The Awkward Squad
A Readers' Group by Michael Campling
Hello
When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.
H.M. Queen Elizabeth II
I thought it fitting to begin with a quote from Queen Elizabeth. I have a lot of respect for the way she dedicated her life to the service of our country, with fortitude and courage. I've never known a different head of state, and the monarch provides a sense of stability and continuity that has helped many people to unify in celebrating good times, and in coming to terms with the times when life was harder.
She will be much missed, and of course, she was a mother, a grandmother and a great grandmother. As a person, Queen Elizabeth seemed to be a stoic, and many of her generation had that strength and determination to carry on, especially when the going got tough. My mum, who passed away earlier this year, was the same. I'm not sure if that strength was borne of hardship, or whether many of us just have that determination in reserve.
I like to think it's the latter. People can be amazing. I try to remember that.
But before I get too carried away with my thoughts on human nature, here are the photos:
Featured Photos
A recent trip to the Eden project in Cornwall.
I've been to the Eden project several times over the years, and I always enjoy strolling through the biomes: domes contrived to replicate particular habitats. The tropical biome is always a favourite of mine. It can be slightly arduous to trek around the place because it is kept warm and humid, but on this occasion the UK was having a heatwave, so it really wasn't all that different to the temperature outside. There's also a mediterranean biome, complete with grapevines and orange trees, and that's a more relaxing place to wander around.
At one time, many years ago, I started a degree in plant biology, so I've long been been interested in the natural world. I didn't finish that degree, but I'm still fascinated by the diversity of life on our precious planet. To see such a profusion of colour and greenery is an uplifting experience, but it's also a poignant reminder of the habitats we are losing every day. I was learning about such things on my degree course back in 1983, so the climate crisis is not by any means a new phenomenon. I won't climb on my soap box. I'm sure many of you value the natural world too, and in that spirit, I hope you enjoy the pictures.
As always, there are more photos on the site, and there's a link in the big, blue button just above my signature.
Book News
Your BookFunnel Library
As many of you know, BookFunnel is a great way to get hold of ebooks, but you may not realise that the company has been making great strides in finding ways to serve readers. They have a cloud reader where you can read ebooks in any browser, and they also have a nifty feature that I think is under-used: a personal library for every user.
If you've ever used Bookfunnel to download a book, your books are stored there already. If you lose your ereader or drop your tablet or phone down the stairs, your books will still be held in the Bookfunnel library. And it's free. All you have to do is set a password, and you can log in and retrieve your ebooks, even if you originally downloaded them ages ago.
I think that's pretty clever.
Kobo are having a promotion on mysteries, thrillers and suspense ebooks.
Running throughout September, if you buy certain ebooks you can claim another ebook free, provided that book is in the promotion, of course.
The offer is available in Canada, the UK, the USA, Australia and New Zealand.
Here are some handy links:
Australia: https://kobo.com/p/sept-thrills-au
New Zealand: https://kobo.com/p/sept-thrills-nz
Canada: https://kobo.com/p/sept-thrills-ca
UK: https://kobo.com/p/sept-thrills-uk
ICYMI - Something Different?
A quick reminder that I've started a newsletter for fans of SF and suspense. I've called it Something Different, and I'll use those newsletters to highlight any new developments in my SF and suspense fiction.
When you sign up, you'll receive some free science fiction and suspense books, including several short science fiction pieces that I've complied into a new, not-for-sale collection with the snappy title Short Science Fiction.
What's Next?
The latest Devonshire Mystery is taking shape, and it's always exciting when I realise I can add in some extra twists in the tale to keep you all guessing. It sometimes feels as though the story was already there, waiting to be discovered. Perhaps that's just my mind playing tricks on me, but it keeps me going, so I'm not going to examine it too closely.
The new covers are rolling in for some of my older books, and I realise there are quite a few of them. I have probably bitten off more than I can chew, but I'll get there in the end.
I started this newsletter thinking about the way people carry on in the face of adversity, and as I sign off, it occurs to me that the other side of that coin is inspiration. When we hear a story of someone who has shown great determination, we are inspired and uplifted.
We never know when we're going to come across someone who will inspire us. All we have to do is watch out for them, so we recognise them when they arrive.
Happy reading and take care.
All the best,
Mikey C
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