Such a wonderful cup of tea today at Chez Graham with Williams’ oat biscuits dipped in chocolate. Dick has his dipped in white chocolate, I had milk chocolate. Then we had to try one another’s. Well, of course we didn’t have too, but we simply needed too. And very tasty, gorgeously so,  they were.  Should we have a further test, run it again in other words? No, really, that’s too piggy.

I felt forced to to catch up with Williams Homebaked to tell them how much we had enjoyed the biscuits, oh, and the shortbread, and on and on.  During the conversation they told Frost Magazine of a story of another of their fabulous local stockists.

Based in Samlesbury, Huntley’s is a farm shop that prides itself on being the place where quality matters. The large  site is made up of a collection of small independent businesses, including a tradiitional butchers, a delicatessen, bakery, wine merchant, fishmonger, ice cream parlour, and to top it all off, an antiques shop and furniture shop

Is that it? Well not quite. There is also a fantastic team of chefs at the onsite restaurant who take pride in delivering locally sourced, seasonal dishes.

It seems that the popularity of psychological thrillers continues unabated. Joffe has a couple of good box set offers, one of which fills the psychological thriller bill, the other is mystery and romance. Either of which should satisfy readers for a while, and both at the knock down price of 99p.

The first box set contains THREE chilling psychological thrillers by Susanna Beard for only 99p/99c
“I found myself frantically turning the pages, desperate to uncover what happened!” Tracy Buchanan, author of Wall of Silence

Here we have nother bargain box set: a series from bestselling author Faith Martin writing as Maxine Barry in the thriller romance vein, and let me tell you, they’re  real page turners

A Slice of Murder Brian Battison 99p/99c

A young woman is strangled and dumped in a lake.Then another young woman is found dumped in a river, and then a third victim turns up killed in the same specific way.   Chief Inspector Jim Ashworth knows he has a serial killer on his hands and it’s a race against time to stop him.

Standing Still by Caro Ramsay £1.99/$2.99

In Glasgow, the West End Festival has come to town. The sky is blue and bustling crowds engulf the city as the carnival gets into full swing.  The only problem? People keep disappearing . . . and now a body has been found.

Join detectives Anderson and Costello as they dive into the bustling festival crowds to catch a killer before anyone else gets hurt.

 Frost Magazine was thrilled to be introduced to new Joffe author, Jon Barton. Joffe Books  have .acquired three books in screenwriter Jon Barton’s debut crime series, which will follow Metropolitan Police diver David Cade, as he uncovers deadly secrets lurking under the surface. Commissioning editor Emma Grundy Haigh acquired world English and audio book rights from Justin Nash at Kate Nash Literary Agency. The first book with the working title Dive, will be published in early 2022. 

Gundy-Haigh says: ‘I leaped on Jon’s debut as soon as it came in. Being a screenwriter, he has an in-built filmic quality that’s just irresistible. I love the brilliant new perspective — the police diving squad who pull bodies out of the river. And in doing so, Jon’s turned the Thames into one of the novel’s most intriguing characters. Between a cast of impeccably strong characters and Jon’s cinematic narrative style, this is definitely a page-turner. I’m delighted to be working with him’

Barton commented: “I’m thrilled to be working with Emma and the team at Joffe Books. They are passionate champions of crime fiction; their insight is going to prove invaluable in introducing the murky world of police diving to readers.”

This audio  offer is available until 4th August. Hurry hurry.

One moonlit night, the bodies of two young people are discovered lying on a blanket in the woods. It appears to be a lovers’ suicide pact . . .Until Detective Nikki Galena looks more closely, that is. They were murdered somewhere else and brought to the woods. But why?

Then another young couple are found dead, again beautifully posed as lovers. And Nikki knows they have a twisted serial killer on their hands. Who will be the next victims?

Find more treats on offer at Joffe Books here

As a keen ballroom dancer I’m always on the lookout for makeup which looks fabulous, even after hours of jive or foxtrot. Our feet may be in agony and we may be dripping with perspiration but us dancing girls still need to look smart, fresh and simply fabulous. So I was delighted to test the two famous make-up labels – Illamasqua and Eyeko. I expected great quality and I was not disappointed. What is key to both these products is the high concentration of pigment – creating striking and vibrant colour which also lasts a long time – essential for the dance floor, but frankly, pretty important for an evening out or everyday use too.

Eyeko Limitless Eyeshadow Palette comes in three collections – 1, 2 and 3. Each contains six highly pigmented, long-wearing shades in matte & shimmer finishes, which work really well together. Collection 1 is for lighter-toned skin, 2 is intermediate and 3 is for darker skin tones, and also perfectly complements the obligatory fake tans for dance competitions. I loved the mixture of matte and shimmer finishes – making them suitable for daytime use but also for a glamorous evening party. I tested Collection 2 today and received a compliment on my eye shadow within an hour of going out.

The palettes are housed in light, shock-resistant rubber cases with a particularly good mirror – great for popping in your handbag. At £25 per palette they’re a truly quality product and make a lovely gift.

