Death and Taxes

My dad always told me there were few things in this world that were certain--death and taxes being the primary among them. As is often the case as I get older, I'm finding my dad was right and might have been onto something.

This year, I was so proud when I finished my federal and state taxes in early March. There's a special sense of relief that only comes after I file taxes for the year. As a self-employed author, I get that feeling four times a year since I now have to pay quarterly taxes. So although I've finished my taxes for the year, I still get to pay my first installment of my quarterly taxes by April 15. Oh, joy.

This usually isn't so bad, except this year my husband found a new set of taxes that we need to pay for all of last year since I moved to his house. This does not make me happy. Like at all. In fact, I think I told my husband he was my least favorite husband ever. This seemed to amuse him.

On a brighter note, I got to go see Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle in the original language on Monday at the theater. I find taking time to watch movies or read books helps me recharge my imagination. Something I sorely needed.

Funnily enough, even though this is my favorite of his films, I'd never seen it with subtitles. I'd also managed to forget half the plot since it had been so long since I watched it. Miyazaki's films have always been able to transport me to another world and re-watching Howl's inspired a desire to see the rest of his movies. I'm not sure my husband will appreciate that since he'll likely be the one accompanying me, but at least he'll gain a new appreciation for the other weird shows I watch. Bonus- I think he got the idea to get me a box set for my birthday in September since he saw how much I liked it.

On Tuesday, I got to go on a three mile run with friends that culminated in an obstacle course. It was one of those rare mornings perfect for running. Sunny and bright but not too hot or too cold. It really motivated me for the rest of the day and got my creativity going.

The highlight of the week, however, was closing on our new house yesterday. We still don't get to move in until the end of the month, but we're a step closer. It might be weird to be so excited since we own the house we're living in, but this will be the first place that is wholly ours- not his or hers but one we picked out together. I think it's an important distinction, and I'm can't wait to get into the new place even if I'm absolutely dreading another move.

Hopefully, you're handling tax season a little better than I am and that it is not driving you insane. It's back to the writing hole for me. Eva and Caden have been a little bit more challenging to get in the mind set of but I think I'm finally hitting my stride. I guess we'll see soon enough.

Dragon 4 Beta Call

Note: I think I've reached my quota for now. Please try again on the next book or throw your name in when I announce the advance reader copies.

Dragon 4 has hit the stage where it would benefit from some other eyes besides my own. This means I am putting out the call for beta readers.

If you're interested keep reading

For those unused to the term "beta reader", this is the stage of the process where the author (me) reaches out to readers (you) to get their impression of the book. It's a way to check the story's temperature and make sure it hits all the notes I want it to with readers. Warning -- this is not a finished product. Things are still very much in flux.

At this point, it's still fairly unpolished with odd grammatical and factual errors. I'm not looking for a hardcore grammar edit. Instead, betas help with pointing out inconsistencies in the story line or characters.

For example: Aileen has a gun at the beginning of the scene, then big bad attacks and there is no gun by the end of the scene. What happened to the gun?

Or - I don't understand how we got from point a in the story to point b. Something just doesn't feel right.

In Dawn's Envoy I actually rewrote the prologue based on reader feedback, so your comments could affect the end product.

If the above hasn't scared you off and you're still interested, keep reading. Below is an explanation of my expectations. It's a first come, first serve type of opportunity and priority will be given to those who've beta read for me in the past.

Please, please, please, don't volunteer unless you have the time and attention to do this. You'll take the slot from someone who does. I will be doing advanced reader copies again this time which is a lot less of a commitment.

Beta Reader Guidelines and Caveat

Here's how you can volunteer: Private message me through my Facebook page or email me at info@tawhiteauthor.com asking to be a beta reader and committing to the guidelines posted below. Also please let me know if you'd like a kindle version or other ereader version. I can't guarantee I'll choose you as there has been a lot of interest in this in the past, and I can only wade through so many comments at a time without getting overwhelmed and falling into a dark pit of despair.

Beta Guidelines:

This part of the process for me takes place before I send the manuscript to the editor. That means the copy is a little rough still. I'm not looking for intense grammar editing. I'm more focused on comments on the story- pace, structure, characters, things that don't make sense. That kind of stuff. I will outline these questions in more detail for those who participate.

The other thing I ask is for people to send it back to me in the time allotted. I'm asking for it back by March 29.

I also ask that you agree not to share the story with anyone or upload it to any sites. I know for most of you that would never cross your mind, but I need to say it anyway.

Also, be aware that I may not use your suggestions as my opinion trumps everyone else's. Sometimes you ask questions that I want asked or a suggestion goes against what I'm trying to accomplish.

One final note: Beta reading is not for everyone. For instance, I don't beta read for people because I like getting caught up in the story and not paying attention to the things that irk me. For that reason, I will be doing advance reader copies that will take place at the end of the process and will require less critical thinking on the reader's part--hopefully.

If you're interested, let me know. If you're not, I hope you enjoy the book when it comes out.

Works in progress

Rules of Redemption has been out for less than a week, and the reception has been amazing. Thank you everyone! It's always a little nerve wracking introducing a new world and set of characters. There's all this fear floating around that the book won't resonate or the story will fall flat. I am happy to report that those fears were unfounded and Kira and company are doing well. :-)

As exciting as that is, it has led to a lot of people asking me when the next book in their favorite series is coming out. Below is my current writing schedule. Note: this can change at any time based on my whim, but I do tend to stick to projects once they're started.

Dragon 4 - Currently in edits. I hope to publish around May

Broken Lands 4 - I have half of a first chapter and most of the plot decided. This book will feature Eva and her adventures. (She was the horse mistress in Mist and Wayfarer's). Caden or Darius will be her leading man. Shea and Fallon will show up but not be leads. Publishing target of Aug/September

This is where it gets a little tricky. Right now this is the plan.

Aileen 5 - I have some thoughts, but they're nebulous. Target of December.

Firebird/Rules 2 - Already have most of the plot thought out. Target of January/February.

There you have it. The publishing schedule for the next year. Things might shift around but all of these books will be written this yearish.

I realize some of you will be either very happy or very upset about this schedule. It was never my intention to have four series going at once. It just kind of happened, and now I'm tasked with keeping their stories in the air because I must know how it ends. If I could figure out a way to download the books from my brain or write faster, I would. Alas, I am only human.

Time to get back to work. Dragon 4's ending won't rewrite itself.

Beware... Long Post Ahead

This has been a crazy couple of days. The end of last week and most of the weekend was occupied with a mad dash to incorporate my proofreader's edits on Rules of Redemption, read through one last time to try to make sure I didn't miss any glaring problems (please let me have caught everything), and to format it for publication (please, oh please, let there be no major formatting issues like last time!). I triple checked everything, but I'm sure something has managed to wiggle its way through.

It's done finally--thanks to some long hours on Friday, Saturday and part of Sunday. The final copy is uploaded and the whole book is out of my hands at this point. This is about when nerves start to set in.

Instead of obsessing, my husband and I decided Sunday was a good day to get a head start on packing up part of our house in preparation for our move later this month. We've finally found a place we both agreed on and one that passed inspection with flying colors. The last house we were in contract for had a boatload of problems including a failing septic tank and leach field, forcing us to walk away. Not this house, though. This one had a near perfect bill of health. Even the inspector said he would have liked living there. My husband is thrilled since it means he won't have to maintain a house full of issues.

Packing up has shown just how different my husband and I are in our approaches to life.  One of the things I do when I pack up and move is go through most of my stuff and get rid of things I don't need. Like books I never read or the weird plates someone gave me when I moved into my first place. The thought process being the less I have, the less I have to move. The husband, on the other hand, is perfectly content with keeping the status quo, pointing to the bigger house as a justification.

I went through a couple of his boxes in the basement to see what I was dealing with. I found one filled with baseball caps..... that he never wears. Another was full of t-shirts.... that he never wears. You see where I'm going with this. When asked why he was holding onto these things, he shrugged and said, "I don't know. They seemed like they'd come in handy one day."

Sigh.

Because of everything we did this weekend, I'd originally planned to relax today, but I doubt that will happen. Audio just landed for Mist's Edge and I have this panic demon in the back of my head telling me if I don't make significant progress on Dragon 4, bad things will ensue.

It's panic usually sounds a bit like this--If you don't finish this read through and fix the problems, there will be too big a gap between releases. Your fans will hate you. They'll desert you for an author who can write fast enough to feed their insatiable need for good stories. If no one buys your books, you won't be able to help pay this new mortgage. You'll be homeless. Homeless, I tell you!

Facepalm. If you hadn't guessed, my panic demon is a bit of a drama queen mixed with a teenager's conviction that everything will bring about the end of the world. To make it clear before people rush to reassure me, I'm fully aware none of the above is a likely occurrence. Still, working through a chapter or two today will pacify it enough so I won't feel too guilty when I finally download the new Faith Hunter book later today. :-)

ARC For Rules of Redemption

Note: We have hit the number and I am closing the sign up sheet.

This is a little late this time around. I had a death in the family recently which has delayed plans a bit while I traveled down south for the funeral and visited with family. For those who follow me on Facebook and sent their condolences, thank you so much. It is very much appreciated.

Back to the ARC. This will be conducted as it has in the past. There will be thirty copies available. Once they're gone, they're gone. Amazon says I can't ask for anything from those who receive these, but it would be greatly appreciated if you decided to post a review on Goodreads or Amazon. New readers decide to give new authors/books a chance based partially on reviews.

One other note: There's been a little confusion about this book. It is the first in a brand new adventure--not a side story or a continuation in my other series. It is NOT connected in any way. (Just wanted to make sure that's clear.)

Below is a link. Click on it and fill out the form. Once you've finished and submitted your email, you'll receive an email from me containing the link to download. The first thirty people to respond will receive a copy.

Happy reading and good luck!

Snippet for Rules of Redemption

"That's a mighty fine cape he had. Very spiffy," she said, changing the subject. She gave Graydon a once over, taking in the defined muscles even his armor couldn't fully hide. "Why don't you have one like that?"

Graydon's lip curled. "His cape is ridiculous. An opponent can grab it and strangle him with it. No other weapons necessary."

Kira tried to choke back the laugh trying to escape. She was fighting a losing battle, his incredulous expression at her comment too funny to resist.

Graydon watched her with a frown, his jaw ticking.

Kira managed to compose herself, saying with a semi-straight face, "But you would look so dashing."

"All the girls would worship at your feet," Jin assured him.

Graydon's face turned slightly disgusted as he shook his head. He strode off, saying over his shoulder, "Come. They won't be patient long."


Available now for preorder.

A Name for the Space Adventure

I can't believe it's nearly time for this release, but I'm so excited to finally be sharing this adventure with you. Kira's story has been in my head in one form or another since I was twelve. When we were younger, my sister used to beg me to finish this story. She'd read the first few chapters  (admittedly not well written since I was twelve) and something about the characters had captured her imagination. A good thing too, since they'd done the same to me.

Despite that, the story never felt ready to be written. Then came Wayfarer's Keep and suddenly the characters in Kira's universe could no longer be silenced. I'd originally planned this to be my passion project -- something I tinkered with on the weekends while my weeks remained devoted to my main projects. Of course, my books have a tendency of taking over and after Dawn's Envoy, I knew I couldn't keep this one on the back burner any longer. 

I'm so glad at  least a piece of this story will soon be out there and no longer running amok in my dreams.

 Before you ask, this is planned to be at least a three book series. Knowing me that will probably spiral into five or six. I can't help it. Once I get into a world I have to explore all the hidden crevasses and side characters. 

I sincerely hope you enjoy this new world. It's near and dear to my heart. 

Happy Reading.

Rules of Redemption

The war everyone thought was over is just beginning.

Kira Forrest is a survivor. She’s risen above the pain of her beginnings to become a war hero only to leave it all behind in the pursuit of a simple life. Now a salvager, she makes a living sifting through the wreckage of dead alien ships from a war that nearly brought humanity to its knees.

After her ship takes damage, she’s forced to re-route to a space station where her past and present collide with dangerous consequences.

Kira’s existence holds the key to a faltering peace treaty with the Tuann—a technologically advanced alien race who dislikes and distrusts all humans. Winning her freedom should be easy, but a powerful and relentless Tuann warrior stands in her way. Deceiving him seems impossible, especially when he strays dangerously close to secrets she struggles to hide.

Can Kira reconcile the pain of her past with the possibilities of her future? The fate of two races depends on her success.

Preorder

Excerpt