Mary E. Thompson's Blog, page 23
February 19, 2017
Q&A Sunday: Male Characters
What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered when writing about characters from the opposite sex?
Writing men is hard. And not just during the fun moments! Seriously, though, men are a challenge.
Yes, I’m married. I have an amazing husband, a six year old son, a brother who is 17 months younger than me, and a wonderful father. But none of that means I understand men!
Women are complex. We’re moody and temperamental and emotional and a little crazy sometimes. I get that because I am one. I know we’re all different, but I feel like I understand women since I am one. I’ve felt all those things. All those struggles.
Men want us to believe they’re simple creatures. If they have sex, they’re happy. If they have food, they’re happy. If they have a bit of sleep, they’re happy. Not necessarily in that order, and definitely not in balance, but you know what I mean.
The challenge is that men are not simple. Men are just as complex as we are. They have mood swings. They have emotions. They want more than sex, food, and sleep.
Most of the time.
Characters though, they’re not real men. Sometimes, they’re the men we want real men to be. An alpha with a softer side. A beta with a dangerous vibe. An average Joe who is damaged.
Writing men is tough.
No matter how many men I know personally, how many I am close to, I’m not inside their heads. I don’t know them, the way they think, the reasons they do things, their fears, hopes, and dreams. I can speculate, but I haven’t been there.
Graham, Puffy & Precious, was a challenge for me because he’s a little bit alpha and I struggle with that. Don’t get me wrong, alpha can be sexy, but I’m not intimately aware of alpha. My husband isn’t alpha, a fact I’m very happy about. So writing a guy who was a little alpha was tough for me. A guy who was going to jump to conclusions, get jealous, and try to control things. I don’t know that I would have put up with as much as Abby, but then again, she was a challenge for him, too!
Brady, Fat & Fine, was another struggle for me. He was so wounded and angry that I had trouble relating to him. I sympathized with him, felt bad for him, but I didn’t know him. Sam was hurt also, with her own wounds. The two of them were both in need of someone who could help them heal, but I felt like I’d walked in Sam’s shoes more than Brady’s. And I struggled a bit with him.
Every man is a challenge for me. Every man gives me more than a few moments that I hesitate. I agonize over their words, their thoughts, their actions. In the end, I write them the best way I can, and hope that they are real enough to make you a believer, but fictional enough to make you love them!
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!
The post Q&A Sunday: Male Characters appeared first on Mary E Thompson.
February 17, 2017
#FiveOnFriday with Mary Abshire
FIRST KILL BLURB:
Andrew enjoys the company of women, perhaps too much. The council in heaven had enough of his sexual promiscuities and they’ve sentence him to return to earth to destroy demons. To make matters more difficult, if he has sex with a woman he has to stay an extra year. Without clothes, money, or food, his task seems impossible.
Emily is in a world of trouble. She leaves her family, job, and home in Chicago to start a new life. As she’s driving along a country road, she discovers a naked man lying in the middle of it. He’s incredibly built, sculpted to perfection, and blessed with a fine package south of his navel. When he asks for her help, she can’t resist.
Over the next several days, Emily’s sanity is tested. Andrew struggles to keep his hands to himself. Emily seeks the truth from Andrew while he endeavors to kill a demon. What she discovers frightens her. Angels, demons, heaven and hell exist. Determined to help Emily change her future, Andrew offers her a deal. But is heaven the best eternal resting place?
Excerpt from First Kill
The silence in the room threatened his sanity. Finding the remote near the TV, he took it and pressed the power button. The flat screen was small, but it had a better picture compared to the boxy television sets.
He kicked off his shoes before he scooted back over the mattress. The bed was bouncy and would be perfect for having sex. A shame he couldn’t make use of his resources. After propping the pillows behind him, he flipped through the channels on the TV. He found an episode of Seinfeld playing. He remembered watching the sitcom when it had first aired in 1989. The comedy always made him laugh.
