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That Moment When
Love YA paranormal, urban fantasy, science fiction and dystopian books?
We’ve gathered a handful of thrilling stories from all of your favorite genres and put them together into an epic anthology of young adult fiction. Some of them are just the beginning of a unique adventure, while others are complete stories that will spark your imagination.
With over 200,000 words (about three full-length novels) That Moment When will provide weeks of reading pleasure.
OUR THEME
Have you ever reached a moment in your life when everything changed? A crossroads of sorts… a point of no return. An event or realization so enormous you knew it would impact you forever in ways you couldn’t begin to understand? Discoveries so momentous they changed everything you thought you knew about the world, and yourself?
That Moment When is filled with exactly these kinds of moments.
If you read the stories in this anthology, I guarantee you’ll find at least a few that thrill and excite you. Make sure to follow the authors if you want to read more - most of us have at least one free book on our sites.
The Alliance of YA Authors is a community of over 1000 young adult writers. Many of us are award-winning, bestselling authors; others are brilliant debut authors just starting out. We team up to make it easier for you to find your new favorite reads, with book giveaways, contests and joint book promotions.
We’ve gathered a handful of thrilling stories from all of your favorite genres and put them together into an epic anthology of young adult fiction. Some of them are just the beginning of a unique adventure, while others are complete stories that will spark your imagination.
With over 200,000 words (about three full-length novels) That Moment When will provide weeks of reading pleasure.
OUR THEME
Have you ever reached a moment in your life when everything changed? A crossroads of sorts… a point of no return. An event or realization so enormous you knew it would impact you forever in ways you couldn’t begin to understand? Discoveries so momentous they changed everything you thought you knew about the world, and yourself?
That Moment When is filled with exactly these kinds of moments.
If you read the stories in this anthology, I guarantee you’ll find at least a few that thrill and excite you. Make sure to follow the authors if you want to read more - most of us have at least one free book on our sites.
The Alliance of YA Authors is a community of over 1000 young adult writers. Many of us are award-winning, bestselling authors; others are brilliant debut authors just starting out. We team up to make it easier for you to find your new favorite reads, with book giveaways, contests and joint book promotions.
649 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 23, 2016
196 people are currently reading
889 people want to read
About the author
Derek Murphy
54 books405 followersI wrote my MA thesis on Harry Potter and my PhD thesis on Paradise Lost. Now I write YA fantasy novels and design book covers. I blog about self-publishing, book design and book marketing, and was featured in CNN for renting castles.
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Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 26, 2017
*May change rating*
Rating reflects overall impressions of the collection, if you want to know my ratings and thoughts on each one.. you can check my status updates :) Lazy? Maybe but I don't have the energy to copy and paste each one (Rated as I went and didn't save anything in Wordpad).
In any anthology, there's a "risk" (for lack of a better term) of some or lots of the stories being duds/stinkers/misses. Especially in ones with different genres, not everyone has the same tastes and while that is all good, it can be tricky to create a successful collection.
Honesty time: Some stories I did DNF (didn't appeal to me enough to keep reading)or skipped entirely because when I went to the author's page at the end (not to spoil myself) it said "Need to know what happens next" and other variation.
I hate book previews with a passion... prequels are fine but I don't want to have pay separately to get the book to read the rest of the story. I go into anthologies expecting either a completed short story or a completed teaser (yes, to me they are different things).
Now this is just my personal opinion, others may squeal and enjoy these ones more but for me, it was an annoyance. The description did mention these would be thrown in but I didn't realize how many there would be. I did enjoy some of them but after awhile it became annoying and I skipped em entirely. I did try to give most of them a fair shot though.
Most of the stories for me fell into the category of "good but not great,wouldn't read again", "Hmm.. not bad" with some "oy vey, I didn't enjoy that" and "Wow, that was good."
Am I too old to enjoy some of them? Maybe... I could see my teen self enjoying these more than Adult me (the YA genre wasn't very big like it is now when I was in high-school) but I don't think that was entirely it. I can read a good YA just like any other book if the characters and story appeal to me. I've discovered some all-time favorites that I would love to share with my niece and little cousins one day if they turn out to be book-nerds like me :) (Ally is 6, and Mary's girls are 9 and 4)
Part of my reason for taking advantage of the (as of 2-26-17) free kindle download on Amazon was partly because the retail physical book price made me wary and partly to see if I could read this without a headache on the PC app (got a headache when I did try a Kindle.. didn't get one on the computer app)... thirdly, to see if this was something I would buy and later share with Ally, Rebekah, and Miley when they were older. (Maybe of the school or local library gets it)
Anyways.. when the stories were really good/great, they hit it out of the park and had me thinking about em afterwards. Some ended perfectly and left me wanting more of the world they inhabited :)
Those were:
UNDERBELLY CIRCUS by Hilary Thompson
SILK AND SERVICE by David Kudler
Desperate by Stacy Claflin
"Another World by Rachel Morgan
"SAND AND STARSHIPS by Heather Lee Dyer
THE WRONG TIME FOR FATE Ingrid Seymour
"INCONVENIENT CURIOSITY by A.M. Lalonde
Push by Leia Stone
WHEN I FIND YOU by Norma Hinkens
PROVISIONS by Kira Lerner
MORE THAN A CRUSH by Kat Stiles
GLIMPSES by Avril Sabine
(my tired eyes may have skimmed over one or two, didn't sleep well)
These are the authors I would love to read more of one day (Mount TBR grows a little bit taller).. famous words of a bookworm haha ;-).
Small number for such a wide collection but part of the "meh" stories for me were genre issues. Urban Fantasy is more miss than hit for me and Paranormal I can be picky about.
Other categories:
The Sci-Fi section: was slightly better
Dystopian and Post Apocalyptic: held my attention more
Fantasy was more 50/50 I suppose
Thriller and Horror: was good for the most part (YA Horror I don't mind)
And More (Speculative Fiction) was decent overall with a couple standouts
All in all, it wasn't a bad journey... just one I mostly wouldn't travel down again *shrugs* Wish I could download my favorites separately from the collection itself.
