Daddy's Girl

The time for honouring our parents always springs at the start of the year, while New Year’s resolutions and good intentions are still somewhat present in our ever-harried minds. Case in point, Father’s Day approaching with quickening pace on 19 June and for all of you who feel your Daddy is worthy of some appreciation, why not find out what Heather, owner of blooming London cake company CompletelyCakes.co.uk, has in store…

1)What does Father’s Day mean to you?
Father’s day for me is a great opportunity to show my father that I care and appreciate all he does for me. Since we are all so busy with our everyday lives, it’s great to be able to take some time out and remember those important to us.

2)What ideas have you had for celebrating this day in true baking style?
At Completely Cakes, we like to come up with something new and original for every season and event. Since cupcakes, and especially novelty cupcakes, have become so popular, our Father’s Day cupcake range this year features gorgeous ‘shirt and tie’ cupcakes, alongside other hobbies and more traditional ‘Happy Father’s Day’ cupcakes.

3)You offer personal and bespoke designs across your ranges – can you give us some idea of the requests you’ve had in advance of Father’s Day?
People often tend to be stuck for new ideas for times such as Mothers and Father’s Day, when they really want to come up with something special. We find that a lot of inspiration comes from seeing our unique designs on our website. In view of this, we always aim to have new and exciting ideas on our website well in advance of every season/event to keep our customers inspired!

4)What’s the most bizarre request you’ve received so far?
I would have to say that the most bizarre request we have had so far was from someone wanting to order a ‘saucy’ cake, carved to exact specifications…….!!

5)How will you be treating your Daddy this year?
I always struggle for something to buy my own father, as he has had plenty of ‘Best Father’ mugs and socks over the years! This year, instead of this, my sisters and I will be taking him out for a lovely Father’s Day lunch, which we are all really looking forward to. He will also be receiving some of our new ‘Shirt and Tie’ cupcakes!

6)Looking ahead, what treats will you be serving up next…?
There is always something new and exciting coming up at Completely Cakes. The next main event is Wimbledon, so stay tuned for our tennis-themed range!



If you would like to order a bakelicious treat for your Dad this Father’s Day, you can place your order with Heather at www.completelycakes.co.uk and discover what other delicious surprises she has to offer.

Follow her on Twitter at @completelycakes or join the facebook group facebook.com/completelycakes.

Where will your love take you...

Review of Jill Mansell's 'To the Moon and Back'...

If there’s one thing Jill Mansell does well, it is to write romantic fiction. Creating loveable, compelling heroines who find themselves dealing with any number of relationship dilemmas but eventually get the guy; Jill has a perfected the art of suspense keeping her readers hooked until that climactic moment.

My love for Jill’s storytelling began with The One You Really Want and from that moment on I was hooked. When I had to spend two months away from my then-fiancé working in South Africa there was only one thing I knew that would stop me from being completely miserable, and so at WH Smith’s in Heathrow I stocked up on a few more of Jill’s titles and kept adding to my collection in Cape Town as I got through each one at a voracious pace.

Her latest novel, To the Moon and Back, deals with issues of love and loss in different ways; from the death of a beloved husband, to divorce and the cruel reality of Alzheimer’s disease. Handling each with the utmost care and thought, Jill draws us in to the urban yet idyllic setting of Primrose Hill to share in the emotions that these issues draw out within the narrative. The story of Ellie Kendall made me cry (in public places) and laugh out loud (also in public places) as I watched her journey from grieving widow to “whole again” woman with the aide of larger-than-life Roo, more than a father figure Tony and of course the delicious hero of this tale, Zack McLaren.

Jill creates quite the cast of characters, from “Vile Niall”, as I’ve nicknamed him to Zack’s loyal pooch Elmo, who always seems to bound in at just the wrong moments. Each one is imbued with their own distinctive personality to either make you fall in love with them or in some cases yearn for their head on a platter! If “unputdownable” was a word, it would be the one I would use to sum up this literary treat which will keep you enthralled from start to finish.

Continuing in the tradition of Jill’s remarkable romantic prose, To the Moon and Back will reaffirm that there is life and love after heartbreak, whichever form it comes in. And when that day comes you’ll find yourself on top of the world!

For more information on the author and when and where you can buy the book visit http://www.jillmansell.co.uk.


