As my finger hovered…

Well, it’s a little warmer this morning here in the south, but not by much. The trees outside are beginning to turn slightly, some a little more, which tells me my favorite time of year is upon us. I love the Fall.

But on to the post. Last night I did something that quite frankly scared me to death. No, I didn’t go to a haunted house, not one for those at all! I waited patiently, not exactly patiently, but somewhat, for the final notifications to stream in on the Top 25 for the SYTYCW15 contest. Deep down I knew my name wasn’t on the list, but I had to know for sure before I made a life changing decision. Let me just say this, I was so honored and totally humbled to have made the Top 55 among so many great authors, it was a little overwhelming if I’m to be totally honest.

So as I sat last night, playing with the decision at hand, I took a deep breath and jumped. Yes, I hit submit on Tuscany, meaning it’s in Harlequin’s hands now. To what end, I’m not sure, but we’ll just have to see. This book was totally different from my other ones, it was like a part of my soul went with it last night. Was this the right decision? I think so.

Recently I was on a discussion on Twitter with a couple of Harlequin editors and I asked about this type of book. Would it be something that they’d look at? Immediately a couple of them tagged other editors with Harlequin, stating it was what they were currently looking for. That intrigued me enough to hit the submit button last night.

As for Tuscany’s presence on Wattpad, I don’t know. I’ll probably pull it soon, but for now I’ll leave it there. I’ve received a couple of really great reviews. One said simply, but powerfully, “SWOON!”. This made me smile because I almost swooned as I typed the last paragraph of this book and if you have read it then you know why. Then this morning I received another review stating and I quote, “Wow! One of the best books I’ve ever read on Wattpad or anywhere else for that matter!!” With wonderful reviews like that, I just have this feeling. It’s the feeling I had the first time I hit the submit on Ghost Lover, my first published book. And I’ve never regretted that move, not even once 😉

So, with that said, I’ll keep you updated on what’s happening, but I know it will be a while before I hear anything, if I hear at all.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

One Last Push for Tuscany

https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/48304085-tuscany-sytycw15 Vote for Pitch Part One!!!

Alright, I’m sending out one last push for Tuscany then I’ll be silent and wait. It’s been a long week of promoting, promoting, and more promoting… One thing can be said, I gave it my best and that’s all I can do. Since a Harlequin Editor said she liked the premise of Tuscany, if I don’t make it to the top 25, which I’m hanging on the edge, I’ll be sending it to Harlequin. Why not?

One sweet lady read it on Wattpad and her comment of the last paragraph of the book was ‘Swoon!’. That made me smile. This book was totally different from any of the books I’ve written before. I’m totally pleased with the outcome and plan to push it forward.

So, how is everyone out there in the world today? Hope it’s going well for all of you.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Let’s get to know Lana…

Good Friday morning! It’s been a spectacular week, hope it has for you too! If you haven’t read any of my latest posts, I’m in the running to win a writing contract with Harlequin, yes, you heard me. I’m in the Top 50, so that means I need some votes, but first, let me introduce you to the leading lady in Tuscany, Lana.

Lana is a young woman from Zebulon, Georgia. She was raised by her grandmother, Mama Leona. Her life was as normal as any Georgia country girl. But when her grandmother dies everything she thought about her life changes. Now she has to go to Italy to take on the role as heiress of a huge olive oil farm, Olive Hill.

The problem with this is she never knew about the estate in Italy, much less her grandmother’s wealth. With everything else, she’s given a journal from her grandmother that helps guide her way. Then she meets Romeo, a handsome single Italian man that runs Olive Hill. The sparks fly as they disagree about everything, including the estate. She has one year to decide to keep the estate or sell it.

So, are you intrigued? Help Lana’s story get into a Harlequin romance by voting for the first part, the pitch at https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/48304085/write/161892410.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Give Tuscany a vote~

Alright everybody, here’s the link to vote for Tuscany. https://www.wattpad.com/161892410-tuscany-sytycw15-pitch-part-1

Hoping everyone will help me get to the Top 25. Go by and vote. Also share the link with everybody.

Harlequin Top 50!

Good morning all! I’ve got some exciting news… I’ve made it to the top 50 in the Harlequin So You Think You Can Write contest. And yes I’ve been dancing, jumping, screaming and all the normal things, but after a somewhat good nights sleep it’s time to get to work. I need your help!

What help you might ask? Well, I need your votes. In order to get to the top 25, I need as many votes after 5:01 EST today on the pitch part of my entry. I’ll post later the promotional package from Harlequin. Boy, that sounds good saying that. If you can, please forward, share, do whatever you have to do to get it out there. I’m forever grateful for whatever help you can give. You guys have had my back for a long time.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You… He blessed me with this opportunity!

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!

Thursday morning News…

Good Thursday morning everyone! I’ve been telling you about a manuscript that has been in the works. I know I’ve been a little secretive about this one, but I wanted to make sure that the concept worked. Well the outline is complete and I see the whole story in my mind and I feel it in my heart, if only my fingers typed as fast as my brain tells the story.

The exciting thing is I made the decision yesterday to enter it in the So You Think You Can Write contest over at Harlequin and Wattpad. This was a hard decision because this manuscript is not complete yet. That means that I have to hit the 50,000 word mark in less than a month. Good grief! But I need a little help from me peeps here. If you get a chance, could you please go over to the link, https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/48304085-tuscany, and let me know what you think. Please be honest. If you like it then please vote for it because the more votes I get the better chance I have of getting past round one.

I’ve entered this contest before and had great results. Two years ago I entered “Finding the Right Time” in this contest and made it past round two. That was exciting. I received so many great responses for that book on the contest site.

Another bit of news is that Chase is almost completed. For those of you following the “Five Oaks Ranch” series, then you know this is the one I’ve been so excited about. Chase is the rogue of the Cauthen brood and his story has pulled at me harder than any of the other ones. I can’t wait for you to meet this stubborn cowboy. You’ll fall in love instantly.

Just a reminder, today is Thursday people, that means the weekend is almost here. Since my son started back to school Monday, I’ve been getting up earlier, so I can’t wait to sleep in Saturday. Not that I will, my body wants up at seven, even on Saturdays.

So, as always, good writing and May God Bless You!

P.S. Go by my website and sign up for my newsletter or even my street team. The link is www.stephaniehurtauthor.com. So sign up today for your chance at some great prizes. If you join my street team you’ll get to see chapters before they’re published and so much more. Also I have some great swag and book giveaways planned for the near future.