There are tons of ways to own your very own copy of Ocean Heart. Check out my webpage About Ocean Heart for full details, but here are a few:
Some of these links are affiliate links. Please visit my about Affiliate Links page for more details.
Signed Copy
You can buy a signed copy of Ocean Heart from Ko-Fi, and there are two options:
Personalised & Hand Signed
This is limited to the UK due to postage costs. First, I order the book, sign it, and then send to you. If you’d like a personalised message for you or someone special, I can do this.
This was the method used for the first 20 copies of Ocean Heart bought during my book signing event at Stillwater Books.
Now, you can get a hand signed copy by supporting me on Ko-Fi & visiting my Ko-Fi Shop.
Personalise & Digitally Signed
This is limited to countries with an Ingram printing facility. I will design a personalised page for you, that will be added to the book when printed. Ingram then will send out directly to you (saving on international postage costs/emissions).
Currently there is only one copy of Ocean Heart like this that I gifted to a TikToker.
Now, you can get a digitally signed copy by supporting me on Ko-Fi & visiting my Ko-Fi Shop.
Paperback
Bookshop.org
I recently blogged a ton of reasons to shop with Bookshop.org but the main one is to support your local independent bookshop.
Amazon
Amazon encourages shoppers to leave product reviews, helping consumers to make more informed decisions.
If you are not UK/US, try this universal link to find Ocean Heart at your local Zon: http://getbook.at/OceanHeart
eBook
Smashwords
The great thing about Smashwords is you can buy your eBook and choose the format, enabling you to read on whatever device is your favourite. In addition your eBook is saved to your Smashwords library, so you keep it forever.
Amazon
Kindle is one of the most popular eReaders both as a tablet and app.
If Smashwords and Amazon aren’t your thing, you can get Ocean Heart from many other popular eBook stores. Click this link to discover more eBook buying options: https://books2read.com/OceanHeart
It’s a cruelty free beauty subscription box and contains a selection of five products – skincare, body care, makeup and occasionally a sweet treat too. Plus, a 50p donation from the sale of each box goes to an animal friendly charity (Animal Free Research). In addition, you earn loyalty points for each purchase which can then be used for money off future boxes.
I can’t find either the shampoo or the conditioner on their website so I am assuming that they are new products (there are other scents available though).
The product clearly states that if you are pregnant you should consult your doctor before use! This is a bit alarming but at least they are clear about this rather that hide the information away. As I am currently pregnant, I won’t be trying this product this month. Instead, I plan to put it in my hospital bag to use after delivery as they are both a handy travel size.
MoYou: Nail Plate, Stamp & Scraper (sheet lists price as £9.99)
I am really excited to give this a go. I feel need to buy another colour polish like white or gold to be the print as all my current polishes are very ‘samey’. After pay day, I guess I’ll have to treat myself to a new nail polish.
Bloomtown: Roll on infused oil (sheet lists price as £4.80)
I already have a few products by this brand. They donate 10% of their profits to environmental and social causes. The brand is from Cornwall, UK and started in 2016 and already winning awards for their products.
I had quick sniff and it smells lovely. It reminds me of my favourite Rose perfume by Acorelle (I don’t recommend them for their sun-care products). I love how affordable Bloomtown make their products and how ethical the brand is. I can’t wait to start using this product.
Glo By Glory: Semi Matte Liquid Lipstick (website & sheet lists price as £16.99)
The brand is from America and all the prices are in dollars. One of the first things they say is ‘We are feminine’ but they also say their products are for men. They are vegan and cruelty the free.
The lipstick is available in 4 shades, the shade I have is Sugar Dumpling (described as a dusty rose nude). I’ve tried it on and it is a very dark brown against my pale skin and a bit messy and unforgiving. I’ll keep trying it to see if I get better with practice and looks better with a full face of makeup. I’ll also test how well it stays on.
Reflect on previous box
This is how I got on using the products from my April box:
The Konjac Sponge Co: Body Sponge (website RRP £29.00, Sheet lists price as £11.99)
I never would have though to buy a sponge or that I would love it so much but this is the best sponge I have ever used. Even my 4 year old could tell the quality and insist on using this in the shower over his fun character flannels. I plan on buying the whole family one each.
Weleda: Evening Primrose Body Oil (website RRP £24.95 full size, Sheet lists price as £3.99 sample size)
I haven’t used it. I have do have a lot of body oils on the go at the moment and really appreciate the travel size of this sample. I am putting it in my maternity bag for use after my shower in hospital.
