Loveahappyending Lifestyle Issue 2 by Loveahappyending Lifestyle magazine

Welcome to Loveahappyending Lifestyle emagazine with contributors from the UK, US and Canada LLm is all about celebrating the good things in life. Our writers come from all walks of life; they have a variety of interests and some write novels. We love sharing ideas and information, and generally enjoy life! Fluffy white clouds...

Are you a sky watcher? Maybe it’s the fluffy peaks and shadows as clouds billow across a blue sky, or wonderful sunsets with a myriad of colours. Or maybe it’s a meteor shower that turns your gaze up towards the heavens… Every August the Perseid meteor shower puts on a wonderful show and is particularly visible in the Northern Hemisphere. Peaking between August 10-13th, it means staying up until the early hours of the morning in my part of the world (the UK), as just before dawn is the best time to star-gaze. As the tiny particles of debris left in the wake of comet Swift-Tuttle come into contact with our atmosphere, it produces a rain of shooting stars that criss-cross the heavens. I stared up at the inky black sky and watched in awe. Living in the middle of the Gloucestershire countryside, and with no light pollution for miles around, it was simply a case of tilting my head and watching the show! The specks of comet dust are vaporized on entry and, according to the Royal Astronomical Society, they travel at 36 miles per second.

“What a glorious way to go!” 1

There are other meteor showers throughout the year and you will find lots of interesting information on this website http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/earthskys-meteorWonderful sunsets! shower-guide. It’s a pity it was too dark to take a picture…and, at the time, my hands were firmly wrapped around a cup of hot chocolate…it might be summer, but the early hours certainly weren’t balmy…

Visit our two websites for lots more interesting articles: www.loveahappyending.com “LLm”& www.lovehappyending.org “The Bookshelf” You can follow us on Twitter: @loveahappyend and @LAHEBookshelf FB Loveahappyending.com You can also email us at loveahappyending.com@gmail.com. For issue no. 2 we have a whole host of articles and features! We’re whisking you off to India, then to Long Island, New York state, to meet author Bonnie Trachtenberg’s feline family. We’re talking to the Romantic Novelists’ Association Chairman, Pia Fenton and I’m sharing some interior design tips…plus lots, lots more from the LLm team.

Meet our assistant editor: Anneli Purchase

•1

Welcome

•4 Home project •7 Inspire the children •11 In the garden •17 Living life to the full •24 Relationship advice •26 Travel •40 Have you seen? – film reviews

•46 Out and about •57 Food, glorious food! •64 Guest interview – Pia Fenton, RNA •69 Books Reviews •73 Techie corner •76 Profiles in FURage •79 Writerly advice •81 On the bookshelf

– great reads, reviewers

and services - book a writing retreat!

•86 Meet the team

HOME PROJECT - STORAGE SOLUTIONS Design matters, but so does size! Left: Storage solutions in tight spots!

When it comes to interior design the one thing that I learnt very early on, was that size does matter! It’s a case of proportion really. Large furniture in a small room sucks up the space and feels heavy, cumbersome. So what do you do if you have a limited amount of space, in order to make the most of it? Well, I have three top tips: 1. Take a tape measure everywhere you go. Know the size of your room and remember when viewing items you will be in a large store. The item will therefore look smaller on show than it will when you unpack it at home!

2. Keep your room colours LIGHT. Add mirrors – small, discreet frames but LARGE expanses of mirror work best in small spaces. Keep the soft furnishings light; keep the colours soft. Add splashes of vibrant colour by accessorizing – but keep those items small. 3. When buying, think ‘simple lines and storage solutions’. If you can buy an item that also allows you to use it for storage, then it’s a win-win situation. Don’t be tempted by large, bold patterns and overly-fussy items. What looks great in a welllit, retail store that’s as big as a warehouse will look overly dominant in a small room setting. Hampers and linen baskets are often inexpensive, make great coffee tables and can be used to store linen, DVDs, books, children’s toys …

Texture is important when you simply don’t have the space to feature large areas of colour or bold design statements. Earthy colours, neutrals and shades of green tend to blend and brighten – think ‘neutrals and naturals’. Neutrals don’t look so bland if you group together various shades within the spectrum, from light to dark. Left and above - choose your storage solutions wisely

Three top tips:

1. De-clutter. Get rid of anything you don’t use rather than keep it merely for the sake of it. 2. Think neat. Use re-sealable bags to house individual leads for recharging the phone, camera etc. If they aren’t easily identifiable, then pop a piece of paper inside each bag so you can instantly see what the lead is for – a time saver! 3. Do the same for your jewellery – pop matching earrings and necklaces into individual, resealable bags and place them in a basket inside a drawer, or in baskets above a cupboard (see photo). Quick to sort through and easy when packing for your holiday, as you can pop the bags inside a holdall or zip-up pocket.

Utilise every single little area – great example below. Large cupboards store bedding, ironing board, vacuum cleaner and guest clothes-hanging space. On top of the cupboards the baskets add to the country feel of this room in a small cottage AND houses paperwork. The cupboards are kitchen units that usually house the fridge and freezer, so they are a generous size and were cheaper than buying wardrobes. Plus this room is a guest room next to a kitchen, so it carries the light, cream theme through quite nicely. Right: Storage on top of storage!

When thinking ‘texture’ remember that metal work can be a great design statement if it has an amazing shape. Natural wood is timeless and ages gracefully – it’s less noisy than most laminate flooring. Make your light fittings ‘statements’. If the surrounding room is simple, go for something that is a good size, but with a nice shape. The easiest way to keep a house tidy is to have a place for everything. The family are less likely to ‘dump’ things in piles – OK, maybe you will have to give a few prompts from time to time – if it’s easy for them to hang something up or pop it onto a shelf. That includes shoes!

Brought to you by: Linn B. Halton Website/blog: http://linnbhalton.co.uk/ Twitter: @LinnBHalton FB: Author Linn B Halton

INSPIRE YOUR CHILDREN

Encourage your children to be innovative online! In this article I will be looking at a few popular YouTube accounts started by children, and helping you to consider how you could help your child to build an online presence that helps to develop their ICT skills and encourages them to think outside the box. By creating online content you are also encouraging them away from simply spending time playing games, sparking their imagination and creativity. Children are spending more and more time online. The traditional routine of school-park-televisiontea-time with parents-bedtime story-sleep has been interrupted in the last ten years by the rise of the internet. It is easy to let your children spend too much time online; they are quiet, you have things to do yourself, and all of a sudden itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 9 p.m. and you have no clue what they have been doing for the past three hours. So why am I encouraging you to let your children spend time online? Well, with my guidance your children will form creative hobbies that take them away from merely browsing the web and help them to become young entrepreneurs. There is money to be made, there are skills to perfect, and your child is capable of achieving both of these targets. Case Study 1: Matty B Raps - http://youtu.be/8gC5XSmcijE

Matty B is a ten-year-old American boy who has over one million subscribers on his YouTube channel. Of course, as a young internet mogul he also has a website, Twitter account, and his own Wikipedia page. He sings cover songs, and his popularity (he has had over 400 million views of his videos on YouTube) clearly provides him with a good income, as his videos showcase high production values and look authentic. With a million subscribers he is arguably more popular on YouTube than U2 (120,000 subscribers), Madonna (276,000 subscribers), and seems to be heading towards the popularity of YouTube sensation Psy (2,298,000 subscribers) and Justin Bieber (3,324,000 subscribers). He has achieved all of this with no record company, no publicity, no tours or appearances, and best of all - he seems incredibly happy and well-adjusted. Traditionally, a child star can be expected to ‘burn out’ due to the long hours involved in building his or her career. With the advent of YouTube, Matty B has created a following without having to miss school, without having to audition for agents, and without having to disturb his childhood. He’s a cute young lad with a nice singing voice, but the more you delve into his collection of videos, the more you will think ‘my child loves to perform; my child could do this.’ Case Study 2: Lego Music Videos - http://youtu.be/qIuxiwhUGz4

It’s likely that your child has a box of Lego somewhere in their bedroom. It’s equally likely that they have never encountered the amazing genre of Lego films on YouTube. Play them the video above, search YouTube for Lego Batman films, let them see just what is possible with their toys and Stop Motion Recorder which is just 69p from Apple’s app store. Helping your child to create short films is absolutely the best way to foster their storytelling skills. So much of our communication nowadays is truncated. Heck, Twitter even restricts how many characters you can post! Whilst the first few films your child makes will be simplistic and derivative, can you imagine how good they will be when they have made thirty or forty films?

Watching cartoons will become an activity they undertake in order to get inspiration, rather than passive entertainment. As their skills grow, and they develop new filming styles and techniques, this could be the start of their future career! Imagine your child decided to spend their spare time over a fortnight making a Lego music video, perhaps of a massive hit such as Gangnam Style, 2012’s unavoidable monster hit by Psy. Record companies are now incredibly savvy to the purpose of viral videos. So whereas once the spoofs and covers of Gangnam Style would have been taken down due to the misuse of copyrighted music, they are not only tolerated but actually encouraged! Create an innovative version of a hit and the original artist will often tweet a link to their millions of followers on twitter. The potential is truly astounding, and the figures are simply unbelievable. Search YouTube for “Gangnam Style cover” and the videos that come up have nine million views, five million views, seven million views. Matty B Raps has had an amazing seventeen million views for his cover version! That Lego version your child could have made may have achieved a million views or more. Advertising is easy to set up on YouTube and completely automated (essentially you tick a box stating you are happy to host adverts before your videos and it automatically adds them to each video you upload) and a million views of a video will earn your child between £1,000 and £5,000, tiered depending on the specific content, type of advertising, and your number of subscribers amongst other factors. A useful amount to fund future education!

Case Study 3: How to Cook with Kids by Kids - http://youtu.be/-_WRPy-pEMg

This is clever. If you explore Sarah-Grace’s YouTube channel you will notice that she has only a handful of video views. Her most successful video has 210,000 views and just a few hundred subscribers, but it is the concept here that stands out. Most children love cooking, and the video I have selected here is simple to make.

All you need to do is rehearse cooking something in the kitchen with your child, then place your video camera or phone in front of them and press record. Let them present their own TV programme, for the whole world to see. Helping your children to record a regular internet TV show will help them to develop their oracy skills. You can sit down and play back the videos together, critiquing their delivery. It’s a useful way to help them become more analytical, which is an important skill in improving their school work. Whilst Sarah-Grace has not turned her channel into an incredible success, she is building a body of work that may at some point become a sensation. Collectively her videos should hit a million views at some point in the next couple of years. So even if she never achieves a mass audience she will still be the only child in her class to have earned thousands of dollars whilst in primary school. What does your child love doing? Is it singing, acting, karate, or cooking? Creating a YouTube account takes less than five minutes, and a successful clip can be something as simple as Charlie Bit My Finger- filmed on a mobile phone, uploaded to YouTube on a whim. The best part of starting a YouTube account for your child is that they really respond to the fact that they are building an audience. Children become so enthusiastic about watching their video view figures rising, and for a child, seeing a video they have created hit 200 views seems to be an epic achievement. As they make more videos, their skills—from scripting to video editing—will grow exponentially and an interesting side benefit is that their concept of number grows, helping their maths skills. I spend a lot of time with my class watching popular YouTube videos when I teach place value. To a child, a million is an abstract concept that is hard to grasp. When they see a million video views for a singer they like, the concept becomes more real. When they start to compare the large number of views achieved by internationally famous bands to, for example, the population of the UK, their appreciation of seven, eight and nine digit numbers really starts to become concrete. Encourage your child to become a content creator, rather than a consumer. They will build excellent skills that may influence their future careers. They will certainly have a good time creating their video clips and watching their viewing figures rise. Show them how their own endeavours can make them money and help them to become independent. They will begin to see that their futures are directly influenced by their own creativity, the skills they build, and their uniqueness. At no point in history has an average child had instant access to a worldwide audience. Show them what is possible on YouTube, and then help them to become happy, successful individuals.

Brought to you by: Mark Hulkus

Mark Hulkus is a primary school teacher and an experienced Head of IT. He has three children, is obsessed with the 1980s, and runs a fun design website at www.retroboombox.co.uk. He will be helping us to help our children when it comes to school work and IT skills.

If you have a question for Mark email us at loveahappyending.com@gmail.com

IN THE GARDEN The Contented Gardener

Whether your garden is a vast, rolling landscape or a few pots on a balcony, it is possible to have a plant in bloom every month of the year. Visit a garden centre each month and you will be able to find something in flower every visit. Lookfor bulbs, shrubs, and perennials (those that come up year after year). Buy one small, healthy looking plant that doesn’t have a lot of moss around its base (a sign of overwatering and poor care) and is bushy with lots of buds, and it should give you years of pleasure. Most plants can be propagated by division or cuttings and thus for little outlay, you can increase your stock. Lavender Hidcote thrives in the sun

No matter how bountiful, how full of flowers, colour, or perfume, a garden doesn’t come to life until it is filled with the buzzing of bees, the fluttering of moths and butterflies, and birdsong. Bees, butterflies, birds, beetles and ladybirds, frogs, hoverflies, etc. are the gardener’s friends and should be welcomed. By growing the right plants, feeding the birds, and not being too tidy, it is easy to encourage the wildlife in. Lavender is adored by bees, whether grown directly in the ground or in pots or tubs. As well as mauve/blue flowers (Hidcote is a beautiful specimen), there are also pink and white varieties, so experiment, be bold, and grow something different. It’s worth seeking out a specialist lavender grower such as The Lavender Garden – (see http://www.thelavenderg.co.uk/gallery.htm).

