Translate

Tuesday 29 November 2011

1,000,000 Free e-books every single month

In the beginning the internet was free: information was available for all at the click of the mouse.

Over the past ten years quality information has become increasingly expensive with surfers being asked to 'join up', 'subscribe' or pay a one-off fee to find what used to be free.

Now, to reverse that trend need2know books have launched the big book giveaway with one million e-books covering more than 100 titles free every month.

Ian Walton, need2know publisher says "we launched the initiative for two main reasons: the altruistic one; to make the information free to those who cannot afford to buy the printed book and the commercial one, to build 'brand awareness' in the people that can".

In the first two days over 1000 books were downloaded, the most popular titles so far are: Bullying - a parents guide; Asthma - the essential guide and Applying to university.

Ian also added, "Whilst most publishers are working on web sites to SELL e-books we have spent a lot of time and money building a site to give the books away.

With the diversity of subjects in the need2know range covering health, education, social and leisure issues there is a book that can be helpful to everybody.

The plan is to make www.bigbookgiveaway.com a permanent part of need2knows future marketing strategy.

Sunday 27 November 2011

Elisabeth Sladen Autobiography Released


When Elisabeth Sladen first appeared as plucky journalist Sarah Jane Smith in the 1973 Doctor Who story The Time Warrior, little did she know the character would become one of the most enduring and fondly remembered of the series' long history.

The years that followed saw Elisabeth traverse time and space alongside classic Doctors Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker, whilst a generation of children crouched behind the sofa, terrified but transfixed as their tea-time heroine found herself menaced by Daleks, dinosaurs, Cybermen, Egyptian mummies, actors in green Bubble Wrap and even the Loch Ness Monster. By the time she quit the TARDIS in 1976, making front-page news, Elisabeth had become one of the most familiar faces of a TV golden age.

But you don't just walk away from Doctor Who. Elisabeth was asked to reprise her role many times, appearing in anniversary specials, an marginally successful 1981 spin-off with robotic sidekick K-9, radio plays, and for the BBC's Children in Need.

She also toured the weird, wide and wonderful world of Doctor Who fandom and became one of the series' all-time favourite companions. So when TV wunderkind Russell T Davies approached her to come back again, this time to a show backed by multi-million-pound budgets and garlanded with critical plaudits, how could she refuse?

This warm and witty autobiography, completed only months before Elisabeth died in April 2011, tells her remarkable story, from humble beginnings in post-war Liverpool, through an acclaimed theatrical career working alongside stage luminaries such as Alan Ayckbourn, to Coronation Street, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and the furthest reaches of the Universe.

A unique insider's view of the world's longest-running science fiction series, and of British television yesterday and today, Elisabeth's memoir is funny, ridiculous, insightful and entertaining and a fitting tribute to a woman who will be sadly missed by millions.

Elisabeth Sladen played Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures. She also appeared in Coronation Street, Z-Cars and Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em among others, and enjoyed a long, successful and very happy career in the theatre. She died in April 2011.

Elisabeth Sladen: the autobiography is published by Aurum Pressat £18.99 
www.aurumpress.co.uk

Rabbitwood

If you travel beyond the seven mountains, traverse through many enchanted valleys, make your way over or around a variety of lakes and rivers, you will, eventually, find yourself on the very edge of a large, ancient woodland.

Here, you will find Rabbitwood. Which is the home of the oldest rabbit family in the entire world.

It is the Hobblestones. Tobbit of Hobblestone is the eldest member of the clan. And Tobbit has a very special desire, he wishes to ride like the wind through the very forest itself, even as swiftly as the humans do on their mighty horses!

Whilst he is searching for a suitable steed, he meets and befriends a tiny fox. But foxes and rabbits can never be friends! Surely their natural instincts will take over? Or must that always be the way?

Read this beautiful book to discover for yourself!

An ideal Christmas present as it is perfect for reading to the little ones and has some splendid illustrations. It is published by Far, Far Away Books at £12.99. www.farfarawaybooks.com

That's Entertainment News: Ray Harryhausen's Fantasy Scrapbook

That's Entertainment News: Ray Harryhausen's Fantasy Scrapbook: Ray Harryhausen is one of the most innovative and influential film animators in the history of the medium, responsible for such classic film...

A Decade Of Stock Market Turmoil - And How To Profit From It


A Decade of Stockmarket Turmoil 2000 - 2010 And How to Profit From it by Robert Skepper
The causes and consequences of an unprecedented financial crisis that took capitalism to the brink of collapse.

The decade 2000-2010 has arguably been the most turbulent stock market period since trading began. Three crashes and an implosion of global economies on a monumental scale - and all in the blink of an eye in historical terms.

