Marin Thomas's Blog

Fun news...my 2017 Tule Publishing Holiday Romance made the list of top ten contentious and passionate romances between rivals adversaries published by Ezvid Wiki. Check out the cute video and the other books that made the list at...Ezvid Wiki.

This past January I had the opportunity to cross off another item on my bucket list. My husband and I moved and I arranged for a local medium to do a blessing of our new home. Boy, did I get my money’s worth. My love of history and fascination with the spirit world has led me to take many ghost tours, but much to my disappointment I’ve never had the pleasure of encountering a ghost. Tombstone, Arizona San Diego, CaliforniaGlobe, Arizona Having our new home blessed was the first time I came in contact with a medium. The medium went through the new house and said the kitchen and the master bedroom had a lot of negative energy. I wasn’t surprised because a few days earlier I had spoken with my new neighbor and learned the previous owners had gone through a nasty divorce. After the medium blessed the rooms with prayers and sage, she sprinkled salt around the doorways and the boundary of the property to help keep negative energy out. I specifically asked the medium if she sensed anyone had passed away in the house or if there were pets buried on the property. Thankfully no one had died there and no animals were buried in the yard. Things grew more interesting after the medium finished the blessing. She asked if I had family photos she could look at. As a matter of fact I did! The day before I brought over a box of old black-and-white photos of deceased relatives. I set the framed photos on the kitchen island and after studying them the medium pointed to one and said—“That’s her.” “What do you mean?” I asked.“That woman is here with us now.” The medium pointed to a photo of my paternal grandmother who had passed away when I was only eight years old. “She wants you to know that she’s your guardian angel,” the medium said. The medium went on to tell me that my grandmother has been a huge influence in my life, guiding my decisions and actions. It’s then that I began making connections between my grandmother and my career writing western romances. Before my grandmother died, I was too young to have had long conversations with her, and I rarely spent time alone with her. Yet, out of all the female grandchildren, I’m the one who looks most like her. Not that many years ago I learned that my grandmother grew up in Wyoming. She became a nanny and worked for a wealthy family who owned a ranch. She learned to ride a horse and spent her free time reading dime romance novels. I learned that she’d once been engaged to a rancher before meeting my grandfather and breaking off the engagement. My eldest cousin had been closer to my grandmother and has read all of my books. She said she sees bits and pieces of my grandmother’s personality in my heroines. I’m left to wonder if my grandmother has been by my side helping me write my stories all these years. Believers and nonbelievers have all kinds of explanations for the spirit world, but I thoroughly enjoyed the house-blessing experience and I choose to believe my grandmother has been guiding my writing career... because it makes me happy. Have you ever wondered if one of your deceased relatives has been guiding you through life? Until the next time we Flamingle …stay well!Marin

GIVEAWAYThere is nothing I like better than snuggling up with a good book and a cute dog on a cold, brisk winter’s night. To celebrate our newest family member this holiday season I’m giving away two signed copies of NEW YEARS AT THE GRAFF, two signed copies of HIS CHRISTMAS BABYand two $5 Amazon Gift Cards! Six prizes—six winners! I’m sorry to say #BugtheFrugis not part of the giveaway, but if you’d like to enter for a chance to win one of the prizes, all you have to do is share a special childhood holiday memory in the comment section of this blog. I will notify the winners by email on Tuesday December 11th.**Unfortunately there’s a glitch with my personal laptop and I apologize in advance for not being able to “Like” or “Reply” to your comments, but rest assured I’m looking forward to reading your favorite childhood holiday memory!I can’t remember a time without a family pooch during the holidays. Last year was the first Christmas I celebrated without a beloved pet, and some of the joy was definitely missing from the holiday. I knew it wouldn’t be long before we got another dog. We’re not sure who rescued whom in this relationship, but we were so happy to welcome Bug to our family this past September. Bug is part Frenchie—part Pug and approximately two years old. The Arizona Pug Life Rescue Societytook him in after he was found wandering the streets of Phoenix with a severe case of mange. After they nursed him back to health, we spotted his sweet face on their website and a short time later his foster mother brought him to our home for a meet-and-greet. We fell hard for the little guy and feel blessed to have him in our family. #BugTheFrug is on Instagram. If you’d like to follow him, you can find his page HERE.Until the next time we Flamingle....Bug and I wish you and your loved ones a joyous holiday and a safe and healthy 2019!***This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or any other social media site.

