Review of Hope Falls: If I Fall by SJ McCoy

This short novella from SJ McCoy set in the Hope Falls Kindle World is wonderful. In typical SJ fashion, her characters are honest and open, and there is little in the way of angst. Just a story of two people who find each other in a small town, away from this crazy world we live in, and they make it work.

SJ McCoy crafts stories I love to read as an escape from the world. They're light, fluffy, and steamy. Like dessert in the desert of modern times. 

Cover Reveal for Whiskey & Honey by Andrea Johnston

 

Title: Whiskey & Honey

Series: Country Road #1

Author: Andrea Johnston

Release Date: July 21, 2016

 

 

Guys have rules. Rule #1: You don't date your sister’s best friend.

Bentley Sullivan hasn't found the one. He's always been the good guy - the gentleman. With one quick, and possibly irrational, decision everything changes. After a case of mistaken identity and a drunken kiss, Ben is convinced that the one is finally right in front of him. Only, she's untouchable.

Girls have rules. Rule #1: You don't date your best friend’s brother.

Piper Lawrence has not been successful in love. Almost as quickly as she swears off men, he comes into her life. Her childhood crush and the man who has set the standards for every man she’s ever dated, he is also the one man she can’t have.

A single kiss changes it all.

 

Amazon | Goodreads

 

Andrea Johnston spent her childhood with her nose in a book and a pen to paper. An avid people watcher, her mind is full of stories that yearn to be told.  A fan of angsty romance with a happy ending, super sexy erotica and a good mystery, Andrea can always be found with her Kindle nearby fully charged.

Andrea lives in Idaho with her family and two dogs.  When she isn’t spending time with her partner in crime aka her husband, she can be found binge watching all things Bravo and enjoying a cocktail. Nothing makes her happier than the laughter of her children, a good book, her feet in the water, and cocktail in hand all at the same time.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

 

Review of A Stranger on My Land by Sandra Merville Hart

I enjoyed this sweet, clean historical romance. The characters were well drawn, if a tad simple (as opposed to complex) and the historical descriptions rang true--although I had to suspend my disbelief when it came to the animals in the cave. Very well written, too. A good way to spend a couple hours.

(Only $1.99 for Kindle edition.)

Review of The Flame and the Arrow by Emigh Cannaday

I'm going to have to stop trying to write reviews on my tablet.  Lost another one.

I'll sum up what I said. First, I'm not putting on a star rating because this read to me like a New Adult novel and I've come to realize that I am not a fan of New Adult. That is not the fault of this novel - but because I didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't be able to give it more than 3 stars. 

I was approached by the author and given a copy for an honest review - and I only hope I gave her my standard spiel about honest being honest, and she might not like what I have to say. In future, I will be sure to pass on any New Adult novels that come my way, as I can't think of one I've read that I really enjoyed. So, that is why I'm not rating it. 

It should be right up my alley, with an epic journey, magic, elves, and a battle to reopen the portals between worlds so our heroine can go home. And those elements are what would get the three stars from me. Minor errors aside, there isn't much wrong with the book, other than being a genre that is not one I enjoy. 

Why do I say it's New Adult? Because the focus is on the roller coaster, hot and cold romance between Talvi and Annika, and planning for parties, and parties, and bar hopping, and cooking - all things I found very dull, and I wish I had skipped through them. Oh, and chapter after chapter about helping the troll family behave, in order to get the troll Dad to come with them on their journey, only to have him play such a very small part in the final battle.

That being said, if you like New Adult stories, I'm sure you'll like this tale. However, if New Adult is not your thing, you might want to give this one a pass.

Review of Beau - Remington Ranch #4, by SJ McCoy

Well, I wrote a wonderful review, and then didn't save it before letting my phone screen dim. Lost it. So let me try to reconstruct the brilliance of what I said. (What? There's no proof it wasn't brilliant!)

I love redemption stories, and while Beau's story is not a conventional redemption story, I loved it all the same. Beau is the black sheep of the Remington family. Typical man fashion, he has never really analyzed why until his brothers started settling down with their soul mates, and he started to reconnect with them, all the while wondering why he'd drifted away in the first place. I love it that he was able to do the soul-searching needed to mend the fences.