Many questions arise from this unprecedented crisis, not least of which is how and, more importantly, why capitalism was taken to the brink at a time of relative political stability, major technological advancement and economic buoyancy. In short, how, having been dealt such a favourable hand, did we (in the West) so nearly blow it?

This book examines the financial and political context of this decade of turmoil, seeking out the fault lines and tracing the causes and consequences. At the same time it analyses some of the key principles of sound financial investment, which if adhered to should enable the prudent investor to ride the wave and even come out on top.

R.B. Skepper graduated in history from Trinity College, Cambridge. He was a member of the British Olympic ski team that competed in the 1960 Winter Olympics. He started his City career with Buckmaster and Moore in the early 1960s, but then went to work abroad for five years.

From 1973 to 1985 he worked in the farming industry and then returned to the City, where he works as an associate of Brewin Dolphin, a leading private client brokers. He specialises in private client discretionary management, and personal/business pension schemes. He is married and lives in Suffolk.

Historical, financial and political examination of the most turbulent decade in stock market history
Financial analysis and advice from a seasoned expert, including a breakdown of the underlying permanent principles of sound investment

Month by month scrutiny of the unfolding drama as it happened (with a contemporary perspective to gauge the relative accuracy of the original diagnosis)

£13.99 Hardback

978-1-84624-687-6 234 x 156 mm

www.bookguild.co.uk

1066 And All That: New Phrase Book Rewrites English

A former teacher of English has written a phrase book with a difference: In Hastings, 1066 - Words We'd Wield if We'd Won, David Cowley has used an extensive knowledge of the language to show a modern English stripped of Norman-French, with its original Anglo-Saxon words intact.

The results are a mix of the startlingly different and surprisingly familiar, as these examples show:

May I ask a question? - May I ask a frayn?
Think positively! - Think winly!
Such impatience! - Such unthild!
With little modesty - With little shamefastness
Making progress - Making forthship
Be discrete - Be sidely
A duty to be done - An oughting to be done
A precious heritage - A dearworth yearve
The court believed you were innocent of the accusation - The hove believed you to be unsinny of the wraying
Peace agreement - Frith thwearing

Cowley sees fun and serious sides to the work: "Hastings meant the English elite and official use of Old English were swept aside by the Normans. French words ousted many English ones, so we've ended up speaking and even thinking differently. There's a fun element in pretending we won at Hastings, but the alternative sayings can really make you think it's a pity we lost that way of expressing things."

Hastings, 1066 - Words We'd Wield if We'd Won, Bright Pen Books, 51 pages, RRP £3.99
ISBN 978-0-7552-1376-4


http://www.authorsonline.co.uk/book/1125/Hastings+1066+-+Words+We'd+Wield+If+We'd+Won/

(EDITOR: This will make an absolutely first rate stocking filler, this Christmas)

Busy Mums: The Perfect Short Story For Busy Mums Looking For A Quick Read

More romantic than vampires but with an equally alluring agenda, Blake is a brand new, fantasy ebook set between the worlds of fantasy and reality. Available to download from Amazon for just £1.71, Blake is pure escapism.

An intriguing short story that instantly captures the reader's imagination, Blake features a young woman named Ebony who embarks upon on an emotional journey that sees her discover just what mystery surrounds this new guy in town. Little does she know, the same mystery surrounds her identity too, leading her to discover her new self along with the enchanted world of Elmwood...

Take time for you and enjoy this magical short story during elevenses' or when the children are in bed. Read at your convenience and travel to the unknown world of Elmwood for a truly enchanting escape with this perfect quick read.

Available to download from Amazon for the Kindle, Mac, PC and iPad, Blake is available now.

Mercadzil And The November Bird by Anne S. Boryer

The fat old witch Mercadzil is fed up. Nothing interesting has happened for ages, no one has asked her for a spell, and the custard in her spell-pot has developed a horrible thick skin. Perhaps her old wizard friend Keekalee can cheer her up?

But when she drags out her broomstick and takes her fat cat Jones to visit Keekalee, they are in for an awful surprise. Keekalee is at the mercy of the terrifying Spikley, a witch who will stop at nothing to get power for herself. How can Mercadzil save her old friend? Without a thought for her own safety, she rushes into action ... and finds herself plunged into an astonishing magical adventure.

Mercadizil and the November Bird has 14 enchanting and bewitching black and white drawings that children will adore!

Anne Boryer, a member of MENSA, worked for many years as Head Library Manager at Plumpton College in East Sussex. She lives near Lewes and this is her first children's book. Yes, she does have a cat...and a cauldron!

