Rat Run by Caro Ramsay is Joffe’s Book of the Week and it’s a belter of a crime thriller for you to get stuck into right this minute.Out now at 99P What a page turning, nail biting novel. You have been warned – so no hiding behind the sofa…  In August 1992, a mother and her two young sons were brutally hacked to death in the woods behind their home. The neighbour, Andrew Gyle, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Now, twenty-three years later, a sinkhole emerges in the garden of the murdered family. In the wreckage, a grisly discovery is made. Andrew Gyle always maintained his innocence. What if he really didn’t do it?

Constable goes to Market by Nichols Rhea  £1.99p/$2.99c

I have to admit, this is one of my favourites ( I like familiar characters so a delight to read this): It is Market day in Ashfordly which comes but once a week — and that’s more than enough for Constable Nick. Every Friday, traders and punters flock to the cobbled marketplace, eager to snag a bargain. Too bad the place is a magnet for pickpockets, carousers and troublemakers of every description.

Can Nick keep the peace and save a proud tradition?

The Missing Girls by Brian Battison 99p/99c Three girls go missing, two are found dead only one escapes.  Ashworth must stop the killer before anyone else suffers. This is a a complex mystery that will have you turning the pages until the stunning conclusion.

Hdden Rainbows. by Faith Martin writinga s Maxine Barry £1.99 $2.99

Persis Canfield-Hope follows in her grandmother’s footsteps crossing the Australian continent by train. and this is what drew me, as I love Western Australia with a passion, that included the whole of Australia. But back to Hidden Rainbows: It’s on board that she happens upon, and not by chance, the charming Dane Culver. He believes Persis has his family’s prize possession, the Iris Stone.   Yet Dane can’t keep his eyes off Persis, she’s unlike anyone he’s ever met. How far will Dane go to retrieve what’s rightfully his?

And while on the subject of books we should applaud the brilliant Joy Ellis _  and Marshlight – for reaching  #1 in the Bookseller’s Bookstat eBook top 10 chart!

The Bookseller writes: ‘Joy Ellis’ Marshlight (Joffe) illuminated the Bookstat number one spot for the week ending 10th July, with the fourth Detective Matt Ballard title debuting at the top.’

Joffe says: Thank you so much to everyone at the Bookseller for the great write-up. We’re so proud of our brilliant Joy – congratulations from us all!

If you’ve yet to get your hands on Marshlight, grab your copy today for only 99p / 99c.

You can discover more books published by Joffe here

Last week the National Food Strategy reported serious concerns over the very high sugar and salt content of the UK diet. Many of us are unaware of the sometimes scary amounts of hidden sugars in pre-produced foods – even some savoury foods. As a doctor this worries me, because, not only does this risk life-changing illness such as heart disease, cancer and type II diabetes, but the steep yo-yoing in our blood sugars makes us crave even more sugar – and so it spirals down, with weight gain, fatigue, and ill health. Depressing?

The good news is we don’t have to relinquish pleasure to eat healthily. With a few surprisingly small tweaks we can enjoy tasty and honest food, which makes us feel good – not bloated and sleepy.

This is why I’m passionate about companies like Lizi’s. Mick and Lizi – a married pair of science enthusiasts, organic farmers and country bed-and-breakfast owners, decided to use their knowledge to create high quality, tasty and satisfying cereals. They now have a fabulous range of granolas and mueslis, always from natural ingredients – mainly oats, nuts and seeds, but with numerous natural flavour combinations suitable for all ages, diets and lifestyles. Their current range includes High Protein, Digestive Health and Low Sugar options.

The key feature of all Lizi’s cereals is their low Glycaemic Load (GL). I’ve explained Glycaemic Load before – basically low GL foods release sugar slowly into our blood stream, which is very important for all the reasons I’ve discussed.

Unfortunately, over many years, the food industry has accustomed us to higher and higher sugar contents. If you’ve ever stopped eating sweet things for a few weeks and then gone back to them, you’ll have noticed how unbearably over-sweet they taste. Our bodies simply become desensitised to the unnaturally high levels of sugar in so many processed foods today.

Companies like Lizi’s have proved that you don’t need excessive sugar to make something taste great, and their new Lizi’s Low Sugar Maple & Pecan Granola is a good example. A combination including wholegrain oat flakes, pecan nuts, almond pieces, walnut pieces, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, coconut, chicory fibre, and of course maple syrup – enough to make it delicious but without the over sweetness of less-healthy cereals.

For the full range, take a look at Lizi’s website, or you can buy their products at Ocado and Amazon.

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.

We are usually harsher to ourselves than anyone else but we won’t spend any more time with anyone except ourselves, so applying the concept of making that space inside our heads a pleasant place to be, treating ourselves as we would a friend makes sense.

We are inherently really tough on ourselves but it doesn’t actually serve us or make us more efficient, productive, successful or accomplished. In fact, it can cause us more harm – the Buddhists call this the double arrow.

Something happens that causes us pain, we might not get the promotion we were hoping for, that first date with the guy we really thought we had a connection with was a disaster, we argued with our partner, snapped at our kids, whatever it is, that is the first arrow.

