Author Archives: Catherine Balavage

The Orange Grove by Rosanna Ley Book Review

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It is fair to say that few of us will be going on holiday this year- thanks Covid!- but we have Rosanna Ley so all is not lost. The Orange Grove takes us to sunny Seville in all of its glory. This is a stunning book to get your teeth stuck into. With endearing characters and a plot that makes you hungry, you will not want to put this book down. It is a wonderful, sunny read of beautiful escapism. I loved it.

An unforgettable story of past love and family secrets, set in sunny Seville.

Holly loves making marmalade. Now she has a chance to leave her stressful city job and pursue her dream – of returning to the Dorset landscape of her childhood to open Bitter Orange, a shop celebrating the fruit that first inspired her.

Holly’s mother Ella has always loved Seville. So why is she reluctant to go back there with Holly to source products for the shop? What is she frightened of – and does it have anything to do with the old Spanish recipe for Seville orange and almond cake that Ella keeps hidden from her family?

In Seville, where she was once forced to make the hardest decision of her life, Ella must finally face up to the past, while Holly meets someone who poses a threat to all her plans. Seville is a city full of sunshine and oranges. But it can also be bittersweet. Will love survive the secrets of the orange grove?

The Stem launches Hydrophonic Herbs

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The Stem launches Hydrophonic Herbs

 

Grow your own herbs from seed without soil, using these hydrophonic kits. Made in the UK using organic and recycled materials, this minimum waste kit contains everything you need to grow your own herbs.

  • These kits ensure successful growth from seed without soil – perfect for those without gardens, or those without space outside
  • Each kit contains step by step instructions to get growing. Seeds usually germinate within 7-10 days
  • Available as singles: basil, coriander, mint, rocket or thyme. Or a set of three: basil, coriander and thyme in a gift box
  • Previous City Worker James Folger has battled mental health challenges and set up The Stem after finding sanctuary in nature, with studies supporting the stress-busting power of plants

 

herbs, grow your own herbs,   

Each kit contains everything you need to grow your chosen herb from seed, without soil. Follow the instructions and within 7-10 days germination will begin. The herbs will need plenty of light to grow, and perhaps try giving them a few extra drops of nutrient solution to really encourage growth. Herbs should be ready to pick and add to your home-cooking after around 7-8 weeks. The plants should give you months of steady growth and the hydroponic solution should last around 2 years.

 

James Folger, Founder of The Stem says;

 

“Hydrophonics is revolutionising horticulture at home and is a fantastic option for urban living especially. The process of growing plants without soil, with roots that are directly suspended in nutrient-rich and perfectly pH-balanced water, allows those without gardens to grow food inside fuss-free, mess-free all year round. Hydroponic plants also grow faster, produce more herbs, you don’t have to worry about over or under-watering your plants: also great for those with little or no growing experience as the process is so easy.”

 

The delivery process is simple. Choose your preferred delivery day during the checkout process, and we will hand-deliver your order on the day you choose, to all Greater London postcodes – there is a postcode checker on site. The Stem are currently operating a contact-free delivery service. Note – AL, CM, SL postcodes are also covered. Deliveries are free (for all delivery slots) for orders over £50, and £5 on orders below £50.

 

Basil – £20

Coriander – £20

Mint – £20

Rocket – £20

Thyme – £20

3 pack, (Basil, Coriander, Thyme) – £50

 

All the parts are recycled (made with old wine bottles), recyclable or entirely biodegradable and from sustainable suppliers. The Jiffy pellets used within the kit are made of coir (ground coconut husk).

 

www.thestem.co.uk 

 

Hydrophonic Herbs: https://thestem.co.uk/accessories/hydrophonic-herbs 

The Stem have gorgeous plants. I want to fill my home up with them. There is even an unkillable section for those who, like me, are not green fingered.

 

Who Uses Online Lookup Tools?

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When it comes to modern technology, both businesses and private users use a wide range of devices and services on a daily basis. There is no doubt that this technology now plays a huge part in our professional and personal lives, and there are many online tools and services that can be accessed from the comfort of your home or office. This includes email lookup tools, which are used by many people for a wide range of reasons.

