Shameless Self-Promo and Sock Yarn

First, the shameless self-promo. I've got two new eBooks, one new print book (hardcover) and one large print book (trade paperback) - all available for the asking at your favorite bookstore or public library.


Up first is my new hardcover, The Talk of the Town: http://www.amazon.com/Talk-Town-Daughters-Great-Depression/dp/1432825399/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315656063&sr=1-1;

Then there's Miss Francie's Folly, the first of my Regency eBook series: http://www.amazon.com/Miss-Francies-Folly-ebook/dp/B004WPW3CW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1315656199&sr=1-1;

(Note: Miss Francie is also available in large print: http://www.amazon.com/Miss-Francies-Folly-Fran-Baker/dp/0984601538/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1315656199&sr=1-1);

Finally, there's Pursuing Miss Pippa, the second of my Regency series: http://www.amazon.com/Pursuing-Miss-Pippa-ebook/dp/B005972D5Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1315656169&sr=1-1.

Now, lest you think it's all writing and no knitting ... I've made a dozen Curly-Q-style scarfs from Universal's Rozetti Marina polyester yarn (easy-to-follow instructions available at: http://www.universalyarn.com/quality_color.php?quality=265).

Last but not least, the Sock Yarn mentioned in the title! My camera isn't working but it's Online Supersocke 100 in Sortierung 97 in color 1056 (check it out here: http://www.covetedyarn.com/stores/coveted-yarn/item-559-Supersocke-Sortierung-97-by-On-Line). To win the sock yarn, send an email with Supersocke in the subject line to Fran at Fran Baker dot com, and I'll draw the winner's name on Thanksgiving Day.

And if I find the other ball of yarn I bought for this contest, I'll draw two names.

Good luck! And happy reading (I hope!)

Fran Baker

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

A Crash, A Celebration, and A Contest

February has been a strange month, to say the least.

First, the crash(es). My camera-phone went kaplooie. Which means I'm going to have to use links instead of pictures to illustrate my post. Then my computer started acting wonky and I couldn't get online but maybe once a day, first thing in the morning. The rest of the day - pfft! Name the error message, I got it. Now it's fine. But who knows for how long?

Second, the celebrations. February 11 was my birthday. Yay, me! No sooner did I blow out the candles than I finished my book, The Talk of the Town, and sold it. All on the same day! It's a historical, set in 1933 America, and it'll be out in hardback in 2011. So please stay tuned.

Third, I joined a number of other novelists at A Writer's Work. We're each putting some of our books - a lot of old favorites and new discoveries, some romance, some mystery, even some nonfiction - in eBook format. We launch the site on March 1 and you're all invited to stop by.

Still celebrating now, my nephew and his wife had the sweetest little baby girl on February 22. Her name is Violet and she weighed in at 6 lbs 14 oz. I live in MO and they live in TX, but I'm heading south in March and can't wait to get my arms around that little Yellow Rose.

While I was kicking up my heels, I put some more of my books in the Kindle format. (ACK, I can't get the links to work, but read on.) When Last We Loved was a launch book for the Silhouette Desire Line as well as a worlwide bestseller, and can be found at Amazon. Then there's Love in the China Sea which was also a huge bestseller. And then there's Romeo, Romeo, the original contemporary romantic comedy that I've flacked here before but which I sincerely hope you'll take a look at.

Finally, the contest. I'll start by saying I made my niece the cutest top down cropped jacket from Encore Tweed with Plymouth Pattern #1720. And while I was messing around with the Plymouth stuff, I got a great ball of Sockin' Sox yarn for one of you, lucky readers. It's in Color #1, which is in various shades of blue and beige.

If you've registered for a contest with me before, I've got your email in my Contest file. If not, just send me an email at Fran@FranBaker.com with Sock Yarn in the subject line and I'll add you to the pile - I mean file. I'll draw the winner's name on March 7. Good luck!

Whew! I don't know about you, but I'm tired!

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!

October Is Sock Yarnapalooza Month!

I didn't forget! October is almost here and that means it's time for our first Sock Yarnaplooza Celebration. I know there are all sorts of sock-a-longs going on out there. Some of you might remember we had our own Sock Hop last October.

