Category: Writing

It’s Done!

♥It is official. My new book will be debuting at the end of this week on Amazon and Smashwords. I am really excited about this book. It is the longest manuscript I have completed and it is now my favorite of all my books.

I just have a good feeling about this one. It is a contemporary romance novel, intertwined with suspense. It has been a work that took a lot out of me. I have struggled with how certain parts would go. But when all is said and done, I am pleased. So here is an excerpt, so hope you like it:

She slowly turned in his arms. She heard his sudden intake of breath. She looked up into his eyes and saw what she had feared. He was feeling the same thing as her. His eyes were dark with desire. She had to get a grip, but that was past reasoning.

He looked down into her eyes. It was as though this moment was made for them. They were the only two people on earth. He ran his hands slowly up her arms and framed her face with his hands. He was holding his breath. He finally took in a cleansing breath.

He knew he had to kiss her. If he didn’t he would surely explode. He slowly lowered his lips to hers. She realized what was about to happen. This was wrong somehow this had to be wrong.

She pulled her head back and turned back toward the window. He just stood there. He was unable to move. He wanted to kiss her so badly. His whole body was vibrating with desire for her.

He turned her back toward him. She kept her eyes focused on his boots. He reached out and lifted her chin so that she was looking at him. He could see desire and confusion in her eyes.

“What’s happening here?” He asked the question, but he knew the answer.                               

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s the circumstances.” She tried to pull away but he held her steady. He leaned his forehead toward hers. They stood there for a moment just trying to breath.

She put her hand on his chest. She could feel his heart beating wildly. She knew that he wanted to kiss her. She was so afraid that things would never be the same for them if they kissed. Her heart told her that it would never be the same if they did not kiss.

Well that was just a small tidbit, don’t want to give too much away. Look for it by the end of the week. The trailer video should be up this afternoon on Youtube. Just look for Stephanie Hurt videos.

Have a wonderful day and good writing as always!

Loss of Technology leads to MELTDOWN!

Well the things that nightmares are made of happened to me on Thursday afternoon. It started with a simple request from my phone provider which also handles my internet service and fax line. They wanted to help lower my bill so they convinced me to combine my lines assuring me that I would only be down for a couple of hours. Well…

Being an accountant and writer I depend on my internet to keep up to date in my business. I am currently having to take online courses to keep up to date with the IRS. Also to keep up with my cyber friends. So my internet is a necessity.

Well you can imagine when the deadline for my services to be restored came and went I started to panic slightly. Three hours later my panic was rising to stressful levels. I asked my husband five hours into the “Black Out” as I labeled it, when had I let technology start ruling my life. He laughed and said it had been a while. He told me to take a warm bath and work on my book. I could not even face my laptop.

Upon waking yesterday, or I might as well say just getting up from no sleep, I crossed my fingers and turned on my laptop. Well, the little icon was still red and my DSL light was blinking a demon eye red. It watched me and winked at me for five hours. I started to sweat and have withdrawals. I could not eat, I could not sleep. It was terrible. I was slipping into a frenzied insanity.

After four different associates and four terrible hours on hold off and on, I got results. The lady said the words that made my heart sing “Hallelujah”, they were “your service will be back to full status by end of business day”. My stomach growled and said “now you can eat”. I took my son out to lunch and came back to a solid green light. The demon was gone from my desk and I took a cleansing breath.

It was like a awakening as I opened my browser and was able to connect. My fax line went crazy from client fax back up and business was back to “normal” or as normal as it can get. So that was my 24 hour meltdown without technology. I don’t want to go through that again. I was back to writing last night. Sad how technology takes over your life. You don’t know how bad a case of technological obsession you have until you have to go 24 hours without it. Have a great day fellow bloggers!

Good Morning!

Good morning to all bloggers. Hope all is well with the world around you. It is our first crisp morning here in Georgia. So invigorating. I actually had chill bumps while waiting on the bus with my son. He was the smart one, he had on his hoodie.

I excitedly came back in the house smelling the delicious aroma of fresh brewed coffee. As my followers are well aware, I have got to have my morning coffee. It just tastes better when you are cold. I started thinking about the upcoming colder weather and start having warm, fuzzy feelings about the start of fire building season. By March I am totally over the warm,fuzzy feeling and into the I can’t handle wood on the floor and hauling endless loads to the porch, but for now am excited.

I look forward to the days of curling up in front of the fireplace with my laptop or a good book. I am smiling just imagining the work I will get done this winter, especially now that I am publishing my work. I am also happy today reeling from some really wonderful reviews and an upswing in sales since all my books are now available at Barnes & Noble, Apple, Sony, Kobo, and Diesel to name a few. So exciting this craft that we do. It brings a whole new meaning to “telling the story”. So to all my writer friends good writing and to all my reader friends good reading!

 

Productive Writing Weekend!

Well, it was a very productive weekend. I was able to get a lot of my new book finished. I was able to get over a proverbial hump that I was a little perplexed about writing.

Have you ever knew that you had a part to write, but you were concerned how it would end up? My husband looked at me funny when I told him this. He said he just figured it was all complete in my head and all I needed to do was put it in the computer. I laughed and said I only wish it was that simple.

This was one of the turns this book takes that has been exciting, but I wanted to express it just right. I knew that if it was not just right, it would not work out right and it would mess up the whole story line up to that point. I was able to control my panic and type through it. When I had completed the part and reread it about fifty times, I was well pleased and feeling the internal pressure to get the manuscript finished.

Sometimes I am my worst critic, which can cause lots of rewrites, but I figure if I don’t like it how can I expect anyone else to. Right? My assistant said I was being way too hard on myself and her for that matter. (Smiling). Don’t know how she puts up with me. Writers can be really perplex people, especially when that aspect is mixed in with being an accountant too.

Well, hope everyone else had a productive weekend. Now on to the finish of “A Love Never Lost” which is beginning to be my favorite of all I have written, for now that is.◊

 

 

Romance! Everyone needs a little!

Romance, everyone needs a little romance. I guess that is what keeps us romance writers busy thinking up new story lines to enhance our readers experience. I have loved romantic stories since I was a young teenager. The first paperback romance I read was “Remembrance” by Danielle Steele. I was hooked from then on.

I would save up my allowance and wait to get to the local bookstore to see what new romance novels were in. Of course when I was a teenager there was no such thing as Kindle, Nook or even going on the internet to order books. I remember getting my first Harlequin book. I thought I had hit the jackpot. My favorite author from Harlequin was Charlotte Lamb. She could take you away to a world that you only dreamed of.

Even a really good marriage needs romance. That is what in my experience keeps the fire going. Even if it is just a simple look at the dinner table or a quiet evening after the kids go to bed. I am a true romantic. I love the candles, bubble baths and a fire in the fireplace.

When I am writing I try to inspire romance. Romance novels can span the genre from Paranormal, Christian, Suspenseful, or historical. I know I left off several types. When I was younger I would never have thought a vampire could bring on romantic feelings, but now that is a given for most. What about a kidnapper that falls in love with their victim and the other way around? Yep I have even read a romance that this happened and it turned out to be a sweet romance.

You can find romance in a horse stable, a department store or even the funeral home. Funny how romance slips in through even the tiniest cracks in the wall. Two complete strangers can find romance in the funniest of places and totally unexpected times. Romance is everywhere, you just have to open yourself up to the possibility.

So if you are an old married couple, young married couple, or even if you are not married, try a little romance. It will lift your spirits, it will revive your soul and you will smile. If you do not have anyone to be romantic with, do this. Get a romance novel, a comfortable chair, some chocolate and a hot steaming cup of tea and get lost. Believe me, it works and you will feel like a whole new person, with possibilities. So get romancing♥

 

Third Cup of Coffee!

Well, it’s Thursday morning. My son is at school and my hubby has gone to work. My mind in swirling with words to put into my current book. I am so excited about this new one.

I just can’t seem to type fast enough to get the words out of my head. I can see the whole ending and I am chomping at the bit or keys as it would be. I worked last night in between watching “The Voice”. My son kept looking at me like I was crazy. I was actually smiling and chewing my lip as I typed.

Have you ever been so into a manuscript that your every thought was focused on it? I had a new thought yesterday for a new spin that has totally rocked my manuscript. One of my characters is going totally on another direction from the original thought.

It is funny how your mind works when you are into a manuscript. You think you have the right answers, but as you type your mind goes ahead of your fingers and totally changes everything. It is so cool how the process just develops on the scope of the work. I can’t tell you where the idea is going, because that would be a “spoiler”. I can tell you that my editor/assistant read up to what I had finished yesterday and she is now not speaking to me. She said she could not believe that I let her read it to that point and left her hanging over a cliff with no reprieve. I just smiled and knew I had accomplished what I wanted.

I know I have said other books were my favorite, but I can honestly say this one has taken 1st prize in my heart. I have honed my writing skills and took into account different reviews of my other books. I have changed techniques and ways of describing characters and places. Just can’t wait to type the end, but then again it has been such a big part of my life for the past month or so that I will probably have withdrawals. LOL!!!♥

Crisp pre-fall Morning in Georgia!

 

Well, it is not quite fall here in Georgia, but this morning was a welcome sneak peak. We actually had a cool, crisp morning. The bird’s were chirping happily as my son and I walked to the end of the driveway to wait on the bus. I was regretting the fact that I had on a short sleeve t-shirt. Since I have been sick this weekend with sinus or cold or whatever the heck has been in my head, it was nice to get out in the fresh air.

It made me think of fairs, country festivals, hot boiled peanuts and apples. If you are not from the south, you may not think of these things, but here in the south, that is what it reminds me of.

The feel of the air inspired me to work on my book in progress before I go to the office. It made me feel refreshed, or as refreshed as I can feel with a stopped up nose and sneaky little aggravating cough. Oh, well, a writer has to move forward because every spare minute not used to finish the manuscript is a wasted minute. I have a goal and that goal has not been met and closing in fast.

So, have a wonderful Monday! Yeah, I know it is Monday, but only five days until next weekend…