tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62839203134581024002012-05-21T10:17:31.366-04:00Welcome to the blog of fiction author, Tina Martin. Find out about current books, new releases, book signings, contests, tours, writing tips, crazy cool things about me and other random stuff. (Read excerpts for my novels at my website www.tinamartinbooks.com).Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.comBlogger331125TinaMartinAuthorhttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-24511797613077162852012-05-21T10:17:00.000-04:002012-05-21T10:17:31.400-04:00Single mothers...<br /><br />There must be a million articles and posts about this subject. But I was curious about the statistics so I did some research and came across this <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/philip-n-cohen/poverty-single-mothers-an_b_731142.html">post</a>. The black community is more likely to experience single parenthood than any other race. Then there was this <a href="http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/acrossstates/Rankings.aspx?ind=107">interesting website</a> that broke down the ethnicity of single parent households in 2010. For my state, North Carolina, here are the <u>statistics for children in single parent households by race</u>:<br /><br />White - 24%<br /><span style="color: #990000;">Black - 66%</span><br />Asian - 13%<br />Hispanic - 39%<br /><br />The black community leads the state in single parent homes. Why is that? Is it because men still want to be boys? Not ready for responsibility and financial burden? Or is it a vicious cycle? Did they grow up in a single parent household and therefore do not see the importance of being in their children's lives?<br /><br />[Check out <b>The Making of The Baby Daddy Interviews</b>, <a href="http://ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com/2012/03/making-of-baby-daddy-interviews-part-1.html">Part 1</a> and <a href="http://ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com/2012/04/making-of-baby-daddy-interviews-part-2.html">Part 2</a>]<br /><br />My opinion (and this is just my opinion) - Men and women live together nowadays without getting married. They act like married folk. Have kids like married folk. But when a little disagreement arrives, either the woman or the man leaves and boom...you got another single mother. My second theory - most men do not like to date women with children. Okay, well he might date her, but he won't marry her. Taren916 alludes to this topic in her video - <b>Single Mothers...Damaged Goods</b>.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="315" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XhwG0AIelFs?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0"> </param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> </param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> </param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XhwG0AIelFs?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In my novel, <i>The Baby Daddy Interviews</i>, Breonna Morris instantly finds herself in a single parent state. That's why she has interviews for a male role model for her baby. She was a raised in a single parent household and does not want the same for her child. While this novel is for entertainment purposes only, I hope it sheds some light on the importance of men to step up and be fathers to their children.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There's still time to enter the giveaway. Click <a href="http://ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com/2012/05/giveaway-baby-daddy-interviews.html">here</a> to find out how.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Daddy-Interviews-Tina-Martin/dp/0985248424/ref=la_B003PLCO9Q_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1337365204&amp;sr=1-3"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nt-yw3JnK4U/T7aSujZ9tHI/AAAAAAAABkc/g5USuqiitcI/s200/The+BDI+Cover_small.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br /><a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a><script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><br />www.tinamartin.net<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-2451179761307716285?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-59184529914366333382012-05-14T08:00:00.000-04:002012-05-14T08:00:04.996-04:00<div style="text-align: center;">Years ago, someone told me they went to Jamaica on their honeymoon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SFhIPQccZtM/T7Bg5T6O6GI/AAAAAAAABis/WvYxQ8ouVpc/s1600/2012-04-26+07.36.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SFhIPQccZtM/T7Bg5T6O6GI/AAAAAAAABis/WvYxQ8ouVpc/s640/2012-04-26+07.36.31.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The woman looked at me and was like, "You've never been to Jamaica? O-m-g...you must go! You totally have to do that before you die...add that to your list."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OtVs-J4SS7I/T7Bg6h7iP1I/AAAAAAAABi0/LCAPxKv5kvk/s1600/2012-04-26+07.56.59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OtVs-J4SS7I/T7Bg6h7iP1I/AAAAAAAABi0/LCAPxKv5kvk/s640/2012-04-26+07.56.59.jpg" width="476" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So finally, I've visited Jamaica...<b>Montego Bay, Jamaica</b>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now I'm not writing this to diss Jamaica. I love ALL places and love to travel but...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eqYw0AaQ1ik/T7Bg-N_SekI/AAAAAAAABi8/eR-hzT3qH3I/s1600/2012-04-26+07.58.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eqYw0AaQ1ik/T7Bg-N_SekI/AAAAAAAABi8/eR-hzT3qH3I/s640/2012-04-26+07.58.16.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It was looking a lil' bleak on our tour...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5CalwVtx55M/T7BhA9LVY3I/AAAAAAAABjE/j8BOIReJOYM/s1600/2012-04-26+08.01.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5CalwVtx55M/T7BhA9LVY3I/AAAAAAAABjE/j8BOIReJOYM/s640/2012-04-26+08.01.55.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I guess when someone sets your expectations so high...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g8I7g-rFOag/T7BhE7wjswI/AAAAAAAABjM/VXJYZSDy6kk/s1600/2012-04-26+08.04.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g8I7g-rFOag/T7BhE7wjswI/AAAAAAAABjM/VXJYZSDy6kk/s640/2012-04-26+08.04.42.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You don't expect to see a cow chained up to a tree in the backyard of someone's house.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tXIJ1sIQRwY/T7BhN8mlIGI/AAAAAAAABjk/sfZwzQwO--0/s1600/2012-04-26+08.55.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tXIJ1sIQRwY/T7BhN8mlIGI/AAAAAAAABjk/sfZwzQwO--0/s400/2012-04-26+08.55.36.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Or a local man pushing a cart in the street like it's a car.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HIVOmxyk1Ic/T7BhHl_kR4I/AAAAAAAABjU/hdfDx2LyqkY/s1600/2012-04-26+08.25.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HIVOmxyk1Ic/T7BhHl_kR4I/AAAAAAAABjU/hdfDx2LyqkY/s640/2012-04-26+08.25.44.