Joffe Books thrills yet again, with good news and a great list of this week’s crime novels

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Lots of news today from Joffe Books, so let’s get to it: Seconds to Die by Rebecca Bradley is Joffe’s Book of the Week, and has all the twists and turns required of a bestseller:  a killer who sends drawings of the murders he will commit.  A detective who will do anything to stop him.

At only 99p/99c to celebrate the launch.

And yet more:

              

Murder under the Bridge by Roy Lewis. 99p/99c

Meet Arnold Landon, mild-mannered history buff turned amateur sleuth. Really truly, a fabulous read. I gulped it down. And what a jacket.

“Assembling layer upon layer of details . . . Lewis brings an insidious cleverness to his latest offering . . . canny enough to keep us enthralled.” Publishers Weekly

“The skilful Mr Lewis has made Arnold Landon an unforgettable character.” New York Times

Quiet Neighbours by Catriona McPherson 99p/99c

After a horrendous year, Jude buys a train ticket to the last place she remembers feeling happy.  A bookshop in the Scottish Highlands.  Sometimes the place you run to is even more dangerous than where you came from . . .

Collateral Damage Paul Bennett  99p/99c

The very title summons a chilling suspicion. An innocent hurt? Whaaat? So let’s have a look …

Nick Shannon knows what it’s like to be on the inside. He has the perfect experience for a job in the Fraud Squad, it’s just a shame that the cases thrown his way are about as stimulating as watching paint dry.

But now things are about to explode. I should say so. Behind the sofa with you. Duck!

MORE EXCITING NEWS.

The Joffe Books Store is here.  Joffe Books wanted to create one space especially for its readers where we can discover the work of Joffe’s authors, all in one place.

Ta ra… Roll of drums … Enter the Joffe Books Store which  allows us to browse all our old favourites, discover exciting new reads, shop for box sets and more. With Christmas on the way – oh yes it is, this could save time all you readers as you bustle in from the shops, and want to collapse over a cuppa, having plodded around shop after shop. Here it is, made easy for you, just one  convenient location.

Joffe Books Store UK    Joffe Books Store US

Visit the store today and tell Joffe  what you think.

And finally:

Join Joffe Books authors Margaret Murphy and Susanna Beard for a full day of exclusive events at Perfect Crime Festival 2021!

Margaret and Susanna are joined by some of the biggest and most exciting names in the world of crime writing to discuss how Liverpool as a city inspires crime writing and why are we fascinated by the murderous mind. A fabulous list of speakers including Ann Cleeves and Sophie Hannah and many many more. A feast of authors, a great time will be had.

Book your tickets here today.

9/11: 20 Years on – a personal recollection by Natalie Jayne Peeke West Country Correspondent

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September 11th 2001, a date where  many people around the world know exactly where they were and what they were doing.

I was nine, my mum picked me up from a after school club and we went to a friend’s house where we all  watched the horror unfold on TV, I remember the broadcasters’ screams as they witnessed the second plane strike the twin towers, I struggled to understand what I was seeing, the smoke, the shock in my parents’ faces, the horror, the fear. I wondered why it was happening, what did all of those innocent people do to deserve their fate  as they started work for the day? Suddenly everything seemed to have changed in my life.

In the years since I have watched a couple of documentaries with stories from survivors and eyewitnesses. Initially I wanted to write about the unsung heroes of that fateful day but morally I felt I couldn’t do so as everyone in their own way was a hero; some ran up the stairs towards the danger in a effort to save as many as they could, some did everything in their power to help strangers get to safety, some dug through the mountain of debris to help save someone’s life, some stayed calm and listened to the heart-breaking phone calls from those trapped above the fires and relayed messages to their loved ones.

Our Frost Magazine editor was at an auction sale. The sale stopped, people went home in silence, raw with shock. Her husband was in a meeting with Americans nearby. They rushed to the airport. What did it all mean? everyone thought. What? What was going to happen?

In 2008 I visited New York City and one of the many places I went to was Ground Zero, which was at the time under construction as the memorial was being built. Unlike the other stops on my trip, it was not full of hustle and bustle and crowds of people. It was quiet and sobering and incredibly emotional. I struggle to find the words to describe exactly what it was like , unless you have been there it is something you may not understand.

So many changes, but I speak of only those I experienced: before 9/11 as I flew out to America, it was not necessary to have a ticket before walking around a airport or to wait at the gate, passenger ID’s were not checked prior to boarding a plane and the only item that people had to remove when passing through security was loose change. Airport staff did not need background checks prior to employment and checked baggage was never scanned.

But most importantly for that nine year old that was me, is that  from that age I  realised our safety is not a given, because up until that moment this child named Natalie had assumed the rock like foundations on which her life was lived were assured forever.  Out of the blue , I realised, everything can change as it did that day.

