📌 The Pinterest Reset and the Red-Hot Reveal
One part of my week that I really enjoy is writing this blog. I generally write while the TV is on—sometimes the same night the previous post went out, and other times literally the night before it’s due! I keep a Google Doc titled "Where I Outline My Blog" and add bits as I go. I just love the process; I love writing.
📈 Analytics and "Proper" People
Last month was my best month ever, with 3,042 views in a short month no less! However, I’ll be honest: I don’t fully understand the analytics. I see the numbers, but I don't know if you "proper" people are out there enjoying what I write.
If you do read this, please leave a comment. Not only does it help my credibility and the search engine algorithms, but it also lets me know I'm not just shouting into the void!
🕵️♂️ Book Cover Update: An American Treasure
I have received the first draft for the cover of An American Treasure. As soon as I saw it, I thought: Yes. I sat on it for a while, opening and closing the file just to see if the feeling stayed. When my wife finished work, I showed her. Her first reaction was, "Wow, I wasn't expecting it to be that red!" I was like, "Yep, looks good doesn't it?" It has the same typography as An Irish Mystery, which acts as a nice anchor for the series. However, it’s less "busy" than Book 1; it looks more mysterious and puts more emphasis on the treasure rather than the characters. The great thing about working with Peter at BespokeBookCovers.co.uk is that if I’m not 100% sure, he’ll keep working until it’s perfect. I’ll keep you posted!
📅 The Road to Release
The cover is nearly complete, but I still need to typeset the manuscript to get the final page count for the spine. Once that's done, I’ll be sending the reveal out to my Newsletter Team first.
I’m still looking for ARC (Advance Review Copy) readers to join my beta team. If you want to read the book for free in exchange for your input and a review, please join via the link below. I really need your help to iron out any kinks before the big launch!
👉 Join the Newsletter / ARC Team here
🏒 On the Road: Grimsby
What else have we been up to? My son had a roller hockey game in Grimsby on Saturday. You don’t mind a two-hour trip when you win 9-1 and move into second place in the league!
It’s even more impressive when you realise the squad's average age is just 21.2. Our captain, Michael (who is 32, and bumps this average age up), missed the game due to illness, so the "young guns" really stepped up and did the business.
📌 The Pinterest Reset
I noticed that despite having 3,000 blog views, none were coming from Pinterest. I had set up an RSS feed, but the pins were poor—no SEO descriptions, no tags, and no direct links to my books. My monthly views had dropped from 5.6K to just 653.
I’ve decided to start again. As of Monday, I’ve manually posted about 30 blog posts with proper descriptions. Hopefully, this will start sending more of you over to these pages soon!
🏖️ Annual Leave "Malarkey"
I’ve started this blog early because I have three days off this week—and three more next week! In fact, I’m only working two days a week for the next month. I had a lot of annual leave to take before the new holiday year starts on the 1st of April.
My principal wasn't exactly enamoured with me taking it all at once, but I didn't want to lose the days. I usually carry over five days every year, but I realised there’s no point in doing that forever. It’s time to use them for some quality writing time!
📚 What I’m Reading...
(Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you fancy the book below, clicking the link helps fuel my next research trip at no extra cost to you!)
"Gargoyle" is the call sign for the main character, James Robert ‘Bob’ Morgan, and the story is incredibly fast-paced. Morgan is like an American version of James Bond—he has the gadgets, the guns, the fast cars, and a definite eye for pretty women!
I sometimes struggle with ex-military thrillers because I don’t always understand the American military lingo, but this has been fantastic. I am now 60% of the way in, and the action hasn't let up. If you like high-stakes adventure without getting bogged down in jargon, give this a go.
👉 View Nautical Strike on Amazon
Enjoyed the ride? 📖
I balance my writing life with a full-time day job, which means covers, research, and advertising all come out of my own pocket. If you’d like to see these books reach more readers—and help me stay caffeinated while I write them—you can support my work here. Your help keeps the "Stream" flowing and the books coming.
📬 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.
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