Recommend? Maybe... give it a try and see what you think.
Rating reflects overall impressions of the collection, if you want to know my ratings and thoughts on each one.. you can check my status updates :) Lazy? Maybe but I don't have the energy to copy and paste each one (Rated as I went and didn't save anything in Wordpad).
In any anthology, there's a "risk" (for lack of a better term) of some or lots of the stories being duds/stinkers/misses. Especially in ones with different genres, not everyone has the same tastes and while that is all good, it can be tricky to create a successful collection.
Honesty time: Some stories I did DNF (didn't appeal to me enough to keep reading)or skipped entirely because when I went to the author's page at the end (not to spoil myself) it said "Need to know what happens next" and other variation.
I hate book previews with a passion... prequels are fine but I don't want to have pay separately to get the book to read the rest of the story. I go into anthologies expecting either a completed short story or a completed teaser (yes, to me they are different things).
Now this is just my personal opinion, others may squeal and enjoy these ones more but for me, it was an annoyance. The description did mention these would be thrown in but I didn't realize how many there would be. I did enjoy some of them but after awhile it became annoying and I skipped em entirely. I did try to give most of them a fair shot though.
Most of the stories for me fell into the category of "good but not great,wouldn't read again", "Hmm.. not bad" with some "oy vey, I didn't enjoy that" and "Wow, that was good."
Am I too old to enjoy some of them? Maybe... I could see my teen self enjoying these more than Adult me (the YA genre wasn't very big like it is now when I was in high-school) but I don't think that was entirely it. I can read a good YA just like any other book if the characters and story appeal to me. I've discovered some all-time favorites that I would love to share with my niece and little cousins one day if they turn out to be book-nerds like me :) (Ally is 6, and Mary's girls are 9 and 4)
Part of my reason for taking advantage of the (as of 2-26-17) free kindle download on Amazon was partly because the retail physical book price made me wary and partly to see if I could read this without a headache on the PC app (got a headache when I did try a Kindle.. didn't get one on the computer app)... thirdly, to see if this was something I would buy and later share with Ally, Rebekah, and Miley when they were older. (Maybe of the school or local library gets it)
Anyways.. when the stories were really good/great, they hit it out of the park and had me thinking about em afterwards. Some ended perfectly and left me wanting more of the world they inhabited :)
Those were:
UNDERBELLY CIRCUS by Hilary Thompson
SILK AND SERVICE by David Kudler
Desperate by Stacy Claflin
"Another World by Rachel Morgan
"SAND AND STARSHIPS by Heather Lee Dyer
THE WRONG TIME FOR FATE Ingrid Seymour
"INCONVENIENT CURIOSITY by A.M. Lalonde
Push by Leia Stone
WHEN I FIND YOU by Norma Hinkens
PROVISIONS by Kira Lerner
MORE THAN A CRUSH by Kat Stiles
GLIMPSES by Avril Sabine
(my tired eyes may have skimmed over one or two, didn't sleep well)
These are the authors I would love to read more of one day (Mount TBR grows a little bit taller).. famous words of a bookworm haha ;-).
Small number for such a wide collection but part of the "meh" stories for me were genre issues. Urban Fantasy is more miss than hit for me and Paranormal I can be picky about.
Other categories:
The Sci-Fi section: was slightly better
Dystopian and Post Apocalyptic: held my attention more
Fantasy was more 50/50 I suppose
Thriller and Horror: was good for the most part (YA Horror I don't mind)
And More (Speculative Fiction) was decent overall with a couple standouts
All in all, it wasn't a bad journey... just one I mostly wouldn't travel down again *shrugs* Wish I could download my favorites separately from the collection itself.
Recommend? Maybe... give it a try and see what you think.
December 11, 2016
First off, I am one of the many authors in this book, so I'm basing my review on everyone else's stuff.
But holy cow! I've read anthologies before, and they're good. Some stories are better than others, and sometimes I don't connect with the writing or the story or whatever. But this collection is dynamic. The paranormal stuff is fascinating, the horror/thriller stuff is chilling, the fantasy stuff is magical, and nearly every story was a home run for me. I think there was two, maybe three stories I didn't care for. Out of so many, that's saying something.
You literally can't go wrong with this book. There are so many great stories that introduce you to so many incredible worlds, that you're sure to find your next favorite author among the pack. I know I have a story in there, but I'm practically fangirling over this collection myself. I couldn't be prouder than to find a place among these incredibly talented authors.
Many thanks to Derek Murphy for putting this collection together, and to David R. Bernstein for helping him out.
So go ahead, skip my story, but READ THIS ANTHOLOGY! You really don't want to miss this (and did I mention that it's free?!?!?).
But holy cow! I've read anthologies before, and they're good. Some stories are better than others, and sometimes I don't connect with the writing or the story or whatever. But this collection is dynamic. The paranormal stuff is fascinating, the horror/thriller stuff is chilling, the fantasy stuff is magical, and nearly every story was a home run for me. I think there was two, maybe three stories I didn't care for. Out of so many, that's saying something.
You literally can't go wrong with this book. There are so many great stories that introduce you to so many incredible worlds, that you're sure to find your next favorite author among the pack. I know I have a story in there, but I'm practically fangirling over this collection myself. I couldn't be prouder than to find a place among these incredibly talented authors.
Many thanks to Derek Murphy for putting this collection together, and to David R. Bernstein for helping him out.
So go ahead, skip my story, but READ THIS ANTHOLOGY! You really don't want to miss this (and did I mention that it's free?!?!?).
June 13, 2017
I'm a big fan of Young Adult and when I picked this anthology up, I was super-excited. Imagine 40 fantastic YA stories all dealing with life-changing moments. You know, when a person or event changes your view on life forever and you are never the same? Surprisingly, I loved all the stories. That's hard to do nowadays. My favorite one has got to be "More Than A Crush" by Kat Stiles. Superb writing, all around, and highly recommend!
