Patience & Writers!

Patience… Do you have good patience? For me, sometimes. I’ve been told many times that I have the patience of Job. Some days I’m not so sure about that. With some things, I do have a lot of patience. Tax work, I have the patience 92% of the time. Children’s Ministry, I have 95%  patience. Writing… not such good numbers.

When a writer needs patience:

  1. A writer needs the patience to see the manuscript to the end. I know with me, I can see the end, but sometimes it takes everything within me not to rush to the end. If I rush, I’ll miss the details that make the middle great, which helps that ending pop.
  2. A writer needs patience when submitting to a big publisher. This one can be daunting. Sometimes I’m good with this. But some days I wear my email out.
  3. A writer needs patience when entering a writing contest. I’m going through that right now. I’ve submitted a manuscript first chapter to the Harlequin HWBlitz. Yep, counting down the days.
  4. A writer needs patience while waiting on a finished manuscript to be edited. My Editor knows how testy I get during this time, but she smoothes the ruffled feathers by reminding me that this is part of the process. As a writer, I want it out there the minute I type THE END>
  5. A writer needs patience when waiting for the manuscript to be put out for all the world to read. Most of my books are put on preorder. They’re all on a certain publishing schedule, which means some of the things I’m working on now won’t be published until late Summer. That drives me crazy. I have so many that I’m so excited to get out there, but I have to wait. This is the part where I don’t do well. But I have to stay organized and on schedule, or so my Editor says anyway…

So, what makes you impatient?

As always, great writing and May God Bless You…

TBT – Moonbeam & Roses

Moonbeam & Roses New Cover

Moonbeam & Roses came out in July 2012! So I’m throwing back four years… This book pulled at my heart strings. It includes romance, drama, and healing of the spirit all in one book. As I wrote this book, I wondered how I would take the traumatic injuries that the heroine had.

Here’s a little excerpt to give you an insight into Moonbeam & Roses:

As Wes came up behind her, she suddenly felt different.  Her heart was suddenly fluttering wildly. It had to be the beauty of the night sky and the scent of the honeysuckle vines growing along the fence outside the barn. He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it affectionately. “What’s on your mind?  You have been unusually quiet tonight.”  She turned and smiled up at him.  “I guess my mind is on this beautiful night.  The stars are so bright.”  She leaned her head against his chest, thinking how nice it was to be here with him.   She looked up into his dark eyes.  He was devastatingly handsome, with his dark hair and rugged face, not to mention the black Stetson.  He was definitely a cowboy to the bone.

Wes was also studying her face.  She was a beautiful young woman.  Her blonde hair was just past her shoulders.  The moonlight reflected off it like moonbeams.  She had hazel eyes so gentle; a man could drown in their depths.  For the first time he was focusing on her like a man for a woman, not just a friend. He looked deep into her eyes.  Slowly he lowered his mouth to hers and gently kissed her lips, careful not to linger for fear of losing control.  When he lifted his head, she was smiling.  “That was nice, but what did I do to deserve that?”

He laughed and hugged her close. “That was for being my friend and listening to my problems.  I need to talk to you.  Let’s walk down to the house, I need a drink.” He took her hand and they walked to his house.  What was up with him?  Serious was not one of his common emotions.  When they were settled on his couch with waters in hand, he turned to face her. 

“I have some news.”  He paused to take a drink before he continued. “I received a call last night regarding a job in Montana.  It is a great opportunity for me.  I will be training horses for a large ranch.  They will supply me with a house and stables for my horses.”  He watched for any emotion on her part. “Sara, I told them I would take the job.  I will leave in two days.” 

For those of you that read my current work, my writing style has changed some, but the feelings behind the words are the same. If you haven’t read this one, then check it out. It’s available on most ebook and paperback sites.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Don’t forget about the fun giveaway I’m running…It’s in my posts…

 

Cloudy Morning Writing…

Good Tuesday morning! It’s one of those, ‘I want to stay in bed longer’ kind of mornings, but alas, I had to get up and fix breakfast then lunch for my son before school. Now, two cups of coffee later, my eyes are still heavy. Menopause, I blame that for my lack of sleep.

Now, the good side of not sleeping and lying awake; story ideas! As I lay there in the middle of night, refusing to get up and read, I worked on part of my pirate romance that was stumping me. In my mind, I had it figured out. The funny thing is, when I did drift off to sleep, well, I dreamed about pirates. That’s not a bad thing, I like pirates.

So, this morning as I start back on the manuscript, I’ll put the newly thought out part into words. I’m so loving my new pirate romance. It’s pulling me into the story. But of course, all of my books pull me in and envelope me. That’s how I keep my head in the work.

With the cloudy, dreary morning, I struggle with my sleepy eyes, but hopefully, the third cup of coffee will do the job. Especially since I have to get my act together and get to the office in a couple of hours!