And for the lips – Illamasqua Loaded Lip Polish is pure indulgence. Fourteen amazing high-shine shades from various reds to shocking pink to purple and peach, I was spoilt for choice. For everyday use I love Rise, but fiery reds such as Vain would be great for a night out and there’s a simple Glaze too. The wand applicator was very quick and easy to use. My lips felt smooth and soft – no wonder as the Lip Polishes all contain almond oil and vitamin E – and the colour had a soft sheen and mirror-shine finish which looked natural and alluring. The highly concentrated pigment created a strong colour which lasted for many hours before needing a touch-up. On special offer at the moment at £12.80 from the Illamasqua website these are a great buy.

So whether you’re a serious dancer, enjoy a night at the local club or just like looking great all day long, the Eyeko Limitless Eyeshadow Palette and the Illamasqua Loaded Lip Polish are for you. After all those months of lockdown and covering your face with masks why not treat yourself?

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

I’m a Gemini. Impulsive. Curious. Headstrong. A twin. Heir to a throne I know nothing about. And it turns out, I’m Fae.

 But of course there’s a catch – all I have to do to claim my birth right is prove that I’m the most powerful supernatural in the whole of Solaria. And sure, technically that’s true as I’m the daughter of the Savage King. But the bit they didn’t put in the brochure was that every single Fae in this Kingdom would claim my throne if they could.

 The school they’ve sent me to is both dangerous as sh*t and one helluva party. Vampires bite weaker students in the corridors, the Werewolf pack has orgies in the Wailing Wood at every full moon and don’t even get me started on the dark and twisted ways the Sirens use their powers on people’s emotions, or how my sinfully tempting Cardinal Magic teacher hosts detentions that leave people needing therapy.

 Classes are totally interesting if you manage to live through them. And that Gemini star sign I mentioned? It now determines my elemental magic and affects my destiny, so learning astrology is essential if I’m going to beat down my classmates – which is actively encouraged by the way.My biggest problem is the drool worthy Dragon shifter who has his eyes on my throne. He and his three psycho friends are determined to make my time here hell.

 All I’ve got to do is survive. But fate might have other ideas.

 Dammit, why couldn’t I have gotten a letter to Hogwarts?

So says the blurb of this fascinating novel. It is no secret that I lack imagination, I tend to struggle when reading Fantasy books as I can not picture the characters, creatures and worlds. I was completely prepared for the Zodiac Academy to pose the same problem: writing to complex that I could not follow it. I am so glad to say that i was so very wrong about this. The characers are completely relateable, I could easily envision the world of Soloria, the dragon, the Nymph’s and the magic  it all revolves around.

I read this book in record time, it was such a breeze to read but full of suspense, plot twists and just a pinch of spice. It is like Harry Potter but for grown ups (though as I write this I realise that Harry Potter is for grown ups as well as children) .

I really enjoyed the fact that the book is pacey and told from multiple perspectives without it becoming hard to follow. Upon completion of Book 1 I was so hooked, I read book 2 and am currently reading book 3, happy in the knowledge that there are so far 6 books in the series with a seventh book being released later this year.

It has been a long time since i have been so excited about a series and i know full well that i will read them again and again and again and never ever tire of them.

So if you want to escape to a magical world then tuck into Zodiac Academy. I would 100% reccomend this sensational series to those who are 18+ and are Harry Potter fans, I promise you that you will not regret it, the world of Solaria awaits you.

Grant Tait has a brilliant new book out – a light hearted and clever read, aimed at all those who have ever had to deal with managers who can’t make decisions.

Tait has had a successful careerfor 25 years despite working with no-decision managers. He has gone on to write a blog on how to work with them and has just released his book ‘How to Become a No-Decision Manager,’  a light-hearted story educating his readers in the valuable lessons he has learned.

When writing the book, Grant came up with two subtitles: Become an enlightened subordinate working for a no decisions boss, putting the reader in a subordinate’s shoes explaining how to work happily with a no-decision manager and still have a career. In the second subtitle: Manage a team of no decision managers, he shows how to detect them while managing them, to keep subordinates from leaving.

The book focuses on analysing the inner workings of managers who avoid decision making at every possible turn. He discusses how these kinds of managers can make life difficult for subordinates and are capable of destroying a business.

Grant teaches the reader the common behaviours and tactics these managers use to dodge making decisions and how to detect and even effectively work with them. He has identified 15 different tactics, to which  all no decision managers adhere .

Using  his experience working as a manager across many organisations, Tait’s expertise has gone on to help many others discover what traits these people have. He has also written humorous articles about the workings of multinational organisations often written anonymously to protect his job or under the pseudonym Grant Petrie.

‘I am hoping that my book helps many learn how to identify a no-decision manager and learn the different positive ways to work with them. I’m pleased to share my knowledge of how they survive in organisations and how to detect them.’

To find out more: https://nodecisionmanager.co.uk/