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One More Day
What if today never ends? What if everything about life-everything anyone hoped to be, to do, to experience-never happens? Whether sitting in a chair, driving down the road, in surgery, jumping off a cliff or flying ... that's where you'd be ... forever. Unless ... In One More Day, Erika Beebe, Marissa Halvorson, Kimberly Kay, J. Keller Ford, Danielle E. Shipley and Anna Simpson join L.S. Murphy to give us their twists, surprising us with answers to two big questions, all from the perspective of characters under the age of eighteen. How do we restart time? How do we make everything go back to normal? The answers, in whatever the world-human, alien, medieval, fantasy or fairytale-could,maybe, happen today. Right now. What would you do if this happened ... to you?
208 pages, Paperback
First published November 18, 2013
About the author
L.S. Murphy
14 books154 followersL.S. Murphy lives in the Greater St. Louis area where she watches baseball, reads every book she can find, and weaves tales for teens and adults. When not doing all of the above, she tends to The Bean (aka her daughter), her husband and a menagerie of pets.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 8, 2013
Like pretty much all anthologies, this one has it super strong stories, and its not quite super strong stories. However, to varying degrees, I enjoyed them all.
And whilst there is a common theme to the stories within this anthology, each of them differ, and each of them bring something different to the table, and so I'm going to give a tiny review of my thoughts on each one.
Reviewed in the order I read them:
Dragon Flight by J. Keller Ford
Let me just preface this one by saying that, despite its title, there ain't no dragons in there, and there ain't no flying. However, the author DOES give us an original, unique, unexpected, intriguing, and heart-warming tale that I found myself enjoying a LOT and left me eager to see what else this antho had to offer.
A Morrow More by Danielle E. Shipley
The world built in this one was well done and interesting, and the concept an intriguing one. However, whilst the 'dragon' took me a little by the surprise, I found the ending to be quite predictable. This would definitely suit fans of fantasy-based worlds, though.
Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson
Whilst an interesting premise, the story was pretty slow to begin, although it did eventually pick up a little. And whilst the ending wrapped it up for the most part, I didn't feel the what or why of it all was explained as well as it could have been and I was left feeling a little confused.
Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay
This one was a fast-paced fairy tale with a twist, some light-hearted humour, and although I foresaw the ending we're given, I still found it fun.
Timepiece by Anna Simpson
What an imaginative piece this was. It was kind of like Groundhog Day--but not. And kind of like Back to the Future--but not. It was definitely, however, fast-paced, amusing, entertaining, frustrating, thriller-ish, and extremely sweet all rolled into one. VERY enjoyable.
The Thirteenth Day by L.S. Murphy
This story had a GREAT premise. Very original. Very well executed. With a likeable MC, who I found easy to connect with. Out of all of the stories, this one seemed the most fulfilling, but then as headliner, this story is twice as long as the others. And the outcome at the end? I won't spoil it for you, but I had definite goosebumps at the realisation of exactly what Nixon's actions had resulted in. Very good.
Stage Fright by Erika Beebe
This one was also enjoyable to read because the descriptions of the play happening onstage were so well executed, I could envision every step despite never having seen the portrayed musical. However at the same time, the story itself was creepy yet intriguing--but in a good and wholly speculative kind of way.
So, as you can see, I pretty much enjoyed all of these tales at some level, but if I had to draw my favourite, it's a toughie, because right now, I'm struggling to call it between The Thirteenth Day, Timepiece, and Dragon Flight--so how about we call it a three-way tie. :D
Anyone else read this? Which was your favourite?
And whilst there is a common theme to the stories within this anthology, each of them differ, and each of them bring something different to the table, and so I'm going to give a tiny review of my thoughts on each one.
Reviewed in the order I read them:
Dragon Flight by J. Keller Ford
Let me just preface this one by saying that, despite its title, there ain't no dragons in there, and there ain't no flying. However, the author DOES give us an original, unique, unexpected, intriguing, and heart-warming tale that I found myself enjoying a LOT and left me eager to see what else this antho had to offer.
A Morrow More by Danielle E. Shipley
The world built in this one was well done and interesting, and the concept an intriguing one. However, whilst the 'dragon' took me a little by the surprise, I found the ending to be quite predictable. This would definitely suit fans of fantasy-based worlds, though.
Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson
Whilst an interesting premise, the story was pretty slow to begin, although it did eventually pick up a little. And whilst the ending wrapped it up for the most part, I didn't feel the what or why of it all was explained as well as it could have been and I was left feeling a little confused.
Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay
This one was a fast-paced fairy tale with a twist, some light-hearted humour, and although I foresaw the ending we're given, I still found it fun.
Timepiece by Anna Simpson
What an imaginative piece this was. It was kind of like Groundhog Day--but not. And kind of like Back to the Future--but not. It was definitely, however, fast-paced, amusing, entertaining, frustrating, thriller-ish, and extremely sweet all rolled into one. VERY enjoyable.
The Thirteenth Day by L.S. Murphy
This story had a GREAT premise. Very original. Very well executed. With a likeable MC, who I found easy to connect with. Out of all of the stories, this one seemed the most fulfilling, but then as headliner, this story is twice as long as the others. And the outcome at the end? I won't spoil it for you, but I had definite goosebumps at the realisation of exactly what Nixon's actions had resulted in. Very good.
Stage Fright by Erika Beebe
This one was also enjoyable to read because the descriptions of the play happening onstage were so well executed, I could envision every step despite never having seen the portrayed musical. However at the same time, the story itself was creepy yet intriguing--but in a good and wholly speculative kind of way.
So, as you can see, I pretty much enjoyed all of these tales at some level, but if I had to draw my favourite, it's a toughie, because right now, I'm struggling to call it between The Thirteenth Day, Timepiece, and Dragon Flight--so how about we call it a three-way tie. :D
Anyone else read this? Which was your favourite?
July 29, 2016
This was a highly enjoyable collection of stories which represent the full spectrum of speculative fiction: paranormal, paranormal romance, high fantasy, science-fiction, fairy tale and horror. The stories share two common threads: one is that each story is told from the point of view of a teenage protagonist. The other is that each of the main characters experiences a moment in which they look around to find that the world around them has stopped-- that time has stopped. The how and the why, of course, vary widely from author to author. The apocalypse, time machines, computer programmers-in-training, an absent-minded scribe, and a memorable retelling of Sleeping Beauty are but a few of the takes offered up by this talented group of authors.
Erika Beebe’s story, “Stage Fright,” is the story of a small-town girl, Hannah, who has moved with her mother to the big city after the death of her father in Iraq. Hannah is trying desperately to fit in. She’s been cast in the lead of the musical her school is putting on, which you’d think would be a leg up with the popular girls. But no. If anything, it has drawn the ire of the head Mean Girl. So one day, during a particularly stressful rehearsal, Hannah suddenly finds everyone frozen in place—everyone except her, and a mysterious boy straight out of the spreads in her teenage heartthrob magazines. Has Hannah suffered a serious break from reality? Or is there something fantastical at work here?
I really appreciated Erika’s story in that, unlike a lot of paranormal fantasy/romances, it actually uses the genre as a vehicle to confront greater teenage issues, like dealing with the death of a parent, the struggles of the high school social order, and the pressure to succeed.
“Stage Fright,” like all of the stories included in this volume, is refreshingly well-written. Usually, when I come across a collection of stories, I invariably skip one or two that don’t hold my attention. That was not the case with One More Day. I found each story thoroughly engaging and entertaining. While the plots themselves aren’t exactly original, I think they will serve as a fine entrée for the YA audience into the greater possibilities offered by the genre—possibilities beyond vampires, werewolves and tedious love triangles. To that audience, I’m sure, these stories will seem very new (assuming that many tweens today haven’t seen old sci-fi shows that thoroughly mined the stop-time conceit like The Twilight Zone). My only real complaint, in fact, is that I feel like these tales sort of burst at the seams—the authors have stories that shouldn’t be limited to a short story word count, but need room to sprawl and breathe. I was left wanting more. And that’s hardly a complaint.
Aside from “Stage Fright,” my favorite stories of the bunch were L.S. Murphy’s “The 13th Month,” an exciting take on end-times and battles between angelic beings, Kimberly Kay’s “Sleepless Beauty,” a hilarious version of the old tale about the chick who pricks her finger, and Danielle E. Shipley’s “A Morrow More,” which definitely needs to be a book. I look forward to checking out full-length works by these authors.
Erika Beebe’s story, “Stage Fright,” is the story of a small-town girl, Hannah, who has moved with her mother to the big city after the death of her father in Iraq. Hannah is trying desperately to fit in. She’s been cast in the lead of the musical her school is putting on, which you’d think would be a leg up with the popular girls. But no. If anything, it has drawn the ire of the head Mean Girl. So one day, during a particularly stressful rehearsal, Hannah suddenly finds everyone frozen in place—everyone except her, and a mysterious boy straight out of the spreads in her teenage heartthrob magazines. Has Hannah suffered a serious break from reality? Or is there something fantastical at work here?
I really appreciated Erika’s story in that, unlike a lot of paranormal fantasy/romances, it actually uses the genre as a vehicle to confront greater teenage issues, like dealing with the death of a parent, the struggles of the high school social order, and the pressure to succeed.
“Stage Fright,” like all of the stories included in this volume, is refreshingly well-written. Usually, when I come across a collection of stories, I invariably skip one or two that don’t hold my attention. That was not the case with One More Day. I found each story thoroughly engaging and entertaining. While the plots themselves aren’t exactly original, I think they will serve as a fine entrée for the YA audience into the greater possibilities offered by the genre—possibilities beyond vampires, werewolves and tedious love triangles. To that audience, I’m sure, these stories will seem very new (assuming that many tweens today haven’t seen old sci-fi shows that thoroughly mined the stop-time conceit like The Twilight Zone). My only real complaint, in fact, is that I feel like these tales sort of burst at the seams—the authors have stories that shouldn’t be limited to a short story word count, but need room to sprawl and breathe. I was left wanting more. And that’s hardly a complaint.