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

Toes in the Sand Giveaway

toes in the sandBelow are the ways to enter Stephanie’s latest giveaway. It starts now, and ends Wednesday, May 18th at 10:00am. The winner will be given the option to pick any one of her many books as the prize! (this excludes collections) Make sure you are watching so you don’t miss any of the chances to get your name in the drawing.

On top of this over the next 9 days, if she reaches 200 likes on her author Facebook, and every 100 after that until the end of the giveaway, she will have a flash giveaway!

Monday Ramblings…

Hope everyone had a great Mother’s Day! As for me, yep. It was amazing. Being a mother is such a fantastic voyage. I actually think it prepares you to be a writer in some ways.

As for my writing, I got a long way into my latest manuscript yesterday while sitting on my patio. Sometimes I can write with a clearer head just sitting in nature, letting the worries of the world slip away and the words on the page take over. When I completely detach myself from everything, my writing goes quickly.

Here’s a reminder to check out my new website, www.freshfromthebook.com. Thanks to all of you that have passed it on to your social media and subscribed. I can’t wait to start advertising with the requests that I’ve received. That’s the goal, getting your book out there to the public. The only way you’ll get in front of your audience is to put it out there for them to find.

Here’s to good writing and may God Bless You…

 

 

 

 

Ghost Lover is 4 today!

It’s a beautiful morning here in Georgia. A little cool, but nice and sunny. Today Ghost Lover, my first published book turns 4! Wow, I can’t believe it’s been four years. Time really does fly when you’re having fun.

If you haven’t read Ghost Lover, let me give you a little bit of info. Ghost Lover is a romantic tale of love and betrayal. Here are the blurb and an excerpt from my favorite of all my books. This one holds my heart, I guess because it was the first.

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…

Her eyes had gotten accustomed to the darkness. She searched the shadows for any sign of movement. She was holding her breath. What could it be? Suddenly there was slow movement in one corner. She put her hand up to her mouth. Her feet were rooted to the floor. Was she in danger? But she felt perfectly safe.

A shape formed out of the shadows. It was a man in a cowboy hat. She couldn’t see his face only the dark shape. Was this an illusion or ghost? She was drawn to the shadow by some unknown feeling.

“Who are you and why are you here? Do I know you?”

“You know me, but he won’t let you remember me.” The voice was low and haunting.

“Should I be afraid of you?” She suddenly realized that she should be afraid, but she couldn’t move.

“I’d never harm you.” He slowly moved closer but still in the shadows.

“Why’re you here in the shadows? Why don’t you come into the moonlight so that I can see you?” She noticed he lowered his head and then looked back toward her.

“I don’t want you to see me this way. I want you to remember me before you look upon my face.” The sadness in his voice did something inside her heart.

“What’s wrong? Have you been injured in some way?” Her heart went out to him.

“Yes, I was burned in an accident. I want you to remember what we had before you see me.”

“What was our relationship?” Her heart was racing. She thought it would come out of her chest it was beating so hard.

“You’ll remember it. I don’t want to rush your memories. When you remember, you’ll know me.” Why did she want to reach out to this person so much?

“Were we friends?” Could this be the man in her dreams that she couldn’t see his face? Had he been scarred when she knew him before her accident?

“Yes, we’re very close. I know you have me locked in your memory and it’ll come out.” He reached his hand out of the shadows and stroked her face. His touch set off an electrical charge through her veins.

“Are you a ghost?” He laughed softly and the sound set her mind reeling.

“What do you think?” She tried to see him through the shadows, but couldn’t see his face.

“I think you’re the man that has haunted my dreams since I lost my memory.” Her voice was little more than a whisper as she spoke.

“How do you feel about me in your dreams?” He was slowly moving closer.

“I feel confused because I can’t see your face and remember who you are?” She reached her hand up to try to touch his face, but he gently grabbed her hand and put it to his heart. She could feel it beating wildly.

“Can you feel my heart beating? You’re what keeps my heart beating.” His voice was rough with emotion.

He looked up suddenly and pulled her into the shadows. She gasped, not out of fear, but surprise.

“Someone’s coming, but I need you to promise me that you’ll keep Thomas at arm’s length. He’s a danger to you.”

“What kind of danger? He said he’s my husband.” She could hear the footsteps getting closer.

“Just trust me; he’s not your husband.” He put his hands on both sides of her face and kissed her so gently that she almost lost her footing. “Don’t tell him about me. I’ll be here waiting for you tomorrow night at midnight.” He slowly went back into the shadows. She could hardly catch her breath.

This is one of my favorite parts and it leaves you wondering, is he a ghost or not?

Just a little reminder, don’t forget to check out my new website at

www.freshfromthebook.com

As always, great writing and May God Bless You…