Children's author Julia Suzuki's book 'Yoshiko and the Gift of Charms' was featured on group discount shopping site Living Social on 15th December. This was the first time the site has included an author.
Julia - whose books about the mythical Land of Dragor have seen her described as 'the next JK Rowling' (Daily Mail) are the perfect Yuletide gift to pique the imagination of 7-14 year olds, but have attracted an adult audience, too.
An ex PA to health club CEO David Lloyd, Julia discovered writing after the birth of her son.
She says "I studied creative writing at University as an addition module to my business studies degree. But it was ten years later until I considered writing a book. If I say 'it was a vision ' it sounds rather cliché. But one day I saw an image of a picture just of a dragon... Dragons to me are unique, with fire and drive and are spirited and I love them for this reason. But then this character and land just formed from it in my mind.
"It came to life so vividly, and grew all about 'health, happiness and beauty' inside and out. It seemed so natural to write the story and as it developed with him facing challenges that we all deal with, I reflected on life and wrote of a world I felt we all would love to live in. I then wanted to share the excitement of a magical world where all things were possible and many people I spoke to about it loved it so it just went from there."
A sample chapter of 'Yoshiko and the Gift of Charms' is available here: http://soundcloud.com/julia-suzuki/julia-suzuki-yoshiko-and-the.
The Land of Dragor books are also available on Amazon.
Living Social is at www.livingsocial.com.
Book review blog site, with some entertainment material from time-to-time.
Sunday, 18 December 2011
Saturday, 17 December 2011
In Search Of Lost Knowledge By William Grove
In Search of Lost Knowledge is William Grove's autobiographical account of how a fracture to his skull gave him an extra ability to find answers to ancient mysteries, where all others have failed to so do.
"I awoke wondering how I came to be lying upon a strange bed, on a Sunday-afternoon at that? With no recollection of the incident I was to learn that a speeding car had collided head-on with my bicycle which threw me over the handle-bars to bounce off the car, prior to hitting the road-surface.
"My injuries were severe from my head to my ribs, my left-arm almost severed, left side of my face paralysed, a fracture to my skull above the left ear, my jaw dislocated, teeth and nose damaged. That I survived was a miracle they informed me, due in part, to a healthy, war-time diet, roadside attention from a Miss Morris, local mid-wife, and treatment at a cottage hospital almost four-miles distant.
"I write the above in order to explain why, from then onward, I was to receive, always spontaneous in nature, that which I understand to be minor occurrences of precognition, examples of psychic awareness or, to use a phrase beloved of the psychiatric establishment, lateral thought.
"There is, too, the fact that my deep interest, in such riddles, commenced with the BBC's 1970s televised Chronicle Series in which public attention was directed upon yet one other mystery, of a far-more-recent era, related to the a family secret rooted in the French village of Rennes le Château, with all that was brought to light, concerning that subject, in the co-authored The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail volume of early 1980s years.
"And yes, I do have, from a variety of some six priestly sources covering the greater part of two-centuries, each a cypher differently presented, yet all bringing attention to the very-same landscape-point, the whole ready for preparation as a book in it's own right, but only following an archaeological exploration of the site. Even more than my In Search of Lost Knowledge work, or as occurred with The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, the result of this investigation will be condemned in certain quarters, deservedly so since the shock, of what that excavation would reveal, would brutally damage the foundations of some ancient institutions.
"Upon occasion a scientist, brain free of any damage, is able, by similar means, to actually dream up the solution to a problem that has evaded him for far too-long."
- Read a sample chapter from In Search of Lost Knowledge at www.authorsonline.co.uk
- eBook Download Price: £3.95
- Paper Back Purchase Price: £9.99
"I awoke wondering how I came to be lying upon a strange bed, on a Sunday-afternoon at that? With no recollection of the incident I was to learn that a speeding car had collided head-on with my bicycle which threw me over the handle-bars to bounce off the car, prior to hitting the road-surface.
"My injuries were severe from my head to my ribs, my left-arm almost severed, left side of my face paralysed, a fracture to my skull above the left ear, my jaw dislocated, teeth and nose damaged. That I survived was a miracle they informed me, due in part, to a healthy, war-time diet, roadside attention from a Miss Morris, local mid-wife, and treatment at a cottage hospital almost four-miles distant.
