Giveaway

This book is aimed at children who are just learning to read.  It has large orint and easy words and is written in verse to make reading easier.  It also has a section for children to makeup their own story.  I am giving away one of these books for Christmas, please like

https://www.facebook.com/Zoe.Ainsworth.Grigg.Books

to enter and leave your email address.

Plastic Bottle Top SCAM exposure

Are you collecting plastic bottle tops from milk bottles or similar? Hopefully this helps the environment.

 If you are collecting for a wheelchair, then this is a SCAM.

There is only one agency collecting plastic bottle tops for charitable purposes.  That is LUSH, take your bottle tops into any of their high street shops.

www.zoeainsworthgriggbooks.com

Review of Frozen the DVD

This film from the Walt Disney stable is destined to become a classic for many years. Loosely based on the fairy tale of The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson, I am sure he would have been delighted. The graphics are wonderful and best viewed on the big screen but the animations will delight everyone. The twist in the ending, would gain approval from Carl Jung and 1960's feminists alike. A thoroughly deserved box office success.

five stars - thoroughly recommended

Brought to you from -  Planet Somerset

Review - The Snow Cat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UEkd51sWJA

This engaging story of cat magic will delight all kids 3-9 years of age whether they read it themselves or  read the story by an adult.  Available only on kindle. With original illustrations and in verse. Kids will enjoy the story of sledging.. The book includes a link to a you tube film about cats. A story for the train or the plane.

For this and other stories go to

www.zoeainsworthgriggbooks.com

Self Publish? My experience.

Self  Publishing Cost Effective and Easy.

A few tips on getting into print

I have made all the mistakes of a first time writer and wanting to publish.  I got caught by self publishing firms that promise the earth and don’t deliver.   I have experimented on the internet until I have now honed this process.  If you are content to electronically self publish this is my overview of how to set about it.

If you want to have a few hard copies at your disposal, this is also possible with this method.

The First part is your creative skill

·         Make your document. 

·         You may want to embellish with clip art or photographs, this enhances the document.  You can use your own or photos on line. Beware of copyright- on photographs it can be an expensive mistake.

·         You may want to number the pages- this is required if a long novel.

·         On your last page include a photo of yourself and a profile. People want to know your qualifications and who you are.

Part Two

·         Log onto www.Smashwords.com  and download their guidelines.

·         The most important thing is the title and the font which is explained

·         This is an example of one of my book title pages as recommended by Smashwords.

The Plucky Police Car

By Zoe Ainsworth-Grigg

Published by Zoe Ainsworth-Grigg

Copyright 2013 Zoe Ainsworth-Grigg

Discover other titles by Zoe Ainsworth-Grigg at

http://www.amazon.com

© All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author

When you have done this

You will also have to produce a cover with an image that is acceptable TO SMASHWORDS.

You can go to https://www.createspace.com/Help/Book/ArtworkDownload.do

To create a book cover or if you have a high resolution photograph of the correct size you can add text at www.addtext.com

Step Three

·         Go to Amazon and log on to their front page.

·         Right at the bottom of the page is a heading “make money with us” and under that “INDEPENDENTLY PUBLISH WITH US”.

·         Go through the details of publishing and then it is best to upload your coverto Smashwords specification.

·         Continue and publish on Kindle.

·         You can come back to this and edit at any time, more later.

Step Four

·         Go back to Smashwords and using your produced cover image.

·         At this stage make sure to get your free ISBN number. Useful if a library buys your book.

·         Go back to Amazon and add the ISBN number by editing the document.

·         Add this number at the bottom of your document so that when you make a hard copy it will be there.

You are now published electronically

 

Publishing a hard copy

There are two sites which will help with getting you document ready

Picture books www.blurb.com

Mainly text documents www.lulu.com

Choose your printing company as there are many locally that give good deals.

To experiment go to www.printing.com   or any other online printing sites.

Step Four

·         Choose the option  “Brochure” at www.printing.com

·          and the size of your book

·         It is important which ever printing company you choose, to determine how they would like to receive the cover and back page. Usually they require a pdf document which includes the cover image

·         Play about with the paper weights until you find something that you like within your price range.

