The Gene Wizards By Clare Blanchard – Blog Tour

I received The Gene Wizards by Clare Blanchard to review as part of the Damp Pebbles Blog Tours.

The Gene Wizards By Clare Blanchard Book Cover

The Gene Wizards

It’s bad enough you’re from a family of rich bankers, without having to deal with secret genetic engineering factories in the Dakotas.

Especially when you wake up one morning after a tab of E and find you’re thinking in Hebrew.

Follow the adventures of the Vanpyre family as they wrestle with the Dark Side of money and power.

My Thoughts

The second book in the Wizards series – The Gene Wizards is a great read. I haven’t read the first book in the series but The Gene Wizards works well as a stand alone book.

You are instantly thrown into the the Vanpyre family history as told by Curfew the son. He quickly goes on to explain how that this is the story of how they saved the world from one of the worst crimes in human history. Curfew tells how this happens with the help of an Asian butler, multi-player computer games and the mind minders.

The story is quite intriguing although Curfews drug use makes you wonder if he is telling the truth or is actually insane.

Clare Blanchard

Originally from the North Yorkshire coast in England, Clare Blanchard spent half her lifetime in Czechia in Central Europe, where her books are mainly set. Inspired by noir fiction, her settings are often like another character in the plot. She writes crime mysteries and dark urban fantasy with a historical twist.

Clare loves beautiful landscapes and architecture, cross-country skiing, the wine of South Moravia, and of course Czech beer. When she’s not being literary she knits funky socks.

From Triples To Triplets: The Making Of A Triplet Dad By S.C Wood

I received From Triples to Triplets: The making of a triplet dad by S.C Wood to review. A beautifully written book following the personal journey from a life of self destruction into fatherhood with triplets.

From Triples To Triplets

From Triples To Triplets – The making of a triplet dad

Becoming a parent brings big responsibilities – and pressures to match. From triples go triplets charts one man’s journey from a destructive life of anger and alcoholism into fatherhood.

From overcoming the resentments and fears harboured as a result if his own abusive childhood, he was then faced with a high risk spontaneous pregnancy as a first time parent.

Convinced that the principles of love and patience would be enough to hold his young family together through the most stressful of events, this is a raw and honest account of the emotional ride taken by a new parent in a remarkable situation. In becoming a triplet dad.

My Thoughts

I was instantly drawn into S.C Wood’s personal story which begins at the very beginning, from his birth and childhood all the way through to fatherhood. The fact that many of us have unfortunately gone through similar childhoods makes it a very relatable read.

Si writes openly about his struggles with alcoholism and his destructive behaviour and it really is an eye opener, not to mention admirable to see how he pulled himself away from that with the use of meditation. Throughout his journey Si does have moments where he slips away from meditating regularly and you can see the impact that has on his day to day life and struggles. Faced with a high risk spontaneous pregnancy, a terrified wife and a step-daughter struggling with the changes, Si uses the power of meditation to get through each day, one struggle at a time, being the most supportive partner and parent he can be.

I honestly struggled to put this book down, we had contractors due in to fix our windows when the book arrived. I really should have tidied up some more but instead, I found myself wandering around with From Triples to Triplets in my hand doing smaller jobs.

It certainly gave me a different perspective, seeing what a new dad faces, especially around a high-risk pregnancy. I have to admit this made me apologise to the Mr, I never really took the time to consider how he felt through my pregnancies. I simply saw it as my battle to get through. Now I realise just how terrified he was when Eva was born premature and now I completely understand why he wasn’t happy when we discovered Izzy was on her way. I honestly believed he was being selfish but it was me being selfish. Both pregnancies were high risk and he knew that it could have gone very wrong.

The way S.C Wood has overcome each challenge in his life is admirable and his use of meditation has genuinely intrigued me. I have begun meditating using the same method myself, something I wouldn’t usually do in all honesty. I have after just a few days, noticed the calming effect meditating is having on me. I can see how it has helped Si stay calm and focused with triplets to look after!

