Marilyn Grey's Blog
November 1, 2014
Redefining Romance on Halloween
October 20, 2014
Taylor Swift 1989 Giveaway!
October 8, 2014
1000 Ways to Live a Romantic Life
October 5, 2014
VOTE: Which Character?
September 14, 2014
Win a Brand New iPad!
July 7, 2014
Sneak Peek: UNEDITED! When the City Sleeps
May 11, 2014
How My Insecurity Shaped Bloom: My Latest Novel
For years I was the most insecure person you’d ever meet. Friends called me “pretty.” And guys turned their heads. But that didn’t help. Every morning I straightened my curls, applied my makeup, scoured my closet, and left the house feeling good. I’d check my reflection every few minutes in the car, even take pictures of myself to see how I compared to the celebrities I so envied. Actually, it wasn’t just celebrities I envied, it was everyone. One day I thought my hair was too dark, the next too light. Another day I thought I needed bigger lips, eyebrows, butt, boobs. You name it. I was never satisfied with my looks and it made me jealous of my friends and suspicious of boyfriends. Am I alone here?
The funny thing is … I didn’t only envy women with seemingly flawless bodies and great fashion taste, I envied the simple women who didn’t care what people thought of them. Ever seen a girl like that?
Let me describe her.
Her hair is tossed by the wind. Instead of spending 2 hours to straighten her wild curls, she lets them loose, frizz and all. Instead of winding up the window and using the air conditioner, she lets the windows down and as hair whips around her face it gets tangled in a million knots.
When her friend’s baby reaches out for a hug, she embraces the chocolate-covered child with a smile, instead of pushing her away to keep her new dress clean.
When a beautiful woman walks into the room and her boyfriend notices, she is too busy laughing with her friends to notice. Even if she did notice, she’d say, “Wow, she’s beautiful,” without the slightest bit of jealousy.
She loves people more than herself and doesn’t care about the world’s opinion of her. Or her own. She just lives. Unaffected by the criticism of others and she has no criticism to give.
In Bloom (my latest novel from The Unspoken Series) I think so many readers are relating and loving this story because Sarah’s struggle is so close to our own. What do we want most as women? Beauty? I don’t think so. That’s just a distraction. What we really want is to live. To inhale and exhale all that life has to offer and do it with strength, gentleness, and beauty. The kind of beauty that lasts after your body ages and decays.
So, with Bloom, I wanted to show this struggle for beauty turn into a woman embracing life. In essence, myself.
Sarah is burned in a campfire accident (based off of a true story) and loses the physical beauty she’s always had. As a woman in a sex-obsessed culture, this would devastate any of us. Sarah is no different.
But as she comes to terms with her new self, she learns about true beauty and how to live in a way that makes ordinary things seem extraordinary. She learns to smile from within, instead of a fake plastered on smile, regardless of her struggles.
I used to be the girl that believed true love didn’t exist, that all men were pigs, and that no one would ever love me unless I looked like her. Her, being anyone I deemed better than me in that moment.
Sarah is my story. My story of finding joy and beauty in life. In not obsessing about my appearance. And in becoming a woman who is more concerned with being beautiful than looking beautiful.
Can you relate? What are your insecurities? How are you overcoming them?
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The Ultimate Beauty Contest
March 19, 2014
The Ultimate Beauty Contest ($10,000 Giveaway)
So often we think of true beauty as a bare face with no make-up or a woman confident in her own skin. We hear the words “Beauty Contest” or “Beauty Queen,” and picture a gorgeous face prancing around in a bikini and high heels.
Marilyn Grey is challenging readers to enter The Ultimate Beauty Contest and reveal what’s underneath their clothes and skin … right down to the heart.
One special Beauty Queen (or King) will walk away with an alarming $10,000
But there’s a trick, you see. This beauty contest is about the heart, not the face. So the Beauty Queen (yes, it could be a King) will be required to use that $10,000 to make a difference in the life of someone else.
In Marilyn Grey’s upcoming novel “Bloom” her main character struggles to accept that true beauty is not so much about looking beautiful as it is being beautiful. And she’s challenging readers to discover the joy in being beautiful by taking part in this contest.
How to Enter
First Step
Buy a copy of Bloom by Marilyn Grey (Ebook or Paperback) and send your receipt to contests@marilyn-grey.com) – The book is currently only available for pre-order in paperback. Release date is in May.
Second Step
Make a video of yourself displaying true beauty (loving others, helping someone, planting a tree, anything that displays your own personal take on making a difference in the world). Be creative and copy @marilyn_grey on Twitter to enter. You must have a Twitter account to enter. Marilyn will favorite the tweets that inspire her the most and she will list them all on her blog for a final public voting to choose one winner.
Third Step
Write a 100-500 word letter sharing with us your idea for the gift. Tell us what you want to do and why the person you chose deserves it. Email to contests@marilyn-grey.com by pasting in the body of an email, also include your Twitter username. We will use these letters when we consider the finalists.
That’s it!
The $10,000 Prize
The winner will receive $10,000 to surprise a stranger, family member, spouse, or friend with a gift. You can use this money however you’d like, but it has to be for someone else. Examples of ways to use the prize include:
1.) Helping a single mother remodel her kitchen
2.) Surprising your wife with the honeymoon you never had
3.) Paying someone’s hospital bills
4.) Buy someone a car
5.) Granting a wish to someone who is suffering
Terms and Conditions
Contest entries must be received by July 1, 2014 at 11:59 Pacific Time.
At least 10,000 entries must be received or the contest will be invalid and no winner will be chosen (so it’s important to spread the word).
You may enter as many videos as you’d like, but are only required to purchase Bloom one time.
You must purchase Bloom for your video to become a finalist.
10 finalists will be chosen for the final public voting which will take place from July 10 – 15, 2014.
Winner will be announced July 16, 2014.
Publisher Winslet Press will allocate the funds on September 15, 2014 by purchasing or aiding in the gift to the individual or family chosen by the winner. Individual may be a stranger, friend, or family member of the winner.
Winner will not personally receive the cash to ensure that it’s used properly.
February 1, 2014
Character Interview: Miranda
Welcome, Miranda, from The Unspoken Series. Book 4 features Miranda & Derek and their interesting love story. You can see more here. For now, let’s get to know Miranda a little more with this character interview.
What is your favorite book of all time?
I’d have to say without a doubt Oliver Twist. I love the story, the writing, the classical style. Orphan stories always get to me. Probably because of the relationship I’ve had with my dad throughout life. They just hit me.
What’s your favorite love story?
My own love story with life. But wait, do you mean movies and books? I’d have to say something cheesy like “Sweet Home Alabama.” I love that it took losing something to realize how much you loved it in the first place… and the entire idea of falling away from the good stuff, chasing the superficial stuff, then finding your way back to what matters most.
What’s your ideal engagement ring look like?
I’d like pink or blue sapphires instead of diamonds. I feel like diamonds are overrated. I want something unique, small, not gaudy. Something simple, but unusual.
Tell us a funny memory of Matthew when you guys were kids.
One time Matt tried so hard to read my diary that he chased me around the entire day, taunting me, so … this is really horrible … I peed in a measuring cup and poured it on his bed at night so he was covered in it and thought he peed his bed. My mom somehow found out I did it and I was in big trouble, but it was totally worth the look on his face.
Of all your friends, who inspires you the most?
My best friend, Derek. He’s one of the most compassionate and giving people I’ve ever met and he doesn’t like to flaunt it. I love that he actually blushes when people compliment him. He’s strong, but sensitive when necessary, mostly just with me. He inspires me with the way he doesn’t give up when he wants something. He gives all of himself and just has this quiet strength about him that I love. Plus, he wants to grow. He is so smart and analyzes himself all the time, always looking for areas of improvement. I love his desire for growth and his love for life, true under the surface life. He’s just wonderful… did I say that already?
Read more about Derek & Miranda in “Heart on a Shoestring” … OUT NOW!
January 31, 2014
Free Romance Valentine’s Gift Package!
Hey everyone, Heart on a Shoestring is now available! Just in time for Valentine’s Day! All first 100 reviewers on Amazon.com, please send me your address to receive a free package of hearts on shoestrings to leave your mark of inspiration on the world. One person will be chosen randomly to receive a romantic valentine’s gift package filled with surprise goodies! We must receive 100 reviewers by Feb 12, 2014 to choose a winner for the package! Spread the word! E-Book is only $2.99!
