CARIADS’ CHOICE: JULY 2022 BOOK REVIEWS

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Nita Prose’s The Maid reviewed by Kitty Wilson

This is my favourite audiobook in ages. I absolutely loved it and found myself racing through it over the course of a weekend, deliberately choosing activities that meant I could keep listening. A delightful heroine surrounded by a fab cast of characters, you cannot help but fall in love with Molly the maid as she navigates a world full of social cues, clues and language that she doesn’t always understand. On the surface this is a simple whodunnit with a neurodiverse detective heroine, but it’s also a witty, refreshing look at society, how we communicate and what we prioritise. Highly recommended.

 

Lynne Shelby’s Rome for the Summer reviewed by Carol Thomas

What a lovely, uplifting read! I read the novel on holiday; it was the perfect book to relax and unwind with. Kate was a likeable heroine, her family were wonderful, and her newfound life and love interest in Rome was perfect. For a novel filled with artistic fervour, Jamie was the ideal hero; his passion for both the art exhibited in Rome and that created by his hand was evident throughout. The insights into the past worked well, and I enjoyed discovering more about Kate’s Italian girl (depicted in a painting). Overall it is a lovely escapist read that will whisk you off to Rome for the Summer, fill you with warmth and leave you with a big satisfied smile.

 

Anne Booth’s Small Miracles reviewed by Jane Cable

I can absolutely see why this book is published under Random House’s Vintage label, because it is just that. Quaint, charming and a little old-fashioned, not just because it is set in 1995; it transports the readers back to simpler times, before the world was glued to its mobile phone.

Set in an English catholic convent down on its luck, the book follows the remaining three nuns, the local priest and a small cast of parishioners and friends, as after a modest lottery win, a series of other ‘small miracles’ begin to occur.

Although I quite enjoyed the journey, there was something missing from the book for me. I wanted it to be either funnier, or tug at my heart-strings more, and I had problems relating to the three main characters. However if you yearn for fiction akin to the Miss Read books, this may very well be exactly to your taste. It was in no way a ‘bad’ book (whatever that is), just not for me.

 

Bella Osborne’s A Wedding at Sandy Cove, parts 1 and 2 reviewed by Morton S Gray

I have loved all of Bella Osborne’s books and wasn’t surprised that I loved this one too. I sat and read the first part of Ella’s story in one sitting and didn’t want it to finish. Can’t wait for the next part.

Like Ella, I was a bridesmaid numerous times and never thought I would be a bride, but to work in the bridal industry must make that thought even harder. Love her cat and her friends, who can see her flaws but want the best for her.

Easy to read, easy to relate to, left me wanting more …

Part two of A Wedding at Sandy Cove didn’t disappoint and I found myself laughing and even shouting at my kindle, so I guess that means I was involved in the story!

Ella’s adventures continue. I’m glad I wasn’t at her friend’s hen party event but there is plenty to read about and I even spat my mouthful of tea out at one point when I laughed totally unexpectedly!

Waiting for Part Three…

 

 

 

Another list of tasty treats from Joffe Books. Enjoy.

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Joffe Books’ book of the week is BLUE MURDER, the first book in bestselling, multi-award-winning author Cath Staincliffe’s Detective Janine Lewis series, which inspired the hit ITV drama Blue Murder — out now for just 99p | 99c.

Janine Lewis is a single mum of three and Manchester’s newest detective chief inspector. Her cheating husband walked out the day she got promoted. Now she’s six months pregnant with his baby and in charge of her first murder case.

CLICK HERE TO BUY BLUE MURDER BY BESTSELLING AUTHOR CATH STAINCLIFFE FOR JUST 99P | 99C.

Don’t miss the first in Cath Staincliffe’s unforgettable, electrifying series of Manchester-set police procedurals, described as “a real knockout” by Ian Rankin, as “one of the best police procedurals I’ve read this year” by Ann Cleeves, and as “utterly gripping” by the Daily Telegraph. And to that, we can add Frost Magazine, it is all of these things.

                        

Kidnap on the Moors by Priscilla Masters   OUT NOW — JUST 99P | 99C

A missing lawyer. A strangled nurse. A killer that DI Joanna Piercy must track down before they strike again.

“Pulled me in right from the start.” Ann Cleeves

The Boathouse Murders by Pauline Rowson    99p/99c

Renegade detective Andy Horton is assigned the case of a missing person: Jasper Kenton, a PI. Kenton was on the trail of a man whose wife thought he was having an affair. Then Kenton’s naked body is discovered on a stretch of beach on the Isle of Wight, wrapped in sailcloth.
Now Horton is embroiled in an investigation that has major personal ramifications — should he stay silent, or speak out and risk his career?

INDIE AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: DISCOVER THE ATMOSPHERIC CRIME FICTION OF #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR RACHEL MCLEAN

Joffe Books tell us they are proud to take inspiration from indie authors. Not only are they writing brilliant and compelling stories, but they are also connecting closely with their readers and reaching them in increasingly dynamic ways, turning their passion for writing into incredibly successful careers.

This week Joffe’re featuring the #1 Kindle bestselling indie author Rachel McLean!

Rachel has two bestselling British crime series out: the DI Zoe Finch series based in Birmingham, and the Dorset Crime series, which takes place around the Jurassic coast.

Book one in the Dorset Crime series, The Corfe Castle Murders, won the 2021 Kindle Storyteller Award and has been a Kindle bestseller since its launch in July 2021

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COPY OF THE BALLARD DOWN MURDER BY RACHEL MCLEAN.

 

JOFFE BOOKS LAUNCH NEW AUDIO LIST

Joffe are delighted to announce that BLUE MURDER will be launching a brand-new audiobook list from Joffe Books — with a selected list of our titles, including Cath Staincliffe’s Detective Janine Lewis series — available as audiobooks on Audible and all leading audiobook platforms.

Search for “Blue Murder by Cath Staincliffe” on your preferred audiobook platform to find the book, and happy listening!

SUNDAY SCENE: KILEY DUNBAR ON HER FAVOURITE SCENE FROM SUMMER AT THE HIGHLAND CORAL BEACH

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I call my third novel, Summer at the Highland Coral Beach, ‘the book of my heart’ as it was deeply emotional to write.

The story follows Bea six months after the miscarriage of her longed-for baby. She’s approaching her fortieth birthday, her marriage has ended, and she’s spiralling. Bea books a spur-of-the-moment crafting holiday in the highlands at the eccentric Princess and the Pea Inn (complete with towering fairy-tale bed). Here, Bea has time to wild swim off the coral beach, make beautiful things, and process her grief a little, helped by willow weaving tutor, Atholl.

Having grown used to keeping her grief to herself (so often grieving parents find they have no outlet for their sadness), the words spill from her during a panic attack witnessed by Atholl. He strikes upon a way of helping Bea begin to say goodbye.

I love this scene because it depicts things not all that often discussed in ‘light’, cosy romances.

He produced a parcel from under his arm and unwrapped the brown paper that protected it. ‘I thought maybe, if you want, you could make use of this wee thing?’

He handed her the intricately weaved hollow bassinette shaped curiously like a Russian doll or an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus with a round hole where the face would be.

‘I made it myself of the spring’s youngest willow back in March.’
‘It’s lovely. What is it?’ Bea asked.
‘It was for a talk Seth was giving about old Highland customs. It’s a swaddling basket. You’d wrap the baby in cloths and bands, tucking them up tight so they could sleep, and then they’d be placed inside the basket and worn over the parent’s back while they worked in the fields or at the fishes.’
‘It’s beautiful. It’s tiny, though. Too small for a newborn.’
‘It was only a model, to show what the real thing would be like.’

Beatrice turned it over in her hands, her eyes misting, and she looked up at him, hesitatingly, still unsure of what he intended her to do.

‘There’s another Highland custom, an ancient one, going back to the earliest folk on the land,’ he said softly. ‘When a loved one passed, they would swaddle them too like a bairn, placing them in the water, letting the tides carry them home.’

