Heather Thurmeier's Blog, page 21
November 22, 2012
Black Friday Blog Hop!
It’s here! It’s here!! The craziest shopping day of the year! If you’re like me, then you’re at home, comfy and cozy in your jammies, chillin’ on the couch with a coffee and shopping online. I almost never brave the stores on Black Friday. I just can’t bring myself to get up super early on a day when I can sleep in and go out in the cold to shop with hordes of deal-hunting shoppers.
So I’m here to make your holiday shopping a little easier. Hop with us TODAY ONLY and you can enter to win all kinds of prizes! Maybe you’ll get some of holiday shopping done while having fun!
Leave a comment with your email address and you’ll be entered in to win the grand prizes!
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $75 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!
Be sure to hop around to all of the other participating author’s websites by clicking HERE or on the blog hop icon above!
But that’s not all you could win! I’m also doing my own giveaway here on my blog! I’m giving away a $10 Amazon or B&N gift card that you can use towards your holiday shopping! Who doesn’t love free money?! All you have to do to win is enter via my rafflecopter! The more you do, the more chances you earn to win!
Have a few readers in your family to buy gifts for? Check out my books, available in both digital and paperback! Buying my books as gifts today will earn you extra entries into the $20 gift card giveaway!
Newly single Cassidy Quinn is thrilled to be a contestant on the new reality dating show The One. But her excitement turns to horror when the gorgeous bachelor turns out to be her ex-boyfriend. Seeing Brad again makes Cassidy realize she might not be as “over him” as she thought—and then she meets hunky cameraman Evan Burke.
After watching his brother lose his wife in a tragic accident, Evan vows never to fall in love. But following Cassidy around as her personal cameraman makes him question his decision, and resisting her gets harder with every sunbathing, bikini-wearing day.
Cassidy and Evan begin a forbidden affair while her ex-boyfriend tries to win her heart back one groping, awkward moment at a time. If Cassidy can manage to stop falling off horses (literally), stop falling onto her ex-boyfriend, the bachelor (yes, literally), and stop falling in love with backstage playboy Evan, she might still make it through the show without becoming a tabloid sensation.
But soon Cassidy must choose between the ex who broke her heart and the cameraman who might never love her back. For Cassidy, this reality show just got real.
Not sure yet? How about an excerpt from the book?
Evan shifted beneath her and in one quick movement she was on her back as he hovered over her. Every part of her body flared to life when he brushed her hair back from her shoulder and left a trail of soft kisses from her collarbone to her belly button.
Oh my God, he’s like the Energizer Bunny.
“You,” he said between kisses, “are not allowed to hide in the sheets. I’ve been tortured by you wearing little pink bikinis and sexy dresses for weeks. Now that I get to see you, all of you, I plan on looking. A lot.”
“You didn’t seem tortured,” she said, breathless.
“Only because you couldn’t read my mind.” He smirked. “Let me assure you, Cassy, what we did last night was tame compared to what I’ve been doing to you in my head.”
“Evan, stop.” She hit him on the shoulder, embarrassed by his words. “I can’t even imagine anything more than what we’ve already done.”
“Don’t worry. You won’t have to imagine for long.”
Cassidy held her breath as he kissed her with more affection than she expected. Passion burned in his kiss, but an undertone of something else was present now too— something that lingered in the pit of her stomach even after he pulled away.
She forced her eyes to focus on him, not wanting to get carried away in the moment again before they’d had a chance to talk. She didn’t know anything about Evan. This wasn’t typical Cassidy behavior, but that’s why she’d come here in the first place—to do something unlike her normal life. She hadn’t realized that would include doing someone, too.
“You know, I don’t even really know you and you’ve already gotten me into your bed.”
“I’m pretty sure you’re the one who came to my room asking for trouble.” “True. But I was looking for answers, not sexy time.”
“Sexy time?” He laughed. “I like that. We should do less talking and a lot more sexy time.”
“No, you should tell me about yourself, Evan—great. I don’t even know your last name.”
“Last names are highly overrated. But it’s Burke. Evan Burke.”
“Are you related to Bond, James Bond?” She couldn’t help but smile.
“We’re only related by our amazing ability to seduce unsuspecting women into our
beds.” He grinned. “It’s a superpower, really. We should come with a warning label.”
