Mysterious Seeds + Tomatos = Pic Spam Blog Post!

My brain is deep in edits of Spellcrackers #3 The Bitter Seed of Magic just now. The first few chapters were tough going as I needed to cut the original couple of chapters and redistribute the plot info/action etc they contained throughout the next few. Which I think now starts the book of in a better place. It also means that my little grey cells are mostly porridge :-)

And really, all of the above is just my excuse for subjecting you to some more tomato pic spam *g*(previous tomato pic spam is here)









The leaves growing in the bag in the pic, were supposed to be salad leaves that we could cut as we needed them. We've grown that type before. Except, hubby bought the packet of seed (by looking at the picture on the front!), and it was only once they started growing that we actually checked what they were. Which turned out to be radish, cabbage, mustard, cress and some other unidentifiable green stuff*, that the packet enthusiastically calls, 'Restaurant Green Garnish'. So, *not* the mixed salad leaves that we expected (and eating radish leaves is not recommended, they're spiky!). So, sadly since this picture was taken, the leaves have gone to the great compost heap in the sky, and the mini lettuce plants growing in the pots have now been transplanted :-)

Anyone else ever bought seeds and then discovered they got something other than they expected?

Oh, and another question, has anyone watched Tim Burton's film about Ed Wood. I'm thinking it looks interesting, so if you have, would you recommend it? Or not? Of course, it's got Johnny Depp in it, *swoons* so it get bonus points to start with *g*.

*Disappointingly neither 'Bitter' nor 'magic' . . . :-)

Virtual Book Tour Contest!

Want to win



Or if you’ve already read it, then want to win either The Cold Kiss of Death – Spellcrackers.com #2 or your choice of book from one of my favourite autobuy authors*?

Then take me and my book on a Virtual Book Tour!

How to enter:

Take a picture* of The Sweet Scent of Blood in the book store (either on the shelf, or with you holding it – up to you whether you want to be in the pic or not *g*) and send me the photo telling me where the store is (e.g. San Francisco), to spellcrackerscontest@gmail.com with Sweet Scent Virtual Tour in the subject line, along with your choice of book, and the snail mail address you want the book to be sent to if you’re drawn the winner.

Things you need to know

Contest runs until 31st July 2010

Winners will be chosen by a random.org.

There will be up to three chances to win.

Draw 1 will be on 31st May 2010
Draw 2 will be on 30th June 2010
Draw 3 will be on 31st July 2010

All pictures received will be entered for each draw, so the earlier you send, the more chances you will have.

Contest is international and open to all (whereever The Book Depository delivers).

All entries received by end of day anywhere on closing date for each draw will be entered into that draw. Winners will be notified by email. Winners of Draw 1 and 2 will not be entered into subsequent draws.

* I think it would be fun to post some of the Virtual Book Tour pics on my website, so please let me know in the email if you are happy to have your pic posted. Also, please remember to tell me what name you want me to use, if you don’t want your real name/email name to be posted with the pic. Thanks.


Bonus entry!

Help me do some promo for the book, and get the word out, please!

Do a post* about the contest on your blog/LJ/website (and if poss, p*mp your post on twitter/facebook/or any other social media *winks*) then send me the link to your post in an email to spellcrackerscontest@gmail.com with the subject line Sweet Scent Virtual Tour link. Counts as one bonus entry however many different places you post.

*A post = a separate entry on your blog/LJ/website with: the pic you’ve taken of the book in the bookstore; and a link to the contest on my website, please.

My autobuy authors (in no particular order :-) ). Book chosen must be available for delivery from The Book Depository.

Charlaine Harris
Jaye Wells
Ilona Andrews
Devon Monk
Richelle Mead
Jim Butcher
Rachel Caine
Kelley Armstrong
Faith Hunter
Lilith St Crow
Kim Harrison
Patricia Briggs
Tanya Huff
Mike Carey

Don't forget to check out my other contests here!

