Ever Been ROCKED BY GRACE? You Should Be!

Oh, the boys of Just Short of Chaos have been raring to meet you! We have to start their story off with Zane, of course, their introverted, retro-fashioned lead singer. He started the band, he gets first dibs on introducing them. Here's a little bit more about his story...

When videos hit the Internet of rock star Zane Sanders and a random fan performing what he says is a spontaneous dance, no one believes it’s unrehearsed in this sizzling romance from bestselling author M.J. Schiller.

Zane Sanders, lead singer of Just Short of Chaos, surprised everyone, including himself, when he plucked a fan out of the audience at one of his concerts.

I don’t know what possessed me to do it. I’d never done anything like that before. But something about Grace drew me to her. And within minutes of pulling her on stage, I knew I’d made one of the best decisions of my life. Since our drummer Devin’s overdose, I’d felt dead inside. Perhaps for even longer than that. But Grace was fun, sexy—and as I would discover later—good and selfless. And an irresistible magic surrounded us that made me feel alive again.

That is, until I blew it. In classic Zane style. Funny thing is, when I first got Grace up on stage, I had no idea what to do with her. Now I have no idea what I’ll do without her.

Grace Prescott was living out every girl’s fantasy.

Only thing is, fantasies ended, and I realized pretty quickly that I didn’t want this one to stop. Zane had a magnetism about him that was more than mere charisma. That was evident the moment I—the girl who normally had to be dragged out onto the dance floor—practically became a pole dancer in his arms.  Then it happened. The moment everyone kept referring to as “The Kiss.” But it was all part of the show, right? It didn’t matter that Zane made more than my feet move. He stirred up feelings that scared the crap out of me. The depth of his sadness called out to me even more than his unbelievable sex appeal, and that was saying something.

But it could never work between us. He may have come from a small town like me, but he was all rock star now and totally out of my league. I was a flower shop owner, not his saving Grace.

Are some actions beyond forgiveness or will he be rocked by Grace?

Here's an excerpt...

Zane

There was a difference between having a life and living a life, and I really wanted to discover what that difference was. I had a life. Most would say it was a good life. But for me it seemed like all I was doing was chasing the second hand on a clock. I would move forward through the day, but at the close I had nothing to show for it other than the passage of time. At the ripe old age of twenty-six, I was tired beyond belief and walking through my days and nights like a zombie.

But the people who had been filling the stadium for the last hour and a half were not here to see the walking dead. They were doctors, lawyers, garbage men, seamstresses…. They came from small towns and cities, ghettos like those I grew up in, and plush estates like the ones I lived in now. I had come to know the people behind those gilded doors had their own kinds of problems. But all of these people occupying seats in the heart of this building or swaying drunkenly on the floor, they worked, sweated, and stressed to earn the money to buy the tickets to this concert and listen to my music. I wouldn’t let them down.

After all, I was one of them once. I even sold my ten-speed to purchase tickets to see my idol, Colton Remkus, who was one of our openers tonight. Because of that, I vowed to sing the hits I’d sung a biljallion times before like I recently released them and they were still fresh. As Colt did for me. Though I didn’t feel like I had the heart for it, I would bring the vitality of the damned Energizer Bunny if it killed me.

For a limited time, you can purchase ROCKED BY GRACE for only 99¢! So, what are you waiting for? Get it now! :)

Amazon: mybook.to/RockedByGrace

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rocked-by-grace-m-j-schiller/1137187473?ean=2940162636427&fbclid=IwAR32dS2T6Fn_7cNDe4hIG-9kJvBqRx_Y0bVbzWI-XCJusQalL9lC980q888

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/rocked-by-grace

iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/rocked-by-grace/id1519022301

~ Let Me Play You a MIDNIGHT MELODY You Won't Forget!~

Traveling this summer? Then you'll want to take along this read to make the time fly! Available for pre-order now!

Rock star Colton Remkus is out of his element.

When country phenom Tyler Remkus is murdered in his own studio, his son Colton finds himself in charge of a fortune 500 company. At least temporarily. Ty’s will states that Colt has thirty days to convince the board of directors to officially vote him in as the new CEO.

Melody Hawkins, administrative assistant to the CEO, doesn’t want a rock star for a boss.

He may be a rocker—and a seriously hot underwear mode—but he knows nothing about R&J Industries. Still, out of respect for Ty, Melody decides to teach Colton the ropes. As others plot against him, she stands by Colt’s side and tries to ignore the ridiculous attraction she has for him.

As their midnight deadline approaches, the stakes are raised.

The more time they spend together, the more their chemistry threatens to ignite. Melody must keep Colt from discovering who she truly is. Colt needs to speed learn the industry in order to finally win his father’s approval. But he soon winds up facing a deadly decision. Could a piece of sheet music hold the secret to Ty’s murder and save their lives?

