Mother Distracted

Monday, 26 September 2016

Beck Valley Book Tour: At Dusk - An Alex Troutt Thriller (Book #5) by John W. Mefford

New Release....
Alex Troutt Thriller, Book #5
AT Dusk

A little boy makes his first kill—and he likes it. He is cunning, charming, and without remorse.

He is a sociopath.

As boy turns to man, what lies inside takes root. He will make a mark on Boston unlike any other, and FBI Special Agent Alex Troutt must figure out how to stop him.

But when she and her close-knit team move in closer, the stakes become much higher as the case takes on a more personal tone. It’s a frantic race to stop a manipulative killer before his web of deceit and destruction escalates into a blood bath of haunting proportions.

Available to buy from.....

Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk Barnes and Noble iBooks Kobo

"Alex Troutt is quickly becoming one of my favorite fictional characters. I love how she's constantly having to balance her family life and her job, even though her job is continually threatening to take over." - Sonya N

"I simply love every single one of John Mefford's novels. They keep you on the edge of your seat reading late into the night." - Michele B

"Intrigue and attempts at revenge for long held grudges – the twists and turns keeps your adrenalin pumping." - Tracy C
above reviews from the Alex Trout Series

Also available in the series...

My Review

Alex Troutt is rapidly becoming one of my all time favourite detectives - all the more so because it's quite unusual to find a convincing, ballsy and likeable female detective in crime fiction. In this latest foray into the city of Boston and its crime scene, Mefford has created a deeply unpleasant killer and given us hardly any suspects. I spent the almost the entire book questioning whether Alex's team was on the right track, whilst being convinced I knew who the killer really was.

The usual characters we've grown to love are there, the hunky but possible too young Brad, Gretchen, Alex's partner Nick (who has undergone quite some transformation), loveable Ezzy and kids Luke and Erin. And this time Mefford gives us a second feisty female detective in the form of Terri who makes Alex look positively restrained.

I'm not going to give the game away but At Dusk moves at a lightening pace and is very difficult to put down.as the reader becomes as obsessed with finding proof as Alex and her team are. Although part of a series, At Dusk works equally well as a stand-alone story but I recommend that you read the rest of the Alex Troutt thrillers. You'll find yourself gripped.

About the Author

A veteran of the corporate wars, former journalist, and true studier of human and social behavior, best-selling author John W. Mefford has been writing novels since he first entered the work force twenty-five years ago, although he never put words on paper until late 2009.

John writes novels full of intrigue, suspense, and thrills, but they also evoke an emotional connection with the characters.

When he’s not writing, he chases three kids around, slaves away in the yard, reads, takes in as many sports as time allows, watches all sorts of movies, and continues to make mental notes of people and societies across the land.

John lives in Frisco, Texas with his beautiful wife, three opinionated kids, and a feisty fat cat who rules the world.

Find the author on the following sites....

Website Facebook Twitter Google+ Goodreads Amazon Author Page

Join John's Readers’ Group and receive the first novels in both the Greed and Booker Series

FREE for a limited time!

OTHER BOOKS FROM JOHN W MEFFORD

Follow the book tour

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY

Win AT Dusk by John W Mefford ebook
5 Winners!!
Ending on Sunday 1st October at 11.59pm CST

Open Worldwide

Enter HERE

Good Luck !!

Relationship Dilemmas - What Was I Asked In Week 38?

After a refreshing summer break, Relationship Dilemmas is back. As usual, the questions I am asked can be about any aspect of relationships, and sometimes parenting and health.

If you would like any advice, feel free to message me or pop a comment in the comment box at the end of this post. I promise to be gentle.

Here's just some of the questions I've been asked this week.

Q: How do I reply to my ex boyfriend who keeps texting me and says he hasn't done anything bad to me yet the reason we aren't together is because of the fact he keeps texting me etc?

If you want this man out of your life then do not respond to him.

If he is your ex-boyfriend then his insistence that ‘he hasn’t done anything bad’ is irrelevant. The relationship is over and he needs to move on. Responding to his texts will just give him hope.

