Fear of submission

I'm in the process of finalizing the outline for book 2 in the Bubba and Giganto series.
Have to say it's never easy thinking about the end of any book, let alone a series where the characters have grown on you. However, with these two characters, I see a long line of books to pit these two in different situations.

I'm mentioning this only because today I had a writer who emailed me, upset that she had to submit her manuscript. This puzzled me because one would think she'd be glad for the rest of the world to meet her character. Not so. Her worry stemmed from a fear a publisher or editor would change her character's profile. Interesting. I've been lucky so far and had no publisher ask me to alter any of my main characters but I'm wondering how many writers out there have had a situation where you felt your character suddenly changed - for the better or worse? - after an edit?

Looking forward to reading your comments in 2010. Have a great night!

Holiday Love Affair Participant

The Writing Jungle is proud to showcase Annie Nicholas, our first writer participating in the Holiday Love Affair week long blog fest to be hosted February 8 - 12, 2010.

Annie will be here showcasing her book, The Omegas: Book One and offering one free e-copy to one lucky winner. You may be a lucky winner of one of our several prizes I`ll be showcasing in the coming weeks by simply leaving a comment or question to the writers participating during the week.

Here`s a blurb about The Omegas:

Only a vampire is man enough to teach werewolves how to fight.

Pretty librarian Sugar wants her life to stay quiet. That’s hard enough when friends and neighbors turn into furry wolves every full moon. But when a hot vampire gets involved, life’s bound to get complicated.

The Omega have always been the pansies of the paranormal. Now Chicago’s top werewolf pack has issued them a life or death challenge. Their only option: hire a vampire warrior to teach them the moves.

Daedalus has been a powerful vampire for ages. Intrigued by the chance to train the geeks of the underworld, he wasn’t bargaining on losing his heart to a human. Can he make the Omegas a success, fit into Sugar’s quiet life, and avoid being ripped to shreds in the process?

Don`t know about you but I LOVE vamps!! Book will be released January 2010 by Lyrical Press.

Stay tuned for more showcases and e-book door prizes.

Happy New Year

I`d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. May 2010 bring you and your family health, happiness, and success.

Lea Schizas

Holiday Love Affair COMING SOON

Stay tuned as The Writing Jungle prepares for one awesome week in February to celebrate Valentine`s Day. More info coming your way in 2010. Tons of doorprizes.

Nominees for 2010 Allbooks Review Editor's Choice

Shirley A. Roe, Managing Editor of Allbooks Review would like to announce the nominees for the 2010 Allbooks Review Editor's Choice Award. From the hundreds of books we receive each year, a few outshine the rest. Allbooks Review likes to show our appreciation of their excellence. www.allbookreviews.com


Suicidal Tendencies Mystery
Garry Patrick

Capital Reflections Mystery/Thriller
Jonathan Javitt

Beyond the Ordinary…and more Short Stories
Authors: Haley Adams, Kirsten Bussiere, Leslie Crone, Michael Gertenschtein, Kanishk Goomer, Cletus Kim, Andra Popescu, Annecy Spencer, Guy Tzizis, Emily Wang, and Grace Xie under the direction of Emily-Jane Hills Orford.

Our Mother’s War Memoir
Mel Fiske with Christina and Laurina Radich

Son of my Soul Memoir
Debra Shiveley Welch

Your Health in the information Age Health
Peter Yellowlees

City of Gardens Health
P. Schnerch

Someone Stop This Merry-Go-Round Health
Alberta Sequira

Shattered Reality Inspiration
Kimberly Cheryl

Attitude: It’s not what you see It’s how you see Inspiration
Ernie Carwile

For God and Country Fiction
Daniel Reyes

The Judas Ride Fiction
Peggy Sue Yarber, PhD

Demon Key Fiction
David Brookover

Beyond Those Distant Stars Sci/Fi
John B. Rosenman

The Sarran Plague Sci/Fi
AC Katt

Shipwreck of a Nation Spec. Int/History
Peter Nennhaus

Clean Energy, Common Sense Spec. Int/Envir.
Frances Beinecke w/ Bob Deans

The Step-By-Step Guide to Self-Publishing for Profit! Spec. Int/Writing
Pinheiro and Nick Russell


Congratulations to all of our nominees, Winners to be announced this month!!!

What's Your Hook?