Ready to buy your copy or give FALLING FOR YOU as a gift? Click on the links below!
AMAZON B&N CRIMSON ROMANCE iTUNES
November 16, 2012
Crimson Romance Blog Hop!
Welcome to the Crimson Wonderland Blog Hop!!! This hop is sponsored by Crimson Romance author. We’re a diverse group! Our books range from Spicy to Historical, Paranormal to Contemporary, and even Romantic Suspense! Basically, there’s something for every romance lover.
When I read a romance, I love to be carried off to another place. Sometimes that place is somewhere familiar like New York City or a small town. But other times that place is somewhere completely new and fascinating like an alternate world or our current world but filled with paranormal creatures! One of the things I love most about reading is getting sucked into the story so much that everything else just disappears for a little while. And if there is a great romance mixed into it, that’s even better! I always know that a book really grabs me if I’m thinking about the world and the characters in it even when I’m not reading. And often times, that leads to me wanting to read more often then I should. My kids have suffered a few over cooked meals because I’m deep in a book and trying to cook while reading! I don’t recommend it. 
In my book Falling for You, I hope readers get swept into the world of a reality TV dating show. The show is the backdrop for the whole story and in some ways, the show is a character all on it’s own. It causes drama and upset and provides a ton of entertainment. I hope my readers enjoy getting a little taste of what I imagine it must be like behind the scenes of a reality TV show. Maybe you’ll get so hooked, you’ll start burning dinner for your family too! LOL. Or better yet, just order delivery, sit back and relax on the couch for a couple of nights while you read about Cassidy and Evan, and let someone else do the cooking for a change!
Newly single Cassidy Quinn is thrilled to be a contestant on the new reality dating show The One. But her excitement turns to horror when the gorgeous bachelor turns out to be her ex-boyfriend. Seeing Brad again makes Cassidy realize she might not be as “over him” as she thought-and then she meets hunky cameraman Evan Burke.
After watching his brother lose his wife in a tragic accident, Evan vows never to fall in love. But following Cassidy around as her personal cameraman makes him question his decision, and resisting her gets harder with every sunbathing, bikini-wearing day.
Cassidy and Evan begin a forbidden affair while her ex-boyfriend tries to win her heart back one groping, awkward moment at a time. If Cassidy can manage to stop falling off horses (literally), stop falling onto her ex-boyfriend, the bachelor (yes, literally), and stop falling in love with backstage playboy Evan, she might still make it through the show without becoming a tabloid sensation.
But soon Cassidy must choose between the ex who broke her heart and the cameraman who might never love her back. For Cassidy, this reality show just got real.
How about an excerpt from the book, just for you?
“Stay still, Corona,” she pleaded, patting the horse on the shoulder. She swung her leg over the horse, determined to successfully complete one dismount before the challenge ended.
Her arms shook as she lowered herself carefully from the saddle, finally giving up their fight part way down. Gravity took her the last few feet and she hit the ground with both feet, stumbling backward a step before bumping into something solid.
“How, Cassidy? How do you always end up in my arms?” Evan’s voice rumbled in her ear, his warm breath on her earlobe making her girly bits tingle.
She found her footing and turned in his arms. She could see the dust and dirt clinging to his five o’clock shadow, his brow beaded with sweat. He desperately needed a shower and there was nothing she could have fantasized about more than being in one with him. Instead, she pushed herself back from him and swallowed her urge to climb him like a jungle gym.
“What can I say? I guess I just keep falling for you,” she said, before her brain caught up to her mouth and she was able to censor herself.
Want to read more? You can get your copy in ebook or paperback here:
AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE CRIMSON ROMANCE iTUNES
What are reviewers saying?
5 stars! “Heather Thurmeier’s voice is distinctively witty, lough-out-loud funny, and sexy.”
5 stars! “Our book club selected this book to read together and I could not put the book down the moment I started reading it.”
4 stars! “Wow great book with twists and turns you don’t expect!”
So what can you win during this awesome blog hop of ours? AWESOME prizes, that’s what!
Grand Prize: $100 Gift Card to Amazon or B&N!!
2nd Prize: $50 Gift Car to Amazon or B&N!
3rd Prize: $50 Gift Car to Amazon or B&N!
Woot!
