Month: March 2014
Talking With Romance Author Stephanie Hurt
This week I talk with multi-talented cowboy romance author, Stephanie Hurt. She’s a writer with a big heart that loves horses and I think you’ll see that in the interview.
Tell me a little about yourself & your family.
Well, I’m a busy woman. I thrive on staying busy. I’m a wife, mother of a 15 yr. old son, Accountant, Children’s Minister and a romance Author. Not to mention I run a publishing service. I’ve been married to my wonderful hubby, Tommy, for 20 years. We live about 50 miles south of Atlanta on land that has been in my family for over 150 years. We live in the country and that makes me really happy. I’m a country girl to the bone.
What type of books do you write and what led you to write those types of stories?
As for my writing, I write mostly cowboy romance. Since I’m a country girl, I’ve been around cowboys, farms, horses and such all my life. When looking at heroes, I consider a cowboy a hero. I know some may not understand this, but it’s just the way I feel. All of my romances are clean, wholesome romance. I strive to bring out romance in every age. I have young fans, older fans and even male fans. I try to write something that everyone can enjoy.
How do horses play a role in your books and your life?
As long as I can remember I’ve loved horses. Since I’ve lived in the country all of my life, I’ve always been around horses. When I was around 13 my parents gave me horseback riding lessons. I remember I couldn’t sleep the nights before the lessons. It was the most fun I can remember having. I hung on my trainers every word. I had posters of horses on my walls, I drew horses on my folders and I just loved the smell of a horse and the leather of a saddle, crazy but true.
When you walk in my living room you automatically know I love horses. I have them on my walls in pictures, plaques and statues. My cousin once found an old horseshoe on our land, then he surprised me with a gift, it was the horseshoe welded on a stand and painted all black. I loved it. I even use my old riding hat as decoration.
So, when I write, you always see a horse somewhere. I also named my publishing service Horseshoe Publishing for obvious reasons.
What is your philosophy on writing and life?
Let’s see here, I guess my philosophy on life is to live life everyday as though it was your last. Make sure that you leave a legacy behind and I’m talking about a good legacy. Always treat everyone as you would want to be treated. If you do things the right way, then you don’t have anything to worry about and don’t worry over things you can’t change.
As for writing, my philosophy is to write what you know or love. If you have a passion for something, then put it into words. Don’t let the current fads lead your writing. If you write what you’re passionate about, it will show. I write romance to inspire. I think everyone needs a little romance in their lives.
Name your three favorite books that you’ve written.
Oh, this is hard. Ok, here goes:
Open The Heart – An Alpine Christmas Romance
Finding The Right Time – Release date 3/31/14
Moonbeam & Roses
What are your goals for this year?
My goals for this year are easy. Well, maybe not easy, but straight forward. I plan on finishing up my current works in progress and intensify my promotional activities. Also, I’m expanding my publishing service, but that’s for later this summer.
If you had to give one piece of advice what would it be?
My advice is to go after your dreams. We’re only given one run at this thing we call life, so go for that dream and make the most of it.
You can keep up with Stephanie on her blog at http://stephanie-hurt.com/
Talking With Romance Author Stephanie Berget
This week I’m talking with romance author and fellow barrel racer, Stephanie Berget. Nothing like talking with a gal that enjoys the need for speed and a little hot romance!
Tell me about your family.
I was born and raised a city kid with an overwhelming love of horses. I was lucky enough to marry my cowboy sweetheart and have a wonderful daughter and two terrific sons. My folks are still trying to figure out where the love of horses came from. I think it was a gift from my maternal grandfather. He was a sheriff in North Dakota and a horse gypo.
What type of stories do you write & how many books have you sold?
I write stories about cowboys, mostly rodeo cowboys, and the women who love them and also contemporary romance. My first book is titled Sugarwater Ranch and is set in the central Oregon ranching country. The hero, bullrider Sean O’Connell, isn’t a very nice guy at the beginning of the book. But as his life is falling apart, Catherine Silvera, a woman battling her own demons, helps him learn that riding bulls isn’t the only valuable thing in his life.
You can find Sugarwater Ranch here:
Amazon Sugarwater Ranch
Barnes & Noble http://buff.ly/1de9PRo
Evernight Publishing http://buff.ly/GNYivD
Tell me about how you got into riding horses and what accomplishments you’ve had with them.
When I was 15, after years and years of whining, my parents gave in and bought me a horse. They knew nothing about horses and neither did I, but I fell in love with barrel racing and rodeo in general. I was lucky enough to live near some of the best trainers in the country, Larry and Kay Davis, and they generously gave their time and expertise to help me learn. I’ve had many horses, but three were really special and helped me become a better trainer.
Ruff’s King Tut was a little sorrel gelding with a great big heart. Ruff was born on our place and I won rodeos sanctioned by the Idaho Cowboys Assn and the Northwest Rodeo Assn on him. If I turned him loose and opened the trailer door, he’d load himself. Guess he loved to rodeo as much as I did.
Arnold was a big, high-powered chestnut gelding that my husband bought to team rope on. He ran barrels and poles like a champ and went on to take a young girl to the National High School rodeo.
The horse that stole my heart was a brown mare named Suzy’s Last Flight, or as we called her, Olive. Olive’s sire was Dinner Flight. Many of his colts were born to barrel race and Olive was one of the best. She liked to pin her ears back and act like a bad-ass, but she didn’t have a mean bone in her body.
How do horses fit into your stories?
In Sugarwater Ranch, Sean works with a spooky blue roan colt that he calls Roany Blue Pony. The cowboy may have some problems in his life, but he is a natural horseman. The desire to understand the colt helps him to understand himself and the world around him better.
Where do you get the inspiration for the characters in your books?
Mostly I wake up during the night and have an idea for a character. In Radio Rose, I woke up thinking about what Betty White would be like if she chain-smoked and was a real grouch.
Then, as I write, they introduce themselves to me and tell me what they want to do in the book. As the book evolves, more characters show up and demand my attention.
Besides writing and riding, what are your other interests that most people may not know you have?
Wow, writing and riding take up most of my time, but I love playing with my grandkids and watching football. Go Broncos!
What are your two most important pieces of advice for a new writer?
#1-Finish the Book! You can’t sell it unless you finish it. #2-Write what you love.
You can visit Stephanie’s blog and keep up with her progress on her series!
Lost Betrayal is coming out March 5th on Amazon!
I’ve got a couple days before my next interview so I thought I’d share some news in the meantime.
Solstice Publishing is releasing my debut romance novel, Lost Betrayal, on March 5th on Amazon in Kindle format. This is a modern western romance with a few flames thrown in. Check out my Facebook to find out the buy link and keep up with news on my next book. You can also follow me on twitter.
UPDATE – Lost Betrayal was released a little early! You can download it on Amazon.
Probably one of the biggest things that is important to me in writing this type of book is authenticity. If nothing else, when it comes to horses this book is the real deal. I eat, sleep, breathe horses. You can’t talk to me too long without it wiggling into the conversation somehow. I’m not one of those starry eyed horse women that think all horses are my friends. I’m a woman that rides colts, loves working the most difficult horses even when I get bucked off, and that is always striving to see how far they can go. I do my own feeding, saddle my horses, and clean my own stalls….well, when my husband is running short or time or we’re at a show.
By the way, to give you some background on the book, it took me ten years to write Lost Betrayal. I got the idea years ago after watching the news about a really bad tornado. The last couple of years have spurred me on as we had some devastating tornadoes closer to home in east Tennessee, northern Georgia and Mississippi.
One fact that haunts me more than anything is that in a disaster large animals are often the last to be rescued. Anyone can rescue a person or a small animal. Not just anyone can rescue a thousand pound animal that’s scared to death that can’t be reasoned with. It takes a certain set of skills that are not that common. Also, people and small animals get more press time than anything so their needs are met quickly. Large animal needs often go unmentioned to the general public but they’re just as important.
If you’d like to see the book trailer, here’s the link – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urkSTWnMNr0
Here’s a little bit about the book –
THE FUTURE OF THE RANCH HANGS IN THE BALANCE
Sage is just getting her life back together when a tornado touches down and destroys her family ranch in northern Georgia taking her hopes, her dreams, and the very horse that the ranch’s future hinges on. An ex rodeo cowboy with a past, Garrett has sworn off rodeo and the last thing he needs is entanglement with a woman on a wild horse chase but there’s too many unanswered questions, such as how a horse could stay gone so long.
Refusing to believe her horse was killed in the storm and refusing to give up on the ranch, Sage begins the journey of rebuilding her life once again and searching for the horse that to her, holds the past, and her future. Garrett’s past and a malicious betrayal jeopardize her efforts. Is she strong enough to push past the hurt and the lies in order to get back all she holds dear?
Here’s the book cover!
Next week I’ll be talking with western author, Tell Cotten about how ranching and writing. In the meantime you can read about his newest book, Cooper on his blog. I’ll also be interviewing romance writer, Stephanie Berget about barrel racing and her books. You can check her out on her website. So stay tuned! Can’t wait for you to find out about these folks!
Talking In The Barn 