Category Archives: Interview

Author Interview: Richard Gill

21 March 2025 Linda

I am a big James Bond fan, and so it was so good to read a fantastic spy thriller with elements of James Bond – namely the exotic locations, evil villains, handsome secret agent, gorgeous ladies… and a lot more. I read book 3 of The Thomas Bell series:”Kitto Katsu: Mischief Island” by Richard Gill. And I am thrilled to have Richard Gill on the blog! But first, here’s a quick summary of Kitto Katsu: Mischief Island.

BOOK SUMMARY

The Thomas Bell series: ‘Sex, drugs and murder – James Bond on acid’

Thomas Bell works for an ultra-secret branch of British Military Intelligence, MIX. In his third mission, a missing shipment of cocaine and a botched Interpol arrest at Schiphol airport almost scupper Bell’s objective – an elusive narco-kingpin in a world on the brink of war.

A spy thriller series that takes things further. The action barely lets-up as the body count rises. Drugs, debauchery and violence are an integral part of the world of Thomas Bell.

An exciting story that takes place against the background of real-world events that are happening today – the rise of Chinese power, both economic and military, and the response by the West.

Thomas Bell’s third mission sees him performing a series of routine hits in Europe before heading to the Far East to carry out an assignment from which he may never return. He must take down the elusive narco-kingpin whose organisation monopolises the production and distribution of synthetic hallucinogens, including fentanyl, across South East Asia.

The corpse count grows as Bell bludgeons opposition aside to achieve his objectives, all set against a backdrop of the US Navy 7th Fleet Carrier Group plying its way past the northern tip of Taiwan in transit to the Philippines, CIA dirty tricks, a J-Pop girl band with a Svengali manager and a wealthy sugar-mummy who enables Bell to hide in plain sight while kicking ass.

Warning: Contains graphic adult only content.

THE INTERVIEW

Hi Richard, welcome to the blog 👋. Please introduce yourself 😊

Hello. I’m Richard. I’m a qualified accountant (FCCA) who has worked in commerce and industry as what people would describe as a ‘Systems Accountant’. This means dealing with the implementation and running of big accounting systems. I am also an advanced computer programmer who is skilled in writing software using the Microsoft .NET programming language of VB.NET in conjunction with database storge in the form of Microsoft SQL Server. I run a small software company and consultancy, so I am effectively self-employed. This is what you might call my day job.It also doesn’t mean that I can’t find time to produce some fiction output. From the age of sixteen I always wanted to be a writer but had no idea how to progress my ambition. The advent of the Internet changed everything and I have now published three novels – (1) Paloma Azul (2) Lebensrune (3) Kitto Katsu.

I was always passionate about movies, graphic novels and cartoon stories.
To this end I undertook to go on courses and research dramaturgy, filmography and novel writing techniques – the idea being to deliver high-octane entertainment in a fat-free, cinematic style.

The Thomas Bell franchise is like Ian Fleming’s James Bond – i.e. Goldfinger/ Thunderball/Dr No / Moonraker etc. My books in this series can all be read independently of each other, however if they are read in sequence then keen, observant readers with notice that some characters make a reappearance
from an earlier book to a later one.

My writing style is to employing excellent written English and crackling dialogue. I am able to produce the movie screenplay from the prose novel.
I am currently trying to broaden awareness of my writing output.

The background story of Thomas Bell (the main protagonist and the James Bond-type character) is that he works for a totally fictional division of British Military Intelligence called MIX (i.e. not MI5 or MI6). The cover for the MIX division and their office building in Shoreditch in London is that
they are a firm of city accountants and auditors called ‘Charles Carrington and Co.’ and their management consultancy arm called ‘Cyventure’. I rigged it this way because I am an accountant myself – a subject which I am able to talk about with authority.

I see the Thomas Bell franchise distributed and marketed as the following channels:-

[1a] Prose novel – eBook
[1b] Prose novel – Paperback
[1c] Prose novel – Audio book
[2a] Graphic novel
[2b] Comic book reels
[3] Video game
[4] TV box set movie/ series
[4] Hollywood movie

“Kitto Katsu : Mischief Island” is the 3rd book in the series of 3 books of the Thomas Bell Series. The others are: (1) Paloma Azul and (2) Lebensrune – What inspired the book series? Are they stand alone books or best read in numerical order?

My books in this series can all be read independently of each other, however if they are read in sequence then keen, observant readers with notice that some characters make a reappearance from an earlier book to a later one. I went on a business trip to Germany to shut down some overseas subsidiary companies. While at a loose end in the Holiday Inn in Monchengladbach I came up with the Thomas Bell concept. I was inspired to come up with a new James Bond which would cut it in the 21st Century. Ian Fleming inspired me to get to it.

I’m intrigued – what does “Kitto Katsu” mean?

Kit Kat in Japanese is pronounced “kitto katto” which actually sounds very similar to the Japanese phrase “kitto katsu”, which translates to “you will surely win”. The word “kitto” in Japanese means “surely or absolutely”, and the word “katsu” means “bound to win”.

Due to Kit Kats closeness in sound to this popular phrase, the brand become synonymously associated with good luck. Japanese parents would often gift Kit Kats to their children before a big test or exam as a good luck charm, telling them that they will surely win and do well on their exams. Nestle has said that they often see their sales spike in January, when the Japanese college entrance exams are held. And most of the time, when students receive these Kit Kats, they aren’t to be eaten, but rather to have as an amulet for a successful exam period.

Kit Kat, as a brand, definitely took advantage of this lucky coincidence hopped on this trend themselves, with their “Lucky Charm” advertising campaign winning the Asian Brand Marketing Effectiveness Award in 2005. In 2009, Nestle launched a campaign with the Japan Post, where they sold special Kit Kat packages that had a space to affix a stamp and write a message of encouragement to their friends and families that could be mailed from 20,000 post offices across Japan. This campaign was so successful that the promotional packages were sold out in a month. This campaign also won them the Media Grand Prix in the 2010 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.

My favourite character is, of course, Thomas Bell and in Book 3, I also love Jana Cazenove and Miku Kenji 😊Are your characters based on observations of people you’ve come across in the past and incidents you’ve experienced ? Who were the hardest characters to portray?

Leo Tolstoy is quoted as saying that all the characters in the novel are YOU. I.e. thin slices of (as a fiction author) my persona/ ego/ personality traits. As a man I have to try to think like a woman – interesting that! However I do read the press and magazines widely and I am always on the look-out for content which I know belongs in one of my books. Example: If you must know…Jana Hocking who has regular articles published in the Daily Mail exerted some influence over me with regard to the character of Jana Cazenove.

Were there any aspects of writing your book series that surprised you, either by being harder or easier to write about than you expected?

I work to a structured layout to tell a story:-
Target number of words = 80,000.
Act1 + Act2 + Act
Setup + Playout + Resolution
The book’s overall structure is related to the character of the main protagonist . I know that some writers struggle with (a) Writer’s block (b) Endings. I don’t have a problem with those issues because I am privileged to have full command of the English language and its rich vocabulary at my disposal.

Hypothetically speaking, if Kitto Katsu: Mischief Island, was made into a film, who do you think would make a great Thomas Bell? What about some of the other characters?

Thomas Bell (age about 25) – How about a young Brad Pitt or Jacob Elordi? The other characters – I’m not too sure at this stage

Have you always wanted to have a career in writing or did you have other aspirations?

From the age of sixteen I always wanted to be a writer but had no idea how
to progress my ambition. The advent of the Internet changed everything and
I have now published three novels – (1) Paloma Azul (2) Lebensrune (3) Kitto Katsu.

In the meantime, as time and life passes by, I got sucked into the world of
accountancy and earned a good living out of it. However, I never forgot my true calling and I am lucky enough (and determined enough) to make it happen. I’m not that guy standing at a bar in a pub with his mates saying –
‘…of course, I’ve got a great idea for a thriller novel…’

Are you a bookworm? What is your favourite genre and/or authors? Kindle or actual book?

I do like thrillers; I’m currently reading ‘Hurdy Gurdy’ by Christopher Wilson about a young pupil monk coping with the onslaught of the black death – superbly written. I prefer hard copy. I also prefer it where the author honours his/her side of the contract which means that I (the reader) will suspend disbelief and keep reading provided that you (the author) entertain me in a fully engaging and immersive experience. I consider it a failure on my part if I haven’t got a vice-like grip of the reader from the very first sentence. Two of my favourite fiction-writer mantras (there are a few!)…
Writer’s mantra#1: ‘Only trouble is interesting’
Writer’s mantra#2: ‘Dialogue is NOT conversation’

Are your Thomas Bell series of books available to purchase worldwide?
See Amazon links:-
https://amzn.to/3SUUEFL
https://amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09YP6JB3K

My three novels are published by me on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)
as (1) EBook and (2) Paperback.

Paloma Azul * Lebensrune * Kitto Katsu”

Availability: Worldwide
Audiobooks are in the pipeline
Graphic novels and Comic book reels are in the pipeline
A fourth novel in the series is in progress

One final note on availability…My novels do include adult content!
A warning to this effect is printed on the copyright page.

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?,

Nike T-shirts and caps.
Polo shirts
Jeans – Black to traditional Levis
Zip-up comfortable jackets
Discreet, understated trainers

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?

For building work/ DIY – Wickes and Screwfix are definitely
up there.