But that’s not all… I’m going to throw in my own $10 Amazon or B&N gift card too to someone who leaves a comment on my blog!!
What do you need to do to win our great prizes? It’s easy! Leave a comment on this post and include your email address and you’ll be entered into the drawing for our three grand prizes and also into my drawing for my $10 gift card! It’s so simple! And if you visit the other stops on the blog hop, you can enter more chance to win the big prizes and whatever prizes each blog stop is doing too! So much fun and so many prizes!
Check out the list of Participating Authors HERE!!
November 14, 2012
Lessons from Sandy
A common site around the neighborhood. So many nearby neighborhoods with much, much worse than this!
I’ll start by saying we were lucky. Very lucky. Sandy blew through and took down trees, power lines, fences, and roofs, but our property sustained the whopping damage of one missing shingle. More importantly, my family and my friends were all safe. We didn’t have our house washed away in the floodwaters, or burned down in the aftermath fires—I still don’t know why all those houses in Breezy Point burned! We didn’t have people we know go missing, get injured…or worse.
We were lucky.
But we did lose power for 8.5 days. Now I can live without a lot of things. I can go without a hot shower every day. I can eat in restaurants for every meal—not really a hardship in my books. I can wash my clothes at the laundry mat if need be. And *gasp!* I can even go without my laptop if I have to. And I did.
When we lost power, we thought we’d be okay if we camped out in the basement near the propane fireplace. But let me tell you, propane fireplaces do not throw as much heat as I thought. We blew up air mattresses using the outlet in my truck (thank god for that thing!) and our family of four, plus the dog and two beta fish, all moved into the 800 square-foot basement.
Everything went well for the first few days. We had friends with power so we went to hang out at their house each day to eat, shower, charge our electronics, watch the news and let the kids play with their friends. They were very generous to have us over for such extended periods of time, for so many days in a row. Some days we were there for 6-8 hours! We would have been much worse off without them in our lives. I owe a huge thank you to Bob and Gina for their generosity during the black out and I probably owe you a nice meal out too! LOL.
Every night after dinner out somewhere, we’d drive back into our dark neighborhood and go home to our cold house. Every night I went to sleep hoping we wouldn’t be too chilly through the night and I’d secretly hope to wake up in the middle of the night to house full of light. Every morning, I woke a little more depressed and defeated at having to make it through another day of trying to stay warm, clean and fed. I don’t know how people did it in the old days.
Then it got really cold. And I got really worried.
Temperatures dipped into the 20s overnight. We weren’t sure if our gas fireplace was safe to run 24/7 and I couldn’t get a hold of our propane company to ask or to request a refill of our tank. I didn’t know how long the fuel would last us and I was scared we’d run out and then have nothing left to heat the basement with. I didn’t know how we would manage a few more days. Then I learned that ConEd estimated our power to be out another 7-10 days. I was not a happy camper and mentioned as much on Facebook with some very colorful language.
Well, little did I know that my venting on Facebook would become a blessing. A few minutes after my initial post, my hair stylist Melissa messaged me and offered us a generator to borrow from her parents who hadn’t lost power. I was so shocked! These people were basically strangers to us. We know their daughter but had never met them and they were going to give us their generator!
They gave my family heat. Their gift kept my children warm.
Cars on the shoulder in the gas line. Gas station was past that big pine and we’d driven past at least 10 more cars in line already.
We drove 30 minutes to pick up the generator the following day. Afterwards we stopped in at a small hardware store to pick up space heaters so we could warm one bedroom in our house. While in the hardware store I got an interesting look at human behavior. We needed a gas can to be able to fuel our generator. The gentleman ahead of us had 3 cans and wanted to buy a fourth and was rather pissed off when he couldn’t because they’d disappeared from the shelves. The gentleman behind us has 3 cans and handed us 1 when he saw we had a need for it. How can two people behave so differently in the same situation?
I couldn’t say thank you enough to the nice man who gave us one of his gas cans. Such a small thing, but it was really big in our world at that moment. His generosity allowed us to be able to fuel our new borrowed generator. Without it, the generator was useless.
We were not the only ones without power. A friend of mine also lost power for the same amount of time. But she didn’t let a little thing like that stand in her way of going to the shelter every night to volunteer. Every single night, she was there helping people without power stay warm, fed and cared for even when she didn’t have power herself. Janet, girlfriend, you are nothing short of amazing. I was unbelievably moved by your selflessness during the storm and the black out that followed.
On Day 9 with no power, I had just taken the kids to the local fitness center to have a warm shower and get cleaned up. When we drove back into the neighborhood, I was overwhelmed to see a fleet of power trucks just getting started. But they weren’t ConEd. The name on the side of the truck was Alliant Energy and their plates were from Wisconsin. When I asked if power was being resorted to our neighborhood and was told yes by one of the workers, I started to cry. I could barely squeak out a thank you, a teary smile, and a thumbs up before driving home. I’ve never been so happy to see a power truck! And they came from halfway across the country to help us. I was incredibly touched at their generosity. They left their families to come and help get us back on the grid. I hope they know how much that meant to my family, to my neighborhood and to my community.
So what lessons did I learn from Sandy?
1. Sometimes the smallest act of kindness can have a big impact.
2. Not everyone looks out for strangers or even their neighbors. Others will give you the shirt off their back.
3. Some people will surprise you with how well they handle adversity and even thrive in spite of it.
Coming home with our new generator. And the orange bag you see is my emergency 72 hour backpack that lives in my car. Hubs has one in his car too. Each can feed/water/shelter my family of 4 for 3 days at least.
4. I am stronger than I thought I was in some ways, and weaker in others.
5. I would really suck as a contestant on Survivor. I’d make it like half a day and then I’d get pulled from the show.
6. If my family is cold, I can refill the tank and pull-start a generator. I have never pull-started anything. Ever. I may have fist pumped the cold night sky when I learned I could do that.
7. I need to live on the grid. I really, really need the grid.
8. The most important thing in my life is my family and friends. It is not my house, or my possessions, my book’s sales rank, the blog post I need to write, or being behind on my word count.
My bull’s eye at 20 yards. I feel very Katniss.
9. I will never be unprepared again. I bought my own generator, have 2 gas cans for fuel and bought a small long-term food supply and easy-to-use, portable stove with fuel. If anything happens, I can feed my family and keep my home warm. I also learned to shoot a bow and arrow (I can hit a bulls eye at 20 yards!) and I carry emergency bags in my car with essentials at all times.
10. Be prepared. Because you just never know.
November 10, 2012
Falling for You now in PAPERBACK!
The day is finally here—Falling for You is now available in Paperback!! It’s so funny, I love ebooks and my kindle so much more than paper books. But, when it comes to my words, there’s just something about seeing them in print… holding my book in my hands… *Happy writer sigh*
You can find your copy at AMAZON!!
Check out these great reviews for Falling for You!
5 stars! “Heather Thurmeier’s voice is distinctively witty, lough-out-loud funny, and sexy. Falling for You is the perfect romance novel for anyone who’s ever found herself addicted to reality TV shows like The Bachelor…5 stars and highly recommended — Heather Thurmeier’s contemporary romances are an auto-buy for me.”
4 stars! “Two words describe Heather Thurmeier’s latest book: Fun and Sexy.”
5 stars! “Our book club selected this book to read together and I could not put the book down the moment I started reading it.”
November 8, 2012
Interview with Cassidy and Evan!
I’m back!! After a long 9 day bout of no power thanks to Sandy—more on that in another post—I’m back online!! While I was away, Cassidy turned the tables and interviewed Evan! She’s been waiting for this moment a long time!! Find out what’s on her mind to ask Evan and how he handles being the interviewee instead of the interviewer.
*grin* I love these two!
Not familiar with Cassidy and Evan? Well, you should be! They are too funny. I love their chemistry. You can check them out here:
AMAZON NOOK iTUNES CRIMSON ROMANCE
October 24, 2012
#2 and Climbing!! And a CHALLENGE should you choose to accept it…
We did it!! No wait, YOU DID IT!! Because you wonderful readers went out and bought my book, reviewed my book and shared my book via word of mouth with your friends, colleagues, and maybe even the grocery store check out girl FALLING FOR YOU has now climbed into the #2 spot on the Crimson Romance Best Sellers list!! This feels good. So, so good. I love you all. You make me so happy.
