Blog Archives - DJ Cowdall

Blog Post: Reviews, Summer and Reading.

Reviews

I just passed a milestone of sorts as an author where one of my books now has over five hundred reviews and ratings on Amazon, and almost as many on Goodreads. The book in question is the first in the trilogy of The Dog Under The Bed Series.

When I first started writing this book, I was fairly new to writing full-length fiction, and as a fairly new author, I understood the importance of reviews, not just to guide others on whether a book was worth buying but also for me so that I would have an indication whether what I was creating was at the very least a good book.

The more positive reviews and ratings you get on a book the more confidence you gain that not only are you writing well but that readers like your stories, and that you are writing stories and novels that they want to read.

So, I simply want to thank everyone for being so kind as to leave a review or a rating. I do read them, and I am guided by them, so thank you all for that.

Summer Is Here

Well, once again the lovely warm weather is upon us, and that means glorious days sitting outside and holidays to come. Things are far better now than they have been in too long, but of course, I will continue to write all the time and have new books in the pipeline. There’s nothing better than sitting in the sun (Don’t forget the suntan lotion) while reading a good book. I aim to do my part, providing the book!

New Books

Talking of new books, of course, I am in the middle of a new book, as I mentioned previously. It is a full-length novel and another book about one particular dog. It will be the longest novel I have written about dogs and will be a real adventure to follow. I hope to release this by autumn.

Better Days

I know things have been very tough for everyone with how the situation is globally, and for a great many it remains so. As things improve with this and our lives recover, we will all still experience the impact events have had on others with jobs and finances, and the economy. Being Mindful of this, I deliberately released The Dog That Wouldn’t Sit at only 99 pence, 99 cents, and 99 Euros. In my own small way, I wanted to help out with a fun novel at a very low price. As things will remain tough for many of us, I aim to do this on other occasions, and I intend to release a few more novels at this price point. I know it is only a small token of assistance, but I believe every little bit helps.

I hope you are all well and continue to be so, and thank you for taking the time to read what I write. It really is a passion for me and something I will always engage in, writing novels.

David.

Email: djcowdall@gmx.co.uk
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New Book Coming and About Dogs

New Dog Book

My new book is coming along nicely. It’s always a huge amount of fun and enjoyment writing a new book about dogs, thinking of all the emotion and joy they bring through their antics and how they share our lives.
It will be the longest book about dogs that I have written and is a feature-length story about one very special dog. I hope to have it on sale by the end of Spring and will work hard to make it the standard of story readers have come to expect from me.

Dogs

Speaking of dogs, I am like most people and have a deep love for them. I have had dogs since I was very young and like most people have experienced so much with them, from laughter and joy to times of inevitable sadness. They bring so much to our lives and make us feel so loved, I think it is worth the pain we experience as they get older because they love us so unconditionally and with so much love. Not only that, they can and do teach us a lot about treating others and how we reflect their love.
Much better than cats. Ha!

Beyond

I am looking at the next follow-up to my series titled Missing. I am unsure of what the subtitle will be at this time, but once again it will follow the lives and experiences of the family as they come to terms with loss and the struggles of poverty. I very much enjoyed writing both previous titles and I think Missing 3 will be quite an experience as I expand on the lives of the primary characters.

Summer

Summer brings with it hopefully a lot of change for the better for most of us. Of course, there will be warm weather and perhaps holidays to come, but we can hope to see better times beyond the difficulties we have all shared. So much has changed but I think in a way our shared experiences have guided us to understand each other more as we accept what makes us all the same. I think it is obvious we have all suffered and shared a lot of the same, and every one of us will have been affected. We can get through this, though much will have changed, but, I hope and believe we will learn from it, as much about what matters in our lives as how we can overcome problems in life, together.

Having said that, as a writer summer is both a good thing and a bad thing because while writing is a love and a joy when it is hot outside all we want to do is go out and enjoy it. It’s tough to argue being a writer is somehow arduous, but being indoors when it is so nice outside is certainly not much fun. Yes, I could write outside, but then who doesn’t want to just lay back and relax in the sun as soon as the temptation presents itself? Don’t worry, I’m a trooper, I shall cope!

Thank You

Once again, a huge thank you to all of you that continue to buy my books and enjoy them. What I do would be nothing without you, my dear readers, and every single word I write I do for you. Life is nothing without the people in it and around us and your support and love inspires me.

So again, thank you.

Roll on summer.

David.