Once in a while I receive an email from a reader who wants to know what inspires me to write? My answer is always the same…people. I’m fascinated by how others view the world around us. And there’s no place better to people-watch than touring national monuments.This past October my husband and I took a three-day driving trip across Northern Arizona. Our first stop was the Grand Canyon. I’ve been to the Grand Canyon twice before and it never ceases to impress me. Did you know that the odds of dying in the Grand Canyon are 1 in 400,000 visitors? Still, I was amazed at how many people walked right up to the edge of the great abyss to take photos. We began our day at the Grand Canyon in the village, where the historic hotel, El Tovar is located. The famous Harvey House Hotel opened in 1903 and was operated by the Fred Harvey Company. If you’ve never been to the El Tovar you might have seen it in the movie, National Lampoon’s Family Vacation (1983) starring Chevy Chase. Across from the El Tovar is the Hopi House, built by Fred Harvey in 1904. The building was designed to resemble a traditional Hopi pueblo and famous inhabitants of the area were invited to be featured artisans tourists could buy Native American crafts.Next, we stopped at the Desert View Overlook, the most eastern viewpoint along the southern rim of the Grand Canyon where you’ll find the 1932 Historic Watchtower designed by American architect Mary Colter.The tower resembles an ancient Pueblo Peoples watchtower on a larger scale. The crumbling appearance of its base was intentional and designed to look like the tower was built on top of the ruins of another structure. The Desert View East south rim is also the location of the infamous June 30,1956 mid-air collision of a United Airlines Douglas DC-7 and a Trans World Airlines Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation. The pilots were attempting to avoid thunderheads in the area when they collided. All 128 passengers on both flights were killed, making it the first airline crash to result in over a hundreds deaths. On April 22, 2014, the TWA-United accident site was declared a National Historic Landmark, but the exact location of the crash has remained secret. Parks visitors only know that the planes fell from the sky near the rocky outcrops of Chuar Butte and Temple Butte. All but three of the bodies were interred in a mass grave at the Citizens Cemetery in Flagstaff, Arizona.Before we left the canyon that day, I sat for few minutes and enjoyed the awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping, magnificent beauty of Mother Nature while I reflected on the many blessing in my life. Lately, the world seems to be growing uglier and meaner, less beautiful. I hope this Thanksgiving when families are gathered together, everyone will make personal pledges to be a positive influence in the world. To be a friend, not a foe. To judge less, and sympathize more. To aspire to acts of random kindness. To be a positive role model for others. Until the next time we Flamingle…I’ll leave you with this beautiful photograph taken by blog subscriber, Johnny bhr.

Most of my stories take place in small towns and I usually include a hair salon as one of the local businesses. InThe Future She Left Behind I created Sadie’s Hair Salon—I DIPPITY DO FOR YOU. The hair stylist in this salon is similar to a stylist I went to in Phoenix, Arizona, in the eighties AKA the Big Hair decade.When I first met Tina, it took a moment to get over my shock at her appearance. She looked like Dolly Parton’s twin—big blond hair and hooters, tiny waist and curvy hips. Her clothes were covered in rhinestones and she wore red sparkly high heels. But Tina was more than a hair stylist-she was also a therapist. When her customers left the salon, they felt better about themselves and the problems in their lives. It was no wonder I had to book an appointment with her weeks in advance. There’s a lot of symbolism packed into a woman’s hairstyle. I had a friend in college whose boyfriend loved her long hair. When they broke up, she chopped her hair off because she didn’t want any reminders of him. In The Future She Left Behind the main character, Katelyn, wears her hair long because her mother-in-law hates the style. Later in the story when Katelyn cuts her hair, it symbolizes not only that she’s embracing a new identity after her divorce, but that she’s made progress in her relationship with her mother-in-law, Shirley. Let’s flamingle …what does your hair say about you?

So what’s up with the pink flamingo, you ask? A while back my assistant Denise and I were discussing blog topics that related to the kind of stories and characters I enjoy writing. While pondering our conversation, I experienced a flashback from my childhood.When I was a kid, my bedroom was upstairs at the front of our house. There were four large windows and I had a clear view of our neighbors’ homes. A really old lady lived across the street and every summer she’d stick three plastic flamingos in her front yard. I thought they were pretty and I asked my mother why we didn’t have flamingos in our yard. Mom rolled her eyes and said, “Flamingos belong in Florida not Wisconsin.”I loved my mother, but I decided we’d just have to disagree about flamingos. My love for the pink long necks hasn’t changed since my youth and on occasion I reference the birds in my books. However, it wasn’t until now—decades later after my chat with Denise—that I made the connection between my love of flamingos and the older characters I write about in my stories. SymbolizationFlamingos represent the importance of emotions and their free expression. Old people tell it like it is and don’t spare your feelings. Community and CooperationFlamingos live in large colonies and old people live in retirement communities or nursing homes. Flamingos are social creatures and they look out for each other. Old people enjoy being part of a group where they feel safe and protected.TalkativeFlamingos are known for being chatty. Old people love to get up in your business and they’ll carry on a conversation with anyone. NurturingFlamingos care deeply for their partner and their young. If you look beneath the surface of a crotchety old man or woman, you’ll discover a caring person. Cultural and Spiritual SymbolismIn Peru, Flamingos are believed to be scared birds that are the heroes, or saviors in stories. One of the benefits of growing old is gaining wisdom and sharing that insight with the younger generation. Flamingo Fun FactsThe pink flamingo lawn ornament was invented in 1957 by Don Featherstone. The fresh-out-of-art-school sculptor had been hired to create 3D plastic lawn and garden ornaments for Union Products in Leominster, Massachusetts. He modeled his prototypes after photos he'd seen in National Geographic.Plastic flamingos were popular with working-class homeowners but in the 1960s,hippies protested anything mass-produced and “unnatural” so the pink yard decorations became known as trashy and cheap.The pink lawn flamingo has been the official bird of Madison, Wisconsin, since 2009 when the city council voted to honor the plastic novelties in observance of the 30th anniversary of a 1979 University of Wisconsin Madison stunt in which students covered the campus's Bascom Hill with 1,000 bright pink birds. A flamingo appearing in your life might be teaching you to socialize more and to take time to have fun.And boy howdy do the old timers in my stories know how to have fun!GIVEAWAY!Old-timers have made a lifetime of mistakes, survived disappointments, tragedies, and have the scars to prove it. Their sass and uncensored speech as well as unconditional love make them great secondary characters in stories, providing humor as well as teaching us life lessons. For a chance to win a signed copy of my women’s fiction novel, The Future She Left Behind, which is full of quirky old people, tell me if you’re a pink flamingo lover or if you think the tall plastic birds ought to be outlawed on front lawns. Leave your answer on this blog post at https://www.marinthomas.com/blog. I’ll announce the winner in the comment section of this blog on Sunday September 9th and email the winner that day!Until the next time we flamingle...stay well!

