M.J. Greenway's Blog, page 6

The Life of a Book

Yesterday I was at the Goodwill perusing the book section, already feeling guilty about the prospect of buying a paperback for ninety nine cents at a used goods store instead of going online and buying it new so the author could get some of the proceeds...or going to a local bookstore to benefit the local economy and the author. As consumers, most of us probably think about how we can get what we want for the cheapest price, or maybe that's just me. Hey, Goodwill does good things for our community, I reasoned. And then I didn't end up buying a book. But instead bought a winter coat and khaki pants. I know, I know...so what's my point?

The outing got me thinking about the life of a book. What if one of my books ended up on those Goodwill shelves? Or worse, at the Goodwill Outlet (junk-ebay breeding ground) store where you pay for stuff by the pound? Maybe it's already happened. Who knows. And then instead of feeling depressed, I got excited about the idea. I'd be in the company of Debbie Macomber and Stephen King, their tattered covers cozying up with mine.

Maybe books are like dandelion seeds. They scatter in the wind, far and wide over time. It's hard to predict where they'll take root. Maybe the book will take root in a reader's hands whose never heard of me before. Because that would be almost everybody at this point:) And if that reader enjoys the story and encounters another book of mine at some point on Amazon, she might buy a different one there and I would benefit from that purchase.

As an avid library goer, I've spent a lot of years getting many books on loan for free. And I'm a voracious reader, so I really can't afford to buy every book I read. Also, I rarely read a book more than once. But since becoming an author last year, I've made an effort to buy more books to support authors like myself. And then sometimes I'll pass them on to friends that love to read, because while that means they didn't buy that book, I may have turned them onto a new author whose books they will buy in the future.

But ultimately I also know that part of making art of any kind, is that some of it will be consumed for free, and that's okay with me. I started thinking about how airlines make money. Some seats are free, for employees who are travelling. A few of the seats will be sold at a discounted rate. But the only way the plane can get off the ground is as a result of those last minute non-sale tickets that may end up costing four times as much as the sale tickets. Everyone can have the experience of taking flight, for some it will be free, for some it will be cheap and some will pay a hefty price tag. But in the end, the airline stays in business because someone is paying for it.

My "to-be-read" pile and two of my books that I've already read so many times!

FREE Books!

Get the e-book of SARAH STARTING OVER for FREE Saturday April 16th and Sunday April 17th only! Click here to get the free e-book on Amazon



Prefer paperback?

Enter to win a FREE signed paperback copy of SARAH STARTING OVER on Goodreads. You may enter starting on Sunday, April 17th and the winner will be chosen after May 17th.



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Goodreads Book Giveaway Sarah Starting Over by M.J. Greenway Giveaway ends May 17, 2016.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway

Spring Has Sprung

I just had to share this sweet picture of baby bird eggs in a nest beneath our grapevines. It's country living in the suburbs up in here:)

Books Laid Bare Blog Review of Sarah Starting Over

My heart was warmed when I read this review from the Books Laid Bare Blog. It's encouraging to read kind words about Sarah Starting Over from someone that is not a relative or friend:) 

As authors we put our hearts on the line when we share our stories with the world. It's a vulnerability that still exists no matter how many times we put something creative out into the world. While not every story will suit everyone, I have my own reading preferences, it's nice when a story resonates with a reader.

Here's an excerpt from the review:

"A Short, Sharp Read, Really Enjoyable...This may be just over a hundred pages but the author packs a lot into this sharp little book. I was completely captivated by the story, it had more than just romance on offer, it had a good old fashioned mystery to solve and piecing together the clues were Sarah and Greyson..."

Click here to read the full review

Woohoo, A Review:)

The talented blogger and author of Reaching Prague, Amber Roshay posted such a nice review of Sarah Starting Over. Here's an excerpt:

"I highly recommend this page turner, not only if you enjoy romances or mysteries but if you’ve ever lost someone you’ve loved or know someone who has. For me it reminded me how much I lost when I was struggling with my infertility and how the birth of Eli gave me my second chance.


