Sally Partridge's Blog, page 8

Beachcombing in South Africa

I didn’t really know I was a beachcomber until I discovered a little book called Beachcombing in South Africa by Rudy van der Elst. The truth is I’ve been beachcombing for years and didn’t know it.

I’ve always been drawn to the sea. The wildness of it. And the possibility of finding interesting things that have washed up from the depths or far off places. From history even.

But really, there’s nothing quite like being alone on a long stretch of beach with the waves crashing beside you and the gulls crying overhead.

My interest in beachcombing started out looking for green sea urchins, or see-pampoentjies as we locals like to call them, during a weekend away up the West Coast. We had nothing else to do. After that whenever I found myself on a beach I would point my head to the ground and look for that telltale hint of pale green. Having an eye to the ground produces the best finds – a bit of driftwood (from a shipwreck perhaps), a little green glass bottle and of course, beautiful shells.

Beaches are truly magical places. I remember one cold, windy day at Cape Point standing on a beach covered in the ghostly husks of dead pufferfish. Suddenly all the legends of the Shipwreck Coast seemed real.

During my first road trip to the Eastern Cape I discovered the glittering shell beaches of Jeffrey’s Bay, where every morning the tide would deposit piles and piles of new treasures to sift through – perfectly intact pampoentjies, cowries, topshells and limpets. Buckets of them.

And of course, the hag stones that make my witchy imagination run wild.  They’re meant to ward off evil and protect you from all manner of ailments.  I make hanging garlands out of them.

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We travelled to Jeffrey’s Bay three times last year. Our favourite holiday haunt is right on the beach, so it was all too easy to fall into a routine of tracing the shoreline every morning after coffee to look for shells. But we quickly found ourselves getting up earlier and earlier to beat the other beachcombers. Now I consider us seasoned shell collectors.

Often I would resort to Twitter to ask friends to identify certain finds – like the chiton shells that had us stumped one spring tide morning. As a writer, there is absolutely nothing worse than visiting the same place day after day and not knowing the names of things.

Beachcombing in South Africa is a handy guide to take with on beach adventures to help you name your surroundings. That pale patch of coastal shrub – sea pumpkin. That interesting bit of dried coral – sea fans.

This little handbook tells you everything you need to know about the South African shoreline and its bounty – from the best time to look for treasures and how to deal with bluebottle stings, to the correct name of shells, coastal plants and the little fish that inhabit tidal pools. It also hints at some of the real treasure that could potentially be found along our coast, like silver pieces of eight that went down with early European vessels.

I was able to finally identify the shells that came home with us. (I adore my collection of pink cowrie shells that has grown in the past year.)

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I don’t need to ask my friends on Twitter for advice anymore. At least now I really have no more excuses for not leaving the phone at home and just enjoying nature.

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Beachcombing in South Africa is out this month from Struik Nature.

How to make homemade mince pies

I’m not sure when I first started making my own mince pies, but over the years it’s become a Christmas tradition.



I’ve made them for Christmas lunch with my family, gatherings at friends’ homes, even a picnic at Kirstenbosch with visitors from out of town.  It’s become a ritual that signifies the start of the festive season and is something I love to share that was made by my own hands.

So now I want to share my secret recipe with you.

For the pastry, I use Ainsley Harriott’s mince pie recipe. The ground almonds (I use almond flour) give the pastry a delicate, crumbly consistency and nutty flavour, while the orange zest adds a wonderful aroma.

For the mincemeat, I start with a bucket of Food Lover’s Luxury Festive Cake Mix, which is essentially a big bag of mixed currents, glace fruit and almonds.  The rest is entirely my own creation and tons of fun.

The end result is buttery, aromatic and biscuity. My friends swear by them.

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You’ll need:

Pastry:

140g diced cold butter

225g flour (I used self-raising)

50g ground almonds (I used almond flour)

50g caster sugar

Zest from 1 orange

Pinch of salt

1 egg yolk

1-2 tsp cold water (I ended up using more)

1 egg, beaten

Icing sugar for dusting

Mincemeat:

Food Lover’s Luxury Festive Cake Mix

2 oranges, juice and zest

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon or cinnamon stick

1 star anise

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Method:

Preheat your oven to 200C.

Follow the instructions for the pastry as per the original recipe here. Chill your pastry ball in the fridge for half an hour.