My Rating: 5 stars
My Rating: 5 stars
December 12, 2016
As I have a story in this anthology, I would just like to say I am basing my review on the many other shorts that are featured. Many were breath-taking, gripping and full of suspense and intrigue :)
December 15, 2016
Much better than I thought it would be. Some interesting stories here.
December 31, 2016
That Moment When… An Anthology of YA Authors is a collection of forty short stories and teasers from a variety of young adult authors. The book is divided into sections: Paranormal and Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, Dystopian and Post-Apocalyptic, Fantasy, Thriller and Horror, and Speculative. The stories were fascinating—I had a hard time putting the book down—and were good examples of what each author had to offer.
It wasn’t easy to narrow down my favorites out of all the displayed talent. Here are a few of the most noteworthy:
Reflection, by Katlyn Duncan, a masterful look at a young vampire who doesn’t yet know what she’s become.
Humanity’s Protectors, by David R. Bernstein, about psychic abilities and whether a person who had them would be used for good or ill.
Provisions, by Kira Lerner. This story had it all—vampires, werewolves, cannibals. I read it twice!
Running Toward Illumia, by Leya Angel, about a young misfit and a rather snarky unicorn. Need I say more?
More Than a Crush, by Kat Stiles, an eerie tale about a girl in love and what she’s prepared to do about it.
Learning to Fly, by Laura Diamond, about a boy who finally realizes a dream. With dragons. I love dragons.
That Moment When… introduced me to a bevy of Young Adult authors I might not have noticed. Their stories piqued my interest. I’ll be checking out more than a few of their books. If you enjoy reading Young Adult, I highly recommend That Moment When… You might find your new favorite author.
It wasn’t easy to narrow down my favorites out of all the displayed talent. Here are a few of the most noteworthy:
Reflection, by Katlyn Duncan, a masterful look at a young vampire who doesn’t yet know what she’s become.
Humanity’s Protectors, by David R. Bernstein, about psychic abilities and whether a person who had them would be used for good or ill.
Provisions, by Kira Lerner. This story had it all—vampires, werewolves, cannibals. I read it twice!
Running Toward Illumia, by Leya Angel, about a young misfit and a rather snarky unicorn. Need I say more?
More Than a Crush, by Kat Stiles, an eerie tale about a girl in love and what she’s prepared to do about it.
Learning to Fly, by Laura Diamond, about a boy who finally realizes a dream. With dragons. I love dragons.
That Moment When… introduced me to a bevy of Young Adult authors I might not have noticed. Their stories piqued my interest. I’ll be checking out more than a few of their books. If you enjoy reading Young Adult, I highly recommend That Moment When… You might find your new favorite author.
December 22, 2016
This was a fun set of stories to read! Each story unique in it's own way and all of them holds your attention and captivate you then they leave you wanting much more!!! Very awesome!
dnf
July 31, 2021In general these weren't bad, but I think I need to stop trying with the anthologies. Most of the stories are always mediocre at best, and you always think, ooh, but if I read one more maybe THAT one will be the hidden gem. I just got tired of waiting for a story that I *really* liked.
July 3, 2017
More good stories than poor ones
Almost half of the stories in this anthology are really good. Very few are "poor", (none are really "bad"). Some of the ones I disliked most are stories that get to an interesting part and then, instead of explaining what happens, they say (sometimes in just these words), " To find out what happens, buy the book!" I expect to have some suspense about what happens to the characters after the end of a good short story, but I hate feeling like it cut off in the middle of a chapter!
Almost half of the stories in this anthology are really good. Very few are "poor", (none are really "bad"). Some of the ones I disliked most are stories that get to an interesting part and then, instead of explaining what happens, they say (sometimes in just these words), " To find out what happens, buy the book!" I expect to have some suspense about what happens to the characters after the end of a good short story, but I hate feeling like it cut off in the middle of a chapter!
March 10, 2017
This collection of over 40 stories has an amazing level of quality, irrespective of the majority of stories being Young Adult (YA). Nearly all of the stories are complete stand-alones, but showcase the author's skill in a manner you immediately want to run out and buy the novel the short story is connected to. Which leads me to my only complaint, about half of the "connected stories" are to be published in first half of 2017 (reading this the first week of 2017) which makes crawling the web to get the next story fix problematic since the story doesn't exist yet. On the plus side, it gives me time to save up money for all the books and for those reading this after March 2017 lots of good reads to pick up.
The anthology is divided into "Urban Fantasy", "Science Fiction", "Dystopian", "Fantasy", "Thriller and Horror", and "Other". Typical of the YA genre, most of the characters are white straight teenage females set in English-speaking world with any non-real-world (Fantasy) links to the greater European and Greek-Roman mythos - but a few diversity moments shine through.
This is good - you will find at least one or two new favorite authors through the "That Moment When" anthology.
Picked up while free on amazon.
******
Full Review
LIST OF STORIES
Inconvenient Curiosity by AM Lalonde
Melissa by Kaitlin Bevis
Relection by Katlyn Duncan
Push by Leia Stone
The Wrath of the Fury by Michelle Madow
Sanctuary by Melle Amade
The Volunteer by Melissa A. Craven
Avlyn by Jenetta Penner
Zoo Girl by Jennifer Bardsley
The Guardians by SL Morgan
When I Find You by Norma Hinkens
Humanity's Protector by David R. Bernstein
Drift Away by Robert L. Slater
The End by Melissa Algood
Sand and Starships by Heather Lee Dyer
Provisions by Kira Lerner
Misery by Patti Larsen
Translucents by Kelly St. Clare
Taste by Derek Murphy
The Confectioner's Guild by Claire Luana
Unicorn Magic by Roz Marshall
Another World by Rachel Morgan
Running Toward Illumia by Angel Leya
Jarra by Shaun L Griffiths
Arrows & Angels by Kristin D. Van Risseghem
The Birth of the Immortal Queen by Katherine Bogle
Emerald Eye by S. McPherson
The Dry Season by Cassidy Taylor
The Waiting by Laurie Treacy
Desperate by Stacy Claflin
More than a Crush by Kat Stiles
Second Chances by Jackson Dean Chase
Fox Red by Amy Laurens
Silk and Service
Learning to Fly by Laura Diamond
Underbelly Circus by Hilary Thompson
Glimpses by Arvil Sabine
Doormaker by Jamie Thornton
The C in Summer by Jaime Munn
A bunch of self-contained Young Adult (YA) short stories, some of which feed into greater novels and stories and others just show-casing a few average to some very excellent talents, encouraging a reader to look for other universes they created. Each story focuses on a turning point in someone's life when everything changes. These "moments when" vary from death of family members to emergence of powers, from chance meetings to discovering people who knew all your life are different than they seem. Nearly all involve teenage cusp-of-life females as the main point-of-view (POV) character. I enjoyed most of the 39 stories in this 676 page collection.