There are lots of reasons why you might want to turn to these tools, and they provide a speedy and efficient solution to find out more about someone connected to a specific email address. You can also find out a wealth of information, such as the real name and age of the person, their social media profiles, any criminal history, and address details, to name but a few. As such, they can be used for a range of purposes by those looking to find out more information. In this article, we will look at who uses online lookup tools to search against an email address.

Some of the Purposes

There are various reasons why people use these tools, and many purposes for which they can be used and prove invaluable. Some of these include:

People Who Use Online Dating Sites

One type of person who might use these tools is something who uses online dating sites. Some people use these sites, and then decide to arrange to meet up with someone they have met via the site. However, naturally, most people want to learn more about the person and verify they are who they say they are. These tools can prove very useful, as they could provide access to the person’s social media profiles as well as their age and name. In addition, you may also learn of any criminal history by conducting one of these searches.

 

People Who Receive Malicious or Scam Emails

There are many people who receive emails that are malicious in nature or may be scams, and these can cause a lot of stress and problems. This is something that can affect both businesses and individuals but using these tools can hopefully tell you more about the person behind the emails. This then makes it easier for the person to take action and get something done to put an end to the issues.

These are some of the people who might use these online tools, and some of the key situations where they can come in useful. 
Collaborative post with our brand partner.

Frost Loves Seep’s biodegradable, plastic-free and recyclable household essentials

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We love Seep. They make excellent biodegradable household essentials. We cannot recommend them enough. The Seep Natural All-Purpose Loofah Cloths and Sponge with Loofah Scourer, part of a new range of compostable and plastic-free household essentials here to help. 

Seep Sponge with Loofah Scourer

With over 80% of common sponges being made from virgin plastic, which can’t be recycled and with estimates that a massive 600 million sponges are thrown out every year in the UK, it was a no brainer for Seep to offer an alternative. 

 

The Seep sponge is quite frankly, the best-looking sponge on the market! Made with entirely renewable materials like wood pulp and natural loofah fibres it is highly absorbent, long-lasting and durable. They also require less soap due to the natural fibres of the loofah and create more suds than other plastic based options. 

 

Being 100% compostable, when it has reached its lifecycle (typically one month), the entire sponge can be placed in a kitchen composter or garden compost bin where it will naturally start to break down. 

 

Seep Sponge with Loofah Scourer – RRP £9.50 for a pack of 4

 Also…

Nothing screams summer like picnics in the sun. Seep is here to make cleaning up as simple as possible with its plastic-free, biodegradable and compostable bin liners.

The Seep bin liners are the brand’s latest addition to the range. Coming in a handy 30L or 10L roll, the compostable, biodegradable liners are a high quality, gentle on the planet option. The bases of the liners have also been reinforced to prevent annoying leaks.

Large Compostable Bin Liners 30L Roll (25 Bags)

Seep Compostable Bin Liners.  30L – RRP £8.00 for 25 bags per roll / 10L – RRP £4.00 for 25 bags per roll

What’s also awesome about our bin liners is that they are made from one of the best bio polymers on the market – taking less than 8 weeks to break down in a composting facility. If they are used for normal household waste and disposed of in landfill or an incinerator, they are still better than their traditional plastic counterparts since they don’t release microplastics or toxins.

 

My Writing Process Ellen Alpsten

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Ellen Alpsten author photo 4 (c) Andreas StirnbergWriting ‘Her-story’ –

Tell us about what you have written?
When hearing about the heroines of my novels ‘Tsarina’ and ‘The Tsarina’s Daughter’, people’s eyes pop: ‘How did you find them?’ No wonder – both belong to the family of which its own Nikita Romanov said in 1669: ‘Our men are meek as maidens, and our women wild as wolverines.’ Both books are the first ever published novels about either lady. ‘Tsarina’ Catherine I. rose from illiterate serf to first reigning Empress of Russia, while the country morphed from backward nation to modern superpower. ‘The Tsarina’s Daughter’, Elizabeth, the only surviving of Peter the Great’s fifteen children, lived the opposite of her mother: she fell from unimaginable riches to rags, before triumphantly rising from rags to Romanov.

