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Tuesday 24 June 2014

How We Launch a Book Up North

When launching a book it is very important not to go over the top and theme your jewellery for instance
That would be just daft.  Luckily for me I am pretty low-key.

Every year I say I am NOT going to hold a big launch because it's a load of hard work... every year I hold one and they get bigger.  This year 230 people were each greeted with a goody bag from Bagitdon'tbinit (all the links to the people I mention are in the previous blog) full of Bahlsen biscuits, Walkers Shortbread, Aunt Bessie vouchers, Lindt chocs, a Steel-city mug, Tetleys Tea, Yorkshire Tea and Douwe Egberts coffee.
Stuffing 230 bags took a loooooong time... lucky for me I had a glamorous assistant.
In go the Yorkshire teabags

And the yummy Bahlsen Messino's AND money off vouchers
Just LOVE the mugs that Steel-City made for me


(The Bidbi Jute bags are a big favourite with readers' cats by the way... recycling them into snooze places)


In went the Aunt Bessie's vouchers
230 bags later... we were done!  
So we got the raffle prizes out on display
 Fiona Sciolti Chocolates
A Roby Royd Farmshop hamper

 This AMAZING giant cupcake from Christina
 Hand-crafted glass by Callula
 A Walkers Shortbread Hamper, Russell Eaton voucher, dinner at Beatson House, dinner at Brooklands... signed books from my author friends... the tables were GROANING with prizes.




 Three beautiful giant teacups full of flowers from my friends at The Flower Corner
Then the giant cakes arrived from Staniforths!






And people started to arrive... mum is waiting patiently in the front row!



And my two lovely girls arrived who are the most popular people at the launch... they distribute the raffle prizes.  Miss Amelia and Miss Isabelle !

And the fabulous and formidable Janine and Phyllis who will let no one away with not buying a raffle ticket.  (blows kiss)

People made me cakes and gave me gorgeous hand made cards and this fabulous chocolate which really does look as if it has tiny teeth in it!

The buffet was as fabulous as always!!!



And the happiest lady of the night was going to take her pal on the P & O Ferry trip to Amsterdam for her birthday which she won!  You could hear her whoop in London!


I signed over 200 books and met loads of great people!

My darling Stanley!

And everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves - if the 'see you next years' were anything to go by.
My mum and me (don't think it's Harry Potter that has let himself go!)

Totally hard work and worth everything.  Had some fabulous support from local and national businesses - some, like Walkers Shortbread, never let me down.
And we raised £1144.00 for charity - which will be split between The Well, a therapy centre for cancer patients, and Yorkshire Cat Rescue - both charities who need all they can get.
Thank you EVERYONE for making this launch a great night.  I'm a bit superstitious and the better the launch, the more wind my book feels it has behind it.  Please look at the previous blog post for any links you may need or for the full list of people who contributed.  There are some great ideas for presents there at far from daft prices.
THANK YOU

milly xxx







Thursday 5 June 2014

IT'S THE WEEK OF MY BIG LAUNCH!!!



Gearing up for my launch on Friday - and here are the people who have contributed to making it a successful evening - and competitions afterwards. 
Starts at 6pm. The raffle is in aid of: 
Prizes are amazing!  If you don't leave the evening with a smile on your face... I will eat my hat and everyone elses!

So a HUGE thank you to...

AUNT BESSIE
Money off your Yorkshires?  Don't mind if I do... in yer goody bags!

If you haven’t tried their Messino biscuits – you haven’t lived.  Better than Jaffa Cakes?  Blasphemy to say it – but they are.
Competitions on their site and coming soon... the Bahlsen book club! 


Tickets for a match anyone… go support us and get us back up to the Premier!  It'll be like watching Brazil all over again

The wonderful, lovely, restaurant in Cawthorne. Anyone for a 
3 course Sunday lunch for 2… with wine????


If you like the goody bags then you have Bagitdon’tbinit to thank – sturdy little shoppers aren’t they?

Gorgeous Sam is always cropping up on This Morning and in the newspaper. She’s sent a signed book about her life in France where she lives with ze sexy French hus-bond!

CLASIBAGS
A classy bag from Clasibags 
Thanks to Claire for this hand-crafted bag which I'm a bit in love with and the cat nips toys for two lucky furries xxx




(You can find her on facebook)
Who is going to walk off with her freshly baked giant cupcake
I don't know what the finished product will be like yet as she is making it super fresh - but these are the decorations so how wow will it be?  VERY!


One of my favourite finds – what Joanne can’t do with glass isn’t worth talking about.  Lovely unusual prizes for weddings, Mums and Dads day, Christmas - budgets to suit all pockets


Julie’s book is getting rave reviews and is a Richard and Judy pick.

07779 158726
Rob once saved my life – or rather the life of a book that I hadn’t saved and lost the lot… he found it.  I’ve never been to anyone since for them to mend my computer
They’ve given a memory stick – handy little blighter, some internet security
AND a free computer service (which usually costs a bomb!)


FLOWER CORNER
01226 779090
Summer Lane’s charming flower shop – handy for the hospital…hint!

Someone is going to win a threesome with her… or rather a threesome of her books.  Naughty, raucous, thrilling – makes Fifty Shades look like an Enid Blyton!

PAPERCUTS BY DONNA
I am in love with this beautiful Carousel Horse which Donna hand-cuts.  Oh the patience!  Just beautiful.


THE LITERARY GIFT COMPANY
Suppliers of all the things that are in Leni's shop - a wonderful shop of the nicest literary gifts!

 Lucy has sent signed books – her gorge new Italian one, some children's books and an audio book so you can let her lovely words drift into your brain...

Lucy as sent her beautiful book Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts which won her the Romantic Novel of the Year award!

 (01226) 244809
You might go in this hair salon with her hair ‘a mess’ (geddit – Eton?) but you’ll come out feeling like a goddess.  Cut, blow, neck massage with my favourite ever stylist Jesse!

SHELLEY HUNTER
Shelley is a master craftswoman baker.  She even turns up in my books.  She should have her own bakery.  And look at this lovely tea-themed hamper she has donated! 


Great people run this, lovely food, lovely wines, a smashing meeting place.  And someone will win a slap-up Sunday Lunch here!

Oh I LOVE their stuff – gorgeous smellies from this fab Yorkshire firm who also produce the Joey Essex hair range AND the best self-tanning product on the market – St Moritz.  It’s cheaper than the others and wipes the floor with them at trade competitions.





My very good friend and writer of ‘romance suspense’… if you want romance and danger – she’s your woman!



A hand-stitched bracelet of turquoise and fresh-water pearls.  Clever lady!


We have to have chocolate so hope you like the bon bon in your goody bag. You’re lucky there is any of these left to give out!

Lovely Maggie has been helping people for many years drop the pounds, give up smoking, upping their confidence, curing their fears with hypnotherapy and helping them find their inner mojo – she’s donated a voucher for a treatment with a town beauty salon 


(My lovely cousin’s shop in Athersley, New Lodge)
Our lovely Deb runs a tanning salon with loads of gorgeous cosmetics and clothes and accessories sharing her shop.  She’s sent me a stack of
meow-tiful cat scarves. Mwah!

NEWBURGH GALLERY
The wonderful shop at the bottom of Dodworth Road on the left... such pretty things in it if you are looking for a present which is classy but doesn't have a matching 'classy' price.  and they've donated a Heyland and Whittle toiletries hamper which is divine!

NOVEL CREATIONS
THE most beautiful place in the world for bags made from books - even with postage, these American bags are cheaper than you'd find in the UK.  A real special treat for a book lover!

P & O FERRIES - www.POferries.com
The best battery charging breaks ever from the UK's leading ferry operator!  A 2 night sleep-on-the-ship trip with an inbetween full day in Bruges or Amsterdam is an absolute treat. AND SOMEONE IS GOING TO WIN ONE 


(one of my favourite crime writers, who writes chilling books but is a very jolly bloke in real life… apart from the fact he’s spent time on death row in the USA!) AND he’s an expert in black pudding!


(sellers of all stuff farmy, gorgeous breakfasts, lunches, Saturday night dining… and the BEST carrot cake I have EVER tasted)

Sent in this beautiful green scarf!

Oh my friend Fiona freshly makes the most divine and unusual chocolate gifts – they are a total treat. She sent me a box to trial – oh they were too few.  The most fabulous flavours – go on, take a peek!  


If anyone hasn’t heard of their ICE WINE by now – you can’t have read any of my books! The BEST fizz on the planet.  Wonderful booze by mail site.  I use it too much!
STANIFORTHS BAKERY...
There will be cake! Big huge cakey cake from them!!

The lovely mug suppliers – brilliant service.  Promotional goods, lovely people to deal with – and in S Yorks!  Got me out of a right hole when I needed them!


And they are stress free to deal with too!  Bookmarks, posters, flyers… I won’t go anywhere else now I’ve found them.


My author friend Cally has sent 2 of her latest books signed and I’ve read ACCIDENT – and it’s GRIPPING AND GREAT!

TAYLORS OF HARROGATE
We can’t have a teashop launch without a present from Yorkshire Tea!

TETLEY
We have freebie tea from lovely Tetley!

Bee has sent us some bee-ootiful cat cards and a fab tea-time baking book!


How can I not have a launch without my beloved Walkers onboard?  They’ve supported me from day one – which is great, because I LOVE their shortbread.  And they’re Scots!



Makers of lovely greetings cards… in this case cupcakes designed especially for the launch


Is an author who writes great suspense and two lucky beggars will walk off with her signed Inside Out and the wonderful Fallen Angel!


WHITE HEART Penistone
…Have donated vintage afternoon tea for 4 with a glass of fizz… BIG treat – cakes, tea in china, full afternoon tea shebang all served on bonny china.
Lovely comfy stylish place for lunch/dinner/a drink/a do.  HUUUUGE car park

There will be a lunch here on Sat 4th October at 2.30pm – tickets on sale shortly, to include a talk by me and a gorgeous lunch.  Details on my website shortly!


TEAPOT EARRINGS!
...and more!!!