tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65006392086975857362024-02-20T05:38:28.170-08:00Bounded In A NutshellAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-17934973112973825272017-03-13T21:08:00.000-07:002017-03-13T21:08:51.430-07:00New Release by AJ Adams - The Beast and the Sibyl<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5XJUa5TFJCxR0_uIA06SrylMAc0swcHII56S7WYIKBG-10mk_aVVh2X2VpowdMf4RAboUYGRfIVNMKLdyx6NuX9Oev_mAh3ZOSk1DAI4d1Argv1uzmOVSAk0EPuM2mFO8mXDjv_Pwjo/s1600/The+Beast+and+the+Sibyl+by+AJ+Adams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5XJUa5TFJCxR0_uIA06SrylMAc0swcHII56S7WYIKBG-10mk_aVVh2X2VpowdMf4RAboUYGRfIVNMKLdyx6NuX9Oev_mAh3ZOSk1DAI4d1Argv1uzmOVSAk0EPuM2mFO8mXDjv_Pwjo/s320/The+Beast+and+the+Sibyl+by+AJ+Adams.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">The Beast and The Sibyl</span><br />
<br />
By AJ Adams<br />
<br />
$3.99 <br />
<br />
<a href="https://books2read.com/u/bxgyQP" target="_blank">Universal Sales Link To Amazon, B&N etc</a>.<br />
<br />
75,000 words<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The Beasts, those inked macho men from Prydain, are back! The latest <br />
novel follows the story of touchy, proud, bad tempered Siv and Bliss, <br />
the sexy healer who has some super special paranormal talents.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The Beast and The Sibyl is a paranormal romance, and although there are cameos from characters in Beast, it can easily be read as a standalone.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Teasers</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Bliss, standing up for herself...</span></div>
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4hq6GucXwkZ9gk5ci_g3kxqYLPYG_tjXMYiYIL6WpmJMRhyphenhyphenZ6IhZjOowwM84fw45u1wDWDuL9ugYj_7GXhiflrusfiUbluO0CyGGqH0T1mY7COkLEIviGMoTMTflzI9oGQJ-lrjR-qQ0/s1600/The+Beast+and+the+Sibyl+by+AJ+Adams.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4hq6GucXwkZ9gk5ci_g3kxqYLPYG_tjXMYiYIL6WpmJMRhyphenhyphenZ6IhZjOowwM84fw45u1wDWDuL9ugYj_7GXhiflrusfiUbluO0CyGGqH0T1mY7COkLEIviGMoTMTflzI9oGQJ-lrjR-qQ0/s400/The+Beast+and+the+Sibyl+by+AJ+Adams.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The unexpected complications of mind reading....</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsoNFM1zxs3YVFyfYznG8V805nfIc2C57Lpuq9_eDyVi4ui2XyrSU8JIqbMgHl_Ujcr4pELzYE0jOnC_Bs4hJZiR_m7c2Eoio010QsAe0cVOVyIzKERm1KF-i8BHA9NaMzK36OOBm0ec/s1600/Teaser+1+The+Beast+and+the+Sibyl+by+AJ+Adams.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsoNFM1zxs3YVFyfYznG8V805nfIc2C57Lpuq9_eDyVi4ui2XyrSU8JIqbMgHl_Ujcr4pELzYE0jOnC_Bs4hJZiR_m7c2Eoio010QsAe0cVOVyIzKERm1KF-i8BHA9NaMzK36OOBm0ec/s400/Teaser+1+The+Beast+and+the+Sibyl+by+AJ+Adams.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Curious? Here's a sneak peek....</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">(Caution: contains profanity.)</span></div>
<br />
<b>Chapter Four: Siv</b><br />
<br />
They stood around me, giving me a good kicking.<br />
<br />
“Die, Beast!”<br />
<br />
I felt one of my ribs go.<br />
<br />
“Kill him!”<br />
<br />
Another went.<br />
<br />
“Let me at him!”<br />
<br />
Whoever it was, he was enthusiastic because I passed out. When I <br />
came to, I was locked up in a cage. Right, just like an animal. It was <br />
made of metal bars an inch thick. Old and rusted in places but solid. <br />
Lifting my head, I could see a large key hanging on the opposite wall. <br />
It was well out of reach. There was also the matter of the hog tie.<br />
<br />
My arms were aching, my legs were screaming, and my trashed ribs <br />
meant every breath was liquid fire. I could still feel the skin on my <br />
wrists and ankles burning with the pull of the rope, but it wouldn’t be <br />
long before I’d go numb with pain. Once that happened, I would be deader<br />
than last week’s catch.<br />
<br />
I was alone. They feared me so little that they’d not bothered to <br />
post a guard. Clearly they thought the rope and the cage would hold me. <br />
I’d show them they were wrong. I’d get out, kill every last <i>hrafnasueltir </i>and burn the place down. But how?<br />
<br />
Looking at the rusted bars gave me an idea. Rust is soft, but it <br />
leaves rough metal underneath. If I could wear down the rope on my <br />
wrists, I’d be free of the hog tie. The cage was small, and there was a <br />
rusty bar right next to me, so I only had to force myself onto my side. <br />
Once I was free, I’d use the rope to lasso the key.<br />
<br />
Right. The words were simple, but carrying out the plan was hell. I<br />
rocked up and down, forcing myself onto my broken side. Then I started <br />
sawing the cord around my wrists on the rusted bar.<br />
<br />
It was agony. Every muscle in my body was strained to screaming <br />
point, and my ribs were on fire. But I kept at it. I thought it was <br />
sweat running down my face and into my eyes; it turns out it was blood. <br />
It dripped all over the place, pooling underneath the bars laid on the <br />
stone floor.<br />
<br />
“I want a word with the Beast.” The Patriarch’s voice came floating<br />
through. “He may have information about that settlement up north.”<br />
<br />
He came in, carrying a bucket of hot coals. He set it down, closed <br />
the door and growled, “You cursed Beasts cost me a fortune!”<br />
<br />
You see, last year when we burnt down Brighthelme, we also emptied <br />
the armoury and raided the smiths’ guild. Their craftsmen are famous for<br />
their new invention, the musket, and we found out later that the <br />
Patriarch had invested heavily in their venture.<br />
<br />
By the look of him, he was still furious at his loss. The Patriarch<br />
rolled up his sleeves, picked up tongs and selected a coal. It flared <br />
red in the draft of the window. “You’re going to pay!”<br />
<br />
So much for wanting to talk to me. He didn’t even ask me what our <br />
defences were. He just went for it, touching the coal to my shoulder. It<br />
burnt white hot, searing me to the bone, making me snap like a fish on <br />
the line. As one, all the smashed ribs seized as I gasped. I bit my lips<br />
till they bled but when he did it again, I couldn’t be silent; I <br />
screamed.<br />
<br />
“Feel Ullr’s wrath!” the Patriarch roared.<br />
<br />
The coal touched me again. And again. And again. I knew I had to <br />
stay conscious. I had to move through the pain. Then, when the <i>rassragr</i> left, I’d get out of the hog tie. Once I was free, I’d kill him first, and slowly.<br />
<br />
More agonising pain.<br />
<br />
“Repent, Beast!”<br />
<br />
“Go suck Odin’s spear!”<br />
<br />
I think I said it, or maybe it was just a thought. I fought him but<br />
I couldn’t breathe. As the world went black, my last thought was that <br />
I’d failed. Again.<br />
<br />
“Fucking bastard! Poxy whoreson!”<br />
<br />
I opened my eyes. The room swam around me. I blinked, an effort of <br />
pure will, and it settled. The cage was open. The window was wide, too, <br />
allowing in a blast of cold air. I could smell the sea. Freedom was so <br />
close but I’d never reach it. The thought made me furious.<br />
<br />
“May the Lady shove her wand up his arse!”<br />
<br />
It was her. The ice-haired wolf maiden. Except she swore like a <br />
drunken Llanfaes mercenary. She didn’t like me much by the sound of it. <br />
Still, being a whoreson and a bastard is better than being called an <br />
animal.<br />
<br />
I thought the treacherous bitch had come to gloat, but then she was<br />
kneeling next to me. “May Ullr the glorious one give him boils!” She <br />
was spitting mad, but not at me. “He’s made a right mess out of you, <br />
hasn’t he?”<br />
<br />
So she was raging at the Patriarch. But why was she here?<br />
<br />
She was examining me, the blue eyes glowing as they looked into <br />
mine. She touched me, just a hand in my hair, and then I was floating.<br />
<br />
<i><span lang="EN-GB">I rubbed the rope against the rusted bars beneath me, used it as a lasso to pluck the key off the wall, and then I was out.</span></i><br />
<br />
The vision flickered and died. I was gazing into those swirling <br />
eyes again. She smelled of the forest, clean, cool, and fresh, delicious<br />
but without warmth.<br />
<br />
“Freyja’s sweet will be done,” she whispered. “You are a tough son <br />
of a bitch, aren’t you?” She took out a little bottle and then stilled. <br />
Her eyes were locked on mine, wild as the summer skies. I was floating, <br />
lost in them, but then she sighed, bumping me back to earth. “So much <br />
for best plans. I’m getting you out of here.”<br />
<br />
A rescue? So she wasn’t a traitor after all! I tried to speak, but I was beyond words.<br />
<br />
She put the bottle at my lips. “This should help. Just a tiny sip, though.”<br />
<br />
It smelled of fields, and it tasted like piss. Sharp and sour, it <br />
ran down my throat. Before I could protest, I’d swallowed.<br />
<br />
“There.” She tucked the bottle into her skirts. “You’ll feel better soon.”<br />
<br />
I couldn’t feel my body. There was no pain, no sensation at all.<br />
<br />
She pulled out a knife, the blade shining sharply. It swept out of <br />
my sight, over my back. “I’ve cut the rope,” she said. “I’m going to <br />
pick you up, okay?”<br />
<br />
She was clearly delirious. There’s no way a woman can lift a full-grown man.<br />
<br />
“It’s going to hurt, but you must keep quiet. Your life depends on it.”<br />
<br />
I don’t know how she did it, but one second I was lying on the <br />
rusted bars and the next I was rising in the air. She’d hauled me up <br />
over her shoulder. I was dangling uselessly, looking down at her arse. <br />
It looked pretty good. Firm yet rich.<br />
<br />
I must have growled appreciatively because she shushed me, adding, “Quiet now, Beast.”<br />
<br />
The bitch! Calling me a Beast! I was fuming, but at that moment a <br />
ripple of fire ran through me. After hours of the hog tie, my tortured <br />
muscles were knotting. It was like being burned all over again. I wanted<br />
to scream like a weak-willed girl. Instead, I buried my face in her <br />
hair. It was soft, silky, and smelled of flowers. It was comforting, but<br />
it was also damn infuriating. Being powerless was killing me.<br />
<br />
“Come on. We’re almost home free.”<br />
<br />
We were out of the cage, and then she was lowering me out the window and into a small cart. “Wait a moment.”<br />
<br />
As if I could do anything else. I was as useless as a barren mare. Even twitching a finger raised waves of agony.<br />
<br />
As I bit my lip, I heard small sounds coming from inside. A door <br />
closing. A lock scraping. Then she was climbing out the window and <br />
closing it.<br />
<br />
“I locked the cage and put the key back. That should fix them.” She<br />
took one look at me and frowned. “Poor Beast. You’re a sorry sight, <br />
aren’t you?”<br />
<br />
She patted me on the head, as if I were a damn animal, and before I<br />
could tell her to stop it, we were on the move. We trundled past a <br />
snoring guard and through the village. Not a soul stirred. It was as if <br />
there were a spell on the place.<br />
<br />
The wolf appeared out of the shadows, padding silently beside us. <br />
It was so unreal that I wondered if I were seeing things, the way I had <br />
when I was floating in the ocean. Except that had been comforting, while<br />
this was filled with pain. The feeling was flooding back in agonising <br />
waves. I didn’t let a sound escape me, but she knew.<br />
<br />
“Have another sip.”<br />
<br />
More of the foul stuff went down my throat. It hit my guts, burning<br />
briefly in foulness. I wanted to protest, but then the foulness <br />
dissolved into a warm glow. It suffused me, wiping out the pain.<br />
<br />
The blue eyes were gazing into mine. “Good. It’s working.” She put a<br />
gentle hand through my hair again. “Let it do its stuff, Beast. In a <br />
few minutes, you’ll feel better.”<br />
<br />
I was sinking into a cloud of warmth, so delicious that it softened<br />
even the insult. She was Eid, the Valkyrie famed for her healing <br />
skill.<br />
<br />
As we moved on again, I faded into a half dream, watching the <br />
village houses go by, dissolving into a country lane, then fields. We <br />
went through them, into the velvet night and into the forest beyond. <br />
There was no path but she went straight through the trees. I was in and <br />
out of it, finally coming to as the wood opened up into a meadow. In the<br />
light of the moon, I saw a hunting lodge and stables. I could hear a <br />
brook babbling nearby.<br />
<br />
“Home.” She didn’t seem too pleased about it. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”<br />
<br />
She dumped me on the grass, sweet and fresh smelling, stripped off <br />
my leathers, stiff with salt where they weren’t ripped, and then she <br />
poured bucket after bucket of water over me. She was right, all the muck<br />
of the sea and that cursed village was washed clean away. I was feeling<br />
better just being clean again.<br />
<br />
“Up and inside now.”<br />
<br />
She gripped me by the upper arm, and then I was up on my feet. Kind<br />
of. Truth be, she carried me into the house. She had some evil habits, <br />
but this was a strong woman. While I resented her for it, I was secretly<br />
grateful.<br />
<br />
The house was as unusual as the ice maiden. From the outside, it <br />
looked like a hunting lodge like the ones owned by Prydain nobles, but <br />
it was furnished like a farmhouse. There was a plain wooden table, big <br />
sofas marked by clumps of wolf fur, and the walls were lined with <br />
