Book Signing by Claire Kinton - All proceeds to Help for Heroes & SSAFA

Book Signing by Claire Kinton author of 'Dead Game' - All proceeds to Help for Heroes & SSAFA
13 November · 12:00 - 14:30 at Unicorn Tree Books, Central Market, Sincil Street, Lincoln. LN5 7ET

Unicorn Tree Books is proud to be hosting a book signing by Claire Kinton, author of Dead Game on Saturday 13th November.
This is the Saturday before Remembrence Sunday and given the subject matter of the book we are happy to say we will be donating all profits from the sale of this book at the signing to Help for Heroes and SSAFA - so please support us and come meet Claire and get your copy of this wonderful book signed on Saturday 13th November between 12noon - 2:30pm.

Dead Game - Claire Kinton
'When Lance Corporal Archie Fletcher’s plane plummets into the Persian Gulf during the Second Gulf War, even his wild imagination could never have primed him for the adventure he must now undertake. With guardian angels, a cursed centaur and mythical saints, Archie battles his way through a feral land called 'Transit'. But 'Dead Game is no easy feat. The fantasy will sweep you away to a parallel world where you will follow Archie’s fateful story full of courageous imagination - confirming that knowing deep within us all that the adventure of life must go on.'

Please come and join us for this free event and tell others about it too!

Minions leave to start own Businesses!

Sorry there's not been much blogging for a few weeks but this bookshop boss is feeling a little hardworked and a tad lost as all the minions have gone! and no it wasn't because i'm an evil world domination planning furniture moving Brain, it's because both my minions have grown up under my loving tutelage (stop sniggering you there off screen at http://www.lincoln-counselling.co.uk/) and gone off to be their own bosses and torture, erm I of course mean recruit! their own legion of minions who in time will desert them and leave them to do all the furniture re-arranging!

Now as we all know the Eunice Minion left to be the boss of '2 by 2 Pets' here in Lincoln Central Market when my own popz retired from it ( then it was known as Al's Pets) and she purchased it, it's nice to see her with her own part time minions & conscripts now.

But in September the Allison Minion also left, she graduated from her 4 years of study to be a top notch counsellor and left to start her own practice, which she officially opened the doors of on 4th October! You can find out all about it by visiting her website: http://www.lincoln-counselling.co.uk/ and we are pretty certain she will do famously and we hope if any of you ever need a counsellor you'd look her up.

So there we go, that's the story of my missing minions, still to come though is the story of my big, all alone (but with the brilliant help of Materialise It Mark for carpentry skills) shop redesign and re-arrange! There's even going to be pictures for that one!

Ok got to go play with the new coffee machine and make my own caramel latte now (no minions to go fetch so had to buy a machine to enable adequate boss functioning!) however feel free to bring me one when you come in and chat - see you soon!

Steampunk, Fiction and Modding Space Guns!

I'm having great fun this week here in the Unicorn Tree!

Not only have we/I been making lovely cards, doing altered art jewellery and modding goggles since our 'In The Style of... Steampunk, Victoriana & Grunge Collage' days, but yesterday I decided in honour of 'The Asylum Steampunk Weekend Convivial' that's on up at The Lawns this weekend (of which we from here will be attending in Costume as we stand a bookstall for Quirk Publishing!) that goggles weren't enough and I needed to make a space gun or two using some of the altered art principles I've been playing with!

Cue looking at anything with goggles of wonder instead of eyes! Everything is potentially something else with altered art, yes even old coke bottles and plastic book & plate stands!
Of course this was also a fantastic idea for a short story or writing cue exercise too!

So that's what we've done, come in and see the amazing stylistic future guns of 2130 & 2149, used respectively by the Airship Corps and Pirate/Bucaneer Fraternities.
Read the short overview wackipedia style histories of 'Munitions & The Cola Corps' - and overall just let your imagination go and dare to be a little bit silly, it's an amazingly freeing experience, thats why as we all know I do it all the while whilst the minions look on in amazement (horror?Pity?fear?).

So see you in the shop soon, and remember mines the caramel latte and you can bring whatever you like to drink too!

