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Sunday, September 18, 2016

#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--GUEST AUTHOR AND KNITAHOLIC MEGAN RYDER

Ever since Megan Ryder discovered Jude Deveraux and Judith McNaught while sneaking around the “forbidden” romance section of the library one day after school, she has been voraciously devouring romance novels of all types. Now a romance author in her own right, Megan pens sexy contemporary novels all about family and hot lovin’ with the boy next door. She spends her days as a technical writer and her spare time divided between her addiction to knitting and reading. Learn more about Megan and her books at her website. 

My name is Megan Ryder, and I am a knitaholic.

I believe there should be support groups for us to stop us from buying more yarn, more patterns, and more accessories than we could ever use in a mortal lifetime. I started knitting when I was nine years old. No one in my family knitted so I got a book from the library (my true happy place back then) and got to work. I think I still have my first needle somewhere around here. Only one because I lost the other in the sea of knitting supplies in my house.

Knitting is not only a form of meditation for me but a true plotting technique. If I’m stuck or not sure where to go, I pick up my needles and start knitting. I empty my mind, and the ideas just flow. It’s not unheard of for me to suddenly drop the knitting and grab the computer or a pad of paper or even start speaking lines of dialogue.

For every book, I pick out a project to work on. Usually, it’s a fairly simple project. My heart and soul belong to lace knitting but that’s too complex when I am working on a book. So I stick to shawls, socks, or even the occasional sweater with a simple pattern. For me, the goal is not the knitting project but how it keeps me on track with the book.

My all-time favorite project (and one I’m known for in my family) are felted hedgehogs. Aren’t they the cutest things ever?

After every writing session or plotting session, I put the writing down and pick up the needles, letting the day’s writing and brainstorming settle into my subconscious. Inevitably, when I wake up the next morning or finish knitting for a while, my brain is calm and quiet and the writing ideas just float to the surface.
  
Love From Left Field
The Georgia Knights are drowning in debt, and when her father has a heart attack, it's up to Miranda Callahan to save them. Too bad the man with the life preserver is Lucas Wainright, her father's sworn enemy - and her childhood crush. Lucas is walking a tightrope, torn between his desire for revenge against the man who stole his father's baseball team and his desire for the man's daughter. Can Lucas and Miranda let go of old grudges, hold on to their new love and save the Knights… and each other?


3 comments:

Unknown said...

Love the little hedgehog! My Nana knitted. I tried to learn, I really couldn't get it.

Unknown said...

Love the little hedgehog! My Nana knitted. I tried to learn, I really couldn't get it.

Megan Ryder said...

Millie - I loved these hedgehogs. One year, no lie, I think I knitted 40 of them. I made one and people kept asking for them. To this day, I don't even have one for myself!!!

When learning to knit, never learn from a family member especially a mom or grandmother. I think I can still feel the bruises from my grandmother when she tried to teach me. :)