Something to Think About…

A Romantic Suspense for Every Day of the Week.

Thursday's Child chases the whole...

Broken...with bits missing. That's how Niamh, senior prosecutor for the CPS, feels when she wakes in hospital severely injured with no knowledge what’s happened--for the past ten years. A tall man in a firefighters uniform claims he's her husband. While he's everything she's ever dreamed of, she doesn't know him. And if he was so important why can't she remember? Was there something so terrible in her marriage that her mind has suppressed it? 

My Review...

Niamh (pronounced Neeve, it's an Irish thing) has been getting death threats, but being a criminal lawyer, it's all part of her job. They don't have the impact they used to have on her. In fact, nothing does, anymore. For a long time, now, she's simply been throwing herself into work in such a way that there is little room left in a day to think about other things. She's in survival mode. The "I don't care, anymore," "just make it through another day," kind. 

Then--in a moment--her life is over. By the grace of God, she survives a major accident, but all the disaster, turmoil, and memories of the past eight years of her life are gone. Erased. And, blissfully, she can only remember who she was before those horrible times. But is this a blessing or a curse?

The thing I like most about a Clare Revell novel is the subtle yet gripping way she deals with issues we all end up having to face at sometime in our own lives. In Thursday's Child it's what happens when one is suddenly faced by the fact that they don't really like who they've become. Where do you go from there? It's a question we could all ask ourselves. 

Just watching the way Niamh and her family move through this scenario, makes one think a bit about themselves, and what they might do in such a situation. Maybe even shift a bit of perspective to feel better about our own lives because nothing quite so drastic has ever happened to us. 

Yes, that's what I like best about Thursday's Child, and this entire series. Or any other Clare Revell novel, for that matter. They not only give me a story that keeps me turning pages to see what happens, next… they make me think.

And I like that.

A bit of a visit with Clare...

Clare is my English author friend, and in case you haven't noticed, I very much enjoy the food and traditional aspects of each of her books. This time, she caught my interest with the mention of a couple of the more common English dishes that I didn't know anything about. So, hello, Clare, it's wonderful to see you, again.

Thank you, Lilly, it's good to be here.

OK. First up, BEANS ON TOAST. Now, that's an interesting combination. What kind of beans? Is it cold or hot, and is this a common breakfast item in England?

Tinned Baked beans on hot toast. Usually part of a full English breakfast but can be served alone. Very popular over here, and not just for breakfast. They make a quick substantial meal any time.

I'll have to try it. Although when I googled for a picture, someone commented that there was nothing quite so good as English sliced bread, and it was hard to get anywhere else. 

Well, I suppose some things can't be improved upon.

No doubt. Next up: What are cheese and onion pasties? Are they something you buy already made and are quick for dinner?

Pasties can be home made or shop bought. Shortcrust pastry filled with grated cheese and chopped onion and then oven baked. I often serve them for lunch or dinner with chips ( fries) or jacket spuds. 

Mmm. I imagine they'd work well for traveling (I think about that a lot, these days).

Very good for traveling. In fact, the Cornish miners used to take them down into the mines for lunch so often that when they immigrated to other countries, they became famous.

The miners or the pasties?

Both. But probably for different reasons. 

I see. One could definitely get a story out of that bit of information.

Go ahead if you'd like. I'm booked for the next couple of years just writing about people from Headley Cross.

And that's another thing, Clare. I love Headley Cross, and I really enjoyed seeing characters from some of your earlier books pop up in this one. It was a nice touch. Which makes me wonder where it is, exactly.

Headley Cross is about thirty miles southeast of London. It's in Berkshire on the edge of the Chiltern Downs. Weather is typically English. Lots of rain, some really hot days. Snow in winter. Fog in spring and autumn. Cold in winter. It's a small town about seven square miles with a population of 27,000. Readers can find out more by visiting the website I created for it, too.

Well, I definitely enjoyed my visit there, this time. And with you, too, Clare. Thanks so much for coming back, again. Here's wishing you all the best with Thursday's Child, and you can bet I'll be looking forward to Friday's Child, when it comes out in September.

Thank you, Lilly, and thanks for the visit, too.

