Confessions of a scatterbrain

I seem to be taking multitasking to a new level lately, and working at the kitchen table is quite possibly a harder place to work than hiding in the loft - jobs seem to call to me from the kitchen table - and so, finally I sit down to work with the background noise of the dishwasher, and where do I start...?

Well emails is the obvious place, after all I might have a big book order waiting there... but today I don't, I have a notification from facebook, so of course it'd be rude not to pop along and check my messages there..

I have a notification that several people like my status from yesterday - about me getting distracted by woolly hat patterns instead of getting on with some work. ...oops. I remind people about a Christmas shopping evening I'm attending and wander over to my blog. so "Hi" everyone who wondered over with me (Are you getting distracted by social media too?).

I don't like lists, I find them stressful - that all started many Christmases ago when I made a Christmas list, and it was very long... not the sort of thing that needs to be viewed all at once, but tucked discreetly into corners of my mind and tackled gradually.

And so without the aid of a list I throw myself at each day hoping to get to end of the things that absolutely have to get done that day, and decide I can forgive myself for leaving the rest for tomorrow...

Signed 1st edition

I have a few signed 1st editions of The Monster Under The Bed available while stocks last.

These were my very first books, which I published through Trafford Publishing, and fewer than 450 copies were printed before I brought The Monster Under The Bed out in 2nd edition under my own imprint: Lost in a Book.

So why not pop along to my Etsy shop and grab one while stocks last

Book signing

Another week another Christmas shopping evening - this week it's at Knavesmire Primary School in York. Thursday 7 - 9pm where I'll be inviting everyone to get Lost in a Book this Christmas.

I have new stocks of Lost in the Christmas Post - the second print run arrived just in time for the Christmas rush...

Supporting small business

We hear a lot about supporting our local shops in the community, which is great, I like to support local small businesses, but what about supporting small online business?

We could be a business you've met at a local show or fair, you probably even picked up a business card, or in my case a bookmark. But do you ever follow it through...?

I get a wonderful response when I go out and do book signings, I even get asked if I'm there every week at some events, well the truth is I'm not there every week, I lack the time, and the money it costs to have a stand at such events every week, but my website is always there, and I've now got a shop on Etsy, both of which are my online book signing, and I don't even add postage, so you pay the cost of the book and get it delivered to you free of charge.

Successful book sigings

I had a very good weekend signing books. My little flock of ten sheep have all gone out to new homes with copies of But I'm Not Sleepy, the book that inspired them.

The customer of the day on Saturday had to be little Annabelle, who went away in her buggy cuddling her new sheep and saying "Baa", her copy of the book tucked into the shopping tray of her buggy for later :)

York Flea Market proved to be an interesting and successful day, and one I'll definitely be going back to.

Whixley Winter Craft Fair was a lovely traditional village craft fair with an array of hand crafted gifts. I met some lovely people who share my passion for books, and enjoyed browsing and buying my books, many for Christmas presents.

So what next...?
Back to basics with some proof reading - and then tonight I'll be knitting more sheep for my next event on Thursday: A Christmas Shopping Event in Wilberfoss.

Christmas gifts - books for kids

What could be better for a Christmas gift than a book?

Books are timeless, and I can't ever remember a Christmas without a new book to read.

They're escapism, when you just want to curl up in a quiet corner and disappear into a world of your own.

They're to share, when you read a special  Christmas book to children. My favourite has always been The Night Before Christmas. I can remember the paperback copy I had read to me every year throughout my childhood, there was a Santa on the cover and his hat was all fuzzy - it's faded now, but it's still bright red in my memory.

We had a hardback copy for my children, and it was joined every year by new festive reads. I remember reading Mog's Christmas for the first time, I had to keep stopping because I was laughing too much to go on as Mog described the Christmas tree as it came up the drive, and then made itself all pretty.

I like to have at least one new festive read every year, and this year Just for Christmas is already sat on my bookshelf awaiting my attention. I'm not sure if I'm quite ready to slip into Christmas yet, maybe I'll give it a week or two, I don't want to peak too soon...

Pictures from my Christmas book: Lost in the Christmas Post

"What are Christmas cards?" asked Iver Jumping into one of the cards. He sank up to his knees.

There was something not quite right about the cards...

Iver No-Idea doesn't mean to disrupt the Christmas preparations, but he does seem to cause his own brand of chaos.

Book signings in York

I've got a busy weekend coming up, with two days of book signings:

Saturday: I'll be at York Flea Market, this is a brand new venue which started last week, and from the pictures on facebook it promises to be a good one. With an eclectic mix of crafts on display, it's the perfect place to do a bit of Christmas shopping for things that you just can't buy on the high street.

I'll be doing a book signing, with the added attraction of my little flock of sheep. inspired by my bestseller But I'm Not Sleepy.

Sunday: I'll be at Whixley Wnter Craft Fair, a craft fair with a Christmas theme, at a village just outside York - I'd better get my Christmas hat and fairly lights ready for this one, and hope for a mince pie or two, between signing books.

First edition first print run

When I first published Lost in the Christmas Post I thought it might only sell in the lead up to Christmas, how wrong I was, I have sold Lost in the Christmas Post throughout every month of the year.

Lost in the Christmas Post was the very first title published under my own imprint Lost in a Book, and is currently being reprinted as my stocks have nearly sold out. But there are 4 books left of that original print run, on the shelves of my Etsy shop Lost in a Book at Etsy  and in my website shop.

Printing...

The little printer in the corner is busy chugging away, printing off my revised manuscript. I think it was hoping for a lunch break, it had a bit of a chew on the corner of a sheet of paper a while ago, but it managed to drag it through and carry on. It's just as well it doesn't have to print out the final books, or it would go into meltdown.

Talking of books, I have a new print run ordered of Lost in the Christmas Post that should be ready later in the week, but I still have 4 of my First edition, first print run left if anyone would like to snap one up while stocks last...

Online Book Signing

My list of Christmas events is still growing, I've just booked in to York's latest venue - York's Flea Market, which sounds like too much fun to miss. but if you can't make it to one of these events why not stop by at my Online Book Signing and grab yourself a signed copy, still postage free.

Where are the geese when I need them...?

Where are the geese when I need them, when I went into town to photograph them... ?

Granted I hadn't made an appointment with them, there was no commitment on their behalf to be there just because I needed them.

And why did I need them...? Well... I'm doing a piece about York, and I think there are quite enough pictures of York Minster and the city walls already circulating, so I wanted to illustrate my article with a peaceful scene of geese chilling out by the River Ouse. But I think they may just have got a bit too chilled, and gone to find somewhere warmer to hang out, last time I saw them they had their heads tucked under their wings against the cold.  ...or maybe they just went off to do some sightseeing.

National Novel Writing Month

Last year when my writing seemed to be grinding to a halt, I took part in National Novel Writing Month, NaNoWriMo I did a power hour for every day in November, when  I sat down and wrote, and my word count kept growing. By the end of November I had produced the first draft of a book.

The year seems to have flown by, but now that book draft has matured and is almost ready to publish. So amid the chaos of selling books and knitting sheep (yes that's right I've diversified into knitting the characters from But I'm Not Sleepy), and all the other things that pulled at my time, I have still managed to produce a new book... watch this space!

Multi tasking

So... what have I done today?

Well...

I've knitted a sheep - this is becoming quite a habit... the flock is now 8 strong and growing.

I've done some editing for my new book - just a few more corrections to do and then I think I'm done :)

I've received an email to say that my reprint of Lost in the Christmas Post will be ready in time for my Christmas fairs - this is great news as my stocks were getting very low.

Counting sheep

Counting sheep... it's the tried and tested way of getting to sleep - but what happens to all the sheep once you've finished counting them? I bet you didn't think about that...?

Here at Lost in a Book things are in danger of getting out of hand. 

It all started with a notion to merchandise my book But I'm Not Sleepy.  One sheep took shape and sprang from my knitting needles, then one sheep lead to another until it is fast becoming a flock of sheep...

And where are all these sheep heading? Well they'll be making an appearance at Christmas fairs around the York area. The first one is Huntington School this Friday - who knows how many they'll be by then...

Christmas fairs

It's November, which means it's Christmas fair season.

My first event of the season is next Friday 8th November 7-9pm at Huntington Primary School in York, where we'll be getting festive at a Christmas shopping evening. I'll be signing books and inviting everyone to get Lost in a Book.
I can't imagine a Christmas without a book to disappear into at some point...