Tag: Romance

Monday morning writing…

It’s the Monday after the Super Bowl and everyone is sluggish and sleepy. Some are grumpy, and some are smiling broadly. I’m not a huge football fan, but since Georgia had a team in it, I watched some of it. Of course, my son and hubby watched the whole thing.

Oh well, on to writing. I’ve been working on ‘Promises Made’, the first book in the Sky Ridge Series. It’s a sweet story of how love comes in when you least expect it and sweeps you off your feet. As the series progresses, there will be trials and tribulations. Things will not always be as they seem.

I love writing historical romance. There are so many aspects of history that can be delved into. The research is fascinating and gives me ideas for more stories, so it’s a win-win!

I hope everyone is having a fabulous Monday…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

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Where did January go?

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It’s hard to believe that it’s already February! I feel like I just got settled into the new year and then, bam, another month has passed by in a flash. My grandmother always said, the older you get, the faster times goes by. Of course, when I was young, I thought that was the silliest thing ever. Now, I get it.

So much water has flowed under this bridge that some days I can hardly believe that I’m nearing the half-century mark. Don’t go there! I don’t feel my age and I certainly don’t act it, but it’s there none the less. And to think, my baby is graduating high school in May, what???

Another milestone I’m facing this year, but it’s a good one is that I’ve been a published author for five years. May 12th will mark Ghost Lover’s fifth year in publication. To think, this time five years ago, I was still skeptical about putting my name and work out to the public and now I’m nearing the publication of my 30th book. Yes, I said 30! That’s another thing that baffles my mind. I guess the old adage is true, time flies when you’re having fun!

This Sunday, the hubby and I will celebrate 23 years of blissful marriage. Some days it feels like just yesterday, then other days it feels like we’ve been together our whole lives. That’s what romance does to you, it blows your mind. I wouldn’t take anything for all of the adventures we’ve had and the things we’ve shared.

Now, as I sit here, getting ready to do my morning writing, I’m gazing at my calendar. Yep, I had better get off this post before I fall further behind and have to deal with my assistant’s frown. She has a tendency to look at my writing calendar and tsk tsk at me. LOL!

As always, good writing and May God Bless You!

Write every day… Or not?

Good morning! The question is, do you write every day or not? In other words, do you at least put a couple of words into your manuscript every day?

If you follow my blog, you know I have a word count that I try to meet every day, but can I be honest? Some days life steps in and I don’t meet that word count. Eeeeek… Yes, it happens and totally stresses me out when it happens. So, what do I do?

My advice is to try to write a little something every day, if only just a paragraph. If you don’t keep up a regular writing schedule, it’s hard to get back in the groove when you do. If I have a day that there’s no way I’ll get any writing in, I try to at least do a blog post, whether it’s short or not. Also, when I do get to write the next day, I try to make up the lost word count from the day before.

And no, I don’t get to write every day during tax season. But I try to set my writing goals lower during this three month period, that way I’m not stressing over word counts too.

So, what is your daily writing ritual?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

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Monday Morning Coffee…

Good morning! Did the weekend go way too fast for anyone else? It was as though I blinked and it was over. As I sat last night, trying to get it into my head that it was over, I realized that I need to slow down and take each moment and handle with care.

I’m on my second cup of coffee, seeing another one in my near future. Also, needing to write before I go to my office, but trying to get out of the Monday morning fog with caffeine and social media.

This weekend I wrote over 8000 words between Saturday and Sunday, which is impressive for a working weekend. I had to work in my accounting office Saturday and had Church yesterday, but managed to beat my weekend goal.