So what’s up with the pink flamingo, you ask? A while back my assistant Denise and I were discussing blog topics that related to the kind of stories and characters I enjoy writing. While pondering our conversation, I experienced a flashback from my childhood.When I was a kid, my bedroom was upstairs at the front of our house. There were four large windows and I had a clear view of our neighbors’ homes. A really old lady lived across the street and every summer she’d stick three plastic flamingos in her front yard. I thought they were pretty and I asked my mother why we didn’t have flamingos in our yard. Mom rolled her eyes and said, “Flamingos belong in Florida not Wisconsin.”I loved my mother, but I decided we’d just have to disagree about flamingos. My love for the pink long necks hasn’t changed since my youth and on occasion I reference the birds in my books. However, it wasn’t until now—decades later after my chat with Denise—that I made the connection between my love of flamingos and the older characters I write about in my stories. SymbolizationFlamingos represent the importance of emotions and their free expression. Old people tell it like it is and don’t spare your feelings. Community and CooperationFlamingos live in large colonies and old people live in retirement communities or nursing homes. Flamingos are social creatures and they look out for each other. Old people enjoy being part of a group where they feel safe and protected.TalkativeFlamingos are known for being chatty. Old people love to get up in your business and they’ll carry on a conversation with anyone. NurturingFlamingos care deeply for their partner and their young. If you look beneath the surface of a crotchety old man or woman, you’ll discover a caring person. Cultural and Spiritual SymbolismIn Peru, Flamingos are believed to be scared birds that are the heroes, or saviors in stories. One of the benefits of growing old is gaining wisdom and sharing that insight with the younger generation. Flamingo Fun FactsThe pink flamingo lawn ornament was invented in 1957 by Don Featherstone. The fresh-out-of-art-school sculptor had been hired to create 3D plastic lawn and garden ornaments for Union Products in Leominster, Massachusetts. He modeled his prototypes after photos he'd seen in National Geographic.Plastic flamingos were popular with working-class homeowners but in the 1960s,hippies protested anything mass-produced and “unnatural” so the pink yard decorations became known as trashy and cheap.The pink lawn flamingo has been the official bird of Madison, Wisconsin, since 2009 when the city council voted to honor the plastic novelties in observance of the 30th anniversary of a 1979 University of Wisconsin Madison stunt in which students covered the campus's Bascom Hill with 1,000 bright pink birds. A flamingo appearing in your life might be teaching you to socialize more and to take time to have fun.And boy howdy do the old timers in my stories know how to have fun!GIVEAWAY!Old-timers have made a lifetime of mistakes, survived disappointments, tragedies, and have the scars to prove it. Their sass and uncensored speech as well as unconditional love make them great secondary characters in stories, providing humor as well as teaching us life lessons. For a chance to win a signed copy of my women’s fiction novel, The Future She Left Behind, which is full of quirky old people, tell me if you’re a pink flamingo lover or if you think the tall plastic birds ought to be outlawed on front lawns. Leave your answer on this blog post at https://www.marinthomas.com/blog. I’ll announce the winner in the comment section of this blog on Sunday September 9th and email the winner that day!Until the next time we flamingle...stay well!

If you're haven't read the Love at the Chocolate Shop series here's your chance to try an eBook for FREE! SWEET HOME COWBOY will be available for FREE until July 31st, so grab your copy now before you forget. I'm certain after reading this story you'll be hooked on the town of Marietta, Montana, and will want to read the other stories in this sweet contemporary multi-author collection. ***When Marietta newcomer Elena Puente is coerced into attending a speed-dating event at the popular Copper Mountain Chocolate shop, she’s blindsided by a serious attraction to local cowboy, Wesley Banks. Still recovering from a broken engagement, the first-grade teacher from Las Vegas isn’t looking for romance. She’s in Montana to get to know the great-grandfather she never knew existed until she found some hidden family letters. Judge Kingsley is a grouchy recluse and he’s far from welcoming, but Elena is determined to stay in town long enough to give his neglected estate on Bramble Lane a facelift. Elena’s resolve to avoid romance is tested when she discovers Wesley is the caretaker of her grandfather’s rural property. Soon, she and the cowboy are attending more speed-dating events at the chocolate shop and she’s seeking his advice on how to deal with his ornery boss. Local gossips wager the old Judge will run Elena out of town before anything serious develops between her and Wesley. But Wesley’s a determined man, too, and he’s betting Elena belongs in Marietta forever…with him.Amazon Reviews"I loved this story! The speed dating is hilarious and I love watching Elena and Wesley dance around each other. My favorite part of the whole story is watching the relationship develop between the Judge and Elena...He's so cantankerous and yet sweet."~ LBM"There were wonderful twist and turns that surprised and lifted me. The characters were very believable and strong in their own feelings. Loved how you created a very strong granddaughter who knew how to twist her grandfather around her little finger and teach him about LOVE. So happy that Wes and Elena finally realized what was important and the entire family came together. Really really enjoyed this story immensely." ~Judi T."Marin Thomas returns us to Marietta, MT, a small town of beautiful homes, friendly people, full of gossipmongers, and handsome cowboys. Sweet Home Cowboy is a fun, sweet romance. It is also a family bonding story between a great-grandfather and his great-granddaughter, both who were unaware of each other’s existence. Well-developed characters, a fun plot of the characters meeting by an accidental crashing of a speed-dating event, obstacles to overcome, and the blossoming romance. You are left with a more than satisfying HEA and the true love message of “When you truly love someone, you put the other person’s wants and needs before your own.” ~SOMDReigel"I have to say that I really enjoyed this book in the Love at the Chocolate Shop romance set. There’s just so much going on and all of it ties together very nicely. Finally finding out the story behind Judge Kingsley was great as I always wondered what was going on there with him. He’s not the main character but a large part of the story. Mainly, the book is about his granddaughter, Elena, and her building relationship with Wesley. How they meet is a riot as he is at the Chocolate Shop for a speed dating event and she is accidentally drawn into it. Their initial questions are delightful and funny. I loved how their relationship develops even though they continue to go to the rest of the speed dating events. Quirky and fun!" ~ PaulalalaGet Your Free CopyAmazonB&NAppleKoboIndigoAngus & RobertsonTule Bookshop

