Mary E. Thompson's Blog, page 20
April 30, 2017
Q&A Sunday: Writers Conferences
If you could go to any writers convention or conference (money’s not an issue) which conference or convention would you go to and why?
There are tons of conferences out there. Small, large, and in between. Some are geared toward writers. Some more toward meeting readers. Some can be overwhelming and others a little… underwhelming.
In a way, I think the question should be, what do I look for in a writer’s conference? That makes the question much easier to answer.
I have gone to one writer’s conference. The Romance Writers of America national conference. It occurs every July in a different area of the country. This year’s conference is in Orlando, Florida, and I can’t wait.
I like RWA Nationals because it’s a huge conference chock full of information. Some of the biggest names in romance attend every year. It’s a chance to network and make friends and learn a ton of information about writing, publishing, and marketing, to name a few. I love it, and will go every year as long as it’s possible.
Of course, the question was if money wasn’t an issue.
I’d go to RWA Nationals every year. If money and time weren’t a problem, I’d probably add in New Jersey’s Put Your Heart In A Book conference. I’ve heard very good things about that one as well, and it’s not too far from where I live.
There are tons more conferences out there. Tennessee, California, Washington, Florida (a cruise!), Texas, I could go on. I’d love to cruise with the Florida Romance Writers’ and their Fun In The Sun cruise. I’ve taken my computer on a cruise before, and it was an awesome environment to write.
At this point in my career, I enjoy learning. Some writers have moved on to where there isn’t as much for them to learn. They go to conferences that are more geared toward readers, like Romantic Times. Hopefully I will get there one day, but I’m a big believer that I can always learn something.
Thanks so much, Vicki, for your question! If you have a question, send me an email (mary (at) maryethompson (dot) com) with Q&A in the subject, or post it in the comments below, and I’ll answer your question right here on the blog!
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April 28, 2017
#FiveOnFriday with Adam Mann
Profile:Adam Mann (pen name) has worked for over 50 years in what is called “developing economies”. Most of the time his work has been with the thousands of small scale farmers, who have appreciated sustainable livelihoods, so that they now have enough food to feed themselves, and also some produce to sell so that they have a cash income. That is why most of Adam’s novels are set in these remote rural locations.
Four years ago Adam finally retired and started writing and has now produced 26 fantasy romance and 7 historical books under his real name Mike Lord, nine of which have been traditionally published, and 24 self-published at Smashwords and Amazon KDP.
Mike Lord is a member of the Romance Writers of Australia.
Contact links:
Website: http://www.adammannauthor.com
Social Media:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/719820?ref=ButterflyBooks
https://www.amazon.com/author/adammannauthor.com
Twitter:
@adammannauthor
@ButterflyBooks9
Latest Publication:
William Mary & Percy
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/697934
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/697935
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/697937
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/705268
Box Set:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/719820?ref=ButterflyBooks
Blurb:A fascinating tale of love and passion, but not all at once! William and Mary are effectively the accounting department in a property investment company (boring, but part of the story!).
The Company is taken over, and they are asked to prepare a report so they have to work late into the evening, and then visit a local restaurant, but not really a date. Mary asks William to walk with her home as it is now dark, which he does, and is offered a bed for the night.
Mary is the prime initiator of what happens next but only after some time, but she does enough to keep William interested, when his next job is at Hyderabad in Pakistan. Mary visits William which effectively seals his fate.
But who is Percy, and what is Samantha?
Excerpt:
We said goodnight, but about half an hour later I felt Mary climbing into the other side of the larger bed with me in it!
She had to touch me as the bed was too small not to, and I noticed the soft fabric of her nightgown as she snuggled up to me, and put her arms around me.
I turned to face her, and she kissed my chin. She smelt very feminine, without using any discernible perfume.
I put my arm on her waist, and then up to her back.
I was a bit startled as the back of her bra felt like canvas webbing through the soft nightie, but she snuggled up me again without saying a word.
I moved my hand to her bottom and found another canvas garment there, which was like a pair of knickers made from thick denim material.
