new projects

Wow!Ages since Ive blogged but Ive been busy, busy ,busy! The BlueBirds Study Centre@ Barrow AFC is taking off slowly but surely-but we are definitely seeing light at the end of the tunnel! Long may it go on! Ive been planning, writing and creating educational packs to go with the book. And its bee a bit worrying this week as our grandson Noah was very poorly requiring a hospital visit. Glad to report hes fine again now-but nevertheless it was a scary few days.
Ive got on well with the education pack and its nearly finished-and will become available very soon! Written more of Ravens Hoard and because Im visiting Dalton St Marys

www.daltonstmarys.cumbria.sch.uk on Wednesday and working with ALL year groups Ive had to create a little story more appropriate to the younger age group. Its called "Guy the Grumpy Gargoyle" and the prototype will be tried out on Wednesday! If it goes down well I will need to look into getting it published! The hubby liked it...so hopefully the youngsters will too!lol

Visits upcoming: tomorrow 2pm at Trinity church centre Barrow  in Furness www.urc.org.uk/church/view?church  a talk to the Civic Society www.barrowhistorysociety.org.uk a bit scary but looking forward to it! Next week on Monday 3rd at 7-30 at the Dock Museum, FOR www.furnessfhs.co.uk
 a talk-on a previous book which I wrote about the history of Victoria Infant School Barrow and obviously Out of Time. Wednesday Im at Dalton ST Marys for the whole day and a book signing afterwards! Busy week but thats how I like it!

Weekend busy too with Uni visits for my daughter Freya! And Saturday Im at The Coronation Hall Ulverston www.corohall.co.uk/events/community-events/2011-coffee-mornings.aspx   AT the Rotary Fair where Im having a stall for Dystonia. Three new prospective members this week! My book will soon be on Dystonia Society website-and Im donating £1.99 per book to the society. Dnt know what dystonia is? Check out http://www.dystonia.co.uk/ my husband has suffered with this for 15 years and we have made many friends through the great support network the society provides. Well that just about covers it for now-any spelling errors due to a small Baileys to celebrate 32 years of marriage today!

what a week!

Still reeling from the 2 bits of bad news-first about the fire at Dowdales-a local school and then about Crooklands Garden Centre, Dalton where a fire broke out next door and damaged the Garden centre. Really sad news-but glad nobody was seriously hurt. Hope Crooklands gets up and running quickly.
Some good news(for me) is that Out of Time is now out on Kindle etc! Thats quite exciting really and I hope sales will be boosted because of it!
Bookings still coming in and these will be posted on the website soon I hope.Sadly the Eskdale Show is cancelled due to the weather forecast-which is a shame, but some others coming up soon to replace it.
Writing is coming along nicely and I now have a working title Time Lapse, Raven's Hoard! Think thats ok-but may change it.
Good piece in the Evening Mail tonight about the Bluebirds Study Centre re-opening. We are off the ground again-but still need a large cash injection to make us more viable. Few items in the pipeline and feeling positive! Just as well because it seems Mr Gove is spending Pupil Premium on plugging the deficit and on his new 2 weeks holiday scheme to help "disadvantaged" pupils...sound familiar? Rebranding of the worst kind!
Anyway tell your friends to follow the blog-and feel free to comment below or via Facebook/Twitter etc

busy

so much to do-how did I find time to fit work in? Early start to plan my work and do some more writing! Need a system-too easily distracted. Like today-lovely sunny warm day so took aged parent for lunch at the excellent Crooklands Garden Centre Dalton and then after tea a lovely walk-past Furness Abbey-naturally with my daughter...and after checking emails, facebooking and tweeting its now too late to start-even if I did have a good chat with my new author friend Russ Brown! Procrastination is the thief of time! I resolve to be more organised and to follow up all my prospects, get words onto paper(well virtual paper)and actually achieve something tomorrow! I feel better already!

happy days

love days like to day. Started really positively and just got better and better. Our first real session at Bluebirds Study Centre At Barrow AFC began with 7 Teaching Assistant students and we had good news re the new funding streams-thank goodness! So everyone was happy. Then I got a phonecall with more good news-which will become apparent at a later date! Add to that a bit of baby sitting for our grandson Noah, and you have an almost perfect day. Then a call to order 7 copies of Out of Time! Can't be bad! Certainly lifts my mood being gainfully employed:)
Interesting piece on C4 News-about the difficulty new authors have in getting their work into print. A new idea called Unbound where authors can put their proposed story/book to be judged by readers, who subscribe to allow it to be published! Good idea! I'm a bit ahead of this and can't fault Troubador Publishing Ltd. They've been second to none and have been brilliant at marketing. However, I still need to increase my reach and marketing beyond Cumbria. I've said before that I find this aspect of authorship hard-but onward and upward. There is movement and certainly the book is selling well. I can't wait until Out of Time is out on Kindle etc-very exciting and think this may well increase sales in an arena as yet unexplored. Tour dates are developing and I have 2 signings at Waterstones soon...so it's watch this space!

Out of Time: change of date

Out of Time: change of date: Unfortunately Waterstones at Lancaster have had to change my signing date to Saturday 29th October from 11am, instead of this weekend! Prosp...

change of date

Unfortunately Waterstones at Lancaster have had to change my signing date to Saturday 29th October from 11am, instead of this weekend! Prospective booking for a 2 nd signing at Carlisle Waterstones too. The diary is booking up well...schools are expressing an interest-as far away as Italy! I will keep you posted as to where I am going next.

Very busy writing Ravens Horde...which is going well, but I really do need to set aside time to write instead of fitting it in. The 2 new courses are a good start too at the Bluebirds Study Centre. "Time Investigators" was great-nice bunch of kids from St James and Victoria Junior Schools in Barrow. The Teaching Assistant course is picking up speed with 6 prospective students now.

Only a short time to go before Out of Time comes out on Kindle etc. Hopefully this may increase sales...Please click follow at the bottom of the blog and help me to pass it on!

what next?

Well...I've got to say that this promotional business is a bit of a worry! I am obviously getting into it-but I have to say its not my natural modus operendi! I am actually quite a shy person under the outer extrovert-teaching changed me categorically and taught me how to role play and look confident(while trembling like a jelly inside). I am making headway with promoting "Out of Time" but probably Ineed to do more. I have had all kinds of help and advice from all kinds of people-yet I still find picking up the phone to make bookings difficult and embarassing! Yes-I believe in my book...but theres always that tiny, nagging doubt that people may not like it...and why would they want to help me sell it? I think I need a publicist! Max Clifford-are you available?
Anyway-I am arranging visits and sessions in schools and the odd signing here and there. I hope to sign up to a few Christmas Fairs and events-any ideas gratefully accepted!
Anyway Im trying hard to complete "Raven's Horde"by Christmas-New Year at latest...and hopefully it may be out by summer again!

busy and moving forward

Interesting day-bit of movement on the Bluebirds Study centre front! We will be starting a Teaching Assistant course and a History Detectives course this month...watch this space.
Sadly another story which proves that the understanding of dystonia is still a long way off. We met a lady who has just lost her job because she has dystonia! We were incensed that such discrimination can exist-and this in a company apparently who is an"equality" provider! Seems we must carry on trying to get people to recognise dystonia-check out http://www.dystonia.org.uk/ for more information
With regard to book news...-Walney library on 28 October, author visit and talk, queries from 2 schools and interest from a couple of outlets! Looking forward to it:)

and back to work...

Busy week ahead: preparing to relaunch Bluebirds Study Centre @ BarrowAFC with a few small courses-with some precious funding! Good news!Not Playing for Success but its a start!
Some serious writing planned-I've decided I need a timetable to keep me in check! Raven's Horde progressing well, over half way-a few tricky chapters to write but tis getting exciting!
Out of Time going into e-books/kindle very soon-dragging myself into the 21st century and though I am a Kindle owner now...I must confess I still love the feel of a real book! However, I hope to reach many more people with this move!
Planning a list of appearances and signings for the next term-I am available to visit schools, groups and clubs etc-email or message me for details.Some interesting gigs coming up-especially the Hallowe'en at Furness Abbey on 30th October-I hope to be reading from Out of Time in situ...which-I anticipate WILL be very scary!
Appearing at Abbey Mill Craft Fair next Sunday, Waterstones Lancaster 17th September and Eskdale Show 24th September-more details to follow!