Kristi Cramer's Blog: Bounded in a Nutshell, page 5

Interview with Contemporary YA and PNR author Carrigan Richards

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

Kristi Cramer Books: Thanks for joining me, Carrigan! Tell us about you in a nutshell. What makes you tick as a writer?
Carrigan Richards: I’m a Southern girl who loves to read, write, garden, listen to music, hang out with family, play with my furbabies, and eat, particularly cheese. I love creating worlds, people, events. I watch people (even though I’m sure they think it’s creepy). I read stories and empathize with people and when I try to imagine myself in their shoes, I get stories brewing. I try to take what they experience and put it into words for others. I also use real life experiences. As for my paranormal series, while most of it is fantasy, I do include real-life elements. I try to make the stories as realistic as possible.
KCB: What pets do you have?
CR: 4 dogs: Marley (German Shepherd), Elsa (Collie/Shepherd mix), Eli (lab/boxer mix), Beckett (Pit/lab mix)
KCB: Which is your favorite?
CR: I love them all, but honestly, I have to say Eli, since he was mine before I met my husband. He’s my baby and even though he’s rather skittish, he’s always there to comfort me.
KCB: If you could have any pet on the planet, which would you have? 
CR: Well, since I have dogs, I’d say panda. They’re so cute and cuddly. They’d have to be well trained not to eat me though. Or I’d have a gorilla.
KCB: What inspires you to write strong female characters? 
CR: The fact that I am one, and that I want others to be inspired by a strong female voice. They’re becoming more and more popular, but there could be more. I want women to know their strength and to know it’s okay to be strong and independent.
KCB: What is your favorite season – why? 
CR: Because I’m a weirdo, I love all seasons equally. Winter for some reason makes me reflect and it also means family time for me. I spend more time inside, so I’m writing more. Spring because it’s beautiful. I love the warmth, the fresh flowers, and the sense of renewing. Summer because longer days. Hanging out more outside and enjoying the sunshine. Fall for its beauty, the foliage and the crisp fall air with the gorgeous blue skies.
KCB: How many books have you written? 
CR: I have written a total of twelve books, most of them are YA, but I have a detective series I wrote a while ago.
KCB: How many have you published? In what genres? 
CR: I have published 6 books and 1 novella. All are young adult.
KCB: Do you have any favorite elements you like to put in your books? How do you come up with the ideas? 
CR: I love astronomy and celestial themes. I included these pretty heavily in my paranormal series and a little in my contemporary. I also like to push my characters as far as they’ll go. As for ideas…this is sometimes a hard question for me to answer. Sometimes I really don’t know where they come from. I get a lot of inspiration from reading, music, TV, movies, real life. As for Pieces of Me, my contemporary, psychological romance, the idea came to me after reading several psychological books. I also studied psychology and am fascinated with how humans react to events and what makes them do what they do. As for the Elemental Enchanters Series, I have always been fascinated with witches, magic, super powers, so I combined all of them to make the series. It’s kinda like X-Men meets The Craft..haha.
KCB: If you could take one of your characters with you to a nice night out, say dinner and a movie, which one would it be? Where would you eat, and what movie would you see? 
CR: Gabriel. Hands down. Well, because he’s such a gentleman and takes care of his woman, we would go to a fancy Italian restaurant, since that’s my favorite. He’d have something fancy because he has rich tastes, but I would go with the old standard: chicken parmesan. We would go see an action movie – along the super hero lines. Because those are one of my favorites and I wouldn’t want to torture him through a romance. J
KCB: For someone who is new to your work, where should they start? 
CR: If they want adventure, action, romance, I’d start with Under a Blood Moon. I love the series and I’m so proud of it. If they want something  emotional that will make them cry, Pieces of Me.
Thanks so much for joining us today! Isn't she fun? Be sure to check out her stalker links, and order one or more of her books today. 
Stalker links:FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/authorcarriganrichards TWITTER: @carrigan34AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Carrigan-Richards/e/B00EDLIKRM INSTAGRAM: @authorcarriganrichardsWEBSITE: https://carriganrichards.com/
Books by Carrigan Richards:Elemental Enchanters Series:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B012XYQ08G Pieces of Me: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EDCELY2
January Dreams: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018W2DX7E

Review of The Dawn's Early Light by Lee Duffy

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

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

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

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

Well done, Lee Duffy.

