Before she was Found by Heather Gudenkauf Reviewed by Natalie Jayne Peeke

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Cora Landry is a quiet , shy and self conscious 12 year old who falls victim to the vicious bullying inflicted by Jordan Petit. Cora lives in a nice house in a nice neighbourhood with her parents and her older sister Kendall .

Jordan Petit is the ‘It girl’ that every school has . She’s Pretty , popular and confident. Jordan lives with her grandad after being abandoned by her parents when she was young.

Violet Crow is the new girl in town . A sweet but timid girl who soon forms a friendship with Cora Landry. Violet lives in a small house in a rough neighbourhood with her mother and her older brother Max .

One normal sleepover has gruesome consequences. Cora is left beaten and bloody at a abandoned rail yard with her friends no where to be seen .

The small town of Pitch is left shocked and is asking who would want to hurt a young and innocent girl so brutally? Everyone is desperate for answers , Everyone is a suspect.

No one can be trusted

Tension builds as the investigation starts , suspects are questioned and rumours are invented.

A real page turner! I read this book in a couple of sittings, I was so gripped. I really enjoyed the fact that the awful story and the events leading upto it , are told from several different characters point of view and that the dialogue varies, which definitely made it so easy to read !

I did have several of those clichè moments , clapping my hand over my mouth in surprise or horror and physically squirming at the thought of something horrible !

Before she was found is a fine example of how cruel people can be towards each other and how the mind is so strong yet so fragile.

The ending will leave you feeling an array of emotions – it’s Awesome.

Before she was Found by Heather Gudenkauf
Paperback £7.99
Also available in eBook and audiobook

Natalie Jayne Peeke: http://www.thebookwormmother.co.uk

SISTER SCRIBES GUEST: ALEXANDRA WALSH ON HER WONDERFUL FRIENDS

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I’ve come to know Alexandra because we’re both signed to Sapere Books and when she told me how much her wonderful friends had helped her on her journey to publication I just had to ask her to write about it. It’s a proper Sister Scribe story.

 

“I’ll be there for you…” sang The Rembrants in the 1990s on the US sitcom, Friends. It was a great concept because friends are universal and I am very lucky to have some wonderful friends.

In June, Sapere Books, published my second novel The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy. It is part two of The Marquess House Trilogy and it is dedicated to four friends: Jo, Deborah, Gemma and Dawn. This particular four have been my lifeline while I have been writing this series. Their support has been invaluable but what they do not know is that it is their friendships that have formed the inspiration for the relationships in my historical novels.

During my research, one of my enduring irritations was the isolation in which historical women are portrayed. They are usually placed with people who are instrumental in their downfall. Yet, I find it hard to believe that women in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries did not turn to each other as women do today.

In my first book, The Catherine Howard Conspiracy, the fifth bride of Henry VIII is my historical protagonist. The only women ever linked to Catherine are those who betrayed her. I created a group of close friends around the young queen, all of whom were real historical figures who had been part of her court. The core of their banter and support was inspired by Deborah, Gemma, Dawn and Jo.

The second book, The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy, has Elizabeth I as the driving force. She is often presented as being at odds with the women in her court. There probably were personality clashes but it seems unlikely that she  loathed her ladies-in-waiting as is often suggested. I re-imagined her friendships, particularly those with her Boleyn cousins who were with her throughout her reign, again based on the strength and support provided by my friends.

All four, I met at work: Jo and I became friends on the launch of the women’s magazine Now; Gemma and I met at more!, while Deborah, Dawn and I worked together on Chat and Pick Me Up!.

Each of them is wonderful and they all helped me to get through the many years of sitting alone, writing. First with endless encouragement, then in indignation on my behalf as my books were rejected, before the day I finally had a publishing deal. Cards, flowers and champagne arrived the following day!

Deborah, Gemma and I email each other nonsense most days. Dawn and I have long rambling conversations when she drags me back me from the brink of “I’m-so-rubbish-it’ll-be-a-massive-failure”. Jo and I have so many years history, we can ring each other and rant without even saying hello, while we calm each other down.

So, yes, I’ll be there for them, as they’re there for me and I hope hundreds of years ago, the women I write about were there for each other, too.

