'Twas the Night Before

by S.J. Pierce, Jo Michaels, Tia Silverthorne Bach

Angels, witches, and vampires. Three magical Christmas romance tales that will take you back in time and leave you breathless.

Spell of Snow - by S. J. Pierce
Life can be a witch...

Six years ago, I discovered my powers - I can make flowers bloom. But in a world where anything magical is met with judgement and swinging from a rope, I have to be careful... until one day I wasn't. The Witch Hunters have been alerted, and now no one, including my loved ones, can save me.

My name is Rosanna Frey, Snow Queen of Ipswich, and this is my story.

Christmas Savior - by Jo Michaels
Angel Victoria is on a mission from God: Save the illegitimate royal Catherine Carey from the dark ones.

Vampire Vance is on a mission from the head vampress, Cleopatra: Bring Catherine Carey into the coven so she can lead them to victory over the humans.

When the angel and the vampire meet, sparks fly. A bird may love a fish, too, but where do they reside?

Immortal Faith - by Tia Silverthorne Bach
Sometimes, faith is all that's required.

Lucent has lost everything: his mortality, his hope, and the love of his life. His faith is wavering, but he clings to it like a lifeline. When he meets a beautiful witch who makes his dead heart skip a beat, he fights choosing between the brightness of hope and the darkness he's become accustomed to.

Holidays past brought great loss and heartache, but a witch just might bring him a Christmas miracle.

Genres: Christmas

149 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 17, 2019

About the author

International Bestselling Author Susan James Pierce writes Paranormal and Sci-if Romance novels, and they all have the same thing in common: The characters' love defies all odds. Her "unputdownable" stories will make you laugh, cry, swoon, and keep you on the edge of your seat. Enjoy the ride!

Love Contemporary Romance? Check out her books under Susan Pierce.

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Website: www.sjpiercebooks.com

Reviews

[meghann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. Spell of Snow is set in the world of the Captivated Series, which I absolutely love. It was so great to get another story in that series. Roseanna's story was heartbreaking and beautiful. It did not feel rushed, and I just could not put it down until I finished it. Christmas Savior and Immortal Faith were great as well. These were the first stories I have read from these authors, and I would love to read more of their books.

***I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC of this book.***

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Twas the Night Before - A Magical Holiday Romance Anthology
by S.J. Pierce, Jo Michaels, Tia Silverthorne Bach
Narrated by Shaina Summerville, Erin Rieman and Tim Paige

This magical holiday romance anthology is the perfect listen for this holiday season! I love short stories, especially this time of year and this anthology delivered all I needed. SJ Pierce's Spell of Snow was right up my alley, as I love that historical time period. With witchcraft being punished by hanging, But what happens is unexpected and miraculous! Next we have Jo Michaels's Christmas Savior. The Royal Catherine Carey is in danger, and Victoria has to save her. Vampire Vance is to kill her for his head mistress Cleopatra. This love match has a surprise I didn't see coming! And it all ends with Immortal Faith by Tia Silverthorne we get a look at Lucent as has to choose the dark he is in or the light he is offered! With a witch at his side, which will he pick? These three stories may be short, but they each pack a punch, with incredible characters and strong story lines. I loved each one of them. The narrators, Shaina Summerville, Erin Rieman and Tim Paige, each obviously were picked with care as each were incredibly cast. They enhanced the stories as they brought each one to life and I can't wait to hear more.

[Mx Phoebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosanna was creating flowers for her mother in the morning and hanging by a rope at night for being a witch.

One day Rosanna discovered she could make dead or dying plants bloom. For six years, she never told her secret. She just created flowers to make her aunt happy. Rosanna fell in love with a boy higher than her station. She had friends. Her life was quiet and happy.

Then one day, her best friend and her sister saw her in the field creating flowers. The next thing Rosanna knew she was locked in a room by her aunt awaiting the executioners. Then she was hanging from a rope. Then blackness and confusion….

I do not want to give too much away in “Spell of Snow” by S.J. Pierce one of three stories in the T’was The Night Before (B07ZPFG9BH, 2019) anthology. The above blurb though only covers the first couple of chapters though. There is a lot more excitement to come.

