Thank You so much to OCA school for having me as the special guest at their literacy night. It was such a blast to read to the kids, play literacy games, and talk about being an author!

Luckily, I had a practice session right before this night as my daughter's class had me visit the week before for Read Across America Week!

I can't tell you how great an audience of kids is. They actually laugh at my jokes! :) And they have such a zest for stories and learning. After last night, I have a whole series of kids books in mind for the future. Watch out, children everywhere!! :)

If you have kids and your school wants a visit, let me know! It's fun to read to the kids and I have some great story-telling games we play together to get them excited about reading as well.

Before we get to too many more kids books, "What Happens at the Airport," a short story comes out this following Tuesday so watch for details on that or Pre-order HERE

We'll chat soon!

P.S. Thank you to Clifford for putting up with my girls! You are a champion!!

Being a freelance writer is really fun! I get to take jobs from a wide variety of companies all over the world. I get to set my own schedule (or rather, my daughters get to set my schedule) and I get to learn a lot about tons of different topics.

Take today, for example. I did some proofreading for a marketing company that specializes in window replacement blogs. I wrote articles on car repair shops. And I did some product descriptions for a company in England. And that was just in the two hours I have available each day. It's a blast!

What's the downside to freelance writing, or any job, for that matter? Taxes! :) Taxes are so out of my realm of understanding it's not even funny. But I know they're a necessity to living in this great country. And I've learned how to deal with them! Here are a few tips if you're a freelance writer or have a home business of any kind.

Tip#1: Track Expenses
I struggled with this the first few years I wrote on a freelance basis and, in fact, didn't track them at all. I'm not the type who keeps receipts and keeps track of them very well (or at all, really!) If I could have passed them off to my mom, they'd all be filed in alphabetical order and color coded. :) Once my business really took off, I recognized that I needed to track expenses better. I put an app on my phone so any time I bought printer ink, went to the post office to mail books, or ordered materials online, I could quickly put that expense on the app. At the end of the year, I create a report through that app, email it to myself, print it, and viola, there are my expenses for the year. There are a lot of resources out there that can help you do it so you don't have to write things down and track receipts all the time. This one from The Quickbooks business expense page might be a good idea to try too.

Tip#2: Track Income
As a freelance writer, income is odd. I get W2 forms from some companies and from others, I don't. So absolutely any time anyone pays me anything, I write it down. I have a little notebook above my computer and when I get an email with a payment from a client, I don't move the email until I write it down. Once I have the payment written down, I can delete or move the email. At the end of each month, I write up a summary that collects what I get paid from each company. I get a grand total from each company and a grand total for the month. At the end of the year, I do a report that states how much each company paid me. Like I said, some send me W2s and some don't, but this way, I have them all and can report that income. I only have a rare few that take taxes from what they pay me. Most of what I get is all NOT taxed, which means I have to report it.

Tip#3: Deduct the House
Just like expenses can be deducted, so too can a portion of my home expenses. My freelance writing business is run out of my house so that means a portion of the home can be deducted as a further expense. Set up an office and measure it. If the office is 1/10 of the house, you can include 1/10 of the electricity and other such bills.

Tip#4: Find Help
If, like me, you're ignorant when it comes to taxes overall, just gather the information I listed above along with anything that comes in the mail that says "important tax document" and take it to someone who is better informed than you are. My family has a tax guy because we want to make sure it's done right. Plus, we don't have the time or the brain power to spend on such ventures. As much as we dislike having to pay for such a service, it's worth it to get the project off our hands.

And that's how I deal with freelance writing and taxes for my home business. I'd go into greater detail, but clients are awaiting and it's time to get back to work for them! :)

Today's the day! What Happens at the Airport has released and is ready for you and anyone you know to read it! It's on sale for 0.99 and you can get it HERE.

If you'd like, I'd be thrilled if you would share the link on facebook, twitter or anywhere else you can! Tag me so I know you did! http://amzn.to/2meIZTG

This short story is just me musing at how relationships sometimes start in odd locations, under strange circumstances and in trying ways. It's a kick off to what will hopefully be a very big year. Watch for the re-release of "Wrong Place, Right Time" in June and then, in September..."The Leftover!" I've never been more excited about a book. So save some time this fall to read it, you won't be worry!

You can join me March 14th from 4-6pm on the Red Coat PR Reader Community on Facebook for a release party with lots of giveaways and fun. Hope to see you there!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/RCPRReaderCommunity/

Story release...news...giveaway!

Hey everyone! Hope you're coming through the winter okay, wherever you are!

I really want to make something of 2017 so I'm releasing something every quarter this year. What's first? A short story!

What Happens at the Airport... !!

It's coming out March 14th, but it's ready for pre-order now!

Here's the blurb:
Melly Woodruff has the worst luck with men. Every time another relationship fails, she jumps on a flight to visit a friend and take her mind off her lack of love. On another broken-hearted trip, a fellow passenger gets out of hand and Wes Truitt, the on-board air marshal steps in. It doesn’t take Melly long to remember they’d met before. Because what happens in the airport doesn’t always stay at the airport…

Pre-order HERE

And here's your incentive/giveaway. Pre-order the story and email me or comment below saying "got it" or "pre-ordered" or whatever you want to say. :) You will be entered into a drawing for 2 paperback copies of "Wrong Place, Right Time" (one for you and one for you to give to a friend!)

Want a second entry into the giveaway? Share this link to the story on your facebook/twitter/whatever and let me know you did so or tag me in it. You'll get a second entry into the drawing!http://amzn.to/2koVdqq

What's next for 2017?

June
I will re-release Wrong Place, Right Time with a new cover.

September
The Leftover comes out in paperback and on kindle. This will be a HUGE deal for me!

November or December
I will release a new Christmas short story called "Another Backwards Christmas."

I hope you enjoy "What Happens at the Airport..."  !! I'll draw a winner from the giveaway contest on February 1st and notify that person by email.

Thank you!!!!

Brooke Williams

Time Search—The Time Counselor Chronicles #3
 
A nameless evil lurks in the shadows…
 
In the wake of a recent wave of violence, TEMCO employees are left reeling. While some of the staff are put into hiding, others are left behind to discover the true identity of the mysterious nemesis who is determined to destroy them all. While Crystal, Marc, and Zeke search for clues to unravel the mystery of his real name, their enemy is lurking in the shadows searching for TEMCO’s missing leaders. It’s a race against the clock! And as the hours and seconds tick away, it’s anyone’s guess whose search will be completed first. It’s a classic battle of good versus evil, and the stakes couldn’t be higher!

Order today HERE in paperback or HERE for kindle

Brooke's Review

Oh, where to begin!
I have had the privilege and joy to read all three Time Counselor Chronicles books. I am excited that number three is not the last. Let me tell you about my reading journey without giving anything about the book away. (I also want to recommend that you read them from the beginning because there's too much goodness to miss!)

So, I started reading Time Search during an ice storm in my area. We were holed up at home for four entire days. That being said, I have two young daughters and I don't get to just sit and read while stranded at home. :) They concocted a library game in which they lined EVERY book from their rooms up on the stairs. I was to come to the "library," check out a book, and then go away and read it. During this game (which lasted on and off for three days) every time I went away to "read" the book I'd checked out, I'd actually stick my kindle inside it and read a few pages of this book instead. It got worse from there. After a few chapters, I was hooked. I found myself reading while my girls were in the bath. While I dried my hair in the morning. When we drove somewhere (and my husband was driving). During cartoon movies I was supposed to be watching with my girls. IT gets worse from there. :)

This book is positively addictive, as are all of the previous titles from the series. The characters are delightful and unique in their own ways. The author has a way of weaving humor into an intense story. There are light-hearted, laugh-out-loud moments. There are deep, meaningful moments. There's love. There's mystery. There's intrigue. There's...time travel! Can I please have #4 now? Please?! My girls think maybe it should wait a while so I will stop reading and wash their hair in the tub, but.... I, for one, cannot wait for more!!!

 Guest Post by Danele Rotharmel
A Passion for Puzzles: (Small essay about why I include clues, puzzles, and cryptograms in my novels)
 
I have a quirky brain, and I’ll be the first to admit it. I become bored very easily, and my imagination is ALWAYS running away with me. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve played silent games inside my mind. When I was in kindergarten, I was always searching for pictures in the clouds, and I would wander around the supermarket looking for secret messages in the canned food aisle. It was a common practice for me to study the checkout lady with narrowed eyes to see if I thought she was a spy. I’d like to say that I grew out of my “eccentric” ways, but I never did. In fact, I still enjoy scrutinizing the checkout lady and picturing her as a secret agent. I know that my imaginings aren’t exactly “mature,” but my ability to entertain myself really came in handy when I became ill several years ago. My illness was severe, and it escalated until I was put into quarantine in my home. I could only talk to friends and extended family through a closed window. This quarantine lasted for seven years.
 
During my quarantine years, besides my health issues, one of the biggest battles I faced was boredom. Trust me—TV becomes MIND NUMBING after about six months. Naturally, I began inventing other ways of entertaining myself. I would sing out loud, dance without restraint, talk in a funny accent, attempt to play the piano, and basically let my imagination run wild. I also began to write, and write, and WRITE. While I was locked away in my house, I wrote the first six books in The Time Counselor Chronicles. (The first two books in my series, Time Tsunami and Time Trap, were released in 2016. And the third book, Time Search, was just released in January 2017.) I wrote my books as a way of escaping the pain and loneliness of quarantine, and because I’ve always loved puzzles and cryptograms, intricate clues began finding their way into my writing.
 
In Time Tsunami, I created a huge archive in Hawking Hall. When Crystal and Marc tried to put away case files, they had to follow a complicated system of clues. I had such a blast figuring out my filing system. It consisted of Braille letters, Nobel Prize winners, and even the colors of the rainbow. I spent several weeks devising my quirky system, and I had a hoot doing it! By the time I was finished, I had a clear picture of the archival room, and I felt very smug over having created it. It made me happy.
 
Once I finished writing Time Tsunami, I immediately started writing Time Trap. In my second book, I made my characters follow a complex trail of clues in order to find a kidnapped cadet. These clues were in the form of pictures and cryptograms. I have to admit that I felt very sly and tricky as I put my puzzles together. I even included a poem with secret meaning. Writing Time Trap was so much fun! I can clearly remember composing the cryptogram Laura found on the dumpster, and when I finished creating it, I grinned widely and gave an evil, mad-scientist laugh--brew-ha-ha-ha!!! I can’t tell you how much fun I got out of those cryptograms!
 
In my most recent book, Time Search, I continued my crafty, cunning ways. Clues were left for my characters in bouquets of flowers. I spent quite a bit of time researching the language of flowers, and I’m able to tell anyone who asks, the secret meaning of rosemary and black roses! I also spent time devising clues based on Egyptian symbols, people’s names, and the positioning of photographs. Time Search was such an entertaining book to write. On top of the clues, I also included a Cinderella aspect and a tour of Rome within the story. I had such a great time creating this book! 
 
Currently, I’m editing my fourth book, Time Awakening. In it, I lead my characters on a complicated “scavenger hunt” through Washington D.C. I’m getting a real kick putting all the clues together!
 
During quarantine, I learned that even when life is at its worst, enjoyment can be found by focusing on something other than problems. I’ve learned that it’s okay to be quirky and a little silly. Funny accents and cryptograms definitely have their place! I wrote my books as a way of entertaining myself, and now that they’re being published, I hope my stories can bring joy and entertainment to others. Life can be complicated, messy, disappointing, and hard—but it’s amazing how taking a little journey into an imaginary land can make things seem better.

Social Media Links:
 
Danele’s Blog: https://dragonflydanele.wordpress.com/
Danele’s Testimony: https://dragonflydanele.wordpress.com/welcome/
Danele’s Books: https://dragonflydanele.wordpress.com/my-books/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14782632.Danele_J_Rotharmel
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danele.rotharmel
ACFW Fiction Finder: http://www.fictionfinder.com/author/detail/1331

Danele Rotharmel’s life took an unexpected turn when a mysterious illness brought her close to death. Eventually, she learned that a carbon monoxide leak from a faulty furnace was poisoning her. This poisoning triggered Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, causing her to be put in quarantine. For seven years, she could only talk to friends and extended family through a windowpane. During this time, she wrote the first six books in The Time Counselor Chronicles.  Although her journey back to health was difficult, it provided her the opportunity to grow closer to God and write her books. For that, she’s forever thankful. To learn more about Danele, visit her blog:  https://dragonflydanele.wordpress.com/

http://amzn.to/2ityonp  Order Baby Bunco today! 

 
Who would leave a newborn baby in the bathtub of a condo in Sunset Acres, a retirement community, and why? And was a young woman slain behind the convenience store across the highway it’s mother? Janie and the Bunco Biddies want to find out, but soon they discover sleuthing can get a bit dicey.

Reviews...

Cosgrove wove the story with such humor, I found myself laughing out loud at the antics these sleuths got themselves into as they went to great lengths to help in the investigation! Not only dishing out information with each other, but dishing up amazingly delicious comfort food...totally in character with the elderly.     Christian Book Reviews
 
 
 Cosgrove does an excellent job of leaving a breadcrumb trail of clues that leads you in circles right along with the characters. I laughed at and fell in love with the charming trio of women would-be-sleuths in their stubborn and relentless resolve to figure out who killed their neighbor. Sometimes authors shove a Christian message in between crime scenes and car chases. However, Cosgrove seamlessly threads her message throughout the book…the characters exemplify what it means to live a life of Christian love. Beautifully done!    Amazon reviewer

Excerpt from Bunco Biddies
 
Chapter 1
 
 
“Did you say she found a baby?” Janie stopped mid-roll, the pink and white dice warming in her clutched fist. “Here in Sunset Acres, a retirement community?”
Babs, seated to her left at the Bunco table, nodded. “That’s what Mildred told me as we were walking up to your front stoop tonight. Right, Mildred?”
“I went to collect a few more of my things since I’m staying with Ethel, and no more than three minutes later the leasing agent pounded on my door. ‘Come see,’ she motioned to me. Her eyes grew as wide as those mega donuts at the Crusty Baker.” She thumped her pencil against her score pad and groaned. “It took every ounce of gumption to follow her into that—ugh!—place next door.” She quivered her shoulders. 
Janie shifted her gaze to the woman sitting across from her. “Ethel, you knew about this?”
“I did.”
“And you didn’t tell me?” Her voice elevated to echo-off –the-ceiling volume. She humphed and pivoted to face the storyteller. “Mildred. What happened?”
The other eight ladies halted their Bunco round. Each swiveled to listen in, their eyes fixated on the first card table.
Mildred leaned. “I paused at the steps, determined to not go inside. Only peek in from the front door. Then high-pitched, frantic cries came from the direction of the bathroom. Well, I had to rush to its aid. Every motherly fiber in my being dictated it.”
Murmurs and head bobs filtered through Janie’s living rom.
 Mildred sniffled. “Poor little thing. Alone, scared and red as a beet from wailing so hard. That house is cursed, I tell you.”
Janie patted her hand. “Now, dear. Just because someone murdered Edwin soon after he moved in there doesn’t mean...”
Mildred shot from her seat and paced, her arms flaying in circles, resembling the duck windmill on top of the antiques barn down the road. “Ever since I relocated into Sunset Acres it’s been one thing after another. Edwin murdered, then my nephew Bobby arrested, and now an abandoned newborn in a bathtub? This is supposed to be a quiet retirement community.”
“Maybe because you live on Solar Boulevard.” Annie huffed. “Nothing weird ever happens on my street, Sunrise Court, except for an occasional stray golf ball. Then again, if you kept your nose out of everyone’s business...” Her voice trailed off with a smug cock of her head.
“My nose?”
The other ladies mumbled to each other.
Ethel blew a whistle through her teeth. “Okay, everyone calm down. We all lived through the ruckus of one of our neighbor’s brutal murder last month. It’s not Mildred’s fault. Nor mine or Janie’s that this happened...”
Betsy Ann raised her hand, as if her legs once again dangled from under her desk in Ms. Everett’s kindergarten classroom.
Janie rolled her eyes. “What?”
“Well, it is sort of our fault.” She pointed to Janie, Ethel and herself. “We helped solve the case and Bobby did wind up in the middle of all of the commotion. That’s why he threatened you and tried to break into your house.” She folded her hands and gazed down at them. “I’m just saying...”
“Duly noted.” Janie felt the healing, pinkish wound on her neck where his knife grazed her skin. “I must add, my dear son-in-law, Chief Detective Blake Johnson, appreciated all of our...” her hands encircled the room...”research, sleuthing and cunningness. He told me so.”A smile curled along the edges of her mouth. “Besides, it did beat back the doldrums a while, right?’
A few silvery head bounced in agreement as the condo sprinkled with giggles. Annie crossed her arms and harumphed.
Janie eased over to Mildred and led her back to her designated chair. She patted her on the shoulders and scanned the room, making certain every slightly glaucoma-pressed or cataract-corrected eye fixated on her. “Now we must figure out who placed a newborn baby in a vacant garden home bathtub and why?”
Babs cocked an eyebrow. “We do?”
“Absolutely. Let’s face facts. Someone put the little thing in a home in our community so she would be discovered. Therefore it is our responsibility...”
“Well, now. I’m not sure...” Mildred frowned.
“We are all over fifty-five, correct? The child certainly doesn’t belong to one of us. If so, we should be renamed Sarah after Abraham’s elderly wife in Genesis.”
“Or Elizabeth in the New Testament.” Betsy Ann added, this time with a forefinger, not a full hand, aloft.
“Exactly. Therefore, unless one of you wants to confess...”
Cackles ensued.
Janie allowed the cacophony to settle, her eyes glimmering with escalating excitement. “I, for one, do not think this is a coincidence that this wee one ended up in Edwin’s old garden home. There may be a connection we overlooked. Blake never discovered who left long, black hairs in that comb or ruby red lipstick on those empty beer cans when the police searched his place for clues.”
Ethel scoffed. “Pffft. We all can guess what she was, even if we don’t know who.”
The women eyed each other and chuckled.
Annie shook her head. “But the officials only released him from prison a couple of days before he died, right? Last I heard it takes nine months to make a baby.”
Mildred arched her eyebrow. “I thought it only took one night.”
Several of the elderly ladies laughed so loud Janie’s china tea service jiggled.
Janie pumped her hand toward the floor. “All right. All right. Even so, someone knew that home remained unoccupied.”
Babs flipped up her palms. “His demise dominated the local news for several weeks.  Which means thousands of readers learned it.”
Roseanne Rodriguez spoke up. “More than that. Hundreds of thousands. It was all over the news, too.” 
Mildred flayed her arms. “That narrows it down a bunch.”
More laughter.
Janie tapped her fist to the card table. The hum of comments faded. “True, Roseanne. However, I don’t recall them specifically giving out the address, even if everyone heard Betsy Ann and I discovered him in the community dumpster here at Sunset Acres.”
“So, whoever dropped the baby girl off cased the joint and determined no one lived there anymore.” Ethel, the one with the massive catalogues mystery paperback collection, offered the proverbial gumshoe response.
“Which means they planned to leave her at that garden home.” Janie snapped her fingers. “Yes, that has to be it. So a person or persons unknown, who wouldn’t attract attention as they wandered around our senior retirement village, knew about this pregnancy and somehow persuaded the mother to give up the poor thing.”
Babs clucked her teeth. “Well, it does happen.”
“Yes, but what gets me is they figured someone would find the infant fairly quickly.”
“A ‘For Lease or Sale’ sign is planted plain as day on the front lawn.” Annie shoved the last bite of butterscotch brownie into her mouth.
Janie gave her a nod. “Good point. Still, there must be homes all over this area for sale or rent. Why our little corner of the world? A fifty-five plus community. Why not a neighborhood with young families? That’s what we must discover. Something tells me the answer might be the key to the whole dilemma.”
Ethel leaned into Betsy Ann. “Get a load of Janie. Proud as a peacock and giddy as a school girl. She’s in her element. A new game’s afoot.”
Betsy Ann lowered her auburn, curly head into her hands. “Here we go again. Bunco Biddies to the rescue whether anyone wants us involved or not.”
 

 Order today!!!

http://amzn.to/2ityonp

I was contacted by Invoice2Go about helping with an infographic about running a freelance writing business. They got lots of input from a lot of people and created this infographic. You can read more comments (including some from me) on their blog post HERE.

Happy New Year, everyone!

In December 2014, my dream came true and I released my first romantic comedy with a publisher (The Writer's Coffee Shop). The story was called "Wrong Place, Right Time." A simple theme of a woman interrupting the wrong wedding. Oops! My contract with that publisher is now up and I received the rights to the book back as of Jan. 1.

This story is short and sweet and I'm in no way done with it. The publisher has removed it from amazon and all the other locations since I now have the rights. But I plan to re-release it in 2017. When that happens, it will have a new cover. Do you like it?? I loved the old cover, but I wanted something more cartoony this time so hopefully it would scream "romantic comedy!" Details on release dates for the new old book are yet to come. I need to do some deciphering on releases this year.

In other release news, I now have a release date for "The Leftover." Are you ready? September 12, 2017! I'm excited to put this book out with BQB Publishing. They have an amazing new distributor so the book has the potential to have a wide reach. The cover design is coming along and being finalized. The last option they presented to me was pretty cool and I can't wait to see it in final form!

This week, my writing goal is to write a second short story that runs alongside "Backwards Christmas." It will be called "Another Backwards Christmas" (I think) so wish my luck on that!

More details on it all coming soon!