Catching Up + Sock Yarn

Oh, my, things are crazy here in Internet-land, and it's taken me forever, it seems, to get back to RTY. Besides finishing all my Christmas-gift knitting, I started a new blog at http://www.DaughteroftheGreatDepression.blogspot.com/ to sort of kick off the release of my new hardback, The Talk of the Town, in September 2011. I wanted to announce it here, but for some reason Google refused to let me sign in to do so. Oh, well, I hope you'll read and follow both blogs now--like you don't have anything better to do. LOL

What else? I've finally joined Facebook. Look me up if you'd like - I'm under my real name, Fran Baker with a new black-and-white photo posted - and send me a Friend request so I can add you to the list when I do another contest.

Okay, down to business and then the sock yarn contest: I changed the covers of two of my eBooks and my company published a new (and gritty) post-Civil War book by Ken Casper. I'd post all the covers but things are still wonky with my log-in here. So feel free to check it all out at http://www.delphibooks.us/ and let me know what you think.

I've posted a photo of the Trekking sock yarn I'm giving away. Please ignore the fact that it looks pink laying on the airplane plant. It's actually a pretty reddish color. If you'd like to enter to win, send an email (and smoosh everything together) with Sock Yarn in the subject line to fran baker 05 at g mail dot com. I'll draw the winner's name and post it here (if I can check in again) on Saturday, January 8.

Let me close by wishing you all a happy and healthy 2011.

Fran Baker

Promo and Prizes

As you may (or may not) know, I'm a publisher as well as an author. A small press publisher, true, but a publisher nonetheless. And this month Delphi Books has published a book I'm really proud of. It's called A Place in the Shower Schedule: 101 Favorite Columns by Roger H. Aylworth.

The book is a collection of humor columns written by a newspaperman for the Enterprise Recorder in Chico, CA. Roger is also the father of seven children - six sons and one daughter, and if I had to give you a quick description of his book, I'd say "think a male Erma Bombeck." The reviews that have come in to date are really good. For example, MormonTimes.com called it "A charming and easy read." And readers at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble are praising it as well.

Anyway, if you or someone you know appreciates good, clean family oriented humor, please ask for the book at your favorite bookstore or public library.

Now on to the second half of this post. As some of you may recall, my LYS owner was saving sock yarn for me. The other day, I finally got down there and got the bag. Unfortunately, it's all the same yarn: Marks & Kattens Clown in a pretty blue and green on cream. I've pulled the winners' names - georg and Mary Campbell and Lana F. - and will be sending their yarn early next week.


LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST: Here's four balls of Noro that my LYS owner dropped in my bag before I left the store. She's not going to carry it anymore because it's so hard to get. But what do we care? It's FREE. And if you're interested in winning these four balls of Noro, send an email to FRAN at FRANBAKER dot COM with Noro in the subject line. Since the yarn is wool and more suited to fall and winter, I'll draw the winner's name on September 1 to sort of jumpstart the season.


Good luck!

Sweater and New Website

As I explained on Nancy's "trophy post," I had to stop knitting my self-designed sweater for a while because my right hand cramped up on me and sent needles of the nerve-y kind shooting up my arm. But here's a photo of where I had to stop. And where I can pick up soon again ... I hope!

The big wings sticking out to the sides are the sleeves and the skinny pieces running up and down are the body. I'll triple-needle-bind-off the back when it's time and then finish the neck and the side/sleeve seams. No more pics until it's done.

Besides "writing" my new book by using Dragon Speak, I've also been consulting on a new website for Delphi Books. Please check it out at http://www.DelphiBooks.us and let me know what you think.

And speaking of books ... isn't Barbara's new one going to be terrific?