The novel is only 99 cents on Amazon Kindle or $7.99 for the paperback. And it’s a quick read for those who only have a short time before the little one calls."Click to read the full review on the Delayed Mama Blog

Review of Sarah Starting Over

The talented blogger and author of Reaching Prague, Amber Roshay posted such a nice review of Sarah Starting Over. Here's an excerpt:

"I highly recommend this page turner, not only if you enjoy romances or mysteries but if you’ve ever lost someone you’ve loved or know someone who has. For me it reminded me how much I lost when I was struggling with my infertility and how the birth of Eli gave me my second chance.

The novel is only 99 cents on Amazon Kindle or $7.99 for the paperback. And it’s a quick read for those who only have a short time before the little one calls."Click to read the full review on the Delayed Mama Blog

Lindsay Detwiler's Then Comes Love Excerpt

Three generations of women,Three second loves,All with a dose of chaos mixed in.Author: Lindsay DetwilerTitle: Then Comes LoveGenre: ChickLitRelease Date: March 18thPublisher: Hot Tree Publishing Sometimes in life, changes can be good…
After losing her husband, her five cats, and her home, Charlotte Noel hates feeling dependent. As Charlotte tries to find her identity in this new stage of life, she comes to realize that drama never ends, dance aerobics can be a war zone, and love is always a possibility.
You never know when a midlife crisis is going to strike…
Charlotte’s daughter, Annie, is going through struggles of her own. Recently divorced, she is feeling frumpy and worn-out. Run ragged, Annie mourns her youth and wonders where her life is headed, all while hoping she can help her daughter Amelia get it together.
Settling down can be overrated, especially when you’re falling for a rock star look-alike…
Amelia is the wild child of the family. Working three jobs, because she just hasn’t figured out what she wants in life, she realizes happiness isn’t always settling down with a steady, dependable man; sometimes it’s about following your true passion and living on the edge.
No matter what age you are, life and love can be crazy…
Amazon: US I UK I AU I CA iTunes I Nook I Kobo I ARe"Damn," he mumbled, hands smoothing her hair as he kissed her forehead. He grinned mischievously as he pulled back to look down into her face. "You know, they do make an Emergency Stop button for a reason." "Oh, yeah? Why's that?" "For this." He cornered her by the elevator buttons. He pushed the Stop button as he took her lips in his mouth, flooding her with passion again. She pulled back for a second, just long enough to ask, "What if an alarm goes off?"He looked into her eyes, his hand rustling his hair. "It'll just be all the more exciting," he whispered, leaning back into her with vengeance. She knew he was right. Facebook I Twitter I WebsiteAn high school English teacher, an author, and a fan of anything pink and/or glittery, Lindsay's the English teacher cliché; she love cats, reading, Shakespeare, and Poe.
She currently lives in her hometown with her husband, Chad (her junior high sweetheart); their cats, Arya, Amelia, Alice, and Bob; and their Mastiff, Henry.
Lindsay's goal with her writing is to show the power of love and the beauty of life while also instilling a true sense of realism in her work. Some reviewers have noted that her books are not the “typical romance.” With her novels coming from a place of honesty, Lindsay examines the difficult questions, looks at the tough emotions, and paints the pictures that are sometimes difficult to look at. She wants her fiction to resonate with readers as realistic, poetic, and powerful. Lindsay wants women readers to be able to say, “I see myself in that novel.” She wants to speak to the modern woman’s experience while also bringing a twist of something new and exciting. Her aim is for readers to say, “That could happen,” or “I feel like the characters are real.” That’s how she knows she's done her job.
Lindsay's hope is that by becoming a published author, she can inspire some of her students and other aspiring writers to pursue their own passions. She wants them to see that any dream can be attained and publishing a novel isn’t out of the realm of possibility. a Rafflecopter giveaway
www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ea80a6ed154

Sarah Starting Over: My New Romantic Mystery Release

Woohoo. My e-book is available on Amazon today. There will be a paperback version available in a few days as well. If you want a sweet, quick read about a woman starting over and getting a second chance at romance you might enjoy Sarah Starting Over. Here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/hhyzdj8 

Sarah Starting Over Cover Reveal

My new novella SARAH STARTING OVER releases next week.  Here is the blurb and the cover:)
She lost a husband. He lost a leg. Together they will search for answers and re-discover hope.

Was Sarah’s husband’s death murder or suicide? She searches for answers while raising her young son alone in the sleepy seaside town of Siletz Bay.

To make ends meet, she's working in a donut shop where she encounters Greyson. He's a hot, black P.I. with a prosthetic leg. He offers to help Sarah unravel the mystery of what really happened to her husband.

Their friendship provides answers and a second chance at love for two people who’ve survived great loss.

Raining Down Rules by BK Rivers .99 Sale

Purchase your eBook copy now and have it loaded on your Kindle faster than you can do the dishes! 'Cuz let's face it—reading is just WAY more fun! Book Blurb:

Jemma Bowers hasn’t kissed anyone in over a thousand days. She knows—she’s counted.

For twenty-year-old Jemma, rules are not meant to be broken…even if she’s the one who created them. Friendships have boundaries, relationships mean trouble, and don’t even get her started on sex. Haunted by the death of her mother and her father’s abandonment, Jemma finds herself hungry for something meaningful and permanent, but is afraid of what may happen if she pursues it.

Jordan Capshaw can’t fight his addiction. Not even if it will cost him his career…

When Jemma finds Jordan drunk and barefoot in the street, she convinces him to get in her car. Aside from the fact he’s the lead singer of her favorite band and pretty much the rock star of her dreams, she quickly realizes his addiction is a monster neither of them can control.

Who knew choosing between a rock star and a fireman could be so difficult?

Emotions run high as Jemma soon finds herself caught between the troubled rock star and her growing affections for Vic Harper, a swoon-worthy firefighter from her past. But when her grandmother passes away, leaving her with no other family, Jemma’s world falls apart.

To save herself from further heartbreak, she risks it all by breaking her own rules, and putting her heart on the line.

After all, the heart just might be the biggest rule breaker of them all.
    What the reviewers are saying:
5 STARS: Jaime from Once Upon a Twilight
"Raining Down Rules is fantastic! I couldn't put it down. It was a fast, easy and entertaining read. I didn't know what Jemma would do next. The fact that I didn't know who she would chose had me going crazy! This is a great love story everyone should read."

5 STARS: Vera from Vera is Reading
"Loved Raining Down Rules!!! Raining Down Rules is a captivating book with an incredible story. It is very emotional and has lots of drama, but also very sexy scenes. I loved that the story was told from different POVs. B.K. Rivers wrote a fantastic book, with an amazing story and awesome characters. Raining Down Rules is a fast and easy read that you'll not be able to put down. can't wait to read Jordan's story!"

5 STARS: Danielle S.
"I absolutely love love love this book!! I definitely couldn't put it down! Even the times that I had to put it down I found myself thinking about the story and how it was going to progress! I absolutely fell in love with the characters, and am so happy with how it ended, but i am definitely hoping that the story will continue! It definitely touched on a lot of my emotions, and i love that with a story." 

5 STARS: Amazon Customer
It's exactly what I was looking for: a nice romance to read in one night. 

4.5 STARS: Tami, 1-click addict
"This was a well thought out and well written contemporary romance from an author I have never heard of before. I look forward to reading more of her things in the future."
About the Author
BK Rivers grew up riding through rolling fields of grain on horseback, driving hay trucks and catching frogs in a silver creek.  She traded country life for the big city when she married the love of her life, but the heart always returns to the country.
BK, her husband and three children live in the Phoenix suburbs on their own mini farm surrounded by crowing roosters and the low nicker of horses.  When she’s not writing, she can be found baking anything sweet, in fact it’s been said her brownies are so good they save marriages.
The inspiration for her novels comes in many forms, but mostly from her Gotye channel on Pandora.  She writes young adult and new adult novels to the beat of Gotye, Snow Patrol and many others.