Beatrice took his meaning and she bobbed her head as the silent tears came again.

‘Do you want to do it now? There’s a braw moon lighting the harbour.’
‘All right.’

Those were the last words they said to each other that night as Beatrice, the mother of a loved son, threaded the Highland posy of forget-me-nots, heather and white campion into the loose basket work, weaving each flower in amongst the shoots from the sappy willows as Atholl watched on.

When her work was done she left the inn, crossing the dark road and leaning over the sea wall. Atholl stayed by the inn porch, close enough to see her kiss the little bundle before lowering the empty bassinette onto the surface of the gentle waters.

Neither could tell how long it took for the horizon to claim the floating focus of so much of her grief but by sunrise it was gone and Beatrice was asleep soundly in her bed.

 

Despite the sadness, there’s love and laughter in store for Bea and Atholl. I’ve received many messages from parents saying how Bea’s story helped them. I hope it continues to offer a wee bit of brightness to yet more readers when Summer at the Highland Coral Beach comes out on paperback this July.

One in four pregnancies end in miscarriage, the miscarriage association is there to help: https://www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk/

 

 

 

The Power of Hope by Alex Bannard Wellness and Wellbeing Editor

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Last week, I shared Minty’s journey as he honed his craft, abilities & skills. This week I share my own experiences.

We’d just sat down to our meeting yesterday when a woman  at the table next to us leaned over & asked Minty if he remembered doing a reading at her house with 4 other friends. Of course he did. She asked if he remembered telling them they’d have a baby in the family, a baby boy. Of course he did. She said, ‘My sister is having a baby & they just found out they were having a boy.’

And that’s what I love about these things – the little synchronicities that pop up just to remind you. She may have forgotten what Minty had told her if she hadn’t randomly bumped into him yesterday.

I asked Minty if he had any messages for me. ‘I’m not trying to get a freebie reading, I just think I can’t write about this without experiencing it.’

He asked for something of mine as he also practices Psychometry, known as token-object reading. It is a form of extrasensory perception characterized by making observations of someone by using an object close to the subject to channel these messages. I didn’t have any jewellery on, I don’t own a watch, all I had was my purse. He rubbed his hands over the purse & asked me if I had a big move planned, I was moving?

Er nope.

I tried to stay poker faced. Although I absolutely believed in his ability what he said didn’t really resonate & I didn’t want to give anything away, which is daft because I believe it is all energy, so my poker face ain’t going to defeat to the Universe, Quantum, energy. I was planning garden renovations; perhaps he sensed my higher energy  because I have been talking with a friend who is very green fingered about this as  a project over the summer.

‘You’re very green fingered & love having your hands in the soil.’

Er very much nope. It is one of those mindful activities I know has SO many positive health benefits but gardening to me is housework. But I have definitely been fantasizing about making my garden more zen.

He gave me some other pointers about things that will be resolved that do monopolise my energy & thoughts. I thought I had a much better handle on them. Minty asked why I had been feeling anxious.

‘ I didn’t think I had been.‘ I replied. 

I thought I’d been keeping those anxious thoughts at bay. But it was a timely reminder about watching the energy of those thoughts as there was obviously enough anxious energy whirling around for him to pick up on. But it also gave me some hope about things being resolved & maybe even sooner than I imagined.  And that’s the crux of it, I believe it’s all about belief & hope, trust & surrender. If one has hope, our vibrations are higher so  matches are going to be higher & things may well get resolved. If we trust & believe we are creating space for things to change.

I was a little sceptical as I returned home. The house thing was bugging me til I realised my dream is to buy the house we currently rent & because I  have started to see & believe in it as a reality I have been imagining, visualising what I’d do to the house should it happen. It will be a massive reno job, need under-pinning, the works. Dreams and imaginings, eh. That was the energy Minty picked up on: the dreams & imaginings leading to higher vibrations,

What I found equally interesting was that Minty steered away from obvious things like messages from my Dad, who died decades ago, or messages about my business. Instead they were subtle messages that were possibly easy to dismiss.  As I took some time to reflected on little things he’d said. I noticed how there was a grain of truth, a whisper of energy in everything Minty had picked up on. .

