Beware Facebook Hackers!

Using social media carries a risk, but I never realised how harmful it could be to some people – at least, not until I discovered more about certain hackers that breached my Facebook account last year.

In May I wrote an article describing how hackers had found a way into my Facebook page to extort money using my credit card. And if you own a Facebook page (and most of us in business, authors, artists etc. do…) how many have you have seen countless messages like the one below?

NEVER CLICK THAT LINK. Messenger is an easy way for any scumbag to send you a link. If the notification came from Meta, they’d send an email.

Referring to my own case, I never did get a response from Facebook. No explanation, no apology, nothing! However, this post is not an excuse to have another rant. This follow up post is to convey a warning, so please read on.

The Other Victim in this Scam

It has now emerged that the Facebook PAGE and video on which my account was used for awarding ‘meta stars’ belonged to an artist. She contacted me after receiving my email asking what the hell was going on with her page? I mean, did she know Facebook ‘meta stars’ for her video content were being charged to my account?

Since communicating, Victim 2 read my article and was happy for me to write a follow up. But the information she gave me was alarming!

“My Facebook Artist Page got hacked back in January and I haven’t been able to get anyone to do anything about it. I’ve reported it a million times and after having to create new accounts got my personal friends to report it and nothing happened. I even submitted and filed a report with the FBI.”

After replying to her, she went on to tell me:

“I’m feeling more and more like this is an inside job from Facebook. The original bait the hacker used on me in January came in the form of a Facebook alert telling me that someone had reported my Facebook page as not me and took me to a link requiring me to verify my account. 

As soon as I verified the account and password boom! The scammer immediately took over my account and started posting porn on my private page that was connected to my public Artist page.”

I cannot imagine anything more upsetting! This calls to mind the dozens of Facebook alerts I received via messenger with regards to my pages.

The bait is the link in the message, even though they look like they have been sent by the Meta Corporation. That link however, is nothing but a sneaky back door for hackers to gain access to your account. I am sure many people have wised up to the fact you should NEVER click a link on a suspect message. But hackers use the vilest tactics to scare people to get them to open that door. 

DON’T. Just delete the message.

Unfortunately, it didn’t end there for the artist.

“My private page got pinged automatically from Facebook locking me out of not only my public Artist page but all four Facebook and linked Instagram pages.  I lost about 5 thousand customers, other artists and art galleries that I had worked with, etc. Every time I reported it to Facebook I just received an automated response saying they wouldn’t take the page down and didn’t find anything wrong with the page.”

The Artist page on Facebook remains. She has even tried posting warning comments, but the hacker hides them every time. Furthermore, she hasn’t been able to do anything about this nor has had any control over her page since she has been locked out. I find that sinister!

She finishes by saying: “As a last resort I also reported this to my local sheriff and the FBI cyber crime website. I’ve now also posted a scam alert warning on my website.”

What else can you do?

As she suggests, this could be an inside job but what does the founder, Mark Zuckerberg, care? Imagine a monster; a creator who started a craze that made him one of the richest men in the world, yet despite being worth multiple billions, his corporation still has to find new ways of robbing us.

No wonder the victims targeted never get a satisfactory reply out of Facebook. There is no customer service team on Facebook and if there was, they would do anything to stop these scams, not enable the hackers.

You have been warned.

Creative Corner The Finale

I’ll write one last post about my recent creative flare, but I’ve enjoyed taking some time out to do something different (from blogging and writing, that is).

The area around the patio certainly looks more colourful, since I added the gemstone plaque and glass pebble sun catcher. I still had that piece of bark, foraged from my wood hunt, so I tried attaching some picture hooks to the underside. It worked, which called to mind another design I had spotted on Pinterest; a different style of sun catcher, using beads.

Project 3: Rainbow Bead sun catcher

I must say, I am rather pleased with this one. I already had some beads my mum gave me from an old necklace she had that was broken. These are crystal beads that glitter in lots of different colours in the light (does anyone know what these are called?) but they’re the big ones at the bottom and some of the smaller beads in the centre.

The rest I bought from Temu, (an online web store, selling incredibly cheap stuff) and I also got hold of some nylon cord from there, to thread the strands. The method is fairly self-explanatory, but once the strands were threaded, I just tied them to the hooks on the underside of the bark. The last item I needed was some fine silver wire, from Hobbycraft, to make a handle for hanging it in place. Unfortunately, I don’t have much strength in my hands, so twisting the ends into spirals was hard, resulting in slightly wonky ends… But the way it sparkles in the sunlight is a joy to watch with little flashes radiating off the beads.

Update

Since writing this article I made some improvements to this design. The ends of the beads are finished with silver-plated callottes (to hide the knots), a handy purchase from Hobbycraft. I also stumbled across a pair of 3-in-1 fine pliers, which made the job of creating a new handle so much easier, with neat spirals at each end. I’ll take new photos next summer.

Project4: Watering Can sun catcher

This one I really enjoyed making and yes, I saw it on Pinterest, too. Such a clever idea, though, using a watering can to make a garden ornament. My wonderful mum helped me out again, donating an old metal watering can with a rose (as you need one that you can screw on and off.)

Threading the cord through the holes was the first stage: 8 outer holes and 4 inner holes, meaning I needed enough beads to thread 12 strands. Finding the right beads involved another trip to Hobbycraft, but it sells lovely loose ones. I still had a few of Mum’s crystal beads but paired them up with extra glass beads, some clear, some opaque or pearlescent. Sticking to mainly blues and greens, I wanted to give the illusion of water pouring from the spout.