What you are promoting now?
‘The Tsarina’s Daughter’ – the second book in a planned quartet – is published in July 2021. It was a privilege to write. Elizabeth emerges from the strict historical setting of the Petrine era – the construction of St. Petersburg, old semi-Asian Muscovy fighting the new half-European Russia – as a very modern woman. At her parents’ death, friends turned foe. Barely out of her teens, she was impoverished and isolated; even loving her was a crime that warranted capital punishment. Yet even when her path proved to be stony, Elizabeth would not surrender. She decides to take what is hers – Russia’s throne – even if it comes at a terrible price.

Tell us a bit about your process of writing.
As a student, I worked as an assistant for the Parisian bestselling author Benoite Groult. Every evening I did my own writing in my little studio, 12 sqm in the 7th arrondissement: a million words before I ever got published. Nowadays, there is no writer’s block. The Muse has to present herself at 9.30 and she better bring coffee. Working on a PC is a blessing – I am in awe when seeing Dostoevsky’s handwritten manuscripts. To finish a novel is a challenge, yet the first draft is a drop in the ocean. Editing is schizophrenic, knowing the manuscript by heart yet reading it afresh countless times. Doing our best is a duty. Readers offer us their most valuable – their time, an ever-diminishing resource.

How do you structure a book?
Mme Groult’s advice for starting and structuring a novel was invaluable: ‘The first stanza is the novel en miniature.’ Which moment sums up the story’s conflict? A life’s ups and downs so not reel the reader in. Choose characters with care – who are they, why are they there, and how do they drive the story forward?

What do you find hard about writing?
Being a writer can be a Janus-faced existence. Lonely and introspective, at publication time the cruellest of lights may be shed on your innermost thoughts and feelings. The path to success is littered with rejection – in a former life, I was either a duck or a teflon-coated pan. Getting published traditionally is artistically the hardest challenge. A painting is judged in a second, a song listened to in three minutes. But convincing someone to read your 650-page tome?

What do you love about writing?

By writing, I am living my dream: making other people dream. The freedom we live, and the alternate worlds we create, are worth any moment of self-doubt. If you doubt, you work harder. Enjoy the trip, as the goals are forever shifting – and as utterly unattainable as the most elusive of lovers.

The paperback of Tsarina is published on the 24th June and the hardback of The Tsarina’s Daughter is out on 8th July,

The Serial Killer’s Wife by Alice Hunter Book Review

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the serial killer's wife
I am going to go all in and say The Serial Killer’s Wife is one of the best books of 2021. I was turning every page in anticipation. It is the perfect twisty thriller. It is original and the characters are written so perfectly. Outstanding.The Serial Killer’s Wife is a must-read.

Every marriage has its secrets…

Beth and Tom Hardcastle are the envy of their neighbourhood – they have the perfect marriage, the perfect house, the perfect family.

When the police knock on their door one evening, Beth panics. Tom should be back from work by now – what if he’s crashed his car? She fears the worst.

But the worst is beyond imagining.

As the interrogation begins, Beth will find herself questioning everything she believed about her husband.

They’re saying he’s a monster. And they’re saying she knew.

The Serial Killer’s wife is available here.

 

My Writing Process Joe Thomas

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psycho, joe thomasWhat you have written, past and present

I am the author of a quartet of standalone but connected novels set in São Paulo, where I lived for ten years – Paradise City, Gringa, Playboy, and Brazilian Psycho. I have also published Bent, a historical crime novel set in Soho in the 1960’s and behind the lines in Italy during the Second World War, based on the life of war hero and notorious detective Harold ‘Tanky’ Challenor, who was in the SAS with my grandfather.

What you are promoting now

My latest novel, Brazilian Psycho, is an occult history of the city of São Paulo from 2003 – 2019, told through the lens of real-life crimes. It reveals the dark heart at the centre of the Brazilian social-democrat resurgence and the fragility and corruption of the B.R.I.C economic miracle; it documents the rise and fall of the left-wing – and the rise of the populist right.