These specialists hold many rarer varieties than those found in garden centres and can give expert, sound advice as to their care and propagation. They might be a little more expensive, but lavender is easy to strike from cuttings; one plant could yield many more for you. Lavender is easy to grow and prune. It loves the sun, is hardy, and smells delicious. Sparrows and starlings love it too; they strip the leaves to line their nests to keep bugs at bay.

Bees love ceanothus – the California Lilac (right)

Bees cannot resist the ceanothus species. A ceanothus in the garden, whether grown in the border, in a container on the patio, or trained against a wall or fence, is a sure fire way of attracting them. Also called the California lilac, this sweetly-scented shrub flowers in late spring/early summer, and comes in many shades of blue. Buddleia Black Prince with Comma Butterfly

The plant has various habits too, from prostrate to tree form. It is easy to keep in shape but be careful when pruning as it flowers on old wood; if it is cut back at the wrong time of year, you will have no flowers. Partial, judicious pruning is thus well advised purely to keep the plant in check. They are hardy and fairly longed lived. Everyone is familiar with buddleia (the butterfly bush); butterflies and bees love it, as do many moths and birds. You need not be restricted to the pale mauve flowered types usually seen. Buddleia comes in a variety of colours, including white, one with yellow/orange ballshaped flowers, and an almost black version â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Black Prince. This hardy shrub can grow very tall and over-arching, so it is recommended that stems be cut back to two or three leaf nodes in early spring to encourage new growth and flowers. It

benefits from a regular feeding. Birds love to strip the young shoots to line their nests, and leaf-cutter bees will tear pieces from the leaves but this does not cause the plant irreparable harm. Again, buddleia can be grown in containers and several dwarf forms are readily obtainable. They thrive in most soil conditions and like full sun but also do well in semishade. Mauve or blue flowers attract bees and butterflies more than other colours but for something different, a lovely shrub to grow for its aromatic leaves and white, perfumed flowers in early summer is the choysia, sometimes called the Mexican Orange plant. There is also a variegated form and one with lemony-yellow leaves, known as the golden choysia. Insects, especially ladybirds, like this evergreen shrub for its sweet nectar. Long-lived, it can be kept small by occasional pruning after flowering. If you are lucky, a second flush of flowers will appear. Speckled Wood Butterfly enjoying Choysia Grandiflora

The perennial wallflower family, the erysimum, is a godsend to butterflies who seem to prefer it to the buddleia. These bushy plants have silver/grey foliage, come in shades of yellow, orange, peach, and mauve, and flower from early spring to the first frosts. They are hardy, living for three to four years, but are well worth growing as they are long-flowering, from early spring to mid winter. They benefit from regular deadheading and trimming with shears to keep the flower spikes forming. Sedum Spectabile Peacock Butterfly

(Ice

Plant)

with

In late summer and early autumn, the ice plant, sedum spectabile, is a welcome stopover for butterflies, bees (especially bumblebees), and hoverflies. With pink to red clusters of tiny flowers, these low-growing succulents are very hardy and long lived and thrive in full sun. As with most plants of this family, they can easily be propagated by dividing. Unlike some other sedums, they are well behaved and wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take over the border.

Position feeders in shrub or tree

Birds fill the garden with song. They provide amusement and repay your kindness by keeping down the pests and insects. Blackbirds and thrushes consume snails – so no need for slug pellets! If you find lots of empty snail shells in the borders, especially close to large stones, you can be certain you’ve a local blackbird or thrush enjoying the garden. If you are feeding birds, continue all year, not just through the winter, for the adults need high energy food during the spring too, when they are feeding their young with insects and creepy crawlies from the garden. Place the bird table close to a shrub or tree as birds like the security of shelter, and somewhere close to hide and escape danger. As well as breadcrumbs, birds also enjoy apples, cherries, porridge oats, grated cheese, and suet. Far better is to hang a birdfeeder or two from a branch, filled with a variety of birdseed and peanuts. Fat balls and filled coconut shells encourage the bluetits and great-tits. Be careful when choosing birdseed, as many of the cheaper brands contain excessive amounts of large, black sunflower seeds, which many birds do not eat. A table encourages the larger birds – crows, magpies, pigeons, whereas feeders attract the smaller ones and ground-feeding birds that will feast beneath on the seeds and bits discarded. Birds need water so a shallow dish or bird bath is ideal. A large rock placed in the bird bath will discourage larger birds from bathing if you do not like pigeons and crows in the garden. Whilst water is welcome in winter, birds do eat snow for moisture and will bathe in it if other sources are frozen. Tip: A bare patch in the flowerbed? Scatter a packet of mixed wildflower seeds and you will soon be rewarded with colour. Many of these flowers will self-seed for next year. Native wild flowers attract insects, which in turn attract the birds. Tip: Gardening on a budget? Visit your garden centre regularly and look for end-of-season plants reduced in price, particularly those you can divide or take cuttings from. With love, care, and feeding they will thrive in the following year. The garden sections in places such as B&Q can be more cost-effective but be extra careful choosing your plants as these are often not so well looked after by staff. Whatever you grow, take time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the simple pleasures a garden can bring. And don’t forget to gather your seeds now for next year. Brought to you by: Kit Domino Website/blog: http://kit-domino.com/ Twitter: @KitDomino FB: Kit Domino

GROW YOUR OWN IS TRENDING! Not all trends are worth following but growing your own (GYO) is no longer just for those who live in the countryside. People everywhere are realising that fresher is better and are now growing their own food. Information is more readily available. Home grown fruit and vegetables are much easier to produce than householders might have first thought. Garden centres are stocking much more than just flowers these days. It seems that whether you are an eco-conscious city dweller wanting to supplement your weekly shopping with a few home grown goodies, or you intend to turn over a whole flowerbed to accommodate rows of potatoes, GYO is not going away anytime soon!

Potatoes can be chitted ‘earlies’, ‘second will give you a grown tatties

on a windowsill. Planting earlies’, and ‘main crop’ supply of home all year round

Growing vegetables at home will not only save you money but it can bring the family together. Getting the kids outside in the fresh air and involved in growing their own food will give them a sense of achievement and a whole new outlook on life. Allotments are back in fashion and have long waiting lists but you don’t necessarily need lots of outside space to GYO. Many ‘kitchen garden’ veggies and herbs grow quite happily in raised beds, bags, pots, hanging baskets and containers, so even a window ledge, a balcony, or small yard, can be cleverly utilized.

Many veggies grow quite happily in raised beds and containers.

Salad vegetables and herbs grow happily in an old sink outside the back door Space for a greenhouse? While other gardeners struggle with cold wet soil early on in the season, you could potter in comfort and get ahead by growing your plants from seed. With our weather becoming increasingly unpredictable, you can make the most of any summer sunshine through glass by growing your own tomatoes, courgettes and peppers. Then, do late winter sowings to lengthen the growing season.

Greenhouse tomatoes on the vine… Is the recession driving this trend? Maybe that’s too simple an explanation? Perhaps it’s the growing awareness in people these days about food safety, the use of pesticides and how far supermarket food might have travelled to reach you? One thing of which I’m absolutely sure is that once you have experienced the taste and crunch of delicious home grown fruit and veg, it’s not something you will ever want to give up on. So give it a try and get sowing those seeds!

Brought to you by: Janice Horton Website/blog: http://janicehortonwriter.blogspot.co.uk Twitter: @JaniceHorton FB: Janice Horton Author

LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL Tennis, Anyone? If you are young and fit and playing all the sports you enjoy, you may not be particularly interested in this article. But wait! You may have a friend, parent, or grandparent who may well benefit from this article. If you do, please pass it on. The older I get, the more I realize that age is no reason to stop playing sports. In fact, as the “golden years” sneak up on us (really, what are they anyway?) and the demands of

family and employment lessen, we may have more time to participate.

Needless to say, illness and ongoing health issues may not allow us to do everything we wish, but that can be a factor at any point in life. Allow me the liberty of assuming you do not have any serious limitations and you do have an interest in the game of tennis. Just for fun, here’s a brief history. There appears to be some evidence of the game being played as far back as the time of ancient Greece. However, records usually refer to the game of “Paume” (Palm) played in 12th-century France as the start of tennis as we know it today. First played as handball, a wooden ball was used. Ouch! Later a leather glove came into use before it was replaced with an adaptive handle used for hitting and serving, as the ball became leather or cloth, stuffed with assorted materials. Photo above from thetourismcompany.com

Trust Henry VIII, sporting fellow that he was, to get involved. He had an indoor court built at Hampton Court Palace in the 1520s. This was refurbished in 1625 and is still played on today, used by a thriving club of 500 members. Click here to have a look and read more. Tennis smashed onto the worldwide athletic scene soon after its modern rules and equipment were introduced in 19th-century England. Exciting, competitive, and uniquely accessible to people of all ages and talent levels, tennis continues to enjoy popularity, both

as a recreational activity and as a spectator sport. Now it is possible to follow the tour practically all year. Click here for the schedule. Ten years ago my husband, aged 62 and an excellent tennis player, stopped playing due to back problems. So gradually I stopped playing too. We are also golfers and, in addition, spent more time traveling in the summer so being part of a regular tennis program became difficult. But I missed the game … a lot! Last summer I decided to try it again and I’m so glad I did. It’s fun. You laugh a lot more playing tennis than you do playing golf, that’s for certain! I’m 67 and most of the people I play with are over 40 and some in their mid-80s. There is no shortage of competitive spirit and those who may not be able to scramble like they used to can still play a good game of doubles. Several of the seniors have just taken up the game and enjoy it tremendously. I’m willing to bet there are tennis clubs, both private and public, in your neighbourhood, and groups of people of all ages that would welcome you. Playing tennis is a fabulous way to socialize too. Like anything else, lessons are essential to get started and there will always be groups to join at your level. Once you learn the game, your enjoyment watching the action on television or attending tournaments will be enhanced. Here’s my happy news. After hearing me rave about how good it felt to be back on the tennis court, my husband decided he might give it another go too. Even though he can’t run like he used too, his net shots are still brilliant. It’s a great interest for us to share and, in spite of limitations, he realizes he can still have fun playing tennis. So can you! Here are some tips for older players and we can all learn from them. Tom Sweitzer, a USPTA Master Tennis Professional at Blue Ridge Country Club, offers up helpful tips for seniors to improve their game and have fun while doing it. Click here for the entire article. (Read about 91-year-old William Lentz while you are there!) 1. You want to have effortless strokes, which allows for maximum control and power with minimal effort. Young guys can stand on their head when they hit the ball, but bad mechanics really show up when you get older. Better strokes lead to better play and, for seniors, fewer injuries. 2. Seniors should play within their abilities. A typical injury happens when you are hitting back and forth, and you run after a drop shot as if you are 20 years old. If you are 50, you have to, at some point, realize you don’t play like you are 20. Use realistic judgment and know your limitations. 3. Smart senior players realize the body needs to recharge and will play every other day instead of every day. Even the top five players in the world know the body needs to recharge, so you have to know your own timetable for recovery. 4. The sooner a senior player starts playing on a clay court, the better it will be on their joints. Not only is it better from a physical standpoint in extending a career, but it teaches

you to control the ball better. Playing on a clay court also cuts down the heat index. A hard court will burn the skin right off when you touch it; a clay court is dirt and is watered regularly. The biggest growth in USTA [United States Tennis Association] tennis is with seniors and super seniors and most of them are playing on clay courts. 5. We’ve had some pretty hot days, so it’s important to play in the morning or in the evening. Those are the best times for seniors because you can play longer and not get drained. We schedule USTA team matches at 6 p.m. because you aren’t getting the direct sun and the temperature decreases as much as 10 degrees. No matter when you play, you want to take fluids as you lose fluids. Take in fluids a little at a time, every two games during a changeover. I’m adding a few links here to books, articles, and websites that may be of interest. It’s never too late to add a new activity to your life or pick up one you may have dropped some time ago. Just do it!

Tennis and Philosophy What the Racket is all about http://tennis.bergerweb.net/SeniorsBook/ http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Seniors-Guide-TennisRetiring/dp/1463683111/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362154369&sr=11&keywords=seniors+tennis Tips for the over 60 crowd by the over 60 crowd http://www.seniortennisandfitness.com/

Brought to you by: Patricia Sands Website/blog: http://patriciasands.wordpress.com/ Twitter: @Patricia_Sands FB: Patricia Sands

LOVE NASHVILLE? MEET RAINTOWN! I’m so excited to introduce my friends, the UK’s hottest contemporary country music duo, Paul Bain and Claire McArthur who together are – RAINTOWN! Right: Raintown and Lady B

Paul and Claire: Hi to all the readers, Mandy! Now, I’ve been a fan of yours since downloading a copy of your debut album, Hope in Troubled Times (which is completely fantastic!). Tell everyone in your own words the style of country music you perform. Paul and Claire: In broad terms our style is Contemporary Country. We love Country Music; the conversational writing style of the songs and how the genre is like no other when speaking to an audience in an emotional way. Our goal has always been to write songs about what we know; our experiences and there is nothing more rewarding than when we hear that someone has related to our lyrics on an emotional level. So, why country? Was it your first love or a genre that grew on you both? Claire: We both grew up with Country music playing a big part in our houses. My grandmother captured me into the genre when I was just a toddler, by playing Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton and I was hooked. In truth although our first love is Country, we have a very eclectic taste in music and as long as a piece of music speaks to us on an emotional level we will listen. You write your own music. Can you tell those of us with lesser knowledge (like me!) a bit about the song writing process? Tune first? Lyrics? Or a combination? What starts the ball rolling? Claire: It is definitely a combination of both as the process with our song “Picture of Us” came from us talking to a couple that are very close to us who were going through a very difficult patch in their marriage. However to the outside world everything was perfect; from the wedding picture on the mantelpiece to the photo album full of family holidays. In this instance we wrote the lyrics and melody first; then music came later. Paul: We really do believe that a song can come from anywhere, so we are always on the lookout. In fact some of the new material we are working on really comes from meeting new and interesting people or things that have touched us in the news.