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

A new leather jacket is on the cards.
Other than that, quality linen shirts and jackets.
Cotton or linen trousers.
For skiwear, for me it has to be North Face and Helly Hanson
thermal vests and long johns. When I’m out skiing I always
take a set of rockclimbing-grade ‘inner gloves’ that I can
wear inside my normal ski gloves. A neck snood has its place as well.

Boots or Shoes?

Whereas I may have worn cowboy boots years ago, the only boots I would
wear these days are my own ski boots which are manufactured by Salomon SAS based in Annecy,France. For ski resort/ heavy walking shoes I use rugged CAT shoes. For normal day-to-day use, I tend to wear deck shoes in various colours with a preference for Timberland, Orca Bay or Sebago.
When on the golf course, Footjoy produce the best golf shoe.

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook etc

Main author site: https://www.richardgill.uk
Comic demo link: https://www.richardgill.uk/b01_ch01.htm
Amazon book link: https://amzn.to/3SUUEFL

So fun to chat to you Richard ! I loved the fast pace of your book and am reading the other two books to catch up!!! 😊 Many thanks to Richard for the copy of Kitto Katsu : Mischief Island for reviewing. Thanks also to Ben Cameron of Cameron Publicity & Marketing.

Linda x

All photographs have been published with the kind permission of Richard Gill ( apart from the Kit Kat photo which was by Linda Hobden).

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Food/Drink, Interview

An Interview With Top Hampers

14 March 2025 Linda

Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Valentines, Birthdays, Christmas, Baby Showers, Weddings, Engagements, Thank Yous, Whatever You Are Celebrating … there’s always an occasion where a hamper is a thoughtful and appreciative gift. Especially when that hamper is personalised or tailored for the recipient. Especially when every item in the hamper has been carefully chosen with the recipient in mind. Please welcome onto the blog Cathy Catto, founder of Top Hampers…. Hi Cathy 👋

Hello. I’m Cathy. I’m a mother of four incredible adults, I love business, and I’m curious about a range of topics including astrophysics, neuroscience, and motivational and behavioural psychology. There is so much more I want to learn and experience, and so much more growth I want to achieve. I appreciate every day of my life. The lessons along the way have only made me more thankful for where I am today. I am something of a workaholic and find it difficult to switch off – hence also an insomniac. I do take time out for fun and relaxation though (resisting with difficulty the temptation to check emails). Relationships are hugely important to me and I consider myself attentive to those who matter, always willing to go the extra mile.

I spend much of my time at my Spanish home and, for exercise, I swim, play Padel, do reformer Pilates and walk my three dogs by the sea. But most of my hours are spent at my laptop, working on the business I set up with my two daughters—with some input from my two sons. I marvel at the wonderful people my children have become and I have the privilege of being very close to them all.

What inspired the creation of “Top Hampers”?

I’ve always loved making a personal effort to show people they are valued—whether it’s organising an event, planning a surprise party or finding a truly meaningful gift.

Hampers have traditionally been a mix of items, not all of which are necessarily what someone would choose or enjoy. At one point, I received a couple that were poorly presented and filled with things that didn’t reflect my taste. Not long after, a friend was sent a Christmas hamper from a top-tier company, only to find the meat inside wasn’t fit for consumption. Around the same time, my husband started a senior role and was sent a bottle of Moët by the CEO. While it was appreciated, it didn’t wow or leave a lasting impact—it was simply delivered via Amazon with no personal touch.

It made me think—what’s the point of gifting if it doesn’t feel like someone actually thought about it? A gift should say, ‘You matter, and I want you to know that. I’ve put thought into this—it’s not just a box to tick.’ That’s what led me to create something better.

You offer a lovely wide range of hampers for all occasions. What hampers and products are proving popular amongst your customers so far?

Seasonal hampers are always hugely popular—Christmas is the biggest, with Valentine’s Day growing in demand, and we’re now gearing up for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. But our mission goes beyond traditional occasions. We want to help people strengthen relationships through thoughtful gifting—not just when the calendar dictates, but in those moments when you stop and think ‘This would really mean something to them.’

We love the idea of gifting ‘just because’, and more people are starting to embrace it. It could be a way to lift someone’s spirits during a tough time, a thoughtful gesture after a breakup, or a care package from parents to a child leaving home – something that feels like a hug, with practical items included. The possibilities are endless, and we’re expanding our range daily to make sure there’s always the perfect gift for any moment.

Imagine you are making up the perfect hamper for yourself – what would you include in it?

I’d add some of our excellent sleep products, starting with a luxury jar of magnesium muscle and sleep cream – I’ve always been an insomniac. Maybe ‘The Secret Garden’, as I haven’t read it since I loved it as a child, and it would be a nice change from my usual non-fiction. Definitely some Belgian chocolates and Pol Roger champagne, a True Grace candle, and some bath oils. I could go on, but that would be a good start.

On your website, I noticed you offer a Hush Gifts Service – what does that service entail?

We’re refining this service as part of our upcoming site relaunch, introducing it under the new name ‘Top Gifts’ instead of ‘Hush Gifts’. This update expands our offering, allowing visitors to personally select from a wider range of individual gifts, including higher-end items.

‘Top Gifts’ will complement our themed and bespoke personalised hampers by giving customers the flexibility to handpick one or multiple gifts, whether it’s a piece of jewellery, a silk scarf, or another luxury item. With a single click, they can have everything included, along with optional wrapping paper, bows, cards, and even Sellotape for a fully personal gifting experience.

This concept emerged from our growing base of loyal customers, many of whom wanted the option to curate their own gift selections without compromising on the convenience and presentation we’re known for. For those who prefer a more tailored approach, they can also send us details about the recipient, and we’ll select the perfect gifts on their behalf.

As you are based in the UK, are your hampers available to purchase overseas?

We have customers overseas who buy gifts for people in the UK but, at the moment, we don’t ship internationally. We did trial it, but exporting – especially mixed gift baskets – comes with challenges. Instead, our plan is to establish a local hub in Europe in the near future, making transit across EU countries seamless. After that, we’ll expand into the USA. The plans are in place, but for now, our focus is on growing bigger in the UK.

When picking suppliers for the products for your hampers, what is the criteria you follow? What makes a supplier special?

We love working with UK-based suppliers who create their own products—around 80% of our suppliers fit this criteria. Just as importantly, we choose to work with people we genuinely like and who share our commitment to going the extra mile when needed, just as we do for our customers. Reliability is essential; we can’t afford weak links in the chain.

We’re always on the lookout for something a little different alongside the classics, but above all, quality is our top priority. We made a few missteps with purchases in the beginning, but those lessons have only reinforced our focus on sourcing the very best.

When it comes to bespoke hampers – what’s the strangest item or request you’ve had?

The apology hamper we had to send after Ethan the cat’s unprovoked attack on a neighbouring cat – and its owner – immediately comes to mind. The owner, who ended up in hospital after Ethan turned on her too, was understandably shaken. Meanwhile, Ethan’s mortified owner reached out to us, hoping we could help smooth things over and restore some neighbourly harmony.

Along with a selection of indulgent treats for Helen, the injured neighbour, we personalised the message on the box to acknowledge the rather unusual situation. The request also came with a rather specific addition: Ethan’s owner asked if we had a large water pistol, as she’d given her neighbour permission to fire at Ethan should he attempt another unwelcome visit. As it happened, we had one in stock! We also included a game called *Catastrophe*, which felt particularly fitting.

In the end, the hamper did its job—peace was restored, and both parties were happy (though Ethan may have been less impressed).

What do you enjoy most about your business?

I absolutely love working with my daughters—they’re upbeat, hardworking, and incredibly capable. We’re all driven to succeed, bringing complementary skills and a shared passion for what we do.

Beyond that, we’ve built a small but growing team, carefully chosen for their commitment and alignment with our values. I’ve made both great and not-so-great hiring decisions in the past, but one thing I’ve learned is that a company is only as strong as its people. Now, I won’t compromise on bringing in anyone who isn’t fully aligned with our vision.

Growing up, what were your career aspirations?

I’ve always wanted to have my own business. As a child, I dreamed of opening a tea shop and would stand outside ones I had identified as successful, counting how many people went in and estimating their average spend and profits. I even planned the name, the menu, and how I’d grow it.

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

I’m not a huge fan of jeans, though I do wear them occasionally in winter with jumpers and short boots. When it comes to brands, I like Mirta, ba&sh, Max Mara, Forte Forte, and Uterque. For occasion wear and tailored suits, Alice Temperley – now Temperley London, is my favourite.

I’m not particularly tied to specific shoe brands, but with a very high instep, completely flat shoes don’t work for me, and I find high heels challenging. Comfort is key, as long as they complement my outfits. I often shop in Spain, where I find more unusual options, but in the UK, I tend to gravitate towards Russell & Bromley.

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?

Apart from Temperley London, I prefer shopping for clothes in person. My favourite places are El Corte Inglés in Marbella and Selfridges, both on Oxford Street and in Manchester, as they offer a great selection of brands.

For books, I buy online from Amazon. I used to shop for gifts online too, but now, of course, I get them all from Top Hampers!

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

One of my daughters is getting married this year, so I imagine it will be a Temperley London outfit for me. The shoes will depend on the outfit, but comfort is key as I plan to dance the night away!

Boots or Shoes?

Usually, I opt for short boots if they work with the outfit. I find them more comfortable since the heel distributes weight better, and I also like the look. I have them in a range of colours to match different outfits, but I often wear cream or tan.

