Well, I'm back! For now, at least....
Once again, my life is having an Eastenders moment, but one thing that keeps me going is a good book to read when I have a spare few minutes here and there.
These are the 4 I've read most recently.
First up, Roadrage by M.J. Johnson. This is a story about a widower, Gil, whose life is once again thrown into turmoil, after he's targeted by an unknown enemy.
The story is well written and certainly keeps you guessing until the end; definitely worth a read.
Next we have The Wilds by Kit Tinsley. As people start mysteriously disappearing in rural Lincolnshire, the local journalist investigates, suspecting a wild animal is to blame. Unfortunately, there are some who don't want him poking his nose in....
An enjoyable read with good characters, I do recommend this. However, I feel more focus could have been spent on tidying the story up a bit.
Thirdly, Red Written by Philip Mayes. This has become a favourite of mine; I absolutely loved it!
An urban fantasy, this story focuses mainly on two characters and their struggle to survive when the human race are Revealed. When everyone mysteriously has every sin written on their skin, society crumbles.
We follow the accounts of Michael and Eva as they each leave behind everything to survive. Their lives change forever, and they change too...
This is a thrilling and exciting story to read. So much so that I forgave the typos and errors, which really should be rectified as the plot is first rate.
Lastly is Flotilla by Dan Haight. I will admit first up that this book isn't something I'd usually read. However, it was enjoyable and I did want to keep reading to find out what happens next.
It focuses on a teenage boy, who is sent to spend Summer with a father he barely knows. His dad lives in an ocean colony, where he's looking to make a quick buck. Jim is soon finding himself in dodgy situations, which soon become very dangerous for everyone.
You can find all these books on Amazon or check out the authors' websites.
Monday 23 June 2014
Saturday 19 April 2014
Apologies!
Been some time again since I last published. This is purely due to lack of time and energy, it's been a hectic few months. But I'm back and will shortly have some new posts for you, including a review of Roadrage by the talented MJ Johnson.
I'm also about to start reading The Wilds by Kit Tinsley, so will eventually review that too. If you have a book that you'd like me to review, let me know.
For now, enjoy the long weekend and don't eat too much chocolate!
I'm also about to start reading The Wilds by Kit Tinsley, so will eventually review that too. If you have a book that you'd like me to review, let me know.
For now, enjoy the long weekend and don't eat too much chocolate!
Thursday 27 February 2014
Ideas for Pancake Day!
Pancake Day's just around the corner (4th March), which means lots of tossing and sticky mess on ceilings!
I can't help with how to avoid that but I can help with some recipes, as my daughter thinks everyday is pancake day.
Banana Pancakes (Serves 6)
125g plain flour
85g wholemeal flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons caster sugar
335ml buttermilk
2 small ripe bananas (finely chopped)
In a large bowl, mix both flours, salt, baking powder and sugar. Stir in buttermilk and bananas until just moist.
Heat a frying pan, lightly oiled, over a medium heat. Pour approximately 60ml of batter into the pan and brown both sides before serving.
Mango and Honey Pancakes
Using the above recipe, or your own, make a batch of pancakes and then stack them with cubed mango then drizzle with honey. Serve with a spoonful of Greek yoghurt.
If you don't have a sweet tooth, try a savoury pancake!
Make your pancakes. Steam seasonal vegetables, whatever you fancy. Mix Philadelphia cheese with a small amount of milk and warm through. Mix with the vegetables and fill your pancakes!
I can't help with how to avoid that but I can help with some recipes, as my daughter thinks everyday is pancake day.
Banana Pancakes (Serves 6)
125g plain flour
85g wholemeal flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons caster sugar
335ml buttermilk
2 small ripe bananas (finely chopped)
In a large bowl, mix both flours, salt, baking powder and sugar. Stir in buttermilk and bananas until just moist.
Heat a frying pan, lightly oiled, over a medium heat. Pour approximately 60ml of batter into the pan and brown both sides before serving.
Mango and Honey Pancakes
Using the above recipe, or your own, make a batch of pancakes and then stack them with cubed mango then drizzle with honey. Serve with a spoonful of Greek yoghurt.
If you don't have a sweet tooth, try a savoury pancake!
Make your pancakes. Steam seasonal vegetables, whatever you fancy. Mix Philadelphia cheese with a small amount of milk and warm through. Mix with the vegetables and fill your pancakes!
Saturday 22 February 2014
Bruce Borders is on the Spotlight Tour!
Once again, I have the honour of helping out on the Rave Reviews Book Club Spotlight Tour. Today, please welcome author Bruce A. Borders!
Good Vs. Evil by Bruce A. Borders
A huge thank you to all the members of Rave Reviews Book Club who agreed to host me on their site! I am honored to be the Spotlight Author!
Miscarriage Of Justice tells the story of two people, Ethan Rafferty and Mariana Clark. Ethan has just been released from prison after serving fifteen years for a crime he didn’t commit; Mariana is the D.A. responsible for putting him there. As we get to know the characters, their lives are moving in opposite directions. One is continually sinking to new depths; the other is slowly making an ascension to becoming a better individual. It’s the old line of good versus evil - almost. But what happens when those lines intersect? When neither side is exactly virtuous or exhibits an upstanding moral character?