Aside from “Stage Fright,” my favorite stories of the bunch were L.S. Murphy’s “The 13th Month,” an exciting take on end-times and battles between angelic beings, Kimberly Kay’s “Sleepless Beauty,” a hilarious version of the old tale about the chick who pricks her finger, and Danielle E. Shipley’s “A Morrow More,” which definitely needs to be a book. I look forward to checking out full-length works by these authors.
June 17, 2015
One underlying premise, seven widely divergent end results. The anthology hits the ground running with Anna Simspon’s chronology-hopping “Time Piece” and Marissa Halvorson’s reality-bending “Dark Rose”. It made for a real page-turner of an opening, though I admit the preference for action over explanation displayed in both tales had me sometimes feeling as confused as the stories’ protagonists. The pace of J. Keller Ford’s “Dragon Flight” suited me better, and I enjoyed the narrative voice.
Reading “The Thirteenth Month”, I could appreciate why L.S. Murphy got top billing in this anthology. Her piece was just /good/. Pulse-pounding, breath-catching, scary-dark, “oh, snap, how is this going to end?!” good. In briefest summary: Epic story, well executed, go read it.
Lightening the tone was Kimberly Kay’s “Sleepless Beauty” – which, from the moment I knew it as a fairytale spin, I anticipated would be right up my alley. Kay did not disappoint; on the contrary, her humorous touch with the charming plot had me smiling pretty much start to finish. And while I could not always quite understand what was happening when during Erika Beebe’s “Stage Fright”, much of the emotion at the heart of the story I could understand all too well, forging a moment of emotional connection between me and the tale’s main character which not nearly every author out there can manage.
As for the concluding piece, “A Morrow More”… well, I wrote that one, so perhaps my thoughts upon it wouldn’t be entirely objective.
There’s a little something in this collection for readers of all stripes. So don’t wait One More Day than you have to (I’m sure you saw what I did there) to get your hands on a copy of these stories.
Reading “The Thirteenth Month”, I could appreciate why L.S. Murphy got top billing in this anthology. Her piece was just /good/. Pulse-pounding, breath-catching, scary-dark, “oh, snap, how is this going to end?!” good. In briefest summary: Epic story, well executed, go read it.
Lightening the tone was Kimberly Kay’s “Sleepless Beauty” – which, from the moment I knew it as a fairytale spin, I anticipated would be right up my alley. Kay did not disappoint; on the contrary, her humorous touch with the charming plot had me smiling pretty much start to finish. And while I could not always quite understand what was happening when during Erika Beebe’s “Stage Fright”, much of the emotion at the heart of the story I could understand all too well, forging a moment of emotional connection between me and the tale’s main character which not nearly every author out there can manage.
As for the concluding piece, “A Morrow More”… well, I wrote that one, so perhaps my thoughts upon it wouldn’t be entirely objective.
There’s a little something in this collection for readers of all stripes. So don’t wait One More Day than you have to (I’m sure you saw what I did there) to get your hands on a copy of these stories.
March 17, 2016
You can read this review and more on my blog:
I received a free copy of this book from J. Taylor Publishing in exchange for an honest review
One More Day is a collection of seven short stories that share a common theme. Each story involves time suddenly stopping, and focuses on how the main character not only deals with that sudden shock but how or if they can get time to start again. I'm going to share a small review of each story, and then let you guys know how much I liked the entire book! This should be fun!
Time piece by Anna Simpson:
This story was cute, but interesting at the same time. It was the perfect choice for the first story in the collection because I was intrigued and ready to read more after I finished it. The main character Sadie is brave, intelligent,and manages to be in two places at once. (That last statement will make more sense once you read the story) This story also had the longest almost kiss that I've ever read, and that just made it more all the more adorable to read.
Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson:
This was a great little sci-fi/fantasy story, and I could tell that the author was trying to say a lot with a very small amount of words, but it needed to be a full length novel not a short story. If I'd had more time to get to know the main characters Scarlett, Letta, and Carlee, and there had been more action and world building, then this story would have been fantastic. It's worth a read though because it was very original and mysterious. I'm still trying to figure out certain things about the plot, and the villain, The Dark Rose, was especially chilling.
Dragon Flight by J. Keller Ford:
I loved this story! It was sweet, funny, romantic, interesting, original, and exciting. How the author manged to pack all of that into such a short amount of pages, I don't know. I was in suspense the entire time I was reading, and I did not see that ending coming. It reminded me of an episode of the Twilight zone or Outer Limits, and drew me in from the beginning. When I got to the end, I wanted to read more, but I was completely satisfied with the grand finale!
The 13th Month by L.S. Murphy:
The author of this story has been on the best seller's list, and I can see why!
Wow! The story was action packed, thought-provoking, and original! It had a much darker tone than the others in the collection, but there was hope at the end. The main character had to endure a lot in 2 weeks, and literally had the fate of the world resting on his shoulders. I could definitely see this being a prequel of sorts for a series of full length novels, and if it is, then sign me up for the next book!
Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay:
This is the "real" story of Sleeping Beauty, and if you love fairy tales, then you will adore it! It was so creative and sweet, and I can tell that the author has spent a lot of time reading/watching and then rearranging Sleeping Beauty into this retelling. In my opinion fairy tales are meant to be short stories so it was a perfect inclusion for this collection. Plus it gave me a very bright smile that I will carry for the rest of the day! I also thing that this would make for a great bed time story for children and adults! :D
Stage Fright by Erika Beebe:
It seemed the entire story took place in a single moment. It was about a girl, Hannah, deciding whether or not she is going to go in the direction that others want her to, wait for prince charming to come save her, or go her own way and save herself in the process.
This story had a great message, but it skipped around too much for me. Hannah has the lead part in the play Kiss Me Kate (One of my favorites), and a lot of time is spent on the plot of the play. That time could have been better spent explaining to me why Hanna felt so alone and isolated from the world because then I would have gotten to know her better.
This was just another case of the story being better suited for a full length novel than it was for a short story. But I don't think that the fact that I want more of this story from the author is a bad thing, do you?
A Morrow More by Danielle E. Shipley:
This one was fantastic! I love Fantasy novels, and usually I feel like they need at least 300 pages to be well fleshed out. I never would have thought that a short story in the Fantasy genre could work as well as this one did. It, like the other stories in the collection, had a nice dose of romance, but it was the internal monologue that really made it a joy to read. The way the author used the English language was beautiful,and really had me connected to the main character from paragraph one! I only had one problem, and that was the fact that the "big reveal" was very similar to the another story in this book. However, that didn't keep this from being my favorite story in the collection!
Now I'm going to give my over all thoughts on the book!
First I would like to thank one of the authors, L. S. Murphy for giving me the opportunity to read this book!
I this is only the second short story collection that I've ever read. I used to feel like it was impossible to really tell a complete story with only few pages, but this collection changed my mind on that. The entire book was enjoyable to read, and although I still want to read longer versions of most of the stories, I am more than satisfied with how they all ended!
I would recommend this book to fans of YA novels, all fans of YA novels, because it had something for everyone. It had Dystopian, Sci-fi, Fantasy, Humor, and Romance lots and lots of Romance!
This book was clean. Because of profanity, violence, and some slight mentions of sex, I would recommend it for ages 13 and up
I received a free copy of this book from J. Taylor Publishing in exchange for an honest review
One More Day is a collection of seven short stories that share a common theme. Each story involves time suddenly stopping, and focuses on how the main character not only deals with that sudden shock but how or if they can get time to start again. I'm going to share a small review of each story, and then let you guys know how much I liked the entire book! This should be fun!
Time piece by Anna Simpson:
This story was cute, but interesting at the same time. It was the perfect choice for the first story in the collection because I was intrigued and ready to read more after I finished it. The main character Sadie is brave, intelligent,and manages to be in two places at once. (That last statement will make more sense once you read the story) This story also had the longest almost kiss that I've ever read, and that just made it more all the more adorable to read.
Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson:
This was a great little sci-fi/fantasy story, and I could tell that the author was trying to say a lot with a very small amount of words, but it needed to be a full length novel not a short story. If I'd had more time to get to know the main characters Scarlett, Letta, and Carlee, and there had been more action and world building, then this story would have been fantastic. It's worth a read though because it was very original and mysterious. I'm still trying to figure out certain things about the plot, and the villain, The Dark Rose, was especially chilling.
Dragon Flight by J. Keller Ford:
I loved this story! It was sweet, funny, romantic, interesting, original, and exciting. How the author manged to pack all of that into such a short amount of pages, I don't know. I was in suspense the entire time I was reading, and I did not see that ending coming. It reminded me of an episode of the Twilight zone or Outer Limits, and drew me in from the beginning. When I got to the end, I wanted to read more, but I was completely satisfied with the grand finale!
The 13th Month by L.S. Murphy:
The author of this story has been on the best seller's list, and I can see why!
Wow! The story was action packed, thought-provoking, and original! It had a much darker tone than the others in the collection, but there was hope at the end. The main character had to endure a lot in 2 weeks, and literally had the fate of the world resting on his shoulders. I could definitely see this being a prequel of sorts for a series of full length novels, and if it is, then sign me up for the next book!
Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay:
This is the "real" story of Sleeping Beauty, and if you love fairy tales, then you will adore it! It was so creative and sweet, and I can tell that the author has spent a lot of time reading/watching and then rearranging Sleeping Beauty into this retelling. In my opinion fairy tales are meant to be short stories so it was a perfect inclusion for this collection. Plus it gave me a very bright smile that I will carry for the rest of the day! I also thing that this would make for a great bed time story for children and adults! :D
Stage Fright by Erika Beebe:
It seemed the entire story took place in a single moment. It was about a girl, Hannah, deciding whether or not she is going to go in the direction that others want her to, wait for prince charming to come save her, or go her own way and save herself in the process.
This story had a great message, but it skipped around too much for me. Hannah has the lead part in the play Kiss Me Kate (One of my favorites), and a lot of time is spent on the plot of the play. That time could have been better spent explaining to me why Hanna felt so alone and isolated from the world because then I would have gotten to know her better.