shelves crammed with glass jars and bottles. Herbs hung from the rafters<br />
in bunches, and there was a cauldron hanging over a low fire.<br />
<br />
“Soup should be done.” She piled me onto a large chair. “Food first. We’ll fix you up after.”<br />
<br />
I hadn’t realised I was starving, but the scent of onions, carrots <br />
and meat made my stomach growl. When she put a bowl to my lips, I was <br />
gulping it down. The wolf was watching me, sitting on the rug by the <br />
hearth. It had a look in its eye that told me I was eating its supper.<br />
<br />
“You’re black and blue.” She was looking me over. “I need to see <br />
how bad this is.” Her eyes were glowing, shimmering like the summer sky.<br />
“It may hurt.”<br />
<br />
The second she touched my side, the vision of the gentle Eid faded. I hissed at the fire her touch set off.<br />
<br />
“You’ll have to suffer.” She was completely matter-of-fact. “I need to know what we’re dealing with.”<br />
<br />
She went over every inch of me, poking and prying mercilessly. It shouldn’t have bothered me, in fact, I should have been grateful, but it was damn humiliating. I didn’t get why until she casually rolled me onto my side and put her hand on my balls.<br />
<br />
The goddamn cheek of her! Prodding me as if I were a steer at market! Humiliation swept through me. I wanted to yell at her, but all that came out was a low growl.<br />
<br />
“Stop grumbling,” she snapped. “I’m just looking!” The eyes were mocking. “Don’t be shy, Beast, I’ve seen it all before.”<br />
<br />
As the degrading examination continued I stayed determinedly silent. I’m a warrior. A disrespectful bloody woman feeling me up is something I can deal with easily. Except that I wanted to kill her.<br />
<br />
Eventually she was done. “Broken ribs on both sides, two broken fingers on your right hand, and the left wrist is sprained. Burns on both shoulders and the tops of your arms.” She sat back and considered. “You’re a lucky Beast. Thank the gods you wear leathers. If not, that whoreson would’ve torched your balls.”<br />
<br />
I was crossing my legs as she spoke. “Stop calling me Beast!” is what I intended to say but it came out like a snarl. The wolf was up in an instant, teeth showing and growling.<br />
<br />
“Lie down, Saga. He’s harmless.”<br />
<br />
The evil she-wolf! I wanted to slap her.<br />
<br />
She knew it, too. “Don’t you rage at me, Beast! I should’ve kept to the plan, overdosed you with poppy and left them to burn your corpse.” She got up and started messing about with a jug and bowls. “I’m too damn soft for my own good!”<br />
<br />
Right. Soft as rock. So she’d been planning to put me out of my misery. Like an animal. But my common sense kicked in and told me that despite it all, she’d intended to be merciful. Yet I couldn’t like her for it.<br />
<br />
She didn’t care what I thought, I could see that. She was totally intent on her task. The wolf was making puppy sounds now and dancing on tiptoes with excitement. “Here you go, Saga.”<br />
<br />
She put down three bowls filled with milk. I could smell it, rich and sweet. The wolf lapped it up, its eyes closed in ecstasy. I was wondering who the others were for when two cats walked in.<br />
<br />
Thule has always been too cold for them. I’d seen them in Prydain’s cities, but they were small creatures, ankle high and skittish by nature. These beasts strolling in were huge, with long fur, gigantic paws, massive pointed ears, and wide slanting eyes. I recognised them as <i>kisa</i>, the big cats that hunt in the forests.<br />
<br />
“Just in time for supper,” she said to them. “Did you have a good time in the woods?”<br />
<br />
The cats made straight for her, head-butting her knees as she rubbed their backs. It really took me aback. First the wolf and now the wildcats. This was an unusual woman.<br />
<br />
I should have been grateful, but to be completely helpless infuriated me.<br />
<br />
“Want some milk?”<br />
<br />
I’d let my feelings get the better of me and growled at her, but she’d interpreted my anger as a whine for food. Like I was as dependent as that damn wolf of hers.<br />
<br />
“Have some.” She immediately poured out a mug and put it at my lips. I should’ve refused, I wanted to, but milk is a luxury we’ve never had in Thule. When she put the cup to my mouth, its rich buttery goodness was irresistible. I gulped it down, and it was nectar.<br />
<br />
“Well, you’re clean and fed, but now we have to fix you up.” She was setting out needle, thread, bandages and splints. It looked like she knew exactly what she was doing. “We’ll set those fingers first.”<br />
<br />
I can’t remember the first time I had a bone set because we Skraeling begin scrapping as soon as we can walk. I’ve broken plenty of them since, and so I knew what to expect. It was going to hurt.<br />
<br />
“Want something to bite on?”<br />
<br />
“No.” Treating me as if I’m a cursed coward who squeals at a bit of pain!<br />
<br />
“Hmmm, so you can speak? Good.”<br />
<br />
Then she touched my hand, and all thought of snapping at her died. A broken finger or two is nothing, but setting them hurt like hell because every touch made me suck in my breath, which set off my ribs. Cleaning my face and setting my nose wasn’t great, either. By the time she was done, I was dizzy from keeping determinedly silent.<br />
<br />
“Come on, Beast. Lie flat so I fix your back.”<br />
<br />
Her words were cold and practical but her hands gentle. She flipped me over, and I was face down on the rug, being observed by the wolf and cats. We stared at each other as the witch cleaned and dressed the burns and stitched the whip cuts.<br />
<br />
“Sage and yarrow will help you heal,” she said cheerfully, “and comfrey will give those ribs a boost.”<br />
<br />
While I bit my lip and pretended it didn’t hurt, the wolf ended up lying against me, its nose by my face. It was a female wolf, and now I was in trouble, her instincts were to soothe. Women are like that. Good ones, I mean. The one that was working on me didn’t even make an attempt at nurturing. She went to work like Odin and his brothers ripping apart Ymir’s body and brain to make the world and the sky.<br />
<br />
I buried my face in the wolf’s neck, breathing in the musky scent, and held onto my pride. By the time she finished, though, all I had was silence. I couldn’t move. In fact, I was as weak as a kitten—and I don’t mean those hulking cat brutes that attended her.<br />
<br />
They were watching me with slanted green eyes, their looks as cool and measuring as hers. The wolf at least had some compassion. She was nosing my hair, her breath puffing in my ears. I’d never heard of a tame wolf before, but I decided I liked Saga.<br />
<br />
“Poor Beast.” I thought she was determined to insult me, but when I looked in her eyes and saw they were concerned, I understood that the ice maiden was trying to be kind. “Come on, let’s get you into bed.”<br />
<br />
It smelled of her, and it was soft. I sank into feathers and was covered in flannel sheets and woollen blankets. I should have slept, but I was too strung out. I lay there, watching her.<br />
<br />
I couldn’t figure out what or who she was. She was a Skraeling, but she lived with the Prydain. That made her a traitor to us. She called me a Beast at every turn, too. Yet bringing me here meant she’d betrayed them.<br />
<br />
It made no sense, and in my weakened state, all I could do was gaze at her. She was the first woman of my own kind that I’d seen in years, and I didn’t know if the pain in my heart came from hurt or joy.<br />
<br />
She was staring into the fire. The flames illuminated the ice-coloured hair and made the pale skin glow. She was totally still, and just like the first time I’d seen her, she seemed like a creature from another world.<br />
<br />
Outside there was a patter of rain. It fell in sheets, the rhythmic clatter of it smothering the cackle of the flames. Time stopped. I felt as if I were floating in the sea, adrift in blankness. Then she sighed, and the world flowed again. The rain switched off abruptly, and the birds began to sing.<br />
<br />
“Freyja’s purse! What the hell is going on?” She looked surprised, shocked even, but it was a puzzle what was bothering her.<br />
<br />
She stood and stretched, showing off trim waist, long hair, and delicious breasts. I almost growled like her wolf in appreciation. Whatever she was, she was beautiful.<br />
<br />
I must have said something because she came to me, straightening the covers and tucking them in. “Keep quiet,” she said, “and stay put.” She was staring out into the night. “They’re coming, but they won’t find you as long as you’re quiet.” Her eyes were shimmering again. “Whatever<br />
happens, don’t confront them!”<br />
<br />
She set up a little wooden rack, dug into a dresser and quickly piled underclothes into it. Soft knickers and silky looking shifts in blue and green now hung in front of the bed. She opened all the cottage doors and windows, took a basket of herbs, and sat down on the stoop.<br />
<br />
Very soon the sun was inching over the horizon, sending golden light flooding over the meadow and highlighting the trees beyond. An hour later, just as I was about to fall asleep, a rider appeared. It was a Citizen, dressed in a velvet habit and riding a beautiful white horse.<br />
<br />
I was minded to get up and kill him, but before I could move, she whispered, “Stay down!” The small sound went straight through me, reverberating in my mind. I stayed down.<br />
<br />
“Courtney,” she stood up and called out. “Something wrong? Was someone injured during the hunt?”<br />
<br />
“No.” He swung off the horse. “I’ve just returned.”<br />
<br />
“Then you’ll have heard from the Patriarch.” She sounded cool.<br />
<br />
“Only the bare bones.” He stood in front of her, almost as tall as her, but not as imposing. He had red, weather-beaten skin, and he was too fat. He looked like a peasant dressed up in a noble’s clothes. “The Beast is gone. He escaped!”<br />
<br />
Behind him, a dozen men appeared, all carrying pitchforks, spears, and nets. They had dogs, too, straining on leather leashes and barking at the wolf. I’ve taken on a dozen soldiers at a time and creamed the bastards, but even I knew that I was in no state to take on this lot.<br />
<br />
Luckily for me, she was more than a match for them. She put her hand on her wolf, who sat obediently, and then addressed the peasant in velvet. “Really? How?”<br />
<br />
She sounded surprised. If I hadn’t known, I would’ve believed her. She looked like an honest Skraeling, but she was a typical lying Prydain. I should’ve known, but it seared my soul to see such pure beauty addled by poison.<br />
<br />
“We can’t figure it out! The cage was locked, and the key shut safely away. It’s like he walked through the bars!”<br />
<br />
“And you came here to warn me?”<br />
<br />
“Erm. Yes?”<br />
<br />
I could only see her back, but I knew she was giving him full-on ice. “And you brought twelve men with you to help you give me a heads-up?”<br />
<br />
“Erm, well. Erm…”<br />
<br />
“Oh, I see! I suppose I’m the one who set him free?”<br />
<br />
The yokel actually shuffled his feet. “Well, you did speak up for him.”<br />
<br />
“I did not!” she snapped. “I said this was the duke’s business!”<br />
<br />
“Erm, right, yeah.” More shuffling. “Erm, I guess some of us thought, well...”<br />
<br />
“That I crept out at night and took the Beast?” She sounded colder than a glacier.<br />
<br />
“Well, you see, the dogs followed the scent through the village but then it began to rain, and well, uhm, we thought we should just come and see.”<br />
<br />
“Right, and when do the dogs not want to come and see Saga? You know they’re always fascinated by her.”<br />
<br />
“Yes, right. That’s probably it.”<br />
<br />
He was looking miserable, and she was scathing.<br />
<br />
“Probably? What is this? Do you think I’m hiding him? Why don’t you go check my bed?”<br />
<br />
I was open mouthed at her brazen dishonesty. This wasn’t lying; this was taking deceit to an art form.<br />
<br />
Courtney glanced into the lodge, doors and windows wide open, spotted the shifts and looked away hastily. “No, no, of course not!”<br />
<br />
I was a dozen steps away from him, and he didn’t have a clue. She was a liar, but a part of me admired her. She’d taken them on all by herself and defeated them easily. This was more cunning than even Loki’s plots.<br />
<br />
“I suppose the Patriarch sent you here?”<br />
<br />
“Yes. No.” Courtney was looking miserable. “He said you defied him.”<br />
<br />
“He has no rights here. His place is the Vale. It’s you who are in charge, and I reminded him of that.”<br />
<br />
“Yes, yes of course.”<br />
<br />
“I have warned you before about the Patriarch. You know he longs to usurp your position.”<br />
<br />
“Bliss, I’m sorry. I guess I just forgot. He got me all riled up.”<br />
<br />
“I have been a loyal friend to you, but one word from that dirty, bearded fat gut and you ride here to accuse me?”<br />
<br />
“No! Well, yes, but it wasn’t like that!”<br />
<br />
He might as well have spoken to the horse. Now the woman had the yokel at her mercy, she set about beating him down. “I wonder what will upset our liege most?” she mused. “Not informing him that you found a Beast? Or letting his enemy escape?”<br />
<br />
“It wasn’t me! It’s all the Patriarch’s fault!” the coward cried.<br />
<br />
“As he’ll claim he’s Ullr’s servant, I’m sure the duke will forgive him.” She was stirring nicely, gutting the <i>rassragr</i> with every nasty word. “Not sure he’ll let you off the hook, though.”<br />
<br />
The man finally found his balls. “You can’t speak to me like that!”<br />
<br />
“When you don’t do your duty, Freyja demands that I do!”<br />
<br />