I’ve been working on my newest series, ‘Sky Ridge’. It’s been coming into my brain faster than my fingers can type, which is a great thing. Since it’s been flowing well, I’ve pushed it ahead of another work in progress so as not to lose focus. Here’s a little tidbit of some of the writing from yesterday:

“Joy, I know this is all new to you, but I want you to know that I’ll keep you safe and never hurt you.” He reached out and found her hand, linking their fingers. “I promise you that as long as there is breath in my body, you’ll never fear anything, especially me.”
Joy turned her head to see him looking at her. “Thank you, Nash.” For the first time since she’d found out they were to be wed, her heart skipped a beat. Why she didn’t know.
Nash closed his eyes, knowing he’d made the right decision. One day they’d share more than holding hands, but he was satisfied with just being near her. As he lay there, he could tell she was holding her breath, which made him grin. “Joy, just breathe.”
She took a deep breath, sighing a little. “Nash, can I ask you something?”
“Yes.”
“How do you like your eggs?”
Nash laughed, the sound rumbling in the quiet room. “How do I like my eggs? You’re asking me at this moment, how I like my eggs.”
Joy knew she was blushing to the roots of her hair. “I just want to do things right. So, I was thinking about breakfast.”
Nash rolled to his side to look at her. Moonlight streamed in, setting her face in a mystic glow. “Joy, please relax. I made a promise to you that we’d take things slow. So, just relax and go to sleep.”
“OK.” Joy rolled to face away from Nash, which helped to calm her more. For some reason, his nearness bothered her more than she’d imagined.

This is, of course, an unedited excerpt, but it’s a special moment between Nash and Joy. I know you’ll love their story as it moves along the three book series.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

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Romance…

Good Monday morning! Hope you had a restful weekend… The topic of today, Romance. There are so many facets of romance that it boggles the mind, but I want to talk about something I read the other day that quite frankly made me giggle… so here goes…

I was reading a writing post and someone chimed in with a comment on romance writers. She said, ‘Why do romance writer’s write about romance as though it’s  an achievable goal; when in fact, romance is a myth?’

I know… GASP!!!!! When I read this I sat back and sighed. Romance is not a myth! For one thing, romance should be a goal in your relationship with your significant other. I have romance in my marriage. For example, at the moment, my husband is building me a farm table for my dining room. It’s the most romantic gesture because he knew I wanted one, so he’s making it happen.

Now, I do agree that as romance writer’s we do embellish, but that’s for the entertainment of our readers. If we just wrote a book about everyday life and included no extraordinary romance in it, would we keep our readers? I know that, personally, when I pick up a romance, I want to be wooed by the romance that spills from the authors words. A frilly romance can put a smile on your face.

You can get lost in the romance of a book. The unreal aspects of books are what makes them so much fun to read. But folks, romance is real. It doesn’t have to be wine and roses every day. It can simply be a look across the table or holding hands for no reason.

So, give me your thoughts…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

If you get a chance, my newest release came out last night, ‘Sowing the Right Seed’, so go by and check it out. https://www.amazon.com/Sowing-Right-Seed-Lean-Book-ebook/dp/B01MUDJL8O

Also, sign up to be on my street team or simply to get my monthly newsletter at www.stephaniehurtauthor.com.

Character Sketches…

It’s Friday! Yea! But I have some work to do. With two new series starting up this year, I have several things to do and one of those things is character sketches. If you’re asking what the heck is a character sketch, well, let me fill you in…

Alright, here goes… When you start a new book, there are several steps, but one of the most important during the writing process is the character information. Let me explain how I do my character information sheets.

1. I grab my notebook that will be for the series notes and I keep all my information in it. This notebook stays in my writing bag for quick retrieval. This is very important to have at your fingertips because if you’re halfway through book two and can’t remember what someone’s name is or what they do, you’ll need to be able to grab that without having to read book one to jog your memory.

2. First off, you need to name your characters, starting with the main ones. Then add the details. Let’s face it, when you’re writing that character, you know what they look like, but your reader doesn’t unless you show them. So, under the character sketch, you put every detail you can. I include A. Name

A. Name

B. Description: Hair color, eye color, height, build, disposition, age, birthdate, etc. You       get the idea.

C. Family that might show up in the stories. Brothers, sisters, parents, etc.

D. Where are they from and where do they live now?

E. Now, this is where the fun starts, leave plenty of room for added notes. As a story     unfolds, you’ll build the character sketch. If they get a new career, get married, have children. Add anything new to the character. This helps down the road and keeps you from having to keep looking back.

3. Make sure you have one for every character you add. Well, if they are only making a one time appearance, leave them out, but if it’s even just the store owner and your character occasionally goes to the store, then you need to add them.