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I’m back, but not been away

Well, time does fly. I had no idea it had been so long since I last posted an update, some six months since. In that time, I have been busy writing and doing so much, which I will update here shortly.

I post this blog on Goodreads and it gets linked as soon as I do on Amazon, but also on my own personal website at www.davidcowdall.com. Feel free to follow me on any of these sites for updates on what I am working on.
I fully intend to get back to updating much more on here now and offering my thoughts on what has been happening and what is to come.

New Books

First and foremost, time to catch up on my new books. In the months since last writing to this blog, I am pleased to say I have written to follow up on my novel Missing.

It is a continuation of the story and characters that began in this book and focuses still on their struggles and their lives as they deal with loss and poverty.
Beyond this, I have expanded the story to encompass new characters and events, some of which are new to me as a writer. Many who write tend to focus on a single niche and grow their audience from there, and whilst I do love the areas of fiction I am strong in, such as with novels about dogs as well as about people with Missing, I love writing so much that I can’t help but explore science fiction, horror, teenage novels, and even children’s works.
The expansion of what I have written about with the second in the Missing series is as I say new to me, but one I wish to explore. I have no certainty about whether it works, only my readers can tell me that, but I very much enjoyed it and will build on that.
The Missing series of novels will continue to expand and I have at least six in the series in mind.

The second book is titled: Missing: The Disappearance of Sally-Anne

and is on sale now on Amazon and free to read in the Kindle Lending Library.

My second novel which has just launched is a follow-up to last year’s The Dog That Wouldn’t Sit. It is simply called Book 2 and follows on with the adventures of the world’s most obstinate woman and her equally awkward dog. The battle of wills is all about fun and growing to know each other. I had a huge amount of fun writing it and when editing it I laughed a lot. I’m not sure if that is a good thing, laughing at my own work, but others who have read it found it enjoyable.

The Dog That Wouldn’t Sit 2 is on sale now on Amazon.

This is intended as a long series of books, and possibly as many as ten full-length installments in the series, so readers will get to know about all their antics and share in all their love and joy for a long time to come.

What’s Next?

I intend to write my longest, most in-depth novel to date about dogs, which I have begun writing and should hopefully be on sale by late Spring. I won’t say much about what it is about, but it will be a full-length novel and one which I have been planning on writing for a long time. I am very excited to see readers’ responses when it launches.

Reviews:

Thank you to all those people who have left me reviews, on Goodreads and Amazon. I very much appreciate it. I must admit to being amazed to see that at the time of writing this over 450 people have left ratings and reviews on The Dog Under The Bed on Amazon, and more than that on Goodreads. A lot of my books have garnered reviews and ratings now and I must say they help me a great deal. I always read comments and do my very best to learn from them. Again, thank you for taking the time to do that.

Thank you to all of you who have continued to buy my books, it really is special of you to do that and pushes me to do better and more.

David.

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Writing great novels, or making money?

I know many would say the two go hand in hand, but in real life that isn’t always the case. There are plenty out there who will write quickly, churning out novels at an amazing rate, perhaps a new book every month, and see this as a means to make money and thus a living from their writing. I imagine some are capable of writing something half decent this way, but I cannot help but wonder just how good such novels can be.

Compare something that was written hastily, inside one month, over a hundred thousand words, with an all-time classic, or even a highly regarded bestseller of today. I wonder how good a novel can be that is written in such haste. I accept a good story can be written quickly, but my skepticism comes from the doubts over how well it is written. I firmly believe the heart of a good or even a great book is the story, because no matter how well something is written if the story is rotten then the majority of people will not enjoy it. If so then why not simply read poetry, because with such prose the story is not quite so important, or even necessary. With a full-length novel then the story is at the heart of it because without it a very long reading can become arduous and difficult to maintain attention.

Quality of writing is an issue, but if the story is great most will see past something that is clumsily written and simply take the story for what it is. Not all are like that, but most are. However, having said that, imagine something with a truly wonderful story and it is built upon some truly wonderful prose, the writing imaginative and lively, expressive and passionate, but also without errors or mistakes to jar the reader. That is part of what makes a classic because even a sentence can bring you alive, make you feel something special, connect you with the story, and the way it is being driven. You’re not just being told a story, you’re having it described to you in the deepest possible manner. You feel the words, live the descriptions, and know the characters, you can see them in your mind and be there with them for every important moment. Surely that is the importance of a well written and well-told novel?

