A Series Beyond Time…

It’s Wednesday and I’m up for a little self promotion… Today I’m talking time travel. Have you ever wished to go back to another time and place? Maybe you’ve wanted to go ahead in time to see how something turns out. If you could go back to the time when knights sat at the round table, cowboys rode the old west, or gold rush, would you? What if it meant you’d find the love of your life that you’ve been searching for?

The Journal Series takes you back in time. Each book has a different story, but all are joined by the same story. It’s a powerful spell that sends each woman back to another time and place. So, sit back and check out The Journal Series.

How it started:

June 1795 – Salem, Massachusetts

Marina Granger stood peering out the window. She loved her home at the end of the street in Salem. This was the house that she had built with the money from her herb shop on the square. The witch trials were long gone, but she was still thought of as a witch. Despite this, most revered her skills and sought her out when they needed healing from a large assortment of ailments.

As she stood watching the people of the town come and go, she began to think of her lost love. He’d been everything she’d ever wished for and in her heart, Marina knew that one day they’d be together again. She turned her back to the town and walked over to the table where she’d placed the three journals. With loving care, she ran her old, arthritic fingers over the leather-bound books. Even with her skills with herbs and such, she was unable to stop the advancing of age.

With a sigh, Marina lit a candle beside each book. She then reached in the pouch at her side, and sprinkled the contents over them as she spoke, sending a spell over the journals. Marina learned many spells from her grandmother, who’d lost her own grandmother in the horrid witch trials. Even though she’d been deemed innocent, the town clergy didn’t want to take any chances since she had healing powers. With a flourish, Marina waved her hands over the table. A pleasant smile crossed her beautiful face as she thought of the three women from her bloodline that would find their way to the journals in the future. Their love would blossom as the spell took them back to the time period that they belonged in. It would be here that each one of them would find out what their special powers were and how to use them for good.

As she finished the spell, she could hear the men coming to run her out of town. The loud banging on the front door downstairs, had her grabbing her bag and the journals. She pulled a sconce on the wall to reveal the secret corridor in the wall. Marina placed the three journals on a ledge just inside the wall, smiling as she looked at them for one last second. Then she was gone to never be found again, at least not in her time period…

Book 1 – The Knight of Her Heart

Can an age-old spell change the course of time?
Willa Granger, an antique dealer from Salem, doesn’t know how her life is about to change when she inherits a journal from her great-great-grandmother. The journal has a spell on it. The moment Willa begins to write in it, she’s transported back to medieval Ireland. She finds herself on a grassy hill beside the sea, unsure of what’s just happened.
That’s where Sir Rolfe Gawain, a Knight in the king’s court, finds her. He’s suspicious of her clothing and the way she speaks, but something inside of him wants to protect her. With growing tensions at the palace regarding witchcraft, he must keep the way she says she arrived a secret.
They soon find themselves on the run from the king as suspicions arise about Willa’s sudden appearance. But as they sail across the sea to England, a bond grows between them that is unshakeable. Just when they think all is well, they are captured, and Willa’s life is threatened. The couple makes a difficult choice. Will it separate them forever? Will they find their way back to one another?
This is the first book in the time travel series, The Journal.
Marina placed the three journals on the table, then lit a candle beside each. She reached in the pouch at her side and sprinkled the contents over them as she spoke, sending a spell over the journals. With a flourish, she waved her hands over the table. A smile crossed her face as she thought of the three young women from her bloodline that would find their way to the journals in the future. Their love would blossom as the spell took them back to the time period that they belonged in. Loud banging on the front door had her turning and leaving through the secret hatch in the floor, which is where she left the three journals. Then she was gone to never be found again…

Book 2 – The Cowboy of Her Dreams

Have you ever read a book and wished to go back to that time period? Or maybe you dreamed of finding happiness with a man from that time? What if you could make it happen?

Rain, a book editor from New York, is taken back to the old west where she meets Sloan Weatherby, a rancher in the 1850’s. Ever since childhood, Rain had read western romances and dreamed of living in Texas during the 1800s.

She’d always imagined being the wife of a rancher with work-roughened hands and a heart bigger than Texas. When she opens her eyes after writing in the journal, Sloan rescues her from a runaway stagecoach, their story begins. But, life in another time isn’t easy, especially when his past comes back to haunt him.

Rain begins to think maybe she made the wrong decision. Can love keep her in the old west or will she open the journal and go back to New York, never to look back?

