Girls Toys : So Much More Than A Makeup Mirror – by Award Winning Author Dr Kathleen Thompson

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As a keen amateur dancer I spend more hours than I care to admit in front of a mirror, creating my ballroom hair style, applying totally over-the-top makeup and outrageously long false eyelashes and of course attaching numerous hair crystals.

So how thrilled was I to try this fabulous Arighi Bianchi Halo Makeup Mirror with so many cool features? It’s as if the whole design team had pulled out all stops just for ballroom and latin dancers. But if you don’t spend most weekends transforming your look and driving miles to perform in front of a panel of judges, fear not, this special mirror will thrill you too.

So why is the Halo Makeup Mirror so amazing? Well firstly it looks beautiful. The mirror itself is a very good size and has a tall elegant stand. The superbright ring light is 900 lux, making it three times brighter than most other illuminated mirrors and the mirror itself has a very high colour quality of 90 CRI. These features allow a very detailed and ‘true’ view of your face – perfect for applying an accurate eyeliner flick, drawing a beautiful lip shape or getting that contouring just right. Then, when you want to see the finished effect, simply switch to the softer lighting setting, relax and just admire your handiwork.

My hair and makeup process takes rather a long time, so how clever of Arighi Bianchi to think of inserting a bluetooth speaker in the bass of the mirror stand? Perhaps a soothing rumba or a cheeky cha-cha-cha as you pluck those stray eyebrow hairs? You can even chat on the phone as it has a built in microphone too.

But there’s more. Wouldn’t it be a shame if this fabulous bit of kit were only used for applying makeup or doing your hair? But not so – you can tip the mirror with its ring light through 90 degrees, creating a desk light which is bright enough to light the whole room with a soft white/yellow colour. This is particularly great if you live in a small apartment where space is of a premium. As a minimalist I just love this dual-purpose feature. I’m using mine as a bedside light.

If you’re still looking for something really special for Mum on Mother’s Day or you just want to give yourself a Mother’s Day treat this is a fabulous product at £50.50 from ArighiBianchi.co.uk.

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.

Ballroom Dancers Give Selflessly In Ukraine – by Award Winning Author Dr Kathleen Thompson

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Frost recently featured Bartosz (Boyan) Bojanczyk – Polish dance champion and coach – who has put his career on hold to ferry evacuees and medical supplies between Ukraine and Poland. So far he has driven over 7000km and helped over a hundred people to safety.

But there are important new developments. He and his volunteer network have been adapting to use your donations most effectively. So what’s been going on?

Well, first they expanded their network throughout Ukraine. Due to high costs, danger and demand, a taxi ride from a Kyiv home to the railway station had escalated from $10 to $200 and people simply couldn’t afford to journey to safety. So Boyan and friends found and reimbursed reliable drivers to take people to Kyiv station. Once the evacuees get the train to Lviv, Boyan and team drive them to Poland.

He’s also linked in with another amazing dancer, Hanna Karttunen and others – who drove from Finland with a cargo of desperately needed pharmacy medicines and dressings which Boyan took on into Ukraine (See Video 3 below).

But all the time Boyan was observing and thinking. The photo above is a group of young Ukrainian men (I would say boys, but maybe that reflects my age). These incredibly brave guys are ready to fight for their country. However, although they each have a gun (and just three days training), they had no protective clothing, making them incredibly vulnerable to being killed. So Boyan has been using donations to source and buy military-grade protective gear such as bulletproof vests, helmets, tactical shoes, proper knee pads and tactical gloves.

Here are some of Boyan’s incredible video diaries below – absolutely riveting: VIDEO 1 VIDEO 2 VIDEO 3 VIDEO 4 plus another link to his JUST GIVING PAGE.

But Boyan isn’t alone. My Ukrainian dance class-mate, Gala Kovalyk is collecting for her Polish friend Anna Jarmosiewicz-North, who is housing refugees in an empty house on the Polish border. (see photo below) They’re also helping friends in Zhytomyr (near Kyiv).  Despite regular bombing, their friends are taking refugees from even more dire areas in Eastern Ukraine.  They need food and other essentials to survive and Anna’s charity is sending these to them. Read more details here: GO FUND ME

Frost readers are incredibly generous, and all donations to Boyan and Gala/Anna will be used directly to help desperate Ukranian evacuees. Thank you all for your crucial support.

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.

Joffe Books has done it again, a lovely round up of new books for the week. 

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Have a laugh, enjoy yourselves with Joffe’s  book of the week this week: MURDER ON PORT MEADOW by the crime-writing duo of Annie Dalton and Maria Dalton. Discover a classic British murder mystery filled with atmosphere, lovable characters, gentle humour, and gripping twists and turns,

Out now for just 99p | 99c, don’t miss this page-turning new murder mystery featuring three dog-walking detectives (and their canine companions) — currently available for half price, and not just for dog lovers.
I love this sort of book, and I suspect you will too.

CLICK HERE TO BUY MURDER ON PORT MEADOW BY ANNIE DALTON WITH MARIA DALTON FOR 99P | 99C.

                                       

CLOSING RANKS BY ELIZABETH GUNN OUT NOW — ONLY £1.99 | $2.99

Detective Sarah Burke is called to a shooting: a rookie cop caught a thief in the act and shot him dead.
The detectives get a shock when they discover the victim is Ed Lacey, Sarah’s former mentor.
Can they uncover the shocking truth before Ed’s family closes ranks?

“Precision-tooled procedurals” The New York Times

MURDER ON THE DAWN PRINCESS BY ROY LEWIS   OUT NOW — ONLY £1.99 | $2.99

The discovery of the headless corpse out at sea has everyone on high alert. The dead man is a notorious villain. Then a young heiress goes missing and a local historian falls to his death.

Could it all be connected? Can Arnold Landon unravel the truth in time to save the missing girl?

“An unforgettable character.” The New York Times

jOFFE tells us that they are delighted and excited to have signed THIRTEEN books from the fabulous authorJean G. Goodhind, Look out for the first book in Jean’s Honey Driver mystery series, coming later this month . . .

Go to Joffe Books to find ALL this week’s  new books

 

Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin Book Review

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rebel skies by Ann sei linn 

Origami comes to life in this stunning teen fantasy novel. With excellent world building and a superb grasp of tension and pace, Rebel Skies grabs you by the throat and does not let go. Rebel Skies is beautifully written and leaves you in completely awe. Ann Sei Linn has an incredible imagination and we are all lucky that she is sharing it with us. Even better, this book is the first in a trilogy. I cannot wait for the others. Adults can love this book too.
The characters are great and there are many funny moments on top of the awesome and exciting world-building. I don’t give stars with reviews but if I did I would give Rebel Skies five stars.

 

A beautifully written and pacy teen fantasy adventure, set in a world of flying ships, sky cities and powerful paper spirits. Inspired by Asian cultures and exploring themes of empire, slavery and freedom.

Kurara has never known any other life than being a servant on board the Midori, but when her party trick of making paper come to life turns out to be a power treasured across the empire, she joins a skyship and its motley crew to become a Crafter. Taught by the gruff but wise Himura, Kurara learns to hunt shikigami – wild paper spirits who are sought after by the Princess.

But are these creatures just powerful slaves, or are they beings with their own souls? And can a teenage girl be the one to help them find their voice – and change the course of an empire?

Out May 5th.

Catherine Yardley My Writing Process.

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As a little girl my nose was always in a book. I would even read a book a day when I was ill. I loved Enid Blyton and Judy Blume. I started writing song lyrics because I was in a band when I was younger and then I changed the song lyrics to poems. I sent them off and one of them ended up in an anthology when I was eleven. It was the start of something for me. I also had a very good English teacher who really encouraged me and told me I could be a writer. All a young person needs is for someone to believe in them.

I have been writing since I was in single figures but I let it slide for a few years to go off and work in the film industry. I started again when I had children and I am so glad I did. I got taken on by one of the first agents I contacted and then I got a traditional publishing deal too. All from the first batch of submissions I sent off. I got offered two different publishing contacts for Ember and I decided to go with Pegasus. They have been amazing. I cannot recommend them enough.

What you have written, past and present.

I have written non-fiction in the past, as well as a lot of articles and such. I have been a travel writer, a restaurant critic and a theatre critic. Ember is my debut novel.

Ember, Catherine Yardley, author.

What you are promoting now. 

Ember is a story about a family who’s father left them on Christmas day when they were kids. Thirty years later the younger sister is getting married and that brings their father back into their lives. The story revolves around Dr Natalie Holmes and her boyfriend Rob in the present day, and her parents Tim and Jacqueline in the past.

