Now available on Amazon.
Click here to purchase
Or Read for free on Kindle Unlimited.

The Vows We Make
Book 4 of The Six Series
Mark and Paige’s story.

Some vows can be deadly…..

Mark and Paige are living in sin—that’s what any man of the cloth would say. All they want is to get married, but they refuse to exchange vows without their best friends—the Six. As they wait to hear back from them, Mark and Paige can’t help but feel they’ve been put off… forgotten.

When the threat of an enemy stalking them is brought to light, the call is made to bring them into the secretive world of Cole Enterprise.

Slotted for recruitment by the very agency that stole their chance at a normal life, Mark and Paige have to adjust to their new path as secret agents in a war they didn’t even know existed.
What neither fully understands is that nothing will ever be the same… and some vows are deadlier than others.

CHANGE WAS ALL AROUND ME. Everything was different. My life. My dreams. All of it.
Maybe some of it was for the best. Maybe it would push Mark and me to make more of ourselves than we would have on our own.
Crossing my arms tightly, I stepped out onto the dock and made my way to where Mark stood looking out over the water.
Coming back to the cabin and being around our friends after such a long absence from both had enveloped us in something like a constrictive hug. Both needing it, while desperately trying to come to terms with it.
“Hey,” I said, stepping up beside him and sighing when he pulled me into his arms.
I leaned back, turning my head slightly to fit into the crook of his neck. His cheek brushed against my hair and he asked, “Can you believe this place?”
I snorted. “No. But then again, we are talking about Jared’s parents, so…”
“True. It still feels the same here though,” he answered, watching the water ripple along the surface with the wind.
Arriving at the cabin, or what used to be the cabin, had sort of floored us all. No one knew what to say when we’d got our first glimpse of the new and improved place.
What used to be one story with a kitchen, living room, and six bedrooms with bathrooms was gone. Its replacement was two stories, ten bedrooms with full bathrooms, a massive open-floor kitchen/living room, a movie theater room, and a game room. Grant and Nadia had gone all out to make the cabin a place where all of us could live together, for an unforeseeable amount of time.
“It’s like they just knew…” I said, leaving the rest of what I was thinking unsaid. It wouldn’t do any good to dwell on the things none of us could change.
“How are you holding up with all of this?” Mark asked.
I sighed deeply and closed my eyes. “Honestly? I don’t know how to feel right now. It’s like this huge war being waged right here,” I said, poking my finger against my chest. “I’m happy to see everyone. We’re here together—just like we wanted—but for all the wrong reasons. I’m missing classes and work. I don’t know what to do with myself. My life is literally on hold at this point.”
He hugged me tighter. “Tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it. If you want to leave, we’ll go. They can’t hold us here.”
I snorted. “Can you imagine the look on all of their faces if we just walked out with our suitcases behind us? No. I love you for that though. It’s nice to hear you’d do that to make me happy.”
He kissed the top of my head. “I’d do anything to make you happy, Paige.”

The Vows We Make is Amazon Exclusive!
Don’t have a Kindle?
No problem!

All you have to do is download the Kindle App to your tablet or phone!

Sonya Loveday, first and foremost is a reader, an avid one. It is of that love that brought her to purchasing her first laptop in 2009, and then publishing her first novel, Casted, in 2013.

Not long after the completion to the Casted Series, Sonya tried her hand at Contemporary Romance.
Thusly, the Six were born with The Summer I Fell.

In 2015 Sonya joined forces with best friend and fellow author Candace Knoebel. Together the duo created the Game of Hearts Novels. The series has two published titles: Love Always and Runaway Heart. Knoebel and Loveday will be releasing the third book in the series in 2017.

For more information about releases, and appearances, follow Sonya on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/sonyalovedayauthor

Good Wednesday morning everyone! I’ve been a little out of pocket lately, but with several deadlines looming, I’ve had my head to the grind. Hope I haven’t missed too much…

Romance, such a simple word, but such a powerful word. We all need it in our lives. Maybe it’s through marriage, dating, or reading, we need that little spark that makes us smile. But how do you find it?

I’ve had people tell me, after they hear I’m a romance author, that romance is an empty hole that you fall into, hoping for something that’s just plain out a myth. Yep, I want to slap them. Romance isn’t mythical, the unicorn is, but not romance.

As a romance author, I delve into the many aspects of romance. It amazes me to see the depth of romance in our world. If you sit on a bench and watch people, which I love to do, you’ll see it in the smallest of movements or gestures. It’s there folks, you just have to look for it. So, pick up a romance novel and read about it. I know, it’s fiction, but guess what, it’s a real thing.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

myBook.to/HighlandersHeart

It’s Friday! Yea! But I have some work to do. With two new series starting up this year, I have several things to do and one of those things is character sketches. If you’re asking what the heck is a character sketch, well, let me fill you in…

Alright, here goes… When you start a new book, there are several steps, but one of the most important during the writing process is the character information. Let me explain how I do my character information sheets.

1. I grab my notebook that will be for the series notes and I keep all my information in it. This notebook stays in my writing bag for quick retrieval. This is very important to have at your fingertips because if you’re halfway through book two and can’t remember what someone’s name is or what they do, you’ll need to be able to grab that without having to read book one to jog your memory.

2. First off, you need to name your characters, starting with the main ones. Then add the details. Let’s face it, when you’re writing that character, you know what they look like, but your reader doesn’t unless you show them. So, under the character sketch, you put every detail you can. I include A. Name

A. Name

B. Description: Hair color, eye color, height, build, disposition, age, birthdate, etc. You       get the idea.

C. Family that might show up in the stories. Brothers, sisters, parents, etc.

D. Where are they from and where do they live now?

E. Now, this is where the fun starts, leave plenty of room for added notes. As a story     unfolds, you’ll build the character sketch. If they get a new career, get married, have children. Add anything new to the character. This helps down the road and keeps you from having to keep looking back.

3. Make sure you have one for every character you add. Well, if they are only making a one time appearance, leave them out, but if it’s even just the store owner and your character occasionally goes to the store, then you need to add them.

So, do you prepare character sketches? I didn’t for a long time and it was so frustrating, but through writing studies, I’ve learned how to make life easier. Writing is a crazy world of names, places, plots, and so much more that you have to have a way to keep it straight.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Good Monday morning! Hope you had a restful weekend… The topic of today, Romance. There are so many facets of romance that it boggles the mind, but I want to talk about something I read the other day that quite frankly made me giggle… so here goes…

I was reading a writing post and someone chimed in with a comment on romance writers. She said, ‘Why do romance writer’s write about romance as though it’s  an achievable goal; when in fact, romance is a myth?’

I know… GASP!!!!! When I read this I sat back and sighed. Romance is not a myth! For one thing, romance should be a goal in your relationship with your significant other. I have romance in my marriage. For example, at the moment, my husband is building me a farm table for my dining room. It’s the most romantic gesture because he knew I wanted one, so he’s making it happen.

Now, I do agree that as romance writer’s we do embellish, but that’s for the entertainment of our readers. If we just wrote a book about everyday life and included no extraordinary romance in it, would we keep our readers? I know that, personally, when I pick up a romance, I want to be wooed by the romance that spills from the authors words. A frilly romance can put a smile on your face.

You can get lost in the romance of a book. The unreal aspects of books are what makes them so much fun to read. But folks, romance is real. It doesn’t have to be wine and roses every day. It can simply be a look across the table or holding hands for no reason.

So, give me your thoughts…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

If you get a chance, my newest release came out last night, ‘Sowing the Right Seed’, so go by and check it out. https://www.amazon.com/Sowing-Right-Seed-Lean-Book-ebook/dp/B01MUDJL8O

Also, sign up to be on my street team or simply to get my monthly newsletter at www.stephaniehurtauthor.com.

It’s the Monday after the Super Bowl and everyone is sluggish and sleepy. Some are grumpy, and some are smiling broadly. I’m not a huge football fan, but since Georgia had a team in it, I watched some of it. Of course, my son and hubby watched the whole thing.

Oh well, on to writing. I’ve been working on ‘Promises Made’, the first book in the Sky Ridge Series. It’s a sweet story of how love comes in when you least expect it and sweeps you off your feet. As the series progresses, there will be trials and tribulations. Things will not always be as they seem.

I love writing historical romance. There are so many aspects of history that can be delved into. The research is fascinating and gives me ideas for more stories, so it’s a win-win!

I hope everyone is having a fabulous Monday…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Good morning! As you can tell from the picture above, I’m talking about Five Oaks Ranch, my bestselling series.

Have you written a series? If so, did you have a hard time keeping the stories straight? This series was a work in progress that kept me on my toes. The idea for the series came as we drove back from our Florida vacation a couple of years ago. The road signs were passing by and each one seemed to spur an idea. So, by the time I got home, I had a skeleton map drawn on my notepad. Since I get car sick easily, it was a horrible looking thing, but I had it in my head and heart.

Over the next couple of days, I put together the book names, the character sketches for the five main characters and ideas for how their stories would go together. This series was the most fun as they almost wrote themselves. Each book fed off the other and it was as though I wrote one long manuscript and cut it into five books. I know, there were six, but the Christmas book only came into my head toward the end of Luke.

Several people started writing to me that they wanted to know more about the parents. At first, I was like, but this is the story about the five children, hence the series name, Five Oaks Ranch. Then as I sat thinking about it, I came up with the idea for the Christmas story that would bring it all together. So, A Christmas to Remember was born. By the way, at the end of the Christmas book, I’ve put several of my own family recipes that have been passed down through the generations.

The family tree is introduced in the Christmas book. You’ll notice that some of the kids haven’t been born in any of the books, but I wanted to let my readers know that the characters went on to lead love-filled lives together.

So, have you started the Five Oaks Ranch series yet? Ridge is free! This book stayed in the top 100 of free books on Amazon for over a year, which made me giggle with excitement everytime I looked at the stats. And you’ll notice a pretty, shiny silver medallion on the cover of Ridge. He was honored with a five-star review from Reader’s Favorites! Here’s the link to the whole series if you’re in the market for a new series to read, but here’s a warning, you’ll fall in love with the Cauthen’s.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

It’s Wednesday and I feel alive! What about you? Have you smiled this morning? As I write this, I can’t help but smile. Why you might ask? Well, I’m doing a small reveal today, which is exciting.

When you create a series, sometimes you create an emblem that represents that series. Well, when I created the Wishful Harbor Series, I wanted a special emblem and my awesome design team went to work to make sure that the dream I had for this series came to life. Of course, I’m not revealing the covers yet, just the emblem, for now…

So, I’d like to introduce you to the Wishful Harbor Series!

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

It’s Graduation Day! As I sit here, sipping my coffee, I can’t believe that I have a son ready to graduate from high school. Where have the years gone? The memories flood in and the tears slowly roll down my cheek, but I’m so happy for him. He’s about to embark on a whole new chapter in his life. It’s scary for all of us, but I know he’s got what it takes to be all he wants to be.

So, to all of those graduating today, good luck and May God Bless all of your endeavors!

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Good morning everyone! Today I want to talk about the main character in Breakwater Lane, the first book in the Wishful Harbor series.

Let’s me introduce you to the spunky, strong willed woman that brings Breakwater Lane to life. Her name is Jordan Reed. She was born in Georgia, but when her parents divorced, she moved with her mom to Denver. But as a child, she spent a couple of weeks every summer with her grandfather in Wishful harbor.

She’d enjoyed those summers. They’d cook together, go to the beach and climb the steps to the top of the lighthouse, then laugh as they reached the top. She’d gained her love of cooking while standing by her grandfather in his deli. Then, when her parents divorced, her mom moved her across the country. She no longer was able to spend her summers with her beloved grandfather.

But she carried on the love of cooking by going to culinary school and becoming a chef. Although her dream was to own a restaurant, she thought it was just a whim. Then when her grandfather died, she was called into a lawyers office for the will. Her grandfather had left her the deli. She was overwhelmed.

Upon arrival in Wishful Harbor, she wondered if she could live in a small town again. Would she be able to get by without the hustle and bustle of Denver? Then she set eyes on Skyler Evans and things began to fall into place, but there was something brewing in the small town of Wishful Harbor that would put everything she’d ever known to the test.

Ok, so, I can’t go much farther without giving away too much of the story, but as you can see, Jordan is a spunky woman with big ideas. You’ll have a love hate relationship with her. Tomorrow I’ll do a character sketch on Skyler Evans.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Wow! The sun is shining this morning. It inspires me to have the sun coming in through the window as I write. I guess you could say it brightens my mind.

Since Breakwater Lane is on its final edit before release day, I’m working on the 2nd book of the Sky Ridge Series. The first book in the series did well and continues to do well in the charts. I’m excited to get book two out as it continues the story.

Here’s the beautiful cover that my cover designer made and I must say, I want to be there it’s so beautiful!

This series is full of sweet romance and drama. It’s a clean read, so if you like a clean romance where you can fall in love with the characters, then this is the one for you… But I suggest that you read Promises Made first. Promises Forgotten will be out soon, but I’ll keep you posted as soon as the release date is set!

Hope all is well with you this weekend and that you’re getting in some writing or reading whichever is your pleasure. As for me, it’s writing and a bit of reading. I have to keep my mind flowing you know.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Good morning everyone! It’s a great morning to be alive. I’ve just submitted the final edited version of Breakwater Lane and I feel so nervous. When you put your work out there for the whole world to see and read, well, sometimes it’s overwhelming. Even after over 35 published titles, I still get the major butterflies when I push that button.

I love the newest messages on Amazon. This one had me getting another cup of coffee. Of course, you all know it doesn’t take much coaxing for that to happen.

Does it ever get old seeing your manuscript in your hands? Never! My hands shake as I hold the manuscript and I never take it for granted. This is a special honor to me that I’ll always treasure.

So, what do you do just before hitting the magic button? For me, I stress over the manuscript, reading it over one last time, then my finger hovers over the keyboard before touching enter.  I hyperventilate for a few minutes, then I push the button and watch the wheel spin.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Good morning everyone! Oh and let me say good morning to the ants that are invading my house… To say I’m overwhelmed, well, that would be an understatement. But, in the south, it’s a part of summer.

Ok, so let me explain the new adventure at my house. It’s called the follow the ants and find where they’re coming from. The game isn’t fun. It’s not glamorous. It’s not productive for my writing. But, for my sanity and my family, I play this game daily.

Let’s start with this morning. I’m laying in bed, enjoying the peaceful bliss of the last moments of sleep when my hubby kisses me goodbye before work, but whispers, not sweet nothings, he informs me that ants got on him while eating breakfast. Well, needless to say, I got up and made my way to the kitchen.

Now, you know me, I’ve got to have my coffee before I can function, so, I grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down to watch the news. After one cup of coffee, I was ready to check out the problem at hand. LOL! One inspection of the kitchen pantry and I needed another cup of coffee. Those little menaces were trailing up behind the shelves and straight into a box of honey nut cheerios. Millions of the little suckers.

What’s amazing is when I trailed them back down the wall, across the entry way, through the entire kitchen and dining room, around the corner and down the hallway, which is rather long, I found them. They were coming out of nowhere, just appearing, but upon closer inspection, they were coming from behind the molding. Really?????

How on earth did these tiny pests smell my honey nut cheerios from that far away? They only were going to the cereal. But by the way, they were marching through my house, you’d think they were headed to a feast laid out across the counter. So, in disgust and anger, I tossed my box of cereal out the back door and began sweeping up ants. Did I say I’d only had one and a half cups of coffee? Yeah, that’s why I was sweeping them up. I needed more caffeine for my brain to actually work well with itself.

So, now as I sit here, typing my post, the fumes of the poison (household safe) I sprayed fills the house, I have to ask, what is the purpose of these little insects? I mean, do they actually have a purpose other than driving me insane?

Ok, so, rant over. Hope everyone is well on this Friday morning.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

By the way, don’t forget that the pre-order for Breakwater Lane is still going until August 31st when it releases. Also, hop over to Love Kissed Promotions for the chance to win a Kindle, just click here August Preorder Sale & Giveaway

Ghost Lover was the first book I published officially. It’s my baby of sorts… So here’s a chapter from Ghost Lover…

Chapter 16

She walked into the stables and leaned on a post just inside the doors. She sniffed the air for a hint of the scent she’d smelt earlier. It wasn’t long before the scent went by her nose. She stood very still and let the wind direction lead her nose. She could tell it was coming from the back of the stable around the door that led to the back field.

Her eyes had gotten accustomed to the darkness. She searched the shadows for any sign of movement. She was holding her breath. What could it be? Suddenly there was slow movement in one corner. She put her hand up to her mouth. Her feet were rooted to the floor. Was she in danger? But she felt perfectly safe.

A shape formed out of the shadows. It was a man in a cowboy hat. She couldn’t see his face only the dark shape. Was this an illusion or ghost? She was drawn to the shadow by some unknown feeling.

“Who are you and why are you here? Do I know you?”

“You know me, but he won’t let you remember me.” The voice was low and haunting.

“Should I be afraid of you?” She suddenly realized that she should be afraid, but she couldn’t move.

“I’d never harm you.” He slowly moved closer but still in the shadows.

“Why’re you here in the shadows? Why don’t you come into the moonlight so that I can see you?” She noticed he lowered his head and then looked back at her.

“I don’t want you to see me this way. I want you to remember me before you look at my face.” The sadness in his voice did something inside her heart.

“What’s wrong? Have you been injured in some way?” Her heart went out to him.

“Yes, I was burned in an accident. I want you to remember what we had before you see me.”

“What was our relationship?” Her heart was racing. She thought it would come out of her chest it was beating so hard.

“You’ll remember it. I don’t want to rush your memories. When you remember, you’ll know me.” Why did she want to reach out to this person so much?

“Were we friends?” Could this be the man in her dreams that she couldn’t see his face? Had he been scarred when she knew him before her accident?

“Yes, we’re very close. I know you have me locked in your memory and it’ll come out.” He reached his hand out of the shadows and stroked her face. His touch set off an electrical charge through her veins.

“Are you a ghost?” He laughed softly and the sound set her mind reeling.

“What do you think?” She tried to see him through the shadows, but couldn’t see his face.

“I think you’re the man that has haunted my dreams since I lost my memory.” Her voice was little more than a whisper as she spoke.

“How do you feel about me in your dreams?” He was slowly moving closer.

“I feel confused because I can’t see your face and remember who you are?” She reached her hand up to try to touch his face, but he gently grabbed her hand and put it to his heart. She could feel it beating wildly.

“Can you feel my heart beating? You’re what keeps my heart beating.” His voice was rough with emotion.

He looked up suddenly and pulled her into the shadows. She gasped, not out of fear, but surprise.

“Someone’s coming, but I need you to promise me that you’ll keep Thomas at arm’s length. He’s a danger to you.”

“What kind of danger? He said he’s my husband.” She could hear the footsteps getting closer.

“Just trust me; he’s not your husband.” He put his hands on both sides of her face and kissed her so gently that she almost lost her footing. “Don’t tell him about me. I’ll be here waiting for you tomorrow night at midnight.” He slowly went back into the shadows. She could hardly catch her breath.

“Jess, are you in here?” She could hear Thomas calling her, but her brain wouldn’t let her speak. He grabbed her arm and turned her toward him.

“What are you doing down here at night, alone? Have you lost leave of your senses?” She could tell he was angry and worried.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I came down here to check on Ghost Lover. I’m fine; no harm’s come to me.” Her eyes kept going to the shadows. Had she just kissed a man or a ghost? Was she losing it?

“Well, let’s go back to the house. You don’t need to be roaming around by yourself at night when nobody knows where you’re at, especially in your condition.”

They walk back to the house. Her mind completely lost in thought. All she could think about was what she’d experienced. Was he real or her imagination?

When they got inside and were on the way upstairs Thomas stopped her. “What were you thinking? It’s almost one in the morning. What if you’d fallen or someone had grabbed you?”

“I was completely safe. I doubt very seriously anyone would’ve been in the stables at midnight and I didn’t fall. I needed some air.” She started back up the stairs. Remembering what she’d heard the man or whatever he was, say about Thomas.

He followed her into the bedroom. She climbed into the bed and watched him come around the other side. “What are you doing?”

He looked up and smiled, “Well, we are married and this is where I usually sleep, beside my wife.” He grinned and got into bed beside her. He planned on acting like a real husband soon. He could only hold himself away for so long, especially when her warm body was lying beside him at night. He was hoping to sweep her off her feet.

He leaned over her and she pushed him away. “Have you lost your mind? I still don’t remember being married to you and I can’t have that kind of relationship with you until I do remember.” She jumped out of the bed and grabbed her pillow. “I’m going down the hall to one of the other rooms. Goodnight.”

He just laid back and smiled. She’d be putty in his hands before long. He just knew he was getting through to her.

She had a very restless night. She dreamed of a beautiful cabin. She could see herself walking toward a stable door. She was looking for someone, but whom? She was almost to the door when the stables exploded. She woke up screaming and sweating profusely. Thomas came through the door running and pulled her into his arms. “Not another nightmare. You should’ve stayed with me. Come on back to our room.”

“No, I’ll be fine.” She couldn’t even stand to be near him all of a sudden. Why’d she feel this way about her own husband or was he? Could the man in her dream be right?”

“Okay, but I’ll be right down the hall if you need me.” He walked out and left the door open.

She finally was able to fall asleep, but her dreams were restless. She had to make sure that she was in the stables at midnight. She had to know if he was real or part of her imagination, but he felt too real. Her heart was pounding hard just thinking about him. Why’d she react to a man she didn’t know? Why’d he warn her about Thomas?

As I said, this was my first book I published. My writing style has changed so much since I published this one. But my heart is still with romance.

I hope all of you have a wonderful Thursday and keep on writing!

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

It’s those moments in an authors career that are so exciting. One of those moments is when you get to share a cover for a new book. This is one of those moments. I’ve been hiding a little secret and it’s a new series that’s in the works. But, now after a couple of months of planning and preparation, it’s time to let the cat out of the bag, so to speak.

The series is called ‘Tangled Vines Romance’, and each book will be in a different part of the world, but each will be based around a vineyard. The first book is ‘Beyond One Moment’.

I can’t give you too much about it just yet, but that’s coming soon. I can tell you that this book is going somewhere really special, but as to where, well, that’s a secret for now. I know, I know, too many secretive plots, but hey, I’m a writer, we tend to keep things in our heads until just the right moment.

So, without further babbling from me, I give you, ‘Beyond One Moment’.

Didn’t I tell you it was special? I’m in love with this cover, but the story behind the cover, well, you’ll fall in love with it. It’s one of those stories that gets under your skin and carries you away.

As always, good writing and may God Bless You…

Good morning! We’re halfway to the weekend and that’s awesome. This has been a busy week so far, so I’m looking forward to diving into the weekend with some much-needed writing so I can get lost for just a little while.

As I sip my coffee, my mind is on all the things I’d like to accomplish today. Is there writing on that list? Well, I try to get in as much writing as I can each day, but some days, a few promotional posts and such are all I can fit in during tax season.  But I’m hoping to catch a few minutes of mind cleansing writing.

A fan asked me a question a few days ago and I’ve been wondering how to answer it. Her question was, ‘How do you stay focused on just writing Romance?’. Well, let’s see… For one thing, I love romance and everything about it. There’s so much you can do with romance writing. It’s my favorite genre to read also, which makes it an easier niche for me. But, think about it, in romance novels you can add elements of mystery, the paranormal, humor, history, real life, etc. The list goes on as to where you can go with romance. Actually, it’s endless.

A romance novel can be in any era because there’s always been romance somewhere. So, to me, it makes the best writing genre in my mind. But, I love romance. If you love mystery or horror, well, that could be the best writing genre for you. My philosophy is this, write what you love, it helps keep the words flowing.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

P.S.: Here’s another look at the amazing cover of my upcoming release, ‘Beyond One Moment’. Yes, I’m a little in love with it.

Good morning! Why is it so hard to get awake on a rainy morning? Could it be that it’s dark and dreary outside? Maybe… I’m thinking it will take several cups of coffee to get me moving today.

As for my day, I’ve got many appointments scheduled today, so waking up is crucial. And then there’s my word count for the day to be met, but we’ll see if it happens before I walk to the office.

So, without further procrastination, I’ll slip on my writer’s hat. Have a great day!

As always, great writing and May God Bless You…

I leave you with one of my favorite quotes from my upcoming release…

Good morning! It’s Wednesday and we’re halfway there.

As I work on the final book of the Women of Magnolia Hill Saga, I feel drained. Why is it so hard to end a series?  Characters and places that fill our head also fill our heart. But saying goodbye, well, that isn’t easy.

This series began a long time ago with the first book, Victoria. It was filled with a spirit that engulfed me. As the series progressed, so did the years and the times. It went from Emma Rose to Lily and now in the final chapter, Georgia. But, what will be the fate of the loved Magnolia Hill? Will it still stand or will it fall from time?

Here’s a short, short snippet from Georgia:

Georgia whirled around, anger filling her eyes. “I’m not leaving my home. He wants a fight, well he’s got one. There’s one thing you don’t know about the women of Magnolia Hill. We don’t give up at any cost.”

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Good morning! I do hope all of you had a great 3 day weekend. As for me, we did. I was able to get some cabinets cleaned out, tossed some old stuff and organized. Ummmm, that’s not what I had planned, yeah, well…

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

As writers, we often lose focus of what we need to do. For instance, this morning I had planned on getting in my word count, then working on promotions and social media. But, as it is the Monday for the week, my brain wouldn’t function. I lost focus.

So, my plan is this, to regain my focus. I need to finish my manuscripts that are hanging there, waiting for the words ‘The End’, and move forward with the planned releases coming up. But, how do I do that?

For me, the problem is social media addiction. Yes, I said it, addiction. The first thing I do when I grab my coffee is scan through, planning to just make a quick glimpse. Yeah, right! I end up reading posts, looking at more posts, commenting, etc. Then an hour later, I’m sitting here trying to power through my word count before I head to the office.

Today I plan to focus on the task at hand, well after my morning loss of focus. So, how many of you lose focus on priorities?

As always, good writing and May God bless you…

P.S. Don’t forget to focus!!!

Good Monday morning! With tax season officially over, I’m finally getting my head wrapped around my works in progress. As deadlines loomed over my head for taxes, my writing took a hit. My brain wouldn’t focus on the words that wanted to be written. But, I’m back in the saddle and loving the feeling. I’m writing this morning with a fresh head.

As a writer, we need positive response to our writing. This weekend I received one of the most amazing reviews of Highlander’s Heart. The reviewer saw the vision behind the book and the review showed it. She saw what made this book tick for me. To say I was amazed, well, that doesn’t even begin to express my feelings. If you haven’t read the first book in the Cowen Clan series, then maybe this will encourage you to grab a copy.

Here’s the review:

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers’ Favorite

Highlander’s Heart is the first novel in the Cowen Clan Series by Stephanie Payne Hurt. Evina McLeod is trying to escape the clutches of the cunning Laird McKinney. Sadly, being a woman, she cannot run far away unless she has a powerful guardian to protect her. That protection appears in the form of the handsome Laird Ewan Cowen. Ewan is enamored by her beauty and he is ready to provide her with protection as long as she agrees to marry him. They weren’t expecting to fall in love with each other and they weren’t expecting to be loved in return. However, the reach of Laird McKinney is strong and long. He has a plan in place and he will not stop until he has what he wants. Ewan and Evina are just pawns in a game that he plans to win. What are these two going to do?

This was an intense story of love, acceptance, and safety. I loved the dynamic between Ewan and Evina; they were perfect for each other in the most satisfying way possible. The author has done a wonderful job creating a plot that is believable, enjoyable and perfect for readers who enjoy historical fiction. Ewan is a provider and a protector who thinks he doesn’t need love, but once Evina melts his heart, he realizes how important love is. Evina may seem vulnerable at the beginning of the story, but she blooms and develops to become a protector as well. The flow was amazing, the narrative was beautifully intricate and the plot was fast-paced enough to get you involved in the story. This is brilliant!

https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/highlanders-heart

I’ll leave it at that! Didn’t I tell you it was amazing.

Have a great Monday and May God Bless You…

Good Monday morning! Sorry, I’ve been MIA for the last several weeks. With all of this quarantine stuff and other things related, my accounting office has been crazy busy. We’re considered essential, but we’re not accepting foot traffic. Between stimulus questions and small business loan applications, I’ve been a little overwhelmed, but things are calming down, so I’m back, ready or not!

I’ve been reading some great posts regarding quarantine writing. Most writers, including myself, are introverts, so, we keep to ourselves most of the time anyhow. So, why is it that when we can go out, we don’t want to and when we can’t we’re being tempted at every turn.

For me, I’ve been writing every chance I get. I have managed to publish a new book, which was a miracle in itself as I’ve pushed several projects back some to accommodate the long hours needed in my accounting office. And for those that know me, they know that breaks my heart. I love my writing, but I also have a passion for my accounting. Oh, the choices we make!

So, how is your quarantine writing going? Give us some incite into how you’re doing.

As always, great writing and May God Bless You…

P.S.: Here’s a little tidbit from ‘To Dance With Dragonflies’

Kaity let out a long sigh. “This isn’t going to be my day.” Then she looked up toward the sky. “I know, I know. There’s a reason that I missed the bus and my car wouldn’t crank. So, when are you planning to let me in on this great plan you have for me?” She giggled as a man walking down the sidewalk gave her a crazy look. “And now I look like I’ve lost my mind.”

Just as she turned to start the three mile walk to work, she stumbled, loosing grip on her purse. As the contents spilled onto the sidewalk Kaity cried out, rushing to grab everything. Once she had her stuff back in the purse, she stood up, stumbling again, but a hand grasped her elbow, startling her.

“Are you alright?” The masculine voice came from the most beautiful man she had ever set eyes on.

At first, she couldn’t speak. She only managed to mutter something unintelligible as she gazed into the blue eyes that were looking at her in concern. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. When she regained her senses, she spoke. “I’m fine, just clumsy.” Kaity frowned as he let go of her elbow.

“I saw you running for the bus, do you need a ride somewhere?” The gorgeous man asked as she continued to stare at him.

“Oh… I… well… yes. But I don’t know you.” Kaity responded.

The man stuck out his hand, “I’m Derek Mason. And yourself?”

“Oh, me?” Kaity bit her lower lip, a bought of shyness sweeping over her. “My name is Kaity, Kaity Jordan.”

“Well, Kaity Jordan, it looks like we’re no longer strangers. Now, let me drive you to where you need to go.” Derek said. He had seen her here and there since he’d moved to town. She intrigued him with her shy smile that seemed to light up a room. Then when he’d seen her running up the sidewalk, waving for the bus, he’d stopped to watch her.

Hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into the world of Kaity and Derek!