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The New Cover for Last Shot Revealed!

Happy New Year!  Today is the day! Last Shot at Justice has its new cover, and is now up for pre-order on Amazon. That's right, ALL th...

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Review of Upon Your Return, by Marie Lavender

I won this in a Facebook giveaway, and promised my honest opinion, which I give below. Please bear in mind that it is likely I would never have read this book on my own, and that may have an impact on what readers think of my review. 

Well, I finished it, and I wasn't very impressed with this novel. I always try to find positive things to say about books I review, but I'm having trouble with this one. The only reason I gave it 3 stars was because there were a few cute scenes between the couple, and despite all the confusion I felt, I rather liked Grant. And even Fara, when she wasn't insane. I also quite liked Eric.

I was mostly confused by the dialog and the logic. I called Fara insane: she went hot and cold on Grant, thinking one thing and then saying the complete opposite, so often I thought surely she wasn't playing with a full deck. The repetition of "what society expects" was tedious as well as incomprehensible.I have read other historical romances and never been so boggled. 

It was also just...long. If you factor what the story really was, and took out all the repetition and convoluted conversations, it would have been about half the length.

It could use a good editing - in form, function, and story execution. And maybe I'm not as funny as I like to think I am, but I can't help saying, if the author reads this... You keep using this word, "diversely"... I do not think it means what you think it means. (The word you were looking for is conversely.)

However limited my experience of historical romances, I have read more than a few and enjoyed them, so I am not completely ignorant of the genre. Granted, I think the only fiction I previously read set entirely in France was Les Miserables (the unabridged version - so you can see I'm not simply put off by long fiction.)

Anyway, I don't think I'll be reading any more books by this author. I very nearly didn't finish this one.


Monday, December 28, 2015

Review of "The Wedding Dance" by SJ McCoy

The Wedding Dance 
4 Stars ☻☻☻☻

How fun to revisit all the couples in Summer Lake - plus a few extras I hope to see more of - in this long weekend in Las Vegas. There was a lot of ground to cover, and a lot of POVs, but that was part of the fun. At times the narrative switched seamlessly between characters, and it became akin to being at the various events, moving from group of friends to group of friends, and thereby moving across the landscape of the story.

Call me a realist, but I liked that some of the characters - despite having had their own happy ending in their featured book - were realizing that relationships aren't all buttermilk and bananas. They take work. That is life. So seeing characters working through some schtuff made me happy.

I also loved the surprises - not surprises for me, as a reader they were a bit predictable - but the characters scheming up surprises for each other. Overall the various storylines were sweet and entertaining. The characters, as usual, are very well drawn and consistent. I never got confused about whose head I was in, or surprised by things that were out of character. I was even moved to tears by at least two scenes.

As usual, there were a couple of characters I wanted to beat on the head with a...(looking around Las Vegas for something suitable to use)...maraca to make them see sense, but there are people IRL that I want to do that to, also, so nothing new there.

As far as the location, there was really very little of Las Vegas to be found. I didn't get a real sense of place. Then again, Las Vegas is really a character in its own right - a big, flamboyant character that could easily run away with the book, so while I missed it a bit, the story was about the characters from Summer Lake, so I understand why it wasn't there in big, full color.

Another thing that was utterly missing, but not missed (since I only just realized it as I am writing this review) is the steamy part of the Sweet & Steamy romances. Again, there was really just too much going on to want to visit each couple in the bedroom. 


The Wedding Dance is a solid addition to the Summer Lake Romances. You won't want to read it if you haven't read the other books. It just won't make sense at worst, and at best, you won't care about any of the characters, since most of them have been developed in the previous books. (You can get away without having read the Remington Ranch books, although there is crossover mention of the Montanans.)

Fair warning, it ends on a bit of a...not really a cliffhanger, but the final three words say it all: "Wait and see."


Thursday, December 24, 2015

On This Christmas Eve...

Okay, Christmas music on, coffee at hand, blanket tucked in place...and....

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! – 2015 edition

This was another year of transitions for us—some we’re still in the process of, so not all have definitive conclusions to share with you.

Last November (2014) saw the arrival of ‘Little Luke’ Owen Dunigan, and we’ve been adjusting to being grandparents to both him and his older brother Mario. It has been a blessing to watch Luke, Lupe, Mario and Little Luke grow as a family, and we made a few extra trips to Salem to visit when we were home. We are proud of Caleb, who is now working as a Music Director at a church in Michigan. After working at a resort near Jackson, WY, Jeremy is currently in truck driving school down in Riverside, CA, joining Luke to be another trucker in the family. Luke drives for SWIFT, and Jeremy will drive for CRST.