Or will proving himself prove to be deadly for her?

FOR A LIMITED TIME! ABANDON ALL HOPE ~ 99¢!

SHE WAS THE ONE.

THEN SHE WAS GONE.

WHEN HOPE RETURNS, DO YOU RISK IT AGAIN?

FOR A LIMITED TIME!

ABANDON ALL HOPE ~

JUST 99¢

Blurb ~

It was one of those mornings for newspaper-writer/photographer Hope Creswell.

The alarm clock didn’t go off and she cut her finger on broken glass. Not one to let such things get her down, Hope headed into her assignment meeting with excitement, only to leave it stunned. Her new assignment is to trail the sensational rock-star, Chase Hatton, for an article. Chase Hatton. No one knows the power that name holds for her. No one knows of the childhood friendship that blossomed into romance, only to abruptly die on the night of Hope’s senior prom. No one
knows of the ache still filling her heart.


What starts out for Chase Hatton as an average publicity trip to Chicago suddenly becomes complicated.

His manager tells him Hope Creswell will be interviewing him in the morning.

He spent eight years trying to forget Hope, and now she would be in his penthouse in a matter of hours?


When Chase opens the door to his penthouse and finds Hope on the opposite side, his heart begins beating a rhythm the rocker has yet to capture in any of his music.

The smoldering embers of their former romance are fanned by their mere proximity. Will they both be burned again? And what about Hope’s boyfriend, Phillip? Where does he fit into the picture that Hope is developing?

NEW COVER!

GET IT NOW! HERE:

http://mybook.to/AbandonAllHope

~ M.J. SCHILLER ~ ROCKING REALITY! ~

Hi! We’re going to play a little game. Ready? What do you think of when I say the words—rock star. Go!

Okay, so did you think--partier, drugs, drinking, women, fans...? It is true, those do seem to be more prevalent in the life of a rocker than say, the life of your average telephone repair man. A lot of rock romances focus on this, what has become a stereotype of a rocker. And that’s great. I’m all for it. I enjoy reading those books. I just write my stories a little differently. I like to keep it real. Or as real as fiction can be.

For instance, you are not going to see paparazzi splashed over all of the pages of my books. You’ll see them more when my characters are in L.A. or New York, but not if the band is playing Kansas City or St. Louis or even Chicago. While photographers and fans are a huge part of these musicians lives, it’s not necessarily a 24/7 kind of thing. So the city matters, and so does the specific location. Are they at the mall? Or at a private club? Are they in town for a show? Then people might have a heightened awareness of their presence. Are they at the venue? Crowds are definitely going to show up there.

It also depends on what kind of rocker we’re talking about. Chad Evans, from Trapped Under Ice would draw a little bit more attention than Chase Hatton of Abandon All Hope. Chad is much more comfortable in the limelight. He works the crowd, he makes appearances, but even he is not as outgoing as his partner Roger. Still, Chad dates models, is seen in the tabloids, has a body guard. There is a scene in Trapped Under Ice when Beth and Chad and the boys are walking to the bus through a crowd of onlookers who are held back by barriers and security. This is a big part of the story and is told through Beth’s eyes, someone who is new to it all. They are in Kansas City, a fairly sizable town, and at the venue. Later, when Chad visits Beth in Bloomington, Illinois, they don’t have to deal with fans. “They had dinner with Cassie at a nearby restaurant Pete [the body guard] checked out beforehand. There were a few stares and some whispering, but since Trapped Under Ice wasn’t playing in town, most people chalked it up to a phenomenal resemblance.”

Now Chase Hatton is a different breed of rocker. He’s a loner. He’s not part of a band, he’s the main act that is backed by a nameless band. Think Cher or Madonna. We don’t know the names of most of the members of their bands either. Chase also keeps a low profile when not on stage. He’s not out hobnobbing with the rich and famous. He probably wouldn’t have a Twitter page. It’s not that he’s not personable, but he’s from Nebraska, grew up in a middle class family—he likes things pure and laid back, like Hope. Still, when in Chicago he avoids public transit and wears a baseball cap to the zoo so that he won’t be recognized.

(My picture~Seether at The House of Blues, Chicago~May 2014)

Another factor is the genre of music. Pop stars, by

definition, are popular and therefore recognizable, for the most part. Rock band members, not so much. Even though I’ve seen 5 Finger Death Punch several times, lead singer Ivan Moody could walk right by me and I wouldn’t blink, unless I was at the venue. He doesn’t have any really distinguishing features. He wears the same kind of clothing that his fans do. He blends in, until he opens his mouth to sing.

And I think it also depends on whether the star wants to be seen. I’m thinking Reese Witherspoon could walk through an airport and not be hassled, if she chose to, or saunter through the same airport and sign tons of autographs. If she was willing to stop and speak with her fans, she’d be dolled up and make a lot of eye contact. In a rush or not in the mood to deal with that? Dressed down, wearing a ponytail, and keeping her head low.

