H.C. Bentley's Blog, page 4

The Name Game

“What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.”

This William Shakespeare's way of saying what we call someone, or something, doesn't really matter. But in fiction, I think it does. It matters greatly. The first way a reader really identifies a character, most times, is by name. Especially in romance fiction. Because the description of "tall, dark, handsome, and brooding" could apply to the male main character, his two best friends, and/or his dad, depending on what you read (if you know, you know. Ha!). This means choosing the right name for each character is important. But it can also be incredibly frustrating, especially if you have a large cast of characters.

For those reading this who have ever named a kid, welcome to my character-naming process.

I say this jokingly, but it's pretty accurate.

Do I stress over names? Absolutely. These characters are going to live on the pages and imaginations for many years, so I feel I need their names to be just right. The first and middle names have to work with the last name I've chosen for the family (last names are also very important, in my opinion). And the names have to fit the characters' personalities, where they live, and so on. So, yes. I definitely feel some degree of stress in naming a character. But I also have a method to my madness.

The Notebooks

Ah, the notebooks. I have them in all sizes, shapes, and colors. And, invariably, each notebook holds a list somewhere in its pages of names that I want to have for future use. Are all the notebooks all together where these lists can be easily accessed? No. Do I have a master list of all of these names kept in a safe space? Also no. I started one once, but then I changed notebooks. I'm sure I still have it somewhere. I think.

Reader Feedback

Sometimes when I find several names I like, I can't decide which one to bestow on a character. Or I swap back and forth so many times I confuse myself (honestly, this isn't hard to do some days). When I'm genuinely conflicted, I take my names to my reader group, pop them into a poll, and let them make the choice for me. And, a lot of times, they'll suggest names in the comments. Which means I add them to the list (or make another. I do that a lot.).

Baby Name Websites

I've used these quite a bit, using them to add to those lists I mentioned. I like these sites because I can generally narrow down name options to regions of the US (and even the world) to keep them true to the book's setting.

Baby Name Books

These are generally my last resort. Mainly because, since they are in print, they tend to be outdated kind of quickly. I have come across a couple of names I liked using baby name books, but not many. I tend to reach for these books when I hit the edge of desperation in naming a character.

If you've read my books, which character names have been your favorites? And, if you have a name you love, drop those in the comments as well. I'm sure they'll end up on one list or another. ;)

3 Ways To Request Books At Your Local Library

Libraries are a touchstone in a community. As a librarian myself, this is a hill I will die on.

Okay, that's a little dramatic, but you get that I'm passionate about this subject.

Libraries have been a regular part of my life since is was six years old, when I was finally (finally!) old enough to get my own card at the local library. Let me tell you, I thought I was a big shot when I got that laminated card in my hot little hands. Since then, I've spent countless hours of my life in a library, searching the shelves for that one book I really, really wanted. And I'm sure, as readers, you have as well.

But what about when you can't find the book you want? One you know is out in the world, waiting to be read but not available at your local library? What do you do then?

This, my friends, is where I come in to help you.

I hosted a webinar for authors a few years ago about getting their books into libraries (and subsequently released a how-to on the same subject). And, as I told them, the information I'm about to relay varies from library to library (according to their acquisition policies). I'm basing this off of personal knowledge in my current position as a librarian at my local library. Be sure to check with your own local library to see what their policies are on acquiring new materials.

That being said, let's get into this! First, you need to...

Ask A Librarian

Silly suggestion, I know, but an important one. Talk to a librarian and see if they have a list of requests for the person in charge of library purchases. Some libraries may require a certain number of patrons request a title before they spend the money to purchase (to ensure they're getting the circulation numbers for their dollars). Other libraries may have strict protocols on what they're allowed to purchases and when. But, it doesn't hurt to ask anyway. The worst they can say is no, right? And if they do say no to purchasing a physical copy of a book you're requesting, be sure to...

Ask About Digital Copies

Many libraries have at least one digital reading service to offer their patrons. Whether it's Libby, Hoopla (my personal favorite as a user), or another service, libraries are making it easier for those with a library card to access digital reading material. Ask your library if they offer a digital reading service for card holders and, if they do, see if the title you are looking for is available there. If not, ask if there's a way the library can request it be added to their catalog of digital offerings. Speaking of requesting things...

Inquire About Interlibrary Loans

This option takes a little more time, but if you're patient, it can be worth the wait. For those not familiar with interlibrary loans, here's how it works. You request a title from your library. The librarian in charge of interlibrary loans (in my library's case, that's me!) puts the request to other libraries into the ILL system. When a library agrees to loan it out, they will ship it to your library for you to borrow, just as if your library had it on-hand.

