Summer Promotion

Kindle will be running a free promotion on all my books from tomorrow (Sat 23rd July 2016) to Wednesday (27th July 2016).

So if you're setting off on your summer holiday, click the links and download the books for some free and entertaining summer reading. And don't forget, if you have internet access on your travels you can always read the library of short stories free on the Quirky Tales website.

Have a fantastic summer, I hope the sun shines for you all.

K.

New QT Anthology Covers

It's only taken a short time, well a few weeks, um okay, months, but the new covers for the QT Anthologies are now up and running. Hopefully the new jazzier and more colourful covers will help the anthologies stand out a bit more from the hordes of other books out there so more lovely readers can find them.

Feedback is always welcome, so if you have any thoughts about the new covers please leave a comment.

Happy reading.
K.

Book Promos and Affinity Designs

I know it's been too long since I posted here because I had to go and look up my password. This year is fast disappearing, though I'm at a loss to explain where it's going. That being said, I have been devoting a fair bit of time to working with Affinity Designer. I have a few projects to post and the big news is that I'm planning some online tutorials to help those new to vector graphics understand the technology and basics of drawing with Affinity.

I did make a tentative start but then QuickTime did something unexpected and I panicked and turned off the computer. He who fixes the computer returned home to find me gibbering softly under the table. I'm not a technophobe, honestly, I just don't always know what I'm doing. Anyway I have resolved to start again, just as soon as I've figured out how to control Quicktime.

In the meantime, here's a snapshot of some of my creations:

I couldn't resist attempting to capture the gorgeous lines of a Morris Minor

This was a chance to experiment with transparencies

This one was for he who fixes the computer, he used to have a real one of these

Another experiment with transparency

These will probably feature in later tutorials, after I've posted the basics for beginners lessons.

With regard to my books, they will all be on free promotion from the 14th to the 16th April 2016. Don't forget, you can always access my books via the picture links on the right, or through the QT website (which still needs updating - so much to do, so many new year's resolutions still unresolved).

Hoping all's well with you all,
K.

More Experiments with Affinity Designer

2016 already, and a very Happy New Year to you all, albeit a little late.

I have continued my foray into the mysterious and fascinating world of Affinity Designer. Over Christmas a raft of new brushes were included in an update, which inspired a flurry of activity here, followed by giggles of delight at some of the effects achieved. I've also improved my understanding of the transparency tools, helped not least by the discovery that they were in fact hiding in plain sight. I'm embarrassed to say I was confounded by the beautiful simplicity of the package.

I've been working on a new look for QT in general. I'm aiming for something bolder and simpler, that is hopefully instantly recognisable. I think I'm close, but the question now is whether or not it will translate to the web. This is deeply technical and scary territory and so must wait until my resident expert has a few spare moments to investigate. Updates on progress, or perhaps lack thereof, will follow.

For now, here's a couple of examples of my experiments with Affinity:

An imagined planet with moon in partial transit

A hopefully slightly more familiar planet!

And a little hint of things to come.

And I'm being creative in other areas too thanks to a recent birthday present from my gorgeous daughter - wait for it ... dadedededadada daaaaaa! I got a 3D pen! I'll post about that another day. This is just a teaser.

Have a great week.
K.

Continuous Blood Glucose Monitoring Petition

This is a plea to all UK based readers to sign a parliament.uk petition calling for continuous blood glucose monitoring to be available on the NHS to all insulin dependent diabetics. Continuous blood glucose monitoring (CGM) is a system of sensors that constantly check blood glucose levels without the need for repeated finger prick testing. It's more accurate and less arduous (and painful) than finger prick testing and it's safer as it works 24 hours a day, but it isn't routinely available on the NHS, only to those who meet certain criteria. The petition is asking that it be available to all who need it.

Please take a few moments to consider lending the petition your name.

Many thanks, and a very Happy New Year to you all.
K.

Major Tim

Good luck Tim Peake, first British astronaut to go to the International Space Station (ISS). Wishing you a safe flight and a fantastic and productive 6 months in space.

K.

New Christmas Story

As promised, and seeing as it's December once more, there is a new story in the Christmas section of the Quirky Tales library. This one is called 'The Christmas Shakedown' and it's an appropriately daft story about three Christmas characters who decide on a change of scene.

I hope you enjoy it.
K.