The Name of This Blog is Secret

The Secret Series in India: is Nothing Sacred?

The horror! The humanity! Not only have my books been published in India - against better judgment, but IF YOU'RE READING THIS IT'S TOO LATE just made the Indian best seller list for November! Number 14. 

Here is the bad news!

Hopefully people will forget all about the Secret Series, and concentrate on Ravi Kapur's THE SACRED SECRET - number 15 on the list. 

Here's the whole list:

India Today - November Bestsellers

But remember, if you're in India - think Sacred Secret, not Secret Series!

"WARNING: AVOID PSEUDONYMOUS BOSCH AT ALL COSTS"

Now, that's more like it, Susan!  As you all know, I heartily disapprove of any and all reviews of my books.  After all, they might encourage more people to read them.  But unlike her review of THE NAME OF THIS BOOK IS SECRET (see below), Susan's latest review of IF YOU'RE READING THIS IT'S TOO LATE is properly cautionary...  She has seen the error of her ways and now realizes my books are not "fun" but rather "dangerous.  As in troublesome, hazardous, unsafe."   It may be too late to save us all from the Midnight Sun, but I guess it's never too late to make amends.  You can read the review here.  

--Shh!!! PB

MAKING A SOCK MONSTER: INSTRUCTIONS

If you have read IF YOU'RE READING THIS IT'S TOO LATE (of course, you should never admit it,if you have!) then you know Cass has a habit of making little monsters out of old socks called, that's right, sock monsters.  Every once in a while I get an email from a reader asking how to make his/her own sock monster.  So I thought I would post instructions here.  

The truth is, I stole the idea for the sock monsters from a friend of mine named Nxxxxxx.  (See LIE, CHEAT, AND STEAL: PB'S ADVICE FOR YOUNG WRITERS below.) The skateboarding sock monster is one of her creations.  Here is what Nxxxxxx says about making sock monsters:

There isn't one specific way to make one.  There are plenty of variations on sock monsters where you can have 3 eyes, or 1, or no eyes, or you don't even have to use socks!  What about mittens, or gloves, or hats?   But here are the basic instructions for a simple model.  

You need:

a sock

buttons

needle and thread

scissors

stuffing material

1.  Take a sock. Cut a slit in the middle of the toe.  Those two triangular parts will be the ears.

2.   On the same sock, cut another slit in the middle of the part of the sock that is opposite the toe. (darn, I don't even know what it's called. This is embarrassing)Those will be your legs. The bigger the slit, the longer the legs.  But make sure you DO NOT cut any part of the heel.

3.  sew the top fabric part of the ear to the bottom, and continue to sew along the ears until you have two, catlike ears.  

4. Now stuff your monster, all except the legs. I like to put a lot of stuffing in my monsters. so they are very firm. but some other people like it to be a bit flimsy.  Notice that the heel kind of turns into a bottom. so your monster can kind of sit, so stuff that part well.

5. Do the same thing you did with the ears with the legs, and stuff as you go.

6. Sew the buttons on as eyes, and then you are finished! Of course, you could do variations on this monster, add arms, or a tail, or a mouth.

Experimentation is good, and try many different socks.

I hope this helps