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook/twitter etc so that readers can find out more about Top Hampers

We’re only just starting to build our presence on LinkedIn, TikTok, and Facebook, and we’ve decided to give X a miss. Our most active social platform is Instagram, where you can find us at top.hampers. That said, the best place to explore what we offer is our website, www.tophampers.com. We’re currently migrating and updating it to improve speed and functionality.

Great to chat to you, Cathy! I must say that Alice Temperley/Temperley London is one of my favourite brands too! 😊

Linda x

All photographs have been published with the kind permission of Top Hampers

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Interview

Book Review: Genocide by Heidi Kingstone

7 March 2025 Linda

Exploring 20th and 21st century genocide , “Genocide” is the latest work from journalist and author Heidi Kingstone. This book is a collection of personal stories of survivors, witnesses, academics and activists.

BOOK SUMMARY

Questions, by journalist and author, Heidi Kingstone. The book tells the story of the last 120 years of genocide, its impact on the world and its relevance today. Kingstone takes the reader on a journey from the Herero and Nama genocide of 1904, through the Armenian genocide, Ukrainian terror-famine and The Holocaust to the Cambodia, Rwanda and Srebrenica genocides of the late 20^th century. She also explores the Darfur, Yazidi and Rohingya genocides of the 21^st century, starkly illustrating that, while some lessons have been learnt, mankind seems to possess a propensity to dehumanise fellow human beings – all too visible in today’s global conflicts. This human failing, argues Kingstone, is fuelled by fear, greed and propaganda, and the refusal to learn from the past.

The book builds on Kingstone’s 20 years as a foreign correspondent for national and international media and is informed by survivors, witnesses, academics and activists. It is a collection of vignettes that link one instance of tragedy to another – a compendium of stories centred around people that Kingstone has met, observing connections that weave their way through relationships, cultures, and continents across time, leading to salutary parallels, past and present.

Kingstone provides us with the origin and definition of the term genocide – it transpires that the word itself did not emerge until the winter of 1944 when Raphael Lemkin, a Polish-Jewish lawyer born in 1900, coined the term. We learn that in 1945 Lemkin went to Nuremberg to establish the crime of genocide. Ben Ferencz, the youngest prosecutor at Nuremberg – interviewed for the book by Kingstone just before his death, aged 103 in 2023 – was one of the first people to use the term. It wasn’t until 1948, we are told, that the definition was enshrined in the United Nations Genocide Convention.

Having met a woman born in Bergen-Belsen, the former Nazi concentration camp, Kingstone talks about life after liberation and how people can rise from the ashes. Haunted by ghosts, children of survivors talk about their lives and the impact of their families’ legacy. And we learn about the ‘Heart of Auschwitz’ – the amazing story of a purple origami heart made by prisoners that survived the Death March. Kingstone’s work also explores the psychology of a perpetrator – how people justify mass murder – and draws parallels between leaders from Saddam Hussein and Adolf Hitler to Josef Stalin.

The book quotes leading authorities on the complex and perplexing history of genocide,including Professor Menachem Z. Rosensaft, former general counsel of the World Jewish Congress and adjunct professor in law at Columbia Law School; Dr Ümit Kurt, the historian whose awakening to genocide took place in his own hometown of Gaziantep, which he discovered was formerly home to a thriving Armenian community; and Dr Jan Ilhan Kizilhan who is a psychologist, psychotherapist, trauma expert and orientalist.

Commenting on the book, Professor André Singer, President Emeritus, Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, stated, “In her beautifully penned and wide-ranging book Genocide – Personal Stories, Big Questions, Heidi Kingstone takes up the challenge of not only reflecting on the Holocaust but on genocides worldwide to paint a fresh and comprehensive picture for the world to learn from. It is her personalised journey covering genocides in so many countries that makes this such a gripping read and fulfils her ambition to help change things and remind us in such a compelling way that we must never look away.”j

Genocide: Personal Stories, Big Questions, is published by Yellow Press (www.yellowpress.co) and is available as a download from Amazon: https://a.co/d/02a4feW4

MY THOUGHTS

The church ruins in Oradour -sur-Glaine, France where women and children were murdered in June 1944. Photograph taken by Linda Hobden

I first interviewed Heidi in July 2015 after she released her first book “Dispatches From The Kabul Cafe” about her encounters when she was based in Kabul in 2007/2008. Read the interview HERE

Heidi’s latest book, “Genocide” is an interesting mix of personal stories and interviews from survivors, witnesses as well as activists of genocides that have rocked the world in the 20th and 21st centuries. The large majority of the book focuses on the Nazi atrocities; but not solely – other genocide atrocities in places such as Rwanda, Cambodia, etc are included too. I found the personal stories from the Yazidi genocide survivors particularly interesting, mainly because I was unaware of their plight; but saddened too. My heart bleeds for those young women who were raped, had their rapists offspring and yet were not fully accepted back into their homelands by their own people.

This book also reminded me of a visit I made last summer to the martyr village of Oradour-Sur-Glane , near Limoges in France. During World War II , Oradour was in the German occupied zone of France. On June 10th 1944, troops of the 2nd Waffen-SS Panzer Armoured Division , Das Reich, massacred 642 men, women and children. The reason for the German attack on Oradour remains unknown. The ruins of the village that stand today are just how they were left in 1944. Including prams. Today, the ruins are maintained by the Ministry of Culture. It was a sad but humbling visit.

I highly recommend this book. Heidi definitely has a talented way of weaving the personal stories, her own experiences, the facts and figures together to make the topic of genocide and its influences easier to understand. Heidi’s enthusiasm and passion for the topics she writes about definitely shows and rubs off onto the reader! 8/10

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Journalist Heidi Kingstone has spent her career covering events around the globe for prominent publications from the Financial Times to the Mail on Sunday. She has interviewed key international figures from Benjamin Netanyahu and HRH Princess Anne to Zaha Hadid and Daniel Libeskind. Her interest in human rights and dictatorships led her to Iraq on four occasions, travelling to Baghdad, Irbil, and Basra before and after the invasion in 2003. She has also reported from Bangladesh, Africa and the Middle East.Arriving in an old Soviet helicopter and a C-130 military aircraft, she reported extensively from Afghanistan. She later wrote her first book: Dispatches from the Kabul Café (2014), a memoir of a country at a tipping point. War and genocide have fuelled Kingstone’s pursuits and informed her work. Like so much in her life, from moving to London from her native Toronto to ending up in Iraq and Afghanistan, serendipity played its part in writing Genocide: Personal Stories, Big Questions

My thanks to Heidi Kingstone for the review copy of “Genocide”.

All photographs have been published with the kind permission of Heidi Kingstone, except where stated.

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Interview

Is Using A Personal Trainer Worth It?

28 February 2025 Linda

It’ll be March tomorrow … and time is marching on! Springtime in the Northern Hemisphere and I feel like it’s time to spring into action and get into shape! So, what’s the plan of action, I hear you say? Umm …. I’m not sure yet. One way is by using a Personal Trainer. Fellow blogger, Dan Wilderness of The Financial Wilderness has also thought along those lines and here’s his thoughts on whether using a personal trainer worth it. Take it away, Dan… 😊

Hello everyone! A few years ago I became much more focused on my personal fitness, and anyone who’s every stepped inside a gym has seen people working out with a personal trainer and questioned if it’s worth it or not.

Now whilst prices vary for a personal trainer, they’re not that cheap. Being a finance blogger and generally inclined to the more frugal end, you might have thought this article is a long winded way of saying “No!”.

However a couple of years ago I took a series of sessions with a personal trainer and I think the debate is more nuanced than that, so I thought I’d write an article on it today.

My Reasons For Using A Personal Trainer

Long story short, I’d become rather unfit in my mid-20’s – out of the habits of exercise and working too hard at the office alongside some unhealthy eating patterns were taking their toll.

I was in the process of remedying that already, and felt a need for a challenge alongside wanting to do something for charity, so I enthusiastically signed up to the Spartan Race to try and raise money for Cystic Fibrosis. (A really excellent charity, which I’d recommend making a donation to here if you have some spare cash).

(Also, check out this article on why we encourage giving to charity and ways you can do so).

My enthusiasm dimmed slightly on receiving a training tips e-mail which included a section on box jumps for doing a “fire jump” at the end, and I quote “because you don’t want to be set on fire”. They were right. I did not want to be set on fire. I practised my box jumps!

As I got closer to the race and trained harder, my thought process began to shift that this race was not just something I wanted to do, but something I wanted to do well at and decided I’d enlist a trainer for a set of sessions to help me on my journey.

Choosing A Personal Trainer

My experience with choosing a personal trainer

I spoke with staff at the gym letting them know what I wanted to achieve (strength and stamina) and asked them to suggest which trainers might be best matched to me given their background.

I then look a lot at their qualifications and how they pitched themselves. The person I worked with was qualified to higher levels, and had a background as a professional athlete who had to cut their career short after an injury.

A big part in picking a personal trainer though is comfort – pre or the early part of your first session should focus on sitting down and understanding both your goals and how they work.

I got this first time – I liked that my trainer was focused on gradual but consistent improvement rather than comparison. He encouraged me to push myself hard, but didn’t yell at you to “just do one more” – if he could see my form was beginning to fail at the end of a difficult set, we’d move on and come back.

