Make Believe by J.A. Belfield, Jennifer M. Eaton, J. Keller Ford, Terri Rochenski, Lynda R. Young, Kelly Said.
Audience/Genre : Adult/Paranormal Anthology.
Publication : December 3rd 2012 by J.Taylor Publishing.
Sacrificial Oath by Terri Rochenski
An impetuous act unwittingly makes Alesuela the fulfillment of the Sovereign's Blood Oath to their Goddess. In five days, she'll be forced to make the greatest choice of her life: become the virginal sacrifice already promised, or force the man she loves most to die in her place. With an impossible choice in front of her, she searches for ways to undo the oath, and in her quest, finds not everything in her life is as she expects.The Amulet of Ormisez by J. Keller Ford
There is only one way to save Elton Fletcher's brother from an insanity-ridden death. After years away from home, fighting for his people, Elton returns to discover his only sibling, Cayden, possessed by greed and malice, and responsible for malicious, unthinkable deeds. Cayden, though, isn't the only one afflicted by the Amulet of Ormisez, and Elton finds himself in yet another battle, where the price of failure could be his own life.Birthright by Lynda R. Young
Christa can mask the pain and hide the scars, but running from a birthright is impossible. She's tried to escape her grief by fleeing to a small town in Florida. Much to her frustration, the locals think they recognize her even though she's never been there before. To make things worse, a man named Jack spouts outrageous theories about her. Both spur Christa to bolt, to start fresh yet again, but there's something about Jack that intrigues her enough to stay. The only problem? Someone else wants her to leave, and they won't stop until she's dead.Petrified by Kelly Said
A mysterious storm has replaced summer with winter, devastating crops and smothering Castle lands in snow. Prince Sterling August stands alone as a leader, lost in personal grief as well as a desire to help his people but with an inability to do either. The answers he needs await him, but without Lochlyn, a woman who's just as isolated as Sterling, he'll never see what stands before him, cloaked in illusion.Last Winter Red by Jennifer M. Eaton
Emily is a Red, a woman whose sole purpose in life is to produce offspring. When her husband dies and leaves her childless, she risks her life and forsakes the safety of Terra-a disease-free city born after the nuclear holocaust. Beyond its boundaries, she knows, survives a man with whom she can be properly paired. The Outside, though, holds secrets the government struggles to keep, and what Emily discovers on her quest for a mate will change her life forever.Escort to Insanity by J.A. Belfield
From a charity auction, to a stroll in the park, to the craziest night of her life. Nicole Harrington can't help but wonder how a simple event went so drastically wrong. Of course, the male escort she booked is wholly to blame. Not only charming but shrewdly intelligent, Benjamin Gold drags Nicole into a platoon of unimaginable problems-ones from which she'll have to find the courage just to survive.
I always struggle at reviewing anthologies, which is why I usually try not to. I know that most people review each of the stories individually but I'm not going to do that because if I'm purchasing this book, I'd want to know if it's worth buying (as a whole), so here goes..
I can confidently state that Make Believe is written by a group of talented writers. All the stories have paranormal elements and the feel of forming part of a full length novel. They have strong story lines, despite their short length.
For the most part, these stories are all enjoyable; the premise is interesting and worth reading if you're looking for a quick and entertaining read, especially if you're a paranormal fan. However, I will say that some of the stories have common/seen-before tropes such as with Sacrificial Oath by Terri Rochenski. Don't get me wrong, the story definitely draws you in, but there's nothing out of the ordinary. The virginal sacrifice is intriguing but I kept waiting to find out how she'd get out of it and the end kind of fell flat for me.
My only disappointment is with The Amulet of Ormisez by J. Keller Ford. The plot itself isn't bad but I'm not fond of the dialogues. The story is set at medieval period and the conversations between the characters kept jumping from normal talk (like how we would speak) and you know, 'ancient' talk. I'm not sure if I'm doing a good job of explaining myself; what I'm trying to say is that the dialogues didn't make me feel connected to the book. However, it may just be me because over all, the story is engaging.
Birthright by Lynda R. Young is interesting and takes a surprising turn, which is impressive for a short story.
That being said, these stories do have the potential and quality to become full length novels. If you're someone who likes reading short stories, this book is definitely worth buying!
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