Now I’ve always thought country music is hot but it’s set to get hotter in the UK after the first Country 2 Country Festival was held at the O2 in London in March. I was lucky enough to go and see you live for the first time and you performed all day on both days. How was the festival experience for you? Paul and Claire: The experience for us was fantastic and we were so honoured to be part of the whole thing. It showed that the appetite for country music is growing even bigger each year here in the UK and it also proved that the age ranges from 10 years old to 80 years old which we think is awesome. Huge acts like Lady Antebellum and Taylor Swift have shown that commercial success of country music can be achieved here and people want the music and C2C proved that.

It was an awesome weekend and what I loved most was hearing Raintown’s brand new material. I hear your next album is going to be recorded in the home of country music,Nashville. Tell all! Paul : Yes, we are so excited for this next album. It has been a long time in the planning, but we really wanted to bring our fans something special. We are recording in the Nashville with award winning Producer Mark Moffat who has worked with Keith Urban and Jason Aldean. Since we first met Mark in 2011 when we represented the UK at CMA Fest for the first time we have really grown as artists and songwriters and Mark really gets where we want to go with this next album. We believe it’s going to be a great collaboration with the Nashville writers, musicians and producers – really excited!

Now very recently you supported my not-so-secret crush, that naughty redneck boy from the deep South, Brantley Gilbert, at his gig in Glasgow. Tell me how that opportunity came about. Paul and Claire: The opportunity came from through a combination of hard work and raising our profile. We have been doing as many shows as we can around the UK and as a result Scotland’s biggest concert promoter DF Concerts approached us to be involved in Brantley Gilbert show and we were really delighted to be involved! He and his band were awesome! It was a great night!

Any hell-raising that night or juicy backstage gossip…or, you know, a phone number you can pass on? Claire: LOL, Brantley was a real gentlemen and he did mention a few times that he is very happily engaged to Country Singer Jana Kramer (Sorry lol). He was also very grateful of the support from the crowd and couldn’t believe that people in the UK had heard his music. The evening was a breath of fresh air as we had real rockers with the shaved heads attend as well as country music fans. Everyone in room was rocking along with Brantley and his band! Tweet! Update status! I love that you guys use Twitter and Facebook almost as much as me! Do you love connecting with your friends and fans that way? And how important do you think social media is in achieving a wider audience for your music? Paul: It is vital, Mandy. The way we all consume music has changed and the way we learn about new acts has also moved with the introduction of the social media community. It really is great; the power is back with the fans, where it should always be! Claire: Social media has played a huge part in our success to date as we have had a chance to get to know our fans and always get back to every tweet or Facebook comment. It really is simple for us, if someone has taken the time out of their own day to listen to our music and support us we want to show our gratitude to them by getting to know them and asking how they are doing and what is new in their lives. We will continue to do that throughout our career no matter how many followers or likes we get. At the end of the day, it is because of our fans that we get to do what we love every day and we NEVER take that for granted! Now, I have a thing about choosing outfits for my author appearances and often I let my blog followers vote on what I should wear. How do you decide what to wear? Do you suggest clothes for each other and who does the ironing? Claire: Paul does the ironing I’m afraid as I fail to do it properly lol (or so I tell him). I have had great feedback on Twitter and Facebook regarding outfits from our fans and what I love is that people will tell you the truth if they like it or not and I usually let them decide as they are the ones who have to look at me onstage with the a certain outfit. We both like to shop together as we find we can match our outfits to complement each other. Paul: Yeah ‘Paul has to do the ironing!’ Lol! We always spend a lot more time on Claire’s outfits, to be honest for us guys it is pretty straight forward. My biggest decision is cap or no cap! Lol. The music police are going to arrest your collection. Which 3 albums would you save? Paul: Elvis 68 comeback special edition, Miranda Lambert’s Revolution and Don Williams greatest hits.

Claire: Lady Antebellum Need Cline’s greatest hits.

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Cash and Patsy

Being a couple as well as band members I want to know how you deal with disagreements, whether it’s about band related stuff or who’s cooking dinner. Or does Paul just do as he’s told? Paul: Yeah Paul does what he is told! Easiest way forward! In truth we get asked a lot about how we can work and live together. The truth is we are just like every other couple we argue, we fight and the best bit, we make up! Claire: When we are in the studio or out on the road we usually only have disagreements about band stuff as we like to keep Raintown separate from Paul & Claire the couple. We travel with 5 other members of the band and don’t want to make it awkward when we are fighting about whose turn it is to do the dishes. Paul: Yeah but when we get home it can prove difficult. LOL! The worst case scenario it makes good material for a song! And my last question…I have a favourite Raintown song, the one I play twice as much as other tracks, it’s “Light the Fuse Up”. What’s your favourite Raintown song and why? Paul: The song which means the most to us is “I Won’t Dance Alone” which is the most personal song we have written as it came from a conversation with my Gran about not wanting to attend a family party. To cut a long story short, she felt since my Grandpa passed away, like she was dancing alone and we felt heartbroken for her. For the rest of the night we spoke about that conversation. We went home and wrote the song from her point of view about the pain of losing your life partner and feeling alone.

Thank you so much Paul and Claire, you are such an amazing group and we wish you the greatest success! Here are all the links you need to find out more about the awesome Raintown! Raintown website Raintown – Twitter Raintown – Facebook Raintown – You Tube

Brought to you by: Mandy Baggot Website/blog: http://mandybaggot.com/ Twitter: @MandyBaggot FB: Mandy Baggot

RELATIONSHIP ADVICE with Bonnie Trachtenberg

2. Because other people think it’s a good idea.

Are you entertaining the idea of tying the knot, but find that something is weighing on your mind?

A wise woman once told me that it’s very easy to break up with someone else’s mate. Sure, an outsider can see all the problems, isn’t emotionally involved, so to them, breaking up is a cakewalk. Well, in that same vein, it’s very easy to marry someone else’s mate, too. After all, the bystander is not the one who has to live with them on a daily basis for the rest of their life, so watching you get married may sound like a lovely, romantic notion— to them. At thirty-six, I married the wrong man and have to say much of the reason was the cheering section of friends and relatives who just wanted to see me married already, whatever their individual reasons. When you have misgivings and are surrounded by that kind of pressure, you can easily begin to mistrust your own feelings and conclude that since others think it’s a good idea, maybe you’re just being silly. You’re not! If only I had been strong and secure enough to trust my gut, I never would have made that awful mistake. But then, I wouldn’t have been able to write my first novel, WEDLOCKED, either!

Is there an uneasy feeling in your gut that the person you’re thinking of marrying may not be the right match for you? Sometimes people who experience this are merely manifesting inner fears about commitment or blowing irrational worries out of proportion. If this is so, then with time, communication and/or therapy those fears can be assuaged. Unfortunately though, there’s often a good reason for that niggling feeling, and yet so many of us disregard the warning signs and speed into “ever after” head on. I’ve devised five really bad reasons to get hitched in the hopes of warding off someone else’s marital disasters. So why do you want to get married? 1. Because it’s “time” already. You mean you’re over thirty and you’re still not married? What does that say about you? Well, for one thing, it probably says you haven’t found the right mate to settle down with (or you may not be ready to settle down at all!) Does that mean you should grab the current guy or gal in your life and do it anyway? Sure, if you’re looking forward to a life of unhappiness and dissatisfaction. There is no such thing as “time to get married” until you deem it so, and if you fall into one of the above categories, that time hasn’t yet come.

5. Because you want a baby…now! This is the worst and most dangerous reason to get married when you’re not completely sure you’re doing the right thing. Unfortunately, it’s also the most compelling. A ticking time clock is a force to be reckoned with, which is why it so often leads to disastrous decision-making. I can’t tell you how many people I know who married the wrong mate because they were afraid their childbearing years were coming to an end. In this day and age, you don’t have to involve anyone else in your decision to have a baby, so why enter into a precarious marriage? Children can sense when their parents’ relationship isn’t a positive one, and I firmly believe one happy parent is better than two miserable ones. If you think you can always get divorced, think about this: you’ll most likely have to deal with this ex-spouse for the rest of your life because the two of you share one or more children. If you think that’s easy after a divorce, I have a bridge downtown to sell you. If I had been dumb enough to have kids with my first husband, I’d have had to have him knocked off. Then, I’d be writing to you from a jail cell instead of my comfy home office.

3. Because you’re dying to have a big, beautiful wedding! At thirty-six you can imagine how eager I was to plan the wedding of the century. And I did. To this day I have friends and relatives tell me it was the best and most beautiful wedding they’ve ever been to. They recall it fondly. Well guess what? It was a horror show for me! Deep down I knew something was wrong and believe it or not, my husband and I spent much of the day snapping at each other. Not surprisingly, we were divorced soon after, but I had my big, beautiful wedding. Is that really how you’d like yours to go? If you don’t marry Mr. or Ms. Right, it just might. Instead, why not watch a few episodes of Bridezilla to stave off any premature wedding dreams. It’s funnier, a lot less arduous, and a whole lot cheaper, too!

4. Because you think your mate will change.

So if you’re teetering on the edge of making a decision about marriage, I suggest some thorough introspection first. Either you’ll realize you’re doing the right thing, or your head will figure out what your gut already knows.

As my sister would say, “Yeah, right, sure.” And if they do, nobody tells you it’s because they’re going to get worse. If you think a marriage certificate is somehow a magical document that will zap all your mate’s problematic behaviors away, you’re in for a rude awakening. Chances are good that the security of a contract will make them even more comfortable “being themselves,” and if that’s not a good thing, you’re in for trouble! A leopard doesn’t change its spots, and neither will your new spouse.

If you would like Bonnie to offer some advice on your personal relationship issue, contact her at loveahappyending.com@gmail.com

Brought to you by: Bonnie Trachtenberg Website/blog: http://www.bonnietrachtenberg.com/ Twitter: @Writebrainedny FB: Bonnie Trachtenberg

TRAVEL - LOVE INDIA

Guest author Harvey Black’s trip to India was an experience he will remember forever.

As a qualified parachutist, Harvey served with British Army Intelligence for over ten years. His experience ranged from covert surveillance in Northern Ireland to operating in Communist East Berlin during the cold war, where he feared for my life after being dragged from his car and attacked by Russian KGB soldiers. Since then he has lived a more sedate life in the private sector as a Director for an International Company, but now enjoys the pleasures of writing. Here Harvey shares a

flavour of the vibrancy and reality of his trip of a lifetime… You have to have visited India to gain a true experience of what it is, what it feels like, its vibrancy. I would like to share some of my experiences with you. You won’t be able to taste the food, breathe in the scent, absorb the life and sounds that eminate from this magical country. But I hope it will give you a sense of what it has to offer should you ever visit. During my time in India, I found the people colourful, dynamic and most of all welcoming and friendly.

A mother and daughter, proud of their national dress and happy to share it with snap-happy tourists.

And the men did not want to be left out. They insisted on being photographed with their English guests as well, joking about the English menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desire to wear, what they deemed to be, boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; shorts.

But on a darker note, poverty was always visible and never very far from the tourist attractions.

Many of their houses, and homes, were made up of a hotchpotch of bricks, corrugated iron sheeting and tarpaulin sheets for additional privacy and to keep out the rain. Their toilet facilities were any bush or clump of grass close by.

Railway labourers not only worked on the railway lines to keep the communication lines of this vast country open, but they also lived there. When the work changed location, further along or to another part of the country, they moved with it.

Although not reminiscent of the vast ghetto at Mumbai, many areas around the smaller towns of India have pockets of deprivation clear to see.

Not all was doom and gloom. The characters you saw day in and day out often brought a smile to your face.

Religion being a major part of their culture it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t unusual to come across holy-men, clearly recognisable by their dress and painted faces.

One thing was obvious - they were industrious and hard-working.

Although only a tuk-tuk, a local taxi, the owner has decorated it with pride.

Who says you need a salon in which to cut your customers hair? Or, do home visits. This way they come to you, park up and get their hair cut in the fresh air.

There are so many fascinating monuments and buildings of interest in India, it would take years to see them all and photograph the most important ones.Vamana Temple, Khajuraho, India. Dedicated to Vamana, incarnation of Vishnu..

The intricately sculpted southern wall of Lakshamana Temple.

This one needs no explanation:

The country is vast and the scenery outstanding. I travelled from Delhi to Katmandu, calling in at Agra, Orchha, Varanasi, Lumbini, Chitwan and ending up in Katmandu. Mount Machapuchare, Himalayas.

Size does matterâ&#x20AC;ŚI hope you have enjoyed perusing the photographs taken during my trip to India in 2010. I shall certainly be going back and would recommend it to anyone. Thank you for sharing them with me.

