What’s coming up…

It’s Friday! With the tax deadline coming up quickly, I’m excited that it’s Friday because I need a break. But, I’ll be writing this weekend as I have deadlines there too!

Do you plan your year of writing? I do. I’ve already got my writing for 2021 planned out and the covers are in process. Of course, as writers know, something new could be added during the year, it’s just the way our minds work.

Here’s the remainder of 2020 schedule:

To be released October 17: Timeless Love-Marina’s Story (4th book in The Journal Series) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DFGK8JB/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i12

To be released November 7: Bay Street (Wishful Harbor 5th book in the Wishful Harbor Series) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DF89LB8/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i23

To be released December 4: Wine, Wedding & The Cowboy (Book 3 of the Tangled Vines Series) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DF9JC3V/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i15

To be released January 29: Double Take at Mistletoe Ranch (Book 3 of the Mistletoe Ranch Series) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DFBY6PR/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i4

As you can see, I’m finishing up 4 series in the above releases. I’m sad to see those series end, but I’m excited for the new series that I’ll be starting for 2021. And it will be a little different from my usual. I will give you a little info now. There will be 5 books in the series and they will be somewhat suspenseful. But I’ll fill you in on more about that soon.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Preorder, Cover Reveal, & Backlist Sale…

Good Friday morning!

It’s a cold, rainy Friday here in Georgia, but that doesn’t make the excitement about an upcoming release go away. There’s so much going on right now within my writing world and I can’t hold it back. I have two, yes two Christmas romances coming out this year. Here’s the scoop!

This Sunday, the longest book I’ve ever written will be coming out. ‘Christmas at Mistletoe Ranch’ is over 75,000 words and is such a sweet, good feel romance. It’s the first book in a three book series. Books 2 & 3 will be coming out in 2020. It’s on preorder for only $1.99 until the release this Sunday, November 17th. Then it goes up to $4.99, so grab it fast.

As for the cover reveal, well, when the Christmas spirit strikes hard and heavy, you write two Christmas romances. This little gem is a sweet, and I mean sweet romance. The main characters are complete opposites until they come together over gingerbread cookies and horses, but will it be that simple? Without further talk, here’s the cover for ‘The Christmas Wish’ which will be coming out near the end of November and first of December.

Then there’s a couple of sales on my back list titles. Poor things get lost in the glamour of the new, shiny ones, but here’s an incentive to revive them again!

Beyond One Moment is on sale for only .99 and that’s $2 off the regular price. And don’t forget the 2nd book in this series is coming out soon. Oh yeah, I haven’t mentioned that have I?

Safe in the Pirate’s Arms is on sale for .99. Who can ignore a handsome pirate falling for the nice young lady that stows away on his ship?

And last but not least, ‘Lacey’s Choice’ is only .99 for a limited time. Take a trip to the Swiss Alps in this sweet love story.

So, have a great Friday!

As always, good Friday and May God Bless You…

Deadlines keep you focused…

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Deadlines are all around us! We have deadlines for tax filing, bill paying, publishing our manuscripts, getting to work, the list goes on. Some days the deadlines seemed to crowd in and boggle our brains, but to put it in perspective, deadlines keep us on track!

As with my work, I’m an accountant which means I’m on a constant deadline. There’s payroll taxes due, sales tax due, income tax filing, and many more items that make your head spin. Maybe that’s why a lot of accountants are introverts, we don’t have time to be anything else!

With writing, you have deadlines for publishing, completed book covers, blurbs, contests, dare I go on. I heard that groan from the masses, yep, you know where I’m coming from. But the deadlines keep us focused. So, maybe we don’t keep up with our word counts and end up putting twenty thousand words in two days, but we get it done 😉

SO, do deadlines help you or make you crazy?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

By the way, I met my deadline for the finished manuscript for Lily with 24 hours left over. That made me give myself a high five.

Lily Release ad!

photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/7815007@N07/16931340822″>Educational Postcard: “A deadline is helpful….”</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/”>(license)</a>

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

Her Wish For Christmas… Pre order up and running

Good Wednesday morning to everyone! It’s a beautiful, chilly morning here in Georgia. I just love the crisp air that Fall offers. It’s so invigorating and refreshes my soul. I begin to get more itchy to write which is scary because some days I could write for 24 hours a day. Yikes, that sounds a little obsessive, but if you’re a writer you know exactly what I’m talking about.

I’m currently working on Her Wish for Christmas, the 3rd book in my Lean on Him Christian Romance Series. This book has torn at my heart and brought me to tears several times. I thought book 2 in the series, Faith Through the Tears was bad on my nerves, well this one has totally cleared out my tear ducts. Actually had a fan recommend sending out a box of tissues with each copy sold.

If you’re wondering why it brings me to tears, well it’s a book about a problem that plagues this nation and it’s something that just affects me so deeply. But it’s the reactions of the characters that totally takes me by surprise. If you’re not a writer, the last statement might seem strange, but sometimes as writer’s we’re surprised by how the characters take over.

