Mary E. Thompson @authormet #ContemporaryRomance #RomCom #AuthorInterview

Welcome Mary E. Thompson, author of Never a Bridesmaid, Always a Bride: a Raise a Glass Romance.

RW:       Tell us about yourself, your family, where you live…

MET:     I’m married with two young kids. My husband is absolutely amazing, and my kids are a lot of fun. We live a little south of Buffalo, NY, near where I grew up. Buffalo is a small city so it has a small town feel. I love being in Buffalo, and I look forward to the snow every year!

RW:       How does reader feedback matter to you?

MET:     I love hearing from readers! I have a Fan Club that I ask for feedback all the time. They’ve helped me plot out parts of novels. We’ve talked about what kind of heroes they want to read—names, situations, everything. It helps me frame stories, and they have a part in it, too. It’s a lot of fun!

RW:       Why did you decide to write?

MET:     I took a long time to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. I have a degree in chemical engineering and did not enjoy working as an engineer. I was trying to figure out what else I wanted to do and was just starting to get back into reading. I wondered if I could write a book and tried. I haven’t looked back since!

RW:       Bubble baths or steamy showers? Ocean or mountains? Puppies or kittens? Chocolate or caramel?

MET:     Bubble baths, oceans, kittens, and always chocolate!

RW:       What song would best describe your life?

MET:     A Little More Love by Lee Brice and Jarrod Niemann is the song that has been resonating with me lately. I think it describes me pretty well. It talks about sacrificing the right things and enjoying life instead of working so hard you can’t enjoy anything. We forget sometimes to have fun because we are working for the next great thing. This song reminds us to be happy with less money so you have more of a life. I like that!

RW:       If you were stranded on a tropical island, who would it be with? You can choose any living, deceased, or mythical figure.

MET:     My husband. He and I get along really well and my weaknesses are his strengths, and vice versa. We might not make it off that island, but we’d be content together until we found a way home!

RW:       What does your husband think of your writing?

MET:     He’s insanely supportive! He knew how miserable I was in my old job and wanted to see me happy. He knows how much I love writing and wants me to keep doing it. He’s also always willing to give me inspiration if I’m ever stuck!

RW:       If you came with a warning label, what would it say?

MET:     WARNING: Contains swear words to insult you, useless knowledge to confuse you, and a little too much wine, just to make things interesting.

RW:       If I were a first-time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?

MET:     I would recommend you start with Chubby & Charming. It’s the first book in my Big & Beautiful series and it’s available free on all platforms. It will give you a very good idea of the type of characters I write and what my books are like to make sure you enjoy them before you start investing!

RW:       What do you hope readers take with them after reading your work?

MET:     Hope. I’ve had a lot of readers tell me my books give them hope. I write spicy romance, but I write about real people with real problems. People I can relate to; people most of us can relate to. My characters are your friends, and watching your friends fall in love should give you hope.

Releasing Tomorrow, March 7, 2017:

Never A Bridesmaid, Always A Bride!

Alyssa Morgan thought she’d never set foot on her family’s vineyard again. Fifteen years was a long time to be away, but not nearly long enough when she had nothing to show for her time. Unless you’d count three failed marriages, two parents she barely spoke to, one disastrous attempt at a college degree, and zero friends to count on.

Jake Monroe thought about leaving Amavita Estates many times after Alyssa left him. Over the years, her family became his family. They accepted him. Loved him. Healed him. Her family was the family he never had, and without her around to remind him otherwise, he could pretend he was one of them.

Until she walked back into his world looking nothing like the girl he used to know.

Alyssa knows she needs to stay away from Jake. Jake wants nothing to do with her. But the chemistry that drew them together fifteen years ago is stronger than they are.

Especially when Jake glimpses the vulnerability she’s trying to hide. His old protective instincts kick in. He wants to soothe her old hurts, and maybe her new ones, too. But Jake doesn’t know if he can move beyond their past to be friends, let alone what he thought they would become. And Alyssa doesn’t know if she can lean on him again when there’s still another woman in his life.

Excerpt from Never A Bridesmaid, Always A Bride

Alyssa couldn’t believe Jake was kissing her. Kissing her like he still loved her. Like he wanted her.

She hadn’t been kissed like that in fifteen years. She clung to him, never wanting to let him go.

Her tongue slid over his, pooling heat low in her belly. She wanted him to carry her right out of there and all the way back to his place. She wanted him to lay her down in his bed and let her kiss him all night.

But he pulled back.

Alyssa wanted to dive back in. To lose herself in Jake all over again. He rested his forehead against hers, a move that made her heart squeeze painfully. He used to do that all the time. She loved looking at him up close. She’d memorized him fifteen years ago, but Jake was different. More lines stretched out from his eyes. The hazel she’d always loved sparked with green and gold. His breath fanned over her face as he lowered his lashes to his cheeks, hiding himself from her.

She didn’t know what he was thinking. She told herself he wanted her since he was the one who started the kiss, but something that seemed painfully close to regret was rolling off him.

He straightened, disconnecting himself from her all at once instead of slowly. She nearly whimpered at the loss of his warmth against her, but she didn’t. If Alyssa Morgan was anything, it was strong.

She looked up into his eyes and knew he was only seconds away from bolting for the door. What she didn’t know was if he would say anything before he ran away from her.

About Mary E Thompson

Mary E. Thompson grew up loving to read, like a good little girl. Many nights she would fall asleep with the flashlight still turned on as she hid under the covers trying to finish the last few pages of a book. As an adult, the light from her e-reader means she doesn’t need a flashlight, but she still stays up way too late to finish a book.

When Mary’s not reading, she’s playing with her two kids or living out her own real-life romance novel with her hubby. She has a weakness for chocolate, especially when it’s paired with peanut butter, and has been known to have a bad day just because there’s no chocolate in the house. Unless there’s wine. Then everything is okay.

Mary grew up in Buffalo, New York and swears she’s the only local to never ski or snowboard. Soccer was always her sport, with a couple adventures white-water rafting and skydiving to keep things interesting. Mary moved to South Carolina for college but missed Buffalo every day. Yeah, she thinks she’s crazy, too. She somehow convinced her South Carolina born and bred hubby to return to Buffalo to raise their kids and live out their lives. He’s still not sure what he was thinking.

Contact Mary:

Website:  http://maryethompson.com

Facebook:  https://facebook.com/authormaryethompson

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/authormet

Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/metdaisy7

Goodreads:  http://goodreads.com/maryethompson

Amazon Author Page:  http://amazon.com/author/maryethompson

And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter:  http://maryethompson.com/fiction-free/

Buy Links:

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQVF79A

Kobo:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/never-a-bridesmaid-always-a-bride

BN:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/never-a-bridesmaid-always-a-bride-mary-e-thompson/1125323279?ean=2940153908359

iBooks:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/never-a-bridesmaid-always-a-bride/id1185929114?mt=11

Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/689227

Jana Richards @JanaRichards_ Her Best Man #Contemporary #RomCom

I’m so happy to welcome my good friend, Jana Richards. She writes warm, witty, romantic comedy.

RW:      Would you like to write a different genre or sub-genre than you do now?

JR:       I would love to write a mystery series. I have a vague idea about what I want to write; it would be set just after WWII, and my hero would be a returning veteran with baggage and secrets. I just haven’t figured out what they are yet! But whatever I write, I’m pretty sure there would be some element of romance in it.

RW:       Tell us about the scariest thing that ever happened to you.

JR:         Getting attacked by a dog was probably the scariest thing that’s happened to me. I was walking my dog, and a bulldog that had escaped from his yard started following us. Then he started jumping up on me and biting. I got six stitches in my foot (I was wearing sandals) and puncture bites all up my left arm. Not fun. It took me quite a while to work up the courage to walk my dog on my own again.

RW:       Wow! That would be scary. At least your own dog kept you from developing a fear of all dogs.

RW:      Generally, how long does it take you to write a book?

JR:        Way too long! In truth, it’s totally variable. I’ve written some books/novellas in a matter of few weeks. Something about those books made the writing flow easily — Yay! Others take months. And still others, years. When that happens, it means that I’m stuck on some element, or maybe something about the writing or the research scares me and makes me put it on the back burner. I’ve got one book on the back burner right now that I wish I could bring to a boil!

RW:        I think we all know that feeling!

RW:       Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?

JR:       I do my best to write every day. Sometimes it’s a blog, or an interview rather than a work-in-progress, but it’s still writing. If you’re going to be a professional writer you can’t go with the flow. You have to treat your writing like the business it is. You couldn’t run a regular business by showing up when you felt like it; you’d soon be out of business. Writing is no different. You have to show up every day and do the work.

RW:        How do you come up with story ideas?

JR:      Story ideas come from everywhere; TV shows, newspaper articles, even songs. The trick is to sift through all those ideas and pick one that will work. It needs to have an interesting conflict and a meaty plot. Sometimes I think I have a great story idea, only to discover half-way through the writing that the conflict I thought so clever isn’t strong enough to sustain the book. I hate when that happens! Fortunately, it happens a lot less often now than when I first started writing.

RW:        What can we expect from you in the future?

JR:        In the next couple of years, I hope to have lots of new books available for readers. I currently have six books in various stages of “not quite done”, and once I finish them, look out!

RW:        If I were a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?

JR:         I’d say start with Her Best Man. It’s a light-hearted, fun contemporary and the first book in my Left at the Altar series. Though HBM (and the other two books in the series) has a lot of humor, it also has tug-at-your-heart moments. Each of the three books opens with someone being jilted at the altar.

RW:        What are the elements of a great romance for you?

JR:        Great characters that I can cheer for/fall in love with, a strong conflict that makes me wonder how these two are ever going to get together, and an interesting plot with lots of things for the characters to do.

RW:        Satin sheets or Egyptian cotton?

JR:       Definitely Egyptian cotton. I love the warmth and softness. I don’t like feeling like I’m going to slide out of bed!

RW:        Hunky heroes or average Joe?

JR:         Both! Especially when that average Joe steps out of his ordinary world and does something above average.

RW:      What do you hope readers take with them after reading your work?

JR:         First of all, I hope readers will be entertained. I hope the characters and their story stay with them long after they finish my book(s). And I hope they learn a little something about trusting in love.

RW:      Those are all the questions I have for you today. Thanks so much for visiting my blog.

Her Best Man

The Plot:

Sarah Stevens experiences a bride’s worst nightmare; being dumped at the altar. When she goes on the Caribbean cruise meant to be her honeymoon in order to lick her wounds, she discovers her ex-fiancé has sent his brother, Will Marshall, the former best man, on the cruise as well. Everyone on board thinks they’re newlyweds, and Sarah is too embarrassed to set them straight. How is she supposed to share a tiny cabin with a man she barely knows? How is she supposed to pretend that she and Will are on their honeymoon? Even worse, how can she keep from falling in love with him? Sarah discovers the best man for her really is the best man.

Your Bio:

When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal. Her paranormal romantic suspense “Seeing Things” was a 2008 EPPIE finalist.

In her life away from writing, Jana is an accountant/admin assistant, a mother to two grown daughters, and a wife to her husband, Warren. She enjoys golf, yoga, movies, concerts, travel, and reading, not necessarily in that order. She and her husband live in Winnipeg, Canada, with their pug/terrier cross, Lou, and several unnamed goldfish. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.janarichards.com

Excerpt:

“You have a beautiful engagement ring,” Josie commented.

Sarah felt her positive resolve slip a little. She stared at the ring, uncertain why she still wore it.  Did she miss Brad that much, or was it the idea of being married she missed?

“Thank you,” she said simply, hoping Josie would drop the subject. Apparently, that was too much to hope for.

“Why is it you and Will don’t wear wedding bands?”

“Josie, that’s really none of our business,” Ted rebuked gently. He took his bride’s hand and planted a tender kiss on each of her fingers. “We talked about this, sweetie. Boundaries, remember?”

Ted’s love for Josie shone in his eyes, despite her lack of tact. He knew all her foibles, weaknesses, and plain old stupidities, and he still loved her. Sarah wondered why someone couldn’t love her like that. She stared at her engagement ring and thought of the day Brad had given it to her. She’d been so happy and so hopeful of a wonderful future. But now all her plans and dreams were gone, her hopes of having a family of her own dashed. How could he have done that to her?

The sob seemed to come from the pit of her stomach, working its way up her body until it just burst uncontrollably out of her mouth. She covered her mouth with her hand, shocked by the emotion as well as by the tears flooding out of her eyes. To her surprise, she found herself being drawn into Will’s embrace. She sniffled against his shirt, embarrassing herself further by getting his shoulder wet.

“It’s okay, Sarah,” he whispered. In a louder voice she heard him speak to the rest of the group who had stopped in mid-chew to stare at her.

“Sarah’s had a very difficult couple of weeks,” he began. This was it, she thought. This was where she got outed as a fake bride. She sucked in a breath. If he told the truth would he go to jail? Would she?

“We don’t have any rings because a few days before the wedding the jewelry store where we purchased our rings burned to the ground.  Our rings were lost and Sarah was devastated. As you can see, she’s still emotional about it.”

Sarah sniffed against Will’s shoulder. What?

“Oh Sarah, how awful for you!” Josie said.

“But that’s not everything,” Will continued, his voice taking on a serious note. Sarah stopped sniveling to listen to what he’d say next. “The wedding dress she’d ordered was lost in transit.  She had to wear a dress off the rack.”

Josie took in a sharp breath. “No!”

“But the last straw came when a pipe broke at the hall where our reception was going to be held and the place was flooded. We had to cancel.”

Again, more ohhs and ahhs sounded around the table. Where did he come up with these crazy stories?

Beatrice chuckled. “I’ve heard some wedding disaster stories, but yours take the cake. Don’t worry, Sarah. Someday you’ll look back and laugh, I promise.”

Gladys raised her glass. “Here’s to Sarah and Will. May their marriage be luckier than their wedding.”

“Hear, Hear.”

Everyone raised his or her glass in a toast. As Sarah wiped her eyes, Will made a toast of his own. “To Sarah. Nothing but blue skies from now on.” He took a drink from his glass, his blue eyes full of compassion, with a hint of humor twinkling under the surface.

Sarah picked up her wineglass. How had he done that? She knew Will’s stories were more about saving his butt than protecting her from humiliation, but still, she’d rather be thought of as the girl whose wedding blew up then the girl who got dumped at the altar. For that she was grateful.

And how had he made her feel so safe and comforted in his arms? She shivered a little, remembering the gentle touch of his hand sliding up and down her back. For that she was less grateful. She was confused enough already about her feelings.

Sarah reluctantly tipped her glass to Will. “To blue skies.”

Contacts:

Author Website:  http://www.janarichards.com

Blog:  http://janarichards.blogspot.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAuthor

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards_

Amazon Page:  http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards

Buy Links:

Publisher:  http://www.uncialpress.com/her-best-man.html

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Her-Best-Man-ebook/dp/B004I6E4ZY/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2

BN:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/her-best-man-jana-richards/1017477347?ean=9781601740199