I also learned that this is when the rebuilding begins… Life resumes. We go on. 

9/11 is a day that I will remember for the rest of my life. It was a day  that stopped the world, one that showed the worst and the best in so many.

Images courtesy of Kim Knight.

Blimey, I’m Knackered! An American’s Survival Guide To British English by Marshall Hall sounds like a corker, and it’s reviewed by Paul Vates Frost’s drama critic

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“a weighty and wonderful addition to any bookshelf”

Do you need to see a doctor if you have a water butt? What’s the proper response if someone knocks you up? Is it correct to go to the stationer’s if you have no lead in your pencil? Our language is confusing enough for the British, so imagine what it must be like trying to understand us if you’re not from these Isles. English is chock-a-block with idioms, colloquialisms and slang – see what I did there?!

Well, Marshall Hall, an American resident in the UK, has over many years collected hundreds of phrases and compiled them into his ‘Britspeak for Yanks’ lexicon Blimey, I’m Knackered!

Split into chapters, the book is a delightful way to discover over 1,200 genuine down-to-earth differences between the two nations’ languages. It doesn’t just explain, it educates with factual references throughout. All done in Marshall’s calm and witty style – and he doesn’t shy away from the naughty bits!

There are intermittent illustrations by Mark Cowie, enhancing what is already a perfect book to dip in and out of. The hardback has 348 pages – making it a weighty and wonderful addition to any bookshelf.

Published by Imbrifex Books – available now in Hardback and ebook

Email BlimeyImKnackered@outlook.com

Facebook @MarshallHallAuthor

Instagram @MarshallHall15

Photo credit: Peter Thody

How I Got Published By Alec Marsh

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Alec Marsh, writer, authorWhen I was 21 I started to write a novel. It wasn’t very good. I was working as a reporter for a local paper in Cornwall and my book… was about a reporter working for a local paper in Cornwall. 

Soon I moved to London to work for the Daily Telegraph and started writing a second novel. It was about a young journalist working for a newspaper in London. 

It wasn’t very good either. 

I met a top agent at a function and asked him if he’d see it. 

‘What’s it about?’ he asked.

After several seconds of flannelling he cut in: ‘If you can’t tell me in under 11 seconds then I’m not interested.’ 

I’d been introduced to the idea of the elevator pitch. If you can’t encapsulate your idea in a nutshell, you’ve had it.

I kept writing and the rejection slips (paper in those days) kept piling up.

Then one day a friend suggested I try my hand at historical fiction. ‘You’re obsessed about the past,’ he said. And it was true.

About a year later I read The Da Vinci Code, and was hooked. 

And I thought, “I can do that.”

So I started thinking about a historical mystery that could sit at the heart of a story, and some characters that would have sticking power.

That was around 2004. Before I knew it, I had started writing what would become my first novel, Rule Britannia. And I knew I was onto something, I could feel it in my fingertips. My characters – a historian and mountaineer Ernest Drabble and his pal, a journalist named Harris – were alive. And so was the story.

With a half-written book, I started polishing and went looking for an agent. Again the rejection slips piled up (still paper).

Then one day in 2008 an email landed at about 6pm on Saturday evening from an agent. Do you have any more, he asked?

I didn’t sleep that night. Soon I’d emailed the next three chapters, then we had a meeting. After that, I had an agent and went off to finish the book – armed with the self-confidence to finish it properly, to believe in myself and the benefits of his insights.

The agent then took it to market. But it was 2009 and e-readers, Amazon and the global financial crisis was hitting hard, and – for whatever reason – my book didn’t sell. After a dozen very polite rejections from major publishers, my agent suggested I try writing a different book. Which I did. 

For five years I wrote a book set in the First World War, but Drabble and Harris were still in the back of my mind, calling to me from the binary prison of a hard drive. 

By 2015 the First World War book was finished – but so was my relationship with my agent who finally spelled it out to me when he told me this was not a book that he could sell to his clients. We were finished.

Exhausted and disappointed, I stopped knocking on doors that wouldn’t open and focused instead on my day job. Every now and then someone would ask about Drabble and Harris; I would change the subject.

Then my son Herbie was born in 2016, and his arrival rekindled my ambition. So in the small hours, I dug out Rule Britannia and reread it, shook my head at parts that hadn’t aged well, and I polished it. And I pitched it again.

After a string of rejections (emails now), I went direct to publishers, finding an independent in Cardiff, named Accent Press. 