This was just another case of the story being better suited for a full length novel than it was for a short story. But I don't think that the fact that I want more of this story from the author is a bad thing, do you?
A Morrow More by Danielle E. Shipley:
This one was fantastic! I love Fantasy novels, and usually I feel like they need at least 300 pages to be well fleshed out. I never would have thought that a short story in the Fantasy genre could work as well as this one did. It, like the other stories in the collection, had a nice dose of romance, but it was the internal monologue that really made it a joy to read. The way the author used the English language was beautiful,and really had me connected to the main character from paragraph one! I only had one problem, and that was the fact that the "big reveal" was very similar to the another story in this book. However, that didn't keep this from being my favorite story in the collection!
Now I'm going to give my over all thoughts on the book!
First I would like to thank one of the authors, L. S. Murphy for giving me the opportunity to read this book!
I this is only the second short story collection that I've ever read. I used to feel like it was impossible to really tell a complete story with only few pages, but this collection changed my mind on that. The entire book was enjoyable to read, and although I still want to read longer versions of most of the stories, I am more than satisfied with how they all ended!
I would recommend this book to fans of YA novels, all fans of YA novels, because it had something for everyone. It had Dystopian, Sci-fi, Fantasy, Humor, and Romance lots and lots of Romance!
This book was clean. Because of profanity, violence, and some slight mentions of sex, I would recommend it for ages 13 and up
June 8, 2014
Short stories aren't really my venue of reading - I'm prejudiced a bit against short stories themselves. In my opinion they're too short to grant any genuine character development, too short to get into, and too short to do a really solid plot justice. However, I was impressed with some of the stories in this anthology! I'll do a short few-sentence review of each one.
Time Piece by Anna Simpson: Like I said above, short stories are too short to give a plot the justice it needs. Time Piece was well-thought out, the characterization was there, and the progression was present, but the story was too fast to comprehend. I read through it twice and I couldn't understand what exactly was going on, only that her uncle was the source of it. The tale did have a good example of sacrifice, though, and the writing was very good, so in all I'd give it a 3/5.
Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson: Dark Rose was fabulously written and explained, but I wish it had been long enough (short stories, ugh!) to explain why the Dark Rose's roses (lol) were the source of her power. The only major issue I had with the tale is that Letta was meant to be the representation of Scarlett's cowardice, but at the beginning of the story Letta was the one urging her to go after the Dark Rose! That didn't make sense, unless I missed something. Other than that, the story, writing, characters, and progression were great. 4/5.
Dragon Flight by J. Keller Ford: This one was one of my favorites. Well-plotted, well-paced, well-explained. It wasn't much of a story for character development though, but no issues there. And, to me, it was also realistic. Loved this one. 5/5.
The 13th Month by L.S. Murphy: An extremely thought-provoking short story. Very Rapture-esque. This fell victim to another "too-short-to-enjoy" phenomena a short story provokes. The characters were well thought out, though, and the plot was well structured. It just went too fast to sincerely enjoy, and the ending threw me for a loop. What I loved was the "victory-is-losing" paradox L.S. Murphy tossed to us at the end. 4/5.
Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay: Another favorite! Clever, well-thought, as well as thought-provoking. Well-rounded characters and a nice way to bring the plot to full circle. The method of time's "end" in this short story was extremely creative, too. Finely paced. There was ONE major problem: A 'your' was spelled as 'you're'. Otherwise, great. 4/5.
Stage Fright by Erika Beebe: From start to finish, I found myself perplexed. The events were disjointed and flipflopped everywhere at once. It took me quite a few pages to make sense of the characters being in a play. The plot of the story was there, and it was a good plot, but it wasn't executed as well as it could have been. The time-stopper wasn't as suspenseful either... I loved the characters, but I feel like the short story could have been presented differently. 2/5.
A Morrow More by Danielle Shipley: As I've noticed from Shipley every time I read her work, it starts out perplexing and then explains itself in the most clever of ways! I actually kind of hope she does something with the Inkborn in a different story, especially this war. It was neat to see a character's perspective on talking to their author. Maybe the only thing that didn't work for me was how quickly the character adjusted to the fact they weren't 'real'. Regardless, 5/5.
So, all in all, this anthology was filled with great stories by great writers. The only downside was the restriction of working with short stories: not enough room and time. However, this collection did a good job of accomplishing its purpose: The stories provoked the emotions they needed to provoke. A great and quick read!
Time Piece by Anna Simpson: Like I said above, short stories are too short to give a plot the justice it needs. Time Piece was well-thought out, the characterization was there, and the progression was present, but the story was too fast to comprehend. I read through it twice and I couldn't understand what exactly was going on, only that her uncle was the source of it. The tale did have a good example of sacrifice, though, and the writing was very good, so in all I'd give it a 3/5.
Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson: Dark Rose was fabulously written and explained, but I wish it had been long enough (short stories, ugh!) to explain why the Dark Rose's roses (lol) were the source of her power. The only major issue I had with the tale is that Letta was meant to be the representation of Scarlett's cowardice, but at the beginning of the story Letta was the one urging her to go after the Dark Rose! That didn't make sense, unless I missed something. Other than that, the story, writing, characters, and progression were great. 4/5.
Dragon Flight by J. Keller Ford: This one was one of my favorites. Well-plotted, well-paced, well-explained. It wasn't much of a story for character development though, but no issues there. And, to me, it was also realistic. Loved this one. 5/5.
The 13th Month by L.S. Murphy: An extremely thought-provoking short story. Very Rapture-esque. This fell victim to another "too-short-to-enjoy" phenomena a short story provokes. The characters were well thought out, though, and the plot was well structured. It just went too fast to sincerely enjoy, and the ending threw me for a loop. What I loved was the "victory-is-losing" paradox L.S. Murphy tossed to us at the end. 4/5.
Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay: Another favorite! Clever, well-thought, as well as thought-provoking. Well-rounded characters and a nice way to bring the plot to full circle. The method of time's "end" in this short story was extremely creative, too. Finely paced. There was ONE major problem: A 'your' was spelled as 'you're'. Otherwise, great. 4/5.
Stage Fright by Erika Beebe: From start to finish, I found myself perplexed. The events were disjointed and flipflopped everywhere at once. It took me quite a few pages to make sense of the characters being in a play. The plot of the story was there, and it was a good plot, but it wasn't executed as well as it could have been. The time-stopper wasn't as suspenseful either... I loved the characters, but I feel like the short story could have been presented differently. 2/5.
A Morrow More by Danielle Shipley: As I've noticed from Shipley every time I read her work, it starts out perplexing and then explains itself in the most clever of ways! I actually kind of hope she does something with the Inkborn in a different story, especially this war. It was neat to see a character's perspective on talking to their author. Maybe the only thing that didn't work for me was how quickly the character adjusted to the fact they weren't 'real'. Regardless, 5/5.
So, all in all, this anthology was filled with great stories by great writers. The only downside was the restriction of working with short stories: not enough room and time. However, this collection did a good job of accomplishing its purpose: The stories provoked the emotions they needed to provoke. A great and quick read!
November 5, 2013
I'll review this one by giving my thoughts about each short story
Time Piece by Anna Simpson
This short story was really confusing, I had no idea what was going on and I couldn't get a grip on what was happening. It's too short to really explain a thing and there are alot of repetitive scenes, which makes it all more confusing. At the end I still had no idea what happened.
Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson
This short story was interesting, but a bit rushed. I would've liked learning more and everything went a bit too fast. I did like the author's writing style, but because of the short lenght I couldn't really get into the story and there wasn't enough explanation about what was happening and the different worlds and the other characters. And really why does everyone always think they are dreaming when something weird happens?
Dragon Flight by J Keller Ford
I really enjoyed this one, the pace was done really well. And the main character actually freaked out when time stopped. I really enjoyed this story and the explanation was so weird and unbelieveable, but also done really well. Although I was a bit annoyed when this main character also thought she was dreaming. I do have a lot of questions, how this exactly works, but for such a short story it was done really well, with enough explanation and story and the right pace.
The 13th Month by LS Murphy
This story was really good, it is the longest so far too. There really is a story and the pace is good too. There is even is some character development and a little bit of world building. The ending really surprised me, but it was a good ending too. I how this story is written. It's a bit normality and then it isn't anymore and then the ending trows it in a really different direction and puts it all in perspective.
Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay
This was such a fun retelling of Sleeping Beauty. This story twists the original fairytale in comical way and while it's short I really enjoyed it. I liked how some parts where predictable and then other so completely different from the original fairytale.
Stage Fright by Erika Beebe
This story was a bit confusing. It was about the stage and the time stoppin didn't seem to play as big a part as in the other stories. I got the message of following your dreams from the story, but that was the only obvious part. I didn't get who gabriels was and then Ben and there where a lot of flashbacks. I just couldn't follow this story.
A Morrow More by Danielle E Shipley
This story started a bit slow and couldn't really capture my interest. There was a strange plot twist and then after that again. It was a bit weird, although the inkborn sounded like an interesting concept.
To conclude: This anthology is pretty short and contains a lot of stories, short stories. While I am not a big fan of short stories, in the past I have read some anthologies that pleasantly surprised me. This on was just okay. There where two stories I really enjoyed: The Thirteenth Month and Dragon Flight. Maybe of the others felt a bit rushed to me, without enough explanation and some where just weird. So all in all there where some entertaining stories, but also some which I didn't enjoy as much.
Time Piece by Anna Simpson
This short story was really confusing, I had no idea what was going on and I couldn't get a grip on what was happening. It's too short to really explain a thing and there are alot of repetitive scenes, which makes it all more confusing. At the end I still had no idea what happened.
Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson
This short story was interesting, but a bit rushed. I would've liked learning more and everything went a bit too fast. I did like the author's writing style, but because of the short lenght I couldn't really get into the story and there wasn't enough explanation about what was happening and the different worlds and the other characters. And really why does everyone always think they are dreaming when something weird happens?