Now, can we reach #1? I know you’re thinking you’ve already done all you can do, but what if I sweeten the pot? I know climbing to #1 would be full of awesomesauce for me, but what’s in it for you, my devoted readers who will help me get there? I know as well as you do that I can’t get to #1 without you! Well, I’ve done some thinking about that. And I’ve come up with something good… dare I say great…
How does a $50 gift card to Amazon OR Barnes & Noble sound to you??
Here’s the deal, you help me get to #1 on the Crimson Romance Best Seller list, and I’ll hold a contest in a separate post (not this one!) here on my blog where you can enter your name for a $50 gift card drawing that one lucky person will win! Anyone will be able to enter, but the contest will only happen when I see my name and title beside that pretty #1 spot. I’m tricky that way.
Easy peasy, right? Wrong, I’m afraid.
I’d be lying if I told you taking the #1 spot away from Ms. Lotchie Burton and her book Prelude to a Seduction would be easy. The fact is, she’s been up there in that coveted #1 spot for a while, and I think she’s pretty comfortable. I’ve seen her crown. It’s very shiny and fits her just right. But I think it could fit me too and I’ve always wanted a crown. It’s going to take everyone working together over the next couple of weeks to make this happen. It’s going to take a little bit of effort on your part. But if we do it, you’ll get a chance to enter into the contest for a chance to win a $50 gift card… money you can spend on whatever you want! Only 1 person will win the gift card, but it just might be you!!
So how can you do to help me climb to #1? We have to do these within a week or two if we want to move my rank.
1. Buy Falling for You! Already bought it? Gift a copy to a friend or someone you think will enjoy it.
2. Leave a review where you bought the book. Leave a review on goodreads. Leave a review anywhere else you’re allowed to!
3. Tell everyone you know about Falling for You and share with them why you love it, like it, or *gasp* hate it. Tell your friends, family, colleagues, grocery store clerks, or anyone else you happen across during your day.
4. Share my book on Twitter, Facebook, G+ or any other fine social media you use.
So what do you say? Are you ready to help? Are you ready to earn the chance to win a $50 gift card? Then here’s the links to help you get started!
October 21, 2012
Guest Author — Lisa White!
HAVING IT ALL…REALLY?
There are a lot of articles out there today debating the career versus motherhood issue. And there are a lot of women who try to have it all. But having it all does not necessarily mean having it all at once.
That last line is hanging on my kitchen wall and was the inspiration for my new novel, THE LAWS OF LOVE. The heroine, Livi Miller, is a corporate attorney with little to no love life. Her love life became collateral damage as a result of her work ethic and all Livi’s future holds is the proverbial retirement watch. Enter Jake Cooper, Livi’s long lost high school sweetheart, and her career now has competition from her heart. Livi soon finds it impossible to be the doting girlfriend to Jake while trying to maintain her executive position with her employer and now she must make a choice. If she chooses her company, she saves her hometown. If she chooses Jake, she saves herself.
Now, not every woman has the fate of her hometown resting on her shoulders, and not every woman is CEO of a Fortune 500 company, but every woman today can relate in part to Livi’s predicament. Balancing our professional lives and our personal lives is a never-ending battle. One life is always being sacrificed for the other life and at no time do both lives coexist peacefully. We try to have it all – to do it all – but we can’t.
Reality check. Let’s not pretend that we can leave our newborns each morning wearing our Armani suits and make that 9:00 a.m. power meeting on time. That doesn’t happen. To be honest, most of us can’t afford Armani because all our extra cash is going to day care. And even if we could afford an Armani suit, it would be covered with newborn spit-up just in time for our power meeting. Fortunately, many women are in the same situation so there is a lot of sympathy floating around offices these days – that and many, many, many Tide To Go Stain Pens for those spit up clean ups. (Seriously, every mother needs to keep at least three or four of those nearby at all times).
So what do we do? We do the best we can – that’s what. We can’t have it all. At least not all at the same time. But we can find happiness in what we have right now, which, if we’re lucky, is someone to love us as much as we love them. So forget about trying to be Wonder Woman. March into that power meeting smelling like spit up and give them the best you’ve got. Make them wonder how they ever lived without you while you were on maternity leave. And maybe, just maybe, many years from now, the press will lose interest, the debate will have ended and no one will really care if you walk into a meeting wearing spit-up, because the only thing relevant is you being the best you can be for that moment.