Most of our home-time has been spent getting the exterior of the house sorted out. The house has been painted—possibly the first time since it went up in 2001. We got a LOT done toward finishing the back yard, smoothing out what we tore up last year—or was that the year before? We now have 9 raised beds, so we’ll get to have a garden next year! (More on that in a moment.) We’ve put up another poly-shed, and have taken down most of the decrepit wooden shed. By the end of next year we hope to have a greenhouse up. It’s shaping up...and that’s enough said about the house.

Speaking of home time, that is part of the biggest transition of all. In July, our house sitter went on an extended vacation, so I came home to hold down the fort, and I’ve been home ever since. It was earlier than planned, but I’ve transitioned to writing and editing full time. I anticipate being able to put out twice as many books in 2016. (I’ll have another novel in the Boys of Syracuse, Kansas, series released come February!)

When Collin came home in October, Christopher moved out and we shook up the interior of the house. We moved our bedroom into the spare room, and I now have a “Writing Cave” (Collin calls it a Diva Den) in the master suite. I’m sitting in it now, enjoying the comfort and the view out the window. It’s a place to escape any hubbub in the rest of the house, because...

The end of an era is nigh? Collin came home to stay at Thanksgiving, and is trying out driving log trucks for Ireland Trucking. Our long term plan has been for us to be home together, and it looks like we’re putting that in motion. Collin is looking forward to spending quality home time with me, getting to see the kids and grandkids more often, and having time to do more around the house. So far, he enjoys the challenge of driving in the woods, but he’s not yet sure if it is ‘the job’ he wants to do until retirement. He’s reserving the option of doing something different.

Chances are good, though, that the Ball & Chain will officially shut down come the first of the year. It’s been a great 8.5 year run, with plenty of ups and downs, but the industry has been changing, and we just figure it’s time to move away from being owner operators and closer to our long term goals.

We are looking forward to a new year filled with family, home time, love, and all the peace and happiness we can find. We wish the same for all of you.

Much love, Kristi & Collin 

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Christmas Sale!

Now until Christmas Day all of my books will be half off on both Smashwords and AllRomanceeBooks.com.

Just link to my books on AllRomance - the discounted price is already applied. For Smashwords, coupon codes are below.

Knight Before Dawn - When kidnap victim Cassandra Reyes meets Alaskan bush pilot Nicolas Knight, she doesn't know whether to trust him, or run like hell.
Smashwords Coupon code UZ49B
Knight Before Dawn on Smashwords

Knight Before Dawn on AllRomanceeBooks: 

Last Shot at Justice - Denver Detective Mitzi Reardon's boss is gunning for her. Literally. She has to find out why and prove she's not a murderer, all with the help of sexy cowboy Blue Thomas.
Smashwords Coupon code: AF84B
Last Shot at Justice on Smashwords

Last Shot at Justice on AllRomanceeBooks

Last Second Chance - Tim Reardon has a chance to start over in a small Kansas town, but only if his past leaves him alone.
Smashwords Coupon code: WJ54E
Last Second Chance on Smashwords

Last Second Chance on AllRomanceeBooks

Post a Comment and ask me about codes to get audiobooks for free! I have a limited number available for Last Shot at Justice and Last Second Chance.

Monday, December 14, 2015

Review of "The Wild Operatives Collection" by Vivienne Savage

The Wild Operatives Collection (on Goodreads)
A 5 Star Collection - ☻☻☻☻☻

#1 - The Right to Bear Arms
Vivienne Savage delivers my favorite shifter romance stories. Hot, sexy, and well drawn characters.

Read this and all her books. You won't be sorry.
(Or, if you are sorry, then I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do for you.)

Yeah, this is kind of a cheeky review, but what the hey. Finishing this book put me in a good mood. So read it already.

#2 - Let Us Prey
I like that Vivienne Savage's characters have problems, like Leigh, but they find people who help them by having faith in them, like Ian. I like that the men are Alphas in that they are strong and kick ass, but they aren't jerks who like to boss women around. I like that the women are stronger than they know, until their men help them realize their strength.

Let Us Prey is a story of redemption, of having faith in love and each other, loving people where they are, and fighting back against injustice in the world. Oh, and some hot, steamy sex.

I can't wait to see what the Wild Operatives have in store for the drug dealers in the town of Quickdraw. I just gobble these books up!

#3 - The Purr-fect Soldier
These books keep getting better and better. They're not deep, meaty plots that keep me guessing whether everything is going to work or okay, but this one, I like very much HOW things got resolved. There was just the right amount of angst. When the inevitable happened, and I knew it was coming, I really didn't want to see it go down--in that good dread where you know it's got to happen or it wouldn't be much of a story. Then it did, and just as I'm thinking 'there's the rest of the book blown to angst,' things changed, and took me by surprise.

The external conflict was exciting, and I won't spoil anything, so you'll just have to read and see. If you already read these books, you will love The Purr-fect Soldier. If you're new to Vivienne Savage, this is a great introduction. (You won't have had to read the others first, but it does help as many characters are repeats.)