Working ahead of yourself!

Good Friday morning! Yes people, it’s Friday. For me, I’m on my second cup of pumpkin spice infused coffee and thinking about the third. Hope all of you have great plans this weekend that don’t include going to the West Coast of Mexico. Hurricane Patricia is scary looking. To my Mexican friends and all of those in the path, stay safe.

Now on to today’s post. As you know I’m working on the last three books of the Five Oaks Ranch series. Luke is over halfway completed and Maggie is outlined. My mind has been drifting this week to Maggie’s story. Since it’s outlined, I’ve been playing with some of the pivotal scenes within her story. A couple are really exciting and I had to get them out of my system so that I can finish Luke, hopefully this weekend.

Of course I’ve been looking for photos for the Cauthen Christmas book which will end the series, sadly. I feel like I know the Cauthen’s personally. But that’s what happens when you spend a good chunk of time creating every aspect of their lives. That’s why Maggie’s story is pulling at me.

The Christmas book will be so sweet that I almost started writing it the other night, but I have to make sure that Maggie doesn’t become rogue and go in a different direction. You know how sneaky those characters can be 😉

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

As my finger hovered…

Well, it’s a little warmer this morning here in the south, but not by much. The trees outside are beginning to turn slightly, some a little more, which tells me my favorite time of year is upon us. I love the Fall.

But on to the post. Last night I did something that quite frankly scared me to death. No, I didn’t go to a haunted house, not one for those at all! I waited patiently, not exactly patiently, but somewhat, for the final notifications to stream in on the Top 25 for the SYTYCW15 contest. Deep down I knew my name wasn’t on the list, but I had to know for sure before I made a life changing decision. Let me just say this, I was so honored and totally humbled to have made the Top 55 among so many great authors, it was a little overwhelming if I’m to be totally honest.

So as I sat last night, playing with the decision at hand, I took a deep breath and jumped. Yes, I hit submit on Tuscany, meaning it’s in Harlequin’s hands now. To what end, I’m not sure, but we’ll just have to see. This book was totally different from my other ones, it was like a part of my soul went with it last night. Was this the right decision? I think so.

Recently I was on a discussion on Twitter with a couple of Harlequin editors and I asked about this type of book. Would it be something that they’d look at? Immediately a couple of them tagged other editors with Harlequin, stating it was what they were currently looking for. That intrigued me enough to hit the submit button last night.

As for Tuscany’s presence on Wattpad, I don’t know. I’ll probably pull it soon, but for now I’ll leave it there. I’ve received a couple of really great reviews. One said simply, but powerfully, “SWOON!”. This made me smile because I almost swooned as I typed the last paragraph of this book and if you have read it then you know why. Then this morning I received another review stating and I quote, “Wow! One of the best books I’ve ever read on Wattpad or anywhere else for that matter!!” With wonderful reviews like that, I just have this feeling. It’s the feeling I had the first time I hit the submit on Ghost Lover, my first published book. And I’ve never regretted that move, not even once 😉

So, with that said, I’ll keep you updated on what’s happening, but I know it will be a while before I hear anything, if I hear at all.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Chilly Southern Morning

It’s the coldest morning here so far this season. I’m enjoying it, although my bones are a little less enthusiastic. Now that I’m on my 2nd cup of coffee, I’m working toward waking up. The morning is beautiful as the sun creeps slowly up, but it’s slow this morning, like me.

As for me on this cool Monday morning, I will be catching up on my writing. Luke is coming along nicely and Maggie is already outlined and ready to go. The Five Oaks Ranch is getting into my head way too much. Most writers know what I mean when I say I don’t want to stop with their story, but all good things must come to an end.

Hope all of you are well and ready to start your week.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Writing a complex character: for me it’s Luke

All characters have their complexities, but with Luke Cauthen, well, let’s just say he runs the race, leading by a head or two, maybe three. His story has been pulling at me since the start of this series over a year ago. I wanted him to be the youngest of the Cauthen men. He needs to have some influence from his older brothers, but also he’ll need their support.

With Luke, let’s see, how do I explain this man? He’s what some call a womanizer, but once you get to know him, you’ll figure that one out for yourself. One of his character flaws, well maybe not a flaw, but something that gets him into trouble with the ladies is he’d running from love as fast as he can. When a girl gets too close, she’s gone like an old shoe, out the door. Or is he running to love, but has to get the obstacles out of the way? Food for thought?

Another characterization of him is loyal. With the above comments you’re probably saying, what? Luke is loyal to the ranch. He’s never wanted to do anything but work on the ranch. That also gets him into trouble as he’s a hot head and when things don’t go the way he thinks is best for the ranch, well he goes over the edge. Usually ending up in a quarrel with one of the other three head strong Cauthen brothers.

But Luke can be tamed, and in this book you’ll get to know the woman a lot better. She’ll have him hogtied and over his saddle before he can blink an eye.

So, if you haven’t read any of this series, then I suggest you get to it. All of them are sweet stories of love, romance and family. Each of them has a character flow, but there’s always someone that can heal the wounds that flaw creates.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Coffee, love, laughter…

Good Saturday morning all! How do you like one of my new rugs? I’m super excited about this one. Can you see why? If you’ve been reading my posts for the last three years then you know why. Hint, there’s three of them… Did you figure it out yet?

This morning as soon as I opened my eyes it was evident the rain was here. So much for some yard work this morning, but I can’t complain because we need the rain. Saturdays at our house are for cleaning and writing. For some reason this week and I’m still a little confused about this one, I actually finished most of my laundry early. That means more time for writing today 😉

If you haven’t checked out my Wattpad entry, then run, don’t walk over there. Votes and views are important for this one. I also enjoy the commments. As a firm believer in the close knit writer community, I want to hear from you. One friend has already helped out by pointing out something that needed tweaking. I’m ever grateful for that too! When someone that doesn’t see the story from your head makes an observation, then you can see it clearer.

Also, for you Five Oaks Ranch fans I have a nifty little surprise that I slipped in this week when you weren’t looking. Ridge is free on most sites for a while. With Chase riding on the heels of publication I had to get some things happening. The downloads have been pouring in, which means there’s an interest in catching up. As I’ve said before, i can’t wait for you to meet Chase, my favorite of the Cauthen brood.

So, what’s your plans for today? Writing? Cleaning? Just being alive? For me, all of the above! My advice for you on this rainy Georgia day, drink a pot of coffee, hug someone you love and laugh a lot…

As always, good writing and May God Bless you…

https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/48304085-tuscany

One more thing before you go! When Tuscany’s entry on Wattpad reaches 25 views I’ll be doing a sweet giveaway, then at 50 and 100! So pass the word around and give me some reader/writer love!

Thursday morning News…

Good Thursday morning everyone! I’ve been telling you about a manuscript that has been in the works. I know I’ve been a little secretive about this one, but I wanted to make sure that the concept worked. Well the outline is complete and I see the whole story in my mind and I feel it in my heart, if only my fingers typed as fast as my brain tells the story.

The exciting thing is I made the decision yesterday to enter it in the So You Think You Can Write contest over at Harlequin and Wattpad. This was a hard decision because this manuscript is not complete yet. That means that I have to hit the 50,000 word mark in less than a month. Good grief! But I need a little help from me peeps here. If you get a chance, could you please go over to the link, https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/48304085-tuscany, and let me know what you think. Please be honest. If you like it then please vote for it because the more votes I get the better chance I have of getting past round one.

I’ve entered this contest before and had great results. Two years ago I entered “Finding the Right Time” in this contest and made it past round two. That was exciting. I received so many great responses for that book on the contest site.

Another bit of news is that Chase is almost completed. For those of you following the “Five Oaks Ranch” series, then you know this is the one I’ve been so excited about. Chase is the rogue of the Cauthen brood and his story has pulled at me harder than any of the other ones. I can’t wait for you to meet this stubborn cowboy. You’ll fall in love instantly.

Just a reminder, today is Thursday people, that means the weekend is almost here. Since my son started back to school Monday, I’ve been getting up earlier, so I can’t wait to sleep in Saturday. Not that I will, my body wants up at seven, even on Saturdays.

So, as always, good writing and May God Bless You!

P.S. Go by my website and sign up for my newsletter or even my street team. The link is www.stephaniehurtauthor.com. So sign up today for your chance at some great prizes. If you join my street team you’ll get to see chapters before they’re published and so much more. Also I have some great swag and book giveaways planned for the near future.

Street Team

Hey bloggers! It’s Kaleigh again!

The Street Team is getting a good response and I want to thank everyone who signed up for it! For the next few days ONLY the first chapter of Chase (the 3rd book in the 5 Oaks Ranch series) will be on the street team page for anyone that has joined! I will have to be taking it down next week because Stephanie has provided me with some awesome new information that needs to be put on the site.

Also, make sure that you are referring people! If you refer someone and they let me know you will be eligible for an ARC of Chase before it is available to anyone else! So make sure you are signing up for the Street Team and telling everyone else about it!

Just go to http://www.stephaniehurtauthor.com/#!street-team/cdmb and it is so easy to sign up! We will approve you and then you will be able to view the newest and juiciest new from Stephanie! If you have signed up and did not receive your awesome welcome package please go back and make sure that you sign up for the Street Team and not the subscription to Stephanie’s author newsletter. If you have signed up for the Street Team you should be asked for a password and I will have confirmed your membership!

Have a great day,

Kaleigh

Exciting News!

Dear Readers,

Many of you have probably read about me in some of Stephanie’s posts. I am her editor, cover designer, and pretty much her personal assistant! (: For the past few days I have been working on a very exciting project for her without giving her too much information. I am pleased to announce that as of today, the Stephanie Street Team is now up and running.