And, to all my other friends, I love you too. You bunch of awesome, incredible, wonderful, insane women. You make my life a brighter place!

 

Alexandra Walsh is the author of The Catherine Howard Conspiracy and The Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy, published by Sapere Books. Alexandra was a journalist for over 25 years writing for a variety of publications including Cosmopolitan, Chat, more!, Now, Shine, The Daily Mirror, The Sunday Times, loaded and Goal. History is her passion and she loves exploring a good ruin or museum. She usually has her nose in a book but, if you can distract her, she does make a mean curry.

Michael Rowan checks out the latest networking opportunity in South London when he visits the Scratch Hub at the Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN

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As someone who works independently, I am only too aware of how isolating it can be and whilst coffee shops can offer meeting space, they lack privacy and are rarely conducive to creative thought which is why I was so keen to learn more about Scratch Hub based in London’s iconic Battersea Arts Centre.

Located in the basement of the Battersea Arts Centre it’s hard to believe that just 4 years ago this space was badly flood damaged. Today it’s a light airy and flexible space that has different areas designed to foster different styles of working, incorporating areas for collaborating, working more quietly, holding meetings and even hosting launches.

A ‘Skills Bank’ offers members the opportunity to seek and offer expertise in areas such as marketing and IT, fitting perfectly with the ethos of the Scratch Hub. That ethos is one of collaboration, of sharing knowledge and offering encouragement and it continues to evolve in order to meet the needs of its users.

The Scratch Hub is launching an exciting season of free, inspirational sessions from July – September 2019. Scratch Hub Socials features trail-blazing and inspirational voices from a cross-sector of settings, such as well-known political performer, presenter and author Mark Thomas.

These workshops, conversations and networking events will bring people together to discuss the impact of creativity in both business and social enterprise.

The Scratch Hub coworking space is designed to stimulate London’s vibrant and diverse community of creatives, entrepreneurs, social enterprises, freelancers and start-ups.

Tarek Iskander and Liz Moreton

Tarek Iskander, Artistic Director and CEO of Battersea Arts Centre, ‘Thinking creatively, coming up with new ways of working, making connections and provocations – these things are all just as vital for businesses and social enterprises as they are for artists. ‘

A total of 150 memberships are available on a flexible or full-time basis. Memberships begin at £140 per month for 60 hours of flexible hot-desking and go up to £290 per month for a full-time, fixed desk space.

 

Event Dates   Wednesday 3rd July, 7pm     Creativity and Social Change

Wednesday 7th August, 7pm     Creativity and Business

Wednesday 4th September, 7pm     Creativity and Building Communities

Booking The events are free and can be booked online at www.bac.org.uk/scratchhub

Twitter  @battersea_arts  Instagram  @bacscratchhub  Telephone 0207 326 8254

 

 

 

Here’s an idea for Father’s Day – and yes, insist Super Dad mug goes to work with him

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Why? To remind him all day long of you, of course.

It’s up to you whether you insist he wears an outfit. Pants over trousers and his own cape? Isn’t that how they did it on Fools and Horses?

 

Father’s Day is held on the third Sunday of June in the United Kingdom. It is a day to honour fathers and father figures, such as grandfathers and fathers-in-law. And our dad’s like a little gift, of course they do. I’m not so sure that tools are acceptable so that they can mend their grown up daughter’s tricky little bits and pieces that are no longer working, so with all due reverence, what about the above.

We, in Frost’s office, loved Thumbs Up Super Dad Mug with Cape in Ceramic Red, 12.3 cm x 10 x 8.4 cm.

But we do feel it obligatory that the receiver enters into the spirit and finds himself an outfit and wafts off to work, cape billowing, clutching his mug.

The Super Dad cape comes tucked inside the mug, but he’ll be delighted that it can easily be slipped on round the rim to impress his colleagues at work, and to remind  him of the family, every minute he is away from them.

Sadly for Dad it’s hand wash only, but when it’s his turn to do the dishes he can be extra careful with it. Neither can he heat up his Super Dad mug of coffee in the microwave.

We loved it. It’s fun and that is to be applauded.

This doesn’t appeal? Then Thumbs Up has a good line in other Father’s Day gifts.

