I'm Just Wondering, Polly Wants a Cracker

Have you ever been bored and your mind just took off on a road of thoughts to nowhere? My mind did that today. "Polly want's a cracker." What? Why did I just think that. I don't know. So, I let my mind continue down the road. Why does everyone know that phrase? What does it even mean?

I have the answers, quick and easy at these website  Feed your brain and this site The Bird Channel



I am giving the gift of Audible to my readers. A Secret Love is now an Audible book and a gift for you. Fill in the contact form. In message type- I want it. A Secret Love will be headed your way for your listening pleasure.

It's in the Water

All summer I have been trying to reverse the weight gain from my winter fun of unlimited chocolate, soda and chip snacking. Even drinking diet Pepsi added weight, so I decided why drink diet if I'm still going to gain weight? So back to my regular Pepsi I went. Now toward the end of the summer, I have found an answer or should I say changes I am happy to make in the name of health and weight loss. Would you believe it is in the water?

The thought of adding cucumber to my water was appalling. I must admit after trying it, I found it tasty and I was hooked. So now at the gym or on my long walk or run, I have a bottle of my homemade water with me.

The hardest thing to do was to give up my Pepsi, but I have found that I don't miss the soda or the junk food since I have started drinking my new found water. All you need is fruit, water and the knowledge of which fruit is best for your ultimate goal. I do acknowledge the cucumber is a veggie and not a fruit.

We all desire a flat tummy unless we are expecting a bundle of joy. Here is what you will need:

• A water pitcher
• 6 cups of filtered water
• 1 tbsp of grated ginger
• 1 cucumber sliced 
• 1 lemon sliced
• 1/3 cup of mint leaves

Let the mixture sit overnight in the fridge. Spend your day enjoying this flavored water.

Let's look at the benefits of the ingredients:

1. Water- Water is synonymous with life. It keeps the body hydrated. Hydration is important because dehydration can slow down the fat burning process. It lubricates joints and muscles during exercise and helps to innervate the blood supply and oxygen to muscles. Water also helps to give a  feeling of fullness during meals so we don’t overeat.
2. Cucumbers- Helps with hydrating your body. Proper hydration gives you the added benefit of having more energy and helping your body's organs to perform their jobs better. Cucumbers also provide you with vitamins and minerals as well as bringing down your blood pressure. They also serve to curb your appetite. So drinking a cup of cucumber water when you're hungry can help you hold off until your next meal. So when you feel hungry and it's not quite mealtime, you may just be thirsty. Staying hydrated will also keep your skin supple and smooth as well as calming irritated skin such as acne and blemishes. I love cucumber water. It's tasty and satisfying. I actually added cucumber slices to my bottled water but, my daughter also found the water tasty, so I started using the water pitcher. The colder it is the better. 20 minutes in the freezer is awesome.
3. Lemons- They are high in pectin fiber which helps to suppress food cravings. They also help the body to eliminate waste products by cleansing and detoxifying it. Lemons are alkaline forming and will aid with weight loss.
4. Mint Leaves- It's a well know fact that mint helps to freshen the breath. Mint also aids in digestion and cleanses the palate. There is also the flavor and aroma mint emits. 
5. Ginger- Tends to give you a feeling of fullness preventing overeating.
6. 
   

A not guilty verdict. A kidnapping. A midnight trial. Six sitting in judgment and one empty chair. 

Revenge- is it sweet or just a bitter seed? Coach Terrence Jackson is the man who has divided the town of Marston. There are those who believe in the coach and his innocence and then there are the victims who despise him, his smile and his crime. He has a dark past- a previous life no one knew about until the not guilty verdict.

                  
                                         Get The Audiobook 

                              

Author Producing an Audiobook Using ACX Part 5: How to Gift An Audible Book

                        

Creating an audiobook is an experience to be had by any author. Once you hear the finished product and you find yourself feeling ecstatic with the results as I did, you will now move on to the next step; getting reviews for your audiobook. Reviews seem to be the hardest thing to obtain.

When the Audible audiobook goes up for sale on the site, Audible will send the author 25 codes which allows the receivers of these codes to download the book for free.  You are 25 codes closer to reviews. But here is a warning, a free code is a credit for the bearer to use as he or she pleases. Since you as the author has worked so hard on writing a great novel and invested hard earned money and time into producing your Audible book, make sure the complimentary code is used for your book. Here are the steps:

1. Copy the code from the email you received from ACX to your clip board.
2. Sign into your Audible account.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page.
4. Click Redeem A Promo Code.
5. Paste the code into the box.
6. You will see a thank you message.
7. In your account you will notice you now have one credit available.
8. Click Redeem again.
9. Find your book using the search box.
10. Click on your book.
11. On the right you will see a link that says give as a gift. Click it.
12. You can package your gift- pick a card, write a note, add the email of the receiver, add you as the sender.
13. Preview your card.
14. You can edit the card or send it.
15. Now the credit has been used for your book as intended and nothing else.
16. If you are more of a visual person, this youtube video by Rocking Self Publishing is awesome How to Use ACX Author Promo Codes More Effectively

                              

Free Audible Book

Request your Free Audible Listening 
Experience of A Secret Love

Use the Contact Form

In the message box just type

I want it.
or use the above link to email me for your gift of A Secret Love

Do you love Audible books? I know I do. Once I start listening, the story surrounds me. It's as if watching a movie on the big screen. I can actually picture the scenes as I listen. It's a different experience than reading to myself. If you haven't experienced a book through Audible, you owe it to yourself to give it a try. Listen, enjoy and leave a review of your experience. Listen to a sample now of A Secret Love Audiblebook.  Request you copy now or use the contact form. Just type I want it. Please allow up to 48 hours for delivery.  Have a question? Email me

When you receive A code for an Audible book here is how you put it to use:

1.Go to my book's page on Audible.com:
http://tinyurl.com/ASecretLoveAudiobook

2.Add the audiobook to your cart.

3.Create a new Audible.com account or log in.

4.Enter the promo code and click "Redeem" on the cart page.
To change the price from full price to $0.00, click the box next to "1 Credit" and click the "update" button to apply the credit to your purchase.
Complete checkout, and start listening to the free copy of the book. 

5. Listen and enjoy.

6. Tell everyone what you thought by leaving a review.

Author Producing an Audiobook Using ACX (How To) Part 4 Audible

Finally the wait is almost over. A Secret love is now available on Audible.com
Once you finish everything, your audible book will be available for sale on Audible's site first. Next it will be available on Amazon and Apple's iTunes. The price for the audiobook is set by Audible based on the length of the audiobook.

Now comes the really fun part, getting the word out that the audiobook is available. So spread the word! A Secret Love is waiting to entertain you. Visit A Secret Love's page and learn how to get it for free. When you get to the page, use the links to share it, tweet it, pin it, like it, g+1 it.

Want a code for a free download? Email me at brigittamoon@yahoo.com
As soon as the codes are released to me I will pass them on to you. Your email will only be used to notify you when new books by Brigitta are available. After you receive your code, let everyone know what you thought about A Secret Love with your awesome review. Act fast. There are a limited number of free codes available.

I hope this series has been helpful to you.

Author Producing an Audiobook Using ACX (How To) Part 3

Hopefully you have already read parts one and two.  To my surprise my narrator finished the audiobook way ahead of the due date. Awesome! You will receive an email letting you know it is available for you to listen to and decide if there are changes you would like made. During your review of the audio files the narrator is unable to make any changes to these files. Each chapter is a separate link. This makes it easy for you to describe where you would like changes made. It also makes for easier listening by allowing you to listen to each chapter separately.

If you request changes to be made you will have to use the link in the box at the top right of the listening page. There are two links- request changes and approve audiobook. If changes are requested, it will need to be done here so the audio files can be released to the narrator to make the changes. This can't be accomplished with a simple email describing the changes you want because the narrator will not be able to access the files.

After the changes are made, you will receive the audio files back for your listening pleasure. Again you can approve the files or request changes. You can only request changes twice.  If you are unhappy with the finished product you can cancel, but be aware you may encounter some financial obligations. These are outlined in the ACX Audiobook Production Standard Terms 

Once you have approved the files, you will receive an email saying-You have approved the audiobook production of,  in my case, A SECRET LOVE. However, a payment of $_____must be made to the audiobook's producer. After the producer confirms receipt of your payment, we will begin distributing the audiobook of A SECRET LOVE to Audible, Amazon and iTunes. That's when the fun really begins.

You will have to contact the narrator for the accepted forms of payment. After you make the payment your next email will say- Good news! Your Narrator's name has specified that they have received payment for the production of "A SECRET LOVE". Thanks!

Now ACX will put the audiobook through a quick final quality control process, then begin distributing it to Amazon, Audible and iTunes. Barring any issues in the quality check, that process should take upwards of 14-20 business days.

Wow. More waiting. Stay tuned. I will keep you updated on the process. In the mean time  Want to Read it Now. A copy is waiting for you. 
Listen to chapter 5. 

Visit my estore for a print copy

List Price: $5.98

5" x 8" (12.7 x 20.32 cm) 
Black & White on Cream paper
102 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1514367476 (CreateSpace-Assigned)
ISBN-10: 1514367475
BISAC: Fiction / Short Stories

A ROMANTIC THRILLER...WILL KEEP YOU TURNING PAGES. SEXY, PROVOCATIVE, INTRIGUING.

Every marriage has a secret or two or more, but Christina's has a big one. A secret she has managed to keep for nine years. Her husband Derek doesn't suspect a thing. A blackmailer has entered the picture and now Christina's exposure is imminent. The blackmailer is demanding payment that Christina doesn't have. If she doesn't pay, her secret will be leaked and she will lose her husband and children on Christmas day.

Author Producing an Audiobook Using ACX (How To) Part 2

Today I received the first 15-minute preview of my audiobook for A Secret Love .  The narrator has an awesome voice. She gives life to all the characters.  To get to the preview link:

•  Click the projects tab
• Located at the top of the page above the ACX logo
•  Click the offers tab in the middle of the page
• Click your book's title to access the mini recorder

 After you have listened to the 15 minutes you need to decide if you approve.If you do, there is a link which says approve. There is also another link to email your narrator if necessary. The excitement of getting closer to a finished audiobook is thrilling.

The next step will be to work on your cover. There are suggestions of using sites such as Fivrr. I opted to do my own. I used the cover file from the book, which I downloaded from Createspace. Next I opened the jpeg on my Mac and used the picture editing software to add the narrator's name to the cover. ACX requires the cover to be square, no less than 2400x2400, 72 dpi and RGB colors. Let's face facts. Your cover on your Kindle or paperback is not square. So how do you make the cover square? It's so easy. I'll tell you.

• Go to http://resizepic.com/
• Choose your file
• Enter Height and Width 2400x2400
• Click resize image
• Click download

Now when you open the download, you have a square picture. I wasn't impressed with the minimal size of 2400x2400, so I increased mine to 3000x3000. I liked it much better. Upload it to ACX and you're done. Now the hard part, waiting for the finished product.  In the meantime take a look at the square cover for A Secret Love.

Compare to the new Kindle and paperback cover below.

Want to Read it Now. A copy is waiting for you.

Author Producing an Audiobook Using ACX (How To)

At the end of this article are pictures of the paperback cover and the kindle. Leave a comment on which one you like most.

I have been considering making my books available in the audiobook format for a while now. I love these books. They entertain me in my car when I don't want to listen to the radio. I can read a book in Kindle format and pick up where I left off in my car with the audiobook. So, I'm sure many readers share my love of audiobooks. This is one reason I've decided to take the audiobook route. Another reason is actually a self serving one. I wanted to bring my characters of A Secret Love to life.

I began my audiobook project by visiting the ACX site owned by Amazon. There I found links upon links to questions with answers. I was a little overwhelmed with information. After surfing through the links I decided to do it, put my book out there asking for a voice to give life to my characters. While I waited for responses I listened to voices of producers posted on the site via their auditions. This little feature is not obvious. It doesn't say producers or auditions or voices. It says search. Next to the word search is a drop down with links to producers for hire and titles accepting auditions. I linked to the producers, set the filters and listened to auditions until I heard an audition that offered me what I was searching for. I found the voice I wanted and sent an email. You don't have to wait for auditions. If you find a voice you like, ask for an audition. They can only say no or you may get a yes like me.

Before you can make an offer to a producer, your tax information must be cleared first. Most of the time it is cleared instantly. While you are waiting for your tax info to clear you are able to add your title and accept auditions, but you will not be able to make an offer to a producer. Of utmost importance; be sure that your browser does not autocomplete your information in places you don't want it. For instance, my browser added information in the business name section. Now the form is considering my tax information as a business. I put in my SS#, but it was still went to the IRS as a check for a TIN for a business. I didn't scrutinize my form during the check at the end of the tax interview. What a nightmare. If you overlook an error it can take a long agonizing time to straighten out the error. One week into the tax ordeal I actually closed that account and opened a new one. My taxes were approved instantly. The downside is I can no longer use my brigittamoon email. And to my surprise I couldn't claim my book in my new account. It was already claimed by someone else, me. So the ACX representative who answered my email when this began promised me she would stay on top of the tax situation. She was great. She called me when she discovered I had closed my account and opened a new one. She took care of helping me to reclaim my book A Secret Love   in my new account.

Since the account is new, the producer I was conversing with via ACX email was no longer available to me there. My inbox was empty of previous conversations and previous auditions. I had to go back to the page with the Producers's auditions and search for her. After clicking on her name I was taken to her page where I was able to send her an email and most importantly click the offer tab. I thought the offer was going to be time consuming and plenty of legal paper. It wasn't. It was just a few fill in the blanks, due date for first 15 minutes of the audiobook, date for completion, method of payment- royalty share or flat rate and expiration date of the offer. You can print out all the legal paper if you like. It' there to review before you send the offer.

My offer has been accepted and I am now awaiting the first 15 minutes of the audiobook. This is exciting!

Check back for continued updates on my progress with my audiobook for ASecret Love. 

In the mean time get the Kindle version available at Amazon  for 99 cents

Paperback is now available at CreateSpace an Amazon store 

Which Cover Is Your Favorite?

The Hows & Whys of Investing for Beginners

Hey everyone. Thanks for dropping by to take a look at the second ebook I've released to help improve your finances. In this book, Invest, the questions of why you should invest and how to begin investing are answered. Take a look at the preview below. If the preview piques your interest, don't fret. The full ebook is available at Amazon.  Don't keep it to yourself. Share with friends. They'll appreciate you for it. As always Read, Enjoy, Review.

Buy It Now $0.99

Copyright © 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

The information presented in this ebook is for informational purposes only. The author is not responsible for any errors or omissions. The information is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a recommendation or investment advice. As always, please consult your tax or legal advisor(s) for questions concerning your personal tax or financial situation.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Investor or Saver?

Chapter 2: Why Invest?

Chapter 3: Is Investing Risky?

Chapter 4: How Do I Begin to Invest?Chapter 5: Where Will My Investment Dollars Best Benefit Me?

My Favorite Sites

Extras

  

Introduction

---

        Do you invest or do you save? Is there a difference? Why invest? What’s wrong with having a savings account? Isn’t investing risky? How do I begin to invest?  Where will my investment dollars best benefit me?  Now those are great questions and you’re in luck. Answers to those questions are just page turns away.

Chapter 1: Investor or Saver?

---

     Welcome to our investment meeting. I’d like to extend a warm welcome to all of you who have taken time from your busy life to join the investment conversation. Today we find ourselves with so many commitments blanketing our time; family, jobs,health, home upkeep- lawn, snow and cleaning to name a few. And then there is shopping, entertainment and vacations. Just glancing at all the faces in here I can see how important this subject of investing is to people.

      “So we will start with an easy question for the group. Are you an investor or a saver? Okay sir, you in the rear.”

      “I’m an investor.”

      “Alright, explain to us why you consider yourself an investor.”

      “Well, when I receive my paycheck each week, I deposit a little into my bank account like clockwork.”

        “Okay sir, so after a year of making these clockwork deposits to your bank, what did that nice bank give you in return for the opportunity to have your cash?”

       “Well to be honest, I was pretty disappointed. I received one measly dollar a month in interest.”

       “Thank you sir.I’m thinking this is a reason many of you are here, your low paying bank accounts have discouraged you. I want you to remember the phrase, “Like clockwork.”  We will come back to that. Let’s hear from another person. Let’s hear from the lady in the green jacket. Are you a Saver or an investor?”

       “I’m a saver. After I cash my check I put aside 10% in a safe in my bedroom. I have done quite well.”

       “Interesting. I guess that’s safer than putting it under the mattress. Since you have been placing the money in your safe, you only have what you put in; no interest, dividends or growth. Is that a correct statement?”

       “Well, yes. I only have what I put in the safe.”

       “Thank you for sharing. In this example you are just working for money. It should be the other way around. Your money should be working for you. Remember that phrase also. We will come back to it again and again.”

Buy It Now $0.99