After the Rain - One Pass Away Book One by Mary J. Williams

After the Rain 

One Pass Away Book One

By: Mary J. Williams

It hasn’t been easy for Claire Thorton, she is a woman with no money and no connections, however she is a woman who has earned everything she has on her own Claire is a strong woman who goes after her dreams, and get what she wants, and she feels it is high time to make a difference in her life.

Logan Price was an ex NFL football player for the Seattle Knights, who had injured his leg, and sent him back to Oklahoma. When he tried to make a comeback it caused him to go into a deep depression. 

Logan meets his old friend who decides to offer him another chance. Logan had finally been able to be someone without football. He was currently working at his fathers bar, and running daily. Now Logan wasn’t sure if getting his hopes up, would kill him if he ended up losing everything all over again.

Claire has decided it was time to make something of herself and Logan. She decided that helping Logan get back to the NFL will prove to her detractors that she can be a trainer and that she is determined to make in a world where the males seem to dominate society.

It only takes one kiss for Logan and Claire to realize the two of them want and need one another to make both of their dreams come true.

This was my time reading a sport related book, and as a person who likes football, and understands it, I truly loved it. I also enjoy the NFL, and this book, “After the Rain” gives you real insight as to how players do get hurt, and just how much it damages them inside and out. People need to see and know that, it is an emotional and physical experience. Not many people see and know this. They just assume that these players that we all watch, and depend on to win us these football games, our heroes, are always indispensable, when in fact they are not. They are people just like we are. Side lining them, retiring them, and forgetting about them, takes a toll on them as much as letting them play. 

This book is truly a wonderful realistic look, and for all of you who like football, the NFL, and all the wonders of it, you truly need to read this, and respect the writing that went into this book. Mary did a wonderful job, and I am truly impressed with her representation. This is a beautiful five star read, and well worth being entered into any contests to represent the NFL, or its players, and insight toward them. I think this book truly needs more recognition, there is more here than meets the eye. I was astounded, and couldn’t put it down, and honored to have been able to read and interview Mary.

Here are my questions for Mary:

1. What led you to write "After the Rain" and how long did it take?

I've always loved romances that centered around sports. It was a toss-up between football and baseball. football winning only because it was football season when I started the book. I saw it as a three book series that takes place during one Seattle Knights season. After the Rain follows Logan on his journey back to the NFL after suffering a career ending injury.

It took me a month to write. I'm a fast writer. The story comes to me as I go along, taking twists and turns that I didn't see coming. Often, this happens when characters are speaking to each other. One of them will say something I didn't expect and suddenly they story has a new direction. I love when that happens.

2. Do you have photos and/or description of Logan and Claire?

I like to have my covers done before I start a book. I had a general idea of how Logan would look, but when I say the picture that is on the cover, I knew I had him. It is my favorite cover to date.

Claire wants to be a trainer for the Knights football team. I pictured an athletic woman. Tall and lean. A beautiful blonde to contrast Logan's dark hair and the dark place he has fallen into. Claire brings light into his life in so many ways. It was an important contrast for the book.

3. What are you working on now?

Today I am on page 6 of Dreaming of Your Love. It is the third book in my Hollywood Legends series. Book one is available and book two is getting a final polish before I put it out for pre-order. It will publish in March. I've finished book two in the football series. After All These Years is with my editor and will be out in April. I've given myself the challenge of putting out a book every month this year. I'm on track to do it, but we'll see. Life can throw you a loop. If I have to skip a month or two, it won't be the end of the world.


4. What all education do you have?

I graduated with a BA in English and a minor in photography from Eastern Washington University.

5. What are your hobbies?

At the moment? Writing. I love to read and movies are a passion. I'm always making references to movies in my books. I love to bake. Dessert of any kind. Though cookies are my favorite.

6. Do you like football AND who is your favorite NFL team?

I love sports. But football is right near the top. The Seattle Seahawks are my team. I've been a fan through the good and the bad. At the moment, they are a great team. But if that changes, I'll still be rooting them on.

7. What is your favorite thing about football in particular?
The intensity. The passion that you see on the field, every play, every second. It draws the viewers. I find it irresistible.



