Mary E. Thompson's Blog, page 4

My Favorite Romance Novels

Valentine’s Day is all about romance. Love. Finding it, holding it, embracing it. Of course, as a romance writer, that’s my world. All day, every day.

We’re all readers here, so I thought I’d share some of my favorite romances with you. For today, we’re talking books, because, well, we’re readers. Why wouldn’t we?

All links go to the author’s website so you can see the rest of the books in the series or other books available, or sign up for their newsletters. There are some amazing authors out there! I hope you check them out.

Happy reading!

Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shalvis

Friendship on Fire by Melissa Foster

Chase Me by Aidy Award

Stranded with the SEAL by Amy Gamet

Beautiful Mistake by Vi Keeland

Adler James by Christa Wick

Bought by the SEAL by Zoe York

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Sealed With A Slap, release day!

I feel like today snuck up on me. With the holiday season, I was lost in the midst of decorations and travel and spending time with family and completely lost track of how close it was getting to the release day for Sealed With A Slap!

But it’s here! And I’m so excited to share my new enemies to lovers romance with you. Sean is a single dad who’s had to do it all on his own for thirteen years. He knows he doesn’t have all the answers, but he doesn’t appreciate Erin offering him advice, especially when he doesn’t know who she is!

Erin is a child psychologist who always wanted to help parents who were doing their best but needed just a little more help. She can’t stop herself from offering advice, even to complete strangers. Unfortunately, her advice isn’t always welcome.

These two become explosive in a hurry and were so much fun to write! I hope you love their story!

Excerpt from Sealed With A Slap

“You’ve made it clear you don’t want to have anything to do with me—” 

He snorted. 

“What?” 

Sean stared straight ahead. “Nothing.” 

“No. Tell me. What did I say that was funny?” 

Sean waited a beat, then turned back to her. He moved closer, close enough that she could feel the heat of his breath on her face. His hand cupped the back of her neck. His eyes blazed with desire so strong it sucked all the heat out of the car and deposited it between her thighs. 

She wanted to pull back, to turn away, but all she could do was sit and wait for him to decide what he was going to do, because she was fresh out of thoughts. Except the one begging him not to stop. To keep going and press his lips, then every other part of his body, to hers.

Available Now!

Ebook on Amazon | Kobo | Apple Books | B&N | Google Play | Smashwords

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Merry Christmas

I’ve been thinking a lot about all the things in my life that I count as my blessings. This year, the holiday season has been tough. It’s been a busy time, more than usual, and it’s really thrown me off. I’ve been pulled away from the joy of the holiday season, but I wanted to remind myself that life is amazing. It’s beautiful. It’s wild and messy and tough, but it’s beautiful.

I hope you’ve had a chance to sit back and enjoy life some this holiday season. If you haven’t, I hope you take some time soon to relax, put your feet up, and read a great book!

Enjoy your family today. And thank you for being one of my blessings this year.

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Forgiving Ourselves

Do you ever screw up? Do something that you regret later? Maybe someone gets hurt or you just feel stupid for your choices. I’ve done it, so many times, and letting go and forgiving myself is never easy. 

I’ve been talking about overcoming doubt and being thankful. I feel like all these topics go together because they remind us that what we want isn’t always easy, or good for us. 

I started this series talking about my weight and how I wish I could lose weight. When a friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer and died seventeen months later, I made the decision to get healthier for my kids. I did it, too. I dropped 3-4 sizes, I felt so much better, and I lost 40 pounds. Then I was diagnosed with cancer, moved 800 miles, and had my life turned upside down. In six months, I gained back almost all the weight I’d lost, beat cancer, and felt both better and worse. Since the cancer I had was centered around my airways, I could breathe much better, but the weight I gained offset some of that benefit. Now, three years later, I’m still at that increased weight. And I effing hate it. 

But I have to remind myself that I’m here. I have another chance to fight and get better. I went to the oncologist last week and my scans are still clean, three years post treatment. I can fight my weight instead of my cancer. I can lose that weight again, and I’m thankful for that opportunity. 

It still makes me mad that I let myself gain the weight back. Everyone around me blames the steroids I was on and the poor eating habits I picked up during chemo, when I could only stomach grilled cheese for three days and increased my calorie intake to keep my stomach settled. It doesn’t matter why I gained weight again, I need to find a way to get rid of it. For good this time. 

The hardest part of all of it for me is letting go of what I should have done. As a writer, I write about everything. I write my frustrations, what I wish I’d done differently, how I feel. Some people talk it out, with a friend or alone. Maybe you should visualize it, or act it out, or make models like Steve Carell’s character in Welcome to Marwen. Nothing is off limits when it comes to forgiveness — for yourself and others. 

How do you move on and forgive yourself?

When you doubt yourself, who do you trust? 

Life was hard enough. Normal was a fallacy. There were bad guys everywhere. But he couldn’t sit back and let her deal with it. He had to face his demons to fight hers. He had to give everything he had to her to keep her safe. His heart wasn’t a part of the bargain, but he handed it over anyway. 

Available now!

Ebook on Amazon | Kobo | Apple Books | B&N | Google Play| Smashwords

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Being thankful for what we have

Last week was thanksgiving in the US. It’s a time of year when everyone is celebrating all the things they’re thankful for. Their blessings, their treasures, the people in their lives that make it better. Why do we wait until one day, or one month, to talk about these things?

I wrote last time about moments of doubt and how they challenge us and try to convince us to stay put when we want to move. I feel being thankful for what we have does the opposite. Being thankful gives us hope. It shows us a better way. It tells us it’s worth it. We need that all the time!

I don’t always appreciate the things I have. I bitch about my home and argue with my kids. I complain about my car and my health and my weight. I wish I could blink and change so many things in my life. But if I take a step back and actually look at my life, I have it pretty damn good.

I have a home. It might not be my perfect dream home, but I’m warm in the 30 degree weather, safe, and can provide for my family.

I have a family. I’m not alone like so many people are. I have a husband who loves me, two amazing kids, parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces, and a nephew, and so many more.

I have friends. My two closest friends don’t live near me, but I have friends. Amazing friends.

I’m healthy. Yes, that’s always up for debate, but I go to the gym, I have plenty to eat, and with any luck, next Friday I’ll find out I’m still in remission.

I have a job I love. So many people can’t say that, but I can. I love it. Yes, it has its challenges, but I love it.

How many people around the world can count all these things? How many people are content? Yes, there are things I want to change, and I added qualifiers to every single thing I’m thankful for, but I’m still thankful for them. My life could be a lot worse. It has been. When I was single and never thought I’d find love. When I was trying to get pregnant and never thought I’d have kids. When I was going through chemo and never thought I’d see my kids grow up. When I was in a job that was killing me and never thought I’d get out. When I moved to a new city and never thought I’d make friends.

Life is hard. No one is going to tell you it’s easy. And if they do, chances are they’re holding back. Because nothing is easy, but it’s so damn worth it. And all your blessings prove that to you every day.

Never give up on your dreams. Be thankful for how far you’ve come, and keep pushing toward that next dream.

What are you thankful for?

 

When you doubt yourself, who do you trust? 

She was alone. She liked it that way, because it meant she wouldn’t get hurt again. But he pushed past her walls and changed everything. He made her see herself the way he saw her. And she knew she’d never love again like she loved him. 

Available now!

Ebook on Amazon | Kobo | Apple Books | B&N | Google Play | Smashwords

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Some things are better left forgotten

We all have things we’d like forgotten. Memories that aren’t that good. Regrets. Stupid things we’ve said or done. Sometimes we get lucky and they’re forgotten by everyone around us, even if they feel like they’ll never go away for us.

Jaymes still remembers the moments he was taken with clarity. But lucky for him, being forgotten isn’t all bad.

Excerpt from Forgotten

Kelsea stuck a bite of pasta in her mouth and laughed. She and Jaymes spent the day together, in and out of bed. It had been a long time since she let herself be that free with a man, but it felt natural with Jaymes. He made her feel beautiful, so walking around naked wasn’t an issue for her. 

“I wish I’d known you when you were younger,” she told Jaymes. 

He shook his head. “Oh, no. That wouldn’t have been good. I never would have gotten my degrees if I had a woman like you around when I was younger. I spent most of my sex life alone. That worked well for me.” 

“Yeah, right. A guy like you can’t possibly go unnoticed. The glasses give you a sexy, nerdy vibe. And these muscles. You’re seriously hot, Jaymes.” 

He went silent on her for a minute. When he met her gaze, there was something unreadable in his. “I started working out after I was taken. And the glasses are new, too. I was kept in a basement. It was so dark and I stared at a computer screen for so long that it strained my eyes and I need glasses now.” 

Well, shit. “I’ll just chew on my foot in silence for now.” 

He shook his head and gave her a tight grin. “You didn’t know.” 

She shrugged. “No, but I should have. You said something before, and I just forgot. Is that bad? That I forgot you were taken.” 

He shook his head. “It’s not. It’s good. It means you see more of me than the victim I am.”

Buy it today!

Ebook on Amazon | Kobo | iBooks | B&N | Google Play | Smashwords

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Forgotten is HERE!!!

I was so excited when Forgotten was the book chosen as the second story in the F-BOMB series. I loved Jaymes, and he really earned his happily ever after. Kelsea was a fun character to get to know. She’s smart and passionate and wounded. She’s also scared, and needs someone to validate her fears. But she’s tough. Tougher than even she realized.

These two work well together. They’re hot and cold and frustrating and heart-warming. They made me want to shake them at times, but in the end, they made me so happy. I hope you love them as much as I do!

Excerpt from Forgotten

Kelsea stared up at him. She’d never been all that shy with the men she dated, but she rarely made the first move. As she stood there, looking up at him, she remembered why. 

It sucked getting shot down. 

The longer he looked at her, the more she realized the emotions and desire swirling around the room were all coming from her. He didn’t want her. He wanted to keep her safe, but that had nothing to do with wanting her. 

She felt so stupid. 

She ducked her head and swallowed the hurt. She went to step back, but he grabbed her arms. Lightly, but enough to get her to look up at him again. 

“Don’t.” 

“Don’t what?” 

“Don’t walk away. Let me see you. All of you, Kelsea. Just let me look at you for a minute.”

Available Now!

Ebook on Amazon | Kobo | iBooks | B&N

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Moments of Doubt

I’d like to think we all have moments of doubt. Those times in our lives when we’re really not sure things are going to work out. Days when what you want seems so out of reach that you wonder how you’ll ever get there. Maybe you will, and maybe you won’t, but how do you know when to give up and when to fight with everything you have?

I’ve had a lifelong struggle with losing weight. I know a lot of people who’ve had the same, so chances are you understand this, even if it’s from watching a friend or relative. When I was young, I knew I was bigger than the other girls, but I didn’t realize what this meant until later. I got my period before all my friends, I had boobs before all of them, and I got hit on by older men before all of them. None of those were good things in my young world.

I was a soccer player all through high school, so I was active. I was also the slowest one on the team. And when soccer season was over, I hung up my cleats and picked up a book. I look back now and wonder why I thought I was fat, but in the moment you don’t have that perspective. You compare yourself to everyone around you and most of us find ourselves wanting.

I’m staring down 40 now. Everyone who’s crossed that threshold has told me losing weight is so much harder after hitting that magic number. As of today, I have less than 18 months before I get there. I also have about 100 pounds I’d like to lose in order to be considered healthy for my height.

Here’s the rub… I lost half that. I was 50+ pounds lighter just three years ago. Then cancer happened and steroids and chemo and poor eating habits because when you feel like shit, you eat whatever sounds good, even if it’s grilled cheese for three days straight. I gained back all that weight I lost, and losing it all again is really damn hard.

So I doubt. I wonder if I’ll ever do it. I lost the weight the first time over three years. I don’t have three years until that magic number. Will I be able to lose weight after I turn 40? Will I gain it back if I do lose it? Will I ever make it to the weight I want to be, the weight that means my knees won’t ache when I climb stairs in the winter and my feet won’t protest when I’m on them too long?

