Kristi Cramer

Biography

When Kristi isn’t riding her Harley or working her day job, you can find her in front of her computer, hammering out exciting suspense stories, or chatting around on social media.

Although she has honed her writing craft for 30+ years, she only published her first book in 2012. Her strange and varied work history - having held jobs from a hotel housekeeper, a car wash attendant, an insurance underwriter, an electronics assembly line worker, a date entry tech in auto parts warehouse, a blueberry nursery shipping coordinator, a local delivery driver, and a truck driver and owner of her own trucking company - gives her a broad base from which to build her characters and storylines. Now a billing specialist for The Arc of Lane County, she supports those who care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities while she pursues her writing career in earnest.

She got married for the first time at 38, skipped being a mommy and went straight to Grandma. She fully intends to go to her grave having never changed a diaper.

Kristi's books are all affordably priced. In the time since self-publishing her first novel in 2012, Kristi has learned that working at selling her writing is a great way to kill the joy she has in the process of writing, so she has returned to the idea of writing for the joy of it. She still puts her heart and soul into producing the best possible product, trying only to make it easy for readers to enjoy her work for the least expense. She doesn't promise perfection but works hard to ensure the quality results in a low-to-distraction-free reading experience.

In April of 2023 she cut eBook prices as low as possible, making them free wherever she could. (Amazon doesn't make it easy to provide free eBooks, so all eBooks there are priced at 99¢.) You can find them free on other platforms - see website (below) for details. Paperbacks are priced as low as Amazon allows, or you can purchase directly from the website at cost.

What's the catch? We don't require anything of readers. If you are moved to do so, please feel free to leave a review. If you can afford it, you can donate to the cause of helping Kristi's bottom line. As of April 2023, money for professional covers will come solely from donations and royalties, or from bartering. See website for details on how to donate.

Smashwords Interview

Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
I do. I even completed it. It was a fantasy involving shape-shifters. It wasn't very good. But I was only twelve.
What is your writing process?
I have an inciting scene that comes to mind, not always the opening scene, but usually, and a general idea of where I want the story to go. Then I develop the characters until they tell me what is going to happen next. It is called 'pantzing' - or writing by the seat of my pants, and as a method it has its pros and cons. The pros are that my stories usually have unpredictable twists to them, and I am often amazed that something I just casually threw in at the beginning of the story then ends up playing a part further on. (For instance, the mention of coyotes bothering the herd in Last Second Chance, which leads to a reveal that a rifle is kept in the foreman's cabin - which then turns out to be an important thing to know later in the book.) The cons are that sometimes I write my characters into such a pickle that I get blocked trying to figure out how to get them out of it. But again, I think that makes for a much more interesting read.
Read more of this interview.

Where to find Kristi Cramer online

Series

The Thomas Family Novels
The Thomas Family Novels is a series of standalone novels featuring characters connected to the town of Syracuse, Kansas. Most notably a family of cattle ranchers whose ties to the land go back to the 1880s. Good, old-fashioned cowboys. No anti-heroes and no graphic sex, though there is brief graphic violence and intense, suspenseful situations.

Books

Sherwood Rogue
Price: Free! Words: 127,800. Language: English. Published: May 1, 2018 . Categories: Fiction » Young adult or teen » Adventure, Fiction » Fantasy » Historical
At nineteen, my life was anything but the fantasies of my childhood. I was free, but alone. I was surviving. Until I hiked into the mountains and carelessly challenged the universe to notice me. When a door of white light appeared and compelled me to step through, I did. Into the greatest trials I'd ever face, as an outlaw alongside Robin Hood. I would fight, kill, love...and I would live.
To Make a King
Price: Free! Words: 123,710. Language: English. Published: April 25, 2018 . Categories: Fiction » Young adult or teen » Fantasy, Fiction » Coming of age
Family, Love, Magic. Friends & Enemies. Crowns & Usurpers. Visit Verridian and meet an unforgettable cast of characters in a world you can sink your teeth into. Follow the royal family of Fair Haven, monarchs of The Outlier Islands, as they navigate treachery, intrigue, good magic and evil, to find a message of hope, family, and the power of love to conquer all.
One Last Song (A Thomas Family Novel #3)
Series: The Thomas Family Novels. Price: Free! Words: 50,480. Language: English. Published: February 29, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Action & suspense, Fiction » Romance » Suspense
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.
Last Second Chance (A Thomas Family Novel #2)
Series: The Thomas Family Novels. Price: Free! Words: 65,980. Language: English. Published: February 17, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Inspirational, Fiction » Romance » Clean & wholesome
An ex-con's search for a new start 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. Just when Janie Thomas thinks her life is leveling out, two men appear to shake things up.
Last Shot at Justice (A Thomas Family Novel #1)
Series: The Thomas Family Novels. Price: Free! Words: 56,360. Language: English. Published: February 16, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Action & suspense, Fiction » Romance » Suspense
Detective Mitzi Reardon just became the prime suspect in a murder she didn’t commit. On the run from enemies and co-workers alike, Mitzi must put her trust in Blue Thomas, an old-school cowboy from Kansas. Against all odds, they must bring the real killer to justice.
Knight Before Dawn
Price: Free! Words: 46,880. Language: English. Published: February 16, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Romance » Suspense, Fiction » Romance » Contemporary
When kidnap victim Cassandra Reyes meets Alaskan bush pilot Nicolas Knight, she doesn't know if she should trust him, or run like hell.