FRUU: Colour Balm in Strawberry (website & sheet lists price as £4.99)
I’ve been using this almost every day. It is moisturising and fun to have a pop of colour. The pink-coral shade is a little bright for me but the colour doesn’t last long. I will use it up but if I rebuy, I will try a different shade (there is 8 to choose from).
Balade En Provence: Apple Hand Cream (website & sheet lists price as £9.99)
This smells so good. I haven’t used it much as I neglect caring for my hands. I’m sure that once the baby is here and I’m cleaning my hands after nappy changes, this will be in regular use. I also love the cute apple design of the pot and decided that it would make a lovely gift for my sons key workers at nursery as he graduates this summer and my little boy will start school in September.
This product is fine but I have really pale skin and the colour just doesn’t show up on me. I’ve had this problem with other highlighters. I’ve used it a few times as it has a very subtle shimmer on my skin but isn’t light enough to highlight for me. It is friendly to my skin – no irritation or doing weird stuff like flaking – so I think if you have darker skin then this could be great for you.
Would I recommend?
I continue to subscribe to The Pip Box and really like the reward scheme, supporting a charity and discovering more cruelty free brands.
I am disappointed that I cannot use the shampoo and conditioner because I am pregnant but I’ll stick them in my hospital bag as they are a good travel size. I’m most excited this month about trying trying the nail art as I never give my hands any attention – I’ll try to take some pics on how I get on.
It is a beauty subscription box with a selection of cruelty free products. The box contains a selection of five products – skincare, body care, makeup and occasionally a sweet treat too.A donation from the cost of the box goes to an animal friendly charity (This month is Animal Free Research). In addition, you earn loyalty points for each purchase which can then be used for money off future boxes.
The box came with an information card to tell me all about the products inside and their value.
The Konjac Sponge Co: Body Sponge (website RRP £29.00, Sheet lists price as £11.99)
This wasn’t an easy product to photograph. It’s also a product you would not expect to have won so many awards but this sponge has!
It 100% natural, biodegradable and despite being gentle it is able to deliver a deep cleanse and boost circulation.
This sounds amazing and I’m putting it in my shower right away.
Weleda: Evening Primrose Body Oil (website RRP £24.95 full size, Sheet lists price as £3.99 sample size)
I really like this brand as they’ve been creating natural products for a long time now.
It’s described as being ideal for dry/mature skin. I’m hoping that it’s going to prove beneficial for a growing pregnant tummy. I don’t suffer with stretch marks but I am living oils at the moment as a precaution.
FRUU: Colour Balm in Strawberry (website & sheet lists price as £4.99)
Wow, I wasn’t expecting the balm to be so pigmented. It’s like a lipstick but really soothing, nourishing and smells delicious.
I love the colour but saw there are more shades to try on their site! This is a brand I’ve not heard of before and pleased to discover.
Balade En Provence: Apple Hand Cream (website & sheet lists price as £9.99)
This is another new brand to me. That produce vegan skincare with natural ingredients. I think they are relatively new as there is currently only two products.
I love the cute ’apple’ shaped jar the hand cream comes in. The other product they do is a pear hand cream in a pear jar. I’m excited to try this product to see if it is as good as not looks and I want to leave it out somewhere so I can show it off to guests.
It uses natural ingredients (92%), gluten free, paraben free and cruelty free.
The product had fallen out the tube when I first got it out the box. I pushed it back in the shaft and it fixed it. *phew*
The only highlighter I currently have is my RMS one and it’s almost run out. This will be a useful addition to my makeup. I’ll let you know how I get on.
Reflect on previous box
This is how I got on using the products from my March box:
Dr Botanicals: Tropical Invigorating Cream (website RRP £29.00, Sheet lists price as £44.00)
This really light moisturizer has been a joy to use on those really hot days. I do find I have to be ever so careful squeezing the tube as the gentlest touch will release a generous amount – either that or I am very heavy handed. I still can’t get over how beautiful it is. I love seeing this tube in bathroom cabinet.
Saturated Colour: Make Me Matt (website and sheet RRP £8.00) and Moisturising Lipstick – Naked Pink (website and sheet RRP £7.00)
I’ve found the ‘Make Me Matt’ quite dry so I haven’t really used it much. It is a useful product to hang onto for any occasion when I need to make a lipstick have a matt lip. However, I have been wearing the lipstick on its own, most days. I really like the colour. It is a strong pink and very pretty.
