Throwback Thursday – Mistletoe Ranch

Good morning!

When I started the Mistletoe Ranch series I could see everything. It was as though I was living on the ranch and taking every step the characters did. Every detail was right in front of me. I loved writing this series. The emotions, the highs and lows, and the people, all of it felt real to me. Many of my readers have said that this was the most heartfelt romance series and I have to agree. I put everything inside of me in these books. But I do that with everything I write.

So, if you’re looking for a sweet, funny, heartwarming romance series, then grab all three books in the Mistletoe Ranch Series.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GLNZQJB?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tkin

Lost work and Writer’s Block

Good morning! It’s been a while since I’ve posted here. I’ve had a lot going on in the background. So, here goes:

I had a computer glitch back in February that had me checking on my backups for my writing. Guess what, my backups were not working due to a file error with an update to my computer. Soooooo, here is what happened. I lost, yes, lost three works in progress. One was almost completely finished and was supposed to be published in February. A writer’s worst nightmare.

Now, you might be saying, why didn’t she have a back up. I did, or so I thought. My writing program Scrivener backs up to my Google drive. But the update to my computers windows program was corrupt and it made the backups look like they were working, but they were not. Am I checking and rechecking now, yes! Almost to a obsessed level.

As writers, we struggle sometimes to put words on paper. And when things are going well and you have all of the right words, then lose them, well, it puts a damper on your writer brain. But there is light at the end of the tunnel, or at least that’s how I feel now. A few months ago it caused major writers block. I had to back track on all three works and remember what I’d created.

One light was that four chapters of the one almost completed had been sent to my editor via email so I do have those to get it back going. Another light was that one of the works had been giving me problems, so I’m going at it from a different angle and I actually like it better now. And another one I lost the whole thing, and will revisit it again one day, but right now I’m focusing on finishing one at a time. This is a major setback on my publishing schedule, but all things happen for a reason. I’ve been forced to sit back and readjust my writing schedule. It’s been a struggle, but I’m starting to get back in the groove.

If someone tells you writer’s block isn’t real, don’t believe them. I’ve never experienced it to such a level as the last six months, but now that I’m starting to see the words in my head again, I know it’s a very real phenomena that wreaks havoc on the writer brain. Some days I would struggle just getting a paragraph on paper. There were a couple of weeks that I didn’t write anything, not one word. My heart has been heavy with unwritten words. Writer’s know what I’m talking about. Our brains work on a different level and when the words back up, well it’s like logs wedged in a dam. The words are there, but they can’t escape. Then one day, boom! The dam breaks and they flood through the gates.

So, hope all has been well with all of you… Oh, and to top it all off, I missed an email from WordPress regarding my email needing to be confirmed, so my domain was suspended temporarily. Yep, when it rains it pours.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Friday Coffee & A Book…

Most people don’t have much time to read these days. Everyone stays so busy that the special moments found inside the pages of a book don’t seem to matter. But let me just say, when I do have a free moment, I try to get lost in between the covers of a romance, mystery, or paranormal book. It takes you away from the world we live in and takes you to another place or time.

So, try to find a few minutes every day to do something for yourself. And yes, I’m guilty of letting life take those minutes from me. I’ve been reading the same book for months and need to get back to it. I’m taking my life back, one page at a time. And that goes for writing too!

If you’re looking for something to fill that space, then check out some of my books. I put my heart in every word and hope that if just for a moment, I can take away the stress of the day for one reader. To start, check out Ridge, the first book in the Five Oaks Ranch Series. It’s Free! And one of my bestsellers!

As always, good writing, and May God Bless You…

I’m back in the saddle… So to speak!

I’m back!

I’ve struggled the last couple of months with writer’s block. It was something I never thought I would struggle with, but it hit and nothing I did would help. I don’t think my muse was gone, just on vacation. When you put words on paper and then stare at them like they are alien to you, that’s when you step back and take a breather.

Have I written anything? Yes. But only in spurts. I actually have three projects going and some days I would write a little in each one, or just one at a time. A lot of days I didn’t write anything. It was hard on me because I’ve always written something every day. And in some ways, I think it added to my anxiety not to have my out. Writing has always been my calming, but when this mysterious writer’s block swept in like a bad storm, well, it became the thing that made me most anxious.

But after a lot of prayer and time away from my laptop, my muse is flexing its muscles and wiggling its fingers, ready to get back in the saddle. And my mind is once again filled with the story that needs to be written. It’s filled with the possibilities of what could come of an idea. I love the moments of searching out an idea that needs to be continued in the pages of a book.

So, ready or not, I’m back at it.

As always, good writing, and May God Bless You!

Happy 4th of July!

She can’t go back home, ever…

@stephaniehurtauthor
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Thursday Throwback… My 1st published book…

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been publishing books since 2012. Ten years! To say it’s been an experience is just the tip of sword. This has been the best, most rewarding experience. I’ve enjoyed meeting so many people through this journey. And some of those were authors I admired, which has been an absolute thrill.

My first published book was Ghost Lover. This book started when I was a teenager, but was put in a drawer for over many years. When my niece found all of my stashed manuscripts and wanted to read them, I was like, ‘sure, why not’. But after three days, she came to me with a plan. I was skeptical, but now I’m glad I took the leap. Ghost Lover became my first bestseller.

