Mary E. Thompson's Blog, page 11
December 26, 2017
Order vs. Chaos, release day
This book, this series, has been a long time coming. I’m so grateful to all of you for your help in getting it done. I truly hope you love Sawyer and Kiana. If nothing else, maybe it’ll spark a trip to Hawaii! It’s stunning there.
Kiana’s older brother, Kapena, isn’t so thrilled about Sawyer and Kiana being together. He pushes his sister to answer some tough questions, with Sawyer standing right there!
Excerpt from Order vs. Chaos
I leaned against the couch, watching them square off. It was strange to have them arguing over me, but I felt like I couldn’t defend myself. If Kapena didn’t trust me, nothing I said would change his mind.
“If you like him so much, why has it taken you this long to go out with him?”
“I’m scared, okay,” she said, her back to me. “I’m scared that I’m going to get hurt again. I like him, Kapena. But I liked Anthony, too.”
“If he hurts you, I’ll kill him,” Kapena said, his eyes on me.
She breathed a laugh. “I know. And I love you for it. He hasn’t given me any reason to think he will. I just keep thinking about how things started with Anthony. A kiss here. A late night there. I sort of fell into bed with him. It wasn’t a thought out plan. It just happened. And I know you don’t want to hear this,” she said quickly. “But it’s hard for me to think about getting right back into things with someone new.”
“It’s been months, Kiki.”
She nodded. “I know. Because I’ve been too scared to try.”
“Why him?” Kapena said with another glare for me.
“Because he tries. He looks out for me. He waited after the first wedding until I went home. He bought me lunch. He always wants to help, not for credit, but because he wants to help.” She paused and glanced over her shoulder at me. “And because he doesn’t want to hide us.”
I stared into her dark eyes for a long moment, knowing Kapena would squash our connection before long. He cleared his throat, drawing her attention back to him.
“You’re still a kid to me. I don’t want any man to put his hands on you. But this one doesn’t seem so bad.”
I huffed a laugh. “Thanks, friend.”
“You’re lucky you got a compliment that big,” Kiana said. “He didn’t make you fight him first.”
“That’s still an option,” Kapena said, cracking his knuckles.
Available Now!
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December 22, 2017
Writing Tips: Creating Conflict
In every story, there’s always conflict. Sometimes it’s big and in your face, like a bad guy chasing someone with a knife. Other times it’s subtle and a little bit hidden, like a person who thinks they know what they want but really has no clue.
The best stories have a little of both.
It’s been three years since Chubby & Charming came out. If you haven’t read it yet, grab it now for free so you can understand everything I’m talking about here. I like examples, and yes, there are spoilers here.
Mandy tells herself she’s happy. That she doesn’t need a relationship to make her happy. We don’t need men, we have each other. She does believe her words, but she wants a relationship. There’s that distinction. She doesn’t need it, but she wants it. She convinces herself that because she doesn’t need a relationship that she doesn’t want one either. There’s your subtle conflict.
When Mandy meets Xander, her past experiences with attractive men bring in a new conflict. She thinks he’s going to dismiss her since she’s not model thin so she dismisses him first. She pushes him away before he has a chance to push her away. That’s a little more obvious of a conflict.
Layering in both elements adds depth to the story. If Mandy just convinced herself not to go for a relationship, or just had issues with cute men, she could get over them and move on. But having both, she’s fighting herself every time she turns around.
Of course, in the Big & Beautiful series, friends also add an element of conflict. Her friends are amazing, but they don’t always fit right in to what Mandy wants and needs. Claire has even more distrust of attractive men than Mandy does and warns her. Sam and Addi are a little more supportive, but at the end, when Mandy runs, none of them are willing to give Xander the benefit of the doubt until he shows up at Mandy’s house.
Xander’s conflicts are a lot more subtle in this story since we aren’t in his point of view. He has never felt like he truly connected with anyone he’s dated. He’s always thought there was something missing. That’s why he goes after Mandy. She’s the first woman he instantly had a spark with. He doesn’t give up because he wants to keep that feeling alive. He’s willing to do anything for her, but he needs to prove that since she’s timid.
Adding in conflict in romance can be tricky, depending on what kind of romance you write. Since this is a contemporary story, a lot of the conflict is internal, meaning within the character. I like to add in external conflict, like Mandy faces with her job and her coworker, Melody. It’s a somewhat minor subplot, but it works to show who Mandy is and push her to stand up for herself.
All conflict needs to be resolved. Anything you throw at your characters, you have to be able to fix it. With Mandy, her external conflict was partly resolved by her internal conflict. Being with Xander for a few months, she believed in him and how he felt. She convinced herself that he was being truthful about how much he cared about her. It gave her confidence she didn’t realize she was missing and the strength to stand up for herself when Melody accused her of threatening her. She didn’t need Xander, but having him changed her. Even when she thought he was gone.
Which brings me back to the internal conflict. She didn’t want him. She didn’t need him. But once she had him, she knew her life wouldn’t be the same without him in it. She couldn’t be with someone who would laugh at her, but she loved him. It was too late. He was the guy she thought he’d be, but she was blown away. Months of dating didn’t reveal his true nature, and Mandy was more hurt than she ever expected.
Of course, she was wrong when it came to who Xander really was. Claire convinced her to give him another shot, and she learned the truth. Conflict resolved.
Obviously, it’s a lot more complicated when you’re threading it into a story, but those are the high points. If you want a really good reference that goes into a lot of detail about conflict, I highly recommend Goal, Motivation, Conflict by Debra Dixon. It’s a great book to read to really understand how the three fit together and how to make it work in your story.
This is basically a new column for me on this blog. I want to ask if you have any questions, about writing or anything else. If you do, feel free to leave a comment below or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you. Enjoy writing your conflict!
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December 19, 2017
Order vs. Chaos, first kiss
Not everyone is as thrilled with a first kiss as I am! Getting lost in that moment and forgetting about everything except the person with their lips pressed to yours. I love it. The build-up. The acceptance. The kiss. It’s magical.
But it doesn’t always end well…
Excerpt from Order vs. Chaos
She sighed and that vulnerability snuck back into her eyes. “Why do you care?”
I shrugged. “What kind of person would I be if I didn’t care?”
“You don’t even know me,” she whispered, making me wonder if she was talking to me or herself.
“That doesn’t mean I want you to run yourself ragged or get hurt. You need to take care of yourself.”
“I do fine.”
“I didn’t say you didn’t. I care about the people I’m around. And that starts with you.”
She looked up at me with eyes so big she looked like a cartoon character. She was close to me, close enough that I could smell coconut rolling off her.
Her pulse fluttered in her neck, and her breath quickened. I stepped closer to her, unable to resist the tug between us. I’d felt it the moment I saw her, and it only got stronger as she stared up at me with those eyes that begged me to take care of her.
I wanted nothing more.
She rose to her tiptoes as I leaned down. Our lips met somewhere in the middle, a spark shooting through me. Her lips were soft, delicate, tentative. I didn’t know if she was single, if she even liked me, but in that moment, nothing mattered except kissing her.
Her hands wound around my neck, dragging me closer to her. I slid one hand into her hair and the other low on her waist, desperate to feel her curves.
She moaned softly when my tongue traced her lips, then parted them for me. She tasted as sweet as I knew she would. Like everything good in the world wrapped up in one beautiful wedding planning package.
Which reminded me…she was my boss.
One more week!
Preorder now
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December 15, 2017
Get to know Sawyer!
What was your favorite toy when you were growing up? Maybe the one thing you always wanted for Christmas?
An airplane. I had a travel bug from a young age. My parents felt bad that they couldn’t take us on vacations like I asked for every year, but one year I got a plane. It was one of those big model planes and I had to assemble it myself. I spent almost a full year working on that plane. I kept it on a shelf above my bed forever. Shit, I wonder if my parents still have that.
When you’re stressed, what lesson from your past gets you through it?
I think I’ve learned more recently about how to deal with stress, but if I had to pick a lesson from my past, I’d always say that things will change. That might not be good, and it’s definitely not always bad, but it’s different. And different is the most important thing when the shit hits the fan, so to speak.
Is life black and white? Or are there shades of gray in between?
There’s a rainbow of gray out there. I used to think life could be pretty black and white, but there’s too much ugly shit in my past to tell me anything is simple. Nothing is simple. Nothing is easy. Nothing except love.
We know you’re a good guy, but when you lie, what gives you away?
Kiana says my eyes. I used to think I was a pretty good liar, but she can always tell. I can’t keep a secret from that woman to save my life.
Who has the power to hurt you the most and why?
Kiana, definitely. She’s my world, and she could destroy me if she really wanted to. Lucky for me, she loves me as much as I love her.
Order vs. Chaos will be out December 26!Preorder it today!
Ebook on Amazon | Kobo | iBooks | B&N
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December 12, 2017
Order vs. Chaos, meet Kiana
This series has been a long time coming. I know you loved the Big & Beautiful series, and I really hope you love Opposites Attract just as much. Early readers certainly are!
The first story in the series is all about Sawyer. Sawyer is Noah’s brother, from Round & Ravishing, but things are a bit different in Opposites Attract. These stories are all told by the men. Instead of digging into the woman’s mind, now I’m playing around in the guy’s. It’s been an interesting journey!
The first time Sawyer meets Kiana, well… It’s not what he thought. Check it out!
Excerpt from Order vs. Chaos
I let myself in with the key he gave me, trying to feel comfortable in his house. I didn’t think anything of the car in the driveway until I saw a perfectly round, bitable ass in front of the fridge. I walked closer, staring at her and wondering who she was and why she was there. Her red shorts were short, the way shorts were meant to be, and I could use my imagination to fill in the small parts blocked by the fabric between her thighs. Her curvy legs would look damn good wrapped around my waist. My cock twitched at the thought, until I remembered I was in Kapena’s house.
Which meant she was likely his girlfriend.
“Fuck,” I whispered, turning away. I bumped into a table, and a lamp rattled. I snatched it before it fell, but she heard me and spun around.
“Who are you? And what are you doing here?” she demanded, the accent in her voice adding a melodic quality that made me want to hear my name on her tongue.
I settled the lamp and faced her, noticing that her long, brown hair fell to the middle of her back. It had a slight wave to it, but not enough that I would call it curly. She wore a white tank top that offset her rich skin, and damn if I didn’t want to trail my tongue over all that sweet flesh.
“I said who are you?”
“Kiki!” Kapena bellowed from behind me. He rushed past me and swept her up into a hug, confirming what I thought.
Girlfriend.
She grinned, her face transforming to a look of pure happiness when she saw him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her dark eyes when he held her. He lifted her feet from the floor, easy to do since he stood a good ten or twelve inches taller than her.
Kapena set her down and immediately chastised her. “This is Sawyer. How do you not know who he is?”
Shit! He called her Kiki! Fuck me, I was checking out my new boss. Not only that, but I was living with her boyfriend. What. The. Fuck!
“Sawyer. Sorry. I didn’t realize you were here.” She walked toward me with her hand extended. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“You as well, Kiana.” I took her hand in mine, surprised by the strength in her grip. Her skin was soft, like silk against my skin.
Damn. There went my cock again. Thinking about getting her between some silk sheets.
“Are you staying for dinner, Kiki?”
God, please, no! I wouldn’t survive a night watching her and those big…eyes. Yeah, that was it.
She swung them my way and shook her head. “I should go. I just wanted to see…um…”
“You wanted to see what I was cooking tonight?” Kapena supplied.
I watched the two of them with interest, surprised they weren’t more affectionate. Noah and Tara, his fiancée, were practically all over each other at all times. Aside from their hug, Kapena and Kiana hadn’t touched.
“Come on, sis, you know you want to stay. I’ll grill some fish,” he taunted her.
Wait. Did he say sis?
Coming December 26
Preorder now
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December 8, 2017
#FiveOnFriday Traveling with MJ Schiller
FIVE PLACES I’VE ENJOYED TRAVELING TO
As I’m currently on a little trip, I thought I’d talk about some of the fun places I’ve had the opportunity to travel to, and maybe it will give you an idea about where you might want to take your next vacation.
