Review of Fletcher, by AJ Adams

I'm thrilled with this installment of AJ Adam's Prydain novels. Fletcher is witty, dark, sexy, riveting and just all around fantastic. Ms. Adams gets the mix just right in this twisted tale of one man's quest for revenge and one woman's quest for freedom.

Lind is a terrible thrall, and I totally believed her character, from her foul mouth to the way she's developed means to deal with a master's right to use his thrall in any way he chooses. She totally blindsides Ware, until he doesn't know she has him wrapped around her little finger. The Master Fletcher's story is heartbreaking, and I could totally root for him to get revenge for the personal devastation he experienced. Despite his quest, he has a heart of gold, and his character growth throughout the book is refreshing to see. The story unabashedly deals head on with issues of social justice ranging from slavery to sexual abuse to caste prejudices and greed. It covered a lot of ground, but I never felt like I was attending a lecture.

In short, from start to finish, Fletcher had me enthralled. If you don't mind a darkish tale that is oddly infused with a flare of light and hope, and aren't put off by sexual content that is at times dubious consent, and some quite inventive profanity, then you will enjoy Fletcher. R rated for profanity and sexual content.

Review of Old Dog, New Tricks by Vivienne Savage

This is my new favorite Wild Operatives book - I love a good redemption story, and Lyle is very deserving of his own happy ending. You don't have to have read any of the other books in the series, but it helps to get a bead on some of the other characters in the town of Quickdraw.

There is a great plot here, with new starts and second chances, promises kept and boundaries crossed in the name of love. It is fun to see Lyle develop into a sexy beast when his character before was anything but - and his transformation was (for me, anyway) totally believable. I had always loved and admired his loyalty even as a dirtbag criminal, and I love that Vivienne decided to give him his own book. Dr. Julia is a no nonsense genius. She knows what she wants, from creating cutting edge artificial limbs to giving in to temptation with her patient. Their struggle to reconcile their romance across the wrong side of the tracks is sweet to witness.

As always, the characters are well drawn, the plot engaging, and the happy-ever-after is sweet. If you like a sweet but super sexy paranormal romance, you'll love Old Dog, New Tricks. I'd give it an R rating for sexual situations and some profanity.

Insta-Freebie Giveaway - Get 11 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Books FREE while the promo lasts

11 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Books for F R E E

I teamed up with 10 other great authors to giveaway 11 free ebooks in the Fantasy & Sci-Fi genre. These books are suitable for ages 14-114.
Click the link, then download any and all book(s) you want.GET BOOKS
This is your chance to learn about authors who may be new to you, by getting their books for F R E E!

The Treemakers by Christina L. Rozelle

The Weeds Within the Rulership by Emily Martha Sorensen

Feyland by Anthea Sharp

Soul Survivor by Susan Faw

Feral by Laxmi Hariharan

A Mortal Song by Megan Crewe

The Ex-Pacifist by Sarah K. L. Wilson

Whisper Gatherers by Nicola McDonagh

A Cornonation of Kings by S. C. Stokes

The Last Seeker by Fleur Camacho

and if you haven't already downloaded it,

A True Prince by Kristi L. Cramer

In other news:

I'm going to reboot my Suspense series with new covers and blurbs in an effort to be more clear about what kind of books they are.

"What are they?" you ask. They are edge of your seat Suspense books featuring characters connected to the town of Syracuse, Kansas.

There is a dash of romance, but action is the focus.

(They are also "clean" - suitable for readers as young as 16.)

So, stay tuned for more information as the revelation of new covers get closer.

Or, take a peek at my website to learn more about them now.

