Beck Valley Book Tour: Mr Thorne & The Witch By Diana Green

Fleeing the men who brutally murdered her family, Karene Munroe must hide her magical abilities and hope to go unnoticed in the bustle of the capital city. She takes refuge in the house of Malcolm Thorne, a fireworks maker, who offers her a job as his assistant.

Despite her precarious situation, she cannot help but be drawn to this generous and charming man. A future with him could be wonderful, but her past won’t be laid to rest. From a local crime lord who seeks to use her powers, to the hunters who are hard on her heels, Karene is trapped in a maze of danger and lies. Can she find a way out before Malcolm is lost to her forever?

***Stories from the Secret Realms are historically-inspired fantasy romance. They share a setting reminiscent of England in the mid-19th century, but their world is rich with magic. 

Each book stands alone, and they can be read in any order.

Available to buy from....
Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble    Paperback

Read an excerpt

Also Available...

Miss Ridley & The Warlock

Gemma Ridley’s first encounter with Squire Kenrik proves nothing short of alarming. So much so, she considers fleeing back to the city, despite the fact only poverty and scandal await her there. Could those challenges be worse than staying as governess on a haunted estate and working for a dangerously handsome eccentric?

Little does Gemma realize what dark secrets and wondrous enchantments will transform her life at Rook Hall. Squire Kenrik is more than he seems—more than any man she has known. He may be the source of her undoing, or he may hold the key to her deepest desires. Only time and the guidance of her heart will tell.

***Stories from the Secret Realms are historically-inspired fantasy romance. They share a setting reminiscent of England in the mid-19th century, but their world is rich with magic. 

Each book stands alone, and they can be read in any order.

Available to buy from....
Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble    Paperback

About the author

Since her childhood, growing up in New Zealand, Diana has been an avid storyteller. For years she enjoyed teaching art and special education, while writing as a hobby. After she developed an autoimmune disorder, a career change was necessary, but happily this led her to become an award winning, Amazon bestselling author.

Diana’s books are mostly fantasy, with strong elements of romance. She placed first in the 2016 EPIC Awards – Fantasy/Paranormal Romance Category, first in the 2015 Paranormal Awards – Romance Category, second in the Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Awards, and fourth in the International Digital Awards. She has also been a finalist for the CRW Award of Excellence, the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the Chatelaine Awards, and the Aspen Gold Published Novel Contest.

For more information, excerpts, trailers, and reviews visit DIANAGREENBOOKS.COM

Find the author on the following sites...

Website   Newsletter   Facebook   Goodreads   Amazon author page

"Everyone on my Newsletter mailing list is entered monthly for free e-book drawings. The winners can choose from any of my titles.  If you want to be included in a quarterly mailing list, just let me know in your message using the Newsletter link above. Your contact information will not be shared with anyone."

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY

Win a $20 Amazon.com Giftcard or Paypal Cash
(winners choice)
Open Worldwide

Ending on Saturday 17th December at 11.59pm EST

Enter Below and Good Luck !!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you a book reviewer or book blogger? Join our book tours reviewers team - Apply Here x

Current book tours open for sign ups HERE

Read more

Win A Men's Fitness Bundle From Discount Supplements worth £40+

If you're struggling to come up with a Christmas present for the health enthusiasts in your family, Discount Supplements have come up with a range of great ideas that all offer something different. They also offer free UK delivery and same day despatch.

The Perfect Gifts for Vegans

If you are looking for a gift for a vegan or vegetarian it can be difficult to make the right choice. Look no further then Discount Supplements range of Faith in Nature products, all kind to nature and the environment.

There's Faith in Nature Pineapple and Lime Shampoo and Conditioner (£5.49 each), Faith in Nature Rejuvenating Facial Wash (£6.29), Faith in Nature Coconut Soap (£1.93) and Faith in Nature Restorative Hand Cream (£6.52).


The Perfect Gifts for Gym Bunnies 

40-50% of adults in the UK will make a new year’s resolution in 2017 and the most popular ones usually involve diet and fitness.

Why not get your friends and family off to a great start with some health and fitness related gifts. You could combine Yogi Women’s Tea, Yogi Detox Tea with Lemon (£, Yogi Women’s Balance Tea and Yogi Women’s Energy Tea (all £2.32 for 17 bags) with some Optimum Nutrition Vitamins for Women (£20.36 for 120 caps) and some Women’s Cross Training Gloves (£10.66).