Book 3 – The Pirate of Her Desire

Sometimes when a dream becomes reality things don’t turn out as you imagined.

Since the first romance novel Amber read, she’d always dreamed of living on a pirate ship and capturing the heart of the captain. When the journal sends her to 1750 where she comes face to face with captain George Drake she realizes she might be headed for disaster. Is she prepared for the life on a real pirate ship versus the romanticized versions she’d always read in novels?

Captain George Drake, the most well-known pirate of his time can’t believe his eyes when he sees Amber on his ship. He is filled with anger but one look into her blue eyes and he’s not sure what he is going to do with his beautiful, feisty stowaway. Tensions rise as he struggles to hide this woman from his crew and keep her safe in the midst of a harsh battle. Can he make himself believe a simple journal brought her to his ship?

Will he risk the respect of his crew and everything he has worked toward for the woman that has dropped into his life or will he send her back to her own time? Will he be able to let her go? Will he have a choice?

Their story is action-packed but will unfold into a love story to last for all time.
This short book is a love at first sight romance… Sometimes it only takes a moment to know your heart!

Book 4 – Marina’s Story – A Timeless Love

The final book of The Journal Series is a short story about the woman that created the Journals.

One spell, two hearts, three journals, four epic love stories.

Marina was known as a witch in Boston, but to those that knew her best, she was a healer. From the moment she first went back in time using an ancient journal, she knew that life would never be the same. The man she met was beyond anything she’d ever known.

Ryland, a blacksmith living in a little French village in the early 1600’s knew from the moment he saw Marina that she was his true love. But the local king also loved Marina and would do anything to have her as his own.

They are forced to hide away where they start their happy life, or so they thought… When Marina is forced back to 1739 Boston she must do everything in her power to keep her daughter safe.

In a time where witches were still seen as a threat, Marina will make a decision that will impact generations to come.

And who knows, you may find one of the journals one day and get sent to your true love… Anything can happen when love is involved. Happy reading!

You can get them separate or in a box set!

So, hope you enjoyed the look into The Journal Series. You never know, there may be a journal waiting for you somewhere.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

New release… Upcoming release… Busy days ahead…

Good Sunday afternoon! I do hope all of you have been doing well. I’ve been away from here for way too long… With all of the added challenges to my accounting office due to Small Business loans and PPP requirements, I’ve been really busy. Not to mention tax season was extended a little, so I took on some extra returns this year. But, I’m finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

If you’ve looked at my Amazon author page, you’ll see that I have several preorders up and running. So, I’ll be staying busy through the end of the year.

Here’s a little something from my new release, “Wedding at Mistletoe Ranch”:

Maddy was walking from the barn when Denver pulled his truck up to the front walk of the house. He got out and moved toward her. “Hey, you’re back earlier than I thought you would be.” She said as he put his arm around her shoulders.

“I have a date this evening, so I thought I’d be on time.” Denver whispered against the side of her head as he kissed her hair. “Where’s your sock cap?”

“It’s hanging over the side of one of the stalls. I pulled it off to scratch my head and dropped it on the wet stall floor. So, I was letting it dry. Guess I forgot to grab it.”

“Let’s get you inside where it’s warm.” Denver said, taking her by surprise when he leaned down and picked her up into his strong arms. “I don’t want the love of my life to catch pneumonia.”

Maddy was giggling as they walked through the front door. Annie was coming out of the den when Denver closed the door with his foot. “You two look happy. I’m so glad.” Annie clapped her hands together in front of her. “Now, I have your dinner cooked and warming on the stove. The rest of the rice pudding is in the fridge. Just warm it a little in the microwave.”

“Thank you.” Maddy kissed Annie’s cheek, then gave her a sideways hug.

“You’re most welcome. Now, you two enjoy your dinner and I’ll see you in the morning.” Annie said as she pulled on her jacket and wound the scarf around her neck.

“Goodnight Annie.” Denver kissed the top of Annie’s head, then went into the den to check the fire while Maddy pulled her jacket off.

Annie stopped at the door. “There was a call for you on the main house line.”

Maddy stopped midway of pulling her boots off. “Who was it?” Her mind raced over who would be calling her here.

“I think it was the woman that stayed here a couple of days. She said something about telling you that she’d be coming back through here the second week in February. Then she said that her business was taking longer than she’d thought, so she was staying up there to finish it up.”