In conversation with the fabulous woman herself…

1) Are you a plotter and planner or a make-it-up-as-you-go-along kinda gal?
I make most of it up as I go along, after getting my original story-starting inspiration. It's difficult to plan ahead, and far more interesting to keep the plotting as a surprise!

2) Where do you tend to find the inspiration for your characters, and most importantly your female leads?
I honestly don't know where the inspiration comes from; the characters just appear in my head, fully formed. The moment I create them, I know everything about them. I suppose there are aspects of me in the female characters - my daughter used to find it weird reading my books because they all sounded just like me!

3) Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?
I write during school hours while the house is empty, always have the TV on, keep up to date with emails and twitter and aim to produce 1000 words on an average day. The first and last chapters of each book are the easiest to write. I also have to eat a lot of snacks to keep me going...

4) How long on average does it take you to complete each book from idea to finished manuscript? Do you set yourself a goal per day/week to ensure you get a certain amount done each sitting?
Oh, just half-answered that! It takes a year to write a book. Six hundred handwritten pages of actual writing, plus a lot of thinking time to keep the story interesting. The amount I get done varies from day to day, but it all pans out in the end - thank goodness!

5) Did you ever experience that moment of doubt? How did/would you combat it?
Almost every moment is a moment of doubt while I'm writing - I always think my work is unpublishable and expect it to be rejected when I send it off to my editor. Most authors are the same. It never seems good enough until it appears in physical book form - then I can view it as an outsider and realise it's not so bad after all!

6) Your latest novel, 'To the Moon and Back', deals with loss and coming to terms with it; what led you to choose this theme for the story?
To be honest, after 23 books I'm just trying to come up with a theme I haven't used before! But I was drawn to the idea of using the dead person as an actual character in the book. Kind of like Patrick Swayze in Ghost, but without my own character being a ghost!

7) What do you make of the new digital age of publishing as books go from shelf to screen? Are you a fan of the Kindle and e-books?
It's all moving so fast - I'm interested to see what will happen. Signs are that people are reading more, which is great news. I do read via my iPad but also love physical books, especially when the covers are as beautiful as the one for To the Moon and Back.

8) You mention the website Popbitch in your latest book; what are your main sources for keeping up to date with news, trends and gossip?
Same as everyone, I imagine - newspapers, blogs, magazines, TV. I love it all!

9) List your top three all time favourite novels.
Riders by Jilly Cooper.
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.
One Day by David Nicholls

10) If you could bestow just one nugget of advice to aspiring novelists - what would it be?
Enjoy and empathise with your characters. If you don't like spending time with them, your readers probably won't either. And eat lots of crisps - they're very helpful in the creative process!

Facebook Me!

You know those girls (and guys for that matter) who pose for their Facebook pictures like they think they’re modelling for Vogue (or GQ). We all have them somewhere in our online trove of “facebook friends”.



They pout, they pose, they strike the old-favourite over the shoulder maneouvre as though they were reacting to paparazzi on the red carpet when in fact they have specifically asked a friend/boyfriend/girlfriend/stranger to capture them in exactly this pose in exactly this lighting and then post it up on their profile as though they just happened to be looking like that at the time the camera just happened to be in use…

The ones where they’re naked or semi-naked are even funnier, not to mention the bizarre individuals that are literally making love to the camera. Why the F do they think this is something their fellow facebookers wish to see? The joke is that the aforementioned ‘fellow facebookers’ merely regard these images with an arched eyebrow and quizzical expression, not deigning to believe that this loser actually took the time to pose for said pictures and then uploaded them.

These pictures are essentially the work of a serial attention whore. You know the person. The one that cannot survive without the spotlight shining directly on them at all times. The one who in school always had to be the lead in the school play and threw a tantrum if she/he didn’t get it. The one who pulled the most outlandish (and overtly sexy) dance moves at every party you went to. The one who always wore/wears the skimpiest, most ridiculous outfits – regardless of the season. The one who always, without fail, makes a scene about something – just in case people weren’t already paying attention.

The people who litter their facebook photo albums with these poser-esque types of pictures are of course mega show-offs – crying out for people to observe their looks… from every, single, angle. Of course, every facebook user is a show-off of sorts, posting updates about your night in a 5* hotel in Korea, updating your relationship status to ‘engaged’, uploading photos of you and your significant other ensconced in each other’s arms while reclining on a sandy beach on a remote but expensive island while your friends sit at their office computers staring out at the rain and harbour inner hatred and jealousy.

