6/27/17

How To Remain Financially Stable When You're Put Out Of Work

At some point in your life, you may get put out of work for a while. It could be as the result of an injury that prevents you from working for a period, or you may have lost your current job. Either way, you need to know how to remain financially stable when you aren’t working.
So, here are three tips to help you out:

Photo Credit

Reduce Your Expenditures

When you’re not working, you may not have the same steady income as you’re used to. Sure, you may only be temporarily out of work and receiving sick pay, but that still means you should be careful. Specifically, be careful with how much you spend. Start reducing your expenditure and saving as much money as possible. This is especially important for anyone that’s been let go or left their job and don’t actually have an income anymore. You’re relying on your savings to get by and can’t afford to spend like mad. This may mean you need to cancel a few subscriptions and stop buying food you’d usually buy. You have to be more vigilant with what you spend your money on, at least until you find another job and get some more money in.

Take Legal Action

There are many cases where you may be put out of work and can benefit from legal action. You might have had an accident in the workplace that causes you to get injured and spend some time away from work. If this happens, your employer might only pay you sick pay for a certain time, and they may not pay your wages in full. So, by seeking legal action with a personal injury lawyer, you can make a claim and try to get some money to help you while you’re out. Likewise, if you’ve been wrongly fired, you can seek legal action to get compensation from your employer which can help provide you with money as a buffer while you look for a new job.

Get Unemployment Benefits

If you’ve been put out of work and you’re trying to find a new job, you can claim unemployment benefits to help tide you over. What this means is that the government can pay you up to around $450 a week while you search for a new job. You have to go down to your state unemployment insurance office to apply, and they’ll give you all the forms to fill in. It’s important to note that this is a temporary measure, and you can’t just abuse it and stay on these benefits for as long as possible. You’ll need to attend regular meetings and provide evidence that you’re looking for jobs or else they’ll cut your benefits completely. It is well worth getting these benefits as they’re there for a reason. If you have no income, it can help you be more financially stable and pay your bills, etc. You don’t have such a strong reliance on your savings, and you can keep your finances in shape while you look for a new job.

With these three tips, you can remain in control of your finances even when you don’t have any income from a permanent job.

Food & Photographs: The Way To See America

Food and travel go hand in hand with each other, and when you think of America, the long road and diners out in the middle of nowhere spring to mind. Now, if you plan on hitting the road, you need to find the best places to eat. And while we all go for pizza, or Jamaican food, or Chinese food, the one real food staple of the US is sumptuous, soulful, and is synonymous with the heartlands. I'm talking about fried chicken. Simple, understated, but oh so tasty. In fact, is there anything tastier than fried chicken? For the modern day traveler and those raised on the exploits of Adam Richman in Man V Food, part of the versatile charm of the United States is the fact that there are so many fantastic places to eat in America, that you are quite literally spoiled for choice. And for the Instagram generation that takes pictures their food, you don’t need to add any filters to a golden-brown drumstick. And while chicken is hardly a reason to go for a jaunt around the country, check out these places that have some great tourist attractions too!

Brenda’s Meat And Three. San Francisco, CA.


An offshoot of the Brenda’s French Soul Food, that place was so popular that it had people queuing around the block, and now there's the Meat And Three diner, standing in line is absolutely worth it for Brenda’s Fried Chicken. It’s only slightly spicy, but with the right amount of pepper and crispiness thrown in for good measure. Have it with the collard greens and some cauliflower gratin, and that is a thing of beauty! Whatever the recipe for that crispy chicken is, you'll come back for more. 

And it’s only down the road from the famous Golden Gate Bridge, the amazing views will certainly beg for a selfie or two. As a landmark, it is one of the real images of America, and if you're feeling brave, you can walk toward the center of the bridge, which is about a 3.5-mile hike. But for the spectacular views of the peninsula and the Bay, it’s worth it. If you really wanted to capture the moment for posterity and Instagram isn’t cutting it, the postcard and greeting card app "MyPostcard"  will make it look like a proper postcard, giving the views the occasion it deserves. A selfie won't do the job on the Golden Gate Bridge, which, by the way, is “international orange,” not gold!

Federal Donuts. Philadelphia, PA.

Image result for the Reading Terminal Market

Don’t be fooled by the name, but Federal Donuts sell all types of food, chicken included! The place is always packed out, and with the chili-garlic glaze, it’s not hard to see why! Check out the buttermilk ranch and have some Japanese cucumber pickles and a honey donut on the side. Trust me! 