£7.99 Hardback

978-1-84624-636-4 216 x 135 mm

Magical adventure for 7 - 9 year olds

The Forest of Kings

The Forest of Kings is a large and well-illustrated tale. Appropriately it is published by Far Far Away Books, as it is a story set in a time of long, long ago.

It is set in France in 1468. It is a story of love and of loss, of valiant knights of the old Royal Court of France.

It is also a story of friendships and of duties, of honour of kings and the love of a little boy and his friend, the fox.

It is a story for reading to your little ones and will make a wonderful Christmas present. Visit www.farfarawaybooks.com for details.

Harry Potter - A Christian Chronicle?

Foreword by Christina Rees
Written by Sonia Falaschi-Ray

£9.99
Paperback

978-1-84624-681-4

This is a positive Christian slant on the ever-popular teenage wizard, Harry Potter.

Ever since their earliest publication, controversy has surrounded the Harry Potter books in religious circles, with many believing that they promote un-Christian values and might encourage children to explore and even become involved with the occult.

Church of England priest Sonia Falaschi-Ray believes quite the opposite to be true, and in Harry Potter: A Christian Chronicle she makes a compelling case for the books as enshrining, upholding and promoting Christian morality and spiritual truth.

The book includes a comprehensive study guide, which allows readers to delve deeper into the Christian parallels and symbolism contained in Harry Potter, and by doing so deepen their own knowledge of the Bible and themselves.

Whether you are a practising Christian, a Harry Potter fan, or both, this absorbing little book guarantees to entertain and provoke valuable debate.

The Reverend Sonia Falaschi-Ray is a priest in the Church of England, ministering in and around Cambridge. She graduated in Theology & Religious Studies from the University of Cambridge and studies for the ministry at Ridley Hall Anglican Theological Training College. She lives in Barkway, Hertfordshire with her husband John and their golden retriever, Quintus.

The author was originally a high-flying financial analyst in the city, before receiving her calling and becoming a female minister.

The book is said to be a balanced and positive Christian view of the hugely popular Harry Potter franchise


www.bookguild.co.uk

A Heart For Africa By Moira Cooke

What makes an African person? Do they have to have black skin, to have been born there, or to have had African parents? None of which incidentally apply to Moira Cooke, author of ‘A Heart for Africa’.

Being an African person means being tough when faced with situations, like the time an orphaned girl of eight asked Moira if she would be her mother. It means making tough decisions, like why the Tanworth Starfish Fund, the charity run by the Cookes, can pick up this particular starfish but not that one. It means knowing how to react when a wrinkled old villager, or a prisoner on a manslaughter charge, or a community desperate for a school, a clinic and a borehole says, and with absolute conviction, “God has sent you to us!”

Yet, as the title suggests, you have to have a real heart for the place in order to keep going back and back to a continent where there is so much suffering and where, what charity workers like Moira and husband Robert achieve, may at times seem like no more than a drop in the ocean of human suffering

Yet this, Moira’s second book, is no dreary tale of hardship and poverty. Nor is it simply a liturgy of praise for the charity work the Cookes have done in both rural and urban Zambia. Rather it is a warts and all look at life in twenty-first century Zambia.

Think of the insight of Alexander McCall Smith combined with the adventurous spirit of Bill Bryson, and a dash of the passion of Karen Blixen to season the mix. If you enjoyed Moira’s first book, ‘Bwanakula Thandi’, then this second book, telling the story of the rest of the Starfish projects in Zambia, is a more than worthy follow up.

Read about Mr Banda, as slippery a head teacher as you’re ever likely to encounter. Empathise with pint-sized George, the ex high court judge now become chef, who sees off the white opposition. And laugh and cry along with Mr Chipotyo, the size of whose personality is perhaps only surpassed by the size of his glasses. Above all, muddle through with the Cookes as they work out what to do with the gift of a live and kicking goat or get stranded for five hours out in rural Zambia.

‘Moira has an engaging and pacey style of writing, as well as being moving, interesting and thought provoking. ‘A Heart for Africa’ is entertaining too and well worth a read. I know I bought it!’ Val Jennings Team Times November 2011.

An extract from A Heart for Africa is available to read at www.authorsonline.co.uk

The Lawyer Who Couldn't Sit Still By Michael Simmons

The jetsetting adventures of a well-travelled legal professional


Hardback

£16.99

978-1-84624-630-2

In this absorbing biography, Michael Simmons takes us on a journey through his long, colourful legal career, spanning some 50 years and almost as many countries. From his early years practising in the City of London to his travels - for business, pleasure and often both - to Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and America, The Lawyer Who Couldn't Sit Still is packed with humour, wit and deep insight into the ways and wiles of the legal profession, which inevitably holds a mirror up to human nature itself.

