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Valerie Dearborn #0.5
Love Is The Beginning
This was the beginning to Love is Darkness until the eleventh hour. For me, this scene has always been where the book started and how I envisioned the characters being introduced.
So why did it get taken out? Because it is Jack's story, and the Valerie Dearborn Series is about Valerie. It’s the story of her life and her journey, with Jack and Co. along for the ride. This scene confused that.
But everyone who read this first beginning loved it. They loved knowing how Valerie and Jack met. They wanted to see his first tragic encounter with Marion and liked understanding what makes him tick.
If you have not read my Valerie Dearborn Series (Love is Darkness and Love is Fear), please do so before reading Love is…The Beginning – because it won't make any sense otherwise.
So why did it get taken out? Because it is Jack's story, and the Valerie Dearborn Series is about Valerie. It’s the story of her life and her journey, with Jack and Co. along for the ride. This scene confused that.
But everyone who read this first beginning loved it. They loved knowing how Valerie and Jack met. They wanted to see his first tragic encounter with Marion and liked understanding what makes him tick.
If you have not read my Valerie Dearborn Series (Love is Darkness and Love is Fear), please do so before reading Love is…The Beginning – because it won't make any sense otherwise.
35 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 24, 2012
6 people are currently reading
542 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Hanson
18 books659 followersCaroline Hanson grew up in California and moved to London in order to dance and go to pubs. Eventually, she matured enough to marry and imported an Englishman, returning to the United States.
After passing the bar, she had two children and now tries to parent, read, write and play tennis. She's heard rumors that other mothers clean and cook but is putting in serious effort to make sure those rumors don't reach her family.
Caroline grew up listening to Brit pop and reading about vampires. As a teenager her favorite authors were Anne Rice and Jude Deveraux. Now she loves Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Loretta Chase, Nalini Singh and JR Ward-- that's the short list.
She is also the proud owner of a WWJD t-shirt, (What Would Joss do?) which she hopes is apparent in her books.
She loves to hear from fans and her second book in the Valerie Dearborn Series, Love is Fear, will be published in December 2011.
A free short story called Bewitching the Werewolf was released in September on Smashwords.
After passing the bar, she had two children and now tries to parent, read, write and play tennis. She's heard rumors that other mothers clean and cook but is putting in serious effort to make sure those rumors don't reach her family.
Caroline grew up listening to Brit pop and reading about vampires. As a teenager her favorite authors were Anne Rice and Jude Deveraux. Now she loves Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, Laura Kinsale, Lisa Kleypas, Loretta Chase, Nalini Singh and JR Ward-- that's the short list.
She is also the proud owner of a WWJD t-shirt, (What Would Joss do?) which she hopes is apparent in her books.
She loves to hear from fans and her second book in the Valerie Dearborn Series, Love is Fear, will be published in December 2011.
A free short story called Bewitching the Werewolf was released in September on Smashwords.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 20, 2012
MICHELLE'S REVIEW:
This is a great little back story into 13 yr old Jack and the night his family got wiped out.
Val is almost heartachingly blaise about what her father does, at the age of 10 yrs old. Picking through belongings, like it is such a natural every day thing.
In this small novella, I really felt Jack's loss. His family were loving and tight. His life destroyed. You can see where this anger and revenge has stemmed from. How he could choose no other life but to join Nate in his vengeance.
Val was almost selfish at the tender age of 10 in her quick summation that Jack would be her salvation. Her way of getting out of the family business.
I enjoyed this back story, a great little bridge between Love is Fear and Love is Mortal.
This is the sympathy vote for Jack ...until.......Love Is Mortal . Then that vote may or may not count.
Michelle
This is a great little back story into 13 yr old Jack and the night his family got wiped out.
Val is almost heartachingly blaise about what her father does, at the age of 10 yrs old. Picking through belongings, like it is such a natural every day thing.
In this small novella, I really felt Jack's loss. His family were loving and tight. His life destroyed. You can see where this anger and revenge has stemmed from. How he could choose no other life but to join Nate in his vengeance.
Val was almost selfish at the tender age of 10 in her quick summation that Jack would be her salvation. Her way of getting out of the family business.
I enjoyed this back story, a great little bridge between Love is Fear and Love is Mortal.
This is the sympathy vote for Jack ...until.......Love Is Mortal . Then that vote may or may not count.
Michelle
September 25, 2012
This was a very short story about how Val and Jack met. I read that this was going to be the first chapter of Love is Darkness and I think it would've been a great first chapter. I'm not sure why the author decided to cut it? I think it had something to do with this story being more focused on Jack and that Love is Darkness is about Val but I wouldn't have cut this... This story was a great way to introduce you to the characters even Marion & Lucas. Im glad I read it but wish I'd read it before starting the series...
March 24, 2013
Good novella about the death of Jack's parents, his first encounter with Marion and how he met Nate and Valerie.
July 23, 2018
Jack's tragedy
This is how Jack met Val and became a vampire hunter. Who killed his parents and why. The way he became a brother to Val.
This is how Jack met Val and became a vampire hunter. Who killed his parents and why. The way he became a brother to Val.
September 19, 2019
This was an interesting peek into Jack and Valerie's background and answered the question about Jack's determination to hunt his parents' killers. This was good information to know and it added to the story!
June 27, 2017
This was a nice introduction to Val and Jack. I'm definitely looking forward to the series. This should be pretty exciting!
November 20, 2012
This is a great little back story into 13 yr old Jack and the night his family got wiped out.
Val is almost heartachingly blaise about what her father does, at the age of 10 yrs old. Picking through belongings, like it is such a natural every day thing.
