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This Wish Tonight
Warmth, family, good cheer? Not everyone associates these things with the winter holidays. For some, it's a time of longing and reflection. Mischief Corner Books invites authors to create stories set during the holiday season and centered on the fulfillment of a wish or desire.
Eve of the Great Frost by Wendy Rathbone
Remi has prepared for over a year to be the king's gift at the annual celebration of the Eve of the Great Frost on the planet Niobe. Twelve men, taught under the tutelage of the Pleasure Master, hope to be the one (or one of several) chosen to spend an erotic night with the mysterious alien king who always wears a mask. But when Remi's turn comes to be presented to His Majesty, everything goes wrong from a costume malfunction to breaking protocol. What happens next is a shock, and a night he will never forget.
Wonderland by J. Scott Coatsworth
Zeke is a loner in his late forties, living in a small cabin in rural Montana. Nathan has been traveling across country on foot since the zombie apocalypse, dealing with his OCD in an empty world.
Zeke just wants someone to love. Nathan just wants to be home again.
Fate brings them together in a winter wonderland, but their own fears and baggage may tear them apart.
Is there still hope for love at Christmas, at the end of the world?
Fear of Fire by Gregory L. Norris
Glass Artist Lucius Price works desperately to create a holiday symbol intended to help the town of Villatopia heal from a rash of unsolved hate crimes against gay men. When he is targeted next and his studio set ablaze, handsome firefighter Oscar Ramos rescues Lucius from the flames, creating a different kind of fire during an unforgettable Christmas.
**Please Note: The stories in this anthology will not be released individually.
Eve of the Great Frost by Wendy Rathbone
Remi has prepared for over a year to be the king's gift at the annual celebration of the Eve of the Great Frost on the planet Niobe. Twelve men, taught under the tutelage of the Pleasure Master, hope to be the one (or one of several) chosen to spend an erotic night with the mysterious alien king who always wears a mask. But when Remi's turn comes to be presented to His Majesty, everything goes wrong from a costume malfunction to breaking protocol. What happens next is a shock, and a night he will never forget.
Wonderland by J. Scott Coatsworth
Zeke is a loner in his late forties, living in a small cabin in rural Montana. Nathan has been traveling across country on foot since the zombie apocalypse, dealing with his OCD in an empty world.
Zeke just wants someone to love. Nathan just wants to be home again.
Fate brings them together in a winter wonderland, but their own fears and baggage may tear them apart.
Is there still hope for love at Christmas, at the end of the world?
Fear of Fire by Gregory L. Norris
Glass Artist Lucius Price works desperately to create a holiday symbol intended to help the town of Villatopia heal from a rash of unsolved hate crimes against gay men. When he is targeted next and his studio set ablaze, handsome firefighter Oscar Ramos rescues Lucius from the flames, creating a different kind of fire during an unforgettable Christmas.
**Please Note: The stories in this anthology will not be released individually.
228 pages, Paperback
First published December 14, 2016
3 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Jude Dunn
22 books10 followersJude Dunn is an author whose work spans a number of genres, including gay romance and erotica, science fiction, thrillers and adventure stories, and mainstream fiction. He is an editor for a specialty publishing house by day, but his passion is telling tales that entertain and inspire his readers. Dunn lives in Chicago and enjoys a number of pastimes, from gourmet cooking and sampling a variety of wines to jazz and performing his own music as a local pianist. His cat, who has yet to answer to any of the myriad names Dunn has tried, keeps him company in between his always anticipated and passionate visits to Toronto to spend time with his husband of nine years. Dunn’s work is sometimes subtle, sometimes fiery, but is always an entertaining and satisfying read.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 28, 2017
Okay, first this only lets me add the paperback edition and I can't seem to figure out how to add the e-book and second, the cover is very cute.
