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Showing posts with label Desert Island Discs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Desert Island Discs. Show all posts

Monday, 17 September 2012

Author Debra Brown is Castaway on a Desert Island


 Debra Brown is a romantic and a lover of history. 
She is the organiser of English Historical Fiction Authors well-respected blog, and the facebook group associated with it. Debra works tirelessly to promote historical fiction in all its genres. If you go there today you will see she is hosting a Giveaway of THE GILDED LILY. I am also at Tanzanite's Castle today.

Debra loves to read books and watch films where 'We can enter a world of wearing beautiful gowns each night to the dinner table and be served by butlers and dashing footmen. A world of polite conversation at balls and of gentlemen who do not turn their backs to a lady until he has excused himself from a conversation.'

It seems a shame to consign this woman of  indefatigable energy to my Desert Island, but sorry Debra, I've taken the boat.
Here are Debra Brown's Desert Island choices.

A Tale of Two Cities ~ I have actually never read it yet, and it is the bestseller in historical fiction.

For her second book, Debra asked me, "Does it have to be a novel? Because I am really hooked on The Schwarzbein Principle and The Schwarzbein Principle II right now and would love it if others had some exposure to it. If that is ok, here is why I like it."

It's a Desert Island, right. I thought I should be generous and allow Debra her choice. Go ahead Debra...

 We've all had so many different diets to try for health and weight issues, but we still struggle with weight and aging illnesses like Type II Diabetes and many others. These books, written by a diabetes doctor, start with how the diet and medication normally prescribed by doctors was making people fatter, sicker and more miserable. Her patients were asking for something different, something that would help.

She started working with them, asking them to try writing down everything they ate and medications, as well as their responses to such. She then asked them to cut back to smaller portions of balanced meals, five times a day. The books describe how that affects the body's insulin- which in turn affects the other hormones and neurotransmitters, etc.

As her patients applied what she had learned, she saw them become healthier and more youthful looking, including weight loss or gain as needed, while eating an abundance of good food throughout the day. One interesting point that has brightened my diet is that fats do not put weight on a person. To store fat, insulin is required- a person must have an insulin response and that can come only from eating carbohydrates. So  the key is to balance the proportions of the foods- enough carbs to make some insulin, but not too much, and always with vegetable fiber, fats and protein.

My first personal experience with results is a funny story. As an author, my vision is of great importance (as for everyone). I got new prescription glasses in June, but my vision seemed to get worse and worse, on and off, quickly. One evening I picked up my Schwartzbein book and could barely read it. I thought I must be going blind. I knew, though, on the Schwartzbein diet, that it was time for me to eat. I ate my small balanced meal and sat back down to read- lo and behold, my vision was clear. Since then, I have kept my vision pretty clear by eating on time.

I'm sure the Desert Island will be filled with nutritious fruits and then there will always be fish! 
Here is Debra's  Victorian novel, The Companion of Lady Holmeshire which I hope makes her a nice companion during her stay.
Thanks for looking after my Island for the day, Debra. 
Debra's blog is at www.authordebrabrown.blogspot.com
 


Wednesday, 12 September 2012

Desert Island Books - Castaway Deborah Swift

I'm going off to tour the blogosphere and while I'm away I've invited a few other authors to my Deserted Blog. Whilst they are here they'll share their Desert Island Books.Needless to say I'm a big fan of the Radio 4 show, Desert Island Discs.

Each author has chosen one classic, one modern and one non-fiction book to take to their Desert Island, along with one of their own books, just to remind them how clever they are!

Before I go off tomorrow, here is my selection:

Here's my classic. Why? Because it's long - very long, and I might not be rescued for a very long time! It also has lots of  fantasy and material for daydreaming. I might even want to edit it and re-write sections. I can never resist a bit of editing! Also I figured that the landscape of Middle Earth is about as far as I could get from the desert island.


I loved Wolf Hall, but I'm daunted by another the size of this. On my island I'd have plenty of time to really savour Mantel's magnificent writing style.
I don't know if I'd have painting things on my island, but I'd certainly want to meditate on nature and my surroundings, and if not I could enjoy the change of view this book would give me.




And of course I would take a large stack of paper to keep writing until someone rescues me! (possibly of course the only thing I might write is SOS in large letters!)

Tomorrow my Desert Island Castaway is Orange-nominated and Langum Prize winner Ann Weisgarber, and I will be at Bippity Boppety Book and Lit Addicted Brit