D L Richardson

2020. What a year to forget. Oh, wait, it's not over yet.

Many writers and readers across the globe are finding it hard to stay motivated. I can understand that. 2020 sucks. Like a lot of people, I'm stuck at home. Also like a lot of people, I'm looking around the house and thinking about how dated all my furniture looks. I can't afford to just replace it all and get the whole house renovated, so what can I do? I can look at my creations and give them a makeover.
This is one of the great benefits of being an indie author. We can adapt quickly to new trends if need be. I noticed a comment on a Facebook thread from a successful author who was giving advice on a book cover, that the trend for covers was moving to text and image. 
I decided to check out some book covers on the bestseller lists, and discovered that this author was right. There were lots of books without people on the covers. Just text and image. 
Who is driving this push? Is it the traditional publishers who ha…

Can I share a little secret with you? I'm losing my motivation to read and write. It's a common thread I'm seeing on Facebook that a person's creativity is becoming a casualty of lockdown. We're all supposed to have this extra time to do something. But often it's not time that prevents us. It's motivation.
I did a quick count of all the paperbacks on my shelf that I have yet to read. 91. I have 91 books on my "to be read" pile. That isn't counting the number on my Kindle. I should be devouring these books.
Instead, I'm binge-watching "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and "Titans".
So how am I finding motivation in lockdown? I'm sharing covers for two of my upcoming writing projects. I don't normally do this. I normally wait until a book is released to share the covers, but this time I need a little extra push.
"Earth Arrested" book 2 in my sci-fi thriller series "Earth Quarantined"

"The Widow C…

Today, I have a fun surprise to share with you...
My alter ego, Jonette Blake, has teamed up with 45 fantastic authors to give away a huge collection of Dark Mysteries & Thrillers to 2 lucky winners!
Oh, and did I mention the Grand Prize winner gets a BRAND NEW eReader? 😁
You can win my novel POISON IN THE POND, plus books from authors like Shirley Hailstock andMary Widdicks.
Enter the giveaway by clicking here 👉 bit.ly/DarkThrillers-May2020
Good luck and enjoy!

Hello, 

It's April 1 which means my middle-grade fiction novel 'Dog Town' is officially released. Part of my promotion is to send this book on a virtual book tour, organised through Goddess Fish Promotions.



It also means a few very busy days of social media posting and blog visits. Which brings me to an essential marketing tool for authors: the 'swipe page'.

A 'swipe page' is a Word document with a range of links and text that you can easily copy and paste - i.e you swipe to copy the link or text - to save you sorting through documents and websites for this information. 

Trust me, when you are busy promoting your novel, your 'swipe page' will become your best friend. 

Links and text I like to include are as follows:

Links to my bookLinks to my social media sites and websiteTwitter and Instagram hashtagsLinks to blog sitesAny 'copy' I might use such as tag lines and short exciting blurbs. I will write a few of these so each post is different.



Prior …

The earth is closed today, or it sure seems like it.

To assist readers who are self-isolating, parents and students who are stuck at home, and anyone with time on their hands at the moment, I have put all of my books into Amazon's Kindle Unlimited program.

This is like Netflix for book lovers.

Kindle Unlimited usually costs $9.99 per month. Amazon normally offers new users a 30-day free trial of Kindle Unlimited, but I believe there is a current promotion that doubles this and you'd be getting 2 months of free subscription.

This means that you can enjoy all of my books, and millions of others, as part of this program.

Young adult titles:
The Bird with the Broken Wing
Resident Spy
One Little Spell

Dystopian fiction:
Earth Quarantined
P.S I am halfway through writing book 2

Post-Apocalyptic fiction:
Welcome to the Apocalypse - Pandora (Book 1)
Welcome to the Apocalypse - CyberNexis(Book 2)
Welcome to the Apocalypse - Primal Scream (Book 3)
Welcome to the Apocalypse - 3 book bundle


Please also co…

Just for fun, I thought I'd write a post about a great Aussie icon, the drop bear.

A drop bear is a hoax in contemporary Australian folklore featuring a predatory, carnivorous version of the koala. This imaginary animal is commonly spoken about in tall tales designed to scare tourists. Why? Because Australia actually has some of the world’s deadliest animals. And Australians truly are larrikins, so we love a good joke. 
If you don’t know what that word is, then you’re missing out on some great Aussie slang. Here is an extensive list of Aussie slang and their meanings if you're interested. If you ever set foot in the Outback (make that most of Australia), you will hear Aussie slang. Watch Crocodile Dundee and you'll pick up some Aussie slang: larrikin, strewth, fair dinkum, esky, bottle-O.  It’s like another language. 
But that’s not all that Australia is known for. We are also known for our dangerous animals.
There is a common perception amongst tourists that everything in Aus…