"I write the above in order to explain why, from then onward, I was to receive, always spontaneous in nature, that which I understand to be minor occurrences of precognition, examples of psychic awareness or, to use a phrase beloved of the psychiatric establishment, lateral thought.
"There is, too, the fact that my deep interest, in such riddles, commenced with the BBC's 1970s televised Chronicle Series in which public attention was directed upon yet one other mystery, of a far-more-recent era, related to the a family secret rooted in the French village of Rennes le Château, with all that was brought to light, concerning that subject, in the co-authored The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail volume of early 1980s years.
"And yes, I do have, from a variety of some six priestly sources covering the greater part of two-centuries, each a cypher differently presented, yet all bringing attention to the very-same landscape-point, the whole ready for preparation as a book in it's own right, but only following an archaeological exploration of the site. Even more than my In Search of Lost Knowledge work, or as occurred with The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, the result of this investigation will be condemned in certain quarters, deservedly so since the shock, of what that excavation would reveal, would brutally damage the foundations of some ancient institutions.
"Upon occasion a scientist, brain free of any damage, is able, by similar means, to actually dream up the solution to a problem that has evaded him for far too-long."
- Read a sample chapter from In Search of Lost Knowledge at www.authorsonline.co.uk
- eBook Download Price: £3.95
- Paper Back Purchase Price: £9.99
Old Scores Are Settled On And Off The Pitch...
The murky underworld that lurks beneath top-flight football.
The ins and outs of top-flight football don't come much more exciting than this.
Paul Breakwell may be a gifted player, but he lacks ambition and direction and looks as if he's stuck in a Sunday parks team. That is until he meets Nigel, washed out, washed up and down on his luck - but with an eye for the game and the ability to spot potential. Once jailed for fraud, Nigel now rediscovers his own passion for the beautiful game while igniting Paul's, and sets about making his discovery of football's latest hot property.
For Paul and his wife Carly things seem to go from strength to strength - new jobs and exciting prospects with local on-the-up club Barrowcliffe, more money, a new car and an expensive big house in footballers' row. It's as though all their dreams have come true; but are things ever quite that good for real?
While they enjoy fast-paced football matches and a meteoric rise up the leagues, Paul, Carly and Nigel uncover scandal after seedy scandal underneath the club's cover. What really goes on behind closed doors across the road at club owner Billy's house? Why has former player Stan Page reared his ugly head again? And what do they do when the answers leave them fighting for their lives?
Leigh Rose, originally from Derby, combined a career as a PE teacher with roles at several top-flight football clubs, including coaching and scouting for Southampton, Reading and Derby County. He lives with his family in Belper, on the edge of the Peak District.
Taps into the huge loyal football fan market
Will also appeal to female fans of Footballer's Wives
Author has scouted and coached for several top football clubs including Southampton
Leigh Dallas Rose
27th January 2011
£17.99 Hardback
978-1-84624-645-6 216 x 135 mm
The ins and outs of top-flight football don't come much more exciting than this.
Paul Breakwell may be a gifted player, but he lacks ambition and direction and looks as if he's stuck in a Sunday parks team. That is until he meets Nigel, washed out, washed up and down on his luck - but with an eye for the game and the ability to spot potential. Once jailed for fraud, Nigel now rediscovers his own passion for the beautiful game while igniting Paul's, and sets about making his discovery of football's latest hot property.
For Paul and his wife Carly things seem to go from strength to strength - new jobs and exciting prospects with local on-the-up club Barrowcliffe, more money, a new car and an expensive big house in footballers' row. It's as though all their dreams have come true; but are things ever quite that good for real?
While they enjoy fast-paced football matches and a meteoric rise up the leagues, Paul, Carly and Nigel uncover scandal after seedy scandal underneath the club's cover. What really goes on behind closed doors across the road at club owner Billy's house? Why has former player Stan Page reared his ugly head again? And what do they do when the answers leave them fighting for their lives?