Dragon Flight by J Keller Ford
I really enjoyed this one, the pace was done really well. And the main character actually freaked out when time stopped. I really enjoyed this story and the explanation was so weird and unbelieveable, but also done really well. Although I was a bit annoyed when this main character also thought she was dreaming. I do have a lot of questions, how this exactly works, but for such a short story it was done really well, with enough explanation and story and the right pace.
The 13th Month by LS Murphy
This story was really good, it is the longest so far too. There really is a story and the pace is good too. There is even is some character development and a little bit of world building. The ending really surprised me, but it was a good ending too. I how this story is written. It's a bit normality and then it isn't anymore and then the ending trows it in a really different direction and puts it all in perspective.
Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay
This was such a fun retelling of Sleeping Beauty. This story twists the original fairytale in comical way and while it's short I really enjoyed it. I liked how some parts where predictable and then other so completely different from the original fairytale.
Stage Fright by Erika Beebe
This story was a bit confusing. It was about the stage and the time stoppin didn't seem to play as big a part as in the other stories. I got the message of following your dreams from the story, but that was the only obvious part. I didn't get who gabriels was and then Ben and there where a lot of flashbacks. I just couldn't follow this story.
A Morrow More by Danielle E Shipley
This story started a bit slow and couldn't really capture my interest. There was a strange plot twist and then after that again. It was a bit weird, although the inkborn sounded like an interesting concept.
To conclude: This anthology is pretty short and contains a lot of stories, short stories. While I am not a big fan of short stories, in the past I have read some anthologies that pleasantly surprised me. This on was just okay. There where two stories I really enjoyed: The Thirteenth Month and Dragon Flight. Maybe of the others felt a bit rushed to me, without enough explanation and some where just weird. So all in all there where some entertaining stories, but also some which I didn't enjoy as much.
September 12, 2013
I love the diversity of the stories that arose driven by the "One More Day" theme. I was concerned that every story in here was going to sound the same, but though several stories have similarities, each is original and interesting.
I'll break down what I thought in the order they appear in the book:
"Time Piece" by Anna Simpson has lovely imagery. Some of her scenes are poetry in motion! Like watching sand slide through an hourglass. I loved the repetition, and the rhytm--almost like the swinging of a metronome--or a grandfather clock!
"Dark Rose" by Marissa Halvorson has a similar theme to "Time Piece" but that's where the similarities end. Alternate dimensions collapsing on each other? Completely epic? Filled with twists and turns--like maneuvering through the inside of a clock? I think so.
"Dragon Flight" by J. Keller Ford is wonderfully character driven. Had me grinning from start to finish, with a twist so unexpected, not even a Time Lord could predict it.
Should I stop the time references yet?
"The 13th Year" by L. S. Murphy, aimed at the more mature end of the YA genre, is powerfully written. It explores the "One More Day" theme in a way unique to any other story in the anthology. Most of us discuss being controlled by time, but this one... what happens when we have the power to make time follow our actions?
"Sleepless Beauty" comes next, written by yours truly. It's hard for me to distance myself enough to critique my own writing, but if I said after editing this piece at least 20 times, that I STILL find it funny, that means something, right? ;) And who doesn't love a good ol' fairy-tale rehashing?
"Stage Fright" by Erika Beebe is poetic and inspiring. I got chills reading it! I'd award it as being the most empathetic of the anthology pieces--the emotions of her main character just felt so real! Definitely one of my favorite pieces.
Danielle E. Shipley's, "A Morrow More" finishes the "One More Day" anthology perfectly! Beautiful writing merges perfectly into humor, and an ending worth my wyle. Er, uh, while. ;)
There's bound to be something for everyone in this Anthology. It took me a single day to read it all. If you have "One More Day" to spare,find the piece that's right for you!
I'll break down what I thought in the order they appear in the book:
"Time Piece" by Anna Simpson has lovely imagery. Some of her scenes are poetry in motion! Like watching sand slide through an hourglass. I loved the repetition, and the rhytm--almost like the swinging of a metronome--or a grandfather clock!
"Dark Rose" by Marissa Halvorson has a similar theme to "Time Piece" but that's where the similarities end. Alternate dimensions collapsing on each other? Completely epic? Filled with twists and turns--like maneuvering through the inside of a clock? I think so.
"Dragon Flight" by J. Keller Ford is wonderfully character driven. Had me grinning from start to finish, with a twist so unexpected, not even a Time Lord could predict it.
Should I stop the time references yet?
"The 13th Year" by L. S. Murphy, aimed at the more mature end of the YA genre, is powerfully written. It explores the "One More Day" theme in a way unique to any other story in the anthology. Most of us discuss being controlled by time, but this one... what happens when we have the power to make time follow our actions?
"Sleepless Beauty" comes next, written by yours truly. It's hard for me to distance myself enough to critique my own writing, but if I said after editing this piece at least 20 times, that I STILL find it funny, that means something, right? ;) And who doesn't love a good ol' fairy-tale rehashing?
"Stage Fright" by Erika Beebe is poetic and inspiring. I got chills reading it! I'd award it as being the most empathetic of the anthology pieces--the emotions of her main character just felt so real! Definitely one of my favorite pieces.
Danielle E. Shipley's, "A Morrow More" finishes the "One More Day" anthology perfectly! Beautiful writing merges perfectly into humor, and an ending worth my wyle. Er, uh, while. ;)
There's bound to be something for everyone in this Anthology. It took me a single day to read it all. If you have "One More Day" to spare,find the piece that's right for you!
September 13, 2013
Time Piece by Anna Simpson
Think Groundhog Day. The story could’ve been confusing but instead I was drawn along for the ride. This story is a great start to the anthology and I loved the ending.
Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson
This story is about colliding universes, and as such, it has a fragmented dream-like quality to the writing--the way the characters come and go, the way there’s not a lot of description so the visualisation of the scenes feels hazy. My main issue was the flimsy motivations of the villain of the piece, which prevented the story from being a great one.
Dragon Flight by J Keller Ford
I loved the literal rollercoaster beginning of this story. I also loved the voice of the main character and the fast pace. This is an unexpected story which had me smiling the whole way through. My favourite of the anthology.
The 13th Month by L S Murphy
This story starts strong. The author captured a great voice in the male main character and I enjoyed the tone. Very engaging. However, the ending lost some of its impact because it lacked any real emotional drive in the character and too many questions were left unanswered.
Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay
As guessed from the title, this is an amusing retelling of Sleeping Beauty through the eyes of a seventeen year old servant girl. A fast, fun read. Although it was predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed this. It’s another one of my favourites in the anthology.
Stage Fright by Erika Beebe
I found this story difficult to follow and a little slow for my taste. For a long while I wondered what the story was about, other than simply a girl performing in a play on stage. It picks up halfway through, but still it didn’t engage me. I’m sure many readers will love this story because there are plenty of scenes they’ll be able to relate to.
A Morrow More by Danielle E Shipley
I was drawn into the fantasy setting of this story. I loved the world building with the Inkborn race and their history. I liked the turn in events, but I felt the ending was a little too quick. I would’ve liked to have seen the main character falter a little more at the reveal of a certain truth. Despite that, I enjoyed this story very much and it’s a good one to end the anthology.
Think Groundhog Day. The story could’ve been confusing but instead I was drawn along for the ride. This story is a great start to the anthology and I loved the ending.
Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson
This story is about colliding universes, and as such, it has a fragmented dream-like quality to the writing--the way the characters come and go, the way there’s not a lot of description so the visualisation of the scenes feels hazy. My main issue was the flimsy motivations of the villain of the piece, which prevented the story from being a great one.
Dragon Flight by J Keller Ford
I loved the literal rollercoaster beginning of this story. I also loved the voice of the main character and the fast pace. This is an unexpected story which had me smiling the whole way through. My favourite of the anthology.
The 13th Month by L S Murphy
This story starts strong. The author captured a great voice in the male main character and I enjoyed the tone. Very engaging. However, the ending lost some of its impact because it lacked any real emotional drive in the character and too many questions were left unanswered.
Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay
As guessed from the title, this is an amusing retelling of Sleeping Beauty through the eyes of a seventeen year old servant girl. A fast, fun read. Although it was predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed this. It’s another one of my favourites in the anthology.
Stage Fright by Erika Beebe
I found this story difficult to follow and a little slow for my taste. For a long while I wondered what the story was about, other than simply a girl performing in a play on stage. It picks up halfway through, but still it didn’t engage me. I’m sure many readers will love this story because there are plenty of scenes they’ll be able to relate to.
A Morrow More by Danielle E Shipley
I was drawn into the fantasy setting of this story. I loved the world building with the Inkborn race and their history. I liked the turn in events, but I felt the ending was a little too quick. I would’ve liked to have seen the main character falter a little more at the reveal of a certain truth. Despite that, I enjoyed this story very much and it’s a good one to end the anthology.
December 22, 2013
One More Day is a collection of YA short stories, all with the theme of time coming to complete and total stop. Each author takes this theme and runs with it in her chosen genre. Some, such as Danielle Shipley’s Inkborn and Kimberly Kay’s Sleepless Beauty are straight fantasy, while the others at least start with a contemporary setting.
The most interesting thing about this collection is how each author deals with the idea of time stopping. And they all go in quite different directions. I won’t tell you what happens in each story, but suffice to say that there are parallel universes, a couple of world-within-a-world scenarios, time travel glitches, fantasies come to life, curses, and an age-old battle for the fate of the world.
I enjoyed each story and each author’s take on the theme. Kudos to each for creating a believable world and explanation in under thirty pages. Inkborn uses some lovely language and has a nice, unexpected twist. J. Keller Ford’s Dragon Flight also has a unique twist that made for some fun reading. And L.S. Murphy’s The Thirteenth Month has a premise so intriguing and such a well fleshed-out main character, I kept wishing it were a full-sized book.
The most interesting thing about this collection is how each author deals with the idea of time stopping. And they all go in quite different directions. I won’t tell you what happens in each story, but suffice to say that there are parallel universes, a couple of world-within-a-world scenarios, time travel glitches, fantasies come to life, curses, and an age-old battle for the fate of the world.