3 stars
Eve of the Great Frost by Wendy Rathbone This was a bit slow and kind of had a dreamy feel to it for me. It's told as a memory of Remi who was trained in pleasure to be offered to the king who happens to be an earthling that came to their frozen planet and changed everything... for the better. Things go wrong during the ceremony, but to Remi's shock he is chosen anyway and the king explains he was chosen because of the things that went wrong and he's not just acting a role. The part that was kind of depressing is that despite bringing technology, medicine, peace, etc. to the planet, you keep being told it's all going to fall apart and everyone will rise up against the benevolent dictator. It's also very descriptive and lush, which I know some people will love. It ends HEA for Remi but I just couldn't get into as much because the vibe didn't work so well for me.
4 Stars
Wonderland by J. Scott Coatsworth: Set in the future after perhaps 100% of the earth's population is wiped out by some kind of virus, Zeke lives in his cabin, existing off things he's scavenged from the nearby town, wondering why he was immune and presuming he's the last person on earth. However one stormy night Nathan, who's been walking from Buffalo for a year, shows up injured by a wild dog attack. Zeke is thrilled there are more humans on earth and takes him in. Nathan has OCD issues and finds Zeke's small cramped cabin full of scavenged supplies hard to handle and his traveling companion Andy has vanished. It was kind of cool to think about how you would survive, raiding the town drug store and grocery store, getting gas from the gas station for his snowmobile. And of course, luckily two gay guys found each other. LOL The Andy thing kind of confused me, not sure he was 100% necessary, but it didn't put me off too much.
2.5 stars
Fear of Fire by Gregory Norris: Lucius is a glass blower who has been asked to do a special Christmas tree sculpture for the town that has experienced several gay bashings. One day while he's working (and admiring Mr. November on his fireman calendar) he falls ill and his studio catches on fire. Mr. November manages to rescue him and it turns out that someone drugged him and set fire to the studio although the fire chief is determined that Lucius started the fire himself. My biggest issue here is that it seems Oscar the fireman had been obsessed with Lucius since he saw his picture in the paper, as obsessed as Lucius was with the fireman calendar and once they met... boom, insta-love. Very much mooning over each other when they had no clue about what the other person was like outside of a picture. The baddie was pretty obvious and there were a few too many uses of "the glass artist" "the artist" "the fireman" especially in the bedroom scenes. So it just moved too fast for me. But not a bad story and glass art is always a cool topic for a story which I enjoy.
So depending on your tastes you may like some of these more than I did, but it's not a bad anthology and good for an afternoon read.
3 stars
Eve of the Great Frost by Wendy Rathbone This was a bit slow and kind of had a dreamy feel to it for me. It's told as a memory of Remi who was trained in pleasure to be offered to the king who happens to be an earthling that came to their frozen planet and changed everything... for the better. Things go wrong during the ceremony, but to Remi's shock he is chosen anyway and the king explains he was chosen because of the things that went wrong and he's not just acting a role. The part that was kind of depressing is that despite bringing technology, medicine, peace, etc. to the planet, you keep being told it's all going to fall apart and everyone will rise up against the benevolent dictator. It's also very descriptive and lush, which I know some people will love. It ends HEA for Remi but I just couldn't get into as much because the vibe didn't work so well for me.
4 Stars
Wonderland by J. Scott Coatsworth: Set in the future after perhaps 100% of the earth's population is wiped out by some kind of virus, Zeke lives in his cabin, existing off things he's scavenged from the nearby town, wondering why he was immune and presuming he's the last person on earth. However one stormy night Nathan, who's been walking from Buffalo for a year, shows up injured by a wild dog attack. Zeke is thrilled there are more humans on earth and takes him in. Nathan has OCD issues and finds Zeke's small cramped cabin full of scavenged supplies hard to handle and his traveling companion Andy has vanished. It was kind of cool to think about how you would survive, raiding the town drug store and grocery store, getting gas from the gas station for his snowmobile. And of course, luckily two gay guys found each other. LOL The Andy thing kind of confused me, not sure he was 100% necessary, but it didn't put me off too much.
