Happy New Year's Eve...

Well here in the US we only have hours left in 2013, but many of my friends abroad are celebrating the New Year. For those of you that are already in 2014, Happy New Year. I wish you well in the New Year. I hope that everyone has a great New Year's Eve. It's a time to reflect on the year going out and on the possibilites of the new year. For me I am excited about the coming year. I've set many goals that are exciting and extremely positive. I'll let you in on them as they unfold, but for now I'll just keep them under wraps. I have several books in the works that will come out in 2014. That's exciting and scary. Why does it always scare me when I hit that publish button? The work will have gone through many edits and rewrites, but it's still a anxious time. Will my readers like it or will it be a huge disaster? I guess that's the art of this line of work. As you celebrate the new year remember those that were lost in 2013 and those that were born. It was a year of many changes and so many laughs. I'm honored to have been featured in three magazine articles in 2013 and I gained many new friends through my blog and writing. I want to thank all of my wonderful, adoring fans that write to me and make my work worth while. Thanks to all my colleagues who support me and give wonderful advice and sometimes even a high five when something goes right. So, celebrate and be safe on this New Year's Eve. I love you guys, you're all wonderful. See you in 2014! As always, good writing and May God Bless you...

Last Monday of 2013!

It's weird to say that. I've been thinking back to 2013 and it's been a great year. There's been good and bad throughout the year, but for the most part it's been great. It was the first full year of being a published author. How are you spending the last two days of 2013? As for me I'm working today, but taking tommorow off. I'm trying to finish one of my books before midnight tommorow, but maybe not. It's funny how you plan on time to write during holidays and then life steps in and you don't get it done. What are your plans for New Year's? We spend it at our Church. We have the best time eating finger foods and singing. Then we bring in the New Year at the altar. It's a great way to thank Him for the past year and for the new year to come. Of course I have games and prizes for the kids. They even get to wear their pjs which helps parents just put them to bed when they get home. Hopefully everyone has set their writing goals for 2014. As always, good writing and May God Bless You...

What makes a good romance for you?

Romance novels come in many genres. It's amazing how they've changed since I first picked up my first romance. I remember the intense feelings that the book brought out. It was based in Europe in the World War 2 era. I remember crying, laughing and being inspired to find my Prince Charming. I also remember finding out through reading that my Prince Charming would not always be perfect as the fairy tale goes. For me a good romance needs to take you to another place. I want to be taken away from my normal world and transported into a exotic place, mystical place or just another time. I want the book to carry me away with emotions. The writer needs to make me think I'm there with the character, feeling the emotions, the anger, the sadness, the love, and especially the romance. I want to be able to still feel it even after I put the book down. I can't even imagine how many romance novels I've read in my lifetime. Recently I went through my collection of novels that are stored in my attic. I had to put them in plastic storage boxes as the boxes were falling apart from age and over use. It's amazing how many times I've read some of them over and over. I even pulled some of them out and read them again. There's nothing like the feel and smell of a aged book. The yellowed pages pull you in and keep you engrossed. I had several authors that I bought everytime I saw a new book in their collections. As I reboxed them I separated them by author. The publishers of most of them are still around, such as Harlequin, Avon and many others. I always knew if it had the Harlequin or Avon symbol on the side that it would be great. I remember going to flea markets and browsing hungrily through the many shelves of used books. As a teenager it was like a scavenger hunt for more titles from some of my favorites. A couple of my favorite books have been purchased a couple of times. You may be wondering why, well let me explain. I would lend them out and they never got returned. Then I would go on a mad search for them. When I'd find them again, they would stay with me. So for me a good romance needs to make an impression. I want to think about it again and again even after I've read The End. I want to read it over and over and still fall in love. The characters need to pull at my heart strings. I want to be able to see them in my mind's eye and carry that throughout the book. Recently I heard from one of my dear fans. She told me that the descriptions of my characters made her see them clearly. She said that she felt like she knew them personally as she read through to the end. I was pleased that I'd accomplished that goal. Sometimes that can be a hard thing for a writer. You have to make sure that your character is well thought out and explained. If they are blonde, make sure they are blonde throughout. I read a book not too long ago and the main character started out as a blonde and the writer somehow I guess forgot and by the end their hair was ebony. And no they didn't change hair color out of a bottle. It totally blew my mind. I love to read a romance that makes me cry. It doesn't have to be from sadness, but it could be just the sweetness of the romance. I have several books that I read over and over that make me cry every time. It's just such a sweet, tender romance that it draws out the emotional part of me. So as you write, think about what draws you in. If you like time travel, then write about time travel. If you like a good, sappy romance, then write that sappy romance. If it's erotica you love, then write erotica. Everyone has a niche and you have to find that niche. For me it's the tender, sweet love story that builds throughout the story. I try to throw in a little intrigue and mystery, but in the end it's the romance that draws you in. So, as always, good writing and May God Bless You...

