I’ve been working on a piece that includes death scene. I’m not talking about a shooting or stabbing death, but a death caused by cancer. Death scenes can be tricky, especially in these circumstances. If you’re having a character killed off you just have them shot or stabbed and there’s a moment of dying then that’s it.

But in this instance the character is in a hospital spending her last moments with her loving husband. Yeah, I cried all the way through writing the scene which took several days. It was mentally and physically draining. The scene spanned a chapter or two as this was a pivotal point of the story line. It sets the scenarios for the rest of the book. And no it’s not a tear jerker all the way through. It’s a really sweet romance from start to finish.

The main character is just such an amazing man. He’s so full of Faith, family and love that you can’t help but fall in love with him. I’ve cried with him, laughed with him and now it’s at another pivotal life changing event and I’ve just sat and sighed with him. Let’s just say it’s going to pull you up in your seat.

In a death scene such as this, you have to be careful. I wanted the death scene to flow easily but not too quickly. The emotions and the last words are pivotal in the mechanics of the main characters decisions later on. Yes, I even put some romance in the death scene which is hard to do, but with these two it’s easy. Their love was immense and totally empowering. 

It’s also a little eye opening for my own life. I’ve lost so many family and friends to cancer so it was a little sad. It also made me think of my own immortality. How would I handle my last minutes on earth? Could I be as brave as Rachel? Would I be a complete mess? How would I handle my last moments with my child and my husband? It’s something to think about. I spent a little time digging into my own heart. It was a reality check for sure.

As always, good writing and May God Bless you…

Before I published my first book I did a lot of investigating. The general comment that I saw from several well known writers was to keep writing. They said that the more you write the better your craft and the better the sales. Well, I wondered how this would pan out for my future career as a writer. 

Now that I’m coming up on my two year publishing anniversary I can say that this is a fact. It’s funny that when I read my first published book I shake my head. I’m in the process of revising a couple of my first books. I’ve learned so much about the process and writing in the last two years. I changed a lot of how the process goes. Also, I’ve slowed down a bit. Of course that could be age, but let’s get past that point.

I’ve seen a huge difference in sales. The first 6 months after publishing my first book my sales were minimal. Every month after that I’ve seen a upswing. I’ve also learned to put a decent price on my work. Even though you might sell less in numbers, the end result if a larger profit. 

As for my covers I’ve stepped up the game. Now I put more effort in making each new cover pack a punch. I want them to stand out in the enormous crowd of other newly published books. I study other covers that I see and what the current trends are. I get a lot of response on my covers which makes me smile. 

One thing I’ve learned from multiple published books, I’ve added more descriptions. I’ve added more insight into the characters and more information on the surroundings. Some of this comes from fans writing to me. They tell me that my earlier books were good, but they wanted more from the characters. I’ve listened to the readers and now I write further detail into every book. Patience has been a hard thing for me to have in my writing. When you can see the end and your excited, sometimes you press it too quickly and lose the middle structure. 

My publishing process has become very detailed. I’ve slowed that process too. Now I do a little more marketing than before. As you’ve noticed in my blogs I’m working on several manuscripts that have been in the works for a while. I also have a couple of surprises coming up, but that’s for another blog down the road. 

As always, good writing, and May God Bless You…

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…

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…

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…

Happy Valentine’s Day!

The Pre Order is now officially up on Smashwords.com. It should be available on Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Apple iTunes in a couple of days. Here’s the link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/413534. Remember, it’s only .99 for preorder, but after the release on March 31st it will go up to $3.99. 

Here’s a excerpt for you to sink your teeth into:

As they neared the tree line she could make out a well-traveled pathway. It opened up as they entered it. The trees were gently swaying with the light breeze. She watched sunlight making its way between the branches. She noticed several large oak trees with moss hanging almost to the ground. She could smell the musty scent of the moss and old trees.

It was weird how comfortable she felt with Anthony. Any other time she would have been a little leery of walking in the woods alone with a stranger, but he didn’t feel like a stranger.

Then she started to see a clearing ahead. He turned to her and smiled. “It’s just ahead in the clearing. I think you will be surprised.” The excitement showed on his face.

As they neared the clearing she noticed a tall wrought iron entranceway. It was amazingly ornate and beautiful. The cemetery was large. It was graced with a huge old live oak in the center of the graves.

“My great-great grandfather planted that oak the day he buried his wife. It’s funny the similarities between you and her. Her name was Lilliana and he called her Lily. I didn’t mention it the other day because I didn’t think you’d be interested, but I can see you would.” He couldn’t help but stare at her. The resemblance was amazing.

