When Estella’s Revenge arrived at Frost HQ I made an audible gasp. The gorgeous cover, the fact it’s a retelling of Great Expectations, Miss Havisham’s daughter is the main character…, I mean, come on. what is there not to love? Was I let down? Not even a little. The writing is exceptional and the story is dark and delicious.
It is obvious that a huge amount of research went into this novel, but also a very deep love for Great Expectations and the characters. The love and knowledge is obvious in every single page. This book is original, gothic and completely unforgettable. It belongs on the shelf next to Great Expectations itself. When reading the novel it feels like not much has changed for women, yet there is hope in this novel. Of women saving themselves and enduring. Of survival. A must-read.
The Memory of Us is a fantastic book. How long did it take you to write it? The Memory of Us took approximately one year to write. I don’t write particularly quickly and would panic if I had to produce a book any faster. When I gave up work to write full-time I thought I’d begin at nine o’clock and work through until five (with an hour for lunch, of course). It wasn’t long before I realised I’m not disciplined enough for that. People might be surprised it takes me twelve months to write a book, but I’m just amazed it doesn’t take even longer!
Where did the idea come from? My books have recurring themes of love, family, and friendship, often set against a life changing moment or event. From the outset I knew I wanted this story to feature two sisters and the unshakeable bond between them. Lexi and Amelia were a joy to write, and I miss spending time with them.
The book has many themes. How did you manage to thread them all together so well? I’d like to say it was a result of meticulous planning – except I don’t plan at all. However, I knew the important plot points, so it was a matter of letting the story unfold naturally and trusting everything would fall into place.
What is your writing routine like? My day starts with a dog walk, when I’ll formulate my plan for that day’s writing and often get ideas for conversations between characters. Before I begin, I go back and edit the previous day’s work. I know many authors prefer to keep their eye on the finishing line, but I’m not happy going forward if I think there’s something that needs fixing. Mornings are not my most productive time, so it’s mid to late afternoon before I usually hit my stride. Before turning off my computer I read that day’s work out loud. I find this to be a useful way of checking both the pace of the story and the authenticity of the dialogue.
What advice would you give writers who want to maintain a career? First, to keep reading in many different genres. Seeing how authors tackle a story, handle the pace, the dialogue and the plot can be very inspiring. It motivates you to bring all you have to the table the next time you begin to write. Next, is to just write. Don’t tell yourself that ‘one day I’ll write a book’. Do it. Do it now. It’s easy to think you don’t have time to write, but you just need to be disciplined and determined. Don’t set impossible goals. If you aim for just 1000 words a day, in three months you’ll have a novel. Lastly, write the book that’s in your heart. It’s more important to be aware of current literary trends than it is to follow them. At the end of the day, you must write the book you want to write and tell the story you have to tell. Perhaps it isn’t the same one that everyone is reading right then; perhaps you are bucking the trend… but it’s just possible you’re starting a new one.
What’s next for you? My next book is well underway and has a working title of PROMISE ME – although I’m sure that will change – they usually do. It is another emotional drama with some strong characters who I hope people will fall in love with every bit as much as I’ve done. I don’t want to reveal too much more, but I will say that I made myself cry writing the very first chapter, which was a first for me.
The Memory of Us’ by Dani Atkins is just published by Head of Zeus in hardback. I loved it. It is a beautiful and heartfelt novel which takes many themes and ties them together beautifully. The characters are divine and I adored the love story. I was fully immersed in this beautiful book. Superb writing mixes with a novel that keeps you guessing all of the way. I can’t recommend it enough.
Who hasn’t had the daydream of travelling for free, or even making money while travelling? This daydream is a reality some travellers are experiencing today thanks to unique work arrangements that allow them to make money abroad.
Let’s look at the two most popular avenues for making money abroad and see if one of these could offer you your dream lifestyle.
