New TCL 10 Series – A Great Family of Android Phones – Reliability At A Great Price – by Award Winning Author Dr Kathleen Thompson

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Looking for a new phone? Why not check out TCL. Not heard of them? Well guess what, they’ve made mobiles for names like BlackBerry for years, and now they’re making their own. TCL 10 android series is their new generation, which are getting great reviews, and at £199.95 to £399.95 SIM-free, worth taking seriously. So let’s look at the TCL 10 5G and the TCL 10L.

TCL 10 5G, as its name suggests, supports 5G – which for those struggling to keep up with technology, means ten times faster data transfer speeds, reduced latency (time for data to travel to and fro) and steadier, faster network and Wi-Fi connections.

Like others in the TCL 10 series, it has a particularly large display (6.53 inch full HD+) with 91% screen to body ratio and NXTVISION, creating fabulous visuals with popping colours and super clear and striking contrasts – great for watching films and playing games, or having that special face-time conversation with grandkids during lockdown.

The camera, or should I say cameras – are particularly impressive – a 64MP high resolution quad main camera, including wide-angle lens, macro camera for super close-ups, and depth camera for professional quality photos with Bokeh (that lovely blurred effect around a portrait photo) and dual LED flash. There’s also a 16MP front facing camera, with improved low-light capabilities for brighter selfies.

Considering also the newest generation wireless connectivity for faster browsing and bufferless streaming; 128GB internal memory (expandable to an additional 256GB using the micro SDXC card slot); a great battery with fast charging capability and OTG reverse charging (so your phone can charge other devices); Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G – good news for gaming enthusiasts; and at just £399.95 SIM-free at Argos or on contract for £19 upfront and £19 for 24 months at Three this is a high-range phone packed with features for not a lot of money.

But if you’re on a tighter budget, how about the TCL 10L at just £199.95 SIM-free from Argos or JD Williams? It has many of the features of the TCL 10 5G – the same large screen; quad camera (albeit 48MP as opposed to 64MP), 16MP front camera and wireless Super Bluetooth audio sharing. It has a 64GB internal memory, expandable to 256GB using a micro SD card, and a Snapdragon 665 processor.

Both phones have MP3 and MP4 players, headphone port, contactless payment facility, and secure fingerprint scanner for safe, speedy unlocking.

Having had a chance to try out the TCL 10L, I found it light and balanced. I love the extras – the included protective phone case, and the cute 3 pin plug, which collapses down for portability. The programmable side-button is a great feature, allowing you, for example, to access the camera immediately (useful if Antonio Banderas walks across your path unexpectedly – it hasn’t happened yet), or whatever other short-cut you choose to programme, such as launching a particular app or tool.

I’m really impressed – well done TCL.

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.

SISTER SCRIBES’ GUEST: ALISON KNIGHT ON WRITING A VERY SPECIAL BOOK

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Alison Knight is a writer, teacher and editor living within sight of Glastonbury Tor. She is a member of the Society of Authors and The Romantic Novelists’ Association. She carries the dubious distinction of having introduced Kitty and Jane at an RNA conference.

I’ve always found entertainment, wisdom and solace in reading. When times are tough, it’s good to be able to escape into a story that takes you away from your everyday life and worries. So I suppose it was natural for me to become a writer.

Creating a legacy

My latest book, Mine, which is published by Darkstroke Books, is my fourth novel and a project that is very close to my heart because it is based on real events that happened in my family in the late 1960s. I’m the only one left who can tell this story and it was important to me to wrote it in order to introduce my children, nieces and nephews to people that have gone before. It’s my legacy to them, helping them to understand that the world was very different fifty-odd years ago and the people I portray in Mine were driven by the attitudes of society at that time. If the same things happened today, the outcome would be very different.

Understanding why

I also wanted to write Mine for myself. My memories of that time were stuck in the mind of a ten-year-old child. By putting myself into the minds and shoes of the main characters, I was finally able to understand what happened with an adult’s perspective.

I’ve written it as a novel rather than a memoir because I didn’t want it to be all about me. Instead, I wanted to explore how ordinary people made decisions that led them into an extraordinary situation. I was also aware that I would never be able to find out exactly what happened as the people who could tell me are not longer here. Instead I used my memories, conversations with family members, newspaper reports and official documents to piece together the story. Where there were gaps, I used what I knew and took into account the culture of the times and used my imagination to fill them. It soon became clear that the guiding themes were class, ambition and sexual politics.

Getting published

It has been an interesting journey to publication. At first, the book was far too long at 140,000 words for any publisher to take it on. A rewrite reduced it by over 20,000 words. Some agents and publishers suggested I give it a happier ending or turn it into a psychological thriller. If Mine had been pure fiction, I’d have considered these suggestions. But because it is based on real events, there were some things I simply couldn’t do.

The question of genre was a problem too. It’s a love story, but not a romance with a happy ever after. It was turned down several times because publishers weren’t sure how to market it. When asked to categorise Mine, I describe it as a family drama, or domestic noir.

But then I found Darkstroke Books, an excellent small publisher with a reputation for hard-hitting fiction. After years of rejection, Darkstroke’s acceptance happened quickly and Mine is finally being launched in November 2020. The editing process was fairly painless – my brilliant editor totally ‘got’ what I was trying to do and Darkstroke have been wonderfully sensitive and supportive.

So, how do I feel about finally sending this story out into the world? I’m excited, but also slightly terrified. It’s not often a writer is featured as a character in her own novel!

 

Find out more about Alison at www.facebook.com/alison.knight.942

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emotional Fitness: an A-Z for positive mental health reviewed by Annie Clarke

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An interesting book arrived on my desk, posing the question: ‘Have you ever wondered why some people manage their emotions more than others?’

Who hasn’t wondered that?

We all have our ups and downs as life takes a swipe at us, and this A – Z has some good ideas on how to learn to notice our emotions and work on them on a daily basis. But not obsessively, not in a navel gazing way.

It suggests preventative measures and emotional fitness.

In this book, experienced coach and trainer Clare Davis discusses 26 easy ways to increase the positive emotions in our lives and improve our emotional fitness, with plenty of practical activities to help us  put the theory into practice. He also says that there are there different types of CBD vapes which can help one with keeping their mental health in its best shape. It put me in mind of the excellent Lightning Process, which is a course  I looked in on – and let’s face it, anything that  gets our emotional fitness in place and working for us, not against us, is invaluable.

Try Emotional Fitness A – Z – it’s helpful.

Kindle or Paperback: https://www.novaassociates.co.uk/mental-health-book

The audio book is currently in production.
Annie Clarke is the author of the Home Front series  -available here:  Christmas on the Home Front

INTRODUCING NORFOLK ARTIST AND PRINTMAKER, SUE WELFARE

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I‘m an artist, printmaker and writer living and working in West Norfolk. I’ve got no formal arts training and only began working full time as an artist in my very late 50’s after a career as a freelance writer.  I think one really helped the other – I’m used to being self-employed, self-starting and self-motivating, and I’ve always been very visual – when writing I could always see and hear what was happening to my characters, and I think that visual imagination has really helped me develop as an artist.

I live in a little market town in Norfolk and love the diverse nature of the Norfolk Countryside, its amazing unspoilt coast line and its wildlife – as some-one pointed out recently, I’m all about Birds, Boats and Beaches!

Before becoming a printmaker I tried lots of other arts and crafts. I’ve worked with mosaics, stained glass, wet felting, papercutting – all of that experience and experimentation was really worthwhile, helping to build up skills in composition, mark making, colour, handling tools, finding out about inks and blades and glue. And along the way I’ve also met some amazing people who have been prepared to show me, teach me and share their knowledge.

I now work primarily as a linocut printmaker, which for me is the perfect balance of art and craft. I love working out the composition and drawing the blocks, but then also love the carving and the technical challenge that comes with creating a print.

I also love, and have missed, going to fairs, workshops and exhibitions this year – I enjoy the village feel of events, and showing and explaining to people what I do –  while lockdown may have curtailed the trips and adventures I had planned it hasn’t stopped me enjoying the garden, walking the dogs or imagining trips to favourite places.

Those things have kept me going over the last few months and inspired lots of new work.

 

You can find me on Etsy:  www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SueWelfareArtist

 

 

 

 

Something for The Weekend: Aldi Launches UK’s first Prosecco Rosé

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Aldi aka Drinks Retailer of the Year* has done it again and we have to hand it to them, they continue to impress wine buffs and lovers alike. This time they have become the first UK supermarket to sell Prosecco Rosé DOC and this is just the tonic we need to toast away our lockdown woes. What we do know about Aldi is that they continue to be King in the drinks market because they not only have fantastic quality wines but their prices are pretty attractive too and we all know high quality, low cost is the customers perfect combo. 

So, what makes it different to other sparkling rosé we may already be acquainted with? Quite simply, to become Prosecco, similarly to Champagne, the liquid would have to be produced in the main Prosecco regions in Italy. It must be made with Glera grapes and must be made with at least 85% of these particular grapes to legally be labelled Prosecco. This ensures that the wine is of the utmost quality and is typically labelled with a DOC seal. In fact, Prosecco Rosé DOC was only approved for production in May of this year and now It is finally available for you to try. 

Aldi’s soft pink Prosecco is made with a stunning blend of Glera and Pinot noir grapes producing elegant and soft notes of summer fruits and peach with a gentle citrus twist. But there’s no need to wait until summer to enjoy this delicious treat, Aldi’s Prosecco Rosé is the perfect aperitif and a luxurious start to toast the festive season and toast away 2020… 

Yes it’s available to buy RIGHT NOW! In-store and online and comes in both a full size 75cl (£6.49) and miniature size 25cl (£2.29) with a case of 6 coming in at under £40!!!! 