8. What do you suggest to any aspiring writers?
WRITE EVERY DAY. I talked about doing this for a long time. It isn't something you can do here an there. If you want to get better you have to do it on a regular basis. For me, that means doing it daily. Sometimes it is only a paragraph. Sometimes it is ten or fifteen pages. 

And don't sweat the small stuff. This is a frustrating business. Bad reviews, poor book sales. Those things are inevitable. You need to decide why you are doing this. If it's to make a lot of money, sorry. That isn't likely to happen. Especially right away. But it you love writing, then don't let anything discourage you. Some will read your book. Trust me. 

9. What is your favorite part of this book?

At the start of the story, Logan is in a very dark place. He's lost his dream and the future seems bleak. His journey out of the dark is my favorite part. Hope and a determined woman will do wonders for a man's attitude.

10. Who is/are your favorite Author(s)?

For me, it starts and ends with Nora Roberts/J. D. Robb. 

I was a historical romance girl before I started reading Nora Roberts. It changed the direction of my reading habits and the kind of books I decided to write. In my eyes, she can do no wrong.

11. Please share with us your social media links and book links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mary-J.-Williams/e/B00V041ET6/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Newsletter: http://www.maryjwilliams.net/home.html

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Mary-J-Williams-1561851657385417/…
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1NBmJbl
Google: https://plus.google.com/u/0/109603190507543932831/posts
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-j-williams
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/maryj0675/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/maryjwilliams05
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2015romance/
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1MQlkgg

12. Anything extra to add:

Thank you Deneale for giving me the opportunity to meet your readers. Happy reading, everyone.

 About the Author:

Want to know how to motivate yourself to write a book?
Have your favorite football team lose the Super Bowl.
On the last play.
With an interception.
The next day I was so depressed I tuned out all media. No TV, no internet, no newspapers--nothing. And I started to write. I'm still writing.
As you can see, a little motivation can do wonders.
Football will play a big part in a series of books due out next year. And since I'm writing the ending? No interceptions. Guaranteed.

Please feel free to stop by my Facebook page and my website.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mary-J-Williams/1561851657385417?ref=hl

Happy reading everyone.
Mary J Williams

After The Rain by Mary J. Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It hasn’t been easy for Claire Thorton, she is a woman with no money and no connections, however she is a woman who has earned everything she has on her own Claire is a strong woman who goes after her dreams, and get what she wants, and she feels it is high time to make a difference in her life.

Logan Price was an ex NFL football player for the Seattle Knights, who had injured his leg, and sent him back to Oklahoma. When he tried to make a comeback it caused him to go into a deep depression.

Logan meets his old friend who decides to offer him another chance. Logan had finally been able to be someone without football. He was currently working at his fathers bar, and running daily. Now Logan wasn’t sure if getting his hopes up, would kill him if he ended up losing everything all over again.

Claire has decided it was time to make something of herself and Logan. She decided that helping Logan get back to the NFL will prove to her detractors that she can be a trainer and that she is determined to make in a world where the males seem to dominate society.

It only takes one kiss for Logan and Claire to realize the two of them want and need one another to make both of their dreams come true.

This was my time reading a sport related book, and as a person who likes football, and understands it, I truly loved it. I also enjoy the NFL, and this book, “After the Rain” gives you real insight as to how players do get hurt, and just how much it damages them inside and out. People need to see and know that, it is an emotional and physical experience. Not many people see and know this. They just assume that these players that we all watch, and depend on to win us these football games, our heroes, are always indispensable, when in fact they are not. They are people just like we are. Side lining them, retiring them, and forgetting about them, takes a toll on them as much as letting them play.

This book is truly a wonderful realistic look, and for all of you who like football, the NFL, and all the wonders of it, you truly need to read this, and respect the writing that went into this book. Mary did a wonderful job, and I am truly impressed with her representation. This is a beautiful five star read, and well worth being entered into any contests to represent the NFL, or its players, and insight toward them. I think this book truly needs more recognition, there is more here than meets the eye. I was astounded, and couldn’t put it down, and honored to have been able to read and interview Mary.

