The Awkward Squad
A Readers' Group by Michael Campling
Hello
“Spring is the time of plans and projects.”
― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
Spring is in the air in our little corner of Devon, and it does me good to see it. The shifting of the seasons makes many of us think of change, and for me, that's particularly true as spring arrives.
You'll see some of the things I'm planning in the rest of this newsletter. There'll be new books and new characters, and the return of some old fictional friends.
Other developments will be in the offing, but writing new stories will always be at the core of what I do. After all, my main aim is to keep you entertained.
With that in mind, you'll find some featured photos below, and a couple of bits of book news, but first, here are some words of thanks:
Cheers!
A heartfelt thank you to these lovely people who have sent me a mug of tea. I'm raising a cup of Yorkshire Tea in honour of these recent supporters:
Diane, John, Cynthia, Clairey
plus regular supporter: Lara.
Thank you all for your encouragement and support.
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Featured Photos
Spring is in the air. I'm always glad to see the first snowdrops.
Near the town of Bovey Tracey, Parke is the slightly confusing name of a house and estate. Once privately owned, the house and estate belong to the National Trust, and the house is home to the headquarters of the Dartmoor National Park Authority. The grounds have plenty of paths for walking, cycling and, of course, running. We’ve visited it many times, and there’s always something different to see.
The small Devon village of Lustleigh wasn’t the model for Embervale in the Devonshire Mysteries, but it conveys an idea of the kind of place I had in mind.
Thatched cottages, a friendly-looking pub, a small shop, a church and all surrounded by beautiful countryside.
Dan and Alan would love it here – especially the pub.
The above are taken from much bigger collections on my website, and the images there are larger, so they're worth a look.
Book News
Coming Soon...
The Devonshire Detective's First Case:
Unlawful Duty
The feedback from the gallant band of beta readers in the Street Team has been overwhelmingly good, and a young DC Spiller is getting ready to take centre stage.
Set in Exeter in 1992, Lawful Duty takes Spiller back to his first day in CID.
He's eager to get stuck in, and he starts with the case of a missing person.
A young woman has disappeared, but the case is far from routine. Spiller suspects foul play, and the game is afoot.
Although this is a different sub-genre of crime, fans of The Devonshire Mysteries will find a lot to enjoy in what might become a new series.
Awkward Squad members will, of course, be the first to know when the book launches.
The Darkeningstone - Relaunched
My first novel, Trespass, was published over a decade ago. It began the trilogy of The Darkeningstone. The prequel, Breaking Ground, is in your Awkward Squad starter library.
I've revamped the series with new covers and interior formatting, both in ebook and paperback, and it makes for an enjoyable reading experience. The link below will help you to find the series online:
All My Books are 25% Off on Smashwords
Only Until 9 March
Smashwords built one of the first ebook marketplaces, and many readers are loyal to them. They run frequent promotions, and this one offers a straight discount on books by any participating author. I'm offering 25% off any of my books on the store, including omnibus editions such as The Devonshire Mysteries Books I-III
Worth a look:
What's Next?
In an uncertain world, many indie (independent) authors are turning to direct sales, providing ebooks, paperbacks, audiobooks and merchandise direct to the reader. This is great for authors like me because we can cut out the retailers, serve our readers better, and keep more of the money from each sale.
I've had a payhip store for ebooks for a while. You can find it at: https://payhip.com/MichaelCampling, and it's okay, but it's not great. I'm looking at new ways of providing ebooks and paperbacks, and seeing how I can make it better. I'm setting up paperbacks with a company called Book Vault. Their paperbacks are well priced and better quality that the ones I currently have on Amazon. They also offer the chance for me to make some special editions, hardback copies and so on. I'll be looking into that.
Last but not least, I'm stirring up a plot for a new book, and it will be a new adventure for Dan and Alan. After the long and somewhat epic mystery of A Must-Have Murder, I'm returning the chaps to a snappier story, and one which you won't have to wait so long for.
It looks like I'll have my plate full, so without further ado, I'll spring into action.
All the best.
Until next time, happy reading and take care.
Mikey C
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