Betsy Horvath

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  • HOLD ME is live! Again!

    Well, I am both happy and relieved to let you know that, in between shoveling the massive amounts of snow falling on the Palatial Horvath Estate over the last week or two, I was able to set up everything I needed to re-release my first book, Hold Me.

    That’s right – the book that launched me on my author journey lives again! I actually got the rights for it back at the beginning of 2020, but then, well… 2020.

    But now it’s finally out again as an ebook and a paperback.  The ebook should be available on most stores as I write this post. The paperback takes longer to get into the system so it’s still percolating through. But soon it will be available for purchase, download, or order pretty much everywhere.

    If you already have the edition of this book that was originally published by Carina Press…. thank you!! I did scrub up the text a little bit, and changed the cover, but basically it’s the same book it was before.

    Here’s the information –

    Everything can change in an instant…

    Katie McCabe’s life might be stuck in idle these days, but she dreams of more. More love. More excitement. Just more.

    When FBI Special Agent Luc Vasco’s undercover assignment blows up in his face, he finds himself running for his life. Injured in the escape, Luc makes a decision that could change Katie’s world forever. And his own.

    Suddenly both Luc and Katie must deal with far more excitement than either of them ever expected.

    Just one moment sets the pair on the adventure of a lifetime, and a journey neither one could predict. In Hold Me, sizzling romantic suspense, sassy humor, and lots of heart combine in a non-stop race to love.

    Click HERE to read the first chapter

    Available Now

    Ebook

    Kindle  |  Nook  |  iBooks  |  Kobo  |  Google Play

    Paperback

    Amazon  |   coming soon to other retailers (it really is–I promise)

    There’s also an audiobook for this one because it was produced when it was originally published. Even though the rights have reverted back to me, the audiobook will still be available until the end of 2021. It doesn’t include any of the changes I just made, but, like I said, those changes were relatively minor, as far as I know.

    I honestly haven’t listened to it myself–it was too strange hearing someone else reading my words–so I can’t comment on production quality or anything like that. But I thought I’d mention it exists because it won’t be offered anymore once the contract ends. At least for now. Audiobooks aren’t exactly cheap to produce!  LOL

    Audible  |  iTunes  

    And, in case you couldn’t guess from the blurb, this book is a romantic suspense and it is not a part of my Welcome to Hardy Falls series… Yet!

    Now I just have to find my notes of how I thought I was going to continue the series… Hmmm…  But first–back to Hardy Falls!

    Anyway… hooray! Hold Me lives again! Woohoo!

    And, oh my glory, please make it stop snowing!!! And sleeting!!!! And icing!!!

    Be careful out there!

    You can get Betsy’s Blog by email by signing up HERE.! Or get the RSS feed

     

     

  • The Trouble With Assumptions

    I think that the trouble with making assumptions is that you believe they’re true even when they’re not. That’s especially a problem when you’re making assumptions about yourself. Please do not misunderstand me–it is certainly a huge problem when we make assumptions about other people, too, but in this blog post I’m talking about issues that come from making assumptions about ourselves, how we work, and our creative process.

    For example, one of the interesting developments that’s come out of this extended period of being alone with myself is I’m noticing some interesting assumptions I’ve been making about how I work most efficiently. And it’s also coming to my attention that some of these assumptions are, well, wrong.

    For instance, for a looooooong time I’ve made the assumption that my best creative time was in the morning. I don’t know why exactly, since I’m not especially a morning person. But it was an iron-clad, certain thing. If I wasn’t creative in the morning, then I wouldn’t be creative at all that day.

    By the way, it was also an excuse. If I wasn’t creative in the morning, then I didn’t have to be creative at all that day, because of course I couldn’t. But I digress.

    So, when I started doing some non-creative work, and I could set my own hours for working, I, as a matter of course, decided to work in the afternoon. That way my morning would be free to let my creative flag fly before I switched back to being a muggle.

    Except that’s not what’s been happening.  And I finally realized that I’ve been almost waiting out the morning, waiting for the time of the non-creative work to come. It felt like it was hanging over me, like a weight that was about to drop.

    I decided to question my assumption about how I work and change it up. Heck, I wasn’t being productive anyway, so why not?  Why not just get the other work out of the way and then write and be creative and flit like a little bee from flower to flower? Why not see what happened?

    And guess what? It turned out to be a good move.  Getting my other work done earlier feels like I have a get out of jail free card for the rest of the day once it’s finished, and that gives me the mental freedom I need to be creative. Even better, I also find that I actually do get some creative stuff in before I start.

    In other words, changing up my schedule, and not operating the way I THINK I operate, but listening to how I actually operate, worked.

    So, I guess all of this is just to say, challenge your assumptions about yourself. Don’t assume that something you’ve always believed about yourself is true. Because sometimes, my dears, you’re wrong.

     

     

     

    FYI – You can receive Betsy’s Blog by email by signing up HERE or get the RSS feed

     

     

  • Writing Catch Up

    Hello, friends!  This is just going to be a quick-like-a-bunny post about my writing and where things stand at the moment. Because, you know, I actually do write. I just haven’t proven it much lately.

    I’ll be honest with you, the past year has been very difficult for me in lots of ways. Shocking, I know. And one of the most difficult parts for me personally was the impact the stress of the year had on my creative life. Let’s just say that with everything else going on, I lost my creative mojo for a little while.

    Okay, I lost it for a long while. But I’m starting to take baby steps forward again.

    At the end of last year, I began taking courses to upskill in various areas related to writing and publishing. I’ve learned how to create my own book covers, so in the next month or so all of the books I have out currently will get new covers and blurbs (most of them are already done). I will also release them all as paperbacks as well as ebooks. And I expect to release them as large-print hardbacks in the near future, too. Well, as soon as I figure out how to do a hardback dust jacket.

    I’ve gotten the rights back for my first book, Hold Me, so I will be re-releasing that by the end of the month with a new cover. It will also be released as a paperback as well as an ebook.

    More information on all of that to come in the next couple of weeks.

    I’ve written a new Hardy Falls short story for the next newsletter. It’s a Christmas story taking place after the events of Expecting Love, and I’m only a month late getting it out! Woohoo! If you want to read it, and you’re not a newsletter subscriber already, you can sign up here. This particular newsletter will be going out on Tuesday, but don’t worry. If you miss it, you’ll get a link to the newsletter archive with past stories. And there will be more stories and novellas coming for the newsletter subscribers in the future.

    The next Hardy Falls book, Marrying Love, is almost finished. Really. Promise. I’ve had some severe writer’s block with this book, so it’s been hard going. That’s probably because I was well underway with it when the pandemic swept in and the world suddenly changed. But I’ve decided to party like it’s 2019, so it’s actually moving forward again.

    And I have some new projects I’m working on, too. One is a fantasy romance novel, because this seemed like a good time to go into the paranormal. I’m also looking at turning some of the blog posts here into a book. I believe Harry the Quest Guide will approve! I’ve started considering the plot for the sequel to Hold Me. And, of course, more Hardy Falls books and stories are in the works.

    Oh, and writing more blog posts.

    So, anyway, there’s my writing catch up! More info on the various projects to come as things develop. And I hope that you all have a good week!

  • Moving Forward

    Author’s Note – I debated whether or not to write a blog post this week. The events swirling around all of us, combined with a very sad loss for me personally, seemed so much more important than anything I could possibly have to say. But then I realized that was exactly what I had done in 2020. I held off on my creative journey and kept waiting for a good time to move forward again. Except there never was a good time. Something always—always—happened. The result was a creative paralysis that I’m still trying to break.

    So I decided that I had to keep moving regardless. Like a shark. Even if my little creative light is feeling kind of dim at the moment and all of us are dealing with much bigger things.

    And thus, a blog post was born.

    This post features Betsy, of course. Also present is Harry, who a White Rabbit and the Guide on Betsy’s Quest to become a successful independent author. Better still, The Muse, who needs no introduction, has decided to show up to offer some guidance. Thank heavens.

    Let’s see what’s going on…

     

     

    *Betsy is sitting in the field surrounding the deep lake at the center of her mind* *She has her knees pulled up to her chest and is staring out at the water in the lake* *It moves back and forth, back and forth* *An unexpected wave splashes up and Betsy ducks her head* *Water washes over her* *The wind gusts and the tall grass of the field whips violently* *Betsy raises her head to stare out at the lake again*

    *Harry hops up to crouch beside her*

    “What’s wrong?” he asks.

    “I’m sad,” Betsy tells him without looking away from the lake. “And I guess I feel lost. I don’t know which way to go. I can’t seem to move.”

    “I thought you were getting past that.”

    “So did I.” Betsy shrugs and puts her chin on her updrawn knees. “But then lots of things happened and it all got dark again. Maybe I should just sit here for a while.”

    “Huh.” Harry looks around. The field is brightly lit with a ray of sunshine, but all around them is utter blackness.  “Yeah, I see what you mean. It’s pretty dark out there. I can’t see anything either.”

    “I know,” Betsy whispers. “Everywhere I look. I mean, how can I move when I can’t see in front of me? How do I know which mountain I should head toward when I can’t even see that it’s there?” Betsy looks at Harry with tears in her eyes. “What do I do?”

    *Harry shakes his head and settles on the grass beside her*

    “Where do I go?” Betsy asks.

    *Harry shakes his head again*

    “And this is the challenge of trying to live creatively in the midst of difficult times,” the Muse says. She steps gracefully across the field and drops to sit cross-legged in front of Betsy.

    “Muse?” Betsy blinks at her. “You came back from Bimini?”

    The Muse shrugs her shoulder. “It seemed like a good idea.” She holds up a finger. “But listen to me. You keep jerking me around and I’m gone for good.”

    “Oh.”  Betsy rests her chin on her knees again. “I guess I’m screwed then.”

    “No.”  The Muse smiles, reaches over, and lifts Betsy’s chin. “All you have to do is move.”

    “How can I move? There’s so much going on, so much swirling around and around and around. Everyone is angry and upset and frightened. I can’t even see the mountains. How am I supposed to move?”

    “You move because you have to.” The Muse holds up a hand when Betsy starts to protest. “Listen, I know that it’s been a lot. Not just last week, or last month, or last year, but always. There is always a lot. I understand that things build, and if the darkness gets darker it can be hard to find your way. I get that right now you’ve gotten to a place where you can’t even see the mountains you’re aiming for. I know that you just want to sit still. But you have to move and press forward.”

    “Why?” Betsy droops.

    “Because, my treasure, that is life. More, it’s your life. If the darkness gets darker, you will feel more and more trapped until you won’t think you can find your way out of it at all.”

    “Is it too late?” Harry whispers.

    “No.” The Muse smiles. “There’s always time to make a decision and there’s always time to move. It just gets harder the longer you wait.”

    “What should I do?” Betsy asks.

    “Stand up.” Muse directs. Betsy, Harry, and the Muse all stand.

    “The thing is,” Muse says, “you’ve been letting yourself get pulled OUTward. But you have to go ONward instead.”

    “To the mountains.”

    “Yes.”

    “That I can’t see.”

    “Yes. It’s okay.  The most important thing is not really the destination, or even being able to see the destination. The most important thing is that you don’t stay still. That’s how statues and unhappy lives are made.”

    “I guess that’s what I’ve been doing, isn’t it?” Betsy asks. “I’ve been staying still. And then I was going to move, but a lot of stuff happened, so I didn’t.”

    “Yeah, you’ve been afraid to move anywhere because the world is so uncertain. But the world is always uncertain, and waiting for it to not be that way is pointless.  You have to move because that’s what creativity is all about.”

    “So when I stayed still—”

    The Muse gestures to the darkness around them. “The creative process goes dark. And the longer you wait, the darker it gets.”

    “Will I ever be able to see again?”

    “Sure. If you start walking, you’ll chip away at it every day.”

    “The world seems different now. What if I fall?”

    The Muse shrugs. “What if you don’t? Look, the truth is that we just don’t know what’s ahead. Look at 2020. Look at last week. We don’t know what’s coming. Not even me. The best we can do is try to expand, not contract. Life is about the journey, not the destination and all that jazz.”

    “I’ve heard that before.”

    “Some of my best work. Remember, you’re not making a journey if you don’t take a step.” The Muse looks at Harry. “And you, too. Just keep doing what you know you need to do.”

    Harry bows his head. “Yes, ma’am.”

    The Muse vanishes.

    Betsy looks at Harry. “Do you think she’ll come back again?”

    Harry shrugs. “Not if we stay here.”

    “Okay.” Betsy draws in a deep breath. Closes her eyes. Points. “Let’s head that way.”

     

    Remember, my friends – there’s a lot of crap happening in the world these days, but in our lives—and for our lives—it is important that we keep moving on our own personal journeys.

    To be continued…

     

     

  • The Quest Continues…

    Oh, my goodness, but hasn’t it been a while since we’ve checked in with the crew living in Betsy’s brain!  As you may, or may not, know/remember/care, these are the ones helping Betsy pursue her Quest to become a Successful Independent Author. Or perhaps they are just disembodied voices who speak to Betsy night and day, whispering suggestions for her to follow. Perhaps we should all be afraid.

    Very afraid.

    But no! Nay! These are good voices, mostly! Fear not! Instead, let us meet them again and become reacquainted.

    *Draws back a red velvet stage curtain with a flourish*

    First, we have Harry, who is Betsy’s Guide on her Quest. Harry was sent by the Muse Council to Guide her path. When he first arrived, he was but a lowly White Gerbil, but eventually he advanced to the state of the White Rabbit of Legend. He has dreams of attaining the mythical goal of White Stag. Of course, any progress he makes depends on Betsy, so he might be out of luck.

    Next, welcome Skipper the Chipmunk, who is a Habit Implementation Specialist. Her job is to help Betsy put new, healthy, habits in place to support her journey towards her goals. Skipper recently entered into therapy because of habits Betsy chose to implement during the Great Time of COVID, but she’s feeling much better now.

    And here is Coffee, the Beverage of Champions, who is perhaps the most fulfilled and happy of the helpers in Betsy’s world. He has continued his essential mission of providing caffeinated pleasure, and indeed he has excelled at it. Sometimes he has been far, far too much of a good thing.

    We have Clara, a dust bunny, who is Betsy’s Life Task Specialist. She works with Skipper, but is more focused on making sure the house stays clean. Clara is probably the least fulfilled and happy of the helpers on Team Betsy, because… cleaning? Really? Next you’re going to expect a shower.

    And finally we have The Muse, the Spirit of Creation who needs no introduction.

    So, there they are. Our cast of characters and that includes Betsy herself, of course. But it’s sad to say that things have been a little quiet amongst the synapses of Betsy’s brain over the past few weeks (months?) Are any helpers besides Coffee still there? Have they all jumped ship and gone off to torment the guys on Ghost Adventures? Have they poofed into nothingness? Are they fat-assing in front of the television eating chips and hoarding toilet paper?

    Has Harry reverted back to gerbilhood? Has Skipper collapsed under the strain? Has Coffee brewed? Has Clara joined her family under the bed? Has the Muse picked up her skirts and gotten out of town?

    And where the world is Betsy?

    Let’s see…

     

    *Harry is sitting in his office in Betsy’s brain, glumly studying the gerbil habitat he hasn’t had to use since he upgraded to White Rabbit status* *He looks behind him and sighs again when he sees a long, thin tail instead of a puffy white one* *He reaches up to measure his ears, then sighs when he realizes they are not as long as they were the day before*

    *The office door opens without a knock and Skipper comes marching in*

    “What is she doing? What the HECK is she doing?” Skipper waves the papers she is holding wildly. “She’s not sleeping enough. She’s not eating right. She’s gotten all involved in work that is not her life’s work. All of my good efforts are going to waste, and my therapist is NOT happy!”

    “She’s not cleaning her house,” says a snuffly voice from behind Skipper.

    “Hey, Clara,” Harry greets the dust bunny.

    “Have you felt the anxiety in this place?” Skipper demands. “Have you felt the worry? Her brain is a mess! There are all these voices in here yelling all the time and they aren’t even Betsy’s! We started out last year with such promise and it all went down the crapper! And now here we are at the beginning of a new year, and it’s not changing, and I’m telling you that I cannot work under these conditions!”

    “’Ello, my friends,” Coffee says as he strolls in.

    “Oh, God! French Roast?” Skipper tosses the papers she was holding around the office. “You’re only adding fuel to the fire!”

    “No, I’m pretty sure that’s me,” says the Internet as it saunters into the room.

    “You.” Skipper points a paw at the Internet. “You get out. You have no place here.”

    “Oh, I think you’re wrong about that. I’ve got me some cozy digs in this brain. I’ll get out when she makes me get out, But as long as she keeps scrolling, here I am and here I’ll stay.”

    “You’re the reason there are so many voices yelling in here! You brought in a mob!”

    The Internet shrugs. “I’m pretty sure Betsy did that. I’m just the, uh facilitator. Who am I to judge?”

    “That’s all you do is judge! And get angry!”

    The Internet shrugs again. “Pretty much, yeah. Not like I care. It’s a lot of fun.”

    “Fun!  Fun! Aargh!” Skipper twirls to face Harry.  “You’re the Guide, Harry. Aren’t you going to do something about this situation?”

    Harry pulls his tail around to the front and strokes his paw through the thin fur. “She doesn’t listen to me anymore. She listens to Internet.”

    “Damn straight!” crows the Internet.

    “And that’s it? You’re just going to give up?” Skipper demands.

    “The Muse left,” Harry says sadly. “She said something about Bimini. As long as Betsy chooses to listen outside of herself, there was no point in her staying.”

    “Oh.” Skipper swallows.

    Internet cackles.

    Clara snuffles.

    Coffee brews.

    “So, um, is that it then?” Skipper asks in a very small voice.

    “It sure is,” the Internet rubs its hands together in glee. “Clear out, boys and girls, there’s a new dog in town. The first thing I’m going to do is redecorate this dump. I think maybe a few riots will really jazz up the place.”

    Skipper pulls her whiskers.  “Harry?”

    Harry sighs sadly. “Without the Muse, and, most importantly, without Betsy herself, my paws are tied. As long as Betsy chooses to look outside, there’s not much I can do. She has to decide, she has to do the work, and she has to come back home. But so far… She’s not.” He shrugs woefully. “Skipper, I, um, I think I’ve… failed.”

    “No! Harry, no!” Skipper gasps.

    “Bwhahahahaha!” The Internet laughs loud and long. “I knew it!  I did it!  I knew that these last few months would be enough to push her over the edge. I knew that all I had to do was open that black hole a little wider and she’d fall in! She’s mine! Mine! MINE!! Bwhahahahahaha!”

    *Suddenly Harry’s office door slams open and Betsy comes striding in*

    “What? You?” The Internet gasps.

    “Yeah, that’s right. I’m back, bitches.”

    “No!” The Internet shakes its fists.

    “Yes! And you know what? That WIFI is totally turned off, so you can just get the heck out of here.”

    “My signal! My signal!” The Internet clutches its throat.

    Betsy waves her hand. “Go away now.”

    “This isn’t over!” rages Internet. “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too! Help! I’m melting!”

    *Internet melts into the floor*

    “Yeah, well, I have cats, sucker, and they will cut you.”  Betsy stands with her hands on her hips as a breeze blows through her hair, which has not had a haircut for about a year (literally), so it is long and flowing. “Skipper, I need an action plan. Clara, get those dishes done. Coffee, start brewing. We’re going to need a full pot.” Betsy takes a step forward.  “Harry…”

    “Yes?” Harry asks, pulling himself straighter.

    “Let’s get that computer booted up and see about starting again.”

     

    There’s still a pandemic. There are still challenges. There are still fears and uncertainties. The Muse might really have gone to Bimini. But here’s to turning off the chatter and taking steps into the future. Happy New Year, everyone!

     

    To be continued…

     

     

     

  • Simplicity – Focusing on What’s Important

    Maybe, probably not, but maybe, you will recall that I’ve been sporadically writing a series here on the blog about  five words that I am using to try to build the house I am making for my life. These words are not goals in and of themselves. They are more like signposts, or structure, or direction. Or something.

    In my previous posts, I said that the five words I’m looking at are: Energy, Strength, Independence, Simplicity, and Creativity. They are in this order for a reason, and in my mind each word builds on the one that comes before.

    In my house, energy is the foundation. Strength is the floor. I said in the post about independence that I considered it to be the framework, the bones of the house we are building. However, I think that simplicity and independence must go hand-in-hand. Maybe I should think of them as twins.

    Come play with us…

    Independence and Simplicity work together to provide the structure of the house. They are the two-by-fours, siding, shingles, and roof. Independence faces outward, guarding against the external forces that try to swamp you. Simplicity faces inward, asking you to consider your expectations of yourself and what you think is required to be successful.

    Independence says, with respect for others, you must to go your own way. Simplicity tells you that in order to do that, you must focus on what’s actually important. You must concentrate on the essential steps required to do what you want to do and disregard all of the noise. This is easier said than done.

    Maybe you have an idea, a good idea. It is very easy to build on it and build and build  until you’ve lost sight of what you originally planned. Or maybe you can see a vision for your future, but in chasing the dream you get pulled down into a twisting maze of confusion until you stop running because you can’t find your way back to make your future a reality.

    Or maybe you forget to be independent. Maybe you listen to the myriad of voices desperately trying to convince you that you need to change more, or be more, or buy more. Those voices that convince you that you are not enough and you need to do more and more and more to be successful. If you listen, you may find yourself constantly running, adding, building, and forget what it was you were trying to do in the first place.

    It’s so easy to overlook what’s actually important. It’s easy to ignore the simple things. It’s hard to see what’s really essential when layers upon layers have been added on top of it. It’s like a roof that’s had new shingles put over old ones time and time again. To see the base plywood, you have to rip all of the old layers off.

    First, you have to consider what it is you really want to do. What were your original goals or dreams? As I mentioned in the last blog post, you have to challenge yourself and decide if the things you originally wanted to achieve are still valid.

    If those goals and dreams are still important, then what is essential to accomplish them?

    For example, if you think you want to be an independently published author, there are a few things you need. You need to have written a book or a short story or whatever. For publication, you need a cover and a sales blurb. You need a way to format your book or short story into an ebook, paperback, or audiobook. You need to load the book or short story onto different vendor websites (because we’re talking indie here). You need to tell people it’s out there so maybe somebody else will read what you’ve written.

    And that’s about it. There are a few different steps for someone who wants to be a traditionally published author, but it’s basically the same.  Write the thing, get the thing out there, tell the people about the thing. Although there’s definitely a learning curve, at the core it’s relatively straightforward.

    But it can get pretty complicated pretty darned fast if you let it. You can get caught up in worrying about publishing strategies and whether it’s better to be exclusive with Amazon or go to all of the vendors, or how you should price. You can obsessively track advertising click rates and sell-through and newsletter signups. You can spend all your time on social media or pursuing blog tours and reviews.

    But do you know what’s really important if you want to be a published author? You need to write a book or a short story or whatever. You need to publish it or send it to somebody else to try to get them to publish it. Then you need to do it all over again. That’s it. The rest is just window dressing. The window dressing might be useful, but not if it draws you down a rabbit hole into confusion. Keep it simple.

    This is not just true in writing, of course. It’s true everywhere. It is so easy to take something that you want to do, or that you need to do, and get pulled so far away from the basic heart of it that you don’t know where you are anymore.  It’s hard to remain focused on what’s important.

    That’s when we need to relax, take a deep breath, and look again.

    Simplicity means learning what’s important to YOU for where you’re at in YOUR journey and not getting swept away into complexity or confusion or competitiveness.

    So, look. What are you trying to do? What are the essential steps you need to take to do it?

    And then… go.