Here are the many covers over the years that have graced Ghost Lover… The changes have been many, but the story has stayed the same. It’s one of my favorites and I’ll never forget the feeling I had as a teenager when I first penned the words that became the book. And when I say penned, I mean, pen and paper.

The first Ghost Lover cover… Let’s say I’ve learned a lot about cover design since this one!

Cover 2 was quite exciting. I received a lot of response when this new cover was revealed.

And this cover was born after I revised the first edition. Many changes, but still the heart of Ghost Lover remained…

The current cover. Let’s see who haunts your dreams…

If you haven’t read Ghost Lover, then give it a try. This book will take you on an emotional roller coaster. Enjoy! https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Lover-Revised-Stephanie-Hurt-ebook/dp/B00NDI5AYW

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Technically, it’s my Monday…

Good morning! I do hope everyone had a safe and Happy 4th of July! It’s always rough the first day back to the real life after a three day weekend. So, as the title suggests, today is my Monday. And of course I’ll have to wrap up two days in one.

As for my writing, well… Yep, got another chapter finished and I’m on the final stretch to the finish line. This book is pulling me from every direction. It’s been a wild ride into a new realm. I’ve written western romance as well as historical, but never about a wagon train. The things I’ve learned have been eye opening.

Television can romanticize the old west and the wagon train experience. But the facts are staggering and sad. Life on a wagon train was hard. The struggle to get to a new life was tough, but many made the trip.

I’ve tried to keep it as close to real as possible, but at the end of the day, it is fiction. And that brings me to another subject. Why do reviewers continue to say, ‘this book doesn’t fit into real life or real life scenarios’? Think about it. If you write fiction, it’s just that, fiction. In the world of fiction, anything can happen. If not, we wouldn’t have some of the best books out there. And if you think some of that really happens, then I need to enlighten you. It can’t.

Writers open up themselves to scrutiny every time they hit publish. Whether it’s a blog or book. But it’s part of it. And as a fiction writer, there will always be something that doesn’t really happen in real life. The reader wants to be taken to another place or time. They need that out of this world experience, if only for a moment.

So, take this from my post. Yes, most writers try to keep close to real life, but in fiction, the rules go out the door.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Wednesday Wisdom or not…

In this journey we call life, there are many bumps in the road. Some are worse than others. But it’s how we handle it that makes the bumps less ‘bumpy’. Or so they say.

As a writer, the bumps come and go. Lately I’ve been on a rut filled road that is full of unexpected potholes and speed bumps. But, I finally arrived to the nice, bump free road called creative process. My muse decided to take a vacation, but thankfully the vacation is over and my muse is back!

Now, the little bit of wisdom that I gained from this little excursion was this, keep writing even through the muddy, rutty patches. I didn’t follow my own advice that I’ve given to so many writers. I let my muse leave and that put me behind. I’ve regained control now and am back to my daily writing. Amazing how much it helped. So, if you don’t get anything from this post, get this. Write daily, even if it’s just a hundred words. But keep your muse busy or they will take a vacation. Just glad I got it back.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

The name game…

Good morning! The name game… As writers we all do it. The book idea comes into our head and then we have to give the characters a name. It may seem easy enough, but after publishing over 50 books, it gets hard.

A character in one of the first books I published had the name ‘figure it out’ for almost half the writing process. But I knew that I could search that phrase and insert the name once I figured it out. Why is it so hard? Well, let me enlighten you…

When naming a character, you want it to fit the character. If it’s a strong male lead, you want the name to be strong. And don’t forget the time period. A name can make or break how you see the character. Imagine some of the most popular characters you’ve read about or seen on screen. Then imagine them with a different name. It has to fit.

And I mentioned the time period. If your book is set in 1500’s England, well, you need to know the names of that period. Maybe it doesn’t seem important, but believe me when I say there are fans that see it as very important. Oh, and country of birth is also a factor.

So you might be asking yourself, how do you figure it out? I have a couple of methods. One is Scrivener. They have a great name generator that has many variables. And it works for me. But I also from time to time check out baby name generator apps. They work as well. But with Scrivener they help with the last name.

I made the mistake of using the same name for two main characters in two of my books. It did not sit well with some of my fans. They let me know that I’d made that goof. But it was two of my favorite character names, Wes and Sara. So, I try not to do that again.

If I hear a name in conversation, or meet someone with a unique name, I make a mental note about it. So, don’t worry if you see your name in one of my books, remember, it’s only fiction…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

P.S. Keep watching for Jenny to release soon…

Monday Coffee Talk…

Mondays are made for coffee and contemplating the new week. Some Monday’s are harder than others. But somehow we get through them, one coffee at a time. Now, if you know me, you know I love my coffee. It’s what keeps me going on Monday’s like today. After a busy weekend, this might take the whole pot and then some…

Now, as for my writing. I’ve been a little off my game lately. Today is a new day and my WIP needs some attention. So, I’ll say good morning and happy Monday. Now on to getting some words written before I go to the office.

Good writing and May God Bless You…