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Kristen Helmstetter

(Brisa Starr)

romance author

My Big Summer Goal! And Italy Update!

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Two Updates! 

For Italy. I have news. 

I am excited to share that my family will be going back to our home in Italy in the middle of August!

YAY! It’s effin’ time. We have to travel at some point so I decided to bite the bullet and buy tickets. They’re not letting Americans in, but because of Kamea’s and my dual Italian citizenship and Greg’s permesso (permission to live in Italy), we won’t have any problems. 

GOAL: 5 Romance novels published in August

This is my new goal: Five novels by mid-August. As you know, I have two romance novels published: Lockdown Love and His Secret (under my pen name, Brisa Starr). I have a third finished and being edited. And I am currently writing my fourth. My goal is to have 5 romance novels published on Amazon before I get on that plane in the middle of August.

My daughter made a rainbow loom of Landon. Don’t you love the abs?

3 more books? I can do it!

I have a system now, a schedule that guides me from the first draft (mostly dictation) to drafts 2, 3, 4, and 5 before I send it to my editor. I’ll share my schedule and all the tools I use to write in the future.

But that’s not all…

My telling you puts more rocket fuel in my tank.

I’m sharing this with you because a great way to attain goals is accountability.

My writing habit

I write every single day.

I wrote on my birthday. I wrote on my daughter’s birthday. I wrote on Father’s Day. I wrote on Mother’s Day. I’ll be writing on Christmas.

Why? Because I love it, I’m having fun, and I have BIG goals. 

But I sometimes get distracted and check email. Sometimes I check Instagram and Twitter. And when you add up all of those distractions, I could’ve banged out another couple thousand words. Too many times… if I want to publish five books by August.

Big Goals

So my goal to have five books published by the middle of August is big and it requires my husband’s participation at the same level of intensity that I will be putting forth.

But we can do it if we stay focused. 

I woke up today with a plan! I immediately took action.

I cleared my desk of any distractions, including books on writing. Just sit my ass down and write (or dictate). Only check email three times in the day, reduced social media, and not messing around the internet unless it’s direct research for the scene I’m dictating.

Wake early!

My first day with my new focus included waking up at 6 AM with my alarm. Normally I would make wake up naturally around 630 or 700am, but I’m setting an alarm so I get up before everybody else to further reduce distractions.

My First High-Focus Day: 12,000+ Words!

And on my first day with intense focus, I banged out 12,100 words in my fourth novel plus this blog post with dictation in my first morning since setting this goal. That means it’s first draft material and was way easier to do using dictation because I don’t sit on my butt all day and it’s wicked fast.

Some things are the same.

Morning ritual: self-talk with coffee, Coffee Self-Talk

Every morning I run through my Writer’s Coffee Self-Talk and I meditate every day without fail using Dr. Joe Dispenza’s Morning or Evening meditation. I drink a few cups of coffee each day, too.

PS Update: So I had this written to publish a few days ago but something happened in the back office and it didn’t go out. So, when you’re reading this, I’ll be almost a week into my goal and I’m ahead of schedule by about a day or two because my focus is so intense.

Do you have any goals for the summer? Let me know! Email me and let’s chat about them or hit me up on social media (links at top right of website).

Wish me luck! Love to you all.

Gotta go write…

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My 2nd STEAMY Romance Novel Is Now Available! Free for 5 Days!

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Meet Adron. He wants Alyson, but he can’t have her…

Hi everyone!

Please celebrate with me as my 2nd steamy romance novel, His Secret, is published! CLICK HERE FOR YOUR COPY!

Today is June 25 and for FIVE DAYS this is FREE on Amazon Kindle ebook. So hop over to Amazon and get yourself a hot-n-steamy read!

His Secret Description…

I’m a man with a shadowy secret, but I can’t tell her. Honesty is her highest value in life, and my secret will tear this feisty woman away from me.

And I need her.
My secret requires her.
My heart demands her.

She’s bold, brash, and gorgeous, with silky skin, sexy eyes, and lips I crave. But, she says she’ll never love anyone. She doesn’t believe in romance anymore. Her past made sure of that.

But in the blackness of night, I know my heart will find a way to hers. It has to, or I won’t be able to be able to make music anymore. I won’t be able to breathe.

There’s a reason my world collided with hers. I just have to get her to understand. She’s all I’ve ever wanted and I need her back. Her lightness is the only language my darkness will speak.

His Secret is a super steamy, standalone love story, with plenty of sexy tension, a pinch of adventure, a touch of western flair, and a dash of paranormal psychic intrigue, with a guaranteed Happily Ever After. Enjoy!

Kindle Unlimited Friends!

Once the promotion is finished, it’ll be in Kindle Unlimited for those of you using that rad option.

Lockdown Love

And, if you haven’t read my first steamy, sexy love story between Emma and Landon in Lockdown Love, you can grab a copy here! Ebook only .99 for now – click here!

Meet Landon. He’s a sexy doctor with the hots for Emma. She’s not interested though… for now.

Who do you think is hotter? Adron or Landon?

Let me know on social or email me! I love hearing from my readers. Brisa Starr on Instagram.

Please help me! :)

And, dear friends! If you’re interested in helping me launch my romance author career, please download the book (remember it’s FREE for 5 DAYS!), and PRETTY PLEASE write a review for me. :) It means so much and is so helpful, even if it’s only a couple of lines.

OK! I’m off to finish my 4th novel, Sweet as Pie (that’s the working title for now), while book #3, Save Me, is in the editing process and will be published by mid-July. Wish me luck!

I love you all!

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Cover Reveal! My 2nd Steamy Romance Novel!

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My New Romance Novel!

I’m excited to share the cover for my second hot-n-steamy romance novel, His Secret! It’s in the final editing stage right now, and will be available for download in less than two weeks!

It’s as steamy as my last romance story, Lockdown Love, and I especially loved writing the hero, Adron. A man… with a secret! A big one! ;)

I will make it available on Kindle for free with a 5-day promotion. It will also be available in Kindle Unlimited for people who have that.

Thank you ARC Team!

My sincerest gratitude to the people who reached out to be on my Advanced Readers for future books. I will be sending His Secret to you soon – so be on the look out.

Benefits of an ARC team is that people get my book ahead of time (free and fun for the passionate advanced reader!). For me, the benefit is that they might catch typos, and they if the reader finishes book in time (hopefully when the book becomes available on Amazon.com), they leave a review!

I can’t emphasize enough how important Amazon reviews are for authors, especially independent authors.

And so I have tremendous gratitude for the people who’ve joined my ARC team. If you think this is something that you would like to do, please contact me on social media (twitter or Instagram) or email me at my romance author email: brisa at brisastarr dot com.

I’ll update the blog once the book is available on Amazon!

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When the Manifestation Ride Gets Stressful

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Manifestation Rule: Part Intent, Part Surrender

The balance between intent and surrender when dancing with the Universe

I’ve mentioned how self-love and manifesting meditations with Dr. Joe have re-wired my brain. They’ve given me an EPIC new life. I’ve never had the happiness I get on an everyday basis, like I have the past year and a half.

Manifesting My Writing Abilities

I manifest like crazy, and one of the things I manifested was the ability to write romance novels.

I couldn’t tell stories for sh*t a year ago, or so that’s what I told my mind. It believed me, too.

Sad. :(

Thankfully, I changed that. I changed my self-talk and convinced my brain that I’m an amazing fiction writer with tons of stories to tell. Here I am having finished my 3rd steamy romance novel in only ten weeks!

But here’s the thing…

After I published the first steamy romance novel, Lockdown Love, I slowly slipped into high-beta analysis once we hit the PUBLISH button on Amazon.

The anxiety creeped in like molasses. (Thankfully. Because that means at some level I was resisting it.)

So anyway, my rock-star attitude thought I knew better than to let those jitters grapple with my peace — BUT WHOOPS — it happened. Just this week.

I let my mind over-analyze stats and downloads and sales… wondering how many people were reading the book and downloading it. And, liking it? WHAT’S MY ABSR!?!?!

The point came where I was sitting on the edge of my seat, and it wasn’t because I was watching Interstellar or Top Chef.

My survival energy center — the root chakra — twisted with discomfort.

In the past I would’ve slipped into that darkness and stayed there for days, weeks, maybe years. This time, it wasn’t as overwhelming and I had my whits about me to nip that bud.

These were signs to get my shit together.

So… What was I doing wrong?

I manifested… accomplished part of what I’d wanted. But it was only part of the process.

I stomped my way into the Universe’s kitchen and tried to tell the chef how to make my “food.”

You don’t do that. (Universe chuckling)

It made me think about a lesson from Dr. Joe … balancing your intent with your surrender. Ah, yes.

A calm breeze entered my overheated mind.

Here’s what I had done. I’d put out the intent — the manifestation I wanted — which was writing stories and to be successful with sales. I’m after being a Happy Sexy MILLIONAIRE after all.

And I wrote the book(s)! BAM! CHECK! DONE! And still creating more!

(Funny, when I started my HSM manifestations, I never in a million years dreamt that my life would include publishing fiction, novels, but that’s how the Universe works. You can’t always know the how. You can’t storm your way into the kitchen and tell the chef how to prepare the meal.)

But I tried to push and force my way into the kitchen last week.

Thankfully, my consistent Dr. Joe and Self-Love work did what they were designed to do… Punch me in the face when I get off track.

And this brings me to today’s post. Manifesting and dreaming and planning are all good — when done in the right frame of mind, which comes with surrendering those things back to the Universe (for me), maybe it’s God for you.

I gleefully wrote my book with ease. But then I tried to control the sales of it, and in doing so I became overly analytical, wrapping myself in a scratchy wool blanket of high-beta brain waves. And it threatened to kill my precious creativity. And the peace. And, of course, the fun!

So I stopped. That. Shit.

I knew better.

I do not help my creative process for writing more books if I am stressed. The brain doesn’t work like that.

I do not attract the positive things I want if I cast too many glances at negative energy. The Universe doesn’t work like that.

I went back to my law of attraction manifesting meditations and FELT excitement and awe and love surrounding my books and their sales. I went back to Mirror Magic and donned my cape of self-love.

And, well, everything calmed down.

My root chakra danced instead of fought.

The Manifesting Recipe

Don’t swim against the tide… you don’t need to. Don’t invite survival emotions into the arena unless you just as quickly show them the door. You know the survival emotions I’m talking about: The ones that make you look 137 years instead of 41, the ones that make you have to pee but you hold it because you’re too busy… the ones that turn your brain to useless mush.

A key component to the manifesting recipe is equal parts intent and surrender. Think about your dreams, meditate about them, create them and feeeeeeeeel them in your mind. Take actions to move in that direction, but then also surrender the fuck out of them.

Let go and relax.

Let your mind recline.

Trust the things you want, that you’re destined for, are coming. But maintain those ever-important, uplifted and beautifully elevated emotions (love, awe, gratitude, excitement, generosity, joy, bliss, peace).

Otherwise, your manifestations will take a hell of a lot longer to arrive, like Amazon deliveries during a pandemic.

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Lockdown Love – My 1st Novel Is on Amazon!

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My 1st ROMANCE NOVEL!

Thank you to everyone for their support!

It’s official – Lockdown Love, my first STEAMY ROMANCE novel, is available on Amazon. It’s in Kindle Unlimited too, and there’s a FREE promo for five days if you’re not in Kindle Unlimited. (The print version should be available today or tomorrow for $10.99.)

I don’t have to tell my readers what a big deal this is to me.

I remember almost ten years ago, we were having dinner with another couple and the wife of our friend casually mentioned that she’d written a novel once. (She didn’t publish it.)

I was blown away.

I screeched, “How did you write a friggin’ novel? WOW! There’s, like, dialog!”

I was in awe she could do such a thing.

I never forgot that dinner, all these years later, still feeling the same way about her and thinking I could never do such a thing.

I was wrong.

We all have stories to tell.

It starts in your own pretty little head. You start thinking that maybe “YOU” could write a story. That’s what I did. I planted a seed.

Then, I ramped up my self-talk and told myself every single day, multiple times a day, that I could write fiction – EASILY! I talked to myself like it ain’t no thang!

And, you awesome readers know the rest. A story surfaced. I read the book No Plot No Problem and I realized that, “Hellz yeah, I can do this!”

I made my dream a reality. All because I changed the way I thought about myself and my abilities.

I still run my self-talk through my head multiple times a day. I have my Writer’s Self-Talk note card standing right on my desk.

Want to Read My 1st Book?

If you like romance, and you like it with a hefty side of steamy sexy love, then please download my first novel, Lockdown Love. If you like it, PLEASE WRITE A REVIEW. :)

Remember! YOU can help me launch my romance writing career!

As an independent author, reviews are one of the most important thingswe can get to help our books get out in front of other people. So, if you download it, and read it, please leave a review even if it’s only only a short one.

Want to join my ARC Group?

And, for my future books, I’m looking for Advanced Readers. Please message me on Twitter or any of my Instagram accounts (or email me) and I’ll add you to my team of ARC (advanced review copy) readers. 

Have an awesome day!


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Cover Reveal for My 1st Romance Novel!

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OMG! Here it is everybody!

I am beyond excited and happy and doing cartwheels around the house.

It’s OFFICIAL! I write love stories!

I NEVER imagined I could write a fiction book, a novel… until now. I had the worst self-talk about writing stories, until one day, I switched it. I snuck in some lines of self-talk that I was a magnificent writer, a prolific writer, a creative genius.

And one day, back in March, I was sitting outside, and a story came to me. An idea! One that I thought could work.

And, here we are. My novel baby was born.

This is the cover to my first novel. I love love, and what better way to keep it infused all through my day than to write stories about it. :)

STEAMY ROMANCE NOVELS

Now, I have to say that these are what would be classified as “steamy” romance novels. Meaning steam comes off your Kindle or from the book when you read it. Because it is hot!

FUNNY STORY ABOUT MY WRITING

Funny story… my mom is an excellent proofreader, and I always let her run a pass with my non-fiction books. When I was deciding to have my mom proofread my romance novel, I decided I’d take out the sex scenes. I mean, like, RIGHT?

They are graphic and, well, hot! I did say steam, right?

So I printed off the manuscript and gave her a copy of it, but I pulled out the sex scenes.

Now, I will tell you that my mom is quite liberal when it comes to that stuff, and we have a healthy relationship. We’ve always had the type of relationship that is not only mother-daughter, but also friends. And we make crass jokes with each other (heck, my whole family) all the time about topics like that.

That said, I still thought it would be weird to have her read sex scenes that I wrote. So I pulled them out.

When I handed her the manuscript, I let her know that there would be gaps.

SHE WAS PISSED!!!

Well, let me tell you. She was so mad. She said, “How am I supposed to give you an opinion on the book if I don’t read the whole thing.” She was offended and thought it wasn’t professional of me.

Hmm… did she have a point?

Long story short — she was really upset and convinced me that it would be perfectly fine for her to read those scenes.

I went to the trash and pulled the pages out (they were torn in half). I taped them together and reinserted them. At one point, she was laughing and breathing heavy because I’d misaligned one of the pages when I taped it back together, and she was like, “WAIT! I can’t read it, what is he doing to her?” ;)

Well, let me tell you, she loved the book, including those scenes.

The inspiration for Lockdown Love came from the world of Covid-19 self-isolation. And this book falls under the category of romance, with subcategories including medical romance, romance comedy, and contemporary romance.

So here is the cover and I absolutely love it!

You’ll see my pen name is Brisa Starr, and I’ve created a new Instagram account for people who’d like to follow this part of my life.

You can read it for FREE!

When the book is available on Amazon, I will let you know. (UPDATE: It’s now available! And the free promo starts Sunday!) It will be available for everybody who has Kindle Unlimited but it will also be available for free for five days as a promotion for Kindle starting Sunday, May 31!

PLEASE HELP ME!

YOU can help me launch my romance writing career. Yes, you. Here’s how!

If you like romance books, please download it when it’s available. Read it and if you like it, PLEASE WRITE A REVIEW. :) If steamy scenes are your thing, if you like love stories and happily ever afters, then I’d love for you to read my book. There’s explicit language, but if you’re a reader of my blog, then you know that’s not anything new!

If you’re more of a sweet romance person where everything happens behind closed doors then this book is not for you. Unless, of course, you’re interested in trying something new.

As an independent author, reviews are one of the most important things we can get to help our books get out in front of other people. So, if you download it, and read it, please leave a review even if it’s only only a short one.

Want to join my ARC Group?

And, for my future books, I’m looking for Advanced Readers. Please message me on Twitter or any of my Instagram accounts (or email me) and I’ll add you to my team of ARC (advanced review copy) readers.

Okay, I’m off to continue writing my third romance novel. (Romance novel number two should be available by June 15, too!)

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