Cover Reveal! Blue Skies Over Berlin by John Steinberg

Last year I reviewed Nadine by John Steinberg, a poignant love story set in the 1970s and 2012.
When an email arrived, asking if I'd like to join in in a cover reveal for a new book by John Steinberg, I was curious to see what his next story is.

Blue Skies Over Berlin by John Steinberg is a thought-provoking novel, with an unusual heroine and a captivating plotline.

Plot synopsis:
A young German woman, thinking she can escape her memories of wartime Berlin, moves to London in 1954 under new name of Charlotte Brown. The offer of a prestigious job at the National Gallery leads her to believe that she can establish a new life in a city itself emerging from the ruins of war.
With her new identity, Charlotte hopes she has left Eva Schlessinger far behind... but when her job brings her into contact with a ruthless set of art dealers with dubious wartime connections, she fears they can see behind her façade. Priceless masterpieces start appearing at auction, stolen from murdered Jewish families by the Nazi, and she herself is implicated. At this point, Charlotte makes a solemn promise - one that will take her a lifetime to fulfil.

Blue Skies Over Berlin is a novel about secrets and guilt in an uncertain time, balanced by friendship and enduring love - an ultimately the need to make amends for just standing by.

And now is the cover reveal:

The cover design is reminiscent of the German abstract art, with its repeated bands of colour against the stark background. It looks like an architectural sketch, which is playing with perspective. Very apt for a book on the art market, with its dark secrets and hidden war crimes.


Purchase Links:
UK -
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Skies-Over-Berlin-Steinberg/dp/1913071383/

US -
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Skies-Over-Berlin-Steinberg/dp/1913071383/

Author Bio:

Born and raised in North London in 1952, John still lives in the city with his wife and three children. Privately educated, John left school after "A" levels and completed a business diploma in what is not the University of Westminster, before entering banking.

He started training as an accountant but did not complete the course, choosing a position in his family's furniture manufacturing business instead. John started his own mergers and acquisitions business in 1987, which he ran for almost 20 years before quitting to become a full time writer in 2007.

John has co-written and produced comedies for the stage and has created a series of books for children. "Previously, I had only been interested in comedy and finally started to write down the things I said or thought of. That led me to co-write and produce a play, In the Balance, and the W for Banker - which appeared at the New End Theatre, Hampstead. It was then I decided to quit the world of business in favour of writing full-time, and move toward more serious subjects. My first novel has taken me two years to write and is the first in a series of books I am calling the "Steinberg Stories".

Social Media Links:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Steinberg-Stories
Twitter - @SteinbergStory

Brackenheath ispot blade desk lamp

Reading and blogging are two of my favourite evening activities. My table is far from being clutter-free, I have lots of magazines, newspapers cuttings lying around, books piled not so neatly, pens and colouring pens, my camera, notebooks, a laptop and ipad, plus an inevitable cup of tea or coffee. But this is my creative chaos. By the evening my eyes are quite tired, and a good source of light is indispensable.
I don't have a study room of my own, and my working table is often a play area for Eddie who is a Lego fiend (so add one zillion of minifigures to my creative mess ambience).
With a new desk lamp from Ormrod, the atmosphere is more conducive to work.
Brackenheath ispot blade desk lamp is available in two colours - black and white, two colours which are the easiest to enhance any interior colour scheme. It currently retails at £37.62.

It is a LED desk lamp, with adjustable colour temperature, from warm white 3000K to daylight 6500K.
The lamp head rotates at 180°, with an 90° adjustable lamp arm. It is dimmable via touch control.

On top of all these features, it has a built in USB charging port, perfect for charging phones and other digital devices.
This desk lamp folds away for easy storage, though in our case it doesn't need to be folded. If anything, we can't decide between ourselves who would have this desk lamp.

In the last few weeks my husband is finishing to edit his book and works late in the night. A good lighting is crucial for his work, so I let him have the desk lamp (for the time being). He appreciated the USB charging facility, as he and his iphone are inseparable.

The slim design of this desk lamp would fit many interior styles. I have placed it in several different rooms, on different surfaces, and I think it works well with all of them, for example, with the antique desk...

... as well as a simple wooden modern-style computer table/desk.

See the full range of stylish lighting at Ormrod. I have already bookmarked a couple of things that I love there, including the most fantastic nautical lamps.

Disclosure: We received the desk lamp for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are our own.

Belledorm luxury percale bed linen

When it comes to bedrooms, I prefer pretty pastel colours and soft patterns. My younger son is the complete opposite, he loves all the bold and bright designs, and has a selection of bed linen with Spiderman, Ninja Turtles, Trucks etc. But like me, he finds the smell of the fresh bedlinen irresistible. Whenever I'm changing the bedding, he'd be right there, jumping on the bed and "helping" me.
Belledorm luxury percale bed linen is available in a wide range of sizes and colours, to suit all tastes and styles.
Browsing at Rooi online, I have picked a Belledorm 200TC polycotton contemporary plain double duvet cover in duck egg blue and matching pillow cases for our older son's bedroom.
The set has arrived in a cotton bag, which could be reused for keeping the linen whenever you don't use it.

As it is a blend of 50% cotton and 50% polyester, it is easy to wash and iron.
Anything that requires minimal ironing is a bonus for me. With three men to look after and iron their clothes on a daily basis, I'm not too enthusiastic when it comes to ironing the bed linen too.
Polycotton keeps cool in summer and warm in winter, and is pretty durable.
I have already washed our set a couple of times, so can confirm that it washes well. It is a stylish and practical range of bed linen, suitable for everyday use, and comes with a seven years guarantee. It is also available in Single, King and Super King sizes.

I like all shades of blue, as I think this colour is classic and timeless, and helps to create a look of serenity in the bedroom. My older son prefers a minimalist look, so this colour scheme worked very well for his bedroom.

The beauty of the plain dye bed linen is that it is available in a colour palette to suit any home and that you can mix and match it with the other bedding sets to create whichever look you fancy.
If a one-colour scheme is not to your taste, jazz it up with a different shade of the same colour or patterned design which includes the same colour or different shades of the colour.

It can be kept simple, uncluttered and stylish, it can be eye-catching and vibrant when matched with a few accessories that make a bold statement. For example, some bold stripes on pillow cases or cushions could be added for a nautical look.
Imagine this lovely blue with a few little cushions which have a floral design and a bit of tatty lace for the shabby chic bedroom.
The possibilities are endless. But then I'm very much a mix-and-match person, in my reading preferences, musical tastes, interior design and culinary trends.
If you're a purist and minimalist, keep it simple.

What does your bedroom say about you?

Disclosure: We received a set of bedlinen for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are ours.

Astro Limina portable uplight

Our home is rather eclectic, it's a combination of a classic or traditional old town cottage and more modern influences. As much as I love the "old cottage" look, it could be too conservative if it's not diluted by the more modern details. I don't want to live in a museum, I love layering and mixture of styles, which makes it more exciting and approachable (though I have a feeling that if an interior designer ventured into our house, they might have had a bit of a shock).
The same goes for the lamps and lights in our house: we have a fabulous vintage lamp in the hall, shaped like a Victorian lamppost, a gloriously bright Tiffany lampshade in the sitting room, sky lights in the kitchen etc etc. Recently our lamp collection has expanded with an addition of a portable uplight.
Astro Limina sounds like something out of a sci-fi book or film, and looks the part too. It is stylish, compact and portable. It is double insulated, and has a plaster finish.

I was surprised to read that this product can be painted after applying a sealing coat of a diluted bonding solution. I like the white finish as it is, but the possibilities of decorating it to suit your tastes and interior styles of your home are endless.
It comes with a Bell LED GU10 lamp, which makes it child-safe to prevent burnt fingers.
Being small and compact, it can be placed almost anywhere around the house.

We have placed it in different rooms around the house, trying to decide what's the best location for it.
You can keep in it in the bathroom, as long as it's not too close to the bath and doesn't get wet.

It looked well in our bedroom too, though it cannot be used as a night light, it is way too bright. When I switched it on in Eddie's bedroom, his small room was all alight.
The glow of the bulb is very bright, almost hurting the eyes, so don't look directly inside the lamp when the light is on. Best placed in the corner, and maybe even turned around so that the lower rim is facing the wall.

We also tried to see how it would look in the summerhouse which is the playroom or guestroom, depending on the situation. The small summerhouse looked even more cosy with the uplight on the floor.

Astro Limina hasn't found its permanent location yet in our house, but as it is portable, we can carry around with ease, depending on the mood and need of light.

For more information and a wide selection of lighting, visit Ormrod.

Disclosure: I received the uplight for the purposes of reviewing. All opinions are mine.