Whether you are a lawyer, incurable traveller, both or neither, the author's breezy style and gift for conjuring up far-away sights, sounds and cultures make this book a true delight from start to finish.

After graduating from Emmanuel College, Cambridge, Michael Simmons began a long and fruitful career as a lawyer, which as this book attests, took him all over the world. He remains a non-practising consultant at his current firm, and in his capacity as a management consultant, legal journalist and writer has delivered lectures to fellow professionals worldwide. He lives in London W14.

Sharply observed and appealingly compact biography by a leading lawyer with 50 years experience

Will appeal to anyone with an interest in law, and also the armchair traveller. Will make an ideal Christmas gift.

Revelations about his many interesting clients, including hoteliers in Africa, a prince in Dubai and a rock star in Sardinia

www.bookguild.co.uk

Findus at Chirstmas by Sven Nordqvist

It's Chirstmas Eve Eve, you know, the day before Christmas Eve?

It's a very busy time for Pettson and Findus his talking cat.

But when Pettson has an accident and sprains his ankle, what will Findus and Pettson do now?

How would they be able to celebrate a traditional Christmas? Because without a tree, without any ham and without any meatballs and without any gingerbread, they could have no Christmas!

The normally resourceful pair are close to giving up the idea of any Christmas celebrations of any kind at all, when something truly remarkable begins to happen.

Because suddenly, there is a knock at the door. And with that simple knock at the door starts a really heart-warming story of how Christmas can really bring out the best in cats and people!

Sven Nordqvist is one of the most popular children's authors and illustrators in Sweden, with over 6 million copies of his books sold, having been translated into 44 languages.

Having read Findus at Christmas, it is easy to see why. It is a magical and enchanting book and at £10.99 it should grace the stockings of many young children this Christmas.

It is part of the Findus and Pettson Series of books and is published by the  Hawthorn Press.

This book is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and perhaps a tear to your eyes, as it is such a beautiful story.

Anya - A Thriller Based In The Shady World Of Car Dealers

Anya by R J DeLittle

Paperback £9.99

Anya is a complex, multi-themed thriller based in the milieu of an historic car dealership.

Vintage cars, beautiful women and a thriving business - Rick Manners has them all. He owns a successful historic car dealership, which runs smoothly with the help of his loyal Girl Friday, Sam Warrenne, and his raunchy good looks ensure he's never without a girlfriend. But when Rick meets the stunning Anya, he can't help wondering if she could be the one - and as Sam falls in love with aristocratic Bugatti owner Bruno Thierry, it looks as if each of them has found the perfect match.

But the discovery of a neglected Mercedes in a French barn sparks a series of shocking events, as long-buried race hatred is kindled and Rick and Sam's idyll is shattered by a burglary, a stalker - and someone with the drive to commit murder.

R J de Little has worked as a professional investor and company director, while indulging his passion for vintage and veteran cars. He owns and runs eight historic cars, the oldest dating from 1898. He lives in a converted Victorian gas works in Bolney, Sussex with a 27-foot windmill in the garden. Windmills are another passion in his life, and he has published several books about them and their history

A wealth of technical detail will delight historic-car enthusiasts and racing fans. It is reported that the film rights have been optioned.

The book is published by  The Book Guild. www.bookguild.co.uk

Saturday 26 November 2011

Fashions In Eyeglasses By Richard Corson


Fashions In Eyeglasses is the most comprehensive history of eyewear ever to be published in English, now reissued in an enlarged, updated edition.

Richard Corson worked extensively in the theatre and his Fashions books have long been regarded as definitive works, Fashions In Hair and Fashions In Make-Up also being published by Peter Owen.

This fully revised and updated work, available for the first time since the eighties, is an indispensable sourcebook for anyone who works in fashion or theatre, as well as being a fascinating journey through time for the historian and general reader alike.

Beginning with the Italian cardinal who riveted two magnifying lenses together, the story progresses to include spyglasses, opera glasses, monocles, Morrissey's N.H.S. specs, Sven's Armanis, and much more. . .

Fully illustrated with over 100 illustrations and plates, Fashions In Eyeglasses is sure to attain the status of Corson's other invaluable and indispensable book.

www.peterowen.com

Publication date: 15th December 2011

Coming March 2012, 'Food You Can't Say No To' By Tamasin Day-Lewis

This irresistible book is packed with recipes for food you just can't say 'no' to. When we are presented with such indulgent food, we inevitably succumb and ask for a second helping.
Here is a book filled with good things, some of which you will find familiar but with an original twist, others are entirely new and exciting. Some are special purely because of their unabashed simplicity, using a few of the very best ingredients and are disarmingly easy to perfect. Tamasin's philosophy is all about making the most of foods, especially ingredients in season, rather than spending extravagantly.