The final touch was to purchase some crystal chandelier pendants as it was easy to tie the ends onto the jump rings, tucking the ends back through the centres of the bottom beads.

The end result is just amazing and I love the colours. The pendants were worth the extra money and effort, since they look different, depending on the light. The next photo was taken when the sun was setting and in the last image, you can see how much the sunlight flashes when they catch the beads.

Anyway, that’s it for now and I’ve finished making ornaments for the garden. The nights are drawing in but September has been a nice month, with plenty of sunshine to enjoy my creative projects. I have quite a lot of beads left and the next items I make will be gifts.

Last of all I would just like to say I’ve had a lot of fun making these things and it’s been great for my mental health. I would definitely recommend trying a creative project to enhance a positive state of well-being.

Do Social Media Companies Employ Real People?

I have to ask but is there anyone out there (and I mean a human) who works for the social media company, known as Meta (formerly Facebook?)

Something happened on my account recently that caused me concern, yet getting any customer support was impossible!

Notifications

Who checks their notifications on Facebook? I looked on May 29th and thank God I did, as I spotted 3 that completely mystified me – all receipts for something known as “meta stars” (which I’d never heard of) – each totalling £25.

What are Facebook Meta stars?

I asked Google: Facebook Stars is a feature that allows you to monetize your video and audio content. Viewers can buy Stars and send them to you while you’re live or on past live videos that had Stars enabled. For every Star you receive, Facebook will pay you $0.01 USD.

Each transaction revealed I had given 2,235 stars to a video. This immediately struck me as strange, since I could not remember authorising them. But now the alarm bells were ringing I checked my credit card. Sure enough the 3 mystery transactions were showing, totalling nearly £75.

But if that wasn’t enough, the same transactions had been on issued on May 30th! So there were now 6 fraudulent transactions.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I took action:
1) I disabled my payment method on Facebook (credit card for running ads)
2) Changed my password
3) Contacted my credit card company to report the fraudulent transactions (and they also issued a new card and stopped the current one)
4) Attempted to report this to Facebook.

Facebook Customer service

Try reporting a problem on Facebook! It’s an absolute joke and even as I write this (July 5th) I’ve still had NO EXPLANATION WHATSOEVER from Meta. You go through their help desk, you report a problem and get nothing but an automated reply, no doubt generated by a single word picked out by their AI robots.

I had already reported the issue in as much detail as possible, but sent a reply, concluding: “your new ‘Stars’ initiative has given cyber criminals a new platform to steal money from Facebook users!”

I thought that might jolt some response, but no… they don’t give a shit! Why should they? Allowing criminals to carry out fraud is what Facebook is all about really and as long as Meta is making money, that’s all that matters. They don’t care about the victims being scammed.

After 3 more emails all identical to the first one, I gave up. But I wrote this to pass on a warning and that is if you have social media, remove any payment methods immediately if you’re using them. I even wonder if whoever did this actually works for Meta and had access to customer accounts. It would never surprise me, but until I get some answers from a human and not a robot, this will remain unresolved with more people being robbed and Meta doing nothing to stop it! I was lucky, I could have lost so much money!

And on the subject of AI

People have good reason to be worried, especially with countries like China investing heavily in AI. But could this be where the greed of mankind finally brings about our downfall? Global giants replacing humans with robots is a progressive trend and as a species we are becoming redundant. I wonder how long it will take though, before our synthetic counterparts are so intelligent they will be able to self-replicate, then look at their billionaire CEOs and think what do we need these slobs for?

I’m not that worried but remain convinced that not a single human being works for meta now and look forward to someone proving me wrong.

#BookPromotion for Mental Health Awareness Week

It’s been a year since I launched ‘Lethal Ties,’ my debut psychological thriller novel set in Sussex. But with memories of last year’s PR campaign, I want to focus on the underlying mental health message in this story and use it to promote awareness.

How many of us struggle?

Every day I hear of more and more people struggling with their mental health and it comes as a relief that we are finally beginning to open up. It’s been a taboo subject for decades but no-one wants to admit they feel depressed or they’re a failure, right?

Wrong.

It is important to become aware, to be supportive, encourage people to seek help and rebuild a sense of self worth in those who are struggling. Mental Health effects us all in society. The news of a man’s suicide in 2020 had a huge impact on me, never mind the grief for his friends and family. I interviewed Graham Levell in 2019 to learn about his experiences growing up in care and working in residential children’s homes. Yet never once did I imagine this seemingly confident, extrovert young man could be suffering with bi-polar disorder – nor that he would be in such a dark place he might ultimately end his own life.

What can we do to prevent such tragedies repeating themselves?

Mental Health Awareness Week runs from May 9th to May 13th in the UK and I have been keeping an eye on the website of MIND, one of the leading Mental Health charities.

This week they are sharing various stories to change the way we think and speak about mental health problems – to encourage people to reach out for support, whatever their experience of mental health. Here’s something that appeared in a recent newsletter.

“Taking some time out, to make time for a cup of tea with a friend or loved one, can be the opportunity to explore how we are feeling. With 1 in 4 people experiencing a mental health problem, it’s important we make the time to check in on those we care about. The good thing is you don’t need to be an expert on mental health to offer your support. Sometimes the simple outlet of a catch-up over a cup of tea can show you are there for them which can make a huge difference.”

No one really knows what goes on in another person’s mind but here are some of my own thoughts on the subject.

Is self doubt holding you back?

Talking to people, I wonder how many problems are exacerbated by our sense of self worth. Let’s face it society has become more competitive, especially with social media. Day by day it is impossible not to compare ourselves to others who appear more successful, be it their job status, the number of holidays they take – or constantly feeling judged on our physical appearance.

Being a writer, I struggle in the self-esteem department. I have always doubted my abilities in life and put this down to growing up with a father who was constantly boasting about the successes of his colleagues’ children, from their higher school grades and university placements (i.e. many got straight As and went to Oxford), to scoring brownie points on how much money they earned, what car they were driving etc. etc. Sadly, this is not uncommon with academics, but if only parents realised how much this constant comparison can damage us kids emotionally! 

Consequently, I have always considered myself a failure when in truth, I should rejoice what I have accomplished; a happy marriage, less work stress through managing our own web design business at home, enough income to enjoy a quality life. We are not rich but make the most of what we’ve got, cherish where we live, our dog walks on the beach, long walks in the countryside, a garden and reasonably good health. I tell myself to embrace everything good in life and that sadly, there are others far worse off.

Writing books has been an achievement, although not that successful. And here is where that mother of all demons kicks in again: self doubt.

Recently, a friend (a successful published author, no less), told me I was a good writer and yet I couldn’t quite bring myself to believe this. 

Is it because I haven’t been accepted by a publisher? That despite her accolade, I don’t have hundreds of reviews like other author friends. Neither can I seem to achieve that all important ‘best seller’ badge on Amazon.

But it is nice to be told ‘I write well’, even if I lack confidence. I can say that last year sales of Lethal Ties were good; I had a successful blog tour and only this year did sales fall flat. Reason? Well, when it comes to book marketing I am pretty rubbish at it!

I know I’m not alone. Loads of self-published indie authors struggle, despite the high quality of their books. Yet it doesn’t make them failures.

A Book Promotion

So to turn things around, I am running a new book promotion. I tried to get onto BookBub, only to suffer more angst when they rejected my featured deal submission, thinking my book wasn’t good enough! But on further investigation, there is more work to be done, to be successful. I’ll just have to try again. In the meantime, I’ve submitted my novel to three different book promotion sites for which it has been accepted: The Fussy Librarian, Book Adrenalin and Bargain Booksy. The deal runs from 9th-13th May during Mental Health Awareness Week and for all 7 days, readers can download Lethal Ties for just 99p (or 99c in the US.)

It’s hard work and costly, but the only way to get a book in front of more readers.

Going back to the subject of mental health there is no denying that negative thoughts hold you back in life. I’ve included a couple of examples in Lethal Ties:

Chapter 8

Jess was my best friend. Blonde, bubbly and as extrovert as I was introvert. At one point I even contemplated taking a walk down to the Waverley, since I was bound to bump into someone familiar. On the other hand, did I really want to risk being surrounded by strangers? It wasn’t the same without Jess, an expert in small talk and always the one to get the conversation rolling… How I wished I could be more like her.

Find out what becomes of Maisie and how she combats her fears.

READ MORE

Chapter 52

Stepping out of the shower, he rubbed the steam off the mirror. His reflection stared back through swirls of condensation, and pausing to take a look at himself, he wondered what Jess saw in him. His skin looked clear, stretched tautly over sharp cheek bones, his unruly dark hair in need of a cut. Jess insisted she liked it. Yet in the shadow of Sam’s radiance, he saw the same ugly little tearaway Mortimer had alluded to...

Why is Joe worried? Maybe his childhood memories of Mortimer are trivial, given what his enemies are planning behind the scenes.

Download Lethal Ties for 99p/99c today

With all this in mind though, I want to end on a positive note, which brings me back to the issue of self doubt and challenging negative thought patterns.

Learn to accept yourself for what you can do and not what you can’t.

The Joy of Making Sourdough

Just for a change I’m writing a post about cooking. I began making sourdough over 2 years ago, when my Mum bought me a kit for Christmas. I had great results too, until the culture ran out… Then in April 2021 my sister grew her own sourdough culture and generously donated a jar full to me.

This culture has been a huge success and makes a great loaf every time.

So… as we were visiting friends in Wales this month, I took them a loaf. This recipe is for Nicki, as a thank you for being a wonderful host and giving us a most enjoyable few days in her beautiful house in Ferryside, Wales, which she runs as an Air BnB.

Sourdough Recipe

The recipe below came from BBC Good Food Magazine, (my culture ready made), but for those who want to create their own, here is the link. The next few steps demonstrate each step of this recipe, but with a few tweaks of my own.

Stage 1 Activating the Culture

The culture lives in our fridge (dormant state), but as this is a 48 hour process, it needs bringing out and feeding beforehand. If I’m baking a loaf on Sunday, I get the jar out of the fridge on Friday. This is a living culture that breeds. It’s advisable to pour half away first (or give it to a friend) but it looks pretty yucky! Expect to see a murky grey/brown liquid on the top and it smells like old wine. First it needs a stir, then feed it with 50g of flour and 50g of tepid water, mix well and cover loosely. As it wakes up, it forms bubbles so the jar needs to be big enough to accommodate it all.

The last picture is my active culture left at room temperature for 12 hours.

Stage 2 The Levain

After 12 hours the culture should be bubbly and light. Before you go to bed add a big dollop of the mixture to a bowl (1 large tablespoon will do), add another 50g of flour and 50g of tepid water. Mix well and cover loosely with a cloth. Then leave overnight.