I enjoyed each story and each author’s take on the theme. Kudos to each for creating a believable world and explanation in under thirty pages. Inkborn uses some lovely language and has a nice, unexpected twist. J. Keller Ford’s Dragon Flight also has a unique twist that made for some fun reading. And L.S. Murphy’s The Thirteenth Month has a premise so intriguing and such a well fleshed-out main character, I kept wishing it were a full-sized book.
July 16, 2014
Love this anthology . . . and the cover! I could stare at it all day!
December 2, 2013
The reason I decided to accept a review copy of this book was down to the fact I don't read many short stories. The whole concept and idea of the collection sounded really interesting, and I liked the idea of a group of stories with a common theme running throughout. One More Day features several shorts all based around the idea of time standing still. For this review I thought I'd recap each story and give my thoughts on it.
First up was Time Piece by Anna Simpson which follows Sadie as she is joined by her future self to try and destroy a time machine causing time to loop itself over and over again. This was probably one of my favourite stories because it was so action packed. The writing was really beautiful and the idea behind the story reminded me a lot of All Out Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill, so if you loved that book then I think you'll appreciate the ideas in Time Piece. I struggled a bit with some of the transitions when time jumped back on itself, but overall this was still a highlight of the book for me.
Next came Dark Rose by Marissa Malvorson which tells the story of Scarlett who is sitting in an exam when time seems to freeze around her. Whilst she freaks out and goes outside to find out what the hell is happening, she comes across Letta, a version of herself from a parallel universe, in the midst of a battle to stop the Dark Rose from destroying the world. I loved the idea of parallel universes colliding and addressing characters who exist alongside each other. There was plenty of action and I loved the build up and the climax of the story which felt very complete.
Dragon Flight by J. Keller Ford was another highlight of the anthology. Amber finds herself stuck on a roller coaster, the only person still concious and moving as time stands still. When she finally escapes the roller coaster car, she discovers the real reason she's there in the first place. It's hard to go into this one too much without spoiling but I thought it was a really cool idea and this story will really appeal to fans of technology and sci-fi. Don't be put off by the title - it's not fantasy!
The 13th Month by L. S. Murphy takes on the idea of the apocalypse being imminent. Nixon's brother Jackie is obsessed with the end of the world and ends up on weird websites with crackpot theories. Only one night, one particular theory comes true and Nixon finds himself fighting for his life. I really liked the survivial element to this story as Nixon struggles to stay alive during the apocalypse. I also loved the relationship between Nixon and brother Jackie and the gritty, intense feel of the story.
But it's not all sci-fi! Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay gives a fairy tale twist to the anthology. Princess Clarissa has pricked her finger causing her to fall into a cursed sleep. Aerisa is a servent who is left to try and break the curse by tracking down Clarissa's ex-boyfriend Edwin to deliver the kiss that could wake her. But Aerisa has her own feelings to deal with when it comes to Ben. This was a really sweet love story with that really made my heart swell and provided a refreshing contrast to some of the other stories.
Stage Fright by Erika Beebe follows Hannah who is performing in a play when time freezes and she finds herself encountering boys she's only dreamt about. I found some moments in Stage Fright a little confusing and it took a while to get to the point, but towards the end when the ideas started to come together I really enjoyed it. I loved how it portrayed the power of imagination and dreams coming true and it felt really uplifting.
A Morrow More by Danielle Shipley took high fantasy twist as we enter the world of the Inkborn and meet Raeve, servent of and hopelessly in love with Inkborn Lorrel. When times stops, Raeve discovers there is more to this world than meets the eye. Again, this is one that is hard to explain without spoiling, but it's a very clever idea and plays on the idea of imagination and writing stories. Once I knew what was happening I really enjoyed the concept, but the beginning of the story made it a bit hard for me to understand at first with all the language and terminology. Still, it was an idea that really worked.
Overall I really enjoyed this collection of stories. I liked the sci-fi feel to a lot of them and how they all played with the idea of imagination, something I think a lot of readers will really appreciate. I'd definitely be keen to read more by each of these authors as the writing was of a high standard throughout. For anyone looking for a great anthology or maybe someone who doesn't read short stories very often but would like to, this is a great place to start.
First up was Time Piece by Anna Simpson which follows Sadie as she is joined by her future self to try and destroy a time machine causing time to loop itself over and over again. This was probably one of my favourite stories because it was so action packed. The writing was really beautiful and the idea behind the story reminded me a lot of All Out Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill, so if you loved that book then I think you'll appreciate the ideas in Time Piece. I struggled a bit with some of the transitions when time jumped back on itself, but overall this was still a highlight of the book for me.
Next came Dark Rose by Marissa Malvorson which tells the story of Scarlett who is sitting in an exam when time seems to freeze around her. Whilst she freaks out and goes outside to find out what the hell is happening, she comes across Letta, a version of herself from a parallel universe, in the midst of a battle to stop the Dark Rose from destroying the world. I loved the idea of parallel universes colliding and addressing characters who exist alongside each other. There was plenty of action and I loved the build up and the climax of the story which felt very complete.
Dragon Flight by J. Keller Ford was another highlight of the anthology. Amber finds herself stuck on a roller coaster, the only person still concious and moving as time stands still. When she finally escapes the roller coaster car, she discovers the real reason she's there in the first place. It's hard to go into this one too much without spoiling but I thought it was a really cool idea and this story will really appeal to fans of technology and sci-fi. Don't be put off by the title - it's not fantasy!
The 13th Month by L. S. Murphy takes on the idea of the apocalypse being imminent. Nixon's brother Jackie is obsessed with the end of the world and ends up on weird websites with crackpot theories. Only one night, one particular theory comes true and Nixon finds himself fighting for his life. I really liked the survivial element to this story as Nixon struggles to stay alive during the apocalypse. I also loved the relationship between Nixon and brother Jackie and the gritty, intense feel of the story.
But it's not all sci-fi! Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay gives a fairy tale twist to the anthology. Princess Clarissa has pricked her finger causing her to fall into a cursed sleep. Aerisa is a servent who is left to try and break the curse by tracking down Clarissa's ex-boyfriend Edwin to deliver the kiss that could wake her. But Aerisa has her own feelings to deal with when it comes to Ben. This was a really sweet love story with that really made my heart swell and provided a refreshing contrast to some of the other stories.
Stage Fright by Erika Beebe follows Hannah who is performing in a play when time freezes and she finds herself encountering boys she's only dreamt about. I found some moments in Stage Fright a little confusing and it took a while to get to the point, but towards the end when the ideas started to come together I really enjoyed it. I loved how it portrayed the power of imagination and dreams coming true and it felt really uplifting.
A Morrow More by Danielle Shipley took high fantasy twist as we enter the world of the Inkborn and meet Raeve, servent of and hopelessly in love with Inkborn Lorrel. When times stops, Raeve discovers there is more to this world than meets the eye. Again, this is one that is hard to explain without spoiling, but it's a very clever idea and plays on the idea of imagination and writing stories. Once I knew what was happening I really enjoyed the concept, but the beginning of the story made it a bit hard for me to understand at first with all the language and terminology. Still, it was an idea that really worked.
Overall I really enjoyed this collection of stories. I liked the sci-fi feel to a lot of them and how they all played with the idea of imagination, something I think a lot of readers will really appreciate. I'd definitely be keen to read more by each of these authors as the writing was of a high standard throughout. For anyone looking for a great anthology or maybe someone who doesn't read short stories very often but would like to, this is a great place to start.
December 6, 2013
I want to thank J. Taylor Publishing for providing me with an eARC of this book to read and review. Receiving this book for free has in no way influenced my opinion or review.
Blurb from Goodreads:
What if today never ends?
What if everything about life—everything anyone hoped to be, to do, to experience—never happens?
Whether sitting in a chair, driving down the road, in surgery, jumping off a cliff or flying ... that's where you’d be ... forever.
Unless ...
In One More Day, Erika Beebe, Marissa Halvorson, Kimberly Kay, J. Keller Ford, Danielle E. Shipley and Anna Simpson join L.S. Murphy to give us their twists, surprising us with answers to two big questions, all from the perspective of characters under the age of eighteen.
How do we restart time?
How do we make everything go back to normal?
The answers, in whatever the world—human, alien, medieval, fantasy or fairytale—could,maybe, happen today.
Right now.
What would you do if this happened ... to you?
I really love reading short stories. Especially in an anthology where the stories focus on time or some type of time travel Time travel makes me giddy! I love sic-fi. So given the opportunity to read this anthology you can bet I jumped right in to read it. I thought perhaps I would do a few stories a day. Nope, I sat down and read it cover to cover without putting it down. So, I will review the stories in the order I read them!
Time Piece by Anna Simpson
This short story was interesting. The repetitiveness of the scene and it's slight changes was really quite great. Think Ground Hogs Day, but with slight differences each time. It certainly reminded me a bit of Back To The Future, as well. I'm a huge fan of Back to the Future, so this story really drew me in!
Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson
This story didn't draw me in as much as I would have liked. I felt it was a bit slow going. The world intersects were interesting: to see the three girls who are basically the same person but in parallel universes. The concept was interesting but it didn't quite jive for me.
Dragon Flight by J Keller Ford
I really enjoyed this one. A girl who wants to do whatever she needs to to win the boy's heart. But then she learns that her world is not exactly as it seems. And for her to try and figure out exactly why time suddenly stops for her, well, it's not what you think it will be.
The 13th Month by LS Murphy
This one, well, I really liked this one. But I will say that the introduction of the angels was a bit of a surprise for me. I wasn't expecting them at all. Once again we have time stopping. But the world becomes sort of a apocalyptic mess in the main character's eyes. You have to read this to really understand it! And the outcome of this one, well, the consequences will surprise you!
Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay
This one, well, while predictable, I really enjoyed it. I love any kind of fairy tale retelling and this was no exception. I wanted to see more and I could see this as a full length book for sure. The characters were endearing and interesting and each was totally unique.