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Still, I had a wonderful time, though it was cloudy and by the time we got back on the cruise ship, I was drenched. It was something refreshing about running in the rain. I love the <a href="http://ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com/2011/06/why-i-love-rain.html">rain</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2xW0oE2rsGg/T7BhKRUQiVI/AAAAAAAABjc/iu0LTh0eTY8/s1600/2012-04-26+08.25.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2xW0oE2rsGg/T7BhKRUQiVI/AAAAAAAABjc/iu0LTh0eTY8/s640/2012-04-26+08.25.53.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We were able to view this beautiful home at the top of a mountain...yeah, I didn't realize that Jamaica was so mountainous.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kF3K2yutS3k/T7BhQsI00vI/AAAAAAAABjs/rx2RDLx1AYU/s1600/2012-04-26+09.31.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kF3K2yutS3k/T7BhQsI00vI/AAAAAAAABjs/rx2RDLx1AYU/s640/2012-04-26+09.31.07.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The beach was absolutely stunning! It would've been nice if we were there on a sunny day, but oh well...we still got to swim and take pics...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jFWj8ypPN3s/T7BhTLI0xFI/AAAAAAAABj0/ChekR-fLZMA/s1600/2012-04-26+09.59.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jFWj8ypPN3s/T7BhTLI0xFI/AAAAAAAABj0/ChekR-fLZMA/s400/2012-04-26+09.59.02.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And watch this guy walk back and forth with drinks on his head...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(the locals were very nice by the way)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GIPOBZqn6QA/T7BhWaowKAI/AAAAAAAABj8/pd17P_zw8xE/s1600/2012-04-26+10.09.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GIPOBZqn6QA/T7BhWaowKAI/AAAAAAAABj8/pd17P_zw8xE/s320/2012-04-26+10.09.37.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Good ol' Jamaica!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Would I go back? Of course! I love to travel. But the next time someone swears to me that a certain location is "the best" and I "just gotta go" I won't listen to them. I'll wait and form my own opinions. Up next...my review of the Cayman Islands.</div><br /><a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br /><a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a><script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><br />www.tinamartin.net<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-5918452991436633338?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-13810488647778462982012-05-11T13:00:00.000-04:002012-05-11T13:00:06.086-04:00I know I'm months late but I finally saw <b>Good Deeds</b>, the Tyler Perry flick.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="360" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/orInEN7Zq_Q?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0"> </param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> </param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> </param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/orInEN7Zq_Q?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><br /><b>My review:</b><br /><br />My head must have been buried under a rock because going into the movie, I had a completely different synopsis in my head that what I actually saw. At any rate, I loooooved this movie. It seems to be along the same lines of how I write, so of course I could relate to the storyline and such. Tyler Perry is a wonderful actor, he played his role well and he <i>does </i>look fly in a suit.<br /><br />Gabrielle Union did a good job, too, though she seems to play the same role everytime I see her in a movie. Still, I think she played her character to perfection.<br /><br />We can always count on Tyler for movies with excellent morals. Giving is better than receiving.<br /><br />Overall, I was pleasantly satisfied with this movie and would rate it 5 out of 5 stars. Can't wait to see the next movie. (Sidenote: When are we going to see <b>Why Did I Get Married, Part 3</b>??)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br /><a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-1381048864777846298?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-82290473884564659902012-05-07T16:56:00.002-04:002012-05-07T19:51:55.842-04:00<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Hi followers. I am having a giveaway - the first giveaway of 2012, but certainly not the last. To celebrate the release of my new novel,&nbsp;<i>The Baby Daddy Interviews</i>, I am giving away&nbsp;<b><span style="background-color: #ffd966;">two</span>&nbsp;</b>copies of the book! All you have to do to enter is:</span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Leave a comment on this post (leave comment below) that says, "I want to read The Baby Daddy Interviews," as well as your email address.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Subscribe to my blog. Click&nbsp;<a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=TinaMartinAuthor">here</a>. </span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">For extra entries (to increase your chances of winning):</span></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Answer the "marriage" poll question to the right on my website: (<a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/">www.tinamartin.net</a>)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Follow me on Twitter:&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/#!/tinamartinbooks">https://twitter.com/#!/tinamartinbooks</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Add me as a friend on Facebook:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.facebook.com/tinamartinfans">http://www.facebook.com/tinamartinfans</a></span></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Daddy-Interviews-Tina-Martin/dp/0985248424/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_7"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--V1Pp4i2_VI/T6gtIIGwxYI/AAAAAAAABiI/dTeZwUXX7R4/s320/The+BDI+Cover.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Giveaway ends June 15, 2012, so get your entries in today. Open to US residents only. Two winners will be selected at random and announced on June 18, 2012. To increase your chances of winning, follow the extra entries instructions above. Read an excerpt and watch the book trailer <a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/2010/01/baby-daddy-interviews-description.html">here</a>.</span></div><br /><a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br /><a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a><script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-8229047388456465990?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-78459596373057408102012-05-07T09:00:00.000-04:002012-05-07T09:00:08.820-04:00As a writer, I'm always busy, on my laptop working. As a mother I'm looking for cool things to do with my son, making sure he gets to school on time and completes his work...clean his room, etc. As a wife, I'm making sure the husband is happy, the house is clean. Dinner cooked. This is not easy. I repeat, <b>this is not easy</b> and life is stressful. Sometimes, I get to the point where I'm doing a million things at once while stressing and worrying about this and that. Marketing this novel...finishing that novel...going to this book festival...this event here...that event there...sending out newsletters and postcards and on top of that, worrying...worrying about when writing will be a full-time job for me...when I will be successful enough to only be a writer full-time.