Minty said really all he does is give people hope. But that’s the power of hope: it can change your energy and therefore  your life. Hope is a huge gift.

If you’d like to contact Minty about readings, he works in person & remotely with people all over the world – that’s the great thing about energy, it’s not confined to this time & space!

Minty May – 07842 856552, facebook.com/mintystarot

Alex is based on the edge of the stunning Cotswolds & has been sharing her love for all things yoga & mindfulness for almost a decade, not just in the UK but also around the world. Her mission is to help everyone discover a more mindful way of living & to encourage them to embrace regular self-care practices for a happier & healthier way of being.

 

6 Habits Every Writer Should Follow for Efficient Work

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It is the ultimate goal of all writers to knock out thousands of words every day. You dream of touching new heights of success and top the bestseller lists all over the world. However, this process requires you to put your heart and soul into fulfilling your purpose.

As Stephen King once said, “You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will. Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free, so drink. Drink and be filled up.” This is why writing is also therapeutic for many authors.

It is an activity that not only gives you a chance to express your feelings but also provides a great opportunity to explore new worlds of your imagination. Every writer dreams of showcasing their skills and talent in front of the whole world, but only a few end up doing so.

So, if you want to be one of the most successful writers and fulfill your dream, here are some of the many important habits you need to adopt.

 

Read More Often

You might be confused about how it is exactly relevant to writing? What you might not be aware of is that reading is part of the process. Yes, you heard it right! Just like music is food for your soul, reading turns out to be the fuel for your writing skills.

Reading your favorite authors and genres more often can give you a chance to enhance your innovation and let you delve into new worlds of different perspectives. It is also a great way to improve your writing skills by identifying several writing styles.

Reading a wide variety of books of different genres gives you better exposure to enhanced vocabulary as well as helps you get your inspiration for your storyline. By reading more interesting books, you will also be able to increase your knowledge about your favorite topics.

 

Write Every Day

We all have our own set of responsibilities and hectic routines, but that should never be the reason for you to skip writing. Taking out time from your daily life and focusing on your writing can not only help you to achieve your goals without having to get into much hassle.

No matter how intimidating and overwhelming it might sound, dedicating a certain time of your day to writing is necessary if you want to be like one of your top favorite authors. This will also turn out to be quite beneficial in keeping things organized.

To fulfill this purpose, you can set up a proper space and time where you can easily focus on your writing. Another easy solution is to give yourself a small, realistic task and try to finish what you started once you start writing.

 

Set Your Deadlines

All writers deal with a mental block, also commonly known as “writer’s block,” every once in a while. However, this should never distract you from your real goal. This means that you need to find out strategies to deal with such situations in an effective manner.

For this, one of the easiest ways to keep working at a consistent pace is by trying to make sure to set reasonable and realistic deadlines for your tasks. You can also divide your work into small sections and give yourself a certain time limit to be able to efficiently work on it.

You can also block a certain time for your tasks to make sure to complete your work within deadlines. However, make sure not to get too hard on yourself, as this can limit your creativity and might not let you get the best out of yourself.

 

Edit After You Write

One of the most common mistakes that most authors might make is editing their work when writing. While it is great to multitask, it is not quite the case when it comes to writing. Since it is a creative process, it comes at its own time.

Instead of that, what you can do is to first complete your draft and then dedicate a certain time to thoroughly edit and proofread your work. Whether it is about the quality of your work or the cover design of your book, you can also take help from professionals to easily achieve your goals.

Just like you can hire a sci-fi book cover designer, you can also get yourself an expert editor. This will help you to check your work with a fresh pair of eyes and from a different perspective. It will also improve the clarity and readability of your book.

 

Embrace Research

Whether you are planning to write fiction, non-fiction, or any other genre, one thing that can certainly play a vital role in your success is research. Believe it or not, even the famous writers have been there once and invested their time in succession.

