Dear Readers,
Today is the day! The cord is pulled, the curtain falls and there upon their glass podia, gleaming in the dawn light … the new Amanda Cadabra Collection. (Part 1. Another is in the pipeline.)
Hand-crafted and cunningly wrought, these have been carefully designed with the range of your tastes in mind. From cozy mystery glints to darker shades of urban fantasy, there are currently 13 items from which to choose. Your bookish needs served with a range of bookmarks of magical design and page spreaders and handy page spreader key rings inspired by Tempest, Amanda Cadabra’s feline familiar, plus a placement.solution for your essential reader’s beverage. Best of all it’s all lightweight and will only add a matter of grams to your bag, pocket or even suitcase. Behold …
https://amandacadabra.com/ac1-trailer/the-amanda-cadabra-collection/
Your Say
As these are custom-made, the burning question is, ‘What would you like to see, to have, to gift? What other bookish items or additional designs? I know how much it means to have something specially made because you asked for it.
It Really Works?
Last week, I wanted to order something savoury from my local Mahavir Sweet Mart. I love their sweets, their mithai, but I know that sugar isn’t really helpful to me. So I looked at their main meals menu and saw palak paneer, a legendary North Indian spiced combination of soft cheese with spinach. It’s delicious, and I was eager to order it. But the strange thing was … that dish was not listed on any of their delivery services. Puzzled, I called the restaurant.
“Oh, we haven’t made that in a while,” I was told. “The chef went off it.”
Then came a gleam of hope:
“I could ask him – he might make it next week.”
I waited and, a few days later, made the call. The chef had just finished making it! I was there within 10 minutes and, within another 10, was enjoying the heavenly aromas and succulent flavours. But what made it so special? I felt it had been made just for me. The chef cooked it because I asked for it.
Do Even The Elite Listen?
Here’s another one. Years ago, I fell in love with a particular designer. Their dresses and skirts were of the pencil variety, but they did have one or two of the fit-and-flare that I prefer, but these, to my shock and awe, had no pockets. Now, I’m not a fan of bags so I do love my pockets, and rarely buy clothes without them.
This was a top-tier designer, but I summoned my courage, wrote and asked if they could, please, make a skirt with pockets. Months later, in the new season collection, what did I see? A skirt with pockets. For me. They haven’t made one since.
Your Wish Granted in The Series
To bring it closer to you, in the first Amanda Cadabra book, I had no thought of conjuring the possibility of a romance between the main characters. But you asked for it, and out of your requests, a sub-plot emerged, the growing connection between Amanda and Detective Inspector Trelawney. In the beginning, I didn’t see that one coming. But it was the vision of enough readers who told me what they hoped for to plant the seed and water it. Now, with book 9 on the horizon, the question is … where will it go?
Change The World
So, ask. Ask for the bookish item or design for which you yearn. I’d love you to have that feeling that I’ve enjoyed, that just-for-you experience. Please, ask. And it’s going to expand the possibilities for someone else who might be looking for that very thing that you requested. You’ll have changed the world in a small way for the better. And that is its own kind of magic.
You can contact me through the contact page here, through the Holly Bell Facebook page or (my favourite) email me at hollybell@amandacadabra.com.
The Unexpected Spark
But how come, after years of shying away from the dreaded thought of ‘merchandise’ and a horror of shopping carts after managing other people’s many years ago, did I come to this?
It all began with a friend, Leanne, developing an unexpected passion. Artistic and adventurous by nature, in spite of other pressing demands on her attention, Leanne began delving into a new and, to me, hitherto unknown craft. Now I ask you, what does the phrase ‘epoxy resin’ mean to you? Araldite, yes? Rescuing broken crockery, accessories and the like. DIY. However, it turns out to have hidden depths.
From Glue to Glory
Epoxy resin art, it transpires, has been around since the 1940s (and in its all natural from since antiquity) but has recently seen a surge of creativity. And here was Leanne on a soaring learning curve and, to my eyes, already a cut above the rest, with the word ‘bookmarks’ on her lips as a suggestion to me. Research into reader-related possibilities revealed page spreaders. ‘Page what?’ I asked, bemused.
Here’s a 30-second video to show you.
As you see, you put the vaguely oval-shaped device across the middle of your open book, put your thumb through the convenient hold in the middle and, as if by magic, it says open. Knowing avid readers carry their books away from home, Leanne then produced handy key ring versions.
And what do you need while you read? A cup of coffee, tea or even hot chocolate. Where will you put it to protect your table? … On a coaster. Look no further.
Many weeks of planning and creating and experimenting, designing business cards, and choosing and sourcing the perfect packaging for presentation boxes followed, and now we bring you the results in all their glory.
Next Up: From Resin to Written
In other news, we are now not far off the publication of the new book, the trilogy of 1950s-set back stories of three favourite villagers. The release of a new book is a mighty undertaking, with as much forging as the new collection above. Why? Because I want the experience to be as exciting for you as writing it was for me. This means that now The Collection is launched, I can turn my attention to preparing the following:
The Title Reveal
Partial Cover Reveal
Full Cover Reveal
Chapter 1 Video (my voiceover to an intriguing visual)
Trailer
Launch Day!
Each of these events needs a letter here and a more personal one to the subscribers, posts for Facebook and elsewhere, and producing a couple of dozen images. That’s the project. As you see, quite a lot, but what a joy. And on the other side of this Everest lies the lush green fertile valley filled with apple orchards of Book 9.
Meanwhile
But first things first. The Collection. Each piece is unique, as are you. Initials can be added to the bookmarks to make it even more personal. We shall be experimenting with an optional extra for the page spreaders but for now, have a browse and see what inspires you. I leave you with the shop and its newly raised curtain, while, backstage, I prepare for … the new book title reveal.
Happy reading and viewing,
Holly
PS If you want to start the series now:
