Mary E. Thompson's Blog, page 8

Introducing Boy vs. Girl

It feels so far away, but it’ll be here before I know it. Since you’ve already read Better vs. Worse, I wanted to let you know what’s coming next from Opposites Attract.

Boy vs. Girl
Losing control is not an option…

It’s been a long time since I had the space to dream.

Seeing my dreams come true again is a pretty great deal. Not that I have big dreams, but being out from under the crushing debt that ripped my first marriage apart means I’m ready to start living again.

Not everyone sees the Big Island as their dream.

Ginny wants to be anywhere but here. It makes no sense to me why anyone would want to run from paradise, but she has something else in mind. Something that doesn’t include a job that has her landlocked on her father’s coffee plantation.

We aren’t friends, but we aren’t enemies. There are so many stops in between. Which one we’re at definitely depends on the day.

Coming September 18

The story will follow Micah and Ginny, but you’re going to see a lot of old familiar faces in this one. Tara and Noah from Round & Ravishing are getting married, and they’re coming to the gang at Opposites Attract to celebrate. Most of the crew is coming with them, so you know it’ll be a fun time.

A preorder will be out soon for Kobo, iBooks, and B&N. An Amazon preorder won’t be available until June, but if you sign up for my newsletter, you’ll know when everything is live. I can’t wait for this one!

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The Perfect Ceremony, part one

It’s been a while since I planned a wedding, but I still remember going to my church when we were ready to pick a date and start planning our wedding. The coordinator at our church was adamant that we secure the church first because if they weren’t available, the reception wouldn’t matter. It wasn’t intended to be advice, but it was some of the best advice I received during the wedding planning process.

We spend a lot of time imagining our wedding. How many movies out there are about the perfect wedding? When you picture your perfect wedding, you probably picture the reception. The party. The fun part. But like our church coordinator told us, the reception can’t happen without the ceremony.

A lot goes into the ceremony. You have a lot of decisions to make. It’s the start of your life as a married couple, and I believe it sets the tone for your marriage.

So how do you create the perfect ceremony?

 

The first thing to figure out is if your ceremony is going to be religious or secular. If it’s religious, you probably have a church in mind. If not, start looking now. Some churches require you to be a member. Some will let you get married there, but could require a fee for non-members to use the church. And the most popular churches will book early. If you have your heart set on the church you went to when you were growing up, call them today. Don’t wait!

A secular ceremony is both easier and harder! It’s easier because your options are limitless, but it’s harder because your options are limitless. You can get married at a park, a hotel, a beach, a vineyard, a courthouse, your backyard, anywhere.

Close your eyes for a minute. Picture your spouse-to-be. Imagine him (or her) saying those iconic vows to you. Promising to love, honor, and cherish you forever. Professing his love to you in front of family and friends. Glance out at the crowd and see your parents, best friends, siblings, all the people you’re closest to.

Where are you?

What if the place you picture isn’t going to work?

Well, that happens. You could have religious restrictions but really want to get married at a park. Or you could envision your ceremony at the same church your parents got married, but it doesn’t exist anymore. Unfortunately, your wedding might not be perfect, but it will be perfect for you.

You don’t have to go back to the drawing board if your perfect spot isn’t an option.

What is it you love about the place you wanted to get married? Do you love being in nature so you want to be outside? What about a beautiful spring day with all the windows open in the church and tons of flowers, maybe even a few potted trees. Are you set on your parents’ church because of the history and familial connection, but it’s closed? What about the church your grandparents got married in? Or your sister? Or a close cousin? Or a new tradition with your home church. Or go to somewhere that’s similar to the church where your parents got married. A sister church that has similar features. There are always options.

There are tons of options for a ceremony location, as many as there are reception locations. The most important part is finding the place that’s perfect for you. Think outside the box. Look for something new, or something old, never forget you can borrow a church from a friend, and hey, maybe it’ll be blue!

That’s step one. Find your perfect place. The place where you’re going to actually become husband and wife. The place where you get to tell everyone you know how much you love your spouse-to-be.

Next week we’ll talk a little about designing the ceremony itself.

If you’re already married, how did you choose the location of your ceremony? If you’re not, do you have any ideas of where you’d like to get married one day?

Having a crush on my little sister’s best friend was not good. I knew it from the first moment I noticed her as a woman instead of a kid. There was just something about her that I couldn’t deny. Damn if that didn’t get harder and harder to do as she showed me the kind of woman she was. But I wasn’t right for her. I wasn’t what she needed, or what she wanted. No matter how many times she flirted with me. It was self-preservation to turn her down. Because I knew if I ever had her, I’d never be able to let her go. 

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Better vs. Worse, reviews

Reviews are always so important. I read reviews on books that I’m debating on buying, and once in a while, I read reviews on my own books. This one was sent directly to me, and I love it because it so perfectly reflects how I felt when I was writing Better vs. Worse.

Jeannie says…

I read this book and I got so mad at Kapena, I was yelling out loud at him “what’s your problem! “Get it together! “You’re making feel like you are really stupid! Then I yelled at Ada awhile telling her not to play games with guys if you serious about them. I got so mad I had to put the book down. About 15 minutes later, I realized oh my gosh, I can’t believe how I am reacting to a book.You’d think it was a soap!
It was 4:00 am. I had to find out what happened. I couldn’t put it down. I had to finish…

I laughed so hard when I read Jeannie’s words. Yep. Exactly. I felt the same way the entire time I wrote Kapena and Ada’s story!

If you haven’t read Better vs. Worse yet, go grab your copy now!

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Happy Easter weekend

I’m taking a break from my regular posting today so I can be with my family. My kids are off school and even hubby is home! We’re taking it easy and getting ready for Easter Sunday – stuffing eggs for our Easter Egg Hunt and helping my family get food ready. Oh, and I’m sleeping in!

I saw this picture and had to share it because this is what I fully expected our Easter Egg Hunt to look like!

Thankfully we’ve had a few nice days and I think we’ll be snow free for Sunday.

Happy Easter!

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Better vs. Worse, getting sassy

We all know men like Kapena. The ones who think they know everything, especially when it comes to what we need. My favorite is when a woman puts him in his place and he knows it.

That’s not to say I’m not a fan of men, or of them trying to protect us. Just that they don’t always know best, even if they think they do. Give them something to think about, just like Ada does!

Excerpt from Better vs. Worse

“Holy shit,” she finally said. “That was unbelievable.”

I nodded against her neck knowing no words would do it justice. Would do her justice.

“We might need to try that again one day.”

And just like that, the barriers I put up around myself snapped back into place. I couldn’t plan for more sex with Ada. She was one of those women I’d never have. The most important one. She defined out of reach.

“This, whatever this is, we’re not starting something,” I said, regretting the harsh tone of my voice.

But she laughed. She extricated herself from my embrace and looked back at me with amusement in her eyes. “Of course not. I told you I’m going to have fun. I’m enjoying sex. You didn’t think you were the only one I was with, did you?”

The casual dismissal of what just happened between us stuck in my chest like a barb. I deserved it, and I knew it, but it still fucking hurt.

“Of course. It’s fine. Whatever. We’re not in a relationship. That’s all I meant.”

She nodded and stood, her sexy body pulling my gaze. Every inch of her demanded my attention, holding it until she blocked my view with clothes.

Clothes?

What the fuck?

“Are you leaving?”

She smiled and pulled her shirt over her head. “Uh, yeah. I’m not going to stay here. We slept together. We aren’t in a relationship. You just said that.”

“But last time…”

“Last time I was drunk. I haven’t had anything to drink.”

“You tasted like wine when you got here,” I accused.

She smiled. “I had one glass at dinner. Hours ago. There’s no reason for me to stay, Kapena. Unless you can think of one.”

Read the whole thing today!

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No More March (almost)

I know I’m a week early updating you about my goals, but since next Friday is Good Friday, I’m taking that day off. So I decided to push my update a week earlier than usual. I’m trying here!

I’m making a few changes to my goals. Not because they aren’t important, but because I realized last month that so many of them are basically the same thing. I’m consolidating and changing things. Bear with me!

