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Wednesday Words: Rock It To The Moon by M.J. Schiller

6/9/2021

12 Comments

 
Let's welcome M.J. Schiller and her newest release, ROCK IT TO THE MOON. I enjoy M.J.'s books very much and I'm glad she's visiting us today. She's also giving away a free book, which is awesome, so let's hear from M.J.!
One of the best parts of writing is playing the what-if game. What if one of the members of Just Short of Chaos slept with the hotheaded lead singer’s little sister? And what if that somebody was the new guy? What if the straight-laced, anal astrophysicist was paired with the sometimes-crude, forever-sticking-his-foot-in-his-mouth drummer?
​
And there is a reverse way to play the game, too. If this pair started getting hot and heavy the moment they met, what would have preceded that scene that would have made the circumstance ripe for this unlikely hookup? It’s so much fun. I’ll admit I’m a little nervous that readers won’t hang on to find out why Dex and Tatum were so quick to get involved. I’m afraid they’ll judge the pair and say it would never happen that way. But sometimes shocking results come from shocking situations. That’s what you’ll find in the third book of my LOVE AND CHAOS SERIES, ROCK IT TO THE MOON, a contemporary rock romance.

A little more about ROCK IT TO THE MOON:
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While love had come to some of the other members of Just Short Of Chaos, Dex Rogan had no interest in getting tangled up in that mess. That is, until he stumbled upon Tatum backstage.

Before Tatum, I would have told you love was for chumps. But I would have been wrong. The moment I saw her, it was like BAM! This driving urge to be with her was more jarring than someone smacking me in the face with my drumsticks would be. And every moment since has just solidified her place in my heart. By the time I found out she was off limits, it was too late. I was all in.

Tatum Salvetti doesn’t have time for love. If it can’t be color-coded or found on the periodic table, she doesn’t need it. But when an ugly incident drives her into Dex’s arms, she’s shaken enough to step out of character for once.

I wasn’t looking for love that night, I was looking to escape, and Dex was the perfect distraction from my train wreck of a life. …He was perfect, period.

But I’m in astrophysics. I’m not stupid. I knew it wasn’t going anywhere. Even if he wasn’t just interested in a one night stand, we wouldn’t be able to hide a relationship from Zane. My brother seemed to still think of me as the ten-year-old he met when our parents wed. Well, it wasn’t any ten-year-old girl in Dex Rogan’s bed that night, and if Zane found out about it, he would go apeshit. I was trying to get away from chaos, not create it.
​

Tatum has sacrificed her whole life for others. But maybe this time she could think of her own desires. Could Dex’s brand of chaos be just what she needs?

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I’ve got to say, I really enjoyed writing this one, and it surprised me. Something that started off as a side note when I was first developing the story became a critical piece of the plot, and I didn’t see it coming. I love that, despite being shaken as the story starts, Tatum is the strongest character in the book. I love that her strength comes from her love, and that gives her an ability to forgive that others don’t understand. I LOVE Tatum and Dex together. I love his enormous heart, and the way it makes him foolish at times. I love that they help each other to become better people. I love the way the band is a family, including the teasing, drama, squabbling, and sticking up for one another that every family experiences.
​
But my favorite part is actually the meet up. I love the way Dex is fumbling his way through it, and that Tatum calls him on it. Let me show you what I mean…

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Our gaze connected and she froze for an instant. “Oh, hi. I…umm…don’t have a pass but I’m—” She hopped around, still trying to adjust her shoe strap and losing her balance, a little purse that dangled from a gold chain falling off her shoulder.

Her obvious nervousness and bumbling made me feel like she was more attainable, more on my level, and my confidence surged. I took her arms to stabilize her. “I’m not here to bust you. Relax.” I flashed her a smile. “You seem to be having difficulty with your shoe. May I…?”

Not waiting for an answer, I crouched, placing one knee on the floor and reaching for her foot.

“Oh, that’s not nec-ess-sary…” She trailed off, watching me, her mouth hanging open a little. I think she was surprised by my actions. I know I was.

This girl’s out of your league, man. You better start channeling Jericho or something because your usual stuff ain’t gonna cut it with her.


I cupped her shoe. Her feet were so tiny. Three of them would fit into my size thirteens. I took the dainty strap in my massive fingers and prayed for even a hint of dexterity. I could bang a drum to hell, but fine motor skills I lacked. Luckily, the backstage gods were listening to my plea and the strap slipped into the buckle easily, another indication something was special about our meeting. But that meant our brief interaction was coming to an end unless I could come up with something to say to her.

