Too True to be Good

Too True to be Good

by Mary E. Thompson

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GENRE:  Contemporary Romance

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BLURB:

His life was good…

Zach Bennett was content to go to work, hang out with his family and friends, and entertain a woman once in a while. As his family found love all around him, he was content to stay single. Unattached. Happy.

Besides, he had enough to worry about with a new chef breathing down his neck for his job.

She faced the truth every day…

Gianna Brooks always wanted to work with people. She saw enough growing up to know kids need all the help they can get. They deserved to be safe. Loved. Happy.

Which is why she’s determined to get her new client into a forever home.

But the truth isn’t always good…

The last thing Zach needs is a little girl showing up on his doorstep claiming she’s his. Her social worker hot on her heels, and demanding a place to stay, definitely doesn’t make it any better. Especially with Gianna’s curvy body and bedroom eyes, and his daughter’s sad sweetness, making him consider keeping both of them.

Gianna knows she should run. Zach knows he should send them away. But neither of them can resist the pull toward the other.

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EXCERPT:

Zach pulled in a deep breath and sunk into the couch. Summer was curled up next to him, her little knees digging into his hip. He couldn’t believe it had only been a few days since she appeared. It was starting to feel like she’d been there forever.

Gianna padded into the room. Her hair was tied up, out of her face. He ached to tug it out of the ponytail it was in and run his hands through it, but instead he just smiled.

“She’s asleep already?” Gianna asked with a laugh.

Zach nodded. “Yeah. She had a busy day.”

“Your family has been wonderful with her.”

Zach grinned. His mom took to Summer like she’d always been a part of the family.

“They all love kids.”

“That’s obvious. Summer will be lucky to stay here.”

The thought of Summer staying still scared him, but he had to admit, he was getting used to it. She was a little presence in his life that would keep him on his toes. He was starting to get a true picture of who she was. He liked her. Maybe even loved her.

Was it possible?

Falling in love with a woman was impossible for Zach to imagine, even when Gianna settled on his other side, smelling irresistible from her shower. Lust, yeah. But love? Zach didn’t know love like he felt for Summer before. He never wanted to let her go. He felt like everything was right with her pressed against his side.

Then Gianna asked, “What are you going to do if she’s not yours?”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

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 ereader 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.

Author Links

Website - http://maryethompson.com

Facebook - http://facebook.com/authormaryethompson

Twitter - http://twitter.com/authormet

Goodreads - http://goodreads.com/maryethompson

BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-e-thompson

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

Book Links

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074VDYHK2/

Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/too-true-to-be-good

iBooks - https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/too-true-to-be-good/id1272226740?mt=11

B&N - http://barnesandnoble.com/s/2940158590726/

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER 

Mary will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fat and Fine

Fat & Fine

Big & Beautiful series, book 5

by Mary E. Thompson

New Release - will be available February 23 (preorder links are live)

Blurb:

After her ex insults her and breaks up with her, Sam is determined to show him exactly what he missed out on. Sam's hurt, but Sam's no push over. She's equally mad, too. And determined to make him eat his words.

Questioning if any man will ever look at her like she's beautiful, Sam joins a local gym. She's led around by Brady, the gym's owner, and is more than a little intimidated by him. His intensity scares her, but something about him intrigues her more than she cares to admit.

When Brady defends Sam and tells her she's beautiful, she struggles to accept his words.

As Sam works to figure out who she is, and what she really wants to do with her career and life, Brady's strong and silent presence builds her confidence. Until Brady dismisses her, making her think he's just as bad as her ex. And that she'll never find someone who truly cares for her.

Excerpt:

“Are you okay?” he finally asked.

I nodded, unable to speak around the massive lump in my throat and the tears stinging my eyes. I knew it I said anything I would lose it.

“Do you want to go?”

I nodded again, anxious to get away from so many prying eyes. They might be acting nice, but sharing my most humiliating moment with hundreds of strangers was not my idea of a fun evening.

Brady picked up our stuff, carrying the drinks he’d bought us, the blanket, and our picnic basket. I focused on getting the hell out of there.

When we got to his Jeep Brady threw everything in the back while I climbed in, ashamed and shocked. For a fleeting second I wondered if I should be afraid of Brady, but I knew that was crazy. Brady wasn’t dangerous, not to me. If he hadn’t stood up for me I would have questioned why I was with him. Instead he took out Cade with one swing and I’d never have to deal with him again.

Brady got in the car and turned the key, cranking up the air conditioning, then turned in his seat. “Come here,” he said, pulling me to him.

The center console dug into my side, but I didn’t care. Brady’s arms closed around me and I lost it. Everything I’d hid, all the fears I’d buried, all the shame I’d felt, all the anger I’d carried… all of it poured out.

I sobbed against his strong chest, my tears soaking through his shirt. His hands rubbed up and down my back and his heart beat a steady rhythm under my ear. I let out everything I’d been holding in for weeks. I hiccuped my breath and kept crying, unable to stop once I’d started.

Brady was my rock. He held me as close as he could. He was turned at an odd angle and I knew his back had to be killing him. I tried to pull back but he wouldn’t let me, keeping my face against his chest. He had my head tucked under his chin and he kissed my hair, whispering kind words as I cried.

When I could breathe again I eased back. Brady let me but didn’t let go of me. I couldn’t face him. I looked down, keeping my eyes from his, unsure and afraid of what I’d find there.

Buy Links:

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Fine-Big-Beautiful-Book-ebook/dp/B01ATZTQIM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1453516433&sr=8-2&keywords=fat+%26+fine

Barnes and Noble 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fat-fine-mary-e-thompson/1123297045?ean=2940152585346

iBooks - https://geo.itunes.apple.com/book/fat-fine/id1077042218?mt=11

Kobo - https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/fat-fine

Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/609210

Author Bio:

Mary E Thompson grew up loving to read, spending many night hiding under the covers with a flashlight to finish a book. As an adult she still stays up too late, but doesn’t need a flashlight anymore thanks to her ereader.

When Mary’s not reading she’s playing with her two kids or living out her real life romance with her hubby. She has a weakness for chocolate, Buffalo sports teams, and wine, lots of wine.

Author Links:

Website - http://maryethompson.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authormaryethompson/

Goodreads - http://goodreads.com/maryethompson

Twitter - http://twitter.com/authormet

Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/metdaisy7

Character Interview:

Nickname - Sam

Job - Photographer

Level of schooling - BFA in Photography

Birthdate - May 1

Birthplace - Buffalo, NY

Currently residing in - Winterville, NY

Favorite type of pet - Dog

Favorite place to visit - California

Significant other - Brady Wright

Most important goal - To be happy

Worst fear or nightmare - that my parents will never be proud of me

Favorite food - All foods

Wealthy, poor, or somewhere in between? somewhere in between

Secret desire or fantasy - No comment

What would you do if you won the lottery? Take care of my friends.

Conversational interview:

Interviewer: Thanks for meeting me today, Sam. I know you’re usually the one asking questions, but we’ll try to make this pretty painless.

Sam (laughs): Thanks, I appreciate that. Being a photographer I hide in the background most of the time. Most people aren’t interested in my life.

Interviewer: It’s the same way in my job, but today isn’t about me. Tell me how you got into photography.

Sam: I took a photography class in high school and completely fell in love. It drew me in completely and I knew I wanted to capture moments in time for the rest of my life.

Interviewer: What is your favorite moment in time?

Sam (blushes): Well, that might be a little private, but how about I just say when Brady told me he loved me. It was completely out of the blue, but then again, so was Brady.

Interviewer: Aw, how sweet. Can you tell us a little more about Brady?

Sam (smiles and gets a dreamy look in her eyes): He’s perfect. His last name is Wright and it’s so fitting because he really is Mr. Wright. He makes it possible for me to achieve my number one lifetime goal.

Interviewer: Which is?

Sam: To be happy. It’s all anyone really wants, but after Cade I wasn’t sure I’d find true happiness.

Interviewer: Well, Cade was a jerk.

Sam: Yes, he was.

Interviewer (smiling): What else makes you happy? Do you have a secret desire or fantasy?

Sam (blushing): Well, anyone who knows me knows my mind pretty much stays in the gutter. That question brings up all sorts of ideas, but none you can print. How about I just say ‘No comment’ and we move on.

Interviewer (laughing): Fair enough. On the other side of things, what’s your worst fear?

Sam (groans): You really know how to dig deep, don’t you? Really, my worst fear has always been that my parents wouldn’t be proud of me. They’ve spent years telling me I should get a real job instead of something ‘silly’ like photography. Even when they say they’re proud of what I’ve accomplished I worry it’s not the whole truth.

Interviewer: I’m sure they want you to be successful. Would you consider yourself wealthy, poor, or somewhere in between? That might have something to do with your parents.

Sam: I’d say I’m in between. I charge a fair price for my work, so I’m not poor, but I’m definitely not rich either. I won’t get rich as a photographer because I don’t love the work that brings in a higher commission, but that’s okay with me. I love what I do.

Interviewer: As long as you have enough to eat it’s okay, right?

Sam: Oh, yeah, mama likes to eat. That’s pretty obvious to anyone who looks at me though. I like all kinds of foods, pretty much haven’t found one that I won’t try! Brady gets mad at me when I say I’m fat. My friends use much kinder words to describe us. Addi says we’re bulky. Claire called us lush. Mandy says chubby. Charlie likes to say fluffy, but she’s a baker so it makes sense. Lexi says shapely, Riley is plump, and Carrie goes for husky. To me they all mean the same thing, but Brady won’t let me say that anymore.

Interviewer: Your friends seem important to you. How did you all meet?

Sam: Mandy, Claire, Addi, and I went to college together. Lexi and Charlie we met from going to Bite Me! so often. Riley and Carrie are new additions to our group and we met them through READ. We all work well together, don’t you think?

Interviewer: Yeah, you guys are great. I’ve noticed a few spats though. Is it true you argue over whether dogs or cats are better? Which side do you fall on?

Sam (laughing): Oh, yeah, that’s always been a fight between us. I’m firmly a dog lover. Brady picked out Lucky on our first date. He’s the ugliest dog I’ve ever seen, but he’s so beautiful. Brady and I think he’s perfect for us, not so perfect on the outside, but beautiful inside.

Interviewer (wipes eyes): That’s really beautiful. Doesn’t having a dog make it hard to travel? Are there places you want to go?

Sam: I think our jobs are more of a hindrance than Lucky is. We’re pretty happy at home, but if I did travel, I’d love to go to California. The mountains and the ocean, the ancient trees and the beaches, the hilly roads and the winding highways… it calls to the photographer in me. I’d love to go out to a vineyard and just wander with my camera or hang out on the beach at sunset. It looks so beautiful out there.

Interviewer: Is that what you would do if you won the lottery? Travel?

Sam (shakes head adamantly): Nope, I don’t think so. Our jobs are challenging, but I don’t think we’d give up our jobs. We’d take care of our family and friends. They mean everything to us. I’m sure Brady could upgrade some of his equipment and I could move to a bigger studio, but I don’t think we’d change much about the way we live. We don’t need much, just each other.

Interviewer: You’re so lucky Sam. It’s been wonderful to talk to you. I wish you and Brady the best.

Sam: Thanks. This was fun. We’ll have to get together some time. Maybe you can join us for girls’ night some Tuesday at Bite Me! Charlie really does make the best cupcakes you’ve ever tasted.

Interviewer: Ooh, that sounds like a great idea!