​🎨 Covers, Clouds, and the Mystery of Book 3

 Today is a big day for the "Upstream" journey! As of Thursday, 5th February, I have officially paid the deposit for the cover design of An American Treasure. I’m using Bespoke Book Covers again—the same talented team who designed An Irish Mystery and I am desperate to get Book 2 out into the world. 📚✨

​📅 The Countdown to the Reveal

​I contacted Peter at Bespoke right at the start of February. Like most of you, I was just waiting for that January payday to finally arrive so I could get things moving! 💸

​I asked what his timeline was like for booking in my next design, and now that the deposit is secured, we are looking at a 5th March start date. With that timescale in mind, I’m hopeful we will have a final design and a big cover reveal ready for you all by the end of March. 🎆

​📢 Join the Inner Circle: ARC Readers Wanted!

​While the designers do their thing, I need your help. Have you read An Irish Mystery? Do you want to get your hands on an Ebook copy of An American Treasure before it is officially released to the public?

​I am opening up applications for my ARC (Advance Review Copy) list. By joining, you get my future books before they are out in the world, and in return, you help me by providing the early feedback and reviews that keep an indie author like me afloat.

👉 Click here to fill out the form and apply

​💻 The "Paranoid" Author’s Toolkit: Google vs. Reedsy

​A few people have asked me: “When you go back to a book you wrote years ago, what do you actually do?” Well, it starts with my software. I am incredibly paranoid about losing my work. Because of that, I keep every story on a Google Docs form. But when I’m actually working, I also have a site called Reedsy open. Why both?

​Because Google Docs is just page after page of endless words. If I close it, I have to scroll forever to find where I left off. Reedsy.com is a free site that lets you open a tab for each individual chapter. It’s a game-changer for organization! It also formats your book into the professional ePub and PDF files needed for publishing. 🛠️

​My Editing Process:

1. ​I start right at the top with the Prologue (yes, all my books have one!).
2. ​I read through every chapter, editing small details or adding things where they feel missing.
3. ​Sometimes I catch a character trait that just doesn't fit. For instance, Cedric Newman isn't a man who gets nervous or worried when someone threatens him. He’s a 6’2” businessman who fought his way to the top—sharks and snakes are just part of his day-to-day life.
4. ​Once a chapter is polished in Reedsy, I copy and paste it back over the original in Google Docs. That way, I always have two identical copies—one for formatting and one safely in the "cloud."

​🕵️‍♂️ The Secrets of Book 3

​While waiting for Book 2’s cover, I’ve revisited the manuscript for Book 3, which I actually started writing about three years ago. It’s currently just shy of 70,000 words, and I’ve edited up to Chapter 31—about halfway through.

​I recently realized the story wasn't "big" enough yet. I added a brand-new chapter between 11 and 12 to develop two specific characters: an antagonist and a "benefactor" who has commissioned a hunt. Cedric can’t quite figure out if this man is a friend or a foe yet, and reading the story with fresh eyes after so long is helping me develop that tension.

​What can I tell you about the plot? I don’t want to give too much away while Book 2 is still being designed, but I can tell you this:

• ​It starts in France. 🇫🇷
• ​It revolves around the lush, beautiful countryside of Europe. ⛰️
• ​The prize at the center of the chase would be the most expensive item of its kind in the world if it were ever found today.

​The mystery and the adventure continue... but for now, my focus is getting Lando Spock and Book 2 ready for you!

​📚 What I’m Reading...

​I am still making my way through The Cleopatra Cypher by L.D. Goffigan. I’m currently 57% of the way in, but I’ll be honest—I’ve only managed a few pages over the last week! 📖

​Why the slow progress? Because all my reading time and creative energy has been poured into editing Book 3. When you’re deep in the "zone" of your own story, it can be hard to switch your brain over to someone else's world.

​That said, The Cleopatra Cypher is a great read and exactly the kind of mystery I love writing about. It features a missing treasure, lost for eternity, with clues just waiting to be unraveled. It’s a high-stakes hunt to work out where the prize is hidden—right up my street! 🔍💎

📬 Want to follow the journey?

I send occasional emails about writing, publishing, and the stories behind The Newman Adventures.

Newsletter subscribers also get an exclusive sneak peek of Book 2, An American Treasure.

👉 Join here: The Newman Chronicle 

📖 Enjoyed this post?

An Irish Mystery is a fast-paced historical adventure about stolen treasures, hidden histories, and the cost of obsession.

Ebook, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback & hardcover

👉 Available on Amazon: An Irish Mystery

You can also find me on Instagram / Bluesky / X / Facbook, where I share writing updates and behind-the-scenes moments.

🌍 www.dcsalmonbooks.com