NEW RELEASE!Suddenly A Single DadReid Hardell never imagined he’d become a single dad or that he’d ever return to his family’s ranch in Stampede, Texas. But for his newfound daughter’s sake, Reid is coming home, hoping his estranged brothers can help him master fatherhood. Life in Stampede has an unexpected perk—reconnecting with gorgeous Scarlett Johnson. Until Reid discovers she’s the new social worker on his custody case.In working with Reid and his daughter, Scarlett finds a connection she thought was impossible. She wants more than anything to be part of their family, but a relationship could jeopardize their case and her job. How can she turn away from having everything she’s ever wanted—even if it’s the right thing to do?Read an ExcerptCowboys of Stampede, Texas SeriesMy final series for Harlequin Western books revolves around three brothers who are doing their best to look after the family ranch and keep their grandfather, the mayor of Stampede, in line. When Grandpa Emmett’s former high-school flame, widow Amelia Rinehart sets her sights on renovating the old pueblo, Grandpa digs his boot heels in. Amelia enlists the aid of her great nieces from Wisconsin and suddenly the Hardell brothers are having second thoughts about helping their grandfather derail the matriarch's renovation plans.Creating Stampede, TexasI’ve written lots of contemporary westerns using different locations for my stories and the Texas Hill Country remains my favorite. Even though I love Texas, my roots are planted deep in my blue-collar hometown of Janesville, Wisconsin. When I create towns for my stories, I always include bits and pieces of my old stomping grounds. More often than not you’ll find an old Woolworth building in my stories. I have fond memories of shopping at Woolworth with my grandmother and eating hotdogs at the lunch counter. The fictitious Woolworth store in Stampede, Texas, closed its doors decades ago and now the basement houses the town library. You’ll find other tidbits of my childhood in this series like traveling carnivals, petting zoos, wheel barrow rides, tree houses, and a beautiful Victorian home much like the ones I grew up near. And what would a series be without a vintage motel in it?GIVEAWAY!I’m giving away a signed copy of the first book in my Cowboys of Stampede series~THE COWBOY'S ACCIDENTAL BABY. If you opened this newsletter, you’re automatically entered into the drawing—no need to do anything else. I’ll email the winner on Sunday June 10th.*And congratulations to newsletter subscriber Lacey Waters who won the Texas cookie cutters in my Mother's Day giveaway!Until next time...happy reading!

Dear Friends,I want to wish all of you a happy Mother’s day! Whether you have children or not, Oprah Winfrey is right when she says “Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother.”Most of us have volunteered our time and energy to making our communities better. Maybe you coached a children’s sports team, or you donate regularly to a local food pantry. Perhaps you volunteer to teach Sunday school or you purchase Girl Scout cookies every year, even though you're dieting.Women from all walks of life, religions, ethnicities and vocations have one thing in common~empathy. We understand and share the feelings of others. Empathy is especially pronounced around children, whether ours or someone else’s. Empathy is something to be proud of. Mother’s Day is for every woman who has helped a child or someone in need.Still, Mother's Day can be a bittersweet holiday for those of us who have already lost our mothers. My mom has been gone for over 12 years and I miss her dearly. As I've grow older I’ve noticed that I’m picking up some of her habits. Mom loved looking through magazines for new recipes and then she’d write them down on pieces of scratch paper and toss them into her cookbooks. Instead of magazines I browse cooking blogs on my laptop. I print them off and put them into a vintage red tin. Whenever I browse recipes, I think of my mother and all the wonderful meals she made for our family. I hope this day is filled with fond memories of mothers who have passed and new memories of moms still with us.GIVEAWAYThey say…”everything is bigger in Texas!” My mother loved Texas, so I’m celebrating her this Mother's Day by giving away the Texas & Alamo cookie cutters. If you opened this newsletter, you’re automatically entered into the drawing—no need to do anything else. I’ll email the winner on Saturday May 19th. ....stay well and be happy!