Category Archives: Paranormal YA

Happy National Book Lovers Day!

Today is National Book Lovers Day!

I happen to love books every day of the year. There’s nothing better than curling up with a good book, whether it’s an ebook or print.

Book
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

How will you celebrate, participate?

There are many genres out there to choose from – crime, romance, erotica, YA, memoirs, creative non-fiction, non-fiction and the list goes on.

All these main genres have a multitude of sub-genres as well, so there is something out there for everyone’s taste in reading.

I write romance, primarily, although YESTERDAY TODAY ALWAYS has a psychological thriller element included. It’s probably my darkest work yet. I remember when I was having the computer read it back to me, my husband entered my ‘writing cave’, and the particular segment scared him. I guess I nailed the creepy, unnerving bit.

You can check out all my books on the novels page on my website. Perhaps, you’ll find a little something to your liking.

In what format do you prefer to read your book?

Are you a hardcover fan? Paperback (trade size or mass market)? E-book (kindle, kobo, nook, or other)? Or do you read from a combination of all of the above?

Leave a comment stating what your favourite genre and format is. I’d love to hear your thoughts and preferences.

It’s National Book Lovers Day!

Today is National Book Lovers Day!

National Book Lovers Day
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

How will you celebrate, participate?

This year on National Book Lovers Day, I currently have two books on the go – one fiction, one non. Thunder Bay by Douglas Skelton is a crime novel set in Scotland.

The non-fiction is Marketing Matters by Wendy H Jones. Right now, I need all the help I can get in this department.

In addition to reading, I’m also working on Book 3 in my It Happened series set in the village of Percé on the Gaspé Peninsula of the province of Quebec.

Since the COVID-19 lockdown, I’ve struggled with writing, but my reading has flourished. According to my 2020 Goodreads challenge, I’m nine books ahead of schedule. That should give you an idea of how I’ve been spending much of my spare time.

Some of these books were already on my TBR (to be read) list having languished on my shelves or Kindle for some time. Others were new purchases that I just “had” to get. Still, others were review copies.

What to read?

There are many genres out there to choose from – crime, romance, erotica, YA, memoirs, creative non-fiction, and the list goes on.

All these main genres have a multitude of sub-genres as well, so there is something out there for everyone’s taste in reading.

I write romance, primarily, although YESTERDAY TODAY ALWAYS has a psychological thriller element included. It’s probably my darkest work yet. I remember when I was having the computer read it back to me, my husband entered my ‘writing cave’, and the particular segment scared him. I guess I nailed the creepy, unnerving bit.

You can check out all my books on the novels page on my website. Perhaps, you’ll find a little something to your liking.

What format do you prefer to read?

Are you a hardcover fan? Paperback (trade size or mass market)? E-book (kindle, kobo, nook, or other)? Or do you read from a combination of all of the above?

Leave a comment staying what your favourite genre and format is. I’d love to hear your thoughts and preferences.

A Shadow in the Past – the real locations and inspiration behind the novel

There were a number of things that influenced and inspired me to write my debut novel, A Shadow in the Past. Here are some of them.

Start with one spooky, derelict mansion…

A Shadow in the Past
Weetshill mansion

Add one ancient stone circle…

A Shadow in the Past
The stone circle on Gordonsfield Farm

Sprinkle in a narrow country lane…

A Shadow in the Past
The lane leading to Weetshill mansion

Lined with ghostly trees…

A Shadow in the Past
The lane leading to Weetshill mansion

Add a generous dollop of old graveyard…

A Shadow in the Past
The Old Kendonald Kirkyard

One full-sized headstone…

A Shadow in the Past
The Robertson headstone (my grandparents’ stone) in the Old Kendonald Kirkyard

Spice it up with a village hall…

A Shadow in the Past
Kendonald Village Hall

One lunatic asylum…

A Shadow in the Past
The lunatic asylum at Ladysbridge

One small country church…

A Shadow in the Past
Old Kendonald Kirk

And lastly a smidgeon of Aberdeen…

A Shadow in the Past
The Salvation Army Citadel in Aberdeen

Mix well.

Add characters…

A Shadow in the Past
A family portrait (my grandfather and his first wife believed to commemmorate their wedding day)

Let all the ingredients simmer then write, write some more, re-write, re-write some more.

When finished it looks like this…

A Shadow in the Past
My novel’s cover created by Aidana WillowRaven

Blurb:

Nineteen-year-old Sarah Shand finds herself thrust back into the past. There she struggles to keep her real identity from a society that finds her comments and ideas strange and her speech and actions forward, unlike Victorian women. When Sarah verbally confronts confining social practices, including arranged marriages, powerful enemies commit her to a lunatic asylum. After falling in love with the handsome Laird of Weetshill, Robert Robertson, she must decide whether to find her way back to her own time or to remain in the past with him.