 And if you haven’t filled your boots enough, the Reading Terminal Market is a place to check out. It is the nation’s oldest farmers’ market and has emerged as one of the greatest public markets in the US. The options for food pictures here are unlimited, you have the choice of soul food (if you wanted more) to the Philly Cheesesteaks as well the more traditional Pennsylvania Dutch fare. As a place to take pictures of your food, you’ve got a million options!

Motor City Soul Food. Detroit, MI
Image result for Motown Historical Museum

Seeing as it’s the home of Motown, you expect soul to be oozing out of every corner, and Motor City Soul Food carries that tradition right down to the bone. In all respects, it’s Detroit on a plate! The chicken is such a tasty bird that there's really no surprise that there are lines out the door every day. Make the most of the delicious sides too, such as candied yams. But the dessert, banana pudding, is to die for! Get a picture of that bad boy before you inhale it!  

And as soon as you’ve warmed your soul, you need to see the Motown Historical Museum, also known as Hitsville USA, the place where Berry Gordy Jr. single-handedly created the careers of Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and the list goes on… The place of Motown’s first recording studio, Hitsville USA is the place to see where a rich musical legacy came to life. Motown is the blood of Detroit, as well as the soul, and getting some amazing pictures outside the place where Michael Jackson first started his career is something you’ve got to do!

Pneuma Series Science Fiction Book Series Spotlight & Giveaway

Today, I am featuring a science fiction, supernatural series by author Serena Kearney.  Learn about the author, check out her Pneuma series--and enter for a chance to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post.

Pneuma
Pneuma Series Book 1
by Serena Kearney
Genre: SciFi, Supernatural Romance

Estelle Caldwell caused a war with her birth.

Estelle Caldwell has friends, family...everything a girl could ask for. But as she looks back on her life andher birthday approaches, weird things start to happen.
Questions are left unanswered. Her feelings are starting to become clear for the one she's been in love with her whole life.
People she knows start to become strangers to her.
She has to leave to protect them... to protect... him. 

pneu·ma
หˆn(y)o͞omษ™/
noun
the vital spirit, soul, or creative force of a person.

Do you know what it feels like to hold fate in your hand?
Was it fate that my whole life got turned upside down?
He was the reason I had to leave.
Making the sacrifice caused my heart to rip in two.
I wanted normalcy. I wanted my life to be my own.
But it's nothing without the people I love, and it's for
the people I love that I have to leave.
Fate. Please be kind.
Will he still remember me?
Will our first and last kiss be one and the same?
Please remember.
Please be with me.

Family is tested.
Memories are everywhere.
Love is one of the biggest reliefs and hurts you can have at the same time.
**FREE on Amazon!**



Surge
Pneuma Series Book 2

***The continuation from Book One- Pneuma***


Follow Estelle and Reed's journey in Book Two- Surge.

surge
/surj/
noun
1. a strong, wavelike, forward movement, rush, or sweep.
2. a strong, swelling, wavelike volume or body of something.

Confusion.
Jealousy.
Possession.

When I find out our link isn’t complete, we have a whole other journey to discover. 
Through pain, sweat, and a full out war between the planets, it is laid, not only on my shoulders, but Reeds as well.
And when I find out who Vega has captured and what he has in store for us, I am going to need everyone’s help in the process.
Can I do what I am fated to do?
Will our love survive?
Or will it be a tornado destroying everything in it’s path?



Camatic
Pneuma Series Book 3

camatic

/ka-ma-tik/
noun
A pair of beings who have formed an unbreakable, metaphysical link. They often experience heightened levels of ESP, including telepathy, telekinesis, and remote viewing.

EARTH

The first place I called home.
The place I lived.
The place I fell in love. The place my family raised me. The place I formed everlasting bonds.
Can I ignore the ache in my chest when all I see through their eyes is hate and built up hostility?
When I think I am done with one war, I have another to deal with.
Can I do this?
Will I be brave enough?
Reed gives me strength.
Earth is my home.
I will save it.





I am a Leo. Born August 10, living on the east coast. I self-published my first novel, PNEUMA, November 2014, and it's hasn't stopped since.

One of my biggest problems was having too much to read. Now my newfound problem; having too much to write and not enough hands to type it out. Not enough brains to put the stories together fast enough. Not enough tea or coffee to keep me awake 24/7.

So, like every normal person, I have to take it one day at a time.

My cravings for sweets keep me going, any sort of cakes (especially red velvet), pies, cookies, and ice cream.
I have a cat named Bongo-Bongo, who loves to get in my way when I'm trying to work, but is too cute for me to fight him off.
And then I have my family, specifically my husband, who puts up with my endless nights, my tapping of the keyboard, my ridiculous imagination, and yet, he always encourages me to believe in myself and follow my dreams.





Follow the tour HERE!

Changing the Earl's Mind Book Tour & Giveaway

The first book in our book spotlight this morning is a new historical romance from author Kristen McLean.  Check out Changing the Earl's Mind, learn about the author, read a quick excerpt from the book--and enter to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card.

Changing the Earl's Mind
The Lords of Whitehall Book 3
by Kristen McLean
Genre: Historical Romance

A man who knows everything…


For nearly a decade, Drake Ramsey, the disciplined and logical Earl of Saint Brides, has been the driving force behind the Home Office; meeting with foreign leaders to negotiate treaties, spurring a lethargic Parliament into action, and directing a secret army of spies. The last thing he wants to find while taking a well-deserved vacation is a dangerous fugitive. Nevertheless, when he catches a beautiful murderess hiding in his hunting cabin, he has little choice but to bring her to justice, landing himself in a battle for control he could never hope to win.

…meets a woman determined to prove him wrong.

Marrying a stranger simply to gain access to her dowry and travel the world, admittedly, was the biggest mistake of Sarah Tindall’s life. In fact, she would readily admit to making several big mistakes. Killing her husband, however, is not one of them. When a starchy lord takes it upon himself to bring her to a London prison, she is determined to escape him and prove her innocence, yet every attempt ends with her back in her handsome captor’s arms. Even if her innocence is proven, his forbidden and passionate kisses leave her uncertain if escape was ever an option.
*WARNING*
This work of fiction is intended for mature audiences only. All sexually active characters portrayed in this ebook are eighteen years of age or older. Please do not buy if strong sexual situations, violence, and explicit language offends you.


**Can easily be read as a standalone!**

Amazon * Kobo * B&N * Apple


Excerpt from Changing the Earl's Mind
Drake awoke on the floor, his entire body in more pain than he had ever experienced before in his life. His shoulder throbbed and his middle… Gad, he couldn’t possibly describe the pain he felt there.
He rolled to sit upright. How long had he been out? Last he remembered, it was dark, storming, Winters had arrived…
The sight of Sarah disappearing after Winters flooded his mind. She had gone after that lunatic!
He tried to calm himself. Nick would have gone after her after he had locked him in this room. He could protect Sarah. He could kill Winters. He had been an assassin back in the day. The man could handle a single crazed murderer.
Voices sounded in the hall. Nick and the boy.
He forced himself to his feet and pounded on the door. “Where is Sarah? Pembridge, answer me! Let me out of here, you dandified popinjay, or I shall have you arrested for interfering with an investigation! I shall have you… I shall …”
The voices had faded down the hall. There was no point in yelling threats to an empty hallway.
He growled into the door.
Billy had bandaged him up rather well. The bleeding had stopped, and he could walk, though not overly well. Still, he eyed the door. Perhaps he could break through it. But then he would have to get past the earl and an army of his own footmen.
Lightning brightened the room, followed by the crack of thunder. By some shock of insanity, the window caught his attention. That route was nonsense and most probably deadly. The bedchambers were four floors up. The drop, were he to fall, would be merciful only in the fact it would be a quick death.
Though, the gargoyles might give him something to grab on to, as long as they didn’t give way. They were three hundred years old, after all.
He went the window and looked down below. Several footmen were streaming out of the house, some mounting horses. Pembridge was there, barking orders, though Drake couldn’t make out the words over the storm.
Realization left him chilled. He hadn’t found Sarah. She and Winters were still out there somewhere. And the footmen were going in the wrong direction, heading over the moors instead of toward the cemetery or tower, where one might hide or find refuge. Winters wasn’t stupid; he would know the only shelter would be the cabin, which would be searched first.
No, he was either in the mausoleum at the cemetery, or in the tower.
Drake tried the door, shoving as hard as he dared, but the bloody thing wouldn’t budge. He turned again toward the window with grim resolution. It was his only option.


Kristen McLean is a regency-era romance novelist with a flair for humor and suspense. She has always had a love of novels, with a special place in her heart for historical romance. Now she has the pleasure of writing at home, tucked away in a forest with her husband, two children, and their cat. Her husband is loving and impressively patient, their two beautiful children strive to embarrass and exhaust her, and the cat hates everyone, but tolerates—well, she tolerates whoever will feed her.

For the latest on Kristen McLean's book releases, events, and giveaways subscribe to her newsletter at kmromance.com


Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
Booking.com