Four Energy Drinks, No Sugar

I've been planning on writing this post for a while now but really I am a fairly lazy blogger (And by the way I was not sponsored/asked to right this post by any of the companies mentioned).

Let me give you a bit of back story as to how this post came about.

Sometime back in February (didn't I tell you this post was some time in the making?) I had a night when I didn't sleep very well (it happens to us all doesn't it?). So I went to work the next day on about 3 hours sleep so for the entire morning I felt like my head was going to hit the desk at any second. Lunchtime rolled around and I went in search of caffeine. And I spent a really long time staring at the energy drinks section. It might have been the lack of sleep but I had no idea which one to buy so I just opted for a 330ml can of Diet Coke which from previous research I knew to contain 42mg of caffeine (Regular Coca-Cola contains 32mg in a 330ml can).

So after this, on a day when I had had more sleep, I decided I would test run some of the sugar free energy drinks and decide which one I preferred for future sleep emergencies.

Book Review: Become by Ali Cross

Disclaimer: I received Become by Ali Cross free as a First Read on Goodreads.

Become is a paranormal urban fantasy. It has a good story line - Desolution (Desi for short) is the Devil's daughter after all, so of course the story line is good. She's the Devil's daughter but she doesn't want to follow in his footsteps (or should that be hoof prints?). And then she ends up on the mortal plane where problems arise: angels, demons, you know the usual teenage stuff.


There were a couple of moments of 'What? So that means...? How come...?' where I was a little confused. How old is she supposed to be again?

Just when you think you've got the whole plot nailed down something new appears to change that. There were twists and turns, things you didn't see coming, or maybe you did.

Now I liked the story and I would probably have picked this up and read it whether I had to pay for it or not. However, to be honest, when I got to the end I didn't really care what happened next.

I may read the next one, I may not. There just isn't anything making me think 'Ooh what's going to happen next?' like with some series I have read (or am still reading).

Other than that it is a quite good read.

3 stars out of 5 on Goodreads

This review can also be found on Goodreads.

Book Review: Raven: Blood Eye

DISCLAIMER: I received Raven: Blood Eye byGiles Kristian free as a First Read on Goodreads.

I’d never really read any Viking based fiction before this book, so I didn’t really know what to expect… apart from blood.

I was expecting at least some gore given that I had already knew what a ‘blood eagle’ was.

The story centres on Osric, whose village is visited and then destroyed by the Norsemen (not all the Norsemen’s fault I might add). Osric is taken prisoner by the Norsemen and then becomes accepted and eventually renamed ‘Raven’ by them. As with any story some of the characters are more likeable than others.

Even though most of the story takes place on land, we learn about the Norsemen’s relationship with the sea; what life on a longboat was like. We also learn a little of the Norsemen’s religion and how they were viewed by the Christian Church, and vice versa. Although there is a fair amount of violence we learn that violence was not the be all and end all of Viking life.

Allegiances in the story change back and forth as we discover new things about the different characters. It is not just Group A versus Group B for instance. Sometimes it’s Groups A & B versus Group C. And then there are conflicts within groups; loyalties change, groups gain members and also lose them. The story twists and turns; people are used and betrayed.

There was never really a lull in the story; something always seemed to be happening or about to happen.

Overall, for my first jaunt in to this particular period in history, I enjoyed Raven: Blood Eye.

4 stars out of 5 on Goodreads

This review can also be found on Goodreads

Book Review: Not Wicked Enough

DISCLAIMER: I received Not Wicked Enough by Carolyn Jewel free as a First Read on Goodreads

I haven't reviewed a book for some time... and even then I wasn't particularly good at so I'll keep this brief.

This was my first historical romance, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect (although I assumed that there would be some steamy scenes… and I wasn’t wrong).

Basically our heroine – Lily – goes to visit her recently widowed friend. On arriving there she meets her friend’s brother – Mountjoy – and the sparks begin to fly.

Lily isn’t your stereotypical HR heroine (as far as I know) and I was a little unsure of her and Mountjoy at first, but I began to like them both more as the story went on.

Both parties are trying to avoid becoming involved with each other for their own reasons. But this soon fails. Then they try to keep it as a brief affair until the time comes for Lily to leave, but Mountjoy starts to become more emotionally involved.

Banter flies back and forth between the two. They can both be very stubborn, although Mountjoy seems slightly more willing to concede, which I liked about him. The story is more from Mountjoy’s point of view – you get more of a sense of his emotions than you do of Lily’s. He sometimes forgets himself when he is with Lily in the presence of other people whereas Lily seems able to keep the two relationships (public and private) separate.

It was these aspects of Lily’s personality that had me wondering, at some points how the relationship would work. Would Lily change her mind about love or would she run for the hills as soon as Mountjoy revealed the slightest emotion?

The sub-plot involving Mountjoy’s brother - I kind of saw it coming. And the sub plot involving Lily’s cousin, I knew all was not as it seemed with him but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what.

I thought the story was very well paced; it didn’t drag on but it also didn’t feel rushed. The balance between sex and story seemed to be about right. We got a good sense of the main characters and overall it was a good read.