Where to buy:

4RV Publishing: http://www.4rvpublishingcatalog.com/robertson-king.php

Amazon.ca: http://www.amazon.ca/Shadow-Past-Melanie-Robertson-King/dp/0983801886/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346607916&sr=1-1

ChaptersIndigo: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/A-Shadow-In-The-Past-Melanie-Robertson-king/9780983801887-item.html?ikwid=a+shadow+in+the+past&ikwsec=Home

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Past-Melanie-Robertson-King/dp/0983801886/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344434406&sr=1-1

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-shadow-in-the-past-melanie-robertson-king/1112348992?ean=9780983801887

Amazon.co.uk:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadow-Past-Melanie-Robertson-King/dp/0983801886/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344434484&sr=1-1

A Shadow in the Past is also available at amazon for the Kindle (using the same links), Barnes & Noble for the nook, Kobobooks, and the iBookstore.

#AtoZChallenge – S is for SHADOWS FROM HER PAST

Shadows from Her Past

I’m currently sitting at just over 62,000 words in my first draft and my target length is 85,000. This book hasn’t progressed as quickly as I had hoped but I’ve not totally thrown in the towel yet, either.

I don’t have a cover to show you but as the book hasn’t progressed to that stage, I can’t.

a shadow in the past cover 500x773Here is the cover image for my first book. I see my name and the title Shadows from Her Past exactly how they are here. Keep the ‘author brand’ continuity if you will.

I also see the past and present being represented much as they are here but, shall we say, in a more modest setting. Present looking into the past and the two characters who are most important to the heroine appearing with her in the mirror’s reflection.

What do you think of my vision?

Blurb for Shadows from Her Past:

Sarah finds herself back in her time without her husband, Robert, and adopted daughter, Jenny. When she sees visions of them appear, Sarah doesn’t know if it’s her imagination or if they’re really there trying to break through the constraints of time and space.

David Robb, a student doctor at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary who has been assigned to her case, bears a familial resemblance to Robert. Sarah develops feelings for him but also feels like she is betraying her husband, despite them being centuries apart.