Publish 6 novels and 3 boxed sets

I’m feeling good about this one. I have two books and one boxed set done. I’m on track with where I wanted to be at this point, so I consider this a win for right now.
Pay off debt, Stick to a Budget, and Save

I’m combining this with what I had for goals 6 and 7 because they all tie in together. If we stick to our budget, we can save more money and pay off our debt. Yes, they’re all a little different, but they’re all tied closely together so I’m linking them. As for progress, I’m happy with it. We still have work to do with the budget, but we should pay off a debt next month that has me really excited. We’re in a good spot to start saving more after that debt is paid, so I’m happy. Very happy!
Eat, exercise, and lose weight

I’m happy to say I’ve stuck to twice a week going to the gym this month. I think I missed one day last week, but other than that, I’ve done well. For April I’m going to push myself to exercise three times per week. I still need to make some changes to my diet, but I feel better getting in some exercise. Don’t ask about the scale. I don’t like getting on them, and you can’t make me!
Publish audiobooks and app

Yeah, I still suck with these two. That’s okay. I’m investigating and thinking and will make decisions about both in the second quarter.
Develop 3 workshops

The workshop I’ve been working on isn’t done yet, but it will be next week. I want to expand the other one I taught a few months ago, but that’s not a big priority right now. I’ll get to that.
Implement Advertising Plan

I added this one this month to make up for the one I moved up. This supports my overall goal to reach new readers. I’ve never run ads before, but I’ve taken a few classes about how they work and will be starting to run some in the second quarter. I’m actually excited about this, and that’s unusual for me when it comes to putting myself out there more!
Guest Post on Major Site

This is something I’ve been dreaming about for a while. Getting my name in front of thousands of new people. Having an article out there in the world. I haven’t started looking into places I’d like to publish an article, but I’m thinking about it. We all have a unique story to tell. I want to believe I have experiences and opinions that could help others. One day I’ll share pieces of it with the world!

I have to say this month was a success. Yes, like before, there are things I haven’t done, but the things I wanted to do this quarter are mostly accomplished. I still have a week left to get a few more things done, but I think I’m in good shape for the year. I will be pushing myself on some of these next quarter (like exercising more), but I need it!

How are you doing on your goals so far?

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Better vs. Worse, release day

I’m so happy this book is done and out there for you to read! Kapena and Ada made me struggle a bit. Neither of them wanted to do what I told them they should do. They really frustrated me a lot. But we got through it.

I know their story is better now, even though I had to give in and do what they told me. I had to go back to the drawing board with them more than once. It’s one of my biggest issues at times, when I have to replot a book. This one had me going back to the drawing board more than once. I love it now, for all its frustrations!

Excerpt from Better vs. Worse

“Hey, Kapena,” she said with a grin.

“What the hell are you doing?”

She shrugged. “I needed to use the bathroom. I didn’t realize you’d have a problem with that. You do like to be in control.”

She smirked again and my cock rose to the taunt.

“What happened between us was a one time thing, Ada. It’s not going to happen again.”

She nodded. “I know. That works well for me because I’m going to have some fun. No more relationships for me.”

“You’re fucking kidding me, right?”

She shook her head, smiling. “Why would I joke about that? All the men I’ve dated have broken up with me for one reason or another. It all ends with them wanting someone other than me. So I’m going to take a break and enjoy sex and not worry about getting serious.”

I saw red. Blinding, painful, angry red. I wanted to knock out the teeth of every guy who’d ever hurt her. The ones who said they wanted her, then ditched her for another woman who was never half the woman Ada was. She deserved better than that.

And casual sex was not going to happen.

“You can’t fuck random men.”

She snorted. “Why not? Everyone else I know sleeps with whomever they want. Including you. Why do I need to behave differently than everyone around me? There’s nothing and no one stopping me. Is there?”

It was a challenge. I knew it. She knew it.

The heat between us should have set the hallway on fire. It sure as fuck set me on fire. I wanted to drag her back into the bathroom and show her exactly why she couldn’t screw someone else.

Buy it now!

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Q&A Friday: Inspiration

Inspiration comes in the most interesting places. Where the idea for every book comes from always amazes me. It’s one of the things most people want to know…

Where does your inspiration come from?

I love when a new idea hits me. It’s like something I was missing just appeared in front of me. Sometimes I’ve been trying to think of something, an idea or a path, and it hits me from out of nowhere. Other times I didn’t know I was looking for an idea when one comes.

What do you do when you lose something? Your keys or your phone or something that you need? I always retrace my steps. Think back to where I was when I last saw what I’m looking for. Maybe I’ll ask my husband or kids.

If I’m stuck and looking for a path, I do exactly that. I read through the manuscript to where I’m stuck. I go back to reference books to find inspiration. I remind myself why I write, why I love it, why I keep going.

When the inspiration I was looking for jumps out at me, I nearly slap my forehead because it always seems so obvious. Sort of like when you find your keys exactly where you always put them instead of where you thought you put them.

