Releases Today!

"Barefoot Summer" released last week, and I couldn't be more excited! I've anticipated this release for so long--it's the first in a new series, and I'm swooning over the cover. In celebration, I'm giving away 2 signed books!

Leave a message, including your email address, and I'll draw 2 random winners! 

Here's a blurb of the book:

Madison’s heart has been closed for years. But one summer can change everything.

In the years since her twin brother’s drowning, Madison McKinley has struggled to put it behind her. Despite the support of her close-knit family and her gratifying job as a veterinarian, the loss still haunts her. To find closure, Madison sets out to fulfill her brother’s dream of winning the town’s annual regatta. But first she has to learn to sail, and fast. 

Beckett O’Reilly knows Madison is out of his league, but someone neglected to tell his heart. Now she needs his help—and he’ll give it, because he owes her far more than she’ll ever know.  

Madison will do anything—even work with the infamous Beckett O’Reilly—to reach her goal. And as much as she’d like to deny it, the chemistry between them is electrifying. As summer wanes, her feelings for him begin to grow and a fledgling faith takes root in her heart. 

But Beckett harbors a secret—one that will test the limits of their love and the depth of Madison’s faith. Can their new romance survive summer’s challenges? And will achieving her brother’s dream give Madison the peace she desperately seeks?

Available at Amazon, CBD, Barnes & Noble, and bookstores everywhere.


ALSO! Sign up for my 12-day Summer Sun Giveaway here! Sign up then visit each day for a new giveaway.

Labels: book giveaway, Denise Hunter

There are few things that can sink a good romance novel faster than a weak obstacle. The purpose of the obstacle is, of course, to keep the hero and heroine apart until they reach happily ever after.

Most romance novels have 2 obstacles: internal and external. An internal obstacle is something that occurs inside of us. It involves issues such as:

fear of loving
inability to trust
prejudice
past betrayal

External obstacles are more tangible.

Feuding families (Romeo and Juliet)
Geographical separation (Sleepless in Seattle)
Separated by time (The Lake House)
Already engaged (The Wedding Planner)

The internal obstacle comes pretty quickly for me when plotting, but the external obstacle usually requires more planning. And I've learned (the hard way) to really think this one through. If you have a strong external obstacle, writing the novel will be easier. If you have a weak obstacle, not only will the story be unsatisfying, but you'll find yourself plodding through the middle of the book trying to find reasons the hero and heroine can't be together. Or, equally worse, you'll keep using your weak obstacle and make a molehill into a mountain. The reader will see right through this.

So do yourself a favor and make sure both of your obstacles are strong enough to keep the hero and heroine apart for the course of the novel. You'll be thankful you did--and so will your readers.

Have there been any obstacles that have kept you apart from a loved one? What is the obstacle keeping the hero and heroine apart in the last romance you read?

Labels: Denise Hunter, writing

We asked for title ideas for Smitten 3, and boy did you all come through! Thank you so much for your numerous ideas. Y'all are so creative, it was hard to choose!

The winner of a signed Secretly Smitten copy is Barbara Thompson who suggested The Smitten Bookclub. Congrats, Barbara! Please send your mailing address to denise@denisehunterbooks.com

But, we're giving away one more copy. We also liked Smitten Ever After (Jordan Sims). However, our publisher has a similar title releasing around the same time, so we had to throw that title out. Anyway, Jordan Sims, please send your address to the email above, and you'll receive a complimentary copy too.

Also, if either of you would prefer Smitten instead, just let me know.

Thanks again for all your help, friends! We know where to go next time we can't come up with a title!

Denise

Labels: Denise Hunter, Smitten

It's no secret that my least favorite part of writing happens during the middle of the book. They don't call it the sagging middle for nothing, folks. If you're not really careful, that baby will sag so low you'll be tempted Select All and Delete. Or at the very least, whine to your critique partner that you're in the middle of your worst story ever and your career is over. (Sound familiar Colleen?)

The easy cure for the sagging middle is The Domino Effect. It's just as it sounds. Create conflict that pushes the next domino down. If the conflict isn't strong enough to push the next one down, make it stronger or change it altogether. Don't just string together a series of events. Don't just write the next scene that comes to mind. Think How is this scene going to effect my protagonist? What reaction is this going to cause? If the reaction is daydreaming while sipping Earl Grey tea, it's not the right scene.

Make something happen. Something bad. Your protagonist's worst fear. At the worst time possible. Be mean. It's fiction, you're allowed. Your character will grow, your reader will experience the vicarious thrill of victory, and you won't have a middle that sags to the floor.

FYI  Preorder Barefoot Summer on Kindle or Nook for only $4.99 starting today! And no, it's not an April Fool's joke. :) Kindle  Nook

Labels: barefoot summer, Denise Hunter, writing

I've had this thought before, but yesterday I took the time to write it down and stick it on a pin. (I actually took this photo in a castle in England.)

I put it on my facebook page and have gotten over 70 shares, so it must ring true to others too.

On one hand, the whole idea makes me feel a lot of pressure as a novelist. My only tool: words. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to be in charge of an entire cast of people, sets, lighting, and tracks either.

I also wonder, with all the tools available to movie makers, why do I always like the book better? Maybe imagination trumps reality. What do you think?

Labels: Denise Hunter, writing

I'm often asked if I keep a story diary and where I get my ideas. The ideas often come when I least expect them. When I'm reading another book or watching a movie or listening to a song. (How interesting is it that other people's creative pursuits spark my own?)

The number one thing I've learned: WRITE IT DOWN!

I learned this the hard way unfortunately. I wonder if my forgotten ideas from those early days are sitting in a big gray room somewhere with all my lost socks. Anyway . . .

So I keep a folder--which happens to be gray. Coincidence? I don't think so. It goes back years and contains napkins, bulletins, Post-Its, scraps of paper, and magazine pages. Each item contains an idea or a nugget that inspired me. Sometimes it's just the name of a song as I often choose a theme song for my books. Music so inspires me.

Whenever it's time to start a new book, I go to my Idea Folder. Even if I already have an idea for a plot, sometimes the story needs "something more". I'll look for another idea I can blend with it. I love blending two ideas. It can create a really unique story.

So that's how I handle my ideas. This tip and more is on the video above. Kristin, Colleen, and I (missed you, Di!) sat down for a webcast last week and invited a few friends. Okay, the general public. It was a blast! We talked about collaborating together on the Smitten books, how we met (sorry for the towel story, Kris!), and why Colleen's hair looks so curly. Thought you might enjoy a peek into our lives--as if you don't get enough of that here.

Labels: Denise Hunter, Smitten, Webcast, writing tips

Giving away 3 signed copies of Barefoot Summer!

I just got a few advanced copies of my June 4 release in the mail. I'm SO tickled to see the beautiful cover in my hands!

The purpose of advanced copies is to get a little buzz going, so that's where I need your help.

How can you help spread the word about Barefoot Summer? Can you write online reviews? Blog about the story? Recommend it to your book club? Tweet and FB about it? Be creative!

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Leave a message telling me how you'd use a free copy of Barefoot Summer to spread the word.

2. Leave your email address.

That's it! I'll email the winners on Wednesday (Feb 20).

             In the years since her twin brother’s drowning, Madison McKinley has struggled to put it behind her. Despite the support of her close-knit family and her gratifying job as a veterinarian in their riverside town, the loss still haunts her. To find closure, Madison sets out to fulfill her brother’s dream of winning the town’s annual regatta. But first she has to learn to sail, and fast.  

              Beckett O’Reilly knows Madison is out of his league, but someone neglected to tell his heart. Now she needs his help—and he’ll give it, because he owes her far more than she’ll ever know.  

 

Madison will do anything—even work with the infamous Beckett O’Reilly—to reach her goal. And as much as she’d like to deny it, the chemistry between them is electrifying. As summer wanes, her feelings for him begin to grow and a fledgling faith takes root in her heart. 

                      But Beckett harbors a secret—one that will test the limits of their love and the depth of Madison’s faith. Can their new romance survive summer’s challenges? And will achieving her brother’s dream give Madison the peace she desperately seeks?

Labels: book giveaway, Denise Hunter

Coming June 4, 2013

I am endlessly fascinated with people. Especially with this question: why do they do the things they do? This is one of the reasons I write stories. When I'm plotting a book, I may be excited about the "hook"of the story ("Barefoot Summer": a woman must enlist the help of her handsome enemy to realize her dream).

But it's the character's inner journey that gets my blood pumping. (The heroine's goal is to win the local regatta, achieving the dream of her twin brother whose death she can't seem to put behind her.) People are motivated by so many things--the list is endless but here are a few: Greed, compassion, love, jealousy, fear--a big one!

It's my job as a writer to get to the bottom of things. Is my heroine afraid to love? Is she desperate for approval? Is she seeking peace like my "Barefoot Summer" heroine? And on to the deeper question: why? This question is the foundation of many great stories and the thing that ultimately stokes the fire for me as the writer.

As a reader, we can learn about ourselves by walking the protagonists inner journey and discovering what she fears (loves, needs) and why. Reading (and writing) is a great way to grow as a person, the pain-free way! Learning through other people's mistakes is a beautiful thing!

What have you learned, about yourself or others, through a book you've read recently?

Labels: Denise Hunter, Reading, writing

Starting a big project can be scary. Today I'll start my novella for Smitten #3. Now granted, it's a novella. Considerably less daunting than a full length novel.

Still, a blank page is a blank page. There's nothing there, and I have to write words that will hold a reader's attention for 100 pages. So a few tips for those staring blindly at the blinking curser:

1. It's easy to get hung up on the 1st sentence, on the first paragraph. They're so important, says every writing book ever written. Yes, they are. My advice, don't strain yourself on the opening sentences in the 1st draft. Just get the story started. (My husband advises "Once upon a time" but I know you can do better than that.)

2. Have some idea where you're going. You don't need a fleshed out road map, but you should be writing toward something.

3. At the very least, know what your protagonist wants and what's standing in his/her way. This will drive the conflict.

4. Before you sit down to write, daydream options for the opening and choose where you want to start. I like to start with a scene, not exposition, and most readers prefer that too.

5. Just get something down. If it's awful or you chose to start in the wrong place, you can always scrap it later. At least it got you going.

What are your favorite tips for new beginnings?

Labels: Denise Hunter, writing

How many drafts does it take to get to the end of a manuscript? If you ask 10 authors, you'll get 10 answers. Here's what works for me--a description of each draft and a look at my mental journey along the way--be very scared.

Draft #1
Time required: 5 months
This is where daily discipline comes into play. I work from a synopsis, but I don't always know what happens next. This method keeps things interesting for me. And if I don't know what happens next, how can the reader? :-)

Mental Outlook: Everything ranging from stark terror (This whole story blows!) to sheer delight (Hey, nice metaphor, Denise!)

Draft #2 
Time required: Fifteen minutes daily for 5 months
This draft happens daily during the five months of Draft #1. Prior to writing each day I read the previous day's work and do some tweaking.

Mental Outlook: Happy. This is easy peasy and a great way of procrastinating the writing of the first draft.

Draft #3
Time required: Sometimes none, sometimes an hour
This is easy because it's mostly done by Colleen. As I finish each chapter, I shoot it to her, and she tells me what's wrong. I just have to fix it. I make fixes before I go on unless it's too intensive (I don't like your heroine!) In such cases, I add it to a list of things to fix when the first draft is done.

Mental Outlook: Sometimes surprised by things I didn't consider or things I miscalculated. Always grateful for the extra set of eyes.

Interlude
Time required: One day
Now it's time to go to my list of things that need fixing. Timeline stuff, changes I made in chapter 12 that will affect things in chapters 3, 6 and 8, and adding that great line of dialogue I thought of while taking my son to the orthodontist. This is my Honey-Do List except I'm the Honey that has to do it.

Draft #4
Time required: One week
This is when I go back and read the manuscript from start to finish. I look at the big picture (character arc, faith thread, the plot in general. This is the most objective view I'll ever get of my manuscript which is why:

Mental Outlook: Fear and trembling with a hint of throw-myself-in-front-of-a-bus.

Draft #5
Time required: One week
My focus narrows down to finer things: sentence structure, word choices. I focus on sentence clarity and brevity and tweak dialogue so that it sounds more realistic. I also make sure the setting and characters have adequate physical descriptions and that there are adequate sensory details to acclimate the reader to each scene.

Mental Outlook: Weeeeeeeeee! My favorite draft.

Draft #6
Time required: One week
I make another run-through doing all the same things I did in draft #5, picking up any typos I made. I jot out discussion question as I read through and add them to the end of the document. I finish with a spell-check. By the time this draft is finished, the manuscript as perfect as I'm capable of making it.

Mental Outlook: Why can't draft #1 be this fun?

Finale: Pry my fingers off the pages and turn it in to editor before deadline.

Mental Outlook: Yay I did it! mixed with What if she hates it? and Oh, why didn't I do this?

If you break down your job into phases, which is your favorite and least favorite?

Labels: authors, Denise Hunter, drafts, writing

One of the questions I'm asked most frequently is: What inspires you to write?

Two things come to mind. 1. The things that inspire me and 2. the way the writing process actually works for a working writer.

Many things inspire the creative process in me. Romantic movies, romantic novels, newspaper articles, movie trailers, books on writing, and overheard conversations. During any of the above I often find myself jotting ideas that come to mind. (I learned long ago that no matter how perfect the idea is or how sure I am that I'll remember it--I won't. Guaranteed.)

These moments of inspiration are fun and exciting and useful for filling my creative well (and my story idea folder). But they aren't so useful in getting 80,000 words into my document by my deadline.

For that part, my inspiration can only be described as butt-in-chair. Every working writer knows William Faulkner was right when he said, "I only write when I am inspired. Fortunately, I am inspired at 9 o'clock every morning."

I don't know about anyone else, but if I waited until I felt like writing, I wouldn't meet my deadlines. Then my publisher would become disgruntled with my unprofessional behavior. Then I wouldn't have any contracts. Or deadlines. I guess at that point, I could write only when inspired. Sadly, that doesn't pay. And fortunately, Faulkner's plan seems to work for me.

So, I'm throwing the question back to you, no matter what it is that you do. What inspires you?

Labels: Denise Hunter, inspiration, writing

Coming January 2013!

Are you an influencer? I have 2 advanced copies of Secretly Smitten to give away! Here's how you enter the drawing:

1. Tell me what you can do to promote Secretly Smitten such as post reviews, blog about it, host a Secretly Smitten book club, make a YouTube video, Tweet about it, etc. Be creative!

2. Leave your email address

That's it! Here's a blurb of Secretly Smitten, cowritten by BFFs Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter.


Return to Smitten, Vermont, a quaint New England town where love always finds a way.

While visiting their mother for Sunday dinner, sisters Tess, Zoe, and Clare Thomas discover a pair of dog tags belonging to their grandmother's first love---a soldier who was killed in action years ago. But how had his dog tags found their way to Smitten? The Thomas women are determined to solve the mystery. But will they also be smitten by love along the way?

Labels: book giveaway, Denise Hunter, Smitten