However, the posers are the biggest show-offs of them all. Just saying!!



With the 2010 release of The Social Network, facebook has recaptured the attention of those defecting to the likes of Twitter and Flickr and so on, as people rediscover the fascination of Mark Zuckerberg’s digital brainchild and their equal fascination with what and who their “friends” are doing.

Breaking News: Incidentally, star of the movie, Jesse Eisenberg, has just been nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars. If ever there was a time to get your pose on…

Twitter and Tweet

I used to think it was a waste of space, chaps spouting out thoughts willy nilly,
But then I considered, after losing my job, I should really stop being so silly.

It really is a fabulous portal to network and spread it about,
That I’m kinda looking and if they …you know, then maybe they’d give me a shout.

From PRs to lawyers, and admen to eds, the creatives are tweeting in force,
And drivers and popstars, businessmen and women are also joining in of course.

A worldwide phenomenon, genius, inspired, it’s swept the globe far and wide,
As tweets flow fast all day and all night, people frantically keeping their stride.

Demi and Ashton like to post naughty pics, showing they really are real,
Girls follow Chace and other hot bods convinced this’ll clinch them the deal.

Copycats make bids for awesome book deals pretending to be random stars,
From Cole to Fry, Waissel and more, they fire off ‘witty-some’ bars.

Competitions and discounts, headlines and news all make it onto the feed,
As thousands sign on each and every day, hungry for the titbits they’ll read.

Collecting followers is the new biggest fad, replacing stickers and stamps,
As people revel in virtual fanbases, competing to be the tweet champ.

Addicted to knowing what’s just been posted, checking computer and iPhone,
Boring your colleagues, parents, lovers and friends, ignoring their long-suffering groans.

Jeopardising work and relationships to dedicate much of your time,
To refreshing the page just once more, to see if that person you mentioned replied.

Jumping with unconcealed excitement when a text alert vibrates through,
That you’ve just got a direct message from that person you think’s really cool.

Yes, Twitter is the online place to see, be seen and stay tuned,
To the ways of the world in this fast-moving era, where only our fingers get pruned.

Tapping away till our digits go numb, and the time fades into the past,
Perhaps in our future we’ll hazily recall what we said in our first Twitter blast?

What makes the world go round?

From Lily Allen's baby news to slightly pornographic art being shown at an auction house, I have been bombarded with an array of issues of a sexual nature in the past 24 hours.

Following the delightful news that 25 year old popstrel-turned-fashion designer, Lily Allen is expecting with her builder beau Sam Cooper, I of course took to Twitter to not only wish Ms Allen congratulations but also to note the multiple tweets of well wishing from magazine editors, celebrity baby websites and random tweetaholics.

Aside from the fact that I am in total brood-mode and am lapping up every baby-related TV programme, news blast, magazine article and book; it really seems as though it is on everyone else's mind too. In one form or another.

The September issue of Marie Claire invites readers to take part in a quiz aimed at analysing one's fertility fitness. From BMI and lifestyle to family genetics and menstral cycles - every area is covered. But it's not only female fertility that we are being made aware of, but male fertility also. The front page of yesterday's Metro called out the potential dangers of certain plastics used in food and drink containers in stunting a man's reproductive abilities and an article earlier in the week reminded us that regular jacuzzis and hot baths, not to mention the wearing of tight underpants, can affect a man's sperm count. Yes it seems everyone is thinking about or talking about ...or reading about, their sexual IQ (a.k.a ability to reproduce).



Sitting on the train yesterday afternoon heading home pre-rush hour, I noticed the man next to me had retrieved several pieces of paper and parephernalia from his suit jacket pocket. I didn't think anything of it until he unfolded one leaflet to reveal the header: How to make your erection stay hard. Double take... Ahem, surely one shouldn't be so freely reading what I'm sure is such a personal piece of literature on one of the most public places in London??

Albeit seemingly unrelated to babies, rather this experience (which slightly scarred me) divulges the (ideally private) thoughts of a mature man contemplating his options regarding sustaining his sex life. But what drives this in the first place? The need to reproduce, to procreate, to continue the existence of humankind.

