Christina Mercer's Blog

Young adult free ebooks

GIVEAWAY RUNS MAY 23 through MAY 30, 2016!

The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter-Books 1-6 by Jennifer Malone Wright Seeking Havoc by Lila Felix Shame by Sarah M. Cradit The Amber Project by J.N. ChaneyRite of Rejection by Sarah Negovetich Honey Queen by Christina Mercer Unspoken by Amy Richie The White Aura by Felicia Tatum Lichgates by S.M. Boyce Disarming by Alexia PurdyLoading…

I’m SUPER EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE MY NEWEST RELEASE!

And this one’s a Non-Fiction . . .

IS NOW AVAILABLE!!

Authoring books is amazingly fun and creative and never, EVER dull . . . However, along with all that imaginative wonderment, Authors come closer to becoming mini-accountants than they realize. Why? Because once anyone becomes an official business owner, he/she crosses into the realm of accounting and taxes.  

Oh, the horrors of it, right? But never fear!

When Authors Mean Business, they have propelled themselves from merely writing for “fun” to reaping well-earned monetary rewards. AND THAT IS A GOOD THING, RIGHT? Authors are not only wand-waving story weavers, but also real-world professionals running businesses that earn money. And, yes, along with that comes accounting and taxes. If that causes some of you Authors out there to squirm, just remind yourselves that it’s a sign of monetary success if your books are earning ENOUGH profits to generate said taxes. And you don’t have to figure it all out on your own!

In order to help fellow creatives with all of this business and accounting stuff, I offer a handy little guide with some important must-knows of accounting, taxation, budgeting, and planning for the future. Learn the differences between a hobby and a business; get a handle on different business structures; learn about proper bookkeeping, sales tax, common and complex tax deductions, retirement options and more!

Counting each and every “Bean” earned may not be the idea of fun and adventure for most, but having lots of beans in the bank is a pretty great way for Authors to keep on doing what they do love most—WRITING BOOKS! And understanding some important business and financial basics is a big step toward making that happen.

Once-upon-a-time,   Christina Mercer   worked as a CPA. Though she retired that formal hat, you can still find numbers buzzing around her head.

���I wish��� is a simple, yet effective way to spark a story line. The answer attributed to any one character defines his/her need or desire for something out of reach or beyond his/her control; it identifies what a character wants most to become happy (or at least not unhappy) and sheds light on the intensity of his/her feelings. Wishes are, of course, a product of the author���s choosing, as are the outcomes.

Oddly enough, when I ponder on the ���I wishes��� for my books, I am taken aback by the realization that I���d given characters circumstances similar to ones I now face . . . a girl struggling to save her father from a monster poison (Arrow of the Mist) . . . another girl witnessing the cruelty of cancer (Honey Queen) . . .

In real life ���I wish��� I could conjure magic elixirs or raise bees that create enchanted honey as my characters do. In real life, I wish the laws of our existence could be bent. Relativity rules in our realm as well as in the realm of story���there is no light without darkness, courage without fear, gain without loss, life without death���but in story an author chooses the who, what, why, and how of it all. The author is the ultimate master.

I believe this mastery is one of the reasons readers love the fantasy genre���because magic always trumps earthly limits. As a writer of fantasy and paranormal, I get to wield my magic wand, expand the powers of nature, take wisdom from ancient myths, and be the unfettered mistress of the worlds I create and the characters within them. I can wield power over fates that my earthly self cannot. And yet I and all authors are not without limits���we are still humans wielding those pens after all.

Humankind���s collective knowledge, beliefs, and imaginings, in addition to our own knowledge, beliefs, and imaginings give us a great playground in which to create, but we still remain inside a playground. Inside our current playground, we relate to the challenges of relationships, finding our place within our culture, supporting ourselves and those we care for, our faith or lack thereof in a greater power, illnesses, dangers, rulers and/or laws we may not agree with, battles and war, losing loved ones, and ultimately losing our own lives. Every story written or spoken aims at dealing with one or more of these challenges, and every author wields his/her wand to show how their characters react, change, and overcome them (or not).

As a writer for the younger audiences (tweens through upper teens), the playground in which my stories are written remains the same. The only difference as compared to stories aimed at adults is the overall voice/tone and the perspectives of the characters involved. Tweens and teens might deal with relationships, money, danger, or the loss of a loved one differently than an adult, but they deal nevertheless. And they hope, dream, love, wish, strive to attain their desired goals just as much, if not more intensely.

���I wish��� is a powerful tool in both storytelling and real life. I���ve had many wondrous wishes come true in both realms, and I am grateful for them. Their truth keeps me wishing for more, and perhaps one day those (seemingly) impossible ���wishes��� in real life will be met with a little magic, if not for me, then for others wishing the same.

Click here for Amazon Link

“I wish” is a simple, yet effective way to spark a story line. The answer attributed to any one character defines his/her need or desire for something out of reach or beyond his/her control; it identifies what a character wants most to become happy (or at least not unhappy) and sheds light on the intensity of his/her feelings. Wishes are, of course, a product of the author’s choosing, as are the outcomes.

Oddly enough, when I ponder on the “I wishes” for my books, I am taken aback by the realization that I’d given characters circumstances similar to ones I now face . . . a girl struggling to save her father from a monster poison (Arrow of the Mist) . . . another girl witnessing the cruelty of cancer (Honey Queen) . . .

In real life “I wish” I could conjure magic elixirs or raise bees that create enchanted honey as my characters do. In real life, I wish the laws of our existence could be bent. Relativity rules in our realm as well as in the realm of story—there is no light without darkness, courage without fear, gain without loss, life without death—but in story an author chooses the who, what, why, and how of it all. The author is the ultimate master.

I believe this mastery is one of the reasons readers love the fantasy genre—because magic always trumps earthly limits. As a writer of fantasy and paranormal, I get to wield my magic wand, expand the powers of nature, take wisdom from ancient myths, and be the unfettered mistress of the worlds I create and the characters within them. I can wield power over fates that my earthly self cannot. And yet I and all authors are not without limits—we are still humans wielding those pens after all.

Humankind’s collective knowledge, beliefs, and imaginings, in addition to our own knowledge, beliefs, and imaginings give us a great playground in which to create, but we still remain inside a playground. Inside our current playground, we relate to the challenges of relationships, finding our place within our culture, supporting ourselves and those we care for, our faith or lack thereof in a greater power, illnesses, dangers, rulers and/or laws we may not agree with, battles and war, losing loved ones, and ultimately losing our own lives. Every story written or spoken aims at dealing with one or more of these challenges, and every author wields his/her wand to show how their characters react, change, and overcome them (or not).

As a writer for the younger audiences (tweens through upper teens), the playground in which my stories are written remains the same. The only difference as compared to stories aimed at adults is the overall voice/tone and the perspectives of the characters involved. Tweens and teens might deal with relationships, money, danger, or the loss of a loved one differently than an adult, but they deal nevertheless. And they hope, dream, love, wish, strive to attain their desired goals just as much, if not more intensely.

“I wish” is a powerful tool in both storytelling and real life. I’ve had many wondrous wishes come true in both realms, and I am grateful for them. Their truth keeps me wishing for more, and perhaps one day those (seemingly) impossible “wishes” in real life will be met with a little magic, if not for me, then for others wishing the same.

Click here for Amazon Link

I finally took the plunge and had my first published book turned into an Audio Book. The producer, the lovely Leslie Starr O’Hara, did a FANTASTIC job with all of the character voices. She honored the main character with a perfect voice and tone, and added wonderful dialect when reading dialogue of minor characters to keep with that Celtic feel. The whole experience was new and amazing, and there’s something quite special about listening to a story being read in such a wonderfully animated way. I am grateful and honored, and oh-so-happy to offer you my Tween/Teen Fantasy now in audio format! (Oh, and the sequel, Arms of Anu, will be next!)

ARROW OF THE MIST

AND IT CAN BE FREE WITH TRIAL SIGN-UP AT AUDIBLE!!!

Indie-Visible is giving extra focus to the PubHub side of things and want to give a big shout out to our AWESOME TEAM OF FREELANCERS. Indie authors can use this list of highly recommended professionals to “Build Their Publishing Team” and gain assistance in all phases of the publishing process. Propel your next book to the heights of success with expert content editing, copy editing, proofreading, cover art, formatting, interior design, and marketing. PubHub has it ALL! In addition to building your team, PubHub also provides ongoing Expert Articles with tips and advice on all phases of publishing, including the business side of being an author. Indie-Visible’s goal is provide a one-stop, interactive site for all indie authors seeking assistance, encouragement, and a team to root for them.

New to Indie-Visible? Check out the Soft Launch Post for a nice overview of what we do. If you haven’t yet familiarized yourself with the team, I encourage you to head on over to the site, get to know The Literacy League Crew, and subscribe to the two Hubs for tons of fun and informative posts.

If you’ve been following IV’s posts, THANK YOU!

If you haven’t yet subscribed to BookHub or PubHub, you can subscribe at the bottom of any of the blog posts, or sign up here.

Giveaway Alert! As an added BONUS, if you subscribe to either or both Hubs, you will be automatically entered to WIN a fantastic prize package giveaway from the PubHub that will fulfill any author’s dreams! This package will include a day blitz package from Red Coat PR, website design by Starling Magic, book cover art from MaeIDesign, branding from Whit&Ware, and more!

Next Tuesday, there will be an official Giveaway Post with all the pertinent details coming soon. It is something you will not want to miss.

So, what are you waiting for? Go check out Indie-Visible and join me in bringing LITERARY JUSTICE TO ALL!

Hooray! As one of the co-founders of Indie-Visible 2.0, I am thrilled to be (soft) launching our site! So, who the heck are we at Indie-Visible anyway? We are an awesome collaboration backed by a super talented team of writers, bloggers, and freelancers in the publishing industry, who you can meet here and here. Indie-Visible’s BookHub is an online magazine where readers can connect with their favorite authors in fun, innovative ways. BookHub will have a variety of columns, including Indie Book Recommendations, Interactive Contests, and all sorts of activities aimed at getting to know talented authors and their books. If this interests you, be sure to click on the subscription link below!

In the PubHub, writers can get tips on a variety of writing and publishing elements, as well as build their dream publishing team by selecting from our endorsed list of freelancers. Our goal is to provide the perfect “Hub” for writers, where an environment of expertise and professionalism will offer high-level support in all phases of the publishing process and beyond. If this interests you, be sure to click on the subscription link below!

In addition to BookHub and PubHub, Indie-Visible has another AMAZING (Top Secret!) program set to launch in February. Keep your eyes out for an announcement sometime in January.

Keep up on all the goodies by subscribing to our BookHub and/or PubHub newsletters (see below). All subscribers will also be automatically entered to win one of our AWESOME GIVEAWAY PACKAGES. More details on those coming during our Full Launch in January!

Help Promote Our Launch With TWEET-ABLES!

A place where readers can connect with authors & writers can build their dream publishing teams! http://bit.ly/1xvzA9U @IndieVisible4

We are Indie-Visible, defending literary justice for all! PubHub for writers & BookHub for readers! http://bit.ly/1xvzA9U @IndieVisible4

Got literary justice? Get it here! PubHub=your dream team; BookHub=top book picks & reader fun! http://bit.ly/1xvzA9U @IndieVisible4

Attention teachers, librarians, tweens, and parents of tweens! Announcing a contest just for you…

The Emblazon authors are giving away a brand new touch screen Kindle loaded with over 50 of their books. That’s a $300 value and hours of reading entertainment!

Emblazon is a collection of authors who seek to create lifelong readers by creating top-notch literature for kids. They have a particular focus on ages 11 to 14. They’re hosting this fabulous giveaway to celebrate their first year and to treat you, the readers.

The Rafflecopter contest runs November 3 through November 17 and is open to anyone who loves tween literature.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: Signing up for the catalog is required for entry. Current subscribers are also eligible for entry. Winners must reside in the United States or Canada. 

 

You can help even more by sharing this post with your friends and family. If you know teachers or librarians let them know about how awesome the Emblazoners are by sharing the link to their website: http://emblazoners.com/

September is NATIONAL HONEY MONTH. A big shout out to our tireless, wondrous honey bees who create this miracle elixir!

HONEY has held a place in human culture since ancient times. Greek mythology tells of a tale in which the life of Zeus is saved by bees feeding him honey, in Celtic mythology mead was the drink of immortality, and in more recent times, Disney brought us Winnie the Pooh, always following his rumbly tummy to the honey pot. Though it is possibly the yummiest creation on earth, honey contains tons of healing properties hidden in its gooey goodness.

Apitherapy is the treatment of various conditions using honeybee products. Honey (now I’m talking raw honey straight from the comb, unheated, unfiltered, un-messed with) is one of the oldest medicines we have, with proof of its healing power dating back more than 5,000 years. On skin, it heals wounds, infections, burns, bites, stings (yes, bee stings, too), dry/chapped skin, and is wonderful for wrinkles and softening hair. It heals allergies and a variety of stomach complaints including indigestion and ulcers; it helps soothe sore throats, hangover (even helps sober you up), metabolism, lethargy, and the list goes on.

So, the next time you spot a honey bee, don’t grimace or run in fear. THANK HER! (And, yes, she’s a “her” as are all worker honey bees). She’s working super hard to make her sweet magic, and if you look closely, you might also spot another awesome sight: pollen gathered on her back legs. THANK HER for pollinating the flowers and food we hold so dear, too! If you’re curious about some more AWESOME facts, visit my e ‘em so much, I gave them their own page.

I also wrote A BOOK with them in mind

In honor of honey bees, my YA Fantasy HONEY QUEEN is only 99 CENTS on ALL EBOOK FORMATS through the end of September. To get your copy, buzz on over to . . . 

And Thanks For Visiting!

Happy to announce the cover reveal and upcoming release of CROW’S REST by Angelica R. Jackson !!

Book Blurb:

Avery Flynn arrives for a visit at her Uncle Tam’s, eager to rekindle her summertime romance with her crush-next-door, Daniel.

But Daniel’s not the sweet, neurotic guy she remembers—and she wonders if this is her Daniel at all. Or if someone—some thing—has taken his place.

Her quest to find the real Daniel—and get him back—plunges Avery into a world of Fae and changelings, where creatures swap bodies like humans change their socks, and magic lives much closer to home than she ever imagined.

Author Bio:

Angelica R. Jackson, in keeping with her scattered Gemini nature, has published articles on gardening, natural history, web design, travel, hiking, and local history. Other interests include pets, reading, green living, and cooking for food allergies (the latter not necessarily by choice, but she’s come to terms with it). Ongoing projects include short fiction, poetry, novels, art photography, and children’s picture books.

In 2012, she started Pens for Paws Auction, which features critiques and swag from agents and authors to raise money for a no-kill, cage-free cat sanctuary where she volunteers, Fat Kitty City.

She’s also been involved with capturing the restoration efforts for Preston Castle (formerly the Preston School of Industry) in photographs and can sometimes be found haunting its hallways.

Release Date May 2015!!

From Spencer Hill Press (www.spencerhillpress.com)