Stephanie Hurt – Romance Author
This WordPress.com site confirms all things are possible through God!
Coffee is my afternoon snack. And on this cold and rainy Monday, it’s needed in the worst way. So, I’m sending all of you a little coffee smile. Remember, you’ve got this, so hold on and we’ll get through this Monday!
What a dreary Monday! Monday’s are a struggle, but when you wake up to rain and bone chilling cold, well, it puts you in the wrong mood. So, let’s talk patience. LOL! Yep, that word that we’ve forgotten existed…
Patience by definition is the ability to take things in stride, not rush into something, without getting upset. In other words, even though you want to do something so badly that you hit the start button before you have everything ready. And that’s where you get into trouble.
Here’s what the Bible says: Romans 12:12 “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
And I know how hard it is to be patient, especially when you have a new release coming. Here’s an example: You’ve finished your current work in progress, but you need to edit, then send to your editor for more edits, then add those new edits, market for the new release, make sure the cover is ready, etc… You get the point. But the problem with all of this is that it takes time to do all of this, and all of this is important. If you jump into the pot before the grease is hot, well, you’ll just end up soggy.
It’s like putting a puzzle together. You can’t rush to the last piece without putting all of the other pieces together first. It’s impossible, so you have to patiently put the other pieces together. The same with publishing a book. One step at a time…
So, here’s my advice and believe me, I’ve been there and done that. Make sure to check all the boxes before you hit submit. You wouldn’t publish to Amazon before you had a cover, would you? Then don’t publish before you’ve got the steps completed in order to put out the best book you possibly can.
Patience is something we have to work on. Me included. If you feel like you’ve just got to do something, then start on the next project and market like crazy for the one you’re about to release. But make it right the first time and the patience will pay off.
As always, good writing and May God Bless You…
It’s almost the weekend. Like only a couple of hours until it officially starts. And, it’s Valentines weekend on top of that. So, what are you planning for Valentine’s Day?
Maybe you’re going to stay in and just have a private dinner… Maybe you’re going out to a nice restaurant… Or maybe you don’t get into Valentine’s Day at all… Either way, it’s the weekend so celebrate by sleeping in, relaxing with a good book, or sitting by the fire writing…
HAPPY FRIDAY PEOPLE!!!
Good Friday morning! I’m getting so excited about my current work in progress, Safe. It’s taking me on a journey that I never thought I’d take in my writing. This book is a new adventure and I’m ready for it.
So, you may be wondering what’s up, well… I’m learning how much adrenaline comes in when you’re writing suspenseful mystery. One scene had me so tensed up that every sound in the house made me jump. It’s amazing. I’m so pumped up when I finish writing scenes that I have a hard time stopping to go to work.
I can’t wait to get finished with it so that I can get it out to all of you. The two main characters are such polar opposites, but yet they seem to be drawn to one another. The fun part is, they don’t even realize it. Drew is such a protective soul and Hadley is an introvert with a dislike for the outside world. Together they are explosive. The dark place that both of them are in comes from two very different sources, but together they seem to get darker. They have to fight to keep the darkness from over shadowing the light at the end of the tunnel. And the mystery that surrounds them in this spine tingling romance will have you guessing until the end.
As always, good writing and May God Bless You…
As most of you know, I’m an accountant. So, tax season is a big part of my time right now. This means I’m spending a lot of time in my office. At least I have a coffee maker sitting beside my desk. There may be long hours and late nights, but with coffee and tea by my side, I’m good to go.
So, how is your Thursday going?
As writers, sometimes we forget about our back titles. Well, we don’t exactly forget about them, but sometimes we push them aside for our newer titles. I was cleaning out some files and was thrown back to when I first started publishing my work in 2012. It was an amazing time as well as stressful. But those older titles are what got me to this point. They are not as polished as my newer books, but they are where I started.
So, with that being said, I want to throw it back to my first published book. It was reworked several years ago, but it still holds a place in my heart. Also, it came from a story that I started way back when I was a teenager.
Let me reintroduce you to Ghost Lover.
