Frances O. Thomas's Blog, page 2
August 25, 2019
Charity Sunday: Calendar Girls Florida
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When I was a little girl (heck, even when I was a big girl), I loved to dance around the living room but was always too self-conscious to dance in public.
Then, about ten years ago, I signed up to take tap lessons at a local arts center. I found out that the teacher was also the choreographer for a dance team called the Calendar Girls made up of “senior” women, all over the age of 50. They raised money to provide service dogs for veterans through a program called Paws for Patriots. It happens my husband is a veteran and visually impaired. Was this a sign?
He and I went to a fund raising event where the Calendar Girls were performing so I could check them out. I was impressed, but I didn’t see them doing anything I didn’t think I could do. I screwed up my courage and went to one of their rehearsals. After a couple weeks of learning dances, they accepted me into the group.
I performed with them for more than two years until life intervened, but I will always treasure the memories I made.
As a result of this experience, I wrote a short story, Girls of the Month. As you can see by my headshot above and the cover of the book, dressing in outrageous costumes was a big part of the experience.
Best of all, I got to cross an item off my bucket list. If you have a dream you have hidden all your life, take the plunge. “It is never too late to be who you might have been.”
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August 17, 2019
Guest author Katy Eeten
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I want to thank Fran for hosting me on her blog! I’m excited to share a little about myself and my books, including my latest Christian romance, A Heart Held Captive.
Book blurb:
Physical therapist Cole Pearson has had his share of shallow relationships. But after a year spent soul searching, his eyes are opened to what he really wants in life—and in a relationship. When he learns that ER nurse Emily Jenkins has volunteered to pay for a foster child’s therapy, he is drawn to her generous spirit. If only he can convince her to take things beyond their casual conversations at the clinic.
Emily is a prisoner to her past mistakes and insists on paying a price God never asked her to pay. When she finally allows herself to grow closer to Cole, her flawed beliefs are exposed and her wounded heart begins to mend. But when tragedy strikes, Emily is sent into a tailspin. Can Cole help her move past the guilt and grasp the freedom of God’s grace, or will she revert back to the captivity of her old ways and shut Cole out of her life for good?
Buy Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Held-Captive-Katy-Eeten/dp/1947327534/ref
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Author Bio:
Katy Eeten lives with her husband, Jason, and their two school-age sons in southeast Wisconsin, despite her dislike of cold weather. She works full-time in the business world, but her true passion is writing. She has written three Christian romances published through Anaiah Press – Blast from Her Past, Christmas in Meadow Creek, and A Heart Held Captive. When she’s not working or writing, she enjoys taking walks or bike rides, baking, and spending time with her family.
Q&A:
What are three unusual things about you?
I type over 100 words per minute (which comes in handy when typing a manuscript!); I was on a club softball team growing up and we once played the Russian Olympic softball team; I don’t like seafood (an occasional tuna salad sandwich is about as close as I come to eating seafood. Ha!).
Other than being an author, if you could have any job in the world, what would you choose?
I would love to work behind the scenes for a gameshow – i.e. creating the puzzles, questions, challenges, etc. for a show like Wheel of Fortune or Family Feud. I’m a bit of a gameshow junky, so I think that would be awesome.
If you could travel anywhere and money was not an issue, where would you go and why?
Well, my brother and sister-in-law live in Singapore, so I would love the opportunity to visit them for free. But I’ve also never been to Europe, and there are many destinations there that intrigue me. Paris, London, Ireland, and Greece just to name a few.
What is your biggest weakness?
Chocolate … or desserts in general, really. I also find it hard to stay up late (sleep is just so darn attractive when you work full time in addition to writing and being a mom 
July 22, 2019
One more reason to eat chocolate
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Here is some good news. A recent study has proven that chocolate is good for your skin.
I got this exciting information courtesy of Dr. Will Clower’s blog Mediterranean Wellness. There is, however, a stipulation. The chocolate must be the really dark kind with a high cocoa content. This type of chocolate helped protect skin from UV radiation.
The dark chocolate apparently increases circulation in the top layer of skin. It also is high in antioxidants, similar to green tea. Both of these properties protect skin.
Dr. Clower has long been a proponent of dark chocolate’s ability to help your heart and your mind. Better yet, he has written a book entitled Eat Chocolate, Lose Weight: New Science Proves You Should Eat Chocolate Every Day. I encourage you to check out his other books.
What’s your favoirt chocolate brand?
July 14, 2019
Being in the moment at Winn-Dixie
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I am starting to develop a fear of Winn-Dixie.
I went grocery shopping yesterday and already had all my items on the conveyor belt when a problem developed. The cash register crumpled the check of the woman in line in front of me but refused to complete the transaction. The cashier tried to smooth the check and re-insert it a couple times before calling for assistance.
An assistant manager type woman came over and opened the machine. She removed the ink cartridge and went in search of a replacement. The first one she found wasn’t the right size or was for a different machine. Then she brought a second one. Success!
