New year, new start, new challenge

2013 Hopefully the connotations of the number 13 will not set the tone for this year! I am busy writing and re-organising as well as attempting to be more organised in the marketing department-a tall order! I have a number of bookings for the next few months which is heartening, but need to work on reaching a much wider audience. If only this side of things was a easy and enjoyable as the writing process.

I am also in negotiation with English Heritage over a number of issues, including the disastrous effects of the recent flooding. Whatever the rights and wrongs-opinions vary massively-urgency/frequency/damage etc we do need to assess what can be undertaken to improve the situation because a soggy, messy abbey will attract no new visitors and could even put off future guests. Furness Abbey Fellowship have some exciting ideas and are planning events for the spring and summer, as well as looking for some funding to support these. Our membership scheme will be launched later this month and we are applying for charitable status which will hopefully be completed soon. The task of rehabilitating the abbey is a huge one and is going to take considerable effort and time to facilitate-but we are all committed to seeing this through. You can join our Facebook Group and Fan Page  below
http://www.facebook.com/groups/254495021310017/

http://www.facebook.com/groups/254495021310017/


or follow us on Twitter @FAFellowship

 However, back to the writing! I am still endeavouring to acquire more reviews for the online sites like Waterstones, Google Books and Amazon and of course Troubador Publishing. I have none for Raven's Hoard and would welcome any reviews posted or sent to me. I hope to travel farther and wider this year in order to develop the reader base and I am available for a variety of events-just let me know if you would like me to visit.

Lastly, do follow me on Twitter-@gilljep and visit my facebook page and click Like on -

http://www.facebook.com/GillJepsonOutofTime 

and take a look at the updated website- www.out-of-time.co.uk


and take a peek at this great blog too 

http://www.abbeywatch.blogspot.co.uk/

Hopefully, it will be a busy and productive year...all the best for 2013

Iron Shepherds re-enactment and living history group

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!

Filming in Furness

Cast and crew

 Exhausted after a long day shooting the promotional film for Raven's Hoard with Stuart Appley of Comley Media. I am always astounded when watching Stuart how he manages to isolate scenes from my book and then fit them together so brilliantly. He sets up the scenes just as I imagined them and the end result is breathing life into my written words.

We travelled extensively today-visiting Barrow Library, Rampside Church, The                          Concle Inn, Aldingham Motte, Gleaston, Dalton church and Furness Abbey. The weather was kind to us and we got lots done. There is a brief shot tomorrow on the beach with a horse and rider and then next Saturday morning to see a brief Viking raid! All in a day's work! 

Tom and Dolly form Raven's Hoard

I have an exciting and busy few weeks planned. There are visits and signings, events and fairs-a wide variety which I hope will get the book reaching a much wider audience.

I had a lovely time today and it was made special by the people who joined us. Some I have known for a while, others are new acquaintances and the children are all people I have taught some years ago. Its lovely to see how they have grown up and little glimpses of those 5 and 6 year olds peep through every now and again.  They are amazing and so mature-it was a genuine pleasure to meet them again-on a very different footing.

I am privileged to be going on Friday to see The Sound of Music at the Forum. Lewis, Connor and Amy are all appearing in it. I'm sure there will be a tear in my eye as I watch. I am equally sure that I will remember them as they were in our modest little Christmas productions too. How nice that even though I have ended my teaching career that I am still able to connect with them in my new author capacity.

Stuart directing Lewis and Izaak for their scene on Birkrigg

Connor as George and Amy and Lewis at Barrow Library with the green screen

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...

Infinite variety

I always remember that quote from Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra- "Age cannot  wither her, nor custom stale, her infinite variety." I used to think that seemed like a sort of bonus for growing older or being less than beautiful-I assumed infinite variety referred to he mood changes and attitudes-making her a bit risky and unpredictable. Well having reached middle age myself-I'm not so sure! I think it actually refers to life itself-which appears to take on a roller coaster effect -you know-when you start to juggle too many balls and meet yourself coming back? Well I have had a lot of "infinite variety" this week...the New Horizons Education is moving forward-we have 14 students this term which is a good start. We need to get the other courses kicked off next so hoping the Evening Mail article next week will do the trick (usually does).

As if that wasn't enough I have started my new little job at the Dock Museum as an assistant. This is what I had originally set out to do some 34 years ago-that or archaeology...funny how you get diverted sometimes! Great fun! Another day in on Sunday. THAT will be fun as I have a long standing booking for a ghost vigil at Tatton Park with my daughter in law and her pals...we don't get back till early hours and I'm in at 11am! 

The new book is going to press this week-really cannot wait! I am very pleased with this one...I feel I have settled into my style now and  it is quite exciting. Hope you like the cover-I am...its kind of carried on the theme too-looks good. Thanks again to Troubador Publishing

Bit of prep tomorrow for the book release and its going to be even busier next month! Ah well, variety-infinite or otherwise-is the spice of life.

Ch-ch-changes

I am one who is averse to change...yet I seem to encounter it at every turn. Obviously, life can never be static and the natural changes which occur have to be accepted and assimilated. I tend to be one of those people who affects change uneasily, but looks back to what went before. I love nostalgia and wallow in the past-I am sure I do this idealistically-I doubt that the past has the rosy glow I endow it with. In saying that, however, I do think there are elements that we could learn from-certainly, my childhood seemed simple and innocent-I think my first book echoes this, as the children in it have the freedoms which I so enjoyed...maybe more than 21st century kids experience. Childhood disappears so quickly, vital and exciting one moment and fading to a sunset memory the next. 

I watched a neighbour's child playing in the street with her friends today. I felt a tear prickle the back of my eye as I recalled how recently my own daughter played in the same street with hers. She goes off to Leeds University soon and has long cast aside youthful games...but how quickly that seems to have happened! I know I should not mourn her growing up-especially as I am lucky to have a grandson to fill those childish footprint; but its hard not to...you blink and your own youth has vanished, sad but true! Perhaps that's why I have preserved childhood in my book so carefully..I can at least leaf back through the story and replay it all.

Business is moving forward-we are picking up lots of Teaching Assistant students and should be very busy indeed. New Horizons Education Ltd are establishing well at the moment-I am looking forward to getting down to some work next week.

News on the Furness Abbey Fellowship front-our account has £120 plus and we have some extremely exciting plans ahead. We had an entirely successful meeting with Clea Warner from English Heritage last week and I am excited about the future prospects.

On the book front-Guy the Grumpy Gargoyle is progressing well-lots of people buying it and asking about it. Raven's Hoard is due on 1 November and I have approved the lovely book cover. Final proof reading is complete-hopefully no errors have slipped through this time! Just a matter of publicity and marketing now! I find this problematic as I feel its such a huge job and I am not sure how successful I am at it. I hope I can get a bit done in the next weeks and reach a wider audience. I still need more reviews and Facebook page likes...and retweets. A couple of famous recommendations wouldn't go amiss either! Any suggestions or assistance would be welcomed! And then...on with next book-Cistercian conspiracy!

Getting jittery

Tea Party for Dystonia tomorrow at St Pauls Church hall at 2pm, Last event for Awareness week. Lots of friends and supporters helping us, bringing cakes etc-just hope we get the customers. Next big task is getting in everyone's sponsorship from K2B-usually takes some time but worth it in the end.


Then I have to prepare for my trip to Italy on Thursday. My first ever plane journey alone...and I do hate flying! Ah well-its for the greater good! Then my cousins Lidia and John are meeting me at Marco Polo airport and taking me to Vas. Friday I visit the school and meet the pupils...can't wait-though I am embarrassed that I speak NO Italian! I will take lots of pics to put on the website etc.


I took receipt of 400 copies of Out of Time today...storage was expensive so I hope to save on that. I need a definite marketing strategy...I don't seem very good at getting lots of bookings-they kind of come in a bit erratically. I hate phoning up-I need a social secretary or PA I think! I am going to address  this when I return and get stuck into the phone calls. I know the book is good(still hate this sort of self proclamation)but the problem is if people don't know about it they won't buy it...so need to develop a better strategy! Saatchi and Saatchi maybe> Fans/friends/readers...you can do your part-tell everyone you know, re-tweet me, like my page, follow my blog and visit the Youtube video...please?


Local note-bit concerned over the proposed biomass plant. Unsure what it means...the antis are saying its certain death and destruction the pros are saying its good for the economy and the local area..but what are the real facts? Answers on a postcard please! I want real scientific facts which a re rigorous and valid...but will we have that sort of transparency before the damned thing is built? I doubt it...after all it's only Barrow...you know that chav town at the end of the longest cul-de-sac in the world?


Ooh! Almost forgot...Raven's Hoard due out on 1 November 2012...preview synopsis on Troubador website as we speak!