Charity is what you make it - not always what you give!

So my coffee was almost spoiled, but I asked for a shot of caramel in it to take away the bitter taste of the twitter and things immediately felt better after that! (after all if life is about choices then choosing not to hold on to anger should probably count as a good choice! even with the extra calories attached!).

So I found out one (the main one! - you know the one with the systems issues, yes them - IdiotBuiltSystem-StuffedTheLeadtimes!) of the Christian book wholesalers over here are going to be chainging their name soon it would appear!
(Thanks to Fellow Twitter @notbovvered Fuller info can now be found on his excellent blog - Christianbookshopsblog.org.uk)
But also they are doing things like looking to lay off staff and then seemingly doing a recruitment drive and asking for volunteers, in what seems to me to be to in effect fill those paid staffers positions, and then claiming to be 100% Charity!

Well sorry to me that's playing a foul semantics card.
100% charity does not involve looking for ways to make your life/business better at the expense of people you are meant to have a duty to care for!!
Add to that given it is a commercial business (albeit a registered charity!) it's trickery to try to convince the customers that through supporting them 100% goes to charity - actaully it doesn't as most of it goes on admin, stock, overheads etc - very little of the customers spend makes it to the charity component - I should know I spent 14 years working for the same sort of retail/publishing/worldwide charity as these folks - and believe me the final sum going to the missions was less than 5% ! So again it's misleading and unfair to make these sorts of claims and do this sort of thing.

Heck my business isn't a charity - it provides for me, my family and staff with not much left over - and then most of that goes to the taxman as I render unto ceasar, but I give willingly to charity from that money because yes it is the right thing to do - and yes I have a nominated charity for my shop, and this year even though times are tough I am still giving - and last year I gave too, twice in fact! This is not to brag, but it's to point out that saying 100% charity is not saying anything if it isn't backed up by real action, (Mark 12:42) if you have thousands and give little, or have little and give as much as you can - well draw your own conclusions.

Again this issue is the unfairness and biasedness of the situation, the misuse of words and ethics to deliberately report something in a way not absolutely honestly truthful, but rather its propoganda marketing and spin if you ask me and if that makes sense! Seems to me some Christian Bookshop Chains & Charities seem to be loosing the concept somewhere, as this one seems to using the same secular and what to me seem to be somewhat ethically dubious activities such as we last saw demonstrated by SSG (SPCK/SSG as they were when they first tried the volunteer trick!). Shame that really.

So the question I ask all of you - and please do comment! - is:
Is it fair for charities running commercial & retail businesses to compete claiming 100% charity?

Oh and let me clearly state that in this I refer to businesses other than pure 'charity shops' that sell on only donated secondhand goods for the most part!
I mean businesses that really are full on retail and commercial businesses operating exactly the same as their secular counterparts - except of course for their registered charitable status.

ok, last thing, I am now truly a twit!
that is to say i am now on twitter.com, so if any of you are also on there and want to chat/follow or be followed then you can find me at: @unicorntreebks

Anyway that's it for now - see you in the shop tomorrow and if you inhabit cybersphere only then don't forget you can shop through our A-shop and support us that way too - and feel free to donate to our nominated charity at any time!

What is Christian Ficton

Ok, here is a quick thought/question based on thoughts spawned by one of the social network groups i follow/participate in: Christian Authors & Readers Network

What actaully constitutes 'Christian' Fiction??
Is it fiction published by the main christian publishing houses? (cause if so...well!)
Is it fiction by any author who is a practicing/believing christian? (so Anne Rice anyone, Orson Scott Card, Tolkien, susan Howatch etc)(here's an interesting link for sci-fi authors on this one)
Is it fiction where any of the characters are christian and therefore the christian perspective is carried through (fannie Flag -can't wait to get to heaven, Andrew Greeley, Don Camillo books, Howatch etc)
Is it fiction where the idea's and concepts inherent to being a christian or christianity are expressed/embraced etc (Jodi Picoult Books, The Shack etc)

So there we go that's the question on my mind tonight - come on let me know your answers and thoughts on this one!

See you in the shop tomorrow & don't forget I can be found on twitter now too @unicorntreebks !

Twitter time!

Yep, it's twitter time folks - as if me twittering here on the blog ws not enough - now I can twitter away 24/7 about anything and nothing - though only in 140 character space lines, so not too much at once.
Check me out and tell me your following, or let me know about yourself and we can twitter together!
twitter me timbers - it's me!

Materialise It Mark is a Gem!

Being the sort of Bookshop Boss I am, I am a very hands on creative type (well that's what I tell myself!) and as did many people I once had delusions of Blue Peter and Magpie style Grandeur - that is to say I believe I can build anything out of cardboard rolls, double sided sticky tape, and cable ties - and to demonstrate this fact on Monday I duly did do some cardboard technology work using a cut off end of a spare cannibalised card unit to make some units for the counter.
Now I admit that by the end of the day though they had things in them they were still a work in progress and were waiting to be covered with coloured paper, spud prints or sticky back plastic to make them look somewhat better - but hey that was the next days adventure and I was justifiably pleased with them as they had doubled the stock I could put on the tops and the darn Bingo Dabbers and Bingo Markers were no longer falling over anytime someone even looked at the counter! Oh and the packs of playing cards and the Biro's and Pencils were also once again visible to the human eye of someone taller than the average 3 year old.

Good stuff I thought and pleased I was (probably because no minions were on site to scoff at the impressive feat of design genius!), and then along came my friend Mark H from off the Materialise It stall further up the aisle - now for any that haven't been to visit in person Materialise It is an absolutely must see stall, especially for all those Sci-Fi fiends like me! Marks stall sells Sci-Fi collectibles, models and toys. Yep Millennium Falcons abound, Yoda and wookies astound, Daleks and Doctors aplenty, Battlestar Gallactica surrounds and Marvel Characters stand out! yep you name it and it's probably there, and along with these are cool posters, signed Photo's and lots extra as well - oh and its also the place to get a Chess set as well.
So anyway Mark comes in to say good night sort of thing and looks at the fantastic cardboard creations and gets this look on his face like he just smelled curdled milk! and with that points out all the lovely backing left over from the new bookcases and says you can do something with that to make units, to which I start thinking veneer, the curdled milk look at this point is more a sneer!
See Mark is pretty good at turning out incredibly complex dovetailed drawers and pine shelving units from scratch - me? not so much!.

So anyway the next day Mark comes in and gets some of my nice shelf backings and about 40 minutes later brings down this work of art!

Now isn't it just fantastic - safe to say that though i had been proud of mine upon seeing this little gem I became shamed and immediately consigned it to the rubbish bin, but even better was that today he made me the opposite sides unit as well - purpose built for the items I needed displaying!


The man is a genius and an artisan and not just a cool sci-fi dood - my shop may replicate the TARDIS in being able to stretch the dimensions and fit in more than it should, but Mark is definitely a strong contender for talented Dr's Companion, definitely an Adric in the making (though hopefully without heroic but sad ending at the hands of a cyberman).

So Mark, thank you! and all of you out there go visit him next time you're in - honestly he has some of the coolest things in the Market - after our own stuff of course!, including two daleks on top of his stall and looking straight down the aisle to the main doors by us.

OK gushing over for now - minions are on half term so I am having to do all the work again!

So anyway just to remind everyone Lent and Easter are nearly here so please get the orders in for Palm Crosses and Paschal Candles - they are all in, but we have already gone through 30 bunches of Palm Crosses, one box of Paschal Candles - and I don't want it to be like Advent when two days before the start, and one day after the sets are gone, lots of people start showing up looking and getting upset.

As a small Independent business I can only get in what I am pretty sure will sell, so if you let me know you want it I can ensure it will be here, but if not then you do risk it not being in stock at the last knockings.

Oh Easter Cards and Mothering Sunday Cards are also in stock - as are the Church Group bundles and Packs of Crosses and bookmarks etc.

Today I sent off a CBC order for gifts, rosaries and other Communion and Confirmation items, these should be in early next week.

On other fronts Sherrilyn Kenyon's 'Dream Hunter' has been in and sold out, and is expected back in later this week, as is 'At Grave's End' by Frost.
Westerns seem to be doing well at the minute, Louis L'Amour, William Johnstone and lots of other Key Western Authors are in stock and selling well.

Oh and the sale is ongoing with orange cross 50p books still available and new books at £1.25 or 5 for £5 still available - come by and see, and remember if you cant come in person then please use our Amazon affiliate sites to buy your stuff!
http://astore.amazon.co.uk/unicorntreechristianbooks-21 Our Christian Book Ashop
or
http://astore.amazon.co.uk/lincolncentralmarket-21
Our everything Ashop.
Please support us however you can and we would love it if you would link to our Ashops or help promote them, or any of our sites or activites if you can, and remember come by and visit and don't forget the bookshopboss likes coffee with caramel shots!
see you in shop in the morning!

The New Look Unicorn Tree Books & Al's Arts

These pictures are in no particular order - sorry I will probably try to re-arrange them at a later date to give you a walk through but for now they are like the tidying of the shop... a work in progress!

You are lucky to have them as what with snow and antibiotics and extracted teeth and exposed jawbone it was all I could do to show up let alone anything else this week! See what a devoted bookshopboss I really am!

The Main Entrance to Unicorn Tree Books, including Unicorn Tree Christian Books & Church Supplies & Al's Arts & Crafts.

The Main Entrance inside looking straight on and through!

A close up of what you see when you look up after entering the main entrance - some very nice and unusual jigsaws! and all at such good prices as well!

The Main Aisle as you come in through the Sincil Street Doors - ie what you see when you first walk in!! A spinner of Small Art activities, A stand of DVD & CD's and then 5 bays of books - an entrance- and then another 4 bays of books ( but you cant see them in this picture!)



The Main doorway in from Sincil Street looking from our main entrance into Unicorn Tree Books - We really are not hard to find once one comes into the Market itself.

The Children's Activity Books form an integral part of the entrance and advertise both the Christian and General Nature of the Shop to everyone in a friendly way!

Just as you get through the door we are utilising all the available space and have used the back of the card/book display unit to make a Prayer Card/Bookmark/Postcard/Card display area. (watching blue peter really has paid off in the long run!). The Cash desk is just opposite it and this unit can be seen from the other Shop entrance as well.