2.5 stars
Fear of Fire by Gregory Norris: Lucius is a glass blower who has been asked to do a special Christmas tree sculpture for the town that has experienced several gay bashings. One day while he's working (and admiring Mr. November on his fireman calendar) he falls ill and his studio catches on fire. Mr. November manages to rescue him and it turns out that someone drugged him and set fire to the studio although the fire chief is determined that Lucius started the fire himself. My biggest issue here is that it seems Oscar the fireman had been obsessed with Lucius since he saw his picture in the paper, as obsessed as Lucius was with the fireman calendar and once they met... boom, insta-love. Very much mooning over each other when they had no clue about what the other person was like outside of a picture. The baddie was pretty obvious and there were a few too many uses of "the glass artist" "the artist" "the fireman" especially in the bedroom scenes. So it just moved too fast for me. But not a bad story and glass art is always a cool topic for a story which I enjoy.
So depending on your tastes you may like some of these more than I did, but it's not a bad anthology and good for an afternoon read.
December 16, 2016
Wonderland: Okay, so you have me with post-apocalyptic! That's all I needed to know to rub my hands together and settle in to read this story with relish. It made me laugh when it was a winter storm trapping the main characters, because I was trapped at home by an ice storm. The best part of this story is that there was realism from the lack of food, to the personal grooming, to the struggle to keep some semblance of normalcy by both Nathan and Zeke. But then there's a wrench thrown into the works... Andy. Who is he? What role does he play? I won't give that away, but I found that a very interesting twist in the story, and I really hope that we learn more about Zeke and Nathan down the road. This story didn't have a strong Christmas theme, but I liked the sweetness it did bring into their lives at the end.
Eye of the Great Frost: This story was a mix of fantasy and science fiction. The vast majority of the story feels like you're in the distant past, but it's actually a world with a people who hadn't quite progressed as far as they should. The symbolism of their mystical culture, especially during the presentation on their holy day, is vivid and fully-realized even with how short the story was. I found the science fiction aspect to be far more vague beyond explaining some of the backstory of Shin, the king, and giving us an idea of where Shin and Remi end their story after 'The End', and most of that came from Remi's voice as the 'narrator' of the story. With length constraints, that was a good vehicle to share information with readers when it couldn't be shown.
Fear of Fire: This story had a strong and beautiful Christmas theme. I also really enjoyed the technical aspects when we see the main character, Lucius, working the glass. I could tell the author either had firsthand experience or did the research to bring that part of the story to life. I also loved the visual of the Tree of Tolerance and the idea of the interlocking glass pieces topped off with a beautiful star. The overall plot and the characterizations were done well, and I liked there was an external conflict. What I didn't like was the constant use of epithets. "The artist" and "the fireman", or variations of those, were used so many times it got tedious. People just don't think of themselves and others by descriptions all the time, nor do they tend to be so... lyrical during sex. Probably the biggest push out of the story was the lack of medical realism during the two scenes where injuries were possible. I don't want to give everything away by being more explicit, but I really wish that aspect had been more believable.
Eye of the Great Frost: This story was a mix of fantasy and science fiction. The vast majority of the story feels like you're in the distant past, but it's actually a world with a people who hadn't quite progressed as far as they should. The symbolism of their mystical culture, especially during the presentation on their holy day, is vivid and fully-realized even with how short the story was. I found the science fiction aspect to be far more vague beyond explaining some of the backstory of Shin, the king, and giving us an idea of where Shin and Remi end their story after 'The End', and most of that came from Remi's voice as the 'narrator' of the story. With length constraints, that was a good vehicle to share information with readers when it couldn't be shown.
Fear of Fire: This story had a strong and beautiful Christmas theme. I also really enjoyed the technical aspects when we see the main character, Lucius, working the glass. I could tell the author either had firsthand experience or did the research to bring that part of the story to life. I also loved the visual of the Tree of Tolerance and the idea of the interlocking glass pieces topped off with a beautiful star. The overall plot and the characterizations were done well, and I liked there was an external conflict. What I didn't like was the constant use of epithets. "The artist" and "the fireman", or variations of those, were used so many times it got tedious. People just don't think of themselves and others by descriptions all the time, nor do they tend to be so... lyrical during sex. Probably the biggest push out of the story was the lack of medical realism during the two scenes where injuries were possible. I don't want to give everything away by being more explicit, but I really wish that aspect had been more believable.
