Dear Abyss, there has been a hiccup...

 August 2026

Dear Abyss,

There has been a hiccup. The printer who has done such an excellent job printing my previous books is sadly no longer printing, leaving me looking for a new printer for my book. I want this book out in time for the Christmas markets, so hopefully I will find a printer soon.

In the meantime, I have a summer fair to attend at Clifton Library in York on Saturday 15^th August. I’ll be gathering my books together and taking them out to find new homes at a book signing. Please pop in if you are in the area!

 

Book signing in York - but where did the sheep come from...?

Books packed and ready to go to Clifton Library tomorrow morning 10.30 - 12 noon at the monthly coffee morning - coffee and books, what a perfect combination. 

There are a few sheep too, and some wool to knit more. It's that time of year again, a bit of knitting in public to keep up with demand for these little woolly ambassadors who escaped the printed page.

#LostinaBook

Fighting technology one day at a time...

It seems that making  a busy book is easier than getting photos onto the laptop. 

I've managed to get this one here via instagram... it seems my phone is quite happy to talk to instagram, but it's not talking to my laptop, who know why... maybe I need to shut them in a room together and hope they can sort out their differences...  

 

Luckily my sewing machine has been behaving better than my phone and laptop, so this little festive collection is now neatly bound into a Christmas busy book, ready to go to a fair at York's Guildhall on Saturday.

#LostinaBook

#Busybook 

................................

The calm before the storm - craft fairs and book signings

This month is the calm before the storm, no book signings this month, but plenty of planning and preparation going on for the months ahead...

Right now I'm procrastinating when I should be making a poster for one of my forthcoming events... Oh yes and there's that book to finish, sheep to knit, plums to harvest - yes I know plums have nothing to do with my books, but I can see the tree from the window - and they need picking... arghhh!

But meanwhile - here's a poster that I get a billing on...

I'm looking forward to this one, I might even start my Christmas shopping while I'm there...

Local author at Clifton Library in York 7th July

Lost in a Book goes mobile tomorrow at the coffee morning and story time at Clifton Library in York. There'll be books, there'll be sheep and a few Basils... what's a Basil? Well why don't you come down and find out... 

But I'm Not Sleepy

Lost in a Book book signing at Clifton Library

Lost in a Book will be out and about on 7th July - at Clifton Library in York from 10.30 - 12 noon at their coffee morning and story time... books and coffee - what better combination could you get! 

I'll be displaying my books and yes a few sheep and cats... and signing books for anyone who'd like to buy one - with 20% of takings going to the library funds! 

Book signing in York

 

Exciting new book signing venue:

Clifton Library, York, is the venue for my next book signing Tuesday 7th April.

I'll have my books and a little gathering of sheep... my sheep seem to have captured everyone's imagination, and always raise a smile.

What is it about sheep I wonder that grabs everyone's attention, even more than the cats in two of my other books, though surely more people can relate to cats than sheep... or am I missing something? Are we suddenly a country of sheep lovers, there are hens in the gardens near my house, but no sheep... as far as I know... 

Anyway, I suppose when animals are fictional it doesn't matter what they are, it's not as if we have to accommodate the real thing in our houses, as long as we can fit the fictional ones into our imaginations. And with that in mind - I'm working on a story with a giraffe in it, for no better reason than I think giraffes are really cool and work well with an idea that was buzzing around in my head.

Christmas fairs and book signings... and folding tables

So what else would an author be doing on a Wednesday morning, but trying to prise open a folding table...?

When I started writing I though that I would write my stories, and hand them over to someone else to do all the other mystical stuff that gets those stories into books and into the hands of readers everywhere. But little did I know that I was setting off on a journey that would find me illustrating my own books, publishing; and far from sending the books out into the world, I find myself taking them out there and doing book signings anywhere from a book shop to a swimming pool, and even a vineyard...

Then there's the props - an early ice breaker was handing out bookmarks - made at home on a temperamental printer, and then finding I needed a paper trimmer to cut them up...

I needed a table cloth to cover my table at fairs - and what about a banner with Lost in a Book printed on. That option proved very expensive, so I custom made a table cloth with Lost in a Book appliqued on.

Next came merchandising the books, by designing and knitted characters from the books - so far there are sheep, which have proved to be very popular with all age groups, and a more fun ice breaker than bookmarks... and cats - little ginger Basils roaming the table.

As my stuff expanded and got heavier, I invested in a crate on wheels, which has made my life so much easier, and I don't arrive staggering under the weight of books and bags...

And now, for the fairs where they don't have enough tables, or charge extra for them, I have my own fold up table. It's heavier than expected - just as well, as it is sturdy enough for lots of books - I wonder if I can balance it on wheelie create...

Christmas fairs, book signings and sunny days in Yorkshire

The Santa hat was on on Saturday for the first Christmas fair of the season - I even had a mince pie to get me in the spirit...

What a beautiful start to the day - parking by the river...

Nov 1st and not a cloud in the sky in Wetherby

I've got quite a full table 

Still no sheepdog to keep those sheep in order, but there is something new coming soon...