In the Style of ... Steampunk & Victoriana Grunge Collage Craft Day

If you weren't in town on Saturday you missed out on a treat as we were having a great day doing Craft Demo's and sharing idea's on the idea of being In The Style of Steampunk & Victoriana Grunge Collage!
It was great fun and you can see some of the cool fun stuff in the picture - the modded goggles are still in the shop, and they were great fun to do!
In fact so much fun I'm making another pair soon - Have just ordered the base goggles and hope they will be here very soon.
There are still some very cool packs of clockwork pieces in stock too - though minions keep depleting the stocks, naughty minions!
Anyway it was so much fun that I'm thinking we might have a bit of a go again this Saturday, not as organised as last time, a bit more free flow with a come and play vibe perhaps - we'll see how it goes!
The one thing I do know is that this craft demo and inspiration day was great fun and I think we'll perhaps think of having an 'In The Style Of...' Saturday perhaps once a month - especially once we move the shop around again to give the White Table more prominence at some point this september!
So anyway here's a pic and remember to swing by and see the goggles on display or even come in on Saturday and see if we're up to anything and what idea's you can pick up or add in to the mix!
Oh and feel free to bring a coffee by - as you all know by now I'm sure, mines a Caramel Latte!

Steampunk, The Echo & Me!

Made the Echo on page 3 again http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/news/Author-androids-Anna-Karenina-appear-video-link-Lincoln-festival/article-2529609-detail/article.html- just a small little mention about The Book, Android Karenina, that we are going to be at the The Steampunk Festival/Convivial with - Along of course with other Quirk Classics and books!
Costumes are in planning, well ok I'm planning mine - modding my topper and building my goggles being the creative type I am! - though minions already had outfits as they already had full tickets to the event, including the ball, and do real Victorian (and Tudor!) Re-enactment anyway to go with their punkish attitudes!
The Echo lists it as being in October when in point of fact it is in September - so anyone going along please do call in and visit with us in the literature section there in the Lawns - and of course do call in before the event and share the fun that happens in the shop all the while.
Hey there's an idea maybe later in the month we could have a steampunk craft day and do some in shop modding, make a few pairs of googles, practise paint techniques for the aged look, or even just have fun with some victorian papers & assemblage pieces?
let me know if you're up for that and pass on the news to other.
See you in the shop soon - and remember if you want to bring the coffee I'll provide the chat!

Faith, Books & Facebook - The script I really should have used on The Reading Room on Siren 107.3fm

On Sunday 1st of August I was a contributor to the wonderful radio show, The Reading Room, on Siren 107.3fm. It is a fantastic radio show on the first sunday of every month at 10am - 12noon and then repeated on the following Tuesday starting at 7pm.
It is an excellent production by Paul and Jonny on books, reading, literature, writing and all manner of things to do with Books & Writing and has some fantastically good music in it too - I really do recommend it.
Paul foolishly has allowed me to be a regular contributor to it so far and this month I did a rather good job at fumbling live on air! I had a script and should have stuck to it but I didn't, bad me!
Still it's not as bad as it could have been and I hope one day Paul & Jonny will trust me to go back and do some more spots on air - I'll even buy them coffee and spring for syrup ;0)
Anyway here is the script I had, I share it here for your enjoyment and edification *grin*.

During the last month I've been reading a few books that look at the idea of facebook, social networking and how we relate to each other and how faith interacts with these ideas. After all I am all about books, faith and social networking - which despite what some may think is not so sad or so unusual. In fact facebook and yes, even twitter, are excellent communication mediums for sharing about all manner of ideas including faith and not least about books, about writing and can really help contribute to the society of the literate, and this despite what Lynne Truss seemed to be concerned about towards the end of her book - Eats, Shoots and Leaves.

Social networking via the internet, because lets remember that though when we use that phrase these days we seem always to be talking about the internet it is a phrase that also describes something that we can and do undertake offline as well! So anyway Social Networking via the internet has the potential and ability to expand and grow our outlook, our outreach and the communities in which we interact, or that's the theory at least. Now all of this it has to be said sounds like something we used to do in our physical and loca; communities and not least in our faith communities, so hows that working?
Hows the move to virtual, to a disembodied medium over a more phyiscal medium really working in this setting, in the traditional faith setting, thats the question that authors Jesse Rice and Dwight Friedman have both decided to look at in their books.