And just inside the stall we advertise the nature of one of the sections we have worked so hard on and battled so hard for! Look how good we are we still use the required wording but we have centred the main use - yes we are indeed proud of being a Christian bookshop as well as a general bookshop, and yes we are happy to sell religious books across a breadth of studies and theologies, that's because we are ecumenically and community minded!

Just inside the door and turning Left - reached by going past the till point and Childrens Section... Our nice display of Seasonal Cards, Bookmarks, postcards and a few prayer cards...

and then of course is the new Christian Books & Church Supplies Department. (this pic was taken from further back standing just at the start of the General Department in the ladies fiction and Saga section.

The new till point/Cash Desk area- yes we actaully now have a desk to stand and serve behind and it makes a good display point for seasonal items, stationery and Audio Books!

Looking out from behind the till point, actaully more by the computer side than the till side, you look down past the sticker stand, into Non-fiction, MBS, Biography and 'white books', War & Historical fact and fiction, Westerns, Sci-fi, Horror, LGBT and at the far end Crime & Thrillers.

Oh and the round mirror is so we can see into Als Arts from the behind the till point!


The side entrance to Unicorn Tree books is past Paranormal Romance Fiction & puzzle books, you then look in and see Als Arts Beads, glues etc as they lead into the new cut through section to Als Arts. You are also looking at the reserve bookcase section of the till point the entrance to which is guarded by a doorway made of Bin Number stickers amongst other things - as these deplete they will be replaced by the christian posters we are hoping to order soon, with their doorway flick flack stand!.

The General Section of the bookshop - just as you come in the main entrance. Basically Ladies & Saga, looking down to Crime and Thrillers, with a smattering of Jigsaws above! And if you look Left coming in through the Main Entrance you will now see the start of our new and improved and expanded Christian Books & Church Supplies section - with its new lead through into Al's Arts & Crafts via the Childrens section!

and this is what you see around the corner and looking into Als Arts from the Christian Books and Childrens section walk through! ( and somedays you will see bookshopboss's motherminion sitting there making cards as that's where her table and chair are - she is Mrs Al by the way - it was her stall before it was my department!)

Al's Arts from outside looking through the new entrance point made to give Als Arts more space! See the nice Slat Board that they gained from as well! Its the reverse side to the Display Slats in the Christian Gifts Section! Nothing wasted and all space utilised!

The new wall for Als Arts was made from left over unit sides from the Religious section - again nothing wasted just judiciously reused and re-homed. It looks very good and much neater than it used to - a colourful display of craft and scrapbooker stickers and embellishements!


Looking at the Side entrance view of the shop and Als Arts from the far aisle.

Back to the Crafts Looking down from the main bookshop to the far corner of the Als Arts. Lots of fun Glitters, papers, punches and pencils!

Then standing in the corner we just looked at and looking up and out we have lots of papers, cards, scissors, glues, paint brushes, tools and other such things!

Looking at Crafts from over by what used to be the religious bookstall - remember when it was it's own seperate unit we were not allowed to call it a Christian Bookshop - Council and Diversity rules! of course now its not seperate but joined into the main there isn't really a reason to stop it being known as the Christian Books and Church Supplies department! Just as Als Arts is now often referred to as the Crafts Department!

Looks nice though - lots of decoupage, cards, inks, embellishements and books on all sorts of Arts and Crafts - in fact the range of Art and Watercolour technique books is pretty good and worth a look, let alone the actaul crafts and beading books!

Als Arts as seen standing in the walk through from the main bookshop! Lots of lovely stamps, art sets, paints and other things.


Looking from the Side entrance down the aisle of Unicorn Tree Books - the keen eyed will notice there were very few changes to this section at all!


The walk through from Als Arts into the Main Bookshop and Till Point area, and the side entrance through into Childrens and Christian Books.


Looking through from Als Arts into the Childrens section and the Beginnings of the Christian Books section.

Down the end of the Christian section is the Church Supplies Corner! - Communion Wafers, Incense, Lectionaries etc.

Candles - Altar, Sanctuary, Baptismal, Votive and Decorative Clerical Shirts, Bibles, some Childrens toys, jigsaws and lots more! We are not wasting space here!

A better view of the Church Supplies and Candles section - we are calling it utilitarian working chic for now! We are also calling it slightly empty as we didn't want to do a top up order till the shifting was done!


On one of the Central Gondola's in Christian Books you will find Christian Greeting Cards for all occassions!


And on the wall seperating Christian from Crafts you will find a combination bookcase and slatboard display being used to show a selection of Christian themed Gifts, bible cases, jewellery and more!


The Gift section is right next to the Bibles - so we can put the Bible cases right next to the Bibles! along with the Communion & confirmation gifts, religious Jigsaws, frames and Baptism Gifts.

