Celebrating 22 years of Romance!

Today is our 22nd wedding anniversary! It’s hard to believe it. I talk about romance a lot in my posts, of course, I’m a romance author, but also I live it daily.

As I’ve always said, one of the tips to a great marriage is to keep the romance alive. We strive to do that in our marriage, daily. Whether it’s the quick kiss as we pass by one another or the hugs over the stove as I cook dinner, we’ve always showed our love, never embarrassed to express it in public. Of course, our son tells us to behave, which we don’t usually listen.

I’ve heard many people say that as the years pass by, the romance goes away. With us, it just grows each and every day. As the years go by, we begin to read each other’s mind, which can be a little scary.

So, with that said, how long have you been with your significant other? What do you do to keep the romance alive?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Happy Endings…

It’s Monday, already! I don’t think I was ready for Monday, were you? Over the weekend, I turned one book into my editor and started a new book, so it was a fairly productive weekend. But this morning, I’m just not feeling it…

Happy Endings… Does every book end with a Happily Ever After? Not all of them, but in the romance genre, they need to end on a happy note. Of course, if it’s a series that continues from one book to the next, then it might not be a happy ending, but the final one should be if it’s a romance. Why is that? Well, let me explain.

Did you know that most editors, well the big publishing house editors, have in their submission guidelines for romance that it has to have a happy ending, if not, they won’t even look at it? Have you ever thought about it? Romance is a special genre, well, in my opinion. When someone picks up a romance novel, they’re wanting that good feeling that a romance can give them. They want to be taken to another world, away from the one they’re in. Romance novels should move you, give you hope, maybe make you cry or laugh, but when it gets to the end, well, the guy should get the girl. That’s why it’s called romance.

Now sometimes, if you’re writing a series and the book ends on a cliffhanger, then the happy ending will come at some time, but the series should end on a happy note. It’s just a reality of writing romance.

Have you ever read a romance that ended badly? I have and it left me feeling horrible, not the usual feeling at the end of a romance. I was stunned, to say the least. I could have expected this at the end of maybe a science fiction, or other genres, but not romance. The guy didn’t get the girl and at the end, they went their separate ways. All I could do was think, ok, there has to be another book coming, but that wasn’t the case. I felt empty inside.

So, does your romance have a happy ending? Does your reader have that satisfied feeling? Think about it, don’t you spend the whole book trying to get these two together, so why would you throw that out the window at the end?

Just a little food for thought on this Monday morning…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Introvert, yes or no?

Good Monday morning everyone! Can you believe the weekend is over? Of course, today is a holiday for many, but sadly, if you’re an Accountant or Tax Preparer, well, you’re hard at work. Of course, I’m on holiday in my mind, which brings me to the point of this post.

Are you an introvert? The Huff Post did an interesting article recently with several points to think about. As I went over each one of them, I got the confirmation, I’m legit. I have almost all of the symptoms, but that’s alright. It’s not like I’m crazy or anything, well, let’s just say I’m not ready for the straight jacket, not yet.

I don’t go out a lot, which is alright with me. Actually, my husband is the same way, which works really well. I’m perfectly content, sitting at night by the fire, writing. I slip into the world of my characters and don’t need the world outside the house. Many worry about me, saying I need to get out, that it’s not normal to be content staying home. But, that’s me. Others have to have the outside world to feel normal or find happiness. I don’t and that confuses people.

As most writers can tell you, we see more of the world in our writing than most see in their lifetime. Just last Summer, I went to Tuscany in my writing world. It wasn’t crowded and had no lines to wait in. I got to experience it through the eyes of my characters and it was wonderful. Let’s just say, I had a craving for Italian food while writing this one.

Just because I enjoy the solitude of my home, doesn’t mean I’m antisocial. I’m with people a good bit of the time. I don’t avoid business meetings, Church, family get together’s or anything like that. I just don’t need to go out, just to go out. I’ve made my home a place where I’m completely content spending my free time. It’s beautiful and feels me with happiness to just sit and enjoy life. By the way, I do enjoy life to the fullest and don’t feel like I’mo missing out on anything, no matter what anyone says. I love my life!

So, are you an introvert? If you’re a writer, then 9 times out of 10 you are. Embrace it!

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-real-reason-introverts-dread-small-talk_56854922e4b06fa688823798?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Christian Romance Writers

It’s Friday, finally. Good morning! Here in Georgia, it’s rainy and windy, but it’s Friday, so that’s good.