Clare Revell

Clare Revell lives in a small town in England with her husband, whom she married in 1992, and her three children. Writing from a early childhood and encouraged by her teachers, she graduated from rewriting fairy stories through fanfiction to using her own original characters. Now, she enjoys writing an eclectic mix of romance, crime fiction and children's stories. When she's not writing, reading, sewing or keeping house or doing the many piles of laundry her children manage to make, she goes to Carey Baptist where she is one of three registrars. You can find out more about her at her website.

More of the Profound Suspense of ATHOL DICKSON…

I'm back with Athol Dickson, today, to continue talking about his new Christy Collection release, and the many things that make him who he is today. Welcome back, Athol…

Thanks, Lilly. Good to be here.

I believe we left off talking about themes. What themes do you most like to write about?

Love and Forgiveness.

Ah, the big ones. Not to mention universal, as we all seem to struggle with those two at some time or other in our lives. Some even all their lives. Are you working on anything particular at the moment?

Right now, I'm working on a mystery. Hopefully the first in a long series, about retired a Marine who becomes a chauffeur and a body guard. He helps his clients out when they’re being blackmailed or have problems with the law and so forth. He inherits a multi-million dollar fortune, but he prefers to keep working and live simply, so he keeps his money secret from most people.

That definitely sounds like another good one. Now, on a personal note, where might readers most likely bump into you when you're on vacation?

Well, later this Fall my wife and I will take in the annual wooden boat show at Port Townsend, Washington, then circle the Olympic peninsula, and then head up to Victoria and Vancouver in British Columbia. From Vancouver we’re going to Banff, and then down to Glacier National Park in Montana before heading home. We love road trips.

Hey, a man after my own heart. The Captain and I will be taking in that wooden boat show, ourselves, as we are currently living on a boat in the area, getting it ready to sail up the Inside Passage to Alaska. I understand you did something like that, yourself, once, too.

Yes, I once spent a year on a yacht, cruising the east coast.

A fellow adventurer, then. It will be wonderful to see you there. Meanwhile, it's been a pleasure visiting with you, Athol, and here's wishing you all the best with the release of your Christy Collection. 

Thanks for having me, Lilly.

My pleasure. Tomorrow I'll post more about the books  that will be included, as well. Today, here's a peek at THEY SHALL SEE GOD… the one that will come pre-loaded on the winning Kindle (details at the top of the sidebar for any who would like to enter the contest).

Little Katie was a Christian. Her very best friend Ruth was a Jew. The girls’ eyewitness testimony sent a very bad man to Louisiana’s infamous Angola prison. Twenty-five years later, Ruth has become an embittered rabbi, Kate is a lonely widow, the bad man is out, and people are dying in the strangest of ways. Torn apart in childhood by animosities beyond their understanding, Kate and Ruth can no longer elude the past’s unfinished business. To survive, these very different women must reach out to each other in spite of the mayhem and mistrust that shrouds one vital truth: sometimes the most dangerous of enemies crouches just inside the human heart.

The Profound Suspense of ATHOL DICKSON…

This week, it is my pleasure to have the wonderful author, Athol Dickson, as a guest here at Lilly's Book Club, to talk about the exciting release of his "Christy Collection" on September 1, which will include four separate novels that have either won, or been nominated for the Christy Award. The titles are: THEY SHALL SEE GOD, RIVER RISING, THE CURE, and WINTER HAVEN, and I will be telling a bit about each one throughout the coming week.

Meanwhile, there's a lot to discover about this author and his writing, not the least of which are some of the first things we wonder about (I do, anyway), such as: Is being a writer something you've always wanted to do, Athol, or something you got into more recently?

Well, Lilly, growing up, I was groomed to be a painter or a sculptor. My mother was a talented amateur artist who worked in pastels, and she saw potential in me at an early age and put me into private art classes. I also took every art class available in public school, and went on to study art at the college level for a couple of years. Then I realized I didn’t want to be poor, so I switched to architecture. I did that for nearly 20 years before I switched again to writing novels. I didn’t set out originally to be a novelist, but looking back it’s clear I was always moving in that direction. I may keep moving from here to something else. Who knows? As long as I’m doing some kind of art, I’m happy. For me, it’s all just different approaches to the same thing. The process is the same, no matter what the media, because it happens mostly in the mind anyway.

Hmm… that's a very interesting perspective, and one I've never heard before. What one experience do you feel contributed most to your writing life?