Find out more about Harvey Black:Website: http://harveyblackauthor.org Twitter: @Black_Author FB: https://www.facebook.com/HarveyBlackAuthor All photosÂŠHarveyBlack

SUN IN THE ALGARVE

The rugged, rocky landscape, soft sandy beaches, and turquoise waters are just some of the things that attract families to The Algarve, Portugal; my most favourite place in Europe – whether you are staying in a hotel, apartment or one of the magnificent villas on offer. Vilamoura is great for golfing, but I have to say that I love it for its wonderful Marina, flash cars, amazing yachts, and to watch how the other half live. Of course, Boat Trips & Deep Sea Fishing are more affordable than renting a yacht and make a great day out! There are so many lovely towns and villages to enjoy visiting – Albufeira, Vilamoura, Lagos, Alvor, Praia de Luz, Burgau, Portimao – the list is endless. I love that on a villa holiday you can get up when you want to, have breakfast when the mood takes you and make it last all morning if you fancy it. You can relax around the pool as much as you wish without having to pack a beach bag remembering everything that you need to take with you… which of course when you have children, has to be the most enormous bag in the world and someone nearly always forgets something.

The restaurants in Portugal are wonderful and some of the fish dishes are to die for, so eating out is never a problem.

Left: Left: Bacalhau (dried codfish).

Kebabs – perfect!

However, you can also visit some of their amazing supermarkets, and can also cook up a fabulous feast on a barbecue and still sit around the garden and pool in a really relaxing manner without worrying whether the driver can have a glass of wine or not with their meal.

And here is another ‘taste’ of Portugal… http://youtu.be/EbG4M--OlsU

Of course kids need something to keep them occupied, but a pool can certainly go a long way to providing lots of entertainment and fun for the whole family.

Apartments are another great idea for a holiday, if you can’t quite afford a villa, still allowing you that self-catering option and not having to stick to the rigid timescales of a hotel. And of course some hotels even have apartments within them so if you do want to still be able to get up and make your own breakfast, dinner and tea, you can always have the option of using the hotel facilities.

Sun and sea…

The beaches are beautiful and cycling is a great way of getting some exercise and seeing those local sights… I have also stayed in some beautiful hotels in Portugal. When I’m in a particularly lazy mood, hotels are great, as you don’t even have to make yourself a cup of tea. You can be waited on hand and foot and do either all-inclusive, half-board, or even Bed & Breakfast. Wherever you decide to stay, The Algarve has so much to offer and you will come back with some wonderful holiday memories… Have you been to The Algarve? What did you love about it? And what is your favourite type of accommodation? I’d love to know your views, so drop by the website and you can find at Destinations you will love.

Brought to you by: Kim Nash Website/blog: http://kimthebookworm.blogspot.com/ Twitter: @KimTheBookworm FB: Kim Nash

FILM REVIEWS

Wreck It Ralph – fun for all the family! This is definitely a film for the young and the young at heart. If your spouse is a gamer of a certain age, be aware, it will be him (or her) who whoops excitedly, and loudly, over his popcorn, ‘Wow! Pac man! And Q*bert! Cool! And Blinkity, Pinky and Inky. Look!’ Yes, it was as gibberish to me, too (which is what Q*bert talks, so I’m told, gibberish of the synthesised variety. Little word symbols from his game which pop up in word balloons). In short, aesthetically outstanding and with the incorporation of video games old enough to be fashionably retro, this film will have boys-who-still-like-their-toys in cinema heaven. Whooping aside, however, lack of gaming skills doesn’t detract from enjoyment by technically less savvy mortals. Wreck it Ralph (directed by Rich Moore—think Futurama and

The Simpsons—and written by Jennifer Lee) is a great choice if you are looking for a family film to please everyone. Set in an ‘after hours’ video game arcade, Wreck it Ralph tells the story of giant, lovable, clumsy, Ralph, the bad guy in a thirty-year-old video game, whose role it is to demolish the building, thus thwarting cheerful hero, Felix’s, attempts to ‘fix it.’ He fails, of course, and is constantly cast out as the villain. Game over, he’s still the villain, and finds himself still a cast-out, sleeping alone on the rubble of his destruction. Ralph is not a happy bunny. He’s lonely. He wants to be loved, but nobody loves a bad guy. He wants to be accepted and hailed as the hero, as Felix is. We feel his pain when Ralph isn’t even invited to the thirtieth anniversary celebrations of his game! He’ll never be accepted, he’s told. Only heroes get to live in penthouses. And heroes have medals.

The scene is set. Ralph is now on a mission to rise to the challenge and get himself a medal. But how? Enter random soldier in a modern first-person shooter game (Hero’s Duty)—his task: shooting Cy-bugs. Sad soldier, however, is terrified of bugs. This is Ralph’s ticket to sneak in and get himself that happiness-guaranteeing medal. Medal secured, Ralph being Ralph, he is very soon wrecking everything in sight, inadvertently unleashing a bug, the Cybug, which can infiltrate and destroy every game in the arcade. Stumbling into an escape pod (Cy-bug attached to his face, medal firmly in his grasp) Ralph plus Cy-bug crash-land in ‘Sugar Rush,’ a candy-coated cart-racing game. Hanging on a tree branch, Ralph’s medal is just out of reach. He has to retrieve it, which is where he encounters Vanellope von Schweetz, a ‘sweet’ little girl who has been banned from racing because she ‘glitches’ and the ensuing unlikely but heartwarming friendship is the film’s emotional core. Smarter and more agile than heavy-handed Ralph, Vanellope reaches the medal first, stealing it as her entry fee to a race. Later an enraged Ralph rescues her from bullies who are picking on her because she’s different and, won over by her feisty determination and acerbic ‘charm,’ Ralph decides he has to help her win her dream to become a racer, the spinoff being the retrieval of his hardwon medal. Almost at the race start line, he backtracks when persuaded by King Candy (who has an agenda of his own) that Vanellope winning will cause mayhem in Sugar Rush land. Will Ralph realise his dream of becoming a good guy: help Vanellope to win the race alongside helping Hero’s Duty bad-ass Sergeant Calhoun (programmed with ‘the most tragic back-story ever’) and Fix-it Felix, to stop the evil Cy-bugs? Will he realise he is ‘good enough’ to be a hero before it’s too late? This is a fun, family film with just enough message around bullying, being different, and selfimage. I loved it.

Credits

Certificate: PG Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Starring: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jane Lynch and Jack McBrayer Directed by: Rich Moore Produced by: Clark Spencer Written by: Jennifer Lee and Phil Johnston

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Walt Disney Motion Picture Studios.

Brought to you by: Sheryl Browne Website/blog: http://sheryls-ramblings.blogspot.com/ Twitter: @SherylBrowne FB: Sheryl Browne

HAVE YOU SEEN? A FILM FATALES DOUBLE FEATURE:

To the Wonder & Iron Man 3

The Film Fatales wonder about To the Wonder. Is it magnifique or pure merde?

2012. 112 minutes. Starring Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams and Javier Bardem. Directed by and written by Terrence Malick Michel, Marina and Neil come to Oklahoma, where problems arise. Marina meets a priest and fellow exile, who is struggling with his vocation, while Neil renews his ties with a childhood friend, Jane. (imdb) Below: © Odelia | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

elizabeth: The beginning of this movie is just breathtaking with Paris as the backdrop. You felt transported to the city of lights and I was completely charmed by what was shown and not said in the first few minutes of the movie. It was moody and mysterious and the passion between Ben and Olga’s characters almost jumped off the screen and landed into an unmade bed. But then very quickly, the scenery changed and I was confused by why anyone would leave Paris for the flatlands of America. And the only thing that intrigued me was Affleck’s strong jaw line. But can that sustain a movie? Methinks not. Nicole: No, no it cannot. Then again, I sat through Australia for Hugh Jackman’s shirtless scenes, so I’m no one to judge.

elizabeth: I must confess that I must have nodded off during the movie because I read the review above and do not recall half of it. I found myself not really caring about the characters because I don’t think they knew what they were doing there. They felt stiff and plastic and even all that dancing could not loosen them up. I don’t think you should have to read a review of the movie after you see it so you can understand it. I am not that thick. (Nicole, please insert barb right about here.) Nicole: Well, you’re kind of handing this to me, aren’t you? Other film critics have the same complaint as you, Cassidy – if that’s any consolation. In retrospect, I’m glad you were kind to warn me off this film and saved me the extra $7.99 on my digital cable bill. That being said, I am the one who suggested we check it out, so I must admit to just the tiniest bit of schadenfreude at the moment.

Below: © Coockie | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

elizabeth: I really tried to follow and embrace this movie. I even read the subtitles without moving my lips. I wanted to feel smug that I get the French’s point of view, but I enjoyed watching my cat clean himself over Javier Bardem’s portrayal of a priest. And to know me is to know that given the choice to choose between Javier and Colin Firth – well, I would take both. Nicole:That’s really saying something, considering how you feel about Javier Bardem (which is pretty much illegal in 22 states). Isn’t it interesting how great actors somehow end up in bad films? Is it because they want to work with a certain filmmaker or cast? Or is it because they want the paycheck? elizabeth: This is really pathetic but I don’t remember how the movie ended. I would write more but my cat needs help. He can’t reach his back. Fade to black…

The Film Fatales love an Iron Man 3 in a uniform PG-13. 130 minutes. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Guy Pearce, Don Cheadle, Ben Kingsley. Directed by Shane Black. When Tony Stark’s world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution. [imdb]

Nicole: You know what happens with movie franchises: They either sink or swim after that first amazing effort. And, since Iron Man 2 was at times uneven and a pale comparison to Iron Man 1, I was thinking this might be Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) swan song. I’m really, really glad to say I was wrong. elizabeth: Are you getting kickbacks from Mr. Downey? I just don’t get the appeal. Iron Man gets squeezed by a Mandarin? Oh, I’m scared. Nicole: Humph, I only wish. From your lips to God’s ears, Cassidy. Look, it’s not enough to say Iron Man 3 was a great movie – it had a lot to live up to after the success of last summer’s The Avengers, which brought together Marvel’s team of superheroes (Thor, Black Widow, Hulk, Captain America, Hawkeye and, of course, Iron Man) under the incredible direction of ultimate fanboy Joss Whedon. The camaraderie that Tony Stark (Iron Man) enjoyed with the Avengers is, admittedly, hard to match – but Downey Jr. is always able to pull off a terrific performance of equal parts kick-ass action, hilarious one liners and hubrisladen bravado. (Maybe I’m not qualified to write this review, since I admit to being biased on all things RDJ: I would seriously watch him read the phone book).

elizabeth: I think RDJ (as you call him; what is this your new pet name?) is quite the talented actor, but when talent succumbs to films like this, I start to mourn the actor’s ability to do anything else. He will always be labeled Iron Man and that will hinder his ability to get more serious roles. I am acting like I am a Hollywood insider. Let’s take a meeting. Nicole: Oh, pah-lease. You woefully underestimate his talents. He’s a chameleon. He could easily switch from highbrow drama to tongue-in-cheek action seamlessly. I have no worries about the direction of his career; I’m just so very glad he has one. (Bobby, make the check out to CASH.) Iron Man 3 takes place post-Avengers saving NYC (and, by default, the world) from alien takeover. And, it’s clear Stark is still dealing with those events. Suffering from PTSD, represented by severe panic attacks and insomnia, we’re reminded that Stark is human after all and that Iron Man is just a suit he wears. What’s more, Stark comes to this realization himself in a very meaningful and life changing way. But, that’s all I’ll say. You take the journey with him…and ask no questions. Just enjoy the ride. elizabeth: So Iron Man never heard of valium? Meditation, a vegan diet, cheap wine and free rentals from the library? So does he open a bakery with the most beautiful woman in the world? Nicole: Based on that last sentence, I think you could use a valium. Like Stark, the people around him are growing and changing, too. Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), no longer Stark’s bodyguard, has moved up in the ranks of Stark Enterprises to head of security. Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), now comfortable in her role as the CEO of Stark Enterprises wields not only power in the boardroom, but in her relationship with Stark as well. Don Cheadle, is – unfortunately – forgettable as Iron Patriot/Col. James Rhodes. Guy Pearce, as pathetic crackpot inventor turned evil genius Aldrich Killian, is just this side of smarmy. And, Sir Ben Kingsley as “The Mandarin” is…without revealing too much…inspired. elizabeth: You really like this crap, don’t you? Do you see what I am saying here – Gandhi is now a terrorist. Geeez. Nicole: Yes, yes I do like this crap. I admit it! My name is Nicole…and I’m a Fangirl. Franchise devotees will no doubt enjoy Stan Lee’s cameo (blink and you’ll miss it, just the way he likes ‘em) and an end-of-credits scene that is well worth sticking around for. So, go see Iron Man 3 and don’t worry a hair on your head that it won’t live up to your expectations elizabeth: Beam me up, Scotty! Wrong franchise? Foiled again!

Brought to you by: Film Fatales Website/blog: http://filmfatales.blogspot.com/ Twitter: @Film_Fatales FB: Film Fatales

MAGICAL LAKES OF VANCOUVER ISLAND

Spending time at some of Vancouver Islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many lakeside campsites can be very rewarding, whether you like to fish or not. You may have a camper or trailer for staying overnight, or you may want to do a day trip bringing in a small aluminium boat, a canoe, or a kayak on your vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roof racks. Whatever your preference, you can have a unique experience on the lake. I happen to like fly fishing for trout, so the abundance of these fish in Vancouver Island lakes is a bonus for me. However, you may want to enjoy the tranquility of the lake in your canoe or kayak and bring along a camera instead of a fishing rod. Be sure to wear a life jacket.