Review of Fade to Black by Jax Newman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BlurbFive years have passed since Sebastian learned of his birthright as a true prince of the Bonnie Isles. Now the king is dead, but Sebastian isn’t ready to wear his father’s crown. His whole world crumbles around him while every eligible woman in the kingdom competes for the crown prince’s attention, driving him to distraction.
Mari of Dewbury is the youngest daughter of a baron from the smallest estate in the kingdom. Between her mother and elder sister’s scheming to win the future king’s heart, and the dozens of other beauties making their play, she entertains little hope of even being seen by the crown prince, much less attracting his attention. She has only come to Fair Haven to pay her respects to King Isaiah, and perhaps catch a glimpse of the man destined to become king, but a chance encounter changes everything.
Unseen forces use dark magic to undermine Sebastian’s succession, and Edward is encouraged to take action against his half-brother in a plot to usurp the crown. Before the sun sets on coronation day, brother will face brother and swords will be bared. Will royal blood be spilled and evil reign in the Bonnie Isles? Or will love truly conquer all?
Excerpt
   Mari felt invisible, as usual. No one had spoken two words to her all night. Only the servants seemed to notice her at all. Though she hated to admit it, she feared her mother had been right: her presence was a waste of time and the money she had been saving for years.   All to pay her respects to a king who had never seen her and a chance to meet the man who was to be crowned in a week’s time—along with at least a dozen other young women, including her older sister, Rochelle, who had the same general idea.
   Indeed, the king’s wake had something of a circus air: all the gaily festive colors on gowns, ribbons in hair, and jewelry could belong to clowns or players. Mari nearly felt out of place in her simple, somber grey dress. But even if she owned a costume to rival those of the other ladies competing for the heir’s notice, Mari could not see herself dressing for a wake as though it were a carnival.   She had found herself standing near the door all night, unable to fit in with the prince’s unabashed suitors, both visually and ethically. But dressed as she was, she apparently blended into the tapestries, despite the strands of red hair escaping her black mourning coif.   From her position, she had watched Prince Sebastian slip away from the riot of what should be a thoughtful evening of reflection. She considered following, though even if she had gotten her nerve up, the guard at the door had no doubt been instructed to keep the prince’s privacy. And so, she had waited all night, watching for his return.   It was morning now. Shafts of sunlight sprayed through the chapel’s stained glass windows to paint the room in ever more garish colors. Mari wished the whole thing would get over with. Her feet hurt, her head hurt, and she felt foolish for having spent all her money traveling to court for a lost cause.   Prince Sebastian could pick from the flower of the Bonnie Isle’s beauties: small chance of recognition for Lady Mari, the youngest daughter of Baron Tidwell, lord of the smallest holding in the kingdom.   “Not exactly what one would envision, is it?” a man said from close by her side. Mari turned in surprise to find Lord Wingfield.  She curtsied, and he bowed in return, smiling at her. “I rather hoped our prince would be allowed to mourn his father properly. Instead, this, and he is driven from his own chapel.”   “Indeed, Lord Wingfield. I almost expect tumblers to come through.” Realizing what she had just implied, Mari felt herself blushing furiously.   The young lord smiled and leaned in close. “Don’t worry, Lady Mari, I feel the same way. It seems you are the only one who cares to show proper respect to our late king.”   “Oh, no, sir. I see plenty—”
   “Let me amend that. I should have said the only young lady....”
   Mari could think of no response, and knew she was blushing again. “He was a great king,” she fumbled out at last.   “Indeed.” Lord Wingfield smiled at her, but she saw sadness behind his eyes.   Mari had known Adam Wingfield since childhood, as the Greyloch Estate bordered her father’s own small estate of Dewbury. In those years, he had grown from the impish neighbor boy into the dashing son of a duke, older and wiser in the ways of the world.
   He had always been kind to her. Once, she had dared to hope if her sister won his heart—which had always been their parent’s dream—she would have in him a fine brother who would care for his spinster sister-in-law. Having always been told she had no prospects for marriage, she could hope for nothing better. But he had gone away to Fair Haven to learn the art of war, and had captured and been captured by the heart of Princess Aslynn.   “Ah, look,” Lord Wingfield said. “Here comes Prince Sebastian and my wife now. May I present you?”   “Oh no, I couldn’t...,” she began, but his hand was at her elbow, guiding her toward where he stood in the doorway with his twin sister, talking quietly. Not everyone had noticed the Prince’s return, but Lord Wingfield guided her up and bowed low. Without looking up, Mari curtsied deeply.
   “Your Highness, may I present Lady Mari of Dewbury, daughter of Baron Tidwell.”
###The first few chapters of To Make a King are up on Goodreads and Wattpad. I'm releasing one chapter a week until it's published - so head over and check it out to see why you want to pre-order this second installment.