4 stars out of 5 on Goodreads

This review can also be found on Goodreads.

V is For... Volume

I mentioned in my O is For... Oil post that until recently I had been using all manner of anti dandruff shampoos to try and help my scalp - until I discovered coconut oil and jojoba oil!

So once I made that discovery I was free to choose a shampoo that didn't have the words anti, dandruff, dry, itchy or scalp on the bottle.

So what to choose, what to choose? There are so many choices, shampoo for straight hair, curly hair. Shampoo for greasy hair, shampoo for damaged hair.

But in the end I decided to delve in to the world of volumising shampoo. My hair can sometimes feel a little thin and look a little flat, especially if it has suddenly become greasy. Before my oil discovery I did actually try a volumising anti dandruff shampoo, which was ok but it didn't really solve either problem.

So far I have tried and tested three volumising shampoos, which I will now tell you about.

1) Tresemme Naturals Radiant Volume Shampoo

I liked the fact that this shampoo is made with more natural ingredients and lower in sulphates than other shampoos. I had to buy this shampoo online as it isn't in British stores.

It's not bad, my hair felt a little volumised after using it. However my hair felt a little, not tangled exactly, but you couldn't run your fingers through it without getting caught a little.

But other than that it's a good shampoo and as with most Tresemme shampoos it is quite a large bottle, so it should last me a while.



2) Yes To Tomatoes Daily Volumising Shampoo

This shampoo is even more natural than the Tresemme Naturals shampoo. I expected it to smell strongly of tomatoes... but it doesn't. Huh - go figure.

Anyway this shampoo leaves my hair feeling thicker and healthier









3) Aussie Aussome Volume Shampoo

This is the most recent shampoo that I've tried. Made with Australian Hops this one volumises my hair and my hair doesn't seem to get greasy as quickly between washes.



Trying to choose which I think is best is difficult. It is between the Yes To Tomatoes or the Aussie shampoos.

That's not to say I don't like the Tresemme because I do like the Tresemme just not as much as the other two.

Decisions, decisions.

If I was told that I could only use one of these three shampoos for the rest of my life I think it would have to be...


the Aussie Aussome Volume Shampoo.


This is just what works for my hair - we are all unique... and so is our hair it seems!

Another Delivery From Dolly!

A few months I posted about some handmade bags I bought from Dungaree Dolly - The Wonderful World of Dolly's Bags

Well I couldn't resist for long so just over a month ago I ordered some more. And here they are:

Item Number 1

The first item I ordered this time round was the bag known as the 'Perfect Purse', which is a lovely sized bag.
It took me absolutely ages for me to decide which fabric to get this bag in. In the end I settled for owl print fabric, and I'm glad I did. This fabric is absolutely adorable, even better in real life than I thought it would be. And the bag itself is a lot roomier than it first looks- a bit like the TARDIS, only on a smaller scale!

Isn't it cute?

















Item Number 2

Now for my for my second item I knew which fabric I wanted but wasn't sure which bag to have it made with. Decisions, decisions. The fabric I wanted was onyx damask.

In the end I decided to get a 'mini bag', which you can use as a clutch or to put bits and pieces in your handbag in, so they are easier to find.



Item Number 3

Now item number 3 was a little different this time. I decided to get the family dog a new collar, her old collar was getting a little worn, and in my and my sister's opinions we didn't think it quite suited the dog's personality [my brother had bought her a black collar with metal studs in it].

So then we started a minor argument on which fabric to get. We wanted one of the ones with paw prints and it ended with a 2-1 vote for the dog bones fabric, which has paw prints and bones on it. There are loads of fabrics to choose from, and four different sizes - all adjustable - and we got our dog the medium size. Dolly also makes dog leads...and aprons!

So here is the collar, modelled by the lovely Sophie - who is my adorable greyhound.









I had to chase her half way round the house to get a decent photograph of her and her collar. She doesn't seem to like having her picture taken! I think she's a bit shy...much like me. Well they say dogs end up like their owners, or is it that owners end up like their dogs?

And so another Dolly review comes to an end...I use my previous Dolly items all the time. However with summer at an end I think the sunglasses case will be taking a break fo a while.

Book Review: How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries

From my experience of 'how to write' books I have found the ones that best fit the genre I'm working in fall in to two categories: mystery and historical.

That is why I was so happy when I came across How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries by Kathy Lynn Emerson. This is the only book I have seen that looks at historical crime/mystery. If there are any others out there do let me know.

Kathy Lynn Emerson is a writer of historical mysteries including two series, as well as having written in a number of other genres. So she knows what she is talking about.

I have read this book all the way through and now as I plan and research my novel I find myself returning to it more often than some other books.

There is some very good advice in it, and it seems to concentrate more on the fiction side of things. The fact that you can make up a place if you want to, or invent your 'sleuth'. Like other books on historical fiction this has sections on anachronisms and research. However in this book there are also sections on marketing and selling your novel [not necessarily in that order].