If you're in need of inspiring new supper ideas, try the Roquefort, celery, potato, red onion and walnut pie; or a comforting Salmon and scallop chowder, smokey with bacon and flecked with tarragon; or uplifting Potato gnocchi with spring asparagus, tomatoes, green olives and mascarpone. Resist, if you can, a light whisked Sponge topped with vanilla and lemon scented mascarpone and yogurt. This is food you will enjoy cooking: effortless but special, indulgent yet practical, totally, utterly irresistible.


FACTFILE:

Tamasin Day-Lewis is an inspirational food writer with a wonderfully refreshing style. In her own words, she writes 'for people who appreciate good food, for people of all skills'. Tamasin contributes regularly for English and American Vogue, Saveur, Stella (The Telegraph Magazine), Sainsbury's Magazine, Waitrose Food Illustrated and Reader's Digest.

She has also written a host of successful cookbooks, including Supper for a Song (Quadrille, 2009). She has also produced and directed many television documentaries and appeared in two television series entitles Tamasin's Weekends and Great British Dishes.

The book will be published by Quadrille.

Love Music, Love Food - The Rock Star Cookbook

There are two things that could make the world a better place - food and music - and this exclusive project combines them with a unique collection of portraits of musicians with their favourite food or drink.

The original, dramatic portraits command attention and the complex creativity of each is absorbing. Marrying musical talent with passion for food, each portrait is accompanied by an interview with the artist, and for each major artist a personalised recipe has been created.

Over 60 musicians are featured, each driven by their support for Teenage Cancer Trust and their wish to collaborate on this fascinating book. From rock legends to emerging artists, an incredible spectrum of musicians reveal their passionate engagement with a favourite - and often unexpected - food. Who would have predicted Sophie Ellis Bextor's obsession with fish and chips? Or Siouxsie Sioux' with beans on toast? For Brandon Flowers it is Pastor Tacos and Elotes, while Alex Kapranos has a passion for beetroot and Noel Gallagher for Yorkshire tea!

As Heston Blumenthal says in his Foreword, other people's food memories are fascinating, not least the food nostalgia expressed here by icons of the contemporary music world. Glamorous, insightful and addictive, this book makes connections between the worlds of music, food and photography and provides a true feast for the eye.

The Photographer

Patrice de Villiers has developed a unique style and approach to food photography which is now in demand world wide. Her first commission as a photographer, having trodden the assisting boards full time for two years, was for The Sunday Times food page shooting a year long series of food. Concentrating on editorial & advertising projects for a diverse range of clients from Selfridges to images for state of the art hotels in Las Vegas to illustrating racing driver's breakfast's for Formula One Magazine, her iconic imagery is also available to buy through Saatchi Gallery Online. Awards include the prestigious Glenfiddich trophy for the weekly series illustrating the recipes of Heston Blumenthal in The Sunday Times World's Best Food Photographer and medals from the Association of Photographers for various editorial pieces.

Love Music, Love Food - The Rock Star Cookbook. Available now at £30.00.

Photography and Concept - Patrice de Villiers

Interviews by Andrew Harrison

Recipes by Sarah Muir

For more details of Love Music, Love Food go to: www.lovemusiclovefood.org

For more details of Teenage Cancer Trust, please go to:

www.teenagecancertrust.org.

Phillipa Knickerbocker Glory And The Ice Cream Castle By Sarahjane Funnell

Published by Gibson Publishing

Price: £6.99

Available: Monday 26th March 2012 from Waterstones and other leading book stores


Phillipa Knickerbocker Glory is a beautifully illustrated children's picture book targeted towards the 3-6-age range and is the debut picture book by published Children's Author Sarahjane Funnell.

Phillipa loves ice cream. She loves ice cream almost as much as she loves her pet cat Little Miss Whiskers. Little Miss Whiskers is her fluffy white cat with a purple collar and bell. She doesn't like ice cream at all but loves nothing more than to curl up into a ball and fall fast asleep on the end of Phillipa's bed.

One day Phillipa Knickerbocker Glory and Little Miss Whiskers embark on a deliciously exciting journey. Through a secret tunnel, they enter a magical dreamland where they find the Ice Cream Castle and discover every flavour of ice cream imaginable. The Ice Cream Castle seems like a dream come true but will it be just how Phillipa imagined? With all that ice cream, will she and Little Miss Whiskers ever want to go home?