W.W.J.D. What would Jericho do? The women always fell for his charm.


Inspiration struck, and I ran my hand along the back of her calf as I rose, looking at her with what I hoped was suaveness. “There. All better.”

Her forehead creased. “Excuse me? What the hell do you think you’re—?” Those blue eyes were shooting fire now.

Shit. Wrong move.


I decided to bulldozer through my mistake. I was in this far. “You know, Zane is getting married.” I brushed the back of my hand over her honey-smooth cheek, advancing within inches of her. Her fragrance swirled around me. Soft, sexy, sophisticated. Like her. “You don’t want to mess with that.”

She shook her head. “Oh, no. It’s not like that. I’m his—”

“You’re a call girl.”

Her pliable body became stiff. “Do I look like a call girl to you?”

I shrugged. “A very expensive call girl. It’s a compliment.”

“So a call girl would be a step up for me then?”

“No, no, no. I’m not saying that. You’re just…not like our normal concert goer.”

“I’m not normal.”

​I was a moron. The more I talked, the angrier she got. 
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If you want to find out how he digs himself out of this one, you can pick up a copy of
​ROCK IT TO THE MOON here:
 
Amazon:  https://mybook.to/RockItToTheMoon
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rock-it-to-the-moon-m-j-schiller/1138568689
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/rock-it-to-the-moon
iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/rock-it-to-the-moon/id1548341149
 
All of the books are standalones, but Book One, ROCKED BY GRACE, is on sale for 99¢ for a limited time.
 
And Book Two, ROCKED BY LOVE, is on sale for $1.99 for a limited time.
Book Four, ROCK OF SALVATION is up for pre-order.
 
So get to know all the boys in the band! And one lucky commenter will win a copy of M.J.'s new release,
ROCK IT TO THE MOON!
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​Bio: M.J. Schiller


M.J. Schiller is a lunch lady/romance-romantic suspense writer. She enjoys writing novels whose characters include rock stars, desert princes, teachers, futuristic Knights, construction workers, cops, and a wide variety of others. In her mind everybody has a romance. She is the mother of a twenty-two-year-old and three twenty-year-olds. That's right, triplets! So having recently taught four children to drive, she likes to escape from life on occasion by pretending to be a rock star at karaoke. However…you won’t be seeing her name on any record labels soon.
 





​
Website: www.mjschillerauthor.blogspot.com
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/m-j-schiller
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/MJ-Schiller-Romance-Author/286382241460365?ref=hl
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mjschiller/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mjschiller
Tumblr: http://mjschilz.tumblr.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/mjschiller
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6479377.M_J_Schiller
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.J.-Schiller/e/B009JOQFQQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1


12 Comments
M.J. Schiller link
6/9/2021 08:30:31 am

Thank you so much for having me, Kara! I appreciate your support. I enjoyed writing the post. :)

Reply
kathleen Lawless link
6/9/2021 11:20:44 am

I loved the cute meet! This is going on my TBR pile. What a great couple.

Reply
M.J. Schiller link
6/9/2021 12:30:00 pm

Thank you so much, Kathleen!

Reply
Marissa Garner
6/9/2021 12:34:58 pm

Great excerpt! Congrats on your new release. Can't wait to read it.

Reply
M.J. Schiller link
6/9/2021 01:55:15 pm

Thanks, Marissa! Hope you are well and happy!

Reply
Caroline Clemmons
6/9/2021 12:48:59 pm

Sounds like a great series. Wishing you the very best in sales!

Reply
M.J. Schiller link
6/9/2021 01:56:28 pm

Thank you, Caroline! I'm glad we got to meet through Romance Gems! :)

Reply
Roxanne Dunn link
6/9/2021 02:00:37 pm

Great excerpt! Taut, funny, sexy!!!

Reply
M.J. Schiller link
6/9/2021 06:23:13 pm

Thank you for the kind words, Roxanne!

Reply
Alina K. Field link
6/9/2021 07:03:03 pm

Congratulations on the new release! The story looks great!

Reply
M.J. Schiller link
6/9/2021 07:09:17 pm

Thank you, Alina! I had fun writing it!

Reply
Alicia Dean
6/16/2021 09:28:00 am

Oh no...how did I miss this??? So sorry. MJ is one of my favorite people. Enjoyed the excerpt. Looks like a winner for sure. I love it when things in our writing surprise us. Great cover...congrats and best wishes!

Reply



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