Sonoma—since we are visiting this location right now, I had to include it. It is beautiful here, despite all the destruction of the recent forest fires. But even fire couldn’t bring the residents down. Amidst the remnants of burned out car frames, and houses with only chimneys standing, are signs saying, “Sonoma pride~ the love is thicker than the smoke.” And everywhere posters thank the first responders who saved the towns threatened by the inferno. We heard a story today about how Benziger Winery’s owner went out at two o’clock in the morning to dig trenches that ended up protecting the property from damage. Some vintners were not as lucky. We heard of one couple who fled and lost everything they owned, besides the clothes they brought with them. But most of the wineries are still open, and there are hundreds of them. And with the great wine is some absolutely breathtaking scenery. Today we hiked in Jack London Park, passing by the ruins of London’s farm buildings and the grape vines that he planted, still harvested today and pressed into special edition Jack London wines (we tried some at Kenwood Winery). Beyond the vineyard are mountainside trails, covered in humongous maple leaves and needles from the bunches of redwoods, which are amazing! Dizzyingly tall, and beautiful, huddled together like groups of students on the playground.
Bar Harbor— we hit this location in August and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We took a sunset cruise on a four-mast schooner, and followed it by watching the sunrise on Cadillac Mountain, the first place the light touches in the United States. Great hiking here, too. We took the path around Jordan Pond, listening to the sounds of all of the woodland creatures and relishing our stolen time with Mother Nature. The Prohibition Tour offered was interesting and informative. So there’s lots to see and do in Bar Harbor.
Boston— we loved both of our trips to “The Cradle of Liberty.” It’s cool how the old buildings, like the Old North Church, are nestled right alongside the towering modern skyscrapers. The streets, full of bustling commuters, echo the sounds of minutemen marching off to fight to establish our country. Our most recent trip to Boston found us at Fenway Park catching a Red Sox game. Even though we weren’t fans of either team, it was a surprisingly fun time. If you ever get a chance to watch a game there, take it!
Savannah— what can I say about the beauty and charm of this southern city? Huge oak trees dripping with Spanish moss, ornamental ironwork on balconies and railings, and residents offering the kind of hospitality that the South is known for. We were entertained on a ghost tour of one of America’s most haunted cities. Fort Pulaski is located on nearby Tybee Island and offered a lot of insight into what it would have been like to be a Confederate soldier imprisoned in a Union fort.
Ireland— this was an unparalleled trip, the highlight being our stay in Ballynahinch, a castle near Galway. The view from our window was so picturesque, it seemed fake. We took a jaunty cart ride through Killarney National Park, floated down the River Shannon while being entertained by an Irish musician, and heard Yeat’s poetry read by an expert while overlooking the landscape that inspired it. We visited the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry, and the Giant’s Causeway, but found the Black Taxi Tour of Belfast to be the most informative.
What are some of your favorite vacation destinations? What are some places you’d like to visit but haven’t had a chance to?
Since we were talking about The Green Isle, I’ll share a bit of my Irish contemporary romance, DAMAGE DONE.
BlurbWhen an unhappy youth leaves him damaged, will Teddy Mckee be able to find love?
“Teddy Passmore McKee was born in Cork, Ireland, with a limp and a chip on his shoulder that threw his balance off all the more.” When he falls in love with the dark haired beauty born of an Irish father and a Spanish mother, will Gabrielle Quinn be able to restore his balance? And what about the charming Sean Hennessey? When Gabby catches his eye, too, will Teddy’s playboy best friend cause his own damage?
Fourteen years later, will Teddy and Gabrielle’s son be able to overcome the damage done to him in his childhood?
“Even through bloodshot eyes he could see she was different.” But can Michael leave behind the bottle, and his womanizing ways, to win over the lovely Tess Flanagan? Tess has sustained some damage of her own. Can she and Michael overcome the terrors of the past and learn how to love each other?
And if they do, will they be able to elude those after them who want to create their own damage?
On the run after an altercation leaves their boss in a pool of blood, will Michael and Tess be able to stay one step ahead of their pursuers? Or is it simply too late to correct the damage that has been done?