The Perfect Gifts for Tea Lovers

The UK consume an amazing 165 million cups of tea a day! Why not spice up your tea lover's day with some different flavours from Yogi Organic teas. How about Yogi Choco Mint Tea, Yogi Orange and Vanilla Tea, Yogi Lime and Mint Tea, Yogi Detox Tea with Lemon or Yogi Liquorice and Mint Tea (all £2.32 for 17 bags).

The Perfect Gifts for Male Fitness Fans

If the man in your life loves the gym then how about this nifty little bundle? Yogi Detox Tea with Lemon (£2.32 as before),  Optimum Nutrition Mens Multi Vitamins (£5.81 for 90 tabs), Grenade Thermo Detonator Capsules (£17.45 for 44 caps) and some Schiek Cross Training Gloves (£29.10).

And I have a Male Fitness Fan bundle worth over £40 to give away to one lucky winner.  Entry is via the Rafflecopter widget and the usual terms and conditions apply.  (Please see my competition prize).  UK entrants only.

The giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on Friday 16th December.  

Please note that the contents of the bundle may vary slightly depending on stock availability.  Whilst every attempt will be made to deliver the prize in time for Christmas, this is not guaranteed.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck.

Read more

Cosy Christmas crafting with the kids

There's no better way of spending a chilly Sunday afternoon than with a bit of crafting with the kids. I am actually starting to find it quite relaxing, even though I am the enfant terrible of Christmas decoration creation.

We were challenged by Wynsors World Of Shoes to see how cosy and creative we could get by sending us an enormous box of crafting supplies and some lovely snuggly slippers for Caitlin and Ieuan.

Ieuan chose some cute tigers whilst Caitlin was swayed by some booties with pompoms

Bracing ourselves against incoming glitter of many hues, the Husband and I duly mucked in to create some Hobbis family Christmas decorations.  Why did we not have coloured pompoms when I was a child?

I do remember happily coating my hands in PVA glue in the school craft room, leaving it to set and then peeling it off like a second skin.  Hours of amusement, and probably a waste of Council glue funds.

Art is a series business

Actually, it's good to put the iPads down and crafting is a lot cheaper than going to the cinema, isn't it?  Plus, if you wrap the kids up and keep their feet warm, you can get away with turning the heating down a bit.

I think I heard the phrase "get something on your feet" every day when I was growing up.  My parents were convinced walking around slipperless was a quick route to catching something nasty, like a chest cold or the Black Death.

And, as we all know, parents are always right, aren't they?

You can find a great range of slippers (and shoes) at www.wynsors.com with free click & reserve, free click & collect and free UK delivery over £15.

*We were sent two pairs of slippers and a box of crafting supplies for the purpose of this post.  No pompoms were harmed in the creation of the wreath.
  

Read more

Homeopathy - A Small, Simple and Sweet Cure for Skin and Hair Conditions

Every parent knows that it is often very difficult to get kids to take medicines in tablet form - particularly if they come in large, hard-to-swallow capsules.

Not surprisingly then, many kids would prefer to take homeopathic cures which come in the form of tiny, easy to swallow pills. These sweet white balls are just as popular with adults due to their efficacy, safety and easy acceptance.

Homoeopathic medicines are said to attack and cure the root cause of the issue, without any side effects. A very small dose that is made with natural substances goes deep into the body and destroys the root cause of the symptoms.

But before talking about its effectiveness, where did homeopathy come from?

Where did it all start?

Homeopathy first appeared in Germany around 200 years ago and has become one of the most popular alternative forms of medicines today. Samuel Hahnemann is the man who first formulated and introduced homeopathic medicine to the world. Undisputedly, he has helped people all over the world to find a safer treatment for their various problems.

Though homeopathy, like any other alternative medicine, has been praised and criticized in equal measure. If we talk about trusting one form of complimentary medicine over another, homeopathy is is the one most likely to be trusted by the majority of users.

Homeopathy works on a very simple philosophy

Even two centuries ago, Samuel Hahnemann recognised that daily life was going to be challenging and that a medicine which would be easily accepted by the body would help.

He stipulated that there are certain elements which can help your body in highly diluted forms. These active ingredients enter your body and activate certain areas of your body, which are responsible for causing the medical problems you are facing. Once these areas get stimulated, your body heals at an accelerated rate and help you get better.

Since the rise of homeopathy, a number of systemic studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of these medicines particularly for treating hair and skin problems.

The researchers have documented a higher success rate with the use of homeopathic medicines than could be attributed to the placebo effect alone.

Homeopathy certainly has its detractors but an increasing number of people have been coming forward and confirming to the world that, in their personal experience, homeopathic medicines really work.