February 13, 2019
I loved all three stories, though they were vastly different from each other.
The only thing in common was a wish that came through for each protagonist.
Highly enjoyable read, recommended.
The only thing in common was a wish that came through for each protagonist.
Highly enjoyable read, recommended.
December 23, 2016
Original review on Molly Lolly
This anthology was so much fun. I truly enjoyed all of the stories. There’s something for every kind of reader here. And with all of them being feel good holiday stories you are sure to have happy feelings as you read.
Overall Stars:
Four and a half
Eve of the Great Frost by Wendy Rathbone
I’m a huge fan of Ms. Rathbone’s work and this story is no different. There’s not as much of the lyrical, poetic quality I’m used to in her fiction. However there’s still hints of it as you read and it made me enjoy this story so much more. The world building was quick and effortless. You don’t realize you’re transported to Niobe until you’re immersed in the story and you feel like you’re there. Remi was sweet. I liked his insecurities. Like Shin said, it made him more real and more open. Shin was fascinating and I would love to learn more about him. What we do know about is how kind he is and gentle with Remi. The pacing was a little quick. But the story told here was wonderful and felt longer than it is. Ms. Rathbone is great with an economy of words and can say more in fewer words than most can. I would read a sequel to this story the hot minute it came out. The worlds she creates are amazing and I always want to spend more time there.
Stars:
Four and a half
Wonderland by J. Scott Coatsworth
I really enjoyed this story. I found the world Mr. Coatsworth created fascinating and the reasoning behind the post apocalyptic world being completely hilarious but also totally plausible in many ways. Nathan and Zeke were interesting characters and I liked that we got to know them so well. They both focused on survival and making sure they had what they needed. The tiny bit of mysticism in the story was a wonderful touch. I figured it out quickly but I liked getting to see how Nathan handled it as he learned about it. The survival aspects of the story are amazingly researched. You can tell serious thought was put in to what would still be around, what would actually work, and what could be figured out with what’s on hand. There’s a wonderful happy ending for the story, or as happy as can be expected for a world completely decimated. But you can tell Zeke and Nathan are going to be together no matter what gets in their path.
Stars:
Four and a half
Fear of Fire by Gregory L. Norris
This story was sweet. It was fun and a little bit tropey with Oscar and Lucius both having crushes on each other before meeting and falling in love quickly. But it wasn’t too far fetched or so out there you rolled your eyes. Oscar was such a typical alpha male protector. But I adored how he handled himself with Lucius. It was well written and made you like him more. Lucius was a gentle soul but clearly wanted to bring some light to his community. These two have a nice happy for now ending. I’d love to read a sequel with these two to see how they handle a relationship after things calm down. Mr. Norris is a new to me author and I liked his voice. I’m hoping to read more by him in the future.
Stars:
Four
This anthology was so much fun. I truly enjoyed all of the stories. There’s something for every kind of reader here. And with all of them being feel good holiday stories you are sure to have happy feelings as you read.
Overall Stars:
Four and a half
Eve of the Great Frost by Wendy Rathbone
I’m a huge fan of Ms. Rathbone’s work and this story is no different. There’s not as much of the lyrical, poetic quality I’m used to in her fiction. However there’s still hints of it as you read and it made me enjoy this story so much more. The world building was quick and effortless. You don’t realize you’re transported to Niobe until you’re immersed in the story and you feel like you’re there. Remi was sweet. I liked his insecurities. Like Shin said, it made him more real and more open. Shin was fascinating and I would love to learn more about him. What we do know about is how kind he is and gentle with Remi. The pacing was a little quick. But the story told here was wonderful and felt longer than it is. Ms. Rathbone is great with an economy of words and can say more in fewer words than most can. I would read a sequel to this story the hot minute it came out. The worlds she creates are amazing and I always want to spend more time there.
