Dear Abyss...

 September 2026

Dear Abyss,

The summer fair went very well, I even sold a Christmas book, which is always a bonus in the summer months. I have sold my Christmas book in every month of the year, so they’re always worth putting out throughout the year. I have also been invited back to the library’s Christmas fair, so that is booked in, and something to look forward to.

I am happy to see the end of the summer heat waves (at least I hope so), and now we head into autumn, the perfect time to snuggle up with a book. Or maybe the season to publish and launch a book…

Bye for now

AMS

My work in progress is based around sleep and bedtime stories

My work in progress is based around sleep and bedtime stories, and all this talk about sleep and being tired is definitely making me sleepy, which is the desired effect after all. A bedtime story needs to tell a story but also lead towards a drowsy state of mind. So not only am I yawning doing my rewrites, but now I’m blogging about all things sleepy and drowsy related, the yawns are definitely brewing…

I’ll keep it brief here, because in reality I seem to be writing into an abyss, so if you’re reading this, welcome! Please have a wander around my website, bring your friends and pop along to my website bookshop where my books are gathered in the hope of finding new homes.

There are many gates in life, they're not all starting gates, some are just country gates leading to a bit of horsing around...

Under starters orders... 

 

There are many gates in life, they're not all starting gates, some are just country gates leading to a bit of horsing around...

Belle ex Racehorse ...just horsing around 

It's Friday, the sun is shining...time to kick out, go wild, or curl up with a new book and go on an adventure...

It's Friday, the sun is shining... 

 

                            ...time to kick out, go wild, or curl up with a new book and go on an adventure...

#amreading #horse #horses #TB #LostinaBook

Books on display ...just horsing around

May at Lost in a Book

 

New books looking good in the library display cabinet, with my other picture books keeping them company and showing their support.

#LostinaBook #BelleExRaceHorseJustHorsingAround 

New book through the starting gate and into the world...

The new books are setting off into the world in bright orange envelopes... 

 

Just horsing around

 

#LostinaBook #horsingaround #exracehorse #racehorse 

Unpacking the first print run

Unpacking the first print run... 

Buy now 

#Racehorse #books #lovereading #LostinaBook

Belle ex racehorse ...just horsing around

Happy Birthday Belle - you now star in a book, though I'm sure your birthday hack was more important to you today.  

And what an auspicious day to publish a book about an ex racehorse, when many of her kind are running in the Grand National - I hope they all have a safe race and go on to have a full life after the racetrack.  

#racehorse #LostinaBook

New children's book out soon...

2018 at Lost in a Book

March at Lost in a Book

28th March

Proof copy here and looking good - no mistakes found so far, nearly ready to order the first print run, and send my books galloping out into the world - did I tell you it's about an ex racehorse...?

 

See the book cover now on my website

#LostinaBook #exracehorse

New book coming soon from Lost in a Book

Exciting times here at lost in a Book - with a new book finished and away at the printers. Soon all the hard work will be printed and bound, and presented as a proof copy - now that's a moment to celebrate!

So how should I celebrate? - Well there may be a bottle of wine involved... but then there'll be announcements to make and a launch to organise.

So what is the title of this book you may be asking...? 

New book to be announced soon 

Autumn was invented for reading, and if it wasn't, it should have been...

Autumn was invented for reading! (or if it wasn't it should have been...)

 

Now, what can I tempt you with?

Well why not start with Basil and the Flappy Thing - a work of fiction, but based on my own cats. Anyone with a cat flap will know that once you have a cat flap there's never a dull moment, and all that after taking the time to get your cat to use the flap in the first place, when they'd rather just have you wait on them hand a foot...

 

There's the Doodle series:

Find out what happens when Eric's doodle comes alive and starts picking letters up off the page, and throwing them at Eric to get his attention...

Perfect to read aloud, or for early readers to lose themselves in as they discover the joy of reading to themselves. 

There are picture books to share with the little ones, and spark a love of books.

And not forgetting one for the adults - Outnumbered by Cats. A true story, where I possibly shared a bit more than I should have - it's quite normal to hiss back at your cat right? ...given the right circumstances...

Get Lost in a Book this autumn

#LostinaBook 

Never tell an author you don't like books - they'll see it as a challange

5 Things you should never say to an author at a book signing...

1.   My child is too young for books. It doesn’t matter what age your child is, they are definitely not too young for books! Babies can enjoy books right from the start, and what a lovely activity to it is to share, to cuddle up with a book and a baby on your knee, sowing the seeds of a love of books that’ll stay with them always.

2.   Are you the author? – who me? The one sat behind the local author book signing sign... yes, I get it all the time – I put signs on my table, but people still seem surprised that I am actually the author.

3.   How long does it take to write a book? Well we could be there all day with that question - a book isn’t like a production line item, it could have been born in a rush of inspiration that came tumbling out faster than I could type, or it could have been an idea that lurked around in the recesses of my mind, stubbornly refusing to arrange itself into a story... And then of course there are the illustrations, not just to be drawn and painted, but scanned in, and then technology gets involved, and anything could happen... 

4.   I don’t read books. Never tell an author you don’t read books – they’ll see it as a challenge...  I believe there’s a book out there for everyone, maybe you just had a bad introduction to books, were made to read books you didn’t enjoy... But there are so many books out there, that there must be something you’ll enjoy. What sort of film do you enjoy? Finding a book on the same theme as a film you enjoy is a good place to start, and once you’ve found one, you’ll be able to find other books of that genre, and before you know it you’re a book lover.

5.   My child doesn’t like books. If your child doesn’t like books, could it be that they see you not liking books? Go to a library of bookshop together and choose a book each. If you’re choosing a book for a very young child, then you have a lot of influence, so choose one you like too – if you enjoy reading the story you’re more likely to get that across to your child, and before you know it you’re both enjoying books.

#LostinaBook #amwriting 

February at Lost in a Book

February at Lost in a Book

20th Feb

Do you remember that first book that grabbed you when you were just on the edge of confident reading? The book that took you over the edge into forgetting that you even reading, it just felt like you were magically transported to somewhere else and meeting new friends...

I remember it well, and hope to write books that will do the same thing for new readers who are dipping their toes into new worlds between the pages of a book, because if you dip your toes in enough books, you're going to find that one book that will drag you in and hold a little bit of you there for all time...

#Lostinabook #lovereading #halfterm

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

15th Feb

Half Term is creeping up, so here's the plan - I've got Doodle Mayhem on special offer at £3.50 and still postage free - so get the kids reading this half term...

 

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

Lost in a Book

#LostinaBook #amwriting 

Is a true story harder than fiction...?

I did it, I found a little chunk of time between looking after animals, and stuff to do, to get some writing done - ah that feels better.

I'm writing a true story at the moment, which ought to be easier than writing fiction, but I'm finding it harder than fiction, maybe because fiction is just me and my imagination flying off wherever it needs to go. True stories involve other people, and an obligation to get it right...

But time is short - not like the puppy who is far from short these days, and needing more and more exercise to keep him happy - time for a walk I think...

#LostinaBook #amwriting 

Writer rambling her way through another January

January again, new year same issues – write new stuff or try to promote what I’ve already written... The answer of course is to do both, keep the momentum going and never give up, because giving up is NOT an option...

So what am I writing now? – Well it’s a little bit out of my usual knowledge base, it’s a horse story. But not just any horse, it’s my daughter’s horse, who is just too big a character not to be written about. And yes she is a very big horse, I know this because I somehow got talked into getting on her, and it did look like a very long way down...

OK now you can panic - it's nearly Christmas...

Ok now you can panic...! It's nearly Christmas, it sneaks up on us the same time every year, but every year it seems to do it a bit quicker.

But the solution is easy - buy books, buy books from me, and I'll pack them up straight away and get them in the post.

#LostinaBook

#Christmasgifts 

Book signing in York tonight at Knavesmire Primary School Christmas shopping evening

My first Christmas event of the season tonight at Knavesmire Primary School, York - Christmas shopping evening 7 - 9pm please come along if you're in the area and take home a signed book, and... I have some exciting new additions to my table.

Or stay snug and warm and order online 

#LostinaBook

Books online 

Christmas book signings in #York

Don't panic it's November, the season of Christmas fairs and book signings - and this year my books will be at two fairs at once - no I haven't split myself in two, but the librarian at Clifton Library has kindly said that my books can be in their display cabinet for the Christmas fair, while I'm busy elsewhere. But I'll be back at Clifton Library on the first Tuesday in December for the monthly coffee morning.

 

Book Signings in York:  

Thurs 24th Nov  7- 9pm Knavesmire Primary School Christmas shopping evening 

Sat 26th Nov Clifton Library Christmas Fair - there will be signed books in the display cabinet for sale at this event as unfortunately I can't be in two places at once - but on this occasion my books can.

Sat 26th 10am - 4pm & Sun 27th 10.30am - 3.30pm Nov Christmas Fair Haxby Memorial Hall


Sat 3rd Dec 10am Tithe Barn Nether Poppleton York

Tues 6th Dec 10.30am - 12 noon Clifton Library storytime and coffee morning

#LostinaBook  #York #Booksignings 

Free knitting pattern - knit a sheep - knit a flock of sheep...

 

Sheep - they're in danger of taking over...

This week I posted my sheep knitting pattern freeon my website, then twittered about it, it generated a lot of new followers, seems sheep inspire people to follow...

Not many people have linked through to the website for the pattern though, so maybe they just want to follow like sheep, but not overrun themselves with woolly sheep... 

#sheep #LostinaBook #knittedsheep