From the three main areas – beginning, middle, ending – the beginning is the one area where many writers revise their stories several times. Why? Because they realized their ‘hook’ wasn’t intriguing enough to grab a reader’s attention. Without a powerful beginning, readers don’t have the patience to continue several pages or chapters to find what the book is about. You need to give them that essence from the start. Offering meaningless backstory or information not relevant to your plot or character’s ‘need to resolve obstacle’ you risk a rejection letter even though your story might pick up halfway.

Your hook within the beginning may be one line or a few paragraphs that frames your storyline. A good hook causes a reader to ask questions. Readers asking questions is a good thing because it pushes them to turn the page and try to find out the answers to these questions.

There are so many areas preceding this that need to be addressed – defining your character, which POV to use, the setting - but we’ll concentrate right now as one writer put it, “putting zing into your choice of words” and how to grab a reader’s interest.

Let’s dig deeper into beginnings. One question you need to ask yourself is what is the obstacle/problem your protagonist will need to resolve. Let’s take two scenarios:

1- murder/mystery: some beginnings can have either the murder happening in omniscient POV:

His hands tightened around her neck, and euphoria entered his veins. He watched her eyes bulge, the tears streaming down her cheeks, until finally a dead stare remained. Dropping her to the floor, he proceeded to wipe evidence of his presence.
He smiled at the old lady walking into the apartment complex, holding the door open for her. Retrieving a notebook from his back pocket, he crossed off Mary Lynn Ankers.

If your character is the detective, then you may begin with them on the scene of this crime. If it’s the next victim, as in The Terminator, you can connect them with the victim and her/him finding out about the murder.

2- a paranormal: your character has the gift of vision. One way to begin is for them doing what they normally do, cleaning or working or whatever else, and then suddenly they get a sense of imbalance and a vision comes to them. Or they may ‘hear’ a cry of help and look around and notice no one else appears to have noticed this ‘scream’. This is the first indication of their gift and what’s to come.

As you can see the beginning and how you start plays a major role to grab and maintain a reader’s interest. Choose wisely.

20 Ways to Earn Money Writing

Not sure where to begin to earn money as a writer? Here are 20 ways for you to mull over:


1. Copywriting for television commercials

2. Copywriting for radio commercials

3. Copywriting for newspaper and magazine ads

4. Travel writer

5. Newspaper feature writing

6. Writing for weekly tabloids

7. Writing greeting cards

8. Writing fillers for newspapers and magazines

9. Ghost writing

10. Script writing for movies

11. Script writing for television

12. Writing plays

13. Resume service

14. Writing fiction

15. Writing non-fiction

16. Write a newsletter

17. Set up guides for various industries

18. Proof reading

19. Freelance editing

20. Become an author's mentor

Happy Holidays

I'd like to wish everyone health, happiness, and success in 2010.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! Enjoy the music.

I Don't Want A Haircut

Can you feel the excitement? No? Shoot!! And here I thought I was hitting the Richter Scale no less than 10. Just got the cover for my children's picture book I Don't Want A Haircut and excited like a tyke on Christmas morning.

I Don't Want A Haircut is due to be released in 2010 by Guardian Angel.

K.C. Snider did a wonderful job illustrating the book cover and now can't wait to see the inside of the book come together.

I wrote this book a long time ago, using my experience as a children's stylist and what kids said while I cut their hair. Here's a small excerpt:

Harry imagined a spaceship landed on his head as the giant’s hands tugged his ears while the bee buzzed near his hair.

“The aliens are attacking me,” Harry shrieked, squirming in his tractor seat, eyes still shut.

Guardian Angel also contracted my other children's book Robbie and Katie Get A Hairy Scare, the first in the series of books that will follow these two rambunctious twins and the adventures they get into as they get older.

4RV Publishing contracted Libby the Odd Squirrel, all about bullying and how Libby gets a bright idea to save the day.

Boy, can you tell I'm E X C I T E D!!!!

Meet Zetta Brown

My guest today and tomorrow is multi-published author Zetta Brown. Zetta will be offering her e-book "Cherries Jubilee" to one lucky reader who leaves her a comment today and tomorrow. Winner will be announced on Thursday so please come back to see if you've won. If so, I'll give details where to contact me.

Zetta Brown is a Texas girl now living in Scotland. She holds a B.A. in English/Creative Writing from Southern Methodist University and is the author of several short stories. She has had the honor of obtaining a residency at The Writers’ Colony in Dairy Hollow in 2002 as well as attending the Hurston-Wright Foundation’s Writers Week. In 1998 she was the regional first-place winner for The National Society of Arts & Letters (NSAL) Award for Short Fiction for her story “Black Water.” Her work has been published in literary journals produced by Tarrant County College, Mary Hardin-Baylor University, and Southern Methodist University.

Zetta’s experience in community theatre as a sound technician and sound designer led her to be nominated for Best Sound Design by the Denver Drama Critics Circle in 1998. In 1999 and 2000, her short stories were adapted for performance for Letters Live! at the Craft of Writing conference in Denton, Texas.

With over a decade of freelance editing experience, Zetta is editor-in-chief for LL-Publications, which she runs together with her husband, author and publisher, Jim Brown. Her first novel, Messalina - Devourer of Men is an erotic romance set in Denver, Colorado where she lived for seventeen years. It was released on June 10th 2008 and has received several excellent reviews. Her second novel, Malice, is currently underway as well as a new novella, Off the Chain for the BadAzz Author’s LMAO Series.

But Zetta is more than a dirty mind. She also writes other genre and literary fiction.

Messalina – Devourer of Men -I/R Erotic
ISBN 9781905091119 Logical-Lust Publishing

Eva Cavell is a woman with an embarrassing secret. She is sexually frustrated and believes her size and race intimidates men. In an attempt to relieve her sexual tension, every Thursday she goes to a local movie theater and allows strangers to fondle her in the dark. During one of her escapades she meets renowned artist, Jared Delaney, a smooth Southern gentleman with irresistible violet eyes. He has been watching Eva on her weekly visits and sees through her icy defence straight to the hot passion burning underneath. But Eva has an image to uphold as a tenure-track instructor at a private Denver college and as the youngest child of a prominent black family. Will she ever be able to live her life how she wants and without shame? In order to do so, she has to own up to her own choices in life. http://www.logical-lust.com/messalina.html

“Cherries Jubilee – Before Eva Met Jared”- I/R Erotic
ISBN 9781905091393 Logical-Lust Publishing

Before she was a sex goddess, Eva Cavell was a virgin. In "Cherries Jubilee" a young, and innocent, Eva Cavell comes to terms with the challenges of reaching womanhood and independence. When her first job results in demotion and humiliation, Eva finds comfort in the arms of handsome blond, Casey Weller . . . comfort and revenge. http://www.logical-lust.com/cherriesjubilee.html


“Devil Don’t Want Her” -Mainstream Fiction
ISBN 9781905091409 LL-Publications

How do you get rid of a body that won’t stay buried? A young, spiritually righteous woman, Faith Darling, woman must face the fact that you cannot escape from your family and the truth. When Faith’s notorious great-grandmother, Miss Sunny Vincent, dies, Faith, as the only surviving relative, must arrange the funeral. However, Miss Sunny Vincent’s remains are hard to dispose of because God won’t have her and the Devil don’t want her. http://www.ll-publications.com/devil.html

Reviews
Messalina
http://www.mochaseroticreview.com/IR_Interracial_Contemporary_Erotic_Book_Ebook_Review_Title_Messalina_Devourer_of_Men_Author_Zetta_Brown.htm

http://www.eroticarevealed.com/author.php?first=Zetta&last=Brown&panel_id=2

http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/Messalinadevourerofmen.html

http://chicklitgurrl.blogspot.com/search/label/Messalina%20-%20Devourer%20of%20Men

Cherries Jubilee
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/cherriesjubilee.html

Devil Don't Want Her
http://chicklitgurrl.blogspot.com/2009/06/need-quickie-lit-treat.html

Have a question for Zetta? Then pop in, leave a comment, and Zetta will answer tomorrow. And don't forget, you may be the lucky winner...but you need to leave a comment. Winner will be announced on Thursday. Stay tuned.

Please Vote

I'm wishing everyone is enjoying this blog enough to consider voting The Writing Jungle as one of Writer's Digest's 101 Best Writing Sites:

If so, then please send an e-mail to writersdigest@fwmedia.com with “101 Websites” in the subject line. Within the body of the email include The Writing Jungle--

Thank you for your support.

Lea

Velocicon Conference March 6, 2010

Velocicon is coming to New Jersey March 6, 2010

Velocicon is a conference geared specifically to Science Fiction, Fantasy and Paranormal genre.

Velocicon's morning workshops are dedicated to the writer and have elements of world building and weaving paranormal into a story with award winning authors.

Unique in its approach, Velocicon keynote speaker, Dr. Dave Goldberg, Astrophysicist, will lecture about the scientific possibilities of Time Travel.

L'Aura Certified New Jersey Ghost Hunters Society, will lecture and demonstrate the tools used in Ghost Hunting.

T.V. Personality and Lead Paranormal Speaker, Jeff Belanger will delve into the different types of paranormal.

and more....

http://www.velocicon.com/

Early bird rates and group rates available.

For more info, check out the website.

Huge Special

How many of you checked to see if your lint was still in your pockets. I checked mine and was devastated to see even that gone along with my money. Times are hard for many.

I did a search last month -- okay, I do tons of searches each month, but this one was specific -- to check out some editing services. There are tons of them out there, some with low fees, moderate, and then others quite high for those who can afford them and have the extra lint and bucks to spare.

Karen Cioffi of DKV Writing 4U and I sat down this week and wanted to offer something to writers to get 2010 off to a good start for one and all. Now, I mentioned editing services for a reason: writers seek editors to help tighten their manuscripts. Karen and I offer editing services amongst other things, so our idea, naturally, was to offer a great deal writers couldn't resist, and affordable. Did we succeed? You tell us.

Find out all about our New Year's Editing Special.

And no, that's not me, but I do feel like a kid when reading a book.

S'agapo...I love you

Every holiday season I like to post this short story of mine to give hope and a time of reflection to one and all. I hope you enjoy.







S'agapo...I love you
by Lea Schizas

The lights of the nursing room were unusually bright this Christmas Eve night. An outsider had visited Mrs. Sophia Adamopoulos earlier in the day. She brought a Greek dish, pastitsio, filling the halls with its aroma of cinnamon and pasta…a welcome change from the lingering odors of Lysol and urine.

The nurses greeted her, comforted her and explained the state her mother was in.

Armed with the latest update, Maria Adamopoulos stepped into her mother’s surroundings. Childhood memories hit her hard. The vision of her mother combing her beautiful long tresses and hugging her as she said, "Maria, s'agapo, I love you", enveloped her heart. Her mother cheering her at every track meet, making sure she was never late. Her mother’s laughter filling the house with joy as Maria practiced her words for Saturday's Greek school. All these images flashed before Maria as she faced the cold aberration she stepped into. No embroideries hung on the walls like in their family home. Mom's cassette player playing the cherished Greek songs she sang to, was missing, as well.

But the single picture that broke her heart was to see her mother sitting by the window, emptily staring, not outside at the panoramic garden view but at the empty walls within.

"Hello, momma." As Maria approached to hug her, Mrs. Adamopoulos flailed her arms in front of her, terrified.

"Who are you? Help me!"

The nurse ran in and immediately soothed her.

"Sophia, Sophia, calm down, you have a visitor. This is your daughter, Maria. She's come a long way to see you." Maria felt like running and shaking her mom to the present, to try and get her out of this Alzheimer stupor that gripped her.

Guilt rose in Maria. She thought I should never have listened to my brother. I should have stuck to my guns and brought mom back to Greece. Her brother had stopped visiting. He told Maria mom doesn’t recognize me, so why bother. Maria was here to bring her mother back home.

Sophia stared at Maria as if trying to bring about a memory forever lost in this mind disease. The nurse left them alone once more.

Slowly, Maria again approached her mother. "Look, ma, I made your favorite dish." She gently lifted the tinfoil and let her mother take a look.

"Maria?"

"Yes, momma. It's Maria."

Tears flowed down Sophia's cheeks. "Where is my memory when I really need it," she cried.

That night the dim lights magically lit brightly as if Sophia's memory and those dim lights were one.

Maria had entered her mom's hospital room as a stranger, but for one magical moment her mother embraced her like she used to, a long time ago, whispering the words Maria needed to hear once again.

"S'agapo, Maria. I love you."


I'd like to wish everyone a joyous and safe holiday season.
Lea Schizas

Meet Classy N' Sassy Promotions

We want to thank Lea for giving us an opportunity to tell you all about Classy N' Sassy Promotions. We are a new promo company but we have a lot to offer. We recently did an interview for a newsletter and we thought we would share it so that you can get a feel for who we are and what Classy N' Sassy can offer an author.


1. What made you decide to start a promotional company and why now?

Rolanda: Why not? We have been moderators for a few boards for awhile and we felt it was time to take what we have learned and what we have been doing to the larger public. On top of that, so many people have been telling us for awhile that we would be good at this and that we should have our own company. Take all of that and the fact that I love to read and have the greatest respect for authors and you have Classy N Sassy Promotions.

Von: I dig reading. I enjoy the rush of ENJOYING a good read, and sharing that feeling with others is like the cherry on top for me. After much prompting (F.L. and B.R.) that I simply took as random biased comments, I began to really consider the possibility of a promotional company. Plus promoting is sharing my love of e-books on a larger scale. Since the sky is blue and there's a spot on my plate that's empty I decided to go for it.

2. How did you decide to become partners?

Von: Well the universe decided and poor Rolanda got saddled with me. Seriously though, working with Rolanda just feels right and I went with my gut feeling. Rolanda is the subtle one and I am as the eccentric one, it seems. Often times I joke that we are the female urban Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. I think we have enough similarities and differences to make a company thrive.

Rolanda: How did we become partners? Well, I tried to run away from Von but she wouldn't let me. She clubbed me over the head caveman style and drug me back! LOL! Seriously, people have always told us that we make a great team. We are very different people but we compliment each other wonderfully. Where I am weak Von is strong and vice versa....I think when you work with us you get the whole package. We are partners because the two of us together make an awesome team.

3. What will your promotional company bring to the table?

Rolanda: I think we will bring fresh ideas and a lot of passion. We both love books and have an ability to connect with diverse people. We really care and will always listen to the client. When it gets right down to it we offer people ourselves....we are damn good at promoting people and we have been lucky enough to have supporters that really listen to us when we share our enthusiasm about an author.

Von: I see Classy n' Sassy Promotions as being one of the most influential hype woman duos around. I think we have a gift for making people curious about things, and of course that is perfect for promotions.

4. Biggest challenge you face as you venture out on your own?

Von: That's a hard question because I'm not exactly certain what to expect. Juggling everything at once while learning at the same time might be a little taxing, but I have no doubts that we will be successful. I enjoy the challenge of multitasking, so I am on ready to take it all on.

Rolanda: I don't think we will ever be on our own. We have so many people rooting us on and supporting us....but if I had to choose one thing that I think would be our challenge it would be to remain fresh and innovative. I want to always offer our clients something different and special. I want them to walk away always knowing that when they work with Classy n Sassy Promotions they will be getting great service and a fresh approach to their promotional needs.


5. When you think about the word promotion what is the first word that comes to mind?

Rolanda: Wow, I can't think of just one word. I guess what comes to my mind is....opportunity to shine. I want our clients to shine each and every time we promote them.

Von: Promotion is more than spreading the word. Think about a time when a thought of something popped into your head and you can't rest until you've followed up on it. You have to find out what the buzz is all about so you aren't left in the dark. For me, that is an outstanding promoting, and that is the kind of pull I expect Classy n' Sassy to have.


Having said all of the above....Are YOU an up and coming author? An already published author? An author who wants to reach new readers? Then check out Classy N’ Sassy Promotions! Two wickedly intelligent, hilarious, straight talking ladies that will promote your socks off!


Contact Us About Pricing At:
Classynsassypromotions@gmail.com
Von: classynsassyv@gmail.com
Rolanda: classynsassyr@gmail.com

Meet Brigitte Thompson

An interview with Brigitte A. Thompson, author of eight financial books including the just released Bookkeeping Basics for Freelance Writers published by Crystal Press.


Tell us what Bookkeeping Basics for Freelance Writers is about.

Writers have many important questions to ask about income and expenses, but no single source for answers. I created this book, Bookkeeping Basics for Freelance Writers, to be that source. It is an easy-to-understand guide to organizing a writer’s financial life.

This book addresses issues writers face daily such as how to deduct travel expenses, determine taxable writing income, and claim home office deductions. Navigating through the recordkeeping required for a small business owner can be difficult. This book is written exclusively for those of us who earn money by writing.

Readers will also find that each part of this book works together to assist in forming an overall business plan. The chapters take the writer through a comprehensive process that works as a building block towards a successful writing business.


Have you found that freelance writers require a different set of bookkeeping rules?

Many bookkeeping rules are universal such as the requirement to record income, but there are some areas of the tax law that are of more interest to freelance writers. This includes dealing with royalty payments, bartering, personal property and agent fees. My book addresses the universal tax rules as well as the infrequently discussed rules that apply specifically to freelance writers.

Learning how to document expenses and how to track income will give writers the best chance at overall business success.

What are some tax deductions that freelance writers might not be aware of?

There are many tax deductions available to writers. Some expenses are common, such as the cost of purchasing a case of paper or paying for a computer software upgrade. Other costs incurred in the operation of your writing business may not jump out at you as expenses when they could be. For example, consider the following accounts.

Mileage: Trips made in your vehicle to pick up office supplies can be counted as a business deduction if you record the proper information to support it.

Meals: Treating your agent to a restaurant meal with the discussion focusing on your next book can also generate a tax deduction when properly documented.


Shipping: UPS charges and postage used to mail a query or review copy of your book can be a small expense, but it should still be tracked. Those small deductions add up and every penny spent as a qualified business expense will reduce the amount of income tax you owe.

Bookkeeping Basics for Freelance Writers devotes an entire chapter to expenses including a comprehensive listing of expenses and detailed information regarding what documentation is required to support each one.

I'm sure you've observed other freelance writers making accounting missteps that cost them time and money. What are some of the most common issues and how can we avoid them?

The most common misstep I’ve seen with writers is not taking themselves seriously as business owners. This can lead to financial pitfalls. Many writers have been honing their craft for years so it’s hard to identify an official starting date for their self-employment. Without this point to mark the beginning, it is easy to put off tracking income and expenses. This can be an unfortunate mistake.

The IRS will consider you to be in business when you are actively pursuing projects intended to generate income and expenses. This means they will expect you to file a tax return to report those transactions. Keeping track of your income and expenses from day one will enable you to pay the least amount of income taxes on the money you earn.

Many people find numbers, especially when related to bookkeeping and taxes, intimidating. Will this book make these things easier to understand"?

Yes, my book breaks down complicated number crunching into easy to follow steps. By reading the book, readers will understand why it's important to keep certain receipts and how those pieces of paper factor into the overall success of their writing business. Sometimes knowing the reasoning behind a task makes it easier to complete.

Writers can take advantage of some wonderful tax deductions, but only when they are aware of the possibility and know how to accurately document the expenses. My book explains it all in a reader friendly format.

What are some of the challenges readers face with regards to bookkeeping?

I found the most common challenge writers face revolves around what they can claim as income and what counts as a tax deduction. For example, if their first job is writing the school newsletter, is the money received really income? Do they need to do something with the Internal Revenue Service before they can be considered a business? How do they handle self- employment tax?

The second most common concern for the freelance writers is related to proper documentation. What receipts did they need to save? How should they be kept? What information needs to be recorded to prove the expense? These are all great questions and they are addressed in the book.

Why is it important for writers to understand bookkeeping?

Writers are earning money and this money needs to be reported as income on their income tax return. If writers do not have any expenses to claim, their taxable income will be higher and they will owe more income tax.

Understanding what can be claimed as business expenses when you are a writer and how to properly document these expenses will help ensure the success of your business.

The most important thing you can do as a writer is to become organized. There are many books available on how to organize your writing, but this is the best book available about how to organize the financial side of your writing business.

Obviously, your book is a great place for writers to get information on bookkeeping. Are there are any other resources you recommend?

Yes, I recommend writers visit the IRS web site (www.irs.gov) to research specific tax issues and the Small Business Administration (www.sbaonline.sba.gov) for general business information.

I also recommend joining professional associations for writers such as American Society of Journalists and Authors (www.asja.org), The Authors Guild (www.authorsguild.org) and National Writers Union (www.nwu.org). There are many groups to choose from so consider the benefits of membership before joining.

I was interviewed recently by Freelance Success (http://www.FreelanceSuccess.com) which offers an insightful newsletter for their members. There are also online groups for writers such as MomWriters (http://www.MomWriters.com) offering networking opportunities as well as camaraderie.

How can we purchase your book?

Bookkeeping Basics for Freelance Writers is available through Amazon.com and my publisher (www.CrystalPress.org). Any local bookstore can order my book by ISBN-10: 0963212389 or ISBN-13: 978-0963212382. List price is $17.95.


Brigitte A. Thompson is the founder and President of Datamaster Accounting Services, LLC. She has been active in the field of accounting since 1986 and is a member of the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers and the Vermont Tax Practitioners Association.

A prolific writer, Brigitte is the author of several business books, contributing author and freelance writer specializing in accounting topics.

Her business has been featured in best selling book by Paul & Sarah Edwards, The Entrepreneurial Parent, and in Mompreneurs Online by Patricia Cobe & Ellen Parlapiano.

Brigitte lives in the Green Mountains of Vermont with her husband and three children.

Visit her blog.

Her websites:

Bookkeeping for Writers

Publisher's site


Author page on Amazon


Accounting firm