While it might sound like a long struggle at first, identifying your target audience and market helps you to address the pain points of your potential readers. This lets you understand the likes and dislikes of your target audience as well.

Unlike what most people think, research is not a distraction, and it rather puts you on the right path to success. It also gives your writing a proper direction by letting you know what kind of content you need to shift your focus to.

 

Utilize Technology

With the advancement in technology, we have got plenty of options available for us to complete our work. Especially when it comes to writing, with the internet at your fingertips, you can use a number of different tools and tricks to increase your creativity.

With a vast variety of things available on the internet, you can use this knowledge to speed up the process of your writing. Whether it is about research, writing, editing, or anything else, these tools can help you to easily achieve your goals without having to get into much hassle.

All you need to do is to find the right tools that work for you and utilize them according to your requirements. This will help you to save a lot of time, energy, and money as well and make writing a happier and smoother process for you.

 

6 ways to make exercise part of your daily routine

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When it comes to making your exercise routine more manageable, and easier to keep consistent, it’s a challenge to make it all fit within your daily routine at times.

But when you’re looking to lose weight, whether you hire a personal trainer in London or you’re doing online yoga lessons in Lisbon, everyone’s lives are different around the world. To get you where you want to be, and to keep you healthy, here are 5 ways to make exercising a regular part of your daily routine.

Start small to achieve big

Pushing your body to the limits on day one of a long-term exercise plan is always going to fail. 15-30 minutes of exercise per day to start with is perfectly fine. What matters is making it feel like a routine. Then we can look at adding more time to it. Simple changes like taking the stairs instead of the lift or having a nice little walk to work can make all the difference.

Keep it convenient

You’re less likely to give up on an exercise routine if it’s convenient for you. Local gyms or running routes nearby your home are perfect for making you stay on track. Working out from home? Get that exercise mat set out the night before to get you regularly exercising with more ease.

Enough of the excuses

How many times over the years have you made a little progress only to fall into those same old bad habits? There’s always an excuse to not get out of bed, to skip a workout, and to avoid exercising. But if you can avoid these excuses for just a few months, you’ll soon find working out a natural part of your everyday routine. Then, it’ll feel weird for you to not get up and do it!

Sleep is more important than you think

It’s not just about getting out of bed and exercising either. Getting into bed and sleeping well is one of the most important parts of maintaining a good exercise routine. The more you sleep, the better you’ll feel in the morning. Aim for around 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

There’s a workout for everyone – keep looking!

If you’ve not exercised much in the past, it can be difficult to find the right routine at first. Many people are presented with one way of exercising, absolutely hate it, and immediately give up. But there are so many exercise methods out there, like walking, tennis, aerobics, swimming, and yoga, to try. Keep looking and you’ll soon find the perfect one for you.

Focus on your goals and your goals only

When you’re trying to get in shape, it’s easy to get distracted by online posts from others and to feel inadequate. Just remember that those ripped abs, slim waists, and huge muscles you’re seeing are the results of a lot of hard work. But their goals are not yours. Try to focus on your needs, and the results will speak for themselves.

Collaborative post with our brand partner.

Alex Bannard, Wellness and Wellbeing Editor explores ‘Everything is energy’ with Minty May

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It’s all energy!

Minty is a medium & tarot card reader. When we first met he told me there was quite the underground spiritual community in Evesham. I had recently been questioning this. His comments gave me hope.

Strangely I started to meet more people who were on their own spiritual journey; they started walking into my classes & reaching out to me via email or Facebook more, people I had never heard of before. Many with wonderfully diverse but equally fascinating spiritual, cosmic  experiences or beliefs.

But I only realized  when I sat down to write this piece that the catalyst for these beautiful souls coming into my time & space was this conversation with Minty. He gave me hope & hope opened up the space for more people on a similar but different journey to me to come into my life.

When we met next he told me about his ability, how it was nurtured. We of course talked about energy because essentially his skill, his craft, his ability is to see & interpret energy. So is it a gift? Not as such.  Everyone can do it but it has been conditioned out of most of us by society & generations who have not honed their own abilities.

