The Free Book Debate…

Good morning! Hope all is well with you on this beautiful morning. Georgia is having a beautiful day today, but the weather will be here for Thursday and Friday, so we need to enjoy today and tomorrow!

As for today’s topic, it’s permafree books. There’s much controversy about this strategy. Most authors split the fence on this topic. I’ve played with it periodically through the years, but my newest try at it has been a success. Why do I say that, you might ask? Well, here’s why…

#91 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Sagas

Do you see the number just above this sentence? That’s where Ridge is at the moment. Since I put it on permafree several weeks ago, it has stayed in the top 100 in this category and notice it’s not the free category. You’re probably saying, ‘but it’s free so you’re making nothing on all those downloads’, well that’s true, but here’s why it’s a good thing.

The week that Ridge went free, there wasn’t a lot of change in sales. But the next week and all the ones to follow showed a huge difference in my sales. suddenly it was like I could follow the readers journey. Each book in this series started selling in order of the series, then my other books started in the same way. It’s like the readers are buying the Five Oaks Series, then working their way through each of my series. Kind of like watching dominoes fall in a row. I’ve also started selling my older published books, which a couple of them had to be dusted off from sitting on Amazon so long 😉

SO, I’d say my trial period worked. Ridge will stay free. My suggestion is to wait until you have a couple of books in your series out before you go free with the first one. That way the reader has a direction to go in. Then sit back and watch it do the work for you. It’s like free advertising!

Have you tried this? How did it work for you?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Coffee, love, laughter…

Good Saturday morning all! How do you like one of my new rugs? I’m super excited about this one. Can you see why? If you’ve been reading my posts for the last three years then you know why. Hint, there’s three of them… Did you figure it out yet?

This morning as soon as I opened my eyes it was evident the rain was here. So much for some yard work this morning, but I can’t complain because we need the rain. Saturdays at our house are for cleaning and writing. For some reason this week and I’m still a little confused about this one, I actually finished most of my laundry early. That means more time for writing today 😉

If you haven’t checked out my Wattpad entry, then run, don’t walk over there. Votes and views are important for this one. I also enjoy the commments. As a firm believer in the close knit writer community, I want to hear from you. One friend has already helped out by pointing out something that needed tweaking. I’m ever grateful for that too! When someone that doesn’t see the story from your head makes an observation, then you can see it clearer.

Also, for you Five Oaks Ranch fans I have a nifty little surprise that I slipped in this week when you weren’t looking. Ridge is free on most sites for a while. With Chase riding on the heels of publication I had to get some things happening. The downloads have been pouring in, which means there’s an interest in catching up. As I’ve said before, i can’t wait for you to meet Chase, my favorite of the Cauthen brood.

So, what’s your plans for today? Writing? Cleaning? Just being alive? For me, all of the above! My advice for you on this rainy Georgia day, drink a pot of coffee, hug someone you love and laugh a lot…

As always, good writing and May God Bless you…

https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/48304085-tuscany

One more thing before you go! When Tuscany’s entry on Wattpad reaches 25 views I’ll be doing a sweet giveaway, then at 50 and 100! So pass the word around and give me some reader/writer love!

Summertime and feeling it!

Good morning! We’ve made it halfway through the week… It’s been a really crazy couple of weeks. For one the heatwave that we’re in here in the south is almost too much! With the high temps and really high humidity, you walk outside for just a minute and you’re soaked. Where’s the rain when you need it? Although my family says I’m crazy, I’ve been completing my 4 mile walks three evening a week and yes about one mile in I’m questioning myself. But I’m on a diet and exercise is part of it.

Another thing which is awesome, I’ve received two wonderful reviews of “Ridge”. One came from one of Rosie Amber’s review squad, which by the way is a great team to get to review your book. Here’s the wonderful review:

4 Star **** Is there a Dr in the house??

By Lynn F. on June 6, 2015

Format: Kindle Edition

This is a love story that follows Ridge Cauthen. He is the eldest son of the Cauthen clan. Ridge fought in the war in Iraq. He is now back home and working on his family’s ranch. He by chance meets the new Veterinarian, Mallory. Ridge is dealing with PTSD from his military service. PTSD that includes nightmares, flashbacks and mood swings. Not an ideal time to try and make someone fall in love with you. My favorite part of this story was the amount of love, patience and forgiveness Ridge is shown by his family and friends. I would hope all Veterans would receive the same treatment. I’m not going to tell you if Boy gets Girl you just have to read it for yourself 🙂

Then two weeks later I received an email from Reader’s Favorite stating that I had a review posted and maybe it’s not a big deal to some, but to me it’s really cool to have that emblem to put on your book. Here’s this review:

	5 stars!
Reviewed By Rabia Tanveer for Readers’ Favorite In Ridge by Stephanie Hurt, meet an ex-soldier who is struggling through life with PTSD, until the day he meets ‘the One’ and his world turns upside down. Ridge is the oldest Cauthen boy. He grew up in a big, happy family. Ridge is kind and caring, always looking out for his younger siblings and others who need help. So when the time came, he enrolled in the army and served his country. But two years in Iraq broke him. There is so much a kind heart can take, and his heart has taken and seen enough. Now he is back home and working at the family ranch. Getting away from the war didn’t help much. He is still fighting off the enemies in his mind. Every night is a struggle with nightmares, but they never end. His family loves him and is kind to him, but how much longer are they going to stay that way? When luck brings Mallory (a new vet in town) to him, he is not sure he wants to have her in her life. Can she truly love him? Can she accept him with all his broken parts inside? Ridge by Stephanie Hurt is a novel that will fill your heart. You will feel so much compassion and kindness for Ridge that you will tear up. Ridge is such a nice guy; he is kind and very sweet. This novel showed how pointless wars have destroyed the lives of many men and how they are suffering because they pledged to protect their country. When you sit down to read the novel, keep a tissue box nearby because you will need it. A really good novel. And I got this nice label for my books: So, this made my month, but then it got even better! How could it get better you might ask, well, I received an email that a bookstore about an Hour & a half from me asked me to come do a book signing, which made me smile. We’re working on a date in September, but I’ll give more info as it comes. It’s just been an exciting couple of weeks which kept the really hot weather even hotter because with the excitement comes major hot flashes (Wink-Wink) don’t you just love those ladies! So, how’s your summer going so far? Is it hot where you are or for my friends across the globe how’s your winter? As always, good writing and May God Bless You… Check out all the great reviews on Rosie’s page: https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/

Downhill slide…

Good morning! It’s a sunny morning here in Georgia. The sun is streaming through the trees and into the windows as I sit here writing. It’s been a productive morning so far. My exercise is completed, my breakfast eaten and 2000 words typed into my manuscript. Yes, Oakley is almost done.

This book has been really fun to work on. I’ve enjoyed writing all of my books, but there’s something about this series that really pulls at me. I think it’s the fact that the whole story of each of the five siblings actually is already in my head. It sounds crazy but it’s true. Of course I do have the filler material to put together and that’s the time consuming part.

Let me introduce you to Oakley, the cowboy, the man. He’s such a old spirit with his old fashioned way of thinking. His heart is filled with compassion and so much kindness. As he goes about trying to understand his brother, Ridge’s decision to hire a woman as a ranch hand, he struggles with other feelings that start up.

Keep watching for updates on Oakley and the release date will be announced possibly this week. Also, with the upcoming release of Oakley, I’m giving away 5 copies of Ridge over at Goodreads. Here’s the link: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/137212-ridge

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Coming out of the rain!

Good Tuesday morning! It’s wonderful to look outside this morning. The sun is streaming in through the windows and everything looks great. We’ve had rain and dreary weather for over a week, so the sun shining this morning makes me smile. Although it’s a little cool this morning, I’m not complaining one bit.

As a writer I go through many phases of writing. Some days I feel like it’s raining in my brain and the floods of thoughts seem to overtake me. It can be overwhelming, but then the sun comes out and the writing begins. I’ve been coming out of the rain for the last couple of days. During the busiest part of tax season I had so much going on in my mind that I couldn’t get a hold on my writing.

Now that the sun has come out I can’t seem to write enough. Of course I still have to go into the office and do accounting, but my mind is still focusing on the stories that cross back and forth. I’m a major multi-tasker so usually I have a note pad handy for those moments when I can’t get them to stop screaming at me. Some days as I do data entries which usually I do this automatically after over twenty some odd years I can do these in my sleep, I use my dictation app on my phone and write as I work. Yep I’ve got it bad.

If you’ve been following my blog the last couple of days you know I’m doing a fun giveaway of Ridge. This is because Oakley is coming out really, really soon… So keep up with all the news and subscribe to my website at stephaniehurtauthor.com for updates. Also, watch out for the questions that help you rack up points for chances to win a copy of Ridge.

I hope you enjoy your day and make the best of it!

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Here’s a little reminder of the giveaway rules and today’s question:

Do you prefer a moonlit stroll in the country or on the beach?

The Scoop on the Book Signing!

Good Monday morning everyone! I’ve had several inquiries regarding the book signing event I had on Saturday. It was really great and I’m still smiling. The turnout was humbling to say the least and seeing all the familiar and new faces was fun. I met some really wonderful people and was able to talk books non stop.

Since this was my first book signing on record I was a little nervous, but the minute I stepped into A Novel Experience Bookstore in my hometown, Zebulon, Georgia, well let’s just say the nerves flew out the window. The smell of the books that surrounded me made for a relaxing atmosphere.

I settled into my chair and went to work. A couple of times I actually forgot my name! It’s true… I talked about Ridge as though he was a real person instead of a fictional character that came from my head. Someone actually asked if he was a real person because I made him real in my conversation.