Hope for Skin and Hair

Human skin is very sensitive and conventional treatments usually end up making it dry and irritable. Homeopathy, however, has been proven to be one method which offers safe and effective treatment.

If you are struggling with any skin and hair problems, you may not have considered homeopathy as an option, but it has actually been found to be highly effective for chronic diseases and skin and hair problems. This is why even many famous doctors now offer these treatments to people who have extensively tried conventional medicines and did not see any results.

The right cure for right purpose

A medicine will only work if you use it for the right purpose. Hair problems like dandruff and hair loss have been treated using this treatment and have produced very encouraging results.

There are many cases where skin problems like Eczema have also been successfully treated using homeopathic medicines.  One such homeopathic solution is Emuaid Cream.

Many people have reported encouraging results from switching to Alternative Medicine and the most successful treatment among them so far have been the ones that involved homeopathy.

If you are not getting results from conventional skin and hair cures, you have nothing to lose by trying a treatment regime which has helped people all over the world get healthier hair and skin. Homeopathy can bring both hope and a cure.

*collaborative post

Read more

Survey Reveals Selfie Stick Voted Worst Christmas Gift

I'm sure by now you are in the throes of Christmas shopping and experiencing that heady panic which demands a ridiculously named, highly calorific 'seasonal' coffee and a mince pie.

And, to compound the stress, a new survey conducted by gifting website www.ijustloveit.co.uk has found that, these days, it's less about the quality time and more about the quality present.

The survey was taken by 2,000 people in the UK - 1,020 women and 980 men. The age range was between 18 – 55+.

I'm sure there's a hefty amount of buying for kids by parents who are dealing with guilt at their long working hours.  Or spending on relatives we've avoided visiting because Facebook is so much easier - and cheaper!

But the irony is that many of those gifts we are feverishly pursuing won't be wanted anyway.

A whopping 60% of those surveyed said that they had received an unwanted gift at Christmas.

Over 50% chose to give their unwanted gifts away and 25% chose to sell their gifts

Over 40% of those surveyed are currently buying for 6-10 people, so potentially at least half will give their gifts away.

It also showed that men are less concerned with the quality of their gifts than women, with more men choosing to keep hold of ‘unwanted’ gifts, whereas women wanted to get rid of them.

When it comes to receiving unwanted gifts, 50% of men would prefer to either keep them compared to 40% of women, with over 60% of women giving them away, compared to only 40% of men.

If you are thinking of gifts to buy this year, the survey also showed that the ‘popular’ Selfie Stick was voted one of the worst Christmas gifts to receive by both men and women, with 40% of the total vote.

Other survey results include:

The highest percentage of people, at almost 40% of the vote, prefer buying for children compared to any other relative or friend, and only 0.45% of people look forward to buying for their grandparents.

Over 10% of people enjoy buying for mothers; while only 1% of people enjoy buying for their fathers. People would rather buy for their pets at 1.40% than their dads! Over 35% of those asked most look forward to receiving gifts from their partners, with grandparents once again receiving one of the lowest votes of only 0.45%

Comparing mother to father again, over 10% look forward to receiving a gift from their mum, and a measly 2% from their dads.

In total, over 40% of those asked said they would spend between £100 - £300 on Christmas gifts. That’s nearly 50% less than data acquired in 2015.

Which rather begs the question - where are all these 'quality presents' going to come from?

Somehow stocking up in the January sales seems like a very good idea. And there's always Ebay.

Read more

Win A Gorgeous Kate Spade Watch From Shade Station

Shade Station is the UK's largest independent designer sunglasses, glasses and watch online retailer with over 140 of the world’s leading brands - and a brilliant place to find Christmas presents for all the family.

I have spent quite some time browsing their ranges which include brands like Fossil, Guess, Emporio Armani, Calvin Klein and DKNY.  They even do prescription glasses - Chanel, Oliver Peoples and Rayban to name a few.

They offer 35 designer sunglasses brands so even the fussiest person should find something they love from Tom Ford, Chanel, Dior, Gucci and Prada to edgier brands including Ray Ban, Carrera, Police and Prada Sport and the sports focused brands including Oakley and Dragon.

They carry a huge range of watches - over 55 brands and I particularly love the Kate Spade Watches.

Kate Spade New York Gramercy Grand Watch

and then there is a great selection of unusual men's jewellery from brands like Storm, Calvin Klein and Emporio Armani.

The husband isn't a big jewellery fan but he will wear cufflinks.

Calvin Klein Cufflinks

Storm Kempa Pendant

although I might persuade him to wear one of these.

