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R. Bownds Author - March Newsletter 2026 - Plenty of Freebies
Published 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hello to all my newsletter readers it's time once again to touch base.
It's hard to believe the first three months of 2026 has almost gone already. Nine more months like this and we'll be looking down the barrel at 2027 before we know it. I think our fast paced, rush here, rush there world today leaves us wondering ... where does the time go?
I still plan on releasing books 4 and 5 of The Mara Mysteries this year all going well.
Signed and Unsigned Paperbacks
I have paperback copies signed or unsigned of all my books available through my website or direct through my Payhip store. Including glossy cover paperback copies of the short story Murder on the Murray.
Murder on the Murray is also available as an ebook when you sign up to my newsletter. If you don't have a copy as yet grab yourself one. You won't get double newsletters if you're already a subscriber.
The recent floods through the outback of South Australia reminded me of several incidents back when we trapped rabbits in the 60s. This is one of those times.
The creeks through the outback are mostly dry unless spring fed but the lesson well learnt is never to pitch camp in a dry creek bed even if its the only source of shade available. One such time with no rain forecast my father decided for the comfort of the family and against his better judgement he did just that. We setup camp beneath several gum trees on a small raised patch of gravelly ground in the centre of an extremely wide dry creek bed. We camped there for several days, no rain, scorching hot and shade ... until.
One morning we crawled from our beds to find our little camp perched on an island in the middle of a fast rising creek. Luckily at this time the water wasn't anymore than knee high and us kids and Mum waded through carrying camping gear while Dad and my brothers hitched the car to the caravan and drove it, the truck and our trapping vehicle across.
What to remember in that country is, there may be no rain where you are but don't for a moment believe you are safe from flood. Those creaks come down fast and the storm the water came from could be miles away but it'll be upon you in no time.
The Mara Mysteries - Books 1, 2 and 3.
The Mara Mysteries Additional - A Weekend at Joe's
Check out this Australian mystery author. If you're into Aussie crime his DI Stratton series could be right up your ally.
S.J. Thiessen
Mystery crime author
Simon James (S.J.) Thiessen is a Tasmanian crime fiction author based in Hobart, where he lives with his wife Jane and two of their four children (the eldest two sons having left home to make the same mistakes Simon made at their age). After a career spent founding businesses, advising leaders, and consulting on workplace culture, Simon eventually admitted something to himself: he didn’t just want to write a novel—he wanted to be a novelist. The result are the Detective Inspector Terry Stratton mystery crimes; a growing series of Australian crime novels set firmly in lutruwita / Tasmania. Stratton is a detective who struggles with politics, distrusts authority, and prefers uncomfortable truths to convenient answers. Unsurprisingly, Simon relates. The series began with Crossing the Patriline, a prequel novel, and continues with Aether and Degrees of Retribution. While each book stands alone, the series builds a wider world of recurring characters, long grudges, and professional rivalries—where past decisions echo loudly into the present. Simon’s stories are shaped by his enduring love of classic and contemporary mysteries, and by themes he returns to often: justice and power, belonging and inclusion, dyslexia, identity, and resistance to systems that protect themselves before they protect people.
Hello Reader it's time once again to touch base. Meet Penny Two and a half weeks ago this little cutie came to live with us as a friend for our aging Greyhound Misty. Penny is a female purebred Parson's Jack Russell 15 months old, full of cheek and mischief. She likes to sit on my knee when I'm writing or reading. Penny The Devil's Revenge Final edits and read through are coming along nicely. Release date will be June 30th 2026. Watch your inbox, my Facebook page or my blog for updates. The...
Hello to all my newsletter readers it's time once again to touch base. Hard to believe its a month since my last newsletter, doesn't time fly fast these days. With the price of petrol skyrocketing higher every day more and more of us are opting to staying home, browsing the internet, bingeing Netflix or sitting down with a hot cuppa, a glass of wine or even a beer and reading a good book. The Devil's Revenge Edits are flying through, chapters drifting into my beta readers inboxes. So far...
Hello to all my newsletter readers it's time once again to touch base. This month we have a very special surprise for you all. A new freebie for my newsletter subscribers both new and old. By entering your email to download this book you are automatically signing up for our newsletter but if your email address is already registered on our mailing list, don't sweat you won't receive double newsletters. Please note, you can unsubscribe at any time. Murder on the Murray Murder on the Murray When...
