The Temple Series

Tag: The Temple Series (page 1 of 2)

The Temple Series

The Temple Legacy – making #1 in its Amazon.com categories

One of the biggest problems faced by independent authors is achieving visibility in a very busy international marketplace. It’s tough, though I have been happy with the progress made during the past couple of years. Even so, following publication of The Temple Deliverance, the fourth book in the series, I decided to try a little extra promotional push at the start of the summer.

The goal was to raise awareness of my work amongst more readers in both the UK and USA. The particular focus was on the first book in the series, The Temple Legacy, using the BookBub advertising platform for the main thrust of a discount promotion campaign.

The results surpassed my highest hopes. I am really delighted with the outcome. The Temple Legacy made number one in two separate categories at Amazon.com during the promotion.

The Temple Legacy’s achievement as badged on Amazon.com:

This post is written in large part to express my gratitude to all those readers who previously chanced upon my writing and were prepared to invest their time in reading the novels. Thank you, your early commitment provided the encouragement that supported my writing of the full series.

Thank you too, to all those many, many readers who chose to engage with my recent publicity drive; you propelled The Temple Legacy to number one in its categories at Amazon.com, the world’s biggest online bookstore – brilliant.

and

Still savouring the pleasure of seeing The Temple Legacy hit number one spot in its Amazon.com bookshop categories, I chanced upon another Amazon.com nugget that truly delighted me. This is something that might not happen too often – perhaps only with the frequency of lightning striking twice. So I was pleased to snatch the freeze frame shown below.

On one day only, in Amazon.com’s Most Popular Author Rank – Action & Adventure Category, D.C. Macey and the Temple Series were placed at 25, ranked above George R.R. Martin with his Game of Thrones series at 26!

I have been absolutely thrilled at the response to my marketing and publicity push of late June/early July and intend to undertake some further promotional activities soon. In the meantime, I’m very much aware there is more writing to be done. I hope my next work will prove of interest to readers too – more on that later.

Once again, a sincere thank you to all readers, old and new.

With my very best wishes. D.C.

The Temple Deliverance

15th March 2019 / D.C Macey / 0 Comments

I’m delighted to announce that The Temple Deliverance is now available for pre-order on Amazon.

Do take a look at this fourth book in The Temple series at your regular Amazon store. You can place a pre-order there now to ensure your copy of The Temple Deliverance is automatically delivered to you on 6th April – the novel’s general release day.

United States: Amazon.com

United Kingdom: Amazon.co.uk

Australia: Amazon.com.au

Canada: Amazon.ca

The Temple Covenant -Pre-order & Publication

24th March 2018 / D.C Macey / 0 Comments

I’m delighted to report that The Temple Covenant, book 3 of The Temple series, is now on pre-order with Amazon and you can access it right now from here. Just follow the link to your home Amazon store:

Amazon.com customers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BNPQFF9

Amazon.co.uk customers: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07BNPQFF9

Amazon.au customers: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07BNPQFF9

Amazon.ca customers: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07BNPQFF9

The Temple Covenant will be released on 7th April and I’m looking forward to seeing it go live. Please do have a look now, and remember, when you pre-order The Temple Covenant eBook it will be delivered directly to your reading device on publication day – once ordered there are no further actions required and no fuss.

Over the next few days, I’ll be busy checking over the finishing touches to the print book version and it will be available for order a few days after the Amazon eBook goes live. The Apple iBook and Kobo release will follow in sequence a little after that. Then it’s straight on with book 4, which I’m very excited about and hope to see released towards the end of the year.

I do hope you enjoy The Temple Covenant and thanks to you all for having taken the time to read my previous works. Thanks too, for all the kind messages of support I have received along the way, they are all very much appreciated and truly treasured.

With best wishes,

D.C.

The Temple Covenant

Edinburgh Lighting up for the Festive Season.

24th December 2016 / D.C Macey / 0 Comments

Greetings from Edinburgh.

Princes Street Gardens

The Dome in George Street

Edinburgh Castle

Floodlit Edinburgh Castle, apparently in festive red. On the other hand, perhaps the castle commandant has just read the Temple Legacy.

My best wishes and thanks to everyone for your support over the past year. Hoping the holidays turn out well for you all and I’m looking forward to sharing more stories in the coming year.

Happy Christmas.

DCM

The Temple Scroll

27th September 2016 / D.C Macey / 0 Comments

The Temple Scroll is my second novel and I’m delighted that it’s now available to readers through all the planned channels.

The Temple Scroll

There has been a little delay in announcing the official release while all the channels were harmonised. Happily, everything is now in line and I’m certain the few extra days wait have been worth it.

This second book in The Temple series has been a real pleasure to write. Looking over it now, I’m very happy with the way pacing, action and some scary parts weave together as the narrative flows towards its conclusion.

Now it’s out, I’m particularly looking forward to learning what readers think, and that will be very useful while I’m busy writing the third book, which I’m really excited about too. If you would like to express an opinion or ask a question, please do feel free to send me a message via the contact facility on www.dcmacey.com.

Thanks to you all for your support. Best wishes,

DCM.

