I have a new book out this month - YAY! The Savakis Merger features a hero and heroine who reached out and grabbed me immediately. I was thinking about Callie and what makes her so interesting and was surprised to discover that for me one of her appealing traits was the fact that beneath the high-gloss glamour and designer gowns she's a woman who loves to work with her hands.Callie has a dream she's kept to herself for years - to open her own business - not to make a million dollars, but for the satisfaction of succeeding on her own merits. Connected to that is her love of sewing - not high fashion clothes, but applique and emroidery.
Maybe because I grew up with a mum who could sew clothes, crochet, knit and embroider as well paint china, plus whip up jams, soups and pickles in between running a household, but I have enormous respect for people who make things. I love seeing the gorgeous, useful things other people make and I know first hand the joy that comes from creating something yourself. There's something pleasing and at the same time soothing about working away at something that takes a while to complete but is something you made yourself!
OK, I admit it freely, I'm not terribly crafty. I can't sew a dress to save myself and I've forgotten my mum's patient lessons on knitting. I'd love to be able to paint or make things in wood. The most 'crafty' thing I've done in recent years is try my hand at making Christmas cards with the kids which was lots of fun but they didn't exactly have a professional finish. I have however, done a bit of decorative sewing along the way, and have pasted a couple of pics here to show it. When I was a teen a neighbour introduced me to tapestry. Here's one of the results. Imagine my surprise when I went to the British Museum and found the original stone wall carving from Babylon that this was based on!
Later I took to cross stitch and here's some detail of a medieval design I've had half finished for far too long. I keep trying to find time to get back to it, but I find what used to be my free time has been eaten away by my writing.Looking at these pics makes me realise how much I'd like to get back into doing something crafty, even just a little bit and very occasionally. Somehow it's easier to unwind after a long day if I'm counting stitches or checking colours or watching a design appear before my eyes. I'm sure doing craft of some sort must be good for the blood pressure too!
And then there are all those crafts I've never had time to try. The ones I see at fairs and fetes and wish I had the energy to embark on.
How about you? Do you have favourite crafts? Do you do patchwork or ceramics? Do you paint or do you leave your creating to the garden? If you're not 'handy' is there a craft you admire, or maybe one you've tried and decided isn't for you?
Annie's book THE SAVAKIS MERGER, is on sale now from Harlequin and in stores this month. It features a sexy, dangerous hero and a heroine who fights enormous odds to stay true to herself. To read more about the book and enjoy an excerpt, check out Annie's website. Annie's also running a big end of year contest there with plenty of books on offer.
