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New Cover – Meeting in the Middle of Nowhere

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Although the original cover was ok, it never really sat quite right with me. It was too colourful and didn’t quite seem fitting. An odd thing to say you might think for someone who adores colour, and constantly posts bright and colourful designs and photography. But for my book covers, I am drawn to black and white still. So, although so far this is my most popular book, I am hazarding a guess that it is because of the content, not the cover, and have decided to change it.

Also, while I was there, drafted in a professional eye as a direct response to one an online reviewers making the following comment –

“A good reprint following a proofread would go a long way”

And do I did, engaging the services of Julia Proofreader to go through the book and spot those issues I had missed (on a number of occasions it would seem!).

Hopefully you all like the cover too, but given I have had mixed feedback for them over the years, I don’t mind if it isn’t to everyone’s taste.

If you would like know to more about Hyperphantasia and Aphantasia, then check out Meeting in the Middle of Nowhere.

(c) K Wicks

Last years garden

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This year there have been changes, despite things working and not. This post will be the things that did to show in small garden you can have quite a diverse range of things growing. And still have some lawn for the dog to run around.

Yummy loganberry Bush, this one took straight away and branched out quickly. Although its was a good yield, I realised my mistake of planting it too close to the neighbouring fence and within another year it would be an issue. So its been moved into a big planter box. And a cutting taken which seems to be doing OK. Fingers crossed for this year.

I have a couple of types growing, one with pink flowers that didn’t do well, I think now maybe its just ornamental? But the other had lovely juicy strawberries I just had to get there before the wildlife. They photography well before they are ripe as well.

They have raged a bit out of control being honest, and are spreading. Even escaping under the back fence, but who doesn’t like strawberries growing!

I purchased two blueberry plants having tried before years ago and failed. But last year was different, working out where things should go pays off in the end, after years of trial and error. Only a handful of them made it, but they were delicious and thoroughly enjoyed.

I love redcurrants. I used to have a blackcurrant bush years ago and it was extremely plentiful. I just didn’t like blackcurrants!! So I have planted a red one and it looks to be doing very well this year so far and as you can see, last year was quite good on the harvest front.

I also grew some potatoes. A couple of supermarket leftovers that sprouted a bit too far, but they went into another meal, so not all wasted.

And cucumbers. They did rather well but I didn’t give them enough roof, of a solid enough structure to climb up (I ended making my own small trellis for them but it was too late, and it struggled with the weight once a number of them chunked out at the same time.

And some tomatoes. These were the first time growing them from seed on my kitchen windowsill and planting them out. I’m not that big a fan of tomatoes though, so rather than be wasteful, I’m skipping them this year. It’s different not going to garden centers anymore, I have to plan well in advance and have taken to saving more seeds and planting my own rather than just picking up ones that have been started. It’s good.

And it all helped to attract and hopefully feed some wildlife too. I had lots of lavender and nasturtiums too so the large and small white caterpillars/butterflies were happy and I got quite a smart little bounty out of it for a few days.

I also have some herbs growing, a rosemary plant slowly turning into a bush and flat leaf and curly leaf parsley. I did have chives but when we got a dog they had to go – if you didn’t know, onions, garlic, chives and leeks are all toxic to cats and dogs. I have only just found out it’s onions too, so that will be uprooted shortly (I had planted a supermarket leftover, but something else will have to go there instead).

I thought I might even try and be brave this year and eat some dandelion and nasturtium (if I get to them before the butterflies do that is). But we can share, I have planted lots of extra seeds this year for poppies and sweetpeas too and got a pack of bee friendly seeds as well, so we shall see what occurs over the next few months.

(c) K Wicks

Carried Away — Fictionspawn

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The shop had all kinds of things. Toys, tools, jugs and mugs. Masks from far away, colourful clothes, gadgets of all sorts. There, behind a basket full of cones and torches, something caught Ild’s attention. Two strange sticks with a little ball on the end of each one. The little balls emitted a green light. The shop keeper looked at him with interest him as he walked closer. -I see they have chosen you, He had only one eye and a big scar across his face. He lacked several teeth as well, probably for other reasons. He grinned, but it was no friendly grin. -Excuse me? -They’ve found you. -Wouldn’t that be rather I’ve found them? -Whatever you say, the shop keeper said. -They’re yours, no charge. He didn’t look like the kind of man who would give away things for free. -What are they for? Ild sent him a sceptical glare. -They summon things, finds things. Leads the way. There was a long silence. Ild was about to speak to break the tension, when the man continued in a sudden, fierce tone. -Take them! Get out of here! Ild grabbed the sticks, looking confused at the man behind the desk. This was all very strange, but he was intrigued by the two sticks, the strange words, even the way the shop keeper acted. -Er… Thank you. The shop keeper laughed when he walked out of the alley. He could hear his laughter stronger and stronger as he walked down the road, as if it was following him. He got home, looking at his new, glowing sticks. He liked them a lot. He waved them around a bit in the semi darkness, making lines and circles. A greenish cloud appeared, shining, like northern lights, like stars. There was a face, first diffuse, unclear. Then solid, still floating. -Come with me. -W…Where to? -To the lost city of balloons and wonders.To the city of Tor’ar. They walked. They walked for a long time, up in the mountains, between high walls. They walked on paths no one had walked in a long time, paths long forgotten. Balloons could be seen in the skies. A valley appeared, deep like an abyss, rocky, infertile. -Here we are. The other side was far away, the abyss was deep and wide. Ild sat down to rest. The hologram kept staring at the other side, waiting. Ild fell asleep. He woke up by the sound of metal hitting rock. An anchor had touched the ground in front of him. -Hop on! We don’t have all day! A balloon was waiting for them. The driver had a vest on, and short pants. His one eye was sparkling a glow Ild knew from before. A scar across his face.

Carried Away — Fictionspawn