September 2026:

Happy September!! (Please ignore the fact that this is being uploaded mid-October…😬) I’m sorry this is sooo late, life has been so busy and time seems to have flown by! But better late than never right?! So here is what I got up to during the month of September!

Let’s start with that I finished writing and typing my fifth book!!🥳 I was so relieved to get it all finished so that I had time to prepare for the festival. Speaking of the festival, let’s discuss that next. Social media is always known for being an unrealistic representation of life by only showing life’s highlights. And whilst that is important, I think it’s vital that sometimes we show that not everything goes the way we hoped it would. And that’s okay too.

Let’s get this bit out the way. 19th September 2026 I went to my first book festival and I would be lying it I said it was an amazing experience. This is no one’s fault by the way. These things happen. I am very grateful for the opportunity and I did get to speak to some amazing people who were all so supportive and lovely. But it was difficult watching people view your work only to then walk away without uttering a word. It was beginning to make me think something was wrong with me or my books and that perhaps they weren’t good enough in people’s eyes (but that’s a self-doubt thing that I should probably work on). Yesterday wasn’t the best day for me, maybe it just wasn’t my day to make lots of sales, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt and knock me.

Did I go home disheartened? Yes (but again, not at the fault of anyone else, these things happen).

Did I go home and have a cry or two? Yes absolutely.

However, it’s also important to remember that it wasn’t all bad. I did manage to sell three books, four bookmarks and four pin badges. So hey, I still sold things! And I did receive compliments on how good the table looked!

Before arriving at the festival I only needed two more sales to reach 100 books, which means yesterday despite not feeling it I did manage to achieve that and can now say that I have sold 100 books! (I will do a special post for this milestone with cake… obviously got to have cake 🧁).

And despite not feeling as though I achieved a lot yesterday, there’s something I should remind myself. I never imagined I would do anything such as a book festival, anytime it was mentioned I would violently shake my head and announce that I would never do that in fear of being rejected. And here I am now having attended one, despite my own fear and lack of self-belief. I have put a lot of effort into something I vowed never to do: I create 90 goodie bags for VIP members across all three festivals (even for the two I wasn’t in attendance), and I created a table display which when I saw yesterday I blinked back tears because I was in amazement of what I saw in front of me. A table of four books that I wrote, edited and designed the cover of myself and pin badges and bookmarks that I designed myself. All my own work.

You can ask my family and they will tell you that I am not one for putting myself out there or pushing my own work or even believing myself, but I think staring at that table yesterday made me realise that I can do far more than I think I can and that one small setback shouldn’t be the thing that puts an end to everything I have worked hard for. If the trials I struggled through in life haven’t stopped me before then why should this.

Yesterday was an experience I will always value for many reasons and one I should overall, no matter how much money I did or didn’t earn, I should be bloody proud of.

I want to say, thank you for those who stopped by the table (both familiar and new), thank you to those who made a purchase or gave praise on what you saw. Thank you to my mum who, as you will know from my story yesterday, is an absolute legend in my eyes and puts up with an awful lot (and yes I am referring to me). But also thank you to those for giving me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. 

And well done to me. I am capable of doing so much. Done so many things you never dreamt of. I think it’s time that I start having some faith in myself…. And actually marketing my books…. Okay, I’m going now before I start blubbering again. Enjoy my few snippets of my first ever book festival!!

Moving back onto the book as Mum and I spent the final two weeks on September starting to editing book five. We seemed to develop the best routine this time when it came to editing. Mum read the book in one day (yes you heard that right! One day! What a legend!) and I then spent a few days going through and thoroughly editing things, much to Mum’s dismay as it meant a lot of discussions and adjustments to her own copy. We then came together and as Mum was adding the changes to her copy, she was then passing me my manuscript to make the same changes on my laptop ready for the next round of editing. We had a good little system going on and before we knew it, the first round of editing was done! So you can imagine how the first part of October was spent.

Work seemed to take up a lot of September, however, we still managed to find time to have a bit of fun. Firstly we took a trip to the theatre to see ‘Dreamcoat Stars’, which was a night out listening to different musical songs. We had been to see them twice before, firstly for their original tour and then again to see their Christmas tour. Mum and I had an amazing time singing and dancing all night! And of course, there will be no surprise when I say this, but we also took a trip towards the middle of September back to the theatre to The Drifters! Before anyone rolls their eyes, it was the last one of the year… kind of… (you’ll have to wait for October’s post for that one). I honestly don’t think I could ever get tired of seeing a Drifters performance (even if I have been told multiple times ‘It’s the same thing you’ve seen before!’ I know that! But I am sure there are many people that go to see the same West End show or attend performances to see the same actors/actresses, sometimes it’s the people on the stage that make the performances memorable and special not just the songs or setlist. But let’s be real, we all know I could listen to Drifters’ songs on repeat!🎧 So here are some of the moments I captured of September!

Someone else who had a rather… sleepy and short September was Bertie!

But that was it, that was my September! The whole month seemed to go by in the blink of an eye but hopefully, as we continue to finalise book five, that the next couple of months will be full of exciting trips and adventures and updates!

Comments Conversation: What Autumnal (or Fall for any USA readers) activities will you be taking part in this year? For me, I have already started, and will continue, to enjoy lots of warm drinks (specifically Chai lattes and Matcha. Although I have tried a coffee recently and kind of liked it, so who knows maybe a coffee will be a new staple for me)☕️. I have also been seeing a lot online of people talking about Gilmore Girls and I’m wondering if this year will be the year I find time to sit down and watch it? People keep saying that it is the ultimate Autumn watch, so I think it could be a series that I love (because if you didn’t already know I am obsessed with Autumn). I keep seeing signs for a pumpkin patch nearby us so would love to take a little trip there to get some pictures (Mum if you’re reading this, I know we already have pumpkins but let’s go!)🎃. And lastly, it wouldn’t be Autumn if Bertie didn’t get all dressed up for a little Halloween photoshoot! He has a ghost outfit, but do you have any suggestions as what else Bertie should be dressed up as?? 👻

Until next time!

See you soon!

TTFN – Love Hannah ❤️

Written: 13th October 2026.