Whatever you’re celebrating, end of 2020, Christmas, Election results… ahem, look no further than this delicious bubbly Pink Prosecco. Cin Cin!

https://www.aldi.co.uk/c/wines

*Awarded by Retail Industry Awards

Aldi stores continue to open 7 days a week and a currently operating a 30 minute priority window before opening for Elderly and Vulnerable customers Mon-Sat

With a  30 minute priority window for NHS and Social Care workers Mon-Sun.

Christmas is coming, the goose… Never mind the goose, here is the DK books gift guide to help you with gifts. Review by Natalie Jayne Peeke, West Country Correspondent

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With the big day fast approaching you may find yourself worrying about what to buy your friends and family. Now more than ever we are shopping online and it is easy to overlook books. Trust me when i say that DK offers a book for just about everyone on your christmas list.

So let’s look at some of DK’s offerings.

  • A little book of self care; Self Reiki

  • Chris Bavin Fakeaway cookbook

  • My encyclopedia of very important adventures

  • Timelines of Everyone

  • The science of the Ocean

Self Reiki offers 40 step by step practices to promote inner balance and natural healing, to alleviate pain , stress and anxiety. A perfect gift for someone who neglects themselves but is always the first to help others.

Fakeaway is a cookbook with a twist, over 100 low calorie home cooked takeaway meals. With easy and illustrated instructions Chris Bavin shares recipes from Italy, Japan, China, India, Thailand and more. Ideal for those that love to spend time in the kitchen experimenting with flavours.

My encyclopedia of very important adventures has gone down a treat in my house. Full of true bitesize adventures. My children love to hear about real life pirates and explorers and enjoy the fun illustrations. A must have for any parent as there are stories to satisfy the most curious of minds, there is everything from ancient egypt, astronomical finds, animal antics and more.

Timelines of Everyone is utterly fascinating, you and your children will learn facts you didnt know about history’s most important figures some of who are well known and others are overlooked .from Leonardo da Vinci, Emmeline Pankhurst, Golda Meir, Muhammad Ali, to more recent figures like Dwayne Johnson and Oprah Winfry.

The science of the Ocean is not only incredibly informative but is exquisitely illustrated. Full of secrets of the ocean, facts and diagrams of all sorts of creatures that call the sea home.

All available at amazon.co.uk and bookshops

Didn’t See That Coming By Rachel Hollis Book Review

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Rachel Hollis, Didn't see that coming, book, book review. Didn’t See That Coming could be the slogan for 2020 and this book is the essential read to help us all through it. Written with searing honesty, Rachel Hollis has wisdom in spades and she is here to share it. Rachel has suffered trauma and grief and now she has a blueprint to get through to the other end. Rachel Hollis is a truly inspirational person and if we all had her attitude and resilience the world would be a better place and we would all be much happier. Get your hands on a copy of Didn’t See That Coming and improve your life forever. 

In a departure from Girl, Wash Your Face and Girl, Stop Apologizing, Rachel Hollis offers her devoted followers and new readers an aspirational guide to seizing the difficult moments for the learning experiences that they are, and finding value in them.

When the pandemic hit, Rachel found herself in a place that is also familiar now—facing immense grief, fear, anxiety, and worry about the world around us. As a mother of four, motivational speaker, and CEO of a company she built from the ground up, she realised that in order to get through this challenging time, she needed to reframe how she was approaching everything. Having survived crisis and grief many times herself, she believed she might be able to share what she knew and what she’d done so that she could help others walk through this hard time too.

DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING shares how to embrace the difficult moments in life for the learning experiences they are, and shows that a life well-lived is one of purpose – focused on the essentials.

 

3 Books For The Activist In Your Life.

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How to be an anti racist ally, black lives matter,

Anti Racist Ally by Sophie Williams.

This is a timely and relevant book. It is not enough to not be racist, you need to be an anti-racist. This book shows you how. It is written in such a way that is easy to implement and never overwhelming. It can be hard to know how to help in life and contribute to racial equality, this book is an essential guide. The Princess and the prick, feminism, activism,

The Princess and the Prick. Fairy Tales for Feminists.

My daughter is only three but I will be keeping this book for her. Scathing, witty and so funny. This is an epic take down of childhood classics. Familar fables are turned on their head as the beloved heroines have their say. A fun eye-opener.

jane Fonda, What Can I do? climate change

What Can I Do? By Jane Fonda.

A deep dive into climate change and environmental issues and what you can do about it from the activists’s activist Jane Fonda. 100% of the net proceeds of this book go to Greenpeace. It is easy to feel powerless when it comes to climate change, but this book tells you the truth and hands the power to you. Just brilliant.

Books are available from waterstones.com, amazon.co.uk, www.dauntbooks.co.uk and independent book stores.