It was Minty’s Nan who recognised her own abilities in her 5 year old grandson. She saw him talking supposedly to himself, but could see that it was in fact to her brothers. So could  Minty really see the same? ‘Who are you talking to?’ she asked.

‘‘Uncle Tom & Uncle Fred.’

I forget their real names, that’s not important.  What is important is that they had both died before Minty was born. His Nan asked him what they looked like & he described them perfectly.  From then on Minty’s Nan nurtured & nourished Minty’s ability ,‘Although,’ he laughs, ‘I could never master tea leaves – much to her dismay!’

These skills she had learnt from her mum & her mum before her & so on for generations. Minty went on to explain that all he can do is see, perceive, hear, feel, smell, and sense energy.

And everything is energy. We are all energy. We exist in a very material world but quantum science supports the view that we are more energy than matter. We used to be more consciously aware, more intuitive & in tune with nature, more connected to our bodies, & as such our energy was higher & we would have found it easier to perceive energy.


But as I mentioned before, it has been conditioned out of us & this art is no longer available to us all. Minty likened it to art & drawing. Not all of us are artists but we can all pick up a pen.

Minty is an artist of intuition & energy.

Find out more next week as Minty gives me some insights.

If you’d like to contact Minty about readings, he works in person & remotely with people all over the world – that’s the great thing about energy, it’s not confined to this time & space!

Minty May – 07842 856552, facebook.com/mintystarot

Alex is based on the edge of the stunning Cotswolds & has been sharing her love for all things yoga & mindfulness for almost a decade, not just in the UK but also around the world. Her mission is to help everyone discover a more mindful way of living & to encourage them to embrace regular self-care practices for a happier & healthier way of being.

If you would like more information on how to practice mindfulness, meditation & yoga message her at alex(at)alexbannard(dot)com.

For free resources check out her Facebook group: Mindfulness & Yoga for Self-Care, here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MindfulnessYoga4Relationships

Alternatively please check out her website: alexbannard.com

COSRX’s 5-Star Rated BHA Blackhead Power Liquid is Taking Over the Internet With This Surprising Hack

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Both blackheads and in-grown hairs are beauty bugbears. When it comes to underground beauty hacks, Reddit is often the place to go, and with summer fast approaching this hack is re-emerging as the go-to solution for ingrown hair.

No-one likes ingrown hairs, especially on sensitive areas such as the bikini line, and women have taken to the Skincare Addiction subreddit to hail their miracle cure –The COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid.

Posting on the subreddit, one user claimed: “I started using is as an after-shave with surprising success! No irritation, ingrown hairs have lessened a fair bit.” 

Another wrote: “I’ve used BHA successfully on ingrowns. You probably just don’t want it too close to any super sensitive parts.”

How does it work?

 

BHA’s are effective and powerful chemical exfoliants which gently slough away dead skin which clogs pores. They can penetrate skin and unclog pores which may be why Reddit users are hailing it’s ingrown-fighting abilities.

 

Julia Marinkovich, COSRX UK Representative explains; “BHAs are oil-soluble and can therefore penetrate deep into pores helping to unclog them and remove dead skin, which means they will likely be successful at soothing and clearing the inflamed, irritating clear little bumps left from shaving. However, there is no medical or scientific evidence that it can remove or loosen ingrown hairs.”

 

More Skin Benefits

 

 

The serum contains 4% natural Betaine Salicylate, an exfoliant which not only gets rid of blackheads and sebum inside of the pores, but also prevents sebum turning into blackheads via oxidation, and helps skin rebuild its moisture barrier. The light serum also contains White Willow Bark, which can help to decrease redness and inflammation, as well as Niacinamide and Sodium Hyaluronate, working together to fight acne, brighten, smooth and hydrate dull skin.

 

COSRX has a huge global cult following and sells out as soon as it is replenished. It has sold out 6 times already in 2022, with consumer demand outweighing supply.