For the mincemeat, add a good few scoops of the Luxury Festive Cake Mix to a saucepan, add the honey, orange juice and zest and bring to a boil.

Add your spices and simmer until the mixture has reduced to a sticky consistency: approximately 15-20 minutes. Set aside.

Once your pastry has finished chilling in the fridge, dust a surface with flour and roll the pastry out to a thickness of 2-3 millimeters. Use a round cookie cutter to cut out rounds and press these into the bases of a greased muffin tray.

Fill the pastry rounds with 1-2 teaspoons of mincemeat and use whatever cookie cutter you like for the tops. I used hearts and stars. Press the tops firmly to the edges of the rounds to ensure they’re attached.

Brush the tops of your mince pies with beaten egg and bake for 15 minutes.

Once they’re cool, dust with icing sugar or Woolworths Shimmer Sugar.

Ta da!

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Homemade mince pies are the perfect treat to bring along to Christmas lunches and also make a great homemade gift.

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My absolute favourite books from 2018

Or rather, how many books can Sally possibly read before the end of December.

Picking just ten books that stood out for me over the past twelve months was harder than I thought it would be, and involved a lot of last-minute reading to ensure I managed to finish as many as I could. So I didn’t stick to ten and included all the books I loved and more.

I took the decision to mostly read books written by women this year. I say mostly, because I do review books professionally, and can’t always choose what I’m sent. But for my personal reading pleasure, it was something I really wanted to do.

For me, books are an anchor. Reading books told from the female perspective keeps me moored when I’m feeling adrift, and helps me make peace with myself and my choices.  As a writer, I know that it’s impossible to write fiction without some of your own beliefs and experiences seeping through. It’s this insight and familiarity that resonates with me. I want to hear more women’s voices, live through their experiences and marvel at their stories.

So in no particular order, here are my absolute favourite books of the year.

The Mystery of Three Quarters by Sophie Hannah

The latest Poirot mystery, written by one of my favourite crime writers. I am a huge Agatha Christie fan and Hannah has managed to recreate the grande dame’s signature style with skill and finesse, giving the classic whodunnit a new life.

Read my review here.

Circe by Madeline Miller

Oh, how I gushed over this book. Madeline Miller has taken a bit player from the male-dominated Greek myths and given her a mighty voice. This is the powerful tale of Circe, the sea-witch, whose tribulations can teach us all something about survival.

Read my review here.

The Wren Hunt by Mary Watson

A lyrical, atmospheric, young adult novel set in Ireland. Mary is one of South Africa’s most important writers, and this wonderful novel reimagines the myths and lore of her new home. It’s truly magical.

Read my review here.

The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar

A magical, evocative novel that plunges the reader headfirst into the sights, sounds and smells of Georgian London where a grieving merchant is about to find new life with a little help from a mermaid and a courtesan.

Read my review here.

The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar



This rich and dreamlike novel follows the parallel journeys of two young Islamic women searching for their place in the world – one story is set in the past, the other in the present. This beautiful novel offers so much more than breathtaking prose, it plunges the reader into the midst of the Syrian conflict, and shows us exactly what it is to be human in a time of catastrophe. It is, without doubt, the most haunting and important book I read this year.

Read my review here.

Melmoth by Sarah Perry

A gothic masterpiece that reimagines an old biblical mythical figure as a woman. Perry is an expert at using creeping fear and suspense to keep the reader on edge. It’s a gorgeous piece of work and features some of the best writing out there.

Crudo by Olivia Laing

Crudo is a clever little novel structured as a seamless stream of consciousness that covers everything from wedding jitters and a couple’s arguments to Trump and the Greenfell Tower fire.

You make me possible: The Love Letters of Karina M. Szczurek & André Brink

There is nothing more beautiful than a love letter. Szczurek, who is the fifth wife of author Andre P. Brink, has shared the couple’s correspondence written during their courtship. In so doing, she has gifted the world with an invitation into the late author’s most intimate of places – his heart. An accomplished and brilliant author herself, the letters are also an interesting glimpse into Szczurek’s earlier career. This is one for the historians.

Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi

Full of pop-culture references, memes and millennial dialogue, Emergency Contact is the sweetest, cleverest book I’ve read about modern young people finding love. I smiled and laughed out loud all the way through.