Buy Links
Amazon: myBook.to/DamageDone
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/damage-done-mj-schiller/1119955011?ean=2940149795697
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/damage-done-1
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id899251690
Excerpt
“Tessie…” He offered again. “We have to get out of here.”
She remained frozen in her spot, staring blindly over the cliff. He moved a step closer and gently grasped her elbow. “Tess—”
She whirled around and his heart caught in his chest as he stared into her wild green eyes. Tears shone on her damp cheeks, glimmering in the moonlight like trails of scattered diamonds. “Nay, Michael,” she said, her words coming out choked. “I have to tell them the truth. It’s my fault. …I k-killed him.” She sobbed.
He looked at her sadly, begging her, “Let me help you.”
The back door creaked open and light spilled out from the bar across the grass, startling them. He saw Jimmy Flynn’s outline in the doorway. “They’re out here!” he yelled.
Without waiting for a response, Michael took Tess’s arm and steered her along the cliff’s edge. He stepped over the railing and helped her to the other side as well. They stood on a narrow ledge. To the left a trail dropped off toward the sea. He led her skittering down the path, loose rock pebbling the beach far below. He had taken the pathway many a night when he was drunk and feeling particularly reckless. Tonight he hurried over it with only self-preservation and Tess’s safety in mind.
They heard voices above them, coming from every direction as searchers fanned out along the top of the cliff. Their eyes met. They hardly dared to breathe. A flashlight beam ventured over the railing and along the cliff face. She clutched his hand, squeezing it until he lost feeling in his fingers. He tried to flatten himself even more tightly against the rock face, wishing it would somehow melt and absorb them. Several seconds passed and the beam of light was joined by another, and another, each swinging away, and then toward them again.
He grabbed a quick look at the churning sea below then closed his eyes for a second, and his stomach dropped. He took a deep breath before turning his head to look at Tess. Her eyes were closed and her lips were moving fervently, but she emitted no sound. He swallowed, wondering again why the sight of her affected him so. After several minutes a voice called out, “You won’t get away with this, Mikey.” Had someone seen them? He heard Jimmy Flynn mutter, “Wherever they are, we won’t find them tonight.” One by one the lights disappeared until only a solitary beam shone.
Author BioMJ is a lunch lady in the heart of Central Illinois. My gosh! Can you get more folksy than that? She met her husband at the University of Missouri-Columbia and now she has a twenty-three-year-old (how did that happen?) and twenty-one year old triplets! She loves to read, karaoke (where she can pretend she is a rock star) and spends WAY too much time on Facebook. She grew up in St. Louis and still has family there.
Author Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/MJ-Schiller-Romance-Author/286382241460365?ref=hl
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mjschiller/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mjschiller
Tumblr: http://mjschilz.tumblr.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/mjschiller
Google + : https://plus.google.com/u/0/110797684036386240402/posts
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December 5, 2017
Introducing Walk Of Fame
Every time I start a new book, I smile. A whole new story to share, a whole new love to explore, a whole new adventure to go on. I love it. And then I get to share it with you!
The next Raise A Glass story is Walk Of Fame. Country superstar, Kate Maddox, finds herself at Amavita Estates when she decides to disappear. Dressed as herself, Katherine Price, she blends in with the rest of the guests.
Except in Dillon’s eyes.
Dillon and Katherine had one night together, and when she shows up on his doorstep, he finds himself not unhappy to see her again.
Excerpt from Walk Of Fame
She turned and started to walk away without another word. Dillon stood watching her for a few moments, frozen in place and trying to figure out what he should do.
Before his brain fully kicked in he called out to her, “Are you seriously just walking away? You weren’t here looking for me?”
She turned, her eyes sliding down him. He wasn’t amused by the disinterested look in her eyes. There wasn’t even a glimmer of recognition.
Wow. And he thought their night was pretty fucking fabulous. Nice to see she didn’t feel the same.
“I’m sorry,” she said, shaking her head and starting to walk away. “I don’t think we know each other.”
Dillon chuckled to himself. “I might not have told you my name last night, but I think I know you pretty damn well.”
She paused in her walk, and he wondered if she would turn and come back or simply keep walking. She seemed to be warring with herself. Finally she threw back over her shoulder, “Where did we meet?”
