First proper rain in over a month - the cats were thrilled!!

 

First proper rain in over a month - the cats were thrilled!!

 

Book signing in York - I believe there'll also be coffee and cake...

Lost in a Book will be out and about at Clifton Library Summer Craft Fair in York on Saturday 23rd July - come along and pick up a summer read, or a sheep...

I believe there'll be coffee and cakes there too! I do seem to be drawn to events where there's coffee and cakes... there seems to be something about coffee, cakes and books that just goes together.

#LostinaBook 

Back to school - not yet surely...

It's the last day of July and the shops and internet adverts have decided it's back to school season already - so what happened to the summer holidays? What happened to lets play in a paddling pool, go for a swim, play on the beach  or just sit back and read a book...?

Seasonal merchandising:

I have become an observer of what is currently in the seasonal isle of supermarkets - and I'm not talking about the obvious ones like Christmas and Easter, which, although they pop up way too early, at least have their place. But my interest is in the times in between when retailers don't know what to push next...

The most amusing time to look down the seasonal isle is just after Christmas when all sorts of random things can crop up, my favourite being dog baskets - now I'm not sure that dog baskets have a season, unless they're targeting the people who, against all current advice, dared to get a dog for Christmas - because believe it or not, some people can get a pet for Christmas and still want it for life...

On the Eve of August, shouldn't we be promoting fun and leisure, instead of all the things we need to buy in a month or so's time? Life is an adventure, and the classroom isn't the only place where children learn. We all learn by experiencing things,doing new things, and reading a book for pleasure, not just because somebody told us to.

Win a free signed book

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 what's the plan...?

Well... in light of it being the beginning of the summer holidays I'm going to offer one Free, signed copy of Doodle Mayhem to help inspire the next generation of readers. 

 Check out the blurb in the online bookshop

So how do you get a signed copy of Doodle Mayhem free?

Tell me in 140 characters or fewer, why I should give you a book.

Post your entry on either my twitter or facebookpage, or email me annemstephenson@outlook.com

Make it imaginative, and have your entry in by noon (GMT) on Saturday 26th July 2014

I'll announce the winner on Saturday night (volume of entries permitting).  

I'll choose the one I like the best and get in touch for details of where I can send your free signed book.

Ts & Cs only one copy of Doodle Mayhem is up for grabs in this competition and my decision is final. 

Ramblings of an author trying to crack the clicking code

Is it just me, or does everyone come up against these constant learning curves...?

So what is the latest one? Well to get people into my bookshop - it's a little bookshop with big ideas, I think I've mentioned that before but hey, you might have missed it... 

So where are all the customers? They seem to be flocking past on the world wide web, on an endless treadmill of shoppers, all heading for the main shopping outlets.

But I believe there is a growing trend of people who are tired of the endless pushing of goods we probably don't need, and if we search something on the web, then that product turns up on every facet of what we're doing. 

A prime example would be when I recently bought a safety gate at a mainstream online outlet - well the search engines, or whatever causes these things to pop up didn't know what to do with this uncharacteristic purchase, and started sending me adverts for baby products and dog products - I have neither a baby or a dog, so they had failed to second guess what I needed a safety gate for... and I'm quite happy to leave it that way, I don't like to feel spied on, and certainly don't want to give them the satisfaction of knowing the answer to that little mystery...

So... how to play the search engines at their own game...? Gathering clicks in the right place - clicks are the new footfall. OK, now I have a theory - and a bigger mystery than ever... arhh

So help me crack the code - click on my Little Bookshop with big ideas and help me buck the trend... or leave comments below.