“That’s my chastity belt,” she whispered, “Go to sleep,” she commanded.
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April 26, 2017
Curvaceous & Captivating, oh so alpha
Hmm, Teaser Wednesday? Do you think that can be a thing for those of us who are a day behind? Doesn’t have quite the same ring to it!
I’ve never thought I was good at writing alpha males. They intimidate me a bit, and no matter how sexy they are, I’m not sure I could handle one. But Ethan was a lot of fun to write. He was definitely alpha, but he had his sweet side. That side that reminded you that he was a good guy beneath it all. But he had his moments!
Excerpt from Curvaceous & Captivating
Before I made it back to the kitchen, Ethan’s arms were around me. His lips found my neck the same moment his hands found my breasts. I paused, unable to keep moving as he tantalized me. His tongue brushed the edge of my ear then dipped inside. His fingers tweaked my nipples. The full effect made my knees weak. I clutched the island for support, giving Ethan an opportunity to make me even more insane.
“Jesus, Olivia, I need you,” he growled.
One hand slid down my belly, fisting the gauzy fabric at my hip.
“Please, Ethan,” I whispered.
He pushed us forward, moving toward my bedroom. Inside, he slapped the wall, lighting up the room. I slapped the light off and he pulled back.
“Lights on.”
I shook my head.
“Yes,” he growled, turning the lights on again. “I need to see you.”
The intensity in his eyes rose goosebumps over my entire skin. Ethan pulled me away from the light switch, and I let him. He didn’t make a move to close the door, which I was grateful for, and dragged me toward the bed.
Ethan sat on the edge of my bed, his large body making my queen mattress seem tiny. He moved me between his legs and looked up at me. “You’re captivating. Every time I see you, there’s nothing else in the world.”
I felt heat rise to my cheeks. Bill had never complimented me. I never felt beautiful or special in his eyes. More like a duty, something he had to do. Ethan made me feel like I was the sexiest woman he’d ever seen.
Buy Now!
Ebook on Gumroad | Amazon | Kobo | iBooks | B&N | Smashwords
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April 23, 2017
Q&A Sunday: Unpublished Books
Have you written any books that are not published?
I’m a strange breed. I know that. Many authors I’ve met dreamt forever of being authors. They started reading romances in middle school and knew it was what they wanted to do with their lives forever. I was not that person.
If you’ve been reading along, you know I came from a background in chemical engineering. I’m methodical and practical and never saw myself as creative. When I decided I wanted to write, it was a conscious decision I made because I wanted to enjoy my next career. I didn’t want to be in something that I second guessed. That I wasn’t happy with.
Writing romances was that career.
But I still had a learning curve. The first book I wrote is not published. I used to give it away for free to my subscribers, but I’ve changed that and now offer any of my ebooks for free as a thank you.
Why isn’t the book published?I know you want to ask that, so I’m gonna go ahead and tell you.
The book was a story about a woman who was adopted and her search for her birth parents. It’s not horrible, but it was very personal and I struggled to put it out there. It’s not autobiographical, but I am adopted. It was hard to write, but it was the first story that popped into my head. When I wrote it, I thought I could sell it, but when it was done, I couldn’t.
I’ve considered pulling some of my first ebooks from sale because they are so different than what I write now – thank you workshops and critique partners and hours of practice. In the end, I’ve decided to leave them for sale because it’s all a part of my journey as a writer.
But I don’t think I’ll ever list that first book for sale. It’s too personal. It was a great experience and something I loved writing, but it’s for me now.
I don’t think I’ll ever write another book without the intention to publish it. I love what I do too much to not share it with you!
Thanks so much, Aliana, for your question! If you have a question, send me an email (mary (at) maryethompson (dot) com) with Q&A in the subject, or post it in the comments below, and I’ll answer your question right here on the blog!
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April 21, 2017
#FiveOnFriday with Me!
I’ve teamed up with 55+ fantastic medium to steamy small town contemporary romance authors to give away a huge collection of novels to 2 lucky winners, PLUS a Kindle Fire to the Grand Prize winner! You can win my novel, Plump & Pretty, plus books from authors like Marie Force and Carly Phillips!