In writing this book, I wanted to bring out that sometimes it’s hard to tell, with certainty, the good from the bad. Sometimes, good and bad seem to run together, with the attributes of both present. I think the majority of people fall into this category - I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “no man is all good, and no man is all bad.” Yet, there is a right and wrong. Most of us inherently know which is which, but events and situations can muddle what we know.
We’re taught that good always triumphs over evil, but what if you’re not sure which side is good and which is evil? Then how do you know which side is going to win?
In the beginning, both Ethan and Mariana are normal people - reasonably normal anyway. But as they respond and react to situations, into which they have unwillingly been thrust and over which they have no control, their paths take them in opposite directions, until...
Miscarriage Of Justice
Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/156958
Connect with Bruce:
@BruceABorders
RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB “SPOTLIGHT” AUTHOR, Bruce A. Borders was born in 1967 in Cape Girardeau, MO. Bruce’s childhood years were spent in a number of states, including Missouri, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. During his high school years, he was a member of the football, basketball and track teams, involved in various non-athletic activities such as school yearbook production and photography, and won numerous awards for his artistic creations. Bruce graduated Valedictorian in 1984. While in school, Bruce held three part-time jobs; a store clerk, a janitor, and a dental technician, working about 60-70 hours per week. After graduation, he became employed full time as a dental technician. Other jobs have included restaurant manager, carpenter, and grocery store cashier. For the past sixteen years, he has worked as a commercial truck driver, logging more than two million miles. At the age of fifteen, Bruce decided to become a writer. He began by writing songs, news articles, and short stories. Eventually, books were added to the list. Over the years, he continued to write and currently has a catalog of more than 500 songs, numerous short stories and over a dozen completed books. He writes on a variety of subjects such as fictional novels of legal issues and westerns. Titles include: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, Miscarriage Of Justice, The Journey, and in The Wynn Garrett Series - Mistaken Identity, Holy Terror, Remote Control, Judicial Review, Even Odds, and Safety Hazard.
Sunday 16 February 2014
Extra calories & how to burn them!
Think your 30 minutes of exercise a week will burn off all your indulgences? Think again!
A slice of chocolate cake could be about 200 calories. To burn that off you'd need to dance continuously for approximately 30 minutes.
A slice of a meat feast pizza will typically contain around 330 calories. You're going to have to power walk for one hour.
My shameful habit is crisps. Most weeks, I'll shove about 5 packs down my pie hole! I love McCoys and each pack contains 252 calories, so that's 1260 extra calories right there. To burn all that off in one go, I'd have to do about 120 minutes of kickboxing....
A slice of chocolate cake could be about 200 calories. To burn that off you'd need to dance continuously for approximately 30 minutes.
A slice of a meat feast pizza will typically contain around 330 calories. You're going to have to power walk for one hour.
My shameful habit is crisps. Most weeks, I'll shove about 5 packs down my pie hole! I love McCoys and each pack contains 252 calories, so that's 1260 extra calories right there. To burn all that off in one go, I'd have to do about 120 minutes of kickboxing....
When you unwind with a bottle of white wine, just remember that's about 600 calories. An hour of swimming is needed after that. (Preferably when sober!)
These exercises are aimed at people of average weight, so for us heavier people we have to do more. However, I'm happy to start off slow....
Sunday 2 February 2014
Guest Post by Katie Hayoz
Once again, I'm honoured to host the Rave Reviews Blog Tour. Hope you enjoy the post from this week's featured author.
That Novel Will Never Be Perfect
From Katie Hayoz
I’m not a perfectionist. Little mistakes don’t bother me. But when it comes to my writing, I take pride in what I do and I want what I put out there to be not just decent, but good. I rewrote Untethered at least eighteen times. Literally. And I’m talking full-on, rip-it-up and make do with the shreds kind of rewriting, not moving sentences around. What started as a five page story ended up (20 years later) to be a 340 page novel. That novel went through so many critiquing sessions and beta readers that I was sure it would be perfection by the time it was published.
Ha. Not quite.
Writing is art, and like all art there is a point where the person creating the work just has to stop. She just has to tell herself that particular piece is the best she can make it right then. That’s the sticker: right then. Because the truth is that you can always go back and make it better. There will always be holes you missed or mistakes you made or words that paint a clearer picture. But if you keep going back and going back and going back you never move on. Never get on to the next book; the one that first one prepared you for.
My dad paints watercolor. I can’t tell you the number of times he’s looked at a picture of his, already framed and on the wall, and said, “Why did I think this was finished? This whole section could use reworking.” My mom rolls her eyes. I understand. I totally do.