In this small novella, I really felt Jack's loss. His family were loving and tight. His life destroyed. You can see where this anger and revenge has stemmed from. How he could choose no other life but to join Nate in his vengeance.
Val was almost selfish at the tender age of 10 in her quick summation that Jack would be her salvation. Her way of getting out of the family business.
I enjoyed this back story, a great little bridge between Love is Fear and Love is Mortal.
This is the sympathy vote for Jack ...until.......Love Is Mortal . Then that vote may or may not count.
Michelle
Val is almost heartachingly blaise about what her father does, at the age of 10 yrs old. Picking through belongings, like it is such a natural every day thing.
In this small novella, I really felt Jack's loss. His family were loving and tight. His life destroyed. You can see where this anger and revenge has stemmed from. How he could choose no other life but to join Nate in his vengeance.
Val was almost selfish at the tender age of 10 in her quick summation that Jack would be her salvation. Her way of getting out of the family business.
I enjoyed this back story, a great little bridge between Love is Fear and Love is Mortal.
This is the sympathy vote for Jack ...until.......Love Is Mortal . Then that vote may or may not count.
Michelle
January 9, 2013
Love is the Beginning is a super short snippet removed from Love is Darkness and offered to the readers as a way to understand the fury and passion behind Jack's desire for revenge. I always liked Jack and this short only reinforced my opinion of him.
Fans of the trilogy will have to decide if they want to pay 99¢ for a peek into his past or not. I'm not sorry I did, but think it would've fit well as the trilogy opener even if "it is Jack's story, and the Valerie Dearborn Series is about Valerie." Makes sense and I'm happy to have Caroline's reason for leaving it out. However, Valerie is also introduced, though her part is small, we get to see her reaction to him.
Fans of the trilogy will have to decide if they want to pay 99¢ for a peek into his past or not. I'm not sorry I did, but think it would've fit well as the trilogy opener even if "it is Jack's story, and the Valerie Dearborn Series is about Valerie." Makes sense and I'm happy to have Caroline's reason for leaving it out. However, Valerie is also introduced, though her part is small, we get to see her reaction to him.
January 2, 2017
I kind of feel robbed with this mini book - its 32 pages and I paid 99p for them? really, what was I thinking? yeah its a nice lil prequel chapter into how Jack met Valerie and her dad but really it should have been included in one of the books as a bonus. Also Val is a bit of a different character here actively taking part in her dad's hunts and not bitching as much about it as she does years later in the first and second novels so a bit of a character contradiction here. All the feels for poor Jack though he has a ton of guilt the poor kid.
i'd have prob given this more stars if I hadn't had to pay for it but its by no means a book or even a mini book
i'd have prob given this more stars if I hadn't had to pay for it but its by no means a book or even a mini book
December 31, 2012
This is an important piece to the puzzle for this trilogy..... I read the first 3 chapters in book one, before I realized this short was available. I stopped bk1 and read this...SO glad I did. It's really important in order to understand Jack.... This tells his tragic story when he was 13, and the event that happens when he meets 10yr old Val and became part of her family.
June 6, 2013
Love is the Beginning is Jack's story, it tells you how his family die and how he met Valerie and her Dad and the moment he decided to become a part of their family. Even though this is a short story it was great to read it because it gives you the opportunity to learn more about Jack and the background story of Jack and Valerie's relationship.
September 15, 2012
This is a great short story. It tells you everything most wanted to know about how Jack's parents died. We all knew Marion was responsible, but didn't know the details. It was great to know about Jack and his parents, but to know why he ended up with Nate and Val.
November 26, 2015
Nice prequel
I read to read this after at least the first Val Dearborn book & it should be .... Makes more sense. I enjoyed it... Story's a quick read & seeing how it started is interesting
I read to read this after at least the first Val Dearborn book & it should be .... Makes more sense. I enjoyed it... Story's a quick read & seeing how it started is interesting
December 22, 2015
Jacks story is heart wrenching. It truly is devastating how he ended up with Nate and Val. Nothing like living with the utter guilt if knowing that you may be responsible for the death of your parents. It's no wonder he is on a rampage to kill Marion.
October 30, 2012
I loved this book. It gave me more insight into Jack and to why he is so screwed up towards vampires. :-)
September 4, 2012
I liked this peak at Jack's life prior to his joining Valerie's family.
September 7, 2012
I wish I could have read this BEFORE the Valerie Dearborn books. It gives a good perspective on why Jack is the way he is.
November 15, 2012
This book was heartbreaking.I really loved learning why Jack wants revenge so much that he can't think of anything else.It immediately pulled me in and reminded me why I love this series so much!
November 11, 2012
Well, at least we get a glimpse into why Jack is the way he is & 10yr old Valerie was a trip =)
November 20, 2012
Liked the interaction as children, definately worth the read!
December 9, 2012
This story was ok, but didn't add a whole lot to the series.
June 5, 2013
Jack!!!
September 2, 2013
Quick little story to give some background on why Jack is the way he is and when he first met Val. Overall, it was pretty good. Just really short.
May 11, 2014
Just a short story on how Jack became a vampire hunter and ended up living with Val and her father, Nate
July 7, 2015
A Dark Beginning for Jack. Very well written short that fills you in on Jack’s beginnings and how he ticks. Well worth your time to read.
May 2, 2017
The Horrible end but the Start a new. Life isn't always going to go the way we want because no life is meant to live forever (even vampires they may be living what seems forever but they will be hunted and they will be killed)
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews