One Lucky Girl by M.J. Schiller #RomanceGems

Hi, all! I'm the new kid on the block, your newest, little Romance Gem writer, and I am so glad to be here. I have admired these ladies' work, and the way they support each other, for a long time, and I'm happy I have the opportunity to join the group.

As a brief introduction, my name is M.J. Schiller and I write romance, romantic suspense, and chick lit. I live in the Midwest with my husband and our cat, Serena, and we are blessed to be the proud parents of a twenty-six-year-old and three twenty-four-year-olds. (Yes, they are triplets and no, I don't know how I survived those first months with three premature babies and a two-year-old, but I know it was with a lot of help from God!) My four little birdies have since flown the coop, and at the moment I have one in town with me, one in St. Louis, one in Kansas City, and one in Colorado Springs. I have joked that they've stretched the "Mommy Bubble" of comfort as far as it will go. But I feel I am very lucky that they are all healthy, employed, and with a significant other.

The simple beauty of Ireland.

This is such a great month for me to be here and be able to post about the monthly theme, Lucky in Love, because I have a lot of Irish in me. I offer as evidence that my mother's maiden name was McKee, and her mother's maiden name was Callahan. My grandmother McKee came from a family of eight, seven girls and one boy. (Poor guy!) I believe they all were fairly musically inclined and enjoyed family sing-alongs. My grandmother played multiple instruments including the piano and the banjo. Her father was a postmaster in St. Louis, where I spent my childhood. My Grandfather McKee was a mechanic and boxer in the Navy, a cantankerous sort with a soft heart underneath it all. It was he who fostered my love of Irish music by playing The Irish Rover's "The Unicorn" practically every time we came over. (It's a really cute song and worth looking up. :) ) I can see him now sitting in his chair with a smile on his face and a pipe tucked into the corner of his mouth. I feel lucky to have the heritage that I have.

Enjoying cocktails on the patio of the Ballynahinch Castle.

I have also been fortunate enough to be able to go to Ireland twice. The most recent trip I took with my husband the year our triplets left for college. My son Ryan called it our "victory lap" after successfully getting all of the kids out of the house. It was a very special trip and provided an opportunity to spend the night in a castle and hear an expert on William Butler Yeats read his poetry, while his wife, who was a chef, served us lunch. Their lovely home overlooked Galway Bay, an area often featured in Yeats' work. (While these were some of my favorite moments, my husband, however, most appreciated our tour of the Guinness factory!)

How has all this Irishness affected my writing? I'm so glad you asked. I actually used my grandfather's name in my book DAMAGE DONE which is set in Ireland, and bits of his life story made their way into it as well. I also have an Irish bartender in my chic lit DEVILISH DIVAS SERIES. I loved him so much I had to kill off the heroine in the first book that featured him so I could have fun creating a second romance for him. Even that wasn't enough and Killian's second wife also met her demise! (Some would say he wasn't lucky in love!) But, not to worry, an upcoming book gives him the opportunity to make the third time a charm.

So, to wrap things up, I thought I'd share a bit of Killian with you. That way you can see a little of my writing. This is from the scene when Killian meets the heroine, Bridey (Bridget), in SIN WORTH THE PENANCE.




“Killian?” My Aunt Deidre glanced over from her pour. “Be a love and fetch me a bottle of Jameson’s from the pantry, would ya?” She was a sprite of a woman, in her late fifties, and as sweet as could be. But if her kids got her riled up, she could equally be a terror. I kept on her good side.

“Aye.” I turned to follow instructions.

“And, while you’re at it, a bottle of gin, as well.”

I nodded and crossed the room, noting a table that needed to be bussed along me way. Under the stairs leading to the rooms I rented above was a small stock room. I opened the door and felt along the inside wall for a switch, but could find none. I left the door open instead, thinking the light from the pub would be enough to illuminate a bottle of Jameson’s and some gin. I squinted in the murky interior as I searched the shelf in the back for the familiar green whiskey bottle.

Then, in a sweep, what little light there was disappeared. The door swung shut and I was left in utter blackness. I could feel someone behind me and by the alluring fragrance, a woman. She circled me in her arms and caressed the fronts of me thighs. I froze, completely caught unawares. Then she nibbled on me neck, her tongue gliding along me skin as she went. I’d been a widow for coming up on a year, and with no woman, but me body hadn’t forgotten what need was. Heat quivered through me.

A sultry voice broke the silence. “Guess who?”

I cleared me throat. “I haven’t a clue.”

She swatted my head. “Would you deny me, Murphey?”

My confusion deepened. It wasn’t a case of mistaken identity then. She knew me name. An old flame? I listened more intently, trying to recognize the voice.

She leaned in, her mouth at me ear. “Ya weren’t denying me yesterday in your mother’s bedroom.”

Wait? What? Mother’s bedroom?

She continued to purr. “Or did you just want me to remind ya? Cuz I’ll gladly do that.”

Before I knew it, she’d slipped around in front of me, and lush lips covered mine, pulling me into a dizzying kiss. She put her hands on the sides of me face to guide her and, God help me, I knew I shouldn’t, but I responded. Her lips tasted of sin and sweet strawberries. But if she was a sin, she was a sin worth the penance, for sure.

I knew now that this woman was sorely confused, for I had been in no mother’s bedroom with her, except maybe in me dreams. I should pull away. I should straighten her out on just who she was kissin’. Instead, I weaved me fingers through her silky tresses and hung on for dear life. But when she reached down me pants... I jumped, as did she. We both simultaneously exclaimed, “Oh, me Gawd!” mine a murmur of pleasure, hers a reaction of surprise.

She parted from me and the next thing I knew the door creaked open and light poured in. I spun to both find out who this vixen was, and apologize for not announcing meself more clearly. Blinking in the light, I put a hand up to block it, but all I saw was a head atumble with gorgeous, curly, black as midnight hair and a tight ass in jeans the likes of which I’d never seen before. Feeling weak-kneed I felt behind me and sat on a crate.

What just happened? Me brain had a hard time coming back to its normal senses. Was I kissed by an angel? Or perhaps the heavens are playing tricks on me for some reason?

Too late, I sprang to me feet and stuck me head out the door. And, although it was a wide open room with nowhere to hide, me phantom kisser was naught to be seen.

Blurb for SIN WORTH THE PENANCE: 

Even an entire ocean couldn’t separate Killian Murphey from his grief.

But when shortly after his return to Ireland Killian finds himself in an unexpected liplock, it definitely gives him a distraction from his sorrows. Who is the temptress that mistook him for someone else in the dark of the pantry? And why has that kiss set him ablaze?

 

Bridget O’Flannery is definitely the kind of girl that can leave a man burned.

But is Bridget more than reputation leads people to believe? And when shadows from her past come to claim her, will she be the one who ends up suffering a fiery end? Or will she and Killian be able to smother the flames that haunt her?

 Either way, she is definitely a SIN WORTH THE PENANCE!

To purchase SIN WORTH THE PENANCE:


Amazon: mybook.to/SinWorthThePenance

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sin-worth-the-penance-mj-schiller/1132647298?ean=9781644571231

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sin-worth-the-penance-the-devilish-divas-series-book-6

iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/sin-worth-the-penance-the-devilish-divas-series-book-6/id1474289833




Thanks for reading! One lucky commenter will win their choice of any of my e-books. I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming months!



What is one of your favorite vacations?