Stars:
Four and a half
Wonderland by J. Scott Coatsworth
I really enjoyed this story. I found the world Mr. Coatsworth created fascinating and the reasoning behind the post apocalyptic world being completely hilarious but also totally plausible in many ways. Nathan and Zeke were interesting characters and I liked that we got to know them so well. They both focused on survival and making sure they had what they needed. The tiny bit of mysticism in the story was a wonderful touch. I figured it out quickly but I liked getting to see how Nathan handled it as he learned about it. The survival aspects of the story are amazingly researched. You can tell serious thought was put in to what would still be around, what would actually work, and what could be figured out with what’s on hand. There’s a wonderful happy ending for the story, or as happy as can be expected for a world completely decimated. But you can tell Zeke and Nathan are going to be together no matter what gets in their path.
Stars:
Four and a half
Fear of Fire by Gregory L. Norris
This story was sweet. It was fun and a little bit tropey with Oscar and Lucius both having crushes on each other before meeting and falling in love quickly. But it wasn’t too far fetched or so out there you rolled your eyes. Oscar was such a typical alpha male protector. But I adored how he handled himself with Lucius. It was well written and made you like him more. Lucius was a gentle soul but clearly wanted to bring some light to his community. These two have a nice happy for now ending. I’d love to read a sequel with these two to see how they handle a relationship after things calm down. Mr. Norris is a new to me author and I liked his voice. I’m hoping to read more by him in the future.
Stars:
Four
December 26, 2016
* I've received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not familiar with any of the authors in this anthology. It always been a mix of great and not so great . Overall, each story had different feel and as a whole it work for me.
Eve of the Great Frost by Wendy Rathbone
4 stars
Eve of the Great Frost takes place on a planet called Niobe. They have an annual tradition of presenting twelve individual who have been train in the art of pleasure. Those twelve are then presented to the new King from a planet called Earth for his choosing. I was a bit apprehensive this will be just simple PWP but by I felt at the end I was worried for nothing. Good story and definitely will be checking more of their in the year.
Wonderland by J. Scott Coatsworth
4 stars
So this one was a bit of a post-apocalyptic winter theme. I love the voices of the MCs. The regret and hope for what seemed initially like a bleak future. The fact I read this on Christmas had my tolerance level for sweet things on high. Christmas wishes coming true hit me right in the feels. This one is my favorite in the bunch.
Fear of Fire by Gregory L. Norris
2 stars
Glass Artist Lucius Price was working on glass tree project for the town's ultimate celebration of the holidays. There has been a rash of hate crime through the little town against gay men. This one felt rush in my opinion. Everything was cute till they were dropping I love you's to each other after few days of interacting with one another. That just threw me out of the story. Everything after that became melodramatic and just didn't work for me.
I'm not familiar with any of the authors in this anthology. It always been a mix of great and not so great . Overall, each story had different feel and as a whole it work for me.
Eve of the Great Frost by Wendy Rathbone
4 stars
Eve of the Great Frost takes place on a planet called Niobe. They have an annual tradition of presenting twelve individual who have been train in the art of pleasure. Those twelve are then presented to the new King from a planet called Earth for his choosing. I was a bit apprehensive this will be just simple PWP but by I felt at the end I was worried for nothing. Good story and definitely will be checking more of their in the year.
Wonderland by J. Scott Coatsworth
4 stars
So this one was a bit of a post-apocalyptic winter theme. I love the voices of the MCs. The regret and hope for what seemed initially like a bleak future. The fact I read this on Christmas had my tolerance level for sweet things on high. Christmas wishes coming true hit me right in the feels. This one is my favorite in the bunch.
