Can you believe it’s a week until Thanksgiving? This year is flying by and in my opinion, that could be a good thing. It’s been a crazy year!
Just Let It Go…
It’s the same with writing. If you have a story line that keeps bugging you, then let it go. As in, let it go where it needs to. Most writers will tell you that if a story starts in your brain, it will drive you crazy until you do something with it.
Now, it’s not to say that some of the ideas that come through your head are publish worthy. If I had a dollar for every story idea I had that flopped before the first chapter was done, well, let’s just say, I’d be in a good position. Sometimes though, it’s hard to Just Let It Go…
Don’t waste your time on stories that don’t go far. You need to focus on those stories that can go the distance. As I said in an earlier post, make sure that your story can make it through plotting and scene set up. Then, you’ll have a story to publish.
How many of you hasn’t heard the old saying, ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’? Yep, I thought so. Here in Georgia, apples are all the rave at the moment. Tis the season I always say.
It’s the same with writing. But it would say, ‘Writing every day keeps the writer’s block away’. I do believe this is true. A couple of days lately, I’ve been so busy with other things, that I didn’t get to write. I know, that’s horrible, but true. By the time I went to bed on those days, my head was so filled with writing that I couldn’t sleep, so back to writing every day.
Do you write everyday? Even if it’s just a line or two, it helps to keep your writer brain from becoming over full. As I’ve said before, I have a schedule and if I miss a day, well, it causes a schedule jam. I’m in the middle of that jam right now. When you schedule so many words a day, then miss one, well, you get the picture.
How do you keep your writer brain happy?
As always, good writing and May God Bless You..
Just to give you a snippet of my current wip, here’s a few lines from Wine, Wedding, & The Cowboy…
Abri stood there looking at her best friend. She couldn’t do it, could she? Would she find someone in less than a month? No, she couldn’t. Taking a deep breath, she looked him straight in the eye and straightened her shoulders. “Baron, we have to get married.” There, she’d said it. Although from the look on Baron’s face, she hadn’t handled it very well. Baron sat forward, his eyes wide with surprise. “This is so sudden. I don’t know what to say.” Then he laughed. “Have you been testing the new wine again?” “No, I’m serious Baron.” Abri dropped into the chair across from him. “Ok, what do you mean you’re serious?” Baron saw the look in her eyes and knew she wasn’t joking. But what on earth could have her asking him to marry her. Abri clasped her hands together as she looked down at her lap. “My father, being the old fashioned man he is, says that I have to be married before my 25th birthday in order to inherit Tuscan Rose Farms.” “What? When did this come about?” Baron bunched his brows together. He knew that this farm and vineyard was her heart. “If you’d showed up for Thanksgiving dinner as you were supposed to, then you’d know.” Abri shot him a withering look. “You know that I don’t like eating at the main house. It’s no secret that your father doesn’t care that much for me. Besides, I ate with the guys down at the mess hall. We had the best fried turkey and the dressing, well, what can I say, it was amazing.” He began to relay all of the menu, knowing that Abri was beginning to fume, but he loved it when she got angry. There was this light that came into her face. She was beautiful, but when she got angry, wow. “Baron! I don’t need a play by play of what you ate for lunch. All I need is for you to say you’ll marry me and we’ll be good.” “I can’t marry you. What would people say?” Baron was giving her a hard time and it paid off. The light came into her face and he was awestruck. “You have to. I don’t have any other takers. You know yourself I haven’t dated anyone in months. And where would I find someone to marry on this short of notice. Oh, and I already told my father and cousin that we were engaged, well, that you’d asked and I had yet to answer.” “What? Abri!” Baron stood up, running his fingers through his blond hair. “I know! Just listen. I have a plan.” Baron rolled his eyes. “Abri, I’ve been a part of your plans before. They never work out as you see them. This will be a disaster and both of us will be homeless when the dust settles.” He held his hands in the air, then growled in response to the thought of the disaster it would be. “No, wait. We can have a quick wedding, with a fake minister and fake license. Once the deed is done, we can get a divorce later. If I meet someone, then we’ll have a fake divorce.” Abri shrugged her shoulders. Baron sat back down, the air leaving his lungs in a long sigh. “Abri, do you realize what you’re asking?” “Yes, I know it’s a huge favor, but I can’t lose my birthright because of an old fashioned man with old world ideas. Please say you’ll marry me, at least for a short time. You’re my best friend, it can’t be that big of a deal. Well, maybe it’s a big deal, but it will be fake.” Abri sat forward in the chair and smiled at him, batting her lashes. “Abri, I need to think about this.” Baron said, running his hand over his face. He’d die a slow death if he was married to her, fake or real. She was everything to him, but if he married her, it would be the real deal. It would be for love, not for a vineyard.
In a world of corporations, concrete, and business suits, there are still cowboys. I love writing about them because to me, they are a dying breed. As long as time can remember, there was cowboys.
With every cowboy I write, I try to make them as real as possible. Since I personally know a lot of cowboys, I have lots of examples of what a true cowboy is. It’s more than the jeans, cowboy boots and Stetson. They are true men that are hard workers, rough handed, and down right tough guys. That’s the ones that are the real thing.
Each one of my cowboys that I’ve written has encompassed one of the cowboys I know. One cowboy I knew was an older man with that weathered skin, keen eye, and cowboy swagger. He was the epitome of an old world cowboy. There was never a conversation that we had that didn’t involve a horse. I loved every minute of each conversation. But now he’s gone, and I long for those conversations.
So, do you love cowboys? Maybe you know one, or even married to one. Let’s give it up for cowboys this Thursday!
It’s time for a Tuesday Teaser. This week I’m teasing you with a new series that will start releasing this summer. It’s call The Journal.
So, what is the series about you might ask? This series will be a Time Travel Romance series that will take you on many adventures. You will spend time in medieval times with knights, in the old west with handsome cowboys, and many other places in time. You’ll find out in the first book what causes this time warp. It will be fun, exciting and romantic, so keep watching for the cover reveal that will be coming soon for ‘The Knight of Her Heart’, the first book in the series.
Good Thursday morning! I know, I’ve been awol for over a week, but I have a great excuse. Between work (Accounting) and writing, plus my bathroom renovation, I’ve been out of pocket. But, I’m back. Did you miss me?
Today I want to talk about writing a family saga. If you’ve read my Five Oaks Ranch series, then you know it’s all about the Cauthen family. Each book explores the life of each sibling. You can’t help but fall in love with them. They have a personality all their own. Even a couple of times you might not like them, but then they pull you back in.
If you haven’t read this series, then grab a copy today. Ridge has been in the top 100 on Amazon for going on two years for Sagas and Anthologies & Collections. It’s amazing the rate that the others are selling. I’m in awe of the fascination my readers have for this series.
Have a great Thursday and remember, grab a book, it’s the best way to keep the mind busy and active…
Good Thursday morning! It’s almost the weekend, so take a breath, you’ve almost made it. First off today, if you have your print books through CreateSpace, well, start looking for them to show up on Walmart.com. It’s amazing to see my books showing up there. Another one of my writing goals met.
Now, on to my Throwback Thursday! Moonbeam and Roses was one of the first books I published and it made me ugly cry while I was writing it. This is one of the stories that pulled at my heart strings for more than a few reasons. I’ve received so many great responses for this book.
If you haven’t checked out Moonbeam and Roses, then I suggest grabbing a copy for the weekend. Here’s a little tidbit for you to savor:
As Wes came up behind her, she suddenly felt different. Her heart was 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.”
Have you noticed a trend lately? Of course, as you know, I have no problem with the Cowboy or Pirate heroes, as I write mostly about Cowboys and Pirates. But it’s funny the interest in these types of leading men.
But with that being said, why is it so popular in the romance genre? I don’t see a lot of cowboy heroes on movies or pirate heroes for that matter. It’s as though romance readers need that masculine persona that follows a cowboy or pirate.
On the side of the cowboy, there’s the fact that they’re usually strong from working the ranch all day. So that’s a plus for a hero. Then, of course, they can ride in on their horse and save the day, or truck, whatever the scene might need. A fictional cowboy is usually honor bound and very protective which lends a good lead male character. Don’t forget that handy Stetson to keep the sun out.
Now we can’t leave out the Pirate, good or bad, they make a great male lead character. Of course, they command a ship, which means they are a take charge man. A good pirate can take care of his heroine and lead his ship through the worst storm without batting an eye. Then you have the bad pirate, but you can have them turn good pirate, which usually takes a strong heroine to take care of that task. Don’t forget the attire of a pirate. I always think of ‘Jack Sparrow’ or ‘Will Turner’, yes, I’m a Pirates of the Caribbean fan.
There are so many hero types that lead to a good romance. Don’t forget the law officer coming to the rescue, the firefighter saving the lady from the fire or even the country boy that’s not quite a cowboy, but has polite values and that protective gene.
As most of you know, I schedule my books and try to stay ahead of myself. Well, this year I’m way ahead of that. My 2016 writing is scheduled down to the date the manuscript has to go to the editor, the day the preorders have to be on each site and the release dates. It’s kind of exciting to know what’s coming up.
So here’s a list of what’s coming up for 2016:
Seaside Beginnings – February 17, 2016
Lily – March 27, 2016 (Book 3 of the Magnolia Hill Saga)
A Light Upon My Heart – April 30, 2016
The First Mate’s Lady – June 5, 2016 (Continued from Safe in the Pirate’s Arms)
Finding the Heart – July 1, 2016 (Book 2 of the Alpine Series)
Sowing the Right Seed – August 5, 2016 (Book 4 of the Lean on Him Series)
Georgia – September 5, 2016 (Book 4 of the Magnolia Hill Saga)
That’s just through September, but wow, this will be a busy year for me. How exciting! So, how’s your schedule going for this year? Have you thought about scheduling things to make it easier for you?
Good Wednesday morning! Today’s sadly the last day of our Romancing September Across the World Tour, but all good things must come to an end. Fellow writers, don’t forget to get your name in the pot for next year’s tour.
But this post today’s post is a little different. I’ve recently began to do something I’ve always said I’d never do, binge watching. Well we signed up for Netflix and well, let’s just say it’s addicting with no commercials and whole seasons right at your fingertips. But I’ve also felt the bite of getting to the end of a season, only to find out that the next season won’t be out until the day the newest season starts, really!!!
Right now I’m hooked on Longmire, before that it was The Originals and Vampire Diaries. Since I write cowboy romances everyone asks why I haven’t watched Longmire before now. Guess I never thought about it, but I’d see the advertisements and think, that sounds like my kind of show. Well, now I’m hooked. Who doesn’t love a good cowboy?
But then there’s binge reading, yeah you know what I’m talking about. Now I’ve been doing that for as long as I can remember. I used to sit for hours reading, still do at times when I can find the time. I’ve even been known to binge write, which is good if you’re on a deadline.
The downfall to binge anything is you tend to binge eat. Ok, now, tell me, what’s your binge? By the way as I type this post I’m watching the 1st episode of the 2nd season of Longmire. Didn’t I say I was hooked?
Seaside Beginnings – February 17, 2016
Lily – March 27, 2016 (Book 3 of the Magnolia Hill Saga)
Stephanie Hurt - Romance Author 