The novel features the chaos and score-settling of the PCC drug gang rebellion over Mothers’ Day weekend, 2006; the murder of a British school headmaster and the consequent cover-up; a copycat serial killer; the secret international funding of nationwide anti-government protests; the bribes, kickbacks and shakedowns of the Mensalão and Lava Jato political corruption scandals.

psycho, joe thomas

A bit about your process of writing

I am a crime novelist interested in fiction based on fact, inspired by true stories of structural inequality. My fiction addresses the discourses of power and the specificity of crime, why something happened precisely where it did, and is an attempt to illuminate the reasons why. 

I tend to plan my novels loosely and read a good deal before beginning the writing. Once I have a defined structure, then I write in earnest. At this point, I will research, plan, and write at the same time. What this means is that I write one section of a novel and read around the section that follows. I find that this keeps everything fresh! 

In terms of structure, I tend to think in units of time, so do I want each chapter or section to cover a day, a week, six months, etc. As so much of what I write is based on reality, these units of time are often defined for me; I simply follow what happened and when! I find this both an anchor and liberating, too, in terms of having that tightly defined framework to exploit fictionally.

I want to be thought of as a writer pushing the form and writing political, meaningful, literary crime fiction. My goal is to build a body of work and I am very lucky to have the opportunity to do just that.

What about word count?

I have a very irritating habit: whenever I stop writing, or even pause for a moment, the word count has to end in either zero or five. I will tinker with sentences for this to be the case! In some ways it helps with editing; in others it is likely counter-productive!

What do you find hard about writing?

Having to overcome my own irritating habits! I used to think that I had to write first thing in the morning to produce anything of quality; since having a son – who is now twenty-months old – I am learning to use any part of the day I can. This is not always easy!

What do you love about writing?

I love that the days when I do it feel better than the days when I don’t.

Brazilian Psycho by Joe Thomas is out now in hardback by Arcadia.

 

New Parenting Book to Get Kids Talking

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A new, illustrated, hardboard book has been launched to aid and develop children’s speech.  Published by Little Frog Media, DeeDee and DanDan’s Busy Day is an interactive reading book that has been written by parents of a late talking child.

books to help children with their speech, speech therapy, interactive reading, deedee and dandan's busy day,

Following extensive research into how best to support and encourage their son’s vocabulary, Aneta and Mariusz Wojcik established that reading to their son Daniel was the ultimate way to help, but they still weren’t getting the results they were anticipating.

 

After speaking with a friend who studied English literature, they quickly understood that the problem wasn’t what they were reading but the frequency and how they were reading with their son.  The couple learnt that making a story interactive and engaging for a child assists vocabulary retention and they started tounderstand the importance of word repetition in different, yet similar, sentences.

 

They began to use these methods across a range of recommended books but never came across a publication that allowed them to deliver all they had learnt.  After seeing Daniel’s use of words grow through the techniques they were applying, Aneta and Mariusz decided to write their own book, which encompassed their learnings and knowledge to help other families.

 

Mariusz said: “Our eldest son was a bright two-year-old, but we knew his speech development was behind.  We understand that all children progress at different rates, but we were concerned and knew intervention was needed.  Mywife and I both studied mathematics, so we are natural investigators and wanted to absorb as much knowledge as possible to try to help our son.

 

“As we gained proof that our various techniques were working, we applied the formula and logic to every book we read with Daniel.  There was still a gap in the market though for a book which teaches parents all the elements they need to help aid their child’s speech development – so we decided to write one.

 

“The book gives you everything in one place, so you don’t need to think after a long day.  And with 38 pages and thousands of possibilities, no two reads are the same and the book grows with your child.  It also helps a child to build confidence and start actively asking questions. It is our hope that other families can now benefit from what we learned and, with the help of the book, can overcome any worries while supporting their own child’s speech development.”

‘I loved this book and so did my children. It is so well done and gets children interested. I cannot recommend it enough,’ Catherine Balavage, editor. 

Dee Dee and Dan Dan’s Busy day is priced at £9.99 and is available from Amazon and https://deedeeanddandan.co.uk/.