I don’t know. I won’t know until I lose the weight and find out. I felt better 50 pounds ago, so even though I have my doubts, I’m ready. I’m ready to tell my doubts to shut the hell up and let me live. I’m going to fight – myself, my crappy eating habits, that Reese’s cup on my desk that’s been staring at me for days. I refuse to give up, because I’m here. I know it isn’t going to be easy, but let’s be honest: nothing is easier. Some things are easier than others, but nothing is easy. I’m ready to tell my doubts to go away and let me have my faith. That’s what I need right now.

Faith.

How do you overcome moments of doubt?

 

When you doubt yourself, who do you trust? 

Why would anyone follow her? She wasn’t the kind of woman who inspired 1000 ships. Hell, she got dumped for being fat. There was no way she actually had a stalker. But he believed her. He never once questioned her. And that was scarier than a stalker. 

Available November 13

Ebook on Amazon | Kobo | iBooks | B&N

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She’ll never be Forgotten

He’s doubted himself since he was taken. She’s doubted herself since her ex dumped her for someone thinner. Neither has the confidence to open up, but both find a way.

Excerpt from Forgotten

Kelsea closed her eyes for a second, then took a step toward him. Her gaze met his, and the realization of what she meant finally sunk in. 

His pulse kicked up and his heart pounded. His cock rose as his gaze dipped down to appreciate the curves he was finally allowed to look at. 

When she was close enough that he had to meet her gaze, she stared up at him with vulnerability and desire painted all over her face. She thought he was going to turn her down. The knowledge nearly knocked him on his ass. How could any man say no to her? She was beautiful, sexy, and every fantasy he’d ever had come to life. Any man who resisted her was a saint. Or a fool. 

Jaymes was a lot of things, but he wasn’t either of those.

Available November 13
Preorder today!

Ebook on Amazon | Kobo | iBooks | B&N

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Chasing Your Dreams

Do you have a dream? I hope so! I have lots of dreams. Seeing my kids grow up, growing old with my husband, building our house, seeing my books in an airport, being out of debt… The list goes on.

Dreams are very personal.

I said last time that no one will ever make my dreams come true. I know it’s all up to me to see my dreams go from something in my head to something in my world. But getting there isn’t always the easiest thing to do.

Be Clear

What is your dream? You have one, but what are the details? I want to see my kids grow up. In my life, that’s the biggest goal I have. I know there are some things I can’t control around that, but there’s a lot that I can. Being healthy is the biggest part of that. As a cancer patient, my health is something I have to stay on top of. That means listening to what my body is telling me, going to the gym, and eating healthy. None of that is easy, but I’m doing it for a very good reason, so I suck it up.

Be Focused

Not all dreams come true quickly. In fact, most don’t. The one dream that has been the hardest for me to wait for has been the dream of building our new house. I don’t talk about it much, but we’ve been planning to build a house since we moved to Buffalo three and a half years ago. It hasn’t always been easy to wait and stay focused on our dream of building our house one day. It’s easy to spend money on anything and everything instead of saving it for our house, but we’ve started to get focused lately. I have the floor plan of the house as the screen saver on my phone. Hubby has our property as the background on his. We save money automatically so it’s not something we have to think about. And we drive by our lot regularly to picture what it will be like to pull into the driveway. It’s been a long road, but we’re ready!

Be Confident

No one will make your dreams come true for you. It’s something I say a lot (if you haven’t noticed), but it’s something that’s hard to remember when the haters come out. Whether your dream is something small or something big, you’re going to find people who don’t think you can do it. I’m not trashing your friends and family when I say this, but if they don’t think you can do it, it’s probably because they couldn’t. Because of that, don’t talk to those people about your dreams! I know that’s hard, especially if your biggest naysayers are people you’re close to, but it’ll make it easier for you to keep the faith that you can make your dreams come true. You can do this, no matter how many people tell you you can’t. Keep going. Never give up.

 

Chasing your dreams isn’t easy. It isn’t quick. It isn’t always fun when you have to sacrifice. But when it comes true, you’ll forget how hard it was and be happy you finally made it work!

What dream are you chasing?

 

How do you say no to the one thing you’ve searched for your whole life? 

He lived a lifetime before he met her. She was young, sweet, innocent. And she was everything. She was the dream he never knew he wanted, and the fantasy he never dared to have.

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On sale for only $0.99!

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