Monthly Archives: September 2013

Guest Post — Jennie Marts

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Welcome to the Blog, Jennie Marts, good friend and fellow Coloradan. Everyone here at Through Heart-Shaped Glasses knows what September and the fall means…TELEVISION! Jennie’s here to give us her scoop on how tv works out for her. 😀

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Tales of a Television Show Hoarder

By Jennie Marts

Fall is in the air, which means an end to lazy summer days filled with reading books and eating popsicles and a start to crisp, cool days, getting out our favorite sweaters, cuddling under blankets to read, and eating everything pumpkin, from our bread to our lattes. It is also the time to clean out the DVR and get excited for all of our favorite premieres.

I don’t know about you, but my DVR is always at about 80% full, yet I complain that I never have anything to watch. I think I am a bit of a television-show Hoarder.

This fall, as I prepared to record my favorite reality TV show, Survivor (die-hard fan! Haven’t ever missed an episode!), I realized that I never watched the final three American Idols and I never heard who the winner was all summer. That told me I could probably stand to miss those last three episodes. But I was behind nine Glees and couldn’t bear to lose any of those because they had Cory in them (so sad). But you really have to be in the mood to watch Glee.

I record every Modern Family because that shows makes me snort-laugh and then I don’t delete them because I tell myself I will watch them again. (I don’t). I always have a few Ellens in there if I saw she had a celebrity guest that I loved (I had saved a show with Philip Philips-love him! And I love those spots with Sophia Grace and Rosie-those little girls kill me!)

My favorite show is Hart of Dixie so I try to keep several of those on my DVR. I don’t want to watch them too fast because then I would run out. They are best savored, when you have time to just sit down and enjoy watching Wade…er, I mean…the antics of the town of Bluebell.

Like cleaning out those closets and tossing the clothes you never wear, I sucked it up and made some room in the DVR (in reality, I also did a marathon run of trying to watch every show in my list in one afternoon!) So many new and exciting shows to start filling up my list with again. I never miss a Parenthood and as a writer, I ADORE watching Castle! And The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones can’t get here fast enough!

Soon my DVR will be back to 85% capacity, full of exciting shows to watch. And you will most likely find me in my favorite spot, curled under a blanket with my golden retriever, Cooper, in the corner of the sofa, an icy cold Diet Coke and a bowl of Cheetos on the end table, with my head buried in a book, the television and my list of hoarded shows forgotten, as I lose myself in the magic of a story.

Now it’s your turn, tell me what show is filling up your DVR or that you are most excited to have come back this Fall. I am giving away a Kindle copy of my romantic comedy, Another Saturday and I Ain’t Got No Body, to a random commenter. It is the first in the Pleasant Valley Page Turners series and the second book is due out later this fall.

Please like my Facebook page to stay up to date on all the details at: https://www.facebook.com/JennieMartsBooks   Thanks for stopping by today!

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Jen Profile PicJennie Marts has been dreaming about writing a novel since she was in fifth grade and self-published her first Nancy Drew style mystery to a small readership of family, teachers, and two friends.

She lives in Colorado with her husband, two sons, and two dogs. Tucker, her golden retriever, was the inspiration for the dog, Beau, in this story.

Jennie enjoys being a member of (RWA) Romance Writers of America, the Pikes Peak Chapter of RWA, and Pikes Peak Writers.

JennieMarts_AnotherSaturdayNight_200-COVERJennie spends her spare time playing volleyball and reading and believes you can’t have too many books, shoes or friends.

Jennie loves to hear from readers. Visit her website at www.jenniemarts.com , follow her on Facebook at Jennie Marts Books , or Twitter at @JennieMarts.

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Sunny’s not sure she’s even looking for Mr. Maybe, when her friends decide to find her Mr. Right.

Sunny Vale considers herself a dog-loving, romance-reading, homebody. But her life goes from dull to deadly when her book club fires her from her own love life and sets her up on six blind dates- one of whom might be with a murderer. More trouble arrives in the dead of night, in the form of Jake Landon, a mysterious stranger, who breaks into her neighbor’s house and possibly her heart. But Jake is packing more than a loaded gun in his well-fitting Levi’s. He brings an arsenal of secrets and plenty of heat to Sunny’s ho-hum summer.

