Audio Narrating beginnings.

YouTube Videos

As promised, I have started creating audio content with a view to, in time, narrating all of my books as audio books. I created a simple YouTube channel which I can add videos of me narrating poems, snippets of my books, some full audio books and more.

The first two poems are on the channel, and are lovely poems which are focused on nature, suitable for the new beginnings that Spring brings.

The first poem is The Country Beautiful, Poem by Paul Bewsher, which is short but beautiful. The video is simple and was recorded by my daughter, Maya Cowdall. She has recorded a lot of similar clips for me to use, but they are background B roll footage where what matters is the audio.

I have recorded and tested these aimed at Audible requirements, although YouTube compression may make an impact on this quality played from there.

I will post more on here as I add more, and once I have a reasonable size catalogue of narrated content, I will post them elsewhere, possibly on the likes of Spotify.

This is of course all for rehearsing and learning how to narrate to a professional standard, simply because I would like to narrate all of my own audio books to go alongside my many published titles.

Please feel free to leave comments here or on YouTube regarding anything to do with the narration, sound quality, my narrating, or the choice of poems, and if you have any suggestions for what I might narrate then you are very welcome to contact me and suggest some anytime.

Please enjoy.

David.


Spring Is Here, And Life Moves On

Spring is here at last, and summer is approaching. For me, this is the best time of the year. I usually write indoors, but when the weather is nice, I love to get outside and work and enjoy the sun. It seems to have been a bit slow to warm up lately, but I’m sure any time now we will have BBQs and shorts weather!

Time as always eases pain, and the loss of our beloved Scooby took just that to come to terms with. It affected what I was doing, because a lot of what I write and enjoy doing is related to our four-legged friends. Emotions have subsided now and we feel better able to look back occasionally, just a little to remember him with love and the wonderful memories we have of him. For us, we will never forget him. We took thousands of photographs and videos of him over the years and in time I will post some of them on a section on this website, just for him and maybe some of our other wonderful pooches.

Of course, life goes on, and I have begun writing again. I am pleased to say my focus is going to be The Dog That Wouldn’t Sit 3, and it shouldn’t be too long before that is out. At the time of the loss of our wonderful dog, I just couldn’t imagine writing about dogs, but as the sadness has subsided, I think it would be the best way to move forward to remember him and his love in this book. The best part of it is that until now the first two books were only available in eBook, Kindle, but once the third in the series is out, it will be an eBook, but I intend to bring all three first books together and publish them all in a single bumper paperback. Watch out for that.

Other plans are to release a hardback special edition of all three Dog Under The Bed series in one volume. This has been so well loved that I think it is something many would love to see.

I haven’t forgotten about my audiobooks, which are in the works. I am in the process of setting up a YouTube channel which I will read poetry, small snippets of my books, full-length books etc., as well as releasing all of my back catalogue of books in audiobook format, narrated by myself.

Watch out for news here and on my website for launches and new videos as I begin to release again soon.

You can subscribe to my newsletter on my website and don’t forget to follow me on Amazon.

I hope you are all well.



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Blog Post: Updates For 2023

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Well, a very happy new year to everyone. It has been some time since my last update, but things have been a bit difficult for us all here.

Shortly before Christmas, my dog, who went by the name Scooby Doo, was diagnosed with cancer. It was such that the vet advised us he should be put to sleep, as he was suffering badly.

As I’m sure most dog owners will be aware, this was a very distressing and painful time. I took Scooby in and remained at his side throughout.

The impact on us all was very strong and left me feeling unable to write for some time.

We had Scooby from a dog’s home when he was very young, and I got him because I wanted my daughter to experience growing up with a dog. She, like all of us, loved him very much. She has suffered more than most in trying to come to terms with his death, but like so many things in life, we have to adjust and adapt and accept the inevitable with our lovely pooches.

Scooby lived until he was fourteen years old and had an amazing and wonderful life. We are proud to say that we spoiled him rotten, and he was one of the softest and most loving dogs I have ever had.

I can be philosophical about his passing, in that before him I had a dog named Bill, who lived until he was sixteen, which means across thirty years of my life I have had two very amazing dogs.

Most will know Scooby, as he was the very famous cover model on The Dog Under the Bed books. He always looked sad when we took photos of him for such things, but we have a ton of funny and enjoyable and happy photos of him which I will post on my website in time.

Right now, it is about taking a deep breath, thanking him for all the love and joy, and hoping he is keeping a close eye on us across the rainbow bridge.


THE FUTURE

Given what had happened, I could not bring myself to write much lately, but had been looking to begin work on a new installment of my Missing series. As time has passed, I feel able now to work on a new dog book instead, because I think he was worth it, and through that I can allow some of my emotions to come out on to the page.

There can be no better way to deal with the loss of him than by writing something very funny and enjoyable, which is why I am now beginning to write the third installment of The Dog That Wouldn’t Sit series. I have often found myself laughing at the hijinks of Champion and how he comes up against Ethel, each trying to outdo each other. I have so many funny ideas that I am sure it will write itself.

Of course, there will be tears along the way. It would be impossible not to, given how wonderful a dog Scooby was.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season, and that like all of us here, you are looking to the future, ready to deal with and overcome whatever comes your way.

 

David.


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Blog Post: New Books.

New Book Launch, The Puppy

Finally, I am happy to say my new book has just launched. It is available in paperback and eBook, and can be bought immediately.

The book is titled The Puppy, and is available to buy from here:

It follows the travails of a newborn puppy, and his adventures in the world as he struggles to find someone who will keep him. Like most young dogs, his life is uncertain, but he is resilient and never gives up.

It is a loving tale about a puppy, very much reminiscent of a puppy I once had when much younger. They are so cute and so beautiful, before often growing up into the huge handful they become, and as always, an integral part of our lives.

This novel is a wistful look at the life of one such puppy and the people he meets on his journey and the experiences he has with them. It is lighthearted, fun and down to earth, and filled with my usual love of dogs.

I am pleased to say my next novel will be the third installment of The Dog That Wouldn’t Sit
Once again, it follows the trials and tribulations of Champion and Ethel, two of the most stubborn people and dogs in the world.

The good news is that book 3 in the series will also have a paperback. The first two books are only available in eBook form, but the third in the series will have all three books together for the first time in one bumper book.

Hopefully book three will be out before too long, and for now everyone will enjoy The Puppy.

Hope you are all enjoying the sun.

Take care.

David.


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New Novel On Sale

The Puppy


 

Few things in life can bring us quite the level of joy that comes from a new baby, but also from a new puppy.

Both are soft, gentle, and loving, so warm, and so beautiful. Those early days often bring memories that last us a lifetime and make us feel in a way that nothing else we ever experience can.

But what of those puppies born to those who can’t keep them?

The Puppy is a tale of one such dog, who seems to live each day as if it started fresh, only with a new owner each time.

This particular dog has no name, only an idea of what he should be called. When Sally and Albert must say goodbye, Rebekka comes into his life, but in time she has to let him go. Then Gregg takes him, not only home but to school, with all the fun and frolics that follow.

Pushed from one home to the next, the puppy keeps his head up, loves one day at a time, until he can find that one person to take him forever.

The Puppy is a tale of the uncertainty that every dog faces, whether to be loved or used, hoping they will find that special person to give them a place they can share for the rest of their lives.

From the author of The Dog Under The Bed comes a book about life for the dogs in our lives at the start, and the trials and tribulations of being born into the world.

humor, love, adventure and fun await.

The Puppy. The new novel from DJ Cowdall about everyone’s best friend.

On Sale Now Here:

Click Here To Buy In Paperback or Ebook


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Happy New Year

Well, here we are with a bright new year. I hope you all had a good Christmas and are looking forward to a fine new year.

Given how things have been over the past couple of years, we can only hope things improve for us all.

I am back at it now, working away to finish my new novel. I hope to have a very productive year ahead and am looking to release several new novels.

Thank you for all your support.

Take care and be well.

David.

I Fell Down A Rabbit Hole

Well, I haven’t posted in a long time, and the simple reason is I fell down a hole, but it wasn’t a rabbit hole. I knew for a long time I needed to take editing and all that comes with it much more seriously, and so these past few months I have been revisiting previously published books and taking a much closer look at them.

This is where the adventure begins.

As I have mentioned in the past, I have used editors to correct and work on any issues in my novels, but these haven’t always been positive. I have frequently paid for so-called professional editing services, only to find out they leave as many issues as they find. Many of them, it is clear, have no qualifications in editing and no experience, and are simply making money fraudulently.

Fingers burned.

I am pleased to say I have come across one or two excellent editors, and I think the best of my books have benefitted from their attention. Sadly, even the best editors miss things.

This is where my latest journey has led me.

I took much greater time to line edit my work, and to use every means possible to ensure not only that I find as many problems as possible, but that I learn a great deal more about writing than I ever did.

This, of course, won’t make me perfect, but then it is a journey. I have learned that it isn’t ninety percent of a good novel being the story and ten percent the quality of the writing. A good book is a polished mix of them both, and that is what I have focused on addressing: rebalancing my attention to grammar, spelling, repetition, and the building blocks of a great book.

I hope this shines through in my works from past and in the future. Time, and reviews, will tell.

I just wanted to add this to show what I have been doing. My latest full length dog adventure is still in the making, and is half complete. Once again, I will get to it, hard at work, pressing out those words and building more fun and meaningful adventures. So, watch this space.

 

David.


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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.

The Dog Under The Bed by D.J. Cowdall

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.

The Dog That Wouldn't Sit by D.J. Cowdall

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.

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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.

Missing by D.J. Cowdall

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

Missing The Disappearance of Sally-Anne by D.J. Cowdall

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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