When the owner telephoned me and told me she’d take it – and she’d want two more books after – I was standing in a corridor at work. I didn’t punch the air, but a tear might have come to my eye. It had taken 20 years and I had endured numerous disappointments but it had finally happened. Drabble and Harris would get to their readers, and I was going to have a novel out. So what’s my advice for would-be authors. Don’t give up. And as Martin Amis once told me when I asked him for advice at book-signing: keep writing. After all, what else are you going to do?

Alec Marsh is author of the Drabble & Harris novels, published by Headline Accent. The latest book, ‘Ghosts of the West’ is published in original paperback and ebook on 9 September

 

Bee Bald – a complete line of men’s premium quality grooming, shave and skin care products reviewed by Natalie Jayne Peeke, West Country Correspondent

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Is it ever too early to think of who to give what for Christmas? No, especially the men in your life.

So Bee Bald was definitely worth a look, and a try… So did it pass the test?

For a start Bee Bald is a complete line of men’s premium quality grooming, shave and skin care products which seem to tick the boxes. A gentle face wash, a deep cleansing/exfoliating pre-shave scrub, a quality shaving cream, and for after… a healing balm and moisturiser.

But wait… Is this only for the Bald? Nope, if you have  hair Bee Bald is for you too. So why the name, Bee Bald? Well, why not, when honey and pollen extracts are components in each of Bee Bold’s products and  Dennis Fisher is … bald  and wanted to create products that were suitable for his face and head.

So has he done it?

Living with a man who has sensitive skin and is always changing his mind between a beard or clean shaven and having a buzz cut or letting his hair grow. I have witnessed the shaving burns  on his face and head, Not just that, but the  irritation  is not only painful to him but can cause self confidence issues.

Of course, being a busybody I have recommended some products that I have used and that have helped me but without success. He found they had a harsh floral or fruity scent and were not sensitive enough for his skin.

Since using the Bee Bald regime irritation is a thing of the past, and his skin is so smooth, I was jealous so I thought that I would try the moisturiser as well. All I can say is “wow” no more irritated skin, Bee Bald is now the go to product for both of us , it is incredible.

www.beebald.co.uk

 

When is the best time to get pregnant?

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Trying to conceive or even planning when to get pregnant can be a difficult topic. But, why should it be? The Fertility Partnership (TFP), one of the UK’s largest IVF providers and fertility specialists, shares some insight into the best time to get pregnant and factors to consider when planning for a new addition to your family.

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The best time to have sex in order to get pregnant is during a woman’s fertile window. This can last up to six days of every month, when the body is leading up to ovulation, and the day of, when the body releases an egg.

The egg survives for around one day once it has been released. However, sperm can survive inside a woman for up to a week, resulting in a six-day window for the sperm to meet an egg.

Women are most likely to conceive if they have sex within a day or two of ovulation. However, it can be difficult to know when ovulation is going to occur and therefore the days before it. Many women like to be precise and use calendars to help them work out when they will ovulate, but it’s healthiest to enjoy sex every two to three days for best results.

When a woman ovulates in any given cycle, it depends on a couple of factors:

  • The length of the woman’s menstrual cycle
  • How regular the woman’s periods are

A menstrual cycle can last between 21 and 40 days, though the average cycle is around 28 days. Regardless of how short or long a woman’s cycle normally is, ovulation will often occur around two weeks before her next period begins. If a woman has a 28-day menstrual cycle, she is likely to start ovulating around the middle of her cycle. Those with a short cycle can ovulate within days of her period coming to an end.

If a woman’s menstrual cycle is different from one month to the next, her fertile window is likely to vary by about a week between each period. This explains why it’s best to have sex every two to three days throughout a cycle. It has proven to be more effective than focusing only on the days of ovulation. Regular sex also improves the quality of sperm compared to daily sex.

How will you know when you are going to ovulate?

Many women are very aware of when they are going to ovulate, however others experience little to no changes at all. For women who are thinking about getting pregnant, it’s important to get in touch with your body and start looking out for and recognising signs of an approaching ovulation. These signs may appear around three weeks before a woman can expect her next period. Some common signs to look out for are:

  • Increased vaginal discharge (fertile mucus) that’s wetter and more stretchy than usual
  • Slight discomfort on one side of the stomach
  • Increased libido

Checking cervical mucus is one of the easiest ways to work out what days you will be most fertile. Changes to mucus are one of the easiest signs for women to spot.

 

What if you have irregular periods – will it be harder for you to get pregnant?

No, not necessarily. Irregular periods do not mean that a woman is less fertile than women with regular periods. However, if you are experiencing periods that are continuously irregular or more than 36 days apart, it is advised to see your doctor. Irregular periods can be caused by conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and thyroid disorders. Unfortunately, these conditions can affect a woman’s chances of conceiving, so it’s ideal to visit a doctor to obtain help and advice.