Stage 3 making The Dough

By the following morning I have a bowl of levain which is soft, light and bubbly, the mixture I use to bake my bread. This recipe is for a single loaf but the ingredients may be doubled to make 2 as specified in the Good Food recipe.

In a large mixing bowl add 500g of flour and here, you can experiment. You can use all white flour but I like to use half white and half Sainsbury’s ‘Taste the Difference’ wholegrain seeded flour (250g each). Mix together and hollow out a well.

Add 300g of tepid water to the levain and mix gently to combine. The levain should foam on the surface as you add the water but use a plastic spatular to scrape all the gunk from the inside of the bowl, then pour this into the flour. I use a dough whisk to mix everything together, making a rough dough with all the flour incorporated evenly, so that there are no dry bits clinging to the sides of the bowl. Cover and leave somewhere warm for at least 30 mins or up to 4 hrs.

The sourdough mixture

stage 4 Working the dough

After the dough has rested, it’s time to work on it and this is where the magic starts to happen! Uncover the bowl and sprinkle 10g of salt over the dough (I have artisan salt left over from my original sourdough kit). Next weigh 25g of water and sprinkle this over too, then with clean hands squish and scrunch the salty water through the dough. At first it goes wet, lumpy and stringy but keep on squelching away and gradually the texture becomes smooth and more even.

I made a short video for this. When the dough is smooth, roll it in a tight ball, cover with the damp muslim cloth again and leave for 15 minutes.

Next, wet your hands. Grab the dough on one side and stretch it up and fold it back over. Turn 45˚ and repeat on the other side. This helps develop the gluten.

Curl it right over itself into a ball, cover and leave for 20-30 minutes (not 15 as I said in the 2nd video).

Repeat the above stretch, fold and curl technique. Leave for another 20-30 minutes. Repeat these steps once more (do this 3 times in total).

The dough should be soft and smooth so after a 3rd repetition, it needs covering and leaving for a few hours in a warm place. Hopefully it will rise and start to form bubbles.

Sourdough left to rise

Stage 5 Proving the dough overnight

It is usually 8-9pm when I turn my risen dough onto a floured work surface and roll it into a ball. Ideally buy a proving basket. Mine came from Lakeland, (a birthday present from my kind sister) and has a lovely bamboo spiral. The basket needs dusting generously too, but with rice flour which doesn’t stick to the dough. The basket comes with a little hessian cap so I pop this on then leave it in the fridge overnight.

Stage 6 baking the loaf

Next morning I uncover my basket to find a risen and bubbly dough. So the final stage is to light the oven (gas mark 8, 230C/210C fan) and line a heavy lidded pot with baking paper or parchment foil. Dust the top of the dough with more flour and ease it out of the basket, turn it over and lower it into the parchment lined pot. The pot however, has to be heated, so lift it out, using the parchment and return to the basket for now – then place the pot in the oven to heat for a few minutes. Be careful, it gets very hot!

Cooking pot

Cooking pot and parchment

The lined pot and dough

Transferred to a basket

The pot I bought for this was a Velaze cast iron enamel casserole dish from Amazon (we were in lockdown, otherwise I would have bought it in the high street) but it’s been so useful, not just for making sourdough but as a nice cooking pot.

Take the heated pot out of the oven and using the parchment paper for handles, carefully lift the dough from the proving basket and place it inside the pot. Put the lid on and return the pot to the oven (middle-high shelf) and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the lid. The bread should be baked and beautifully risen with cracks on the top, but needs another 10 minutes in the oven without the lid.

This extra time will brown the crust. Once done, remove from the oven and carefully transfer onto a wire rack. Delicious cut into thick slices with butter and honey, or with mushrooms and a poached egg. Mmmmm…… Heaven!

I hope your find this article helpful. Next time I’m posting some writing news, including a new edition of a previous book and a special promotion coming soon.

Farewell to 2021: The Best Bits

It seems hard to believe that this time last year we were in lockdown. Households could not mix, denying many people the opportunity to see their loved ones. At least this year ended on a high note with more families re-united at Christmas. Maybe we can look forward to a more optimistic New Year ahead of us.

Looking back, I started the new year 2021 with a list.

10 THINGS I MOST LOOKED FORWARD TO DOING (AFTER LOCKDOWN)

Inviting my family around for a meal
Meeting up with our walking group and a pub lunch
A visit to a tourist attraction
To book a cottage in the West Country for a holiday
A trip to London and Covent Garden
Hugging people and cuddles
Planning a book launch (hopefully at the Waverley)
Getting another dog
Visiting our friends, Jason and Nicki, in Wales
Enjoying a proper family celebration at Christmas

I can happily say I achieved 8 out of 10 from that list! I’m a great believer in a lists. They help declutter thoughts, give me goals to achieve and ticking things off can actually be very satisfying, leading to an enhanced sense of positivity.

Staying Positive: THE HIGHLIGHTS

Meeting up with our walking group and a pub lunch

For the first quarter of 2021, we couldn’t organise group walks. With restrictions being slowly lifted though, our walking group was reinstated in April, starting with a lovely walk from Bury Hill. But one of the best highlights was seeing a most stunning display of bluebells around Slindon Woods. Then, as local pubs started to re-open, we enjoyed a long awaited meal at the George, Eartham, in June.