Here’s a little story to illustrate my point. A while back Nickelback was in town for two weeks, secretly testing their new stage in our coliseum. They ate at local restaurants, drank in local bars, went to the phone store…and yet I NEVER KNEW THEY WERE HERE! Mind you, I have snuck back stage at three Nickelback concerts (and gotten thrown out). If I had seen them on the street I guarantee you there would have been a scene, believe me. However, they are four somewhat average looking guys, wearing t-shirts and jeans. I would have recognized them, if they were together, but maybe not individually. If I saw just one of them I might have been like, “Hey! That guy looks like Ryan Peake!” But knowing that Nickelback wasn’t playing in town, I might have blown it off. I would have definitely recognized all four of them, yet there were people in town that carried on lengthy conversations with them without even knowing who they are. (That burns me!)

(Seether again~House of Blues, Chicago)

I had a little fun with the idea of being recognized in my latest release, ROCK ME, GENTLY. Josh Dunningham, of Money Back Guaranteed, is told by several people that he looks “just like” Josh Dunningham of Money Back Guaranteed, but people still don’t believe that it’s him. Except for a pair of fans who do cause a scene at a restaurant despite Josh’s attempts to keep his identity on the down low.

So how about you? Ever have a run in with a celebrity? Now’s your time to shine! Tell us about it. Brag! Go on, it'll do ya some good!

COVER REVEAL ~ ROCK ME, GENTLY!

One of the great parts about being a writer is meeting a lot of wonderful people along the way, be they writers, bloggers, reviewers, or readers. Some of those people are listed below and have volunteered to host the cover reveal for my newest release, the fourth book in my ROCKING ROMANCE COLLECTION, ROCK ME, GENTLY. 

To celebrate the release on May 1st I am giving away 5 e-copies of ROCK ME, GENTLY . Simply enter the Rafflecopter below and in a week I'll name the winners! 

My wonderful hosts-

Author Christine Elaine Black ~ http://christineelaineblack.blogspot.com/

Reviewer/Blogger ~
http://blackmambamasbookreview.blogspot.com/

Author Leslie Garcia ~ http://lesliepgarcia.wordpress.com/author/lesliepgarcia/

Author Patricia Kiyono ~ http://creative-hodgepodge.blogspot.com/

Author Gale Stanley ~ http://galestanley.blogspot.com/

Author Linda Carroll-Bradd ~ http://blog.lindacarroll-bradd.com/

Author Alicia Dean ~ http://aliciadean.com/alicias-blog/

Author Diane Burton ~ http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/

Author Maria Hammarblad ~ http://www.scifiromance.info/2014/04/rockmegently.html

Author Katherine Lowery Logan ~ http://www.katherinelowrylogan.com/

Blogger/Reviewer Red Hot Reads ~ http://www.redshotreads.com/


Rafflecopter giveaway starts at midnight!

(Rafflecopter chose the start date for me and won't let me change it, so I'm going to also draw for a sixth e-book for anyone who wants to put their email address in the comments. You can still come back tomorrow and enter the Rafflecopter, too. Good luck!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

M.J. SCHILLER ROCKS COVER REVEAL ~ BETWEEN ROCK AND A HARD PLACE!

The third in my ROCKING ROMANCE COLLECTION is due out in early December, so I thought it was time for a cover reveal! 

BLURB ~

Heath “Hawk” McGowan is a young, single, cop and father. Jasmine Barrett is the rock star who has just discovered her best friend murdered in her own bed. Jasmine, or “Jazz”, as her fans call her, is not at all what Heath expects when he first meets her. Anticipating having to work with a prima donna, he is surprised to find her sweet and completely unassuming, in addition to being as sexy as her onstage persona. After outlining a number of reasons why he shouldn’t become involved with her—the top reason being he is the lead investigator in the murder of her best friend—Heath finds that he can’t stop himself from falling in love. 

Things heat up between the two, especially after Jazz discovers another body in the condominium’s garage, and her terror drives her closer to Heath. Will Heath be able to solve the murders before Jasmine becomes the next victim? Or will he save Jazz, while, at the same time, losing his heart to her?

COMING SOON!

~CATCH THE FINAL EXCERPT OF THE AN UNCOMMON LOVE BLOG TOUR HERE TODAY!~

I am mostly known as a rock romance writer, because of my ROCKING ROMANCE COLLECTION. My most recent release, however, is part of my ROMANTIC REALMS COLLECTION, books with some sort of royalty as a main character, set in fictional times and places. Some might see this as quite a divergence from my norm. But I’m not sure that the chasm is that wide. 