Stage Fright by Erika Beebe
This was a different read for me. I am not too familiar with theater, but I do understand the idea of stage fright! However, while the main character is nervous about acting the main part, I didn't really understand where the fear came from. I needed more background. I did enjoy how her love interest literally jumped off the pages.
A Morrow More by Danielle E Shipley
This story has a definite fantasy twist to it. For me, I really have to be into a fantasy to get through it. The idea of it was interesting for sure and I would love to see the characters expanded more. It was actually a bit short for me and this made it hard for me to really get into it. The ending was a bit predictable but I sometimes like knowing it will end the way I want it to!
As you can see, I really enjoyed these stories for the most part. I think I have a hard time with short stories that I want more from. They may come to the end, but then I feel like I need to know more about the characters. So it would be great to see some of these turned into full length books!
Blurb from Goodreads:
What if today never ends?
What if everything about life—everything anyone hoped to be, to do, to experience—never happens?
Whether sitting in a chair, driving down the road, in surgery, jumping off a cliff or flying ... that's where you’d be ... forever.
Unless ...
In One More Day, Erika Beebe, Marissa Halvorson, Kimberly Kay, J. Keller Ford, Danielle E. Shipley and Anna Simpson join L.S. Murphy to give us their twists, surprising us with answers to two big questions, all from the perspective of characters under the age of eighteen.
How do we restart time?
How do we make everything go back to normal?
The answers, in whatever the world—human, alien, medieval, fantasy or fairytale—could,maybe, happen today.
Right now.
What would you do if this happened ... to you?
I really love reading short stories. Especially in an anthology where the stories focus on time or some type of time travel Time travel makes me giddy! I love sic-fi. So given the opportunity to read this anthology you can bet I jumped right in to read it. I thought perhaps I would do a few stories a day. Nope, I sat down and read it cover to cover without putting it down. So, I will review the stories in the order I read them!
Time Piece by Anna Simpson
This short story was interesting. The repetitiveness of the scene and it's slight changes was really quite great. Think Ground Hogs Day, but with slight differences each time. It certainly reminded me a bit of Back To The Future, as well. I'm a huge fan of Back to the Future, so this story really drew me in!
Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson
This story didn't draw me in as much as I would have liked. I felt it was a bit slow going. The world intersects were interesting: to see the three girls who are basically the same person but in parallel universes. The concept was interesting but it didn't quite jive for me.
Dragon Flight by J Keller Ford
I really enjoyed this one. A girl who wants to do whatever she needs to to win the boy's heart. But then she learns that her world is not exactly as it seems. And for her to try and figure out exactly why time suddenly stops for her, well, it's not what you think it will be.
The 13th Month by LS Murphy
This one, well, I really liked this one. But I will say that the introduction of the angels was a bit of a surprise for me. I wasn't expecting them at all. Once again we have time stopping. But the world becomes sort of a apocalyptic mess in the main character's eyes. You have to read this to really understand it! And the outcome of this one, well, the consequences will surprise you!
Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay
This one, well, while predictable, I really enjoyed it. I love any kind of fairy tale retelling and this was no exception. I wanted to see more and I could see this as a full length book for sure. The characters were endearing and interesting and each was totally unique.
Stage Fright by Erika Beebe
This was a different read for me. I am not too familiar with theater, but I do understand the idea of stage fright! However, while the main character is nervous about acting the main part, I didn't really understand where the fear came from. I needed more background. I did enjoy how her love interest literally jumped off the pages.
A Morrow More by Danielle E Shipley
This story has a definite fantasy twist to it. For me, I really have to be into a fantasy to get through it. The idea of it was interesting for sure and I would love to see the characters expanded more. It was actually a bit short for me and this made it hard for me to really get into it. The ending was a bit predictable but I sometimes like knowing it will end the way I want it to!
As you can see, I really enjoyed these stories for the most part. I think I have a hard time with short stories that I want more from. They may come to the end, but then I feel like I need to know more about the characters. So it would be great to see some of these turned into full length books!
December 4, 2013
In the interests of disclosure, the publisher provided me with an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
********
When I was asked to review this anthology, I was intrigued by its premise, and agreed right away. Notwithstanding the Wilson Phillips earworm that the title inspires (am I dating myself?), I found it overall a great read, and entirely appropriate for its Young Adult audience.
In Time Piece by Anna Simpson, the main character has to destroy a time machine before the world is completely destroyed. This machine, built by her uncle, put time into an ever-smaller loop, and the loop is almost done. The frenetic pace was perfect for this plot-driven story, and though I would have liked a little more character-building, I thought it was a great pick for the anthology’s starting position.
Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson has three parallel worlds intersecting, where the same character in each world has distinct character traits, one of them seeking to destroy the other two worlds. While I loved the concept, I found the story a little tough to follow, with two of the three versions of the main character less relatable. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I thought the ending could have had more of a psychological explanation that would have been extra-cool.
I thoroughly enjoyed Amber, the scrappy main character in Dragon Flight by J. Keller Ford. She’s trying to overcome her fear of heights so she can go on a romantic roller coaster ride with her crush when time stops at the top of the biggest drop. The descriptions of this odd, stopped world were awesome and I got a huge kick out of the ending.
The writing is beautiful in The 13th Month by L. S. Murphy. Two angels engage in their latest cycle of an ongoing death-fight to determine the fate of life in the world. The voice in here is so strong it deserves its own reality show, and the ending gave me the chills.
I am a sucker for retold fairy tales, so Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay was right up my alley. Though the ending was predictable (who here doesn’t know the ending of Sleeping Beauty?) the way we got there was adorable and fun to read.
Hannah, the main character in Erika Beebe’s Stage Fright, is very deep, and I love the tidbits Beebe drops in there about Hannah’s backstory. Where I got hung up was in the introduction of the love interest, who emerges from the pages of a magazine. Somehow, with Hannah’s setup, she didn’t strike me as someone who would be so obsessed with teen magazines. So while I liked the world- and character-building, I did think the love story could have been developed better.
A Morrow More by Danielle E. Shipley starts off as a fairly typical fantasy story but takes a sharp turn around the mid-point and leads us into a quirky interaction that determines the rest of the plot. It has a sweet climax and end—as a writer myself, I totally get it!—but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone else.
********
When I was asked to review this anthology, I was intrigued by its premise, and agreed right away. Notwithstanding the Wilson Phillips earworm that the title inspires (am I dating myself?), I found it overall a great read, and entirely appropriate for its Young Adult audience.
In Time Piece by Anna Simpson, the main character has to destroy a time machine before the world is completely destroyed. This machine, built by her uncle, put time into an ever-smaller loop, and the loop is almost done. The frenetic pace was perfect for this plot-driven story, and though I would have liked a little more character-building, I thought it was a great pick for the anthology’s starting position.
Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson has three parallel worlds intersecting, where the same character in each world has distinct character traits, one of them seeking to destroy the other two worlds. While I loved the concept, I found the story a little tough to follow, with two of the three versions of the main character less relatable. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I thought the ending could have had more of a psychological explanation that would have been extra-cool.
I thoroughly enjoyed Amber, the scrappy main character in Dragon Flight by J. Keller Ford. She’s trying to overcome her fear of heights so she can go on a romantic roller coaster ride with her crush when time stops at the top of the biggest drop. The descriptions of this odd, stopped world were awesome and I got a huge kick out of the ending.
The writing is beautiful in The 13th Month by L. S. Murphy. Two angels engage in their latest cycle of an ongoing death-fight to determine the fate of life in the world. The voice in here is so strong it deserves its own reality show, and the ending gave me the chills.
I am a sucker for retold fairy tales, so Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay was right up my alley. Though the ending was predictable (who here doesn’t know the ending of Sleeping Beauty?) the way we got there was adorable and fun to read.
Hannah, the main character in Erika Beebe’s Stage Fright, is very deep, and I love the tidbits Beebe drops in there about Hannah’s backstory. Where I got hung up was in the introduction of the love interest, who emerges from the pages of a magazine. Somehow, with Hannah’s setup, she didn’t strike me as someone who would be so obsessed with teen magazines. So while I liked the world- and character-building, I did think the love story could have been developed better.
A Morrow More by Danielle E. Shipley starts off as a fairly typical fantasy story but takes a sharp turn around the mid-point and leads us into a quirky interaction that determines the rest of the plot. It has a sweet climax and end—as a writer myself, I totally get it!—but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone else.
December 22, 2013
This book is written by several author's. Each has taken the subject of what if it were your last day? What if time stopped around you leaving you alone? What would you do?
Each of the author's has written a unique story. I was impressed at the range of subjects and ideas that they dreamed up. The stories range from fairy tale to science fiction.
I really loved some of the stories and other's I liked. That is why I gave it a 3 star rating. The range in story content is very broad. This is a good book. I think there is a story that will appeal to everyone.
Each story is short and easily read. There is some swearing and mention of sexual activity without details. I would recommend for ages 16+.
Each of the author's has written a unique story. I was impressed at the range of subjects and ideas that they dreamed up. The stories range from fairy tale to science fiction.
I really loved some of the stories and other's I liked. That is why I gave it a 3 star rating. The range in story content is very broad. This is a good book. I think there is a story that will appeal to everyone.
Each story is short and easily read. There is some swearing and mention of sexual activity without details. I would recommend for ages 16+.
January 7, 2014
I absolutely loved it there was a little bit of everything for everyone a little bit horror a mixture of science fiction, some fantasy ,paranormal! There We're alot of " wait, did that just happen" moments for me and I mean that in the greatest way possible I love it when a book has me so enthralled that I have to reread it just because it's that good and just has me thinking whoa!
November 26, 2013
An awesome collection of six short stories. A really splendid choice of stopping time. Unique story lines of the same concept of time stopping. Kudos to the unique effort.
December 16, 2013
see full review here http://crasyabout.blogspot.com/2013/1...
i reviewed only Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson
What if tomorrow never happens? What if it is our last day? What if time stops and will never begin again? What if you will never get a chance to kiss the guy you like? What if you will never get a chance to say your first “I love you”? So many “What if”-s, right? But the main question is: What would you do if today was your last day?
I don’t know the answer. Maybe try to think how o make it not the last one, but maybe try to live it. Tell my mom that I love her, tell the guy I’ve been crushing since high school that I like him, maybe just curl myself in a comfy armchair and read the book and listen to music. Why? It’s my last day!
However the heroin of this short story – Scarlett is doing the first thing. But well, she kind of has no choice. She is whisked to another planet, where she meets her doppelgangers and she tries to kill one of them who is evil. Does she succeed or not that’s for you to read. Will she be able to kill Dark Rose, prevent planet from destruction, return to her exam and write the essay?
The more I think about the story the more I find new and new ideas woven into it. Of course the main idea is no tomorrow. But however the idea that caught my eye and mind is about soul-mates. When Dark Rose aka the evil doppelganger tells the other two that she wants to destroy them only because that way she will find her true soul-mate it’s quite illogical. I mean did she think that her soul was just a fragment of one whole? And that if he destroyed other two she would gain it completely? But what about her true soul-mate? He also would have had doppelganger in other two universes. So she wanted to kill his parts of soul too? That’s irrational, but what can I say, sometimes we make idiotical decisions in the name of love. Dark Rose’s choice is the proff. But what else I liked is that the author doesn’t forget about those who dies or sacrificed themselves. She grants Scarlett voices of her doppelgangers. She grants her several identities and choices. She gives her proof that what had happened to her wasn’t just a dream. Now it’s up to Scarlett to live a full life.
There are other stories in this anthology, but as I was contacted by Marissa herself, I thought that it would be fair if I featured today only her story. However other stories are also great and their reviews will come shortly afterwards. Hope you will get to read all of them. For that just grab your copy now and don’t forget to tell me what would you do if there was no tomorrow. Happy Reading!!!! J J
i reviewed only Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson
What if tomorrow never happens? What if it is our last day? What if time stops and will never begin again? What if you will never get a chance to kiss the guy you like? What if you will never get a chance to say your first “I love you”? So many “What if”-s, right? But the main question is: What would you do if today was your last day?
I don’t know the answer. Maybe try to think how o make it not the last one, but maybe try to live it. Tell my mom that I love her, tell the guy I’ve been crushing since high school that I like him, maybe just curl myself in a comfy armchair and read the book and listen to music. Why? It’s my last day!
However the heroin of this short story – Scarlett is doing the first thing. But well, she kind of has no choice. She is whisked to another planet, where she meets her doppelgangers and she tries to kill one of them who is evil. Does she succeed or not that’s for you to read. Will she be able to kill Dark Rose, prevent planet from destruction, return to her exam and write the essay?
The more I think about the story the more I find new and new ideas woven into it. Of course the main idea is no tomorrow. But however the idea that caught my eye and mind is about soul-mates. When Dark Rose aka the evil doppelganger tells the other two that she wants to destroy them only because that way she will find her true soul-mate it’s quite illogical. I mean did she think that her soul was just a fragment of one whole? And that if he destroyed other two she would gain it completely? But what about her true soul-mate? He also would have had doppelganger in other two universes. So she wanted to kill his parts of soul too? That’s irrational, but what can I say, sometimes we make idiotical decisions in the name of love. Dark Rose’s choice is the proff. But what else I liked is that the author doesn’t forget about those who dies or sacrificed themselves. She grants Scarlett voices of her doppelgangers. She grants her several identities and choices. She gives her proof that what had happened to her wasn’t just a dream. Now it’s up to Scarlett to live a full life.
There are other stories in this anthology, but as I was contacted by Marissa herself, I thought that it would be fair if I featured today only her story. However other stories are also great and their reviews will come shortly afterwards. Hope you will get to read all of them. For that just grab your copy now and don’t forget to tell me what would you do if there was no tomorrow. Happy Reading!!!! J J
December 10, 2013
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher for an honest review.
Anthologies tend to be hit and miss for me. Of course the general hope is that you come out of it loving or at least liking most of the stories in said anthology, but unfortunately, for me and One More Day, this was not the case.
Time Piece by Anna Simpson: The hasty, frenetic pace of this story did set the stage for the anthology overall. But I felt like I'd read and seen the premise far too often for the story to feel interesting to me. 2 stars.
Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson: One of the weakest stories for me in the anthology. Unlikable characters, confusing setting and a very unclear ending left a bad taste in my mouth. 1 star.
Dragon Flight by J. Keller Ford: This one had the most interesting twist of all the stories. The teen speak was a little inauthentic, but overall it was a cute story. 3 stars.
The 13th Month by L.S. Murphy: Another interesting take on the time stop idea, though the premise was a little silly at first. The ending does make up for it though, by a lot. 3 stars.
Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay: This is the one I ended up skimming through a lot. I can see what the author was going for, a cheeky modern feeling retelling of a fairy tale that still takes place in a fairytale land of castles and medieval setting. But the characters were irritating, and it was so modern at times I actually forgot it was taking place in a medieval fairytale land. While I liked the idea of "true love's first kiss", it wasn't enough to save this story. 1 star.
Stage Fright by Ericka Beebe: The confusing writing kept this from being as strong as it could have been, but it was alright otherwise. 2 stars.
A Morrow More by Danielle E. Shipley: The strongest story in the collection and my personal favorite. Raeve is a great character and the twist on why her world stopped was great. The world-building was a little flimsy, but I was willing to overlook that for all the strengths the story had. 4 stars.
Anthologies tend to be hit and miss for me. Of course the general hope is that you come out of it loving or at least liking most of the stories in said anthology, but unfortunately, for me and One More Day, this was not the case.
Time Piece by Anna Simpson: The hasty, frenetic pace of this story did set the stage for the anthology overall. But I felt like I'd read and seen the premise far too often for the story to feel interesting to me. 2 stars.
Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson: One of the weakest stories for me in the anthology. Unlikable characters, confusing setting and a very unclear ending left a bad taste in my mouth. 1 star.
Dragon Flight by J. Keller Ford: This one had the most interesting twist of all the stories. The teen speak was a little inauthentic, but overall it was a cute story. 3 stars.
The 13th Month by L.S. Murphy: Another interesting take on the time stop idea, though the premise was a little silly at first. The ending does make up for it though, by a lot. 3 stars.
Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay: This is the one I ended up skimming through a lot. I can see what the author was going for, a cheeky modern feeling retelling of a fairy tale that still takes place in a fairytale land of castles and medieval setting. But the characters were irritating, and it was so modern at times I actually forgot it was taking place in a medieval fairytale land. While I liked the idea of "true love's first kiss", it wasn't enough to save this story. 1 star.
Stage Fright by Ericka Beebe: The confusing writing kept this from being as strong as it could have been, but it was alright otherwise. 2 stars.
A Morrow More by Danielle E. Shipley: The strongest story in the collection and my personal favorite. Raeve is a great character and the twist on why her world stopped was great. The world-building was a little flimsy, but I was willing to overlook that for all the strengths the story had. 4 stars.
November 24, 2013
As with all books containing multiple stories you get some really great ones that you wish were longer and then some that was so so.
With all of these something happens, usually time stops, and the main character is left trying to figure out what's going on. They all have some life changing event such as finding out they're lives are actually a story being written or an end of the world fight that repeats every 100 yrs.
The reason I gave this 3 stars inside of 4 is because in almost every story everyone freezes except the main character but we're not told why they don't. There are exceptions, the first story for example, Timepeice is more of a Ground Hog Day with the same evening repeating.
I will say this book was a nice way to spend a rainy day.
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you
With all of these something happens, usually time stops, and the main character is left trying to figure out what's going on. They all have some life changing event such as finding out they're lives are actually a story being written or an end of the world fight that repeats every 100 yrs.
The reason I gave this 3 stars inside of 4 is because in almost every story everyone freezes except the main character but we're not told why they don't. There are exceptions, the first story for example, Timepeice is more of a Ground Hog Day with the same evening repeating.
I will say this book was a nice way to spend a rainy day.
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you
August 27, 2013
I'm very pleased with our effort. We have a bit of everything in the anthology which made it great fun to read. :-)
April 18, 2014
Some of the stories I would give five stars for sure. One doesn't seem to even fit with the theme of the book. They were the perfect length for my runs on the treadmill, though.
January 27, 2014
My Review with a remix:
So, the lovely Ms J Keller Ford-who has a very cool story in here- has requested a little something. Though she is not my “guest” author, she is a favorite of mine, so of course I totally had to tell her yes on that request. It may not be as “detailed” as last time, but it’s the thought that counts. I’ll be listing at least one song with each story :) LOL And, I am not going for the sappy I love you forever, I am going for the “holy crap we’re gunna die” type of music… LOL yes, I listen to that type of “angry music” as my mother calls it :) So, ready, set… here we go!
Time Piece by Anna Simpson
This one is interesting. What if someone you loved created a time machine, and not only is it STUCK so you keep reliving the same loop of time over and over again, BUT it’s also killing your loved ones. Literally. You got through one loop and one person dies, when it restarts, another one dies. Dude, this one kind of creeps me out, because think about it. Would you save one loved one over the other loved one? That’s what’s happening here. The story started out so sweet, and though it’s short, it swept the rig out from my feet. You first kiss to death. *whew* thank goodness it works out, but you have to read it. I’ve decided I like Brads kiss too!
AEnema by Tool https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neGdo...
Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson
So, what if you’re a high school kid in the middle of an exam and all of a sudden time stops, and you’re in the middle of a war between parallel worlds. There’s crazy monsters killing people and Scarlett is just trying to finish her exam. She then meets another version of herself, and then another. Who’s the good guy, and who’s the bad guy. But even though it’s a quick story of action and a little mystery, it’s the lesson of the story. Or at least the lesson I learned from it. You don’t know who you are until you know what you are willing to sacrifice. Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for your loved ones? If you had one more day, what would you do? How would you spend it?
More Human than Human by White Zombie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0E0y...