Overall, I couldn’t recommend this book more. It really is a great read and whilst it is a personal story and not an advice book, I would definitely recommend new fathers giving this a read as they will face similar struggles and may find it a very useful read.

S.C Wood author photo

S.C Wood

Si is a welder, musician, husband, author and a first time biological father to triplet girls and an older daughter. From Triples To Triplets: The Making of a Triplet Dad is his first book and he also blogs over at Tripletdad.blog about his life with triplets and personal struggles.

The Three Hares – The Jade Dragon Ball – Reviewed By Friends

We received copies of The Three Hares – The Jade Dragon Ball by Scott Lauder & David Ross to share with Eva’s Friends. Having really enjoyed reviewing the book herself, Eva thought her friends may enjoy it too and wanted to know their thoughts.

The Three Hares - The Jade Dragon Ball

Matthew’s Review

Matthew couldn’t wait to get started and was already on chapter two by the end of the school day. He even told his mum he would be reading instead of playing his playstation that night!

I Loved the book and it’s use of figurative language and similes. My Favourite character is Shan Wu and Shan Two since they are funny!

Matthew

Celina loves reading books and we often bump into her in our local library. We knew she would love the book as much as Eva and she really did. She kindly shared a review with her own friends on social media and has allowed me to share the photo she too and some of what she has written.

Celina’s Review

Celina's Photo of The Three Hares

I have been reading a book called The Three Hares – The Jade Dragon Ball. It is about a girl who experiences weird visions. Her first vision is that Sara had been in a cave with a dragon on the wall. Sarah has no enemies. Sara and the students were going on a trip to the Beijing Palace Museum and Sarah was excited to visit the Beijing Palace Museum.

Celina.

Kara’s Review

Kara is one of Eva’s best friends and they love to share their favourite stories and games with each other. Eva thought Kara would enjoy the book just as much as her and it seems she did!

I really love the story line, it is fun. I can’t wait to tell all my friends about The Three Hares – The Jade Dragon Ball.

Kara

Overall it seems Eva’s friends really enjoyed The Three Hares – The Jade Dragon Ball and it’s lovely they have all been discussing the book at school and with other friends.

Do you have a book you would love to get your friends to review too? The Three Hares – The Jade Dragon Ball would be a great way to start a little book group with friends.

Hands Up By Stephen Clark

I received Hands Up by Stephen Clark to review last month. After the Christmas Mayhem and lots of hospital appointments for the girls I finally got a chance to finish reading it last week. I haven’t read Stephen Clark’s previous book, Citizen Kill but was interested to see what Hands Up was all about.

Hands Up By Stephen Clark

Hands Up

Officer Ryan Quinn, a rookie raised in a family of cops, is on the fast track to detective until he shoots an unarmed black male. Now, his career, reputation and freedom on the line, he embarks on a quest for redemption that forces him to confront his fears and biases and choose between conscience or silence.

Jade Wakefield is an emotionally damaged college student living in one of Philadelphia’s worst neighbourhoods. She knows the chances of getting an indictment against the cop who killed her brother are slim. When she learns there’s more to the story than the official police account, Jade is determined, even desperate, to find out what really happened. She plans to get revenge by any means necessary.

Kelly Randolph, who returns to Philadelphia broke and broken after abandoning his family ten years earlier, seeks forgiveness while mourning the death of his son. But after he’s thrust into the spotlight as the face of the protest movement, his disavowed criminal past resurfaces and threatens to derail the family’s pursuit of justice.

Ryan, Jade and Jelly – three people from different worlds – are on a collision course after the shooting, as their lives interconnect and spiral into chaos.

Stephen Clark

Stephen Clark is a former award-winning journalist who has worked for the Los Angeles Times and FoxNews.com. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed political thriller Citizen Kill. He grew up in the suburbs of Philidelphia and now lives in North Jersey with his wife and son.

