The Very Thought of You by Mary Fitzgerald Reviewed by Jan Speedie

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Frostie

Once again Mary Fitzgerald has woven a story of friendship, love, intrigue and blackmail. Set in 1944 when hopes were high that the war would be over soon; Mary has shown how the friendship and comradeship of a touring variety group brings much needed entertainment to factory workers and troops.

In 1944 Beau Bennett gathers together a touring variety group, the Bennett Players, to perform to factory workers, military hospitals and troops in the UK and France.

Catherine, Della and Frances join the Bennett Players and form a strong friendship as they travel around with the show. The three girls are each searching for something – Catherine seeking news of her husband reported ‘missing in action’, Della is ambitious for fame and Frances needs to keep the impoverished family estate safe for the future.

The shows are a great success and raise moral wherever they go but as they follow the advancing armies through France the girls realise that lies, deceit, betrayal and blackmail are following them and the troupe. Slowly the truth becomes clear and they all will be changed by it. The girls have formed a strong bond which will survive as they return home to their changed futures.

Mary Fitzgerald now lives in the peaceful countryside of Shropshire. After a successful nursing career, marriage and four children, the family eventually settled back in the UK. Mary always loved writing and her characters took on a life of their own as she researches her books. After much rejection a chance email from Random House arrived and Mary was on her way to being a successful published author.

Mary’s characters have warmth and depth to cope with the ups and downs life presents. Read and enjoy.

The Very Thought of You is available here.

Published in Paperback by Arrow on 16^th July 2015 – £5.99

Also available in eBook

Hardys Shiraz Langhorne Creek 2014 & Kumala Cabernet Shiraz 2013 Review

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Frostie

Hardys Shiraz Langhorne Creek 2014

This shiraz is a smooth, full-bodied red wine with intense autumn fruit flavours of fresh blackberry & mulberry. Accompanied by rich black pepper & vanilla spice. It is well balanced and delicious.

Goes well with pasta, meat and cheese. This wine would be perfect with roast beef, steak and at barbecues.

Kumala Cabernet Shiraz 2013

This shiraz is a South African Wine. A dark ruby red in colour. It is full bodied and has glorious spicy barbecue notes which are complimented by forest fruit flavours. A rich, high quality wine full of wonderful tastes. Smooth and goes down well.

Surrounding South Africa’s Legendary Table Mountain is a place of lush fertility and natural beauty. This is the home of Kumala, where the company make quality wines that are full of character.

Can be enjoyed on its own or with red meat dishes, at a barbecue (of course) and with cheese.

Red wine should be served at room temperature. Red wine is graded from A (light) to E (full bodied).

Our Little Secret By Jenna Ellis Review by Jan Speedie

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Frostie

Our Little Secret is the debut novel of Jenna Ellis. As a freelance photographer Jenna has worked and lived all over the world. Her saucy, erotic tale about Sophie Henshall is made for holiday reading.

At 20 something, Sophie longs for some excitement in her life. Living in Manchester with her Dad and brother, she works as a nursery assistant at FunPlex. With her boyfriend Scott, she shares a love of dancing and techno music and a healthy sex life in his drab bedsit.

Life changes for Sophie Henshall when she answers an advertisement in The Lady for a live-in nanny to a New York family. This is her chance to change her life forever as she is transported to a new and glamorous world in the Big Apple with the elusive Mr and Mrs Parker. Out of her depth, she is drawn into a world of designer clothes, grand houses, lavish parties, sexual intrigue and secrets.

Sophie is irresistibly drawn to Edward and Marnie Parker who are both flirtatious and attractive and lead her into temptations she is unable to resist. But the Parkers have a darker side and secrets to share with Sophie that she must never tell. Secrets can bring pleasure or pain.

Can Sophie Henshall survive or must she return to her old life in Manchester?

Ellis has written an enjoyable romp, a page turner, and what a setting. It will be interesting to see what Jenna Ellis produces next.

Published in paperback on 16^th July 2015, by PanMacmillan.

Sip & Learn – The New Way To Enjoy Wine

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Frostie

We love wine at Frost, reviewing all varieties to bring the best to our readers. Sip & Learn caught our eye as it not only delivers wine straight to your door, but also comes with a booklet that tells you all about the wine. It is a brilliant idea. Sip & Learn is a new monthly wine subscription service on a mission to make wine fun and accessible to all.

Each month, two seriously good bottles of carefully chosen wine will arrive at subscribers’ doorsteps accompanied by a booklet that tells you everything you need to know about the wine. Sippers will embark on an entertaining and educational tour de force in which they will learn about a range of subjects, from grape varieties to how wines are made, and all from the comfort of their own home whilst enjoying a delicious glass of wine.

So if you enjoy wine, or know someone that does, Sip & Learn is the perfect way to put the fun factor back into learning about wine.

RRP £35 per month (incl P&P). Subscriptions are ongoing or on a 3, 6 and 12 monthly basis. www.sipandlearn.co.uk

Sip & Learn was set up by French duo, Marie-Anne and wine expert Sylvain in December 2014.

‘I love wine but tend to panic when asked to taste or choose it. I used to call my friend Sylvain or text pictures of wines to get his help all the time. I’ve always wanted to learn about wine but going to classes sounds too scary and pompous. So together with Sylvain, we started thinking about how we could help people like me discover and understand how wine works without getting bored or feeling shy at a wine tasting class. The result: Sip & Learn. We hope you enjoy it.’