Studying architecture had a huge impact. I write the same way I learned to design buildings: identify the problem by unpacking it into a collection of smaller problems, solve each of those smaller problems, and then assemble the solutions. And I suppose reading The Hardy Boys series when I was very young, because that’s where my passion for reading got started.

Mysterious methods for mysterious stories. Do you usually think up characters to fit into your plots, or do you think up plots to fit your characters?

Usually the two come along together. When I think of plots, I’m thinking of things that are happening to people, or of things people are doing, so it’s necessary to simultaneously be thinking of what kinds of people they should be in order to make sense of what they’re doing, or how they react.

Which isn't always easy, I'm sure. While I haven't had the opportunity to read any of these books, yet (but I'm very much looking forward to it) they each seem to involve quite a bit of detailed research. Could you describe some satisfying research you did for them, or an interesting experience you had?

When I wrote Winter Haven and The Cure I traveled to Maine several times to absorb the local atmosphere and get a feel for the people there. I fell in love with Maine. It’s a beautiful place, and the people remind me a lot of the way Texans were back when I was growing up. They’re very self-sufficient and strong. I suppose the North Atlantic and the bitter winters drive out everybody else.

An amazing place, I've often wanted to see more of it, myself. Did you have a certain theme in mind when you began, or did it come to you as the stories unfolded?

Almost always I know what the theme is going to be before I start the first draft. Theme plays as strong a role in the early brainstorming as the plot and character. I know that’s supposed to be a bad idea, because it can lead to didacticism. Lots of writing coaches tell young writers not to think about their theme, to just let it come “organically,” but I think that’s an overreaction to the risk. 

I think about theme a lot and I’ve been able to avoid preachiness. At least that’s what my fans all say. The secret is in not allowing any one aspect of the novel to overwhelm the others. You can have a novel that’s heavy handed in characterization just as easily as one that’s preachy. In fact, I’ve tried to read a lot of novels that were flawed by too much attention paid to characters, without a satisfying plot. As in almost every kind of art, there’s a balance that you have to maintain, and I think one essential skill of a good novelist is the ability to sense that balance.

So true. I believe life, itself, gets better with balance, too, and a truly good novel leaves us with more of a desire to seek after that. Tomorrow, I'd like to talk about some of the themes you've explored, along with more of the things that are unique to your particular style. But in the meantime, let's give a bit of a glimpse into WINTER HAVEN, the book I am looking forward to reading first in this collection…

Thirteen years after Vera Gamble’s little brother ran away from their Texas home, his body washes ashore on the remote island of Winter Haven, Maine. Vera goes to claim the corpse and discovers the impossible: her brother hasn’t aged a day since last she saw him. Determined to uncover what happened, she is confronted by unearthly fog, distrusting locals, and stories of lost colonies and a vengeful witch. Beyond a forest where no creature dares to live, her only hope is the mysterious owner of a dilapidated mansion on a rocky cliff. But will this solitary man assist her, or is Vera Gamble doomed to disappear forever into yet another Winter Haven legend?

A TUMBLED STONE... by Marcia Lee Laycock

Hello, dear readers, today, I'm visiting with Marcia Lee Laycock… it's lovely to have you here at Lilly's Book Club, Marcia, and I'm really looking forward to learning a bit more about your new book A TUMBLED STONE.

It's good to be here, Lilly, thanks for having me. 

My pleasure. Well, let me see, now… I notice this is a sequel. Did you always have it in mind when you were working on ONE SMOOTH STONE, or was it something you thought of after?

I would have to say, after. Because I wasn't ready to leave the characters behind, and I thought my readers might feel the same way. 

That's a good sign, and something that interests me, right off. Characters have to be well crafted to make us feel sorry to see them go, so, I call that a nice achievement all by, itself. Anyway, I notice you have a young girl for a main character, this time. What do you think readers will most relate to about her?

Her struggle to shape her own identity, and reconcile her feelings.  I love writing about contemporary characters in real-life settings. I think a lot of people are running and hiding - from their lives and from God. We all do this to some degree (even Christians) and I believe God wants us to stop and face the past traumas, and what we have done. And he wants us to know He loves us in spite of it all, even when we make bad choices. 

Things we all face in some way, at one time or another, that's for sure. Can you tell us a little bit about the story?