My Thoughts

You jump right into the chaos from the start with Hands Up, beginning with Ryan Quinn facing the fact he has just murdered a young black male on duty. The story line is full of twists and turns making you wonder what on earth is going to happen next. Jade is clearly very damaged from her childhood and seeks revenge in the strangest ways.

All of the characters emotions and thoughts are clearly portrayed and you get to know each of the characters quite well. Jade stands out as very damaged, confused and acts in ways you wouldn’t expect. Kelly quite clearly can’t escape his past even whilst working to help people stay away from the gangster life style. Nothing seems straight forward in Hands Up and you will be left wondering what’s coming next.

Have you read Hands Up of Citizen Kill

Goodbye 2019 – Hello 2020

Goodbye 2019. It wasn’t a bad year over all, I was a littler quieter on the blog, even though lots has happened. 2019 found me focusing more on my Crochet and Reading and I took up matched betting. Overall it was quite a positive year. 5th December 2019 also marked the tenth year of the Mr and I living together. Facebook also reminded us we’ve known each other for 14 years, almost half my life haha!

Goodbye 2019 - Hello 2020

Hospital Appointments For The Girls

We’ve had lots of hospital appointments to attend, mostly for Izzy’s hearing but also chasing an Autism diagnosis for Eva. We’re hoping this will help get an EHCP in place before Secondary school to make things easier for Eva. Eva has also complained of leg pain for quite some time and having been checked for signs of muscle weakness, the Dr highly suspects she may have Peripheral Neuropathy like me. This was hard to hear, knowing she could face the same as me was heartbreaking. We will have to monitor her to find out for sure though.

Izzy has glue ear and has lost 50% of her hearing, we’re currently monitoring her and using the Otovent to try and clear her ears. If this doesn’t work she will need gromits fitted and her adenoids and tonsils removed. The Otovent had made a difference with a few days use so we are hopeful once Izzy is less congested we can get back to using it and improve her hearing.

Izzy also has astigmatism like me which we have an appointment at the hospital for this Tuesday. I’m hopeful she has very few issues, although I’ve no doubt her eyesight will continue to deteriorate as she grows. Whilst it has been stressful we’re hopeful both girls will get the help and support they need to improve things.

My Own Health

Admittedly I have neglected my own health again, but I do plan to get on top of that this year. Fatigue, pain and eczema have made 2019 quite frustrating at times to be honest. Having a rather rude Dr make me feel awful for even asking him how I get referred to his department for my eczema, I felt too nervous to book in and get a referral. I’d hate to be referred to that Dr after he had talked to me so nastily in front of an entire waiting room of patients.

Trying to balance attending events with the girls, doing the small amount of tidying I do at home, actually leaving the flat to go shopping so I’m not at home 24/7 and trying to find time for myself has been quite tricky and I’ve had to miss out on more over the last year. I’ve learnt to reserve my energy for the more important things better than before but still the guilt gets me when I do miss things.

I guess that’s typical for anyone with chronic pain and mental health issues but thankfully reading and crochet have helped me rest my body whilst still feeling like I am doing something productive. I do still have days where I push myself badly and suffer sometimes for a week or so after but these days are becoming less and hopefully in 2020 I’ll learn to control that further.

Matched Betting

From matched betting, we managed to buy a car just in time for the school holidays and countless hospital appointments for both girls. Originally I was saving to build the Mr a PC for gaming, oops! We have at least made a start on buying parts but due to emptying the bank for the car we haven’t managed as much as I had hoped. I can’t deny we have made a nice amount over the last 6 or so months but having had so many financial struggles over the years we are still playing catch up too, as anyone with health issues will understand due to benefit changes.

Me and the girls in the car

Regardless, I am extremely grateful for discovering this fantastic way to earn a little extra each week. Having a car has given us back some of the freedom we had lost due to my health. We had some lovely trips out during the summer to Wicksteed Park, Wat Tyler Park, Canvey Island and we’ve even managed a few visits to Martyn and Hannah.