Okko Skincare: ‘Try me’ Natural foot balm stick (£21.00 RRP for 50g on the website, £3 on the sheet for 4.5g ‘try me’ size)
I don’t really suffer with cracked heels so I haven’t felt the need to use this product much but it was a lovely treat. I still think I have another use left in the ‘try me’ size, I will use it again.
Raw-Ganic: Refreshing Aloe and Green Tea Facial Wipes (£2.99 on the sheet and website)
I was planning to save these for my maternity bag but I really like it. Especially, when I am tired at the long day and can’t be bothered to spend ages in the bathroom – I just want to go to bed. These are so quick and easy and have a nice gentle smell. I will be buying this product again.
Would I recommend?
I am a regular subscriber to The Pip Box and never been disappointed by the contents. I really like the new reward scheme, supporting a charity and discovering more cruelty free brands.
The hand cream looks really cute. I’ve tried the highlighter and lip balm and they are beautiful universal colours that would suit most people. I can see myself using all these products. I am really happy with what I got.
My smartphone is always with me and as a result it gets used a lot for my writing process. Today, I shall share with you the most useful apps for writers.
These recommendations are for for both iOS and Android operating systems.
Productivity apps
Simplenote
This app is used the most. I jot down ideas I have during the day for my stories or potential stories. It can include character development, research or even ideas for blog articles.
Wunderlist
I use this app for creating to-do lists but also found it useful for developing plots because it is so easy to move the items in the list up or down.
The above are quick easy apps you can use all the time, however, if you are collecting research, then you will appreciate apps like Evernote, Google Keep and OneNote.
These apps enable you to take snips/clips of information you have found on the internet. You can then sort this information into an order that works for you and include your own notes.
Writing apps
Wattpad
If you need feedback from readers on your works, this is a great app to use. You can write and edit within the app too. You can save works as drafts or private.
Similar apps are: Movella, Radish and Opuss (iOS only).
Microsoft Word
You can use MS Word on the go. However, I don’t tend to use this app very often as I get frustrated by the limits placed on the mobile version and would rather use Wattpad.
Google Doc
You can write using Google Docs apps. It is a simple word processor with the same features you’d expect from Word. The docs save automatically to the Google Drive – you need a google account to use this.
Blogging apps
Blogger
I used the blogger app for a while I liked how it linked to my Google+ account. I stopped using Blogger early this year when I converted to WordPress: https://allyaldridge.blogspot.co.uk/
WordPress
This is my current blogging app. I usually blog at my PC/laptop. However, when I am out and about I enjoy how easily it is to read other blogs and share them.
Social apps
As mentioned above at ‘Writing apps’, you have Wattpad, Movella, Raddis and Opuss. These are great sites to connect with your readers and get their feedback and create a fan base of followers. It is also a great opportunity to meet other writers and support each others development.
You can also connect using any popular social media app. I share my writers life via Twitter, Instagram and Google+ and LinkedIn. You can also use Facebook, Snapchat and YouTube.
Don’t forget that blogging can be social too as you can meet other bloggers through comments and follows and discover their content too.
Storage apps
You upload your document to OneDrive or Google Drive and then can access them anywhere online with your login. You can also invite others to view your documents by email and manage permissions. These drives also have a few apps built in to enable you to create basic documents like word processing, spreadsheet or presentation.
OneDrive
Needs a Live, Outlook or Hotmail account.
Google Drive
Needs a google mail account.
Resource apps
Dictionary.com
This is my top dictionary/thesaurus app – yes, its a thesaurus too! I like how it is easy to search for a definition. You can save words and they have a word of the day to boost your vocabulary.
Browser (with search engine)
Your smart phone will likely come with a browser built in and a default search engine. You can go to the app store and choose a browser that suits your needs. There are browsers that block adverts or keep your privacy.
I enjoy using the Safari browser on my iPhone and searching using google. I use chrome on my Samsung with google for searches.
Downloading apps to your Smart Phone
To download iOS apps to your apple device you need to access the iTunes store. To download apps to your android device you will need access to the Google Play store.
Please let me know if there are any apps you find useful that I haven’t included as I am always keen to add more to my smart phone to make life easier.
To discover more ways to connect with me, click my link tree.
Simplenote
Wunderlist
Wattpad
Microsoft Word
Blogger
WordPress
OneDrive
Dictionary.com