Well, this book deals with abortion, and my prayer is that it may help a young woman somewhere make the right choice for her unborn child. I also hope that after reading A TUMBLED STONE, readers will have more compassion for young women who find themselves in the place of having to make such a profound, life-changing decision. 

It's a tough subject, and one that can be looked at from many angles. Did you run into any difficulties while you were working on it?

A huge difficulty, actually. I was diagnosed with cancer just as the book was accepted by a publisher. That meant all the editing was done while struggling with "chemo-haze" so it was a challenge in many ways. My energy level was extremely low so I had to do what I could in short bits. I am very thankful for my editor at Word Alive Press. He was very helpful and patient with me. 

Well, you certainly have been in everyone's prayers, mine included. And I have to say how wonderful it is to see you out and about, again. Praise the Lord!

Yes, I'm very thankful. Also that my energy level has rebounded nicely, too - I need all I can muster now, in the thick of the promotion.

It does seem to take almost as much to promote a book as to write one, these days, doesn't it. Speaking of which, let's give our dear readers a bit of a look at A TUMBLED STONE, right now.

I'd be happy to, Lilly. Here's a bit about the story, itself...

 Andrea Calvert had to run away. She couldn't stay on the farm, shaming her parents. She couldn't face being pregnant and alone. She would take care of this on her own.  As she struggles to make life-changing decisions, Andrea discovers a diary and the wrenching story about her family's dysfunction. But is Andrea’s life at risk at Evie’s Diner?

Here's a small excerpt…

Edna’s hand flew to her mouth. She hurried toward the door, saw the crumpled ball of paper sitting in the garbage can, and stopped to pick it out. She held it in her hand for a moment, then slowly pulled it flat. When she saw what was written on it, her hands began to tremble.

She was sitting at the kitchen table with the paper still in her hands when Earl came in. He stood in the doorway for what seemed a long time before she felt his shadow over her.

“What?” he said.

Her shoulders slumped and tears slipped silently down her cheeks. “Andrea’s gone.”

“Gone where?”

“I don’t know. She’s just gone.”

Earl glanced toward the stairs leading to Andrea’s room, his face blank. He took a step toward the stairway, then stopped. Edna noticed his shoulders stiffen. He didn’t turn around when he spoke again.

“Why was she going to your sister’s, Edna?” When she didn’t answer, he turned and stared at her. “Why?”

“She’s pregnant, Earl. And now she’s run off.”

Later that night, after they had decided not to call the police, Edna took the piece of paper out to the burn barrel and watched the writing shrivel on the page.

Well, you've got me interested, Marcia. A TUMBLED STONE is going on my "to be read" book-pile, for sure. Meanwhile, here's wishing you many blessings with it, because I feel you're going to have a lot of interaction with readers about this one. 

Thanks, Lilly.

Do you have time for a quick cup of tea before you leave?

I'd love one.

Marcia’s inspirational writing has won awards in both Canada and the U.S.  Her devotionals are distributed to thousands and her novel, ONE SMOOTH STONE, won the Best New Canadian Christian Author Award in 2006. Marcia is also a sought-after speaker for women’s events. Visit her at www.vinemarc.com

Dora Hiers... Southern By Choice

Today, I am thrilled to have Dora Hiers for a visit, talking about her recently released novel, JOURNEY'S EDGE, which I enjoyed very much. Welcome, Dora! Before we get into writer questions, though, I just have to say you seem to have a strong sense of place, along with a lot of contentment in being there. Is it because you have lived in the same area all your life? What do you like best about it?

Actually, five years ago, my husband and I moved to North Carolina from Florida, where I’d lived most of my life. I haven’t looked back. I love the wide-open spaces and living within a two-hour drive to the mountains, flicking the fireplace on for the first time in winter, and the different seasons. Who knew leaves exploded into so many different colors? And now I get to wear something besides shorts. 

The Smoky Mountains are just a couple hours away, too. Close enough that we can buzz up there for a long weekend. You can find me on a secluded cabin deck, sipping coffee or iced tea, snuggling on the couch with a good book, walking around the lake with our golden retriever, or enjoying a cookout with family. It’s always an awesome, relaxing time. Yes, you could say I am very content, here.

Something to be said about being able to choose a place to live simply because you like it. could be it's your best inspiration for writing novels, too. Speaking of which, do you listen to music when you write? 

The only music I listen to while I work is the chirping of birds and rustling of squirrels outside my office window. And the occasional snore of my golden retriever.

