Friday 17 December 2010

Help Needed - Support Bookshops!

December was a busy month - until the snow struck. So far I've had to cancel 5 author events this week, in different branches of Waterstones. I really hope readers in Chichester, Winchester, Guildford and Windsor support their local bookshops which have plenty of Cut Short and Road Closed in stock. Please feel free to contact me for a scanned signature, either for yourself or as a Christmas present, if you can get to Waterstones. They need your support. This week, which should have given them a boost, has been a disaster.
In more positive news, here I am earlier in the month awarding the trophy to John Ward, winner of Watford Writers short story competition, which I was invited to judge. The standard of all the entries was amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them. I'm delighted to have been invited to judge the 2011 competition!


And here are a few more Watford writers - a very talented bunch.












And of course I've been out and about book signing at least once a week in December - here's a photo taken at Waterstones in Staines

and WH Smith's in Watford (photo courtesy of the Watford Observer)


We braved a blizzard to reach Waterstones in Hemel Hemstead. (If you enlarge the image you can see an unusual 3for2 offer...) We struggled to make it home again, ending up with the front of the car wedged against a kerb at the bottom of a hill. We managed to reverse away from the kerb by putting a pitta bread under each wheel - luckily we'd stopped off for some shopping on the way! While stuck, we met a girl who had abandonned her own car at the foot of the hill. As she as going our way, we were able to offer her a lift home! (We did holding her ransom note but she told us her family had no money to speak of. All they could offer was one small child. Having had two of our own, we reverted to our original offer and dropped her home.)

We made it to Waterstones in Harrow yesterday. Here's an old photo taken there in June 2010 (we forgot to take one today). Add a thick cardy and a fleece to my outfit, and a few more white hairs and wrinkles, and it could have been taken today!

WH Smith's in Harrow today, back to Waterstones tomorrow, and then I'm done!

Apologies to Waterstones in Chichester, Winchester, Guildford and Windsor for being unable to get to you this week. I hope to visit you all early in 2011.

12 comments:

Leigh Russell said...

No one else seems to be commenting here lately so I thought I'd give myself a comment... I suddenly remembered a sad young girl in Cut Short. Was she the only girl in the class who didn't receive a Valentine card on 14th February?

Pat said...

I have to admit to using Amazon rather than bookshops because I don't get out a lot especially now we're snowed in. But I buy a lot of books.
It must be a bit of a nightmare travelling in this weather. Keep safe and Happy Christmas.

Leigh Russell said...

Sorry to hear you're snowed in! We managed the 2 miles to Harrow today and sold 60 books before setting off home again in the daylight. Hope you're safe and warm with lots of food and heat.

The Kid In The Front Row said...

That darn snow again!

SantaCat said...

Ho, Ho, Ho!
Merry Christmas to all you cool cats and kute kittens!
Ho, Ho, Ho!

D.J.Kirkby said...

You are always so busy! Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year to you. See you at some point in 2011.

Leigh Russell said...

Ho ho ho right back at ya, Santa Cat and I hope you had a very merry Christmas!

Leigh Russell said...

Hi Denise - not too busy this Christmas as hubby has a stinking cold so we stayed at home and may have to cancel our guests (all 24 of them...) on Tuesday... One of us has been watching cricket and sleeping, one of us has been writing... no prizes for guessing which way round!

Claire said...

Sounds like an interesting tour (what parts of it you could make!). I use a combination of amazon (convenient, often cheaper, plus I have a Kindle now as well as reading paper books) and local bookshops (I love my two nearest - Primrose Hill Books and England's Lane Books).

Cxx

Leigh Russell said...

I agree, Claire, there's a place for Kindle, paper books, amazon and bookshops - the important thing is that people keep reading and enjoying what they read!

Pat said...

Happy New Year Leigh and may you have the success you deserve.

Leigh Russell said...

Same to you, Pat!