Stephanie’s Street Team is a place for any and all fans to join. I will be posting exclusive private chapters, cover reveals, and many other tidbits of information before they are released to the public.

There will also be challenges at all times on the site so that members ONLY can get a chance to win free books, swag, and many other exclusive pieces of information.

Now, most of you are probably wondering what the catch is here. I mean, Stephanie giving away so much awesome information there must be a catch. Well, there isn’t! You just keep doing what you are already doing, reading her books and posting on your social media about how awesome her books are! We will even provide you with posts and advertising pictures for your social media and blogs! How easy is that?!

Not only will you be getting, exclusive excerpts, awesome swag, and even free copies of the books once they come out! The most active members could also win Advanced copies (yes, that is before ANYONE else) once I get done editing them to help us make them the best that they can possibly be.

All of you are dying to join right now, I know! And here’s how you can do it:

Go to http://www.stephaniehurtauthor.com/street-team/
Read some more reasons to join this awesome team
Click on the log in/sign up button
Enter an email address and a password
We will approve you within 24 hours and will notify you that you have been approved
Start getting your exclusive information.

It wont even take you 5 minutes to sign up!

Me and Stephanie can’t wait to start getting to know all of you guys and for us to start making her books even more awesome! Hope to start meeting everyone real soon. For any questions please feel free to email us at stephs.street.team@gmail.com!

Have a wonderful day,

Kaleigh

What’s true love?

What is true love? It’s a question I’m asked a lot because I’m a romance author. That doesn’t put me into the category of an expert on the subject of love. Although I do read a lot about love and romance, it’s part of the job as a writer.

So, what is it? Some say that true love is a myth, what do you think? For me I’m a firm believer in this thing called true love. It’s a real thing. But true love is met by many skeptics. Here are few definitions of true love that I’ve found:

1: From the Bible (My favorite definition by the way)

1 Corinthians 13:4-7New International Version (NIV)

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

2: Dictionary.com –

noun

a sweetheart; a truly loving or loved person.

3: Webster’s Dictionary-

True´love`

One really beloved.

That’s only 3 of the many definitions you can find when you look it up. Does this define the words? Somewhere in between all of these definitions you’ll find the true meaning of love.

Here’s my feelings about it, so sit down and get ready. Remember before you read this that I’m an author of romance, so I warned you…

True love comes from deep inside your soul. It’s the purest, deepest kind of love that you can experience because as the words say, ‘true love’, it’s true, not just lust or infatuation. Your heart beats for someone else. It goes beyond those feelings you had in high school, beyond the fast beating heart, it’s the reason your heart beats. True love is more than words spoken, gifts given or even a look, it’s a feeling all of it’s own. Nothing compares to true love and I know this, because when you find your soulmate, true love, you’ll know it. Everything else that you’ve thought was love suddenly becomes untrue.

Remember I warned you, I’m a sap for true love. So, what’s your meaning of true love? Do you believe in it or are you a skeptic?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Do you treat writing as a business or hobby?

Let’s talk about your writing for a moment. Lately I’ve been reading a lot about the business of writing. It’s got me thinking about my writing. Most articles I read constantly ask, do you treat your writing as a business? Or is it just a hobby that you play at? Something to think about.

I take my writing seriously, really seriously. To me writing is a business that I treat as though it’s a 9 to 5 job, but I don’t get to spend that much time with it. I’ve talked to several writers that feel the same way I do about writing, but others say they only write on a whim and don’t really take it serious. I guess it’s whatever is important to you.

Can I let you in on something I’ve learned from my experience and the experience of the many writers I’ve spoken with, if you don’t take your writing seriously, how do you expect anyone else to? If it’s just a hobby, then your fighting a losing battle because you’re not planning to put in it what it takes to really do something with it. I’m not lecturing, just stating a fact.

So, here goes my soapbox moment. For your writing to count, then you’ve got to believe in it yourself. You need to step up to the plate and take that swing. Yes, you’ll miss the ball a couple of times, I know I have, but in the end you’ve given it all you’ve got. The only way to make it to home base is to put the effort in and push forward.

One author told me that all she ever does is promote to friends and family. That’s good, but if that’s all you do, then your reach is only so long. In order to succeed you’ve got to go past your inner circle, step out of your comfort zone and do it. Do some Facebook promotions, Tweet like crazy, do an author signing, but do something! Ok, I’m off my soapbox for this one moment, but don’t fret, I’ll be back on it again really soon;)

Ask yourself this question. What do you want out of your writing? Is it fame, fortune, or to get a point across? Why do I ask? Well, it’s an important question because a lot of really good writers never see any of that. Do you know why? They never strive to better themselves. Read every article you can get your hands on, enter contests, attend conventions when possible, but inform yourself. As with any business, you’ve got to keep up with today’s readers. To do that you’re going to have to step up to that proverbial plate and swing…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

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