Don't forget the ARCs!

Today seems to be all about counting.  It started with the bank account.  As always, this requires a certain amount of attention and skill (some might say cajoling), and fortunately, today I managed to count, account for, and smile about the final result.  Not the smile of a lottery winner, just a simple, thank-goodness/God/F@uk or any other bringer of good fortune to whom you may offer gratitude.  I find such pleas also apply on a bad day, as long as I remember to remove the prefix.

Then, more counting regarding the forthcoming wedding day.  My wedding planner App reliably informs me I have 47 days until The Big Day when I waltz up the aisle.  I cannot wait for my wedding, and yet the App seems to have taken on a mind of its own, formed its own unpleasant personality, and I can't say I care much for its told-you-to-plan-in-advance attitude.  It has become a constant reminder, a nur-nurne-nur-nur daily chant, 'you will forget something, you will mess up!'  If I wasn't so involved I'd reach for the delete button, but I am afraid it's too late.  I have become dependent.  A very unhealthy co-dependent relationship in which without the forthcoming wedding the App would be nothing, but I fear I made it irreplaceable!  I cannot delete it.  Not yet.  Just 47 days more, then I'll let it go.

And why?  How did a little icon that was free to download become so useful?  Because of the third countdown.  Identity X release day.  The countdown is flashing at me as we speak in the virtual world of this blog.  Seventy seven days, seven hours and seventeen minutes to go.  The planning of this seems so much more complicated than the wedding which is quite, in my opinion, unbelievable.  There is no App to say blog here, post there, give copy to reviewer A, B, and C within the 6-9 month timeframe and on The Big Day you will have success.  So I watch my countdown, watch the numbers ticking on by, hoping that I have done enough,  and that it will be alright on the night.  Now there might not be an App to guide me, but one thing I know for sure is that success isn't coming anywhere close without readers.  Not six months down the line readers, but the first ones.  The trailblazers.  So if you are a reader and would like to be a part of the process you can easily get involved.  You can still get your free ARC eBook.  Taking part in something like this makes you an integral part of  the writing process, and for me, a very special person indeed.  Without my beta readers there is no ARC.  Without my ARC readers there is no successful release.  OK, there is, but it's a whole lot harder.  So if you want to get involved with the release of Identity X head over to the library and sign up for your free copy now.