What about those things you stopped looking for because you had no clue where they were. A gift card you were sure you got for your birthday but thought you must have spent it since you couldn’t find it when you looked. Or your favorite bottle of wine that isn’t at the liquor store anymore so you thought they stopped making it. Or those heels you loaned to a friend and never got back and forgot about.

When those things appear again, that’s how the other kind of inspiration is. A nice surprise that you weren’t expecting. The gift card shows up in the bottom of your purse. A friend comes over for dinner and brings the wine you haven’t found for months. Your favorite heels are sitting in a suitcase when you open it to pack for a trip.

There’s always a spark, though. Something that sets it off. A line from a song. A scene on a TV show. A person in a crowd. Even a word. Inspiration is all around us. When I’m open to it (and I’m not always, I’ll be honest), then it’s easy to pick up on.

Have you ever looked for something and been surprised where it showed up?

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Better vs. Worse, one more week

I can’t believe Better vs. Worse is going to be out in just a week! I’m so excited to share it with you. Kapena and Ada have been a lot of fun to get to know. They’re like any couple who knows each other really well and is resisting what everyone around them can see. They argue. They make up. They keep secrets. They misjudge. They’re frustrating as all hell!

But I love them.

Excerpt from Better vs. Worse

“Is she your girlfriend?”

Ada laughed. “Kapena doesn’t do girlfriends. He’s more of a hot fling kind of guy.”

Damn her. What the hell was her game?

“Excuse us for a second, please, ladies,” I said, grabbing Ada’s arm and dragging her away from the table.

She squeaked just enough to tell me she wasn’t thrilled about being directed. That made two of us.

When we were outside the tent and as alone as we were going to get, I spun on her. “What the hell are you doing?”

She shrugged, dislodging my hand from her arm. “Trying to help you out. They were talking about how hot you were when you went to the bar. I figured you might be interested in the fun that comes along with three women who all seemed willing to share.”

“I don’t want them. I don’t want to share. I don’t want any of this.”

Her eyes narrowed as she stepped forward, a breath away from me. Her eyes blazed up at me, begging me to say something, but what, I didn’t know.

We stood there, electricity sparking between us, for what felt like forever. It couldn’t have been more than a couple seconds, but it was long enough to lift my cock and harden it to steel. All she had to do was shuffle forward a half step and she’d feel just how much I wanted her instead of those other women.

“What do you want, Kapena?” she whispered, the words a breath on the air.

“Don’t,” I growled.

My pulse raced and my breath heaved from my chest in abbreviated pants. My cock reached for her, every second I breathed her in sending a pulse to my favorite leg, telling him it was time to have some fun.

How Ada thought I could ever want a woman, or three, who propositioned me the way they did baffled me. Sitting with those other women left me feeling twitchy and ready to run. Standing chest to chest with Ada had me feeling like I could do anything. If she asked, I would do anything.

Available March 20!
Preorder Today!

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Writing Tips: Resources

I got a new book this week. I know how you feel about new books, so I thought I’d share that with you. The book I got is a an awesome resource called The Emotional Wound Thesaurus.

Every character has emotional wounds, wounds from their past that help make them who they are. This is one of those aspects of creating my characters that I sometimes struggle with. We all have a past, but that past doesn’t have to be dark and dangerous. Since my characters are real, I try to keep their past real. And that can be a challenge.

The authors of this book are amazing women who help authors all the time. They have a website, Writers Helping Writers, that is a fabulous resource. This is one of their many thesauruses to help authors on their quest to crafting amazing stories that connect with readers, but this one is definitely my favorite.

Using this book, I think my characters are going to have a real element that wasn’t as well defined before. I can dig deeper into who they are and why they struggle with relationships. We’re all scared, but the reasons we’re scared are different for everyone. And the deeper we dig, the more we can find.

It’s been a hard lesson for me to learn that there are a lot of people out there who are smarter than me and know more than me and are willing to help. We all know people who like to hoard their information, who don’t want anyone to know what they know. Angela and Becca (the authors) are among the many out there who want to share their knowledge. I’m incredibly grateful to them for that selflessness. 

I guess my point is, if you’re looking to be a writer, don’t try to do it all yourself. Look around you. Join an organization. Find some people you can connect with. And learn as much as you can from as many resources as you can. Never be afraid to ask for help, or go find it on your own. Your readers will thank you!

Do you have a favorite resource?

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