Monthly Archives: April 2022

5 Critical Things You Must Know About Kratom Capsules

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Kratom is a plant native to Southeast Asia used for centuries as a natural remedy for pain and depression. Today, it is gaining popularity in the USA as an herbal supplement, typically sold in the form of capsules. While kratom capsules may offer some potential benefits, some risks are also associated.

Research has shown that kratom contains compounds with essential analgesic properties, which can effectively treat chronic pain. Additionally, several studies have confirmed its effectiveness as an antidepressant, providing relief from symptoms like persistent sadness and low moods.

It is essential to buy kratom capsules from a reputable source like Kratom USA. This will ensure you get a quality product and avoid potential health risks.

1. What are the Ingredients Used in Kratom Capsules?

These capsules contain an extract from the leaves of the kratom tree. The leaves of this tree have been traditionally used for their medicinal properties, which are thought to come from the alkaloids they contain. These alkaloids interact with the body’s opioid receptors, resulting in pain relief and improved mood.

US citizens must be cautious while buying kratom as it is legal in some states, whereas it is banned in others. It is advisable to check the legal status in your state before buying it.

2. How Do Kratom Capsules Work, and What are Their Benefits?

At a basic level, these capsules consist of powdered extract that has been placed inside of a pill casing. Although there are different methods for taking this supplement, tablets are one of the most popular because they are convenient and easy to use.

They work so well because they effectively deliver the compounds in kratom directly to the bloodstream. This means that you get the maximum benefits from your dose with no wasted product. Additionally, some people find it difficult or unpleasant to take liquids or powders, so capsules provide an alternative method for ingestion.

3. How Should They Be Taken for Optimal Results?

For the best results, it is recommended that you take capsules on an empty stomach. This will help ensure that the body absorbs the tablets more quickly and efficiently.

It is also vital to stay hydrated while taking medicine, as this will help prevent any adverse effects from occurring.

4. What are Their Side Effects?

These tablets are generally considered to be safe when taken as directed. However, there are some potential side effects that you should be aware of. These include upset stomach, constipation, and headaches.

Studies show that US citizens use kratom for pain, anxiety, and depression. There are more than 30 vendors in the USA from whom you can buy these herbal supplements. Out of these, some vendors provide free shipping on specific orders.

5. What is the Cost of the Capsules in the USA?

The expense of kratom capsules in the United States varies depending on the source, but it is usually cheap.

● $15 for a bottle of 50 capsules
● $28 for a bottle of 100 capsules
● $52 for a bottle of 200 capsules
● $99 for a bottle of 400 capsules

Before taking any supplement or medication, it is always best to speak with a healthcare professional. They will be able to provide you with guidance on using them safely and effectively.

Conclusion

Overall, kratom capsules are very convenient and easy to take, which makes them a great choice for those who want to experience its benefits without any hassle.

Just ensure that you buy them from a reputable seller like Kratom USA so that you can be sure that you’re getting a quality product. So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and try kratom capsules today!

Collaborative post with our brand partner.

The Anchor – Self-trust by Alex Bannard Wellness and Wellbeing Editor

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I have learnt many important lessons during my menopause journey.

I have learnt to trust the process. We are inevitably going to be tripped up by life, it’s just what happens. Our power lies in trusting the process – that everything happens for a reason. That whatever happens there will be learning, healing & growth.

These hiccups don’t tend to de-rail us so much or so quickly & we start to take ‘failing’ less personally. We all experience it, isn’t unique to just us. We learn to look for the opportunities & possibilities in so-called setbacks & we may even start to look forward to these hiccups for what we will learn, how we will heal & grow.

I believe that we choose to incarnate on this earth at this time for all the lessons we have come here to learn. The Universe sends us gentle messages, if we learn to take heed of them when they are just a whisper the journey will less bumpy. But if we don’t, the lessons will get louder & more uncomfortable to get our attention.

So if it feels messy, guess what, it’s probably meant to be: that means it’s working – trust the process!

The fear of failing starts to diminish because, well, it’s not failing, it’s a lesson.

I also trust in a power greater than myself. I trust & believe that we are being taken care of, provided for. I find this comforting knowing that everything happens in divine timing & for the greatest good of us all.

It doesn’t mean that I don’t keep taking inspired action to achieve my dreams, it just means that if something doesn’t pan out as hoped I just trust that the Universe has a better plan.

But the final piece in the trust puzzle is trusting in yourself. Self-trust is the antidote to fear because when you trust in yourself you just know that you will be OK no matter what. You have an inner sense of peace & happiness that isn’t dependent on what’s going on out there because it comes from the inside not the outside. Happy, if you like, for no reason.

This is the anchor in the storm. What’s going on outside is like the waves on the top of the ocean, self-trust is like the anchor nestled into the sand on the seabed, keeping you grounded & safe.

Self-trust isn’t self-confidence. Self-trust is knowing that whatever happens you will learn something, heal, grow & work it out no matter if you mess up.

Self-trust is more a feeling than a thought or a belief. It feels different to everyone but it is a felt sensation within the body that feels grounded, centred, balanced, whole & at one, secure & connected.

Self-trust is a practice just like yoga & mindfulness & just like these practices the more you do the more you benefit & it is more accessible when you practice yoga & mindfulness. Like all these things the more you cultivate it, the easier it is to be, because it’s more about being, feeling & becoming than doing.

When you trust in yourself, in the process & in a higher power you are more decisive, trust your gut instinct more, are more hearted centred, take more chances & question yourself less.

If you would like to find out more about trust & being your own anchor in the storm check out Alex’s FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindfulnessyoga4selfcare

Or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexbannard/

Incorporate short yoga sequences & meditations as part of your self-care toolkit with guided practices on Alex’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQlKZJ7MeyYc6lqkv6seISw

For more info check out www.alexbannard.com

Alex is based on the edge of the stunning Cotswolds & has been sharing her love for all things yoga & mindfulness for almost a decade, not just in the UK but also around the world. Having used her training & knowledge to navigate her own menopausal journey & create a life in which she is thriving, Alex is devoted in supporting other’s in this life changing transition.

The Attic Child by Lola Jaye

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the attic child lola jaye

Here’s the book for the weekend – and it’s a long bank holiday so you’ll have plenty of time to indulge yourself and be swept away by the wonderful The Attic Child by Lola Jaye.

This was such a powerful, if at times uncomfortable, read. A dual timeline novel telling the stories of two children trapped in an attic almost one hundred years apart.

From the opening lines, I was desperate to discover what happened to Dikembe, a young African boy who is taken from his family in the Congo at the tender age of ten and travels to England as a companion to explorer, Richard Babbington. Lola Jaye takes you by the hand and leads you on a journey that interweaves the lives of Dikembe and Lowra as they navigate their path through the terrible circumstances in which they find themselves.  It was at times a dark and disturbing read but a story of the redemptive power of friendship.

Lola Jaye’s inspiration for this novel was triggered by a photograph she saw at the National Portrait Gallery – part of an exhibition on Black British Victorians.

One of the photographs was of a young African boy, Ngudu M’hali, pictured alongside the explorer Henry Stanley. The boy had a short and tragic life, taken from his family and either sold or given to Stanley as either a slave, servant or companion. Accounts differ and the truth may never come to light. Ngudu M’hali drowned in a canoeing accident on the River Congo in 1877 when he was twelve years old but The Attic Child explores what might have happened to a boy in similar circumstances had he lived. This is not Ngudu’s story – but inspired by the photograph Lola Jaye began to craft a wonderful tale of one such boy, Dikembe. Oh, my heart broke for that small child, torn from his loving family and thrust into an unfamiliar life in an unfamiliar land.

A timely book and one that has stayed with me long after I reached the final page.

Two children trapped in the same attic, almost a century apart, bound by a secret.

1907: Twelve-year-old Celestine spends most of his time locked in an attic room of a large house by the sea. Taken from his homeland and treated as an unpaid servant, he dreams of his family in Africa even if, as the years pass, he struggles to remember his mother’s face, and sometimes his real name . . .

Decades later, Lowra, a young orphan girl born into wealth and privilege, will find herself banished to the same attic. Lying under the floorboards of the room is an old porcelain doll, an unusual beaded claw necklace and, most curiously, a sentence etched on the wall behind an old cupboard, written in an unidentifiable language. Artefacts that will offer her a strange kind of comfort, and lead her to believe that she was not the first child to be imprisoned there . . .

 

The Attic Child is published by  Pan and is available from all good bookstores and online retailers.

 

 

 

The much awaited and acclaimed Signora Volpe will launch this Monday May 2nd on Acorn TV – so exciting

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To the casual observer, there’s nothing remarkable about Sylvia Fox. An attractive, intelligent woman in her forties, she answers questions about her work with vague references to an unspectacular career in the Civil Service. Which is only very slightly true – because until recently, Sylvia was a high-ranking British spy. Can you hear the roll of drums?

When Sylvia arrives in Italy for the wedding of her niece Alice, she’s disillusioned with her job
at MI6 headquarters in London, and in need of a break. But then the bridegroom disappears,
leaving a dead body in the lake at the bottom of his garden, and Sylvia takes it upon herself to
solve the mystery and save Alice from disaster.

Despite the unpromising start to her holiday, Sylvia is enchanted by Umbria, the green heart of
Italy, and is surprised and pleased to find herself reconnecting with her estranged sister Isabel,
who lives in the handsome hillside town of Panicale.

When she stumbles upon a beautiful, derelict old house, Sylvia decides to buy it, quit her job and start afresh., living the dream. 

But Sylvia was never cut out for a quiet life and finds herself involved in a fresh mystery each
week – from the disappearance of a young woman a quarter of a century ago, to the theft of a
truffle pig, and a blackmail plot against the son of a Russian politician. At first, Carabinieri
Captain Giovanni Riva resents Sylvia’s interference, but he soon begins to seek her help.
Perhaps Riva’s interest in Sylvia is not purely professional…  Indeed, thinks Frost Magazine. 

If a novel,  Signora Volpe would be unputdownable and here, on the screen, each episode will leave us panting for the next.

Success is assured with its great cast  including EMILIA FOX – SYLVIA FOX & EXECUTIVE PRODUCER who is familiar to us for her role as Dr Nikki Alexander in BBC’s Silent Witness. She started her career in acclaimed BBC adaptations such as Pride and Prejudice and ITV’s Rebecca. TARA FITZGERALD – ISABEL VITALE  who came to international attention when she starred with Hugh Grant in the Australian comedy Sirens with her career soaring ever upwards.  GIOVANNI CIRFIERA made his debut as an actor in two short films: La Rissa, Giornata di festa and Poveri Diavoli. Other theatrical roles followed in 2003 and 2004 and he is perfect for the role of Giovanni Riva.

Just make sure you watch the series to catch up on ALL the actors.

So now we come to the superb  writing that not only reflects the ambience of Umbria, and instills the series with a delicious sense of Italy and a new life to be lived, but also a tension, and a sense that this will be a hell of a ride. This is no surprise  when the writers, creators and executive producers are the extraordinary duo RACHEL CUPERMAN & SALLY GRIFFITHS who have been writing together for almost two decades, with multiple notches on their belts including six episodes of ITV’s  long-running flagship detective series Midsomer Murders. 

Finally to the star of the whole proceedings – the sun soaked glory of Umbria itself which lulls all who go  there into the belief that it is a wonderland. Indeed it is, but there’s always an underbelly in a drama,  where the tension coils  ready to unleash onto the unspecting viewer.

We are all in for a fabulous treat, and  we don’t have to wait long – Signora Volpe launches this coming bank holiday Monday, May 2nd, on Acorn TV.

Ep 1 will be available from midnight that day, Ep 2 on 9th May and Ep 3 on 16th May (in the Acorn territories of UK, Ireland, US, Canada, Australia & NZ).

You can sign up for a free month’s trial of Acorn directly through their website: https://signup.acorn.tv/ or via Amazon or Apple.

For a taster you can view the trailor of Signora Volpe HERE  

Signora Volpe is a Route 24 production, helmed by Executive Producers Josie Law and Marc Samuelson.

#SignoraVolpe and #AcornTV

 

 

 

Liza Pulman – The Heart Of It – show review by Paul Vates: “an intimate and fulfilling experience”

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at Riverside Studios (Studio 3), Hammersmith, London

“an intimate and fulfilling experience”

There is something beautifully old-fashioned, traditional, yet timeless about this show.

A compact sextet of incredible musicians, playing sumptuous music live and unleashed – sometimes supporting, other times taking the lead and letting fly.

Out front is the singer. She sparkles like the stars of old – Garland, Bassey, Streisand (especially Streisand). Performing ballads and blockbusters, at times sitting on the stool and pulling the crowd into her inner emotions, then belting out blockbusters – a variety of songs, some so well known they’re a part of our DNA, others unknown but glorious all the same.

It’s like being transported to one of those clubs you see in films, where the singer sings and the band plays on no matter what is happening. A jazz club vibe fills the studio and it’s an intimate and fulfilling experience.

Liza Pulman is the inaugural solo artist to perform in Studio 3 and the show is like a tribute to the Riverside Studios sumptuous history in entertainment, continuing the venue’s legacy. The Heart Of It is a well-oiled machine, a show that is slick and, at times, ever-so-slightly cheesy … which makes it all the more lovable.

With nodding heads, jiggling feet and drumming fingers, this show affects the audience in different ways. For me the spellbinding rendition of the James Bond theme Nobody Does It Better and the slow and jazzy version of the classic Happy Days Are Here Again stand out.

Liza is currently touring again with Fascinating Aida as well as performing this show, which launches her new album. The classic singer, the classic songs, the classic band. What more could you want…?

Photography Dom White – taken at Lichfield Festival

Performances until Saturday 30th April at 7.30pm

Location Riverside Studios, 101 Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith,

London W6 9BN

Tickets £30, available from https://www.riversidestudios.co.uk/

and 020 8237 1010

Running time 2 hours inc interval

Remaining Dates On Tour with The Heart Of It –

4th & 5th July at Wilton’s Music Hall, London

On Tour with Fascinating Aida –

Touring until 20th May 2022 – www.fascinatingaida.co.uk/tour-dates

Stream The Heart Of It – slinky.to/TheHeartofItLizaPulman

The Heart Of It tour dates & tickets www.lizapulman.com/tour-dates

Facebook @lizapulmanofficial

Twitter @liza_pulman

Instagram @pulmanliza

Website www.lizapulman.com

Sheila O’Flanagan Five Books That Changed Me.

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THE JEEVES OMNIBUS by PG Wodehouse

I’d always loved the look of the hardback books on my father’s shelf, but was aware that they were for grown-ups and I was only ten. But one day, having finished all the adventure books I’d borrowed from the library, I decided I’d have a crack at this. I chose it because I loved the art-deco cover and because I had to look up the word Omnibus in the dictionary. I also had to look up words like valet and feudal, but despite not having the faintest idea of how the British upper class lived, I was absolutely enraptured by the wit and humour of the writing. PG Wodehouse is still my go-to author when I need my spirits to be raised, and when I need to be reminded that English is a language rich in vocabulary and nuance. The Jeeves Omnibus marked my transition from children’s books to books for adults, and my appreciation of elegant, flowing language in the written word. After reading it, I insisted on borrowing every single PG Wodehouse book in the library.

PRINCESS DAISY by Judith Kranz

Most of the books I read during my teens and early twenties were American literary novels by writers like Steinbeck, Hemingway and Fitzgerald. There was a part of me that believed reading for pleasure was somehow a lesser pursuit, and that unless a book was reviewed as a worthy classic, I shouldn’t really be wasting time on it. And then I picked up Princess Daisy in the airport on my way to my first holiday abroad. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting but it had a heroine you could root for, as well as buckets of glamour and larger-than-life characters, and it was an absolute page turner. I’d never been gripped by a novel in quite this way before, and even though the book got some scathing reviews, I loved how invested I was in it. It made me realise that my view of ‘good writing’ was limited by a literary concept of what that should be, and that good storytelling was equally important.

LIGHT A PENNY CANDLE by Maeve Binchy

This novel centres around the relationship between to lifelong friends. During WW2, Elizabeth is evacuated from London to stay with Aisling’s family in Ireland, and even when she returns to England the two girls remain friends. Like many Irish people, we also had family in England who would come and stay with us every summer. My cousin and I, close in age, used to write each other long, detailed letters about our lives, hopes and dreams in the months when she was back in England. I saw this reflected in Light a Penny Candle, and it was probably the first time a novel actually mirrored part of my own life. Until then everything I read was about people very different to me. Now I realised that ordinary readers could see themselves in books too.

ANGELA’S ASHES by Frank McCourt

‘Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood’. McCourts memoir is a record of his miserable Irish Catholic childhood but it’s told with humour and empathy and, although my Irish Catholic childhood certainly didn’t match his for misery, it made me see that there are many different backgrounds and upbringings and many different stories to be told. Also, like Maeve Binchy, Frank McCourt was writing about Ireland. I’d always imagined that nobody would be interested in books set in Ireland but the location is irrelevant when the story is brilliantly told.

THE POWER by Naomi Alderman

So often in novels and in real life, the world view is set by men, and women are the bystanders, people to whom things happen, rather than people who make things happen. The Power turns this on its head and imagines a world in which women have a force within them with which they can dominate men. As I like to write novels with women front and centre, and shaping their own futures, I loved how this book ramped up the idea of how women could behave if they were physically superior to men. It asks lots of really interesting questions and forced me to think critically about power and how it’s both used and abused.

What Eden Did Next by Sheila O’Flanagan publishes 28th April 2022 in hardback, priced £20.00 (Headline Review)

A Daughter’s Hope by Donna Douglas

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A Daughter’s Hope is the conclusion to the Yorkshire Blitz trilogy by Donna Douglas. I do hope it’s not the last we see of the MacGuire family who are a fantastic bunch of characters – or are they real? They seem like it when you’re reading. It’s like peering into a window and watching as their lives unfold. Matriarch Big May MacGuire leaps from the page, a strong woman in charge of her noisy, squabbling, good-hearted brood.

It’s Autumn, 1942; the Blitz has come to an end and the residents of Jubilee Row begin to get their lives back on track. Twins Sybil and Maudie join the WAAF to do their bit for the war effort. The girls may be twins but each has their own personality, and they face their own struggles when it comes to adapting to force’s life and discipline.  Will they be able to thrive in this new environment?

Back in Hull, 42 year-old Florence, the eldest of May Maguire’s daughters, has a good job as supervisor of a typing-pool but feels thwarted when a new manager joins the staff and threatens to undermine her authority.

May understands Florence least of all her children and Florence’s strong independence keeps her hovering on the edge of family life. The love and awkwardness, the misunderstanding between the two women was gently revealed from the first chapter and I really enjoyed the complex relationship between Florence and her mum.

There is humour and warmth,  and a strong sense of making the best of things – there’s never a dull moment among the folks of Jubilee Row.

I have to say that having read the others in the trilogy this is my favourite. The plotlines are deftly interwoven and the skilled writing and storytelling draws the reader along until the very last page. I was sad when it came to an end.

I hope there’s more to come from the MacGuires, but if there isn’t I eagerly await the next book from Donna Douglas.

A Daughter’s hope by Donna Douglas is published by Orion and available from all independent bookstores, Amazon, and other online retailers from 28th April 2022 .

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Joffe has cracking new books for us all, and the Book of the Week will have you biting your nails as you turn the pages.

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Joffe’s  book of the week is DEAD ON DELIVERY,  a really gripping new thriller from bestselling author Steve Parker — out now for the special launch price of 99p | 99c.

Featuring the ambitious young Detective Superintendent Ray Paterson, and Britain’s most foul-mouthed and irreverent detective, DI Johnny Clocks, this action-packed crime thriller is not one to be missed.

Once you start, you won’t be able to put it down, so take it on a long  journey or you’ll get grumpy at being interrupted. Lord, so many twists and turns. It’s the sort of book that makes you want to read any others by this author.

CLICK HERE TO BUY DEAD ON DELIVERY BY STEVE PARKER FOR 99P | 99C.
                           

 

The Village Mysteries by Margaret Mayhew   1-4  OUT NOW — ONLY 99P | 99C

Get FOUR lovely cozy murder mysteries in one box set. Very good value it is too. 

Discover Frog End, a beautiful English village with some dark secrets, in this bestselling series of enchanting village mysteries starring your new favourite amateur detective, The Colonel.

 Blood Kin  by Matt Hilton only £1.99/$ 1.99

If you love Reacher, or books by Dean Koontz, David Baldacci or Lee Child, then you’ll devour this action-packed thriller from the bestselling author of the Joe Hunter series.

Murder at Abbey Head by Roy Lewis   only £1.99 / $1.99

Local history buff turned amateur sleuth Arnold Landon explores the murky depths of an ancient sea cave, uncovered by a violent storm.

Arnold stumbles on something impossible. A heap of human remains. Along with a tiny silver ID badge. Whoever killed the owner— twenty years ago — found the ultimate place to hide their crime. But how did they do it? Someone out there will stop at nothing to keep their secret.

A BOOK OF MURDER BY VICTORIA DOWD

Joffe are very excited to give  us an early look at A BOOK OF MURDER, the page-turning and as they say effortlessly entertaining new whodunnit by award-winning mystery novelist Victoria Dowd, available for pre-order now for 99p | 99c.

“I am over the moon to be publishing a new title in Victoria Dowd’s brilliant series. Victoria’s Smart Women are as clever as they are catty; and few authors are so adept at deploying such fiendish twists.

I absolutely love the set-up of this one: placing us right at the start of the court case following the murder, before diving into that murderous past is just fantastic.”

— Editorial Director Emma Grundy Haigh

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER THE BOOK OF MURDER BY VICTORIA DOWD FOR 99P | 99C.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH AN EXCLUSIVE COVER REVEAL FOR THE BOOK OF MURDER BY VICTORIA DOWD.

And click here to see all that Joffe Books has to  offer.