Kathy also includes a case study of one of her own books, where she explains how the idea came about, and her research, writing and subsequent revisions. There is also a section on writing historical mystery short stories.

There is a brief section on female sleuths. As I have decided that my main female character will become a sleuth this section encouraged me to think long and hard about who she was and what her life was like. Women could not always be police officers, and the further back in time you go the more women seem to be tied to their husband and children...so why should my character be gallivanting around solving mysteries?

Well I'm not going to divulge that information here but without this book I wouldn't have considered the what, the why or the how come.

Book Review: The Art and Craft of Writing Historical Fiction

I've decided to review some of the books I have to do with writing. I have recently got rid of some writing books - sold on eBay or packed off to the charity shop - but I thought that I would review some of the ones I have kept and the ones I haven't read sometime in the future.

So first up is a book that I have recently finished reading:

The Art and Craft of Historical Fiction by James Alexander Thom

The novel that I am working on is a historical mystery so I thought that this book would be good to read.
James Alexander Thom has written a number of American frontier books, that are heavily researched. This is reflected in The Art and Craft of Writing Historical Fiction where his advice on research draws heavily on examples from his own experiences.
There were some chapters that I feel didn't really apply to me whereas other chapters I found quite useful.

One of the chapters that didn't really apply to me was the chapter that dealt with genealogy. One of the main assumptions of this book is that, although fiction, you are writing about real people. The vast majority of my characters are fictional. I am drawing on some real life people from the period that I am looking at, however if any completely real people do appear it will only be very briefly.

There are also parts of the book that focuses on 'facts' that were actually made-up and are now seen to be true.

I did find a lot of good advice in this books though. The chapters I found the most useful were Songs, Smells, and Sensations, and How Not to Write Historical Fiction. These chapters gave advice on cliches, avoiding anachronisms, describing sounds and smells.
There are also chapters on research, credibility and 'modifying the truth'.

This book has helped me with the planning of my novel. Originally I was going to have a major event happen before the second main character appeared. However after reading this book and its advice on starting in the action or with an event, rather than describing the scene too much, I have decided to start as though the event has already happened and the second main character is already involved.

Overall I like this book though I think that some of its advice is directed more at writers whose characters are all real historical figures. A good book to have although trying to read it straight through is a little challenging.

The Wonderful World of Dolly's Bags!

To all those who love handbags...this is the review for you.

I've never done a product review before but here goes anyway. I have also never included photos in a post before so hopefully all will go well.
I first came across these handbags via Lisa Freemont - a blogger and YouTuber, who did a couple of reviews on these bags.

So let me introduce you to Dolly's Bags! Dolly makes all the bags herself, as well as other accessories. And I absolutely love them! This is a review of the products I recently ordered from her - but there are lots more styles, fabrics and items to choose from so you really have to check out her website.

The bags arrived just in time as the handles on my current shop-bought handbag are disintegrating - it took me a week to realise that the bits all over my coat were coming off of my handbag.

Dolly's Bags is part of the company 'Dungaree Dolly's' and is based in the USA. My order included 3 items and including shipping time took about seven weeks to get to me - remember the items are handmade - and very well I might add.

 

I was going to film or take photos as I opened the parcel, however I was so excited it took all of my will power not to tear the pretty tissue paper, it was wrapped in, to shreds so pictures of the products will have to do. It was all very well packaged and arrived quickly.

 
Item Number 1
 

The first item that I ordered was the 'Messenger Bag', which I got in candy heart print fabric. The original lining colour was baby pink, however I asked that the purple pin dot lining be used instead - purple is my favourite colour if you hadn't already guessed!

 

I love this fabric, it is very brightly coloured and eye-catching. I can't wait to use it.
Being short of stature I asked Dolly about adjusting the strap length and she very nicely added an adjustable strap to bag for me. =)

The bag is really well made and stitched together. It feels as though will last a really long time.


Item Number 2

The second item that I ordered was the 'Bella Bag'. This bag is very very cute, and I ordered this bag in black cherry print fabric with red confetti lining. I have a slight obsession with cherry print fabric, I also have an obsession with Mary Jane style shoes but that is a different story entirely.

The Bella Bag will hold a lot more than it's exterior suggests, which is great. I'm a little sick of carrying around a bag that looks like it is the size of a suitcase, just to accommodate everything that I carry around with me.

Both bags have a magnetic closure on them and internal pockets.

Item Number 3

The last item that I ordered was a sunglasses case. I had been looking for a case for my sunglasses for some time. I wanted to prevent my glasses getting scratched or damaged in my bag, but all the cases I had looked at were plain and to put it bluntly...boring.

Of course I had to get it in black cherry print fabric - I also own a black cherry print dress and headband, so all I need now is cherry print shoes for a complete outfit!

My favourite sunglasses are quite big but they fit in this case perfectly.

I will carry Dolly's business card with me wherever I take these bags so that when people ask where my bag is from, and they will, I can hand them Dolly's card.

I may never buy a shop bought handbag again...unless there is a sale on! ;)

The only problem I have now is deciding which bag I should order next...and how soon is too soon to put in another order! =D