Later, a show called Friends came on. The sitcom kept him entertained until his phone vibrated in his pocket. He hurried to pull it out in case it was Emily. When he finally removed the cell, he noticed a message from her on the screen.
Made it back to the hotel. How are you doing?
Smiling at the wonders of modern technology, he replied, Watching Friends. It’s not bad.
He set the phone on his thigh and resumed watching the show. A minute later, a new text from her appeared.
Ick. Friends is old.
He prepared a quick response. New to me.
Her next message arrived promptly. Seriously? Don’t they have TV in heaven?
Nope, he replied.
He held the cell, waiting for her to respond.
OMG! How did you get by without TV?? What do people do without TV??
He typed his reply. There are theatres people perform in. Most people are busy with jobs, going out with friends, having sex, spending time with family, traveling, having fun, having more sex… What’s OMG?
He placed the phone on his leg. He shook his foot as the time passed. When his phone didn’t vibrate, he pressed the button to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. The screen showed the normal picture of a field of flowers. Sad she hadn’t replied, he returned his attention to the television. But after a few minutes, he couldn’t tolerate watching the show any longer. He missed talking to Emily, even if it was only by instant messaging.
He lifted the phone and sent her a new communication. What are you doing?
Boredom started to take hold of him. He left the phone on the bed and began pacing in the room. The urge to call her was like an itch he desperately needed to scratch, but he didn’t want to be a nuisance. He kept glancing at the phone, hoping it would buzz with a response from her. When it finally did, he dove over the bed to claim the cell.
Getting clothes ready for tomorrow. Heading into shower soon. OMG is oh my god. I’m stunned there’s no TV in heaven.
Her message instantly brightened his mood. He entered his reply. Who needs TV when there are better things to do? What are you going to wear tomorrow?
He placed the phone aside and then laid his head sideways on top of his arm. So she was staying busy. That was good to know. At least she hadn’t decided to leave him stranded. He’d thought she might, especially after she tried to give him several wads of cash. He didn’t want her money. It was hers to begin with. Just because he’d won it didn’t make it his. Besides, he’d rather be with her than have any amount of money.
The phone buzzed. He jerked his head up to look at the screen.
Black dress with a wide belt. Nothing fancy.
He imagined her wearing a sexy black outfit that reached above her knees and had a low neckline to reveal her cleavage. Wait a minute. He didn’t want her to wear anything sexy for the demon. If she was going to pretty herself up, it should be for him.
No need to dress to impress. Jeans will be fine, he replied.
Now, if she dressed up nice for him, Andrew would have to let his fingers explore her body, starting with her thighs. Then again, maybe he should start with her neck and drag his touch down between her breasts. The mere thought gave him a boner.
A new message arrived from her. Not taking any chances. This dirtbag needs to go.
Don’t lead him on too much, Andrew sent back to her.
Define too much. Is kissing too much? Is letting him feel me up too much? FYI, leading him is the game plan.
Andrew’s eyes widened. She had to be kidding around. God, he hoped she was. He quickly typed a response. No touching. No kissing. If he tries, walk away. No, run!
His pulse sped as he thought about the demon touching her. He’d rip the demon’s heart out. No one was allowed to lay a finger on Emily.
A new message arrived. LOL. Chillax angel baby. I’m not into demons.
He chuckled as he prepared a reply. Are you into angels? I may know someone. He’s a good guy. Hot. Well hung. I think you’d like him.
He turned onto his side and propped his head up with his balled hand. Although he wasn’t sure what LOL stood for, he guessed it wasn’t a bad thing.
LMFAO!
He stared at the letters, clueless as to what they stood for. What does that mean? Is that code for you want to bop his brains out?
After he sent the message, he tried to make up words for each letter. L could stand for let’s. M could be short for make. F could be for fun or funny. A could stand for apples and O for oranges. Let’s make funny apples and oranges. Maybe it was the latest phrase people used.
OMG I am LMFAO. Seriously!!