The dying words of Jess’s mother are for her to find the love of her life. But with an overbearing father, will she have that chance? When he gives her a horse and riding lessons for her 21st birthday, her life changes. Is the cowboy behind the Black Stetson her soul mate? When her father’s partner decides to stake claim on her, who will win the fight? Suspense, tragedy, romance and a stranger in the shadows lead to a dramatic final showdown in Ghost Lover…
And then there’s the letter!
There have been a couple of covers for this one. Let’s go from first to current…
I love the newest cover. If you’re interested in falling in love with their story, then drop by amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Lover-Revised-Stephanie-Hurt-ebook/dp/B00NDI5AYW
As always, good writing and May God Bless You…
We made it to the halfway point. Tax season is now in full swing and my work days are getting longer, which means more coffee breaks. So, here’s to a great day for all and don’t forget to grab that cup of coffee to keep the day going strong.
I have several books that started out really good, but then the story lost something. Sometimes when we’re working on a manuscript it loses something and maybe even we lose the story for a moment. Usually I can sit it down for a little while and pick it back up later.
Although some stories do come back in slowly, others just don’t make the cut. I went through my files this weekend and eliminated some stories that started out as a ‘great idea’, but when I tried to create the bones of the story, it flopped. It was like ripping off a Band-Aid, I did it quick and took a deep breath. Maybe one day those ideas will flow back in.
In order for a story to live and become something worth publishing, it has to be strong enough to flesh out. If you can’t even create the bone structure of the story, then how will it ever get to the final stages. After all these years of writing, I’ve learned not to dwell of the things that just don’t work. If it’s starting slow, then put it to the side, work on something else, then come back to it.Â
As always, good writing and May God Bless You…
Â
Â
As I sip my afternoon coffee, I’m thinking about the last nine years of publishing my work, I have to smile. This publishing life has been the best way to get all of my craziness out of my head. In 2012 I was unsure how it would be received, but wow, it’s been such a wild, wonderful ride.
Now, don’t take this as saying it was easy, but it has been fun. So, with another sip of my coffee I say thanks for all of the wonderful friends I’ve made during this wonderful time. And I look forward to many more years, publishing, writing, and blogging.
So, here’s to more coffee thoughts in the future… Meaning, everyday…
3 Ways Indies Can Improve Self-Publishing
As a writer I see a lot of writers come and go in the spot light. It’s amazing how many books are appearing on Amazon and other platforms daily. When I started publishing my work in 2012, you could stay on the front page of new releases for at least 24 hours. Now you’re lucky if you stay there for 24 minutes.Â
I’ve found out a couple of things about some of this craziness and that’s the indie authors that haven’t done their homework. Here are 3 of the many ways indies can improve self-publishing and the stigma that goes with it. But also, things have changed on that front too. Now more people are self publishing that ever before.
1: Editing. How many times do you edit your book? I know how exciting it can be to get to the words ‘The End’ and want it out there right then, but that’s a mistake. Make sure you read your work several times and one of those needs to be out loud. I recently went in and revised one of my first published books due to the fact that I put it out there way too fast. Editing is a very important part of the publishing process and as a self-publisher that’s up to you the writer. Also, there are many great editors out there that don’t cost you an arm and leg to hire them. It’s well worth the money and your work will benefit from an extra eye.
2: Cover Design: This is critical. When I look back at my first covers that I designed, I seriously laugh. They were so boring and uninspiring, but being an accountant I didn’t train on creative design software. That’s when I put me assistant to work as my cover designer. She took one look at my work and said ‘not happening’. She went to work and designed the awesome covers that now grace my books. This is the first thing that a potential reader sees. If it doesn’t inspire them, they will go on to the next book. And on top of that, make sure it’s relevant with the book and make it vibrant.
3: The Book Blurb: As a self-publisher this is solely your responsibility. This is one of the hardest things to do for me. Don’t get too out there. Make sure it’s very expressive and use lots of expressive words, but don’t give a lot away. If you give away the ‘who done it’ then there’s no sense reading the book. Make several different ones and have some other people read it. See what they think. Also, in the blurb, give the person a sense of thrill for picking up your book.
This was just a few of the ways that help a self published author. And remember, these are important parts of your book. Of course, the inside is important, but to get someone to actually see the inside, you need to get them to buy it first.
As always, good writing and May God Bless You…
Stephanie Hurt - Romance Author 