 

 

Super Dad mug from Thumbs Up retails at £9.99

RRP: £9.99 
Price: £9.95 Priority Delivery at no extra cost for Prime members Details
You Save: £0.04
Note: This item is eligible for click and collect. Details
12 new from £9.95
  • Ceramic mug emblazoned with ‘Super Dad’.
  • Super Hero-inspired cape attached.
  • Capacity: 350ml.
  • Hand wash only.
  • Not suitable for microwave or dishwasher use.

gal-dem “I Will Not Be Erased”: Our stories about growing up as people of colour

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I will not be erased, gal-dem, people of colour stories, racism,

I loved this book. From the award-winning magazine gal-dem. A magazine so popular they even took over The Guardian at one point. There are fourteen poignant and fascinating essays. A great read for everyone.

 

Fourteen joyous, funny and life-affirming essays from gal-dem’s talented writers

gal-dem, the award-winning online and print magazine, is created by women and non-binary people of colour. In this thought-provoking and moving collection of fourteen essays, gal-dem’s writers use raw material from their teenage years – diaries, poems and chat histories – to explore growing up. gal-dem have been described by the Guardian as “the agents of change we need”, and these essays essays tackle important subjects including race, gender, mental health and activism, making this essential reading for any young person.

 

 gal-dem “I Will Not Be Erased”: Our stories about growing up as people of colour

Five Reasons to Maintain a Healthy Gut

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How many times have you actually given thought to your gut health and taken steps to ensure it is as healthy as possible? Probably not very likely, as gut health tends to be one of those things people just take for granted and don’t really think much about until they are having issues. Instead of reacting to potential issues, experts recommend taking a preventative approach when it comes to your gut health. 

Doing such things as eating a diet high in fiber, probiotics, plant-based foods, and using extra-virgin olive oil all while avoiding processed foods can do wonders for your gut health. Rather than look at it as a diet, approach it as a lifestyle choice so that you learn to follow these basics all the time. So why go to all this trouble? Here’s a look at the top five reasons to maintain a healthy gut.

Help to Maintain a Healthy Weight

One benefit that can hit home with a lot of people is the fact that a healthy gut can help you to also maintain a healthy body weight. When your gut is out of balance, it can lead to weight gain. This is because there are unhealthy microbes that are called gut dysbiosis, which start to flourish and aid in that weight gain. Perhaps you’ve been trying to shed a few pounds and aren’t having much luck. It may actually be that your gut is out of balance. 

A Healthy Gut Helps with Heart Health

Did you know that each year there are more than 600,000 people that die of heart disease in the United States alone? That works out to be about 25% of all deaths in the country. In other words, heart health is an important issue that everyone should be aware of. While there are all kinds of factors that contribute to your overall heart health, a healthy gut is one of them. A healthy gut aids in the production of triglycerides and good HDL cholesterol. Also, when your gut contains the healthy microbiome called lactobacilli (a probiotic), it can help to reduce the amount of bad cholesterol.

Help to Ward Off Certain Skin Issues

Skin issues such as psoriasis, eczema, and acne are all very common, and while you may think it’s just something you have to deal with, there may actually be a solution. Maintaining a healthy gut can actually help to lessen these issues, and even clear them up completely.

Feel More Comfortable After You Eat

Eating should be an enjoyable experience and you shouldn’t feel bloated, deal with acid reflux, or heartburn after you finish. If these are problems you commonly suffer from, your gut health could be to blame.

Enjoy a Better Mood

For those who suffer from anxiety, depression, and periods of low moods, it can be quite frustrating and even debilitating at times. Obviously, there are all kinds of ways to combat these issues and cope with them, but a healthy gut is a step you’ll also want to include in your treatment plan.

A Side Note on Probiotics

As mentioned, probiotics are one of the items you’ll want to be sure you’re eating in order to promote a healthy gut. Now before you go and fill up on them, you may want to check this post from Vitamonk, as not all probiotics are built the same. Ensuring that you are getting low-histamine probiotics is showing to be a wise route to take, with some really impressive results.

Well Worth Taking Control Over

Rather than just ignore the many signs and symptoms of an unhealthy gut, or one that is out of balance, it’s best to be mindful of your gut health and take proactive steps towards achieving it.

 

Sponsored Post. 