Buy the Kindle or Borrow from Kindle Unlimited
<br />


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


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

Stalker LinksWebsite ~ Facebook ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ Kristi's Blog ~ Newsletter ~ Newsletter Signup ~ Pinterest

My Stop on the Blog Tour for Beast, by AJ Adams

Warning! Beast by AJ Adams is a dark romance.
It contains graphic scenes of sex and violence. It is for adults only!
Beast by AJ AdamsA self standing novella 42,000 wordsPrice US$2.99 BlurbFalsely accused, Wynne is determined to clear her name. However, a trip to petition the Steward at Brighthelme turns disastrous when the Beasts, fearsome warriors from the frozen north, raze the city. When Wynne is carried away, she's determined to regain her freedom but Rune, her captor, has other ideas.

Beast is set in Prydain, an imaginary place that combines Anglo-Saxon England with Medieval England, the Teutonic Kingdom and the Viking Age. This story contains kidnapping, rape, dubious consent and graphic violence, however, it is a love story rather than a dark romance. It is a standalone novel; no cliff-hangers.

Buy Links1-click Beast by AJ Adams on Amazon1-click Beast by AJ Adams on Amazon UKBuy Beast by AJ Adams on Barnes and NobleBuy Beast by AJ Adams on Smashwords InternationalBuy Beast by AJ Adams on iTunesTeasers

Excerpt He stuck the knife in the ground and stripped off his leathers. The tunic came off, revealing a long, lean, muscled torso, covered in tattoos. Snakes ran up and down his arms, his pecs and his shoulders. A skull blazed on his chest.
Then he was pushing apart my legs, settling between my thighs, leaning over me. He smelled of smoke, leather and musk. It was terrifying, like being at the mercy of an animal.

Here's a link to my review of Beast,
and my interview with Ellen Whyte, the genius behind A.J. AdamsBuy Links1-click Beast by AJ Adams on Amazon1-click Beast by AJ Adams on Amazon UK Buy Beast by AJ Adams on Barnes and NobleBuy Beast by AJ Adams on Smashwords InternationalBuy Beast by AJ Adams on iTunes About the Author AJ Adams is a Scottish-Dutch author currently living in Malaysia. In her regular life she is a columnist and feature writer. She works from home, where she is closely snoopervised by cats, Target and Guido.
Stalker links








Books by AJ Adams Crime, Romance, Passion, Fantasy - AJ Adams mixes it up in explosive stories.

Review of Cogling by Jordan Elizabeth Mierek

What a delightful story! One thing I love about Steampunk is how creative the authors are. Just the concept alone, of clockwork children secretly replacing human children is fantastic. Add in hags and ogres and swamps and dragons, not to mention mechanical maids, spyder spies on the walls, woodland dwellers, and a plot to overthrow the kingdom, and I found this story fully entertaining.

The writing has come such a long way from the other book I read by Jordan Elizabeth (Escape from Witchwood Hollow), and the construction of the plot much more in depth and complete. Her skill has definitely grown. There were places that still felt a little stilted to me, and I can't quite put my finger on it. Things jumped around a little bit too much, too. I could understand at the end when the main event was going down, but at times things felt a little jumbled. Otherwise, I can't say I found much wrong with this one.

With no profanity or sex, this story rates as family friendly to me. It does get a bit dark with some fairly graphic violence at the end, but it is brief.

A solid 4.5 stars.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

New Release Blog Tour for A True Prince, Book 1 in the Bonnie Isles Trilogy

Title: A True Prince Author: Kristi L. Cramer Genre: Young Adult Historical FantasyRelease date: May 10, 2016

BlurbA long time ago in an island kingdom, two friends discover the key to a mystery that, once unlocked, will change everything. Magical forces are unleashed to make sure the secret never comes to light.
Princess Aslynn and Sebastian have been friends nearly since birth, despite their differing social status. A friendship cemented by a tragic common thread: Aslynn's mother died giving birth to her, and Sebastian had been found floating in a sea chest after a storm. Though a magic spell had protected him, there was no clue as to his identity or his origins, and the boy from the sea was raised by the king’s swordmaster.

Fifteen years later, the forces of change are converging on the small island kingdom they call their home.

In a storm to rival the one that brought Sebastian ashore, the two friends rescue a shipwrecked stranger. In gratitude, the traveling mystic offers to solve Sebastian's mystery, but as the stranger uncovers clues, events surrounding his arrival stir up more than just the past.
A True Prince is a complete story arc, and does not end in a cliffhanger.

Excerpt     Master Jabari moved to the fireplace, opening a wooden box to remove an ornate pipe, which he loaded with tobacco from a clay jar before lighting it with a taper from the fire. Smoke puffed from around the pipe stem as he settled down in his chair by the fire.     The trio exchanged glances and smiles. A pipe always meant a story. They settled onto the rug in front of the blaze, ready to listen.     For a moment, all they heard was the storm raging outside, and Aslynn watched the flames jump in the fitful breeze blowing down the chimney. She was glad to be here in such company, warm and comfortable, rather than shivering in her bedchamber, alone and bored.     “It’s fitting that a storm should blow tonight,” Master Jabari said, and Aslynn turned to see him staring thoughtfully over the top of his pipe.     She and her friends waited, knowing it would do no good to try to rush things. The old military man had a hundred stories to tell from his years in service to King Isaiah. There was the romance of falling in love with Princess Bette, who gave up any claim she might have to the crown out of the knowledge that the kingdom was not ready to have such an obvious outlander anywhere near the throne. Then there were the stories of his youth on the far off shores of Egypt, his native land, not to mention the roundabout journey to the Bonnie Isles as a captive on his way to a life of slavery.     Master Jabari had explained more than once that in the tradition of his people, he told the stories to the children as a matter of oral history, so that they might pass them down to their children. Aslynn didn’t think so seriously about the future, but found them a good night’s entertainment.     “Fifteen years ago, there was a storm such as this, on this very night. The wind raged all night and the rain fell so hard it beat trees to the ground. Every roof in the castle sprang a leak.     “The next morning, King Isaiah and I went riding on the beach with the salvage crews, to see what the sea had given us. You see, the sea may give us our harsh weather, but she always leaves us her bounty when the wind and waves calm.”     “Tonight was the night...?” Aslynn began, and Sebastian hushed her.     “Tell us the story, Master Jabari?” Adam asked respectfully. Aslynn knew he hadn’t heard this story yet, but she and Sebastian could hear it a hundred times more and never tire of it.     Jabari stroked the whiskers on his narrow chin. “King Isaiah and I rode the beaches, and it wasn’t long before we saw the frigate, her back broken on the reef they call the Devil’s Jaw.” He took a moment to puff on his pipe, and Aslynn imagined his absent gaze reflecting his memories of the sight.     “The reef had called another ship to the bottom of the sea. There were bodies in the surf, and they told a story that would never have come from lips still breathing life. Bodies still chained to pieces of the ship, as well as a drowned man known to be a slaver—the first mate of a ship known as the Swing Trader. The frigate’s captain had tried to leave their secret port under cover of the storm, knowing if they were caught on the Bonnie Isles, they would be tried as the criminals they were.     “Well, the sea delivered her own justice, taking all the poor souls who had been slaves home to her as well. All save one.”Aslynn clapped her hands in delight, knowing who that one soul had been.     Master Jabari smiled and continued. “Amid all the wreckage, the king found a sea chest. An airtight wooden box made to float, such as those used by sea captains to hold their ships logs or special belongings. Well, there was certainly something special in this one.”     “Sebastian!” Aslynn laughed, and the boy in question gave her a playful punch on the arm.     “It was the oddest thing,” Jabari continued, looking thoughtful. “King Isaiah saw the chest floating in surf still rough from the storm, and instead of asking me or one of the other searchers to fetch it, he went after it himself.”     “Do you think he heard 'Bastian crying?” Aslynn asked—as she always asked.     “I could hardly hear myself talk over the roar of waves and the cries of the gulls scavenging the corpses. But the king, he must have heard something. He came back to shore dripping wet, with the chest in his arms. He set it down so gently in the sand...” Master Jabari pantomimed the gesture, and even now, wonder lit his weathered ebony features, “and pried open the latches.     “I was nearby when he did it, and though I don’t claim to be a mystic, I know magic when I smell it. There was a spell on that chest, to keep its contents safe.     “Inside, nestled in blankets and snug as you three are tonight, was a baby boy, with eyes the color of the sea.”     Aslynn knew those eyes better than her own—the green of sunlight shining in the surf, or the froth of the waves after a storm. She always thought it was funny others called them blue.     “The king and I brought him home to Castle Fair Haven, and though we inquired, no one reported losing a baby. King Isaiah entrusted the care of the babe to Mother and myself, and gave him the name Sebastian, boy of the sea.”     “But where could I have come from?” Sebastian asked, sounding upset by the story this time. “Don’t I look like anybody? I was more than ten months old, surely someone had seen me before the slavers took me....”###If you want to read the first 9 chapters of A True Prince, check them out on Goodreads or Wattpad. 

Buy the Kindle or Borrow from Kindle Unlimited

A True Prince is also available on Kristi's website in Mobi, ePub or PDF for discounted prices.

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

Stalker Links
Website ~ Facebook ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ Kristi's Blog ~ Newsletter ~ Newsletter Signup ~ Pinterest