·         Copy the details of paper weights and details of the cover paper weight if you are then going to go to a local printer.

·         Ask printers for prices; be specific of your requirements.

·         Accept and remember to include in the order a number of copies that you will give to relatives and friends.

·         Do not set a price on the print.

·         Order

You are now in print and published.

You can now sell your book on Amazon too.

Step Five -Advertising your book

·         Facebook, twitter, electronically, there are group sites for Kindle ( Kindlefancast) and other group Facebook sites.

·         Selling to friends; this is the most lucrative when you are starting out as an author.

·         Book signings.

·         Table at local fairs.

Consider giving a copy to your local library.

Zoe Ainsworth- Grigg

·         © All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author

Book Give Away

I am giving away copies of my first book: Here is the link

http://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2014/04/miss-flimps-destiny-by-zoe-ainsworth-grigg-book-giveaway.html

Reviews of children's books by Zoe Ainsworth-Grigg

Z

Reviews of books by Zoe Ainsworth Grigg

The Fabulous Miss Flimp

This is based on my mother’s life. As a Quaker she was born in the 1920’s and lived through the second world war.  She was an artist and worked for the Quaker chocolate firm Cadburys. In the thirties She painted many scenes for chocolate boxes having graduated from the Birmingham, School of Art  They encouraged her to join the Quaker ambulance service When WW2 broke out.

As an extension of that, the story is about partying. We all love to party, what girl doesn’t? but there comes a point when we take stock of what we do and wonder if we should spend more time working on the things that are important.  What is important?

Miss Flimp has life experience in emotional things: love, friendship and goodwill.  Will she succeed in life? – read the book.  The ending is a metaphor or us all.

I will give a free pattern to make the Miss Flimp doll with every purchase please contact me through my website.

Miss Flimp’s Destiny

The first book of the series. Miss Flimp is a doll who is lonely and frustrated and largely ingnored.  This happens from time to time to us all.  What can she do to alter things? Out of boredom one night she uses the computer.  Then fate takes a hand.

That is a metaphor for everyone’s life, our lives are a combination of creative ideas, hard work and a smattering of fate.

We all wonder what our lives will be like in the future. Miss Flimp is made happy by her eventual destiny.

Miss Flimp’s Friend Loves Books.

This book was written for my very young granddaughter who loves books. Educationally she will grow into it.  It is interactive and invites children to write their own story. Recently chosen by Norton Fitzwarren CofE Primary School as their term project.

I was inspired by the fact that there are sites on the internet that publish books written by children and I wanted to write a book that would inspire them to do this .

Available www.amazon.com and also at my book store at Blurb.com

Promotion

Competitions

Write a poem about the mice on the website and I will publish the twenty best in an ebook.

www.zoeainsworthgriggbooks.com 

The Plucky Police Car

This was written for the boys in my family.  All little boys seem to like cars.  This is based on a true story about a police car a Ford Escort that was renovated by enthusiasts. The book contains a link to the news item on the BBC.

Available at www.amazon.com

And also at my book store at Blurb.com

Promotion Tell me what is the model of your favourite car?

Miss Flimp’s Sister takes the Train.

The idea about the book.  Travel is not without its dangers.  We meet all kinds of people on trains and buses.  We all have a friend that is a “Know it all” Miss Gamp is a “Know it all!” We don’t know what accidents might happen or what we can do. This is a book about experience teaching us a lesson in life.

Promotion Tell me about your favourite toy and answer the question---- How does Miss Gamp get home?

 contact me on www.zoeainsworthgriggbooks.com

The Mysterious Magic of Cats

This book was inspired by my cats Millie and Poppy.  They say that people own dogs but Cats own their  owners.  Certainly our cats get us to do quite extraordinary things Poppy meows when she wants the fire on or the door opened or treats or food, she loves to sit in the airing cupboard.  Whereas Millie is a garden cat.  This territory is hers and she tries to get us to stay in the garden and come out in the garden as much as possible

This book is for cat lovers everywhere. A family moves into a new environment and encounters difficulties.  Cats in the vicinity come to their rescue and hep them to find friendship.