My Tips on How to Choose A Personal Trainer:

● Always look at and consider their qualifications. Anyone can yell at you to do or lift more (I’ll do it for a very reasonable price) – understanding form, technique and how the body works is important and shouldn’t be underestimated.

● Understand their background and if they have training specialisms, and if this aligns which what you’re looking to achieve.

● It’s important you feel comfortable with your trainer and understand yourself what kind of motivational encouragement you respond to. Do you feel they understand you and your goals? Do you feel comfortable with the instruction and encouragement they’re providing? If not, don’t be put off personal training – it’s fine to switch until you do find your match.

Does Using A Personal Trainer Help?

Yes, in a number of ways:

A personal trainer can improve technique

This was the biggest benefit I got, and something I never really considered going in.

In my training so far I’d been focusing on weight training, and lifting increasingly bigger amounts. I was putting a lot of effort into the “lift” phase, and whilst I wasn’t dropping the weight on putting it down my motion was definitely a lot quicker, using gravity to do the work.

My personal trainer started by studying my existing form, and correcting me to focus equally on both the lift and pull motion, to train the muscle more completely. We slowed the overall movement down on both sides to more of the controlled motion, and initially reduced the weight until the form was right.

This alone was one of the most valuable things I got out of using a personal trainer – I was really pleasantly surprised about how in making a few changes I saw the benefits I was getting increased substantially.

Even now when I’m working out, I often his hear his voice in my head going “slowly and with control” and it reminds me to check my form!

A personal trainer can introduce variation to your exercise routine

Another reason I was looking to take on a trainer was that I was conscious that my exercise routine had become a little bit stale, often deviating between the same routines.

It’s an easy trap to fall into – we all get comfortable with what we’re doing or have preferences, but when it comes to fitness it’s often not a good thing. The muscles become very used to what you’re doing, and the gains become much more limited as a result. For real progress, you need to mix things up.

I spoke to my trainer that I wanted to be introduced to exercises outside my normal ones, and as such we were able to add some great new things in which add more variability into what I do through to today. Sometimes it helps to have someone shake things up.

I personally don’t regularly use a trainer on an ongoing basis now except when I’m aware I’m falling back into a training rut – then I get them on it to move me onto something new.

A personal trainer can provide confidence

I don’t mean outside the gym, but that can be a good side effect of the payoff of all your training!

It’s more that there’s always some machines that you look slightly enviously at the person on mid-workout, but you just feel a little bit unsure about how to use it, and worry that if you try it’ll end up in injury or a sweaty mess.

A trainer can help you steer on those things you’re just not too sure about (but be aware you don’t need a trainer for this if it’s 1 or 2 machines – gym staff will be very happy to help if you ask!)

A personal trainer can help with nutrition and other lifestyle elements.

This one can be a little bit more variable depending on the trainer involved and your personal needs – not all offer it but at least advice on it comes up frequently.

There’s an old saying that a body is half built in the gym and half built in the kitchen, and there’s plenty of truth in that – making changes outside the gym can be just as important.

Now nutrition is a bit of a minefield – there’s plenty of unqualified advice and misinformation out there, but a good trainer should be able to help steer you in the right direction on this front as well.

A personal trainer can help with avoiding injury

If you get a personal trainer with good qualification, they should have a good fundamental understanding of how the body works and what creates stress.

There’s two different angles on this point. The first is that a good personal trainer will show you how to take care of your body when training and avoid injury – especially as you get older, learning how to warm up and stretch your muscles effectively before you start working out becomes more and more important.

The second angle is for someone who has an injury history or has had surgery. It can be difficult to know what to do that won’t aggravate or inflame that injury, and a trainer can give guidance on this.

Where I Don’t Think A Personal Trainer Is Worth It

There’s one reason that some people might be considering using a personal trainer, and that’s to help with motivation – the idea unless someone has a personal trainer there to push them, they won’t go to the gym at all. As a result you end up with a personal trainer for every session, rather than to provide occasional guidance.

Now employing a personal trainer will solve that problem, but I remain unconvinced that it’s a very expensive way to solve something which is far easier – the core problem here is you just don’t like the gym that much as your form of exercise.

And that’s fine – the key to fitness and exercise is to find a form of exercise you do really enjoy and it’s not a chore to commit to – believe me, there’s one for you! I absolutely detest running, and can’t think of anything worse than getting on a path each week – but get me in a pool and I’m happy as anything.

So it’s not a sign to give up, it’s a sign you might want to try something different.

How Much Should I Pay For A Personal Trainer?

Most trainers will charge you somewhere in the £30-£80 an hour bracket, but it’s a question with some variety, because it depends on where in the country you are, the experience level of your trainer and what services they offer etc.

For my sessions, I paid £50 an hour, but received a block booking discount where I bought six sessions at once and so got one free, making it effectively £41.

It’s always worth asking about discounts for block booking. However, I recommend not jumping to buying a block straight away even if it seems good value – have a single session first to evaluate that chemistry test of if you work well and feel comfortable with your trainer, then look to build up that relationship.

Any Questions?

Have you got further questions about our experience? Or have you tried working out with a personal trainer and found it good or bad? Or are you a personal trainer and think we’ve missed anything? We’d love to hear from you! Just drop us a note in our X feed – @LindaHobden or Facebook Boots Shoes And Fashion Blog Page 😊

Thank you Dan for sharing your thoughts !

Linda x

Photographs by Linda Hobden

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Books, Interview, Reviews

Author Interview: S D Price

21 February 2025 Linda

I’ve just finished reading an exciting thriller – “The Tides Of March” by S D Price. The novel has several threads cleverly intertwined that kept me on my toes for sure! This is a fantastic debut novel for author S D Price …. and I am so pleased that Stephen agreed to be interviewed! But before I introduce Stephen to the blog, here’s a brief book summary:

BOOK SUMMARY

In the unseen shadows of Japan, where ancient curses intertwine with the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster, an ominous cascade of incidents unfold…

The Tides of March weaves a tale of espionage, as ancient Samurai legacies and a nation’s struggle with an unseen enemy are revealed, against a backdrop of a series of apocalyptic events that draw in the bewitched descendants of a Samurai family serving as elite agents.

Tasked with the surveillance of activities within the murky world of high-level corruption and its connections with international adversaries, events begin to spiral out of control as they seek to confront a Korean spy ring’s deadly mission to draw a lethal advantage from the heart of chaos. The fate of the characters and the nation hangs in the balance as ancient powers clash with modern evils.

MY INTERVIEW

Welcome to the blog, Stephen …please introduce yourself 😊

I am a Welshman who has lived in the Southwest and now in Berkshire for over 40 years, where I work as a consultant in the pharmaceutical industry.

My wife and I have been together for 23 years. We are both very driven individuals, always looking to get the most out of life while we still can!

I feel that I didn’t truly start living the life I wanted until after my fortieth birthday. Miraculously, for several reasons, things started to fall into place. It hasn’t all been plain sailing since, but my world now bears no resemblance to back then—long may it continue!

Who or what inspired you to write The Tides of March?

When I decided to take a break from my day job to write a novel, I was naturally drawn to formulating characters who were Japanese. As these characters developed, they created a vortex around them, pulling in my knowledge of Japan. This allowed me to weave historical threads and themes into the narrative, shaping the story in ways I hadn’t initially envisioned.

The Tides of March is an exciting thriller set in Japan. The characters are very believable, but what I loved most were the intertwined storylines: a murder investigation, a Korean spy ring, corruption, the supernatural, romance, and even a tsunami. Which character did you enjoy writing about the most? Which character was the hardest?

Developing the individual characters wasn’t my main challenge—it was the stitching together of the three generations of the eternally cursed Kurosawa family into the plot that proved most difficult.

What is it about Japan that has fuelled your imagination since you were young?

From a very young age, probably around 5 or 6 years old, I have been fascinated by Japan—its people and its unique culture.

Over the years, I have compiled extensive knowledge of Japan’s history, dating back to 600 BCE, tracing its evolution into a nation, and exploring how its society has interacted with the rest of the world through history to the present day.

If you could visit any country/place in the world to base your next novel, where would you go and why?

Ukraine. I have just written a short story, The Crap Hat, about a Royal Marine fighting there. The subject is highly topical, with real-time and real-life implications for all of us. I would like to write more about this conflict—to highlight the titanic struggle happening there, which will have repercussions for everyone in the West and Eastern Europe.

Are you a bookworm? What is your favourite genre and/or authors? Kindle or actual book?

Although I am extremely dyslexic—and still struggle to spell my own name correctly on occasion—I have always been an avid reader and enjoy a wide variety of material:
Thrillers, Sci-Fi, Horror, Historical Fiction, Westerns, the Classics
Non-fiction: Biographies, Military/Warfare, Strategy, Personal Development, and Technical Manuals.

Some of my favourite authors include Conn Iggulden, Stephen King, Steven Pressfield, Hilary Mantel, Irvine Welsh, Robert Greene, Yuval Noah Harari, and Antony Beevor.

I always have a printed book, a Kindle, and an audiobook on the go at any one time—each format serves a purpose depending on where I am and what I’m doing.

For my own novel, I was fortunate to have Brian Nishi, a Japanese-American actor, narrate the audiobook on Audible (ACX).

Is The Tides of March available to purchase worldwide?

Yes! It is available worldwide in print, eBook, and audiobook formats.

Growing up, had you always wanted to be an author, or did you have other career aspirations?

As a child, I was always making up stories—relaying them to friends, storyboarding them, or, much to my parents’ amusement, recording them on an old cartridge tape deck!