Natalie goes off the rails when her younger sister gets married and pregnant before her, and her father comes back into their lives. She dumps her boyfriend on the side of the road and drives off in his car. The book is about love and family. A part of the book is about whether or not we should allow family in our lives if they have been left wanting. Can a family that has been torn apart ever heal their wounds? Will Rob and Natalie get back together? Read it and find out!

Here is the blurb:

A family torn apart by their father’s infidelity are forced to confront the past thirty years later. As Natalie’s younger sister, Amanda, prepares for marriage and impending motherhood, her plea for the family to reunite uncovers pent-up tension and animosity. Can they forget the past and become a family again?

Natalie’s life begins to unravel as their father starts to creep back into their lives and family tensions resurface, affecting her relationship with her boyfriend, Rob. Will the couple find their way back to each other, and can a family that has been torn apart ever heal their wounds?

Can you ever walk away from someone you love, or do some fires never die out?

A bit about your process of writing. 

This was my first novel which I wrote simultaneously with another novel. I would wheel my son around in his pram until he fell asleep and then I would write 2000 words on my iPhone. I always try to write the first draft as quick as possible. I like to keep up the momentum and the same energy. I do 2000-3000 words a day. Editing is always tough but I am as relentless as the editing. Ha.

I have three kids so I have to write whenever I can and focus on it. Having kids has trained me to be ruthlessly efficient when I need to.

Do you plan or just write?

I just write. Total panster. You need an idea and a handle on the character. Then just let yourself fly.

What about word count?

I do 2000-3000 words a day.

How do you do your structure?

My agent, Susan, says I have a great sense of structure and it is one of the nicest things anyone has said about me. I think it is because I read so much. I am with Stephen King. To be a good writer you need to both write and read a lot. Reading teaches you to be an excellent writer.

What do you find hard about writing?

Finding the time.

What do you love about writing? 

Everything.

Advice for other writers. 

Get on with it. Don’t give up. Write and then rewrite. Submit endlessly. Don’t let the rejection get you down. You have to be able to take rejection if you want to be a professional writer. Just take the feedback on board, edit and then send away somewhere else. You can do it!

Ember is out on the 31st March and is available from WH Smith, Waterstones, Amazon and The Book Depository.

Breakneck Point by T.Orr Munro

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Breakneck Point has a stunning opening when CSI Ally Dymond refuses to compromise on her beliefs and exposes corruption when she is on the stand. She pays dearly for it as it costs her a place on the major investigations team. She is left working crimes that are beneath her considerable talents in North Devon. A single mother to a rebelling daughter, it is fair to say she has a lot on her hands. Yet there is a crime that does not add up and she refuses to let it go.

From the first page Breakneck Point grabs you and refuses to let go. T.Orr Munro is a fantastic writer and the pacing, the story, the characters, everything is just perfect. The villain is so hatable and written so well.  I love a good crime thriller and T.Orr Munro is a new standout star in the vein of Lisa Gardner, Patricia Cornwell and Steve Cavanagh, basically all of my other favourite crime writers.

I would love to see  CSI Ally Dymond get her own TV show. Fingers crossed. I cannot wait for the next in this series because this better be a series. T.Orr Munro’s talents demand more books, and so will her many fans.

 

A brand new crime series for fans of Val McDermid, Jane Casey, Cara Hunter and Mare of Easttown

CSI Ally Dymond’s commitment to justice has cost her a place on the major investigations team. After exposing corruption in the ranks, she’s stuck working petty crimes on the sleepy North Devon coast.

Then the body of nineteen-year-old Janie Warren turns up in the seaside town of Bidecombe, and Ally’s expert skills are suddenly back in demand.

But when the evidence she discovers contradicts the lead detective’s theory, no one wants to listen to the CSI who landed their colleagues in prison.

Time is running out to catch a killer no one is looking for – no one except Ally. What she doesn’t know is that he’s watching, from her side of the crime scene tape, waiting for the moment to strike.

 

Out on 14th April 2022. Pre order here. 

