Giveaways, gardens and golf

Book News

For TODAY only, you can win a free copy of gay erotic short story Dating the Delaneys over at Jessewave Reviews, so pop over and leave a comment to be in with a chance, and good luck to all! However, fear not, if you don't win, there's no need to despair as you can still buy a copy at All Romance Ebooks for a snip of a price, hurrah.

I've also pleased to say that comic sf story Creative Accountancy for Beginners is the first story sold into The Netherlands by Untreed Reads, so that's nice to know - I hope whoever it was enjoyed the read.

In terms of children's writing, I've set up a Facebook page for The Origami Nun so you can read all about her there. I've now sent back the final version to DWB Children's Publishing and am awaiting the cover art which should arrive soon. In the meantime, here's the blurb to keep you going:

Seven-year old Ruth can't speak, but that doesn't mean she can't think. She knows her birthday is going to be good as her beloved great-aunt has exciting plans for her. But what she doesn't expect is a magic paper nun, an encounter with a bully who may not be what she seems or a school day to remember. Because, before her special day is over, Ruth is in for some very big surprises.

Yesterday, I had a really great time at the Elstead Writers' Group - so thank you to all for that. We got a heck of a lot done, and I can't wait till the next one. Roll on December!

Here's this week's meditation poem:




Meditation 587
At the heart
of every small plea
for mercy or justice
however rare

there lies
almost unnoticeable
the secret strength
of prayer.


The Sunday haiku is:

This rich earth rises
to meet my fingers: warm gold
caresses my skin.


Life News:

Had a good game of golf on Friday with Marian who was on top form and beat me by miles. Honestly, my game is rubbish these days, but we do have such a lot of fun so it doesn't matter a jot, hey ho. Plus we got absolutely hysterical on the 7th hole when I hit the ball into the brambles and we both got totally stuck in a brave and ultimately vain attempt to get the dang thing out. At one point, Marian was caught by her sleeve and her collar and I was caught by my woolly hat, my fleece and my golfing glove. Golf's a dangerous sport, don't you know ... However, in the end, I decided to leave the ball to its fate in order to save lives. A good decision, I feel.

Brambles and hats must be the theme for the weekend as I've been de-brambling the rest of the front garden now that the hedge is gone and I can get to it - which resulted in my woolly hat being caught on the rose thorns and lifted off entirely whilst I flurried about in the undergrowth. My, how the neighbours must have laughed - watching us learn to garden is better than the TV really. And certainly cheaper. So, in gardening terms, this weekend's results are a de-brambled front garden, a totally de-weeded back garden, and K is putting in trellis at the back even as I type. What a hero and how lovely it looks! We're hoping to grow roses up it but we'll have to try to think about keeping the deer at bay somehow.

In the front garden, we think we might take up the small bit of lawn there is, add a gravel path all the way round, put a bed in the middle with something colourful in (our theme for the front garden - AKA the "fire garden" - is red, by the way), and then put a panel at the corner where the bench is to create privacy there. We'll see though. My secret desire for the bed outside the kitchen now that the hedge has gone there too is to have a poison garden, as you can get some amazing plants that are both deadly and beautiful, but again I don't want to terrify the neighbours, so we'll have to see on that one too.

This morning was the Feast of Christ the King at church (AKA Stir Up Sunday - and the time when we're all supposed to be making our Christmas puddings, dream on eh ...), which was good fun. K and I were asked to take the bread and wine up to the altar during the service, which was a first at Elstead for us. As I don't process slowly by any means, I think I was up there rather earlier than the vicar (hello, John!) anticipated, with K all but running in my wake as he tried to keep up. But as experienced church hands, the two of us are well versed in the art of waiting with dignity (which is much of what church is about, in so many ways) so I don't think anyone noticed the join. I even managed to do the bowing thing at the end, though it goes against my essentially protestant heart, I must say. Hey ho.

Anne Brooke
The Thoughtful Corner