It can't get any better than that! What is it you enjoy most about writing books?

I'd have to say journeying with my characters as they come alive on the page, from that first spark of an idea, to their first zing of attraction, all the way to their happily-ever-after.  

Hmm… do you think up characters to fit into your plots, then, or do you think up plots to fit your characters?

I'm organized to the point of dividing my shopping list by aisles in the grocery store. Planning comes naturally to me...in everything but writing. As methodical as I am in other areas, I’m not a plotter. My goal is to give birth to great characters and hook a reader into an opening scene, and let the story flow organically from there.

Well, it certainly works for you, I can say that. Which makes me wonder if you've always wanted to be a writer, or something you got into more recently?

I wasn’t born with a pen in my hand like most writers. My urge to write came later in life, when my youngest son started middle school and didn’t want me hanging out at school with him anymore. I knew I needed something more to fill my days. An avid inspirational romance reader, God planted a story idea that pinged around in my head for a few months until I finally confessed my desire to write to my husband. With his enthusiastic support, I started pounding out the story, soaked up online writing courses, attended a writer’s conference, and joined American Christian Fiction Writers, Carolina Christian Writers, and a critique group.

All the right things, in my opinion. Not to mention I've always felt that avid readers make wonderful writers… if they don't mind all the hard work! What can we look for next, Dora? Are you working on anything, right now?

I just submitted When Truth Whispers to White Rose Publishing for consideration. It’s the first in a novella series set in Promise Lake, a fictional city in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. Want a peek?

Oh, yes, definitely!

After a humiliating breakup, best-selling romance author Teal Benning flees to Promise Lake to complete her current novel, minus paparazzi and flashing cameras. Suffering from writer's block and a broken heart, Teal accepts the offer of help from neighbor, Hunter Miciver. Hunter longs to be more than the friend who picks up the shattered pieces of Teal's heart. When Teal finds out his secret, will she see him for the man he is, a man of faith and devotion, a man who would cherish her for the rest of her days? Or will she lump him into the same category as all the other men in her life, including her father? Will Teal recognize when truth whispers her name?

It sounds fascinating, I'll be looking for that one, for sure. Thank you for coming, today, Dora, I've been looking forward to visiting with you for a long time.

Thanks for having me, Lilly, I've enjoyed the visit, too. 

It's been my pleasure. Now, before we get into a look at JOURNEY'S EDGE, can you tell why you wrote this particular book?

Actually, Trey Colton from Journey’s End inspired this book. Renner was Trey’s partner, both Deputy U.S. Marshals, but total personality opposites. I knew the moment Renner appeared on the page that he would have his own book. I had to dig around in his past to find his sweetheart, but when you meet Kinny, you’ll understand how perfect they are for each other.

That they are. Let's give readers a look...

A Routine Audit? Hardly.

Red flags—including some goon who's following her—raise McKinley Frasier's suspicions that numbers don't add up at the insurance firm. When someone tries to snatch McKinley's daughter from school, she turns to police officer and ex-fiance, Renner Crossman—the cop who walked out on her a month before their wedding. But Renner's not the same guy who broke her heart ten years ago. He calls himself a "new man." She trusts the new Renner with her daughter's safety...but what about her heart?

My Review…

JOURNEY'S EDGE is one of those books that makes you feel as if you are actually peeking into someone's life. That's how real these characters feel. And while all books have some form of conflict, and you know something like that has to pop up somewhere, I kept finding myself hoping none of it was going to happen to these people, because I liked them too much. 

Renner is the type of man we all admire: capable, considerate, and he knows how to protect the ones he loves. After all, protecting people is what he does for a living. However, when his emotions get jumbled up with his heart, he turns out to be as vulnerable as the rest of us. And like us, he can be distracted, or biased, and not always on the top of his game. Which makes for page-turning suspense when so much is at stake. Such as Kinny's heart. Which he has broken once before, and is determined to win back, again.

But can a person really ever go back? One can forgive, but they can't always forget. That is, unless forgiveness is something more than unburdening your own heart, so  you can get on with life, guilt free. But what if it's more than that? What if there truly is something supernatural that changes things whenever one turns their life over to God? If that was true (and I believe it is), it just might work in real life, too. That everyday one we are all caught up in and think we have so little control over. Then, again, maybe we do, if we could only turn it over to someone who can actually do something about it. 