Jesse Rice's 'The Church of Facebook' published by David C Cook begins by addressing our need for connection with others and then goes on to look at why though facebook and twitter give us a form of connection in the end they just dont fulfill our more basic needs for contact - real contact - despite the length our 'contact' lists may be.
In the book he gives a great synopsis of the history and development of our socially networked internet and talks about how it has grown from our needs and wants, but he also points out how it can be a place of shallow depth and interaction that in some ways rather than satisfying actaully leaves one more empty, or feeling more lonely and isolated and then needing more of it to assuage these feelings - for me this made me think of the addiction cycle and tied in to why we succumb to and talk of facebook addiction etc. This is where the need for real community comes into play, says Rice, real human and physical contact can help fill the lonely spots and here is where faith can play an active and real part, faith should after all be about personal contact, outreach and growth - about more than just touching in through an update, but about real interaction. This is what Community and real connectedness is about.
Having said all this though 'The Church of Facebook' does not dismiss social networking, no instead it sys it can be a positive thing - a way to work and grow our connectedness but only if we move beyond the shallowness of much of the interaction and instead anchor it in the reality of our lives, only if we are honest and open and resist the temptation to hide in urbanity and surface socialisation - only then can there really be a church on facebook.
It is an excellent book and worth looking at even if your not really interested in the faith angle as such because it's looking at the idea of Community more than anything and as the subtitle says, 'How the hyperconnected are redefining community'.

Dwight Friesen's book, 'Thy Kingdom Connected' and published by Baker Books looks at a similar theme, that of networked communities, however this book does come with a bit of a warning because although facebook is mentioned in the subtitle of 'What the church can learn from facebook, the internet and other networks' this book isn't really about facebook or social networking online, thats just a nice marketing play to make the book more appealing to a larger audience! This book is really looking at Network Theory and relating this to how he, Friesen, believes the church should work.
Network theory at it's most basic is the idea that has adherents in many fields of study and holds we are connected in all manner of ways by links, nodes and cluster groups. It's an interesting idea and so is the underlying content of this book, however it's not an easy book to wade through and has a very technical feel to it. Being full of venn and cluster link diagrams doesn't really help as it just adds to the feel of being some sort of science manual. That said though if you want a book that really opens up the idea of the network theory and it's correlation to, connectivity to and implications for the church and what it could be, then this is that book and probably a very good one too as it does have some very interesting idea's of how things could work better and more integrative across the church.

On the whole though, 'The Church of Facebook' does cover much of the same idea and in a way thats much more accessable, fun, practical and that really addresses the reality of our internet, facebook, twitter linked and socially networking lives.

For me with both these books what we are really looking at is why we have moved ourselves online? Thats what we need to look at, to address, why are we so willing to pass up our actual phyiscal community for our online community? Is it just convenience - an anytime easy time thing? probably not given we hook into these things even whilst working or roaming the streets - So how do we address this?
We buy online instead of in our local shops, we email, msn, twitter, text and facebook chat as opposed to over the phone or in the real, why is this? How do we, or even do we want to, become more real in the virtual world? How do we deepen ourselves in and through the disembodied medium so we become more involved in the real community around us? Is social networking really increasing our social lives or is it just in reality shrinking them, it, us?
Something to consider and these books are both good starters in that process.
9780736921275/Googling-God
However I want to mention a third book, 'Googling God' by John Cox and published by Harvest House, and this is because this book is about finding God and how we start that experience, possibly by Googling him (or of course you could even Bing him these days! though we don't advise you use a bong although we understand some have tried using such a tool in some cultures, places and times!). From Googling God this then develops out into eventually a personal experience and relationship. Tihis book is great because it's written in such an engaging and personal way by someone who is of our time, a person whose had experience changing continents, changing lives, going through divorce, heartache and upheaval, who uses modern technology and isnt afraid of sharing the personal experiences of doubt, trauma and pain to get across his message. A person who is willing to share more than just the surface niceties and nonsense, but open up about the life drama's experienced in an open and honest way.
But what I like most about this book is how it feels like a book thats incorporating our internet experience into the very body and feel of it, it reads how googling hopping feels - short interesting on topic sections with jumps to quotes and idea's on a theme, quick flits elsewhere and then back onto the next engaging section. It reads like you are googling God and John Cox and that in iteself is really engaging and shows just how much books, the internet and faith can work together, adapt each other and grow to the better for it - and that is a great thing to witness.

Now remember all these books are available at Unicorn Tree Books, so why not call in to see us and pick up your copy, you can even come back and chat about it with me! or of course you can go to our online shop at www.lincolnchristianbookshop.co.uk or www.lincolnbookshop.co.uk and get a copy there.
So come in and stock up soon - we'll look forward to seeing you, recieving an email from you, chatting on the phone (01522 525557) with you or even facebooking or twittering with you!

New Christian Marketplace Mini Mag - check it out now online -order In Store for the offers!

The fantastic new Christian Marketplace Mini Mag is here 

- full of fantastic reviews and information on new titles of Books, Music and DVD's. 

There's also some great articles as well!

You can check it out online here (if you do an online newsletter then please do add a link to it here) or come in (or contact us) for the real paper editions of the magazine to give out to your congregations and groups.

Now here at Unicorn Tree Books & Crafts (Lincoln's Christian Bookshop) 

we are giving £5.00 off any order from the magazine over £50.00

If you are an individual that's a great deal - but think about it,  if you are a member of a group or church you could use the magazine and the deal to raise some funds for the church or group whilst promoting christian literacy and good music listening too!

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Publisher Software from YUDU

Common Worship 10th Anniversary & a stunning anniversary present!

Standard Edition's only £7.50 instead of £17.50!

 

Here at Unicorn Tree Books we are also offering extra Discounts for orders of 20+ copies!
This is the perfect time to refresh the pew copies for any C of E Church,

so please pass on the word to your local churches!

 

Bonded Leather Edition's are also available reduced from £40 to £15,

now at that price it might be worth treating yourselves :0) 

 

Of course at such a low price for such a high quality item you could perhaps buy in a stock ready to give as Confirmation or Ordination Gifts! 

The White Edition is also perfect for a Bride or as a Wedding gift!  

Again for higher quantity orders we are able to give an extra discount too!

 

Remember as well if you are members of the Church & Community Partnership Scheme then tell your congregation or groups of these fantastic prices because if they come in and buy themselves copies this will count towards your Schemes total!

 

Just to let you know these are not the only bargains in store at the minute - we also have the Lion Summer & Sunday School Promotion in stock, an activity book promotion running and a rather fantastic Childrens Bible & Book promo running  - all with some great quantity discounts and fun mix n match stocks.

 

So come in and stock up soon - we'll look forward to seeing you, recieving an email from you, chatting on the phone (01522 525557) with you or even facebooking or twittering with you! 

 

Join us on Saturday 15th May at 12noon and Meet Jon Rowlands author of The Ninth Paradox!

Join us on Saturday 15th May at 12noon 

for our contribution to the fun that is The Lincoln Book Festival

We are pleased to host Local Author Jon Rowlands

Jon will be talking about and signing copies of his fantastic debut work - 

' The Ninth Paradox' which is a multi-genre timeshift work!

Tell your friends about it and don't miss it! 

This is a free event and a fantastic chance to talk to a first time Author from Lincoln who can tell you all about the process or writing great fiction and getting published.

READuce, READuse, READcycle at Unicorn Tree Books

READuce, READuse, READcycle

Help save the planet, choose secondhand books - and get them from us :0) 

Because we give you a credit against the ones you bring in to us to use against the others you buy from us!

However you can't always buy a secondhand book; someone has to buy it new first for it to become secondhand and if you want to read that fave authors newest book when it comes out then secondhand just isn't likely to be an option, so you can buy that New Book from us first (because we are cheaper than some!) and then when you bring it back you will get a credit on it too, and if the book was purchased from us first then the credit you get will be higher than if you purchased it elsewhere!

Remember when buying books, New or Secondhand, the greenest option is always to take the bus (or walk or cycle!) down to your local Secondhand and New bookshop like us here at Unicorn Tree Books thus saving the shipping CO2 from buying online, but if you can't find it locally then buying secondhand online is still a good bet so please use us at www.lincolnbookshop.co.uk or www.lincolnchristianbookshop.co.uk where you can find New & Secondhand Books (and lots more) and keep supporting your local shops and community as well as doing your bit for the global community.

 

 Go Local to Go Global, local communities supporting local businesses build a better world and support a healthy global economy and network – and make the world just a little bit greener to boot!