Available at www.amazon.com

Watch the film of my cats www.zoeainsworthgriggbooks,.com

If you read this book put a photo of your cat and a review on my website.

Miss Flimp Fundraises

This is a free book and will remain so.  The book is an introduction to the world of Miss Flimp.  It is based on my hobbies.  I volunteer for a charity and do a lot of work for them.  I also belong to a craft cooperative and sell my craft work.  I often sell my craft too for Purple Field Production www.purplefieldproductions.org

I think children do get worried about some of the adverts about the disadvantaged .  Even if we spend just a little of our time thinking about them this gives us peace. Find craft activities to sell for charity zoeainsworthgrigg.blogspot.co.uk

Christmas and Miss Flimp

This features the Celebration of Light in Wellington, Somerset that happens every year. there is a youtube film of the event . Please come and join us.

My Profile

An important part of my life is being a Quaker and engaging in promoting peace.  Peace of mind as well as the resolution of conflict.  I have worked in conflict resolution professionally in my career and have used Person Centred Art Therapy to counsel people. I hold a Diploma in Psychoanalytic Psychology

Free Game for children aged 3 plus

www.zoeainsworthgriggbooks.com

games for children on the top bar



How can we help our children with better reading skills?

One way is to encourage shape recognition, and this can be done in play.  Please try the free game of matching pairs available on this site.  It encourages children to recognise shapes and that is how we learn to read.

Pamper Day for Mum

How to –

Have a Budget Pamper Spa Day

By Zoe Ainsworth-Grigg

Published by Zoe Ainsworth- Grigg

Copyright 2013 Zoe Ainsworth- Grigg

Discover other titles by Zoe Ainsworth-Grigg at

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=zoe%20ainsworth%20grigg

or

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/zoeainsworthgriggbooks

© All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author

We all need some space for ourselves from time to time. Indulge in a day of pampering with these ideas. Set aside your day, it is possible if we lead a busy life to get people to look after the children or take a day off from work and really set aside this time and enter it into your diary, make arrangements for cover and decide that this will be your day come what may.

The key is preparation and I have prepared a shopping list.

Items required

Lemon, avocado, two low calorie meals of your choice, 1 egg, green tea, 5 litre bottle of water, fruit and nut mixture ( not peanuts).

Detox bath soak available on line from Holland and Barratt no postage.  This leaves the skin soft and silky and will also detox internally without stringent diet.

Body scrub and body cream, face pack.

Items for manicure and pedicure

Hair colour (optional)

( It is often possible to get samples from the beauty counters and this is an ideal time to try new products out.)

Programme for your day

Start with a drink of lemon juice and hot water.

Go back to bed and snooze.

When you are ready to get up- dress casually.

Begin with this meditation

Om Mani Padme Hum

Each of the six syllables will close the womb door to its corresponding world.

Recite this prayer for the liberation of all beings everywhere. Repeat the phrase over and over out loud or in your mind, if you have an incense candle, light this too.

A literal translation is “The heart of the lotus flower”. The Lotus flower being the symbol for Eternity, God, or Spirituality depending on which tradition you belong.

Breakfast

Scrambled egg and avocado (egg for protein and avocado for essential fats)

Keeping busy will stop you from thinking about food.

You may want to start a project

Take an hour to write down things you would really like to do, if you had the time:

Sort out photographs,

Start a family blog,

Plan a holiday,

Revamp your wardrobe and send all those unwanted clothes to eBay.- make a list.

DRINK AS MUCH WATER AS YOU CAN THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

Take a walk

Now is the time to have a brisk walk around the block, before lunch, blow away the urgency of actually doing anything.

Lunch

Prepare and eat one of your ready meals and finish with green tea.( Green tea detoxes and rehydrates.)

Afternoon

Prepare for your afternoon by sorting out the things for your manicure and pedicure.

Run your detox bath as deep and as hot as you can manage, adding the detox soak. Before getting into your soak bath do a body scrub to remove any dry skin.