The Urban Fantasy stories have more romancy than the other groupings, but not all of them feature romance. The Science Fiction are action-packed. They say as a writer you should read outside your genre - this collection is an excellent way to get exposed to a wide variety of genres - for me that was the Horror section.
PARANORMAL & URBAN FANTASY (7 stories)
Inconvenient Curiosity by AM Lalonde - Greek mythology-based YA Urban Fantasy - Made me look for more.
Melissa by Kaitlin Bevis - Greek mythology-based YA Urban Fantasy (continues in the novel: Persephone! in the Daughters of Zeus series).
Reflection by Katlyn Duncan - Vampiric-based YA Urban Fantasy. I think it is a stand-alone. The characters aren't very likeable, but the story is gripping.
Push by Leia Stone - Psychic-based conspiracy-influenced YA Urban Fantasy - Made me look for more.
The Wrath of the Fury by Michelle Madow - Witches and Greek mythology mash-up with a great super-hero vibe YA Urban Fantasy. Part of the Elementals universe, but sideways of the main storyline of the novels and I wanted more of these particular characters.
Sanctuary by Melle Amade - Shifter-based YA Paranormal Fantasy. Not only did I look for more, I bought the two novels of the series (this short story is actually the opening of the first book) and have already read the first (the second hasn't come out yet - but I got the PreOrder in because .. awesomeness!). I loved the world-building of this universe and will recommend the series to everyone who listens. The novel is the same name as the short, Sanctuary: Shifter Chronicles Book One. You can find my review of that book in Goodreads and Amazon.
The Volunteer by Melissa A. Craven - An immortal/psychic-based YA Paranormal, this short story is an important stand-alone short story between novels in the Emerge Series introducing a new character and developing one of the "bad guys" and one of the "good guys" form the main novels. Yes, this story made me look for more of the series and I have gone through, I think, two novels already, maybe three. The Volunteer is one of Ms. Craven's later works. Her first and second novels of the series show tremendous growth and by the time she hits writing and releasing this manuscript, she has true mastery of her writer's craft. The series is worth reading, though a little jumpy in the first novel. Again, I have done reviews for the books I have read.
SCIENCE FICTION (5 stories)
Avlyn by Jenetta Penner - A sci-fi where people are sorted into groups and the main character is destined to break the system. Is there a name for this type of genre popularized by Hunger Games and Divergent, beyond dystopia? Maybe Segregated?
Zoo Girl by Jennifer Bardsley - Kidnapped-by-aliens sci-fi. I liked it a lot more than I should.
The Guardians by SL Morgan - MIB-feel to this sci-fi. I think this is the only story of the anthology with a male as the POV. The beginning is great but deteriorates the further I went into the story to the "blech" point. Feeds into a larger series.
When I Find You by Norma Hinkens - United-Planets level sci-fi community for this spy-type thriller story. The plot was predictable after all my years of reading but still very enjoyable. I believe this one is a stand-alone.
Humanity's Protector by David R. Bernstein - conspiracy-theory psychic action-packed sci-fi. Feeds into a larger series.
DYSTOPIAN & POST APOCALYPTIC (7 stories)
Drift Away by Robert L. Slater - the first day of the end-of-the-world for the main character (medical dystopia).
The End by Melissa Algood - Survival in the beginning decades of dystopia times with not many survivors (climate dystopia). Oh, hey, another story with a male as the POV. I guess sci-fi type stories can have males.
Sand and Starships by Heather Lee Dyer - Growing up in post-apocalypse over a full generation after the disaster story (environmental dystopia). This story really draws you in as the character tries to push out beyond his little community. I loved all the scenery and props descriptions and how the character decorates his small portion of the world. Only problems with pushing at walls in a world already fallen apart, sometimes the walls fall down and full reality rushes in. I don't know if this story is part of a larger series, but Ms. Dryer has a "Recycling Humanity" series available.
Provisions by Kira Lerner - A paranormal break creating a post-apocalyptic world. Set with the first generation of survivors, but clearly those born before the disaster will fall like Darwinian-apes to those born after. Provisions is an amazing character study about family and survival and a stand-alone story showcasing one of the best writers of the anthology.
Misery by Patti Larsen - Zombie. Would you put down your family after the zombie apocalypse? Misery is a very strong stand-alone story.
Translucents by Kelly St. Clare - Politics have lead this the disaster in which post-apocalyptic world is based, where two set of psychic powers continue to war because of conspiracy-based manipulations. In the middle, a sibling pair had been separated and are now reunited. Can they trust each other?
Taste by Derek Murphy - Another Segregated dystopia. The story has a strong Hunger Games feel down to a choosing ceremony and two male interests. Taste is the opening chapters for a novel by the same name.
FANTASY (9 stories)
The Confectioner's Guild by Claire Luana - A magic-based world, but what a magic! Cakes, cookies, wine! Love the world building this murder-mystery story establishes. But...but... the rest of the story isn't out yet?!? (I wrote this March 2, 2017) I WANT!!!! (I am assuming this is the first few chapters of the greater novel by the same name Ms Luana is currently working on. They work as a stand-alone for the most part and definitely end with "that moment when" everything changes.)
Unicorn Magic by Roz Marshall - Fey-magic mashed up with computer games. I don't know if it is the first few chapters or the set-up for Kelpie Curse. Works as a stand-alone, but works better as an introduction.
Another World by Rachel Morgan - Coming-of-age story set in a fairy fantasy world with a royalty twist. I think this is a stand-alone since no mention of a greater series is in the author notes.
Running Toward Illumia by Angel Leya - Another coming-of-age story set in a fantasy world, this time with a quest variation. Again, I am thinking this is a stand-alone.
Jarra by Shaun L Griffiths - Umm. Gave up reading it fourteen pages in. Zero stars for this story.
Arrows & Angels by Kristin D. Van Risseghem - Fantasy of the angel-world variety. A short story should not drag like this, sooooo slow. I think it is an intro to her Enlighten series and is meant as a stand-alone, written as a character study by the author to better understand one of the characters of her series. It should have been left in the "figure out the universe" pile of information all authors assemble and never published.
The Birth of the Immortal Queen by Katherine Bogle - Fantasy world where magic is rare and has unique fallouts. This story feeds into the Havel novel but is a stand-alone prequel showing "That Moment When" Haven's life really changed. Made me look into the series.
Emerald Eye by S. McPherson - Fantasy world where the main character reacts after an army attacks her village (Epic Fantasy genre). Emerald Eye is jumpy at the end and is clearly a stand-alone. I didn't like the story much, but I can see it appealing to others.
The Dry Season by Cassidy Taylor - Another epic fantasy stand-alone prequel story. I don't know if Ms. Taylor has written the series, but you can feel how the story unfolds beyond this short story. This world breathes. The plotline goes into the distance over a hill and you just want to follow the path to see if it goes where you think it will.
THRILLER AND HORROR (4 stories)
(I am not really a horror reader so these went fast. All were well written and did not delve into gore.)
The Waiting by Laurie Treacy - Ghost story horror.
Desperate by Stacy Claflin - Stalker horror.
More than a Crush by Kat Stiles - Obsession horror.
Second Chances by Jackson Dean Chase - Abandoned-in-the-woods horror.
AND MORE (SPECULATIVE FICTION) (7 stories)
Fox Red by Amy Laurens - The first of the strange tales that don't fit into any genre comfortably. It started as a fantasy, twisted over into urban fantasy, and ends as a mystery ... maybe. I got a little lost a couple times because of the point-of-view switches between the male and female and the time jumps, but overall it's interesting.
Silk and Service - Oriental-based culture murder mystery stand-alone for the greater Mieko and Kunoichi army series - the first was Risuko and the second (to be released) is Bright Eyes. The main character is male.
Learning to Fly by Laura Diamond - Another oriental-based culture story, this one coming-of-age. Main character is male and the story is stand-alone.
Underbelly Circus by Hilary Thompson - Feels like a paranormal horror and is tightly written. This made me look for more, but I couldn't find it (looked in March 2, 2017).
Glimpses by Arvil Sabine - Psychic thriller murder mystery stand-alone. Made me look for more and I ended up buying a book by the author just so I could read more of this solid writing style.
Doormaker by Jamie Thornton - Folk story feeling with magic/psychic undertones. The story is the opening chapters of Doormaker (Book #1) but work fine as a stand-alone.
The C in Summer by Jaime Munn - A summer romance story, with a speculative twist.
The anthology is divided into "Urban Fantasy", "Science Fiction", "Dystopian", "Fantasy", "Thriller and Horror", and "Other". Typical of the YA genre, most of the characters are white straight teenage females set in English-speaking world with any non-real-world (Fantasy) links to the greater European and Greek-Roman mythos - but a few diversity moments shine through.
This is good - you will find at least one or two new favorite authors through the "That Moment When" anthology.
Picked up while free on amazon.
******
Full Review
LIST OF STORIES
Inconvenient Curiosity by AM Lalonde
Melissa by Kaitlin Bevis
Relection by Katlyn Duncan
Push by Leia Stone
The Wrath of the Fury by Michelle Madow
Sanctuary by Melle Amade
The Volunteer by Melissa A. Craven
Avlyn by Jenetta Penner
Zoo Girl by Jennifer Bardsley
The Guardians by SL Morgan
When I Find You by Norma Hinkens
Humanity's Protector by David R. Bernstein
Drift Away by Robert L. Slater
The End by Melissa Algood
Sand and Starships by Heather Lee Dyer
Provisions by Kira Lerner
Misery by Patti Larsen
Translucents by Kelly St. Clare
Taste by Derek Murphy
The Confectioner's Guild by Claire Luana
Unicorn Magic by Roz Marshall
Another World by Rachel Morgan
Running Toward Illumia by Angel Leya
Jarra by Shaun L Griffiths
Arrows & Angels by Kristin D. Van Risseghem
The Birth of the Immortal Queen by Katherine Bogle
Emerald Eye by S. McPherson
The Dry Season by Cassidy Taylor
The Waiting by Laurie Treacy
Desperate by Stacy Claflin
More than a Crush by Kat Stiles
Second Chances by Jackson Dean Chase
Fox Red by Amy Laurens
Silk and Service
Learning to Fly by Laura Diamond
Underbelly Circus by Hilary Thompson
Glimpses by Arvil Sabine
Doormaker by Jamie Thornton
The C in Summer by Jaime Munn
A bunch of self-contained Young Adult (YA) short stories, some of which feed into greater novels and stories and others just show-casing a few average to some very excellent talents, encouraging a reader to look for other universes they created. Each story focuses on a turning point in someone's life when everything changes. These "moments when" vary from death of family members to emergence of powers, from chance meetings to discovering people who knew all your life are different than they seem. Nearly all involve teenage cusp-of-life females as the main point-of-view (POV) character. I enjoyed most of the 39 stories in this 676 page collection.