Writing Goals For The New Year

Goals... Do you set goals? Do you have a word count that you try to meet everyday? Do you try to put out a couple of books a year? Well for me I try to work everyday on my manuscripts. Sometimes life steps in and I get side stepped, but I plan to make up for lost time this weekend. For me goals are important. If you don't have something to strive for then what's the point. I have set goals on my book releases and also my accounting business. Life is going to be getting very busy in January. If you haven't read my bio, I am an Accountant and that means tax time is right around the corner. What's funny is the last two years when I would get the busiest in my office, the characters would get restless and I'd actually have higher word count outputs. Weird but true. I had an accounting colleague ask me last year how on earth I wrote during tax season. Well it's really easy when you need something to decompress with at night. I usually work really long hours from January through April, but when I do get to sit down and focus, I can just spit it out like a rushing river in a flood. Amazingly enough I actually have my daily schedule set up this year for writing to be intertwined with accounting work. That way I can decompress during the day too. I have several goals set for the new year. I want to get my 2nd books in the Lean On Him series, Alpine Romance Series, The Winner Series and The Women of Magnolia Hill Saga out and going as soon as possible. I laughed as I worked on my goals for 2014 and realized I had several series going along with some stand alones. Funny how writers can have several dramas going on at one time. So, what are your writing goals? What are your expectations for 2014? Do you have a plan? As always, good writing and May God Bless You...

Good Morning After...

Well, all's said and done on this Christmas season. The gifts are opened and the food consumed (Sighing heavily)... As I walked into my den this morning I groaned. I was met with the mess that I ignored last night. It looks like Rudolph and all his reindeer trampled through my den and did the two step. I quietly poured a cup of coffee and waded through the empty gift bags, wadded up wrapping paper, Christmas balls and sat down. Sighing I took a long sip of coffee and clicked the heating pad on for my back. It's over. The hustle and bustle of Christmas is behind us. Now for the clean up and return lines. Yeah, did I mention I didn't read my sons new wireless controller for his game system. I bought the wrong one. I'm not game savvy ok... Now's time to get things in order and get back to work on my manuscripts. Especially since I have one with a deadline of January and two February. YIKES!!! So much for resting til New Year's. HEHEHEHEHEHE... What's your plans for the next couple of days? Are you writing, cleaning, or a combo of both? I'll be doing both as I ponder the new year. I wonder what the new year will hold for my writing career. I have some plans for submitting a couple of manuscripts to Avon. We'll see how that goes. Last week I was surprised by a wonderfully sweet card from a reader who received one of the giveaways in December. She was very appreciative and said she couldn't wait for the rest of the Saga to come out. Of course I'm talking about the giveaway of "Victoria". The next book will be coming out in the Spring, so keep an eye out for updates. I do hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas. As always, good writing and May God Bless You...

Christmas Eve...

Good chilly morning to all... I do hope everyone is ready for Christmas. I've still got some baking to finish and payroll to complete, but the gifts are bought and wrapped. Well all but one and I tripped over it this morning in the bedroom, LOL. I'll wrap it when I get back from delivering payroll. 'Tis the season to be jolly and why is it that most people this year are not jolly? My son and hubby are not in the Christmas spirit. It's driving my insane. I'm going around singing Christmas carols and decorating everything that's not standing still. They just sit and look at me like I've lost what's left of my brain. Well, maybe I have, but it all went into my books. Last night I was thinking of spending it finishing up the latest manuscript that's captured my little brain and then it hit me. "I've got to put some Christmas spirit in these men of mine." So I whipped out "Frosty The Snowman" and "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" and told them to sit down and enjoy. Of course I giggled like a school girl and they just sat there and made fun of Rudolph's red nose. Oh well, I tried. Speaking of manuscripts, I'm hoping to spend some time off from accounting this week and finish up "Finding The Right Time". It's been taking over my brain this week. While I was up and down last night with my pulled back muscle I played with the idea of pulling out my laptop and just working through the night, but my back told me otherwise :( So here's hoping you all have a wonderfully Merry Christmas Eve and hope Santa is very good to you. Remember to smile at someone you don't normally smile at, hug your loved ones and sing carols even if they're out of tune. Put the Christmas spirit in your whole day and enjoy the season of joy. Don't forget the reason for the season as you celebrate with family and friends. Tell Jesus Happy Birthday! As always good writing and May God Bless You...