Dillon’s eyebrows rose and an amused grin curled his lips. “Matty’s in Ithaca. Before you even got a drink, we walked out the door. We went to your hotel next door, and, just in case you forgot, you came at least ten times in the three times we had sex.”
Her gasp was just as throaty as the night before and his cock took notice. He happily would have her naked and screaming his name this time, but he wasn’t sure how he felt about his one night stand following him home.
Even if a part of him was impressed.
Coming February 6
Preorder Now!
Ebook on Amazon | Kobo | iBooks | B&N
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December 1, 2017
#FiveOnFriday for Christmas with MJ Schiller
For this Five For Friday I want to get you in the mood for the holidays, so I’m sharing Five Fun and Useful Christmas Tips.
For Christmas Drinks-
Freeze whipped cream on a cookie sheet, then use cookie cutters to make fun shapes for hot chocolate.
This one works for any time of year. To keep drinks from becoming watered down, make ice cubes from ingredients. For instance, freeze tea in ice trays for serving iced tea. At Christmas, though, you can make things special by suspending items in ice. As an example, for my pineapple mimosas I’ll freeze strawberries in pineapple juice. Last year I used small plastic containers and put cranberries and sprigs of rosemary in them to make festive cubes for my punch bowl. To get that suspended look I filled the containers halfway with water and froze them, then added berries and greenery, covered with water, and refroze.
For Wrapping Paper-
To keep your wrapping paper in line, here are two tips. Save toilet paper rolls, cut a slit on one side, and they make perfect cuffs to hold the ends of your wrapping paper down. Love this one!
In addition, use a clear hanging bag/dry cleaning bag, (the kind that zip and have a bottom), to corral wrapping paper. Place rolls side by side in bag and hang in a closet. You save space, and it’s easy to bring out a number of rolls at the same time when it’s time to wrap.
Place Card Holders-
To make easy, festive place card holders, glue two miniature candy canes together to form an easel (long sides together, curved sides down in J position so that you can slide a card through them.) You can decorate them further by tying a ribbon around the top section. These are great at parties for holding cards with the names of the dishes on them, so you don’t have to answer a zillion times, “What kind of dip is this?”
For Small Ornaments-
Use egg cartons to store smaller ornaments.
For Frequent Fragrances-
Put a dot of Essential oils on the inside of your toilet paper roll. Every time it spins, the scent will be rejuvenated.
Hope this gives you some new ideas and that you have a wonderful holiday season!
And since we’re talking about the season, I’ll share my holiday romantic suspense, UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR.
BlurbDylan Fisher is an EMT and part-time Santa Claus at a mall in Denver, Colorado.
He has logged plenty of time with children sitting on his lap asking for anything from the latest electronic gadget to a week’s worth of homework passes, but he never heard anyone ask for what little Delaney Kelly asked for on one snowy night in December. A dad! When Dylan’s eyes search the crowd for Delaney’s mother and land on Keira Kelly, the paramedic almost finds himself in need of a little CPR. She is stunning!
Keira Kelly is still grieving over the loss of her husband…
… but a reckless driver has her thinking about nothing but survival as she’s headed home from the mall. When Keira wakes in the hospital to find a hunky EMT at her bedside, she begins having a few thoughts that would put her on Santa’s Naughty List for sure!
Neither is ready for what is coming UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR!
When she finds out the EMT is only hanging around because the police believe someone is out to get her, she’s not sure what to think about his kindness. Is he helping her because he wants to, or because he feels he needs to? And what about the man who rammed her car, could he have had something to do with her husband’s death?
Excerpt
Max didn’t expect the explosion. He heard the tremendous, almost rhythmic sound of metal crunching as the car cartwheeled down the side of the cliff like a preschooler at recess. The thunderous BOOM of the sedan going up in flames caught him by surprise. He was rushing to peer over the edge, but was stopped dead in his tracks by the blast. By the time he got to the side of the ridge, the fire had already engulfed the vehicle. The flames licked hungrily at the night sky like so many devils’ tongues and consumed the car with such vehemence that, within seconds only a black outline of the frame remained.