Interview with Ellen Whyte, aka AJ Adams & Storm Chase

My first official interview is with Ellen Whyte, who writes as AJ Adams and Storm Chase. She was kind enough to answer all the questions I threw at her, many of which I'm posting here. (The remainder will be posted in my Newsletter. Be sure to SIGN UP so you can read them all.)
Without further ado, the interview follows:
KCBooks: Tell us about you in a nutshell. What makes you tick as a writer?
Ellen Whyte: I start off quite organised, writing a three or four line plot idea.  Then I flesh it out, which takes me a day or so, and it’s all neat and tidy with events and chapter divisions. 
Then the characters begin to breathe.  
I think I’ve got it sussed, because I’ve got that detailed outline, right?  It’s all tidy and it works, right?  But then the characters take over and before I know it my lovely outline is in smithereens and my characters are rampaging all over the place. 
At that point I’m loving it because the story starts to write itself.  Very often I don’t know what will happen next, so it’s an adventure.
That’s what I love about writing. It’s romance and adventure.
KCB: Pets – What do you have? Which is your favorite? If you could have any pet on the planet which would you have, and why?    EW: I am ruled by two cats, Target and Guido.  They are kampung kuching, which means village cats in Malay. It means they are street moggies, rescue cats who are now spoilt home kitties.
Target is a drama cat. He’s constantly in trouble, up to trouble or causing trouble.  When he’s not doing something wicked, he’s at my side - clicking the escape key and changing the language on my keyboard.
Guido is relaxed. He’s absolutely huge, more a tiger than a cat, and it’s current ambition to climb the tree in the garden.  He’s not getting very far and he’s hinting that he’d like me to help him up.  I’m not because I don’t want to have to call the fire brigade to get him back down again!
KCB: Describe a typical day in your life.
EW: I get up around 630AM and I start with a coffee and checking my book sales (I know!)  I go through my Facebook private messages, catch up with friends and do my book promos.
By that time it’s usually about 730AM. Then I write for an hour or sometimes two.
Around 9AM or 10AM I start work (day job) writing for newspapers or magazines.  At the moment I’m also starting a new business, as a counselling psychologist, so I’m doing paperwork, writing proposals, seeing clients and so on.
At about 5PM I go downstairs and start dinner.  I love to cook so that’s fun.  Tom comes home around then, so we catch up on the gossip and we hang out for a while - him catching up on news and me writing.
We eat between 6PM and 8PM.  We watch old TV series, binge watching really, because the mindlessness helps us unwind.  We usually talk through it and if Tom’s got a yen to watch sports (he’s got a thing for baseball) I write. (all sport bores me to tears within two seconds)
After 8PM I write.  I stop around 10PM - 11PM and sometimes it’s a bit later. 
We go out twice a week, hitting our local pub around 5PM.  We’re home by 8PM latest and then I go to sleep early, but usually after writing an hour. Sometimes two.
KCB: Describe your ideal vacation—if money were no object and you had no obstacles holding you back...
EW: I would love to spend time in a small walled villa with it’s own pool.  Anywhere really: Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia. I’m looking for peace and tranquility. I want to spend the whole day just being - with Target, Guido and Tom (the non-furry companion).  But at night I’d like to go out and see people. So probably Bali or Siem Reap or somewhere a bit touristy.
KCB: If you could live anywhere on the planet, where would you go and why?
EW: If I had a teleporter, I’d spend most of my time in Malaysia because it’s my home and I love it.  But I’d go to Spain for weekends so I could go see my mum.  Also, I sometimes miss fresh, cold air, Spanish food, Spanish wine and just being in a non-tropical place so probably I’d spend some time in Spain during the spring and autumn too.
Also, I miss Fay, one of my best friends.  We see each other just once a year, so it would be nice to be in the same continent again.
KCB: How do you find balance between work, family, and writing?
EW: Hahahahahaha! Brilliant!  You’ve seen my typical day so you know I spend most of my time working.
I write during the day, when I watch television at night, when I’m in the hairdresser, when I’m waiting for someone to come to a meeting - I work about 14 hours a day, every day.
It’s unsustainable but having spent the last three years studying part time, I have to get back to work so 2016 is just crazy.  Hopefully that balance thing will kick in next year!
Be sure to sign up for the newsletter to see the answers to these questions:
What inspires you to write strong female characters?

If you could lump all your books in a single genre, what would you call it?
What is your favorite food? Describe it so we want to eat it, too.

About the authorAJ Adams is a Scottish-Dutch author currently living in Malaysia. In her regular life she is a columnist and feature writer. She works from home, where she is closely snoopervised by cats, Target and Guido.
Stalker links:Amazon author page http://www.amazon.com/AJ-Adams/e/B00P... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... https://www.facebook.com/ewhyteTwitter https://twitter.com/KatzTalesTweetsPi... https://www.pinterest.com/Author_AJAd...
Books: 
The Bonus by AJ Adams
My first AJ Adams novel and one of my favourites! It’s unusual but Chloe and Kyle are unusual people.

Beast by AJ Adams
If you like darkish romance, and don’t mind a bit of kidnapping and rape, this is the story for you!

The Degas Girl by AJ Adams
Zachary is not nice and neither is Serenity.  Together though, they are dynamic.

