. Eaton. Whoever knew hiring an escort could be so dangerous in “Escort to Insanity” by J.A. Belfield.

The authors of MAKE BELIEVE rose to the challenge to create stories based off the cover. Each story is different, endearing, and heartwarming. Although these are short stories, the characters and world leap off the pages and incite the reader’s imagination. I loved the ancient world where goddesses and oaths still hold sway in Rochenski’s “Sacrificial Oath.” Ford’s “The Amulet of Ormisez” excites with the magical lands and a kingdom of selkies. Young pulls the reader into the conflicted heart of Christa, who can run but not hide from who she is, in “Birthright.” Said’s short story is classic fantasy, and the world is beautiful and fantastical. It made me want to read more about the wiccae in “Petrified.” Eaton’s “Last Winter Red” introduces an intriguing dystopian society, and I would love to read more about the Reds and the Grays. I loved the voice of the protagonist Nicole Harrington and the hot chemistry between her and Benjamin Gold in Belfield’s “Escort to Insanity.”

MAKE BELIEVE by Terri Rochenski, J. Keller Ford, Lynda R. Young, Kelly Said, Jennifer M. Eaton, and J.A. Belfield has something for every fantasy lover. Each story I read I wanted to proclaim my favorite of the collection! ...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Mel rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2013, fantasy

I absolutely love short stories and this collection of fantasy was no exception. Each of the six stories gave me just enough of the wow factor and I loved that the red cloak featured on the cover was entwined into each of the tales.

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Nov 02, 2012 Sandra "Jeanz" rated it it was amazing

Sacrificial Oath by Terri Rochenski
An impetuous act unwittingly makes Alesuela the fulfillment of the Sovereign’s Blood Oath to their Goddess. In five days, she’ll be forced to make the greatest choice of her life: become the virginal sacrifice already promised, or force the man she loves most to die in her place.
MY REVIEW
A really great start to the anthology, this story has a mythical edge in that the people in the book pray to the goddess. Alesuela's father, King Amant is away at war, so she ...more

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May 12, 2012 Rebecca Hart rated it really liked it

Sacrificial Oath - Terri Rochenski (4 Stars)

After reading the entire anthology, I really feel this story is the perfect place to start out from. The story has a strong fable feel to it and I can definitely see where the cover image inspired the story. Some great references to the red so prevalent in the image throughout the tale. The well-written story follows the MC, Alesuela as she comes to grips with the sacrifice she has to make for the good of her father, the King, and their people. I don't Sacrificial Oath - Terri Rochenski (4 Stars)

After reading the entire anthology, I really feel this story is the perfect place to start out from. The story has a strong fable feel to it and I can definitely see where the cover image inspired the story. Some great references to the red so prevalent in the image throughout the tale. The well-written story follows the MC, Alesuela as she comes to grips with the sacrifice she has to make for the good of her father, the King, and their people. I don't do spoilers in my reviews, so I wont give more plot detail than that, but I will say the internal conflict was well done, and Alesuela's emotions really shine through. Overall, I would have preferred a bit more "action", but this tale seemed to be more morality "fairy tale" based than most fantasy, which was a nice change of pace.

The Amulet of Ormisez - J. Keller Ford (4 Stars)

As most of you know, I am a huge fan of selkie tales, so I had a special place in my heart for this story. Like the opening tale, this one was set in a more traditional historical fantasy backdrop and focused on the story of two brothers, Elton and Cayden Fletcher. The author does a tremendous job with the characterizations of the two brothers, and as a reader, I felt drawn into the conflict unfolding and invested in the characters and their journey. The ending sweet and the potential relationship for Elton was a nice touch, though I did feel everything worked out a little too perfectly and fortuitously. Overall, a satisfying little story.

Birthright - Lynda R. Young (4 stars)

The third story in the anthology was decidedly different from the previous two, with a more "supernatural" feel to it, which was a nice surprise for me. The story held my attention and I was intrigued by the mystery of Christa's heritage from beginning to end. I did feel some of the events in the story went a bit too quickly for me to really "believe" it, and I think I might have liked this one a little more had it been a bit longer and the story more drawn out. The author could have easily made this one into a satisfying novel, in my opinion.