I’m a writer of romance, many genres, but my favorite is the Christian or wholesome genre. Several authors have messaged me before, asking how I write a wholesome romance and still have romance in it. Well, that’s easy, romance isn’t just about the intimate parts of a relationship. It’s the little things that you do. Romance can be a kiss, a touch, a look, or even a candlelit dinner. Maybe it’s just sitting by the fire quietly after a hard day at work.

Faith is a big part of my Christian series, “Lean on Him”. I wanted to integrate the needs of today’s Christian and add some romance along the way. The deep relationship that my characters have with one another and with Christ make these heartwarming. But they have their own set of problems along the way. Nobody has a perfect life here on earth, no matter how much you want to. We all have tragedy happen, mourning of a lost loved one, and mental issues that bring us closer or tear us apart, but it’s our faith that brings us through to the light. It’s all in how you handle it.

So, do you or have you ever read a Christian romance? I’ve been hooked on Amish Christian romance series lately. They’re interesting and leave you feeling good, which is the goal of a writer, right? Right!

As always, great writing and May God Bless You…

By the way, if you get a chance, go by faithfulreads.com and check out my book that spotlighted with some great Christian writers today!

3 book ad

Writing Courses…

Ok, I know we’re busy writing the next big one, but have you considered taking a writing course. For the last six or more months, I’ve been taking a couple here and there. It’s been really enlightening. Actually, a couple of them made me rethink a couple of my works in progress to the point I rewrote several scenes.

What kind of courses, you ask? Well, I’ve taken one on Facebook advertising which was very helpful. Maybe you’re thinking, well that is too easy to need a course on, but no my friend, there’s a whole world of ways you can do your ad. I was amazed at the things I didn’t do with some of my former ads.

Then, of course, the marketing courses I listened to. I’ve been going about my marketing in the wrong direction. Who knew? Not me! Lately, I’ve been using some of the concepts I learned, like tags on my books, rewriting my blurbs, how I send out tweets and what I send out. Incredibly I’m seeing a positive upturn.

Then comes the writing courses. These will make you sit up and think. I’ve learned so many ways to make my individual voice stand out. It’s amazing what you can learn about not using adverbs and how best to use commas. Yep, guilty as charged. Some of the writing techniques I learned from bestselling authors has made my daily writing so much more productive.

So, have you tried a writing course lately? All of the one’s I’ve sat through online were free and by bestselling authors. As with many things today, some of them only give you an introduction, then want money for the more advanced courses. I’ve used what I learned from the introductions and put them to good use.

As always Great Writing and May God Bless You!

A Character’s Character…

Good Tuesday morning! It’s still cold here in Georgia, but it’s January so it’ll feel like Spring by the end of the week, then back to Winter within a couple of days. That’s just the fun of living in the south.

A character in your book has many dimensions, or I should say, must have many dimensions. If your characters are only one dimensional, then what will the draw be? Let’s take, for instance, my Five Oaks Ranch characters. Each has their own personality, but inside each personality, they have many, many dimensions.

I’ll pull out the oldest brother, Ridge, for example. He’s a very complex man with many facets. One the one hand, he’s a loving brother, caring deeply for his family. Then he’s the hardened soldier that’s had two tours in Iraq, which has him edgier than he was before the war. Ridge was always the toughest of the five Cauthen’s, but now he’s withdrawn.

But, once he meets the woman of his dreams, he’s softened to a teddy bear. Although he fights it all the way, in the end, he gives up and lets his heart lead him. SO, let’s list his character traits, he’s a family man, hard-edged soldier, hopeless romantic want to be, not to mention that he loves deeply and forever.

Would he have been a great character if he’d just been a hard-edged soldier and nothing else? Maybe, but most probably not. He needed the extra facets to pull the reader in and to keep the reader guessing. Only one facet and the reader would lose control within a couple of chapters.

So, do your characters have character?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Setting of your book…

Good morning peeps! It’s finally Friday, yea! Hope all is well with you and yours…

Ok, so you’re beginning a new storyline and you have the main characters, the emotional pulls ready, the cover, but what about the setting, the background? Where is your book set? Is it in a small southern town, a wintery northern suburb, or maybe a foreign city?

Good question, huh? When I started writing Tuscany, well, it was a no-brainer. But some of my other books it wasn’t as easy. Here are some things I took into consideration before selecting where the book would be set.

First and foremost, I had to sit down and figure out my main character’s occupation. If they were a stock broker, well, I’d probably set it near a big, metropolitan city. What if they were a cowboy, then it would need to be a country setting, for the most part. Then of course, if it was a snow ski instructor, well, you get the picture.

