A Family ticket: 2 Adults 2 Children. to visit at anytime.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SflXshNUoY

The award-winning ‘The Beatles Story’ is the world's largest permanent exhibition purely devoted to telling the story of The Beatles’ rise to fame.

Located in the Fab Four’s hometown of Liverpool on the stunning Royal Albert Dock, The Beatles Story is Liverpool’s leading Beatles’ attraction taking visitors on a unique immersive journey through the lives, times, culture and music of the world’s greatest band.

Find out more about Liverpool’s famous sons by joining The Beatles on their journey; first conquering Liverpool, and then the world, through recreations of key locations from the band’s career including The Casbah Club, The Cavern Club, and Abbey Road Studios.

Multi-media audio guides are available in twelve different languages including English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean and Cantonese. Beautifully narrated by John Lennon’s sister, Julia, the FREE guide is packed with information, imagery, and features video interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, giving visitors a fascinating insight into the story of the Fab Four.

A must for any music fan, The Beatles Story features an impressive collection of memorabilia including the band’s original instruments, John Lennon’s New York piano, Ringo Starr’s drum kit, rare album sleeves, photography and original hand-written lyrics.

The award-winning attraction celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2020 and visitors can see newly introduced items and exhibits including a display to celebrate Ringo’s 80th birthday, new immersive experiences in the replica Cavern Club room and John Lennon’s White Room and exciting new memorabilia.

Finish your perfect historical experience in one of two Beatles-themed Fab4 Cafes or browse through a fantastic range of gifts available from one of the Fab4 Stores.

Website: https://www.beatlesstory.com
X: https://x.com/beatlesstory

A Pair of Tickets to Visit The Southport Flower Show on Any Of The Four Days

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8vmwbKLr3g

It's the largest independent flower show in the UK – but Southport Flower Show is so much more than just blossoms and blooms.

It has got the grandest floral displays and glorious gardens – including, this year a showpiece, first-ever Menopause Garden, Circles of Strength, exploring women’s health and wellbeing – which will be absolutely stunning and well worth a visit.

But that’s only a part of the town’s amazing premier event which is about to take over Victoria Park from August 17 to 20.

Website: https://www.southportflowershow.co.uk
X: https://x.com/southportflower

Tickets For Four People On Any Tour
Valid 12th August 2024 to 11th Aughust 2025

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDmN1e4fk1I

From Shakespeare to Dickens, whether Wilde or the work of Elizabeth Gaskell, the Art of a Good Ghost Story has always remained cemented between the walls and corridors of stately homes, old English towns and their darkened alleys, gluing together generations around the dying embers of the fire before bedtime and lights out!

We deliver our famous street theatre shows to large and small audiences, tailored tour immersive experiences for schools and colleges, universities and corporate audiences, we also run a schedule of shows open to all, from families to tourists from all over the world.

Audiences who come to Shiverpool are transported from the everyday to different worlds of Liverpool’s famous Haunted Heritage. We Stop Time, suspend disbelief and live for 90 minutes, perhaps a little longer, together, in the infinite NOW!

Our Mission
In an age where we are bombarded by Tweets, News Parcels and fragments of film, we invite you to step inside the magical, ancient world of Ghost Stories.

We’re apt to agree with author Jonathan Stroud, ‘…there’s nothing more bracing than a well delivered scare!…’

In this life or the next our mission is to work, cultivate and collaborate with Artists of all disciplines and backgrounds to produce, inventive, innovative material, share knowledge, resources (such as Top Hats) and best/mischievous practice.

We Guarantee to Chill, Thrill and fill your experience with Phantasmagorical Fun to suit all ages (coffins) and shoe sizes!

To activate spaces, places, streets and to Deliver the Shiver.

Shiverpool also engages with emerging artists to develop their professional practice whether it be through performing arts, creative writing, theatrical make-up, film making or creative design.

Website: https://www.shiverpool.co.uk
X: https://x.com/Shiverpool

Two Tickets For A Performance Of
The Lieutenant of Inishmore

A brutal, hilarious masterpiece
Padraic is mad, everyone knows that. They don’t call him ‘Mad Padraic’ for nothing. And if, just maybe, you’d killed his beloved pet, the one thing you wouldn’t want is for him to turn up at your door.

So when Padraic returns home to Inishmore off the west coast of Ireland, the stage is set for a spectacular confrontation - an explosive dispute that could blow the small community apart.

Mixing cats, killers and casual violence, The Lieutenant of Inishmore is shocking, savage and sadistically funny, winning the Olivier Award for Best Comedy. From the acclaimed writer of In Bruges, The Pillowman and The Banshees of Inisherin, comes this breathless, blood-splattered tale of revenge.

“A terrific play about a serious subject that’s touched with a Monty Pythonesque insanity”
(The Guardian).

Website: https://www.visitliverpool.com/listing/liverpool-everyman
X: https://x.com/LivEveryPlay

Four Ball Pass

At West Derby, we understand the importance of great food and drinks on a golf day. That's why we offer a range of catering options to suit all tastes, ensuring that you and your guests will be well-fed and hydrated throughout the day. Our bar is well-stocked with a wide selection of drinks, making sure you'll have a fantastic time on and off the course.

We're confident that you'll love playing golf on our well-maintained course, designed to challenge golfers of all skill levels. Our friendly and welcoming staff will be on hand to ensure that your golf day runs smoothly, leaving you free to focus on what's important – having fun on the course.

We offer a range of catering options to ensure that you an your group a memorable day with us. Enjoy a bite to eat before or after your round or both!

Website: https://www.westderbygc.co.uk
X: https://x.com/derby_golf

Afternoon Tea for Two

Afternoon Tea overlooking the beautiful surroundings of WDGC
A selection of finger sandwiches, mini cream cakes, warm scones and more
or why not try our alternative savoury afternoon tea - which includes mini burgers, fries and more!
Perfect for treating someone special as there is something for everyone!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WestDerbyGolfClub/posts/we-serve-afternoon-tea-everyday-book-now-we-will-be-sure-you-wont-regret-it-%EF%B8%8Fonl/936306231830979/

Website: https://www.westderbygc.co.uk

A Family Ticket for 4 including a Green Screen Photo Experience

Royal Liver Building 360 is a city landmark with a unique viewpoint and an immersive experiential tour.

We take responsibility for sharing the history of this building with locally based and friendly tour guides delivering a thought provoking and authentic experience.

We love what we do.
We bring the history home.

In the visitors centre see unique pieces from the building archives and learn more about the building, its architect and of course Liverpool’s most famous residents, The Liver Birds. Join your guided tour to enjoy spectacular 360° views of the Liverpool skyline from the 15th floor viewing platform, experience a immersive Audio-Visual show inside the historic clock tower and learn all about Liverpool’s iconic landmark.

Website: https://liverbuildingtour.com
X: https://x.com/RLB360

A Complete Dog Groom
Doos for Dogs - Lemon Tree Walk, St Helens, WA10 3EW
Pick up and drop off available
(Merseyside Area Only)
Sensitive products only
Bath & Dry
Trim & Tidy
Ears & Eyes Clean
Paw & Nose Balm
Nail Trim
Teeth Cleaning
De-shedding treatment if coat requires
Coat clip with heiniger clippers and blades if coat requires
Handstripping for wire coats
Anti itch treatment available
Bandana and flower to finish with before and after photos

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561067920955

A house room of your choice painted.
(Merseyside Area Only)

Dan is a qualified painter and decorator who has been
ploughing his trade for over 20 years.

Dan will be providing his expertise, skill, labour, and tools.
The successful bidder will supply the paint that they wish to be applied to the house room of their choice.

A Bottomless Brunch for 4 People

The Slug and Lettuce Liverpool is found well located within walking distance of the famous Matthew Street and the shopping district.

The bright, modern and floral restaurant and bar boasts an extensive food and drinks menu that caters to all. By Night the bar turns into a party vibe with them opening up their Ciroc Lounge with DJ's and a dance floor to really get the party started.

Slug and Lettuce also offers interactive cocktail masterclasses, as well as tipsy afternoon tea that includes a choice of two cocktails or two glasses of prosecco.

Website: https://www.slugandlettuce.co.uk/liverpool/experiences/bottomless-brunch
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slugandlettucebars

Family Voucher valid for 12 months

Quirky Quarter is home to a medley of interactive experiences and brain-stimulating workouts, of puzzling challenges and oddball photo opportunities. It is a unique, fun-filled destination for all ages.

Website: https://www.quirkyquarter.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quirky_quarter

Three signed books, all donated by the authors personally

Together Again
Milly Johnson
Was born, raised and still lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. She is the author of 20 novels, 4 short story ebooks, a book of poetry and a Quick Reads Novella ('The Little Dreams of Lara Cliffe') and was an erstwhile leading copywriter for the greetings card industry. She is also a poem and joke-writer, a newspaper columnist and a seasoned after dinner speaker.

She won the RoNA for Best Romantic Comedy Novel of 2014 and 2016, the Yorkshire Society award for Arts and Culture 2015, the Romantic Novelist Association Outstanding Achievement award in 2020, the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Romantic Novel Award in 2021 and the Richard Whiteley Award for Inspiration to the County of Yorkshire in 2022.

Website: https://millyjohnson.co.uk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themillyjohnson

Only Love Can Hurt Like This
Paige Toon
Grew up between England, Australia and America and has been writing books set in sun-drenched locations around the world since 2007. She has written eighteen women's fiction novels, a three-part spin-off series for young adults and a collection of short stories. Her novels have sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide.

Website: https://www.paigetoon.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paigetoonauthor

The World At My Feet
Catherine Isaac (Jane Costello is her real name)
Born in Liverpool, England, Jane was surrounded by books from an early age. A car accident had confined her mum to a wheelchair, so they spent a lot of time at home together and, following her lead, reading became her obsession.
Her first book Bridesmaids was published in 2008 and became a bestseller. She has gone on to write eight more romantic comedy novels and hit the Sunday Times Top 10 several times, selling more than a million copies in paperback in the UK.
Jane still lives in Liverpool with her husband Mark and three sons.

Website: https://www.catherine-isaac.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janecostellobooks

2 tickets to Family Concert: The Fantastic Philharmonic Time Machine, on Sunday 9 March 2025 2:30pm.

Join the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra as they program the Fantastic Philharmonic Time Machine and take us Back to the Future to some fascinating periods in world history, including Ancient Egypt and the Era of the Dinosaurs. You’ll even discover how one famous composer needed some inspiration from the future for one of their most well-known pieces! A thrilling trip through time with amazing music to match.

Matthew Lynch conductor
Alasdair Malloy presenter

Website: https://www.liverpoolphil.com
X: https://x.com/liverpoolphil

A Fourball Pass

A links course situated on the shoreline of the north coast of the Wirral peninsula, located just a mile from Junction one of the M53, the course is easily accessible from all parts of the region.

With superb panoramic views extending from the mountains of North Wales and across Liverpool Bay towards the Lake District, the modern Clubhouse provides a fine venue in which to enjoy an excellent range of food and refreshments.

Website: https://www.leasowegolfclub.co.uk
X: https://x.com/LeasoweGolfClub

An Off Peak Game For 2 to 5 Players
Any Breakout Room of Your Choice

Breakout Liverpool is Liverpool's number one live escape room centre. It's a unique activity - perfect for friends, families, colleagues, or even date nights!
In teams of 2 - 5 people, you have 60 minutes to solve the puzzles, complete the challenges, and escape from one of our 16 uniquely themed escape rooms!

The rooms have different themes, and different levels of difficulty.

Follow:
X: https://x.com/breakoutlpl
Website: https://breakoutliverpool.com

A Family Pass to admit 2 adults and 2 children to Knowsley Safari Park

The UK's Longest Safari Drive

Our 550-acre Safari Drive is home to many animals from around the world. From Bactrian Camels and White Rhino to Baboons and African Lions, you can see them all as you drive around the grounds. The route is split into different continental zones where you’ll drive through many habitats and see our collection of animals along the way. Once you’ve finished your roar-some experience, you can head down to our Foot Safari - both experiences are included in your ticket!

Your adventure begins in Eastern Asia where you’ll meet our herd of Bactrian Camels whose coat sheds throughout the year, and lots of Yaks, Eastern Kiang and Père David’s Deer roaming around. In the Southern Asia area, you’ll find the Axis Deer and Eld’s Deer as well as Nilgai and Blackbuck.

Our African Savannah zone is home to one of the largest White Rhino crashes in the UK. Watch out for the world’s largest bird too, the Ostrich, as they love to come over and say hello! Can you spot the distinct markings on the Roan Antelope or the short pointed horns of the Waterbuck? Whilst driving through the African woodland, keep your eyes peeled for the Sitatunga too.

Dare to enter the monkey jungle? The most anticipated area of the Safari Drive. Hold on to your seatbelts as our Baboons steal the show. They’ll come right up to your car so, if you’d prefer, our car-friendly route will allow you to watch from afar. If you still want the full mischievous experience, why not book the Baboon Bus?

Knowsley Foot Safari offers everything you need for a wild day out!

From our brand-new Bear Country to our Tiger Trail, explore our Nature Walk and animal habitats before heading to the Rides and play areas, whilst our Animal Displays will help to keep your little ones entertained all day long.

Once you’ve experienced the Safari Drive, why not take a walk through the Amur Tiger Trail, full of viewing spots where you can come nose-to-nose with Miron or Makari, test your speed in our ‘Dinner Dash’ sprint game - can you outrun an Amur Tiger?!

Meet our mischievous Meerkats, giant Giraffes and smiling Sea Lions all in one Foot Safari. Add to your adventure a peaceful woodland walk which leads you past our beautiful waterfall. And the best part is, it's all included in one admission price. There’s no need for a separate ticket!

Bear Country is the newest attraction in our Foot Safari, where you'll encounter our newest residents: two magnificent Andean Bears. As you journey down to Bear Country, just beyond the Birds of Prey centre, you have the perfect opportunity to catch a sneak peek of these elusive South American stars through our peepholes!

Once you reach the viewing window, positioned directly in front of their climbing platform, you'll have the perfect vantage point to observe them in action – whether they're enjoying a meal, lounging, or showcasing their incredible climbing ability.

Follow
X: https://x.com/KnowsleySafari
Website: https://www.knowsleysafariexperience.co.uk

Book: Signed & Dedicated By Carol
Title: The Illustrated Olive Farm
Genre: Travel - Biographical
Format: Hardback
Postage Free
Bids Accepted: Worldwide

The Book:
The Olive Trilogy is the story of the love affair between actress Carol Drinkwater and television producer Michel Noll and a Provençal olive farm, Appassionata, which they fall in love with, buy and with little money and many tribulations restore with the aim of producing the finest olive oil.

What comes across is her love affair with a farm and a way of life that is utterly captivating…[an] exquisite collection – GOOD BOOK GUIDE

Carol and Michel have documented their life on the olive farm: the highs and lows of harvesting and pressing, the constant concern about water, the adoption of animals, and the anxious search for ways to diversify. Local food and wine, customs, markets and fairs, friends and characterful neighbours, the whole Provençal way of life, are richly recounted and stunningly illustrated.

The Author:
Anglo-Irish actress Carol Drinkwater is perhaps still most familiar to audiences for her award-winning portrayal of Helen Herriot in the BBC series All Creatures Great and Small. A popular and acclaimed author and film-maker as well, Carol has published nineteen books, and one Kindle Single, for both the adult and young adult markets. She is currently at work on her twenty-first title.

When she purchased a rundown property overlooking the Bay of Cannes in France, she discovered on the grounds sixty-eight, 400-year-old olive trees. Once the land was reclaimed and the olives pressed, Carol along with her French husband, Michel, became the producers of top-quality olive oil. Her series of memoirs, love stories, recounting her experiences on her farm (The Olive Farm, The Olive Season, The Olive Harvest and Return to the Olive Farm) have become international bestsellers. Carol's fascination with the olive tree extended to a seventeenth-month, solo Mediterranean journey in search of the tree's mythical secrets. The resulting travel books, The Olive Route and The Olive Tree, have inspired a five-part documentary films series entitled The Olive Route.

Carol has also been invited to work with UNESCO to help fund an Olive Heritage Trail around the Mediterranean with the dual goals of creating peace in the region and honouring the ancient heritage of the olive tree.
Carol has recently become an ambassador for Children in Read.

Follow:
Website: https://www.caroldrinkwater.com
X: https://x.com/Carol4OliveFarm

Book: Signed & Dedicated By S.M. Hardy

Title: Evil Never Dies
Genre: Supernatural Crime
Format: Paperback
Dedication Available: Yes
Postage Free
Bids Accepted: UK Only

Book Blurb:
When Jed receives a letter from an old friend, he is intrigued. Though he and Simon were like brothers during their army days, they have lost touch over the years. However, the invitation to the Pomeroy family estate isn't quite the reunion he was hoping for - Simon's eldest brother has been brutally murdered, and he wants Jed to use his connection to the dead to help solve the crime.When they arrive at the estate, Jed is shocked by how fragile and fearful his friend has become. As Jed calls upon the spirit world, the results are dramatic, and a gruesome warning reveals dark and dangerous family secrets that threaten the safety of them all

The Author:
S. M. Hardy grew up in South East London and worked in banking for many years before turning her attention to arboricultural management. She has now given up the day job to allegedly spend more time with her husband; he, however, has noticed that an awful lot more writing appears to be going on. She currently lives in Devon.

Website: http://smhardy.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueTingey

Title: Modern Astrology 2050
Genre: Non-Fiction, Astrology
Format: Rare Uncorrected Proof
Signed: Dedication is Available
Postage Free
Bids Accepted: Worldwide


The Book:
Modern Astrology 2050 is the follow-up to the number one Amazon bestseller, 2020 Astrology. This new book for the rest of your life, covers your personality and future, based on your unique birth horoscope.
Suitable for family and friends and perfect as a gift.

Find out more about compatibility and chemistry with friends, partners or family. Explore what life until 2050 holds for all of us. Learn the truth about modern astrology discoveries like Salacia and the asteroids.

Modern Astrology 2050 is for every fan of jessicaadams.com which attracts 29 million hits, or page views a year.

The Author:
Jessica Adams is the author of Essential Astrology for Women (Harper Collins) and Handbag Horoscopes (Penquin).
Her astrology appears around the world in Vogue, Marie Claire. The Express, The Guardian, The Washington Post, and on ITV This Morning, also Channel 10 Studio Ten,

Follow:
Website: https://www.jessicaadams.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessicacadams

Title: The Summer Psychic
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Format: Paperback First Edition
Signed: Dedication is Available
Postage Free
Bids Accepted: Worldwide


The Book:
When Katie Pickard is sent by her newspaper to interview Brighton psychic Jim Gabriel about his predictions for the year ahead, she is shocked and sceptical, especially when he predicts that he's going to marry her.

Then Jim's other predictions start coming true and Katie is forced to take him seriously - despite the fact that she's just fallen in love with somebody else.

Will she and Jim really be married by the end of the summer? And can a famous psychic ever be wrong?

The Author:
Jessica Adams is the author of Essential Astrology for Women (Harper Collins) and Handbag Horoscopes (Penquin).
Her astrology appears around the world in Vogue, Marie Claire. The Express, The Guardian, The Washington Post, and on ITV This Morning, also Channel 10 Studio Ten,

Follow:
Website: https://www.jessicaadams.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessicacadams

Signed Hardback Book
Four delicious beverages – A mixture of tea and coffee.
A Tasty Treat – Meredith & Drew Biscuits.
A Bookish Postcard – perfect for framing or displaying in your home.
A Scented Tealight
A hand poured wax seal to finish it all off – great for keeping and putting in a journal or scrapbook as decoration!

Title: The Last Murder at the End of the World
Genre: Science Fiction Thriller
Format: Hardback
Postage Free
Bids Accepted: UK Only

The Book:
rom the award-winning author of our two former Thrillers of the Month, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water comes an ingenious dystopian thriller revolving around a murder in an island paradise that holds what is left of the world.

Solve the murder to save what's left of the world. Outside the island there is nothing: the world destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched. On the island: it is idyllic.

122 villagers and 3 scientists, living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they're told by the scientists.

Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And they learn the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay. If the murder isn't solved within 92 hours, the fog will smother the island - and everyone on it.

But the security system has also wiped everyone's memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer - and they don't even know it...

The outstanding new high concept murder mystery from the Sunday Times bestselling and Costa Book Award winning author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.

An ingenious puzzle, an extraordinary backdrop, an audacious solution.

The Author:
Born in Widnes and educated at the University of Liverpool, Turton spent a year working as a teacher in Shanghai before moving back to London to become a technology journalist. His next career move was to Dubai where he wrote travel journalism for three years before returning to the UK once more and commencing work on his debut novel, the post-modern murder mystery The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (retitled The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle in the United States in a bid to avoid confusion with Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo). The novel’s time-bending narrative and originality ensured that it became a bestseller and Waterstones Thriller of the Month – a feat repeated by his second novel The Devil and the Dark Water. Set onboard ship in the seventeenth century, the twist-laden narrative featured mercurial sleuths, sinister apparitions and bloody murder and was a triumph of page-turning storytelling. His third novel, The Last Murder at the End of the World, combined apocalyptic thriller and whodunit to similarly breathtaking effect.

Donated by Tea Leaves & Reads
The Name and the Library
The name Tea Leaves and Reads was created by Kathryn in 2017 and started out as a blog for her to keep track of her book reviews and favourite authors.

Then, during the 2020 Pandemic, we started to think of ways in which the community could be safely (and legally) brought together and the idea of a little library was born based on the ‘free library’ movement that originated in the USA.

Creating a community library out of a second hand cabinet and stocking it with pre-loved books soon became a talking point in the local community and many socially distanced bookish conversations were carried out over the garden hedge!

We realised just how much we love reading and books – and so we decided to bring the dream alive.

Follow Stuart:
X: https://x.com/stu_turton
https://www.stuturton.com

The Book Boxes
Book boxes weren’t a new concept but we wanted to bring something to the bookish community during the pandemic that feel like a bit of a treat. Tea Leaves and Reads boxes are very much about the authors that we have enjoyed and about us using our own knowledge to match you with the perfect book, the perfect beverage and tasty treats.

With varied reading tastes between us such as Psychological Thrillers, Dystopian, Fantasy, Romance, Contemporary and so many more in between… we have hundreds of books to share with you.

We have grown our business from just ten boxes… to over 900 titles that can be bought on their own (many of them signed), gift-wrapped or in a book box.

We also run a monthly book club both online and in person, with regular Author zooms and appearances.