Jake Landon finds himself caught up in the capers of the sexy blonde in the house next door. But he has his own agenda which doesn’t involve playing hero to a curvy second-grade teacher and babysitting her panty-puking puppy. He’s got other problems like fiery explosions, a missing person…and a parade of jerks Sunny insists on dating.

Could Sunny’s Mr. Right be right under her nose? Even though Jake is gorgeous, likes her dog, and has abs she can crack an egg on, can she really go out with him if he’s just murdered her next door neighbor?

Women of all ages will enjoy this tale of humorous, women’s fiction, that also has a touch of cozy mystery in this small town love story.

About Beth Rhodes

Beth jumps into life with both feet...or head first. Impulsive and spontaneous to a T, she joined Passionate Critters and never looked back. She loves writing and reading, which made this wonderful group of woman a perfect match for her.

The Wonder of Fall

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Hi everyone!

I’m the new kid on the block and I hope to keep each of you entertained during my day each month. I’m Lynn Crain and I write…well…a lot of stuff. LOL! I mainly write sci-fi, fantasy and romance. This includes all their subgenres as well. I do the occasional contemporary when the mood strikes me but overall I love the odd stuff. But on to the reason I’m hear.

Every year while I was living in southern Nevada, the seasons would come and go. Little changed during spring or fall because when you live in the hot southwest, there are truly only two seasons: hot and cold. I’m a seasons kind of girl and had begged my husband to find me a place with seasons. I wanted colorful leaves, I wanted snow and I wanted to see the new life that spring brings.

Well, I’m here to say that the adage ‘Be careful what you wish for’ is so very, very true. My husband was offered a wonderful job that we just couldn’t turn down. There was just one minor glitch…it was in Europe…Austria matter of fact. My husband beamed as he took the job as he’d finally moved me to a place with seasons. Never mind that he also separated me from those I love most…but…that’s another story.

We moved in the late spring of May and I was gone most of that first summer as we hadn’t completely closed up the house. I had to go home and finish that so when I came back, the coolness of the coming fall could be felt in the air. While I was gone, our air conditioner or rather heat pump, was put in so we had a special unit that would heat or cool the main rooms. This was good as I can go either way depending upon the season.

One morning, I woke up and stumbled to my office and gazed out the window. A slow smile spread on my face as I saw, really saw for the first time in years and during the right time, the colors of fall. Our flat overlooks the Schwartzenburg and Belvedere Palaces’ gardens. We’re 4-5 stories up and the view is spectacular.Fall-Resized

Bet you’re wondering just how a building can have 4.5 floors. Well see, there are garden flats in our building and the windows are at street level and slightly below. That gives us the ½ floor. The ground floor is considered floor 0 or earth and the second floor is called the first here. You have no idea how long it took to get the floors right, to understand the dates or to even say hi in German, the language spoken here.

But I didn’t care a twit about all that. I would cope as outside my window were brilliant mauves and golds, reds and even some greens still left on the trees. Fall is when the world winds down so it can get its second wind. It’s laying in the foundation for spring when all the beautiful flowers would blossom and share themselves with the world.

Fall and winter are my two favorite seasons. I love how life seems to slow down a little as kids go back to school, as we get more organized and structured for the cold months ahead. Fall is also new beginnings. Kids go to school for the first time, whether it be college or kindergarten, there’s still a moment or two of angst from both the parents and the child. Moms, who have been waiting for the freedom school brings, can get back to their reading, writing, designing and shaping the lives of their families.

Now while I don’t get that very much any more, I was incredibly amazed when all my kids, grandkids and even my daughter-in-law went back to school. It was fun to watch each of them. My oldest son seemed more jazzed that he got to go back to school. It’s been a while for him. The youngest is excited that he’s finally found something to do. The daughter-in-law needed to learn medical coding/billing so she could go work for a doctor she knows. The twin grandsons were the most excited and they literally bounced to and from that first day. And I know if I find some online classes, I’ll be right there with them. LOL!

How does your household and family react to the season change and new beginning? Do they love it? Hate it? Don’t forget to leave a comment and be entered into our monthly giveaway.