 

SUNDAY SCENE: KATE RYDER ON HER FAVOURITE SCENE FROM BENEATH CORNISH SKIES

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I’m thrilled that Beneath Cornish Skies was shortlisted for the RNA Romantic Novel Awards 2022 in the Fantasy Romantic Novel category. By now, the winner will have been announced! It’s too hard to choose a favourite scene so I’ve chosen an extract from the prologue:

To outsiders, Cassandra Shaw’s life looks perfect but her reality is very different to people’s perceptions. Insecure and suspicious of her good-looking, charismatic, businessman boyfriend, this is a recurring dream she has.

Before me lay a thick, impenetrable forest stretching as far as the eye could see. It was dark and foreboding and I shivered with apprehension. In the distance, a firefly darted towards me through the trees and as the pinprick of light grew closer, it hovered at the edge of the woodland… beckoning. I knew I had no choice but to enter and though fearful of the unknown, I took a tentative step. Pushing aside the undergrowth, I followed the beacon of light and drifted through the foliage like a spirit, twisting and turning through the trees. As I glanced up at the dense canopy that inhibited any natural light, I found my body rising through the branches, without control over speed, until high above the forest I gazed down upon a wild, rugged landscape shrouded in darkness.

Photo credit: Nigel Kivell

     On the wind I detected a scent of the ocean and raising my eyes to the heavens, I watched dark cirrus clouds scudding across the night sky to reveal a wash of twinkling stars and planets. A halo of light surrounded the moon, its inner edge tinged red; the outer an altogether bluer hue. Gazing earthwards again, I noticed the thick tree canopy stretched for miles – like a spill of ink across the landscape. All at once I was descending and as I plunged through the roof of the forest I closed my eyes, bracing myself against the scratch and claw of twig and branch. But, unscathed, I floated gracefully to the forest floor.

It’s a landscape Cass doesn’t recognise and as the dream continues, she follows the firefly through the forest until reaching a gypsy encampment.

And then, through the flickering firelight, I saw you sitting on a log on the far side of the camp, deep in conversation with the man beside you. No one had noticed me and, moving closer, I took the opportunity to gaze at your face in wonder. You were not like the others; you shared none of their darkness. Prone to curls, your dark blond hair framed a genuine, open face that was teasingly familiar, and yet not. As your lips formed silent words I studied you: the slant of your brow; the sharp angle of your cheekbones; the shape of your nose; the tight line of your jaw. And I noticed the way your eyes crinkled when you laughed. Suddenly you smiled and I gasped, as intense, stirring sensations took hold deep in my belly.

     From out of the corner of my eye I saw a man approaching. He requested a dance but, impatiently, I brushed him away, and when I turned back you were looking directly at me. Your gaze asked a question, and for a heartbeat I stopped breathing. I no longer had the ability to drift and cautiously, as if in experiment, I placed one foot in front of the other and stepped uncertainly towards the fire. But the heat was too fierce and I glanced at you in confusion. Had I misunderstood?

      In a voice soft and tender, you encouraged me. ‘You can do it. Follow the path.’

 

Connect with Kate: https://www.facebook.com/kateryder.author

 

 

 

 

 

Duckling by Eve Ainsworth Book Review

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I loved the synopsis of Duckling and I could not wait to dive into Eve Ainsworth’s adult fiction debut. This book is so heart-warming and exquisite. In fact, it might be the most heart-warming book I have ever read. Sure it has sadness too, but doesn’t everything? I love a coming-of-age book and that is exactly what Duckling is.
It is impossible to not love the character of Lucy, or Duckling as she is called by her father. She is insular and a loner. Letting life pass her by on a council estate, until a neighbour asks her to take care of their child. An adventure happens and the ride is a beautiful one indeed. I also love how Duckling has a working-class setting, something that is so rare. We need more of that.
I loved the prose, the characters and the story. Honestly, Duckling is one of my books of the year already. Eve Ainsworth is a writer of note and she is only getting started. Duckling is a magnificent must read.

duckling by eve ainsworth book review.

Duckling’s a nickname Lucy has never been able to shake off.
And, if she’s honest, maybe it suits her.
She just isn’t the type to socialise with other people.
You might say she’s reluctant to leave her nest.

Lucy’s life is small, but safe. She’s got a good routine. But all that’s about to change…

When Lucy’s neighbour asks her to look after her little girl for a couple of hours – and then doesn’t come back – Lucy is suddenly responsible for someone other than herself.

It takes courage to let the outside world in, and Lucy’s about to learn there’s much more to life – but only if she’s brave enough to spread her wings…

Duckling is available here.