However, I never thought about actually writing them down until I had a serious head injury in a motorcycle accident. During my recovery, I experienced what people describe as an out-of-body, ‘up to the light’ moment. After that, I had a nagging urge to write—it was very strange.

That said, it took me a long time to get to this point. Life often gets in the way of creative aspirations, and I felt I needed to educate myself in many ways before committing to writing seriously.

Interestingly, I did write a Sci-Fi story read out on the radio shortly after the accident!

I also struggled with a chronic recurring illness, which wasn’t cured until my late thirties, making the journey even more challenging.

As a keen mountain climber, you’ve tackled many peaks, including the Matterhorn. Which has been your favourite? What’s next on your mountain-climbing bucket list?

As a keen climber and skier, I love being in the mountains, and each location holds special memories.

I mainly climb in Zermatt, Switzerland, and my first experience of high-altitude climbing was the Obergabelhorn Ridge traverse. It was utterly terrifying at the time, and my climbing partner and I were lucky to get out of it in one piece!

I’ve been back many times since. A year ago, I climbed Castor (4,228m) with a friend, who wanted to experience this type of climbing for the first time. We hired a local guide—who managed to fall off during the descent! Thankfully, we arrested his fall, as we were all roped together, the consequences of failing do so were not great…! All’s well that ends well, and my friend came away with a great story to tell!

What outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

Fashion has been a personal journey for me—divided into pre-meeting my wife and post-meeting my wife!

I’ve evolved over the years and now own a mix of Moncler, Stone Island, Louis Vuitton, Dunhill, Paul Smith, Lacoste, Balmain, and Ralph Lauren. Belstaff jackets are my go-to for casual wear—I somehow own five of them!

One of my most extravagant pieces is a Dior jacket in dark blue with 20 buttons, a high collar, and embroidered stars on each side—a bit Sergeant Pepper-esque, but I love it! Even my wife was surprised I bought it! The icing on the cake that day was our ‘Mrs Harris goes to Paris’ moment when ladies in white coats came out into the Dior fitting room and measured me to have altered.

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?

I rarely shop online for clothes—I need to try things on first and see how they fit and feel before buying.

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

I have too many shoes—most of which I barely wear anymore! I’m always on the lookout for timeless pieces that will last as part of my collection. I have to admit to becoming a real fashion victim over the last twenty years.

Boots or shoes?

I love boots, especially from Barker—a classic English brand.

For casual wear, I’ll go with white Adidas or Balmain trainers.

For specific occasions:

Suede boots
Patent shoes for formal wear
Adidas trainers for running and gym workouts

Links you would like to share (website, social media, etc.)

🌍 Website: https://www.sd-price.com

Great book Stephen, and thank you for chatting to us! I love the fact that since meeting your wife your fashion buys have changed! Have you visited the Jeffery West Shoe Shop in Piccadilly yet? ….😜

My thanks to Stephen & Ben Cameron of Cameron Publicity & Marketing for the review copy of The Tides Of March. All photographs have been published with the kind permission of S D Price.

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Books, Interview, Reviews

Language Of Love Book Tour

7 February 2025 Linda

Ah … February… the love month ❤️ and I’m so pleased to be part of author Nancy Christie’s book tour celebrating her new book : “ The Language Of Love & Other Stories”. This book is a little gem – a series of short stories each representing different facets of love. It’s a great read and not just for February either ! I couldn’t wait to ask Nancy about her love affair with writing, especially her love of short stories … but first, a quick book summary:

BOOK SUMMARY

The Language of Love and Other Stories is about all types of love relationships: the ones that exist between parent and child as well as between generations, the bonds that grow between new lovers as well as those that exist between long-settled couples. The 20-story collection explores all the stages of love: the tenuous yet exciting beginning, the calmer, more mundane phases, the uncertain periods, and finally the ending—sometimes anticipated, other times devastatingly unexpected. It’s about whom one loves, how one loves, and what one does when the love is reciprocated, rejected or over.

PUBLISHER: Unsolicited Press

ASIN: B0DG333HWN

ISBN-13 978-1-963115-28-4

Print Length: 208 pages

MY INTERVIEW

Hi Nancy, welcome to the blog 👋 Please introduce yourself:

Hi, I am Nancy. The short version is that I am a writer of fiction and nonfiction, the author of 9 books including this one, short stories and essays. I’m also a full-time professional writer.

The long version (which I think is more interesting!) is that I am a woman who has been making up stories for more than 60 years, who spends hours in conversations with people who don’t exist (my characters, I mean), who frequently recites lines of dialogue out loud (resulting in strange looks from those around me!) and who plans to continue to write until my fingers fall off!

Who or what inspired you to write your collection of short stories of “The Language Of Love & Other Stories”?

My short story collections—Traveling Left of Center, Peripheral Visions, and Mistletoe Magic—are all theme-based. So, when I thought about coming out with a fourth one, I looked at the stories I had already completed and decided I wanted to do one that centered on the idea of love—not just romantic love but also love that spans generations and, in the case of “Henry, Hortense and The Hallowe’en Party,” brings in a bit of the supernatural. I chose several from the already written stash on my computer, added in some new ones and voila! The collection was born!

“The Language of Love” is a collection of short stories about love in its many guises! The stories are quite varied – my favourite stories were “Henry, Hortense and The Hallowe’en Party” and “Bingo”. They both made me smile 😊 . Which short story did you enjoy writing about the most?

That’s like asking a mother which child she loves most! But I do admit I have a soft spot for “Henry” and “Charley and the Cupid Caper.” (Regarding the latter, that’s the second time the Adams Investigation team have appeared in one of my collections. They were also in Mistletoe Magic in “Charley Catches the Christmas Spirit.”)

You have written novels and non fiction books as well as collections of short stories. What are the hardest and easiest aspects about writing a collection of short stories as opposed to writing a novel? Do you have any writing preferences?

Since I started decades ago writing short stories, the process comes very natural to me. I don’t plan the stories out. They start with a line of dialogue that pops into my head and even though I have no idea who the character is or what he or she is talking about I just follow along. Often I don’t even know how the story will end until I get there! My short story process is more like watching a movie and being surprised by the dénouement. That’s not to say that the stories don’t undergo revisions because they do, but that is more cleaning up and tightening up.

Novel-writing requires a bit more planning and a lot more tracking of details. I need to understand the main characters, their background, and their goals for the stories to make sense. However, I stop short at doing detailed character profiles or story outlines. I am a pantser who does some plotting in the beginning and along the way. Would that make me a plot-pantser? Pants-plotter?

If you could visit any country/place in the world, to base a future collection of short stories in, where would you go and why?

Somewhere by the water that is filled with history—Greece or Wales, for example. Water—rivers, streams, lakes, oceans—have always been a source of inspiration for me. And the wilder the environment, the better. There is magic in nature.

Are you a bookworm? What is your favourite genre and/or authors? Kindle or actual book?

Last first: I am a print reader. I don’t like eBooks because I want to be able to hold the book in my hands, turns down corners, underline passages. I love the smell of book!

Genre: fiction and nonfiction, although I have to be careful what I read. I don’t like violence, gore or really scary books. My mind creates images that go along with what I’m reading and that can lead to nightmares. I love reading books by or about writers about their writing lives. One of my favorite books is The Writer On Her Work—Vol 1, edited by Janet Sternburg. Since I first got a copy, I have returned to it again and again for inspiration and comfort and a sense of being part of the writing community.

I will read anything by Shirley Jackson, both for the pleasure of reading her work as well as for education. I learn a lot by picking apart one of her stories to see just how she manages to give me goosebumps each time I read one of them, even though I know how the story will end. I have lots of other writers whose work I love, but if I start listing them here, we’ll run out of space!

And yes, I am a bookworm. I have bookshelves and stacks of books in nearly every room in my house, and I still buy more. And I rarely discard books. If I’m not sure if I’ll like it, I get it from my library first (I love libraries!) and then, if it speaks to me, I’ll buy it.

Is “The Language Of Love & Other Stories” available to purchase worldwide?

Yes, through various online retailers. And I’m sure your local bookstore can order it in! Right now, I am working on contacting libraries in the United States to encourage them to carry it. If anyone wants to help in this time-consuming activity, all they have to do is go to their local library’s website and fill in the form to request the book. (Hint, hint!)

Growing up had you always wanted to be a writer or did you have other career aspirations?

I don’t know that I consciously wanted to be a writer. It was just a natural outlet for my imagination. But I never thought I could make a living at it. Turns out I can—both as an author and as a professional freelance copywriter. The latter also takes imagination as well as a good grasp of grammar and spelling and punctuation!

If I hadn’t become a writer, I might have liked to be an archeologist, uncovering past lives and learning how people long dead once lived and loved. In a way that’s what fiction does. It reveals the lives of people: their secrets, fears, motivations. What drives them and what holds them back.

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

While I would love to say that I dress up for work—something I write about in my novel, Finding Fran, when people ask her about her “writing clothes”—I’m usually in a sweatshirt and sweatpants in the winter, and shorts and a t-shirt in the summer. I’m all about comfort! But I do dress better for book events!

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook etc

My website is https://www.nancychristie.com/

You can find me just about anywhere and everywhere online:

I also have two YouTube channels: Books by Nancy Christie on YouTube and Midlife Moxie Novel Series™ on YouTube

And I have two newsletters— Nancy’s Book News (for readers) and The Writing Life with Nancy Christie (for writers)—and people can sign up for either or both here.

