What can parents do to unwind around the home?

Ever since I became a parent, I appreciate the odd spare moment I get to unwind around the home. Those moments are precious I can tell you! To relax and unwind I love to read. I can read anywhere. The bedroom , living room, bathroom and garden. Even the kitchen if I’m reading a magazine. Ultimately it’s the living room on the comfy sofa with a hot chocolate at this time of year.

In the Summer I find a shady spot in the garden or under the parasol to do my reading. Rattan Direct have some lovely garden furniture to unwind in the garden. Next Year when we move house I want to treat us to new garden furniture.

Reading in the garden - unwind, relaxing

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Book Review: Dance With The Dead by James Nally

As you all know I’m a huge reader and love all kinds of books. As much as I love blogging I also love to find a few minutes to pick up a book and relax. The most recent book I’ve been reading is Dance With The Dead by James Nally. Suggested by one of my blogger friends Bridie by the Sea.

Dance With The Dead book cover by James Nally
One of my most favourite genres is crime/thrillers. I always go back to them if I’ve been reading a light fluffy book or reading the same nursery rhyme book for the umpteenth time with baby girl.

Now we are creeping towards Autumn and Winter I find myself reading many more books. Well I used to before baby girl came along.  I wonder if I will have the time this year? Probably not. But so long as I can squeeze a book every couple of weeks in I’ll be happy.

Anyway enough of my waffling. So what are my first thought’s on Dance With The Dead?

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Book Review: Weird War 2 by Richard Denham

I have always had  love of history since primary school when I first heard about the Tudors and about World War 1 and 2. My mum encouraged my love of history as she is a great historian herself. You can ask her anything about history and she will know it.

When a review popped up in my inbox asking if I wanted to review Weird War 2 by Richard Denham I was instantly fascinated. Over the years I have watched lots of history programmes on World War 2. Real documentaries on the History channel as well as shows like Band of Brothers. In fact one of my all time favourite history book is Band of Brothers by Stephen E Ambrose.

Anyway going back to Weird War 2. It’s a weirdly wonderful and barely believable account of the second World War.

 

Book Review: Weird War 2

 

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Review & Giveaway: The Poppy Pym Series by Laura Wood

I had never heard of the Poppy Pym series before I was contacted. A good blurb on the book sold me I’m afraid in the email. So here I am reviewing this great series for kids, and also on day 1 of the Poppy Pym Blog Tour!

Oh and to host a little giveaway of the two books for you. I think they will make an excellent Christmas gift for kids.

Poppy Pym and the Double Jinx

Poppy Pym and the Double Jinx book cover

Book Description

From the Winner of the Scholastic Montegrappa Prize for New Children’s Writing It’s Halloween at Saint Smithen’s. When the Brimwell town hall burns down, the amateur production of Macbeth is moved to the school and it’s all hands on deck. But when the play is struck by a series of mysterious attacks, it’s up to Poppy, her friends and her circus family to save the play and unmask the culprit.

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How Authors Can Use Video to Engage with Readers

Today we have a wonderful guest post from the author Dane Cobain. He tells us how authors can use video to engage with readers. It’s a great informative post and has given me a few ideas about vlogging.

Over to your Dane

Hi, folks! My name’s Dane Cobain and I’m an independent author from the United Kingdom. I’m here today to talk to you about how authors can use video to stay up-to-date with their readers, and perhaps even to sell a few books along the way.

Video is a fantastic tool to help to bring you to life in the eyes of your readers, and thanks to the proliferation of sites like YouTube and Vimeo, as well as the fact that Facebook is placing ever more importance on video content, you can be sure that there’s an audience out there just ready and waiting. In fact, I always upload videos to Facebook and YouTube simultaneously, these days, and I usually find that they perform best on Facebook.

So without further ado, here are five ways that you can use video to engage with your readers:

#1: Book trailers

If you’re a keen reader yourself then you’ve probably already seen a book trailer somewhere or another. There’s no real rule for creating a book trailer, but it’s a good idea to keep it to around a minute long and to use it to convey what your book is about, as well as a sense of feeling. That can be shared on Facebook and YouTube to help to promote your new releases.

#2: Live broadcasts

You can broadcast live on YouTube by holding a hangout on Google+, and Facebook recently launched its own live video functionality that enables you to broadcast live from your Facebook page. Writers have a great opportunity to use this in creative ways – for example, hosting live bedtime readings if they’re a children’s author, or hosting Q&As and other interactive sessions. Some writers have even combined Facebook Live with event pages to host online book launches.

How authors can engage with readers using video

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Book review: The Ultimate Bathroom Book by Peter Hirsch

As you all know I love books, all types of books. Anything with words in and pictures are a bonus! So when a review for The Ultimate Bathroom book by Peter Hirsch popped up in my inbox it was too hard to say no.

Peter Hirsch is the director of the bathroom company Soakology, and he wrote this book about his travels around the world seeking out bathrooms. Finding out what a bathroom means in different cultures and how they differ country to country.

What does the bathroom mean to people in the context of their country?

The ultimate bathroom book on a toilet with loo roll

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