Looking For a Break From Those Pesky Tax Forms?

Now that tax season is almost here, I should probably plug my first Alex Bellamy mystery, Taxed to Death. This book was originally published in 1995 when Revenue Canada Agency was simply known as Revenue Canada. But as far as fraud and murder go, not much has changed over the years. Here’s the blurb:

Revenue Canada auditor, Alex Bellamy, has always dreamed of adventure. During a field audit, he discovers evidence of fraud. Alex learns that others, including someone inside Revenue Canada, are involved. He persuades his colleague, Andy Gowan, to help him investigate; but Andy is murdered and Alex is forced to turn to Jillian Scott; a lady he’s never met, and who has her own frightening reasons for refusing to cooperate. Soon, Jillian’s fears and Alex’s search for a killer embroil them in a bizarre and disturbing nightmare not everyone will survive.

REVIEWERS SAY:

“Once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down until I was done.” George Robertson, Beyond Numbers

“Taxed to Death is a superb mystery of plot twists and turns. A masterpiece of suspenseful storytelling.” Jim Cox, Midwest Review

“Purdy Kong does not hold back from taking a look into people’s interior and private lives, and that’s a quality which will take her far. Her writing is clean, capable, even poetic. Purdy Kong has found her voice.” Edgar award winner, G. Miki Hayden, author of Writing the Mystery.

“Debra Purdy Kong provides the audience with an entertaining mystery that will gain her many fans who will relish the British Columbia setting.” Harriet Klausner

TAXED TO DEATH can be purchased in print at http://tinyurl.com/czsy5n

Kindle version is at at http://tinyurl.com/ld4pcf

Good News: People are Reading More, or Are They?

In today’s tough economy, with publishing house staff facing layoffs and too many bookstores edging closer to bankruptcy, you might be surprised to learn that reading is actually on the rise, according to a study conducted by the United States Census Bureau in 2008. The study reports that for the first time since 1982, the number of adults who’ve read a novel, short story, poem or play in the past twelve months has increased. The number of literary novels being read isn’t as high as it was in 1982, or even 1992, yet there has been a dramatic rise among eighteen to twenty-four year olds.

Several times over the past decade, I’ve heard anecdotes about the “dumbing down” of America, about people refusing to read any kind of novel that requires thinking. I’ve also heard that the average American reads at the level of a grade five student. I have no idea if this is true, but if more people are reading literary works, the dumbing down trend is certainly debatable.

Critics of these types of studies also argue that reading never really went down. People simply chose to do their reading online rather than by purchasing a book. Also, earlier studies apparently didn’t differentiate between people who read several books a month to those who read only one poem. Nor did the study differentiate between those who read Charles Dickens or Nora Roberts. So, take all of this with a grain of salt. And keep reading! Read a lot! Read everything and enjoy yourself! Which reminds me, a friend sent me the words of wisdom below. I’ve heard them before and I thought I’d share.

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “Woo Hoo what a ride!”

It wouldn’t hurt to have a couple of paperbacks in your back pocket either :)

To read excerpts of Taxed to Death and Fatal Encryption visit www.debrapurdykong.com

Well, I Had to Start Somewhere

In the world of mystery novels, lawyers, police officers, PIs, FBI agents, and journalists often take leading roles. Few authors choose an accountant as an protagonist but when you’re a beginning writer as I was when I started to write Taxed to Death, the old adage, “write what you know” was sound advice.

I was working as a secretary for a mid-size accounting firm and spent many lunch hours sharing a table with articling students. One day, I found myself talking about my writing (something I still rarely do at work) when one of them said, “How come no one writes about us?” It was a good question. A lot of the accountants I’d known we’re pretty interesting: funny, smart, cocky, shy, arrogant, kind, neurotic, lecherous. Some loved their work, others loathed it, but most were ambivalent.

The idea for Taxed to Death came easily, but the words didn’t. I’d written a few short stories, but I quickly discovered that writing a novel was completely different. Concepts like point of view changes, inner monologue, pace, red herrings, and dialogue were skills that came slowly with practice, workshops, and a helpful agent.

The book took twelve years and ten drafts to complete while I maintained a day job and had two babies. Needless to say, writing time was squeezed between feedings, diaper changes and the hundred household duties most of us have. But I finished it and Taxed to Death was published in 1995. The book received some terrific reviews, one from a CA, no less. I thought the sequel, Fatal Encryption, would go a little faster. Boy, was I wrong. But that’s another story.

To read excerpts of Taxed to Death visit http://www.debrapurdykong.com

Balancing Promotion With the Rest of My Life is Going to Get Tougher

After seven months of promoting Fatal Encryption and a new job starting this week, I've begun to ask myself how much more should I do? Since March, book promotion has been a seven-day-a-week job combined with writing and market searching/submitting my short stories. (Did I ever mention that I write short stories too?) To be honest, I only spend two to three hours promoting each day, which is probably why there's still so much to do--about two years worth of work, I figure.

I might have mentioned that I bought Steve Weber's how-to-promote-yourself book, Plug Your Book, some time ago. I read the book through and loved it, but I've barely started incorporating the many useful tips he offers for promoting. With time becoming more limited, it looks like I'll have to assess what's essential and what isn't. It could be a hard call.

Meanwhile, I have two events coming up. On Tuesday, October 28th, I'll be reading from Fatal Encryption at the Port Moody library, at 100 Newport Drive, Port Moody, BC. It's a Halloween event and since my first two chapters take place on Halloween, the library kindly asked me to read to the parents while someone else reads to their kids. The event starts at 7 p.m. and if anyone out there lives in the Lower Mainland, you're welcome to join us. For further info, call 604-469-4577.

My local Chapters (in Coquitlam) also invited me back to do another Meet 'N Greet on Saturday, November 8th from 12 to 3 p.m. I'll be selling both books at a discounted price, so if you're looking for a gift idea for the accountant and/or computer geek in your family, have I got a deal for you.

For excerpts of Fatal Encryption and Taxed to Death visit http://www.debrapurdykong.com/

Oh No, It's That Time of Year Again

Once again, taxes are going up, income taxes are nearly due, and most of us are struggling with government forms and the dullest guidelines to have besieged mankind, unless, of course, you pay someone else to read the forms. Did you know there are people who actually like doing taxes? That there are people who think it's cool to be an accountant? I'm married to one, although he's not a tax accountant and hates the forms.

If you, or the accountant in your life, needs a break from dull, confusing, infuriating, number-crunching . . . if you want to look at taxes and tax auditors in a unique and lighter way, TAXED TO DEATH might be an answer.

Young, Revenue Canada auditor, Alex Bellamy, has stumbled into his first fraud audit, but things become dangerous when his colleague is murdered. To solve the murder and safe his life, he recruits a CA's secretary to help him. Problem is, she doesn't want to have anything to do with Alex.

Taxed to Death can be ordered from amazon.ca

Excerpts from the sequel, Fatal Encryption, can be

viewed at http://www.debrapurdykong.com/