A monthly (not really monthly) recap…

Hi, it’s me, the author of this blog, it’s me… My last post? Let’s just say it’s been a while. So, I thought I’d share with you a bit of a recap of what I’ve been working on, sharing, updating.

Also Plato The Dog says hi…

NEW AUDIOBOOKS ON YOUTUBE….Also I now have 219 subscribers (are you one of them? Super subtle hint to ask you if you already subscribe…)

• SEE ME, SEE ME NOT – narrated by the wonderful Megan Carter – is available as audiobook on Spotify, Apple, B&N, Kobo, Storytel, Libro.fm, Amazon, Audible, Google Play, Audiobooks.com, Hoopla Digital, and now on YouTube, too…

• TRUST ME, TRUST ME NOT – narrated by the wonderful Megan Carter – is available as audiobook on Spotify, Libro.fm, Apple, B&N, Kobo, Storytel, Audiobooks.com Hoopla Digital, Google Play and now on YouTube, too… (and soon to be back on Audible and Amazon)
  

• LA PEUR DANS LE SANG est dispo en livre audio sur Spotify, Apple, B&N, Kobo, Google Play et plus encore et est aussi maintenant sur YouTube

• UN ETE PAS COMME LES AUTRES lu par Maya Belgnaoui est dispo gratuitement en livre audio sur Spotify, Apple, B&N, Kobo, Google Play, Amazon, Audible et plus encore et est aussi maintenant sur YouTube

RECORDING AN AUDIOBOOK IN FRENCH (follow along on YouTube)

• And yep I’m recording LA PEUR DANS LES YEUX in French…

REVISING NICE GUYS DON’T KISS LIKE THAT AT CHRISTMAS…And updating my progress on Patreon (yep, I have a FREE Patreon)

• It’s available for pre-order ….
• You can read several chapters already… including this one on my FREE Patreon

Certain chapters take me longer than others, especially in the revision process… and this one feels like it needs to balance the emotions with the humor. It is a romcom. It is Adam and Eve. It is SO MUCH. (….)

Chapter 15.      XXX-ADAM

She’s still wrapped around me, breath shaky against my neck, and I don’t say anything yet. Just let her feel it. Let myself feel it. Our damp skin, the messy sheets around us, the air that smells like her, like me, like us.

Because this isn’t just (KEEP READING HERE….)

• And the dedication…

Sharing this with all of you because something finally clicked as I was revising Nice Guys Don’t Kiss Like That At Christmas (yet again):

Eve had cancer… and is living a romcom. Fuck it, why not?

When I was revising, there was a moment that didn’t feel right. Why did Eve ghost Adam? After everything they’d shared—after the way he made her feel—why wouldn’t she show up in Pittsburgh? Why did she feel like this couldn’t work?

I needed to really understand this to give them their second chance.

And then I knew.

But part of me …. (keep reading here)

Dealing with my Facebook Ads Account being restricted (for some reason)…

• I’m on my Substack explaining what’s happening (or rather explaining I have no clue what’s happening)

• Also available on my podcast (on your favorite podcast app or below)

My EU VAT Saga As A Self-Published Author: What I Learned (and Got Wrong Info About) from Amazon KDP Support – A self-published author's diary: The Ups and Downs of Self-Publishing (and everything in-between)

If you're an indie author self-publishing wide, or specifically on Amazon KDP, and you're based in the EU, this episode is for you (or at least, it's for you to commiserate with me). I walk through my ongoing, unresolved, and occasionally maddening experience trying to figure out EU VAT reporting for my Amazon royalties as a Belgian-registered sole proprietor and US citizen self-employed author.Topics covered in this episode:Amazon KDP's EU VAT Invoices requirement and the self-billing agreement, and why that option isn't showing up in my accountWhat actually happened during a two-hour Amazon KDP support chat, including an agent who left mid-conversation and wrong information about my tax formsWhy a US citizen living abroad still has to file a W-9, not a W-8BEN, no matter where they liveWhat I found digging through KDP's own (and partly outdated) VAT help pagesThe next step I've identified but haven't tackled yet: submitting VAT invoices to Amazon manuallyA Patreon update: three new paid tiers now live (Emotional Support Crew, Spicy Pickles, and Raccoon Author), and what free members and newsletter subscribers can still expectAn early audiobook release for # Sweets For Love, going out chapter by chapter on PatreonA Barnes & Noble payment update and a quick note on my ongoing TikTok experimentDisclaimer: This episode is not tax, VAT, or legal advice. It's a personal account of one indie author's experience. Please consult a qualified tax advisor, VAT specialist, or your local tax authority for guidance specific to your situation.Stick around for the blooper reel. I still cannot say "EU VAT" cleanly.Links mentioned:Patreon (with the Raccoon Author tier): https://www.patreon.com/c/elodieswritingnook/membershipFAQ VAT (old document I think): https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GZJMEVQJPYBGJ8Z7FAQ VAT (newer FAQ): https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GZU8XMCDUGR6PM7FContact: elodie AT elodienow.com

1. My EU VAT Saga As A Self-Published Author: What I Learned (and Got Wrong Info About) from Amazon KDP Support 26:03
2. Numbers: A TikTok Experiment As an Indie Author (the yay, the nay, and what it costs), pre-order numbers and more 29:12
3. Writing and revising, Author Taxes & the Emergency Room: 3 Days in My Self-Published Life 29:48
4. Numbers: Amazon blocked one of my e-books (one that had been live for ten years) 18:33
5. ROMO Or My Reality (Realities) Of Missing Out In the Self-Publishing World… 25:59

Very excited about this pacing class by Ines Johnson…

I’ve backed this Kickstaster by Ines about pacing and more and I’m very much looking forward to it. While you can no longer back the project, Ines has a website with more information…I’ve taken her Writing Dirty class and I definitely think about it when I craft, um, certain scenes.

Celebrating Katy’s latest release which is a B&N Monthly Pick

I *am* planning to go to B&N next week to see this beauty in person… But I’m so so excited for Katy and her Lia and Beck and Isaiah to find their ways into your heart. EVERYTHING I PROMISED YOU…

In addition, I’ve been reading (the last one was House Of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen, which I could not put down), and watching XO, Kitty during my lunch break (because it makes me smile, not every episode, but still…) and making sure to stay informed (without spending hours scrolling, though, let’s be honest, I still scroll… but still).

There’s so much happening right now, impacting so many people. I’m about to call one of my representatives about how the NIH funding cuts could affect research on Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Past studies have shown that a significant portion of research funding for certain clinical trials comes from the NIH, and since Hodgkin’s is rare and not exactly the most profitable, these cuts could be devastating—especially for patients in smaller hospitals, not just the big ones. If you’d like to get informed about direct and indirect cuts, here are some articles:

• What Happens if NIH Grants Are Cut? in The Preamble
• Why Should You Care About An Indirect Cost by Your Local Epidemiologist –

And maybe you’re wondering why I’m bringing this up. Well, many reasons, but not to be dramatic, but I’m alive thanks to research. This is one of the topics I’ll bring up with my representatives when I talk to them.

Because writing is a creative process, and let me tell you, it’s much easier to write when I feel like I’ve done something. And, yes I’m going to keep wanting to bring joy and happiness and so much more through my books.

Thank you for reading <3