October | 2020 | horticultural 'obbit

It’s a month til Diwali. A whole month, ti Behind the Scenes goes live on Kindles.

It does feel as though this piece of work has been simmering away for a long time. It has certainly been my focus during the pandemic. As such, I do feel as though it has been forged and developed through an altogether rather unsettling time.

Behind The Scenes is an eclectic piece of work. There are distinct universes that exist within this book. We have the fragments universe, which has so far yielded Fragments and Kangana. Then there is the convergence with the Peace Novella Series Universe.

Characters from these two different worlds come together in a way that we’ve not experienced before. There is also the apocalyptic Battle of Gravelly Hill Interchange. This is important. This is a book set in the city of Birmingham. England’s second city. As such, there is reference within the pages to local cultural and social places. All of which contribute to Birmingham’s Iconic Identity as the city of a thousand trades.

We also, allegedly, have more canals than Venice.

You can pre-order your kindle copy, by using the links below.

UK:https://amzn.to/3cDsjPM

US:https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Scenes-Punam…/dp/B08K863S5G

Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/Behind-Scenes-Punam…/dp/B08K863S5G

A book of two halves sits before you.

In the first half, what happens to the characters from the author’s novels when you aren’t reading them; what is the rest of their story? See what happens with Gorbind Phalla after the romance of Kangana. Devan Coultrie from Peace Novella Series has a life beyond making Montana Moonshine.

There are even a couple of new characters. Who is the mysterious Pencil-Sketch, and The Lady Aurelia is just dying to meet you.

In the second, meet the many different people who live in the City of Birmingham. A street preacher who yells his message, but one day disappears. Two strangers share a romantic encounter at The Kerryman Public house. What if there were spies in Birmingham, and what happens with the exhibits of the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery when the visitors aren’t there? There is even some romance in Medieval Birmingham with the Lady of the Manor.

These all culminate in the apocalyptic Battle of Gravelly Hill Interchange.

You may recall that at the start of lockdown, I decided to start knitting. More specifically, I started to knit socks. Well, it’s been six months since we went into lockdown, and since then my knitting has somewhat escalated. I have knitted five pairs so far. With four pairs currently cast on. These are the ones that you see in the image above.

I like knitting; it’s really relaxing and therapeutic.

It is also somewhat addictive. I mean, how much yarn does one woman really need? I have found myself being seduced, quite regularly, by the Sock Yarn Faerie. For now, I have enough sock yarn. I have enough yarn, to keep me going for at least another six months. Seriously, not more sock yarn.

For now.

Knitting has been really important lately. As teaching and counselling get busy, I am reminded to take care of myself. To not push myself, so far, as to burn out. This has meant stopping all work at 6pm, to sit down and knit. To take the time to practice self-care and ground myself. As such, the projects you see above, are all now at the point where I have to start knitting the feet. I’ve also finished a book, so I have more brain space for these, and I think I need it. I need to socks to help get over that book, before I start writing another.

All being well, there will eventually be complete pairs.

I’m not that worried about odd striping to be honest. I quite like having odd socks. Not all of them are blue, either! I do have some bright red yarn, that reminds a bit of football socks to be played with.

I tend to knit very ‘plain’ socks. That is to say, stockinette stitch. More recently, I have been trying to find patterns for circular needles that are varied. I’m still teaching myself to read patterns, to visualise them so as to be able to execute them. Also, I have discovered leg warmers and wrist warmers as possible extensions to the knitting creativity.

I think leg warmers are next on my list to try for definite. I’ve got wool, some needles and the patterns to steer me in the right direction. The wrist warmers need some reflection. Not sure if I can use some of the sock-wool for those.

The needles that I use, are circular needles, rather than flat. These have been a revelation. I have tried knitting socks flat-right at the start of lockdown. This process does seem to be more effective, productive and more enjoyable. Most of what I have knitted, has been me-sized; socks for me. I did knit one pair of gentlemen’s sized 9’s as a gift for a family member. Mine don’t tend to take so long to knit! Those took about a month, in between bits of real life.

Was a useful learning experience. I now know how to make fella-sized socks; if ever I chose to repeat that experience.