Summer has finally arrived in Ireland!
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Welcome to my July 2021 newsletter |
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News from Ireland |
What's happened since April...
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Writing |
Writing updates from my office.
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Picture This |
Some of my recent photos.
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Shopping for books |
Introducing an new way to find great reads.
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Book Reviews |
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Honest reviews of my recent reads.
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Free Stuff Just For You! |
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Totally free Kindle and Audio books!
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News From Ireland
Although Ireland is still in lockdown, since April, we have seen some welcome easing of the Covid restrictions. Outdoor dining and some sports and recreational activities are now permitted — which is ironic timing, given the recent inclement weather! In addition, the longstanding 5km limit to unnecessary travel has been lifted, but it is still forbidden to leave Ireland except for ‘essential’ reasons. Trips to the UK, when permitted, would involve multiple RT-PCR tests and a 14-day quarantine on return. It is now almost two years since I last visited my family in England, but with the soaring number of new delta variant cases over there, I think it’s unlikely I’ll manage a trip this year.
The Health Service here has done a fantastic job managing the avalanche of sick patients and the rollout of vaccinations. At the same time, the Irish government deserves credit for its brave decision to guarantee an income for everyone adversely affected by the virus. It’s a massive debt that the country will eventually need to repay but, because people still have a little money in their pockets and a roof over their heads, Ireland is in a better position to recover than it might otherwise have been.
Thankfully, the number of new Covid infections identified in Ireland is just a few 100 a day, down from a peak of more than 8,000 in January 2021. Similarly, the number of hospital admissions and related deaths has fallen too. Much of this improvement is due to the vaccination program and a series of harsh lockdown measures, which have been observed with stoic diligence.
People who were medically vulnerable or in high-risk occupations were the first to receive vaccinations in Ireland, followed by age bands, starting with the oldest. As we are both over 60, Lesley and I have now received our first AstraZeneca jabs but, because of the long gap between doses, it will probably be early August before we are fully protected. Those aged under 50 primarily receive the Pfizer vaccine, which has a much shorter gap between doses, so, somewhat ironically, many of our younger friends are now fully protected.
Up at Glenmadrie, things are looking up. The sun is shining, and the garden is bursting with flowers, vegetables, and weeds — which, according to my wife, are growing faster than the flowers and vegetables! Unfortunately, although the midges have been particularly prevalent in the last month, the swallows have not. Whereas last year the sky was full of these delightful aerial acrobats, thus far, we have just one nesting pair. We’ve speculated their absence was caused by an untimely fortnight of powerful northerly winds, which may have upset their migration. Hopefully, they will return next year. In the meantime, the bats will have to eat a lot more midges. Talking of which, midges feature in this months blog…
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After much work, planning, and preparation, Fresh Eggs and Dog Beds 4 went on sale on the 5th of April 2021, but the launch did not go as planned. Excited and restless for the big day to begin, I was up early. My first hint that something had gone awry came at 5.30am, when I got a message from a fan complaining that her pre-order had been cancelled by Amazon.
“Surely this must be a mistake?” I whispered to myself.
But it wasn’t. That first message was followed by several more — the last was an email from my publisher. It took an hour to make sense of what had happened. Then, with a sinking heart, I realised Amazon had changed the ASIN identifier code allocated to the book just an hour before it was due to go on sale. This (yet to be explained) action caused havoc. Thousands of orders were cancelled — we’ll never know the exact number, and all of the advertising had to be withdrawn and resubmitted for approval with the new ASIN. All in all, it took several days to clean up the mess!
On the upside, Fresh Eggs and Dog Beds 4 still topped the new release charts in Canada and Australia. But more importantly, the book was well received and has already clocked up more than 100 reviews, most of which are five stars. I’m so grateful to everyone who has read and reviewed my books. Thank you so much!
In the last few days, two other projects have been completed:
Although my first thriller, “Wrecking Crew”, has done well enough, in retrospect, there were a number of little things I’d like to have done differently. Even after all the work and care that went into producing the first edition, several editing errors had still slipped through, along with some glaring plot holes. All these things had to be corrected before production on the audiobook could begin. Making changes to a published book can be difficult, so I decided to withdraw Wrecking Crew from sale and start over. In March, with the able assistance of Philip Wood and Andy Stevenson, I began some serious spring cleaning. First, I rewrote and updated the manuscript to give the story more pace and better readability, then we began several rounds of editing. To minimise the risk of fans mistaking the updated version for a new book, I used an existing ASIN but altered the title to "Hunting the Wrecking Crew" and redesigned the cover to make it more relevant to the British storyline and locations. This new version was published in April. Since then, Andy Stevenson and I have been working on the audiobook. Andy is the actor and producer and I act as the creative director. Fortunately, he is such a capable narrator, there is little for me to do beyond spotting the occasional tongue-trip. The audio version is exclusive to Audible and was published on the 7th of June. There are still some free copies to be won. Look out for the link below.
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Finally, I was delighted when Alyson Sheldrake asked me to contribute a chapter to her new anthology of travel stories, “Chasing the Dream”. It's a fantastic idea and I’m honoured to see my name alongside so many brilliant authors in such a well presented book. I’m positive it’s going to be a bestseller! You can read more about this exciting project below.
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Chasing the Dream - A new life abroad |
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“𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲! 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝.”
“𝐈 𝐛𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡, 𝐬𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐧.”
20 different stories. One shared dream – the chance to start a new life overseas.Young lives, families, midlife movers, rash spur-of-the-moment property purchasers, and retirement dreamers are all featured in this book. Read about their adventures and find out what it is really like to move abroad.Includes work by New York Times bestselling and award-winning authors.
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.
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Audio Book News |
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Fresh Eggs and Dog Beds books one, two and three are all available at Amazon Audible. Production of book four will begin at the end of July and it should be available as an audiobook towards the end of 2021. The series has been narrated by the talented Andy Stevenson.
Click on the pictures below to hear a sample.
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Shepherd for books |
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Imagine if your favourite authors could share their favourite reads, and this invaluable information was all in one place. Well now it is!
Alongside hundreds of authors, I have been asked to recommend the best books I knew under two very specific headings:
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The theme for the July edition is
Summer Flowers
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How do we measure the value of a dog's life? |
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When Val Poor agreed to rehome a young rescue dog named Cindy, she had no idea of the challenges she would face in the years ahead. Abused as a puppy, malnourished, and emotionally shattered, Cindy (or Sin) was a long way from being a normal dog. She lived in constant fear, had frequent panic attacks, and found it difficult to trust humans or socialise with other dogs. Unfortunately, the vets were of little help. “Cindy will be too difficult to train”, one said. “Her medication will cost more than she’s worth,” suggested another. “Have her put down,” they advised, “It’s the kindest option.”
Living on a derelict barge in Rotterdam’s Oude Haven was hardly the best environment to raise a neurotically unstable and energetic puppy, but Val Poore would not admit defeat. Cindy would not be put down or cast off to become someone else’s problem. With the help of her partner Koos, Val got on with the business of giving her dog a stable and loving home. Over the years that followed, Val, Koos and Cindy shared many funny adventures, stressful moments and shed a few tears, but in the end, it was worth all the effort.
Mental illness is just illness. We make allowances for dogs and people with injuries, weak hearts, bad hips, and many other physical problems, so why should we treat mental illness any differently? I have experience of dealing with neurotic dogs, so I understand and appreciate the magnitude of the commitment Val and Koos made. Bless them both for their kindness and dedication.
Val Poore is a fantastic writer and a gifted storyteller. She has the ability to draw you into her tale and take you along the journey, so you are mentally intrigued and emotionally engaged. “Living with my Sin” also contains a few pictures of Cindy and her surroundings, which add a little extra detail to an already delightful story. I highly recommend this book.
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The perfect beginning for a series. |
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Regardless of the quirky storylines or unusual settings, David Luddington’s books always ask the same simple question: What happens when our identity (the way we measure our own self-worth) is taken away?
In this case, William Fox is a failed bookshop owner who has lost his sense of self. Driven out of business by online shopping giants, he is reduced to selling his remaining stock of conspiracy theory books from the boot of his car. Just as things were looking to become even worse, fate intervenes, leading William to an equally down-trodden holiday camp.
Apart from its famous spring water and Jenna, the tenacious owner, Rose Well Park has little going for it. The great British holiday parks are in terminal decline, and Rose Well seems to be leading the way. However, William Fox has an idea. Could the combination of idiosyncratic guests, conspiracy theorists, preppers, and a television adventurer, combine with a UFO sighting and an unexploded bomb to put Rose Well Holiday Park back on the map?
This book is another masterful laugh-out-loud classic from the pen of David Luddington. It has all the hallmarks of becoming a series too. Fingers crossed!
Other reviewers agree...
"What an absolute blast of a read it was. As one crazy situation leads to another, you can just see it all happening. There's something about it that says there actually could be people like this out there, in a place like this, doing these crazy things."
"Just one word of warning. Unless you sleep alone, do not read it in bed. Your partner may not appreciate your bursts of laughter as they are trying to sleep."
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Here's Your Totally Free Stuff! |
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Just click on the images below to enter the free prize draws
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Hunting the Wrecking Crew |
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Updated and edited, this twisty thriller will keep you guessing to the end.
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Audio Book |
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Fresh Eggs and Dog Beds book one, narrated by Andy Stevenson. Click the picture to enter the prize draw. The book will be free to enjoy on Amazon Audible.
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Fresh Eggs and Dog Beds #1 |
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The first book in the bestselling comedy memoir series free on Kindle.
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Win a free audiobook |
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Click below to enter the free prize draw!
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Also - Free from Victoria M Patton |
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Get into a new thriller series for free! |
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Victoria M Patton is a Facebook friend and writing colleague. She's great fun to chat with and shares my quirky sense of humour. Furthermore, she is a great writer. I recently began reading her Damien Kaine thriller series, and I'm enjoying it very much.
If you're searching for a new thriller read, look no further than Victoria M Patton. And the good news is, you can try the first book for free. Just click below to get your copy.
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