If we then go on to beat ourselves up about it, allow that inner critical voice to run riot berating ourselves all we are doing is hurting ourselves again, the double arrow. It doesn’t inspire us it just causes us more pain & suffering.

The problem with self-criticism is that judging & criticizing ourselves doesn’t make anything better – it’s the double arrow we talked about earlier. The best way to counteract self-criticism is to have compassion for it, replacing it with kindness & acceptance.

Self-compassion offers all the benefits of self-esteem without any of the drawbacks: people who practice self-compassion have just as high standards; they are just likely to be less hard on themselves & their goals are generally more learning orientated. They also tend not to compare themselves to others so much.

Whereas self-esteem can be a roller-coaster as our self-worth rises & falls inline with our latest successes & failures, often coinciding with self-criticism & is often linked to performance related goals & comparison with others.

There are 3 components for self-compassion:

First self-kindness – being gentle & kind to ourselves, treating ourselves as we would a friend.

This was a game changer for me: if we wouldn’t say that out loud to a friend why would we say it ourselves? I started to notice when that inner critical voice was getting on a roll & just stopped myself mid-self-beration, without judgment, just simply stopping & reminding myself if I wouldn’t say that to anyone else why would I say to myself & overtime I realized I was a lot kinder to myself.

Common humanity – a sense that we are all in this together.

Compassion literally means to suffer with. Everyone feels unworthy, disappointed, feels pain & suffering: the pain I feel in difficult & challenging times is the same as the pain you feel in difficult & challenging times, the triggers may be different but the basic experience is the same. When we remind ourselves that failure & / or hardship are part of the shared human experience we see that moment as one of togetherness not isolation.

Mindfulness – well we have talked about different aspects of mindfulness throughout is this series.

Mindfulness is the clear seeing & nonjudgmental acceptance of what is occurring at the present moment. Mindfulness helps us to recognize that we are suffering so that we can give ourselves compassion.

Self-compassion is a self-perpetuating virtuous circle – there is no finite amount of compassion so the more we express it, the more we cultivate more loving kindness, compassion & understanding for others, then the more we have for ourselves. The more we cultivate compassion, the more it grows & flourishes & the more we have for others & ourselves, often the hardest person to show loving kindness towards. A beautiful virtuous circle.

This week’s meditation is my interpretation of a Metta or loving kindness meditation. To obtain your copy email Alex at alex@alexbannard.com quoting FROSTLVG.

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@alexbannard.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

Sexual adventurism comes to the forefront in new play, Invisible Me, by Bren Gosling (Moment of Grace, The Actors Centre; PROUD, Studio at New Wimbledon Theatre).

Three Londoners on the cusp of their seventh decade thwart loneliness and sexual isolation by embracing a new lease of life, showing there’s fun to be had if you release your inhibitions.

Three very different individuals are united by sex: Lynn, a hotel cleaner, lives alone in her mother’s house; Jack, an HIV+ recent widower, struggles with the concept of digital dating; and Alec, a divorcee with an identity crisis, clutches at his youth. But despite their hardships there’s a prevailing message of optimism to be found in the most unlikely of situations.

Invisible Me explores the under-represented stories of older singles in London. This dramatic comedy seeks to open the doors on the inner workings of singledom as a sexagenarian. Directed by Su Gilroy (Moment of Grace, Bloomsbury Festival; Gaslight, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre), Invisible Me is a thought-provoking insight into the human condition and our need for connection, highlighting how we entwine with others on an emotional and physical level.

Writer Bren Gosling comments, I’m excited for audiences to witness the stories of these three compelling individuals, lifting the lid on sex and singledom in your sixties! Invisible Me is a play full of hope, not despair. I want to make people think about the diverse identities of the older people around us – there’s a generation out there still seizing life with lust and vigour, they don’t deserve to be invisible.

Friday 3 rd – Saturday 11th September 2021

Studio at New Wimbledon Theatre, 93 The Broadway, London SW19 1QG

Running time 60 minutes Age Guidance 16+ Tickets

Tickets are available from £17.60 and can be purchased at the Box Office, online https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/invisibleme/studio-at-new-wimbledon-theatre/

or via phone on 020 7206 1174

Writer Bren Gosling Director Su Gilroy

Lighting Design Chuma Lighting Design Producers Backstory Ensemble Productions Ltd.

The Dover Cafe on the Front Line is the eargerly awaited second novel  in the Dover Cafe series. The first, The Dover Cafe at War was a whopping success, and Frost Magazine sees an even bigger audience for The Dover Cafe on the Front Line.

Bell’s writing is full of energy and charm, and she handles her characters with gusto, creating a vibrant, tense but warm scenario which has us turning the pages quick as a flash, so eager are we to see ‘what happens’ next.  Will Lily be all right? Will the cafe survive? So many ‘ifs’ ‘buts’ and ‘maybes’ just as there should be. Read it, join the girls of the Dover Cafe, enjoy and then wait for the next, as there is one in the pipeline I hear.

The Dover Cafe on the Front Line by Ginny Bell is in eBook here with the paperback due in September.