Merry Eve Before Christmas Eve

Well it's been another rainy day here in Georgia, but now the temperature is dropping and it's feeling more like Christmas. As I sit here by my Christmas tree with a crackling fire I'm thankful for so many things. First off I'm glad to be almost rid of the cold I've been figting for over a week, hence the long stint without a blog. Now I have a pulled muscle from coughing, sneezing and all that comes with a cold. Oh well, could be worse :) Second I'm excited because tommorow is Christmas Eve and if you've followed my blog for the last two years you know I love Christmas. I get to be with family and friends being all Merry and happy. Third I'm working on several manuscripts getting them polished up for a after New Year's release. My writing has been an inspiration and a big stress reliever. I've gained so many new friends and fans through this blog and my writing. I'm excited about what 2014 holds for my writing. At the bottom of this post I will be giving you a sneak peak at the cover for one of my newest works that's coming out after New Year's. Christmas spirit is filling my heart and soul. I almost want to write another Christmas romance but alas it's a little late for that. Maybe it'll keep until next year. I'm ready to celebrate the Savior's birth on Wednesday. It's a wonderful time of year to do something nice for someone else. Make sure you tell everyone you love them and give them a hug. Give a little Christmas spirit everywhere you go. As always, good writing and May God Bless You... Here's a sneak peak at the cover for Finding The Right Time. It's a time travel romance and I'm really excited about this one. Take a look at this awesome cover that my cover designer created. We spent several hours on this one and I think it's our best yet. Image

Romancing the Real World...

In this world of tech savvy readers and writers it's hard sometimes to gain the interest of fans. With so many wonderful romance writers the competition is large and wide. But the wonderful thing is that as a writer we get to write our own niche. We get to change the world of writing because if you are your own person then that's your niche. I've talked to many fans that say you've got to be different to stand out. Well, maybe your writing is different. Some publishers say go with what's popular, but what you really need to do is stand out in the crowd. If you want to write about cowboys and everyone else is writing about vampires then go for it. Make your voice heard loud and clear. Give it your whole heart. As for me I write mostly about cowboys and horses. That's my niche and my fans follow that niche, thank goodness. I've got a couple of books that don't include cowboys, but only a couple. Cowboys are what's comfortable for me and inspire me, so with me you know what you're getting. But I do try to go a little different in the angles of my stories. Take for instance my newest Christmas book, Open The Heart. It has a handsome cowboy, horses and romance, but it's based in snowy Switzerland on the side of a mountain in the Alps. That's a niche in its self. So carve out your niche and make it spectacular. Give it your whole heart, not someone elses. Write about what you love and it will show. Today's reader is complex and they're looking for that special romance that will warm their heart and in some instances curl their toes. Some readers want hot, steamy sex scenes, but others just want that warm fuzzy feeling you get from a real world romance. That's what I try to carry on to my readers. A romance that could actually happen. Something real and reachable. Try it and you'll be rewarded with smiles. As always, good writing and May God Bless You...

Picking the right cover photo

I know I've harped on this before but I can't stress enough the importance of a great cover. I was looking at some of the new books on Amazon and to tell you the truth a couple of the covers were non imaginative. They were just bland and didn't exactly go with the book description. But of course there were some that I was just stunned at the creativity and dare I say 'beauty'. Your book cover is the first thing potential readers see. If you go the extra mile it will help you tremendously. Like right now I'm scanning photos for my newest work in progress. I have in my mind what I want and it has to be perfect. I've looked at thousands of photos and let me tell you, it's a lot of work, but the payoff makes it worth it. If your cover doesn't fit the book, why even go there. If you write a Christmas romance and put a Easter bunny on it, well you get the picture. Don't give away too much with your cover either. This means don't put a picture of the ending on the cover. If all the way through the book you keep the reader in the dark about if the couple is going to marry or get pregnant, you might not want to put them in a wedding dress or looking pregnant. But then again that could increase sales. Sometimes it's a catch 22, you just have to know how to make it work. Also, one last thing that's a huge, big piece of advice. For next to nothing you can purchase a picture from a reputable site and make it really pop. Don't just pull something from the family photos and make it work, unless it really goes with the book. I use several sites, but my favs are bigstockphoto.com and istockphoto.com. There are several, but these are the two I use. As always, good writing and may God Bless You... By the way, don't forget that my publishing service designs great covers. Check out the tab above for Horseshoe Publishing on my main blog.

