Not a cowboy in sight…

Well my pirate romance is coming along nicely. I’m actually enjoying it immensely. Since pirate romance novels were my favorite when I was younger it’s like going back in time. I have suspense mingled in with romance and a lot of sea air. I want the reader to feel as though they’re on the ship.

Captain Caleb Tanner is not like most pirates. He’s got morals and does things for others. But he’s been dubbed as a pirate and he’s alright with that. The first time he sets eyes on Serena Wilimgton, he’s smitten and wants to know more. He’s a great reader of people and he sees something is not totally right with things.

Serena Wilmington loves the sea and everything that goes with it. When her mother dies suddenly, leaving her dying wish for Serena to leave quickly from her childhood home to stay safe, she goes where her heart leads her. The only thing is her heart has led her to stowaway on Caleb’s ship. It gets crazy when she boards a pirate ship as a boy, but Caleb figures her out. Just wait till you see how it goes. It definitely doesn’t go as Serena thinks.

I will be doing a cover reveal soon. It’s still in the works, but the bones are there. The book is coming along quickly. I did well over 5000 words this weekend.

So, do you like pirate romance?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Monday morning question…

I’ve been throwing around the idea of writing a Pirate romance, but I had been wondering if it was a good idea. Of course as you know I don’t go with the flow, but I didn’t want to just be left out in the dark. I started to check out current Pirate romances and noticed that not many exist in current writing.

I received my Romance Writers of America magazine this weekend and was reading an article from several editors and agents. A couple of the agents were telling what they’d like to see less of and more of in the future. Guess what? They wanted to bring back the Pirate romance. I did a little happy dance and started my outline and cover details as soon as I finished the article.

When I was young the craze was Pirate romance. I still have a box full of great ones. I’m excited about getting it started really soon. I made sure the outline was very detailed so that it stays fresh in my mind. But as most of you know, I can’t just work on one manuscript at the time. I also want to assure the fans that are eagerly and impatiently ( 😉 ) waiting on Emma Rose that it’s still in the works.

So, what are you writing this week and have you ever read a Pirate romance?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Summertime writing inspiration!

Does this picture inspire you? It inspires me. I could go in so many directions with this one picture. Since it’s alread hot and balmy here in Georgia and it’s only 10:30 in the morning, this mostly inspires me to run across and jump off the end into the cool, blue water.

For some reason when the seasons start to change I get inspired. The changes always give me a little food for thought. I love the way God just makes things happen and the beauty that abounds around us. It’s breathtaking. Even in the hottest summer days it is breathtaking.

Does a good summer storm exhilerate you? Maybe it’s just a me thing, but I feel exhilerated as I watch the thunderheads loom in the distance and the lightning flashing through them like tiny explosions. I sit on my porch or back deck and watch from a safe distance. Hey I do have some sense enough to get out of the storm. The air always feel electric and exciting. As the storm nears you feel the deep vibrations of the thunder rumbling. Then the first pitter patter of tiny rain drops that turn into big drops. Oh, the fun of a summer evening storm. They come and go quickly, but the power is evident.

Maybe it’s the excitement that inspires me to write. What inspires you? Do the seasons give you reason to write?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Monday Morning Coffee…

Good morning! I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. My weekend was great and I got a lot done. I cleaned my house Saturday morning and then grabbed my laptop and headed for the back deck. I recently purchased a large dark green market umbrella for my table, so I opened it and sat down to work. I was able to get in a couple of thousand words which is great.

Writing outside is so awesome. I enjoyed the slight breeze that was blowing and the sunshine all around me. The birds were singing happily in the trees and I was playing one of my writing playlists on the computer. Of course I had my new puppy outside with me. She was running everywhere and biting my toes, but I still managed to get in a lot of work.

As most of you know I have several books in the works. This weekend I worked on Emma Rose which is the 2nd book in the Women of Magnolia Hill Saga. It’s crazy how you get into a piece of writing and then you’re taken away on the adventure. I enjoy this series so much because I love history. It’s fun to write about the history of the great state of Georgia.

As for today, I’ll be back to the office. I do need to work on my other job some. My accounting clients don’t like it when I don’t keep up their work. Some days it’s hard not to pull up a manuscript and write. Since all of it is on the same laptop the books are always there taunting me. Most days I can be strong, but Mondays make it hard. Maybe I need another cup of coffee before heading out to the office. Yeah, I think that’s what I’ll do. I hope everyone is having a great Monday so far. So I’m off to refill my mug and then back to the real world.

As always, good writing and may God Bless You…

Lost in my characters

Have you ever lost yourself in your characters? I think all writers do at one time or another. What’s crazy is I was talking with someone the other day and started to tell them something that happened to a friend and then I realized it had happened to a character in my book. I just shut my mouth and decided to get my head on straight before I talked again. Maybe that’s why most writer’s choose the life of a recluse.

Sometimes when I’m writing I get so lost in my characters world that I have to readjust to my own life. It’s a fact that you have to get into your characters head in order to write a believeable character. If you don’t get involved with the character how can you even begin to tell their story. it would be like writing about someone you’ve never met or seen. It’s almost impossible.

For me I like to write a character bio on all the main characters. That way everytime they do something new, then I write it down so that my characters stay true to form. This helps when writing a series where the characters appear in several books. Oh and for goodness sakes make sure you note ages and names. That’s so embarassing when your editor asks who the new character is midway of the book and you realize you accidentally changed their name. Yep, been there done that.

Lately I’ve been lost in the 1800’s while writing Emma Rose. I’m really excited about this new installment in the Women Of Magnolia Hill Saga. But I do have to make sure I keep up with the times that I’m writing in. Emma Rose has taken over my brain, so I need to get back to her story. I’ll be revealing the cover really soon.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Throwback Thursday – A Love Never Lost

It’s Thursday and time for another look back. As a writer I have several books that are my favs, but this book held a special place. It’s such a sweet romance and with a thrown in suspenseful element it takes you to a different place. As I wrote this romance I could see the ranch as if I was walking with the characters.

Some of the parts of this book were pulled from true life events, but I’ll just let you play with that comment. This cover was phenomenal in it’s design. I was so pleased when it was finished.

Everyone wants someone to love, but when it happens to be someone you’ve known all your life, things get interesting. Then throw in another man who wants the same woman, well you have fireworks that spark a firestorm. Yep, this one has some surprises in it.

Here’s a little excerpt from A Love Never Lost:

She slowly turned in his arms. She heard his sudden intake of breath. She looked up into his eyes and saw what she had feared. He was feeling the same thing as her. His eyes were dark with desire. She had to get a grip, but that was past reasoning.

He looked down into her eyes. It was as though this moment was made for them. They were the only two people on earth. He ran his hands slowly up her arms and framed her face with his hands. He was holding his breath. He finally took in a cleansing breath.

He knew he had to kiss her. If he didn’t he would surely explode. He slowly lowered his lips to hers. She realized what was about to happen. This was wrong somehow this had to be wrong.

She pulled her head back and turned back toward the window. He just stood there. He was unable to move. He wanted to kiss her so badly. His whole body was vibrating with desire for her.

He turned her back toward him. She kept her eyes focused on his boots. He reached out and lifted her chin so that she was looking at him. He could see desire and confusion in her eyes.

“What’s happening here?” He asked the question, but he knew the answer.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s the circumstances.” She tried to pull away but he held her steady. He leaned his forehead toward hers. They stood there for a moment just trying to breath.

She put her hand on his chest. She could feel his heart beating wildly. She knew that he wanted to kiss her. She was so afraid that things would never be the same for them if they kissed. Her heart told her that it would never be the same if they did not kiss.

This book can be found at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Kobo, Apple iTunes, Diesel, Oyster, Smashwords, CreateSpace and many others.

Also, go over and check out the video trailer at Youtube. Just search Stephanie Hurt and look for my picture. All of my book trailers will be listed.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Throwback Thursday – Tender Flames

Well, another one of my books has turned two this week. Tender Flames turned two on Monday. Wow, time flies when you’re having a blast. I always knew that writing was fun and rewarding, but the last two years have really proven this as fact.

Tender Flames was a challenge to me. I pitted two brothers against one another and made it work. I cried and laughed while writing this one. But as with Ghost Lover it is under reconstruction. I’ve learned so much in the last two years and I want to make this book even better with new angles. Even the cover will be remade even though I dearly love the original, everything needs a face lift from time to time.

Here’s a little snippet from Tender Flames:

They walked hand in hand back to the party. They were both deep in thought. She was thinking about how her family would react and how Wes would. Zach knew his family would be happy, well almost his whole family. He knew it was mean of him to want to hurt his brother, but his brother was a fool for not snatching her up long ago.

They arrived back at the party. Randy ran over, “Hey sis, everyone wondered where you two had wondered off to. Judging by the look on your face I know what you were doing.” He grinned as he pulled his sisters hair. She blushed.

Zach led her to the front of the dance floor. He whistled for the music to stop. Everyone turned to see what Zach had to say. “I have some wonderful news. I have asked Sara to be my wife, and she has accepted. We are to be wed before my leave is up.” There was a stunned silence then everyone whooped and yelled. There were a lot of handshakes and pats on the back for Zach and hugs for Sara. Her parents were stunned at first, then relieved. They had always hoped she would marry one of the Dawson boys. The same went for his parents, they were thrilled. His mother had even cried.

Wes walked up and leaned over Sara. He whispered in her ear. “I hope you know what you are doing?” He then gave her a hug that was tight enough to press the air from her lungs. The look he gave her was full of something she did not recognize. She knew then that he cared more for her than she realized. She was suddenly angry with him. It served him right. He should have let her know a long time ago. She did not plan on waiting on him the rest of her life.

He gave his brother a hug and said in his ear. “Brother, she had better not be pregnant. You had better make her happy.” He gave him a look that dared him to go against what he said. With that he had left with his girlfriend.

Zach had noticed his brother’s reaction too. He was sorry for the hurt he had seen in his eyes, but he loved Sara. He would make her a good husband. Maybe one day she would learn to love him, but for now he was satisfied that she would be his wife. He knew deep down that there would always be a large part of her that belonged to Wes. He could live with that, he just hoped that she could.

He turned to her and gave her a big kiss, which brought a lot of whistling and applauding. They danced together for the remainder of the evening. Sara was still a little shocked by the show of emotions on Wes’ face. She knew now that he loved her, but she had committed herself to his brother. She would not back out now and hurt Zach. In a way, she did love him, but she would never love him the way she did Wes. She would make him a good wife.

This is from the original manuscript. Since the rewrite is already in process this scene will read differently but the emotion will be there.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Cover Reveal – The WInner Takes All

Every book needs a great cover and when you have an awesome cover designer it makes things go smoothly. I just love this new cover. This book has been a long time in the making. I had to step away from it for a little bit. Sometimes we writers have to do that. But now I’m into the editing and so glad to be almost finished. I love this series.

This cover took alot of thought. What’s funny is it started out totally different and by the time we were finished it was this gorgeous concoction. The original cover was very vibrant, but my designer decided on using these subtles hues of beige, gray and white, which to me looks totally awesome.

Here’s an excerpt to give you a little tease:

The next morning it was rainy and dreary outside. She woke up in a bad mood, which was unusual for her. When she arrived at the office, Abigail had her a cup of coffee on her desk as soon as she saw her face.

“Stacy, what’s wrong? You look like you didn’t sleep well.” She looked a little concerned. She’d never seen her like this.

“I went to bed with a bad headache and it seems to have woken up with me.” As she reached for the coffee her engagement ring twinkled back at her. She smiled through the pain.

“Let me see that gorgeous ring. I heard about the engagement. Congratulations.” She looked at the ring and smiled. “That’s quite a stunning ring. You’re a lucky woman.”

“Thanks Abigail. I am a lucky woman with a lot of hard decisions.” She sat down and sighed.

“Alright, what’s up?” Abigail sat down in the chair on the other side of the desk.

“Guess when he wants to get married?” She propped her head in her hands.

“In June?” She said quietly.

“Oh, June I could work with. He wants to get married on Valentine’s Day.” She looked at Abigail and made a face.

“This Valentine’s Day?” Abigail’s eyes became huge with surprise.

“The very one.”

“No wonder you have a headache. I guess he’s not a patient man.” She grinned and gave her a wink.

“Well, that’s not very long to plan a wedding and it’s about to get really busy around here.” She sat back and sighed heavily. “What are you going to do?”

“I guess I’m going to attempt to put a wedding together in six weeks.” She looked up again. “That’s not the only decision that has to be made.”

“Let me guess, where are you two going to live?”

“Abigail, why does life have to be like this? Here I am with a dream come true groom to be and now I have to decide so much in a short time.”

“Honey, that’s life. I’m sorry you have to go through that part, but I’m happy you found a good man.” She gave her hand a pat. “You have a client coming in at ten.”

As I said, it’s in the editing department of Horseshoe Publishing, so it should be ready really soon. I’m excited to have it completed and ready to go. It’s crazy how relieved I always feel to have the cover completed. The editing is a process that excites me, but the cover is always so pivotal for the book that sometimes this part of the process is so stressful.

Horseshoe Publishing is so happy to have such a great designer. If your book needs a cover and you’re struggling, give us a shout and we’ll help you out. We’re reasonable and ready to help you today…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Ghost Lover is two today…

I guess you could call this a throwback thursday post. Today my first published novel turns two. It’s hard to believe that it’s been two whole years. Some days it seems like it was only yesterday. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Ghost Lover is under a face lift right now. The cover and manuscript are being worked on even as I type this post.

Since this was my first book it needs a little work. I’ve learned a lot in the last two years and I want to bring that knowledge to this first book. As for the cover, I dearly love the cover on the current book, but as it will be a fresh remake it needs a new look. Of course when I first published this book it had another cover. Let’s just say the first two covers that I designed were, well newbie. My cover designer finally took over the mouse and pushed me out of the seat shaking her head. That’s when she designed the cowboy in the sunset cover.

Here’s a little excerpt from the original Ghost Lover:

She walked into the stables and leaned on a post just inside the doors. She sniffed the air for a hint of the scent she had smelt earlier. It was not long before the scent went by her nose. She stood very still and let the wind direction lead her nose. She could tell it was coming from the back of the stable around the door that led to the back field.

Her eyes had gotten accustomed to the darkness. She searched the shadows for any sign of movement. She was holding her breath. What could it be? Suddenly there was slow movement in one corner. She put her hand up to her mouth. Her feet were rooted to the floor. Was she in danger? But she felt perfectly safe.

A shape formed out of the shadows. It was a man in a cowboy hat. She could not see his face only the dark shape. Was this an illusion or ghost? She was drawn to the shadow by some unknown feeling.

“Who are you and why are you here? Do I know you?”

“You know me, but he won’t let you remember me.” The voice was low and haunting.

“Should I be afraid of you?” She suddenly realized that she should be afraid but she could not move.

“I would never harm you.” He slowly moved closer but still in the shadows.

“Why are you here in the shadows? Why don’t you come into the moonlight so that I can see you?” She noticed he lowered his head and then looked back toward her.

“I do not want you to see me this way. I want you to remember me before you look upon my face.”

“What is wrong? Have you been injured in some way?” Her heart went out to him.

“Yes, I was burned in an accident. I want you to remember what we had before you see me.”

“What was our relationship?” Her heart was racing. She thought it would come out of her chest it was beating so hard.

“You will remember it. I do not want to rush your memories. When you remember, you will know me.” Why did she want to reach out to this person so much?

“Were we friends?” Could this be the man in her dreams that she could not see his face? Had he been scarred when she knew him before her accident?

“Yes, we were very close. I know you have me locked in your memory and it will come out.” He reached his hand out of the shadows and stroked her face. His touch set off an electrical charge through her veins.

“Are you a ghost?” He laughed softly and the sound set her mind reeling.

“What do you think?” She tried to see him through the shadows, but could not see his face.

“I think you are the man that has haunted my dreams since I lost my memory.”

“How do you feel about me in your dreams?” He was slowly moving closer.

“I feel confused because I can’t see your face and remember who you are?” She reached her hand up to try to touch his face, but he gently grabbed her hand and put it to his heart. She could feel it beating wildly.

“Can you feel my heart beating? You are what keeps my heart beating.”

He looked up suddenly and pulled her into the shadows. She gasped, not out of fear, but surprise.

“Someone is coming, but I need you to promise me that you will keep Thomas at arm’s length. He is a danger to you.”

“What kind of danger? He said he is my husband.” She could hear the footsteps getting closer.

“Just trust me; he is not your husband.” He put his hands on both sides of her face and kissed her so gently that she almost lost her footing. “Don’t tell him about me. I will be here waiting for you tomorrow night at midnight.” He slowly went back into the shadows. She could hardly catch her breath.

I hope you enjoyed that little snippet of a pivotal part of this cowboy romance. I loved writing it and it’s as though my baby is growing up, so we need to changed it’s clothes and make it better. Thanks to my wonderful fans for making it a popular book.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

The Winner Takes All

One of my earlier books was “The Winner Is Love”. It was my first Christmas Romance published. I got into this book way deeper than I thought I would. Funny thing is, it started out as a stand alone, but a I neared the end, I just knew it couldn’t stop there. The story needed to go on and some of the leading characters needed to have a voice too. Did I just give away something? Oh well.

The 2nd book is “The Winner Takes All”. It continues the love story of Stacy and Slade. But this one takes an interesting twist that will make you wonder up until the ending. I’m really excited about the turns this story is taking. This is one reason this book has been a long time coming.

When you have a story pop into your head you never know how many turns it might take before publication. This story was so obvious in my mind, but guess what, the characters decided to take over and make it their own. If you’re not a writer you probably think that last statement was a little nutsy, but as a writer you’d know exactly where I’m headed with it. Characters have a tendancy to want to speak up and tell their story too.

Let’s just say, I’m hoping the many fans I gained with the first installment will follow with this one. Many of my devoted Cowboy Romance fans were surprised that no cowboys showed up during this series. Believe me when I say it’s hard not to put a cowboy, ranch or horse in my work. This book has a different feel from my normal writing. Check out book one before book two comes out.

It’s looking like it will be a May release. The first book is available in several formats including ebook, paperback and audiobook. By the way it’s my bestselling audiobook to date. My audiobooks have been such a refreshing surprise.

Here’s a little unedited sneek peek of “The Winner Is Love”:

This had to be the most romantic proposal ever. He’d really outdone himself. She was still in awe of everything he’d done.

Then all of a sudden the door burst open and Andrew came in with the crew. “Great, are you two ready for this?” He asked as he came around to where they were standing in front of the tree.

“Let’s get this over with Andrew.” Slade walked over and put a log on the fire.

Suddenly the floor seemed to fall out from under Stacy. Wait a minute, was this done for publicity? Did he ask her to marry him just to get a story? She turned to look at Slade. He was suddenly being aloof.

Andrew came over and reached out for her hand. “Now that’s a beautiful ring. Congratulations by the way.” He then walked over and shook Slade’s hand. “Great job man.”

Slade smiled and winked at her. “Well when I see something I want I go after it.”

Her mouth dropped open and all she could do was stare at them. “Was this whole thing a publicity stunt for you two?”

Slade paled and walked quickly over to her. He put his hand on her arm and pulled her away from the crew. “No Stacy. I meant every word.” He could see she was getting upset. “I told Andrew to keep the crew away until after I proposed. I thought that part should be just us and not the whole world.”

Her heart told her he was being truthful, but something wasn’t right. She turned back and saw Andrew waiting for them. “Let me guess, we’re on a time schedule.”

Andrew walked over and put his arm around her shoulders. “Stacy, I know how this must look, but Slade’s telling you the truth.”

She turned to Slade. “I’m sorry. It just threw me when the crew came in.”

They took their places in front of the tree. The news anchor came in to do the interview. It went fairly fast. When it was over everyone started packing up the equipment. She sat down on the hearth and stared into the fire. Her heart was racing. Everything was happening really fast.

Slade walked over and sat down beside her. He knew she was not used to this kind of life. He put his arms around her and kissed her shoulder. “What’s on that beautiful mind of yours?”

“I was just thinking how fast everything is going with us. We’ve only known each other for a little over a month.” She looked up from the fire and met his blue eyes. He was devastatingly handsome. She was a lucky woman. Two months ago she would never have imagined that she’d be engaged to Slade Collins.

When the crew left they all said their congratulations and shut the door. Andrew turned to them and grinned. “Ok, we’re leaving you two alone. Have a great Christmas Eve?”

I will be posting a sneek peek of the cover really soon. By the way it’s already in the works and almost complete. I love it and it really makes a statement. I do hope you guys have a wonderful Friday.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

P.S.: Here’s a couple of links to “The Winner Is Love”

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-winner-is-love-stephanie-payne-hurt/1113881708

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/260085

http://www.amazon.com/Winner-Love-Stephanie-Payne-Hurt/dp/1481133772 (Paperback)

http://www.amazon.com/The-Winner-Is-Love/dp/B00EECEEWK (Audiobook)

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-winner-is-love

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-winner-is-love/id585945263?mt=11