I saw by the end of Carter's book that little Miss Ruby was going to be Beau's cross to bear, so to speak, and I am right there with him with him when it comes to kids - I felt his discomfort as if it was my own. I do love how he came to grips with how to "deal" with the little "monster" for the sake of her fantastic mother.

Corinne is, I think, one of my favorites of the Remington Ranch crew. She is grounded, honest, and self-sacrificing for her kid - while still allowing herself to acknowledge how much she wishes she could just be selfish for a while. She always puts Ruby first, and she is raising a strong woman who is going to be a handful her whole life - but just like her daughter, knowing Corinne and appreciating who she fully is, will make for the most rewarding of relationships.

Ruby was so well drawn that I could totally picture her in every scene she was in - she really stole the show in a way that even an old childless codger like me could adore. (Hey, I can deal with the kiddies, as long as I don't have to be around them more than an hour or so.)

I was rather surprised that there was no mention of birth control once the sex started happening, so I wonder if there won't be another kid in Beau's future sooner rather than later.

I do believe that Beau is my favorite Remington brother - in part because I could relate so well to him, and I totally admire the kind of growth he had to initiate to take his story to completion. Yes, this is definitely by favorite Remington Ranch novel.

It is important to note that these books are not what you'd call heavy reads. They are light, fluffy, and sweet. I don't read SJ McCoy for angst or suspense or action - although one recurring a$$hat took a surprising turn that I'm sure we'll see more about in Chance's books - no, I read her because it is a great escape from just those things. The characters grow emotionally, so I wouldn't say there's zero drama, but they aren't facing much in the way of outside obstacles. They each have to face their inner demons in order to reach their happy place of connection with their chosen beloved. In this way, Beau is another sweet and steamy read knocked out of the park by SJ McCoy!

Review of Across Our Stars: Victor, by A. Payne & N.D. Taylor

I enjoyed this story. It took a while to determine where things were going, but the setup/world building is important to the series I'm sure. There is mystery at first in what is happening, and then in who is perpetrating the crimes against whole colonies. To me, it is very realistic, as in life we don't always get all the facts at once, so we don't always know that there is danger, much less that it is headed our way. Because the POV is mostly with our heroes, we learn as they do that all is not well Across Our Stars.

I like Victor and especially Zoe. They are definitely heroes, and they do seem to belong together. Their romance is sweet and gets a bit steamy, but it is not the primary focus of this story. When the action really picks up after the halfway mark, be prepared to hold onto your seat!

The ancillary characters are well developed, too. I felt like I really got to know the crew, and that they weren't all simply cardboard cutouts just there for window dressing. I felt like the Jemison could be a proper starship, run by capable and quirky crew.

Best of all, for me anyway, is that I didn't feel like I needed to be a rocket scientist just to read this. Frankly, I started drifting away from Sci-Fi when it became so technical that I had to skip whole paragraphs and sometimes scenes because I don't CARE about the Kelvins produced in a dwarf star, or whatever. If a reader likes that much detail, they might consider Across Our Stars a bit fluffy, but this hearkens back to my favorite character driven Sci-Fi novels, like John Varley's Steel Beach.

I am definitely interested in reading the next story, as Hamish will have quite a story to tell after all he's been through. 

     

Interview with Contemporary YA and PNR author Carrigan Richards

Today we’re sharing our interview with Carrigan Richards, author of YA Contemporary Paranormal Romance and Psychological Romance. I just spent several hours getting to know her via Facebook chats and over at the Beach Reads Bonanza, which has been so fun. She is a great human being, and was kind enough to answer some interview questions for me.

Kristi Cramer Books: Thanks for joining me, Carrigan! Tell us about you in a nutshell. What makes you tick as a writer?

Carrigan Richards: I’m a Southern girl who loves to read, write, garden, listen to music, hang out with family, play with my furbabies, and eat, particularly cheese. I love creating worlds, people, events. I watch people (even though I’m sure they think it’s creepy). I read stories and empathize with people and when I try to imagine myself in their shoes, I get stories brewing. I try to take what they experience and put it into words for others. I also use real life experiences. As for my paranormal series, while most of it is fantasy, I do include real-life elements. I try to make the stories as realistic as possible.