The Urban Fantasy stories have more romancy than the other groupings, but not all of them feature romance. The Science Fiction are action-packed. They say as a writer you should read outside your genre - this collection is an excellent way to get exposed to a wide variety of genres - for me that was the Horror section.
PARANORMAL & URBAN FANTASY (7 stories)
Inconvenient Curiosity by AM Lalonde - Greek mythology-based YA Urban Fantasy - Made me look for more.
Melissa by Kaitlin Bevis - Greek mythology-based YA Urban Fantasy (continues in the novel: Persephone! in the Daughters of Zeus series).
Reflection by Katlyn Duncan - Vampiric-based YA Urban Fantasy. I think it is a stand-alone. The characters aren't very likeable, but the story is gripping.
Push by Leia Stone - Psychic-based conspiracy-influenced YA Urban Fantasy - Made me look for more.
The Wrath of the Fury by Michelle Madow - Witches and Greek mythology mash-up with a great super-hero vibe YA Urban Fantasy. Part of the Elementals universe, but sideways of the main storyline of the novels and I wanted more of these particular characters.
Sanctuary by Melle Amade - Shifter-based YA Paranormal Fantasy. Not only did I look for more, I bought the two novels of the series (this short story is actually the opening of the first book) and have already read the first (the second hasn't come out yet - but I got the PreOrder in because .. awesomeness!). I loved the world-building of this universe and will recommend the series to everyone who listens. The novel is the same name as the short, Sanctuary: Shifter Chronicles Book One. You can find my review of that book in Goodreads and Amazon.
The Volunteer by Melissa A. Craven - An immortal/psychic-based YA Paranormal, this short story is an important stand-alone short story between novels in the Emerge Series introducing a new character and developing one of the "bad guys" and one of the "good guys" form the main novels. Yes, this story made me look for more of the series and I have gone through, I think, two novels already, maybe three. The Volunteer is one of Ms. Craven's later works. Her first and second novels of the series show tremendous growth and by the time she hits writing and releasing this manuscript, she has true mastery of her writer's craft. The series is worth reading, though a little jumpy in the first novel. Again, I have done reviews for the books I have read.
SCIENCE FICTION (5 stories)
Avlyn by Jenetta Penner - A sci-fi where people are sorted into groups and the main character is destined to break the system. Is there a name for this type of genre popularized by Hunger Games and Divergent, beyond dystopia? Maybe Segregated?
Zoo Girl by Jennifer Bardsley - Kidnapped-by-aliens sci-fi. I liked it a lot more than I should.
The Guardians by SL Morgan - MIB-feel to this sci-fi. I think this is the only story of the anthology with a male as the POV. The beginning is great but deteriorates the further I went into the story to the "blech" point. Feeds into a larger series.
When I Find You by Norma Hinkens - United-Planets level sci-fi community for this spy-type thriller story. The plot was predictable after all my years of reading but still very enjoyable. I believe this one is a stand-alone.
Humanity's Protector by David R. Bernstein - conspiracy-theory psychic action-packed sci-fi. Feeds into a larger series.
DYSTOPIAN & POST APOCALYPTIC (7 stories)
Drift Away by Robert L. Slater - the first day of the end-of-the-world for the main character (medical dystopia).
The End by Melissa Algood - Survival in the beginning decades of dystopia times with not many survivors (climate dystopia). Oh, hey, another story with a male as the POV. I guess sci-fi type stories can have males.
Sand and Starships by Heather Lee Dyer - Growing up in post-apocalypse over a full generation after the disaster story (environmental dystopia). This story really draws you in as the character tries to push out beyond his little community. I loved all the scenery and props descriptions and how the character decorates his small portion of the world. Only problems with pushing at walls in a world already fallen apart, sometimes the walls fall down and full reality rushes in. I don't know if this story is part of a larger series, but Ms. Dryer has a "Recycling Humanity" series available.
Provisions by Kira Lerner - A paranormal break creating a post-apocalyptic world. Set with the first generation of survivors, but clearly those born before the disaster will fall like Darwinian-apes to those born after. Provisions is an amazing character study about family and survival and a stand-alone story showcasing one of the best writers of the anthology.
Misery by Patti Larsen - Zombie. Would you put down your family after the zombie apocalypse? Misery is a very strong stand-alone story.
Translucents by Kelly St. Clare - Politics have lead this the disaster in which post-apocalyptic world is based, where two set of psychic powers continue to war because of conspiracy-based manipulations. In the middle, a sibling pair had been separated and are now reunited. Can they trust each other?
Taste by Derek Murphy - Another Segregated dystopia. The story has a strong Hunger Games feel down to a choosing ceremony and two male interests. Taste is the opening chapters for a novel by the same name.
FANTASY (9 stories)
The Confectioner's Guild by Claire Luana - A magic-based world, but what a magic! Cakes, cookies, wine! Love the world building this murder-mystery story establishes. But...but... the rest of the story isn't out yet?!? (I wrote this March 2, 2017) I WANT!!!! (I am assuming this is the first few chapters of the greater novel by the same name Ms Luana is currently working on. They work as a stand-alone for the most part and definitely end with "that moment when" everything changes.)
Unicorn Magic by Roz Marshall - Fey-magic mashed up with computer games. I don't know if it is the first few chapters or the set-up for Kelpie Curse. Works as a stand-alone, but works better as an introduction.
Another World by Rachel Morgan - Coming-of-age story set in a fairy fantasy world with a royalty twist. I think this is a stand-alone since no mention of a greater series is in the author notes.
Running Toward Illumia by Angel Leya - Another coming-of-age story set in a fantasy world, this time with a quest variation. Again, I am thinking this is a stand-alone.
Jarra by Shaun L Griffiths - Umm. Gave up reading it fourteen pages in. Zero stars for this story.
