Men and romance novels…

If you’re a man, do you read romance novels? Well, there’s nothing wrong with that. I know plenty of men that read romance. I have several male fans and I think that’s wonderful. It could be that I write cowboy romance, but they read the couple of non cowboy books too. 

When I was younger I couldn’t see a man enjoying a good romance novel, but I’ve had my eyes opened. I have a couple of male authors that I love to follow and they write romance. It’s amazing the amount of romance that some men can pull into a romance. Most men would not feel comfortable admitting they read romance or wrote romance, but not these men. 

Do you know a male romance author? What about a man that loves a good romance? As for me I know several on both counts. My hubby doesn’t read or write romance, but he loves a good romantic movie. That’s a plus for me because I’m drawn to them like a moth to a flame. 

If you’re a man and you love a good romance or maybe you write romance, then let me know. I’d love to interview you here on my blog. Come on, don’t be shy 🙂

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Love, the long road ahead…

Romance. It’s the time honored wish for most women. We read about it in magazines, novels and watch it in the movies. The search takes on a feverish turn as we get older, but do we find that elusive time held romance? Would you say you found that one man that curls your toes and leaves you in awe? Have you found your romance novel love?

Romance is not a myth, it’s real. But unfortunately we’re all so busy living life that we don’t stop to give it a chance. Romance is inside of all of us, but we don’t let it out. Some men are afraid that if they show their romantic side, then it means they’re weak. What they don’t realize is that romantic side is a indication that they’re in full control of their masculinity and know how to make their women happy. To me there’s nothing more masculine than a man that surprises his wife with a rose or just a simple, spine tingling kiss in public.

Romance can be found in so many ways. It just has to be explored, tested. If your relationship is lacking romance, then maybe you’re not trying hard enough. If your marriage has lost some of that honeymoon phase, then try a little romance. Light a candle at dinner, even with the kids at the table. Give him a look that says imagine we’re alone, he will get the message. Even a little note that simple says I Love You slipped in his lunch or wallet can spread a little romance his way.

I know I talk about romance a lot, but what can I say, I love romance. I guess that’s why I write romance. It’s a way I can spread romance to everyone who reads my work. Romance is a wonderfully, loving experience that everyone needs to have. So, as I always say, go out and spread a little romance.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

P.S.: Finding The Right Time made it to Barnes & Noble for preorder. Here’s the link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-the-right-time-stephanie-hurt/1118861344?ean=2940045730792

Character Interview…

Today I’m interviewing the main character from “Finding The Right Time”. She’s a journalist go getter that has a problem. I’ll be talking with her about the issues and how she plans to work through them.

SH: Good morning Lily!

LS: Good morning.

SH: Let’s get right to the problem at hand. The dreams you’ve had since childhood still haunt you. Have you had any luck finding out why those dreams are important?

LS: Actually, now that I’ve moved to Savannah the dreams have come to a head. The house in my dream is the house I’m renting now. Also, the man I’m renting from looks a lot like the man in my dream. 

SH: That’s interesting. I heard you speak of time travel. How does that come into play?

LS: Well, that put me in a tailspin. I’ve been drawn to the cemetery on the land. When I went to the cemetery, something strange came over me. I was transported to 1865 and to the man in my dreams. Rafe is a good man and he loves me.

SH: But aren’t you in love with Anthony, his great great grandson?

LS: (She smiles) Well, that’s part of the problem. It’s as though they are the same man, but I know that can’t be. I’m having a difficult time with this problem. It’s hard when you love two men with all your heart.

SH: That is definitely a problem. Do they know that you love them both?

LS: I’ve made Anthony aware of it, but Rafe refuses to talk about it. How can I be in love with two men from different times?

SH: That’s quite a quandry that you’re in. What’s your plan?

LS: I’m not sure at this point. I love Rafe dearly and also I love Anthony. They’re both wonderful men. I’m drawn to Rafe by unknown forces and that keeps me going back. I pray that I make a decision really soon. 