Find out just what happens in this deliciously delightful adventure...

The Man who Planted Trees

The Man Who Planted Trees is a thoroughly enchanting book by Jean Giono. The book is charmingly illustrated by Vanessa Capela.

Who was Jean Giono? He was born in 1895 to an ordinary family of somewhat modest means in Manosque, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in France.

He started working in a bank when he became 16, but he continued with his deep and abiding passion for reading the great classical works of literature.

At the outbreak of the Great War he left the bank as he was called up for military duty.

The dreadful suffering he witnessed during his time during that terrible war turned him into a life-long pacifist.

A year after the end of the war, 1919, he returned to his duties at the bank. Within a year he had married a childhood sweetheart and together they had two children.

Success as a novelist came to him when, in 1929, he published his first novel, Colline. A year later he left the bank, this time for good, concentrating on writing full-time.

He went on to write 30 novels, numerous stories and essays.

The book for which he is probably best known for outside his native France is this book, The Man Who Planted Trees.

It's a charming, optimistic and hopeful story which relates how a man brings  a deserted valley back to life by simply planting trees in it.

It reflects the lifelong love that he had of the natural world and his concerns pre-date the fashionable green movement by many decades.

This book is a masterpiece of storytelling. It is another book I shall recommend as a Christmas present.

You simply must read this book. As for me? I think I shall plant a tree, or three... In fact, if your buy this book, a tree has already been planted for you.

It is published by Far Away books www.farfarawaybooks.com

The Three Little Pigs, retold

The Three Little Pigs is here retold and illustrated by Little Red Riding Hood.

See The Three Little Pigs as you have probably never quite envisioned them, as they meet the challenges from the Big Bad Wolf who wants to eat the three little pigs all up!

It's all here, the foolish pig, who builds a house of straw, the not particularly smart little pig who builds a house of sticks and the rather clever little pig who builds a far more substantial house of bricks.

It is published (piglished?) in hardback by Far Far Away Books the ISBN is 978-989-8441-00-3.

The book is part of the Plant for the Planet series a Billion Tree Campaign aided by the UN Environment Programme. So when you buy this book, you are planting a tree.

www.farfarawaybooks.com

The cost quoted on the website is $15.00 + $3.00 postage.

Deep Water. A Cate Carlisle Files novel

Cate Carlisle receives a worried and, to be honest, rather frantic phone call from her boyfriend Michael in Australia.

Michael is working at a special marine sanctuary that, for no known reason, has become over-run with sharks. But these are no ordinary sharks. They are hyper-aggressive, and pose a very real and very lethal danger to not only the animal denizens of the marine sanctuary, but to the human population, too.

For some reason the authorities seem reluctant or unwilling to provide any assistance at all.

So Cate decides to step in to see exactly what she can do to help put things right. She soon discovers that she needs all of her natural quick wits and the expert help of her computer genius brother and her glamorous friends to avert an ecological catastrophe of immense  proportions!

But all is not what it seems. Who can Cate trust? Is everyone quite who or what they appear to be? Someone, a boy, has vanished in mysterious circumstances. What is the meaning of the strange, shadowy figures and the mysterious lights that seem to be haunting the ocean?

Deep Water is an ideal teen read and will make a super Christmas present. It is published by Piccadilly Press in paperback at £6.99. www.piccadillypress.co.uk ISBN 978-1-84812-155-3.

Matilda's Secret

Matilda's Secret is a novel by Sandra Goldbacher and it is a part of the "A Girl for all Time Book" series.

Matilda Marchmont is thirteen, she comes from Norfolk. Her life is pleasant, but it must be admitted, a little dull, at times. She rides her horse, is allowed to mix medicines for her family (she likes to pretend to herself that she is a witch!) and writing in her secret diary. In fact she wrote "Nothing exciting will ever happen to me."

She longed for something exciting to happen. She felt somewhat envious of the life of glamour and excitement enjoyed by her cousin Katherine Howard. Because Katherine lived at court, Katherine was really, really fashionable! Oh, how she longed to be more like her lucky, fortunate cousin!

Then, one fateful night, something exciting, something quite unthinkable happens to Matilda! She is despatched to live at the Royal Court, too. She is to become a lady-in-waiting,  but she will be more than a 'mere' lady-in-waiting. For she is to become a spy in a potentially dangerous mission to help further the chances of her cousin becoming the wife of King Henry VIII!

Matilda does become drawn into the kind of glittering, glamorous lifestyle that she had longed and craved for. But at what cost to herself? For as well as the glamour and the friendships, she finds herself facing great dangers that she could never have imagined deep in the rural Norfolk of 1540!

