The kind people at Total Media are offering one lucky reader a chance to win a copy of Richard Wiseman’s latest book Rip It Up.
We all love a good self-help book but Rip It Up is unique for two reasons. First and most importantly is it’s approach is to change behaviour rather than thoughts. Most self-help books focus on changing the way you think – but there’s decades of research that show if you make small changes to your behaviour it effects the way that you think.
Secondly, it’s written by Richard Wiseman a Professor for the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. Richard has researched what really makes people change and transform their lives, so his book is evidence-based rather than being another self-help book that’s wooly with vague references to research.
Here’s a video interview with Richard Wiseman, in which he tells you more about Rip It Up:
Rip It Up covers: How to be Happy, Attraction & Relationships, Mental Health (phobias, anxiety & depression), Willpower, Persuasion, and Creating a New You. You can learn more about the book on the Rip It Up website or Amazon.
To be in with a chance of winning simply email me or post a comment asking me to be put into the draw.
The deadline is Thursday 25th July 2013 @ 17:00. The winner will be completely randomly selected by myself, notified through email and I’ll post the name of the winner on the blog. You’ll need to check your email on the Thursday evening, as I will need your address so that the people at Total Media can send it out to you.
In Suite Nineteen by Mel Bossa, we meet country boy Ben (Lebeau) who moves to the big city of Montreal. Psychic Ben moves to the old textile factory Shilts Manor, which has been converted into apartments.
In Shilts Manor Ben meets fellow residents Lennox (Van Kemp), Eevie and Happy. Ben notices that there seems to be a strange relationship between the three of them. Ben also meets neighbour Ezra (Collins).
Ezra is a man whose shrouded in mystery: physically crippled, emotionally traumatised and spiritually unreadable (at least in the beginning of the book). Ben see’s all of this but can’t help falling for Ezra, who has taken a vow of celibacy.
Despite Lennox’s advice to stay away from Ezra, Ben begins to spend time with him. Ben begins to loose memory – even memories of important events; and it seems to coincide with the amount of time he’s spending with Ezra.
Ben feels like he’s loosing his mind; yet at the same time his gut tells him his very survival is at stake and that he must unravel the mystery – a spiritual conspiracy dating back to Christ, before it’s too late.
There were a few sources of frustration with Suite Nineteen. Firstly it focused too much on the events and mystery; it didn’t give the reader a chance to get to know Ben. Secondly rather than a series of small revelations, Mel Bossa opted for a big unavailing of the mystery towards the end. The mystery was over explained and left little to spark the readers imagination.
Suite Nineteen is essentially a paranormal mystery novel which has a good mix of tension building and action chapters. Mel Bossa keeps the reader hooked with her clever idea, writers voice and with an unexpected twist at the end of the book.
Lottie is sure Richard her boyfriend is about to propose, but when he doesn’t Lottie ends the relationship.
Then Ben, Lottie’s first love from 15 years ago gets back in touch and tells her that he’s never stopped loving her. He drunkenly proposes and she agrees to marry him with one condition: no sex until the Wedding Night.
Fliss is going through a difficult divorce and adjusting to being a single mother to her son Noah. The divorce is making Fliss bitter and she’s starting to feel that getting married to Daniel was the worst mistake she ever made; Noah being the only good thing to come out of the marriage.
Fliss receives a call from Lottie telling her that Richard & she have broke up and that she’s going to marry Ben. Fliss is understandably more than a little bit concerned. Especially as Lottie has a habit of making ‘unfortunate choices’ when experiencing emotional trauma – like that time she joined a cult.
Fliss decides that this marriage to Ben is another ‘unfortunate choice’ and must be stopped. When Fliss fails to stop the wedding, she puts all her efforts into stopping the Wedding Night so that the marriage can be annulled.
Wedding Night is written with chapters in both Lottie and Fliss’ perspective and starts as comfortably predictable at the beginning, but as the book progresses the predictability becomes increasingly frustrating to the reader.
As with all of Kinsella‘s books the element of fantasy and escapism came in the form of a very wealthy business man whose a love interest for the main character. In Lottie’s case, this was Ben. This was a missed chance for Kinsella be more creative and use a different fantasy element.
The description lacked detail, relying far too much on the readers imagination. Compared to Kinsella‘s previous books, the characters in Wedding Night felt dumbed down and lacked any emotional depth. The reader gets to know Fliss a lot better than Lottie which is dissatisfying as the story is suppose to be about Lottie’s Wedding Night.
Mid-way through the book Fliss decides to read Lottie’s diary. The diary Lottie wrote when she was eight-teen, when she first met Ben during her gap year on the Greek Island of Ikonos. This was a perfect opportunity to add some depth to Lottie’s character, as well as give the reader some idea of the past relationship between Lottie & Ben, but Kinsella completely missed this, much to the readers disappointment.
Kinsella clearly tried to write a comedy and there were a few funny chapters; but many fell short of causing a smile, let alone a laugh. Kinsella‘s desire to write humorous chapters seemed to be at the sacrifice of the plot, which felt filmsy and put together with numerous hints that were as subtle as anvils falling from the sky.
Kinsella really lost her way with this book. Wedding Night was more chick-trash than chick-lit. Kinsella is regarded as Queen of chick-lit, but if she writes another book like this she is likely to loose her crown.
In His Secret Life is Mel Bossa‘s latest book. Allan has taken care of his sister Elise and her daughter Fay ever since Elise was dumped by Fay’s father. But when Elise meets Dayton, Allan knows things are going to change. It’s not long until Elise & Dayton get engaged and Allan gets to meet Dayton’s family.
Allan meets Davinder, one of Dayton’s brothers who is married with two kids. Something about Davinder captivates Allan and he’s about to break his one and only rule: never fall for a straight guy.
In His Secret Life is a love story about a seemingly impossible relationship, which is told over decades. It gives the reader a moral dilemma. On the one hand Davinder is a married man, but on the other it’s clear that he’s unhappily married and that he loves Allan.
The story is written in three parts. In the first part the characters are introduced and Allan & Davinder meet. The second part is about Allan & Davinder’s affair and the duality of their double lives. The third and final part is about Allan & Davinder’s journey on separate paths back to one another.
There’s something magical about Mel Bossa‘s writing that hypnotises the reader from the first word. All of the characters are likeable and the story is written from Allan’s perspective. The reader empathises with Allan’s loneliness, as well as the highs and lows of love – that he likens to drug addiction. The use of perspective and these emotions – that everybody has experienced at sometime in their life, creates a connection between Allan and the reader.
Allan & Davinder’s sexual relationship develops a bit too quickly in the beginning and their was a scene that gave the impression that Allan had drunkenly drove home. But apart from these minor details the plot is perfectly paced, well thought out and exceptionally well written.
Mel Bossa‘s use letters and emails to show other characters perspectives was a really clever idea. The description ignites the readers imagination, giving a flawless image of the characters, settings and events. The end this book made me cry (with happiness) and was heartwarming.
In His Secret Life is Mel Bossa‘s best book to date and is one of those incredibly rare books that comes into your life and leaves you feeling changed somehow.
If you want a book about impossible love made possible, that will make you question yourself, leave you feeling satisfied and joyous then I recommend In His Secret Life by Mel Bossa, which is available to buy on Amazon.
Write soon,
Antony
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Sunday 26 May 2013
About
Antony Simpson - Author, Blogger, Nurse & Witch.
Author of eight books.
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Antony Simpson is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk.