Enter the giveaway by clicking here: bit.ly/small-town-rom-2
Good luck, and enjoy!
But it is Five On Friday, so I wanted to share a few things about the Big & Beautiful series that you might not know!
I wrote the first eight books out of order. Plump & Pretty was actually the fourth book I wrote, even though it falls sixth in the series. Shapely & Stunning was eighth. The first book I wrote was Chubby & Charming though.
I had no idea Tara and Olivia knew each other until I wrote the epilogue for Puffy & Precious. On top of that, I didn’t know why they weren’t friends anymore until I wrote about it in Round & Ravishing.
When I first envisioned Abby, she was a skinny woman, and she was not going to end up as one of the friends with a book. By the time I revised Fluffy & Fabulous, I liked Abby enough that I wanted to give her a story of her own.
I didn’t know Olivia’s full story until I started writing Curvaceous & Captivating. I knew she was divorced, but I wasn’t sure why her ex left.
My two favorite couples have been Carrie and Drew, from Husky & Hot, and Olivia and Ethan, from Curvaceous & Captivating. They were the two that extracted the most emotion for me.
If you haven’t checked out the series yet, Chubby & Charming is free everywhere! And don’t forget to enter the contest to win one of two copies of Plump & Pretty, plus over 55 books from other steamy, small town contemporary authors.
I’m still celebrating release week today. Stop by and say hi to me and Ann Everett!
Have a great Friday!
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April 18, 2017
Curvaceous & Captivating, release day
A year ago, Olivia didn’t exist. She was someone who was never even a little bit in my mind. It’s hard to imagine that time because she’s so real to me now.
I love Olivia. She’s a single mom with a lot of struggles I think all parents can understand. She has to put her kids first, but she’s spent so long neglecting herself that she can’t resist Ethan when he wants to take care of her. Of course, she’s a mom, and she’s more than happy to take care of him, too…
Excerpt from Curvaceous & Captivating
“I made food. Want me to bring you a plate?”
I shook my head. “I’ll get it in a little bit.”
He stood anyway. When he came back, he had a plate with rice, chicken, and a mix of vegetables. “You need your energy.” He set a glass of water next to me and kissed the side of my head.
Tears sprung to my eyes. I tried to tell myself it was just because I was tired, but that wasn’t the whole story. I was touched. No one ever took care of me. Just did something and let me enjoy it without an ulterior motive. It was humbling, and amazing.
I ate silently while Ethan watched tv. When I was done, he took my plate back to the kitchen, then came back in and took my hand, pulling me to my feet. “Time to relax. Come on.”
He led me to my bedroom, and I protested. “I’m sorry, but I’m not really in the mood right now. I know that’s a cop-out, but it’s also very true.”
Ethan shook his head. “I’m not trying to get you into bed. Not that I would pass up the chance, but no. I ran you a bath.”
“What?”
“I figured you could use it after the afternoon you’ve had. I’ll listen for the kids and go see them if they get up. If you’re okay with it.”
I nodded and leaned in to him. “I don’t know how I got so lucky, but you’re amazing. Thank you.”
“Being a good mom is hard work. I’ve seen that every time I’ve seen you with them. They’re great kids, but that’s because you’re a great mom.”
Tears welled up again. “Thank you.”
He kissed me softly. “You’re welcome. Now go soak. Take your time. I’ll be here when you get out.”
I nodded and watched as he walked away, giving me privacy I didn’t expect. I stripped my clothes off then sunk into the deep bathtub, the hot water reaching my throat.
It was heavenly.
Read It Today!
Ebook on Gumroad | Amazon | Kobo | iBooks | B&N | Smashwords
Print on CreateSpace | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million
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April 16, 2017
Happy Easter
I’m taking today off answering questions so I can spend the day with my family. We all get together for brunch. An Easter egg hunt for the kids, food, and time to visit family. It’s a pretty great day.
I wish you and your family a Happy Easter today.