She was in awe of the beauty of the place. It was so peaceful. The only sound was the wind whispering through the trees and the slight tinkling sound of a wind chime, but where was it coming from.

“I hear a wind chime. Where is it coming from?” She looked around the trees expecting to see it hanging somewhere among the sprawling limbs.

“It’s on a stand beside the head stone of my great-great grandmother. It’s been there for as long as I can remember. Uncle Thomas has rethreaded it several times. Of course with age it has dry-rotted several times, but it was the dying wish of her husband to keep the wind chimes blowing.” He watched her expression as she looked stunned.

“What’s on your mind? I can tell you are deep in thought.” He wondered what he’d said to affect her so.

“Your uncle said you believe in previous lives. Can I tell you something?” She was still looking at the old oak tree.

“I have some crazy thoughts I know, but I just always feel different from everyone around me. I guess that’s why I’m considered a recluse.” He laughed to himself. “What did you want to tell me?”

“I’ve always felt like I was an old soul. It’s weird but I feel like I’ve seen the house and yard before. You even look familiar to me, but I know I’ve never met you before the other day. Does that sound weird?” She finally chanced a glance at him. The sun was shining down on his dark hair and it glistened. She was struck again by the similarities in him and the man in her dreams.

Well, that’s just a little snippet. I’ll be posting little hints all of March. Also, keep watching for some giveaways. I’m also offering 5 ARC copies to the first 5 people that direct message me. This book has been a long work in progress and I’m really excited about it. The cover is the brain child of my cover designer and myself. I’ve had in my mind what I wanted since I typed the first word. It turned out to be an awesome cover that expressed the way I feel about this book and the characters.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Romance. It’s the time honored wish for most women. We read about it in magazines, novels and watch it in the movies. The search takes on a feverish turn as we get older, but do we find that elusive time held romance? Would you say you found that one man that curls your toes and leaves you in awe? Have you found your romance novel love?

Romance is not a myth, it’s real. But unfortunately we’re all so busy living life that we don’t stop to give it a chance. Romance is inside of all of us, but we don’t let it out. Some men are afraid that if they show their romantic side, then it means they’re weak. What they don’t realize is that romantic side is a indication that they’re in full control of their masculinity and know how to make their women happy. To me there’s nothing more masculine than a man that surprises his wife with a rose or just a simple, spine tingling kiss in public.

Romance can be found in so many ways. It just has to be explored, tested. If your relationship is lacking romance, then maybe you’re not trying hard enough. If your marriage has lost some of that honeymoon phase, then try a little romance. Light a candle at dinner, even with the kids at the table. Give him a look that says imagine we’re alone, he will get the message. Even a little note that simple says I Love You slipped in his lunch or wallet can spread a little romance his way.

I know I talk about romance a lot, but what can I say, I love romance. I guess that’s why I write romance. It’s a way I can spread romance to everyone who reads my work. Romance is a wonderfully, loving experience that everyone needs to have. So, as I always say, go out and spread a little romance.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

P.S.: Finding The Right Time made it to Barnes & Noble for preorder. Here’s the link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-the-right-time-stephanie-hurt/1118861344?ean=2940045730792

Well my pirate romance is coming along nicely. I’m actually enjoying it immensely. Since pirate romance novels were my favorite when I was younger it’s like going back in time. I have suspense mingled in with romance and a lot of sea air. I want the reader to feel as though they’re on the ship.

Captain Caleb Tanner is not like most pirates. He’s got morals and does things for others. But he’s been dubbed as a pirate and he’s alright with that. The first time he sets eyes on Serena Wilimgton, he’s smitten and wants to know more. He’s a great reader of people and he sees something is not totally right with things.

Serena Wilmington loves the sea and everything that goes with it. When her mother dies suddenly, leaving her dying wish for Serena to leave quickly from her childhood home to stay safe, she goes where her heart leads her. The only thing is her heart has led her to stowaway on Caleb’s ship. It gets crazy when she boards a pirate ship as a boy, but Caleb figures her out. Just wait till you see how it goes. It definitely doesn’t go as Serena thinks.

I will be doing a cover reveal soon. It’s still in the works, but the bones are there. The book is coming along quickly. I did well over 5000 words this weekend. 

So, do you like pirate romance? 

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

As a writer I can write about happy things, sad things or bad things, but if I want them to go away I can just erase them and start over. In life we can’t just write it out of the program. Life happens and keeps going whether the sadness stops or not. Today I received a really hard call. One of my long time clients and a really good friend lost her battle with lung cancer last night. When I talked with her before her last trip to the hospital she was so positive. Her attitude was that she was going to kick cancer’s butt. She was a woman of faith and she knew everything would be alright either way. We often talked about our faith and the hope of tomorrow. She knew where she was headed and was at peace with it as all Christian’s should be. Her wish was not to suffer and cause her family to suffer and she did receive that wish.

Sometimes in life we just want to hit the backspace and try to go back over everything so that we can change things. That’s what I’d like to do right now. I want this to be one of my manuscripts where I can just erase it and start again. But I know what my friend would say, she’d tell me to quit being silly and to remember who she was, not what she had. She was a special woman with such a sweet spirit. 

Life is hard to take at times. I channel my emotions through my writing. I’ve sat for hours pouring over my writing to get emotions to ease or a problem solved. Someone that’s not a writer might not understand this need, but if you’re a writer you’ll know what I’m talking about. I guess you could say that writers use some extra chromosome or something to that nature to channel our emotions. That’s what makes us writers because we do have extreme emotions. 

As I sit here writing this post, I know that my friend is well again. She’s probably laughing at me and shaking her head as she often did. I know that death is part of life and we all will go down that road one day, but when it hits close to your heart it’s as though time stops for a moment as you register what just happened. You’ve lost a segment of your life. 

All of us experience loss in our lives. It’s inevitable if you live long enough. Everyone expresses grief in different ways. Some people go forward and ignore it until the pressure builds, while others cry and get it over with. I have to admit to shedding some tears this morning. It helps to relieve the pressure valve. When I start on my writing this afternoon, I know it will be a powerful writing session as I write the emotion out and try to come to grip with my sadness. 

This is wishing all of you well and hoping you have a sunny day. 

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

It’s overcast here in Georgia. The temperatures have been amazing the last couple of days. But today starts a seven day trend of ran, storms and just plain out nasty weather. The overcast darkness makes me sleepy and it’s hard to stay awake.

My night consisted of fighting with the bed for about two hours, then going to the den to curl up in the corner of the couch to read for about thirty minutes (actually read for 2 hours) and then going back to bed and finally drifting off to sleep. For some reason my sleeper was not working last night. Don’t you just hate those nights when you’re sleepy but once your head hits the pillow it goes away.

So this morning may be a pot of coffee instead of just a couple of cups. I have managed to get in about 850 words this morning so I guess that’s a good thing. Of course my current WIP may be one of the reasons I’m having problems sleeping. The characters keep screaming in my head. I’m at a pivotal point in the story and it’s exciting…

So how’s your Friday morning going? I hope you’re planning a fantastic weekend. For me I have a wedding to attend tomorrow and you all know how I love weddings. They inspire me as a romance writer. 

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Good Friday morning! I’m excited to announce that Emma Rose is finally available. It’s been a long and harrowing journey, but she’s out. This was a book that brought about many changes. I’m ready to move forward with the next installment of the Women of Magnolia Hill Saga. It will be out in early 2015.

I hope you’ve checked out the Romancing September tour that Rosie Amber and I have been doing all month. It’s a great way to help support other authors and find lots of new books for your TBR list. Mine has grown so much that I should be good for a long time.

Another exciting thing to put out here is the upcoming western romance series that I’ll start as soon as I get a couple of days rest. Who am I kidding? I’ve already started the new series. It’ll be 5 books and each one is another aspect of the family of 5 Oaks Ranch. They’re full of family drama, humor, love, romance and just down right good clean, exciting fun. I’m so excited about this series. I’ll be posting little snippets as it goes. The covers are all completed, but nope, I’m not going to give anything away just yet, but I will tell you there’s a little something, something at the end of Emma Rose regarding this series.

Oh yeah, before I go back to writing, I have another announcement. Yep I’m full of them today. I have a Christmas romance in the works and it will be part of my Christian Romance series Lean On Him. This will be a very hard book to write, not that it’s not coming to me, but it’s about a hard subject. I’ll tell you more later, but let’s just say it will be a different side of romance from my normal writing. But it’s a subject that’s close to my heart. Ok, that’s enough of that for now.

I hope all of you have a great weekend and don’t forget to pick up a book. Be kind and give the author a review. We love hearing from our fans.

As always, good writing and May God Bless you…

I’ve been asked many times where the words I write come from. Most people come up to me and just simply ask, ‘What if the words stop coming?’ For a writer that would be horrible, a nightmare come true. But the funny thing about a writer’s brain, it runs on overdrive most of the time. Sometimes we might have a hiccup in the process, but the words flow continuously.

Some have asked how I work on so many books at one time. How do I keep focused enough on each one to make the individual stories work? **Smiling broadly** Well it comes from too many stories going through that if I don’t get them on paper as they go through I’m afraid my brain will explode. If an idea comes through for a new story, well it has to be written out. I love to sit with a pad and pencil and just let the words flow through me. It’s exhilerating, but sometimes when you have a deadline working you have to push the others to the side. Of course that story still nags at you constantly.

But then I wonder if one day the words might stop. Of course for me they’ve been coming at me since I was a teenager and that’s been a long time. No, I’m not saying how long, but it’s been a while. If one day I develop some sort of problem where the words stop I don’t know what will happen. It’s been such a big part of me to put a story together in my mind that I think I might stumble some.

Then again I get a lot of my inspiration from music lyrics, people watching and life, so I guess in my mind, I’ll always have a story coming through. But if the music stops, the people disappear and I stop living, then the story would probably stop. Life has added so many stories in my head that I don’t think I’ll ever run out of material. I’ve experienced life through so many eyes and lives that I always have a new spin on a topic that I’ve touched on before.

What if the words stop… Let’s just say I hope they never do. I’ve come to love my characters that flow in and out of my head. They’re a part of who I am and that may sound crazy, but if you’re a writer you know where I’m coming from. After you spend hours with a character and their life, well it’s as if they’re your best friend. A couple of my books touched me so much that I was an emotional wreck during the process, but the words flowed even as the tears and the memories that spurred the story on came crashing through. Some memories never stop flowing through and they conjure up many stories that fill the books I write.

So, have you ever wondered what would happen to you if the words stopped? Scary thought…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

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…

Today I turn 46! Wow, it’s hard to believe I’m almost half a century old. But I don’t feel 46 and I sure don’t act it. Actually most people say I act 10 but that’s another story for another day. I live life and enjoy it immensely. We’re only give one so live it. Many people tell me I don’t get out and do things enough, but the truth is I live my life the way I love to live it, by following my dreams. No I don’t go alot of places and do a lot of things outside of my job, my writing, the Church and my family, but that’s the way I like it. Am I a hermit? No, because the definition of a hermit is someone who lives their lives in complete seclusion from the outside world. I do leave my house occasionally.

How do I follow my dreams? Well for one thing I have a phenomenal life with a great family and wonderful friends. I follow my call to serve my Lord, Jesus Christ by ministering to children, I love Accounting and get to work everyday doing just that and then there’s my writing. I followed my dream and get to write romance novels which has been my dream for more years than I want to count. Do you live your dream? If not, get to it, because we’re not promised tomorrow and today is only 24 hours.

As far as acting my age, not a chance. I don’t feel my age so why act it. If you act your age you’ll get old before you need to. I love to giggle, cry, laugh out loud, share my joy, sit in the floor with the children and sing, cartoons, children’s movies, and so many more things, not to mention extra marshmallows in my hot chocolate. Oh and sprinkles on my cookies, doughnuts, and cake, did I mention I love sweets!

Do you live life to the fullest? It doesn’t take a lot of money to live life. All you need is a dream, a desire to follow it and a supportive family. I stop and smell the roses, do you?

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

I love Christmas and everything that goes with it. This is my favorite time of year. It’s the time of year when families get together and celebrate their love. We remember our past Christmas’s and those that are not with us any longer. But most of all we celebrate the Birth of Jesus!

For me Christmas came a little early. Yesterday I received a call from a local bookstore. All of my books will be available starting in 2015 in that store. And they asked me to do an author signing for my new book that will be released on Valentine’s Day. So exciting. Yes I’m still smiling and giggling like a little girl. I will be letting you know more information as it comes in like dates and times, but for now I can say this is an exciting time.

Did anyone catch the release announcement in the last paragraph? If not, let me say it again. Ridge, the first book in the Five Oaks Ranch Series will be officially released on Valentine’s Day. This book has been a wonderful adventure for me. Since my last couple of books have not been about cowboys, it’s nice to come back to what I really love. I will be releasing excerpts periodically over the next month as the release date officially draws closer. Let’s just say this will be a new era in my writing. I’m stepping a little out of my usual box with this one, but I think my fans will be pleasantly surprised.

I love this cover and all the covers for the series which have already been designed. The other four books will be announced soon as they’re finished and ready for release. Get to know the Cauthen family as this series unfolds into a series to remember. I think you’ll fall in love with the four brothers and their sister. Each one is different and full of struggles, love, laughter, family and most of all cowboys!

So, as I finish this post I want to wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas! I hope you have a family filled night and that Santa visits with a smile. If things go well I’ll be publishing a Christmas Day post. Don’t forget the Reason for the Season…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You on this Christmas Eve…

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.

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…

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all! Can you find the 4 leaf clover in this picture?

How many of you have rummaged through a bed of clover looking for the 4 leaf clover? I’ve done this many times and found some, but mostly I found green stains on my knees and hands ;) The back yard at our Church is covered in clover and the children scavenge through it constantly looking for the hidden treasure in the millions of little clovers. It’s fun to watch their enthusiasm as they try their best to find good luck, but do you get it if you find it? I don’t know, but it’s fun to try…

Sometimes I think publishing a book is like a clover field. There are so many authors out there publishing and trying the same as you. Will you be found in the clover field? Will someone pluck you from the field and give you the luck of the Irish? It’s the gamble we take every time we hit the PUBLISH button. But it’s worth it.

For me I feel as though my luck was found the moment I typed the first word and finished the first book. It’s been such a wonderful experience but I do hope to one day be pulled out of the crowd and maybe have some luck of the Irish thrown at me, but until then I’ll keep publishing and joining the crowd. At least I’m in good company among my fellow authors.

By the way, don’t forget to wear something green today unless you want to be pinched, then don’t wear any green. And yes, there are still those that keep up the tradition and I’ve carried the bruises many times to prove it…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

P.S. Oakley is Coming!

Have you ever been caught staring at someone? Come on, you know you have. I’m a people watcher. It’s part of being a writer. I’ve been sitting in a crowded room before and noticed someone doing something out of sync with everyone else. Of course then my overactive imagination stitches a story regarding why they’re acting different.

I’ve actually written stories based on people watching. It’s really fun to sit back and watch a couple in love. You wonder what their story is and then you piece it together with your own spin. Maybe they met by chance or have been friends for years and turned the tables. What’s really fun is you don’t know their true story, but your imagination can expand on what the eye sees. If they’re holding hands and giving those cute lovey looks, you can expand on the romance side of the story. Maybe they’re newlyweds or just newly dating. It’s up to your imagination.

I love to watch people in love. Guess that’s why I love weddings. A wedding can fill many pages of your mind. Most of the time I know the person getting married, but I’ve attended weddings where I’m not too familiar with the couple. I can sit and imagine their love story, the engagement and the romance. It’s fascinating really.

So yes, I have a problem, but it’s for a good cause ;)

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Well it’s finally Friday! I’m ready for the weekend and some serious writing time. I’ve grabbed snippets of time this week, but only small amounts so I need to make up some word counts. Also I’m receiving the final edited version of Oakley from my editor today, so what does that mean, well it means Oakley will be out next week…

Let me introduce you to the man behind Oakley. This character was interesting to write about. He’s a strong, caring cowboy with a love for animals. Since he was a young boy he always dreamed of becoming a large animal vet and he made those dreams come true.

As soon as he finished vet school he started working at the Five Oaks Ranch, his family’s horse and cattle ranch in Georgia. There’s one thing about Oakley that makes him different from his other siblings, he’s old fashioned. He struggles with his old fashioned values at every turn, especially when Ridge hires a woman as a ranch hand. This infuriates him and makes him testy.

Of course Ellen, the woman Ridge hired is a rodeo rider and can handle anything they hand her on the ranch, but Oakley thinks women don’t need to do a man’s job. The only problem with that way of thinking is it will only lead to a lot of trouble between him and her. Their mutual love for animals pulls them together, but his ways put a massive wall between them.

This book  is the 2nd in the Five Oaks Ranch series. So start with Ridge and work your way to Oakley. But Chase is on the horizon. Now that brother will give the reader a run for their money with his winning smile and love for life. He strives to be the best at what he loves and struggles with the reality of what can happen when you give up everything to chase your dream. Can’t wait to introduce you to Chase.

Go over to my website to subscribe to my newsletter so that you can keep up with all the news from the series and all the books coming out… www.stephaniehurtauthor.com.

As always, good writing and May God Bless you…

What is true love? It’s a question I’m asked a lot because I’m a romance author. That doesn’t put me into the category of an expert on the subject of love. Although I do read a lot about love and romance, it’s part of the job as a writer.

So, what is it? Some say that true love is a myth, what do you think? For me I’m a firm believer in this thing called true love. It’s a real thing. But true love is met by many skeptics. Here are few definitions of true love that I’ve found:

1: From the Bible (My favorite definition by the way)

1 Corinthians 13:4-7New International Version (NIV)

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

2: Dictionary.com –

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…