tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74812033831084032002024-03-19T00:30:30.930-07:00Author - Stephanie Payne HurtAuthor of Romance. Contemporary, Historical, Christian, and even Paranormal. Everyone needs a little romance.Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.comBlogger168125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-40697807276406851892016-10-05T08:15:00.001-07:002016-10-05T08:15:38.283-07:00Elle Marlow Western Romance Author: The Elite Blog welcomes Author, Stephanie Hurt and...<a href="http://ellemarlow.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-elite-blog-welcomes-author.html?spref=bl">Elle Marlow Western Romance Author: The Elite Blog welcomes Author, Stephanie Hurt and...</a>: Hello, Stephanie. Thank you for visiting the Elite blog. Your new book, Tuscany has really piqued our interest and we'd like to know m...Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-2158740739017373162016-05-14T10:03:00.001-07:002016-05-14T10:03:37.952-07:00Book Advertising Site!http://www.freshfromthebook.com/ Check it out today!Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-42969673893463229492015-11-09T05:31:00.001-08:002015-11-09T05:31:54.415-08:00Southern Writers - Suite T: Lining the Story Up<a href="http://southernwritersmagazine.blogspot.com/2015/11/lining-story-up.html?spref=bl">Southern Writers - Suite T: Lining the Story Up</a>: By Stephanie Payne Hurt Writers are special people in a lot of ways. We have stories and characters that run rampant inside our...Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-9630101043159007382015-10-10T17:37:00.001-07:002015-10-10T17:37:32.728-07:00Tuscany trying for Top 25!<a href="http://www.thebingbing.com/stephaniehurt/973288#.VhmvRsAH1g0.blogger">Tuscany trying for Top 25!</a>Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-13935064384913575112015-10-08T17:59:00.000-07:002015-10-08T18:00:03.252-07:00Come by and Vote!Hey! I've been honored by making it to the top 50 on Harlequin's SYTYCW15 contest. In order for me to make it to the next level I have to get as many votes as possible.
So, come by and give Tuscany some love - <a href="https://www.wattpad.com/story/48304085-tuscany-sytycw15">https://www.wattpad.com/story/48304085-tuscany-sytycw15</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMz5k6GDBuLJHdZO3UfsLw8oyW8DBAZRXDJXcKRvSD-QM0fJcFqrtixs3Y5x6uC3fmMLNT7m6nj2aOkS9bnboKc5VLdo23h9B_5U3URw3OdH3f2DOxrjtLyiesu9gbjl8R7qT-jX2l_k/s1600/harlequin_instagram_50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMz5k6GDBuLJHdZO3UfsLw8oyW8DBAZRXDJXcKRvSD-QM0fJcFqrtixs3Y5x6uC3fmMLNT7m6nj2aOkS9bnboKc5VLdo23h9B_5U3URw3OdH3f2DOxrjtLyiesu9gbjl8R7qT-jX2l_k/s320/harlequin_instagram_50.jpg" /></a></div>Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-73290208720786286002015-08-08T11:37:00.001-07:002015-08-08T11:37:22.302-07:00Coffee, 3 cups and still going… | Avon Romance<a href="http://avonromance.com/coffee-3-cups-and-still-going#.VcZMW2zEu4Q.blogger">Coffee, 3 cups and still going… | Avon Romance</a>Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-43421246790476145122015-05-31T15:10:00.001-07:002015-05-31T15:10:42.318-07:00"Oakley" has been officially released today! | PRLog<a href="http://www.prlog.org/12461203-oakley-has-been-officially-released-today.html">"Oakley" has been officially released today! | PRLog</a>Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-5147670973329343252015-02-28T06:25:00.000-08:002015-02-28T06:25:35.348-08:00Romance…Not for everyone…
So many people ask me why I write romance. Well, I love anything romance and believe that everyone needs a little romance. Of course I’ve met many skeptics that don’t believe in romance. They often tell me it’s only found in sappy novels, Valentine candy or something similar, but they insist it’s only in the mind. For me I don’t believe that. I don’t consider most romance novels sappy, but sometimes the sappier the better, but I’m a romance novel junkie and I readily admit to the problem.