Putting Tags On Your Books...

This is very important for your books. When you set up your books this is a part of it. But unfortunately this is a hard part, well it is for me. How do you tag your book where it’s not lost in the crowd? Well here is some ways I figure this out: 1: Sit down and write down every key word you can think of that goes with your book. 2: Go on Amazon and search each key word. See how many are listed there. 3: Pick the top key words that aren’t bogged down by thousands of selections already. 4: Sometimes the oddest keyword is the best choice, but make it a logical keyword. 5: Hint: Romance is bogged down, make sure you put more detailed descriptive keywords. As I always tell you, these are just suggestions. I don’t guarantee these will work for you, but they did for me. As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Monday Morning Ramblings...

Well it was a busy weekend for me. Our Church put together showboxes for the local Family Children Service and then yesterday I had the Children’s Ministry Christmas party. Which this meant that I had to start my Christmas baking. I baked cookies, made rice krispy treats and smores. Not to mention red velvet and cream cheese bites. Needless to say it was a busy weekend. As I sat yesterday afternoon just enjoying being with my family and having nothing at all to do, I received a call. It was my cousin calling to tell me a friend of ours has cancer. It was hard to hear. I’ve known him all my life and we’ve always been friends. It’s always hard to hear that word ‘cancer’. I prayed for him and knew he was in good hands. My writing has been in the forefront of my mind lately. I have a couple of books in the works and am impatient to get them completed. I guess that’s just the life of a writer. I have to keep my focus on the writing instead of the finish. If I focus on the finish too much my writing will lack some of it’s luster. I don’t want to rush through the last couple of chapters. I don’t know how one of the books will end exactly. Most of my books I have them mapped out in my mind and usually have a good idea how they’ll end, but this one book has changed as it has unfolded. As each chapter develops and the characters get their chance at the story it’s changed and evolved. I’m happy with the many changes, but am anxious to see it to the end. Several fans are chomping at the bit for the 2nd book in the Alpine series. It was such an exciting book to write. I can’t wait to get started on it. All of my books are on sale for .99 until December 26th. I want to do this as a thanks to all my devoted and beloved fans. It’s been an awesome year for me and my writing. As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Christmas Spirit, Love and Sharing

Image Today's post is a step away from my normal writing and publishing blog. I want to ask you a simple question, Do you have the Christmas Spirit this year? I'm not talking about the I've got to go shopping today, the ornaments are up , but the Christmas Spirit. You may be saying, What are you talking about? Well, it's quite simple really. Have you done something for someone less fortunate this Christmas season and not just to get a tax benefit, but from the heart? Have you spent time with family and friends and thought about someone or something other than yourself? I went with my family out to eat last night for Christmas. It was great to be with my uncle and aunt and couisins and their families, not to mention my mom, her friend, my brother and his family and my hubby and son. I sat there looking around the table thinking about how much our family has grown. We've gained lots of new members in the last twenty or so years. But it was nice to take a moment out of our busy lives to just be together. Yes it was crowded in the small room we'd reserved but the point was to be together. As we left I felt sad that we didn't get to spend more time together, but life takes over sometimes. Tommorow at Church we're getting together as a Church family and putting together boxes for the families at the local family and children services. These families won't have much for Christmas so we try to give them something special to unwrap on Christmas morning. Some gifts are as simple as a doll or car, toothbrush and toothpaste. Actually things we take for granted but they'd be thrilled to have. Even hairbows and brushes, pencils and school supplies, things that they need but don't have. It warms my heart to help with such a special cause, but it's never enough. Why can't we just spend a couple of dollars to help those less fortunate? It's not about the huge, pricey gifts. It's the thought. No child should wake up Christmas morning without at least one thing under the tree. Christmas is by no means just about the gifts, it's about our Savior's Birth. But we need to teach our kids the spirit of giving which He spoke of so often and for some reason we've stepped away from it. It could be something simple like a warm blanket and coat. You may be warm in your house, but what about families that can't afford heat. Give them something warm to wrap up with. But why not all year long. Why do we only think of those less fortunate at Christmas? We should keep the spirit of Christmas in our hearts year round. We should follow His word and give to those in need all year. Think of the troops that are away from home. They are not just away at Christmas, they're away for months to years at a time, but most only think about them at this time of the year. So my challenge to you is this. Do something nice for someone. Maybe set a goal to do something for someone every month of the year. Plan a special project you can do for someone in need. It could be as simple as cooking a meal for a shut-in or just collecting cans and donating them to a family in need. The smile you'll receive and the feeling will get contagious and dare I say it, you might become an habital giver. As always, good writing and May God Bless You... photo credit: Rdoke via photopin cc

Advertising and Promotions?

Well I forgot to turn the heater on in my office this morning. It's a balmy 25 outside and inside my office it's real close to that. My fingers are numb, but I ran into the house and warmed up my sweater by the fire. I'm sure my neighbors think I've gone nuts running back and forth between the office and the house, but it's too cold to merely walk. On to this morning's writing topic. How do you advertise or promote? Well you may be saying, what's the difference? I'm going to give you my view of the differences and then a few pieces of advice. To me advertising is something you pay for and promoting is getting your book out there via any channel you can get your two cents in. Advertising Advertising is a hot topic among authors. Do you pay a hefty fee and hope that someone will see the ad and buy your book? It's a catch 22 really. I believe that you need some paid advertising to get your book in front of a different audience than just Facebook, Twitter and various other places. But choose wisely. I've heard of too many authors that paid for advertising and never saw the ad or much less found it on the site. Don't choose too quickly from an exciting email you get from a "advertising firm". Take for instance, yesterday I received an email from a company that said they'd put my book on many sites for a fee. They went on to paint a pretty impressive picture of their company. Funny thing is when I Googled their firms name I didn't find anything, nada, nothing! That was a major red flag for me. They then went into their fees. WHOA!!! Let's just say, I'd have to sell hundreds of books to even make it back. Needless to say I deleted said email and went on my merry way. If you find a reputable place to advertise and it's fairly reasonable for what you're getting, then by all means go for it. If they say their service tweets and facebooks your ad, go to Twitter and Facebook to see the traffic they garner. If they only have 10 followers and no responses or few retweets you'd best move on. 'Nough said. Promotions Now this can be fun and tedious at the same time. Don't over promote in a day. The reason I say this is, I've tried to analyze the results from a study I did. I tested this theory on Twitter and was amazed. I spent two days just blowing up Twitter with nothing but promotional stuff from my books. I tweeted from every book site I had and yada yada. Then I watched as my Twitter followers started dropping off like wasps in a nest after they met Raid. Well, it's obvious that this wasn't a good plan. Then I did this in a more laid back way and gained several new followers. I only tweeted a couple of times during high traffic times and added in books from other authors and funny sayings or just daily writing tips. Amazing the difference. Even had several nice retweets, especially thankful ones from the authors I tweeted. Yes, the first test garnered a couple of retweets, but only from my most dedicated Twitter followers. A lot of sites say they'll do the tweeting and posting for you, but let's get real, we can do that ourselves for free. Well, that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Here's a couple of the places that I've done paid advertising and seen results: http://www.rwa.org/ Romance Writer's Of America - I put an ad in their monthly magazine and had some great results. It's not very expensive and it reaches many readers that actually read my genre. They're really easy to work with and totally worth it. Also join their organization to get the monthly magazine and all their wonderful help on their website. http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/about-ian.html The Independent Author Network. This is a great site also to promote and advertise. The authors here work as a team to tweet and retweet each other's books. I always notice a big upswing in views and sales when I go in and help other authors. Very reasonable to join. http://bookclubreading.com Book Club Reading is a new one I'm using for both areas. They help you to get your name and books out to book clubs. Their advertising is fairly reasonable and it's helped with sales of my Christmas book. Promotional sites I worked with that are free and easy: www.prlog.org This is a press release site. I use the free option and they produce great looking press releases that you can send out to all your social sites and they put them into several channels. It's fairly easy to use and set up is easy. Goodread.com Goodreads is a great promotional area. Set up events for upcoming promotions and join groups that are in your genre. It promotes your name and get's you some great advice to boot. Shelfari.com Shelfari is a great place to put your books and gained followers. You can download your books directly from Amazon and even your reading list. I've made some great friends on this site. http://worldliterarycafe.com/ This site is a wonderful promotional tool and I've learned a lot from them. Join their group on Facebook and ask what you need to know or just read what others have asked. Of course on the Facebook group don't promote your books. That part of their site is only for Q & A or helpful hints. Now these are just a couple. There's so many great sites out there and I know I didn't mention even half of them. As always good writing and May God Bless You...

45 Years Of Blessings...

Many people try to ignore birthdays. For me I'm so blessed with each year I'm given. The fact that I got up this morning is a blessing in itself. I have so much to be thankful for. This morning I woke to my wonderful husband and son wishing me a Happy Birthday. Then when I opened my computer my email was blowing up with Birthday wishes from family, friends and fans. It's amazing the support I've received from my family, friends and my adoring fans. The Birthday wishes have been coming in from all over and it's such a blessing. My writing has been a blessing and to be able to publish my long, hard work. It's been a dream of mine since I was a teenager and guess what, I'm a published author. This blessing has gained me so many new friends and I've met some great authors that I've been reading for years. It's been such an awesome time. So many don't realize their blessings. They leave them in a closet somewhere and refuse to acknowledge them. Blessings are meant to be acknowledged, appreciated and thankful for. But most of all they are meant to be passed on to others. It's like the Christmas Spirit should be kept in your heart 365 days a year. Celebrate life daily and be glad for every minute in our short lives. That's why all my books are .99 through Christmas. I want to give something back to my readers. Have a wonderful day and know I'm passing on my blessings and well wishes for you all. As always, good writing and May God Bless You...

Writing To Inspire...

What does your writing do for you? No, I'm not talking about the royalties or the fans. I'm talking about the inspiration. Does your writing inspire you? Do your characters inspires you to change things, make better decisions, or even change something in your life? I've had messages from fans saying some of my books have inspired them. That's the best message you can get as a writer. One fan said that one of my books inspired her to follow her dreams of writing. One said they inspired her to follow her heart in regards to a past love. Then one said she was inspired to reach out to her faith and renew her relationship with God. I've been honored to hear the comments and inspirations. Writing to inspire is writing from the heart. If you write like a drone and never put feeling in your work then you've only acheived the writing goal, not the inspirational goal. What you put between those covers is important to your reader. If you just put words there and don't feel anything then what have you accomplished. As a writer I cry, laugh and feel anger when I'm writing. I enjoy what I do and I pour out my heart with every chapter. Most of the time when I type The End I'm emotionally exhausted. I have to rest and recoop. That's in my opinion what makes it a work of inspiration. What inspires you? Is it something in your life or in a book you've read? For me it's a myriad of it all. I can be inspired by so many things. My faith leads me to many inspirations and that's a big factor in my writing. I hope that your writing leads your inspirations and leads to inspiration... As always, good writing and May God Bless You...

Saturday Morning and The Coffee's Flowing...

I love Saturday mornings. For one thing I get to sleep in for a little longer and when I get that first cup of coffee I can sit and enjoy it. This morning is no different. I sit here sipping coffee and eating the biscuits my hubby pulled out of the oven as I walked down the hall. It's wonderful to wake up to breakfast already cooked and the aroma of coffee drifting into the bedroom. The day in Georgia will be dreary and rainy, but it's Saturday so no matter. My day will be filled with decorating our Church for Christmas. I look forward to this every year. As I've said before several times, I love Christmas. It's a fun time as we gather together to adorn His house with garlands, trees, snowflakes, ornaments and whatever else we can get out. When we're done it's transformed into another place, a place of excitement and enjoyment. The children will come in tomorrow and their eyes will let us know if we've accomplished our goals. It's the same with our writing. If the reader isn't taken to another place or setting we've failed. I try to push the envelope. When I was writing Open The Heart I knew it would be different. I strived to put an element of the wow factor. I wanted you to feel the icy cold chill of a Christmas in the snowy Alps of Switzerland. I've had readers that said they felt like they were there. That's a writer's goal. Take the reader away from their everyday stressful life, if only for a moment. When I read a book I want to be transported into another time or place. I want to see it in my mind through the words of the writer. If you can't pull them into the story you've cheated them of a experience. When I wrote Open The Heart I could see every detail and I wanted my reader to see it and feel it. One time during a particular scene where they're in the snow literally I actually had to wrap up. I had a chill as I wrote the story but when they were inside by the fire I shed the blanket. Funny how your writing affects you... So, enjoy this day and make it your own. Embrace the world you live in. Do something for yourself today. It's Saturday!!! As always, good writing and May God Bless You... One more thing, Check out the new link to my book at the bookclubreading.com at: http://bookclubreading.com/open-the-heart/ and go over to avonromance.com to pick up some great Christmas romances. They've got a great selection to choose from.

Open The Heart

Open The Heart
Check out my new post on bookclubreading.com

What's your goal?

A goal is something that we strive to get to. Maybe it's a financial goal where you want to pay off a bill. Maybe it's a raise on your job. As a writer most of us want to write full time. Is that your goal? Do you know how to achieve it? As for me that would be nice, but I still work full time in my accounting office. Some writers go into writing expecting instant gratification. Well, I'm sorry to tell you it doesn't work that way most of the time. Now don't get me wrong, some authors have actually made it pretty big in a short time, but it's not always the case. Some writers I've talked to said it was years before they made enough to even think about quitting their full time job. One thing I've noticed with my writing is that patience is a virtue. Well it may be a virtue but sometimes it's frustrating waiting on that sale to come through. One big author that I've always looked up to and read everything she published messaged me one day. Which for me that was a success in it's self. She told me to keep up the good work and not to worry about sales that they would come. Her advice was to get out several books and make sure my name was out there. She said it took over two years for her to really see a big up flow of sales. This totally took me by surprise. In my mind I figured she was living the good life, but as she stated, she's doing well now but it wasn't always that case. I left the conversation feeling lots better. I've turned out 11 books and have several in the works. As I studied my sales over the last year and a half, I see a trend. And you know, she was right. The more books I have published the more they sale. It's strange how it works, but I guess a reader picks up a book by an author and if they like the authors style they pick up more of their books. It also helps to have several series going so that the reader is in wanting of the rest of the story. Don't forget that as in any business you have to keep up with expenses and royalties. Some authors don't think about this until it's too late. Every website expense, writing program, notebook, computer, advertising expense and postage to send books out are expenses to keep up with. Make sure you start a business plan as soon as possible so that this part of your writing life is not swamped with needless stress. Enjoy your writing and the sales will come. Write what's in your heart and make it the best you can. Give it the tender loving care it deserves by editing, editing and editing some more. Make the cover a dreamy concoction of what the story means to you. As a writer usually you have in your mind how you want it to look. Then tell everyone about it. Do a social media blitz and show the passion you have for the story. It will be contagious and soon people will catch the passion. Don't get discouraged. You're a writer. It's an awesome thing and you now have the ability to touch the lives of many, many people. As always, good writing and may God Bless You...

Social Media is Time Consuming

If you're an author you know the importance of social media. It's the backbone of your publishing and selling strategy. The only problem is we try to get on every site we can and then when we sit down to our computer we spend an hour searching all the sites for any inkling of a notice from fans or readers or anybody other than spam mongers. I sit every morning going through my sites and then I spend what time is left before going to the office writing. We have to make sure we use our time wisely. I am trying to limit my site checking to twice a day. I try to post a blog everyday, but some days I may forgo my usual post for a shorter post or save it up for the next day. That way I have more time for my writing which is important. Since I have a full time job and a family I need to keep my time steady and straight. Following the right course is very important. As for my accounting office I've changed the times I work and added in tidbits of writing time during the day. It helps break the monotony of everyday accounting work with a little writing time. I make sure that every detail is taken care of in it's own time. Time with my family is very important too. It's become common place in my house for my laptop to be in my lap during tv time at night. My hubby and son are used to that's writing time, but I'm still with them and not closed up in another room. It's funny the small things that make a difference. I guess raising a child in an accounting office taught me alot about focus. I can depreciate an asset while doling out snacks. So in turn I can now write while watching tv with my family, helping with homework, and cooking dinner. So, how do you spend your time? Do you waste time on trivial things? Have you got a plan and do you stick to it? As always, good writing and May God Bless You... Here's a link to a great blog about Time from a blogger all writers need to follow: http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2013/12/05/killing-time-is-a-crime-embracing-speed-by-redefining-life-play-work/

Series or finish in one?

When you're writing the book and the story just keeps going and going, so you finish the story or do you make it into a series? Series can be a continuation of the same storyline with the same characters, they can be a continuation of characters that in the first book were in the background, or it can be just a continuation of the same type of story but entirely different story. What will it be? For me a couple of my books have stood alone completely. I knew and felt good with ending them at the words The End. But some of my stories needed more. Some were supposed to be stand alone but the characters just pulled at me to be more. In my latest book, Open The Heart, I originally planned on it being alone. As I delved into the story around 3/4 of the way in I knew it had more to tell. You may be saying why not just go ahead and make it a mega novel with 50,000 or more words, but in some instances it's good to just end on a cliff hanger, leaving the reader wanting more. In Victoria I knew at the start that it would be a Saga. I knew as I was writing the first chapter how it would end and I built it up to that major cliff hanger which of course has garnered lots of readers writing to me stating that they were hanging on pins and needles. I just smile and know I did the right thing. It's had several asking when the next book could be expected. What's funny is they always ask what happens? I can't tell you until the next book comes out is always my response. So, what will you next book be? It's sometimes a hard question. Does your story line have the stamina to carry on for several books? Does your general premise for the book have series quality? Well, let me know how you figure it out. As always, good writing and May God Bless You...

Have you got a character you don't like?

When you're a writer you get the chance to meet many characters through your books. Sometimes the characters leave a lasting memory on you. I've fell in love with many of my characters. Wes in "Moonbeam and Roses", Jared in "Ghost Lover, and Drake in "Open the Heart" just to name a couple of them. It's amazing the way characters in your writing get in your heart. But then there are the characters that you love to hate. Those are the characters fans tell you they don't like which is exactly the point to their bad ways. Take for instance Thomas in "Ghost Lover". He's a real snake in the grass. He's handsome and tries to make everyone including Jess think he's a wonderful man. But his true colors start to show when Jared comes into the picture to still Jess's heart. He does everything including attempted murder to get her to love him. Oh, then there's Ty in "A Love Never Lost". He uses his wealth and horse ranch to woo Lilly. But he is obsessed, not in love. He resorts to kidnapping to try to get what he wants. That's just not nice at all. Then you have Brent in "Open The Heart". He leaves Lacey at the altar and then tries to guilt her back. But he soon finds out that true love wins in the end. Here are three traits that make a bad character: 1: Jealousy - It gets them everytime. Jealousy can cause a character to take drastic measures and make bad decisions. 2: Obsession - Sometimes an obsessed character can do some nasty things to get what they want and usually their wants are not the same wants as the one they're obsessed about. 3: Evil - Now evil can really make a bad character. They will stop at nothing, even murder to get what they want. Sometimes the bad characters have fans too. It's amazing how some people only remember the bad characters in a book. Some of my fans write to me and ask how some of these nasty characters were started. Were they based on people I know? But usually the good ones are based on people I know, not the bad ones. So as you write your characters, try to put in a couple of bad ones. It makes for an interesting read and can enhance a romance as they try to break it up. Some bad characters can even turn good. Wouldn't that make a good twist? As always, good writing and May God Bless You... Here a couple of links to some of my nasty characters: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Never-Lost-Stephanie-Hurt-ebook/dp/B009IQ0LQ0 http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Lover-Stephanie-Hurt-ebook/dp/B00COQZI5K http://www.amazon.com/Open-Heart-Alpine-Christmas-Romance-ebook/dp/B00GW6T6AQ

My Christmas romance "Open The Heart" is on sale at Amazon

Since it's the season to be generous I've put all my books at a lot cheaper prices. Most are .99 and my new Christmas Romance is now only .99. My Cowboy collection of three books in one is now only $2.99. So if you get a chance, run over to my Amazon store. The link to the store is to the right of this post and you can find my Christmas romance at http://www.amazon.com/Open-The-Heart-Christmas-Romance-ebook/dp/B00GW6T6AQ. Let me know what you think with a review. I love to hear from my fans.