Reading

I am honestly proud of myself for managing to read almost 60 books in 2019! I can’t thank Random Things Blog Tours enough for organising so many fabulous tours. Thanks to Anne, I have discovered and rediscovered some amazing authors over the last year. I’m hoping to hit 50-60 books again during 2020 after a short break over Christmas.

Crochet

My crochet skills definitely improved over 2019! I decided to take on as many challenges as I could and managed to make most of the things I wanted. In total, I crocheted nearly 50 items, from blankets, cushion covers, teddies and bookmarks. I even took a pattern and edited it to make a lovely Skull Scarf and shared the pattern. It was definitely a good year for crochet even with a long break due to sore hands and wrists.

I also created a bear pattern, Izzy asked me to make her best friend a red sparkly bear. Izzy explained he needed a longer body so her friend can grip him properly as she has weak hand muscles. Under her instruction and watchful eye to make sure he was perfect I finished him quite quickly and Izzy’s friend loved him. Several people really liked the bear when I shared pictures and with a lot of encouragement, I will be looking to sell my crochet makes, particularly the bears in 2020! I’m still undecided on a platform for selling but please do get in touch if you have a request.

Positivity

In 2019 I discovered several people weren’t worth the stress and effort anymore, those that put me down or treated me badly were simply cut out. I don’t need extra negativity in my life when I do have some amazing friends such as Slim, Martyn, Hannah, Fiona and Lisa who have all been there for me when I’ve needed it and I hope I’ve been there for them as much as I can too.

It’s hard to feel positive if people are putting you down or taking your kindness for a weakness constantly and I’m determined to have a more positive outlook. I also think this is much healthier for the girls, certain people have been cut out of our lives to protect them and ensure they grow up around kind, supportive people who genuinely care.

We said goodbye 2019 knowing we have some fantastic friends and feeling much more positive for the start of a new year.

Plans For 2020

I intend to read at least a book a week and crochet at least one item to see if I can manage 50+ reads and makes this year. Due to my anxiety and chronic pain I’ve not been out as much as I should, especially alone. I plan to change that this year and get out a bit more in the hopes it makes going out a bit easier and to give me a bit of a break from these four walls.

Hopefully matched betting will allow us to finish off the Mr’s PC at last as this keeps him occupied in between running around for the 3 of us. He has taken on the role of my carer fantastically and does so much for us it will be lovely to finally give him something back just for him.

It would be lovely if we could save enough for our first proper family holiday this year. We went away for a weekend to Kent when Eva was a baby but we would love to do something a little more special!

Goodbye 2019!

Overall 2019 has probably been one of our better years and it’s making me look forward to 2020! Saying Goodbye 2019 has been quite enjoyable. How has your year been?

Chocolate Emoji Maker and Zimpli Kids Products

We received a Chocolate Emoji Maker to review along with some other really cool Zimpli Kids Products. The girls love Zimpli Kids products and couldn’t wait to get started!

Chocolate Emoji Maker

This fab little kit comes with everything you need to make 2 Chocolate Emoji Bars. The instructions are nice and easy to follow and both Izzy (5) and Eva (9) really enjoyed making their chocolate emojis.

Chocolate Emoji Maker

Once the chocolate had melted in the warm water, it was time to get to work! Following the instructions the girls found they were able to follow the outlines pretty well.

Using White, Milk and Dark chocolate girls managed to create their chocolate emojis in just a few minutes. The hard part was waiting for them to set! Thankfully that didn’t take too long.

This kit was really fun, I can see us buying more chocolate and doing it again too as it was such a quick, simple and enjoyable activity and of course, ends in chocolate!

Snoballs

Snoballs

We also received some Snoball Sachets, simply mix with water create your own Snoballs! Perfect for indoor sensory play or outdoors. The Snoballs break down naturally or can be washed away leaving no mess behind. The girls love playing with Snoballs and seeing who can create the biggest one!

Blue Gelli Baff

Blue Gelli Baff is amazing! Simply add to your bath water and watch it turn into blue Gelli! This fun stuff doesn’t stain the skin and comes with a handy sachet that dissolves it all at the end making it safe to drain your bath.