A Family Meal

The first time our family got together for a long awaited meal was at Easter. Mixing indoors was still forbidden, but given the fine weather, we enjoyed a fabulous lunch in my Sister’s garden on Good Friday. It seemed such a momentous occasion.

Hugs and Cuddles

I can’t remember the first time I hugged Mum, but it must have been March 2020 before social distancing measures were enforced. In the moment it happened, it felt strange. We clung to each other as if afraid to let go. The future still felt uncertain and with no-one really knowing what was around the corner, we knew Covid 19 had not gone, despite the vaccination being rolled out.

But with new variants evolving, will it ever be truly over? Such uncertainty causes anxiety. Just embrace what you have and live life for the present.

First Getaway in Two Years

With this in mind, we took the bull by the horns and at the first opportunity, booked a cottage in Somerset. It was at the beginning of May, when social distancing measures were still in place and tourist attractions such as museums were not yet open.

At least it wasn’t too crowded. Making the most of this idyllic rural area, we explored the Jurassic Coast, took woodland walks and discovered some charming villages. The highlight was visiting Glastonbury, a magical place surrounded by hills. This much needed break certainly made us appreciate our freedom to travel again.

Some Highly Recommended Tourist Attractions

As summer progressed, more tourist attractions finally re-opened their doors to the public and with a welcome spate of sunshine, we took delight in visiting West Dean Gardens in June. This year they had a spectacular display of Delphiniums.

Also in June, Sussex residents were gifted with a most amazing field of poppies at the top of Goodwood Trundle. They do say the best things in life are free but nothing could compare to the density and vibrancy of these blooms.

On my birthday we visited Wisley Gardens in Surrey, one of the world’s great gardens, packed with horticultural inspiration; a variety of gardens from sub-tropical to educational.

On Peter’s birthday we ventured to Arundel Castle, which featured a Medieval festival in the grounds; market stalls, archery contests, food… wandering inside the castle was intriguing but most of all we loved the gardens.

It was a pleasure to return to Leonardslee Gardens in May, renowned for its ancient Rhododendrons and Azaleas in every conceivable shade; and the Sculpture Park, Surrey, in November, with its continually changing display of exhibits, set around lakes and wooded paths.

Planning a book launch

For me personally, getting my novel, Lethal Ties, in front of the eyes of the public was my best achievement. With my book published in April, I ventured down a thrilling path, starting with a radio interview in May, a book launch at Chichester Festival in July then a book signing event at the Waverley Pub in August. In November, I participated in the launch of a booklet, Fiction Set in Bognor Regis, alongside other authors, and in December joined forces with Gunvor Johansson, signing books and organising a fundraising raffle at the Waverley and at West Park Cafe, raising £105 for Stonepillow. I have never done much in the way of PR for my books but was grateful of the help and expertise of my author friend, Dan Jones. Lethal Ties was intended to be a dark psychological thriller set in Bognor and Sussex, but the writing and research also encouraged me to promote mental health awareness and positive thinking.

Getting another dog

Every now and again my husband I looked at websites with a view to getting another dog. The Dogs Trust, Mount Noddy, Battersea Dogs home… one would think after lockdown there would be hundreds of dogs in need of a forever home. We didn’t have much success and to our further aggravation, the price of puppies had tripled from when we first started looking in 2020. With several new charities popping up such as the Wild at Heart Foundation, we even applied to adopt a puppy from abroad. Nothing happened. But we didn’t give up. Then in August, Peter stumbled across a website, Many Tears Animal Rescue. A border collie who looked almost identical to our last dog, Barney, caught his eye. The only stipulation we couldn’t fulfil was not having another dog in residence. They did however, have a 12 week old collie cross puppy, where no such restrictions prevailed, so Peter made a first tentative application…

Imagine our joy when they phoned us before the August Bank Holiday, asking if we could collect the puppy the following Tuesday? My heart could have exploded!

Driving to Llanelli in Wales and back in a day was a challenge but well worth it. Autumn moved into our home exactly two years after the day Barney died and I can honestly say, she is the best thing that’s happened in our lives this year.

A proper family celebration at Christmas

This brings me back to the beginning, that long awaited family reunion. Thinking back to last year we had just one day to visit our families. Sadly we never got to see Peter’s brother or sister (and their respective families) as it would have involved more than three households mixing. But this year we made up for that: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and the day after, a raft of celebrations in different households, making it one of the best festive seasons ever. It was wonderful to exchange gifts, see happy faces, hear laughter and generally embrace the spirit of it.

Mum and my two nieces

My husband’s parents and their newest great grandchildren

Me and my sister

What is left to look forward to?

Right, so I never took a trip to London and Covent Garden – nor did we get to visit our friends, Jason and Nicki, in Wales – but there is always next year. Who knows what 2022 will bring? I just hope life continues to improve for everyone, as we learn to reconnect as humans and cherish those things we took for granted.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022

Promoting Kindness on World Mental Health Day

For World Mental Health Day 2021 (Sunday October 10th), I’ve been thinking about what to write about, when suddenly an idea came to me. The weather was surprisingly good this week and caught in a beam of sunshine, I spotted our new puppy playing in the leaves…

You must be wondering what this has to do with mental health

Well, ever since adopting Autumn, my mental health has improved. I cannot describe the love that fills my heart every time she looks at me with those warm, trusting brown eyes, head cocked to one side; or drops a ball at my feet, wanting to play, or snuggles up on the sofa with me for a cuddle. 

