Readfree.ly Discount Book Site

I recently came across a website called Readfree.ly

It's mission: "Welcome to ReadFree.ly. Our mission is to find the very best books and bring them to you when they’re at their cheapest – or even FREE! Subscribe to our newsletter and you’ll never miss out on a great deal."

If you are looking for a newsletter of free and discounted ebooks, check it out. You may find your new favorite book.

http://www.readfree.ly/

Tax Season Is Here

It's almost tax time again. If you missed my earlier posts on tax brackets, you can find them here:

http://www.ejdivitt.com/2014/01/do-you-know-your-tax-bracket.html (Part One: Filing Single)

http://www.ejdivitt.com/2014/01/do-you-know-your-tax-bracket-part-2.html

These are tax brackets from two years ago but the idea is the same. Multiple people at the time had been saying to me that they didn't want a raise because they didn't want to be in a higher tax bracket. That is not how it works. Getting a raise will still give you more money even if it does put you in a higher tax bracket.
These posts explain how the progressive tax brackets work and how ending up in a higher tax bracket is not going to make you poorer.

Status Update

I'm done with the first draft of book three of The Ghost Protector Trilogy. Book two has been back from the beta reader for awhile now but it was sitting on my desk in a lonely pile waiting for me to finish the draft of book three.
Now that I have, I can spend some time editing book two while book three goes off to the beta reader. I've got about three weeks until the final edits are due on book two for its March release date.
I've done a mock up for the cover for book two. Here's a sneak peek:

I wanted it to be similar to book one so that people would recognize it as a series but I didn't want it to be so close that it seemed like the same book. I got the same model and plan to use her for book three as well. The background is Arizona as a portion of the book takes place there.
I did a little work on the blurb for it too.
I've also been fiddling around with a sequel to Daily Writing Prompts To Spur Creativity. It's oh so originally titled, More Daily Writing Prompts To Spur Creativity. It's only about two-thirds done as I am in no rush to finish it. I mostly use it as a way to get in the mood for writing and then go work on the trilogy.
No, I've definitely been immersed in the world of the Ghost Protector for the last six months trying to juggle book one coming out with finishing book two and getting book three done as well.
When I finally finish book three--edits and all, I'm treating myself to a night out at the hibachi restaurant.
I love eating fresh hibachi fried rice and watching them build onion volcanoes. Yum.
Mind you, I may be the only person over the age of four who actually gets sad if they skip the onion volcano. It happened once and I had to keep myself from pouting. (The people at the next grill over got an onion volcano.) What can I say? The heart wants what the heart wants.
Mine usually wants chocolate.

P.S. Book two is now available for pre-order at Amazon. Pre-order price only $0.99.

Three Rules Of Ghosts

Ghosts can appear in three different forms and only these three forms.

1) They can appear to you as they died.
2) As they were right before what ever illness or accident caused their death.
3)They can appear to you the way they think they should look.

That is the basic rule of my new fantasy series, The Ghost Protector Trilogy.

When I started writing the series, I set up the rules because I believe that every world should have rules. What is the fun in reading a series or watching a movie where the rules keep changing to suit the narrative?

No, rules are important.

What I was not expecting was to find the rules actually gave me ideas later.

I'm working on book three now and I have a spirit that exists solely from these rules. I started thinking about the rules and came up with an idea for a spirit that hadn't occurred to me before.

I'm actually finding the rules are helping me be more creative. 

Who says rules are made to be broken?

(Book one of the trilogy will be out on December 25, 2015. Book two is being edited now and will be out in March 2016. I'm working on the final book of the trilogy now.)

Sometimes It Just Takes Time

I'm working on a book and it's not going great. I'm sure you've experience something similar. Not necessarily a book but you have an inspiration or a great idea and you jump right in; only to stumble.

The work in progress is book three of a paranormal trilogy. Books one and two went well. Book one is done and book two is percolating before I go back to rewrite it. (I find it helps to put the first draft away for a month or two before going back through to rewrite it.)

Book three I know how I want to start and I know how I want to finish but that pesky middle is thwarting me.

I'll get through it but in the mean time, it is going to drive me a little crazy. I'm spending more time staring at the keyboard than I am actually typing on it. (Did you know my letter E is worn off my laptop?)

I think part of the problem is it is the end of a trilogy and that means (to me anyway) that it should be big. It should be the epic finale. (In my head, finale is in a reverberating voice like a wrestling announcer.) This is a lot of pressure to put on one poor little manuscript. I'm asking it to epic and it's only the first draft. It's like asking it to be in a beauty contest when it just rolled out of bed, hungover and with a sleep crease and bed hair. I'm asking it to be perfect when it has not even been written.

I need to ease off and take some pressure off it. I need to distract that little critic inside my head long enough to get words on the screen. I need to be okay with it not being good on the very first draft. But I'm not.

I want it to be good. I want it to make sense and entertain and just be right. I want the words to flow and the sooner I accept that some times they don't, the sooner I'll probably feel better. In the meantime, please excuse me because I have a manuscript to stare at.

Taking A Chance With Kindle Scout Book Submission

     A few days ago, I sent the manuscript for my latest book, Ghost Of A Chance, to Amazon for inclusion in their Kindle Scout ebook publishing imprint. If you are not familiar with Kindle Scout, this is how it works.
     Readers vote to nominate books for publication. If the book wins, everyone who nominated the book gets a free copy of the ebook. Don't worry if you don't have a Kindle. You can download the free Kindle app and read it on any computer, phone or tablet.
     I just got an email saying that my book passed the first test and is being added to their site for readers to vote on it. If I get enough votes and the people behind the scenes at Amazon like the book, then I get a publishing contract with Amazon's Kindle imprint.
     I am in a strange place emotionally. I am hopeful but trying not to get my hopes up. I am wishful and trying to be realistic. I worked hard on this book and everything that went with it. It feels like handing Amazon a piece of me and telling them to vote on it.

     I'm telling myself that there is very little down side. It's like this. Ghost Of A Chance is the first book in my new paranormal fantasy trilogy. I have finished the first draft of book two and I am working on book three. If Amazon picks up this first book, I will be dependent on their publishing schedule for the next two in the trilogy. If they don't pick it up, then I have put everything on hold for a month and a half for nothing.
     Still, what's a month, really? If this works out, it will be worth the delay and if it doesn't, all I've really lost is time. I was already going to work hard on these books. I was already going to write book two and book three. Now I'm just going to do all that while patiently waiting until after the votes close on November 20th.
     So are you interested in a free ebook? Want to see how I am doing? You can check out my Kindle Scout nomination here.

https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/3GEHHKQ9WOICB

Hard Work Is Often The Early Indicator Of Good Luck

"I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it." This quote is generally attributed to Thomas Jefferson but many believe it was actually author Coleman Cox that came up with this line. Whomever it was, they were very wise.

Luck, coincidence, fate; whatever word you chose, there are definitely things beyond our control. We can not predict the bus breaking down or the washing machine hose letting go and flooding us with water. We can not tell the exact right time to be standing in front of that building to bump into the one person who can make all of our dreams come true.

We can work hard to help get us to that correct place. We can check that washer hose in advance to make sure it is not worn out. We can check the bus schedule so we have a better idea of when to leave. We can work hard to make sure we are practicing our skills and getting our name out so some one has a better chance of finding us.

If you want a better job, work on developing your skills. Send out those resumes. Get on to networking sites. If you want to be a writer, than write. Dancers should dance even if it is in a small production. Take the time to make the contacts; to do the work. Work hard and there is a much better chance that the rest will follow.

Working hard without seeing results can be frustrating. You may find yourself wanting to quit. Before you do, make sure you truly have done the work you need in order to get lucky. If you are just waiting for blind luck, you are a pretty small target in a universe of possible places to land. If you are doing the work and putting in the time, you make yourself a bigger target and that may make all the difference.