Arrows & Angels by Kristin D. Van Risseghem - Fantasy of the angel-world variety. A short story should not drag like this, sooooo slow. I think it is an intro to her Enlighten series and is meant as a stand-alone, written as a character study by the author to better understand one of the characters of her series. It should have been left in the "figure out the universe" pile of information all authors assemble and never published.
The Birth of the Immortal Queen by Katherine Bogle - Fantasy world where magic is rare and has unique fallouts. This story feeds into the Havel novel but is a stand-alone prequel showing "That Moment When" Haven's life really changed. Made me look into the series.
Emerald Eye by S. McPherson - Fantasy world where the main character reacts after an army attacks her village (Epic Fantasy genre). Emerald Eye is jumpy at the end and is clearly a stand-alone. I didn't like the story much, but I can see it appealing to others.
The Dry Season by Cassidy Taylor - Another epic fantasy stand-alone prequel story. I don't know if Ms. Taylor has written the series, but you can feel how the story unfolds beyond this short story. This world breathes. The plotline goes into the distance over a hill and you just want to follow the path to see if it goes where you think it will.
THRILLER AND HORROR (4 stories)
(I am not really a horror reader so these went fast. All were well written and did not delve into gore.)
The Waiting by Laurie Treacy - Ghost story horror.
Desperate by Stacy Claflin - Stalker horror.
More than a Crush by Kat Stiles - Obsession horror.
Second Chances by Jackson Dean Chase - Abandoned-in-the-woods horror.
AND MORE (SPECULATIVE FICTION) (7 stories)
Fox Red by Amy Laurens - The first of the strange tales that don't fit into any genre comfortably. It started as a fantasy, twisted over into urban fantasy, and ends as a mystery ... maybe. I got a little lost a couple times because of the point-of-view switches between the male and female and the time jumps, but overall it's interesting.
Silk and Service - Oriental-based culture murder mystery stand-alone for the greater Mieko and Kunoichi army series - the first was Risuko and the second (to be released) is Bright Eyes. The main character is male.
Learning to Fly by Laura Diamond - Another oriental-based culture story, this one coming-of-age. Main character is male and the story is stand-alone.
Underbelly Circus by Hilary Thompson - Feels like a paranormal horror and is tightly written. This made me look for more, but I couldn't find it (looked in March 2, 2017).
Glimpses by Arvil Sabine - Psychic thriller murder mystery stand-alone. Made me look for more and I ended up buying a book by the author just so I could read more of this solid writing style.
Doormaker by Jamie Thornton - Folk story feeling with magic/psychic undertones. The story is the opening chapters of Doormaker (Book #1) but work fine as a stand-alone.
The C in Summer by Jaime Munn - A summer romance story, with a speculative twist.
August 8, 2019
1.Inconvenient Curiosity, A.M. Lalonde
2.Melissa, Kaitlin Bevis
3.Reflection, Katlyn Duncan
4.Push, Leia Stone
5.The Wrath of the Fury, Michelle Madow
6.Sanctuary, Melle Amade
7.The Volunteer, Melissa A. Craven
8.Wishful, Katy Haye
9.Avlyn, Jenetta Penner
10.Zoo Girl, Jennifer Bardsley
11.The Guardians, SL Morgan
12.When I Find You, Norma Hinkens
13.Humanity’s Protector, David R. Bernstein
14.The Wrong Time for Fate, Ingrid Seymour
15.Drift Away, Rob. L. Slater
16.The End, Melissa Algood
17.Sand and Starships, Heather Lee Dyer
18.Provisions, Kira Lerner
19.Misery, Patti Larsen
20.Translucents, Kelly St. Clare
21.Taste, Derek Murphy
22.The Confectioner’s Guild, Claire Luana
23.Unicorn Magic, Roz Marshall
24.Another World, Rachel Morgan
25.Running Toward Illumia, Angel Leya
26.Jarra, Shaun L Griffiths
27.Arrows & Angels, Kristin D. Van Risseghem
28.The Birth of the Immortal Queen, Katherine Bogle
29.Emerald Eye, S. McPherson
30.The Dry Season, Cassidy Taylor
31.The Archbishop’s Amulet, Watson Davis
32.The Waiting, Laurie Treacy
33.Desperate, Stacy Claflin
34.More Than a Crush, Kat Stiles
35.Second Chances, Jackson Dean Chase
36.Fox Red, Amy Laurens
37.Silk and Service, David Kudler
38.Learning to Fly, Laura Diamond
39.Underbelly Circus, Hilary Thompson
40.Glimpses, Avril Sabine
41.Doormaker, Jamie Thornton
42.The C in Summer, Jaime Munn
I love the stories in this Anthology
I have to admit I like the fact that one is called Melissa lol
but I couldn't pic just one fav
They are all great short stories.
2.Melissa, Kaitlin Bevis
3.Reflection, Katlyn Duncan
4.Push, Leia Stone
5.The Wrath of the Fury, Michelle Madow
6.Sanctuary, Melle Amade
7.The Volunteer, Melissa A. Craven
8.Wishful, Katy Haye
9.Avlyn, Jenetta Penner
10.Zoo Girl, Jennifer Bardsley
11.The Guardians, SL Morgan
12.When I Find You, Norma Hinkens
13.Humanity’s Protector, David R. Bernstein
14.The Wrong Time for Fate, Ingrid Seymour
15.Drift Away, Rob. L. Slater
16.The End, Melissa Algood
17.Sand and Starships, Heather Lee Dyer
18.Provisions, Kira Lerner
19.Misery, Patti Larsen
20.Translucents, Kelly St. Clare
21.Taste, Derek Murphy
22.The Confectioner’s Guild, Claire Luana
23.Unicorn Magic, Roz Marshall
24.Another World, Rachel Morgan
25.Running Toward Illumia, Angel Leya
26.Jarra, Shaun L Griffiths
27.Arrows & Angels, Kristin D. Van Risseghem
28.The Birth of the Immortal Queen, Katherine Bogle
29.Emerald Eye, S. McPherson
30.The Dry Season, Cassidy Taylor
31.The Archbishop’s Amulet, Watson Davis
32.The Waiting, Laurie Treacy
33.Desperate, Stacy Claflin
34.More Than a Crush, Kat Stiles
35.Second Chances, Jackson Dean Chase
36.Fox Red, Amy Laurens
37.Silk and Service, David Kudler
38.Learning to Fly, Laura Diamond
39.Underbelly Circus, Hilary Thompson
40.Glimpses, Avril Sabine
41.Doormaker, Jamie Thornton
42.The C in Summer, Jaime Munn
I love the stories in this Anthology
I have to admit I like the fact that one is called Melissa lol
but I couldn't pic just one fav
They are all great short stories.