Gelli Baff

We love using Gelli Bath to play with too, Izzy set up a bowl of Gelli Bath to give her toy dolphins a bath. As you can see they had plenty of fun too!

Dolphins having a Gelli Baff

Gelli Baff comes in several colours and is great fun at bathtime or in a tub for sensory play. Both my girls have sensitive skin and have had no issues using Gelli Baff either which is always a plus.

Crackle Baff Colours

Crackle Baff Colours

Add Crackle Baff to your bath water and hear it crackle as it changes colour! This makes another great sensory play activity as well as a fun bath product. The crystals crackle and pop so loudly whilst they turn your bath a mystery colour which Izzy thought was amazing.

Crackle Baff Colours

Forever Blue By Kelly-Marie Pollock

I received Forever Blue by Kelly-Marie Pollock to read and review. Forever Blue is a small collection of intimate poetry, inspired by personal experiences with Grief, Loss, Depression and Self Harm.

Forever Blue by Kelly-Marie Pollock

*Trigger warning – contains adult content not suitable for all audiences.

Forever Blue

I haven’t read poetry for years but Forever Blue has sparked my interest again! This collection of long and short heart-felt poems delve into the darkness of the mind in a beautiful way that most will be able to relate to. Kelly writes in such an open and honest way letting her feelings pour into her poetry giving them power. Beautiful collection of poems that I would definitely recommend reading.

Kelly-Marie Pollock

Kelly is a 33-year-old, married mum of 4 plus 3 adult step-children. She has an intense love of the Victorian era, Vampires and is waiting for a Zombie uprising. Kelly’s passion is writing. She is also a mental health advocate and BiPolar warrior. When she isn’t reading or writing, she enjoys long nature walks with her husband and their children. Kelly can not get through the day without her morning cup of tea. She uses excessive amounts of sarcasm and profanity in most sentences and she’s not even sorry.

Kelly has also published Cherry Nova, a gothic romance and occult horror novel. Cherry Nova is the first book in The Chronicles of Nova Morgan which I have also reviewed here.

Paw Patrol And Top Wing At Showcase Cinema De Lux

On Saturday we watched Paw Patrol and Top Wing on the big screen at Showcase Cinema De Lux at Bluewater. We were kindly gifted 3 tickets to watch the Nick Jr Big Screen Heroes show in exchange for our review. 

Paw Patrol - Paw Patrol and Top Wing at Showcase Cinema de lux

Paw Patrol And Top Wing

We haven’t visited a Showcase Cinema De Lux before so we weren’t too sure what to expect. Bluewater is signposted really well making it easy to find Showcase Cinema De Lux (and the Mr was pleased to find an open bar below!). Upon arrival we were pleased to find that unlike our recent cinema trips, all the chairs were clean, in working order and recline!

This is perfect for us as Izzy often ends up on my lap halfway through which aggravates my chronic pain. Having my legs raised took off the pressure making the experience a rather comfortable one!

Izzy watching  an episode of top wing

In total there were 6 episodes swapping from Paw Patrol to Top Wing and each one had Izzy glued to the screen, even Eva seemed happy enough to watch. Izzy loves Paw Patrol but hadn’t watched Top Wing before and she was certainly impressed.

Top Wing - Paw patrol and Top wing at Showcase cinema de lux

The display and sound were perfectly clear, we forgot Eva’s ear defenders but thankfully the volume wasn’t so high it overwhelmed her yet it was loud enough for Izzy to hear even though she only has 50% of her hearing currently due to glue ear. Overall we really enjoyed visiting Showcase Cinema De Lux and watching Paw Patrol and Top Wing on the big screen. I can see us visiting this cinema again in future.

Top Wing

Showcase Cinema De Lux

Showcase Cinemas has 21 cinema across the UK offering luxury recliner seats for a more comfortable cinema experience.

Ticket Prices are:

Adult – £9.35
Child – £8.60
Senior – £8.60
Student (Id required) – £9.25

Have you visited a Showcase Cinema before?