Leigh Rose, originally from Derby, combined a career as a PE teacher with roles at several top-flight football clubs, including coaching and scouting for Southampton, Reading and Derby County. He lives with his family in Belper, on the edge of the Peak District.
Taps into the huge loyal football fan market
Will also appeal to female fans of Footballer's Wives
Author has scouted and coached for several top football clubs including Southampton
Leigh Dallas Rose
27th January 2011
£17.99 Hardback
978-1-84624-645-6 216 x 135 mm
Friday, 16 December 2011
First the Absolute Sanctuary, now the cook book!
The Love Kitchen, the in-house restaurant, at ABSOLUTE SANCTUARY is proud to announce the launch of its much awaited cook book Food Made with Love from the Love Kitchen.
The thrice-nominated restaurant for Best Spa Cuisine of the Year by Asia Spa is well known for its signature dishes like Cheong Mon Burrito, Nori Handrolls and Sanctuary Spring Rolls. It has grown from strength to strength since its humble beginning and the recipe book epitomizes its success. Absolute Sanctuary, known for its wellness holiday programs, has carefully selected 60 of the restaurant's most popular dishes and delightful thirst quenchers to be featured in the hard cover cook book.
"Over the years we have been inundated with constant requests from guests for recipes to take home with them to continue eating healthily at home. Recognising this need and with a mission to spread the love for cooking healthy and tasty meals, the idea of the cook book was born," explains Executive Director Claire Bostock-Huang.
"The menu at The Love Kitchen is a collection of recipes from inspiring chefs who have helped shape the restaurant namely Lucas Rockwood, Lisa Esposito and Dara Duchanee, and the recipe book showcases their passion and love for cooking healthily which is the essence of the Love Kitchen and the cook book." Ms Bostock-Huang enlightens.
The Love Kitchen at Absolute Sanctuary was opened in 2008 with the fundamental concept of serving tasty but healthy food. Starting with a pure vegetarian menu, the restaurant moved towards a spa cuisine based menu in 2009 featuring both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes and added refreshing raw food items in 2011.
Known for making healthy food tasty and using fresh natural ingredients, the Love Kitchen's mission through the cook book is twofold: to demonstrate that healthy food need not necessarily be bland and to bring healthy cooking to the home kitchen.
Available from 18th December 2011, the hard cover recipe book will feature enticing appetizers, vegetarian and non-vegetarian main courses, tempting guiltless desserts, as well as refreshing detox dishes in keeping with the spirit of the resort's detox focus.
A special feature of the book is the heart facts introduction to each recipe giving the nutritional benefits of the ingredients that go into the making of each dish. Written by Singaporean writer Wee Kiat, a fan of the resort and restaurant, the book will be retailed not only in the resort but at selected book stores and wellness centers throughout the world.
To promote the cook book, the Love Kitchen under the directorship of Executive Chef Eddy Choungsomboon will feature a special menu highlighting its recipes from 19th December 2011- 31st March 2012.
Chef Eddy will also be conducting cooking classes on an ongoing basis in 2012 for guests wanting hands-on guidance in cooking healthily. Of German and Thai descent and trained in Dietetics & Nutrition sciences, Chef Eddy intends to bring The Love Kitchen up a notch in 2012 with new recipes. A sequel cook book is in the pipeline.
For more information on the cook book or The Love Kitchen please visit www.absolutesanctuary.com
FACTFILE:
ABSOLUTE SANCTUARY, Thailand's Premier Detox & Yoga resort is a Moroccan inspired boutique wellness resort situated on Koh Samui, Thailand, and specializing in detox, spa and yoga holiday programs. ABSOLUTE SANCTUARY is part of the ABSOLUTE GROUP that owns and operates ABSOLUTE YOGA, Asia's premier yoga centre.
Established since 2002, ABSOLUTE YOGA is now the largest yoga studio in Thailand, with 8 yoga centers nationwide. In 2010, the group opened Absolute Pilates, launching the first large group Pilates reformer studios in Thailand and further expanded it to private Pilates classes with the opening of Absolute Pilates Plus in 2011.