 

So looking forward to seeing you and remember mines a Caramel Latte should you be so inclined, and the minions? Macchiato's or Hot Chocolates I do believe! but even without the essential life giving brews we will look forward to seeing you in the shop soon and chatting about the good book your reading or recommended author of the minute :0)

 

Think Local Not Amazon - but to help we'll try to match Amazon prices!

Just to let you all know - we are putting up a sign in the shop saying:

We Will Try to Match Amazon's Prices on Bulk Orders so Please think of us first and support your Local Indie Shop.
You can also support us online too - www.lincolnbookshop.co.uk & www.lincolnchristianbookshop.co.uk - where you will get Amazon prices ...everytime, so please bookmark these sites and use them for your purchases - Every little bit helps :0)

Think Local, Buy Local, Be Local - Don't let our local business become a thing of the past!

Now as you know we really are committed to you all and want to support you in the best way we can!

We set up the Church and Community Partnership Scheme to really work with and support the local communities, because we want to give to the local community, we want to be part of that community actively and integrally.

We host events, buy tables, run classes, start groups and make blogs because we want to be involved with our community.

We know how hard it is to always get into the shop so we have set up ways for you to shop online with us, so you can still go local to go global.

In fact we want to be part of the community - an integral, fulfilling and active part of the community.

We hope you want us to be part of the community as well!

To this end then we need your help - we need you to support us too because being a small local indie business is getting harder and harder, So please use us whenever you can - you know we will go that extra mile for you!

And Yes, as you know and we have always admitted - all the things we do such as above are not completely self sacrificing, they are as much for our benefit as yours - but then thats what community is all about, working together for the betterment of both, of all!

So please, here are some posters - 
can you perhaps print one out and stick it up somewhere visable:

church, school, Dr's Surgery, community hall, house window, car window
(all right the last two are unlikely but really how cool would that be - how cool would you be to do that, to really show full out grass roots support!).

Can you tell people about us please, real people you see and know, share the knowledge of us and that we are here, perhaps on your own blog or facebook pages you could include links to our website(s) or even to this post, or use the poster on your blog!

Perhaps in your emails in the signature section you could include one of our links? Recommend us on your twitter stream?

Please support us - shop with us and share with us and share us with others.

let's be community minded and share news with our community - wherever and whoever they may be.

And you know if there is something you want sharing, something you want spreading to the community then let us know, bring us a poster to put up in the shop, send us a note to blog or twitter about, let us know about your links too!

You see if we think local, buy local and be local the whole community and economy naturally and vigorously grows strong and healthy and vibrant! All we have to do is start sharing and spreading the message, start thinking of each other as part of the whole - the community.

So go on, stick up a poster, add a link and use the shop and the sites!

It makes sense!

Now remember, when you come in to have a chat, share the news, or as you bring a poster to put up or leaflets to hand out, mine's a caramel latte and you can have whatever you want too! oh and if I recall right I think the minions mostly drink hot chocolate - see how community minded I am, I even remember the minions!

The websites are:

www.lincolnbookshop.co.uk

www.lincolnchristianbookshop.co.uk

www.jigsawsandmore.co.uk

www.cardmakersupplies.co.uk

www.centralmarketlincoln.co.uk

www.christianbookshopuk.co.uk

You can join us on twitter: @unicorntreebks

Friend us on Facebook, or join our facebook group

Please think local, buy local, be local and support us where you can, just use the websites and pass on the info wherever you can - and in return we'll try to be the best we can for you, just let us know what you want and need and how we in turn can help you, our community and our friends.

Can't resist this - it's fantastic really, at the end just change the one word 'America' to 'Britain'! and remember  I'd love to see you in the shop soon :0)

Online Shopping - we know you do it but now do it with us!