This is a positive experience I want to share

At the same time we have to train her. Getting a puppy is wonderful, but probably not for everyone. Reading up on training and dog psychology, one sees a predictable pattern of behaviour. Puppies wee on the carpet, poo on the carpet, steal your slippers and chew your furniture, so if this sounds like hell, I don’t recommend getting one. However, understanding their more undesirable behaviour and learning how to break these habits can be very rewarding with enough time and patience. 

• 

• 

• 

The wrong approach

Thinking back to childhood, no-one likes being hit, kicked, shouted at, belittled, deprived of treats, shut outside in the cold or neglected. Punishment is only effective in a few extreme cases, but I can’t understand why anyone would choose to get a dog or a cat and be cruel to it. Same with people. Why are some people desperate to have children then abuse them? This not only causes misery, but results in long term psychological harm and low self esteem, which ultimately gives rise to unhappy, disturbed individuals, who may then go on to harm others.

I invested in two puppy training guides, both of which promoted the same message. Reinforcing good behaviour with rewards gets good results. Whereas punishment is frowned upon, more likely to create a cowering, nervous wreck and can even give rise to more aggressive behaviour. It’s the same principal with humans.

Treat them with kindness

A lot of fellow dog owners already promote this approach. If puppy pees in the lounge, it is no good whacking it around the head or shouting. I was told this would only scare the puppy, whereas swearing under your breath, putting her outside while you clear up (in other words excluding her), gave rise to a little whimper. She didn’t like being separated from us, even for a minute. Furthermore, every time she ‘goes’ outside on the grass, we praise her to the hilt, call her a good girl and offer a treat. 

Yes, there is still the occasional accident, but constantly rewarding her for the behaviour we do want has certainly paid dividends. She responds well to kindness and within a couple of weeks, we saw an improvement.

Best of all, our little pup has forced me to change my own behaviour. Reading the guides, exercising patience, suppressing negative emotions, such as anger, has had a calming and positive effect on me too. It feels good. 

What is World Mental Health Day?

Raising mental health awareness makes a positive contribution to society. For people with mental health problems, we can make a difference and help them live better lives by understanding the traumas they may have lived through. For people who suffer depression and anxiety for example, the last thing they need is discrimination or bullying. But talking to people, showing them kindness and support goes a long way towards making them feel better about themselves.

There are dozens of organisations who offer help and even the NHS has better support now. The official theme for this year’s event is ‘Mental Health in an Unequal World,’ as set by the World Federation for Mental Health. For further information visit https://mentalhealth-uk.org/. Their website promotes “the role you can play in supporting people around you who are affected by poor mental health – whether it’s a friend, family member, colleague or a neighbour.”

More campaigns worth supporting

MIND.org.uk offers a wealth of understanding and support for those affected by mental health problems, encouraging people to seek help. “By raising money for Mind, more people get the support they need and the respect they deserve.”

Rethink Mental Illness aims to improve people’s lives via a network of local groups and services, expert information and successful campaigning.

I hope more people receive the kindness they need to lead happier lives. There are some very special quotes I have found, one I try to live my life by…

“Think positive, be positive and positive things will happen.”

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow.” Helen Keller

lethal ties #blogtour: how did my story go down?

Exciting but nerve-wracking, a blog tour is a sure way of discovering how well a book is going down with its audience. All authors, published or self-published, rely on feedback. Without it we will never know if we’re hitting the sweet spot.

September 6th-12th 2021 marked the start of a blog tour organised by Rachel’s Random Resources, but for me this was the true test. Book bloggers are hard-working, dedicated, honest readers. They spend their lives reading and digesting hundreds of books, so how did Lethal Ties stand up in today’s crowded market?

Extracts from the blog tour

Lethal Ties was highlighted on 3 different book blogs a day, some promotional posts, a few bookstagrammers and a fair few reviews. To cut to the chase, though, I’ll dive straight in and share what the book bloggers thought.

Trigger warnings

I always knew Lethal Ties was dark and controversial but none expressed it quite so eloquently than this first reviewer.

First up, I must warn readers that this book may be triggering for those who’ve suffered child sexual abuse, particularly institutional, and those with repressed memories. While there is nothing too descriptive, the hint remains throughout though it is expertly handled with sensitivity and empathy. The author stated the inspiration came when all the abuse allegations surrounding celebrities such as Jimmy Savile came to light some years back, particularly those surrounding Westminster which were later proven to be false. 

With this in mind, she was inspired to write a psychological thriller surrounding institutional abuse from the victims’ perspectives. The result is a chilling yet disturbing tale that is both addictive and utterly compelling.…

READ THE POST

This review reflects so much of what I hoped to achieve but then institutionalised child has never gone away! Thanks to Stina the Bookaholic for highlighting these points, and for your amazing, detailed review.

inspiration behind the story

The aspect of this review that delighted me was the reference to my research and the reason I wrote Lethal Ties.

Suppressed memories, nightmares and an uneasy feeling of being watched does not help Maisie feel safe, she does however have a good support network, though small, it provides her with the opportunity to voice her concerns. Through talking and through therapy she is able to piece things together. She realises that there is far more she has repressed than she had first realised. The author then adds the twists, the manipulation and also the realisation as things start to come together.

It is a story that the author has done so well considering the content. There is an amazing piece at the end of the book that describes how this story came about and also the people she met. I imagine research for this book to have been difficult but I think the author has done an amazing job.

READ THE POST

I like that she accentuates how seriously victims are affected, which was the underlying premise of Lethal Ties. Yvonne (Me and My Books) is one of my favourite book bloggers and I have found many good reads through her recommendations. It was an honour to be featured – many thanks!