http://www.kristicramerbooks.com/boys-of-syracuse

Review of The Last Seeker by Fleur Camacho

An interesting read. I loved the characterization of the kids in this book. Tristen as the klutzy, awkward teen who has trouble focusing on what he's "supposed" to be focusing on, and who is dealing with a lot of trauma in his home life. Ailey is a sweetheart, as is her boyfriend Brooks, for befriending Tristen and treating him well despite his awkwardness. I thought Isolda was a typical teenage princess, impatient and confused by Tristen's waffling. The time travel was cool , and I liked seeing An interesting read. I loved the characterization of the kids in this book. Tristen as the klutzy, awkward teen who has trouble focusing on what he's "supposed" to be focusing on, and who is dealing with a lot of trauma in his home life. Ailey is a sweetheart, as is her boyfriend Brooks, for befriending Tristen and treating him well despite his awkwardness. I thought Isolda was a typical teenage princess, impatient and confused by Tristen's waffling. The time travel was cool , and I liked seeing the trio work together to adjust and make themselves useful. Without giving anything more away, I thought things progressed well to the resolution - such as it was. This is definitely a first installment of a serialized story, so there are things that are not resolved in this book. But I'd say the main arc of this story is complete, and there is enough left open to interest a reader in coming back for the next installment. What I didn't like: a little too much time spent on the angsty teenager stuff for my taste. It is character building, but it just goes on a bit too long. I also didn't get a good sense of how much time was passing after they return to the "present" and some family drama happens that causes Tristen to withdraw from his friends. It read like months and months pass, but I got the impression it was maybe a couple weeks, really? Not clear, and I found that distracting. The other thing may yet come into play in future books, but I kept expecting some reference to the original Tristan and Isolde - like maybe their souls were tied to the ancient lovers or something. I found it a bit distracting that no one even acknowledged that their names mirrored those of the storied lovers. It's a small quibble, but I can't help thinking their names are not an accident, and I kept waiting for that confirmation. Finally, the writing was a tad stilted in places. Quite engaging overall, and I was definitely drawn into the story, but in some places the writing just banged out with little grace. Not like there were tons of errors - in fact I only marked a few - it mostly gave the impression that the author might not be a native English speaker. It was just a little distracting in places. I believe I will seek out (pun intended) the second book in the series. This one was definitely worth my time. I would give it a PG-13 rating for (mostly) implied violence, and dramatic treatment of battles.

Review of Curses, by Calvin Dean

Lovable retiree seeks girlfriend with a pulse. Fun ensues.

What a funny little story. Gets total props for originality in my book. It's like Inspector Cluseau or Barney Fife meets the Ghost Whisperer. Martin is a retiree with a haunting problem, and he is bound and determined to deal with it...as long as his girlfriend - the living and breathing one, anyway - doesn't have him committed first.

I found the story to be more of a comedy, although there were a couple eerie scenes, and even some touching scenes. Martin's bumbling efforts to conceal his "it's complicated" status from his neighbor (who he just so happens to believe is the love of his life) are enjoyably comical. I got the greatest visual of the man going about his days, dealing with some truly trying ghosts.

Not sure how you would categorize Curses. Maybe a cozy horror mystery? It was a definite fun break, for Halloween or any time. 

Review of Casting the First Stone by Lisa Lawmaster Hess

I won this is in a Facebook giveaway, and while it is not something I would necessarily choose to read, I thoroughly enjoyed Casting the First Stone.

It's a bit uncomfortable in the beginning, because the reader is a fly on the wall during a custody mediation that doesn't go well, and those kinds of confrontations always distress me. But the story is so compelling and well written that I was hooked. Usually I like lots of action and suspense in my reads, but despite this being "tame" by my "usual" standards, I was held in suspense wondering how it was all going to work out. 

The characters were well drawn and believable, and the conflict so well depicted, I felt fully invested in seeing things work out for these two disparate women, and for Charli, the "prize" they all were fighting for.  I found Angel to be sweet and brave, and Marita to be charming. Charli was perfect as the tween just starting to stretch her wings of rebellion. I though Jim was a jerk, and I hoped fervently that he would figure things out without hurting those around him too much.

Finally, I'm not a big fan of being preached at in books, and while the theme of church and faith was strong, it was deftly handled so that I never once felt like this was a lecture disguised as a novel. Very well done.

If you enjoy a clean, character driven read with just the right amount of angst and interpersonal struggle, you'll enjoy Casting the First Stone.

Pieces of Me by Carrigan Richards is having a FREE day! Get your copy today!

Pieces of Me is FREE today!

Pieces of Me Synopsis: One second. 

Seventeen-year-old Corinne has everything. Her life. Family. Friends. Boyfriend. But in that one second, she loses it all. Now she’s left with harrowing nightmares. Hallucinations. And panic attacks that seem to come out of nowhere. She tries everything to take the pain away, but there’s only one option she sees as a true way out.

When Corinne is sent to live in a psychiatric institution, she doesn’t want to talk. It’s pointless. They can’t help her. But slowly Corinne opens up and wants to remember what it’s like to be happy so she begins reliving her past life to her doctor. She knows she can’t live in the past, but she sees no future and is faced with the hardest decision of her life.

Find My review of Pieces of Me here on the Bounded in a Nutshell blog.

Author Bio: Carrigan was born in Cullman, Alabama, but grew up in Birmingham, and moved to Atlanta at 18. She earned her BA in English at Kennesaw State University. For as long as she can remember, she was always making up stories and characters inside her head, sometimes using her dolls to act out the scenes.

When she's not writing (which is rare), she's spending time with her husband, family, and friends, listening to music, playing with her four furbabies, or cheering on her Atlanta Braves.

Pieces of Me on Amazon  

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