But there was a point when I just had to quit trying to make Untethered perfect. A point where my writing group and my family and friends said, “Stop already!” So I did. I’m proud of this novel -- the characters, the world, the writing itself. However, that didn’t keep me from face-palming myself after its publication. There were things that I see now that I couldn’t see then. It kills me. And yet…
And yet I could go in, change it all and six months from now I’d be face-palming myself again. So, I’ve left it as is. I’ve moved onto another novel. It’s finished; sort of. I’ve done three drafts – three pick away the fleshy parts and gnaw on the bone drafts. I’ll rewrite it one more time. Then I’ll need to tell myself, “Stop already! That novel will never be perfect.”
But I’m hoping it will be damn good.
*Katie Hayoz was born in Racine, WI, USA but ended up in Geneva, Switzerland, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and two fuzzy cats. She devours YA novels like she does popcorn and black licorice: quickly and in large quantities.
Untethered is a paranormal coming of age novel that follows 16-year-old Sylvie on a unique and slightly sinister journey of self-acceptance. Sylvie has an ability to leave her physical body and astral project. While it could be akin to a superpower, she sees it as a curse. That is, until the day she decides to play with its dark side. Sylvie then sets an evil plan in motion that she believes will change her life for the better. But she does not count on it spiraling out of control.
Connect with Katie
(Thank you to Rave Reviews Book Club and all the members who so generously agreed to host me on their site!)
RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB is pleased to announce a new Facebook "Question of the Day!" In an online Scavenger Hunt, participants will need to find the daily answer SOMEWHERE on the many Blog Tour Host sites! Please LIKE our FB page and play along:
Katie's questions & answers on THIS site:
Rave Reviews Book Club: How do you craft your story and characters?
Katie Hayoz: I am one of those writers who has never been able to work well with an outline. I craft the story and characters as I write - which means I do a lot of rewriting.
RRBC: How much research is involved?
K.H.: Depends on the book. The novel I’m writing now involves a good bit of research. For “Untethered”, I researched astral projection by reading books, going on websites and forums. I also went by my and others’ experiences.
THANK YOU for stopping by! Please visit all Blog Tour Hosts as found on: www.RaveReviewsByNonnieJules. wordpress.com
Sunday 26 January 2014
Guest Post by Jennie Sherwin
Today, I have the pleasure of hosting author Jennie Sherwin, on behalf of the Rave Reviews Book Club! Read her post below.
I want to thank the Members of the Board of the Rave Reviews Book Club for this incredible opportunity to be featured as the club's first “Spotlight” Author. You've all done a great deal of work to make this club a reality. To Nonnie Jules, Founder and President, thank you for founding the club and giving authors a place to hang their hats among friends. I am also grateful to my longtime friend Kathy Treat, Membership Director, for inviting me to join. Marketing and promotion are challenges for the first-time author. Being selected as the “Spotlight” Author, who receives marketing and promotion to the social media outlets as well as to print media, is truly a gift from heaven. Last, but not least at all, I send a special thank you to all the bloggers who agreed to host me on their site. I am truly grateful.
I have always loved to read, so it was natural for me to pursue a career where I could share my love of reading with others, which I did as a teacher of English. I liked writing, too, but it took years to hone my craft. I was fortunate to have wonderful mentors. One, in particular, at Random House, the trade publishing company in New York City, literally taught me how to think about writing, always holding the reader in mind and using that focus to sharpen the clarity of my text. My experience at Random House opened the door to a career in public health consulting. Working in a busy editorial office on publications for many clients, each with specific needs, gave me the perfect opportunity to gain experience writing or editing books, papers, and articles targeting different audiences at varying reading levels. As a service to all of the writers and editors who might be reading this blog, I'd like to pass along the names of the manuals that I've used throughout my career with links to their Amazon pages. They include the Chicago Manual of Style, Words into Type, New Hart's Rules, Fowler's Modern English Usage, and Scientific Style and Format.
Now to my book: In Intentional Healing…I tell the story of my transformation from a Western-educated woman who worked as a writer and editor in the field of public health, to a woman who awakened to a more Eastern-oriented way of thinking that included a de-emphasis on the individual and ego and an emphasis on collective consciousness and the soul. After bizarre symptoms upended my life, I sought help from Western medicine. No one I consulted could explain what was happening to me. No one, that is, until I met diagnostic detective, Dr. Leo Galland, who tied my symptoms to environmental illness and referred me to a pioneer in environmental medicine, Dr. William J. Rea, in Dallas, Texas, founder of the Environmental Health Center-Dallas. While at the EHC-D, I was introduced to the view held by doctors of environmental medicine that many chronic illnesses are triggered by environmental toxins. During treatment, I unmasked (or became aware of a sensitivity I had not recognized before) for sensitivity to electromagnetic fields. Dr. Rea referred me to Deborah Singleton, founder and director of “A Healing Place”, and her energy healing team. Energy balancing helped me respond to the treatment program at Dr. Rea's clinic. With Deborah's guidance I began the process of expanding my consciousness and understanding the real roots of illness. My journey, which included initiation into Reiki channeling and healing from Navajo hataali, took me from dark nights of the soul to a new way of thinking about illness.
Jennie Sherwin, author and editor
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