I’m more concerned though by what you mean when you say “anything bad”. I’m hoping you mean that your ex doesn’t understand why you have split up rather than anything more sinister.

If the reason you split was due to his neediness and clingy-ness, did you explain this to him when you split up? I’m assuming it was you who did the dumping.

If his contacting you becomes more frequent then firstly I would urge you to make someone else aware of the situation for your own safety (better to be safe than sorry) and secondly to change your mobile phone number and cut him out of your life.

If he starts turning up at your place or following you, you must tell somebody and explain what’s going on. But this sounds like a man who hasn’t quite got the hint - and not responding to him will help him to get it.

You have to stand firm.

Q: How do I answer it was nice to meet you text from a guy?

A: It depends how you met. Did you go on a date?

In my experience, if a man isn’t interested he won’t bother to get in touch. It sounds like he is expressing an interest in you and the ball is in your court.

You could say that you enjoyed meeting him too and you’d be happy to meet up for a drink (or similar).

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Q: It's been over a year since we broke up, is there any hope left?

A: It depends why you split up. If you or your partner were unfaithful then possibly not. If you just drifted apart, then maybe. But if you have not heard from your ex for over a year then it doesn’t look like they are pining for your relationship.

Have you done anything in the last 12 months to re-establish contact? Has something happened recently to make you yearn for your old relationship? Has a new relationship just bitten the dust for example?

Relationships always look better, happier, more romantic with the benefit of nostalgia when, often, they were anything but and splitting up was the best and healthiest thing that could have happened.

You could write a letter or email your ex explaining how you feel and asking whether there is a chance to reunite - or invite them out for a drink for old times sake - but I think you need to be realistic about this.

They may well agree to see you to talk about old times but that doesn’t mean they will want to leap back into your old relationship.

You may well find that you are both different people now.

All you can do is take a chance, be ready to put your heart on the line but if it’s a no, then accept that it is finally time to move on.

Q: Should I just let go of my boyfriend even though i Iove him if it's because I don't feel him needing me anymore?

A: To paraphrase your question, I think what you’re saying is that your boyfriend doesn’t seem so interested in you so you want to dump him before you get dumped?

If you do mean that he doesn’t seem to NEED you anymore then I would suggest that it’s not a very healthy relationship.

Don’t you want a boyfriend who wants to be with you because he enjoys your company and you add to his life?

Either way, it would be madness to let someone you love go because you are feeling insecure. Far more sensible is to have an open discussion with him about how you’re feeling and where he feels your relationship is at.

If you suspect his interest is cooling then it may be hard but at least you will know where you stand and can make a decision about your relationship based on facts and what is right for you, rather than doing something hasty out of panic.

Q: How can I forgive myself for the way I treated my ex boyfriend?

I took advantage of his love. I even made him cry once. I even caught feelings for another person once while we were together but denied it. I went to prom with another guy. I cant explain the situations due to word limit but I cant forgive myself. So I cant move on. I know I don't deserve to though.

A: Yes, you were unkind but you know we all have choices.

It takes two to make a relationship and your ex had the opportunity to leave you at any time if he found your behaviour unacceptable.

This doesn’t condone your behaviour but the wider question is why did he put up with it?

Obviously he loved you and hoped that things would work out but we teach people how to treat us and it’s not as simple as heaping all the blame on yourself.

You were quite young, I’m guessing, when all this happened and what you describe is perfectly normal for teenage relationships. We are all learning how to love and how to relate and of course we make mistakes.

If you feel awful then contact him and just say you’d like to say sorry for being horrid during that time and hope things are good with him now.

If you are not interested in rekindling the relationship though, you need to be very careful you do this in a way which doesn’t raise his hopes again.

If it were me, I’d just tell myself that I’ve learned through the experience, I’m now a nicer person and a stronger person - and your ex probably is as well.

You don’t say if you know how he’s doing but he may well be perfectly happy and settled in a new relationship and if so, the last thing he will want is to have to deal with your guilt.

I think this is one of those times when you have to ‘woman up’ and vow that in future relationships you will behave in better ways.

But beating yourself up for being young, naive and thoughtless is pointless - it’s just part of growing up for many.

Q: What do you do if your boyfriend is hitting on your eighteen year old daughter through texting? Does this mean he fancies her?

A: I think you know the answer to your question but, understandably, don’t want to accept what’s happening.

I’m assuming you have read the texts - either on your daughter’s phone or you have been reading them on your boyfriend’s.

It should be pretty obvious whether there is any sexual flirtation going on and, in any case, it is pretty odd for your boyfriend to be texting your daughter if you are not living together or he is not about to become her stepfather.

If you are sure he is hitting on your daughter then your first responsibility is to your DAUGHTER - unless she is actively encouraging him in order to get at you.

Are there problems in your relationship with her?

In your shoes I’d ask him exactly what he thinks he’s playing at and if you are unhappy with his answer, get rid of him. And change your daughter’s phone.

Q: How do you handle it if your boyfriend has a friend who is a girl?

A: How close a friend is she?

If she is one of the ‘crowd’ or an old school friend then I think you just have to accept the friendship and be mature enough to be gracious about it.

A strong relationship is built on trust and you should be able to talk to your boyfriend about this and he should want to reassure you that she is no threat. I’m wondering why you haven’t done this?

If, on the other hand, there is a secretive element to the friendship - he is constantly texting / phoning or breaking dates to be with her, then you need a frank conversation with him about what is going on.

But however uncomfortable it makes you feel, you can’t expect him not to have female friends - as long as the boundaries between friendship and romance are clearly defined and stuck to!

I think you need to speak up.

How would you have responded to these questions? You can find more advice on my problem page.

All materials included in this post are intended for informational purposes only. This post/information is not intended to and should not be used to replace medical or psychiatric advice offered by physicians or other health care providers. The author will not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary or other damages arising therefrom.

We love Halloween. In fact, apart from Christmas, it's my absolute favourite time and we make sure the house is fully decorated. Last year, the Husband gave up resisting and even donned a vampire cape and some fangs.

I usually stick things to walls and any other surface I think needs it with blu-tack or white-tack but versatile though these are, sometimes you need something that will take a bit more weight.

So we've discovered a range of ingenious adhesive strips and hooks from Command Products from 3M that allow home lovers to hang decorations and much more without the hassle of nails, screws and tacks, throughout the home. Better still, they stretch cleanly away, leaving no surface damage.

There's Command Brand Balloon Bunchers (for 3 balloons), Ceiling Hooks, Poster Strips, Decorating Clips and Banner Anchors which all promise damage free hanging.

We tested the poster strips and decorating clips and they certainly stick firmly and offer a more reliable grip than blu-tac! You do have to be careful about where you put them - you can't use them on wallpaper and you're advised not to use them, for example, on anything antique or that you wouldn't be able to repair - but we found they stuck fine to a painted surface.

We tested the Command poster strips and decorating clips

When you remove them, you simply stretch the strips which releases them from the wall - no risk of those annoying marks you can get on some surfaces when decorations have been left in place a little too long. (You can tell I'm a decorating pro, can't you?!)

For Halloween crafting, Caitlin insists on doing her own thing with the help of Mr Bones who was a bit startled to be disinterred a bit earlier this year. But if you're stuck for ideas for your Halloween decorations, here are three ideas you might like to try.

GLIDING GHOULS

For these ghastly ghouls you'll need some polystyrene mannequin heads, coloured netting, a spray adhesive and clear fishing wire. Simply spray the heads with adhesive, cover with your choice of netting and attach the wire – three heads have been used here and hung at differing lengths to create this ghostly effect! Once you’re happy with the terrifying faces, suspend from a fireplace, ceiling, or dark corner using Command Party Ceiling Hooks… and listen out for the screams!

