Thursday Throwback… My 1st published book…

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been publishing books since 2012. Ten years! To say it’s been an experience is just the tip of sword. This has been the best, most rewarding experience. I’ve enjoyed meeting so many people through this journey. And some of those were authors I admired, which has been an absolute thrill.

My first published book was Ghost Lover. This book started when I was a teenager, but was put in a drawer for over many years. When my niece found all of my stashed manuscripts and wanted to read them, I was like, ‘sure, why not’. But after three days, she came to me with a plan. I was skeptical, but now I’m glad I took the leap. Ghost Lover became my first bestseller.

Here are the many covers over the years that have graced Ghost Lover… The changes have been many, but the story has stayed the same. It’s one of my favorites and I’ll never forget the feeling I had as a teenager when I first penned the words that became the book. And when I say penned, I mean, pen and paper.

The first Ghost Lover cover… Let’s say I’ve learned a lot about cover design since this one!

Cover 2 was quite exciting. I received a lot of response when this new cover was revealed.

And this cover was born after I revised the first edition. Many changes, but still the heart of Ghost Lover remained…

The current cover. Let’s see who haunts your dreams…

If you haven’t read Ghost Lover, then give it a try. This book will take you on an emotional roller coaster. Enjoy! https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Lover-Revised-Stephanie-Hurt-ebook/dp/B00NDI5AYW

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

A little Thursday Throwback…

As writers, sometimes we forget about our back titles. Well, we don’t exactly forget about them, but sometimes we push them aside for our newer titles. I was cleaning out some files and was thrown back to when I first started publishing my work in 2012. It was an amazing time as well as stressful. But those older titles are what got me to this point. They are not as polished as my newer books, but they are where I started.

So, with that being said, I want to throw it back to my first published book. It was reworked several years ago, but it still holds a place in my heart. Also, it came from a story that I started way back when I was a teenager.

Let me reintroduce you to Ghost Lover.

The dying words of Jess’s mother are for her to find the love of her life. But with an overbearing father, will she have that chance? When he gives her a horse and riding lessons for her 21st birthday, her life changes. Is the cowboy behind the Black Stetson her soul mate? When her father’s partner decides to stake claim on her, who will win the fight? Suspense, tragedy, romance and a stranger in the shadows lead to a dramatic final showdown in Ghost Lover…

And then there’s the letter!

There have been a couple of covers for this one. Let’s go from first to current…

I love the newest cover. If you’re interested in falling in love with their story, then drop by amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Lover-Revised-Stephanie-Hurt-ebook/dp/B00NDI5AYW

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Throwback Thursday…

A Love Never Lost front cover

It’s Thursday, so almost the weekend. We’ve got this people! Only today and tomorrow, then the weekend… I think I can… I think I can…

I’m throwing it back to 2012 with this book that took us on a journey of romance, suspense and that good feeling of HEA. This book was very draining on me as it took such a toll on my senses. This story starts out just as any romance novel, girl knows boy, boy realizes he cares, yada…yada…yada, but then… well, you have to read it to find out what changes the situation.

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Never-Lost-Stephanie-Hurt-ebook/dp/B009IQ0LQ0

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Throwback Thursday…

Moonbeam & Roses New Cover

Good Thursday morning! It’s almost the weekend, so take a breath, you’ve almost made it. First off today, if you have your print books through CreateSpace, well, start looking for them to show up on Walmart.com. It’s amazing to see my books showing up there. Another one of my writing goals met.

Now, on to my Throwback Thursday! Moonbeam and Roses was one of the first books I published and it made me ugly cry while I was writing it. This is one of the stories that pulled at my heart strings for more than a few reasons. I’ve received so many great responses for this book.

If you haven’t checked out Moonbeam and Roses, then I suggest grabbing a copy for the weekend. Here’s a little tidbit for you to savor:

As Wes came up behind her, she suddenly felt different. Her heart was fluttering wildly. It had to be the beauty of the night sky and the scent of the honeysuckle vines growing along the fence outside the barn. He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it affectionately. “What’s on your mind? You have been unusually quiet tonight.” She turned and smiled up at him. “I guess my mind is on this beautiful night. The stars are so bright.” She leaned her head against his chest, thinking how nice it was to be here with him. She looked up into his dark eyes. He was devastatingly handsome, with his dark hair and rugged face, not to mention the black Stetson. He was definitely a cowboy to the bone.

Wes was also studying her face. She was a beautiful young woman. Her blonde hair was just past her shoulders. The moonlight reflected off it like moonbeams. She had hazel eyes so gentle; a man could drown in their depths. For the first time, he was focusing on her like a man for a woman, not just a friend. He looked deep into her eyes. Slowly he lowered his mouth to hers and gently kissed her lips, careful not to linger for fear of losing control. When he lifted his head, she was smiling. “That was nice, but what did I do to deserve that?”

He laughed and hugged her close. “That was for being my friend and listening to my problems. I need to talk to you. Let’s walk down to the house, I need a drink.” He took her hand and they walked to his house. What was up with him? Serious was not one of his common emotions. When they were settled on his couch with waters in hand, he turned to face her.

“I have some news.” He paused to take a drink before he continued. “I received a call last night regarding a job in Montana. It is a great opportunity for me. I will be training horses for a large ranch. They will supply me with a house and stables for my horses.” He watched for any emotion on her part. “Sara, I told them I would take the job. I will leave in two days.”

It’s funny how much my writing style has changed in the last four years. But this is still one of my favorites. https://www.amazon.com/Moonbeam-Roses-Stephanie-Hurt-ebook/dp/B008JGSORS

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Throwback Thursday! Tender Flames…

Tender Flames revised cover

It’s hard to believe this book came out in May 2012. Wow, times flies when you’re having fun. Since this release so much has happened in my writing career. I’ve been featured in Southern Writers Magazine multiple times, I’ve published over 20 books, I made it to the top 55 in the 2015 Harlequin So You Think You Can Write contest, and this year I signed a publishing contract with Solstice Publishing. It’s been such an amazing ride.

Tender Flames is the 2nd book I published and the first one to make me ugly cry while I was writing it. I actually had to stop and compose myself so that I could finish one part. This book will take you on a roller coaster of emotions, from laughter, grief, excitement, anger and so on. I revised it last year and reinvented the cover, which by the way I love. I’ve had a lot of response from this book, which makes me smile.

Get your copy of Tender Flames and start the journey of the love triangle that will leave you smiling… https://www.amazon.com/Tender-Flames-Revised-Love-Book-ebook/dp/B0084USOE2

Book Trailer:

Hope you enjoyed the trailer!

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

TBT – Moonbeam & Roses

Moonbeam & Roses New Cover

Moonbeam & Roses came out in July 2012! So I’m throwing back four years… This book pulled at my heart strings. It includes romance, drama, and healing of the spirit all in one book. As I wrote this book, I wondered how I would take the traumatic injuries that the heroine had.

Here’s a little excerpt to give you an insight into Moonbeam & Roses:

As Wes came up behind her, she suddenly felt different. Her heart was suddenly fluttering wildly. It had to be the beauty of the night sky and the scent of the honeysuckle vines growing along the fence outside the barn. He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it affectionately. “What’s on your mind? You have been unusually quiet tonight.” She turned and smiled up at him. “I guess my mind is on this beautiful night. The stars are so bright.” She leaned her head against his chest, thinking how nice it was to be here with him. She looked up into his dark eyes. He was devastatingly handsome, with his dark hair and rugged face, not to mention the black Stetson. He was definitely a cowboy to the bone.

Wes was also studying her face. She was a beautiful young woman. Her blonde hair was just past her shoulders. The moonlight reflected off it like moonbeams. She had hazel eyes so gentle; a man could drown in their depths. For the first time he was focusing on her like a man for a woman, not just a friend. He looked deep into her eyes. Slowly he lowered his mouth to hers and gently kissed her lips, careful not to linger for fear of losing control. When he lifted his head, she was smiling. “That was nice, but what did I do to deserve that?”

For those of you that read my current work, my writing style has changed some, but the feelings behind the words are the same. If you haven’t read this one, then check it out. It’s available on most ebook and paperback sites.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Don’t forget about the fun giveaway I’m running…It’s in my posts…

Fascination

Fascination, now that’s an interesting word. It means, the power to fascinate someone; the quality of being fascinating. What fascinates you? For me there are many things, like people, they fascinate me. I love to sit and watch people engaged in conversation. The facial expression, the way the get animated telling a story. It’s amazing, the different things you see in their eyes.

Actors, they fascinate me how they weave a story from memory. But it’s not only the memory part, many people can memorize words, but they can’t show you the words. Actors show you the words in their actions, reactions, and expressions.

Words fascinate me. Amazing, huh, since I’m an author. But seriously, the power of words is vast and complex. As a writer, we can create a life that’s not real, but for us a we write it, we can bring a character to life, give them feelings, expressions, features, all with just words. Then we can bring them to our readers and carry them away to other worlds, countries, or times. Amazing, the power of words.

Life is fascinating. Look at the stages of life. We start out helpless babies, then grow into children, teenagers, young adults, middle-age adults, then as we grow past senior adults, we sometimes become helpless again, back to where we started. We’re given a short amount of time of this Earth and it goes by in the blink of an eye, but how do we make our mark, leave our legacy. Deep stuff!

Ok, now to yesterday’s contest, if you follow me on Twitter and Facebook, then you know I didn’t make it, but I’m not sad or upset. It’s part of the process we call writing. What fascinates some people is the fact that I’m not upset. But that’s not me, I move forward, not backward. So, on with other contests, other submissions, and other publishing.

Since it’s Thursday, I’ll give you some Throwback Thursday. This is one of the books that the research fascinated me. Reincarnation, dreams, and finding the right time all mixed into one book that filled my thoughts for months before I wrote it.

Here’s a little excerpt:

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?”

Finding the Right Time

Finding the Right Time front cover

Throwback Thursday Cowboy!

Ghost Lover Advertising

This is the cowboy that started it all, my writing career that is. It’s hard to believe how long it’s been since Ghost Lover was published. 2012 was an exciting year, I took the leap into publishing my writing.

Let’s take a look at the book that led me down this wonderful road as an author.

Ghost Lover letter

I know, this was a sneaky thing to do, but this is one of my many favorite parts of this book. The letter that took them to a whole new world. Go by and check out Ghost Lover. I know you’ll fall in love with the love story of Jessie and Jared, I did!

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Let’s do a little Throwback Thursday!

Good morning! It’s Thursday, which means it’s almost Friday. Today is the final day for 2014 tax returns to be filed, so you know how my day will go, pants on fire, yep…

Let’s go back to May 2012! I published Tender Flames, a sweet romance. It actually met with reader approval and some disapproval. As I’ve done with some of my earlier publishings I’ve revised this book and made it better. My writing has changed drastically from the early days. With that said, let me give you a look at the new cover.

If you’ve read Tender Flames, then you totally get this cover, if not, then I hope you’ll grab a copy. This romance is a love triangle that pulls you in and takes you on a ride. I love this story for the unique quality of the romance that has grown from childhood for the main characters and yes I mean the three in the triangle. That’s what makes it special.

http://www.amazon.com/Tender-Flames-Revised-Love-Book-ebook/dp/B0084USOE2/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

As always, good writing and May God Bless You!

P.S. Still waiting on the results for the Harlequin SYTYCW15 contest. Keep those fingers crossed.

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…