#TheBookery
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thebookery.bsky.social
🎫 Ticket £5, book & ticket £20 from the bookshop or online at www.thebookery.org.uk/events

@bloomsburypublishing #TheBookery #Crediton #WhatsOn
November 8, 2025 at 9:19 AM
thebookery.bsky.social
A must for Philip Reeve fans, budding filmmakers, and anyone who likes a great night's entertainment for only £5!

🎫 Tickets available in the bookshop or from our website www.thebookery.org.uk/events

@thesolitarybee #whatson #crediton #filmnight #TheBookery #BuyBooksGrowCommunity
November 5, 2025 at 5:26 PM
thebookery.bsky.social
🎫 Ticket £5, book & ticket £20 from the bookshop or online at www.thebookery.org.uk/events

@bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social @drmjwarren.bsky.social @guyshrubsole.bsky.social #TheBookery #Crediton #WhatsOn
November 2, 2025 at 8:00 AM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
#TheBookery has:

🥨 Food descriptions galore like #LegendsAndLattes
🦄 Magical menagerie like #ThePhoenixKeeper
👨‍🍳 Cute shop (and shopkeeper!) like #TheSpellshop
🫂 Found family like #TheHouseInTheCeruleanSea
🔥 Sassy fireplace like #HowlsMovingCastle

What's not to love?!

#QuestPit #A #F #R #Q
August 6, 2025 at 3:02 PM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
"Goodness can't grow where it's never planted."

I try to live by this in my daily life! It's not about being the bigger person, it's about showing someone there's another way, that kindness is a viable solution 🫶

#AmQuerying #TheBookery #WIPSnips #cozyfantasy #romantasy
An excerpt from the cozy romantic fantasy novel The Bookery reads: The limit of Nicky’s patience was apparently one week. Seven days of seeing Ishana only at mealtimes, their conversations brief and uncomfortable—or, in recent days, entirely nonexistent. Nicky had begun to suspect she was avoiding him, and that just wouldn’t do. How was he supposed to show her the joy of The Bookery, entice her to fall in love with life above the shop, if she never showed her face? The answer, Nicky decided, was a picnic. While Florien manned the register, Nicky packed sandwiches, hand pies, and thermoses of tea and coffee into a picnic basket lined with cheery red-and-white plaid. “You’re sure this isn’t a stupid idea?” He asked Florien for the umpteenth time. “What if she laughs at me?” Florien shook their head, giant nose swinging from side to side like a stony pendulum, and Nicky forced a smile. It still surprised him how old wounds resurfaced at the most inopportune times; today, he was haunted by memories of playground gangs hurling slurs at the soft boy in class, the one with ragged clothes and greasy hair and a taped-together heart that never stopped beating for other people. Ishana might slam the door in the face of his friendship, just like those schoolyard bullies, but she might not—and, as Wylie had been fond of saying, goodness can’t grow where it’s never planted. “You’re right,” Nicky said. “Who doesn’t love a picnic? And she’s got to be tired of sitting up in that apartment day after day.”
July 18, 2025 at 3:01 PM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
#TheBookery has:

🥨 Food descriptions galore like #LegendsAndLattes
🦄 Magical menagerie like #ThePhoenixKeeper
👨‍🍳 Cute shop (and shopkeeper!) like #TheSpellshop
🫂 Found family like #TheHouseInTheCeruleanSea
🔥 Sassy fireplace like #HowlsMovingCastle

What's not to love?!

#BluePit📖 #A #F #R #WF #Q
July 13, 2025 at 6:16 PM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
#TheBookery has:

🥨 Food descriptions galore like #LegendsAndLattes
🦄 Magical menagerie like #ThePhoenixKeeper
👨‍🍳 Cute shop (and shopkeeper!) like #TheSpellshop
🫂 Found family like #TheHouseInTheCeruleanSea
🔥 Sassy fireplace like #HowlsMovingCastle

What's not to love?!

#BluePit📖 #A #F #R #WF #Q
A graphic in the style of a Netflix title card describes The Bookery: Pride and Prejudice meets Studio Ghibli in THE BOOKERY, in which a bankrupt witch, her sweet-as-sugar pastry chef tenant, and the judgemental phoenix nesting in his bakery’s oven join forces against the magical real estate developer determined to bulldoze their shop—and the unconventional family they’ve built within. Along the bottom are comparative titles: The Phoenix Keeper, The Spellshop, The House in the Cerulean Sea, Legends and Lattes, Howl's Moving Castle, and Kiki's Delivery Service.
July 13, 2025 at 4:02 PM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
I'll take any and every opportunity to share this amazing art by @therealjbuddha.bsky.social!!