Work Contracts Abroad
Finding your next career move is a big task: the stars need to align for the right company, location and career advancement opportunity. This process becomes even more difficult when you zoom out from focusing on your home country and look for jobs in other countries.
Instead of trying to land your dream job in another country, you can make money abroad by taking on a temporary contract outside of your field. Some popular industries include:
● Teaching English as a second language
● Tourism/hospitality
● Agriculture
● Yachting
The variety of work opportunities available will probably surprise you. Did you know that you can get paid to work in Antarctica?! It might not be your dream job or a calculated escalation of your career, but it’s a strategic way to leverage your 40-hour workweek to allow you to travel.
An alternative to paid contracts abroad are work exchanges. These are arrangements where you volunteer your time and are given something free in exchange, such as housing or food. Explore these work exchange platforms:
Not all work arrangements require you to pause your career building in order to travel. If you have the ability to work remotely, consider travelling as a digital nomad.
The term digital nomad refers to remote workers who use their flexibility to work from anywhere. Digital nomads typically fall into one of these categories:
1. Fully remote employee
2. Hybrid employee
3. Self-employed
Beyond the varieties in the type of work, there are a few different ways that this lifestyle can manifest:
1. Mental health break: get permission from your employer to temporarily work remotely for your mental health
2. Working holiday: secure remote work and go away for a few weeks/months of the year with the plan of returning home
3. Working gap year: seek a remote job and travel for a predetermined period of time
4. Fully nomadic: secure remote work, move out of your home and travel indefinitely
I first became a digital nomad in 2017 because I felt like life was passing me by at the nine to five job. Since then, I’ve moved between the labels of digital nomad, expat and immigrant. The journey had twists in the road: I’ve taken on work exchanges and in-person odd jobs when necessary to get by, and ultimately spent years building a business of my own.
It all started with the realisation that I had more options than deferring all of my travel plans for “someday.” If you dream of travelling, I hope that you can leverage technology to turn your world upside down in the same way.
January is always a bit meh. We’re supposed to reinvent ourselves but it’s cold and dark. We need all of the help we can get. 52 weeks of wellbeing is a fantastic book written by an author who is smart, original and full of fantastic advice.
The authors personality is shot through with an incredible amount of research. This book is so inspirational and I will be dipping in and out of it for the rest of the week. Brilliant.
52 Weeks of Wellbeing to Transform Your Life - from ‘Kintsugi’ to embrace your flaws to ‘Cold Therapy’ to boost stress tolerance & ‘Timebox’ to handle email overload
A simple wellbeing technique for every week of 2024 – to go from frazzled to fulfilled
WHY THIS BOOK MATTERS
Three billion people are miserable at work according to Gallup. And, unsurprisingly, anger, stress, worry and sadness hit record highs in 2021 and have been rising for 10 years
The book is packed with 52 simple, practical, accessible habits, techniques and tips – one for every week of 2024 – that ANYONE can do to cultivate a happier life and make you your priority
After a rugby accident left him unable to walk for a year and suffering from depression, suicidal thoughts and bulimia, author Ryan Hopkins embarked on a mental health mission
Now Chief Impact Officer at pioneering mental health platform JAAQ and Deloitte’s former Future of Wellbeing Lead, he delivers talks everywhere from TEDx to Microsoft to Jimmy Choo on mental health and regularly writes for everyone from the FT to LinkedIn
Ryan Hopkins is on a mission. He wants to reach 1 billion people to transform our wellbeing – from the toilet. That probably needs some explaining…
Many of us prioritise work over wellbeing. A third of UK workers eat ‘aldesko’ (aka at our desks) and 67% feel pressured to be available at all hours of the day. Global unhappiness has risen by over a third since 2010. Something needs to change.
Back to the toilet then. After a rugby accident left Ryan wheelchair-bound for a year and suffering from severe depression, anxiety, bulimia and suicidal thoughts for nearly a decade afterwards, he began building doable wellbeing habits and techniques into his everyday life. They’re so simple ANYONE can do them, even on the loo, but, combined, they have the power to radically improve our wellbeing. To prove it, he created his now viral ‘Toilet Break Wellbeing’ video series – which has reached tens of millions of people and counting.
