Race For Life - We Did It!!

Our dedications

I posted yesterday to tell you that my Mum & I were doing the Race For Life, those of you who follow me on Twitter will probably already know we completed it but I thought I'd tell you a bit more about it & share some pictures.  Thanks so much for your messages yesterday, Nan was an amazing woman & I think she'd have been proud of us both.

Waiting for the start

We had hoped that it would be a nice sunny day for the race but typical British weather meant it was very grey, raining and freezing cold!  It didn't seem to put anyone off though and there were hundreds of women and children lined up to take part.  As we all waited for the start there was a sea of pink in the park (although some of it was covered by raincoats lol) but luckily the cold didn't dampen everyone's spirit & we were all raring to go.

Mum just before we set off

After a warm up it was time to set off and we had a great time.  It was really moving to read the dedications people all had on their backs, but upsetting to think of how many lives cancer has effected.  Seeing young children with dedications to their mothers and cancer survivors walking for fellow patients really made you think. 

Some of the other's taking part

The Race For Life really is a great family event with mothers, daughters and grandchildren all taking part together, one woman who took part had only given birth 10 days ago and had her baby with her in a pushchair!  It isn't a massive walk (5K is just over 3 miles) and it takes about an hour to complete, even less if you decide to run it.  We took part in the event at Dunorlan Park in Tunbridge Wells which is a beautful setting and apart from the massive hill right near the end which nearly killed us it's a fairly gentle walk.

The killer hill (which is longer & steeper than it looks lol)

Mum & I completed the race in about 55 minutes, I'm sure we could have finished faster but when there are so many of you setting off at the same time you're kind of stuck at the same pace as everyone else.  We did overtake quite a few people though.  There was a lot of support from the crowd as you crossed the finishing line, and it felt really good to have taken part in something so important.

Me & Mum with our medals

We have already decided that we're going to sign up to take part again next year but are hoping for a nice sunny day!  In fact I've decided that next year I want to train to actually run the race (so if any of you are runners & have any training tips please let me know!).  They have 2 races at Dunorlan Park so I'm aiming to run the morning event and then walk the afternoon race with Mum.  I just hope next year is warmer because I'd lost feeling in my fingers and toes by the time we'd finished yesterday! 

Between us we have raised £120 so far which is fantastic and higher than we were aiming for so I'd like to give a massive thanks to everyone who has sposored us!

Why I'm doing the Race For Life

Me & my Mum

Today I'm very proud that my Mum and I are going to be taking part in the Race For Life, in fact as this post goes live we should be setting off on our 5k walk.  Yes, we're walking not running - one of the things about doing a very low calorie diet like I am, is that you can only do gentle exercise! - but at least we're taking part.  If you're not in the UK and have never heard of Race For Life it is a massive fund raising scheme organised by Cancer Research UK to raise money for their life saving research.  There are events all over the UK and literally thousands of women take part, mostly in memory or support of a loved one.  I think at the event we're attending today there will be about 2250 women taking part!

Betty Vaughan Stone nee Davies

My wonderful Nan

Back in 1973 my wonderful Nan was diagnosed with breast cancer, she was given a mastectomy and had radiotherapy.  She was told she had less than 5 years to live but my Nan was a determined woman and she wasn't going to take that diagnosis lying down.  Nan had 16 good years before the secondary bone cancer started to spread.  She suffered a great deal when side effects from the treatment and her bone cancer caused her spine to start crumbling, making it difficult for her to walk but still she refused to give in and continued to take her dogs to the park daily. I'm sure part of the reason she survived as long as she did was because of her positive attitude.  She fought long and hard and went on to live for another ten years before finally stomach and liver cancer took her from us.

This was a fabulous 26 years after her first diagnosis.  It was without doubt thanks to both my Nan's determination and the wonderful staff at Guys and St Thomas Hospitals who looked after her for so long.  In fact when she died back in 1999 she was Guy's Hospital's longest surviving patient on the then trial drug Tamoxifen. This breakthrough drug was brought about by research but cancer treatments have come even further since then and survival rates are increasing all the time.