Journey's edge made me think about that. 

You can find out more about Dora Hiers and her books by visiting these places:

Website: www.dorahiers.com 

Blog: http://dorahiers.blogspot.com/

Facebook: Dora Hiers Author
Twitter: @DoraHiers

AFTER THE FIRE by Clare Revell

I love it when Clare Revell comes out with another book, and she always seems to have one in the works. What's more, it is very easy to get to know Clare, and she never seems to mind answering my crazy questions. Reading AFTER THE FIRE left me with a lot of questions.

 Not about the story (very enjoyable!), but about where it took place. I really want to go there, now. And about the food. Which, now that I know what it is, I would really like to try, as well. Is that the sign of a good writer, or what? You can look in on our conversation at the end of my review. But first, here's a bit about the book...

MY REVIEW...

This book has a mystery to solve, and I like mysteries. But it also takes place in a very appealing vacation spot, and I love vacations, too. Mix these in with a couple of private investigators that are not typical, and you get a story that  keeps you turning pages. It also keeps you thinking of that lovely little place, in Cornwall, when you are doing other things. 

Freddie (Frederica) and Jason have known each other before, and neither of them like their assignment. However, the most enjoyable part of this book is the relationship between the two, as one thing leads to another, and they find themselves in ever increasing danger. All of which would make good reading just by itself. But the thing I liked best about AFTER THE FIRE, was the very thought-provoking theme that effected me even after the story was ended. It had take away value. 

Not only did it linger long after the satisfying ending, I caught myself listening for that "still, small voice," myself, and looking at life's disasters in a very different way. I find Ms. Revell's spiritual perspectives extremely refreshing. And I like the way her characters always seem like someone familiar to me, very early on. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes romantic suspense… and anyone else, as well.

THEN I JUST HAD TO ASK...

Clare, I really enjoyed your descriptions of Cornwall, have you ever been there, yourself? And what about this location made you want to place this story there? 

I've been to Cornwall several times on holiday with the church. We stayed in Tintagel, right on the cliffs, where King Arthur was. So many happy memories along with all the beaches, caves and islands made it seem the ideal location for the story.

Well, it certainly was, I felt like I was right there. Not to mention all that scrumptious food Feddie and Jason ate. There's some I've never heard of, but would love to find out more about. Like what is a cheese salad?

In the story it'd be in a roll, but it can be just served on a plate. It's slices of mature cheddar cheese (has to be cheddar), with letttuce, tomato, cucumber, radish, apple and lashings of salad cream. I love cheese salad.

It sounds delicious, I'm going to have to try that sometime. How about cream tea?

Cream teas are scrummy. Huge home made scones, with strawberry jam and thick clotted cream. Served with pots of hot tea. 

My goodness, what is clotted cream?

It's really thick, very buttery cream, made with full cream milk. It contains so much fat, it's actually considered butter in the US and not cream. Looks like this picture, here. 

Absolutely heavenly, I'm sure. Definitely made me want to go on holiday in Cornwall!

Makes me want to go back. And the pasty recipe in the book I use a lot.

Mmm… could you be talked into sharing it?

I might consider sharing if people ask.

Lovely. You can put my name down for that one. And last but not least, can you give us a hint about your next book that's coming up? 

I'm working on a series of seven novels which will be out in both print and ebook. The first one comes out April 27th. Based on a new version of the poem Monday's Child (especially written for my series). Each line of the poem is a hint and tag line of the actual novel it refers to. Here's the poem...

Monday’s Child must hide for protection,

Tuesday’s Child tenders direction

Wednesday’s Child grieves for his soul

Thursday’s Child chases the whole

Fridays Child is a man obsessed

Saturday’s Child might be possessed

And Sunday’s Child on life’s seas is tossed

Awaiting the Lifeboat that rescues the lost.

It sounds fascinating, Clare, and I can't wait to read all of them. Meanwhile, thanks so much for visiting with me today. By the way, would you like some tea?

I'd love some, Lilly.

Clare writes inspirational romance, usually of a suspenseful nature. Her books are available through her publisher Pelican Book Group and Amazon. She is married with three kids and lives in the UK. She loves watching sci-fi, crime drama, cross stitching, reading and baking. You can find out more about her on her website.