BAT-TASTIC

For some scary wall décor, add some 3D flying bats to your wall. Fold an A4 sheet of black card in half, then draw a slim half-sausage shape starting from the folded edge, to form the bat’s body, then sketch one simple bat wing shape leading off from this. Cut around it all, then open out and fold each wing out from either side of the body, leaving you with a flat body shape with fluttering wings. Adhere each bat to your wall using Command Poster Strips.

WEB-TACULAR

Add a giant spider’s web to give your Halloween décor a little more substance.

Working at a table, cut six lengths of wool to equal lengths and lay them out to create the spokes of your web, tying the ends together at the centre, then tape each outer end down onto your table top with a little masking tape to form the web’s structure.

Cut another length of wool and tie it to one of the structural lengths with a knot, around 5cm from the centre. Move along to the next structural length and knot your wool down here too, keeping the wool relatively taut between the two knots. Continue working your way around the structure of the web until you’re back to your original knot- cut off any excess. Repeat the process with a new length of wool, around 5cm further out from your first circle, then continue working outwards in the same way for several more circles until you are happy with your web shape and size.

Command Clear Decorating Clips are ideal for attaching these to your wall or ceiling - simply tie a knot at the end of each length and place this over the hooks. Play around with your web’s position with masking tape before sticking down with the Command Decorating Clips.

HANGING HORRORS

Command Decorating Clips or Command Party Ceiling Hooks are ideal for hanging spooky items from your ceiling… whether it’s a giant spider, witches hats, or a pumpkin lantern. Simply attach a long piece of white wool or cotton to your items, secure with a knot and hang.

For more information, visit: www.commandstrips.co.uk. You can buy Command Strips at Amazon.co.uk, Asda, B&Q, Hobbycraft, Homebase, Robert Dyas, Ryman, Sainsbury’s, Staples, The Range, Tesco, WHSmith, Wilkinsons and 3Mdirect.co.uk.

No skeletons were harmed in the production of this post.

PR samples were received for this post

Tips For Protecting Your Car Against The Winter Weather

Running and maintaining a car is a costly business these days and as the weather gets colder and the nights become darker, it makes sense to consider ways to protect our cars from the elements and, if we don't have a garage, to increase the security of our vehicles.

Insurers would prefer us to keep our cars nicely locked up in a garage of course, but with land space at a premium and many houses and apartments being built without garages, lots of us are forced to keep our cars on a driveway or parked on the road - hopefully near to our home!

Here are some tips you may find useful to weatherproof your vehicle and increase its security during the winter months.

Consider a carport

If you don't have a garage but you do have some space on your property, installing a carport from a specialist provider such as 123v will give you the advantage of off road parking without the expense of building a garage - and the annoyance of having to fight for a parking space.

A carport is a covered structure which can either be free standing or attached to a wall and has a canopy which offers protection for your vehicle from extreme weather conditions and can be tailored to fit around any driveway area. These can prevent rain, frost and snow from collecting on your vehicle and allow you to leave your home on time - without spending time digging your car out of the snow!

Keep your car extra clean

Make sure you regularly wash your vehicle to get rid of any salt or grit. You'll need to clean the underside of your car too.

Your lights will benefit from being kept sparkling too to ensure you can see and are seen on the road.

Keep your car waxed & sealed

You can protect your car against the elements by keeping it waxed and polished. Bad weather can make your car more susceptible to rust and oxidation. You can buy car waxes specially designed to protect your vehicle's surface from road salt and snow, for example, Turtle Wax Ice Liquid or Paste Wax. They recommend that you concentrate on the lower parts of your car - behind the wheels, quarter panels, and front grille where ice, snow and salt have the greatest effect.

Check fluids

Make sure you check that your car's fluid levels are accurate. Don't forget to replace or top up summer windshield wiper fluid with one suitable for winter that won't freeze when the temperature drops. Check your antifreeze and oil levels to prevent internal damage to your car.

It's also a good idea to keep your gas tank at least half full to help just in case you get stranded somewhere miles from a petrol station!