Buy Links:
Evernight Publishing http://www.evernightpublishing.com/first-kill-by-mary-abshire/
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/first-kill/id1183554099?mt=11
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/first-kill-7
Meet Mary
I am a romantic at heart and a lifetime lover of the paranormal, fantasy, and science fiction. When I’m not working or binge watching television, I enjoy creating fantastical stories with vampires, demons, werewolves, angels, and/or other supernatural creatures. I often add mystery and suspense to spice up my books. For the most part, I live a quiet life in Indianapolis. I aspire to become a full time writer one day. I also hope to meet a vampire, werewolf, or angel who will sweep me off my feet. Hey, a girl can dream. And this one does.
Follow me:
www.facebook.com/MaryAbshire.Author
Newsletter https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/k0i2e8
5 items to know about the in Heaven Sent series:
Andrew and Emily are two very different people, yet somehow they were destined to meet. Answers are revealed in the last book.
Emily and Andrew will face danger in each of the seven books. The danger and tension increases in each book.
Besides suspense, there’s a touch of humor in each book. Andrew died in late 1980s and returned to present day. Imagine the changes he has to deal with.
Short teaser from Third Love:The woman he longed to be with didn’t believe in love. The council in heaven had to be laughing at him. Never in his life or death had he met such a stubborn and strong-willed woman. She was driving him insane.
I cried writing the last book, Seventh Heaven. But it ultimately has a happy ending. I hope readers will agree.
The post #FiveOnFriday with Mary Abshire appeared first on Mary E Thompson.
February 14, 2017
Happy Valentine’s Day
All over the world, people are waking up to gifts from their loved ones. Stores are flooded with roses, chocolate, and other gifts. It’s a great day. We all celebrate love. What could be better than that?
Love matters. Love makes us do things we never thought possible. It’s an amazing emotion that drives many things for us. I’m hanging out on Contemporary Romance Writers today talking about the importance of love. Stop by and say hi and tell me what love means to you.
Over here though, let’s talk about love every day! We don’t need to wait for one day to celebrate love, to say I love you, or to give someone we care about a gift.
We don’t even need to do that. Little things mean the most.
When my husband rubs my feet, even though he had a long day.
When he cooks pancakes for the kids, because it’s our tradition.
When they say I love you.
When we go out of our way for someone.
We don’t need to wait until Valentine’s Day for any of that. Share your love every day. Start today!
Another thing you should start today is Love The Wine You’re With! (Like how I did that!) Readers are telling me they love this new series. Aliana said it’s her new favorite series. That’s high praise! I love that you guys are enjoying it. If you haven’t checked it out yet, grab it today. The second book, Never A Bridesmaid, Always A Bride, will be out in only three weeks!
Here’s another peek at Love The Wine You’re With. Just in case you’re still on the fence…
Alyssa was shocked to see Jake sitting at the table with her grandmother and Uncle Victor. As soon as she got up that morning, she went to find Uncle Victor and begged him to hire Jake. She didn’t explain how they met, and he didn’t ask, but she could tell by the smirk on his face he knew the whole story.
Damn.
“I knew I should have fixed up that room last night. If I had, I’d have been the one this handsome man startled last night. Then maybe he’d be looking at me like I was his savior instead of you,” Nonna grumbled.
Alyssa was sure her grandmother was just trying to throw her off, but when she glanced back at Jake, his cheeks pinked and he ducked his head.
How interesting.
Get It Today!
Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | B&N | Smashwords
The post Happy Valentine’s Day appeared first on Mary E Thompson.
February 12, 2017
QA Sunday: Genres
Do you ever write outside your box? By that I mean do you try different genres or do you stick to just one? What about when you read; do you try different types of books?
I’ll admit, I’m pretty boring. Or maybe I just know what I like. I love contemporary romance.
I do read some non-fiction – business, marketing, parenting, and writing craft books. But if I’m reading for entertainment, I stick with contemporary romance mostly.