A note about interlibrary loans, though. Many of them will not loan out titles they've had for less than a year. So, if you're trying to get your hands on the latest Colleen Hoover book, you may be out of luck with interlibrary loans.

There you have it, three ways you can request the books you really, really want to read from your local library. And I do want to point out that, no. You are not being a bother when you ask a librarian about requesting a book. We want you to inquire about new materials. Not only does it show your involvement with the library, it gives librarians insight into what people in their community are interested in reading (which means we can work on keeping our collection current). Will a library be able to accommodate every single request that comes through? Of course not, it would be fiscally impossible. But we'll do our best to get the book you want in your hands, one way or another.

From H.C.'s Kitchen: Pot Pie 2 Ways (Chicken or Vegetarian!)

With the chill in the air, I thought I'd share one of my family's cool-weather favorites, chicken pot pie! I've been making this since my kids were barely big enough to see over the counter and to this day there are rarely leftovers. I've made it enough times I'm pretty sure I've burned the recipe into my brain for life.

It's so simple to make and so delicious... perfect for a fall evening!

I'm also including a vegetarian version that I adapted for one of my co-workers for those that prefer a meatless diet!

Chicken Pot Pie

· 1 pkg of 2-part pie crust

· 1/3 c butter

· 1/3 c diced onion (you can substitute onion powder if you need to. When I do, I use ½ tsp)

· ¼ tsp black pepper

· ½ tsp each of garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt

· 1.5 c of chicken stock (or the same amount of water with a bouillon cube)

· 2/3 c milk

· 2 c frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

· 2-3 cups of cooked chicken, cubed (rotisserie chicken is great to use here in a pinch!)

1. Preheat your oven to 425F.

2. Over medium heat, melt butter in a large pot and add onions, cook until translucent.

3. Add all seasons, blending well.

4. Sprinkle flour in until well incorporated (should look like a thick paste). Be careful not to scorch it!

5. Slowly mix in stock and milk, stirring continuously. Once the mix starts to come to a boil, remove it from the heat. This is as thick as your gravy will be.

6. Add veggies and chicken to your gravy and mix well. Set aside while you get your bottom pie crust in the pie pan.

7. Once your bottom crust is ready, pour your veggie/gravy mixture into it and cover with the top crust. Crimp the edges well to prevent the gravy from leaking into your oven. Cut several slits in the top for venting. Cook for 30-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Vegetable Pot Pie

· 1 pkg of 2-part pie crust

· 1/3 c butter

· 1/3 c diced onion (you can substitute onion powder if you need to. When I do, I use ½ tsp)

· ¼ tsp black pepper

· ½ tsp each of garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt

· 1.5 c of vegetable stock

· 2/3 c milk

· 2 c frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

· 1 small potato, diced small (optional. I've used this when I'm a little short on chicken for filler)

1. Preheat your oven to 425F.

2. Over medium heat, melt butter in a large pot and add onions, cook until translucent.

3. Add all seasons, blending well.

4. Sprinkle flour in until well incorporated (should look like a thick paste). Be careful not to scorch it!

5. Slowly mix in stock and milk, stirring continuously. Once the mix starts to come to a boil, remove it from the heat. This is as thick as your gravy will be.

6. Add veggies to your gravy and mix well. Set aside while you get your bottom pie crust in the pie pan.

The only thing better than chicken pot pie for dinner is the rare leftovers for lunch the next day! Which do you prefer for pot pie: chicken/turkey, beef, or vegetable? Let me know in the comments!

Crossroads now on Kindle Vella

If you're following me on social media, you probably already know what I'm about to tell you (or not. That's okay, too!). But, in case you don't, allow me to introduce you to Nick Spenser and Jo Devereaux (aka Spense & Dev). I think these two are going to be a lot of fun to write!

Blurb for Crossroads - A Spense & Dev Story

Before transferring to a station in a sleepy little Mississippi town, Detective Jolene "Jo" Devereaux and her partner had been chasing a serial killer. One who would stalk his victims, women living alone, learning their routines and habits. Then he’d gain access to their homes, disguised as a police officer, before torturing and killing them. A fatal mistake had Jo deciding to start over. New town, new job, new partner.

Detective Nick Spenser wasn't used to having a female partner who looked more like a model than a cop. But he soon learns she's got brains and nerves of steel. A good thing, since the serial killer Jo thought she'd left behind has decided he’s not done with her yet.

What is Kindle Vella?

I like to think of it as the book world's version of a prime-time television show. You get episodes each week (more or less, depending on the author. I am publishing weekly). Some episodes are free (usually the first three or four) and then each one requires tokens to unlock (this is how the author gets paid). New users can get free tokens to use while trying out Kindle Vella.

So, I don't get the whole book at once?

Depends on how long you wait to start reading. As of this publication, I have four episodes available (soon to be five, as I publish new episodes on Mondays). The fun in this is that I am publishing as I'm writing, which means I don't have a full manuscript I'm just copying and pasting from. So even I don't know what happens three episodes from now!

You can be alerted to new episodes posting by clicking the +Follow Story button on the stories Vella page.

Add a Closing Message

I'm hoping to make Spense & Dev a regular series after Crossroads. I have ideas of how the two of them will go forward, but this can only happen if readers read (and like) this story! So, I hope you'll go check out Crossroads on Kindle Vella and leave a thumbs up at the end of each episode!

Click here to go to Crossroads on Kindle Vella

Guest Bloggers Coming to HCB Blog in 2023

Yes, you read that right! Break out the sweet tea and cookies, we're going to have guests!

When I was putting together ideas for the blog for this year, I thought it would be fun to have a guest blogger each month. But not just any guest bloggers. These are fellow romance authors, writers who will drop by and talk about all sorts of things. Their upcoming books, creating characters, world building, and more. Here's the lineup so far!

I'm looking forward to seeing what these lovely authors submit for me to share with you each month!

Want to be a guest blogger (or know someone who might be interested)? All you have to do is fill out the interest form!

2023 RELEASE SCHEDULE

Full Length Novels

Capturing Jayde (The Kincaids - Book 1) - April 17

Mississippi Heat - July 10

Finding The Cowboy (Broken Rock Ranch - Book 1) - October 9

Kindle VellaCrossroads - January 9

Box Sets

The Bedfords Complete Box Set - February 11

Reprints

- New Beginnings (previously part of The Plus Sign Anthology) - May

All titles and dates subject to change.For the complete list of titles, click here.

HCB 2023 Goals

This is the first page of my 2023 planner. My entire publishing world for the year is in this book and I literally cart it back and forth to the day job each day so I can add, adjust, move things around as they happen.

If I were to lose this thing, I'd probably have a total meltdown.

Seriously, there would be tears involved. And possibly alcohol.

But, back to the goals.

This is everything I hope to accomplish in the coming year. Hope being the operative word! Let me elaborate a bit on each goal:

1. Publish 2-3 novels, 1 novella

Though I haven't shared it yet, I semi-set my release schedule last month and, while it's a bit daunting, it's doable. Parts of the books I plan to publish are already written, so I'm ahead of the game there (yay!). The plan is to release the first books in TWO new series (including one with cowboys. Yum.).

2. Try for a Bookbub

This is a goal many authors have on their list, since getting into a Bookbub newsletter is about like winning the lottery (I'm kidding. Kind of.). I'm super intimidated by the idea of apply for one (much less getting accepted). Mainly because they can be pricey and the results can be hit or miss (and this can be due to several things all lining up at once).

3. Start a Kindle Vella story

Yes. I'm doing it. I'm working the Spense and Dev story I started some time back and taking it to Kindle Vella. The goal here is to be able to work on it, an episode at a time, with the end result being a finished book. Fingers crossed as I'm heading into new territory!

4. Have an audiobook done (even if it's a novella)

Confession time. I used to really dislike audio books. I know, I know. But note I said "used to". I realized it wasn't the audiobook format I didn't like, but the narrators of certain books I tried. Once I made this discovery, I started devouring audios. And it's been a desperate wish of mine to get at least one of my stories done in an audiobook. Hopefully, 2023 is the year it happens!

5. Work on building Beta Reader and ARC teams

For those who don't know, beta readers read the book as it's being written or before the editor in order to catch mistakes, plot holes, etc. ARC readers get the final, polished book before publication. I've been searching for readers to join my teams but I'm not having a whole lot of luck. I shall persevere in the new year, though!

I have some other things I'd like to work on and see happen in 2023 but these are the top five on my list. Here's hoping I haven't put too much on myself and I can make these things happen!

My Favorite Winter Reading Routine

Christmas is almost here, which means I'm on vacation right now. This means that there's a pretty good chance you're going to find me, at some point in the day, in my pajamas and curled up with a book. This is usually in the evening because, even on vacation, I tend to find a litany of things that I absolutely need to get done.

But, when I finally get the to point where I feel like I've done enough, I have a reading routine that I love in the winter. I will make a cup of hot tea (or sometimes hot chocolate) and take it to my room. We don't have fireplaces in our house (more's the pity), so I'll turn on my favorite fireplace video and I'll grab my current read. After I'm comfy under my blanket, I'll be good to read a good long while. This routine is so relaxing for me and there have been plenty of times where I've gone straight to bed after this routine and slept like a baby.

What about you? Do you have a favorite reading routine?

From H.C.'s Kitchen: Crockpot Potato Soup

As soon as the weather turns cool, it’s my time to shine in the kitchen. I’m not good with coming up with meal ideas for the hotter summer months, but give me fall or winter and I’m on my A-game. And the easier the recipe, the better, because my house runs on chaos these days. None of us are on the same schedule anymore and there are plenty of times where we don’t even eat at the same time. My daughters are in college classes and working, my husband works full time, and I also work outside the house. With a full time job, writing, and (depending on the time of year) college classes for myself for work, I rarely feel like throwing together a full fledged meal during the week.

My crockpot (aptly named Big Bertha) is my BFF on crazy busy weeknights.

One of our favorite things to have during the colder months is potato soup. I found one on TikTok that I adapted for us that's quickly become a favorite. This recipe can’t get any easier. Seriously, the hardest part is cutting up the cream cheese.

This recipe can feed 4-6 people with plenty of chances for second helpings! Add some crusty bread or dinner rolls with butter and you've got a winning combo.

List of Ingredients 1 bag O'brien style diced potatoes (the kind with peppers and onions included) 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 box of chicken stock (or 4 cups of homemade stock if you prefer) 1 block of cream cheese, softened and cubed 1 chicken bouillon cube real bacon pieces or crumbles (I use the Walmart 2.5oz pkg for convenience but you can measure with your heart) shredded cheese of your choice (I use a Colby Jack mix). I add a large handful but you can do more or less

Optional substitutions for bacon:

1 pkg of smoked sausage, cut up into bite sized pieces OR ham chunks/shreds

Dump everything into the crockpot, give it a good stir, and let it go on low for about 4 hours. You'll want to give it a stir every so often to break up the cream cheese as it melts.

This recipe is perfect for this time of year because while you’re busy wrapping presents and baking cookies, dinner is taking care of itself. Multitasking at its finest. :)

If you try this recipe, be sure to come back and let me know what you think in the comments (along with any changes you tried and loved)!

Review: The Choice by Nora Roberts

Anyone who knows me knows that Nora Roberts is my go-to author when I want to get lost in a story. I have dozens of her books on my shelf (not even exaggerating) and I re-read her books all the time. I've gone through the In Death series (by her alter ego pseudonym JD Robb) twice.

I guess you could say I'm a pretty big fan. ;)

What I'm not usually a big fan of is fantasy. There are exceptions, while rare, but the Dragon Heart Legacy is one of them. And I think the fact I listened to them all in audiobook form helped tremendously.

Barrie Kreinik did a wonderful job in narrating this series and bringing the characters to life, making sure to give them each their own personality. And then there's the story.

**WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD**

I enjoyed seeing Breen come into her own, to leave behind a life that made her miserable. Seriously, her mom makes me want to smack her in her perfect face. And don't get me started on Marco's mom. Ugh.

And since we're talking about people I shouldn't rant about... Shanna. Spoiled, evil little twit. Glad to see she got what was coming to her. Even if I didn't see the way of it coming.

Anyway. Moving on.

I gave this 4.5 stars for a couple of reasons. One (and this is the big one) is the fact we had to say goodbye to Cedric. I get that the characters are literally battling in war, but Cedric? *sad face* Poor Marg. But the way she uses her grief and rage is righteous and a good way to move the story along. I just hate that Cedric had to be sacrificed to do it.

The other reason I knocked off half a start is the fact that there were some parts of the book that seemed to move too slowly for me. I caught myself losing concentration in parts because there wasn't much going on (or so it seemed to me).

And then there was the ending, which in no way contributed to the half-star. Can we talk about how Keegan proposed? Like Breen, I thought earrings were just earrings. And the way Keegan got frustrated (in true Keegan fashion) when Breen didn't understand their meaning and he had to explain the Talamh tradition? I enjoyed it because it wasn't the typical "here's a big shiny ring, marry me" moment (though I do love those as well). But the situation was just so perfectly Keegan and Breen.

Speaking of proposals, Marco and Brian? *swoon*

Okay, before I give anything else away, if you haven't read/listened to this series yet, I recommend it. You get the chance to get lost in Ireland and magicks, meet family and friends, and see light battle dark. All while watching romance bloom.

Read the blurb for "The Choice" on Nora's website