Check wheels & tyres

If you're going to doing a lot of driving, you might want to invest in a set of winter tyres. These tyres, more commonly called cold weather tyres, are made from a softer material which means that they are soft enough to grip in temperatures below 7 degrees centigrade. They also have different tread patterns which allow the tyre to bite into the snow better.

A car fitted with winter tyres should stop more quickly and be less prone to skidding in any weather conditions if the temperature drops below the 7 degrees mark.

Otherwise check your current tyres for wear and tear and ensure that they are inflated to the correct pressure. You'll need to check this more frequently in winter as the cold will make your tyre pressure drop. You can also use a high quality tyre dressing to provide a barrier to the elements.

If you live in a rural area you may want to keep a set of tyre chains in your boot.

Check your windscreen wipers

The time to replace these and check for wear and tear is before the bad weather sets in. Make sure you have a good stock of de-icer and an ice scraper to hand - although I'm sure we've all used a credit card for this purpose when pushed.

Inspect your battery

You can guarantee that you'll discover your battery is flat on the morning which it's vital you get somewhere on time! Check your battery for signs of corrosion and invest in a battery charger.

Make sure you're properly prepared for winter journeys

It makes sense to go fully prepared. As well as plenty of de-icer and your ice scraper, make sure you've got warning signs, snacks, water, blankets, torches and a shovel to dig yourself out!

It's a good idea to check your breakdown cover is in place and that your policy will get you to where you want to go. For example, some policies will only cover a home start - not much use if you're stranded on the M25.

A bit of investment in some extra care and maintenance of your car may help keep you safe this winter and your car on the road for longer.

Sources: Hints & Things; Turtle Wax; Telegraph.co.uk

Parents: Do You Want To See An End To The Traditional Primary School Report?

Research from Capita SIMS has revealed that over half of parents (57%) feel primary school reports are either too generic or do not contain enough information about how their child is doing.

Capita SIMS is the leading supplier of information systems to the education sector, providing a range of software and services to schools and local authorities to help raise standards and reduce administration.

The survey, undertaken by Opinion Matters, interviewed 1014 parents with children at state primary schools in England, as well as 850 teachers at state primary schools in England.

More than a third of primary school teachers (35%) agree with the findings, despite the fact that schools are now recording more information about the children they teach than ever before.

Knowing whether their child is happy and confident in class tops the list of information parents want to know from teachers, suggesting that mums and dads do not just want academic results on their reports.

And although three quarters of parents (74%) stated that it was very important to have information on happiness and confidence, less than half (46%) reported actually receiving it from their child’s primary school.

Teachers too felt information on a child’s happiness was crucial, with 75% stating it was very important for parents to have this information.

The results suggest that primary schools’ communication with parents needs to evolve.

Phil Neal, a director at Capita SIMS, commented "The vast majority of parents believe teachers are doing a great job, but the research does indicate that information about how a child is doing in school needs updating.

“Schools should look at the type of information they send home. Details such as whether a child helped a friend in class or is working hard on a particular project is often just as important as test results".

Jayne Mullane, headteacher at Mersey Vale Primary School in Stockport, said: “We need to listen to parents to find out what information they want to receive. In my school, parents gave us feedback on our reports and we changed them as a result. They now include information about how much effort a child makes in class as well as details of academic performance.”

A guide for parents and schools is available, entitled, ‘Could do better: is it time to change the school report?’ It can be downloaded from www.capita-sims.co.uk/evolution, and contains a list of questions parents should ask schools about pupil progress and tips for schools on improving reporting.

How are you all this week? The nights are drawing in, as my dad would say and we're swamped by apples from his two old apple trees. I've got my 'crumble on' as there's nothing like a warm pud to cheer up a school night, is there?

I'm not sure what Paul and Mary would say about my efforts and I'm trying not to be too annoyed about The Great British Bake Off's impending move to Channel 4.