If you are going to do a hair colour, now is the time to put it on your hair, and keep it on while you soak.

Set a timer for 40 minutes and just soak.  Add music from any source.

After your bath, dry your hair and put on body cream Then when fully absorbed wrap yourself in a blanket

 and read this short story.

Short Story

The Autumn Tree

The Nissan four by four stood in the garage. Hilary was scared of driving it.  So far she had only used the car for supermarket runs and shopping trips. It had been bought with her husbands retirement lump sum.  She and Gerald had worked in the Foreign Office Gerald in the Diplomatic Corp. Gerald tired of the foreign heat that he endured, wanted to spend retirement in the West Country, exploring little known villages and walking on Exmoor. They had married secretly after a long affair lasting for years in between Gerald’s assignments and Hilary faithfully carrying out administration in the F.O.

Now after they had found a converted barn which contained many of the features they had wanted including the view across to the Quantocks, Hilary was alone. Gerald had developed prostate cancer.  It was diagnosed too late and after a short spell in a hospice Gerald had died leaving Hilary bereft.  They had no children and no family to speak of. Loneliness engulfed her daily. Gerald was her best friend, her lover and for a short while her husband.

Before Gerald got ill, she had taken a course in the village, in using stained glass as an art material.  It was just one of those adult education courses but she had met people and after a year, she had become quite proficient at making quirky jewellery.  She went down to the kitchen in her slippers and dressing gown.  She saw no reason to hurry.  Today she was going to Glastonbury to see if she could sell some of her work.  She had so much of it, what did craftspeople do with all the things they made, she wondered?

She was going to try to drive the beast in the garage. At some point she was going to have to tame her fears.

She looked up Post Codes for the places she was visiting. Cupping a  cup of coffee in her hands, the autumn day outside her window was promising sunshine.  The sycamore tree in the field was turning its large flat leaves to gold and red plates, some of which would end up on her drive. She didn’t mind it was a glorious tree. It brought to mind a poem she once liked by Anne Rubin,

I want to grow old like an Autumn Tree

Blazing with Radiance, a flame-like finale.

Deep chestnut hair dye will crown my grey head

I’ll paint my nails russet and my lips cherry red.

I’ll have gowns in orange, my skin ancient bronze

My shawls will have fringes, like gold bracken fronds.

I won’t wear purple, or age gracefully

I want to greet Winter, like an Autumn tree.

She didn’t have an orange dress but she had a favourite red one, a woollen wrap around which she always wore with chunky jewellery,  When she got ready she used her own jewellery this time .  She had a black poncho and black boots.  She was tall and slim and looked very stylish, her hair was cut in a flattering bob, and she was lucky she had not turned grey yet.

Well, I will celebrate sixty in style, she thought.  I’ll make a day of it and go to Glastonbury via Muchelney.  There was a little café there that she loved which often had live music and served good coffee. After coffee, she went to the church.  The angels always made her smile.They were painted in the sixteenth century and were bare breasted.  It was extraordinary.  But the church itself was special.  She didn’t really have a traditional Anglican Christian faith.  She believed in honesty, good endeavour and her personal code meant that she tried to respect everyone. Nevertheless she sat for a moment in one of the pews and something made her say a silent prayer for Gerald.

She also liked the pottery tin Mulcheney. She liked the fact that the artefacts are made by hand.Pots somehow keep the imprint of strong hands moulding and encouraging the clay to make something perfectly cylindrical. The colours too were earthy and natural.  One never saw those colours in machine made products.  Unfortunately, she was a creature of habit and she liked to drink from porcelain. She preferred, porcelain mugs for coffee and porcelain tea cups for tea. Tea did not taste right from anything else than a porcelain teacup.

Reaching the pottery she had a surprise, at the rear was an art exhibition and they were honouring Matisse.  She couldn’t believe it, there were actually some Matisse original paper cuts in the exhibition. She was in awe.  In this tiny Somerset town she was standing in front of an original from a French impressionist painter and one whose work she loved.  Admittedly it was a paper cut done towards the end of his life when he was almost bed ridden but even so! She had to have one.  £400 did not seem unreasonable for an original. The canvas, duly wrapped and put into the car she couldn’t believe her luck.  Was this going to be a lucky day?

Onwards and forwards she set the Sat Nav for the restaurant in Glastonbury where she would have lunch. She knew Glastonbury well, She and Gerald used to like to climb the Tor. But she was going to take things slowly.  She parked well and ate lunch in a vegetarian restaurant as she ate very little meat apart from chicken. Glastonbury is a funny place for the initiated. The fashions were fantastic.  All kinds of glorious clothes ere worn  the men had dreadlocks or long hair.  The women wore felt hats or ethnic clothes and hats.  There were all kinds of prints from African to Asian to Chinese. She felt =t quite ordinary in her attire.

 After lunch she tried a few of the shops but either the manager was out or they had regular suppliers.  This was an arty place she was bringing coals to Newcastle.The last place she thought of was the Abbey shop.  She asked for the Manager.  The manager was a pleasant woman about her age called Monica. Monica looked at the jewellery and looked at Hilary’s face.

I’m sorry, I can’t talk now, Can you come back between five and five thirty, I will have space to see you then.  Why don’t you look in the Abbey grounds?

That sounded like a good idea. She had seen an art shop as she passed the high street shops and she went back and purchased a sketchbook and some pencils. She then made her way to The Abbey grounds paying her fee in the little kiosk. She was transfixed by the beauty of the ruins.  Gerald would have loved this. She took out her sketch book, she then transposed some of the shapes and the patterns of the building that would make good jewellery designs.  She walked though the grounds finding herself calmer and reflective. The ruins of the Abbey sent shadows with the afternoon sun and they had a kind of majesty. The pinnacles seemed to point outward to the sky and out into the Universe. The crypt almost intact had a sense of santicty.  She went to the herbalist garden and looked at all the old remedies. The she sat by the man made pond and realised she could see the Tor from there.  She took out her mobile and took a few photographs.

She looked at all the beautiful trees changing colour wearing their autumn colours. Trees live for hundred’s of years. Their roots go deep into the earth.  What were her roots of her being now? She felt in touch with the earth in that place in a spiritual way. She thought of her ancestors going back to medieval times.  The roots of my being , she thought, are gnarled like an old oak tree. Branches of my being have fallen off; I have been pruned by experience. My being has unconscious leaves open to the sun and buffeting by the wind.  And my purpose, my purpose is to go on growing personal character strength before I die. She felt a part of the divine process, to be a still , silent testament to nature and ultimately to just be.

Like a tree there is a beginning and ending but also a purpose, any tree breathes the planet. Even in death wood is part of the ecosystem, so every life resonates with others. However, simple or quiet, our lives can speak.

At about five she made her way back to the shop.  Monica was waiting.  She looked at Hilary’s jewellery.  She could see that it was well made and had a certain flair.  Being stained glass she thought it might fit in. 

I think I can use these.  Look I’m bushed.  I have been on my feet all day and it has been busy.  Do you fancy the pub across the road for a bite to eat and a glass of wine? We can talk prices and I can look more closely.  They went across to the Crown.  It was a comfortable if very old pub.  Hilary noticed a poster as they went in.  “The Blue Rats “ Rhythm and Blues cover Band.  She noticed the date it was tonight. She looked closely at the faces, The one at the back must be fifty or sixty.  He had a designer beard and a very expensive hair cut. Perhaps she could stay for the first set.

Monica was a nice woman to do business with, they agreed commission fees and sale or return and the promise that if she did make some pieces based on her sketches that day she was to bring them in.  They had a lot in common. Monica was widowed too.  Monica talked about her late husband a bank manager and Hilary told her about Gerald and their sometimes exciting sometimes dull life in the Foreign Office. Somehow it was easier to talk to a stranger who was a kindred spirit, rather than kindly neighbours who didn’t really know how to comfort her.