Also, for this book, it’s on pre order through Amazon until the release date of November 14th at http://www.amazon.com/Her-Wish-Christmas-Lean-Book-ebook/dp/B00OJI0BN0. I’m donating 50% of my royalties from all the pre order sales and first week after release sales to a domestic violence charity. I want to help out with making a difference. This is such a problem and it breaks my heart that so many feel they have nowhere to turn.

The first couple of days the pre order was out it was in the top 100 on Amazon which is exciting. I’m so touched by the response to this book and can’t wait for it to be up and running. Since the book is almost completely through the editing process I’m crossing my fingers that maybe this book can inspire someone to speak out and get help.

As always great writing and May God Bless You…

Monday is Release Day!

This is the full book cover for Finding The Right Time. The official release is Monday. The Preorder is up until Sunday night. It is only .99 until the official release.

For an author release day is huge. As a reader it can be huge also. If you’re a fan of someone and they release a new book you usually get really excited. I know I do. If you’ve preordered the book, then guess what you have on release day, you have the book on your device and ready to read.

Release day can be riddled with excessive promotional posts (Yep, get ready because Monday it will hit) and then you have the excitement of seeing how well the preorder did.

Well here’s a little bit about the book. It’s a step away from my normal writing, but it was so exciting to write. This book is a Time Travel Romance, which makes it a fantasy lived out in a fictional book. Who hasn’t wanted to go back in time to redo something or undo something?

One of my favorite quotes in the book is:

He bowed his head and shook it from side to side. “I don’t understand how a man that’s been dead for over one hundred years can just take over your heart. How can you even think about going back to him? If you love me, how can you love him too?”

To me this is a pivotal part of the book. It’s an example of the emotions that are challenged in this book. Since I love romance, this book has such a strong pull to it. It shows that through everything, true love shines through. We’re all given a chance to love, it’s how we treat that love and nourish that love that makes the difference. If you don’t meet it halfway and give it a chance, how will you ever know where it could go. Sometimes we have to follow our instincts and most definitely our dreams.

This book was a long work in progress. I worked on this one for well over six months which is longer than my normal work time. It really pulled at me emotionally and kept me on my toes. When you step a little away from your normal genre a bit, it challenges you. I love a good challenge.

Here’s the preorder links available until Sunday night at midnight:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/413534

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-the-right-time-stephanie-hurt/1118861344?ean=2940045730792

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/finding-the-right-time/id830991170?mt=11

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Monday Morning Wake Up Post

If you haven’t realized it yet, yep it’s Monday folks. School started back today after a very long break due to the ice storm and then Winter Break. The alarm clock went off at 6:00 this morning and it was rough. I’m working on my second cup of coffee and contemplating my third.

Of course with Tax season in full swing my day is full of appointments for drop offs and pick ups. But for another hour I get to sit and enjoy my coffee, work on my upcoming book release and relax. This is my time when I can quietly work on things in the house. I already have a load of laundry and a load of dishes going. But more importantly I have a book to finish.

Since I’m working on my first time travel romance, I’m excited about the upcoming release. I’m doing this one a little differently than my other books. It’s going to have a pre-order available through Smashwords. The pre-order will be on Barnes & Noble, Apple iTunes and Kobo. I will be running several giveaways and some free books to select people that win the drawings. The contest will be announced this week so keep watching. Several of my books will be up for grabs to those that pre-order my book and send me a picture of their pre-order confirmation, but I’ll announce the rules soon.

As for the book that’s coming out, I think my fans will be surprised. I’m hoping it will be a pleasant surprise. This is a little step away from my normal writing, but of course there is still a handsome cowboy and horses, I have to keep that going. But I’ve never delved into the time travel genre. It’s been a great experience and I think it’s a story that will make you think and wonder all the way to the end, which is an interesting ending.

So, how are you spending your Monday morning? How many cups of coffee does it take to get you going? Let me know I’m not the only coffee addict…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Smashwords Preorder – A Great Thing!

I’ve been publishing with Smashwords for almost two years and it’s been a wonderful experience. As always they’re constantly adding new things to help authors. The Preorder choice has been available for several months. I tried it with Victoria, but I didn’t give it much time and wasn’t very successful. Totally my fault. I didn’t allow enough time to gather interest.

But as always, we learn from our mistakes and try again as I will do with my newest book “Finding The Right Time”. Mark Coker has written a great post to help with the logistics of marketing your Preorder, setting it up and anything you’d need to know. It’s a wonderful tool and every author should try this out. I will be following his every instruction and look forward to how it works out. I will update this post when I know more.

For now, here’s a link to the post from Mark Coker. If you’re an author you need to read it. If you’re a reader it could help you gather up some new books and have them as soon as they come out.

<div style=”margin-bottom:5px”> <strong> <a href=”https://www.slideshare.net/Smashwords/hit-the-ebook-bestseller-lists-with-preorders-a-guide-to-preorder-strategy” title=”Hit the Ebook Bestseller Lists with Preorders: A Guide to Preorder Strategy” target=”_blank”>Hit the Ebook Bestseller Lists with Preorders: A Guide to Preorder Strategy</a> </strong> from <strong><a href=”http://www.slideshare.net/Smashwords” target=”_blank”>Smashwords, Inc.</a></strong> </div>