On the run up to The Flowerpot Witch blog tour, I’ve been introducing you to the fabulous team of women who help me get my book from my imagination into the public domain. Today is the turn of my final first reader, Melanie Collier.

Hi, I’m Melanie, dance and movement teacher, crafter, blogger and provider of document services such as proofreading, copy-editing, data entry or just plain old typing.

I teach belly dance in Pembrokeshire, where I also provide cover for LIFT (Low Impact Functional Training) gentle exercise sessions for Age Cymru. My first love was ballet, but I’ve been to workshops or courses in lots of other dance styles. I also studied contemporary dance, and through that was introduced to somatic movement practices. Since I was diagnosed with severe osteoarthritis several years ago, (something of a hindrance and embuggerance to a dancer) I’ve found yoga and Pilates useful and become increasingly interested in somatics, both as physiotherapy and as applied to dance.

When I’m not dancing, exercising, proofreading and editing, I like to mess around with yarn (I always have a pair of socks on the needles), wire, beads, sequins, sea glass, fabric, ribbons, paint/pens/pencils or Photoshop. I take commissions for things like socks, jewellery and fabric flowers. Various bits of my digital art are gradually being added to the print-on-demand sites Zazzle, Redbubble, Cafepress and Deviant Art as I engage in the perpetual fight with my antiquated PC to load them.

And when I’m not doing any of that, I’m gardening, watching wildlife, recording moths (like proofreading, identifying moths requires an eye for detail) and butterflies, blogging, doing mindful meditation, and trying to find time to practise drumming, learn other new skills and curl up with my cats and a good book. Housework is low on the list of activities!

I met Wendy through dance and it was only later that I learned she’s an author. I was quite flattered to be added to her team of first readers for The Naked Witch, a new genre and activity for me. I immediately fell in love with Lizzie and her daughter, and was enthralled by the way she thinks and works and the descriptions of her sessions in her sanctuary, so was very glad to get an early look at the following two novels. I’m not sure if Wendy likes or loathes my nit-picking (especially the lack of commas before clauses beginning ‘but’, which drives me NUTS!). However, I am sure that readers will enjoy the books very much indeed.

Melanie is a creative, vibrant spirit and a beautiful dancer. Of course I like her nit-picking! With Melanie’s sharp eye and unflinching determination for perfection, she helps me whip my books into shape, ready for you readers.

http://dancingmoth.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/DancingMoth/

Join me tomorrow to meet the cover designer and formatter of the Wendy Woo Witch Lit books. In the meantime, keep an eye out for the blog tour poster and, if you haven’t yet been introduced to the Lizzie Martin series, check out my books on my author page.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wendy-Steele/e/B007VZ1P06/ref

https://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Steele/e/B007VZ1P06/ref