Pierce packs a lot of excitement and mystery in a small story. The story jumps around and you feel the confusion that Rosanna does as she is dragged from one nightmare to another. Then add in the fact that Rosanna never gives up on true love and you have one heck of a story. ✶✶✶✶

I received an ARC of this book from Author S.J. Pierce and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great origins story! I have read Tia’s series, Tala’s Chronicles, so reading about Lucent made me squeal. Love him! Now the other two, I call these origin stories major teasers because now I want to read more about them and what happens! Of course I pre-ordered the books. A little too religious, but considering the times I understand and am intrigued by what I read. I love Jo Michaels books and it is the first time I read S.J. Pierce and looking forward to read her other books.

[Tricia Copeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these fun entertaining stories. They're great twists on magic and witches, vampire lore, and the paranormal. Each of the stories is well written with great plots and characters.

[Sydney Hopke · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting set of stories and worth the read! I've read SJ Pierce before and enjoyed this story, witches and romance always a great combo. She takes you back in time and you see how witches were treated and then add a little mystery and more. The other 2 authors are new to me and I'm going to have to add them to my list of authors to check out. Their stories were also good and now I want to see what else they've written.

[Stalking · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection!

All three of these stories are amazingly well written and fun to read! I love the order too. SJ Pierce’s story was intriguing, the plot was surprising. Jo Michael’s was fresh and exciting, I cannot wait for more of this world and the characters! Tia Bach’s left me needing more and thankfully, this story seems to be a prequel to a current series of hers! Yay!

[Jocelyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great paranormal and magical Holiday Romance Anthology, filled with with angels, witches, and vampires! The characters are great and intriguing. The stories are well written, short but well developed, fast-paced, and captivating. The narrators did a great job with the narration.

Spell of Snow - by S. J. Pierce, narrated by Shaina Summerville
Christmas Savior - by Jo Michaels, narrated by Erin Rieman
Immortal Faith - by Tia Silverthorne Bach, narrated by Tim Paige

[Natalie Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recieved a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Wow I loved this series of short stories. They are a twist on magic and the paranormal.

I loved them and would read more from these authors.

[Mandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

These short stories were great. They kept me captivated and were hard to put down!

[Pennie Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angels, witches and vampires...oh my! What a concept for Christmas stories but they worked. The first was about a witch who found her power in making flowers come to life and she kept it secret until one of her friends saw and told and then she was put on trial during the infamous time of the witch hunts. She was ultimately saved and you will have to read this one to find out what else happens because it is quite good! Next we have an angel who is sent to save a princess from a vampire and crazy as it is the vampire and angel fall in love but can he be saved? This one, too, is too good to miss. Then, we finish out the trio with Lucent who is a vampire who refuses to kill and feed recklessly. He lost he true love and the vampire world is falling apart and he has decisions to make...what to do, what to do...

The narrators were great and I enjoyed the short stories and would continue with full length sequels if they were in audio.

[Jackie Bach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

I thought this was an amazing anthology by three amazing authors! I love all the stories in it! I can’t wait to see what happens next!

[Gina Burkart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what amazing read that will have you hooked.

[Elizabeth Connor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this collection, and I was disappointed. Here are reviews for each of the stories.

Spell of Snow - SJ Pierce
2 stars
It's a prequel to the Captivated series. It has some interesting bits, but unfortunately, it reads more like a full-fledged out outline than a free-standing and complete story. It's not bad by any means. It certainly had the makings of a good story, with clear descriptions, engaging characters, and a compelling plot. But it's not enough.

It seems like it should be Rosanna and Jacob's love story, but the narrative really doesn't delve into that enough. I realize this would have made the book significantly longer, but I think their story deserves that. Likewise, the introduction of Lily, their daughter, is anticlimactic because nothing happens with her. It's good enough as a teaser, but it's disappointing if you're expecting a full story.

