Vikings, Halloween and books

Action...charge!

The Viking leapt into the air raising his sword above him, his war cry curdling the blood in the young people's veins. He landed heavily on the sand, screaming his battle-cry again and running towards the headland, his swordsmen crowding behind him. The noise of the men's cries split the tranquillity of the day and as they gathered, some armed with axes, some with spears or swords and many with more than one weapon, the youngsters shrank into the dunes hoping to be overlooked.

 They had not seen on the headland a small force of local warriors, who were now racing to meet the Viking raiders...the Vikings had seen their quarry and ran rapidly towards the warriors, whooping and leaping joyously, impervious to the danger of battle.The noise was terrifying and ear-splitting. Metal clashed against metal, weapons hissed through the air, screams of agony met cries of triumph and victory. Bodies crashed heavily into each other, bones and skulls cracked and split, men fell to the ground never to arise again...

An altogether more peaceful scene-looking toward the Lakeland hills

A motley crew of Vikings plus the author
(L-R Iain, Terry, Gill, Piglet, Martin and Craig)

 A brilliant day today filming at Bardsea and Birkrigg with some very kind gentlemen--dressed as vikings. They are all re-enactors and did a great job. I have to thank them-with special mention to Iain McNichol who is a local "History Man" of local repute, Terry Harvey Chadwick (Midgard Living History) Piglet(real name unknown) Martin McFall and Craig Appely. Thank you all for your stirling efforts-I can't wait to see the end result.

It starts to be busy from now...the book is now out on ebooks/Kindle/ibooks and the paperback is released on Thursday. Tomorrow I am at Abbey House Hotel at 7pm giving a reading...

On Wednesday we (New Horizons) are having a 3 hour story and craft session for Halloween at Walney Community Centre-its a fun session for 7-11years and our first activity for children. From there I race over to Abbey Mill Coffee Shop to do more readings-this time in a tent...please dont let it rain... Thursday-Raven's Hoard is OUT!
Building up to a grand launch and signing at Waterstone's Barrow at 1pm for an hour only-so if you want a signed copy come on down!

Only 20 days to go until Raven's Hoard is out. Its like the last weeks of a pregnancy...waiting and wondering what the outcome will be, being only  fidgety and restless, being unable to settle to do anything. The only thing I haven't had an urge to do is clean the house! I am just sorting out dates for visits and signings and I am going to be quite busy until Christmas.  I am kicking off with the Halloween events-first at Abbey House Hotel on 28th October and then 31st at Abbey Mill Cafe 4-6 and 6-8pm. The book is officially out on 1st November and I am going to be doing a signing at Barrow Waterstones on 3rd November. I really hope lots of you will come and see me at Waterstones particularly as its nice to get good sales in your local book shop!

More events to follow.

Promotion, preparation and signing

just checking in tonight... have a few busy weeks ahead. The business is still in need of promotion and although we have had a fab couple of write ups in the NW Evening Mail, it hasn't brought many clients. I am an impatient soul but I have to try and get us known and out there. New Horizons Education has some good heritage courses which I am keen to teach...just need the students! In fact my life has become a massive promotional task-blogging, facebook, tweeting etc etc...it takes a lot of time but the key thing is its free!

I have a number of visits planned to various venues and I should be out and about up until Christmas. Its important to do the small things too-like tonight I've been to Hartington Street Methodist Tea Club. I didn't imagine that I would have such a good response-but I managed to engage the group and this led to leaflets being taken to hand on to teachers-with the hope I may get some Author visits in. Its a very different life to the previous one I led-as a salaried teacher. It is varied and interesting but the pay is indifferent to be honest and a little unstable...which is the one- down side really! However, it has freed me up to do something I have long wanted to do-work as a Museum Assistant albeit casual. I could never have consciously taken such a massive drop in pay when I was working...but now as all my work is intermittent and casual it is actually an extra! Weird!

Well I hope you are ready for Raven's Hoard-its a bit darker than Secret of the Swan-and quite exciting. It can be pre-ordered and I will be doing  signings locally from 28 October (if the advance copies arrive) onwards.

28 Oct Abbey House Hotel Halloween Family Ghost Walk 6-8pm

31 Oct Abbey Mill Cafe Halloween Scare Fest 4-6pm and 6-8pm

3 Nov Waterstones Barrow 

10-11 Nov Brantwood Craft Fair

8 Dec Dock Museum

Hope to see you there...somewhere...

The abbot's treasure returns...

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about/news/rare-medieval-treasures-back-at-furness-abbey/

Very busy at the moment...can't decide whether to stick or twist! So pleased that English Heritage are returning the abbey treasure for another weekend visit. Maybe we will gain full custody instead of access visits soon-we can only hope..and insist! Furness Abbey Fellowship is almost there! We have well and truly launched now-we have set up the constitution, opened and account and done press releases...was on BBC Radio Cumbria-which you can catch on iplayer, and today we all had photos at the abbey -so it will be in the Evening Mail this week! Then we turn our attention to fund raising! Two Halloween ventures we will have a presence at are Abbey House Hotel on 28 October and Abbey Mill Cafe on 31st October...we hope to raise some coins and put these towards projects for the abbey and its regeneration! This has been a big piece of work and most time consuming...but very pleased that we have moved forward.

Second big task this summer-book signings. Don't know if its the recession but the sales have been less than last year and there don't seem to be as many people out and about. Also this silly weather has affected the shows and some have been cancelled! Yet the two local ones were great! Must work on the marketing! However, when you look at author royalties after deductions for some of the larger booksellers (you know who you are) I wonder why I bother with a price tag! I certainly won't be retiring any time soon! But then I love writing and sharing my work...so onward and upward!

Last but definitely not least the new venture. New Horizons Education Ltd-we have really made headway and will be in the new premises soon. Working on Moodle and setting up course work has been brilliant and we will be working tomorrow preparing for our new intake of students in September. Exciting times!

Talking of students...my youngest will be off to Leeds Trinity University soon-another big change...inevitable but painful nevertheless!I will adjust I expect but its another milestone I suppose that I can hardly believe I have passed! Tempus fugit!