#BluePitHype #TheBookery #AmQuerying
Digital art shows a quaint bakery in the midst of trees and shrubbery. Through the front window, the silhouette of a man putting pastries into a brick oven can be seen. The second floor of the shop is invisible except for a window that shows the silhouette of a woman drinking tea, with her cat stretching beside her. Atop the shop's chimney sits a girl with pink skin and smoke for hair. Gold scrollwork font reads "The Bookery".
July 9, 2025 at 3:23 PM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
Two-for-one "smile"s in Ishana and Nicky's meet-cute! She definitely doesn't find him charming. Not at all.

...Okay, maybe a little.

#TheBookery #AmQuerying #WIPSnips #cozyfantasy #fantasyromance
An excerpt from the cozy romantic fantasy novel The Bookery reads: “You must be Mr. Noone,” Ishana guessed. He bolted upright and whirled to face her, a fire iron held in one white-knuckled hand. The other wiped sweat from his brow, leaving behind a streak of soot. The front of his apron read: all you knead is love; Ishana narrowly resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Ishana! I mean—” He swallowed so hard his prominent Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. “Miss Patel. Do you prefer Miss Patel?” “I do.” It was best to maintain a level of separation here, keep things businesslike. Ishana’s visit to Oasis was about letting the past die, once and for all. Not eating pastries and enjoying a cute baker’s sweet smile. “You can call me Nicky, if you like!” Damn, that smile. Any wider and it would split the man’s face in two; any warmer and it might burn her. Or maybe that was just the oven blazing behind him like the forges of Hell.
July 9, 2025 at 3:03 PM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
Nicky and friends live in a magical floating city in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but he grew up in NYC and gets a tiny bit homesick sometimes 🌆 🗽🚕

#TheBookery #AmQuerying #WIPSnips #cozyfantasy #fantasyromance
An excerpt from the cozy romantic fantasy novel reads: Ishana shook her head, but before she could speak, Basil interrupted. “Sorry, hi, can we talk about this?” He pointed to the window by the bed. “Is that New York City?” “The Bronx, to be specific.” Nicky chuckled, then winced. “Why does your window show a view thousands of miles away?” “Because of Wylie, of course. One night we had a few too many drinks and got nostalgic, started talking about the things we missed from our hometowns. Growing up all over NYC, honking horns and yelling road ragers were my childhood lullabies. And since there are no cars in Oasis…” Nicky waved a hand toward the window.
July 9, 2025 at 12:24 AM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
Amazingly, only one "somebody" in all of #TheBookery... When Nicky realizes there's a phoenix in his oven! 🐦‍🔥

#AmQuerying #WIPSnips #cozyfantasy #fantasyromance
An excerpt from the cozy romantic fantasy novel The Bookery reads: Nicky’s words of affirmation might have soothed him somewhat if Sable didn’t erupt into a murderous string of yowling and growling and hissing. Nicky jumped and wrenched his eyes open to find the cat snarling at the wood rack, the hair along his back stood on end. A fresh log appeared on the top of the rack, as though to replace one somebody had just taken. In the closest firebox, flames devoured an unburned piece of wood. “I don’t suppose you added a log to the fire?” Nicky asked Sable much too hopefully.
July 6, 2025 at 1:23 PM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
#TheBookery shares its block with all sorts of charming neighbors, including a delightful family of crowkin jewelers! ✨🐦‍⬛ ✨

#AmQuerying #WIPSnips #cozyfantasy #fantasyromance
An excerpt from the cozy romantic fantasy novel The Bookery reads: Grateful for a convenient subject change, Nicky gestured Ishana down a walkway leading to a massive, multicolored house. Nicky might call it a mansion if its architecture weren’t so rudimentary, a cube with a sloped roof perched cattywampus on top. Below the roof’s peak were triangular openings uncovered by glass or screen or curtains; the door, too, was nothing more than an opening, albeit circular. Horizontal columns jutted from the walls at odd angles like spines from a porcupine. “Is that a giant birdhouse?” “Yeah!” Nicky beamed. “Cute, isn’t it?” “A bit…cluttered.” Nicky laughed at Ishana’s nose wrinkled with disdain as she eyed the birdhouse’s decoration: a glittering assortment of shiny odds and ends, from soda cans and loose change to watches or spectacles lost by careless tourists, all of them nailed to the exterior of the building. “A family of crowkin live here,” he explained. Ishana aahed in understanding. “Crows do love anything that sparkles.”
July 5, 2025 at 5:17 PM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
One of my fave moments from #TheBookery - when Ishana finally starts to acknowledge her feelings for Nicky!

#AmQuerying #WIPSnips #cozyfantasy #fantasyromance
An excerpt from the cozy romantic fantasy novel The Bookery reads: Dominic practically vibrated with excitement behind Ishana. She was impressed how long his polite nature and self-control prevailed before he finally said, “I don’t suppose we could go for a quick ride over the ocean…” In answer, she angled the front of the broom up and urged it into a burst of speed. With a laughing “Woah!” his grip on her tightened. His arms circled her and pulled taut; his thighs bracketed her hips, ankles crossed with hers for stability; his broad chest smothered her back, swelling with every breath. He felt warm and sturdy and big. An unfamiliar and uncomfortably intense heat bloomed within Ishana, beneath his palms pressed flat against her stomach, his thick fingers splayed across her ribs like a pianist over ivory keys. As much as Ishana treasured personal space, she took grudging comfort in his bulk at her back, enveloping her, making her feel grounded though they hung in thin air.
July 4, 2025 at 5:55 PM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
They say food is the way to a man's heart...but what about a witch's prissy black cat familiar? 🐈‍⬛

#TheBookery #AmQuerying #WIPSnips #WriteSky #cozyfantasy #romantasy
An excerpt from the cozy romantic fantasy The Bookery reads: “You and Rosie were amazing,” he said. “Mad as Florien is, they’re also impressed you pulled that spell off. I don’t understand it all… Something about alternate realities?” He shook his head slowly. “You really are Wylie’s granddaughter. He would have been so proud of you, taking control of your life like that, no matter the risk.” “Don’t flatter me,” she snorted. “I’m not brave, I’m desperate.” Nicky’s grin widened. “Most heroes are at the best part of their story.” “I’m no hero.” “We’ll have to agree to disagree on that one. You hungry? I closed for the day while we get everything cleaned and repaired, but there’s plenty of food in the case from yesterday. With lox in the fridge under the counter for Mr. Sable, of course,” he added, scratching the cat between his ears.
July 2, 2025 at 5:53 PM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
Sipping my morning caffeine, wishing for Nicky's fresh 🍒cherry biscotti 🍒

#TheBookery #AmQuerying #WIPSnips #cozyfantasy #fantasyromance #fantasy
An excerpt from the cozy romantic fantasy novel The Bookery reads: The promise of Dominic’s pastries proved a powerful motivator for Ishana to muddle through the morning motions, knowing she’d be rewarded with her pick of delicious breakfast. Today, it was biscotti with a side of Dominic’s endless friendly chatter. “Florien brought these incredible cherries yesterday. Not really a fall flavor—more spring-and-summery—but cherries always remind me of Nonna. And whenever I think of her, I get the urge to make biscotti.” Dominic offered Ishana a plate stacked with long, narrow cookies baked to a lovely toasted color and studded with dark red cherries. A mouthwatering smell wafted from the plate: fruit, vanilla, and warm undertones of toasted nuts and spices, tempting her to pluck a piece from the top of the stack. Dominic beamed. “Do you like coffee? I’m about to put a fresh pot on. Nonna would have said biscotti is naked without coffee to dip it in.” Ishana preferred tea, but at the moment she desperately needed caffeine, no matter its form. And Dominic was right that the biscotti begged for coffee’s bitter company: buttery and toasty, sweet and tart, crisp and crumbly. Ishana ate her piece in just a few bites. The plate of biscotti slid across the counter toward her. When Ishana looked up to meet Dominic’s eyes, he winked. “Help yourself. I made plenty.”
June 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
Even witches have to endure maternal meddling 🙄

#TheBookery #AmQuerying #WIPSnips #cozyfantasy #fantasyromance #fantasy
An excerpt from the cozy romantic fantasy novel The Bookery reads: “I’m not sure he’s capable of scheming, Mum. He’s too nice.” “They’re always nice at first,” Laraine warned. “Remember that Appelwaithe girl at Covencrest?” Ishana’s upper lip curled at the memory. “Chelsey.” “That’s the one. Remember how nice she was to you? Until she wasn’t. Pretended to be your friend so you’d tell her secrets she could spread all across England.” Laraine lowered her voice to a whisper, as though speaking the world’s darkest secret. “We need this money, Shan. If we have to sell the estate… I can’t even bear to think of it. The shame would kill your grandmother.” “I know, Mum.” “I still say the easiest solution is to find a good husband—” “The easy answer isn’t always the right one, is it?”
June 22, 2025 at 10:40 PM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
We love a socialite "defend"ing a block of weirdo shopkeepers! Not only Nicky, but also huldra sisters who build custom brooms, a family of crowkin jewelers, and more!