Will Sarah make a new life with David in the present, or will she find her way back to her husband and daughter in the past?

~~~~~~~~

Keep coming back for news regarding Shadows from her Past. In the meantime, you can purchase book one in the series – A Shadow in the Past in paperback from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Chapters, and local bricks ‘n mortar bookstores.

If you’d prefer to buy it as an ebook, all you have to do is click on the logo of your choice to download it. The link for all the amazon domains is the same, you just have to change the .co.uk to your own.

Intangible by DelSheree Gladden

intangible

Intangible (The Aerling Series, #2) by DelSheree Gladden

intangibleBlurb:

Mason is not imaginary.
He’s not a ghost, either.
And he’s most definitely not a hallucination.

Mason is an Aerling, and the Sentinels’ number one target.

Separated to keep each other safe and alive until Mason’s eighteenth birthday when Olivia is expected to guide him back to the world of the Aerlings, neither one was prepared to be stripped of their best friend, of the person they love most. The pain being away from each other causes is the least of their worries, though, as the Sentinels intensify their search for Mason and bring the threat of danger to a whole new level.

Oddities – Guest Post from DelSheree Gladden

I will be the first one to admit that I am weird. We all are, but not everyone is willing to admit it. Just for fun, stop whatever you doing and list five things about yourself that make you a little bit odd. Try to think of things other people might not already know. I’ll do it too. Ready? Go!

  1. I am a big Star Trek fan and I have watched just about every episode of all the different series, and every movie. Yes, there were movies before the ones with Chris Pine and Benedict Cumberbatch.
  2. I like to put my socks on first when I’m getting dressed because I don’t like having to push my pant legs out of the way to get them on.
  3. I like spinach, a lot. I don’t get why other people hate it so much. It’s great in spanakopita.
  4. I kill the majority of plants I try to plant every year. I really do try to keep them alive, but apparently I’m just a terrible gardener.
  5. I can’t stand eating the same food more than once every couple of weeks. Except hamburgers. Those are pretty much always good.

Did you make your list? Feel free to share it in the comments below!

Now, why did I just tell you five strange things about myself? To make a point. Everybody has issues and weird idiosyncrasies. Real people are not perfect. Characters in a book should not be perfect either. If you can’t name five weird things about your character, they need a little more depth. You want the characters you write to remind your readers of someone they know, whether it’s a person they like or don’t like. They need to feel real enough that readers can develop a relationship with your characters.

Once you have five oddities about a character, then go back and figure out where they came from. Why does your female lead hate cereal? Is it because it gets soggy in milk, or did she grow up in a home where she never had the type of parents who took the time to make her breakfast as a child? Why does your main love interest never wear blue? Is it because his mom painted his room Robin’s Egg Blue as an infant and made him keep it that color even through high school? Or is it because that is the eye color of the man who hurt someone he loved?

This is something I try to practice in my writing, not only with my main characters, but with every side character, and especially with the villains. Every character should make readers wonder about their past and how it has shaped them. They’ll keep reading to find out the answers to questions like: Why does Evie insist on skirting the rules so often? Why is Olivia so amazingly bad at sports? Why does Mason not remember more than bits and pieces of his life before Olivia? Where did the Sentinel chasing Mason get his scars? If you want to know the answers, grab a copy of Intangible and find out.

What are the stories behind your list of five weird facts?

About the Author

delshereeDelSheree Gladden lives in New Mexico with her husband and two children. The Southwest is a big influence in her writing because of its culture, beauty, and mythology. Local folk lore is strongly rooted in her writing, particularly ideas of prophecy, destiny, and talents born from natural abilities. When she is not writing, DelSheree is usually reading, painting, sewing, or working as a Dental Hygienist. Her works include Escaping Fate, Twin Souls Saga, The Destroyer Trilogy, and Invisible. Look for, Wicked Power, the next book in the Someone Wicked This Way Comes Series, and Soul Stone, book two in the Escaping Fate Series, coming 2014.

Website / Blog / Twitter / Amazon / Goodreads

Invisible (The Aerling Series, #1) by DelSheree Gladden

invisibleBlurb:

Olivia’s best friend is not imaginary. He’s not a ghost, either. And she’s pretty sure he’s not a hallucination. He’s just Mason.

He is, however, invisible.

When Olivia spotted the crying little boy on her front porch at five years old, she had no idea she was the only one who could see him. Twelve years later when new-girl Robin bumps into the both of them and introduces herself to Mason, they are both stunned.

Mason couldn’t be more pleased that someone else can see him. Olivia, on the other hand, isn’t jumping at the chance to welcome Robin into their circle. Jealousy may have something to do with
that, but honest fear that Robin’s presence will put Mason in danger is soon validated when a strange black car shows up outside Olivia’s house.

The race to find out what Robin knows in time to protect Mason from whatever threats are coming becomes Olivia’s only focus.

 

Character interview with a twist…

Character interview

In most character interviews you see, it’s the character being interviewed. This time, it’s the character being the interviewer as opposed to the interviewee. My main character from A Shadow in the Past, Sarah Shand, interviewed me over at her blog, Sarah’s Place the other day.

We talked about A Shadow in the Past, the second book in that series, Shadows from her Past, author brand and other things. She asked some pretty tough questions. You can read the full interview here.

About Sarah:

cartoon SarahI live in rural Aberdeenshire with my parents, sister, and ginger and white cat, Murphy, on our farm (Gordonsfield) near the village of Kendonald.

When I’m not with them, I live in the year 1886 at Weetshill mansion with the laird Robert Robertson and his staff.

If you think going back to the past and knowing what you do now is fun, let me tell you, it isn’t. But then I’m probably telling tales out of school.

The best way to find out is to buy a copy of Melanie’s novel, A Shadow in the Past, and find out for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

 

 

Ladies Nite 2013

Nov 8th was Ladies Nite at Green Things Garden & Gifts and other participating merchants

In addition to Green Things where I set up, two other local businesses took part in the fun as well – Casual Living (who have been involved in previous years) and new comers Hall’s Apple Market (they have way more than just apples there).

This year I was set up in a different area than my first time out in 2012. It was extremely busy when I arrived so I rushed to get set up and it wasn’t until after I had everything out on the table that I realized I had forgotten my tartan throw that I use at most places. I had planned on using it as a topper over the red table cloth I had also been completely forgotten about until I saw it in the linen closet the other day and it begged “pick me! pick me!”. Still I think my table looked pretty good just as it was. What do you think?

ladies nite 2013
My table at Ladies Nite

See my funky coffee mugs there? I’ve got one for A Shadow in the Past and one for The Consequences Collection – both of which had candies in them.

Of course my usual accoutrements came along – postcards, bookmarks, business cards, easel to display a book on but I had more loot this year! I had another book, plus my 2014 A Shadow in the Past calendars! Luckily for me, I had another photo easel at home that I pressed into service for my anthology since the acrylic book easels I have on order haven’t arrived yet.

All in all, it was an extremely successful evening – 3 copies of A Shadow in the Past, 1 copy of The Consequences Collection, and 1 A Shadow in the Past calendar.

Keep watching my appearances page for where I’ll be next and if you’re in the area, drop in. I’d love to see you.

 

 

Book Blitz for THE STAR CHILD by Stephanie Keyes

Star Child 199 Promo

From July 23-25, The Star Child, the YA Paranormal Romance from Stephanie Keyes is on sale for $1.99!

Kindle users can download from Amazon HERE.

Nook user? Download HERE.

The Star Child.final

“Keyes very cleverly ensures the book is unputdownable by reeling in the reader within the first few opening pages.”- BestChickLit.com

“This was a wonderfully written Young Adult Paranormal Romance. The world and characters are phenomenally crafted.” The BookMaven

“Stephanie Keyes is a wonderful voice for a new generation of YA readers. She has skilfully blended mythology and faerie-tale into an original and enthralling story. Pure magick! I’m looking forward to more. – Helen Hart, author, The Black Banner

Continue reading Book Blitz for THE STAR CHILD by Stephanie Keyes