Her journey takes her from Hampton Court Palace to what was probably the most dangerous place in the whole of the British Isles at that time, the Bloody Tower itself!

The book is very well written and captures what it must have been like to live in the turbulent times of King Henry VIII.

Matilda is the first in the A Girl For All Time series of dolls, novels and keepsake books, and will make fantastic Christmas gifts for little girls all over the world!

The next book is about  Amelia Elliot, a young Victorian girl. And at age thirteen, Amelia is about to inherit something very interesting. Matilda's trunk, that is filled with treasures that will change young Amelia's life!

The book costs £6.99 ISBN 978-0-9567200-0-9

Poppy Day a new novel

Poppy Day is a new novel by Amanda Prowse.

It is described as an original story of love and war, and this is certainly what it is.

It asks an important question, exactly how far would you go to bring home the person who you love the most in the world?

From very early on in their lives, from their early school days, in fact, when they were both a tender six years old, Martin and Poppy find each other. They discover within themselves a capacity for a love that genuinely transcends all other loves.

The love that they feel for each other is unshakable.  

Martin is Poppy's best friend, her guardian, her protector against the cruel world. In short, he is her soul mate, her one true love.

But Martin takes the decision to join the army. And he is sent to fight the war in Afghanistan. It is during his first tour of duty there that Poppy receives the news that all service wives fear and dread. The news that her Martin has fallen into enemy hands.

What can Poppy Day do? She can try to get her man back. But at what cost?

The story is a breathtaking, captivating read that takes the reader from the East of London to the other East, the East that contains the searingly hot plains of Afghanistan.

Can their love survive the terrible trials and tribulations that they find themselves facing?

The book is available in paperback at £8.99 and is published by TIP. ISBN 978-1-906382-06-3.

The book is published in association with the Royal British Legion Poppy Day appeal.  www.poppyshop.org.uk /

This book will make an ideal Chirstmas present.

Sunday 13 November 2011

Agent Zigzag by Ben Macintyre

Agent Zigzag by Ben Maciintyre is the incredible but true story of the most notorious double agents not only of World War 2 but perhaps of all time.

Eddie Chapman was a somewhat problematic mixture of a variety of disparate and conflicting strands. He was a soldier (cashiered due to not bothering to go back after a period of leave) an expert jelly man (using gelignite to crack safes) a thief, a rogue, one of the most charming and personable and likeable men you would ever possibly meet, a villain, a man of great courage, a lover, a man conscience.

Trapped in a prison on Jersey, Chapman was on the island when it was overrun by the Nazis. He hit on a cunning plan. What if he told the Germans that he would be willing to spy on Great Britain?

Eventually, after a series of mishaps, blunders and errors (not of Chapman's making) he was parachuted into a field in Cambridgeshire.

Soon he was working for British Intelligence as Agent Zigzag, the most successful double agent every used by MI5 to trick the Germans.

Macintyre was allowed absolutely unprecedented access to the Top Secret archives of MI5 which contained a wealth of information about the extraordinary life and career of Eddie Chapman.

An official report by MI5 said: "The story of Eddie Chapman is different. In fiction it would be rejected as improbable."

The book is extremely well researched and superbly written and well illustrated with copious photographs many from the official archives of MI5 and the German Abwehr.

Chapman, however, never received the recognition that he deserved. Macintyre was able to establish that this was due to the double dealing and perfidy of an MI5 official who was not only a disgraced drunk but who only got the job because of a family connection, but who took against Chapman for some, to be frank, bizarre reasons.

Thebook is published by www.bloomsbury.com in paperback at £7.99. though if you follow this link http://www.amazon.co.uk/mn/search/?tag=bookworms05-21&link_code=wsw&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=zigzag&Submit.x=8&Submit.y=6&rd=1 you can buy the book at a special discounted Amazon price of £4.55.

Monday 7 November 2011

Weight Loss, the Essential Guide

This is another of the highly approachable and easy to use Need 2 Know books. It is written by Sara Kirkham who is not a guru of a weird fads celeb diet. Sara is a genuine nutritionist who lectures and writes on nutrition, so her book is a breath of very fresh air.

No fads, no fantasies, no fallacies, this book is the real deal if you really do want to lose weight in a sensible, structured and safe way.

She provides commonsense ways to reduce your calorific intake, tells you why control of portion size is so vital, tells you how to get past or beyond the weight loss plateau and how to measure your progress.

The book contains some enticing recipes that will help you reduce your weight as part of a calorie controlled diet, which is, of course, exactly where this book comes in!

Sara also provides tips on how to create shopping lists that will help you in your battle of the bulge, how to keep a food diary and why this can be so important.