That brings me to my point, that great novels and the best books we read don’t come from being hastily written and shoved out, or shoveled out, but what we care about in literature and the books we remember come from those that aren’t just written but are crafted, created in their whole with a passion about every aspect of their making. Those who think and care about every single word and every single sentence to drive their story on, those are the ones who create classics and books that will forever stand the test of time.

I cannot imagine a hastily written book ever attaining such a place, or being revered for what the author has done.

It’s a lesson I pay heed to, trying as best I can to create something worthwhile, to consider all that I write, with every sentence. I am not perfect as a writer, always still learning, but what matters is I care about what I author, and how it affects the reader. For me, I cannot imagine the focus being on simply making money as if I am stacking boxes or writing reports for an employer, for me it has to be the quality of every word and how I move the characters, set the scenes and hopefully craft something worth the readers’ attention.
I still believe that is what sets the vast majority of authors apart, from being simply independents to professional authors through a publisher, how much we care about what we put out, no matter how long it takes to write.

I believe readers feel the same way, and because of you, I will always to try ensure everything I write is crafted, not simply written.

David.

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Blog Post: New Book, Reviews, Editing Issues, Thanks.

New Book

I am pleased to say my new book is coming along nicely. I am busy writing the follow up to Missing, which lately has been doing very well, and is proving very popular. Yesterday I passed 50,000 words on the followup and I have to say I am enjoying it immensely. Though it deals with some very difficult subjects like abandonment and poverty, things which I have personal experience of, I find it helpful and rewarding to write about. Almost everyone will experience some kind of poverty in their lives, even if it is through knowing or helping others to deal with it. The one thing that matters for those affected by it comes from the help of others because when you have nothing it is near impossible escape from that situation. Given the prevalence of such conditions for most people, it really does matter to help each other overcome it.

I hope the new book will be finished by the end of September, perhaps into October and on sale by then.

Reviews

I’m sure all writers say it but reviews really do matter. I have been fortunate that many kind readers have left me reviews on lots of my books on Amazon and Goodreads. There are occasions when books sell well but get few or no reviews, but all I can say is they help writers know if they’re doing well, as well as if there are problems, but they also let other readers know if a book is good and worth reading. It helps others and when they review they help you too. So if you like a book please do try to find the time to leave a review or a rating. Thanks!

Contacts

If you find something wrong in a book, not just mine but any, you always have the option of contacting the author and commenting on it or asking about it. Most authors are happy to hear from their readers, and I am no exception. I always try to reply to any emails or other contacts I get, and if there is a problem I will always try to offer a proper response to it. So please feel free to contact authors any time, whatever it is for, I am sure they will welcome the feedback and response. I know I do.

Editing Problems

I had an email from a man recently who was unhappy with issues in one of my books. He was quite unhappy with things, and I have to admit I understood completely. The fact is I pay others to edit my books after I have completed my revisions. Unfortunately, I have been let down, not just once but on a number of occasions, because these so-called editors who claim expertise and attention to detail miss more than I do from an initial cursory check. I have found it difficult to get a reliable editor, something I am sure many people suffer from, but I am aware of problems and work hard to fix them. If you find an issue with one of my books you are always welcome to email me and say so, and I will ensure it is dealt with immediately.

I have taken steps to ensure editing is much better in my books, but obviously, it is something that needs improving across publishing and I for one will work much harder to do better.

Thank You

I just want to say a very big thank you to every single person who has ever bought and read one of my books, and there are a lot of you. It means everything to me, and I fully appreciate you investing in me and what I create. I love writing and love the worlds I create and the characters and events I imagine, and I am so happy that so many of you feel the same way. Thank you very, very much for your support. I look forward to writing many more books to come and seeing your reactions.

Take Care.

David.

Email: djcowdall@gmx.co.uk
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New Novel, Hardback Dog Books & Newsletter

New Novel

Well as always I have begun writing my next novel. For me, the process of writing never stops. I sit in my small summer house, laptop, monitor, keyboard and simple desk & chair, I don my headphones, put on Spotify and listen to some music and simply write away. I love doing it and for me, it isn’t work or a chore it just a lot of love and a lot of fun.

So whatever is going on, whether I have just launched a new novel or holidays have come round you can be sure I will be working away on something new.
I am pleased to say I am working full steam ahead, writing the follow up to my novel Missing That was the biggest novel I have written to date and was a real labour of love. It was something I had been thinking of writing, and intending to do for a very long time, and I am so pleased I did. It has sold well, but unlike my other novels doesn’t seem to have attracted any written reviews on Amazon yet, however positive ratings have appeared on Goodreads.

My novels based on Missing are intended to be ongoing and will number at least six full-length novels in the series. I know exactly where it is going, and I think and hope readers will enjoy what I have to say, and what happens there.

No idea when it will be finished, but hopefully within the next few months, all written, edited, and on sale. Watch this space.

My New Dog Book

My recently released novel The Dog That Wouldn’t Sit has been extremely popular, selling well every day. As I wrote previously this was intended as a shorter piece, ready to offer for free to anyone who subscribes to my newsletter, however, I am revamping and offering a new launch of my newsletter at some time in the future, and until then it will only be on sale. Once the newsletter is set up then that will be just one of a number of freebies and giveaways, as well of course as a regular update on new books, stories, and launches.

Audio Books

Another thing long planned has been audiobook versions of my books. This is close to fruition, as I have a home studio set up with all the equipment and I have been experimenting and practicing. I fully intend to do these audiobooks myself and launch them as soon as possible.

The Dog Under The Bed

This series has been astonishing for me, the success and the love people have shown towards them, and to me for what I created, has been unbelievable. I am looking at producing a compilation sometime in the future of all three books, only as a hardback special edition. I will announce here and on my website once this is about to launch, but given how much people have loved the series I think it is a good idea.

New Dog Book

Let’s be honest, I love writing dog books, and I love dogs. It seems most of us do. Of course, once I finish the follow up to Missing I will begin a new dog book, only this is going to be a full-length novel, much larger than any of my previous dog book releases. It is also something I have been thinking about for a very long time, and I think people are truly going to love it. I will provide more information once it is being written.

Difficult Times Globally

I just want to say my thoughts and prayers are with everyone in these difficult times. My family and I have been affected as much as any, but through family and friends, we come through. Please do keep safe and look out for one another.

David.

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Good Time To Read & Updates.

A time to sit in and a time to read

The weather in many parts of the world is often quite bad, but in the UK lately what feels like a never ending series of storms has caused a lot of problems. There has been weeks of very high winds, so much rain that large areas in the UK are being terribly affected by flooding, and those who are lucky enough to escape the flooding are stuck with weeks on end of none stop rain and cold.
It is the first of March this coming Sunday, and usually this signals the coming of Spring and better weather. With it we see the first flowers of the season, enough dry and warm days to put our washing out to dry and perhaps even the chance to open our windows or doors to allow in some fresh air. As things are it’s difficult to see such an outcome at the moment, but no doubt before long things will recover, warmth will return, and once again we can shed the heavy clothing and venture out without the shield of an umbrella.
The one thing we all share in common throughout the year is our love of reading. When it is cold and wet outside, there is never a better time to stay in and read, to catch up on that new book you just bought or even simply pick up a newspaper or magazine and read.
Personally I often enjoy going and either sitting in a soft, padded chair or laying a blanket out on the grass and enjoying the warmth, under a parasol, and with a good book. Have a drink beside me and a pillow to rest on, and I can easily spend hours reading and losing myself in the worlds and events of a good book.
So as awful as it is outside, as bad as the weather can get, we will always have the sanctuary of those wonderful books we read and the way they make us feel and think.

New Dog Book

I am just finishing up with the last of my new dog book. It was going to be a short novella, nice and simple, a fun read, but as I got into it I ended up writing more and more and I just don’t know when to stop. Of course I will though, and expect it to be done this coming week, then off to be edited and then on sale. No matter that it will be much longer, it will still be a nice price of 99 cents US or 99p UK, and similar price other countries.

Coming Next

I have had a lot of good feedback from my full length novel Missing, although reviews are slow to appear, it has been well received and continues to be popular. It was always intended as a series of books, and because I enjoyed writing it so much and because it continues to do well I have decided that my next book to work on will be a sequel to that. It is one of my larger titles and takes longer to write, but I know where the series is heading, so I am certain it won’t take long to write. I will keep everyone posted on the progress, and as my new newsletter will be coming out soon for everyone to subscribe to for free I will post snippets of my writing on there for people to enjoy and comment on.

Thank You

Thanks for all the support I have had from my readers, it has been immense and so much has happened over the past eighteen months it’s been quite a whirlwind! I can’t imagine where things are going to go over the next eighteen months and beyond, but it’s a huge amount of fun, and I hope to always ensure that you as readers enjoy that as much as I do.

Bye for now

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My New Book & More

I’m sat here in my usual spot writing. It’s cold outside, but clear and bright blue skies. The weather has been a real challenge for most people in the UK, with freezing rain, flooding, strong winds and bitter cold. It’s certainly not a time to be out if you can help it, and all I can say is right now I’m glad to be inside.

Thankfully I have a heater on in here, so all I need to think about is what I am writing.

Anyone who has had a dog of their own will know enough about them to understand how attached we get to them, and what impact they have on our lives. Actually writing about them really brings it home, and gives a great insight into the small things we go through with them every day. Often things will happen and we will laugh about it, but in time other things will happen and we tend to forget about what it was that made us laugh. Writing about them is a great way to relive those times and moments, from whatever age, and share some of the joy we have for the company they keep with us.

The new dog book I am writing isn’t intended to be a long one, and should hopefully be on sale at the end of February. It will have a much lower selling price, but is still a full and complete, self contained story, one which is built on joy and happines, not to menetion all the fun we take from a new dog, and share with them,

It isn’t really like work, doing something like this, it’s just having a bit of fun and putting it into words.

I fully intend to set up a new newsletter all about my work and writing, my books and short stories, in fact everything I do connected with it, and will launch this all new venture soon. There will be a lot of free short stories, free full length books and constant snippets of books and things I am working on, and they will all be available free to my newsletter subscribers. Watch out for that.

Spring isn’t far off, thankfully, which means getting back out into the garden and enjoying the times with family, not to mention our dog! Roll on.

Feel free to follow me on Amazon, or on any of the below social media and of course I am always happy to hear from people, and always respond to any contact I have.

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Back To Writing

I’m Back!

Well hopefully everyone enjoyed their Christmas. I was busy and have been busy afterwards. Before Christmas I released the conclusion to The Dog Under The Bed Trilogy, and the 3rd part was titled What Happened Next.

I had to do that, because I have had so many requests from people asking for it, and a lot of reviews said they wished they knew how it went for the family, and so I decided that was what was needed.

The three books have been a work of love for me, and given people a lot of laughs, as well as tears. That’s dogs for you, always making us feel something, every day that we’re around them.

More Dog Books

Of course after the release of The Dog Under The Bed 3: What Happened Next I’m not finished with our lovely pooches. I am currently working on a short novella about a very new and very different dog, which I hope will be full of laughs and intrigue.
The difference this time is this new dog book will be released at a lower price of just 99p, but as a special offer will be offered for free to anyone who subscribes to my newsletter.

My Newsletter

I intend to make some big changes to my newsletter soon, which will be a revamp and will offer the chance to get not only this new book free, but regular short stories and snippets of what I am currenty working on. I’ll update on here very soon with what is happening and much more detail.

The Year Ahead

Big changes coming for me this year, including hardback copies of books, audiobooks including for the Dog Under The Bed Series, and even a YouTube channel.
I will be sure to explain all on here very soon. Watch out for news, and especially my new newsletter. I hope to have this novella finished by end of February, so watch out for all that.

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Holidays Are Over, sadly. however…

Sorry, I know you didn’t need me to tell you that. Oops. Back at it, for all of us. Today is the first day of Autumn, and it seems as if Summer was here and gone in the blink of an eye.

Swings and roundabouts, because now I get back into my Summer House (Autumn house?) and knuckle down to finish The Dog Under The Bed 3. I’ve had a lot of requests for it, as people really want to know what happened next to Arthur. It is the conclusion of it all, the end of the trilogy, but I aim to make it a good one, and a bumper end to what has been a superb adventure, hopefully for the reader, but also for me as a writer.

I noticed a Youtube video from someone working to write and sell books. they showed advertising on Amazon, and other places. It made it clear that a lot of people don’t realize the cost of those ads. When someone sees a book they might be interested in, and clicks on a book cover, the author usually has to pay for that click. Prices for clicks can range from a few cents to over three dollars! For each and every click. So if people are just looking around and clicking on a few interesting items, it can soon add up for authors!
Without adverts our books never get seen by readers, so simply do not sell. It’s just an unfortunate part of the deal, but the cost can often be prohibitive.
Goodreads is the same, with an option to advertise, you might see small scale pictures of books, but when you click on those they tend to cost the author money, per click. I believe around $.50 per click, so obviously books need to sell otherwise the author can make quite a loss.

One thing about the weather and seasons changing, darker nights and all that, is we tend to stay in more, and frankly it’s a good excuse for us to read more books. I prefer being outside, in the garden and reading in the sun, but you still can’t beat being inside on a cold winter’s day, reading an enjoyable novel.

Who knows, you might like reading one of mine!

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