Opened on 1st April 2008, the resort is not only growing in popularity as a destination for detox and yoga holidays in Thailand but also as a yoga teacher training and retreat center. In December 2008, the resort was awarded the Best Themed Resort award by SKAL International (Koh Samui).
The resort has also been nominated for three years in a row for Best Spa Cuisine of the year by Asia Spa awards since 2009 and was nominated for Spa Retreat of the Year & Destination Spa of the year by Asia Spa awards. The resort underwent expansion in 2010 with the construction of a new wing housing 2 new yoga studios and a larger Love Kitchen restaurant. In 2011, the resort added a Fitness Studio to its facilities.
For more information, please visit www.absolutesanctuary.com
The thrice-nominated restaurant for Best Spa Cuisine of the Year by Asia Spa is well known for its signature dishes like Cheong Mon Burrito, Nori Handrolls and Sanctuary Spring Rolls. It has grown from strength to strength since its humble beginning and the recipe book epitomizes its success. Absolute Sanctuary, known for its wellness holiday programs, has carefully selected 60 of the restaurant's most popular dishes and delightful thirst quenchers to be featured in the hard cover cook book.
"Over the years we have been inundated with constant requests from guests for recipes to take home with them to continue eating healthily at home. Recognising this need and with a mission to spread the love for cooking healthy and tasty meals, the idea of the cook book was born," explains Executive Director Claire Bostock-Huang.
"The menu at The Love Kitchen is a collection of recipes from inspiring chefs who have helped shape the restaurant namely Lucas Rockwood, Lisa Esposito and Dara Duchanee, and the recipe book showcases their passion and love for cooking healthily which is the essence of the Love Kitchen and the cook book." Ms Bostock-Huang enlightens.
The Love Kitchen at Absolute Sanctuary was opened in 2008 with the fundamental concept of serving tasty but healthy food. Starting with a pure vegetarian menu, the restaurant moved towards a spa cuisine based menu in 2009 featuring both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes and added refreshing raw food items in 2011.
Known for making healthy food tasty and using fresh natural ingredients, the Love Kitchen's mission through the cook book is twofold: to demonstrate that healthy food need not necessarily be bland and to bring healthy cooking to the home kitchen.
Available from 18th December 2011, the hard cover recipe book will feature enticing appetizers, vegetarian and non-vegetarian main courses, tempting guiltless desserts, as well as refreshing detox dishes in keeping with the spirit of the resort's detox focus.
A special feature of the book is the heart facts introduction to each recipe giving the nutritional benefits of the ingredients that go into the making of each dish. Written by Singaporean writer Wee Kiat, a fan of the resort and restaurant, the book will be retailed not only in the resort but at selected book stores and wellness centers throughout the world.
To promote the cook book, the Love Kitchen under the directorship of Executive Chef Eddy Choungsomboon will feature a special menu highlighting its recipes from 19th December 2011- 31st March 2012.
Chef Eddy will also be conducting cooking classes on an ongoing basis in 2012 for guests wanting hands-on guidance in cooking healthily. Of German and Thai descent and trained in Dietetics & Nutrition sciences, Chef Eddy intends to bring The Love Kitchen up a notch in 2012 with new recipes. A sequel cook book is in the pipeline.
For more information on the cook book or The Love Kitchen please visit www.absolutesanctuary.com
FACTFILE:
ABSOLUTE SANCTUARY, Thailand's Premier Detox & Yoga resort is a Moroccan inspired boutique wellness resort situated on Koh Samui, Thailand, and specializing in detox, spa and yoga holiday programs. ABSOLUTE SANCTUARY is part of the ABSOLUTE GROUP that owns and operates ABSOLUTE YOGA, Asia's premier yoga centre.
Established since 2002, ABSOLUTE YOGA is now the largest yoga studio in Thailand, with 8 yoga centers nationwide. In 2010, the group opened Absolute Pilates, launching the first large group Pilates reformer studios in Thailand and further expanded it to private Pilates classes with the opening of Absolute Pilates Plus in 2011.
Opened on 1st April 2008, the resort is not only growing in popularity as a destination for detox and yoga holidays in Thailand but also as a yoga teacher training and retreat center. In December 2008, the resort was awarded the Best Themed Resort award by SKAL International (Koh Samui).