If you’re still experiencing issues with conceiving and think you need some extra assistance, The Fertility Partnership can help. Offering many different kinds of treatment including IVF, fertility preservation, fertility assessments and more it has over 200 fertility specialists within its nine clinics across the UK & Ireland.

To find out more about the treatments it offers, what would work best for you or simply to find your nearest clinic visit www.thefertilitypartnership.com.

 

WELSH WRITING WEDNESDAYS: INTRODUCING INDEPENDENT AUTHOR ALIENORA BROWNING

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Writing is, for me, like breathing: I feel oxygen-starved without it, and it has the same natural rhythms, dips and soaring highs. It is also my dominant ‘voice’ since I tend to be a listener, rather than a talker, in many situations.

I do not remember learning to write per se, but I do recall a wonderful ‘Aha!’ moment, when I was five or six, when I suddenly made the connection between the five letters which made up my nickname, its sound and the fact that it was part of me!

I wrote a play when I was eleven – and have it still, neatly written in a little blue exercise book. This was during the summer of 1969, just after my class watched the Moon Landing – and as I waited to start grammar school, having passed the 11+.

I can see that younger self, sitting in the hammock in the back garden, pen in hand, sun shining down on my hunched back, scribbling away – and feel the wave of creative excitement which lifted me up and suspended me, briefly, above the everyday world.

My now-nearly-fifty-year journal-writing habit started by accident (in the sense that I had never thought of such a way of expressing myself until then) in early January 1972.

Two days before my fourteenth birthday, a group of us from my school went to Glasbury, in Wales, for a fortnight of physical activity: climbing, canoeing, camping, gorge-walking and so forth. As part of the course, we were each given a pale green notebook – and asked to keep a diary account of our experiences.

I fell in love with this means of expression immediately – and, while most of the girls loathed having to do it every day, I relished the exercise and very much felt as if I had found my voice, as a girl and as a writer; in fact, so enamoured of it did I become that I ended up filling two green books!

I now have over a hundred volumes of the journal, currently stashed away in a safe space – and use it almost every day (though there are, inevitably, gaps over the years and decades), even writing in it whilst in labour and on the day my son was born!

The novel-writing came upon me towards the end of my time at Aberystwyth University – and early drafts of books won me an honourable mention, a third prize and a first prize in local South West Arts Writers in Progress awards.

Motherhood, marriage and full time teaching very much put the novel-writing side of things on the back burner – and it was only when I took early retirement in 2011 that I was able to complete previous books and write more.

I now have seven books published via Amazon and KDP (all available as both e-books and paperbacks) – and ideas for an eighth are bubbling excitedly away in my creative cauldron.

The truth is very simple: I absolutely love writing – and that intimate, joyous connection between mind, hand, pen and paper never fails to delight and inspire me.

 

 

Around The Table – Great British Chefs In Your Own Kitchen (Well Almost) – Book Review by Award Winning Author Dr Kathleen Thompson

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Wouldn’t you love to have Michelin chef, Shaun Hill peering over your shoulder as you’re putting together a quick Chicken Bourride? ‘No dear, not flour, pop in a big dollop of garlic aioli to thicken the sauce, your guests will love it.’

If that resonates with you, then you need this fabulous new cookbook. Not just Shaun Hill, but sixteen top British chefs from around the UK share their secret tips for luxurious cuisine including: Chef Patron at KOL, Santiago Lastra; Great British Menu finalists Kerth Gumbs and Roberta Hall-McCarron; Executive Chef at Barrafina, Angel Zapata Martin; and Head Chef at acclaimed gastropub The Parkers Arms, Stosie Madi.

I love that this cookbook features the types of dishes so popular with modern entertaining: Small Plates, Sharing Platters, One Pots, Al Fresco, Dinner Party Starters, Dinner Party Mains, and Make-Ahead Desserts.

The recipes have that fine dining feel and yet are easy and fun to make, with plenty of supportive advice in the clear instructions. From Tuscan Fish Stew to Olive Oil Cake with Thyme Jelly and Elderflower Cream, even the titles make your mouth water.

The book’s beautifully illustrated, so you can see what you’re aiming for and it would make a fabulous gift (yes, Christmas is careering towards us rather too quickly).

Just to tempt you further the Wild Garlic Malfatti (an Italian gnocchi-dumpling hybrid) and the Sesame and Pink Grapefruit Treacle Tart are pictured below – how perfect for a late summer soirée?

Published by Great British Chefs, Around The Table is available from 2nd September 2021 priced at £24.99.

And now I need to start lunch – that Chicken Bourride isn’t going to make itself (even with Shaun Hill’s help).

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.