You will have to read THE LAWS OF LOVE to find out whether Livi chose her company or Jake, but how do you balance work and life and everything in between? Send in your comments and let us know your thoughts.
Because having it all does not necessarily mean having it all at once…
In a small, Virginia town where fly-fishing is the favorite pastime and Hampton Steel is essentially the only employer, Associate General Counsel Livi Miller believes she has reached the top rung of Hampton Steel’s corporate ladder. With her alcoholic boss retiring soon, Livi is the presumptive heir to Hampton Steel’s general counsel position. However, in the midst of proving herself promotion-worthy, Livi’s high school sweetheart, Jake Cooper, returns from Iraq and causes long-lost butterflies to alight in Livi’s emotionally charged stomach. The resulting loss of her promotion to slimy newcomer Edward Winston combines with her rekindled feelings for Jake to place Livi on track to choose between her career and her heart.
If she chooses Hampton Steel, she saves her hometown. If she chooses Jake, she saves her butterflies as well as herself.
AMAZON NOOK CRIMSON ROMANCE iTUNES
LISA WHITE was born in Kingsport, Tennessee and raised in Bristol, Virginia. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a degree in Italian language and literature, she obtained her law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law.
When not practicing law, Lisa enjoys gardening, spending time with friends and family, and, of course, writing romance novels. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators. THE LAWS OF LOVE is her first novel. She recently completed her second novel, DISCOVERY, the first in her Council of Powers trilogy.DISCOVERY is a young adult romance where two teenagers discover hidden powers and the love that makes these powers great.
Lisa currently lives in Southwest Virginia with her husband and two children where she is frantically writing and dreaming of another love story to share with you all.
Like Lisa on Facebook!
October 20, 2012
4 Stars From Night Owl Reviews!
Falling for You just received a great review from NOR. 4 Stars!! Makes me so happy!! You can read the full review at NIGHT OWL REVIEWS, but here are a couple of my favorite quotes:
“Heather Thurmeier reveals what goes on behind the scenes on reality television with this fun and fresh contemporary romance.”
“Cassidy Quinn is just an average woman who finds herself in extraordinary circumstances.”
“I’m looking forward to the next book in this series as I believe you can never have too many giggles with your romance.”
AMAZON NOOK CRIMSON ROMANCE iTUNES
October 18, 2012
Guest Author — MJ Schiller
MJ Schiller is a fellow Crimson Romance author. I think she’s pretty awesome and her book sounds fantastic. So without chattering on from me, here’s MJ!!
Heather was sweet enough to have me on her blog today and then left it up to me as to what I should write about.
That was probably a mistake.
She suggested I tell you a little bit about myself and my book, so here goes:
When I’m not enveloped in a world of my own creating, I’m shoveling out grub as a lunch lady at an elementary school. I have a seventeen-year-old, and three fifteen-year-olds. That’s right, triplets! They all have their learning permits and their birthdays, all four of my kids, actually, are looming on the horizon in mid-October. When I’ve had a hectic day with the kids, or at work, I like to unwind by singing karaoke. On any given night you can catch me belting out Evanescence or Adele at one of our local establishments, or maybe even some Nickelback.
Now for M.J.’s pet peeves-
1) People who see that everyone else is merging, but they figure it’s okay for them to zoom ahead, and then expect to be let in the line. Grrrr!
2) Capthca letters, they drive me crazy! Especially now that I’m a little older and can’t make them out nearly as well.
3) Motion-activated hand towel dispensers and faucets. Does anyone else feel inferior when they can’t get them to work, or is that just my hang-up? I stand there, waving my hands around like an idiot. Then, usually, someone walks up and with one wave starts it for me. “Hello, everyone. My name is M.J. Schiller, and I am motion-activation-challenged.”
4) When you are passing someone and someone zips around you on the right before you get over. I feel like hollering, “Give me a second, jerk!”
5) Folded clothes in the dirty laundry. You know your kids didn’t even wear them; they’re still folded! At least make an effort to rumple them up first!
6) Wrappers on the floor by trashcans. Like you didn’t know you missed. Bend over and pick it up!
7) Empty boxes returned to the cabinet. (Coincidentally, peeve #5, 6, and 7 are often performed by the same person in your household. Be on the lookout!)