A fun fact about my book signing, I sat in the place where famed author John Green (Fault in the Stars) sat for one of his book signings. It was like sitting in the presence of royalty. Yep, he did an early book signing there. Feeling special…

The gracious bookstore owner is already talking another event for the release of Oakley which is coming in a couple of months. Oh my, a couple of months, that means I’d best get off this blog and get to work. Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday and stay warm. It’s really cold here in Georgia and expecting some snow and ice in parts of the south. Burrrrr!!!

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Go by Amazon and get your copy of Ridge… http://www.amazon.com/Ridge-Five-Oaks-Ranch-Book-ebook/dp/B00TFOPOFI

When the mood strikes…Write!

Good Saturday morning! I hope all of you are well and enjoying a great day. Here in Georgia it’s cool, rainy, foggy, just plain out nasty, but it’s a great day to clean house and write. I’m coming off a great day off yesterday. I met my word goal and passed it. I’d planned on at least 2500 words but ended up writing almost 4000. Yes!

The funny thing about my excessive word count yesterday was that the mood just wasn’t there early in the day. I’d planned on writing early, but it just wasn’t there. I knew that if I started writing without the spark it would end up on the cutting floor in confetti, so I waited. Then later yesterday the mood struck and there it was. My fingers flew across the keys as the scene unfolded in my mind. I wanted to write faster, but these fingers can only do so much.

As you know I’m working on Ridge, which comes out February 14th. Yes I know, I’m running on overtime, but I had two main scenes that needed to be finished. Well, one down, one to go, then on to my editor. She’s chomping at the bit to get her hands on Ridge. It’s been a work from the heart and she’d sat listening to bits and pieces as the excitement takes over. Patience is the name of the game.

Just a peak at the man behind the book:

Cute huh! He’s mysterious, hard edged, a Cowboy, a Soldier, and family man. Yep he’s got it all going for him except the ride lady to spend his days with. Well, maybe the new vet can soften those edges and turn him around. We’ll see…

This morning I’m spending some time on cleaning my house, doing laundry and sorting mail, then on to Ridge. He’s filled my mind so much that some days I can’t concentrate. The next installment of this series is Oakley, but the funny thing is I’d love to start Chase next, but that’s not in the cards. But, I can write a couple of ideas into his portfolio. Yep, that’s in the works for today also.

What are you doing today? Staying in? Writing? Reading? Hope it’s great…

As always, great writing and May God Bless You…

The day after Christmas and all was…

It’s the day after Christmas and all is calm. The hubby and son have headed to the lake to fish out the day. I’m sitting watching Hallmark Christmas Romances and sipping coffee. It’s peaceful and serene as I sit here with a crackling fire and the Christmas tree twinkling beside me. I know the tree has to come down, but it’s always sad to see it. I love Christmas, but I do love the moments after everything is put back right and things are back to normal.

But for the Accountant in me, this is the calm before the storm. When I head back to the office after the first of the year it will be crazy as year ends are calculated, paperwork is sorted, tax files are put together, W-2’s are printed and the list goes on, but I love the rush and craziness. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true.

The writer in me is hard at work with a deadline coming up really soon. I plan on writing away my days off which is fine with me. As I fill out the story of Ridge Cauthen I have to smile. He’s such a hard man with a soft core, but he struggles with nightmares and the memories of everything he’s seen in the last seven years. Always the toughest of the siblings, he’s turned hard edged and even harder to get close to. For me he’s put a challenge in front of me and I’m enjoying it. Most of my main characters are loving and a little softer hearted, but Ridge totally blows that away.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and also hope you were able to take some time for yourself.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Christmas Eve excitement…

I love Christmas and everything that goes with it. This is my favorite time of year. It’s the time of year when families get together and celebrate their love. We remember our past Christmas’s and those that are not with us any longer. But most of all we celebrate the Birth of Jesus!

For me Christmas came a little early. Yesterday I received a call from a local bookstore. All of my books will be available starting in 2015 in that store. And they asked me to do an author signing for my new book that will be released on Valentine’s Day. So exciting. Yes I’m still smiling and giggling like a little girl. I will be letting you know more information as it comes in like dates and times, but for now I can say this is an exciting time.

Did anyone catch the release announcement in the last paragraph? If not, let me say it again. Ridge, the first book in the Five Oaks Ranch Series will be officially released on Valentine’s Day. This book has been a wonderful adventure for me. Since my last couple of books have not been about cowboys, it’s nice to come back to what I really love. I will be releasing excerpts periodically over the next month as the release date officially draws closer. Let’s just say this will be a new era in my writing. I’m stepping a little out of my usual box with this one, but I think my fans will be pleasantly surprised.

I love this cover and all the covers for the series which have already been designed. The other four books will be announced soon as they’re finished and ready for release. Get to know the Cauthen family as this series unfolds into a series to remember. I think you’ll fall in love with the four brothers and their sister. Each one is different and full of struggles, love, laughter, family and most of all cowboys!

So, as I finish this post I want to wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas! I hope you have a family filled night and that Santa visits with a smile. If things go well I’ll be publishing a Christmas Day post. Don’t forget the Reason for the Season…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You on this Christmas Eve…