The squire went white, then red, and then, filled with rage, he turned around, got on his horse and rode off.<br />
<br />
“What an arsehole,” she grumbled. As the birds settled back into their song, she came inside. She closed the window and instantly the room was dark, like a soothing, warmly scented cave.<br />
<br />
She was talking to me as if I were a child. “You’re perfectly safe, Beast, don’t worry.”<br />
<br />
“Hey!” I actually snarled at her. “Stop that!”<br />
<br />
“Be nice.” She actually patted me on the head! “Stop grumbling at me.”<br />
<br />
Bitch! After calling me Beast to my face! “I could snap your neck in an instant!”<br />
<br />
She was shaking her head at me, looking coolly superior. “You can’t stand up or hold a cup of milk by yourself, but you’re threatening me?”<br />
<br />
Damn all women! They insult you and then turn every little thing against you. As if I were the kind of blackheart who would hurt her after she’d helped me. “No!”<br />
<br />
“Then stop snarling at me and go to sleep!”<br />
<br />
She marched off before I could answer. She sat down on the stoop, the wolf at her side, and went on sorting her herbs. “Arsehole,” she grumbled. “Like all bloody men!”<br />
<br />
Lizbeth always raged at me that way, too, she’d call me Beast and animal, knowing it infuriated me but that I wouldn’t—couldn’t—retaliate. Not after I’d promised to care for her.<br />
<br />
“You see, Saga?” I could hear the ice maiden talking to her wolf. “You feed them, bind their wounds, and even then, men are ungrateful buggers.” I heard the wolf moan. “Well, we’ll treat him the way we did that bear cub we found. We’ll ignore the bad-mannered snarling, get him on his feet and send him on his merry way.”<br />
<br />
A traitor and yet my rescuer. Maybe it was all a crazy dream, wolf included. A wave of exhaustion hit me. The bed was comfortable, and my body was at its limit. I decided I would think about what it all meant afterwards.<br />
<br />
“Men are villains, Saga, never forget that.”<br />
<br />
Yes, I’d sort it all out later. After I slept. I settled down under the covers and was out like a light within seconds.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">That's it! </span><a href="https://books2read.com/u/bxgyQP" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Want to buy it? Click here for The Beast and The Sibyl</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ewhyte" target="_blank">Stalk AJ Adams on her private Facebook timeline</a> (warning: she likes cats!)<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-55629006081068334382017-02-27T05:00:00.000-08:002017-02-27T05:00:16.976-08:00Read "Closer than Blood" by Jayne Lockwood<div style="text-align: center;">
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Closer Than Blood</div>
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Jayne Lockwood</div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Forbidden passion, blackmail and murderous intent in the cold, glittering heart of Manhattan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Against his better judgement, slick hitman Frank Mancini falls for the sultry sister of his latest client. He is also hiding a dark secret, but can he get her into bed before his past is revealed? </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Tony Freemantle is diseased, dying and desperate. His last wish is to seek vengeance on the half-brother he blames for his misfortunes. He’s never met him. He doesn’t even know what he looks like. All he knows is that he wants him dead. </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Pagan Freemantle is the innocent woman who has been unwillingly caught up in her sibling's deadly plan.When she discovers she has to pay for the hit, her attempts to make a deal throws her headlong into a dangerous attraction with a man who is patently bad news. </span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">And can she trust Richard Mason, the elusive millionaire half-brother who is just a seductive voice at the end of a telephone? When a road trip to California ends with shocking revelations, it seems she can trust no-one but herself.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Closer-Than-Blood-Jayne-Lockwood-ebook/dp/B00ISRXH2K/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1487687238&sr=1-2&keywords=closer+than+blood">Amazon </a>| <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Closer-Than-Blood-Jayne-Lockwood-ebook/dp/B00ISRXH2K/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1487687019&sr=8-1">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="http://bit.ly/2lDJJ6i">B & N</a> |<a href="http://bit.ly/2lDVnOO"> Kobo</a> | <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/527373">Smashwords</a></div>
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I read this a while ago, and thought I had posted a review, but I can't find it anywhere. So I'll give the quick and dirty version of it. Closer Than Blood is a dark romp through forbidden territory. There are twists and turns, drunken nights and passion-filled trysts. I don't want to give anything away, but suffice to say, if you like dark-ish reads with a taste of the forbidden, with plenty of spicy sex - and you don't mind a bit of violence or rough language - you will enjoy this book. Very well written and the plot is thoroughly thought out. Read it today!</div>
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<br />
<span style="font-weight: 400;">I've been writing for many years, starting out at County College of Morris in New Jersey with a course in Journalism. Since then I've published five novels for Black Lace Books under a pseudonym (Savannah Smythe) and one ghostwritten book for glamour celebrity, Abi Titmuss, in 2005 (10 Fantasies.) Also, I've published two M/M erotica stories as S. A. Smythe, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lexington Black</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Docklands Diamond, </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">both available on Amazon and Smashwords.</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Since then I’ve published </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Cloud Seeker</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Closer Than Blood</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, both romantic suspense novels under Hollow Hills Publishing. At the moment, I'm and I’m working on my third Jayne Lockwood novel. I draw from my experiences as an Englishwoman and my time in New Jersey. The area of the Chilterns where I grew up and where I live now is rich in inspiration, secrets and tales from the past. As an author, I have more stories inside me than time to write them!</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">Finally, I also write book reviews for WROTE Podcast (</span><a href="http://wrotepodcast.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">http://wrotepodcast.com</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.) WROTE stands for WRitten On The Edge, and features authors and other creatives from the LGBTQ community. I’m very proud to be a part of this venture, which was started in 2014 by myself, S.A. Collins and Vance Bastian, both terrific authors and friends. The podcast is going from strength to strength, and is a great way of getting to know some fantastic LGBTQ writers and artists. </span><br />
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<a href="https://hollowhillspublishing.blogspot.co.uk/">Blog</a> |<a href="https://www.facebook.com/hollowhillspublishing/"> Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ladyjAuthor">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://uk.pinterest.com/ladyjauthor1/">Pinterest</a> | <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JayneLockwood/about">Google+</a> |<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/profile/preview?locale=en_US&trk=prof-0-sb-preview-primary-button"> Linkedin</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6893372.Jayne_Lockwood">Goodreads</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-69858573949738716672017-01-01T11:39:00.000-08:002017-01-01T12:09:37.163-08:00The New Cover for Last Shot Revealed!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Happy New Year! </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">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 the Thomas Family Novels (formerly Boys of Syracuse, Kansas series) have been taken off all markets, and will come back one by one with new covers.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Without further ado, here is the new cover:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcuoLve4wFMTRN1-YSVradvBrvad3lEaqzfAhUZoyhRHXtqolyDaFr4lY_wE9qowqWyuN79vD9FmWcNDwLzFyHUwyd_cm5AoYSiCtPPtv42tlFoKIRlYZIVBr1aAsSVvkflJxAn-tLDFU/s1600/book+one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcuoLve4wFMTRN1-YSVradvBrvad3lEaqzfAhUZoyhRHXtqolyDaFr4lY_wE9qowqWyuN79vD9FmWcNDwLzFyHUwyd_cm5AoYSiCtPPtv42tlFoKIRlYZIVBr1aAsSVvkflJxAn-tLDFU/s640/book+one.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Its new release date is March 10, 2017, and it's on pre-order sale for 99¢ - if you haven't yet read this book, now is a great time to order it. There are no substantial changes to the story--so there's no need to buy it again, although I wouldn't mind if you share the love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Stay tuned for news about a giveaway of a signed paperback in February. And if you can't wait to buy a copy, <a href="http://www.kristicramerbooks.com/qois-newsletter" target="_blank">sign up</a> for my mailing list and get a FREE copy there.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Best of Everything for 2017 - especially the best reads!</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-46679469148032684912016-12-25T11:46:00.000-08:002016-12-25T11:46:14.349-08:00Review of First Crush by Ashley Ludwig<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBycdTXAD1uBgY1o01KsL0bbR61S0XSr2T1BjsJE_Cx5DKTLQNut0lP95KlmjmQUjs8d2mD08rqaxHYCo_b4LczLtmVIMFvh_V6fwkvZ8DbZgP_Bz27sxVx67BVDbUtZPSObC24gYpWfg/s1600/First+Crush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBycdTXAD1uBgY1o01KsL0bbR61S0XSr2T1BjsJE_Cx5DKTLQNut0lP95KlmjmQUjs8d2mD08rqaxHYCo_b4LczLtmVIMFvh_V6fwkvZ8DbZgP_Bz27sxVx67BVDbUtZPSObC24gYpWfg/s400/First+Crush.jpg" width="265" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">This book is fantastic. It kept me engaged and guessing through much of the book. A couple things I figured out fairly early, but I didn't know how events were going to unfold. I very much liked Nick, and I loved Natalie's strength of character. She might have saved herself some trauma by listening to Nick and Dalton a little more often, but honestly, I rather think I might have done the same thing in ignoring them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The characters were all well drawn and fully realized. None of the main characters were hollow caricatures, and even the secondary characters felt real. I was fully invested in Nick and Natalie's relationship, and the success of their venture. I loved Corie, and Nick's mother.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The romance built realistically enough that I'd call it a love story rather than a romance - except that it really did move quite fast. If I had one quibble with the story, it would be that the flow of time was a little confusing to me. There would be mention of days passing, and the work on the property progressing at super speeds, and then come to find out only a couple days had passed when with the amount of stuff going on it felt like it had been weeks. Probably distracting enough to knock off half a star.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I liked getting inside the bad guy's head - it really kept the suspense up for me. Early on, I thought I had worked out who the Slayer really was, and I thought that it would be quite the feat to pull off, but turned out I was wrong. LOL </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">As for content, there is mention of faith, but it did not feel in any way preachy. This is a clean read - one that doesn't stand out as clean, in that I wasn't thinking, "oh look, she replaced this dirty word with a cleaner one." It read smooth and there was no loss of interest for all that there is no sex or swearing. There is a bit of violence that mostly happens off screen, though we're given details of some of the fairly graphic results. I'd probably call it PG17, due solely to the two or three instances of violence. </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-21946196921516361122016-12-25T10:14:00.000-08:002016-12-25T10:14:22.528-08:00Review of Four Weddings and a Vendetta by SJ McCoy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUOFbUNnyvHFAiICpDqICQaF6YfPku6jHPwAHYTMwfAJh1aIHvkum9E1jyVoo3xQVlUCR2drMwNuabuIo6VGTd6EcDDkOTAHTAiHDQ71IEPBlJ7OW4cYJuXj_MTmWwtma7tSV_97b3f0/s1600/Four+weddings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUOFbUNnyvHFAiICpDqICQaF6YfPku6jHPwAHYTMwfAJh1aIHvkum9E1jyVoo3xQVlUCR2drMwNuabuIo6VGTd6EcDDkOTAHTAiHDQ71IEPBlJ7OW4cYJuXj_MTmWwtma7tSV_97b3f0/s400/Four+weddings.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I like this book, but it definitely isn't as wonderful as the other books in the series. Probably because I don't care too much about details of weddings, and so much of the book (about 1/4, I think) was all about the four weddings. Not that that is bad, necessarily, I just don't find it interesting. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-size: large;">The vendetta part of the story was far more interesting to me, which is good, because the bulk of the story was about the Remingtons trying to figure out how to deal with the thorn in their side which is Guy Preston. I thought the author did a good job of drawing it out and finally into the resolution. Not to give any spoilers, but the trick was to tie the law's hands so that it was up to the Remingtons to deal with him - without breaking the law themselves. I thought SJ McCoy walked that line pretty well.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">We also got to see a lot more of Chance in this book, whetting our appetite for his story - which I understand will be a three book spinoff. Chance is a very complex character, and I enjoyed getting to know more about him. I don't know what his story is going to be about, but I'm quite sure I will enjoy it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">The four stars is entirely because of the way I couldn't get excited about the weddings. It has nothing to do with the writing, which is very good. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">As far as content, I would rate this PG17. There is a bit of innuendo, and plenty of swearing, including f-bombs - though not too much by my standards. I don't remember any graphic sex scenes, although there is reference to it, and at least one "closed door." There is also some violence, both 'on screen' and off, and plenty of suspense.</span><br />
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</span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=kricraboo-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B01N9C4S47&asins=B01N9C4S47&linkId=04061f876c179ef04a70908351f194d3&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-46038174753301870642016-12-25T09:09:00.000-08:002016-12-25T09:09:07.314-08:00Review of Charming Academy, by Jessica L. Elliott<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15698718-charming-academy" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Charming Academy by Jessica L. Elliott" height="400" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1339275374l/15698718.jpg" title="Charming Academy by Jessica L. Elliott" width="266" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">I loved this book. It is very well written, and brought me to tears </span><span style="font-size: large;">(of joy and sadness) on more than one occasion. I loved how it followed the wonder and angst of being young adults who are expected to fulfill their destiny by having the character of "prince charming" or "fair damsels" in a fairy tale world come to life. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">The dramas the students went through felt very natural, even if it was angsty. I'm generally not a fan of angst. Some YA books I've read the angst feels forced, but here the ebb and flow of friendships, and each character's development as they grew throughout the school years was captivating without being annoying. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">I enjoyed seeing the various characters and trying to figure out which of the classic fairy tales they were going to become. I'm not sure I figured out what the main characters' tale was, though. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">All in all, this is a sweet, family friendly storybook that does deal with some harsh worldly truths, like death, bullying, making mistakes, and standing up in the face of something that isn't right. There are lots of good life lessons, but no hint of it being preachy or boring. In short, I loved it!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-36849117097940243802016-12-20T08:29:00.000-08:002016-12-22T19:13:29.730-08:00End of the Year? End of a Print Run! <div class="region-container so-animate ui-sortable-handle" draggable="" ng-repeat="item in regions" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-55Roma, HelveticaNeueW02-55Roma, HelveticaNeueW10-55Roma, sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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I'm making some big changes!</div>
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Sorry if this is a wonky-looking post, but I've been trying to send it as a newsletter and it appears to have failed.So I'm posting this news here.</div>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I've got some BIG NEWS that's actually kind of bittersweet.</span></div>
<div style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I'm taking MOST of my books off sale at the end of this year.</div>
<div style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I've come to the tough decision that I need to relaunch the books with new covers, and a new series name. While I love the existing covers, they don't quite capture what the books are about, and if I want to reach more<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> awesome readers like you</span>, I'm going to have to fine tune my brand. </div>
<div style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What does this mean to you?</span></div>
<div style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Well, it means that any paperbacks with the current covers I have in stock are going to be on sale for a <span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">serious </span></span></span>discount. Basically my cost, plus postage. And who knows? These might become collector's items someday. </div>
<div style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
So check out my eStore and order your copies today. Once they're gone, they're gone - so don't miss out.</div>
<div style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I've also discounted ALL eBooks to 99¢ from now until they go off sale. When they come back with the new covers, they won't be this cheap!</div>
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<a class="lp-btn lp-btn--primary lp-button so-global-b1" href="http://www.kristicramerbooks.com/kcb-estore" ng-class="soComposerButtonDisplay.extraClass" ng-click="preventDefaultAction($event)" ng-href="http://www.kristicramerbooks.com/kcb-estore" so-atomic-style="soComposerButtonDisplay.data.styles.main" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(63, 236, 17); border-radius: 2px; border: 10px solid rgb(3, 3, 3); box-sizing: border-box; color: #030303; cursor: move; display: inline-block; font-family: helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; max-width: 300px; min-width: 140px; outline: 0px; padding: 10px 30px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Shop the SALE Now!</a></div>
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Here's a partial peek at the new cover for Last Shot at Justice.<br />
If you want a bigger sneak peek of what the new covers look like, head over to my website and see if you can find the "easter egg" - that's a graphic that seems a little out of place, and is really a link to a secret page that has TWO of the new covers on it.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-53416570463732954292016-12-08T20:25:00.002-08:002016-12-08T20:25:43.434-08:00Review of The Nanny Song by Misty Mount<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOyHmnbYe3UWdiTTG2lV_CzpL6AMGFr_i1wmIo0_3jmH04vf6b3t0jbACPapwBFApFSbaNskJertPhGsKdomYC6kD37zbfo-N5M9H2gD3iGqNPj2QNxEibMVAhO4Jhf6IhWNXeFpNcq4/s1600/the+Nanny+Song.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOyHmnbYe3UWdiTTG2lV_CzpL6AMGFr_i1wmIo0_3jmH04vf6b3t0jbACPapwBFApFSbaNskJertPhGsKdomYC6kD37zbfo-N5M9H2gD3iGqNPj2QNxEibMVAhO4Jhf6IhWNXeFpNcq4/s320/the+Nanny+Song.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I had a hard time reading about these characters. They were all so...flawed and at times seriously unlikeable. They were so well drawn that I felt a lot of discomfort in the beginning - like watching someone have a meltdown in a restaurant or something. I felt bad for Mallory, having to deal with those challenging children, and I felt embarrassed for the whole Colt family that the fallout from their failure to deal with their grief was on such public display. And even Mallory did some things that had me shaking my head, wanting to shake her - especially when she'd drift off into la la land at the most inopportune moments. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">That being said, reading about realistic - and flawed - characters gives me a look at a world I don't normally see, and makes me appreciate what I have in my life: No kids, no drama. There is definitely a place for that in fiction.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">The further I got into the story, the more I was drawn in, and I actually stayed up pretty late a few nights, reading more than I had intended. I had to see what was going to happen next - how would Mallory deal with the next crisis, and would she get caught snooping around her employer's house? And most importantly, would any of them grow out of their poor behaviors? (Spoiler - they do! Which makes it totally worth all the cringe-inducing moments.) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">I found the story arc believable, the characterizations solid, and the character growth timed to perfection. The characters - with the possible exception of the mother - were totally redeemed in my opinion. Their poor behavior lasted no longer (nor shorter) than necessary to be believable and compelling, and there was just cause for every turn and bump in their interrelationships. (Any faster and it would have been too easy. Any longer, and a sane person would have given up.) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">So why not 5 stars? Well, the ending was quite abrupt. We weren't given a real sense of what the future would really hold for everyone. I did like the building relationship between Mallory and Brendan, but I questioned their declaration of love for each other at the end. I could definitely see it building toward that end, but I didn't quite think she had enough to go on to love him. Of course he would love her, but since he was a jerk for most of the book, I'd prefer to see her waiting to see that he was really mending his ways. I also had a bit of trouble with...not their age difference, per se, but the way Mallory is so often described as a "girl." It just made it hard to see her as a potential love interest for Brendan when so often it felt like she and Meela were being described as though they were sisters. And finally there were a few style choices that I found jarring. Not really errors, just small things that jarred me out of the story a few times. So, I'll have to leave it at 4. Maybe 4.5 </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">As for content, this is a sweet, clean story. Probably PG, but only for some references when Mallory and Rashelle are talking to each other. There's no swearing, no hanky-panky, and no major violence - although there are references to a rough childhood for Mallory, a couple run-ins with the schoolyard bully, and some speculation as to what really happened to Brendan's wife. Don't take that to mean the story is dull, though. There are a couple exciting scenes, and plenty of drama. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">All in all, I recommend The Nanny Song as a fine clean read.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-52171043787406793722016-11-15T20:54:00.000-08:002016-11-15T20:54:06.940-08:00Review of Fletcher, by AJ Adams<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span id="freeTextreview1813176673"><span style="font-size: large;">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.<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
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.</span></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-82905874708915103702016-11-15T20:44:00.000-08:002016-11-15T20:44:17.108-08:00Review of Old Dog, New Tricks by Vivienne Savage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span id="freeTextreview1813159342"><span style="font-size: large;">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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.</span></span><br />
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11 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Books for F R E E</div>
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<span style="background-color: initial; font-size: 18px;">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.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: initial; font-size: 18px;">Click the link, then download any and all book(s) you want.</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" ng-click="onImageClick()" ng-href="" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #428bca; cursor: default; display: inline !important; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><img class="main-image so-global-image" ng-class="imageGlobalCssClass" ng-if="!draft.role" ng-load="imageLoaded()" ng-src="//static.wixstatic.com/media/6592d2_4f24f33ca37542c98981dc0d3cc27684~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_700,h_2000,al_c,q_85/image.jpg" ng-style="imageInlineStyles" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6592d2_4f24f33ca37542c98981dc0d3cc27684~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_700,h_2000,al_c,q_85/image.jpg" style="background: 0px 0px; border-radius: 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" /></a><a class="lp-btn lp-btn--primary lp-button so-global-b1" href="http://www.kristicramerbooks.com/instafreebielinks" ng-class="soComposerButtonDisplay.extraClass" ng-click="preventDefaultAction($event)" ng-href="http://shoutout.wix.com/so/6LWiVDGs/click?w=LS0tDQpjNzkzYmMwOS03YWEyLTRiOTEtYmU0OC01ZGQwZjEwZDc2YmYNCmh0dHA6Ly93d3cua3Jpc3RpY3JhbWVyYm9va3MuY29tL2luc3RhZnJlZWJpZWxpbmtzDQotLS0" so-atomic-style="soComposerButtonDisplay.data.styles.main" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(244, 68, 68); border-radius: 0px; border: 0px solid transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: white; display: inline-block; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; max-width: 620px; min-width: 160px; outline: 0px; padding: 12px 30px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">GET BOOKS</a><br />
<span style="background-color: initial; font-size: 18px;">This is your chance to learn about authors who may be new to you, by getting their books for F R E E!</span></div>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #f44444; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Treemakers</span> by Christina L. Rozelle</div>
<div style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #f44444; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Weeds Within the Rulership</span> by Emily Martha Sorensen</div>
<div style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #f44444; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Feyland</span> by Anthea Sharp</div>
<div style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #f44444; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Soul Survivor</span> by Susan Faw</div>
<div style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #f44444; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Feral</span> by Laxmi Hariharan</div>
<div style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #f44444; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Mortal Song</span> by Megan Crewe</div>
<div style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #f44444; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Ex-Pacifist</span> by Sarah K. L. Wilson</div>
<div style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #f44444; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Whisper Gatherers</span> by Nicola McDonagh</div>
<div style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #f44444; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Cornonation of Kings</span> by S. C. Stokes</div>
<div style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #f44444; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Last Seeker</span> by Fleur Camacho</div>
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and if you haven't already downloaded it,<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #f44444; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></div>
<div style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #f44444; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A True Prince</span> by Kristi L. Cramer</div>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #34c02d; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In other news:</span></div>
<div style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I'm going to reboot my Suspense series with new covers and blurbs in an effort to be more clear about what kind of </span><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">books they are.</span></div>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"What are they?" y</span><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ou ask.</span><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> They are edge of your seat Suspense books</span><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> featuring characters connected to the town of Syracuse, Kansas.</span></div>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There is a dash of romance, but action is the focus.</span></div>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(They are also "clean" - suitable for readers as young as 16.)</span></div>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So, stay tuned for more information as the revelation of new covers get closer.</span></div>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Or, take a peek at my website to learn more about them now.</span></div>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://shoutout.wix.com/so/6LWiVDGs/click?w=LS0tDQphNzkxZjk0ZC1hMTQxLTRhOGYtNDcyYi0zNDAyYzMwNWQ4MzENCmh0dHA6Ly93d3cua3Jpc3RpY3JhbWVyYm9va3MuY29tL2JveXMtb2Ytc3lyYWN1c2UNCi0tLQ" style="background: 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #109fff; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://www.kristicramerbooks.com/boys-of-syracuse</span></a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-37383996260008975802016-11-10T21:04:00.000-08:002016-11-10T21:04:04.343-08:00Review of The Last Seeker by Fleur Camacho<table border="0" cellspacing="1" id="myReview" style="width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr><th valign="top"></th><td colspan="1"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLWxcNWPjfmWeihueaR728611ejmBiy8AATdw3UHeMFKji3uV4st5TydRqDBifyUvHVygoD7ZlTJ_Wpis1fL9b5O0qgBdjrB6tjXWrauQIYISXaTs-d1tMKy08nM4VEfZPsKyQ4Pg8CA/s1600/The+Last+Seeker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLWxcNWPjfmWeihueaR728611ejmBiy8AATdw3UHeMFKji3uV4st5TydRqDBifyUvHVygoD7ZlTJ_Wpis1fL9b5O0qgBdjrB6tjXWrauQIYISXaTs-d1tMKy08nM4VEfZPsKyQ4Pg8CA/s320/The+Last+Seeker.jpg" width="221" /></a><span class="readable reviewText"><span style="font-size: large;"><span id="freeTextContainerreview1808775915" style="display: none;">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. <br />
<br />
The time travel was cool , and I liked seeing</span> <span id="freeTextreview1808775915">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. <br />
<br />
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.<br />
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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.<br />
<br />
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. <br />
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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.<br />
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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.</span></span></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-46013703656621349342016-11-07T15:50:00.000-08:002016-11-07T15:50:56.315-08:00Review of Curses, by Calvin Dean<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1477965309l/32822338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="32822338" border="0" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1477965309l/32822338.jpg" /></a><span class="a-size-base a-text-bold"><span style="font-size: large;">Lovable retiree seeks girlfriend with a pulse. Fun ensues.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">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.<br />
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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.<br />
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Not sure how you would categorize Curses. Maybe a cozy horror mystery? It was a definite fun break, for Halloween or any time. </span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=kricraboo-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B01M7SVMWN&asins=B01M7SVMWN&linkId=42d68f30b0cd4969cb4f0ac41c8640f4&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-63757313023616151732016-11-07T15:37:00.000-08:002016-11-07T15:37:09.728-08:00Review of Casting the First Stone by Lisa Lawmaster Hess<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1400666138l/18991179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="18991179" border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1400666138l/18991179.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">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.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">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. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">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.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">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.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">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.</span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=kricraboo-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=1938499662&asins=1938499662&linkId=ad7118af61c8961c9f155f0198b5981f&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-38598359439468796732016-11-03T07:18:00.000-07:002016-11-03T07:18:24.113-07:00Pieces of Me by Carrigan Richards is having a FREE day! Get your copy today!<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLUwr0bD_UMIQhlzjShZWG2ybNJwqArx0XDEFkLG0QgOUnfMSvXOkU8VbN_6YnGoVTPbx8H6bXK48giEZCV6mRnqXlPH9rVlIsGLjhzHzSVOj8OBNYGRO9kIJouvP4DMIBHVmQ4fOM38/s1600/PIECES+OF+ME-+COVER_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLUwr0bD_UMIQhlzjShZWG2ybNJwqArx0XDEFkLG0QgOUnfMSvXOkU8VbN_6YnGoVTPbx8H6bXK48giEZCV6mRnqXlPH9rVlIsGLjhzHzSVOj8OBNYGRO9kIJouvP4DMIBHVmQ4fOM38/s320/PIECES+OF+ME-+COVER_2.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Pieces of Me is FREE today!</span></b></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></span></b></span></div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">Pieces
of Me Synopsis:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">One
second.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background: white;">Find My review of Pieces of Me <a href="http://inanutshellbound.blogspot.com/2016/07/review-of-pieces-of-me-by-carrigan.html" target="_blank">here </a>on the Bounded in a Nutshell blog.</span></span></span></div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 27.6px;">Author Bio:</span></b><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 27.6px;"> <span style="background: white; color: #333333;">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.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: large;">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.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">Pieces of Me on <a href="http://amzn.to/2dWEE6P" target="_blank">Amazon</a> </span></b></span><span style="color: #333333; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Social Media Links:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">Facebook:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"> </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorcarriganrichards"><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">https://www.facebook.com/authorcarriganrichards</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">Twitter:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"> </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/carrigan34"><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">www.twitter.com/carrigan34</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">Instagram:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"> </span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/authorcarriganrichards"><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">www.instagram.com/authorcarriganrichards</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">Pinterest:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"> </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/carriganrichard/"><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">https://www.pinterest.com/carriganrichard/</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">Amazon:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Carrigan-Richards/e/B00EDLIKRM/">https://www.amazon.com/Carrigan-Richards/e/B00EDLIKRM/</a></span></span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-82981138722095331122016-10-06T17:46:00.002-07:002016-10-06T17:46:38.650-07:00Review of His & Hers by Ashley Ludwig<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">5 Stars ~ This was absolutely delightful! I loved everything about it. Truly a love story more than a romance, there is very little (to no) angst, beautifully developed characters, and a storyline that played off of and mirrored the old classic movies of Hollywood's Golden Age. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">What does that even mean? It means I felt like I was watching two dear friends fall in love, and it didn't need to have angst or suspense or much in the way of drama to keep me involved and turning pages. (Not saying there isn't a tiny amount of suspense, and a wee bit of drama, but for me, those elements were secondary to the love story.)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">I loved Cain. A guy like him could sweep me off my feet any time. And Misty felt very real, with her insecurities - though not your typical romance insecurities. There were also some genuinely funny moments, and sweet moments, too. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">The secondary plot involving Misty's grandmother was especially sweet - but I'll say no more than that, to avoid spoilers. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">This is a true clean read - no profanity, and nothing hotter than a few kisses that were truly steamy. I just thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend to anyone who likes a sweet love story reminiscent of an old, classic movie. Nothing deep, but it still felt substantial enough to leave me satisfied. Again, like watching dear friends falling in love. I cared about and felt I knew the main characters well enough to call them friends.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">What else can I say? The only critical thing I can say is that the author's style included what I consider to be incomplete sentences. Not too distracting, especially once I adapted to the style - and it was definitely style, not errors. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Overall, very well written, enchanting characters, sweet love story on multiple levels. Definitely worth reading!</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-68308268641534591592016-10-04T21:40:00.000-07:002016-10-04T21:40:37.301-07:00Review of Nyssa Glass and the House of Mirrors by H L Burke<span style="font-size: large;">5 Stars all the way.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1456438302l/29340787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="29340787" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1456438302l/29340787.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">This was every bit as delightful as I had hoped and expected. A light read, despite some tense happenings. A bit on the predictable side, but there were a still a couple twists, and I certainly couldn't predict the pitfalls in the house of mirrors, or the fun inventions - the kinds of elements that draw me to the steampunk genre. </span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I liked Nyssa as a resourceful, smart, and compassionate heroine. I very much look forward to reading more books about her - in fact I have already purchased the next two books, and will be reading them soon. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">I'd say more about the secondary characters, but I don't want to let any spoilers slip, so let's just say that they were all well drawn and delightful, too. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Content rating would be PG-13, for some intense situations and a bit of violence, though it's not too graphic.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-66127985732978978512016-10-02T10:45:00.000-07:002016-10-02T10:45:52.774-07:00Review of Fear is Louder than Words by Linda S. Glaz<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27787775-fear-is-louder-than-words" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Fear Is Louder Than Words" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1447179957l/27787775.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">This was certainly a fast paced read. I'm not sure what all to say about it that won't result in spoilers, but I'll give it a shot.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">There are three almost completely distinct storylines running through this book, the only element really tying them together is Rochelle. So the reader is watching Rochelle dealing with the terror her attacker has generated in her, while she is fighting her attraction to the man who saved her, and we're watching Kyle as he progresses and escalates his hatred for Rochelle - for unknown reasons until nearly the end - and then there is Maggie and Erik and the PhD clinic.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">The threads are woven together well, and kept me interested and guessing what was going to happen next. I'm happy to say there were a few things I didn't see coming, but after the fact I thought, "well of course..." Which means they were set up well, but not made out to be blatantly obvious gimmies. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">The main characters were for the most part complex and very well developed. I could totally picture Kyle as played by Giovanni Ribisi, particularly the character Gio played in The Postman. I couldn't find a good picture of that character, but this one is close. </span><br />
<img src="https://img.bluray-disc.de/files/user_uploads/89409_d76af664f5550399db4a22f21045fc39.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I worried for a little bit that his reasoning for hating Rochelle so much wouldn't be sound, but it was totally compelling. Yes, he creeped me out, but I appreciated having his perspective in the book.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">I loved Ed. He felt quite human and had his flaws, so he wasn't "too good to be true" but he was very much a stand up guy and someone to love having on your side in a pinch. He might have been a bit too much of a super-hero toward the end, for reasons I can't say without dropping a spoiler, but that is dramatic license and I'd lump most of it under "things you can do when fueled by adrenaline" and call it good. The only thing that bugged me about Ed was the way his falling in love with Rochelle was portrayed. It just seemed a bit weak. Perhaps because the "I don't know why I'm attracted to her" card has been played out so often in books. I do think it's a real thing - often people don't know what draws them toward others, but he didn't seem to know what it was about her for much of the book, and I guess I like a hero to know his own heart a little better, and be able to pinpoint what it is a little sooner.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Rochelle. Rochelle, Rochelle, Rochelle. I don't know what to say about her. On the one hand, she was strong. Strong in her beliefs, strong in her will to fight against her fear, strong in her faith and convictions. The fact that she spent much of the book afraid didn't detract from her strength to me. It takes a lot of strength to continue living life despite that kind of fear. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">But there was a lot of things I didn't "get" about her. I did several eye-rolls at her when she fled over misperceptions of Ed and Alicia. It's understandable and a common element in romance stories - common and overdone. It is a pet peeve of mine when people run away instead of confronting a situation more than once. I get that we can't all be strong enough to stand there and hash a thing out in the moment every time one comes up, but for me, I much prefer to see that kind of growth sooner rather than later. The more times a character runs rather than faces a confrontation, the less I like them as my heroine. It has become a weakness I despise. A personal bugaboo of mine. Does that make this book terrible? No, but I think it accounted for half of that missing star. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">The whole thing with Danny perplexed me. I didn't know where he fit into her timeline, how long they were together, (I'm sure it was listed, but I didn't get a feel for what that time meant to her other than "he treated her horribly" which didn't give me the sense of why she stayed with him, or why he did a particular thing that I don't want to spoil.) It felt like a plot element that had been forced into the story, and it didn't really fit.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">The rest of the star loss comes from the secondary characters, who were a bit like cardboard cutouts to me. Again, treading lighting to avoid spoilers, there was the drunk, scorned wife, the over the top doctor with secrets to hide, the wanton woman - two of them, actually - and the best friend with the seemingly perfect life. I didn't feel connection with any of them most of the time, and it just left me wanting to see them more clearly, for how they affect the main characters.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">The final element I want to address is the presence of religion: faith and conviction. I'm not someone who likes being preached at, and this book definitely did not push me off with overt "bible-thumping" or a holier-than-thou-attitude. Believe me, I wouldn't have finished if I'd felt put upon. No, the threads of Rochelle's faith and how she lived it, and her dreams for a life steeped in it, were very present but not overwhelming. The way her faith affected her relationship with Ed was touching and one especially beautiful moment even got a tear in the corner of my eye. So in short regarding the religious aspect, I think people who like a strong element of faith in the books they read won't be disappointed, but neither will the casual reader be turned off by it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Overall, I recommend this as a clean read that retains plenty of suspense and excitement. The rating would be PG-13 - with an added caveat for violence. Any survivor of sexual violence and (mild spoiler) those who have lost babies may be triggered by scenes in this book. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">I purchased an e-copy of this book, and then won the paperback in a contest. I will be sharing the paperback with my mom, because I think she would enjoy it. </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-35960023615035891992016-10-01T09:45:00.000-07:002016-10-01T12:08:28.444-07:00Review of Heavy Weather by Normandie Fischer<a href="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1426039975l/25117500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="25117500" border="0" src="https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1426039975l/25117500.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Wow, this was a great book. I wouldn't classify it as a romance, per se, because we don't really get to see the romance building between Annie Mac and Clay. They do fall in love, but that is not the focus of the book. It is so much more than a romance. The core group of friends rally behind Annie Mac and help her and her children recover from an abusive father/ex-husband's brutal attack, and we get to spy in on the affects one family's drama has on a small town community.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">So much happens and I don't want to let any spoilers slip, so I won't do a recap. But I loved reading as Hannah and Matt's story unfolded. I loved catching up with Tadie and Will, Rita and Martin, and meeting Clay. What a standup guy! I loved watching his transformation from a man content with his solo life to his becoming a family man. (I totally got him as a 'leave me alone with my solo existence' person, since I am very much that way. He was very well drawn.)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Annie Mac gets her own paragraph. She felt very real to me. How does a woman end up in an abusive relationship? And once there, how does she have the courage to leave? Annie Mac has made more than one mistake in her life, and my how she has paid for it. Yet she worked to pull herself up out of a horrible situation, and continued to fight against all odds to improve her life and the lives of her children. She is the picture of a strong woman who doesn't let life beat her down, even when a key person in her life has. Her story is a tough one, and may trigger survivors of abuse, but she is inspiring to watch as she grows and learns to heal and live again. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">And as with other Normandie Fischer books I've read, she does a fantastic job bringing the children to life. I fell in love with Katie, and the little man, Ty, melted my heart with his determination to help his mama. I'm a grouchy old woman when it comes to kids - I can take 'em or leave 'em, generally. (Excepting my own grandkids - and I married into them, I have none of my own.) That these youngsters found their way into my heart says a lot for how masterfully they were portrayed. And revisiting Jilly from Becalmed was an added bonus, as she was another young character I very much loved.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">I will say that this story is brutally honest. It pulls no punches and for me, personally, I felt deeply and profoundly as the characters moved through tragedy and triumph, and everything in between. In life, I'm not much of a crier. I will confess good fiction has the ability to make me cry faster than real life - and this certainly qualifies as good fiction. I cried more than once, both happy tears and tears of sadness and outrage. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Oh, and let me not forget how much I appreciated getting in the head of the bad guy. Roy was a real piece of work, and had we not been privy to the workings of his mind, I think the story would have been more bewildering and not nearly as tense. Getting in his head was not pretty, but I think it was necessary to build tension and really understand the depth of danger Annie Mac and those who were helping her were in.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Very well done story. If you haven't yet read it, you won't be sorry.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Content Rating: PG-13 for scenes of abuse and dramatic (though not overtly graphic) violence - but language and romantic content are "clean" and flinch free.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-60318480055593396412016-09-25T15:00:00.000-07:002016-09-25T15:00:39.643-07:00Review of Crush by Vivienne Savage<div class="big450BoxBody">
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<a class="irc_mil i3597 i3p3pxZIp4GM-zixyDjKkw5M" data-noload="" data-ved="0ahUKEwiIyM7Av6vPAhUJzWMKHaOpDIgQjRwIBw" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiIyM7Av6vPAhUJzWMKHaOpDIgQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fvirginiasca%2Fjon-bon-jovi-bon-jovi%2F&psig=AFQjCNHT-myQR1yhmwwArAjqNSY6HLdsIQ&ust=1474926489385351" jsaction="mousedown:irc.rl;keydown:irc.rlk" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" tabindex="0" target="_blank"><br /></a><span style="font-size: large;">This book in the Dawn of the Dragons series is such a fun story. Yes, there's some heavy stuff, with the whole idea that Nate must choose between his reincarnated brothers and his growing attracting to Chloe, and another event that I'm not going to spoil. But I wasn't prepared for the excellent injections of humor. Nate's internal dialog had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion. <br />
<br />
Did I mention that I loved Nate? In the first scene, when he shows up in his Navy whites I pictured a young Jon Bon Jovi - I think "Pete Emmett" was his character in the movie <a href="http://amzn.to/2cYoeev" target="_blank">U-571</a>. And I must say the vision got my heart rate up. <br />
<br />
Astrid was wonderful, too. Strong and caring, and so confident even when she was treading into new territory. I loved how she pretty much wore her heart on her sleeve, and how they both were so honest with each other about their feelings. I liked some of the very endearing scenes between her and her family. Chloe and Saul seem like fun parents. I also loved the dynamic relationships of all the dragons. And Nate's brotherhood was multi-layered and fascinating.<br />