SH: Well, let’s hope the decision you make helps and you can make peace with it.

LS: Thanks. I do hope the same thing.

SH: Thanks for meeting with me today. 

LS: Thanks for writing me into your novel. I do hope all of your readers enjoy reading about what I do next. It could be a surprise and a pleasant ending or maybe not 🙂

 

I do hope you enjoyed this little interview. The story of Lily’s time travel romance is a many faceted thing. It’s a wonderful love story that brings things that are important to us to the forefront. It’s on preorder now on Smashwords. Check it out.

 

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Finding The Right Time is on Pre Order…

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The Pre Order is now officially up on Smashwords.com. It should be available on Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Apple iTunes in a couple of days. Here’s the link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/413534. Remember, it’s only .99 for preorder, but after the release on March 31st it will go up to $3.99. 

Here’s a excerpt for you to sink your teeth into:

As they neared the tree line she could make out a well-traveled pathway. It opened up as they entered it. The trees were gently swaying with the light breeze. She watched sunlight making its way between the branches. She noticed several large oak trees with moss hanging almost to the ground. She could smell the musty scent of the moss and old trees.

It was weird how comfortable she felt with Anthony. Any other time she would have been a little leery of walking in the woods alone with a stranger, but he didn’t feel like a stranger.

Then she started to see a clearing ahead. He turned to her and smiled. “It’s just ahead in the clearing. I think you will be surprised.” The excitement showed on his face.

As they neared the clearing she noticed a tall wrought iron entranceway. It was amazingly ornate and beautiful. The cemetery was large. It was graced with a huge old live oak in the center of the graves.

“My great-great grandfather planted that oak the day he buried his wife. It’s funny the similarities between you and her. Her name was Lilliana and he called her Lily. I didn’t mention it the other day because I didn’t think you’d be interested, but I can see you would.” He couldn’t help but stare at her. The resemblance was amazing.

She was in awe of the beauty of the place. It was so peaceful. The only sound was the wind whispering through the trees and the slight tinkling sound of a wind chime, but where was it coming from.

“I hear a wind chime. Where is it coming from?” She looked around the trees expecting to see it hanging somewhere among the sprawling limbs.

“It’s on a stand beside the head stone of my great-great grandmother. It’s been there for as long as I can remember. Uncle Thomas has rethreaded it several times. Of course with age it has dry-rotted several times, but it was the dying wish of her husband to keep the wind chimes blowing.” He watched her expression as she looked stunned.

“What’s on your mind? I can tell you are deep in thought.” He wondered what he’d said to affect her so.

“Your uncle said you believe in previous lives. Can I tell you something?” She was still looking at the old oak tree.

“I have some crazy thoughts I know, but I just always feel different from everyone around me. I guess that’s why I’m considered a recluse.” He laughed to himself. “What did you want to tell me?”

“I’ve always felt like I was an old soul. It’s weird but I feel like I’ve seen the house and yard before. You even look familiar to me, but I know I’ve never met you before the other day. Does that sound weird?” She finally chanced a glance at him. The sun was shining down on his dark hair and it glistened. She was struck again by the similarities in him and the man in her dreams.

 

Well, that’s just a little snippet. I’ll be posting little hints all of March. Also, keep watching for some giveaways. I’m also offering 5 ARC copies to the first 5 people that direct message me. This book has been a long work in progress and I’m really excited about it. The cover is the brain child of my cover designer and myself. I’ve had in my mind what I wanted since I typed the first word. It turned out to be an awesome cover that expressed the way I feel about this book and the characters.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Strange Things That Writers Do…

Ok, admit it, writers are a different breed. We think different from other people. Our thought processes are strung out amongst several things and stories. It’s amazing how many things a writer has going on in their head. We’re constantly thinking of the story in the works or the story not yet written.

Here are some of the strange things writers do:

1: Sleep with a pad and pencil beside the bed. You wake in the middle of the night with a story or character idea and you just have to get it on paper.

2: Google strange topics. When you’re writing there’s always that one topic that you’re not that familiar with and you have to google it. Let’s just say some of the things you google could get you watched by the powers that be. Think about some of the things you’ve googled lately. Yeah, those are the one’s. 

3: Someone tells you something that happened to them and you suddenly start taking notes. 

4: You’re watching the evening news and get a sudden urge to start a new story. Yep the top story just inspired you to write.

5: You have notes written on anything that you can find. I’ve used napkins, envelopes, corners of newspapers, whatever is available.

6: Stare off into space. Yep, the story is taking over your brain and you get lost in the thought.

7: A story unfolds in your brain as you sleep, you wake up and struggle to go back to sleep to see how the story ends.

8: You talk about your characters as if they’re real people. To a writer they are real.

That’s only eight, send me more. The list could go on forever. Writers are different and we’re alright with this.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

 

What’s your favorite romance genre?

Have you noticed the many varied genre’s in romance books lately? You can pretty much find a romance novel or novella that is about anything you want. Some of the categories are a little scary and some just go beyond your imagination or my imagination. 

In writing romance I go with things I love or I’m passionate about. Some romance writers lean more toward the mystery genre, some toward the erotic genre and others toward the suspenseful. Most of my writing as you know lean heavily in the cowboy romance side of it, a couple of them are Christian romance and one that’s coming out soon is a Time Travel but of course it has a cowboy 😉

Did you ever start searching for a book and had to look up a genre because you had no idea what it was? I’m raising my hand because I’ve had several that needed some investigation.I wasn’t sure what they were about. Of course some of those I have to look up I really wish I hadn’t even went there. But that’s just me.

So, everybody should be able to find a romance that fits their style. The possibilities are endless if you search, but beware of what you search for. You might find something that gives you nightmares or in the very least the shivers. 

What genre do you love the most?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Check out my new Christian Romance “Faith Through The Tears” the 2nd installment in the Lean On Him series.

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-faiththroughthetears-1425289-149.html

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/409456

Valentine’s Day – A Romance Author’s Favorite Day…

Today of all day’s is for romance. Maybe you don’t have a significant other, but you can still curl up with a good book of romance or a romantic movie. Romance is in the air as we start this day. Luckily here in Georgia the sun is shining and the ice is almost just a memory as it faded into the soaked ground.

As most of you know I love anything romance. I’m like an old soul with romance. I think it is needed in any relationship. I know, you’re saying that it’s not possible in some relationships, but it is. It could be the look in your eye for your lover, or maybe the little things you do to make things special. Maybe it’s a little note in their wallet or on their pillow that can just have your kiss on it to make them smile. Romance is such a simple thing that can so mystifying. 

I was drawn to romance as a teenager with my first romance novel and it’s been all uphill since then. I’ve always pined for that moment in a book when their hands touch and you just know it’s the real thing. I get so excited that I’ll sit up half the night reading to get to the end, hopefully a happy ending.

Today is an important day to bring in some romance. Go all out. Everyone has candles in their house. Light a few. Even if you have children, make it a family thing. The kids have to go to bed eventually. Send him a look across the table that promises romance to come. You have to make time each week for each other. It’s important to keep the romance and surprises going. It doesn’t cost anything to leave a cute note for them. So try it and let me know how it goes.

If you need to find a great romance novel, go to avonromance.com and you’ll find anything you need in romance novels. It’s a great site to shop from. 

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Faith Through The Tears in final stages!

As you know I’ve had several works in progress. One in particular is “Faith Through The Tears” which is the 2nd book in the Lean On Him Christian Romance Series. I’m in the final stages of it and getting really excited. If things go well, I look to have it up and run this weekend. It still has a couple of nudges and tweaks, but it’s going smoothly. 

It’s amazing when you get in the groove and everything just falls into place. Since the cover has been completed for months that makes the process much smoother. Now it’s down to those pesky little edits that plague every writer. But this one has been close to my heart so I look forward to the final read through before we hit publish.

Let me give you a little hint of what this book is all about. It’s a continuation of come of the characters from “With All My Heart”. It starts with Randy and Rachel’s love story and her battle with cancer. But it takes a sad turn and yes, it’s a box of tissues kind of book. I cried the whole time I wrote the first half of this book. It just tore at my heart. 

A couple of months ago I posted the first chapter on Avon Romance’s blog site and I received responses ranging from ‘you made me cry’ to ‘I’ve got to know how this comes out’. It’s so exciting when you can grab the reader with just an excerpt. 

This book has some surprises from the first book regarding Luke and Amanda. So many readers fell in love with their story of faith and love through the challenges. I’ve brought out some of their lives too. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with this one. It’s filled with tremendous faith and the challenges that life brings when you lose your soul mate. 

So, I hope everyone is staying warm and safe from the world’s crazy weather patterns. But for now it’s time to pick up the ledgers and get back to accounting. At least I’m in a beautiful environment with the snow covered back ground behind me. But bring on Spring!

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

As the fire crackles and the pines crack!

Here we go again, but this time it’s ice. I live in the south. For pity’s sake where did the southern weather go? As I sit at my dining room where I’ve set up my laptop so that I can work, I hear the crackling of the fire in the den. But behind me is a set of french doors that lead onto our back patio, from there you hear the snap, crackle, and pop of the pine trees that can’t hold the weight of the building ice. 

I did venture out earlier to grab some paperwork from my office and I could actually smell fresh pine. It’s like I was walking into a room with a pine air freshener. I love snow, but not ice. Ice is dangerous and usually cause massive power outages. Luckily at the moment we have power, but it’s flickered a couple of times. Even northerners have to say ice is different than snow to deal with. 

When we had snow a couple of weeks ago, people were still on the roads a little bit, but when you have ice it’s eerily quiet. Of course the cold has brought out the beautiful red birds. I love to watch them as they poke around for a bit of food. I’ve got to admit the ice on the trees is beautiful, but the danger still looms. I’m staying inside for now and hoping for the best.

As for my writing, I made some large headway last night on finishing up “Faith Through The Tears”. I actually powered through almost 5000 words as the story unfolded in my head. I’m so excited about this installment to the “Lean On Him” Christian Series. Of course I’m working steadily on my other works in progress. It’s fun to be a writer and get to live in so many different worlds with my characters. One moment I’m in a small town and the next I’m on a horse ranch or maybe I’m on a beach in Savannah. I get to experience so much diversity through my characters and they become a part of me. It’s an awe inspiring experience.

I do hope that all of you are warm and safe. Also a shout out to my friends across the pond as you’re experiencing really scary winds. I send my prayers for everyone to stay safe. Bundle up with a good book and ride out the storm in another world. As for me, as long as I have power I’ll be working on accounting, but if the power goes out I have several books and plenty of paper. The work will go on by candle light which could bring on a whole new inspiration. 

As always, good writing and may God Bless You and keep you safe…

Looking back at old posts…

I’ve been blogging for almost two years. It’s been such a wild ride. This weekend I was going back through some of my more popular posts. This is one from my CreateSpace blog. If you didn’t know this I have several blogs going. What can I say, I like to multi-task…

First things First. You write the romance novel.

Posted by SHurt on Aug 6, 2012 1:41:24 PM

Well, I have been writing stories for as long as I can remember. The storylines came easily to me. That was the easy part. The

hard part was putting it on paper.

I could always see the story from start to finish, but it was the in between that got complicated. I decided to go old school. I sat down

one day and made an outline of the story in my head. The outline ended up having 18 sections. SO, that was my story in a condensed

version.

I took the outline to the computer and started. I used each section of the outline to fill in my story. I would expand the section until it

filled a chapter, sometimes two. Before I knew it, two months later, I had a completed manuscript.

I looked at the manuscript in awe. I had finally done it. I had completed a whole story from beginning to end. Now what! ON my next blog I

will continue the story.

 

Get to writing. It can be very stress relieving.

 

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…