Friday, July 16, 2010

Media Blitz Contest Today!



Today only we're running a one-day Media Blitz Contest to promote The Codys: First Family of Rodeo miniseries by Harlequin American Romance.

CONTEST RULES

Read this blog, then spread the word! Mention Dexter: Honorable Cowboy (July 2010) and The Codys: First Family of Rodeo miniseries on all your favorite social media sites--Facebook, MySpace, Twitter. The more places you link http://www.harauthors.blogspot.com/
to and help promote Dexter: Honorable Cowboy the more chances you have to win an autographed copy of the book and one of the cowboy items featured in the photo above.

Earn additional chances to win if you refer a friend and they in turn post a link to their favorite social media websites. Be sure to return to http://www.harauthors.blogspot.com/ and tell us where you're spreading the word in the comment section of the blog—we'll keep a tally of your activity, then post the winners' names in the comment section of the blog--check the blog on July 17th to see if you're one of the lucky winners!

The Special Bond Twins Share

Facts about Twins

• Fraternal twins result when two different eggs are fertilized by two different sperm.
• Fraternal twins are more common than identical twins and account for about 2/3 of twin pregnancies.
• Even after they are born, it is sometimes difficult to know whether twins are identical or fraternal.
• Fraternal twins make up approximately 75% of the twin population and can be boy/boy, girl/girl, or boy/girl sets.
• Fraternal twins share up to 50% of their genes, and are no more alike or different than any two siblings would be.
• Africa sees the highest incidence of fraternal twins; Asia, the lowest.
• The actor Ashton Kutcher has a fraternal twin brother named Michael

Before writing Dexter: Honorable Cowboy I Googled fraternal twins and came across lots of interesting information. The one thing that struck me was research claiming that although fraternal twins don't share an identical genetic code, they do share a special bond. When I got to thinking about it, I realized that as fraternal twins mature they experience many things in life at the exact same emotional and physical point of their development. However, that doesn't mean the outcome of the experience is the same for each twin.

Dexter-- serious, dependable, hard-working, honorable.
Dusty-- fun, playful, teasing, charismatic and the better-looking twin.
Both brothers once had a crush on the same girl--Josie Charles—but Dusty's charismatic ways and good looks won the girl and Dexter suffered silently in the background as he watched his brother and Josie date throughout high school. Eventually Dusty and Josie broke up and moved on, but that experience remained with Dexter all his life. The special bond between Dexter and Dusty is tested when Josie Charles returns to Markton, WY. After all these years, Dexter discovers his feelings for Josie haven't changed, but before he gets excited about a "second-chance" at love, he learns Dusty is the father of Josie's young son.

It is that "special bond" between twin brothers that Dexter struggles with throughout the book. He wants to support Dusty and encourages him to do the right thing and marry Josie and be a father to their son, but at the same time he believes he's the better candidate for husband and father. Once again Dusty stands in the way of what Dexter wants, which creates stress and tension between the two brothers. But it is the special bond they share that in the end allows both brothers to do what's best for Josie and her son.

I hope you'll pick up a copy of Dexter: Honorable Cowboy and see how Dex and Dusty settle their differences—then let me know if you think the right man won the girl!

P.S. Be sure to return in August for another one-day only Media Blitz Contest when Cathy McDavid blogs about Dusty: Wild Cowboy (Book 3 in The Codys: First Family of Rodeo miniseries. If you missed the first book Walker: The Rodeo Legend (June 2010) by Rebecca Winters, you can still order the book through online retailers. You can also keep up on the Codys at http://www.firstfamilyofrodeo.blogspot.com/
where the miniseries authors post a new blog about cowboys every Wednesday.

See you at next rodeo!
Marin

21 comments:

Lynn Cahoon said...

I posted the link to my facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/lynn.cahoon

Nicole's Book Musings said...

I posted the link to my facebook and twitter accounts.

Interesting facts about fraternal twins.

Marin Thomas said...

Lynn & Nicole

Thanks for stopping by and spreading the word!

Marin

shelley galloway said...

Hi Marin,

I've posted the link to my Facebook page!

I love this series!!

Leigh Duncan said...

Hey, Marin. No need to enter my name into the contest, but I wanted to let you know that I FB'd, twittered and posted a note on my blog. Love those Codys!

Marin Thomas said...

Hi Shelley & Leigh!

Thanks for stopping by and spreading the word, we're grateful for your support!

Marin

Rebecca Winters said...

Howdy, Marin!

Your book is off to great start! I've seen you in spots 1, 2, 3 and 4 on the major book sales at Amazon, B&N and Borders... Way to go! I've been posting links to some of my writer friends who don't do facebook... Let's hope this series just skyrockets!

Hugs, Becky

Nancy J. Parra said...

Yay, I've been so looking forward to this book. The series is great fun. Thanks for the info on twins.

I've tweeted this and linked it on my blog.

Cheers~

Pamela Britton said...

Thanks for the fun facts on twins, Marin. Very interesting!

M.L. Rhodes said...

Hey Marin! Great blog and fascinating stuff on twins. I loved Dexter's book--he's such an awesome hero!

BTW, I posted a link on my personal Facebook page. :)

Hugs,
ML

robynl said...

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1309383726&ref=profile&v=info#!/profile.php?id=1309383726&v=wall&ref=profile

this is where I posted on my fb page; so sorry about the long url as I don't really know what I'm doing(some things work some don't) for me. LOL. Thanks.

what an awesome prize.

robynl said...

HAR has a cowboy series out that's yummy!! Dexter: Honorable Cowboy (July 2010) and The Codys: First Family of Rodeo miniseries.

I put this on Twitter;it wouldn't let me say the full Harlequin America Romance authors,(I know little about tweeting).

yourstrulee(at)sasktel(dot)net

robynl said...

I believe I'd like this series as I am a twin- sister to brother.

Marin Thomas said...

Nancy, Pamela, ML, Robynl

Thanks for stopping by and spreading the word about the Codys!

Marin

linda s said...

I'm telecommunicatingly challenged but I did want to say I loved Dexter and Dusty is going to have to work hard to redeem himself. lol

Marin Thomas said...

CONTEST WINNERS!!!

Thanks to all who participated in our second one-day only Media Bltiz Contest.

Will the following winners please contact me at marin@marinthomas.com with your name and snail mail address.

Lynn
Nicole S
Robynl
M.L.Rhodes

Thanks again for helping to spread the word about The Codys: First Family of Rodeo!

Marin

robynl said...

thank you Marin and congrats to the other winners; e-mail sent.

Varina M said...

What an interesting post. I'd heard that fraternal twins were no more alike genetically than any separately-born pair of siblings, but I hadn't taken the next step of thinking about how experienceing the same life events at the same time--but from different perspectives--would affect them. Also I'd heard an announcement of the title of Cathy McDavid's new book but hadn't known anything about the series, so I'm glad I happened to come over here.

Marin Thomas said...

Varina

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you'll pick uo the Codys series and tell us what you think about all the siblings! It's a great family drama miniseries.

Marin

Marin Thomas said...

Varina

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you'll pick uo the Codys series and tell us what you think about all the siblings! It's a great family drama miniseries.

Marin

Nicole's Book Musings said...

Thanks for picking me! I sent an email.