Throwback Thursday Post...

I am revisiting an old post from almost 2 years ago. Wow, it's hard to believe I've been blogging this long. Anyhow, this was one of my more popular posts from my blog over at CreateSpace. If you're a fan, try to figure out which book I was working on. It was one of my favs. Also, do you notice something missing from this post that is always on my posts? Third Cup of Coffee! Posted by SHurt on Sep 13, 2012 1:29:57 PM Well, it's Thursday morning. My son is at school and my hubby has gone to work. My mind in swirling with words to put into my current book. I am so excited about this new one. I just can't seem to type fast enough to get the words out of my head. I can see the whole ending and I am chomping at the bit or keys as it would be. I worked last night in between watching "The Voice". My son kept looking at me like I was crazy. I was actually smiling and chewing my lip as I typed. Have you ever been so into a manuscript that your every thought was focused on it? I had a new thought yesterday for a new spin that has totally rocked my manuscript. One of my characters is going totally on another direction from the original thought. It is funny how your mind works when you are into a manuscript. You think you have the right answers, but as you type your mind goes ahead of your fingers and totally changes everything. It is so cool how the process just develops on the scope of the work. I can't tell you where the idea is going, because that would be a "spoiler". I can tell you that my editor/assistant read up to what I had finished yesterday and she is now not speaking to me. She said she could not believe that I let her read it to that point and left her hanging over a cliff with no reprieve. I just smiled and knew I had accomplished what I wanted. I know I have said other books were my favorite, but I can honestly say this one has taken 1st prize in my heart. I have honed my writing skills and took into account different reviews of my other books. I have changed techniques and ways of describing characters and places. Just can't wait to type the end, but then again it has been such a big part of my life for the past month or so that I will probably have withdrawals. LOL!!!?

Funny questions writer's are asked...

Image

photo credit: akahodag via photopin cc Ok, if you're a writer you know the questions I'm talking about. Sometimes I just have to laugh and try my best to answer the question in the best way I can as I laugh. It's funny the things that people think about writers. I had to post this picture because you know I love horses and these questions make them laugh too. Here are some of the zingers that have been asked of me: 1: My favorite is "Did you write that book from an experience you had in your own life? That's where most writers get their stories right?" Well, some of them have been from experiences but if my life was like a fairy tale, wow how would that be. Then I think of murder mystery writers and have to cringe. If all writing was strictly from personal experience the police would tail all writers obsessively! 2: Can you introduce me to your cover model? Really, you've got to be kidding me. I've never met any of my cover models. I did get a repin on Pinterest from one of them thanking me for using his picture on a couple of my covers. I was pleased, but I don't know him personally so no, I can't introduce you to my cover models. 3: You must be rich, huh? This one makes me laugh hard, really hard. Most published writers do it in their spare time and have a regular job. If not, we'd be really hungry artists. So, no, I'm not rich, not even close. I'm happy with my royalties and thankful to my wonderful fans, but I'm not quite ready to quit my day job. 4: So you can't get published for real? This one ticked me off the first couple of times I heard it, but then I realized that there are so many people who don't realize that a lot of authors do consider this a real business and take it seriously. This is a personal choice and I have been approached by publishers, but I am happy where I am for the time being. Then if it's someone I'm close to I stick my tongue out at them in a very unladylike fashion and laugh. It's become a really funny question as self publishing becomes the norm. So to me it's a funny question. 5: Can I have your autograph? Now this one stunned me. Then I laughed because I'm not famous and this seems a little crazy, but I was humbled by it too. But I did laugh because I don't think of it as being famous because I have several published books, but it's really funny when someone comes up to me in a store and says, hey you're that writer. What funny questions have people asked you? Some people might not think some of them are funny, but to a writer you'll find the humor in them. As always, good writing and May God Bless You...

Monday Morning Wake Up Post

If you haven't realized it yet, yep it's Monday folks. School started back today after a very long break due to the ice storm and then Winter Break. The alarm clock went off at 6:00 this morning and it was rough. I'm working on my second cup of coffee and contemplating my third. Of course with Tax season in full swing my day is full of appointments for drop offs and pick ups. But for another hour I get to sit and enjoy my coffee, work on my upcoming book release and relax. This is my time when I can quietly work on things in the house. I already have a load of laundry and a load of dishes going. But more importantly I have a book to finish. Since I'm working on my first time travel romance, I'm excited about the upcoming release. I'm doing this one a little differently than my other books. It's going to have a pre-order available through Smashwords. The pre-order will be on Barnes & Noble, Apple iTunes and Kobo. I will be running several giveaways and some free books to select people that win the drawings. The contest will be announced this week so keep watching. Several of my books will be up for grabs to those that pre-order my book and send me a picture of their pre-order confirmation, but I'll announce the rules soon. As for the book that's coming out, I think my fans will be surprised. I'm hoping it will be a pleasant surprise. This is a little step away from my normal writing, but of course there is still a handsome cowboy and horses, I have to keep that going. But I've never delved into the time travel genre. It's been a great experience and I think it's a story that will make you think and wonder all the way to the end, which is an interesting ending. So, how are you spending your Monday morning? How many cups of coffee does it take to get you going? Let me know I'm not the only coffee addict... As always, good writing and May God Bless You...

Good or bad, it's your choice...

When you sat down to write your first manuscript you made the choice to do that. You decided that it was time to put your thoughts on paper and it was the right choice for you at that moment. But what then? Would you decide to publish it? How would you do that? Would you go traditional or self publish? Decisions, Decisions! It's a critical choice in any writer's mind. I talked to a writer not too long ago that has written several complete manuscripts but she was confused as to what road to take. She actually contacted me with the hopes of getting a little more insight into how I chose the path I did. As I told her it's really as simple as making a list and figuring out what's best for you. For me, I had other options than self publishing, but it was a good fit for me, maybe not for others. After I had self published a couple of books I received "THE CALL" that all authors love to receive. It was a rather large publishing house that I'd heard of and actually had several books in my library published through them. The gentleman was nice and had knowledge of my books and style of writing. He'd actually read one of them and was interested in putting it under their label. Of course my heart did a quick pitter patter, but then I started asking questions. I'm a very analytical person, so I had questions. What are you planning to do for my book that I don't already do? What's the royalty percentage? Will I lose my rights? Turns out I was better off where I was at. The royalties were 1/2 of what I was already making and yes I had to sign my rights to my work over to them and then the promotional package they offered for a nice little sum was exactly what I was already doing on my own for free. I kindly thanked him and said I'd keep his number. He hounded me for a couple of months with different 'offers', but I stayed true to my decision. Here's a couple of things that you need to decide on before you make the choice: 1: Do you have the discipline to do the marketing and social media presence that's needed to keep your name available? 2: What about the business end of publishing? Can you handle all the ins and outs of the publishing business? Self Publishing is a business and it can take some time to put things together. 3: What type of royalties are you looking at? If higher royalties are needed, then self publishing my be the route to go, but be aware of the needs of self publishing. 4: You're in charge of getting a cover made, either you design it or you hire someone to do it. Remember this is the first thing someone will see and first impressions are valuable. 5: Editing is still a must even with self publishing. I know that we all think our work is great, but it needs to be edited by someone other than your best friend. Editing is important. Of course I could go on and on, but this is a couple of things I told the author. She sat for a moment thinking and then she told me that this had helped her start the decision process. Either way you go, it's your choice. If you send your manuscript to a traditional publisher, be patient. If they like what they see it'll happen. Take their advice and use it. If you choose self publishing, please take it seriously. You are in the hot seat if you choose this route. Either way you go, it's your choice. You're in charge of this decision. As always, good writing and May God Bless You...

What's your favorite romance genre?

Have you noticed the many varied genre's in romance books lately? You can pretty much find a romance novel or novella that is about anything you want. Some of the categories are a little scary and some just go beyond your imagination or my imagination. In writing romance I go with things I love or I'm passionate about. Some romance writers lean more toward the mystery genre, some toward the erotic genre and others toward the suspenseful. Most of my writing as you know lean heavily in the cowboy romance side of it, a couple of them are Christian romance and one that's coming out soon is a Time Travel but of course it has a cowboy ;) Did you ever start searching for a book and had to look up a genre because you had no idea what it was? I'm raising my hand because I've had several that needed some investigation.I wasn't sure what they were about. Of course some of those I have to look up I really wish I hadn't even went there. But that's just me. So, everybody should be able to find a romance that fits their style. The possibilities are endless if you search, but beware of what you search for. You might find something that gives you nightmares or in the very least the shivers. What genre do you love the most? As always, good writing and May God Bless You... Check out my new Christian Romance "Faith Through The Tears" the 2nd installment in the Lean On Him series. http://www.amazon.com/Faith-Through-Tears-Christian-Romance-ebook/dp/B00IHQKO2S https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-faiththroughthetears-1425289-149.html https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/409456

Valentine's Day - A Romance Author's Favorite Day...

Today of all day's is for romance. Maybe you don't have a significant other, but you can still curl up with a good book of romance or a romantic movie. Romance is in the air as we start this day. Luckily here in Georgia the sun is shining and the ice is almost just a memory as it faded into the soaked ground. As most of you know I love anything romance. I'm like an old soul with romance. I think it is needed in any relationship. I know, you're saying that it's not possible in some relationships, but it is. It could be the look in your eye for your lover, or maybe the little things you do to make things special. Maybe it's a little note in their wallet or on their pillow that can just have your kiss on it to make them smile. Romance is such a simple thing that can so mystifying. I was drawn to romance as a teenager with my first romance novel and it's been all uphill since then. I've always pined for that moment in a book when their hands touch and you just know it's the real thing. I get so excited that I'll sit up half the night reading to get to the end, hopefully a happy ending. Today is an important day to bring in some romance. Go all out. Everyone has candles in their house. Light a few. Even if you have children, make it a family thing. The kids have to go to bed eventually. Send him a look across the table that promises romance to come. You have to make time each week for each other. It's important to keep the romance and surprises going. It doesn't cost anything to leave a cute note for them. So try it and let me know how it goes. If you need to find a great romance novel, go to avonromance.com and you'll find anything you need in romance novels. It's a great site to shop from. As always, good writing and May God Bless You...

Faith Through The Tears in final stages!

As you know I've had several works in progress. One in particular is "Faith Through The Tears" which is the 2nd book in the Lean On Him Christian Romance Series. I'm in the final stages of it and getting really excited. If things go well, I look to have it up and run this weekend. It still has a couple of nudges and tweaks, but it's going smoothly. It's amazing when you get in the groove and everything just falls into place. Since the cover has been completed for months that makes the process much smoother. Now it's down to those pesky little edits that plague every writer. But this one has been close to my heart so I look forward to the final read through before we hit publish. Let me give you a little hint of what this book is all about. It's a continuation of come of the characters from "With All My Heart". It starts with Randy and Rachel's love story and her battle with cancer. But it takes a sad turn and yes, it's a box of tissues kind of book. I cried the whole time I wrote the first half of this book. It just tore at my heart. A couple of months ago I posted the first chapter on Avon Romance's blog site and I received responses ranging from 'you made me cry' to 'I've got to know how this comes out'. It's so exciting when you can grab the reader with just an excerpt. This book has some surprises from the first book regarding Luke and Amanda. So many readers fell in love with their story of faith and love through the challenges. I've brought out some of their lives too. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with this one. It's filled with tremendous faith and the challenges that life brings when you lose your soul mate. So, I hope everyone is staying warm and safe from the world's crazy weather patterns. But for now it's time to pick up the ledgers and get back to accounting. At least I'm in a beautiful environment with the snow covered back ground behind me. But bring on Spring! As always, good writing and May God Bless You...

As the fire crackles and the pines crack!

Here we go again, but this time it's ice. I live in the south. For pity's sake where did the southern weather go? As I sit at my dining room where I've set up my laptop so that I can work, I hear the crackling of the fire in the den. But behind me is a set of french doors that lead onto our back patio, from there you hear the snap, crackle, and pop of the pine trees that can't hold the weight of the building ice. I did venture out earlier to grab some paperwork from my office and I could actually smell fresh pine. It's like I was walking into a room with a pine air freshener. I love snow, but not ice. Ice is dangerous and usually cause massive power outages. Luckily at the moment we have power, but it's flickered a couple of times. Even northerners have to say ice is different than snow to deal with. When we had snow a couple of weeks ago, people were still on the roads a little bit, but when you have ice it's eerily quiet. Of course the cold has brought out the beautiful red birds. I love to watch them as they poke around for a bit of food. I've got to admit the ice on the trees is beautiful, but the danger still looms. I'm staying inside for now and hoping for the best. As for my writing, I made some large headway last night on finishing up "Faith Through The Tears". I actually powered through almost 5000 words as the story unfolded in my head. I'm so excited about this installment to the "Lean On Him" Christian Series. Of course I'm working steadily on my other works in progress. It's fun to be a writer and get to live in so many different worlds with my characters. One moment I'm in a small town and the next I'm on a horse ranch or maybe I'm on a beach in Savannah. I get to experience so much diversity through my characters and they become a part of me. It's an awe inspiring experience. I do hope that all of you are warm and safe. Also a shout out to my friends across the pond as you're experiencing really scary winds. I send my prayers for everyone to stay safe. Bundle up with a good book and ride out the storm in another world. As for me, as long as I have power I'll be working on accounting, but if the power goes out I have several books and plenty of paper. The work will go on by candle light which could bring on a whole new inspiration. As always, good writing and may God Bless You and keep you safe...

Decisions and another ice storm!

If you've seen the weather reports well here it comes again. Today it starts as rain, then turning to freezing rain, then to sleet and finally a light snow. Oh Joy! Here we go again. I can handle the snow, it's pretty, but the ice is not. That means possible power outages and that's not a good thing. As I told in my post last week, I had to replace one of my computers this weekend. OH, but the fun didn't end there. Yesterday my main printer went out. Yep, I've got a monkey on my back and he's not very friendly. But all in all I've kept up the good attitude that always follows me. I've tried to keep it light, but my pocketbook sure isn't happy... I've got a couple of days to decide whether I'm going to enter the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest. I'd originally thought this was a definite decision, but as I do further thinking I just don't know. It's a great contest to enter, but I'm being pulled in another direction. A little birdy has put a different direction for this book into my ear. I'm praying on it and working through my indecision. Hopefully by Sunday I'll have a answer. Writers are constantly making decisions. They range from settings, main character descriptions, genres, plots, covers, blurbs, publishing, editing, and so many more. Sometimes I spend more time on this than writing which is not a good thing. In order to meet your writing goals, it's important to know what direction you're headed in. Try to stay on the road forward, sometimes those side roads lead in the wrong direction. As always, good writing and May God Bless You...

Looking back at old posts...

I've been blogging for almost two years. It's been such a wild ride. This weekend I was going back through some of my more popular posts. This is one from my CreateSpace blog. If you didn't know this I have several blogs going. What can I say, I like to multi-task... First things First. You write the romance novel. Posted by SHurt on Aug 6, 2012 1:41:24 PM Well, I have been writing stories for as long as I can remember. The storylines came easily to me. That was the easy part. The hard part was putting it on paper. I could always see the story from start to finish, but it was the in between that got complicated. I decided to go old school. I sat down one day and made an outline of the story in my head. The outline ended up having 18 sections. SO, that was my story in a condensed version. I took the outline to the computer and started. I used each section of the outline to fill in my story. I would expand the section until it filled a chapter, sometimes two. Before I knew it, two months later, I had a completed manuscript. I looked at the manuscript in awe. I had finally done it. I had completed a whole story from beginning to end. Now what! ON my next blog I will continue the story. Get to writing. It can be very stress relieving. As always, good writing and May God Bless You...

Revisiting an Old Friend

As I wrote a couple of days ago, I'll be revamping some of my first books. They'll be longer and more descriptive. I've always gained more knowledge over the last couple of years regarding different wording and such. I'm excited about it. I started working some last night on the remake of Ghost Lover which is the first book I published in May 2012. Don't worry for those that are waiting on the release of two of my upcoming books, they're still in the works. But as I opened the dusty file of Ghost Lover I had to smile. This was my baby. I read the first couple of words and it was like revisiting an old friend. When you write a book you get to know your characters personally. As you write each word and describe each character in detail you gain so much love for your characters. When the book is finished it's like a sad moment. But, when you revisit the book it's exciting. I've been changing several aspects, but the feeling of the book stays the same. It's even going to have new categories. I've playing with the idea of changing the cover a little to honor the newly polished work since it is changing slightly. But the cowboy on the cover will stay the same because I just simply love him. I hope everyone is enjoying their Friday. Yeah, it's finally Friday. I hope to post some this weekend on my progress, but I'm going to be busy putting programs into a new office computer. Yep, my tax program was way too large for my laptop, so I had to purchase a new desktop to replace my other desktop. Didn't see that one coming, but that's life. Good thing it's tax season and that will more than pay for the new computer. As always, good writing and May God Bless You...

Writing, the experience

I've experienced so many emotions as I write. It's amazing the things that go through your mind as you push out that story. You know what I'm talking about if you're a writer. Sometimes it's that feeling that makes you think you're going crazy. Ok, so maybe not every writer experiences this, but I do and I've talked to several authors who say the same thing. Here's what I'm talking about. It's the feeling of getting lost in the story. You get filled with the characters emotions and actions. It takes over your brain and at times you have to shake your head to get it out. I've been so lost in my writing that I'd block out everything around me. My family sometimes have to actually nudge me because I can't hear them. One of my books has a kidnapping section in it and when I was writing this scene I actually felt my heart racing with fear. It was as if I was feeling the fear my character felt. I know it sounds crazy, but it's the emotional bond you have with the characters you write. When the character was rescued I actually sighed with relief. Then you have those moments when you're out somewhere or working at your day job and the writing bug hits. It's like the flu. It hits quickly and rapidly takes your thinking processes away from what you're doing. The symptoms can range from breaking out into a sweat, intense staring (Nobody or no one person is immune to that stare), itchy fingers, the loss of logical speaking, and then the immense need to find something, anything to write on. It can be a napkin, envelope, gum wrapper(that's not the best thing but it works), or any writing surface that presents itself in front of you. I have notes everywhere, it's crazy. Of course the worst feeling for a writer is the dreaded writer's block. You're sitting there writing and all of a sudden you lose the whole feeling for the story. Your mind goes completely blank. It's as though the book in your mind has been erased and all you see is a blank page. You sit with your fingers poised above the keyboard, you break out into a sweat, you're disoriented and confused about the new feeling, then you get concerned. Maybe you have a deadline and this is not the time to draw a complete blank. The funny thing is minutes earlier your brain had the whole story completely outlined and now NOTHING! The best feeling to me is when you hit publish. Of course it's the most scariest feeling too. You're euphoric at finishing your baby that you've fed, cleaned and babied for what seems like forever and then you have to send it away. Then it hit's you, oh my goodness I just finished a novel and put it in someone's hands. Now you wait. You wait for the responses, the sales (this you just hope to see something), the criticism, and the rewards. Hitting that publish button can cause you a moment of every emotion imaginable. For me it's really a strange feeling when someone you don't know comes up to you in a store or event and says 'hey, you're that romance writer'. I know I turn red as a beet. I'm not a person that loves for someone to shower me with praises. I'm a shy person at those times. I get embarassed and excited all at the same time. Of course the hidden diva inside is jumping up and down, squealing with delight, but I'm not a diva on the outside by no means. There are so many emotions and experiences a writer goes through. It's different for everyone, but it all comes down to the experience of a writer. I love being a writer and expressing my love for the craft. It brings me great joy and it's a thing of pride to hold a finished book in my hands. I hope you find the joy of writing that I've found. Smile, someone might be reading your finished book at this very moment. You may be changing someones life with your writing. If you've been holding back on pushing that publish button then you're not giving yourself enough credit. Do it. You'll feel better after you do. As always, good writing and May God Bless You...

How do you keep the Romance?

Today is the 20th Anniversary of my marriage to my hubby. It's hard to believe that we've been together for 20 years. That's a lot of water under the bridge. So, how do you keep the romance going for 20 years? Well let me give you some tips. By the way I use these in my writing as well :) 1: Never, ever go to bed mad. Not only does this cause you to have a sleepless night, but you don't get the problem resolved. 2: Always make time for your spouse. Even with a teenager in the house we find time for just us. That's a big priority. 3: Any time we part either to go to work, or to bed we always say "I Love You". Those are 3 very important words in a marriage. Without them you've got a serious problem. 4: Never shout at one another, well, not in anger. One day we'll have to shout for the other one to hear, but that's hopefully way down the road. 5: If you have a disagreement, which everybody does from time to time, just step back and take a breath. That always helps to get a little of the tension away. Then calmy discuss it and work it out. I know that was only 5, but I can't give away all my secrets. I've been lucky to have a good, hard working, handsome, caring, husband and father to our son. It's been a blast that's for sure. So, go give your hubby or signicant other a big kiss and tell them how you feel. As always, good writing and May God Bless You...

Dust it off and see what happens

This weekend I was working on The Winner Takes All which is the 2nd book in The Winner series. I had to bring out the first book for a couple of references and as I read it was like visiting an old friend. I actually read a couple of chapters before I knew what I was doing. But I did see some things I'd like to change or expand on. Funny how that happens as you start to learn more about your craft. I've had a couple of fans say they'd like to know more back story of some of the characters in a couple of my books. One lady even put in a review that she'd love to see me expand one of my books. She loved the book so much that she wanted to know more about the back story of some of the characters. Well, that got me to thinking about doing just that. Of course, you know me, I did some research on authors revisiting old stories and was amazed at how many famous authors have done this. Even their best sellers they've revisited them and some even revamped the covers and did a whole re-release campaign. So, don't be shocked if I don't revisit a couple of my books. I actually have some ideas for a couple of them. Have you ever did this? Have you read a book lately that you wanted more of the story? It's funny how you love a story but you want to hear more about a particular character. Well, I've listened to these requests from my fans and plan on do just that. As always, good writing and May God Bless You...

Cowboys, Cowboys Everywhere...

I've written posts on this before and it's still true. Everywhere I look I see cowboys. Romance books, commercials, movies, they're everywhere. I've written most cowboy romance and I do have to say that a cowboy main character is pretty exhirating. I mean they're masculine, hard working, rugged, everything you'd want in a hero type. Someone asked me the other day if all my romances are about cowboys and I smiled. I do have a couple that aren't cowboy related, but most of my books do have cowboys and horses. As I've always said, you have to write about what you love. It just makes it easier. If you write about something that you're not passionate about then it will show in your writing. Always go with what you're passionate about. I'm going to write what I'm passionate about. It's just how I'm made. Do you have something you're passionate about? As a writer you can really shine if you go with your passion. Since I've always loved anything about horses and cowboys, it's only natural that I'd write about them. I've actually heard from fans that I've convinced them to love cowboys too. That made me happy because that means that I did what I strived to do. So what's your passion? Is your romantic hero a cowboy, Navy Seal, doctor, business man, millionaire, musician, bad boy, body guard, vampire, werewolf, shifter, the list can go on and on? If it's romance I'll read it, but my favorite type is obvious... As always, good writing and May God Bless You...