Second Winner: Magic on the Storm

And the re-drawn winner of MAGIC ON THE STORM is

Jacqueline C

who said: "I'm looking forward to reading Twice Bitten by Chloe Neill - I love her Chicagoland Vampires series!"

Congratulations, Jacqueline C! Please send your snail mail address to contest[at]spellcrackers[dot]com by end of day 26th May 2010 (UK) and Devon's book will be on its way to you :-)

Shout out for 'Nickie' - Winner of Magic on the Storm

Okay so a while ago I held a giveaway for Devon Monk's MAGIC ON THE STORM!

The winner was
Nickie

Sadly, Nickie hasn't contacted me, and it's been a while, so I'm going to give her until end of Sunday (my time) and if I haven't heard from her by then, then I will do a re-draw.

And if you haven't read this great book by Devon (and why not? :-)) then check out Mardel's review over at Rabid Reader.

W00T! Werewolves as never before!!!

Happy Book Birthday!!



The Viking King Authun leads his men on a raid against an Anglo-Saxon village. Men and women are killed indiscriminately but Authun demands that no child be touched. He is acting on prophecy. A prophecy that tells him that the Saxons have stolen a child from the Gods. If Authun, in turn, takes the child and raises him as an heir, the child will lead his people to glory. But Authun discovers not one child, but twin baby boys. Ensuring that his faithful warriors, witness to what has happened, die during the raid Authun takes the children and their mother home, back to the witches who live on the troll wall. And he places his destiny in their hands. And so begins a stunning multi-volume fantasy epic that will take a werewolf from his beginnings as the heir to a brutal viking king, down through the ages. It is a journey that will see him hunt for his lost love through centuries and lives, and see the endless battle between the wolf, Odin and Loki - the eternal trickster - spill over into countless bloody conflicts from our history, and over into our lives. This is the myth of the werewolf as it has never been told before and marks the beginning of an extraordinary new fantasy series from Gollancz.

Read an extract here!

Congratulations to M.D. Lachlan (aka Mark 'something else' *g* a super chap, and fellow Gollancz author) on the release of Wolfsangel. Yay!

Want to know more about M.D. Lachlan then check out his blog on the Literary Life over at Gollancz, and this week's Where Stories are Made at Book Chic City.

ETA: His study is messier than mine - not by much - but enough that it makes me feel I can leave my Domestic Goddess in the closet without feeling too guilty :-)

TV Twitcher'ing . . .

. . . a relative of the Dodo, maybe?


I saw this amazing, beautifully coloured bird - The Shoebill Stork - on ITV's programme: Joanna Lumley's Nile Cruise documentary, and thought I'd share. It lives in Uganda and sadly there are only 1000 are left in the wild. Pictures taken from here and here.


Where Stories are Made!

I'm over at the lovely Book Chick City's blog today, blogging about where I spend my writing days! Why not head on over there and see just what I drink my tea out of *g*



And don't forget I'm still a Dame for a Day over at the Deadline Dames where you can comment to be in with a chance to win a copy of The Sweet Scent of Blood!

Dames and Historical Deadlines!

I'm honoured to be a Dame for a Day over at the Deadline Dames*

where I'm blogging about London, its history, and these:


but maybe not in the way you think *looks shifty*.

So why not head on over and take a look for yourself . . . oh, and if you leave a comment over there, you'll be in with a chance to win a copy of The Sweet Scent of Blood . So what are you waiting for? Go! Now! You know you want to *g*

*Yay! These Dames are some of my fav authors! Many thanks to the fab Kaz Mahoney for inviting me!

***

And now for something completely different! Yes, I threatened you with promised you tomato pic spam so here it is:


Three different varieties of cherry tomatoes

Look we have flowers already! WooT!

3 tomato plants of the same variety - cherry type again
Eggplant**, cucumber and melon


2 different chilli plants (1 red, 1 yellow) and 1 bell pepper plant!

** the eggplant (aka aubergine) suffered a snap set back on its first night in the greenhouse (perpetrator unknown, but probably either mouse- or fox-like in origin), but has now rallied and looks like it's going to make it *phew*
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