Anna Rashbrook's Blog, page 3

OK, so I haven’t done a lot lately!

Hi Everyone,

Back again, after a summer spent writing another book when I was supposed to be taking a break. I’ve been thinking on the future of this blog and I’m going to take it in another direction, in that I’m going to review books. It began like this under another name, and I said exactly what I wanted about books, was totally blunt, and to the point. I started to get so many books that I stopped -they weren’t horse books. The pull – I guaranteed a Zon review, and they had to accept what I said and the stars. I now will advertise and put the reviews on Horse Books for Grown Ups. But it might backfire if someone doesn’t like what I say, things have changed a lot. Shall I go for it or remain writing a newsletter?

In Plain Sight.

I made contact with the real owners of Lovely Cottage and they loved my book! I asked them about the Lionel Edwards painting and they still have it, and have said I can put it on here. Its at the top. Isn’t it fab? Here’s another one they sent, but don’t know the artist.

ANNNNNND! When I was at Brecon show, someone who chatted to me, told me the image on the cover of In Plain Sight is Phar Lap, the famous Australian racehorse from the 1920s and 30s. Apparently his jockey always used to ride him high up the neck.

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A Christian writer’s dilemma

Ever since I began writing, I’ve felt it was in God’s will, and that it was a way to witness to people, especially when we were in Austria and I couldn’t promote in person due to the books being in the wrong language.

Once back home, I wrote Lamplight to Sunlight as it was a subject that fascinated me, and was a good way to get seen as a local author. In the past year, I’ve met some fabulous people, made great new friends.  In the autumn I’ll be in a writers’ group and that had been a long held dream.

I’ve done Brecon show, and sales were disappointing. I’ve two book markets planned and an event at the local museum. I’m putting Lamplight to Sunlight out as a children’s book too. The books are still in a top 100 bestsellers. I’ve noticed that my Facebook group, Horse Books for Grown Ups has been very quiet this month.

Nothing, nothing had prepared me for my Amazon sales report this month. Zilch, not even enough for a large bar of chocolate. I’m not someone who looks frantically at my sales, but even so. Is it something to do with new category systems? I could go and throw money at marketing sites, but will I even make up for what they cost? I’ve got a load of stock paperbacks I must sell.

Is God now telling me its time to stop? We were  gifted with some one off extra pension money, which will help for a while, but I won’t be contributing anything to the household income from my books. I can do some promos, I’ll certainly put the memoirs out in a cheaper or free edition. I’m a third of the way through a purely Christian novel, which I need to write out of my head onto paper.

If I don’t write, what do I do? I need the mental discipline of writing and creating books to stop me being more woolly headed that usual. Has God got something new for me? I won’t get a UK pension for another two and a half years. Back to work after Christmas maybe, I wouldn’t mind working in a shop.

But just now, I’m broken.

 

So, how did it go?

We sailed off to Brecon show last week, under the threat of really bad rain and a named storm, but it wasn’t as bad as predicted. In fact, I think more people came into the craft tent to escape the weather, making it a higher visiting rate than if the weather had been good. Indeed, later in the morning, people flooded into the show ground (haha) as the rain eased off.

We were one of the last to arrive, but our little plot was there. One side was a lady selling earrings, and the other hand made bags and accessories. Swingle was really good, she settled down with chews and we took turns to take her for walks.

I got into lots of chats with people through the day, but only sold seven books. One stall holder beside me had a great day, the other poor, so I can’t really rate how I did. What was annoying, were the people who saw my Pit Pony book and then proceeded to tell me things that if I had written this book I must have known! I gave a way loads of business cards which have a QR code on the back to the website, so maybe people might follow them up. I’ll need to redesign them in a better way for this.

I wish now I had put an author signing plaque on the front as many people weren’t sure they were my books. I also wish I had brought my old books that I’ve read or didn’t want on the table as that might have drawn them in. All for learning.

The day went really quickly, although very long, from 8 to 6. At the end, Swingle and I went to watch the Hunt Relay in the ring, which was hugely entertaining, she had great fun picking up all the food people had dropped.

I’ve learnt a lot, I would like get to a horse expo which is more based on shopping, where I might get more sales. I’m looking at local sales and shows too. It’s all fun, and something I could never do in Austria.

I’m at BRECON SHOW tomorrow!

 

I’m going to be here tomorrow, with loads of books, and Swingle and Dave. Just hope it doesn’t rain, but at least I’ll be in the Craft tent. I’ll be posting all day on Instagram, you can find me there as swingle77. But better still, if you are there, come and have a chat! There will be giveaways and competitions too.

Brecon Show

I’m going to be here on Saturday, with loads of books, and Swingle and Dave. Just hope it doesn’t rain, but at least I’ll be in the Craft tent. I’ll be posting all day on Instagram, you can find me there as swingle77. But better still, if you are there, come and have a chat! There will be giveaways and competitions too.

 

SWINGLE IS FAMOUS!

Swingle is featured in the magazine by Alyson Sheldrake who is in Portugal. She has a best selling book about her dog, called Kat the Dog.  But here’s the link to the magazine – not sure if it will work but Swingle is on P67.

https://view.publitas.com/alyson-dave-sheldrake/snapshot-august-2023-newsletter/page/1

And here’s the link if you’re interested in the newsletter

https://view.publitas.com/alyson-dave-sheldrake/snapshot-august-2023-newsletter/page/1

And here’s the pics anyway. Swingle will send autographs if you comment…

Bugs on Blooms

We rarely saw bumble bees in Austria, but here in Wales they seem to be everywhere!

July Newsletter

Hi Everyone,

I hope your July isn’t being quite as damp as ours here in Wales. Everything about Lamplight to Sunlight is exciting, I’m just waiting to hear from two museums whether they will stock it, and have Brecon County show coming up on August 5th, and signings and markets right up until Christmas. Really exciting after all the years in Austria when I couldn’t do any of this.

Only problem is Amazon. I have been arguing with them for WEEKS that the eBook, should not be in Irish books nor the gardens of England. They’ve blamed me for all of this, until now, I finally got a manager and hopefully it will be sorted.

Many of you on here have read In Plain Sight, so I have a question.

Do You Like The cover?

If not, what do you think would make a better layout/picture/graphics?

Email me please with your ideas.

See you next month

Anna

To write or not to write?

Swingle is going to be famous next  month, but that’s top secret!

I vowed that I would take a break from writing until the new year, but a new book is coming to birth, but I am fighting starting to write it until after the summer and I’m not going to rush this one, it’s going to be deeper, a real mainstream, Christian novel, AND NO HORSES… well maybe a couple.Life here in Wales is fab. We’ve just had a wonderful, hot June, the garden is looking great, just wish my geraniums would flower, I’ll start them later next year. The pond is still leaking but Dave and I have talked ourselves out of the rebuild yet again. I’ve got Elderflower wine bubbling away, and it looks like there will be more blackberries than last year, but the Elderberries still don’t look so good. We’ve had visits from family which have been such fun and are making new friends around us.

Our lovely fellowship is changing and growing in all sorts of ways as God begins moving in Mountain Ash. I still have no idea what the future will hold and what it’ll look like, he’s keeping that under wraps. We had our first evening service last week and it was a deeply relaxed spiritual, joyous time, and I came home full of peace and eagerness for the path forward.

Yet, this week for the first time I actually wanted to go back to Austria. It was a conversation at the Riding for the Disabled group, where we were having a coffee chat. This wokeness is out of hand, and I was so upset when I heard of how teaching riding has changed since I left the UK, and how the horse world is under pressure from people ignorant of working with and loving horses. I wanted to run back to Austria where I could remain ignorant of this, bury my head. But that’s not God’s plan and here I stay and I’ll have to learn to deal with it.

Book launch!

I’ve never done one of these, again something to do with living in Austria and not having my books in German! I was a bundle of nerves all day, not helped by realising that the traffic in Ponty at the time we needed to be there was hectic, so I hopped on a train lugging the books in one of those suitcases on wheels. Dave followed in the car  after the rush hour. Got there just at the right time, set up my books,  and tried not to buy any more! Yes, I forgot to get Dave to take photos after he arrived. Jeff, who runs Storyville books was so calming and matter of fact, he really helped.

It was a bit nerve wracking, wondering who would turn up, but they did, even a couple I didn’t know. I talked about my writing background, asked for questions. Read two bits from the book, (trying not to edit them again in my head) and then we had a great discussion on pit ponies, mining and horses in general. The time flew.

Then I made far more sales than I expected, made some new friends, chatted more with some old, and I packed up, buzzing! It was just so good to actually talk to people about my books, and have them interested. I’ve now got a horse show, two book fairs and a book signing possibility. This is so much more fun than just looking at the sales on Amazon, this is what writing is about!