H.C. Bentley's Blog, page 6
May 5, 2022
May 2022 news
Whew, y'all. April was KILLER. I had so much I wanted to get done (and accomplished most of it) but sheesh. I'm looking forward to May (hopefully) being a little more laid back. There were some good things to come out of the craziness, though! :)
From This Moment is LIVE and is permafree on all retailers! *bootyshake* I love, love, love this story of Grace & Ray and hope you will, too! Take Me Home received a rewrite and nearly DOUBLED in word count! So, if you've previously purchased this book, you may want to go in and see about getting the updated file. No, scratch that... you neeeeed to get the updated file and see what Charlotte and Landon got down to (some of it is hot)! ;) Let's see... oh! I should have a new story just for you guys, my newsletter peeps, by next month's sending. I'm working on finishing it up now!There's a couple other little tidbits on the book side of things below, so be sure to check them out!
On the personal front, the first-ever awarding of the scholarship set up in my dad's name happens next week. My mother, my sister, and I went through the selection process and I have the speech written (though it will be presented by a friend and co-worker of my dad's). It'll be a bittersweet night, but we're happy that this scholarship could have the chance to change the course of someone's life. :)
That's all for this month's edition! Happy Mother's Day on Sunday to those who celebrate it!
Want to get the full newsletter (as well things just for subscribers like excerpts and bonus content)? Be sure to sign up here .
April 20, 2022
From This Moment excerpt
She slipped out of the kitchen and made her way down the hall to the bathroom. Once she’d taken care of her morning business, she splashed cold water over her face and dried it with the nearby towel. Then she braced both hands on the sides of the sink and looked herself in the eye in the mirror.
“You will not jump an injured man,” she warned herself in a whisper. “As much as you want to, because he looks damn fine in flannel, you will not jump him.” Pushing herself to stand upright, she tugged down the hem of the tank top she wore with boxers-her version of pajamas-and headed back to the kitchen.
Ray was just setting a small serving bowl of scrambled eggs down next to a plate of sausage and toast, along with a pitcher of orange juice, on the table.
“You didn’t have to go to all this trouble,” she told him as she settled onto her chair.
“I know, but it’s no trouble.” He took his seat across from her. “I’m feeling pretty good this morning. Better than I’ve felt since before the accident. And I wanted a way to say thanks for everything you’ve done for me since you’ve been here.”
“I haven’t done all that much,” she said as she began to fill her plate.
“More than you realize,” he argued. “It’s not just the taking care of the apartment and such. You’ve kept me company, kept me sane, since I’ve been home.” He winked. “Keeping me away from my mother’s didn’t hurt either.”
“Ah, there it is.” She laughed, pointing a forkful of sausage in his direction. “The real reason you’re grateful.”
“Busted.” His laughter joined hers as he spread jelly over a piece of toast. “So, any plans for the day?”
“Not really. Just a quick load of laundry, maybe head over to the library for a bit.”
“The library?”
“I do read, you know.” She arched an eyebrow at him as she ate some scrambled eggs.
“I know you do. Just haven't heard you mention ever going to the library.” He paused, obviously in thought. “Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve been since I was in school. Mind if I tag along?”
“Of course not.”
They spent the next few minutes eating in companionable silence.
“Have you heard from your parents?” Ray asked quietly.
“Mom called yesterday. She made it clear she still didn’t approve of my choice to be here, but she made the effort to at least be civil.”
“And your dad?”
“I didn’t talk to him. Haven’t, really, since your accident.”
“Grace--”
“It’s been this way pretty much since I’ve been a teenager. He hasn’t handled the growing up of his only daughter very well.” Grace shrugged. “We just go along about our business as best we can.”
“Yeah, but I feel like this time it’s my fault.”
“No. It’s on me. I made the choice.” She rose to take her plate to the sink, nearly ran into him when she turned around again.
“Sorry,” Ray apologized, taking her by the arms to steady her.
“You move like a damn ghost.”
“Comes from sneaking around my parents as a kid.” He grinned, loosened his grip to run his hands over her paper arms as his grin faded. “But seriously, are you okay?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Because I can tell that being at odds with your parents upsets you. And I hate I’m partly the cause of it.” When she tried to object, he just shook his head. “No. I could have sucked it up and told you no, could have stayed at my mom’s. But the truth is, I wanted you here. With me. Like this.”
“Like what?”
“Just together. Over breakfast. On the couch, watching some God awful romcom.” He laughed when she swatted his chest. “I just like knowing you’re here. Or will be, if you’ve gone out for a minute. There is one thing I’ve wanted to do, though.”
“What’s that?”
Without a word, he leaned forward, brought her face to his, and kissed her with such intensity that Grace was lost to it within seconds. Not realizing she was moving, her hands found her way to his hips, gripped the waistband of the flannel pants, unconsciously tugged to bring him closer.
His groan fell on deaf ears as the angle of the kiss changed, as Ray shuffled them both closer to the counter. Grace felt the edge of it pressing against her lower back and, with a distant thought, decided she couldn’t care less at the moment.
All thought was lost when Ray’s hands left her face, skimmed over her shoulders and down her back. The sensations of his fingers gliding over her sent shivers down her spine, caused a low moan to slip from her own throat. When his hands slid around her lower back to grip her hips, she arched towards him, felt the solid ridge of him pressing to her center.
It gave her a second’s pause, but it was just enough for Ray to notice.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, closing his eyes and resting his forehead on hers. “Got a little out of control. Just give me a minute.”
She could feel him retreating, even though neither of them had moved. And, she realized, she didn’t want him pulling back at all.
“It’s okay,” she whispered back. Running her hands up his chest and into his hair, she pulled back just enough to look into his now-open eyes.
“Grace?”
“It’s okay,” she repeated “I want this.”
Want to start from the beginning? Here's chapter one.
February 12, 2021
January 12, 2021
Name a Character contest
Enter to win a prize pack of:
- $20 Gift Card to either B&N, Kobo, iBooks OR Amazon
- A character named after you and the dedication in Stay With Me (The Bedfords - Book 3)
- A shout-out in my newsletter and Goodreads blog
- A direct-to-Kindle copy of the ebook when it's ready!
Want to try your luck? Here's where you enter (Name a Character contest)...good luck!
- H.C.
January 5, 2021
Hallelujah, it's 2021!
On the author side, I'm kicking off the new year right...I'm expanding my list of retailers where my books are available! This month, they are officially available on Smashwords! You can search for them on the Smashwords site or save yourself a bit of time and just visit my website...they're all linked there!
That's all I have for now...here's hoping that 2021 is GREAT for you and yours!
- H.C.
Her Last Love (Small Town Hearts #1) by H.C. Bentley - $0.99 until 1/8
Take Me Home (The Bedfords #1) by H.C. Bentley - $0.99
Check out these books by other romance authors!
(these links may take you away from Goodreads)
Love at the Library by Amanda Kai
Mama Knows Best by Reece Taylor
The Sea Breeze Cottage by Amy Rafferty
Heroes of Hope County by Amber Adams
December 26, 2020
The best deals are after Christmas!
I don't know about you, but for the Bentley family, Christmas wasn't the holiday we're used to this year. Normally, we'd head over to my Mom and Dad's, eat, hang out, eat some more. Basically, just enjoy each other's company. But, this year, my girls had a dentist appointment four days before Christmas. And ended up in direct contact with a tech who tested positive for Covid just days after. So, we had a Quarantine Christmas. All things considered, it was nice. We made my late grandmother's special Christmas cookies, crafted some gnomes, and - as is the tradition - just enjoyed each other's company.
Now, we're all hanging out and wondering what to spend these gift cards on. If you're like me, you already know. Books. Books, books, and more books! It's just a matter of deciding which ones! If you're still deciding, I'm here to help...there's a list below to get you started. :)
- H.C.
Her Last Love (Small Town Hearts #1) by H.C. Bentley - $0.99 until 1/8
Take Me Home (The Bedfords #1) by [author: H.C. Bentley - $0.99
Chasing Justice (The Piper Anderson Series #1 by Danielle Stewart - Free for a limited time
Small Town Secrets (Door County #1) by Margaret Watson - Free for a limited time
Possessed By Passion - $0.99
The Road to Heartbreak by J.L. Baldwin - $2.99
November 30, 2020
A Little Something...
Now that we've got Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror (though I'm sure we'll still be eating leftovers for days), I wanted to add a quick little post because I've got a little something special to share with you. Just click on the image to read all about it!
Hoping you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that all of you are staying safe and (relatively) sane this holiday season!
- H.C.
February 20, 2020
A Long Overdue Announcement
This is a blog post I've put off writing for a while. Probably for much longer than I should have. But, the time has come for me to finally put things into perspective and into words not only for myself, but also for my readers and book friends.
After much reflection and thought, I have decided to take an indefinite hiatus from writing romance.
It's with a tired and somewhat sad heart I make this announcement. I’ve taken breaks before but I have been struggling with things in the writing department for more than a year now and they're not getting any better. To make a long story short, I'm not okay. I don't know if it's burnout or some form of depression but trying to function as a writer isn't happening. Some days, I feel I am doing well to function, period. And trying to push forward and put on a brave, happy face and trying to force the stories feels like it is slowly killing my soul.
This is not what I had in mind when I made the decision five years ago to actively pursue the dream of writing books. And it’s not how I feel it should be. Yes, there is struggle and hard work with any worthwhile endeavor, but if doing something doesn’t make you happy, if it doesn’t fuel your spirit and your soul, then is there even a reason to do it?
With this in mind, I’ll be pursuing another area of the book world while I give myself a break from the romance industry. It’s a project I’ve been considering for some time and one I look forward to working on. I won’t go into details here, but I’ll be sharing that info some time in the (hopefully) near future.
I'm sure I'll be back to writing romance at some point, though I can't say when. I don’t want to put the stress on myself to meet a certain timeline when I may not be mentally ready when the time rolls around. In the meantime, I’ll be keeping my FB profile, page and group running (though I may delete/pull back on some other social media). I’ll continue my plan of not joining any more groups (and have already started the process of leaving the ones I don’t take part in) or actively promoting in groups. I just want to take the time to try to get myself back to the point where I find the passion and love for writing again.
To my author friends, and you know who you are, thank you. I’ve learned so much from you all over the years and have come to consider several of you friends outside of the book world. I’ll still be around if anyone needs an ear to vent to or shoulder to lean on, or just somebody to bat ideas around with. I love my fellow authors and wish them all the success and happiness!
To my readers, I hope you understand where this post is coming from, which is a need to take those steps back for my mental health and general well-being. I’m so thankful to those who have taken the chance on reading books from this crazy, red-headed Kentucky girl...you are the reason a dream became a reality. And for that, I can’t thank you enough.
Love to you all,
H.C.
March 2, 2019
I Wasn't Going To Say Anything, But...
...the author world is getting ridiculous with drama in 2019.
There, I said it. And now that I have, grab a cup of coffee and settle in...because I'm about to get opinionated.
I've sat back and watched things unfold over the last couple of months. Seems like every week it's something new. And I'm not saying that it's about anything trivial or that it's pettiness that should be dismissed. The issues that are coming to light are serious and absolutely need to be addressed. The redhead in me is pissed about what it is we're addressing.
Ghost writing scams. Plagiarism. Illegal downloads. Thievery.
When did it come to this??
When did it become acceptable to take from someone, to threaten their livelihood (or even their reputations) because you're too cheap to buy a book? These people will pay $5 for a Starbucks but can't - or won't - spare $2.99 for an ebook, because they feel they should get it for free?
When did it become acceptable for readers to demand - often times directly from the author - to get the books they want for cheap? Or free? When did it become okay for people to think that authors are not human beings, ones who are working to make better lives for themselves and their families? Instead, it seems we are here to please the entitled masses of the "I want it free and I want it now".
That doesn't fly for me. So, let me break this down for you, here and now.
For the most part, we're all adults in the book world. Which means, people should know better than to steal from anyone, but in this case we're talking authors. But for those who don't, I'm going to explain adulting to you. You might want to grab a pen and paper and take notes.
For the readers:
1) Get a job. Any job. Mow lawns. Work at the grocery store. Earn some money.
2) Create a budget for said money. One with entertainment expenses included. This is where you include money for books.
3) Spend your book money wisely. Kindle Unlimited is $10 a month. You get 10 books at a time. If you're a fast reader, you can get a lot of books out your $10 a month.
4) If you're short on entertainment funds, go to the library. I work at one and know FOR A FACT that libraries offer ebook services and paperback loans. Hell, part of my job is borrowing books from OTHER LIBRARIES for my patrons to check out. And you know what? IT'S. ALL. FREE. FOR. YOU. TO USE. You just have to sign up for a library card. The library has already spent the money from the budget (meaning the author got paid) for their patrons to have these services.
5) If you can't or won't utilize the library or manage your funds as an adult should, then damn it, don't - I REPEAT, DO NOT - steal from from authors. Just because you don't want to spend the money in your pocket does not give you the right to take money from theirs.
For the writers:
1) If you're in it for the money (and by this I mean the book stuffers and those churning out crap or recycling manuscripts, trying to make fast cash off the backs of actual authors), do us all a favor and go away now. Get yourself a day job and make your living that way. Yeah, it's not the easy, lazy way of making a buck. Welcome to adulting. It sucks at times, but we all have to do it. You may as well join us.
2) Don't call yourself a writer if you don't actually sit down and do the work of putting words on a page. It's a slap in the face to those of us who do.
3) Don't steal from those of us who put the time and effort and money into producing books. It pisses us off. You may not hear it or see it from everyone, but there are those of us who are seriously pissed off, with enough exposure to make sure the message is heard. See Nora Roberts and Suzan Tisdale as examples 1 & 2.
To those of you who think it's perfectly acceptable to take, or even give away, something that's not theirs, SHAME ON YOU. You obviously weren't disciplined enough as a child or taught the difference between right and wrong if you think this is anything close to okay. Even my own children, who are teenagers (with those teenage brains that sometimes make strange decisions) even know better than this. When they hear about the stupid shit like this that adults do, they look at me with the equivalent of "what the hell, Mom? What's wrong with them?"
My teenagers get it....why don't the freeloaders and thieves??
*deep breath*
I could keep going but I won't. Common sense falls deaf on ears that don't want to hear it. And I don't want to waste my time.
So, I'll just close with this. To my author friends, the ones I know that works their asses off, day after day after day, to put books out there for the loyal readers who believe in paying for their work...
I stand by you and believe in you. Times are tough and often times discouraging in the author world right now, but damn it...you did something many can't. You wrote a book. You created stories and characters and worlds out of nothing. You're an f'ing rock star. Don't let the jealousy and idiocy and low morals of others get you down.
I know we will all fight together against having our words and livelihoods ripped from our keyboard scarred fingertips. Because we're authors - no matter the genre - and we know we're worth more than this. We deserve more than this. And we won't stand for it any longer.
