So, before I rush in and tell you everything about Broken, here’s the cover!
This book was more than I expected. I fell into the spell of the story that unfolded under my fingertips. Even when things seemed to fall apart for the characters, I somehow kept it together. This story will pull you in and break your heart one moment, then give you hope the next. But until the end, you won’t know how it will end. Don’t you love a suspenseful read that keeps you on your toes until the last couple of words.
Now, as I work on the outline for the next book in the series, I need to give you a small peek at the cover…
Storm will take your breath away and leave you hanging on every word. I’m so excited about this book. It’s been in my mind for a long time, but now it will be in yours. So, there will be more to come soon on it. As I said, it would just be a peek…
There’s several reasons to smile today. One, it’s Friday. Two it’s release day for Double Take At Mistletoe Ranch. It seems like just yesterday I was announcing the first book in the Mistletoe Ranch Series and now the series is complete. Wow, time flies when you’re having fun!
So, if you haven’t met Denver and Maddy, then grab all three books and fall in love again. Their love story is one that will have you laughing, crying, and rooting them on.
We’re halfway to the weekend, so that’s something to smile about. Have you noticed how fast this year is already going? Or is that just me? It seems like we just said, Happy New Year, and now we’re almost to February.
With that being said, my newest release comes out tomorrow. What! Double Take at Mistletoe Ranch releases tomorrow. As I sit and sip my coffee, I’m thinking about all of the trouble Denver and Maddy have gotten themselves into. But they’ve also found the most amazing love. Their story is so sweet and I’m honored to get to be the one that brought to life.
If you’ve ever read any of the Mistletoe Ranch books, you’ll laugh, cry, and sigh as you read this last installment. It’s such a sad time as I say goodbye to Denver and Maddy, but as a writer, you never know when they might get revisited one day. Hey, stranger things have happened.
So, as you get your day started… Sip some coffee, you deserve it… Take the time to enjoy the morning… Tell someone how special they are to you… And just focus on having a wonderful day. You’ve got this, so go out there and be the best you can be.
It’s the first Monday after Christmas and all through the house… Nope, not going there. My house is somewhat back to order, but still not back to normal.
Does anyone else struggle with what day it is after a long weekend? And this weekend will be another four day weekend, so the struggle is real. Although these two long weekends will be awesome since tax season starts next week, so I’ll need the time off to charge my batteries.
Now, on to writing thoughts. As I shared earlier, I have a new series coming in 2021. It’s a Christian Suspense Romance Series called In Harms Way. This is a step out of my comfort zone, but I’m excited for this new turn in my writing. And the covers are nothing short of amazing. Yes, all five books have covers already. I’ve got a short blurb ready for each one as well, which I’ll share a little bit along.
The first book, Safe, is set to release in March. This book has been on my mind for quite a while, so to be able to put it on paper is such a wonderful feeling. The main two characters each have their own issues. Hadley is a dedicated introvert. She is a homebody, only leaving to go to Church, the store, and when her agent requires it, to a book signing. As you may have guessed, she’s a writer. Her books have made her a nice, comfortable living, and have allowed her to stay in her shell. But her life is about to get a jolt of reality that she’s not prepared for.
Drew is a broody, partially retired Navy Seal, turned Wyoming rancher. He’s struggled to get out of the dark hole that war put him in, but ranching and fresh air have brought him a long way from his former self. Then he takes a trip to his hometown and ends up in the middle of a nightmare. When he tries to help, he only gets himself in deeper and the darkness threatens to swallow him back up. The moment he meets Hadley, he knows that he has to do everything in his power to save her, but she isn’t so sure.
This book will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions as these two struggle with their own demons. But once they figure out that the only way out is together, they have to get past the things in their lives that make them who they are. It will have you cringing, gasping, sighing, then smiling and back to cringing. It’s a thriller that will have you guessing right up to the end.
So, let’s get this Monday started with a pot of coffee laced with cinnamon and a cool coffee mug. Did I tell you I’m obsessed with coffee mugs? Now you know…
Good Monday morning! Goals… We set them all the time, but do we meet them? A lot of time goals are just something we set and it just makes us focus on getting close. But in writing, we need to meet those goals and make them a reality. Why? Follow me on this one.