Sensitive Handling

This blogger began her review with the words: “having worked in Children’s Social Services myself, I was intrigued to see how the story was going to develop…”  and I was just as intrigued to read her testimonial.

‘Lethal Ties’ is extremely well written.  Helen has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with.  As I have previously indicated, some of the topics discussed in this book are a bit harrowing but Helen writes about them in a sensitive and gentle manner.  For me, the story hit the ground running and maintained a fast pace throughout.  Reading ‘Lethal Ties’ felt like being on one hell of a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way.  I felt as though I was part of the story and at the centre of the action, which is thanks to Helen’s very vivid and realistic storytelling.

READ THE POST

This came as a relief, as one of the really important points stressed to me by a senior detective I spoke to, was that the subject matter would be handled sensitively and not ‘sensationalised.’ I am therefore extremely grateful for this encouraging review by Ginger Book Geek, which is also published on Amazon.

Three friends who were inseparable

Lethal Ties is essentially a story about friendship, but nothing emphasises the topic quite so eloquently as this unique and witty review, one that really made me smile.

If there was ever a song about three amigos being inseparable, then the song would go as: Joe, Maisie, Sam, all amigos all smiles and never letting go, always all together. But someone was one day unhappy, so he decided to be snappy and ruin it, taking one by one, till no one could be found. Lay dead they did, bodies all aground with all smiles, all always together, now to be 6 feet found down.

Creepy, no? Well, that’s exactly how I felt when reading this fast-paced, intriguing thriller, that had me gripping the edges of my kindle wondering what next. Joe Sam and Maisie have all been pals since when well friendship was still a concept before teenagehood, and have always been inseparable. Then one day Sam goes missing, and it’s never the same again...

READ THE POST

This review was a joy to read because it put so much emphasis on the characters. Lethal Ties was always planned to be a character driven story, so another big shout goes out to Jav Bond Blog Tours for this thought-provoking post.

An image from a previous post about my characters, Joe, Maisie and Sam

Some rewarding reviews

At risk to boring people to death at this point, I won’t quote every single review from this blog tour, but I was blown away by the testimonials bloggers gave it. I have included a list of posts in the links below, but would like to thank everyone who took part and to Rachel Gilbey for organising the tour for me.

Nicki’s Book blog

I saw this review on Amazon and Goodreads, but thank you so much, Nicki, for publishing it on Nicki’s Book Blog.

“A bewitching, enthralling story that draws you in.”

JESSICA BELMONT

Many thanks to Jessica Belmont for reviewing Lethal Ties on her fabulous book blog.

“Lethal Ties by Helen Christmas had me hooked from page one.”

Sharon Beyond the books

Book blogger Sharon Beyond the Books, also gave Lethal Ties an outstanding testimonial for which I am really grateful!

“The characters are all so believable and as the sense of unease and the darkness in the story grew I was on the edge of my seat.”

Baker’s not so secret blog

Shell Baker is another one of my favourite book bloggers and I was so honoured to receive this outstanding review from her on Baker’s Not So Secret Book Blog!

“It is a totally chilling read with so many twists and turns.”

Cheekypee reads and reviews

This review on Cheekypee Reads and Reviews left me speechless, but it was humbling to read such praise. Thanks Philomena for your kind words.

“Not an easy read for everyone but I was glued from start to finish.”

Review by Fany Van Hemelen

Thanks to Fany Goes English for reading and reviewing Lethal Ties, then leaving this lovely post on her Facebook Page.

“If you know, it is obvious I love to read psychological thrillers and this one really is an excellent one.”

QUirky Book Reads

I loved the sound of this blog which didn’t disappoint! Quirky Book Reads really did justice to my story, especially its underlying mental health message. Thanks so much!

“I like how Christmas has created an enthralling plot with highlighting some of the experiences of been in the care system in a sensitive and caring manner and used a great amount of research….”

Dash Fan Book Reviews

Thanks to Dash Fan Book Reviews, a personal favourite. I love her blog, love her instagram posts and I think if we met we’d have lots in common. A fab review!

“I liked the tensed atmosphere and the suspense it made the story all the more Compelling and Gripping.”

Chez Maximka

I was bowled over by this final review which went into such detail… ‘Thank you’ doesn’t seem enough for this amazing post written by Chez Maximka but I’ll say it anyway. THANK YOU! More so for highlighting the Mental Health awareness themes.

“Lethal Ties by Helen Christmas is a chilling psychological thriller. This shocking dark story is based on repressed childhood traumas.”

A Contented Lockdown Christmas

Christmas was of course, very different this year with one day (Christmas Day) where up to three families were allowed to meet. Our festivities are usually spread over four days so in 2020 I had to abandon the idea of a traditional Christmas Eve party in the cottage with my immediate family. It didn’t stop me preparing a magnificent feast though, festive treats to share and a fridge full of goodies to enjoy over the holiday.

We never got to see all the family, my husband’s sister (where we spent Christmas Day last year) nor his brother, nephews, nieces and their ever expanding family of gorgeous grandchildren (two baby boys born this year) but we cherish the times we have had in a little movie I put together of Christmas past and present. 

We did get to enjoy some amazing walks along the beach and feel blessed to live by the sea with bracing fresh air and pretty sunsets. The biggest difference this year was I watched more films over Christmas than I can remember – but with no one to visit, no shops open for sales (we are in Tier 4 Lockdown) and no writing to fill the hours (I finished my latest novel a few weeks back) what else is there to do other than relax?