I will read new adult, suspense, historical, and some erotic, but I mostly stick to contemporary.
As for writing, I’m not sure I’ll ever branch out very far. I’ve written some new adult (like Love The Wine You’re With), but not much. I’ve been helping a friend with her suspense novel, another friend with her historical, and another friend with an erotic. But I don’t know that I see myself venturing too far from contemporary for my writing.
You know what to expect with me. Sexy. Tight family or friends. Some wine. Plenty of food. And a story that will give you hope. I love it. I hope you do too!
Thanks so much, Becky, 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!
The post QA Sunday: Genres appeared first on Mary E Thompson.
February 10, 2017
#FiveOnFriday Marketing Tips from Ann Everett
Join HARO (Help a Reporter Out)
Sign-up–(the subscription is free)
Read–You’ll receive three emails every day with requests from sources in specific areas (e.g., travel, tech, general)
Respond–If any of the sources listed have something you can speak to, then respond directly to the reporter making the request. Authors who responded to a request have been featured on multiple news and talk shows from CNN to Fox & Friends, and mentioned in the largest outlets including Cosmo, Essence, The Saturday Evening Post, Woman’s Day, American Baby, Consumer’s Digest Magazine, the BBC, US News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, ABC.com, The Huffington Post, FoxBusiness.com, MSN Money, AOL and Yahoo.
Just make sure you don’t waste their time. Don’t respond unless you meet their criteria.
I have been interviewed by an editor for Good Housekeeping Magazine, featured on a blog with many followers, interviewed by two college professors writing a book, and contributed to a book of motherly advice.
Getting your name out there regardless if you connect it to your books, will bring people to your site, and they’ll see your books. The subjects I responded to concerned marriage, advice, and Amazon.
DO AMAZON GIVEAWAYS
This is an Amazon promotion often overlooked. To set it up, go to your Amazon author book page.
Click on any of your books, then scroll down past the reviews and you’ll see, “set up a giveaway.” Amazon will walk you through the procedure. Since you’re giving the book away, you’ll get no royalties, so what is the advantage?
Followers: You can require contestants to follow you on Facebook, twitter, or your author page on Amazon. I choose my author page because all those followers get a notice each time I have a new book released. Amazon does that work for me, and it will help get my book off to a good start.
Traffic: According to Amazon, Giveaways increase traffic more than 40% during the promotion.
Twitter Exposure: If you tweet #AmazonGiveaway, everyone searching for Amazon Giveaways will see that tweet and you!
Minimal investment: The only cost to you is the cost of your book. You choose how many you want to giveaway, so you control the investment. I’ve done one book per fifty followers and gave away five books. That netted me 250 followers with each giveaway. Keep in mind, you will make a royalty off each book because you’ve purchased them at regular price, so that reduces your cost. You can choose print or digital.
Audience: Readers who love your genre will search out those giveaways, therefore targeting the exact reader you’re looking for. This fine tunes your followers.
You can run a giveaway and a Kindle Countdown at the same time for the same book. If you do that, then your cost will be less because you’re not paying full price for the giveaway book, AND you’re making the higher royalty because it’s in KDP Select.
SET UP PINTEREST BOARDS
Pinterest is the largest driver of traffic of all social media with over 110 million active monthly users.
The first thing you want to do on Pinterest is sign up for a business account. That way, you’ll have access to analytics and your website will get verified. Once that’s done, the images you post will have a better chance of getting search results.
Use your author name as your username because that helps brand you, so use it as it appears on your books.
Just like every other site, you’ll enter a profile, headshot, keywords, etc.
Profile photo—165 X165
Board display—22 X 150
Pin sizes—236 pixels wide
You’ll also want to add an icon Pinterest button to your website, so visitors can check out your boards by clicking the icon and going directly to your Pinterest page.
Not a good idea to connect your Pinterest account to any other social sites. If it automatically posts on Twitter, the pin will only be a link and not an actual photo.
