Remember how I was happily gloating over having a little corner set up exactly how I wanted where I could use my sewing machine whenever I wanted to? Well, I got a little spot of order amongst chaos, but my sewing machine promptly died on me. Naughty words were said. Tempers may have been a little short, but I was always taught that when God closes a door, He opens a window, and I have a birthday coming up and lovely people who were happy to put money towards something I really wanted rather than buy me something they thought I’d like. (Have you noticed how often people who love you don’t have a clue what you want as a present?)
Better still, the model sewing machine I coveted, which has so many bells and whistles that it’s practically the percussion session of the orchestra all by itself was on Amazon as a ‘reconditioned and returned’ at £100 less than new, which put it in my budget. Its original box has been opened and it’s been checked and tested. There is a small scratch on its casing. Otherwise, it has a 3 year warranty and it will be here in the next hour and a half.
Am I excited? What do you think? I’m nervous because it’s a new machine and I’m not a natural sewing machine user, but very excited because it’ll get round a lot of the problems that my stupid arthritis brings me. I don’t need to use a foot pedal with it, so a big limiter on my ability to use it has just vanished. It’s got 60 embroidery stitches. It can cope with 6 layers of denim so I could quilt with it if I ever so desired. I can’t imagine so desiring but I am delegating the bits of sewing that I don’t find interesting to it, and I can see it being excellent for that.
So, imagine a pause while I wait for it and then I’ll come back and update you and show you a picture of the room at this stage of its evolution. There's still lots to do, but when the Lord made time, he made plenty of it. And right now he's not making much good weather for me here in Dorset so I've got plenty of time indoors.
In the meantime, here are this week’s special offers, at 99p in the UK and 99c in the US. As always, I have anthologies always on at £2.99 for all of you who can’t buy these offers and I’m gradually adding to them as time allows…
This week we have 3 stories from my ‘Oldcastle’ very cosy Dorset village collection. They are;- Toddler and the Tough Guy, Buried Trouble and Where there’s a Will.
The Tough Guy is a Royal Marine Commando who thinks he can handle anything until his brother and his wife are killed in a car accident and he takes on responsibility for a sometimes adorable and always stubborn little girl.
Buried Trouble is a second chance romance with an archaeologist, a former Army Officer who’s having to take responsibility for the estate he left after a massive family row and a lot of trouble
Where there’s a will is an ‘opposites attract’ and a matchmaker from beyond the grave who’s determined that two of his favourite people would make an ideal couple if he can only get them to see it. Add in scheming relatives and someone out to destroy the auction house that our heroine loves, and there’s lots of potential for trouble.
Then there are 3 books from the Shadows series which I write as Eleanor Neville. They are
Accidental Hero - where a romantic writer finds trouble and that her fictional hero isn’t anything like as wonderful in real life. This is not so much wish fulfilment as ‘Please God, don’t let this happen to me!’
Strange Harvest - what happens when a committed environmentalist finds that her organisation is being used and that the man she’s been sure she hates is their only chance. And what happens to a spy who’s always refused to let his heart rule his head when he falls for the worst possible woman?
Kisschase - A beautiful Dorset summer. A beautiful sailing boat. A handsome hero. A girl rebuilding her life. The most gorgeous dog. What could go wrong? Just about everything…
Still here? Goody because I’m back and saying that the ultimate hero has to be a talented engineer who can make anything work and decipher the strangest instructions. How do I know, readers? Because I married him and he’s setting my sewing machine up for me! Purely by coincidence, lunch is his favourite. Cornish pasties, mushrooms, potato wedges and a piece of apple and almond cake with cream.
So take care and I'll let you know how I'm getting on with it on Sunday. By then we'll understand the manual with a bit of luck, because he doesn't speak Sewing and I don't speak Engineering so it's going to be a challenge.
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