When the lake is flat calm on a windless day, quite often the sun is out, warming the lake. A few insects hatch near the surface of the water attracting the fish who love to feed on them. Soon you’ll see the trout jumping. Their splashing may be one of the few sounds you hear, other than the dip of your paddle in the lake.

These two “flies” (above) are meant to simulate insects that have hatched in the water and have risen to the top to take to the air once their wings enable them. The trout jump up to snatch them for breakfast as the flies hover on the surface of the lake. Other “flies” may become fishfood as they hatch and are still in their underwater stage of development. Still others are tied to represent minnows, tiny fish that have hatched and are easy prey for trout. Whichever kind of fly you prefer to use, the main idea is to present the trout with something he will find irresistible and so lure him into biting. The barbs on the hooks are crimped before using so the trout can be released if it isn’t destined for the frying pan. Near the shore in the shrubs whose roots are often under water from the high water of spring runoff, you’ll hear songbirds and see them flitting from branch to branch picking up insects enroute. Red-

winged blackbirds, Swainsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thrushes, hummingbirds and many other songbirds can be seen and heard near the shrubs and trees surrounding the lake. Bring your binoculars along in the canoe. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be wanting close up views of all sorts of wildlife. You will most likely see a bald eagle as it sits high in a tree waiting to swoop down on a fish in the shallows. You may be lucky enough to see a mother duck hustling her brood along the reedy edges, or a loon calling to its mate at the far end of the lake.

After a good workout paddling your canoe or kayak, why not pull out on one of the sand or gravel bars near a creek that spills into the lake? Be sure youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve brought a sandwich and a refreshing drink, as this is a perfect place for a picnic. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always a good idea to have a small tarp or a plastic garbage bag to put down as a vapor barrier when you sit down. Even the logs can be damp with the morning dew.

This creek mouth is gravelly but a sandbar awaits you around the bend.

When the sun sinks lower in the sky, you’ll paddle back to your campsite or your vehicle for the homeward journey. The calm serenity of a day on the lake will leave you relaxed and happy. By the time you crawl into your bed after so much fresh air you’ll fall asleep in no time. I guarantee that in the morning you’ll feel rested as never before.

Brought to you by: Anneli Purchase Website/blog: http://www.anneli-purchase.com/ Twitter: @Anneli33 FB: Anneli Purchase

RESEARCHING THE PAST Cemeteries – places for quiet contemplation, or a trail of discovery? I love to walk through cemeteries – the older the better. They’re steeped in history. The stones range from the plain and functional to intricate and elaborate. I’ve tramped through cemeteries in Scotland searching for the graves of distant ancestors, and Old Calton Cemetery in Edinburgh because it was there when we walked past. I’ve been to Glasgow but never visited the Necropolis but have seen it online and on DVD and it’s on my “bucket list” of places to visit in the Auld Country.

Left: One of the tree-lined avenues in Pere Lachaise cemetery

Right: Jim Morrison’s grave

One of my all time favourites, though, has to be Cimetière du Père Lachaise in Paris. I was lucky enough to be able to visit it on a trip to Paris in 2003. While I didn’t “know” anyone buried there, it’s a peaceful, beautiful location. Making the trek there is like making a trip to the park. And like most people of my age-group, I made the pilgrimage to Jim Morrison’s grave.

The changing landscape from the side of the cemetery where I entered to my ultimate destination was unbelieveable. I walked past elaborate mausoleums along tree-lined avenues to more working-class graves packed together cheek by jowl only to walk into yet another section and have things open up again.

Oscar Wilde’s grave in Pere Lachaise covered in lipstick prints from people kissing it

Old Brockville Cemetery with the St. Lawrence River in the background Closer to home, I love to spend time at one of the two cemeteries just west of my hometown. Unfortunately, at this time of year, they’re not looking their lush, green selves of summer. While both have old graves and are peaceful, beautiful places, my favourite is the one on the south side of the road. A portion of this cemetery is the Old St. Peter’s Cemetery which was within the confines of the city of Brockville, and is now Victoria Park. A popular bit of local folklore says that not all of the graves were relocated to the west. Not only does this cemetery have a selection of old stones (large and small) and vaults, but the majestic St. Lawrence River is right there, and where there are river vistas, they’ve put benches where you can sit and watch the watercraft (from pleasure boats to lake and ocean going freighters). Wild animals abound here, too. There are a number of oak trees providing acorns for the numerous squirrels and chipmunks. There’s a small Potters field, a monument

erected by the surviving Home Children from Fairknowe (a complete article on its own), one monument that inspired me to write my short story, A Halloween Tale.

Left: A Halloween Tale setting.

Right: The Richards family

At first glance when you read the names on these two lines of stones (headstones and footstones) pictured below, you would think they are parents and their children. It turns out not to be the case. It’s actually grandparents and their grandchildren. What’s more tragic is these children all died before reaching the age of ten! The grandmother was the daughter of William Buell, who is credited with being the founder of Brockville.

What about those times when tramping through a cemetery isn’t practical? Rainy days, mosquitoes, black flies or midges can turn a pleasant pastime into a nightmare. That’s when monument inscriptions are the next best thing. All genealogical societies have collections of these in their holdings. Most are indexed by surname, making the task of looking up your ancestors far easier. It means making a trip to your local genealogical society’s location— unless they have their M.I.s available online—as does the Aberdeen and Northeast Scotland Family History Society. You can experiment with names and burial grounds at this link Memorial Inscriptions. The Miram-Webster dictionary defines a churchyard as “a yard belonging to a church and is often used as a burial ground.” A burial ground not belonging to a church is referred to as a graveyard or a cemetery.

Brought to you by: Melanie Robertson-King Website/blog: http://www.melanierobertson-king.com/wp02/ Twitter: @Robertsoking FB: Melanie Robertson-King

OUT AND ABOUT London’s Legal Living History In retirement it is a good lifestyle choice to keep fit and active. One motto is that ‘the more you do, the more you can do’, but I realise this kind of flip cliché is of no help if you are waiting to have a hip replacement or some such horror. My husband and I enjoy walking for views, fresh air, pub lunches and so on – he likes to go further and higher than I do! We also love ‘London Town’ which is just 35-40 minutes away from our nearest station. Just as it is from Appley Green! Walks around London, then! This seems like a good way to spend a day! There are many companies that do guided walks and these offer the great benefit of being spoon-fed the background facts and little anecdotes that can make a building or statue come ‘alive’. You don’t have to walk around with your head in a book, at risk of walking into a lamp-post, Mr Bean style. The easy way is not always the preferred choice and my husband decided we should do the walk around the Inns of Court and he would be the ‘guide’ with his trusty book, like Michael Portillo with his ‘Bradshaw’s Guide’. I am not particularly recommending this way of doing it, but simply saying that is what we did and being independent does of course have many advantages: stopping when you feel like it for a coffee or to take photos, or discuss some strange obelisk growing out of the pavement … and so on. You would have your own reasons for choosing an organised walk or DIY style. This walk is particularly well suited to the retired (or unemployed) since Gray’s Inn and Lincoln’s Inn are largely closed at weekends. Something I would recommend, that I did not do, is to read about it beforehand; so that you really do know what to look out for and the historical wonder that lurks within the walls of whichever building is right in front of your nose. Do not do as I do, but as I say! The historical connections with these beautiful buildings are many and illustrious and I cannot attempt to cover this here; it could take volumes. I hope this will be just enough to whet your appetite and stir some interest to find out more. The four ‘Inns’ , where barristers work, are the Inner Temple, Middle Temple, Gray’s Inn and Lincoln’s Inn. Once qualified they are ‘called to the ‘bar’. Queen’s Counsel (QC) is the highest rank of a practising barrister.

Along King’s Bench Walk, the 17th century buildings were designed by Sir Christopher Wren and Tony and Cherie Blair worked at No 11. The Temple Church was built by the Knights Templar, whose origins go back to the 12th century in Jerusalem, and featured in the Da Vinci Code. A column there marks where the 1666 Great Fire of London allegedly ‘stopped’ on the West side of London. The Middle Temple Hall dating back to 1573 holds a 29-foot Bench Table cut from a single oak tree in Windsor Great Park.

Ede and Ravenscroft, 97 Chancery Lane, supplies all the necessary regalia, suits, robes, horse-hair wigs and smart dresses (these for lady barristers, needless to say).

In the South Square of Gray’s Inn at No 1 a young Charles Dickens worked as a clerk (right).

Literary references shout out at you at every turn: Shakespeare – many plays were performed; Robert Louis Stevenson; Ben Jonson, John Donne; and you may see a ghost or two of famous historical and political figures, such as Sir Francis Drake; monarchs aplenty; Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Thomas More.

Gray’s Inn Gardens are a lovely place to sit and think, have lunch or just sit. Lincoln’s Inn Fields, where many people here are enjoying the sunshine, was once used for duels and public executions!

The Hunterian museum, named after John Hunter, described as the founder of scientific surgery, in the 18th century, has 3,000 surgical specimens on display – if you fancy that sort of thing! The bells of the church of St Clements Danes play … you guessed it, ‘Oranges and Lemons’. This walk was an unexpected pleasure, dipping into a noteworthy part of London’s living history. I have to say that for a pleasant working environment, it would be hard to beat.

Brought to you by: Miriam Wakerly Website/blog: http://miriamwakerly.blogspot.com/ Twitter: @MiriamWakerly FB: Miriam Wakerly

Guided walkingTours: http://www.londondiscoverytours.co.uk/?gclid=CPun8K3gg7cCFZMQtAod_kQAOg http://londontownwalks.com/?gclid=CMSr8Mzgg7cCFZQZtAodZyoAAg and books that enable you to do your own thing: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&fieldkeywords=london’s%20hidden%20walks

REVITALISING SMOOTHIES!

In need of a tonic?

Give yourself a boost with some energising food that can help revitalise your body and mind. You don’t have to be a domestic goddess in the kitchen to perk up your personality; just a few simple changes to your diet could increase your energy levels and give you a much needed lift. It’s never too late to start a new regime and who knows, with energy levels at a high, this could be YOUR time for finishing that novel, climbing a mountain or cycling across a continent. So how are you going to achieve this? I’m talking SMOOTHIES…

Smoothies are a great way of energising yourself Smoothies are simple, healthy and very easy to make!

Whip up a smoothie and ensure that you get all the energising ingredients you need to perk yourself up. Have one as a meal replacement and you could find yourself a few pounds lighter in no time at all (The Carrot Cruncher). Falling asleep in front of your computer? Energise yourself with lashings of vitamins in a smoothie that packs a punch (The Big Brain Booster). When you’ve really indulged (as we all do and regret it the morning after) a hangover smoothie can bring you back to life before you can utter, “never again!” (The RedEye). You can have a lot of fun finding your favourites. They’re quick and easy and will keep you going when there’s no time to cook. Don’t reach for the biscuit barrel – blend up a smoothie! There are some fabulous foods available all year round and with such a variety to choose from you can pick ‘n’ mix your daily smoothie and ensure that you never get bored. I’ve listed three of my own recipes below to get you started but you can experiment – be creative and don’t forget to share your recipe! There are no rules with a smoothie but you may want to consider the following points: • If using banana, apples or pears – remember that the fruit oxidises when cut and goes brown quickly, so drink straight away • Add organic honey to sweeten (much healthier than sugar) • If you’re really hungry you can bulk out your smoothie with oats or nuts • Yogurt blends beautifully and gives a creamy consistency. Use a fat-free and no added sugar flavoured yogurt for a really healthy option • Fruit juice helps smooth the ingredients. Use fresh or sugar free • You don’t need expensive equipment – an inexpensive stick blender will work well • Ice, or ice cream, is delicious in a smoothie • Use a flask and take it with you. A few quick shakes and you’ve got food-on-the-move – a healthy version! Cancel the coffee and cupcakes – Sexy Smoothies are a girl’s best friend! RECIPES The Carrot Cruncher A filling and nutritious meal replacement The Carrot Cruncher Here’s a great energy boosting smoothie using carrots. It’s packed full of vitamins A, C, K and B12 which will also give a boost to your immune system. Carrots in a smoothie you ask? Give it a try, it’s really delicious. This smoothie is great as meal replacement at lunch time as it tastes like a cold soup. I like to add a couple of leaves of wild garlic to give it bite – wild garlic is a wonderful spring food and free! Forage it from the banks of streams at this time of year and use the leaves only, leaving the bulbs to grow again next year.

Ingredients: 4 small carrots – peeled and chopped, 1 apple – peeled and cut in quarters, I kiwi fruit – peeled and cut in half, a handful of fresh basil, 2 dessert spoons of natural yogurt, 3 or four chunks of ice, wild garlic leaves (optional), 1 cup natural apple juice. Method: Blitz all ingredients with a blender till smooth, pour into a glass and drink immediately. Tip: Use really fresh organic carrots from your local farmer’s market if you can. Rub the skin and select carrots with a shiny texture and bright orange colour which is a good sign of beta carotene (vitamin A), a powerful antioxidant. If you prefer a really sweet smoothie, choose thicker carrots where the core region of the root contains more sugars. Organic vegetables are in general, free from harmful pesticides and chemicals which contain toxic elements. If you can’t find organic carrots, make sure you peel them prior to blending as the majority of toxic substances are contained in the top layers of the skin. The Big Brain Booster - Indulge and replenish yourself

I LOVE this one! It’s creamy and fruity and I just want to sit back, close my eyes and scoop it up with a spoon. Blueberries are a powerful little superfood. Rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, they can slow or even reverse the ageing of the brain. They are expensive, but you only need a few and they can be found all year round in the supermarket. Bananas contain thiamine which helps the body convert carbohydrates into energy and supports the nervous system and pineapple is packed with vitamins, making it an excellent addition to any diet. Ingredients: Half a cup of fresh blueberries, 1 medium banana, half a cup of fresh pineapple, one lowfat yogurt – I use vanilla or coconut yogurt (if you can get it), organic honey to sweeten, a few drops of fresh lemon juice.