Normal People by Sally Rooney

This book earned so many accolades this year that it was hard to ignore. Normal People focuses on two young people trapped in each other’s orbit, and the stranglehold their love has over them. It’s a skillful study of the minutiae of relationships, and how fragile the lines really are.

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Echoes of Nigeria abound in this young adult fantasy set in the mythical land of Orïsha, where magic is real and young people have to fight against a brutal regime. The pace is fast, the stakes are high and the characters will have you rooting for them with every word.

Books still in progress and a sneak peek at 2019.

Save the Date by Morgan Matson

A punchy, entertaining young adult filled with drama galore. I’m not entirely done with this one yet, but I’m enjoying it so much I had to include it on the list.

The Dragon Lady by Louisa Treger

This is a 2019 title, but I was sent an advance copy this year and I loved it so much I had to include it in my top ten. This is historical fiction at its most exquisite with prose that blooms on the page. Read my review here.

 

 

 

Book review: The Map of Salt and Stars

I had forgotten all about this review I wrote of Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar’s beautiful novel The Map of Salt and Stars for The Sunday Times. It’s without doubt, my favourite book published this year. 

This spectacularly rich and dreamlike novel follows the parallel journeys of two young Islamic women searching for their place in the world – one story is set in the past, the other in the present.

After her father’s death, American-born Nour finds solace in the stories he used to tell her about Rawiya, a Syrian girl who travelled the world in the service of a legendary map-maker. When their mother decides to move Nour and her sisters from Manhattan to Homs, Nour encounters a country that is as alien to her as she is to it, with the only familiarity she can find in the comforting names of places and stars in Rawiya’s romantic tale.

Soon Nour finds herself on her own journey through the middle east and north Africa as her family flees the violence that has engulfed Syria. Nour’s story is fraught with danger, putting the reader at the centre of the refugee crisis.

The conflict is deftly described by its effect on ordinary people – the destruction of homes and neighbourhoods, traumatised children, hospitals too full to admit the injured, the death of loved ones. Respite is offered by the interwoven tale of adventure taking place during the twelve century – a time when the world was just being discovered and borders were yet to be created.

But as beautiful as it is, Rawiya’s story is a cutting reminder of how closed off the world has become and serves to amplify the violence and desperation of Nour’s flight to safety. Like Rawiya, Nour has to pretend to be a boy to avoid danger, because as her mother warns, ‘Where there is no order, people will take advantage.’

The Map of Salt and Stars is a heart-breaking, beautiful story that comes at a time when the world needs to hear it most.

This review was first published in The Sunday Times in September.

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LEGO book review: The Dragon Lady

I first encountered Louisa Treger’s writing in 2015 when I was asked by The Sunday Times to not only review her novel, The Lodger, but to also interview the author, who has roots in South Africa.

The Lodger was a captivating and enchanting work of historical fiction that detailed the doomed love affair between HG Wells and the lesser-known but equally brilliant writer Dorothy Richardson.

I must have talked about that book for months after, and recommended it to absolutely everyone.

You can read the full review and interview here.

I was excited to hear that Bloomsbury had picked up her second novel, The Dragon Lady, the idea for which was born during the author’s time in Franschhoek (or so I’ve heard). What I wasn’t expecting, was an advance copy of the book itself, which arrived on my desk completely by surprise last week.

Naturally, it found itself right on top of the reading pile.

The Dragon Lady follows another intriguing woman lost to the front pages of history, Lady Virginia Courtauld. Ginie, as she was known, was quite the scandalous figure in London society.  She was a divorcee, didn’t really care what people thought and was rumoured to have a snake tattoo stretching all the way up her leg.

The novel follows Ginie and her husband Stephen’s time in 1950’s Rhodesia, then still under British rule, where instead of finding peace from their enemies, the couple only succeeded in making more.

Written in Treger’s signature captivating style, the book catapults the reader ever forward as Ginie struggles to win over her racist settler neighbours. Ginie and Stephen were outspoken against the wrongs they witnessed and worked tirelessly to change their new country for the better – even going as far as to have secret political meetings in their home. Needless to say, it won them few friends.

Treger has captured the last days of colonial Rhodesia perfectly. It is not just Lady Courtauld’s story, but also the people fighting for the country’s future. And while the book may only focus on a small piece of Zimbabwe’s long complicated history, it does so with emotion and fire.

I love learning about history’s forgotten heroines and The Dragon Lady succeeds in shining a light on a truly remarkable woman. Ginie was a fascinating character, never without her pet lemur Jongy (pictured above, regrettably, as a skunk, which was the closest thing I could find) Her home, La Rochelle, remains standing to this day and is maintained by the National Trust of Zimbabwe.

It’s a marvellous novel best enjoyed in a garden setting, with a large gin and tonic.

According to Amazon, The Dragon Lady will be available in June 2019.

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LEGO book review: The Mystery of Three Quarters

Anyone familiar with this blog knows that I’m an Agatha Christie superfan. I’ve read and re-read all the books. I collect the vintage paperbacks as well as the movie adaptations. I write about her a lot and I get a huge kick out of recreating scenes from her books with LEGO minifigures.

So I was obviously super enthusiastic when Harper Collins announced they would be bringing Poirot back in partnership with crime writer Sophie Hannah. I adored them. Why wouldn’t I? They were as near to the originals as you could hope for. (You can read my review of The Monogram Murders here and Closed Casket here.)

Book three landed in bookstores with a hefty thud in October.

In The Mystery of Three Quarters, Sophie Hannah once again channels the grande dame of murder mysteries to deliver another adventure of the iconic Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot.

The book opens to find Poirot surprised by the fact that four strangers have each received a letter accusing them of murder, claiming to be written by Poirot himself. Stranger still, the death of the supposed murder victim was officially ruled as accidental. Duh duh duh.

Poirot once again teams up with Inspector Catchpool of Scotland Yard to uncover the identity of the writer and to discover whether there is any truth to the allegations. (In a panel interview at the Franschhoek Literary Festival, Hannah explained how writing from Catchpool’s perspective helped her write in Christie’s style. Catchpool was her own creation and served as an entry point into this world. )

Anyway, back to the book. The mystery takes the reader from 1930s London to the sprawling country estate where the alleged murder took place. Like in any classic Christie novel, it’s in the stately Combingham Hall where all the buried secrets finally come to light, connections between strangers become clear and danger comes ever closer.

Hannah seems to have the Christie secret formula down to a fine art. Not only does the book read in the familiar classic style, but Poirot is as authentic as ever and the big reveal is cleverly concealed right till the very end. There are plenty of red herrings to send readers down the wrong path. I was pretty sure myself, only to be proved dead wrong. Again.

This was a highly enjoyable read told with skill and care. I’m sure any Christie fan would agree that this a fine addition to the stable.

(PS: The characters featured in my LEGO story are sisters Lenore and Annabel – I love the shout out to Edgar Allen Poe, unless it was a very gothic accident on the author’s part!)

See more of my LEGO stories on Tumblr. 

Announcing The Outcast Hours

I have some news to share. One of my short stories will be appearing in an upcoming anthology called The Outcast Hours, curated by the amazing editor duo Jared Shurin and Mahvesh Murad.



Jared and Mahvesh are the brilliant team behind The Djinn Falls in Love and Other Stories, a decadent and exotic collection of stories centred around the legendary djinn. (Read my review here).

The Outcast Hours is a themed collection of stories by a wonderful array of authors such as China Miéville (OMG!), Lauren Beukes, Will Hill, S.L Grey, Lavie Tidhar, Daniel Polansky and more. The fact that my name will be appearing alongside China Miéville in an anthology is still sinking in.

The theme of this collection is noir, or quite literally – of the night.

Here’s a little description from Goodreads:

We live our lives in the daylight. Our stories take place under the sun: bright, clear, unafraid.

This is not a book of those stories.

These are the stories of people who live at night; under neon and starlight, and never the light of day.

These are the stories of poets and police; writers and waiters; gamers and goddesses; tourists and traders; the hidden and the forbidden; the lonely and the lovers.

These are their lives. These are their stories. And this is their time.

The Outcast Hours hits shelves February 2019 and is available for pre-order here.

Why your next road trip should be to the Eastern Cape

Remember when the Wild Child and I road-tripped to the Eastern Cape in April? Well, we did it again over the long weekend in September.

There’s a reason why this is one of our favourite holiday destinations. Several in fact.