So, do you prepare character sketches? I didn’t for a long time and it was so frustrating, but through writing studies, I’ve learned how to make life easier. Writing is a crazy world of names, places, plots, and so much more that you have to have a way to keep it straight.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

 

 

 

 

New year…New series…

With everything going on, I’ve not mentioned the fact that I have two new series coming out this year. Although one will spill over into 2018…

I’m excited about the possibilities of both series. The first one is Sky Ridge and it’s a three-book historical romance series. This series will take you back to the 1800’s old west. The covers are already completed and up on my website, so take a look if you get a chance. They’re gorgeous and give you the feeling of each one. I can’t wait for the first release which will happen in a short while…

The second series is a five book New England small town romance series. The series is called Wishful Harbor. It will be about a small New England town and the lives of five friends and the romance that they find. I’ll be working on these covers in the coming months, but for now, let’s just say, things are getting exciting…

Of course, I have a couple of stand-alone books coming too. Most of them are already featured on my website.

So, what are you working on this year? Any new series or finishing a series?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

P.S. Here’s a peek at the first cover in the Sky Ridge series…

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No use crying over missed words…

Good Monday morning! I do hope everyone here in America had a wonderful Thanksgiving! And also my wonderful friends across the pond, I hope you had a wonderful weekend. As for me, well, I had a great one. But, with a holiday that’s busy, I missed my word count over the time off.

Word counts are important to a writer, right? The longer I write the more I realize that word counts can be pushed around a little. Yes, I know I’ve written about word counts being important and technically they are, but here’s my new philosophy.

Ok, I have deadlines, just as most writers do. I know what I need to get in every day, but when things happen, say life, for instance, stressing over a day or two of missed writing, well, it can make for a miserable time. So, I’ve devised a strategy. I have a writing journal where I keep up with my word count and where I need to be every day. Then I adjust as needed. Which of course means that I might need to double up on my word count for a couple of days.

If my book needs to be 30,000 words, then I’ll set my deadline to give me 35 days of writing. I try to write 2000 words a day usually, which means that I type 1000 words for two books a day. This way if I’m lagging behind a little, then I can add to one or more days to make up the lost time writing.

You may think that five extra days isn’t enough, but if you keep a journal and keep up with the words needed to get to the end and the daily count, then you’ll see that you actually could end up with days left, which is wonderful, you can start another book 😉

Now, back to the writing, as I said, I’m a couple of days behind… A little hint, I gave myself extra days for the holidays, so…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Just a little reminder, fall in love with Laird Ewan before the 2nd book comes out in just days from now! myBook.to/HighlandersHeart

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Seeing it clearly…

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Good morning! Hope all is well…

Have you ever looked at your work in process and your mind was more like the picture above? I’ve done this so much that sometimes I have to step away. But what can we do as writers to clear up the fog in our brain?

This weekend I spent most of the time laying around, trying to get over the cold that took over my body on Thursday. I’d planned on doing a major catch up on word counts, but every time I looked at my laptop, I groaned. My head was fuzzy, which is understandable with a cold, but the fuzziness I’m talking about is story line fuzzy…

As you know from my many posts, I try to outline all of my manuscripts, but even then, fuzziness can take over. Just this past week I had one of those, ‘where was I headed with this part of the story’ moments. I went back and forth between my outline and my manuscript, making notes and trying to regain the momentum. The best thing I did was to step back, take a breath, then go back to it.

Ok, so sometimes with deadlines we can’t do that, but I’m not talking about stepping back a week or more, just a couple of hours. Maybe take a long walk, going over the story in your head. And yes, the walk will help clear your head of the fuzzies. I’ve worked out more story problems while putting my tennis shoes on and walking up the road. Amazing how much it helps. If it is raining, then you can watch a movie, lay back and listen to music, or even plot out another story.

But what I’m getting at is when the story gets too much to handle, step back, clear your head and begin again. It helps. I actually scraped a whole manuscript doing this. Yes, it scared me to death, but I did it and was glad I did when I started over. For some reason, we go down a rabbit hole that there’s no way out of, and that can lead to a deeper hole, LOL!

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Highlander’s Bride is coming soon… Keep watching for the cover reveal!