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.

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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Email: djcowdall@gmx.co.uk
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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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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

Email: djcowdall@gmx.co.uk
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