In his new book 52 Weeks of Wellbeing: A No-Nonsense Guide to a Fulfilling Work Life, Ryan reveals a simple wellbeing technique for every week of the year to help transform us from anxious and frazzled to happy and fulfilled. Combining the latest academic thinking with his powerful experience of recovering from rock bottom, the book is a highly practical, accessible, funny and engaging guide to improving our mental health.
To make real, lasting change, wellbeing and self-care should be something we proactively make space for every day, not only addressed reactively in response to a problem. Packed with small, smart wellbeing habits you can easily fit into even the craziest of busy days, they accumulate to make drastic change. They include:
Breathwork for stressful times
The Japanese art of ‘Kintsugi’ to embrace your flaws
‘Cold Therapy’ to boost stress tolerance
‘Timebox’ to handle email overload
Cosmic insignificance theory to combat anxiety
Bringing back the Great British Tea Break to kickstart productivity
Wellbeing is a lifelong pursuit – some weeks it’s easier to master than others – but armed with the knowledge, tips and tricks from this book, Ryan hopes to provide 1 billion people with the tools needed to lead a healthier, more fulfilling life at work and at home.
“The ultimate guide to a better you. A fascinating and inspiring read.” Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer for Google X
“Ryan combines his trademark sense of humour with a pragmatic view of well-being, making this an engaging and informative read.” – Dr. Clare Fernandes, Chief Medical Officer, BBC
“A book of bite-sized bits of brilliance.” Isabel Berwick, Financial Times
52 Weeks of Wellbeing by Ryan Hopkins is published by Kogan Page, 3rd January 2024, RRP £12.99
One of the best things about being an editor is the opportunity to try lots of exciting things. I love Blake Lively’s films and was excited to try her range of drinks, Betty Buzz. The range is gorgeous. They look great and taste even better. They are fresh and original. Almost like they have been home made. I will definitely try them again in the future. Here are three mocktail ideas from Betty Buzz.
Betty Buzz is made with fresh ingredients, free from artificial preservatives, sweeteners, colours and flavours, resulting in the perfect mixers for easy at home mocktails.
Betty Buzz Ginger Apple
1/2 bottle Betty Buzz Ginger Beer | 50ml Cloudy Apple Juice | 15ml Lemon Juice | Cinnamon Syrup | Apple Fan
Combine ice, apple juice, lemon juice and cinnamon syrup. Shake well and strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice. Pour Betty Buzz Ginger Beer over top. Garnish with an apple fan
Betty Buzz Ginger Beer – Clean, fresh ginger taste with the perfect balance of spice and bubbles. RRP: From £2.50 per 266 ml bottle Available from: Whole Foods Market
Betty Buzz Sparkling Grapefruit Spicy Sparkling Faux – Loma
Salt the rim of the glass (if desired). Fill shaker with ice, jalapeños and lime juice. Close and shake generously to combine. Pour into a lowball glass over ice and top with Betty Buzz Sparkling Grapefruit. Garnish with jalapeño slices
Betty Buzz Sparkling Grapefruit – made with 24% real Pink Grapefruit juice this delivers a tangy, lightly sweet and fresh citrus hit. RRP: From £1.80 per 150ml can and £2.50 per 266ml bottle and as a multiple pack from Amazon 24 x 150 ml cans from £29.99
Add ice to a highball glass and add a splash of Grenadine. Pour Betty Buzz Sparkling Lemon Lime over top. Stir together gently. Garnish with cherryBetty Buzz Sparkling Lemon Lime – Refreshing with deliciously authentic flavours RRP: From £1.80 per 150ml can and £2.50 per 266 ml bottle and as a multiple pack from Amazon 24 x 150 ml cans from £29.99
Nora Ephron wrote a book on how much she hated her neck as she aged. I can relate to her as I sometimes look in the mirror and wonder if anything has changed. Which is why I wanted to review the Stylpro fabulous firmer. A very cool, small device that tackles tech neck. It’s easy to set up and use. I loved it actually and I feel like it made a difference. It was also fun to use.