KCB: What pets do you have?

CR: 4 dogs: Marley (German Shepherd), Elsa (Collie/Shepherd mix), Eli (lab/boxer mix), Beckett (Pit/lab mix)

KCB: Which is your favorite?

CR: I love them all, but honestly, I have to say Eli, since he was mine before I met my husband. He’s my baby and even though he’s rather skittish, he’s always there to comfort me.

KCB: If you could have any pet on the planet, which would you have? 

CR: Well, since I have dogs, I’d say panda. They’re so cute and cuddly. They’d have to be well trained not to eat me though. Or I’d have a gorilla.

KCB: What inspires you to write strong female characters? 

CR: The fact that I am one, and that I want others to be inspired by a strong female voice. They’re becoming more and more popular, but there could be more. I want women to know their strength and to know it’s okay to be strong and independent.

KCB: What is your favorite season – why? 

CR: Because I’m a weirdo, I love all seasons equally. Winter for some reason makes me reflect and it also means family time for me. I spend more time inside, so I’m writing more. Spring because it’s beautiful. I love the warmth, the fresh flowers, and the sense of renewing. Summer because longer days. Hanging out more outside and enjoying the sunshine. Fall for its beauty, the foliage and the crisp fall air with the gorgeous blue skies.

KCB: How many books have you written? 

CR: I have written a total of twelve books, most of them are YA, but I have a detective series I wrote a while ago.

KCB: How many have you published? In what genres? 

CR: I have published 6 books and 1 novella. All are young adult.

KCB: Do you have any favorite elements you like to put in your books? How do you come up with the ideas? 

CR: I love astronomy and celestial themes. I included these pretty heavily in my paranormal series and a little in my contemporary. I also like to push my characters as far as they’ll go. As for ideas…this is sometimes a hard question for me to answer. Sometimes I really don’t know where they come from. I get a lot of inspiration from reading, music, TV, movies, real life. As for Pieces of Me, my contemporary, psychological romance, the idea came to me after reading several psychological books. I also studied psychology and am fascinated with how humans react to events and what makes them do what they do. As for the Elemental Enchanters Series, I have always been fascinated with witches, magic, super powers, so I combined all of them to make the series. It’s kinda like X-Men meets The Craft..haha.

KCB: If you could take one of your characters with you to a nice night out, say dinner and a movie, which one would it be? Where would you eat, and what movie would you see? 

CR: Gabriel. Hands down. Well, because he’s such a gentleman and takes care of his woman, we would go to a fancy Italian restaurant, since that’s my favorite. He’d have something fancy because he has rich tastes, but I would go with the old standard: chicken parmesan. We would go see an action movie – along the super hero lines. Because those are one of my favorites and I wouldn’t want to torture him through a romance. J

KCB: For someone who is new to your work, where should they start? 

CR: If they want adventure, action, romance, I’d start with Under a Blood Moon. I love the series and I’m so proud of it. If they want something  emotional that will make them cry, Pieces of Me.

Thanks so much for joining us today! Isn't she fun? Be sure to check out her stalker links, and order one or more of her books today. 

Stalker links:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/authorcarriganrichards

TWITTER: @carrigan34

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Carrigan-Richards/e/B00EDLIKRM

INSTAGRAM: @authorcarriganrichards

WEBSITE: https://carriganrichards.com/

Books by Carrigan Richards:

Elemental Enchanters Series:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B012XYQ08G

Pieces of Me: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EDCELY2

January Dreams: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018W2DX7E

Review of The Dawn's Early Light by Lee Duffy

This took a long while to get rolling, but once it did, wow.

All the set up was necessary to understand the final action, and was interesting from a very clinical point of view. I'm used to more emotion in the books I read, but obviously for this genre you just can't. Not for every character. I did, however, tear up at the end for something that happened to Mike, and I was definitely on edge for the climax of the story.

This is not my usual genre, so I don't know how it compares to other books, but I can say I enjoyed this one quite a lot.

There were a few technical errors in the text that I couldn't help but flag, but none that really grabbed me and took me too far out of the story.

Well done, Lee Duffy.

Review of Fade to Black by Jax Newman

I'm on the fence about rating this book. I think I'm settling on 3.5 stars. Just a hair over "liked it".

Now, I understand there is a re-edited edition out there. Apparently the wrong file got uploaded...and things like this happen, so my rating isn't really based on the "errors factor."

I didn't really get into the book until about the halfway point. Once the two of them actually met (around the 1/4 mark) it started to get interesting, and once they got back to America, things really started picking up. Some of the plot points (no spoilers!) helped explain why so much time was spent on developing Freya's relationship with her friends in the beginning.

I thought Tristan was nearly too-good-to-be-true - but I like that in a hero. He was a tortured soul, good looking, and quite sensitive. Much better than an alpha-asshole. I wondered why he couldn't have just talked about why he'd gone into hiding sooner, once he and Freya hit it off, and then when we got to the little twist at the end, I understood a little better. (A twist I didn't see coming at all, btw - and that's not easy to do!)

I liked Freya, mostly. She's sarcastic, just feisty enough, and not a complete drama queen. She was a good friend, and loyal.

I guess my biggest issue with the story was the narrative style. Errors aside, it was just so much telling rather than showing. I couldn't really connect with the characters because the writing created this distance I couldn't bridge - especially in the beginning. So much time was taken detailing the minutia of Freya's life that I was mostly bored until she actually met up with Tristan. I think at least half of that could have been cut, while still revealing the tedium of her job, the closeness with her friends, and the challenge of her assignment. Then we would have gotten them together much sooner, and gotten to the meat of the story that much sooner.

Speaking of her assignment... I thought the reasons Freya got assigned to look for Tristan were pretty weak. Surely a big record label would hire a Private Investigator to find someone who'd been missing for 4 years, rather than a promotions director, or whatever the heck Rebecca was supposed to be. I buy that a character like Rebecca would pass off a shitty job to a detested underling, but if the deal was so important, why wouldn't they hire a professional? Of course, there wouldn't have been a story if they'd done that - unless Freya was the PI - but therein lies the rub.

Certain other plot devices (that I won't tell, to avoid spoilers) felt like plot devices, and that's a problem. All stories have them - things that really add up to coincidences but are required in order to have a story. But it shouldn't pop you out of the story because it feels like a plot device. It's a fine line to walk, and I think it comes back to the telling rather than showing. Oh, and Tristan's ex's name? That was super hard to take serious. I mean, Rosie Palmer, really?

In all, I think it was a decent first effort. I hope some of the problems I mentioned - which I consider more than just the typos, missing words, and wrong word choices - were corrected in the re-edited version. I confess I'm curious as to Logan's story, and I assume that will be another book in the series. I'll be keeping an eye out for future books. 

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Tour Part Two - To Make a King - Release date July 10, 2016

Title: To Make a King
Author: Kristi L. Cramer
Genre: Young Adult Historical Fantasy
Release Date: July 10, 2016

Blurb

Five years have passed since Sebastian learned of his birthright as a true prince of the Bonnie Isles. Now the king is dead, but Sebastian isn’t ready to wear his father’s crown. His whole world crumbles around him while every eligible woman in the kingdom competes for the crown prince’s attention, driving him to distraction.

Mari of Dewbury is the youngest daughter of a baron from the smallest estate in the kingdom. Between her mother and elder sister’s scheming to win the future king’s heart, and the dozens of other beauties making their play, she entertains little hope of even being seen by the crown prince, much less attracting his attention. She has only come to Fair Haven to pay her respects to King Isaiah, and perhaps catch a glimpse of the man destined to become king, but a chance encounter changes everything.

Unseen forces use dark magic to undermine Sebastian’s succession, and Edward is encouraged to take action against his half-brother in a plot to usurp the crown. Before the sun sets on coronation day, brother will face brother and swords will be bared. Will royal blood be spilled and evil reign in the Bonnie Isles? Or will love truly conquer all?

Excerpt

   Mari felt invisible, as usual. No one had spoken two words to her all night. Only the servants seemed to notice her at all. Though she hated to admit it, she feared her mother had been right: her presence was a waste of time and the money she had been saving for years.