<br />
The plot was both deep and lighthearted, if it is a nod to Romeo and Juliette, just know it is NOT a tragedy - although there was at least one... Well. No spoilers. You'll have to read it. It was layered enough that I did not figure out what was really going on until right before the reveal, and it's safe to say it kept me guessing much of the way.<br />
<br />
And yes, there is some classic Savage spice to this story. One scene was told from a particular POV that I just loved. I can't say more without it being a spoiler, but just be prepared to sit back and enjoy.<br />
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So, let me sum up: Fun read with a great plot, totally worth reading - but in my opinion, you will want to have read the other books in the series, first. They just keep getting better and better. (The world building has grown so much since the first book - which was originally intended to be a one-off. If you have even the slightest enjoyment of Loved by the Dragon, know that these books get better with each story. Every one that comes out I think, no THIS ONE is my favorite...) </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-35044137281634872922016-09-19T13:29:00.000-07:002016-09-19T14:28:51.071-07:00Strong Women and Likable Characters<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I was thinking about the fictionalized strong woman, recently. I consider myself to be a fan and supporter of strong women and humbly count myself among their number. I even have a Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1687223871549750/" target="_blank">group</a> dedicated to strong women, so strong women—real and fictional—are near and dear to my heart.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a class="a-link-normal a-text-normal" href="https://www.amazon.com/Leap-Year-Amy-Adams/dp/B003EUCNA8/ref=sr_1_1?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1474319100&sr=1-1&keywords=leap+year" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Product Details" class="s-access-image cfMarker" data-csm-markers="af,cf" data-search-image-load="" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/516p7UISfWL._AC_US320_QL65_.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The other day I was watching the movie <a href="http://amzn.to/2ckIrcR" target="_blank">Leap Year</a>, and didn’t find the lead female to be particularly likable. I thought she was determined and spirited, but did I <i>like </i>her? Having seen it before, I knew by the end she'd be likable. Same with several Meg Ryan characters, notably Kate in <a href="http://amzn.to/2ckJ1rf" target="_blank">Kate & Leopold</a>, or Kate in <a href="http://amzn.to/2ckJ0nd" target="_blank">French Kiss</a>. And even Kristen Bell in <a href="http://amzn.to/2cLeQsa" target="_blank">When in Rome</a>, Katherine Heigl in <a href="http://amzn.to/2cD0Jo9" target="_blank">The Ugly Truth</a>, or any number of Rom-Coms. Which right there is saying a lot. These strong women characters are so often portrayed in the romantic COMEDIES! (Okay, maybe I just notice it the most in Rom-Coms, when viewers are expected to root for the couple to end up together.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I was wondering if I'd be able to tell <i>when </i>the gal in Leap Year became likable. What happened in the movie that made her relatable to me as a viewer? I think it was when she was running to make the train, in the rain, and fell down the hill and got covered in mud. This bedraggled woman showed me her humanity. She was torn down to the worst physical representation of a strong woman, and she broke down, but she still pulled herself together and moved forward. That made the respect I felt for her blossom into full-blown admiration, and from there I grew to like her.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Isn’t that what we do as strong women? It isn’t that we’re never down, never afraid, never broken. It’s that we get back up and move forward, often by ourselves, and make whatever has happened work for us. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I just realized that a common factor in the movies I mentioned is that the women don’t have that bevy of girlfriends they can turn to for help and encouragement. These women are on their own, by their own design, and they deal with life on their own. They fall in love in spite of the men, and they don’t let the fact of that love get in the way of being strong. We like them by the end, and feel like they deserve the love of the man. But is it because of their strength, or their humanity and flaws?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This brings me to another question. Why does the strong woman have to be likable? How many times have you said, “Now there’s a woman I love to hate”? I’ve said that about plenty of male characters, and the actors who portray them. But women? At the moment, I can’t think of many. Mags Bennett in <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2ckIVzS" target="_blank">Justified</a></i>. Cruella DeVille in <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2cD1ZHM" target="_blank">101 Dalmatians</a></i>. I know I run into it more in novels. I like to think I’ve written a couple strong women villains, myself. (Angelisa in <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0986210528?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0986210528&linkCode=xm2&tag=kricraboo-20" target="_blank">Last Second Chance</a></i>, and Tawnia in the <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2ciaQh2" target="_blank">Bonnie Isles Trilogy</a></i>.) But they're villains, not anti-heroes. Why aren't we expected to like strong women characters in movies and on TV?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I think we’ve been trained for it as a society. This great <a href="http://boingboing.net/2016/09/15/to-find-hillary-clinton-likabl.html" target="_blank">article </a>by Caroline Siede on BoingBoing.net talks about this training as it relates to female politicians, specifically Hillary Clinton, and I won’t try to say it better than she does, or again, but I strongly recommend reading the article—whether you care about the politics of it or not.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I also challenge you to watch movies and read books while keeping your eyes on the female characters, and try to identify specific characteristics—not just physical traits. If she’s “strong,” what makes her strong? Do you like her? If not, why not? If she’s “weak,” how do you feel about her? Do you like her, or just feel sorry for her? C</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">onsciously look for the plot device that's designed to help you come around to liking her. See if you can recognize the manipulation. (Yes, the art of a good storyteller is in manipulation, so I guess I'm asking you to look at the "man behind the curtain.")</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I would love it if you came back and engaged in a discussion with me about the likability of strong women. Do you see a disparity in how we look at men vs. women? Should we "get over" the bias against strong women?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In the meantime, I’m going to continue creating strong women characters, and challenge myself not to force them to be likable.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">(Full disclosure: Most of the links in this post are Amazon affiliate links, and any purchases you make after clicking through on them will net me a tiny kickback.)</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-59163832026032726032016-09-15T19:48:00.000-07:002016-09-15T19:48:18.108-07:00Update on Activities and Review Catchup<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4H8jnFdjPX1W_Ce9QFc1bVbPrZqil8Lt_HqmyD6mJCaWH_dY5dRjr9xLJgkLOv1oYqcpTbGosyvJnh5OKTZS9R1y4ir2Hy1I1ye2s11EmiBPqPJUfEBPK9mLRPfcqzCQV0M51AHSjHFo/s1600/SMS+cover+from+fb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4H8jnFdjPX1W_Ce9QFc1bVbPrZqil8Lt_HqmyD6mJCaWH_dY5dRjr9xLJgkLOv1oYqcpTbGosyvJnh5OKTZS9R1y4ir2Hy1I1ye2s11EmiBPqPJUfEBPK9mLRPfcqzCQV0M51AHSjHFo/s320/SMS+cover+from+fb.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">It's done! It's on its way! I finished Should Monarchs Stumble in time for the release date I was aiming for, which is September 24th, the day of the Florence Festival of Books. It is available for pre-order NOW!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have been so busy getting finished with the final story for the Bonnie Isles Trilogy - Should Monarchs Stumble - that I have totally neglected reviewing the stories I have been reading.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">I listen to most books using a text to speech feature, and I'm allowed to do this while at work - driving a delivery van around town. That's the only way I've been able to "read" so many books. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Now that I have the book "in the can" and the posters and banner made for the Florence Festival of Books, the Complete Trilogy formatted, uploaded and ordered, I can take a breather and catch up on some reviews. They're not going to be very detailed reviews, but you'll get the idea as to whether and how much I liked them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Without further ado - several reviews, in no particular order.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>From Fire Into Fire</i> by Normandie Fischer</b> - ★★★★★</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I enjoyed this tale of two spies and their son very much. I have not yet read Two from Isaac's House, but I certainly will if this book is an example of the writing. (I have already procured it, but haven't started it, yet.)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">This clean read is bittersweet, exciting, and full of interesting perspectives on the Israeli - Palestinian conflict.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Content rating: This is a PG-13 read all the way. Totally flinch free.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Revolution</i> by Adrienne Dunning</b> – ★★★★★</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">What a sweet, fun read.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It's hard to miss with this sweet tale in which a ghost and feisty grandmother who team up as protectors/matchmakers for a woman running from an abusive fiance and a widower still aching for his lost love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Content rating: PG 13, except there is a theme of domestic abuse - while I'm not opposed to kids knowing that that kind of abuse is NOT okay, it might be a trigger for some.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Shenanigans (Love, Sex & Magic #1)</i> by T.B. Bond</b> ★★★★</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Fun story. Jackson makes a great book boyfriend. He's almost too good to be true, but I like my heroes like that. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I liked Edward, and the premise that all the sisters have boys names. It's going to make for a great series, I think. I'd say this is a bit of a serial - the story is not entirely wrapped up, and I expect to hear more about Edward and Jackson in other installments.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This has some fully depicted, graphic love scenes, so I would call it R-rated, but there is far more story than sex, so the sex scenes are not the driving force of the book. I don't remember the language being too coarse, but a quick search did reveal some f-bombs, so that is in keeping with the R-Rating, too. Language and Sexual content.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I think I read that this book has been overhauled, maybe since I got my copy (I'm working through a huge TBR) so hopefully the small errors that were littered throughout have been corrected. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>My Name is A’yen (A’yen’s Legacy #1) </i>by Rachel Leigh Smith </b>- ★★★★★</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I thought this was a wonderful book. It deals with a lot of tough topics - slavery and rape for starters - and has LGB themes to it, and yes, one questions the motive of one character who is only present in the story as a memory. (Some would call him a pedophile - but as this is Sci-Fi, I chose to believe that A'yen's people age faster than humans.) There are things in this book that will trigger some readers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">But the story is full of hope and perseverance and healing and learning to trust. The world building is exquisite, in such fine detail that I really felt I could understand the world I was reading about. I loved A'yen's strength and character, and I felt for him and the torment he experienced. I loved Farran's character, too. She was just as strong as A'yen and dealt with much of it alone, while he had so many friends to help him. For a long time, I wasn't sure he deserved her, until he got is head out of his you know what and saw what a great woman she was.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are some sex scenes with a mostly closed door, and definite references to both hetero and homosexual love and abuse. It is not easy to read about the things that happen. I'd have to give it a PG-17 rating, for violent and sexual content. I think the language was pretty clean. A quick search revealed 0 f-bombs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>The Healer’s Rune</i> – Lauricia Matuska</b> - ★★★★</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3.5-4 stars. (Can't make up my mind.)