The Great Book Exodus

W hen you decide to become a nomadic writer, certain truths smack you in the face: You can't pack a library in a camper, not if you want to fit your family into it as well. You can't convince a gilt-edged 1896 photobook not to grow mould in humid climate. And you probably can't explain to border control why you're traveling with someone else's 1942 wartime receipts.

These dusty, annotated, tea-stained companions helped birth the fictional worlds you've come to love. They whispered secrets about Victorian beekeeping, revealed the dark corners of 1880s London, and occasionally served as impromptu coasters (I'm such a brute). Now they need new homes with readers like you, who understand that a book isn't just paper and ink.

Nope, I'm not selling them. I'm giving them away for free.

Meet the Books Seeking Adoption:

The Bee Brigade (Keeper of Pleas Research Division)

These ancient booklets were gifted to me by a reader, and are why Olivia knows how to run an apiary.

Ants, Bees & Wasps: Their Lives, Comedies And Tragedies. Taught me that Victorian naturalists had a flair for drama.

The British Bee-Keeper's Guide Book:

• 1st edition (1881): Old-ass beekeeping bible
• 21st edition (1913): Same book, 32 years wiser. Together, they show how beekeeping evolved during Olivia's lifetime.

British Bee Journal Receipt (1942) An actual wartime artifact! Someone kept bees during the Blitz. This slip of paper plays a crucial role in Keeper of Pleas when Olivia realises that Mr Hunt is lying about his identity.

A Manual of Beekeeping (1932) Complete with yellowed newspaper clippings tucked between pages like pressed flowers. Each clipping is a story seed that might have grown into a murder had I had more time.

The London Collection (Kronberg & Holmes Research Division)

Guy's Hospital Postcard A black-and-white glimpse of the gates where Dr Anna Kronberg would have walked daily.

Blackfriars Bridge Postcard Horse carts and omnibuses frozen in time. This is the London Anna & Sherlock knew – chaotic, alive, and smelly.

Street Life in London (1876/1981 reprint). The beating heart of the series. Every street urchin, every flower seller, every gentleman thief I've written owes something to this book.

The Complete History of Jack the Ripper. My annotated copy and deep dive into serial killers and murder investigations during the Victorian era.

The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914. Because understanding how and when the Brits dipped their toes into espionage was kinda important.

"The Queen's London: A Pictorial and Descriptive Record" (1896) The showstopper. Gilt edges, massive pages, photographs of a London that no longer exists.

The Crown Jewel Turd

The First Draft of The Devil's Grin. My first printed, annotated literary DISASTER. This was the copy I gave my husband. After reading it, he took a VERY long walk, wondering how to tell me how shitty it was without getting divorced.

This draft is SO BAD that I can't possibly let anyone see the whole thing. You'd need therapy. And a bucket to catch the vomit.

BUT! Since this thing is the only copy in the history of humankind, I will cut out a few deleted scenes and slip them into the other book adoptions like silly trading cards. Consider them archaeological evidence of how terrible my first drafts are.

The Adoption Process

You're eligible if you're:

• an annual backstage member, or
• a monthly backstage member since at least 6 months (includes Patreon patrons)

This is my thank you for supporting my wild journey from farmer with almost no time to write to full-time weirdo and nomadic writer.

How to enter:

1. Apply for adoption via the button below
2. Select which book calls to your soul and tell me why (in 50 words or less)
3. Agree to contribute to the "Passage Fund" (aka shipping costs for your adopted book)
4. Cross your fingers as I select adopters
5. Application window: today through June 30.

FAQ

Q: What if multiple people want the same book? A: I'll pick the adoption application with the coolest/funniest/deepest answer

Q: Can I adopt multiple books? A: You can certainly try!

Q: What about international shipping? A: I ship anywhere the post is willing to go.

In six weeks, these books will be scattered across the world, living on new shelves, inspiring new thoughts, perhaps even birthing new stories.

Thank you for being here!

You're making it possible for me to tell more stories and that is the best thing, EVER.

With dusty fingers and a grateful heart,

Annelie

PS: I've got free books for you! Click the buttons to pick your favourites: