From Daughter to Woman

         From Daughter to Woman by Kim McCabe #blogtour

Summary:
This book aims to make the adolescent's journey just that bit safer, kinder, and better supported - so parents and teens can enjoy the teenage years more.

The teen years are tough - for teens and for parents. Many parents dread the moodiness, dishonesty, preference of friends over family, exam stress, and the push for greater independence. Mothers have a pivotal role to play; this is a guidebook for parents and mothers of girls in particular as they navigate the rocky teenage landscape with their daughters aged 8 to 18. It aims to help them embrace the potential of their child's teenage years by marking this time of growing maturity for girls and celebrating it with them. We celebrate birth, marriage and death, but this important life-transition from child to young adult is nowadays rarely acknowledged within an appropriate community.

My Review:

'Thousands of girls are on a similar journey right now and millions and millions of women have trodden the pat before you. There is no right way to grow up, and you will find your own way.'

From Daughter to Woman isn't a how to manual, but a gentle hug of encouragement and support, in a world where we come across so much judgement and negativity. 

As a mother of an eleven year old daughter, I was very keen to read this book. Navigating the ups and downs of a preteen can be challenging, so any guidance as to how to make this journey through adolescence feel a bit safer, kinder and more supportive, could only be a good thing. 

'If our children learn how to learn and acquire a love of learning, then they are well equipped. Enabling this is true education.'

Being able to look objectively at myself, and the example I am setting my daughter is an obvious first. Obvious, but so often overlooked. Do as I do, and not as I say is important when raising children, lead by example, not instruction. Remembering the basics when raising children/teenagers can be hard when we are so incredibly busy.

The extent and scope of the guidance and ideas in this book is astounding. There are chapters on pretty much anything you can think of that links with a teenage girl, from periods and relationships, to moods, body image and self confidence. 

Not everything will be appropriate for you and your daughter, but as you read this book, you will undoubtedly pick up so many gems that will help you bond with your child instead of being at loggerheads. 

'Children need us to respect who they actually are and not try to change them. They need us to champion their individuality.'

From Daughter to Woman is a book that I will be revisiting often over the next few years, as I hopefully help my daughter become the spirited, independent, incredible woman I know she is destined to be. 

Title Information:
Title: From Daughter to Woman
Author: Kim McCabe
Release Date: 18th July
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher: Little Brown Books

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Author Information:

Kim McCabe is the founder of Rites for Girls. As the originator and facilitator of Girls Journeying Together groups, she offers guidance to preteen and teen girls and simultaneous support for their mothers. In training other women to facilitate these groups, her dream is that every girl grows up expecting to be supported and celebrated in adolescence. Kim was commissioned to write a section in Steve Biddulph's latest best-selling book, 10 Things Girls Need Most: To Grow Up Strong and Free.

Kim is a home-educating mother of two boys, one girl, two cats and a colony of aloe vera plants; she is wife to a Kiwi, daughter to itinerant parents, friend to a cherished few, and lover of time alone, too. She lives in the Ashdown Forest in Sussex. She sometimes shouts at her children, accidentally steps on the cat's tail and forgets to water the plants, but she loves her work, her family and her life. She has always had deep affinity with teenage girls, and by sharing her wisdom and compassion she infects the reader with her enthusiasm for this life stage.

           #blogtour The Haunting of Mount Cod by Nicky Stratton 

Hi everyone, today The Haunting of Mount Cod blog tour stops here, and it is my pleasure to introduce you to Lady Boxford and her pug, Parker. 

Summary:
Lady Laura Boxford lives with her pug, Parker, in the retirement complex of Wellworth Lawns, formerly her family home.

One day she and her friend Venetia see the ancient actor Sir Repton Willowby arriving. He’s Venetia’s cousin by marriage and Venetia says he murdered his wife.

He lives at the Edwardian pile, Mount Cod and he says he’s being haunted by the ghost of an eighteenth century serving wench called Rosalind.

Laura is convinced he’s a charlatan using the ghost as a ruse for finding a new wife.

She determines to get to the bottom of the mystery on account of Venetia’s daughter, who stands to inherit Mount Cod.

But did Sir Repton murder his wife and is the house haunted?

My Review:

I really enjoyed this crime mystery. Lady Boxford is a spirited heroine, who takes absolutely no nonsense whatsoever and doesn't suffer fools gladly, she brought to mind an elderly Jessica Fletcher. ( Murder she Wrote )

I'm not sure I've ever read a crime novel set in a retirement complex before, but it works! The age of the characters didn't slow the action down at all, and if anything, their life experience, along with their joie de vivre made for some thrilling moments. 

Lady Boxford has a lot to contend with, murder, a ghost, theft, illegal marriages, seances... but she doesn't falter, and with the help of some friends follows the clues and attempts to solve the crimes. 

I believe this is the second in the Lady Boxford mysteries and am looking forward to reading more. 

Information about the Book
Title: The Haunting of Mount Cod
Author: Nicky Stratton
Release Date: 28th June 2018
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Clink Street Publishing
Format: Paperback 


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Author Information


Nicky Stratton came second in a short story competition when she was twenty; the prize was a brown typewriter called The Underdog 2000, but rather than become a novelist, she embarked on a thirty year career as a copywriter. Alongside work, Stratton raised two children plus a veritable menagerie of animals, including a hawk; she also took an Open University degree in Humanities, graduating at the age of fifty with a 2.1. She finally published her first novel, The Weight of Death, in 2016. Nicky Stratton lives in Stratford upon Avon with her partner Myles.

Writing retreat #blogtour

Have you ever wanted to be whisked away somewhere remote to get that book inside you written? And do you wish that you had expert guidance and support to help you while you 
did it?



If you answered yes to the above questions then you should definitely continue reading this post which is going to tell you all about the Atelier des Ecrivains (Writers’ Workshop) retreat.
Becky and Sarah who are co-hosting the writing retreat, and are both writers themselves, know that there are lots of people who harbour a desire to write a book but may either lack the confidence, the skills or the headspace to actually do it. They also know from experience that removing yourself from your daily life, with all of its pressures and interruptions, and coming together with like-minded people can be a great way to overcome those barriers. Where better to do that than in a beautiful 18th century manor house outside one of France’s prettiest villages, Aubeterre?

Helen Cross, author of My Summer of Love, which was turned into a Hollywood film starring Emily Blunt and whose other novels, screen and radio plays entertain people all over the world will be leading the workshop. She is an experienced teacher of creative writing and currently teaches on the MFA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, UK. The combination of skills and experience offered by Helen, Becky and Sarah will be invaluable to authors at all stages of their writing journey.




ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS
Getting started – Thursday 20 to Monday 24 September, 2018 For people at the beginning of their writing journey, this workshop will help you develop your writing skills, find your creative voice, thematic material and literary style: create credible characters and reveal them through dialogue and active, dramatic scenes: and build your world - structure, point-of-view, and narrative voice. With a small group of up to 10 writers, we are promoting an environment of creativity and support with one-to-one feedback sessions and time for questions and answers.


Keeping going – May, 2019 For people who have already started their writing journey, this workshop will enhance your skills even further, help you overcome barriers and enable you to shape your words into the brilliant piece of work you know it has the potential to be.
Getting published – September 2019 For people reaching the conclusion of a writing project, this workshop is designed to support the final stages of writing and editing, and will contain lots of useful information about how to get published and successfully market your book. You can find out more information about the hosts, venue and workshops here. To book your place or to contact the hosts, you can visit the website here.
I don’t know about you but I would very much like to go on this writing retreat!

#blogtour ...Preceded by Chaos Vol -1 written by M.Wheeler 
                       illustrated by B. Bicknell

Hi everyone, today the ...Preceded by Chaos Vol. -1 blog tour is stopping by, so that I can share my thoughts on this book with you all. 

Summary:
...Preceded by Chaos is a graphic illustrated series, charting the dramatic past, present and future of a young emergency room doctor, as the stress of saving lives threatens to overwhelm him. Mitchell Weaver is a troubled young Emergency Medicine doctor, orbiting a world of high-stress, intense pressure. It’s a distinguished profession with the burden of a variety of particularly disturbing personal demons that he must battle in order to maintain the façade of sanity and control. The third instalment of the series, Volume -1, takes place before the first book in the series, Volume 0, before Mitchell’s attempt at sobriety and self-awareness. During this chapter Mitchell travels to Spain in an attempt to find a part of himself that his been lost. But ultimately, Mitchell’s trip to Barcelona may be an escape more than journey.

My review:
Reading this book was like stepping into the swirling vortex of a nightmare. The agony, torment and confusion of the protagonist was palpable. Mitchell is lost, his addiction to drugs and alcohol has completely taken over his life and imminent tragedy seems almost inevitable.

Some of the scenes in this book were incredibly painful to read, for example, we find Mitchell collapsed in a toilet at work after self administering a cocktail of drugs through an IV. He's a doctor in a busy hospital, and his only way of surviving his shift is to try and balance the various drugs he is taking so that he can function. Throughout the story, Mitchell battles with the Bull, a manifestation of his inner demons. He tries everything to placate this angry and violent tormentor who seems hellbent on destroying him.

His trip to Spain is a spiral of drugs, alcohol, sex, hallucination and lost time. He goes in search of inspiration, but it becomes instead an escape from responsibility and reality. I haven't read the other two books in the series, but if this prequel's purpose is to expose Mitchell's darker side, and show us how far he had fallen before he decided to seek redemption... then it's a resounding success. 

...Preceded by Chaos Vol. -1 is part graphic novel and the images really add to the tone of the story. 

Information about the Book
Title: … Preceded by Chaos Vol -1 (…Preceded by Chaos #3)
Author: M. Wheeler
Release Date: 26th June 2018
Genre: Graphic Novel
Publisher: Clink Street Publishing
Format: Paperback

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                     Into the Summerland by Julian Cundy #blogtour

Hi everyone, today is my second stop on the Into the Summerland blog tour, you can find my first stop and the author's guest post here 

Summary 

The eternal question - what happens when we die? Is there a consequence from how we lived? Is there a reckoning?
Henry Ashton's turbulent life is at an end. As he moves on from this world, he discovers how elusive the final peace can be.

With a spirit companion by his side, Henry learns there can be no peace without reconciliation, no rest without acceptance. He must walk his own path to absolution.

"For some souls the transition from mortal life to eternal peace is an easy one, soon completed. For others, who have been troubled in their life or who cannot reconcile the events and their part in them, the journey is longer...and harder. But every soul will find its rest."

My review

Into the Summerland is a wonderfully moving story that addresses the meaning of life and of life after death; it is a short, quick read but held me captive from beginning to end.

Henry, like all of us, went through life seeing the entire world through just one perspective, his own. When he dies he finds himself in a cavern with a giant dwarf named Chuttlewizz who will be his spirit guide to the afterlife. The journey will depend on how quickly Henry can find balance, acceptance and reconciliation. To say that Henry is unimpressed is an understatement, he has had a stormy life with a lot of heartbreak along the way, reliving even a moment of it is the exact opposite of what he wants to do. However, he soon comes to realise that the journey isn't a choice, it's an inevitable path and as he travels through the different chambers, each one a different colour ( and here the author really REALLY shines as the description is so dazzling you feel as if you are there too ) he navigates through a lifetime of memories and learns not only about his life but also about what his time on earth meant. 

It was the unresolved tragedy in Henry's life that really got to me. Chapter eight - the white chamber had me shedding more than a few tears as it's here that his heart finally becomes whole again. 

This is a moving and though provoking book, don't expect to read it without shedding a tear or two. 

Information about the Book
Title: Into the Summerland
Author: Julian Cundy
Release Date: 1st March 2018
Genre: Spiritual
Publisher: Little Bang Publishing

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About the author
Living in Westcliff-on-Sea Essex, Julian Cundy is a British adventurer, dedicated day dreamer, wordsmith and observer of life and all its absurdities. He is a recognisable character in his home town thanks to his eye-catching outfits comprising fine hats, cravats, tails and spats.

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     #blogtour The World is Never Enough by Sarah Donohue  

My review:

Sarah Donohue's story is so incredibly inspiring, I am in awe of this amazing woman! 

In The World is Never Enough, the author opens up the pages of her life to us, and narrates her experiences in such an honest and open fashion, that she makes the reader feel a part of that journey. As she recounts her highest and lowest moments, we are with her, often awaiting the next chapter with bated breath, and it's one hell of a turbulent ride.

From her humble beginnings in Yorkshire, to being a showgirl at the Moulin Rouge. From her extraordinary success as a power-boat racer, to surviving and recovering from a horrific crash. From creating the Miss Galaxy Universe fitness competition, to cyber bullying and being sued by Donald Trump. Every step of the way Sarah Donohue has embraced each opportunity and proven just how much you can achieve if you work hard. Seizing not just the day, but every single moment in it, has accorded her possibilities beyond most peoples dreams. Her courage, work ethic and can do attitude has taken her to dizzy heights and she has proven herself to be phenomenal. 

This is an uplifting story, full of heart; so, grab a copy, buckle up and prepare yourself for a fascinating adventure that will leave you full of determination and hope. 

Summary:
This is the action packed story of a female racing driver and stuntwoman who lives life on the edge and enjoys every extreme moment of it… A thrill-seeker by day and glamorous showgirl by night, Sarah Donohue believes in living out her dreams and living life to the full bringing colour and laughter to the lives of everyone around her.

Even after a high-speed powerboat crash putting her on a life-support machine, Sarah didn’t let dying for four minutes or a face held together by titanium plates dampen her spirits. The crash was documented as one of the worst crashes seen in powerboat racings history yet Sarah returned back to racing with BBC’s ‘999’ and ‘Ripley’s Believe It or Not’ hiring her as the stuntwoman to re-enact her own near fatal experience. Soon after she became the European powerboat champion. Her journey of triumph over adversity is both inspiring and extreme.

This story of life will take the reader through a roller coaster of emotions as Sarah experiences the highest of highs on podium tops to the lowest of lows as she suffers jealous cyber abusers. The funny stories recalled as a forces pinup and staunch supporter of the military through to the not so funny story of Sarah enduring Donald Trump, the now president of the United States of America and his legal team for almost four years.

This feisty girl from Yorkshire loves life and puts as much into it as she can whilst taking anything it throws back at her remaining positive and up beat. This shows that even the impossible can be made possible with the right attitude no matter who you are or where you come from. A motivational, funny and inspirational book showing one woman’s journey on taking on any challenge head to head and her world-renowned success in the male dominated sport of offshore powerboat racing. Even death becomes her.

Information about the Book
Title: The World is Never Enough
Author: Sarah Donohue
Release Date: 12th June 2018
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher: Deringer Publishing
Format: Paperback

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Author Information

Born and raised in Saddleworth, Yorkshire born Sarah Donohue has enjoyed over twenty five years competing as a powerboat racer, and is currently the most successful female competitor within the sport. She’ll be returning to race again this year in the US and Hong Kong as the face of the Asia Powerboat Series. As well as racing, Sarah is a qualified personal trainer, international Tri-Fitness champion and, between the years of 2011-2017, created and ran the annual Miss Galaxy Universe fitness competitions in the UK

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          Into the Summerland by Julian Cundy 

Today I have the privilege of hosting a guest post by author Julian Cundy on my blog. The blog tour will return on Thursday 21st June for my review of his book, Into the Summerland. 

5 Inspirational Authors by Julian Cundy


Charles Dickens sits at the top of the tree for me. So much has been written about his characters, his capacity to portray entire societies in the microcosm of a handful of story threads, his compassionate approach to life’s less fortunate ones. All of this I love. For me, it is the sheer confidence that flows throughout his writing. You can see the development in reading the novels chronologically, but he is never less than compelling.

Dickens’ observation of human nature is so universal. The gallery is unparalleled: The rogues and villains, the pure and innocent, the plucky heroes, the pedants and rebels. I learned so much about presenting the nature first and the depths later. Of how some lives are irredeemably broken, while others may be salvaged.

Of course, Dickens is the master storyteller. Although the characters may threaten to dominate every chapter, the underlying reason why I read and re-read each book several times is the multiple threads of stories, carefully woven together. The convergence – often subtle, sometimes more broadly signposted – keeps me gripped to see how all the disparate tales will be resolved. If he were writing today, perhaps the descriptions would be briefer, but I recommend everyone tries the unabridged versions. There is so much there! This is why I spend so much time in day dreaming, sketching, planning and visualising my story lines before I get down to writing. You don’t need all the detail to begin, but you do need to know the high-level components and general direction.

Above all, Dickens writes like a man that needs to write. That sense of care for the right word used each time, the urgency in the telling of each tale. The firmness and certainty of delivery. My earliest writing were quite timid until I latched on to the delivery imperative. Charles Dickens taught me that well over a hundred years after his death. Your servant, CD.


HG Wells published his first novel The Time Machine less than 20 years after the death of Charles Dickens. Their literary worlds could not have been different. Whilst Dickens’ stories were firmly rooted in the Victorian society (apart from the historic novels) Wells’ mind was exploring the realms beyond his own time and indeed space.

The British godfather of science fiction is a marvel to me. His formative reading was Greek, Latin and English classics, but the ideas generated from his imagination were groundbreaking. Men on the moon? Travelling through time? Aliens invading earth? All this whilst still in the 1800s.

Well’s inspiration to me was the way he set the rules of context. However outlandish the situation he created, the characters had to be rounded and the story development credible. I best describe my own style of writing as portraying ordinary people in extraordinary situations. I like my readers to imagine ‘that could be me’ and for them to wonder how they would react.

It’s no accident that I fell into the Steampunk style, with HG Wells as one of my favourite authors. That sense of wonder, possibility and the excitement of the unknown to be discovered that Wells creates in his books; that Steampunk reflects in a modern retrospective fun way – puts a big splash of colour into my life.
JK Rowling is in many ways the modern yardstick that most of us measure against. Forgetting the stratospheric commercial success that she enjoyed with the Harry Potter series, it is the word that she created which is most impressive and inspirational to other writers.

I was introduced to Harry Potter a couple of years after the first few books had been phenomenally successful and just before the first movie was released. I had recently finished my degree (finally achieved at age of 36!) and someone bought me a gift pack with the first three books for my celebratory week in Cornwall.

By the time my train was passing through a suitably misty Bodmin Moor, I had already devoured the first book. The next two did not last beyond the following day as the ethereal Cornish autumn mixed perfectly with the tales from Hogwarts. I loved the books on so many levels.

The cast, whilst often portrayed through the eyes of the major child characters had enough about them to chime with my older perception. Like the best children’s movies that throw in a line or two just for the grown-ups. The perennial themes of good and evil, along with the haves and have-nots, friendship and loyalty were well delivered, without too much saccharin.

The main aspect for me was the discipline around the world she created. I learnt that you can dream up the setting that best enables you to convey your story, but you must remain true to its rules. There could be no unsubstantiated jumps – no “new rules” created only for convenience of plot gaps. I have used supernatural devices myself in my writing, ensuring the coherence. You can be as creative as you like, but respect the reader!


The two more conventional writers that formed early appreciation of storylines and structure were Agatha Christie and Jeffery Archer.

Dame Agatha’s books were always around as my Mum is a big fan. The first ‘proper’ book I read was The ABC Murders, when I was about eight. I remember well the already yellowed pages of this paperback, which still had the power to grip. The contrast of the genteel English settings with the brutal murders did more to develop my sense of dramatic timing and story pacing than any school creative writing classes.

Lord Archer’s blockbusters of the 1980s were a real education of plotting, suspense and pacing. The real-life characters and contemporary events gave them a really authentic feel. He continues to do this brilliantly. I learnt from this how locations, landmarks, key events and even famous people could be woven carefully into a storyline to help quickly establish the setting.

All of these authors have created worlds that I can escape to for a few hours at a time. It’s the kind of passionate, driven and high quality discipline that I aspire to achieve in my own writing.


If you want to learn – as we all should throughout our lives – then learn from the best. You won’t go far wrong. And if this enables me to achieve commercial success that will obviously be great. But the fulfilment of delivering a good story well told is hard to beat.

JC

About the Author


Living in Westcliff-on-Sea Essex, Julian Cundy is a British adventurer, dedicated day dreamer, wordsmith and observer of life and all its absurdities. He is a recognisable character in his home town thanks to his eye-catching outfits comprising fine hats, cravats, tails and spats.

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