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…

When the story can’t go on…

Good morning! Hope all is well… Today I’m talking about that story. You know the one. The story grabs you by the collar and pulls you around until you do something with it. Have you ever had that happen? Most writers have. But today’s story is one that can’t go anywhere. What?

I, as many writers do, have a stack of unfinished manuscripts. The story filled our head and needed to be told, but only a chapter or maybe a couple of chapters in you hit a wall. And every way you try to get around that wall, you only end up digging a hole that just keeps going. So why do you keep trying? It’s the writer in you. The part of the writer’s brain that sees something that could be, but can’t be. You may say that doesn’t make sense, but hear me out.

For example, I had a storyline come to me during my writer’s block that seemed perfect. Almost too perfect. The beginning held so much promise. But as I wrote, the story got fuzzy, almost unrecognizable. All I was doing was putting words on the page just to make it to the next chapter. When I went back to read over what I wrote, well, let’s just say ‘Yuck’. It wasn’t the story I saw in my head. And it definitely wasn’t something I would publish. So, instead of wasting my time, I put it to the side. Maybe one day… But not today.

Although some discarded manuscripts do become a reality. One such manuscript was ‘Ghost Lover’. It was my first published manuscript. But the story started out over twenty years earlier. I had a vision but for some reason, it faded. I placed that manuscript in a desk drawer and left it there. I thought of it often but didn’t pick it back up until 2012 when my niece found it along with many other manuscripts. She read what I had on paper, yes it was typed on a typewriter, you know, old-school writing. Well, she said that it had a lot of promise.

I began to read the manuscript and realized, she was right. The story began to blossom inside my heart and poured out like water from a fountain. In only days I’d written over 30,000 words. So, from a discarded manuscript, one I thought couldn’t go anywhere, came one of my bestselling novels and my first published book.

So, my advice is this. If you have a manuscript that doesn’t seem to go anywhere, don’t totally give up. Just set it aside and come back to it later. It’s possible that it might become your bestseller one day or just collect dust in a drawer.

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

P.S. If you’re looking for your next read, give one of Ghost Lover a try!

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…

Following Through with a Plan

Good morning! Yes, I’m back. It’s been a crazy couple of months. Between writing and tax season, I’ve been so busy. But I’m getting back on track and ready to get this blog back up and running. So, here’s to the rest of the year!

How many times have you made a plan and then didn’t go through with it? Maybe you set a book release and you couldn’t finish the book in time. It’s always good to make sure you write down your plan and try to keep to it. This keeps you from procrastinating. But what happens when everything is against you such as time, life, and all the things in between? Here’s a couple of tips for making things happen when you need them to…

I’ve been trying to finish my latest WIP and somehow I let my busy schedule take over. This is the first time in a long time that I didn’t meet my deadline. And yes, I procrastinated to the point that the book went to the back burner. As a writer, that hurts.

Let’s talk planning. When you have a book idea, excitement bubbles up and you’re pumped. But there’s more to it than just the idea. You’ve got to focus on the idea and make sure that it can be fleshed out into a book. This step needs a plan.

Look at it like framing a house. Without the frame, you wouldn’t have the house. A book plan is the same thing. Here are the steps to getting that book into the hands of your readers…

The Idea – Yes, this is the exciting stage where you get the spark. You know what I’m talking about. It’s the moment you’re sitting there and all of a sudden you have the best idea for a new book or series. But not every book idea comes to life. I’ve got so many ideas written down that didn’t meet the muster.
The Outline – Ok, I know some of you are more of a seat of the pants writer, but let me tell you, an outline can be the make or break for some ideas. When I have an idea, I sit down and figure out how it can go. Even if it’s just a simple, beat by beat outline, it helps you to know if you can make it work.
Flesh it out – Now that you have the idea and the simple outline, you can go back and give it some flesh. Fill it out and see if you have enough to make it a book. This is the point of no return or return to the pile of idea. Here is where you make sure that the idea can go the full gauntlet or get chopped off before it’s even finished.
Scheduling – Here’s where you need to be honest with yourself. If you think your idea can go 25,000 words, don’t schedule a release in 25 days. Maybe you can get it written in 15 days, but there’s so much more that goes into it than writing it. Make sure that you schedule every step of the writing process. I had to learn this the hard way. Here’s a couple of items to think about when scheduling: A. Cover design B. First Draft C. Revisions D. Read Through E. Editing F. Prerelease Marketing G. Final Draft, and this is just a few steps.
Writing – Now, here is the fun part. You finally get to put words on the page. The first draft isn’t perfect, so don’t expect it to be. Get the bones on paper, then go back and fill it in.
First Draft Read Through – This stage is fun. The bones of your book are there. You’ve finished the first part of the process which to me, can be the hardest part. This is the stage where you’ll know it the idea will actually make it. If the outline didn’t catch it, the first draft will.
Edit, Edit, Edit – Now, read it out loud as you edit. This is important before it goes to your editor. My editor has asked me before if I even read it before I sent it to her. LOL!
Cover Design – This process for me comes first, but a lot of writers don’t design theirs until this stage. Sometimes the cover comes to me with the idea. Make sure the cover represents your work. Don’t do something to deceive your readers. And simple still works…
Marketing – Plan your marketing early in the process. Set a budget and schedule some prerelease ads. You don’t have to spend a bundle to get results. Just make sure to stagger your ads. Don’t overwhelm yourself.
Release Day – Make this a party. Setup a blog post. Send out Tweets, Facebook posts, Pinterest, TikTok blurbs, and any other social media you use. Make it fun and relaxed.

I know this was a little crazy, but putting a book out to readers needs a plan. And my way may not work for everyone, but it does for me. Hope it helps in some way.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Promotions that work…

We’re halfway to the weekend and I feel as though I’ve been back pedaling. So much to do… So little time…

My latest book release went better than I expected it would. And I owe the success to the stacked ads and promotions that I ran surrounding the week of release. I’d read about doing this and was a little skeptical, but now I know it’s the thing to do. But for today, I want to talk about the biggest boost promotion that helped me.

I did run about 5 different ads for the release of SAFE. The sales began to rise, but they weren’t spiking enough to hit a bestseller list. That is until my double ad that I ran on https://faithfulreads.com/. Within an hour of the promotion hitting the Faithful Reads website and social media accounts, my sales began to go up at a rapid rate. All through the day they continued to rise.

Now, you may be saying, how do I know it was the ad through Faithful Reads that helped so much. Well, I kept up with all of my sales on the days that the other ads ran. And then when the Faithful Reads ad began, it was evident what worked. By the end of the day of the promotion, I was sandwiched between four top authors. It was exciting as I watched the rank rise. Then as the promotion was about to end, I hit #3 on the Amazon charts. The first and second place books were top ranking authors, so I was thrilled to be #3 behind them.

Over the last couple of years I’ve used Faithful Reads many, many times. They’ve always proven successful. And the fact that to run even a double ad with them is reasonable only adds to the awesomeness of using them. But remember, this promotional site is for clean books, no erotica books and no short stories, only books over 50 pages.

Their prices range from $30 to $65 per ad. They join with eReader Cafe for double features which cost the $60 or $65. And I can tell you this, it’s money well spent. They never disappoint. As an author, I’ll always use them for my promotions, and I hope you will as well.

www.faithfulreads.com

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Notebooks, Journals, & Pretty Note Pads…

Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom on Pexels.com

Good morning all! Most writers have a love of notebooks, journals and pretty note pads. There’s something about a colorful notebook that just inspires you. Then there are those that are so pretty that you hate to write in them, but you just have to. It’s like some sort of code.

My husband and son just roll their eyes when I buy another one. I have them everywhere so that when the mood strikes, I can make a note for a story. Is it a problem? For me, no it’s not. But others think that it is. Good thing I don’t set my ways on what others think.

There are so many different kinds. Spiral, leather bound, lined, plain, colored, floral, designer, sticky, big, small, thick, thin, the kinds are endless. But it doesn’t matter, they are work the way you want them too. Each of my series have their own notebook, not to mention numerous notepads with notes on characters, places, and scenes.

So, are you itching to buy a pretty notebook or a nice journal? I do think I might need to run out and get another one, just in case I use all the many I have now.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Photo by Jess Bailey Designs on Pexels.com

Finding time to write…

Good morning! Do you struggle to find time to write? I know that I do. Some days are harder than others. Especially during tax season. But, it’s important to find that time.

But how? Sometimes we have to just become more organized with our time. If you do better writing in the morning, but you have to be at work at 9, just get up a little earlier. You could even make sure that everything for your morning routine is ready the night before. Go ahead and set your clothes out. That gives you an extra few minutes the next morning.

If you want to reach a certain word count when you sit down to write, then time yourself. If you can write 1000 words in thirty minutes and you want to get in at least 1500 words everyday, then you need to set aside forty five minutes to write. Now that you have an idea of the time you need, then schedule your morning to make time to write.

One thing that helps me is having an outline. I try to get in one chapter a day or more if time allows. Since I use Scrivener, when I finish a chapter, I stamp the section of the outline as done. This gives me a feeling of accomplishment. And I don’t know about you, but when I get to write in the mornings it just makes my day go much better.

So, get yourself a schedule and make it happen…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

P.S. Safe comes out on May 12th, so preorder now to have it ready for you to dive into on Wednesday!

Midweek Writing Tip…

It’s already Wednesday, but the weekend seems so far away. I’m snatching a few minutes out of my morning to write and blog.

Speaking of snatching minutes to write… Today’s writing tip goes along those lines. It’s important to a writer to have time each day to write. It could be just a few minutes or if you’re lucky, maybe a couple of hours. Either way, try to sit down and write everyday if you can.

Why do you need to write everyday? Well, for me it helps my sanity. The characters running around in my head go crazy when I don’t at least get in a couple of minutes. But maybe it’s to meet a deadline, or just to keep up with your commitment to yourself.

So, if it’s early in the morning before anyone else gets up… If it’s at lunch… Or maybe you’re a night writer. Grab some writing time and keep up to good work.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…