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The journey is wild

It takes us approximately eight hours to drive from Cape Town to our end destination of Jeffrey’s Bay and to be honest, the journey is the best part of the trip. No matter which route you take, the road takes you through some seriously amazing scenery: Robertson, with its snow-capped mountains, the picturesque countryside surrounding Swellendam, the crashing waves and mist that frames Wilderness, the shimmering Knysna lagoon, the breath-taking beauty and dizzying bridges of the Tsitsikamma National Park.

I love the view of the Kaaiman’s River appearing beneath the fern-covered ravine on the way to Wilderness and the still, silvery surface of the Swartvlei lake just outside Sedgefield. It’s sights like these that make the long drive completely worth it.

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Jeffrey’s Bay is a seaside paradise

Jeffrey’s Bay was recently named the Kwela Town of the Year. We arrived to see the celebratory festivities in full swing and a beachfront packed with people.

For me, Jeffrey’s Bay is a place to relax and restore the soul. The shore stretches on forever, the water is warm and perfect for swimming and I’m told whales and dolphins make regular appearances (although I didn’t spot any on my visit.)

The town is a haven for surfers, and one of the best ways to pass an afternoon is to take a seat right on the beach and watch the pros in action. The waves are huge and there’s never a shortage of surfers in the line-up taking advantage of the perfect conditions. Sunset is a relaxed affair, with the sky slowly changing to an array of pastels till the sun finally eases past the horizon. Morning is for shell collecting on Dolphin Beach as each day the tide tips a fresh batch on to the sand.

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Nearby attractions not to be missed

To celebrate Heritage Day, the Wild Child and I spent the day at the Addo Elephant National Park just outside Port Elizabeth. The extensive reserve is home to several of the big five including elephant, lion, and leopard as well as a host of other species like hyena, kudu and warthog. The day of our visit was quite warm so no predators appeared, but the waterholes were full of elephant and warthog frolicking in the mud. We spied plenty of antelope and zebra as well as my first ever dung beetle. But the best sighting of the day was a huge herd of elephants marching through the yellow spring flowers.

Next time we plan to check out the residents of the Monkeyland Primate Sanctuary in Plettenberg Bay. The decision was made after we encountered the sweetest vervet monkey on the way to Cape St Francis. I definitely want to spend more time with these guys.

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The food is amazing

I left my diet at home during this road trip for good reason – the seafood in Jeffrey’s Bay is out of this word.

We had a delicious seafood platter at Die Walskipper, an awesome beach shack right on the surf that serves their food and drink (including moerkoffie) on enamel plates and cups. All fish on the menu is braaied right on the beach, and it’s absolutely divine.

Kitchen Windows, a corner spot on Dolphin Beach, also boasts a killer sea view. Everything on the menu is great, especially the mussels, which are some of the best I’ve ever had.

As for dessert, a little roadside hidden gem called Suikerboossie specialises in unreasonably large filled pancakes.

On the way home, we stopped in Swellendam for breakfast, specifically roosterkoek, which is available at all the quaint little restaurants in this must-see historic town.

Chances are we’ll probably be road tripping to the Eastern Cape again in the near future. There is so much to see and do (and eat). Reasons not mentioned above: sightseeing in St Francis Bay and Cape St Francis, the bargains at the Billabong factory shop at Surfer’s Corner, granadilla and pineapple konfyt from the InFood deli, playing Eye Spy during the car trip back, Wimpy.

Here are some more photo highlights from our trip:

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PS: Die Pampoenstalletjie just outside Robertson is worth popping into for the mountains of pumpkins out front.

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LEGO book review: Return to Fear Street

When it comes to my favourite things from childhood, R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps and Fear Street novels are right up there with Monster Munch, Gatti Jelly Jolly and Rainbow Brite.

Those quick, sharp reads ticked all the boxes for me: murder, twists, and a good scare or two. I had towers of Stine books in my room alongside others by Christopher Pike and L.J. Smith.

His latest book ticks all the same boxes.

Return to Fear Street, You May Now Kill the Bride marks the return of the Fear Street novels and features a cool retro cover reminiscent of the old series, faux damage and all.

Hardcore Stine fans are well catered for with teenage sorcerers, old curses and plenty of twists and turns.

The book kicks off in 1924, where two rival sisters learn just how serious the curse that haunts the Fear family really is. Fast forward to the present and their descendants are about to experience the horror for themselves.

