April 2017
A few significant things have happened this month. Our Granddaughter went back to Uni; our daughter is visiting for four weeks before heading up to Putaruru and our son and his family arrived for a couple of weeks holiday from Australia. So it has been full on.
I'm slowly getting to the end of writing 'Clearing of the Mist' another few more chapters and it will be in the bag. Then the hard work starts with the proofreading of the book, making sure sentence construction is up to scratch and that dates, places and characters match the other two books. Only then will it head over to the publisher for him to run his eye over it.
'Shadows of the Mind' proofreading has slowed down a bit as my wife has been designing and drawing up our wee cottage that we hope to build this year. Once this has been completed, she will be back into the proofreading the book. My daughter has started to read Shadows, and so far she is having a favourable response to the story which is pleasing.
It has been a year since we launched 'Whispers of the Past,' the book has had to date 73 reviews all encouraging and sales have been steady right through the year. Personally, I have sold 171 books to date, and the publisher was telling me that the book is ticking along nicely. I'll know the outcome next month when all the results come in. It has done well overseas as I have had a few reviews from the Australia, UK and the USA. Ebooks stand at 435 sold, I will know next month the full tally there are a few companies out there that sell the book and it takes time for all the numbers to come in.
I must use this opportunity to thank all the people who have purchased my book in whatever form, and also the New Zealand
Libraries who have taken it onboard. I believe that a vast majority of Libraries have the book on their shelves and in the large centres they have up to half a dozen. So thank you one and all.
I have been a bit disappointed in a few of our large retail shops for not running with the book, it is a shame they don't support Kiwi authors, and newbies have to start somewhere. Overall I have been happy, and the independent bookshops have been supportive In my town, Paper Plus bought into the book and a lot of Paper Plus franchises around NZ have also https://www.paperplus.co.nz/ Little places like Books on Parade in Wairoa brought half a dozen. https://www.facebook.com/Books-On-Parade-1705301546413061/?hc_location=ufi
Scorpio Books in Christchurch have sold eight. http://www.scorpiobooks.co.nz/ The independent shop Pages and Blackmore in Nelson did not hesitate to buy the book. https://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/ Also Writers Plot in Upper Hutt Wellington https://writersplotreadersread.wordpress.com/ who took three they only sell NZ authors, well worth a look at folks we need to support shops like this. In the small town of Featherston 'For The Love Of Books' https://www.facebook.com/WeLoveBooksNZ/ who are mainly a second hand book dealers but take new ones as well, were only to happy to display Whispers of the Past. Well done for your support.
Next month Is the start of introducing the book into the high schools.
So that's it for another month. Check out the web page https://www.owencloughbooks.com/ and keep up abreast of the second book in the trilogy 'Shadows of the Mind.'
Catch you next month.