View all my reviews

Black Wings by Iryna K. Combs

Black Wings

By: Iryna K. Combs

Here we are on a new planet, with two new types of people. And with two different types of people, come different opinions, resulting in wars, and with that come all sorts of new technologies. 

Annabel has her mind set to solve everyone’s problems, and it helps that she has learned what secret the leader has. Annabel thinks her best bet would be to escape and help her own kind, even if it means in the end, the loss of her own life. At least if she frees her people from their problems, her death will have not been in vain. 

Luckily, Annabel is successful, and now she can join her people at the other end of the planet. This is where she plans on making new friends, and a new start. Here she hopes to find romance, and safely remain free from the gruesome pain and tortures of the enemy.

Annabel must remain strong, and focused. Her feelings matter, but must not get in the way. She wants to be a normal everyday person, with a normal everyday life, but can she let herself settle down, or does she truly even want to? 

As I read this book, "Black Wings" I couldn’t help but sympathize with Annabel, taking care of her people, and wanting only the best for them. She is a very strong and focused woman. I give this book “Black Wings” five stars, as I truly enjoyed the intensity of it, very much so. I was worried, and distraught, wanting only the best to turn out. This was a truly enjoyable book, very sentimental. I felt the words like they were meant to be read, truly emotionally impacting me, every inch of the way!

Here are my questions to Iryna:

1. Why did you write this book and how long did it take?

"Black Wings" is written from a dream of mine. The dream that was stuck in my mind. I kept thinking and developing it further and further. One night I realized: Oh! I got an exciting story! I have to make into a book! Here is how it all started: amazing accident that is turning into one of the best things I ever done.

From the first word to the “The End” of rough manuscript was about two months in the writing. Another two months of editing while searching for a publisher and another two months of working with the publisher for the book to be released.

2. Do you have any photos or description of Annabel?

In fact, I do! When writing Black Wings I could perfectly imagine my main heroine Annabel. When I was in the prosses of creating cover design for my book with cover artist, the first cover she made did not impress me. I actually told her that I do not want faces in my book. I guess I was scared to explain how my Annabel looks like and be misunderstood. But something whispered to me to check out other covers my designer has made. So I did. And on the bottom of the page I happen to see one cover that had my imaginary Annabel looking at me. I could not believe what I saw. I wrote to my designer right away and told her the name of the book (which happened to be her own). She responded saying she still has more photos of the same model and when she sent me the new idea for my book, I fell in love with it! There she was, my Annabel, just like I pictured her. I ended up loving the idea I did not want before creating the cover. So I think it is good to have ideas but it is also good to stay open-minded to new things.

3. Can you describe the character Dexter or provide a photo?

I honestly searched many time to find somebody close to him but I had bad luck finding. Dexter is strong, tall, muscular, hot man. He has tanned skin, dark hair and blue eyes. I did not mention any facial hair, but he could sure have some. No tattoos, no piercings, no scars. He is handsome enough for any woman to lose mind over him.

 4. What are you working on now?

At this point I am working on my next book – realistic Biblical fiction/thriller. Needless to say I am in the process of studying Bible in order to have a better understanding of certain things and prophecies. It has been a joy of reading this book, thankfully I have Parallel Bible that is English and Russian, so makes it easier for me to understand scriptures. At this point I predict to have raw manuscript done by the mid spring. I already have a couple beta readers who are familiar with Bible and who are willing to help me to evaluate my work. It is exciting, but hard task as I am facing some questions and challenges making this book as close to prophecies as possible and still keeping it as fiction.

5. How long have you been writing?

To this day it has been only a little over a year. In the end of 2014 I started to write my first rough ideas of Black Wings. I began with first three chapters, writing little bit at a time.

6. Where is your favorite place to write?

It is my kitchen! It is my favorite place in the whole house. I like to make hot tea or chocolate, sit in my char (not the most comfortable things in the world but it works), the smell of dinner soothing me down and I am ready to create!

This answer of mine was also published in the Georgia Writes Association Magazine winter issue 2016, page 11. Link is here: http://issuu.com/exit271georgiawritersresource/docs/winter-2016/1

7. Did you always want to be a writer when you grew up? If not- what did/do you want to be when you grow/grew up?

Surprisingly I never found the writing career enjoyable and something I wanted to do when growing up. Literature was not my favorite subject and reading was not my favorite thing to do. I never wrote anything decent in my school life other than small poems.