<br /><br />Well, still relaxing and feeling&nbsp;energized&nbsp;from the best vacation ever, I came home and realized that I'm tired of worry and stress. Life itself, is stressful enough without me adding to it. While I'm typing this, I did a Google search on the effects of stress on the body and found <a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/womens-health/physical-side-of-stress.aspx">this</a>&nbsp;article that states stress can cause anything from hair loss to cancer. That's outrageous!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="relax" height="400" src="http://media-cache6.pinterest.com/upload/89016530104898819_13CCumnD_f.jpg" width="300" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/89016530104898819/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">via</span></a></div>So I'm having the ultimate woo-sah moment. Sometimes, we have to accept that certain things are out of our control. We can't monitor every second of out lives. As it is, we can't predict the future, so why worry about it? Why stress over something that hasn't happened yet? It seems silly, but I've done it (got gray hairs from it) and I'm sure you have too. It's just not worth the mental torture. It's not fair to ourselves and our families to dwell on things that we can't change - a job we're having trouble finding, a publisher, an agent, a relationship that went down the tubes - it's not healthy to stress about things we cannot change. So take a <b>deep inhale</b> and let it go. Replace worry with exercise. Do something good for your body. Relax. Light an aromatherapy candle. Get a massage. Sit back and chill and let things go. Your life does not need to be micromanaged by you. It just needs to be lived.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br /><a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a><script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-7845959637305740810?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-78345321504664466382012-05-03T11:00:00.000-04:002012-05-03T11:00:08.193-04:00<div style="text-align: left;">Ta da! Here is the new book trailer to my novel, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Daddy-Interviews-Tina-Martin/dp/0985248424/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_7">The Baby Daddy Interviews</a></i>. Check it out and read the <a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/2010/01/baby-daddy-interviews-description.html">excerpt</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="360" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zSzDHDFN39c?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zSzDHDFN39c?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object> </div><br /><a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br /><a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a><script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-7834532150466446638?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-48671289696871653322012-05-02T08:00:00.000-04:002012-05-02T08:00:02.810-04:00I am back from my vacation. Yesterday, I unpacked my suitcase, shopped for groceries...tried hard to get back into the normal routine...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cfYc65cQ3hc/T6Ba0gAaVLI/AAAAAAAABg8/LQODJiphf0U/s1600/jamaica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cfYc65cQ3hc/T6Ba0gAaVLI/AAAAAAAABg8/LQODJiphf0U/s640/jamaica.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Montego Bay, Jamaica</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(photo taken by moi)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Okay, let me be real...I didn't wanna come home. I wanted more pampering, eating out every night, doing the wobble dance on the beach, eating jerk chicken wings, buying souvenirs, trying different blends of drinks and doing other random (often weird) things that people do on vacation! Oh, and I can't forget the massage on the beach in Mexico. What's better than eighty degrees of picture perfectness, lying face-down on a soft bed/table surface, being rubbed down with aromatherapy oils in a white-curtained canopy while listening to the soft waves brush the shoreline...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Why did I come home???</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh well...all good things come to an end. I'll post some vacation pictures soon. Right now, I must commence writing, because well, that's what I do :-)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br /><a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a><script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-4867128969687165332?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-77154320017407733262012-04-23T08:00:00.001-04:002012-04-23T08:00:57.469-04:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rklMhD6wvqk/T5GmMwplhkI/AAAAAAAABg0/pGLAl7SZcwI/s1600/IMG_0112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rklMhD6wvqk/T5GmMwplhkI/AAAAAAAABg0/pGLAl7SZcwI/s640/IMG_0112.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture taken in Cozumel Mexico 2011</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The blog is on a well deserved vacation this week. Until the return, be sure to check out my novels <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tina-Martin/e/B003PLCO9Q/ref=sr_tc_ep?qid=1331497828">here</a>. Read excerpts at my <a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/">website</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"<i>Vacations are seen as an antidote to work. They are medicine, a remedy for counteracting the effects of labor.... Vacations allow us to be away from the job, to change the patterns of our day, to alter our routine, to reconfigure our actions and habits, to rediscover ourselves.</i>" &nbsp;- Al Gini</span></span></div><br /><a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br />&nbsp; <a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-7715432001740773326?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-90305772841962810162012-04-19T09:00:00.001-04:002012-04-19T09:00:05.506-04:00For Thursday Thirteen, I am sharing thirteen lines from my new novel, <i>The Baby Daddy Interviews</i>. Enjoy!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kFB3OPyNzx8/T4wzQkjztqI/AAAAAAAABgk/3qYPatBneLg/s1600/The+BDI+Cover_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kFB3OPyNzx8/T4wzQkjztqI/AAAAAAAABgk/3qYPatBneLg/s200/The+BDI+Cover_small.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br /><br />******<br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">“Tyler?”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">“Yeah, it’s me, Breonna. You dialed my number, didn’t you? You know who this is.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">“Well, since you already have an attitude,” Breonna said, sitting up, “I’ll just get right to it. Why did you leave?”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">“I told you why,” he said aloof. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">“No, you didn’t,” Breonna said, raising her voice. “That stupid little note you left doesn’t mean anything. ‘I can’t do this anymore’…what kind of high-school childish crap is that?”