As for me, I’ll be sitting in my office, typing away and watching the leaves turn to those brilliant shades.

About Lynn Crain

Award winning author Lynn Crain has done it all in her life. From nursing to geology, her life experiences have added to her detail rich stories. She loves writing full time as she weaves contemporary, fantasy, futuristic and paranormal tales, tame to erotic, for various publishers. Her home is in the desert southwest and she’s just returned from her latest adventure of living in Vienna, Austria while her husband worked his dream job. You can find her hanging out online at www.lynncrain.blogspot.com, https://www.facebook.com/LynnCrainAuthor, and on Twitter, @oddlynn3. She loves hearing from her readers at lynncrain@cox.net.

A New Season–I’m late!!!

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OMG! I’m so late, and so forgetful!

It’s back-to-school month here and today is my BIRTHDAY! Whoohoo! The big 3.7. But maybe I shouldn’t say that… do you think readers will avoid an author, knowing their age is getting up there? Eeek! I hope not. I love my AGE.

Things to love about the 30s.

Life has a groove and at thirty, I finally hit it. The phrase ‘know thyself ‘ comes to mind. And so does the phrase ‘great sex’…yes, it really does only get better!! I love where I am. I love who I’m with.

God knew what he was doing when he made the Thirties! I can only imagine the Forties will be just as good. Here’s a good way to start MONDAY, on my Birthday! Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP9b_91PHi8&feature=share

 

About Beth Rhodes

Beth jumps into life with both feet...or head first. Impulsive and spontaneous to a T, she joined Passionate Critters and never looked back. She loves writing and reading, which made this wonderful group of woman a perfect match for her.

Learning to be a more social me?

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2012-08-09 10.58.30It’s taken me a long time to be okay with standing on the sidelines and not jumping into the cold water just because every one else is doing it. While I was never a “follower” in the classic sense, and my school days weren’t always fun because I didn’t often conform, there are times you question the sanity of the way you’ve been doing things.

What’s everyone doing these days?

The latest “pool” is what I consider social media overload. And over the past few months I’ve learned that I do not want to spend my time learning the ins and outs of every social media site out there – and even worse, I do not want to post my entire life online.

Do I have to?

I’m just fine with standing along the sidelines, picking and choosing the sites that work best for me and embracing them. If social media is about being social, how can that happen if we’re in a hundred different places at once? Sure there are plenty of sites where you can schedule your tweets, your Facebook postings, and yes…I did schedule this blog before it went live. 🙂 But, are we really just fooling ourselves that this is a conversation? Because if everything is scheduled and you’re never “there” to interact – who is conversing? No one. We’re all just drive-by posting, tossing stuff against the wall hoping it will stick and get some likes or retweets or repins.

How is that helping me? Do I need to take classes or go back to school to learn how to text with both fingers on a virtual keyboard?

I’m a social girl by nature…get me in a room, give me a drink and I’ll talk your ears off all night long – but develop relationships and conversations online in dozens of places? Not so much. And it’s taken me a long time to learn that it’s okay to be me wherever I am. I want to be comfortable, and make real connections – because that’s who I am. I’m more comfortable with a few places I can learn well.

So, if you’re looking for me online and really want to connect with me – you can find me here, and on personal blog once a week. I tweet (@deboradennis) and I respond to tweets if you mention me. I’m on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/deboradennis.author) and comment and reply to everyone who posts on my page. I also enjoy Pinterest (deboradennis). Where won’t you find me? I don’t instagram, I don’t tumblr or reddit, I have a page at Goodreads – but rarely go there. Is there anything I missed – I bet there are dozens of places I don’t even know about.

Tell me where I can find you!

Don’t forget that every comment this month is entered into our random monthly giveaway! So don’t be shy!

 

 

About Debora Dennis

A believer in second chances and that time should never be an obstacle to finding love, Debora writes time travels with modern snark and spice! When she's not writing, she's spending time with her family, reading, or trying to figure out a way to get chocolate into every dish she serves.