Top Films

The Karate Kid Part II: loved this in the 80s for it’s Japan setting a story where West meets East.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: not just a tender love story but the unravelling of a family mystery set in World War II.

Shrek Forever: having only ever watched snippets I throughly enjoyed this in its entirety and its strong underlying message to cherish what is dear.

Matilda: a heart-warming classic! One of those films that once started, has to be finished.

The Adams Family: cannot believe I have never watched this film but loved it for its macabre weirdness.

Wonder Woman: never imagined I would enjoy this remake of an 70s classic, a good cast, another World War II setting and a very engaging plot.

Shaun the Sheep the Movie: just hilarious with some excellent characterisation.

Knives Out: this DVD was a Christmas gift but wow! What a brilliant, twisty, multi-stranded plot, an unforgettable murder mystery I will watch again and again.

Beauty and the Beast: enchanting musical fantasy of a cursed prince who must win the heart of a local girl to be freed.

Fantastic Beasts The Crimes of Grindlewald: I always discover something new in this magical Harry Potter spin-off and its moving underlying storyline.

My Top Christmas Recipes

Sticky Toffee Pudding, which I’ve been making for years but it’s a firm favourite especially with my nieces.

Deep filled nut pie: this goes right back to my vegetarian days but so delicious and freezes well too.

Salmon slice: I swapped my nut pie recipe with my friend, Nicki, for this. Very indulgent with a layer of cheesy bread crumbs under the pastry.

• 

  Scrummy date sponge…

• 

  … for Sticky Toffee Pud.

• 

  Nut and mushroom mixture

• 

  for a deep filled pie

• 

  makes a lovely centrepiece

• 

  Nicky’s salmon slice.

Shrimp cakes with lemon aioli: found this on Pinterest but worth the effort every time and the little fritters are so more-ish.

Turkey soup: it’s been years since we cooked a whole turkey but with all this extra time on our hands, I enjoyed making soup with the leftovers.

Turkey and Ham Pie another favourite but great for using up leftovers and I used an old recipe from my Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook from 1977.

We count ourselves lucky. It’s been a sad time for many but things can only get better. I hope everyone gets to enjoy the Christmas of their dreams next year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Entering the Final Phase of a #WIP

It’s been a while since I mentioned writing, especially my current work in progress (WIP).

This standalone novel is a psychological thriller set in 2015 located in my home county of Sussex.

Sadly my writing took a nose dive in 2019 when I lost all confidence. I started the book in March 2019 but then things went a bit wobbly. It was like learning to ride a bike again. As soon as I made some progress, I would read it back and shake my head. Stop. Edit. Have another stab at it and still it didn’t engage! Grrrr! I was tearing my hair out with frustration, I even shed tears, thinking the creative power in my brain had been switched off. Even when we took a holiday in the most beautiful part of France, I read some good psychological thrillers to see if I could figure out where it was going wrong. I was inspired enough to embark on another complete re-write. But then the dreaded Coronavirus struck, leaving me so anxious, I was unable to move forward again.

Outline Synopsis

Joe, Maisie, Sam.
We were three kids in a care home, too young to protect ourselves.
Three friends who were inseparable until the night Sam went missing.

The story is centred around a group of fictitious children’s homes that existed in London in the 90s. Maisie, a professional woman at 32, has psychotherapy, unable to understand what lies at the root of her recurring nightmares and panic attacks.

Joe meanwhile, has led a troubled life from serving time in prison to being homeless. When the two characters cross paths in 2015, they recall memories of the strange parties they were taken to by the home’s sinister owner, Mr Mortimer… but what happened to Sam? 20 years ago he vanished, never to be seen again.

Yet as Joe tries to turn his life around, he is subject to a campaign of online abuse that makes them wonder if their enemies are still around – until a police investigation is launched.

Back in the writer’s chair

By mid April it struck me I needed to take a different approach; look at the nature of the police investigation at the heart of the story. Going through the chapters, I identified which parts needed research and further delighted to get some help. Speaking to a senior police officer who worked on similar cases to the one I am writing about, I have found a new direction. So I finally thrashed out the nuts and bolts of the investigation

With a brand new focus, the next hurdle was getting inside the heads of my characters. They took a while to come out, especially Maisie. So by the time I was immersed in a second re-write, I drafted her scenes in first person, something that enabled me to think like her, imagine her life and feel her anxiety (something which comes naturally.)

Joe’s character has been easier. Writing his part in 3rd person, he is a likeable rogue with fire in his belly; an angry rebellious young man at the pinnacle of his life. Now all he wants is justice.

Last of all, I wanted to be able to picture my characters which is where Pinterest came in useful. You only have to key something as obscure as ‘auburn hair’ in your search and dozens of faces appear. I found the right faces for both Maisie and Joe (depicted as Jack Falahee), as well as their childhood friend Sam.

Joe, Maisie, Sam.
We were three kids in a care home, too young to protect ourselves.
Three friends who were inseparable until the night Sam went missing.

The remainder of the story

I have now drafted out a huge part of the story and about to tackle the final phase. But with a full synopsis worked out, I think I have an adequate foundation to complete a first draft. Wish me luck because if I succeed I’ll be looking for beta readers and an editor.

I’ve seen lots of fellow authors rediscover their writing passion during these strange times and hope this will be the start of something promising. That aside, I’ve really enjoyed getting back into it.