PS Like the cupcakes? I figured this is something Charlie would have out for Easter at Bite Me!
Don’t forget, Curvaceous & Captivating is available now through Gumroad, or Tuesday everywhere else.
If you have a question for my next Q&A Sunday, make sure you comment here or send me an email (mary (at) maryethompson (dot) com) with Q&A in the subject. I’ll answer your question right here on the blog!
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April 14, 2017
#FiveOnFriday with Rachael Kosinski
Hello!! A thousand thank-you’s for having me. My novella, Nicholas, was released this past February 14th by MuseItUp Publishing. It was actually never intended to be published, written very, very fast, and basically not at all what it came to be. Therefore, I thought it might be fun to give a few fun facts about a Christmas gift that turned into a story on attempted regicide, German ambassadors, and thieves who steal stories.
1. Nicholas was originally supposed to be a story on how mistletoe became associated with Christmas. In the very beginning, I only had about a week to write my mom a Christmas story and I was really drawing on early mythologies. It was for a very brief time, but I considered having a blind druid girl getting visited by an angel who bestowed mistletoe on humanity—for some reason. I think she fell in love with the angel. Like I said, I couldn’t formulate a full plot fast enough, and had to brush it aside.
2. Nicholas was originally supposed to be a pirate. I played fast and dirty with this story a bit; I robbed from my previous cache of unused plotlines. I’ve always wanted to write a pirate story—it’s one of my goals but I also want to be quite well informed before I start writing it. Since I was about sixteen, I’ve had a Word doc labeled Jamie’s Mercy, which had the very basic plot of a young pirate who had to end up saving a bishop’s daughter. Nicholas was based on Jamie, the buccaneer virtuoso, but morphed into his own individual self once I stripped him of piracy and made him a master thief. I set him loose in eighteenth-century London instead of the high seas, and set him with the task of saving the newest monarch.
3. I had never been to London before writing Nicholas and was terrified I’d mess up. We’ve all met those people, haven’t we? You mention the word ‘British’ or ‘London’ and suddenly they cock their mouth with an “Oi! Fish an’ chips! Pip pip—cheerio! Top hats and monocles!!” I did NOT want to be accused of anything like that, as an American writing a book with primarily English folk in it. I do have English, Scottish, and Irish blood in me, but my family left a long, long time ago. I could’ve spent months on searching for correct eighteenth-century dialects (and actually did find a handy website that dates certain phrases for you—so you don’t have your 1700s-era thief say ‘You’ll never take me alive, coppers!’ or something embarrassing like that). Instead, I shied away from heavy British slang and just kept it pretty formal English. I studied in England for three months a couple years ago, after this was written, and am proud to say there are no gaping mistakes.
4. I screwed with Britain’s historic timeline without much care—until I got my publishing contract. If you ever do read Nicholas, you’ll see in the acknowledgements that I wave a banner screeching that I’m not a complete idiot, I did do research before writing my book. It wasn’t twelve-years’-worth-of-creating-an-obscure-network-of-historian-contacts research, but thorough enough that I wasn’t making ridiculous jumps in history. The England I wrote about is set hazily in the early 1700s—in actuality, Nicholas’s England is on some alternate timeline. The Palace of Westminster was destroyed by a fire in the early 1500s and destroyed again by another fire in 1834; by the time Nicholas was running around London, historically the palace had become the House of Commons and the House of Lords. I know this. I simply chose to imagine a history where this never happened.
5. The ending makes me cry. Almost always. No spoilers here, but I’m always a sucker for sophisticated flirtation. And storytelling. And incredibly touching shows of affection. And people finding happiness. 
April 11, 2017
Curvaceous & Captivating, one more week
Curvaceous & Captivating will be out in just one week! But, if you’re feeling anxious, you can get it on Friday! Yes, you. Starting with Curvaceous & Captivating, I will be releasing all ebooks through Gumroad four days in advance. That means you can buy and download any of my ebooks the Friday before they’re released on all other platforms! Of course, the prices will be the same on all platforms and the ebook will be the same as well. The download is compatible with Kindle, Kobo, iBooks, etc. so you don’t need a new app to read the books. I just want to make sure you have options!