The resort has also been nominated for three years in a row for Best Spa Cuisine of the year by Asia Spa awards since 2009 and was nominated for Spa Retreat of the Year & Destination Spa of the year by Asia Spa awards. The resort underwent expansion in 2010 with the construction of a new wing housing 2 new yoga studios and a larger Love Kitchen restaurant. In 2011, the resort added a Fitness Studio to its facilities.
For more information, please visit www.absolutesanctuary.com
Thursday, 15 December 2011
Deep Secret By Nigel James
With a fast pace leading to a sprint finish, Nigel James’ debut novel, Deep Secret, takes horse racing thrillers to a new level.
Champion jockey, AlecHammond, finally has a horse capable of winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the one race he needs to win to crown his glittering career. But while Alec embarks on a relationship with a top adult movie star, desperate to keep her lurid past from him, others are plotting to prevent his horse from winning at any cost.
Thrilling races, fixed races, a massive betting coup, sex, murder, kidnap and blackmail all feature as the seamier side of the racing world is laid bare. The action gallops along before the dramatic twists and shocking climax on the day of the race.
An extract from Deep Secret is available to read at www.authorsonline.co.uk
Deep Secret is published by Authors Online
ISBN (Paperback editions): 0 7 552 13785
ISBN-13 (Paperback editions): 9 7807 5521 3788
RRP: £8.99 paperback or eBook Download Price: £3.95
Champion jockey, AlecHammond, finally has a horse capable of winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the one race he needs to win to crown his glittering career. But while Alec embarks on a relationship with a top adult movie star, desperate to keep her lurid past from him, others are plotting to prevent his horse from winning at any cost.
Thrilling races, fixed races, a massive betting coup, sex, murder, kidnap and blackmail all feature as the seamier side of the racing world is laid bare. The action gallops along before the dramatic twists and shocking climax on the day of the race.
An extract from Deep Secret is available to read at www.authorsonline.co.uk
Deep Secret is published by Authors Online
ISBN (Paperback editions): 0 7 552 13785
ISBN-13 (Paperback editions): 9 7807 5521 3788
RRP: £8.99 paperback or eBook Download Price: £3.95
The Elephant Within Us By Peter Peeters
A beguiling tale of transformation, romance and environmental politics
Dr John Garfinger is a penniless, jobless about-to-be divorcee, a man with an unwarranted reputation for philandering and a hapless knack for getting himself into embarrassing situations. In desperation he goes to East Africa to start a new life working on a remote elephant reserve - even though he knows nothing about elephants.
But this is Africa where things never quite go to plan. By a bizarre turn of events, the naïve young doctor of biotechnology soon finds himself embroiled in the strange goings-on in a private laboratory where a half-mad German scientist is working on a very unusual time machine. Then John complicates things by falling in love...
Part sci-fi fantasy, part farce, The Elephant Within Us is a beguiling tale of transformation, romance and environmental politics and a fascinating foray into the world of the elephant.
Dr Peter Peeters was born in Belgium where he studied and specialised in high-energy physics. He worked at Brussels University in collaboration with CERN, the European accelerator centre in Geneva, and carried out research at the Argonne National Laboratory in the United States. He has travelled throughout the world and spent a year in Africa with his wife making documentary films, criss-crossing the continent, sleeping in bush and forest in their Land Rover. Dr Peeters has written several non-fiction titles concerned with the future of humanity and the planet. His latest are The Four Phases of Society (1997) and The Global Economy and its Long-Term Future (2008). This is his first novel, and he currently lives in Spain.
FACTFILE:
A witty, entertaining novel that will appeal to readers of the likes of David Lodge and Alexander McCall Smith
The Belgian writer has an intriguing backstory: a doctor of high energy physics and an inveterate global traveller who spent a year in Africa
Peter Peeters is a well-established and respected non-fiction author
£14.99
Hardback
978-1-84624-638-8
Publication date: 27th January 2011
Dr John Garfinger is a penniless, jobless about-to-be divorcee, a man with an unwarranted reputation for philandering and a hapless knack for getting himself into embarrassing situations. In desperation he goes to East Africa to start a new life working on a remote elephant reserve - even though he knows nothing about elephants.