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I had the problem that I sometimes have with new adult, where I dislike the main character because she is so real. She's got a temper, and it almost makes her a strong woman, but it gets in the way of her listening to people who are trying to help her. The story also makes me uncomfortable, because it showcases the worst in people--pettiness, letting fear dictate your words and actions, and throwing others under the bus to save yourself. I spent the first 3/4 of the book not sure I was going to like it at all, but in the last 1/4 it started to come together, and I can see that it is actually working for the story. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I think I have more to say about this, but I need to process it some more, and write more when I have more time. Suffice to say it was well worth reading, and I will probably seek out the other books in the series when they come. A book that makes you uncomfortable isn't necessarily a bad thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Across Our Stars: Hamish</i> – by A. Payne & N.D. Taylor </b>- ★★★★★</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5 stars all the way.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This is a fantastic follow up to Across Our Stars: Victor. The pacing is quicker and the action sequences more kick-butt.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I wanted to give a shout out to tell you all this sci-fi novel is great. If you like Sci-Fi that is more character-driven than technology-driven (although there is plenty of cool tech to read about) with complex characters and a twisting conspiracy plot, then this is the story for you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Murder at Twin Oaks</i> by C Z Bracket</b> - ★★★★★</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4.5 Stars</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This was a very fine, clean cozy mystery. I liked the progression and the introduction of the various suspects and the investigation. I thought the resolution was good, though I may have missed some of the finer nuances since I was listening while driving.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I liked the rebuilding relationship with Victoria and the detective. I wondered by she didn't give her colleague a chance, though. I might have missed something, but I didn't really get why that was a non-starter as far as she was concerned. He seemed intent on firing something up with her. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The other thing I didn't quite get was why the clues kept getting sent to her. I wasn't satisfied by the explanation at the end. Again, maybe I just missed it, but those were enough to lose that full fifth star. I do look forward to reading more Victoria James Mysteries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Content rating: this is a clean read. PG-13 - Any violence is off scene, although there is brief mention of some disturbing occurrences.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That's all for now - I'm still reading more, and will surely have more to say. Thanks for sticking with me. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-76460170514192447692016-08-26T06:00:00.000-07:002016-08-26T06:00:26.285-07:00Book Blitz for The Boys of Syracuse, Kansas (3 Book Boxed Set)<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thehypepr.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/TBOSK-Banner.jpg"><img alt="TBOSK Banner" class="size-full wp-image-565 aligncenter" src="http://www.thehypepr.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/TBOSK-Banner.jpg" height="242" width="640" /></a><a href="http://www.thehypepr.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/BOSK-boxed-set.jpg"><img alt="BOSK boxed set" class=" wp-image-505 aligncenter" src="http://www.thehypepr.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/BOSK-boxed-set.jpg" height="640" width="467" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><strong>Title:</strong> The Boys of Syracuse, Kansas</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><strong>Author:</strong> Kristi Cramer</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><strong>Genre:</strong> Romantic Suspense</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><strong>Release Date:</strong> July 4</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">An exciting, suspenseful trio of full length standalone novels that will keep you turning the pages, without running into language and scenes that make you cringe.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Last Shot at Justice: Detective Mitzi Reardon doesn’t know what she did to anger her boss, but he is gunning for her. Literally. Now a prostitute is dead, and she is the prime suspect with the law hot on her heels. With nowhere to run and no one to trust, Mitzi’s only hope lies in the hands of Blue Thomas, a chivalrous cowboy from Kansas.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Last Second Chance: An ex-con's search for a new start in a small Kansas town leads to a chance at a life and a love he never expected. But the life he left behind won't stay quietly in his past.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">One Last Song: In a bold operation that leaves the tiny town of Syracuse reeling, Kylie and Jax are kidnapped. Getting nabbed for human trafficking would be bad enough, but their captors have an additional agenda.</span></div>
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<strong style="background-color: #cccccc;">KINDLE UNLIMITED USERS CAN READ THE BOOKS INDIVIDUALLY FOR FREE!!!</strong></h2>
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<strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CAWDE22" style="background-color: #cccccc;">Last Shot at Justice</a></strong></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Kristi writes about hard-working people living realistic lives. Her heroes are cowboys and bush pilots, her heroines are tough cops and office workers and veterinarians. She puts ordinary people into extraordinary situations, and lets them discover true character in the face of danger.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">It might be somewhat out of style these days, but Kristi's heroes and heroines have lines that they don't cross, things that they won't do to save the day. They will find a way to achieve their goals that may take longer and be riskier, rather than cross those lines into doing "whatever it takes" and landing in the murk of questionable morality.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">They are human, and they do make mistakes. They are practical people and if their loved one is in imminent danger and the only way to save them is to shoot to kill, somebody is going to die. But death and mayhem are never the first choice for Kristi's heroes.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Her villains, however, are under no such restraints. With each novel, Kristi goes deeper to create characters who have real motives, goals, and backgrounds that give the reader a glimpse into the heart of darkness. Villains who hold life cheap, and leave chaos in their wake.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The end result is nail biting, edge of your seat suspense that will keep you turning pages, rooting for the good guys and that happy ever after ending.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Kristi's YA books (as Kristi L. Cramer) are good, clean excitement, with an uplifting message you'll be happy to share with your young ones--and enjoy yourself.</span></div>
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<strong style="background-color: white;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.kristicramerbooks.com/" href="http://www.kristicramerbooks.com/">Website</a> * <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/KristiCramer.Author/?fref=ts" href="https://www.facebook.com/KristiCramer.Author/?fref=ts">Facebook</a> * <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/KacyAuthor" href="https://twitter.com/KacyAuthor">Twitter</a></strong></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-5166358177005158822016-08-21T10:16:00.001-07:002016-08-21T10:16:46.402-07:00Trilogy news & Kindle Countdown!<div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_57b9df90e253b9104095001">
<span style="font-size: large;">I've been hard at work in the writing cave trying to finish off Should Monarchs Stumble. I'm sending it off to the editor this week, so you're one step closer to having a complete trilogy.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">To celebrate, I'm having a Kindle Countdown on both A True Prince and To Make a King. If you missed the promo pricing for the pre-orders, you're in luck. From the 19th through the 22nd, you can get the books for just 99¢ each! From the 22nd to the 28th, they'll jump up to $1.99 ~ after the 28th, they go back to their re<span class="text_exposed_hide">...</span><span class="text_exposed_show">gular price of $2.99 so don't miss out on this great deal while it lasts.</span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Is your little reader going back to school? Send them off with a great pair of fantasy stories! Or, get them for yourself as a treat for when the house is finally quiet again.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18082849268669797810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6500639208697585736.post-43396591221494173862016-08-09T09:19:00.000-07:002016-08-09T09:44:33.153-07:00Review of Shadows for a Princess, by Dominique Kristine<span style="font-size: large;">In short, this is an awesome read.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizzcXYKQvlDbSSIwmgeqBIHTSkEZwlZfFP0glBA4fmJTEOROiVWTJMqzf0niZfECLKzbiMAzavuxVJxOZJw0kUnXW4D-P-oU9td5perrUugqgPJQZSa_5ehv9ETmIfIOO95EP8NzowPec/s1600/Shadows+for+a+Princess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizzcXYKQvlDbSSIwmgeqBIHTSkEZwlZfFP0glBA4fmJTEOROiVWTJMqzf0niZfECLKzbiMAzavuxVJxOZJw0kUnXW4D-P-oU9td5perrUugqgPJQZSa_5ehv9ETmIfIOO95EP8NzowPec/s400/Shadows+for+a+Princess.jpg" width="258" /></a></span></div>
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</span> <span style="font-size: large;">This is a fabulous story, with politics and intrigue, knights and ladies, spies and villains, set in a fully realized fantasy world. There are several plotlines interwoven around the main plot, all seamlessly tied together. The reader doesn't just hear about Geoffrey & Ysolde, but a whole cast of characters who are so well drawn I felt like I knew them personally. They took me off into the Hinderan winter cold but kept me warm with the suspense of trying to figure out what's going on and what's going to happen next.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-size: large;">I love the strong women in this story. Ysolde is strong, compassionate, wise, and fierce. She takes no crap and gives no...cares from the people who plot against her. Yet she shows loyalty and love for those she cares for. She is no wilting flower waiting to be rescued, yet she has no qualms about asking for help when it's needed. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Then there is Raennia. What's not to love about a woman who can compete with the finest swordsmen to become one of the elite guardians of the Princess? Rae kicks ass. She is a fine, complex character, and one of my favorites from the whole story.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-size: large;">The men are my idea of perfect men, too. Geoffrey makes me want to find a knight of my own. He's strong, kind, caring, just a little clueless when it comes to women - just a tad! Andras, Etienne, and Laurent all give me a case of the swoons. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mfqJ0RTO0Jzv_fxi3BmyQZorJUs8vI8RoG5xGJs_YJv9NZYuMKuV6Ba-ooV8Y8mhNXV-hJ4oe5dBtxKlew_PqH55vawb9WODiNm9SY0NvbT5uZMBHp-Y1Oh80U8JChEStOOVLDb-a-o/s1600/Shadows+teaser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mfqJ0RTO0Jzv_fxi3BmyQZorJUs8vI8RoG5xGJs_YJv9NZYuMKuV6Ba-ooV8Y8mhNXV-hJ4oe5dBtxKlew_PqH55vawb9WODiNm9SY0NvbT5uZMBHp-Y1Oh80U8JChEStOOVLDb-a-o/s640/Shadows+teaser.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Personally, I don't think this guy quite does Geoffrey justice. I picture more like Heath Ledger in A Knight's Tale...</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The bad guys are also well drawn, and a diverse cast of characters there, too. I don't want to give anything away, so that's all I'll say about that.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-size: large;">I don't know what else to say about this that won't end up with spoilers or me just gushing and babbling my love for this story, so I'll conclude by saying READ THIS BOOK - you won't be sorry.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-size: large;">KC's Content Rating:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I would rate this PG-17 to Mild R, for the violence and adult content. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The language is very clean without being Victorian or oddly stilted (except for one character who is just learning the main character's language.) There is violence, but I don't think it's horribly graphic. A mention of blood and throats getting slit, some off scene torture, but it doesn't go into details. </span></div>
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There are a couple steamy scenes where the door isn't quite shut, but I wouldn't call them graphic. (You can tell what's going on, but there are no detailed descriptions - more like 'he moved here, and she gasped' kind of stuff.) </span><br />
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