Hi,

The summer hit the dust - literally. In the unseasonably dry weather the garden has been an unproductive dustbowl, with vegetables going to seed or not even setting. Our neighbour's well has gone dry, so we feel lucky that ours seems to be holding... Then yesterday it started to rain. Torrential downpour. Thunder. Lightning. Flooding forecast as the dry land can't absorb it quickly enough. But it was a relief that the threatened rain wasn't just a sprinkle, as it has been the last few months.

The flowers have been amazing, though, so the bees have been BUSY, and we have been able to enjoy more excursions now the lockdown has ended. Friends from UK arrived complete with COVID after a week at the Feakle Traditional Music Festival, so parked their camper in our yard, and made use of the garden for a week before making the home trek, tired but hopefully not infectious. The heat was extreme while they were here, and we were grateful for the shade of the willow arch we put in several years back, to provide a windbreak to the vegetable garden.

Nothing is ever static, though; the ups and downs of life. One thing is fixed, another goes to the wall. This time it was the washing machine, and being conscientious, we tried to put in new bearings rather than dump the machine. But in trying to replace the bearing, other bits of plastic began to break off. As the machine is around forty years old, I guess its done its time, and more, compared to modern machines. So we shopped around. Everything is rated as being more efficient than our old machine, but with a half-size drum, we have to do two washes instead of one. So I do wonder where the saving is coming from...

Beekeeping

Click on the image for the picture-board of our beekeeping enterprise, and other home front stories.

Authorly News

The Silence of Children has obtained a few more reviews since my plea last month - a big thank you to those who went that extra mile. The third book in the series, the Loyalty of Children, is 2/3 finished, and I'm quite excited about it, after a hiccup-y start. It's likely that next month I will be sending out advance copies to the review team for storyline observations, corrections and typos. If you haven't read the first two, now is the time to read and review, and please, if you pre-order the next book on Amazon, it will really help with the Amazon algorithm. These books are gradually creeping up in the charts, and you can help them find success. As I have a concept for a fourth book, it seems likely that this will not stop at the trilogy, after all, despite my initial expectations. Here's a reminder of the review links:

Amazon Bookbub Goodreads

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*** BOOKS FREE OR ON OFFER (mostly) ***

You will find below a few author 'swaps', but I've been overwhelmed this month, with guests, editing, and writing, and didn't get a chance to trawl for book funnels, so bear with me. When I find a suitable option, I'll send a mid-month quickie with a few books for you to check out.

I don't have time to check every book that comes via a book funnel, or a 'swap' promotion with another author, so, if you get a novella (tip: on Amazon you can page down to the book details to check the page count), a sample, a badly written book, or anything else that you find irritating, let the author know; don't shoot the messenger! Oh, and even if you choose not to take any of the books from the offers below, do please click on some links... It helps my share statistics!

Email me the online review link for any of my books, and let me know which book you would like to read, with my compliments.

Happy Reading

www.chrislewando.com

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