If my Nan had died within 5 years of her diagnosis she would never have met any of her grandchildren but she went on to be able to spend time with all 7 of us and I'm so grateful that I had her in my life for 20 years.  Watching a loved one battle with a disease like cancer isn't something I would wish on anyone but it really makes you appreciate the time you have.  Watching my Nan fade away was the hardest thing I've ever done and I still miss her every day but I'm thankful for the time we had.

Cancer is a vicious disease and one we still have a lot to learn about it before we find a complete cure.  That's why the work done by Cancer Research UK is so important, they are the world's leading cancer charity and with their help we have seen cancer survival rates double within the last 40 years.  Considering that 300,000 people are diagnosed with cancer every year in the UK alone you can see why this is so important.  I'm pretty sure that you can all think of at least one person you know who has been effected by cancer at some point in their lives.  I hate to ask for sponsorship because I'm sure that everyone gives whatever they can to the charity of their choice already but if anyone would like to make a donation you can do so by clicking the button below.  Every penny you give can help make a massive difference and will be greatly appreciated.



Even if you can't afford a donation I hope you'll wish my Mum & I good luck for the race & I'll try to post an update later to let you know how we got on!

Review: My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece - Annabel Pitcher

Ten-year-old Jamie hasn't cried since it happened.  He knows he should have - Jasmine cried, Mum cried, Dad still cries.  Roger didn't, but then he is just a cat and didn't know Rose that well, really.

Everyone kept saying it would get better with time, but that's just one of those lies that grown-ups tell in awkward situations.  Five years on, it's worse than ever: Dad drinks, Mum's gone and Jamie's left with questions that he must answer for himself.

This is his story, an unflinchingly real yet heart-warming account of a young boy's struggle to make sense of the loss that tore his family apart.

Visit Annabel Pitcher's website or watch the trailer below for more information



Review:
5 years ago a terrorist attack that killed Jamie's sister Rose tore his family apart and they are still struggling to pick up the pieces.  His Mum was unable to cope with the constant reminders of her lost daughter and walked out of the family home while his father drinks to bury his pain.  Jamie barely remembers Rose, he was only 5 when she died, but the after effects of her death leave him struggling to cope.  His Dad has promised a new start when they move to the lake district but can they really find a way to reconnect as a family?

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece is a heartbreakingly real story of a family struggling to cope with the grief of losing a child.  The story is told by 10 year old Jamie who is a character it is impossible not to fall in love with.  He may barely remember Rose but his whole life has been profoundly effected by her loss and we get to follow him as he tries to make sense of what happened to his family.  Annabel Pitcher has perfectly captured the voice of a 10 year old and the things that Jamie comes out with often reminded me of my younger brother when he was that age.  Although the story is a sad one that made me cry several times it also managed to make me laugh out loud and left me feeling hopeful at the end.

At times I wanted to reach into the book and shake Jamie's parents, the way they ignored Jamie and his older sister Jasmine was infuriating!  I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it must be to loose a child though and although I was frustrated with his parents I also found myself feeling a great deal of sympathy for them.  I was far more concerned about the welfare of the children though and all I wanted to do was give them both a hug and tell them that somehow things would be OK.

Their Dad has promised Jamie & Jasmine that the move to the Lake District will be a new start for them all and that things will be different there.  They soon realise that this is not the case though, after all you can try to run from your problems but they'll always catch up with you in the end.  Jamie not only struggles with his home life but he now has to try and fit in at a new school and try to make new friends.  At first Jamie is horrified when he is made to sit next to Sunya in class - as his Dad regularly reminds him Muslims killed his sister - but watching their friendship develop as the story continues was one of the highlights for me.  Jamie quickly comes to realise that it wasn't Sunya or her family who caused the explosion that killed Rose but he knows that his father would never approve of their friendship and struggles with his guilt at keeping his new friend a secret.

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece is a beautifully written story that I would recommend to everyone.  The story deals with difficult issues such as terrorism, racism and bullying but it also shows how life goes on despite the terrible things that can happen.  Grief can tear a family apart but it can also bring you closer together if you let it.  As a debut novel this is an amazing achievement and Annabel Pitcher is definitely an author to watch out for in the future.

Source: I won this book in a Twitter giveaway by Nina from Orion

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Review: The Guardian Angel's Journal - Carolyn Jess-Cooke

When Margot Delacroix dies at forty, she is sent back to earth as a guardian angel - to herself.  Forced by divine mandate to re-experience and record her biggest mistakes and fiercest regrets from the beginning of her life to her untimely death, Margot is told she must not change any of her actions, but should simply learn from them.

Watching over her loved ones, Margot realises with horror that the reasons behind her teenage son's descent into trouble lie within her own actions.  And then an opportunity presents itself to make amends and save her son from his fate.

But the changes she makes result in consequences no one could expect . . .

Visit Carolyn Jess-Cooke's website for more information

Review:
When Margot dies at the age of 40 she is sent back to earth as her own guardian angel.  Now known as Ruth, it is her job to witness and record the biggest events in Margot's life, she must try to protect Margot from outside forces and she must learn to love herself.  As she watches over herself and her family she comes to realise that she is responsible for the trouble that her son now finds herself in but she has been told she must change nothing.  But is there a way that she can make things better for either herself or her son?

When I first read the description for The Guardian Angel's Journal I was fascinated by the idea of becoming your own guardian angel.  I'm sure the idea of going back and changing certain events and decisions we made in the past has a certain appeal to most of us, after all I think everyone can think of at least a few things they would like to change about their past!  For Ruth it is particularly difficult, as Margot she suffered horrendous abuse but even though she must watch these events unfold she is powerless to prevent them from happening.  She tries her hardest to make small changes but often her suggestions only make things worse.

It is easy for Ruth to love Margot as a child, after all she is suffering through no fault of her own, but as she watches the decisions Margot makes as an adult she finds it harder to forgive her mistakes.  Ruth must learn to accept that her childhood was to blame for a lot of her choices as an adult and it is hard for her to come to terms with the damage she then causes to her son and the rest of her family.  As a reader it could have been hard not to feel unsympathetic towards Margot as she passes on her suffering to a new generation but Carolyn Jess-Cooke did a fantastic job of making me relate to her and understand what she had been through.  The story is thought provoking and gives an interesting insight to how your past can effect your present in ways you don't always notice without the benefit of hindsight.

The Guardian Angel's Journal is a beautiful story that kept me up until 5am because I couldn't stop reading.  It is very different from anything that I've read before but something I would highly recommend.  It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel and I'm very much looking forward to seeing what the author comes up with next.

Source: Received from Piatkus in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:

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Review: Immortal War - Justin Somper

The Final Battle . . .

A bloody war is raging across the oceans, with the Pirate Federation and the Nocturnals allied against the renegade Vampirates let by Sidorio and a heavily pregnant Lady Lola.

Meanwhile, Connor and Grace Tempest each have their own important roles to play - he as a pirate warrior at the heart of the battle, she as a powerful healer working with the war-wounded.  As the twins face their greatest challenges yet, old allies and formeer foes return for the ultimate battle . . .






Vampirates Series:

Demons of the Ocean

Dead Deep (short story published in 2007 - doesn't have to be read to follow the series)

Tide of Terror

Blood Captain

Black Heart

Empire of Night
Immortal War

For more information visit the Vampirates website

Review:

There is nothing more satisfying (or scary!) as picking up the final book in a series you've come to love.  You've invested so much time reading the earlier books and the characters are like friends, you need to know what happens to them but you're worried that the book won't live up to your expectations and you're not ready to reach the end of your journey.  I'll admit I was nervous picking up Immortal War, how was Justin Somper going to top Empire of Night?  I shouldn't have been worried though, each book in the series has been consistantly better than it's predesessor and Immortal War was no exception to that - it was a fitting end to a fantastic series and I'm sure it will satisfy the fans.

I don't really want to go into much detail on the plot because I want other fans to be able to savour the experience of reading this for themselves.  As the title suggests the war to end all wars is on and the characters we know and love are all in the thick of things.  Grace has grown into a powerful healer and is kept busy as the war casualties begin to mount up.  Connor on the other hand is right in the middle of the action working alongside Cheng Li, the pirates and Nocturnals to put a stop to the threat by Sidorio and the Vampirates.  The battle will be hard and as fans will already know Justin Somper isn't afraid of putting major characters in harms way - all I'm going to say is keep tissues to hand when you're reading!

I was on the edge of my seat from the prologue and the action just doesn't stop until the very last page - you're in for another rollercoaster ride with Immortal War so prepare to be left breathless!  Connor and Grace both develop new and interesting abilities that are a major asset to the Alliance, Connor is still struggling to come to terms with what he is and even Moonshine does some growing up.  The alliance between the Pirate Federation and the Nocturnals has made great progress but there is still a very real risk that the Vampirates could win the war.  Allies both old and new are set to make an appearance and I'm sure some will come as quite a surprise. 

I loved the way we get to see so many loose ends tied up but there are still a couple of new developments that are left open and I really hope we get to see more of this series at some point in the future.  Although you could probably pick up Immortal War and read it as a stand alone story I would highly recommend reading the series in order.  Whatever your preference just make sure you don't miss out, start your Vampirates journey today!

Source: Received from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review.

Other Reviews:

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Author's Animal Antics - Justin Somper + International Giveaway

* UPDATE - THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED - Winners announced here *

Author's Animal Antics is a regular blog feature here at Feeling Fictional where I'm very excited to have some fantastic authors come and chat to us about their pets or share animal related stories.  I haven't had as much time to organise this feature recently so it's been a while since the last post but I'm thrilled to introduce Justin Somper as my guest today...

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Justin with Bella & Bailey

Bailey & Bella

When I was asked how influential my two dogs, Bailey and Bella, have been on the VAMPIRATES books, my first reaction was to say… not much, really! I’ve never been tempted to write Vampirate dogs into the books. I’ve done Vampirate cowboys and I’ve done Vampirate highwaywomen but I think Vampirate dogs really would be a step too far! Nor have I drawn on either dog’s personality to develop a character based on them – though I inherited Bella from previous owners and one of her former names was Lola! How spooky is that? I’m glad that when I got her, she was already responding to Bella. It would have been too weird for me crying out “Lola!” as I walked around the woods in the morning.

Bailey

If anything, I’m tempted to say, my dogs – much as I love them - are a positive hindrance to the creative process. Not least when I have my huge chapter-grids laid out on my office floor and they come in and sit on them or make off with one of my vital post-it notes!

Bailey "helping" with the writing process!

Is that a reward for Bailey's writing skills?

But actually thinking about it, they are a part of the writing process. Pretty much every morning, I take them for a walk first thing – around the woods or across the heath near where I live in North London. This walk is quality time with them. You only have to spend time with dogs to see that a walk isn’t just about physical exercise – it’s complete mental and sensory overload for them! But for me, the morning walk, serves another purpose. It can be a meditative start to the day and it’s certainly a great opportunity to ponder where I’m at in the book and any niggling problems regarding the plot or characters. It’s amazing how beneficial repetitive exercise is for resolving such conundrums. I’m often asked how to prevent or combat “writer’s block” and my two answers are 1) to plan out the story in advance (hence my chapter grids) and 2) if you get stuck to go for a walk or a swim etc.

Bella with Justin

Justin with Bailey

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Thank you so much for visiting today Justin, I love all the pictures of Bailey & Bella - I have to admit the ones with the reinder antlers are my favourites!  Justin is currently taking part in a blog tour to celebrate the release of the final book in the Vampirates series, Immortal War.  If you haven't yet discovered this series it really is one you should check out!  Don't forget to check out the other tour stops too (you can find a list on my sidebar).  I'll be posting my review of Immortal War later today but I'll tell you now that I thought it was my favourite book in the series and rounded things off really well.

The Vampirates Series:

The Final Battle . . .

A bloody war is raging across the oceans, with the Pirate Federation and the Nocturnals allied against the renegade Vampirates let by Sidorio and a heavily pregnant Lady Lola.

Meanwhile, Connor and Grace Tempest each have their own important roles to play - he as a pirate warrior at the heart of the battle, she as a powerful healer working with the war-wounded. As the twins face their greatest challenges yet, old allies and formeer foes return for the ultimate battle . . .