Who did I want to be? A model. And I was modeling for a little while. Still like photo-shoots though but never have time and a wish for any more modeling.

8. What all education do you have?

I have middle school diploma and bachelor degree in finances (economics and enterprises was the name of my field) from European University of Ukraine.

Self-taught English, some psychology and body language.

 9. What are your hobbies?

Writing books when the time and inspiration allow me.

Cooking new unique dishes and trying new foods. Yes, I love unique and weird new food experiences.

Making hand-made jewelry (https://www.facebook.com/IrynasCrafts/)

 10. Please provide us with your social media and book links:

Website: http://ireneangel333.wix.com/blackwings

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iryna-K-Combs/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrynaKCombs

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/IrynaKCombs

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Wings-Iryna-K-Combs-ebook/dp/B0170VTQA6/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1454944240&sr=8-1

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0170VTQA6?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/black-wings-iryna-k-combs/1122411416;jsessionid=35B3170115355B0C686240BF91B5B55E.prodny_store02-atgap14?ean=2940151132060

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/black-wings-6

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/black-wings/id1051398674?mt=11

Roane Publishing: http://www.roanepublishing.com/product-p/bw-01.htm

11. Anything you'd like to add:

I want to thank readers for their interest in my book, for their time reading it and for sharing their thoughts about it. I love to hear from my readers and I value every review. I never argue the bad once even though I have not had those yet. But I always learn from every review and honored to know there is somebody is reading my creation, my book that came from a dream.

Thank you, Deneale for your questions and for the time corresponding with me. 

 About the Author:

Originally from the Ukraine, I am still considered a new face to America. Speaking three languages including English, that became just as natural to me as my native Russian. I grew up in a town on the south of Ukraine doing the same things that other kids my age did. Dreaming, hoping and wishing. Growing up, I spoke absolutely no English and never even saw myself somewhere abroad. Nevertheless writing a novel in another language! I went to the local school that brought mostly negative experience in my life. But it shaped me throughout the years. My college life was much better. I was known to study well and to go out partying as much as it was possible. In my first year of college I began to work in the marriage agency and met my future husband. We dated and traveled to most of the Europe along with Egypt.
When I finally got my fiancée visa, we both moved to the states, where soon after, got married. In the first few years I did some modeling and acting. Photo-shoots, run-way and photo in the magazine fulfilled my childhood's dream. A few years later I became a mother of a wonderful and most handsome little boy. Along with learning and experiencing motherhood, I began to make hand-made jewelry and organic soaps. This hobby turned into my small business and became bigger than I thought it would. In the last year I discovered: an author lives inside me. Never did I think that I would write an English book and that I would love doing it. But I did! And I loved it! For more about Iryna K Combs and her novel Black Wings visit her website: http://ireneangel333.wix.com/blackwings

Black Wings by Iryna K. Combs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Here we are on a new planet, with two new types of people. And with two different types of people, come different opinions, resulting in wars, and with that come all sorts of new technologies.

Annabel has her mind set to solve everyone’s problems, and it helps that she has learned what secret the leader has. Annabel thinks her best bet would be to escape and help her own kind, even if it means in the end, the loss of her own life. At least if she frees her people from their problems, her death will have not been in vain.

Luckily, Annabel is successful, and now she can join her people at the other end of the planet. This is where she plans on making new friends, and a new start. Here she hopes to find romance, and safely remain free from the gruesome pain and tortures of the enemy.

Annabel must remain strong, and focused. Her feelings matter, but must not get in the way. She wants to be a normal everyday person, with a normal everyday life, but can she let herself settle down, or does she truly even want to?

As I read this book, "Black Wings" I couldn’t help but sympathize with Annabel, taking care of her people, and wanting only the best for them. She is a very strong and focused woman. I give this book “Black Wings” five stars, as I truly enjoyed the intensity of it, very much so. I was worried, and distraught, wanting only the best to turn out. This was a truly enjoyable book, very sentimental. I felt the words like they were meant to be read, truly emotionally impacting me, every inch of the way!



View all my reviews