You’ll want to add a Pinterest bookmark to your browser and you can find those instructions here: http://www.pinterest.com/about/goodies
On Pinterest, you can follow pinners (members) or their individual boards. Now, about those boards. Maybe you love jewelry or fashion or cars or like me, everything Texas. You can make boards for all your favorites, but don’t forget to make a board for each of your books! More on that later.
Look at other pinners, even authors, to get ideas of what they pin.
You can use the search bar in Pinterest to find items/images. It is quickly becoming a popular search engine! You can pin directly from the web, or if you have personal images on your desktop, you can pin those. When you pin a personal image, be sure and include your website URL in the description/comment section.
By clicking the Pinterest logo at the top of your Pinterest page, you can navigate to the Newsfeed and find everything pinned by people you follow. Click Analytics and discover how many of your pins are getting RE-pinned. On average, a Pin, is RE-pinned 11 times!
Board Ideas
Here are the boards I have related to my books.
A board for each book with fantasy cast, quotes, covers, etc.
Images of wedding dresses
A collection of jewelry
One of my characters loved Boho-chic, so I have a board for that.
Beautiful Men
Beautiful women
Quotes that will make you laugh, cry and think
Recipes from my Sweet Thangs Cookbook
Books I love
Boot and hats
All things Texas
DIY
As you can see, your boards should be all about what you like. Go crazy! You can even have secret boards. Why? Well, if you’re a Stuart Reardon fan, like me, and have a hard time finding a photo of him suitable for public viewing, a secret board is a good thing!!
Here’s a fun site to make beautiful posts for social media. They have 1000’s of templates. http://www.easil.com
INCLUDE BOOK BACK MATTER
Make sure you have sample chapters or excerpts from all your books in the back of each book published. Along with buy links. This is constant marketing working for you every single day!
DO PUBLIC SPEAKING
In high school, I was a twirler, and everyone knew when I dropped the baton.
I’ve sung solos, and everyone knew when I hit a wrong note.
But as a speaker, no one in the audience knows what I’m going to say, so they don’t know if I’ve messed anything up or not! That’s the beauty of public speaking…and it’s a good source of marketing. Because you’re not marketing your books…you’re marketing yourself.
All you need is WANT AND WILLPOWER. I find my program info from reading blogs, books, and doing searches. Once I have that, it’s easy to put together a power point presentation.
I generally sell some books, but more importantly, I get other speaking engagements, friends, followers, and it adds to my credibility to answer some of those HARO requests!
Meet Ann Everett
Award winning and Amazon Best-Selling author, Ann Everett embraces her small town upbringing and thinks Texans are some of the funniest people on earth. When speaking at conferences and to writing groups, businesses, book clubs, and non-profit organizations, she incorporates her special brand of wit, making her programs on marketing, self-publishing, and the benefits of laughter, informative and fun.
Her short stories have appeared in The Green Silk Journal, Snag Today, and Story Teller Magazine.
A top reviewer on thenextbigwriter.com, she lives on a small lake in Northeast Texas where she writes, bakes, and fights her addiction to Diet Dr. Peppers.
She’s been featured on:
Proud of East Texas with Joan Hallmark, KLTV-TV, Tyler, Texas
East Texas Live and Mid-day, KETK-TV, Tyler, Texas
KTSS-TV, Hope, Arkansas
The Authors Show with Don McCauley, Internet radio show
The Chandler & Brownsboro Statesman, Chandler, Texas
The Daily Tribune, Mt. Pleasant, Texas
Tyler Morning Telegraph, Tyler, Texas
InMagazine, East Texas
Ten things you won’t know about Ann by reading her bio:
She’s been married to her high school sweetheart.
She loves shopping at thrift stores.
She doesn’t remember her first kiss.
She hates talking on the telephone.
A really sharp pencil makes her happy.
She secretly wants to get a tattoo.
A charter member of National Honor Society in high school remains one of her proudest moments.
She’s thankful wrinkles aren’t painful.
