The Strongest Ring

by Laura Bradley Rede

Seventeen year old Beck doesn’t consider herself a tree-hugger. With her multi-colored dreadlocks and her combat boots, she’s more at home working at Criminal Records Music than taking a stroll in the woods. That is, until she falls for Jordan, a handsome vampire activist who remembers Earth’s past and wants to save its future. But will Jordan’s friends accept Beck’s help? Or will they decide that humans are the problem – and the solution is wiping them out? A hopeful environmental message shines at the heart of this YA short story by Writers of the Future award winner Laura Bradley Rede, author of the YA paranormal series The Darkride Chronicles.

Genres: Paranormal

19 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 18, 2013

About the author

Laura Bradley Rede grew up the oldest of nine kids in a small town in Maine. She now lives in a little hippie-punk neighborhood of Minneapolis with her wonderful partner, their three amazing children, one Great Dane, one dachshund, and four city chickens. She is a winner of the Writers of the Future Award for fantasy and science fiction and the author of the YA paranormal romance DARKRIDE, and its upcoming sequel CROSSFIRE, as well as many YA short stories. She often quotes Bela Lugosi, the original Dracula, who said “I have never met a vampire personally, but I don’t know what might happen tomorrow.”
After all, a girl can dream.

www.laurabradleyrede.com
www.darkridethenovel.com

Reviews

[Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome. More of this please.

[Robert Zimmermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this short story.

While there was a lack of a full history between how the vampires came to live side by side with humans, without hiding, I feel that I wasn’t left wanting to know too much more due to how into the story I got. I’m interested to see what the author’s take on that situation is though, it’s one of the things I enjoy in a paranormal setting; “How did this world come to be how it is?” sort of thing.

The environmental message/theme in the story was a nice touch. It added to the story by giving it a place to move toward, and at the same time provided the readers with a little hint at “we CAN help out the planet,” without the message sounding at all preachy or overbearing.

On top of this is a nice gentle presented romance. This and all the other elements came together nicely in a few thousand words that made me glad I picked this one up.

[Books In Bloom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this was def a short story. Very small indeed. But even with its short stature, i loved it! Vampires, hippies and coffee!! Yes please. Jordan def sounded like the perfect guy for me! If only i could find a sexy vampire hippie who reads and drinks coffee... and is willing to bite his girlfriend without all the "We shouldn't" haha. :) There were only a few different scenes in the book but they were all described well and the story itself was very intriguing. I sorta wish there was more to the story...i want to see what happens with them next! Have i mentioned how attractive Jordan was? lol

[Jelanimom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy Earth Day! Kill the humans! Well that's just one vampire's solution, and not actually the main theme, but it might make for an interesting sequel ;) Beck and Jordan have a wonderful budding romance while saving some old tree friends. The author does a good job, as always, creating an interesting girl who is romantic and vulnerable without being sissy. She gets a lot done in the span of this short story. Loved it!

[Rebeca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not at all what I would have thought the book was about based on the cover, but I found myself drawn to this strange plot.