The Girdle of Melian

uess who has a new release? Louise Penny! No, seriously, as excited as I am for this book (Three Pines! Gamache and everyone! The Bistro! The duck! The emotion and tension and philosophy and humour and... Anyway, just waiting on delivery), there's another new release I'm really referring to: Kait Nolan 's Turn My World Aroun d, which comes out tomorrow! The road to redemption... Struggling single mom Corinne Dawson doesn't have time for fun. She's too busy making a new life for her son and trying to avoid being dragged down by the ghost of who she used to be. But when an accident knocks her boss out of a local dance competition fund-raiser, she finds herself face-to-face with the worst mistake from her past. Attorney Tucker McGee has always seen past the prickly exterior of this former mean girl. He knows there's more to the story than simple spite. When they get partnered for Dancing With Wishful, he finally gets the chance to act on the spark ...

o glad visitors seem to have enjoyed my Nairobi photos from last week, because I have the final batch to share today! But first... Last week I was so busy sharing photos that I forgot to share any ROW80 updates! It's not all good news: I haven't finished the latest round of edits on Druid's Moon at all. I have finished knitting a blanket, though! Photos of that to come when I've collated another knitting-related post. And I finally got caught up on blog commenting. There are quite a few interesting bloghops happening, especially the Write...Edit...Publish flash fiction challenge for August, to write a story on the theme of gardens. Meanwhile, ROW80 -- the writing challenge that knows you have a life -- is moving! Not to somewhere entirely new, but the blog will be closed to further entries, and the community will shift to the ROW80 Facebook page , to create more dialogue and make updates and interactions easier. Come visit us and join in! Now for more phot...

ast month I was in Nairobi, Kenya! For ten days, for a work-related conference -- my first time on a work trip and my first trip to the Southern Hemisphere! I've got a few photos to share, but apologise in advance for the terribly amateurish quality of photography engendered by the age and physical limitations of my camera (that is to say, it sucks, and more than once I was tempted to pitch it against the wall. However, I have just gotten my first ever smartphone! Photos around here will improve exponentially, I hope). Kenya -- cradle of civilization... Holy Family Minor Basilica: A prayer in English and Kiswahili Holy water from a spout The local beer, brewed since 1922 Goat meat and ugali Each night the hotel staff drew our curtains, turned down the blankets, arranged our slippers and bath towels, and left a delicious treat by the bed (a macaron, or a chocolate truffle, or strawberries dipped in chocolate...) ...