Book launch - new book available now from Lost in a Book

New Book available now!!  

It's new book launch month, and where better to start than in my own online shop.

Order direct from the author and know that the money goes directly into paying for printing my books - I don't pay to advertise, and I do everything except the printing and binding myself because I believe my money is best spent on getting a quality product that I can be proud to sell.

I've got some book signings lined up, the first one being on Tuesday morning 6th September at Clifton Library, York, where I'll also be leaving books in the library display cabinet.

 

#LostinaBook

#Newbook

#booklaunch 

New book

Well I've done it, my 8th book is newly published!!

I picked my books up from the printers on Monday 1st August, so they are available now, but I'm planning a proper launch in September, and already have 2 book signings lined up. 

I'll post launch info here nearer the time... 

 

 

#LostinaBook 

Building a book

The scanning went well, and even the picture editing didn't give me too many problems - mainly just removing backgrounds from the illustrations.

Book building has begun, inserting pictures and playing around with formatting, then the words will be added - let the magic begin...

#LostinaBook 

Basil takes on knitted form... new from Lost in a Book

After getting distracted by pretty bags that I'd like to buy for my Christmas fair - I got down to some picture editing, so for those of you who've been wonder what a Basil is...

Basil met Bumble, but Bumble was less than impressed...

Basil from Basil and the Flappy Thing takes on knitted form

A little bookshop with big ideas

I have an online bookshop... it's tucked away down a back alley where no one can find it.

So what is the mission...?

Well to open up that back alley of course, or at the very least, to put spot lights around the entrance and make everyone who passes want to know what's down there...

So here's the plan...

I'm running a special promotion:

When? This Friday 18th July 2014

Why? because I can - I love being my own boss.

What? I'm calling it 'Make me an offer Friday'

What the...? On Friday There'll be one book up for grabs, and I invite everyone to make an offer on that book, and the best offer gets the book.

The details...? The details will be on this page in the coming days, so watch this space...

Terms and conditions - lets keep it simple. There will be one book only, up for grabs on this offer. The highest offer gets the book, by the end of Friday 18th July 2014 Uk time, and my decision is final.

The Great Yorkshire Show, gentle giants, storms and all things woolly...

 It's a busy time in Yorkshire, with the Great Yorkshire Show in full swing. I was there on Tuesday, sat on the grass banks waiting for the heavy horses to come into the main arena, as heavy clouds gathered overhead... The storm clouds went wild, sending everyone rushing for cover and purchasing anything waterproof - my daughter and I totally carried off the kiddies rain ponchos in fetching doggy print.

Luckily the heavy horses were calmer than the weather, they're such gentle giants.

The shopping was good too, so much more fun than chain store shopping, from kitchen knives and an olive wood chopping board, to some beautiful artwork they had it all covered.

So my hands were pretty full of shopping by the time I made my way to the sheep pens, trying to find some sheep who looked like my characters from But I'm Not Sleepy. There were some funky looking sheep, and I think the ones most like mine were tucked away in the sheep shearing pen, but I did find these:

I wonder what this sheep is trying to say...?
"A up Pearl, sit up, we're having our photo taken..."

Knitted sheep, adding a woolly dimension to story time... 

“We’re not trouble makers are we Pearl?”

“No Hilda, certainly not.”

“It’s just that we’ve been rounded up so many times our heads are spinning.”

“Yes spinning.”

“Spinning into wool?” asked Lucy.

“No… spinning into a flock of dizzy sheep,” said Downboy.

(from But I'm Not Sleepy)

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...?

Knitted sheep - inspired by the book But I'm Not Sleepy

Meet the sheep...

You must always remember you saw it here first...!

This is the first sheep in the flock, the prototype you might say for the ones to follow. And follow they will, as now I have a pattern, written down as I knitted, on the plain side of the paper band from the ball of wool.

Where, you might ask are all these sheep headed? Well they could follow each other around the kitchen table, get lost in the knitting bag, but ultimately they're  headed for Christmas fairs around the York area to promote the book that inspired them But I'm Not Sleepy.

So next time you are tempted to count sheep as an aid to going to sleep, bare in mind the chaos that could ensue when a flock of sheep start rampaging around the bedroom, not to mention the knitted sheep that will inevitably follow...

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

The Monster Under the Bed Halloween special offer...

“Mum……Mum…..There’s a monster under my bed.”
Billy sits up in the dark, he can hear something moving around in his bedroom. When his mum puts the light on there’s no monster to be seen. But when Mum goes back downstairs the noises start again.
“Get back into bed Billy,” calls Mum.
Something is making a noise, and if it isn’t Billy – who can it be? Find out in this full colour picture book that’ll keep you guessing till the last page.

Now on special offer until Halloween - for the little monsters in your life...

Lost in a Book Bookshop

Yorkshire Day and Birthday

Happy Yorkshire Day 1st August and Happy 4th Birthday to my bestseller But I'm Not Sleepy

One look at this cover brings a smile of recognition to so many faces - it seems that everyone has a Lucy who just doesn't want to go to sleep.

But does everyone have a Downboy the sheepdog to help round the sheep up if the age old method of counting sheep leads to a herd of unruly sheep crashing around the bedroom...?