“Oh, that was Izzie. Good, maybe she’ll be here in time for the Valentine’s dance that Polly is putting on.” Maddy said with excitement, then she thought about Denver’s dislike of Izzie. “I’m sure Denver will just be thrilled to hear the news.” Then she rolled her eyes.

“I’m sure my dear.” Annie’s face was unreadable as she walked out the door.

Maddy thought it was strange that Annie seemed to feel as Denver did, and she never even met Izzie. She shrugged as she walked into the den to warm up by the fire. “I have some news.”

“Ok, what’s your news.” Denver asked with a smile.

“Izzie will be back through here in February.” Maddy held out her hands to warm them as she waited for Denver’s reaction. She looked around at him, seeing his face turning a little pale.

“Well, alright then.” Denver said in a gruff voice. “Let’s go see what Annie cooked for dinner. I’m starving.”

Maddy frowned, knowing he wasn’t happy with the news. But she was excited about her new friend coming back to stay. Maybe this time she could give her a tour of the town, although she was still learning it herself. And she could use some advice on wedding planning.

Hope you liked that little tidbit! Grab a copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Wedding-Mistletoe-Ranch-Book-ebook/dp/B08DF3T3FX

Now on to an upcoming release! “The Pirate of Her Desire”

If you’ve enjoyed the first two books in The Journal Series, then you’ll love this one. Our third sister is about to learn that what happens in a romance novel might not be what happens in real life.

Sometimes when a dream becomes reality things don’t turn out like you imagined.

Their story is action packed but will unfold into a love story to last for all time.

As I said, I’ve been a little busy. But keep a watch out for all of my new releases, coming soon.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Just when…

Good Monday morning! With tax season officially over, I’m finally getting my head wrapped around my works in progress. As deadlines loomed over my head for taxes, my writing took a hit. My brain wouldn’t focus on the words that wanted to be written. But, I’m back in the saddle and loving the feeling. I’m writing this morning with a fresh head.

As a writer, we need positive response to our writing. This weekend I received one of the most amazing reviews of Highlander’s Heart. The reviewer saw the vision behind the book and the review showed it. She saw what made this book tick for me. To say I was amazed, well, that doesn’t even begin to express my feelings. If you haven’t read the first book in the Cowen Clan series, then maybe this will encourage you to grab a copy.

Here’s the review:

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers’ Favorite

Highlander’s Heart is the first novel in the Cowen Clan Series by Stephanie Payne Hurt. Evina McLeod is trying to escape the clutches of the cunning Laird McKinney. Sadly, being a woman, she cannot run far away unless she has a powerful guardian to protect her. That protection appears in the form of the handsome Laird Ewan Cowen. Ewan is enamored by her beauty and he is ready to provide her with protection as long as she agrees to marry him. They weren’t expecting to fall in love with each other and they weren’t expecting to be loved in return. However, the reach of Laird McKinney is strong and long. He has a plan in place and he will not stop until he has what he wants. Ewan and Evina are just pawns in a game that he plans to win. What are these two going to do?

This was an intense story of love, acceptance, and safety. I loved the dynamic between Ewan and Evina; they were perfect for each other in the most satisfying way possible. The author has done a wonderful job creating a plot that is believable, enjoyable and perfect for readers who enjoy historical fiction. Ewan is a provider and a protector who thinks he doesn’t need love, but once Evina melts his heart, he realizes how important love is. Evina may seem vulnerable at the beginning of the story, but she blooms and develops to become a protector as well. The flow was amazing, the narrative was beautifully intricate and the plot was fast-paced enough to get you involved in the story. This is brilliant!

https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/highlanders-heart

I’ll leave it at that! Didn’t I tell you it was amazing.

Have a great Monday and May God Bless You…

Tuesday Teaser – The Journal

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.

Here’s a sneak peak at the series header:

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Tuesday Teaser – When Spring Comes

Good morning! I’m getting excited about the upcoming release of the second Mail Order Bride book. The first book, A Light Upon My Heart became a bestseller and is one of my favs. So, to start out Tuesday, I’m posting a short teaser.

Another thirty minutes passed and she realized that maybe she’d been left at the altar, so to speak. She pulled her money purse onto her lap and did a quick check of her coins. If she was careful, she could maybe get a sandwich for the road and a ticket on the stage back to Denver. She should have enough for at least that. Just as she placed her small purse back beside her, a shadow came across her.
“Are you planning to buy a ticket back home?” A deep voice said from beside her trunk.
Grace looked up, not seeing the man’s face well due to the sun was at his back, blinding her for a moment. Then as she shaded her eyes, she saw him clear. He stood taller than even her father, and was wearing a brown cowboy hat that tilted down, hiding his eyes from her view.
“I’m not sure at the moment.” Grace didn’t know if this was Samuel or a stranger. Whoever it was had dirt and dust covering their pants and boots. She gave him a once over, unsure if this man was Samuel Andrews or not.
“Sorry to hear that. I had planned on being here before the wagon train arrived, but one of my cows decided to go into labor this morning. Needless to say, I was needed at the ranch longer than I expected.”
“So, you’re Mr. Andrews?” Grace squeaked, unable to push the dread from her tone. Somehow she didn’t know what she expected, but a dirt covered cowboy wasn’t it.
“Mr. Andrews was my father. I’m Samuel.” Samuel pulled his cowboy hat from his head, giving her a good view of his handsome face.
Grace admired his chiseled features. His eyes were bluer than the sky behind him and his tousled ebony hair was shiny and clean. She moved her gaze to his hands that held the cowboy hat. They were tanned and work roughened. She realized that she was being rude by staring at him.
With a sigh, she stood to her feet. Well, this was it. She extended her hand to him, “I’m Grace Kincaid.”
“I assumed as much. I’ll put your trunk in the back of my rig, then we’ll head out to the ranch.” He didn’t take her hand, but picked the heavy trunk up as though it weighed nothing. Then he left her standing there with her mouth gaped open. His heart was aching as he turned away from her.
Gus came out of the store, wiping his spectacles with a handkerchief. “Little lady, you might better follow him. He’s not one to wait for anything or anyone.”
“Oh, well, thank you.” She nodded at the kind man and hurried across the sidewalk. He was propping on the wagon when she started toward him. Her gaze was on him, and not the uneven ground below her feet. With a cry, she stumbled, ending up at his booted feet, dust billowing around her as embarrassment flooded her face crimson.

I hope you liked reading about Grace and Samuel’s first meeting. This couple has stolen my heart. Both of them have broken hearts, and they have a tough time finding common ground. This sweet romance will make you laugh, cry and sigh…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Organizing your writing…

I know how hard it is to organize things. Believe me when I say, time is precious. So, that’s why organization is important. Here’s how I set up my 2019 writing schedule.

Over the years I’ve tried to organize my writing schedule and I always overdid it. My expectations were way over what I could manage. I didn’t leave any working room, so if something happened and I got off schedule, well, the whole schedule was off. But this time, I gave myself some breathing room.

Now, don’t think I won’t be writing everyday, because I will, but my word counts are smaller and the deadlines are a little longer. It helps to keep me on task. And on top of that, it helps that my assistant knows my busy schedule, so she made sure I didn’t overdo it.

So, now I’m scheduled all the way through August 2019. The funny thing is, now I have a little extra time to post here and keep up with my promotions. It’s a win-win!

So, how do you keep up with your writing?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

P.S.: With my schedule done, I have several preorders coming up, starting with this one:

It’s the last book in the Sky Ridge Series and you don’t want to miss it…

ThrowbackThursday

It’s Thursday and I feel the weekend coming. I’ve got to admit, I need the weekend to get here just a little sooner. My night consisted of sleep a little, then lie awake a while as my characters in my current WIP rattle on about what needs to happen in their story, and then a couple of new stories slip in and invade what little time I had left to sleep. Ah, the life of a writer, gotta love it.

So, today as I sit in my caffeine filled world, I’m thinking back to one of my favorite works. Safe in the Pirate’s Arms came out of my fascination with pirates. Every time I lost myself in this book, I could feel a sea breeze on my face and smell the salty sea air. The fun thing about getting lost in a story like this one is that for a moment I could be a pirate on a ship sailing the wide blue sea. It was amazing. Every once in a while I get lost in that story for just a moment.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/safe-in-the-pirates-arms-stephanie-hurt/1120171257?ean=9781500847456

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/467319

Here’s a short excerpt:

Caleb looked down to check the progress of the men when he noticed the boys clothing was wet. Then he did a double take. That wasn’t a boy at all, but a woman. A chill ran down his spine as he realized they had a major problem. Tom saw Caleb’s expression and followed his gaze. He swore when he saw what Caleb did. Caleb motioned for him to take the wheel.

He quickly made his way to where the woman stood handing out rope. Luckily the men were so busy that they didn’t notice. He spun her around and their eyes collided. “You need to get to your quarters.” When she just stood there he looked down at her soaked clothing. “Now!” He barked.

She looked down and saw the problem. It only took her moments to cover herself and run to her cabin. Caleb was on her heels. The look in his eyes was murderous and she knew it wasn’t going to be good.

As she opened the door and turned to shut it, he stopped it with his hand and followed her in. Then he slammed the door, leaving them alone in the small cabin. He made the cabin seem even smaller.

“What in the world were thinking? A woman on a ship with a bunch of men is dangerous and foolish.” He ran his fingers through his wet hair in exasperation.

“I was desperate.” She said in a small feminine voice.

His head snapped up in recognition. Reaching out he snatched the hat off her head causing her dark hair to tumble down around her shoulders. He grunted with frustration. “Serena!”

She looked up at him and blushed. He turned around and grabbed the blanket off the bed. “Cover yourself.” He was a good man, but even he had his limits. “Why’d you stow away on my ship?”

Suddenly she burst into tears and sat down on the little cot. “I didn’t have anywhere else to go.” She started to openly sob.

He’d never been really good with women’s emotions. He sat down on the cot beside her and lifted her chin to look up at him. “What happened?”

Hope you enjoyed this little tidbit and my adventure into my past work.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Monday Coffee & Writing…

Good morning! So, after a 3 day weekend away, I’m ready for this day. Ok, so it’s Monday and I’m working on my second cup of coffee, but I’m ready. As I’m sitting here, getting my promotional posts scheduled, I have to think about how Monday is always hard. But why?

Monday is just another day of the week, right? Wrong. So, why is it that you always feel exhausted on Monday? Shouldn’t you be rested from sleeping in over the weekend? Well, that’s not the case. Actually, you get your body off kilter when you go off schedule. That’s crazy, right? But, studies show that if you go off your sleeping schedule, then you tend to be tired and cranky. So, that makes Monday’s seem like doomsday.

Now that I’m over my rambling, let me give you a little snippet from my upcoming release of “Promises Kept”, the last book in the Sky Ridge series.

Darkness took over his mind and he slept. The nightmares stopped for a moment, then came rushing back in. Nash could see Joy being pulled under the wagon by the swift water. Reaching out, he tried to grab her, but she slipped beyond his reach. It was as though he was tied to the seat and couldn’t get to her. He fought the ropes but they only tightened as he fought. His wrists burned as he struggled to get to Joy, but she disappeared under the raging water. Nash could feel the tears streaming down his cheeks as he watched the water swallow her up.

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

blur business coffee commerce

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Women of Magnolia Hill is coming to a close…

Good morning! It’s Wednesday and we’re halfway there.

As I work on the final book of the Women of Magnolia Hill Saga, I feel drained. Why is it so hard to end a series? Characters and places that fill our head also fill our heart. But saying goodbye, well, that isn’t easy.

This series began a long time ago with the first book, Victoria. It was filled with a spirit that engulfed me. As the series progressed, so did the years and the times. It went from Emma Rose to Lily and now in the final chapter, Georgia. But, what will be the fate of the loved Magnolia Hill? Will it still stand or will it fall from time?

Here’s a short, short snippet from Georgia:

Georgia whirled around, anger filling her eyes. “I’m not leaving my home. He wants a fight, well he’s got one. There’s one thing you don’t know about the women of Magnolia Hill. We don’t give up at any cost.”

Coming Soon Ad1

Book 1

Book 2

Book 3

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Friday! Friday! Friday!

Good Friday morning! We made it folks, it’s Friday… Take a breath and know that the weekend is only hours away.

For me, I’m looking forward to some writing this weekend. Plus, my 30-year class reunion is tomorrow evening. Wow, have I been out of school for 30 years? I’m getting old…. Nah!

The final edits for Breakwater Lane are coming in today, which makes me smile. It’s hard to believe that it’s almost out. This morning I’m getting my word count in on Promises Forgotten. At the moment I’m deep in Indians and 1800’s Montana. I love being a writer. I can get lost in another world, if for a moment.

So, what are you planning this weekend?

As always, great writing and May God Bless You…