Harmony Fear is an angry young woman who uses magic to take out her frustration on the world. Her older sister Marissa, about to be married, refuses to speak to her or involve her in the wedding. After sabotaging the rehearsal dinner, Harmony tries to make amends only to realise it’s too late. The old Fear family curse has returned, along with some skeletons from the past looking for revenge.

I took this book along with me on holiday and gave up a day at the beach to read it. And guess what? I didn’t mind at all. I enjoyed the fast pace and the way the novel effortlessly switched between past and the present. The section set in 1924 hooked me completely. I was actually a little disappointed that the rest of the book took place in the present, but I liked that Harmony was quite a flawed character and a little all over the place. I found her really relatable and it gave the book a modern feel.

So, if you’re looking for a weekend escape or some nineties nostalgia, this one is for you.

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Note: I didn’t drop the book in the ocean, those tears and folds are part of the book cover design!

Mine: seven months since publication

It’s been seven months since Mine hit the shelves and the promotion trail is slowly coming to an end. Time methinks, to share some recent highlights.

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In August, I jetted off to Knysna for the Knysna Literary Festival Young Writers Awards Ceremony. I had a grand time chatting to the kids and generally being completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of amazing young writers in the audience. The day was all about celebrating these talented creatives and recognising their prize-winning stories.

I was asked by the organisers to talk about how I became a writer to inspire the kids to pursue their own writing journeys. I’m a big believer in destiny, and that stories that want to be told will be, so I hope these young writers continue to put pens to paper (or fingers to keyboards) and get their stories out into the world.

There were quite a few Garden Route schools in attendance including some primary school readers, which was hugely encouraging. There was plenty of talent and enthusiasm in the room. (If any of you reading this want me to send you some short stories suitable for younger readers please get in touch.)

Sasha and her team at the Knysna Literary Festival are doing amazing work promoting literacy in the region. I was incredibly lucky to see the fruits of all their hard work firsthand.

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In August I also sent out a call for sponsors for what I called The Ultimate SA YA Book Box for charity. So, armed with generous book donations from NB Publishers and Cover 2 Cover Books and treats from Nomu, I set out to fill ten limited edition boxes with everything a reader could want: a book bag, stationary, treats, magnets, stickers, bookmarks, LEGO and lots of South African fiction.

All proceeds were given to the charity closest to my heart, Nazareth House. I also took some extra book boxes to Nazareth House myself for the kids in their care to enjoy.

Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to the contents or bought a box. This was such a rewarding project and definitely something I want to do again.

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Finally, in September I participated in the Open Book Festival – one of the most electric literary events of the year. Once again, the festival featured a jam-packed programme with a stellar line-up of local and international authors. Well done Frankie and Mervyn for putting it all together so seamlessly. As always, I had a brilliant time.

My first panel was alongside the incredible Mariko Tamaki and Sam Beckbessinger (who I’m sharing a table of contents with next year in an amazeballs anthology – watch this space). We spoke about everything from collaboration and why we write for younger audiences to how awful high school is and the reasons I think Stephen King is actually a YA writer.

My second panel tackled one of my absolute favourite subjects ever – worldbuilding. I shared the stage with animators Ree Treweek and Kelly Dillon. We could have spoken for hours about character mapping, setting the scene and what you need to think about when creating new worlds.

Any writers reading this, take note:

Imagine your book as a movie or your protagonist as a character in a game. What do they see, hear, smell? Describe where they live, where they’re going, where they spend their time. Visualise the scene on your page so your reader can picture it clearly in their minds.

Worldbuilding isn’t only about creating vast maps, mythologies and languages like Tolkien did for The Lord of the Rings. It’s about creating the microcosm your characters inhabit. It’s their families, their friends, their viewpoint of life. It’s your character’s world brought to life.

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I’d like to send a special shout-out to Allison and Ernst who came to find me after one of my Open Book panels to share their experience of my book. It means so much to me when readers come to chat with me and share their thoughts. You guys made my day.

My promotional activities may be over for the time being, but Mine is still out there in the world for purchase. I’ll keep my eyes open for new reviews and mentions and try and like and share every one. Thanks to everyone who has supported me over these last seven months. Without you guys, none of this would be possible.

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