Learning Never Stops

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We don’t have back to school in our house. We have an empty nest. But with so much of our lives lived online these days, it’s almost impossible to not be affected by your friends or family getting the kids ready for another year. Personally I love September.Young Girl Does Her Math Homework

It’s a time for review, a reminder if you will, about tasks that need to be completed before years end. The weather is cooling a bit, so it’s time to dig out all the wonderful recipes you don’t make in the summer because they require using the oven. It’s the holiday train at station 3 ¾ picking up steam headed straight into, dare I say it? I can’t bear it. Let’s just say some sort of holiday or reason to shop for something from here on out.

It’s also a time I use to assess my writing, what I’ve accomplished through the year, and what I still want to learn.  Yes, learn. Advertisements are starting to show up for next spring’s writer’s conferences, along with requests for leading workshops, and teaching online classes. I don’t know many writers who aren’t either attending some sort of class about something do to with writing, or teaching the same.

But I don’t always take classes about writing. Let’s not forget all the jokes people make about romance writers and research. Certainly some of them are true. I’m just not at liberty to say which parts. In order to suspend disbelief for the reader we need to understand the settings we’ve placed our stories in, as well as the jobs our characters have, and many other things. In short we need to give our readers something to identify with. It’s true that we’re not born knowing everything. If only that were the case!!

If I weren’t a writer I’d probably be a professional student. I love learning new things. I’ve taken classes on weaponry, witchcraft, serial killers, army infantry, knitting, calligraphy, and many other things. As writers we are always working to perfect our craft. And that’s at best an elusive goal. But the journey is one I wouldn’t trade for anything.

I think my favorite class was the one I took at a community college to learn calligraphy. I didn’t realize just how much there is to the alphabet.

Is there a class you’ve taken that you absolutely loved?

 

About Beth Rhodes

Beth jumps into life with both feet...or head first. Impulsive and spontaneous to a T, she joined Passionate Critters and never looked back. She loves writing and reading, which made this wonderful group of woman a perfect match for her.

First Day of Class – 2nd chances!

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1176000_black_notebook_with_pencil

You walk into the new classroom with your new backpack, sparkling new shoes, new outfit that you’ve tried on a few times before today, and school supplies you’ve recently purchased. The idea of crisp white paper, never written upon excites you.

Your classmates are staring at you. You nervously inch to the back of the room, hoping you’re invisible. But then you notice the cute boy across the way, laughing with his friends. They turn their eyes toward you. Your cheeks heat up. You drop your backpack and all your belongings fall out to the floor. You quickly try to pick up everything, only to have a pair of brand new sneakers come into view. You look up. It’s the cute boy. Your breath lodges in your throat and you try to smile, except you give him a wobbly glare instead.

He shrugs and walks away. Then you call yourself a million times a fool and think these things only happen to you. You shove all your supplies into your backpack and scramble to the seat in the back of the classroom. The boys are laughing about something but you’re pretty sure they’re making fun of you.

First day of school. Sound familiar?

It’s amazing how fast times flies. As a child, I always wished I was older and could skip past the awkward encounters, the learning curves of puberty and adulthood, and worst of all relationships and figuring out what I want to be when I get older. Now that I’m older, I would give anything to go back to being a child. Life was so much more carefree. School was exciting. And I didn’t have to worry about how my book sucked or battle the uncertainties of being a writer or go through the struggles of submission and finding the perfect agent.

In actuality, I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be. Do you know?

I actually went to school for marketing but find that writing interests me like no other career. I remember when I used to go to school with my composition notebook and write notes and jot down ideas throughout the school day. Then I’d go home and put my notes and story ideas onto paper in longer paragraphs. The writer in me started the day I picked up my first romance book when I was nine.

If I did have another chance at school, I think I would go back for my MFA. Just so that I could study the art of writing and wrap myself in the great literary stories introduced in classes I’ve seen. I’d have a ball freelancing and writing creative stories, just because I had to do it for homework. Doesn’t that sound awesome?

If you had a second chance to be back in school, what would you do?

 

 

About Beth Rhodes

Beth jumps into life with both feet...or head first. Impulsive and spontaneous to a T, she joined Passionate Critters and never looked back. She loves writing and reading, which made this wonderful group of woman a perfect match for her.

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