Find out more about Justin and his work here - The Vampirates Website / Twitter / The Vampirates Facebook Page

For more information about the Author's Animal Antics feature click here

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Giveaway Details:

This is such a fab series that I've decided to include an international giveaway.  The winner can choose any book they like from the Vampirates series (either Demons of the Ocean, Tide of Terror, Blood Captain, Black Heart, Empire of Night or Immortal War) so whether you're new to the series or you're desperately waiting for the final installment you can still enter.

• I will be ordering the winner one of the Vampirates books from the Book Depository so the giveaway is international as long as Book Depository delivers to you (check here to make sure you can enter)
• I'm keeping this giveaway really simple so all you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post for Justin.
• You have until the 17th of June to enter and the winner will be announced on my blog soon afterwards.
• The winner will have 1 week to contact me with their address and their book choice so I can order their prize or a new winner will be chosen.
• If you're under 16 you are welcome to enter but you will need to make sure you have a parent or guardian's permission and if you are the winner you must get them to contact me with an address to send your prize to.
• There are no extra entries for spreading the word or for following my blog but if you choose to do either I'd really appreciate it :o)

Review: Lover Unbound - J.R. Ward

In Caldwell, New York, war rages between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Now the cold heart of a cunning predator will be warmed against it's will....

Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous, son of the Bloodletter, possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a pretrans growing up in his father's war camp, he was tormented and abused. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of a human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time - until a destiny he didn't choose takes him into a future that cannot include her....

The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series:
The Story of Son (novella set in the BDB world but about completely unrelated characters)
Dark Lover
Lover Eternal
Lover Awakened
Lover Revealed
Lover Unbound
Lover Enshrined
The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider's Guide
Lover Avenged
Lover Mine
Lover Unleashed
Lover Reborn
Lover at Last
The King
The Shadows
The Beast (2016)

The Fallen Angels Series:
(This is a spin off series set in the same world with a slight crossover of characters)
Covet
Crave
Envy
Rapture
Possession
Immortal

Black Dagger Legacy:
(A second spin off series that stars the original characters from BDB and the new recruits they're training)
Blood Kiss

Visit J.R. Ward's website for more information

Review:
I've been a fan of Vishous since early in the series so understandably I was looking forward to his story but unfortunately Lover Unbound didn't live up to my expectations. I've always liked the way J.R. Ward includes several different plot lines in the books so that although the focus is on the main couple we are also getting to know future heroes better and building up anticipation for the next book. However this time around I felt like there were so many other things going on that V & Jane's romance was too far in the background. I wanted to see more of this couple together and because I didn't I was left feeling unsatisfied with their romance.

The story started off strongly with a really interesting revelation about V's parentage which had me hooked, I couldn't wait to see how it played out but I was disappointed with the treatment V receives from someone who is supposed to care for him. I can't say who without spoilers but so I'm just going to say I had some serious hate going on for his newly found family member! They had managed to redeem themselves a little by the end but I would have liked this to happen sooner. I was happy with the way V and Butch resolved their relationship issues and glad to see closure on that part of the story line but I wanted more action with V and Jane. Don't even get me started on the ending or I'll be here for hours (it was unbelievably frustrating!) but you'll have to read the story for yourself to find out if you agree with me or not.

For me the best part of this book was getting to see more of John Matthew, Blaylock & Quinn. I love all of these characters and can't wait to get to their books! While I like Phury I felt he took over too much of the story but perhaps that is because I'm re-reading the series now and I already know that Phury's story is my least favourite (in fact I'm not even sure if I can bring myself to re-read it!). I honestly can't remember disliking his parts in Lover Unbound so much the first time I read it so hindsight isn't always a good thing.

Overall while I still love the Black Dagger Brotherhood series I am disappointed that V didn't get a better story, I feel like if we'd spent more time with him this could have been a brilliant book. Having said that it is still worth reading Lover Unbound if you're a fan of the series, even if it's more for the continuing stories of the other characters. If you haven't already started the books I would definitely recommend reading the series in order though, you really would miss out if you picked it up halfway through.

Source: Purchased

Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.