A couple of my books don’t really tell where they are and there’s not a lot of detail about the surrounding area, only details regarding their immediate surroundings. As with Tuscany, since I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting, I had to delve into posts upon posts upon posts about the region, the food, and everything Tuscany. It was wonderful, like a mini vacation in my head. Hey, I’m a writer, I can take a vacation in my head and I don’t even need sunscreen 😉

So, do you know where your book is set? Is it an important part of the writing process? I think so, for the most part.

As always, Great writing and May God Bless You…

Just another reminder, my over 40 romance will be released on February 17th, but it’s available on pre-order now at these links:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/605289

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seaside-beginnings-stephanie-payne-hurt/1123226112?ean=2940152555912

Word Counts…

words

Word count, the eternal question for a writer… I’ve been asked this question so many times that I’ve lost count. How do you know how many words your manuscript should be? How do you forecast it?

Words form themselves in a manuscript and if you’re a writer, you totally understand that statement. Now with preorders available on many book sites, the first thing they ask is what will be your word count, you have to ask yourself that very question. Do you know? Any round about figures?

Here’s how I figure the word count or where it should be by the time I type The End.

Well, as most of you know, I do an outline for almost all of my books. As I do the outline, each part of the outline is a chapter and each chapter should have an average of as little as 1200 words and as many as 2000 words. (That’s my figuring, not a science 😉 )

Then of course, when I finish the outline, I go back and figure up the chapters times the average chapter length. My outline helps me to make sure the story can go the length of the book. If I can only get to number 10, then it will be a fairly short novella, but if it can go the distance to around 20 or more, well, I have a good size book on my hands.

You may be asking how I know it will go the length I’ve figured, well, in outlining, each section should have a good position. Meaning you should be able to make at least a chapter out of that one section. If not, then it will be shorter than expected. When I do my outline, I think deeply over each section and make sure the story can carry enough gusto to finish the chapter.

So, how do you figure your word count? Ever figure too short or too long? It happens, but if it’s not published yet, don’t sweat it…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Don’t forget to go by and preorder “Seaside Blessings” at many ebook retailers. It’s available at several sites…

Taxes & Writing on my!

Good morning, it’s already the 6th day of the year, wow times flying. If you’re an author then you’ll want to read this post, and even if you’re not and you file taxes, take a few minutes to check this out.

Here’s a list of expenses that you can claim as a published author if you have royalties to claim as income.

Expenses:

Writing program expenses (Ex. Word, Powerpoint, Scrivener, etc.)

Subscription Fees (Ex. Writing Magazines, Writing Site fees, etc.)

Dues (Ex. Romance Writers Associations, Writing Associations, etc.)

Computers/Laptops/Printers

Pens/Pencils/Paper/Journals/Notebooks

Postage (Used to mail books, letters to editors, etc.)

Advertising

Swag expenses

Book Signing expenses

Labor paid to a writing assistant

Editing fees/Cover Design Fees

Website design fees/Domain fees

These are just some of the expenses that some authors forget when they sit down to do their taxes.

Now remember to make sure you get all of the 1099 forms from all the places where you sold books this year. I always print a summary of sales report on all of the sites my books are on, that way I don’t leave out anything.

If you have any questions as you prepare to do your return, email me and I’ll help. Check out my accounting website for more information at http://hurtsbusiness.wix.com/hurtsbusiness

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

It’s almost Christmas!

Good Monday morning folks were you ready for Monday yet! Me neither! As you know, I love my coffee, but this morning it’s not good at all. Since I was half asleep when I put the coffee together last night, it’s highly likely I put one too many scoops in the filter. Oh well, I’m still gulping it down with a cringe. I’ll probably be running on high octane in about an hour.

Can you believe that Christmas is almost here? It’s in a couple of days, are you ready? I have a couple of gift cards to purchase, then I’ll be ready to go.

I’m pleased to announce that I did what I promised myself I’d do, I finished the Five Oaks Series before Christmas. All 6 books came out this year! Whew, I’m exhausted, but happy with the results. The Christmas book actually rounded the whole series out, with little bits of everyone’s life joined into one book.

Since the series is complete, I’ve been taking a couple of days to take a breath and go over my schedule for 2016. Can’t wait to reveal some of the books in the works, but my assistant would have a coronary if I tell everything 😉

Speaking of my assistant, she’s home from college for Christmas, so she’s busy creating wonderful covers for upcoming projects and yes, I’ve promised to keep them secret, but it’s so hard. She even talked me into this really cool calendar/journal. It stays beside me all the time. All my publish dates, finish dates, proofing dates, etc. are in there!