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">“It was the only way I could communicate with you…you always gone with that girlfriend of yours…”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">“I was lying next to you! I found the note when I woke up. Grown men don’t leave notes. What kind of passive-aggressive crap is that?”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">“Whatever…I’m not even gonna get into all that. But I will be filing for divorce.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">“Divorce? Are you for real? You want a divorce from me?” Breonna asked out of disbelief. She’d never been dumped. She was usually the dumper, not the dumpee.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">“Yeah, I want a divorce,” he said, borderline yelling.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;">“On what grounds?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify; text-autospace: none; text-indent: .5in;"><br /></div><br />*******<br />You can read more about <i>The Baby Daddy Interviews</i> <a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/2010/01/baby-daddy-interviews-description.html">here</a>.<br />Available on <a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_723378067"></span>Kindle</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-baby-daddy-interviews-tina-martin/1109247674?ean=2940013932555&amp;itm=1&amp;usri=the+baby+daddy+interviews">Nook</a> for only $5. Also available in <a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/2010/01/baby-daddy-interviews-buy-book.html">paperback</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;<a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-9030577284196281016?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-91849617832098587242012-04-17T11:00:00.000-04:002012-04-17T11:00:04.702-04:00Check out my interview on with Joey Pinkney.<br /><br />Click <a href="http://joeypinkney.com/african-american-author/5-minutes-5-questions-with-tina-martin-author-of-the-baby-daddy-interviews.php">here</a>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="360" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XsZmIh6y-qI?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XsZmIh6y-qI?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><br /><a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br />&nbsp; <a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-9184961783209858724?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-14793013231103531592012-04-13T08:00:00.002-04:002012-04-13T08:00:08.224-04:00On Tuesday, I was sitting at a table in Amelie's writing and watching people come in and out of the bakery. And I thought to myself, what's wrong with these people?<br /><br />In tragedies, accidents, natural disasters or life and death situations, we spring into action to help each other. But when you see a complete stranger who's having a coffee and a pastry in the same restaurant as you, you won't even look up to speak, smile or wave.<br /><br />How backwards is that?<br /><br />As a society, are we only accustomed to speaking to people we <i>know </i>and only assisting strangers in dire emergencies?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SwnoPRq2Ld8/T4TsLMZnKWI/AAAAAAAABgA/CzsPR40nP8w/s1600/amelies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SwnoPRq2Ld8/T4TsLMZnKWI/AAAAAAAABgA/CzsPR40nP8w/s640/amelies.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>On a different note, if you've never been to <a href="http://www.ameliesfrenchbakery.com/">Amelie's</a>, go check them out. It's a French bakery in NoDa and I promise they have <b>the </b>best cream cheese croissant in Charlotte. They also have free WiFi and the&nbsp;ambiance is amazing. Just remember to smile at someone while you're there ;-)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br />&nbsp; <a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-1479301323110353159?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-79877884516196828082012-04-10T08:00:00.001-04:002012-04-10T08:00:17.060-04:00<i>The Baby Daddy Interviews</i> is a novel about a woman who places an ad in the paper for a father figure for her child. She's a&nbsp;feisty&nbsp;woman, very independent and her attitude is what drove her husband away.<br /><br />Someone throws her a baby shower, and it got me thinking about current baby shower trends. Are there any? Are baby showers still a two-hour-long, gift-exchanging bash? Are people still playing the most boring baby shower game ever - the name the corresponding baby name to the adult animal... (I <b>h-a-t-e</b> that game).<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="baby shower ideas" height="400" src="http://media-cache6.pinterest.com/upload/165648092514344762_QBXYyIxk_f.jpg" width="252" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/165648092514344762/">via</a></span></div>My son is six years old and my mother-in-law gave us a massive backyard cookout with about a hundred guests. It was awesome and we got a ton of gifts. I didn't have to buy diapers for several months after the baby.<br /><br />If you're planning a baby shower, check out some of these sites:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.babyshower101.com/">Baby Shower 101</a><br /><a href="http://www.babyshowerstuff.com/">Baby Shower Stuff</a><br /><a href="http://www.theweddingfavorbar.com/bashfa.html?gclid=CP6qg_zaqK8CFQSEnQodokqQ8g">The Wedding Favor Bar</a><br /><br />And if you're looking for a baby shower gift, get a copy of <i>The Baby Daddy Interviews</i> from Amazon, Barnes &amp; Noble or from a bookstore near you.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Baby-Daddy-Interviews-ebook/dp/B007FMIY90/ref=ntt_at_ep_edition_2_4?ie=UTF8&amp;m=AG56TWVU5XWC2"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hQSC1I6oCuc/T4NYmsZI-HI/AAAAAAAABf4/Gzn9Pf33g_Q/s320/The+BDI+Cover_small.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br />&nbsp; <a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-7987788451619682808?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-12092301343325853322012-04-09T21:23:00.000-04:002012-04-09T21:23:09.720-04:00On Friday, I went solo to see the movie, Gone.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="360" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IcTcJMVG5HI?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IcTcJMVG5HI?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><br /><b>Why I went solo</b>: Call me weird, but I've always wanted to go to a movie alone. In my single days, I never went to a movie alone...never had the opportunity. Now that I'm married-up (lol) with a little boy, sometimes, I need to take a break to just clear my mind, do something alone. And I'd been working so hard on my newest manuscript...you know I was about to go crazy! It was very refreshing to get a two-hour break and just chill. I ordered nachos (instead of popcorn) and a large diet Coke.<br /><br />Anywho, I wanted to see the movie because one of my favorite actors is in it...and that would be this guy:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZZ-CqtHjAnk/SkUfWVGZUsI/AAAAAAABdtA/IE7quXto8Kw/s640/Daniel+Sunjata.jpg" width="409" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Daniel Sunjata</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image <a href="http://www.timessquaregossip.com/2009/06/shakespeare-in-park-gala-dinner.html">via</a></span></div><br />He talks about the movie here:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="360" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Zt2fOAcf6Og?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Zt2fOAcf6Og?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Daniel Sunjata nailed his role...playing the bad boy cop...loved it. I was wondering if he wore dark contacts for this role because his eyes looked especially dark. Leave a comment if you know.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I loved the plot of the movie. Amanda Seyfried also did a good job of playing the psycho-chick that no one believes. I loved it how she had a story for everyone she met...something she just made up on the fly. Like my novels, the movie was filled with suspense. I couldn't tell what was going to happen from one moment to the next. (Sidenote - Usually I'm good at determining the plot, but this movie had me guessing all wrong.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You know how you go to a movie and you always have those people who want to talk about what's about to happen like they know what's going on and they really don't? Some things I heard the folks sitting behind me say during the movie:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"He's in the back seat of the car!"</div><div style="text-align: left;">"Now why would she go by herself?"</div><div style="text-align: left;">"And you thought I tipped too much..."</div><div style="text-align: left;">"That was stupid."</div><br />One woman screamed when a black cat jumped out of the closet in one of the intense scenes of the movie. Everyone in the theater laughed at her (me included). It was a good time. If I had to give the movie a rating on a scale of 1 to 5, I'd give it a 7. Loved it. Go see it, or buy the DVD.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br />&nbsp; <a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-1209230134332585332?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-51865961500118828032012-04-06T08:00:00.001-04:002012-04-06T08:00:09.263-04:00Look what I picked up over the weekend at a thrift shop:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kfIVXQBGf-4/T3cYxRiWXWI/AAAAAAAABaw/n2TjIs2sMa8/s1600/2012-03-31+10.03.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kfIVXQBGf-4/T3cYxRiWXWI/AAAAAAAABaw/n2TjIs2sMa8/s640/2012-03-31+10.03.15.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A Louis Vuitton purse...It's made of jean material with beautiful gold clasp buttons at the top.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XpnOX5D-UZE/T3cYz8nOZAI/AAAAAAAABa4/Lz2yiRUMwqs/s1600/2012-03-31+10.03.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XpnOX5D-UZE/T3cYz8nOZAI/AAAAAAAABa4/Lz2yiRUMwqs/s400/2012-03-31+10.03.44.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;Some people I know don't like thrift stores. I guess they think they're too good to buy something that somebody else already used...or worn...or whatever. I don't understand that logic. That's why there's Tide, and anti-bacterial wipes. And washing machines! I digress.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2-h-f7MoQSM/T3cY2OI1b5I/AAAAAAAABbA/qvNdOjkUmtI/s1600/2012-03-31+10.04.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2-h-f7MoQSM/T3cY2OI1b5I/AAAAAAAABbA/qvNdOjkUmtI/s640/2012-03-31+10.04.35.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I found a purse similar to this on Google. It was $220.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f8v3r1oKZ1M/T3cY4kL2YNI/AAAAAAAABbI/KjU3XmZ1-Qs/s1600/2012-03-31+10.05.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f8v3r1oKZ1M/T3cY4kL2YNI/AAAAAAAABbI/KjU3XmZ1-Qs/s640/2012-03-31+10.05.08.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I only paid $4.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Gotta love thrifting.</div><br /><a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br />&nbsp; <a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-5186596150011882803?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-2651546639973848342012-04-03T08:00:00.000-04:002012-04-03T08:00:01.688-04:00<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="romance" height="640" src="http://media-cache1.pinterest.com/upload/164874036327756641_3cqM1Cec_f.jpg" width="476" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/164874036327756641/">Image via</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Romance...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I do a lot of research on romance novel writing and I also read a lot. From my research, what I found out is that people love the <b>happily-ever-after</b> the majority of the time. But where is the suspense in that? Happily-ever-after does not happen all the time in real life, right? Or am I wrong?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Someone once told me that people read to escape reality. So maybe that's the reason why they want happy endings because in life, there are no happy endings. We live for a while then die. In fiction, I think the characters live forever in our minds in the particular setting they're in and if there is a happy ending, we're secretly satisfied that it <i>worked out</i> for them.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That's why in writing now, I'm focusing on real-life. Yes, it's fiction, my fiction is <b>romantic suspense</b>. The dictionary defines suspense as:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A7VMIjBjHQE/T3cEXwCUudI/AAAAAAAABao/2Ot03rewZrg/s1600/suspense.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="85" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A7VMIjBjHQE/T3cEXwCUudI/AAAAAAAABao/2Ot03rewZrg/s400/suspense.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I think readers should feel this suspense as well as the characters. In life, we never know what's going to happen from one day to the next. Why should we know that when we read? That's why I looove writing romantic suspense!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>"Even cowards can endure hardships; only the brave can endure suspense." - Mignon McLaughlin</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;">&nbsp; <a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-265154663997384834?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-75462909811354475722012-03-31T09:49:00.001-04:002012-03-31T09:49:36.560-04:00I don't know if you guys have the same problem, but it's difficult to find good music on the radio nowadays. It's just not the same. Well, it's not. As a writer, I love songs that have feeling, that makes you take a step back and think...look at your own life. Analyze things.<br /><br />I also like to listen to songs when I write. So I was browsing one of my old playlists and came across this Christina Aguilera song:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="360" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wwCykGDEp7M?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wwCykGDEp7M?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><br />This <strike>was </strike>is my song! Who doesn't love Christina?