Fear of Fire by Gregory L. Norris
2 stars
Glass Artist Lucius Price was working on glass tree project for the town's ultimate celebration of the holidays. There has been a rash of hate crime through the little town against gay men. This one felt rush in my opinion. Everything was cute till they were dropping I love you's to each other after few days of interacting with one another. That just threw me out of the story. Everything after that became melodramatic and just didn't work for me.
December 28, 2016
Review written for Love Bytes Reviews.
ANTHOLOGY REVIEW:
This is collection of unconventional Christmas stories which is what drew my attention to it in the first place. Each of the three offerings were enjoyable and while different, either in setting or in the overall theme, Christmas and the joy of the holidays were present in some fashion. If you’re looking for a little dose of holiday spirit outside of the usual Christmas story package, this could be the book for you. :)
Eve of the Great Frost by Wendy Rathbone 3.5*
This was a nice blending of fantasy and sci-fi elements that I thought worked well together. You’re given enough information about the characters and the general world setting to understand what’s going on without completely taking away the shroud of mystery surrounding the king. The Christmas vibe was probably the weakest in this story but I enjoyed the premise very much so I didn’t mind that. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to see the main characters interact more once they came together but this was also the shortest story in the collection, I think, and it was understandable that the depth I was looking for wasn’t as present.
Wonderland by J. Scott Coatsworth 4.5*
The author had me at post apocalypse, no joke. :D This was a great story that really encompassed the feeling of hope that most often crops up around the holidays while still incorporating the realism of the general situation. I enjoyed the blending of tried and true apocalypse elements with the new twist given on what happened; I find it hard to surprise me in these kinds of stories anymore so this made for a nice change. Both Zeke and Nathan have their quirks and problems and it was fairly evident how they’ve each been affected by what happened to the world. The ending was great; things were looking up and I finished the story feeling good about where the men would end up.
Fear of Fire by Gregory L. Norris 3.75*
The closest to a ‘traditional’ Christmas story, I enjoyed the overall theme of this one but wasn’t as happy with the execution. The detail given about Lucius’ job was great and made for interesting reading and I really liked how he was trying to bring the community together and spread a message of love and tolerance with his latest project. Oscar was the more interesting character to me, however, and I was a little bummed that I didn’t get to see more depth to his character. There were quite a few time skips employed in order to move the story along and while I’m find with them in general, I felt they made for a choppier reading experience and the time skips during the sex scene itself was taking it a little too far. I also found the declarations of love between Oscar and Lucius un-plausible due to the length of time they actually spent with one another; falling for someone’s picture just doesn’t translate to real life situations for me. The ending to the story was great, however, and I felt it showed off the theme and what Lucius had been trying to do quite well. I liked this one but not as much as I feel I could’ve.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2016/12/2...
ANTHOLOGY REVIEW:
This is collection of unconventional Christmas stories which is what drew my attention to it in the first place. Each of the three offerings were enjoyable and while different, either in setting or in the overall theme, Christmas and the joy of the holidays were present in some fashion. If you’re looking for a little dose of holiday spirit outside of the usual Christmas story package, this could be the book for you. :)
Eve of the Great Frost by Wendy Rathbone 3.5*
This was a nice blending of fantasy and sci-fi elements that I thought worked well together. You’re given enough information about the characters and the general world setting to understand what’s going on without completely taking away the shroud of mystery surrounding the king. The Christmas vibe was probably the weakest in this story but I enjoyed the premise very much so I didn’t mind that. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to see the main characters interact more once they came together but this was also the shortest story in the collection, I think, and it was understandable that the depth I was looking for wasn’t as present.
Wonderland by J. Scott Coatsworth 4.5*
The author had me at post apocalypse, no joke. :D This was a great story that really encompassed the feeling of hope that most often crops up around the holidays while still incorporating the realism of the general situation. I enjoyed the blending of tried and true apocalypse elements with the new twist given on what happened; I find it hard to surprise me in these kinds of stories anymore so this made for a nice change. Both Zeke and Nathan have their quirks and problems and it was fairly evident how they’ve each been affected by what happened to the world. The ending was great; things were looking up and I finished the story feeling good about where the men would end up.