8) When something is leaking and you get that drop of water that hits you right on the square of your head. It always feels disproportionally large.
9) When you pass up a decent spot to get a better spot and then go to pull into the parking space and it has one of those cart corrals in it!
10) When you’re thinking about that last brownie all day and are looking forward to eating it, imagining it waiting for you in all its glorious yumminess, and then you get home and someone else has eaten it! (Arghhhh!!!)
On the other hand-
Things that make M.J. unreasonably happy-
1) Finding the magical configuration that allows you to squeeze that one last dish into the dishwasher. Makes me all warm and fuzzy!
2) Slipping between clean sheets! Is there anything better? (This goes to show you how often I clean my sheets!)
3) When the lunch count at school is an even number. (This speaks to my obsessive/compulsive nature.)
4) Warm clothes, fresh from the dryer.
5) Catching the people on my exercise video messing up. (Look! She did it again this time!) I know, kind of pathetic.
6) When the dentist says, “No cavities!” (I HATE going to the dentist! Even though he is a very nice man.)
7) When my cat winds her way through my legs and arms when I’m doing yoga! ( :
8) Starbuck’s Peppermint Hot Chocolate, or for that matter, anything of a chocolate nature.
9) Hearing that “Weowombaway” song. (“The Lion Sleeps Tonight” by The Tokens). Don’t you just love that song?!
10) Crunching that one kind of thin bark that you see on sidewalks (add to this those helicopter thingies)!
Okay- that’s probably about all you need to know about M.J. Schiller.
Now for my book-
Taken by Storm begins as the darkly bitter Grand Vizier, Lord Boltar, is about to claim what he believes belongs to him, the rule of Avistad. The King of Avistad’s son, Prince Tahj, has just returned from a trip and senses the unrest even before his best friend and captain, Radeem, warns him. Radeem has heard rumors and suspects that the King’s advisor is planning to overthrow the crown. Just as Tahj discovers a “gift” from Lord Boltar, a young girl bound and gagged on the prince’s bedroom floor, fighting erupts. Tahj, Radeem, and the captive girl, Bashea, escape the castle in a hail of arrows.
Born from the fire of a coup, Tahj and Bashea’s relationship burns with a passion that neither of them quite understands. The pair is drawn closer together as they face various perils, Boltar’s soldiers, a screaming panther, even the scathing winds of a desert storm. But after what she had been through at the hands of Boltar’s men, Bashea is afraid to trust and her fiery nature is both what appeals to Tahj, and what drives him crazy. In fact, when Bashea’s brother, Bagrat, informs Tahj that Bashea means “lips of the gods,” he retorts, “Are you sure you don’t mean tongue of the devil?” It takes a long separation to bring them back to each other, but when Tahj does return, it is once again during a battle with Lord Boltar. But now the overlord, who has been forced beyond reason by Tahj’s success in retaking the throne, is an even more dangerous threat than before. Reunited, will Tahj and Bashea be strong enough to defeat their twisted and powerful enemy?
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And come visit me at www.mjschiller.com. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, or Pinterest.
Thanks for having me, Heather! I’m sure you’ll rethink your answer the next time I ask. ( ;
So, what are some of your pet peeves? What are some of the things that make you unreasonably happy?
October 16, 2012
Falling for You Climbed to #4!!! And a new Excerpt!
Yup, you read that right! Being number 5 was so two weeks ago… Falling for You is now 4th on the Crimson Romance Best Sellers list!!! Woot!! Okay, so I’m tied for fourth, but it still counts! I have all of you wonderful readers to thank for this climb in ranking!
Now I dare you to help me climb even higher on the list. I know we can do it if we all work together. But you’re going to have to take a little leap of faith and believe my book will entertain you. You’re going to have to buy my book. If you’re already bought it and read it, THANK YOU!
Are you wondering how you can help me climb the charts if you’ve already bought and (eeekkk!!) hopefully loved my book? Easy! Go forth and tell your friends, leave reviews and spread the word about what you loved, liked or even *gasp!* hated about Falling for You. Good, bad, or ugly, I want to hear it from you!
Not sure if you want to take a chance on me… I mean, my book? 
Here’s an excerpt to help you decide!!!
* * *
She walked to the edge of a grassy area near the pond. Ducks squawked to each other as they nibbled the grass. “I can’t believe I said my legs are my best physical feature. Seriously? Legs? I couldn’t have said my eyes, or my lips, or even my hair?”