If I'm not lost in the latest novel from Beck Valley Books, I'm wading through my extensive collection of cookery books. If you enter the author giveaway here on my review of Late For Fate by Lori M. Jones, you'll have enough to treat yourself to a new cookery book.

Or you could just go bargain and freebie hunting on this link.

Have a great week!

Sharing the Love of Books
Enjoy our selection of New Releases / Free & Bargain Books this week

Authors please feel free to add your own books
Readers please free to add your own finds
(any genre except erotica welcome)

This weekly link up is hosted by Beck Valley Books & these awesome book loving blogs...
Monday
Life as Leels | IrishdaisylovesRomance | Book Babble | All Romance Reader
Tuesday
It's My Side of Life | Celticlady's Reviews | First Time Mommy Adventures
Wednesday
Beck Valley Books | Cinnamon Hollow Reviews
Thursday
Miki's Hope | Nicki's Nook
Friday
Ebook Addicts | I Love Romance | Mother Distracted | Colorimetry | The Ultimate Fan Blog
Saturday
Totally Addicted to Reading | 3 Partners in Shopping | Angie's Angle | I Create Purty Thangs | Wishful Endings
Sunday
Lynchburg Mama | LibriAmoriMiei | Ali - The Dragon Slayer | Wondermom Wannabe | Deal Sharing Aunt | Rambling Reviews

For Pre-orders post - PRE-ORDER / genre / title /author

For New Releases post - NEW / genre / title / author

For Free Books post - FREE / genre / title / author / end date

For Bargain Books post - SALE / price / genre / title / author / end date
(Strictly no Erotica please. Steamy romance is fine but watch those covers people, incase any underage child is viewing it!)

Click here for this weeks awesome selection!

Simple Tips For Hot Healthy Hair

All women are probably guilty of looking at another woman’s hair at some point and wishing they had it. Our hair is considered our crowning glory, and can make a huge difference to our appearance.

Image credit

Some women are born with naturally gorgeous tresses, but others aren’t. Some have thin, lifeless hair. Some even have less than desireable hair because of the things they’ve subjected it to over the years. Good news! With these methods, you can finally have hair other women are envious of…

Don’t Wash Your Hair Too Often

Washing your hair too often strips it of the all important natural oils it’s infused with. Moisture will leave your hair, and it might even become greasy more often. Your hair will get used to not being washed as much. If you’re worried about grease, a good dry shampoo can help to combat that. There are some people who rarely wash their hair at all, and have incredible locks!

Stay Away From Heat

Using too much heat on your hair is a one way ticket to snap city. Unless you want split ends, frizz, and other problems, you shouldn’t use heat on your hair too often. When you do use heat on your hair, use a protectant spray to ensure you’re not damaging it too much.

Take Supplements

Supplements can be amazing for hair. There are supplements formulated especially for the skin, hair, and nails. Obviously, you should make sure you’re eating a healthy diet alongside your supplements. Getting plenty of healthy fats in your diet should improve the condition of your hair. If supplements just aren't cutting it for you, you may want to try a medication. Looking at a price comparison of propecia hair loss tablets could help you to figure out if it’s the right route for you.

Use The Proper Type Of Brush

Make sure you’re using the right kind of brush for your hair type. You should also make sure you’re selecting the right brush depending on whether it’s wet or dry. Tangle Teezers are great brushes and can minimize damage. Never tug on your hair with your brush!

Protect It Before Bedtime

Protecting your hair before bedtime can be a good way to nourish your hair as you sleep. Rather than tying it in a bun or plaiting it, try using a silk scarf or head wrap. Pile your hair on top of your head before putting on your head wrap. The silk will evenly distribute your hair’s natural oils, giving you a natural conditioning treatment. Not only that, you should notice an improvement in thickness, split ends, and other problems. When we toss and turn on our regular pillows all night, we can damage our hair in all kinds of ways!

Use Products That Suit Your Hair Type

Make sure you know your hair type and you’re using products to suit it. You can find products for thin hair, fine hair, colored hair, and so on. It’ll help the condition and enhance your locks!

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