800 books sold!! And a project I need YOUR help with.

I can't believe that we are up to 800 books sold already! But I equally can't believe it's the 11th February! So this year will be the start of actually trying to sell the books into stockists and am planning a little trip over to Newcastle to Helen Turner's part of the world. Unlike Northern Ireland, there seem to be a lot more independent book shops in England and in the ROI so we'll see what the year ahead brings! My fingers are still crossed for Waterstones. Finally through all the distribution hoops, just hoping now for the first order to appear. I will of course be shouting that from the roof tops if it happens!!

I alluded to having a few wee projects on the go in my last blog and that is still the case. November was a very busy month with the launch of the book and my daughter's birthday party in the same weekend, followed two weeks later by the Celebration of Motorsport Charity Dinner.

This is a dinner which I organised as the first event of my new events company, Rowan Tree Events. This was in truth the 10th year I had run this dinner in aid of children's charity Action Medical Research, but the first time I had run it as an individual rather than an employee. The dinner raised a fantastic £40K. This year will be the 24th anniversary of the dinner and I'm looking forward to doing it all over again, and not being 14 weeks pregnant on the night!

Not content with these two little things on the go, I am also currently trying to get an App to market. The concept for the App occurred to me strongly about 6 years ago. The App is to help parents with babies and/or young kids record their medication and temperature readings. You'll be able to record observations and take photos (e.g. of rashes or allergic reactions etc) all of which will be recorded on a timeline. I'm afraid this will only be for iOS users to begin with. Anyone with a young baby or multiple children struggling to remember how much of what medicine you gave to which child will fully understand the benefits from having an App designed to record this; to reassure you that you are not overdosing your children; to help you feel in control and that you can share with your partner or have the information on hand for the GP, OOH or A&E.

SO HERE IS WHERE I NEED YOUR HELP...

The prototype is currently being developed and I will be looking for around 50 people to test the App for me. To give me constructive feedback and help me make this App as good as it can be. Interested? Well get in touch at Oliverandraff@icloud.com I am compiling a list of beta testers now - that's you, if you'd like to trial the App. When it launches you will then get it for free and five of you, selected at random will also get a copy of Raff is Lost.

Well that's all for now. I'm looking forward to a week off work, a whole week to enjoy with my kids beside the sea, with the dog and their scooters. Picnic lunches (in 40 mph winds) hot chocolates, toast with lots of butter and jam, warming soups and endless playing with trains, bricks and octonauts and paw patrols pups. Can't wait for tomorrow to come :0) just need to go and get packed!