It was eight thirty before the band had finally set up and started, half an hour late, Monica stayed with her until the start and then took her leave  Hilary understood that Monica was very tired. Hilary was tired too but how often did she get this opportunity? Not often.  She collected a soft drink before Monica went, and when  she needed to drive back, one glass of wine would have dissipated through her system.  Towards the end of the set, the man she had spotted at the back of the group came to the front and sang a solo. “Lady in Red”. It was impossible not to associate Princess Diana with that particular song. But the way he sang it was all his own.  She knew he was directing it at her.  Her red dress. She blushed despite herself.  Then she was embarrassed and annoyed. She wasn’t some young band groupie. For heavens sake! She collected her things and made a hasty departure.

She got lost going out of Glastonbury towards Taunton. The sun was a pale yellow globe just slowly going down beyond the horizon.  She looked over the fields, she loved the levels, the slight mist and the clouds all merged and it was impossible to say where the land and the sky separated.  She pulled into a gateway to a field. Was she on the right road? She pulled out the map from under the passenger seat.  It had been quite a day, perhaps she could recline the seat and just rest for a minute.

She was first aware that she was very cold. Slowly she was rising out of a cold blue lake but it was misty, surfaced.  It was misty.  She looked out, it wasn’t mist, and it was fog. There was someone walking towards the car, quickly she locked the doors. A tall figure, square, purposeful, sort of angry, emerged out of the mist. She scrabbled for her mobile phone, it was dead. A face , a face at her drivers window. Very, very close.  The Face.  It had a designer beard, but a beanie was pulled over his head.  It was vaguely familiar. Will he go by , she was crossing her fingures. Her heart leapt, there was knock on her driver’s window.

You cant stop here, there’ll be a tractor along in a minute.

Sorry, she tried to switch on the engine. She flooded the engine.

She opened the drivers window.

Look, leave it a minute , it will start Ok I’m sure. Then come up to the farm you look as though you could do with a cup of tea.  It’s about a hundred yards on your left.

The voice, she recognised that voice it was the man in the band.  Farm, what farm?  She was so confused, she did as he said. She was flustered.

She drove into the farm driveway and then into the courtyard.  He was waiting for her.

Come on, let’s get you sorted.

He led the way into a little converted cottage.  The green AGA held a metal teapot and the square table in the homely kitchen seemed inviting.

The bathroom’s down there if you want it.

She returned, after she had combed her hair and found a wet wipe in her bag for her face.

Sorry I don’t know what happened; I just thought I would close my eyes for a second.

No harm done. You were at the gig in Glastonbury weren’t you.  I recognise you.  Did you enjoy it. He was cooking eggs.

Very much.

Here.  You look as though some scrambled eggs might suit. I’m retired myself.  My son manages the farm but he might have been rather cross if he had found you blocking the field.

Look you might like to come along with a friend to another of our gigs. This is my card with the website.

She looked at his face again, the designer beard the expensive hair cut and now the kind eyes. Was there a Mrs Kind Eyes? Looking around the untidy kitchen she thought not.

She got out her handbag,  Here’s my website, I sell jewellery.

YOU must have lots of women throw themselves at you or knickers or something? He smiled.

I try not to encourage it, honestly.

On the road again, she chuckled.  Is sixty the new forty?  Can life really begin again?

She arrived home with a comforting wheel crunch on the driveway gravel. She had tamed the beast. She looked at her front doorway. I’ll put some tubs there with daffodils perhaps.  And with a lift in her heart, she thought hopefully of Spring.

The End.

Relax now and try to snooze.

Mid Afternoon - Time to energise.

Before the manicure and pedicure have another cup of green tea, now is the time to multi task and put on a face mask while you do a manicure and pedicure

You know how you like to do this.

Late meal

It time for your second low calorie ready meal.  Hopefully there is not too much washing up.

Finally

Catch up on iPlayer all the things you missed ( more green tea) and retire to bed.

GOODNIGHT!

Zoe Ainsworth –Grigg, is retired from a Government Department. She has a background in the Humanities and she holds a Diploma in Psychology from Birkbeck University.  She is an agnostic Quaker. She now raises funds on a voluntary basis for www.purplefieldproductions.org. 

Find more of her books at www.zoeainsworthgriggbooks.com