All Ollie needs is a box - because a box can be anything... so let's go sailing...

 

All Ollie needs is a box - because a box can be anything... so let's go sailing...

 

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 

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 

Author - knitting and horsing around...?

 

Sheep production has resumed... this sheep seems to have its legs set ready to jump - could it be because I knitted it while watching the Grand National on tv...?

And what about the horse - no that one isn't for sale, it was knitted for a challenge to knit a thoroughbred. At least this one won't mug me for carrots, like the real life one it's modeled on. I feel there may be a horse story coming on at some point...   

So... enough of the knitting and horsing around, let's get back to some books - if you want a book thebookshop is always open - I'll be somewhere about painting the illustrations.

What to do at Easter - read of course!

April at Lost in a Book (from the Little Bookshop with big ideas) 

1st April

A new month - and it's nearly Easter - now the DIY stores would have you believe that you should be ripping the house apart or digging up the garden every bank holiday, but with snow forecast for Easter wouldn't you rather be reading a book...? And given the forecast I think A Face Full of Snow would be an excellent choice.

If you live in the York area why not pop along to my book signing at Cliffton Library on Tuesday 7th April from about 10.30am

  

Third in the Doodle series:

As Eric crashes his way down the ski slope, totally out of control, his only consolation is that Iver No-Idea isn't there to see.

Iver No-Idea and his dog HB are doodles. But they are no ordinary doodles – they're alive, and words and pictures come alive around them. Iver No-Idea has been learning to ski in a ski brochure. He's been practising for weeks and now he thinks he's an expert, and can't wait to tell Eric how it's done.

But when Iver No-Idea and HB are left behind, they find a way to gatecrash Eric's holiday. They arrive at just the wrong time, causing their own unique brand of trouble.

50 page paperback

Black and white line drawings

ISBN 978-0-9560232-3-0

Lost in a Book

I see that the last time I featured A Face Full of Snow in the Little Bookshop with big ideas it was in February... oh well, the weather obviously has no regard for the seasons, so here it is again propped on the display table at the front of the shop. :)

Sheep - Promotion or Distraction...?

Wool shopping done, future sheep emergency averted..

So what's with all the sheep...?

Well, they started as a fun thing to put on my tables at book signings, and soon became a talking point. From the small child in a buggy who pointed and said "Baa" to the lady who bought one to put in her crib scene at Christmas - they certainly get noticed.

But where did they come from...?

They're the unruly characters from But I'm not Sleepy - who'd have thought that counting sheep to try and get to sleep could have led to this? So this morning instead of doing what you'd expect an author to be doing, I've been sourcing some more wool to build up my flock.

Because sometimes characters have a mind of their own...

The battle between words and pictures...

So here's the thing - I've been splashing around with some paint this week. I thought I just had to illustrate a story that I'd already written and polished. But that's before the pictures got involved...

The trouble started as I got going with the illustrations and the character I was painting just didn't want to go to bed as the scrip was directing - time to turn the story on it's head and accommodate this headstrong character - who knows what'll happen next...? 

Book excerpt: A Face full of Snow

 

“You wouldn’t say that if you met him,” said Eric, thinking about Iver and HB left safely at home. Iver No-Idea and his dog HB were doodles.

But they were no ordinary doodles – they came to life, and words and pictures came to life around them, which was not always a good thing. Iver No-Idea had been learning to ski in a ski brochure. He’d been practising for weeks; he’d gone through every page. He’d skied down every ski run, and now he thought he was an expert.

New Year Detox with a difference...

So, I'm on a New Year Knitting Detox - not your average detox I'll admit, but then who wants to follow the crowd anyway...?

And why does a writer need a knitting detox in January...?

Well if you've been following my posts or if you've met me at a craft fair this Christmas, you'll know about my little flock of knitted sheep and my gathering of Basil's... what's a Basil? Well if you don't know then you really haven't been paying attention then have you...?

Emergency knitting - knitting sheep, production-line style proved to be the quickest, but I'd still rather knit each sheep and finish it before starting the next.

The ginger wool crisis - a lack of ginger wool, finally put a halt to Basil production, causing a shortage of Basils by the end of the season.

Then came the lavender cats, these were a very limited edition, and made as gifts, though I might make a few more to sell if there proves to be a demand for them... what do you think... knitted on request - interested anyone?

Busy books, sheep - and what is a Basil...?

I'm heading towards another trip to the craft shop - threads are running out in some colours, and all the cream coloured 'sheep' wool is used up - so what about the odd black sheep creeping into the flock...
My tables at book signings have definitely become more fun with little woolly characters roaming about among the books, and the quiet / busy books are a big success too.

...and I haven't even posted a photo of the knitted Basil's yet... what is a Basil  you might ask... ? Well I'll try and catch up on some pics tomorrow, but if you can't wait till then, take a look in my bookshop

Out and about in the bookshops

I was out and about in actual shops today, having a nosy around in the new Waterstones in York. The kids' section was lovely, with some lovely new books, and some old favourites appearing as board books. I didn't even go in to buy a book, but, well it would have been rude not to.

And now I've had a nosy around on the online shop, and there are my books listed on Waterstones.com

Cat Flap season has started...

It seems that the cat flap season has started... we've already had a rat and a mouse brought in - the rat was discarded on the floor and should probably have made me jump, but I think I''m just getting used to such things now... The mouse was obviously more prized, and I had to have a chase around the house after Captain, who really wanted it for himself.

And there was me thinking that a cat flap would make life easier...

Read me a story...

Here's a short sample to whet your appetitie.
Read and enjoy...

A Face Full of Snow

Chapter 1

Whoosh! Splat!
Eric’s first attempt at skiing ended up with him flat on his back in the snow, like a stranded bug. He tried to get up, but his skis had other ideas, they felt like a pair of over sized planks strapped to his feet.
“I’m glad Iver wasn’t here to see that,” muttered Eric, sitting up.
“Who’s Iver?”
Eric looked up into a pair of green eyes, waggling about on stalks. They were growing out of a green hat, which was pulled over an explosion of orange hair.

“Hi, I’m Aline,” said the owner of the orange hair.
“Alien?” Eric sat up with a start, his skis clattering together in protest.
“No... Aline. Who’s Iver?”
“Oh just a friend of mine,” said Eric. He couldn’t tell a complete stranger the truth, even one who had an alien on her head.
“And is Iver a good skier?” persisted Aline.
“Well he likes to think he is,” said Eric. “If he was here he’d be telling me what to do all the time.”
“That might not be such a bad idea,” said Aline.
“You wouldn’t say that if you met him,” said Eric, thinking about Iver and HB left safely at home. Iver No-Idea and his dog HB were doodles.

But they were no ordinary doodles – they came to life, and words and pictures came to life around them, which was not always a good thing...

You can buy this book now for just £3.50

Blue Monday...?

So, I hear today is blue Monday - well the sky is blue, but that's a good thing it means we might stay dry today out there in the sunshine. I don't know who thinks up all these national whatever days, but there always seems to be one, personally I would like to see January as a national 'lets hibernate month' but I can't see it catching on - nobody has the time...

So what has January got in store...? Well I still have a book cover to design - I have a rough sketch, so at least I have a starting point - art work in January - not a bad job if hibernation is out of the question :)

And if you're stuck for something to do, then why not start a new book - reading or writing, whichever you fancy.

Book buying - it's not just for Christmas...

Don't panic it's nearly Christmas

Is it just me or is Christmas sneaking up on everyone this year...?

...and I still have one more book signing to fit in before Christmas - Lost in a Book will  be at York Flea Market this Saturday signing books and giving a free sheep away with copies of But I'm Not Sleepy (while stocks last)

I had a wool crisis last night when I ran out of black wool, resulting in a number of legless and even some headless sheep being knitted, but this has been remedied with fresh wool for York market, and sheep production will continue tonight.

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 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...

Halloween Special

Nestled inside a virtual bookshop (but actually in my stock cupboard) is a book, or rather a box of books, created in my imagination, with a little bit of real life inspiration. The story was captured and printed onto paper for me to share with little monsters everywhere.

Still at special Halloween price of £4.99

http://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/165905439/the-monster-under-the-bed?ref=shop_home_active

Read me a story. Please... See if you can find the monster.

Read me a story. Please...

Let me share a little snippet  of my book The Monster Under The Bed with you, so that you can share it with your own little monsters... 

“Mum... Mum... There’s a monster under my bed!”

Billy sat up in the dark... something was moving around under his bed.

There was a creak from the stairs, then the sound of footsteps.

The door opened, and Mum switched the light on.

“There’s no monster Billy... now go to sleep.”

Billy listened as his mum went back downstairs.

He lay in the dark, with his duvet pulled up so that just his eyes peeped over the top.

He heard a bump on the floor.

Something was moving about in the dark.

“Get back into bed Billy,” called Mum.

“I’m in bed Mum. It was the monster.”

If you've spotted  the monster in the pictures, and want to see more, why not buy a copy to share with your little monsters at the Halloween price of £4.99