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Little Garden of
the Moon ~
Linda Bleser
Emily Ann
Rouge is a young infant who is dying. After
the Doctor’s have done all they can for
her, Della and Albert Rouge take their baby home. Della
will do whatever it takes to save her
child…even depend on the old folklore and secret rites performed under
the
light of the blue moon that were whispered about through generations in
her
family and have the power to change natural events.
But these actions always come with dire
consequences…
Ms. Bleser
grabs the reader right from the beginning of this story with the words,
“The
newborn struggles for life”… This in
itself draws a reader’s curiosity. Little Garden of the Moon is a
story of fear, sacrifices, acceptance and letting go.
Della, her mother, Leanna and Emily are great
characters who have to fight the moon, which is another integral
character in
this tale. This first story of the
anthology was the perfect choice to start the readers on an amazing
journey. Ms. Bleser spins one heck of a
great
tale.
Kate’s Moon ~ Lynn Hanna
Kate
believed Ronny was the man for her, but as each day of their engagement
passed
and all his promises were broken, Kate began to realize he may not be
who she should
spend forever with. The night of her 30th
birthday party and Ronny canceling yet another date; Kate’s sisters
give her
the gift of a ticket to Ireland, a place she has always
wanted to
go. Against Ronny’s wishes Kate takes
the trip, only to arrive during the Blue Moon Festival, where soulmates
are
destined to meet. Destiny awaits Kate in
Ireland…
Ms. Hanna
pens a tale of great romance and shows that life isn’t’ always what it
seems. Kate never realized how
unsatisfied she was with her life, until she made the trip to Ireland.
Kate’s Moon reaffirms
the belief that destiny has a hand in all of our lives.
This is a wonderful and poignant tale from a
great storyteller.
Sanitarium ~ Patricia A. Rasey
Jake is
tired of being a vampire. Living in
isolation for three years, waiting for the night of the Blue Moon, Jake
is
determined to be mortal again. For this
to happen, Jake has forsaken his thirst for human blood and he must
find true
love. If he accomplishes both feats,
Jake could become mortal again, though it has never been proven for
vampires to
become mortal again. Annie is a nurse at
the Sanitarium who Jake has longed for and hopes that she is the true
love he
seeks. But forces are working against
him and time is running out…
Jake and
his creator, Kenji, who we meet in this tale, are unforgettable. The spin on this vampire tale that Ms. Rasey
creates, draws a reader in and hooks them immediately.
The anticipation to see if Jake succeeds in
his quest for mortality keeps one on the edge of their seat. Sanitarium
is a strong tale of intrigue, suspense and unforgettable characters, as
well as
an ending that leaves the reader applauding.
Another hit for Patricia A. Rasey.
The Face in the Dark Ness ~ *lizzie starr
Lucidea Galvagin is a
forensic
artist who has the ability to see the person when she holds their bones
in her
hands. Sent on a special assignment to Scotland to identify a skull
found near Loch
Ness, Lucidea’s life is forever altered.
Danger surrounds her host Morghan, the Loch and legends of old that
she never
imagined, come to life…
Ms. Starr pens an intense
and
mysterious read with The Face in the
Dark Ness. With a few surprises
in store, the reader is swept into this story of secrets, danger and an
exciting ending. This is a story that
keeps the reader glued to it, eager to find out what happens next, yet
also
hating to have it end. This is a first
*lizzie starr creation I have read, but it won’t be the last!
By the Light of a Full
Blue Moon ~ Janet Lane Walters
Many years ago Thea Carr
worked at
the Quinnesec Lodge during the summer.
The last summer as an employee there, Thea met Luke
Sewell and they fell
in love. On their last night together,
the night of the Blue Moon, they agreed to meet by the Moon Pool. The Moon Pool, as legend tells it, is a
reflecting pool that tells of one’s true love when they look into it
during the
full moon. Should the seeker reject the vision, a life of lonely
existence will
follow. A second chance could be granted, if the seeker returns to the
pool and
gazes on the water when the moon is full and blue. Thea saw Luke’s face
that
night years ago before he arrived to meet her, but she learned
startling truths
about him and they parted on bad terms.
Thea and Luke return to Quinnesec Lodge one last
time before it closes
and are surprised to see one another…
This is a
powerful tale of unrequited love and the possibility of a second chance. Thea and Luke have so much pain and anger to
get over from the past, which brings a lot of emotion forth for the
reader. Ms. Walters penned a favourite
storyline that I enjoy in By the Light
of the Full Blue Moon. Her
heart-wrenching and endearing tale of true love was a great ending to
this
anthology. Ms. Walters’ tale is one of
my favourites in this one and I look forward to reading more of her
work.
All the
stories in Once In a Blue Moon
revolve around love, life choices and the Blue Moon.
Each story represents what is difficult about
love and the feelings it brings out in all of us. Each
author shows their wonderful talents
with a pen in their all too brief stories, but they are all memorable
and sweep
the reader away. I don’t think I could
pick just one favourite story in this anthology; this is an amazing
collection
of paranormal stories from some of today’s leading talent in many
genres.
Be aware of
the Blue Moon…you never know what will happen when the moon is full!!
Reviewed by Tracey West
for The Road
to Romance
May 10, 2004
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