It’s a fact that our necks are more susceptible to showing signs of premature ageing, as neck skin is much thinner, and has less oil-producing sebaceous glands, leaving it more vulnerable to lines and wrinkling. As we age, we produce less collagen and elastin in our face and neckline, putting us at higher risk of sagging, wrinkling and UV damage. While horizontal neck and face lines can be genetic, they can be accelerated by modern-day habits like having eyes on our devices (hey, Tech Neck), as well as lifestyle factors like weight changes, diet, and sun damage.
Upgrade your daily skincare regime with the STYLPRO Fabulous Firmer, £29.99. This handy little device brings the innovative technology of modern spa treatments straight to your home.
It utilises a combination of heat, massage, and coloured light technology, to fight wrinkles, age spots, acne, and an uneven skin tone. What’s better than unlimited facials as you binge your fave Netflix series? The STYLPRO Fabulous Firmer boasts different settings offering red and blue light therapy, that prevents oil build-up to reduces acne and blackheads and stimulates the production of collagen to increase firmness and elasticity.
There are no words for how much I love the Connetix Tiles UK 62-Piece Set. This is one of the best toys you can buy a child. It keeps them entertained for hours and fosters their creativity. My two-year-old spends hours making the most beautiful creations. They are the best antidote to screen time.
These award-winning magnetic building tiles are designed to inspire young minds and encourage open-ended play. With 62 vibrant, translucent tiles in various shapes and sizes, your child can build and construct anything they can dream of. From towering castles to futuristic spaceships, the possibilities are truly limitless. The unique magnetic design allows for easy connection, ensuring that every creation stays strong and sturdy.
Not only do Connetix Tiles foster creativity, but they also promote important cognitive skills, including problem-solving, spatial awareness, and hand-eye coordination. Whether your child is a budding architect, engineer, or artist, these tiles provide the perfect platform for their growth and development.
Crafted from high-quality materials, Connetix Tiles guarantee durability and longevity. The smooth edges and strong magnets ensure a safe and enjoyable play experience for children aged 3 and above. Plus, the convenient storage box keeps all the tiles organized, so cleanup is a breeze.
But don’t just take my word for it—experience the magic of Connetix Tiles for yourself.
Unleash their imagination, fuel their curiosity, and watch their creativity soar with Connetix Tiles UK 62-Piece Set £65 from Connetixtiles.com
Catch A Bug Wooden Fishing Game, £25 from Kikkerland – Magnetic fishing game with 2 rods and 11 pieces
This is one of my children’s favourite games. It had them entertained for hours. Can’t recommend it enough.
Stack & Mix Wooden Building Blocks, £25 from Kikkerland – Stack, mix and build your own cool funny characters. The combinations are endless.
Children love to build blocks and these are bright, fun and excellent quality.
Geomag Glow Eco Recycled 25 Piece Magnetic Building Set. You can’t beat Geomag for fun, extra excitement because it glows in the dark.
The Geomag Classic 100% Recycled line dedicated to everyone who wants to play with an explosion of colors delights even the most demanding of creative spirits. With Glow you can watch as your Geomag models light up in the dark thanks to the GLOW effect. What’s more, the practical storage boxes to keep the rods and spheres in neatly, as well as always with you, are also made of recycled plastic. The Glow 25-piece set includes 12 spheres, 12 magnetic rods and 1 plastic base.
A Water Pistol is a classic. My oldest child said playing with water pistols is ‘more fun than Nintendo.’ High praise indeed.
A Bubble Gun. You can’t go wrong with one. It gives hours of fun to children.