Fear of Fire by Gregory L. Norris 3.75*
The closest to a ‘traditional’ Christmas story, I enjoyed the overall theme of this one but wasn’t as happy with the execution. The detail given about Lucius’ job was great and made for interesting reading and I really liked how he was trying to bring the community together and spread a message of love and tolerance with his latest project. Oscar was the more interesting character to me, however, and I was a little bummed that I didn’t get to see more depth to his character. There were quite a few time skips employed in order to move the story along and while I’m find with them in general, I felt they made for a choppier reading experience and the time skips during the sex scene itself was taking it a little too far. I also found the declarations of love between Oscar and Lucius un-plausible due to the length of time they actually spent with one another; falling for someone’s picture just doesn’t translate to real life situations for me. The ending to the story was great, however, and I felt it showed off the theme and what Lucius had been trying to do quite well. I liked this one but not as much as I feel I could’ve.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2016/12/2...
January 7, 2017
4.5
This anthology from Mischief Corner Books is a collection of three very different stories with the shared theme of Christmas. I love reading anthologies as they’re a great way to find new authors. I’d already read and enjoyed another story by J. Scott Coatsworth—Through the Veil—but the other two authors in this collection are new to me.
Eve of the Great Frost by Wendy Rathbone
This story is SF and I loved the descriptive world building and the exploration of another culture. I enjoyed the way the author used POV to play with perspective. The story is from Remi’s POV rather than Shin’s who is from Earth. It was interesting watching Remi trying to understand Shin’s motivations without the insight he discovers as the story progresses. It gave a nice glimpse of a man behind a mask although Shin had his own mask in a way. I also really liked that the story revisited the characters with an epilogue set much later rather than just finishing once the main part of the story was over.
.
Wonderland by J. Scott Coatsworth
This is also SF, but very different from the previous one as it is set on Earth in the not so distant future after a rather nasty plague has decimated the population. Both Nathan and Zeke need to do some serious soul searching and I liked that one of the MCs is dealing with OCD as it gave the story more of a realistic edge. I prefer to read about characters who have an internal struggle as well an external one. The descriptions of the setting were very vivid and it made it easy to imagine the desolation and loneliness of their surroundings. I enjoyed the world building and how the decisions the characters make highlight what it important to life. I also liked Andy as a character—I thought he was well used, and the explanation of who he was left me with hope for the future of not just the characters in this story, but humanity as well.
Fear of Fire by Gregory L. Norris
Although it appears have a few supernatural elements at the beginning, this story is really a contemporary romance, and as such rounds out the anthology nicely. I liked the two main characters—Lucius and Oscar—and thought they complemented each other well. Lucius is a glass artist which was something I wasn’t familiar with, and I enjoyed the descriptions of his work. The supporting characters were a little more stereotypical, but that didn’t detract from the story which left me with a happy fuzzy feeling at the end of it as Lucius and Oscar come together with their community to celebrate the season and hope for the future.
I’d recommend This Wish Tonight to readers who enjoy reading shorter stories with engaging characters and descriptive world building. Although there is a Christmas theme running through these stories, I think they can be enjoyed at any time of the year, especially with the hope they leave the reader with for not just the characters, but humanity itself.
This anthology from Mischief Corner Books is a collection of three very different stories with the shared theme of Christmas. I love reading anthologies as they’re a great way to find new authors. I’d already read and enjoyed another story by J. Scott Coatsworth—Through the Veil—but the other two authors in this collection are new to me.
Eve of the Great Frost by Wendy Rathbone
This story is SF and I loved the descriptive world building and the exploration of another culture. I enjoyed the way the author used POV to play with perspective. The story is from Remi’s POV rather than Shin’s who is from Earth. It was interesting watching Remi trying to understand Shin’s motivations without the insight he discovers as the story progresses. It gave a nice glimpse of a man behind a mask although Shin had his own mask in a way. I also really liked that the story revisited the characters with an epilogue set much later rather than just finishing once the main part of the story was over.