Songbird by AJ Adams
What I love about this is that Arturo is a monster but he’s also thoroughly human. I’d love to meet him for dinner - as long as Solitaire isn’t cooking.<br />          

Book 1 is Live! Let's Introduce Book 2 in the Bonnie Isles Trilogy - To Make a King

Today is release day for A True Prince , and I hope many of you are finding it on your Kindle this morning.

Didn't Dana do a great job on the cover?
(Dana of Designs by Dana has done all of my covers. She is wonderful!)

To whet your appetite further, I want to give you the blurb, and show you the beautiful cover for Book 2, to entice you to read the series.

Both books have complete story arcs, so there are no cliffhangers, but you will want to read them in order, to get the most enjoyment.

Here is the working blurb. (It is a pretty early version, so I'll be refining it as it gets closer to the July 10 release day.)


Five years have passed since Sebastian learned of his birthright as a true prince of the Bonnie Isles. Now the king is dead, but Sebastian isn’t ready to wear his father’s crown. His whole world crumbles around him and he hasn’t slept for days. Add to that the blatant disregard of the somber occasion as every eligible woman in the kingdom competes for the crown prince’s attention, driving him to distraction.
Mari of Dewbury is the youngest daughter of a baron from the smallest estate in the kingdom. Between her mother and elder sister’s scheming to win the future king’s heart, and the dozens of other beauties making their play, she entertains little hope of even being seen by the crown prince, much less attracting his attention. She has only come to Fair Haven to pay her respects to King Isaiah, and perhaps catch a glimpse of the man destined to become king, but a chance encounter changes everything.
Unseen forces are using dark magic to undermine Sebastian’s succession, and Edward is encouraged to take action against his half-brother in a plot to usurp the crown. Before the sun sets on coronation day, brother will face brother and swords will be bared. Will royal blood be spilled, and evil reign in the Bonnie Isles? Or will love truly conquer all?

Both books are only available on Amazon at this time, which means they are/will be on Kindle Unlimited for the first 90 days of publication. After that they will go to all markets. Also, the price for To Make A King will go up to $1.99 after it is released, so get it at the low pre-order price of 99¢ now.
<br />     

If you're still not sure about them, you can read the first 9 chapters of A True Prince on Goodreads and Wattpad, and To Make a King will eventually have at least that many posted, also on Goodreads and Wattpad.

Review of A Taste of Bliss by Adrian R. Hale

Solid 4 Stars
I quite liked this story. I was very moved by Lisa, Bliss' mother's storyline. Tragic and yet inspiring.

Talan was a sweetheart. Almost too perfect, but honestly, that's the way I like my heroes. It's nice to think there's a guy out there who can handle all our BS. I liked the layers to his personality and his life, and the way he was all in when it came to Bliss. My only problem is the amount of time he was absent from the story. I got a bit twitchy wondering when he was going to be back in the picture.

Bliss... Well, I liked her well enough. I thought she was pretty relatable, flawed, and real. She'd go flying off the handle, and then come to her senses. And Lord knows I'm a lot like her when it comes to overthinking things, and creating issues when there isn't really one there. Unlike her, I like to think I would let someone say their piece, defend themselves, in the event of a major misunderstanding, but who knows.

That particular misunderstanding was pretty predictable, although I did wonder what the real story was going to be. (Sorry if I'm vague, but I don't like to leave spoilers.)

My main problem with this story isn't really the story, it's the fact that it is not only first person, which--as those of you who follow my reviews know--is not my favorite, but it is also in present tense, which I find super distracting. I've only ever read one book in present tense that I didn't find so distracting--I hardly even noticed it, it was so well done. This one, for me, was not. As a reader, I was taken out of the bubble every time to dialog fell into past tense--which was often--and during the times when Bliss is flashing back to something that happened "off scene". So it felt bouncy and just not smooth.

Take that for what it's worth. For me, it's worth the loss of a whole star. But other readers who don't have problems with first person present tense may not mind it at all. Otherwise, the plot was well constructed, the characters all likable and relate-able, and the writing--other than my issues framed above--was very well done.