So There we go theres a whistle stop look at the physical changes we have wrought on the shop/stall in the last 3 weeks - though it still ahs some tidying to be done and a little tweaking we think and hope it works really well. It seems more spacious that it did and we have certainly expanded the religious section significantly and will continue to do so - what you didnt see in any pictures is the three bays outside just past the childrens activity section and spinner - this at the minute is sale stock of oks stuff and overstocks we found lurking when we rejigged the stall - however once these are gone then at least 2 of those bays are likely to be given over to Christian Books and goods! So more to come - and the beauty of this is that that is the main aisle - one of the most traversed thoroughfares in the market - what a witness hey!

Well ok it is really really late - the only reason you got all this is because my tooth (or lack thereof! therefore wound!) is aching and I can't sleep anyway! but as its Saturday tomorrow and I have to get the bus to work in the icy cold I am now saying come by and see it in person! and don't forget the caramel latte when you do!

See you in the Bookshop tomorrow guys - or of course you can always buy from our affiliate site - and we will count that as a visit!

Nearly there!

Nearly there with the big move!
All the fixtures are shifted, religious is now fully housed in the main bookshop now.
Mostly everything is put back together and where it should be, and today the new till arrived and was set up - the new printer/fax/phone unit should hopefully arrive sometime this week too and then we are pretty much fully up and running in our new style shop.
At the moment other than continuing to tidy up and remerch sections as we go we are currently working on redoing Als Arts & Crafts section. It has benefitted from new Slat board and a new outer wall!
Honestly we really do think the stall is some sort of relation to the tardis! as we have moved everything into the main bookstall and increased the space to expand religious/christian books and no we don't know how that happened - well we do but what we cant work out is the physics of it!
So give me to the end of the week and hopefully there will be new pictures up of the new look bookshop!
Honestly it is great - tiring but so good to see it happening and being done with it.
It's all coming together and I give thanks to God for the ability to see it and do it along with the minions.
Minion no. 1 really does deserve the starbucks she has been getting, come to that so do I - lol.
So anyway just to let peeps know - the Easter cards are in (with more to follow!) and there is a great new range of fantastic looking and incredibly cheaply priced bookmarks in from Kevin Mayhew - our favourite: Those who say it cannot be done should get out of the way of those doing it!
Large Ingrams delivery also came in today - so all you sci-fi & paranormal readers have a bumper crop of new releases from the stateside to enjoy!
Anyway sure there is a lot more to say, but as it's another early day start to enable more tidying up and finishing to be done I am signing off with a see you tommorow in the shop.

We are rejigging!

Yep yep - the pictures you see below this post are not now how we look in some part and by the end of the month will not be how we look at all!
yes indeed it's true we are having a major overhaul and face lift - and yes no more would be comics out there with the 'well boss you need' it comments!
So anyway as you can well imagine the place is a bit of a mess as we move all the old stuff out and the new stuff in, rearrange units and change till points and displays, but by the end of the month it will be fantastic!
So far we have relocated all the New Fiction onto nice new units, and a tidy amount of the Secondhand fiction has also been rehomed as well.
We have the sale to end all sales going on at the minute as we have seriously culled both the secondhand fiction and the New Fiction and pulled out anything over 18 months old - these are now for sale at 10 secondhand for £5.00 or 5 New for £5.00.
Whicever way you look at it that's some fantastic bargains going on there. The authors include Dan Brown, Arthur C Clarke, Audrey Howard and other top authors. Honest this is not dross just overstock we needed to shift to make room for the new units and stock!
So anyway Religious books are moving from their 'stand alone and cannot be grown' section in unit 3 over to the main bookstall - this way there is room for expansion - in fact there will be an extra 5 bays worth of space to expand into and some nice gift units and slat wall space as well - This will also put the Christian Books in a much more prominent thoroughfare than they are currently on - and the reason for this??
Because we are not ashamed!
In fact we are not ashamed of anything we do, including our LGBT section which has also been relocated in the move and this is now in a more prominent section as well - situated in the middle gondola of the main Fiction section rather than hidden in the corner!
we are not ashamed and we will not act as if we are - we will not apologise for our beliefs, for our friends or for our outreach!
That said we would like to announce that we are now also stocking Jewish Prayer Books and the Forms of Prayer, and we welcome all our friends from the Lincoln Branch of the Council of Christians and Jews to come by, it was good to meet you and be involved in a very small way with the 'meditation of Advent and Chanukah'. Thank you.
Ok now also whilst I have your attention, Palm Crosses, Paschal Candles and the rest of the Lent/Easter paraphanalia are on order and in some cases even in stock! so NOW IS THE TIME to let me know exactly how many of what you want putting by!!
Pass the word around please - Lent Books are in and orders are being taken for Palms and Candles.
Thank you!
Ohh we counted how many jigsaw designs we had when we had to move them all for the new units! (These went fantastically well at Christmas and are still going well now, probably as we are one of the few places in Lincoln that does them, and we do them all year round and at very good prices as well!)
Anyway that would be just over the 100 mark! These span the gamault from 1500 piece puzzles down to the 8 piece childrens puzzles, with the most number being in the 500 piece range and then followed by the economy priced 1000 piece puzzles, though my favourites are the ones with the Gold and Silver highlighting - particularly the Indian Maid and Fawn one - just lovely! and then also the Shaped Fish & Dolphin Puzzle. Lots of different brands as well, Gibson Games, Jumbo, King, Paul Lamond Puzzles, Falcon, Heye, Classic Deluxe, Ravensburger and a few more as well!
Then there were the Paint By Numbers, both large, standard and small, and 2 different manufacturers styles in those as well. It certainly makes for colourful on top of the new units.
So anyway when the refit and rejig is done and about ten minutes after I stop doing my own victory jig all over the worklorn minions (who actaully have been working! and I have to admit may have some hidden architectural or interior design skills that have a lot to do with making best use of the tardis like propensity of the strange space in a Unicorn Tree domain! Thanks M1 & M2) then I will get out my camera and take new snappy snappies for you all who cannot come in and see it for yourselves.
See you in the shop soon - I am the one with 2 coffee's on the go at the minute as one just doesn't do it in a refit situation.

This is what we Look Like!

This is our dedicated Religious, Christian Books & Church Supplies Section!

Christmas is here! Gifts, jewellery, Cards, Bibles and Kids Bible Books!

Nativity Sets now in stock! Bibles, Theology, Spirituality, Ministry, General Christian Life Etc

Church Supplies! Candles, Wafers, Church Stationary, Incense, Christian Music, Cards, Gifts etc.

Here are a few pictures of us for those who follow along on the blog but can't get in for whatever reason - as you will see we are a real bookshop for all we are open sided and open minded enough to be in a market hall.
Also you will note the picture of the Christian bit prove we have now moved into the pre-christmas season with lots of nativities and such now in stock - I challenge anyone out there who has recently been at meetings and have never been to see us to say we are not a real bookshop! Assuming makes... well we all know the adage! Come by and visit us and don't make assumptions based on the word Market - Marks & Spencers Started in a market! Starbucks started in a market and so did lots more! The market is fully enclosed and filled with specialist stalls as well as the mundane! A Science-fiction and Movie Memorabilia collectible specialist is the market! The Stamp Man for rare & collectible Stamps, Coins, Postcards and other such rare, treasured & exclusive finds is in the market! Artist Supplies & bespoke framing is in the market - Wendy the artist on artist supplies is a professional artist who is regularly commissioned for cover art and private work! She paints in the market and does art tuition in the market! Then of course there is us - not just a bookstall but a niche market book specialist - we import US fiction on a weekly basis covering Crime, Thrillers, Romance, Science-Fiction, LGBT and other markets - we are one of the few in the greater county and further afield that does so! We deal in specialist markets such as transport and military history - DVD's, Books & more! and of course there is my personal joy - our religious, christian & Church Supplies unit! Committed to serving Lincoln & Lincolnshire churches and faith communities, because no city should be without a Christian bookshop and resource centre.
Of course lets not forget Al's Arts & Crafty Bits also in the market and part of us - one of lincolnshires best papercraft suppliers for the last 5 years now!
Market is just a word, no one scoffs at going to the Supermarket but yet going to a Market Hall denotes something less worthy, something to be scorned and lessened - well put aside your preconceived notions and come visit Lincoln Central Market - you will be surprised at just how many upmarket (see there's that word again!) types pass through it and how many select customers it reaches out too - we have in the years I have now been here happily and repeatedly served on a weekly and monthly basis Judges, Bishops, MP's, Councillors, Doctors, Actors and just everything else on down. There's no shame in being in a market or visiting a market - the only shame is that some think there is and that's no shame on us, its just ashame that some can't work past a bias.
Ok rant over pictures following - enjoy and see you in the bookshop in the market tomorrow!

The Main Bookshop Pictures!

Science-Fiction, Horror, Military & Historical Fiction!

Large Print Books & Secondhand Crime & Thrillers Section

Our newest Niche Market -The LGBT Section - Small but growing!

The kids love to play in Pegasus Books! - Our Childrens section - almost impossible to keep tidy!

Autobiography, True Crime, and the beginning of Ladies & Saga Secondhand

Puzzles! Classic Literature, Secondhand Science-fiction & Horror

Always look up and not at your feet! Jigsaws, Paint-by-Numbers and lots more are up high!

Al's Arts & Crafty Bits, opposite the religious bit! Decoupage, Stamps etc - a papercraft heaven!

Hello & Welcome in!

Outside for Ladies & General Fiction, Westerns & Romance, The Entrance for Paranormal & Historical Fiction, inside for Pegasus Kids Books, Crime, Thrillers, Science Fiction, LGBT, DVD's, Audio Books, CD's, Jigsaws, Games and Arts, Secondhand Books Sections and lots more - oh and inside and passing through and across the aisle for Al's Arts & Crafty Bits and the Religious & Christian Books and Church Supplies!
Wow - not so little and yes very very real.

Happy Birthday or anniversary of something like that!

Today makes it exactly 2 years that I have in fact been the unicorntreebookshopboss!

Yes indeed on this day 2 years ago I did in fact sign over all the worldly goods I did not possess and indeed the hope of having them! in exchange for the messy little bookstall that was at the time browse awhile books! and now two years on it's not so messy, not so little and indeed not so bad!

I am still impoverished and tortured by minions, but at least its my poverty and my minions and in exchange I have the ability to read whatever book I want 'cause I have thousands of them!

I have a range of speciality genres and markets that match my likes!

The newest of these of course being the Christian Books (completely with its own unit! see not so little!) and I am so glad to have these on board, to be able to spend some of each day discussing a subject I absolutely love is phenomenal and a real dream continuing on.
Today's discussion was on the Shack and the imagery presented as to God and if it is indeed heretical and if so why?
This addition hasn't come without pain and heartbreak, but what it has come with is a continuing commitment and fervour to serve and reach out, after all pretty much all my book career had been in this section of the book trade and leaving it was painful (though also thrilling and enjoyable on another level as I was moving into the sphere of all books and not just one section!) but I remained resolute and with God's grace and a smidgen of faith in face of adversity it came to be that I got it back this year, lets hope that together we can all continue to grow it - oh and did I say that Advent Candles and Advent & Nativity Books and Christmas Play material came in this week?? No? well it did - so if you are a church then get in touch as we are now taking Advent & Christmas orders!

Then of course we have the Craft section - formerly an independent business in its own right this came into our safekeeping a year ago and now lends itself wonderfully to our creative talent discussions and displays - believe it or not I am in fact a whizz at tea-bag folding, usually after they have been dried out from the copious cups of tea needed to cope with minion antics! This is still called Al's Arts & Crafty Bits, but of course its now housed in Unicorn Tree Books!

Next is the LGBT section which is continuing to build a following and reputation and expanding as time goes on. The yaoi manga has been going phenomenally well.

All in all I am pretty proud of the changes that the shop has undergone and hope that in the years to come these will continue to grow and develop as we go forward together in faith, hope and community commitment!

So as its a new year we have old news to report on and new resolutions to put forward!
So old news - our sponsored charity, Great Ormond Street Hospital Childrens Charity was given £373.00 in the end, given our target was originally for £200 I think we did pretty well together!

Thank you all who gave their change, those 1p's soon add up, as of course does the tithe we make from our sales - actually truth to be told that's apportioned from the bookshopsboss wage as we still aren't quite there enough to say its from the profits - its a commitment I made and so its one I keep!. We really do believe it is right to give to others when we can, as in giving we receive, even when we don't know it or see it. After all sharing is caring!

So anyway this year we are continuing with the Children's Hospital theme but this time its Alder Hay hospital that will be the recipient of our donations and tithes:


(though of course come October there will of course be our Christmas Charity to give to as well - last years Christmas Charity was Habitat for Humanity and we gave £50.00, lets hope we can give more this year when we decide on the Charity!).

So anyway I want to say thank you all for using us, supporting us and following along with us - if you want to come in and celebrate with us, then please do and remember my favourite celebration tipple is a Caramelatte from Nero's or a Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks!

Thanks guys for the last two years, and I look forward to serving and working with all of you in the next few ahead!

It'sssss Christmassss! Boo Hiss, bah humbug, its not even the end of summer!

OK, now I know this is just too extreme, but never the mind it is nonetheless a true fact, Christmas has indeed arrived and not just in the make your own cards craft department! (which yes, Al's Arts has indeed had in a bumper load of Christmas decoupage and sold over half of it already so you better get your skates on and jingle bell down if you are making your own cards!)

Yes indeed to go with the 2009 Diaries and Calenders, Parsons Pocket Books and Church Lectionaries, we did indeed have into stock today the Church Advent Candles (both Purple and Red Sets!) - actually this timed very well with the arrival of the new and very smart Advent and Christmas Order Forms from the printers (though these were down to be sent out next month - not this one!!).

Ahh but was it only Church Advent Candles that would be one thing - but no it was the Dated ones as well - lots of them! and then to add insult to injury a box arrived and in it were... yep you guessed it - Advent Calenders!!!

So there we go, not even the middle of August and already Christmas Silly season begins! ohh but get this, in the same box as the Calenders was...
NATIVITY SETS & CHRISTMAS CARDS!±

So there we go, lets get out the mistletoe and wine and have an Australian Christmas - well come on Christmas in Summer we must be in the southern hemisphere and never noticed.

So ok, on a non-christmas theme, the Gluten Free Wafers finally came in today, as did some wonderful new incense named after st Luke. Very nice and tastily pungent when the temperature heats up a bit - however no need to fear on this front now as the Air Conditioning Unit really is working a treat - so much so all the other should be working somewhere on the market staff keep coming in on the pretext of looking for books and then hogging the cool delightful stream of swift blowing air! the cheek of it.

Also the Long awaited 'Acheron' (9780749908669) by Sherrilyn Kenyon is now in and is going like hot cakes! probably because we were the only ones to have had stocks in up until at least 2pm today! now whether Waterstones and WHSmiths have no had theirs in I cannot say, but I can say if you want one you better hurry as we only have a couple left on the shelves now! and by gum is it a mighty brick of a book or what, but three of those that purchased them on Wednesday have been back in today to extol the virtues of the book and story and get new books because they had finished the 700+ pages it is that good a read!
We also have in the New Stephanie Meyer Book 'Breaking Dawn' (9781905654284) - another mighty book and worth the read!
Here's an odd conundrum for you all, Josephine Cox - top British author - has had her new book 'Songbird' (9780060896980) come out in paperback in the states before it has here! and not just a few days before but almost 2 months before!
So it's just as well we are a specialist in US Imports, otherwise you would all have to wait until the 1st October before you could read it in paperback!
The first one on the shelf this afternoon sold within 7 minutes! So look likely ladies as once this batch are gone it will be another 7 days before the next batch gets in from the States!

So there we go, bah humbug but some cool (but not yule! though actually there are some advent books and nativity play books in now!) reading knocking around the shop.
Come by and visit and remember to bring the bookshopboss a coffee (caramelatte or caramel machiatto preferably) if you are feeling kind as due to minions wanting time and other such supposedly pressing urgent things this BookshopBoss has yet again not had a day off and deliveries by the shock loads!
By the way does anyone else spot the problem with shortening the BookshopBoss's title?? The minions say its too long and they believe it should be abbreviated to the BSBoss!!! I am pretty sure they are being less than polite again - so census time people, let me know what you think - should I be thoroughly offended or are the minions just that oblivious? what action would you take on that one!

OK enough now, books to be ordering! see you in the shop tomorrow.

Yes, we were included in Mr Brewers Cease & Desist Notices.

Dear All,
I can now confirm that this blog was indeed listed in a Cease and Desist Demand email issued on the 21st July!
http://spckssg.wordpress.com/2008/08/01/other-pages-mark-brewer-says-i-must-take-down/

However I can also confirm that I still have not actually been contacted directly by the person making the demand!! In fact I believe that in point of fact there may even be more emails than the first one in which this blog was mentioned, but they may be covered by confidentiality requests.

The first email was not only sent to someone within my sphere of livelihood but it was also copied and sent to a member of the British press! thus potentially having the repercussion of doing me more damage. Certainly some of the statements made are in all likelihood defammatory and certainly, as previously reported, they have had a knock on effect to my reputation and livelihood as demonstrated by my post on the 22nd - after all the news got around - of course this could well be because this initial email - to which I was not included either directly or copied into, thus not allowing me to take action, refutation or defense, - was not sent as a confidential email in any way! indeed as stated in point of fact it was sent to a member of the british press!

Now one of the reasons I may not have been contacted or included initially may stem from the fact that given how the email is phrased the sending party would like to claim they don’t know who owns this blog or who I am - how that could possibly be I don't know, and am sure no right thinking or reasonable person could understand either, as for goodness sake I give the name of my shop in the blogger header and blog title! I also give the place we are and the official website link there too! So there is no possible excuse for such a mistake or oversight to act as a defense in this action, indeed pretty much every blog headline is a direct link to my shops main website and my full professional contact details are clearly included on that site, as is a standard contact form. Indeed on that website my name is actually clearly reported on more than one page! Add to that the comments on this blog are not set to moderate so a message could have been left at any time, therefore there is no justification or defense for not having contacted me directly prior to the sending of the email, or my inclusion in the initial sending of the email, especially as the demand was for the total removal of my entire blog, most of which is entirely unrelated to the person, their company, their charity or anyone else within their sphere.

So what happens now?
Well I am going to be making contact with the Federation of Small Businesses legal department, as being a member of this I have recourse to their services for free - how good is that! I am also going to be getting in touch with the National Market Traders Federation legal department - another association to which I have membership - as well and asking them for some guidance on this issue.
Of course a letter of apology and retraction sent to me with an agreement it can be made public on this site, and a donation to our nominated charity, or a bunch of charities of our choice, might go quite some way towards mitigation! Oh and perhaps the donation to me of the remaining fittings, fixtures and stands and odds and sods etc. -or the equivalent- that are within the closed SPCK/SSG Lincoln shop that I note is listed as a Creditor in Schedule F of the SSG LLC Bankruptcy papers would be nice in way of compensation?

After all including my whole blog and therefore tarring me and my business with the unfounded allegations of wrongdoing, and bringing me under the threats made in the email, whilst completely keeping the email and substance of these threats from my knowledge may only be willful ignorance, but it is difficult to see how this could be interpreted as anything other than an act of malice given that he failed to do me the simply courtesy of sending the email to me directly, especially with the potential impact to my reputation and livelihood.

And I certainly am not a public company, charity or public individual - after all I am not currently involved in any actions of noteworthy legal proceedings or public interest either here in Lincoln or elsewhere, though of course as the individual that sent the email in the first instance is aware - I am listed on his schedule as one who has been involved in a prior legal issue with him, and resolved it. Therefore the failure to contact me -thus potentially occasioning much damage to myself, my reputation and my livelihood and my ability to trade - or attempt to inform or notify me in any way prior to contacting those within the sphere of my livelihood and the british press in what was a clearly unmarked email without even the most basic disclaimer attached as to privacy and confidentiality etc is surely without justification.

So there we have it.
Yes this blog was included in a C&D,
threats were made against it and therefore me and no I was not and still have not been contacted by the party making the demand and threats.
I shall be expecting a letter of apology and reparation in due course, meanwhile in case they should not be swiftly forthcoming I will be making contact with legal advisors and trade associations whilst we explore ramifications and options.

Uggh Ingrams!

You know at the minute this bookshopboss is not amused!
It would seem that the americans are conspiring against me this week - first the issue relating to the post before and now INGRAMS (this is said in the same tone and intonation as a very bad swear word at the minute!).
I have now been waiting for nearly a week for a delivery to leave the US warehouse and make it to these shores so I can share the lovely books inside with you my lovely and desperate customers - well don't hold your breaths as US systems transpire again to thwart the UK bound.
They can't send it as the card details they have to transact the payment expires this month - and because in the US that would mean the card had actually expired, their cards expire on the first day of the listed month it would seem, and would be unusable their system automatically keeps declining my card - even though in the UK our expiry date means the last day of the month its dated! So they won't be able to send the books until the 1st of August when the new card becomes active!! all because of an automated system that does the payment transaction and the fact that it would seem they cannot overide the system and do a manual transaction!
UGGGGGGH!!!

So ok moving on - it has been unbearably hot in the shop for the last few days - well thats what happens when you work in a glass roofed building - its like being an orchid in a hot house - and yes as you all know I really am that dainty, delicate and blooming wonderful!
Still we have the fan going, the doors open and the books in to help you all keep your cool and enjoy the time basking in the garden, on the beach or wherever with your books!

This week we have had deliveries of more books - a great set of christian books, including some great kids ones and a snuggly sunday bunny! great fun and at good proces (*edit: that was my 'allo allo' british fake french accent in honour of my friend Aude, the continental market that was in town and the fact that I can't actually type!!)too. We also have an offer going on some NT to give away this summer - they are only £1.50 instead of £3.99, and we are offering £1.00 off Richard S. Taylors 'What every Christian ought to know' (9781853453168) as well! For a review of this book go here its a site I am very involved with and even review for on occasion and I heartily endorse it for impartial christian reviews!(but whatever you do remember to come back to me to buy it!!!) : http://www.thegoodbookstall.org.uk/review/1853453161/richard-s-taylor/what-every-christian-ought-to-know/

Oh we had gifts in too! Very Very cool wooden toys - a Noahs Ark! A Nativity Set in a String Bag and some square blocks - 26 of them with words and pictures of them - the people in the pictures look a bit like BOD! I love it. There are also some BOD like magnet sets as well - a nativity set and a Life of Jesus set as well. Honestly they are great - I am thinking of going over to the kids corner and playing with them as stress relief from the week.

In the craft section we have had in some new stuff too, Christmas Card making materials and a whole load of pens, glitters, glues and other fun stuff to make a mess with over the summer while you pretend to be getting ready for Christmas!

Ohh talking of Christmas Cards - I did the Christmas Card order this week, lots and lots of Christmas cards will be in at the end of August - charity ones and normal ones! and the Christmas nativity and gift order is going in this week too! they too will no doubt arrive much to soon - there are some lovely Christmas ornaments going to be coming in.
and talking of charity -

So anyway come by and see - bookshopboss vent and share over now! going to have a coffee now. See you soon.

Interesting times!

Hey all - who knew my blog was of such potential interest!
I say this because today I have recieved no less than 3 phone calls from people in the publishing and bookselling world asking me if I am ok?
Why would I not be ok I queried - well it would appear that there is a nasty rumour going around that I have been threatened with libel action due to some of my posting in regards to SSG.
I want to state quite clearly and catagorically here that I have not personally been contacted in any way shape or form, by phone, letter, email or posting by anyone representing SSG, ENC or any related bodies or peoples! If I had I would make known this fact and would of course take whatever legal action was necessary in such a situation.
Now it could be that all the people contacting me today are practicing chinese rumours or of course it could be that I have been mentioned in correspondence to other people but not directly contacted, all I do know is that supposedly someone has made statements and potential threats to/or about me or my blog to which I cannot respond as I don't actaully know what they are as they haven't been represented to me directly - however I do know they are doing the rounds within the arena of my business and could therefore potentially have serious import and repurcussion on my good name and ability to trade within the arena of publishing and bookselling!
I would be very grateful if whoever has caused this injury to my name, person and work could kindly cease please.
Now though i do not know exactly what has been said and put in writing directly - though obviously it has been serious enough to warrant concern from at least 3 people within my work sphere - I am assuming based on the references made to me about Dave Walkers blog and his shut down that it must be to do with the SSG situation to which I have made references and posted on - to this end I am practicing discretion to a degree and am editing some of the posts contained here to take out third party references - though i reiterate that currently no-one has contacted me directly to ask me to do this - again when they do I will let you know and will of course take all legal action necessary and as required to safeguard myself and my livelihood.
I am also making a quite clear and catagorical statement here that nothing in this blog in regard to the situations above is untrue, and every word written is proveable by witnesses, written records or directly through first person or party observation.
Also much of what is written here is personal opinion and fair comment based on the truths and statements of fact I know and hold to be true due to first party observation and corroboration of evidences from other effected parties, and/or moral and ethical beliefs.
Also I want to make it clear that any Cease and Desist Notices etc in regards to this blog will be sent directly on to: http://chillingeffects.org/ This is 'A joint project of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, University of San Francisco, University of Maine, George Washington School of Law, and Santa Clara University School of Law clinics', for their studies and database compilation.