The woman in front of me apologized repeatedly, poor thing. It wasn’t her fault, and I tried, really I did, to keep a sour expression off my face.
On a grocery run last week, the cashier was a young, long-haired man (that description makes me sound like an old fogey, doesn’t it?) who was having a prolonged conversation with the woman in front of me. Mea culpa-I wasn’t watching as he rang up my groceries, so I was startled to see the total was more than $90. And I hadn’t even bought meat!
The youngster was befudded when I told him something was wrong. When I looked at the printed receipt, there were several items I hadn’t bought. Apparently, they were the groceries of the woman ahead of me with whom the kid was so busy talking that he hadn’t included all of her items.
Same assistant manager to the rescue. We ended up backing out the entire incorrect total from my credit card and re-ringing the actual items I had in my cart. The resulting total this time was about half of the first one.
I guess I really have to be more vigilant in watching what the cashiers are doing. The Winn-Dixie is the only grocery on my little island.
Have you had similar problems at your grocert store?
July 7, 2019
Waiting for Tom Hanks review
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I haven’t posted any book reviews for a while, and I think it is high time I did. I read this one in a single day and enjoyed everything about it from this adorable cover right on through.
And really, who among us hasn’t dreamed of falling in love with a movie star?
The heroine in this book is a writer who is addicted to rom-coms because she used to watch them with her late mother. Then she finds herself in the middle of the filming of one with a devastatingly handsome leading man. Of course, sparks ensue.
I was charmed by the author’s voice and found myself laughing out loud a few times. I also bought the message: love rarely goes as planned but it’s our only hope. Oh, and did I mention the cast of quirky secondary characters and strong sense of community, two musts for me to make a book a favorite.
If you are a Hallmark fan, you will probably love this as much as I did, but be warned that it is not squeaky clean. I’d give it a solid PG-13.
June 30, 2019
Weekend fun
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Big doings on my little island this weekend. Friday night, my husband and I went to the VFW for pizza night. We got a supreme pizza for only $9, ate half of it there, and brought the rest home to freeze for another day.
Yesterday, back to the “V” as we call it. They held the first round of a karaoke contest. Apparently, this is something that goes on every year with a national final near Las Vegas. I had never heard of it before. This is the first year anyone has had it locally. There are two more preliminaries next week and the week after. I am trying to gather enough nerve to enter. Even though I’ve sung my whole life in choruses, I’ve only done karaoke once in my life. Singing alone is a far cry from singing with 50 or 60 others.
Today, the Moose Lodge is holding a cooking contest: soups and stews. I entered last year but not this time. Desserts are in a couple weeks and comfort food two weeks later. Ethnic foods come next and chili is the last contest. I’m leaning toward entering the ethnic contest. I have a pierogie casserole I want to try.
How did you spend the weekend?
June 23, 2019
Lazy Summer day
All of my Calusa Town Tales books qualify as beach reads. To me, there is too much doom and gloom in the world, so I write light-hearted, happy tales.
Since it is now officially Summer, I made this book free for the weekend. Get it here. If you do download it, I hope you will consider giving an honest review.
June 16, 2019
Happy Father’s Day
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My husband and I went to the local Moose Lodge for brunch this morning. If you’ve read my books, you know the fictional town of Calusa has a lodge too.
The real life Moose has some great volunteer chefs who usually do a great job with holidays. Since there are just the two of us, it is far easier to let them do the cooking.
But this morning they were off kilter. We waited more than half an hour, and the ladies, bless their hearts, were still milling around bringing out food.
We finally gave up and went to the small diner that is in the little strip mall next to the grocery store. We managed to get there before the after-church crowd and got served right away.
After inhaling a plateful of bacon, eggs, potatoes, a biscuit, and about a gallon of coffee, I was glad we ended up there.
How did you celebrate today?
June 2, 2019
June promo
Click on the image above to see a pageful of authors giving away FREE books in exchange for your subscribing to their newsletter. There’s also a chance to win a $30 gift card. The promo runs until the end of June.
May 26, 2019
Memorial Day in a small town
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Life in a small town can be pridictable, but sometimes that’s a good thing. Every year on Memorial Day, our Veterans of Foreign Wars post holds a ceremony to honor those who have lost their lives in the service of our beloved nation.
The VFW Commander reads some material that I am guessing is supplied by the national organization. There is always an honor guard in uniform, very solemn as they march in carrying flags. The past couple of years, there has been one woman as part of this honor guard. This makes me very proud somehow.
Since it is so hot around these parts, the beginning of the ceremony will be held indoors. Then those who are able follow the honor guard outside for a three gun salute and Taps. I confess I am moved to tears whenever I hear Taps. Our post uses a recording, not a live bugler, but it gets me every time anyway.
At the conclusion, everyone goes back inside for a luncheon. It is a potluck, and the tables are always overflowing with yummy dishes. I am planning to bake a cake later today to take with me tomorrow.
Whatever your plans are for the rest of this holiday weekend, I hope you will take some time to remember what the day is really about and offer up a prayer of thanks.
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