She sucks at math.
Ann’s Books:
Tizzy/Ridge romantic suspense trilogy
Laid Out and Candle Lit
You’re Busting My Nuptials
Tied With a Bow and No Place to Go
Contemporary romance companion books
Tell Me a Secret
Two Wrongs Make a Right
Say You’ll Never Love Me
Non-fiction
Strong Verbs Strong Voice: A quick reference to improve your writing and impress readers (Amazon best seller)
Body Language: A quick reference for character action and description
Sweet Thangs: Southern Sweets from Two Sassy Sisters
Find Ann on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Amazon, and Goodreads!
The post #FiveOnFriday Marketing Tips from Ann Everett appeared first on Mary E Thompson.
February 7, 2017
Love The Wine You’re With, available now
I am so excited to have Love The Wine You’re With finally available! I’ve been anxiously waiting for this series to finally be out, and I’m loving it!
If you haven’t picked up your copy yet, don’t wait! Not that it’s going anywhere, but you’re going to love Jake and Alyssa. He’s a brooding, damaged guy with a heart bigger than New York. She’s a barely legal girl who is sick of being a child. And a virgin.
Excerpt from Love The Wine You’re With
“What’s your schedule next week? Is there a day you’re off?”
Alyssa nodded. “I’m off Wednesday.”
“Wednesday night. You. Me. A date.”
She grinned. “That sounds nice.”
Jake chuckled, the sound reverberating through her. “I don’t want you to doubt how I feel about you, Alyssa. Not ever. I’ve been going crazy thinking about you. I want you so much I can barely see straight most of the time.”
“I’ve never had sex before.”
He nodded. “I know, Alyssa. And I’m not saying I want to. I mean, yeah, I want to, but I wouldn’t be able to do that to you. I just-”
“I want to, Jake. I want you to be my first. I’ve never liked a boy the way I like you. I know I’ll regret it forever if we don’t. Please, Jake.”
She felt him grow harder against her lower back, as though talking about sex turned him on even more. “Alyssa, I need to kiss you. But I want you to know one thing first.”
Alyssa turned in his arms so she could see him. “What?”
“I’d be honored to make love to you. It’s all I’ll be able to think about now,” he said with a laugh, “but we have time. Let’s take things slow.”
Alyssa nodded. “Okay. Do you think you could kiss me now?”
Jake smiled and leaned closer. “Hell yeah.”
Get It Now!
Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | B&N | Smashwords
The post Love The Wine You’re With, available now appeared first on Mary E Thompson.
February 5, 2017
QA Sunday: Compliments
What has been the best compliment [given to you as an author]?
I’ve been given lots of compliments as an author. And no, I don’t mean that as an attempt to say how awesome I am. I’m actually a pretty humble person. I think that’s why compliments mean so much to me.
So, you want examples?
Vicki said Love The Wine You’re With, which comes out tomorrow, is her favorite of all my books so far.
Many of you told me Round & Ravishing was worth the extra wait.
Even more of you have told me how much my Big & Beautiful series has meant to you.
I’d love to say I’m a USA Today Bestselling Author, but really, I didn’t get into this for accolades. I got into this because it was right for me. And knowing that what I write resonates with you is the best compliment I could ever get. I’ll be happy to not ever be a bestselling author if I know you love what I write. That’s what really matters to me!
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!
The post QA Sunday: Compliments appeared first on Mary E Thompson.
February 3, 2017
#FiveOnFriday Tattoo Killer by AJ Norris
Thank you, Mary, for allowing me to talk about my five favorite things about my romantic suspense, Tattoo Killer.
My most favorite thing about Tattoo Killer is the characters themselves. I know, I know, authors should like their characters, right? But of all the books I’ve written, I love the detective in this book, Harry, more than any other character. He’s a grumpy and lovable character and a two fisted coffee drinker for a reason. I don’t want to tell you too much about him, because it would spoil the story.
