Blogging about my books, the writing process, mindset, and anything else I feel like sharing.
Noooo... Not sales taxes! Ugh!!
I have been hearing a lot about the sales tax changes in the US lately, and I thought it would be helpful to discuss how things work in Canada when it comes to sales taxes and your book sales. This is for Canadian authors who sell their books directly to customers, whether that is through a website or in person.
Good news if you’re in Canada…
Read MoreMany people dream of writing and publishing a book ‘someday’, but statistics show only about 2% of those people actually realize their dream. I’m going to share a secret weapon with you that’s helped me with my books, and I know it will help you too!
It’s very fitting that I’m writing this post on March 8, 2019, International Women’s Day. It’s the final day of the Women In Publishing Summit, hosted by one of my favourite women in publishing, Alexa Bigwarfe.
Two years ago, I met Alexa after I won a spot in her group coaching program for writers as part of an online summit I was speaking at. Talk about divine intervention—I didn’t even know there were prizes for speakers or that one of them was for writers. I had just published my first book and had started working on my first novel, so I was super excited to meet Alexa and learn about her program.
Read MoreIt depends!
I know that’s probably not the answer you were hoping for, but like most things when it comes to taxes, the answer to the question, “Do I need an accountant?” isn’t a simple one.
Because most people hire an accountant to do their taxes, let’s look at taxes first. Taxes can be grouped into two broad categories: personal and business.
Read MoreAs a writer, it’s hard for me to ignore stereotypes. They serve a purpose in stories and it’s easy to fall back on them when I need a character who is a “typical” Canadian, stay at home mom, or fill-in-the-blank. But, what makes a story (and life) really interesting is when the characters defy the stereotype.
Since I come from an accounting background, I thought it would be fun to look at what people think is “typical” of accountants. When I typed “stereotypical accountant personality” into Google, words like dependable, structured, and practical came up.
Read MoreSome entrepreneurs feel like working with an accountant is expensive, but when you think of everything a professional accountant can do for you, they’re actually priceless! Some of these things include staying current on tax changes so you can save the most tax, filing paperwork on time so you don’t get charged unnecessary penalties, and analyzing your business income and expenses to help improve your bottom line. In this post, you will learn how to find an accountant who will become your trusted business advisor.
Read More*The following scene contains nudity, violence, and profanity. You’ve been warned!
“Take off your clothes.” The gun was barely a few inches from her face. She glared directly into his eyes as she slowly unbuttoned her blouse. She took her time, still trying to think of a way out of this. She looked over her shoulder at the street below. “Don’t get any ideas,” he warned. “There’s nowhere for you to go.”
As she stripped down to her bra and panties, she closed her eyes, trying to escape to another place. The hair on her arms was starting to rise as she felt the cool air of the spring night. The man in front of her stepped up to her, and she felt his hot breath in her face. She felt the cold metal of the gun touch her skin and she jolted her eyes open, pleading with her assaulter. He leaned in and tried to kiss her. She fought as hard as she could to turn away and she felt the barrel of the gun dig harder into the side of her neck. She gave in.
Read MoreVideo is gaining more popularity as a method of spreading your message. YouTube is now the second largest search engine next to Google and Google is starting to rank blog posts that include videos higher than similar posts that don’t include videos.
Marketers can connect with video viewers on a more emotional level than they can through a blog post because a video involves the use of more of our senses than reading a blog post.
Read MoreK. Kris Loomis was one of the first authors I virtually met in a Facebook group when I was just getting started on my self-publishing journey. I read How to Sneak More Yoga Into Your Life some of her short story collections and instantly fell in love with her writing style and sense of humour.
I’ve enjoyed watching Kris’s progress as a self-published author since meeting her in 2016. In the past year alone, Kris wrote and publish two novels and the non-fiction book, Surviving Revision. Kris’s guest posts are some of the most popular on my site, so I knew I had to interview her and share her tips!
Read MoreHi, I'm Michelle! Writing is a passion of mine. I love to entertain and educate through my writing. I started out writing about business and money and have moved on to thrillers and picture books.
Spending time with family is what I'm all about. Life's too short!
I have two amazing sons who love Lego and ninjas...and TV (sigh)!! We read a ton of storybooks to make up for the TV thing. One of the best ways to explain things is through stories of course.
If it was up to me, I'd have chips and dip for dinner every night with a super dark chocolate bar to round out the meal...and maybe an apple! It's a good thing I've got kids and a husband. They keep me responsible (and healthy).
