1 or 2 of the stories were a bit odd, but for the most part, I enjoyed this book. ( )

Took it to the Red Lion Inn when my family & I went to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. I read the first story, “Stalked,” by Kelley Armstrong there. Clay and Elena should have gone to the Red Lion Inn for their honeymoon, too. (Clay booked a Midwestern City hotel where the streets rolled up after dark. That wasn't true of Stockbridge, even in February.) They would have had a better time, especially in the winter. (Clay can also get clautrophobic in crowds-- he wouldn't like it in July.) The Jim Butcher and P.N. Elrod stories featured their detectives, Harry Dresden and Jack Fleming and each were forgettable capers about missing grooms. The other six authors I don‘t follow their work, so the stories didn‘t do much for me. ( )

MMkay, so I first mentioned this book here.

"What newly married couple doesn't dream of a romantic retreat where they can escape the world for a while—but what happens when supernatural forces intrude on their wedded bliss?
Nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors answer that question in this all-star collection of supernatural stories. Can a vampire-hunter enjoy her honeymoon when she’s just learned that her new hubby is a werewolf? How can newlyweds focus on their wedding night when their honeymoon suite is haunted by feuding ghosts? And what’s a wizard to do when a gruesome monster kidnaps the bride on her way home from the wedding?

With so much otherworldly mayhem awaiting our newlyweds, will they ever get around to the honeymoon itself? Find out in…My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon.

* Kelley Armstrong
* Jim Butcher
* Rachel Caine
* P.N. Elrod
* Caitlin Kittredge
* Marjorie M. Liu
* Katie MacAlister
* Lilith Saintcrow
* Ronda Thompson"

The only two stories that I read in this anthology were Kelley Armstrong's, and, once I discovered it there, Rachel Caine's.
(I'm not much for anthologies)
I had only intended to read Armstrong's account of Clay and Elena's honeymoon, but once I spotted Caine's name, how could I resist?
Neither lady let me down!

Armstrong's characters were true-to-form, and didn't feel forced as often happens in short stories for anthologies. It was wonderful to be able to spend new time with them again and I'm absolutely salivating for the next few books in her various series!

While I had never before met the characters Caine presented in her story (as, if what I deduced is correct, they are the products of several magazine submissions), I was instantly interested in them.

Both of these authors have such a strong hook when it comes to the people they introduce you to!
That, I truly believe, makes or breaks a story.

I am very interested now in hunting down the full story of Caine's sweet and sassy pirate and his accidental savior/lover!

I also recommend this anthology--particularly, of course, these two stories in it! ( )

I love anthologies. They give you a brief introduction to new authors, just whetting your appetite until you beg for more. That’s how I find a lot of authors. Anyway, on to the stories…

Kelley Armstrong’s Stalked is narrated by Clay. This is the first time I have read a story through his point of view and it’s kind of interesting. We still get the excitement that he always brings, yet now we get his thoughts on his new domestic situation and his relationship with El. The story takes place after No Humans Allowed.

Jim Butcher’s contribution is Heorot. I have to say, I love the Dresden shorts. For some reason, I can get into the shorts more than the novels, but they all have the same wonderful components. Harry is tossed another quick case which seems easy but lands him in more trouble than he anticipates. I’m not sure where in the series this story falls, but we’re given clarification on the identity of what seems to be a major character. The story was quick and kept my interest without any trouble.

Rachel Caine’s contribution is Roman Holiday. It’s a cute romantic tale about a modern day woman and her (once) immortal pirate captain. I really didn’t think there was anything super special about it, but it wasn’t bad.

P.N. Elrod’s contribution is Her Mother’s Daughter. Oohh, I like this one. It kind of reminds me of the Dresden Files by J. Butcher, but from a vampire point of view and a little bit lighter. It also reaffirms my belief that good novels can be found in anthologies. I’m definitely going to try and find the first novel in her series the Vampire files. The one aspect that sets this series apart, from what I can tell, is that it takes place in the 1920s. I love the era of the 1920s. You have the mobsters, prohibitions and really good music. Plus with all the gumshoes, it makes for the perfect setting for a vampire PI.

Caitlin Kittredge’s contribution, Newlydeads, is kind of slow and uninteresting. There’s no explanation about the relationship between the two main characters or about the situation in London that is mentioned more than once. Honestly, I didn’t finish this story. After a dozen pages, nothing was there that captured my interest and I started wishing for the story to end.

Marjorie M. Liu’s Where the Heart Lives is a great example of classic horror. While reading it, I kept being reminded of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story Rapaccini’s Daughter. Not the plot or anything, but just the way it was written. It gave the allusion that something fantastical was going on, that something wasn’t quite right and everyone knew it, yet it wasn’t revealed until the end. I love these kind of stories. Nothing out of the ordinary is occurring, yet there is an underlying sense that moves the main character.

Katie MacAlister’s contribution is Cat Got Your Tongue involving Joy and Rapheal St. John from the Dark Ones series. Overall, it was a good quick story. I will say one thing, MacAlister likes to write about fun, quirky characters and this one definitely included that trait. The ghosts were definitely more interesting that the two main characters, but still a fun read.

Lilith Saintcrow’s Half of Being Married was really different than what I was expecting. I’ve really only read the Dante Valentine series, so I thought I was going to get something dark and twisted, but this was actually kind of fun. Not a fun in a Betsy Taylor sort of way, but just light and easy to read. It moved kind of quick, it gave you some background on the main characters, and had an interesting plot. Even though it was a short, the story was able to do everything a novel does without all the extra pages and still be good.

Ronda Thompson’s A Wulf in Groom’s Clothing was not too memorable, but still a good read. Nothing about it really stands out. In my opinion, it falls into the same old romantic werewolf plot…werewolf meets woman, falls in love, forgets to tell wife about full moon curse, they deal with it. Nothing new, yet it still gave a new twist to some elements. I’m not familiar with this author, so I can’t say how it compares to any of her series, but it was good.

http://www.literaryescapism.com/2008/... ( )