Follow: Tea Leaves & Reads
X: https://x.com/TeaLeaves_Reads
Website: https://www.tealeavesandreads.co.uk

* if you're an unpublished writer,Callum will read your WIP and give you some notes on it if you are the successful bidder!

Title: Squeaky Clean
Genre: Crime Thriller
Format: Paperback
Signed - Dedication is Available
Bids Accepted: UK Only

The Book;
Half the Glasgow copshop think DI Alison McCoist is bent. The other half just think she's a fuck-up.

No one thinks very much at all about carwash employee Davey Burnet, until one day he takes the wrong customer's motor for a ride.

One kidnapping later, he and the carwash are officially part of Glasgow's criminal underworld, working for a psychopath who enjoys playing games like 'Keep Yer Kneecaps' with any poor bastard who crosses him.

Can Davey escape from the gang's clutches with his kneecaps and life intact? Perhaps this polis Ally McCoist who keeps nosing around the carwash could help. If she doesn't get herself killed first.


The Author:
Callum McSorley is an author based in Glasgow. His short stories have appeared in Gutter, Shoreline of Infinity, and New Writing Scotland. His debut novel SQUEAKY CLEAN was published in March 2023 by Pushkin Vertigo and won The McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2023.

Follow:
X: https://x.com/CallumMcSorley
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/callummcsorleyauthor

Website: https://callummcsorley.com

Title: Limitless
Genre: Autobiography
Format: Hardback
Signed: Dedication is Available
Postage Free
Bids: UK Only

The Book:
From the #1 bestselling author of Hello, is this Planet Earth? and Ask an Astronaut

As heard on BBC Radio 4 Desert Island Discs
__________________
'What surprised me was how entirely serene I felt. I was weightless, no forces exerting themselves on my body. To my left was the Space Station. Below me, gradually going into shadow, was the Earth. And over my right shoulder was the universe.'

In fascinating and personal detail, and drawing on exclusive diaries and audio recordings from his mission, astronaut Tim Peake takes readers closer than ever before to experience what life in space is really like: the sights, the smells, the fear, the sacrifice, the exhilaration and the deep and abiding wonder of the view.

Warm, inspiring and often funny, Tim also charts his surprising road to becoming an astronaut, from a shy and unassuming boy from Chichester who had a passion for flight, to a young British Army officer, Apache helicopter pilot, flight instructor and test pilot who served around the world. Tim's extensive eighteen-year career in the Army included the command of a platoon of soldiers in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, deployment in Bosnia, and operations in Afghanistan.

Full of life lessons for readers of all ages, Limitless is the story of how ordinary can become extraordinary.
__________________
'For someone who has literally been out of this world Tim's an incredibly down to earth guy and I think you'll be amazed at some of the things he has done ... it's so inspiring to know that even going into space didn't change him as much as being a parent did.' JOE WICKS

'Tim is one of our nation's good guys - and his story is a testament to his courage, kindness and a never-give-up spirit.' BEAR GRYLLS

'Full of courage, camaraderie and daring escapades, this reads like a Boys' Own adventure' MIRROR

'A fantastic book' PIERS MORGAN

'Fasten your seatbelt for an exhilarating read ... His accounts of blasting into orbit at 25 times the speed of sound and floating, weightless, around the space station are enthralling.' EXPRESS

The Author:
Tim is a former Apache pilot, flight instructor, test pilot and current European Space Agency astronaut. In 2015, Tim became the first British ESA astronaut to work on board the International Space Station and to conduct a spacewalk.

A veteran of eighteen years’ military service, Tim has flown over 3,000 hours on multiple aircraft types, graduating top of his class from the prestigious Empire Test Pilot's School. He commanded a platoon of soldiers in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and deployed on operations to Bosnia and Afghanistan.

Following a year-long selection process, Tim was chosen from over 8000 applicants to be one of six new astronauts as part of the European Astronaut Corps. During astronaut training he spent seven days living in a cave and twelve days living underwater.

Tim's six month mission 'Principia' to the ISS inspired a nation, engaging with more than 2 million students as part of a hugely successful outreach programme. Whilst in space, he conducted over 250 scientific experiments, oversaw an emergency spacewalk and also ran the 2016 London marathon.

Tim’s autobiography Limitless, tells the often very amusing story of how a short, ginger lad with a passion for flight and all things outdoors went from Soldier, Pilot, Parent to Astronaut.

Now back on Earth Tim continues to work to promote opportunities for young people as an ambassador for STEM education, The Prince’s Trust and The Scout Association.

He is the best selling author of Hello is this Planet Earth?, Ask an Astronaut and The Astronaut Selection Test Book. The proceeds from which were donated to support the work of The Prince’s Trust (https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/ ).

X: https://x.com/astro_timpeake
Website: https://timpeake.com

Title: Seven Summers
Genre: Contemporary - Love Story Commercial Fiction
Format: Paperback
Dedication Available: YES
Postage & Packaging: FREE
Bids Accepted: Worldwide

The Book;
Six summers ago

Liv and Finn meet working in a bar on the rugged Cornish coastline, their futures full of promise. When a night of passion ends in devastating tragedy they are bound together inextricably. But Finn's life is in LA with his band, and Liv's is in Cornwall with her family - so they make a promise. Finn will return every year, and if they are single they will spend the summer together.

This summer

Liv crosses paths with Tom - a mysterious new arrival in her hometown. As the wildflowers and heather come into bloom, they find themselves falling for one another. For the first time Liv can imagine a world where her heart isn't broken every year.

Now Liv must make an impossible choice. And when she discovers the shocking reason that Tom has left home, she'll need to trust her heart even more . . .

The Author:
Paige Toon grew up between England, Australia and America and has been writing books set in sun-drenched locations around the world since 2007. She has written eighteen women's fiction novels, a three-part spin-off series for young adults and a collection of short stories. Her novels have sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaigeToonAuthor
Website: https://www.paigetoon.com

Title: The Wedding Dress Repair Shop
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Format: Hardback
Dedication Available: YES
Postage & Packaging; FREE
Bids Accepted: UK Only

The Book:
Can her heart be mended too?

After losing her fiancé and her dream job in the same week, Garland Fairford's life is turned upside down.

Having recently met a long-lost relative - Honey Fairford - through her work as a historical costumier, Garland is intrigued when Honey reveals she is opening a Wedding Dress museum in Lancashire. With nothing to lose, Garland accepts the offer of a job there.

What she doesn't expect is to come face-to-face with a ghost from her past - her old friend, Thom, who mysteriously disappeared years ago.

As Garland begins reading the stories behind each of the beautiful wedding dresses, and sets about repairing both them and her relationship with Thom, could this finally be the chance for her own happy-ever-after?

The Author:
Trisha Ashley has written nineteen romantic comedies and her latest novel, The Garden of Forgotten Wishes, which is published by Transworld, is a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller. Her novels have twice been shortlisted for the Melissa Nathan award for Romantic Comedy and Every Woman for Herself was nominated by magazine readers as one of the top three romantic novels of the last fifty years.

She is from St Helens in West Lancashire, and believes that her typically dark Lancashire sense of humour in adversity, crossed with a good dose of Celtic creativity from her Welsh grandmother, has made her what she is today...whatever that is. Several of her novels are set in rural West Lancashire, West Yorkshire and Wales. They frequently explore aspects of the three F's that are a constant in her own life: Food, Flowers and Friendship and include delicious recipes at the back.

Nowadays she lives in North Wales

Follow:
Website: https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/237180/trisha-ashley
Twitter: https://twitter.com/trishaashley

Title 1: Over Sharing
Title 2: Worst Idea Ever
Genre: Contemporary Fiction - Humour
Format: Paperbacks
Signed - Dedications are Available
Bids Accepted: Worldwide

The Book; Over Sharing
Can you live a lie without spilling the truth? . . .

Once, Iris was happy. She had the home, the husband, the promise of a family. Now she's divorced and renting out her spare room to make ends meet. Life could be worse. But could have been better - if it hadn't been for Maddy: the woman who ruined her life . . .

Social influencer Maddy's brand is happy families. She preaches about loyalty and the sanctity of marriage, and is quickly becoming famous for her wholesome videos of life with her husband and adorable twin girls.

Iris doesn't believe a word of it. And she's going to prove it's all false.

Because if there's one thing that will bring back Iris's happiness, it's taking away Maddy's . . .

Jane Fallon's whip-smart new novel explores the murky truths behind the versions of ourselves we project online, the lengths we go to when we feel we've been wronged, and the often unlikely places we find true friendship.

Title 2: Worst Idea Ever
Joni never thought she would try online dating but somehow - with the encouragement of her grown up daughter, Danielle - she's signed onto an app. After a few weeks of chatting to Ant, they really hit it off and agree to meet up. However Joni has been so nervous about the whole prospect of dating again that she's been using fake photos on the site.

She turns up to their date and sees Ant, but can't bring herself to come clean.

The problem now is that she can't stop thinking about him. They'd been getting on so well. And so she works out a way to 'meet' him without revealing herself as the person he's been talking to online.

But a few months in, she discovers not only is he still on the dating site but he's really active on it, too. She's hurt, and looks at his phone while he's in the shower one morning only to find intimate texts between him and two other women, Saff and Mary. At the same time, she is beginning to realise that the only thing Ant seems to have been honest about is his profile picture.

After a couple of drinks one night, Joni decides to call the two women. Their experiences sound identical to hers. And they're angry.

But how can they get their revenge? What can hurt a person who doesn't appear to be emotionally involved with any of them? What is it he's really looking for, and how can they catch him out?

The Author:
Jane Fallon was born in north London, the youngest of five children. Her first job was as a “Girl Friday” in a small theatrical and literary agency. She went on to work as a script editor and then a producer, responsible for several hit shows including the award-winning drama series This Life and Teachers.

One night in October 2004 when she couldn’t sleep, she came up with the idea for her first novel, Getting Rid of Matthew. At the same moment, she realised that she never wanted to make another TV show again. She is now a Sunday Times bestseller.

Follow:
X: https://x.com/JaneFallon
Wesite: https://janefallonauthor.com

Signed & Dedicated Book, Pen, Notepad, Travel Soap, Seagull Brooch.
Milly is adding some Mystery Extras too....

Title: The Happiest Ever After
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Format: Paperback
Signed: Dedication is Available
Free Postage
Bids Accepted: UK Only

The Book:
The Happiest Ever After: THE TOP 10 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

What if you could write your own perfect storyline…?

Polly Potter is surviving, not thriving. She used to love her job – until her mentor died and her new boss decided to make her life hell. She used to love her partner Chris – until he cheated on her, and now she can’t forget. The only place where her life is working is on the pages of the novel she is writing – there she can create a feistier, bolder, more successful version of herself – as the ­fictional Sabrina Anderson.

But what if it was possible to start over again? To leave everything behind, forget all that went before, and live the life you’d always dreamed of?

After a set of unforeseen circumstances, Polly ends up believing she really IS Sabrina, living at the heart of a noisy Italian family restaurant by the sea. Run by Teddy, the son of her new landlady Marielle, it’s a much-loved place, facing threat of closure as a rival restaurant moves in next door. Sabrina can’t remember her life as Polly, but she knows she is living a different life from the one she used to have.

But what if this new life could belong to her after all?

The idea came from just hearing the nursery rhyme ‘Polly Put the Kettle On’ at a time when my brain must have been whirring creatively. I suddenly had a vision of a woman called Polly who was sick of people saying that line to her as a well-worn ‘joke’. Also I hate surprise parties – my idea of hell. Those two ingredients started the cells multiplying.

And as I like to challenge myself to keep it interesting, I wanted to write about a woman who forgets who she really is but is totally convinced she is someone else. It’s been done before, of course, but often not properly because if memory loss is due to brain damage, then a person will never get those memories back. But with psychological trauma – anything goes. I did a lot of research about it so it would be as accurate as I could make it, within the parameters of a fiction book of course – and one does have to suspend a bit of disbelief. This sort of memory loss comes with a lot of depression and distress so I had to just string it out just before I thought all that might set in.

We met a great couple on holiday who always picked the name ‘Team Donk’ when they did a quiz because of their love of donkeys. That spun the whole Billy character. Square was originally called Shitface, which I loved, but I doubted my editor would let me have it. Billy and his crew gave me a lot of fun in this book. And I know I’m not alone in finding scarecrows as weird as clowns. In Worzel Gummidge, his creation ‘Dafthead’ is the stuff of nightmares!

The Author:
Milly Johnson was born, raised and still lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. She is the author of 21 novels, 4 short story ebooks, a book of poetry and a Quick Reads Novella ('The Little Dreams of Lara Cliffe') and was an erstwhile leading copywriter for the greetings card industry. She is also a poet, a professional joke-writer, a newspaper columnist and a seasoned after dinner speaker.

She won the RoNA for Best Romantic Comedy Novel of 2014 and 2016, the Yorkshire Society award for Arts and Culture 2015, the Romantic Novelist Association Outstanding Achievement award in 2020, the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Romantic Novel Award in 2021 and the Richard Whiteley Award for Inspiration to the County of Yorkshire in 2022.

She writes about love, life, friendships and the importance of community spirit. Her books champion women, their strength and resilience and celebrate her beloved Yorkshire.

Her 21st novel 'The Happiest Ever After' is out now and is about Polly Potter who finds herself living at the seaside with no recollection of how she got there, thinking she is the leading character in a book she is writing. But what happens when Polly - or Sabrina as she believes she is - finds out who she is and has to make a decision whether or not to go back to the lesser life she left behind. Full of sea air, sand, seagulls... and scarecrows.

Follow:
X: https://x.com/millyjohnson
Website: https://millyjohnson.co.uk

Title: Cursed Under London
Genre: Magical Fantasy
Format: Hardback
Signed - Dedication is Available
Bids Accepted: UK Only

The Book;
The hilarious first novel in a cosy and inclusive historical romantasy series by the writer of Horrible Histories
Two strangers.

Two Londons.

Two hearts that won’t stop beating…

In an alternative Elizabethan London, Fang awakes from his death to discover he is not quite human anymore. In fact, despite having somehow acquired the power of immortality, he’s also not quite vampire, zombie, werewolf or any of the other supernatural beings who roam the twin cities of Upper London and its underground counterpart, Deep London.

A jaded traveller from the Ming Empire, Fang is desperate to find a way to reverse the spell and get on with being dead when he stumbles upon Lazare de Quitte-Beuf, a theatrical Frenchman who is afflicted with the same mysterious condition. Thrown together by the curse they share, the two men set out to undo the strange magic that binds them. As they are drawn further into the shadowy world of Deep London, they unearth a dangerous plot which they appear to be right in the middle of…

And, surely, when in grave danger, the worst thing they could do would be to fall in love, wouldn’t it?

The Author:
Gabby Hutchinson Crouch (Horrible Histories, Newzoids, The News Quiz, The Now Show) has a background in satire, and with the global political climate as it is, believes that now is an important time to explore themes of authoritarianism and intolerance in comedy and fiction. The Darkwood Series does so in a funny, engaging way that never loses the warmth of humanity, even as its villainous Huntsmen try to dehumanise their victims as well as anonymising and dehumanising themselves. Drawing on inspiration from other satirical stories set in a magical universe such as Shrek and the Discworld novels, the Darkwood adventures create a world where readers can enjoy more grown-up versions of fairytales, while also holding up a mirror to our own society.

Follow:
X: https://x.com/Scriblit

Book Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chXkQ8m8tKM

Title: The Making of Swallows and Amazons (1974)
Genre: TV & Film Biography
Format: Paperback
Dedication Available: YES
Postage & Packaging: FREE
Bids Accepted: UK only.



The Book;
In 1973 Sophie Neville was cast as Titty alongside Virginia McKenna, Ronald Fraser and Suzanna Hamilton in the film Swallows & Amazons. Made before the advent of digital technology, the child stars lived out Arthur Ransome's epic adventure in the great outdoors without ever seeing a script. Encouraged by her mother, Sophie Neville kept a diary about her time filming on location in the lakes and mountains of Cumbria. Bouncy and effervescent, extracts from her childhood diary are interspersed among her memories of the cast and crew as well as photographs, maps and newspaper articles, offering a child's eye view of the making of the film from development to premiere - and the aftermath.

The Author:
Award-winning author Sophie Neville became inadvertently well known as a child when she starred as Titty in the 1974 feature film of Arthur Ransome's book Swallows and Amazons.

After that sunshiny time she went on to work for the BBC behind the camera on television programmes such as Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals, Doctor Who and Eastenders. Having produced her own Inset series for BBC2 she was busy directing her second drama serial for children when disaster struck in the form of a mystery illness.

Fully recovered, Sophie now lives on the south coast of England with her husband. Every year she disappears for a while to ride in different parts of the world and has also been known to go sailing, but only when the sun shines.


Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sophie_Neville
Website: https://sophieneville.net

Title: Agent Zo
Genre: History - Biography
Format: Hardback - First Edition
Signed - Dedication is Available
Bids Accepted: UK Only

The Book;
This is the incredible story of Elzbieta Zawacka, the WW2 female resistance fighter known as Agent Zo, told here for the very first time. Agent Zo was the only woman to reach London from Warsaw during the Second World War as an emissary of the Polish Home Army command, and then in Britain she became the only woman to join the Polish elite Special Forces, known as the 'Silent Unseen'. She was secretly trained in the British countryside, and then the only female member of these SOE affiliated forces to be parachuted back behind enemy lines to Nazi-occupied Poland. There, whilst being hunted by the Gestapo who arrested her entire family, she took a leading role in the Warsaw Uprising and the liberation of Poland.

After the war she was demobbed as one of the most highly decorated women in Polish history. Yet the Soviet-backed post-war Communist regime not only imprisoned her, but also ensured that her remarkable story remained hidden for over forty years. Now, through new archival research and exclusive interviews with people who knew and fought alongside Zo, Clare Mulley brings this forgotten heroine back to life, and also transforms how we see the history of women's agency in the Second World War.

The Author:
CLARE MULLEY is the award-winning author of 'The Woman Who Saved the Children', which won the Daily Mail Biographers' Club Prize, and 'The Spy Who Loved', now optioned by Universal Studios.

Clare's third book, 'The Women Who Flew for Hitler', long-listed for the Historical Writers Association prize, is a dual biography of two extraordinary women at the heart of the Third Reich, but who ended their lives on opposite sides of history.

A regular contributor to TV and radio, Clare recently gave a TEDx talk at Stormont, and lectures in London and Paris on wartime female special agents. She also reviews non-fiction for the Telegraph, Spectator and History Today.

Clare is very nosy, which is helpful for a biographer seeking the truth - or many truths - of people in the dusty files of public archives and between the lines of once private letters. She also loves long walks, chocolate, and her naughty dog, Lola the lurcher.

Follow:
X: https://x.com/claremulley
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cmulley
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claremulley

Title 1: Murder at Honeychurch Hall
Title 2: Deadly Desires at Honeychurch Hall
Genre: Cosy Crime
Format: Paperbacks
Signed: Dedications are Available
Postage Free
Bids Accepted: UK Only

Book 1: Murder at Honeychurch Hall
Kat Stanford is just days away from starting her dream antique business with her newly widowed mother Iris when she gets a huge shock. Iris has recklessly purchased a dilapidated carriage house at Honeychurch Hall, an isolated country estate complete with eccentric lords and ladies and butlers and cooks.
When a secret from the past comes back to haunt Iris, Kat realizes she hardly knows her mother at all. And when the bodies start piling up, it is up to Kat to unravel the tangled truth behind the murders at Honeychurch Hall.

Book2:
When the body of a transport minister is discovered in the grounds on the Honeychurch Hall estate, suspicion as to his unusual demise naturally falls on the residents. After all, who could possibly want a high-speed train line and rolling stock depot built in their front yard?



News of the murder soon reaches our heroine Kat Stanford's nemesis Trudy Wynne. A ruthless tabloid journalist and the ex-wife of Kat's discarded lover, Trudy is out for revenge. She is also interested in exposing—and humiliating—Kat's mother Iris, who is secretly the international bestselling romance writer Krystalle Storm.
As the body count begins to build, Kat becomes inextricably embroiled in the ensuing scandal. Is the minister's death the result of a local vendetta, or could it be connected to her mother's unusual past?

The Author:
British born, Hannah originally moved to Los Angeles to pursue screenwriting. She has been an obituary reporter, antique dealer, private jet flight attendant and Hollywood story analyst. She teaches mystery writing workshops for the UCLA Writers' Extension Program via Zoom, and has served on numerous judging committees for Mystery Writers of America.

After twenty-five years living on the West Coast, Hannah returned to the UK where she shares her life with two crazy Hungarian Vizslas. She enjoys all country pursuits, movies, theatre, reading and seriously good chocolate.

Hannah writes three mystery series—the Island Sisters Mysteries (Minotaur), the Honeychurch Hall Mysteries (Constable) and the Vicky Hill Mysteries (Constable). The Island Sisters Mysteries is Hannah's new series that is set on a fictional island in the Isles of Scilly. The series features two sisters (no surprise there!) Evie Mead and Margot Chandler, who become chatelaines of a crumbling Art Deco hotel. The sisters have been geographically separated for over a decade and, following the death of Evie's husband and Hollywood film producer Margot's divorce, the story explores the unique bond between siblings who are complete polar opposites!

The Honeychurch Hall Mysteries star former celebrity antique dealer Kat Stanford, and her romance writer mother, Iris. Set on a crumbling English country house estate, the books aren’t just about solving the mysteries. Hannah wanted to highlight the fading glory of these grand old houses and the struggles to keep them afloat. The series also explores the intricacies of mother-daughter relationships.

Follow:
Website: https://www.hannahdennison.com

Dedicated signed book with a signed original drawing of Hiccup and Toothless

Title: The Incomplete Book of Dragons
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Paperback
Signed: Dedication is Available
Postage Free
Bids Accepted: UK Only

The Book:
Long ago, the world was full of dragons. But what happened to them? Where are they now? These pages are taken from the notebooks of Viking Hero Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third when he was just a boy. A keen dragonwatcher, Hiccup paints a picture of the brilliance and fire and spirit of that lost dragon world.

Featuring dragon profiles, dragon anatomy, dragon riding tips and lots more must know info e.g. how to spot the difference between an arsenic adderwing and a glow worm (you don't want to mix those two up) and what to do when confronted with a Hellsteether. This is a must for all keen dragonwatchers out there...

How to Train Your Dragon is now a major DreamWorks franchise starring Gerard Butler, Cate Blanchett and Jonah Hill and the TV series, Riders of Berk, can be seen on CBeebies and Cartoon Network.

The Author:
Cressida Cowell is the author and illustrator of the bestselling the How to Train Your Dragon, The Wizards of Once and Which Way to Anywhere books series, and the author of the Emily Brown picture books, illustrated by Neal Layton.
She was the Waterstones Children’s Laureate from 2019 – 2022.

The Wizards of Once series has been translated into 37 languages and has been signed by DreamWorks Animation. How to Train Your Dragon has sold over 11 million books worldwide in 38 languages and is a major DreamWorks Animation film franchise, as well as being made into a TV series on Netflix and CBBC.

Cressida is an ambassador for the National Literacy Trust and the Reading Agency, a Trustee of World Book Day and a founder patron of the Children’s Media Foundation. She has won numerous prizes, including The Blue Peter Book Award.

Follow:
X: https://x.com/CressidaCowell
Website: https://www.cressidacowell.co.uk

Book Title: The Moonlight Market
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Hardback
Signed Dedication is Available:
Bids Accepted : UK Only

The Book:
Have you ever felt as if you were not quite a part of this world? As if the reality you knew were only a shadow of something else, waiting to reveal itself, like a photographic negative? Have you ever been in love – a love beyond doubt, beyond question? A love that feels impossibly old, though her face is that of a stranger?

Tom Argent is a photographer. Orphaned, lonely, lost in his work, he has no intention of falling in love. And yet, love finds him in the shape of beautiful Vanessa, who lives a dangerous double life in the heart of London’s King’s Cross. Tom’s pursuit of Vanessa leads him to discover an alternate world, hiding in plain sight among the streets and rooftops of London; a world unseen by common folk and inhabited by strange and colourful beings, in which two warring factions – one nocturnal, one in the light – wage war for the sake of a long-lost love and a Prince of sun and starlight…

The Author:
Joanne Harris (OBE, FRSL) was born in Barnsley in 1964, of a French mother and an English father. She studied Modern and Mediaeval Languages at Cambridge and was a teacher for fifteen years, during which time she published three novels, including Chocolat (1999), which was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche .

Since then, she has written 19 more novels, plus novellas, short stories, game scripts, the libretti for two short operas, several screenplays, a stage musical (with Howard Goodall) and three cookbooks. Her books are now published in over 50 countries and have won a number of British and international awards. She is an honorary Fellow of St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, has honorary doctorates in literature from the universities of Sheffield and Huddersfield, and has been a judge for the Whitbread Prize, the Orange Prize, the Desmond Elliott Prize, the Betty Trask Award, the Prima Donna Prize and the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science, as well as for the Fragrance Foundation awards for perfume and perfume journalism (for which she also received an award in 2017). She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2022.

She is a passionate advocate for authors’ rights, and was the Chair of the Society of Authors (SOA) for four years. She is currently a member of the Board of the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS).

Her hobbies are listed in Who’s Who as: “mooching, lounging, strutting, strumming, priest-baiting and quiet subversion of the system”, although she also enjoys obfuscation, sleaze, rebellion, witchcraft, armed robbery, tea and biscuits. She is not above bribery and would not necessarily refuse an offer involving perfume, diamonds, foreign travel or pink champagne. She works from a shed in her garden, plays in the band she first joined when she was 16, and lives with her husband in a little wood in Yorkshire.

Follow Joanne:
Website: https://www.joanne-harris.co.uk
X: https://twitter.com/Joannechocolat

Title: Save Us
Genre: Children - Education - Enviroment
Format: Picture Book
Signed - Dedication is Available
Postage Free
Bids Accepted: UK Only

The Book: Save Us
Save Us' is a wonderful story about a Seal, Whale and Sea Turtle that addresses the problem of plastic causing problems to our sea creatures.

The inspiration for writing this story is a result of watching the BBC Blue Planet 2 with David Attenborough. Plastic pollution is set to treble in a decade unless action is taken to deal with the problem. I feel that it is vitally important that we educate our children from a young age to help look after our Oceans and environment.

The Author:
Christina Gabbitas is a children’s author, poet, storyteller and voiceover artist, who always loved to read rhyming books and poetry in my early years. She penned some stories that she stored away in a box file twenty years ago, thinking that one day she would do something with them. Welcome to the World of Felicity Fly was born in 2012. The series has taken her into the final of the People's Book Prize 2014-2018, winning Best Achievement Award in May 2019.

Born in Blackburn, Lancashire where she spent the first twenty two years of her life, before moving to various parts of Yorkshire, where she now lives. (passports for both)

Christina is founder and trustee of Children's Literature Festivals charity, her patrons and ambassadors include musician Michael Bradley of The Undertones and Actress Jenny Agutter.

Follow:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristiGabbitas
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaGabbitas
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinagabbitas

Website: https://www.christinagabbitas.com

Author Christina Gabbitas, known for her award-winning work, is generously offering a 45-minute virtual storytelling session featuring some of her captivating stories for primary age children.

The Author:
Christina Gabbitas is a children’s author, poet, storyteller and voiceover artist, who always loved to read rhyming books and poetry in my early years. She penned some stories that she stored away in a box file twenty years ago, thinking that one day she would do something with them. Welcome to the World of Felicity Fly was born in 2012. The series has taken her into the final of the People's Book Prize 2014-2018, winning Best Achievement Award in May 2019.

Born in Blackburn, Lancashire where she spent the first twenty two years of her life, before moving to various parts of Yorkshire, where she now lives. (passports for both)

Christina is founder and trustee of Children's Literature Festivals charity, her patrons and ambassadors include musician Michael Bradley of The Undertones and Actress Jenny Agutter.

Follow:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristiGabbitas
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaGabbitas
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinagabbitas

Website: https://www.christinagabbitas.com

Title 1: Supertato The Great Eggscape
Title 2: Superato Presents Jack and the Beanstalk
Title 3: Supertato 3 Classic Adventures.
Title 4: Super 10th Anniversary Edition

Genre: Children
Format: Picturebooks
Signed: Dedications are Available
Free Postage
Bids Accepted UK Only

The Books:
Follow the adventures of Supertato, the world’s first potato superhero as he tackles the mischievous Evil Pea, in the supermarket aisles.
The Supertato book series is a fun and exciting collection of children's books that follows the adventures of a heroic potato and his friends as they work to save the day and thwart the evil plans of the villainous vegetables in the supermarket- now a hit animated show on Cbeebies and BBC iplayer.

Written by Sue Hendra and illustrated by Paul Linnet, the Supertato series is a favourite among children and parents alike. The colourful illustrations and engaging storyline make these books perfect for bedtime stories or reading time with your little ones. The Supertato books are perfect for children aged 3-7, but they are also enjoyable for parents and caregivers who want to read a fun and engaging story to their little ones.

Author:
Sue Hendra grew up in Wimbledon and has always loved making up stories and drawing pictures. Her favourite book as a child was Mr. Silly. She graduated from Brighton University in 1994 and has been creating picture books ever since. In 2006, she met Paul Linnet and could instantly see that she’d met a fellow nitwit who liked talking nonsense. Sue loves swimming and can swim up and down for a very long time. Her favourite book is still Mr. Silly.

Follow:
X: https://x.com/suehendra
Website: https://www.supertatoandfriends.com

Author:
Paul Linnet was born in Brighton and grew up in the Midlands, reading Tintin and playing classic 80’s video games, before becoming obsessed with scribbling, writing, guitars, and motorcycles. He studied graphic design at Derby University, and later moved back to Brighton where he met Sue Hendra. They made up a story about a fish with fingers and then a slug with a doughnut for a shell, and now no one can stop them from writing more and more frankly ridiculous books. Paul still loves scribbling, writing, guitars, and motorcycles.

Follow
X: https://x.com/PaulLinnet
Website: https://www.supertatoandfriends.com

Title 1: One Last Letter from Greece
Title 2: The Island Love Song
Title 3: The House in the Olive Grove
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Format: Paperbacks
Signed: Dedications are Available
Bids Accepted: UK Only

Book 1: One Last Letter from Greece
Will walking in her mother’s footsteps help Sophie discover who she was meant to be all along…?

Devastated by her mother’s death, Sophie longs to get away from an empty house full of memories and a life that hasn’t quite turned out as she had imagined.

So when a chance discovery among her mother’s belongings hints at a past Sophie knows nothing of, she jumps at the opportunity for escape and a chance to heal. The magical, idyllic Greek town of Methoni awaits…

But Sophie – determined to uncover her mother’s secrets – is about to discover so much more. Among the tranquil waters and cosy tavernas, Methoni’s locals offer Sophie the answers she craves, along with unexpected romance and, if she’ll take it, a chance at her own happiness…

Book 2: The Island Love Song
Escape to the beautiful Greek Island of Hydra with this moving novel, filled with family secrets and romance

Emma Cowell, author of THE HOUSE IN THE OLIVE GROVE, returns with her brand new, emotional and romantic novel set on an idyllic Greek Island.

Hydra, the picturesque Greek island, is a paradise for most, yet for sisters Ella and Georgia, it is a place where their darkest secrets dwell. And now the time has come for them to confront their past as they return to Greece to scatter their mother’s ashes.

Ella is haunted by a love song that was written for her by the man who broke her heart years earlier and she longs to find peace so she can move on with her life.

Georgia pretends everything in her life is perfect, but she is plagued with guilt. If what she’s kept hidden for decades was revealed, their family would never be the same again.

The island is urging the sisters to confront the truth, but can they build a future on the ruins of their past?

Book 3: The House in the Olive Grove
Will one week in Greece change their lives for ever?

Chef Maria is running a successful cookery school in her home village of Petalidi, Greece – but she is also running from the secrets of her past.

Food journalist Kayla thought this was going to be just another work trip. But right before she leaves for Greece, she discovers that her whole life is built on a lie.

Jewellery-maker Alessandra has always lived according to her own rules – despite what it has cost her to do so. But she has just had some devastating news.

As these three very different women come together at the house in the olive grove, unlikely friendships blossom and a season of self-discovery begins. Will the sumptuous flavours, sapphire waters and golden sands of Greece give each of them the answers they so desperately seek?

The Author:
Emma lives in Cornwall with her husband, Tony who is also a writer. A former actress and BBC presenter, segueing from being paid to talk for a living into writing was a natural progression, since story telling has been at the heart of her career to date. Outside of work, Emma is a keen angler and is attempting to learn Greek to maintain her love affair with the country where she has set her novels. She is yet to achieve a level of proficiency outside of tavernas and bakeries.

Follow
X: https://x.com/EmmaCowellBooks
Website: https://www.emmacowell.com

Title: LILITH
Genre: MYTHOLOGICAL RETELLING
Format: Hardback
Dedication Available: YES
Postage & Packaging; FREE
Bids Accepted: UK Only

The Book:
Lilith and Adam are equal and happy in the Garden of Eden. But when Adam decides Lilith should submit to his will and lie beneath him, she refuses – and is banished forever from Paradise. Demonised and sidelined, Lilith watches in fury as God creates Eve, the woman who accepts her submission. But Lilith has a secret: she has already tasted the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Endowed with Wisdom, she knows why Asherah – God’s wife and equal, the Queen of Heaven – is missing. Lilith has a plan: she will rescue Eve, find Asherah, restore balance to the world and regain her rightful place in Paradise.
Lilith is the heroine women have waited six thousand years for.

The Author:
In a former life Nikki worked as a financial journalist. She now writes fiction from a small village near Amersham, where she lives with her husband and three children. Her first novel, On Wilder Seas, was shortlisted for the Historical Novel Society’s New Novel Award and selected for the Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation’s #AdventureSociety book club.

Follow:
X: https://x.com/nikkimarmery
Website: https://nikkimarmery.com

*Bonus: Gina will be adding two tickets to her new book launch. A fun night with actors playing characters from her book. There will be a free glass of fizz on arrival, and a buffet.
Her goodself and fellow scribe David Jackson will be holding a Q&A session, and
Owen Drew England will have a stall at the event. There will be bingo and raffles to boot. A guaranteed good time will be had by all!

If that's not enough Gina has donated a signed and dedicated book details below:

Title: MURDERS AT THE ROOKERY GRANGE RETREAT
Genre : Cosy/Crime/Murder/Mystery/Humour
Format: Paperback
Signed: Dedication is Available
Postage & Packaging: FREE
Bids Accepted: UK Only

Website: https://ginakirkham.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GinaGeeJay

The Book:
‘Christmas Eve, 1989. A couple is found slumped in front of their twinkling Christmas tree in an apparent murder-suicide . . .

Today. Librarian Pru Pearce is preparing for her wedding to police detective Andy Barnes. But after one of her Women’s Institute friends suffers a suspicious accident at Rookery Grange, a home for the elderly and infirm, Pru and the other ladies are on alert. And when one of the residents is asphyxiated with a pillow, no one can rest easy . . .

With her wedding taking a disastrous turn and a killer on the loose, the part-time detective makes another vow: to investigate and solve the mystery. Will she unravel generations of murderous secrets and find the culprit?’

The Author:
Gina was born in the late 1950’s to a mum who frequently abandoned her in a pram outside Woolworths and a dad who after two pints of beer could play a mean Boogie Woogie on the piano in the front room of their 3-bed semi on the Wirral. Being the less adventurous of three children, she remains there to this day - apart from a long weekend in Bognor Regis in 1982.

Her teenage years were filled with angst, a CSE in Arithmetic, raging pimples and Barry White. Marriage and motherhood ensued, followed by divorce in her early thirties and a desperate need for a career and some form of financial support for herself and her young daughter. Trundling a three-wheeled trike along a leafy path one wintry day, memories of her favourite author Enid Blyton, ginger beer and solving mysteries along with her lifelong passion to be a police officer, excitedly gave way to an epiphany. And thus began an enjoyable and fulfilling career with Merseyside Police.

On reaching an age most women lie about, she quickly adapted to retirement by utilising her policing skills to chase after two granddaughters, two dogs and one previously used, but still in excellent condition, husband. Having said goodbye to what had been a huge part of her life, she suddenly had another epiphany. This time it was to put pen to paper to write a book based on her experiences as a police officer. This led to her signing first with Urbane Publications and more recently, Bloodhound Books for her second series of cosy murder mystery books following the Winterbottom Women’s Institute ladies.

Follow:
X: https://x.com/GinaGeeJay
Website: https://ginakirkham.wordpress.com

Title: Finding Hope
Genre: Children - Country & Farming
Format: Paperback
Postage Free
Bids Accepted: UK Only

The Book:
The first book in a warm and beautifully observed farm adventure series from Nicola Baker, star of Our Farm in the Dales. Perfect for readers 8+ and fans of Jacqueline Wilson, Michael Morpurgo, Dick King Smith and The Snow Foal. With stunning illustrations from Rachael Dean throughout.

When ten-year-old Ava moves to Whistledown Farm while her parents are working abroad, she must swap city life for mud, wellies and animals. But as one catastrophe follows another, will Ava learn to love life on the farm and find hope in nature? And can a very special little lamb show Ava that when all might seem lost, hope can be found...

‘Baker is a gifted writer, and her bucolic adventure harks back to classic farm stories such as those written by Dick King Smith and Michael Morpurgo’ The Bookseller

The Author:
Growing up, Nicola spent hours with her nose stuck in a book or filling notebooks with stories and sketches. After a successful career as a physiotherapist and raising two children she’s now come full circle and is writing again.

Nicola lives on a smallholding with her husband and two children. When she’s not mucking out chickens or feeding the sheep you’ll find her writing adventure stories for children.

Follow:
X: https://x.com/mrsnicolabaker
Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c515g1px431o

* Peter's book is not released until September 12th 2024

Title: The Black Loch
Genre: Crime/Thriller
Format: Hardback - First Edition
Signed: Dedication is Available: YES
Postage & Packaging; FREE
Bids Accepted: Global

The Book:
A MURDER

The body of eighteen-year-old TV personality Caitlin is found abandoned on a remote beach at the head of An Loch Dubh - the Black Loch - on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis. A swimmer and canoeist, it is inconceivable that she could have drowned.

A SECRET

Fin Macleod left the island ten years earlier to escape its memories. When he learns that his married son Fionnlagh had been having a clandestine affair with the dead girl and is suspected of her murder, he and Marsaili return to try and clear his name.

A RECKONING

But nothing is as it seems, and the truth of the murder lies in a past that Fin would rather forget, and a tragedy at the cages of a salmon farm on East Loch Roag, where the tense climax of the story finds its resolution.

The Black Loch takes us on a journey through family ties, hidden relationships and unforgiving landscapes, where suspense, violent revenge and revelation converge in the shadow of the Black Loch.

The Author:
PETER MAY was born and raised in Scotland. He was an award-winning journalist at the age of twenty-one and a published novelist at twenty-six. When his first book was adapted as a major drama series for the BBC, he
quit journalism and, during the high-octane fifteen years that followed, became one of Scotland’s most successful television dramatists. He has won several literary awards in France, received the USA’s Barry Award for The Blackhouse – the first in his internationally bestselling Lewis Trilogy; and in 2014 Entry Island was awarded the ITV Specsavers Crime Thriller Book Club Best Read of the Year, as well as the Deanston Scottish Crime Book of the Year. May now lives in South-West France with his wife, writer Janice Hally.

Follow:
Website: http://petermay.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorpetermay

Title: Scenes From My Life in poetry and prose
Genre: A Collection of Short Stories, Poems & Non-Fiction, influenced by events in her own life.
Format: Paperback
Signed: Dedication is Available
Free Postage
Bids Accepted UK Only

The Book:
Scenes from My Life is a collection of short stories, poems and non-fiction articles. Many pieces have been published in magazines and newspapers, but some, until now, were for my eyes only.

When I began writing my memoirs in 2023, I thought, if I don’t get this body of work out in the world, it might one day be deleted. Each piece is part of me, written at times in my life that were happy, sad, or tragic. These times were imperative to my development as a human being and later as an actress and writer. Times when I met people who influenced me, encouraged me to take a risk, gave me the confidence to change – and most importantly, understand more, do more, do better, and follow my dream.

Each piece of work in this collection is a scene from my life.

The Author:
Madalyn Morgan was an actress for more than thirty years working in repertory theatre, the West End, film and television.

Madalyn was brought up in a busy working-class pub in the market town of Lutterworth in Leicestershire. She was Christened Madalyn Smith, the name she chose when she joined the actors union, Equity. Unfortunately, there was already an actress with that name, so with seconds to decide on another name Madalyn chose Morgan from a rum bottle. "The pub was a great place for an aspiring actress and writer to live. There were so many characters to study and accents learn." At twenty-four Madalyn gave up a successful hairdressing salon and wig-hire business for a place at East 15 Drama College, and a career as an actress.

In 1990, Madalyn gave up acting for love and love gave her up in 2000. Rather than start again in the acting business, Madalyn became a radio presenter, taught herself to touch type, completed a two-year creative writing course with The Writer's Bureau, and wrote articles for newspapers and magazines. After living in London for thirty-six years she has returned to Lutterworth, swapping two window boxes and a mortgage, for a garden and the freedom to write. And she is loving it.

Follow:
X: https://x.com/ActScribblerDJ
Website: https://madalynmorgan.com

*Rare limited special edition hardback of Old Bear '

Title: Old Bear
Genre: Children
Format: Hardback -Limited Special Edition
Signed: Dedication is Available
Postage & Packaging: FREE
Bids Accepted: UK Only

The Book:
It’s time to bring Old Bear back to the playroom! Old Bear tells the familiar story of how a much-loved teddy bear is lost and finally found again. Bramwell Brown and his friends Little Bear, Duck and Rabbit attempt to rescue Old Bear from the attic using a number of ingenious methods. This special limited collector’s edition includes scrapbook pages of bonus material making this a truly special gift for children to share and treasure.

The Author:
Jane has always loved writing and drawing. Throughout much of her childhood she lived in Norfolk and wandered the fields and lanes with pencil and sketchbook.

She studied illustration and design in Brighton, where she met her husband, Ivan, who is also an illustrator. After college, they settled in Sussex and Jane taught art for a few years before leaving to have her first child, Owen. Since then she has had two more children; Alison and Ralph, and has written and illustrated over 20 picture books.

She prepares a dummy book of rough sketches before she begins the finished drawings. For these she draws first in pencil then, using coloured pencils, she builds up layers of colour, adding details towards the end. Each drawing takes many, many hours and a whole book can take a year.

Follow
Twitter: https://twitter.com/janehissey
Website: https://www.janehissey.co.uk

Title: Felicity at the Cross Hotel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Paperback
Signed: Dedication is Available
Postage & Packing Free
Bids Accepted: UK Only

The Author:
Helena Fairfax is a freelance editor and author. She is addicted to reading and will read the cornflakes packet if there is nothing else to hand. Helena writes romantic novels in which women take the centre stage. She is also the author of a history of the lives of women in Halifax, West Yorkshire, in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Readers can keep in touch via Helena's website http://www.helenafairfax.com, where she blogs about books and editing, or else subscribe to Helena's newsletter for book news, photos of her beloved Yorkshire moors, gossip, and the occasional free stuff.

The Book:
At the Cross Hotel, happy endings can be found when you least expect them..

A quaint old hotel by a lake in the mountains should be the perfect place for a relaxing summer, and Felicity Everdene is looking forward to a quiet break from working in her father’s stressful business. A few weeks hiking and swimming should restore her.

But then the hotel’s new owner, Patrick Cross, takes Felicity for the replacement barmaid, and things don’t turn out quite to plan. With a grumpy chef, a waiter with love troubles, and the old Tudor building in need of renovation, Felicity’s quiet break soon turns into a working holiday.

But Patrick’s dreams lie beyond the mountains, and Felicity’s loyalties lie with her family, and anyway, holidays can’t last forever…can they?

X: https://x.com/HelenaFairfax
Website: https://helenafairfax.com

* Louisa is kindly adding a £20 Amazon gift card for her successful bidder

Title: The Paris Muse
Genre: Biography - History
Format: Hardback - First Edition
Signed - Dedication is Available
Bids Accepted: UK Only

The Book;
'Living with him was like living at the centre of the universe. It was electrifying and humbling, blissful and destructive, all at the same time.'

Paris, 1936. When Dora Maar, a talented French photographer, painter and poet, is introduced to Pablo Picasso, she is mesmerized by his dark and intense stare. Drawn to his volcanic creativity, it isn't long before she embarks on a passionate relationship with the Spanish artist that sometimes includes sadism and masochism, and ultimately pushes her to the edge.

The Paris Muse is the fictionalized retelling of this disturbing love story, as we follow Dora on her journey of self-discovery and expression. Set in Paris and the French Riviera, where Dora and Pablo spent their holidays with their glamorous artist friends, it provides a fascinating insight into how Picasso was a genius who side-stepped the rules in his human relationships as he did in his art. Much to Dora's torment, he refused to divorce his wife and conducted affairs with Dora's friends. The Spanish Civil War made him depressed and violent, an angst that culminated in his acclaimed painting 'Guernica', which Dora documented as he painted.

As the encroaching darkness suffocates their relationship - a darkness that escalates once the Second World War begins and the Nazis invade the country - Dora has a nervous breakdown and is hospitalized.

Atmospheric, intense and moving, The Paris Muse is an astonishing read that ensures that this talented, often overlooked woman who gave her life to Picasso is no longer a footnote.

The Author:
Louisa Treger is the acclaimed author of four novels, The Lodger (2014), The Dragon Lady (2019) Madwoman (2022), a historical fiction Book of the Year in The Times and The Sunday Times, and a Book of the Month in the Independent, and The Paris Muse (2024). She has written for The Times, The Telegraph, Tatler, BBC History Magazine and English Heritage. Radio appearances include BBC Radio 3’s Free Thinking Programme, and BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. Treger has a First Class degree and a PhD in English Literature from UCL, and currently lives in London.

Follow:
X: https://x.com/louisatreger
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louisa.treger
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louisatreger

Website: https://louisatreger.com

*Bonus: Eibhlís is adding a signed notebook and two signed bookmarks for her successful bidder *

Title: Welcome to Dead Town Raven McKay
Genre: Children - Ghost Stories
Format: Paperback
Signed: Dedication is Available
Postage & Packaging Free
Bids Accepted: UK Only

The Book:
Eibhlís Carcione’s debut novel is a stunning, lyrical tale of loss that’s also a gripping thriller and ghost story. When her parents disappear, 12 -year-old Raven McKay is put into foster care in the town of Grave’s Pass. But this is no ordinary town. It’s a place where the living and the dead live side by side…

The Author:
Eibhlís Carcione is a children’s author and teacher. She is also a bilingual poet who writes poems in Irish and English. She has published three poetry books in Irish and has won many prestigious prizes. She has written hundreds of poems, often about the power of nature, mermaids, myths, magic, and the occasional ghost. She lives in Cork city with her husband, daughter, and two faithful canine companions. Welcome to Dead Town Raven McKay is her debut novel.

Follow:
X: https://x.com/eibhliscarcione
Website: https://eibhliscarcione.com

Signed Hardback Book
Four delicious beverages – A mixture of tea and coffee.
A Tasty Treat – Meredith & Drew Biscuits.
A Bookish Postcard – perfect for framing or displaying in your home.
A Scented Tealight
A hand poured wax seal to finish it all off – great for keeping and putting in a journal or scrapbook as decoration!

Title: Where the Heart Should Be
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Hardback
Postage Free
Bids Accepted: UK Only

The Book:
It is 1846 and Ireland is starving.

The potatoes are black, people are dying and in the midst of it all Nell must do everything she can to keep her family together, and everyone she loves alive. Even if it means giving up her every want, dream and desire.

From multi-award-winning author Sarah Crossan comes a stirring, heart-wrenching novel that explores the value we place on humanity and asks can you survive on love alone?

The Author:
Sarah Crossan introduces her powerful new verse novel, Where the Heart Should Be (Bloomsbury YA).

Sarah has lived in Dublin, London and New York, and now lives in East Sussex. She studied philosophy and literature before training as an English and drama teacher, and then becoming a writer.

Sarah was the Laureate na nÓg (Ireland's Children's Literature Laureate) from 2018–2020. She won the CILIP Carnegie Medal in 2016 for her novel One, which also won the YA Book Prize and the CliPPA Poetry Award. Moonrise was shortlisted for the Costa Children's Book Awards 2017 and the YA Book Prize 2018.
Follow: Sarah
X: https://x.com/sarahcrossan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahcrossanwriter

Donated by Tea Leaves & Reads
The Name and the Library
The name Tea Leaves and Reads was created by Kathryn in 2017 and started out as a blog for her to keep track of her book reviews and favourite authors.

Then, during the 2020 Pandemic, we started to think of ways in which the community could be safely (and legally) brought together and the idea of a little library was born based on the ‘free library’ movement that originated in the USA.

Creating a community library out of a second hand cabinet and stocking it with pre-loved books soon became a talking point in the local community and many socially distanced bookish conversations were carried out over the garden hedge!

We realised just how much we love reading and books – and so we decided to bring the dream alive.

The Book Boxes
Book boxes weren’t a new concept but we wanted to bring something to the bookish community during the pandemic that feel like a bit of a treat. Tea Leaves and Reads boxes are very much about the authors that we have enjoyed and about us using our own knowledge to match you with the perfect book, the perfect beverage and tasty treats.

With varied reading tastes between us such as Psychological Thrillers, Dystopian, Fantasy, Romance, Contemporary and so many more in between… we have hundreds of books to share with you.

We have grown our business from just ten boxes… to over 900 titles that can be bought on their own (many of them signed), gift-wrapped or in a book box.

We also run a monthly book club both online and in person, with regular Author zooms and appearances.

Follow: Tea Leaves & Reads
X: https://x.com/TeaLeaves_Reads
Website: https://www.tealeavesandreads.co.uk

Title: The Siege of Loyalty House
Genre: History
Format: Hardback
Dedication Available: YES
Postage & Packaging; FREE
Bids Accepted: UK Only

The Book:
It was a time of climate change and colonialism, puritans and populism, witch hunts and war.

A greater proportion of the British population died in the civil wars of the seventeenth century than in the world wars of the twentieth. Jessie Childs recovers the shock of this conflict by plunging us into one of its most extraordinary episodes: the siege of Basing House. To the parliamentarians, the royalist stronghold was the devil’s seat. Its defenders called it Loyalty House.

We follow artists, apothecaries, merchants and their families from the revolutionary streets of London to the Marquess of Winchester’s mist-shrouded mansion. Over two years, they are battered, bombarded, starved and gassed. From within they face smallpox, spies and mutiny. Their resistance becomes legendary, but in October 1645, Oliver Cromwell rolls in the heavy guns and they prepare for a last stand.

Drawing on unpublished manuscripts and the voices of dozens of men, women and children caught in the crossfire, Childs weaves a thrilling tale of war and peace, terror and faith, savagery and civilisation.

The Siege of Loyalty House is an immersive and electrifying account of a defining episode in a war that would turn Britain – and the world – upside down.

The Author:
Jessie Childs is an award-winning author, historian and broadcaster. Her first book Henry VIII’s Last Victim won the Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography, and her second, God’s Traitors, won the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize for History in 2015. It was also longlisted for the Samuel Johnson (now Baillie Gifford) Prize for Non-Fiction and selected as a Book of the Year in the Times, Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, Observer and BBC History Magazine.

Jessie’s latest book The Siege of Loyalty House (Bodley Head, 2022) tells the story of the totemic resistance of a royalist mansion in the English Civil War. It was a Times, Telegraph, Guardian, Economist, Spectator, Prospect, Critic, New European, Daily Express and Mail on Sunday Book of the Year.

Described by Hilary Mantel as ‘a brilliant speaker as well as writer’, Jessie has performed at the major national and international literary festivals and frequently appears on television and radio. TV credits include the RTS Award-winning and BAFTA-nominated Elizabeth I’s Secret Agents (BBC 2 & PBS), and BBC Four’s two recent series on Charles I: Downfall of a King and Killing a King.

She has written and reviewed for many publications, including The Times, Sunday Times, Guardian, Telegraph, Financial Times, Literary Review, TLS and LRB. She was one of the judges of the 2016 PEN Hessell-Tiltman History Prize and the 2021 HWA Non-Fiction Crown.

Jessie is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and lives with her husband and two daughters in Hammersmith

Follow:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/childs_jessie
Website: https://jessiechilds.co.uk

Title: Murder in the Lady Chapel
Genre: Crime Thriller
Format: Paperback
Signed: Dedication is Available
Postage & Packaging Free
Bids Accepted: UK Only

The Book:
“All that is now hidden will some day come to light. If you have ears, listen! And be sure to put into practice what you hear.” Mark 4, verse 22

A chorister is found dying in the Lady Chapel when the Reverend Peter Savage is about to begin morning prayers. It’s a suspicious death and no one seems to know much about the victim. The vicar implores Hannah Weybridge to find out what she can.

Little did the journalist know that this investigation would have her joining the choir in preparation for the Christmas services or that her daughter, Elizabeth, would be so enchanted by the church.

Hannah soon discovers that the deceased, Daniel Lyons, seems to be a man without a history and that’s suspicious in itself. Apparently, an insurance fraud investigator, he leaves no records: even his landlady knows little about him.

But, as Hannah discovers, someone does know him – and he was definitely not who he seemed to be…

And while she investigates, someone is trying to intimidate Hannah in a series of seemingly unconnected ways. The past as well as the present haunts her. Will she be able to solve the mystery before Christmas is ruined?

The Author:
It only took one tap dancing class (and some coaching from my mother who had been a dancer) for me to realise that I would never be a Ginger Rogers but being a journalist and writing fiction has allowed me to explore all manner of careers and situations with far less embarrassment.

All my life I have loved reading and writing. As a child I devoured books (following my mother’s example) and was encouraged by the Deputy Head at my secondary school. It was a brand new comprehensive school and the actual library was not then open so books were stored in a room off his study. He allowed me to exchange books whenever I wanted which seemed an amazing privilege.

Follow:
X: https://x.com/Anne_Coates1
Website: https://www.annecoatesauthor.com/

Title1: Away with the Penguins
Title2: Call of the Penguins
Format: Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary
Signed: Dedications are Available
Postage Free
Bids Accepted: UK only.

The Book 1; Away with the Penguins
Veronica McCreedy is about to have the journey of a lifetime ...

Veronica McCreedy lives in a mansion by the sea. She loves a nice cup of Darjeeling tea whilst watching a good wildlife documentary. And she’s never seen without her ruby-red lipstick.

Although these days Veronica is rarely seen by anyone because, at 85, her days are spent mostly at home, alone.

She can be found either collecting litter from the beach (‘people who litter the countryside should be shot’), trying to locate her glasses (‘someone must have moved them’) or shouting instructions to her assistant, Eileen (‘Eileen, door!’).

Veronica doesn’t have family or friends nearby. Not that she knows about, anyway . . . And she has no idea where she’s going to leave her considerable wealth when she dies.

But today . . . today Veronica is going to make a decision that will change all of this.

The Book 2; Call of the Penquins
Veronica McCreedy returns in the delightfully feel-good new novel from the No. 1 bestselling author of Away with the Penguins - sure to become a firm favourite with readers!

Meet the heroine everyone's talking about . . .

Fiercely resilient and impeccably dressed, Veronica McCreedy has lived an incredible 87 years. Most of them alone, in her huge house by the sea.

But Veronica has recently discovered a late-life love for family and friendship, adventure and wildlife.

More specifically, a love for penguins!

And so when she's invited to co-present a wildlife documentary, far away in the southern hemisphere, she jumps at the chance.

Even though it will put her in the spotlight, just when she thought she would soon fade into the wings.

Perhaps it's never too late to shine?

The Author:
Hazel Prior is the author of ELLIE AND THE HARP MAKER and Richard & Judy Book Club number one bestseller AWAY WITH THE PENGUINS (UK title)/HOW THE PENGUINS SAVED VERONICA (US title). Her third book, CALL OF THE PENGUINS, will be out in the UK this November and is available to pre-order. Hazel is also a freelance harpist. She lives in Exmoor, in England, with her husband and a huge, ginger cat.

Website: https://www.hazelprior.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HazelPriorBooks

Title: Perfect Lie
Genre: Crime Thriller - Police Procedural
Format: Paperback
Dedication Available: YES
Postage & Packing: FREE
Bids Accepted: UK only

The Book;
What is ‘perfect’ trying to hide?
Jen Garner tries her best to be ‘wife and mother of the year’. She helps organise school plays and accompanies her husband to company dinners, all with a big smile on her face.
But Jen has started to receive strange gifts in the post first flowers, then a sympathy card.
It could just be a joke; that’s what she tells herself. But then the final ‘gift’ arrives, and Jen has to question why somebody is so intent on shattering her life into pieces

The Author:
Claire lives in Nottingham with her family, a cat called Whiskers and a dog called Podrick.
She suffers from Multiple Sclerosis and as a result of the disease had to reduce her hours working in insurance for an Insolvency Insurer. This spare time enabled her to study a creative writing course which inspired her to write her debut, Perfect Lie and later A Silent Child.
When Claire isn't working she enjoys reading crime novels and listening to music - the band Jimmy Eat World is her biggest muse! Claire is also an avid reader and book blogger. The inspiration for her novels comes from the hours spent watching The Bill with her grandparents and auntie; then later, Spooks and other detective programmes like Morse, A Touch of Frost and Midsummer Murders.

Follow:
Website: https://csheldonblog.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClaireEESheldon

Title: Bonjour, Sophie
Genre: Historical Fiction - Romance
Format: Hardback
Post & Packaging Free
Signed: Dedication is Available
Bids Accepted: UK Only

The Book:
Can she escape the darkness of her past in the City of Light?

It’s 1959 and time for eighteen-year-old Sophie’s real life to start. Her existence in the village of Poynsdean, Sussex, with her austere foster-father, the Reverend Osbert Knox, and his frustrated wife Alice, is stultifying. She finds diversion and excitement in a love affair, but soon realizes that if she wants to live life on a bigger canvas she must take matters into her own hands.

She dreams of escape to Paris, the wartime home her French mother fled before her birth. Getting there will take spirit and ingenuity, but it will be her chance to discover more about her family background, and, perhaps, to find a place where she can finally belong.

When Sophie eventually arrives in the Paris arising from the ashes of the war, it’s both everything she imagined, and not at all what she expected…

The Author:
Elizabeth spent her childhood moving home every three years – including living for brief periods in Egypt and Nigeria before moving to Guildford, York and Edinburgh.

After graduating from the University of Kent at Canterbury with a double honours degree in English and History, she began her career as a blurb writer at Penguin Books. This was a job which required the hide of a rhinoceros, a nimble mind and the – occasional – box of tissues. People tend to shout at blurb writers but they are resourceful creatures which she and the team proved by continuing to produce a stream of copy for back jackets through thick and thin. Looking back, it was a golden era. Not many people are paid to spend their time reading through the treasury which is Penguin Books and there was no better education. Later, after having married and producing two children, she moved on to become a fiction editor at Random House before leaving to write full time which was something she had always planned to do since childhood – when she was frequently caught reading under the bedclothes with a torch after being put to bed which gave both books and reading a deliciously subversive tinge.

It was not an easy decision to take the gamble but she has never regretted it. As a writer, she has travelled all over the world and one of the many pleasures of the book tour has been to meet readers of all ages and to share with them a mutual passion for books and reading. She is in touch on line with many of them.

Elizabeth Buchan’s short stories are broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and published in magazines. She has reviewed for The Times, the Sunday Times, the Daily Telegraph and, currently, for the Daily Mail. She has chaired the Betty Trask and Desmond Elliott literary prizes, and twice been a judge for the Whitbread (now Costa) awards. She is a patron of the Guildford Book Festival, a co-founder of the Clapham Book Festival and a past Chairman of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

X: https://x.com/elizabethbuchan
Website: https://elizabethbuchan.com

*Both books have been translated into English by Anna*

Title1: Hotel for Cats
Title 2: Hotel for Cats No Room For Trouble
Genre: Children
Format: Paperback
Postage & Packaging
Bids Accepted: UK Only

Now, first things first. Have you heard of the hotel for cats?
Yes?
No? (What do you mean, ‘no’?)
Well, whether you have or not, I’m going to tell you this next bit, because I need to make sure you understand just how purrrrrrrrrr-fect
a place the Hotel Charamba was for cats.
I mean, look at it!
It was . . . A-MEOW-ZING!

The Book 1: Hotel for Cats
A cosy Parisian animal story for ages 7 and up!
At a hotel in Paris, four cats are in charge.

There is bossy Bobine, a secret knitter; tough-talking Mulot; Carpette, who is looking for love; and Couscous, who speaks to ghosts.

When a scared new cat, Wolfgang, arrives, the feline friends make it their mission to make him feel at home, and to find out why he is so afraid …

The first story in the bestselling series, translated from the original French and with delightful illustrations by Marie Voyelle throughout.
A classic little gem for readers 7 and up.
Sweet, charming and funny – readers will immediately fall in love with the five felines!

The Book 2: Hotel for Cats No Room For Trouble
Help! Magda’s nephew Georges is coming to stay at the Hotel for Cats – and Mulot is terrified. When Georges last came to visit, he teased the poor cat so much that Mulot has developed a terrible phobia. His loyal friends, Bobine, Couscousse and Carpette, with the help of new cat Ciboulot, work on a plan to help their friend. But can he face his fear before Georges arrives?

The second charming tale following the sweet and loveable group of feline friends.
From the bestselling series, translated from the original French by Anna Brooke and with delightful illustrations throughout.
Delightful and funny – a classic little gem for readers aged 7 and up.
Perfect for fans of Paddington and Mango and Bambang.

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LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/annabrookewriter

Title: The Worst Journey in the World: The Graphic Novel (Vol.1)
Genre: History, Adventure
Format: Paperback
Dedication Available: YES with Signature & drawing
Postage & Packaging; FREE
Bids Accepted: UK Only

The Book:
It’s June 1910, and Cherry, inexperienced and unqualified, has just joined Captain Scott’s new expedition to the South Pole. Simply getting to Antarctica turns out to be an adventure in itself. As they sail the Terra Nova through one trial after another, the scientists and Navy men learn to work as a team – but are they a match for the fury of the Southern Ocean, which threatens to sink the expedition before it even begins?

The Author:
Sarah trained as an animator in Canada and worked in Vancouver, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, and London. A radio dramatisation of The Worst Journey in the World led her to quit her Hollywood career and move to England to make the graphic novel. She went to Antarctica in 2019 with the NSF’s Antarctic Artists and Writers Program, and is currently an Institute Associate at the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge.

*Signed & dedicated book with an elemental pin badge

Title: Skandar and the Chaos Trials
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy & Supernatural
Format: Hardback First Edition
Signed: Dedication is Available
Free Postage & Packaging
Bids Accepted UK Only

The Book:
The Island always wins…

Skandar and his sister Kenna are finally both at the Eyrie, but tensions are high.

To survive their third year of training, Skandar and his friends must complete a series of terrifying trials across the Island’s elemental zones. Friendships, allegiances and rider-unicorn bonds will be pushed to the limit – only the strongest will make it.

Meanwhile Kenna’s forged bond to a wild unicorn has left her alienated and alone. And when a terrible discovery puts the future of the Island in peril, all fingers point in one direction . . . As dark forces assemble, Skandar must decide how far is he willing to go – for Kenna, and for the Eyrie.

Get ready for unlikely heroes, elemental magic, sky battles, ancient secrets and ferocious unicorns in this highly anticipated adventure that will keep you reading after lights out!

The Author:
A.F. Steadman grew up in the Kent countryside, getting lost in fantasy worlds and scribbling stories in notebooks.

In 2019, she was awarded a distinction in a creative writing masters from the University of Cambridge.

Before focusing on writing, she worked in law, until she realised that there wasn’t nearly enough magic involved.

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LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/afsteadman

*Forged in Hell is not released until 22nd October 2024
so be one of the first to read it.


*The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare now a major film
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5177120

Title 1: Forged in Hell
Genre: Military non-fiction
Format: Hardback First Edition

Title 2: The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Genre: Military non-fiction
Format: Hardback

Dedications Available: YES
Postage & Packaging; FREE
Bid Accepted: UK Only

The Book 1: Forged in Hell
A Waterstones Best History Book of 2023

The incredible true story of the SAS' daring mission to liberate Europe

In the summer of 1943, the largest invasion fleet ever assembled sailed for fortress Europe, aiming to bulldoze its way onto Nazi shores. At its vanguard went a few hundred elite forces soldiers, the Royal Navy warship carrying them bearing the iconic winged dagger emblem on its prow, plus the motto 'Who Dares Wins'.

Led by the legendary SAS commander Blair 'Paddy' Mayne, these war-bitten, piratical raiders were tasked to do the impossible - to bludgeon their way through the most heavily defended enemy shoreline, so enabling the ensuing forces to follow on.

If they succeeded, it would mark the turning point in the war. If they failed, the consequences were unthinkable. Against all odds, outnumbered some fifty-to-one, and facing a ferocious series of cliffside defences, they would have to dare all as never before.

So begins the incredible true story of the SAS's mission to liberate Europe.

Action-packed and filled with heroic endeavour, SAS Forged in Hell is breath-taking combat writing at its best, in true Damien Lewis style.

Book 2:
One of the most remarkable stories in the history of Special Forces' operations - Daily Express

In the bleak moments after defeat on mainland Europe in winter 1939, wartime leader Winston Churchill knew that Britain had to strike back hard.

He recruited a band of eccentric free-thinking warriors to become the first 'deniable' secret operatives behind enemy lines, offering these volunteers nothing but the potential for glory and all-but-certain death.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare tells of the daring victories for this small force of 'freelance pirates' in their many missions against the Nazis, often dressed in enemy uniforms and breaking all previously held rules of warfare.

Master storyteller and military historian Damien Lewis brings the true adventures of the secret unit to life, from their earliest missions to the death of the group's leader just weeks before the end of World War Two.

The Author:
For two decades Damien Lewis worked as a war and conflict reporter for major broadcasters, reporting from across Africa, South America, the Middle and Far East, during which time he won numerous awards for his journalism.
In 2001 he wrote his first book, Slave, which was an international bestseller translated into some forty languages, and which was made into a film (I Am Slave) and a stage play (Slave). In 2003 he wrote his first book about elite military operations, Operation Certain Death, which was a Sunday Times top ten bestseller, followed by the number one bestseller Zero Six Bravo.

Since then Lewis has penned a dozen related bestsellers, including Operation Relentless, the story of the DEA’s hunt for the world’s most-wanted arms-dealer, Russian billionaire Viktor Bout (presently being made into a TV drama series).

He presently has several other books in various stages of development as TV drama series or movies, including a trilogy of films being scripted by Paramount Pictures.

In addition, his own life story as a war reporter is being developed as a TV drama series by foremost British-based TV and film company. He has scripted some of his own work and is performing the role of Executive Producer on some of his film projects.

Follow
X: https://x.com/authordlewis
Website: https://damienlewis.com