Many have asked me when I started loving romance. My love for romance began when I was the tender age of 13 and picked up my first romance novel. I read many Harlequin and dime store novels, so many in fact that I carried them everywhere. One of my dear friends from school came to my book signing on Valentine’s Day and she told me that she remembered me carrying a romance novel everywhere I went. She said it only made sense that one day I’d be a romance author.
But the day I picked up the book “Remembrance” by Danielle Steele, well let’s just say I was lost in a world of the imagination. She took me to foreign countries and many adventures that stirred this country girl’s young heart. That’s when I started filling notebooks with the words that sprang to my heart. That was when I woke up to the world of romance.
Unfortunately not everyone shares my love of romance. Some people have been hurt by love and they turn away from romance. Some people look in the wrong places for the right person and they end up bitter and alone. But some try desperately to find romance and when it’s not found easily they become skeptics. I’m not saying everyone will find that once in a lifetime romance, but I will say this, in order to find romance you’ve got to believe in it with all your heart. That’s where romance comes from and if you believe, it will come.
I know I’m just a sappy romance writer, but I know romance exists. I’ve experienced romance and it’s wonderful. That’s one reason I love writing romance. I want my readers to see how real romance happens. My books explore romance but in real life form. It’s not always easy and sometimes my characters struggle to find it. But that’s how life is sometimes. Some of my fans say I take them away from everyday life and immerse them into my world of romance for a while as they read. That always makes me smile.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4gA8scUFdu-wE6sGeYkbQoa7pSTk5B8S3Pez6wJaQx-x23Sb-mvOTRbqk3auZgZrObsn0SbstfJJwDwe9SnfZ7QXYZs0erquM4V8zvKTkBdsYStGhjXlED9tcSNZeZN87eKhtS-05wo/s1600/16302678259_653027e186_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU4gA8scUFdu-wE6sGeYkbQoa7pSTk5B8S3Pez6wJaQx-x23Sb-mvOTRbqk3auZgZrObsn0SbstfJJwDwe9SnfZ7QXYZs0erquM4V8zvKTkBdsYStGhjXlED9tcSNZeZN87eKhtS-05wo/s320/16302678259_653027e186_m.jpg" /></a></div>
So, do you believe in romance? I hope so because everyone needs to experience it at least once in their lifetimes. It can happen in a simple touch, dinner or just a look across the way. But it exists for those that believe and when you find it everything seems better.
As always, good writing and May God Bless you…Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-4031836860025135122015-02-18T17:56:00.001-08:002015-02-18T17:56:16.974-08:00Ridge by Stephanie Payne Hurt<a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ridge-1749217-149.html#.VOVCuJcdQd0.blogger">Ridge by Stephanie Payne Hurt</a>Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-75048373284499320872015-01-23T17:25:00.001-08:002015-01-23T17:25:44.664-08:00Book Signing on Valentine's Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC_8GncFvLFQ0r8IbKSmtU0WbUXSsbcg1MgO1OWwk-cOAyJPfGNf4847-9leEymG61udRzSkxNv4dEhspT_thDMGmbdYkJna3F3aX2OWH34KphsvVAMEWZ6CzwjMwc6MThh791gfTJPoQ/s1600/book+signing+ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC_8GncFvLFQ0r8IbKSmtU0WbUXSsbcg1MgO1OWwk-cOAyJPfGNf4847-9leEymG61udRzSkxNv4dEhspT_thDMGmbdYkJna3F3aX2OWH34KphsvVAMEWZ6CzwjMwc6MThh791gfTJPoQ/s640/book+signing+ad.jpg" /></a></div>Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-72278988481368053312014-12-11T17:03:00.000-08:002014-12-11T17:03:05.402-08:00If your story falls apart, use duct tape?Duct tape is a house staple, just as salt, sugar and flour are food staples. For many years people have fixed almost everything with duct tape. At Church we even fixed a broken Christmas tree with duct tape, no really we did. It’s strong and durable. Also you can get it in any width and color so it’s versatile.
What if you’re story is falling apart? We all have those manuscripts that start out really good and we have a phenomenal ending planned, but the middle has so many holes and fractures that it puts a real stink on the beginning and ending. Well, put a little duct tape on it. What am I talking about? Well, here goes the answer in a nutshell.
By duct tape I mean sit down with your beginning and ending. Then really look at it. Where is the character headed? The middle needs some suspense or issue that needs to carry the reader over the hump to the end. It needs something that only the ending can shed some light on. This is where the duct tape comes in.
As I said above, duct tape is strong and durable with lots of versatility, so the middle of the book needs to be taped up neatly. But be careful not to just add fluffy filler that makes the reader fall asleep with boredom. If the first of the book is power packed, then make the middle explode with tension. This is the strong duct tape. Add an element of complete surprise. Let the main character have a major problem that needs solving, or maybe a secret that is threatening to come out, but the secret has to be life altering.
But make sure that it can mesh with your great ending. I did this one time and a book that started out being only around 30,000 words went over 50,000 words with a little duct tape application. Crazy, but true. I had this really great beginning that pulled you in and the ending left you breathless, but the middle was just a bunch of fluff. As I did my first read through I was almost dozing and that’s not good. I sat down and spread out the beginning and ending, then totally restructured my characters. I added a whole new dimension to them that took them on an adventure that meshed well with the ending and soon I had a complete story that I was proud to hit the publish button on.
So, get you some duct tape and pull that story together. If you use the right duct tape it will hold together nicely.
As always, good writing and May God Bless You…Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-1162550897047486682014-10-22T05:13:00.000-07:002014-10-22T05:13:31.473-07:00Her Wish For Christmas... Pre Order up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieafv5Y8faaZe_ksU2vf3kwQ0HxGL3AUjB2joJXD0lMQPBoStJKPAVN0ijm3u-XnODnqGNnecAUgG3ASGWZvur7fsTvdUFDeb6fsB9ehnI-9HbXvZ0Cy0ir50DtHDpoppuFkYwFFrhd6c/s1600/Her+Wish+for+Christmas+ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieafv5Y8faaZe_ksU2vf3kwQ0HxGL3AUjB2joJXD0lMQPBoStJKPAVN0ijm3u-XnODnqGNnecAUgG3ASGWZvur7fsTvdUFDeb6fsB9ehnI-9HbXvZ0Cy0ir50DtHDpoppuFkYwFFrhd6c/s320/Her+Wish+for+Christmas+ad.jpg" /></a></div>
Good Wednesday morning to everyone! It's a beautiful, chilly morning here in Georgia. I just love the crisp air that Fall offers. It's so invigorating and refreshes my soul. I begin to get more itchy to write which is scary because some days I could write for 24 hours a day. Yikes, that sounds a little obsessive, but if you're a writer you know exactly what I'm talking about.
I'm currently working on Her Wish for Christmas, the 3rd book in my Lean on Him Christian Romance Series. This book has torn at my heart and brought me to tears several times. I thought book 2 in the series, Faith Through the Tears was bad on my nerves, well this one has totally cleared out my tear ducts. Actually had a fan recommend sending out a box of tissues with each copy sold.
Good Wednesday morning to everyone! It's a beautiful, chilly morning here in Georgia. I just love the crisp air that Fall offers. It's so invigorating and refreshes my soul. I begin to get more itchy to write which is scary because some days I could write for 24 hours a day. Yikes, that sounds a little obsessive, but if you're a writer you know exactly what I'm talking about.
I'm currently working on Her Wish for Christmas, the 3rd book in my Lean on Him Christian Romance Series. This book has torn at my heart and brought me to tears several times. I thought book 2 in the series, Faith Through the Tears was bad on my nerves, well this one has totally cleared out my tear ducts. Actually had a fan recommend sending out a box of tissues with each copy sold.
If you're wondering why it brings me to tears, well it's a book about a problem that plagues this nation and it's something that just affects me so deeply. But it's the reactions of the characters that totally takes me by surprise. If you're not a writer, the last statement might seem strange, but sometimes as writer's we're surprised by how the characters take over.
Also, for this book, it's on pre order through Amazon until the release date of November 14th at http://www.amazon.com/Her-Wish-Christmas-Lean-Book-ebook/dp/B00OJI0BN0. I'm donating 50% of my royalties from all the pre order sales and first week after release sales to a domestic violence charity. I want to help out with making a difference. This is such a problem and it breaks my heart that so many feel they have nowhere to turn.
The first couple of days the pre order was out it was in the top 100 on Amazon which is exciting. I'm so touched by the response to this book and can't wait for it to be up and running. Since the book is almost completely through the editing process I'm crossing my fingers that maybe this book can inspire someone to speak out and get help.
As always, great writing and May God Bless You...Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-5658361999705254922014-09-24T04:38:00.001-07:002014-09-24T04:38:47.006-07:00Safe in the Pirate's Arms by Stephanie Hurt - Author/Accountant/Children's Minister<a href="http://avonromance.com/post/safe-in-the-pirates-arms">Safe in the Pirate's Arms by Stephanie Hurt - Author/Accountant/Children's Minister</a>Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-79281583696152514022014-08-14T07:29:00.003-07:002014-08-14T07:29:42.000-07:00Authors are like bees!Authors are like bees!
Ok, I know you’re saying, now where is she going with that? Well, let me explain. I was watching a bumblebee buzzing around my flowers and I was thinking about the pollination process. If you think hard about it you’ll get where I’m going with this :)
As authors we start with the seed that grows into a flower which of course is our book. Once we’ve completed our work of art we start spreading it everywhere. Then of course other authors or bees in this analogy, spread it to other places and so on and so on. Are you getting the picture?
Of course we do want to make sure to cross pollinate too. We need to work together as authors and helps other authors promote. It’s a win, win. Have you noticed that we do a lot of promoting on other authors sites and them on ours? I was asked by a non writer once why we do that and I laughed. I told them it may sound crazy, but it still gets our name out there.
We all have followers that read what we post. Then of course if we recommend a book they’ll go over and check it out, then also when we cross pollinate, the original author gets more views from the other authors followers. It may sound confusing, but it’s really quite simple. It’s like a pyramid, but legal.
So, have you cross pollinated lately? Don’t forget about Romancing September Across The World will start Septemeber 1st. I’ll be posting more in the next week regarding it. But I’ll tell you this, we’ve got 30 awesome authors involved and it’s going to be a great chance to do some pollinating, ummm…. you know what I mean, sharing :)
As always, good writing and May God Bless You…
For more info:
http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/romancing-september-tour/
Also, the countdown is getting close for Safe In The Pirate’s Arms…Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-39429238679992239662014-08-13T07:30:00.001-07:002014-08-13T07:30:38.311-07:00Mid Week Snippet!
With Safe in the Pirate’s Arms coming out in 2 days, I thought I’d tease you a little bit. You know me, I have to let you in on the fun! I will say this, writing a Pirate Romance was so much fun that guess what, no wait should I tell you this yet? Hmmmm…. ok you pulled my leg, be looking for another installment coming over the horizon. Watch for it. It will sail into book sites in the near future, but for now, here’s a snippet of Caleb & Serena’s story:
<i><b>Pacing the quarters that were quickly shrinking, she finally walked over to the door. She placed her ear on the door to see if anyone was near. When she heard nothing, she quietly opened the door. Slowly she stepped out of the cabin. The sea air felt wonderful on her face.
Closing her eyes she let it blow over her body and through her hair. The smell was heavenly and made her long to be up on deck. She leaned over the railing and looked down at the water rippling and splashing on the side of the huge ship.
So caught up in her view, she didn’t hear Caleb coming up the walkway. He couldn’t believe she was already disobeying him. She was caught off guard when he pulled her quickly into his quarters. The anger in his eyes told her that this would cost her freedom.
“Do you even have a thought to your safety? Am I the only one concerned with it?” He thrust her toward the bed and stood over her. “I left you untied because I wanted to give you a chance to walk around and for your wrists to heal.”
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stay cooped up in here. It’s stuffy and warm.” She indicated the sweat on her brow.
He walked over to the door and contemplated what to do with this woman. She’d disobeyed his orders. What if his men would’ve seen her? Rolling his eyes he turned to look down at her. “If you’ll stay in here until after the men go to sleep, I’ll take you up on deck.” He put his hands on his hips. “Can you handle that?” What was she doing to his control?
She meekly looked up at him from under her lowered lashes. “I’ll stay right here.” She was excited about going up on deck to see the stars overhead. They were always brighter out at sea.
“I’ll be back in a bit with dinner, so you’d better be right here. Do you understand?” He talked to her as if she was a child.
“I’m not a child.” She huffed out.
“Then don’t make me treat you like one.” He said and walked back out the door. By the time he stepped back on deck he was smiling. Things were not going to get boring with her on board. He whistled as he stepped up to take the wheel from Tom.
Tom grinned at his friends light mood. “Well how’s the prisoner?”
Caleb cut a hard look at him. “She’s not a prisoner and she’s the most stubborn woman I’ve ever dealt with.” He growled out.
“Well, most women that are brave usually have a stubborn streak. And she’s definitely brave.” He shook his head and laughed. “I’ve never known many women who’d want to sneak on a pirate ship.”<b></b></i></b>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo6V89BR_tQ4NxzTYVPWbbvsUMoDpvCJZtYnpK8ZZMs3exUTYBhXyDGsQSAnGF9shrx3B-tMdqQD7j_2H4Mb0alEr8lHU_vYm3ZKg4m1LOlceagMjL7vnwvlP5t469euqr4S2G3qTI1AY/s1600/Safe+in+the+pirate's%2BarmsFront%2BCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo6V89BR_tQ4NxzTYVPWbbvsUMoDpvCJZtYnpK8ZZMs3exUTYBhXyDGsQSAnGF9shrx3B-tMdqQD7j_2H4Mb0alEr8lHU_vYm3ZKg4m1LOlceagMjL7vnwvlP5t469euqr4S2G3qTI1AY/s320/Safe+in+the+pirate's%2BarmsFront%2BCover.jpg" /></a></div>
That was just a little dangling bait to wet your senses. It’s a powerful book that takes you on a journey across the sea and back. Don’t forget, it’s coming Friday!
As always, good writing and May God Bless You…Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-31716617934189222922014-08-12T16:18:00.005-07:002014-08-12T16:18:59.777-07:00New Website and Release date finalized!
It’s been a very productive past couple of days. I have a new website that features buy links for my paperbacks and it’s pretty neat. You can go over and visit at http://www.stephaniehurtauthor.com/.
Also this is something that Horseshoe Publishing does. We offer website design and set up. Also at competitive rates. Just wanted to throw that in there.
The other big news is that “Safe In The Pirate’s Arms” official release date is Friday, August 15th. Yep that’s this Friday. I’m excited that it’s so soon, I’d thought it might me next week. Of course my new website has a countdown to the minute, but you know how these book sites are. It could go up a little earlier, but that’s the approximate time.
I hope everyone is having an awesome week so far. As for me, it’s been great and I’m working on Emma. The countdown to release is coming up. Then on to the new series. Yikes, deadlines! Yep, I love being a writer.
As always, good writing and May God Bless You…Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-82313031646780946202014-07-24T07:46:00.001-07:002014-07-24T07:46:09.022-07:00Safe in the Pirate's Arms by Stephanie Hurt - Author/Accountant/Children's Minister<a href="http://avonromance.com/post/safe-in-the-pirates-arms">Safe in the Pirate's Arms by Stephanie Hurt - Author/Accountant/Children's Minister</a>Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-66522707087519987762014-07-22T08:34:00.001-07:002014-07-22T08:34:47.269-07:00Safe in the Pirate's Arms by Stephanie Hurt - Author/Accountant/Children's Minister<a href="http://avonromance.com/post/safe-in-the-pirates-arms">Safe in the Pirate's Arms by Stephanie Hurt - Author/Accountant/Children's Minister</a>Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-17006143758415485392014-07-03T08:22:00.001-07:002014-07-03T08:22:48.284-07:00Stephanie Hurt - The Independent Author Network<a href="http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/stephanie-hurt.html">Stephanie Hurt - The Independent Author Network</a>Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-44806656134060394822014-06-20T05:00:00.000-07:002014-06-20T10:50:30.591-07:00In Between Seasons by Cassandra Giovanni Cover RevealCOMING JULY 31, 2014
From Show n'ot Tell Publishing
NEW ADULT POST - APOCALYPTIC ROMANCE SERIES
In 2021 the world as we know it changed. The government collapsed, and the worst characteristics of human nature were shown as the world fell into ruins. Years after The Fall, the Tribes that were established are still at war. They still fight to keep what they pillaged, and most of all, they fight to keep their lies a secret. In a world filled with deception, nothing is as it seems.
I was born into this world.
Hunter Marks was molded into this world; a General— a person cold and harsh. A person meant to kill me.
We were told to just believe.
We were taught to never question.
We’re supposed to be robots, and accept our roles in this altered society.
Too bad Hunter and I don’t follow the rules.
And we’re a hell of a lot stronger than they ever thought possible.
They’ve been searching for the world’s deadliest weapon.
It’s me.
And I’m not following the leader any more.
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Cassandra doesn't remember a time when she wasn't writing. In fact, the first time she was published was when she was seven years old and won a contest to be published in an American Girl Doll novel. Since then Cassandra has written more novels than she can count and put just as many in the circular bin. Her personal goal with her writing is to show the reader the character's stories through their dialogue and actions instead of just telling the reader what is happening. Besides being a writer, Cassandra is a professional photographer known for her automotive, nature and architectural shots. She is happily married to the man of her dreams and they live in the rolling hills of New England their dogs, Bubski and Kanga.
Cassandra Giovanni is published by Show n’ot Tell Publishing based out of Connecticut, USA.
Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-24840007944143238502014-06-19T05:38:00.000-07:002014-06-19T05:38:23.946-07:00TBT - "Field Of Dreams"It’s Thursday and as I sit here watching the Today Show I’m in awe. Why? Well, they’re talking about Field OF Dreams being 25 years old. I dearly love this movie for many reasons. It’s such an inspirational movie.
Even if you don’t like baseball you’ll love this movie. I just love Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones. The movie takes you to another place where dreams come true and make you think. The main character makes his dreams a reality through many hardships and a lot of criticism.
It makes me think about my dream to be a writer. My niece who is also my partner in our publishing business told me that if I write the fans will come and she was right. I compare my writing to the baseball field. When I publish a book I’m always amazed at the people that come out of the darkness and write to me about the book. Some call them inspirational and others say they love the clean way I bring about romance without having to go too far.
I guess you could say my writing is my very own field of dreams and it’s been a dream come true. Yes I do meet some criticism, but I have a tough skin and let it roll off my back. I’m lucky that I have a great following and so many new friends from all over the world that support my writing, my blog and my craziness. Thanks to all of you for helping me make my dreams come true.
As always, great writing and May God Bless You…Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-5495746906632128632014-05-22T04:53:00.000-07:002014-05-22T04:53:34.476-07:00Throwback Thursday - Tender FlamesWell, another one of my books has turned two this week. Tender Flames turned two on Monday. Wow, time flies when you're having a blast. I always knew that writing was fun and rewarding, but the last two years have really proven this as fact.
Tender Flames was a challenge to me. I pitted two brothers against one another and made it work. I cried and laughed while writing this one. But as with Ghost Lover it is under reconstruction. I've learned so much in the last two years and I want to make this book even better with new angles. Even the cover will be remade even though I dearly love the original, everything needs a face lift from time to time.
Here's a little snippet from Tender Flames:
They walked hand in hand back to the party. They were both deep in thought. She was thinking about how her family would react and how Wes would. Zach knew his family would be happy, well almost his whole family. He knew it was mean of him to want to hurt his brother, but his brother was a fool for not snatching her up long ago.
They arrived back at the party. Randy ran over, “Hey sis, everyone wondered where you two had wondered off to. Judging by the look on your face I know what you were doing.” He grinned as he pulled his sisters hair. She blushed.
Zach led her to the front of the dance floor. He whistled for the music to stop. Everyone turned to see what Zach had to say. “I have some wonderful news. I have asked Sara to be my wife, and she has accepted. We are to be wed before my leave is up.” There was a stunned silence then everyone whooped and yelled. There were a lot of handshakes and pats on the back for Zach and hugs for Sara. Her parents were stunned at first, then relieved. They had always hoped she would marry one of the Dawson boys. The same went for his parents, they were thrilled. His mother had even cried.
Wes walked up and leaned over Sara. He whispered in her ear. “I hope you know what you are doing?” He then gave her a hug that was tight enough to press the air from her lungs. The look he gave her was full of something she did not recognize. She knew then that he cared more for her than she realized. She was suddenly angry with him. It served him right. He should have let her know a long time ago. She did not plan on waiting on him the rest of her life.
He gave his brother a hug and said in his ear. “Brother, she had better not be pregnant. You had better make her happy.” He gave him a look that dared him to go against what he said. With that he had left with his girlfriend.
Zach had noticed his brother’s reaction too. He was sorry for the hurt he had seen in his eyes, but he loved Sara. He would make her a good husband. Maybe one day she would learn to love him, but for now he was satisfied that she would be his wife. He knew deep down that there would always be a large part of her that belonged to Wes. He could live with that, he just hoped that she could.
He turned to her and gave her a big kiss, which brought a lot of whistling and applauding. They danced together for the remainder of the evening. Sara was still a little shocked by the show of emotions on Wes’ face. She knew now that he loved her, but she had committed herself to his brother. She would not back out now and hurt Zach. In a way, she did love him, but she would never love him the way she did Wes. She would make him a good wife.
This is from the original manuscript. Since the rewrite is already in process this scene will read differently but the emotion will be there.
As always, good writing and May God Bless You...Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-38950431126108924302014-05-12T05:29:00.001-07:002014-05-12T05:32:44.958-07:00Lightning Bugs & Mason Jarshttp://stephanie-hurt.com/2014/05/12/lightning-bugs-and-mason-jars/
Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-24639660298782541522014-05-05T04:44:00.001-07:002014-05-05T04:44:20.694-07:00Getting to the Heart of Romance...As most of you know, I write romance. I also blog about romance and the need for more of it in our lives. As I've said many times, romance helps in so many ways.If you're married, you need sprinkles of romance in every aspect of that marriage. If you're in a relationship and it's leaning toward love, well you need romance. It just helps out with even the most tense moment.
I've read hundreds, dare I say thousands of romance novels. Sometimes I have to laugh at the lengths a writer will go to when trying to tickle a readers ears. I know all about those lengths. I do it everyday in my writing. Are we giving people false hope? I don't think so, but I recently read an article on just that. The writer talked about teen girls today expecting to find that one man that will give them the romance and life they've read about in novels. She talked about having a trend of romance novels that actually talked of real life interactions.
This made me think about my writing. Could a romance novel written from real life interactions make difference? Would the couple waking up with morning breath, totally avoiding one another until they've freshened said breath make a difference? What about those unglamorous moments when you have no make up on and your hair is scraggly? Do you write about that? Will it sell or will people laugh you right out of business?
If you take a long look at your own life, how many times have you had a muscled man rescue you and sweep you away to a beautiful location to propose and give you a huge diamond ring, then kiss you into oblivion? Really, how many times? What about a virile cowboy sweeping you off your feet and taking you away into the sunset on his horse? I know, I'm being a little far fetched, but let's get to the heart of real romance.
In real life it's the simple things. Maybe it's a flower picked from the yard, a card to say I'm sorry, maybe it's just a loaded dishwasher after a long day of work, but let's get real about romance. For me it's that look across the dinner table or simply a quick kiss as he passes me in the kitchen as I fix dinner. But in order to sell books, sometimes we have to go beyond the simple and blow the romance up to a higher level. But that's what sells books, so we'll continue to do it.
I can say that I haven't heard of anyone being swept off their feet by a sexy vampire or shifter. But it makes for fascinating reading.
As always good writing, and May God Bless You...Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7481203383108403200.post-57843956190935149862014-05-01T05:58:00.000-07:002014-05-01T05:58:22.577-07:00How hooked are you?Good morning! I do hope all of you are safe and well after those nasty storms that came through the southern US. As for me, did you notice no post from me yesterday. Well, I had no power for most of the day. If you know me well, or even if you just know me from social media interaction, then you know I try to post most days.
While my power was off and I was unconnected to all of my electrical devices, I had lots of time to think. Think? Wow that's a large word when you think about it. How often do we just sit and think? No really, how often? Yes we use our brains, but most of the time it's connected to some sort of electrical device, especially internet driven devices. Whether it's your computer, smart phone, or whatever it is that you use to do everything, you're probably hooked.
I sat here thinking about how much power means to us today. It's like life shuts down when the power does. But if you think about it, we're so hooked on the gadgets that make life easier that we can't function when it goes south. I sat down on my couch and tried to figure out what I would do until the power came back on. The sad thing was, I had payroll for a client to complete, but my computer addicted brain had a hard time dealing with the process of manually completing the task. That's when I sat down and took a hard look at me life. When it's quiet and nothing is happening you can do that without interruption.
I realized that I'm addicted to power. Whatever happened to actually doing something for ourselves without relying on a gadget to do it for us. I stood up and walked to my office with determination. Of course I had to drag my teenage son with me so he could hold the flashlight. I pulled out the employee paperwork on each employee, I dusted off the payroll tax sheets and I grabbed some checks and a pen. Oh yeah, and the solar powered calculator. I sat down with a old oil lamp and proceeded to figure payroll the old way. My son sat watching and shaking his head. He kept saying, 'Can't you wait until the power comes back on?' I just kept going and soon I had a completed payroll ready for delivery.
The hard part was the social media disconnect. I sat for a moment wondering if I made any sales during the night, wondering how all my social media friends had faired the night of storms and wanting desperately to check my Twitter feed. Sad, but true. I realized again I'm addicted to everything power connected.
Unfortunately, most of my work is connected to power. My clients files are loaded on my laptop, which has a battery of course, but my accounting program drains that battery really quickly. I did a couple of things that didn't require my laptop, but I was limited. I did work on some of my manuscript outlines. I still do those old school long hand. It's just the way I am. I tried putting those on the computer, but it's easier to have them beside me as I write, not in a file that I have to pull up.
So, my question is this, How hooked are you on electricity or even the internet and social media? If you were without power for a week, would you pull your hair out or make the best of it?
As always, good writing and May God Bless You...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvkjgWVFayPcF6QllvUHMZNqFqqiFMhFUfvkkCBK1N76mzJbkKibLtsU9Wv0mm9-0F6sGh5fa1m7tUyKjJF6rIzTARlq2wmljWk0ubo9G0Wu3HBs6sizWl4NBIXZzUa8mikleJrcyLhs/s1600/medium_3796822070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvkjgWVFayPcF6QllvUHMZNqFqqiFMhFUfvkkCBK1N76mzJbkKibLtsU9Wv0mm9-0F6sGh5fa1m7tUyKjJF6rIzTARlq2wmljWk0ubo9G0Wu3HBs6sizWl4NBIXZzUa8mikleJrcyLhs/s320/medium_3796822070.jpg" /></a></div>Stephanie Payne Hurthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02990673217444461953noreply@blogger.com0