But, I know you’re really here for a sneak peek. You’ve met Ethan. You know Olivia. How about their first kiss? Wanna peek?
Excerpt from Curvaceous & Captivating
“Close the door, Olivia.”
Huh? “Why?”
“Because I don’t want your neighbors to see what I’m going to do next.”
Oh. Yeah.
He didn’t wait for me to move, just yanked me away from the door and kicked it closed. In another instant, My back was pressed to the cool wood and Ethan was pressed to my front.
“If you don’t want this, Olivia, stop me now. Because I’m not sure I’ll be able to once I have a taste of you.”
“I’m not sleeping with you tonight,” I stammered, knowing I needed to put it out there ahead of time. Every time he was close, my body begged for it. For him. But when I moved away, my head cleared and I knew it was too soon. I wasn’t that kind of person. I hadn’t ever been. And with two kids and one non-existent father, I wasn’t taking any more chances.
Ethan’s lips tilted up at the edges. “Good to know, but I wasn’t going to ask.”
He didn’t give me a chance to ask what he meant by that before he sealed his lips to mine. Dear Lord, just a brush and I was gone. The stubble on his upper lip grated at my skin, and my mind immediately pushed him between my legs, wishing I could feel him there.
His tongue grazed my lips and was gone before I could open for him. He kissed his way from one side of my mouth to the other, his tongue darting out and teasing me as he tortured me with kisses that were so much sweeter than the man giving them.
When I clutched his head and held him still so I could kiss him, he chuckled against my lips. I pulled back and shot him a glare, then turned to leave. I was not about to be made fun of during a kiss.
Preorder Now!
Ebook on Gumroad | Amazon | Kobo | iBooks
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April 9, 2017
Q&A Sunday: Conferences
What is your favorite thing about going to a writers conference or convention?
There are tons of conferences out there. In a month, the RT Booklovers Convention is in Atlanta. There have already been some conferences, and many more are coming. If you’re looking for a way to connect with romance authors, you probably don’t have far to go. It depends on what you’re looking for though. Some conventions are tiny with only 50 or so authors. Others are massive.
For me, there’s only one conference I go to. That might change eventually, but right now, my kids are little and I want to have time with my family. So I choose the one conference that I feel gives me the most as an author.
That’s Romance Writers of America National Conference.
Every July, RWA holds a national conference for members and non-members. Workshops are presented on everything from how to write a book to marketing to earning six figures. It’s a huge conference packed with tons of information, awards for excellent books, and a chance to network with other authors.
It’s intense, I won’t lie.
It’s also amazing.
This summer will be my third RWA conference. Each year, what I’m looking for changes, but the whole reason for going is the same.
To learn.
It’s five days away from my family. It’s not cheap. It’s not relaxing. But I leave wishing I could take another week away from home to focus on putting all the things I learned into action.
Me in Times Square at my first conference!Of course, I want to see my family too!
But the question is what is my favorite thing about conferences or conventions. It’s hard to choose one thing. I’d have to say there’s a couple things I love.
One is all the things I learn. To come away with a portion of the wealth of knowledge at the RWA conference is huge.
A second thing I getting a chance to see friends who don’t live close. My roommate, and good friend, is from California. We see each other once a year. Being able to grab a glass of wine and some dinner together is always so great.
The third thing I love about it is the energy. Maybe it sounds silly, but being surrounded by so many other authors and people who love romance is invigorating and simply inspiring. When do you get a chance to hang out with 2000 other people who do the same thing as you, who respect you, who encourage you, and who want to help you? It’s absolutely amazing.
This year’s conference is the end of July in Orlando. My family chose to add on a trip to Disney with the conference so this year’s conference is even more exciting for me! But, as you see, I love it no matter what!
Thanks so much, Vicki, for your question! If you have a question, send me an email (mary (at) maryethompson (dot) com) with Q&A in the subject, or post it in the comments below, and I’ll answer your question right here on the blog!
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