#TheBookery #AmQuerying #WIPSnips #cozyfantasy #fantasyromance #fantasy
An excerpt from the cozy romantic fantasy novel The Bookery reads: “We’re not talking about obstacles, Marko. Not just buildings, but people. Families with generations of legacy in those shops.” “As I recall, you were eager to sell off your family legacy only a few short months ago. Now here you are defending the whole block.” He quirked a brow. “Could it be you’ve gone native, my dear?” He made it sound scandalous to align herself with a cabal of quirky small business owners—which she hadn’t. At least, she hadn’t when she walked into Wix’s Watch, but after seeing Marko’s nightmarish vision for The Bookery with her own eyes, no shred of doubt remained in her mind.
June 22, 2025 at 1:19 AM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
In #TheBookery, Ishana's familiar Sable is the HBCIC (Head Black Cat In Charge 🐈‍⬛) — so you bet he's a POV character!

If you were wondering, the HBCIC in my house is Donny the demon kitty! 😻 🐾

#AmQuerying #cozyfantasy #fantasyromance #fantasy
An excerpt from the cozy romantic fantasy novel The Bookery reads: He’d waited to explore the shop front in the dead of night, intent on sniffing around and learning about his witch’s inherited tenant without interruption, to determine the man worthy of an introduction—or not, given his terrible taste in timepieces. It sat atop the tallest shelf, taunting Sable, an insolent imitation of the feline form: slitted eyes swinging from side to side, black-plastic tail ticking in time. Its belly didn’t fluff with glorious fur reserved for the worthiest admirer, but clicked with a clock counting each second Sable and his witch were forced to spend in this suffocating place. A fluffy black cat lays on his back, one paw stretched toward the camera.
June 20, 2025 at 11:59 PM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
Just because she's an immortal phoenix doesn't mean she can't appreciate a good apple pie!! 🥧🍎🥧

#TheBookery #AmQuerying #WIPSnips #cozyfantasy #fantasyromance #fantasy
An excerpt from the cozy romantic fantasy The Bookery reads: She flinched at the tile’s icy touch but didn’t shy away this time. With both feet firmly planted, she wobbled on human legs that hadn’t yet held her weight in this lifetime. They adapted quickly, soon carrying her in a staggering toddle toward the glass display case in front of The Bookery’s counter. Having watched The Baker wrap the many trays of baked goods while closing up shop, she had already selected her target: hand pies stuffed with spiced apples. One of the pies had burst while cooking, spilling its insides into the belly of the oven, where The Phoenix had eagerly devoured it. Even charred by the fire, it was delicious; her mouth flamed with anticipation of tasting it unadulterated. The Phoenix opened the display case and slid out the tray of hand pies enough to remove its wrapping. She chose the fattest, most golden-brown of the bunch, then slid the tray back into place, leaving the wrapping undone so she could easily come back for seconds. Her first bite was pure bliss. The flaky crust gave way to crisp apples suspended in a gooey sauce spiced with cinnamon and vanilla. The taste sent shivers of pleasure rippling up her spine. The freckles on her chubby cheeks, dimly glowing like dying embers, burned brighter with her joy.
June 20, 2025 at 6:02 PM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
Well #TheBookery takes place in a bookstore, so there's A LOT of reading... But Sable is such a vibe in this part! Anyone like me with a sassy kitty at home, this is for you.

#AmQuerying #WIPSnips #cozyfantasy #fantasyromance #fantasy
An excerpt from the cozy romantic fantasy novel The Bookery reads: The black cat offered a meow of absent-minded support, his luminous yellow eyes darting around the bustling Hub Terminal, where tourists and residents lumbered or skittered or trotted about their business according to the particulars of their anatomy. A swarm of pixies buzzed by overhead, and Sable sat up tall atop Ishana’s luggage, carried alongside her on the back of her broomstick. “Don’t even think about it,” she tutted, schooling away a smirk lest she encourage that hungry look in the cat’s eye as he tracked the pixies’ flight path. “You’d best control yourself. I’ve got enough to worry about without you starting a murderous rampage across the city.” Sable rolled his eyes and licked a front paw, reminding Ishana through their magical bond that he was no alleycat, brutish and uncouth. “You’re still a cat,” she retorted, “which makes you a menace.” He ignored her, turning his attention to the crowd outside the station. They oohed and aahed as street performers dazzled with showy magic tricks: a doppelganger morphed into exact replicas of audience members; a selkie shaped water over her head; a satori read people’s minds and spun their thoughts into vague predictions about the future.
June 19, 2025 at 3:33 PM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
There's exactly one "team" in #TheBookery, and it's during Nicky's (temporarily unrequited) love confession!!