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br />&nbsp; <a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-7546290981135447572?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-2600547277673046602012-03-26T09:00:00.001-04:002012-03-26T09:00:12.823-04:00I know I'm a little late, but happy spring! In Charlotte the temperature has consistently been in the 80s. Pollen is out of control. The Dogwoods are beautiful. Yesterday a storm rolled through and dropped five minutes of hail (looked like snow was on the ground). The temperature instantly dropped from the lower 80s to the upper 60s. It was crazy to watch.<br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wv1ox6fzbPs/T29BgiabmsI/AAAAAAAABXY/aqBs2fIgBZs/s1600/2012-03-21+09.59.22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wv1ox6fzbPs/T29BgiabmsI/AAAAAAAABXY/aqBs2fIgBZs/s640/2012-03-21+09.59.22.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WZiFauvTDaM/T29BlJznN0I/AAAAAAAABXg/MXeuKZSiQ6Y/s1600/2012-03-21+10.14.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WZiFauvTDaM/T29BlJznN0I/AAAAAAAABXg/MXeuKZSiQ6Y/s640/2012-03-21+10.14.54.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IlBfVfWkizQ/T29BoMte4CI/AAAAAAAABXo/mUXA6B4uz9s/s1600/2012-03-21+10.16.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IlBfVfWkizQ/T29BoMte4CI/AAAAAAAABXo/mUXA6B4uz9s/s640/2012-03-21+10.16.27.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N_8g4ScE0v4/T29BsuJOhZI/AAAAAAAABXw/19uH9t1V3lU/s1600/2012-03-21+10.16.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N_8g4ScE0v4/T29BsuJOhZI/AAAAAAAABXw/19uH9t1V3lU/s640/2012-03-21+10.16.53.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><div>Now for the shorts...so you guys know I published two short stories on Kindle -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vacation-Interrupted-ebook/dp/B005UIQTOI/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1">Vacation Interrupted&nbsp;</a>and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Crush-Short-Story-ebook/dp/B005V0T9BA/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3">The Crush</a>. Did you know that you can write short stories and enter them in contests?</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Well, you can! For all of the rules, click&nbsp;<a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions/short-story?et_mid=545219&amp;rid=232941180">here</a>.</div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.tinamartin.net/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br /><a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-260054727767304660?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-34281620411599257232012-03-20T07:21:00.000-04:002012-03-20T07:21:22.030-04:00Hi there, followers! Today, I'm sharing a review for my short story, <i>Vacation Interrupted</i>:<br /><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><span style="margin-right: 5px;"><span class="swSprite s_star_5_0 " style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/common/sprites/sprite-site-wide-2._V155328293_.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: -30px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; display: inline-block; height: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 65px;" title="5.0 out of 5 stars"><span style="left: -9999px; position: absolute;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />5.0 out of 5 stars</span></span>&nbsp;</span><span style="vertical-align: middle;"><b>AMAZING short story</b>,&nbsp;<nobr>March 10, 2012</nobr></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><div><div style="float: left;">By&nbsp;</div><div style="float: left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/AHXFOZ90IYBXX/ref=cm_cr_pr_pdp" style="color: #996633;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tabitha Sanchez</span></a>&nbsp;-&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/AHXFOZ90IYBXX/ref=cm_cr_pr_auth_rev?ie=UTF8&amp;sort_by=MostRecentReview" style="color: #996633;">See all my reviews</a></div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div></div><div class="tiny" style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><b><span class="h3color tiny" style="color: #e47911;">This review is from:&nbsp;</span>Vacation Interrupted (Kindle Edition)</b></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Carmen was happily married to her husband Kenneth until she found out she had breast cancer. Kenneth was unable to cope with his wife's condition so he packed up his things and moved to California hoping to forget about his past. Now finished with her treatment Carmen decided to take a vacation to Virginia beach and is surprised to find Kenneth vacationing there too. Talk about a Vacation Interrupted?</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">This is a short story only consisting of 28 pages, but in those 28 pages you learn so much and really start to look at your life in a new perspective. Tina Martin not only talks about the shock of learning you have cancer, but the aftermath of your treatment. In this case Carmen had received a mastectomy. While reading this short story I learned a few things about breast cancer that I didn't know about before, so that was really great!</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Kenneth and Carmen's relationship is hard. They had the perfect marriage before Carmen became sick, and after that things got rocky. I understand that Kenneth was scared about losing his wife, but he didn't think about how his sudden departure would make Carmen feel. Carmen is an incredibly strong woman. Not only was she going through the treatment for breast cancer, but she had to deal with the fact that her husband had left her.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Honestly, I wish this story was longer because I would have liked to see more of Kenneth and Carmen's relationship. I would recommend Vacation Interrupted to anyone looking for a quick read that is highly realistic. This story is targeted to a slightly older audience then what I'm used to, but younger people can easily relate to this story.</span>&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vacation-Interrupted-ebook/dp/B005UIQTOI/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2owK_ibWVMc/T2hnCxt1JsI/AAAAAAAABWI/Hi516rL3yOQ/s200/Vacation+Interrupted.jpg" width="125" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.tinamartinbooks.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br />&nbsp; <a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-3428162041159925723?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-52169893438520402662012-03-13T09:00:00.004-04:002012-03-13T09:00:06.121-04:00<i>The Baby Daddy Interviews</i> takes place in the beautiful city of <a href="http://www.suffolk-fun.com/">Suffolk, Virginia</a>. This city has both elements of the fast city life and the slow country living (that some of you love) with access to the bigger cities like Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Hampton Roads, Newport News and Virginia Beach.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V0s7H0asdCc/T1ztwA02BOI/AAAAAAAABRw/AcjMPyroiqQ/s1600/Suffolk+map.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V0s7H0asdCc/T1ztwA02BOI/AAAAAAAABRw/AcjMPyroiqQ/s400/Suffolk+map.