Our Sock Hop was a freestyle knitalong with no rules and little structure. (Perfect for a group of writers under deadline!) Knitting socks? Feel like sharing your sock dramas and photos? We'd love to have you.

What was I saying about the Sock Yarnapalooza? I'll be giving away sock yarn every day in October and if you want to put your name into the mix, send me an email at wickedsplitty with SOCK YARN as the subject and I'll make sure you're included.

But there's a catch. A small one, but a catch just the same: if you win some sock yarn, I hope you'll share photos of what that sock yarn grew up to be.

That's it! Now send me an email, okay?

BREAKING NEWS: Central NJ Mountain Range Adds a Small Hill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The mysterious mountain range that appeared in central NJ north of Princeton increased today by one small hill. To add to the strange nature of this geological anomaly, the hill is already populated with pricey homes with names like Socks That Rock, Lisa Souza, and Spunky Eclectic. A small elephant was seen attempting to scale the heights.

A middle-aged red-haired woman, who goes by her Chippewa name She Who Needs To Get Back To Work, was found unconscious at the base of the hill, clutching a half-finished Step sock and a badly curled Addi Turbo size 0US.

So far nobody has come forward to identify her. Police are asking for your help. If you know the identity of the anonymous knitter, please contact Knitters Anonymous. Your identity will be protected.

Photograph supplied by NASA.

Something's Gotta Give!

I don't know if any of you have noticed, but I've been absent of late. Partly because I've been writing - I actually finished two chapters of my new book these past couple weeks. And partly because I've had a month of Friday the 13ths ... and it's only April 19th! IOW, everything that can go wrong, has. I'm talking peoples' health (not mine, thank you very much), accidents (again, not me) and just general, everyday old craziness.

One evening while I was sitting in my office sorting through some of the week's emails and business correspondence that I'd ignored while writing, I glanced out my window and saw this breathtaking sunset. I grabbed my cell phone/camera and took a chance on capturing it for you. The photo I've uploaded is pretty but still doesn't do the colors of the sky justice. However, there was something so peaceful and soothing about this scene that it helped me realize that ... something's got to give!

So here's what's giving. Me. To one of you. I've got these three skeins of Panda Cotton sock yarn, two (matching) in every shade of green you can imagine and one in a coordinating bright green that I'd planned to use for the heels and toes of the socks that will not now be knit by me. (Don't cry for me, though ... I'm getting ready to knit a one-piece shrug/sweater that I've been dying to get to work on. And, of course, I've got my book to write, write, write.)

Here's the deal. I'm leaving town on Friday, the 20th and will be back on Tuesday, the 24th. That gives you five days to post your bid for this FREE yarn before I throw all the entrants' names in a hat and let my DH draw one. I'll pull a name out of the hat on Tuesday night and post the winner in a new post.

Good night and good luck. (Won't say goodbye, because that's bad luck.)

WINNERS!

It's cold. It's windy. It's early. Let's get right to the winners! (NOTE TO WINNERS: please email me your snail mail addresses and I'll send out the yarn immediately.)

1. The winners of the peachy-pink Sockotta are:

a. Mary Campbell
b. mizmikey

2. The winner of the manly Regia is Aruni.

3. And the winner of the shades of blue Sockotta is loribird.

Congratulations to all the winners. More drawings to come. Soon!

AND YET ANOTHER STASHBUSTER GIVEWAY: More Gorgeous Sockotta

WINNERS: Mary Campbell and mizmikey

You thought the blue/green Sockotta was gorgeous? Take a look at this fabulous peach/spring green/hot pink/golden yellow mix. Details are the same as below. It's color #5 and I have

TWO SKEINS for TWO LUCKY WINNERS!

Stake your claim in COMMENTS and I'll draw the lucky winners on Tuesday March 5th!

ANOTHER STASHBUSTER GIVEAWAY: Regia Line Steps for the Manly Man

The winner is: ARUNI.


This is Goldisox-approved "guy" yarn. Even the most color-phobic male out there would approve of this sober yet sophisticated sock yarn.



The details:



Regia 4 ply Line Steps Color #5371 - Anthracite.



100 grams - almost 4 ounces


420 meters - around 430 yards



75% Wool


25% Polyamide



Machine washable.



It knits up like a dream.



Stake your claim in Comments and I'll pick a winner on Tuesday March 6th!