🗓️ The March Milestone and the Art of the Series
And so, another month of this year is almost over. At least spring is on the horizon and brighter days are ahead! For me, March is a massive month in the diary because it’s when the cover for my latest book finally starts to take shape. 🖋️✨
📈 Growth and Progression
An Irish Mystery was the first thing I ever wrote. Do I think it’s a good story? No—I think it’s a great start to the series. Do I believe my writing and storytelling have improved as the series has gone on? Without a doubt.
The "Newman" series is a journey—not just for the characters, but for me as a writer. Book 2 wouldn’t be what it is without Book 1, and I’d like to think that as we progress through books 3, 4, and potentially 5, everything just keeps getting better.
💬 Addressing the 1-Star "Niggle"
I mentioned last week that a certain 1-star review had niggled at me. The reviewer commented that they ‘still had several unanswered questions after the conclusion of the story.’ Well, yes! It’s a series, and I’m certainly not going to tell you everything in one go. Those questions are the breadcrumbs that lead you into Book 2 and beyond. It makes me wonder: as a reader, do you really want every single mystery solved in the first instalment, knowing there is a larger world yet to explore?
☕ Buy Direct: Signed Copies & Ko-fi
I’ve officially set up a sales page on my Ko-fi site. For those who don't know, Ko-fi is a platform that helps me fund future projects—whether that’s getting books out quicker or buying programmes that make an author's life easier.
The exciting news is that you can now buy signed copies of my book directly from me (UK only for now!). If you fancy a physical copy but would rather bypass Amazon, you can find it here. All future books, including An American Treasure, will be available there too.
📐 Bigger, Bolder, and Better
Speaking of An American Treasure, this book is going to be a much larger "beast" than its predecessor. We are looking at roughly 97,000 words compared to 84,770 in Book 1.
I haven’t typeset it yet, so don't ask me for a page count! All I know is that if I keep the price at £9.99, my profit margin will be lower because the print costs will inevitably be higher for a thicker book. But for a better story? It’s worth it.
🤝 The ARC Call-Out
As we hit March and the cover design begins, I really need a few more ARC readers to help me iron out any final kinks.
- Have you read Book 1?
- Do you enjoy digital copies?
- Do you want to be the first to see the new adventures?
Being an ARC reader is a massive help to indie authors. If you’d like to join the team, follow the link below!
🏒 Life Outside the Pages: A Shout-Out to PRHC
For those who haven't read all my blogs or don't know me personally, I try to keep this a space where you can get to know the person behind the name. Now and again, I like to talk about life in general and what I’ve been up to (usually when I’ve run out of book content to write about!).
My son is a goalie for the Peterborough Roller Hockey Club. They play in the National Premier League—the top league in the country. It is a very young team; my son is actually one of the oldest, and he’s only 21!
This weekend we were up in Middlesbrough, which is about a three-hour drive. We didn't play our best, but we managed to clinch a 6-5 win. That result means we are currently joint top of the league with the nine-time champions, Kings Lynn (granted, they have a game in hand). I just wanted to give a bit of a shout-out to the team; they are playing brilliantly this season and really grinding out results. 🏆
🌦️ Keeping Perspective
It has been a slow month, and for a long while, I hadn't sold a single copy. However, the "dry spell" finally broke this week—I eventually sold three ebooks & a paperback! They were my first sales of the month, and while it might seem small to some, it’s a massive boost when you’ve been sitting in limbo.
The Kindle Unlimited page reads are also ticking along in the hundreds, which all helps. In months like this, I have to remind myself: I published these books for me. These stories sat in the cloud for years, and I felt they deserved to be out in the world. If someone chooses to spend their hard-earned money to read them, that’s brilliant.
Even when someone leaves a 1-star review, I know it's a good story—far more people have told me it’s great than have told me it’s rubbish. One thing you learn in this world: you simply cannot please everybody.
📚 What I’m Reading...
I really enjoyed this book. It’s exactly the kind of story I love to read—and the kind I love to write—where treasures lost to time are brought back to life. One thing that really stood out to me was the Author’s Note at the end. I loved how she explained what was fact, what was fiction, and why she chose specific destinations for the story. It adds such a great layer of depth to the experience.
If you fancy a copy, you can find it here: The Cleopatra Cipher.
(Purchasing via this link helps fuel my next research trip at no extra cost to you!)
A New Addition to the "Newman" Series 📝
Reading that note actually inspired me! I’ve decided to start adding similar "Fact vs. Fiction" notes to my own books, starting with An American Treasure. I think readers really appreciate seeing the "why" behind the mystery and knowing which parts of the history are real. I’ll definitely be reading more from L.D. Goffigan in the future!
Let’s Connect:
I’ve posted my full review over on Goodreads and Fable. If you’re looking for a fast-paced historical thriller to get you through the rainy evenings, I’d highly recommend this one!
👉 Follow my reviews on Goodreads
Fuel the Research Trail ☕
Writing The Newman Adventures involves a lot of deep-diving into historical archives and the occasional road trip to track down a mystery. Currently, every cover and advert is funded by my day job wages. If you’ve enjoyed the "Sunday Magazine" feel of these posts, consider buying me a coffee. Every bit of support helps me get the next book into the world that much faster. We’re in this journey together—hell yeah, I’d love to do this full-time!
📬 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.
We’ve all had those months where things feel like they’re in 'limbo.' As an indie author, I’m curious—do you usually find your next book through a newsletter, a social media post, or just by browsing Kindle Unlimited? Your feedback helps me work out where to focus my 'Grandad energy' next!
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