Ok, so a word count goal can be changed or not met, unless you are going for a submission guideline that you have to meet or exceed. That’s a flexible goal if there is no guideline to meet.
But, it’s important to meet the deadline that you set for releasing your book. Especially if it’s set up for a preorder on any book site. If you don’t meet that goal, then you could lose some permissions through those sites. Not to mention how readers see you as a writer.
So, how do we set attainable goals? You’ll need a couple of things before you can do this:
1. Calendar – On the computer, printed out, or hand drawn. It’s not important what kind of calendar you have. I like to get a planner with large boxes for the days of the month, along with the separated days for making notes.
2. Pencil – I only use a pencil in my planner so if changes come, I can make them without making it look cluttered with mark throughs.
Once you have the two above items, then sit down and focus on the next set of goals:
Word Count – This is an important thing, even though it can vary. But if you’re setting up a release date that has to be solid, you need to know what you can do in the time between starting and releasing. Is it a novella or novel?
Daily Word Count – If you can easily write 1000 words a day, then go to the calendar and count out 50 days for a 50,000 word book. Be sure to give yourself some wiggle room for days that you can’t write as much. But remember, it’s possible that you’ll have it done way ahead of time, but also, things happen, so prepare ahead.
Release Date – Now that you know a basic word count, plus a tentative date to finish the writing part, then set a release date. If you are writing a 50,000 word book, don’t set it for next week. Open the calendar and begin searching for a date that will give you enough time to write, edit, and release.
Now that you have your goals set, start writing and have fun. If you’ve given yourself plenty of time, then all should go well. And remember, this is what you love to do, so don’t let that word count make you tense. You’ve got this!
As always, good writing and May God Bless You…
Stay up to date on all of my upcoming releases here, and:
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.
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.
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.
As I said, I’ve been a little busy. But keep a watch out for all of my new releases, coming soon.
Good morning! It’s been a little while since my last post. I’ve been crazy busy with deadlines, accounting, and starting a new venture with my assistant. So, what’s been up with me?
I’ve released a couple of books since my last post. As I said, it’s been a busy time. During this time I’ve set up my 2020 schedule for book releases and have been working on covers for those releases. It looks to be an exciting year.
With accounting, this is the start of tax season, not to mention closing out the previous year. So, things in the accounting office have been crazy busy, which has given me precious little time to write. But, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to budget my time and stay on a schedule. We will see how that goes.
As for the new business venture, well, it’s not a surprise that I love to create things. And book covers are one of my favorite things to create. So, I started Dragonfly Designs to help authors put their best cover forward. If you have a great looking cover, it will draw a readers eye. Many writers tell me that they just want to write, not sit and figure out the cover details. Drop by my website page for the new business at https://www.stephaniehurtauthor.com/dragonfly-designs
So, with that being said, I’ll say goodbye for now, but I’ll be back soon to announce new releases, writing advice and more…
Wishing you good writing and May God Bless You…
Here’s a look at some of my newest releases and a couple that are coming up!
So, today is the day! Holly Cottage is almost here! If you love a heartwarming, Christmas Romance, then keep your eyes out for the coming release of Holly Cottage, Where the Magic Begins. This has been such a fun book to write and I can’t wait for all of you to get a chance to fall in love with it too!
There will be an excerpt coming in a couple of days when the release date is announced, but for today, you can take a look at the beautiful cover. I’m excited about this release.
Good morning! It’s my favorite time of year when our tree is up, the fire is crackling and there’s a chill in the air. And of course, we’ve already gotten a little snow here in Georgia and on my birthday weekend, so that’s awesome.
My Wishful Harbor Series is something I’ve dreamed of doing for a long time and now the 2nd book in the series is out, which makes me so happy. This book is a sweet romance that is filled with mystery, old crushes, and the spirit of Christmas in a small town.
So, if you need something to read when you are sitting by your Christmas tree or even by a crackling fire, then grab a copy today. For the first-week release celebration, I’m keeping it at .99!
Stephanie Hurt - Romance Author 