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />I wanted this city to be the setting for my novel simply because I love the city! I grew up in the small town of Ahoskie, North Carolina (one hour south of Suffolk) and would often travel to Virginia - by way of Suffolk - to visit relatives and to shop at the Chesapeake Square Mall. During my last trip to Suffolk, I took notes and learned the area so that I could successfully write about it.<br /><br />A few more places mentioned in the book:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Hilton Garden Inn Suffolk Hotel, VA - Winding River View" border="0" height="256" src="http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.com/en/hotels/content/ORFSHGI/media/images/ORFSHGI_Hilton_Garden_Inn_Suffolk_home_right.jpg" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hilton Garden Inn (Suffolk, VA Riverfront)&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">image <a href="http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.com/en/gi/hotels/index.jhtml;jsessionid=RK4BWM1QUBGTUCSGBIUMVCQ?ctyhocn=ORFSHGI">via</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><img alt="Applebee's" height="278" src="http://www.suffolk-fun.com/images/attractions/applebees.jpg" width="400" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Applebee's (Suffolk, VA)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Image <a href="http://www.hamptonroadshappyhour.com/restaurants/applebees-harbour-view-suffolk">via</a><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JqS1ZSrCjl0/T1waVqyRYDI/AAAAAAAABRQ/aRANARjVhwI/s1600/planterspeanuts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JqS1ZSrCjl0/T1waVqyRYDI/AAAAAAAABRQ/aRANARjVhwI/s400/planterspeanuts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Check out the architecture. Image&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hamptonroadshappyhour.com/restaurants/applebees-harbour-view-suffolk">via</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-03eVWXMdt58/T1waV9IUguI/AAAAAAAABRY/s3vGv-NlfxA/s1600/regalharbour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-03eVWXMdt58/T1waV9IUguI/AAAAAAAABRY/s3vGv-NlfxA/s400/regalharbour.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Harbour View Grande Cinemas - Image <a href="http://www.suffolk-fun.com/index.html">via</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u9WnJCJFyAQ/T1waWMaVOcI/AAAAAAAABRg/bWLJkQ3IDh8/s1600/visitorcenter1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u9WnJCJFyAQ/T1waWMaVOcI/AAAAAAAABRg/bWLJkQ3IDh8/s400/visitorcenter1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Courthouse - Image <a href="http://www.suffolk-fun.com/index.html">via</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img alt="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" height="250" src="http://www.pdc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/pdc-sign1.jpg" width="400" /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Paul D. Camp Community College - Image <a href="http://www.pdc.edu/about/">via</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You can check out <i>The Baby Daddy Interviews</i> for only $5.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Baby-Daddy-Interviews-ebook/dp/B007FMIY90/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_4">Kindle</a></li><li><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-baby-daddy-interviews-tina-martin/1109247674?ean=2940013932555&amp;itm=1&amp;usri=the+baby+daddy+interviews">Nook</a></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Baby-Daddy-Interviews-ebook/dp/B007FMIY90/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-384nXXf6Wvc/T16DZR_VJZI/AAAAAAAABR4/wfDdN5MZ9bY/s200/The+BDI+Cover_small.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.tinamartinbooks.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br /><a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-5216989343852040266?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-24513328133353057902012-03-12T07:00:00.005-04:002012-03-12T07:00:01.786-04:00I met some really GREAT people at Ruby's Gift on Saturday, March 10th. Thanks for coming out and supporting local artists and authors in the Charlotte Area.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4SolgDbYZYE/T1wI4kpum9I/AAAAAAAABQ4/bvoYVlYZeDI/s1600/2012-03-10+15.28.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4SolgDbYZYE/T1wI4kpum9I/AAAAAAAABQ4/bvoYVlYZeDI/s640/2012-03-10+15.28.28.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Most of the lovely people I met were <i>visiting </i>Charlotte - met a few folks from Tampa, Atlanta, Raleigh and Milwaukee. When I moved here four years ago, the people would always joke about how Charlotte is the city of <i>out-of-towners</i>. I've only met one person who told me they were "born and raised in Charlotte." One person...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YzyTYQIuSZ8/T1wI5oq48BI/AAAAAAAABRA/9CuE6HDaC5c/s1600/imagejpeg_2_17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YzyTYQIuSZ8/T1wI5oq48BI/AAAAAAAABRA/9CuE6HDaC5c/s320/imagejpeg_2_17.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But that's fine with me. I'm not from here either, so I fit in just fine. I especially like meeting people in the NoDa arts district. The environment is so inviting for creativity and for those seeking new and interesting items and adventures. The hubs and I are going to try one of the restaurants in the area this weekend - <a href="http://www.cabofishtaco.com/specials-charlotte.html">Cabo Fish Taco</a>. I hear its to die for!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WG_wt1L9DjM/T1wI9sl2v5I/AAAAAAAABRI/zMT3KIRc0xM/s1600/2012-03-10+12.15.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WG_wt1L9DjM/T1wI9sl2v5I/AAAAAAAABRI/zMT3KIRc0xM/s640/2012-03-10+12.15.52.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is my display near the front of the store. You can drop by any time to purchase books. And once you shop at <b>Ruby's Gift</b>, be sure to <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/rubys-gift-charlotte-2">write a review</a> of the store on Yelp.com.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.tinamartinbooks.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br /><a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-2451332813335305790?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-31187518885919150512012-03-08T11:00:00.001-05:002012-03-08T11:00:02.028-05:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Book Signing</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">at</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://rubysgift.com/Rubys_Gift/HOME_files/Ruby%27s%20Gift_logo_copia%20original.jpg" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ruby's Gift (NoDa)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">3204 N. Davidson Street</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Charlotte, NC 28205</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Time: 12:00 p.m - 6:00 p.m.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I will be signing copies of Secrets On Lake Drive,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Another Man's Treasure and discussing her upcoming novel</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Baby Daddy Interviews.