Looking back on it, standing on the side of the road was an incredibly stupid thing for him to do. Anyone could have seen him as they whizzed up the side of the mountain, and perhaps even noted the dents in his car and copied down the license plate number. But he wanted to see the results of his handiwork. Besides, he wasn’t thinking at all clearly that night.
It gave him a raw thrill to chase the sedan over the edge of the cliff. He followed Kevin home from work, desperate, not knowing what he would do to solve his problem. At first he only picked up speed to keep pace with Kevin, but then recklessness began to pump in his veins. He pulled out into the lane meant for on-coming traffic, not even realizing what he was doing. His eyes darted everywhere, his pulse raced, frightened witless as the scenery flew by. Luckily, for some reason, the usually well-travelled road lay deserted. Thinking he wanted to pass him, Kevin slowed down, no doubt cursing the crazy driver beside him. But he only matched the sedan’s speed. Kevin glanced over, and in the flash of a streetlight, seemed to recognize him.
He must have thought ol’ Max didn’t have it in him. But I did.
He remembered the changing expressions on Kevin’s face as he began to understand his adversary’s intentions. At first his brow had been furrowed in confusion. Then his jaw went rigid and he tightened his grip on the wheel, glaring at Max, who feinted with his car. Kevin had to swerve onto the shoulder before correcting the path of the sedan. That was when Max’s prey stared back, his eyes hollowed by fear. A wild laugh burst through the air and Max wondered at first where it came from, before realizing it belonged to him.
The vehicles jostled, and tires screeched. When Kevin’s car finally did careen over the edge of the cliff, Max could have sworn he felt the heat of the gigantic explosion, although he knew that was impossible. For him it was like an orgasm, a wave of pleasure and relief. Kevin Kelly was no more.
If only that had been the end of it.
Buy Links
Amazon – myBook.to/UponAMidnightClear
B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/upon-a-midnight-clear-mj-schiller/1117301357?ean=2940148890393
iBooks – https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/upon-midnight-clear-real-romance/id805679618?mt=11
Kobo – http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/upon-a-midnight-clear-8
Author BioMJ is a retired lunch lady in the heart of Central Illinois. My gosh! Can you get more folksy than that? She met her husband at the University of Missouri-Columbia and now she has a twenty-three-year-old (how did that happen?) and three twenty-one-year-olds. That’s right, triplets! She loves to read, karaoke (where she can pretend she is a rock star) and spends WAY too much time on Facebook. She grew up in St. Louis and still has family there.
Author Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/MJ-Schiller-Romance-Author/286382241460365?ref=hl
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mjschiller/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mjschiller
Tumblr: http://mjschilz.tumblr.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/mjschiller
Google + : https://plus.google.com/u/0/110797684036386240402/posts
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/M.J.-Schiller/e/B009JOQFQQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6479377.M_J_Schiller
The post #FiveOnFriday for Christmas with MJ Schiller appeared first on Mary E Thompson.
November 28, 2017
Too True To Be Good, reviews
You guys make me smile every single day. Seriously. You know I don’t read reviews, but I like to share one about each of my new books. I get really nervous when I go looking because I’m always afraid I’m going to find something that says my book is horrible. But then I find beautiful words like this from Hershey…
This was such a good story. I was rooting for each character to get everything they wanted and more. If you haven’t started this series already, now is the time to start.
I mean, really? Is there a better endorsement? Thank you. All of you who’ve left reviews. All of you who’ve told a friend. All of you who’ve shared my books. It means a lot to me. After 36 books published, it means a lot. It’ll always mean a lot to me, so believe me when I say thank you.
Do what Hershey said and start the series now!
Too True To Be Good Ebook on Amazon | Kobo | iBooks | B&N | Smashwords
The post Too True To Be Good, reviews appeared first on Mary E Thompson.
November 24, 2017
#FiveOnFriday Black Friday with MJ Schiller
What is the number one thing on your bucket list? Why?
This is a really hard question to answer for me. I guess I’m more of an in-the-moment gal. And then there’s the question of limitations. If I am unlimited I’d like to sing in a rock band and have one of my books made into a movie. Any one, I’m not picky. 