Dragon Flight by J Keller Ford
I LOVED this one. I also expected to love it, as a Fan of Ms Ford. And no…. sadly there are no dragons, LOL though it’s totally awesome anyway! It’s well written and done, oh so right! It’s going to be a little a really fun ride! I am kind of having a difficult time telling you exactly about this story without TELLING you the story. I know it’s complicated. I will tell you that this is a fresh new story that is so much fun! It may be my favorite of them all. :)
40 Miles from the Sun by Bush https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji7h8...
The 13th Month by LS Murphy
I think this one is excellent. It’s got great characters and wonderful, and it’s just magical! There’s some prophecy things, but then there is a wonderful main character who made it just so cool. It’s also not predictable. There are some very fun parts to this one, and I’ve heard so many good things about this author, I am now totally going to have to check out this author for her other goodies :)
Dark Horses by Switchfoot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_5oE...
Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay
This is a twist of having one more day while retelling Sleeping Beauty. And it’s also probably the funniest. And it’s also predictable, because it’s a retelling, BUT it’s done so well that I can’t help but love it. I mean, who would think about changing a few little details about Sleeping Beauty, and that making it so much fun :)
Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mbBb...
Stage Fright by Erika Beebe
This one is particularly for the, Always follow your dreams, lessons in the One More Day theme. It’s very descriptive and made for a fun read! It’s about a stage play based on a musical and boy oh boy was in interesting. I am not into musicals, which is maybe why I liked it because I am not familiar with the original, therefore I get to make my own assumptions :)
The Catalyst by Linkin Park https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51iqu...
A Morrow More by Danielle E Shipley
This one is one of the most “fantasy based” worlds, which is probably why I liked it so much! Excellent world building, excellent characters, and extremely good plot twists! I would love to see this one because a “big” story but I guess we’ll have to see :) I hope that there’s more, and I will be looking forward to hopefully more of this type from this author!
The Beginning is the End is the Beginning by the Smashing Pumpkins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59g5R...
Like all anthologies, this one has goods and bads- in opinion of course, and it’s great because you get a little bit of something from each one. You get to see how each author forms their stories, and the flow of their writing, and how they can be similar or different. I still give it a 4.5 PAWS overall because I liked each and everyone of those stories. And though I may have liked some more than the others, I still liked them :)
So, the lovely Ms J Keller Ford-who has a very cool story in here- has requested a little something. Though she is not my “guest” author, she is a favorite of mine, so of course I totally had to tell her yes on that request. It may not be as “detailed” as last time, but it’s the thought that counts. I’ll be listing at least one song with each story :) LOL And, I am not going for the sappy I love you forever, I am going for the “holy crap we’re gunna die” type of music… LOL yes, I listen to that type of “angry music” as my mother calls it :) So, ready, set… here we go!
Time Piece by Anna Simpson
This one is interesting. What if someone you loved created a time machine, and not only is it STUCK so you keep reliving the same loop of time over and over again, BUT it’s also killing your loved ones. Literally. You got through one loop and one person dies, when it restarts, another one dies. Dude, this one kind of creeps me out, because think about it. Would you save one loved one over the other loved one? That’s what’s happening here. The story started out so sweet, and though it’s short, it swept the rig out from my feet. You first kiss to death. *whew* thank goodness it works out, but you have to read it. I’ve decided I like Brads kiss too!
AEnema by Tool https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neGdo...
Dark Rose by Marissa Halvorson
So, what if you’re a high school kid in the middle of an exam and all of a sudden time stops, and you’re in the middle of a war between parallel worlds. There’s crazy monsters killing people and Scarlett is just trying to finish her exam. She then meets another version of herself, and then another. Who’s the good guy, and who’s the bad guy. But even though it’s a quick story of action and a little mystery, it’s the lesson of the story. Or at least the lesson I learned from it. You don’t know who you are until you know what you are willing to sacrifice. Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for your loved ones? If you had one more day, what would you do? How would you spend it?
More Human than Human by White Zombie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0E0y...
Dragon Flight by J Keller Ford
I LOVED this one. I also expected to love it, as a Fan of Ms Ford. And no…. sadly there are no dragons, LOL though it’s totally awesome anyway! It’s well written and done, oh so right! It’s going to be a little a really fun ride! I am kind of having a difficult time telling you exactly about this story without TELLING you the story. I know it’s complicated. I will tell you that this is a fresh new story that is so much fun! It may be my favorite of them all. :)
40 Miles from the Sun by Bush https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji7h8...
The 13th Month by LS Murphy
I think this one is excellent. It’s got great characters and wonderful, and it’s just magical! There’s some prophecy things, but then there is a wonderful main character who made it just so cool. It’s also not predictable. There are some very fun parts to this one, and I’ve heard so many good things about this author, I am now totally going to have to check out this author for her other goodies :)
Dark Horses by Switchfoot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_5oE...
Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay
This is a twist of having one more day while retelling Sleeping Beauty. And it’s also probably the funniest. And it’s also predictable, because it’s a retelling, BUT it’s done so well that I can’t help but love it. I mean, who would think about changing a few little details about Sleeping Beauty, and that making it so much fun :)
Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mbBb...
Stage Fright by Erika Beebe
This one is particularly for the, Always follow your dreams, lessons in the One More Day theme. It’s very descriptive and made for a fun read! It’s about a stage play based on a musical and boy oh boy was in interesting. I am not into musicals, which is maybe why I liked it because I am not familiar with the original, therefore I get to make my own assumptions :)
The Catalyst by Linkin Park https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51iqu...
A Morrow More by Danielle E Shipley
This one is one of the most “fantasy based” worlds, which is probably why I liked it so much! Excellent world building, excellent characters, and extremely good plot twists! I would love to see this one because a “big” story but I guess we’ll have to see :) I hope that there’s more, and I will be looking forward to hopefully more of this type from this author!
The Beginning is the End is the Beginning by the Smashing Pumpkins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59g5R...
Like all anthologies, this one has goods and bads- in opinion of course, and it’s great because you get a little bit of something from each one. You get to see how each author forms their stories, and the flow of their writing, and how they can be similar or different. I still give it a 4.5 PAWS overall because I liked each and everyone of those stories. And though I may have liked some more than the others, I still liked them :)
December 7, 2013
I give it a three Because I didn't like every single short story!
February 22, 2021
I sure wasn't let down by the quality of these stories. Especially considering I haven't heard of most of the other authors but I can vouch that each story is well written. So much so that it was easy for me to immerse myself into the stories without thinking about it.
I'm not going to review each story separately since there are already individual reviews out there and I agree with most of them. I do want to explain that the only reasons I gave lower scores on a few of them is that I felt like the flow of the writing left me feeling jarred and could use a little ironing. That and that there probably wasn't enough time for the stories to be fleshed out so they might be better as longer stories.
As most of you know reading is a subjective thing so it is known that most everyone won't love every story, myself included, but I do feel that this book has a solid line up of authors and I highly encourage you to check them out.
These stories are witty, imaginative, and original, those types tend to be my favorite, so those were given higher ratings if they fell towards the fantasy/sci fi are the genres. I like humor so that helped bump up scores too if there was a hint of that in the story. These stories kept me entertained until the end and I know you won't regret picking it up. I'm pretty sure you won't want to put it down until you're done. They are all fairly quick reads so pick up an ebook and you could probably finish the entire anthology in a sitting.
I know with most short stories some readers feel that the ending isn't satisfying enough or left too open ended. If you're worried about this problem then you don't have to worry about that with these short stories! Each one is tied up neatly and left me satisfied (although there were a few where I wanted more because I loved them so much) so keep that in mind. I sometimes feel that short stories are too fast paced, rushing to the end but I do feel like these were paced well and weren't too short which greatly pleased me. Well done authors!
Reading this anthology was a great way for me to discover new authors. I love it when this happens. I should read anthologies more often. Now I plan on researching more works by these authors and I hope that you all will join me!
Overall, I'd give the book a 4/5 rating.
Time Piece by Anna Simpson - 4
Dark Rose by Marissa Havorson - 4.2
Dragon Flight by J. Keller Ford - 4.6
The 13th Month by L.S. Murphy - 3.2
Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay - 4.3
Stage Fright by Erika Beebe - 3
A Morrow More by Danielle Shipley - 4.5
I'm not going to review each story separately since there are already individual reviews out there and I agree with most of them. I do want to explain that the only reasons I gave lower scores on a few of them is that I felt like the flow of the writing left me feeling jarred and could use a little ironing. That and that there probably wasn't enough time for the stories to be fleshed out so they might be better as longer stories.
As most of you know reading is a subjective thing so it is known that most everyone won't love every story, myself included, but I do feel that this book has a solid line up of authors and I highly encourage you to check them out.
These stories are witty, imaginative, and original, those types tend to be my favorite, so those were given higher ratings if they fell towards the fantasy/sci fi are the genres. I like humor so that helped bump up scores too if there was a hint of that in the story. These stories kept me entertained until the end and I know you won't regret picking it up. I'm pretty sure you won't want to put it down until you're done. They are all fairly quick reads so pick up an ebook and you could probably finish the entire anthology in a sitting.
I know with most short stories some readers feel that the ending isn't satisfying enough or left too open ended. If you're worried about this problem then you don't have to worry about that with these short stories! Each one is tied up neatly and left me satisfied (although there were a few where I wanted more because I loved them so much) so keep that in mind. I sometimes feel that short stories are too fast paced, rushing to the end but I do feel like these were paced well and weren't too short which greatly pleased me. Well done authors!
Reading this anthology was a great way for me to discover new authors. I love it when this happens. I should read anthologies more often. Now I plan on researching more works by these authors and I hope that you all will join me!
Overall, I'd give the book a 4/5 rating.
Time Piece by Anna Simpson - 4
Dark Rose by Marissa Havorson - 4.2
Dragon Flight by J. Keller Ford - 4.6
The 13th Month by L.S. Murphy - 3.2
Sleepless Beauty by Kimberly Kay - 4.3
Stage Fright by Erika Beebe - 3
A Morrow More by Danielle Shipley - 4.5
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews