(For my readers who buy and read any book, print or ebook legitimately, I LOVE YOU! This is not aimed at any of you. There is a growing problem out there that is forcing authors to stop writing because of lost income. If you believe theft is wrong, please visit this page http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/fightebookpiracy?e and sign.)
Well, it happened.
My first book was pirated. I guess I should be grateful that it took this long. I mean, it's not like I need the money to buy bread or anything (Yes, that's sarcasm. My book royalties have pulled us out of the fire a couple times this year, but thanks to the pirates... eh. I'm screaming at walls.)
You know, we should all just steal everything. Farmers can steal gas to plow, we can steal food, and hey, the banks won't care if we don't pay mortgages, right?
Nooo? Oh. you mean, because you know that is wrong?
But pirates (lets lump 'em all together shall we--music, movie and book) don't have a care in the world when it comes to stealing intangible property, especially if it's a file on the internet. There are thousands of requests on hundreds of forums for FREE stolen books that they want to share, so long as someone posts it first for free. Well, see here's the deal. Books, like music (and movies even though you don't want to hear it) aren't sharable in digital formats. You can't scan a print one either and say it's free, because like rabbits, those copies multiply. There's also this little legal law called a copyright but pirates, even though they steal books (et al) to read, these same thieves can't read a copyright law and understand it. I know! They must be stupider than dust bunnies.
Before I go getting insulting, because it's tempting, all I'm going to say is if you want it, go to the library, the used bookstore, but for shit's sake people, let me feed my kid. BUY the books you read. PAY for them legally. There are no rich writers anymore. The economy drove that line into a sandbar below sea level. The average pay on royalty for a PRINT BOOK (listening?) is 8% AFTER COST. I'd ask the pirates to do the math, but since their intelligence is in question...
Want the low down? Check out these links here and here and here (<this is probably the best and clearest example on the net right now).
But for some reason I can't fathom, pirates (ha! Get the joke?) just don't care that they are stealing not only our property, but our right to a livelihood. A right to EARN a living, because they deign to give it away for free FOR us? How nice of them... (Yes that's more sarcasm.)
So while someone is downloading a book they may not (but probably do) know is illegal, that's two (or thousands of) book sales that would result in royalties that could have bought bread, or milk, or gas when I really needed it. But you know, my world means nothing to them, so when there's no more books to steal worth reading, it'll be their fault, because writers, any creative person will quit when they have no choice. The government doesn't care if they have books. They're cutting library funding like a bad salami. Schools while they need them, can't afford them. And hey, half of America is already illiterate, why keep writing at all?
It's really no better than walking down the street and getting mugged. Only when it comes to downloaded property, it happens tens to hundreds of times A DAY.
Hope you don't get mugged on your walk to work tomorrow. It's a suckass feeling.
This is Brooke's story. I'm really excited to release this one, one: because it gets us that much closer to Morgan (Yay!) and because Brooke's story is a little different from the first two. There's a fantasy flair in this one that took me by surprise when I wrote it, but it totally made the book what it is. So watch for the release, E will be November 15, and P will be December 15.
When the story was returned, I wasn't even sure I was going to release it again, but when one of publishers asked what I intended to do with it, she told me to send it to her because she loved Micah, and I have to agree! He's a good guy, and he gives a really wonderful holiday miracle. This one can be found at PSP, here.
“This is going to be a very difficult assignment.”
Micah shrugged, feeling confident in his ability.
Aria’s gaze cooled a little. “Don’t be overly assured of success on this one, Micah. It is the Christmas season on Earth. The hardest time of the year for us, for those who lose faith.”
There was a moment’s concern, brought on more by Aria’s caution than his one misgiving about the time of the year. Earth hadn’t changed in millennia. People were the same regardless of creed, sex, or religion. He reacted with humans as they saw him, as their beliefs allowed. Sometimes he stayed invisible, sometimes not. He’d become very good at reading the necessity and nudging the proper outcome for the individual. At one time, his commanders would have called him cocky. Now, he was simply confident.
Humans all desired. They all loved, and hated. Many lost their way, and some simply quit. Those souls didn’t make it to the gates, if they chose that path. It was a sad occurrence, but he’d realized some time ago that he couldn’t help them all. Those souls didn’t become angels, but it was his honor to aid the others as best as he could. So far, he had a near perfect track record. Even young angels make mistakes.
He wasn’t young anymore, which was why he anticipated this assignment with eagerness.
When he was granted his wings, he’d be the mentor, he’d write in the tome, and call on his fellow angels to help those who needed it most. It wasn’t power, as he once had craved. It was time to pass on what he had learned.
“I do not fear Christmas,” he said. “It is the best time of the year.”
Aria tilted her chin in a thoughtful silence. “I hope in this case, your assessment helps the lady in question.”
Lovely! He almost cheered. Women’s wishes were by far easier to aid as they rarely fell into materialistic wants. Some did, of course, but women were emotional creatures. They wanted warmth, caring, tenderness. His time traveling back and forth over the centuries gave him quite an advantage.
“Are you ready?” she asked. There wasn’t any need to instruct him, as she once had. He was an experienced angel of mercy. Aria had been a patient and thorough teacher.
“I await my assignment with an open heart.”
She lifted a hand over the hovering tome, and it slowly spun until Micah could also read it.
Silence stretched as he read.
“If you do not think you can help this one…” Aria said, disturbing Micah’s second read through. There was no anger or disappointment. Not every angel could help every case.
“No, no. Why would you think that?” he quickly asked, hiding the swell of doubt he felt, for the first time. This one was not going to be easy.
Her gentle tones floated on the sunbeams around them. “I ask because you were frowning.”
He glanced up and caught her stare. Simply patient. A single ‘oh’ was all he could give her in answer. Aria did not lie.
Micah squared his shoulders. “I accept.” He pushed away the niggle of doubt that sat on his shoulders. He had been asked to help for a reason. He could not fail this one.
For the first time since he’d been serving the heavens, he questioned how humanity continued with such wounded souls walking the Earth. And how those who harmed so deeply could still walk free. Aria’s expression was blank, merely accepting his decision, then she nodded and offered a small smile of warmth, blessing him for his choice. It was not out of arrogance that he’d chosen to help this wounded soul, but because he knew he had been asked for a reason. He would help her, heal her, prepared for the coming moments or days as much as he could be. Standing straight, he waited.
In a flash of light, Aria and the tome disappeared, and Micah was swept down to Earth to give his aid to this lady who had, indeed, suffered.
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