Guest Post & Giveaway from Author Marin Thomas

Today I am thrilled to have author Marin Thomas on the blog. I have read Marin’s upcoming novel THE PROMISE OF FORGIVENESS and fell in love with with it. It’s set in Oklahoma where I’m originally from, so she gets bonus points for that, but I’m telling you about it because it’s a wonderful story with a cast of characters that touched my heart. I was happy to provide the following endorsement to her publisher, but don’t just take my word for it. It has also been endorsed by none other than Debbie Macomber, Cathy Lamb, and a host of other wonderful novelists:

“Marin Thomas writes with charm and a wise understanding of how relationships work. The Promise of Forgiveness is a heartfelt novel set in rural Oklahoma that explores what happens when one woman takes a risk to find where her heart truly belongs. Lovely novel.” – Tina Ann Forkner, author of Waking Up Joy

To enter the Giveaway: One lucky commenter will also receive a copy of Marin’s previous novel A COWBOY’S REDEMPTION, so be sure to leave a comment after you read Marin’s post. I think you’ll enjoy reading about her writing journey. Thanks, Marin! (Contest ends Thursday, Februrary 23 at midnight PST.)

Without further chit-chat, here is Marin Thomas. I think you’ll enjoy hearing what she has to say about families.

Congratulations to the winner, KAREN MACHAMER! Thanks to all of you for entering! I hope you all will check out Marin’s books! 

 

 

Thank you, Tina for having me on your blog today!

As soon as I read Tina’s novel, Waking Joy, I knew we were soul mate authors. I loved Tina’s character, Joy Talley and her, funny, caring, interfering family. Tina’s fan’s will love her upcoming novel THE REAL THING—I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak at the book!

I’ve been writing western romances for Harlequin Books since 2004 and all of my stories revolve around family.  When I sat down to write a women’s fiction novel I knew that family would have to play an important role in the book. I believe family is what we make it, which is a common theme in my books.

How many of you have the perfect family? You know—no one in the group does anything wrong. No one hurt’s anyone’s feelings. All of the members are considerate and want what’s best for each other. And of course no one fights, argues or criticizes.

Yeah, I thought so—no one has the perfect family. But that’s okay, because our imperfect family helps us grow and discover things about ourselves that we never knew. Whether good or bad, our family experiences help us find our place and purpose in the world.

The word Family means different things to different people. Family can be a group of people or animals important to the person defining the word. People who choose not to marry or have children or are estranged from their families for various reasons might live with pets—I dare anyone to tell a pet owner that their furry friend does not qualify as family!

The Promise of Forgiveness explores the idea that family evolves and changes over time. People can have more than one family during their lifetime and its members often grow and shrink through the years. At the opening of my novel, Ruby is at a crossroads in her life—she’s a single mother, struggling to raise her teenage daughter, Mia, when their relationship takes a drastic turn. Ruby promises Mia a fresh start in a new town but before she can make good on that promise, Ruby discovers she’s been adopted.

Ruby’s biological father, Hank McArthur, calls her home to collect her inheritance—a dusty oil ranch in the Oklahoma. On their way to a fresh start, Ruby and Mia make a pit-stop in the town of Unforgiven to meet Hank.  Ruby’s plans are complicated when Mia bonds with her grandfather and the rescued horses on his ranch. Spending the summer on a rundown ranch isn’t part of Ruby’s plan to get back into her daughter’s good graces, but if she wants to salvage their relationship, Ruby must open her heart to the man who left her behind all those years ago.

Families fight. Siblings compete with one another for their parents’ attention and affection. Inevitably one sibling feels less loved or appreciated. But instead of wallowing in self-pity it’s important to acknowledge that often it is these experiences that are responsible for helping us develop our unique strengths, which make us a better, generous more caring person.  As Ruby discovers who she really is, she learns to forgive and by granting forgiveness she frees herself to become a better person—a better daughter and a better mother.

How do you define your family unit? Is it traditional or unique?

About Marin: Marin grew up in Janesville, Wisconsin and attended college at the University of Arizona where she played basketball for the Lady Wildcats and earned a B.A. in Radio-TV. Following graduation she married her college sweetheart in a five-minute ceremony at the historical Little Chapel of the West in Las Vegas, Nevada. Marin and her husband currently live in Houston where she spends her free time junk hunting and researching her next ghost tour. Marin Thomas writes Women’s Fiction for Berkley/NAL and western romances for Harlequin Books. To date she has contracted over 35 projects for Harlequin. Her first women’s fiction novel, The Promise of Forgiveness, will release March 2016. 

You can pre-Order The Promise of Forgiveness here.