December 31, 2019
There were so many good stories in That Moment When that I have trouble focusing on just one for the purposes of my review. There were several strong characters. I especially enjoyed the myths and world building I encountered in each work. Some plot lines were easier to predict due to the type of story being told. The villains though complex remained overall despicable, and the heroes/heroines struggled with their flaws, but ultimately made the best of very harsh situations. Most ended happily for the leads, but that is not the case with all of them. In fact, some ended with cliffhangers having had some of the action resolved, but not all of the problems were fixed. Presuming someone's child decided to read the work parents should be prepared to discuss as needed. This book contains topics such as slavery, rape, murder, divorce, stalking, political intrigue, and war, alongside other heavy-handed materials. This is not a light book. Regardless, I really liked this book though it took me a great deal of effort to get past certain sections. However that should not deter you from reading and judging the book for yourself.
November 5, 2017
It's very hard to review a book of short stories by so many different authors. Some of them were excellent, some of them were ok, and others were terrible. Something that was particularly maddening was the excerpts some authors chose to provide instead of short stories. With one exception, I was very annoyed/angered by the whole presentation of random excerpts of stories. They don't tell a complete story and only exist to try and get you to purchase a novel. I made note of those authors so that I'd never accidentally buy anything from them because I find that kind of marketing scummy.
I did pick up a few authors who I'd like to read more of too.
Overall, I felt like my time investment wasn't really rewarded with a complete experience. I'd have a hard time recommending anyone read this book cover to cover, but skipping through and reading a few select stories could be ok.
I did pick up a few authors who I'd like to read more of too.
Overall, I felt like my time investment wasn't really rewarded with a complete experience. I'd have a hard time recommending anyone read this book cover to cover, but skipping through and reading a few select stories could be ok.
June 15, 2017
I am leaving this review for the Novella called When I Find you, by Norma Hinkens. I was very impressed with this story. It engaged me from the very beginning and didn't let me free until the last word. At first I wasnt sure what to expect or what actually was going to happen, as i felt surely this must be a full novel. The main character was so strong in the story, that I held my breath, when she held hers. For a Novella, it was packed with intrigue, suspense, mystery, realism and a world with enough description, you could see it in your mind. The ending was brilliant !!!!
A definite recommendation
A definite recommendation
September 8, 2018
I FINISHED IT
This book has been my go-to, stuck with my phone and nothing to do book for the past 2 years.
The amount of stories, varying it genre and type, we're perfect 10 minute bites. Some were better than others, some were downright meh, and some convinced me to buy the entire book.
I think it did it's job soundly! And now I need to find another book of short stories for my go-to book...
This book has been my go-to, stuck with my phone and nothing to do book for the past 2 years.
The amount of stories, varying it genre and type, we're perfect 10 minute bites. Some were better than others, some were downright meh, and some convinced me to buy the entire book.
I think it did it's job soundly! And now I need to find another book of short stories for my go-to book...
January 11, 2017
A Great Sampler of Authors!!
This book is excellent if you are looking for new authors. I found that all of the stories were very good. Of course some were better than others but you got a good sample of YA paranormal, dystopian, science fiction, urban fantasy, horror and others. My favorite was by Jackson Dean Chase , Second Chances. If your looking for new authors this is the book for you.
December 20, 2016
Host of wonderful reads that gave me a little something different with each new story. I have fun getting to know new authors and spending time with my daughter. We both enjoyed the mix of genres offered and the excitement in not knowing what the read was all about before we began it.
January 8, 2017
Fantastic collection of short stories and taster chapters of various sub-genres of YA - not to be missed for anyone who likes YA fiction!
January 31, 2017
I think my favorite thing about this collection of stories was that there was never a point that I grew tired of a character or felt myself skimming through to get to a "good part."
July 27, 2017
That moment when....you find a book of short stories and each one is a hit?! Yaaasss!
November 7, 2018
I love reading
Although this was not my cup of tea.It had a few short stories I liked.My advice to the authors is to keep on trucking.Thank you all.
Although this was not my cup of tea.It had a few short stories I liked.My advice to the authors is to keep on trucking.Thank you all.
August 14, 2019
Wow. Loved each and every story. With so many different authors, that’s not an easy feat. A shame to miss out on this collection.
Want to read
February 14, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (2/14/2020)! 🎁
October 6, 2024
It lacks anything interesting to keep readers going. Everything from storyline to characters seem copycat from other fictions of same genre.
December 13, 2024
The moment when
A lot of short teaser stories no real conclusions but perhaps quite a bit of confusions. All with teen leads.
A lot of short teaser stories no real conclusions but perhaps quite a bit of confusions. All with teen leads.
March 12, 2017
could have sworn rated this, did on amazon, but anthology, short story type, get to read various and new authors possibly, liked it
March 6, 2017
I don't read anthologies usually but this one featured an author I'm beta-reading for so I went for it. I was pleasantly surprised and discovered authors I might check out in the future. I can't say I liked all the short stories but some made me really eager to discover more of their universe.
June 16, 2018
As usual I got this collection for one or two short stories from authors I love, but I found lots more to go after. There are lots of stories here and quite a few made me want to read more from the authors. A few new favourites!
January 13, 2017
meh. liked only one story... :<
May 29, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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