Exchange Theatre’s contemporary retelling of Jean-Paul Sartre’s classic, The Flies, is opening next week at The Bunker.

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Adapting Sartre’s enduring fable of courage in the face of political oppression for the age of fake news and nostalgic nationalism, Exchange Theatre uses this timeless Greek tragedy to shine a light on our own politically turbulent times. This highly charged and dark tale of Orestes and Electra follows the siblings as they prepare to take revenge on their mother Clytemnestra and her husband, the tyrant Aegisthus, who controls his populace with false information.

 

 

Game of Thrones actress Meena Rayann steps into the role of Electra, introducing Samy Elkhatib as her vengeful brother Orestes, with Raul Fernandes (Quartier des Banques, RTS) as the God of Flies and Exchange co-founders David Furlong and Fanny Dulin as the tyrannical Aegisthus and Clytemnestra, The Flies is at The Bunker from 11th June – 6th July.

 

Exchange Theatre prides itself on its multicultural and diverse heritage and is thrilled to present The Flies in alternating French and English with a fully bi-lingual cast.

 

The Flies is at The Bunker Theatre, 53a Southwark Street, SE1 1RU, running from 21st June – 6th July.

 

Tickets can be booked here: https://www.bunkertheatre.com/whats-on/the-flies-les-mouches/about

Images courtesy of Exchange Theatre.

My Writing Process – Caroline James

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I am proud to have author Caroline James be the first writer to be part of our new series. How I Write gives readers, and other writers, an insight into the minds of writers. Not only how they think, but how they work. Enjoy. Catherine Balavage, Editor-in-Chief. 

I always wanted to write from a very early age, but never thought that I was good enough. A few weeks short of my sixteenth birthday, much to my parents’ horror, I left school, and also home, to work in Cornwall, doing anything from pot-washing to waitressing. In that time, I realised that I loved the hospitality industry and if I couldn’t write, I would work hard and one day have my own business. Fast forward several years and I achieved that dream. After catering college and working for a large hotel group in London and abroad, I eventually owned a pub and then a country house hotel. When I sold the hotel, I became an agent representing celebrity chefs. It was a fabulous career but still I wanted to write and decided that I wouldn’t die wondering and pinned my bum to a chair to write my first book.

Five books on and I am currently writing my sixth. The first was self-published and to my amazement, went to number three in women’s fiction on Amazon. My writing dream had come true. Two of my titles are current Amazon best-sellers and my dream of writing full-time has been achieved.

I am currently writing a follow-up to The Best Boomerville Hotel for my publisher, Ruby Fiction. I am a speaker too and give talks on various subjects including entertaining speeches for large events, such as a guest speaker on cruise ships and at various literature festivals. I write food related articles for various magazines and promote my work through social media and my website.

What is your process?

I like to write early in the morning before the rest of my world wakes up. I never find the process easy; I have to force myself each day, onto a chair and in front of my laptop. I’ve always found the writing process hard, but on occasion it has moments of relief when I simply can’t stop and may write solidly for several days. But that’s rare.

Do you plan or just write?

I always try to plan a novel before I begin the writing process, but the characters usually take over and want to do their own things. I think a framework is a good writing tool, so that there is a beginning, middle and end, however you get there.

What about word count?

Some days it may be 200 words others 3,000. It all depends on what writing demands I have. I may be writing an article or doing social media and blog posts for a client, so I have to fit novel writing in when I can.

What do you find hard about writing?

I find it hard to make myself get on with it. I envy the disciplined author who sets out a target each day and achieves it. I found it easier to write when I was working full-time running a business and had many other family demands. That old saying, ‘If you want something doing, ask a busy person,’ is certainly true for me. Since I decided to take a leap of faith and write full-time, I find it much more difficult to actually write a novel.

What do you love about writing? 

The freedom to write about anything at all. The freedom to express myself. The freedom to live my writing dream. I love to be able to empower other writers and, in any way, possible and pay it forward. I love that I am living my writing dream.

Advice for other writers.

Just get on with it. Don’t waste years wondering. Glue your rear to a chair and get going, write and write and write – no matter what. You will find your muse when you least expect it.

www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk      https://www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk

Twitter: @CarolineJames12   https://twitter.com/CarolineJames12

Facebook: Caroline James Author   https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolineJames/ 

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