Christmas Savior - Jo Michaels
1 star
This is a prequel to Vanquished, which I now have no desire to read. As I read this, I wondered whether to give it one star because I realize that one star is often reserved for books that deserve none. I think it deserves one, although I keep debating about whether it only deserves half. It's not completely beyond redemption, but it did remind me of a car accident. I wanted to stop reading and move on with my life, but I kept going because I couldn't imagine what horrible thing would take place next. And when I say horrible, I mean unbelievable and ridiculous.

I cannot say these are spoilers because I don't think it's any secret that Victoria is an angel and Vance is a vampire. Both are immortal, and yet, when Vance gets close to her and she realizes what he is, "she knew he could end her eternal life in a moment if he desired to do so." Wha-?

But this was the best part. God comes to Victoria and says: "There is no set path to success. You have shown me, through the ages, that's sometimes, what I believe to be the correct path, is not the path at all, but the means to an end. Having faith is more than believing everything will turn out the way you hope; it means listening to your heart and my voice within. I shall never lead you astray, though I may not understand my motivations at the time." Pardon me while I pick my jaw up off the floor.

I will give the writer points for punctuation for God's statement, although I'm forced to reclaim them for this sentence: "You must bless the dark one, for it has no soul, and it will be destroyed." How can the soul be destroyed if there isn't one?

At the end of the day, I'm not so sure this story is worthy of one star. I feel I wasted my time reading it, so I'm thankful that it was mercifully short. Still, it's just not very good. I'm going to go back to giving it ½ of a star.

Immortal Faith - Tia Silverthorne
2 stars
It's part of a bigger story, the Tala Prophecy series, and it's a story I found mildly intriguing. I'm not anxious to read more of it, but I wouldn't be averse to it if I were asked to do so. The biggest problem with it was the telling, rather than showing. There was a lot of time spent on background and internal motivations, and not a lot of time spent on getting to know anyone very well. It was more like the retelling of a story, as opposed to experiencing the story. But it had potential.

[Cranky - The Book Curmudgeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 CRANKY STARS


This is an anthology by three authors. Each story was entertaining but not anything I would bother looking for the sequels too. They are short little novellas. They unfortunately are very similar in subject and in writing style. The first book is Spell of Snow by S. J. Pierce and is the longest of the three. It takes place during the Salem Witch hunts in Ipswich, Massachusetts. At the age of ten, Rosanna discovered a special talent. With a wave of her hand, she could make dead flowers bloom. She didn’t consider herself a witch but at sixteen, the world considered her one. She had kept that secret for six years, but a careless chance encounter ruined it. Her best friend caught her and reported her. Could her boyfriend save her?


The second story is Christmas Savior by Jo Michaels. It is Kent England, 1544. Victoria is an angel. She has a special task to perform. She must protect a young woman named Catherine from falling under the influence of the dark side. In other words, Vampires are after her. Having never seen a vampire, Victoria isn’t sure what she is watching for. While out walking one night she meets an amazing young man just down the alley from her house. She introduces him to Catherine but for some reason, Victoria is smitten with Vance and vice versa. She introduces him to Catherine not knowing he is a vampire. Will she give up her wings to stay with him or go back to Heaven.


The third story is Immortal Faith by Tia Silverthorne Bach. It is New York City, 1889. Lucent and Mary are husband and wife. They are also vampires who refuse to drink from living humans. After Mary is killed, Lucent refuses to mix with other vampires. One night he meets a witch who tells him he has a divine purpose in life. He is falling in love with her when their world falls apart.


Again, these are short stories that lead to other books in their respective series. Unfortunately, I wasn’t that thrilled with the stories to look for more. They were predictable. That is my reaction but maybe not yours so give them a try.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for Spell of Snow by S.J. Pierce

This is an intriguing story with Rosanna being accused and tried for being a witch. Or is she? The author does a great job keeping you glued to the pages with all the twists and turns as Rosanna finds the truth and moves on with her life and leaves you questioning her future. It's an interesting story and has me curious to read the next book.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[BigGirl BigBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this story and how well it was done. I will read more of S.J. Pierce's novels now that I am familiar with her(?) work.
You wouldn't think of paranormal characters being "christmasy" but it really works. Read for yourself.