The one where the hedgehogs go into The Works for the 5th time and I met a couple of hoglets
My amazing publisher, Boldwood Books, are a digital lead publisher. This means that, although my books are available in all formats (digital, print and audio), the print formats are not a big push. The traditional big publisher model is to print off a large run of books which go from warehouses to bookshops and hopefully home with readers. WIth Boldwood's big emphasis on digital media, they don't do this. Anyone who would like a print copy can order it from Amazon or any high street or local bookshop, but it will be printed off specifically for that customer – known as POD (Print On Demand) – rather than retrieved from a warehouse. Readers won't therefore find my books on the shelves of Waterstones, WH Smith or any other non-discount retailer, but you will find them stocked intermittently by The Works.
I love The Works. Yes, they offer books at an extremely low cost, but they work on a low cost, lower volume, sell-them-fast model which is very effective. Lots of readers have discovered my writing through The Works, having taken a relatively inexpensive punt on a low cost book from a writer unknown to them.
I'm really fortunate to have been one of the first Boldwood authors to have been stocked by The Works and have been honoured to have nine titles online and in shops so far. Christmas Miracles at Hedgehog Hollow is my tenth title to go in and can be found online now here and in your local branch of The Works.
I nipped into Scarborough's branch last week to see if they had their stock in. Not only did they have it in, but they'd almost sold out of it! They usually get about 12 copies at a time but they only had 2 left on the shelf which was very flattering. I signed those two and hopefully they'll get more stock in really soon as they look really lonely there!
While I was in there, the lovely manager Jamie, mentioned to a customer that I was the author and had just signed them. The customer had already read the whole series and loved my books. How amazing is that? Very special moment for me.
Please excuse my appearance. I'd actually just been to the hairdresser but it was chucking it down so I'm looking somewhat dishevelled with wet hood-squashed hair, no make-up on and wearing my cagoule!
The Works have stocked books 1-4 in the Hedgehog Hollow series and I'm sure they would have stocked book 5 if the timings had worked but book 5 being set at Christmas release has kind of dictated that one going in for this time of year. I have no indication as to whether they will stock Chasing Dreams at Hedgehog Hollow after this to have had them all in, but I doubt they will – probably doesn't make sense to have book six in then five. Still, five out of six titles is amazing and I'm very honoured.
I love seeing my books out in the wild so if you are in The Works and you spot Christmas Miracles at Hedgehog Hollow, please do snap a shelfie (a photo of it on the shelves) and share it on the socials, tagging me in and letting me know which store it was.
There are another six Boldwood titles in the Christmas campaign so do watch out for these too from Lisa Hobman, Beth Moran, Tracy Baines, Jo Bartlett, Jill Steeples and Ross Greenwood …
I went to Teesside Park last week in the Middlesbrough/Stockton area but there were no hedgehogs there so either the stock hadn't made it or had already sold through. I think probably the latter as most of the others were in there and the stock appeared to be rapidly depleting so there's clearly a thirst for the Christmas titles already.
Speaking of hedgehogs, I also visited my Auntie Gwen last week who was the inspiration behind me writing about hedgehog rescue. She's rescued thousands of hedgehogs over the past 45 years or so and had two hoglets in needing her care. One had been found on its own and brought in inside a poo bag (obviously made so the hedgehog could breathe!) My auntie said there would likely be others and the finders returned and found one more but a thorough search of the undergrowth didn't find others. Both were wet, cold, hungry and dehydrated so needed heat pads, fluids and food. They thankfully didn't have any fly strike or ticks but they both had cuts under their front paws as though they'd been trapped in something (metal fencing?) so she's treating them for the cuts and keeping careful watch to ensure there's no infection.
She doesn't usually name them so, as there was a boy and a girl, I decided to call them Samantha and Josh in homage to Hedgehog Hollow. Hedgehogs should have minimal handling – only when cleaning and treating them – but I got a chance to have a quick hold when they were getting their cuts cleansed and was able to see them in their crate afterwards before the settled under the towels.
A huge thank you to our CEO, Amanda Ridout, for championing our books with The Works and having such a great campaign. There are always additional books included in the print run which find their way into other discount bookshops, Post Offices, local supermarkets, garden centres and so on so do also watch out for them in other places and send me a shelfie (or table-y as may be the case!)
Big hedge-hugs
Jessica xx