Last night, as I sat and watched first, Look Who's Talking and then Knocked Up (both for probably the 55th time), it occurred to me how in both cases sex was the primary motive for the resulting offspring. A non-thought for both female protagonists prior to their sexual encounters. You're probably thinking, well duh, everyone knows you need to 'do it' to have a baby... Okay, but do we ever really think about the reason why we want to 'do it' in the first place. Yes it feels good, some individuals use it for domination purposes (no judgement), some abuse it for their own sense of power (major judgement) but for the majority it is the most intimate way of saying 'I love you'.



Sex provokes strong reactions in people - case in point, a piece of fine art to be sold at auction has elicited numerous responses from the people who have seen it this morning. Don't get me wrong, it is beautiful and not offensive (in my humble opinion) but it reveals a little more than bosoms. Some could not stop staring, some were bemused at the visual impact and some were anxious about the effect it would have on the wider public.

Sex in it's many forms impacts differently on people; from changing your life with the conception of a baby, to forcing you to consider your own sexual aptitude and to assessing how it will be received in different forums. So does sex, alone, make the world go round? I think it's safe to say it's a pretty strong driver...

A Blog's Life

I have become a sort of mentor of late, with friend's parents deferring to me as the guru of 'how to get into journalism'.



Despite my 20-something years, I have been through the media mill (to some extent), from education and careers fayres to countless work experience placements and even redundancy (not entirely shocking given the current economic climate), but still the past 5-6 years has provided me with a microcosm of events that appear to bestow me with insider know-how and tips for wannabe writers.

Of course the first thing I would recommend for those reading this that may indeed be thinking about how to get started on the path to journalism is to consider where in this diverse industry you may fit. Essentially, if you have a certain skill set (writing, design, proof-reading, editing etc) it can traverse across many different areas within the media industry. But decide if you want to go down the newspaper route, the broadcast route or the fiction route. And how do you discover where you fit if you are currently unsure? Work experience.

I knew I wanted to write. I knew I wanted to write for a magazine. So I did work experience at local titles, niche titles, national titles and even international titles. Each experience endowed me with some new nugget of expertise and insight. It taught me where I fit in personally and how to adapt myself to each unique house style. It may take several placements and jobs to finally find where you fit - it is only now at Christie's that I finally feel I'm somewhere that's me.

And if you can freelance, great. It's more for the self-motivated individuals who can network and multitask, but it's great work if you can get it.

Depending on where you are with your career/life, journalism courses are a good option also. I did a masters at London College of Communication (formerly Printing), and there are plenty of other courses via the University of the Arts London [http://www.arts.ac.uk/] that will enable you to specialise in whichever sector of media you wish to pursue. The NoSweat Journalism college [http://www.nosweatjt.co.uk/] is great for shorter courses and is recognised and approved by The National Council for the Training of Journalists. London's City University offers one of the most widely sought-after post-graduate diplomas though can be tough to get onto and is rather more expensive than other options, and Cardiff offer an equally covetable course.

N.B. Work experience and a portfolio (of your by-lined works) are crucial when applying for these courses. Try the smaller publishing houses and local publications first before approaching the big names (IPC, National Magazine Co, Conde Nast, Hachette Filipacchi, emap etc) as you are more likely to get a placement and get to write, thereby building your portfolio. If you are at university, join your student paper/magazine and/or radio station - great experience and great for your portfolio.

Network!! I cannot stress this enough - seize every opportunity to speak to people, you never know who they know and who might be able to give you a leg up. Make a good impression at all your work experience placements, even if you're only making the coffee and feel completely invisible - you don't know who might be watching and whether a role might be about to appear that needs filling.

Read!! Newspapers, magazines (even the trashy ones), newswires (reuters, bloomberg etc), twitter, journals... from helping you out in interviews ["oh yes, Martin, I loved your feature on the impact of the iPad on the next generation" / "exactly, the issue of IVF is an increasingly pressing topic for the current medical landscape"]; to keeping you informed and providing you with educated conversation when networking - it is vital.

Social Media - get on Twitter, link it to your blog, share it on your Facebook page and update your LinkedIn with all the new contacts you accumulate. Social Media sites enable you to network, promote your skills, and raise awareness of your profile to a broad and international audience. Don't underestimate it!!

With these fundamental tools under your belt you are ready to set off on your path to written success. Laptop, set, get typing...

Political Tweets

US governors are joining the ranks of tweeters as they recognise the value in utilising the micro-blogging site to enhance their reputations and maintain an online presence with voters.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is currently the top tweeter with 1,609, 285 followers, relishing the ability to have direct communication with the people.



