Works in Progress
Credit Survival – Avoiding Credit Card Traps (title not confirmed)
Currently editing the final draft of this ‘Layman’s guide to avoiding credit card traps’, scheduled for release in 2010, I combine my previous banking & credit experience with current research of credit card systems, terms, and conditions to clearly show how consumers can avoid paying unnecessary credit card charges and raise & maintain their credit score. Using my own personal credit experiences, I walk you through the simple steps of beating the credit card companies at their own game!
Violet’s Magik Purse
My first children’s book, Violet’s Magik Purse is a Celtic tale set in present-day Ireland, where a six year-old learns lessons about managing her feelings, energy, and special abilities. Also scheduled for release in 2010.
UPDATE ON WORKS IN PROGRESS…
CREDIT SURVIVAL
Name confirmed as ‘Credit Survival – Avoiding the 5 Major Credit Card Traps’. I have started the final edit despite the demands on my time to establish a firm foundation for marketing my existing published books. My six months of vision impairment, now resolved, gave me a fresh perspective to really hone in on the 5 most important credit card traps. Outside of dedicating a chapter to ‘Your Credit Score’, since your credit card use comprises over 33% of this score, and a chapter to ‘How to Monitor & Improve Your Credit Score’, the book is turning into a bing-bang-boom simple reference but effective.
VIOLET’S MAGIC PURSE
My first children’s book is not scheduled for release until spring 2011 because of a wonderful new development & idea I’ve had. It shall be a trilogy: the first ‘Violet’s Magic Purse’ is when she is six years old, running amuck with her powers, the second when she is 12 years old, half’way through her Wiccan training with her Mum, and the third when she graduates from her training at age 16.
My wonderful idea was to put out a ‘Call for Illustrations’ to local high school art students, to illustrate the book. I have had seven responses after a brief presentation at a local high school art class and am expecting more. It’s a wonderful opportunity for art students to have their art published in a children’s book since I had virtually no support for my artistic talents while in school. The best part is, being a Trilogy, each artist has three (3) chances to have their art chosen for the book. Since each will be directed to a different aged audience, the illustrations will be different too. I am looking forward to seeing the submissions on the deadline date of January 15, 2011. In the meantime, I am just doing the final polish of the draft before submitting it to the publisher. Illustrations can be added once I’ve made my choice, saving publishing time. I am so delighted with this turn of events.
Jan.10-2011. ‘VIOLET’S MAGIC PURSE’
I have extended the ‘Call for Illustrations’ submission deadline to January 30th, 2011 since there were several belated entries. I am so excited to have 12 submissions coming my way, and without seeing any of these artist’s portfolio’s, have no expectations other than curiosity about how they will interprit my tale and what illustrations emerge from their mind.
Although only one will be chosen by me, intuitively, they will all have two more chances to submit illustrations for the next two segements of the trilogy if they wish.
I will be submitting the book draft to the publishing company by the end of this week so they can get started with the digital layout and just insert the illustrations when they are ready. Yahoo!
‘CREDIT SURVIVAL’
I’ve had the most wonderful ‘insight’ into the ‘new’ format for my Credit Survival Book that should really appeal to the average consumer. This is obviously a teaser…….
The primary problem with many ‘financial’ books is that they are dry, too technical, speaking a language most people don’t understand. No one wants to feel stupid, and all this complicated lingo makes people feel that way, as I discovered in my own banking/lending officer years.
Secondly, the reader gets immediate confirmation that they are not handling their finances well and will never even be able to consider investing options based on just keeping their heads above water.
Thus, MY BOOK WILL BE DIFFERENT, as I share my own boo-boos and take a much lighter, but more REAL approach to credit card debt – which nearly every North American has. So…. stay tuned…. the heavy-duty final editing begins this week.
UPDATE – Feb.5/2011 – I have chosen a most wonderful artist from those who submitted their artwork for the cover and illustrations for ‘VIOLET’S MAGIC PURSE’, my first children’s book and first in a trilogy. The moment I saw her watercolor cover of Violet, I knew this was my wild child – almost like I imagined I would have sketched her, having the time to do so.
We are getting together later today to make small adjustments and finalize the sketches. I am so blessed to have this lovely young woman, to be announced soon, drawn to me to be part of my children’s book project. inspirit, Elfie