But this is Africa where things never quite go to plan. By a bizarre turn of events, the naïve young doctor of biotechnology soon finds himself embroiled in the strange goings-on in a private laboratory where a half-mad German scientist is working on a very unusual time machine. Then John complicates things by falling in love...
Part sci-fi fantasy, part farce, The Elephant Within Us is a beguiling tale of transformation, romance and environmental politics and a fascinating foray into the world of the elephant.
Dr Peter Peeters was born in Belgium where he studied and specialised in high-energy physics. He worked at Brussels University in collaboration with CERN, the European accelerator centre in Geneva, and carried out research at the Argonne National Laboratory in the United States. He has travelled throughout the world and spent a year in Africa with his wife making documentary films, criss-crossing the continent, sleeping in bush and forest in their Land Rover. Dr Peeters has written several non-fiction titles concerned with the future of humanity and the planet. His latest are The Four Phases of Society (1997) and The Global Economy and its Long-Term Future (2008). This is his first novel, and he currently lives in Spain.
FACTFILE:
A witty, entertaining novel that will appeal to readers of the likes of David Lodge and Alexander McCall Smith
The Belgian writer has an intriguing backstory: a doctor of high energy physics and an inveterate global traveller who spent a year in Africa
Peter Peeters is a well-established and respected non-fiction author
£14.99
Hardback
978-1-84624-638-8
Publication date: 27th January 2011
A Journey Of Ascent By Andy P Weller
A sweeping historical novel spanning 350 years of a British family's history. To be published 27th January 2011
A Journey of Ascent: a gripping family saga tracing nine generations of a family from the sixteenth century to the Great War: 350 years of social revolution, agricultural and industrial transformation.
Andy Weller has masterfully rewrought the known facts of his long family history into a sweeping historical novel embracing the Reformation, the English Civil War and the Industrial Revolution, populated by novelists, landowners, smugglers, highwaymen, farmers and industrialists, all with one aim in mind: survival in turbulent times.
Weller has not rewritten history here: he has brought the reality of times past to vibrant life in a novel with huge appeal for anyone with an interest in English history from the perspective of the common man.
Andy Weller was born in 1954 near Little Chalfont in Buckinghamshire and first went to school in the very quaint village of Chenies. He became a career civil servant, starting as a clerk involved with the Concorde project. His later civil service career included representing the UK administration in Brussels and Geneva covering a wide range of trade policy issues, often working in partnership with UK business. He is currently working on his second book and lives in Pinner, Middlesex.
FACTFILE:
A true chronicle of early working-class life
One family's eventful route through British history
A fascinating personal journey through an author's family history
£17.99
Hardback
978-1-84624-649-4
Published by The Book Guild www.bookguild.co.uk
A Journey of Ascent: a gripping family saga tracing nine generations of a family from the sixteenth century to the Great War: 350 years of social revolution, agricultural and industrial transformation.
Andy Weller has masterfully rewrought the known facts of his long family history into a sweeping historical novel embracing the Reformation, the English Civil War and the Industrial Revolution, populated by novelists, landowners, smugglers, highwaymen, farmers and industrialists, all with one aim in mind: survival in turbulent times.
Weller has not rewritten history here: he has brought the reality of times past to vibrant life in a novel with huge appeal for anyone with an interest in English history from the perspective of the common man.
Andy Weller was born in 1954 near Little Chalfont in Buckinghamshire and first went to school in the very quaint village of Chenies. He became a career civil servant, starting as a clerk involved with the Concorde project. His later civil service career included representing the UK administration in Brussels and Geneva covering a wide range of trade policy issues, often working in partnership with UK business. He is currently working on his second book and lives in Pinner, Middlesex.
FACTFILE:
A true chronicle of early working-class life
One family's eventful route through British history
A fascinating personal journey through an author's family history
£17.99
Hardback
978-1-84624-649-4
Published by The Book Guild www.bookguild.co.uk
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