Christmas Fairs and Book Signings - York 2014

Christmas fairs and book signings: Lost in a Book

• Sat 1st Nov 10am - 3pm Wetherby Town Hall - Charity Christmas Craft and Gift Fair in aid of children's heart surgery fund.
• Thurs 27th Nov 7 - 9pm Knavesmire Primary School - Christmas Shopping Evening
• Sat 30th & Sun 31st Nov Haxby Memorial Hall - Christmas Fair
• Sat 6th Dec 10am - 4.30pm  Tithe Barn Nehter Poppleton Christmas Fair
• Sun 7th Dec 12 noon - 6pm Yorkshire Heart Vineyard Christmas Fair 

...there'll be books, there'll be sheep - and a few other things yet to be made...

Everyone has a book inside them...?

They say that everyone has a book inside them, but not everyone has the passion to cultivate that book and release it into printed form...

Ideas and inspiration spring up at the most unexpected times, but not every flash of inspiration has enough momentum to become a book. That's why I don't write down everything that pops into my head - if it's meant to be it's going to stick around anyway - some characters simply won't go away, so they're not going to be forgotten just because I didn't make a note of them the first time they popped up...

Some characters will have so much to say for themselves that they become a series of books - yes I have such a character, Iver NO-Idea sprang up as if from nowhere when I was reading an article about how to write - now I'm not sure that anyone can tell you how to write. You can be taught the rules of grammar and the structure of a story, but the fun really starts when you start playing with the rules, and just let your imagination run riot...

Doodle Mayhem was born out of the idea that you shouldn't let a character take control and do their own thing - whoever thought up that rule certainly hadn't met Iver No-Idea, born out of a simple doodle drawn by Eric in class, when he couldn't think of what to write... the character really took off when he started to talk to Eric, and he literally got his voice...

Buy now

 First in the Doodle series

Eric would rather doodle than write a story, but when the words start to disappear off the page in front of him, and his doodle starts talking to him, he thinks he must be dreaming.

Eric's doodle has come to life, and he's getting bored; he jumps into Miranda's story, where he gets attacked by a rubber, then he's blown off his feet when Natasha sneezes. Miss Roper is getting angrier by the second. How will Eric ever finish his story, when his doodle just wants to have fun, and create havoc?

Step into a world where drawings come alive, meet Eric's doodles Iver No-Idea and his dog HB as they cause their own brand of trouble.

46 page paperback

Black & white line drawings

ISBN 978-0-9560232-4-7

Self publishing and colour printing

I'm proud to be a self publisher. I love the fact that I have control over my books, and if I want to have lots of colour pictures in there, then that's what I'm going to have...

Why is it that the so called self publishing companies put authors off colour pictures in books? Some will even charge all the pages of a book at the higher rate for colour printing... It doesn't have to be that way, and if you truly self publish with your own ISBN you can shop around and get a reputable printer to produce the book you really want.

Of course that does mean that you're responsible for your own merchandising, but then you usually are anyway...

Book signings are a great way of getting self publish books into the public eye, and a great way of getting feedback on what people think of your books. And yes they do judge a book by it's cover - that's the first thing everyone sees, but if you have a cover to be proud of then that isn't a problem.

Of course social media and a website are great platforms to promote books, and if you're reading this, then I'm doing something right, so how about checking out my Bookshop, see the covers and read the blurbs, and if you like what you see - don't be shy, fill your virtual shopping cart and go shopping :) 

And then of course there's the off the wall sort of merchandising like knitted sheep, which customers at book signings love - and have been getting quite a bit of attention online.

Hidden treasure...

OK I know I've said it before, but I have a little bookshop... and like any bookshop it has treasure within, in the form of books. So the mission is ongoing to draw people into my bookshop.

I've tried links and keywords, sharing, posting and tweeting, and what have I learnt...?

I've learnt that people will follow a link to my blog, but rarely to my website, I'm beginning to think that my bookshop is hidden by some sort of invisibility shield...  or someone bigger is stood in front of it, so no one can see it. Well this little bookshop is breaking out, going on the rampage... and going to get noticed.

There's a competition running - everyone loves something free right? It started on page 4, but maybe I should bring it out into the open, put it on the homepage - in the window...!

I can't be the only one struggling to get a little online shop noticed - if you have one too, leave a comment and we can share ideas...

To gazebo or not to gazebo...?

This summer I find myself drawn to some of the outdoor events, rather than indoor craft fairs, but my dilemma is I don't have a gazebo.

So do I buy a gazebo, even though it will probably get me into all sorts of trouble... I have, in the past struggled with one of those little beach shelters - the type that you can change in, if you are very flexible and don't need to stand up to get dressed. Or maybe I should take the little beach shelter and snuggle my books into that, while I stand outside and stand my ground against the elements...

Is there such a thing as a virtual gazebo...? I think that might suit me better, an online gazebo instead of an online bookshop...

Why my dictionary is my most used book...

A child at a book signing was surprised to hear that even an author needs a dictionary, but my dictionary is my most used book, it comes out all the time, and is starting to look a little shabby... and a shabby book is a loved book, just like a favourite teddy.

I love my dictionary, it has all the ingredients for a bestseller, all I have to do is find the right recipe, measure out just the right mix of words and arrange them in the right order.

...and hope that Iver No-Idea from the doodle series doesn't jumble them up again.

Iver No-Idea and his dog HB from Doodle Mayhem

Finding inspiration on twitter...? who'd have thought it...

Finding inspiration...

Well here's a first, I've been on social media and found something inspirational, and now I need to write before anything else can burst my bubble.

So what was the secret, well for a start off I was on twitter, and so much of it is people or companies just after a follow or trying to sell their product, but today I put in a search for new kids books, and a wonderful article came up about Terry Pratchett. He's got a new book coming out soon, and gave an interview to the Guardian giving some insights into his life and books that he's read. I even learnt a new word: segue, and if you're new to this word too, look it up in a dictionary - trust me you're more likely to remember it than if I tell you...

So maybe I've been using twitter all wrong, there's some weird a wonderful things on there, but also stuff I really don't need to see - ah well maybe I'll figure it out eventually. or am I just over thinking it...?

So what books have I been reading lately?

Well I've just finished The House on the Strand by Daphne Du Maurie, which I read after seeing the dramatisation of two of her books on the telly, and I was curious... I found it pretty dark, and probably wouldn't read another of her books, but I'm glad I tried it. Now I've started reading Bridget Jones The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding. I've always loved the Bridget Jones films, and now I'm working my way through the books... I do love to read an eclectic mix.

Little Bookshop with big ideas...

The mission: to reach out across the internet to book lovers everywhere and share my love of books.

The conundrum: my bookshop is tucked away in a virtual back alley - the sort of shop that people seek out, if only they know it's there in the first place...

  

There's no coffee shop: but with a bit of imagination you can put the kettle on and make the drink of your choice, curl up in your favourite chair and read the blurbs...

So have a rummage, read the blurbs and find a new friend.

...choose a book, shop in the online shop and I'll tuck the book of your choice into comfy envelope and post it out to you.

Is Etsy the new answer to the craft fair?

Is Etsy the new answer to the craft fair...? Certainly it seems to be where all the craft people are gathering right now, and there are some beautiful and unique items in there

As my own website shop seems to be on a back alley that no one can find, I have been re-stocking my Etsy shop - there's books, there's sheep... what more could you want? And all nestled in the comfortable environment of this online craft fair... so pop along and see what you think.

Meanwhile I'll be putting my thinking cap on (oh no another excuse to wear a hat...), and planning how to renovate my shop, or dragging it into a more prominent position...

Monday ramblings

Monday ramblings are on time this week, and not delayed to Tuesday like last week...

So what am I rambling about today? Well I've got my marketing hat on again, and trying my best not to get sidetracked into designing a suitable hat for the job... not that I'm a milliner or anything, and the last thing I need is to start off on a new and unrelated project...

So, trying to stick on subject - I've been getting more views on my various internet sites, but people seem more interested in my random ramblings than in my books, so maybe I'm attracting the wrong audience.

Where, I wonder can I find the audience who are going to buy cat books - wouldn't some of you lovely readers like to read about my life with a house full of kittens...? You can share such crazy moments as me wondering around the house in the middle of the night with my cat, looking for her kittens... You can see what drove a normally sane person to hiss at her cat in the middle of another night, or how we shared the job of weaning the kittens - me messing up the kittens with kitten slop, and her washing them... t

©anne m stephenson from Outnumbered by Cats

Self publishing - making the book you want to make...

Hi there, I know I've got your attention - the stats don't lie, so why is nobody talking to me...?

Well, as nobody is going to say anything, it just leaves me to ramble on a bit more...

My next project:

I've made a start on my next project, well, when I say I've made a start, I'm making a start on  the illustrations and formatting - the text is already written, and it's an exciting story, although I do say  it myself.

It could be said that this book is taking me back to my comfort zone - it's another picture book. But on the other hand it means getting my paints out again, which is always a little out of my comfort zone - words always come easier than pictures, which is odd, given my very visual imagination...

So I'm going to be sploshing around with paints for the next few weeks - I can't think of a better way to spend a summer...

But launching into a new book is always an adventure - and the problems that jump out at me, are never where I expected to find them.

My latest book Outnumbered by Cats seemed on the face of it, as if the illustrations were going to be easy, after all  they are photos. But, first I got distracted by all those lovely photos of my cats and kittens, then my cat came to join me and was sat avidly watching videos, and listening to her kittens from when they were tiny - it was a pretty special moment.

Then I couldn't decide which photos to use, and had a terrible time editing them down to a whopping 82 colour photos... at which point my usual stubborn streak kicked in and I decided that as it was my project I would have all the photos I wanted - you can never have too many kitten photos can you...?

Next I had trouble with the picture quality, after all the work editing the image sizes down, it turned out I should have left well alone and just inserted them at original size and fiddled with them from there. Anyway where there's a will there's a way and after a lot of reworking my photos are all there in colour inserts.

So if anyone tries to tell you that a self publisher can't do a book with colour photos - don't listen, be stubborn and make the book you want to make - isn't that the point of self publishing after all...?