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Come get a grab bag and let's have fun!</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tinamartinbooks.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-3118751888591915051?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-4344339216372689842012-03-05T07:00:00.001-05:002012-03-05T07:00:23.247-05:00<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This week, buy a copy of my new novel, <i>The Baby Daddy Interviews</i>, on Kindle or paperback and get a PDF copy of my short story, <i>Vacation Interrupted</i> for free! You can read the descriptions on both by clicking on the '<a href="http://ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com/p/books.html">My Books</a>' link above.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object height="360" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/W-v_OUr-Xdw?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/W-v_OUr-Xdw?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Buy this one...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wBAA12Qfk1U/T1OQNbEQV9I/AAAAAAAABP0/vgWmriHFh9k/s1600/The+BDI+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wBAA12Qfk1U/T1OQNbEQV9I/AAAAAAAABP0/vgWmriHFh9k/s200/The+BDI+Cover.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">and get this one!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7knSoejALEc/T1ONb6w_xpI/AAAAAAAABPs/1i0K_UH4U34/s1600/Vacation_Interrupted_phixr+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7knSoejALEc/T1ONb6w_xpI/AAAAAAAABPs/1i0K_UH4U34/s1600/Vacation_Interrupted_phixr+small.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Offer valid from <span style="background-color: #ffe599;">March 5th - March 10th at midnight.</span> To claim your free copy of Vacation Interrupted, send an email to <b>tinamartinbooks{at}gmail{dot}com</b></span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.tinamartinbooks.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br /><a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-434433921637268984?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-91891046951444240062012-03-02T07:00:00.001-05:002012-03-02T07:00:06.058-05:00When you see someone kissing in public, do you think, "Wow. There's a happy couple!" Or do you take a different stance and view the lip-locking as a mere pretense - something <i>unhappy </i>people do in public to make everyone else <b>think </b>they're happy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="public affection. very cute." src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/1548181091411802_zbwX1e4I_f.jpg" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/1548181091411802/">via</a></div>Here's how I perceive it:<br /><br />Public displays of affection (in my opinion) is very depressing for single people. Maybe there's a lonely woman sitting on a park bench, sad because she hasn't found a man. Or a man who walks alone in the mall, wishing he had a woman to have coffee with. Do you really think they would want to see the kissing, inappropriate touching and other goo-goo-ga-ga type nonsense?<br /><br />It basically comes down to a matter of respect. I wouldn't want to see over-the-top displays of affection when I'm out, spending time with my husband. And maybe, just maybe if these "affectionate" couples loved each other in private, they wouldn't have to try so hard to prove their love in public.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tinamartinbooks.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br />&nbsp; <a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-9189104695144424006?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-16156429507895173092012-03-01T10:11:00.000-05:002012-03-01T10:11:04.135-05:00It has finally arrived. The drama, the madness, the men and meltdowns is finally available to order. If you have a Kindle, computer or android reading app, you can download <i>The Baby Daddy Interviews</i> today for only $5!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fOVKk0UIkwY/T0-Q7ylkzlI/AAAAAAAABPc/5KWKAGLKtIY/s1600/amazon+tbdi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fOVKk0UIkwY/T0-Q7ylkzlI/AAAAAAAABPc/5KWKAGLKtIY/s640/amazon+tbdi.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For those who prefer a paperback copy, look for it soon. Enjoy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.tinamartinbooks.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br />&nbsp; <a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-1615642950789517309?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6283920313458102400.post-33897291385649311902012-02-27T07:00:00.002-05:002012-05-07T18:55:03.052-04:00<i>The Baby Daddy Interviews</i> is coming sooner than expected! You can order the eBook from Barnes &amp; Noble or Amazon.<br /><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: #134f5c;">Look for the series, 'The Making of <i>The Baby Daddy Interviews'</i> coming soon to the blog.</span><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-44GjGpk2A7M/T0qkyppLtAI/AAAAAAAABPU/OFZgNWSQ8oY/s1600/The+BDI+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-44GjGpk2A7M/T0qkyppLtAI/AAAAAAAABPU/OFZgNWSQ8oY/s320/The+BDI+Cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b>The Baby Daddy Interviews</b><br /><b>Book Description:</b><br /><br />Breonna Morris thought her marriage to Tyler was perfect. Never mind all the hours she spent at work. Never mind the time she wasted shopping and partying with her best friend, Courtney. Never mind being a wife. She was living the married life as a single woman, while Tyler slowly drifted away.<br /><br />Breonna’s world turns upside down when she wakes up one morning to find that Tyler is gone. Desperate to find meaning in his disappearance, she reaches out to him but Tyler makes it very clear that he wants nothing else to do with her, that he’s tired of being a single, married man. He’s moved on. Breonna is devastated, realizing that not only is she suddenly husbandless, but she’s also pregnant.<br /><br />Courtney gives her a crazy idea to put an ad in the local paper to search for a father figure for her baby. Breonna follows through with the idea and is excited with the responses she receives. She even conducts interviews with the most qualified candidates. One in particular catches her eye, Vaughn Ramos – a sexy, tall Puerto-Rican papi who wants to play daddy in more ways than one. There’s only one problem – Tyler doesn’t know that she’s pregnant.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="360" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XqTq7QCOoIU?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XqTq7QCOoIU?version=3&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.tinamartinbooks.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l613/tinamartinbooks/signature-2.jpg" /></a><br />&nbsp; <a class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" href="https://twitter.com/tinamartinbooks">Follow @tinamartinbooks</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); </script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6283920313458102400-3389729138564931190?l=ibetterfindyourlove.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tina Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16960495178266227020noreply@blogger.com0