Into The Dark By Karen Rose

I received Into The Dark by Karen Rose to review as part of the Random Things Blog Tours. The Sunday Times bestselling author Karen Rose is back with the gripping fifth instalment of the Cincinnati Series.

Into The Dark By Karen Rose https://amzn.to/33mI73R

Into The Dark

When Michael Rowland saves his younger brother Joshua from the clutches of his stepfather, he runs for his life with his brother in his arms. From his hiding place he sees the man who has made their lives a misery taken away in the trunk of a stranger’s car, never to be seen again.

Doctor Dani Novak has been keeping soccer coach Diesel Kennedy at arm’s length to protect him from her dark secrets. When they are brought together by the two young brothers who desperately need their help, it seems they might finally be able to leave their damaged pasts behind them.

But as the only witness to the man who kidnapped and murdered his sterpfather, Micheal is in danger. As Diesel and Dani do all that they can to protect him, their own investigation into the murder uncovers a much darker web of secrets than they could have imagined.

As more bodies start to appear it’s clear that his killer wants vengeance. And will wipe out anything that gets in his way…

Karen Rose

Karen Rose Author Picture

Karen Rose was introduce to suspense and horror at the tender age of eight when she accidentally read Poe’s The Pit and The Pendulum and was afraid to go to sleep for years. She now enjoys writing books that make other people afraid to go to sleep.

Karen lives in Florida with her family, their cat Bella, and two dogs, Loki and Freya. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, and her new hobby – knitting.

My Thoughts

Having read some of Karen Rose’s – The Chicago Series, I was really looking forward to Into The Dark. It definitely didn’t disappoint! Right from the start you find yourself hooked as Michael runs for his life with Joshua in his arms.

I found myself walking around tidying up with the book still in my hand thinking I’ll just read to the end of this chapter. Into The Dark is full of suspense and so many twists and turns. As each dark and dirty secret unfolds it makes you wonder what they will discover next. Dani and Diesel’s complicated relationship with Dani’s own dark secrets keep you just as hooked right until the end.

Having utterly enjoyed Into The Dark, I think I’ll be reading some of the other series I have missed!

Have you read anything by Karen Rose? Does this sound like a book for you?

The Three Hares – The Jade Dragonball Book Review

We received The Three Hares – The Jade Dragonball by Scott Lauder & David Ross. This children’s quest fantasy is packed full of action and adventure!

The Three Hares -The Jade Dragonball by Scott Lauder and David Scott Ross

The Three Hares – The Jade Dragonball

Sara Livingstone’s school trip to the Beijing Palace Museum takes a terrifying turn when an encounter with the ancient Qingming Scroll thrusts her a thousand years into China’s past. With secrets in the shadows and danger around every corner, Sara must take her place in a cosmic battle and find the courage to face an unworldly ancient magic.

Scott Lauder

Scott Lauder Author Picture

Scott Lauder was born in Ayrshire, Scotland. Having taught in Greece, Japan, and England, he now lives with his wife and four cats in the UAE where he teaches English. In his free time, he enjoys hiking and drinking good coffee. His other books include The Right Thing, A Single Shot, and The Boy-King Tutankhamun.

David Scott Ross

David Scott Ross has traveled and taught throughout Asia since he first moved there in 1987. He currently teaches in upstate NY, where he lives with his wife and two sons. When David is not writing or teaching, he dreams about becoming a chef, a rock star, maybe an actor, but probably not all at once. At present, he is wrapping up two projects: Pastimes, encounters with a Stone Age people, and Dim, a detective novel.

Eva’s Thoughts

I really enjoyed the book because it reminded me that we have forgotten how to make and build things without using machines to help us. When Sara Livingstone visited the museum she saw a vision of a strange person talking about the QingMing Scroll which I loved. When Sara visited ancient China she used her wits and Granny Tang’s stories to survive which was amazing! I think everyone will enjoy The Three Hares – The Jade Dragonball just as much as I have, it’s packed full of adventure and magic a bit like Harry Potter.