#AmQuerying #WIPSnips #litagents #cozyfantasy
An excerpt from the cozy romantic fantasy novel The Bookery reads: She squeezed his hand in hers and took a half-step closer. “I’m not opposed to that. Maybe…even…more than coexisting. But Nicky, I can’t think about any of that right now. Not with Marko hanging over my head.” He hurried to agree, nodding and babbling his understanding. She silenced him with a soft hand against his cheek, gently forcing him to meet her eye. “Let’s survive this party, and then we can focus on what’s next for us.” Us. Ishana and Nicky, Nicky and Ishana. A pair. A team. A couple.
June 16, 2025 at 2:18 PM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
Nothing like poking around your family history and finding a forbidden love story 💔

#TheBookery #AmQuerying #WIPSnips #cozyfantasy #fantasyromance #romanticfantasy #fantasy
An excerpt from the cozy romantic fantasy novel The Bookery reads: Ishana lifted the box’s heavy lid to reveal hundreds of letters exchanged over the past fifty years. Every last one was addressed to My Dearest and signed by Forever Yours. She chose one at random and read it. Mr. Oliver had sent it to Wylie more than a decade before, when Ishana was just a teenager. She’d spent her sweet sixteenth birthday in parliament with the Arcane Advisory Board, which Mr. Oliver had proudly reported to Wylie. She so reminds me of you, he’d written. A jewel glittering among stones, burning with ambition I fear will consume her.
June 8, 2025 at 12:04 AM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
Street performers are already fun, but MAGICAL street performers? Yes please!

Bonus pic of my fur baby Donny, whose human-like attitude inspired Sable 🐈‍⬛

#AmQuerying #TheBookery #WIPSnips #cozyfantasy #romanticfantasy #fantasyromance #fantasy
An excerpt from The Bookery reads: Sable rolled his eyes and licked a front paw, reminding Ishana through their magical bond that he was no alleycat, brutish and uncouth. “You’re still a cat,” she retorted, “which makes you a menace.” He ignored her, turning his attention to the crowd outside the station. They oohed and aahed as street performers dazzled with showy magic tricks: a doppelganger morphed into exact replicas of audience members; a selkie shaped water over her head; a satori read people’s minds and spun their thoughts into vague predictions about the future. A fluffy black cat with green eyes sits at the top of a staircase
June 6, 2025 at 9:40 PM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
Credit "check"s are decidedly NOT cozy or fantasy, but an interdimensional apartment with a wizard landlord? Peak cozy fantasy vibes!

#AmQuerying #TheBookery #litagents #cozyfantasy
An excerpt from the cozy romantic fantasy novel The Bookery reads: The problem was, no lease existed for the corner of the bookshop from which Nicky ran his bakery, nor for his cramped apartment. When he first wandered into what was then called Wizard Wylie’s Book Shoppe, Nicky had eagerly accepted the keys to the apartment that didn’t belong at the back of the building. Wylie hadn’t asked for character references or credit checks or any of the things that made getting an apartment nigh impossible back in New York. He’d asked Nicky one simple question—“What do you seek?”—and Nicky had answered much too honestly—“Somewhere to belong.”—and the deal was struck.
June 4, 2025 at 9:06 PM
lizlasswrites.bsky.social
WAIT! Don't come in, Sweet Nicky is a shy man! 🫣

#AmQuerying #TheBookery #WIPSnips #litagents #cozyfantasy #romanticfantasy #fantasyromance #fantasy #romantasy
An excerpt from the cozy romantic fantasy novel The Bookery reads: Ishana led him through the door to Nicky’s flat and down the hallway to the bedroom, where they found the baker shirtless, struggling into pajama pants. He looked up at their arrival and shrieked, hopping into his closet and out of sight with a crashing thud that suggested he’d lost his balance. “Don’t come in!” He cried. “Damn it, Nicky, you should be resting!” Ishana stepped toward the closet to drag him back to bed, but Basil caught her arm. “He’s embarrassed, Shan. Go wait in the hall; I’ll help him change and get settled.”
June 4, 2025 at 2:41 AM