My New Book

If I haven't been around for a while, it's because I've been working on the publicity for this new book written under my pen name of Norma Druid.  I've actually got some publicity of the thing this time around!  My son Lawrence did the cover for me, so I've even got a great cover going for me.

 

Dailymotion        : http://www.dailymotion.com/video/56059050

Youtube               : http://youtube.com/watch?v=SXdDPc12_vs

Metacafe            : http://www.metacafe.com/w/9857436

Here are three websites for my book trailer; I'm really pleased with it.

I've also done an interview with Toginet Radio, which you can find at toginet.com under my name in their library.

This book is a prequel to A TEST OF ALIEN ALLIANCE, and I've included in it all the things I didn't first time around, like a list of characters and chapter headings.  Since this book covers 20 years and an entire galaxy, I needed a lot of characters.

Basically, it is the story of a doomed diplomatic colony with one ten-year-old survivor.  Did the aliens they were liasing with destroy the colony - or was it somebody else.  Only ten-year-old Licinio knows the truth, and he would never get the chance to tell it if he hadn't befriended aliens. 

I have also stopped trying to sell retail craft supplies at peaypatch.com.  It just wasn't working.  I continue to sell items on ebay and have great hopes for this book.

 

My New Hand Knit Cotton Top

I finally finished it!  This camisole top took three 50 ounce balls of cotton boucle yarn.  Actually, after this picture was taken, I decided the top was shorter than I wanted, so I spent most of the weekend knitting a three-inch extension (140 stitches).  I used a seed stitch border at top, bottom, and sides, with stockinette in between.  The straps are seed stitch; I don't need them curling up on top of everything else straps do!  Actually fitting the knit fabric to my form took some sewing skills but was really not difficult.  I used a yarn needle and one of those marvelous needle threaders.  I can't praise them enough.

My son Lawrence took this picture at Gerst Haus, where we had gone for a Mother's Day treat a few days early.  Since his family lives in Gallatin, it is convenient for him to visit me here in Nashville after work.  These nights are special; we discuss my forthcoming novel Befriending Aliens. Every novelist needs to bat ideas back and forth, and Lawrence is my key to science fiction.  He enjoys television a lot more than I do, so he can clue me in on good visual effects.  Already he's drawn the front cover for me - that's a relief!

Anyway, if I can knit a top like this, you probably can too, especially if you have some knowledge of sewing to make it fit.  I bought the yarn from KnitPicks when I bought the latest lot I wrote about.  This was a discontinued line of yarn - one reason I knit it on US 10 needles rather than the US5 or 6 suggested.  Since I didn't want to play with circular needles while knitting straps, I knit those on my US9 straight needles.  This boucle yarn was rather thinner than I expected, and the boucle bumps made it virtually impossible to crochet.

This is, unbelievably, a lightweight and comfortable summer garment.