Shade Station also offer goggles for extreme sports enthusiasts and lifestyle accessories such as backpacks, luggage, belts, hats, key rings and belts by leading brands including Oakley, Nixon, Dragon and East Pak.

Shade Station also offer free next day UK delivery.

Now to the giveaway.

I have a fabulous Kate Spade New York Holland Watch worth £173 to give away to one lucky winner.

Kate Spade New York Holland Watch worth over £170

Entry is via the Rafflecopter widget and terms and conditions apply (see my competitions page).  The giveaway is open to UK entrants only and ends at 11:59 pm on Friday 16th December.

Entrants must complete all the mandatory questions on the Rafflecopter and leave the answer to the giveaway question in the comments below this post.

Please note that whilst every attempt will be made for the winner to receive their prize before Christmas, this is not guaranteed.   

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Read more

My Problem Page - What Was I Asked In Week 48?

This week I'm talking about age gap relationships and what to do when your parents don't agree with your choices.

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 this week's questions.

Q: He's 17, I'm 21. I never expected to like a lad younger than me. How do you feel about it?

We met at work.  We didn't even realise we were starting to like each other. After being in a long relationship since I was 17, I need someone to have fun with. We are from different walks of life but we get on amazingly.

A: The problem is, at least in the UK, this lad is legally considered a Minor and this could cause all sorts of problems - for example with your friends, family and work colleagues. 

I can tell you are smitten because you are talking as if you have no control - “I never expected to to’ etc. 

Doesn’t matter. You’re the adult and you need to calm down and just play things very carefully. 

At 17 his emotions may be all over the place so will he see it as ‘just a bit of fun’? 

I’m sure you do get on amazingly but in your shoes, frankly, if you want more than just ‘banter’, I’d wait until he’s 18!

Q: How wise is it to live with your girlfriend or boyfriend before 

A: I think a lot of people would say quite wise because you never really know someone until you live with them. 

You may be amazed to discover their previously unknown annoying habits - chewing loudly, snoring, leaving wet towels on the bed… you can imagine the type of thing. 

Then there are other ‘deal breakers’ - how is your partner with money? Do they want kids? Do you share the same religious beliefs. 

But I think you need to have been with someone for a decent amount of time before you move in or talk about marriage. 

If you meet and move in within a very short space of time, how can you possibly know if your partner is the one you want to spend your future with? 

It does happen of course but generally getting to know each other properly - faults and all - seems the most sensible course of action to me. 

Particularly given the exorbitant cost of both weddings - and divorces.

Q: Is it clingy to tell her that you will do anything for her?

A: A little. I think it’s healthier to put limits around that statement - you’ll do anything within reason. It’s certainly a romantic thing to say but nobody loves a doormat. 

And if you’ve only just met it does sound a little desperate. 

The most important thing is how she reacts when you say it to her. Her body language should tell you whether that level of devotion is welcome or not. 

If she’s embarrassed - it’s not!

Q: I got into a fight with my girlfriend last night over something really petty. She told me she never wanted to talk again.  Now what?

A: It might have been petty to you but it clearly wasn’t to her - and I think it’s your refusal or inability to recognise that which has made her so mad. 

You need to apologise and see if she will talk to you about what happened. 

Approaching it with a “I don’t get why you’re making such a fuss” attitude is not going to get you anywhere.

I think if you’re honest you must at least have an ‘inkling’ of what the real issue is and if it’s something you’re not willing to compromise on or discuss, then you might have to kiss your girlfriend, at least metaphorically, goodbye.

Q: My parents don't like my academic choices. What can I do? My parents won't let me drop a subject (maths) because they say if I do I won't get anywhere in life. They want me to either drop out all together or stay in the class. If I don't make a change I won't graduate. What can I do?

A: Suggest to your parents that they find you a tutor or extra teaching support. 

When you say you are not coping, is it because the work is too difficult or you are anxious due to the pressure you feel your parents are putting on you? 

Does your teacher feel you are not coping? Are you getting bad marks? 

If you are then see if you can get your parents to talk to your teacher who will back you up if they think you will not pass. I’m sure your parents want the best for you but you need a bit of outside help with this one.

Q: My husband compares my social media use as being as harmful as his recreational use of hard drugs. Is this a valid comparison?

A: As far as I know, social media use is not a killer. Recreational use of hard drugs quite possibly is.

I think your husband is trying to justify his habit.

How would you have responded to these questions? I'd love to know. You can find more advice on my problem page.



Disclaimer: 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.

Read more