Author sharing the journey - even the wrong turns and dead ends...

So, my website is back on track and I've optimistically added the link to Rummage4words.co.uk to my blog. The current sticking point is the shop, but if you go to any of the online book sellers or bookshops, and ignore the not currently available notice, then your order will come through to me and I will dispatch your order to you - go on I dare you - let's do this!

Rummaging around my little bookshop and this little chap jumped out at me...

Rummaging around my little bookshop and this little chap jumped out at me...

 

  

"Hey - I'm Iver No-Idea - I know weird name right? I blame Eric... Anyway you can find out how I got my name and where I came from in Doodle Mayhem - but if you want to keep cool in the heatwave why not find a cool spot and read about how I gatecrashed a skiing holiday, because what better time to imagine yourself in the snow?"

Books all lined up

I lined my books up for a photo shoot - pretty proud of this little lot. 

 

#LostinaBook #picturebooks #lovebooks 

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 

ex racehorse

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 book announced

New book available soon:

See the cover first here

Belle is an ex racehorse, but she doesn't know what that means. She was born to race, so what now…?

Maybe she's a jumper, a dressage horse or an explorer… she still has the instinct to race whenever she gets the chance; but maybe just horsing around could be fun too.

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 

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 

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 

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 

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

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 

Book signings in York

Book Signings: 

Tues 1st Nov 10.30am - 12 noon Clifton Library storytime and coffee morning

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

Sat 26th & Sun 27th Nov Christmas Fair Haxby Memorial Hall 

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

There may well be a few more added as time goes on, watch this space - or visit my website shop.

Ideas have no sense of timing or order...

Ideas have no sense of timing or order - they just spring into one's head and start running around like unruly puppies. And I should know, I currently have ideas and an unruly puppy to fit into my already busy days.

Why is it that while I was in the final stages of finishing my book, I was brimming with all sorts of ideas to launch and promote it – I even wrote some of them down... somewhere.

Yet now when I need all those ideas they seem to have fled - and ideas for my next book are rampaging around in my head... I guess I’m a writer not a promoter...

So here it is, you know, if you're fancying a new book: 

 

#LostinaBook 

Why think outside the box when you can sit in the box and let it become... a racing car... or a castle...

Why think outside the box – when you can sit in the box and let it become... a racing car... or a castle...

We don’t need buzz words and executive toys; all we need is a box and some time to let our imagination run wild.

So stop all this nonsense about thinking outside the box, and jump back into the box. The best ideas need sneaking up on, they’re going to run a mile if you’re always trying too hard – so get back in that box and bide your time, ideas come out to play when you’re daydreaming or thinking about something else.

And if no ideas come to you, or you’re too out of touch with your imagination to know what I’m talking about, then read a book – lose yourself in it – go on I dare you to!

#LostinaBook

Friday ramble - going on a story hunt in my imagination

Ok it’s Friday and I’m going to ramble, because, well I can...

I’ve had a good week, getting out there into the real world with my books, talking to people and getting feedback on my books. And the feedback is good, so why is promoting so hard? It seems that a gimmick is needed to grab people’s attention, so I have my sheep, which started as a gimmick and now are in danger of taking over... which reminds me, my flock of sheep is getting low again... knitting needles at the ready.

Which brings me back to my conundrum – it’s hard enough to grab ideas as they rush around in the wilds of my imagination, without all the other distractions pulling me away from going on a story hunt in my imagination. Because that’s what it takes to write a story, deciding which ideas and daydreams have enough substance to  become a book, and then to go after that one idea that will become the next book, and allow the others to run free a bit longer...

All you need is a box and a little imagination, because when you have a box you can play anything...

Had a lovely morning at Clifton Library yesterday, got good feedback on my books, and sold some books too.

Looking forward to visiting Acomb Library tomorrow and joining in with storytime, with my new book:

But What I Really Want is a Box... because when you have a box you can play anything, all you need is a little imagination. Share the story, and get a glimpse into my imagination, and spark your own to see what you can come up with...

 

#LostinaBook

#Storytime 

York author on mini Library tour...

September at Lost in a Book

So this is exciting - next week Lost in a Book will be on a mini library tour in York:

Clifton Library on Tues 27th Sept 10am onwards, at their baby morning, where they'll be all sorts of baby related stuff going on.

and

Acomb Library on Thurs 29th Sept 10.30 - 11am at their storytime, where I'll be reading my new book But What I Really Want is a Box 

#LostinaBook