The Party’s Over – again

3rd September 2016 / D.C Macey / 0 Comments

Festival Crowds

Well, August has come and gone. Once again, it’s been a hectic time. The great atmosphere in Edinburgh during the summer festival period never fails to delight – for residents and visitors alike. As in previous years, I’ve spent plenty of time soaking up the atmosphere and attending a wide variety of events.

Actors canvas in the Royal Mile

I’ve been to a range of shows, mostly comedy, including some stand up and all great fun. I also took the opportunity to revisit the Celts Exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland – a building that plays a significant part in my first novel, The Temple Legacy.

National Museum of Scotland

As might be expected, I’ve made several visits to the Book Festival – some for specific events and on other occasions just to browse around and get a coffee. Its location is really convenient, set in Charlotte Square Gardens at the very heart of the New Town.

Hats off to the Book Festival, it really takes engaging with younger readers very seriously. Providing lots of good age appropriate events and safe areas for younger children makes it so much easier for families to visit. And with such a wide variety of offerings in the programme, it would be almost impossible for any reader not to find things to enjoy. Talks and engagements were on offer from a wide range of authors who between them seemed to span every theme and genre. Then there were experts giving insights into science, the future, history, business and politics – everything. It has been a really rich and varied programme that offered something new for every taste, every day.

Some high points for me included talks and readings by friends. At the Blackwell’s Writers at the Fringe event, Toni Jenkins gave a great insight into her novel The Sender. On another afternoon, I joined others in the Book Festival’s Spiegeltent where Sarah Eakin was reading as part of the Story Shop event. The author of Wed, White & Blue, Sarah’s seamless delivery was very impressive.

Sarah Eakin

Of the other events I took in, all were fascinating and met or exceeded my expectations while often providing unexpected insights that have got me thinking about aspects of my own work. These included events on both fiction and nonfiction.

Kate Summerscale’s writing is renowned for lifting the lid on true historical crime incidents. She talked about her research methods, story selection and her latest book The Wicked Boy. Her use of creative narrative to bring real events back to life always provides new insight, knowledge and entertainment. Her new book explores an incident of matricide during the Victorian era to offer an insight into human character and experience. Of course, it explores a shocking crime, the consequent punishment and, eventually, perhaps even some form of redemption.

Well done to Scottish crime writer Val McDermitt who did a great job of interviewing Kate Summerscale and directing the course of the event.

Kate Summerscale

One of my favourite historical fiction writers is Conn Iggulden so I was delighted to take the opportunity to see him at this year’s Book Festival. Having delivered several series of novels, his range of writing is clearly very impressive. With equal success, he’s explored Rome and the world of Julius Caesar, the emergence of the Mongol super power under Genghis Khan and, more recently, the Wars of the Roses. Ostensibly, his session at the Book Festival was to consider the tensions and processes involved in drawing a series to a close. But his talk, both on topic and the frequent asides, was such good entertainment value that I’m sure I would have been happy whatever his focus.

Conn Iggulden

Another summer festival season has come to an end but that’s never it in the Festival City. There’s always something else coming up on the horizon and it won’t be long before there’s something new to see.

Festival Street Crowds

Edinburgh Festival 2016

6th August 2016 / D.C Macey / 0 Comments

It’s Festival time again and as usual, there’s Lots to see and do – it’s looking really exciting.

Edinburgh International Book Festival 2016 – Programme

After a hectic few weeks, there’s finally a bit of time to take the foot of the gas and enjoy the festivals. And like every year, there’s so much to take in it’s going to be impossible to see even a fraction of the shows and events that catch the eye.

I’m mainly focusing on two areas this year, the Book Festival and the Festival Fringe – including some comedy and two or three exhibitions that look really interesting.

I’ve already organised tickets for some Book Festival events. There are several writers who I think are going to give really interesting talks. The Book Festival always has such a good atmosphere that I’ll be dropping in to visit on other occasions too, just to wander about and soak it all in – maybe take in one or two extra events in the process. I’ll look forward to passing on some observations as the Book Festival plays through.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2016 – Programme

It’s a similar approach for the Fringe Festival. With so many shows on offer, it’s almost a fulltime job just to study the programme. Edinburgh is such a big event that just about every well-known comedian and performer turns up to do a gig at some point. So I’ve booked up a couple of shows that we know we’ll enjoy. Then plan to follow the performance reviews as they’re published to see what’s catching attention – to pick out something extra to see. Finally, we’ll mix in a bit of pot luck, just drop in and take what’s on offer.

Should be lots of fun. I highly recommend the whole experience. If you haven’t been before just try it. Follow the links to check out the programmes. There really is plenty of choice with lots to suit every conceivable taste.

Checking Out the River Wye

11th July 2016 / D.C Macey / 0 Comments

River Wye at Hay-on-Wye

Another research trip recently found me tracing the course of the river Wye. For part of its length, the river marks the border between England and Wales, so it’s loaded with historical resonance. The tranquil scenes today belie events of times past.

I made this trip to do some final checks before the Temple Scroll goes live. Just as well I did. I came across a small but material change in the appearance of one scene – sorted it with an appropriate tweak once I got home.

Clearly, if something in the physical world changes after publication, that’s beyond anyone’s control, but it’s good to make sure things are as they should be at the outset.

I started at Hay-on-Wye. As a writer, it seemed an appropriate place to start. For this part of the trip, I think I had got my scheduling about right. The Hay Festival had finished a couple of weeks previously and the influx of summer visitors were yet to arrive in any great numbers. So it was perfect for wandering around and taking in the town.

Hay-on-Wye, quiet street

From Hay I moved downstream, taking in a range of locations. I spent a bit of time in Hereford, which gave me time for a visit to the Cider Museum, it’s the natural place to find a cider museum – Hereford’s the home of Bulmer’s Cider. Then, before crossing the river and continuing my journey south, I paid a visit to Hereford Cathedral, a building that has always impressed me – more about this on another occasion.

Hereford Cathedral

Once out of Hereford, I followed the Wye all the way downstream to Chepstow, where it joins the River Severn. I’m avoiding adding too much detail at this point since I don’t want to give anything away and spoil the story.

Chepstow Castle

Check out the riverbanks; the grey brown mud highlights the tidal range here, which is enormous. Of course, the Wye’s feeding into the Severn estuary, which is reputed to have the second highest tidal range in the world – way over forty feet. It’s very impressive.

Sufficient to say, things were as I had last seen them and after a day of nosing about, I happily moved on.

It was at Bristol where I found the item that necessitated an adjustment to the script. It was just a little thing, a minor difference in my understanding of the traffic routing – but it influenced how events played out in the Temple Scroll so I was pleased to catch the snag. And hats off to Bristol, they have managed to do a great job of revitalising the old docks. It’s a really vibrant place and a pleasure to visit day or night. Thanks too, to the guys at the London Camera Exchange in Baldwin Street – they sorted out my camera problem with the minimum fuss and maximum efficiency.

Then it was on to Bristol Airport, and home.

Horns of a Dilemma

5th July 2016 / D.C Macey / 0 Comments

Ouch, whatever side you came down on in the referendum, seems it’s going to hurt a bit anyway.

Long horned bull, standing – Tanzania

Before the referendum, we all thought carefully, read, and listened. In the end, with all the counterarguments, it just boiled down to picking your points and personal instinct.

But hats off to our ruling elite, they contrived to be leading both sides, so no matter what, collectively, they’ll be okay. And if things go bad, our elite knows to blame us ordinary folk for making the wrong choice – if it goes well, then hey, they told us to do that too; they win again.

Throughout history, every successful society has had an elite; I can accept that. While I don’t aspire to belong to it, I can live with its existence if it contributes to a more stable society for everyone. Similarly, I don’t mind people being rich. But being rich or being the offspring of the rich is no reason to have influence over how my or anyone else’s life is run. Attaining positions of leadership should be based only on ability, integrity, and a desire to deliver the best for the population.

Our elite have overseen the development of a completely unbalanced economy. They have overseen the evolution of a tax system that ensures ordinary folk pay while others don’t. They have failed to link up strategic plans across key aspects of the country’s activity. We have an unjust justice system. They even failed to challenge the weaker aspects of Europe while in a position to do so – like the sclerotic and inadequate rules that allowed Volkswagen to make fools of us all. And of course, our elite have provided a home for the worst aspects and practices of free market global finance.
In or out was an important decision. But the recent furore has masked the other important decision we face: what kind of country do we want?

Do we meekly accept more of the same? Following whatever route our less than stellar leaders now map for us. Or do we demand that the inevitable shake up Brexit brings is used as the opportunity to implement a fair society for everyone? A fair tax system, honest financial systems, fair treatment of people, properly supported health and welfare services, honest business regulations and appropriately severe sanctions against those who seek to exploit us.

In a quiet way, I’m proud of my country. I want it to succeed regardless of the in or out decision and whatever international trading arrangements we end up with. But more than anything else, I want to live in a country that is honest, fair and principled.

Looking at the horns again, perhaps this next decision is not going to be quite such a dilemma after all. Regardless of in or out, I’m for demanding integrity of our leaders and for national strategies that serve the people fairly, first and last.

Long horned bull, sitting – Tanzania

Hamish McHamish – the real deal

28th June 2016 / D.C Macey / 0 Comments

Readers have asked me whether or not Hamish McHamish is real. Well, sometimes fact is stranger than fiction. While he gets just a passing reference in my novel, it’s worth mentioning that Hamish was very real. Sadly, he passed away a while back, but in his day he was definitely the top cat in Saint Andrews, it was his town. Any self-respecting visitor should be aiming to get a photo beside Hamish’s statue to pair up with the standard golf course pose. Ask about Hamish and you can be sure you’ll find a local with a ginger feline tale to recount.

Hamish captured the essence of the urban cat. He went where he wanted, ate where he wanted and slept where he wanted. He pretty much had the freedom of the town. Hamish didn’t follow the rules, or perhaps just decided which ones applied to him and when. In any event, he clearly thought and acted as though he was in charge in his town – hence the good folk of Saint Andrews erected the commemorative statue to him. So, in answer to the question: yes, he was the real deal.

Tag: The Temple Series (page 1 of 2)