BOOK TOUR DATES

Fabulous chatting to you Nancy and thank you for inviting me onto your book tour. Thank you for the review copy of “The Language Of Love & Other Stories” – I loved it 😊

Linda x

All photographs have been published with the kind permission of Nancy Christie

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Accessories/Jewellery/Bags, Interview

An Interview With Loel

24 January 2025 Linda

This week I’m chatting to Andrea Flamini, founder of Loel, a small family run business passionate about jewellery. The exquisite handmade Italian jewellery made from recycled gold and silver have graced the ear lobes and necks of celebs such as Claudia Winkleman, Mel B and Tyra Banks. Hi Andrea, and welcome …

Hello 👋 I’m Andrea, a 46 year old mother of two boys and more recently a puppy. I was born in Malta but lived most of my life in London and more recently the Kent Coast. I am the owner of Loel, an independent jewellery brand passionate about Italian hand made designs. Apart from being passionate about all things jewellery I love to dance, sing, read and make things – whatever they are from tapestry cushions to copper Christmas decorations. I love nothing more than a spontaneous dinner with friends fuelled by pasta and wine

What inspired the setting up of “Loel”?

I have always adored jewellery. Growing up my mother had the most incredible style and collection of pieces she bought or inherited from her grandmother and I loved playing dress up in her pearls and brooches. When I was older my parents moved to Italy and my mother set up her own jewellery business making and selling jewellery to 5% hotels around Europe. At the time I would help her with the online aspect of the business and travel with her on any buying trips to meet the Italian designers. I loved being immersed in this world of design and creativity so much so that when it was time for me to go back to work after my first maternity leave I decided to leave my Head of Marketing job and try and create a brand that brought the beautiful hand made pieces that I was seeing in Italy to a UK audience.

I absolutely adore your Tassel Collection – especially the Tassel Hoop earrings! What items are proving popular amongst your customers so far this season?

The Tassel Hoops have always been a best seller for us. They are so distinctive that everyone who wears them adores them. As part of that collection we launched a large multi tassel cuff at the end of last year which Claudia Winkleman wore on Strictly and that sold out instantly. We’ll be getting more of those and the hoops in for our waiting list and looking to introduce a new collection later this year,m

Out of all your collections, do you have any favourites?

It’s very hard to say as I love all the designs that we have had over the years. However one close to my heart is our Gold Coast Collection which we developed alongside our photographer friend Jaron James. These were pieces inspired by the iconic landscape around us on the Kent Coast the stunning photographs that Jaron had created. The Arrow pendant from that collection is still one of our best sellers. I would love to do a follow up collection at some point..

As you are based in the UK, are your products available to purchase overseas?

We ship all over the world but at the moment don’t have any stockists outside of the UK. We are always open to working with brilliant people so would love to explore that option.

When looking for jewellery designs to add to your collection, do you take into account your own tastes, your customer base, requests, traditional pieces, what you have discovered or bits of all those?

From the start I always wanted to buy pieces that I would love to wear. I felt this way I could honestly and passionately talk about the designs in an authentic way as I truly believed in them and how they were made. Our customers however do also help shape the collections and the pieces we develop. I really listen to their feedback and requests to see if we can develop pieces that they love and we love.

As you are passionate about Italy … as well as jewellery, of course, what are your 3 favourite things you love about Italy?

I love everything about Italy. I studied Italian at university and spent a year living in Piacenza as part of my course and fell it love. My parents later moved to the Italian lakes and lived there for many years and I would visit at least 3 or 4 times a year. I love it’s culture and attitude, Italians really know how to embrace life and live it to the full. Whether thats with the food they eat, the importance of family and the value on tradition their quality of life in my opinion is second to none.

I love the variety that Italy has to offer. Each region and town is unique offering a history and culture all of its own, even from one neighbouring town to the other. They are passionate about their own particular wine or food or particular famous landmark and will argue to the death that their is the best in the world.

I love their style. The Italians are just so elegant. Everything is considered and put together in the most exquisite fashion. I love their crazy rules around what is and isn’t acceptable to wear when. For example you’ll never find an Italian wearing navy in Autumn. Navy is only ever worn in the Spring. Why I have no idea but I love their commitment to the rules.

What part(s) of Italy do you feel offers the best when it comes to jewellery?

Our designers are predominantly based in Tuscany – the region is renown for jewellery with many artisans and generations of families in the business. There are a number of small independent family run manufacturers in the area, each with their own style and speciality. Vicenza is also famous for its jewellery, a historical city as beautiful as the pieces that their local designers create.

Hypothetically speaking, which famous lady would you pick to be the “Face” Of Loel and why?

I would have to say Claudia Winkleman is the perfect Loel girl. She absolutely knows what she likes and has a style of her own. She’s incredibly funny, self deprecating and never takes herself too seriously – something we try to do ourselves with the brand. Jewellery should be fun and not serious or moody. It should be the cherry on top of your outfit cake. Therefore someone with that sense of style and fun is key to our customer base.

Growing up, did you always want to be a jewellery designer or did your aspirations lie elsewhere?

I always wanted to do something creative with my life. Whether that was in fashion and design or another creative route. I ended up spending many years in advertising and marketing which did allow me to spend a lot of time amongst creative people which is so inspiring.

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

Since moving but the coast a few years ago if I’m honest I am usually in joggers and trainers which is shameful I know. I work from home so there is very little reason to get dressed up most days. If I do have to make an effort then I would usually wear some kind of oversized Co-ord set or bagging jeans and some great shoes. And always way too much gold jewellery for most people’s liking.

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites? (Apart from your own!)

My dream is to be forever in cashmere and Max Mara but the reality is I try to shop locally where I can. Positive Retail in Margate and Deal is an amazing store offering pre-loved and dead stock designer pieces at a reduced price. POM in London is one of our stockists and Katie has the most incredible eye. I’m also a sucker for a bargain so will have a nose around The Outnet or TK Max every now and again. Plus I am trying to be better at finding things on Vinted or Ebay before buying anything new.
High Street wise I would say Cos or Zara but always in an XL!

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

We got a new puppy at Christmas so I am on the hunt for some good walking boots! And a really great oversized cashmere sweater

Boots or Shoes?

I would have to say Boots from now on as I will be walking much more with the puppy. But generally I’m in trainers and flat so traditionally shoes! I do have some amazing shoes that my incredibly generous Mother In Law has given me over the years.

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook/twitter etc so that readers can find out more about Loel:

https://loel.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/LOELANDCO/

Fabulous to chat to you Andrea! I love Italy and I love those tasselled earrings too! 😊

Linda x

All photographs have been published with the kind permission of Andrea Flamini

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Books, Interview, Reviews

American Still Life Book Tour

17 January 2025 Linda

I’m so pleased to be on author Jim Naremore’s “American Still Life” book tour. I absolutely loved this book – it was raw, edgy, sad, with happy moments too. It was definitely an emotional whirlwind and I really did enjoy the ride. I’m so pleased that Jim agreed to be interviewed … I had so many questions bubbling in my mind 😃 But first, here’s a book summary:

BOOK SUMMARY

We are all drowning, and we are all saviours .

Wresting with addiction, guilt, and self-loathing, gifted photojournalist Skade Felsdottir finds herself trapped in a web of her own creation when she is forced by circumstances to return to her hometown—the place that holds her crippling secrets. After screwing up her “big break”, a photo essay book about descansos—roadside memorials to people who have died tragically, Skade tries to salvage the project against a tight deadline. While simultaneously working and keeping her darkest demons at bay, Skade reconnects with an old boyfriend and befriends a unique but broken young woman named Kit. Their burgeoning friendship begins a process of healing for them both, until a devastating sequence of events plunges Skade into darkness, leaving her to decide between redemption and running away; between life and death. Set against a backdrop of the back roads of a forgotten America, American Still Life explores the crossroads of grief and artistic expression, of loneliness and atonement. A journey familiar.

Publisher: Regal House Publishing (Deceember 17, 2024)

ISBN: 1646035054

ISBN: 978-1646035052

AISN: B0CNTWJH98

Print length: 296 pages

MY INTERVIEW

Hello Jim and welcome to the blog 👋. I really enjoyed reading your book, “American Still Life ”and I particularly enjoyed the characters of Skade ,and her new found friend, Kit (Kitten). I loved the rawness & edginess of Skade ; and how her friendship with the weird Kit develops. What character did you particularly enjoy writing about? What character was the hardest to portray?

Honestly, the most fun character for me to write was Jerome. A character like him shows up in almost all my work. Kind of the wise fool. Sort of a stock character for me. Of the main characters, I’d say both Skade and Kit were equally enjoyable but equally difficult. There’s a lot of me in Skade, so I had that going for me, and she was pretty good about showing up and “talking” to me as work progressed (I know that sounds weird. Writing is really great and easy when the characters begin to take on their own lives and tell you things as you are working on the story) even though she was often stubborn and short-tempered about things. For example, early in the project I had just finished a scene and needed Skade to get from one place to another so I could start the next scene. The scene I had finished (not sure which one) was pretty emotionally heavy, or traumatic for her. I was about to shift to the next scene when she popped up and said, “I’m going swimming.” Out of the blue like that. That literally just came out on the page as I was typing. From that odd little statement came all of the swimming stuff in the book. She told me about her being a competitive swimmer and using the water as a safe place. So that was great. Kit told me she was afraid of thunderstorms, so that’s where that chapter came from.

The difficulty, of course, was that both of them are women, and I am not. I really had to stretch and work and lean on my female friends and writer’s group members because I was terrified of writing “guys in skirts” which can happen when a man tries to write a deeper female character. I think Kit was especially hard for me because it’s easier for me to access the parts of me that are in Skade. The parts of me in Kit are tougher to find.

I loved how the “friendship” between Skade & Kit develops; I could almost feel the pain that Skade felt in returning to her home town and her memories that she tried to blot out with alcohol; Skade’s need for friendship that matched Kit’s….and oh, the ex boyfriends too. So, hypothetically speaking, if American Still Life was made into a film, who would you envisage to play the main characters?

My writer’s group did this game with each other’s stories once, but I get super picky about this kind of casting. I’m not sure there are perfect actors for these parts, at least that I’ve seen. Emma Stone might be able to pull off Skade? Physically I think Skade looks a little more like a younger Jennifer Connelly (like in “House of Sand and Fog”), but even they are not exactly right. I’d be SUPER curious to hear what you and your readers think of that! Kit is an interesting case, since no one in Hollywood is like her physically (that I know of). I will tell you I had two people in mind when I wrote Kit, but neither are actors, they are both WNBA players, who are obviously both far more physically comfortable and coordinated than Kit, but I wrote with Elena Della Donna in mind, and later, Cameron Brink. I kind of see James Franco as Lane? Not sure… Like I said, I’d love to hear other thoughts… My ideas are not “correct” by any means!

The characters and places depicted in your novel – did you base your characters on people you have come across or aspects of the novel based loosely around your own experiences?

Yes. So much of this book (all my writing really) is based on things in my experience. The locations are all sort of smashed together places I’ve lived in or been to. Carleton is based on several smaller rustbelt cities I’ve lived in. Even the Mosier Crosses in the book are actually “real”… I fictionalized a real story and location that’s just north of Martinsville, Indiana on Highway 62. Fairfax Road is real, it runs from Lake Monroe to Bloomington, Indiana where I grew up.

All my characters are amalgams of people I know or have met. And the primary characters all have a lot of me in them. Skade especially might be the most “Jim” character I’ve ever dared put on paper. I’ve been sober for over a decade, but I remember what that felt like. Jerome’s idea of putting a boat into a creek and floating all the way to New Orleans was something me and my friends endlessly speculated about when we were teenagers… start in Salt Creek and see how far you can get.

If you could visit any place in the world to inspire your next novel, where would you go and why?

I went to Morocco while I was writing American Still Life and instantly wanted to do another book with Skade in it taking place there (I have all the notes for it… She’s photographing the work of a mysterious graffiti artist and following a trail of graffiti work around the world). Morocco is amazing. A place I have not been but want to go to is Australia. I think touring Australia would be incredible. I’d also like to dive into Japan. I was in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam a few years ago, and that was incredible too. I’m drawn as much to cities as I am wilderness, I guess.

Are you a bookworm yourself? If so, what genres (or authors) do you usually like to read? And are you a kindle or “proper book” fan?

Old school proper books only for me. Too trad. Its funny but I don’t read a lot of fiction when I’m writing (which is most of the time) since I’m paranoid I’m going to start to imitate another writer’s voice. I’m pretty eclectic with my fiction. The only things I don’t usually read are spy novels or traditional thrillers. I read a lot of mysteries (I grew up reading Raymond Chandler and Dashiel Hammet). I like Tania French’s voice a lot. I used to read a lot of Sci Fi and Fantasy and will still come back to Tolkien for comfort. Literary writers like Marquez and Sebald blow me away. I’m reading Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia right now and enjoying it thoroughly. I loved There There by Tommy Orange recently and hope to pick up Wandering Stars soon.

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

God, Linda, I’m such a clothes horse… It’s one of my faults. My personal style tends toward California. Ralph Lauren is great, and I usually can’t go wrong with his stuff. But at times I’ll toss in French vintage or even Japanese stuff like Kendo jackets. I’m usually super casual, denim, natural fibers, leather. I do a fair amount of vintage military, too.

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

Clothes horse… see above… Next on the list is probably getting rid of a lot of stuff! Closet is too full! There is a current men’s wear trend I don’t have and would like to get: a houndstooth wool overcoat, full length.

Boots Or Shoes?

Seasonal… I wear boots in the fall and winter (Blundstones or Redwings) and shoes in the summer. I started wearing Sabahs last summer and love them to death. I also love vintage leather men’s dress shoes. I have too many. And cowboy and campus style boots. I have too many! Want some?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

With roots in the American deep south and the Midwest grounding his sense of place, Jim Naremore has published an array of short fiction and the award-winning novel The Arts of Legerdemain as Taught by Ghosts (Belle Lutte, 2016). He holds an MFA from the Solstice program at Lasell University in Boston and currently lives with his partner and cat in New York’s Hudson River Valley.

You can follow the author at:

Instagram: @jim_naremore
https://www.instagram.com/jim_naremore/

Website: https://www.jim-naremore.com/

BOOK TOUR DATES

All photographs have been published with the kind permission of Jim Naremore.
Many thanks to Jim Naremore for the review copy of American Still Life and for inviting me onto his book tour.

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Interview

Book Review: A Remembrance Of Death

27 December 2024 Linda

Way back in December 2022, I interviewed author Andrew Tweeddale as I had just read his debut novel, “Of All Faiths And None”. This was an historical novel about the building of Castle Drogo and the beginning of World War I. You can read the book review and interview HERE.

Fast forward to December 2024, and the 2nd book in the Castle Drogo series has been released and, oh yes, it was just as riveting as book one! Here’s the summary of book 2, entitled “ A Remembrance Of Death”…

BOOK SUMMARY

Set in the final years of a declining British Empire, A Remembrance of Death is a beautifully crafted novel that deals with regret, loss, love, and hope. Spanning forty years, the story examines the relationship between Basil Drewe and Celia Lutyens, and how love like rain cannot choose the grass on which it falls.

As he arrives at Oxford in 1917, Basil Drewe is coming to terms with the recent death of his brother Adrian in the Great War. Meanwhile at Ojai in America, Celia Lutyens and her illegitimate son Robert struggle to find their place in a foreign country. On returning to England, Celia renews her acquaintance with Basil and finds she must deal with the mistakes of her past and the constraints placed upon her by society and its expectations. Their journey takes them to India, Vienna, London, Nuremberg and Kenya. Finally, they return to Castle Drogo, the place where they first met, however, the castle no longer represents the ideal it once did for Celia but is now a mausoleum.

A Remembrance of Death was short-listed for the Yeovil Literary Price and received a high commendation. It was described as, “prose with a classic sensibility … evoking a clear and present time and place, the characters lifting effortlessly from the page with authentic dialogue and engaging set pieces.”

MY THOUGHTS

I have been hoping that Andrew did a follow up to “Of All Faiths and None” and I wasn’t disappointed. Although I have read “Of All Faiths And None”, it wasn’t actually a requirement and you can read and enjoy “ A Remembrance Of Death” as a stand-alone novel. But why would you want to? I can’t think of anything better to do in dreary January than binge read and these two novels will certainly satisfy the most thirstiest reader!

So what can you find in this novel? Like in “Of All Faiths And None”, “A Remembrance of Death” has a few storylines that are expertly woven together in the most exquisite way. Let’s start with my favourite character, Celia…. she features in book one…. the daughter of Edwin Lutyen who built the Drewe family home, Castle Drogo. She was a nurse in World War One , who looked after the young Basil Drewe and who was besotted with Adrian Drewe, the elder brother. In “ A Remembrance Of Death” , Celia and her parents travel to America post World War I , where Celia leaves her parents in NYC and travels to Ojai in California, a commune, with her illegitimate son, Robert.

Storyline 2 …. Celia & Robert return to England and Celia reconnects with Basil Drewe, all grown up and a respected barrister in London. And there blossoms a relationship…

Storyline 3…. World War II looms….Where has Christian Drewe, Basil’s other brother who resided in Vienna, disappeared to?

Sal Rei, Boa Vista (taken by Linda Hobden)

Storyline 4…. A tour of India for Celia, an appearance of Lady Emily Lutyens (her mother) and a break in motherhood for Celia…

Storyline 5 …. Basil and his barrister career, the Nuremberg Trials and the job in Kenya to advise on the detainment and torture of the Kikuyu tribe in Kenya. A job that makes him question everything that he had believed in….

Oh yes, this novel has a many storylines and an ending that’s not predictable! There’s so much packed into this book – love, romance, scandal, gossip, heartbreak, depression, tragedy, laughter, friendship, forgiveness, thoughtfulness, hardship, sadness, happiness and most of all, hope. Can you tell I enjoyed it? 😊

”A Remembrance Of Death” can be found in most bookshops and online.

Linda x

My thanks to Andrew Tweeddale for a review copy of “A Remembrance Of Death” . All views are entirely my own.

All photographs have been published with the kind permission of Andrew Tweeddale, except where stated

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Books, Interview, Life Issues/ Motivational Posts, Reviews

Author Interview: Josje Weusten

20 December 2024 Linda

Over the past year we have witnessed a rise of Fake News and rumours in the news and media. Sometimes we just don’t realise how fake news can shape our thinking; and those who create fake news don’t always realise the consequences of their actions. My book choice this week is the debut novel “Fake Fish” by Josje Weusten. It’s a dystopian novel about the rise of fake news and deep fakes…. and the subsequent consequences. A thoroughly enjoyable read but it is a read that gives you food for thought. Here’s a quick summary to whet your appetite:

BOOK SUMMARY

A varied group of characters in an increasingly dystopian world have to deal with ‘deep fakes’ distorting their very sense of reality.
In a world drowning in a deluge of falsehoods, “Fake Fish” confronts the insidious rise of false news, and unmasks the far-reaching consequences that extend beyond mere headlines. With an unflinching gaze, this novel exposes the alarming impact of deceit on a global scale, as personal and national reputations crumble, and the very fabric of truth is torn apart.
As the story unfolds, the characters navigate the treacherous landscape of a society where nothing can be trusted. “Fake Fish” is a timely exploration of the fragility of reality in an age where truth is being swallowed by technology.

THE INTERVIEW

Please welcome author Josje Weusten onto the blog. Hi Josje 👋

Hello there, my name is Josje Weusten. I am an international author living in Belgium, writing in English. I know my Dutch name is impossible for many English-speaking people to pronounce. My students, who come from all over the world, usually call me Joss or Josy. Feel free to do the same 😊

As I have already mentioned my students, you may have guessed that I am into teaching. Indeed, next to a writer of fiction, poet, and essayist, I am a senior lecturer in literary studies and creative writing at Maastricht University—the European University of the Netherlands. As in life, I love crossing borders in writing, by mixing different genres, or by blending fiction with truth. My goal is to create ambiguous stories that invite readers to consider multiple perspectives.

Who or what inspired you to write “Fake Fish”?

I find it hard to pinpoint when the idea for “Fake Fish” precisely took hold. Despite everything I’ve read and know about creative writing, there is something about writing fiction that still eludes me. Something that is too fleeting, too divine almost, to be captured in words. When I write, it often feels as if not I but somebody else is doing it, that it is a character rather than me who leads the way.

But looking back at the entire process, I recall at least two key moments, which have shaped the central idea of the book. The first concerns a conversation with a student who barged into the classroom saying she did not want to read the work of a specific author, as she had seen something online about him having made misogynist statements. I heard her out, and together we looked at the information she found, which turned out to be false. This resulted in an interesting conversation about how to assess whether information is factually correct. In addition, we talked about what we should have done if it had been true. Would that indeed need to result in banning a work of fiction (of which I am very wary), or would there be other, better ways in which we could handle that situation?

The second moment, was when I lost touch with a friend during the Covid pandemic, as she became increasingly convinced of the idea that the disease, the vaccines, all of it, were part of a large conspiracy. We found ourselves at opposing ends and at the time, the distance between us seemed impossible to bridge. I still regret I didn’t try to find a common ground.

“Fake Fish” is a dystopian novel about the rise of fake news and deep fakes. The characters are very believable – I especially loved the characters of feisty Eveline and her opposite, Martin. Did you base a lot of your characters on you and people you’ve met in life? Which character did you enjoy writing about the most? Which character was the hardest?

I’m so glad you find the characters credible. Since I love character-driven stories, that means the world to me. I believe it was the British-Japanese novelist Kazuo Ishiguro who once said characters are the backbone of a good story and I fully agree with him.

A large part of my creative process consists of getting to know my characters and figuring out how to write about them in a lifelike way. One of the main challenges I encountered actually had nothing to do with the characters themselves but stemmed from the fact that “Fake Fish” has several interwoven storylines instead of one central plot. The main event connecting these storylines is the release of a video by Martin—who is a film studies student—picturing one of his professors making misogynist remarks about women in the film industry. As the video goes viral, it is not immediately clear whether the video is real or a deep fake. Is the professor who people thought he was? Are the outraged responses justified? What is the truth? Although there are no clear answers, all characters are forced to take a stance.

To make the complexity of the situation tangible, the story continuously switches between different points of view. Yet switching between different points of view during the writing process proved to be detrimental to creating believable and complex characters with a voice of their own. I thus decided to focus on only one storyline at a time while writing and to interweave them afterwards. That way I could truly empathise with every character.

To some extent, I indeed draw on my own experiences and emotions for this, but the characters are not directly based on me or on people I have met. Although I understand people might think this might be the case, as the book is largely set at a university and I am after all a professor in literature and creative writing.

“Fake Fish” is your debut novel – were there any aspects of writing the novel that surprised you, pleasantly or otherwise?

Can I let you in on a secret? In a way, the whole novel was a surprise! What’s now “Fake Fish” in fact started as what I thought was going to be a poem. I love to play with the sound and rhythm of language, and the original lines I wrote that day are still in “Fake Fish”. They are even etched in my mind:

“She has tried to return to that split-second of forgetting, looking for it between the sheets in different beds and in the hands of other men. Hands with various smells, skin, and age, leathery, soft, with or without cigarette stains, scars, moles, freckles, cracks, sharp nails, bitten ones. She makes them stain her and the bedding, but they all feel the same: different.”

Once I penned down those words, I started to wonder who was behind them, as they were most definitely not reflective of me. Who was the person or persona that had such thoughts? As I explored this further, the text started to grow into what’s now the second chapter of the book, which is told from Eveline’s perspective. When I finished that chapter, I knew I was dealing with something different here, something special: a novel.

If you could visit any country/place in the world, to base your next novel in, where would you go and why?

I am already working on my next novel, which is again a dystopian story. I don’t want to give away too much but it revolves around a society in which one’s age is not based on actual years, but on how healthy one is. Staying young has become a moral duty and anyone who cannot live up to this standard is expected to minimize the “burden” they put on society.

The story is set in the area where I grew up, which happens to be the area in the Netherlands with the oldest population. It’s a border area too, just like in “Fake Fish”.

I find border regions highly interesting as they are places where cultures meet and mix.Moreover, border regions unsettle the idea that we can easily separate one culture or one group of people from another. In Europe at least, these regions are culturally fluid and messy(and I mean messy in a good way), and as such they can unsettle preconceived ideas we may have of ourselves and others.

Are you a bookworm? What is your favourite genre and/or authors? Kindle or actual book?

Yes, I am. Ever since I was a little girl I have been reading and writing. I think that every writer should be an avid reader too. You learn so much about the craft from reading the work of others. I read broadly and in various languages (English, Dutch, and German). Some of my favourite international authors are Kazuo Ishiguro, Margaret Atwood, and J.M. Coetzee. My favourite Dutch novelist is Renate Dorrestein. I’m not a big fan of hard-core non-fiction publications and you’d rarely catch me reading a biography. But when it comes to fiction, I have no boundaries. From speculative to historical and contemporary novels and yes, even autofiction; I’ll devour them all.

Is “Fake Fish” available to purchase worldwide?

Yes, it is, through Amazon amongst others, but you can also order the book via your local book shop.

Growing up had you always wanted to be an author or did you have other career aspirations?

When I was about four or five years old, I wanted to be a writer or a pastry chef. Those might seem to be entirely different professions. Still, to me, writing and baking are both creative outlets, and baking still is one of my main hobbies. But I guess writing is indeed a better fit. I can be quite chaotic and love experimenting to see what might happen, perhaps a bit too much to have been a good pastry chef.

Josje, you are a Dutch fiction writer, writing in English, living in Belgium. When you think of ideas for your stories, do your ideas flow in English or do you translate from your mother tongue into English? Why do you prefer to write in English ?

It wasn’t a very conscious choice to write in English. For over 20 years, I have been teaching literature and creative writing in English. As a result, my writerly mind has been linguistically rewired and ideas flow in English.

I also express myself differently in English than in Dutch. A language is so much more than just a medium, it also shapes your writing style, and how you relate to specific topics. Writing in English allows me to look at my writing more critically, weighing every word perhaps more carefully than I probably would when writing in Dutch.

Admittedly, once I finished that first chapter of “Fake Fish”, I translated it into Dutch to see if it would be better, but it just didn’t feel right, at least not for this book, which I also wanted to be very fast-paced. English works better then. But perhaps, who knows, I will write in Dutch for a future project.

Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?

Haha, that’s indeed very personal. I like to wear short A-line skirts and dresses. My favourite colours are sage green, deep camel, navy blue, and white. I like simple outfits; no prints, except for the occasional plaid skirt. I am a sucker for heels and lace-up ankle boots.

Do you have any favourite shops or online sites?

I love second hand stores. I try to refrain from buying new clothes. Many of my clothes, shoes and bags are preloved items. It’s one of the ways I try to make a difference, although I do sometimes fall for a new item as well. My most recent purchase is set of handmade art deco style earrings with a matching a necklace. I love their timeless quality. I stumbled upon them on a market while strolling through Glasgow, which I was visiting to promote “Fake Fish”. The young woman who makes them also has a web shop(https://www.popupjewelleryltd.com). I already have my eyes on another pair.

What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?

A pair of whiskey-coloured vintage cowboy boots. I have been searching for those for quite some time now, but haven’t struck gold yet.

Boots or Shoes?

Listen to Nancy Sinatra and you’ll know why the answer to this question always has to be boots 😊

Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook etc

https://josjeweusten.co.uk

https://www.instagram.com/josjeweusten

Fabulous to chat to you Josje. I adored your book (thanks for the review copy) & I love the fact that you’re a fellow boot kindred spirit! 😊

Linda x

All photographs have been published with the kind permission of Josje Weusten.

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