Method: Blitz all ingredients with a blender till smooth, pour into a glass and drink immediately. Tip: If you are trying to lose weight this spring, try to include blueberries into your daily diet. Blueberries contain catechins which activate fat-burning genes in abdominal fat cells and can assist with weight loss – especially around your tummy.

The Red-Eye A great smoothie for a hangover A smoothie provides moisture and nutrients for your body â&#x20AC;&#x201C; much needed after a heavy night! Cranberries are high in vitamin C and have an antibacterial effect on the body (great if the urinary tract wonders what on earth you have been putting through it). Raspberries give energy and aid digestion. They are high in vitamin B and work as well, or better than, caffeine-filled energy drink. Mangoes are just too damn delicious to leave out of this! They contain zinc which is good for the immune system, which has no doubt taken a battering while you were out partying. Add lemon juice and fresh mint to taste â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they refresh and detoxify and a pinch of cinnamon will protect the liver from alcohol damage. Ginger is oh so soothing for your tummy.

Ingredients: Half a pint of cranberry juice, half a cup of raspberries (fresh or frozen), fresh mango (slices from a medium mango), a couple of sprigs of fresh mint (if the season is right), lemon juice to taste, organic honey to sweeten, a pinch of powdered cinnamon, one teaspoon of freshly grated ginger and three or four chunks of ice. Method: Blitz all ingredients with a blender till smooth, pour into a glass and drink immediately. Tip: Add a low fat vanilla yogurt if you want to make this smoothie really creamy and extra soothing after your night of excess. You could add a handful of cranberries to bulk up this smoothie. Frozen cranberries are available all year round in most supermarkets.

I hope you enjoy experimenting with your smoothie recipes and that you will feel energised, happy and raring to go! Brought to you by: Caroline James Website/blog: www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk Twitter: @CarolineJames12 FB: Caroline James Author

LAPIN SANS MOUTARDE Etiquette for Anarchists - A formal Guide

I’ve just arrived back from France. Any extra fat about my person is therefore foreign and nothing to do with me. Clearly it does not show on my passport. The original English woman remains slim and fit. A slight increase in weight was almost inevitable. It is essential to entertain and be a jolly Rosbif. Lapin Sans Moutarde Social occasions have a very different flavour in France and I do not mean the rodents in mustard. (See recipe below*) A great deal of formality attends quite simple events. In a land of anarchic drivers and queue jumpers, etiquette becomes far more important. English society has become much more discourteous and divided during my lifetime as socio-economic classes have diverged. We still queue but in snobby silence. The scrabbling French mob address each other as Monsieur and Madame and sympathise about your mother’s bad leg as they charge the doors. Recently a French friend was invited to a wedding of some Americans in France. She called me to ask how she should reply in English. I suggested “Yes – thank you.” “Mais – Ce n’est pas possible – I need the full formal official words - ,” she said. Together we worked out a paragraph along the lines of great honour, humble gratitude, special pleasure to attend such a fine gathering, infinite joy to be able to bless the marital union, unforgettable pride at receiving such an undeserved accolade…. Recently some French friends came for dinner, of course bringing their dog. The charming pooch stuck its nose in the chopped saucisse and gherkin aperitif on the coffee table. Whilst the animal rolled its odorous coat on the brand new beige rug, Madame ate the canine saliva-moistened saucisse, explaining that the dog actually preferred cheese.

Don’t worry he prefers cheese to meat… We had a great evening, featuring my new specialty of smoked carrots. All you have to do is select the finest young specimens and steam them. By forgetting to put any water in the steamer and leaving the dish to mature on the stove while one attends to several drinks, the molten metal fumes permeate the carrots. I must tell Nigella Lawson. The following day I received an e-mail thanking me for the great honour of having invited such humble beings to my wonderful dinner. I had been charmingly conversational and had shamed them with my fine cuisine, erudite conversation and grasp of world affairs. (Broadly this means events beyond the end of the village and even up to several kilometers away). I thought I’d just been tipsy. Anyway – the fact is that the 5:2 diet does not translate into French – well I could say that it sank – Duh! I was able to get out on the tandem and probably limit the damage a little. My full suspension seat post started to squeak and we rode several miles on rough roads sounding like a honeymoon couple in a frenzy. It didn’t matter, there were only cows and kingfishers to notice. It is paradise and even better, in France there is no queue at the gate. *Lapin

à la moutarde:

INGREDIENTS: Marinade the night before: 1 x 1.5–2 kg whole rabbit cut into 14 pieces (1 x head, 1 x neck, 2 x shoulders, 2 x legs, 3 x saddle, 3 x rib cage, 2 x belly) salt crushed black peppercorns Dijon mustard and old fashioned whole grain mustard The rest: 60 g unsalted butter, 1 onion, 6 crushed garlic cloves, 150 g small button mushrooms 8 whole black peppercorns 2 sage leaves 2 sprigs of tarragon 1 bay leaf

2 sprigs of thyme 30 ml white wine vinegar 200 ml white wine, 150 ml water To finish: 3-4 tbsps cream 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley METHOD Mix 4 or 5 pinches of crushed peppercorns with a pinch or two of salt, 3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon of whole grain mustard. Coat the rabbit portions in the mixture, cover and marinade overnight in the fridge.

Set the oven temperature to 140 degrees C. Melt 2/3 of the butter in a frying pan and gently brown the rabbit portions in batches (about 4 minutes each side for each portion). Place in a heavy-bottomed casserole. Fry the onions, garlic and mushrooms in the remaining butter until lightly golden. Add to the rabbit in the casserole. De-glaze the frying pan and get all the sticky bits off with the wine and bring to the boil for about 30 seconds to boil off the alcohol. Add to the casserole along with the white wine vinegar, water and all the herbs (except the parsley) and additional seasoning. Mix gently. Cover with a well-fitting lid and bake in the oven for about an hour. Remove rabbit portions to a warm plate and bring the sauce to the boil, reduce by a third and then add the cream. Mix well and bring back to the boil and add the rabbit portions. Sprinkle finished casserole with freshly chopped parsley. Serve with tagliatelli or couscous and a green vegetable such as french/runner beans, asparagus or broccoli. Rabbit is a delicious low-fat meat, rich in iron. I guess the addition of butter, wine and cream may have added a few calories â&#x20AC;Ś

Brought to you by: Emma Calin Website/blog: http://www.emmacalin.com/Welcome.html Twitter: @EmmaCalin FB: Emma Calin

GUEST INTERVIEW Pia Fenton - who writes under the name of Christina Courtenay - is the Chairman of the Romantic Novelists’ Association in the UK. I met up with award-winning author Pia to talk about the RNA and her own writing journey. Pia, when was the RNA set up and how does it help authors? As you can see from our website http://www.rna-uk.org/ the Romantic Novelists’ Association was formed over fifty years ago in order to ‘raise the prestige of romantic authorship and generally to encourage and foster the writing of romantic works’. Our members number more than 700 authors, editors, agents and other industry professionals and we try to promote quality romantic fiction of all types – it is a very broad church indeed. There is romance or love of one kind or another in most works of fiction and I think you can safely say it’s the one thing most people are looking for in life. So whether an author has had books published with lots of romance in them or only a little bit, everyone is welcome! Romance has suffered in the past from a ‘pink and fluffy’ label, but we are doing our best to dispel that myth. Among other things, we entered a team in ‘University Challenge – the Professionals’ and came second overall, and my predecessor as Chair, Annie Ashurst, is a former winner of Mastermind. In any case, some sub-genres of romance are decidedly gritty with nothing remotely ‘fluffy’ about them. And writing romance is far from the easy formulaic job some journalists accuse us of having – in fact, it requires great skill! The RNA is obviously a professional organisation for traditionally published authors and new writers, what does it offer? We offer support and encouragement to all our members, both on a national level and through our local chapters. Every year we organise events such as talks, workshops, parties, awards and a three-day conference. The main benefit of these are the networking opportunities and the friendships forged with other writers. To me, personally, these have been invaluable, and I’m sure it’s the same for most of the other members. The yearly conference, in particular, is a fantastic opportunity to meet and mingle with people who understand exactly what it’s like to be an author. It can be very lonely throughout the rest of the year, but for this one weekend you’re with like-minded people who don’t mind you ‘talking shop’ from morning till night. Most of us go home refreshed and eager to write and you always learn something new, which is great. The New Writers’ Scheme (NWS) is unique to the RNA (although I think other organisations are now looking into doing something similar). Whilst our full members are all traditionally published, we welcome unpublished and self-published only authors as members via the NWS and invite applications in January. Each year 250 of them are accepted and their fee includes one critique of a full manuscript per year by a published author. The scheme is extremely popular and is usually filled literally within minutes, but unfortunately we can’t take more than 250 ‘not yet published’ authors per year. I came through this scheme myself and found it extremely useful. I learned so much from the critiques I received and I don’t think I’d be published without it. Just the fact that someone is taking you seriously as a writer is a huge help – you feel you are no longer on your own.

Where is the RNA going in the future, given that the publishing industry is changing rapidly at the moment? Within the last few years there has been great upheaval, with ebook sales soaring and self-publishing increasing at a phenomenal rate. The RNA is always looking ahead and the committee is at present discussing how these changes will affect us as an organisation and what, if anything, we need to do to keep up to date. It’s not an easy task, but we are doing our best! In recent years we have updated our awards and it may be that they will evolve even further soon. Originally there was only one award per year – the Romantic Novel of the Year – but with so many sub-genres, we found that having for example the light-hearted novels competing with the more literary or serious and issue-led ones didn’t allow each sub-genre to be valued individually. We therefore created five categories of awards – the RoNA’s – to enable each book to be judged against others in its sub-genre. The winners of each category then go forward to compete for the overall prize. This seems to work much better. There is a separate award, the RoNA Rose, for category romances which have a shorter shelf-life. We have also revamped our ‘brand’ with a new website and professional looking magazine. We are reaching out to libraries all over the country, trying to work with them to spread the word about our members’ work, and we are working with readers who help judge our awards. Romantic novels have a long tradition here in the UK – from Samuel Richardson’s Pamela through Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe,George Eliot, Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters to the present day, romance has always been popular. According to research we commissioned, it is still the best-selling genre overall and I don’t think that will change. People need romance and love in their lives and they like reading about it. Long may that last!

RNA website: http://www.rna-uk.org/ RNA Blog:http://romanticnovelistsassociationblog.blogspot.co.uk/ RNA Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Romantic.Novelists.Association?fref=ts RNA Twitter: https://twitter.com/RNAtweets

Can you tell us a little about your own writing journey - from that first realisation of 'I want to write', to being an award winning novelist? – Writing was never something I aspired to when I was young, the way some people do, and I didn’t have a burning ambition to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). Although I have always loved books and reading, it didn’t occur to me that I could write my own books, even though I spent a lot of time daydreaming and making up stories in my head. Later though, when I had my first child, I wanted to find an occupation I could do at home so I wouldn’t have to go back to work and leave her. I decided I would write a couple of romance stories – how hard could it be? The answer to that question is – ‘VERY’! (Photos courtesy of Marte Lundby Rekaa)

But by the time I received my first rejections I had been bitten by the writing bug and realised this was something I really enjoyed, so I continued. It took me nearly 21 years before I finally had a full-length novel published (the week after my first daughter left home!), but I don’t think it was wasted time. I was learning along the way and although it was frustrating at times, I had a lot of fun too and made some fantastic friends. Part of the problem was that the kind of novels I write are hard to pigeon-hole. That’s where my publisher, Choc Lit, a small independent, comes in. Because they don’t have to please a lot of marketing men in suits, they can take a chance on someone like me and I hope they haven’t regretted it. Is there anything you would do differently, if you could turn back the clock? - Yes, I’d have started writing a lot sooner! Instead I wasted years working as a secretary (both legal and otherwise), which really wasn’t much fun. I could have spent my time with some wonderful imaginary characters if I’d known I was able to write. Why don’t careers counsellors tell you that you can have daydreaming as a job, as long as you write those dreams down? I’d have signed up for that in a flash. What has been the biggest influence on your writing? Fairy tales, the fact that I’ve always been something of an outsider and the Far East are the three main influences I think. Fairy tales because I was hooked on them as a child and I still, to this day, want the happy ever after, Prince-Charming-comes-to-the-rescue, type stories, although adult versions (or YA). I don’t read any sad books or watch sad films. I want to entertain and be entertained, and I prefer to be left with a feeling that all is right with the world.

Not quite belonging or culture clashes are also themes that recur in my novels. My father was English and my mother Swedish, so whichever country I was in, I was always a bit different to everyone else. Later, when I was a teenager, my family moved to Japan, where I was even more of an outsider, but luckily I wasn’t the only one. I attended a school with kids of over 130 different nationalities which was a great lesson in learning how to get on with people of all kinds. I fell utterly and completely in love with Japan and all things Oriental while I was there, so that has also had a huge impact on the kind of stories I write. Several of my novels are partly set in the Far East and I’m sure there will be more in the future. I was lucky enough to travel quite a lot during that time as well, which was great as it’s given me some wonderful experiences to draw on. These days, I stay closer to home, but that can be good too!

And now for your latest book…it’s a YA contemporary romance entitled New England Rocks….

First impressions, how wrong can you get? When Rain Mackenzie is expelled from her British boarding school, she can’t believe her bad luck. Not only is she forced to move to New England, USA, she’s also sent to the local high school, as a punishment. Rain makes it her mission to dislike everything about Northbrooke High, but what she doesn’t bank on is meeting Jesse Devlin… Jesse is the hottest guy Rain’s ever seen and he plays guitar in an awesome rock band! There’s just one small problem … Jesse already has a girlfriend, little miss perfect Amber Lawrence, who looks set to cause trouble as Rain and Jesse grow closer. But, what does it matter? New England sucks anyway, and Rain doesn’t plan on sticking around… Does she?

New England Rocks, available in paperback Kindle UK Kindle US

Website – http://christinacourtenay.com/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/christinacourtenayauthor?ref=ts&fref=ts Twitter - https://twitter.com/PiaCCourtenay

BOOKSHELF REVIEWS SUMMER SIZZLERS & HERE COME THE GIRLS! “Bookshelf Reviews brings you independent reviews from some of the most trusted book reviewers on the internet. We have asked these respected reviewers to give you their unbiased opinions on our Loveahappyending Lifestyle author’s books so that you, the discerning reader, can choose your next read with confidence from our Bookshelf. All our authors’ books can be found on Amazon, and all major stockists.” Janice Horton

Sheryl Browne review gets 5/5 on Authorstowatch.com with ‘Somebody to Love’ Sheryl says: “I write Romantic Comedy because life is just too short to be miserable”. Tricia at Authorstowatch.com says: “A story of such substance and beauty. This story came as a wonderful surprise and I’ve been recommending it to friends, romance and non-romance lovers alike. If I could award this book more than five stars, I would surely do so”. Click to go to Sheryl Browne’s author pages on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

Linn B Halton’s Never Alone hooks the reader immediately!

Linn Says: “Life, love and beyond, but it’s always about the romance…!” An early reviewer on Amazon says: “Never Alone is Ms. Halton’s best novel yet! The reader is immediately hooked and it doesn’t let go until the very end, which I did NOT see coming!” Click to go to Linn B Halton’s author pages on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

Melanie Robertson King celebrated another 5 Star Review for A Shadow in the Past Melanie says: “I’m Canadian by birth but Scottish in my heart”. An Amazon reviewer said: “A charming time-slip love story with vivid description and authenticity throughout!” Click to go to Melanie Robertson King’s Author pages on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

Emma Calin gets out a knock out review for Knockout Emma says: “Like many women, I have known the desert and the jungle of love”. An Amazon reviewer says: “The writing is sterling, the love passionate, the plot ever thickening, the fear always just a gunshot away, and the characters tightly drawn and distinctive. Emma Calin writes winners. Knockout is one of them”. Click to go to Emma Calin’s author Pages on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

Stephanie Keyes reviewers can’t wait for her next book in the Star Child Series! Stephanie says: “Your next adventure in reading starts here…” An Amazon reviewer gave 5 Stars to The Star Child and says: I’ve always been a fan of Irish and Celtic mythology, and the author does a wonderful job of both recreating that world and giving a storyline for the character to walk through while doing so. I’m disappointed I have to wait for (The Fallen Stars) but it’ll be worth it. Luckily, The Fallen Stars is coming soon and you can join Team Starlighter HERE Click to go to Stephanie Keyes Author Pages on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

Bonnie Trachtenberg loves romantic comedies– reading them and writing them Bonnie says: “ I graduated from New York University with a major in Film and Television Production and promptly found a job on a B movie you never heard of. Four days later I retired from film realising I was meant to be a writer.” Chicklitplus.com says of Neurotically Yours: “I loved this book! Dara is a great MC. I liked the intrigue in her relationships, and wondered how they would end. There is humour, love, sadness, quirky characters, and a happy ending that will make chick lit lovers highly enjoy this book. One for your shelves!” Go to Bonnie Trachtenberg’s Author Page on Amazon UK and Amazon.com

Anneli Purchase lives on Vancouver Island as an author and freelance copy-editor Anneli says: My novels involve relationships that develop in unusual settings, on the wild and remote coast of British Columbia, and in the primitive camping conditions of Mexico’s Baja peninsula. An Amazon.com Reviewer says of The Wind Weeps: “A modern woman finds out what it’s like to live and work on the coast of British Columbia. She finds hard work, cold waters and intrigue. But, best of all, she finds romance”. Go to Anneli Purchase’s Author Page on Amazon UK and Amazon.com

Patricia Sands reminds us of the complexities of women’s friendships Patricia says: “Almost as much as I love to write, I love to travel. Both usually involve planning, making choices, facing challenges and ultimately making dreams come true…” Kim the Bookworm says of The Bridge Club: “A delightful tale of friendship and love between an amazing group of women. It made me realise that whatever happens in your life, good and true friends are so important to help you get through the rollercoaster issues that life can throw at you. This book was an emotional thoroughly enjoyable read”. Go to Patricia Sand’s Author Page on Amazon UK and Amazon.com

Janice Horton – writing with humour and heart and a tint of tartan Janice says: “I was inspired to write voodoo romance stories after witnessing a spat between two passengers on a flight from the Caribbean. ‘How Do You Voodoo?’ is the first of a trilogy.” JB at Brook Cottage Books says of How Do You Voodoo? “This novella was perfect rainy day reading for me. The story has just the right sprinkling of romance and humour that doesn’t detract from the underlying message. Well done to Janice Horton for a lovely story”.

Did you know there are lots of ways to support your favourite Loveahappyending.com authors? Here are just a few bookshelf tips: Buy their book right now – why wait? Give the ‘thumbs up’ to like on Amazon. Tag the book with genre-appropriate labels. Read and then write a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Share your review and recommend the author on your social networks. Follow their Blog and their Facebook Page.

Brought to you by: Janice Horton Website/blog: http://janicehortonwriter.blogspot.co.uk Twitter: @JaniceHorton FB: Janice Horton Author

TECHIE CORNER Don’t Wait for Your PC to Call It Quits: Save Your Memories Before It’s Too Late

“Who ever expects their computer to call it a day?” What I’ve been hearing from my friends lately are complaints about computers that just packed it in unexpectedly. That in and of itself is an oxymoron. After all, who ever expects their computer to call it a day? The big problem isn’t necessarily that the entire computer decided to quit. Often it’s the failure of the computer’s hard drive which has the biggest impact on users, whether you’re a MAC, PC, or even a Linux user. However, as this former IT team member can tell you, hard drive failures are actually more common than you’d think. With one name brand PC maker, who will remain nameless here, you could almost predict what hard drive would fail next based upon the date of purchase. Particularly, when dealing with laptops. With most laptops offering a shelf life of five to seven years on average, it’s not uncommon that they see at least one hard drive failure during that time frame. What does that mean to the average computer user? Goodbye Uncle Mel’s fiftieth birthday photos, goodbye graduate thesis, goodbye video from the kids’ birthdays … you get the idea. When a hard drive fails, sometimes the data is recoverable, but often, it’s not.

So, what can you do to prepare yourself for the day you have computer probs? Here’s my own personal hotlist, of tips and tricks I always employ in case my equipment goes down.

Dropbox. There are tons of clouds computing options out there now. If you don’t know what cloud computing is, imagine you sent your data up to sit on a cloud. No matter what the weather below the clouds, your data would sit above the weather, totally unaffected. With Dropbox, you sign up for a free account, and you can store your data in a folder you control. The cool part is that on your machine, it looks exactly like a regular folder. You can drag files in and out of it. The best part, you can access your data from any Smartphone, tablet, or computer, as long as it has Internet access. So if your computer goes down, drive on over to the public library and get back to work! Gmail. Want to make sure you can access your e-mail from anywhere? Consider sticking with a web-based mail client like Gmail. Unlike applications like MAC Mail or Outlook, which make it all too easy to pull mail onto your computer’s hard drive, Gmail keeps everything online. The best feature is a slick Archive capability that allows you to keep your Inbox uncluttered and your mail accessible through the All Mail feature.

“You can access your data from any Smartphone, tablet, or computer, as long as it has Internet access.” Picasa. I’m a Google fan in a couple of respects. I love the way Google handles mail, but I also like their photo solutions. The Picasa tool is great because it not only offers a robust desktop tool, but it also boasts a nice upload feature. There are storage limitations, but for most folks, this could easily house a majority of your digital photos. Although you could use Dropbox for this same function, why not choose a solution which enables you to tag, manipulate, and categorize your pics in a meaningful way? External Storage. If you have way too many files, music or otherwise, to take advantage of Dropbox or Picasa, consider an external hard drive. Though they might seem a little intimidating at first, a One Terabyte drive, that’s computer speak for really freaking huge,

now goes for about $89 US. You just plug in the hard drive’s power, plug it into the USB port on your laptop and it acts just like another drive on your computer. Defend Your Turf. Unless you’re running Linux on your machine, there’s a ton of garbage on the Internet, just waiting to make its way onto your pristine little PC. So make sure you’ve got a great antivirus tool in place to help you out. Avast Antivirus is free and thorough when it comes to combing your computer for viruses (a.k.a. malware) and adware (ad-based tracking). You can help the cause by avoiding opening any e-mails from unknown parties, clicking on any unfamiliar links, or downloading anything when prompted online – the Internet is just not that helpful. Trust me.

Browse Smart. There are so many more Internet browsing options out there now. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer…. If you like to save Favorite sites into your browser, consider one like Chrome. Once you save a Favorite, a.k.a. bookmark, you can access it from Chrome on any computer, as long as you’ve logged in with your Google account. But the bottom line is, no matter what you’re doing, remember to back up someplace other than your computer. Whether it’s Dropbox, another computer, an external hard drive, flash drive, or someplace else, don’t let your computer be the only place you save your stuff. Work smart, think smart, and your data will remain safe. Have questions on anything tech oriented? I’d love to hear from you and you can find my articles on the Loveahappyending.com website. Brought to you by: Stephanie Keyes Website/blog: http://www.stephaniekeyes.com Twitter: @StephanieKeyes FB: Stephanie Keyes

PROFILES IN FURAGE

Bonnie Trachtenberg is an author who lives on Long Island…. QUEEN ISABELLA Are you one of those parents who likes to brag about your children? Well, I have no human children of my own but have chosen instead to adopt a few of the furry persuasion. I must say I made a prudent decision and I’m a proud and happy cat mom. So since I’ve listened patiently while hearing about your children’s test scores, soccer tournaments, and their rise to the honor roll, I’ve decided to kvell about my furry “kiddens” in a series I’ve titled Profiles in FURage. We begin with Isabella (a.k.a. “Queen Isabella,” “Izzy Busy Bee” “Isabellygirl,” “The Stalker,” “Miss Hissyfits,” “The Slasher,” “Squeaky Fromme Hell,” “Crazy Face,” and “Edwina Scissorhands.”)

Breed: Siamese Mix (a.k.a. Snowshoe) with possibly some Burmese thrown in. Distinguishing features: Wild swirls of long, colorful, silky fur; black streak up her nose; big blue eyes; big fluffy tail, purposeful gait; hearty set of lungs. Of all our pets, Isabella has spent the longest time in our home (about five years) and so she rules the house with an iron paw—and a whole lot of cattitude. Yes, she’s the alpha cat! We adopted her from my friend Nadine who rescues cats and finds them homes (and I’m sure has a very cushy place reserved for her in heaven, too.) Nadine had named her “Cookie,” so when she’s a good little kitty, I sometimes still call her that, too.

As a kitten, she was just a little puff of fur with the loudest purr I’d ever heard.

She came on sweet, loveable, and cuddly, but of course we learned about her alter ego once we got her home. Don’t annoy her like my husband does, or you might be on the receiving end of a “hiss and slash” double whammy! She has no tolerance for those who fail to worship her, or even those who don’t notice her twitching tale that practically screams, “Stop that now or you’ll be sorry!”

Isabella lives to play, and loves to play with anything that isn’t an actual toy. This includes small plastic wrappers that make a lot of noise; strings that are still attached to the sweatpants I’m wearing; cardboard pull tags from Fed Ex envelopes and large bags of cat food; and any pens or paperclips she steals from my desk (while I’m trying to work.) She loves to grab her toy in her teeth and walk around the house meowing for someone to play with her.

When I take a break for lunch, Isabella sometimes sends out indecipherable tweets by sprawling atop my toasty laptop. She also loves to run through the house at warp speed, shrieking at the top of her lungs like a lunatic, for no apparent reason. On occasion, she enjoys stalking her sweet little sister, Sabrina, and trying to scare her. Why? Because she can. It also gives her the sense of superiority she feels she’s entitled to as a Royal

Once you get to know Isabella you’ll learn she… Eats to live and enjoys a sensible diet. Loves to prance about and remind her subjects that they are in the presence of royalty. Enjoys being petted and admired by humans. Will crawl on your chest when you can’t sleep and purr loudly. Will often greet us and even our guests at the door. Has almost learned how to jump up and turn a door knob…a frightening prospect!

Screams blue murder if you try to trim her claws. Is obsessed with trying to lick our ice cream pops… And… As a kitten, threw herself over the stairway banister—and lived to tell about it! Quirky, cute, and amusing, Isabella is quite a cat, and I’m proud to be her mom.

My favourite Fancy Feast Appetizers for Cats A playtime treat - love this laser toy! Whisker City Cozy Kitty Window Perch

Brought to you by: Bonnie Trachtenberg Website/blog: http://www.bonnietrachtenberg.com/ Twitter: @Writebrainedny FB: Bonnie Trachtenberg

WRITERLY ADVICE Dot Dot, Must Dash Dot dot dot, dash dash dash. Is this a cry for help to unravel the mysteries of dashes and dots? There are two punctuation symbols that frequently confuse writers: that of not knowing what to use or where when it comes to ellipses and hyphens. Let’s see if I can help you out a little. First, let’s tackle the dot dot dot, or to give it its correct title: the ellipsis. The ellipsis is a single punctuation mark that consists of three dots – no more, no less – thus … What it is not is two, four, six or even ten dots – that is not an ellipsis; that is simply a waste of time and space. These three dots are not full stops (periods), they are smaller in size and spacing. Most modern word processors recognise this and, if you key in three stops with a space at the start and end, will automatically change this to the correct symbol. In Word, you can also add an ellipsis through the Insert Symbol tab, under Special Characters. You may even wish to set it to your own shortcut key. You will know you have added it correctly if you then move your cursor back over the three stops; it should jump back over all three in one move. So, why and when is this symbol used? The ellipsis has two functions. The first as a means of showing, when citing a quotation, that word/s or even a complete sentence/s or phrase has been omitted. Use one ellipsis for each part left out. Below is an example using the second paragraph above. For clarity only, I have set the ellipses used in this article in bold. “The ellipsis is a single punctuation mark that consists of three dots thus … These three dots are not full stops (periods) … Most word processors and computers recognise this and … automatically change this to the correct symbol.” The second function of the ellipsis is probably the one most used by authors. It is used to denote when a thought or speech tapers off. It is also used in dialogue when a speaker stops mid sentence for one reason or another or the sentence is left unfinished purposefully, often leading the reader to guess what was going to be said. An ellipsis should not be used to show where dialogue has been interrupted by another speaker. That is the role of another symbol. Do ghosts really exist? I suppose it could have been the wind, but I wonder … “We can’t use that door. The only way is through …” Claude stopped to draw breath. Another query is that of spacing and punctuation before and after an ellipsis. It’s a matter of preference. Some publishers and writers do, others do not include full stops or commas before or after if within dialogue, the symbol being deemed adequate for purpose, although a question mark should be included if the phrase constitutes a direct question. Whether you put a single word space either side of the ellipsis is, again, entirely a matter of choice. There

is nothing wrong in putting the symbol directly before or after a word – with no spacing. The rule is always, whatever your or your publisher’s preference with regard to spacing and punctuation surrounding this and other symbols, be consistent throughout your document. “I mean… What I meant to say was …Don’t do it.” “You don’t mean …?” Ready for more help? Okay, let’s move on to hyphens. You might not have realised it but there are three main types of hyphen: the single, ordinary small dash used to conjoin words, as in multi-purpose; the en dash, so named as it takes up the space of the letter N; and the longer em dash named (you’ve guessed it!) as it takes up the space of the letter M. So why three types? Each has a different function. The use of the small hyphen is obvious, although I would point out that many words that once upon a time would have been hyphenated are nowadays often written as one complete word. This is fine except it can cause a visual angst in eBook reading and in fully justified text, as a long word will often be forced to jump to the next line, dragging out the previous sentence with long word spaces; not a pretty sight. This is why many print publishers use hyphens at the end of lines to wrap the word. I expect you are so used to seeing them you hardly notice they are there. These are called soft hyphens, as they will disappear if the text is amended. They are often referred to as automatic hyphens. With DTP, the use of the soft/automatic hyphen has diminished somewhat. If you are formatting for eBooks, avoid automatic hyphenation. The en dash is used to show ranges, be it in numbers, figures, places: pages 1–13; 3–7 miles;north–south (note no space between). In essence, it replaces the word “to”. Its second function is one I have used in this article – the dash between two phrases, with a single word space either side. This has become its secondary and more popular function when previously that was, and still is, the role of the em dash. In many published books you will see the em dash used for this purpose and always without spacing. As with the ellipsis, these symbols can be added by typing a double or triple hyphen or through the Insert Symbol, Special Characters tab. The second use of the em dash is in dialogue when a speaker is interrupted by another speaker: “You can’t seriously believe that? I told you before I—” “I don’t care what you said. I’m telling you now,” Peter interrupted. It is perfectly acceptable, and indeed recommended in eBook publishing, to use an unspaced en dash for this purpose. Kindle recognises both en and em dashes but many other formats do not, particularly if you are inclined to use non standard or fancy fonts. Well, I think that’s enough for today. Got to dash… Or is that—? Brought to you by: Kit Domino; Website/blog: http://kit-domino.com/ Twitter: @KitDomino FB: Kit Domino

ON THE BOOKSHELF THIS MONTH – have you read?

READER’S CORNER

Happy reading! 82

WRITER’S CORNER

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MEET THE TEAM – OUR REVIEWER PANEL

Our Lifestyle feature editors:

Left to right: Janice Horton, Kit Domino, Bonnie Trachtenberg and Linn B Halton

Bookshelf Reviews: Janice Horton lives in Scotland. She writes fiction with humour and heart and with a hint of tartan. Look out for her Amazon Kindle bestselling ebooks ‘Bagpipes & Bullshot’ and ‘Reaching for the Stars’ and her magically romantic novellas ‘How Do You Voodoo? and ‘Voodoo Wedding’. Janice writes lifestyle articles, has also been involved in BBC Scotland’s ‘Write Here Write Now’ and is a member of the Romantic Novelist’s Association.

The Write Path: Kit Domino -for ten years she ran her own agency editing, proofing and typing up reference books including for the Oxford University Press, the Radcliffe Hospital and the EU Commission. Kit now runs her own publishing and editing business putting her skills to good use helping other authors. Her London historical novel Every Step of the Way, previously shortlisted for the Harry Bowling Prize, was published in 2012.

In Search of a Happy Ending: Bonnie Trachtenberg is the author of two bestselling romantic comedies, Neurotically Yours, and her debut novel Wedlocked, which won the Gold Readers Favorite Award, the Beach Book Festival Award and the Indie Excellence Award. Bonnie was senior writer and copy chief at Book-of-the-Month Club and has written seven children’s book adaptations. She lives in New York with her husband, four cats and a dog.

People with a Passion: Linn B Halton writes novels about ‘Love, life and beyond…but it’s ALWAYS about the romance’. You are guaranteed an uplifting ending that won’t disappoint and often a psychic twist that will make you stop and think…what if? Linn signed with HarperImpulse in 2013 and US publishing house Sapphire Star in 2012. Before becoming a writer Linn had two very different careers—finance and interior design. Linn is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and creator of Loveahappyending.

Our LLm member contributors: Mandy Baggot brings you award-winning fiction! In 2012 she won the coveted Innovation in Romantic Fiction award at the UK’s Festival of Romance. Her novel Strings Attached was also short listed for Best Author Published Read! Mandy writes strong contemporary romance and characters you’ll fall in love with. Previously self-published, she was signed by US publishing house Sapphire Star Publishing in January 2012 and in 2013 by HarperImpulse. Mandy is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Sheryl Browne brings you Fabulous, Funny, Heart-breaking Romantic Comedy! Her novel Recipes for Disaster, commissioned by Safkhet Publishing, was shortlisted for the Innovation in Romantic Fiction Award. She now has five books published with Safkhet Soul. A member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Sheryl grew up in Birmingham, UK, where she studied Art & Design. She works part-time in her own business and is a mum and a foster mum to disabled dogs.

Emma Calin was born in London in 1962. She currently lives part of the year in the UK and spends the rest in France. She has been writing since childhood and has won numerous local, national and international prizes for poetry and short stories. She blogs about the contrasts in life on both sides of the English Channel, which she likes to explore on her tandem whenever weather and fitness coincide. She defines herself as woman eternally pedalling between Peckham and Pigalle, in search of passion and enduring romance.

Stephanie Keyes spent the first twelve years of her career in the telecom industry, wearing various hats. Last year, Keyes began consulting under her own business, Sycamore Road Design. In addition, Keyes is the author of the YA Fantasy series, The Star Child, which currently includes The Star Child and The Fallen, both released by Inkspell Publishing. Stephanie Keyes holds a certification in Instructional Technology, an undergraduate degree in Business/Management Information Systems from Robert Morris University, and a M.Ed. from Duquesne University.

Anneli Purchase has more hobbies and projects than she can pursue in one lifetime, but of them all, writing takes priority. Storytelling has been a part of her life since she was a child. Writing the stories is just another phase of the process. Traveling, camping, fishing, mushroom picking, and birdwatching are her preferred pastimes when she is not writing.

Anneli has lived on Vancouver Island, Canada, for most of her life. The island provides everything she needs for the activities she enjoys.

Melanie Robertson-King lives in Brockville, Ontario, Canada on the St. Lawrence River. She wrote non-fiction articles before she turned her love for the written word to short stories and novel-length fiction. Her first book, A Shadow in the Past, was published in 2012. Melanie loves Scotland and all things Scottish.On one of her trips to her father’s homeland, she met Princess Anne at the orphanage where he was raised.

Patricia Sands lives in Toronto, Canada, when she isn’t somewhere else. An admitted travel fanatic, she can pack a bag in a flash and be ready to go anywhere … particularly the south of France. With a focus on women’s issues and ageing, her stories celebrate the feminine spirit and the power of friendship. Encouraging women of all ages to stare down the fear factor and embrace change. Her awardwinning debut novel The Bridge Club was published in 2010. The Promise of Provence was released in 2013.

Miriam Wakerly retired in 2008, the day after Gypsies Stop tHere was launched in Waterstones. There was more to say; so No Gypsies Served followed in 2010. Set in the same delightful English village, Shades of Appley Green offers new themes: family, community and love, written with both humour and emotion. Brought up in Tetbury, Glos, she has lived in Surrey for 35 years. With a BA Degree in English, French, Sociology, Politics, she is author of many published articles and short stories; her novels show a keen understanding of social issues and change.

Our guest writers: Nicole Dauenhauer (left) and Elizabeth Cassidy (right) are - The Film Fatales! Elizabeth Cassidy’s favorite quote is: “My soul was removed to make room for all this sarcasm.” She has excellent taste in movies and will argue to the death anyone who would dare disagree with her. Nicole Dauenhauer is known for her acerbic wit and razor-sharp barbs. Her taste in film ranges from the absurd (Anchorman) and the zany (Young Frankenstein) to stuffy period pieces (A Room with a View) and classic suspense (Rear Window).

Fabulous recipes, whether you want to eat healthily or indulge…Recipes/tips – Caroline James has owned and run businesses encompassing all aspects of the catering industry from a pub to an hotel, restaurants and outside catering. She currently lives in Cheshire and when not writing, runs a hospitality related company. Caroline spends her leisure time cooking, climbing mountains and contemplating life.

Adam’s Rib (satire) - Irreverent and oddly observant, Adam Hornyak is a self-described train wreck. For reasons unknown, Adam is a human magnet for wildly outrageous situations that only he can communicate in his own unique manner. Since nothing embarrasses Adam, he will happily share personal stories of arrest records, family catastrophes, and an atypical dating life. With no filter between his brain and mouth, Adam will periodically shock his audience by tackling taboo subjects and providing commentary on topics that most people would never dare say aloud.

How best to help your children utilise their IT skill than encouraging them to think for themselves? Children and education – Mark Hulkus is a highly experienced primary school teacher who currently runs a Preparatory Department in a 150-yearold boarding school in Wales. He has three children, is obsessed with the 1980s, and runs a fun design website at www.retroboombox.co.uk. He will be helping us to help our children when it comes to school work and IT skills.

Award winning author Sue Moorcroft – Sue works full time as a writer, a tutor and a competition judge. Sue is head judge for Writers’ Forum Fiction Competition. Her novel Love & Freedom was the winner of the Best Romantic Read Award 2011, presented at the Festival of Romance and Dream a Little Dream has been nominated for a RoNA (Romantic Novel Award) in the Contemporary Romantic Fiction category. Born near Monchengladbach in Germany, Sue comes from an army family. They spent time in Cyprus and Malta, the latter being Sue’s favourite place in the world. She now lives in Northamptonshire. Sue admits she hates to miss a Formula 1 race!

Talking about some exciting travel destinations – and you really will wish you were ‘there’! Kim Nash - Mom to 5-yearold Ollie, is a reviewer with a huge passion for books and loves to spread the word about the amazing authors and brilliantly entertaining books that are in the world. Kim loves chick lit, thrillers & suspense and books about the afterlife. She is a Sales & Marketing Manager for The Marketing Room and a writer for Have a Lovely Time.

Fun sporting activities – Kenneth Rosenberg is a California writer whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Surfer Magazine and other publications. Kenneth attended UCLA where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature. When he is not writing, he spends his time surfing, snowboarding and traveling the world on a shoestring. Kenneth’s first novel, “No Cure for the Broken Hearted,” was a top 10 bestseller on Amazon UK. His second novel, “Tinseltown Blues,” was a bestselling romantic comedy. His third novel is the suspense-thriller, “Natalia.”

Join Carlo Pandian in the wine cellar. Wine 101 – poured with style! Carlo Pandian is an Italian expat living in London interested in wine and gardening. He loves to share his wine tips with the community of LLM and is looking to hear more about your favourite ways to pair up food with wine!

Thank you for joining us! Visit our two websites for lots more interesting articles: www.loveahappyending.com “LLm” & www.lovehappyending.org “The Bookshelf”

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