   All to pay her respects to a king who had never seen her and a chance to meet the man who was to be crowned in a week’s time—along with at least a dozen other young women, including her older sister, Rochelle, who had the same general idea.

   Indeed, the king’s wake had something of a circus air: all the gaily festive colors on gowns, ribbons in hair, and jewelry could belong to clowns or players. Mari nearly felt out of place in her simple, somber grey dress. But even if she owned a costume to rival those of the other ladies competing for the heir’s notice, Mari could not see herself dressing for a wake as though it were a carnival.

   She had found herself standing near the door all night, unable to fit in with the prince’s unabashed suitors, both visually and ethically. But dressed as she was, she apparently blended into the tapestries, despite the strands of red hair escaping her black mourning coif.

   From her position, she had watched Prince Sebastian slip away from the riot of what should be a thoughtful evening of reflection. She considered following, though even if she had gotten her nerve up, the guard at the door had no doubt been instructed to keep the prince’s privacy. And so, she had waited all night, watching for his return.

   It was morning now. Shafts of sunlight sprayed through the chapel’s stained glass windows to paint the room in ever more garish colors. Mari wished the whole thing would get over with. Her feet hurt, her head hurt, and she felt foolish for having spent all her money traveling to court for a lost cause.

   Prince Sebastian could pick from the flower of the Bonnie Isle’s beauties: small chance of recognition for Lady Mari, the youngest daughter of Baron Tidwell, lord of the smallest holding in the kingdom.

   “Not exactly what one would envision, is it?” a man said from close by her side. Mari turned in surprise to find Lord Wingfield.  She curtsied, and he bowed in return, smiling at her. “I rather hoped our prince would be allowed to mourn his father properly. Instead, this, and he is driven from his own chapel.”

   “Indeed, Lord Wingfield. I almost expect tumblers to come through.” Realizing what she had just implied, Mari felt herself blushing furiously.

   The young lord smiled and leaned in close. “Don’t worry, Lady Mari, I feel the same way. It seems you are the only one who cares to show proper respect to our late king.”

   “Oh, no, sir. I see plenty—”
   “Let me amend that. I should have said the only young lady....”

   Mari could think of no response, and knew she was blushing again. “He was a great king,” she fumbled out at last.

   “Indeed.” Lord Wingfield smiled at her, but she saw sadness behind his eyes.

   Mari had known Adam Wingfield since childhood, as the Greyloch Estate bordered her father’s own small estate of Dewbury. In those years, he had grown from the impish neighbor boy into the dashing son of a duke, older and wiser in the ways of the world.

   He had always been kind to her. Once, she had dared to hope if her sister won his heart—which had always been their parent’s dream—she would have in him a fine brother who would care for his spinster sister-in-law. Having always been told she had no prospects for marriage, she could hope for nothing better. But he had gone away to Fair Haven to learn the art of war, and had captured and been captured by the heart of Princess Aslynn.

   “Ah, look,” Lord Wingfield said. “Here comes Prince Sebastian and my wife now. May I present you?”

   “Oh no, I couldn’t...,” she began, but his hand was at her elbow, guiding her toward where he stood in the doorway with his twin sister, talking quietly. Not everyone had noticed the Prince’s return, but Lord Wingfield guided her up and bowed low. Without looking up, Mari curtsied deeply.

   “Your Highness, may I present Lady Mari of Dewbury, daughter of Baron Tidwell.”

###

The first few chapters of To Make a King are up on Goodreads and Wattpad. I'm releasing one chapter a week until it's published - so head over and check it out to see why you want to pre-order this second installment.

Buy the Kindle or Borrow from Kindle Unlimited

To Make a King is also available on Kristi's website in Mobi, ePub or PDF for discounted prices. Otherwise, it's only available on Amazon at this time, which means it is/will be on Kindle Unlimited for the first 90 days of publication. After that it will go to all markets. The price will go up to $1.99 after it's released, so get it at the low pre-order price of 99¢ now.

About the Author

Kristi doesn't know how she got old enough to say she's been writing for three and a half decades. Her Young Adult books are exciting adventures that always include wholesome life lessons. She also writes Adult Suspense with a Dash of Romance, most of which are considered "clean" - especially by today's standards.

Stalker Links

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