Her legs weren’t even long. She considered herself far from being tall at only five and a half feet. Her legs were only good for getting her from point A to point B.
Cassidy startled at the sound of a loud snap behind her. She cried out in surprise and lost her balance. Her left ankle rolled to the side and a sharp pain shot up her calf. Before she could catch herself, she was on the ground, her leg bent under her with pain raging inside her ankle.
“Ouch! Crap.” Cassidy grabbed her ankle. “Stupid, impractical heels.” Tears filled her eyes as she rubbed her ankle. It was already starting to swell. She needed to get back to the house and see the production medic.
“Are you okay?” Evan appeared in front of her like her personal superhero—just missing the tights. And thank goodness for small miracles. Tights aren’t sexy on guys. Any guys. Ever.
She eyed Evan, confused. “Where did you come from? I thought you were still in the interview room.”
“I finished up with the interview stuff, but then I couldn’t find you. I poked my head out the backdoor and saw you out here.”
“Oh good, you have that on film.” Cassidy’s cheeks burned. “That’s great. Peachy. Now all of America gets to see firsthand what a total klutz I am.”
“Not a klutz so much as easily startled. Besides, you don’t know what they’ll decide to use and what they won’t, so don’t worry about it.”
Evan gave Cassidy a little wink, set down his camera, and scooped her into his arms before she could protest. She hesitated before slipping her arms around his neck. The desire to protest disappeared instantly.
I could get used to this.
“Let’s get you up to your room and I’ll find some ice for your ankle.” Evan readjusted her in his arms.
Oh crap. I weigh a ton. “I’m too heavy for you. Put me down.” She wiggled to get out of his arms before they gave out and she dropped to the ground.
“You’re not.” He adjusted her again. “Stop wiggling.”
“Look, your muscles are straining. I’m too heavy. It’s okay. I know I’m not like some of the other waifs here. I’ll walk.”
“You’re not heavy. My muscles are not straining, but thank you very much for that vote of confidence.”
“That’s not what I meant. Your muscles are obviously strong—I, oh brother, never mind. Just put me down so I can walk with dignity.” She pressed her hand to Evan’s chest, trying to free herself from his grip, but it was no use. His hold on her was strong and solid—oh boy, was it solid. There was no way those pectorals would let her fall.
Under her palm, Cassidy felt the contours of Evan’s muscles and his steady heartbeat beneath them. Her hand lingered a moment longer than needed, but she couldn’t force herself to move it. If anything, she wanted to trace the lines to see where they led.
“You’re not walking. You don’t want to risk hurting it more, do you? So I’m going to carry you with my dignity… and my wee, weak muscles.” Evan smirked, his eyes getting a new twinkle in them.
“Oh, shut it. That’s not what I meant and you know it.”
“That was a pretty good fall you took.” Evan’s smile widened.
“Do not laugh at me.” Cassidy wiggled her finger at Evan’s face. “I wouldn’t have fallen in the first place if someone had been a little quieter while they snuck around following me.”
“I wasn’t sneaking around. You make it sound like I’m some pervert. I followed you because it’s my job. It would’ve been easier to do that job if you’d waited for me in the great room like you were supposed to. Instead, you decided to wander around alone in the backyard.”
“It’s not like I went into the jungle on my own—it’s a backyard.” Cassidy shook her head. “And for the record, I did wait for you. You just took your sweet-assed time getting your camera and finding me. It’s not my fault you took so long.”
Cassidy stuck out her chin, determined to be right. “Maybe next time you’ll hurry up and stay a little closer to the person you’re supposed to be working with instead of screwing around in the interview room doing God knows what wasting time.”
Cassidy watched as the corner of Evan’s lips pulled up into a smile. His eyes sparked. “Sweet ass, huh?” He cocked one eyebrow at her.
“It’s a figure of speech not to be taken literally, of course,” she said, copying his very words from earlier.
Evan started walking toward the house. “Let me and my sweet ass get you back to your room. I don’t want that ankle to swell up more before it gets some ice.”
Cassidy cheeks flushed again for about the fourth time since meeting Evan.
* * *
AMAZON NOOK iTUNES CRIMSON ROMANCE
