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

Lost in a Book New date added

New date added - again:

Christmas book signings - Lost in a Book 2014 

• Sat 15th Nov 10am-4.30pm The Belfrey Hall, York city centre 
• 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 

Lost in a Book had a successful day on Saturday at York's Guildhall, and now I have an exciting new date added for next weekend:

Belfry Hall on Stonegate 15th Nov - it's over 30 years since I worked on Stonegate in a carvery that's sadly no longer there. Stonegate is just one of York's beautiful historic streets, and it'll be a lovely to be doing a book signing there, especially as York gets all festive for another Christmas season.

Book signings and Christmas fair

It's that time of year again, I'm busy booking up my weekends in November and December to do book signings at Christmas fairs...

I've got some exciting venues lined up this year, from the Tithe Barn in Poppleton to Yorkshire Heart Vineyard - yes a vineyard in Yorkshire - what an exciting new venue for a Christmas fair! I love the Christmas fair season as everyone gets ready for the festive season, and it's good to know that my books will be part of so many people's Christmas' as they emerge from the wrapping paper  - I wonder which book will be this year's bestseller...?

People like to meet a real live author, parents like to show their children the face to the name on the front cover on the books - but it's a two way thing, as an author it's great to meet my readers - as time goes on there's more and more who've already read my books, and give me feedback and which ones they liked best. The Monster Under The Bed is always a big taking point, everyone has a story to tell about the monster under their beds, and But I'm Not Sleepy is still my bestseller - it seems everyone has a Lucy...

Buying books online postage free

This morning I've been researching bookshops online, and websites selling books, just to see what works.

On the first website I came to, the inevitable happened - I found a book that I wanted to buy - it was Bridget Jones Mad about The Boy - now I've been waiting to buy this book in paperback as the hardback is such a big book, and I really just prefer paperbacks. My wait is over - it's published in paperback today!!

So I added it to the basket, it said postage free at the top of the page, so there was no down side - I set off to checkout... where I was told I'd have to spend another £6 to get my free postage - to say I felt mislead would be an understatement.

I didn't buy the book on this occasion, so I suppose I had a fruitful morning - managing to do research without actually buying a book (though I do need that book soon...), but it did show me the effect misleading information has a customer. All my books on my website are postage free as I feel that adding postage is what kills internet sales, I did however have a postage fee on my little knitted sheep, which I have now removed, so the price you see is the price you pay.

What's that, you haven't heard about my sheep...? They're in my bookshop, go and round some up...

from But I'm Not Sleepy

1st editions 1st print run... signed books

So here's the thing...

I've got some pretty special books - first edition first print run  - and what's more it's a short print run of just 100 books, each hand numbered and signed.

And why should you buy one? Am  I famous? - well no, not yet, but with my drive and stubbornness anything is possible, and wouldn't you just kick yourself if you'd missed this opportunity...?

But the real reason to buy my new book Outnumbered by Cats is that you're going to love this true story, it's all there - possibly a bit too much at times - is it normal to hiss back at your cat when she hisses at you in the middle of the night for telling her kitten off...?  ...she was certainly surprised.

Oh and did I mention the photos? You're going to love the photos...

The true story - complete with photos

After another couple of sales this week, Kryten will soon be getting his box!!

Just 2 more books in this box and then the box becomes a cat toy, to jump in , hide in, and ultimately shred...

Just one more week at launch price of £7.99 - so grab yourself something special - a book from a small print run of just 100 books - each one hand numbered and signed.

Outnumbered by Cats is a true story - share with me the joys and dramas of living with a house full of kittens...  and put faces to their antics with 82 colour photos.

Cats and boxes... it's a cat thing

After all the hard work I'm very proud of my new book - but all Kryten wants is the box...

Help him get his wish - 4 more books and the first box is empty Outnumbered by Cats launch price £7.99 till the end of May

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.

Supporting small business

We hear a lot about supporting our local shops in the community, which is great, I like to support local small businesses, but what about supporting small online business?

We could be a business you've met at a local show or fair, you probably even picked up a business card, or in my case a bookmark. But do you ever follow it through...?

I get a wonderful response when I go out and do book signings, I even get asked if I'm there every week at some events, well the truth is I'm not there every week, I lack the time, and the money it costs to have a stand at such events every week, but my website is always there, and I've now got a shop on Etsy, both of which are my online book signing, and I don't even add postage, so you pay the cost of the book and get it delivered to you free of charge.

Christmas gifts - books for kids

What could be better for a Christmas gift than a book?

Books are timeless, and I can't ever remember a Christmas without a new book to read.

They're escapism, when you just want to curl up in a quiet corner and disappear into a world of your own.

They're to share, when you read a special  Christmas book to children. My favourite has always been The Night Before Christmas. I can remember the paperback copy I had read to me every year throughout my childhood, there was a Santa on the cover and his hat was all fuzzy - it's faded now, but it's still bright red in my memory.

We had a hardback copy for my children, and it was joined every year by new festive reads. I remember reading Mog's Christmas for the first time, I had to keep stopping because I was laughing too much to go on as Mog described the Christmas tree as it came up the drive, and then made itself all pretty.

I like to have at least one new festive read every year, and this year Just for Christmas is already sat on my bookshelf awaiting my attention. I'm not sure if I'm quite ready to slip into Christmas yet, maybe I'll give it a week or two, I don't want to peak too soon...

Pictures from my Christmas book: Lost in the Christmas Post

"What are Christmas cards?" asked Iver Jumping into one of the cards. He sank up to his knees.

There was something not quite right about the cards...

Iver No-Idea doesn't mean to disrupt the Christmas preparations, but he does seem to cause his own brand of chaos.