.
Wonderland by J. Scott Coatsworth
This is also SF, but very different from the previous one as it is set on Earth in the not so distant future after a rather nasty plague has decimated the population. Both Nathan and Zeke need to do some serious soul searching and I liked that one of the MCs is dealing with OCD as it gave the story more of a realistic edge. I prefer to read about characters who have an internal struggle as well an external one. The descriptions of the setting were very vivid and it made it easy to imagine the desolation and loneliness of their surroundings. I enjoyed the world building and how the decisions the characters make highlight what it important to life. I also liked Andy as a character—I thought he was well used, and the explanation of who he was left me with hope for the future of not just the characters in this story, but humanity as well.
Fear of Fire by Gregory L. Norris
Although it appears have a few supernatural elements at the beginning, this story is really a contemporary romance, and as such rounds out the anthology nicely. I liked the two main characters—Lucius and Oscar—and thought they complemented each other well. Lucius is a glass artist which was something I wasn’t familiar with, and I enjoyed the descriptions of his work. The supporting characters were a little more stereotypical, but that didn’t detract from the story which left me with a happy fuzzy feeling at the end of it as Lucius and Oscar come together with their community to celebrate the season and hope for the future.
I’d recommend This Wish Tonight to readers who enjoy reading shorter stories with engaging characters and descriptive world building. Although there is a Christmas theme running through these stories, I think they can be enjoyed at any time of the year, especially with the hope they leave the reader with for not just the characters, but humanity itself.
December 23, 2016
This wish tonight.
Eve of the Great Frost is of Remi being prepared to pleasure the King. However, nothing goes as planned per the ritual. Can the king see past the errors and still choose Remi? This was a very different but enjoyable read for me. I found myself routing for the two characters
The second book is Wonderland. Zeke is alone in Montana after the plague has swept through. He wishes to no longer be alone. Nathan and Andy have been walking for over a year and stumble upon Zeke. Both guys get what they have been looking for while discovering new adventures await.
Third book is Fear by Fire. Crimes are happening around the town. The glass artist, Lucious is trying to bring the spirit of the holiday forth front . When destruction hits, he is saved by the firefighter. Can the crime be solved and love be found?
I really enjoyed these short stories. I would recommend same. Actually I didn't want them to end.
Eve of the Great Frost is of Remi being prepared to pleasure the King. However, nothing goes as planned per the ritual. Can the king see past the errors and still choose Remi? This was a very different but enjoyable read for me. I found myself routing for the two characters
The second book is Wonderland. Zeke is alone in Montana after the plague has swept through. He wishes to no longer be alone. Nathan and Andy have been walking for over a year and stumble upon Zeke. Both guys get what they have been looking for while discovering new adventures await.
Third book is Fear by Fire. Crimes are happening around the town. The glass artist, Lucious is trying to bring the spirit of the holiday forth front . When destruction hits, he is saved by the firefighter. Can the crime be solved and love be found?
I really enjoyed these short stories. I would recommend same. Actually I didn't want them to end.
December 19, 2016
A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.com review
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
For the full review, visit http://wp.me/p220KL-96v
From that review: " love collections. They often provide a quick introduction to new authors or give you a variety of stories that cross genres such as This Wish Tonight does. Mischief Corner Books delivers a collection which includes science fiction, zombie apocalypse and a contemporary mystery. Not bad for the holidays! And romance too. Here they are with my mini reviews and ratings!..."
For all our reviews, author interviews and all things LGBTQ books, visit us at http://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords...
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
For the full review, visit http://wp.me/p220KL-96v
From that review: " love collections. They often provide a quick introduction to new authors or give you a variety of stories that cross genres such as This Wish Tonight does. Mischief Corner Books delivers a collection which includes science fiction, zombie apocalypse and a contemporary mystery. Not bad for the holidays! And romance too. Here they are with my mini reviews and ratings!..."
For all our reviews, author interviews and all things LGBTQ books, visit us at http://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords...
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