5 Film Sets That You Can Go Explore

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Frostie

If you love films and travel, you might want to combine the two on a pilgrimage to the sets of your favourite movies. Here are our top 5 film sets that you can go and explore.

Jurassic Park – Kualoa Ranch, Oahu

Originally set to be filmed in Costa Rica, Steven Spielberg’s 1993 mega blockbuster Jurassic Park was relocated to the craggy, prehistoric landscape of Oahu, Hawaii. Standing in for the mythical Isla Nublar, Kualoa Ranch is arguably one of the stars of the film, as it sets the mood and tone for this ‘science gone too far’ escapade. Visitors to Kualoa today can take guided ATV tours of the vast acreage, also used as a filming location for Lost and Godzilla.

Harry Potter – Warner Brother Studios, Leavesden

A perennial favourite of kids of all ages, the 8 Harry Potter films were all shot in and around London and Oxford. A specialised team of designers, visual effects experts and artists built the elaborate sets—and you can visit them to this day! Take a wand waving class, get up close to prosthetics and costumes actually used during filming, and of course – visit the unbelievable shop at the end. If you want to catch a glimpse of filming locations around the city, head to the Millennium Footbridge, King’s Cross Station (home to the iconic Platform 9 ¾) and Leadenhall Market.

The Grand Budapest Hotel- Görlitzer Warenhaus Department Store, Görlitz, Germany

Fans of Wes Anderson’s quirky alternate universe often cite The Grand Budapest Hotel as their favourite of his films. Nominated for 9 Oscars in 2014, this visually arresting movie was shot primarily in a department store, not a hotel. While the hotel’s façade was a model (a technique that Anderson often employs), the interior shots were all filmed in this handsome art nouveau department store, built in 1913 and located 60 miles from Dresden. Open daily, you can treat yourself to a bit of retail therapy while you walk through the halls of cinematic history.

Ghostbusters, Tribeca Firehouse, New York City

This 1984 classic is beloved by generations of fans who grew up watching the films, television series, cartoons and playing with Slimer action figures – and that is why so many fans flock to the Tribeca Firehouse at 14 North Moore Street in New York City. Now valued at over $16 million due to its newly trendy location, the newest reboot of the film due next year may not be able to afford to hire the space!

Friday the 13^th, NoBeBoSco campground, Blairstown, New Jersey

If you love scary slasher flicks and you want to pay homage to Jason at the fictional Camp Crystal Lake, you will have to get the permission of an organisation so wholesome that it is the antithesis of Friday the 13^th: The Boy Scouts of America! ‘Camp Crystal Lake’ is actually set on the NoBeBoSco campground in New Jersey, and during the off season they will occasionally grant permission to film buffs who want to wander through the original cabins.

These filming locations are iconic, interesting and affordable (or even free) to visit. Do you have any others you would like to see added to this list? Leave your suggestions in the comment section below!

Do You Have Smart Energy?

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Frostie

A new infographic released from Smart Energy GB shows that a majority of people who have one find them accurate, with 76% trusting the information that they give as opposed to 57% who think the old system does a good job. It also shows that unsurprisingly gadget-friendly younger people are more interested in the device, and that 59% of people who have heard of one would like one. The northwest is more clued up about smart meters, and the main appeal of having one is in being able to count up your energy usage in pounds and pence, the graphic shows.

Some Kind of Wonderful by Sarah Morgan Review by Jan Speedie

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Frostie

With the holiday season upon us, or life is a bit dull right now, you could do worse than let bestselling author Sarah Morgan brighten your life with her latest novel, Some Kind of Wonderful.

Sarah Morgan’s second book in the Puffin Island trilogy is the story of Brittany Forrest as she returns to her home on Puffin Island and the an unexpected encounter she finds. Following the breakup of her 10 day marriage to bad boy Zachery Flynn, Brittany leaves Puffin Island to find a new life and to forget the past.

Zach knows he has let Brittany down and is amazed to find that she has returned to the island after 10 years absence. Seeing Brittany again stirs up long buried emotions which he knows will only complicate his life.

Brittany is determined to put the past behind her and leave Zach out of her life but on a small island this isn’t easy. Brittany and Zach eventually discover that the sparks between them are more powerful than ever. Could it be that second time around, their dreams of happy-ever-after will finally come true.

Sarah Morgan, an American, who lives near London, knew she wanted to be a writer from the age of 8. That sort of commitment and enjoyment in her craft shows in this page turner of a novel, indeed, with all her novels.

Well structured, full of ups and downs, of all sorts (!) Sarah weaves the magic of her previous books. Read and Enjoy. Well done Sarah.

Some Kind of Wonderful is published in July 2015 by Mills & Boon in paperback and eBook – £7.99

The 100 Most Iconic Wedding Dresses

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Frostie

Just in time for wedding season, vashi.com have put together the 100 most iconic wedding dresses of all time. Sigh, we love them all.

If you are getting married then get your hands on a copy of The Wedding Survival Guide: How To Plan Your Big Day Without Losing Your Sanity. It has great advice on planning your perfect wedding and is written by our editor, Catherine Balavage. It is also available in Ebook format and is a great guide for wedding planning.

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