You see, I contend that blacksmith’s were the rock

stars of their times. Let’s look at the similarities. Both blacksmiths and rock stars are usually physically fit from their jobs. Blacksmiths, after all, spent a great deal of their time swinging a hammer. Rock musicians also have to be in peak condition to be able to perform at a high energy level night after night. While hot by the forge, it is also hot underneath blazing stage lights. Both blacksmiths and rock stars create something beautiful in an angry sort of way. They both provide things we need. And, well, both are into metal… ;)

Okay, that last one may be stretching it a bit, but you get the idea. The hero from my new release, AN UNCOMMON LOVE, Seth Hobbes, actually reminds me a lot of Chad Evans, super rock star from TRAPPED UNDER ICE. Both have tempers, but are good men underneath it all. And then, too, they both are gorgeous. There’s that! Let me tell you a little more about AN UNCOMMON LOVE.

Blurb for AN UNCOMMON LOVE~

Princess Adriana had her life all figured out. Or, to be more precise, she had her life all figured out for her. Before she was even born she was betrothed to Garin, and that was perfectly acceptable as he became her childhood friend, and then, eventually, the person she would swap kisses with inside the palace gardens. She never questioned it, never had a reason to, until the day a commoner was brought before her father, the King, to be punished.



As soon as Adriana’s eyes connect with Seth’s across the stone courtyard, she begins to question everything in her life. For his part, Seth Hobbes is confused about his feelings for the beautiful princess who refuses to match any of his preconceived notions of what a princess should be like, starting when Adriana begs her father to release him. When Seth creeps into the castle at night to thank her, they begin to build a relationship with one another that is often as explosive as it is endearing. When fate ends up separating the two, they must undertake a long and arduous journey to be reunited and then overcome the objections Adriana’s father has to their relationship. Will Adriana be able to make Seth see her for herself and not as the princess that he imagines? And if she does, will she ever be able to convince her father that, despite his objections, there is nothing “common” about Seth at all?

Excerpt~

The king seemed to consider her argument a moment. He shrugged indifferently. “Well, if that is what you want.” He smiled at her, waving a hand over the gathering beneath him. “Release the prisoner.”

There was a cheer from the small part of the crowd that had come in support of the accused commoner. The brunette rushed to the prisoner’s side and threw her arms around him.

Adriana was about to turn to go, when the prisoner raised his head from where he had laid it on the woman’s shoulder and studied her. Her breath felt tight in her chest.

The man’s arms, which a guard had been working to release with a small dagger, came free and he swooped the woman up, closing his eyes for a beat, and then saying something to her with a tender smile. He set the woman on her feet and slipped an arm around her shoulder. He glanced in Adriana’s direction one more time as he turned to go.

She dropped her eyes, filled with confusion. When she glanced up again, all she could see was the man’s back. His shirt was ripped to shreds and bloodied from the blows he had received, but he walked away with a happy ease she found enviable.

Garin’s hand clasped her shoulder. “Why did you do that?”

“I do not know,” she answered honestly.

“It could not possibly be because the commoner was—” he quirked an eyebrow, “—somewhat handsome.”

“Nay.” Feeling her response was a bit too adamant, she hurried to add, “I just did not want to see anything happen—to anybody, boy, girl, good-looking, or not.” Besides he is not somewhat handsome, he is gorgeous! She looked back over her shoulder just as the object of her thoughts was passing under the stone gate of the castle’s outer walls and sighed wistfully. Then she turned back to Garin with a smile. “Let us go get ready for my ball.”

He smiled in return and gave a little half-bow. “After you, m’lady.”

To find out the rest of the story, buy AN UNCOMMON LOVE here: Amazon and BN.com

Thank you so much for participating in my blog tour! I had fun and I hope you did, too!

Last chance to enter the drawing!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~ABANDON ALL HOPE IS RELEASED! AND HERE'S THE SCHEDULE FOR THE BLOG TOUR~

I am very happy to announce that the second in the ROCKING ROMANCE COLLECTION ~ ABANDON ALL HOPE is now available for sale on Amazon! Come join me and find out what the excitement is all about on my blog tour, kicking off today! 

Find me at:

SUNDAY – Samantha Anne’s blog ~ http://readsamanthaanne.blogspot.com/

MONDAY- Leslie Garcia’s blog ~ http://lesliepgarcia.wordpress.com/

WEDNESDAY-Laila Blake's blog ~ http://www.lailablake.com/category/talks/writertalk/

THURSDAY-Juli Morgan’s blog ~ http://julipagemorgan.com/backstage/

FRIDAY-Katrina Knight’s blog  ~ www.katrienaknights.blogspot.com

SATURDAY- Anne Ashby’s blog ~ http://www.anneashby.com/blog/

Get ABANDON ALL HOPE here:

http://www.amazon.com/ABANDON-ROCKING-ROMANCE-COLLECTION-ebook/dp/B00DFA9NAA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1371355850&sr=1-1