Thirty-two of the nation's 50 governors, including Bobby Jindal, Louisiana Republican and Jennifer Granholm, Michigan Democrat, are using Twitter to alert followers about anything from what was on their breakfast plate to the latest travel news. But more importantly, the social networking site is allowing them a greater deal of control over their own sound bites.

Tweeting, as part of the contemporary fabric of our growing obsession with celebrity, has become another source for delving deeper into the lives of public figures. Senior lecturer at the University of Washington, Kathy Gill who has studied Twitter since 2007 (speaking to USA Today) explained: "What a governor can do (with Twitter) is shed some light behind the curtain."

However, like any political message, the tweets of US governors are censored and aided by press secretaries and media relations specialists - though are directed by the governors themselves. This is pretty much par for the course, particularly when sensitive matters are likely to be included, Jennifer Granholm tweeted to her constituents that she'd signed legislation banning smoking in Michigan bars and restaurants.

Being able to raise awareness, not only of matters of importance but also of one's personal profile is central to any political success story. Twitter provides free advertising and communication, as well as a means of maintaining a strong digital reputation which is all important in this digital age.

The success of President Obama's election campaign, which employed online media, has persuaded campaign professionals that social media and networking sites have real potential in securing political victory. What remains to be seen, according to Charles Franklin, professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is whether Twitter alone can generate the kind of voter contact needed for a strong campaign, without the added bolster of online blogging and other web activity.

Gill does warn that for politicians, Twitter can be a "double-edged sword" as the temptation to 'over-share' can sneak in under the cover of letting your constituents-cum-followers see a bit more of the 'real you'. Ultimately, politicians, like the rest of us, must stay 'up-to-the-minute' if they are to continue securing votes - one wonders whether this might change the face of voting. Will the next presidential election be won by the number of followers or balloted votes?

Social networking to the rescue...

Facebook and Twitter are proving their worth in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake as survivors use the social networking sites to let their loved ones know that their okay.



With phones not working and e-mail being down, people are using social networking sites to share news and photos, as well as posting alerts to help with the search for those still missing or to request donations for the Haiti relief.

A spokesman for Facebook, Andrew Noyes, spoke to USA Today saying there have been more than 1,500 status updates per minute containing the word "Haiti" since the quake. This disaster has really brought into focus the power of social media as people find the need to truly engage with it.

• Twitter: People are using it to share firsthand accounts and photos of the earthquake. Celebrities are also getting involved, using the site to raise money themselves for the cause.
• Facebook: Charities including Oxfam America and Catholic Relief Services have been raising money through dedicated Facebook pages and using Twitter and Skype as well to share updates and communicate with relief workers and family members.
• Blogs: People are using blogs written by others as online message boards to track down missing people.

In this new technological age the world is becoming a much smaller place, easier to navigate as the lines of communication cut across new boundaries and deliver a faster and more effective dialogue.

NYC & Social Media

Having spent a week in New York meeting a variety of PR and ad agency folk, it would appear that the importance of social media in securing the success of current marketing campaigns is high on the agenda, however they are crying out for people with these digital skills.

Moving further into 2010 the internet will continue to provide brands and companies with free and essential advertising opportunities. Digital marketing is central to any PR and marketing strategy and for most people nowadays, the web is their first port of call for information and research. Twitter is the most powerful form of free marketing, so companies utilising it to full effect in this current digital media climate will thrive. For example, Stephen Fry has been using it to promote his new book in time for the Christmas season and subsequently driving people to his website. For PR agencies and their clients Twitter has become the most effective way of spreading the word about what a PR agency is doing for its client, but also what the client itself is doing. The online visibility afforded via social digital media such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and their synergy in working together to create a widespread and dynamic network gives agencies and clients a portal through which to generate new business and effectively maintain existing clientele by staying current and ahead of competitors. The iPhone and Blackberry and other social networking mobiles, including the new Samsung Genio, have become integral in assisting the functionality and success of social media and digital marketing. The Compare the Market front-animal, Aleksandr the Meerkat is another great example of digital media worked at its best, with almost 6.000 fans on Facebook and hordes of followers on Twitter. Understanding how these networks work and exploiting them effectively will play an important part towards the success of PR agencies and their clients in 2010.