The book also has a wealth of hints, tips and information and also some references to some other books that might be of help for the aspiring dieter and some information on some groups that could  be useful. There's also a wealth of websites for you to browse at your leisure.


The book is in paperback and costs £9.99, the ISBN is 978-1-86144-090-7

No Time for Theory? New book explore simple stratergies for influence

With the ability to influence others in the world of business becoming increasingly vital, the launch of Advocates & Enemies: How to build practical strategies to influence your stakeholders (www.advocatesandenemies.com/pr) is a must have read for anyone wanting to succeed and build powerful relationships that really work.

With 77% of respondents of a recent survey admitting finding it difficult to influence individuals, 74% struggling with groups, and most reporting networking as their biggest deficiency when it comes to influence, Advocates & Enemies could hold the key to change.

Packed full of simple and practical ideas, this easy read book is less about theoretical concepts and more focussed on looking ataccelerating progress so achievements and goals are met, and met quickly. It’s all about people using their influencing skills in simple ways in order to succeed.

Colin Gautrey, author of Advocates & Enemies, said, “The approach I’ve developed over the years and now explored in my third book, is a simple process of focusing on a specific objective; identifying who can help or hinder your achievement and then analysing them in terms of a. their agreement with your goal and b. the quality of the relationship you have with them”.

He added, “The book is perfect for anyone who is too busy to read lots of theory and wants to get on and develop a strategy for achieving goals and building strong networks – fast! In many ways people are generally quite good at building relationships but falter when it comes to focusing where it matters most – with key stakeholders. They also seem to struggle when it comes to getting out there with people they don’t know very well. Advocates & Enemies can help them change this so they can create stronger business relationships that really perform”.

Damian Hughes, author of Liquid Thinking, added: "This is a book which contains some simple yet profound truths about our ability to persuade and influence others. It is an important book and its impact should be immense.”

For more information visit: http://www.advocatesandenemies.com/pr

Sunday 6 November 2011

Surfing, the Essential Guide

Surfing, the Essential Guide is a new book out in paperback from Need 2 Know Books. It is written by an expert surfer, Kathryn Dawes.

It's not a book aimed at the Californian surfers -as most books seem to be- it is aimed at people in the United Kingdom who have aspirations to become surfing experts, themselves!

There's nothing wrong with books aimed at the surfers of California or Australia or Hawaii, it's just that because surfing is a little different in the British Isles, a book aimed primarily at the United Kingdom market makes a good deal of sense.

Kathryn is not only an expert surfer, she is something of an educator, too. She tells you what you need to know about surfing, the best equipment to buy, depending on your budget, the best clothing, where the best surfing sites are in the British Isles, where you should surf and also places where a neophyte should avoid unitl they have a bit more surfing experience under their belt.

Kathryn addresses her readership as equals. As equals who might need to learn, but as equals, nevertheless. She does not talk down to her readers, which is not always the case with some surfing experts.

Kathryn tells you how and why waves work, safety, your first steps, the basic and easier manoeuvres and moves you will want to try, what equipment is available what you could or should not try at first, surfing in the United Kingdom, Europe and further afield for when you are a little more experienced. She also gives you tips on surf fitness and health and on surf culture, so you will be spared any embarrassing errors!

At only £9.99 this book is a must have Christmas present for every new surfer and perhaps for some more experienced surfers, too! ISBN 978-1-86144-106-5.

Friday 4 November 2011

Embezzled Love

That's Books Loved this video promo so much that we decided to run it on That's Books!

Thursday 3 November 2011

Primary School A Parent's Guide by Kim Thomas

Up until the 1981 act gave parents some choice over where they sent their children to school, a child was basically sent where there was a space at the nearest school.

With greater choice, however, comes greater responsibility. What should your child be learning at any given point in their career as a primary school pupil?

Exactly how should the admissions process work? Is it working properly in your area?

Is your child getting the education that it needs and that it deserves?

Who are you school's governors? Are they doing what they should be doing?

Are the buildings suitable?

What on earth is KS1 2 or whatever?

All of the above questions and many more are answered in clear, concise terms by educational expert Kim Thomas. And Kim is the kind of expert it is best to take notice of. Not only does she have a PhD in the sociology of education she is a parent of a child in a primary school and served as a parent governor at the school.

The book also contains a list of further reading material and a list of very valuable web resources. If you have a child who is going to go to primary school or who is already attending a primary school, then you will find this book of inestimable value.

You can also visit Kim's website at www.kimthomas.com.

It is published by Need 2 Know Books at £9.99, ISBN 978-1-86144-088-4.