January 31, 2017
Round & Ravishing, so sweet
It appears all the Amazon issues are behind us. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Again, I do apologize for what happened and will make sure it never happens again.
Sometimes there’s a guy who’s so sweet you can’t help but adore him. I think Noah is that guy. It’s his job to take care of kids, but he’s just sweet enough to risk a toothache. Oh, but it would be worth it!
Excerpt from Round & Ravishing
“Is she your girlfriend?” a little girl that reminded be of Becca with her blonde pigtails and big blue eyes asked.
Noah winked at me and knelt in front of her. “I’m just friends with her. But see, I’m lonely since you’re still too young for me. In another ten years I’m all yours, Lucy.”
She giggled and hugged him tight. She surprised me when she hugged me then beckoned me down to her level with her little finger.
“Yes, Lucy?”
“You’re pretty. But Noah promised he’d marry me if I got better.”
I nodded solemnly, not willing to laugh at the adorable little girl. “Do you think it’s okay if I spend some time with him until you’re old enough to marry him?”
She nodded. “Yes, but only if you don’t marry him.”
“I promise, Lucy.”
When I stood again, Noah slid his arm around my waist. “You’re good with kids, aren’t you?”
I nodded. “I like kids. They’re a lot of fun.”
“Do you want kids some day?”
“I think I’d like that. Unfortunately I’m not sure that day will ever come.”
“Why not?” Noah asked, stopping me in front of a painting that had red, black, and yellow smears of paint covering a canvas.
I shrugged. “I’m not settled yet, or even close. A lot of my friends are starting to have kids and I feel like I’m so far from where they are. I’m thrilled for them because it’s what they want, but I don’t know if I’ll ever get there.”
“I’m sure you will.” We kept walking and Noah slipped his hand into mine.
“Do you want kids?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I love them, obviously, but I’d see the face of my child in every patient I’m afraid. I think I’d be terrified to miss something in my own kid.”
“I’ve always thought of life as a series of events that you can choose how they effect you. If you hide from life because of fear, you’ll regret all the things you missed out on. If you live every day as though it was a chance to share something with another person, even if that person is only in your life for a short time, you’ll be a lot happier.”
Noah stopped and turned me toward him. “Is that how you live your life, Tara?”
His voice dipped low and rumbled down my spine, eliciting a reaction from every inch of my body. I wanted to grab his hand and run out of there, living my life just a little more. But we couldn’t leave until Noah had spoken to everyone, so I had to answer the question.
Buy It Now (the whole thing!)
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Smashwords
The post Round & Ravishing, so sweet appeared first on Mary E Thompson.
January 29, 2017
Q&A Sunday: New Writer
What prompted you to start writing?
The final push came when I realized how miserable I was. But getting to that point was a much longer story.
Without getting into too much, I have a degree in chemical engineering and thought I’d spend my life curing cancer (instead of fighting it) and helping people. My career did not turn out the way I’d hoped, and I was not happy as an engineer.
At. All.
I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with myself when I left my engineering job and kind of stumbled into writing. I always loved to read so it made sense to start looking at writing. I’d done well in my English classes and could write a damn good essay. A book couldn’t be that different, right?
When you stop laughing, you can continue…
I found some business minded people who were non-fiction authors. They said you couldn’t sustain a living on just writing books. They were crazy smart, so I decided I’d start a non-fiction business helping working moms live a life they enjoyed.
I loved the idea of it, but it wasn’t what I really wanted to be doing. I wanted to be writing novels.
After about a year of doing that, hubby and I had a serious talk. He said I was as stressed and miserable doing that as I was in my engineering job and I had to stop. Four months later I published my first novel, In Front Of Me.
It’s been a wild, fun, exciting ride, and I know I’ll be writing for as long as you will be reading! I’ve finally found my true calling and am so happy hubby pushed me to do something that made me happy!
Thanks so much, Becky, 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!
The post Q&A Sunday: New Writer appeared first on Mary E Thompson.