Sad news all around for the booktrade, Borders gone as from this week, Wesley Owen Christian Bookshops pretty much gone, 26 into administration this week, then Waterstones admitting a major profit downturn, the furor earlier in the year with Oxfam killing off Secondhand bookshops - yes indeed one might think it really was the end of real bookshops!
But you know what, it's not - it's just a changing time and these all have to be gone through.
Now the big blame being placed out there is on Supermarkets and Internet Shops
(and yes it does make it harder when publishers etc do give them such massive discounts as to allow them to half price the books, this then makes the supermarket/internet price a better price than normal bookshops can actaully buy them from the publishers and wholesalers for in the first instance! madness but is this the supermarkets/internet shops fault or the publishers, there's something to think about!).
So anyway I can't actually do anything about this conundrum except raise the issue that when you buy from a non-local national or multi-national that less of your spend actaully goes back into your local community, so there we go issue raised.
Now though what I can do is try to make it easier for you to support a local bookshop business whilst going where you want to go anyway - ie onto the internet for what is admittedly a style of selling that is going nowhere fast!
So Here we go, please use these sites:
www.lincolnbookshop.co.uk for all books and more needs! This is an Amazon Ashop so you will be getting all you want from one of the big players that I often can't compete with, however by going to them this way you will be helping support me via their affiliate scheme.
Now lets be perfectly honest here - I would much prefer you actaully came in and purchased from me directly, but as your probably not going to in this instance, at least this way you are still helping support a local business for the times when you do come in to see what the book look like! :0)
Now if it's jigsaws and games you want then please use: www.jigsawsandmore.co.uk
and if it's Christian & Religious Books then please use: www.lincolnchristianbookshop.co.uk
Now on the Christian Books side, if you want church supplies and stationary then that's not online but you can just email us your order at unicorntreebooks@aol.com and we will get it for you and phone you for the payment details we need!

It really is just that easy, of course you can also twitter the order to us at anytime, we are @unicorntreebks or you can facebook us: Unicorn Tree Books Group or friend me

Now please do me a favour and post all these website details all over the place for me! link to them and try to help out your Local(ish) Bookshop business, cause you know we live to serve you!
So Go Local to Go Global, local communities supporting local businesses build a better world and support a healthy global economy and network – really!

Oh and if you are popping in in person then I wouldn't mind if you felt like sharing a caramel latte with me, you bring it i'll drink it - those cyber ones just don't seem to taste as good or quench the thirst nearly so well!


http://www.bookdepository.co.uk?a_aid=unicorntreebooks

Craft Sessions Have Started! The White Table is in Action!

Now as some of you may remember back in september I posted about our new big white table (here's a reminder for you!):
'Thursday, September 24, 2009
A Round Up, Some Questions and a new white table!
So whats new in your friendly bookshop?
Well the newest edition, as of today, is a white table in the middle of the shop!
Now as you may know we don't have a seperate room where we can hold regular events like reading groups, book discussions or craft classes, though we really want to hold them!'

Well that Big White table has already seen one fantastic author event - that worked really well and had the shop buzzing and heaving at the seems at one point, I'm looking forward to doing more author events, so if you have any idea's then shout out!

But now that Big White Table in the middle of the shop has seen 2 craft sessions take place, with more booked and arranged.

The first one was a Thursday Morning lesson on embellishment idea's for cards and lasted for 2 hours, and yes it was great - the people attending the class loved the class (and have rebooked for this weeks thursday session too, so it must have been good!!) and the browsers seemed to have no problems looking at their books and occasionally glancing over at the table too with considering glances, so who knows maybe some new crafters are in the making!

The Second session was on Friday and that was a 1hour 15 minute beginners taster on quick christmas cards. Again it went well, we can tell by how much the participants purchased to take home and practice with :0)

So anyway if anyone else is interested you can come in or contact us to see what's on or arrange a one to one session!

We think that a one to one session might make a good christmas gift idea for the crafter who has everything else, so yes you can come in and buy a gift voucher for a session to give to someone else!

So there we go, that big white table is not just a blank space, but is now an active community space and I am loving that!
(though I do believe that despite the cards advertising my favourite coffee house - Angel Coffee - it has not yet seen enough cups of take out caramel latte grace its top, I am sure though in time that will be rectified as loyal minions gift me with coffee, time and their presence in the shop ;0)

So we still need to get a monthly reading group going round the table, but perhaps we should leave that for after Christmas!

Oh and hey what about a Lent Study Group round the table?
Anyone interested in that come Lent, We can do it at a Lunchtime slot and either share food at the table or offer up a Lent Fast and donate our lunch moneys to a charity of the groups choice! Think about it and tell others and get back to me with your thoughts!

Ok that's it from me for now, see you in the shop tomorrow (even though it is my day off!) and remember should you want coffee and a chat, well mines a caramel latte :0)

Nursery Crimes, oops I mean Nursery Rhymes! Children In Need Appeal - Friday 20th November!

Pudsey Bear Day cometh!
aka Children In Need Appeal - Friday 20th November!

We are thinking Nursery Crimes, oops! I mean Nursery Rhymes as the days theme in the shop!
It's Literary and as were a book & craft shop it just makes sense! Fun and adventures will abound!
All the staff will be dressing up as Nursery Rhyme characters (guess who we are and make a donation if you are wrong & we'll make one if you are right!).
There will be make & take and craft lesson sessions for a donation to the pudsey appeal for children in need, and no I'm not thinking of Mrs Hubbards GrandKids or that Shoe Ladies kids, though you know their cupboards are bare and it's a tight squeeze for a family living in something the size of a shoe!!
Nursery Rhymes really tell some social stories and for a donation we'll even tell you some tall tales and stories too!
What do you think, sound like fun? well then spread the word around and don't forget to come on down on the 20th November.

Author Barrie Mahoney Reading & Signing His New Book 'Journeys and Jigsaws' Book 1 From Teacher to Drag Queen

It's our first LGBT Author event in shop and it would be great if some people showed up and I know you all know the people who know the people!

Event Details:
Author Barrie Mahoney Reading & Signing His New Book
'Journeys and Jigsaws' Book 1 From Teacher to Drag Queen

Venue: Unicorn Tree Books, 35- 40 Central Market, Sincil Street, Lincoln. LN5 7ET
Time & Date: Friday 30th October. 12noon - 2PM.

Background:
The novel is focused on a small primary school in a rural area and explores the issues faced by gay professionals in such rural communities and the prejudices and obstacles that they need to overcome to fulfill their jobs. The book deals with serious issues, but it is very amusing and readers have commented that they "laughed out loud" and the book is available from Gardners.


Barrie was born in Holbeach and later attended Spalding Grammar School. He later worked as a primary school inspector in England and Wales and inspected many schools in Lincolnshire.


Barrie was delighted to be interviewed about his book on the Judy Theobald morning show on BBC Radio Lincolnshire and is also pleased that the Lincolnshire Free Press is reviewing his book in an article in their next edition.

Unicorn Tree Books - Lincolns Niche Market Book Specialists & Lincoln's year round LGBT Book & Dvd Stockists are proud to host this event and hope this may be the first of more LGBT Author & Book events to come!

For more info Contact: Melanie Carroll. Email: unicorntreebooks@aol.com Tel: 01522 525557

Ok guys I know this is not for all of you but it is a community event and it would be really really nice if we can be friendly and supportive and really try to make this a fun and full event, just like with the wonderful Sue Hampton Author Event.
and if any of you know of any authors or themes then come on and let us know.
Looking forward to seeing some of you on Friday and feel free to bring a caramel latte with you (for me!), especially as it'shalf term and none of the minions are on the job this week!

A Round Up, Some Questions and a new white table!

So whats new in your friendly bookshop?

Well the newest edition, as of today, is a white table in the middle of the shop!
Now as you may know we don't have a seperate room where we can hold regular events like reading groups, book discussions or craft classes, though we really want to hold them!
So I am trying to get feedback here, would you consider doing these types of things in the open venue of the bookshop whilst the shop was open if the events were either free or really really cheap or coffee was provided? (Because as I'm sure you all know by now I will do much if a really good caramel latte is added into the equation - it is a payment and reward in itself!)

So anyway I think it would add an interesting vibe as other people browsed while you breathed the books as it were in terms of a book group - or created and learned a new craft, what do you all think please?

Talk like a Pirate Day and visiting Author Sue Hampton was well recieved - thanks to all the young-uns that walked the plank to see Sue! I had a great time!
We still have copies of Sue's book - 'The Lincoln Imp' in stock for those that couldn't make the day and we also have some of her other books in and they are very good too!

We would love to do some more author or themed events in store (Hence another reason for the big white table where once there were bookcases!) - so if you have any idea's then please let us know!

The Bishop of Lincoln, John Saxbee, has a new book out - 'No Faith in Religion' and it is now in stock and available, though it is selling pretty fast!
Please pass the info on and reserve or come in and buy your copies (and yes we do mail order too!), it is an excellent book and a wonderful symphony of blended idea's on the dichotomy of faith and religion!

We have Calenders, Diaries, along with Advent Candles and Christmas books, cards and items making an appearance now! Lots of Christmas Decoupage and Craft things too! and not forgetting Parsons Pocket Books & Lectionaries! Yes it's early but they are selling already.
Please think of us!

Oh and of course dont forget about our Church & Community Group Partnership Scheme! Tell others, join yourselves!
This is a real opportunity for working together to build community by supporting each other! More proof if needed that we are Working with you and for You!

The basic idea, as i've said somewhere her before, is that Churches and Community Groups (this also includes schools, clubs or any community, church or group based initiative) sign up with us as a Partner, once signed up you promote us to all your church/group members and then everytime they come into the shop and make a purchase, providing they let us know they are part of your partnership (we can provide cards for you to give them), you get a percentage of that sale held in credit for your church/community group!
We think this is worth it as we are helping you and we hope building community at the same time - and yes we do not deny we hope it helps us too by increasing the outreach of our shop too!

Ok and we would be really grateful if you could let your friends, collegues and networks know about us, both in person and through the Facebook groups/twitter/blogs! So next time you visit the fb group page, followfriday on Twitter, or even come into the shop then please 'invite people to join'!

So that's the news, info and questions from your friendly folk and slightly mad but highly amusing and mostly tame wonderful bookshopboss at Unicorn Tree!
Please do respond, tell others and feel free to pass on this message to any you think might be interested.

See you in the shop! and don't forget mine's a caramel latte and bring one for yourself as well :0)

Ahoy and Avast me hearties were having some impish good fun on Saturday 19th September!

Just to let you all know that tomorrow (Saturday) we are having a fun filled day at the PirateShop Unicorn Tree Books and you and any children you may know are all invited to drift by, drop anchor and visit.

A wonderful children's author - Sue Hampton - will be joining us all day to sign copies, read and talk about her brilliant new children's book 'The Lincoln Imp'. A book about learning to deal with change with a very local character at it's centre!

However the fun doesn't stop there because with it being International Talk Like a Pirate Day we of the Pirateshop are going to have some impish fun and are going to be dressing up a little like pirates and having fun with all the rest of the landlubbers as we regale you with pirate talk (crib sheets available in shop for you scurvy lot who don't know the language).
So bring the sprogs down and don't be lily-livered about it, as you wont want to miss out on the booty we have commandeered for you! Eyepatches will be given out and there may well be stickered polly's and possibly paper planks to walk or other mayhem for the gentlefolk of fortune who visit!

We look forward to seeing you there and please pass this onto any facebook/twitter/blog friends or others you know in the area or who have children and might want some small burst of fun!

Cheers

Melanie
ps feel free to bring me a caramel latte to bribe and save any future keelhauling as may result from under caffeinated landlocked pirateshop captains!

A mention in the Echo again - it's no fake copy either!

I am once again mentioned in the Lincoln Echo - a short quote from me on the damage Counterfeit Goods can do to genuine businesses and markets!

http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/news/Don-t-caught-counterfeit-goods/article-1297651-detail/article.html

Hehe - it's good to be known!

Unicorn Tree Books Nominated Charity

First off we would like to say thank you to everyone that has contributed in the last year to our Nominated Charity - The Alder Hay Imagine Appeal. Together we have raised £367.

That's not bad going at all considering the economy, So thanks.

As you probably know we nominate a new charity each year on the anniversary fo the start of the business, and this year we have decided to go with Listening Books.

Listening Books is the only audiobook charity in the UK providing a streaming audiobook internet service, as well as a comprehensive postal service, to anyone who has a disability which makes it impossible or difficult to hold a book, turn its pages, or read in the usual way. Charity registration number. 264221

We figure this is a worthy cause as we love books and we want everyone to be able to enjoy them - this one is close to our hearts as well due to the fact that in our family we have people who suffer from both degenerative eye issues and physical issues that can contribute to causing our families favourite past-time to becoming something deeply missed. So we want to help make sure that everyone with similair issues gets to continue enjoyig the treasures that books are.
We hope this is a Charity that again you will all be able to get behind with us and that this year we can raise as much, if not more!, for this worthy charity too.
You can donate in shop giving your pennies as so many of you already do - or of course you can dontate directly through our JustGiving Page too. Thanks :0)