Petrified - Kelly Said (4.5 Stars)

I really enjoyed this tale snuggled at the center of the anthology. Kelly Said does a wonderful job of drawing the reader into the world of her main character, a young healer named Locklyn. Here is another story in the anthology I think could have easily been made longer, mostly because the world building was so strong, the intrigue so intense, I wanted to know more about the world the author introduced to us here. I also felt the romantic relationship progressed a bit swiftly for my tastes, but the way the rest of the story was weaved more than made up for that small shortcoming. Plus, I just love me a strong female lead :)

Last Winter Red - Jennifer M. Eaton (5 Stars)

I think this has to be my favorite story in the book. I really enjoyed the more dystopian feel to this one, and I found the twist up at the end to be just perfect for the tale. It is rare to find a good dystopian in short form as there is generally so much world building necessary to really pull it off well. In this instance, I found the back story to be just enough to keep me intrigued and wondering while not boring me with useless details for the sake of story length. I would be interested in reading more about this world Ms. Eaton creates for us in this one.

Escort To Insanity - J.A. Belfield (5 stars)

The final tale in this anthology comes from the author of the Holloway Pack series, J.A.Belfield, and the story contains all the things I have come to expect from Ms. Belfield's writing. The main character, Cole (short for Nicole) decides to hire an escort to take her to a party she doesn't really want to attend. While this short does not involved the famed Holloway pack, it does involve shifters. The action and suspense were nicely peppered throughout the story and the voice is spot on. I really enjoyed this one despite thinking I would miss the focus of the story being on Jem and Sean from the Pack. A great ending to the anthology!

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May 09, 2013 Michelle rated it really liked it

I must be honest - the cover picture is what caught my attention. It is breathtaking... quite literally...
I had no idea, until the third or fourth story, that the woman in the red cloak was the inspiration for this collection.
Now I'm not a fan of the fantasy genre, and didn't know what to expect when I started reading. However, I believe that you must keep an open mind, and try something different from time to time, in order to stretch the boundaries of your reading experience.

I must say that ...more

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Jul 15, 2013 Jamie Ayres rated it it was amazing

I'm a little late to the game in reading/reviewing this, but better late than never! Don't let the snowy cover fool you . . . it's a fantastic read no matter what time of year (like summer, hahaha).

My favorite story in the anthology was The Amnulet of Ormisez by J. Keller Ford. I loved the gothic feel and the angle of the selkies--very creative!!

My second favorite was Last Winter Red by Jennifer Eaton. Her story had a M Night Shyamalan feel to it that really kept me interested.

My third favorite ...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Callie Leuck rated it really liked it

An enchanting anthology of short stories, each different from the next in style and plot, but each as fantastic and entrancing as the others. I could not possibly pick a favorite. I look forward to reading more from each author who contributed to this wonderful collection.

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Jun 25, 2012 Denise Covey rated it it was amazing

This anthology of fantasy tales from various authors thrilled me. I loved them all. All had suspense and all were beautifully wrought.

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Dec 11, 2012 Deelylah Mullin rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2012-books-read

Great compilation of shorts. Full review at http://www.twimom227.com 1-4-13

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Sep 28, 2012 R. Brennan rated it really liked it

Shelves: anthology, fantasy, friendsbooks

Review to Come on my alter ego's blog: http://rebeccahartwriting.wordpress.com

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Aug 08, 2013 Benji Moncivaiz rated it it was amazing

I typically don't read fantasy, so I was planning on simply reading one short story in support of the author (my very talented cousin, Terri Rochenski!) ...but I couldn't put it down after that! I did especially like the triad of stories by Belfield - a common character archetype is found in the three stories. Short stories don't get into character development often, so I enjoyed the 'archetype development' happening, if you will, possible with that sort of collaboration between the three.

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About J.A. Belfield

J.A. Belfield

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J.A. Belfield lives in Solihull, England, with the best husband in the world, aka Mr B, a couple of now-adult but cheeky as heck kids, a pooch she treats likes the baby of the house, and a cat that like to vomit in unnecessary places.

Although best known for her erotic romance THE THERAPIST, and the Holloway Pack series: THE WOLF WITHIN, BLUE MOON, CAGED, UNNATURAL, CORNERED, amongst other titles, ...more